When we last left off , the Israelites were growing and thriving in Egypt under the watchful eye of their seemingly merciful God. However, as history unfolded, this God, whom we now recognize as Yaldabaoth, had other plans—plans that would lead to suffering, manipulation, and ultimately, a twisted game of power and control.
For over 400 years, the Israelites lived in Egypt, growing into a sizable minority. Things were relatively peaceful until one fateful day when Yaldabaoth began to send ominous dreams to Pharaoh, foreshadowing disaster. In response, Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites and ordered the slaughter of their male infants. Yet, as always with Yaldabaoth, there was a twist: one baby survived. His mother, in a desperate act, placed him in a basket and set him adrift among the reeds of the Nile.
This child, found and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, was named Moses. He grew up in the royal household, unaware of his true heritage until one day he discovered the truth—that he was, in fact, a Jew. This revelation led Moses into an identity crisis, which culminated in him killing an Egyptian who was abusing a Hebrew slave. While Moses initially thought he was acting righteously, his fellow Hebrews branded him a murderer, forcing him to flee Egypt and wander the wilderness.
The Burning Bush: Yaldabaoth’s Deception
For 40 years, Moses lived a new life in Midian, far from the turmoil of Egypt. But peace was not to last. Yaldabaoth had grander plans, and they required Moses’ return to Egypt. One day, while shepherding his flock near Mount Horeb (also known as Mount Sinai), Moses encountered a burning bush. From within the flames, Yaldabaoth spoke, declaring himself the God of Moses’ ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—and commanding Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt and into the land of Canaan.
Moses, understandably hesitant, questioned this deity he barely knew. Yaldabaoth, ever jealous and insecure, revealed his name as "I Am," and forbade Moses and the Israelites from using any variation of the word "God" or "God Most High." After much persuasion and a few threats, Moses agreed to Yaldabaoth’s plan and set off with his family back to Egypt.
The Ten Plagues: A Divine Game of Torture
Once back in Egypt, Moses, joined by his brother Aaron, approached Pharaoh with a simple request: allow the Israelites a three-day break to worship in the wilderness. Predictably, Pharaoh refused, and so began the infamous ten plagues, each one more horrific than the last. But why ten plagues? Moses asked this question, and Yaldabaoth dodged it. Instead, he made it clear that he would harden Pharaoh’s heart to ensure the full set of plagues was unleashed.
From turning the Nile’s waters into blood, to unleashing frogs, lice, and flies, Yaldabaoth’s plan seemed less about liberation and more about inflicting maximum suffering. Even when Pharaoh showed signs of relenting, Yaldabaoth would harden his heart, prolonging the torment. Finally, the ultimate plague arrived—the death of every firstborn son in Egypt, sparing only those who had marked their doors with the blood of a lamb. The cries of the Egyptians echoed through the land as they mourned the loss of their children, and only then did Pharaoh allow the Israelites to leave.
As the Israelites fled Egypt, under the guidance of Yaldabaoth, they found themselves trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s pursuing army. But Yaldabaoth had one final trick up his sleeve. With a dramatic parting of the Red Sea, he allowed the Israelites to cross, only to drown the Egyptian soldiers who followed.
Yet the journey to the Promised Land was far from straightforward. Yaldabaoth led them in circles, allowing time for further suffering and tests of loyalty. At Mount Sinai, Moses was summoned to receive detailed instructions for building a tabernacle—a place where Yaldabaoth’s presence would dwell. Meanwhile, the Israelites, growing restless, constructed a golden calf to worship, an act that sent Yaldabaoth into a murderous rage. Moses intervened, managing to reduce the death toll, but not before many Israelites were slaughtered for their disobedience.
The Wilderness Years: Punishment and Plague
For 40 years, the Israelites wandered the desert, their journey prolonged by Yaldabaoth’s whims and their own fears. When spies reported that the land of Canaan was inhabited by fearsome warriors, the Israelites refused to enter, leading Yaldabaoth to condemn them to further wandering as punishment for their lack of faith.
Throughout these years, the Israelites experienced numerous trials, from rebellions quashed by divine fire to water shortages miraculously solved by striking a rock. Even Moses wasn’t spared—when he took credit for bringing water from the rock, Yaldabaoth decreed that he would not enter the Promised Land either, ending their once-close relationship.
As the Israelites neared the Promised Land, Moses delivered his final sermon to a new generation, who had grown up in the wilderness. After his speech, he ascended a mountain and died, leaving the Israelites to continue under Yaldabaoth’s rule.
The Gnostic View: A God of War and Deceit
To the ancient Gnostics, these stories were clear evidence of Yaldabaoth’s malevolence. The Old Testament, with its tales of genocide, war, and divine manipulation, painted a picture of a deity far from the loving, merciful God that later Christian traditions would embrace. Instead, Yaldabaoth was seen as a false god—a being who delighted in suffering and played cruel games with humanity.
In the books of Joshua and Judges, Yaldabaoth commanded the Israelites to slaughter entire populations. In Samuel, he called for genocide and tormented King Saul with an evil spirit. In Kings, he plotted murders like a mafia boss, and in Job, he allowed Satan, one of his own angels, to torture a faithful man just to win a bet.
The Gnostics saw these stories as proof that Yaldabaoth was not the true God, but a tyrant who sought to keep humanity trapped in a cycle of suffering and ignorance. And so, as we leave the story of Exodus behind, we prepare to enter a new chapter—the arrival of Jesus and the ultimate confrontation between the forces of light and the false god, Yaldabaoth.
Stay tuned for the next installment, where the true nature of the divine battle will be revealed.