Three Forms of Primal Thought
NHC XIII, 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 XIII, 1. The Nag Hammadi texts were written in the fourth century, subsequently buried, and then rediscovered in 1945. In this tractate, the androgynous Primal Thought, Barbelo, narrates three successive descents, a baptismal rite of the Five Seals, the defeat of the powers, and final salvation of the Sons of Light, including Jesus.
This translation from the Coptic is by Samuel Zinner and was edited by Mark M. Mattison with the generous support of Other Gospels.
Symbols
[ ] Gap in the text (known as a “lacuna”)
( ) Editorial insertion to clarify the text
< > Editorial correction of a scribal error
[35] Page number of the Coptic codex (hyperlinked)
Introduction: Primal Thought
[35] [I] am Primal [Thought, the] Thought that abides inside [the Light].
[I] am movement that abides inside the [All],
[she with whom the] All makes its stand,
the firstborn of those who [came into being],
[she who] pre-exists the All.
[She] is called by three names, even though she abides by herself,
[given that she is complete (in herself)].
I am unseen inside the Thought of the Unseen One,
even though I am disclosed in the immeasurable and the unspeakable.
I am ungraspable, abiding in the ungraspable,
even though I am moving inside every creature.
I am the Life of my Intelligence
that abides inside all powers and all aeonic movement,
and inside unseen Lights,
and inside the archons, and angels, and demons,
and all souls in Tartaros,
and inside all souls of matter.
I abide inside those who came into being.
I move inside everyone, and investigate all of them.
I walk uprightly, and I awaken those who are asleep,
and I am the sight of those who are sleeping.
I am the Unseen One inside the All.
I counsel the Unseen Ones,
given that I know all things inside the All.
I am countless beyond all.
I am immeasurable, unspeakable, but whenever I [desire],
[I] disclose myself by means of myself.
I [am the movement of] the All.
I am before [everything, and] I am all, given that I [am inside] all.
Primal Thought Descends and Discloses Herself
I am a [quietly echoing] voice.
I exist from [the beginning].
[I am] inside the Silence [that encompasses] all of them, [36] and [it is] the concealed [voice] that [abides inside] me,
[inside] the ungraspable, immeasurable [Thought],
[inside] the immeasurable Silence.
I [descended into the] center of the netherworld,
and I shone [downward onto the] darkness.
I caused the [water] to swell.
I am concealed inside [illuminated] waters.
In stages I caused the All to shine by my Thought.
I am loaded with the voice.
By means of me knowledge emerges.
I dwell inside the unspeakable and the unknowable.
I am insight and knowledge,
articulating a voice by means of Thought.
I am the true voice.
I echo inside everyone,
and they become aware of it, given that a seed abides inside of [them].
I am the Thought of the Father,
and by means of me the voice emerged,
the knowledge of perpetual matters.
I exist in the mode of Thought for everyone,
being united with the unknowable and ungraspable Thought.
I, even I disclosed myself among everyone who recognized me,
because I am united with everyone
by means of a concealed Thought and a sublime <voice>,
even a voice from Unseen Thought,
and it[1] is immeasurable, given that it abides inside the immeasurable one.
Primal Thought is a Mystery
It is a mystery.
It is an [unknowable entity] originating from [the ungraspable one].
It is unseen [by everyone who is] seen inside the All.
[It is Light] abiding inside Light.
We [ourselves have withdrawn from the world] of the seen, given that we [are rescued by] concealed [wisdom by means of the] [37] unspeakable, immeasurable [voice], and what is concealed inside of us pays the price to the water of Life for its fruit, when the Son completely matures.
The Logos and the Three Names
He is the Logos who originated by means of that voice, who proceeded from on high, who possesses the Name inside him, who is Light. He disclosed never-ending matters, and everything unknowable became known, and those matters that are difficult to interpret, even that are secret, he disclosed, and he preached to those who dwell inside Silence together with the Primal Thought.
He disclosed himself to those inside darkness, and he presented himself to those inside the Abyss. To those in the concealed treasuries he announced unspeakable mysteries, and to everyone who became Sons of Light he taught teachings not to be repeated, but the voice that emerged from my Thought, it subsists in the mode of three enduring entities: the Father, the Mother, and the Son. It subsists in the mode of perceptual speech, and it possesses inside of it a Logos endued with complete <glory>, and it possesses three masculine attributes, three powers, even three names. This is how they subsist in the mode of three ooo, being quadrangles, in secrecy, in the Silence of the Unspeakable One.
