The word gnosis is a greek word for knowledge which usually refers to any type of direct communion with the divine. In this text, as long points out, sophia takes over the powers and function of god and the creation story is told using the word she. Since it was known to the church father irenaeus, it must have been written before around 180 ce. The pistis sophia unveiled is samael aun weors explanation and commentary on the pistis sophia, an ancient sacred text which has been referred to as the gnostic bible.
Gnostic scriptures such as on the origin of the world contain a radically different exegesis of abrahamic traditions. There were found twelve books bound in leatherplus eight pages of a thirteenth book. The secret book of john s description of the mind of god, called the fullness or, in greek, the pleroma, is conceptual and therefore below the level of the indescribable god. The sophia anthologyis a remarkable collection of rare texts that reveal what we well may call the nag hammadi library of modern times. It is best known from gnosticism, where it signifies a knowledge or insight into humanitys real nature as divine, leading to the deliverance of the divine spark within humanity from the constraints of earthly existence. Every story she appeared in was different but oddly familiar. Jul 20, 2017 the secret book of john, gnostic texts giving voice to the wisdom of the ages. The gnostic valentinus paired the primal father, the word, with mother of the all, who was grace, silence, womb. Meads translation of the pistis sophia, the most extensive gnostic scripture available until the discovery of nag hammadi texts in 1945 the pistis sopha is a startling blend of primitive christianity and hellenic paganism, with other elements such as reincarnation, astrology, mystery religion and hermetic magic.
The book of wisdom of solomon, written by alexandrian jews in the hellenistic era, renames khokhmah as sophia, the greek word for wisdom. O lord, command me also that i say the interpretation of the words which thy lightpower once prophesized through david. This is a rerecorded version better sounddelivery of an older talk by dan attrell based on his paper what athens has got to do with jerusalem. Jung describes sophie wisdom as the wife of yahweh, a good coauthor of this demiurge, the creator of the material world. It came to pass, when jesus had risen from the dead, that he passed eleven years discoursing with his disciples, and instructing them only up to the regions of the first commandment and up to the regions of the first mystery, that within the veil, within the first commandment, which is the four and twentieth. John milton famously wrote in paradise lost that lucifer claimed, better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven. Nov 26, 2017 john lash the gnostic myth of sophia and the birth of the archons posted on november 26, 2017 by uponthefaceofthewaters 2019 updatecaveat it is quite possible lash is another gatekeeper for the flat earth or just misinformed himself about the true cosmology, nevertheless there is some valid info here that should be satisfactory for. A special and richly coloured development is given to the mythical form of the sophia of the gnostic book pistis sophia. These systems believed that the material world is created by an emanation of the highest god, trapping the divine spark within. By refusing to procreate, humans assist in restoring sophias divine sparks to their rightful place. As a member of the pleroma sophia greek for wisdom represents the means of gnosis. Algebra is a branch of mathematics that uses letters etc to represent numbers and quantities.
Gnosis is the common greek noun for knowledge, gnosis, f. Well said, john, the virgin, who shalt rule in the kingdom of the light. The secret book of john, also called the apocryphon of john or the secret revelation of john, is a secondcentury sethian gnostic christian text of secret teachings. Prayer to the christos from the acts of john 30 ode to sophia from the.
For there is a virtually unknown spiritual sophianic tradition that has developed since the seventeenth century and that still exists today. As one becomes more familiar with the gnostic creation myth and the gnostic belief that the world was created by an ignorant, false god, one will also be able to better appreciate the myth of sophia. The apocryphon of john the gospel of the egyptians codex v. The secret revelation of john harvards dash harvard university. It has always seemed to me that the secret book of john evolved to be more difficult to. Reading sex and gender in the secret revelation of john. Book two chapter 63 john also came forward, he said.
Along the way, we have sought to raise the quality of the books, increase their availability, and reduce their cost. The gnostic myths of sophia also have important gender implications. Click here for longer detailed paper on this subject. Commentary on the ninth chapter of the gospel of john. In some gnostic myths a partner, christos, was created for sophia and that partnership is an aid to humans.
The second book of pistis sophia john further interpreteth the same scripture. Eventually, one of the aeons, sophia of the epinoia, disrupts the harmony of these processes by engaging. The creation stories of the valentinians, the other early christian sect or school that can be considered gnostic, still adhere to this same basic model, although many of the. The two first books of this writing to which the name pistis sophia properly belongs, treat for the greater part pp. The apocryphon of john was still used in the eighth century by the audians of mesopotamia. Stevan davies the secret book of john is very yeasty. Commentary on tau jean ii and the gnostic mass by robert m. By refusing to procreate, humans assist in restoring sophia s divine sparks to their rightful place. Since that time the ancient truths have been released to the masses of humanity in the form of allegory. It is not only knowledge of the divine, but also of thyself, the world, nature and the great work great arcanum or. Gnosis is the yeast that lifts the dough of revelation above the arid flatland of religious convention. The gnostic goddess, female power, and the fallen sophia. The secret revelation of john is replete with imagery of the divine mother alongside the father god and his son christ. The gnostic movement was made up of diverse sects and movements within early christianity.
