The Paraphrase of Shem

NHC VII, 1

The following translation has been committed to the public domain and may be freely copied and used, changed or unchanged, for any purpose. It is based on the Coptic text of Nag Hammadi Codex VII, 1. The Nag Hammadi texts were written in the fourth century, subsequently buried, and then rediscovered in 1945. In this tractate, Derdekeas, the Son of the Majesty, explains salvation history.

This translation from the Coptic is by Samuel Zinner and was edited by Mark M. Mattison with the generous support of Other Gospels.

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 [ ]   Gap in the text (known as a “lacuna”)
( )   Editorial insertion to clarify the text
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[1]  Page number of the Coptic codex (hyperlinked)

[1] The Paraphrase of Shem

Introduction

[The] paraphrase concerning the unbegotten Spirit, which Derdekeas revealed to me, Shem, in accord with the desire of the Majesty.

Derdekeas Teaches Shem about the Three Roots

My thought inside my body snatched me away from my race, conveying me to the height of the creation, near the light that was shining on the entire region. In that place I saw no earthly likeness, but only light, and my thought detached itself from the body of darkness, as if sleeping. I heard a voice speaking to me:

Shem, given that you originate from a pure power, and that you are the first being on earth, hear and understand what I will speak to you first, concerning the mighty powers who existed in the beginning, before I had appeared, when Light and Darkness existed, and a Spirit in the midst of them. Because your root, the unbegotten Spirit, plummeted into oblivion, I am disclosing to you the truth concerning the powers.

Light was thought, replete with hearing, and Logos, unified as a single form, and Darkness was [2] wind in the waters, and his Mind clothed in an erratic fire, and the Spirit in their midst was a calm, low-burning light. These are the three roots, each individually prevailing by itself, and concealed from each other.

The Light of the Spirit and the Mind of Darkness

Light, however, because he possessed much power, was able to know the depth of Darkness, as well as his condition, which was a crooked root, but the crookedness of Darkness was an absence of insight, thinking there was no one superior to him, and for as long as he could endure the strain of his wickedness, he was covered over with the water. And he stirred himself, and the Spirit became frightened by the splashing. He elevated his position, and he saw a large, dark body of water, and he became nauseous, and the thought of the Spirit gazed down, beholding the infinite Light, but he was ignored by the bad root; and by the desire of the great Light, the dark body of water divided, and Darkness surfaced, concealed in evil ignorance, even so that Mind could divide itself from him, because he had become arrogant in it.

And when he had stirred himself, [3] the light of the Spirit appeared to him. When he beheld it, he was astounded, knowing not that another power was superior to him. And when, in contrast to the Spirit, he saw how dark his likeness was, he was pained, and in his pain, he lifted up his Mind, the eye of vile bitterness, to the height of the members of Darkness. With a member of the Spirit, he made his Mind assume shape, imagining that by gazing at his vileness, he could be equal to the Spirit, but he was unable, because what he wanted to do was impossible, and it failed to come to pass. However, so that the Mind of Darkness, the eye of vile bitterness, would not be destroyed, because he had been made somewhat similar (to the Spirit), he rose up and flashed with a flaming light over all of Hades, in an attempt to make the perfect light (of his equality) appear, because the Spirit exploited all forms of Darkness.

The Appearance of the Son of the Majesty and the Womb

Given that with his Majesty he had appeared, even the lofty infinite Light appeared, because he rejoiced greatly. He desired to show himself to the Spirit, and the likeness of the lofty Light appeared to the unbegotten Spirit.

[4] I appeared. [I] am the son of the indestructible, infinite Light. I appeared in the likeness of the Spirit, because I am the beam of the cosmic Light, and his ap-pearance to me was so that the Mind of Darkness could not stay in Hades, because the Darkness had made himself to resemble his Mind inside some of the members.

Shem, when <I> appeared in (the likeness), so that Darkness would grow dark before himself, in accord with the desire of the Majesty, so that the Darkness would be divested[1] of every form of his power, Mind removed the erratic fire, with which it had been covered, from the midst of Darkness and the water, and out of Darkness the water turned into a cloud, and from out of the cloud the womb assumed shape.

The erratic fire, being deviant, approached (the womb), and when Darkness saw (the womb), he was polluted, and arousing the water, he stroked the womb. His Mind was liquefied downward to the depths of Nature. It united with the power of the bitterness of Darkness, and the eye (of the womb) was ripped open by the evil so that she would not again give birth to Mind, because it was [5] the seed of Nature from the dark root, and when from the dark power Nature had become pregnant with Mind, every likeness assumed shape in her.

And when Darkness had obtained the likeness of Mind, it looked like the Spirit, because Nature stood up to banish it. She had no power against it, given that she possessed no form from the Darkness, because she gave birth to it inside the cloud, and the cloud glowed. A Mind appeared inside it like a fearsome, dangerous fire. (Mind) rammed against the unbegotten Spirit, given that it possessed a likeness from him.

Nature Separated into Four Sections

Next, so that Nature would be emptied of the erratic fire, straightaway Nature was separated into four sections. They transformed into clouds with various appearances. They were called “Hymen,” “Placenta,” “Power,” “Water”; and Hymen, and Placenta, and Power were erratic fires. And (Mind) was taken out of the midst of Darkness and Water, given that Mind was in the midst of Nature, and the dark power, so that the dangerous waters would not cleave to it.

