** And the ruler who is in the third dungeon, — a dog's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region ' Archaroch.'
*' And the ruler who is in the fourth dungeon, — a serpent's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region * Achrochar.'
265 266 PISTIS SOPHIA '' And the ruler who is in the fifth dungeon, — a black bull's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region ' Marchur.'
** And the ruler who is in the sixth dungeon, — a wild boar's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region ' Lamchamor.'
'* And the ruler who is in the seventh dungeon, 32-1. I — a bear's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region with his authentic name * Luchar.'
** And the ruler of the eighth dungeon, — a vulture's face is his authentic face, whose name in his region is called * Laraoch.'
" And the ruler of the ninth dungeon, — a basilisk's face is his authentic face, whose name in his region is called * Archeoch.'
'' And in the tenth dungeon is a multitude of rulers, and every one of them hath seven dragon's heads in his authentic face. And he who is over them all is in his region with his name called * Xarmaroch.'
" And in the eleventh dungeon is a multitude of rulers, — and every one of them hath seven cat-faced heads in his authentic face. And the great one over them is called in his region ' Eochar.'
*' And in the twelfth dungeon is an exceedingly great multitude of rulers, and every one of them hath seven dog-faced heads in his authentic face. And the great one over them is called in his region ' Chremaor.'
*' These rulers then of these twelve dungeons are inside the dragon of the outer darkness, each 322. and every one | of them hath a name every hour, and every one of them changeth his face every FOURTH BOOK 267 hour. And moreover every one of these dungeons of the doors hath a door opening upwards, so that the dragon dungeons. of the outer darkness hath twelve dark dungeons, and every dungeon hath a door opening up- wards. And an angel of the height watcheth each of the doors of the dungeons, — whom Yew, the First Man, the overseer of the Light, The angeis the envoy of the First Commandment, hath ^e^doore. established as watchers of the dragon, so that the dragon and the rulers of his dungeons which are in him, may not mutiny."
When the Saviour had said this, Mary Mag- chap. 127. dalene answered and said: " My Lord, will then the souls which shall be led into that region, be led through these twelve doors of the dungeons, every one according to the judgment of which it is deserving? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: what souia *' No soul at all will be led into the dragon the dragon, through these doors. But the soul[s] of the bias- ^^^ ^^^' phemers and of those who are in the doctrines of error and of all who teach doctrines of error, and of those who have intercourse with males, and of those stained and impious men and of atheists and murderers and adulterers and sorcerers, — all such souls then, if while still in life they do not repent but | remain persistently in their sin, and 323 all the souls which have stayed behind without, — that is those which have had the number of the circuits which are appointed them in the sphere, without having repented, — well, at their last circuit will those souls, they and all the souls of which I have just told you, be led out of [?] the jaws of the tail of the dragon into the dungeons of the outer darkness. And when those souls 268 PISTIS SOPHIA The nature of the names of the dragon.
324.
Of the severity of the chastise- ments of the dragon.
Of the de- grees of the fires of the chastise- ments.
have been led into the outer darkness into the jaws of his tail, he turneth his tail into his own mouth and shutteth them in. Thus will the souls be led into the outer darkness.
*' And the dragon of the outer darkness hath twelve authentic names on his doors, a name on every one of the doors of the dungeons. And these twelve names are different one from another; but the twelve are one in the other, so that he who speaketh one name, speaketh all. These then will I tell you at the expansion of the universe. Thus then is fashioned the outer darkness, — that is the dragon."
When then the Saviour had said this, Mary answered and said | unto the Saviour: " My Lord, are then the chastisements of that dragon far more terrible compared with all the chastise- ments of the judgments? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: '' Not only are they more painful compared with all the chastisements of the judgments, but all the souls which are led into that region, will be frozen up [?] in the violent cold and the hail and exceedingly violent fire which is in that region, but also at the dissolution of the world, that is at the ascension of the universe, those souls will perish through the violent cold and the exceed- ingly violent fire and be non-existent for ever."
Mary answered and said: " Woe unto the souls of sinners! Now, therefore, my Lord, is the fire in the world of mankind fiercer, or the fire in Amente? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: '' Amen, I say unto thee: The fire in Amente is nine times fiercer than the fire in mankind.
FOURTH BOOK 269 ** And the fire in the chastisements of the great chaos is nine times more violent than that in Amente.
" And the fire in the chastisements of the rulers who [are] on the way of the midst, is nine times more violent than the fire of the chastisements in the great chaos.
** And the fire | in the dragon of the outer dark- 325. ness and in all the chastisements in him is seventy times more violent than the fire in all the chastise- ments and in all the judgments of the rulers who [are] on the way of the midst."
