Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit

Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit
Country	Roman Empire
Language	Coptic
Series	Nag Hammadi Library
Subject(s)	Gnosticism

The Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit (also known as the Gospel of the Egyptians) (Meyer 2007, trans.)

The Holy Book

The holy book of the...Great Invisible [Spirit]

the Parent,

the Father whose name cannot be named,

who came from the heights of Fullness,

light of light of the realms of Light,

light of the silence of Forethought

and the Father of silence,

light of word and truth,

light of the incorruptions,

infinite light,

radiance from the realms of light

of the unrevealed, undisclosed, unaging, unannounced Father,

aeon of aeons,

self-generated,

self-generating,

self-producing,

foreign,

truly true eternal realm.

3 Heavenly Powers Come from the Great Invisible Spirit

3 powers came forth from the Great Invisible Spirit:

1. the Father
2. the Mother
3. the Child

They came from the living silence of the incorruptible Father,

from the silence of the unknown Father.

The aeon of Domedon Doxomedon came from it,

the eternal realm of eternal realms

and the light of each of their powers.

• The Child appeared 4th,
• the Mother [5th],
• the Father 6th.

The Great Invisible Spirit was...unrecognized,

undisclosed among all the powers, glories, and incorruptions.

So from the Great Invisible Spirit came 3 powers,

3 realms of Eight that the Father brings forth

from within, in silence, with forethought:

the Father, the Mother, and the Child.

The Father

The 1st realm of Eight,

for whose sake the Child that is 3 times male came forth:

1. thought
2. word
3. incorruptibility
4. [life] eternal
5. will
6. mind
7. foreknowledge
8. the androgynous Father

The Mother

The 2nd power or realm of Eight:

1. the Mother
2. the virgin Barbelo
3. Epititioch...ai
4. Memeneaimen..., who is over heaven
5. Karb...
6. Adonai
7. ..., the inexplicable power
8. the ineffable Mother

She shone and appeared,

and she took pleasure in the Father of the silent silence.

The Child

The 3rd power or realm of Eight:

• the Child of the silent silence
• the crown of the silent silence
• the glory of the Father
• the virtue of the Mother

From within, the Child produces 7 powers of great light,

which are the 7 vowels,

and the word completes them.

Epilogue

These are the 3 powers or 3 realms of Eight

that the Father brought forth from within through forethought.

He produced them there.

The Realm of Doxomedon

Domedon Doxomedon appeared,

the eternal realm of eternal realms,

with thrones in it,

powers around it,

and glories and incorruptions.

The Father of the great light [who came] forth in silence

is [the great] realm of Doxomedon,

in which [the triple-] male Child rests.

The throne of its glory was established in it,

and the undisclosed name [is inscribed] on it,

on the tablet,

...the word,

the Father of the light of the All,

who came from silence and rests in silence,

whose name is in an invisible symbol.

A hidden, [invisible] mystery came forth:

IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Praise from the 3 Powers

And so the 3 powers offered praise

to the Great Invisible Unnamable Ineffable Virgin Spirit,

and the male virgin.

Yoel, Christ, Esephech

They asked for power.

A silence of living silence appeared,

glories and incorruptions in the eternal realms,

...aeons,

myriads in addition,

...triple-male beings,

[triple]-male offspring,

[male] generations,

[glories of the Father],

glories of the great [Christ and the] male offspring.

The [generations] filled the great realm of Doxomedon

with the power of the word of all the [Fullness].

The triple-male Child, the great Christ,

whom the [Great] Invisible Spirit had anointed

and whose power [is called] Ainon,

offered praise to:

• the Great Invisible Spirit
• and the male virgin Yoel,
• and the silence of silent silence,
• and the majesty ...,
• ineffable...,
• unspeakable...,
• unanswered,
• uninterpreted,
• the 1st to [appear],
• unannounced...,
• wonderful...,
• unspeakable...,

who has all the majesties of majesty of the silence of silence there.

