PistisSophia

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PistisSophia(Greek:)isaGnostictextdiscoveredin1773,[1]possiblywrittenbetweenthe
3rd[2]and4thcenturiesAD.[3]Theexistingmanuscript,whichsomescholarsplaceinthelate4th
century,[4]relatesoneGnosticgroup'steachingsofthetransfiguredJesustotheassembleddisciples
(includinghismotherMary,MaryMagdalene,andMartha).Inthistext,therisenJesushadspentelevenyears
speakingwithhisdisciples,teachingthemonlythelowermysteries.Afterelevenyears,hereceiveshistrue
garmentandisabletorevealthehighermysteriesreveredbythisgroup.Theprizedmysteriesrelateto
complexcosmologiesandknowledgenecessaryforthesoultoreachthehighestdivinerealms.
Muchofthefirsttwobooksofthemanuscriptarededicatedtooutliningthemythofthefallandrestorationof
thefigureknownasPistisSophia,inparticulargivingdetailedparallelsbetweenherprayersofrepentanceand
particularPsalmsandOdesofSolomon.
AlthoughinmanyGnostictextsandsystemsSophiaisamajorfemaledivinity,inPistisSophiasheoriginates
anddwellsoutsideofthedivinerealm.HerfallandredemptionparallelthatfoundinversionsoftheSophia
mythsuchasthatintheApocryphonofJohn,buttheactionsalltakeplaceinthematerialaeons,andshecan
onlyberestoredtoherplaceinthethirteenthaeon,outsidetheKingdomofLight.
Contents[hide]
1 TheAskewCodex
2 Text
2.1 FirstBook
2.2 SecondBook
2.3 ThirdBook

2.4 FourthBook
3 Cosmology
4 KeyFigures
4.1 PistisSophia
4.2 Authades
4.3 Jesus
4.4 Jeu
4.5 ZorokothoraMelchisedek
4.6 TheGreatSabaoth,theGood
4.7 Sabaoth,theAdamas
5 Analysis
5.1 ParallelsandOutsideInfluences
6 References
7 Bibliography
7.1 EditionsoftheCoptictext
8 Externallinks

TheAskewCodex

[ edit ]

PistisSophiahasbeenpreservedinasingleCopticmanuscript
originallycomprising178leavesofparchment,butcurrentlyconsisting
of174leaves.This"AskewCodex"waspurchasedbytheBritish
Museum(nowBritishLibrary)in1785fromAnthonyAskew.Thetitle
"PistisSophia"()wasassignedbyKarlGottfriedWoide,
basedonatitleatthebeginningofBook2,"TheSecondBookofthe
PistisSophia,"whichwasaddedbyalaterhand.Carl

Thephrase"Jesus,whoiscalled
Aberamentho"intheoriginalCoptic

Schmidtsuggests(Greek,BooksoftheSaviour),
basedonatitlefoundattheendofthesamebook.[5]
TheexpressionPistisSophiaisobscure,anditsEnglishtranslationsvaried:FaithWisdom,WisdominFaith,
orFaithinWisdom.TotheGnostics,SophiawasadivinesyzygyofChrist,ratherthansimplyaword
meaningwisdom,andthiscontextsuggeststheinterpretationTheFaithofSophia.BoththeBerlinCodexand
apapyruscodexatNagHammadihaveanearlier,simplerSophiawhereinthetransfiguredChrist
explainsPistisobscurely:
Again,hisdisciplessaid:Tellusclearlyhowtheycamedownfromtheinvisibilities,fromtheimmortaltothe
worldthatdies?
TheperfectSavioursaid:SonofManconsentedwithSophia,hisconsort,andrevealeda
greatandrogynouslight.Itsmalenameisdesignated'Saviour,begetterofallthings'.Itsfemalenameis
designated'AllbegettressSophia'.Somecallher'Pistis'.
Theworkisdividedintoseveralparts,withscholarlydebateastothenumberofparts.Themostcommonview
isthattheworkconsistsoffourbooks,[6]butsomescholarshavepositedasmanyasfiveorsix
books.[7][8][9]Additionally,thecodexcontainstwofragmentsinalaterhandthatarenotdirectlyconnectedto
anyofthemainbooks.
UntilthediscoveryoftheNagHammadilibraryin1945,theAskewCodexwasoneofthreecodicesthat
containedalmostalloftheGnosticwritingsthathadsurvivedthesuppressionofsuchliteraturebothinEast
andWest,theothertwocodicesbeingtheBruceCodexandtheBerlinCodex.Asidefromtheseprimary
sources,everythingwrittenaboutGnosticismbeforetheNagHammadilibrarybecameavailableisbasedon

quotes,characterizations,andcaricaturesinthewritingsoftheenemiesofGnosticism.Thepurposeofthese
heresiologicalwritingswaspolemical,presentingGnosticteachingsasabsurd,bizarre,andselfserving,and
asanaberrantheresyfromaprotoorthodoxandorthodoxChristianstandpoint.

