

The Secret Book of John (Apocryphon of John)

      (Above image of the Gospel of Thomas courtesy
        of the Institute for Antiquity and Christianity, Claremont Graduate
        University)

  The Secret Book of John

        by Stevan Davies

The Apocryphon of John Collection

        (The Secret Revelation of John - The Secret Book of
        John)

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 The Secret Book of John

 (The Apocryphon of John)

 Translated by Stevan Davies

 This translation is presented in The
          Gnostic Society Library by exclusive permission of the author.

          All rights including right of electronic reproduction are reserved by the
          author.

          © 2005
          Stevan Davies

Notes by the Translator

It has always seemed to me
            that the Secret Book of John evolved to be more difficult to read than it
            originally was. The Secret Book of John is a complex developmental
            mythology that has been made more complicated because, over the years,
            versions of it have been improved by several levels of scribal
            alteration. One set of levels is the evident addition of rather lengthy
            texts (a list of magical names, a dialogue on the soul, a providence hymn)
            to an original version that lacked them. Another set of levels is the
            addition by various scribes of what they intended to be useful comments,
            explanations, clarifications and supplementary details. The former
            processes continue to be added to the text when scholars such as myself
            add introductory paragraphs, or indeed whole book-length texts to
            introduce or comment on the Secret Book of John. The latter processes
            continue when scholars interrupt the flow of the text by adding
            subheadings (such as the section headings added here in  Bold Italics) and notes intended to assist
            the readers understanding.

            I believe that readers will benefit from seeing the various individual
            elements constituting the text as separable units and so be relieved from
            thinking that somehow all of this material constitutes one originally
            coherent whole. To this end, in this version of my translation I use two
            formatting techniques to identify and separate-out several forms of
            material that seem to have been added at different times to the original.
            For more extensive textual additions I have arranged that the translation
            make use of different color fonts. There is one font color for the main body of the Secret Book of John (font
              color 1), another for the material I believe to have been added
            by a Christian editor who sought to present the text
            as a long dialogue between Jesus and John son of Zebedee (font
              color 2); this material occurs in two large blocks at the beginning
            and toward the end of the text and also in occasional dialogues imbedded
            throughout the last half of the text. Another font (font
              color 3) distinguishes a long list of demons names that are
            associated with specific body parts, a magical text apparently taken from
            an unknown source called the "Book of Zoroaster".
            Another (font
              color 4) is used for the included dialogue
                about the soul. Finally a font (font
                  color 5) designates the three part hymn spoken by Gods Providence (Pronoia).

            In addition to these different fonts, I have put in square brackets the
            occasional short passages, or sentences, or phrases that I believe were
            added to the text by scribes over the years, additions that were intended
            to make the text more understandable, or to identify elements of the text
            with aspects of the Christian religion. If you ask how I know which parts
            were added as comments and so forth, the answer is that I make informed
            guesses. Thats really what most scholarship comes down to
 informed
            guesses.

(Click
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            edition of The Secret Book of John,
            translated and annotated by Stevan Davies. Note that the print edition
            includes introductory material and an extensive line-by-line commentary on
            facing pages.)

Visit the Apocryphon of John
          Collection for more information

 [The
            Teaching of the Savior]

            The Revelation of the Mysteries Hidden in Silence

            [Those Things that He Taught to John, His Disciple]

            Prologue

 One day John, the brother of James
            [these are the sons of Zebedee], was going up to the Temple. A Pharisee
            by the name of Arimanios came up to him and challenged him, asking:
            "Where is the teacher you used to follow?"

 John replied, "He has gone back to the
            place from which he came."

 The Pharisee said, "That Nazarene
            misled you (plural), told you lies, closed your hearts and turned you
            away from your ancestral traditions.

 When I heard these things, I, John,
            turned away from the temple and went off to a deserted mountainous
            place. I was very unhappy, saying to myself:

 "How was the Savior designated?

              Why did his Father send him into the world?

              Who is his Father?

              What kind of realm will we go to?

 For, although he told us, This realm
            is modeled on the imperishable realm,

                        He didn't
            teach us about the latter.

 All of a sudden, while I was
            contemplating these things,

                       Behold!

            The heavens opened and the whole of creation shone with a light from
            above,

                        And the world
            quaked!

            I was afraid, yet

                       Behold!

 A little child appeared before me in
            the light.

                        I continued
            looking at him as he became an old man

            And then he changed again, becoming like a young man.

            I didn't understand what I was seeing,

                        But the one
            likeness had several forms in the light,

                        And these
            likenesses appeared each through the other

                        And the
            vision had three forms.

 He said to me,

                        John, why
            doubt?

                        Why be
            afraid?

                        Dont you
            know this image?

            Be not afraid.

                        I am with you
            (plural) always.

                        I am the
            Father

            The Mother

            The Son

                        I am the
            incorruptible

            Purity.

 I have come to teach you

                        About what is

                        And what was

                        And what will
            be

                        In order for
            you to understand

            The invisible world

            And the world that is visible

            And the immovable race of perfect humanity.

  Raise your head;

            Understand my lessons;

            Share them with any others who have
            received the spirit,

            Who are from the immovable race of perfect humanity.

 The
            Inexpressible One

 The One rules all. Nothing has
            authority over it.

                        It is the
            God.

                        It is Father
            of everything,

            Holy One

            The invisible one over everything.

            It is uncontaminated

                        Pure light no
            eye can bear to look within.

 The One is the Invisible Spirit.

                        It is not
            right to think of it as a God or as like God.

                        It is more
            than just God.

 Nothing is above it.

            Nothing rules it.

                        Since
            everything exists within it

            It does not exist within anything.

                        Since it is
            not dependent on anything

            It is eternal.

 It is absolutely complete and so needs
            nothing.

