PGM IV.

1 1 6 7 - 1 2 2 6 61

All, ARCHIZO / NYON THENAR METHOR PARY PHEZOR THAPSAMYDO MAROMI 1165
CHELOPSA."
*Tr.:W. C.Grcse.

PGM IV. 1167-1226

* Stele that is useful for all things; it even delivers from death. Do not investigate
what is in it.
Formula: "I praise you,"" the one and blessed of the eons and / father of the 1170
world, with cosmic prayers. Come to me, you who filled the whole universe with
air, who hung up the fire from the [heavenly] water and separated the earth from
rhe water. Pay attention, form, spirit, / earth and sea, to a word from the one who 1175
is wise concerning divine Necessity, and accept my words as fiery darts, because
I am a man,162 the most beautiful creature of the god in heaven, made out of
spirit, / dew, and earth. Heaven, be opened; accept my words. Listen, Helios, fa- 1180
ther of the world; I call upon you with your name AO EY E O I AIOE YEOA OUOR-
ZARA LAMANTHATHRE KANTHIOPER / GARPSARTHRE MENLARDAPA KENTHER 1185
DRYOMEN THRANDRETHRE IABE ZELANTHI BER ZATHRE ZAKENTI BIOLLITHRE
AEO OYQ Ed oo RAMiATHA Ago OYO OYO OAYO: the only one having the origi-
nal / element. You are the holy and powerful name considered sacred by all the an- 1190
gels; protect me, so- and-so, from every excess of power and from every violent act.
Yes, do this, / lord, god of gods, IALDAZAO BLATHAM MACHOR PHRIX A£ KEOPH 1195
EEA DYMEO P H E R P H R I T H O IACHTHO PSYCHEO P H I R I T H M E O ROSEROTH THAMA-
STRAPHATI RIMPSAOCH IALTHE MEACHI ARBATHANOPS, / Creator of the WOrld, 1200
creator of the universe, lord, god of gods, MARMARIO IAO. I have spoken of your
unsurpassable glory,163 you who created gods, archangels, and decans. The ten
thousands of angels stood by [you] and exalted / the heaven, and the lord witnessed 1205
to your Wisdom,164 which is Aion, IEOYEOE IAEAIEOEYOEI, and said that you are as
strong as he is. I invoke your hundred-lettered / name I6S which extends from the 1210
sky to the depth of the earth; save me, for you are always ever rejoicing in saving
those who are yours, ATHEZE P H O I AAA DAIAGTHI THEOBIS PHIATH THAMBRAMI
ABRAOTH / CHTHOXCHIL THOE OELCHOTH THIOOEMCH CHOOMCH SAESIISACH- 1215
CHOE IEROUTHRA o o o o o ATOAI (100 letters). I call upon you, the one on the gold
leaf,166 before whom the unquenchable lamp continually burns,167 / the great God, 1220
the one who shone on the whole world, who is radiant at Jerusalem, lord, IAO AIE
IOE OIE OIE IE AIOAI AI OYO AOE EEI IEO EYO AEI AO AOA AEEl YO El£ / AEO IEY 1225
AEE IAIA IAO EY AEY IAE EI AAA i n EEE io IOE IAO (100 letters), for a blessing,
lord."
* T r . : W . C.Grcse.

161. The prayer is addressed to the god Aion. Sec Bousset, Rdigiomgeschithtliche Studien 198, who
compares the prayer with the older form in I. 196-221,
162. For different interpretations and translations, see Rcitzenstein, Poimandres 279, who thinks of
the god Anthropos, "Man"; cf. also Betz, "The Delphic Maxim," 169: "I am a human being, the heav-
enly deity's most beautiful creation. . . ."
163. Prciscndanz prints Ao^ct, as if to suggest a divine hypostasis. See also PGM 1.199.
164. The notion of "Wisdom" (Sophia) is here identified with Aion, a unique instance in the PGM.
Cf. PGM I. 210, and Bousset, Reliflionsgeschkhtliche Studien 198-99.
165. Cf. 1.1225.
166. This protective prayer presumes a section describing a gold lamella to be worn as a phylactery.
The phylactery contained the hundred-letter name of the god and was worn as protection against "even'
excess of power" and the "very violent act" mentioned in U. 1193-94.
167. For the light miracle at Jerusalem, see PGM IV. 3070 and n. See also PDM xiv. 490 and
K. Prciscndanz, "Zum grossen Pariser Zauberpapyrus," ARW17 (1914): 3 4 7 - 4 8 .