Luminary (Gnosticism)

In Sethian Gnosticism, a luminary is an angel-like being (or heavenly dwelling place in the Apocryphon of John). Four luminaries are typically listed in Sethian Gnostic texts, such as the Secret Book of John, the Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit, and Zostrianos. The luminaries are considered to be emanations of the supreme divine triad consisting of the Father (Invisible Spirit), the Mother (Barbelo), and the Child (Autogenes). Listed from highest to lowest hierarchical order, they are:^[1]^[2]

Harmozel (or Armozel)
Oroiael
Daveithe (or Daveithai)
Eleleth

Eleleth

Eleleth is a luminary in Gnostic cosmology and one of the four Sethian luminaries. Eleleth appears in Hypostasis of the Archons, Apocryphon of John, and The Three Forms of the First Thought found in the Nag Hammadi library in 1945 and is probably mentioned in the Gospel of Judas as El.^[3]

In The Hypostasis of the Archons, Eleleth comes down from the pleroma to save Norea after she cried out to the Monad for help against the Archons, who try to seize her. After Eleleth appeared, the Archons withdraw from Norea, and Eleleth informs Norea about her true origin and the origin of the world.^[4]

Parallels in Mandaeism

In Mandaeism, a few Qulasta prayers list the names of lesser-known uthras in sets of four. They are referred to as the "four men, the sons of peace" (arba gubria bnia šlama) in Qulasta prayers 8, 49, 71, 75, and 77, as well as Right Ginza 5.4, 14, and 15.8. Qulasta prayer 17 and Left Ginza 1.2 refer to them as the "four uthras, the sons of light" (arba ʿutria bnia nhura). Mark J. Lofts (2010) considers them to be parallel to the Four Luminaries in Sethian Gnosticism. Qulasta prayers 17 and 77 list them as:^[5]

Rhum-Hai ("Mercy")
Īn-Hai ("Wellspring" or "Source of Life"^[6])
Šum-Hai ("Name")
Zamar-Hai ("Singer")

Qulasta prayer 49 lists the "four men, the sons of peace" as:

Īn-Hai
Šum-Hai (Šum can mean both Shem and "Name")
Ziw-Hai ("Radiance")
Nhur-Hai ("Light")

These four uthras are considered to be the kings (malkia) of the North Star, who give strength and life to the sun. Together with Malka Ziwa (another name for Hayyi Rabbi), they make up the "five primal beings of light." Conversely, Mandaeans consider the "five lords of the World of Darkness" to be Zartai-Zartanai, Hag and Mag, Gap and Gapan, Šdum, and Krun (the paired demons are considered to rule together as single lords).^[7] (See Manichaeism § The World of Light for similar parallels.)

References

^ Meyer, Marvin (2007). The Nag Hammadi scriptures. New York: HarperOne. ISBN 978-0-06-162600-5. OCLC 124538398.
^ Barnstone, Willis (2003). The Gnostic Bible. Boston: Shambhala. ISBN 1-57062-242-6. OCLC 51984869.
^ Lance Jenott The Gospel of Judas: Coptic Text, Translation, and Historical Interpretation of 'the Betrayer's Gospel Mohr Siebeck 2011 ISBN 978-3-161-50978-0 page 94
^ Willis Barnstone, Marvin Meyer. The Gnostic Bible: Revised and Expanded Edition. Shambhala Publications, 2009. ISBN 978-0-834-82414-0 page 194-195
^ Lofts, Mark J. (2010). "Mandaeism: the sole extant tradition of Sethian Gnosticism". ARAM Periodical. 22: 31–59. doi:10.2143/ARAM.22.0.2131031.
^ Gelbert, Carlos; Lofts, Mark J. (2011). Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780958034630.
^ Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.

[NH-Meyer-1] Meyer, Marvin (2007). The Nag Hammadi scriptures. New York: HarperOne. ISBN 978-0-06-162600-5. OCLC 124538398.

[Gnostic_Bible-2] Barnstone, Willis (2003). The Gnostic Bible. Boston: Shambhala. ISBN 1-57062-242-6. OCLC 51984869.

[3] Lance Jenott The Gospel of Judas: Coptic Text, Translation, and Historical Interpretation of 'the Betrayer's Gospel Mohr Siebeck 2011 ISBN 978-3-161-50978-0 page 94

[4] Willis Barnstone, Marvin Meyer. The Gnostic Bible: Revised and Expanded Edition. Shambhala Publications, 2009. ISBN 978-0-834-82414-0 page 194-195

[5] Lofts, Mark J. (2010). "Mandaeism: the sole extant tradition of Sethian Gnosticism". ARAM Periodical. 22: 31–59. doi:10.2143/ARAM.22.0.2131031.

[GR_Gelbert-6] Gelbert, Carlos; Lofts, Mark J. (2011). Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780958034630.

[auto2-7] Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.

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Luminary (Gnosticism)

Eleleth

Parallels in Mandaeism

See also

References

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