People’s Open Bible

Apocryphon of John 5

Barbelo Asks for Powers

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11. She became the universal womb because she is the one who exists before all of them: the Mother-Father, the Primal Human, the holy Spirit, the triple-male, the triple-powerful, the triple-named androgynous one, and the eternal aeon among the unseen ones, even the first one to come forth.

22. ‹She› asked the unseen, virginal Spirit—that is, Barbelo—to grant her Precognition, and the Spirit agreed.

33. When he had [agreed], Precognition approached and attended Providence, she who originates from the Idea of the unseen, virginal Spirit.

44. She praised him [and] his perfect power, Barbelo, because they had come into being on account of her.

55. She asked once more that he grant her [Indestructibility], and he agreed.

66. When he had [agreed], Indestructibility [approached] and attended Idea and Precognition.

77. She praised the unseen one and Barbelo, the one on whose account they had come into being.

88. Barbelo also asked that he grant her eternal life, and the unseen Spirit agreed. When he had agreed, Eternal Life approached,

99. and they [attended] and praised the unseen [Spirit] and Barbelo, on whose account they had come into being.

1010. She asked once more that he grant her truth. And [he agreed], and [when he had] agreed,

1111. Truth approached, and they attended and praised the unseen, admirable Spirit and his Barbelo, on whose account they had come into being.

1212. This is the aeonic pentad of the Father, which is the Primal Human, the image of the unseen Spirit.

1313. This is Providence—that is, Barbelo—and Idea, Precognition, Indestructibility, Eternal Life, and Truth.

1414. This is the androgynous aeonic pentad, being the aeonic decad, which is the Father.

Composed from original Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Ge’ez manuscripts, rendered in multiple passes to stay as close to the originals as possible. About this project