Last year I posted around this time the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos, which takes place on September 8. However there is another feast day on September 8 and that belongs to the Gnostic tradition, which is of that of the Descent of the Holy Sophia. Now I do not plan on comparing the nativity of Mary with Sophia falling to matter but there is a nice homily on gnosis.org that goes into that. You can read it here: A Homily for the Descent of the Holy Sophia
With this post, I want to collect up the various texts that relate to this event of Holy Wisdom descending into matter. Let’s start from the Pistis Sophia (GRS Mead translation) and include chapters 30/31 from book 1:
And Jesus answered and said unto his disciples: "It came to pass, when Pistis Sophia was in the thirteenth aeon, in the region of all her brethren the invisibles, that is the four-and-twenty emanations of the great Invisible,--it came to pass then by command of the First Mystery that Pistis Sophia gazed into the height. She saw the light of the veil of the Treasury of the Light, and she longed to reach to that region, and she could not reach to that region. But she ceased to perform the mystery of the thirteenth aeon, and sang praises to the light of the height, which she had seen in the light of the veil of the Treasury of the Light.
It came to pass then, when she sang praises to the region of the height, that all the rulers in the twelve aeons, who are below, hated her, because she had ceased from their mysteries, and because she had desired to go into the height and be above them all. For this cause then they were enraged against her and hated her, as did the great triple-powered Self-willed, that is the third triple-power, who is in the thirteenth aeon, he who had become disobedient, in as much as he had not emanated the whole purification of his power in him, and had not given the purification of his light at the time when the rulers gave their purification, in that he desired to rule over the whole thirteenth aeon and those who are below it.
"It came to pass then, when the rulers of the twelve aeons were enraged against Pistis Sophia, who is above them, and hated her exceedingly, that the great triple-powered Self-willed, of whom I have just now told you, joined himself to the rulers of the twelve aeons, and also was enraged against Pistis Sophia and hated her exceedingly, because she had thought to go to the light which is higher than her. And he emanated out of himself a great lion-faced power, and out of his matter in him he emanated a host of other very violent material emanations, and sent them into the regions below, to the parts of the chaos, in order that they might there lie in wait for Pistis Sophia and take away her power out of her, because she thought to go to the height which is above them all, and moreover she had ceased to perform their mystery, and lamented continuously and sought after the light which she. had seen. And the rulers who abide, or persist, in performing the mystery, hated her, and all the guards who are at the gates of the aeons, hated her also.
"It came to pass then thereafter by command of the First Commandment that the great triple-powered Self-willed, who is one of the three triple-powers, pursued Sophia in the thirteenth aeon, in order that she should look towards the parts below, so that she might see in that region his lion-faced light-power and long after it and go to that region, so that her light might be taken from her.
"It came to pass then thereafter that she looked below and saw his light-power in the parts below; and she knew not that it is that of the triple-powered Self-willed, but she thought that it came out of the light which she had seen from the beginning in the height, which came out of the veil of the Treasury of the Light. And she thought to herself: I will go into that region without my pair and take the light and thereout fashion for myself light-aeons, so that I may go to the Light of lights, which is in the Height of heights.
"This then thinking, she went forth from her own region, the thirteenth aeon, and went down to the twelve aeons. The rulers of the aeons pursued her and were enraged against her, because she had thought of grandeur. And she went forth also from the twelve aeons, and came into the regions of the chaos and drew nigh to that lion-faced light-power to devour it. But all the material emanations of Self-willed surrounded her, and the great lion-faced light-power devoured all the light-powers in Sophia and cleaned out her light and devoured it, and her matter was thrust into the chaos; it became a lion-faced ruler in the chaos, of which one half is fire and the other darkness,--that is Yaldabaōth, of whom I have spoken unto you many times. When then this befell, Sophia became very greatly exhausted, and that lion-faced light-power set to work to take away from Sophia all her light-powers, and all the material powers of Self-willed surrounded Sophia at the same time and pressed her sore.
From those excerpts, the book leads into the 13 repentances of Sophia. If you have visited my page for awhile, you know I covered these and have even compiled them into a devotion. You can access that page HERE. I highly recommend reading through that if you have not.
Now lets take a look at the Apocryphon of John and see what it states:
Sophia of the Epinoia, being an Aeon, thought a thought from within herself and the thought of the invisible Spirit and Foreknowledge. She willed a likeness to appear from within herself without the will of the Spirit—It had not approved—and without her partner and without his consideration. For the countenance of her masculinity did not approve, and she had not found her partner. She deliberated apart from the will of the Spirit and the understanding of her partner. She brought forth.
Because of the unconquerable power within her, her thought did not remain idle. And an imperfect product appeared from her, and it was different from her pattern because she created it without her partner. And it was not patterned after the likeness of its Mother, for it had a different form. When she saw (the product of) her will, it was different, a model of a lion-faced serpent. His eyes were like flashing fires of lightning. She cast him out from her, outside of those places so that none among the immortals might see him, for she had created him in ignorance.
Because of the unconquerable power within her, her thought did not remain idle. And an imperfect product appeared from her, and it was different from her pattern because she created it without her partner. And it was not patterned after the likeness of its Mother, for it had a different form. When she saw (the product of) her will, it was different, a model of a lion-faced serpent. His eyes were like flashing fires of lightning. She cast him out from her, outside of those places so that none among the immortals might see him, for she had created him in ignorance.
And she surrounded him with a luminous cloud. And she placed a throne in the midst of the cloud in order that no one might see him except the holy Spirit, who is called the mother of the living. She named him Yaltabaoth. This is the Chief Ruler, the one who got a great power from his Mother.
Now let it be known there are several versions of this text, but this part seems to be pretty identical. You can compare with the translations at gnosis.org. Now you’re going to notice a pattern here. With the descent narrative also comes the birth of Yaldabaoth story. I made a post about that a few years ago (HERE), so some of this is going to feel very familiar.
Let’s take a look at On the Origin of the World and see what it says:
After the natural structure of the immortal beings had completely developed out of the infinite, a likeness then emanated from Pistis (Faith); it is called Sophia (Wisdom). It exercised volition and became a product resembling the primeval light. And immediately her will manifested itself as a likeness of heaven, having an unimaginable magnitude; it was between the immortal beings and those things that came into being after them, like [...]: she (Sophia) functioned as a veil dividing mankind from the things above.
Now the eternal realm (aeon) of truth has no shadow outside it, for the limitless light is everywhere within it. But its exterior is shadow, which has been called by the name 'darkness'. From it, there appeared a force, presiding over the darkness. And the forces that came into being subsequent to them called the shadow 'the limitless chaos'. From it, every kind of divinity sprouted up [...] together with the entire place, so that also, shadow is posterior to the first product. It was in the abyss that it (shadow) appeared, deriving from the aforementioned Pistis.
Then shadow perceived there was something mightier than it, and felt envy; and when it had become pregnant of its own accord, suddenly it engendered jealousy. Since that day, the principle of jealousy amongst all the eternal realms and their worlds has been apparent. Now as for that jealousy, it was found to be an abortion without any spirit in it. Like a shadow, it came into existence in a vast watery substance. Then the bile that had come into being out of the shadow was thrown into a part of chaos. Since that day, a watery substance has been apparent. And what sank within it flowed away, being visible in chaos: as with a woman giving birth to a child - all her superfluities flow out; just so, matter came into being out of shadow, and was projected apart. And it did not depart from chaos; rather, matter was in chaos, being in a part of it.
Here is a snippet from the Hypostasis of the Archons (Reality of the Rulers):
Sophia, who is called Pistis, wanted to create something, alone, without her partner, and what she created was celestial.
“A veil exists between the world above and the realms below, and shadow came into being beneath the veil. That shadow became matter, and that shadow was projected apart. And what she had created came to be in matter, like an aborted fetus.
The Second Treatise of the Great Seth includes a passage about Sophia and what she did and the result of it:
For those who were in the world had been prepared by the will of our sister Sophia—she who is a whore —because of her innocence that has not been uttered. And she did not ask anything from the realm of all, nor from the greatness of the assembly, nor from the pleroma, when she previously came forth to prepare lodgings and places for the son of light and the fellow workers. She took materials from the elements below to build bodily dwellings from them. But having come into being in an empty glory, they ended in destruction in the dwellings in which they were. Since they were prepared by Sophia, they stand ready to receive the life-giving word of the ineffable One and the greatness of the assembly of all those who persevere and those who are in me.
Here is a quotation from the Sophia of Jesus Christ:
The Perfect Savior said to them: "I want you to know that Sophia, the Mother of the Universe and the consort, desired by herself to bring these to existence without her male consort. But by the will of the Father of the Universe, that his unimaginable goodness might be revealed, he created that curtain between the immortals and those that came afterward, that the consequence might follow .... every aeon and chaos - that the defect of the female might appear, and it might come about that Error would contend with her. And these became the curtain of spirit. From the aeons above the emanations of Light, as I have said already, a drop from Light and Spirit came down to the lower regions of Almighty in chaos, that their molded forms might appear from that drop, for it is a judgment on him, Arch-Begetter, who is called 'Yaldabaoth'.
I believe that is it. I do feel the NHL text A Valentinian Exposition may have had some Sophia descent information if it was complete. There is a section that is heavily fragmented that I feel may have gone in that direction, but unless another copy comes forth, we’ll never know. Of all the texts I presented, I believe the Pistis Sophia is the key text in portraying the fall and the consequences, especially when you factor in the repentances. I highly recommend the book “The Fall of Sophia: A Gnostic Text on the Redemption of Universal Consciousness” by Violet MacDermot. It features a different translation of the text (in case you didn’t care for GRS Mead’s version).
