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
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
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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