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Pistis Sophia · 150 of 160 · tr. George Horner

Document FOURTH-f

The souls therefore which will take away by robbery the hekate, she is wont to deliver them unto her demons which are under her to torment them by her smoke of darkness with her evil fire: they are afflicting them greatly by the demons, and they are wont to spend hundred with five years with six months punishing them in her punishments evil. But they are wont to begin to be destroyed and to perish. And after these (things) whenever the Sphere should turn round and (should) come the little Sabaoth the good, he of the Middle, this (one) whom they are wont in the World to call, Zeus, and he (should) come unto the eighth House (Aeon, MS ) of the Sphere, this which they are wont to call, The scorpion, and (should) come the Bubasti, this whom they are wont to call, The aphrodite, and she (should) come unto the second House (Aeon, MS ) of the Sphere, this which they are wont to call, [328 ] The bull, they are wont to draw (back) the veils between those of the Left with those of the Right, and (to) look out of the Height the Zorokothora Melkhisedek, and the World is (wont to) be moved with the mountains, and the Rulers are (wont to) be disturbed: and he is (wont to) look out upon all the Places of the hecate, and her Places are (wont to) be dissolved and perish; and they take away all the souls which (are) in her punishments, and throw them (back) unto the Sphere another time, because that they were destroyed in the fire of her punishments. He added also, said he, The (Ruler of the) fourth array which they are wont to call, The Assessor of the Typhon, being a strong Ruler, becoming under his authority thirty two demons: they are those who are wont to go into the men and cause them to lust and fornicate and commit adultery and to become doing [328 ] the intercourse continually. The souls therefore which will take away by robbery this Ruler, they are wont to spend hundred thirty eight years in his Places, are tormenting them his demons by his smoke of darkness with his evil fire, and they begin to be wasted away and to perish. It is wont to happen therefore whenever the Sphere should turn (round), and (should) come the little Sabaoth, the good, he of the Middle, this whom they are wont to call, Zeus, whenever he should come unto the ninth Aeon of the 187 Sphere, this which they are wont to call, The archer, and the Bubasti, this whom they are wont to call in the World, The aphrodite and she (should) come unto the third Aeon of the Sphere, this which they are wont to call, The twin, they are wont to draw (back) the veils which are between those of the Left with those of the Right, and is (wont to) look out [329 ] Zarazaz, this whom the Rulers are wont to call in the name of a strong Ruler of their Places, Maskelli. And he is (wont to) look upon the dwelling places of the Assessor the Typhon, and his Places are (wont to) be dissolved and perish: and they take away all the souls which (are) in his punishments and throw them (back) unto the Sphere another time, because that they were diminished by his (her, MS ) smoke of darkness and by his evil fire.
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Themes
Aeonscosmology

Divine archetypal beings or eternal attributes dwelling within the Pleroma, often arranged in male-female syzygies.

The text explicitly lists specific Aeon names (Zeus, Aphrodite, Assessor of Typhon) that inhabit the Sphere and govern punishments.

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Anthropomorphismtheology

Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.

Divine beings are described with human attributes such as names (Zeus, Aphrodite), gender (male/female), and physical characteristics (bull, scorpion).

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Apocatastasiscosmology

The doctrine of the periodic restoration or recurrence of all things to their original state after vast cycles.

The passage describes souls being thrown back to the Sphere after punishment, implying a periodic restoration or recurrence of all things.

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Body As Obstacleanthropology

The material body viewed as a prison, tomb, or source of error that hinders spiritual knowledge and return.

Souls are described as being destroyed and perishing within the punishments of the Sphere.

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Cosmic Dualismtheology

Ontological opposition between two primal principles (light/darkness, truth/lie, spirit/matter) as the fundamental structure of reality.

The text contrasts the 'good' Sabaoth with the 'evil' fire and smoke of Hekate, establishing an ontological opposition between light and darkness.

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Divine Hiddennesstheology

The supreme God's radical concealment beyond ordinary knowledge or perception; the Hidden Father.

The punishments are hidden within the Sphere until revealed by the turning of the celestial bodies.

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Divine Lighttheology

The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.

The 'good' Sabaoth is contrasted with Hekate's 'evil fire,' implying a luminous divine principle versus a dark malevolent force.

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Divine Providencetheology

Pronoia — the doctrine that the divine actively orders the unfolding of the cosmos and human affairs toward intelligible ends, against pure chance or blind necessity.

The Sphere turning and the coming of Sabaoth indicate a structured cosmic order that actively unfolds punishments and restoration.

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Emanation Hierarchycosmology

A chain of divine beings or principles flowing downward from a single transcendent source (the One or the Father), each level less perfect than the one above.

Aeon names are arranged in specific positions within the Sphere, suggesting a structured hierarchy of divine principles.

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Eschatological Judgmentsoteriology

Final, collective cosmic judgment as an event in which the wicked are sentenced and the cosmos restored; distinct from psychopomp_journey (individual passage at death) and emphasising verdict where Zoroastrian frashokereti emphasises restoration.

The passage details the torment and punishment of souls by demons in Hekate's fire before their eventual return to the Sphere.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

The text outlines the movement of souls through afterlife realms and punishments as part of cosmic cycles.

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Living Godtheology

The divine conceived as active, present, and dynamic—not an abstract principle but a personal responsive reality.

Divine beings like Sabaoth and Aphrodite are depicted as active agents who move through the Sphere and inflict punishments.

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Numerical Mysticismtheology

Numbers, proportions, and mathematical relationships as the underlying structure of divine reality.

Specific durations of punishment (hundred years, six months, hundred thirty eight years) are assigned to each Aeon.

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Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

Souls are moved through punishments by demons and returned to the Sphere after cycles of torment.

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Ritual Firepraxis

Fire as medium of divine presence.

Hekate's 'evil fire' is used as a medium for tormenting souls in the punishments.

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Sacred Namestheology

Divine names or formulas that carry ontological power, used in prayer, liturgy, or magical practice.

The text emphasizes that specific names (Zeus, Aphrodite) are used to identify and invoke divine powers for judgment.

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Separation From Sourcesoteriology

The felt condition of exile from one's divine origin — Rumi's reed flute torn from its bed, Plotinus's 'we have forgotten,' the Gnostic forgetfulness; the affective wound that complements return_to_source and gives the return its motive.

Souls are described as being destroyed in the fire of punishments before their return to the Sphere.

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Spiritual Ascentpraxis

A staged journey of the soul upward through heavenly realms or levels of being toward the divine source.

The movement of the Sphere and the coming of Sabaoth implies a cosmic ascent or restoration toward divine order.

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Theurgypraxis

Iamblichean ritual practice that engages the gods directly through consecrated material symbols and actions, on the premise that divine power descends into properly prepared matter — distinct from philosophical contemplation alone.

The text describes rituals involving the turning of the Sphere and the invocation of Aeon names to effect cosmic change.

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