On the Origin of the World

On the Origin of the World

Seeing that both the gods of the world and human beings say that nothing existed before Chaos, I will show that they are mistaken, for they do not know the origin of Chaos or its root. This is the demonstration.

People commonly say that Chaos is a kind of darkness. Yet it came from a shadow called Darkness, and the shadow came from something that existed from the beginning. Therefore that first product existed before Chaos, and Chaos came after it. Let us consider the first product from which Chaos was cast forth, so that the truth may be made clear.

When the natural order of the immortal beings had been completed from the Boundless, a likeness flowed forth from Pistis, called Sophia. She willed, and her will became a product resembling the first light. At once it appeared as the likeness of a heaven of immeasurable greatness, standing between the immortals and the things that came after them, like [text missing]. She became a veil dividing those below from the things above.

The eternal realm of truth has no shadow outside it, because limitless light is everywhere within it. But outside it is shadow, and this was called Darkness. From the shadow appeared a power ruling over darkness. The powers that came afterward called the shadow limitless Chaos. From it every kind of divinity sprang up, together with the whole region below. Thus the shadow came after the first product. It appeared in the abyss and derived from Pistis.

The shadow perceived that something stronger than itself existed and became envious. Conceiving by itself, it brought forth Jealousy. From that day the principle of jealousy appeared among the eternal realms and their worlds. This jealousy was an abortion without spirit. Like a shadow it came into being in a vast watery substance. The bitterness arising from the shadow was cast into a part of Chaos, and from that day the watery substance became manifest. What sank within it flowed away and became visible in Chaos. As the excess matter of a woman flows out in childbirth, so matter came from the shadow and was cast apart. Yet it did not leave Chaos, but remained within a part of it.

When these things had occurred, Pistis appeared over the matter of Chaos, which had been expelled like a miscarried child, for there was no spirit in it. All of Chaos was limitless darkness and bottomless water. When Pistis saw what had arisen from her deficiency, she was disturbed. Her disturbance appeared as a fearful product and rushed toward her in Chaos. She turned toward it and breathed into its face in the abyss beneath all the heavens.

Pistis Sophia desired to give form to the spiritless thing and to appoint one to rule over matter and all its powers. Then for the first time a ruler appeared from the waters. He was lion-faced and androgynous, possessed great authority, and did not know from where he had come. When Pistis Sophia saw him moving in the depth of the waters, she said, “Child, pass through to this place,” which is interpreted Yalda Baoth.

From that day the principle of speech appeared and reached gods, angels, and human beings; and through speech they completed what came into being. The ruler Yaldabaoth did not know the power of Pistis. He did not see her face, but only the likeness in the water that spoke to him. Because of that voice he called himself Yaldabaoth. The perfect call him Ariel, because he was like a lion. When he had received authority over matter, Pistis Sophia withdrew to her light.

The ruler saw only his own greatness, for he saw nothing besides water and darkness, and supposed that he alone existed. His thought was completed through speech and appeared as a spirit moving upon the waters. When the spirit appeared, the ruler divided the watery substance. He separated the dry region and made from matter a dwelling for himself, calling it Heaven. From matter he also made a footstool, calling it Earth.

The ruler then thought according to his nature and through speech created an androgynous being. He opened his mouth and breathed toward him. When the being’s eyes opened, he looked at his father and cried, “Eee.” His father called him Yao. He created a second son and breathed toward him. When his eyes opened, he said, “Eh,” and his father called him Eloai. He created a third son and breathed toward him. When his eyes opened, he said, “Asss,” and his father called him Astaphaios. These are the three sons of their father.

Seven androgynous powers appeared in Chaos. Each possessed a masculine and a feminine name. The first was Yaldabaoth, whose feminine name was Pronoia Sambathas, meaning Week. His son Yao had the feminine name Lordship. Sabaoth had the feminine name Deity. Adonaios had the feminine name Kingship. Eloaios had the feminine name Jealousy. Oraios had the feminine name Wealth. Astaphaios had the feminine name Sophia. These are the seven powers of the seven heavens of Chaos. They were born androgynous according to the immortal pattern that preceded them, by the will of Pistis, so that the likeness of what existed from the beginning might reign until the end.

