Where Marqe the Samaritan Meets the Nag Hammadi Writings

We already have a reference to Dositheus in one text. Not that we know that Marqe the Samaritan saw the number 888 at the beginning of the LXX version of the Song of the Sea (Exodus Chapter 15) what is being described in the Gospel of the Egyptians (Nag Hammadi) should be a lot clearer:

These are the three powers, the three ogdoads (i.e. 888) that the Father, through his providence, brought forth from his bosom. He brought them forth at that place.

The Lord of the House, Lord of Glory came forth, the aeon of the aeons, and the throne which is in him, and the powers which surround him, the glories and the incorruptions. The Father of the great light who came forth from the silence, he is the great Lord of Glory-aeon, in which the thrice- male child rests. And the throne of his glory was established in it, this one on which his unrevealable name is inscribed, on the tablet [...] one is the word, the Father of the light of everything, he who came forth from the silence, while he rests in the silence, he whose name is in an invisible symbol. A hidden, invisible mystery came forth [the Gospel of the Egyptians]

This document was originally written in Egypt. The original authors must have been Greek speakers. I think that the underlying context is a baptism ritual. As such the three ogdoads do not refer to the 'man Jesus' as much as they do the heavenly power 888 recognized by Marqe in the second book of his writings which deal with Israelites crossing the sea on the eighth day.

I am developing a hypothesis - and I know it sounds crazy but hear me out on this - that the Alexandrian baptism rituals were much more elaborate than what we imagine from our inherited assumptions about 'the primitive Church.' I am not quite sure when or how this process developed but my guess is that some time after 70 CE the Christians (undoubtedly associated with Marcus Agrippa) assumed control of the massive double stoa synagogue described in Philo's Flaccus and early rabbinic texts.

There is already a description of a mystical rite that the Alexandrian Jews used to established proselytes in Philo's writings. I think that at some point after 70 CE Christians assumed control of this structure and this became the 'Church of St. Mark' mentioned in to Theodore and other texts.

I think the sophistication involved in these baptism rituals have been underestimated by scholars. The Alexandrians I believe recreated the experience of the ancient Israelites crossing the water and being 'saved' by the divine merkavah. I think that certain tricks were used to make the water seem to be imbued with flames. I think the room was lit with ambient lighting and the over experience was such that participants believed that they were having the experience of the ancient Israelites.

There is a reference in the Samaritan chronicler Abul Fat'h that the Dositheans 'prayed while standing in the water.' The Dositheans were especially numerous in Alexandria. As such I think that as every Sabbath 'went out' into the eighth day the Alexandrian Christians (who developed from these traditions initiated their catechumen in a manner which recreated that seminal event and involved having them stand in a pool with all these 'magical' effects going on around them.

As mentioned the throne was prominently displayed during these rites. I think everyone was naked and in the nakedness of the bishop and the ecclesiastical hierarchy the catechumen could see that they were all 'refashioned into images of the angels' - i.e. that they were neutered.

I of course can't prove any of this but this is how a number of sources on the tradition get reconciled in my mind.