Barbelo

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Barbl(Greek:)[1]referstothefirstemanationofGodinseveralformsofGnosticcosmogony.
Barblisoftendepictedasasupremefemaleprinciple,thesinglepassiveantecedentofcreationinits
manifoldness.Thisfigureisalsovariouslyreferredtoas'MotherFather'(hintingatherapparentandrogyny),
'FirstHumanBeing','TheTripleAndrogynousName',or'EternalAeon'.Soprominentwasherplaceamongst
someGnosticsthatsomeschoolsweredesignatedasBarbeliotae,BarblworshippersorBarblgnostics.
Contents[hide]
1 ThenatureofBarbl
1.1 NagHammadiLibrary
1.2 PistisSophia
1.3 Inpatristictexts
1.3.1 Babel
2 Significance
3 Seealso

4 Notes
5 Bibliography
6 Externallinks

ThenatureofBarbl
NagHammadiLibrary

[ edit ]

[ edit ]

IntheApocryphonofJohn,atractateintheNagHammadiLibrarycontainingthemostextensiverecountingof
theSethiancreationmyth,theBarblisdescribedas"thefirstpower,theglory,Barbl,theperfectgloryin
theaeons,thegloryoftherevelation".Allsubsequentactsofcreationwithinthedivinesphere(save,crucially,
thatofthelowestaeonSophia)occursthroughhercoactionwithGod.Thetextdescribesherthus:
Thisisthefirstthought,hisimageshebecamethewombofeverything,foritisshewhoispriorto
themall,theMotherFather,thefirstman(Anthropos),theholySpirit,thethricemale,thethrice
powerful,thethricenamedandrogynousone,andtheeternalaeonamongtheinvisibleones,and
thefirsttocomeforth.
BarblisfoundinotherNagHammadiwritings:
AllogenesmakesreferencetoaTriplePowerfulInvisibleSpirit,amasculinefemalevirgin,whoisthe
Barbl.
TheHolyBookoftheGreatInvisibleSpiritreferstoadivineemanationcalled'Mother',whoisalso
identifiedastheBarbl.
TheGospelofJudasJudasIscariotsaystoJesusthatheknowsthatJesusisfromtheimmortalrealmof
Barbl.
Marsanesseveralplaces.
Melchizedektwice,thesecondtimeinaprayerofMelchizedek:"Holyareyou,Holyareyou,Holyareyou,
Motheroftheaeons,Barbelo,foreverandever,Amen."
TheThreeStelesofSethoffersadescriptionof"thefirstaeon,malevirginalBarbelo,thefirstgloryofthe
invisibleFather,shewhoiscalled'perfect'."
TrimorphicProtennoia('FirstThoughtinThreeForms'),eveninthefirstperson:"Heperpetuatedthe
FatherofallAeons,whoamI,theThoughtoftheFather,Protennoia,thatis,Barbelo,theperfectGlory,
andtheimmeasurableInvisibleOnewhoishidden.IamtheImageoftheInvisibleSpirit,anditisthrough
methattheAlltookshape,and(Iam)theMother(aswellas)theLightwhichsheappointedasVirgin,she
whoiscalled'Meirothea',theincomprehensibleWomb,theunrestrainableandimmeasurableVoice."
ZostrianostheaeonBarblisreferredtoinmanyplaces.

PistisSophia

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InthePistisSophiaBarblisnamedoften,butherplaceisnotclearlydefined.Sheisoneofthegods,"a
greatpoweroftheInvisibleGod"(373),joinedwithHimandthethree"Thricepowerfuldeities"(379),the
motherofPistisSophia(361)andofotherbeings(49)fromherJesusreceivedHis"garmentoflight"or
heavenlybody(13,128cf.116,121)theearthapparentlyisthe"matterofBarbl"(128)orthe"placeof
Barbl"(373).

