A preview of the encyclopedia\u2019s depth and structure.
2nd–3rd c. CE
First Thought, Foreknowledge, Womb, Mother-Father, Triple-Powered One — the initial self-expression of the Invisible Spirit.
2nd c. CE
The chief archon, lion-faced serpent, also called Saklas (“the fool”) and Samael (“blind god”). Creator of the material world who declares himself the only god.
2nd–4th c. CE
Wisdom — the aeon whose act of differentiation initiates the lower creation. Central to both Sethian and Valentinian cosmologies.
2nd c. CE
The Fullness — the totality of divine aeons emanating from the Source. The realm of completeness from which Sophia’s act departs.
Antiquity
Transformative recognition of one’s divine origin, not mere information. The awakening that constitutes liberation.
2nd c. CE
The “afferthought” or spiritual intelligence hidden within Adam by the luminous powers, enabling recognition despite the rulers’ designs.
2nd c. CE
First Thought / Forethought — the divine presence that descends three times (as Sound, Voice, Word) to awaken humanity.
2nd–3rd c. CE
Fate — the mechanism of cosmic determinism imposed by the archons through planetary governance, passions, and the counterfeit spirit.
1.A–C: From Achamoth to the Counterfeit Spirit
Achamoth, Adam (heavenly and earthly), Adamas, Allogenes, Apocalypse of Adam, Archons, Autogenes, Barbelo, Basilides, Bridal Chamber, Bruce Codex, Cain, Christ (Gnostic), Codex, Counterfeit Spirit.
2.D–G: From Daveithai to the Gospel of Truth
Daveithai, Demiurge, Eleleth, Emanation, Epinoia, Eve/Zoe, Five Seals, Forgetfulness, Gnosis, Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Philip, Gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Truth, Great Invisible Spirit.
3.H–L: From Harmozel to the Luminaries
Harmozel, Heimarmene, Heracleon, Hippolytus, Horos, Hypostasis, Ialdabaoth, Image, Irenaeus, Jeu, Knowledge, Light, Limit, Luminaries.
4.M–P: From Marsanes to the Pronoia Hymn
Marsanes, Melchizedek, Monad, Nag Hammadi, Naassenes, Norea, Ogdoad, Ophites, Oroiael, Passions, Pistis Sophia, Pleroma, Pronoia, Protennoia, Prunikos, Ptolemy.
5.Q–S: From the Reality of Rulers to Syzygy
Reality of the Rulers, Resurrection (Gnostic), Sabaoth, Saklas, Samael, Seed, Sethian, Silence, Sophia, Spirit (counterfeit and holy), Steles of Seth, Syzygy.
6.T–Z: From Theodotus to Zostrianos
Theodotus, Thunder Perfect Mind, Tree of Knowledge, Tripartite Tractate, Triple-Powered One, Truth, Valentinus, Voice, Word, Yaldabaoth, Zoe, Zostrianos.
Each entry includes definition, source occurrences, school associations, date range, language notes, name variants, related entities, scholarly disagreements, evidence classification, and bibliography.