The chief parent Yaldabaoth, possessing great authority, made heavens for each of his offspring through speech. He made them beautiful as dwelling places. In each heaven he established glories seven times excellent: thrones, mansions, temples, chariots, virgin spirits, and invisible hosts, together with gods, lords, angels, and archangels in innumerable multitudes to serve them.

These heavens were completed up to the sixth heaven, the heaven of Sophia. The lowest heaven and its earth were destroyed by the troublemaker beneath them, and the six heavens shook violently. When Pistis learned of the destruction caused by the disturbance, she sent forth her breath, bound the troublemaker, and cast him into Tartarus. From that day the heaven and its earth were established through Sophia, the daughter of Yaldabaoth, who is beneath them all.

When the heavens, their powers, and their administrations had been established, the chief parent became arrogant. He was honoured by the whole army of angels, and all the gods and their angels blessed and glorified him. Delighting in himself, he continually boasted, “I need no one. I am God, and no other exists apart from me.” By saying this he sinned against all the immortal beings who answer, and they charged his sin against him.

When Pistis saw the impiety of the chief ruler, she was filled with anger. Remaining invisible, she said, “You are mistaken, Samael,” that is, “blind god.” “An immortal human of light existed before you. He will appear among your fashioned forms and trample you as potter’s clay is crushed. You and those belonging to you will descend to your mother, the abyss. At the completion of your works, the whole deficiency that appeared from the truth will be abolished. It will cease and become as though it had never existed.” Having spoken, Pistis revealed the likeness of her greatness in the waters and withdrew to her light.

When Sabaoth, son of Yaldabaoth, heard the voice of Pistis, he praised her and condemned his father [text missing] because of the word of Pistis. He praised her for teaching them about the immortal human and his light. Pistis Sophia stretched out her finger and poured upon him light from her light as a condemnation of his father. When Sabaoth was illumined, he received great authority over all the powers of Chaos, and from that day he was called Lord of the Powers.

He hated his father, Darkness, and his mother, the Abyss. He also loathed his sister, the Thought of the chief parent, which moved upon the waters. Because of his light, all the rulers of Chaos envied him, and a great war arose in the seven heavens. When Pistis Sophia saw the war, she sent seven archangels from her light to Sabaoth. They seized him and carried him into the seventh heaven, standing before him as servants. She sent three more archangels and established his kingdom over all, so that he might dwell above the twelve gods of Chaos.

When Sabaoth received the place of rest because of his repentance, Pistis gave him her daughter Zoe, Life, with great authority, so that she might teach him about all things in the eighth heaven. He first made for himself a great and magnificent mansion, seven times greater than those in the seven heavens.

Before the mansion he made a great throne upon a four-faced chariot called Cherubim. The Cherubim had eight forms on each of its four sides: forms of lions, calves, humans, and eagles, sixty-four forms in all. Seven archangels stood before it, and Sabaoth was the eighth. Altogether they made seventy-two. From this chariot the seventy-two gods took form, to rule over the seventy-two languages of the peoples. Beside the throne he made serpent-like angels called Seraphim, who praise him continually.

He then made a congregation of innumerable angels resembling the congregation of the eighth heaven, and a firstborn called Israel, meaning “the one who sees God.” He made another called Jesus Christ, resembling the Saviour above in the eighth heaven, and seated him at his right upon an honoured throne. At his left sat the virgin of the Holy Spirit upon a throne, glorifying him. Seven virgins stood before her [text missing], possessing thirty harps, lyres, and trumpets, and praising him. All the armies of angels glorified and blessed him.

He sat upon a throne of light within a great cloud that covered him. No one was with him in the cloud except Sophia, daughter of Pistis, teaching him about all that exists in the eighth heaven, so that likenesses of those things might be made and his kingdom endure until the end of the heavens of Chaos and their powers.

Pistis Sophia separated him from Darkness and placed him at her right, while she placed the chief parent at her left. From that day the right was called Justice and the left Wickedness. Therefore they received their regions within the assembly of Justice and Wickedness. [Text damaged]

When the chief parent of Chaos saw his son Sabaoth and the glory in which he dwelt, and perceived that he had become greatest among the rulers of Chaos, he envied him. In wrath he brought forth Death from his own death, and Death was established over the sixth heaven, from which Sabaoth had been taken. Thus the number of the six rulers of Chaos was completed.

