Post by wornout on Oct 1, 2021 21:45:46 GMT
I did shorten the text to bring out the most pertinent points, in my opinion. You can go to the link for
the full text.
The Exegesis on the Soul
Translated by William C. Robinson Jr.
www.gnosis.org/naghamm/exe.html
Wise men of old gave the soul a feminine name. Indeed she is female in her nature as well. She
even has her womb.
As long as she was alone with the father, she was virgin and in form androgynous. But when she
fell down into a body and came to this life, then she fell into the hands of many robbers. And the
wanton creatures passed her from one to another and [...] her. Some made use of her by force,
while others did so by seducing her with a gift. In short, they defiled her, and she [...] her
Virginity.
….….
But when the father who is above visits her and looks down upon her and sees her sighing - with
her sufferings and disgrace - and repenting of the prostitution in which she engaged, and when
she begins to call upon his name so that he might help her, [...] all her heart, saying "Save me, my
father, for behold I will render an account to thee, for I abandoned my house and fled from my
maiden`s quarters. Restore me to thyself again." When he sees her in such a state, then he will
count her worthy of his mercy upon her, for many are the afflictions that have come upon her
because she abandoned her house.
….…
Again he said in Ezekiel (16:23-26),
It came to pass after much depravity, said the lord, you built yourself a brothel and you made
yourself a beautiful place in the streets. And you built yourself brothels on every lane, and you
wasted your beauty, and you spread your legs in every alley, and you multiplied your acts of
prostitution. You prostituted yourself to the sons of Egypt, those who are your neighbors, men
great of flesh.
But what does "the sons of Egypt, men great of flesh" mean, if not the domain of the flesh and
the perceptible realm and the affairs of the earth, by which the soul has become defiled here,
receiving bread from them, as well as wine, oil, clothing, and the other external nonsense
surrounding the body - the things she thinks she needs.
….…
As long as the soul keeps running about everywhere copulating with whomever she meets and
defiling herself, she exists suffering her just deserts. But when she perceives the straits she is in
and weeps before the father and repents, then the father will have mercy on her and he will make
her womb turn from the external domain and will turn it again inward, so that the soul will regain
her proper character. For it is not so with a woman. For the womb of the body is inside the body
like the other internal organs, but the womb of the soul is around the outside like the male
genitalia which is external.
So when the womb of the soul, by the will of the father, turns itself inward, it is baptized and is
immediately cleansed of the external pollution which was pressed upon it, just as garments, when
dirty, are put into the water and turned about until their dirt is removed and they become clean.
And so the cleansing of the soul is to regain the newness of her former nature and to turn herself
back again. That is her baptism.
Then she will begin to rage at herself like a woman in labor, who writhes and rages in the hour of
delivery. But since she is female, by herself she is powerless to beget a child. From heaven the
father sent her her man, who is her brother, the firstborn. Then the bridegroom came down to the
bride. She gave up her former prostitution and cleansed herself of the pollutions of the adulterers,
and she was renewed so as to be a bride. She cleansed herself in the bridal chamber; she filled it
with perfume; she sat in it waiting for the true bridegroom. No longer does she run about the
market place, copulating with whomever she desires, but she continued to wait for him - (saying)
"When will he come?" - and to fear him, for she did not know what he looked like: she no longer
remembers since the time she fell from her father's house. But by the will of the father <...> And
she dreamed of him like a woman in love with a man.
But then the bridegroom, according to the father's will, came down to her into the bridal chamber,
which was prepared. And he decorated the bridal chamber.
For since that marriage is not like the carnal marriage, those who are to have intercourse with one
another will be satisfied with that intercourse. And as if it were a burden, they leave behind them
the annoyance of physical desire and they turn their faces from each other. But this marriage [...].
But once they unite with one another, they become a single life.
….…..
Thus when the soul had adorned herself again in her beauty [...] enjoyed her beloved, and he also
loved her. And when she had intercourse with him, she got from him the seed that is the life-
giving spirit, so that by him she bears good children and rears them. For this is the great, perfect
marvel of birth. And so this marriage is made perfect by the will of the father.
Now it is fitting that the soul regenerates herself and become again as she formerly was. The soul
then moves of her own accord. And she received the divine nature from the father for her
rejuvenation, so that she might be restored to the place where originally she had been. This is the
resurrection that is from the dead. This is the ransom from captivity. This is the upward journey of
ascent to heaven. This is the way of ascent to the father.
….….
And repentance takes place in distress and grief. But the father is good and loves humanity, and
he hears the soul that calls upon him and sends it the light of salvation.
….….
Therefore it is fitting to pray to God night and day, spreading out our hands towards him as do
people sailing in the middle of the sea: they pray to God with all their heart without hypocrisy.
For those who pray hypocritically deceive only themselves. Indeed, it is in order that he might
know who is worthy of salvation that God examines the inward parts and searches the bottom of
the heart. For no one is worthy of salvation who still loves the place of deception.
Therefore it is written in the poet (Homer, Odyssey 1.48-1.59), "Odysseus sat on the island weeping
and grieving and turning his face from the words of Calypso and from her tricks, longing to see
his village and smoke coming forth from it. And had he not received help from heaven, he would
not have been able to return to his village."
