On the Origin of the World
("The Untitled Text")
Translated by Hans-Gebhard Bethge and Bentley Layton.
Seeing that everybody, gods of the world and mankind, says that nothing existed
prior to chaos, I, in distinction to them, shall demonstrate that they are all
mistaken, because they are not acquainted with the origin of chaos, nor with its
root. Here is the demonstration.
How well it suits all men, on the subject of chaos, to say that it is a kind
of darkness! But in fact it comes from a shadow, which has been called by the
name 'darkness'. And the shadow comes from a product that has existed since the
beginning. It is, moreover, clear that it existed before chaos came into being,
and that the latter is posterior to the first product. Let us therefore concern
ourselves with the facts of the matter; and furthermore, with the first product,
from which chaos was projected. And in this way the truth will be clearly demonstrated.
After the natural structure of the immortal beings had completely developed
out of the infinite, a likeness then emanated from Pistis (Faith); it is called
Sophia (Wisdom). It exercised volition and became a product resembling the primeval
light. And immediately her will manifested itself as a likeness of heaven, having
an unimaginable magnitude; it was between the immortal beings and those things
that came into being after them, like [...]: she (Sophia) functioned as a veil
dividing mankind from the things above.
Now the eternal realm (aeon) of truth has no shadow outside it, for the limitless
light is everywhere within it. But its exterior is shadow, which has been called
by the name 'darkness'. From it, there appeared a force, presiding over the darkness.
And the forces that came into being subsequent to them called the shadow 'the
limitless chaos'. From it, every kind of divinity sprouted up [...] together with
the entire place, so that also, shadow is posterior to the first product. It was
Then shadow perceived there was something mightier than it, and felt envy;
and when it had become pregnant of its own accord, suddenly it engendered jealousy.
Since that day, the principle of jealousy amongst all the eternal realms and their
worlds has been apparent. Now as for that jealousy, it was found to be an abortion
without any spirit in it. Like a shadow, it came into existence in a vast watery
substance. Then the bile that had come into being out of the shadow was thrown
into a part of chaos. Since that day, a watery substance has been apparent. And
what sank within it flowed away, being visible in chaos: as with a woman giving
birth to a child - all her superfluities flow out; just so, matter came into being
out of shadow, and was projected apart. And it did not depart from chaos; rather,
matter was in chaos, being in a part of it.
And when these things had come to pass, then Pistis came and appeared over
the matter of chaos, which had been expelled like an aborted fetus - since there
was no spirit in it. For all of it (chaos) was limitless darkness and bottomless
water. Now when Pistis saw what had resulted from her defect, she became disturbed.
And the disturbance appeared, as a fearful product; it rushed to her in the chaos.
She turned to it and blew into its face in the abyss, which is below all the heavens.
And when Pistis Sophia desired to cause the thing that had no spirit to be
formed into a likeness and to rule over matter and over all her forces, there
appeared for the first time a ruler, out of the waters, lion-like in appearance,
androgynous, having great authority within him, and ignorant of whence he had
come into being. Now when Pistis Sophia saw him moving about in the depth of the
waters, she said to him, "Child, pass through to here," whose equivalent is 'Yaldabaoth'.
Since that day, there appeared the principle of verbal expression, which reached
the gods and the angels and mankind. And what came into being as a result of verbal
expression, the gods and the angels and mankind finished. Now as for the ruler
Yaldabaoth, he is ignorant of the force of Pistis: he did not see her face, rather
he saw in the water the likeness that spoke with him. And because of that voice,
he called himself 'Yaldabaoth'. But 'Ariael' is what the perfect call him, for
he was like a lion. Now when he had come to have authority over matter, Pistis
Sophia withdrew up to her light.
When the ruler saw his magnitude - and it was only himself that he saw: he
saw nothing else, except for water and darkness - then he supposed that it was
he alone who existed. His [...] was completed by verbal expression: it appeared
as a spirit moving to and fro upon the waters. And when that spirit appeared,
the ruler set apart the watery substance. And what was dry was divided into another
place. And from matter, he made for himself an abode, and he called it 'heaven'.
And from matter, the ruler made a footstool, and he called it 'earth'.
Next, the ruler had a thought - consistent with his nature - and by means of
verbal expression he created an androgyne. He opened his mouth and cooed to him.
