Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (82 page)

saw nothing else, except for water and

immortal pattern that existed before

darkness—then he supposed that it was

them, according to the wish of Pistis: so

he alone who existed. His [ . . . ] was

that the likeness of what had existed since

completed by verbal expression: it apthe beginning might reign to the end.

peared as a spirit moving to and fro upon

You (sg.) will find the effect of these

the waters. And when that spirit apnames and the force of the male entities peared, the ruler set apart the watery subin the
Archangelic
(Book)
of
the
Prophet
stance. And what was dry was divided

Moses,
and the names of the female eninto another place. And from matter he tities in the first
Book
(biblos)
of
Noraia.

made for himself an abode, and he called

Now the prime parent Yaldabaoth,

it heaven. And from matter, the ruler

since he possessed great authorities, cremade a footstool, and he called it earth.

ated heavens for each of his offspring

Next, the ruler had a thought—consis-

through verbal expression—created them

tent with his nature—and by means of

beautiful, as dwelling places—and in

verbal expression he created an androeach heaven he created great glories, gyne. He opened his mouth and cooed to

seven times excellent. Thrones and manhim. When his eyes had been opened, he sions and temples, and also chariots and

looked at his father, and he said to him,

virgin spirits up to an invisible one and

“Eee!” Then his father called him Eee-

their glories, each one has these in his

a-o (Yao). Next he created the second

heaven; mighty armies of gods and lords

son. He cooed to him. And he opened his

and angels and archangels—countless

eyes and said to his father, “Eh!” His

myriads—so that they might serve.

father called him Eloai. Next he created

The account of these matters you (sg.)

the third son. He cooed to him. And he

will find in a precise manner in the first

opened his eyes and said to his father,

Account
of
Oraia.

“Asss!” His father called him Astaphaios.

And they were completed from this

These are the three sons of their father.

heaven to as far up as the sixth heaven,

Seven appeared in chaos, androgynamely that of Sophia. The heaven and nous. They have their masculine names

his earth were destroyed by the troubleand their feminine names. The feminine maker that was below them all. And the

name is Pronoia (Forethought) Sambasix heavens shook violently; for the thas, which is “week.” And his son is

forces of chaos knew who it was that had

called Yao: his feminine name is

destroyed the heaven that was below

Lordship.

them. And when Pistis knew about the

Sabaoth: his feminine name is

breakage resulting from the disturbance,

Deity.

she sent forth her breath and bound him

310

NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

and cast him down into Tartaros. Since

his father. Then when Sabaoth was illuthat day, the heaven, along with its earth, mined, he received great authority

has consolidated itself through Sophia

against all the forces of chaos. Since that

the daughter of Yaldabaoth, she who is

day he has been called “Lord of the

below them all.

Forces.”

Now when the heavens had consoli

He hated his father, the darkness, and

dated themselves along with their forces

his mother, the abyss, and loathed his

and all their administration, the prime

sister, the thought of the prime parent,

parent became insolent. And he was honwhich moved to and fro upon the waters.

ored by all the army of angels. And all

And because of his light all the authorithe gods and their angels gave blessing ties of chaos were jealous of him. And

and honor to him. And for his part he

when they had become disturbed, they

was delighted and continually boasted,

made a great war in the seven heavens.

saying to them, “I have no need of any

Then when Pistis Sophia had seen the

one.” He said, “It is I who am God, and

war, she dispatched seven archangels to

there is no other one that exists apart from

Sabaoth from her light. They snatched

me.”1 And when he said this, he sinned

him up to the seventh heaven. They stood

against all the immortal beings who give

before him as attendants. Furthermore

answer. And they laid it to his charge.

she sent him three more archangels and

Then when Pistis saw the impiety of

established the kingdom for him over

the chief ruler she was filled with anger.

everyone so that he might dwell above

She was invisible. She said, “You are

the twelve gods of chaos.

mistaken, Samael,” that is, “blind god.”

Now when Sabaoth had taken up the

“There is an immortal man of light who

place of repose in return for his repenhas been in existence before you and who tance, Pistis also gave him her daughter

will appear among your modelled forms;

Zoe (Life) together with great authority

he will trample you to scorn just as pot-

so that she might instruct him about all

ter’s clay is pounded. And you will dethings that exist in the eighth heaven. And scend to your mother, the abyss, along

as he had authority, he made himself first

with those that belong to you. For at the

of all a mansion. It is huge, magnificent,

consummation of your (pl.) works the

seven times as great as all those that exist

entire defect that has become visible out

in the seven heavens.

of the truth will be abolished, and it will

And before his mansion he created a

cease to be and will be like what has

throne, which was huge and was upon a

never been.” Saying this, Pistis revealed

four-faced chariot called “Cherubin.”

her likeness of her greatness in the wa

Now the Cherubin has eight shapes per

ters. And so doing she withdrew up to

each of the four corners, lion forms and

her light.

calf forms and human forms and eagle

Now when Sabaoth the son of Yaldaforms, so that all the forms amount to baoth heard the voice of Pistis, he sang

sixty-four forms—and (he created) seven

praises to her, and [he] condemned the

archangels that stand before it; he is the

father . . . at the word of Pistis; and he

eighth, and has authority. All the forms

praised her because she had instructed

amount to seventy-two. Furthermore,

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

1Isa 45:5–6, 12.

