Æōn (Aion): The Meaning, Nature and Thirty Emanations of the Aeons in Gnosticism

The Thirty Aeons of Valentinian Gnosticism: The Vital Forces of Divine Fullness

The meaning of Æōn (Aion), the origin of the aeonic principle, and the functions of the thirty vital forces within the Pleroma.

Introduction: Understanding the Aeons as Vital Forces

The Greek word Æōn, also written Aion (αἰών), occupies an important position in Gnostic thought. It is associated with life, vital force, being, generation and an interval or period of existence. Although the word subsequently became widely associated with an age, eternity or an indefinite period of time, its earlier associations with life and the duration of living existence are particularly important when examining the Gnostic understanding of the aeons.

For Gnostics, the aeons are best understood as vital forces: active expressions of divine fullness that perform particular functions within the Pleroma. They should not simply be regarded as names, abstract philosophical ideas or chronological periods. Their names express the different powers, qualities and operations through which divine fullness is manifested.

The thirty aeons of Valentinian Gnosticism therefore represent an ordered system of vital forces. Each possesses a particular character and function, while remaining connected to the divine source from which the aeonic fullness originates.

This interpretation provides a way of understanding the relationship between the thirty aeons without treating them as thirty separate gods. They are distinguishable expressions of one divine fullness, organised through emanation and represented through complementary pairs known as syzygies.

The three principal groupings are:

• The Ogdoad: eight foundational vital forces.

• The Decad: ten further vital forces.

• The Dodecad: twelve relational and expressive vital forces.

Together, these constitute the traditional thirty aeons of Valentinian cosmology.

1. The Meaning of Æōn (Aion)

The Greek word αἰών (aiōn) has a considerable range of meanings. In ancient Greek literature, particularly Homer, it is associated with life, lifespan and the duration of existence.

It is also associated with generation and an age or period of time. Its semantic range is comparable in certain contexts to the Hebrew word olam, which can refer to an age, an indefinite duration or enduring existence.

Theodoret (approximately AD 393–457) provides the following definition:

"An interval denoting time."

— Theodoret, as quoted in discussions of the Greek word Aion.

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The fuller definition attributed to Theodoret explains that an aeon is an interval of time that may be infinite when spoken of God, proportionate to the duration of creation, or corresponding to the life of a human being.

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The connection between life and duration is important. An aeon can describe not merely an abstract measurement of time but an existence considered according to its duration and character.

The Latin cognate aevum also preserves the association with an age or duration of existence.

In modern English, an eon can describe an extremely long period, including geological divisions of Earth's history. However, the Gnostic use of aeon has a more specialised theological meaning.

In Gnostic cosmology, an aeon can designate a vital expression of divine existence.

Consequently, the aeons are not simply periods through which God passes. They are the powers and expressions through which divine fullness is understood.

2. The Aeons as Vital Forces in Gnostic Cosmology

In different Gnostic traditions, the emanations of the divine source are described through different names and classifications.

Some systems employ expressions such as:

• The One or Monad.

• Bythos (Depth).

• Proarkhe (Before the Beginning).

• Arkhe (Beginning).

• Nous (Mind).

• Sige (Silence).

• Ennoea (Thought).

• Charis (Grace).

These names identify different dimensions of divine fullness.

The fundamental principle is emanation: the unfolding of distinguishable vital expressions from an ultimate divine source.

The source is sometimes described through the language of an incomprehensible fullness, while the emanations represent its particular expressions.

In Basilidian Gnosis, the emanations are described as sonships (huiotētes). In the system associated with Marcus, numbers and sounds have an important role. In Valentinianism, the aeons are arranged into complementary male and female pairs known as syzygies.

These differences demonstrate that Gnostic systems did not all describe aeonic existence in precisely the same way.

Nevertheless, the idea of an ordered divine fullness expressed through emanations is a recurring feature.

The aeons can therefore be understood as vital forces because their names express active dimensions of existence: Mind thinks, Truth establishes what is true, Word expresses, Life animates, Wisdom understands, and Love unites.

Their functions are not merely descriptive. They identify the different operations and relationships within divine fullness.

3. The Source of the Aeons: Bythos and the First Emanations

In Valentinian theology, Bythos is traditionally associated with Depth and the primordial source.

Bythos represents the unfathomable foundation from which the aeonic fullness proceeds.

The source is frequently accompanied by Sige, meaning Silence, or by other expressions such as Ennoea, Thought, and Charis, Grace.

The relationship between the source and its first expressions establishes the foundation for the subsequent emanations.

The aeons are arranged in complementary pairs because divine fullness is represented through relationships rather than isolated qualities.

These pairs are called syzygies, meaning yokings together or paired relationships.

The thirty aeons are therefore understood as an interconnected structure of vital forces.

4. The Thirty Vital Forces of Valentinian Gnosticism

The following commentary examines each of the thirty names according to its meaning and its function as a vital force within the Pleroma.

5. The Ogdoad: The Eight Foundational Vital Forces

The Ogdoad consists of the first four pairs, comprising eight aeons. These establish the foundational operations of divine fullness.

First generation: Bythos and Sige

1. Bythos (Depth, the One)

Bythos represents the profound depth of divine existence. It is the foundational vital principle from which the other aeonic expressions originate.

As a vital force, Bythos represents the underlying fullness and generative potential of divine existence. It is the source from which the ordered multiplicity of the Pleroma proceeds.

Function: The foundational force of divine fullness and origin.

2. Sige (Silence, Charis, Ennoea)

Sige means Silence. It represents the silent, concealed and unexpressed dimension of divine fullness.

Its associated expressions include Charis (Grace) and Ennoea (Thought or Intent). These names emphasise the inward and generative character of the divine source.

As a vital force, Sige represents the concealed potential preceding expression. It is not an absence of activity but the inward condition from which expression becomes possible.

Function: The vital force of concealed potential, inward intention and generative stillness.

Second generation: Nous and Aletheia

3. Nous (Mind)

Nous represents Mind, the capacity for comprehension, intelligence and understanding.

As a vital force, Nous expresses the operation of divine intelligence. It represents the capacity through which the fullness of existence becomes intelligible.

Nous is particularly important because it establishes the relationship between the divine source and conscious understanding.

Function: The vital force of intelligence, comprehension and divine awareness.

4. Aletheia (Truth)

Aletheia means Truth.

It represents the vital principle of truthfulness, reality and the revelation of what is genuine.

Where Nous represents the capacity to understand, Aletheia represents the truth that is understood.

Together, Mind and Truth establish the relationship between intelligence and reality.

Function: The vital force of truth, authenticity and the establishment of what is real.

Third generation: Logos and Zoe

Emanating from Nous and Aletheia are the third pair.

5. Logos (Word)

Logos represents Word, expression, reason and communication.

As a vital force, Logos is the principle through which inward intelligence becomes expressed.

It gives form and articulation to what is understood. Logos represents the movement from concealed intelligence into intelligible expression.

Function: The vital force of expression, communication and divine reason.

6. Zoe (Life)

Zoe means Life.

It represents the vital principle of living existence, animation and vitality.

As a Gnostic aeon, Zoe should be understood as more than the abstract idea of life. It represents the active force through which living existence is expressed.

Together, Logos and Zoe represent expression and vitality.

Function: The vital force of animation, vitality and living existence.

Fourth generation: Anthropos and Ecclesia

Emanating from the preceding divine structure are Anthropos and Ecclesia.

7. Anthropos (Humanity, Man)

Anthropos means Humanity or Man.

It represents the archetypal human principle and the capacity for conscious, relational existence.

As a vital force, Anthropos expresses the human dimension of divine fullness.

It represents the principle through which humanity is understood in relation to the greater divine structure.

Function: The vital force of humanity, human nature and conscious existence.

8. Ecclesia (Church, Assembly)

Ecclesia means Church or Assembly.

It represents the collective principle of unity, association and communion.

As a vital force, Ecclesia expresses the relationship between individual existence and collective fullness.

It is the principle through which distinct members participate in a common unity.

Function: The vital force of communion, collective unity and spiritual association.

The Ogdoad therefore consists of eight foundational vital forces:

Bythos and Sige establish the source and concealed potential; Nous and Aletheia establish intelligence and truth; Logos and Zoe establish expression and vitality; Anthropos and Ecclesia establish humanity and collective unity.

6. The Decad: The Ten Expanding Vital Forces

The Decad consists of five complementary pairs, traditionally emanating from Logos and Zoe.

These ten aeons represent further dimensions of divine activity, stability, fulfilment and harmonious existence.

9. Bythios (Profound) and 10. Mixis (Mixture)

Bythios represents profoundness, depth and penetration.

As a vital force, it expresses the capacity for depth within divine existence. It represents the underlying profundity of the aeonic structure.

Mixis means Mixture or Commingling.

It represents the force through which different qualities are brought into relationship and combination.

As a vital force, Mixis expresses harmonious interaction without requiring the destruction of individual distinctions.

Functions:

• Bythios: The vital force of profundity and spiritual depth.

• Mixis: The vital force of combination and harmonious interaction.

11. Ageratos (Never Old) and 12. Henosis (Union)

Ageratos means Never-growing-old or Ageless.

It represents the vital principle of incorruptibility and freedom from ageing.

Its function is to express the quality of existence that is not subject to deterioration and physical decay.

Henosis means Union.

It represents the force of unification, bringing different expressions into harmonious relationship.

Functions:

• Ageratos: The vital force of agelessness and incorruptibility.

• Henosis: The vital force of union and integration.

13. Autophyes (Essential Nature) and 14. Hedone (Pleasure)

Autophyes is associated with essential nature and that which arises from its own nature.

