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The Nag Hammadi Library

The Allogenes

(Annotated Edition including Line Numbers)

THE ALLOGENES (NHC XI,3: 45,1-69,20)

translated by John D. Turner

This original translation is presented in the Gnostic Society Library by permission of Dr. John D. Turner, who retains all copyright. The headings shown in bold text are added to the text by Dr. Turner. Tthe original page and line number within Nag Hammadi Codex 11 (NHC XI,3: 45,1-69,20 ) are included, line numbers are shown in suprascript.

Index of Sections


NHC XI,3: 45,1-69,20: THE ALLOGENES
translated by John D. Turner
 

1. Youel: The generation of the Barbelo Aeon

45 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] 6 [...] since they are 7 [perfect Individuals. And they are] 8 all [unified, in harmony].

The 9 [Mind], the guardian [I provided] 10 [for you] taught you. And it is the power that 11 [exists] in you that [extended] 12 [itself], since [it (you?)] often 13 [rejoiced] in the Triple Powered One who 14 [belongs to] all [those] who [truly] exist 15 with the [immeasurable] one.

    O 16 eternal [light of] the knowledge 17 that has [appeared]!
    O 18 male virginal [glory]! 19
    [O first] aeon from 20 [a] unique threefold [aeon]! 21
    [O] Triple-Powered One who 22 [truly exists]!

    For after it [contracted] 23 [it expanded],
    and 24 [it spread out] and became complete, 25
    [and] it was empowered [with] 26 all of them,
    by knowing [itself] 27 [in addition to the perfect Invisible Spirit], 28
    and it [became] 29 [an] aeon.

By knowing [herself] 30 she knew that one, 31 [and] she became Kalyptos 32 [because] she acts in those whom she 33 knows. 34

She is Protophanes, a perfect, 35 invisible Intellect, 36 Harmedon.

Empowering 37 the individuals, she is Triple Male, 38 since she is individually 46 1
[...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] 6 [they are] 7 [unified since she] is [their] 8 [Existence],
and she [sees] 9 them all [truly] existing. 10

[She] contains the 11 divine Autogenes:

    When she [knew] 12 her Existence 13 and
    when she stood at rest [upon] 14 this one (Autogenes),
    he (<she>?) saw them [all] 15 existing individually just as [they] 16 are.

    And when [they (he? she?)] 17 become as he is,
    [he (she? they?) shall] 18 see the divine Triple Male, 19
    the power that is [higher than] 20 God.
    [He is the thought] 21 of all those who [are] 22 unified.

    When he (the Triple Male) [contemplates them (unified)], 23
    he contemplates the 24 great male, 25 [perfect?], Intellect [Protophanes].
    He is their 26 [procession]; when [he] 27 sees it,
    [he also sees] 28 [the truly existing ones], 29
    [since it is the] procession [for those who] 30 are unified.

    And when [he has seen] 31 these (truly existing), he has seen Kalyptos. 32

    And when he sees 33 the unity of the hidden ones,
    [he] 34 sees the Barbalo-Aeon, [the] 35 unbegotten offspring of [that One]. 36

    When one should [see] how it [lives] (one sees the Triple Powered One)

47 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [ ... you have heard about the] 6 abundance of each one 7 of them certainly. [Now] concerning 8 the Triple-Powered Invisible Spirit 9 One, hear!

The Triple Powered One

    He [exists] 10 as an invisible One, 11 unattainable for them all. 12
    He contains them all within [himself], 13 for [they] all exist because [of] 14 [him].
    He is perfect and 15 [greater] than perfect.
    And he is 16 blessed, since he [is] 17 always one.

    And [he] exists 18 [in] them all,
    being ineffable, 19 unnamable, 20
    being [one] who exists 21 through them all
        --he whom, 22 [should] one intelligize 23 him, one [would not desire] anything that 24
           [exists] before him among those 25 [that possess] existence-- 26
    for [he] is the [source] 27 [from which they were all emitted]. 28

    [He is prior to 29 Perfection];
    [he was prior] 30 [to every] Divinity, 31 [and]
    he is prior [to] 32 every Blessedness,
    since he 33 provides for every power.

