On the Origin of the World
("The Untitled Text")
Translated by Hans-Gebhard Bethge and Bentley Layton
Seeing that everybody, gods of the world and mankind, says
that nothing existed prior to chaos, I, in distinction to them, shall demonstrate
that they are all mistaken, because they are not acquainted with the origin
of chaos, nor with its root. Here is the demonstration.
How well it suits all men, on the subject of chaos, to say
that it is a kind of darkness! But in fact it comes from a shadow, which
has been called by the name 'darkness'. And the shadow comes from a product
that has existed since the beginning. It is, moreover, clear that it existed
before chaos came into being, and that the latter is posterior to the first
product. Let us therefore concern ourselves with the facts of the matter;
and furthermore, with the first product, from which chaos was projected.
And in this way the truth will be clearly demonstrated.
After the natural structure of the immortal beings had completely
developed out of the infinite, a likeness then emanated from Pistis (Faith);
it is called Sophia (Wisdom). It exercised volition and became a product
resembling the primeval light. And immediately her will manifested itself
as a likeness of heaven, having an unimaginable magnitude; it was between
the immortal beings and those things that came into being after them, like
[...]: she (Sophia) functioned as a veil dividing mankind from the things
above.
Now the eternal realm (aeon) of truth has no shadow outside
it, for the limitless light is everywhere within it. But its exterior is
shadow, which has been called by the name 'darkness'. From it, there appeared
a force, presiding over the darkness. And the forces that came into being
subsequent to them called the shadow 'the limitless chaos'. From it, every
kind of divinity sprouted up [...] together with the entire place, so that
also, shadow is posterior to the first product. It was <in> the abyss
that it (shadow) appeared, deriving from the aforementioned Pistis.
Then shadow perceived there was something mightier than it,
and felt envy; and when it had become pregnant of its own accord, suddenly
it engendered jealousy. Since that day, the principle of jealousy amongst
all the eternal realms and their worlds has been apparent. Now as for that
jealousy, it was found to be an abortion without any spirit in it. Like
a shadow, it came into existence in a vast watery substance. Then the bile
that had come into being out of the shadow was thrown into a part of chaos.
Since that day, a watery substance has been apparent. And what sank within
it flowed away, being visible in chaos: as with a woman giving birth to
a child - all her superfluities flow out; just so, matter came into being
out of shadow, and was projected apart. And it did not depart from chaos;
rather, matter was in chaos, being in a part of it.
And when these things had come to pass, then Pistis came and
appeared over the matter of chaos, which had been expelled like an aborted
fetus - since there was no spirit in it. For all of it (chaos) was limitless
darkness and bottomless water. Now when Pistis saw what had resulted from
her defect, she became disturbed. And the disturbance appeared, as a fearful
product; it rushed to her in the chaos. She turned to it and blew into
its face in the abyss, which is below all the heavens.
And when Pistis Sophia desired to cause the thing that had
no spirit to be formed into a likeness and to rule over matter and over
all her forces, there appeared for the first time a ruler, out of the waters,
lion-like in appearance, androgynous, having great authority within him,
and ignorant of whence he had come into being. Now when Pistis Sophia saw
him moving about in the depth of the waters, she said to him, "Child, pass
through to here," whose equivalent is 'yalda baoth'.
Since that day, there appeared the principle of verbal expression,
which reached the gods and the angels and mankind. And what came into being
as a result of verbal expression, the gods and the angels and mankind finished.
Now as for the ruler Yaltabaoth, he is ignorant of the force of Pistis:
he did not see her face, rather he saw in the water the likeness that spoke
with him. And because of that voice, he called himself 'Yaldabaoth'. But
'Ariael' is what the perfect call him, for he was like a lion. Now when
he had come to have authority over matter, Pistis Sophia withdrew up to
her light.
When the ruler saw his magnitude - and it was only himself
that he saw: he saw nothing else, except for water and darkness - then
he supposed that it was he alone who existed. His [...] was completed by
verbal expression: it appeared as a spirit moving to and fro upon the waters.
And when that spirit appeared, the ruler set apart the watery substance.
And what was dry was divided into another place. And from matter, he made
for himself an abode, and he called it 'heaven'. And from matter, the ruler
made a footstool, and he called it 'earth'.
Next, the ruler had a thought - consistent with his nature
- and by means of verbal expression he created an androgyne. He opened
his mouth and cooed to him. When his eyes had been opened, he looked at
his father, and he said to him, "Eee!" Then his father called him Eee-a-o
('Yao'). Next he created the second son. He cooed to him. And he opened
his eyes and said to his father, "Eh!" His father called him 'Eloai'. Next,
he created the third son. He cooed to him. And he opened his eyes and said
to his father, "Asss!" His father called him 'Astaphaios'. These are the
three sons of their father.
