[1] The teaching of the savior, and the revelation of the
mysteries and the things hidden in silence, even these things which he taught
John, his disciple.
And it happened one day, when John, the brother of James
- who are the sons of Zebedee - had come up to the temple, that a Pharisee
named Arimanius approached him and said to him, "Where is your master whom
you followed?" And he said to him, "He has gone to the place from
which he came." The Pharisee said to him, "With deception did this
Nazarene deceive you (pl.), and he filled your ears with lies, and closed your
hearts (and) turned you from the traditions of your fathers."
When I, John, heard these things I turned away from the
temple to a desert place. And I grieved greatly in my heart, saying, "How
then was the savior appointed, and why was he sent into the world by his
Father, and who is his Father who sent him, and of what sort is that aeon to
which we shall go? For what did he mean when he said to us, 'This aeon to which
you will go is of the type of the imperishable aeon, but he did not teach us
concerning the latter, of what sort it is."
Straightway, while I was contemplating these things,
behold, the heavens opened and the whole creation which is below heaven shone,
and the world was shaken. [2] I was afraid, and behold I saw in the light a
youth who stood by me. While I looked at him, he became like an old man. And he
changed his likeness (again), becoming like a servant. There was not a
plurality before me, but there was a likeness with multiple forms in the light,
and the likenesses appeared through each other, and the likeness had three
forms.
He said to me, "John, John, why do you doubt, or why
are you afraid? You are not unfamiliar with this image, are you? - that is, do
not be timid! - I am the one who is with you (pl.) always. I am the Father, I
am the Mother, I am the Son. I am the undefiled and incorruptible one. Now I have
come to teach you what is and what was and what will come to pass, that you may
know the things which are not revealed and those which are revealed, and to
teach you concerning the unwavering race of the perfect Man. Now, therefore,
lift up your face, that you may receive the things that I shall teach you
today, and may tell them to your fellow spirits who are from the unwavering
race of the perfect Man."
And I asked to know it, and he said to me, "The
Monad is a monarchy with nothing above it. It is he who exists as God and
Father of everything, the invisible One who is above everything, who exists as
incorruption, which is in the pure light into which no eye can look.
"He is the invisible Spirit, of whom it is not right
to think of him as a god, or something similar. For he is more than a god,
since there is nothing above him, for no one [3] lords it over him. For he does
not exist in something inferior to him, since everything exists in him. For it
is he who establishes himself. He is eternal, since he does not need anything.
For he is total perfection. He did not lack anything, that he might be
completed by it; rather he is always completely perfect in light. He is
illimitable, since there is no one prior to him to set limits to him. He is
unsearchable, since there exists no one prior to him to examine him. He is
immeasurable, since there was no one prior to him to measure him. He is
invisible, since no one saw him. He is eternal, since he exists eternally. He
is ineffable, since no one was able to comprehend him to speak about him. He is
unnameable, since there is no one prior to him to give him a name.
"He is immeasurable light, which is pure, holy (and)
immaculate. He is ineffable, being perfect in incorruptibility. (He is) not in
perfection, nor in blessedness, nor in divinity, but he is far superior. He is
not corporeal nor is he incorporeal. He is neither large nor is he small. There
is no way to say, 'What is his quantity?' or, 'What is his quality?', for no
one can know him. He is not someone among (other) beings, rather he is far
superior. Not that he is (simply) superior, but his essence does not partake in
the aeons nor in time. For he who partakes in an aeon was prepared beforehand.
Time was not apportioned to him, since he does not receive anything from
another, for it would be received on loan. For he who precedes someone does not
lack, that he may receive from him. For rather, it is the latter that looks
expectantly at him in [4] his light.
"For the perfection is majestic. He is pure, immeasurable
mind. He is an aeon-giving aeon. He is life-giving life. He is a
blessedness-giving blessed one. He is knowledge-giving knowledge. He is
goodness-giving goodness. He is mercy and redemption-giving mercy. He is
grace-giving grace, not because he possesses it, but because he gives the
immeasurable, incomprehensible light.
"How am I to speak with you about him? His aeon is
indestructible, at rest and existing in silence, reposing (and) being prior to
everything. For he is the head of all the aeons, and it is he who gives them
strength in his goodness. For we know not the ineffable things, and we do not
understand what is immeasurable, except for him who came forth from him, namely
(from) the Father. For it is he who told it to us alone. For it is he who looks
at himself in his light which surrounds him, namely the spring of the water of
life. And it is he who gives to all the aeons and in every way, (and) who gazes
upon his image which he sees in the spring of the Spirit. It is he who puts his
desire in his water-light which is in the spring of the pure light-water which
surrounds him.
