The Hymn of the Pearl

A Shortened Version

For the complete Poem, consult "The Other Bible" type books,

or anything containing the Apocryphal "Acts of Thomas"

Summary and Critique

.......The "Hymn of the Pearl" is a very old Persian fantasy poem, that by the time it

had reached the form in which it is now preserved, has become quite Gnostic in its

theology. ......The dualism of the Persians, which later became Essene dualism, is

very evident.......The trinity it presents is not the Christian trinity. .....The Father is

accompanied by the equal Mother (Sophia or Wisdom). .....The Son, like Jesus

(or Mani) is sent out into the world to acquire "the Pearl" guarded by the snorting

serpent of the middle of the sea. .....The son must go to Egypt to acquire this "Pearl",

and on his return will get back the "Royal Robe" that he had to abandon in order to

go on this, his assigned task.

 

.......This very ancient poem was attached to the Apocryphal Acts of Thomas,

considered to be as inspired as the New Testament Scriptures by many Eastern

Churches......It seems obvious that in its original form it was pre-Christian and pre-

Gnostic. .....That Jesus was familiar with it in its entirety seems obvious enough to

many of us that are allowed to notice such things. ......The two most obvious sayings

of Jesus that indicate his knowledge of this poem or hymn are the saying about the

"Pearl of Great Price" and "Cast not your Pearls before Swine.".......The former

saying actually gives the entire plot of the "Hymn of the Pearl" in just a few words.

 

.......It is a beautiful poem, and some elements of it can even be seen in the story of

Jacob's son Joseph, who had a "coat of many colors" like the hero of the poem, and

also went into Egypt from a far country. ......Instead of here printing the entire poem,

which is very long, I will just draw attention to a number of lines in which I see clearly

other Parables of Jesus, and even almost exact lines of these Parables. .....That this

poem or hymn preceded the Parables of Jesus cannot really be denied by an honest

scholar......Jesus borrowed from every source He found to be useful.

 "When I was a little child

living in my kingdom,

in my father's house

happy in the glories and riches

of my family that nurtured me,

my parents gave me provisions

and sent me forth from our

home in the east..."

 (Mt.19:14) "...Suffer little children...

to come unto me: for of such is the

kingdom..(Jn.14:2)"In my father's house

are many mansions.." (Mat.6:19-21)

"Lay not up for yourselves treasures

upon earth, (Egypt) where moth and

rust doth corrupt, and where thieves

break through and steal: but..in heaven"

 "And they took off my bright

robe of glory, which they had

made for me out of love, and

took away my purple toga,

which was woven to fit my

stature."

 (Luke 15:11-32) "The Prodigal Son"

(Mt. 22:1-14) "Marriage of the King's

son (Wedding Garment)

(Mark 15:17,20) At Jesus' trial the

"purple" was mockingly restored to

him by the soldiers.

 "They made a covenant with me

and wrote it in my heart so

I would not forget:

"When you go down into Egypt

and bring back the ONE

PEARL which lies in the

middle of the sea and is guarded

by the snorting serpent,

you will again put on your robe

of glory and your toga over it,

and with your brother, our next

in rank, you will be heir

to our kingdom."

 (Ps. 119:111) "Thy word have I

hid in my heart..."...Both Josephs went

"down into Egypt," the son of Jacob,

and the father of Jesus...(Isa 27:1) "In

that day the Lord ... shall punish

leviathan the piercing serpent, even

leviathan that crooked serpent; and he

shall slay the dragon that is in the sea."

(Amos 9:3) "And though they be

hid ...in the bottom of the sea, thence

I will command the serpent, and he shall

bite them."(Luke 15:11-32) "The

Prodigal Son."(Mat. 22:1-14) Marriage

of the King's Son."

 "I went down into Egypt and

my companions left me."

 Joseph, son of Jacob, and the father

of Jesus went down into Egypt...

 "I went straight to the serpent

and settled in close by his inn,

waiting for him to sleep so I

could take my PEARL from

him."