[He] is the only one who came into being, namely, [the Christ, and] as the glory [of the] Unseen [Spirit], I anointed him with [goodness]. As for [the three], I established them [by themselves inside] aeonic [glory], over [the perpetual aeons inside the] living [water], which [is the glory encompassing him] [38] who caused the Light of those exalted aeons to shine in glory and in perpetual firmness, and [he] stood inside his own Light encompassing him, the eye of Light that shines in glory on me.
Primal Thought as Barbelo
He supplied aeons for the Father of all <the> aeons,
who I am, the Thought of the Father,
Primal Thought,
Barbelo, the [perfect] glory,
the [immeasurable] Unseen One who is concealed.
I am the image of the Unseen Spirit,
and by means of me all assumed an image,
and (I am) the Mother,
the Light she assigned as virgin,
she who is called Meirothea,
the ungraspable womb,
the unconfinable, even immeasurable voice.
The Perfect Son and the Aeons
The Perfect Son then disclosed himself to his aeons that had their origin by means of him, and he made them appear and glorified them, and granted thrones to them, and he stood in the glory that he employed to glorify himself. They blessed the Perfect Son, the Christ, the only-begotten God, and they offered glory, even saying:
He is,
He is,
Son of God,
Son of God!
He is the one who is,
the greatest aeon gazing on the aeon he begot,
because you begot by your own will.
[We] therefore glorify you:
MA MŌ
Ō Ō Ō
EIA
EI
ON
EI
The [greatest] of [aeons],[2]
the aeon that he <esteemed>!
The Four Aeons
Furthermore, the [begotten God] granted the aeons the power of [Life in which to trust], and [he] appointed [them].
The first aeon he appointed [over the first]:
Armedon, Nousanios, [Armozel].
Secondly, he appointed [over the second aeon]:
[39] Phaionios, Ainios, Oroiael.
Thirdly, (he appointed) over the third aeon:
Mellephaneus, Loios, Daveithai.
Fourthly, (he appointed) over the fourth (aeon):
Mousanios, Amethes, Eleleth.
Now these aeons were begotten by the begotten God, the Christ, and they accepted and offered glory. They approached, sublime in their Thought, and each aeon offered myriads of glories with large Lights beyond trace, and all of them together blessed the Perfect Son, the begotten God.
The Origin of Yaldabaoth
A Logos then arrived from the bright Light Eleleth, and spoke: “I am king. Who is of Chaos, and who is of the netherworld?”
His Light instantly appeared, shining, endued with Intelligence. The greatest of the powers[3] did not implore him, and straightaway there appeared the large demon who reigns over the lowest part of the netherworld and Chaos. He possesses neither shape nor completion, but instead he possesses the shape of the glory that belongs to those begotten in darkness. He is called Sakla, Samael, Yaldabaoth. He took power, seizing it from the innocent one, who previously had overcome her. She is the Intelligence of Light who descended, from whom Yaldabaoth came into existence from the beginning.
The Intelligence of the [Light Eleleth] recognized that [Yaldabaoth] had implored him on behalf of a different [order, despite his being of a lower (order)] than hers. She spoke: “Grant [me a different order], so that you will be [a dwelling-place] for me, [or I will] abide in disorder [perpetually.” The order to which the] entire house of [40] glory belonged also consented to her entreaty.
A blessing was brought forward for her, and the higher order gave it over to her, and the large demon started producing aeons that looked like the true aeons, with the exception that he produced them from out of his own power.
Primal Thought Responds
I also then disclosed my voice in secret, and spoke: “Halt, halt you who are trampling on matter, because behold, I descend to the world of mortals on account of my portion that dwelt in that place when the innocent Sophia had been overcome! She descended in order that I could prevent their scheme that was concocted by the one dispatched from her.”
Everyone grew troubled, and everyone in the house of the Light without knowledge as well as the Abyss shook, and the Primal-Begetter of ignorance ruled over Chaos and the netherworld, and produced a Man in my likeness, but he neither recognized that this one would be for him a sentence of destruction, nor was he aware of the power inside him.
Now, however, I have descended, even arriving at Chaos.
I dwelt [with] those who belonged to me who were in that place.