The featured artwork is that of the Geheime Figuren der Rosenkreuzer, Altona, 1785 All text quotations were taken from gnosis.org
I’m going back to the tollhouse subject with this post and I want to go to the Church side (rather than Gnostic) to see what is stated there. There are numerous writings on tollhouses and just so you know, tollhouses are widely debated within the Orthodox community with some writings regarding them still appearing from modern day monks. Father (soon to be Saint) Seraphim Rose comes to mind in that regards. This post deals with the writing of Saint Cyril of Alexandria. He lived from 376 to 444 approximately, and he was based in Egypt to give you a frame of reference for his background. This particular homily I am pulling from is titled “Exodus of the Soul & the Second Coming.” I was hoping to find a public domain translation of this to share in full (at least the toll house part) but could not find one. So I will be doing more of an overview since I am using a new translation by D.P Curtin & Nico Hatzi. Their book can be purchased online relatively cheap and is part of the Scriptorium Project. This project brings forth various early to medieval church related writings to the masses in small booklets, usually under $10. And yes, it can add up quite a bit if you buy a lot, but I typically buy them here and there to push my Amazon cart into free shipping territory.
St Cyril of Alexandria
This homily is about the soul after departing from the body and the judgments that follow. The tollhouses are presented in the first part of the writing then never mentioned again as the the rest of the work deals with judgment aspects depending if the soul did this or that. Almost has a hellfire and brimstone type of feel to it at times. I am only going to focus on the tollhouse paragraphs.
The homily speaks of the soul, being held by holy angels, beginning it’s ascension. There are toll collectors who block this ascension and hinder the soul from proceeding. Each collector presents it’s own sin for the soul to overcome:
Slander, falsehood (lying), idle and vain talk, gluttonous, drunkeness, unmeasured laughter, indecent kisses and lewd songs.
Sight of the eyes (indecent, curious, unrestrained) and deceitful gestures.
Hearing (of that which the person receives)
Pleasurable smells (usually in with the smells of lascivious women and companions)
Touch (done wickedly and grievously)
The homily stops naming the toll houses but continues mentioning other such sins as wickedness, envy/jealousy, vanity and pride, anger, wrath, fornication, adultery, softness, murder, sorcery and other loathsome and defiled acts. As you can see these all relate to the “deadly sins” that we all are aware of. St. Cyril speaks that the soul contemplates these things and awaits in a time of pain and danger until judgment is revealed. How is this judgment placed upon the soul? The heavenly angels present forth what good actions, deeds, words, thoughts and other notions the soul has performed during it’s time on earth. If these acts are in a favorable status, the sins flee away of that particular tollhouse and the soul continues onward. If the sins outweigh the good, then the soul is struck down back to the earth and is torn apart, bound to chains and imprisoned in Hades. There is no compassion; no one to hear it’s cries of mercy.
The homily continues on with no other mention of the tollhouses, so I’ll end my over view here. As I have mentioned before in my previous posts regarding this subject, the tollhouses are a metaphor for the spiritual warfare we face throughout our life. To overcome our sins by doing better and hoping our good outweighs the bad. Someone reading this list of sins may question why some are included but remember we are to live as children of God. Yes we all fail miserably at times but we need to strive for the best we can be. Are there literal tollhouses in the afterlife? Who knows, but we’ll all find out one of these days. Let’s hope our good outweighs the bad.
I’ll continue on with my tollhouses posts. I would like to get more Orthodox perspectives on them and eventually I want to do a post on the Gnostic Book of Jeu, which is quite the text when it comes to tollhouses (you’re going to need some passwords to bypass those archons!).
Icon of Saint Cyril by Emmanuel Tzanes – 1654.
Featured photo is from a fresco of the tollhouses that is at the Rila Monasteryin Bulgaria.
August 4 (as well as October 22) commemorates the “Seven Sleepers of Ephesus” in the Orthodox church. What is the story of these sleepers? And why are they also in the Quran?
The names of the youths varies, depending on the traditions/translations, but according to the OCA’s page (link HERE), their names were Maximilian, Iamblicus, Martinian, John, Dionysius, Exacustodianus (Constantine) and Antoninus. They were youths who lived in Ephesus (located in what is now modern day Turkey) during the third century. The gist of the story is that Emperor Decius (whose reign was between 249-251 AD) came to the area and was demanding the people offer sacrifices to the pagan gods.
bust of Decius
If you denied this request, you would have been tortured and/or killed. These youths were part of the military at the time and had been “snitched” out that they were going to refuse to do this. They were reprimanded but let free with the hope they would change their minds. They did not. Instead they went and hid into a cave. This information came back to Decius and he ordered the cave to be sealed. The youths were thus trapped but rather they dying they went into a miraculous sleep that lasted for around 200 years.
18th century Russian icon of the 7 sleepers
Jump forward to the reign of Emperor Theodosius II (402-450), there was a debate going on through some circles in regards to the resurrection of the body. A local farmer happened to open the cave in which the youths were sealed (located on Mount Ochlon, which there is a church on that site and you can read about it HERE). These youths came out of the cave thinking they just woke up from a regular amount of sleep. They were amazed at the site of various Christian sightings throughout the town. Remember, the religion was illegal when they fell asleep but when they awoke, it was the religion of the empire. They were given an audience with Theodosius and after telling their story, they fell into the eternal sleep (hence the two feast days, the October date being the second falling asleep).
The earliest manuscripts of this story date back to the fifth century and survive in various languages. Like a lot of early stories about saints, the historicity of this event is widely debated and is mainly seen as legend. I have mentioned this before on my blog but the historical aspect of a person/story is not as important as the lesson(s) one can learn from these tales. Even if that person(s) was not real, the egregore is if people keep retelling the story and learn from it. The story of the seven youths is obviously about verifying the resurrection of the body. Now what is interesting of this story is that it made it’s way into the Quran!
from the Islamic book of omens, Falnama
Surah 18 Al-Kahf (the cave) speaks of their story.
18:9 Have you ˹O Prophet˺ thought that the people of the cave and the plaque were ˹the only˺ wonders of Our signs?
18:10 ˹Remember˺ when those youths took refuge in the cave, and said, “Our Lord! Grant us mercy from Yourself and guide us rightly through our ordeal.”
18:11 So We caused them to fall into a dead sleep in the cave for many years,
18:12 then We raised them so We may show which of the two groups would make a better estimation of the length of their stay.
18:13 We relate to you ˹O Prophet˺ their story in truth. They were youths who truly believed in their Lord, and We increased them in guidance.
18:14 And We strengthened their hearts when they stood up and declared, “Our Lord is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. We will never call upon any god besides Him, or we would truly be uttering an outrageous lie.”
18:15 ˹Then they said to one another,˺ “These people of ours have taken gods besides Him. Why do they not produce a clear proof of them? Who then does more wrong than those who fabricate lies against Allah?
18:16 Since you have distanced yourselves from them and what they worship besides Allah, take refuge in the cave. Your Lord will extend His mercy to you and accommodate you in your ordeal.”
18:17 And you would have seen the sun, as it rose, inclining away from their cave to the right, and as it set, declining away from them to the left, while they lay in its open space. That is one of the signs of Allah. Whoever Allah guides is truly guided. But whoever He leaves to stray, you will never find for them a guiding mentor.
18:18 And you would have thought they were awake, though they were asleep. We turned them over, to the right and left, while their dog stretched his forelegs at the entrance. Had you looked at them, you would have certainly fled away from them, filled with horror.
18:19 And so We awakened them so that they might question one another. One of them exclaimed, “How long have you remained ˹asleep˺?” Some replied, “Perhaps a day, or part of a day.” They said ˹to one another˺, “Your Lord knows best how long you have remained. So send one of you with these silver coins of yours to the city, and let him find which food is the purest, and then bring you provisions from it. Let him be ˹exceptionally˺ cautious, and do not let him give you away.
18:20 For, indeed, if they find out about you, they will stone you ˹to death˺, or force you back into their faith, and then you will never succeed.”
18:21 That is how We caused them to be discovered so that their people might know that Allah’s promise ˹of resurrection˺ is true and that there is no doubt about the Hour. When the people disputed with each other about the case of the youth ˹after their death˺, some proposed, “Build a structure around them. Their Lord knows best about them.” Those who prevailed in the matter said, “We will surely build a place of worship over them.”
18:22 Some will say, “They were three, their dog was the fourth,” while others will say, “They were five, their dog was the sixth,” ˹only˺ guessing blindly. And others will say, “They were seven and their dog was the eighth.” Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “My Lord knows best their ˹exact˺ number. Only a few people know as well.” So do not argue about them except with sure knowledge, nor consult any of those ˹who debate˺ about them.
18:23 And never say of anything, “I will definitely do this tomorrow,”
18:24 without adding, “if Allah so wills!” But if you forget, then remember your Lord, and say, “I trust my Lord will guide me to what is more right than this.”
18:25 They had remained in their cave for three hundred years, adding nine.
18:26 Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “Allah knows best how long they stayed. With Him ˹alone˺ is ˹the knowledge of˺ the unseen of the heavens and the earth. How perfectly He hears and sees! They have no guardian besides Him, and He shares His command with none.”