Death, being androgynous, mingled with its own nature and begot seven androgynous offspring. Their masculine names were Jealousy, Wrath, Tears, Groaning, Suffering, Lamentation, and Bitter Weeping. Their feminine names were Wrath, Pain, Lust, Groaning, Curse, Bitterness, and Strife. They joined with one another, and each begot seven, making forty-nine androgynous demons.

In their presence Zoe, who was with Sabaoth, created seven good androgynous powers. Their masculine names were Unenvious, Blessed, Joyful, True, Ungrudging, Beloved, and Faithful. Their feminine names were Peace, Gladness, Rejoicing, Blessedness, Truth, Love, and Faith. From these came many good and innocent spirits.

When the chief parent saw the likeness of Pistis in the waters and heard her voice like the first voice that had called to him, he grieved greatly. Realising that she had named him, he sighed and was ashamed because of his transgression. When he learned that an immortal human of light existed before him, he was greatly disturbed, for he had told all the gods and angels, “I am God, and no other exists apart from me.” He had feared that they might learn of one who existed before him and condemn him. Yet lacking understanding, he mocked the condemnation and said recklessly, “If anything existed before me, let it appear, so that we may see its light.”

Immediately light came from the eighth heaven and passed through all the heavens of the earth. When the chief parent saw its beauty, he marvelled and was deeply ashamed. Within the light appeared a wondrous human likeness. No one saw the likeness except the chief parent and Pronoia who was with him, though its light appeared to all the heavenly powers, and they were troubled.

When Pronoia saw the messenger, she loved him, but he hated her because she belonged to darkness. She desired to embrace him but could not. Unable to satisfy her love, she poured her light upon the earth. From that day the messenger was called Adam of Light, interpreted “the luminous human of blood,” and the earth spread over him was called Holy Adaman, interpreted “the holy adamantine earth.” From that day all the rulers honoured the blood of the virgin. The earth was purified because of that blood, and above all the waters were purified through the likeness of Pistis Sophia that had appeared to the chief parent in the waters. Therefore it is rightly said, “through the waters,” for the holy water gives life to all and purifies it.

From that first blood Eros appeared, androgynous. His masculine aspect, Himeros, was fire from the light. His feminine aspect, a soul of blood, came from the substance of Pronoia. He was exceedingly beautiful, surpassing every creature of Chaos. When the gods and their angels saw Eros, they desired him. Appearing in each of them, he kindled them, as many lamps are lit from one lamp while the first light is not diminished. Thus Eros was dispersed among all the creatures of Chaos and was not diminished.

As Eros appeared between light and darkness, and the union of Eros was accomplished between angels and humans, so the first pleasure blossomed from the earth. Woman followed the earth; marriage followed woman; birth followed marriage; and dissolution followed birth.

After Eros, the vine sprang from the blood poured upon the earth. Therefore those who drink from it conceive desire for union. After the vine came the fig and pomegranate, and then every kind of tree, each bearing within it seed from the rulers and their angels.

Justice then created Paradise, beautiful and outside the paths of the moon and sun, in the land of delight toward the east among the stones. Desire stood among its beautiful and pleasant trees. The tree of eternal life appeared by the will of God in the north of Paradise, to make eternal the souls of the pure who would come from the fashioned forms of poverty at the end of the age. Its colour was like the sun, its branches beautiful, its leaves like cypress, its fruit like white clusters of grapes, and its height reached heaven.

Beside it stood the tree of knowledge, possessing the strength of God. Its glory was like the full moon, its branches beautiful, its leaves like fig leaves, and its fruit like good, desirable dates. It stood in the north of Paradise to awaken souls from the stupor of demons, so that they might approach the tree of life, eat its fruit, and condemn the rulers and their angels. Its power is described in the Sacred Book: “You are the tree of knowledge in Paradise, from which the first human ate. It opened his mind; he loved his female companion, condemned the alien likenesses, and loathed them.”