I am concealed inside them, bestowing power on [them], granting them an image, and beginning from [the first day] until the day [I will bestow] strong [power] on those who belong to me, [I will disclose myself to] those who have listened to [my mysteries], [41] the Sons of Light.
I am their Father, and to you will I divulge an unspeakable mystery,
also incommunicable by [any] mouth.
I released you from all fetters,
and I broke the demonic chains of the netherworld which fettered and detained my members,
and I cast down the high walls of darkness,
and the fortified gates of those merciless ones I broke,
and I crushed their bars,
and the evil force and the one who strikes and holds you back,
and the tyrant, and the opponent, and the king, and the present foe.
I have indeed made clear all of these to those who belong to me,
who are the Sons of Light,
so that they can abolish all of them,
be freed from every fetter,
and enter into the place where they previously dwelt.
I am the first one who descended on account the remainder of my portion,
the spirit dwelling inside the soul, which originated from the water of Life,
and out of the baptism of the mysteries that I, even I spoke together with the archons and authorities,
because I descended below their language;
and I spoke my mysteries to those who belong to me, a concealed mystery,
and the fetters and age-long oblivion were abolished,
and I produced fruit inside them,
the Thought of the immutable aeon, even my house, and (the Thought) of their Father;
and I descended [to those who belonged] to me from the beginning,
and I arrived to where [they were, and crushed] the first strands that [had enslaved them]. [Then] everyone inside me shone,
[42] and I made ready [a model] for those unspeakable Lights inside of me.
Amen.
(End of Part) [One] of The [Discourse] of Primal Thought
Primal Thought is the Mother of the Voice
I am the voice that manifested by means of my Thought,
because I am he who is in alignment,
given that I am called the Thought of the Unseen One.
Given that I am called the immutable speech,
I am called she who is in alignment.
I am one, given that I am undefiled.
I am the mother [of] the voice,
speaking in diverse ways,
perfecting the All.
Knowledge abides inside of me,
knowledge of enduring matters.
I speak inside all creatures,
and I was known by all.
I raise the speech of the voice to the hearing of those who have known me, the Sons of Light, though for the second time I have come resembling a female, and have conversed with them. I will relate to them concerning the approaching end of this aeon, and instruct them concerning the dawning of the aeon to come, the immutable one, in which our appearance will be transformed. We shall be made pure in those aeons from which I manifested myself with the Thought that resembled my masculinity.
The Time of Fulfillment
I made my home among those who inside the Thought of my immutable aeon are deserving, because I will divulge to you a mystery of this aeon, and divulge to you concerning the forces dwelling inside it. Birth summons [birth], hour begets hour, day [begets] day, months make known the month, [time revolves] in succession of [time]. This aeon [43] was completed in [that] way, and it ended, even being short, because a finger lets go of a finger, and a joint parts from a joint.
When then the great authorities recognized that the time of fulfillment had arrived—just like the time of birth travail arrives, this is the way that the time of destruction drew near—all the elements shook, and the foundations of the netherworld and the ceilings of Chaos wobbled, and an extensive fire glared among them, and the crags and the earth were shaken like a reed is shaken by the wind. The lots of Destiny and those who assign the (zodiacal) houses were also deeply troubled by booming thunder, and the thrones of the powers were troubled because they had been thrown down, and their king grew fearful, and those who follow after Destiny paid their share of visitations to the path, and they said to the powers: “What is this commotion and quaking that has overtaken us by means of the voice of sublime speech? Even our entire abode has been shaken, and the entire ascending orbit of our path has been annihilated, and the path on which we travel, conveying us upward to the Primal-Begetter of our birth, has ceased being reliable for us.”
The powers then answered, and said: “We are also at an impasse over it, given that we were ignorant regarding its cause, but rise, let us ascend to the Primal-Begetter and inquire of him.”
Then all of the powers joined with each other and ascended to the Primal-Begetter. They [said to] him: “Where (now) is your boasting with which you boast? Did we not [hear you say]: ‘I am God, [and I am] your Father, [44] and I am the one who begot you, and no one exists except me’? Now behold! A voice has appeared of the Unseen Speech of [the aeon] of which we are ignorant, and we ourselves have failed to recognize the one to whom we belong, because the voice we heard is alien to us, and we recognized it not. We failed to recognize its origin. It approached and frightened us, even weakening our legs. Let us therefore weep and lament most bitterly. From now on, let us complete our flight before we are imprisoned by force and brought down to the womb of the netherworld, because for the moment a lull in our bondage presents itself. The times are also shortened, and the days have decreased, and our time has been completed, and the lamentation over our annihilation is here for us to be taken to a place we know <not>, because the tree out of which we grew yields a fruit of ignorance, and death dwells inside its leaves, and darkness abides beneath the shadow of its branches, and in deception and lust we picked the tree, by which the Chaos of ignorance became for us a dwelling-place, because behold! Even the Primal-Begetter of our birth, concerning whom we boasted, failed to recognize this speech.”