First off, I like the inclusion of their dog being with them! If I was going to be in a cave for several hundred years, I’d like to have my dogs with me. Also note that the time span is a bit longer and that the number of sleepers is debated. That being said, the end lesson is the same with that being of the resurrection of the body. I always like comparing stories from Christianity to Islam. I have written before on this subject and will do some more in the future. This is an instance where the two stories are pretty close.
I hope this post enlightens you especially if you never heard of these seven sleepers. Let it be know one can pray to these sleepers to ask for intercession if you have insomnia. 😉
July 12 is the feast day for Saint Veronica. But who is she? She is best known as the woman who wipes the face of Jesus during the sixth station of the cross. This particular event did not happen in the gospels but has been a part of the western tradition. So where does this come from? The main source for a woman named Veronica is the Gospel of Nicodemus. I have referenced this Gospel before when I wrote about the Harrowing of Hell (click HERE to read that). The first part of the Gospel references the Passion of Christ and in this is where we find this quote:
And a certain woman named Bernice (Beronice Copt., Veronica Lat.) crying out from afar off said: I had an issue of blood and touched the hem of his garment, and the flowing of my blood was stayed which I had twelve years. The Jews say: We have a law that a woman shall not come to give testimony.
Notice the note that in Latin manuscripts, it is the name “Veronica” that is given for the woman, which means “true icon”. So when you have Veronica’s veil, it’s basically “a veil of the true icon”, i.e. the face of Christ. Also take note of the reference to the “issue of blood” and that by touching Christ, she was cured. This is referenced in Matthew, Luke and Mark. Here are the quotes:
Luke 8:43-48 ESV: And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
Mark 5:25-34 ESV: And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and who had suffered much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was no better but rather grew worse. She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.”
Matthew 9:20-22 ESV: And behold, a woman who had suffered from a discharge of blood for twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, for she said to herself, “If I only touch his garment, I will be made well.” Jesus turned, and seeing her he said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.” And instantly the woman was made well.
Now it wouldn’t be until medieval Europe that the “sixth station”, i.e. Veronica showing compassion to Christ during the Via Dolorosa, came together. We can thank the Franciscans for putting the stations of the cross together so anyone who could not journey to the Holy Land can recreate this journey of Christ’s suffering at their home and/or church. There’s not a definitive source on why this station was created, but it appears that perhaps a veil with the image of Christ’s face was in possession of the Roman church and what better way to give it credence by putting together this story. Though in my opinion, the “holy face” imprint is secondary. I find the wiping of Jesus’ face by the woman to be an act of compassion towards Christ especially if she is the woman cured by him earlier; this is her way of giving back to him.
Speaking of this holy face, the “icon not made by hands” actually comes from an earlier story, one that I wrote about previously which had Jesus writing a letter to King Abgarus (click HERE to view the post) in which the letter includes an imprint of Jesus’ face (a detail that was added to the story throughout it’s history). The letter acts as a sort of amulet for the person(s) who come in contact with it. This kind of goes back to the Veronica story in which she carries it as an amulet / reminder of her cured status thanks to Jesus. The “Holy Face” of Christ has also created devotions dedicated to it. I became familiar with the 19th century devotion of the Holy Face awhile back and recite it occasionally. If you’re familiar with the rosary and other similar Roman Catholic chaplets, you’ll be right at home with this one. Here is the chaplet I follow for such devotion (click HERE).
When you commemorate Saint Veronica this July 12, think of what she represents and how you can apply that lesson of compassion towards others. And while you’re at it, spend some time reflecting upon the holy face of Christ. 😉
Featured image is by Guido Reni (1575-1642). Second image taking from the Way of the Cross booklet that legacyicons sells on their website. Third image is from 1475 Germany.
June 24 is the feast day of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, a tradition celebrated throughout Christendom. Take note that most feast days are about the death/falling asleep of a saint, but John the Baptist, along with the Theotokos, are two saints that also have nativity feast days. John actually has quite a few other feast days in the Orthodox tradition. They also include:
January 7 – Synaxis of St. John the Forerunner
February 24 – First and Second finding of the head of St John the Baptist
May 25 – Third finding of the head of St John the Baptist
August 29 – Beheading of St John the Baptist
September 23 – Conception of St John the Baptist (and his parents are commemorated on this day as well).
I do find the finding of the head feast days to be…..interesting. There is also a shared feast day on October 12 that involves the relic of the right hand of John.
With this post, I would like to post stories relating to his birth from different religious sources. We’ll start first with the Christian narrative from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 1.
In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, of the division of Abijah. And he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and statutes of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and both were advanced in years.
Now while he was serving as priest before God when his division was on duty, according to the custom of the priesthood, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense. And there appeared to him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And Zechariah was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God, and he will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared.”
And Zechariah said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is advanced in years.” And the angel answered him, “I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their time.” And the people were waiting for Zechariah, and they were wondering at his delay in the temple. And when he came out, he was unable to speak to them, and they realized that he had seen a vision in the temple. And he kept making signs to them and remained mute. And when his time of service was ended, he went to his home.
After these days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and for five months she kept herself hidden, saying, “Thus the Lord has done for me in the days when he looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
That section was about the conception and leading up to the birth of John. Here is the birth narrative:
The Birth of John the Baptist Now the time came for Elizabeth to give birth, and she bore a son. And her neighbors and relatives heard that the Lord had shown great mercy to her, and they rejoiced with her. And on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child. And they would have called him Zechariah after his father, but his mother answered, “No; he shall be called John.” And they said to her, “None of your relatives is called by this name.” And they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called. And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, “His name is John.” And they all wondered. And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God. And fear came on all their neighbors. And all these things were talked about through all the hill country of Judea, and all who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, “What then will this child be?” For the hand of the Lord was with him.
Zechariah's Prophecy And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David, as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old, that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us; to show the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days. And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us[h] from on high o give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.
Now I want to go to the Quran and see about the birth of John there. In the Surah Maryam, we find:
˹The angels announced,˺ “O Zachariah! Indeed, We give you the good news of ˹the birth of˺ a son, whose name will be John—a name We have not given to anyone before.” He wondered, “My Lord! How can I have a son when my wife is barren, and I have become extremely old?” An angel replied, “So will it be! Your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me, just as I created you before, when you were nothing!’” Zachariah said, “My Lord! Grant me a sign.” He responded, “Your sign is that you will not ˹be able to˺ speak to people for three nights, despite being healthy.” So he came out to his people from the sanctuary, signaling to them to glorify ˹Allah˺ morning and evening. ˹It was later said,˺ “O John! Hold firmly to the Scriptures.” And We granted him wisdom while ˹he was still˺ a child, as well as purity and compassion from Us. And he was God-fearing, and kind to his parents. He was neither arrogant nor disobedient. Peace be upon him the day he was born, and the day of his death, and the day he will be raised back to life!
