Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament (85 page)

particular Aeon and tell you about the

behold, there has appeared [a] Voice beforces that are in it. The birth beckons: longing to that invisible Speech of [the

[hour] begets hour, [day begets day]. The

Aeon] (and) which we know not. And

months made known the [month. Time]

we ourselves did not recognize to whom

has [gone round] succeeding [time]. This

we belong, for that Voice which we lisparticular Aeon was completed in [this]

tened to is foreign to us, and we do not

fashion, and it was estimated, and it (was)

recognize it; we did not know whence it

short, for it was a finger that released a

was. It came and put fear in our midst

finger and a joint that was separated from

and weakening in the members of our

a joint. Then when the great Authorities

arms. So now let us weep and mourn

knew that the time of fulfillment had ap-

most bitterly! As for the future, let us

peared—just as in the pangs of the parmake our entire flight before we are imturient it (the time) had drawn near, so prisoned perforce and taken down to the

also had the destruction approached—all

bosom of the underworld. For already the

together the elements trembled, and the

slackening of our bondage has apfoundations of the underworld and the proached, and the times are cut short and

ceilings of Chaos shook and a great fire

the days have shortened and our time has

shone within their midst, and the rocks

been fulfilled, and the weeping of our

and the earth were shaken like a reed

destruction has approached us so that we

shaken by the wind. And the lots of Fate

may be taken to the place we recognize.

and those who apportion the domiciles

For as for our tree from which we grew,

were greatly disturbed over a great thuna fruit of ignorance is what it has; and der. And the thrones of the Powers were

also its leaves, it is death that dwells in

disturbed since they were overturned, and

them, and darkness dwells under the

their King was afraid. And those who

shadow of its boughs. And it was in depursue Fate paid their allotment of visits ceit and lust that we harvested it, this

to the path, and they said to the Powers,

(tree) through which ignorant Chaos be

“What is this disturbance and this shakcame for us a dwelling place. For behold, ing that has come upon us through a

even he, the Archigenetor of our birth,

Voice �belonging� to the exalted

about whom we boast, even he did not

Speech? And our entire habitation has

know this Speech.”

been shaken, and the entire circuit of our

So now, O Sons of the Thought, listen

path of ascent has met with destruction,

to me, to the Speech of the Mother of

and the path upon which we go, which

your mercy, for you have become worthy

takes us up to the Archigenetor of our

of the mystery hidden from (the beginbirth, has ceased to be established for us.”

ning of) the Aeons, so that [you might

Then the Powers answered, saying, “We

receive] it. And the consummation of this

THE FIRST THOUGHT IN THREE FORMS

321

[particular] Aeon [and] of the evil life

spring [that supports me] as my founda[has approached and there dawns the]

tion. And it (the Speech) exists from the

beginning of the [Aeon to come] which

beginning in the foundations of the All.

[has no change forever].

But there is a Light [that] dwells hid

I am androgynous. [I am Mother (and)

den in Silence and it was first to [come]

I am] Father since [I copulate] with myforth. Whereas she (the Mother) alone self. I [copulated] with myself [and with

exists as Silence, I alone am the Word, inthose who love] me, [and] it is through effable, unpolluted, immeasurable, inme alone that the All [stands firm]. I am conceivable. It (the Word) is a hidden

the Womb [that gives shape] to the All

Light, bearing a Fruit of Life, pouring

by giving birth to the Light that [shines

forth a Living Water from the invisible,

in] splendor. I am the Aeon to [come. I

unpolluted, immeasurable Spring, that is,

am] the fulfillment of the All, that is,

the unreproducible Voice of the glory of

Me[iroth]ea, the glory of the Mother. I

the Mother, the glory of the offspring of

cast [voiced] Speech into the ears of those

God; a male Virgin by virtue of a hidden

who know me.

Intellect, that is, the Silence hidden from

And I am inviting you into the exalted,

the All, being unreproducible, an imperfect Light. Moreover (as for) this measurable Light, the source of the All,

(Light), when you enter it you will be

the Root of the entire Aeon. It is the

glorified by those [who] give glory, and

Foundation that supports every movethose who enthrone will enthrone you.

ment of the Aeons that belong to the

You will accept robes from those who

mighty Glory. It is the Foundation of

give robes and the Baptists will baptize

every foundation. It is the Breath of the

you and you will become gloriously glo

Powers. It is the Eye of the Three Permarious, the way you first were when you nences, which exist as Voice by virtue of

were �Light�.

Thought. And it is a Word by virtue of

And I hid myself in everyone and re

Speech; it was sent to illumine those who

vealed [myself] within them, and every

dwell in the [darkness].

mind seeking me longed for me, for it is I

Now behold [I will reveal] to you [my

who gave shape to the All when it had no

mysteries] since you are my fellow

form. And I transformed their forms into

[brethren, and you shall] know them all

(other) forms until the time when a form

[ . . . ]. I [told all of them about my myswill be given to the All. It is through me teries] that exist in [the incomprehensithat the Voice originated and it is I who ble], inexpressible [Aeons]. I taught

put the breath within my own. And I cast

[them the mysteries] through the [Voice

into them the eternally holy Spirit and I

that exists] within a perfect Intellect [and

ascended and entered my Light. [I went

I] became a foundation for the All, and

up] upon my branch and sat [there among

[I empowered] them.

the] Sons of the [holy] Light. And [I

The second time I came in the

withdrew] to their dwelling place which

[Speech] of my Voice. I gave shape to

[ . . . ] become [glorious. . . . Amen].

those who [took] shape until their

consummation.

