(3) Then made he sign of holy rood upon them, Whereat all cast themselves upon the shore, And he departed swiftly as he came. The throng which still remained there unfamiliar Seemed with the place, all round about them gazing, As one who in new matters makes essay. On every side was darting forth the day. The sun, who had with his resplendent shafts From the mid-heaven chased forth the Capricorn, When the new people lifted up their faces Towards us, saying to us: "If ye know, Show us the way to go unto the mountain." And answer made Virgilius: "Ye believe Perchance that we have knowledge of this place, But we are strangers even as yourselves. Just now we came, a little while before you, Another way, which was so rough and steep, That mounting will henceforth seem sport to us." The souls who had, from seeing me draw breath, Become aware that I was still alive, Pallid in their astonishment became; And as to messenger who bears the olive The people throng to listen to the news, And no one shows himself afraid of crowding,

(4) Now follow me, and mind thou do not place As yet thy feet upon the burning sand, But always keep them close unto the wood." Speaking no word, we came to where there gushes Forth from the wood a little rivulet, Whose redness makes my hair still stand on end. As from the Bulicame springs the brooklet, The sinful women later share among them, So downward through the sand it went its way. The bottom of it, and both sloping banks, Were made of stone, and the margins at the side; Whence I perceived that there the passage was. "In all the rest which I have shown to thee Since we have entered in within the gate Whose threshold unto no one is denied, Nothing has been discovered by thine eyes So notable as is the present river, Which all the little flames above it quenches." These words were of my Leader; whence I prayed him That he would give me largess of the food, For which he had given me largess of desire. "In the mid-sea there sits a wasted land," Said he thereafterward, "whose name is Crete, Under whose king the world of old was chaste.

Jesus revealed himself [at the] Jordan River as the fullness of heaven’s kingdom. The one [conceived] before all was conceived again; the one anointed before was anointed again; the one redeemed redeemed others.

(7) But now when they were fallen away from God, [as Adam was,] then came Moses and Joshua, and saw the Apostacy [or Falling away,] and broke the Tables in Pieces, and led them into the Wilderness; where they must all die, except Joshua and Caleb: For the Clarity [or Brightness] of the Father in the Fire, in the first Principle, could not bring them into the promised Land; and although they did eat Manna, yet it did not help [in] the Trial, only Joshua, and at length JESUS must do it.

(3) I visited a bodily dwelling. I cast out the one who was in it first, and I went in. And the whole multitude of the rulers became troubled. And all the matter of the rulers as well as all the powers born of the earth were shaken when they saw the likeness of the image, since it was mixed. And I was the one who was in the image, not resembling him who was in the body first. For he was an earthly man, but I, I am from above the heavens. I did not refuse them even to become Christ, but I did not reveal myself to them in the love that was coming forth from me. I revealed that I am a stranger to the regions below.

(7) In an effort to solve some of the problems arising from any attempt to chronicle accurately the life of Jesus, it has been suggested that there may have lived in Syria at that time two or more religious teachers bearing the name Jesus, Jehoshua or Joshua, and that the lives of these men may have been confused in the Gospel stories. In his Secret Sects of Syria and the Lebanon, Bernard H. Springett, a Masonic author, quotes from an early book, the name of which he was not at liberty to disclose because of its connection with the ritual of a sect. The last part of his quotation is germane to the subject at hand:

(27) Whereas Joshua was an Image and Similitude, that Israel (because they could not subsist in the Father's Clarity and Love) should be led by the second Joshua (or Jesus) out of the Wrath into the Love, through the Breaking of his Body, and Entering into Death. Moses must enter through Death into Life, and bring his Clarity through Death into Life; even as he appeared with Elias on Mount Thabor to the second Joshua or Jesus, in the Clarity of the Father, and showed him the Pleasure of the Father, [viz.] that he (the second Joshua) should bring Israel through his Death and Clarity into the Promised Land of Paradise.

(13) Arise, walk (through the land) in the length of it and the breadth of it, and see it all; for to thy seed shall I give it." And Abram went to Hebron, and dwelt there.

