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Gnostic sects and founders
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Barbēlō (Greek: Βαρβηλώ)[1] refers to the firstemanation ofGod in several forms ofGnosticcosmogony. Barbēlō is often depicted as a supreme female principle, the single passive antecedent of creation in its manifold. This figure is also variously referred to as 'Mother-Father' (hinting at her apparentandrogyny), 'The Triple Androgynous Name', or 'EternalAeon'. So prominent was her place amongst some Gnostics that some schools were designated asBarbeliotae, Barbēlō worshippers or Barbēlō gnostics.
In theApocryphon of John, a tractate in theNag Hammadi Library containing the most extensive recounting of theSethian Gnostic creation myth, the Barbēlō is described as "the first power, the glory, Barbēlō, the perfect glory in the aeons, the glory of the revelation". All subsequent acts of creation within the divine sphere (save, crucially, that of the lowest aeonSophia) occurs through her coaction with God. The text describes her thus:
This is the first thought, his image; she became the womb of everything, for it is she who is prior to them all, the Mother-Father (Anthropos), the holy Spirit, the thrice-male, the thrice-powerful, the thrice-named androgynous one, and the eternal aeon among the invisible ones, and the first to come forth.
Barbēlō is found in other Nag Hammadi writings:
InZostrianos, Barbelo has three sublevels or subaeons that represent three distinct phases:[2]
InThe Gospel of Judas, Jesus challenges theTwelve Apostles to stand up and face him if they are "[strong enough] among humans to bring out the perfect Humanity. OnlyJudas is able to meet Jesus' challenge, standing before him and saying "I know who you are and where you've come from. You've come from the immortal realm of Barbelo, and I'm not worthy to utter the name of the one who's sent you."[3]p. 23 Jesus responds by commanding him to "Step away from the others and I shall tell you the mysteries of the kingdom."[3]p. 23 The scene is modeled after theConfession of Peter in thesynoptic Gospels, where Jesus asks the Disciples who people say he is, and then who the disciples themselves think he is;Peter correctly states that he is theMessiah, and Jesus responds by givinng him favored status among the Apostles (Matthew 16:13–23).[4] There is a similar scene in theGospel of Thomas, which climaxes withThomas saying "Teacher, my mouth is utterly unable to say what you are like."[3]p. 23
In thePistis Sophia Barbēlō is named often, but her place is not clearly defined. She is one of the gods (p. 359), "a great power of the Invisible God" (373), joined with Him and the three "Thrice-powerful deities" (379), the mother of Pistis Sophia (361) and of other beings (49); from her Jesus received His "garment of light" or heavenly body (13, 128; cf. 116, 121); the earth apparently is the "matter of Barbēlō" (128) or the "place of Barbēlō" (373).
She is obscurely described byIrenaeus as "a never-aging aeon in a virginal spirit", to whom, according to certain "Gnostici", the Innominable Father wished to manifest Himself, and who, when four successive beings, whose names express thought and life, had come forth from Him, was quickened with joy at the sight, and herself gave birth to three (or four) other like beings.
She is noticed in several neighbouring passages ofEpiphanius, who in part must be following the Compendium ofHippolytus, as is shown by comparison withPhilaster (c. 33), but also speaks from personal knowledge of the Ophitic sects specially called "Gnostici" (i. 100 f.). The first passage is in the article on theNicolaitans (i. 77 f.), but is apparently an anticipatory reference to their alleged descendants the "Gnostici" (77 A; Philast.). According to their view Barbēlō lives "above in theeighth heaven"; she had been 'put forth' (προβεβλῆσθαι) "of the Father"; she was mother ofYaldabaoth (some said, ofSabaoth), who insolently took possession of the seventh heaven, and proclaimed himself to be the only God; and when she heard this word she lamented. She was always appearing to theArchons in a beautiful form, that by beguiling them she might gather up her own scattered power.
Others, Epiphanius further seems to say (78 f.), told a similar tale ofPrunikos, substituting Caulacau for Yaldabaoth. In his next article, on the "Gnostici", orBorborites (83 C D), the idea of the recovery of the scattered powers of Barbēlō recurs as set forth in an apocryphal Book ofNoria,Noah's legendary wife.
For Noah was obedient to the archon, they say, but Noria revealed the powers on high and Barbelo, the scion of the powers—the opposite of the archon, as the other powers are. And she intimated that what has been taken from the Mother on High by the archon who made the world, and others with him—gods, demons, and angels—must be gathered from the power in the bodies, through the male and female emissions.
In both places Epiphanius represents the doctrine as giving rise to sexual libertinism.Mircea Eliade has compared these Borborite beliefs and practices involving Barbēlō toTantricrituals and beliefs, noting that both systems have a common goal of attainingprimordial spiritual unity througheroticbliss and theconsumption ofmenses andsemen.[5]
In a third passage (91 f.), enumerating the Archons said to have their seat in each heaven, Epiphanius mentions as the inhabitants of the eighth or highest heaven "her who is called Barbēlō", and the self-gendered Father and Lord of all things, and the virgin-born (αὐτολόχευτον)Christ (evidently as her son, for according to Irenaeus her first progeny, "the Light", was called Christ); and similarly he tells how the ascent of souls through the different heavens terminated in the upper region, "where Barbērō or Barbēlō is, the Mother of the Living" (Genesis 3:20).
Theodoret (H. F. f. 13) merely paraphrases Irenaeus, with a few words from Epiphanius.Jerome several times includesBarbēlō in lists of portentous names current in Spanish heresy, that is, amongPriscillianists;Balsamus andLeusibora being three times associated with it (Ep. 75 c. 3, p. 453 c. Vall.; c.Vigil. p. 393 A;in Esai. lxvi. 4 p. 361 c; inAmos iii. 9 p. 257 E).
In Gnostic accounts of God, the notions of impenetrability, stasis and ineffability are of central importance. The emanation of Barbēlō may be said to function as an intermediary generative aspect of the Divine, or as an abstraction of the generative aspect of the Divine through its Fullness. The most transcendent hidden invisible Spirit is not depicted as actively participating in creation. This significance is reflected both in her apparent androgyny (reinforced by several of her given epithets), and in the nameBarbēlō itself. Several plausible etymologies of the name (Βαρβηλώ, Βαρβηρώ, Βαρβηλώθ) have been proposed.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Gnosticism".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain:Hort, Fenton John Anthony (1877)."Babel". InSmith, William;Wace, Henry (eds.).A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines. Vol. I. London: John Murray. p. 235. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain:Hort, Fenton John Anthony (1877)."Barbelo". InSmith, William;Wace, Henry (eds.).A Dictionary of Christian Biography, Literature, Sects and Doctrines. Vol. I. London: John Murray. pp. 248–49. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in thepublic domain:Moffatt, James (1919)."Pistis Sophia". In James, William (ed.).Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics. Vol. X. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. p. 46.ISBN 9780567065100.