And finally we go to a Mandaean origin of John the Baptist. I am going to use G. R. S. Meade’s translation, from his book “Gnostic John the Baptizer”, regarding Mandaean scripture. Here it is in full:
In the Name of Great Life may hallowed Light be glorifed. A CHILD was planted out of the height, a mystery revealed in Jerusalem. The priestsasaw dreams; chill seized on their children, chill seized on Jerusalem. Early in the morning he went to the temple. He opened his mouth in blasphemy and his lips of lying. He opened his mouth in blasphemy and spake to all of the priests: "In my vision of the night I beheld, [I beheld] in my vision. When I lay there, I slept not and rested not, and sleep came not to me by night. I slept not and rested not, [and I beheld] that a star appeared and stood over Enishbai. Fire burned in Old Father (Aba Saba) Zakhria; three heaven-lights appeared. The sun sank and the lights rose. Fire lit up the house of the people (synagogue), smoke rose over the temple. A quaking quaked in the Throne-chariot, so that Earth removed from her seat. A star flew down into Judæa, a star flew down into Jerusalem. The sun appeared by night, and the moon rose by day." When the priests heard this, they cast dust on their head. Yaqif the priest weeps and Beni-Amin's tears flow. Shilai and Shalbai cast dust on their heads. Elizar [the chief priest] opened his mouth and spake unto all of the priests: "Yaqif interprets dreams, but as yet he has no understanding of these. Beni-Amin interprets dreams; is he not a man who discloses your secrets? ab-Yomin gives us no revelation, though you deem he can give information on all that is and [that] is not. Earth groans out of season and is sent a-whirl through the heaven-spheres. Earth opens her mouth and speaks to Elizar: "Go to Lilyukh, that he may interpret the dreams you have seen," Thereon Elizar opened his mouth and spake unto all of the priests: "Who goes to Lilyukh, that he may interpret the dreams you have seen?" Then wrote they a letter and put it in the hand of ab-Yomin. ab-Yomin took the letter and betook himself to Lilyukh, Lilyukh lay on his bed; sleep had not yet flown from him. A quaking came into his heart, shivered his heart and brought it down from its stay, ab-Yomin drew near to Lilyukh, ab-Yomin stepped up to Lilyukh, shook him out of his sleep and spake to him: "The priests saw dreams, . . . [the above paragraph is repeated verbally down to] . . .and the moon rose by day." When Lilyukh heard this, he cast dust on his head. Naked, Lilyukh rose from his bed and fetched the dream-book. He opens it and reads in it and looks for what stands there written. He opens it and reads therein and interprets the dreams in silence without reading aloud. He writes them in a letter and expounds them on a leaf. In it he says to them: "Woe unto you, all of you priests, for Enishbai shall bear a child. Woe unto you, ye rabbis, for a child shall be born in Jerusalem. Woe unto you, ye teachers and pupils, for Enishbai shall bear a child, woe unto you, Mistress Torah (the Law), for Yohana shall be born in Jerusalem." Lilyukh writes unto them in the letter and says to them: "The star, that came and stood over Enishbai: A child will be planted out of the height from above; he comes and will be given unto Enishbai. The fire, that burned in Old Father Zakhria: Yohana will be born in Jerusalem." ab-Yomin took the letter and in haste made off to Jerusalem. He came and found all the priests sitting in sorrow. He took the letter and laid it in the hand of Elizar. He opens it and reads it and finds in it wondrous discourses. He opens it and reads it and sees what stands therein written. He reads it in silence and gives them no decision about it. Elizar then took it and laid it in the hand of Old Father Zakhria. He opens it and reads it and sees what stands therein written. He reads it in silence and gives no decision about it. Elizar now opened his mouth and spake to Old Father Zakhria: "Old Father, get thee gone from Judæa, lest thou stir up strife in Jerusalem." Old Father then raised his right hand and smote on the head Elizar: "Elizar, thou great house, thou head of all the priests! If thou in thy inner [part] knewest thy mother, thou wouldst not dare come into our synagogue. If thou in thy inner [part] knewest, thou wouldst not dare read the Torah. For thy mother was a wanton. A wanton was she, who did not match with the house of her husband's father. As thy father had not the hundred gold staters for writing her the bill of divorcement, he abandoned her straightway and enquired not for her. Is there a day when I come and look forth, and see not Misha bar Amra? Yea, is there a day when I come without praying in your synagogue, that you should be false and dishonest and say a word which you have ne'er heard about me? Where is there a dead man who becomes living again, that Enishbai should bear a child? Where is there a blind man who becomes seeing, where is there a lame man for whom his feet [walk again], and where is there a mute who learns [to read in] a book, that Enishbai should bear a child? It is two and twenty years to-day that I have seen no wife. Nay, neither through me nor through you will Enishbai bear a child." Then all of the priests arose and said to Old Father Zakhria, [they said] in reproach: "Be at rest and keep thy seat, Old Father, and let the calm of the Good rest upon thee. Old Father, if there were no dreams in Judæa, then would all that Misha has said, be lying. Rather shall thy word and our word be made good, and the dreams we have seen. Yohana will receive Jordan and be called prophet in Jerusalem." Thereon Old Father removed himself from their midst, and Elizar followed him. Then were seen three lights (lit. lamps) which companied with him. They (the priests) ran up, caught Old Father by the hem of his robe and said to him: "Old Father, what is 't that goes before thee, and what is 't that follows thee?" Then answered he them: "O Elizar, thou great house, thou head of all of the priests, I know not whom the lights guard which go before me. I know not with whom the fire goes which follows me. [But] neither through me nor through you will Enishbai bear a child." Then all the priests rose and said to Old Father Zakhria, [they said] in reproach: "Old Father Zakhria, be at peace, firm and decided, for the child will be planted from out of the most high height and be given to thee in thy old age. Yohana will be born, Yohana will receive Jordan and be called prophet in Jerusalem. We will be baptized with his baptizing and with his pure sign [will we] be signed. We will take his bread and drink his drink and with him ascend to Light's region." All the priests arose and said to Old Father Zakhria, [they said] in reproach: "Old Father! We will enlighten thee as to thy race and thy fathers, from whom thou hast come forth. . . . [there follows a list of prophets and sages, beginning with Moses, which I omit, as it requires a lengthy commentary for which space here does not serve,—ending with] ... ab-Yomin and the school-teachers have come forth from thy race. The blessed princes, who are thy forbears, Old Father, all of them have taken no wife and begotten no sons. Yet in their old age each of them had a son. They had sons, and they were prophets in Jerusalem. If now out of thee as well a prophet comes forth, thou dost then revive this race again. Yea, Yohana will be born and will be called prophet in Jerusalem." Then Elizar opened his mouth and said to Old Father: "Old Father! If Yohana receives Jordan, then will I be his servant, be baptized with his baptizing and signed with his pure sign. We will take his bread and drink his drink and with him ascend to Light's region." Then Old Father opened his mouth and said unto all of the priests: "If the child comes out of the most high height, what then will you do in Jerusalem?" They have taken the child out of the basin of Jordan and laid him in the womb of Enishbai. Life is victorious and victorious is the Man who has come hither.
Icons are of 16th century Russian orthodox origin, Islamic John picture from the 16th century.
Today I bring you another Ethiopian tale, this time another version of the Dormition narrative. If you are familiar with this story, you’ll see some of the same aspects in this text. This was originally published by my favorite 19th/20th century scholar, E. A. Wallis Budge. I find it truly amazing the amount of work that man put out in his lifetime. And like other texts of his, I hope to find a new audience for his work. To go along with my previous Budge texts, I will make slight moderations to the grammar, if need be, to make them a bit more modern in how they are presented. Not much tinkering, just something to make it read a little better for modern readers. No date range is mentioned for the source time frame of this text, but I suspect it probably originated around the time the other dormition narratives started to appear in history.
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY GHOST, ONE GOD CHRIST, MY GOD AND MY HOPE ! AND MAY MY LADY MARY PRAY FOR ME. THIS IS THE HISTORY OF OUR HOLY AND PURE LADY MARY, THE MOTHER OF THE LIGHT, BY THE GRACE OF GOD MOTHER OF OUR LORD AND REDEEMER JESUS CHRIST, AND HOW HER DEPARTURE TOOK PLACE FROM THIS FLEETING WORLD TO THE EVERLASTING LIFE, WHICH PASSETH NOT AWAY AND IS NEVER DESTROYED. AND MAY HER PRAYER BE WITH OUR KING SO-AND-SO FOR EVER AND EVER. AMEN.
Our holy father John, who took her to him after the Ascension of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ into heaven, who discoursed on theology, who was one of the disciples of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who preached the Gospel in all the world, told us that our holy and pure Lady never ceased to go to the grave of our Lord, and God, and Saviour, Jesus Christ, where she prayed and praised Christ. And then she went, according to her wont, and came here. And when Christ wished to remove her from this fleeting world, she stretched out her hands to her Son and God, and asked Him to take her soul from her. And Satan entered into some of the Jews who used to see her come continually to the grave, and make long prayers there, and because of this they went to the chief priests and told them everything which the holy woman, the Mother of our Lord, used to do, and thereupon the chief priests set watchmen over the grave, and they ordered them to prevent those who wished to go into the tomb to pray from doing so. And then the chief priests sent to the watchmen, and enquired of them concerning this thing. And these watchmen lied and swore that no one whatsoever had passed them and entered the tomb. Now our Lord Jesus Christ had blinded their eyes so that they could not see the holy and pure woman whilst she was praying, or when she came in or went out.
I. And in the three hundred and fifty-second year of Alexander (~a.d. 40), that is to say, two years after the Ascension of our Lord into heaven, on the 28th day of the month . . ., on the fourth day of the week, in the morning, the holy and pure Mary took fire and incense, and set out for the tomb in order to pray, according to her wont, in the tomb in Golgotha. Now she was in fear of the Jews. And having arrived she made an offering of incense at the mouth of the holy tomb, and according to her wont she praised and gave thanks unto Christ, saying, “O my Lord, Good Master, send and take me from this world which is full of sorrow and trouble.” And as she was praying straightway the heavens opened, and Gabriel the Archangel came down, and he did homage to her and gave her his message, saying, “ Rejoice, O full of grace, behold, thy prayer has ascended and has reached our Lord Jesus Christ Who was born of thee. And behold, God has heard thy prayer and thy petition wherein thou has stated thy desire to go forth from this fleeting world into the life which is for ever.” And when she had heard this word from the Angel she returned to Bethlehem. And straightway she gathered together the women and holy virgins who ministered unto her continually, and she said unto them, “Behold, since the Jews have set watchmen over the tomb, I am afraid lest my action be discovered by them, and lest they prevent me from coming there ” — and then she said in peace — “Now I am going to Bethlehem, and if there be any among you who wished to come with me let her do so.” And they answered and said unto her with one voice, “ We will all go with thee wheresoever thou goes, and we will not separate ourselves from thee all the days of our life.” And straightway she took them, and departed to Bethlehem, and dwelt there.
II. And on the eve of the Sabbath (Friday) she fell sick. And she answered and said unto those virgins who lived with her and ministered unto her, “Bring me a censer and incense, for I wish to pray” ; and they brought a censer and incense unto her, even as she had commanded them. And she put incense into the censer, and she prayed, saying, “My Lord and my God, Jesus Christ, Who did hold thine handmaiden worthy of Thine Incarnation from her, to sanctify men and to remove the sin of the world, hearken unto my prayer, and accept my petition in this hour. And bring unto me John Thy disciple, who preached Thy holy Gospel, so that I may rejoice in the sight of him. And likewise send Thou to me all Thy disciples — whereof some have fallen asleep, — so that I may see them and be blessed by them before I go out from this world. Thou art the God of the living and of the dead, and I believe that Thou wilt hearken unto my prayer and will grant me everything that I ask from Thee.” And Saint John said, “Behold, before her prayer was ended, a cloud of light snatched me away in the Holy Spirit from the country of Ephesus, and set me before Mary the holy and pure, and when I stood up before her I looked upon her, and I praised Christ our Lord and God. And I said unto her, Rejoice, O holy woman. Mother of Christ our Lord. And the Holy Spirit spake by my tongue, and I said unto her, Thou shalt go forth from this world in great glory, and Christ shall make manifest by thee many signs and wonders, so that His Name may be praised and glorified. And straightway the holy woman remembered that Christ said unto her at the time of the Crucifixion, “Woman, behold thy son,” and that He looked at him and said unto His disciple, “Behold thy mother.”