[6] On account of this, Nature was separated, in accord with my desire, so that Mind may go back to its power, which had been taken away from it by the dark root, which was joined with (Mind). And (the dark root) materialized inside the womb, and when Nature was separated, he separated from the dark power which he had come to have from Mind. (Mind) proceeded into the midst of the power, this being the central realm of Nature, and the Spirit of light was astounded when Mind loaded him down, and the power of his astonishment threw off the load, and it retreated to its heat, donning the light of the Spirit. And when Nature had distanced itself from the power of the light of the Spirit, the load came back, and the astonishment of the light of the <Spirit> threw off the load. It cleaved to the cloud of Hymen, and every cloud of Darkness that had been separated from Hades shouted on account of the strange power.

The Son of the Majesty has Compassion on the Light of the Spirit

The Spirit of light had entered among them, and by the desire of the Majesty, the Spirit looked up at the infinite Light, so that his light could receive compassion, and (so that) the likeness could be lifted up out of Hades. And when the Spirit had looked, I, the Son of the Majesty, flowed [7] out like a wave of glowing light, and like a blast of wind from the immortal Spirit, and from the cloud of Hymen I blew on the astonishment of the unbegotten Spirit, and (the cloud) separated, and shined light on the clouds, which separated so that the Spirit could come back. On account of this, Mind assumed shape, ending his repose, because Hymen of Nature was a cloud that cannot be grasped, being a huge fire. In a similar way, Afterbirth of Nature was the cloud of silence, being an imposing fire, and the Power which was joined with Mind was also a cloud of Nature joined with Darkness, which had aroused Nature to polluted acts, and the dark water was a fearsome cloud, and the root of Nature, which was located beneath, was crooked, given that it is a heavy load and dangerous. The root was blind concerning the incomprehensible confined light, given that it possessed several forms. And I had compassion on the light <of> the Spirit, which the Mind had obtained.

The Son of the Majesty Dons the Garment of the Light of the Majesty

I returned to my place to pray to the lofty, infinite Light [8], so that the power <of the light> of the Spirit would increase in the place, and would be filled, expelling dark pollution. And I said in reverence:

“You are the root of the Light.
Your concealed form has been revealed, O lofty, infinite one.
May the entire power of the Spirit expand, and may it be replete with its light, O infinite Light, that he will be unable to unite with the unbegotten Spirit, and that the power of the astonishment will be unable to unite with Nature.
Let it be as the Majesty desires.”

My prayer was granted, and from the Majesty, the voice of the Logos was heard speaking <to> the unbegotten Spirit: “Behold, the power has been perfected. He whom I revealed has appeared in the Spirit.”

I will appear again. I am Derdekeas, the Son of the unpolluted, infinite Light. The light of the infinite Spirit descended to a weak nature for a brief period until all of the pollution of nature was made empty, and so that the darkness of Nature would be accused. I donned my garment, the garment of the light of the Majesty, which I (myself) am. I assumed the form of the [9] Spirit to take into account the entire light in the depths of Darkness.

The Spirit Praises the Lofty Light

In accord with the desire of the Majesty, so that by means of the Logos the Spirit would be filled with his light, apart from the power of the infinite Light, and at my desire, the Spirit stood up by his own power. His enormity was given to him so that he could be filled with his entire light, and leave behind the entire weight of Darkness, because a dark fire was back there, which blew against the Spirit, and the Spirit was glad on account of his being defended from the fearsome water, but his light did not equal that of the Majesty. However, <that which> he was given by the infinite Light was so that in each of his members he would look like one single image of light.

And when the Spirit had stood up over the water, its dark likeness became apparent, and the Spirit praised the lofty Light: “You alone are truly the infinite one, because you are superior to everything that is unbegotten, because you have defended me from Darkness, and at your desire I stood up over the power of Darkness.”

And so that nothing could be concealed from you, Shem, there came into existence the thought, which the Spirit, who is from the Greatness, had contemplated, [10] given that Darkness was unable [to] control his evil. When, however, it had appeared, the way three roots had existed from the beginning was made known. Had Darkness been capable of bearing his evil load, Mind would not have separated from him, and a different power would not have appeared. However, from the time it had appeared, I have been seen, the Son of the Majesty, so that the light of the Spirit would not grow dim[2], and that Nature would not control it, because it had looked at me, and by the desire of the Greatness, my purity was revealed, so that what pertains to power might become evident.

The Son of the Majesty is Superior to the Logos

You are the great power which has come into being, and I am the perfect Light over the Spirit and Darkness, the one who humiliates Darkness for the intercourse of the unclean stroking, because by means of the separation of Nature, the Majesty desired to be protected by praise up to the very summit of the thought of the Spirit, and the Spirit obtained repose with his power, because the image of the Light cannot be separated from the unbegotten Spirit. And those who give laws have not named him after any cloud of Nature, nor can they be named, because every likeness [11] into which Nature is divided is a power of the erratic fire of the material sperm. The (fire) that gains for itself the power of Darkness made it captive in the midst of its members.

And by the desire of the Majesty, so that the Mind, and the entire light of the Spirit, would be defended from every load and labor of Nature, a voice came from the Spirit to the cloud of Hymen, and the light of the astonishment commenced rejoicing with the voice given to him, and the great Spirit of light dwelt inside the cloud of Hymen. He praised the infinite Light and the cosmic likeness, who I am, the Son of the Majesty, saying: “Anasses, Duses,[3] you are the infinite Light who by the desire of the Majesty was granted to establish each light of the Spirit in its place, and to separate Mind from Darkness, because it was unjust that the light of the Spirit remain in Hades, because at your desire the Spirit stood up to behold your greatness.”

