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The "Sophia" stands for the canonical adaptation of the Gnostic Great Mother: Latin Sapientia, Greek Sophia, the spirit of Female Wisdom. Sophia is symbolized by the Dove of Aphrodite (later transformed into a sign of the Holy Ghost).
Answer for yourself: What was seen descending upon Yeshua at his immersion? A dove or "the Sophia....the wisdom and power of God"? No wonder there are no miracles attributed to Yeshua before this time.
We grew up thinking that John the Baptist and Jesus saw some type of "white bird" descending upon Yeshua; but as we see this is Gnostic theology at its very core that passes again for "literalism" instead of the allegorical intended meaning of the earliest Gnostic Christians. Gnostics have always taught that at Jesus' immersion he received "the Christ" and it entered into his body. This is something that Rome never planned you understood; that the earliest followers of Jesus were Gnostics and not "literalists." That means the writer of this New Testament literature was Gnostic!
The Sophia once represented God's female soul, source of his power, just as Kali-Shakti served to vitalize the Hindu gods (Robert Graves, The White Goddess. New York: Vintage Books, 1958: p. 159).
The Trattato Gnostico said Sophia was God's mother, "the great revered Virgin in whom the Father was concealed from the begin-fling before He had created anything." She was identified with Isis-Hathor, whose seven emanations gave each Egyptian his seven souls. Irenaeus said Sophia like Hathor was the mother of the seven planetary spirits, whose names were listed in Gnostic papyri as the magic-working secret names of God (Francis Legge, Forerunner and Rivals of Christianity (2 vols). New York: University Books Inc. 1964, p. 2,69).
The Clementine Homilies called Sophia the All-Maternal Being, The Queen, Lady Wisdom. Early Gnostic Christians held that, like Krishna and Shiva, or like Dionysus and Zeus, Christ and God together merged with Sophia as an androgyne: "The Son of Man agreed with Sophia, his consort, and revealed himself in a great light as bisexual. His male nature is called "the Savior," the begetter of all things, but his female, "Sophia, Mother of All" (Marjorie Malvem, Venus in Sackcloth. Carbondale, Ill.: Southern Illinois University Press. 1975. p. 43, 53).
A Gnostic creation myth said Sophia was born from the primordial female power Sige (Silence). Sophia gave birth to a male spirit, Christ, and a female spirit, Achamoth. The latter gave life to the elements and the terrestrial world, then brought forth a new god named lldabaoth, Son of Darkness, along with five planetary spirits later regarded as emanations of Jehovah: lao, Sabaoth, Adonai, Eloi, and Uraeus. These spirits produced archangels, angels, and finally men.
Ildabaoth or Jehovah forbade men to eat the fruit of knowledge, but his mother Achamoth sent her own spirit to earth in the form of the serpent Ophis to teach men to disobey the jealous god. The serpent was also called Christ, who taught Adam to eat the fruit of knowledge despite the god's prohibition (Hans Jonas, The Gnostic Religion. Boston: Beacon Press. 1963. p. 204).
Sophia sent Christ to earth again in the shape of her own totemic dove, to enter the man Jesus at his baptism in the Jordan. After Jesus died, Christ left his body and returned to heaven. Sophia gave Jesus a body of ether, and placed him in heaven to help collect souls (Francis Legge, Forerunner and Rivals of Christianity (2 vols). New York: University Books Inc. 1964, p. 2,69). Some said Jesus became Sophia's spouse and his glory depended on this sacred marriage; for he was only one of the Aeons, a minor spirit, the "common fruit" of the Pleroma (Hans Jonas, The Gnostic Religion. Boston: Beacon Press. 1963. p. 188).
Some said Sophia was also Jesus's mother, for she was the Virgin of Light whose spirit entered into the body of Mary to conceive him.
She also entered the body of Elizabeth to conceive John the Baptist. Some said Sophia was to God as Metis to Zeus: his "mind." But Sophia wasn't acceptable to the all-male church. Of the three mighty female powers in the Gnostic creation myth, all preceded Jehovah, and two of them opposed Jehovah as a tyrant, overruled his taboo, and saved humanity from ignorance. It was a version that the all male Pauline churches found lacking in appeal.