It represents the inherent character of existence, expressing what something is according to its own essential constitution.

Hedone means Pleasure.

It represents the vital force of enjoyment, satisfaction and fulfilment.

Together, these aeons express inherent nature and the fulfilment associated with existence.

Functions:

• Autophyes: The vital force of essential nature and inherent constitution.

• Hedone: The vital force of pleasure, enjoyment and fulfilment.

15. Acinetos (Immovable) and 16. Syncrasis (Commixture)

Acinetos means Immovable.

It represents stability, constancy and the absence of destabilising movement.

As a vital force, it expresses the quality of divine existence that remains undisturbed.

Syncrasis means Commixture or Blending.

It represents the harmonious interrelationship of different elements.

Its function is to express combination and integration within the fullness.

Functions:

• Acinetos: The vital force of stability and constancy.

• Syncrasis: The vital force of blending and harmonious combination.

17. Monogenes (Only-begotten) and 18. Macaria (Happiness)

Monogenes means Only-begotten or uniquely generated.

It represents singularity, uniqueness and a distinctive mode of origin.

As a vital force, it expresses the principle of unique and undivided identity.

Macaria means Happiness or Blessedness.

It represents the condition of fulfilment, happiness and well-being.

Functions:

• Monogenes: The vital force of uniqueness and singular identity.

• Macaria: The vital force of happiness and blessed fulfilment.

The Decad therefore expresses ten vital dimensions of divine fullness: depth, mixture, agelessness, union, essential nature, pleasure, immovability, commixture, uniqueness and happiness.

7. The Dodecad: The Twelve Relational Vital Forces

The Dodecad consists of six complementary pairs traditionally emanating from Anthropos and Ecclesia.

These twelve aeons express relational, emotional, intellectual and communal dimensions of divine fullness.

19. Paracletus (Comforter) and 20. Pistis (Faith)

Paracletus means Comforter or Advocate.

It represents the vital force of consolation, support and encouragement.

Its function is to sustain and strengthen existence through reassurance and assistance.

Pistis means Faith.

It represents trust, confidence and fidelity.

As a vital force, Pistis establishes the capacity to remain firmly connected to what is trusted.

Functions:

• Paracletus: The vital force of comfort, support and encouragement.

• Pistis: The vital force of faith, confidence and trust.

21. Patrikas (Paternal) and 22. Elpis (Hope)

Patrikas represents the paternal principle.

It expresses the qualities of fatherhood, origin, protection and generative authority.

As a vital force, it represents the paternal dimension of divine fullness.

Elpis means Hope.

It represents expectation, anticipation and confidence in fulfilment.

Functions:

• Patrikas: The vital force of paternal origin and protection.

• Elpis: The vital force of hope and expectation.

23. Metrikos (Maternal) and 24. Agape (Love)

Metrikos represents the maternal principle.

It expresses nurturing, nourishment, care and the sustaining qualities associated with motherhood.

As a vital force, it represents the nurturing dimension of divine existence.

Agape means Love.

It represents affection, benevolence and the unifying power of love.

Its function is to establish harmonious relationships between distinct expressions of existence.

Functions:

• Metrikos: The vital force of maternal nourishment and nurturing.

• Agape: The vital force of love, benevolence and unity.

25. Ainos (Praise) and 26. Synesis (Intelligence)

Ainos means Praise.

It represents recognition, acknowledgement and the expression of appreciation.

As a vital force, it expresses the capacity to recognise and affirm what is worthy.

Synesis means Intelligence, Understanding or Comprehension.

It represents the capacity to perceive relationships, recognise meaning and understand the nature of things.

Functions:

• Ainos: The vital force of recognition, praise and acknowledgement.

• Synesis: The vital force of understanding and discernment.

27. Ecclesiasticus (Son of Ecclesia) and 28. Macariotes (Blessedness)

Ecclesiasticus is associated with Ecclesia and the ecclesiastical or communal principle.

It represents the expression of collective identity and the relationship between individual members and the greater assembly.

As a vital force, it expresses participation in communal existence.

Macariotes means Blessedness.

It represents the condition of happiness, spiritual well-being and blessed fulfilment.

Functions:

• Ecclesiasticus: The vital force of communal participation and collective identity.

• Macariotes: The vital force of blessedness and spiritual fulfilment.

29. Theletus (Perfect) and 30. Sophia (Wisdom)

Theletus is associated with perfection, will and the fulfilment of purpose.

It represents the vital force of intention, determination and purposeful expression.

Sophia means Wisdom.

It represents the vital force of wisdom, discernment and the ability to understand the relationships between different dimensions of existence.

Sophia is particularly significant in Valentinian mythology because of the account of her desire to comprehend the incomprehensible Depth of Bythos.

Her experience illustrates the relationship between wisdom, desire and the limits of comprehension.

Functions:

• Theletus: The vital force of will, purpose and perfection.

• Sophia: The vital force of wisdom, discernment and understanding.

The Dodecad completes the thirtyfold structure through the vital forces of comfort, faith, paternal origin, hope, maternal nourishment, love, praise, intelligence, communal participation, blessedness, will and wisdom.

8. Christos as an Aeon and the Relationship with Sophia

The Christos also occupies an important position in Valentinian Gnosticism.

Christ is understood as an aeonic expression within the Pleroma, associated with the restoration of divine harmony and the revelation of Gnosis.

Laurence Galian expresses this relationship as follows:

“However, to the Gnostics, the Christos is an Æōn, dwelling in the Pleroma. The Christos is the syzygy (male Æōnic consort) of Sophia.”

— Laurence Galian.

This statement expresses the relationship between Christ and Sophia through the language of complementary aeonic forces.

Christ represents a divine expression associated with revelation, restoration and the transmission of Gnosis.

Sophia represents Wisdom and the capacity for discernment and understanding.

Their relationship can therefore be considered in terms of complementary vital functions within the divine fullness.

It is important to recognise that Valentinian accounts of Christ's relationship with Sophia vary. The quotation expresses a particular interpretation rather than a universally identical formulation across every Valentinian source.

9. The Boundless Aeon and the Invisible Spirit

The Gospel of Judas provides another important reference to the concept of the aeon and the incomprehensible divine source.

The following passage is attributed to Jesus in the dialogue with Judas:

“For there exists a great and boundless Æōn, whose extent no generation of angels could see, in which is the great invisible Spirit, which no eye of an angel has ever seen, no thought of the heart has ever comprehended, and it was never called by any name.”

— The Gospel of Judas, translated by Rodolphe Kasser and colleagues.

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This passage describes a boundless aeon associated with the invisible Spirit.

It emphasises the incomprehensibility of the divine source, which cannot be fully grasped by angelic beings or contained within human thought.

The distinction between the boundless aeon and the invisible Spirit is important.

The passage does not simply identify every aeon with the ultimate source. Instead, it describes the invisible Spirit within the context of an immeasurable aeonic reality.

This reinforces the importance of understanding aeonic existence through divine fullness rather than ordinary physical measurement.

10. The Pleroma: The Fullness of the Thirty Vital Forces

The thirty aeons together form the traditional Valentinian Pleroma, meaning Fullness.

They represent an interconnected structure of divine vital forces.

Their functions are distinguishable, but they belong to one harmonious order.

The relationship can be summarised through the three groupings:

Group	Aeons	Principal functions
Ogdoad	8	Origin, intelligence, truth, expression, life and unity
Decad	10	Depth, union, stability, fulfilment and completeness
Dodecad	12	Faith, hope, love, intelligence, blessedness and wisdom
Total	30	The ordered fullness of divine vital forces

The aeons should therefore be understood as functional expressions of divine existence.

Bythos represents depth, Nous represents intelligence, Logos represents expression, Zoe represents vitality, Anthropos represents humanity, Ecclesia represents communion, and Sophia represents wisdom.

Each name identifies a particular operation or quality.

The thirty aeons are not simply a list of philosophical concepts. They represent an interconnected system in which the different vital forces establish the fullness and harmony of the Pleroma.

Conclusion: The Aeons as the Vital Forces of Divine Existence

The Greek word Æōn (Aion) is associated with life, vital force, being, generation and an interval or period of existence.

In Gnostic cosmology, this meaning takes on a particular theological significance.

The aeons are understood as emanations of divine fullness, each expressing a particular vital function.

The Valentinian system organises these forces into thirty aeons, divided into the Ogdoad, Decad and Dodecad.

The Ogdoad establishes the foundational forces of existence: Depth, Silence, Mind, Truth, Word, Life, Humanity and Church.

The Decad develops further dimensions through Profundity, Mixture, Agelessness, Union, Essential Nature, Pleasure, Immovability, Commixture, Uniqueness and Happiness.

The Dodecad completes the structure through Comfort, Faith, Paternal Origin, Hope, Maternal Nourishment, Love, Praise, Intelligence, Communal Participation, Blessedness, Will and Wisdom.

Together, these thirty vital forces express the ordered multiplicity of the Pleroma.

The essential principle is that the aeons are not separate gods competing with one another, nor should they be reduced to abstract names without function. They are distinguishable vital expressions of divine fullness, each contributing a particular operation to the harmonious structure of existence.

The thirty aeons are therefore best understood as the vital forces of the Pleroma: the emanated powers through which divine existence expresses depth, intelligence, truth, reason, vitality, humanity, unity, love, understanding and wisdom.