III. And when the women her companions heard these things they wept with a great weeping and bowed low to her. And then the pure woman said unto me, “Take a censer and incense, pray and say, My Lord and my God Jesus Christ, Thou doer of wonders innumerable, do Thou now make manifest Thy wonders on behalf of Thy Mother, and make her to go forth from this fleeting world with great glory, even as Thou did say unto her, that those who crucified Thee should fear and be dismayed, and believe in Thee.” And I did even as the Mother of Light and Mercy commanded me. Then she took the censer from my hand, and cast incense therein, and prayed, saying, “I praise Thee, 0 my Lord and God Jesus Christ; behold, Thou has given unto me according as Thou did say unto me. Behold now, receive me, and take me up into the heavens as soon as my spirit goes forth from my body. For Thou did say unto me, 'I will come unto thee with My angels to take thy soul.’ ” And then the Holy Spirit spoke by my mouth and I said unto her, “Christ, our God and thy Son, will perform thy desire according to what thou says, and thou shalt see Him with thine eyes.” And then she turned to me and said unto me, “O John, the Jews wish to burn my body in the fire after I am dead.” And I said unto her in the Holy Spirit, “Rejoice and be glad, for thy body shall see no corruption whatsoever, and shall suffer no harm.” And then she said unto me, “O John, cast incense into the censer, and pray in secret”; and I did even as she commanded me. And behold, a voice came from heaven, and I heard it saying, Amen. I John am a witness before Christ that I myself heard this voice from heaven. And the Holy Spirit said unto me, “O John, did thou hear this voice from heaven when thou did finish thy prayer? ” And I said unto Him, “ Yea.” And this voice which I heard said unto me, “Let the disciples thy brethren be gathered together, and come hither in this hour, and all the angels shall come.” And I prayed and made supplication for this, even as my Lady Mary, the Mother of the Light, commanded me.
IV. And then the Holy Spirit spoke, saying, “Let all the disciples come from the ends of the earth, riding upon clouds, to Bethlehem, for the sake of the Mother of Christ — thou, O Peter, from Rome, and thou, O Paul, from ’Abrakeya (Phrygia ?), and thou, O Thomas, from the interior of India, and James from Jerusalem, and Andrew, the brother of Peter, and Peter, and Luke.” And those who were asleep (i.e. dead) woke up in the Holy Spirit from their graves. And ye must not imagine that they thought the time for the resurrection of the dead had arrived, nay, they only woke up from their graves for the sake of Saint Mary, the Mother of the Light, to salute her and to pay honor unto her. Since the time of her translation to heaven had arrived, he came from Alexandria, together with the rest of the Apostles.
V. And at that moment the Holy Spirit gathered together all the Apostles, and they mounted upon clouds, and He brought them into Bethlehem, and spoke unto them, saying, “Behold, the Mother of your Lord wished to see you before her departure from this world.” And in like manner all the disciples were brought upon clouds, and they came with Peter and stood up before the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and they made obeisance to her, and said unto her, “Rejoice, O holy Virgin, for our Lord and God Who was born of thee shall translate thee from this world with great glory, even as He said unto thee.” And when the holy woman saw the disciples and heard their words she remained upon her couch, and said unto them, “Now know I that your Teacher, and my God and your God will come to me, and that I shall see Him, even as I see you, and that afterwards 1 shall be translated from this world. But I desire you to tell me how it was that ye learned concerning my departure from this world, and how it is that ye are gathered together to me; my God would not hide this from me.” And Peter and all the disciples said unto her, “The Holy Spirit told us, and commanded us to come to thee.” And John said unto her, “While I was in the house of the sanctuary in Ephesus and about to offer up the offering, the Holy Spirit said unto me, 'Behold, the departure of the soul of the Mother of thy Lord from her body draws near. Get thee quickly to Bethlehem that thou may bid her farewell.’ And a cloud of light snatched me away and brought me into this place.” And Peter said unto her, “While I was in Rome, at dawn I heard the Holy Spirit saying unto me, Behold, the time of the departure of the Mother of thy Lord draws near. Get thee quickly to Bethlehem that thou may bid her farewell. And a cloud snatched me away between heaven and earth, and brought me here. And I saw all the disciples coming upon clouds, and I heard a voice, saying, ‘Get ye, all of you, to Bethlehem.’ ” And Paul said, “While I was very far away from Romya (Rome) in a remote place in the country of ’Abrakeya, I heard the Holy Spirit saying unto me, 'Behold, the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ wishes to go forth from this world and to enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Get thee away that thou may bid her farewell.’ And a shining cloud carried me and brought me here.” And Mark said, “While I was in Alexandria, after I had finished the prayer of the third hour, behold, the Holy Spirit snatched me away and made me to mount upon a cloud, and it brought me to you.” James said, “While I was in Jerusalem the Holy Spirit spoke unto me in similar wise, and a cloud snatched me away and set me here.” And Matthew said, “I say that while I was in a ship, in great fear by reason of the great waves and billows of a violent sea, a cloud snatched me from among the billows and set me here.” And the disciples who had fallen asleep and had left this world described how they had heard a voice, and how they had woke up from their graves, and how they had been snatched away by clouds, and how they had come to them (i.e. to their fellows). And Bartholomew said, “While I was preaching and was in the city, the Holy Spirit said unto me, 'Behold, the Mother of thy Lord is about to depart from this world; get thee to Bethlehem.’ And a cloud snatched me away and brought me into this place.” And these things did these disciples say unto Mary, the holy and pure woman. At that time the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ lifted up her voice, and said, “I worship, and praise, and give thanks unto Thy holy Name, O my Lord and God, because Thou has regarded the humility of Thine handmaiden, and has revealed unto me Thy wonders. O thou Mighty and Powerful One, Who can do all things, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.”
VI. And when she had finished her prayer she said unto all the disciples, “Bring ye censers and incense, and make supplication unto my Lord and God, Jesus Christ, and do ye as He shall command you.” And as they were praying, they heard a terrifying sound from heaven like the noise of horsemen riding, together with hosts of angels, and archangels, and they also heard as it were the sounds of men. And the Seraphim surrounded the house wherein our Lady was with the disciples. And this miracle was seen by all those who were in Bethlehem, and those who were in the house of the sanctuary, and they described what they saw, and they heard the roar of the thunder and the noise of the chariots. And the sun and the moon appeared above that place, and many angels surrounded that place because of the majesty and glory of the holy and pure Mary. And they also saw very many signs and wonders, the blind received their sight, the lame walked, and the lepers were cleansed of their leprosy, and the devils went out of the demoniacs. And all those who were sick, or who were suffering from any kind of disease, drew near unto that house wherein was the holy and pure Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and were healed of their sicknesses. And all those sick folk who were suffering from every kind of disease, and who came to that house from Bethlehem, and the districts round about, and from the land of Judah, were two thousand eight hundred souls, and they cried out, saying, “O Mary, thou holy one of God, have compassion upon us.”
VII. And they were healed of their sicknesses at that moment. And when the people who were sitting in the house of the sanctuary heard this word, men and women went out from among them to be blessed by the holy and pure Mary, and they saw the signs and wonders which Christ wrought in Bethlehem through our Lady Mary, the Bearer of God. And all those who were sick or diseased came to the holy woman, and made supplication unto her, and were healed of their sicknesses; and there was great joy and gladness because of those who were healed of their sicknesses. And all those who were there gave thanks unto our Lord Jesus Christ and blessed Him, and praised the holy Virgin. And all the people of the house of the sanctuary went forth uttering cries of joy, and singing and praising Christ in Bethlehem.
VIII. And straightway the priests of the Jews were dismayed when they saw the great praise, and heard their cries of gladness, and their singing, and the rejoicings of the believers, and they were wroth because of this. And many men went out from Judah to Bethlehem that they might seize the disciples of Christ and His holy Mother. And it came to pass that, when they had marched for an hour, a mighty miracle appeared in respect of them on the road, for their eyes were darkened, and they were not able to see Bethlehem; and they turned back to their own city, and told the chief priests everything that had befallen them on the way, and how they were unable to march to Bethlehem. And when the chief priests heard this thing they were exceedingly wroth, and they went to the governor, and cried out, saying, “All the people of Judah are corrupted through Mary, and now we demand from thee that thou remove her from Bethlehem and from the house of the sanctuary.” And the governor marveled at this word and said unto them, “It is not for me to drive her out of Bethlehem.” And all the Jews cried out and swore by Caesar and said, “If thou does not expel Mary and the disciples from Bethlehem, behold, we will tell this thing to Caesar, and we will relate to him all thy behavior.” And straightway he was afraid of them, and he sent his officer, together with one thousand horsemen, and he commanded him to drive forth Mary and the disciples. And the Holy Spirit said unto the holy woman, the Mother of our Lord, and to the disciples, “Behold, an officer has been sent unto you, together with one thousand men, to drive you out of Bethlehem according to what the Jews have demanded. And now, get ye out, and fear not, for I will snatch you away on a cloud, and will bring you into the house of the sanctuary.” And straightway the disciples went forth, bearing the couch of the holy and pure Mary whereon she lay during her lifetime, and they were snatched away on a cloud, and it brought them to the house of the sanctuary as the Holy Spirit spoke unto them.