            It is utterly perfect

            Light.

 The One is without boundaries

                        Nothing
            exists outside of it to border it

            The One cannot be investigated

                        Nothing
            exists apart from it to investigate it

            The One cannot be measured

                        Nothing
            exists external to it to measure it

 The One cannot be seen

                        For no one
            can envision it

            The One is eternal

                        For it exists
            forever

            The One is inconceivable

                        For no one
            can comprehend it

            The One is indescribable

                        For no one
            can put any words to it.

 The One is infinite light

                        Purity

                        Holiness

                        Stainless,

 The One is incomprehensible

                        Perfectly
            free from corruption.

            Not perfect

            Not blessed

            Not divine

            But superior to such concepts.

                        Neither
            physical nor unphysical

                        Neither
            immense nor infinitesimal

                        It is
            impossible to specify in quantity or quality

            For it is beyond knowledge.

 The One is not a being among other
            beings

                        It is vastly
            superior

            But it is not superior.

 It is outside of realms of being and
            time

                        For whatever
            is within realms of being was created

                        And whatever
            is within time had time allotted to it

            The One receives nothing from anything.

                        It simply
            apprehends itself in its own perfect light

 The One is majestic.

                        The One is
            measureless majesty

 Chief of all Realms

                        Producing all
            realms

 Light

                        Producing
            light

 Life

                        Producing
            life

 Blessedness

                        Producing
            blessedness

 Knowledge

                        Producing
            knowledge

 Good

                        Producing
            goodness

 Mercy

                        Producing
            mercy

 Generous

                        Producing
            generosity

             [It does not possess
            these things.]

 It gives forth light beyond measure,
            beyond comprehension.

 [What can I say?]

 His realm is eternal, peaceful, silent,
            resting, before everything.

            He is the head of every realm sustaining each of them through goodness.

 The Origin of Reality

 [We would know nothing of the ineffable

            And nothing of the immeasurable

            Without the help of the one who comes forth

            from the One who is the Father.

            He alone has informed us.]

 The Father is surrounded by light.

            He apprehends himself in that light

                        [which is the
            pure spring of the water of life

                        that sustains
            all realms].

 He is conscious of his image everywhere
            around him,

                        Perceiving
            his image in this spring of Spirit

            Pouring forth from himself.

            He is enamored of the image he sees in the light-water,

                        The spring of
            pure light-water enveloping him.

 His self-aware thought (ennoia) came
            into being.

            Appearing to him in the effulgence of his light.

            She stood before him.

 This, then, is the first of the powers,
            prior to everything.

            Arising out of the mind of the Father

            The Providence (pronoia) of everything.

            Her light reflects His light.

 She is from His image in His light

            Perfect in power

            Image of the invisible perfect Virgin Spirit.

 She is the initial power

            glory of Barbelo

            glorious among the realms

            glory of revelation

 She gave glory to the Virgin Spirit

            She praised Him

                        For she arose
            from Him.

  [This, the first Thought, is the
            Spirits image]

 She is the universal womb

            She is before everything

            She is:

                        Mother-Father

                        First Man

                        Holy Spirit

            Thrice Male

                        Thrice
            Powerful

                        Thrice Named

 Androgynous eternal realm

            First to arise among the invisible realms.

 She, Barbelo, asked the virgin Spirit
            for foreknowledge (prognosis).

                        The Spirit
            agreed.

                        Foreknowledge
            came forth and stood by Providence

                        [This one
            came through the Invisible Virgin Spirits Thought.]

                        Foreknowledge
            gave glory to the Spirit

            And to Barbelo, the Spirits perfect power,

            For She was the reason that it had come into being.

            Primary Structures
            of the Divine Mind

 She, Barbelo, asked the virgin Spirit
            for Incorruptibility

                        The Spirit
            agreed.

            Incorruptibility came forth and stood by Thought and Foreknowledge.

 Incorruptibility gave glory to the
            Invisible Virgin Spirit

            And to Barbelo,

                        For She was
            the reason that it had come into being.

 She asked for everlasting Life.

                        The Spirit
            agreed

                        Everlasting
            life came forth and they all stood together.

                        They gave
            glory to the invisible Spirit

 And to Barbelo,

            For She was the reason that it had come into being.

 She asked for Truth.

                        The Spirit
            agreed

                        Truth came
            forth and they all stood together.

                        They gave
            glory to the invisible Spirit

 And to Barbelo,

            For She was the reason that it had come into being.

 This is the fivefold realm of the
            Father:

 The First Man who is

            The Image of the Invisible Spirit who is

            Providence who is

            Barbelo who is

                        Thought.

                         And

                        Foreknowledge
            -  Incorruptibility - Life Everlasting - Truth

 [These are an androgynous fivefold
            realm - therefore it is a realm of ten - of the Father.]

             Secondary Structures of the Divine Mind

 The Father looked into Barbelo

                        [into the
            pure light surrounding the Invisible Spirit]

 Barbelo conceived and bore a spark of
            light

            Who had blessedness similar to, but not equal to, her blessedness,

 Who was the only child of that
            motherfather

                        The only
            offspring,

                        The only
            begotten child of the pure light, the Father.

 The Invisible Virgin Spirit celebrated
            the light that had been produced

                        Coming forth
            from the first power who is

            The Providence

            Barbelo

 The Spirit anointed him with Goodness,
            making him perfect

                        [he lacked no
            goodness whatsoever,

                        for he was
            anointed with the Invisible Spirits Goodness]

 He stood in the Spirits presence and
            it was poured upon him.

 Having received this anointing from the
            Spirit he immediately glorified Him

                        And he
            glorified the perfect Providence.

                        Because of
            Her he had come into being.

 He asked for Mind (nous) to be a
            companion to him.