The triple-[male Child] offered praise

and asked for power

from the [Great Invisible Virgin] Spirit.

There appeared in that place...

[who] beholds [glories]...treasures...[invisible] mysteries...of silence...

[the male] virgin [Youel].

[The child of the] child Esephech [appeared].

[So] it was completed:

• the [Father],
• the Mother,
• the Child,
• the Five Seals,
• the invincible power,

who is the great [Christ]

of all those who are

incorruptible...holy...the end...incorruptible...

are powers, [glories], and incorruptions...came forth....

This one offered [praise] to the undisclosed hidden [mystery]...

hidden...in...the eternal realms...thrones,

...and each one...myriads of [powers] without number around [them,

glories] and incorruptions...

and they...

• the Father,
• the Mother,
• and the Child,
• and all [the Fullness], already [mentioned,
• and the] Five Seals,
• [and the mystery of mysteries].

They [appeared...who] is [over]...and the eternal realms,

in truth, truly,...eternal...and the [eternal] realms,

forever in truth, truly.

Divine Emanation

[An emanation appeared in silence],

with the [living] silence of the Spirit,

the Father’s word,

and light.

[She...the Five] Seals,

which the [Father brought] forth from within,

and she passed [through] all the eternal realms,

already mentioned.

She established glorious thrones

[and myriads] of angels [without] number around them,

[powers and incorruptible] glories,

and they all [sang songs],

gave glory,

and offered praise with [one voice],

with one accord,

[with a sound] that is never silent...to

the Father,

the [Mother],

the Child...,

[all the] fullnesses, [already] mentioned,

that is, [the great] Christ,

who came from [silence],

who is the [incorruptible] Child,

Telmael Telmachael [Eli Eli] Machar Machar [Seth],

the power that truly lives,

[and the] male [virgin] with [him], Youel,

and Esephech, master of glory and [child] of the child,

and the [crown of] its glory,

...of the Five Seals,

the Fullness, [already mentioned].

The Word

The great living Self-Generated Word appeared, the true [God],

the unborn nature,

whose name I utter by saying,

...AIA...THA TH STH...,

Child of the [great] Christ,

Child of ineffable silence,

[who] came from the Great [Invisible] Incorruptible [Spirit].

The [Child] of silence appeared with [silence...invisible...hidden...

and the] treasures of its glory.

It appeared in the visible...and [established] four [eternal realms].

Through the Word it established them.

Praise from the Self-Generated Word

The Word offered [praise]

to the Great Invisible Virgin Spirit,

[the silence] of :the [Father],

in silence of the living silence of [silence],

where humanity rests....

Mirothea and Adamas

Then there came forth from that place

the cloud of great light, living power,

the Mother of the holy incorruptible ones,

the great power Mirothea.

She gave birth to the being

whose name I utter by saying,

[You are one],

you are one,

you are one,

EA EA EA.

This is Adamas,

light that has radiated [from light],

the eye of the [light],

the 1st human being,

through whom and to whom is everything,

without whom is nothing.

The unknowable, incomprehensible Father came forth

and descended from above to undo the deficiency.

The great divine Self-Generated Word

and the incorruptible human Adamas

joined with each other,

and a human power of the word was produced.

So humanity came into being through the word.

Praise from the Human Power of the Word

This human power of the word offered praise to

• the Great Invisible Incomprehensible Virgin Spirit,
• the male virgin [Barbelo],
• the triple-male Child,
• the male [virgin] Youel,
• Esephech,
  • master of glory
  • and Child of the Child,
  • the crown of its glory,
• the great realm of Doxomedon,
  • the thrones in it,
  • the powers around it,
  • glories,
  • incorruptions,
  • and all their fullness, already mentioned,
• the ethereal earth,
  • receiving God,
  • where holy people of the great light take shape,
• people of the Father of the silent living silence,
• the Father and all their fullness, already mentioned.