    And 34 he is an insubstantial substance, 35
    a God over whom there is no 36 Divinity,
    the 37 surpasser of his own 38 greatness and <beauty>.
    48 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] 6 [power.

The Triple Powered One provides Being by means of Existence

It is not impossible for them] 7 to receive a revelation of these things 8 if they unify (in Protophanes). 9 Since it is impossible that 10 the Individuals (in Autogenes) comprehend the totality 11 [situated in the] realm that is higher than perfect, 12 they at least share (in it) through 13 a preconception, 14 not as Being per se, [for on the contrary] it is 15 with [the] hiddeness (cf. Kalyptos) of Existence that he provides 16 Being, [providing] 17 for [it in] every way, since it is this 18 that [shall] come into being when he 19 intelligizes himself.

    For he is a Unity, 20 subsisting as
    a [true cause] 21 and source of [Being],
    even [an] 22 immaterial [matter
    and an] 23 innumerable [number
    and a] formless 24 [form]
    and a [shapeless] 25 [shape]
    and [a powerlessness with] 26 [power
    and an insubstantial substance] 27
    [and a motionless] 28 [motion
    and an inactive] 29 [activity,
    except that he is] 30 [a] provider of [provision] 31
    [and] a divinity [of] 32 divinity.

The Triple Powered One provides Being as Vitality

But if 33 they share (this kind of Being), they share 34 in the prime Vitality, even 35 an indivisible activity, 36 an hypostasis of the primary (activity) 37 of the one that 38 truly exists.

The Triple Powered One provides Being with Mentality/Blessedness

Now a secondary 49 1 activity [...] 2 [...] however, is that [...] 3 [...] Male [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] he is endowed with 6 [Blessedness] and 7 Goodness, because

    when he 8 is intelligized as the Delimiter (D) 9 of the (indeterminate)
    Boundlessness (B) of the 10 Invisible Spirit (IS) [that subsists] in him (D), 11
    it (B) causes [him (D)] to revert to [it (IS)] 12 in order that
    it (B) might know what it is 13 that is within it (IS) and 14 how it (IS) exists, and 15 that
    he (D) might guarantee the endurance of 16 everything
    by being a 17 a (determining) cause of truly existing things. 18
    For through him (D) 19 knowledge of it (IS) became available, 20
    since he (D) is the one who knows what 21 it (IS) is.
    But they brought forth nothing 22 [beyond] themselves,
    neither 23 power nor rank nor 24 glory nor aeon, 25 for they are all 26 eternal.

    He is Vitality and 27 Mentality and Essentiality. 28 So then:
    Essentiality 29 constantly includes its 30 Vitality and Mentality, 31 and {Life has} 32
    Vitality includes 33 {non-} Substantiality and 34 Mentality;
    Mentality includes 35 Life and Essentiality. 36
    And the three are one, 37 although individually they are three." 38

Allogenes' response:

Now after 39 I heard these things, O my son 50 1 [Messos, I was] afraid and 2 [I turned toward the crowd ... ] 3 [...] thought [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] ... [...] 6 [empowers those who are able] to know 7 these things [by a] greater 8 revelation, but I 9 was able--even though flesh was 10 upon me--to hear from <you> about these things. 11 And because of the wisdom 12 that is in them, the thought 13 within me distinguished things 14 beyond measure from unknowable things.15 Therefore I fear 16 that my wisdom has become 17 excessive."

2. Youel: The Barbelo Aeon

And 18 then again, O my 19 son Messos, the all-glorious one, 20 Youel spoke to me; she appeared 21 [to] me and said:
"No 22 one is able to hear these things 23 except the great powers alone. 24 O Allogenes, you have been vested 25 with a great power, that with which 26 the Father 27 of the All vested you 28 before you came to this place, so that 29
    those things that are difficult to distinguish 30 you might distinguish,
    and those things 31 that are unknown to 32 the multitude you might know, 33
    and that you might be restored 34 to that which is yours,
    which 35 was already intact and 36 so needs no restoration.