(6) I in that place was Peter Damiano; And Peter the Sinner was I in the house Of Our Lady on the Adriatic shore. Little of mortal life remained to me, When I was called and dragged forth to the hat Which shifteth evermore from bad to worse. Came Cephas, and the mighty Vessel came Of the Holy Spirit, meagre and barefooted, Taking the food of any hostelry. Now some one to support them on each side The modern shepherds need, and some to lead them, So heavy are they, and to hold their trains. They cover up their palfreys with their cloaks, So that two beasts go underneath one skin; O Patience, that dost tolerate so much!" At this voice saw I many little flames From step to step descending and revolving, And every revolution made them fairer. Round about this one came they and stood still, And a cry uttered of so loud a sound, It here could find no parallel, nor I Distinguished it, the thunder so o'ercame me.

(2) Her mouth was not yet closed again, before Appeared a Lady saintly and alert Close at my side to put her to confusion. "Virgilius, O Virgilius! who is this?" Sternly she said; and he was drawing near With eyes still fixed upon that modest one. She seized the other and in front laid open, Rending her garments, and her belly showed me; This waked me with the stench that issued from it. I turned mine eyes, and good Virgilius said: "At least thrice have I called thee; rise and come; Find we the opening by which thou mayst enter." I rose; and full already of high day Were all the circles of the Sacred Mountain, And with the new sun at our back we went. Following behind him, I my forehead bore Like unto one who has it laden with thought, Who makes himself the half arch of a bridge, When I heard say, "Come, here the passage is," Spoken in a manner gentle and benign, Such as we hear not in this mortal region. With open wings, which of a swan appeared, Upward he turned us who thus spake to us, Between the two walls of the solid granite.

(90) And I saw till that man, who wrote down the names of the shepherds [and] carried up into the presence of the Lord of the sheep [came and helped it and showed it everything: he had come down for the help of that ram].

(18) And he said, " God will provide for himself a sheep for a burnt-offering, my son." And he drew near to the place of the mount of God.

(6) For the Son of Man clothed himself with their first-fruits; he went down to Hades and performed many mighty works. He raised the dead therein; and the world-rulers of darkness became envious of him, for they did not find sin in him. But he also destroyed their works from among men, so that the lame, the blind, the paralytic, the dumb, (and) the demon-possessed were granted healing. And he walked upon the waters of the sea. For this reason he destroyed his flesh from [...] which he [...]. And he became [...] salvation [...] his death ... ... (4 lines unrecoverable) ... everyone [...] how many they are! They are blind guides, like the disciples. They boarded the ship; at about thirty stadies, they saw Jesus walking on the sea. These are empty martyrs, since they bear witness only to themselves. And yet they are sick, and they are not able to raise themselves.

(12) Then a great disturbance took place. The archons raised up their wrath against him. They wanted to hand him over to the ruler of Hades. Then they recognized one of his followers. A fire took hold of his soul. He (Judas?) handed him over, since no one knew him (Jesus?). They acted and seized him. They brought judgment upon themselves. And they delivered him up to the ruler of Hades. And they handed him over to Sasabek for nine bronze coins. He prepared himself to go down and put them to shame. Then the ruler of Hades took him. And he found that the nature of his flesh could not be seized, in order to show it to the archons. But he was saying: "Who is this? What is it? His word has abolished the law of the aeon. He is from the Logos of the power of life." And he was victorious over the command of the archons, and they were not able by their work to rule over him.

(2) Down at the bottom were the sinners naked; This side the middle came they facing us, Beyond it, with us, but with greater steps; Even as the Romans, for the mighty host, The year of Jubilee, upon the bridge, Have chosen a mode to pass the people over; For all upon one side towards the Castle Their faces have, and go unto St. Peter's; On the other side they go towards the Mountain. This side and that, along the livid stone Beheld I horned demons with great scourges, Who cruelly were beating them behind. Ah me! how they did make them lift their legs At the first blows! and sooth not any one The second waited for, nor for the third. While I was going on, mine eyes by one Encountered were; and straight I said: "Already With sight of this one I am not unfed." Therefore I stayed my feet to make him out, And with me the sweet Guide came to a stand, And to my going somewhat back assented; And he, the scourged one, thought to hide himself, Lowering his face, but little it availed him; For said I: "Thou that castest down thine eyes,

(3) But the Son of Man came forth from Imperishability, being alien to defilement. He came to the world by the Jordan river, and immediately the Jordan turned back. And John bore witness to the descent of Jesus. For it is he who saw the power which came down upon the Jordan river; for he knew that the dominion of carnal procreation had come to an end. The Jordan river is the power of the body, that is, the senses of pleasures. The water of the Jordan is the desire for sexual intercourse. John is the archon of the womb.