"And his thought performed a deed and she came
forth, namely she who had appeared before him in the shine of his light. This
is the first power which was before all of them (and) which came forth from his
mind, She is the forethought of the All - her light shines like his light - the
perfect power which is the image of the invisible, virginal Spirit who is
perfect. The first power, the glory of Barbelo, the perfect [5] glory in the
aeons, the glory of the revelation, she glorified the virginal Spirit and it
was she who praised him, because thanks to him she had come forth. This is the
first thought, his image; she became the womb of everything, for it is she who
is prior to them all, the Mother-Father, the first man, the holy Spirit, the
thrice-male, the thrice-powerful, the thrice-named androgynous one, and the
eternal aeon among the invisible ones, and the first to come forth.
" requested from the invisible, virginal
Spirit - that is Barbelo - to give her foreknowledge. And the Spirit consented.
And when he had consented, the foreknowledge came forth, and it stood by the
forethought; it originates from the thought of the invisible, virginal Spirit.
It glorified him and his perfect power, Barbelo, for it was for her sake that
it had come into being.
"And she requested again to grant her
indestructibility, and he consented. When he had consented, indestructibility
came forth, and it stood by the thought and the foreknowledge. It glorified the
invisible [6] One and Barbelo, the one for whose sake they had come into
being.
"And Barbelo requested to grant her eternal life. And
the invisible Spirit consented. And when he had consented, eternal life came
forth, and they attended and glorified the invisible Spirit and Barbelo, the
one for whose sake they had come into being.
"And she requested again to grant her truth. And the
invisible Spirit consented. And when he had consented, truth came forth, and
they attended and glorified the invisible, excellent Spirit and his Barbelo,
the one for whose sake they had come into being.
"This is the pentad of the aeons of the Father, which
is the first man, the image of the invisible Spirit; it is the forethought,
which Barbelo, and the thought, and the foreknowledge, and the
indestructibility, and the eternal life, and the truth. This is the androgynous
pentad of the aeons, which is the decad of the aeons, which is the Father.
"And he looked at Barbelo with the pure light which
surrounds the invisible Spirit, and (with) his spark, and she conceived from
him. He begot a spark of light with a light resembling blessedness. But it does
not equal his greatness. This was an only-begotten child of the Mother-Father
which had come forth; it is the only offspring, the only-begotten one of the
Father, the pure Light.
"And the invisible, virginal Spirit rejoiced over the
light which came forth, that which was brought forth first by the first power
of his forethought, which is Barbelo. And he anointed it with his goodness
until it became perfect, not lacking in any goodness, because he had anointed
it with the goodness of the invisible Spirit. And it attended him as he poured
upon it. And immediately when it had received from the Spirit, it glorified the
holy Spirit and the perfect forethought, for whose sake it had come forth.
"And it requested to give it a fellow worker, which is
the mind, and he consented gladly. And when the invisible Spirit had consented,
[7] the mind came forth, and it attended Christ, glorifying him and
Barbelo. And all these came into being in silence.
"And the mind wanted to perform a deed through the
word of the invisible Spirit. And his will became a deed and it appeared with
the mind; and the light glorified it. And the word followed the will. For
because of the word, Christ the divine Autogenes created everything. And the
eternal life his will and the mind and the foreknowledge attended
and glorified the invisible Spirit and Barbelo, for whose sake they had come
into being.
"And the holy Spirit completed the divine Autogenes,
his son, together with Barbelo, that he may attend the mighty and invisible,
virginal Spirit as the divine Autogenes, the Christ whom he had honored with a
mighty voice. He came forth through the forethought. And the invisible,
virginal Spirit placed the divine Autogenes of truth over everything. And he
subjected to him every authority, and the truth which is in him, that he may
know the All which had been called with a name exalted above every name. For that
name will be mentioned to those who are worthy of it.
"For from the light, which is the Christ, and the
indestructibility, through the gift of the Spirit the four lights (appeared)
from the divine Autogenes. He expected that they might attend [8] him. And the
three (are) will, thought, and life. And the four powers (are) understanding,
grace, perception, and prudence. And grace belongs to the light-aeon Armozel,
which is the first angel. And there are three other aeons with this aeon:
grace, truth, and form. And the second light (is) Oriel, who has been placed
over the second aeon. And there are three other aeons with him: conception,
perception, and memory. And the third light is Daveithai, who has been placed
over the third aeon. And there are three other aeons with him: understanding,
love, and idea. And the fourth aeon was placed over the fourth light Eleleth.
And there are three other aeons with him: perfection, peace, and wisdom. These
are the four lights which attend the divine Autogenes, (and) these are the
twelve aeons which attend the son of the mighty one, the Autogenes, the Christ,
through the will and the gift of the invisible Spirit. And the twelve aeons
belong to the son of the Autogenes. And all things were established by the will
of the holy Spirit through the Autogenes.
