'* I will give you the mystery of the twelve aeons of the rulers and their seals and their ciphers and the manner of invocation for reach- ing their regions.
" I will give you moreover the mystery of the thirteenth seon and the manner of invocation for reaching their regions, and I will give you their ciphers and their seals.
** And I will give you the mystery of the bap- tism of those of the Midst and the manner of in- vocation for reaching their regions, and I will announce unto you their ciphers and their seals.
'' And I will give you the baptism of those of the Right, our region, and its ciphers and its seals and the manner of invocation for reaching thither.
** And I will give you the great mystery of the Treasury of the Light and | the manner of invocation for reaching thither.
*' I will give you all the mysteries and all the gnoses, in order that ye may be called ' children of the fulness, perfected in all the gnoses and all the mysteries.' Blessed are ye beyond all men on earth, for the children of the Light are come in your time."
Jesus continued in the discourse and said: *' It came to pass then thereafter, that the father of my father, — that is Yew, — came and took FIFTH BOOK 301 other three-hundred-and-sixty rulers from the of the con- rulers of Adamas who had not had faith in the the^w^y o/ mystery of the Light, and bound them into these *he midst, aerial regions, in which we are now% below the sphere. He established another five great rulers over them, — that is these who are on the way of the midst.
** The first ruler of the way of the midst is Of Parapiex. called Parapiex, a ruler with a woman's shape, whose hair reacheth down to her feet, under whose authority stand five -and -twenty archdemons which rule over a multitude of other demons. And it is those demons which enter into men and seduce them, raging and cursing and slander- ing; and it is they which carry off hence and in ravishment the souls and dispatch them through their dark smoke and their evil chastisements."
Mary said: | *' I shall behave badly to question 365. thee. Be not wroth with me if I question on all things."
Jesus said: '' Question what thou wilt."
Mary said: '* My Lord, reveal unto us in what manner they carry off hence the souls in ravish- ment, that also my brethren may understand it."
Jesus, — that is Aberamentho, — said: '' Since of Yew and indeed the father of my father,— that is Yew — ^^i^^^^^^^^- is the fore-minder of all the rulers, gods and powers who have arisen out of the matter of the Light of the Treasury, and Zorokothora Melchise- dec is the envoy to all the lights which are purified in the rulers, leading them into the Treasury of the Light, — these two alone are the great Lights, and their ordinance is that they down go to the rulers and purify them, and that Zorokothora Melchisedec carrieth away the purification of 302 PISTIS SOPHIA 366.
How the demon rulers carry ofiE souls.
The chastise- ments of Paraplex.
the lights which they have purified in the rulers and leadeth them into the Treasury of the Light, — when the cipher and the time of their ordinance Cometh, that they go down to the rulers and oppress and constrain them, carrying away the purification from the rulers.
** But straightway when they shall cease from the oppressing and constraining and return to the regions of the Treasury of the Light, it cometh to pass that, if they reach the regions of the Midst, Zorokothora Melchisedec carrieth off the lights and leadeth them unto | the gate of those of the Midst and leadeth them into the Treasury of the Light, and that Yew withdraweth himself into the regions of those of the Eight.
" Up to the time of the cipher for them to come forth again, the rulers mutiny through the wrath of their wickedness, going straightway up to the lights, because they [Yew and Melchisedec] are not with them at that time, and they carry off the souls which they may be able to snatch away in ravishment, and destroy them through their dark smoke and their evil fire.
** At that time then this authority, with name Paraplex, along with the demons which stand under her, carrieth off the souls of the violently passionate, of cursers and of slanderers and dis- patcheth them through the dark smoke and destroyeth them through her evil fire, so that they begin to be undone and dissolved. One- hundred-and-thirty-and-three years and nine months do they spend in the chastisements of her regions, while she tormenteth them in the fire of her wickedness.