The secret sayings that the savior spoke to Judas Thomas which I, even I, Mathaias, wrote down, while I was walking, listening to them speak with one another.

(89) And that sheep which led them again ascended to the summit of that rock, but the sheep began to be blinded and to wander from the way which he had showed them, but that sheep wot not thereof.

(27) And Jacob arose early in the morning, and took the stone which he had put under his head and set it up as a pillar for a sign, and he poured oil upon the top of it. And he called the name of that place Bethel; but the name of the place was Luz at the first.

(510) 1128 To say: It is certainly not N. who asks to see thee 1128 in the form which has become thine; 1128 Osiris asks to see thee in the form which has become thine; 1129 it is thy son who asks to see thee in the form which has become thine; 1129 it is Horus who asks to see thee in the form which has become thine. 1130 When thou sayest, "statues", in respect to these stones, 1130 which are like fledglings of swallows under the river-bank; 1130 when thou sayest, "his beloved son is coming," in the form which had become that of "his beloved son" 1131 they (the "statues") transport Horus; they row Horus over, 1131 as Horus ascends (lit. in. the ascent of Horus) in the Mt-wr.tcow. 1132 The double doors of heaven are open, the double doors of b.w are open for Horus of the East, 1132 at day-break, that he may descend and purify himself in the Marsh of Reeds. 1133 The double doors of heaven are open, the double doors of b.w are open for N., 1133 at daybreak, that N. may descend and purify himself in the Marsh of Reeds. 1134 The double doors of heaven are open, the double doors of b.w are open for Horus of the D.t, 1134 at daybreak, that he may descend and purify himself in the Marsh of Reeds. 1135 The double doors of heaven are open, the double doors of b.w are open for N., 1135 at daybreak, that be may descend and purify himself in the Marsh of Reeds. 1136 The double doors of heaven are open, the double doors of b.w are open for Horus. of the Ssm.t-land, 1136 at daybreak, that he may descend and purify himself in the Marsh of Reeds. 1137 The double doors of heaven are open, the double doors of b.w are open for N., 1137 at daybreak, that N. may descend and purify himself in the Marsh of Reeds. 1138 The ground is hoed for him; the wdn.t-offering is made for him, 1138 when he dawns as king and takes charge of his throne. 1138 He ferries over the ptr.ti-sea; 1138 he traverses the Winding Watercourse. 1139 'Imt.t lays hold of the arm of N., 1139 beginning with her chapel, beginning with her hidden place, which the god made for her, 1139 for N. is pure (a priest), the son of a pure one (a priest). 1140 N. is purified with these four nm.t-jars, 1140 filled at the divine-lake in Ntr.w; 1140 (he is dried) by the wind of the great Isis, together with (which) the great Isis dried (him) like Horus. 1141 Let him come, he is pure, 1141 so said the priest of R` concerning N. to the door-keeper of b.w, 1141 (who) was to announce him to these four gods, who are over the lake of Kns.t. 1142 They recite: "How just is N. to his father, Geb!" 1142 They recite: "How just is N. to R`! " 1142 His frontiers exist not; his boundary stones are not to be found. 1142 Also, Geb, whose (one) arm (reaches) to heaven, whose (other) arm is on earth, 1142 announces N. to R`. 1143 N. leads the gods; N. directs the divine boat; 1143 N. seizes heaven, its pillars and its stars. 1144 The gods come to him bowing; 1144 the spirits escort N. to his ba; 1144 they reckon (gather up) their war-clubs; 1144 they destroy their weapons; 1145 for behold N. is a great one, the son of a great one, whom Nut has borne; 1145 the power of N. is the power of Set of Ombos. 1145 This N. is the great wild-bull, who comes forth like nti'imnti.w. 1146 N. is the pouring down of rain; he came forth as the coming into being of water; 1146 for he is the Nb-k.w-serpent with the many coils; 1146 N. is the scribe of the divine book, who says what is and causes to exist what is not; 1147 N. is the red bandage, who comes forth from the great 'I.t; 1147 N. is that eye of Horus, 1147 stronger than men, mightier than the gods. 1148 Horus carries N., Set lifts him up. 1148 Let N. make an offering which a star gives; 1148 he satisfies the two gods, let them be satisfied; he satisfies the two gods, and so they are satisfied.