"And from the foreknowledge of the perfect mind,
through the revelation of the will of the invisible Spirit and the will of the
Autogenes, perfect Man (appeared), the first revelation, and the
truth. It is he whom the virginal Spirit called Pigera-Adamas, and he placed
him over [9] the first aeon with the mighty one, the Autogenes, the
Christ, by the first light Armozel; and with him are his powers. And the
invisible one gave him a spiritual, invincible power. And he spoke and
glorified and praised the invisible Spirit, saying, 'It is for thy sake that
everything has come into being and everything will return to thee. I shall
praise and glorify thee and the Autogenes and the aeons, the three: the Father,
the Mother, and the Son, the perfect power.'
"And he placed his son Seth over the second aeon in the
presence of the second light Oriel. And in the third aeon the seed of Seth was
placed over the third light Daveithai. And the souls of the saints were placed
(there). And in the fourth aeon the souls were placed of those who do not know
the Pleroma and who did not repent at once, but who persisted for a while and
repented afterwards; they are by the fourth light Eleleth. These are creatures
which glorify the invisible Spirit.
"And the Sophia of the Epinoia, being an aeon,
conceived a thought from herself and the conception of the invisible Spirit and
foreknowledge. She wanted to bring forth a likeness out of herself without the
consent of the Spirit, - he had not approved - and without her consort, and
without his consideration. And though the person of her maleness had not
approved, and she had not found her agreement, and she had thought without the
consent of the Spirit and the knowledge of her agreement, (yet) she brought
forth. [10] And because of the invincible power which is in her, her thought
did not remain idle, and something came out of her which was imperfect and
different from her appearance, because she had created it without her consort.
And it was dissimilar to the likeness of its mother, for it has another form.
"And when she saw (the consequences of) her desire,
it changed into a form of a lion-faced serpent. And its eyes were like
lightning fires which flash. She cast it away from her, outside that place,
that no one of the immortal ones might see it, for she had created it in
ignorance. And she surrounded it with a luminous cloud, and she placed a throne
in the middle of the cloud that no one might see it except the holy Spirit who
is called the mother of the living. And she called his name Yaltabaoth.
"This is the first archon who took a great power
from his mother. And he removed himself from her and moved away from the places
in which he was born. He became strong and created for himself other aeons with
a flame of luminous fire which (still) exists now. And he joined with his
arrogance which is in him and begot authorities for himself. The name of the
first one is Athoth, whom the generations call the reaper. The second one is
Harmas, who is the eye of envy. The third one is Kalila-Oumbri. The fourth one
is Yabel. The fifth one is Adonaiou, who is called Sabaoth. The sixth one is
Cain, whom the generations of men call the sun. The seventh is Abel. The eighth
is Abrisene. The ninth is Yobel. [11] The tenth is Armoupieel. The eleventh is
Melceir-Adonein. The twelfth is Belias, it is he who is over the depth of
Hades. And he placed seven kings - each corresponding to the firmaments of
heaven - over the seven heavens, and five over the depth of the abyss, that
they may reign. And he shared his fire with them, but he did not send forth
from the power of the light which he had taken from his mother, for he is
ignorant darkness.
"And when the light had mixed with the darkness, it
caused the darkness to shine. And when the darkness had mixed with the light,
it darkened the light and it became neither light nor dark, but it became dim.
"Now the archon who is weak has three names. The
first name is Yaltabaoth, the second is Saklas, and the third is Samael. And he
is impious in his arrogance which is in him. For he said, 'I am God and there
is no other God beside me,' for he is ignorant of his strength, the place from
which he had come.
"And the archons created seven powers for themselves,
and the powers created for themselves six angels for each one until they became
365 angels. And these are the bodies belonging with the names: the first is
Athoth, a he has a sheep's face; the second is Eloaiou, he has a donkey's face;
the third is Astaphaios, he has a hyena's face; the fourth is Yao, he has a
serpent's face with seven heads; the fifth is Sabaoth, he has a dragon's face;
the sixth is Adonin, he had a monkey's face; the seventh is Sabbede, he has a
shining fire-face. This is the sevenness of the week.
"But Yaltabaoth had a multitude [12] of faces,
more than all of them, so that he could put a face before all of them,
according to his desire, when he is in the midst of seraphs. He shared his fire
with them; therefore he became lord over them. Because of the power of the
glory he possessed of his mother's light, he called himself God. And he did not
obey the place from which he came. And he united the seven powers in his
thought with the authorities which were with him. And when he spoke it
happened. And he named each power beginning with the highest: the first is
goodness with the first (authority), Athoth; the second is foreknowledge with
the second one, Eloaio; and the third is divinity with the third one,
Astraphaio); the fourth is lordship with the fourth one, Yao; the fifth is
kingdom with the fifth one, Sabaoth; the sixth is envy with the sixth one,
Adonein; the seventh is understanding with the seventh one, Sabbateon. And
these have a firmament corresponding to each aeon-heaven. They were given names
according to the glory which belongs to heaven for the destruction of the
powers. And in the names which were given to them by their Originator there was
power. But the names which were given them according to the glory which belongs
to heaven mean for them destruction and powerlessness. Thus they have two
names.
