GLOSSARY 809
Houris Young women of legendary beauty who live in paradise. Referred to in the Mother
of Books.
Human child Son of man, earthly son, Semitic idiom (Hebrew, ben adam or ben enosh,
"son of man") used to designate a human, an offspring of the group of humankind.
The phrase can designate any human being, or it can be used to refer to oneself (Gospel
of Thomas 86), or it can be employed apocalyptically to refer to the human one com-
ing with god at the end of time. In Sethian texts "human" is an epithet of Barbelo and
may also refer to Geradamas, and the human child may be the divine child of the invis-
ible spirit and Barbelo, or heavenly Seth.
Husayn Son of Ali, grandson of Muhammad the prophet, martyr of Shi'ite Islam, figure of
the divine realm of five in the Mother of Books.
Hylic Material person, person of earthly matter (Greek, hyle). Lowest of three divisions
of humanity, especially in Valentinian texts. Also sometimes called fleshly person (sar-
kic, Greek sarkikos) or earthly person (choic, Greek choikos). See also PNEUMATIC,
PSYCHIC.
I am god Monotheistic revelation of god in Isaiah and ignorant boast of the demiurge in
gnostic texts: "I am god, and there is no other god but me." Note also the monotheistic
confession in the shahada, or Islamic creed, referred to in the Mother of Books: "There
is no god but god (Allah)."
"I am" statements Aretalogical self-predications, statements in which gods or goddesses
reveal their divine features. Used in the Gospel of John, Thunder, and many other gnos-
tic texts.
Iblis "Devil" in Arabic. Referred to in the Mother of Books.
Imam Religious leader in Islam, especially Shi'ite Islam. Referred to in the Mother of
Books.
Inquisition Established by Pope Gregory IX in 1233, during the Albigensian Crusade to
annihilate the remaining Cathar heretics in Languedoc. Not to be confused with the In-
quisition established in Spain by Ferdinand and Isabella in 1478. See ALBI.
Invisible spirit Infinite divine manifestation, from which the pleroma of divinity em-
anates, in Sethian texts. Also referred to as the invisible virgin spirit. See ONE. For Valen-
tinian texts, see DEPTH.
Isis Egyptian goddess of fertility, royal continuity, and magical power, and the wife of
Osiris. Referred to in the Naassene Sermon.
Jabir The student in the Mother of Books. The name derives from Jabir ibn Yazid al-Ju'fi;
but compare also Jafar al-Ju'fi and Jabir ibn Abdallah al-Ansari.
James the just James (Yaakov) the righteous, brother of Jesus and the leader of the early
church in Jerusalem, acclaimed for his piety and observance. Apparently thought to
be the author of the Secret Book of James, referred to in the Gospel of Thomas and
elsewhere.
Jesus Yeshua, Jewish teacher and exorcist from Nazareth, commonly considered a revealer
and savior in Christian gnostic texts. In the Gospel of Thomas and the Gospel of John,
Jesus is a teacher of wisdom who speaks in brief sayings (in Thomas) or mystical dis-
courses (in John). In the Book of Baruch, Jesus cooperates with the angel Baruch and
proclaims the Good, until an angry Naas has him crucified. In Manichaean texts Jesus
is said to be a Manichaean prophet, and Jesus is described variously, as young Jesus