Seven appeared in chaos, androgynous. They have their masculine
names and their feminine names. The feminine name is Pronoia (Forethought)
Sambathas, which is 'week'.
And his son is called Yao: his feminine name is Lordship.
Sabaoth: his feminine name is Deity.
Adonaios: his feminine name is Kingship.
Elaios: his feminine name is Jealousy.
Oraios: his feminine name is Wealth.
And Astaphaios: his feminine name is Sophia (Wisdom).
These are the seven forces of the seven heavens of chaos. And they
were born androgynous, consistent with the immortal pattern that existed
before them, according to the wish of Pistis: so that the likeness of what
had existed since the beginning might reign to the end. You will find the
effect of these names and the force of the male entities in the Archangelic
(Book) of the Prophet Moses, and the names of the female entities in
the first Book of Noraia.
Now the prime parent Yaldabaoth, since he possessed great authorities,
created heavens for each of his offspring through verbal expression - created
them beautiful, as dwelling places - and in each heaven he created great
glories, seven times excellent. Thrones and mansions and temples, and also
chariots and virgin spirits up to an invisible one and their glories, each
one has these in his heaven; mighty armies of gods and lords and angels
and archangels - countless myriads - so that they might serve. The account
of these matters you will find in a precise manner in the first Account
of Oraia.
And they were completed from this heaven to as far up as the
sixth heaven, namely that of Sophia. The heaven and his earth were destroyed
by the troublemaker that was below them all. And the six heavens shook
violently; for the forces of chaos knew who it was that had destroyed the
heaven that was below them. And when Pistis knew about the breakage resulting
from the disturbance, she sent forth her breath and bound him and cast
him down into Tartaros. Since that day, the heaven, along with its earth,
has consolidated itself through Sophia the daughter of Yaldabaoth, she
who is below them all.
Now when the heavens had consolidated themselves along with
their forces and all their administration, the prime parent became insolent.
And he was honored by all the army of angels. And all the gods and their
angels gave blessing and honor to him. And for his part, he was delighted
and continually boasted, saying to them, "I have no need of anyone." He
said, "It is I who am God, and there is no other one that exists apart
from me." And when he said this, he sinned against all the immortal beings
who give answer. And they laid it to his charge.
Then when Pistis saw the impiety of the chief ruler, she was
filled with anger. She was invisible. She said, "You are mistaken, Samael,"
(that is, "blind god"). "There is an immortal man of light who has been
in existence before you, and who will appear among your modelled forms;
he will trample you to scorn, just as potter's clay is pounded. And you
will descend to your mother, the abyss, along with those that belong to
you. For at the consummation of your (pl.) works, the entire defect that
has become visible out of the truth will be abolished, and it will cease
to be, and will be like what has never been." Saying this, Pistis revealed
her likeness of her greatness in the waters. And so doing, she withdrew
up to her light.
Now when Sabaoth, the son of Yaldabaoth, heard the voice of
Pistis, he sang praises to her, and he condemned the father [...] at the
word of Pistis; and he praised her because she had instructed them about
the immortal man and his light. Then Pistis Sophia stretched out her finger
and poured upon him some light from her light, to be a condemnation of
his father. Then when Sabaoth was illumined, he received great authority
against all the forces of chaos. Since that day he has been called "Lord
of the Forces".
He hated his father, the darkness, and his mother, the abyss,
and loathed his sister, the thought of the prime parent, which moved to
and fro upon the waters. And because of his light, all the authorities
of chaos were jealous of him. And when they had become disturbed, they
made a great war in the seven heavens. Then when Pistis Sophia had seen
the war, she dispatched seven archangels to Sabaoth from her light. They
snatched him up to the seventh heaven. They stood before him as attendants.
Furthermore, she sent him three more archangels, and established the kingdom
for him over everyone, so that he might dwell above the twelve gods of
chaos.
Now when Sabaoth had taken up the place of repose in return
for his repentance, Pistis also gave him her daughter Zoe (Life), together
with great authority, so that she might instruct him about all things that
exist in the eighth heaven. And as he had authority, he made himself first
of all a mansion. It is huge, magnificent, seven times as great as all
those that exist in the seven heavens.