The reason I have spoken these matters to you, Shem, is so that you would know [12] that my likeness, the Son of the Majesty, originates from my infinite thought, given that for him I am a cosmic likeness which lies not. I am superior to every truth and element of the Logos. His likeness is in my glorious garment of light, being the voice of infinite thought. We comprise that one, only light which came into being. He appeared in a different root so that the power of the Spirit would be lifted up from frail Nature, because by the desire of the great Light, I exited from the lofty Spirit, descending to the cloud of Hymen, lacking my cosmic garment.

The Son of the Majesty Dons the Primal Cloud of Hymen of Nature

And from the Spirit, the Logos carried me to himself, into the primal cloud of Hymen of Nature, and I donned this, of which the Majesty and the unbegotten Spirit made me deserving, and by the desire of the Majesty, the triadic unity of my garment appeared inside the cloud, in a single form, and the light of my garment covered my likeness, and the cloud became turbulent, and it was incapable of enduring my likeness. It discarded the first power, which it had acquired from the Spirit, that which from the beginning had shone on him, before <I> appeared in the Logos of[4] the Spirit.

The cloud [13] was incapable of enduring both of them, and the light which had exited from the cloud went through the silence, until it reached the middle region, and by the desire of the Majesty, the light <of> the Spirit that dwells in silence was joined to (the silence) which had been separated from the Spirit of light. It had been separated from the light by the cloud of silence. The cloud became turbulent. He was the one who granted repose to the flame of fire. He inhibited the dark womb so that he would not reveal further seed from Darkness. He restrained them in their place inside the cloud in the middle realm of Nature. They grew disturbed, given that they did not understand where they were, because they were not in possession of the cosmic knowledge of the Spirit.

The Son of the Majesty Helps Those Dwelling in Darkness, but Nature Grows Strong

And facing the infinite Light, I prayed to the Majesty that the erratic power of the Spirit would move back and forth, and that the dark womb would be inactive, and that my likeness would appear inside the cloud of Hymen, as though I were covered with the light of the Spirit which proceeded in front of me, and by the desire of the Majesty and by means of the prayer, I entered into the cloud so that by means of my garment from the power [14] of the Spirit, the fullness of the Logos would impart power to the members dwelling in Darkness, because on their account I had appeared in this lowly place.

The reason for this is that I am a helper to all who have been named, because when I appeared inside the cloud, the light of the Spirit began to separate itself from the fearsome water and clouds of fire which had been separated from dark Nature, and I offered to them eternal praise to prevent them from again committing the polluted behavior.

And the light in Hymen was troubled by my power, and it went through my middle realm. It was replete with the cosmic thought, and by means of the Logos of the light of the Spirit, it regained its repose. It obtained form with its root, and glowed apart from deficiency, and the light which had emerged with it from the silence proceeded in the middle realm, and went back to the place.

And the cloud glowed, and from it emerged a ravenous fire, and the part of it which had separated from the astonishment donned oblivion. It was fooled by the fire of Darkness, and the blow of its astonishment threw off the load from the [15] cloud. It was evil because it was polluted, and the fire joined to the water, so that the waters would become dangerous, and Nature, which had been troubled, straightaway stood up from the inactive waters, because her ascent had been dishonorable, and Nature appropriated for herself the power of fire. She grew strong on account of the light of the Spirit dwelling in Nature. Her likeness appeared in the water with the shape of a fearsome beast of several faces, being crooked underneath.

The Son of the Majesty Descends to the Nether World

A light descended to Chaos, filled with haze and dust, to wound Nature, and the light of the astonishment dwelling in the middle realm approached it after he had thrown off the load from Darkness. He was glad when the Spirit stood up, because from the clouds he had gazed down toward the dark waters at the light dwelling in the depths of Nature.

Consequently, I appeared so that I would get a chance to descend to the nether world, to the light of the Spirit which was weighted down, so that I could defend him from the harm of the load. And by means of his gazing down at the dark realm, the light again [16] ascended so that the womb could again ascend from the water.

She ascended by my desire. The eye opened itself cunningly, and the light which had appeared in the middle realm, which had separated itself from the astonishment, reposed and illuminated her, and the womb witnessed things she had not beheld (before), and she was glad with joy in the light, even though this did not belong to her, the one which in her evil had appeared in the middle realm when (the light) illuminated her, and in this way the womb witnessed things she had not beheld (before).

And again she was carried down to the water. She imagined she had attained to the power of light, and she knew not that her root had been rendered inactive by the likeness of the Light, and that (the light) had hastened to her.

The Son of the Majesty Appears in the Cloud of Hymen and in the Middle Realm

The light was astounded, the one dwelling in the middle realm, and which was the beginning and end. His thought consequently looked straight up at the lofty Light, and he cried out, and said: “Lord, have mercy on me, because my light and my toil were misguided, because if your goodness does not make me firm, I will not be aware of where I am.”

And when the Majesty had heard him, he showed him mercy. And I appeared in the cloud of Hymen, in the silence, [17] not wearing my sacred garment. In accord with my desire I praised my garment which possesses three forms in the cloud of Hymen, and the light in the silence, which is from the power that is glad, enclosed me, I wearing it. And two of its parts looked like a single form. The other parts were not visible because of the fire. I was rendered incapable of speaking in the cloud of Hymen, because its fire was fearsome, reaching upwards, without lowering itself.

And so that that my greatness and the Logos might become visible, I similarly put my other garment in the cloud of the silence. I proceeded into the middle realm and donned the light dwelling in it, which was submerged in oblivion and separated from the Spirit of astonishment, because he had thrown off the load. At my desire, nothing mortal was visible to him. Instead, deathless entities were the only things the Spirit allowed him to see, and in the thought of the Light he said, “AI EIS AI OU PHAR DOU IA EI OU: I have entered into a great rest, so that in its root he would give rest to my light, and would bring it out from [18] dangerous Nature.”