The Naassenes: The History, Teachings and Mystical Theology of Naassene Gnosticism Introduction The Naassenes

The Naassenes: The History, Teachings and Mystical Theology of Naassene Gnosticism

Introduction

The Naassenes (Greek Naasseni, possibly derived from the Hebrew נָחָשׁ, naḥaš, meaning "snake") were a Christian Gnostic sect known primarily through the accounts preserved in a work entitled the Philosophumena, also known as the Refutation of All Heresies. Although traditionally attributed to Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170–235), the authorship of this work remains disputed, and it is possible that it was not written by Hippolytus himself.

The Naassenes occupy an important position in the historical study of early Gnosticism because their teachings appear to preserve an early form of mystical Christianity in which biblical interpretation, philosophical speculation, ancient religious mysteries and symbolic representations of nature were brought together.

According to the Philosophumena, the Naassenes received their doctrines through Mariamne, who was described as a disciple of James the Just, the brother of Jesus. Their teachings were reportedly communicated through discourses associated with James and transmitted to Mariamne.

The retention of the Hebrew form Naas, rather than its Greek equivalent, has been considered significant because it may indicate that their religious terminology originated in an early Jewish-Christian environment. The author of the Philosophumena considers the Naassenes among the earliest people to have been called simply "Gnostics", claiming that they alone had sounded the depths of knowledge.

Their name itself is associated with the serpent, an important symbol within their religious system. However, the Naassene teachings cannot be reduced to serpent worship. The serpent represented a much broader principle associated with the moisture, movement, nourishment and continuity of the universe.

The Naassene Sermon

The Naassenes reportedly possessed one or more books containing discourses communicated by James, the brother of Jesus, to Mariamne.

These writings appear to have been mystical, philosophical, devotional and exegetical in character rather than systematic cosmological treatises. Instead of presenting an ordered account of the creation of the universe, they concentrated upon the interpretation of biblical passages, the mysteries of human existence, the nature of spiritual knowledge and the restoration of humanity.

An especially interesting feature of these writings was the inclusion of specimens of Ophite hymnology. These hymns employed symbolic and mystical language to describe the relationship between the First Man, the Logos, the divine principles and the manifestation of existence.

The writer or writers were possibly Greek. Although Hebrew words such as Naas and Caulacau appear in the writings, these expressions had already entered the vocabulary of various Gnostic groups and were therefore familiar to people who did not necessarily understand Hebrew.

The author also demonstrates considerable knowledge of the religious mysteries and philosophical traditions of different nations. His method of interpretation allows him to identify correspondences between biblical passages, Greek mythology, ancient religious ceremonies and philosophical ideas.

Consequently, the Naassene writings provide an example of a religious tradition in which Christianity was interpreted through a universal mystical framework.

The First Man: Protanthropos and Adamas

One of the central doctrines attributed to the Naassenes concerns the First Man, whom they identified with the Son of Man and called Adamas.

Their understanding of the First Man has similarities with other Ophite systems, particularly the concept of the primordial heavenly Man, sometimes compared with the Adam Kadmon of later Jewish mystical traditions.

The Naassenes distinguished between two aspects of this primordial Man:

1. The First Man (Protanthropos, Adamas): The fundamental divine being existing before differentiation into individual manifestations.

2. The Son of Man: The same being after becoming individualized within existing things and consequently entering into the conditions of material existence.

The First Man therefore represented the original heavenly principle, while the Son of Man represented its manifestation within the differentiated universe.

Unlike the Syrian Ophites, who retained a distinct female principle, the Naassenes represented their primordial Man as androgynous. The divine Man contained both masculine and feminine characteristics within himself.

This understanding was expressed through one of their hymns:

"From thee, father, through thee, mother, the two immortal names."

The androgynous character of the First Man was therefore associated with the unity of two complementary principles. These were not understood as two independent origins but as expressions of the primordial being.

The Naassenes also declared:

"the beginning of Perfection is the gnosis of Man, but the gnosis of God is perfected Perfection."

This statement establishes knowledge of Man as the beginning of spiritual perfection, while knowledge of God represents its completion.

The knowledge of Man was consequently fundamental to their religious system. Understanding the heavenly Man provided the foundation for understanding the divine origin and ultimate condition of humanity.

Adam and the Archons

Although the Naassene writings only briefly touch upon the mythology associated with earlier Ophite systems, they appear to preserve knowledge of the tradition concerning the creation of Adam.

According to this account, Adam was brought forth spontaneously by the Earth. However, although his physical form had been produced, he initially possessed neither breath nor movement.

The account describes him as lying without breath, without motion and without stirring, resembling a statue.

Adam had been fashioned after the image of the First Man above through the agency of several Archons. The Archons were involved in the formation of the earthly human being, but the resulting creation lacked the complete manifestation of the heavenly principle.

In order for the Archons to obtain control over the image of the First Man, a soul was given to Adam. Through this soul, the image of the First Man above could experience suffering and become subjected to bondage.

The account therefore distinguishes between the heavenly image and its earthly manifestation.

Adam's existence represented the manifestation of a higher principle within the conditions of material existence. The soul became the means through which the heavenly image experienced the limitations and suffering associated with its earthly condition.

This mythology illustrates the importance of the relationship between the primordial Man and humanity. The earthly human being was understood through the image of a higher Man, and the restoration of humanity involved the recovery of knowledge concerning this original heavenly identity.

The Three Natures of Man

The Naassenes taught that their primordial Man was threefold, containing within himself three different natures.

The description compares him with Geryon, the three-bodied figure of Greek mythology.

The three natures were:

• To noeron — the intellectual or spiritual nature.

• To psychikon — the psychic or soul-related nature.

• To choikon — the earthly or material nature.

These three principles were also combined in Jesus, who represented the manifestation of all three natures.

Through Jesus, these different natures were able to receive instruction according to their particular characteristics.

The teaching was illustrated through the analogy of living water. From the same source, different plants receive the nourishment appropriate to their own nature. The olive draws oil, the vine produces wine, and other plants produce their particular substances.

Likewise, different materials attract different substances. Chaff is attracted by amber, iron by the magnet, and gold by the prickle of the sea-hawk.

The principle was that each nature attracts and receives something corresponding to its own constitution.

Jesus therefore supplies the same living water, but its reception differs according to the nature of the individual receiving it.

The Three Classes of Humanity

The doctrine of the three natures was extended to humanity, which the Naassenes divided into three classes. Each class corresponded to a particular religious condition and a corresponding church.

1. The Material — The Bound

The first class consisted of material people, described as the Bound. These were chiefly the heathen, who remained captive under the dominion of matter.

Their condition was associated with the earthly and material nature.

2. The Psychic — The Called

The second class consisted of psychic people, described as the Called. These represented ordinary Christians who had received the religious calling but had not attained the highest spiritual condition.

3. The Spiritual — The Elect

The third class consisted of spiritual people, described as the Elect. These were the chosen members of the Naassene sect, representing the few who had attained spiritual knowledge.

The distinction between the Called and the Elect was therefore important. Although many received the calling, only a smaller number were considered to have attained the spiritual condition associated with the highest knowledge.

These three classes corresponded to the three natures contained within the primordial Man.

Creation and the Nature of the Naassene Writings

The Naassene work described in the Philosophumena appears to have been devotional rather than a formal exposition of cosmology.

This may explain why it is difficult to reconstruct a completely consistent account of their doctrine from the surviving descriptions.

Their writings were concerned with the interpretation of religious mysteries and the spiritual meaning of biblical narratives. Creation, generation, the human body, the Logos and the restoration of humanity were all interpreted through symbolic language.

Rather than presenting these subjects as separate doctrines, the Naassenes connected them through their understanding of the divine principles operating within existence.

Generation and the Mysteries

An important part of Naassene teaching concerned the ancient Mysteries and their relationship to generation.

The Mysteries of the ancient world were divided into Lesser Mysteries and Greater Mysteries.

The Lesser Mysteries concerned carnal generation, while the Greater Mysteries concerned spiritual generation.

Within the seed, sperma, was understood to exist the Mystery of the Logos, which was regarded as the original cause of all things that exist.

The seed therefore represented an important principle within the Naassene understanding of creation and spiritual restoration.

For the restoration of the chosen seed, the complete abandonment of sexual intercourse between men and women was considered an essential condition.

This doctrine was explained through an allegorical interpretation of the Exodus narrative.

The departure from Egypt represented the movement away from carnal generation. Egypt was interpreted as the body, while the Red Sea represented the work of generation.

To cross the Red Sea and enter the wilderness was therefore to reach a condition in which the work of generation had been abandoned.

The journey continued towards the Jordan River, which represented the Logos.

Through the streams of the Jordan, forms had descended from above, and generations of mortal human beings had taken place.

However, Jesus, like his Old Testament namesake Joshua, reversed the direction of the stream and caused it to flow upwards.

This reversal represented a different kind of generation.

Instead of the generation of mortal human beings, there was now a generation of gods, for which the newly born spiritual seed could claim the divine name.

The Naassenes associated this understanding with Psalm 82:6.

The passage therefore became part of their explanation of the transformation from earthly existence to spiritual generation.

Returning to Egypt represented a return to carnal intercourse and the conditions of mortal generation. Concerning those who returned, the teaching declared:

"they shall die like men."

The distinction was between that which was born below and that which was born above.

That which was born from below was fleshly and mortal, whereas that which was born from above was spiritual and immortal.

This divine condition was described as a hidden yet revealed bliss, belonging to that which was, is and will be.

It was identified with the kingdom of heaven that was to be sought within.

Paul's Letter to the Romans

The Naassene interpretation of Scripture made extensive use of the writings of Paul.

According to the Philosophumena, the verses in Romans 1:27 were regarded as the key to their entire system.

The passage reads:

"And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet."

The author of the Philosophumena presents this passage as having a particular significance within the Naassene Mysteries.

