Gnostic John the Baptizer — Portents at John's Birth · 1 of 32 · tr. G.R.S. Mead
Section 1
PORTENTS AT JOHN'S BIRTH (§ 18). 1
In the Name of Great Life may hallowed Light be glorifed.
A CHILD was planted out of the height, a mystery revealed in Jerusalem. 2 The priests saw dreams; chill seized on their children, chill seized on
Jerusalem.
Early in the morning he 3 went to the temple. He
opened his mouth in blasphemy and his lips of lying. He opened his mouth in
blasphemy and spake to all of the priests:
"In my vision of the night I beheld, [I beheld] in my vision. When I
lay there, I slept not and rested not, and sleep came not to me by night. I
slept not and rested not, [and I beheld] that a star appeared and stood over
Enishbai. 4 Fire burned in Old Father (Abā Sābā) Zakhriā; 5 three heaven-lights
appeared. 6 The p. 36 sun sank and the lights rose.
Fire lit up the house of the people (synagogue), smoke rose over the temple.
A quaking quaked in the Throne-chariot, 1 so that Earth removed
from her seat. A star flew down into Judća, a star flew down into Jerusalem.
The sun appeared by night, and the moon rose by day."
When the priests heard this, they cast dust on their head. Yaqif the
priest weeps and Beni-Amin's tears flow. 2 Shilai and Shalbai 3 cast dust on their heads. Elizar 4 [the chief priest]
opened his mouth and spake unto all of the priests: "Yaqif interprets dreams,
but as yet he has no understanding of these. Beni-Amin interprets dreams; is
he not a man who discloses your p. 37 secrets? Ṭāb-Yōmīn 1 gives us no revelation, though you deem he can give information on all that
is and [that] is not.
Earth groans out of season and is sent a-whirl through the
heaven-spheres. Earth 2 opens her mouth and speaks to Elizar: "Go to Lilyukh, 3 that he may interpret
the dreams you have seen," Thereon Elizar opened his mouth and spake unto all
of the priests: "Who goes to Lilyukh, that he may interpret the dreams you
have seen?" Then wrote they a letter and put it in the hand of Ṭāb-Yōmīn.
Ṭāb-Yōmīn took the letter and betook himself to Lilyukh, Lilyukh lay on his
bed; sleep had not yet flown from him. A quaking came into his heart,
shivered his heart and brought it down from its stay, Ṭāb-Yōmīn drew near to
Lilyukh, Ṭāb-Yōmīn stepped up to Lilyukh, shook him out of his sleep and
spake to him: "The priests saw dreams, . . . [the above paragraph is repeated
verbally down to] . . . and the moon rose by day."
§ Ask Guru about this passage →Themes
Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
Divine beings are described with human characteristics such as opening mouths, weeping, casting dust on heads, and having children.
All passages →Cosmic Sympathycosmology
The Stoic and Plotinian doctrine that all parts of the cosmos are bound by hidden affinities, so that a movement in one part resonates through the whole; the metaphysical basis for astrology, magic, and divination.
The text describes a quaking that moves through the Throne-chariot and causes Earth to remove from her seat.
All passages →Divine Lighttheology
The uncreated luminous quality of the divine, sometimes experienced directly in mystical states; illumination as revelation.
The passage is titled 'Portents at John's Birth' and centrally features celestial lights, stars, sun, and moon appearing or rising in the vision.
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