The Gnostic scriptures say that the Archons are Sophia’s own offspring but in a different way to Humans. They are inorganic and likened to a ‘premature fetus’ and were created when Sophia impacted onto matter.
The apocryphal of John says that Sophia caused a leader to emerge among the Archons, the ‘drakonic’ type and he became known as Yaldabaoth, which translates to ‘Children of the void’, or ‘Children of the abyss’. This Demiurge is also referred to as ‘Ignorant Darkness’ because he knew not where he was from or who had created him. He looked upon matter and declared himself as supreme god and creator.
From a psychological perspective this is like us. We are born into a world and have forgotten where we come from. In an age of hyper individualism we often seek self-gain (unwittingly self-sabotage) enamoured by our Ego’s clutching and false stories of ‘self-importance’.
Yaldabaoth was given power and was able to create but only by imitation. He lacked true creative imagination because he is unaware and disconnected from the Supreme Source or Originator. As with us, when we follow the Ego path of ignorance, nothing creative and truly inspired emerges. We create our lives according to our own ‘lower’ desires.
In the Gnostic scriptures Yaldabaoth ignorantly claims ‘I am God and there is no other!’ Just as Yaweh proclaims in the Old Testament. The Jewish Bible goes on to tell the story of a demented Father god. A ruthless figure infatuated with his own power, who blatantly condones rape, murder and destruction on any human who does not bend the knee to him.
If that sounds psychopathic to you, you’re right. Yaweh is a total maniac, and to believe in this figure as ‘God’ is a massive burden and fracturing of the psyche, spirit and reverence for all life.
For this reason many early Gnostics, like church father Marcion (ce.85-160) taught that the god of Jesus was not the god of the Jews. Marcionites believed the god of the Jews was a creator god who ruled based on judgement and violence. Gnostics understood that there was a True God, the God of Jesus and the ancients. A higher source of non-judgement, unconditional love and the eternal ‘Om’.