Text

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Theworkasawholeshowsclearsignsofhavingbeencompiledfrom
multiplesources,withonlythefirsttwobooksfollowingdirectlyoneach
other.Evenwithinasinglebook,occasionallymultiple,differing
accountsofasingleeventorcosmologicaloutlineappear,suggesting
theuseandpreservationofseveralsources.Changesinterminology
andcosmologicaldescriptionbetweenbooksalsoshowsthatitisa
compilationoftextsthatmayhavebeenwrittenoveraperiodofsome
time.
Thebulkofthetext(Books13)isintheformofadialoguebetween

Jesusappearstohisdisciplesafter
theresurrection

Jesusandthedisciples,bothmaleandfemale.MaryMagdaleneisthe
mostfeatureddisciple,whoprovidesmanyquestionsandscriptural
interpretationsJohntheVirginisthesecondmostprominent.Otherfiguresnamedasfollowersinclude
Andrew,Bartholomew,James,John,MarythemotherofJesus,Martha,Matthew,Peter,Philip,Salome,Simon
theCanaanite,andThomas.

FirstBook

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Thefirstbook(Chapters162)establishesthatJesusremainedwiththedisciplesfor11yearsafterthe
resurrection,teachingthemonlythelowestofthemysteries.Atacertainpoint,heascendsandtraverses
theaeons,defeatingthewickedarchons,beforereturningtospeakwiththedisciplesfurther.Itconnects
Jesusactionstotheeffectivenessofastrologersintheworlditsuggestshehasreduced,butnoteliminated,
theeffectivenessofastrologicalmagic.ThisleadsintotheintroductionofthemythofPistisSophiasfalland
restoration,whichtakesupthebulkofboththefirstandsecondbook.PistisSophiarecitesseveral
prayers/repentances,andaftereachoneadiscipleinterpretstherepentanceinlightofoneof
thePsalmsorOdesofSolomon.
UnlikeotherversionsoftheGnosticmyth,suchastheApocryphonofJohn,herePistisSophiaisabeingofthe
lower,materialaeons.Sheisnotahigh,divinebeing,andherrestorationisnottotherealmsoflight,butonly
backtoherplaceinthethirteenthaeon.Thisissignificantindistinguishingthetheologyofthisbookfromother
Gnosticsystemsitprioritizesitsown,distinctcosmologyandmythologyabovetheSophiamyth,whichtothis
authorrepresentsinferior,materialstruggles.

SecondBook

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ThisbookmakesupChapters63101.AftertheconclusionofthestoryofPistisSophia,thetextturnsto
lengthyexplanationsofcosmologyandtheknowledgeofferedbythemysteriesofthisauthorssystem.The
endofthebookalsosuggeststhecloseconnectionofthisworkwiththeBooksofJeufoundintheBruce
Codex(Chapter99).

ThirdBook

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Thethirdbook(Chapters102135)ismostlyconcernedwithpresentinganethicalorlifestylecodefor
adherentsofthetext.Itoutlineswhatisneededforrightthoughtandrightaction,aswellasactionsthatare
notacceptableandtheirpunishments.Italsodiscussesatlengththedisseminationofthemysteries,

repentance,andwhenitisorisnotpermissibletograntthemysteries
toothers.Finally,itdiscussestheformationofthehumanbeing,its
components,andhowtheyareconnected.AgaintheBooksofJeuare
referenced(Chapter134),withthestipulationthattheycontain
mysteriesthatarenecessaryforall,includingtherighteous.