"And having created [...] everything, he organized
according to the model of the first aeons which had come into being, so that he
might [13] create them like the indestructible ones. Not because he had seen
the indestructible ones, but the power in him, which he had taken from his
mother, produced in him the likeness of the cosmos. And when he saw the
creation which surrounds him, and the multitude of the angels around him which
had come forth from him, he said to them, 'I am a jealous God, and there is no
other God beside me.' But by announcing this he indicated to the angels who
attended him that there exists another God. For if there were no other one, of
whom would he be jealous?
"Then the mother began to move to and fro. She became
aware of the deficiency when the brightness of her light diminished. And she
became dark because her consort had not agreed with her."
And I said, "Lord, what does it mean that she moved to
and fro?" But he smiled and said, "Do not think it is, as Moses said,
'above the waters.' No, but when she had seen the wickedness which had
happened, and the theft which her son had committed, she repented. And she was
overcome by forgetfulness in the darkness of ignorance and she began to be
ashamed. And she did not dare to return, but she was moving about. And the
moving is the going to and fro.
"And the arrogant one took a power from his mother. For
he was ignorant, thinking that there existed no other except his mother alone.
And when he saw the multitude of the angels which he had created, then he
exalted himself above them.
"And when the mother recognized that the garment of
darkness was imperfect, then she knew that her consort had not agreed with her.
She repented [14] with much weeping. And the whole pleroma heard the prayer of
her repentance, and they praised on her behalf the invisible, virginal Spirit.
And he consented; and when the invisible Spirit had consented, the holy Spirit
poured over her from their whole pleroma. For it was not her consort who came
to her, but he came to her through the pleroma in order that he might correct
her deficiency. And she was taken up not to her own aeon but above her son,
that she might be in the ninth until she has corrected her deficiency.
"And a voice came forth from the exalted aeon-heaven:
'The Man exists and the son of Man.' And the chief archon, Yaltabaoth, heard
(it) and thought that the voice had come from his mother. And he did not know
from where it came. And he taught them, the holy and perfect Mother-Father, the
complete foreknowledge, the image of the invisible one who is the Father of the
all (and) through whom everything came into being, the first Man. For he
revealed his likeness in a human form.
"And the whole aeon of the chief archon trembled,
and the foundations of the abyss shook. And of the waters which are above
matter, the underside was illuminated by the appearance of his image which had
been revealed. And when all the authorities and the chief archon looked, they
saw the whole region of the underside which was illuminated. And through the
light they saw the form of the image in the water. [15]
"And he said to the authorities which attend him,
'Come, let us create a man according to the image of God and according to our
likeness, that his image may become a light for us.' And they created by means
of their respective powers in correspondence with the characteristics which
were given. And each authority supplied a characteristic in the form of the
image which he had seen in its natural (form). He created a being according to
the likeness of the first, perfect Man. And they said, 'Let us call him Adam,
that his name may become a power of light for us.'
"And the powers began: the first one, goodness, created
a bone-soul; and the second, foreknowledge, created a sinew-soul; the third,
divinity, created a flesh-soul; and the fourth, the lordship, created a
marrow-soul; the fifth, kingdom created a blood-soul; the sixth, envy, created
a skin-soul; the seventh, understanding, created a hair-soul. And the multitude
of the angels attended him and they received from the powers the seven
substances of the natural (form) in order to create the proportions of the
limbs and the proportion of the rump and the proper working together of each of
the parts.
"The first one began to create the head.