Four Eternal Realms, Seth, Four Luminaries

The great divine Self-Generated Word and the incorruptible human Adamas offered praise.

They requested power and eternal strength for the Self-Generated,

so that four eternal realms may be fully completed

and through them there may appear the glory and power

of the invisible Father of the holy people of the great light coming into the world.

The world resembles the night.

Then the incorruptible human Adamas requested that a child come from himself,

so that the child may be father of the immovable incorruptible generation,

and through this generation silence and speech may appear

and through it the dead realm may rise and then fade away.

So the power of the great light came from above.

She was revelation,

and she gave birth to Four Great Luminaries,

1. Harmozel
2. Oroiael
3. Daveithe
4. Eleleth

along with great incorruptible Seth,

son of the incorruptible human Adamas.

And so was completed the perfect realm of 7,

which exists in hidden mysteries.

When it receives [glory], it becomes 11 realms of Eight.

Partners and Attendants for the Luminaries

The Father nodded approval,

and the entire Fullness of the Luminaries agreed.

Partners for the Luminaries appeared to complete

the realm of Eight of the divine Self-Generated:

1. grace, for the 1st luminary Harmozel
2. perception, for the 2nd luminary Oroiael
3. intelligence, for the 3rd luminary Daveithe
4. understanding, for the 4th luminary Eleleth

This is the 1st realm of Eight of the divine Self-Generated.

The Father nodded approval,

and the entire Fullness of the Luminaries agreed.

The attendants appeared:

1. 1st, great Gamaliel, for the 1st great luminary Harmozel
2. great Gabriel, for the 2nd great luminary Oroiael
3. great Samblo, for the great luminary Daveithe
4. great Abrasax, for [the great luminary] Eleleth

Partners for the attendants appeared by the will and good pleasure of the Father:

1. memory, for the 1st, great Gamaliel
2. love, for the 2nd, great Gabriel
3. peace, for the 3rd, great Samblo
4. life eternal, for the 4th, great Abrasax

Realm	Luminary	attribute of luminary	Attendant	attribute of attendant
1	Harmozel	grace	Gamaliel	memory
2	Oroiael	perception	Gabriel	love
3	Daveithe	intelligence	Samblo	peace
4	Eleleth	understanding	Abrasax	life eternal

Thus were the 5 realms of Eight completed,

40 in all,

as inexplicable power.

Praise from the Self-Generated Word and the Four Luminaries

The great Self-Generated Word

and the expression of the fullness of the Four Luminaries

offered praise to:

the Great Invisible Unnamable Virgin Spirit

the male virgin,

the great realm of Doxomedon,

the thrones in them,

the powers around them,

glories, authorities, and powers,

the triple-male Child,

the male virgin Youel,

Esephech,

master of glory

and [child] of the child,

the crown of its glory,

all the Fullness,

all the glories that are there,

the infinite fullnesses and the unnamable realms,

that they may call upon the Father as the 4th,

along with the incorruptible generation,

and call the seed of the Father the seed of great Seth.

The Luminaries Are Enthroned

Then everything shook, and the incorruptible ones trembled.

The triple-male Child came down from above to those unborn and self-generated,

and to those conceived in the realm of birth.

The Majesty appeared,

all the Majesty of the great Christ,

and established thrones of glory,

myriads without number,

in the four realms around them,

myriads without number,

powers, glories, and incorruptions.

They came forth in this way.

The incorruptible spiritual assembly expanded

within the Four Luminaries of the great living Self-Generated God of truth.

They praised, sang, and gave glory with one voice,

with one accord,

with a mouth that is not silent, to:

1. the Father,
2. the Mother,
3. the Child,
4. and all their fullness, already mentioned.

The Five Seals of the myriads,

the rulers over the realms,

and the couriers of the glory of the governors

were ordered to appear to those who are worthy.

Amen.

