Second Book of Jeu

Second Book of Jeu

Jesus said to his disciples who were gathered to him, the twelve with the women disciples : "Surround me, my twelve disciples and women disciples, so that I say to you the great mysteries of the Treasury of the Light , these in the invisible God which no one knows. Nor can the aeons of the invisible God bear it when you perform them, because they are the great mysteries of the treasury of the innermost of the innermost 5 • And also the aeons of the archons cannot bear it when you perform them, nor are they able to grasp them. But the paralemptai of the Treasury of the Light come and they bring forth the soul from the body, until they pass through all the aeons and the places of the invisible God, and they take it into the Treasury of the Light. And they erase all sins which they have committed knowingly, and those which they have committed unknowingly. And they make them to be pure light. And the soul leaps continually from place to place, until it reaches the Treasury of the Light. And it passes into the interior of the watchers of the Treasury of the Light. And they (the souls) pass into the interior of the three amens 8 • And they pass into the interior of the twins , and they pass into I the interior of the triple-powered one,

and they pass into the interior of the ranks of the five trees , and they pass into the interior of the seven voices 2 • And they exist in the place which is within them, which is the place of the incomprehensible ones of the Treasury of the Light. And furthermore all these ranks give to them their seals and (their) mysteries, because they have received mysteries before they came forth from the body."

But when he had finished saying these things, he said to them once more : "These mysteries which I shall give to you, guard them and do not given them to any man except he is worthy of them. Do not give them to father, or mother, or brother, or sister, or relative, or for food, or for drink, or for a woman, or for gold, or for silver, or for anything at all of this world. Guard them and do not give them to anyone at all for the sake of the goods of this whole world. Do not give them to any woman or to any man who is in any faith of these archons , or who serves them. Neither give them to those who serve the eight powers of the great archon, who are those who eat the menstrual blood of their impurity and the semen of men , saying: "We have known the knowledge of truth, and we pray to the true God." However, their God is wicked. Hear now that I tell you his position. He is the third power of the great archon. Moreover this is his name: Taricheas , the son of Sabaoth, the Adamas 5 • 1 He is the enemy of the Kingdom

of Heaven. His face is that of a (wild) pig 1 • His teeth stick out of his mouth, and he has another face of a lion behind him. Guard yourselves now, do not give (them) to any in that faith, neither say to them the place of the light and those within it, because that is the Treasury of the Light and those within it, and it is that which the unapproachable God emanated. Do not say to them these mysteries of the Treasury of the Light, except to those who will be worthy of them, who (have) left behind (them) the whole world, and all its works and their gods and their godhoods, and they are in no other faith except the faith of the light, according to the way of the Sons of the Light*, who obey one another and submit to one another as Sons of the Light 3 • Now behold, I have spoken with you concerning the mysteries : guard them. Do not give them to any man, except to those who are worthy of them. Now at this time, since you have left behind you your fathers and mothers and brothers and the whole world , and you have followed me, and you have fulfilled all the injunctions with which I have enjoined you, now at this time hear me and I will say to you the mysteries. Truly, truly, I say to you that I will give to you the mystery of the twelve divine aeons and their paralemptors, and the manner of calling upon them, in order to go to their places. And I will give to you I the mystery of the invisible

• Eph. 5.8

God and the paralemptai of that place, and the manner of (calling upon them) 1 in order to go to their places. And after these things I will teach you the mystery of those of the midst and the paralemptai and the manner (of calling upon them in order to go to their places). And I will give to you the mystery of those of the right and their paralemptai and the manner (of calling upon them in order to go to their places). But before all these things I will give to you the three baptisms : the water baptism, the baptism of fire and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. And I will give to you the mystery of taking away from you the evil of the archons. And after these things I will give to you the mystery of the spiritual inunction 3 • And before all things, command him to whom you will give these mysteries not to swear falsely, nor to swear at all, nor to fornicate, nor to commit adultery, nor to steal, nor to desire anything, nor to love silver, nor to love gold, nor to invoke the name of the archons, nor the name of their angels, over any matter, nor to steal, nor to curse, nor to accuse falsely, nor to slander, but to let their yea be yea, and their nay be nay"'. In a word, let them fulfil the injunctions which are good."

