Apocryphon of John 17

1I appeared in the form of an eagle on the tree of knowledge, which is the Reflection of the Providence of Pure Light, so that I could instruct them and awaken them from their deep sleep, because both of them had fallen and were aware of their nakedness.

2Reflection appeared to them as a light and awakened their minds. But when ‹Y›aldabaoth realized that they had withdrawn from him, he cursed his earth.

3He encountered the woman while she was «24» preparing herself for her husband.

4He was her overlord, although he did not know the mystery that had taken place through the sacred decree. They were afraid to accuse him. He revealed to his angels the ignorance within him, expelled them from paradise, and clothed them in dark gloom.

5The chief archon also saw the virgin who stood near Adam and saw that the radiant Reflection of Life had appeared within her. ‹Y›aldabaoth was filled with ignorance. When the Providence of the All saw this, she sent messengers, and they quickly removed Life from Eve.

6Then the chief archon polluted her, and he fathered two sons with her, the first and the second: Eloim and Yave.

7Eloim has the face of a bear, but Yave has the face of a cat.

8Yave is just, but Eloim is unjust.

9Yave was placed over fire and wind, while Eloim was placed over water and earth. But with the intent to deceive, he called them by the names Cain and Abel.

10Sexual intercourse has continued until today because of the chief archon. It was he who planted sexual desire within the woman who belongs to Adam. Through intercourse he made copies of the bodies and inspired them with his false spirit.

11He placed the two archons over several principalities so that they would rule over the tomb.

12But when Adam became aware of the likeness of his own foreknowledge, he fathered the likeness «25» of the Son of Man, whom he called Seth, in agreement with the way the race exists among the aeons.

13Similarly, the mother also sent down her spirit, which is in her own likeness, along with an image of the one who dwells in the Fullness, because she will prepare a dwelling place for the aeons who will descend.

14He also made them drink the water of oblivion from the chief archon so that they would not know the place of their origin.

15In this way, the seed remained for a time to help, so that when the Spirit comes forth from the sacred aeons, he will raise him up and heal him of his deficiency, so that the entire Fullness will become holy and without fault.”