Good morning everyone,
Since we were talking about gnosticism a bit last night I decided to post one of the only remaining Ophite texts, 'The Hymn of the Naasenes'.
Basic info: The Ophites/Naasenes were a gnostic sect that worshipped the serpent as the bringer of Gnosis/Knowledge to Adam and Eve by suggesting to take the fruit. As in all gnosticism Jehovah/Yahweh/Yaldabaoth/Saklas(Fool) /Samael (Blind God) is the evil Demiurge of this world, the bad guy of the story.
This particular hymn deals with the fallen Aeon Sophia/Wisdom. After her fall that creates Yaldabaoth and eventually this material world, her syzygos (Divine Twin) Jesus is sent from the Pleroma (Fullness) to teach gnosis to the elect so that they may escape Yahweh's prison world.
The Hymn of the Naasenes
The Law of Universal Genesis was the firstborn nous
the second Chaos shed by the firstborn
The third was received by the soul
Clad in the shape of a hind
She is worn away with death´s slavery,
Now she has mastery and glimpses light:
Now she is plunged in misery and weeps.
Now she is mourned, and her self rejoices.
Now she weeps and is finally condemned.
Now she is condemned and finally dies.
And now she reaches the point where hemmed in by evil,
She knows no way out.
Misled, she has entered a labyrinth.
Then Jesus said "Behold, Father,
She wanders the earth pursued by evil.
Far from thy Breath she is going astray.
She is trying to flee bitter Chaos,
And does not know how she is to escape.
Send me forth, O Father, therefore,
And I, bearing the seal shall descend
And wander all Aeons through,
All mysteries reveal.
I shall manifest the forms of the gods
And teach them the secrets of the holy way which I call Gnosis."
(Quoted in Hippolytus, The Refutation of All Heresies, Lib. V Cap. V.)
In Knowledge, :)
Deus Mauzzim