                        The Spirit
            consented

 When the Invisible Spirit consented

                        Mind came
            into being.

                        It stood by
            the Anointed

                        and glorified
            the Spirit and Barbelo

 [These beings came into existence
            through silence and thought.]

 He wished to act through the Word of
            the Invisible Spirit.

                        Whose Will
            became an action and appeared with Mind

                        Glorifying
            the Light.

 And then Word followed Will into being.

            [The Christ, the divine autogenes,

                        created
            everything through the Word.]

 Everlasting Life and Will,

            Mind, and Foreknowledge

                        Stood
            together.

                        They
            glorified the Invisible Spirit and Barbelo.

                        Because of
            Her they had come into being.

 Tertiary Structures of the Divine Mind

 The Holy Spirit

            Brought his and Barbelos divine autogenes Son to completion

            In order that he could stand before the great Invisible Virgin Spirit

            As the divine autogenes Christ

                        And honor Him
            with a mighty voice.

 [The Son came through Providence].

 The Invisible Spirit

            Placed the divine autogenes over everything.

            All authorities were subordinated to him.

            The truth within him let him learn everything

 [He is called by the highest name of
            all.

            That name will be told only to those who are worthy to hear it

            From the light, [which is the Christ,]

 From the incorruptibility,

                        Through a
            gift of the spirit

            The Four Lights arising from the divine autogenes stood before him.

 [The four fundamental powers are
            Understanding, Grace, Perception, and Consideration.]

 Grace exists within the realm of the
            Light called Harmozel, the first angel.

            Along with Harmozel are

                        Grace

                        Truth

                        Form

 The second Light is called Oriel and it
            stands over the second realm.

            With Oriel are:

            Conceptualization (Epinoia)

                        Perception

                        Memory

 The third Light is called Daveithai and
            it stands over the third realm.

            With Daveithai are:

                        Understanding

                        Love

                        Idea

 The fourth Light is called Eleleth and
            it stands over the fourth realm.

            With Eleleth are:

                        Perfection

                        Peace

                        Wisdom
            (Sophia).

 These are the four lights standing
            before the divine autogenes.

 Twelve realms stand before the Son of
            the Powerful

            The autogenes

                        The Christ

            Through the intention

            And the grace

                        Of the
            Invisible Spirit

            Twelve realms belong to the Son of the autogenes.

 [All of this came into being through
            the intention of the Holy Spirit

                        Through the
            autogenes.]

 From the perfect minds foreknowledge

            Through the intention of the Invisible Spirit

            And the autogeness will.

            The perfect human appeared,

             Its first true manifestation

 The Virgin Spirit named the human
            Adamas

                        And placed
            him over the first realm with the mighty autogenes Christ

            With the first Light Harmozel and its powers.

 The Invisible One gave Adamas
            invincible power of mind.

 Adamas spoke, glorifying and praising
            the Invisible Spirit:

                        Everything
            has come into being from you

            Everything will return to you.

                          I
            will praise you and glorify you

            And the Autogenes

            And the triple realm:

            Father  Mother  Son,

            the perfect power.

 Over the second realm was appointed
            Adamass son Seth

                        With the
            second Light Oriel.

 In the third realm were placed the
            children of Seth

                        With the
            third Light Daveithai.

                        [The souls of
            the saints are placed there.]

 In the fourth realm were placed the
            souls of those ignorant of the fullness

                        Those who did
            not repent at once

                        But who,
            after some time, eventually repented,

            They are with the fourth Light Eleleth.

 All of these created beings glorify the
            Invisible Spirit

  A Crisis that Became the World

 It happened that the realm (aeon)
            Wisdom (Sophia)

                        Of conceptual
            thought (Epinoia),

                        Began to
            think for herself,

            She used the thinking (enthymesis)

            And the foreknowledge (prognosis)

            Of the Invisible Spirit.

 She intended to reveal an image from
            herself

                        To do so
            without the consent of the Spirit,

            Who did not approve,

                        Without the
            thoughtful assistance of her masculine counterpart,

            Who did not approve.

 Without the Invisible Spirits consent

                        Without the
            knowledge of her partner

            She brought it into being.

 Because she had unconquerable Power

            Her thought was not unproductive.

                        Something
            imperfect came out of her

                        Different in
            appearance from her.

            Because she had created it without her masculine counterpart

            She gave rise to a misshapen being unlike herself.

 Sophia saw what her desire produced.

                        It changed
            into the form of a dragon with a lions head

                        And eyes
            flashing lightning bolts.

            She cast him far from her,

                        Outside of
            the realm of the immortal beings

                        So that they
            could not see him.

 [She had created him in ignorance.]

 Sophia surrounded him with a brilliant
            cloud,

                        Put a throne
            in the center part of the cloud

                        So that no
            one would see it.

                        [Except for
            the Holy Spirit called the Mother of the Living]

            She named him Yaldabaoth.

 Yaldabaoth is the chief ruler.

                        He took great
            Power (dynamis) from his mother,

            Left her, and moved away from his birthplace.

                        He assumed
            command,

            Created realms for himself

                        With a
            brilliant flame that continues to exist even now.

  The Fashioning of This World

 Yadabaoth united with the
            thoughtlessness (aponoia) within him.

            He begot ruling authorities (exousia)

                        Modeling them
            on the incorruptible realms above.

 The first is Athoth

            The second is Harmas [called the eye of flame]

            The third is Kalilaumbri

            The fourth is Yabel

            The fifth is Adonaiu [called Sabaoth]

            The sixth is Cain [called the sun]

            The seventh is Abel

 The eighth is Abrisene

            The ninth is Yobel

            The tenth is Armupiel

            The eleventh is Melcheir-adonein

            The twelfth is Belias

                        Who rules
            over the very depth of Hades.

