Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (80 page)

(authority), Athoth; the second is foretaken from his mother, for he is ignorant knowledge with the second one, Eloaio;

darkness.

and the third is Astraphaio; the fourth is

“And when the light had mixed with

lordship with the fourth one, Yao; the fifth

the darkness, it caused the darkness to

is kingdom with the fifth one, Sabaoth;

shine. And when the darkness had mixed

the sixth is envy with the sixth one, Adowith the light, it darkened the light and it nein; the seventh is understanding with

became neither light nor dark, but it bethe seventh one, Sabbateon. And these came dim.

have a firmament corresponding to each

“Now the archon who is weak has

aeon-heaven. They were given names acthree names. The first name is Yaltabaoth, cording to the glory which belongs to

the second is Saklas, and the third is

heaven for the [destruction of the] pow

Samael. And he is impious in his arroers. And in the names which were given gance which is in him. For he said, ‘I am

to [them by] their Originator there was

God and there is no other God beside

power. But the names which were given

me,’3 for he is ignorant of his strength,

them according to the glory which bethe place from which he had come.

longs to heaven mean for them destruc

“And the archons created seven powers

tion and powerlessness. Thus they have

for themselves, and the powers created

two names.

for themselves six angels for each one

“And having created [

] everything

until they became 365 angels. And there

he organized according to the model of

are the bodies belonging with the names:

the first aeons which had come into bethe first is Athoth, he has a sheep’s face; ing, so that he might create them like the

the second is Eloaiou, he has a donkey’s

indestructible ones. Not because he had

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;

3Isa 45:5–6; cf. Exod 20:2–3.

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303

seen the indestructible ones, but the

holy Spirit poured over her from their

power in him, which he had taken from

whole pleroma. For it was not her consort

his mother, produced in him the likeness

who came to her, but he came to her

of the cosmos. And when he saw the

through the pleroma in order that he

creation which surrounds him and the

might correct her deficiency. And she

multitude of the angels around him which

was taken up not to her own aeon but

had come forth from him, he said to them,

above her son, that she might be in the

‘I am a jealous God and there is no other

ninth until she has corrected her

God beside me.’4 But by announcing this

deficiency.

he indicated to the angels who attended

“And a voice came forth from the exhim that there exists another God. For if alted aeon-heaven: ‘The Man exists and

there were no other one, of whom would

the son of Man.’ And the chief archon,

he be jealous?

Yaltabaoth, heard (it) and thought that the

“Then the mother began to move to

voice had come from his mother. And he

and fro. She became aware of the defidid not know from where it came. And ciency when the brightness of her light

he taught them, the holy and perfect

diminished. And she became dark be

Mother-Father, the complete foreknowlcause her consort had not agreed with edge, the image of the invisible one who

her.”

is the Father of the all (and) through

And I said, “Lord, what does it mean

whom everything came into being, the

that she moved to and fro?” But he smiled

first Man. For he revealed his likeness in

and said, “Do not think it is, as Moses

a human form.

said, ‘above the waters.’5 No, but when

“And the whole aeon of the chief arshe had seen the wickedness which had chon trembled, and the foundations of the

happened, and the theft which her son

abyss shook. And of the waters which

had committed, she repented. And she

are above matter, the underside was illuwas overcome by forgetfulness in the minated by the appearance of his image

darkness of ignorance and she began to

which had been revealed. And when all

be ashamed. And she did not dare to

the authorities and the chief archon

return, but she was moving about. And

looked, they saw the whole region of the

the moving is the going to and fro.

underside which was illuminated. And

“And the arrogant one took a power

through the light they saw the form of

from his mother. For he was ignorant,

the image in the water. And he said to

thinking that there existed no other exthe authorities which attend him, ‘Come, cept his mother alone. And when he saw

let us create a man according to the image

the multitude of the angels which he had

of God and according to our likeness that

created, then he exalted himself above

his image may become a light for us.’6

them.

And they created by means of their re

“And when the mother recognized that

spective powers in correspondence with

the garment of darkness was imperfect,

the characteristics which were given.

then she knew that her consort had not

And each authority supplied a characteragreed with her. She repented with much istic in the form of the image which he

weeping. And the whole pleroma heard

had seen in its natural (form). He created

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

4Exod 20:5; Isa 45:5–6, 12. 5Gen 1:2. 6Gen 1:26.