The Son of the Majesty Dons a Garment of Fire

By the desire of the Majesty, I then removed my garment of light. I donned a different garment, of fire, which has no shape, which originates from the Mind of the power, which was set apart and made ready for me in the middle realm, in accord with my desire, because the middle realm obscured it with a dark power so that I would approach and don it. I descended into Chaos to rescue from it the entirety of light, because apart from the power of Darkness, I would not be able to resist Nature.

As soon as I had entered into Nature, she was unable to resist my power. Instead, I leaned against her watchful eye, which was a light from the Spirit, because the Spirit had made it ready for me to be a garment and a repose. On account of me he opened his eyes downward to Hades, and he allowed Nature his voice for a period of time.

And my garment of fire, in accord with the desire of the Majesty, descended to the strong one, and to the filthy region of Nature which the power of darkness was covering, and my garment rubbed Nature with what covered her, and her filthy femaleness became strong. And the furious womb ascended and [19] turned Mind dry, looking like a fish with a droplet of fire, and the power of fire. And when Nature had thrown off Mind, she grew disturbed, and she wept. When she was wounded and in tears, she threw off the power of the Spirit, remaining silent like me.

I donned the light of the Spirit, and I rested with my garment over the spectacle of the fish, and so that the actions of Nature would be censured, given that she is blind, multifarious animal forms emerged from her, of the same number as the passing winds. They all came into existence in Hades, seeking the light of Mind which bestows form. They could not resist it. I was glad on account of their ignorance. They discovered me, the Son of the Majesty, in front of the womb of many forms.

Nature Agrees to Create the Heavens and the Earth

I donned the beast, and presented to (Nature) a great request, that heaven and earth would come into existence, so that the entirety of the light would ascend, because the only way the power of the Spirit could be removed from captivity was for me to appear to her in the shape of an animal. For this, she treated me agreeably, [20] like I was her own son, and because of my request, Nature stood up, given that she possesses (some) of the power of the Spirit, as well as Darkness and the fire, because she had removed her forms from herself.

When she had thrown it off, she blew on the water. Heaven was created, and from the foam of heaven, the earth came into existence, and at my desire, it produced every kind of food, agreeing with the number of the beasts, and it produced dew from the winds for all of you and for those who will be begotten again and again on the earth, because the earth possessed a power of erratic fire. This is why it produced every (kind of) seed.

And when heaven and earth had been created, my garment of fire stood up in the midst of the cloud of Nature, shining on the entire world, until Nature was withered. Darkness, which was (earth’s) garment, was thrown into the dangerous waters. The middle realm was purified of Darkness, but the womb mourned over what had transpired.

She noticed in her parts water like a mirror. On noticing, she pondered how it had come to be. In this way she remained a widow, and with regard to (Darkness), he was [21] [astounded] that he no longer dwelt inside her, because the forms still possessed a power of fire and of light.

The Son of the Majesty Seeks to Desolate Nature

(The power) persisted, so that it would dwell in Nature until every power is stripped from her, because precisely like the light of the Spirit was completed with three clouds, so is it necessary that the power dwelling in Hades will also be completed at the designated time, because on account of the graciousness of the Majesty, I approached her from the water a second time, because my face was pleasant to her.

Her face also was gladdened, and I said to her: “Let seed and power be produced from you on the earth.”  And she heeded the desire of the Spirit, so that she might be rendered into nothing, and when her forms returned, they rubbed each other with their tongue, copulating, begetting spirits, and demons, and the power from the fire, and Darkness, and the Spirit. The form, however, which remained by itself, threw the beast away from herself. She did not have intercourse. Instead, it was she who, remaining alone, stroked herself, and she produced a wind with a power derived from the fire, and Darkness, and the Spirit.

And so that the [22] demons could also be liberated from the power they possessed from the unclean intercourse, a womb that looked like water was together with the winds, and an unclean phallus was among the demons, as is the case with Darkness and how from the beginning he and the womb had stroked each other.

And after the forms of Nature had clung together, they separated from each other, throwing off the power, astounded at how they had been fooled. They mourned with a continual mourning. With their power, they covered themselves, and when I had humiliated them, I stood up with my power, with my garment which is superior to the beast, because it is a light, so that I could desolate Nature.

Mind, which had appeared in dark Nature, even the eye of the heart of Darkness, at my desire controlled the spirits and the demons, and I made him to look like fire, light, and attention, and to share in the truthful Logos. Consequently, some of the greatness was bestowed on him, so that he would be strong in his power, but nevertheless lack the power, lack the light of the Spirit, and lack the intercourse of Darkness, so that at the end of time, [23] when Nature will be destroyed, he may repose in the praiseworthy place, because he will be declared faithful, given that he had detested the pollution of Nature together with the Darkness. The strong power of the mind derived its existence from Mind and the unbegotten Spirit.

The Birth of Humanity

The winds, however, being demons from water, and fire, and darkness, and light, had destructive intercourse, and by means of this intercourse the winds developed a foam in their womb from the phallus of the demons, and by inhaling, inside their womb they conceived a power. The wombs of the winds supported each other until the (respective) times of the birth arrived. They descended to the water, and the power was delivered, by means of the inhalation which causes conception during the (sexual) act, and each form of conception obtained shape by (the inhalation).

When the (respective) times of birth had approached, all the winds gathered together from out of the water near the earth, and they gave birth to every kind of polluted thing, and the place where the wind blew by itself behaved in a polluted manner. From it came barren women and sterile men, [24] because as one is conceived, so one gives birth.