After it the olive tree sprang up to purify the righteous kings and high priests who would appear in the last days, for it came from the light of the first Adam for the sake of the anointing they would receive.

The first soul loved Eros, who was with her, and poured her blood upon him and upon the earth. From that blood the rose first sprang from the earth, out of the thorn bush, to become joy for the light that would appear in the bush. After this, beautiful fragrant flowers of every kind sprang from the earth from each virgin daughter of Pronoia, for when they desired Eros they poured their blood upon him and the earth. Then every kind of plant appeared, containing seed from the rulers and their angels. Afterward the rulers made from the waters every kind of beast, reptile, and bird, each bearing their seed.

Before all these things, when Adam of Light appeared on the first day, he remained upon the earth about two days, left the lower Pronoia in heaven, and ascended toward his light. Immediately darkness covered the whole universe. Sophia in the lower heaven received authority from Pistis and fashioned great lights and all the stars. She set them in the sky to shine upon the earth and to determine signs, seasons, years, months, days, nights, moments, and all their measures. Thus the whole region of the sky was adorned.

When Adam of Light desired to enter his light, the eighth heaven, he could not because the poverty mingled with his light. Therefore he made for himself a vast eternal realm, and within it six eternal realms with their adornments, seven times better than the heavens of Chaos and their adornments. All these realms exist within the infinity between the eighth heaven and Chaos below, and they are counted with the universe belonging to poverty.

Before Adam of Light withdrew from Chaos, the rulers saw him and laughed at the chief parent because he had lied, saying, “I am God, and none existed before me.” They said to him, “Is this not the god who has ruined our work?” He answered, “Yes. If you do not wish him to ruin our work, come, let us make a human from the earth according to the image of our bodies and the likeness of this being, to serve us. When he sees his likeness he may desire it and no longer destroy our work. We shall make those born from the light our servants throughout this age.”

All this occurred according to the forethought of Pistis, so that the human should appear according to the likeness of the light and condemn the rulers through their fashioned body. Their fashioned body became an enclosure of the light.

The rulers then received the knowledge needed to make the human. But Sophia Zoe, who was with Sabaoth, anticipated them and laughed at their plan. They were blind, and unknowingly acted against themselves. They did not understand what they were about to do. She made her own human first so that it might teach their fashioned form to despise them and escape from them.

The instructor was produced in this way. Sophia let a drop of light fall upon the water, and immediately an androgynous human appeared. She first formed the drop as a female body and then fashioned it according to the likeness of the Mother who had appeared. It was completed in twelve months. An androgynous human was produced, whom the Greeks call Hermaphroditos. The Hebrews call its mother Eve of Life, the female instructor of life. Her offspring is the ruling creature. Afterwards the rulers called it Beast, saying it would lead their fashioned creatures astray. Yet the meaning of Beast is Instructor, for it was found to be the wisest of all beings.

Eve is the first virgin, who bore her first offspring without a husband and served as her own midwife. Therefore she is said to have spoken:

“I am the part of my mother, and I am the mother. I am the wife, and I am the virgin. I am pregnant, and I am the midwife. I am the one who comforts the pains of birth. My husband bore me, and I am his mother. He is my father and my lord. He is my power; what he desires, he speaks with reason. I am becoming, yet I have borne a man as lord.”

[Text damaged] The souls destined to enter the fashioned bodies of the rulers were revealed to Sabaoth and his Christ. Concerning them the holy voice said, “Increase and become better; rule over every creature.” Yet according to their destinies they were captured by the chief parent and shut into the prisons of fashioned bodies until the completion of the age.

At that time the chief parent gave counsel concerning the human to those with him. Each cast his seed into the navel of the earth. From that day the seven rulers fashioned the human, his body resembling their bodies but his likeness resembling the human who had appeared to them. They fashioned him part by part. Their leader fashioned the brain and the system of nerves. He appeared as one existing before him and became a soul-endowed human. He was called Adam, meaning Father, after the name of the one who existed before him.

When they had finished Adam, they left him as a lifeless vessel, formed like an abortion because no spirit was in him. Remembering the word of Pistis, the chief ruler feared that the true human might enter the fashioned body and become its lord. Therefore he left it without soul for forty days and withdrew. On the fortieth day Sophia Zoe sent her breath into the soulless Adam. He began to move upon the earth but could not stand.