And before his mansion he created a throne, which was huge
and was upon a four-faced chariot called "Cherubin". Now the Cherubin has
eight shapes per each of the four corners, lion forms and calf forms and
human forms and eagle forms, so that all the forms amount to sixty-four
forms - and seven archangels that stand before it; he is the eighth, and
has authority. All the forms amount to seventy-two. Furthermore, from this
chariot the seventy-two gods took shape; they took shape so that they might
rule over the seventy-two languages of the peoples. And by that throne
he created other, serpent-like angels, called "Seraphin", which praise
him at all times.
Thereafter he created a congregation of angels, thousands and
myriads, numberless, which resembled the congregation in the eighth heaven;
and a firstborn called
Israel - which is, "the man that sees God"; and another being,
called Jesus Christ, who resembles the savior above in the eighth heaven,
and who sits at his right upon a revered throne. And at his left, there
sits the virgin of the holy spirit, upon a throne and glorifying him. And
the seven virgins stand before her, [...] possessing thirty harps, and
psalteries and trumpets, glorifying him. And all the armies of the angels
glorify him, and they bless him. Now where he sits is upon a throne of
light <within a> great cloud that covers him. And there was no one with
him in the cloud except Sophia <the daughter of> Pistis, instructing
him about all the things that exist in the eighth heaven, so that the likenesses
of those things might be created, in order that his reign might endure
until the consummation of the heavens of chaos and their forces.
Now Pistis Sophia set him apart from the darkness and summoned
him to her right, and the prime parent she put at her left. Since that
day, right has been called justice, and left called wickedness. Now because
of this, they all received a realm in the congregation of justice and wickedness,
[...] stand [...] upon a creature [...] all.
Thus, when the prime parent of chaos saw his son Sabaoth and
the glory that he was in, and perceived that he was greatest of all the
authorities of chaos, he envied him. And having become wrathful, he engendered
Death out of his death: and he (viz., Death) was established over the sixth
heaven, <for> Sabaoth had been snatched up from there. And thus the
number of the six authorities of chaos was achieved. Then Death, being
androgynous, mingled with his (own) nature and begot seven androgynous
offspring. These are the names of the male ones: Jealousy, Wrath, Tears,
Sighing, Suffering, Lamentation, Bitter Weeping. And these are the names
of the female ones: Wrath, Pain, Lust, Sighing, Curse, Bitterness, Quarrelsomeness.
They had intercourse with one another, and each one begot seven, so that
they amount to forty-nine androgynous demons. Their names and their effects
you will find in the Book of Solomon.
And in the presence of these, Zoe, who was with Sabaoth, created
seven good androgynous forces. These are the names of the male ones: the
Unenvious, the Blessed, the Joyful, the True, the Unbegrudging, the Beloved,
the Trustworthy. Also, as regards the female ones, these are their names:
Peace, Gladness, Rejoicing, Blessedness, Truth, Love, Faith (Pistis). And
from these are many good and innocent spirits. Their influences and their
effects you will find in the Configurations of the Fate of Heaven That
Is Beneath the Twelve.
And having seen the likeness of Pistis in the waters, the prime
parent grieved very much, especially when he heard her voice, like the
first voice that had called to him out of the waters. And when he knew
that it was she who had given a name to him, he sighed. He was ashamed
on account of his transgression. And when he had come to know in truth
that an immortal man of light had been existing before him, he was greatly
disturbed; for he had previously said to all the gods and their angels,
"It is I who am god. No other one exists apart from me." For he had been
afraid they might know that another had been in existence before him, and
might condemn him. But he, being devoid of understanding, scoffed at the
condemnation and acted recklessly. He said, "If anything has existed before
me, let it appear, so that we may see its light."
And immediately, behold! Light came out of the eighth heaven
above and passed through all of the heavens of the earth. When the prime
parent saw that the light was beautiful as it radiated, he was amazed.
And he was greatly ashamed. As that light appeared, a human likeness appeared
within it, very wonderful. And no one saw it except for the prime parent
and Pronoia, who was with him. Yet its light appeared to all the forces
of the heavens. Because of this they were all troubled by it.
Then when Pronoia saw that emissary, she became enamored of
him. But he hated her because she was on the darkness. But she desired
to embrace him, and she was not able to. When she was unable to assuage
her love, she poured out her light upon the earth. Since that day, that
emissary has been called "Adam of Light," whose rendering is "the luminous
man of blood," and the earth spread over him, holy Adaman, whose rendering
is "the Holy Land of Adamantine." Since that day, all the authorities have
honored the blood of the virgin. And the earth was purified on account
of the blood of the virgin. But most of all, the water was purified through
the likeness of Pistis Sophia, who had appeared to the prime parent in
the waters. Justly, then, it has been said: "through the waters." The holy
water, since it vivifies the all, purifies it.