The expression "unseemly" was associated with their Mystery of divine bliss.

The teaching was described in the following terms:

"that heavenly, sublime, felicity, that absence of all form which is the real source of every form."

The passage was therefore interpreted through the Naassene understanding of spiritual generation and the divine condition beyond ordinary material distinctions.

The account also discusses the relationship between this mystery and baptism.

Baptism was apparently reserved for the individual who had been introduced into this divine bliss and had received the spiritual washing associated with the Living Water.

Such an individual was also:

"anointed with the Ineffable Chrism from the Horn, like David [was],[8] not from the flask of clay, like Saul,[9] who was fellowcitizen with an evil daemon of fleshly desire."

The contrast between David and Saul was therefore employed to distinguish between two different forms of anointing.

The anointing from the horn represented the higher spiritual condition, while the flask of clay was associated with the lower condition.

The Naassene interpretation of Romans 1:27 has also been compared with the Hermetic alchemical concept of the Great Work as an opus contra naturam, meaning a work against nature.

Paul's expression "against nature" (παρὰ φύσιν, Romans 1:26) may have received a comparable allegorical meaning in the Naassene interpretation.

Carl Jung later remarked:

"such a disposition should not be adjudged negative in all circumstances, in so far as it preserves the archetype of the Original Man, which a one-sided sexual being has, up to a point, lost."

Nevertheless, the surviving account does not establish that the Naassenes practised particular sexual activities.

Indeed, the Philosophumena states:

"they are not emasculated, and yet they act as though they were."

Biblical and Pagan Exegesis

The Naassene writings made extensive use of both the Old and New Testaments.

The author appears to have known all four canonical Gospels, although the Gospel according to John was used more extensively than the others.

Paul's letters to the Romans, Corinthians, Galatians and Ephesians were also employed.

In addition, the writings made use of the Gospel according to the Egyptians and the Gospel of Thomas.

However, one of the most distinctive features of the Naassene document was its extensive use of pagan religious and philosophical writings.

The author employed the same method of interpretation when examining Greek mythology as when interpreting biblical passages.

An important example is the commentary on a hymn concerning the Phrygian god Attis.

The different epithets applied to Attis were interpreted etymologically and understood as descriptions of various aspects of the Logos.

One of the titles attributed to Attis was papas.

The Naassene interpretation connected this expression with the one who brought the disorderly movement of existence to rest.

The account explains that he was the one who caused the disorderly motion to cease, so that all things cried:

"paue, paue, ten asymphonian."

This interpretation demonstrates the Naassene tendency to discover the same underlying religious principles within different mythological traditions.

The Logos could therefore be identified through the symbolic language of Greek mythology as well as through the writings of the Bible.

The Serpent and the Moist Essence

The serpent occupied a central position in Naassene theology.

The name of the sect itself was associated with the Hebrew naḥaš, meaning serpent.

According to the account, every temple, naos, revealed through its name that it was intended for the honour of the serpent, naas.

The serpent was identified with the Moist Essence of the universe, a principle considered essential to the cohesion and continuity of all existing things.

The surviving description states:

"naught at all of existing things, immortal or mortal, animate or inanimate, can hold together."

The serpent was consequently understood as a universal principle permeating existence.

The account further declares:

"all things are subject to Him, and He is Good, and has all things in Him ... so that He distributes beauty and bloom to all that exist according to each one's nature and peculiarity, as though permeating all."

The serpent was therefore associated with the principle through which different things received their particular characteristics and nourishment.

Its significance extended beyond the biblical serpent of Eden and included the universal processes through which existence was maintained.

G.R.S. Mead proposed a comparison between this Naassene principle and the Indian concept of Kundalini.

He wrote:

"This is the cosmic Akāsha of the Upaniṣhads, and the Kuṇḍalinī, or serpentine force in man, which when following animal impulse is the force of generation, but when applied to spiritual things makes of a man a god. It is the Waters of Great Jordan flowing downwards (the generation of men) and upwards (the generation of gods); the Akāsha-gangā or Heavenly Ganges of the Purāṇas, the Heavenly Nile of mystic Egypt."

Mead's comparison connects the Naassene serpent with the universal moisture principle, the human body and the movement between earthly and spiritual generation.

The serpent thus becomes a symbol of a force that operates throughout the universe and within humanity.

The Garden of Eden and the Human Body

Another distinctive feature of Naassene teaching was the allegorical interpretation of the Garden of Eden.

The Garden of Eden was identified with the brain, while Paradise was associated with the human head.

The four rivers described in Genesis were interpreted as corresponding to different bodily functions.

The rivers were Pishon, Gihon, Tigris and Euphrates.

Pishon — The Eyes

The first river was Pishon, described in Genesis as:

"that which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; And the gold of that land is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone."

The Naassene interpretation identified Pishon with the eyes.

This association was based upon the dignity and colours of the eyes, which were considered to correspond with the description of the precious substances found in the land of Havilah.

Gihon — Hearing

The second river was Gihon, described as:

"the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia."

Gihon was associated with hearing.

The explanation related to the labyrinthine character of the auditory system and its correspondence with the river's symbolic description.

Tigris — Breathing

The third river was the Tigris, described as:

"that which flows the opposite way to the Assyrians."

This river was interpreted as representing breathing.

The explanation concerned the movement of air into and out of the body.

The current of the river was described as very rapid, corresponding to the movement of the breath.

It was said to flow in the opposite direction because, after the breath has been breathed out, the air drawn in from outside enters again more rapidly and with greater force.

Euphrates — The Mouth

The fourth river was the Euphrates.

It was associated with the mouth, through which a person is nourished, rejoiced and expressed.

The mouth was connected with prayer and food, both of which were understood to have important functions within human existence.

The surviving passage explains that through prayer and food, a:

"man is rejoiced, and nourished and expressed"

The available account ends during this explanation, so the remainder of the Naassene interpretation of the Euphrates cannot be reconstructed from the supplied passage alone.

Conclusion

The Naassenes represent an important example of early Christian Gnosticism in which biblical interpretation, philosophical speculation, ancient religious mysteries and symbolic understandings of the human body were combined.

Their teachings centred upon the First Man, Adamas, the androgynous primordial principle, the three natures of existence and the distinction between material, psychic and spiritual humanity.

Their interpretation of Adam connected the earthly human being with the image of the heavenly Man, while their understanding of Jesus brought together the three natures and provided the source of the Living Water.

The mysteries of generation were interpreted through the Exodus narrative, the Jordan River and the distinction between mortal generation and spiritual generation.

Their interpretation of Paul, particularly Romans 1:27, was connected with the mystery of divine bliss, while their use of the Old and New Testaments demonstrated an extensive knowledge of biblical literature.

The serpent was understood as the Moist Essence permeating the universe, distributing beauty and nourishment according to the particular nature of existing things.

Finally, their interpretation of Eden as the human brain and Paradise as the head demonstrated their tendency to understand biblical geography through the symbolic structure of the human body.

The Naassene writings are particularly distinctive because they did not restrict their interpretation to Christian Scripture. They also employed Greek mythology, ancient religious hymns and philosophical traditions to express their understanding of the Logos and the mysteries of existence.

Although the surviving evidence is incomplete and comes primarily through the descriptions in the Philosophumena, it preserves an unusually rich account of a Gnostic tradition whose teachings connected the divine Man, the human body, the serpent, the Logos and the mysteries of spiritual restoration.

The Ophites: Their Origins, Beliefs, Cosmology and Interpretation of the Serpent in Genesis

Introduction

The Ophites, also called Ophians, derive their name from the Greek word ὄφις (ophis), meaning “serpent” or “snake”. The Greek name Ὀφιανοί (Ophianoi) was used to describe groups associated with particular Gnostic interpretations of the serpent in the Book of Genesis. These groups are generally presented in the writings of early Christian heresiologists, particularly Irenaeus of Lyons, Hippolytus of Rome, Pseudo-Tertullian, and Epiphanius of Salamis.

The historical identity of the Ophites, however, remains uncertain. It is possible that the name did not originally belong to a single organised religious community but was instead a designation applied by Christian heresiologists to various groups whose teachings involved the serpent, the creation account in Genesis, and the distinction between the creator of the material world and a higher divine principle.

Hippolytus of Rome (c. 170–235) discussed the Ophites in his lost work Syntagma, meaning an arrangement or compilation. Later accounts by Pseudo-Tertullian, Philastrius, and Epiphanius appear to depend substantially upon this earlier work. Consequently, their descriptions cannot necessarily be treated as independent historical witnesses.

Apart from sources dependent on Hippolytus, both Origen and Clement of Alexandria mention groups associated with serpent-related teachings. Irenaeus also provides a substantial account in Against Heresies, Book I, Chapter 30, describing a complex Gnostic cosmology that subsequent writers have identified as Ophite.

It is important, therefore, to distinguish between the various accounts. The systems described by Irenaeus, Hippolytus, and Epiphanius do not necessarily represent one unified religious movement. Rather, they preserve different teachings and traditions associated with the serpent and Gnostic interpretations of Genesis.

Irenaeus and the Ophite Cosmology

In Against Heresies (1.23–28), Irenaeus provides a chronological arrangement of various heretical movements, beginning with Simon Magus and ending with Tatian. He then adds descriptions of several Gnostic systems that he considers to have originated from the teachings of Simon Magus.

This chronology is not generally regarded as historically accurate by modern scholars. Nevertheless, Irenaeus preserves important information concerning the cosmological beliefs of several early Gnostic groups.

In Book I, Chapter 30, he describes a system subsequently identified as Ophite. Its cosmology begins with a supreme divine principle and develops through a succession of emanations.