Gnosticism, christianity, and sophia kenyon college. The gnostic goddess, female power, and the fallen sophia 2010 max dashu 3 throughout gnostic scriptures, we find strong echoes of hebrew traditions of khokhmah, wisdom. Explain fundamentals of gnosticism, moses talked with lesser god, existence of a. The apocryphon of gnosis, the gnostic dictionary piper. In this document secret book of john too there is reference to the coming into being of three men. Gnostic sophia book of jesus volume i jesus of nazareth chapter. The physical mother of jesus was an external image of manifestation of the virgin sophia the word sophia stemming from sophos, wisdom. Books books of samael aun weor, gnostic, esoteric, spiritual and sacred ebooks pdf samael aun weor books and lectures on gnosis. Gnostic goddess, female power, and the fallen sophia. This translation is presented in the gnostic society library by exclusive permission of the author.
Now, my counterfeit spirit destined me to write this drivel, so i wonder if this means the situation can only get worse. John lash the gnostic myth of sophia and the birth of the archons posted on november 26, 2017 by uponthefaceofthewaters 2019 updatecaveat it is quite possible lash is another gatekeeper for the flat earth or just misinformed himself about the true cosmology, nevertheless there is some valid info here that should be satisfactory for. It boasts of powerful female saviorsand even identifies christ among them. We will now proceed to see what the gnostic johnfolk have to say about the person of yohana and concerning their early palestinian community, and will conclude with some typical extracts from their johnbook collection, of which the most characteristic and important will be what may be called the sagas of the fisher of souls and of the good. The term is used in various hellenistic religions and philosophies. Sophia, yaltaboath was grotesque, yaltaboath was creator of material world. The counterfeit spirit and why you must defeat it to survive. Eve is not the cause of humankinds fall, but of its redemption. Thanks to samael aun weor and the support of students around the world, our translator and team have spent decades correcting, refining, and publishing all the books by samael aun weor. Jul, 2016 as jesus tells his crossdressing disciple in the secret book of john, gnosis is the only way to defeat this bizarro sophia. Jesus hitherto instructeth his disciples only up to the regions of the first mystery. Philo refers to this as secret knowledge gnosis and wisdom sophia of god. This site includes the entire hammadi library, as well as a large collection of other primary gnostic scriptures and documents.
Resources on gnosis, gnosticism, and the french gnostic. The second book of pistis sophia john further interpreteth the same scripture 106 of sabaoth, barbelo, yabraoth and the lightvesture 107 gabriel and michael are summoned to help pistis sophia 108 the lightstream restoreth the lightpowers to sophia 109. The apocryphon of john the gospel of the egyptians eugnostos the blessed the sophia of jesus christ the dialogue. The creator is ignorant and malevolent, the serpent in eden was sophia or jesus, noah was a faithless jerk, and the creators angels are agents of violence and repression. Although in many gnostic texts and systems sophia is a major female divinity, in pistis sophia she originates and dwells outside of the divine realm. The greek word gnosis is usually translated as insight. The secret book of johns description of the mind of god, called the fullness or, in greek, the pleroma, is conceptual and therefore below the level of the indescribable god. But this cannot happen until divine wisdom sophia and fiery reason lucifer are united in the sacred marriage that some have called gnosis, within the underworld of the unconscious and above the temporal paradises of the ego. In the gnostic myth of how the world works, sophia, the feminine personification of wisdom, lives happily with spirits of light especially her twin brother, in the unified limitless potential of her fathers radiance, created by the twin powers of depth and silence.
The secret book of john the first time i read the nag hammadi library i was immediately drawn to the saga of the heroine and antiheroine that is the character of sophia. The spiritual meaning behind the story of sophia aeon byte. The gospel of john and the gnostic myth of redemption stottilien. Christ persuades yaldabaoth to breathe sophias spirit into adam. Aug 02, 2018 this is a rerecorded version better sounddelivery of an older talk by dan attrell based on his paper what athens has got to do with jerusalem. But this leads to crisis because god is purely subjective. Some texts from the valentinian school of gnosticism connect the story of sophias fall to the fate of nongnostic christians that is, christians who have the baseline christian virtue of faith but not the higher mystical insight of gnosis, the root of the word gnostic. It may be thought that algebra has little similarity to religion, however, if we. The secret book of john, also called the apocryphon of john or the secret revelation of john, is a secondcentury sethian gnostic.
John lash the gnostic myth of sophia and the birth of the. Her fall and redemption parallel that found in versions of the sophia myth such as that in the apocryphon of john, but the actions all take place in the material aeons, and she can only be. The text in question is a secondcentury sethian gnostic christian text. It describes jesus appearing and giving secret knowledge gnosis to john the. This text recounts the words of the risen jesus to his disciples, during which he tells of the fall and redemption of sophia wisdom and describes numerous spiritual mysteries. The secret book of john, gnostic texts giving voice to the wisdom of the ages. Perhaps johns gospel draws the strongest connection between the two. Dec 29, 2014 the secret book of john the first time i read the nag hammadi library i was immediately drawn to the saga of the heroine and antiheroine that is the character of sophia. The gnostics, whose language was greek, identified the holy spirit with sophia, wisdom.
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