" It cometh to pass then after all these times, FIFTH BOOK 303 when the sphere turneth itself and the httle Sabaoth, Zeus, cometh to the first of the aeons of the sphere, which is called in the world the Ram of Boubastis, that is of Aphrodite; [and] when she [Boubastis] cometh to the seventh house of the sphere, that is to the Balance, then the veils which are between those of the Right and those of the Left, draw themselves aside, and there looketh from the height out of those of the Right the | great Sabaoth, the Good; and 367. the whole world and the total sphere [become alarmed] before he hath looked forth. And he looketh down on the regions of Paraplex, so that her regions may be dissolved and perish. And all the souls which are in her chastisements, are carried and cast back [up] into the sphere anew, because they are ruined in the chastisements of Paraplex."
*' He continued in the discourse and said: " The chap. 140. second order is called Ariouth the ^Ethiopian, a of Ariouththe female ruler, who is entirely black, under whom stand fourteen other [arch]demons which rule over a multitude of other demons. And it is those demons which stand under Ariouth the Ethiopian, that enter into strife-seekers until they stir up wars and murders arise, and they harden their heart and seduce it to wrath in order that murders may arise.
'' And the souls which this authority will carry off in ravishment, pass one-hundred-and-thirteen years in her regions, while she tormenteth them through her dark smoke and her wicked fire, so that they come nigh unto destruction.
" And thereafter, when the sphere turneth it- self, and the little Sabaoth, the Good, who is called 304 PISTIS SOPHIA in the world Zeus, cometh, and he cometh to the fourth aeon of the sphere, that is the Crab, and Boubastis, who is called in the world Aphrodite, cometh into the tenth aeon of the sphere which 368. is called the | Goat, at that time the veils which are between those of the Left and those of the Right, draw themselves aside, and Yew looketh forth to the right; the whole world becometh alarmed and is agitated together with all the aeons of the sphere. And he looketh on the dwellings of Ariouth the ^Ethiopian, so that her regions are dissolved and ruined, and all the souls which are in her chastisements are carried off and cast back into the sphere anew, because they are ruined through her dark smoke and her wicked fire."
Of Triple- Hc continucd further in his discourse and Hekate. Said: '' The third order is called Triple-faced Hekate, and there are under her authority seven-and-twenty [archjdemons, and it is they which enter into men and seduce them to per- juries and lies and to covet that which doth not belong to them.
*' The souls then which Hekate beareth hence in ravishment, she handeth over to her demons which stand under her, in order that they may torment them through her dark smoke and her wicked fire, they being exceedingly afHicted through the demons. And they spend one- hundred-and-five years and six months, being chastized in her wicked chastisements; and they begin to be dissolved and destroyed.
" And thereafter, when the sphere turneth itself, and the little Sabaoth, the Good, he of the Midst, who is called in the world Zeus, cometh, 369. and he cometh to the | eighth aeon of the sphere FIFTH BOOK 305 which is called the Scorpion, and when Bou- bastis, whom they call Aphrodite, cometh, and she cometh to the second aeon of the sphere which is called the Bull, then the veils which are between those of the Right and those of the Left draw themselves aside and Zorokothora Melchisedec looketh out of the height; and the world and the mountains are agitated and the aeons become alarmed. And he looketh on all the regions of Hekate, so that her regions are dissolved and destroyed, and all the souls which are in her chas- tisements, are carried off and cast back anew into the sphere, because they are dissolved in the fire of her chastisements/' He continued and said: ''The fourth order of Parhedron is called Parhedron Typhon, who is a mighty ^ ^°* ruler, under whose authority are two-and-thirty demons. And it is they which enter into men and seduce them to lusting, fornicating, adultery and to the continual practice of intercourse. The souls then which this ruler will carry off in ravish- ment, pass one -hundred -and -twenty -and -eight years in his regions, while his demons torment them through his dark smoke and his wicked fire, so that they begin to be ruined and destroyed.
