Codex XIII, Text 2 — Nag Hammadi Library
Since everyone — the gods of the cosmos and humanity — says that nothing existed before Chaos, I shall demonstrate that they have all gone astray.
Since everyone — the gods of the cosmos and humanity — says that nothing existed before Chaos, I shall demonstrate that they have all gone astray, not knowing the composition of Chaos or its root.
Here is the proof: if it is agreed by all people concerning Chaos that it is a darkness, then it is something that came from a shadow. And it was called darkness. But the shadow is something that came from a work that has existed since the beginning [...]
[The remainder of the text is lost. The complete version of On the Origin of the World survives in Codex II (pages 97–127) and preserves the full cosmogonic narrative.]
Colophon
On the Origin of the World is the second text bound in Codex XIII of the Nag Hammadi Library. Only the opening lines survive on page 50 (lines 25–34), inscribed on the back pages of the codex after Trimorphic Protennoia. The complete version of this treatise is preserved in Codex II, pages 97–127, where it runs to some thirty pages. This brief fragment preserves only the famous opening argument: that Chaos was not the primordial state, but itself arose from a shadow, which arose from a pre-existing work.
Source: Coptic (Sahidic) text from Nag Hammadi Codex XIII, page 50. Translation: Good Works Translation, New Tianmu Anglican Church.
Scribe: Kavi
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Source Text — Sahidic Coptic
Page 50
50.25 ⲉⲡⲓⲇⲏ ⲟⲩⲟⲛ ⲛⲓⲙ ⲛⲛⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲙⲡⲕⲟⲥⲙⲟⲥ ⲟⲩⲱ
50.26 ⲣⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲥⲉϫⲱ ⲙⲙⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲙⲛⲗⲁⲁⲩ ϣⲟⲟⲡ ϩⲁ
50.27 ⲧϩⲏ ⲙⲡⲝⲁⲟⲥ ⲁⲛⲟⲕ ⲛⲇⲉ tⲛⲁⲣⲁⲡⲟⲇⲓⲕⲛⲩⲉ
50.28 ϫⲉ ⲁⲩⲣⲡⲗⲁⲛⲁ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲉⲛⲥⲉⲥⲟⲟⲩⲛ
50.29 ⲁⲛ ⲛⲧⲥⲩⲥⲧⲟⲥⲓⲥ ⲙⲡⲝⲁⲟⲥ ⲙⲛ ⲧⲉϥⲛⲟⲩⲛⲉ ⲧⲁ
50.30 ⲉⲓⲇⲉ ⲧⲉ ⲧⲁⲡⲟⲇⲓⲭⲓⲥ ⲉϣϫⲉ ⲥⲣⲥⲩⲙϥⲱⲛⲉⲓ ⲙⲛ
50.31 ⲣⲣⲱⲙⲉ ⲧⲏⲣⲟⲩ ⲉⲧⲃⲉ ⲡⲝⲁⲟⲥ ϫⲉ ⲟⲩⲕⲁⲕⲉ ⲡⲉ
50.32 ⲟⲩⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲇⲉ ⲡⲉ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩϩⲁⲓⲃⲉⲥ ⲁⲩⲙⲟⲩⲧⲉ ⲉⲣⲟϥ
50.33 ϫⲉ ⲕⲁⲕⲉ ⲑϩⲁⲓⲃⲉⲥ ⲇⲉ ⲟⲩⲉⲓ ⲉⲃⲟⲗ ⲧⲉ ϩⲛ ⲟⲩⲉⲣ
50.34 ⲧⲟⲛ ⲉϥϣⲟⲟⲡ: ϩϫⲓⲛ ⲡϣⲟⲣⲡ:
Source Colophon
Sahidic Coptic text of On the Origin of the World, Nag Hammadi Codex XIII, page 50. Transcription from codex photographs and critical editions.
Source: Milan Konvicka / Marcion Project (GPL v2).
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