When the seven rulers came and saw him, they were greatly disturbed. They seized him, and the chief ruler said to the breath within him, “Who are you, and from where have you come?” It answered, “I came from the power of the Human to destroy your work.” Hearing this, they glorified him because he released them from their fear and anxiety. They called that day Rest, because they had rested from their labour. When they saw that Adam could stand, they rejoiced, placed him in Paradise, and withdrew to their heavens.

After the day of rest, Sophia sent her daughter Zoe, called Eve, as an instructor to make the soulless Adam arise, so that those he would beget might become vessels of light. Seeing her male counterpart lying helpless, Eve pitied him and said, “Adam, live! Rise upon the earth!” Her word immediately became deed. Adam rose and opened his eyes. Seeing her, he said, “You shall be called Mother of the Living, for you gave me life.”

The rulers learned that their fashioned form had come alive and risen. Greatly troubled, they sent seven archangels to see what had happened. When they saw Eve speaking with Adam, they said, “What is this luminous woman? She resembles the likeness that appeared to us in the light. Come, let us seize her and cast our seed into her, so that she may be defiled and unable to ascend to her light, and those she bears may come under our authority. But let us not tell Adam, for he is not one of us. Let us cast a deep sleep upon him and teach him in sleep that she came from his rib, so that the woman may obey him and he may rule over her.”

Eve, being a power, laughed at their plan. She cast mist over their eyes, secretly left her likeness beside Adam, entered the tree of knowledge, and remained there. They pursued her, but she revealed that she had entered the tree and become a tree. The blind ones were filled with fear and fled.

When they recovered, they returned to Adam. Seeing the likeness of the woman beside him, they thought it was the true Eve. They rashly seized it and cast their seed upon it. They defiled it in natural and unnatural ways, first defiling the seal of her voice that had spoken to them, “What exists before you?” They intended to defile those who at the end of the age would say they had been born from the true Human through the word. But they erred, not knowing that they had defiled their own body. It was the likeness that the rulers and their angels defiled in every way.

The likeness first conceived Abel by the first ruler. Through the seven rulers and their angels she bore the other offspring. All this happened according to the forethought of the chief parent, so that the first mother might bear every seed within her, mixed and fitted to the fate and structures of the universe and to Justice. A plan had been prepared concerning Eve, so that the fashioned bodies of the rulers might become enclosures of light and the light might condemn them through those bodies.

The first Adam, Adam of Light, was spirit-endowed and appeared on the first day. The second Adam was soul-endowed and appeared on the sixth day, called the day of Aphrodite. The third Adam was earthly, the human of the law, and appeared on the eighth day [text damaged], the repose of poverty, called the Day of the Sun. The descendants of the earthly Adam became numerous and complete. They possessed every kind of knowledge belonging to the soul-endowed Adam, yet remained in ignorance.

When the rulers saw Adam and the female creature wandering in ignorance like beasts, they rejoiced. But when they learned that the immortal Human would not abandon them and that they had reason to fear the woman who had become a tree, they were disturbed. They said, “Perhaps this is the true Human who cast mist over us and taught us that the defiled likeness is like him. Then we shall be conquered.”

The seven took counsel and approached Adam and Eve timidly. They said, “You may eat the fruit of every tree created for you in Paradise, but restrain yourselves from the tree of knowledge. Do not eat from it, for if you eat you will die.” Having filled them with fear, they withdrew to their authorities.

Then the wisest of all creatures, called Beast, came. Seeing the likeness of its mother Eve, it said, “What did God say to you? Did he say, ‘Do not eat from the tree of knowledge’?” She answered, “He said not only, ‘Do not eat from it,’ but also, ‘Do not touch it, lest you die.’” The instructor said, “Do not fear. You will not die. He knows that when you eat from it your mind will become sober, and you will be like gods, knowing the difference between evil and good. He spoke from jealousy so that you would not eat.”

