THE EGYPTIAN FOUNDATIONS OF GNOSTIC THOUGHT

And I alone among the invisible ones, in whose place I existed, transgressed,
and I came down to the Chaos. I transgressed before you so that your ordinance
should be fulfilled. (I.111.10-13) 63
In suggesting a higher determinism at work in the Fall, this system dramatically
develops the story of a theogonic process of internal rift and reunion. This last
division forms the essential fault-line between “radical” and “mitigated” dualistic
religious expressions – in this we must endorse Jonas’ original distinction between
“Iranian” and “Egyptian” modes of Gnostic thought. 64
Iranian dualism rejects the
possibility of synthesis between the two realms of Light and Darkness; Egyptian
dualism reconciles. It is for this reason that Light is processed upwards and
downwards in the mitigated system; in Manichaeism the Light must only attempt its
escape upwards.
Another issue provides a sociological bridge across this philosophical chasm.
In the Pistis Sophia the presence of Sophia competes with Christ as the main salvific
agent while the disciples function as wooden or stock characters. As mentioned in the
preceding chapter, the “Sophia archetype” is manifest in the emphasis given to Mary
Magdalene. Of the 108 appearances of various disciples, Mary has 58 - more than all
of the other disciples combined. The quality of her appearances is even more striking:
in all sections, she is clearly described as the superior disciple, and in line with this
she takes certain liberties that the other disciples do not. This is the most striking
redactional tendency in the work.
The emphasis placed on Mary finds a curious parallel in the Manichaean
Psalms. The veneration given to the Egyptian Manichaean Elect in their Psalms is in
sharp contrast to the mythopoeic philosophising of the Kephalia. The Elect referred to
are listed and prioritised according to the number of references: Mary (110); Theona
(39); Jmnoute (17); Pshai (16); Plousiane (10); Apa Panai (7); Sisinnios (2);
“Martyrs” (2); Cleopatra, Eustephios, Innaios, Gabriah, Salmaios, Pappos, Addas,
Ozeos, Sethel, Apa Polydoxus, Apa Pshai (1 each).
It is important to note of course that a number of the names (Panai and Pshai
for example) are definitely Egyptian. 65
Of even greater interest is the preponderance
of references made to the female Manichaean Elect. The first five figures are
repeatedly raised together as objects of praise, presented in the form of doxologies
which conclude almost every psalm in the collection. 66
Although the gender of
Jmnoute, Pshai, and Plousiane is not quite certain, it is likely that they, along with
Mary and Theona, are female Manichaean Elect. When one considers that the
references to Mary and Theona are more than double those of all of the other
members of the Manichaean church, one may conclude that these women occupied a
position of great importance in the Manichaean church in Egypt. The word “martyrs”
63
Ibid., 222, emphasis added.
64
Jonas, The Gnostic Religion, passim.
65
These names appear in their earlier forms, p3-n-3 and p3-š3i in Hermann Ranke, Die
Ägyptischen Personennamen, Band 1, Verzeichnis der Namen (Glückstadt: Verlag von J.J.
Augustin, 1935), 105.23 and 117.23, respectively.
66
For example, the end of psalm CCLXXII: “Glory and victory to our Lord Mani, the Spirit of
Truth, who cometh from the Father, and his holy perfect Elect, and the soul of the blessed
Mary, Theona, Pshai, Jmnoute.”