Out of that first blood Eros appeared, being androgynous. His
masculinity is Himireris, being fire from the light. His femininity that
is with him - a soul of blood - is from the stuff of Pronoia. He is very
lovely in his beauty, having a charm beyond all the creatures of chaos.
Then all the gods and their angels, when they beheld Eros, became enamored
of him. And appearing in all of them, he set them afire: just as from a
single lamp many lamps are lit, and one and the same light is there, but
the lamp is not diminished. And in this way, Eros became dispersed in all
the created beings of chaos, and was not diminished. Just as from the midpoint
of light and darkness Eros appeared and at the midpoint of the angels and
mankind the sexual union of Eros was consummated, so out of the earth the
primal pleasure blossomed. The woman followed earth. And marriage followed
woman. Birth followed marriage. Dissolution followed birth.
After that Eros, the grapevine sprouted up out of that blood,
which had been shed over the earth. Because of this, those who drink of
it conceive the desire of sexual union. After the grapevine, a fig tree
and a pomegranate tree sprouted up from the earth, together with the rest
of the trees, all species, having with them their seed from the seed of
the authorities and their angels.
Then Justice created Paradise, being beautiful and being outside
the orbit of the moon and the orbit of the sun in the Land of Wantonness,
in the East in the midst of the stones. And desire is in the midst of the
beautiful, appetizing trees. And the tree of eternal life is as it appeared
by God's will, to the north of Paradise, so that it might make eternal
the souls of the pure, who shall come forth from the modelled forms of
poverty at the consummation of the age. Now the color of the tree of life
is like the sun. And its branches are beautiful. Its leaves are like those
of the cypress. Its fruit is like a bunch of grapes when it is white. Its
height goes as far as heaven. And next to it (is) the tree of knowledge
(gnosis), having the strength of God. Its glory is like the moon
when fully radiant. And its branches are beautiful. Its leaves are like
fig leaves. Its fruit is like a good appetizing date. And this tree is
to the north of Paradise, so that it might arouse the souls from the torpor
of the demons, in order that they might approach the tree of life and eat
of its fruit, and so condemn the authorities and their angels. The effect
of this tree is described in the Sacred Book, to wit: "It is you
who are the tree of knowledge, which is in Paradise, from which the first
man ate and which opened his mind; and he loved his female counterpart
and condemned the other, alien likenesses and loathed them."
Now after it, the olive tree sprouted up, which was to purify
the kings and the high priests of righteousness, who were to appear in
the last days, since the olive tree appeared out of the light of the first
Adam for the sake of the unguent that they were to receive.
And the first soul (psyche) loved Eros, who was with
her, and poured her blood upon him and upon the earth. And out of that
blood the rose first sprouted up, out of the earth, out of the thorn bush,
to be a source of joy for the light that was to appear in the bush. Moreover,
after this the beautiful, good-smelling flowers sprouted up from the earth,
different kinds, from every single virgin of the daughters of Pronoia.
And they, when they had become enamored of Eros, poured out their blood
upon him and upon the earth. After these, every plant sprouted up from
the earth, different kinds, containing the seed of the authorities and
their angels. After these, the authorities created out of the waters all
species of beast, and the reptiles and birds - different kinds - containing
the seed of the authorities and their angels.
But before all these, when he had appeared on the first the
first day, he remained upon the earth, something like two days, and left
the lower Pronoia in heaven, and ascended towards his light. And immediately
darkness covered all the universe. Now when she wished, the Sophia who
was in the lower heaven received authority from Pistis, and fashioned great
luminous bodies and all the stars. And she put them in the sky to shine
upon the earth and to render temporal signs and seasons and years and months
and days and nights and moments and so forth. And in this way the entire
region upon the sky was adorned.
Now when Adam of Light conceived the wish to enter his light
- i.e., the eighth heaven - he was unable to do so because of the poverty
that had mingled with his light. Then he created for himself a vast eternal
realm. And within that eternal realm he created six eternal realms and
their adornments, six in number, that were seven times better than the
heavens of chaos and their adornments. Now all these eternal realms and
their adornments exist within the infinity that is between the eighth heaven
and the chaos below it, being counted with the universe that belongs to
poverty. If you want to know the arrangement of these, you will find it
written in the Seventh Universe of the Prophet Hieralias.
