Forerunners and rivals of Christianity : $b being studies in religious history from 330 B.C. to 330 A.D., Vol. 2 (of 2)Legge, Francis
Religion
Forerunners and rivals of Christianity : $b being studies in religious history from 330 B.C. to 330 A.D., Vol. 2 (of 2)
Legge, Francis
Christianity and other religions; Religions
Thus, according to Marcus (Irenaeus, Bk I. c. 8, § 11, pp. 145, 146,
Harvey), “that name of the Saviour which may be pronounced, _i.e._
Jesus, is composed of six letters, but His ineffable name of 24.” The
cryptogram in the _Pistis Sophia_ is in these words (p. 125, Copt.):
“These are the names which I will give thee from the Boundless One
downwards. Write them with a sign that the sons of God may show them
forth of this place. This is the name of the Deathless One ααα ωωω,
and this is the name of the word by which the Perfect Man is moved:
ιιι. These are the interpretations of the names of the mysteries. The
first is ααα, the interpretation of which is φφφ. The second which is
μμμ or which is ωωω, its interpretation is ααα. The third is ψψψ, its
interpretation is οοο. The fourth is φφφ, its interpretation is ννν.
The fifth is δδδ, its interpretation is ααα, which above the throne is
ααα. This is the interpretation of the second αααα, αααα, αααα, which
is the interpretation of the whole name.” The line drawn above the
three Alphas and Omegas is used in the body of the text to denote
words in a foreign (_i.e._ non-Egyptian) language such as Hebrew; but
in the Papyrus Bruce about to be described, the same letters without
any line above are given as the name of “the Father of the Pleroma.”
See Amélineau’s text, p. 113. The “moving” of the image (πλάσμα) of
the Perfect Man is referred to in Hippolytus (_op. cit._ p. 144,
Cruice). That the Tetragrammaton was sometimes written by Jewish
magicians with three Jods or _i.i.i._ see Gaster, _The Oldest Version
of Midrash Megillah_, in Kohut’s Semitic Studies, Berlin, 1897, p.
172. So on a magic cup in the Berlin Museum, conjuration is made “in
the name of Jahve the God of Israel who is enthroned upon the cherubim
... and in the name _A A A A_” (Stübe, _Judisch-Babylonische
Zaubertexte_, Halle, 1895, pp. 23-27). For the meaning of the words
“above the throne,” see Franck, _La Kabbale_, p. 45, n. 2.
Footnote 644:
The opening words of the invocation βασεμὰ χαμοσσὴ βαιανορὰ μισταδία
ῥουαδὰ κουστὰ βαβοφὸρ καλαχθεῖ which Irenaeus (Bk I. c. 14, § 2, pp.
183, 184, Harvey) quotes in this connection from Marcus certainly
read, as Renan (_L’Église Chrétienne_, p. 154, n. 3) points out, “In
the name of Achamoth” (_i.e._ Sophia).
Footnote 645:
See n. 3, p. 180, _supra_. In the _Pistis Sophia_ proper Jesus is
never spoken of save as “the Saviour” or as “the First Mystery.”
Footnote 646:
Cf. Maspero, _Hypogées Royaux_, _passim_, esp. pp. 157 and 163.
Footnote 647:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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