            He made the first seven rulers to reign in the seven spheres of heaven.

            He made the next five rulers to reign in the five depths of the abyss.

            He shared a portion of his fire with them,

                        But shared
            none of the power of Light he had received from his mother.

 [He is ignorant darkness.

            When the Light mingled into the darkness

                        the darkness
            shone.

            When darkness mixed with the Light,

                        the Light
            diminished,

                        No longer
            Light nor darkness but dim.]

 This dim ruler has three names:

                        Yaldabaoth is
            the first.

                        Saklas is the
            second.

                        Samael is the
            third.

            He is blasphemous through his thoughtlessness.

            He said I am God, and there is no God but me!

                        Since he
            didnt know where his own Power originated.

 His rulers created seven Authorities
            for themselves.

                        Each of these
            Authorities created six demons apiece,

                        There came to
            be 365 demons altogether.

 Here are the seven Authorities names
            and physical forms:

                        First, Athoth
            with a sheeps face

                        Second,
            Eloaios with a donkeys face

                        Third,
            Astaphaios with a hyenas face

                        Fourth, Yao
            with the face of a seven headed snake

                        Fifth,
            Sabaoth who has the face of a dragon

                        Sixth, Adonin
            whose face is that of a monkey

                        Seventh,
            Sabbataios with a face of flame and fire.

            These are the seven of the week.

            These Authorities rule the world.

 Yaldabaoth has many faces.

                        More than all
            that have been listed

                        So he can
            convey any face he wants to the seraphim around him.

 Yaldabaoth shared his fire with his
            seraphim

                        But gave them
            none of his pure Light

                        Although he
            ruled them by virtue of the power and glory

            Of the Light had received from his Mother.

            [Therefore he called himself God and defied his place of origin.]

 He united his thoughts sevenfold
            Powers with the Authorities who accompanied him.

                        He spoke and
            it happened.

 He named those sevenfold Powers
            starting with the highest one:

                        Goodness
            paired with the first: Athoth

                        Providence
            paired with the second: Eloaios

                        Divinity
            paired with the third: Astaphaios

                        Lordship
            paired with the fourth: Yao

                        Kingdom
            paired with the fifth: Sabaoth

                        Zeal paired
            with the sixth: Adonin

                        Understanding
            paired with the seventh: Sabbataios

 Each has its own realm modeled on one
            of the higher realms.

                        And each new
            name refers to a glory in the heavens

                        So that
            Yaldabaoths demons might be destroyed.

 The demons own names, given by
            Yaldabaoth, are mighty names

                        But the
            Powers names reflecting the glory above

            Will bring about the demons destruction and remove their Power.

            That is why each has two names.

 Yaldabaoth modeled his creation

                        On the
            pattern of the original realms above him

                        So that it
            might be just like the indestructible realms.

            [Not that he had ever seen the indestructible ones.

                        Rather, the
            power in him, deriving from his mother,

                        made him
            aware of the pattern of the cosmos above.]

 When he gazed upon his creation
            surrounding him

                        He said to
            his host of demons

                        The ones who
            had come forth out of him:

             I am a jealous God and there is no God but me!

            [But by doing this he admitted to his demons that there is indeed
            another God.

                        For, if there
            were no other God, whom would he possibly be jealous of?]

 His mother began to move back and forth

                        Because she
            had become aware that she now lacked Light

                        For her
            brightness had dimmed.

            [Since her consort had not approved of her actions, she grew darker]

 [I said Master, what does it mean she
            moved back and forth?

            He laughed, saying, Its not as Moses said upon the waters. Not at
            all.]

 When she saw the evil that had taken
            place and

                        The theft of
            light that her son had committed

            She repented.

 In the darkness of ignorance

                        She began to
            forget.

                        She began to
            be ashamed.

            But she could not yet return above

            Yet she began to move.

            And so she moved back and forth.

  [The arrogant one removed Power from
            his mother

                        For he was
            ignorant

                        He thought no
            one existed except for his mother.

            He saw the host of demons he had created

                        And he
            elevated himself above them.

            But when the mother realized that that miscarriage

                        Was so
            imperfect

                        She came to
            realize that her consort had not approved.

            She repented and wept furiously.]

 All of the divine realms (pleroma)
            heard her repentant prayer

            They sought blessing for her from the Invisible Virgin Spirit.

                        The Spirit
            consented.

                        He poured the
            Holy Spirit over her

            Brought forth from the whole full realm.

 [Her consort did not come down to her
            on his own,

            but he came through the whole full realm

            to restore her to her original condition.]

 She was elevated above her son,

                      But she was not restored to her own original realm.

            She would remain in the ninth sphere until she was fully restored.

            Humanity Begins

 Then came a voice from the highest
            realms saying:

                        The Man
            exists! And the Son of Man!

 Yaldabaoth, chief ruler, heard it

                        He thought it
            came from his mother

                        He did not
            know the true source of the voice:

            The Holy Mother-Father

            Perfect Providence

            Image of the Invisible

            Father of Everything

            In whom everything has come to be.

 The First Man

                        [This is the
            one who appeared to them.

                        He appeared
            in the form of a human being.]

 All of the realm of the chief ruler
            quaked!

                        The
            foundations of the abyss moved!

 He illuminated the waters above the
            world of matter,

                        His image
            shown in those waters.

 All the demons and the first ruler
            together gazed up

                        Toward the
            underside of the newly shining waters.

            Through that light they saw the Image in the waters.

 Yaldabaoth said to his subordinate
            demons:

                        Lets create
            a man according to the image of God

            And our own likeness

                         So that his
            image will illuminate us.

 Each one through anothers Power
            created aspects of the man;

                        Each added a
            characteristic corresponding to the psychic factors

            They had seen in the Image above them.