51 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] 6 ... [ ] ... [ ... to] you [a] 7 form [and a revelation]. 8
    As for the Triple-[Powered] Invisible Spirit, 9 outside of him [there is
    situated] 10 a non-discriminating, 11 incorporeal, [timeless] knowledge. 12
    Like all [the] aeons, 13 the Barbelo-Aeon is 14
    also endowed with the types 15 and forms of the things that truly 16 exist,
    the image of 17 Kalyptos;

    and endowed 18 with their intelligent rational principles, 19
    it bears the male Intellect 20 Protophanes as 21 an image,
    and acts 22 within the Individuals
    either with 23 craft or with skill 24 or with partial instinct; 25

    endowed with the 26 divine Autogenes as 27 an image
    and knowing 28 each one of these (individuals), 29
    it acts separately and 30 individually,
    continually rectifying 31 defects arising from 32 Nature;

    endowed with 33 the divine Triple Male 34
    as an integration (or preservation) of them all 35 with the Invisible Spirit, 36
    it is a rational expression of deliberation, 37 the perfect Child. 38
    And this hypostasis is a 52 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] 6 [...] ... [...] 7

Allogenes' response:

[My soul went slack] and 8 I fled and I was very disturbed. 9 And [I] turned to myself 10 and saw the light 11 that [surrounded] me and the 12 Good that was in me, and I became Divine. 13 And the all-glorious one, Youel, 14 contacted me again 15 and empowered me. She said:

3. Youel: the Triple Powered One

"Since 16 your wisdom has become complete 17 and you have known the Good that is within you, 18 hear concerning 19 the Triple-Powered One things you shall 20 guard in great 21 silence and great mystery, 22 because they are not to be spoken 23 to anyone except those who are worthy 24 and able 25 to hear. Nor is it fitting 26 to speak to an 27 uninstructed generation concerning 28 anything higher than perfect. 29

But you have <this capability to hear> concerning 30 the Triple-Powered One, who exists 31 in Blessedness 32 and Goodness, the 33 cause of everything 34 by virtue of encompassing 35 a vast magnitude 36 even though he is <unitarily> One. 53 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] ... [...] 6 of [preconception], 7 not as if [through things that exist] 8 within comprehension [and knowledge] 9 and [understanding.

And] 10 that one moved motionlessly 11 in his 12 governance, lest he sink 13 into the boundless by means 14 of another act of 15 Mentality. And he entered 16 into himself and appeared 17 all-encompassing. 18

Everything that is higher than perfect 19 is anterior to 20 knowledge. 21 Just as there is no possibility for complete 22 comprehension, so also he is not known by me. 23 And that's the way it is.

    On account of the 24 third silence of 25 Mentality and
    the undivided secondary 26 activity (i.e. Vitality) that appeared 27 in
    the First Thought-- 28 that is, the Barbelo-Aeon-- 29 and
    the undivided 30 semblance of division, even
    the Triple-Powered 31 One and the non-substantial Existence, 32
the power appeared 33 by means of an activity 34 that is stable 35 and silent.
It uttered 36 a sound in this fashion: `ZZA 37 ZZA ZZA.' But when she heard 38
the power and she was filled 54 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] ... 6

Praises of Barbelo according to [Existence?], Vitality, and Mentality

    (In accord with the Existence that is thine ... from which derives Perfection:)
    `[...] ... Thou art 7 [great, Deiphan]eus! Solmis, 8 [thou art great!]

    In accord with the Vitality 9 [that is thine,
    even] the primary activity 10 from which derives 11 Divinity:
    Thou art great, 12 Armedon! Thou art perfect, 13 Epiphaneus!