'* It cometh to pass then, when the sphere turneth itself and the Uttle Sabaoth, | the Good, 37o.
he of the Midst, who is called Zeus, cometh, and when he cometh to the ninth aeon of the sphere which is called the Archer, and when Boubastis, who is called in the world Aphrodite, cometh, and she cometh to the third aeon of the sphere which is called the Twins, then the veils which are between those of the Left and those of the Right, draw themselves aside, and there looketh 20 306 PISTIS SOPHIA forth Zarazaz, whom the rulers call with the name of a mighty ruler of their regions * Maskelli/ and he looketh on the dwellings of Parhedron Typhon, so that his regions are dissolved and destroyed. And all the souls which are in his chastisements are carried and cast back anew into the sphere, because they are reduced through his dark smoke and his wicked fire." Of Yachthan- Again hc continucd in the discourse and said ^^^^' unto this disciples: ** The fifth order, whose ruler is called Yachthanabas, is a mighty ruler under whom standeth a multitude of other demons. It is they which enter into men and bring it about that they have respect of persons, — treating the just with injustice, and favour the cause of sinners, taking gifts for a just judgment and perverting it, forgetting the poor and needy, — they [the demons] increasing the forgetfulness in their souls and the care for that which | 371. bringeth no benefit, in order that they may not think of their life, so that when they come out of the body, they are carried in ravishment.
'* The souls then which this ruler will carry off in ravishment, are in his chastisements one- hundred-and-fifty years and eight months; and he destroyeth them through his dark smoke and his wicked fire, while they are exceedingly afflicted through the flames of his fire.
*' And when the sphere turneth itself and the little Sabaoth, the Good, who is called in the world Zeus, cometh, and he cometh to the eleventh seon of the sphere which is called the Water-man, and when Boubastis cometh to the fifth aeon of the sphere which is called the Lion, then the veils which are between those of the Left and those FIFTH BOOK 307 of the Right, draw themselves aside, and there looketh out of the height the great lao, the Grood, he of the Midst, on the regions of Yach- thanabas, so that his regions are dissolved and destroyed. And all the souls which are in his chastisements are carried off and cast back anew into the sphere, because they are ruined in his chastisements.
*' These then are the doings of the ways of the midst concerning which ye have questioned me."
And when the disciples had heard this, they chap. I4i. fell down, adored him and said: '' Help us now, Thedis- Lord, and have mercy upon us, in order that Jesus to have we may be preserved from these wicked chastise- ^nners"^^^ ments which are prepared for the sinners. Woe | unto them, woe unto the children of men! For 372.
they grope as the blind in the darkness and see not. Have mercy upon us, 0 Lord, in this great blindness in which we are. And have mercy upon the whole race of men; for they have lain in wait for their souls, as lions for their prey, making it [sc, the prey] ready as food for their [sc. the rulers'] chastisements because of the forgetfulness and unknowing which is in them.
Have mercy then upon us, our Lord, our Saviour, have mercy upon us and save us in this great stupefaction."
Jesus said unto his disciples: '* Be comforted Jesus en- and be not afraid, for ye are blessed, because his^lscipies. I will make you lords over all these and put them in subjection under your feet. Remember that I have already said unto you before I was crucified: * I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven.' Now, therefore, I say unto you: I will give them unto you."
308 PISTIS SOPHIA Jesus and his disciples ascend higher.
He breath- eth into their eyes.
373.
Their eyes are opened.
Jesus ex- plaineth the vision of fire and water, and wine and blood.
^ When then Jesus said this, he chanted a song of praise in the great name. The regions of the ways of the midst hid themselves, and Jesus and his disciples remained in an air of exceedingly strong light.
Jesus said unto his disciples: ** Draw near unto me." And they drew near unto him. He turned himself towards the four corners of the world, said the great name over their heads, blessed them and breathed into their eyes.
Jesus said unto them: ** Look up and see what ye may see."
And they raised their eyes and saw a | great, exceedingly mighty light, which no man in the^ world can describe.
He said unto them anew: '' Look away out of the light and see what ye may see." * They said: " We see fire, water, wine and blood."
Jesus, — that is Aberamentho,— said unto his disciples: ** Amen, I say unto you: I have brought nothing into the world when I came, save this fire, this water, this wine and this blood. I have brought the water and the fire out of the region of the Light of the Hghts of the Treasury of the Light; and I have brought the wine and the blood out of the region of Barbelo. And after a little while my father sent me the holy spirit in the type of a dove.
