Read Lost scriptures: books that did not make it into the New Testament Online
Authors: [edited by] Bart D. Ehrman
Tags: #Biblical Reference, #Bible Study Guides, #Bibles, #Other Translations, #Apocryphal books (New Testament), #New Testament, #Christianity, #Religion, #Biblical Commentary, #Biblical Studies, #General, #History
(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