ANACEPHALAEOSIS II Here in Turn Are the Contents of This
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ANACEPHALAEOSIS II Here in turn are the contents of this second Section of Volume One. It includes thirteen Sects as follows: 21,1 21. Simonians, the sect founded by Simon the magician from the Samaritan village of Gitthon, who lived during the time of the apostle Peter. He was Samaritan in origin and adopted Christ’s name only. (2) He taught that an unnatural act, sexual congress for the pollution of women, is a matter of moral indifference. He rejected the resurrection of bodies, and claimed that the world is not God’s. (3) He gave his disciples an image of himself in the form of Zeus to worship, and one < in the > form of Athena of the whore named Helen who accompanied him. He said that he was the Father to Samaritans, but Christ to Jews. 22,1 22. Menandrians, who originated from this Simon through a Menander, but were somewhat different from the Simonians. Menander said that the world was made by angels. 23,1 23. Satornilians, who lent support to the Simonians’ pornog- raphy throughout Syria, but preached differently from the Simonians in order to create a further sensation. Their founder was Satornilus. (2) He too, like Menander, said that the world was made by angels—but only by seven—against the wishes of the Father on high. 24,1 24. Basilideans, votaries of the same obscenity, derived from Basilides who, together with Satornilus, was trained by the Simonians and Menandrians. He held similar views but was somewhat different. (2) He said that there are 365 heavens, and gave angelic names for them. Thus the year too has the same number of days, and the name, Abrasax, has the same numerical value and totals 365. And he says that this is the holy name. 25,1 25. Nicolaitans, founded by the Nicolaus who was placed placed in charge of the widows by the apostles. From envy of his own wife he taught his disciples, along with the others, to perform the obscene act, (2) and taught them about Kaulakau, Prunicus, and other outlandish names. 26,1 26. Gnostics are the successors of these sects, but insanely per- form the obscene action more than all of them. In Egypt they are called Stratiotics and Phibionites; in Upper Egypt, Secundians; in other places, Socratists, and Zacchaeans in others. (2) But others call them Coddians, others, Borborites. They boast of Barbelo, who is also known as Barbero. 27,1 27. Carpocratians, founded by one Carpocrates, a native of Asia, who taught his followers to perform every obscenity and every sinful practice. 60 section ii And unless one progresses through all of them, he said, and fulfi lls the will of all the demons and angels, he cannot mount to the highest heaven or get by the principalities and authorities. 27,2 He said that Jesus had received an intellectual soul, knew what is on high and made it known here; and that if one does things like the things that Jesus did, he is like Jesus. (3) Like the sects from Simon on, Carpocrates repudiated the Law together with the resurrection of the dead. (4) Marcel- lina at Rome was a follower of his. He secretly made images of Jesus, Paul, Homer and Pythagoras, burned incense to them and worshiped them. 28. Cerinthians, also known as Merinthians. These are a type of Jew derived from Cerinthus and Merinthus, and boast of circumcision, but say that the world was made by angels and that Jesus was named Christ as an advancements. 29. Nazoraeans, who confess that Christ Jesus is Son of God, but all of whose customs are in accordance with the Law. 30,1 30. Ebionites are very like these Cerinthians and the Nazoraeans; and the sect of the Sampsaeans and Elkasaites was associated with them to a degree. 30,2 They say that Christ was created in heaven, also the Holy Spirit. But Christ lodged in Adam at fi rst, and from time to time takes Adam himself off and puts him on again—for this is what they say he did at the time of his advent in the fl esh. 30,3 Although they are Jews they have Gospels, abhor the eating of fl esh, take water for God, and, as I said, hold that Christ clothed himself with a man at the time of his advent in the fl esh. (4) They immerse them- selves in water regularly, summer and winter for supposed purifi cation, like the Samaritans. 31,1 31. Valentinians, who deny the resurrection of the fl esh and, although they read the Old Testament and prophets, accept (only) such things as can be interpreted allegorically to sound like their own sect. (2) They accept and introduce some other tales as well and give names of thirty aeons, which are male and female and were begotten all together by the Father of all, and which they hold to be both gods and aeons. (3) Christ has brought a body from heaven, and passed through Mary as though through a conduit. 32,1 32. Secundians, with whom Epiphanes and Isidore are associated, also believe in the same pairs of aeons; for their ideas are like Valentinus’, though to a certain extent they teach different things. (2) In addition, they teach the performance of the obscene act. They too repudiate the fl esh..