Now it happened after Jesus finished saying these words I

• cf. Mt. 5.37; Ja. 5.12

to his disciples they were very sorrowful, and they prostrated themselves at the feet of Jesus, crying out and weeping. They said : "0 Lord, why have you not said to us : I will give to you the mysteries of the Treasury of the Light?" But the heart of Jesus was sorrowful over his disciples, because they had left behind them their fathers and their brothers, and their wives and their children, and they had left behind them the whole life of this world* and they had followed him for twelve years, and they had fulfilled all the injunctions with which he had enjoined them. He answered and said to his disciples: "Truly I say to you: I will give to you the mysteries of the nine watchers of the three gates of the Treasury of the Light, and the manner (of calling upon them in order to go to their places). And also I will give to you the mysteries of the child of the child , and the manner (of calling upon them in order to go to their places). And furthermore after these things I will give to you the mystery of the three amens, and the manner (of calling upon them in order to go to their places). And also I will give to you the mystery of the five (trees) of the Treasury of the Light, and the manner (of calling upon them in order to go to their places). And furthermore after these things I will give to you the mystery of the seven voices and the will of the powers 2 • And also I will give to you the mystery of the great name of all names, which is the great light which surrounds the Treasury of the Light, and the manner (of calling upon it) in order to go to the interior of the seven voices. And truly I say to you and I command you that you perform the mystery of the five trees, and the mystery of the seven voices. and the mystery of the great name which is the great light which surrounds the Treasury of the Light. For he who will perform these will not need any other mysteries of the Kingdom of the Light, except for the mystery of the forgiveness of sins . I • cf. Mt. 19.27, 29; Mk. 10.28; Lk. 18.28,

For it is necessary that every man who will believe in the Kingdom of the Light should perform the mystery of the forgiveness of sins only once. For to every man who will perform the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, all the sins which he has committed knowingly or unknowingly , from his childhood until today, and which he has committed since the foundation of the world until today, will all be erased, and he will be made to be a pure light and taken to the Light of these Lights. And I say to you that since they were on earth they have already inherited the Kingdom of God. They have their part in the Treasury of the Light, and they are immortal gods. And when those who have received these mysteries and the mystery of the forgiveness of sins come forth from the body, all the aeons draw back (one) after another, and they flee to the west to the left on account of the soul which has received the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, until they (the souls) reach the gates of the Treasury of the Light, and the watchers of the gates open to them. When they reach the ranks of the Treasury, the ranks also seal them with their seal and give to them the great name of their mystery, and they pass into their interior. When they reach the rank of the five trees of the Treasury of the Light, they give to them the great name and they seal them with their seal, and they give to them their mystery until they pass into the interior of the seven voices. When they reach that rank, they give to them the great name. And they seal them with their seal and they give to them their mystery until they pass into the interior of the ranks of the fatherless ones, as far as the rank of the places of their inheritance. I

Those ranks give to them the great name. And they seal them with their seal, and they give them their mystery, and they pass into the interior to the rank of the triple spirits. And they give to them the great name and their mystery, and they seal them with their seal until they reach the place of Jeu who is of the treasury of the outermost ones, who is the ruler of the whole treasury. But when they reach that place he gives to them the great name and his mystery, and he seals them with his seal until they go to his interior to the treasury of the innermost ones, to the places of the innermost of the innermost, which is the silence and quietness, and they rest themselves in that place because they have received the mystery of the forgiveness of sins. And I will give to you every mystery, so that I may fulfil you in every mystery of the Kingdom of the Light, so that you may be called : 'Sons of the Pleroma , fulfilled in every mystery.'"

It happened furthermore after these words Jesus called his disciples and said to them : "Come all of you and receive the three baptisms before I say to you the mystery of the archons." Now they all came - men and women disciples - they all surrounded Jesus at the same time. Now Jesus said to them : "Go to Galilee and find a man I or a woman in whom

most of the evil has died. If it be a man, it is that he has not had intercourse , or if it be a woman, it is that she has ceased to practise the communication of women and has not had intercourse. Receive two pitchers of wine from the hands of such a one and bring them to me to this place. And bring me vine branches ." The disciples however brought the two pitchers of wine and the vine branches. But Jesus offered up an offering. He placed a pitcher of wine on the left of the offering and he placed the other pitcher of wine on the right of the offering. He laid juniper upon the offering with kasdalanthos and nard . He made all the disciples to be clothed in linen garments , he placed qnemone plant in their mouths. Andhe placed the cipher of the seven voices, which is, in their two hands, and he placed the sunflower plant in their two hands, and he placed his disciples before the offering. But Jesus stood by the side of the o.f.fering. He spread cloths of linen on a place and he put a cup of wine upon it. And he placed bread-loaves according to the number of the disciples. He laid olive branches upon the place of the o.frering, and he crowned them all with I olive branches . And Jesus sealed

all his disciples with this seal : Its interpretation is this : Its name is : [Text missing]

Jesus with his disciples turned to the four corners of the world. He commanded them that each one of them should place his feet together. He spoke the prayer, saying: [Text missing] Amen, amen, amen [Text missing] Amen, amen, amen [Text missing] Amen, (amen, amen) [Text missing] Amen, (amen, amen) [Text missing] Amen, (amen, amen). Hear me my Father, you father of all fatherhoods, you infinite Light who are in the Treasury of the Light. May the fifteen helpers 4 (parastatai) come, which serve the seven virgins of the light which are over the baptism of life, whose unutterable names are these : Astrapa, Tesphoiode, Ontonios, Sinetos, Lachon, Poditanios, Opakis, Phaedros, Odontuchos, Diaktios, Knesion, Dromios, Euidetos (?), Polypaidos, Entropon. May they come I and baptise my disciples in the water

