Hypostasis of the Archons
The text known under the title Hypostasis of the Archons is part of the Nag Hammadi writings , a collection of mainly Gnostic texts found in Egypt in 1945 . There it appears as the fourth font of Codex II (NHC II, 4).
The Jewish background is clearly recognizable due to clear parallels to the Old Testament . An Egyptian influence is suspected because of the description of rulers with animal heads. A parallel to the Apocalypse of Adam exists in the mention of a "kingless generation" in connection with a savior or revelator. A special feature of the creation story given in the text is the mention of Norea as the daughter of Adam and Eve . Much of the text consists of a revelation from the angel Eleleth to Norea.
content
At the beginning there is a prologue in which reference is made to the “great apostle” who says about the powers of darkness: “Our fight is not against flesh and blood, but against the powers of the world and the spirit beings of evil.” The great apostle evidently refers to Paul , which means that the text places itself in a Christian context from the outset.
The prologue is followed by an introductory section on the fall of the highest archon , who is described as ignorant and arrogant. Since he says “there is no god but me”, he has sinned against the God of all and is therefore called Samael , God of the blind.
The following is a short story of creation, which in some elements corresponds to the biblical book of Genesis: The archons create Adam (men) in their own image in order to serve them. Adam lives in paradise, initially his knowledge is higher than that of his creators (archons), because he has the knowledge of all archons. They find this out by testing Adam: He should give the animals their names, which he does. The archons then create Eve from Adam's rib. The serpent seduces Eve to eat from the tree of knowledge and give it to Adam. Adam and Eve are driven out of paradise. Cain is born, then Abel . After Cain's fratricide of Abel, Seth is born as the third son of Adam and Eve, and afterwards their first daughter Norea. The people multiply and the archons decide a deluge . Noah is commissioned to build the ark, but does not let Norea into the ark, which is why she burns it with her breath. Noah then builds a second ark while Norea is harassed by the archons. She asks the God of All for help, and the angel Eleleth appears to her in a white robe and with a golden face. He assures Norea that her soul and that of her children come from the imperishable light and that the archons of darkness therefore have no power over her. Norea asks Eleleth how the dark forces came about, and Eleleth describes a complex cosmogony . Immortality is at the forefront of the limitless eons. A curtain separates the upper eons from the lower eons, with the dividing line between the seventh and eighth heavens. Sophia and her daughter Zoe appear as positive forces. The dark powers include Samael, who is described as a male-female being in the form of a lion, as well as Saklas ( Jaldabaoth ), who was banished to the underworld, and Sabaoth. The latter, however, converted to Zoe and Sophia and was appointed by them as rulers of the seventh heaven, i.e. immediately above the powers of chaos.
Eleleth also announces to Norea that the seed of truth will soon be revealed. A savior is sent from a "kingless generation" who will teach people and anoint them with eternal life. Then people will know the true Father of all, the Holy Spirit and the Son who is above all. The text ends with this promise of salvation , reminiscent of Christian motifs .
literature
Text output
- Bentley Layton: The Hypostasis of the Archons. Critical edition and Translation. In: Bentley Layton (ed.), Nag Hammadi Codex II, 2-7: Together with XIII, 2 *, BRIT. LIB. OR.4926 (1), and P. OXY. 1, 654, 655. Vol. I. Gospel according to Thomas, Gospel according to Philip, Hypostasis of the Archons, and Indexes. NHS XX. (The Coptic Gnostic Library, ed. JM Robinson). Brill, Leiden 1989. pp. 234-259, 321-336
- Bernard Barc: L'Hypostase des archontes. Traité gnostique sur l'origine de l'homme, du monde et des archontes (NH II, 4). BCNH 5th Presses de l'Université Laval (Québec) 1980, ISBN 2-7637-6889-X
- Peter Nagel: The essence of the archons from Codex II of the Gnostic Library of Nag Hammadi. Coptic text, German translation and Greek back translation. Concordance and indices. Scientific contributions from the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg 1970.6.
translation
- Ursula Ulrike Kaiser: The hypostasis of the archons (NHC II, 4). In: Hans-Martin Schenke u. a. (Ed.): Nag Hammadi German. de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 2001/2003. Vol. 2. pp. 215-233.
- Gerd Lüdemann, Martina Janßen: The Bible of the heretics. Radius, Stuttgart 1997. pp. 173-183
Secondary literature
- Ingvild Saelid Gilhus: The nature of the archons. A study in the soteriology of a gnostic treatise from Nag Hammadi (CGII, 4). Studies in oriental religions Vol. 12. Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1985, ISBN 3-447-02518-2
- Ursula Ulrike Kaiser: The hypostasis of the archons (Nag Hammadi Codex II, 4). Reissued, translated and explained . Texts and studies on the history of early Christian literature 156. de Gruyter, Berlin a. a. 2006, ISBN 978-3-11-019071-7 .
- Martin Krause: On the hypostasis of the archons in Codex II of Nag Hammadi. In: Enchoria 2 (1972). Pp. 1-20.
- Hans-Martin Schenke: The Sethian system based on Nag Hammadi manuscripts. In: Peter Nagel (Ed.): Studia coptica. Berlin Byzantine Works 45th Academy, Berlin 1974. pp. 165–172
Web links
- German translation by Gerd Lüdemann and Martina Janßen ( Memento from November 6, 2007 in the Internet Archive )
- English translation by Bentley Layton