Pokorny (New Testament exegesis, Charles U., Prague) draws on his previous Gnostic and Coptic studies in Czech and German to comment on the Coptic text discovered in Upper Egypt just after World War II. Though it does not provide any independent information on the life of Jesus, he says, it can still contribute to the knowledge of the piety of early Christianity, the teaching and message of Jesus, and how that teaching has been transmitted. His introduction looks at discovery and description, the Gospel of Thomas as literature, the testimony and Jesus of history, and the gospel's genesis and theology. Then he settles down to commentary on each of the 114 sayings, for which he provides English translations. His first comment ponders what the writer meant to convey, and the second surveys the sources or traditions the passage draws from and seeks to clarify or alter. T&T Clark is an imprint of Continuum. Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)