ON THE ORIGIN OF THE WORLD

311

from this chariot the seventy-two gods

he engendered Death out of his death:

took shape; they took shape so that they

and he (viz., Death) was established over

might rule over the seventy-two lanthe sixth heaven, �for� Sabaoth had guages of the peoples. And by that throne

been snatched up from there. And thus

he created other, serpent-like angels,

the number of the six authorities of chaos

called “Saraphin,” which praise him at all

was achieved. Then Death, being androgtimes.

ynous, mingled with his (own) nature and

Thereafter he created a congregation

begot seven androgynous offspring.

(
ekklesia
) of angels, thousands and myr

These are the names of the male ones:

iads, numberless, which resembled the

Jealousy, Wrath, Tears, Sighing, Suffercongregation in the eighth heaven; and a ing, Lamentation, Bitter Weeping. And

firstborn called Israel—which is, “the

these are the names of the female ones:

man that sees God”; and another being,

Wrath, Pain, Lust, Sighing, Curse, Bitcalled Jesus Christ, who resembles the terness, Quarrelsomeness. They had insavior above in the eighth heaven and tercourse with one another, and each one

who sits at his right upon a revered

begot seven, so that they amount to forty-

throne, and at his left, there sits the virgin

nine androgynous demons.

of the holy spirit, upon a throne and glo

Their names and their effects you will

rifying him. And the seven virgins stand

find in the
Book
of
Solomon.

before her, . . . possessing thirty harps,

And in the presence of these, Zoe, who

and psalteries and trumpets, glorifying

was with Sabaoth, created seven good

him. And all the armies of the angels

androgynous forces. These are the names

glorify him, and they bless him. Now

of the male ones; the Unenvious, the

where he sits is upon a throne of light

Blessed, the Joyful, the True, the Unbe

�with a� great cloud that covers him.

grudging, the Beloved, the Trustworthy.

And there was no one with him in the

Also, as regards the female ones, these

cloud except Sophia �the daughter of�

are their names: Peace, Gladness, Rejoic

Pistis, instructing him about all the things

ing, Blessedness, Truth, Love, Faith (Pisthat exist in the eighth heaven, so that the tis). And from these there are many good

likenesses of those things might be creand innocent spirits.

ated, in order that his reign might endure

Their influences and their effects you

until the consummation of the heavens of

will find in the
Configurations
of
the
Fate
chaos and their forces.

of
Heaven
That
Is
Beneath
the
Twelve.

Now Pistis Sophia set him apart from

And having seen the likeness of Pistis

the darkness and summoned him to her

in the waters, the prime parent grieved

right, and the prime parent she put at her

very much, especially when he heard her

left. Since that day, right has been called

voice, like the first voice that had called

justice, and left called wickedness. Now

to him out of the waters. And when he

because of this they all received a realm

knew that it was she who had given a

(
kosmos
) in the congregation of justice

name to him, he sighed. He was

and wickedness, . . . stand . . . upon a

ashamed on account of his transgression.

creature . . . all.

And when he had come to know in truth

Thus when the prime parent of chaos

that an immortal man of light had been

saw his son Sabaoth and the glory that

existing before him, he was greatly dishe was in, and perceived that he was turbed; for he had previously said to all

greatest of all the authorities of chaos, he

the gods and their angels, “It is I who

envied him. And having become wrathful

am god. No other one exists apart from

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NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

me.”2 For he had been afraid they might

Pronoia. He is very lovely in his beauty,

know that another had been in existence

having a charm beyond all the creatures

before him, and might condemn him.

of chaos. Then all the gods and their

But he, being devoid of understanding,

angels, when they beheld Eros, became

scoffed at the condemnation and acted

enamored of him. And appearing in all

recklessly. He said, “If anything has exof them he set them afire: just as from a isted before me, let it appear, so that we

single lamp many lamps are lit, and one

may see its light.”

and the same light is there, but the lamp

And immediately, behold! Light came

is not diminished. And in this way Eros

out of the eighth heaven above and

became dispersed in all the created bepassed through all of the heavens of the ings of chaos, and was not diminished.

earth. When the prime parent saw that

Just as from the midpoint of light and

the light was beautiful as it radiated, he

darkness Eros appeared and at the midwas amazed. And he was greatly point of the angels and mankind the sexashamed. As that light appeared, a human ual union of Eros was consummated so

likeness appeared within it, very wonderout of the earth the primal pleasure blosful. And no one saw it except for the somed. The woman followed earth. And