** And the fire, the water and the wine are for the purification of all the sins of the world. The blood on the other hand was for a sign unto me because of the human body which I received in the region of Barbelo, the great power of the FIFTH BOOK 309 FIFTH BOOK 309 invisible god. The breath on the other hand advanceth towards all souls and leadeth them unto the region of the Light.
*' For this cause have I said unto you: * I The same am come to cast fire on the earth,' — that is: I fSn former am come to purify the sins of the whole world ^^y'^^^* with fire.
** And for this cause have I said to the Samari- tan woman: ' If thou knewest of the gift of God, and who it is who saith unto thee: Give me to drink, — thou wouldst ask, and. he would give thee | living water, and there would be in 374. thee a spring which welleth up for everlasting life.'
" And for this cause I took also a cup of wine, blessed it and give it unto you and said: * This is the blood of the covenant which will be poured out for you for the forgiveness of your sins.'
*' And for this cause they have also thrust the spear into my side, and there came forth water and blood.
*' And these are the mysteries of the Light which forgive sins; that is to say, these are the namings and the names of the Light."
It came to pass then thereafter that Jesus Jesus and gave command: ** Let all the powers of the Left descend^o* go to their regions." And Jesus with his dis-®^^*^' ciples remained on the Mount of Galilee. The disciples continued and besought him: " For how long then hast thou not let our sins which we have committed, and our iniquities be forgiven and made us worthy of the kingdom of thy father? " And Jesus said unto them: '' Amen, I say 310 PISTIS SOPHIA Jesus pro- miseth to give them the mystery of the for- giveness of sins.
CHAP. 142.
376.
The mystic offering.
The invoca- tion.
unto you: Not only will I purify your sins, but I will make you worthy of the kingdom of my father. And I will give you the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, in order that to him whom ye shall forgive on earth, it will be forgiven in heaven, and he whom ye shall bind on earth, will be bound in heaven. I will give you the mystery of the kingdom of heaven, in order that ye your- selves may perform them [sc. the mysteries] for men."
And Jesus | said unto them: " Bring me fire and vine branches." They brought them unto him. He laid out the offering, and set down two wine-vessels, one on the right and the other on the left of the offering. He disposed the offering before them, and set a cup of water before the wine-vessel on the right and set a cup of wine before the wine-vessel on the left, and laid loaves according to the number of the disciples in the middle between the cups and set a cup of water behind the loaves.
Jesus stood bjefore^he offering, set the disciples ^ behmd him, all clad with linen garments, and in their hands the cipher of the name of the fgjithgr of the Treasury of the Light, and he made in- vocation thus, saying: '* Hear me, 0 Father,_ father of all fatherhood, boundless Light: iao ioud iao aoi dia psinother theropsin opsither nephthomaoth nephiomaoth marachachtha marmar- achtha ieana menaman amanei {of heaven) israi amen amen souhaibai appaap amen amen deraarai (behind) amen amen sasarsartou amen amen koukiamin miai amen amen iai iai touap amen amen amen main mari marie marei amen amen amen.
FIFTH BOOK 311 ** Hear me, 0 Father, father of all fatherhood. I invoke you yourselves, ye forgivers of sins, ye purifiers of iniquities. | Forgive the sins of 376. the souls of these disciples who have followed me, and purify their iniquities and make them worthy to be reckoned with the kingdom of my father, the father of the Treasury of the Light, for they have followed me and have kept my commandments.
** Now, therefore, 0 Father, father of all fatherhood, let the forgivers of sins come, whose names are these: siphirepsnichieu zenei herimou sochabricher euihari na nai (have mercy upon me) dieisbalmerich meunipos chirie entair mouthiour smour peucher oouschous minionor isochobortha» *' Hear me, invoking you, forgive the sins of these souls and blot out their iniquities. Let them be worthy to be reckoned with the kingdom of my father, the father of the Treasury of the Light.
" I know thy great powers and invoke them: auer bebro athroni e oureph e one souphen knitou- sochreoph mauonbi mneuor souoni chocheteoph choche eteoph memoch anemph.