When his eyes had been opened, he looked at his father, and he said to him, "Eee!"
Then his father called him Eee-a-o ('Yao'). Next he created the second son. He
cooed to him. And he opened his eyes and said to his father, "Eh!" His father
called him 'Eloai'. Next, he created the third son. He cooed to him. And he opened
his eyes and said to his father, "Asss!" His father called him 'Astaphaios'. These
are the three sons of their father.
Seven appeared in chaos, androgynous. They have their masculine names and their
feminine names. The feminine name is Pronoia (Forethought) Sambathas, which is
'week'.
And his son is called Yao: his feminine name is Lordship.
Sabaoth: his feminine name is Deity.
Adonaios: his feminine name is Kingship.
Elaios: his feminine name is Jealousy.
Oraios: his feminine name is Wealth.
And Astaphaios: his feminine name is Sophia (Wisdom).
These are the seven forces of the seven heavens of chaos. And they were born androgynous,
consistent with the immortal pattern that existed before them, according to the
wish of Pistis: so that the likeness of what had existed since the beginning might
reign to the end. You will find the effect of these names and the force of the
male entities in the Archangelic (Book) of the Prophet Moses, and the names of
the female entities in the first Book of Noraia.
Now the prime parent Yaldabaoth, since he possessed great authorities, created
heavens for each of his offspring through verbal expression - created them beautiful,
as dwelling places - and in each heaven he created great glories, seven times
excellent. Thrones and mansions and temples, and also chariots and virgin spirits
up to an invisible one and their glories, each one has these in his heaven; mighty
armies of gods and lords and angels and archangels - countless myriads - so that
they might serve. The account of these matters you will find in a precise manner
in the first Account of Oraia.
And they were completed from this heaven to as far up as the sixth heaven,
namely that of Sophia. The heaven and his earth were destroyed by the troublemaker
that was below them all. And the six heavens shook violently; for the forces of
chaos knew who it was that had destroyed the heaven that was below them. And when
Pistis knew about the breakage resulting from the disturbance, she sent forth
her breath and bound him and cast him down into Tartaros. Since that day, the
heaven, along with its earth, has consolidated itself through Sophia the daughter
of Yaldabaoth, she who is below them all.
Now when the heavens had consolidated themselves along with their forces and
all their administration, the prime parent became insolent. And he was honored
by all the army of angels. And all the gods and their angels gave blessing and
honor to him. And for his part, he was delighted and continually boasted, saying
to them, "I have no need of anyone." He said, "It is I who am God, and there is
no other one that exists apart from me." And when he said this, he sinned against
all the immortal beings who give answer. And they laid it to his charge.
Then when Pistis saw the impiety of the chief ruler, she was filled with anger.
She was invisible. She said, "You are mistaken, Samael," (that is, "blind god").
"There is an immortal man of light who has been in existence before you, and who
will appear among your modelled forms; he will trample you to scorn, just as potter's
clay is pounded. And you will descend to your mother, the abyss, along with those
that belong to you. For at the consummation of your (pl.) works, the entire defect
that has become visible out of the truth will be abolished, and it will cease
to be, and will be like what has never been." Saying this, Pistis revealed her
likeness of her greatness in the waters. And so doing, she withdrew up to her
light.
Now when Sabaoth, the son of Yaldabaoth, heard the voice of Pistis, he sang
praises to her, and he condemned the father [...] at the word of Pistis; and he
praised her because she had instructed 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 his father. Then when Sabaoth was illumined,
he received great authority against all the forces of chaos. Since that day he
has been called "Lord of the Forces".
He hated his father, the darkness, and his mother, the abyss, and loathed his
sister, the thought of the prime parent, which moved to and fro upon the waters.
And because of his light, all the authorities of chaos were jealous of him. And
when they had become disturbed, they made a great war in the seven heavens. Then
when Pistis Sophia had seen the war, she dispatched seven archangels to Sabaoth
from her light. They snatched him up to the seventh heaven. They stood before
him as attendants. Furthermore, she sent him three more archangels, and established
the kingdom for him over everyone, so that he might dwell above the twelve gods
of chaos.
Now when Sabaoth had taken up the place of repose in return for his repentance,
Pistis also gave him her daughter Zoe (Life), together with great authority, so
that she might instruct him about all things that exist in the eighth heaven.