Eteraphaope-Abron created his head; Meniggesstroeth created the brain;
Asterechme (created) the right eye; Thaspomocha, the left eye; Yeronumos, the
right ear; Bissoum, the left ear; Akioreim, the nose; [16] Banen-Ephroum, the
lips; Amen, the teeth; Ibikan, the molars; Basiliademe, the tonsils; Achcha,
the uvula; Adaban, the neck; Chaaman, the vertebrae; Dearcho, the throat;
Tebar, the right shoulder; [...], the left shoulder; Mniarcon, the right elbow;
[...], the left elbow; Abitrion, the right underarm; Evanthen, the left
underarm; Krys, the right hand; Beluai, the left hand; Treneu, the fingers of
the right hand; Balbel, the fingers of the left hand; Kriman, the nails of the
hands; Astrops, the right breast; Barroph, the left breast; Baoum, the right
shoulder joint; Ararim, the left shoulder joint; Areche, the belly; Phthave,
the navel; Senaphim, the abdomen; Arachethopi, the right ribs; Zabedo, the left
ribs; Barias, the right hip; Phnouth the left hip; Abenlenarchei, the marrow;
Chnoumeninorin, the bones; Gesole, the stomach; Agromauna, the heart; Bano, the
lungs; Sostrapal, the liver; Anesimalar, the spleen; Thopithro, the intestines;
Biblo, the kidneys; Roeror, the sinews; Taphreo, the spine of the body;
Ipouspoboba, the veins; Bineborin, the arteries; Atoimenpsephei, theirs are the
breaths which are in all the limbs; Entholleia, all the flesh; Bedouk, the
right buttock (?); Arabeei, the left penis; Eilo, the testicles; Sorma, the
genitals; Gorma-Kaiochlabar, the right thigh; Nebrith, the left thigh; Pserem,
the kidneys of the right leg; Asaklas, the left kidney; Ormaoth, the right leg;
Emenun, the left leg; Knyx, the [17] right shin-bone; Tupelon, the left shin-bone;
Achiel, the right knee; Phnene, the left knee; Phiouthrom, the right foot;
Boabel, its toes; Trachoun, the left foot; Phikna, its toes; Miamai, the nails
of the feet; Labernioum - .
"And those who were appointed over all of these are:
Zathoth, Armas, Kalila, Jabel, (Sabaoth, Cain, Abel). And those who are
particularly active in the limbs (are) the head Diolimodraza, the neck Yammeax,
the right shoulder Yakouib, the left shoulder Verton, the right hand Oudidi,
the left one Arbao, the fingers of the right hand Lampno, the fingers of the
left hand Leekaphar, the right breast Barbar, the left breast Imae, the chest
Pisandriaptes, the right shoulder joint Koade, the left shoulder joint Odeor,
the right ribs Asphixix, the left ribs Synogchouta, the belly Arouph, the womb
Sabalo, the right thigh Charcharb, the left thigh Chthaon, all the genitals
Bathinoth, the right leg Choux, the left leg Charcha, the right shin-bone
Aroer, the left shin-bone Toechtha, the right knee Aol, the left knee Charaner,
the right foot Bastan, its toes Archentechtha, the left foot Marephnounth, its
toes Abrana.
"Seven have power over all of these: Michael, Ouriel,
Asmenedas, Saphasatoel, Aarmouriam, Richram, Amiorps. And the ones who are in
charge over the senses (are) Archendekta; and he who is in charge over the
receptions (is) Deitharbathas; and he who is in charge over the imagination
(is) Oummaa; and he who is over the composition [18]Aachiaram, and he who is
over the whole impulse Riaramnacho.
"And the origin of the demons which are in the whole
body is determined to be four: heat, cold, wetness, and dryness. And the mother
of all of them is matter. And he who reigns over the heat (is) Phloxopha; and
he who reigns over the cold is Oroorrothos; and he who reigns over what is dry (is)
Erimacho; and he who reigns over the wetness (is) Athuro. And the mother of all
of these, Onorthochrasaei, stands in their midst, since she is illimitable, and
she mixes with all of them. And she is truly matter, for they are nourished by
her.
"The four chief demons are: Ephememphi, who belongs to
pleasure, Yoko, who belongs to desire, Nenentophni, who belongs to grief,
Blaomen, who belongs to fear. And the mother of them all is
Aesthesis-Ouch-Epi-Ptoe. And from the four demons passions came forth. And from
grief (came) envy, jealousy, distress, trouble, pain, callousness, anxiety,
mourning, etc. And from pleasure much wickedness arises, and empty pride, and
similar things. And from desire (comes) anger, wrath, and bitterness, and
bitter passion, and unsatedness, and similar things. And from fear (comes)
dread, fawning, agony, and shame. All of these are like useful things as well
as evil things. But the insight into their true (character) is Anaro, who is
the head of the material soul, [19] for it belongs with the seven
senses, Ouch-Epi-Ptoe.
"This is the number of the angels: together they are
365. They all worked on it until, limb for limb, the natural and the material
body was completed by them. Now there are other ones in charge over the
remaining passions whom I did not mention to you. But if you wish to know them,
it is written in the book of Zoroaster. And all the angels and demons worked
until they had constructed the natural body. And their product was completely
inactive and motionless for a long time.
"And when the mother wanted to retrieve the power
which she had given to the chief archon, she petitioned the Mother-Father of
the All, who is most merciful. He sent, by means of the holy decree, the five
lights down upon the place of the angels of the chief archon. They advised him
that they should bring forth the power of the mother. And they said to
Yaltabaoth, 'Blow into his face something of your spirit and his body will
arise.' And he blew into his face the spirit which is the power of his mother;
he did not know (this), for he exists in ignorance. And the power of the mother
went out of Yaltabaoth into the natural body, which they had fashioned after
the image of the one who exists from the beginning. The body moved and gained
strength, and it was luminous.