 There was no room for the second

Joseph (Jesus' father) and for Mary

at the "inn", so Jesus was

born in a "manger"

(Luke 2:7)

 "...somehow they learned I was

not their countryman, and they

dealt with me cunningly and

gave me their food to eat.

.....I forgot that I was a son of

kings and served their king."

 "...and the younger son gathered all

together, and took his journry into a

far country, and there wasted his

substance with riotous living." Luke 15:

13 "And he went and joined himself

to a citizen of that country; and he sent

him into his fields to feed swine." vs 15

 "Through the heaviness of their

food I fell into a deep sleep."

"Awake and rise from your sleep

and hear the words of our letter!

"And when he came to himself, he said,

How many hired servants of my fathers

have bread enough and to spare..."

(Luke 15:17) 

 "It rose up in the form of an

eagle, the king of all winged

fowl; it flew and alighted beside

me, and became speech."

 (Rev. 8:13 R.V.) And I beheld...

an eagle, saying

"Woe, woe, woe"....

 "I took it, kissed it, broke its

seal and read.

.....And the words written on my

heart were in the letter for me

to read."

 "I will arise and go to my father, and

I will say to unto him, Father, I have

sinned against jeaven, and before thee..

(Luke 15:18)

 "...I began to enchant the

terrible and snorting serpent.

I charmed him into sleep by

naming the name of my Father

over him and the name of the

next in rank, and of my Mother,

the Queen of the East.

I seized the PEARL and

turned to carry it to my Father."

 "And I am no more worthy to be

called thy son: make me as one of thy

hired servants." (Luke 15:19)"And the

son said unto him, Father I have sinned

... and am no more worthy to be called

thy son." vs 21. "And he arose, and

came to his father. (Luke 15:20)

"Baptizing them in the name of the

Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy

Ghost:.." (Matt.28:19)

 "Their filthy and impure garment

I stripped off, leaving it in the

fields, and directed my way into

the light of our homeland,

the east."

 "And he arose, and came to his father.

But when he was yet a great way off,

his father saw him, and had compas-

sion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and

kissed him." (Luke 15:20)

 "My robe of glory which I had

taken off and the toga over it

were sent by my parents from

the heights of Hyrcania."

 "But the father said.. Bring forth the

best robe, and put it on him; and put a

ring on his hand.."(Luke 15:22) Another

"Hyrcania" was a holy Essene site!

 "...it glowed with sapphires of

many colors."

"...I stretched forth and received

it and put on the beauty of its

colors."

 As was Joseph son of Jacob/Israel's,

this was a "robe of many colors". The

wedding guest garment of all who are

invited to the "Marriage of the King's

Son" Matt. 22:1-14

 "I bowed my head and adored

the majesty of my Father who

had sent it to me.

....I had fulfilled his command-

ments and he had fulfilled what

he promised, and at the gate of

his princes I mingled with his

nobles."

 "After this manner therefore pray ye,

Our Father which art in heaven,

hallowed be thy name, Thy kingdom

come.." "For this my son was dead,and

is alive again; he was lost, and is found.

And they began to be merry." Luke 15:

24."Blessed are they that do his comm-

andments...may enter ..into the city."

 "He promised me that I would

journey quickly with him to the

Gate of the King of Kings, and

with my gifts and my PEARL

I would appear with him before

our King."

 (Rev.22:20) "Surely I come quickly.."

(Rev.19:16) "And he had on his

vesture and on his thigh a name written,

King of Kings and Lord of Lords."

(Luke 19:12-27)"Parable of the Pounds

or Talents"..Each Christian has his quest

Although Paul never refers directly to these Parables

and other sayings of Jesus, he assumes his listeners

[including Christians of the Middle Ages] know them,

and are placing themselves [with the help of their

priests and ministers] into each of these stories....

stories which may have had a beginning in Persia,

long before the 1st century CE.

Robert F. Holt MD 10-24-1999

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