Against Heresies: Book II

THIS VERY POINT FURTHER SHOWS THAT THEIR OPINION IS FALSE AND THEIR FICTIONAL SYSTEM IS UNTENABLE: as they attempt to provide evidence for it through numbers and the syllables of names, at times using the letters of syllables, and also through numbers which, following the Greek method, are represented by different letters. This clearly demonstrates their confusion and the flawed nature of their claimed knowledge. For example, when they convert the name Jesus from another language into Greek numeration, they sometimes call it "Episemon," because it has six letters, and other times "the Plenitude of the Ogdoads," as it contains the number eight hundred and eighty-eight. However, the Greek name for Him, "Soter," meaning Savior, does not fit their system in terms of numerical value or its letters, so they ignore it. Yet, if they consider the names of the Lord as indicating the number in the Pleroma according to the Father's plan through their numerical value and letters, then Soter, being a Greek name, should reveal the mystery of the Pleroma through its letters and numbers. But it does not, since it is a five-letter word with a numerical value of one thousand four hundred and eight, which does not correspond with their Pleroma. Therefore, the account they give of events in the Pleroma cannot be true.

MOREOVER: Jesus, a word from the proper Hebrew language, contains, as their scholars say, two and a half letters and signifies the Lord who encompasses heaven and earth. In the ancient Hebrew language, Jesus means "heaven," while "earth" is expressed by the words sura usser.

Therefore, the word that encompasses heaven and earth is Jesus. Their explanation of the Episemon is false, and their numerical calculations are clearly incorrect. In their language, Soter is a Greek word of five letters, but in Hebrew, Jesus contains only two and a half letters.

Thus, the total they calculate, eight hundred and eighty-eight, is invalid.

Furthermore, Hebrew letters do not match Greek letters in number, although Hebrew, being more ancient and constant, should maintain the calculations linked to the names. These ancient, original, and sacred Hebrew letters are ten in number (but are written using fifteen), with the last letter joined to the first. They write some letters in sequence like we do, but others in reverse, from right to left, tracing the letters backwards.

The name Christ should also align with the Æons of their Pleroma, as He was produced for the establishment and correction of their Pleroma, according to their claims. Likewise, the Father should contain the number of those Æons produced by Him through letters and numerical value, as should Bythus and Monogenes. Especially the name above all others, which refers to God, and in Hebrew is expressed by Baruch, also contains two and a half letters. The fact that the important names in Hebrew and Greek do not fit their system, in terms of letter count or calculations, clearly shows the flawed nature of their other calculations.

FOR SELECTING FROM THE LAW WHATEVER ELEMENTS MATCH THE NUMBER USED IN THEIR SYSTEM: they forcefully try to prove its validity.

But if it was truly the intention of their Mother, or the Saviour, to demonstrate, through the Demiurge, examples of the things in the Pleroma, they should have ensured that the examples were found in things more precisely corresponding and more sacred; especially concerning the Ark of the Covenant, for which the entire tabernacle of witness was made. It was built with these dimensions: its length was two and a half cubits, its width one and a half cubits, its height one and a half cubits; but such a number of cubits does not correspond in their system, yet this design should have been, beyond everything else, clearly presented.

Likewise, the mercy-seat does not align with their explanations at all.

Moreover, the table of the shew-bread was two cubits long, while its height was one and a half cubits. These stood before the holy of holies, yet not a single number within them indicates the Tetrad, or the Ogdoad, or the rest of their Pleroma. What about the candlestick, which had seven branches and seven lamps? If these were crafted according to the example, it should have had eight branches and an equal number of lamps, following the pattern of the primary Ogdoad, which shines prominently among the Æons, and illuminates the whole Pleroma.

They meticulously counted the curtains as ten, declaring these as a symbol of the ten Æons; but they overlooked the coverings of skin, which were eleven in number. Nor have they measured the size of these very curtains, each being twenty-eight cubits long. They specify the length of the pillars as ten cubits, linking this to the Decad of Æons. "But the width of each pillar was one and a half cubits," and this they do not explain, nor do they account for the total number of the pillars or their bars, because this does not fit their argument.

What about the anointing oil, which sanctified the entire tabernacle? Perhaps it went unnoticed by the Saviour, or while their Mother slept, the Demiurge independently directed its weight; hence, it does not align with their Pleroma, being made of five hundred shekels of myrrh, five hundred of cassia, two hundred and fifty of cinnamon, two hundred and fifty of calamus, and oil as well, making it five components in total. The incense also consisted of stacte, onycha, galbanum, mint, and frankincense, all of which do not align with their argument in terms of mixture or weight.

