(6) The Chaldæans call the God Dionysos (or Bacchus), Iao in the Phoenician tongue (instead of the Intelligible Light), and he is also called Sabaoth, [1] signifying that he is above the Seven poles, that is the Demiurgos.

(78) And they say that it was the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, the fifteenth day of the month Tubi; and some that it was the eleventh of the same month, And treating of His passion, with very great accuracy, some say that it took place in the sixteenth year of Tiberius, on the twenty-fifth of Phamenoth; and others the twenty-fifth of Pharmuthi and others say that on the nineteenth of Pharmuthi the Saviour suffered. Further, others say that He was born on the twenty-fourth or twenty-fifth of Pharmuthi.

(15) ¶The officers of the Jews bound Jesus and led him away. They brought him into the palace of the high priest, Caiaphas that year.

(8) ¶As he went out of Jericho with his disciples, blind Bartimeus sat by the highway side begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me.

(77) Accordingly, in fifteen years of Tiberius and fifteen years of Augustus; so were completed the thirty years till the time He suffered. And from the time that He suffered till the destruction of Jerusalem are forty-two years and three months; and from the destruction of Jerusalem to the death of Commodus, a hundred and twenty-eight years, ten months, and three days. From the birth of Christ, therefore, to the death of Commodus are, in all, a hundred and ninety-four years, one month, thirteen days. And there are those who have determined not only the year of our Lord's birth, but also the day; and they say that it took place in the twenty-eighth year of Augustus, and in the twenty-fifth day of Pachon. And the followers of Basilides hold the day of his baptism as a festival, spending the night before in readings.

Hear me, Jove's son, blest Bacchus, God of wine, Born of two mothers, honor'd and divine; Lysian, Euion * Bacchus, various-nam'd, Of Gods the offspring secret, holy, fam'd: Fertile and nourishing whose liberal care Earth's fruits increases, flourishing and fair; Sounding, magnanimous, Lenæan pow'r O various form'd, medic'nal, holy flow'r: Mortals in thee, repose from labour find, Delightful charm, desir'd by all mankind: Fair-hair'd Euion, Bromian, joyful God, Lysian, invested with the leafy rod. To these our rites, benignant pow'r incline, When fav'ring men, or when on Gods you shine; Be present to thy mystic's suppliant pray'r, Rejoicing come, and fruits abundant bear.

(1) CERTAIN Greeks came up to worship at the feast: the same came to Philip, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.

(5) But after his father Mnesarchus had returned from Syria to Samos, with great wealth, which he had collected from a prosperous navigation, he built a temple to Apollo, with the inscription of Pythius; and took care to have his son nourished with various and the best disciplines, at one time by Creophilus, at another by Pherecydes the Syrian, and at another by almost all those who presided over sacred concerns, to whom he earnestly recommended Pythagoras, that he might be as much as possible sufficiently instructed in divine concerns. He, however, was educated in such a manner, as to be fortunately the most beautiful and godlike of all those that have been celebrated in the annals of history. On the death of his father, likewise, though he was still but a youth, his aspect was most venerable, and his habits most temperate, so that he was even reverenced and honored by elderly men; and converted the attention of all who saw and heard him speak, on himself, and appeared to be an admirable person to every one who beheld him.

Hence it was reasonably asserted by many, that he was the son of a God. But he being corroborated by renown of this kind, by the education which he had received from his infancy, and by his natural deiform appearance, in a still greater degree evinced that he deserved his present prerogatives. He was also adorned by piety and disciplines, by a mode of living transcendency good, by firmness of soul, and by a body in due subjection to the mandates of reason. In all his words and actions, he discovered an inimitable quiet and serenity, not being subdued at any time by anger, or laughter, or emulation, or contention, or any other perturbation or precipitation of conduct; but he dwelt at Samos like some beneficent dæmon.

Hence, while he was yet a youth, his great renown having reached Thales at Miletus, and Bias at Priene, men illustrious for their wisdom, it also extended to the neighbouring cities. To all which we may add, that the youth was every where celebrated as the long-haired Samian , and was reverenced by the multitude as one under the influence of divine inspiration. But after he had attained the eighteenth year of his age, about the period when the tyranny of Policrates first made its appearance, foreseeing that under such a government he might receive some impediment in his studies, which engrossed the whole of his attention, he departed privately by night with one Hermodamas (whose surname was Creophilus, and who was the grandson of him who had formerly been the host, friend, and preceptor in all things of Homer the poet,) to Pherecydes, to Anaximander the natural philosopher, and to Thales at Miletus.