of life of the seven virgins of the light and forgive their sins, and purify their iniquities and number them among the inheritance of the Kingdom of the Light. If now you have heard me and have had mercy on my disciples, and if they are reckoned in the inheritance of the Kingdom of the Light, and if you have forgiven their sins and have erased their iniquities, may a sign happen. And may Zorokothora come and bring forth the water of the baptism of life in one of these pitchers of wine." And at that moment the sign of which Jesus had spoken happened, and the wine which was on the right of the offering became water. And the disciples came to Jesus, and he baptised them and he gave to them from the offering, and he sealed them with this seal: ~I o And the disciples rejoiced with very great joy because their sins were forgiven, and their iniquities were covered over, and they were numbered among the inheritance of the Kingdom of the Light, and because they were baptised with the water of life of the seven virgins of the light, and they had received the holy seal.

It happened furthermore that Jesus continued with the discourse. He said to his disciples: "Bring me vine branches so that you may receive the baptism of fire." And the disciples brought him vine branches. He offered up I incense. He laid

there juniper and myrrh and frankincense and mastich resin and nard, kasdalanthos, terebinth and balsam. And again he spread cloths of linen on the place of the offering. And he placed upon it a cup of wine, and he placed bread-loaves upon it according to the number of the disciples. And he caused all his disciples to be clothed with linen garments, and he crowned them with verbena plant 1• And he placed anemone plant in their mouths. And he caused the cipher of the seven voices, which is to be placed in their two hands. And he placed the chrysanthemum plant in their two hands, and he placed the knotgrass plant under their feet. And he placed them before the incense which he had offered up. And he caused them to place their feet together. And Jesus came behind the incense which he had offered up. He sealed them with this seal: This is its name: [Text missing] , this is its interpretation : [Text missing] Jesus turned to the four corners of the world with his disciples. He pronounced this prayer, saying thus: "Hear me, my Father, you father of all fatherhoods, you infinite Light. Make my disciples worthy to receive the baptism of I fire. And do you

forgive their sins, and make them to be pur(fied from their iniquities. those which they have committed knowingly and those which they have committed unknowingly, those which they have committed from (their) childhood until today. And (do you erase) their slanders and their curses and their false oaths and their thefts and their lies and their false accusations and their fornications and their adulteries and their desires and their avarice and those things which they have done from their youth until today. Do you erase everything. And do you purify them all and cause Zorokothora Melchisedek to come in secret and bring the water of the baptism of fire of the Virgin of the Light, the judge 2 • Now hear me, my Father, as I call upon your imperishable names which are in the Treasury of the Light: [Text missing] Amen, amen [Text missing] amen, amen, amen [Text missing] amen, amen, amen [Text missing] Hear me, my Father, you father of all fatherhoods, you infinite Light, as I call upon your imperishable names which are in the Treasury

of the Light. Do you cause Zorokothora to come and bring the water of the baptism of fire of the Virgin of the Light, that I may baptise my disciples in it. Now hear me, my Father, you father of all fatherhoods, you infinite Light. May the Virgin of the Light come and baptise my disciples in the baptism of fire and forgive their sins and purify their iniquities, for I call upon her imperishable names, which are these [Text missing] Amen, amen, amen. Now hear me, you Virgin of the Light, you judge, forgive the sins of my disciples and purify their iniquities, those which they have done knowingly, and those which they have done unknowingly, those which they have done from their childhood until today. And may they be numbered among the inheritance of the Kingdom of the Light. Now my Father, if you have forgiven their sins and you have erased their iniquities, and you have caused them to be numbered within the Kingdom of the Light, do you give me a sign in the fire of this fragrant incense. And at that moment the sign of which Jesus had spoken happened in the fire, and Jesus baptised his disciples. And he gave them of the offering, and he sealed them on their foreheads with the seal of the I Virgin of the Light which would make them to be numbered within the Kingdom of the Light. t

And the disciples rejoiced because they had received the baptism of fire, and the .feal which forgives sins, and because they were

This is its seal : ::> I numbered within the inheritance of the Kingdom of the Light.

Now it happened after these things Jesus said to his disciples: "Behold you have received the baptism of water, and the baptism of fire. Come and I will also give to you the baptism of the Holy Spirit." He offered the incense of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. He laid branches of vine and juniper and kasdalanthos and saffron (residue) and mastich (resin) and cinnamon and myrrh and balsam and honey. And he placed two pitchers of wine, one on the right of the incense which he had offered, and one on the left. He laid out bread-loaves according to the number of the disciples. And Jesus sealed the disciples with this seal: This is its name: [Text missing] This is its interpretation : [Text missing]