And before Adam of Light had withdrawn in the chaos, the authorities
saw him and laughed at the prime parent because he had lied when he said,
"It is I who am God. No one exists before me." When they came to him, they
said, "Is this not the god who ruined our work?" He answered and said,
"Yes. If you do not want him to be able to ruin our work, come let us create
a man out of earth, according to the image of our body and according to
the likeness of this being, to serve us; so that when he sees his likeness,
he might become enamored of it. No longer will he ruin our work; rather,we
shall make those who are born out of the light our servants for all the
duration of this eternal realm." Now all of this came to pass according
to the forethought of Pistis, in order that man should appear after his
likeness, and should condemn them because of their modelled form. And their
modelled form became an enclosure of the light.
Then the authorities received the knowledge (gnosis)
necessary to create man. Sophia Zoe - she who is with Sabaoth - had anticipated
them. And she laughed at their decision. For they are blind: against their
own interests they ignorantly created him. And they do not realize what
they are about to do. The reason she anticipated them and made her own
man first, was in order that he might instruct their modelled form how
to despise them, and thus to escape from them.
Now the production of the instructor came about as follows.
When Sophia let fall a droplet of light, it flowed onto the water, and
immediately a human being appeared, being androgynous. That droplet she
molded first as a female body. Afterwards, using the body she molded it
in the likeness of the mother, which had appeared. And he finished it in
twelve months. An androgynous human being was produced, whom the Greeks
call Hermaphrodites; and whose mother the Hebrews call Eve of Life (Zoe),
namely, the female instructor of life. Her offspring is the creature that
is lord. Afterwards, the authorities called it "Beast", so that it might
lead astray their modelled creatures. The interpretation of "the beast"
is "the instructor". For it was found to be the wisest of all beings.
Now, Eve is the first virgin, the one who without a husband
bore her first offspring. It is she who served as her own midwife. For
this reason she is held to have said:
-
It is I who am the part of my mother; and it is I who am the mother.
-
It is I who am the wife; it is I who am the virgin.
-
It is I who am pregnant; it is I who am the midwife.
-
It is I who am the one that comforts pains of travail.
-
It is my husband who bore me; and it is I who am his mother.
-
And it is he who is my father and my lord.
-
It is he who is my force; What he desires, he says with reason.
-
I am in the process of becoming; yet I have borne a man as lord.
Now these through the will <...> The souls that were going
to enter the modelled forms of the authorities were manifested to Sabaoth
and his Christ. And regarding these, the holy voice said, "Multiply and
improve! Be lord over all creatures." And it is they who were taken captive,
according to their destinies, by the prime parent. And thus they were shut
into the prisons of the modelled forms until the consummation of the age.
And at that time, the prime parent then rendered an opinion
concerning man to those who were with him. Then each of them cast his sperm
into the midst of the navel of the earth. Since that day, the seven rulers
have fashioned man with his body resembling their body, but his likeness
resembling the man that had appeared to them. His modelling took place
by parts, one at a time. And their leader fashioned the brain and the nervous
system. Afterwards, he appeared as prior to him. He became a soul-endowed
man. And he was called Adam, that is, "father", according to the name of
the one that existed before him.
And when they had finished Adam, he abandoned him as an inanimate
vessel, since he had taken form like an abortion, in that no spirit was
in him. Regarding this thing, when the chief ruler remembered the saying
of Pistis, he was afraid lest the true man enter his modelled form and
become its lord. For this reason he left his modelled form forty days without
soul, and he withdrew and abandoned it. Now on the fortieth day, Sophia
Zoe sent her breath into Adam, who had no soul. He began to move upon the
ground. And he could not stand up.
Then, when the seven rulers came, they saw him and were greatly
disturbed. They went up to him and seized him. And he (viz., the chief
ruler) said to the breath within him, "Who are you? And whence did you
come hither?" It answered and said, "I have come from the force of the
man for the destruction of your work." When they heard, they glorified
him, since he gave them respite from the fear and the anxiety in which
they found themselves. Then they called that day "Rest", in as much as
they had rested from toil. And when they saw that Adam could stand up,
they were glad, and they took him and put him in Paradise. And they withdrew
up to their heavens.
After the day of rest, Sophia sent her daughter Zoe, being
called Eve, as an instructor, in order that she might make Adam, who had
no soul, arise, so that those whom he should engender might become containers
of light. When Eve saw her male counterpart prostrate, she had pity upon
him, and she said, "Adam! Become alive! Arise upon the earth!" Immediately
her word became accomplished fact. For Adam, having arisen, suddenly opened
his eyes. When he saw her, he said, "You shall be called 'Mother of the
Living'. For it is you who have given me life."
Then the authorities were informed that their modelled form
was alive and had arisen, and they were greatly troubled. They sent seven
archangels to see what had happened. They came to Adam. When they saw Eve
talking to him, they said to one another, "What sort of thing is this luminous
woman? For she resembles that likeness which appeared to us in the light.