The account begins with the True and Holy Church, consisting of the following divine principles:

1. Bythos (Depth).

2. The Father of All, identified with the First Man.

3. Ennoia, the Son of Man, identified with the Second Man.

4. The Holy Spirit, identified with the First Woman.

From these principles emerge Water, Darkness, the Abyss, and Chaos.

The First and Second Man become enamoured of the beauty of the Holy Spirit, and from their union emerges a third male principle, an incorruptible Light called Christ.

This Christ belongs to the heavenly order and is associated with the higher divine fullness. The three male principles, together with the First Woman, constitute the True and Holy Church.

Sophia and the Origin of the Material World

The cosmological narrative continues with Sophia, also called Wisdom or Prunikos.

According to Irenaeus, Sophia emerges through an excess of divine light. The light with which she has been impregnated is greater than she can contain. Consequently, while Christ, described as her right-hand birth, ascends with his mother, a portion of light falls downwards into the material realm.

This fallen light becomes Sophia or Prunikos, an androgynous being.

Her arrival disturbs the previously motionless waters:

By this arrival the still waters were set in motion, all things rushing to embrace the Light.

Sophia, playing with the waters, assumes a body because the light within her is in danger of being absorbed by matter. However, the body becomes an encumbrance, preventing her immediate return to the higher divine realm.

Unable to ascend, she stretches herself above the waters and thereby constitutes the visible heaven.

Eventually, through the intensity of her desire, she frees herself from the bodily encumbrance and ascends to the region immediately above the material world. This region is described as the middle region.

The narrative establishes an important distinction between the incorruptible divine realm and the lower material creation. Sophia belongs to the higher order but becomes involved with the material waters, resulting in the emergence of a lower cosmological hierarchy.

Ialdabaoth and the Seven Archons

While Sophia remains connected with the waters, she produces a son called Ialdabaoth.

He possesses a portion of the incorruptible light inherited from his mother, through which he exercises his creative power.

Ialdabaoth subsequently generates a son from the waters without a mother. This son produces another, and the process continues until seven Archons have emerged.

These seven rulers govern the seven heavens.

Their names are:

1. Ialdabaoth.

2. Iao.

3. Sabaoth.

4. Adonaios.

5. Elaios.

6. Astaphanos.

7. Horaios.

Together, these seven powers constitute the Hebdomad, while their mother Sophia completes the Ogdoad.

Ialdabaoth is identified as the Demiurge, the creator and ruler of the lower heavens. His name has sometimes been interpreted as deriving from Hebrew expressions associated with the son of chaos.

The seven Archons eventually struggle against their father for supremacy. Ialdabaoth experiences great distress and looks towards the lower regions of matter.

Through this process he generates Ophiomorphus, the serpent-formed Nous.

According to the account, Ophiomorphus becomes the source of the spirit and soul of the lower world, together with oblivion, wickedness, jealousy, envy, and death.

Ialdabaoth then stretches himself across the upper heaven, concealing from those below him the existence of any higher divine power.

Believing himself to be the supreme authority, he proclaims:

I am Father and God, and above me there is none other.

However, his mother Sophia hears this declaration and immediately contradicts him:

Do not lie, Ialdabaoth, for above thee is the Father of All, the First Man, and the Son of Man.

This declaration reveals the central distinction within the cosmological system: Ialdabaoth is not the highest divine principle but a subordinate creator who is ignorant of the superior divine order.

The Creation of Adam and Eve

After hearing the voice of Sophia, the heavenly powers become astonished.

Ialdabaoth attempts to redirect their attention by declaring:

Let us make man after our image.

The six powers assist in forming a gigantic human being. Sophia also contributes to the creation, intending to recover the divine light that has become concentrated within Ialdabaoth.

However, the human being they create is initially incapable of standing. It lies motionless, writhing like a worm.

The powers therefore bring it before Ialdabaoth, who breathes into it the breath of life. In doing so, he transfers his own power into the human being.

But something unexpected happens. Adam receives Thought and Conception, identified as Nous and Enthymesis, and immediately gives thanks to the First Man rather than acknowledging the powers responsible for his formation.

Ialdabaoth becomes jealous and attempts to deprive Adam of this superior knowledge by creating Eve.

The six powers become attracted to Eve's beauty and generate offspring from her, identified as angels.

Sophia, however, devises another means of liberating humanity from the authority of Ialdabaoth.

She employs the serpent to persuade Adam and Eve to disobey the commandment of their creator.

The serpent is described as appearing to Eve as a Son of God. Eve accepts its advice and persuades Adam to eat from the forbidden tree.

Through eating, they acquire knowledge of the higher divine power and recognise the existence of an authority above their creator.

Ialdabaoth consequently expels Adam and Eve from Paradise.

Before their expulsion, however, Sophia secretly removes the Light-fluid from them so that it will not share in the curse imposed upon their material existence.

The serpent is also expelled because it has acted against its father, Ialdabaoth.

It subsequently brings the angels under its authority and generates six sons, forming another Hebdomad corresponding to the seven powers of the upper heavens.

These seven demons oppose humanity, whose account is connected with the serpent's original rebellion against Ialdabaoth.

The Nature of Humanity and the Fall

The account continues by describing the transformation of Adam and Eve following their expulsion from Paradise.

Originally, their bodies were light, clear, and spiritual. Following the Fall, however, their bodies became dull and gross.

Their spirits also became languid because they had lost the greater portion of the divine light and retained only the breath supplied by their creator.

Sophia takes pity upon them and restores their awareness through the sweet odour of the Light-fluid.

As a consequence, they awaken to knowledge of themselves and recognise that they are naked.

This interpretation of Genesis differs considerably from the conventional biblical understanding of the Fall.

Within the account preserved by Irenaeus, the serpent is not simply a deceiver leading humanity into wickedness. Its involvement in the acquisition of knowledge becomes part of a larger struggle between the lower creator and the higher divine powers.

The knowledge acquired through eating the forbidden fruit reveals to humanity that Ialdabaoth is not the ultimate Father.

The Old Testament and the Authority of Ialdabaoth

The Ophite cosmology proceeds to reinterpret subsequent Old Testament history.

Ialdabaoth attempts to establish exclusive worship for himself and punish those who refuse to acknowledge his authority.

Sophia continually works against these efforts, attempting to enlighten humanity concerning the existence of higher divine powers.

The prophets are understood as instruments of the seven Archons, each associated with one of the powers of the Hebdomad.

Nevertheless, Sophia inspires them to make fragmentary revelations concerning the First Man and Christ above.

Their prophecies therefore contain indications of a higher divine reality beyond the authority of Ialdabaoth.

This interpretation presents the Old Testament narrative as a conflict between the lower creator and the higher divine order.

Irenaeus's account consequently portrays the God of the Old Testament as an inferior and ignorant creator who falsely claims exclusive divine authority.

Redemption and the Descent of Christ

The New Testament portion of the system concerns the restoration of the divine light and the redemption of humanity.

Sophia, having no rest either in heaven or on earth, appeals to her mother, the First Woman.

Moved by compassion for her daughter, the First Woman asks the First Man to send Christ to assist Sophia.

Sophia anticipates his coming and announces his arrival through John, preparing the baptism of repentance.

She also arranges for a woman to receive the announcement of Christ's coming. This woman becomes the mother of Jesus.

Jesus is described as being born of a virgin through divine power and as possessing greater wisdom, purity, and righteousness than other human beings.

Christ then descends through the seven heavens.

During his descent, he assumes the appearance of the sons of each heavenly ruler and deprives the Archons of their power.

Wherever Christ travels, the Light-fluid moves towards him.

When he reaches the material world, he first unites with his sister Sophia. Their union is described using the imagery of a bridegroom and bride:

They refreshed one another as bridegroom and bride.

Together, they descend into Jesus, although neither Christ nor Sophia actually dwells within his flesh.

Jesus consequently becomes Jesus Christ and begins performing miracles and proclaiming the existence of the unknown Father.

He declares himself to be the Son of the First Man.

Ialdabaoth and the other rulers of the Hebdomad become angry and seek to have Jesus crucified.

However, Christ and Sophia withdraw into the incorruptible Aeon and do not participate in the suffering of Jesus.

Christ nevertheless sends a power to raise Jesus from the dead.

The body that rises is not his earthly, material body, but his animal and spiritual body.

The account explains this distinction through the statement:

Flesh and blood cannot lay hold of the kingdom of God.

Jesus is said to have performed no miracles before his baptism, when Christ first united with him, or after his resurrection, when Christ had withdrawn.

Following his resurrection, Jesus remains on earth for eighteen months.

Initially, he does not understand the entirety of the truth. Subsequently, he receives a revelation that enlightens him, which he communicates to a chosen group of disciples.

He is eventually taken up into heaven.

The Recovery of the Light-fluid

The redemption narrative continues after the ascension.

Christ sits at the right hand of the Father, Ialdabaoth, without the latter's knowledge.

Through this position, Christ gradually recovers the souls of those who have recognised him, thereby diminishing the power of Ialdabaoth.

Righteous souls no longer return to the lower creator but become united with Christ.

As a consequence, Ialdabaoth possesses progressively less of the Light-fluid to impart to the souls entering the material world.

He can therefore provide them only with his own animal breath.

The final consummation will occur when the last remaining portion of divine light has been recovered from the lower material world.

The restoration of the Light-fluid consequently represents the completion of the redemption process and the liberation of the divine element from the material creation.

The Significance of the Serpent

Although the system is frequently described as Ophite because of its association with the serpent, the serpent itself occupies a relatively subordinate position in Irenaeus's account.

Its importance lies principally in its involvement in the acquisition of knowledge by Adam and Eve.