And when the Saviour had said this unto Mary, chap. 128. she smote her breast, she cried out and wept, The disshe and all the disciples together, and said: the fate of ** Woe unto sinners, for their chastisements are^^""^^^* exceedingly numerous! " Mary came forward, she fell down at the feet of Jesus, kissed them and said: " My Lord, bear with me if I question thee, and be not wroth with me, that I trouble thee oft; for from now on I will begin to question thee on all things with determination."
The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: ** Question concerning all things on which thou desirest to question, and I will reveal them unto thee in openness without similitude."
Mary answered and said: '* My Lord, if a good Mary further man hath accomplished all the mysteries and he j^^us!^^^^* hath a kinsman, in a word he hath a man, and that man is an impious [one] who hath com- mitted all sins and is deserving of the outer dark- ness, and he hath not repented, or he hath com- pleted his number of circuits in the changes of the body, and that man hath done nothing useful, 270 PISTIS SOPHIA 326.
How to save the souls of sinners.
A summary of the for- mulae.
327.
and he hath come out of the body, and we have known certainly of him, that he hath sinned | and is deserving of the outer darkness, — what are we to do with him, to save him from the chastise- ments of the dragon of the outer darkness, and that he m^j be removed into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light- kingdom, in order that it may be good and go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: ** If a sinner is deserving of the outer darkness, or hath sinned according to the chastisements of the rest of the chastisements and hath not re- pented, or a sinning man who hath completed his number of circuits in the changes of the body and hath not repented, — if then these men of whom I have spoken, shall come out of the body and be led into the outer darkness, now, there- fore, if ye desire to remove them out of the chastisements of the outer darkness and all the judgments and to remove them into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light, that it may go on high and inherit the Light- kingdom, — then perform this same mystery of the Ineffable which forgiveth sins at every time, and when ye have finished performing the mystery then say: " The soul of such or such a man of whom I think in my heart, — if it is in the region of the chastisements of the dungeons of the outer dark- ness, or if it is in the rest of the chastisements of the dungeons of the outer darkness and in the rest of the chastisements | of the dragons, — then is it to be removed out of them all. And if it hath completed its number of its circuits of the changes, FOURTH BOOK 271 FOURTH BOOK 271 then is it to be led before the Virgin of Light, and the Virgin of Light is to seal it with the seal of the Ineffable and cast it down in whatever month into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light, so that it may be good, go on high and inherit the Light-kingdom. And moreover if it hath completed the circuits of changes, then is that soul to be led before the seven virgins of the Light who [are set] over the baptisms, and they are to apply them to the soul and seal it with the sign of the kingdom of the Ineffable and lead it into the orders of the Light.
'* This then will ye say when ye perform the mystery.
*' Amen, I say unto you: The soul for which ye shall pray, if it indeed is in the dragon of the outer darkness, he will draw his tail out of his mouth and let go that soul. And moreover if it is in all the regions of the judgments of the rulers, amen, I say unto you: The receivers of Mel- chisedec will with haste snatch it away, whether the dragon let it go or it is in the judgments of the rulers; in a word, the receivers of Melchisedec | will snatch it away out of all the regions in which 328. it is, and will lead it into the region of the Midst before the Virgin of Light, and the Virgin of Light proveth it and seeth the sign of the kingdom of the Ineffable which is on that soul.
*' And if it hath not yet completed its number of circuits in the changes of the soul, or [in the changes] of the body, the Virgin of Light sealeth it with an excellent seal and hasteth to have it cast down in any month into a righteous body which shall find the mysteries of the Light, be good and go on high into the Light-kingdom.
272 PISTIS SOPHIA 329. CHAP. 129.
Of the Ught- beams and light- streams.
** And if that soul hath had its number of the circuits, then the Virgin of Light proveth it, and doth not have it chastized, because it hath had its number of circuits, but handeth it over to the seven virgins of the Light. And the seven virgins of the Light prove that soul, baptize it with their baptisms and give it the spiritual chrism and lead it into the Treasury of the Light and put it in the last order of the Light until the ascension of all the perfect souls. And when they prepare to draw apart the veils of the region of those of the Eight, they cleanse that soul anew and purify it and put it in the orders of the first saviour who [is] in the | Treasury of the Light."
It came to pass then, when the Saviour had finished speaking these words unto his disciples, that Mary answered and said unto Jesus: ** My Lord, I have heard thee say: ' He who shall receive of the mysteries of the Ineffable or who shall receive of the mysteries of the First Mystery, — they become flames of light-beams and light- streams and penetrate all the regions until they reach the region of their inheritance.' '* The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: " If they receive the mystery when still in life, and if they come out of the body, they become light-beams and light-streams and penetrate all the regions until they reach the region of their inheritance.
