The Secret Book of James, also known as the Apocryphon of James, is a Coptic manuscript that was part of the discovery of the Nag Hammadi scriptures in 1945. There must have been an original Greek text, but none has ever been found. The text itself has no title, and its current name is based on the content of the text. In the text, James, the brother of Jesus, sends a letter to someone whose name is unreadable due to damage in the manuscript. Along with the letter, he sends a book written in Hebrew. The book contains a secret revelation, which he, along with Peter, supposedly received from the risen Christ. In the letter, he mentions having received a revelation earlier, and then alone. The rest of the text in the manuscript describes this revelation, mainly in a dialogue between Christ, James, and Peter. This dialogue takes place 550 days after the resurrection and immediately before His ascension. On that day, Christ appears to the twelve apostles who are busy writing their memoirs. Jesus invites the apostles to follow Him to the Heavenly Kingdom. However, He warns them that this does not depend on His actions but only on whether they are inwardly ready for it. In the text, this is described as being full or filled with the Spirit. Jesus then takes James and Peter aside and delivers a lengthy discourse, emphasising the necessity of possessing gnosis. Those who do not possess it will not reach the Heavenly Kingdom. The necessity of faith in knowledge is also considered essential. Jesus says in the text, "You have received life through faith and knowledge." A third element involves Jesus's resolute rejection of a prophecy about His second coming. James asks, "Lord, how shall we prophesy to those who ask us for predictions? For there are many who look up to us and expect oracles from us." The response is:
"Do you not know that the head of prophecy was severed with John the Baptist?"
At the end of the text, the ascension takes place. James and Peter rejoin the other apostles, and James reports that he then returned to Jerusalem.