On account of all of you, the image of the Spirit appeared in earth and water, because you resemble Light, (which is) because you possess a portion of the winds and the demons, as well as a thought deriving from Light (which is) of the power of the astonishment, because not everything he produced from the womb on earth was something good for her, but was her moan and her suffering, on account of the image from the Spirit which appeared inside of you, because in your heart you are lofty.

And it is a blessed thing, Shem, should a portion be bestowed on someone and should he leave life for the thought of Light, because the soul is a weight of Darkness, and those who understand the origin of the root of the soul will be capable of comprehending Nature as well, because the soul is a product of pollution, and something of scorn for the thought of Light, because I am the one who has revealed everything concerning the return of what is unbegotten.

Darkness Provokes the Flood

And so that Transgression of Nature might be replete, I made the womb (both) troubled (and) pleasant, (like) blind wisdom, so that I could render it as nothing. And at my desire, [25] (Transgression) schemed together with the water of Darkness and with Darkness as well, so that they could injure all forms of all of your hearts, because by the desire of the light of the Spirit they encircled you, binding you with Pistis.[5] And so that his plot would be rendered inactive, he dispatched a demon so that her evil plot would be announced.

And he provoked a flood, and he annihilated the race of all of you, to remove the light and to wrest it from Pistis, but I quickly decreed by the mouth of the demon that a tower would be constructed, reaching up to the particle of Light, which remained among the demons and their race, which was <in> water, so that the demon could be defended from stormy Chaos, and the womb planned these affairs in accord with my desire, so that she could pour out everything. A tower was constructed by means of the demons.

Darkness was troubled over his deficiency. He relaxed the muscles of the womb, and the demon about to enter the tower was defended so that the races could persist and could increase through him, because he possesses power from all forms.

From this time forth, return, [26] O Shem, and rejoice [greatly] with your race and Pistis, because apart from body and requirement it is defended from all bodies of Darkness, testifying to the sacred matters of the Greatness revealed to them in their thought by my desire, and without sorrow they will rest in the unbegotten Spirit.

You, however, O Shem, for this reason you remained in body outside the cloud of Light, so that you could remain with Pistis, and Pistis will approach you. Her thought will be chosen and bestowed on you with a consciousness of Light, and I have announced to you these matters for the good your race would receive from the cloud of Light, and similarly, whatever I will announce to you about anything, I will reveal to you thoroughly, so that you can reveal them to those who will dwell on the earth the second time.

O Shem, the troubling that came to pass at my desire transpired so that Nature could be rendered empty, because the fury of Darkness abated. O Shem, the mouth of Darkness was closed. In accord with my desire, no more is Light, which shone for the creation, visible in it, and when Nature said that its desire had been achieved, then all forms were submerged in the waters.

Nature Throws Off the Power of Fire

[27] In arrogant ignorance, (Nature) flexed her opaque vagina and threw off from herself the power of fire which from the beginning had dwelt inside her by means of the behavior of Darkness. (Fire) raised itself up and shone on the entire creation rather than the righteous one, and each one of her forms dispatched up to heaven a power resembling a flame of fire to be an aid to the decayed light which had raised itself up, because they were members of the erratic fire. And she was unaware that she had injured herself. When she threw away the power she had possessed, she threw it away from her genitals. The trickster demon agitated the womb with all forms, and in her ignorance, acting as if doing something great, she assigned a star to each of the demons and the winds, because apart from wind and star nothing takes place on the earth, given that all powers were filled by them after they had been freed from Darkness, and the fire, and the power, and the light, because there where their darkness and their fire had been joined with each other, different beasts were produced, and it was in the place of Darkness, and the fire, and the power [28] of Mind, and Light, that humans came to be.

Nature Burns Sodom

The thought of Light, my eye, which originates from the Spirit, is not present in every human, because before the flood emerged from the winds and the demons, rain came to humans, but next, so that the power inside the tower could be produced, and could rest on the earth, Nature, which had been troubled, wished to wound the seed which would dwell on earth after the flood. Demons were dispatched to them, as well as a change of the winds, and a weight of the angels, and a fear of the prophet, and a censure of speech, so that I could instruct you, O Shem, concerning blindness from which your race is defended.

After I have revealed to you everything that has been announced, the righteous one will then shine on the creation by means of my garment, and Night and Day will be separated, because I will hurry down to the creation to convey Light to that place, that which Pistis possesses, and I will appear to those who will obtain the thought of Light of the Spirit, because for their sakes my Majesty will appear (to them). When it has appeared, O Shem, on the earth, [in] the place [29] called Sodom, preserve the insight I will grant you, because those who are pure of heart will gather themselves to you, for the message you will reveal, because when you appear in the creation, dark Nature and the winds and a demon will rail against you, to attempt to destroy the insight. You, however, will declare succinctly to those of Sodom your cosmic instruction, given that they are your members, because the demon in human guise will leave that place by my desire, on account of his ignorance. He will protect this message.

However, those of Sodom, in accord with the desire of the Majesty, will testify to the cosmic witness. With a clean conscience they will repose in their dwelling-place of rest, which is the unbegotten Spirit, and when these things come to pass, Sodom will be burned criminally by an ignoble nature, because the harm will not stop, so that your Majesty can reveal that place.

The Defective Baptism

Next [30] the demon will leave with Pistis, and then he will make his appearance in the four corners of the world, and when Pistis appears in the last likeness, her appearance will then be made visible, because the firstborn is the demon who appeared with the union of Nature together with several faces, so that Pistis could appear with him. The reason for this is that when he makes his appearance in the creation, wicked desires will manifest, also earthquakes, and wars, and famines, and blasphemies, given that on account of him the entire world will be troubled, because he will search for the power of Pistis and Light. He will not find it, because at that time the demon will make his appearance as well at the river in order to baptize with a defective baptism, and to disturb the world with a water of slavery.

