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Gnosis. the Nature and History of Gnosticism

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GNOSIS KURT The Nature & History RUDOLPH of Gnosticism GNOSIS GNOSIS The Nature and History of Gnosticism KURT RUDOLPH Translation edited by Robert McLachlan Wilson 4 â ü t m HarperSanFrancisco A Division o f WzvpcrCoW'msPublisbers Translators P. W. Coxon (pages 171-274) K. H. Kuhn (pages 275-376) R. McL. Wilson (translation editor; pages 1-170) First published in the German Democratic Republic by Koehler & Amelang, Leipzig, 1977 as Die Gnosis; Wesen und Geschichte einer spätantiken Religion Copyright © Koehler & Amelang, 1977 First Harper & Row Paperback Edition 1987 This work is a translation from the German of the second, revised and expanded edition (1980) of Die Gnosis: Wesen und Geschichte einer spätantiken Religion Copyright © T. & T. Clark Limited, Edinburgh, 1984 All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any man­ ner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022 Library of Congress Number 81-47437 ISBN: 0-06-067018-5 (pbk) CONTENTS List of Illustrations............................................................... VII Abbreviations........................................................................ XI Preface ................................................................................... 1 Translator’s N o te ............................................ ..................... 7 THE SOURCES ............................................................. 9 The Heresiological Literature and the Older History of Research ........................................................................... 9 The Early Heresiologists and Their Works ............. 10 The Older Sources..................... .......................................... 25 The History of Research ..................................................... 30 The Nag Hammadi Discovery and its Significance........... 34 NATURE AND STRUCTURE ............. .................. 53 The Main Features of Gnostic Ideology and Mythology . 53 D ualism ................................................................................... 59 Cosmology and Cosm ogony................................................ 67 Anthropology and Anthropogony..................................... 88 The Doctrine of Redemption and the Redeemer............. 113 The Ascent of the Soul and the End of the World ..... 171 Community, Cult and Social Practice (Ethics) ................204 H I S T O R Y ...........................................................................275 Presuppositions and Causes. The Problem of Origins . 275 Early Schools and System s...................................................294 The Great Systems of the 2nd C entury ............................. 308 M anicheism .......................................................... .,...........326 A Relic : The Mandeans ..................................................... 343 E P IL O G U E ..................................................................... 367 A Historical Survey of the Changes and Consequences of G n o sis................................................................................ 367 A P P E N D IX .......................................................... .. 377 Chronological Table . ................................................... 377 Notes ..................................................................................... 379 Select Bibliography Sources (Original Texts and Translations)........................391 Essays and Monographs ..................................................... 397 Index ......................................................................................405 VII List of Illustrations Illustrations in Text 40 The surroundings of Nag Hammadi, after 567. From an original photograph from the W.C. van Unnik, Evangelien aus dem Nil­ Museum. Cf. also H.Achelis, Das Chri­ sand, Frankfurt (Main) 1960,5. Cf. also I. stentum in den ersten drei Jahrhunderten, Doresse, Les Livres secrets des gnostiques 2nd ed., Leipzig 1925, Plate XI, 1. d ’Égypte, Paris 1958, 152 f. 334 Mandean magic bowl, after H. Pognon, 68 The Ophite Diagram, after H. Leisegang, Inscriptions mandaites des coupes de Die Gnosis, Stuttgart 1955, at p. 32. Cf. also Khouabir. Paris 1898, No. 15. Th. Hopfner, Das Diagramm der Ophiten 361 Traditional Mandean sanctuary (mandi), (in Charisteria Alois Rzach zum 80. Ge­ after E. S. Drower, The Mandaearts o f Iraq burtstag dargebracht, Reichenberg 1930, and Iran, Oxford 1937, 140 (No. 7). The 86-98), 95 plate 3. original for this drawing was the old Mandi 70 The universe as a serpent, from a Greek of Qal’at Salih, today no longer used. manuscript (Z. 299 = 584) in the Biblioteca Nazionale Marciono, Venice, after Plates H. Leisegang, Die Gnosis, at p. 45. 