And as he had authority, he made himself first of all a mansion. It is huge, magnificent,
seven times as great as all those that exist in the seven heavens.
And before his mansion he created a throne, which was huge and was upon a four-faced
chariot called "Cherubin". Now the Cherubin has eight shapes per each of the four
corners, lion forms and calf forms and human forms and eagle forms, so that all
the forms amount to sixty-four forms - and seven archangels that stand before
it; he is the eighth, and has authority. All the forms amount to seventy-two.
Furthermore, from this chariot the seventy-two gods took shape; they took shape
so that they might rule over the seventy-two languages of the peoples. And by
that throne he created other, serpent-like angels, called "Seraphin", which praise
him at all times.
Thereafter he created a congregation of angels, thousands and myriads, numberless,
which resembled the congregation in the eighth heaven; and a firstborn called
Israel - which is, "the man that sees God"; and another being, called Jesus
Christ, who resembles the savior above in the eighth heaven, and who sits at his
right upon a revered throne. And at his left, there sits the virgin of the holy
spirit, upon a throne and glorifying him. And the seven virgins stand before her,
[...] possessing thirty harps, and psalteries and trumpets, glorifying him. And
all the armies of the angels glorify him, and they bless him. Now where he sits
is upon a throne of light
Now Pistis Sophia set him apart from the darkness and summoned him to her right,
and the prime parent she put at her left. Since that day, right has been called
justice, and left called wickedness. Now because of this, they all received a
realm in the congregation of justice and wickedness, [...] stand [...] upon a
creature [...] all.
Thus, when the prime parent of chaos saw his son Sabaoth and the glory that
he was in, and perceived that he was greatest of all the authorities of chaos,
he envied him. And having become wrathful, he engendered Death out of his death:
and he (viz., Death) was established over the sixth heaven,
And in the presence of these, Zoe, who was with Sabaoth, created seven good
androgynous forces. These are the names of the male ones: the Unenvious, the Blessed,
the Joyful, the True, the Unbegrudging, the Beloved, the Trustworthy. Also, as
regards the female ones, these are their names: Peace, Gladness, Rejoicing, Blessedness,
Truth, Love, Faith (Pistis). And from these are many good and innocent spirits.
Their influences and their effects you will find in the Configurations of the
Fate of Heaven That Is Beneath the Twelve.
And having seen the likeness of Pistis in the waters, the prime parent grieved
very much, especially when he heard her voice, like the first voice that had called
to him out of the waters. And when he knew that it was she who had given a name
to him, he sighed. He was ashamed on account of his transgression. And when he
had come to know in truth that an immortal man of light had been existing before
him, he was greatly disturbed; for he had previously said to all the gods and
their angels, "It is I who am god. No other one exists apart from me." For he
had been afraid they might know that another had been in existence before him,
and might condemn him. But he, being devoid of understanding, scoffed at the condemnation
and acted recklessly. He said, "If anything has existed before me, let it appear,
so that we may see its light."
And immediately, behold! Light came out of the eighth heaven above and passed
through all of the heavens of the earth. When the prime parent saw that the light
was beautiful as it radiated, he was amazed. And he was greatly ashamed. As that
light appeared, a human likeness appeared within it, very wonderful. And no one
saw it except for the prime parent and Pronoia, who was with him. Yet its light
appeared to all the forces of the heavens. Because of this they were all troubled
by it.
Then when Pronoia saw that emissary, she became enamored of him. But he hated
her because she was on the darkness. But she desired to embrace him, and she was
not able to. When she was unable to assuage her love, she poured out her light
upon the earth. Since that day, that emissary has been called "Adam of Light,"
whose rendering is "the luminous man of blood," and the earth spread over him,
holy Adaman, whose rendering is "the Holy Land of Adamantine." Since that day,
all the authorities have honored the blood of the virgin. And the earth was purified
on account of the blood of the virgin. But most of all, the water was purified
through the likeness of Pistis Sophia, who had appeared to the prime parent in
the waters. Justly, then, it has been said: "through the waters." The holy water,
since it vivifies the all, purifies it.
