GNOSTICS 100-400 C.E.

 

In addition to the Church Fathers’ description of the Gnostic ascent we have, in the Nag Hammadi Library, several accounts of the heavenly journey. The Allogenes and Zostrianos are narratives of the journey, but are too long for inclusion. Here are some examples from other works.

 

 

The Apocryphon of John

 

And the Archons created seven powers for themselves, and the powers created for themselves six angels for each one until they became 365 angels. And these are the bodies belonging with the names:

The first is Atoth, he has a sheep’s face;

the second is Eloaiou, he has a donkey’s face;

the third is Astaphaios, he has a [hyena’s face;

the fourth is Yao, he has a [serpent’s] face;

the fifth is Sabaoth, he has a dragon’s face;

the sixth is Adonin, he has a monkey’s face;

the seventh is Sabbede, he has a shining face.

This is the sevenness of the week.

 

And he united the seven powers in his thought with the authorities which were with him. And when he spoke it happened. And he named each power beginning with the highest;

the first is goodness with the first (authority), Athoth;

the second is foreknowledge, Eloaio;

the third is divinity, Astraphaio;

the fourth is lordship with the fourth one, Yao;

the fifth kingdom with the fifth one, Sabaoth;

the sixth is envy with the sixth one, Adonein;

the seventh is understanding with the seventh one, Sabbateon.

And these have a firmament to each aeon-heaven.[1]

 

 

On the Origin of the World

 

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.

Adonis: his feminine name is Kingship.

Eloaios: 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...

 

You will find the effect of these names and the force of the male entities in the Angelic (Book) of the Prophet Moses, and the names of the female entities in the first book of Noraia.[2]

 

We have 52 lines of The Thought of Norea extant.[3] But, the beginning does not fulfil the promise.

 

 

The Gospel of Mary

 

Peter said to Mary, “Sister, we know that the savior loved you more than the rest of women. Tell us the words of the Savior which you remember - which you know (but) we do not, nor havve we heard them.” Mary answered and said, “What is hidden from you I will proclaim to you.” And she began to speak to them these words: “I,” she said, “I saw the Lord in a vision and I said to him, ‘Lord, I saw you today in a vision.’ He answered and said to me, ‘Blessed are you, that you did not waver at the sight of me. For where the mind is, there is the treasure.’ I said to him, ‘Lord, now does he who sees the vision see it through <thought>, the soul, <or> through the spirit?’ The savior answered and said. ‘He does not see through the soul nor through the spirit, but the mind which is between the two - that is [what] sees the vision and it is [.....]”

(pp. 11 - 14 missing)

...And desire that, ‘I did not see you descending, but now I see you ascending. Why do you lie, since you belong to me?’ The soul answered and said, ‘I saw you. You did not see me nor recognize. I served you as a garment, and you did not know me.’ When it had said this, it went away rejoicing greatly.

 

“Again it came to the third power, which is called ignorance. It (the power) questioned the soul saying, ‘Where are you going? In wickedness are you bound. But you are bound; do not judge!’ And the soul said, ‘Why do you judge me although I have not judged I was bound though I have not bound. I was not recognized. But I have recognized that the All is being dissolved, both the earthly (things) and the heavenly.”

 

When the soul had overcome the third power, it went upwards and saw the fourth power, (which) took seven forms.

The first form is darkness,

the second desire,

the third ignorance,

the fourth is the excitement of death,

the fifth is the kingdom of the flesh,

the sixth is foolish wisdom,

the seventh is the wrathful wisdom.

These are the seven powers of wrath. They ask the soul, ‘Whence do you come, slayer of men, or where are you going, conqueror of space?’ The soul answered and said, ‘What binds me has been slain, and what surrounds me has been overcome, and my desire has been ended, and ignorance has died. In a [world] I was released from a world, [and] in a type from a heavenly type, and (from) the fetter of oblivion which is transient. From this time on will I attain to the rest of the time, of the season, of the aeon, in silence.’”

 

When Mary had said this she fell silent, since it was to this point the Savior had spoken with her.[4]