FourthBook

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Partoneofthisbook(Chapters136143)dealswithcosmologicaland
astrologicalspeculation,andritualdevelopment.Itpresentsamythof
fallenarchonsoftheaeonsbeingimprisonedwithinthezodiacal
sphereoutlinesfiverealmsofpunishment(theMidst,mhte)andthe
typesofsinnerseachholdsandgivesspecificconfigurationsofthe
planetsinthezodiacthatallowsoulstobereleasedfromeachregion.
Jesusalsointerpretstheelementsofhisincarnationandtheirrolein
theworld,andadministersthebaptismofthefirstofferingtohis
disciples.
Thesecondpartofwhatiscommonlythoughtofasthefourthbook

JesuswithMaryMagdalene

(chapters144148)appearsafteralacunainthetext,andisprobably
partofaseparatebook.[10]Itscosmologyisdifferenttotheprecedingtext,anditfocusesentirelyonthe
destinyofvarioustypesofsoulsandthepunishmentsofsinners.Someofthesinslistedareduplicatesfrom
partoneofbookfour,butlistdifferentpunishments.

Cosmology

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CosmologyisaprimaryfocusofthePistisSophialearningthestructureoftheuniverseandhowtotraverse
itisconsideredkeyinthesetexts,andthecosmologyisoneofthemostcomplexfromanyGnostictext
remainingtoday.Summarizingthecosmologyisfurthercomplicatedbecausethestructureisslightlydifferent
ineachofitsseparatebooks,withcertainrealmsaddedandremoved.
Somescholarshavesuggestedcosmologiesencompassingtheentiretyofthecodex[11][12]recentlyanoutline
hasbeenmadelookingatthecosmologyofeachtextindividually.[13]Ageneraloverviewcouldbeseenas:
TheTreasuryofLight(theplaceoftherightseparateregionsinBooks1&2only)
TheMidst(mesos)
Thethirteenthaeon(excludedinBook3andparttwoofBook4)
Thetwelveaeons/heimarmene(separateregionsinBooks1&2only)
Thefirstsphere(Books1&2only)
Thefirmament(Books1&2only)
Amente(Book3andparttwoofBook4only)
Chaos(Book3andparttwoofBook4only)
TheMidst(mhte)(Books3&4only)
TheOuterDarkness(Books3&4only)
Notably,theportionofBooks1&2dealingwiththemythofPistisSophiasfallandredemptionuseadifferent
cosmologyfromtherestofthosebooks.Themostcontroversialpointinthisalternatecosmologicalconception

isreferencetothethirteenthaeon,PistisSophiashome,asaplaceofrighteousnessthisviewofthe
thirteenthaeonisabsentfromtherestofthetext.[14]
InBooks13,alltheregionsexceptforthepunishmentrealmsarealsoknownastheSpacesoftheFirst
Mystery,andinBooks1&2,alltheregionsfromthethirteenthaeondownwardareconsideredtheOuter
Darkness.
Generallyspeaking,theaeonicrealmsrepresentthematerialuniverse,boundedbythestarsandthezodiac.
TheMidstisthespacedividingthisregionfromtheupperrealms,andissometimesawaitingspaceforsouls
beforebeingallowedtoenterthelightrealms.Thegoalofthesoulistoascendbeyondtheaeonsandenter
theupperrealmsoflight.Thisisachievedbyreceivingthemysteriesofferedbythegrouprepresentedby
thesetexts.
Themysteriesarenotexplicitlylistedinthetextaninitiatewouldmostlikelyhavetoprovehimorherself
worthybylivingforsomeperiodaccordingtotheethicalguidelinesprovidedinthetextsbeforeundergoingthe
baptismsandgainingaccesstothemysteries.TheBooksofJeuarenotedasasourceofthemysteriesitis
probablethatthetextsfoundintheBruceCodexareverysimilar,ifnotidentical,withthesetexts.

KeyFigures
PistisSophia

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[ edit ]

ThestoryofPistisSophiasfallandrestoration(chapters2982)dominatesmuchofBooks1&2.Shedwellsin
thethirteenthaeon,istrickedintoleavingheraeonanddescendingintoChaos,hasherlightpowerstolen,
andisnotallowedtoreturntoherplaceuntilJesusascendsthroughtheaeons.Sherecitesmanyrepentances
andprayers,andisrepeatedlypersecutedbywickedarchonticbeingsbeforebeingallowedtowaitjustoutside
ofthethirteenthaeonforrestoration.
Itisnoteworthythatsheisnotadivinebeing,asportrayedinotherversionsoftheGnosticmythsuchasthe
ApocryphonofJohn.Sheisabeingofthematerialaeons,andherrestorationisonlyasfarasthethirteenth
materialaeon.ThemythasawholeseemstohavebeenadoptedtoaddressthebeliefsofanotherGnostic
group,andtoassertthesuperiorityofthistextssystem:humanswhoreceivethemysteriesofthisgroupcan
surpassPistisSophiaandreachthedivinerealmsoflight.