Now it happened when Jesus had sealed them with this seal, he stood by the side of the incense which he had offered. He placed his disciples before the incense, he clothed them all in linen garments, while the cipher of the seven voices, which is, was in their two hands. Jesus cried out, saying thus : "Hear me, my Father, you father of all fatherhoods, you infinite Light. I call upon your imperishable names of the Treasury of the Light : [Text missing] Hear me, my Father, you father of all (fatherhoods), you infinite Light, for I have called upon your imperishable names of the Treasury of the Light. Forgive the sins of my disciples and erase their iniquities, those which they have committed knowingly and those which they have committed unknowingly, those which they have committed from their childhood until today. And do you make them to be numbered within the inheritance of the Kingdom of the Light. Now my Father, if you have forgiven the sins of my disciples, and you have purified their iniquities, and you have caused them to be numbered within the inheritance of the Kingdom of the Light, give me a sign in the offering." And at that moment the sign of which Jesus had spoken happened, and he baptised all his disciples I with the baptism

of the Holy Spirit. And he gave to them from the offering. He sealed their foreheads with the seal of the seven virgins of the light, which made them to be numbered within the inheritance of the Kingdom of the Light. And the disciples rejoiced with very great joy because they had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and the seal which forgave sins and which purified iniquities and made them to be numbered among the inheritance of the Kingdom of the Light. This is the seal : W. But Jesus performed this mystery while all his disciples were clothed in linen garments and crowned with myrtle; and an anemone of kriste was in their mouths and a single branch of mugwort in their two hands, and their feet were placed together, and they turned themselves to the four corners of the world.

It happened moreover after these things Jesus offered the incense of the mystery which took away the evil of the archons from the disciples. He caused them to build an incense-altar upon thalassia plants (?). He laid upon it vine branches, and juniper and betel and kuoschi (?), and asbestos and agate-stone and frankincense. And he caused all his disciples to be clothed with linen garments. He caused them to be crowned with mugwort and he placed I frankincense in their mouths. He placed the cipher

of the first amen : 530, in their hands. They placed their feet together. They remained before the incense which he had offered. Jesus sealed his disciples with this seal, which is thus : This is its true name : . . . This is its interpretation : [Text missing] When Jesus finished sealing his disciples with this seal he stood again by the side of the incense which he had offered. He spoke the prayer, saying thus: "Hear me, my Father, you father of all fatherhoods, you infinite Light, for I call upon your imperishable names of the Treasury of the Light : [Text missing] Amen, amen, amen. Hear me, my Father, you father of all fatherhoods, you infinite Light. Hear me and compel Sabaoth, the Adamas , and all his rulers to come and take away their evil from my disciples." I

But when he and his disciples had said this prayer, saying it to the four corners of the whole world, he sealed them all with this seal of the two amens, which is thus : This is its true name : . . . This is its interpretation : [Text missing] And when Jesus had finished sealing them with this seal, in that moment the archons took away all their evil from the disciples. And they rejoiced with very great joy because all the evil of the archons had ceased within them. And when the evil of the archons ceased within them, the disciples became immortal, and they followed Jesus to all the places to which they were to go.

But Jesus said to his disciples: "I will give to you the defence for all these places of which I have given you their mystery, and their baptisms and their offerings and their seals, and all their paralemptores, and their ciphers and their true names and their defenses, with regard to the manner of calling upon them in order to go to their places, so that you pass within the interior of them all. I will say to you the names of their defenses and their ciphers. Hear now at this time and I will speak to you concerning the coming forth of your souls, since I have told you all these mysteries with their seals and their names. When you come forth from the body and perform these mysteries, all the aeons and all those within them will withdraw themselves until you reach I these six

great aeons. But these will flee to the west to the left, with all their archons and all those within them. But when you reach the six aeons, they will restrain you until you receive the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, because it is the great mystery which is in the treasury of the innermost of the innermost. And it is the whole salvation of the soul. And all those who will receive that mystery will surpass all gods and all rulerships of all these aeons, which are the twelve aeons of the invisible God, for this is the great mystery of the unapproachable one which is in the treasury of the innermost of the innermost. Now because of this, every man who will believe in the Son of the Light must receive the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, so that he will be completely perfected and completed in all mysteries, because this is the mystery of the forgiveness of sins. Now he who will receive from these mysteries must receive the mystery of the forgiveness of sins. Now because of this I say to you that when you receive the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, every sin which you have committed knowingly and those which you have committed unknowingly, those which you have committed from your childhood until today and until the releasing of the bonds of the .flesh of the Heimarmene , will all be erased, because you have received the mystery of the forgiveness of sins. And when you are about to come forth from the body, and you have performed its mystery and also its defence, all the aeons and all those within them withdraw themselves. Then again I

they flee to the west to the left because you have received the mystery of the forgiveness of sins. And when all the aeons withdraw themselves, the light of the treasury purifies the twelfth aeon so that all the pathways on which you come forth are purified. And the Treasury of the Light is revealed. And you will look at the heavens from below, and you will see the pathways of the places of all the aeons, that they have all been purified because all the aeons with all those within them fled to the west to the left. Then again when the pathways are purified I will give to you the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, and its defenses and its seals and its ciphers and its interpretations. You yourselves, my disciples, if you have received these, when you are about to come forth from the body you will become pure light. And you will hasten upwards one after another, and go forth to the places in which all the aeons are spread out, until there are none upon the pathways, until you reach the Treasury of the Light. Then the watchers of the gates of the Treasury of the Light see the mystery of the forgiveness of sins which you have performed, and its defenses and all its injunctions. And they see the seal on your foreheads, and they see the cipher in your hands. Then the nine watchers open to you the gates of the Treasury of the Light, and you go into the Treasury of the Light. I The watchers wilt

not speak with you, hut they will give you (their) seals and their mystery.

