ON THE ORIGIN OF THE WORLD, Gnostic scripture, handed down in
several copies (Nag Hammadi Codex II, 5; 97.24- 127.17; NHC
XIII, 2, 50. 25-34 [fragm.]; British Library, Or. 4926
[fragm.]) and by comparison with other texts quite well
preserved. In spite of its parallels, for instance, to Irenaeus
(Adversus omnes haereses 1.30), to testimonies of the Sethian
and Valentinian gnosis, as well as to Manichaeism, it represents
none of these known systems. Neither does it offer its own
system. It is a compendium of significant Gnostic thoughts,
particularly about cosmogony, anthropogeny, and eschatology,
based on various sources and traditions and partly presented in
quasi-scientific style with numerous etiologies and etymologies,
making it appear outright encyclopedic. In addition, with a view
to appealing to the public, it employs the style of an
apologetic treatise. Yet the story of the earth as well as the
representation of the upper world and its development are
largely excluded. Based on the initially stated a