Inpatristictexts

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SheisobscurelydescribedbyIrenaeusas"aneveragingaeoninavirginalspirit",towhom,accordingto
certain"Gnostici",theInnominableFatherwishedtomanifestHimself,andwho,whenfoursuccessivebeings,
whosenamesexpressthoughtandlife,hadcomeforthfromHim,wasquickenedwithjoyatthesight,and
herselfgavebirthtothree(orfour)otherlikebeings.
SheisnoticedinseveralneighbouringpassagesofEpiphanius,whoinpartmustbefollowingtheCompendium
ofHippolytus,asisshownbycomparisonwithPhilaster(c.33),butalsospeaksfrompersonalknowledgeof
theOphiticsectsspeciallycalled"Gnostici"(i.100f.).ThefirstpassageisinthearticleontheNicolaitans(i.77
f.),butisapparentlyananticipatoryreferencetotheirallegeddescendantsthe"Gnostici"(77APhilast.).
AccordingtotheirviewBarbllives"aboveintheeighthheaven"shehadbeen'putforth'()"of
theFather"shewasmotherofYaldabaoth(somesaid,ofSabaoth),whoinsolentlytookpossessionofthe
seventhheaven,andproclaimedhimselftobetheonlyGodandwhensheheardthiswordshelamented.She
wasalwaysappearingtotheArchonsinabeautifulform,thatbybeguilingthemshemightgatherupherown
scatteredpower.
Others,Epiphaniusfurtherseemstosay(78f.),toldasimilartaleofPrunikos,substitutingCaulacaufor
Yaldabaoth.Inhisnextarticle,onthe"Gnostici",orBorborites(83CD),theideaoftherecoveryofthe
scatteredpowersofBarblrecursassetforthinanapocryphalBookofNoria,Noah'slegendarywife.
ForNoahwasobedienttothearchon,theysay,butNoriarevealedthepowersonhighand
Barbelo,thescionofthepowerstheoppositeofthearchon,astheotherpowersare.Andshe
intimatedthatwhathasbeentakenfromtheMotheronHighbythearchonwhomadetheworld,
andotherswithhimgods,demons,andangelsmustbegatheredfromthepowerinthebodies,
throughthemaleandfemaleemissions.
InbothplacesEpiphaniusrepresentsthedoctrineasgivingrisetosexuallibertinism.MirceaEliadehas
comparedtheseBorboritebeliefsandpracticesinvolvingBarbltoTantricritualsandbeliefs,notingthatboth
systemshaveacommongoalofattainingprimordialspiritualunitythrougheroticblissand
theconsumptionofmensesandsemen.[2]
Inathirdpassage(91f.),enumeratingtheArchonssaidtohavetheirseatineachheaven,Epiphanius
mentionsastheinhabitantsoftheeighthorhighestheaven"herwhoiscalledBarbl",andtheselfgendered
FatherandLordofallthings,andthevirginborn()Christ(evidentlyasherson,foraccordingto
Irenaeusherfirstprogeny,"theLight",wascalledChrist)andsimilarlyhetellshowtheascentofsoulsthrough
thedifferentheavensterminatedintheupperregion,"whereBarbroorBarblis,theMotheroftheLiving"
(Genesis3:20 ).
Theodoret(H.F.f.13)merelyparaphrasesIrenaeus,withafewwordsfromEpiphanius.Jeromeseveraltimes
includesBarblinlistsofportentousnamescurrentinSpanishheresy,thatis,
amongPriscillianistsBalsamusandLeusiborabeingthreetimesassociatedwithit(Ep.75c.3,p.453c.Vall.
c.Vigil.p.393AinEsai.lxvi.4p.361cinAmosiii.9p.257E).
Babel [ edit ]
Babel,inthebookof"Baruch"oftheGnosticJustinus,thenameofthefirstofthetwelve"maternalangels"
borntoElohimandEdem(Hipp.Haer.v.26,p.151).SheisidenticalwithAphrodite,andisenjoinedbyher
mothertocauseadulteriesanddesertionsamongmen,inrevengeforEdem'sdesertionbyElohim(p.154).
WhenHeraclesissentbyElohimas"aprophetoftheuncircumcision"toovercome"thetwelveevilangelsof
thecreation,"i.e.thematernalangels,Babel,nowidenticalwithOmphale,beguilesandenfeebleshim(p.156
x.15,p.323).ShemaypossiblybetheBaaltiorfemaleBaalofvariousSemiticnations,thoughtheintrusive
isnoteasilyexplained.ButitisonthewholepossibletotakeBabel,"confusion"(Joseph.Ant.i.4,3),asa

formofBarbl,whichmayhavethesamemeaning.TheeclecticismofJustinuswouldaccountforhis
depositionofBarblfromthefirsttothesecondplace,wheresheisstillaboveHachamoth.