The Seed of Great Seth

Great Seth,

son of the incorruptible human Adamas,

offered praise to the Great Invisible Unnamable Unspeakable Virgin Spirit,

the male virgin,

the triple-male Child,

the male virgin Youel,

Esephech, master of glory,

the crown of its glory and Child of the Child,

the great realms of Doxomedon,

and the Fullness, already mentioned.

Seth asked for his seed.

Then Plesithea came from that place,

the great power of great light,

mother of the angels,

mother of the Luminaries,

glorious mother,

virgin with four breasts,

bearing fruit from the wellspring of Gomorrah and Sodom,

fruit of the wellspring of Gomorrah within her.

Plesithea came forth through great Seth.

Great Seth rejoiced over the gift given him by the incorruptible child.

He took his seed from the virgin with the four breasts

and established it with him in the four realms,

in the 3rd great luminary Daveithe.

Sophia of Matter, Sakla, Nebruel, and Angels

5,000 years later the great luminary Eleleth said,

“Let someone reign over chaos and Hades.”

A cloud [named] Sophia of matter appeared....

[She] surveyed the regions [of chaos],

and her face looked like...in her appearance...blood.

[The great] angel Gamaliel spoke [to great Gabriel],

the attendant of [the great luminary] Oroiael, and [said,

“Let an] angel appear to reign over chaos [and Hades].”

The cloud [agreed and produced] two individuals...a little light...

[the angel] she had established in the cloud [above].

Sakla the great [angel observed] Nebruel the great demon who is with him.

[Together] they brought a spirit of reproduction to the earth,

and [they produced] angelic assistants.

Sakla [said] to Nebruel the great [demon],

“Let 12 realms come into being in the...realm, worlds....”

Through the will of the Self-Generated One,

[Sakla] the great angel said,

“There shall be...7 in number....”

He said to the [great angels],

“Go, [each] of you reign over your own [world].”

And each [of these] 12 [angels] left.

[The 1st] angel is Athoth, whom [the great] generations of people call...,

the 2nd is Harmas, [the eye of fire],

the 3rd [is Galila],

the 4th is Yobel,

[the 5th is] Adonaios, who is [called] Sabaoth,

the 6th [is Cain, whom] the [great generations of] people call the sun,

the [7th is Abel],

the 8th, Akiressina,

the [9th, Youbel],

the 10th is Harmoupiael,

the 11th is Archir-Adonin,

the 12th [is Belias].

1. Athoth
2. Harmas ("eye of fire")
3. Galila
4. Yobel
5. Adonaios (Sabaoth)
6. Cain ("the sun")
7. Abel
8. Akiressina
9. Youbel
10. Harmoupiael
11. Archir-Adonin
12. Belias

These are set over Hades [and chaos].

The Arrogance of Sakla, the Coming of Repentance

After [the world] was founded, Sakla said to his [angels],

“I am a [jealous] god,

and nothing has [come into being] apart from me.”

He] felt certain of his nature.

A voice called from on high and said,

“Humanity exists,

and the Child of Humanity.”

The 1st modeled creature was formed from the descent of the image above.

The image resembles its voice on high, the voice of the image.

The image gazed out,

and from the gaze of the image above the 1st creature was formed.

And for the sake of this creature repentance came to be.

Repentance was completed and empowered through the will and good pleasure of the Father.

The Father approved of the great incorruptible immovable generation

of great mighty people of great Seth,

so that he might sow repentance

in the aeons that had been produced,

and through repentance the deficiency might become full.

For Repentance came down from above to the world,

which resembles the night.

When she came,

she prayed for the seed of the ruler of this aeon

and the authorities derived from him,

which is the defiled seed from the god

who produces demons and who is destined to be destroyed,

and she prayed for the seed of Adam

and great Seth, which is like the sun.

Hormos and the Seed of Seth

Then the great angel Hormos came to prepare the seed of great Seth,

through the holy Spirit,

in a holy body begotten by the word,

by means of virgins of the defiled sowing of seed in this aeon.