Nevertheless, Sophia was passionately adored by Eastern Christians. Her greatest shrine was erected in Constantinople during the 6th century A.D., and was one of the wonders of the world: the Church of Holy Sophia (Hagia Sophia).
Embarrassed by this magnificent monument to the Great Mother, Roman Christians claimed it was dedicated to a minor "virgin martyr," St. Sophia, whose phony legend lacked even a date. Despite her virginity she was the mother of three daughters, also "virgin martyrs": St. Faith, St. Hope, and St. Charity. The legend may have arisen in personification of the saying that Wisdom gives birth to Faith, Hope, and Charity. Hagiographers took it literally, confusing the three virtues with the three Charites. Catholic scholars now claim the church of Hagia Sophia was never dedicated to the Great Mother in any form, not even that of a female saint. They say its name-which means "Holy Female Wisdom" in plain Greek-really meant "Christ ~ the Word of God" (Donald Attwater, The Penguin Dictionary of Saints. Baltimore: Penguin Books Inc., 1965. p. 127, 312).
Jewish "Wisdom" (Proverbs) literature owed much to the cult of Sophia, who was to reappear in medieval Jewish cabalism as the Shekina of God. Yet the 8th chapters of Proverbs urges the benefits of Sophia's worship:
Prov 8:1-36 1 Doth not wisdom (Sophia) cry? and understanding put forth her (Sophia) voice? 2 She (Sophia) standeth in the top of high places, by the way in the places of the paths. 3 She (Sophia) crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors. 4 Unto you, O men, I call; and my voice is to the sons of man. 5 O ye simple, understand wisdom (Sophia): and, ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart. 6 Hear; for I will speak of excellent things; and the opening of my lips shall be right things. 7 For my mouth shall speak truth; and wickedness is an abomination to my lips. 8 All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them. 9 They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge. 10 Receive my instruction, and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. 11 For wisdom (Sophia) is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. 12 I wisdom (Sophia) dwell with prudence, and find out knowledge of witty inventions. 13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate. 14 Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom (Sophia): I am understanding; I have strength. 15 By me kings reign, and princes decree justice. 16 By me princes rule, and nobles, even all the judges of the earth. 17 I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me. 18 Riches and honour are with me; yea, durable riches and righteousness. 19 My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and my revenue than choice silver. 20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment: 21 That I may cause those that love me to inherit substance; and I will fill their treasures. 22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old. 23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was. 24 When there were no depths, I was brought forth; when there were no fountains abounding with water. 25 Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth: 26 While as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the highest part of the dust of the world. 27 When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: 28 When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: 29 When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: 30 Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him; 31 Rejoicing in the habitable part of his earth; and my delights were with the sons of men. 32 Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children: for blessed are they that keep my ways. 33 Hear instruction, and be wise, and refuse it not. 34 Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. 35 For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. 36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death. (KJV)
This was one side of a public-relations war. Proverbs chapter 9 is the other side was - presented by the following chapter, wherein God scorned the worship of the Goddess:
Sophia bath budded her house, she hath hewn out her seven pillars: she hath killed her beasts: she bath mingled her wine: she hath also furnished her table. She hath sent forth her maidens: she crieth upon the highest places of the city. Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither; as for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled. . . [but] the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. For by me [God] thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased. .. . A foolish woman is clamorous: she is simple, and knoweth nothing. For she sitteth at the door of her house, on a seat in the high places of the city, to call passengers who go right on their ways: whoso is simple, let him turn in hither.. . . But he knoweth not that the dead are there; and that her guests are in the depths of hell (Holy Bible, King James - version).
The "high places of the city" meant temples, therefore the "woman" was the Goddess, who met with much resistance from followers of the God. Yet she was still in evidence during the Middle Ages, as Sophia-Sapientia, Lady Wisdom, ruling deity of the Gnostic philosophers who said the World Soul was born of her smile.