The serpent becomes an instrument through which humanity discovers the existence of a higher divine authority.

This is fundamentally different from the conventional interpretation in which the serpent represents the adversary of God.

Nevertheless, other groups associated with serpent-related teachings appear to have given the serpent a much more prominent position.

Some reportedly identified Sophia herself with the serpent, while others honoured Cain and other figures traditionally regarded as enemies of the God of the Old Testament.

The serpent therefore did not necessarily possess the same significance across all groups classified as Ophites.

Pseudo-Tertullian and the Serpent

Pseudo-Tertullian, writing around 220 CE, provides one of the earliest surviving descriptions of groups specifically called Ophites.

His account is generally considered dependent upon the lost Syntagma of Hippolytus.

In Against All Heresies, Chapter 2, he makes three important claims concerning their beliefs.

First, he states that they denied Christ's possession of a real fleshly body:

Christ did not exist in the substance of flesh.

Second, he describes their veneration of the serpent:

They extol the serpent to such an extent that they even prefer it to Christ.

Third, he connects their understanding of the serpent with the bronze serpent raised by Moses in the wilderness.

According to Pseudo-Tertullian, they understood Christ's statement in John 3:14 as evidence of the serpent's sacred significance:

And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.

This passage refers to Numbers 21:6–9, where Moses raises a bronze serpent so that those bitten by serpents may look upon it and recover.

Pseudo-Tertullian also reports that Eve believed the serpent as though it were God the Son.

These descriptions demonstrate how serpent symbolism became connected with the interpretation of Christ, the crucifixion, and the Genesis narrative.

Epiphanius and the Serpent Eucharist

Epiphanius of Salamis provides another description of the Ophites in his Panarion, particularly in section 1.37.

His account differs from Pseudo-Tertullian's in certain respects.

According to Epiphanius, the Ophites did not necessarily prefer the serpent to Christ but regarded the serpent and Christ as identical.

He describes a religious ceremony involving a living serpent.

The serpent was kept in a chest called the cista mystica and brought out during their mysteries.

Bread was placed upon a table, and the serpent was summoned from its enclosure.

Epiphanius describes the ceremony:

They have a snake, which they keep in a certain chest—the cista mystica—and which at the hour of their mysteries they bring forth from its cave.

He continues:

They heap loaves upon the table and summon the serpent.

The serpent crawls onto the table and moves among the bread.

Epiphanius reports that the participants considered this to be the perfect sacrifice.

He writes:

They not only break the bread in which the snake has rolled and administer it to those present, but each one kisses the snake on the mouth.

The ceremony is described as a Eucharistic celebration, through which the participants believe they are communicating with the Father above.

Epiphanius concludes:

And they fall down before it and call this the Eucharist, consummated by the beast rolling in the loaves.

He further states:

And through it, as they say, they send forth a hymn to the Father on high, thus concluding their mysteries.

This description represents one of the most unusual accounts of serpent symbolism in early Christian heresiological literature.

However, Epiphanius's account must be approached critically. Like other heresiologists, he writes from an openly hostile perspective, and his descriptions do not independently establish how widespread these practices were or whether all groups designated Ophite participated in them.

Hippolytus and the Philosophumena

Hippolytus discussed serpent-related Gnostic teachings in two different works: the lost Syntagma and his surviving Philosophumena.

The Syntagma appears to have contained a section on the Ophites following the discussion of the Nicolaitans.

Its description seems to have been a condensed account of the mythology preserved by Irenaeus.

However, Hippolytus's later work demonstrates a broader knowledge of Gnostic literature.

In the Philosophumena, he discusses several groups associated with serpent symbolism, including the Naassenes, Peratae, Sethians, and followers of Justinus.

The name Naassene derives from the Hebrew word nahash (נחש), meaning serpent.

Hippolytus treats these groups separately, suggesting that he recognised differences between their teachings.

Interestingly, in another section of the Philosophumena, he mentions the Ophites alongside the Cainites and Nochaitae, dismissing their doctrines as unworthy of serious exposition or refutation.

He does not appear to recognise a direct connection between these Ophites and the groups described in his fifth book.

This distinction suggests that the term Ophite could have been used more narrowly in some contexts and more broadly in others.

The Naassenes, for example, possessed their own elaborate religious and philosophical traditions and should not automatically be regarded as identical to the group described by Irenaeus.

The Relationship Between the Ophites and Valentinianism

The cosmology described by Irenaeus contains similarities to other Gnostic systems, particularly Valentinianism and the Barbeliot tradition.

The presence of Bythos, the First Man, the Second Man, the Holy Spirit, Sophia, Christ, and the distinction between higher and lower divine realms demonstrates similarities in their cosmological structures.

The Barbeliot system, described immediately before the account of the Ophite cosmology in Irenaeus, places particular importance upon Barbelo as the supreme female principle.

It contains several features shared with the system attributed to the Ophites, although it possesses a much more extensive collection of divine names.

The Valentinian system also shares important cosmological characteristics but incorporates additional elements associated with Greek philosophical speculation.

The account of the Ophites has consequently been regarded by some earlier historians as preserving a more original form of the underlying cosmological tradition.

Nevertheless, the similarities do not establish that these groups belonged to one organised movement. They demonstrate that early Gnostic cosmologies could share terminology, structures, and theological themes while developing distinct mythological explanations.

The Historical Identity of the Ophites

The historical identity of the Ophites remains one of the principal difficulties in reconstructing early Gnostic movements.

The surviving descriptions are largely preserved by writers who opposed the teachings they described.

Furthermore, several accounts appear to depend upon the same earlier source, particularly Hippolytus's lost Syntagma.

Pseudo-Tertullian, Philastrius, and Epiphanius therefore cannot automatically be treated as three independent witnesses to an established religious organisation.

Hippolytus himself appears to distinguish between the Ophites, Naassenes, Peratae, and Sethians, despite their shared interest in serpent symbolism.

It is possible that the name Ophite was imposed upon different groups because of their interpretations of the serpent in Genesis.

This possibility is particularly important because the serpent does not occupy the same theological position in every account.

In the system described by Irenaeus, the serpent is connected with Sophia and the liberation of humanity through knowledge.

In Pseudo-Tertullian, the serpent is reportedly honoured above Christ.

In Epiphanius, it becomes the central object of an extraordinary Eucharistic ceremony.

Other groups reportedly identified the serpent with Sophia herself.

These differences make it difficult to reconstruct a single, unified Ophite doctrine.

Conclusion

The Ophites represent an important element in the history of early Gnostic thought, particularly because of their interpretations of the serpent in Genesis and their distinction between the lower creator and the higher divine order.

The account preserved by Irenaeus presents a complex cosmology involving Bythos, the First Man, the Second Man, the Holy Spirit, Christ, Sophia, Ialdabaoth, and the seven Archons.

Within this system, Ialdabaoth is a subordinate creator who mistakenly believes himself to be the supreme God. Sophia, acting through the serpent, enables Adam and Eve to acquire knowledge of a higher divine authority.

The subsequent descent of Christ, his union with Jesus, and the eventual recovery of the Light-fluid constitute the central elements of the redemption narrative.

Other accounts, particularly those of Pseudo-Tertullian and Epiphanius, place greater emphasis upon the serpent itself, describing its veneration and its use in religious ceremonies.

Hippolytus's distinction between the Ophites and other serpent-associated groups further demonstrates the diversity of early Gnostic traditions.

Ultimately, the designation Ophite should not necessarily be understood as the name of one historically unified sect. It may instead represent a category employed by early Christian heresiologists to describe different religious teachings that shared an interest in the serpent, the interpretation of Genesis, and the relationship between the material creator and the higher divine powers.

 

The document below reconstructs the Ophite diagram and its associated teaching using Origen's Against Celsus, Chapters XXIV–XXXVIII, as the primary source. It brings together the cosmological circles, Father and Son, Love, Life, the two interlocking circles, the Nature of Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, the seven ruling powers, the gates, the Tree of Life, Leviathan, Behemoth, Gehenna and Tartarus.

An important distinction is maintained throughout: Origen reports what he found in the diagram and what he understood about the Ophites, while also giving his own criticisms and interpretations. His objections are not presented as though they were themselves Ophite teachings.

The Ophite Diagram: The Cosmology, Seven Ruling Powers, and the Journey of the Soul

Introduction: The Ophite Diagram in Origen's Account

The Ophite diagram described by Origen in Against Celsus, Book VI, Chapters XXIV–XXXVIII, presents a cosmological arrangement of circles, divine inscriptions, ruling powers, gates, and symbolic figures. Its imagery includes Father and Son, Love, Life, the Nature of Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Leviathan, Behemoth, Gehenna and Tartarus. Origen also describes seven ruling angels or archontic powers, their animal forms, and the prayers associated with passing through their respective realms.

The account is particularly important because it preserves descriptions of a diagram that Origen says he personally examined. He explains that Celsus had referred to a similar diagram but had not adequately identified the sect responsible for it. Origen writes:

"It seems to me, however, that it is from some statements of a very insignificant sect called Ophites, which he has misunderstood, that, in my opinion, he has partly borrowed what he says about the diagram."

Origen subsequently describes the arrangement of the circles, the inscriptions, the animal-shaped rulers and the passages through the different gates.

The diagram therefore brings together several interconnected subjects: the relationship between Father and Son, the representation of wisdom, the structure of the heavens and ruling powers, the condition of the soul, and the symbolic division associated with Gehenna and Tartarus.

The following reconstruction considers these elements together, retaining the terminology and descriptions preserved by Origen.