            They made a creature of substance

            In the likeness of that perfect First Man

            And they said, Let us call him Adam, so that his name will give us the
            power of light.

 Construction of the Human Body

 The seven Powers began to work:

            .           Goodness
            made a psyche of bone

                        Providence
            made a psyche of sinew

                        Divinity made
            a psyche of flesh

                        Lordship made
            a psyche of marrow

                        Kingdom made
            a psyche of blood

                        Zeal made a
            psyche of skin

                        Understanding
            made a psyche of hair

 The host of demons took these
            substances from the Powers to create the limbs and the body itself. They
            put the parts together and coordinated them.

 The first ones
            began by making the head: Abron created his head; Meniggesstroeth
            created the brain; Asterechme the right eye; Thaspomocha, the left eye;
            Ieronumos, the right ear; Bissoum, the left ear; Akioreim, the nose;
            Banenrphroum, the lips; Amen, the front teeth; Ibikan, the molars;
            Basiliademe, the tonsils; Achcha, the uvula; Adaban, the neck; Chaaman,
            the neckbones; Dearcho, the throat; Tebar, the shoulder; Mniarcon, the
            elbow; Abitrion, the right arm; Evanthen, the left arm; Krys, the right
            hand; Beluai, the left hand; Treneu, the fingers of the right hand;
            Balbel, the fingers of the left hand; Kriman, fingernails; Astrops, the
            right breast; Barroph, the left breast; Baoum, the right shoulder joint;
            Ararim, the left shoulder joint; Areche, the belly; Phthave, the navel;
            Senaphim, the abdomen; Arachethopi, the right ribs; Zabedo, the left
            ribs; Barias, the right hip; Phnouth the left hip; Abenlenarchei, the
            marrow; Chnoumeninorin, the skeleton; Gesole, the stomach; Agromauna,
            the heart; Bano, the lungs; Sostrapal, the liver; Anesimalar, the
            spleen; Thopithro, the intestines; Biblo, the kidneys; Roeror, the
            sinews; Taphreo, the spine; Ipouspoboba, the veins; Bineborin, the
            arteries; Atoimenpsephei, respiration; Entholleia, the flesh; Bedouk,
            the right buttock; Arabeei, the penis; Eilo, the testicles; Sorma, the
            genitals; Gormakaiochlabar, the right thigh; Nebrith, the left thigh;
            Pserem, the kidneys of the right leg; Asaklas, the left kidney; Ormaoth,
            the right leg; Emenun, the left leg; Knyx, the right shin; Tupelon, the
            left shin; Achiel, the right knee; Phnene, the left knee; Phiouthrom,
            the right foot; Boabel, its toes; Trachoun, the left foot; Phikna, its
            toes; Miamai, the toenails.

 And those who were appointed over all
            of these are:

                       Zathoth,

                       Armas,

                       Kalila,

                       Iabel,

                       Sabaoth,

                       Cain,

                       Abel.

 The energizing powers in the limbs were
            divided among:

            the head made by Diolimodraza; the neck by Yammeax; the right shoulder
            Yakouib; the left shoulder Verton; the right hand Oudidi; the left Arbao;
            the fingers of the right hand Lampno; the fingers of the left hand
            Leekaphar; the right breast Barbar; the left breast Imae; the chest
            Pisandriaptes; the right shoulder joint Koade; the left shoulder joint
            Odeor; the right ribs Asphixix; the left ribs Synogchouta; the abdomen
            Arouph; the womb Sabalo; the right thigh Charcharb; the left thigh
            Chthaon; the genitals Bathinoth; the right leg Choux; the left leg
            Charcha; the right shin Aroer; the left shin Toechtha; the right knee
            Aol; the left knee Charaner; the right foot Bastan; its toes
            Archentechtha; the left foot Marephnounth; its toes Abrana.

 Seven govern the whole body:

                       Michael,

                       Ouriel,

                       Asmenedas,

                       Saphasatoel,

                       Aarmouriam,

                       Richram,

                       Amiorps.

 The one who governs perceptions:
            Archendekta

            The one who governs reception:     Deitharbathas

            The one who governs imagination: Oummaa

            The one who governs integration:   Aachiaram

            The one who governs impulse:
            Riaramnacho.

            There is a fourfold source of the bodily demons:

                        Hot, Cold,
            Dry, Wet.

            [Matter is the mother of them all.]

            Ruler of hot:
            Phloxopha

                       Ruler of cold:
            Oroorrothos

                       Ruler of dry:
            Erimacho

                       Ruler of wet:
            Athuro.

 Their mother stands among them:
            Onorthochrasaei

                        She is
            unlimited

                        She mixes
            with all of them.

                        She is matter

            And they are nourished by her.

 The four chief demons are:

                        Ephememphi,
            associated with pleasure,

                        Yoko,
            associated with desire,

                        Nenentophni,
            associated with distress,

                        Blaomen,
            associated with fear.

            Their mother is Esthesis-Zouch-Epi-Ptoe.

 Out from these four demons come
            passions:

                        From distress
            arises

            Envy, jealousy, grief, vexation,

            Discord, cruelty, worry, mourning.

            From pleasure comes much evil

            And unmerited pride,

            And so forth.

            From desire comes

            Anger, fury, bitterness, outrage, dissatisfaction

            And so forth.

            From fear emerges

            Horror, flattery, suffering, and shame.

 [Their thought and truth is Anayo, the
            ruler of the material soul.

            It belongs with the seven senses, Esthesis-Zouch-Epi-Ptoe.]

 This is the total number of the demons:
            365

            They worked together to complete, part by part, the psychical and the
            material body.

 There are even
            more of them in charge of other passions

                        That
            I didnt tell you about.

            If you want to know about them

            You will find the information in the Book of Zoroaster.