Authades

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AuthadesistheequivalentofIaldabaoth/thedemiurgeinversionsoftheSophiamythsuchasthatfoundinthe
ApocryphonofJohn.UnlikeIaldabaoth,heisnotcreatedbytheSophiafigure,andinfactheholdsaslightly
higherhierarchicalpositionthanPistisSophia.Hissiniswishingtoruleallthematerialaeons,andhegrows
jealouswhenPistisSophiachoosestoworshipthelightratherthancontinuingthewaysoftheaeons.
AuthadesappearsonlyinthechaptersdealingwiththeSophiamythelsewhereSabaoththeAdamasisthe
representativeofevilinthesetexts.

Jesus

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Jesusservesasateacherorinstructor,teachinghisdisciplesinformationaboutthedivineworldtheywillneed
toprogresstoahigherstateofbeing,aswellasknowledgeofthecosmicrealms,theirinhabitants,andtheir
functions.Heteachesthedisciplesbaptismalrites,andinstructsthemtogivetheseritestoallwhoshow
themselvesworthy.Heiscloselytiedtothehighestdivinebeing.However,littlesignificanceisgiventohis
earthlyincarnationtheritualbreadandwineinthebaptismisnotassociatedwiththeChristianEucharist,and
thecrucifixionandresurrectionplaylittlerole.Here,heonlygainshistruegarmentandteachesthedisciples

thehighermysterieselevenyearsafterhisresurrectiondownplayingversionsofChristianityclaiminghis
earlierteachingsasultimatetruth.

Jeu

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Thisisthedemiurgeofthesetexts.JeudwellsintheTreasuryofLightandorganizesthecosmos.Heplaces
thearchonsandtheaeonsintheirproperplaces,andassignspowerstotheplanets,effectivelyofferinga
divineoriginforastrology.ThisisparticularlynoteworthygiventheanticosmicnatureofsomeotherGnostic
groups.
HeissometimesreferredtoastheFatherofJesusFather.JeuisconsideredthefatheroftheGreat
Sabaoth,theGood,whoprovidesthesoultoJesusearthlyincarnationthusJeuisthefatherofJesus
earthlyfather.ThedivineJesustruefatherremainsthehighest,ineffablegod.

ZorokothoraMelchisedek

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OftenreferredtosimplyasMelchisedek,thisfigurealsodwellsintheTreasuryofLightorPlaceoftheRight.
Hisprimaryroleisoverseeingtransportoflightfromthelowerrealmstothehigherlightrealmsasitbecomes
purified.HissubordinatesalsodelivercertainsoulsoutofthepunishmentregionswhenbelieversonEarth
prayforthem.

TheGreatSabaoth,theGood

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Asmentionedabove,thisfigureprovidesapowerorsoulforJesusearthlyincarnation,makinghimeffectively
Jesusearthlyfather.ThisroleismostwidelydiscussedthroughextensiveinterpretationsofPsalm85:1011in
Chapters6263.

Sabaoth,theAdamas

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ThisistheprimaryrepresentativeofevilorwickednessinthemajorityofthePistisSophia.Heisaccusedof
inappropriatesexualconduct,begettingarchonsandotherbeings,andasaresultheisimprisonedinthe
boundsofthezodiac,orthematerialuniverse.Forthosehumansoulswhodidnotreceivethemysteries
beforedeathandarethusboundtobereincarnatedintheworld,heisalsoresponsibleforgivingthecupof
forgetfulness,denyingthemtheknowledgetheyhadacquiredfrompreviouslivesandpunishments.

Analysis

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Themanuscriptisorganizedasanintroductorymanualforanew,potentialinitiate.Thefirsttwobookstakea
radicalapproachtothewellknownmythofSophiasfallandredemption,reducingthestorytoataleof
strugglebetweenmaterialbeingswhomhumanshavethepotentialtosurpass.Theyassertthatallofthe
knowledgeimpartedbyJesusafterhisresurrectionwasinferiortothatpossessedbythisauthoronlyafter
elevenyearsdidhetakeuphistruegarmentandtellthedisciplesthehighestmysteries.Toareaderwhowas
familiarwithother,particularlyGnostic,formsofChristianity,thiswouldhavebeenstriking,butmightalsodrive
thehearertowanttolearnmoreaboutthesetruerandhighermysteries.
Thethirdbookaddressesreadersthat,havingreadtheprevious,wanttogainaccesstothesehigher
mysteries.Itexplainstheethicalcodeofconductrequiredtobeconsideredforinitiation,includingpunishments
forparticularsins.Italsogivessomehopetothosewhofindthestrictrulesdaunting,asitoutlinesconditions
forbeingallowedtoreceivethemysteriesagainafterslippingbackintosin.Uptothispoint,whilethe
mysteriesnecessaryforsalvationfromthelowerrealmshavebeenmentioned,theyarenotexplainedthe
initiatemustprovehimorherselfsufficientlyworthythroughrightliving.

