A few weeks ago I bought a book that has me thinking a lot about one of my favorite texts. The book I bought was Vol. 1 of the Nag Hammadi Studies series. It’s just a bibliography, but my goal is to complete the set at least up to Vol. 36 or so. The reason this has me thinking about one of my favorite texts, is that Vol. 13 of this series contains that text. The text is “The Book of Jeu and the Untitled Text in the Bruce Codex.” Part of which can be found here. You will see that this website refers to the Carl Schmidt book - this is Vol. 13. I have been trying to buy this book for the past 5 or so years and have never come across a single available copy. Lucky for me (and you) there is an alternate and lesser known translation. It isn’t as complete as Schmidt’s, but serves for a good contrast. Interestingly enough it was this alternate translation that led me to the NHS version. I was looking around in the bottom floor of the HBLL when I came across a paperback book called “Studies in Hermetic Tradition: Egyptian Magic.” The chapter called “The Book of the Grand Words of Each Mystery” is the Bruce translation. It isn’t very well documented so I ended up searching for a full text which I finally found in the NHS in the Ancient Studies Room now called the Nibley room on the 5th floor of the HBLL. (which by the way is an incredible room that I would very highly recommend visiting)
In Old Testament and Related Studies, Nibley talks about the importance of the Bruce Codex.
“Carl Schmidt believed that the Second Jeu was the most important of all early Christian writings. It is the best expression of early Christian teachings. And this tells us that a person who is sent to take charge of a new world, as Adam was sent to take charge of this world, is called a Jeu, a form of the word Jehovah. Then he says, "As Jeus become fathers [once you have become established, you become a father], then you will appoint Jeus for new worlds, who will in time become fathers, and so on, ad infinitum." So you have the Jeus promoted to fathers, who then send out other sons as Jeus, and so forth. Each æon has created for its own host ten thousand times ten thousand. They like to talk about these things. In every individual world God made three hundred and sixty thousand agents, in every dwelling place three hundred and sixty thousand other dwelling places. The earth and the planets are but atoms in an infinity of like systems. That's from the Sefer Yetzirah, a very old Jewish work, widely recognized by the Jews.”
And again in “Early Christian Prayer Circles” from “Mormonism and Early Christianity”
“In the book of 2nd Jeu, considered by Carl Schmidt to be the most instructive of all early Christian texts, the apostles and their wives all form a circle around the Lord, who says he will lead them through all the secret ordinances that shall give them eternal progression. Then "all the Apostles, clothed in their garments…placing foot to foot, made a circle facing the four directions of the cosmos," and Jesus standing at the altar [shoure] proceeded to instruct them in all the signs and ordinances in which the Sons of Light must be perfect.”
David Wiley (I believe) gives an interesting article on it here. And it is referred to briefly here.
Personally, I don’t disagree with the conclusions drawn, and some degree of liberty is taken with the meaning of the text. Instead of telling what the text says, many of the authors tell us what it “means.” As I said, I don’t disagree, but you can judge for yourself. I have transcribed the end of the chapter from Egyptian Magic which Violet McDermott has listed as ver. 40 in the NHS version.
Then the Disciples of Christ Said unto him:
“Lord, when we said, Give us a name which shall suffice for all the worlds, you answered us and said, When I have passed through all the worlds and have brought you forth from them, then I will tell it unto you.. Now behold we have traversed all the worlds and we have seen all that they contain; you have taught us their names and the names of their seals, and their numbers so that they shall open before us from the first even unto the last; teach us then that Name of which you have spoken in order that we may speak it in all the worlds of the Æons, and that they may open before us.”
Then Jesus said unto them:
“Hear ye then and I will tell you, guard it in your heart.”
Then they said:
“is this the Great Name of your Father, who existed from the Beginning, or of one greater?”
And the Christ said:
“No, but it is the Name of the Great Force which is in all worlds. If you speak the world, all Worlds must submit. Those which are in the Æons from the first to the last, even unto the Treasure of the God of Truth. The Guardians, of the Hierarchies, and the Firmaments shall open before you; this is the name which I tell unto you:
AAAOOOZORAZAZZZAIEOZAZAEEEIIIZAIEOZOAKHOEOOOYTHO-EZAOZAEZEEEZZEEZAOZAKHOZAEKHEYEITYXAALETHYKA.