He likewise alternately associated with each of these philosophers, in such a manner, that they all loved him, admired his natural endowments, and made him a partaker of their doctrines. Indeed, after Thales had gladly admitted him to his intimate confidence, he admired the great difference between him and other young men, whom Pythagoras left far behind in every accomplishment. And besides this, Thales increased the reputation Pythagoras had already acquired, by communicating to him such disciplines as he was able to impart: and, apologizing for his old age, and the imbecility of his body, he exhorted him to sail into Egypt, and associate with the Memphian and Diospolitan priests. For he confessed that his own reputation for wisdom, was derived from the instructions of these priests; but that he was neither naturally, nor by exercise, endued with those excellent prerogatives, which were so visibly displayed in the person of Pythagoras. Thales, therefore, gladly announced to him, from all these circumstances, that he would become the wisest and most divine of all men, if he associated with these Egyptian priests.

(17) Anubis has given him his shroud; he has done all that pleased him; the high-priest has prepared his ribbon; for he is the provider (?) of the great god; thou goest and washest thyself in the lake of Perfection, thou makest offerings in the house of the gods of the sky, and thou propitiatest the lord of Heliopolis; thou receivest the water of Rā in ewers, and milk in large vases

The FUMIGATION from STORAX. Great nurse of Bacchus, to my pray'r incline, For holy Sabus' secret rites are thine, The mystic rites of Bacchus' nightly choirs, Compos'd of sacred, loud-resounding fires: Hear me, terrestrial mother, mighty queen, Whether on Phyrgia's holy mountain + seen, Or if to dwell in Tmolus thee delights, With holy aspect come, and bless these rites.

The FUMIGATION from STORAX. CADMEAN Goddess, universal queen, Thee, Semele I call, of beauteous mien; Deep-bosom'd, lovely flowing locks are thine, Mother of Bacchus, joyful and divine, The mighty offspring, whom love's thunder bright, Forc'd immature, and fright'ned into light: Born from the deathless counsels, secret, high, Of Jove Saturnian, regent of the sky Whom Proserpine permits to view the light, And visit mortals from the realms of night: Constant attending on the sacred rites, And feast triennial, which thy soul delights; When thy son's wond'rous birth mankind relate, And secrets deep, and holy celebrate. Now I invoke thee, great Cadmean queen, To bless these rites with countenance serene. Next: XLIV: To Dionysius Bassareus Triennalis Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: XLII: To the Seasons Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: XLIV: To Dionysius Bassareus ... » Sacred Texts | Classics

(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.

(9) ¶There were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and said, Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

(25) And the same, in the tenth book of the Republic, mentions Eros the son of Armenius, who is Zoroaster. Zoroaster, then, writes: "These were composed by Zoroaster, the son of Armenius, a Pamphylian by birth: having died in battle, and been in Hades, I learned them of the gods." This Zoroaster, Plato says, having been placed on the funeral pyre, rose again to life in twelve days. He alludes perchance to the resurrection, or perchance to the fact that the path for souls to ascension lies through the twelve signs of the zodiac; and he himself says, that the descending pathway to birth is the same. In the same way we are to understand the twelve labours of Hercules, after which the soul obtains release from this entire world.

(2) Two days before the feast, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people, assembled unto the palace of the high priest Caiaphas, and consulted that they might take Jesus by craft. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.