Thefourthbookisthenintendedforsomeoneabouttoundergothefirstbaptism.Althoughitcontainssome
moralinstruction,itprimarilygivesexplanationsuniquetothisgroupabouthowandwhytheworldisthewayit
is.Itprovidesanoutlineofwhattoexpectforthefirstbaptism.Whileitacknowledgesthattwomorebaptisms
mustfollowit,thesearenotdescribedtheinitiatemustpersistonthepathandmeettherequirementsto
experiencethelaterrites.
Frombeginningtoend,thePistisSophiatakesnewfollowersfromfirstencounteringthegroupsteachings,
addressinganenvironmentwhereotherformsofChristianGnosticismwereprobablymorepopular,alltheway
totheirinitialbaptism.

ParallelsandOutsideInfluences

[ edit ]

ThetextsshowstrongsignsofknowledgeofSethianGnostictexts,particularlytheApocryphonofJohn,as
shownbytheirradicalreinterpretationoftheSophiamyth,aswellassomeofthelanguageusedindiscussing
thecomponentsofhumanbeingsastheyareformedtoentertheworld.Thebasisoftheunderlyingsystem
however,hasstrongEgyptianties,rangingfromdescriptionsofthesolardisc,certainanimalfaceddeities,the
serpentthatenclosestheworld,anddecanstarsasastronomicaldeterminants.IftheBooksofJeu,whichare
referencedmultipletimesassourcesofthemysteries,arethosefoundintheBruceCodex,thentheyalso
showcloseaffinitytotheEgyptianBookoftheDeadwiththeirformulasforascendingthroughtherealms
beyondtheworld.
Astrologicalinfluenceisalsoprevalentthroughout,particularlyinBook4withthefocusonplanetaryalignments
determiningthemovementofsouls,andinBook1withtheexplanationofJesusactionsagainstthearchons
removingsomeoftheastrologerspower.Therearefurthermoresignsofpossibleinteractionwith
theManichaeans,suchassolarandlunarimagery,treeimagery,themethodofpurificationandtransportof
lightthroughdifferentrealms,orBook4'sdivisionofthewayoftheMidst(mhte)intofiveregions.
ItispossiblethattheauthorsmayhavebeenfamiliarwiththeEnochiantradition,astheyattributetheBooksof
JeutoEnoch,andmakereferencetoknowledgebroughtbytransgressingangels,suggestingthemesfoundin
1Enoch78.
ThereareveryfewsignsofinfluencefromprotoorthodoxChristianity.TheprimaryOldTestamentreferences
arethePsalmsfoundinthemythofthePistisSophia,andthenamesofafewofthepatriarchswhowill
achievesalvation.ThePsalmsareusedwhollyasallegoricalvehiclesforinterpretationofthePistisSophia
myth.WhilethereareafewNewTestamentreferencesscatteredthroughout,thesestemprimarilyfromthe
gospelofMatthew.[15]ThetextsinglesoutMatthew,Philip,andThomasasthosechargedtorecordJesus
wordsanddeeds,suggestingthegrouphadtheirownthreefoldgospel.Paulismentionedonlyonce.Given
thesignificantinfluencefromotherGnostictextsinthemanuscript,itisprobablethatthescripturesreferenced
wereobtainedfromaChristianGnosticgroup,ratherthanfromaprotoorthodoxChristiancommunity.
Furthermore,JesusobservesinChapter7thathehasonlycomefromtheFirstMysterythetruegodwho
existsfromthebeginning,justnownotpriortomycrucifixion,butnow.Thismakesthecasethathislife,
death,andallofhispostresurrectionactionsuptothewritingofthistextarelackingindivinenature.Inallthat
time,heprovidedhisfollowersonlythelowestofthemysteriesonly11yearsaftertheresurrectiondoeshe
receivethegarmentfromonhighthatenableshimtorevealthetrueknowledgerequiredforsalvation.