“This is the Name which you must speak in the interior world; the Name of the God of Truth is an exterior world. Live then in the exterior world, pronounce this name, mark yourself with the seal
(drawn three concentric circles with alternating Xs and Os on the outer most circle. Lines at 30°, 60° 90° connect each X to the center point of the three circles)
Of which the Name is ZZEEOOKHAAAEZAZA. Say it and take in your hands the number ZONSTTH. When you have arrived at your destination, pronounce this name, say it first, then turn towards the four quarters of the Holy Place, make the sign of the Seal, say the name of which you hold the number in your hands.”
In Old Testament and Related Studies, Nibley talks about the importance of the Bruce Codex.
“Carl Schmidt believed that the Second Jeu was the most important of all early Christian writings. It is the best expression of early Christian teachings. And this tells us that a person who is sent to take charge of a new world, as Adam was sent to take charge of this world, is called a Jeu, a form of the word Jehovah. Then he says, "As Jeus become fathers [once you have become established, you become a father], then you will appoint Jeus for new worlds, who will in time become fathers, and so on, ad infinitum." So you have the Jeus promoted to fathers, who then send out other sons as Jeus, and so forth. Each æon has created for its own host ten thousand times ten thousand. They like to talk about these things. In every individual world God made three hundred and sixty thousand agents, in every dwelling place three hundred and sixty thousand other dwelling places. The earth and the planets are but atoms in an infinity of like systems. That's from the Sefer Yetzirah, a very old Jewish work, widely recognized by the Jews.”
And again in “Early Christian Prayer Circles” from “Mormonism and Early Christianity”
“In the book of 2nd Jeu, considered by Carl Schmidt to be the most instructive of all early Christian texts, the apostles and their wives all form a circle around the Lord, who says he will lead them through all the secret ordinances that shall give them eternal progression. Then "all the Apostles, clothed in their garments…placing foot to foot, made a circle facing the four directions of the cosmos," and Jesus standing at the altar [shoure] proceeded to instruct them in all the signs and ordinances in which the Sons of Light must be perfect.”
David Wiley (I believe) gives an interesting article on it here. And it is referred to briefly here.
Personally, I don’t disagree with the conclusions drawn, and some degree of liberty is taken with the meaning of the text. Instead of telling what the text says, many of the authors tell us what it “means.” As I said, I don’t disagree, but you can judge for yourself. I have transcribed the end of the chapter from Egyptian Magic which Violet McDermott has listed as ver. 40 in the NHS version.
Then the Disciples of Christ Said unto him:
“Lord, when we said, Give us a name which shall suffice for all the worlds, you answered us and said, When I have passed through all the worlds and have brought you forth from them, then I will tell it unto you.. Now behold we have traversed all the worlds and we have seen all that they contain; you have taught us their names and the names of their seals, and their numbers so that they shall open before us from the first even unto the last; teach us then that Name of which you have spoken in order that we may speak it in all the worlds of the Æons, and that they may open before us.”
Then Jesus said unto them:
“Hear ye then and I will tell you, guard it in your heart.”
Then they said:
“is this the Great Name of your Father, who existed from the Beginning, or of one greater?”
And the Christ said:
“No, but it is the Name of the Great Force which is in all worlds. If you speak the world, all Worlds must submit. Those which are in the Æons from the first to the last, even unto the Treasure of the God of Truth. The Guardians, of the Hierarchies, and the Firmaments shall open before you; this is the name which I tell unto you:
AAAOOOZORAZAZZZAIEOZAZAEEEIIIZAIEOZOAKHOEOOOYTHO-EZAOZAEZEEEZZEEZAOZAKHOZAEKHEYEITYXAALETHYKA.
“This is the Name which you must speak in the interior world; the Name of the God of Truth is an exterior world. Live then in the exterior world, pronounce this name, mark yourself with the seal
(drawn three concentric circles with alternating Xs and Os on the outer most circle. Lines at 30°, 60° 90° connect each X to the center point of the three circles)
Of which the Name is ZZEEOOKHAAAEZAZA. Say it and take in your hands the number ZONSTTH. When you have arrived at your destination, pronounce this name, say it first, then turn towards the four quarters of the Holy Place, make the sign of the Seal, say the name of which you hold the number in your hands.”