"And in that moment the rest of the powers [20]
became jealous, because he had come into being through all of them and they had
given their power to the man, and his intelligence was greater than that of
those who had made him, and greater than that of the chief archon. And when
they recognized that he was luminous, and that he could think better than they,
and that he was free from wickedness, they took him and threw him into the
lowest region of all matter.
"But the blessed One, the Mother-Father, the
beneficent and merciful One, had mercy on the power of the mother which had
been brought forth out of the chief archon, for they (the archons) might gain
power over the natural and perceptible body. And he sent, through his
beneficent Spirit and his great mercy, a helper to Adam, luminous Epinoia which
comes out of him, who is called Life. And she assists the whole creature, by
toiling with him and by restoring him to his fullness and by teaching him about
the descent of his seed (and) by teaching him about the way of ascent, (which
is) the way he came down. And the luminous Epinoia was hidden in Adam, in order
that the archons might not know her, but that the Epinoia might be a correction
of the deficiency of the mother.
"And the man came forth because of the shadow of the
light which is in him. And his thinking was superior to all those who had made
him. When they looked up, they saw that his thinking was superior. And they
took counsel with the whole array of archons and angels. They took fire and
earth [21] and water and mixed them together with the four fiery winds.
And they wrought them together and caused a great disturbance. And they brought
him (Adam) into the shadow of death, in order that they might form (him) again
from earth and water and fire and the spirit which originates in matter, which
is the ignorance of darkness and desire, and their counterfeit spirit. This is
the tomb of the newly-formed body with which the robbers had clothed the man,
the bond of forgetfulness; and he became a mortal man. This is the first one
who came down, and the first separation. But the Epinoia of the light which was
in him, she is the one who was to awaken his thinking.
"And the archons took him and placed him in
paradise. And they said to him, 'Eat, that is at leisure,' for their luxury is
bitter and their beauty is depraved. And their luxury is deception and their
trees are godlessness and their fruit is deadly poison and their promise is
death. And the tree of their life they had placed in the midst of paradise.
"And I shall teach you (pl.) what is the mystery of
their life, which is the plan which they made together, which is the likeness
of their spirit. The root of this (tree) is bitter and its branches are death,
its shadow is hate and deception is in its leaves, and its blossom is the
ointment of evil, and its fruit is death and desire is its seed, and it sprouts
in darkness. The [22] dwelling place of those who taste from it is Hades, and
the darkness is their place of rest.
"But what they call the tree of knowledge of good
and evil, which is the Epinoia of the light, they stayed in front of it in
order that he (Adam) might not look up to his fullness and recognize the
nakedness of his shamefulness. But it was I who brought about that they
ate."
And to I said to the savior, "Lord, was it not the
serpent that taught Adam to eat?" The savior smiled and said, "The
serpent taught them to eat from wickedness of begetting, lust, (and)
destruction, that he (Adam) might be useful to him. And he (Adam) knew that he
was disobedient to him (the chief archon) due to light of the Epinoia which is
in him, which made him more correct in his thinking than the chief archon. And
(the latter) wanted to bring about the power which he himself had given him.
And he brought [23] a forgetfulness over Adam."
And I said to the savior, "What is the
forgetfulness?" And he said "It is not the way Moses wrote (and) you
heard. For he said in his first book, 'He put him to sleep' (Gn 2:21), but (it
was) in his perception. For also he said through the prophet, 'I will make
their hearts heavy, that they may not pay attention and may not see' (Is 6:10).
"Then the Epinoia of the light hid herself in him
(Adam). And the chief archon wanted to bring her out of his rib. But the
Epinoia of the light cannot be grasped. Although darkness pursued her, it did
not catch her. And he brought a part of his power out of him. And he made
another creature, in the form of a woman, according to the likeness of the
Epinoia which had appeared to him. And he brought the part which he had taken
from the power of the man into the female creature, and not as Moses said, 'his
rib-bone.'
"And he (Adam) saw the woman beside him. And in that
moment the luminous Epinoia appeared, and she lifted the veil which lay over
his mind. And he became sober from the drunkenness of darkness. And he
recognized his counter-image, and he said, 'This is indeed bone of my bones and
flesh of my flesh.' Therefore the man will leave his father and his mother, and
he will cleave to his wife, and they will both be one flesh. For they will send
him his consort, and he will leave his father and his mother ... (3 lines
unreadable)
"And our sister Sophia (is) she who came down in
innocence in order to rectify her deficiency. Therefore she was called Life,
which is the mother of the living, by the foreknowledge of the sovereignty of
heaven. And through her they have tasted the perfect Knowledge. I appeared in
the form of an eagle on the tree of knowledge, which is the Epinoia from the
foreknowledge of the pure light, that I might teach them and awaken them out of
the depth of sleep. For they were both in a fallen state, and they recognized
their nakedness. The Epinoia appeared to them as a light; she awakened their
thinking.
