Theos-Talk Archives (March 2004 Message tt00409)

stevestubbs wrote:
> --- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Mauri <mhart@i...> wrote:
> > I'm tending to wonder where one might 
> > find such "ancient documents," in that, 
> > even if they (or whatever "more-original 
> > versions," say) are purposely hidden and 
> > guarded (if so), one might wonder about 
> > the nature of the info/sources that 
> > refer to such "ancient documents"... 
> That comments makes me wonder about the nature of my querent.
Steve, that paragraph from me was in 
reference to your:

<<<<The esoteruic meaning of the 
statement that Mary had
seven devils cast out of her is
therefore not that she was crazy but
that she completed the wok of the second
degree under the direct supervision of
her teacher, Jesus. None of this is
supposition, there are ancient documents
ine existece which support all these
statements but the general public is
unaware of them. >>>>

Your "ancient documents" made me wonder 
about where/how one might have access to 
such docs, in that I thought you might 
be referring to docs that are not 
available to the general public in 
libraries. I'm wondering if the Vatican 
might such "original" or "more original" 
documents.

> Translations of the apostolic fathers and ante-nicene fathers can be 
> found in any large library. The problem with them is, they are 
> boring as hell and you have to dig much earth to find little gold, as 
> Heraclitus said.
Yes I knew about 
interpretations/translations available 
in libraries, but surely a scholarly 
person such as yourself (I'm tending to 
assume, apparently, that you might tend 
to see of yourself as being somewhat 
scholarly, possibly ...) might've at 
some point wondered about the nature of 
the "originality" re such 
interpretations/translations ... well, 
maybe not that there might generally be 
seen to be direct enough access to JC, 
himself, exactly, eg, re such info, but, 
short of that, seems to me that I might 
not be the only one wondering if there 
might be some kind of "more original" 
versions, interpretation, translations 
of whatever hanging out or hiding out 
somewhere, maybe ... I thought HPB, eg, 
mentioned at some point about hidden 
libraries. Anyway, sorry about the 
circularity of my wondering.

> The system of degrees was secret, but there are hints here and there 
> regarding their nature and if you assemble all these (a feat 
> impossible in ancient times) the nature of the degrees becomes 
> clear. Some have suggested the system was patterned after the three 
> degrees of initiation in Neo-Platonism, but that does not wash 
> because the Neo-Platonists came after the primitice church. The same 
> general structure was there, though: "purification" in the second 
> degree and epopteua (vision) in the third.
I can speculate (in whatever sense) 
about "purification" and "vision." I'm 
guessing the "first degree" might've had 
something to do with something like 
"getting ready to purify," and ... ^:-) 
...

> > Then there's the Pistis Sophia ... And 
> > what about the source/nature of the 
> > Pistis Sophia, eg ... 
> I don't understand that question. The PS is a gnostic tect from the 
> Valentinian school.
Thanks, Steve. As you might've guessed, 
noticed, I'm short on info, among other 
things, often enough. Always seem to 
have been. So, eg, I don't seem to know 
if there might be some kind of notable 
enough connection (in whatever 
"interesting enough sense," maybe, per 
whoever/whatever ...) between the PS and 
your: << None of this is supposition, 
there are ancient documents ine existece 
which support all these statements but 
the general public is unaware of them. >>>>

^:-/ ...
Mauri

PS Not to worry. Last time I checked, I 
still had lots of hair left over to 
scratch off.