Again when you reach the rank of the three omens, the three amens will give you their seal and their mystery. And again they will give to you the great 'name, and you will pass through to their interior. When you go to the rank of the child of the child, they will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name. Again you will go to their interior. When you reach the rank of the twin saviours, they will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name. Again you will go to its interior to the rank of the great Sabaoth , he of the Treasury of the Light. When you reach his rank, he will seal you with his seal and he will give to you his mystery and the great name. Again you will go in to its interior to the rank of the great Jao, the Good , he of the Treasury of the Light. He will give to you his mystery and his seal and the great name. Again you will go in to its interior to the rank of the seven amens 4 • Again they will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the five trees of the Treasury of the Light, which are the unmoved trees. They will give to you their mystery which is the great mystery, and their great seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light, which is ruler (king) over the Treasury of the Light. I

Again you will go within to their interior to the rank of the seven voices. They will give to you their great mystery and the great name of the Treasury of the Light and their seal. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of these incomprehensible ones. They will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the endless ones 1 • They will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the prehyper-incomprehensible ones. They will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the prehyper-endless ones. They will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the undefiled ones. They will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the prehyper-undefiled ones. They will give to you their mystery and the great name of the Treasury of the Light and their seal. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the unmoved ones. They will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the hyperunmoved ones. When you reach that rank I they will give to you

their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. (Again) you will go in to their interior to the rank of the fatherless ones. They will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. (Again) you will go in to their interior to the rank of the !!!!- fatherless ones. They will give to you their mystery and their seal ano the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the five incisions of the light. They will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the three spaces. When you reach that rank they will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the five helpers 2 (parastatai) of the Treasury of the Light. When you reach that rank they will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the triple-spirited ones of the Treasury of the Light. When you reach that rank they will give to you their mystery and the great name of the Treasury of the Light and their seal. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the triplepowered ones of the great ruler (king) of the Treasury of the Light. They will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. I

Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the first ordinance 1 • He will give to you his mystery and his seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will pass in to their interior to the place of the rank of the inheritance. They will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the place of the silence and the rest. When you reach that rank they will give to you their mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will pass in to their interior to the rank of the veils which are drawn before the great ruler (king) of the Tr;;;;,.y of the Light. They will give to you their great mystery and their seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. And they will be drawn back until you cross over and pass into them, until you reach the great ~!1· he who is the ruler (king) of this whole Treasury of the Light, whose name is Jeu. When you reach that place he will seet'hat you have performed the mystery of the whole Treasury of the Light, and the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, and its defenses and its incense which you have offered, and all its works. And you have fulfilled all the injunctions of the mystery and all its works. Then Jeu, the father of the Treasury of the Light, will rejoice over you. Moreover he will also give to you I his mystery and his seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light.

Again you will go to the place of the great light which surrounds the whole Treasury of the Light and all those within it. When you go to that place however, Jeu is again in that place, but he, the great light, will give to you his mystery and his seal and the great name of the Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to its interior through the gates of the Treasury of the Light, which is the second Treasury of the Light. When you reach to the watchers of the gates of that second treasury, say the mystery and its defence. And when the watchers open the gates of the second Treasury of the Light for you, you will go in to their interior to the rank of the triple-powered ones of the light. These are their names: [Text missing] Now these are the names of the triple-powered ones of the light of the second Treasury of the Light. Again when you reach the rank of those triple-powered ones of light, they also will give to you their great mystery of the second Treasury of the Light and their seal and the great name of the second Treasury of the Light. Again you will go in to their interior to the rank of the twelfth rank of the twelfth great power of the emanations of the true God who has emanated them.

When you reach that rank, say I the mystery of the forgiveness of sins and its defence. Moreover they that belong to that rank will also give to you their great mystery and their great defence and their seal. Moreover they also are of that rank which are the twelve powers of the true God; these are their true names. But there are twelve heads in that rank. These now are the names of that rank: [Text missing] 2 These now are their true names. These now will stand alone in their place , and they call upon the true God with these names, saying: 'Hear us, our father, you father of all fatherhoods, [Text missing] that is, you father of all fatherhoods, because the whole which came forth from alpha will return to (omega) 4 when the completion of all completions takes place. We now call upon these imperishable names, so that you shouldst send forth this great light-power to follow these twelve incomprehensible ones, who are the twelve disciples, since they have received the mystery of I the forgiveness