Significance

[ edit ]

InGnosticaccountsofGod,thenotionsofimpenetrability,stasisandineffabilityareofcentralimportance.The
emanationofBarblmaybesaidtofunctionasanintermediarygenerativeaspectoftheDivine,orasan
abstractionofthegenerativeaspectoftheDivinethroughitsFullness.Themosttranscendenthiddeninvisible
Spiritisnotdepictedasactivelyparticipatingincreation.Thissignificanceisreflectedbothinherapparent
androgyny(reinforcedbyseveralofhergivenepithets),andinthenameBarblitself.Severalplausible
etymologiesofthename(,,,)havebeenproposed.
WilliamWiganHarvey(onIrenaeus),andRichardAdelbertLipsius(Gnosticismus,p.115Ophit.Syst.in
Hilgenfeld'sZeitschriftfor1863,p.445)haveproposedBarbaElo,'TheDeityinFour',withreferenceto
thetetrad,whichbythereportofIrenaeusproceedsfromher.Herrelationtothistetradbearshoweverno
trueanalogytotheColArbaofMarcusitformsonlytheearliestgroupofherprogenyanditismentioned
butonce.
'ThesupremeLimit,'paravela,fromtheIndianvela,'limit'asuggestionmadebyJuliusGrill
(UntersuchungenberdieEntstehungdesviertenEvangeliums,Tbingen,1902,pp.396397),who
connectsitwiththeValentinianHoros,theBarblbeingcalled'thesupremelimit'inrelationtothePatr
akatonomastosontheonesideandtothelowersyzygiesontheother.
WilhelmBousset(HauptproblemederGnosis,Gttingen,1907,p.14f.)suggeststhatthewordisa
mutilationofparthenostheintermediateform,Barthens,actuallyoccurringinEpiphanius(Haer.xxvi.1)
asthenameofNoah'swife.
FentonJohnAnthonyHort(DCBi.235,249)statesthatthe"rootbalbelmuchusedin
theTargums(Buxtorf,Lex,Rabb.309),inbiblicalHebrewbalal,signifyingmixtureorconfusion,suggestsa
betterderivationforBarbelo,asdenotingthechaoticgermofvariousanddiscreteexistence:thechange
fromtoiscommonenough,andmaybeseeninthealternativeform.If
theB [disambiguationneeded]ofJustinus(Hipp.Haer.v.26x.15)isidenticalwithBarbelo,asisatleast
possible,thisderivationbecomesstillmoreprobable."
ItmaybeanadhocCopticconstructionsignifyingboth'GreatEmission'(accordingtoBentleyLayton'sThe
GnosticScriptures)and'Seed'accordingtoF.C.Burkitt(inChurchandGnosis).

Seealso

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Babalon
Borborites

Notes

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1.^Iren.,Epiph.,Philast.,Pist.Soph.,Hier.Epiph.asanalternative,92A,andsimilarlytheEpitome,p.354
Dind.,Epit.l.c.bisTheodoret.
2.^Eliade,Mercea.Occultism,Witchcraft,andCulturalFashions:EssaysinComparativeReligion,pp.109112.
UniversityofChicagoPress,1978.ISBN0226203921

Bibliography

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Danilou,Alain(1984).ShivaandDionysos:TheReligionofNatureandEros.InnerTraditions.ISBN0
892810572.
FreeEncyclopediaofThelema .Barbelo .RetrievedMarch5,2005.

Hoeller,StephanA.(1989).JungandtheLostGospels.QuestBooks.ISBN0835606465.
Jonas,Hans(2001).TheGnosticReligion(3rded.).BeaconPress.ISBN0807058017.
Layton,Bentley(1987).TheGnosticScriptures.SCMPress.ISBN0334020220.
TheNagHammadiLibrary .TheApocryphonofJohn RetrievedOct.21,2004.
Rudolph,Kurt(1987).Gnosis:TheNature&HistoryofGnosticism.Harper&Row.ISBN0060670185.
Williams,Frank(1987).ThePanarionofEpiphaniusofSalamis.2volumes.LeidenNewYorkKbenhavn
Kln:E.J.Brill.
Woodroffe,SirJohn(1929).ShaktiandShakta .Ganesh&Co.
Attribution
Thisarticleincorporatestextfromaworkinthepublicdomain:Hort,FentonJohnAnthony(1877).
"Babel".InSmith,WilliamWace,Henry.ADictionaryofChristianBiography,Literature,Sectsand
Doctrines .VolumeI.London:JohnMurray.p.235.
Thisarticleincorporatestextfromaworkinthepublicdomain:Hort,FentonJohnAnthony(1877).
"Barbelo".InSmith,WilliamWace,Henry.ADictionaryofChristianBiography,Literature,Sectsand
Doctrines .VolumeI.London:JohnMurray.pp.24849.
Thisarticleincorporatestextfromapublicationnowinthepublicdomain:Herbermann,Charles,ed.
(1913)."articlenameneeded".CatholicEncyclopedia.NewYork:RobertAppleton.
Thisarticleincorporatestextfromaworkinthepublicdomain:Moffatt,James(1919)."PistisSophia".In
James,William.EncyclopdiaofReligionandEthics .VolumeX.NewYork:CharlesScribner'sSons.
p.46.

Externallinks

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DarkMirrorsofHeaven:GnosticCosmogony