168 LITERATURE OF GNOSTIC WISDOM
essential details, for the rape is not an illusion but actually takes place in On
the Origin of the World, by a gang of ruler angels, and the progeny is hu-
mankind. In the Reality of the Rulers, the rulers are real troublemakers who
create but who will eventually perish in ignorance and darkness.
THE REALITY OF THE RULERS
2
SAMAEL'S SIN
Because of the reality of the authorities,^3 inspired by the spirit of the father of
truth, the great messenger^4 referring to the authorities of the darkness^5 told us
that "our contest is not against flesh and blood, rather, the authorities of the
universe and the spirits of wickedness."^6 I^7 have sent you this because you in-
quire about the reality of the authorities.
Their chief^8 is blind. Because of his power and his ignorance and his arro-
gance he said, with his power, "I am god; there is no other but me."^9
When he said this, he sinned against all. This speech rose up to incorrupt-
ibility.^10 Then there was a voice that came forth from incorruptibility, saying,
"You are wrong, Samael," that is, god of the blind.^11
His thoughts became blind. And having expelled his power—that is, the blas-
phemy he had spoken—he pursued it down to chaos and the abyss, his mother,
at the instigation of Pistis Sophia.^12 She^13 established each of his offspring in
conformity with its power, after the pattern of the realms that are above, for by
starting from the invisible world the visible world was invented.
- Reality of the Rulers: Nag Hammadi Codex 11,4, pp. 86,20 to 97,23; translated from the Cop-
tic by Bentley Layton (Robinson, ed., Nag Hammadi Library in English, rev. ed., pp. 162-69);
revised by Willis Barnstone and Marvin Meyer. - In the Reality of the Rulers the authorities are apparently the same as the rulers or archons.
- The apostle Paul.
- Colossians 1:13.
- Ephesians 6:12.
- The author of the text ("I"), who is otherwise unknown, promises to explain to the readers
the reality (or nature, hypostasis) of the rulers of this world. - Samael, the demiurge.
- Isaiah 45:5-6, 21, 46:9.
- Incorruptibility is a divine female aeon related to Barbelo, divine forethought, in the Secret
Book of John. - Or possibly "blind god."
- Faith wisdom, a form of Sophia.
- Pistis Sophia.