T 9/20 The Mythic World of the Hypostasis of the Archons

The Cast of Characters

3 categories of being;

Divine: Father, Incorruptibility, Son, Sophia, and Zoe, Spirit of Life, 4 Luminaries; the Undominated Race, the True Human Being.

Rulers: Ialdabaoth, His offspring (the Rulers or Archons), including Saboath, Envy, Death, Angels.

Humans: Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Seth, Norea; Noah and his family; Children of Light (or of Norea); the Readers of the text, the implied author, the implied recipient who inquired about the reality of the rulers.

The Structure of The Reality of the Rulers

1) Opening the work is a brief epistolary introduction in the form of a letter to an unnamed recipient who has inquired about “the reality of the Authorities” (86,20-27).

2) The first major section of the text is a fragmentary mythic narrative, very loosely based on the creation narratives of Genesis 1-11(86,27-93,3), beginning abruptly with the false claim of the Creator to be the only God.

3) The final portion of HypArch takes the form of a revelation dialogue between the Illuminator Eleleth and Norea, spiritual daughter of Eve and the divine (93,3-97,22)

NARRATIVE TIME LINE

94.2 - 96.16

86.27-89.16 89.17-93.33 93.13-97.19 96.27-97.19 86,20-26

Origin Sophia’s act Adam, Eve NOREA Human history PERFECT TEXT

Limitless Ialdabaoth creates And their children HUMAN BEING Comp.

Realms offspring struggle agst Rulers Readers

Cosmos

Adam and Eve

Inquiring into the “reality” or “nature” of the Rulers are characters at three levels: the letter recipient; Norea; and the readers of the text. Providing revelatory answers to their questions are: Eleleth, the great Angel and Illuminator sent from above; the implied narrator, and the text as a whole, as shown by this diagram of Inquirers and Revealers:

Inquirers Agents of Revelation

Letter Recipient Letter Author/Implied Narrator

Norea Eleleth

Reader HypArch

Just as the questions of Norea are answered directly by the revelation of Eleleth, so the inquiries of the letter recipient and readers of the text are answered directly by the implied narrator and the narrative as a whole. For inquiring readers, as for Norea and the unnamed recipient of the letter, the narratives and revelations of HypArch address the readers’ questions about the “reality” of the Rulers and provide them with a salvific revelation, not only about the “reality of the Rulers,” but indeed about their own identities and the promise of their redemption. This gives Eleleth, the implied narrator, and the text as a whole parallel roles as potential agents of revelation, as it similarly bestows on Norea, the unnamed recipient of the letter, and the implied readers of the text parallel roles as potential recipients of salvific revelation.

Agents of Revelation Potential Recipients of Salvific Revelation

Letter Author/Implied Narrator Letter Recipient

Eleleth Norea

HypArch Readers of the Text, self-identifying as the

offspring of Norea

The creation narrative of section two (86,27-93,3) begins to provide the context for understanding the “reality” or “nature” of the Rulers, first through its depiction of the Chief Ruler’s arrogant claim to be the only God. This, in turn, brings a rebuke from the divine realm that sets in motion the creation of the first human beings, Adam and Eve. Within this first narrative section, however, it is not yet clear how this Ruler or his offspring came into being, or what relation they have to the divine realm. Significantly, it is only much later, within Eleleth’s revelation (94,4-96,17), that the fuller context for understanding the hypostasis, or nature and origin, of the Rulers is disclosed. This revelation comes precisely as Norea, much like the letter’s unnamed addressee, inquires about the hypostasis (genesis, reality, or nature) of the Authorities, as Norea asks Eleleth: “Lord, Teach me about the power of these Authorities – how did they come into being and from what hypostasis (reality, genesis, origin, nature) and of what matter (hyle), and who created them and their power (dynamis)?” (93,32-2).

Eleleth discloses more fully the hypostasis, or reality, genesis, nature, or origin of the Rulers through a detailed account of the deeply flawed attempt of Sophia, divine Wisdom, to “create something alone without her consort” (94,2-8) and its disastrous aftermath. Sophia’s action brings into being the aeons below the limitless aeons of the divine realm. It leads to the emergence of a veil between the two realms, a shadow beneath the veil, matter, and an androgynous product that comes forth like from matter like a miscarriage, or untimely birth, namely: the Chief Ruler Ialdabaoth. Eleleth’s narrative thus provides the missing key sought by those who inquire about the reality, nature, or origin of the Authorities. While Eleleth’s revelation about the “reality of the Rulers” is directly addressed to Norea in primordial times, as suggested above, it can be received simultaneously by three potential sets of recipients: Norea; the unnamed addressee of the opening letter; and astute readers of the text.

Having provided his account of the origin, pattern, or typos, of the Rulers and their cosmos (96,15-17), Eleleth goes on to answer an equally crucial question from Norea about her own origin. She asks: “Am I also from their matter (hyle)?” (96,18-19). Eleleth’s reply distinguishes the origin and power of Norea and her offspring from those of the Rulers, and concludes with a promise of their redemption from the bondage of the Authorities’ error (96,31-97,22). To Norea’s question, “How much longer?” Eleleth explains: “When the True Human Being is manifest in a modeled form” (96,32-97,1) and He teaches them about everything and anoints them with the chrism of Eternal Life” (97,1-5). Thus, as with the account of the origin of the Rulers, so here Eleleth’s response to Norea’s questions about her origin and destiny may be received simultaneously by the addressee of the opening letter and by the readers of the text. Like Norea, they are empowered to learn from Eleleth’s revelation, as from the narrator and the text as a whole, that they, like Norea and her offspring, will be redeemed when the True Human Being appears, teaches them, and anoints all of Norea’s offspring “with the chrism of Eternal Life.”

This promise of a future redemption for Norea’s children carries important implications for the readers of the text. As the mythic narrative of HypArch invites its readers to enter its mythic world, so it offers them the opportunity to identify themselves as Norea’s children and so to hear and receive the promise to Norea’s children as a promise directed not only to Norea in primordial times, but as a promise delivered directly to them through the reading of the text. The present-day readers of the text becomes the “future” descendants of Norea within the primordial narrative and eschatological promise, when the mythic narrative is received and understood as a “true” account, or “mythos,” of the ways things are. In inviting the readers of the text to claim their identify as Norea’s children, the mythic narrative of HypArch challenges its readers to discover the Virginal Spiritual power that subverts the Archons’ power within the mythic narrative, and, moving from that narrative to their own worlds, to exercise that same power of critique, subversion, and redemption in their own worlds.

ApocAdam

Composition: Some argue ApocAdam is Jewish in origin and in its current form. Others argue that there are Cn elements in the final section of the text.

Cast of Characters:

Divine: God. Used of both . the eternal God.

The Great Seth. The Great Race. The Holy S;irit. Eternal Angels and Aeons

Spirit active in humankind: ForeGnosis.

Rulers: The lord God, Creator. Sakla. Powers and Angels.

Humans: Adam, Eve, Cain, Abel, Seth, Noah and his family: Ham, Japheth, Shem.

Posterity of Ham and Japheth - 12 kingdoms

400,000 renegates from Ham and Japheth - 13th kingdom

Seed of Seth

Superior Human Being

Outline:

Frame: Testament of Adam 64,2-3.

Clsoing Frame 85,19-30.

I. History of Adam 64,6-67,12

II. Adam’s Revelation: Predictions of Future 68,14-85,18

A. Early History of Seed of Seth - Flord, Covenant with Noah, Discovery of the other race; Shem, Ham, Japtheth;

B. Advent of the Savior

C. Final Struggle