What did the Ophites believe?

The Ophites acknowledged Jesus as the savior, but rejected the importance of the crucifixion; Christ came to reveal gnosis (knowledge), not to die for people’s sins. One Ophitic hymn, the Hymn of the Naasenes, survives.

Who are the Ophites in the Bible?

The Ophites, also called Ophians (Greek Ὀφιανοί Ophianoi, from ὄφις ophis “snake”), were a Christian Gnostic sect depicted by Hippolytus of Rome (170–235) in a lost work, the Syntagma (“arrangement”).

What does Ophites mean?

Definition of Ophite (Entry 2 of 2) : a member of a Gnostic sect or group of sects including the Naassenes and Perates that revered the serpent as the symbol of the hidden divine wisdom and as having befriended Adam and Eve by persuading them to eat of the tree of knowledge.

Is abraxas good or evil?

Abraxas begetteth truth and lying, good and evil, light and darkness in the same word and in the same act. Wherefore is Abraxas terrible. Several references to the god Abraxas appear in Hermann Hesse’s 1919 novel Demian, such as: The bird fights its way out of the egg.

Who created abraxas?

Abraxas (album)

Abraxas
Album cover from a painting by Mati Klarwein
Studio album by Santana
Released	September 23, 1970
Recorded	April 17–May 2, 1970

Who was Abraxas in the Bible?

As a demon Collin de Plancy’s Infernal Dictionary, Abraxas (or Abracax) is labeled the “supreme God” of the Basilidians, whom he describes as “heretics of the second century”. He further indicated the Basilidians attributed to Abraxas the rule over “365 skies” and “365 virtues”.

Who was abraxas in the Bible?

What are abraxas powers?

Presumably, Abraxas’ humanoid form is a manifestation used to communicate, or is merely the perception of the individual witnessing his presence. His powers are limitless, and he can manipulate the fabric of reality to accomplish his ends.

What are the two main currents of Gnosticism?

Hans Jonas discerned two main currents of Gnosticism, namely Syrian-Egyptian, and Persian, which includes Manicheanism and Mandaeism. Among the Syrian-Egyptian schools and the movements they spawned are a typically more Monist view.

What are the Gnostic texts?

Many Gnostic texts deal not in concepts of sin and repentance, but with illusion and enlightenment. Gnostic writings flourished among certain Christian groups in the Mediterranean world until about the second century, when the Fathers of the early Church denounced them as heresy.

What is the Gnostic Christian tradition?

In the Gnostic Christian tradition, Christ is seen as a divine being which has taken human form in order to lead humanity back to the Light. However, Gnosticism is not a single standardized system, and the emphasis on direct experience allows for a wide variety of teachings, including distinct currents such as Valentinianism and Sethianism.

Who is the founder of Gnosticism?

Jesus and several of his apostles, such as Thomas the Apostle, claimed as the founder of the Thomasine form of Gnosticism, figure in many Gnostic texts. Mary Magdalene is respected as a Gnostic leader, and is considered superior to the twelve apostles by some gnostic texts, such as the Gospel of Mary.