    And in accord with that activity 14 of thine,
    the secondary power, 15 even the Mentality from 16 which derives Blessedness: 17
    Autoer, Beritheus, 18 Erigenaor, Orimenios, Aramen, 19
    Alphleges, Elelioupheus, 20 Lalameus, Yetheus, Noetheus! 21
    Thou art great! He who knows thee 22 knows the All!
    Thou art one, thou 23 art one, O Good one, Aphredon! 24
    Thou art the Aeon of 25 aeons, O perpetually existing one!' 26

    Then she praised 27 the entire One, saying: 28
    `Lalameus, Noetheus, Senaon, 29
    Asineus, Oriphanios, 30 Mellephaneus,
    Elemaon{}, 31 <I>smoun, Optaon!
    He who 32 is! Thou art He who is, 33 the Aeon of aeons!
    O 34 unbegotten one higher than the unbegotten ones, 35 Yatomenos!,
    It is thou alone 36 for whom all the unborn ones were begotten, 37 O unnamable one!'

55 1 [...] 2 [...] 3[...] 4[...] 5 [...] 6[...] 7[...] 8[...] 9[...] 10 [...] ... [...] 11 [...] knowledge." 12

Allogenes' response

[Now after I] heard these things, I 13 [too glorified]
    the [perfect] individuals 14
    [and] the all-perfect ones 15 [who are unified],
    even the 16 [all-perfect ones who] are before the 17 [perfect ones.

4. Youel: The Triple Powered One

Then the mother of] the glories 18 Youel spoke to me again: 19
["O Allogenes], 20 you [shall surely] know that
    the 21 [Triple-Powered] One exists before 22
    [those that] do not exist, 23
    [those that exist] (but) do not 24 [truly] exist, 25
    [and those that] truly exist. 26
    [Rather all these] exist 27 [in
    Divinity and Blessedness] 28 [and] Existence, 29
    even as non-substantiality and 30 non-being [Existence]." 31

Allogenes' response

[And then I] prayed that 32 [the revelation] might happen to me. 33

5. Youel: The coming of the Powers of the Luminaries

[And then] 34 [the] all-[glorious] One, Youel, said to me: 35 "While the [Triple] Male 36 is a self-begotten entity 37 insofar as he is] substantial, 38 the [(Triple Powered One) ...] is [an insubstantiality] 56 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] 6 [...] 7 [...] 8 [...] 9 ... [...] 10 those who dwell [in association] 11 with the [generation of those] 12 who [truly] exist. 13 The self-begotten ones dwell 14 with the [Triple Male.] 15

If you [seek with] 16 [perfect] seeking, [then] 17 you shall know the [Good that is] 18 in you; then [you shall know yourself], 19 as well, (as) one who [derives from] 20 the God who truly [pre-exists]. 21

[And after a hundred] 22 years there shall [come to you] 23 a revelation [of that One] 24 by means of [Salamex] 25 and Semen (Selmen?) [and Armê, the] 26 Luminaries of [the] Barbelo-Aeon." 27

And [she said to me:] 28 "It is appropriate [that you know him] 29 at first, so as [not to forfeit your] 30 kind. [And when you succeed], 31 then <...>. When [you receive] 32 a conception [of that One, then] 33 you [are filled with] 34 the Word [to completion]. 35 And then [you become divine] 36 and [you become perfect. You receive] 37 them [ ] 57 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] ... [...] the seeking [...] 6 [...] the Existence [...] 7
If it [apprehends] 8 anything, it is [apprehended by] 9 that One and by 10 that which is comprehended, 11 which amounts to the same thing.

    And then that 12 becomes greater 13 which comprehends and knows
    than 14 that which is comprehended and 15 known.
    But if 16 it descends to its nature 17 it is less,
    for the 18 incorporeal natures have not associated with 19 any magnitude; 20
    thus endowed, they are everywhere 21 and they are nowhere, 22
    since they are greater than every magnitude 23 and less than every exiguity." 24

Allogenes' response

Now after 25 the all-glorious one, Youel, said these things, 26 she separated from me and left 27 me. But I did not despair 28 of the words I heard. 29 I prepared myself 30 therein and I deliberated 31 with myself for a hundred years. 32 And I greatly rejoiced 33 that I was in a great 34 light and a blessed path 35 because all those whom I was 36 worthy to see as well 37 as those whom I was worthy to hear 38 (were) things fitting 39 for the great powers alone (to see and hear). 58 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] ... [...] 6 [...] ... [of God]. 7

