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The Figure of Seth in Gnostic Literature

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The Figure of Seth in Gnostic Literature THE FIGURE OF SETH IN GNOSTIC LITERATURE BY BIRGER A. PEARSON I. INTRODUCTION Gnostic speculation on the figure of Seth, son of Adam, is gaining greater attention among scholars interested in the origins and history of Gnosticism. Studies on this subject have recently multiplied, 1 and the publication of an important monograph on Seth by A. F. J. Klijn, Seth in Jewish, Christian and Gnostic Literature, is especially noteworthy. 2 Indeed the ground covered in Klijn's book can be said to pose the question whether it is profitable to presume to carry the investigation any further. It is thus with some hesitation, and perhaps some presumptuousness, that I offer herewith some observations of my own on this subject, though I should perhaps add that I submitted this topic to the Conference Director before I had had a chance to read Klijn's book. In this paper I shall try to build upon the evidence presented by Klijn and others, as well as upon the research done in connection with my own previous study,3 in order to show, hopefully with greater 1 See especially the papers presented to a special joint seminar of the Pseudepigrapha Group and the Nag Hammadi Section of the Society of Biblical Literature, at the Society's One Hundred Thirteenth Annual Meeting in San Francisco, December, 1977. The following papers prepared for this seminar are published in the volume of proceedings, SBLSP 1977 (Missoula, Montana: Scholars Press, 1977): Anitra Bingham Kolenkow, "Trips to the Other World in Antiquity and the Story of Seth in the Life of Adam and Eve," 1-11; William Adler, "Materials Relating to Seth in an Anonymous Chro­ nographer ('Pseudo-Malalas') and in the Chronography of George Syncellus," 13-15 (an introduction to texts and translations); George W. MacRae, "Seth in Gnostic Texts and Traditions," 17-24; and Birger A. Pearson, "Egyptian Seth and Gnostic Seth," 25-43. The following items were presented to the seminar but are as yet unpublished: William Adler et al., "Materials Relating to Seth in an Anonymous Chronographer ('Pseudo Malalas') and in the Chronography of George Syncellus" (texts and transla­ tions); William Adler, "Notes to Text of George Syncellus and Pseudo-Malalas"; John T. Townsend, "Seth in Rabbinic Literature: Translations of the Sources"; and Dennis Berman, "Seth in Rabbinic Literature: Translations and Notes." Other studies will be cited below. 2 Leiden: Brill, 1977. 3 "Egyptian Seth and Gnostic Seth," Part of the research done for both of these studies was supported by an NEH Senior Stipend for the summer of 1977. I am grateful to the Endowment for its support. SETH IN GNOSTIC LITERATURE 473 precision than heretofore achieved, the extent to which Gnostic specula­ tion on Seth is based upon scripture interpretation and Jewish traditions of exegesis. Out of considerations of space, I shall confine my discussion to the chief patristic sources on Gnosticism and to the Coptic Gnostic texts., omitting extended treatment of the Manichaean and Mandaean sources. 4 II. SURVEY OF THE EVIDENCE A. Patristic sources. lrenaeus, in his description of the doctrines of a group of Gnostics sometimes called "Sethian-Ophites" (Haer. I. 30), 5 presents a version of the primeval history based on the opening chapters of Genesis. The birth of Seth "by the providence of Prunicus ( = Sophia)" and that of his sister Norea 6 are recounted; Seth and Norea are said to be the progenitors of the rest of mankind (Haer. 1.30.9). Nothing further is said of Seth in this account. The earliest-known patristic description of the "Sethian" Gnostic sect (Sethoitae) is that of Ps.-Tertullian, Against All Heresies,7 a Latin work possibly based on Hippolytus's lost Syntagma. It is said there (chap. 8) that two men, Cain and Abel, were created by the angels. After the death of Abel the "Mother" ( = Sophia) intervened and Seth was born. The chapter concludes with the report that the Sethians identify Christ with Seth. Epiphanius's account of the Sethian Gnostics (L110iavoi, see Haer. 39) is dependent upon Pseudo-Tertullian, 8 though Epiphanius tells us that he had personal knowledge of the group, presumably in his travels in Egypt, and had gotten access to some of their books (Haer. 39.1.2). He reports that the Sethians trace their race (ytvoc;) from Seth, son of Adam, and identify him with Christ (39.1.3). Seth was born at the instigation of the Mother ( = Sophia) after Abel's death, 4 For brief surveys of the Mandaean and Manichaean evidence see my paper "Egyptian Seth and Gnostic Seth," 34-35, and Klijn, Seth, 107-111. It might be noted that the genetic and phenomenological relationships between Mandaean/Manichaean and other Gnostic speculations on Seth could very profitably be investigated, but this would require a more extensive study than could be attempted in this paper. 5 The characterization "Sethian-Ophite" is based on Theodoret of Cyrus's restatement of Irenaeus's description, Haer. 1.14: oi OE r110iavoi oil~ 'OqnavoiJ~ fJ 'Ocpha~ nvl~ ovoµai;oumv .... Irenaeus's text has only, "alii ... " ( 1.30.1). 6 On Norea see Birger A. Pearson, "The Figure of Norea in Gnostic Literature," Proceedings of the International Colloquium on Gnosticism, Stockholm, August 20-25, 1973 (ed. Geo Widengren; Kung!. Vitterhets Historie och Antikvitets Akademiens Handlingar, Filologisk-filosofiska serien 17; Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell, 1977) 143-152. 7 Cf. Klijn, Seth, 82-83. 8 Ibid., 83-86. .
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