However, it is necessary that I appear inside the members of the thought of Pistis in order to make manifest the great deeds of my power. I will separate (thought) from the demon Soldas, and I will join the light he possesses from the Spirit together with my impregnable garment, including him whom I shall make visible [31] in Darkness, for your sake and for the sake of your race, which will be defended from the harmful Darkness.

The Memorial of the Son of the Majesty

O Shem, understand that no one will be capable of passing by this evil region unless accompanied by Elorchaios, and Amoia, and Strophaia, and Chelkeak, and Chelkea, and <Chelke>, and Aileos, because this is my memorial, given that by it I have conquered the evil region, and I have extracted the light of the Spirit from the fearsome water, the reason being that when the days predetermined for the demon approach, he who will baptize incorrectly, I will then appear at the baptism of the demon to disclose with the mouth of Pistis a witness to those who belong to her.

I give witness concerning you, ever-burning spark,
Osei,[6] the chosen of the Light, the eye of heaven,
and concerning you, Pistis, the first and the last,
and concerning you, Sophia,
and concerning you, Saphaia,
and concerning you, Saphaina,
and concerning you, the righteous Spark,
and concerning you, the impure light,
and concerning you, east, and west, and north, and south,
upper air, and lower air,
and concerning every power and authority,
[32] all of you dwell inside [Nature],
and concerning you, Moluchtha,
as well as Soch,
who originate from all the deeds and the entire polluted endeavor of Nature.

(Moving away from) from the demon I will then descend to the water, and watery vortexes and fiery flames will rise up against me. After donning the light of Pistis and the ever-burning fire, I will then ascend from out of the water, so that by means of my aid the power of the Spirit can pass over, she who has been thrown into the creation by the winds, and the demons, and the stars, and by means of them all pollution will be fulfilled.

From now on, O Shem, think of yourself as pleasing by means of the thought of the Light. Let not your thought become imbricated in the fire and body of Darkness, which became a polluted work.

The Paraphrase of the Memorial

What I teach you is just; it is the paraphrase.

Because you did not remember that your race was defended from the firmament, I came from the place Elorchaios, being the name of the bright Light, the unequalled Logos, and the likeness is my praiseworthy garment, and Derderkeas is the name [of] his Logos in [33] the voice of the Light. And Strophaia is the blessed seeing, which is the Spirit, and it is my garment Chelkeach, who arrived from the astonishment, who dwelt in the cloud of Hymen which appeared as a cloud of three forms, and my garment Chelkea, he who dwelt in the cloud of Silence, possesses two forms, and my garment Chelke was bestowed on him from all regions. It was bestowed on him with a single form the Greatness, he who dwelt inside the cloud of the middle region, and the invoked star of the Light is my impregnable garment I wore in Hades. This (star) is the mercy superior to the thought and witness of those who give testimony, and the invoked witness, (namely), the first and the last, Pistis, Mind of the wind of Darkness, and <Sophia>, and S<a>phaia, and Saphaina dwell inside the cloud of those who were separated from the erratic fire, and the spark of justice is the cloud of light which has shone among all of you, because inside (the cloud) my garment will descend to Chaos.

However, the polluted [34] light, which is a power, appeared in Darkness belonging to dark Nature, and the upper air together with the lower air, and the powers together with the authorities, (and) the demons together with the stars, these possessed a spark of fire and a light originating from the Spirit, and Moluchthas is a wind, because apart from it nothing is produced on the earth. He looks like a serpent and a unicorn. He protrudes multiple sets of wings, and the rest of him is a convulsed womb.

The Son of the Majesty Emerges Triumphant

You are blessed, Shem, because your race has been defended from the many-faced dark wind, and they will testify to the cosmic witness, even to the polluted behavior of <Nature>, and they will be exalted by means of the memorial of Light. O Shem, no one who wears a body will be capable of perfecting these things, but by remembrance he will become capable of comprehending them, so that when his thought leaves the body, these things can then be revealed to him; they have been revealed to your race.

O Shem, it is difficult for anyone who wears a body to perfect [these things, as] I told you, [35] and only a few will perfect them, those who possess the spark of Mind as well as the thought of the light of the Spirit. They will guard their mind from the polluted behavior, because a multitude of the race of Nature will pursue the safety of power. They will not find it, nor will they be capable of fulfilling the desire of Pistis, because they are offspring of cosmic Darkness, and those who find them will be in copious suffering. The winds and the demons will despise them, and the slavery of the body is harsh, because where the winds, and the stars, and the demons are thrown out from the power of the Spirit, repentance and witness will appear to them, and love will guide them to the unbegotten Spirit, and the penitent will find repose in the consummation and in Pistis, in the place of Hymen. This is the Faith which will fill the emptied place. However, those who do not participate in the Spirit of light as well as in Pistis will dissipate in [Darkness], [36] where repentance did not arrive.

I am the one who opened the everlasting gates which had been closed from the beginning. He revealed them to those who yearn for what is good in life, and to those who deserve repose. I bestowed insight on the insightful. To all of them I disclosed the thoughts and teaching of the just ones, and not in the least was I their enemy. However, when I had withstood the fury of the world, I emerged triumphant. Not a single one of them recognized me. The gates of fire and unending smoke opened themselves against me. All the winds lifted themselves up against me. For a period of time, the blasts of thunder and flashes of lightning will lift themselves up against me, and they will visit their fury on me, and because of me with regard to the flesh, they will rule over them according to their tribes, and by means of the winds and the demons many who wear errant flesh will descend to the dangerous waters, and they will be held fast by the water, and he will heal with an ineffective cure.

