The Hymn of the Pearl: Apocryphal Acts, Women and Later Greek Conceptions of the Soul

This article examines the Hymn of the Pearl within the Acts of Thomas in relation to later Greek conceptions of the soul and their reception in early Christian and Gnostic literature. Bringing together three central themes prominent in the scholarship of Professor Jan Bremmer – the soul, women, and the Apocryphal Acts –, the study first outlines the development of the concept of the soul from early Greek thought to Middle Platonism, emphasizing its increasing autonomy, divine origin, and estrangement from the body. It then analyzes the Exegesis of the Soul (NHC II,6), highlighting the consistent portrayal of the soul as female and its descent and degradation through embodied existence, followed by redemption through divine intervention. The article then proceeds to a close reading of the Hymn of the Pearl, arguing against the widespread view that it is a later interpolation and defending its originality within the Acts of Thomas. Through comparative analysis, it demonstrates strong structural and thematic parallels between the Hymn and the Exegesis of the Soul, suggesting that both texts adapt a shared Platonic myth of the soul’s descent and return. While the Exegesis of the Soul preserves the feminine characterization of the soul, the Hymn transforms it into a male figure, reflecting different narrative and theological aims. Ultimately, the study argues that these texts emerge from a common second-century Mediterranean intellectual milieu and that the Hymn of the Pearl should be considered integral to the Acts of Thomas.