Abstract

This article investigates the many female figures mentioned in the Interpretation of Knowledge, the first text of Nag Hammadi Codex XI. The different female figures are identified and the connection between them is clarified. It is argued that the different female characters are part of a version of the Valentinian myth of the falling of the youngest Aeon, which resulted in the wandering astray of the Soul and the creation of cosmos. Furthermore, this article investigates the previously unexplored role of Fate in the text. It is argued that the mention of Fate fits very well into the overall narrative of the text and is closely intertwined with the character called “the Female.”

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