The Polluted Baptism

He will mislead, and he will fetter the world, and those that fulfill the desire of Nature, their part will [. . .] [37] twice daily of the water and the forms of Nature, and it will not be given to them, when Pistis troubles them so that she can to bring to herself the just one.

O Shem, thought must be called by the Logos so that the slavery of the power of the Spirit can be rescued from the fearsome water, and it is blessedness when someone is allowed to contemplate what is lofty, and to recognize the last period of time as well as slavery, because the water is a trivial body, and humans are not freed, given that they are held fast in the water, precisely as the light of the Spirit was held fast from the beginning.

O Shem, they are fooled by a multitude of various demons, imagining that by means of baptism in polluted water, which is dark, frail, inactive, (and) troubling, sins will be removed, and they are unaware that slavery comes from the water and approaches the water, as well as error, and incontinence, jealousy, murder, adultery, lying testimony, heresies, thefts, lusts, vain mutterings, fury, bitterness, [insults . . .].

[38] This is reason so many deaths weigh down their thoughts, because I announce it beforehand to those who possess a mind. They will abstain from the polluted baptism, and those who possess a mind from the light of the Spirit will not participate in the polluted behavior, and their mind will not hesitate, nor will they be accursed, nor will they praise the water.

The Body of the Son of the Majesty is Crucified

Where the curse is, there is the deficiency, and where praise is, there is blindness, because if they join with the evil ones, they become vacuous in the dark water, given that where the water has been invoked, there is Nature, and the imprecation, and the lie, and the perdition, because it is solely in the unbegotten Spirit, where lofty Light rested, that the water has not been invoked, nor can it be invoked, because this is how I appear, given that when I have fulfilled the time periods allotted me on earth, I will then throw away from me [. . .] and [39] my unrivalled garment will appear on me, even including every garment I donned in each of all the clouds from the astonishment of the Spirit, because the air will rend my garment, because (my garment) will glow, and it will rend all the clouds reaching up to the root of the Light. The repose is Mind and my garment, and the back of my garments that remain, those on the left as well as those on the right, will glow so that the image of the Light can appear, because my garments I donned inside the three clouds, on the final day they will repose in their root, which is in the unbegotten Spirit, given that they possess no defect deriving from the division of clouds.

For this reason, have I appeared, possessing no defect caused by the clouds, given that they are uneven, so that the evil of Nature could be terminated, because she desired at that time to trap me. She was ready to nail (to a cross) Soldas, who is the obscuring flame, who stood at the [height . . .] of error, [40] so that he could trap me. She was preoccupied with her Pistis, being conceited, and at that time the light was ready to separate itself from Darkness, and a voice was heard in the creation, saying: “Blessed is the eye which has seen you, and Mind which has carried your Majesty at my desire.”

The lofty one will say: “Blessed is Rebouel among all human races, because you[7] are the only one who has seen,” and she will give heed, and they will decapitate the woman who possesses insight, whom you will reveal on the earth, and in accord with my desire she will give testimony, and she will desist from all empty endeavors of Nature and Chaos, because the woman whom at that time they will decapitate is in congruence with the power of the demon who will baptize the seed of Darkness in harshness, so that (the seed) can join with pollution. He begot a woman called Rebouel.

Instructions to Shem

See, O Shem, how everything I have spoken to you has been fulfilled, [and . . ., and the things] you [41] need, in accord with my desire they will be made visible to you at that place on the earth so that you can show them in accord with the way they exist. Let not your thought interact with the body, because I have spoken these things to you with the voice of fire, given that I entered in through the middle of the clouds, and I spoke in accord with the language of each one.

This is my language I spoke to you, and it will be assimilated by you, and you will speak with the worldly voice on the earth, and for you it will resemble that likeness and voice even of everything I have spoken to you. From now on, walk onward with Pistis in order to glow in the depths of creation.

Shem Walks with Pistis

And I, Shem, woke up, as from a long sleep. I was astonished when I obtained the power of the Light as well as his entire thought, and I walked onward with Pistis in order for her to glow together with me, and the just one followed us with my impregnable garment, and everything he had told me would come to pass on the earth took place.

Nature was delivered over to Pistis, so that (Pistis) could throw her down, and that (Nature) could stand with Darkness. She initiated a rotating motion by [42] unceasingly rotating with the souls night and day. Thus were her actions realized.

I then became glad in the thought of Light. I emerged from Darkness, and I walked with Pistis where dwell the forms of Nature, going up to the top of earth, to where the matters are made ready.

The Last Day

Your Pistis is over the earth all the day, because all the night and day she encompasses Nature in order to bring to herself the just one, given that Nature is weighted down, and she is disturbed, because no one will be capable of opening the forms of the Womb with the sole exception of Mind, who was delegated with their likeness, given that their likeness of the two forms of Nature is fearsome, the one who is blind.

However, they who possess a free conscience will extricate themselves from the vain muttering of Nature, because they will give testimony to the cosmic witness. Stripping away the load of Darkness, they will don the Logos of Light, and they will not be detained [43] in the trivial place, and what they obtained from the power of Mind they will give back to Pistis. They will be received without sorrow, and they will place in the middle region of Nature the erratic fire they possess, and they will be received with my garments in the clouds. They are the ones who lead their members. They will rest in the Spirit without pain, and on account of this the determined time of Pistis arrived on earth for a brief period, lasting until Darkness is removed from her, and her witness is disclosed, which I disclosed. They who will be shown to originate from her root will strip away Darkness as well as the erratic fire, donning Light of Mind, and they will give testimony, because everything that I have spoken must come to pass.