Out of that first blood Eros appeared, being androgynous. His masculinity is
Himireris, being fire from the light. His femininity that is with him - a soul
of blood - is from the stuff of Pronoia. He is very lovely in his beauty, having
a charm beyond all the creatures of chaos. Then all the gods and their angels,
when they beheld Eros, became enamored of him. And appearing in all of them, he
set them afire: just as from a single lamp many lamps are lit, and one and the
same light is there, but the lamp is not diminished. And in this way, Eros became
dispersed in all the created beings of chaos, and was not diminished. Just as
from the midpoint of light and darkness Eros appeared and at the midpoint of the
angels and mankind the sexual union of Eros was consummated, so out of the earth
the primal pleasure blossomed. The woman followed earth. And marriage followed
woman. Birth followed marriage. Dissolution followed birth.
After that Eros, the grapevine sprouted up out of that blood, which had been
shed over the earth. Because of this, those who drink of it conceive the desire
of sexual union. After the grapevine, a fig tree and a pomegranate tree sprouted
up from the earth, together with the rest of the trees, all species, having with
them their seed from the seed of the authorities and their angels.
Then Justice created Paradise, being beautiful and being outside the orbit
of the moon and the orbit of the sun in the Land of Wantonness, in the East in
the midst of the stones. And desire is in the midst of the beautiful, appetizing
trees. And the tree of eternal life is as it appeared by God's will, to the north
of Paradise, so that it might make eternal the souls of the pure, who shall come
forth from the modelled forms of poverty at the consummation of the age. Now the
color of the tree of life is like the sun. And its branches are beautiful. Its
leaves are like those of the cypress. Its fruit is like a bunch of grapes when
it is white. Its height goes as far as heaven. And next to it (is) the tree of
knowledge (gnosis), having the strength of God. Its glory is like the moon when
fully radiant. And its branches are beautiful. Its leaves are like fig leaves.
Its fruit is like a good appetizing date. And this tree is to the north of Paradise,
so that it might arouse the souls from the torpor of the demons, in order that
they might approach the tree of life and eat of its fruit, and so condemn the
authorities and their angels. The effect of this tree is described in the Sacred
Book, to wit: "It is you who are the tree of knowledge, which is in Paradise,
from which the first man ate and which opened his mind; and he loved his female
counterpart and condemned the other, alien likenesses and loathed them."
Now after it, the olive tree sprouted up, which was to purify the kings and
the high priests of righteousness, who were to appear in the last days, since
the olive tree appeared out of the light of the first Adam for the sake of the
unguent that they were to receive.
And the first soul (psyche) loved Eros, who was with her, and poured her blood
upon him and upon the earth. And out of that blood the rose first sprouted up,
out of the earth, out of the thorn bush, to be a source of joy for the light that
was to appear in the bush. Moreover, after this the beautiful, good-smelling flowers
sprouted up from the earth, different kinds, from every single virgin of the daughters
of Pronoia. And they, when they had become enamored of Eros, poured out their
blood upon him and upon the earth. After these, every plant sprouted up from the
earth, different kinds, containing the seed of the authorities and their angels.
After these, the authorities created out of the waters all species of beast, and
the reptiles and birds - different kinds - containing the seed of the authorities
and their angels.
But before all these, when he had appeared on the first the first day, he remained
upon the earth, something like two days, and left the lower Pronoia in heaven,
and ascended towards his light. And immediately darkness covered all the universe.
Now when she wished, the Sophia who was in the lower heaven received authority
from Pistis, and fashioned great luminous bodies and all the stars. And she put
them in the sky to shine upon the earth and to render temporal signs and seasons
and years and months and days and nights and moments and so forth. And in this
way the entire region upon the sky was adorned.
Now when Adam of Light conceived the wish to enter his light - i.e., the eighth
heaven - he was unable to do so because of the poverty that had mingled with his
light. Then he created for himself a vast eternal realm. And within that eternal
realm he created six eternal realms and their adornments, six in number, that
were seven times better than the heavens of chaos and their adornments. Now all
these eternal realms and their adornments exist within the infinity that is between
the eighth heaven and the chaos below it, being counted with the universe that
belongs to poverty. If you want to know the arrangement of these, you will find
it written in the Seventh Universe of the Prophet Hieralias.
