GLOSSARY^805
Custodian of splendor One of the five sons of the living spirit, sent out to help the primal
man, in Manichaean thought. Referred to in the Kephalaia.
Danae Young woman raped by Zeus, who took the form of a shower of golden rain, in
Greek mythology. Referred to in the Book of Baruch.
Daphne Young huntress pursued by Apollo and changed into a laurel tree in Greek
mythology. The theme is applied to gnostic mythology and referred to in the Secret
Book of John, the Reality of the Rulers, and On the Origin of the World.
Darkness Gloomy expression of the loss of divine light, in general, in gnostic texts. In the
Paraphrase of Shem, darkness is the primal power or root below.
Daveithai One of the luminaries in gnostic thought.
Deficiency The lack of divine fullness that results from the fall from divine glory. Defi-
ciency stands in direct contrast to the pleroma as the main problem in the cosmos.
Demeter "Grain mother," or, less plausibly, "earth mother," from the Greek mysteries, es-
pecially the Eleusinian mysteries. Her daughter is Kore, or Persephone. Referred to in
the Naassene Sermon.
Demiurge Greek, demiourgos, "artisan." In Plato's Timaeus, the demiurge orders or fash-
ions the material world out of chaos. In the creation stories in Genesis and other
sources, the creator god or gods also fashion the world, and often from chaos. In Gen-
esis 1 and the Mesopotamian story called the Enuma Elish ("When on high"), the di-
vine creates out of watery chaos, the primal ooze. In gnostic texts the demiurge creates
people and the material world and is often viewed as the originator of evil, as the bibli-
cal creator who traps particles of light in material flesh. See AZAZI'IL, NEBROEL,
PRINCE OF DARKNESS, PTAHIL, SAKLA, SAMAEL, SATANAS, YALDABAOTH.
Depth Greek bythos, bathos. Infinite divine manifestation, from which the pleroma of di-
vinity emanates, in Valentinian texts. With thought, depth constitutes the first Valen-
tinian pair of beings. For Sethian texts, see INVISIBLE SPIRIT.
Derdekeas Gnostic revealer in the Paraphrase of Shem. The name Derdekeas may derive
from the Aramaic for "male child."
Deucalion Hero of the great flood who survives the deluge brought by Zeus in Greek
mythology. Referred to in the Revelation of Adam.
Dharma Buddhist law, referred to in the Great Song to Mani.
Diospolis One of two cities in Upper Egypt. Diospolis Magna is Thebes (modern Luxor),
Diospolis Parva is Heou (near Nag Hammadi). In the Discourse on the Eighth and the
Ninth there is a reference to a temple at Diospolis.
Docetists From Greek dokeo, "appear, seem to be." Early Christians who claimed that
Christ only appeared or seemed to live in the flesh and suffer and die on the cross were
dubbed docetists. Many gnostics shared this view. See, for instance, the Second Treatise
of the Great Seth.
Dositheos First-century Samaritan religious leader and the teacher o*f Simon Magus. Re-
ferred to in the Three Steles of Seth, which is said to be the revelation of Dositheos.
Duldul The white mule of Muhammad, and a heavenly creature in the Mother of Books.
Ear In Gospel of Thomas 33, Jesus refers to one ear and the other ear. In the Gospel of the
Great Supper, Jesus, as an angel, inseminates Mary through her ear. He enters by her ear
and he leaves by her ear.
Earthly son See HUMAN CHILD.