Allogenes' initial vision of the Barbelo Aeon:

[When the] 8 [completion of] the one hundred years [approached], 9 there [came upon] me a Blessedness 10 of the eternal hope 11 full of auspiciousness. 12 I saw:
    the good divine Autogenes; 13
    and the Savior 14 who is the 15 perfect Triple Male Child;
    and his 16 goodness, the 17perfect Intellect Protophanes-Harmedon; 18
    and the Blessedness 19 of the Kalyptos;
    and the 20 pre-principle of the Blessedness, 21 the Barbelo-Aeon 22 full of Divinity; 23
    and the pre-principle of 24 the unoriginate one, the 25 Triple-Powered Invisible Spirit,
    the totality 26 that is more than perfect.

When I was seized 27 by the eternal light, 28 by 29 the garment that was upon 30 me, and was taken up to 31 a pure place whose 32 likeness cannot be 33 revealed in the world, 34 then by means of a 35 great Blessedness I 36 saw all those about whom I had 37 heard. And I 38 praised them all and I 59 1 [stood at rest] upon my knowledge and [I] 2 turned to the Knowledge [of] 3 the Universal Ones, the Barbelo-Aeon. 4

6. The Powers of the Luminaries: A. Ascent through the Triple Powered One

And 5 by means of the Luminaries 6 of the male virginal Barbelo I saw [multiple] powers 7 telling [me]: 8

"O great power! O name that has 9 come to be in the world! O Allogenes, 10 behold your Blessedness, 11 how silently it abides, 12 by which you know 13 your proper self, and, 14 seeking yourself, ascend to the Vitality 15 that you will 16 see moving.

And even if 17 you cannot stand, fear 18 not! But if you 19 wish to stand, ascend 20 to the Existence, and you will 21 find it standing and 22 still after the likeness of the One 23 who is truly still 24 and embraces all these 25 silently and 26 inactively.

And should you experience 27 a revelation of that One by 28 means of a primary revelation 29 of the Unknowable One, 30 should you 31 know him, you must be incognizant! 32 And if you become 33 afraid in that place, 34 retreat because of those 35 activities (that disrupt tranquillity); And should you become 36 complete in that place, 37 stay still! And 38 as in your own case, 39 be further aware 60 1 [that] it's like this with [everyone], 2 just as in (your) case!

And 3 [do not] further dissipate, [so that] 4 you may be able to stand, 5 and do not desire to be active, 6 [lest] in any way you fall away 7 [from] the inactivity [in] 8 [you] of the Unknowable One. Do not 9 know him, for it is impossible; 10 but if by means of an 11 enlightened thought you should know 12 him, stay incognizant of him!" 13

Allogenes' response:

While I was listening to these things as 14 as those there spoke them, there 15 was within me a stillness 16 of silence, and I heard the 17 Blessedness 18 whereby I knew <my> proper self. 19

And I ascended to the 20 Vitality as I sought it. And 21 I mutually entered it 22 and stood, 23 not firmly but 24 quietly. And I saw 25 an eternal, intellectual, undivided motion, 26 all-powerful, 27 formless, unlimited 28 by limitation.

And when 29 I wanted to stand firmly, 30 I ascended to 31 the Existence, which I found 32 standing and at rest, 33 resembling and 34 similar to (the standing and resting) 35 covering me.

By means of a revelation 36 of the Indivisible and the 37 Stable I was filled 38 with revelation; by means 39 of a primary revelation 61 1 of the Unknowable One, [as though] 2 incognizant of him, I [knew] 3 him and was empowered by 4 him. Having been permanently strengthened, 5 I knew that [which] 6 exists in me, even the Triple-Powered One 7 and the revelation of 8 his unattainableness.

[And] 9 by means of a primary 10 revelation of the universally prime Unknowable One-- 11 the God 12 who is beyond perfection--I saw 13 him and the Triple-Powered One that exists 14 in them all. I was seeking 15 the ineffable 16 and unknowable God 17 of whom--should one 18 know him--one would be completely 19 incognizant, the one who mediates 20 the Triple-Powered One, the one who subsists in 21 stillness and silence and is 22 unknowable.

