On the Origin of the World 4

1Seven androgynous beings appeared in Chaos. They have both masculine and feminine names:

2The feminine name is Pronoia, Sambathas, which means “week,”

3and his son is named Yao, whose feminine name is Rulership.

4Sabaoth, whose feminine name is Divinity.

5Adonaios, whose feminine name is Kingship.

6Elaios, whose feminine name is Jealousy.

7Oraios, whose feminine name is Wealth,

8and Astaphaios, whose [feminine] name [] is Sophia.

9These are the seven powers belonging to the seven heavens of Chaos. They were born as androgynous beings, corresponding to the deathless structure that existed before them, in accordance with the desire of Pistis—namely, that the likeness of what had existed from the beginning would rule until the end.

10You will discover the power exerted by these names, as well as the power of the male beings, in the (book) The Archangelic (Nature) of the Prophet Moses, and the power of the names of the female beings in the First Book of Noraia.

11Now the Primal Parent Yaldabaoth, since he possessed great authorities, created heavens for each of his offspring by speaking them into being. He made them good as dwelling places, and in each heaven he created great glories, each seven times as excellent: thrones, palaces, temples, chariots, and virginal spirits, (all the way) up to an unseen one, along with their glories. Each one possessed these in its own heaven: mighty hosts of gods, lords, angels, and archangels, countless myriads, so that they might serve.

12You will find the account of these events precisely described in the First Narration of Oraia.

13And they were completed, from this heaven up to the sixth heaven, which belongs to Sophia.

14This heaven and earth were attacked by the mischief-maker who lived beneath them all, and the six heavens trembled violently, because the hosts of Chaos knew who had attacked the heaven located beneath them. When Pistis became aware of the fracture caused by the mischief-maker, she sent out her spirit, bound him, and cast him down into Tartaros.

15[From that day], the heaven, together with [] its earth, has been established through Sophia, the daughter of Yaldabaoth, who dwells beneath them all.