of sins. Because of this indeed they are not restrained from approaching the Treasury of the Light.' Now immediately when they had called upon these names, crying out to the true God, he, the true God sent forth a great power whose name is this : .. , But at that moment this great light-power came forth behind the disciples. And at that moment it will cause the treasuries of the light and their ranks to be withdrawn until you pass into the interior, and you reach the treasury of the true God. But he, the true God himself, will give to you his great mystery and his great seal and his great name which is ruler (king) over his treasury. Again he will sing praises as he calls upon the unapproachable God, he who alone exists. But he, the unapproachable God, will cast forth from himself a light-power to come to you to the place of the true God, and give to you the character of the treasury of the true God. And it will complete you in every pleroma, and make you into a rank in that treasury. And you will give glory to the unapproachable God because you have received the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, while you were in the body. And you will be in the place of the true God because you have received the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, with its defence and its seal and its cipher and all its injunctions with which I have enjoined I you.

Now at this time, my disciples, be patient and I will also give to you the mystery of the forgiveness of sins and its defenses and its seal."

But when Jesus had finished saying all these things to his disciples and giving to them all these mysteries which he had just performed, he (Jesus) said to his disciples: "For it is necessary that you should receive the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, so that you may become Sons of the Light*, and completed in all the mysteries." When Jesus, however, had finished saying all these things to his disciples and teaching them the mysteries, his disciples said to him: "Our Lord and our teacher, we beg you that you shouldst place in us the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, and its defenses and its seal and its cipher, so that we become Sons of the Light*; and that the archons of the aeons which are outside the Treasury of the Light do not restrain us; and that we may be numbered within the inheritance of the Kingdom of the Light, and be completed in all the mysteries." Jesus said to his disciples : "Be patient and I will say it to you. Now since, before I gave to you the mysteries, I first said to you that I will give to you the mystery of the twelve aeons and their seals and the manner of calling upon them, in order to go to their places; hear now, since you have received the mystery of the twelve aeons and the mystery of the baptism of the water of life, and the mystery of the baptism of fire, and the mystery of (the baptism) of the Holy Spirit, and the mystery of taking away the evil from you; since now I I said to you that I will give to you

• cf. Eph. 5.8

their defenses and the manner (of calling upon them in order to reach their places) and these seals also: hear now that I tell you their defenses with which you will give defence to them."

"When you come forth from the body and you reach the first aeon, and the archons of that aeon come forth before you, seal yourselves with this seal : This is its name: [Text missing] Say it only once. Hold this cipher : 1119 in your two hands. When you have finished sealing yourselves with this seal and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also: 'Withdraw yourselves [Text missing] ,you archons of the first aeon, because I call upon [Text missing] .' But when the archons of the first aeon hear these names, they will be very afraid and they will withdraw and flee to the west to the left, and you will proceed upwards. When you reach the second aeon, . . . will come forth before you. Seal yourselves with this seal: [Diagram preserved in the manuscript] This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. Hold this cipher: 2219 in your two hands. I When you have

finished sealing yourselves with this seal and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also: 'Withdraw thyself, [Text missing] , 0 archon of the second aeon, because I call upon [Text missing] ' Again the archons of the second aeon will withdraw and flee to the west to the left, and you will proceed upwards. When you reach the third aeon, Jaldabaoth and [Text missing] will come forth before you. Seal yourselves with this seal: [Diagram preserved in the manuscript] This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. Hold this cipher: 3349 in your hands. When you have finished sealing yourselves with this seal and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also: •Withdraw yourselves, Jaldabaoth and [Text missing] , you archons of the third aeon, because I call upon [Text missing] .' Then the archons of the third aeon will withdraw and flee to the west to the left, and you will proceed upwards. When you reach the fourth aeon, Samaelo and [Text missing] will come forth before you. Seal yourselves with this seal: [Diagram preserved in the manuscript] This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. Hold this cipher: 4555 in your hands. When you have finished sealing yourselves with this seal and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also : ' Withdraw yourselves, I Samaelo and [Text missing] , you archons

of the fourth aeon, because I call upon [Text missing] .' When you have finished saying these defenses the archons of the fourth aeon will withdraw to the west to the left. But you (will) proceed upwards 1 • When you reach the fifth aeon, . . . and . . . and . . . will come before you. Seal yourselves with this seal: [Diagram preserved in the manuscript] This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. Hold this cipher: 5369 in your hands. When you have finished sealing yourselves with this seal and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also: 'Withdraw yourselves [Text missing] , [Text missing] , [Text missing] , because I call upon [Text missing] .' When you have finished saying these defenses the archons of the fifth aeon will withdraw and will flee to the west to the left. But you (will) proceed upwards. When you reach the sixth aeon which is called the Little Midst, for it belongs to the six aeons which have believed. But the archons of those places have a little goodness within them, because the archons of those places have believed. The archons of the Little Midst, [Text missing] , come before you, thinking that perhaps I you

