release the Father from their power.

"These are the twelve conflicts of Hercules which He underwent, in
order, from first to last, viz.: Lion, and Hydra, and Boar, and the
others successively. For they say that these are the names of them among
the Gentiles, and they have been derived, with altered denomination,
from the energy of the maternal angels. When he seemed to have
vanquished his antagonists, Omphale (now she is Venus) clings to him and
entices away Hercules, and divests him of his power, viz.: the commands
of Baruch which Elohim issued. And in place of this power Babel, or
Venus, envelops him in her own peculiar robe, that is, in the power of
Edem, who is the power below; and in this way the prophecy of Hercules
remained unfulfilled and his work."

As men were still bound by the power of Edem, or the Devil, in the days
of Herod the king, Baruch was again dispatched by Elohim, and coming to
Nazareth delivered his message to Jesus, son of Joseph and Mary. Nass,
who, as we have seen, was the evil spirit in Edem, wished to entice
away Jesus also. He was not, however, disposed to listen but remained
faithful to Baruch. Naas, overcome by anger at not being able to seduce
him, caused him to be crucified.

"He, leaving the body of Edem on the accursed tree, ascended to the
Good One; saying to Edem, 'Woman, thou retainest thy Son,' that is, the
natural and the earthly man. But Jesus himself commending his spirit
into the hands of the Father, ascended to the Good One. Now the Good
One is Priapus, and he it is who antecedently caused the production of
everything that exists. On this account he is styled Priapus, because
he previously fashioned all things according to his design. For this
reason, he says, in every temple is preserved his statue, which is
revered by every creature; and there are images of him in the highways
carrying over his head ripened fruits, that is, the produce of the
creation, of which he is the cause, having in the first instance
formed, according to his design, the creation, when as yet it had no
existence."(147)

147) Hippolytus, Refutation of All Heresies, book v., p. 188.

Thus the fact is observed not only that in the time of Paul, phallic
worship still existed, but by the writings of Justinus and others is
shown the manner in which the doctrine that woman is the cause of evil
in the world became formulated and adopted as part and parcel of the
Christian belief.

Staniland Wa