s of men, and their
united voices formed a perfect harmony. Its abundant fruit gave to the
initiated who tasted it the knowledge of metals, stones, and plants, and
also of physical and moral laws; but this fruit was like fire, and those
who feared suffering and death did not dare to put it to their lips.
Now, as she had listened attentively to the lessons of the serpent, Eve
despised these empty terrors, and wished to taste the fruit which gave
the knowledge of God. But, as she loved Adam, and did not wish him to be
inferior to her, she took him by the hand and led him to the wonderful
tree. Then she picked one of the burning apples, bit it, and proffered
it to her companion. Unfortunately, Iaveh, who was by chance walking
in the garden, surprised them, and seeing that they had become wise, he
fell into a most ungovernable rage. It is in his jealous fits that he is
most to be feared. Assembling all his forces, he created such a turmoil
in the lower air that these two weak beings were terrified. The fruit
fell from the man's hand, and the woman, clinging to the neck of her
luckless husband, said, "I too will be ignorant and suffer with him."
The triumphant Iaveh kept Adam and Eve and all their seed in a condition
of hebetude and terror. His art, which consisted only in being able to
make huge meteors, triumphed over the science of the serpent, who was a
musician and geometrician. He made men unjust, ignorant, and cruel,
and caused evil to reign in the earth. He persecuted Cain and his sons
because they were skilful workmen; he exterminated the Philistines
because they composed Orphic poems, and fables like those of AEsop. He
was the implacable enemy of science and beauty, and for long ages
the human race expiated, in blood and tears, the defeat of the winged
serpent. Fortunately, there arose among the Greeks learned men, such as
Pythagoras, and Plato, who recovered by the force of genius, the figures
and the ideas which the enemy of Iaveh had vainly tried to teach the
first woman. The soul of the serpent was in them; and that is why the
serpent, as Dorion has said, is honoured by the Athenians. Finally, in
these latter days, there appeared, under human form, three celestial
spirits--Jesus of Galilee, Basilides, and Valentinus--to whom it was
given to pluck the finest fruits of that tree of knowledge, whose roots
pass through all the earth, and whose top reaches to the highest heaven.
I have said all this in vindication of