▁Nag ▁Hamm adi ▁library , ▁the ▁arch ons ▁are ▁r ul ers , ▁each ▁related ▁to ▁one ▁of ▁seven ▁plan ets ; ▁they ▁prevent ▁sou ls ▁from ▁leaving ▁the ▁material ▁real m . ▁In ▁Man ich ae ism , ▁the ▁arch ons ▁are ▁the ▁r ul ers ▁of ▁a ▁real m ▁within ▁the ▁' K ing dom ▁of ▁Dark ness ', ▁who ▁together ▁make ▁up ▁the ▁Prince ▁of ▁Dark ness . ▁ ▁Heb dom ad ▁A ▁characteristic ▁feature ▁of ▁the ▁G nost ic ▁concept ▁of ▁the ▁universe ▁is ▁the ▁role ▁played ▁in ▁almost ▁all ▁G nost ic ▁systems ▁by ▁the ▁seven ▁world - cre ating ▁arch ons , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁ ▁( <0xE1> <0xBC> <0x91> β δ ο μ ά ς ). ▁These ▁Seven ▁are ▁in ▁most ▁systems ▁semi - host ile ▁powers , ▁and ▁are ▁reck oned ▁as ▁the ▁last ▁and ▁lowest ▁em an ations ▁of ▁the ▁God head ; ▁below ▁them — and ▁frequently ▁considered ▁as ▁proceed ing ▁from ▁them — comes ▁the ▁world ▁of ▁the ▁actually ▁devil ish ▁powers . ▁There ▁are ▁indeed ▁certain ▁exceptions ; ▁Bas il ides ▁taught ▁the ▁existence ▁of ▁a ▁" gre at ▁arch on " ▁called ▁Ab ra x as ▁who ▁pres ided ▁over ▁ 3 6 5 ▁arch ons . ▁ ▁Ev ident ly ▁from ▁works ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Ap oc ry phon ▁of ▁John , ▁the ▁O ph ite ▁Di agr ams , ▁On ▁the ▁Origin ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁and ▁P ist is ▁Soph ia , ▁arch ons ▁play ▁an ▁important ▁role