I am [the Word] who dwells [in the] in

The third time I revealed myself to

effable [Voice]. I dwell in undefiled

them [in] their tents as Word and I re[Light] and a Thought [revealed itself]

vealed myself in the likeness of their

perceptibly through [the great] Speech of

shape. And I wore everyone’s garment

the Mother, although it is a male offand I hid myself within them, and [they]

322

NON-CANONICAL APOCALYPSES AND REVELATORY TREATISES

did not know the one who empowers me.

therhood. And [he received] the Five

For I dwell within all the Sovereignties

Seals from [the Light] of the Mother,

and Powers and within the Angels and in

Protennoia, and it was [granted] him [to]

every moment [that] exists in all matter.

partake of [the mystery] of knowledge,

And I hid myself within them until I

and [he became a Light] in Light.

revealed myself to my [brethren]. And

So, now [ . . . I was] dwelling in them

none of them (the Powers) knew me,

[in the form of each] one. [The Ar[although] it is I who work in them.

chons] thought [that I] was their Christ.

Rather [they thought] that the All was

Indeed I [dwell in] everyone. Indeed

created [by them] since they are ignorant,

within those in whom [I revealed mynot knowing [their] root, the place in self] as Light [I eluded] the Archons. I

which they grew.

am their beloved, [for] in that place I

[I] am the Light that illumines the All.

clothed myself [as] the Son of the Ar

I am the Light that rejoices [in my] brethchigenetor, and I was like him until the ren, for I came down to the world [of]

end of his decree, which is the ignomortals on account of the Spirit that rerance of Chaos. And among the Angels mains [in] that which [descended] (and)

I revealed myself in their likeness, and

came forth [from] the innocent Sophia. [I

among the Powers as if I were one of

came] and I delivered [ . . . ] and I [went]

them, but among the Sons of Man as if

to [ . . . ] which he had [formerly and I

I were a Son of Man, even though I am

gave to him] from the Water [of Life,

Father of everyone.

which strips] him of the Chaos [that is in

I hid myself within them all until I

the] uttermost [darkness] that exists [inrevealed myself among my members, side] the entire [abyss], that is, the

which are mine, and I taught them about

thought of [the corporeal] and the psythe ineffable ordinances, and (about) the chic. All these I put on. And I stripped

brethren. But they are inexpressible to

him of it and I put upon him a shining

every Sovereignty and every ruling

Light, that is, the knowledge of the

Power except to the Sons of the Light

Thought of the Fatherhood.

alone, that is, the ordinances of the Fa

And I delivered him to those who gives

ther. These are the glories that are higher

robes—Yammon, Elasso, Amenai—and

than every glory, that is, [the Five] Seals

they [covered] him with a robe from the

complete by virtue of Intellect. He who

robes of the Light; and I delivered him

possesses the Five Seals of these particto the Baptists and they baptized him—ular names has stripped off �the� gar

Micheus, Michar, and Mn[e]sinous—and

ments of ignorance and put on a shining

they immersed him in the spring of the

Light. And nothing will appear to him

[Water] of Life. And I delivered him to

that belongs to the Powers of the Arthose who enthrone—Bariel, Nouthan, chons. Within those of this sort darkness

Sabenai—and they enthroned him from

will dissolve and [ignorance] will die.

the throne of glory. And I delivered him

And the thought of the creature which [is

to those who glorify—Ariom, Elien,

scattered will] present a single appear

Phariel—and they glorified him with the

ance and [dark Chaos] will dissolve and

glory of the Fatherhood. And those who

[ . . . ] and the [ . . . ] incomprehensible

snatch away snatched away—Kamaliel.

[ . . . ] within the [ . . . ] until I reveal my[ . . . ]anen, Samblo, the servants of self [to all my fellow brethren] and until

�the� great holy Luminaries—and they

I gather [together] all [my fellow] brethtook him into the light-[place] of his Faren within my [eternal kingdom]. And I THE FIRST THOUGHT IN THREE FORMS

323

proclaimed to them the ineffable [Five

And those who watch over their dwelling

Seals in order that I might] abide in them

places did not recognize me. For I, I am

and they also might abide in me.

unrestrainable together with my Seed,

As for me, I put on Jesus. I bore him

and my Seed, which is mine, I shall

from the cursed wood, and established

[place] into the Holy Light within an

him in the dwelling places of his Father.

incomprehensible Silence. Amen.

The Hymn of the Pearl

One of the most elegant compositions of early Christianity, the “Hymn of the Pearl” is embedded in the third-century Acts of Thomas (see p. 122).1

Most scholars agree, however, that the hymn was composed by a different hand and at an earlier date. On the surface, it appears to be a simple folktale of a prince sent by his royal parents on a mission to snatch a pearl from the lair of a ravenous dragon in Egypt, only to arrive at his destination and forget his task and identity, needing a message from the royal court to be awakened from his torpor and reminded of who he is. He then seizes the pearl and returns to the glories of his father’s realm.

The hymn may be something far more than a simple folk tale, however.

Hints within the text itself—such as the “knowledge” (literally “gnosis”) connected with the prince’s heavenly garment (l. 88)—along with parallels to other literature, suggest that the story represents a Gnostic allegory of the incarnation of the soul, which enjoys a glorious heavenly existence (“my father’s palace”) from which it descends (to “Egypt”) to become entrapped in matter (“clothed myself in garments like theirs”). Forgetting whence it came, the soul eventually relearns its true nature from a divine emissary.