Again Helen <...> saying (Odyssey 4.260-261), "My heart turned itself from me. It is to my house
that I want to return."
the full text.
The Exegesis on the Soul
Translated by William C. Robinson Jr.
www.gnosis.org/naghamm/exe.html
Wise men of old gave the soul a feminine name. Indeed she is female in her nature as well. She
even has her womb.
As long as she was alone with the father, she was virgin and in form androgynous. But when she
fell down into a body and came to this life, then she fell into the hands of many robbers. And the
wanton creatures passed her from one to another and [...] her. Some made use of her by force,
while others did so by seducing her with a gift. In short, they defiled her, and she [...] her
Virginity.
….….
But when the father who is above visits her and looks down upon her and sees her sighing - with
her sufferings and disgrace - and repenting of the prostitution in which she engaged, and when
she begins to call upon his name so that he might help her, [...] all her heart, saying "Save me, my
father, for behold I will render an account to thee, for I abandoned my house and fled from my
maiden`s quarters. Restore me to thyself again." When he sees her in such a state, then he will
count her worthy of his mercy upon her, for many are the afflictions that have come upon her
because she abandoned her house.
….…
Again he said in Ezekiel (16:23-26),
It came to pass after much depravity, said the lord, you built yourself a brothel and you made
yourself a beautiful place in the streets. And you built yourself brothels on every lane, and you
wasted your beauty, and you spread your legs in every alley, and you multiplied your acts of
prostitution. You prostituted yourself to the sons of Egypt, those who are your neighbors, men
great of flesh.
But what does "the sons of Egypt, men great of flesh" mean, if not the domain of the flesh and
the perceptible realm and the affairs of the earth, by which the soul has become defiled here,
receiving bread from them, as well as wine, oil, clothing, and the other external nonsense
surrounding the body - the things she thinks she needs.
….…
As long as the soul keeps running about everywhere copulating with whomever she meets and
defiling herself, she exists suffering her just deserts. But when she perceives the straits she is in
and weeps before the father and repents, then the father will have mercy on her and he will make
her womb turn from the external domain and will turn it again inward, so that the soul will regain
her proper character. For it is not so with a woman. For the womb of the body is inside the body
like the other internal organs, but the womb of the soul is around the outside like the male
genitalia which is external.
So when the womb of the soul, by the will of the father, turns itself inward, it is baptized and is
immediately cleansed of the external pollution which was pressed upon it, just as garments, when
dirty, are put into the water and turned about until their dirt is removed and they become clean.
And so the cleansing of the soul is to regain the newness of her former nature and to turn herself
back again. That is her baptism.
Then she will begin to rage at herself like a woman in labor, who writhes and rages in the hour of
delivery. But since she is female, by herself she is powerless to beget a child. From heaven the
father sent her her man, who is her brother, the firstborn. Then the bridegroom came down to the
bride. She gave up her former prostitution and cleansed herself of the pollutions of the adulterers,
and she was renewed so as to be a bride. She cleansed herself in the bridal chamber; she filled it
with perfume; she sat in it waiting for the true bridegroom. No longer does she run about the
market place, copulating with whomever she desires, but she continued to wait for him - (saying)
"When will he come?" - and to fear him, for she did not know what he looked like: she no longer
remembers since the time she fell from her father's house. But by the will of the father <...> And
she dreamed of him like a woman in love with a man.
But then the bridegroom, according to the father's will, came down to her into the bridal chamber,
which was prepared. And he decorated the bridal chamber.
For since that marriage is not like the carnal marriage, those who are to have intercourse with one
another will be satisfied with that intercourse. And as if it were a burden, they leave behind them
the annoyance of physical desire and they turn their faces from each other. But this marriage [...].
But once they unite with one another, they become a single life.
….…..
Thus when the soul had adorned herself again in her beauty [...] enjoyed her beloved, and he also
loved her. And when she had intercourse with him, she got from him the seed that is the life-
giving spirit, so that by him she bears good children and rears them. For this is the great, perfect
marvel of birth. And so this marriage is made perfect by the will of the father.
Now it is fitting that the soul regenerates herself and become again as she formerly was. The soul
then moves of her own accord. And she received the divine nature from the father for her
rejuvenation, so that she might be restored to the place where originally she had been. This is the
resurrection that is from the dead. This is the ransom from captivity. This is the upward journey of
ascent to heaven. This is the way of ascent to the father.
….….
And repentance takes place in distress and grief. But the father is good and loves humanity, and
he hears the soul that calls upon him and sends it the light of salvation.
….….
Therefore it is fitting to pray to God night and day, spreading out our hands towards him as do
people sailing in the middle of the sea: they pray to God with all their heart without hypocrisy.
For those who pray hypocritically deceive only themselves. Indeed, it is in order that he might
know who is worthy of salvation that God examines the inward parts and searches the bottom of
the heart. For no one is worthy of salvation who still loves the place of deception.
Therefore it is written in the poet (Homer, Odyssey 1.48-1.59), "Odysseus sat on the island weeping
and grieving and turning his face from the words of Calypso and from her tricks, longing to see
his village and smoke coming forth from it. And had he not received help from heaven, he would
not have been able to return to his village."
Again Helen <...> saying (Odyssey 4.260-261), "My heart turned itself from me. It is to my house
that I want to return."