have not received mysteries. Say the mystery and seal yourselves with this seal, which is thus : This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. Hold this cipher: 6915 in your hands. When you have finished sealing yourselves with this seal and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also: 'Withdraw yourselves [Text missing] , you archons of the Little Midst, for we have received the mystery of the twelve aeons and their defenses, because we call upon [Text missing] .' Immediately you say these names also, those archons will withdraw and they will make way for you, and they will not seize hold of you. For they came forth before you, thinking that perhaps you had not received mysteries. But they also will rejoice with you in great joy, because you have received mysteries while you were still in the body. Again they will envy you because you have surpassed them. Again you will proceed upwards. When you reach the seventh aeon, . . . will come forth before you. Seal yourselves with this seal: [Diagram preserved in the manuscript] This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. Hold this cipher: 1 7889 in your

hands. When you have finished sealing yourselves with this seal and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also : 'Withdraw yourselves [Text missing] , because we call upon [Text missing] .' Again the archons of the seventh aeon will withdraw, and you will proceed upwards. But when you reach the eighth aeon, those archons which are [Text missing] will come forth before you. Seal yourselves with this seal: [Diagram preserved in the manuscript] This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. Hold this cipher: 8054 in your hands. When you have finished sealing yourselves with this seal and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also : 'Withdraw yourselve~ [Text missing] because we call upon [Text missing] .' Again the archons of the eighth aeon will withdraw, and you will proceed upwards. When you reach the ninth aeon, [Text missing] , the archons of the ninth aeon will come before you. Seal yourselves with this seal: [Diagram preserved in the manuscript] This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. Place this cipher: 2889 in your hands. When you have finished I sealing yourselves

with this seal and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also : 'Withdraw yourselves, [Text missing] , because we call upon [Text missing] • Again the archons of the ninth aeon will withdraw, and you will proceed upwards. But when you reach the tenth aeon, [Text missing] , the archons of that aeon will come before you. Seal yourselves with this seal, which is thus: This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. Place this cipher: 4559 in your hands. When you have finished sealing yourselves with this seal, and you have said its name once only and you have sealed yourselves once only, speak these defenses also: 'Withdraw yourselves, [Text missing] , because we call upon [Text missing] ' Again the archons of the tenth aeon will withdraw, and you will proceed upwards. When you reach the eleventh aeon, [Text missing] , the archons of that aeon will come before you. Seal yourselves with this seal: [Diagram preserved in the manuscript] This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. Hold this cipher : 5558 in your hands. But when you have finished sealing yourselves with this seal and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also: 'Withdraw yourselves [Text missing] , because we call

upon [Text missing] .' Again the archons of the eleventh aeon will withdraw, and you will proceed upwards. But when you reach the twelfth aeon, the invisible God is in that place with the Barbelo and the unbegotten God. And the invisible God is in a place alone in the twelfth aeon. And veils are drawn before him. For there are many other gods in that aeon who in the Treasury of the Light are called archons; they are the great archons who rule over all the aeons. It is they who serve the invisible God and the Barbelo and the unbegotten one. Again the archons of that aeon will come before you. These are their names : . . . Seal yourselves with this seal: [Diagram preserved in the manuscript] This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. Hold this cipher: 9885 in your hands. When you have finished sealing yourselves with this seal and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also : 'Withdraw yourselves [Text missing] , because we call upon [Text missing] .' Again the archons of the twelfth aeon of the invisible God will withdraw themselves because you have said the twelve defenses I of the twelve aeons. Then you will proceed upwards.

When you reach the thirteenth aeon, the great invisible God is there with the great virgin spirit and the emanations of the invisible God which are in that place. But the emanations of the invisible God will come before you, wishing to take hold of you, on account of the mysteries which you have received. These are the imperishable names of the emanations which come before you : The first is [Text missing] ; the second is [Text missing] ; the third is [Text missing] ; the fourth is [Text missing] ; the fifth is [Text missing] ; the sixth is [Text missing] ; the seventh is [Text missing] ; the eighth is [Text missing] ; the ninth is [Text missing] ; the tenth is [Text missing] ; the eleventh is [Text missing] ; the twelfth is [Text missing] ; the thirteenth is [Text missing] ; the fourteenth is [Text missing] ; the fifteenth is [Text missing] ; the sixteenth is [Text missing] ; the seventeenth is [Text missing] ; the eighteenth is [Text missing] ; the nineteenth is [Text missing] ; the twentieth is [Text missing] ; the twenty first is [Text missing] ; the twenty second is [Text missing] ; the twenty third is [Text missing] ; the twenty fourth is [Text missing] These are the names of the emanations of the invisible God which I have just said. They will come before you, wishing to take hold of you, as they envy you because of these mysteries which you have received. Say these defenses : 'Withdraw yourselves, you emanations of the invisible God.' Say the names of the 24 (emanations). Seal yourselves with this seal: [Diagram preserved in the manuscript] I