And before Adam of Light had withdrawn in the chaos, the authorities saw him
and laughed at the prime parent because he had lied when he said, "It is I who
am God. No one exists before me." When they came to him, they said, "Is this not
the god who ruined our work?" He answered and said, "Yes. If you do not want him
to be able to ruin our work, come let us create a man out of earth, according
to the image of our body and according to the likeness of this being, to serve
us; so that when he sees his likeness, he might become enamored of it. No longer
will he ruin our work; rather, we shall make those who are born out of the light
our servants for all the duration of this eternal realm." Now all of this came
to pass according to the forethought of Pistis, in order that man should appear
after his likeness, and should condemn them because of their modelled form. And
their modelled form became an enclosure of the light.
Then the authorities received the knowledge (gnosis) necessary to create man.
Sophia Zoe - she who is with Sabaoth - had anticipated them. And she laughed at
their decision. For they are blind: against their own interests they ignorantly
created him. And they do not realize what they are about to do. The reason she
anticipated them and made her own man first, was in order that he might instruct
their modelled form how to despise them, and thus to escape from them.
Now the production of the instructor came about as follows. When Sophia let
fall a droplet of light, it flowed onto the water, and immediately a human being
appeared, being androgynous. That droplet she molded first as a female body. Afterwards,
using the body she molded it in the likeness of the mother, which had appeared.
And he finished it in twelve months. An androgynous human being was produced,
whom the Greeks call Hermaphrodites; and whose mother the Hebrews call Eve of
Life (Zoe), namely, the female instructor of life. Her offspring is the creature
that is lord. Afterwards, the authorities called it "Beast", so that it might
lead astray their modelled creatures. The interpretation of "the beast" is "the
instructor". For it was found to be the wisest of all beings.
Now, Eve is the first virgin, the one who without a husband bore her first
offspring. It is she who served as her own midwife. For this reason she is held
to have said:
It is I who am the part of my mother; and it is I who am the mother.
It is I who am the wife; it is I who am the virgin.
It is I who am pregnant; it is I who am the midwife.
It is I who am the one that comforts pains of travail.
It is my husband who bore me; and it is I who am his mother.
And it is he who is my father and my lord.
It is he who is my force; What he desires, he says with reason.
I am in the process of becoming; yet I have borne a man as lord.
Now these through the will <... The souls that were going to enter the modelled
forms of the authorities were manifested to Sabaoth and his Christ. And regarding
these, the holy voice said, "Multiply and improve! Be lord over all creatures."
And it is they who were taken captive, according to their destinies, by the prime
parent. And thus they were shut into the prisons of the modelled forms until the
consummation of the age.
And at that time, the prime parent then rendered an opinion concerning man
to those who were with him. Then each of them cast his sperm into the midst of
the navel of the earth. Since that day, the seven rulers have fashioned man with
his body resembling their body, but his likeness resembling the man that had appeared
to them. His modelling took place by parts, one at a time. And their leader fashioned
the brain and the nervous system. Afterwards, he appeared as prior to him. He
became a soul-endowed man. And he was called Adam, that is, "father", according
to the name of the one that existed before him.
And when they had finished Adam, he abandoned him as an inanimate vessel, since
he had taken form like an abortion, in that no spirit was in him. Regarding this
thing, when the chief ruler remembered the saying of Pistis, he was afraid lest
the true man enter his modelled form and become its lord. For this reason he left
his modelled form forty days without soul, and he withdrew and abandoned it. Now
on the fortieth day, Sophia Zoe sent her breath into Adam, who had no soul. He
began to move upon the ground. And he could not stand up.
Then, when the seven rulers came, they saw him and were greatly disturbed.
They went up to him and seized him. And he (viz., the chief ruler) said to the
breath within him, "Who are you? And whence did you come hither?" It answered
and said, "I have come from the force of the man for the destruction of your work."
When they heard, they glorified him, since he gave them respite from the fear
and the anxiety in which they found themselves. Then they called that day "Rest",
in as much as they had rested from toil. And when they saw that Adam could stand
up, they were glad, and they took him and put him in Paradise. And they withdrew
up to their heavens.
After the day of rest, Sophia sent her daughter Zoe, being called Eve, as an
instructor, in order that she might make Adam, who had no soul, arise, so that
those whom he should engender might become containers of light. When Eve saw her
male counterpart prostrate, she had pity upon him, and she said, "Adam! Become
alive! Arise upon the earth!" Immediately her word became accomplished fact. For
Adam, having arisen, suddenly opened his eyes. When he saw her, he said, "You
shall be called 'Mother of the Living'. For it is you who have given me life."