It is therefore unreasonable and entirely absurd to claim that the examples were not preserved in the important and grand laws; but in other points, when a number coincides with their claims, to assert it was an example of the things in the Pleroma; while in reality, every number appears with the greatest variety in the Scriptures, so anyone could, if they wished, form not only an Ogdoad, a Decad, and a Duodecad, but any number from the Scriptures and then claim it was an example of the erroneous system they devised.

TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE NUMBER FIVE: which doesn't fit their argument and doesn't align with their system, is, in fact, prevalent, we can turn to the Scriptures for proof. The name "Soter" has five letters, as does "Pater" and "Agape" (love). Our Lord, after blessing the five loaves, fed five thousand men. Five virgins were called wise by the Lord, and similarly, five were called foolish.

Furthermore, five men were with the Lord when He received testimony from the Father—namely Peter, James, John, Moses, and Elias.

As the fifth person, the Lord entered the room of the dead girl and raised her, for, as the Scripture states, "He allowed no one to go in, except Peter, James, and the girl's father and mother." The rich man in hell mentioned his five brothers, to whom he wanted someone rising from the dead to be sent. The pool where the Lord instructed the paralytic man to return to his house had five porches. The shape of the cross also has five extremities: two in length, two in width, and one in the middle, where the person rests when nailed.

Each hand has five fingers; we also have five senses. Our internal organs can be counted as five: the heart, liver, lungs, spleen, and kidneys. The whole body can also be divided into five parts: head, chest, abdomen, thighs, and feet. Humanity passes through five stages: infancy, childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age. Moses delivered the law in five books. Each tablet he received from God had five commandments. The veil of the holy of holies had five pillars, and the altar of burnt offering was five cubits wide.

Five priests were chosen in the wilderness—Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. The ephod, breastplate, and other priestly garments were made from five materials: gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine linen. Joshua, the son of Nun, imprisoned five kings of the Amorites in a cave and directed the people to step on their heads. Anyone could gather many more examples of the number five or any other number from the Scriptures or nature. Yet, even with this evidence, we do not claim that there are five Æons above the Demiurge, nor do we worship the Pentad as divine.

We do not support untenable ideas or senseless fantasies with such useless efforts. We do not distort God's well-crafted creation into types of things that do not exist. We do not seek to promote impious and vile doctrines that are easily debunked by anyone with intelligence.

Who can agree with them that the year has only three hundred sixty-five days, so there can be twelve months of thirty days each, following the pattern of the twelve Æons, when the pattern doesn't actually match [with the reality]? In one case, each Æon is a thirtieth part of the entire Pleroma, but they claim a month is the twelfth part of a year. If the year were divided into thirty parts and the month into twelve, then their imaginary system might fit.

BUT IN REALITY: their Pleroma is divided into thirty parts, and part of it into twelve; while the whole year is divided into twelve parts, and part of it into thirty.

Therefore, the Saviour acted unwisely in making the month a pattern of the entire Pleroma, but the year a pattern only of the Duodecad that exists in the Pleroma; it would have been more fitting to divide the year into thirty parts, as the whole Pleroma is divided, but the month into twelve, just as the Æons are in their Pleroma.

Moreover, they divide the entire Pleroma into three portions—an Ogdoad, a Decad, and a Duodecad.

But our year is divided into four parts—spring, summer, autumn, and winter.

Also, not even the months, which they claim to be a type of the Triacontad, have precisely thirty days, but some have more, and some have less, since five days are left over. The day, too, doesn’t always have exactly twelve hours, but ranges from nine to fifteen, and then falls from fifteen to nine.

It can’t be said that months of thirty days each were made to represent the Æons; if they were, they would have exactly thirty days. Nor can the days of these months symbolize the twelve Æons with twelve hours; if they did, they would always have twelve hours.

FURTHERMORE: regarding their claim that material substances are "on the left hand," and their belief that these things inevitably fall into corruption, they also state that the Savior came to the lost sheep to move it to the right hand, meaning the ninety-nine sheep that were safe and did not perish but remained in the fold, yet were of the left hand. It follows that they must admit that having rest does not imply salvation. Anything not reaching the same number will have to be acknowledged as belonging to the left hand, which is to corruption. The Greek word Agape (love), according to Greek letters used for numbering, has a value of ninety-three and is likewise assigned to a place of rest on the left hand. Aletheia (truth), similarly calculated, has a value of sixty-four and exists among material substances. Consequently, they will be forced to admit that all sacred names not reaching a numerical value of one hundred, but only containing numbers summed by the left hand, are corruptible and material.