"And when Yaltabaoth noticed that they withdrew from
him, he cursed his earth. He found the woman as she was [24] preparing herself
for her husband. He was lord over her, though he did not know the mystery which
had come to pass through the holy decree. And they were afraid to blame him.
And he showed his angels his ignorance which is in him. And he cast them out of
paradise and he clothed them in gloomy darkness. And the chief archon saw the
virgin who stood by Adam, and that the luminous Epinoia of life had appeared in
her. And Yaltabaoth was full of ignorance. And when the foreknowledge of the
All noticed (it), she sent some and they snatched life out of Eve.
"And the chief archon seduced her and he begot in
her two sons; the first and the second (are) Eloim and Yave. Eloim has a
bear-face and Yave has a cat-face. The one is righteous but the other is
unrighteous. (Yave is righteous but Eloim is unrighteous.) Yave he set over the
fire and the wind, and Eloim he set over the water and the earth. And these he
called with the names Cain and Abel with a view to deceive.
"Now up to the present day, sexual intercourse
continued due to the chief archon. And he planted sexual desire in her who
belongs to Adam. And he produced through intercourse the copies of the bodies,
and he inspired them with his counterfeit spirit.
"And the two archons he set over principalities, so
that they might rule over the tomb. And when Adam recognized the likeness of
his own foreknowledge, he begot the likeness [25] of the son of man. He
called him Seth, according to the way of the race in the aeons. Likewise, the
mother also sent down her spirit, which is in her likeness and a copy of those
who are in the pleroma, for she will prepare a dwelling place for the aeons
which will come down. And he made them drink water of forgetfulness, from the
chief archon, in order that they might not know from where they came. Thus, the
seed remained for a while assisting (him), in order that, when the Spirit comes
forth from the holy aeons, he may raise up and heal him from the deficiency,
that the whole pleroma may (again) become holy and faultless."
And I said to the savior, "Lord, will all the souls
then be brought safely into the pure light?" He answered and said to me,
"Great things have arisen in your mind, for it is difficult to explain
them to others except to those who are from the immovable race. Those on whom
the Spirit of life will descend and (with whom) he will be with the power, they
will be saved and become perfect and be worthy of the greatness and be purified
in that place from all wickedness and the involvements in evil. Then they have
no other care than the incorruption alone, to which they direct their attention
from here on, without anger or envy or jealousy or desire and greed of anything.
They are not affected by anything except the state of being in the flesh alone,
which they bear while looking expectantly for the time when they will be met [26]
by the receivers (of the body). Such then are worthy of the imperishable,
eternal life and the calling. For they endure everything and bear up under
everything, that they may finish the good fight and inherit eternal life."
I said to him, "Lord, the souls of those who did not
do these works (but) on whom the power and Spirit descended, (will they be
rejected?" He answered and said to me, "If) the Spirit (descended
upon them), they will in any case be saved, and they will change (for the
better). For the power will descend on every man, for without it no one can
stand. And after they are born, then, when the Spirit of life increases and the
power comes and strengthens that soul, no one can lead it astray with works of
evil. But those on whom the counterfeit spirit descends are drawn by him and
they go astray."
And I said, "Lord, where will the souls of these go
when they have come out of their flesh?" And he smiled and said to me,
"The soul in which the power will become stronger than the counterfeit
spirit, is strong and it flees from evil and, through the intervention of the
incorruptible one, it is saved, and it is taken up to the rest of the
aeons."
And I said, "Lord, those, however, who have not
known to whom they belong, where will their souls be?" And he said to me,
"In those, the despicable spirit has [27] gained strength when they went astray.
And he burdens the soul and draws it to the works of evil, and he casts it down
into forgetfulness. And after it comes out of (the body), it is handed over to
the authorities, who came into being through the archon, and they bind it with
chains and cast it into prison, and consort with it until it is liberated from
the forgetfulness and acquires knowledge. And if thus it becomes perfect, it is
saved."
And I said, "Lord, how can the soul become smaller and
return into the nature of its mother or into man?" Then he rejoiced when I
asked him this, and he said to me, "Truly, you are blessed, for you have
understood! That soul is made to follow another one (fem.), since the Spirit of
life is in it. It is saved through him. It is not again cast into another
flesh."
And I said, "Lord, these also who did not know, but
have turned away, where will their souls go?" Then he said to me, "To
that place where the angels of poverty go they will be taken, the place where
there is no repentance. And they will be kept for the day on which those who
have blasphemed the spirit will be tortured, and they will be punished with
eternal punishment."