1. The Greater and Lesser Circles: Father and Son

At the upper part of the diagram are two circles, one greater and one lesser, with the smaller circle contained within the larger.

Origen records:

"The greater and the lesser circle, upon the diameter of which was inscribed 'Father and Son'."

The two circles establish the first major arrangement in the diagram. The inscriptions Father and Son are associated with their respective circular representation.

The greater circle contains the lesser, while the inscriptions identify the relationship between Father and Son. This arrangement is accompanied by another circle bearing the inscription Love.

Origen describes its position:

"A short circle, close to the greater of the two former, having the inscription 'Love'; and lower down, one touching the same circle, with the word 'Life'."

Thus, Love and Life are represented by additional circular forms positioned in relation to the greater circle.

These inscriptions are important because they establish the upper portion of the diagram as a structure of named principles rather than simply an arrangement of geographical places or physical heavens.

The principal inscriptions are:

• Father and Son.

• Love.

• Life.

The diagram places these inscriptions in relationship with the greater and lesser circles, establishing the upper section of its cosmological arrangement.

2. The Interlocking Circles: The Nature of Wisdom

Another major feature is a second circular arrangement consisting of two interlocking circles.

Origen provides a particularly detailed description of their colours:

"Another composed of two circles,--the outer one of which was yellow, and the inner blue."

These two circles are intertwined and contain additional inscriptions and geometrical figures.

Within this arrangement appears a rhomboid, described by Origen as:

"The foresight of wisdom."

Within the point where the two circles intersect is another inscription:

"The nature of wisdom."

The arrangement therefore contains two related expressions: the foresight of wisdom and the nature of wisdom.

The rhomboid is situated within the overlapping circular structure, while the Nature of Wisdom is placed at the common intersection of the two circles.

The distinction between the two inscriptions should be preserved. Origen does not describe them as identical labels. The Foresight of Wisdom is associated with the rhomboid, whereas the Nature of Wisdom occupies the point of common intersection.

The two circles also contain two additional circular inscriptions.

Origen explains:

"And above their point of common section was a circle, on which was inscribed 'Knowledge'; and lower down another, on which was the inscription, 'Understanding.'"

The arrangement therefore includes four important expressions:

1. The Foresight of Wisdom.

2. The Nature of Wisdom.

3. Knowledge.

4. Understanding.

These are placed within and around the two interlocking circles.

The upper inscription is Knowledge, while Understanding is situated below the point of intersection.

The whole arrangement is also associated with the expression Providence of Wisdom, which appears in the reconstruction of the diagram alongside the interlocking circles.

The resulting structure brings together wisdom, its foresight, its nature, knowledge and understanding.

3. The Relationship Between Love, Life and Wisdom

The upper circles and the interlocking circles form connected parts of the diagram.

Love is positioned close to the greater circle containing the Father and Son inscription. Life is situated lower down, touching the same circular arrangement.

The two interlocking circles introduce another group of inscriptions concerned with wisdom and understanding.

The relationship can therefore be represented through the following arrangement:

Upper circular structure

• Father and Son.

• Love.

• Life.

Interlocking circular structure

• Foresight of Wisdom.

• Nature of Wisdom.

• Knowledge.

• Understanding.

• Providence of Wisdom.

These inscriptions should be considered together when reconstructing the diagram.

Origen's description establishes their positions and their relationship to the circles, although it does not provide a complete explanation of the philosophical meaning of every inscription.

The distinction between the recorded arrangement and any further interpretation is important. The diagram preserves the names and their geometrical relationships, but Origen does not provide a complete exposition of every principle.

4. The Seven Ruling Powers and Their Animal Forms

Another important section of the Ophite system concerns seven ruling demons or archontic powers.

Origen explains that Celsus described seven animal-shaped rulers and that the diagram he examined supplied their names.

He writes:

"He next returns to the subject of the Seven ruling Demons, whose names are not found among Christians, but who, I think, are accepted by the Ophites."

Origen then gives the correspondence between the animal forms and their names.

The seven rulers are:

Order	Name	Animal form
First	Michael	Lion-like
Second	Suriel	Bull-like
Third	Raphael	Serpent-like
Fourth	Gabriel	Eagle-like
Fifth	Thauthabaoth	Bear-like
Sixth	Erataoth	Dog-like
Seventh	Onoel or Thartharaoth	Ass-like

Origen records the first:

"The diagram which we possessed made him to be Suriel, the bull-like."

He identifies the first as Michael, the lion-like ruler, and then continues with the remaining figures.

The third is Raphael, the serpent-like ruler. The fourth is Gabriel, the eagle-like ruler. The fifth is Thauthabaoth, the bear-like ruler. The sixth is Erataoth, the dog-like ruler. The seventh is Onoel or Thartharaoth, described as somewhat asinine in appearance.

The seven animal forms are therefore an important part of the diagram's cosmological representation.

They are not simply decorative creatures. They are associated with ruling powers, gates and the passage through the different realms.

5. The Gates and the Passage Through the Ruling Realms

Chapter XXXI provides an account of the instructions given to those passing through what Origen calls the:

"Fence of wickedness."

These gates are described as being:

"Gates which are subjected to the world of ruling spirits."

The passage through these gates involves addressing the individual rulers by name and reciting particular declarations.

The account begins with the following invocation:

"I salute the one-formed king, the bond of blindness, complete oblivion, the first power, preserved by the spirit of providence and by wisdom, from whom I am sent forth pure, being already part of the light of the son and of the father: grace be with me; yea, O father, let it be with me."

Origen adds:

"They say also that the beginnings of the Ogdoad are derived from this."

The first invocation is therefore associated with the one-formed king, providence, wisdom and the light of the Son and Father.

The following passages concern the individual ruling powers.

Ialdabaoth

The first named ruler encountered in the sequence is Ialdabaoth.

The declaration reads:

"Thou, O first and seventh, who art born to command with confidence, thou, O Ialdabaoth, who art the rational ruler of a pure mind, and a perfect work to son and father, bearing the symbol of life in the character of a type, and opening to the world the gate which thou didst close against thy kingdom, I pass again in freedom through thy realm. Let grace be with me; yea, O father, let it be with me."

Origen also records:

"They say, moreover, that the star Phaenon is in sympathy with the lion-like ruler."

The declaration identifies Ialdabaoth as a ruler associated with a gate and the symbol of life.

Iao

After passing through Ialdabaoth, the individual arrives at Iao.

The invocation reads:

"Thou, O second Iao, who shinest by night who art the ruler of the secret mysteries of son and father, first prince of death, and portion of the innocent, bearing now mine own beard as symbol, I am ready to pass through thy realm, having strengthened him who is born of thee by the living word. Grace be with me; father, let it be with me."

Iao is thus described as the ruler of the secret mysteries of Son and Father.

Sabaoth

The next ruler is Sabaoth.

The declaration reads:

"O governor of the fifth realm, powerful Sabaoth, defender of the law of thy creatures, who are liberated by thy grace through the help of a more powerful Pentad, admit me, seeing the faultless symbol of their art, preserved by the stamp of an image, a body liberated by a Pentad. Let grace be with me, O father, let grace be with me."

Sabaoth is identified as the governor of the fifth realm and the defender of the law of his creatures.

Astaphaeus

After Sabaoth comes Astaphaeus.

The invocation reads:

"O Astaphaeus, ruler of the third gate, overseer of the first principle of water, look upon me as one of thine initiated, admit me who am purified with the spirit of a virgin, thou who seest the essence of the world. Let grace be with me, O father, let grace be with me."

Astaphaeus is therefore associated with the third gate and the first principle of water.

Aloaeus

The next ruler is Aloaeus.

His declaration reads:

"O Aloaeus, governor of the second gate, let me pass, seeing I bring to thee the symbol of thy mother, a grace which is hidden by the powers of the realms. Let grace be with me, O father, let it be with me."

Horaeus

Finally, Origen describes Horaeus, who governs the first gate.

The invocation reads:

"Thou who didst fearlessly overleap the rampart of fire, O Horaeus, who didst obtain the government of the first gate, let me pass, seeing thou beholdest the symbol of thine own power, sculptured on the figure of the tree of life, and formed after this image, in the likeness of innocence. Let grace be with me, O father, let grace be with me."

These declarations preserve the names of the rulers, their realms, their gates and the expressions associated with passing through them.

The sequence is an important part of the account because it shows that the diagram was associated with instructions and declarations concerning the ruling powers.

6. The Names Taken From Hebrew Scripture

Origen makes an additional observation concerning the names used in the diagram.

He distinguishes between names that he considers to have been taken from magic and names derived from Hebrew Scripture.

He writes:

"They have borrowed from magic the names of Ialdabaoth, and Astaphaeus, and Horaeus, and from the Hebrew Scriptures him who is termed in Hebrew Iao or Jah, and Sabaoth, and Adonaeus, and Eloaeus."

Origen then explains his own understanding of the Hebrew names:

"Now the names taken from the Scriptures are names of one and the same God."

He argues that the individuals responsible for the system had misunderstood these names and imagined that they referred to different gods.

He identifies Iao, Sabaoth, Adonaeus and Eloaeus as names belonging to the same God.

This distinction is important when examining the names within the diagram because Origen does not regard all of them as originating from the same source.

7. The Flaming Sword and the Tree of Life

Chapter XXXIII introduces another important symbolic feature: the gates of Paradise and the flaming sword.

Origen writes:

"The flaming sword was depicted as the diameter of a flaming circle, and as if mounting guard over the tree of knowledge and of life."

The flaming sword is therefore represented as a diameter crossing a flaming circle.

It guards the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life.

This image connects the diagram with the Paradise narrative and the imagery of Genesis.