'* But if they are sinners and are come out of the body and have not repented, and if ye perform for them the mystery of the Ineffable, in order that they may be removed out of all the chastise- ments and be cast into a righteous body, which is good and inheriteth the Light-kingdom or is FOURTH BOOK 273 brought into the last order of the Light, then they will not be able to penetrate the regions, because they do not perform the mystery [themselves]. But the receivers of Melchisedec follow them and lead them before the Virgin of Light. And | the 33o. servitors of the judges of the rulers make frequent haste to take those souls and hand them over from one to the other until they lead them before the Virgin of Light."
And Mary continued and said unto the Saviour: chap. 130. " My Lord, if a man hath received the mysteries Mary piead- 01 the Light which [arej m the first space from who have without, and when the time of the mysteries up m|steries. to which they reach, is completed, and if that man continueth anew to receive mysteries of the mysteries which [are] within the mysteries which he hath already received, and moreover that man hath become negHgent, not having prayed in the prayer which taketh away the evil of the victuals which he eateth and drinketh, and through the evil of the victuals he is bound to the axle of the Fate of the rulers and through the necessity of the elements he hath sinned anew after the completion of the time up to which the mystery reacheth, — because he hath become negligent and hath not prayed in the prayer which taketh away the evil of the souls and puri- fieth them, — and that man is come out of the body before he hath repented anew and anew received the mysteries of the mysteries which [are] within the mysteries which he hath already re- ceived,— those which accept repentance from him and forgive his sins, — and when he | came forth 331. out of the body and we knew with certainty that they have carried him into the midst of the 18 ^74 PISTIS SOPHIA dragon of the outer darkness because of the sins which he committed, and that that man hath no helper in the world nor any one compassionate, that he should perform the mystery of the In- effable until he should be removed out of the midst of the dragon of the outer darkness and led into the Light-kingdom, — now, therefore, my Lord, what will befall him until he save himself from the chastisements of the dragon of the outer darkness? By no means, 0 Lord, abandon him, because he hath endured sufferings in the persecu- tions and in the whole godhood in which he is.
** Now, therefore, 0 Saviour, have mercy with me, lest one of our kinsmen should be in such a type, and have mercy with all the souls which shall be in this type; for thou art the key which openeth the door of the universe and shutteth the door of the universe, and thy mystery com- prehendeth them all. Have then mercy, 0 Lord, with such souls. For they have called on the name of thy mysteries, [were it but] for one single day, and have truly had faith in them and were not in play-acting. Give them then, 0 Lord, a gift in thy goodness and give them rest in thy mercy."
When then Mary had said this, the Saviour called her most exceedingly blessed because of 332. the words | which she had spoken. And the Saviour was in great compassion and said unto Mary: '' Unto all men who shall be in this type of which thou hast spoken, unto them while they [are] still in life, give ye the mystery of one of the twelve names of the dungeons of the dragon of the outer darkness, — those which I will give you when I have ended explaining unto you the uni- FOURTH BOOK 275 verse from within without and from without within.
*' And all men who shall find the mystery of oftheeffi- one of the twelve names of that dragon of the names of * outer darkness, and all men even if they are *^®*j^®^^® very great sinners, and they have first received the mysteries of the Light and thereafter have transgressed, or they have performed no mystery at all, then if they have completed their circuits in the changes, and if such men go forth out of the body without having repented anew, and if they are led into the chastisements which [are] in the midst of the dragon of the outer darkness, and remain in the circuits and remain in the chastise- ments in the midst of the dragon, — these, if they know the mystery of one of the twelve names of the angels while they are in life and are in the world, and if they speak one of their names while they are in the midst of the chastisements of the dragon, — then, at the hour when they shall speak it, the whole dragon will be tossed about and most exceedingly convulsed, and the door of the dungeon in which the souls | of those men 333. are, openeth itself upward, and the ruler of the dungeon in which those men are, casteth the souls of those men out of the midst of the dragon of the outer darkness, because they have found the mystery of the name of the dragon.
** And when the ruler casteth out souls, straight- The souls way the angels of Yew, the First Man, who watch then^Z the dungeons of that region, hasten to snatch ^^^*p^^^^^ away those souls to lead them before Yew, thetoYeAv. First Man, the Envoy of the First Commandment. And Yew, the First Man, seeth the souls and proveth them; he findeth that they have com- 334.