When Sabaoth, the son of Yaldabaoth, heard the voice of Pistis, he worshiped her. He condemned his father and mother on account of the word of Pistis. He glorified her because she informed them of an immortal human and the light of the human. Then Pistis Sophia stretched forth her finger and poured upon him light from her light for a condemnation of his father. When Sabaoth received light, he received great authority against all of the powers of chaos. Since that day he has been called “the lord of the powers.” He hated his father, the darkness, and his mother, the abyss. He loathed his sister, the thought of the chief creator, the one who moves to and fro over the water. On account of his light, all of the authorities of chaos were jealous of him. And when they were disturbed, they made a great war in the seven heavens. Then when Pistis Sophia saw the war, she sent seven archangels from her light to Sabaoth. They snatched him away up to the seventh heaven. They took their stand before him as servants. Furthermore, she sent him three other archangels and established the kingdom for him above everyone so that he might dwell above the twelve gods of chaos. When Sabaoth received the place of rest because of his repentance, Pistis also gave him her daughter, Zoe, with great authority, so that she might inform him about everything that exists in the eighth heaven. And since he had authority, he first created a dwelling place for himself. It is huge, magnificent, seven times as great as all those that exist in the seven heavens. Then in front of his dwelling place he created a great throne on a chariot with four faces, called cherubim. And the cherubim throne has eight shapes on each side of the four corners—forms of lions and bulls and humans and eagles—so that all of the forms total sixty-four forms. And seven archangels stand before him. He is the eighth, having authority. All of the forms total seventy-two. For from this chariot the seventy-two gods took shape; they took shape so that they might rule over the seventy-two languages of the nations. And by that throne he created other dragon-shaped angels called seraphim, who glorify him continually.

The FUMIGATION from AROMATICS HEAR me, illustrious father, dæmon fam'd. Great Saturn's offspring, and Sabasius nam'd; Inserting Bacchus, bearer of the vine, And founding God, within thy thigh divine, That when mature, the Dionysian God Might burst the bands of his conceal'd abode, And come to sacred Tmolus, his delight, Where Ippa dwells, all beautiful and bright. Come blessed Phrygian God, the king of all, And aid thy mystics, when on thee they call. Next: XLVIII: To Ippa Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: XLVI: To Bacchus Pericionius Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: XLVIII: To Ippa » Sacred Texts | Classics

(4) And from the time of Inachus to the Trojan war twenty generations or more are reckoned; let us say, four hundred years and more. And if Ctesias says that the Assyrian power is many years older than the Greek, the exodus of Moses from Egypt will appear to have taken place in the forty-second year of the Assyrian empire, in the thirty-second year of the reign of Belochus, in the time of Amosis the Egyptian, and of Inachus the Argive. And in Greece, in the time of Phoroneus, who succeeded Inachus, the flood of Ogyges occurred; and monarchy subsisted in Sicyon first in the person of Ægialeus, then of Europs, then of Telches; in Crete, in the person of Cres. For Acusilaus says that Phoroneus was the first man. Whence, too, the author of Phoronis said that he was "the father of mortal men." Thence Plato in the Timaeus, following Acusilaus, writes: "And wishing to draw them out into a discussion respecting antiquities, he said that he ventured to speak of the most remote antiquities of this city respecting Phoroneus, called the first man, and Niobe, and what happened after the deluge."

The FUMIGATION from STORAX. BACCHUS I call, loud-sounding and divine, Fanatic God, a two-fold shape is thine: Thy various names and attributes I sing, O, first-born, thrice begotten, Bacchic king: 4 Rural, ineffable, two-form'd, obscure, Two-horn'd, with ivy crown'd, euion, pure. Bull-fac'd, and martial, bearer of the vine, Endu'd with counsel prudent and divine: Triennial, whom the leaves of vines adorn, Of Jove and Proserpine, occultly born. Immortal dæmon, hear my suppliant voice, Give me in blameless plenty to rejoice; And listen gracious to my mystic pray'r, Surrounded with thy choir of nurses fair.

(2) My Master said: "That one is Cacus, who Beneath the rock upon Mount Aventine Created oftentimes a lake of blood. He goes not on the same road with his brothers, By reason of the fraudulent theft he made Of the great herd, which he had near to him; Whereat his tortuous actions ceased beneath The mace of Hercules, who peradventure Gave him a hundred, and he felt not ten." While he was speaking thus, he had passed by, And spirits three had underneath us come, Of which nor I aware was, nor my Leader, Until what time they shouted: "Who are you?" On which account our story made a halt, And then we were intent on them alone. I did not know them; but it came to pass, As it is wont to happen by some chance, That one to name the other was compelled, Exclaiming: "Where can Cianfa have remained?" Whence I, so that the Leader might attend, Upward from chin to nose my finger laid. If thou art, Reader, slow now to believe What I shall say, it will no marvel be, For I who saw it hardly can admit it.