Gnostic John the Baptizer — Portents at John's Birth · 4 of 32 · tr. G.R.S. Mead
Section 4
Yahyā proclaims in the nights, Yōhānā on the Night's
evenings. 4
YAHYĀ proclaims in the nights and says: "Through my Father's discourses
I give light and through the praise of the Man, my creator, I have freed my
soul from the world and from the works that are hateful and wrong. The Seven 5 put question to me, the Dead who have not seen Life, and they say: "In whose
strength dost thou stand there, and with p. 41 whose praise dost thou make
proclamation?" Thereon I gave to them answer: "I stand in the strength of my
Father and with the praise of the Man, my creator. I have built no house in
Judća, have set up no throne in Jerusalem. I have not loved the wreath of the
roses, not commerce with lovely women. I have not loved the defective, 1 not loved the cup of the drunkards. I have loved no food of the body, and
envy has found no place in me. I have not forgotten my night-prayer, not
forgotten wondrous Jordan. I have not forgotten my baptizing, not [forgotten]
my pure sign. I have not forgotten Sun-day, 2 and the Day's evening
has not condemned me. I have not forgotten Shilmai and Nibdai, 3 who dwell in the House of the Mighty. 4 They clear me and let
me ascend; they know no fault, no defect is in me."
When Yahyā said this, Life rejoiced over him greatly. The Seven sent
him their greeting and the Twelve 5 made obeisance before
him. They said to him: "Of all these words which thou hast spoken, thou hast
not said a single one falsely. Delightful and fair is thy voice, and none is
an equal to thee. Fair is thy discourse in thy mouth and precious thy speech,
which has been bestowed upon thee. The vesture which First Life did give unto
Adam, the Man, 6 the vesture which First Life did give unto Rām, 7 p. 42 the Man, the vesture which
First Life did give unto Shurbai, 1 the Man, the vesture
which First Life did give unto Shum bar Nū, 2 —has He given now unto
thee. He hath given it thee, O Yahyā, that thou mayest ascend, and with thee
may those ascend * * * * * * The house of defect 3 will be left behind in the desert. 4 Everyone who shall be
found sinless, will ascend to thee to the Light's region; he who is not found
sinless, will be called to account in the guard-houses." 5
And Life is victorious.
JOHN'S LIGHT-SHIP (§ 20).
Yahyā proclaims in the nights, Yōhānā on the Night's
evenings.
YAHYĀ proclaims in the nights and says: "In the name of Him who is
wondrous and all-surpassing! The Sun sat in his Court (? Corona), and the
Moon sat in the Dragon. The Four p. 43 Winds of the House get them
gone on their wings and blow not." 1
Themes
◆Anthropomorphismtheology
Attributing human characteristics, emotions, or form to the divine; embodied divine imagery.
Divine beings are described with human attributes such as standing, building houses, setting up thrones, and loving or hating specific things.
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.
Those not found sinless are called to account in guard-houses after ascending to the Light's region.