Flora Tells a Story: The Apocalypse of Paul and Its Contexts

English Translation of the Apocalypse of Paul (NHC V,2)

The Text English Translation of the Apocalypse of Paul (nhc v,2)1 (17.19) [The Apocalypse of Pau]l2 Introduction [approx. 11 lines missing]3 (18.3) the road, [a]nd [he4 spoke to him,] | saying, [“By which] road (5) [can I go] up to Je[rusalem5 ?”] The small | ch[ild replied6, saying]: | “Give your name, in order [that I might sh]ow | you the road.” [The small child] | knew [who] Pa[ul was.] (10) His words were intended | as an excuse | to start up a conversation | with him.7 The Spirit’s Discourse The little child spoke up, | saying, “I know (15) who you are, Paul: | you are the one who was blessed from | his mother’s womb.8 I [saw] | that you were [on your way up to Jer]u[salem], | to your fello[w apostles,] (20) and it is be[cause] of this that [I ]was [sent to you.]9 | I am the Spi[rit, who is with] | you. Awa[ken …]10 [several lines are missing] (19.1) For [ … ] | [ …] [the wh]ole … which [ … ] | among th[e] P[ri]nci[p]alit[ie]s [and th]ese Authorities [and] | Archa[ng]els and Powe[r]s (5) and the whole cr[o]wd of demons11, | [who belong]12 to the one who created13 | bodies which are provided with soul.”14 1 | And after he had finished saying this, | he spoke again, saying to {him}15: (10) “Awaken your mind, | Pa[ul], in order to see that this mountain | upon which you walk16, is the mountain | of Jericho17, and so that you might come to know the things | which are hidden within those which are apparent! (15) It is to the twelve apostles | that you are going18, for they are | elect spirits, and they will | greet you.” 2 the text Israel—Gamla Path. Photograph by E. Marascalchi, 2005. The Third Heaven He lifted up his | eyes. He saw them. (20) They greet[ed] him. Then | the h[ol]y [Spirit], who was conversing | wit[h him], snatch[ed] him up19 | on high, up to the [thir]d | heaven. And he pa[ss]ed on up to the (25) fourth [heaven.] The Fourth Heaven: The Trial of a Sinner| The [holy] Spirit [spo]ke to him, | saying, “Loo[k] | and see your likenes[s] | [up]on the earth.” And he l[ooked] (30) [d]own, he saw those [who were on] | the ear[th]. He regarded [ … ] | those [ ] on the [ … ] (20.1) [He regarded … and he] saw | the twel[ve] apostles | [at] his right [and] at his left | in the creation , and the Spirit (5) wa[s] going before them. And I20 saw | {angels of all sorts in the fifth heaven, and I saw that these21} | angels were bringing | a soul out of the land (10) of the dead. They set it at the gate | to the fourth heaven, and the | angels were whipping it.| The soul spoke up and said, | “What sin did I commit (15) in the world?” The toll-collector22 | who sits in the fourth | heaven responded, saying , “It was not right | to do all those lawless deeds | that are in the land (20) of the dead.” The soul | re[pl]ied, saying, “Bring | witnesses! Let them [tell you] | in what bod[y] I behaved lawlessly.”| [“I want to bring] a book (25) [to read from.”]23 And [the th]ree | witnesses came. The first one spoke | [up,] saying | [“Wasn’t it] I who was | [in] the body at the second hour (30) [ … ] ? I rose up against you (21.1) un[til you wer]e filled with anger [and] | wr[at]h an[d en]vy.” And the | second spoke, [say]ing, | “Wasn’t it I who was (5) in the world, and who came in | at the fifth hour? And I saw you, and | I desired you. And behold, | now I am accusing you on account of | the murders that you committed.” The (10) third spoke up, saying | “Wasn’t it I who came to you at the | twelfth hour of the day, when the | sun was about to set, and I gave you darkness | until you had completed your sins?” english translation of the apocalypse of paul 3 (15) When the soul heard these things | it stared down, | sorrowfully, and then it gazed | upwards. They cast it down.24 | When they cast it down25, (20) the [s]oul [went] into [a] body that...