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Durham E-Theses Durham E-Theses Simonianism Robinson, B. P. How to cite: Robinson, B. P. (1977) Simonianism, Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/9764/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk M. Litt. thesis: SIMONIANISM B.P.Robinson Durham, I977 ABSTRACT After a more extended bibliography and historical survey of Simonian studies than have hitherto appeared, this study attempts to reduoe some of the many uncertainties about Simon and Simonianism by a systematic examination of primary sources. The Simon of Acts 8 was an historical Samaritan who repented of his pretensions and was not, pace Irenaeus, responsible for the rise of the Simonian movement. The extant text of Justin (attempts to recover the contents of his lost Syntagma are rejected) supports the double Simon hypothesis and fits in well with the proferred reading of Acts 8. Justin shows too that primitive Simonianism was non-Gnostic, being a pagan, religion dating from the mid-first century in which Simon of Gitta was equated with Zeus and Helena his companion with Athene. Simonianism fell, a century later, under the spell of Gnosticism, and the author seeks to explain various of the inconsistencies of Simonian doctrine as caused by an imperfectly successful attempt to reconcile primitive Simonian with Gnostic ideas. The extant text of Hippolytus (the Syntagma account is adjudged to be almost entirely unrecoverable) adds little to our knowledge of Simonianism proper but it gives us a valuable account of a probably unrelated movement, composed largely of heretical Samaritans, whose Bible was the Megale Apophasis. By the time of Epiphanius the Simonians were addicted to gross orgiastic rites and were probably in decline, though some may have survived till the early fifth century. In the final chapter the author gathers together the information gleaned from the analysis of sources. He contends that Simonianism was not an original religion; it was not the first Christian heresy; it was not the earliest form of Gnosticism. It was essentially derivative and parasitic, an intellectually undistinguished farrago of ideas borrowed from pagan classical religion, from Christianity and from Gnosticism. The copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it should be published without his prior written consent and information derived from it should be acknowledged. SIMONIANISM a thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of M. Litt. Bernard Peter Robinson Theology Department, University of Durham October, 1977 1 CONTENTS Page Abbreviations 3 Note on some linguistic usages 8 INTRODUCTION 9 BIBLIOGRAPHY 11 CHAPTER 1: THE SIMONIAN DEBATE, 1700 - 1975 66 CHAPTER 2: THE SIMON MAGUS PERICOPE, Acts 8. 4-25 142 The question of sources and of redactional additions. Three text-critical questions. Problems of interpretation. The date of Acts and of the oral traditions used by Acts. Historicity. Summary. Notes. CHAPTER 3.: THE TESTIMONY OP JUSTIN MARTYR 192 The lost 'Syntagma of all the heresies1. Justin and Acts. Justin's sources. Justin and the statue of Simon. Simon and Helena. Simonians in Apol. I 64? Evaluation of historical importance of Justin's testimony. Notes. CHAPTER 4: THE TESTIMONY OP HEGESIPPUS AND IRENAEUS 237 Hegesippus.Ideas first appearing in Irenaeus, their heterogeneity. Sources. Admissibility as evidence of Adv. Haer. I. 16. 2b, c, 3. Helena. Simon. The Simonians. The powers that made the world. Recapitulation. Notes. 2 Page CHAPTER 5: THE ELENCHOS/REFUTATIO OP HIPPOLYTUS OF ROME 292 Authorship. Source criticism. The Megale Apophasis (philosophical ideas; Samaritan influences; Christian influences; the bisexual motif; the MA and Gnosticism; how Simonian is the MA?). The Commentary. Hippolytus and Irenaeus. The Epitome. Historical conclusions. Notes. APPENDIX A: The text 33^ APPENDIX B: Notes, source-critical and exegetical 3^3 CHAPTER 6: THE HIPPOLYTAN •SYNTAGMA TRADITION1 368 Hippolytus1 Syntagma. Ps Tertullian. Epiphanius. Philaster. Recapitulation. Note's. CHAPTER 7: A MISCELLANY OF SOURCES 388 The Sibyllines. John 4. 1-42. Josephus AJ 20. 