276 PISTIS SOPHIA pleted their circuits and that it is not lawful to bring them anew into the world, for it is not law- ful to bring anew into the world all souls which are cast into the outer darkness. [But] if they have not yet completed their number of circuits in the changes of the body, the receivers of Yew keep them with them until they perform for them the mystery of the Ineffable, and remove them into a good body which shall find the mysteries of the Light and inherit the Light-kingdom. Of their '* But if Ycw provetli them and findeth that fate!^^^^^ they have completed their circuits and that it is not lawful to [rejturn them anew to the world, and that also the sign of the Ineffable | is npt with them, then Yew hath compassion upon them and leadeth them before the seven virgins of the Light. They baptize them with their baptisms, but they do not give them the spiritual chrism. And they lead them into the Treasury of the Light, but they do not put them in the orders of the Inheritance, because no sign and no seal of the Ineffable is with them. But they save them from all chastisements and put them into the light of the Treasury, separated and apart by themselves alone until the ascension of the uni- verse. And at the time when they will draw apart the veils of the Treasury of the Light, they cleanse those souls anew and purify them most exceedingly and give them anew mysteries and put them in the last order which [is] in the Treasury, and those souls will be saved from all the chastisements of the judgments."
And when the Saviour had said this, he said unto his disciples: '* Have ye understood in what manner I discourse with you? " FOURTH BOOK 277 Mary then answered and said: ''My Lord, Mary inter- this is the word which thou hast spoken unto us samffrom^ aforetime, in a simihtude, saying: ' Make to ^ f^^^ner *^ *-* saying.
yourselves a friend out of the Mamon of unright- eousness, so that if ye remain behind, he may receive you into | the everlasting tents.' Who 335. then is the Mamon of unrighteousness, if not the dragon of the outer darkness? This is the word: He who shall understand the mystery of one of the names of the dragon of the outer darkness, if he remaineth behind in the outer darkness or if he hath completed the circuits of the changes, and speaketh the name of the dragon, he will be saved and go up out of the darkness and be received into the Treasury of the Light. This is the word, my Lord."
The Saviour answered again and said unto Mary: " Well said, spiritual and pure [one]. This is the solution of the word."
Mary continued again and said: '' My Lord, chap. 131. doth the dragon of the outer darkness come into this world or doth he not come? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: of the light " When the Hght of the sun is outside [? above the and^hr"" world! he covereth the darkness of the dragon: darkness of .. o ' ^jjg dragon.
but if the sun is below the world, then the dark- ness of the dragon abideth as veihng of the sun and the breath of the darkness cometh into the world in form of a smoke in the night, — that is, if the sun withdraweth into himself his rays, then indeed the world is not able to endure the darkness of the dragon in its true form; other- wise would it be dissolved and go to ruin withal." When the Saviour had said this, Mary con- tinued again and said unto the Saviour: "My 278 PISTIS SOPHIA 336.
V Of the cup of forgetfulness.
337.
Of the coun- terfeiting spirit.
Of the fash- ioning of a new soul.
Lord, still do I question thee and | hide [it] not from me. Now, therefore, my Lord, who com- pelleth then the man until he sinneth? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: ** It is the rulers of the Fate who compel the man until he sinneth."
Mary answered and said unto the Saviour: '* My Lord, surely the rulers do not come down to the world and compel the man until he sinneth? " The Saviour answered and said unto Mary: *' They do not come down in this manner into the world. But the rulers of the Fate, when an old soul is about to come down through them, then the rulers of that great Fate who [are] in the regions of the head of the aeons, — which is that region which is called the region of the kingdom of Adamas, and which is that region which is in face of the Virgin of Light, — then the rulers of the region of that head give the old soul a cup of forgetfulness out of the seed of wickedness, filled with all the different desires and all forget- fulness. And straightway, when that soul shall drink out of the cup, it forgetteth all the regions to which it hath gone, | and all the chastisements in which it hath travelled. And that cup of the water of forgetfulness becometh body outside the soul, and it resembleth the soul in all [its] figures and maketh [itself] Hke it, — which is what is called the counterfeiting spirit.
*' If on the other hand it is a new soul which they have taken out of the sweat of the rulers and out of the tears of their eyes, or far rather out of the breath of their mouths, — in a word, if it is one of the new souls or one of such souls, if it is one out of the sweat, then the five great FOURTH BOOK 279 rulers of the great Pate take up the sweat of all the rulers of their aeons, knead it together withal, portion it and make it into a soul. Or far rather if it is refuse of the purification of the Light, then Melchisedec taketh it up from the rulers. The five great rulers of the great Fate knead the refuse together, portion it and make it into different souls, so that every one of the rulers of the aeons, every one of them putteth his portion into the soul. For this cause they knead it jointly, so that all may [parjtake of the soul.
