Pistis Sophia: A Fourth Book 126

The fourth section of the Askew Codex in Mead's 1921 English (chapters 126-135; see the First Book's introduction). Jesus answers Mary on the fate of sinners: the dragon of the outer darkness, the twelve dungeons of chastisement, the names of their rulers and the angels who watch their doors. The disciples bewail the fate of sinners, and Jesus explains how the souls of sinners can be saved by the mysteries, the cup of the water of forgetfulness that is given to a soul before it is sent into a new body, the "counterfeiting spirit" that accompanies every soul, and the fashioning of a new soul. The section ends with the scribe's own subscription, "A portion of the Books of the Saviour". Not part of any church's canon.

1And Mary continued again and said unto Jesus: "In what type is the outer darkness; or rather how many regions of chastisement are there in it?"

2And Jesus answered and said unto Mary: "The outer darkness is a great dragon, whose tail is in his mouth, outside the whole world and surrounding the whole world. And there are many regions of chastisement within it. There are twelve mighty chastisement-dungeons and a ruler is in every dungeon and the face of the rulers is different one from another.

3"And the first ruler, who is in the first dungeon, hath a crocodile's face, whose tail is in his mouth. And out of the jaws of the dragon cometh all ice and all dust and all cold and all different diseases. This [is] he who is called with his authentic name in his region 'Enchthonin.'

4"And the ruler who is in the second dungeon,--a cat's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region 'Charachar.'

5"And the ruler who is in the third dungeon,--a dog's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region 'Archarōch.'

6"And the ruler who is in the fourth dungeon,--a serpent's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region 'Achrōchar.'

7"And the ruler who is in the fifth dungeon,--a black bull's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region 'Marchūr.'

8"And the ruler who is in the sixth dungeon,--a wild boar's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region 'Lamchamōr.'

9"And the ruler who is in the seventh dungeon, --a bear's face is his authentic face. This [is] he who is called in his region with his authentic name 'Luchar.'

10"And the ruler of the eighth dungeon,--a vulture's face is his authentic face, whose name in his region is called 'Laraōch.'

11"And the ruler of the ninth dungeon,--a basilisk's face is his authentic face, whose name in his region is called 'Archeōch.'

12"And in the tenth dungeon is a multitude of rulers, and every one of them hath seven dragon's heads in his authentic face. And he who is over them all is in his region with his name called Xarmarōch.'

13"And in the eleventh dungeon is a multitude of rulers,--and every one of them hath seven cat-faced heads in his authentic face. And the great one over them is called in his region Rōchar.'

14"And in the twelfth dungeon is an exceedingly great multitude of rulers, and every one of them hath seven dog-faced heads in his authentic face. And the great one over them is called in his region 'Chrēmaōr.'

15"These rulers then of these twelve dungeons are inside the dragon of the outer darkness, each and every one of them hath a name every hour, and every one of them changeth his face every hour. And moreover every one of these dungeons hath a door opening upwards, so that the dragon of the outer darkness hath twelve dark dungeons, and every dungeon hath a door opening upwards. And an angel of the height watcheth each of the doors of the dungeons,--whom Yew, the First Man, the overseer of the Light, the envoy of the First Commandment, hath established as watchers of the dragon, so that the dragon and the rulers of his dungeons which are in him, may not mutiny."