Against Heresies: Book I

The all-wise Sige then announced the creation of the twenty-four elements to him as follows: Along with Monotes, there coexisted Henotes, from which two productions emerged, as we mentioned before, Monas and Hen, which, added to the other two, make four, since two times two are four. Again, when you add two and four together, you get the number six. Further, these six, when multiplied by four, result in the twenty-four forms. The names of the first Tetrad, which are considered most holy and beyond words, are known only by the Son, while the Father also understands them. The other names, which are to be spoken with respect, faith, and reverence, are, according to him, Arrhetos and Sige, Pater and Aletheia. Now, the total number of this Tetrad amounts to twenty-four letters; for the name Arrhetos has seven letters, Sige five, Pater five, and Aletheia seven. If you add these together—twice five, and twice seven—they complete the number twenty-four. Similarly, the second Tetrad, Logos and Zoe, Anthropos and Ecclesia, reveal the same number of elements. Moreover, the name of the Saviour that can be pronounced, namely Jesus, consists of six letters, but His unutterable name comprises twenty-four letters. The name Christ the Son consists of twelve letters, but the unpronounceable name in Christ contains thirty letters. For this reason, it is said that He is Alpha and Omega, indicating the dove, as that bird's name also has this number.

2.

BUT JESUS: he confirms, has the following indescribable origin. From the mother of all things, that is, the first Tetrad, the second Tetrad emerged, like a daughter; and thus an Ogdoad was created, from which, again, a Decad came forth: thus a Decad and an Ogdoad were produced. The Decad, then, being combined with the Ogdoad, and multiplying it ten times, resulted in the number eighty; again, multiplying eighty by ten, produced the number eight hundred. So, the total value of the letters coming from the Ogdoad multiplied by the Decad, is eight hundred and eighty-eight.

This is the name of Jesus; for this name, if you calculate the numerical value of the letters, equals eight hundred and eighty-eight. So, this is their clear explanation of the origin of the supercelestial Jesus.

Therefore, the Greek alphabet contains eight Monads, eight Decads, and eight Hecatads, which sum up to eight hundred and eighty-eight, that is, Jesus, who is composed of all numbers; and for this reason, He is called Alpha and Omega, indicating His origin from all.

Again, they describe it like this: If the first Tetrad is added together using the progression of numbers, the number ten appears. For one, two, three, and four, when added together, make ten; and this, they claim, is Jesus.

Moreover, Chreistus, he notes, being a word of eight letters, signifies the first Ogdoad, and this, when multiplied by ten, gives rise to Jesus (888). And Jesus the Son, he says, is also mentioned, referring to the Duodecad. For the name Son () contains four letters, and Christ (Chreistus) eight, which, when combined, indicate the significance of the Duodecad.

However, he asserts, before the Episemon of this name appeared, that is Jesus the Son, humanity was engulfed in great ignorance and error.

But when this name of six letters was revealed (the person bearing it taking on flesh, that He might be comprehensible to human senses, and embodying these six and twenty-four letters), then, upon recognizing Him, they ended their ignorance, and transitioned from death to life, this name acting as their guide to the Father of truth. For the Father of all had decided to end ignorance, and to eliminate death.

But this ending of ignorance was simply the knowledge of Him. And therefore that man (Anthropos) was chosen according to His will, having been shaped after the image of the [corresponding] power above.

Regarding the Æons, they emerged from the Tetrad, and within that Tetrad were Anthropos and Ecclesia, Logos and Zoe. The powers, he states, that came from these, created Jesus who appeared on earth. The angel Gabriel replaced Logos, the Holy Spirit replaced Zoe, the Power of the Highest replaced Anthropos, while the Virgin showed the place of Ecclesia. So, by a special arrangement, there was created by Him, through Mary, that man whom, as He passed through the womb, the Father of all chose to gain the knowledge of Himself through the Word.

