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The Naassenes a Gnostic Identity Among Judaism, Christianity, Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Traditions

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The Naassenes a Gnostic Identity Among Judaism, Christianity, Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Traditions The Naassenes A Gnostic Identity Among Judaism, Christianity, Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Traditions Maria Grazia Lancellotti 2000 Ugarit-Verlag Miinster CONTENTS Preface VH Contents I> I. TEXT AND CONTEXT 1 1.1. THE TEXT: CONTENTS AND STRUCTURE 1 1.1.1. The conceptual sequences 2 1.1.2. The doctrinal nuclei 7 1.2. THE FORMATION OF THE TEXT: CURRENT RESEARCH ON THE SERMON 1.2.1. Reitzenstein and the three layers 1.2.2. Bbusset and the mysteries of Attis 1.2.3. Wendland and religious syncretism 1.2.4. Leisegang and the Ophites 1.2.5. Proponents of the unitary theory 1.2.6. Towards new interpretations 1.2.7. The approach adopted in this book 1.3. THE NAME "NAASSENES" 1.4. THE SERPENT 1.5. TRADITION: CHRISTIANITY OR "PAGANISM"? 1.5.1. The "pagan" traditions 1.5.2. James and Mariamme 1.6. THE GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING OF THE NAASSENES II. NAASSENE IDEOLOGY 75 2.1. THE TRIPARTITE MODEL AND ITS VARIOUS FUNCTIONS 75 2.1.1. The cosmological function of the division into three 75 2.1.1.1. God, Anthropos and the cosmos 77 2.1.1.2. Anthropos and the giving of life to the cosmos 80 2.1.1.3. God, Man, the Son of Man and Chaos 82 2.1.1.4. The cosmic demiurge 83 2.1.2. The anthropological function of the division into three 83 2.1.3. The division into three in terms of soteriology 85 Contents ANTHROPOLOGY 87 The creation of earthly man 87 .1. Adam 87 .2. A Hermetic parallel: Zosimos 88 .3. The trap 91 .4. Celestial Anthropos and earthly man 94 Celestial Anthropos, earthly man and the soul 101 The existential condition 101 The embodiment of souls 102 The Anthropos assumes a body 103 THE DESCENT AND ASCENT OF THE SOUL The journeys of the soul in Gnosticism The journeys of the soul in the Sermon Hermes the psychopomp The Ocean 2.4. THE MATERIAL WORLD 2.4.1. The «particular world» 2.4.2. Esaldaios SOTERIOLOGY The "stratification" theory and the division of mankind into classes The "characterization" of the second principle The two paths of the soul The inner Kingdom Understanding the message The problem of predestination The three classes of men The classes of men and the "new era" Classes of men and cosmology The division of the classes of men: Naassenes and Valentinians SACRAMENTAL PRAXIS The sacraments and soteriology Actions and symbols Sacramental progression The «living water» The cup The anointing The dispute with the Great Church The «water that is above the firmameht» The Red Sea and the Jordan Contents XI 2.6.3.3. The reversal of the Jordan 2.6.3.4. Evaluation of "orthodox" sacramental praxis 2.7. NAASSENE LIFE: ANDROGYNY AND ENKRATEIA 2.7.1. The androgynous god 2.7.2. Masculinization" 2.7.3. Protological and eschatological motivations of Naassene ethics 2.7.4. The symbolism of the phallus 2.7.5. The Galli and the Naassenes III. COMPARISON WITH OTHER SYSTEMS BASED ON THREE PRINCIPLES 3.1. GNOSTIC SYSTEMS BASED ON THREE PRINCIPLES 3.1.1. Definition of triadic systems .2. Triadic Gnostic systems and Middle Platonism .3. The triadic systems: basic elements for a comparison .3.1. ThePerates .3.2. The Sethians .3.3. The Book ofBaruch .3.4. The Docetans .4. Systems based on three principles and the Naassenes: comparisons .4.1. Theology .4.2. Cosmology 3.1.4.3. Anthropology and soteriology 3.1.4.4. Passages in common 3.1.4.5. Final remarks 3.2. THE NAASSENES AND MIDDLE PLATONISM: PLUTARCHUS 212 3.2.1. The De Iside et Osiride by Plutarchus 212 IV. HERMENEUTICS AND NAASSENE EXEGESIS 221 4.1. General principles of Naassene hermeneutics 221 4. 1.1. The exegetical method 223 4. .1.1 Mysteries or a mystery? 223 4. .1.2. The mysteria of the Naassenes 227 4.] .1.3. The mysterion within man 228 4.1.2. Hermeneutical use of various sources 231 4.1.2.1. Homer, the Bible and the Naassenes 232 XH Contents 4.1.3. Research into the mystery and inspired prophecy 4.1.3.1. The revelation of the mystery 4.1.3.2. "Charismatic" exegesis? 4.1.4. Interpretation of "pagan" religious traditions 4.2. SPECIFIC REFERENCES TO PAGAN MYTHS AND CULTIC TRADITIONS 4.2.1. The hymns to Attis 4.2.2. Geryon 4.2.3. The birth of man 4.2.4. The mysteries of the (As)Syrians 4.2.5. The mysteries of the Egyptians 4.2.6. Men 4.2.7. The mysteries of Samothrace 4.2.8. Corybas 4.2.9. The Eleusinian mysteries 4.2.10. TheAion 4.2.11. The Phrygian mysteries 4.2.11.1. «Papas» 4.2.11.2. «Corpse» 4.2.11.3. «God» 4.2.11.4. «Unfruitful» 4.2.11.5. «Goatherd» 4.2.11.6. «Fruitful» 4.2.11.7. «Harvested green ear of grain» 4.2.11.8. «The one to whom the almond tree gave birth» 4.2.11.9. «Hute-player» 4.3. EXEGESIS OF PASSAGES FROM THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS 4.3.1. Catabasislanodos of the soter 4.3.2. The three powerful names 4.3.3. The perfect and «the fair and good land» 4.3.4. Combination of several NT passages 4.3.5. Clemens Alexandrinus and the Naassenes 4.3.5.1. The exegesis of Clemens Alexandrinus 4.3.5.2. The Naassenes and Clemens Alexandrinus: a contrast in exegesis 4.3.5.3. Closing remarks 4.4. QUOTATION FROM GNOSTIC AND/OR APOCRYPHAL WRITINGS 4.4.1. The Apophasis Megale Contents 4.4.2. The Gospel of the Egyptians 315 4.5. THE NAASSENES AND THE GOSPEL OF THOMAS 317 4.5.1. The Gospel of Thomas 317 4.5.1.1. Structure of the text 317 4.5.1.2. The Gospel of Thomas and the canonical texts 319 4.5.1.3. The Gospel ofThomas and the Apocrypha 321 4.5.1.4. The religious ideology of the Gospel of Thomas 323 4.5.2. The Gospel of Thomas, the Naassenes and Gnosticism 334 4.5.2.1. Previous studies 334 4.5.2.2. The ideological system of the Gospel of Thomas 340 4.5.2.3. The Naassenes and the Gospel ofThomas: comparisons 344 V. CONCLUSIONS 349 INDEXES 359 ABBREVIATIONS 381 BIBLIOGRAPHY ' 383.
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