Now therefore, Sons of Thought, hear me, hear the speech of your compassionate mother, because you have grown deserving of the mystery concealed from the beginning of the aeons, so that you [could obtain] it, and the end of this aeon, and of the disastrous life [is here, and there dawns] [45] [the] beginning of the [aeon to come], which [will remain immutable].
Primal Thought is Androgynous
I am androgynous.
[I am Mother, I am] Father, given that I [copulated] with myself.
I [copulate] with myself [and with those who love] me,
[and] solely by means of me is the All [established].
I am the womb [that bestows image . . .] the All
by giving birth to the Light that [shines] in radiance.
I am the aeon to [come].
[I] am the fulfillment of the All, that is, Meirothea, the glory of the Mother.
I threw voiced speech into the ears of those who recognize me,
and I invite you to enter into the sublime, perfect Light.
Further, when you enter into it,
you will be glorified by those who bestow glory,
and you will be enthroned by those who enthrone.
You will obtain robes from those who bestow robes,
and you will be baptized by the baptizers,
and you will become glorious with glory,
the way you were previously, when you were Light,
and I concealed myself inside of everyone,
and I disclosed [myself] inside of them,
and all the minds searching for me yearned for me,
because I bestowed image on the All when it possessed no shape,
and I changed their shapes into other shapes
until the time when shape will be given to all things.
From me originated the voice,
and I deposited breath into those who belong to me,
and I threw the aeonic holy Spirit into them,
and I ascended, and entered into my Light.
I [climbed] up onto my branch,
and I sat [there among the] Sons of [holy] Light,
but [I retreated] to their dwelling-place, [46] which [. . .] become [glorious. . .].
[Amen].
(End of Part [Two]: [Concerning] Destiny
Primal Thought is the Logos
I am the [Logos in the] ineffable [voice].
I abide inside undefiled [Light].
A Thought [was manifested] perceptually by means of [the loud] speech of the Mother, even though a male offspring [sustains me] as my foundation, and from the beginning it[4] has existed among the foundations of the All.
Light, however, is concealed inside Silence, and it was the first to emerge, but the Mother is the only one who exists as Silence. I am the only one who is the Logos, unspeakable, indestructible, immeasurable, ungraspable. It[5] is a concealed Light, producing the fruit of Life, pouring out living water from the unseen, indestructible, immeasurable spring, which is the matchless voice of the glory of the Mother, the glory of the offspring of God, a male virgin because of a concealed mind, being a Silence concealed from the All, matchless, immeasurable Light, the spring of the All, the root of the complete aeon.
It is the foundation that sustains every movement of the aeons of the powerful glory.
It is the foundation of all foundations.
It is the breath of the powers.
It is the eye of the three who endure,
which subsists as a voice because of Thought,
and it is a Logos because of speech.
It was dispatched to enlighten those in darkness.
The Three Descents of Primal Thought
Behold! I [will] now disclose to you [my mysteries], given that you are my [brethren, and you will] come to know all of them [47] [. . .]. I spoke [to all of them concerning my mysteries] that subsist inside [the ungraspable], indescribable [aeons].
I instructed [them in the mysteries] with the [voice that subsists] in perfect mind,
[and I] became a foundation for the All,
and [I] granted them power.
The second time I came as the [speech] of my voice.
I bestowed image to those who [took on] image, until they were fulfilled.
The third time I disclosed myself to them in their dwellings as the Logos,
and I disclosed myself in a way that looked like their image,
and I wore the garment of everyone,
and I covered myself with them,
and [they] recognized not the one who grants me power,
because I dwell inside every sovereignty and power,
and inside angels, and inside all movements made by any matter,
and I concealed myself inside of them
until I disclosed myself to my brethren,
and not one of them[6] recognized me, [even though] I operate inside of them.