'' Forgive [sing.] the sins of these souls, blot out their iniquities which they have knowingly and unknowingly committed, which they have committed in fornication and adultery unto this day; forgive them then and make them worthy to be reckoned with the kingdom of my father, so that they are worthy to receive of this offering, holy Father.
'' If thou then, Father, hast heard me and for- given the sins of these souls | and blotted out 377. their iniquities, and hast made them worthy to 312 PISTIS SOPHIA The rite is coneummated.
Directions as to the future use of the rite.
CHAP. 143.
Of three other mystic rites.
378.
be reckoned with thy kingdom, mayest thou give me a sign in this offering."
And the sign which Jesus had said [? besought] happened.
Jesus said unto his disciples: '' Eejoice and exult, for your sins are forgiven and your ini- quities blotted out, and ye are reckoned with the kingdom of my father.'* And when he said this, the disciples rejoiced in great joy.
Jesus said unto them: *' This is the manner ] and way and this is the mystery which ye are to - perform for the men who have faith in you, in whom is no deceit and who hearken unto you in all good words. And their sins and their iniquities will be blotted out up to the day on which ye have performed for them this mystery. But hide this mystery and give it not unto all men, but unto him who shall do all the things Avhich I have said unto you in my commandments.
*' This then is the mystery in truth of the baptism for those whose sins are forgiven and whose iniquities are blotted out. This is the baptism of the first offering which showeth the way to the region of Truth and to the region of the Light."
Thereafter his disciples said unto him: " Rabbi, reveal unto us the mystery of the Light of thy father, since we heard thee say: * There is still a fire-baptism and there is still a baptism of the holy spirit of the Light, and there is | a spiritual chrism; these lead the souls into the Treasury of the Light.' Tell us, therefore, their mystery, so that we ourselves may inherit the kingdom of thy father."
FIFTH BOOK 313 FIFTH BOOK 313 Jesus said unto them: " There is no mystery of the high- which is more excellent than these mysteries on teriS?nd which ye question, in that it will lead your souls °^^® ^'^*^ into the Light of the lights, into the regions of Truth and Goodness, into the region of the Holy of all holies, into the region in which there is neither female nor male, nor are there forms in that region, but a perpetual indescribable Light. Nothing more excellent is there, therefore, than these mysteries on which ye question, save only the mystery of the seven Voices and their nine- and-forty powers and their ciphers. And there is no name which is more excellent than them all, the name in which are all names and all lights and all powers.
" Who then knoweth that name, if he cometh of the out of the body of matter, nor smoke nor darkness tSTnaml nor authority nor ruler of the Fate-sphere nor angel nor archangel nor power can hold down the soul which knoweth that name; but if it cometh out of the world and sayeth that name to the fire, it is quenched and the darkness withdraweth.
'' And if it sayeth it to the demons | and to 379. the receivers of the outer darkness and their rulers and their authorities and their powers, they will all sink down and their flame will burn and they will cry out: ' Holy, holy art thou, most holy of all holies.'
" And if one sayeth that name to the receivers of the wicked chastisements and their authorities and all their powers and also to Barbelo and the invisible god and the three triple-powered gods, straightway if one will say this name in those regions, they will all fall one on another, will be undone and destroyed and cry out: * 0 Light 314 PISTIS SOPHIA of all lights, which is in the boundless lights, remember us and purify us.' " And when Jesus had finished saying these words, all his disciples cried out, wept with loud sobbing, saying:...• ••••* [Lacuna of Eight Leaves.]
-'-'i A SIXTH BOOK...[and lead them forth to the fire- rivers chap. 144. and fire-seasl and take vengeance on it therein P^ *^^ ^,^^^- -J^ ^ ^ tisement oi for another six months and eight days. There- the curser. after they lead it up on the way of the midst, and every one of the rulers of the way of the midst chastizeth it in his chastisements another six months and eight days. Thereafter they lead it to the Virgin of Light, who judgeth the good and the evil, that she may judge it. And when the sphere turneth itself, she handeth it over to her receivers, that they may cast it into the SBons of the sphere. And the servitors of the sphere lead it forth to a water which is below the sphere; and it becometh | a seething fire 38o. and eateth into it, until it purifieth it utterly.