 All of Yaldabaoths servants and his
            demons

                        Worked to
            finish the psychic body.

                        For a very
            long time it lay inanimate

                        It did not
            move.

 Yaldabaoths mother wanted to take back
            the Power

                        She had
            turned over to the Chief Ruler.

                        She earnestly
            asked the most merciful,

                        The
            Mother-Father of everything,

            For help.

            Yaldabaoth Deceived

 By His sacred command He sent down the
            five Lights

                        In the forms
            of the principal advisors to Yaldabaoth.

                        [This led to
            the removal of Yaldabaoths mothers divine Power from him.]

            They told Yaldabaoth:

                        Blow some of
            your Spirit in the mans face,

                        Then his body
            will rise up.

            Yaldabaoth blew some of his Spirit into the man.

                        That Spirit
            was the divine Power of his mother.

 [He didnt understand what was
            happening, for he lived in ignorance.]

 His mothers divine Power left
            Yaldabaoth

                        It entered
            the psychic human body

                        Modeled on
            the primordial image.

 The human body moved!

                        It grew
            powerful!

                        It shone!

 Yaldabaoths demonic forces envied the
            man.

                        Through their
            united efforts he had come into being

                        They had
            given their Power to him.

            His understanding was far greater than that of those who had created
            him.

                        And greater
            than that of the Chief Ruler himself.

 When they realized that he shone with
            light

                        And could
            think better than they could

                        And was naked
            of evil,

            They took him and cast him down

                        Into the
            lowest depths of the material world.

              The Beginning of Salvation

 The blessed one.

                        The
            Mother-Father

                        The good
            merciful one

            Looked compassionately upon the Mothers Power

                        Relinquished
            by the Chief Ruler.

 Since Yaldabaoths demons might again
            overpower the perceptible psychic body

            He sent down from his good Spirit a helper for Adam,

                        Out of his
            great compassion

            A light-filled Epinoia emerged.

                        And he called
            her Life (Zoe).

            She aids the entire creation

            Working with him

            Restoring him to the fullness.

                        She taught
            Adam about the way his people had descended

                        She taught
            Adam about the way he could ascend,

            Which is the way he had descended.

 The light-filled Epinoia was hidden in
            Adam.

                        So that the
            rulers wouldnt know about her

                        For Epinoia
            would repair the disaster their mother had caused.

 [Adam was revealed because within him
            dwelt the shadow of light.

                        His mental
            abilities were far greater than those of his creators.

                        They had
            gazed upward and seen his exalted mental capability.]

            The host of rulers and demons plotted together

                        They mixed
            fire and earth and water

            Together with four blazing winds

            They melded them together in great turbulence.

 Adam was brought into the shadow of
            death.

 They intended to make him anew

                        This time from

            Earth,

            Water,

            Fire,

            Wind,

                        Which are

            Matter,

            Darkness,

            Desire,

            The Artificial Spirit.

                        This all became a tomb,

                         A new kind of body.

 Those thieves bound the man in it,

                        Enchained him in forgetfulness,

                         Made him subject to dying.

 [His was the first descent

                        And the first
            separation.

            Yet the light-filled Epinoia within him will elevate his thinking.]

              Adam in Yaldabaoth's Paradise

 The rulers took the man and put him
            into paradise

            They told him to eat freely.

 [Their food is bitter; their beauty is
            corrupt.

            Their food is deceit; their trees are ungodliness.

            Their fruit is poison.

            Their promise is death.]

 They placed the Tree of Their Life into
            the middle of paradise.

 [I will teach you (plural) the secret
            of their life:

            The plan that they made together about an artificial spirit.]

 Its root is bitter

            Its branches are dead.

                        Its shadow is
            hatred

                        Its leaves
            are deception

            The nectar of wickedness is in its blossoms.

                        Its fruit is
            death

                        Its seed is
            desire

            It flowers in the darkness.

                        Those who eat
            from it are denizens of Hades

                        Darkness is
            their resting place.

 As for the tree called The Knowledge
            Of Good And Evil

                        It is the
            Epinoia of the light.

            They commanded him not to eat from it,

            Standing in front to conceal it,

                        For fear that
            he might look upwards to the fullness

                        And know the
            nakedness of his indecency.

 [However, I caused them to eat.

            I asked the Savior,

            Lord, isnt it the serpent that caused Adam to eat?

            He smiled and replied,

            The serpent caused them to eat

            in order to produce the wickedness of the desire to reproduce

            that would make Adam helpful to him.]

 The chief ruler, Yaldabaoth, knew that

                        Because the
            light-filled Epinoia within Adam

                        Made his
            mental abilities greater than his own,

                        Adam had been
            disobedient.

            In order to recover the Power that he had put into Adam

                        Yaldabaoth
            made Adam completely forgetful.

 [I
            asked the Savior, What is it to be completely forgetful?

            He replied, It is not what Moses
            wrote in his first book:

            He caused Adam to fall into deep
            sleep

            Rather, Adams perceptions were
            veiled

            And he became unconscious.

            As he (Yaldabaoth) said through his
            prophet:

            'I will make their minds dull so
            that they do not see or understand.']

  Woman
            Comes into Being

 The light-filled Epinoia hid deep
            within Adam.

                        The Chief
            Ruler tried to remove her from his ribcage,

                        But Epinoia
            cannot be captured.

            Although the darkness pursued her it did not catch her.

 The Chief ruler did remove a portion of
            his Power from Adam

                        To create a
            person with a womans form

                        Modeled on
            the light-filled Epinoia that had been manifested to him.

            He placed the Power removed from the man into the woman.

             [It did
            not happen the way Moses said it did:

                         he
            took a rib and made the woman.]

 Adam saw the woman standing next to
            him.

                        The
            light-filled Epinoia immediately appeared to him

                        She raised up
            the veil that dulled his mind.