References

[ edit ]

1.^Jones,p.45.
2.^Mead1921,pp.xxixxxxviii.
3.^Pearson,p.74.
4.^Horton,p.136

5.^CarlSchmidt,KoptischgnostischeSchriftenS.XIV
6.^H.C.Puech,"ThePistisSophia,"362inNewTestamentApocrypha,Volume1W.Schneemelcher,ed.,R.McL.
Wilson,trans.(Cambridge:JamesClarke&Co.Ltd.,1991),361369.
7.^F.Legge,Introduction,PistisSophia,G.Horner,ed.andtrans.(London:SocietyforPromotingChristian
Knowledge,1924),viixlviii.
8.^E.Evans,TheBooksofJeuandthePistisSophiaasHandbookstoEternity(Leiden:Brill,2015),89.
9.^G.R.S.Mead,PistisSophia:TheGnosticTraditionofMaryMagdalene,Jesus,andHisDisciples(1921reprint:
Mineola,NY:DoverPublications,2005),xxiiixxv.
10.^E.Evans,TheBooksofJeuandthePistisSophiaasHandbookstoEternity,141153.
11.^C.Schmidt,GnostischeSchrifteninkoptischerSpracheausdemCodexBrucianus(Leipzig:J.C.Hinrichssche
Buchhandlung,1892),347348.
12.^G.R.S.Mead,FragmentsofaFaithForgotten(1905reprint:NewYork:UniversityBooks,1960),574575.
13.^E.Evans,TheBooksofJeuandthePistisSophiaasHandbookstoEternity,269.
14.^E.Evans,TheBooksofJeuandthePistisSophiaasHandbookstoEternity,242.
15.^FordiscussionofChapter141,whichincludesasectionwithinterpretationofpassagesfromseveralgospelsprior
tothefirstbaptism,seeE.Evans,TheBooksofJeuandthePistisSophiaasHandbookstoEternity,129.

Attribution
Thisarticleincorporatestextfromaworkinthepublicdomain:Lipsius,RichardAdelbert(1887),"Pistis
Sophia",inSmith,WilliamWace,Henry,ADictionaryofChristianBiography,Literature,Sectsand
Doctrines ,VolumeIV,London:JohnMurray,pp.405415.DownloadscannedbookasDJVU[1] or
PDF[2]

Bibliography

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volumesboundasoneed.).NewYork:UniversityBooks.LCCN6424125 .
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Legge,Francis(1924).Horner,G.,ed.IntroductiontothePistisSophia.London:SocietyforPromoting
ChristianKnowledge.pp.viixlviii.
Harris,J.R.Mingana,A.(eds.).TheOdesandPsalmsofSolomon.Manchester.Text 1916Translation
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Hurtak,JamesandD.E.Hurtak,PistisSophiaTextandCommentary.LosGatos:AcademyForFuture
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Mead,G.R.S.(1921).PistisSophia .London:J.M.Watkins.
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Pearson,BirgerAlbert(2004).GnosticismandChristianity:InRomanandCopticEgypt .NewYork&
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EditionsoftheCoptictext

[ edit ]

Schwartze,MoritzGotthilfPetermann,JuliusHeinrich,eds.(1851).PistisSophiaopusgnosticumValentino
adiudicatumecodicomanuscriptocopticoLondinensi (inLatin).Berlin.FirsteditioninCopticwithaLatin
translation.ThisworkofSchwartzewaspublishedpostumbyPetermann.
Schmidt,Carl,ed.(1905).DiePistisSophia.DiebeidenBcherdesJe.Unbekanntesaltgnostisches
Werk (inGerman).Band1DiePistisSophia.Leipzig:Hinrichs.
Schmidt,Carl,ed.(1925).PistisSophia,eingnostischesOriginalwerkdesdrittenJahrhundertsausdem
Koptischenbersetzt.InneuerBearbeitungmiteinleitendenUntersuchungenundIndices (inGerman).
Leipzig:Hinrichs.4thed.Berlin1981.Germantranslation.
Schmidt,Carl,ed.(1925).PistisSophia (inGerman).Coptica2,Hauniae.GyldendalskeBoghandel
NordiskForlag.GermanintroductionandCopticText.
Schmidt,CarlMacDermot,Violet,eds.(1978).PistisSophia .NagHammadiStudies9.Leiden:E.J.
Brill.ISBN9004056351.

Externallinks

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EarlyChristianWritings :PistisSophia