After I have finished dwelling on earth, and have retreated upwards to my repose, a great, dangerous error will appear in the world, and many dangers of the same the number as the forms of [44] Nature. Dangerous times will come, and when the age of Nature nears its ending, Darkness will arrive on earth. There will be little (left), and a demon will ascend from the power resembling fire. He will split heaven, lingering in the easternmost region, because the entire world will tremble, and the misled world will be thrown into disorder. Numerous places will be inundated on account of the jealously of the winds and of the demons possessing senseless names, that is, Phorbea, Chloerga. They rule the world by means of their teaching, and they mislead numerous minds with their chaos and their pollution. Numerous places will be spattered with blood, and by themselves five races will devour their sons. However, the southern regions will accept the Logos of Light, but those from beyond <the east originate> from the cosmic error.

A demon will emerge from the underbelly of the dragon. He was [45] concealing himself in a wilderness area. He will perform numerous miracles. Many will hate him. A wind will blow from out of his mouth, resembling a female, whose name will be called Abalphe. He will rule over the world, from east to west.

Nature will then obtain a last chance, and the stars will come to an end in the sky, and the mouth of error will open itself so that the dangerous Darkness can be rendered inactive and quiet, and on the last day the forms of Nature will be annihilated together with the winds and all of their demons. They will become a gloomy heap, just like they were from the beginning, and the sweet waters which were weighted down by the demons will be destroyed, because where the power of the Spirit has flowed, my sweet waters dwell there. No more acts of Nature will be seen. They will join with the infinite waters of Darkness, and all of her forms will retreat from the middle region.

Shem’s Mind Dons the Deathless Memorial

I, Shem, have finished these sayings, and my mind initiated separating from the body of Darkness. My [46] time had ended, and my mind donned the deathless memorial, and I spoke:

“I agree to your memorial,
which you have revealed to me,
Elorchaois,
and you, Amoiaiai,
and you, Sederkeas,
and your sincerity, Strophaias,
and also you, Chelkeak,
and you, Chelkea,
and Chelke and Elaie,
you all comprise the deathless memorial. “I witness to you, undying spark,
who is an eye of heaven and a voice of light,
and to Sophia,[8]
and to Saphaia,
and to Saphaina,
and to the just spark,
and to Pistis, the first and the last,
and to the upper air and lower air,
and to you, Chelkeak, and Chelke, and Elaie,
you all comprise the deathless memorial. “I witness to you, undying spark,
who is an eye of heaven and a voice of light,
and to Sophia,
and to Saphaia,
to and Saphaina,
and to the just spark,
and to Pistis, the first and the last,
and to the upper air and lower air,[9]
and to every power and authority in the creation,
and to you, polluted light,
and to you as well, east, and west, and south, and north,
all of you comprise the cardinal points [47] of the inhabited world,
and to you[10] also, Moluchtha and Essoch,
both of you comprise the root of evil
and all acts and polluted endeavors of Nature.”

These are the sayings I completed while giving testimony.

I am Shem. On the day that I was to emerge from the body, when my thought lingered in the body, I woke up as from a long sleep, and when I rose up as if from the weight of my body, I spoke: “Just like Nature grew old, so will it be in the day of humanity as well. Blessed are they who were aware while they were sleeping, in which power their thought was reposing.”

And when the Pleiades split, I beheld clouds through which I shall journey, because the cloud of the Spirit looks like a pure beryl, and the cloud of Hymen looks like a glittering emerald, and the silent cloud looks like a burgeoning amaranth, and the cloud of the middle region looks like a pure jacinth.

Conclusion

And when the just one appeared in Nature, then Nature grew furious, feeling wounded, and she allowed [48] Morphaia to visit heaven. The just one will visit for twelve time periods so that he can visit them over a single period, so that his time can come to an end quickly, and Nature can be rendered inactive.

Blessed are they who protect themselves against the lot of death, which is the heavy water of Darkness, because it will be impossible to defeat them in a brief period, given that they rush to depart from the cosmic error, and if they be defeated, they will be held back from them and will be tortured in Darkness until the time of the consummation. When the consummation has arrived, and Nature has been annihilated, their thoughts will then separate away from Darkness. Nature has weighed them down for a brief period, and they will dwell in the inexpressible Light of the formless unbegotten Spirit, and this is the way Mind is, as I have discussed from the beginning.

From now on, O Shem, proceed in graciousness and endure in Pistis on earth, because every power of Light and fire will be completed by me [49] on your account, given that apart from you they will not be revealed before you announce them publicly. When you no longer dwell on the earth, they will be bestowed on the deserving ones, and apart from this declaration, let them speak concerning you on the earth, given that they will inherit the land without care and in harmony.

Notes

[1] “Divested,” literally “freed.”

[2] “Dim,” or “deaf.”

[3] “Anasses, Duses,” i.e., Rising, Setting.

[4] “Of,” or “to.”

[5] Pistis, “Faithfulness,” or “Faith.”

[6] “Osei” is a creative reading of the Greek Vorlage’s hos ei, “who is/are.”

[7] “You,” feminine.

[8] The scribe apparently accidentally spelled this as “Sophaia.”

[9] This passage is usually considered an example of dittography, but its length raises the possibility that we may have here an instance of ritual repetition intended to increase the spiritual potency of the prayer.

[10] “You,” feminine singular.