ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Ogdoad (Gnosticism)

Have you ever heard of the word "ogdoad"? It's a very big word used in a religious belief called Gnosticism. This is when some people believe they have special, secret knowledge about the world and the universe.

The word "ogdoad" actually means "eight". The Gnostics believed that there were eight divine beings or gods. Four of them were male and four were female. They thought that these eight beings created the world and everything in it.

The Gnostics believed that these eight divine beings were very important and powerful. They were sort of like bosses or leaders in charge of everything in the world. They thought that if they could understand and worship these beings, then they would be able to learn the secrets of the universe and become more powerful themselves.

So, to sum it up for you, "ogdoad" is a big word that means "eight". It was very important to people who followed Gnostic beliefs a long time ago. They believed that there were eight divine beings who created everything, and if they could understand and worship them, they could learn special secrets about the world and become more powerful themselves.