IX. And they tarried there five days praying to Christ and glorifying Him. And the officer who had been sent came to Bethlehem, and he found neither the holy woman nor any one of the disciples. And then he took the men of Bethlehem, and said unto them, “Are ye not those who came to the governor and to the chief priests, and did ye not tell them that signs and wonders had appeared? And did ye not say that the disciples were gathered together from the ends of the earth to Bethlehem? Where are they now? Come ye now to the governor and to the chief priests, and tell them how these things took place.” And the governor did not know of the coming of the disciples and the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ unto the house of the sanctuary. And the officer took the men of Bethlehem and brought them with him to the governor, and he told him how he had not found any one of the disciples there.
X. And after five days the governor and the chief priests knew that the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ was in her house, and that all the disciples were with her, and that many signs and wonders took place through her. And there were with her many men, and women, and virgins, and they cried out, saying, “O holy and pure Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, forget thou not the children of men.” And because of this die great men among the Jews, and their governors, and their officers, together with all their people, were wroth. And then they rose up, and they took with them wood and fire, wishing to set on fire the house in which the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ was, together with the disciples, and the angels and all the believers; and the governor stood afar off in order that he might see what would happen. And when the chief priests had come and certain of the Jews to the door of the courtyard, a great fire went forth with the angels from that place, and burned up many of the jews. And then a great fear came upon the men of the house of the sanctuary, and all those who dwelt in it among the Jews, together with their governors. And sorrow laid hold upon the adversaries of Christ, and they praised Christ our God, Who was born of the holy and pure Virgin Mary. And the governor cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Verily, O Mary, He Who is born of thee is the Son of God, and His Christ, before Whom we have quarreled, and we have driven Him out and cast Him forth from among us, for no one except the Son of God, and Him only, could do these signs and wonders.” And there was a great tumult among them, and very many of them believed on the Name of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ.
XI. And then after this miracle concerning our Lady and the disciples had appeared, the Holy Spirit spoke, saying, “Now know ye that on the First Day of the week the Angel Gabriel announced to Saint Mary the glad tidings that Christ, the Word of God, should dwell upon her. And on the First Day of the week He was born in Bethlehem of Judah. And on the First Day of the week old men and young men and maidens went out to meet and welcome our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, saying, 'Hosanna in the heights! Blessed is He Who comes in the Name of God.’ And on the First Day of the week our Lord rose from the dead. And on the First Day of the week He shall come on a cloud of heaven to judge the living and the dead. And on the First Day of the week He shall come, because of its majesty and glory, at the going forth of the soul of Saint Mary from this world.”
XII. And it came to pass that on the First Day of the week Mary said unto the disciples, “Throw incense into the censers, for my Lord Jesus Christ is coming to me with all His angels.” And while she was holding converse with them after they had burnt incense, behold, our Lord Jesus Christ came, together with His angels, seated upon the throne of His glory. And there appeared before Him angels innumerable, and moreover, there appeared a great light, and the holy woman was crowned with very great glory at the coming of her Son and her God, and all the powers of heaven worshipped her. And a Voice came to the holy woman, saying, “O Mary.” And she answered and said, “Here am I.” And again, the Voice said, “Rejoice and be glad, and let thy soul be glad because thou has found great grace with Me; see thou the glory and praise which My Father has given unto Me.” And straightway the Mother of our Lord saw a great light which man cannot describe, and then that Voice said unto her, “Henceforward thy body shall rest in the Garden (i.e. Paradise), and thy holy soul in the kingdom of the heavens, a habitation that is filled with grace, and where there are joy and gladness.” And our Lady Mary said, “ My Lord and my God, stretch out Thy hand over me and bless me.”
XIII. And then our Lord Jesus Christ stretched out His strong hand and blessed her, and the holy woman took His hand, and kissed it, and said, “I give thanks unto this right hand, and I glorify it because it has made strong the heavens, and ordered the earth firmly. I beseech Thee, O King, O Only Son, Who has made His handmaiden worthy to become incarnate of her by His wise Nature for the salvation of men, to hearken unto my prayer, and of Thy great mercy show favor unto me, and unto all those who shall make supplication unto Thee in the name of me, Thine handmaiden, and be kind and gracious unto them. And do Thou hearken unto their prayer and to their petition in respect of everything that they shall ask of Thee, for Thou art able to do everything.” And when the disciples heard this request of Saint Mary, they bowed themselves down to the ground on their faces at her feet, saying, “O Mother of our Lord and Redeemer Jesus Christ, leave thy holy blessing in this world wherefrom thou are going forth.” Then straightway the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ prayed and said, “O God, Who in the abundance of His compassion and mercy was pleased to send His only Son into my body, and Who made me worthy that He should become incarnate of me, behold, from this time forth have compassion upon the work of Thy hands, and upon every soul that praises Thy Name.” And again she said, “ O Jesus Christ, the Son of God the most high, Who does whatsoever He pleases both in the heavens and in the earth, bless, O Lord, that place where a festival shall be celebrated in my name, and receive my prayer, and bless Thy people and Thy anointed ones who shall offer unto Thee sacrifices in my name.” And our Lord Jesus Christ answered and said unto her, “Behold, I have done this for thee, now and henceforth. Rejoice thou, for all grace has been and shall be given unto thee by Me, and by My Father, and by the Holy Spirit. And every one who shall observe thy commemoration and call upon thy name shall never perish in this world, but shall find grace with My Father Who is in heaven.”
XIV. And then our Lord Jesus Christ turned to Peter, and said unto him, “ Behold now, the time has come, but first I will read and sing the psalm.” And then Peter began to read and to sing with the angels. And at that moment a great light rose upon the face of the holy woman, and she lifted up her hands and blessed the disciples. And then our Lord Jesus Christ stretched out His holy hand and received her soul, and straightway her soul was separated from her body. And a great light filled that place, and there came forth a beautiful, sweet fragrance, the like of which existed not, and a voice came from heaven, saying, “Blessed art thou, O blessed Queen of women.” And then Peter and the disciples bowed down at the feet of the holy woman, and embraced them and were blessed by her. And they laid her upon a bier and the disciples carried her holy body to the tomb. And as they were carrying her a certain strong and mighty Jew, whose name was Taronya, rushed at them, and he laid hold upon the bier of the holy woman so that he might prevent them from carrying away her dead body. And straightway an angel came and smote him with a sword of fire, and cut off both his hands, and the bier was lifted up again with the two hands of the Jew suspended from it.
XV. And when the Jews saw this miracle which had taken place, they cried out and said, “Verily He was God Who was born of thee, O our Lady Mary.” And Taronya followed after the bier, and cried out and said, “O holy woman of God, Mary, woman undefiled, the Mother of Christ, turn thou to me and have mercy and compassion upon me.” And then Peter turned to him and said unto him, “In the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ, our God, Who was born of her, let the two hands which were cut off from him return to their former place.” And when Peter spoke thus his two hands came down from the bier, and they returned to their place while all the people were looking on. And at that moment Taronya and all the Jews who were there believed when they saw this miracle that had taken place. And then the disciples buried the body of Saint Mary in the village which is called “ Geteseman ” (Gethsemane), in a new sepulchre, and they glorified Christ, and they remained there three days.
XVI. And Thomas, one of the Twelve Disciples, whose name was “ Didmos ” (Didymus), was not with the disciples when the soul of our Lady Mart went forth from her body. And he came from India riding upon a cloud, and he saw the body of Saint Mary and angels carrying it along on a cloud and taking it up to heaven. And then when Thomas arrived Peter and all the disciples said unto him, “The body of Saint Mary has departed from this world; why did thou tarry in coming to her burial? ” And Thomas said, “The Mother of our Lord is not dead; unless I see her dead body I will not believe it.” And the disciples said unto him, “Behold, before this thou did say, ‘I will not believe that Christ is risen unless I can thrust my hand into His side, and my fingers into the nail marks,’ and in the abundance of the mercy of Christ He showed thee these things, and thou did cry out and say, 'My Lord and my God.’ ” And Thomas answered and said unto them, “I will not believe unless I see where ye have buried the body of the holy woman.” And straightway Peter rose up and all the disciples with him, and they showed him the grave, and they found nothing whatsoever in it. And Thomas answered and said unto them, “While I was preaching in the Name of Christ, and was baptizing Felodyds, the son of the king’s sister, the Holy Spirit said unto me suddenly, 'Rise up quickly, O Thomas, and salute the body of the holy woman, the Mother of thy Lord.’ And a cloud snatched me away from that place and brought me here, and while I was coming to you I saw in the clouds the body of the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the angels carrying it up into heaven.” And when the disciples heard the words of Thomas they glorified our Lord Jesus Christ.
