Note 254 — Chapter VIII · POST-CHRISTIAN GNOSTICS: THE OPHITES
Reading edition
The proper order would appear to be:
(1) Horaios ♂ the guardian of the First Gate, i.e. that of Fire.
(2) Ailoaios ♀ the guardian of the Second Gate, i.e. that of Air.
(3) Astaphaios ☿ the guardian of the Third Gate, i.e. that of Water.
Above these we have (4) Adonai the ☉ the first power as distinguished from mere porters or guardians of gates, (5) Iao the ☽ called in the password the second, and (6) and (7) Sabaoth ♃ and Jaldabaoth ♄ above all. This would about correspond with the astronomy of the time, which tried to put the sun in the centre of our system. But the relative places of Sabaoth, Jaldabaoth, and Ailoaios are very uncertain, and Epiphanius in describing the Ophite sect whom he calls “Gnostics” says that some wished to make Ialdabaoth occupy the 6th heaven, and others Ailoaios, called by him Elilaios, while giving the 7th to Sabaoth. Epiph. Haer. XXVI. c. 10, p. 174, Oehler.