Great Seth came with his seed,

and he sowed it in the realms brought into being here below,

whose number is the number of Sodom.

Some say Sodom is the pastureland of great Seth—that is, Gomorrah.

But others say great Seth took his crop from Gomorrah

and planted it in a 2nd location,

which he named Sodom.

This is the generation that appeared through Edokla.

For by the word she gave birth to truth and justice.

This is the source of the seed of life eternal,

which belongs to those who endure through knowledge of where they came from.

This is the great incorruptible generation

that has come through 3 worlds into this world.

Flood, Fire, Plagues, Famines, Temptations

The flood has come to indicate the end of the age,

and it will be sent into the world.

Because of this generation a conflagration will come upon the earth,

but to those who belong to this generation

grace will be granted through prophets and guardians

who protect the life of this generation.

Because of this generation there will be famines and plagues,

which will take place because of this great incorruptible generation.

Because of this generation there will be temptations,

and deception by false prophets.

Great Seth saw what the devil was doing,

his many guises, his schemes against the incorruptible immovable generation,

the persecutions by his powers and angels, their deception.

They acted rashly against themselves.

Praise from Seth

Great Seth offered praise to:

• the Great Unnamable Virginal Spirit,
• the male virgin Barbelo,
• the triple-male Child Telmael Telmael Heli Heli Machar Machar Seth,
• the power that truly lives in truth,
• the male virgin Youel,
• Esephech, master of glory, the crown of its glory,
• the great realm of Doxomedon,
• the thrones in it,
• the powers around them,
• all the Fullness, already mentioned.

Guardian Angels and Incarnations of Seth

Seth requested guardians for his seed.

400 ethereal angels came from the great realms,

accompanied by great Aerosiel and great Selmechel,

to protect the great incorruptible generation,

its fruitfulness,

and the great people of great Seth,

from the time and era of truth and justice

until the end of the age and its rulers,

whom the great judges condemned to death.

Great Seth was sent by the Four Luminaries,

according to the will of the Self-Generated One and all the Fullness,

through the gift and good pleasure of the Great Invisible Spirit,

the Five Seals,

and all the Fullness.

Seth went through 3 advents, already mentioned:

1. flood,
2. conflagration,
3. and judgment of the rulers, powers, and authorities.

He did this to save the generation that went astray,

by means of the destruction of the world,

and baptism through a body begotten by the word,

which great Seth prepared for himself,

mystically, through the virgin,

that the holy people may be conceived by the holy Spirit,

through invisible secret symbols,

through the destruction of world against world,

through the destruction of the world

and the god of the 13 realms,

and the appeals of the holy ineffable incorruptible ones,

in the heart and great light of the Father,

which preexists in his forethought.

Seth Establishes Baptism Through Jesus

Through forethought Seth has instituted the holy baptism that surpasses heaven,

by means of the incorruptible one,

begotten by the Word,

the living Jesus,

with whom great Seth has been clothed.

He has nailed down the powers of the 13 realms.

Through this means he has established those who are brought in and go out,

and he has equipped them with armor of the knowledge of truth, with

incorruptible, invincible power.

There appeared to them:

• the great attendant Yesseus Mazareus Yessedekeus, the living water,
• the great commanders:
  • Jacob the great
  • Theopemptos
  • Isaouel
• one stationed over grace:
  • Mep..el
• those stationed over the wellspring of truth:
  • Micheus
  • Michar
  • Mnesinous
• one stationed over the baptism of the living, and the purifiers, Sesengenbarpharanges,
• those stationed over the gates of the waters:
  • Micheus
  • Michar
• those stationed over the height:
  • Seldao
  • Elainos
• those receiving the great generation, the incorruptible mighty people of great Seth, the attendants of the Four Luminaries:
  • great Gamaliel
  • great Gabriel
  • great Samblo
  • great Abrasax
• those stationed over sunrise:
  • Olses
  • Hupneus
  • Heurumaious
• those stationed over the entrance into the state of rest of life eternal, the governors:
  • Mixanther
  • Michanor
• the guardians of chosen souls:
  • Akramas
  • Strempouchos
• the great power:
  • Heli Heli Machar Machar Seth,
• the Great Invisible Unnamable Unspeakable Virgin Spirit,
• and silence,