XVII. And then when the disciples were gathered together twelve clouds came unto them and carried them away unto the Garden, to the place wherein was the body of Saint Mary, and they saw her with their eyes. And they also saw Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, and Hanna (Anna), the mother of the holy woman Mary, and Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, the holy fathers. And David the Prophet also was singing praises with the chosen ones and the righteous ones, and they worshipped the majesty of the body of Mary in the Garden, and they gave thanks unto Christ, Who was born of her, and they ascribed holiness unto Him, the greatness of Whose mercy and compassion cannot be reckoned; for there is no one who is able to describe the greatness of His glory and power. And then we the disciples glorified our Lord Jesus Christ, Who showed favor unto us and revealed unto us these miracles at the departure of the body of Saint Mary from this fleeting world to life everlasting, and to the gift of the grace which is imperishable. Behold now, we ask our Lord and God Jesus Christ, through the prayer of the holy woman, to protect us with His right hand, and to give us power and victory in this world, and in that other mercy and compassion. Let us then glorify every day and in every place the Only Son, Who was begotten of the Father before the world and was, moreover, born of Saint Mary in the later days, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now, and for ever, and for ever. Amen.
Christ, my God and my hope, and my Lady Mary, who saveth me, pray for me for ever and for ever.
If you haven’t read the other dormition posts I put up, check them out here: Syrian Dormition, and the Book of Mary’s Repose (1, 2, 3).
The Gospel of Mary is probably the most famous non-Nag Hammadi library text out there. Despite it not being complete, an interesting teaching arises from this text. I am going to solely focus on the toll houses presented in this story. If you did not catch my previous blog entry about toll houses (click HERE), this concept is that after death, the soul, usually along with it’s guardian angel, stops at various “toll houses” to confront a demon and the soul is then judged. The featured icon I have for this post illustrates a “literal” scene of this concept however this should be viewed as a metaphor of spiritual warfare that we face throughout life. The toll houses feature a demon that represents a sin of the world. This is very well illustrated in the Gospel of Mary.
This gospel, as it is currently preserved (we are missing the first seven pages and fragments throughout) is a post resurrection text. Christ has a final word with the group before heading out and the apostles ask Mary Magdalene to give them a teaching that Jesus gave to her. She explains the soul’s journey after death. Part of this story is missing, so we start at the second toll house:
And Lust said: ‘I did not see you when you descended, but now I see you as you ascend. So why do you lie, given that you belong to me?’
The soul replied, and said: ‘I saw you; you neither saw me, nor did you recognize me. To you I was a garment, and you did not recognize me.’
After saying this, it left, greatly rejoicing.
The third toll house:
Next, it approached the third power, which is called ‘Ignorance.’
It interrogated the soul, saying: ‘Where are you going? You are fettered in adultery. You are truly fettered, so judge not!’
And the soul said: ‘Why are you judging me, when I have not passed judgment?
I have been fettered, yet I have not fettered.
I was unrecognized, yet I have recognized that the All is dissolving, both earthly and heavenly things.’
Notice a pattern? Mary proceeds to speak of the final power of her story (as it is currently preserved):
When the soul had conquered the third power, it ascended and saw the fourth power; it had seven forms.
The first form is darkness, the second is lust, the third is ignorance, the fourth is jealousy that brings death, the fifth is the kingdom of the flesh, the sixth is foolish fleshly insight, the seventh is wrathful wisdom. These are the seven powers of Wrath.
They interrogate the soul: ‘Where do you come from, you who kill men, or where are you going, you who overcome space?’
The soul replied and said: ‘What fetters me has been slain, and what surrounds me has been defeated, and my lust has been finished, and ignorance has died.
In a world, I was set free from a world and in a type from a heavenly type, and from the fetter of forgetfulness, which endures for a season.
Beginning at this moment, I will reach the repose of the time of the season of the aeon inside Silence.’”
Mary ends her story there. It is a shame the beginning of the story does not currently survive, as I would love to see how this ascension process begins. Hopefully the sands of Egypt reveals this to us at some point.
With the feast of the Annunciation coming up on March 25, I wanted to do a quick post regarding the Annunciation, but present it from the Islamic point of view, particularly how it is portrayed in the Quran, as well as non-canonical Christian texts.
When I read through the Quran a few years ago, I was fascinated by it’s viewpoint on various Biblical events. In the future I’d like to explore more of these scenarios but with this post, I am just going to focus on the Annunciation.
In the Christian tradition, the Annunciation is the event where the Arch-angel Gabriel informs the Virgin Mary of her conceiving of Jesus by the Holy Spirit. This is laid out in Luke 1:26-38 (NIV translation):
In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”
Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”
“How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”
The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month. For no word from God will ever fail.”
“I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.
The Annunciation in the Quran is mentioned in three different surahs. If you haven’t read the Quran, there is no straight narrative. It jumps around quite a bit. It is definitely a different way of reading texts and does take some time getting used to. The first surah it is mentioned is in the third one, Ali ‘Imran, verses 42-47. I will not be including the Arabic verbiage, but rather just the English translation:
And ˹remember˺ when the angels said, “O Mary! Surely Allah has selected you, purified you, and chosen you over all women of the world.
O Mary! Be devout to your Lord, prostrate yourself ˹in prayer˺ and bow along with those who bow down.”
This is news of the unseen that We reveal to you ˹O Prophet˺. You were not with them when they cast lots to decide who would be Mary’s guardian, nor were you there when they argued ˹about it˺.
˹Remember˺ when the angels proclaimed, “O Mary! Allah gives you good news of a Word from Him, his name will be the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary; honoured in this world and the Hereafter, and he will be one of those nearest ˹to Allah˺.
And he will speak to people in ˹his˺ infancy and adulthood and will be one of the righteous.”
Mary wondered, “My Lord! How can I have a child when no man has ever touched me?” An angel replied, “So will it be. Allah creates what He wills. When He decrees a matter, He simply tells it, ‘Be!’ And it is!
Like in Christianity, Jesus is also referred to as the “Word” in Islam, and he is also the Messiah in both traditions, though the definition of that is not quite the same. Notice in verse 46 it mentions that Jesus will speak during his infancy. I did a post about this a few years ago, check out the link at the bottom of this page.
Now we jump to surah 19, Maryam, which is the only surah named after a woman and is the Islamic name for Mary. Verses 16-22 are presented below:
And mention in the Book ˹O Prophet, the story of˺ Mary when she withdrew from her family to a place in the east,
screening herself off from them. Then We sent to her Our angel, ˹Gabriel,˺ appearing before her as a man, perfectly formed.
She appealed, “I truly seek refuge in the Most Compassionate from you! ˹So leave me alone˺ if you are God-fearing.”
He responded, “I am only a messenger from your Lord, ˹sent˺ to bless you with a pure son.”
She wondered, “How can I have a son when no man has ever touched me, nor am I unchaste?”
He replied, “So will it be! Your Lord says, ‘It is easy for Me. And so will We make him a sign for humanity and a mercy from Us.’ It is a matter ˹already˺ decreed.”
So she conceived him and withdrew with him to a remote place.
Now if you haven’t already noticed, there is no mention of a conception by the Holy Spirit. It is only by the decree of Allah that Mary is conceived.
And finally, this is from surah 66, At-Tahrim, verse 12:
˹There is˺ also ˹the example of˺ Mary, the daughter of ’Imrân, who guarded her chastity, so We breathed into her ˹womb˺ through Our angel ˹Gabriel˺. She testified to the words of her Lord and His Scriptures, and was one of the ˹sincerely˺ devout.
Comparing those verses with the scenario in the Gospel of Luke, it really is not much different with the exception of the lack of Holy Spirit involvement. While we are on the subject of the Annunciation, let’s see how it is portrayed in the Christian non-canonical text, the Protoevangelium of James:
And she took the pitcher and went to fill it with water, and look! A voice was saying to her, “Rejoice, blessed one! The Lord is with you. Blessed are you among women.”
And Mary looked around to the right and the left, to see where the voice might be coming from. And she became terrified and went into her house. And setting down the pitcher, she took up the purple and sat upon her throne and spun the purple.
And look! An angel of the Lord stood before her, saying, “Don’t fear, Mary, because you’ve found grace before the Lord of All. You’ll conceive from God’s word.”
And hearing this, Mary questioned herself, saying, “Will I conceive from the Lord, the living God, and give birth like all women give birth?”
And the angel of the Lord said to her, “Not like that, Mary, because the power of God will overshadow you, so the holy one who will be born from you will be called the Son of the Most High. And you’ll call his name Jesus, because he’ll save his people from their sins.
And Mary said, “Look, I’m the servant of the Lord. May it be to me according to your word.”
And finally, in chapter 9 of the Pseudo-Gospel of Matthew (not to be confused with the Gospel of Matthew), we have this account of the Annunciation:
And on the second day, while Mary was at the fountain to fill her pitcher, the angel of the Lord appeared to her, saying: Blessed art thou, Mary; for in thy womb thou hast prepared an habitation for the Lord. For, lo, the light from heaven shall come and dwell in thee, and by means of thee will shine over the whole world.
Again, on the third day, while she was working at the purple with her fingers, there entered a young man of ineffable beauty. And when Mary saw him, she exceedingly feared and trembled. And he said to her: Hail, Mary, full of grace; the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb. And when she heard these words, she trembled, and was exceedingly afraid. Then the angel of the Lord added: Fear not, Mary; for thou hast found favour with God: Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a King, who fills not only the earth, but the heaven, and who reigns from generation to generation.
Let it be known in the Eastern Orthodox tradition the annunciation does take place near a well. What is interesting about the two non-canonical texts is that like the Quran statements, they too do not reference the Holy Spirit. I am not sure if the Annunciation appears in other texts, perhaps in retellings from later sources.
Featured image and second image are medieval Islamic art. First image is a Roman Catholic medieval piece and the last photo is an Orthodox icon, of unknown date.
I used quran.com for the Quran English translations.