                        He sobered up
            from the dark drunkenness

            And he recognized his own counterpart.

 He said: This is bone from my bones

            Flesh from my flesh.

            Because of this a man will leave his mother and father

            And be joined to a woman and those two will become one flesh.

                        For they will
            send his helper to him.

 [Sophia, our sister, came down

                        Descending
            innocently

                        So as to
            regain what she had lost.

            Therefore she was called Life.

                        The Mother of
            the Living

                        The one from
            the Providence of the Authority of Heaven

            By her assistance people can achieve perfect knowledge.]

 I appeared as an eagle perched on the
            Tree of Knowledge!

                        [Which is the
            Epinoia from the pure Providence of Light.]

            In order to teach them

                        And raise
            them up from sleeps depths.

            [For the two of them were fallen and aware of their nakedness.

                        Epinoia
            appeared as a being full of light

                        She
            enlightened their minds.]

 When Yaldabaoth discovered that they
            had moved away from him

                        He cursed his
            earth.

                        He located
            the woman as she was preparing herself for her man.

            He gave the woman over so that the man might be her master,

                        Because he
            did not know the secret of the divine strategy.

 The man and woman were too terrified to
            renounce Yaldabaoth,

                        Who showed
            his ignorance to his angels

            And he cast both of them out of paradise

                        Dressing them
            in heavy darkness.

            The Chief Archon saw the young woman who was standing by Adam.

                        He realized
            that the light-filled Epinoia of life was within her.

                        Yaldabaoth
            became completely ignorant.

            [When the Providence of all saw what was going to happen

                        She sent
            assistants to remove Divine Life from Eve.]

 Yaldabaoth raped Eve.

            She bore two sons.

 [Elohim was the name of the first.

            Yahweh was the name of the second.

                        Elohim has a
            bears face.

                        Yahweh has a
            cats face.

            One is righteous;

            One is not.

            Yahweh is righteous;

            Elohim is not.

            Yahweh would command fire and wind

            Elohim would command water and earth.]

 Yaldabaoth deceptively named the two:
            Cain and Abel.

 [From then until now sexual intercourse
            has persisted

                        Thanks to the
            Chief Ruler

                        Who put
            desire for reproduction into the woman who accompanies Adam.

                        Through
            intercourse the Ruler caused new human bodies to be produced

                        And he blew
            his artificial spirit into each of them.]

 Yaldabaoth installed the two with
            authority over natural elements

                        So they can
            to rule over the tomb.

 The
            Children of Seth Populate the World

 Adam had intercourse with the image of
            his foreknowledge (prognosis)

            He begot a son like the Son of Man

                        And he called
            that son Seth

                        Modeling him
            on the heavenly race in the higher realms.

 In the same way the mother sent down
            her spirit

                        The image of
            herself

                        A model of
            the full higher realm,

            In order to prepare a place for the descent of the realms.

 The Chief Ruler, though, forced the
            humans to drink

                        From waters
            of forgetfulness

                        So that they
            might not know their true place of origin.

 The children (of Seth) remained in this
            condition for a while

            In order that when the Spirit descends from the holy realms

            The Spirit can raise up the children and heal them from all defects

            And thus restore complete holiness to the fullness of God.

             Six Questions about the
            Soul

 I asked the Savior, Lord, will every
            soul be saved and enter the pure light?

 He replied, You are asking an
            important question, one it will be impossible to answer for anyone who
            is not a member of the unmoved race. They are the people upon whom the
            Spirit of Life will descend and the power will enable them to be saved
            and to become perfect and worthy of greatness. They expunge evil from
            themselves and they will care nothing for wickedness, wanting only that
            which is not corrupt. They will achieve freedom from rage, envy,
            jealousy, desire, or craving.

 The physical body will negatively
            effect them. They wear it as they look forward to the time when they
            will meet up with those who will remove it. Those people deserve
            indestructible eternal life. They endure everything, bearing up under
            everything that happens so that they can deserve the good and inherit
            life eternal.

 Then I asked him, Lord, what about the
            souls who didnt do these things even though the Spirit of Lifes power
            descended on them?

 He answered, If the Spirit descends to
            people they will be transformed and saved. The power descends on
            everyone and, without it, no one can even stand up. After they are born,
            if the Spirit of Life increases in them, power comes to them and their
            souls are strengthened. Nothing then can leave them astray into
            wickedness. But if the artificial spirit comes into people, it leads
            them astray.

 Then I said, Lord, when souls come out
            of the flesh where do they go?

 He replied, smiling, If the soul is
            strong it has more of power than it has of the artificial spirit and so
            it flees from wickedness. With the assistance of the Incorruptible One
            that soul is saved and it attains eternal rest.

 I then asked him, Lord, what of the
            souls of the people who do not know whose people they are? Where do they
            go?

 He responded, In those people the
            artificial spirit has grown strong and they have gone astray. Their
            souls are burdened, drawn to wickedness, and cast into forgetfulness.

 When they come forth from the body,
            such a soul is given over to the powers created by the rulers, bound in
            chains, and cast into prison again. Around and around it goes until it
            manages to become free from forgetfulness through knowledge. And so,
            eventually, it becomes perfect and is saved.

 Then I asked, Lord, how does the soul
            shrink down so as to be able to enter its mother or a man?

 He was happy that I asked this and
            said, You are truly blessed because you have understood. The soul
            should be guided by another within whom is the Spirit of Life. It will
            be saved by that means and accordingly will not have to enter a body
            again.

 And I said, Lord, what happens to the
            souls of people who achieved true knowledge, but who turned away from
            it?

 He said to me, Demons of poverty will
            take them to a place where there is no possibility of repentance. There
            they will stay until the time when those who blasphemed against the
            spirit will be tortured and subjected to punishment forever.