[They] instead imagined that they had created all things, given that they are ignorant,
being unaware of the root, even where they grow.
[I] am the Light that enlightens the All.
I am the Light that rejoices [among my] brethren,
because I descended to the world [of] mortals
because of the remainder of the Spirit inside what [had descended], originating from innocent Sophia.
The Five Seals
I [came] and delivered [. . .] and [proceeded] [48] [. . .] which he [previously] possessed,
[and I granted him] of the water [of Life],
[which strips] him of the Chaos
[in the] most extreme darkness [inside] the entire [abyss],
which is [bodily] and mental thought.
I donned all of these,
but I removed it from off of him,
and I clothed him with shining Light,
namely, the knowledge concerning the Thought of the Fatherhood,
and I handed him over to those who distribute robes:
Yammon, Elasso, Amenai,
and they clothed him with a robe from among the Light-robes;
and I handed him over to the baptizers, and they baptized him:
Micheus, Michar, Mnesinous,
and they baptized him in the spring of the [water] of Life;
and I handed him over to those who enthrone:
Bariel, Nouthan, Sabenai,
and they enthroned him with the throne of glory,
and I handed him over to those who glorify,
Ariom, Elien, Phariel,
and they glorified him using the glory of the Fatherhood;
and those who rapt rapt:
Kamaliel, [. . .]anen, Samblo,
the servants of <the> bright holy Lights;
and they conveyed him to where the Light of his Fatherhood is,
and he obtained the Five Seals from the Light of the Mother, Protennoia, Primal Thought,
and he was [granted] to share in the mystery of knowledge,
and [he became Light] within Light.
Primal Thought Saves the Sons of Light, Including Jesus
Now therefore, [49] [. . .].
[I] dwelt inside them, [abiding with the form of each one].
[The archons] imagined that [I] was the Christ for them (alone),
when actually I [dwell inside] everyone,
indeed inside those in whom [I manifested myself] as Light.
[I evaded] the archons.
I am their beloved, because it was there that
I clothed myself [as] the Son of the Primal-Begetter,
and I resembled him until the demise of his rule,
which is the ignorance of Chaos,
and among the angels I showed myself in the way they look,
and among the powers as though I were one of them,
but among the Sons of Man as though I were a Son of Man,[7]
despite my being Father of everyone.
I concealed myself inside all of them
until I showed myself among my members, who belong to me.
I instructed them concerning the unspeakable decrees and the brethren, but the decrees of the Father are indescribable to any sovereignty and any archontic power, and describable solely to the Sons of Light.
These are the glories that exceed all glories, the Five Seals, perfect because of mind. He who has possession of the Five Seals bearing these names has removed <the> garments of ignorance and donned a Light that shines, and nothing will be visible to him that is under the sway of the powers of the archons. Inside of this kind, darkness will vanish and [ignorance] will die, and the Thought of the creation that [is dispersed] will have a single appearance, and [dark chaos] will dissolve, [50] and [. . .] ungraspable [. . .] inside the [. . .] until I show myself [to all of my brethren], and unite all [my] brethren inside my [aeonic kingdom], and I declared to them the unspeakable [Five] Seals so that [ I could] abide among them, and so that they, too, could abide with me, and I donned Jesus.
I carried him away from cursed <matter>,[8]
even establishing him inside the dwelling-places of his Father,
and those who guard their dwelling-places failed to recognize me,
because I, even I cannot be held back, nor my offspring,
and my offspring which belongs to me,
I will [place] inside the holy Light
inside ungraspable Silence.
Amen.
(End of Part) Three: The Discourse on the Epiphany
Three Forms of Primal Thought, in Three Parts
A Sacred Writing Inscribed by the Father
with Perfect Knowledge
Notes
[1] “It,” i.e., the Unseen voice.
[2] “The [greatest] of [aeons],” literally, “the [aeon] of aeons.”
[3] “The greatest of the powers,” literally, “the powers of the powers.”
[4] “It,” i.e., the speech.
[5] “It,” i.e., the Logos.
[6] “Them,” i.e., the powers.
[7] Here “Sons of Man” does not seem to refer to humans in general, but to a special class of angelic-like beings bearing the title “Son of Man” in some special supra-human sense.
[8] For the rendering “matter” instead of “wood,” see Bentley Layton, The Gnostic Scriptures: Ancient Wisdom for the New Age (New York: Doubleday, 1995), 100, footnote 50 b.