Over the past few months, I’ve been gathering sources on Toll Houses. This is an Orthodox concept regarding souls after they leave the body and their ascent into heaven. Now let it be said, this is not a mainstream belief in modern Orthodoxy. There is much debate in it, but the concept does exist, and it also exists in Gnosticism. So this year I plan on posting various topics relating to the Toll House concept. This will be my first post regarding them and it references the Coptic text “The Apocalypse of Paul” (there is another text with the same name, but is different in content). So what are toll houses? While the soul ascends it meets various toll collectors which will test the soul while your guardian angel defends you. These collectors are various demons of the sins of the world. So think of it as a judgment but on a case by case basis. This is not a new concept and exists in various spiritual traditions. With that being said, let’s take a look at this Revelation to the Apostle Paul.
The text starts with the Apostle Paul traveling to Jerusalem. Along the way, he meets a small child who tells him that he blessed and to open his mind so he can ascend and meet the twelve apostles. This small child is identified as the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit takes Paul to the third heaven, bypassing the first and second heaven for whatever reason. However, the Spirit immediately takes Paul to the fourth heaven, and there is where we first have an encounter. In the fourth heaven, Paul looks down and sees the twelve apostles on earth. But within the fourth heaven, he sees various angels who resemble gods. Then an angel brings forth a soul. Here is the encounter:
These angels took a soul from out of the land of the dead. They brought it to the gate of the fourth heaven, and the angels were lashing it.
The soul spoke and asked, “What sin did I commit in the world?”
In response the toll-collector living in the fourth heaven said, “It was unjust to commit all of those criminal acts found in the world of the dead.”
In response the soul said, “Produce witnesses who will show you in what body I committed criminal acts. Do you want to present only a book from which to read?”
And three witnesses arrived. The first spoke and asked, “Was I not in the body at the second hour [...]? I assaulted you until you fell into anger and wrath and envy.”
And the second spoke and asked, “Did I not dwell in the world? And I entered at the fifth hour, and I saw you and wanted to have you. And so, behold, I now charge you for the murders you committed.”
The third spoke and asked, “Did I not come to you at the twelfth hour of the day, towards the setting of the sun? I delivered you to the darkness, until you committed your sins.”
When the soul heard these things, it looked down, sad. And then it looked up, dejected. The soul which had been thrown down entered into a body prepared for it. And behold, its witnesses were finished testifying.
This here is an example of the Toll House concept. A soul is being put on trial for it’s sins, and in this case, the soul has been found guilty and entered a body prepared for it. Now the text does not go further with this, so does the soul get reincarnated into a new body (hence being stuck in Samsara if we use Buddhist terms), or perhaps a “dead” body which denies it’s entry into heavenly abode?
The Holy Spirit then tells Paul to follow along and they proceed to the fifth heaven, along with the twelve apostles. In that heaven, Paul sees the following:
I saw a large angel in the fifth heaven. In his hand he held an iron rod. Three more angels accompanied him, and I gazed intently into their faces. They, however, were challenging each other, whips in their hands, pushing the souls forward to the judgment.
This scene reminds me of the Orthodox icons under the theme of “Last Judgment”, see example below (which is a Leos Moskos painting from 1653).
The Holy Spirit, Paul and the rest of the Apostles went into the sixth heaven, and there was another toll collector there. Paul commanded the collector to open the gateway to the seventh heaven for him, the Holy Spirit and the Apostles, which the collector obliged.
In the seventh heaven, Paul and the rest of the group come face to face with the Ancient of Days.
14th century icon
Who is the Ancient of Days? Well, it’s another name for the Godhead. This is referenced in Daniel 7:13-14. NIV translation:
13 “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man,[a] coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. 14 He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
In Orthodox iconography, the Ancient of Days is pictured as a white haired Jesus. The Ancient of Days and Paul have this conversation:
The man, ancient of days, spoke and asked me, “Where are you going, O Paul, O blessed one, and the one set apart from his mother’s womb?”
I, however, gazed on the Spirit. And he was shaking his head, saying to me, “Speak to him!”
And in response I said to the man, ancient of days, “I go to the place whence I came.”
And the man, ancient of days, asked me, “Where are you from?”
I, however, said in response, “I descend to the world of the dead to lead captivity captive, that which was led captive in the captivity of Babylon.”
The man, ancient of days, spoke to me and asked, “How can you escape from me? Behold and look on the principalities and authorities.”
The Spirit spoke and said, “Give to him the sign you have, and he will open for you.” And I then gave him the sign. He turned his face down, towards his creation, and to those authorities who belong to him.
What exactly was this sign? No description is given. A secret password? If you’re familiar with the Book of Jeu (a text that will be highlighted in a future Toll house inspired post), you know that souls need to give a secret password to ascend to the next phase of their journey. Perhaps this was the same…? After this, the text mentions the seventh heaven opened and that the group went into the Ogdoad. This is a special celestial area beyond the seventh heaven. I’ll reference the wiki article below for those looking into that concept as it is not one I want to dive into with this post. The text ends with the group going to both the ninth and tenth heavens, and greeting fellow spirits in those heavens. Nothing of substance is mentioned along those two visits.
The Coptic Apocalypse of Paul is a short text but it’s quite fascinating with it’s encounters of toll collectors. I used the Samuel Zinner translation for my post and will link to the public domain version of this text below.
(featured photo is a Toll House icon from an unknown date, will update if I figure it out)
….Because by your holy Cross You have redeemed the world.
In the past year, I have picked up on a few Roman Catholic practices, one being the Rosary and the other being the Way of the Cross (aka Stations of the Cross). This post is about the Way of the Cross and how I practice it. Those unfamiliar with the practice, it originated with the Franciscans building shrines that mimic the stations that existed in the Holy Land. If one was unable to make the pilgrimage to the Holy Land, you could meditate or pray along these stations at a local church (or home). The stations portray various events during the Passion narrative. It is typically done during Lent, but one can do it throughout the year. I try to do it at least once a month if not more. While I do not have actual stations on my land (that would be pretty neat), I do have a method I practice using a table layout. I will show what I use and provide links to these items. I usually avoid sharing links to purchase items but I figure in this case most of these are from independent sellers/artists and if I can help them get some exposure, then so be it! Please note these are not sponsored links, I get no kickback on any of these.
With the Way of the Cross practice, typically a person would use a “guide” and read it along with each station. There is typically an announcement of the station, then an introduction recital (which is the two lines at the beginning of this post), a subject matter regarding that particular station, and finally a closing prayer and poem before proceeding to the next station. There is no standard to these, but from the different pamphlets I’ve obtained, this seems to be the typical method. Now the subjects within each station varies greatly. Some are very focused on the actual station while others can venture off into the modern world and using that particular station as a highlight to a problem that exists today. I prefer them to stay more focused on the event of Christ’s passion but those other types may appeal to you.
When I do the stations, I like to set out a metallic cross layout that features small art depictions of each station. See below:
Now these little pieces I picked up off of Temu. Yes, I know…lol Here is a link to the product (HERE, note that sometimes items on Temu will be sold from various sellers, so other listings of this may be on the site and may be cheaper). When I go to recite each station, I will pick up that particular piece and meditate upon the art. I am a very visual person, hence my love for Christian iconography, so anytime I can bring a visual piece into my practice, I am for it. Another small art piece I use are mini-icons from Legacy Icons. See below:
Sorry for the blurriness but my phone wants to focus on the metal pieces. Legacy Icons put out an icon set of all the stations (LINK). You can buy actual bigger icons, but if you get those, be prepared to pay quite a bit. They did release an all – in – one icon that features them all together. I have one of those at an 8×12 size (LINK). They also put out a pamphlet one can use to follow along. Their pamphlet is more geared to someone who is Orthodox and is one I use the most (LINK). See below:
I also use iconography artwork from an artist by the name of Anatolii who sells on Etsy. You can order a digital download of the artwork and then print out for usage. I have printed all stations out in a 5×7 photo size and placed them in plastic photo/card holders. I made a video recently of my recitation of the Way/Stations of the Cross and have uploaded it on youtube. I used this particular artwork during that recording. This is posted below:
As you can see in that video, I also have the Legacy Icon 8×12 “all-in-one” icon on the left. Just a side note, I use the Francis of Assisi version of the Way of the Cross for my reading on that video. If you want to purchase the digital icons featured on the right side of the video, go HERE.
There are two readings/books I want to mention as I find them quite unique. One is by artist Kreg Yingst. This artist creates some amazing woodcuts. Here is the Way of the Cross book:
Now I do want to mention this book uses a new, Post-Vatican II version of the Way of the Cross that follows a more biblical account of the passion. Some of the stations are different and the newer version features 15 rather than 14. I typically follow the “traditional 14” version but will do the 15 occasionally. The book can be purchased HERE. I do recommend checking out the artist’s store as there is some great stuff on there! I also have the Psalms book and HIGHLY recommend it!
The final book I want to recommend is the following by Timothy Radcliffe with art by Martin Erspamer, OSB:
I did not purchase this online as I bought it at the Saint Meinrad Archabbey where Martin Erspamer, OSB is currently a monk there. A quick google search will provide links to the book online. If you ever get a chance to visit the Archabbey, Martin’s work is present everywhere. He has quite the unique style, so I was very happy to get this version of the Way of the Cross with his art. For a video of him check out:
The Way of the Cross meditation is a great way to go through the Passion narrative. I highly recommend picking up the practice if you have not already done so.
Culmination of Wisdom 