 I asked, Lord, where did the
            artificial spirit come from?

 And he told me:

             Three Plots
            against Humanity

 The Mother-Father is merciful

                        A Holy
            Spirit sympathizing with us.

            Through the Epinoia of the Providence of the light

                        It raises up
            the children of the perfect race

                        Raising up
            their thought, their light eternal.

 When the Chief Archon learned that they
            were elevated above him

                        And that
            their mental ability surpassed his

            He wanted to put a stop to their thought

                        But he did
            not know the extent of their mental superiority

            And he could not stop them.

 He made a plan with his demons

                        Who are his
            powers

            Each of them fornicated with Wisdom (Sophia)

                        And produced
            fate

                        The last
            variety of imprisonment.

 Fate changes unpredictably

                        It is of
            different sorts just as the demons are of different sorts.

            Fate is hard.

            Fate is stronger than

                        The gods, the
            authorities, the demons, the generations of people

                        Who are
            caught up in it.

 Out of fate emerged

                        Sinfulness,
            violence, blasphemy, forgetfulness, ignorance,

            Weighty commandments

            Heavy sins

                        Terrible
            fear.

            In this way all of creation became blind,

                        Ignorant of
            God above everything.

 Because of imprisonment in
            forgetfulness

                        They are
            unaware of their sins,

                        They are
            bound into periods of time and seasons

            By fate who is lord of it all.

 Yaldabaoth eventually came to regret
            everything he had created.

                        He decided to
            bring a great flood

                        Upon
            creation, upon mankind.

 But the great light of Providence
            warned Noah.

                        He preached
            to all of the children,

                        The sons of
            men,

            But if they were strangers to him they didnt listen.

             [It was
            not the way Moses said: they hid in an ark.

                        Rather, they
            hid in a special place,

                        Not just Noah

                        but also many
            other people from the immovable race.

                        They went
            into hiding within a cloud of light.]

 Noah knew his own authority

                        And that of
            the light Being who illuminated them

                        Although the
            Chief Ruler poured darkness over all the world.

 The Chief Ruler and his powers plotted
            a strategy,

                        To send his
            demons to human daughters

                        And make
            themselves children by them to enjoy.

            But they failed.

 After their failure they made another
            plan.

                        They created
            an artificial spirit

                        Modeled on
            the Spirit who descended

            So, to impregnate souls by means of this spirit,

                        The demons
            changed appearance

                        to look like
            the womens husbands

                        They filled
            the women with that spirit of darkness and wickedness.

 They brought into being

                        Gold and
            silver,

                        Money and
            coins,

                        Iron and
            other metals and all things of this sort.

 And the people who were attracted were
            led astray into troubles

                        And were
            greatly misled.

                        And grew old

            Experiencing no pleasure,

                        And died

            Finding no truth,

                        Never knowing
            the true God.

 This is the way that they enslaved all
            of creation

                        From the
            foundation of the world until now.

 [They took some women and produced
            children out of darkness

                        And they
            closed their hearts

                        And they
            hardened themselves

            in the hardness of their artificial spirit

            Until the present day.]

              The Providence Hymn

 I am the Providence of everything.

            I became like my own human children.

 I existed from the first.

            I walked down every possible road.

 I am the wealth of the light.

            I am the remembering of the fullness.

 I walked into the place of greatest
            darkness and on down.

            I entered the central part of the prison.

 The foundations of chaos quaked.

 I hid because of their evil.

                        They did not
            recognize me.

 I came down a second time

                        continuing on.

 I emerged from among those of light

            I am the remembering of Providence

 I entered the middle of darkness,

                        The inner
            part of the underworld

                        To pursue my
            mission.

 The foundations of chaos quaked.

                        Threatening
            to collapse upon all who were there

                        And utterly
            destroy them

 I soared upward again

                        To my roots
            in light

                        So as not to
            destroy them all yet.

 I descended a third time.

 I am light

            I am dwelling in light

            I am the remembering of Providence

 I entered the midst of darkness

            I came to the deepest part of the underworld.

 I let my face light up

                        Thinking of
            the end of their time

            I entered their prison

                        The body is
            that prison

 I cried out:

                        Anyone who
            hears,

            Rise up from your deep sleep!

 And the sleeping one awoke and wept

                        Wiping bitter
            tears saying

                        Who calls
            me?

                        Where has my
            hope come from

            As I lie in the depths of this prison?

 I am the Providence of pure light, I
            replied,

            I am the thought of the Virgin Spirit

                        Raising you
            up to an honored place.

                        Rise up!

            Remember what you have heard.

                        Trace back
            your roots

            To me.

                        The merciful
            one.

            Guard against the poverty demons.

            Guard against the chaos demons.

            Guard against all who would bind you.

                        Awaken!

                        Stay awake!

                        Rise out of
            the depths of the underworld!

 I raised him up

            I sealed him with the light/water of the five seals.

            Death had no power over him ever again.

  I ascend again to the perfect realm.

            I completed everything and you
            have heard it.

 Conclusion

 I have told you everything now so that
            you can write it all down

            And share it with your fellow spirits secretly

            For this is the mystery of the unmoved race.

 The Savior gave all of this to him to
            write and to keep carefully. He said to him, Anyone who exchanges it
            for a present, or for food, or for drink, or for clothing, or for
            anything else of that sort will be cursed.

            These things came to John in a mystery.

            Instantly the Savior vanished.

 John came to his fellow disciples and
            told them what the Savior had said to him.

 Jesus the Christ.

            Amen.

  The Apocryphon of
            John

  © 2005 by Stevan Davies

            This translation is presented in the Gnostic Society Library by
            exclusive permission of the author.

All rights including right of
            electronic reproduction are reserved by the author.

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