7. The Powers of the Luminaries: B. Negative Theology

And when I was confirmed 23 in these matters, 24 the powers of the Luminaries said to me: 25 "Cease dissipating the inactivity 26 that exists in you 27 by (further) inquiry after 28 incomprehensible matters; rather hear 29 about him insofar as it is 30 possible by means of a primary 31 revelation and a revelation: 32

Without Mind, Life, or Existence

    Now he is 33 an entity insofar as he exists, in that
    he either 34 exists and becomes (is and exists?), 35 or {acts} <lives> or knows,
    although he {lives}<acts> 36 without Mind 37 or Life or Existence 38
    --or Nonexistence-- 39 incomprehensibly.

62 1 And although he is an entity along with 2 its own attributes, 3
    he is not left over in 4 any way,
    as if he yields 5 something that is assayed or purified [or] 6
    as if he receives or gives.

    Nor is he 7 diminished in any way, 8
    [whether] by his own desire 9
    or whether by giving or receiving through 10 another.

    Neither does he have 11 any desire, whether his own 12
    or that would have been added 13 by something else. 14

    But neither does he 15 produce anything by himself 16
    lest he become diminished 17 in some other way.

    Therefore, 18 he requires neither 19 Mind nor Life
    nor indeed anything 20 at all.

Unknowability

He is superior to the 21 Totality in his privation 22 and unknowability-- 23 which is non-being Existence-- 24 although he is endowed with 25 silence and stillness lest 26 he be inished by 27 the undiminishables. 28

Parallel with the Apocryphon of John BG 24,6-25,7 = II 3,17-33

        He is neither Divinity 29 nor Blessedness 30 nor Perfection.
        Rather 31 he is an unknowable entity, 32 not an attribute.
        Rather 33 he is something else 34 superior to Blessedness and 35 Divinity and 36 Perfection,
        for he is not 37 perfect, but he is another thing 63 1 that is superior.

        He is neither 2 boundless
        nor 3 is he bounded by 4 another.
        Rather he is something superior. 5

        He is neither corporeal 6 nor incorporeal, 7
        neither Great [nor] Small, 8
        neither a quantity nor a [<quality>]. 9

        Nor is he something 10 that exists that 11 one can know;
    rather 12 he is something else that is superior that 13 one cannot know. 14

    Even if primary revelation 15 and self-knowledge characterize him, 16
    it is he alone who knows himself. 17

        Since he is not among existing things, 18
        he is something else 19 superior to superlative, 20
        even in comparison what does
        and 21 does not apply to him.

        He neither participates in 22 eternity
        nor 23 does he participate in time, 24
        nor does he receive anything from 25 anything else.

    He is neither diminishable, 26
    nor diminishing, 27
    nor undiminishable. 28

    But he is self-comprehension, 29
    like something 30 so unknowable, 31
    that he exceeds those who excel 32 in unknowability. 33

    Even if he is endowed with blessedness 34 and perfection 35 and silence,
    (he is) not the Blessed One, 36 nor is he Perfection 37 or Stillness. 38

    But he is something existing 39 that one cannot 64 1 [know]--and which is at rest. 2
    Rather they are completely unknowable aspects 3 of him, 4
    while he is much superior in 5 beauty than all 6 good things.
    And in this way he 7 is universally unknowable 8 in every respect,
    and 9 it is through them all that he is 10 in them all.

    Not 11 only is he the unknowable knowledge 12 that is proper to him, 13
    he is also united with the 14 ignorance that sees him.