And I said, "Lord, from where did the counterfeit
spirit come?" Then he said to me, "The Mother-Father, who is rich in
mercy, the holy Spirit in every way, the One who is merciful and [28]
who sympathizes with you (pl.), i.e., the Epinoia of the foreknowledge of
light, he raised up the offspring of the perfect race and its thinking and the
eternal light of man. When the chief archon realized that they were exalted
above him in the height - and they surpass him in thinking - then he wanted to
seize their thought, not knowing that they surpassed him in thinking, and that
he will not be able to seize them.
"He made a plan with his authorities, which are his
powers, and they committed together adultery with Sophia, and bitter fate was
begotten through them, which is the last of the changeable bonds. And it is of
a sort that is interchangeable. And it is harder and stronger than she with whom
the gods united, and the angels and the demons and all the generations until
this day. For from that fate came forth every sin and injustice and blasphemy,
and the chain of forgetfulness and ignorance and every severe command, and
serious sins and great fears. And thus the whole creation was made blind, in
order that they may not know God, who is above all of them. And because of the
chain of forgetfulness, their sins were hidden. For they are bound with
measures and times and moments, since it (fate) is lord over everything.
"And he (the chief archon) repented for everything
which had come into being through him. This time he planned to bring a flood [29]
upon the work of man. But the greatness of the light of the foreknowledge
informed Noah, and he proclaimed (it) to all the offspring which are the sons
of men. But those who were strangers to him did not listen to him. It is not as
Moses said, 'They hid themselves in an ark' (Gn 7: 7), but they hid themselves
in a place, not only Noah, but also many other people from the immovable race.
They went into a place and hid themselves in a luminous cloud. And he (Noah)
recognized his authority, and she who belongs to the light was with him, having
shone on them because he (the chief archon) had brought darkness upon the whole
earth.
"And he made a plan with his powers. He sent his angels
to the daughters of men, that they might take some of them for themselves and
raise offspring for their enjoyment. And at first they did not succeed. When
they had no success, they gathered together again and they made a plan
together. They created a counterfeit spirit, who resembles the Spirit who had
descended, so as to pollute the souls through it. And the angels changed
themselves in their likeness into the likeness of their mates (the daughters of
men), filling them with the spirit of darkness, which they had mixed for them,
and with evil. They brought gold and silver and a gift and copper and iron and
metal and all kinds of things. And they steered the people who had followed
them [30] into great troubles, by leading them astray with many
deceptions. They (the people) became old without having enjoyment. They died,
not having found truth and without knowing the God of truth. And thus the whole
creation became enslaved forever, from the foundation of the world until now.
And they took women and begot children out of the darkness according to the
likeness of their spirit. And they closed their hearts, and they hardened
themselves through the hardness of the counterfeit spirit until now.
"I, therefore, the perfect Pronoia of the all,
changed myself into my seed, for I existed first, going on every road. For I am
the richness of the light; I am the remembrance of the pleroma.
"And I went into the realm of darkness and I endured
till I entered the middle of the prison. And the foundations of chaos shook.
And I hid myself from them because of their wickedness, and they did not
recognize me.
"Again I returned for the second time, and I went
about. I came forth from those who belong to the light, which is I, the
remembrance of the Pronoia. I entered into the midst of darkness and the inside
[31] of Hades, since I was seeking (to accomplish) my task. And the foundations
of chaos shook, that they might fall down upon those who are in chaos and might
destroy them. And again I ran up to my root of light, lest they be destroyed
before the time.
"Still for a third time I went - I am the light
which exists in the light, I am the remembrance of the Pronoia - that I might
enter into the midst of darkness and the inside of Hades. And I filled my face
with the light of the completion of their aeon. And I entered into the midst of
their prison, which is the prison of the body. And I said, 'He who hears, let
him get up from the deep sleep.' And he wept and shed tears. Bitter tears he
wiped from himself and he said, 'Who is it that calls my name, and from where
has this hope come to me, while I am in the chains of the prison?' And I said,
'I am the Pronoia of the pure light; I am the thinking of the virginal Spirit,
who raised you up to the honored place. Arise and remember that it is you who
hearkened, and follow your root, which is I, the merciful one, and guard
yourself against the angels of poverty and the demons of chaos and all those
who ensnare you, and beware of the deep sleep and the enclosure of the inside
of Hades.
"And I raised him up, and sealed him in the light of
the water with five seals, in order that death might not have power over him
from this time on.
"And behold, now I shall go up to the perfect aeon.
I have completed everything for you in your hearing. And I have said everything
to you that you might write them down and give them secretly to your fellow
spirits, for this is the mystery of the immovable race."
And the savior presented these things to him that he might
write them down and keep them secure. And he said to him, "Cursed be
everyone who will exchange these things for a gift or for food or for drink or
for clothing or for any other such thing." [32] And these things
were presented to him in a mystery, and immediately he disappeared from him.
And he went to his fellow disciples and related to them what the savior had
told him.
Jesus Christ, Amen.