7* 2. The Epistula Apostolorum. The Epistula Corinthiorum. Clement of Alexandria. Ps Cyprian. The Pseudo Clementines. Eusebius. Marutha. The Jewish Haggadah. The Nag Hammadi Codices. Samaritan chronicles. Notes. CHAPTER 8: SIMON AND SIMONIANISM 465 The Simon of Acts an historical person? The Simon of Acts the founder of Simonianism? Simon of Gitta an historical person? Helena an historical person? Simonianism Gnostic from the start? Changes in Simonianism as it evolved. Implications for other areas of study. Conclusions. Notes. APPENDED NOTE 483 ABBREVIATIONS (i) General Aufl. Auflage Repr. Reprinted Ausg. Ausgabe RV Revised Version ET English translation Suppl. Supplement Ed. Edited (by). Edition. Editor Tl(e) Teil(e) Edd. Editors Tom(s) Tome(s) Hrg Herausgegeben Tr. Translated (by). Translator NEB New English Bible Vol(l, s) Volume(s) / Volumen, NP Neue Polge vollumina. MIC Nag Hammadi Codex (ii) Titles of Periodicals, SerieB, &c. <.* AAWGPH Abhandlungen der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Gb.ttingen, philologisc it historische Klasse AB Anchor Bible ADAIK Abhandlungen des Deutschen archaologischen Instituts, Kairo ALTJOS Annual of the Leeds University Oriental Society AMJ American Journal of Theology ANCL Ante Nicene Christian Library ATR Anglican Theological Review AUU Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis AnB Analecta Biblica BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research BEAR Bibliotheque des Ecoles francaises d1 Athenes et de Rome 4 BET Beitrage zur evangelischen Theologie BGE Beitrage zur Gesohichte der biblischen Exegese BHT Beitrage zur historischen Theologie BJRL Bulletin of the John Rylands Library BTH Bibliotheque de theologie historique CBSC Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges CCER Cahiers du Cercle ErneBt-Renan CH Church History CP Classical Philology CRB Cahiers de la Revue biblique CSEL Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum DZCWCL Deutsche Zeitschrift fur christliche Wissenschaft und christliches. Leben * EB Etudes bibliques ECPR Etudes de critique et. de philospphie religieuse EDT Etudes et textes pour l'histoire du dogme de la Trinite EHPR Etudes d'histoire et de philosophie religieuses, publiees par la faculte de theologie protestante de l'universite de Strasbourg EQ Evangelical Quarterly ET Evangelische Theologie ETR Etudes theologiques et religieuses Exp Expositor FRLANT Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des alten und neuen Testaments GA Gazette archeologique GGS Die griechisch-christliche Schriftsteller der erstendrei Jahrhunderte GTA Gb'ttinger theologische Arbeiten HNT Handbuch zum neuen Testament HTR Harvard Theological Review HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual Int Interpretation JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society JHS Journal of Hellenic Studies JQR Jewish Quarterly Review JRS Journal of Roman Studies JSJ Journal for the Study of Judaism JSS Journal of Semitic Studies JTS Journal of Theological Studies KD Kerygma und Dogma KEK Kritisch-exegetischer Kommentar iiber das neue Testament, begrundet von H.A.W. Meyer KGS Kirchengeschichtliche Studien MLUOS Monograph series, Leeds University Oriental Society MScR Melanges de science religieuse Mus Le Museon NBAC Nuovo bulletino di archeologia cristlana NCB New Century Bible NHS Nag Hammadi Studies NT Novum Testamentum NTS Das neue Testament Deutsche NTS New Testament Studies NTT Nederlands Theologische Tijdschrift NTTS New Testament Tools and Studies OCA Orientalia Christiana Analecta OS Oudtestamentische Studie'n FG J.P. Migne ed. Patrologiae cursus completus, series Graeca PL " , series Latina PTS Patristische Texte und Studien Ps Psyche, Zeitschrift fiir die Kenntnis des menschlichen Seelen- und Geisteslebens RAC Rivista di archeologia cristiaha RB Revue biblique REH Revue des etudes historiques REJ Revue des etudes juives RHR Revue de l'histoire des religions RMM Revue de metaphysique et de morale RMP Rheinisches Museum fur Philologie RSLR Rivista di storia e letterature religiosa RScR Recherches de science religieuse RTR Reformed Theological Review RW Religionsgeschichtliche Versuche und Vorarbeiten SBT Studies in Biblical Theology SC Sources chretiennes SHR Studies in the History of Religion SJLA Studies in Judaism in Late Antiquity SNTSB Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, Bulletin SNTSM Society for New Testament Studies Monograph SUNT Studien zum Umwelt des neuen Testaments TGUOS Transactions of the Glasgow University Oriental Society THNT Theologischer Handkommentar zum neuen Testament TJ Theologische Jahrbucher (Tubingen) TP Theologie und Philosophie TR Theologische Rundschau TS Theological Studies TT Theologisch Tijdschrift TU Texte und Untersuchungen zur Geschichte der altchristlichen Literatur TWNT Theologisch.es Worterbuch zum neuen Testament TZT
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