** And the five great rulers, if they portion it and make it into souls, bring it out of the sweat | of the rulers. But if it is one out of the refuse 338. of the purification of the Light, then Melchisedec, the great Receiver of the Light, taketh it [sc, the refuse] up from the rulers, or far rather if it is out of the tears of their eyes or out of the breath of their mouth, — in a word, out of such souls, when the five rulers portion it and make it into different souls, — or far rather if it is an old soul, then the ruler who is in the head of the aeons, himself mixeth the cup of forgetfulness with the seed of wickedness, and he mixeth it with every one of the new souls at the time when he is in the region of the head. And that cup of forgetfulness becometh the counterfeiting spirit for that soul, and bideth outside the soul, being a vesture for it and resembling it in every way, being envelope as vesture outside it.
" And the five great rulers of the great Fate of the in- of the aeons and the ruler of the disk of the sun the^a^er? and the ruler of the disk of the moon inbreathe within into that soul, and there cometh forth out of them a portion out of my power which the 280 PISTIS SOPHIA 339.
Jesus pro- miseth to reveal all in detail.
340.
last Helper hath cast into the Mixture. And the portion of that power remaineth within in the soul, I unloosed and existing on its own authority for the economy unto which it hath been inset, to give sense unto the soul, in order that it may seek after the works of the Light of the Height always.
** And that power is like the species of the soul in every form and resembleth it. It cannot be outside the soul, but remaineth inside it, as I have commanded it from the beginning. When I willed to cast it into the first Commandment, I gave it commandment to remain outside [? inside] the souls for the economy of the First Mystery.
*' And so I will tell you at the expansion of the universe all these words concerning the power and also concerning the soul, after what type they are fashioned, or what ruler f ashioneth them, or what are the different species of the souls. And so will I tell you at the expansion of the uni- verse how many fashion the soul. And I will tell you the name of all of them who fashion the soul. And I will tell you the type, how the counter- feiting spirit and the destiny have been prepared. And I will tell you the name of the soul before it is purged, and moreover its name when it hath been purged and become pure. And I will tell you the name of the counterfeiting spirit; and I will tell you the name of the destiny. And I will tell you the name of all the bonds with which the rulers bind the counterfeiting spirit | to the soul. And I will tell you the name of all the decans who fashion the soul in the bodies of the soul in the world; and I will tell you in what FOURTH BOOK 281 FOURTH BOOK 281 manner the souls are fashioned. And I will tell you the type of every one of the souls; and I will tell you the type of the souls of the men and of those of the birds and of those of the wild beasts and of those of the reptiles. And I will tell you the type of all the souls and of those of all the rulers which are sent into the world, in order that ye may be completed in all gnosis. All this will I tell you at the expansion of the universe. And after all this I will tell you wherefor all this hath come to pass.
''Hearken, therefore, that I may discourse of the Hght- with you concerning the soul according as I have thJcounter- said: The five great rulers of the great Pate of ^^^*^^s ®p^"*- the aeons and the rulers of the disk of the sun and the rulers of the disk of the moon breathe into that soul, and there cometh out of them a portion of my power, as I have just said. And the portion of that power remaineth within the soul, so that the soul can stand. And they put | the counterfeiting spirit outside the soul, watching 341. it and assigned to it; and the rulers bind it to the soul with their seals and their bonds and seal it to it, that it may compel it always, so that it continually doeth its mischiefs and all its ini- quities, in order that it may be their slave always and remain under their sway always in the changes of the body; and they seal it to it that it may be in all the sin and all the desires of the world.
** For this cause, therefore, have I in this manner The parents brought the mysteries into this world which undo Tban^don^ all the bonds of the counterfeiting spirit and all the seals which are bound to the soul, — those which make the soul free and free it from its 282 PISTIS SOPHIA CHAP. 132.
342.
Salome is in doubt.
Mary re- moveth the doubt of Salome.
parents the rulers, and make it into refined light and lead it up into the kingdom of its father, the first Issue, the First Mystery, for ever.
*' For this cause therefore, have I said unto you aforetime: ' He who doth not abandon father and mother and come and follow after me, is not worthy of me.' I have, therefore, said at that time: Ye are to abandon your parents the rulers, that I may make you sons of the First Mystery for ever."
And when | the Saviour had said this, Salome started forward and said: *' My Lord, if our parents are the rulers, how standeth it written in the Law of Moses: ' He who shall abandon his father and his mother, let him die the death '? Hath not thus the Law made statement thereon? " And when Salome had said this, the light- power in Mary Magdalene bubbled up in her and she said to the Saviour: ** My Lord, give com- mandment unto me that I discourse with my sister Salome to tell her the solution of the word which she hath spoken."