Then the authorities were informed that their modelled form was alive and had
arisen, and they were greatly troubled. They sent seven archangels to see what
had happened. They came to Adam. When they saw Eve talking to him, they said to
one another, "What sort of thing is this luminous woman? For she resembles that
likeness which appeared to us in the light. Now come, let us lay hold of her and
cast her seed into her, so that when she becomes soiled she may not be able to
ascend into her light. Rather, those whom she bears will be under our charge.
But let us not tell Adam, for he is not one of us. Rather let us bring a deep
sleep over him. And let us instruct him in his sleep to the effect that she came
from his rib, in order that his wife may obey, and he may be lord over her."
Then Eve, being a force, laughed at their decision. She put mist into their
eyes and secretly left her likeness with Adam. She entered the tree of knowledge
and remained there. And they pursued her, and she revealed to them that she had
gone into the tree and become a tree. Then, entering a great state of fear, the
blind creatures fled.
Afterwards, when they had recovered from the daze, they came to Adam; and seeing
the likeness of this woman with him, they were greatly disturbed, thinking it
was she that was the true Eve. And they acted rashly; they came up to her and
seized her and cast their seed upon her. They did so wickedly, defiling not only
in natural ways but also in foul ways, defiling first the seal of her voice -
that had spoken with them, saying, "What is it that exists before you?" - intending
to defile those who might say at the consummation (of the age) that they had been
born of the true man through verbal expression. And they erred, not knowing that
it was their own body that they had defiled: it was the likeness that the authorities
and their angels defiled in every way.
First she was pregnant with Abel, by the first ruler. And it was by the seven
authorities and their angels that she bore the other offspring. And all this came
to pass according to the forethought of the prime parent, so that the first mother
might bear within her every seed, being mixed and being fitted to the fate of
the universe and its configurations, and to Justice. A prearranged plan came into
effect regarding Eve, so that the modelled forms of the authorities might become
enclosures of the light, whereupon it would condemn them through their modelled
forms.
Now the first Adam, (Adam) of Light, is spirit-endowed and appeared on the
first day. The second Adam is soul-endowed and appeared on the sixth day, which
is called Aphrodite. The third Adam is a creature of the earth, that is, the man
of the law, and he appeared on the eighth day [...] the tranquility of poverty,
which is called "The Day of the Sun" (Sunday). And the progeny of the earthly
Adam became numerous and was completed, and produced within itself every kind
of scientific information of the soul-endowed Adam. But all were in ignorance.
Next, let me say that once the rulers had seen him and the female creature
who was with him erring ignorantly like beasts, they were very glad. When they
learned that the immortal man was not going to neglect them, rather that they
would even have to fear the female creature that had turned into a tree, they
were disturbed, and said, "Perhaps this is the true man - this being who has brought
a fog upon us and has taught us that she who was soiled is like him - and so we
shall be conquered!"
Then the seven of them together laid plans. They came up to Adam and Eve timidly:
they said to him, "The fruit of all the trees created for you in Paradise shall
be eaten; but as for the tree of knowledge, control yourselves and do not eat
from it. If you eat, you will die." Having imparted great fear to them, they withdrew
up to their authorities.
Then came the wisest of all creatures, who was called Beast. And when he saw
the likeness of their mother Eve he said to her, "What did God say to you? Was
it 'Do not eat from the tree of knowledge'?" She said, "He said not only, 'Do
not eat from it', but, 'Do not touch it, lest you die.'" He said to her, "Do not
be afraid. In death you shall not die. For he knows that when you eat from it,
your intellect will become sober and you will come to be like gods, recognizing
the difference that obtains between evil men and good ones. Indeed, it was in
jealousy that he said this to you, so that you would not eat from it."
Now Eve had confidence in the words of the instructor. She gazed at the tree
and saw that it was beautiful and appetizing, and liked it; she took some of its
fruit and ate it; and she gave some also to her husband, and he too ate it. Then
their intellect became open. For when they had eaten, the light of knowledge had
shone upon them. When they clothed themselves with shame, they knew that they
were naked of knowledge. When they became sober, they saw that they were naked
and became enamored of one another. When they saw that the ones who had modelled
them had the form of beasts, they loathed them: they were very aware.
