Pistis Sophia 2.2 · 2.2

The light-power comes down

ⲉⲧⲉⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ⲉϣⲁⲣⲉⲡⲟⲟϩ ϫⲱⲕ ⲛ̅ϩⲏⲧϥ̅ ⲙ̅ⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩ ϭⲉ ⲉⲧⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲣⲉⲡⲣⲏ ⲉⲓ̅ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲛ̅ⲧⲉϥⲃⲁⲥⲓⲥ ⲁⲥⲉⲓ̅ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲙⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲥⲱϥ ⲛ̅ϭⲓⲟⲩⲛⲟϭ ⲛ̅ⲇⲩⲛⲁⲙⲓⲥ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲉⲥⲣ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲉⲙⲁϣⲟ ⲉⲙⲁϣⲟ ⲉⲙⲛ̅ϣⲓ ⲉⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲉⲧⲥ̅ⲟ ⲙ̅ⲙⲟϥ ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲥⲉⲓ ⲅⲁⲣ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲙ̅ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲥⲉⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ϩⲙ̅ⲫⲁⲉ ⲙ̅ⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ⲉⲧⲉⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥ ⲡⲉ ⲡⲙⲉϩϫⲟⲩⲧⲁϥⲧⲉ ⲙ̅ⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ ϫⲓⲛⲛ̅ϩⲟⲩⲛ ϣⲁⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲛⲁⲓ̈ ⲉⲧϣⲟⲟⲡ ϩⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲝⲓⲥ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲡⲙⲉϩⲥⲛⲁⲩ ⲛ̅ⲭⲱⲣⲏⲙⲁ ⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲡⲓϣⲟⲣⲡ̅ ⲙ̅ⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛ· ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲥ ⲇⲉ ⲧϭⲟⲙ ⲉⲧⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩ ⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛ ⲁⲥⲉⲓ̅ ⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ̈ ⲉϫⲛ̅ⲓ̅ⲥ̅ ⲁⲩⲱ ⲁⲥⲕⲱⲧⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ ⲧⲏⲣϥ̅·

which is the day on which the moon becomes full. On that same day, then, when the sun rose in its course, there came forth behind him a great light-power, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure to the light conjoined with it. For it came out of the Light of lights, and it came out of the last mystery, which is the twenty-fourth mystery, from within to without — those which are in the orders of the second space of the First Mystery. And that light-power came down upon Jesus and surrounded him entirely.

Word by word

ⲉⲧⲉⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥetentofwhichⲡⲉpeisⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩpehoouthe dayⲉϣⲁⲣⲉⲡⲟⲟϩesharepoohon which the moonϫⲱⲕjōkbecomes fullⲛ̅ϩⲏⲧϥ̅nhētfin itⲙ̅ⲡⲉϩⲟⲟⲩmpehoouon the dayϭⲉchethenⲉⲧⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩetmmauthatⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲣⲉⲡⲣⲏntereprēwhen the sunⲉⲓ̅eihad comeⲉⲃⲟⲗebolforthϩⲛ̅ⲧⲉϥⲃⲁⲥⲓⲥhntefbasisin its courseⲁⲥⲉⲓ̅aseithere cameⲉⲃⲟⲗebolforthⲙⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲥⲱϥmnnsōfbehind himⲛ̅ϭⲓⲟⲩⲛⲟϭnchiounocha greatⲛ̅ⲇⲩⲛⲁⲙⲓⲥndunamispowerⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛnouoeinof lightⲉⲥⲣ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛesrouoeinshiningⲉⲙⲁϣⲟemashomostⲉⲙⲁϣⲟemashoexceedinglyⲉⲙⲛ̅ϣⲓemnshiand there was no measureⲉⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛepouoeinto the lightⲉⲧⲥ̅ⲟetsoconjoinedⲙ̅ⲙⲟϥmmofwith itⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲥⲉⲓntaseifor it cameⲅⲁⲣgarforⲉⲃⲟⲗeboloutϩⲙ̅ⲡⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛhmpouoeinof the Lightⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛntenouoeinof lightsⲁⲩⲱauōandⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲥⲉⲓntaseiand it cameⲉⲃⲟⲗeboloutϩⲙ̅ⲫⲁⲉhmphaefrom the lastⲙ̅ⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛmmustērionof mysteriesⲉⲧⲉⲛ̅ⲧⲟϥetentofwhichⲡⲉpeisⲡⲙⲉϩϫⲟⲩⲧⲁϥⲧⲉpmehjoutaftethe twenty-fourthⲙ̅ⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛmmustērionmysteryϫⲓⲛⲛ̅ϩⲟⲩⲛjinnhounfrom withinϣⲁⲉⲃⲟⲗshaebolto withoutⲛⲁⲓ̈naithoseⲉⲧϣⲟⲟⲡetshoopwhich areϩⲛ̅ⲛ̅ⲧⲁⲝⲓⲥhnntaksisin the ordersⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲡⲙⲉϩⲥⲛⲁⲩntepmehsnauof the secondⲛ̅ⲭⲱⲣⲏⲙⲁnkhōrēmaspaceⲛ̅ⲧⲉⲡⲓϣⲟⲣⲡ̅ntepishorpof the Firstⲙ̅ⲙⲩⲥⲧⲏⲣⲓⲟⲛmmustērionMystery·ⲛ̅ⲧⲟⲥntositⲇⲉdeandⲧϭⲟⲙtchomthat powerⲉⲧⲙ̅ⲙⲁⲩetmmauthatⲛ̅ⲟⲩⲟⲉⲓⲛnouoeinof lightⲁⲥⲉⲓ̅aseicameⲉϩⲣⲁⲓ̈ehraidownⲉϫⲛ̅ⲓ̅ⲥ̅ejnisupon Jesusⲁⲩⲱauōandⲁⲥⲕⲱⲧⲉaskōteand it surroundedⲉⲣⲟϥerofhimⲧⲏⲣϥ̅tērfentirely·

The setting

Sunrise on the day of the full moon — and behind the sun comes a second light: a great light-power out of the Light of lights, from the last mystery, from within to without. It descends on the seated Jesus and surrounds him entirely.

A note on this passage

The event arrives with an astronomer’s framing: full moon, sunrise, and then — behind the rising sun — a second light that outshines it. The image is precise and deliberately competitive: the sun comes up "in its course" (basis, the Greek word for a heavenly body’s going), doing what the fate-machinery of the spheres always does, and the new light simply emerges from behind it, out of a higher order than the sky. What descends is a dynamis n-ouoein, a "power of light" — dynamis being the standard Greek term for an operative divine force, and light, in this book, being a substance. A quantity of workable heaven, with no measure to it, is being delivered.

Its shipping route is given in the vocabulary of chapter 1, which the reader can now actually use: out of the Light of lights, out of the last mystery — "which is the twenty-fourth", the narrator repeats, from within to without, through the orders of the second space. The map drawn in negatives is suddenly a live itinerary. And then the verb the chapter has been saving: the light surrounded him entirely — kōte, the same word the disciples’ whole false cosmology was built on ("the mystery surrounds the All"). What they theorized about at cosmic scale happens in front of them at the scale of one seated man. In the gospels light shines on Jesus at the transfiguration and a cloud receives him at the ascension; here the two scenes run in reverse — the ascension will happen because the light has come down to fetch him.

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