Eve trusted the instructor’s words. She looked at the tree and saw that it was beautiful and desirable. She took its fruit and ate, and gave some to her husband, and he also ate. Their minds opened, and the light of knowledge shone upon them. When they clothed themselves in shame, they understood that they had been naked of knowledge. Becoming sober, they saw their nakedness and desired one another. When they saw that those who had fashioned them possessed the forms of beasts, they loathed them and understood much.

When the rulers learned that they had broken the command, they entered Paradise with earthquake and great threats to see the result of the aid they had received. Adam and Eve trembled and hid among the trees. The rulers, not knowing where they were, called, “Adam, where are you?” He answered, “I am here. I hid because I feared you and was ashamed.” They said in ignorance, “Who told you of the shame with which you clothed yourself, unless you ate from that tree?” He answered, “The woman you gave me gave it to me, and I ate.” They said to her, “What have you done?” She answered, “The instructor urged me, and I ate.”

The rulers approached the instructor, but their eyes became clouded because of it, and they could do nothing. Powerless, they cursed it. Then they cursed the woman and her offspring. After the woman they cursed Adam, the earth because of him, the crops, and everything they had made. They possess no blessing. Good cannot come from evil.

From that day the rulers knew that something stronger than they existed, though they knew only that their command had not been kept. Great jealousy entered the world because of the immortal Human. Seeing that their Adam had entered an alien knowledge, they desired to test him. They gathered the domestic animals, the wild beasts, and the birds and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. When he saw them, he named their creatures.

They were troubled because Adam had passed every test. They took counsel and said, “Adam has become like one of us, knowing the difference between light and darkness. Perhaps he will now approach the tree of life, eat from it, become immortal and lord, despise us and our glory, and condemn us with our universe. Come, let us expel him from Paradise to the earth from which he was taken, so that he will no longer know anything greater than we know.” They expelled Adam and his wife from Paradise.

Still afraid, they went to the tree of life and surrounded it with terrifying fiery living creatures called Cherubim. They set a flaming sword among them, turning fearfully at all times, so that no earthly being might enter that place.

Because they envied Adam, the rulers wanted to shorten the lives of Adam and Eve. They could not do so because of Fate, fixed from the beginning, for each had been allotted one thousand years according to the courses of the luminous bodies. Yet each evildoer took ten years away, leaving nine hundred and thirty years filled with pain, weakness, and evil distraction. Thus life has been from that day until the completion of the age.

When Sophia Zoe saw that the rulers of darkness had cursed her counterparts, she was indignant. Coming from the first heaven in full power, she drove the rulers from their heavens and cast them into the sinful world, where they would dwell as evil spirits upon the earth.

[Text missing] so that in their world it might complete the thousand years in Paradise: a soul-endowed living creature called Phoenix. It kills itself and returns to life as a witness against the rulers because they wronged Adam and his descendants until the end of the age.

There are three humans and their descendants until the completion of the world: the eternal spirit-endowed, the soul-endowed, and the earthly. Likewise there are three phoenixes in Paradise. The first is immortal; the second lives one thousand years; the third, as written in the Sacred Book, is consumed. There are also three baptisms: the first spiritual, the second by fire, and the third by water.

As the phoenix appears as a witness concerning the angels, so the water-creature of Egypt is a witness to those who descend into the baptism of the true Human. The two bulls in Egypt possess a mystery, the sun and moon, bearing witness to Sabaoth: over them Sophia received the universe. From the day she made the sun and moon, she sealed her heaven for eternity.

The worm born from the phoenix is also a human. Concerning it is written, “The righteous will blossom like a phoenix.” The phoenix first appears alive, then dies and rises again, a sign of what will appear at the completion of the age. Only in Egypt did these great signs appear, as a likeness of the Paradise of God.

Let us return to the rulers. When the seven rulers were cast from their heavens to the earth, they made for themselves numerous demonic angels to serve them. These taught humanity every kind of error: magic, potions, worship of idols, shedding of blood, altars, temples, sacrifices, and libations to all the spirits of the earth. Their co-worker was Fate, born from the agreement between the gods of injustice and justice.

Thus, from the time the world came into being, it wandered continually in distraction. All people on earth worshipped spirits from creation until the completion: both angels of righteousness and humans of unrighteousness. In this way the world existed in distraction, ignorance, and stupor. All wandered until the appearance of the true Human.