Then when the rulers knew that they had broken their commandments, they entered
Paradise and came to Adam and Eve with earthquake and great threatening, to see
the effect of the aid. Then Adam and Eve trembled greatly and hid under the trees
in Paradise. Then the rulers did not know where they were and said, "Adam, where
are you?" He said, "I am here, for through fear of you I hid, being ashamed."
And they said to him ignorantly, "Who told you about the shame with which you
clothed yourself? - unless you have eaten from that tree!" He said, "The woman
whom you gave me - it is she that gave to me and I ate." Then they said to the
latter, "What is this that you have done?" She answered and said, "It is the instructor
who urged me on, and I ate."
Then the rulers came up to the instructor. Their eyes became misty because
of him, and they could not do anything to him. They cursed him, since they were
powerless. Afterwards, they came up to the woman and cursed her and her offspring.
After the woman, they cursed Adam, and the land because of him, and the crops;
and all things they had created, they cursed. They have no blessing. Good cannot
result from evil.
From that day, the authorities knew that truly there was something mightier
than they: they recognized only that their commandments had not been kept. Great
jealousy was brought into the world solely because of the immortal man. Now when
the rulers saw that their Adam had entered into an alien state of knowledge, they
desired to test him, and they gathered together all the domestic animals and the
wild beasts of the earth and the birds of heaven and brought them to Adam to see
what he would call them. When he saw them, he gave names to their creatures.
They became troubled because Adam had recovered from all the trials. They assembled
and laid plans, and they said, "Behold Adam! He has come to be like one of us,
so that he knows the difference between the light and the darkness. Now perhaps
he will be deceived, as in the case of the Tree of Knowledge, and also will come
to the Tree of Life and eat from it, and become immortal, and become lord, and
despise us and disdain us and all our glory! Then he will denounce us along with
our universe. Come, let us expel him from Paradise, down to the land from which
he was taken, so that henceforth he might not be able to recognize anything better
than we can." And so they expelled Adam from Paradise, along with his wife. And
this deed that they had done was not enough for them. Rather, they were afraid.
They went in to the Tree of Life and surrounded it with great fearful things,
fiery living creatures called "Cherubin", and they put a flaming sword in their
midst, fearfully twirling at all times, so that no earthly being might ever enter
that place.
Thereupon, since the rulers were envious of Adam they wanted to diminish their
(viz., Adam's and Eve's) life spans. They could not (, however,) because of fate,
which had been fixed since the beginning. For to each had been allotted a lifespan
of 1,000 years, according to the course of the luminous bodies. But although the
rulers could not do this, each of the evildoers took away ten years. And all this
lifespan (which remained) amounted to 930 years: and these are in pain and weakness
and evil distraction. And so life has turned out to be, from that day until the
consummation of the age.
Thus when Sophia Zoe saw that the rulers of the darkness had laid a curse upon
her counterparts, she was indignant. And coming out of the first heaven with full
power, she chased those rulers out of their heavens, and cast them down into the
sinful world, so that there they should dwell, in the form of evil spirits (demons)
upon the earth.
[...], so that in their world it might pass the thousand years in Paradise
- a soul-endowed living creature called "phoenix". It kills itself and brings
itself to life as a witness to the judgment against them, for they did wrong to
Adam and his generation, unto the consummation of the age. There are [...] three
men, and also his posterities, unto the consummation of the world: the spirit-endowed
of eternity, and the soul-endowed, and the earthly. Likewise, the three phoenixes
And the worm that has been born out of the phoenix is a human being as well.
It is written (Ps 91:13 LXX) concerning it, "the just man will blossom like a
phoenix". And the phoenix first appears in a living state, and dies, and rises
again, being a sign of what has become apparent at the consummation of the age.
It was only in Egypt that these great signs appeared - nowhere else - as an indication
that it is like God's Paradise.
Let us return to the aforementioned rulers, so that we may offer some explanation
of them. Now, when the seven rulers were cast down from their heavens onto the
earth, they made for themselves angels, numerous, demonic, to serve them. And
the latter instructed mankind in many kinds of error and magic and potions and
worship of idols and spilling of blood and altars and temples and sacrifices and
libations to all the spirits of the earth, having their co-worker fate, who came
into existence by the concord between the gods of injustice and justice.