<Whether> 14a <one sees> 15 in what way he is unknowable, 16 or sees 17 him as he is 18 in every respect or 19 would say that 20 he is something like 21 knowledge, he has acted impiously against him, 22 being liable to judgment because he did not 23 know God. He will not 24 be judged by 25 that One, who 26 is neither concerned for anything nor 27 has any desire, 28 but he is (judged) through himself 29 because he has not found the truly existing origin. 30 He was blind 31 apart from the quiescent source 32 of revelation, 33 the actualization 34 deriving from the Triple-Power 35 of the First Thought 36 of the Invisible Spirit. 37

The Powers of the Luminaries: C. Positive Theology

This one thus exists from 65 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] 6 [...] 7 [...] 8 [...] 9 [...] 10 [...] 11 [...] 12 [...] 13 [...] 14 [...] 15 [...] ... [...] 16 [...] something ... [...] 17 [established on ...It was with ] 18 beauty and [a dawning] 19 of stillness and silence 20 and tranquillity and 21 unfathomable magnitude that he appeared. 22
    He needed neither 23 time nor <did he participate> in eternity. 24
    Rather of 25 himself he is unfathomably 26 unfathomable.
    He does not act 27 --not even upon himself--so as to become 28 still.
    He is not an 29 Existence lest he 30 be in want.
    Spatially he is corporeal, 31 while properly he is incorporeal. 32
    He has 33 non-being Existence. 34
    He exists for all of them unto himself 35 without any desire. 36

    Rather he is a maximum 37 of greatness.
    And he 38 transcends his stillness in order that 66 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] 6 [...] 7 [...] 8 [...] 9 [...] 10 [...] 11 [...] 12 [...] 13 [...] 14 [...] 15 [ ] ... [ ] 16 [ ... the In]visible [Spirit.

    Although] 17 he [empowered them all],
    [they do not] 18 concern themselves with that One at 19 all,
    nor if one should 20 participate him, is he empowered. 21

    In accordance with 22 (his) immobile Unity, nothing acts on him. 23
    For he is unknowable; 24 he is a breathless place of 25 the boundlessness.

    Since 26 he is boundless and powerless 27 and nonexistent,
    he was not providing 28 Being.
    Rather he contains 29 all of these in himself,
    being at rest, 30 (and) standing.

From 31 the One who constantly stands, 32 there appeared 33 an eternal Life, 34 the Invisible and Triple Powered Spirit, 35 the One that is in all existing things and surrounds 36 them all 37 while transcending 38 them all. A shadow 67 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] 6 [...] 7 [...] 8 [...] 9 [...] 10 [...] 11 [...] 12 [...] 13 [...] 14 [...] 15 [ ] ... [ ] 16 [ ] ... [ ] 17 he [was filled with power. And] 18 he stood before [them], 19 empowering them all, and he filled 20 them all.

And concerning 21 all these matters, you have heard 22 certainly. And do not 23 seek anything more, 24 but go. 25 We do not know whether 26 the Unknowable One has 27 angels or 28 gods, or whether the One who is at rest 29 contains 30 anything within himself except 31 that very stillness. For he <...>, 32 lest he be diminished. 33 It is not appropriate to 34 further dissipate 35 through repeated seeking. It was 36 appropriate that you <alone> know 37 and that they speak 38 with another. Instead, you will lead them 68 1 [...] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] 6 [...] 7 [...] 8 [...] 9 [...] 10 [...] 11 [...] 12 [...] 13 [...] 14 [...] 15

8. Instructions for writing the revelation from an unidentifiable masculine being

[...] 16 [and he said to me: "Write down] 17 [the things] that I shall [tell] you and 18 of which I shall remind you 19 for those who will be worthy 20 after you. And you shall leave 21 this book upon a mountain 22 and you shall adjure the guardian: 23 `Come, Dreadful One!'" 24 And when he said these things, he separated 25 from me.

Allogenes' response: record the revelation

But I was full 26 of joy, and I wrote 27 this book. I was commissioned, 28 my son Messos, to 29 disclose to you the matters that 30 were proclaimed before 31 me. And I initially received 32 them in great silence and (then) 33 I settled into preparing 34 myself.

These are the things that 35 were disclosed to me, O my [son] 69 1 [Messos ... ] 2 [...] 3 [...] 4 [...] 5 [...] 6 [...] 7 [...] 8 [...] 9 [...] 10 [...] 11 [...] 12 [...] 13 [...] 14 [ ... proclaim] 15 [them, O my] 16 son Messos.

[The] 17 seal of all [the] 18 books [of] 19 Allogenes. 20
The Allogenes

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