Now come, let us lay hold of her and cast her seed into her, so that when
she becomes soiled she may not be able to ascend into her light. Rather,
those whom she bears will be under our charge. But let us not tell Adam,
for he is not one of us. Rather let us bring a deep sleep over him. And
let us instruct him in his sleep to the effect that she came from his rib,
in order that his wife may obey, and he may be lord over her."
Then Eve, being a force, laughed at their decision. She put
mist into their eyes and secretly left her likeness with Adam. She entered
the tree of knowledge and remained there. And they pursued her, and she
revealed to them that she had gone into the tree and become a tree. Then,
entering a great state of fear, the blind creatures fled.
Afterwards, when they had recovered from the daze, they came
to Adam; and seeing the likeness of this woman with him, they were greatly
disturbed, thinking it was she that was the true Eve. And they acted rashly;
they came up to her and seized her and cast their seed upon her. They did
so wickedly, defiling not only in natural ways but also in foul ways, defiling
first the seal of her voice - that had spoken with them, saying, "What
is it that exists before you?" - intending to defile those who might say
at the consummation (of the age) that they had been born of the true man
through verbal expression. And they erred, not knowing that it was their
own body that they had defiled: it was the likeness that the authorities
and their angels defiled in every way.
First she was pregnant with Abel, by the first ruler. And it
was by the seven authorities and their angels that she bore the other offspring.
And all this came to pass according to the forethought of the prime parent,
so that the first mother might bear within her every seed, being mixed
and being fitted to the fate of the universe and its configurations, and
to Justice. A prearranged plan came into effect regarding Eve, so that
the modelled forms of the authorities might become enclosures of the light,
whereupon it would condemn them through their modelled forms.
Now the first Adam, (Adam) of Light, is spirit-endowed and
appeared on the first day. The second Adam is soul-endowed and appeared
on the sixth day, which is called Aphrodite. The third Adam is a creature
of the earth, that is, the man of the law, and he appeared on the eighth
day [...] the tranquility of poverty, which is called "The Day of the Sun"
(Sunday). And the progeny of the earthly Adam became numerous and was completed,
and produced within itself every kind of scientific information of the
soul-endowed Adam. But all were in ignorance.
Next, let me say that once the rulers had seen him and the
female creature who was with him erring ignorantly like beasts, they were
very glad. When they learned that the immortal man was not going to neglect
them, rather that they would even have to fear the female creature that
had turned into a tree, they were disturbed, and said, "Perhaps this is
the true man - this being who has brought a fog upon us and has taught
us that she who was soiled is like him - and so we shall be conquered!"
Then the seven of them together laid plans. They came up to
Adam and Eve timidly: they said to him, "The fruit of all the trees created
for you in Paradise shall be eaten; but as for the tree of knowledge, control
yourselves and do not eat from it. If you eat, you will die." Having imparted
great fear to them, they withdrew up to their authorities.
Then came the wisest of all creatures, who was called Beast.
And when he saw the likeness of their mother Eve he said to her, "What
did God say to you? Was it 'Do not eat from the tree of knowledge'?" She
said, "He said not only, 'Do not eat from it', but, 'Do not touch it, lest
you die.'" He said to her, "Do not be afraid. In death you shall not die.
For he knows that when you eat from it, your intellect will become sober
and you will come to be like gods, recognizing the difference that obtains
between evil men and good ones. Indeed, it was in jealousy that he said
this to you, so that you would not eat from it."
Now Eve had confidence in the words of the instructor. She
gazed at the tree and saw that it was beautiful and appetizing, and liked
it; she took some of its fruit and ate it; and she gave some also to her
husband, and he too ate it. Then their intellect became open. For when
they had eaten, the light of knowledge had shone upon them. When they clothed
themselves with shame, they knew that they were naked of knowledge. When
they became sober, they saw that they were naked and became enamored of
one another. When they saw that the ones who had modelled them had the
form of beasts, they loathed them: they were very aware.
Then when the rulers knew that they had broken their commandments,
they entered Paradise and came to Adam and Eve with earthquake and great
threatening, to see the effect of the aid. Then Adam and Eve trembled greatly
and hid under the trees in Paradise. Then the rulers did not know where
they were and said, "Adam, where are you?" He said, "I am here, for through
fear of you I hid, being ashamed." And they said to him ignorantly, "Who
told you about the shame with which you clothed yourself? - unless you
have eaten from that tree!" He said, "The woman whom you gave me - it is
she that gave to me and I ate." Then they said to the latter, "What is
this that you have done?" She answered and said, "It is the instructor
who urged me on, and I ate."