304

NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

a being according to the likeness of the

helper to Adam, luminous Epinoia which

first, perfect Man. And they said, ‘Let us

comes out of him, who is called Life.

call him Adam, that his name may be

And she assists the whole creature, by

come a power of light for us.’ . . . And all

toiling with him and by restoring him to

the angels and demons worked until they

his fullness and by teaching him about

had constructed the natural body. And

the descent of his seed (and) by teaching

their product was completely inactive and

him about the way of ascent, (which is)

motionless for a long time.

the way he came down. And the luminous

“And when the mother wanted to re

Epinoia was hidden in Adam, in order

trieve the power which she had given to

that the archons might not know her, but

the chief archon, she petitioned the

that the Epinoia might be a correction of

Mother-Father of the All who is most

the deficiency of the mother. . . . And the

merciful. He sent, by means of the holy

archons took him and placed him in pardecree, the five lights down upon the adise. And they said to him, ‘Eat, that is

place of the angels of the chief archon.

at leisure,’ for their luxury is bitter and

They advised him that they should bring

their beauty is depraved. And their luxury

forth the power of the mother. And they

is deception and their trees are godlesssaid to Yaltabaoth, ‘Blow into his face ness and their fruit is deadly poison and

something of your spirit and his body

their promise is death. And the tree of

will arise.’ And he blew into his face the

their life they had placed in the midst of

spirit which is the power of his mother;

paradise.

he did not know (this), for he exists in

“And I shall teach you (pl.) what is the

ignorance. And the power of the mother

mystery of their life, which is the plan

went out of Yaltabaoth into the natural

which they made together, which is the

body which they had fashioned after the

likeness of their spirit. The root of this

image of the one who exists from the

(tree) is bitter and its branches are death,

beginning. The body moved and gained

its shadow is hate and deception is in its

strength, and it was luminous.

leaves, and its blossom is the ointment of

“And in that moment the rest of the

evil, and its fruit is death and desire is its

powers became jealous, because he had

seed, and it sprouts in darkness. The

come into being through all of them and

dwelling place of those who taste from it

they had given their power to the man,

is Hades and the darkness is their place

and his intelligence was greater than that

of rest.

of those who had made him, and greater

“But what they call the tree of knowlthan that of the chief archon. And when edge of good and evil, which is the Epithey recognized that he was luminous, noia of the light, they stayed in front of

and that he could think better than they,

it in order that he (Adam) might not look

and that he was free from wickedness,

up to his fullness and recognize the nathey took him and threw him into the kedness of his shamefulness. But it was

lowest region of all matter.

I who brought about that they ate.”

“But the blessed One, the Mother-

And I said to the savior, “Lord, was it

Father, the beneficent and merciful One,

not the serpent that taught Adam to eat?”

had mercy on the power of the mother

The savior smiled and said, “The serpent

which had been brought forth out of the

taught them to eat from wickedness of

chief archon, for they (the archons) might

begetting, lust, (and) destruction, that he

gain power over the natural and percep

(Adam) might be useful to him. And he

tible body. And he sent, through his be

(Adam) knew that he was disobedient to

neficent Spirit and his great mercy, a

him (the chief archon) due to light of the

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305

Epinoia which is in him, which made him

Epinoia appeared to them as a light (and)

more correct in his thinking than the chief

she awakened their thinking.

archon. And (the latter) wanted to bring

“And when Yaldabaoth noticed that

about the power which he himself had

they withdrew from him, he cursed his

given him. And he brought a forgetfulearth. He found the woman as she was ness over Adam. . . .

preparing herself for her husband. He

was lord over her though he did not know

“Then the Epinoia of the light hid herself

the mystery which had come to pass

in him (Adam). And the chief archon

through the holy decree. And they were

wanted to bring her out of his rib. But

afraid to blame him. And he showed his

the Epinoia of the light cannot be

angels his ignorance which is in him. And

grasped. Although darkness pursued her,

he cast them out of paradise and he

it did not catch her. And he brought a

clothed them in gloomy darkness. And

part of his power out of him. And he

the chief archon saw the virgin who stood

made another creature in the form of a

by Adam, and that the luminous Epinoia

woman according to the likeness of the

of life had appeared in her. And Yalda

Epinoia which had appeared to him. And

baoth was full of ignorance. And when

he brought the part which he had taken

the foreknowledge of the All noticed (it),

from the power of the man into the feshe sent some and they snatched life out male creature, and not as Moses said, ‘his

of Eve. . . .

rib-bone.’7

“And he (Adam) saw the woman be

“And the two archons he set over prinside him. And in that moment the lumicipalities so that they might rule over the nous Epinoia appeared, and she lifted the

tomb. And when Adam recognized the

veil which lay over his mind. And he

likeness of his own foreknowledge, he

became sober from the drunkenness of

begot the likeness of the son of man. He

darkness. And he recognized his counter-

called him Seth according to the way of

image, and he said, ‘This is indeed bone

the race in the aeons. Likewise the