Yu. Nikolaev’s book, which became a bibliographic rarity even before the revolution and has now been republished for the first time by the Sofia publishing house, is dedicated to one of the most important turning points in the history of modern culture - the first centuries of the formation of Christianity, when at the junction of the ancient world, pagan religion and the new In the wake of the era “from the Nativity of Christ,” a peculiar religious and philosophical movement arose - Gnosticism. In the ideas and works of the Gnostics - in particular, in apocryphal literature, mostly irretrievably lost - modern researchers discover the most interesting ideas, the deepest religious and philosophical views, shedding new light not only on the history of the formation of Christianity, but also on the fundamental foundations of religious thinking itself, understanding the origins of being - that understanding which, captured in written monuments, decisively determines the face of human history. Written in accessible, clear language, this fascinating book serves as an excellent primer for anyone interested in the history, philosophy, religion, and culture that underlie the modern world.