Then the rulers came up to the instructor. Their eyes became
misty because of him, and they could not do anything to him. They cursed
him, since they were powerless. Afterwards, they came up to the woman and
cursed her and her offspring. After the woman, they cursed Adam, and the
land because of him, and the crops; and all things they had created, they
cursed. They have no blessing. Good cannot result from evil.
From that day, the authorities knew that truly there was something
mightier than they: they recognized only that their commandments had not
been kept. Great jealousy was brought into the world solely because of
the immortal man. Now when the rulers saw that their Adam had entered into
an alien state of knowledge, they desired to test him, and they gathered
together all the domestic animals and the wild beasts of the earth and
the birds of heaven and brought them to Adam to see what he would call
them. When he saw them, he gave names to their creatures.
They became troubled because Adam had recovered from all the
trials. They assembled and laid plans, and they said, "Behold Adam! He
has come to be like one of us, so that he knows the difference between
the light and the darkness. Now perhaps he will be deceived, as in the
case of the Tree of Knowledge, and also will come to the Tree of Life and
eat from it, and become immortal, and become lord, and despise us and disdain
us and all our glory! Then he will denounce us along with our universe.
Come, let us expel him from Paradise, down to the land from which he was
taken, so that henceforth he might not be able to recognize anything better
than we can." And so they expelled Adam from Paradise, along with his wife.
And this deed that they had done was not enough for them. Rather, they
were afraid. They went in to the Tree of Life and surrounded it with great
fearful things, fiery living creatures called "Cheroubin", and they put
a flaming sword in their midst, fearfully twirling at all times, so that
no earthly being might ever enter that place.
Thereupon, since the rulers were envious of Adam they wanted
to diminish their (viz., Adam's and Eve's) lifespans. They could not (,
however,) because of fate, which had been fixed since the beginning. For
to each had been allotted a lifespan of 1,000 years, according to the course
of the luminous bodies. But although the rulers could not do this, each
of the evildoers took away ten years. And all this lifespan (which remained)
amounted to 930 years: and these are in pain and weakness and evil distraction.
And so life has turned out to be, from that day until the consummation
of the age.
Thus when Sophia Zoe saw that the rulers of the darkness had
laid a curse upon her counterparts, she was indignant. And coming out of
the first heaven with full power, she chased those rulers out of their
heavens, and cast them down into the sinful world, so that there they should
dwell, in the form of evil spirits (demons) upon the earth.
[...], so that in their world it might pass the thousand years
in Paradise - a soul-endowed living creature called "phoenix". It kills
itself and brings itself to life as a witness to the judgment against them,
for they did wrong to Adam and his generation, unto the consummation of
the age. There are [...] three men, and also his posterities, unto the
consummation of the world: the spirit-endowed of eternity, and the soul-endowed,
and the earthly. Likewise, the three phoenixes <in> Paradise - the first
is immortal; the second lives 1,000 years; as for the third, it is written
in the Sacred Book that it is consumed. So, too, there are three
baptisms - the first is the spiritual, the second is by fire, the third
is by water. Just as the phoenix appears as a witness concerning the angels,
so the case of the water hydri in Egypt, which has been a witness to those
going down into the baptism of a true man. The two bulls in Egypt possess
a mystery, the sun and the moon, being a witness to Sabaoth: namely, that
over them Sophia received the universe; from the day that she made the
sun and the moon, she put a seal upon her heaven, unto eternity.
And the worm that has been born out of the phoenix is a human
being as well. It is written (Ps 91:13 LXX) concerning it, "the just man
will blossom like a phoenix". And the phoenix first appears in a living
state, and dies, and rises again, being a sign of what has become apparent
at the consummation of the age. It was only in Egypt that these great signs
appeared - nowhere else - as an indication that it is like God's Paradise.
Let us return to the aforementioned rulers, so that we may
offer some explanation of them. Now, when the seven rulers were cast down
from their heavens onto the earth, they made for themselves angels, numerous,
demonic, to serve them. And the latter instructed mankind in many kinds
of error and magic and potions and worship of idols and spilling of blood
and altars and temples and sacrifices and libations to all the spirits
of the earth, having their coworker fate, who came into existence by the
concord between the gods of injustice and justice.
And thus when the world had come into being, it distractedly
erred at all times. For all men upon earth worshiped the spirits (demons)
from the creation to the consummation - both the angels of righteousness
and the men of unrighteousness. Thus did the world come to exist in distraction,
in ignorance, and in a stupor. They all erred, until the appearance of
the true man.
