Pistis Sophia · 155 of 160 · tr. George Horner

Document FIFTH-a

( Title and eight pages wanting ) [345 ] fire and punish her in them for six other months with eight days.

After these (things) they (will) take her upon the road of the Middle, and each of the Rulers of the road of the Middle (will) punish her in his punishments for six other months with eight days.

After these things they (will) take her to the Virgin of the Light, this who is wont to judge the good and (with, MS ) the evil, that she may judge her.

And whenever the Sphere should turn round she is wont to deliver them up to her Receivers, that they may cast her unto the Aeons of the Sphere.

And are wont the Ministers of the Sphere to take her out unto water which is below the Sphere; and it is (wont) to become a fire boiling and eating into her, until it purifieth her entirely.

And is wont to come Ialouham ( Eight lines wanting ) the Receiver of Sabaoth, the Adamas, this who is wont to give the cup of forgetfulness to the souls, and to bring a [345 ] cup being full of the water of the forgetfulness and give it to the soul: and she (is wont to) drink it and forget every place (coptic word) with every Place unto which she went: and cast her into a body, which is about to spend its time (in which) he is wont to pain his heart continually.

This is the punishment of the man who curseth.

Added further Mariham, said she, My Lord Jesus, then the man (a) slanderer continually, whenever he should come out of body whither is he about to go, or what is his punishment?

Said Jesus, A man (a) slanderer continually, whenever should be completed his time by the Sphere for him to come out of body, are wont to come after him Abiout with Kharmon the Receivers of Ariel, and they bring his soul out of body, and spend three days going with her teaching her the creatures of the World.

And after these (things) [346 ] they take her down unto Amente (close) to Ariel, and he (is wont) to punish her in his punishments eleven months with twenty one days.

And afterwards they 194 take her unto the Chaos (close) to Ialdabaoth with his forty nine demons, and each one of his demons goeth out upon her for another eleven months with other twenty one days, scourging her with whips of smoke.

And after these they take her into the rivers of smoke with seas of fire boiling, and they punish her in them other eleven months with twenty one days.

And after these they are wont to take her away upon the road of the Middle, and each of the Rulers in the road of the Middle punisheth her in his punishments other eleven months with twenty one days.

After [346 ] these they are wont to take her away to the Virgin of the Light, this who is wont to judge the righteous with the sinners, that she may judge her.

And whenever the Sphere should turn round, she is wont to deliver her up to her Receivers, that they may cast her out unto the Aeons of the Sphere.

And the Ministers of the Sphere take her out unto water below the Sphere, and it becometh a smoke boiling and it eateth in at her, until it purifieth her entirely.

And bringeth the cup of forgetfulness Ialouham, the Receiver of Sabaoth, the Adamas, and he giveth it to the soul: and she drinketh it and forgetteth every place (coptic word) with every thing with every Place unto which she went: and they give her into a body being about to spend his time being oppressed.

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Themes

Anthropomorphismtheology

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

Divine beings are described with human characteristics such as hearts that can be pained and bodies that spend time.

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Apocatastasiscosmology

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

The text describes a final purification process where the soul is cleansed by water until it is entirely purified.

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Cosmic Dualismtheology

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

Reality is structured around oppositions such as light and darkness, good and evil, righteous and sinners.

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Divine Lighttheology

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

The Virgin of the Light is explicitly named as a judge who separates the righteous from the sinners.

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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 a series of specific punishments and judgments administered by various divine figures at different stages of the soul's journey.

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Funerary Navigationpraxis

Texts and rituals guiding the soul through death.

The text outlines a structured path for the soul through specific realms like the road of the Middle and the Virgin of the Light after death.

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Living Godtheology

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

Divine entities are depicted as active agents who punish, judge, and interact with the soul rather than abstract principles.

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Numerical Mysticismtheology

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

The text relies heavily on specific numerical durations (months, days) to structure the punishments and cycles of judgment.

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Psychopomp Journeycosmology

Guided passage of the soul through afterlife realms.

The passage describes a guided passage of the soul through specific afterlife realms under the supervision of Rulers and the Virgin of the Light.

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Return To Sourcesoteriology

The soul's journey back to its divine origin, reversing the fall into matter through stages of purification or illumination.

The soul is ultimately cast into the Aeons of the Sphere and purified by water, implying a return to divine order.

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Ritual Puritypraxis

The maintenance of a state of cleanliness—physical, moral, or spiritual—required for encounter with the divine.

Purification is a central theme where water is used to cleanse the soul until it is entirely purified.

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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 journey involves moving through levels of punishment toward purification and eventual return to the divine sphere.

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