Coptic Apocalypse of Paul
The
Coptic Apocalypse of Paul is one of the texts of the
New Testament apocrypha found amongst the
Nag Hammadi library. The text is not to be confused with the
Apocalypse of Paul, which is unlikely to be related.
It was mentioned by
Epiphanius as having been the work of the
Cainites, who viewed Cain as the
Messiah (since, in their view, the
Old Testament God, whom they named
Yaltabaoth, was evil.)
The
gnostic text describes the ascent of Paul through various stages of Heaven, with Yaltabaoth (described as an old man on a throne) attempting to prevent further ascent. A soul that fails to have the knowledge (
gnosis) required to defeat Yaltabaoth here, is sent back, in the vision, to be
re-incarnated.
*
MacRae-Murdoch Translation at
Comparative-Religion.Com