Let this suffice so far as the matter goes. Now we shall proceed
to consideration of our world, so that we may accurately finish the description
of its structure and management. Then it will become obvious how belief
in the unseen realm, which has been apparent from creation down to the
consummation of the age, was discovered.
I come, therefore, to the main points regarding the immortal
man: I shall speak of all the beings that belong to him, explaining how
they happen to be here.
When a multitude of human beings had come into existence, through
the parentage of the Adam who had been fashioned, and out of matter, and
when the world had already become full, the rulers were master over it
- that is, they kept it restrained by ignorance. For what reason? For the
following: since the immortal father knows that a deficiency of truth came
into being amongst the eternal realms and their universe, when he wished
to bring to naught the rulers of perdition through the creatures they had
modelled, he sent your likenesses down into the world of perdition, namely,
the blessed little innocent spirits. They are not alien to knowledge. For
all knowledge is vested in one angel who appeared before them; he is not
without power in the company of the father. And <he> gave them knowledge.
Whenever they appear in the world of perdition, immediately and first of
all they reveal the pattern of imperishability as a condemnation of the
rulers and their forces. Thus when the blessed beings appeared in forms
modelled by authorities, they were envied. And out of envy the authorities
mixed their seed with them, in hopes of polluting them. They could not.
Then when the blessed beings appeared in luminous form, they appeared in
various ways. And each one of them, starting out in his land, revealed
his (kind of) knowledge to the visible church constituted of the modelled
forms of perdition. It (viz., the church) was found to contain all kinds
of seed, because of the seed of the authorities that had mixed with it.
Then the Savior created [...] of them all - and the spirits
of these are manifestly superior, being blessed and varying in election
- and also (he created) many other beings, which have no king and are superior
to everyone that was before them. Consequently, four races exist. There
are three that belong to the kings of the eighth heaven. But the fourth
race is kingless and perfect, being the highest of all. For these shall
enter the holy place of their father. And they will gain rest in repose
and eternal, unspeakable glory and unending joy. Moreover, they are kings
within the mortal domain, in that they are immortal. They will condemn
the gods of chaos and their forces.
Now the Word that is superior to all beings was sent for this
purpose alone: that he might proclaim the unknown. He said, "There is nothing
hidden that is not apparent, and what has not been recognized will be recognized."
And these were sent to make known what is hidden, and the seven authorities
of chaos and their impiety. And thus they were condemned to death.
So when all the perfect appeared in the forms modelled by the
rulers, and when they revealed the incomparable truth, they put to shame
all the wisdom of the gods. And their fate was found to be a condemnation.
And their force dried up. Their lordship was dissolved. Their forethought
became emptiness, along with their glory.
Before the consummation of the age, the whole place will shake
with great thundering. Then the rulers will be sad, [...] their death.
The angels will mourn for their mankind, and the demons will weep over
their seasons, and their mankind will wail and scream at their death. Then
the age will begin, and they will be disturbed. Their kings will be intoxicated
with the fiery sword, and they will wage war against one another, so that
the earth is intoxicated with bloodshed. And the seas will be disturbed
by those wars. Then the sun will become dark, and the moon will cause its
light to cease. The stars of the sky will cancel their circuits. And a
great clap of thunder will come out of a great force that is above all
the forces of chaos, where the firmament of the woman is situated. Having
created the first product, she will put away the wise fire of intelligence
and clothe herself with witless wrath. Then she will pursue the gods of
chaos, whom she created along with the prime parent. She will cast them
down into the abyss. They will be obliterated because of their wickedness.
For they will come to be like volcanoes and consume one another until they
perish at the hand of the prime parent. When he has destroyed them, he
will turn against himself and destroy himself until he ceases to exist.
And their heavens will fall one upon the next and their forces
will be consumed by fire. Their eternal realms, too, will be overturned.
And his heaven will fall and break in two. His [...] will fall down upon
the [...] support them; they will fall into the abyss, and the abyss will
be overturned.
The light will [...] the darkness and obliterate it: it will
be like something that has never been. And the product to which the darkness
had been posterior will dissolve. And the deficiency will be plucked out
by the root (and thrown) down into the darkness. And the light will withdraw
up to its root. And the glory of the unbegotten will appear. And it will
fill all the eternal realm.
When the prophecy and the account of those that are king becomes
known and is fulfilled by those who are called perfect, those who - in
contrast - have not become perfect in the unbegotten father will receive
their glory in their realms and in the kingdoms of the immortals: but they
will never enter the kingless realm. For everyone must go to the place
from which he has come. Indeed, by his acts and his knowledge, each person
will make his (own) nature known.
.
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