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First Ruler
The term “first ruler” in the context of the Nag Hammadi Codex refers to a figure named Yaldabaoth, also known as the Demiurge. The Nag Hammadi library, a collection of early Christian and Gnostic texts discovered in Egypt in 1945, contains several writings that describe Gnostic cosmology, theology, and mythology.
In Gnostic belief, Yaldabaoth is often depicted as an ignorant or malevolent creator god who is responsible for the material world.
This figure is considered a false god who creates and rules the material realm, often in opposition to the true, transcendent God and the spiritual realm.
Yaldabaoth is frequently described as arrogant, ignorant of the higher spiritual truths, and a being who claims to be the only god, despite being created by higher divine powers.
The “First Ruler” in the Nag Hammadi texts specifically refers to this Demiurge figure, who is a central character in Gnostic narratives such as the “Apocryphon of John” and other related texts.
These writings describe his creation, his rule over the material world, and the ensuing struggle between the forces of light and darkness.