AND WHEN HE CAME TO THE WATER OF BAPTISM: there descended on Him, in the form of a dove, that Being who had previously ascended on high, completing the twelfth number, in whom existed the seed of those made alongside Himself, who descended and ascended with Him.

Furthermore, he claims that the power which descended was the seed of the Father, containing both the Father and the Son, as well as the power of Sige, known through them but beyond expression, and also all the Æons.

And this was the Spirit who spoke through Jesus' mouth, confessed that He was the Son of Man, revealed the Father, and, having descended into Jesus, became one with Him. He claims that the Saviour, formed by special arrangement, destroyed death, while Christ revealed the Father. He asserts that Jesus is the name of that man formed by special arrangement, made in the likeness of that heavenly Anthropos, who was to descend upon Him. After receiving that Æon, He possessed Anthropos, Logos, Pater, Arrhetus, Sige, Aletheia, Ecclesia, and Zoe within Himself.

SUCH RAVINGS: we can now rightly say, go beyond any kind of tragic exclamation or expression of misery. For who would not detest someone who is the wretched creator of such bold falsehoods, when they see Marcus distort the truth into a mere image, pierced all over with letters of the alphabet? The Greeks admit that they first received sixteen letters from Cadmus, and that this happened recently, compared to the ancient past implied in the saying "Yesterday and before;" and later, over time, they themselves invented aspirates at one point and double letters at another, while finally, they say that Palamedes added the long letters to the previous ones. Was it the case, then, that until these things happened among the Greeks, truth did not exist? For, according to you, Marcus, the essence of truth came after Cadmus and those before him—after those who added the remaining letters—even after yourself! For you alone have turned what you call the truth into an [outward, visible] image.

5.

BUT WHO WILL TOLERATE YOUR NONSENSICAL SIGE: who names Him that cannot be named, and explains the nature of Him that is unspeakable, and searches out Him that is unsearchable, and declares that He, whom you claim to be without body and form, opened His mouth and sent forth the Word, as if He were included among organized beings; and that His Word, though similar to His Author and bearing the image of the invisible, nevertheless consisted of thirty elements and four syllables? According to your theory, it would follow that the Father of all, like the Word, consists of thirty elements and four syllables! Or, who will tolerate you in your manipulation of forms and numbers—at one time thirty, at another twenty-four, and then again, only six—while you confine in these the Word of God, the Founder, and Framer, and Maker of all things; and then, again, cutting Him into pieces into four syllables and thirty elements; and bringing the Lord of all who founded the heavens to the number eight hundred and eighty-eight, making Him similar to the alphabet; and dividing the Father, who cannot be contained but contains all things, into a Tetrad, and an Ogdoad, and a Decad, and a Duodecad; and, by such calculations, attempting to describe the unspeakable and inconceivable nature of the Father, as you yourself declare it to be? Showing yourself a true Daedalus of evil invention, and the wicked architect of the supreme power, you construct a nature and substance for Him whom you call incorporeal and immaterial, out of a multitude of letters, generated one by the other.

And that power whom you claim to be indivisible, you nevertheless divide into consonants, vowels, and semi-vowels; and, falsely attributing those letters which are mute to the Father of all things, and to His Ennoea (thought), you have driven all who place confidence in you to the highest point of blasphemy, and to the grossest impiety.

WITH GOOD REASON: therefore, and very fittingly, regarding your rash attempt, has that divine elder and preacher of the truth burst into verse against you as follows: “Marcus, creator of idols, observer of portents, Skilled in consulting the stars, and deep in the black arts of magic, Always using tricks like these to confirm the doctrines of error, Providing signs to those you have deceived, Wonders of power that is completely severed from God and apostate, Which Satan, your true father, enables you to achieve, By means of Azazel, that fallen yet mighty angel, Thus making you the forerunner of his own wicked actions.”

THESE ARE THE WORDS OF THE SAINTLY ELDER: And I will try to present the rest of their mystical system, which is very extensive, in a brief format, and to reveal what has been hidden for a long time. In this way, these things will be easily exposed to everyone.