This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only and place this cipher in your hands. When you have finished sealing yourselves with this seal, and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also: 'We call upon .. .' Wben you have finished calling upon 'these names of the Treasury of the Light, say also : 'Withdraw yourselves, you emanations of the invisible God, whose names we have just said from the beginning.' Immediately, however, that the names of the Treasury of the Light and its defence have been said, they will be withdrawn, and you will proceed upwards. But when you reach the fourteenth aeon, the second great invisible God is there. And the great God is there who is called in the fourteenth aeon: the great beneficent God. He is furthermore a power of ·these three archons of the light, which are within all the aeons, namely the three gods which are outside the Treasury of the Light. For there is a multitude of powers in that aeon. But they are not so numerous as those which are in the aeons outside of them. But those powers come before you, I

wishing to lay hold of you, as they envy you on account of the mysteries which you have received, in order to restrain you that you perfonn my mysteries in their places, so that they also would receive powers from the powers of the Treasury of the Light. But I say to you, seal yourselves with this seal: [Text missing] This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. And place this cipher: 8869 in your hands. Again say : 'Withdraw yourselves, all you powers of the second invisible God, because we call upon [Text missing] ' And the powers of that aeon will withdraw, and you will proceed upwards. But when you reach this place of these three archons which are within all these invisible ones, namely the triple-powered gods which are outside the Treasury of the Light, that is, the archons of the light - for those three archons are inside all the aeons, and they which are outside all the treasuries are superior to all the gods which are in all the aeons - but when you reach that place they will see you, that you have received these mysteries. They also have received the mysteries of the Treasury of the Light, because when the first power came forth, these were the first which remained in it, and when they came down the Kingdom of the Light was preached to them. It (the first power) also gave to them these mysteries which I have given to you. But they have not seen the mystery of the forgiveness of sins. Because of this they have not yet been taken into the Treasury of the Light, because they have not yet received the mystery of the forgiveness of sins. Because of this I say I to you : when I come to roll

up all the aeons* 1 , I will give the mystery of the forgiveness of sins to these three archons of the light which are the last of all the aeons, because they have believed in the mystery of the Kingdom of the Light. But when you reach that place they will see you, that you have received all these mysteries as far as the mystery of the forgiveness of sins. They will lay hold of you in that place, because they have not yet received the mystery of the forgiveness of sins, in order that you should perform with them these mysteries which you have received. Now because of this I say to you that it is not possible for you to go to their interior, until you have first received the mystery of the forgiveness of sins. Do not fear now that I have said to you that it is not possible for you to go to the Treasury of the Light until you have received the mystery of the forgiveness of sins. But they will restrain you in the place of the three archons of the light. Concerning this now I say to you that there is no place of correction in those places, because those of that place have received the mysteries, nor is it possible for them to punish you in those places. But they will lay hold of you in those places until you receive the mystery of the forgiveness of sins. Seal yourselves with this seal: [Diagram preserved in the manuscript] This is its name: [Text missing] Say it once only. And hold this cipher: 5555 2 in your hands. When you have finished sealing yourselves with this seal and you have said its name once only, speak these defenses also: 'We call upon I you

• cf. Is. 34.4

[Fragment begins]

Hear me as I sing praises to you, 0 Mystery who exist before every incomprehensible one and every endless one. Hear me as I sing praise to you, 0 Mystery, who have shone in your mystery, so that the mystery which exists from the beginning should be completed. And when (you did) shine, (you did) become water of the ocean whose imperishable name is this: [Text missing] Hear me as I sing praises to you, 0 Mystery who exist before every incomprehensible one and every endless one, who have shone in your mystery. The earth in the middle of the ocean was purified, of which the imperishable name is this : [Text missing] Hear me as I sing praises to you, 0 Mystery who exist before every incomprehensible one and every endless one, I who

have shone in your mystery. All the powerful matter of the ocean which is the sea, with every kind within it, was purified, of which the imperishable name is this : [Text missing] Hear me as I sing praises to you, 0 Mystery who exist before every incomprehensible one and every endless one, who have shone in your mystery. And as (you did) shine, (you did) seal the sea and all things in it, because the power within them rebelled, of which the imperishable name (is this) [Text missing] Hear me as I sing praises to you, 0 Mystery who exist before every incomprehensible one [Text missing]

(Fragment on the passage of the soul through the archons of the way of the Midst)

(bring forth) the souls by theft, and when they take my soul to that place it will give to them the mystery of their fear, which is . . . . And when they take it to the places of all the ranks of Paraplex , the great, powerful archon, who is spread out upon the way of the Midst, who carries off the souls by theft, when they take my soul to that place it will give to them the mystery of their fear, which is [Text missing] I

And again when they take my soul to the place of Typhon , the great, powerful archon (with the) ass's (face) 2 who is spread out upon the way of the Midst, who carries off the souls by theft, when they take my soul to that place it will give to them the mystery of their fear which is [Text missing] And again when they take my soul to the place of all the ranks of Jachthanabas , the great, powerful archon who is full of anger, the successor of the archon of the outer darkness, the place in which all forms change, who is powerful, who is spread out upon the way of the Midst, who carries off the souls by theft, when they take my soul to that place it will give to them the mystery of their fear, which is [Text missing] 4