174 “Signs” and “seals” of the aeons, from Plate I Manichean book illustration (miniature) Koptisch-gnostische Schriften, 1. Band, Die from Turkestan, Museum für Indische Pistis Sophia, Die beiden Bücher des Jeu, Kunst, Berlin (West), after A. von Le Coq, ed. C. Schmidt, 3rd ed. rev. W. Till Berlin Die Buddhistische Spätantike in Mittelasien 1962 (GCS 45), 268, 269,292,322. Cf. also II. Die manichäischen Miniaturen, Berlin V.MacDermot, The Books of Jeu, Leiden 1923, Plate 7b. Photo: Volkmar Herre, 1978 (NHS XIII), 57, 58,85,86,127. Leipzig. 212 Grave inscription of Flavia Sophë, Museo II Manichean book illustration (miniature) Kircheriano (Museo Nazionale Romano), from Turkestan, Museum für Indische after A. Ferma, Questioni di epigrafia eret- Kunst, Berlin (West), after A. von Le Coq, ica romano (in Rivista di Archeologia Manichäische Miniaturen, Plate 8b. Cf. al­ Christiana XXI (1944/5), 164-221), p. 185. so id., Chotscho. Faksimile - Wiedergaben 223 The world serpent (ouroboros) as an der wichtigeren Funde der 1. Kgl. Preussi- amulet. Greek papyrus CXXI in the British schen Expedition nach Turfafi in Ost-Tur- Museum, London, after H. Leisegang, Die kistan, Berlin 1913, Bd. 1, plate 5, left Gnosis, at p. 145. Cf. also K. Preisendanz, (front). Photo: Volkmar Herre, Leipzig. Papyri Graecae Magicae, 2nd ed. rev. III Manichean book illustration (miniature) A. Henrichs, Bd. II, Stuttgart 1974, 26f. from Turkestan, Museum für Indische (VII, 580-590) and Plate 1, No. 4. Kunst, Berlin (West), after A. von Le Coq, 248 Serpent in the ancient Greek cult of Manichäische Miniaturen, plate 8a: b. Cf. Demeter at Eleusis, after a relief in the Ny id., Chotscho, Bd. 1, plate 5 right. Photo: Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen, Cat. Volkmar Herre, Leipzig. No. 144. The Museum very kindly placed a IV Prominent Uigur ladies, Museum für In­ photo at my disposal. Cf. E.Kister, Die dische Kunst, Berlin (West), after A. von Schlange in der griechischen Kunst und Re­ Le Coq, Chotscho, Bd. 2, plate 30b. Photo ligion, Berlin 1913,146f. Volkmar Herre, Leipzig. 295 Dedication to the old Roman god of Plate 1 Hippolytus of Rome, Vatican. For­ oaths, Semo Sancus. Lapidarium of the merly in the Lateran Museum but now (ac­ Vatican Museum (new) No. 6808, CIL VI cording to J. Frickel) in the entrance hall of VIII the Vatican Libary. The photograph was Preussischen Kulturbesitz, Ägyptisches taken after cleaning in 1975. Cf. J.Ficker, Museum, inv. 9861. Greenish red jasper. Die altchristlichen Bildwerke im christli­ Photo: Staatliche Museen zu Berlin chen Museum des Lateran untersucht und (DDR). Cf.M.Pieper, Die Abraxasgem­ beschrieben, Leipzig 1890, 166-175; men 142. O. Wulff, Die altchristliche Kunst I, Berlin 6 Berlin (West), Staatliche Museen, Stiftung 1913, 150; M.Guarducci, La statua di Preussischen Kulturbesitz, Ägyptisches “Sant’ Ippolito” in Vaticano, in Rendiconti Museum, inv. 9805. Reddish brown stone. della Pontificia Accademia Romana d'Ar- Photo :,J. Leipoldt-Archiv, Universität Je­ cheologia XLVII (1974/75), 163-190 (ad­ na, Sektion Theologie. Cf. J. Leipoldt, vocates the theory that the statue was origi­ Bilder zum neutestamentlichen Zeitalter nally not a male figure at all, but a second- (= Umwelt des Urchristentums, ed. J. Lei­ century representation of Themista, a fe­ poldt and W. Grundmann, Bd. III) Berlin male disciple of Epicurus; the inscriptions 1966, illustration 13. were subsequently carved on the sides of 7 Berlin (West), Staatliche Museen, Stiftung the chair by Christians in the third century ; Preussischer Kulturbesitz, Ägyptisches only in the 16th century, particularly in the Museum, inv. 9931. Green stone. Photo: first description by Pirro Ligario, was it J. Leipoldt-Archiv, Universität Jena, Sek­ made into a statue of Hippolytus, and here tion Theologie. Cf. J.Leipoldt, Bilder zum the ancient coin-type of Hippocrates served neutestamentlichen Zeitalter, illustration as a model). The dating of the rededication 14. of the statue through the inscriptions about 8 Alabaster bowl, in private ownership (pres­ 235/237, which is also the period of a perse­ ent location unknown ; it last appears in the cution to which Hippolytus fell victim, goes auction catalogue of the Jacob-Hirsch- back to information in a letter (7.1. 1977) Collection from 5. Dec. 1957, Lucerne, from J. Frickel in Rome. no. 105). Height 8cm. diam.22cm., depth 2 Epiphanius of Salamis, fresco from Faras, 5.5cm. After R.Delbrueck / W. Vollgraff, Cat.No.57. Photo: Zbigniew Kapuscik, An Orphic Bowl, in Journal o f Hellenic Stu­ Warsaw. - Cf. K.Michalowski, Faras, Die dies 54 (1934) 129-139, plate III. Cf. also Wandbilder in den Sammlungen
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