Athoth: Has a sheep's face. Eloaiou: Has a donkey's face. Astaphaios: Has a hyena's face. Yao: Has a serpent's face. Adonin: Has a monkey's face. Sabbede: Has a shining fire-face, which may be interpreted as an animal-like feature. Yavai: Has a bear's face. Eloim: Has a cat's face. These depictions reflect the diverse and symbolic nature of characters within Gnostic texts, often blending human and animal traits to convey specific spiritual or mythological meanings.
The concept of the Monad in the Nag Hammadi Library is multifaceted and intricate, as evidenced by various excerpts from the texts. Here are some insights from these excerpts: The Monad is often seen as the first or primary principle, preceding other forms or entities. In one instance, it's described as existing among the immortals, with a hierarchical structure of thought, teachings, counsels, and powers deriving from it. In another excerpt, the Monad is referred to as a "great monad" from a "pure monad", suggesting a layered or complex nature. This Monad is associated with light, perfection, and divinity, and it's noted for its ability to become numerable and divided, yet remaining fundamentally one. The Monad is mentioned as the first among created things, followed by the dyad and the triad, up to the tenths. This indicates a cosmological framework where the Monad is at the apex of a structured hierarchy of existence. The concept of the Monad was s