the great luminary Harmozel,

where the living Self-Generated God of truth is,

with whom is the incorruptible human Adamas,

the 2nd luminary Oroiael,

where great Seth and Jesus are,

Jesus who has life

and who has come and crucified what is under the law,

the 3rd luminary Daveithe,

where the children of great Seth are,

the 4th luminary Eleleth,

where the souls of the children are at rest,

5th, Yoel,

stationed over the name

of the one who will be ordained

to baptize with the holy incorruptible baptism that surpasses heaven.

From now on, through the incorruptible human Poimael,

with regard to those worthy of the invocation

and words of renunciation of the Five Seals in the baptism of running water,

they will know those who receive them, as they are instructed,

and they will be known by them,

and they shall not taste death.

Baptismal Hymn

Yesseus

OU UA in truth truly

Yesseus Mazareus Yessedekeus

living water

child of the child

glorious name

in truth truly

eternal being

I I I I

EEEE

OOOO

UUUU

AAAA

in truth truly

I AAAA OOOO

being who sees the eternal realms

in truth truly

A EE

I I I I

UUUUUU

being who exists forever

in truth truly

I A AI

in the heart

being who exists

U

forever and ever

you are what you are

you are who you are.

This great name of yours is upon me,

you who lack nothing,

you Self-Generated One,

who are close to me.

I see you,

you who are invisible to all.

Who can comprehend you?

In another voice:

Having known you,

I have now mingled with your constancy.

I have armed myself with the armor of light.

I have become bright.

The Mother was there for the lovely beauty of grace.

So I have stretched out my two hands.

I have been formed in the circle of the riches of light in my breast,

giving form to the many beings

produced in light beyond reproach.

In truth I shall declare your glory,

I have comprehended you:

yours, Jesus;

look,

forever

forever E

O Jesus

O aeon, aeon,

God of silence,

I honor you completely.

You are my place of rest,

Child,

S S

the E

formless one existing among formless ones,

raising the person by whom you will purify me into your life,

according to your imperishable name.

So the sweet smell of life is within me.

I have mixed it with water as a model for all the rulers,

that I may live with you in the peace of the saints,

you who exist forever,

in truth truly.

Conclusion

This is the book great Seth composed and placed high in mountains

on which the sun has not risen and cannot rise.

Since the days of the prophets, apostles, and preachers,

the name has never risen in their hearts

and cannot rise in their hearts,

and their ears have not heard it.

Great Seth wrote this book letter by letter in a period of years.

He placed it on the mountain called Charaxio,

so that, at the end of the times and ages,

according to the wish of the divine Self-Generated and the entire Fullness,

through the gift of the unsearchable inconceivable fatherly will,

he may come forth and appear to this holy incorruptible generation of the great Savior

and those dwelling with them in love,

and the great invisible eternal Spirit and its only Child,

and eternal light, and its great incorruptible partner,

and incorruptible Sophia,

and Barbelo,

and all the Fullness,

in eternity.

Amen.

Copyist’s Note

The Egyptian Gospel, a holy secret book, written by God.

Grace, intelligence, perception, and understanding be with the copyist,

Eugnostos the beloved in the Spirit—

my worldly name is Gongessos—

and my fellow luminaries in incorruptibility.

Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, ICHTHYS!

The Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit is written by God.

Amen.

The Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit

Amen.

References

• Meyer, Marvin (2007). The Nag Hammadi scriptures. New York: HarperOne. ISBN 978-0-06-162600-5.

External links

• Gnostic Society Library: translated text
• List of heavenly beings in the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit