A book called the apocryphon of john was referred to by irenaeus in adversus haereses, written about 185, among an indescribable number of secret and illegitimate writings, which they themselves have forged, to bewilder the minds of foolish people, who are ignorant of the true scriptures scriptures which irenaeus himself was establishing as the fourfold gospel that his authority helped make the. Supposedly, this book records a secret revelation given to john by jesus. The nag hammadi library the apocryphon of john the secret book of john the secret revelation of john translated by frederik wisse the apocryphon of john is commonly referenced by two other names. Incorrubility glorified the invisible one and barbelo. The first of these is a female entity called barbelo, who works with the monad to create beings such as mind and light. The valentinian gospel of truth the sethian secret book of john the gnosticstoic gospel of mary this exploration will uncover various gnostic visions of salvation, the n.
The work is sometimes referred to as the secret book of john. And it happened one day, when john, the brother of james who are the sons of zebedee. Christianity might have been viewed as one movement among. Barbelo is often depicted as a supreme femal principle in gnostic. Barbelo asked for the father to grant her foreknowledge, incorruptibility, life eternal, and truth. Foreknowledge glorified the spirit and the spirits perfect power. In looking at the gospel of judas ioudas there are two words that are the keys to unlocking an extraordinary mystery. Jan 02, 2020 supposedly, this book records a secret revelation given to john by jesus. We were addressing the region of barbelo which is the ain soph aur, which is called barbel the son of bel, the son of the sun. We define and clarify the first few verses of the book via illustration of the pleroma. The apocryphon of john marvin meyer the nag hammadi. His thought became active, secret john tells us, and barbelo emerged from this luminous water as the aliens gods first thought.
It boasts of powerful female saviorsand even identifies christ among them. The gnostic cosmology can be a little hard to grasp depending on your reference, but the secret book of john lays one version if this cosmology out fairly clearly, in my opinion. It breathes with the life of vision that vitalized early christianity, a life suppressed and then largely forgotten in later ages. It has always seemed to me that the secret book of john evolved to be more difficult to read than it originally was. Much of what we know before the creation of the material world and adam, can be found in the text, titled the apocryphon of john secret book of john, is a revelation of jesus to john, son of zebedee, who was said to have written this down. Modern novels and movies claim the church suppressed secret writings about christ and his apostles for centuries. Product was successfully added to your shopping cart. A very interesing gnostic scripture that fancifully describes how god created himself. Apocryphon comes from, apokryphos, hidden, obscure, from apo away and kryptein to hide. Turner writes, in the three steles of seth, which shows no traces of christian influence, the traditional two steles, or tablets of stone and brick, on which seth was said to have preserved from destruction by flood or fire the vast sum of astrological lore revealed to him cf. God the father, barbelo the mother, and christ the son form a threemember divine family. In terms of plot, it sets the stage, and in terms of theology, it provides a context for understanding johns gospel through a gnostic lens.
Oct 16, 2016 among the ancient gnostic manuscripts rediscovered in modern times, the secret book of john is one of the most important. The secret book of john is the most significant and influential text of the ancient gnostic religion. 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. The secret book of john, the apocryphon of john, or the secret.
Mar 04, 2018 in this video we continue our read and commentary of the secret book of john. The author describes this having occurred after jesus. The secret revelation of john is replete with imagery of the divine mother alongside the father god and his son christ. Council of nicea from christian history org january 23, 2020. One day john, the brother of james these are the sons of zebedee, was going up to the temple. The doctrine of barbelo in the secret book of john is also revelatory of this movements inspiration. It helps to remember that many things were going on during the rise of christianity in the 2 nd to 4 th centuries. One set of levels is the evident addition of rather lengthy texts a list of magical names, a dialogue on the soul. The monad created aeons pairs of male and female spiritual beings who are like angels. It looks by this passage that barbelo is a she, but what is she. The story of creation in the mandaean holy book the ginza rba sabah aldihisi pdf january 23, 2020 the mandaeans by jorunn jacobsen buckley pdf january 23, 2020. God the father, barbelo the mother, and christ the. Epinoia is the revealer, the enlightener it is key to gnosis. Together, barbelo and the divine principle, the monad the word means one unit brought forth the other aeons, which were actually further emanations of the.
This site includes the entire nag hammadi library, as well as a large collection of other primary gnostic scriptures and documents. Barbelo was also called pronoia, forethought, because she was the first thought of the father. It is father of everything, holy one the invisible one over everything. The secret book of john, the apocryphon of john, or the secret revelation of john all have accuracy, but knowing the roots of the name leads to a clearer understanding. Stevan davies translation of the secret bookapocryphon of john is. When the spirit consented, foreknowledge appeared and stood by forethought pg 142, secret book of john who is this spirit. Heres part of the secret book of john along with some notes that i added.
This post follows on from my earlier post on the secret book of john, possibly a jewish prechristian work, as translated and annotated by stevan davies. The secret book of john the secret revelation of john aeon a divine power or nature emanating from the supreme being and playing various roles in the operation of the universe. I know who you are and where you have come from, judas says. The secret book gives nineteen sacred names of barbelo. Secret book according to john a crisis that became the world she, barbelo, asked the virgin spirit for incorruptibility the spirit agreed. The secret book of john details a vision received by john the apostle from jesus.
In it, the writer gives a dramatic, detailed account of what happened behind the scenes of creation, the fall of man, and the ministry of jesus christ. All about gnosticism and gnostic mythology nirvanic insights. Something imperfect came out of her different in appearance from her. The holy spirit brought his and barbelos divine autogenes son to completion. The secret revelation of john harvard dash harvard university. Their are four surviving coptic manuscripts of this text. Apocryphon of john wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. The secret book of john the secret revelation of john aeon a divine power or nature emanating from the supreme being and playing various roles in the operation of the universe ineffable defying expression barbelo the first emanation something that is emitted or radiated of god autogenes self generated pleroma of, and. He claims to be the father, the mother, and the son, part of the incorruptible \monad\ the great spirit who rules over all.
The nag hammadi library the apocryphon of john secret book of john, translated by frederik wisse the teaching of the savior, and the revelation of the mysteries and the things hidden in silence, even these things which he taught john, his disciple. The apocryphon of john was still used in the eighth century by the audians of mesopotamia. In this document secret book of john too there is reference to the coming into being of three men. Barbelo is a character from the secret book of james. The apocryphon of john also known as the secret book of john and the secret revelation of john the teaching of the savior, and the revelation of the mysteries and the things hidden in silence, even these things which he taught john, his disciple.
Since it was known to the church father irenaeus, it must have been written before around 180 ce. Secret book of john, nag hammadi library barbelo conceives a child that births aeons which ultimately leads to the birth of sophia, the archons and mankind. Apocryphon of john the myth described by irenaeus, barbelo emerges as the first thought of the transcendent god, and she is soon accompanied by foreknowledge, incorruptibility, eternal life, and others. The first power the ain, the glory of barbelo, the perfect glory in the aeons. But, of course, when we are addressing bel, we are addressing the light. The secret book of john is a complex developmental mythology that has been made more complicated because, over the years, versions of it have been improved by several levels of scribal alteration. According to the secret gospel of john, the alien gods companion was a goddess named the barbelo, born when the alien god saw his own reflection in the water of life and fell in love. In the early stages of creation, barbelo works with spirit turning thoughts into reality. Sorry to go off topic, but itll only be this one post ash. Discussion of the secret book of john page 3 religious forums. The apocryphon of john claimsfalselyto be written by the apostle john. The teaching of the savior, and the revelation of the mysteries and the things hidden in silence, things he taught his student john.
Now, this father is the one who beholds himself in the light surrounding him, which is the spring of living water, and. Reading sex and gender in the secret revelation of john. The apocryphon of john frederik wisse the nag hammadi library. The claims of the gospel of judas catholic culture. When he perceives himself in the light which surrounds him, his thinking came into being as pronoia forethought. The secret book of john, also called the apocryphon of john or the secret revelation of john. According to the secret book of john, yaldabaoth is the yaweh of the old testament. In the secret book of john and other classic gnostic texts, barbelo is portrayed as the mother of christ 4 who, in much early christian literature including gnostic literature, is thought of as a divine being who existed long before he was ever incarnated in human flesh through mary 5. The imperfect material realm is understood as a copy of the perfect spiritual realm, an idea partly derived from the platonic doctrine of. Barbelo the first emanation something that is emitted or radiated of god. It a sacred reservoir of gnostic myth and revelation. After seths initial praise of his father pigeradamas as in the secret book of john, zostrianos, and melchizedek, the senior heavenly, archetypal adam, ho geraios adamas, hebrew adam qadmon and the divine selfgenerated one regarded as pigeradamass parent in the firstperson singular, the doxologies directed to barbelo and the supreme.
In this reimagining of the holy trinity, there is the one the father, barbelo, a female emanence from the one, and christ. His thought became active, secret john tells us, and barbelo emerged from this luminous water as. Ive written a quick summary of the text i read in after the new testament. Nov, 2017 the secret book of john nag hammadi library barbelo is a fascinating character in gnosticism. Epinoia means afterthought, and while it is linked closely with sophia, in the secret book of john epinoia is called zoe. It describes jesus appearing and giving secret knowledge to john the apostle. The secret book of john the secret revelation of john aeon a divine power or nature emanating from the supreme being and playing various roles in the operation of the universe ineffable defying expression barbelo the first emanation something that is emitted or radiated of god autogenes self generated. As a blatantly gnostic text, the apocryphon of john. Jan 24, 2017 the secret book of john barbelo appears. Barbelo s message among the ancient gnostic manuscripts rediscovered in modern times, the secret book of john is one of the most important. Barbelo asked the invisible virgin spirit to give her foreknowledge, and the spirit consented. The secret book of john nag hammadi library barbelo is a fascinating character in gnosticism. The title of this scripture in greek is apocryphon ioannis.
If youve heard of the da vinci code, the last temptation o. The father the invisible spirit initially produces the mother barbelo, pronoia through selfreflective knowledge. Jan 19, 2010 the secret book of john, the apocryphon of john, or the secret revelation of john all have accuracy, but knowing the roots of the name leads to a clearer understanding. Among the ancient gnostic manuscripts rediscovered in modern times, the secret book of john is one of the most important. The retelling below follows the version in the secret book of john. Barbelo asks for forethought, thought, foreknowledge. The apocryphon of john marvin meyer the nag hammadi library. This post follows on from my earlier post on the secret book of john, possibly a jewish prechristian work, as translated and annotated by stevan davies stevan davies translation of the secret bookapocryphon of john is available online at the gnostic society library. So i guess what im asking on this is, who is barbelo and is barbelo a she or a he.
The first key word is, barbelo, the word by which judas identifies jesus. Master samael aun weor says in his book, cosmic teachings of a lama. Oct 04, 2016 the revelation of the mysteries hidden in silence those things that he taught to john, his disciple prologue. We take a deep dive into three gnostic texts, including their theology, history, and cultural setting that gave them birth. In the apocryphon of john, a tractate in the nag hammadi library containing the most extensive recounting of the sethian creation myth, the barbelo is.
The secret book of john and the secret revelation of john, depending upon how the word apocryphon is translated. Secret book according to john the origin of reality because she had unconquerable power her thought was not unproductive. Emanations of god posted in the gnosticism community. While barbelo is always referred to as a she, she is also described as both the primordial mother and father. This post follows on from my earlier post on the secret book of john, possibly a jewish prechristian work, as translated and annotated by stevan davies stevan davies translation of the secret book apocryphon of john is available online at the gnostic society library the prologue is said to be a christian addition to an earlier nonchristian book. The apocryphon secret book of john was one of the texts found in 1945 near the village of nag hammadi.
Eve is not the cause of humankinds fall, but of its redemption. Retelling the story jesus tells john the \secret truth\ about the creation of the world. She does not receive the same interest or reverence as her daughter, sophia, yet is held up as a great and powerful divine being according to several gnostic texts. Barbelo the story of jesus christ my book, barbelo the story of jesus christ, was published in october 2014 and i have to admit that i have failed completely in attracting any interest in my highly controversial interpretation of the life of the historical jesus christ. The secret book of john the secret revelation of john.
When the spirit consented, foreknowledge appeared and stood by forethought. Part of the library of books found in nag hammadi, egypt, in 1945, this central myth of gnosticism tells the story of how god fell from perfect oneness to imprisonment in the material world, and how by knowing our divine nature and our divine. The catholic church did suppress and constrain the publication of. Drawing connections to christianity, buddhism, hinduism, kabbalistic judaism, and sufism, davies focuses on the mythology and psychology of the. Confessions of an economic hitman pdf january 24, 2020. A pharisee by the name of arimanios came up to him and challenged him, asking. Wisse for the nag hammadi library in english uses all four manuscripts to produce a. As the title secret book of john implies, this story was meant to serve as a prequel to the gospel of john. Different sources may also slightly differ on the different names given to emanations from the pleroma also called the spirit or. This is the one who came from the thought of the invisible virgin spirit.
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