352 LITERATURE OF GNOSTIC WISDOM
the savior give and receive salvation. Echoes of Valentinian thought may be
heard in references to grace, word, the realm of eight, wisdom, and knowledge.
The textual history of the Acts of John is complex, but it is commonly as-
sumed by scholars that the Acts of John was composed in the second half of
the second century, or maybe, some would say, a little later. It was likely com-
posed, at least in large part, in Greek, though some portions may derive from
Syriac. Syria is the probable place of composition.
THE ROUND DANCE
OF THE CROSS
1
Jesus told us to form a circle and hold each other's hands, and he himself stood
in the middle, and said, "Respond to me with Amen.'"^2
THE SONG
So he began by singing a hymn and declaring,
"Glory to you, father."
And we circled around him and responded to him,
"Amen."
"Glory to you, word. Glory to you, grace."
"Amen."
"Glory to you, spirit. Glory to you, holy one. Glory to your glory."
"Amen."
"We praise you, father. We give thanks to you, light, in whom no
darkness is."
"Amen."
"Why we give thanks, I declare:
I will be saved and I will save."
"Amen."
i. The Round Dance of the Cross: translated from the Greek by Marvin Meyer.
- The Round Dance of the Cross is said to have been taught by Jesus to his students just before
his crucifixion. The paragraph that precedes this opening in the Acts of John explains the sug-
gested circumstances for the Round Dance of the Cross in strongly polemical terms, referring
to "lawless Jews" inspired by the serpent.