Let this be sufficient concerning these matters. We shall now consider our world, so that the account of its structure and administration may be completed accurately. Then it will be evident how faith in the unseen realm, which has been manifest from creation to the end of the age, was discovered.

I now come to the chief matters concerning the immortal Human. I will speak of all who belong to him and explain how they came to be here.

When a multitude of human beings had arisen from the fashioned Adam and from matter, and the world had become full, the rulers dominated it by holding it in ignorance. The reason is this: the immortal Father knew that a deficiency of truth had appeared among the eternal realms and their universe. Wishing to destroy the rulers of perdition through the very creatures they had fashioned, he sent your likenesses into the world of perdition, the blessed, innocent, little spirits.

They are not strangers to knowledge, for all knowledge dwells in one angel who appeared before them and is powerful in the Father’s presence. He gave them knowledge. Whenever they appear in the world of perdition, they first reveal the pattern of imperishability as a condemnation of the rulers and their powers.

When the blessed ones appeared in bodies fashioned by the rulers, the rulers envied them. Out of envy they mixed their seed with them, hoping to defile them, but they could not. When the blessed ones appeared in luminous form, they appeared in many ways. Each, beginning in his own land, revealed his knowledge to the visible assembly formed from the fashioned bodies of perdition. The assembly was found to contain every kind of seed because the seed of the rulers had mingled with it.

Then the Saviour created [text missing] of them all. Their spirits are plainly superior, blessed and differing in election. He also created many other beings without a king, superior to all who preceded them. Therefore four races exist. Three belong to the kings of the eighth heaven, but the fourth is kingless, perfect, and highest of all. These will enter the holy place of their Father and receive rest in repose, eternal and unspeakable glory, and joy without end. Though they dwell in the mortal domain, they are kings because they are immortal. They will condemn the gods of Chaos and their powers.

The Word who is above all was sent for this purpose alone: to proclaim the Unknown. He said, “Nothing hidden will remain unrevealed, and what has not been known will become known.” These were sent to reveal what is hidden and to expose the seven rulers of Chaos and their impiety. Thus the rulers were condemned to death.

When all the perfect appeared in the bodies fashioned by the rulers and revealed incomparable truth, they shamed all the wisdom of the gods. Their Fate was exposed as condemnation. Their power withered, their dominion dissolved, and their forethought became emptiness together with their glory.

Before the completion of the age, the whole region will shake with great thunder. The rulers will grieve [text missing] their death. The angels will mourn for their humans; demons will weep for their seasons; and their humans will wail and cry out at their death. Then the age will begin to be disturbed. Their kings will be maddened by the fiery sword and wage war against one another until the earth is drunk with blood. The seas will be troubled by those wars. The sun will grow dark; the moon will cease giving light; and the stars will abandon their courses.

A great thunderclap will come from the mighty power above all the powers of Chaos, where the firmament of the Woman is established. Having made the first product, she will cast away the wise fire of understanding and clothe herself in mindless wrath. She will pursue the gods of Chaos, whom she made together with the chief parent, and cast them into the abyss. They will be destroyed because of their wickedness. They will become like burning mountains and consume one another until they perish by the hand of the chief parent. After destroying them, he will turn against himself and destroy himself until he ceases to exist.

Their heavens will fall one upon another, and their powers will be consumed by fire. Their eternal realms also will be overturned. His heaven will fall and split in two. His [text missing] will fall upon the [text missing] that support them, and they will fall into the abyss. The abyss itself will be overturned.

The light will [text missing] the darkness and abolish it, so that it will be as though it had never existed. The product after which darkness came will dissolve. The deficiency will be uprooted and cast into darkness. The light will return to its root, and the glory of the Unbegotten will appear and fill every eternal realm.

When the prophecy and account of those who are kingless becomes known and is fulfilled by those called perfect, those who have not become perfect in the Unbegotten Father will receive their glory in their own realms and in the kingdoms of the immortals, but they will never enter the kingless realm. For each must go to the place from which each came. By deeds and knowledge, every person will reveal his own nature.