And thus when the world had come into being, it distractedly erred at all times.
For all men upon earth worshiped the spirits (demons) from the creation to the
consummation - both the angels of righteousness and the men of unrighteousness.
Thus did the world come to exist in distraction, in ignorance, and in a stupor.
They all erred, until the appearance of the true man.
Let this suffice so far as the matter goes. Now we shall proceed to consideration
of our world, so that we may accurately finish the description of its structure
and management. Then it will become obvious how belief in the unseen realm, which
has been apparent from creation down to the consummation of the age, was discovered.
I come, therefore, to the main points regarding the immortal man: I shall speak
of all the beings that belong to him, explaining how they happen to be here.
When a multitude of human beings had come into existence, through the parentage
of the Adam who had been fashioned, and out of matter, and when the world had
already become full, the rulers were master over it - that is, they kept it restrained
by ignorance. For what reason? For the following: since the immortal father knows
that a deficiency of truth came into being amongst the eternal realms and their
universe, when he wished to bring to naught the rulers of perdition through the
creatures they had modelled, he sent your likenesses down into the world of perdition,
namely, the blessed little innocent spirits. They are not alien to knowledge.
For all knowledge is vested in one angel who appeared before them; he is not without
power in the company of the father. And
Then the Savior created [...] of them all - and the spirits of these are manifestly
superior, being blessed and varying in election - and also (he created) many other
beings, which have no king and are superior to everyone that was before them.
Consequently, four races exist. There are three that belong to the kings of the
eighth heaven. But the fourth race is kingless and perfect, being the highest
of all. For these shall enter the holy place of their father. And they will gain
rest in repose and eternal, unspeakable glory and unending joy. Moreover, they
are kings within the mortal domain, in that they are immortal. They will condemn
the gods of chaos and their forces.
Now the Word that is superior to all beings was sent for this purpose alone:
that he might proclaim the unknown. He said, "There is nothing hidden that is
not apparent, and what has not been recognized will be recognized." And these
were sent to make known what is hidden, and the seven authorities of chaos and
their impiety. And thus they were condemned to death.
So when all the perfect appeared in the forms modelled by the rulers, and when
they revealed the incomparable truth, they put to shame all the wisdom of the
gods. And their fate was found to be a condemnation. And their force dried up.
Their lordship was dissolved. Their forethought became emptiness, along with their
glory.
Before the consummation of the age, the whole place will shake with great thundering.
Then the rulers will be sad, [...] their death. The angels will mourn for their
mankind, and the demons will weep over their seasons, and their mankind will wail
and scream at their death. Then the age will begin, and they will be disturbed.
Their kings will be intoxicated with the fiery sword, and they will wage war against
one another, so that the earth is intoxicated with bloodshed. And the seas will
be disturbed by those wars. Then the sun will become dark, and the moon will cause
its light to cease. The stars of the sky will cancel their circuits. And a great
clap of thunder will come out of a great force that is above all the forces of
chaos, where the firmament of the woman is situated. Having created the first
product, she will put away the wise fire of intelligence and clothe herself with
witless wrath. Then she will pursue the gods of chaos, whom she created along
with the prime parent. She will cast them down into the abyss. They will be obliterated
because of their wickedness. For they will come to be like volcanoes and consume
one another until they perish at the hand of the prime parent. When he has destroyed
them, he will turn against himself and destroy himself until he ceases to exist.
And their heavens will fall one upon the next and their forces will be consumed
by fire. Their eternal realms, too, will be overturned. And his heaven will fall
and break in two. His [...] will fall down upon the [...] support them; they will
fall into the abyss, and the abyss will be overturned.
The light will [...] the darkness and obliterate it: it will be like something
that has never been. And the product to which the darkness had been posterior
will dissolve. And the deficiency will be plucked out by the root (and thrown)
down into the darkness. And the light will withdraw up to its root. And the glory
of the unbegotten will appear. And it will fill all the eternal realm.
When the prophecy and the account of those that are king becomes known and
is fulfilled by those who are called perfect, those who - in contrast - have not
become perfect in the unbegotten father will receive their glory in their realms
and in the kingdoms of the immortals: but they will never enter the kingless realm.
For everyone must go to the place from which he has come. Indeed, by his acts
and his knowledge, each person will make his (own) nature known.