** And then cometh Yaluham, the receiver of Sabaoth, the Adamas, who handeth the souls the cup of forgetfulness, and he bringeth a cup filled with the water of forgetfulness and handeth it to the soul, and it drinketh it and forgetteth all regions and all the regions to which it hath gone. And they cast it down into a body which will spend its time continually troubled in its heart.
** This is the chastisement of the curser." Mary continued and said: *' My Lord, the man 315 316 PISTIS SOPHIA who persistently slandereth, if he cometh out of the body, whither shall he get or what is his chastisement? *' Of the chas- Jesus Said: *' A man who persistently slandereth, theTknderer. ^^ ^is time is Completed through the sphere, that he cometh out of the body, then Abiout and Charmon, the receivers of Ariel, come, lead his soul out of the body and spend three days going round with it and instructing it concerning the creatures of the world.
** Thereafter they lead it below into Amente before Ariel, and he chastizeth it in his chas- tisements eleven months and twenty-and-one days.
" Thereafter they lead it into the chaos before Yaldabaoth and his forty-and-nine demons, and every one of his demons fall upon it another eleven months and twenty-and-one days, scourg- ing it with fiery whips. 381. '* Thereafter | they lead it into fire-rivers and boiling fire-seas, to take vengeance on it therein another eleven months and twenty-and- one days.
*' And thereafter they carry it on to the way of the midst, and every one of the rulers on the way of the midst chastizeth it in his chastise- ments another eleven months and twenty-and- one days.
*' Thereafter they carry it to the Virgin of Light, who judgeth the righteous and the sinners, that she may judge it. And when the sphere turneth itself, she handeth it over to her receivers, that they may cast it into the seons of the sphere. And the servitors of the sphere will lead it to a water which is below the sphere; and it becometh SIXTH BOOK 317 a seething fire and eateth into it until it purifieth it utterly.
** And Yaluham, the receiver of Sabaoth, the Adamas, bringeth the cup of forgetfulness and handeth it to the soul, and it drinketh it and forgetteth all regions and all things and all the regions through which it hath gone. And they deliver it unto a body which will spend its time being afflicted.
** This is the chastisement of the slanderer."
Mary said: ** Woe, woe, unto sinners! " chap. 145.
Salome answered and said: *' My Lord Jesus, a murderer who hath never committed any sin but murdering, if he cometh out of the body, what is his chastisement? " Jesus answered and said: *' A murderer who | Of thechashath never committed any sm but murdermg, it the mur- his time is completed through the sphere, that he ^®^®^* cometh out of the body, the receivers of Yalda- baoth come and lead his soul out of the body and bind it by its feet to a great demon with a horse's face, and he spendeth three days circling round with it in the world.
** Thereafter they lead it into the regions of the cold and of the snow, and they take vengeance on it there three years and six months.
** Thereafter they lead it down into the chaos before Yaldabaoth and his forty-and-nine demons, and every one of his demons scourgeth it another three years and six months.
** Thereafter they lead it down into the chaos before Persephone and take vengeance on it with her chastisements another three years and six months.
*' Thereafter they carry it on to the way of 318 PISTIS SOPHIA CHAP. 146.
383.
Peter pro- testeth against the women.
Of the chas- tisement of the thief.
the midst, and every one of the rulers of the way of the midst taketh vengeance on it with the chas- tisements of its regions another three years and six months.
*' Thereafter they lead it unto the Virgin of Light, who judgeth the righteous and the sinners, that she may judge it. And when the sphere turneth itself, she commandeth that it shall be cast into the outer darkness until the time when the darkness of the midst shall be up-raised; it [the soul] will be destroyed and dissolved.
" This is the chastisement of the murderer."
Peter said: " My Lord, let the women | cease to question, in order that we also may question."
Jesus said unto Mary and the women: " Give opportunity to your men brethren, that they also may question."
Peter answered and said: ** My Lord, a robber and thief, whose sin is this persistently, when he Cometh out of the body, what is his chastise- ment? "