Origen also records that certain individuals were described as returning to the shapes of the archontic rulers:

"Certain persons return to the shapes of the archontics, so that some are called lions, others bulls, others dragons, or eagles, or bears, or dogs."

The animal forms of the rulers are therefore connected with the account of the gates and the Paradise imagery.

The Tree of Life appears again in the declaration addressed to Horaeus, where it is described as bearing the symbol of the ruler's power.

8. Leviathan: The Soul of All Things

One of the most distinctive features of the diagram is Leviathan.

Origen describes the original arrangement as containing ten separate circles connected by one encompassing circle.

He writes:

"Ten circles, distinct from each other, but united by one circle, which was said to be the soul of all things, and was called 'Leviathan.'"

Leviathan is consequently represented as encompassing the ten circles.

Origen also explains that the name appears in two places:

"The inventor of this accursed diagram had inscribed this leviathan at its circumference and centre, thus placing its name in two separate places."

The representation therefore includes Leviathan at the circumference and at the centre.

This is particularly significant when reconstructing the original diagram. Leviathan is not merely another individual circle positioned alongside the other inscriptions. It is associated with the encompassing arrangement itself.

Origen also refers to the Jewish Scriptures, particularly the description of Leviathan in the Psalms.

He quotes:

"In wisdom hast Thou made all things: the earth is full of Thy creatures; so is this great and wide sea. There go the ships; small animals with great; there is this dragon, which Thou hast formed to play therein."

He explains:

"Instead of the word 'dragon,' the term 'leviathan' is in the Hebrew."

Origen contrasts the scriptural description with the interpretation given to Leviathan in the diagram.

He objects to the representation of Leviathan as the soul that travels through all things.

Nevertheless, his account preserves the important detail that Leviathan was identified with the encompassing circle and was also inscribed at its centre.

9. Behemoth and the Lower Part of the Diagram

Another figure appears beneath the lowest circle.

Origen writes:

"We observed, also, in the diagram, the being named 'Behemoth,' placed as it were under the lowest circle."

Behemoth therefore occupies a position beneath the lower circular arrangement.

In reconstructing the diagram, Behemoth should be distinguished from Leviathan. Leviathan is associated with the ten circles and their encompassing circumference, while Behemoth is placed below the lowest circle.

Both names are derived from the imagery of the Hebrew Scriptures, although Origen does not provide a complete explanation of the relationship between these two figures within the Ophite system.

10. Gehenna and Tartarus: The Dividing Line

The diagram is divided by a thick black line.

Origen reports Celsus's description:

"Divided by a thick black line, and this line he asserted was called Gehenna, which is Tartarus."

This line is one of the most important features of the diagram because it separates the upper arrangement from the lower portion.

Origen investigates the meaning of Gehenna by examining the Hebrew Scriptures.

He identifies it with the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and explains that the name was also used in the Jewish understanding of the place of punishment.

He writes:

"It was termed both the valley of Ennom and also Geenna."

Origen then connects the subject with Jerusalem and the territory of Benjamin.

He explains that the Valley of Hinnom was included within the territory associated with the tribe of Benjamin, where Jerusalem was also situated.

He interprets the imagery in connection with purification and punishment.

In particular, he quotes the prophetic description:

"The Lord cometh like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: and He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and of gold."

Origen develops this subject further by referring to the elements of wickedness contained within the substance of the soul.

He writes:

"It is in the precincts of Jerusalem, then, that punishments will be inflicted upon those who undergo the process of purification."

He also refers to iniquity being represented as sitting upon a talent of lead.

His interpretation of Gehenna therefore includes punishment and purification, although he explicitly distinguishes his own explanation from what he believes the diagram and its makers understood.

He states:

"The doctrine of Geenna, then, is unknown both to the diagram and to Celsus."

Consequently, the distinction between the Ophite representation of the dividing line and Origen's own interpretation of Gehenna must be maintained.

11. The Seal and the Seven Angels

Chapter XXVII introduces another subject associated with the system: the seal.

Celsus describes a ceremony involving the person who impresses the seal and the individual who receives it.

Origen records:

"He who impresses the seal is called father, and he who is sealed is called young man and son."

The response of the person receiving the seal is:

"I have been anointed with white ointment from the tree of life."

Celsus also describes seven angels associated with the soul of the dying body.

Origen records:

"Seven angels, who attach themselves to both sides of the soul of the dying body; the one party being named angels of light, the others 'archontics.'"

The ruler of the archontics is described as the accursed god.

Origen strongly objects to this expression and argues that the Creator should not be described in this manner.

The account therefore associates the seal with Father and Son, the Tree of Life and seven angels, divided into angels of light and archontic angels.

These details belong to the material Origen reports, although he does not accept the accusations or terminology attributed to the group.

12. The Living Soul and Prunicos

In Chapter XXXIV, Celsus introduces additional expressions that he associates with various heretical teachings.

He refers to:

"A power flowing from one Prunicos, a virgin and a living soul."

Origen explains that the followers of Valentinus used the name Prunicos for a certain kind of wisdom.

He writes:

"The adherents of Valentinus, moreover, in keeping with their system of error, give the name of Prunicos to a certain kind of wisdom."

He also explains that the woman afflicted with the twelve years' issue of blood was regarded by them as a symbol of this wisdom.

Regarding the expression living soul, Origen offers two possible explanations.

He suggests that it might refer to the being called the psychic creator of the world, or alternatively to:

"The soul of 'him who is saved.'"

These observations are important because they demonstrate that Celsus's account contains expressions from different groups and that Origen does not regard every statement as belonging to the same teaching.

13. The Tree, Death and Resurrection

The Tree of Life is also connected with the subject of death and resurrection.

Celsus mocks the association between the tree and the cross, suggesting that the symbol was invented because Jesus was crucified on a wooden structure.

Origen rejects this interpretation.

He explains:

"Through the tree came death, and through the tree comes life."

He then relates this to Adam and Christ:

"Because death was in Adam, and life in Christ."

Origen also refers to the apostolic teaching concerning the destruction of death.

He quotes:

"When He shall have put all enemies under His feet, then the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."

He further quotes:

"When this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory."

Origen interprets these expressions in connection with the eventual destruction of death.

He also discusses the gates that open spontaneously, connecting them with scriptural expressions concerning righteousness and the gates of Zion.

He quotes:

"Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may go into them, and praise the LORD; this gate of the LORD, into it the righteous shall enter."

He also quotes:

"Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death, that I may show forth all Thy praise in the gates of the daughter of Zion."

Origen explains that the Scriptures use gates of death for sins leading to destruction and gates of Zion for good actions.

He writes:

"So also 'the gates of righteousness,' which is an equivalent expression to 'the gates of virtue,' and these are ready to be opened to him who follows after virtuous pursuits."

These passages show how Origen relates the imagery of gates, the Tree of Life, death and resurrection to scriptural teaching.

14. The Overall Reconstruction of the Diagram

The material preserved in Chapters XXIV–XXXVIII allows the principal elements of the diagram to be assembled into a connected arrangement.

The upper section contains the greater and lesser circles associated with Father and Son.

Close to these are the circles of Love and Life.

Another arrangement consists of two interlocking circles, one yellow and the other blue. Within this arrangement are the Foresight of Wisdom and the Nature of Wisdom, with Knowledge above and Understanding below their common point of intersection.

The diagram also includes the flaming circle and sword associated with Paradise and the Tree of Knowledge and Life.

The seven ruling powers and their animal forms belong to the cosmological teaching surrounding the gates and the realms.

The lower arrangement contains the ten circles associated with Leviathan, who is represented at the circumference and centre. Behemoth is placed beneath the lowest circle.

A thick black dividing line is identified with Gehenna and Tartarus.

The principal components can therefore be summarised as follows:

Position or arrangement	Inscription or figure
Greater and lesser circles	Father and Son
Short circle above	Love
Lower adjoining circle	Life
Interlocking yellow and blue circles	Foresight of Wisdom
Common intersection	Nature of Wisdom
Circle above the intersection	Knowledge
Circle below the intersection	Understanding
Associated inscription	Providence of Wisdom
Seven ruling powers	Michael, Suriel, Raphael, Gabriel, Thauthabaoth, Erataoth, Onoel
Paradise imagery	Flaming sword, Tree of Knowledge and Tree of Life
Ten circles and encompassing circle	Leviathan
Below the lowest circle	Behemoth
Thick black dividing line	Gehenna and Tartarus

Conclusion

Origen's account in Against Celsus, Book VI, preserves a remarkable description of the Ophite diagram and the teachings associated with it.

The diagram combines circular cosmological arrangements, inscriptions concerning Father and Son, Love, Life, Wisdom, Knowledge and Understanding, together with the seven ruling powers, their animal forms and the gates through which the individual was instructed to pass.

Its lower section includes Leviathan, described as the encompassing circle and the soul of all things, with Behemoth positioned beneath the lowest circle. The thick black dividing line is identified with Gehenna and Tartarus.

The accompanying material introduces the seal, the seven angels, the Tree of Life, the flaming sword, Paradise and the declarations addressed to the ruling powers.

It is important, however, to distinguish the material actually recorded from the criticisms made by Origen. He repeatedly insists that these teachings are not those of the Christians and objects to the diagram's representations and practices.

His testimony nevertheless provides the principal surviving description of this particular arrangement.

The reconstruction must therefore preserve the distinctions between the individual circles, the interlocking circles, the inscriptions, the seven ruling powers, the gates, Leviathan, Behemoth and the dividing line of Gehenna and Tartarus.

Taken together, these details provide the basis for reconstructing the cosmological arrangement and the associated teachings described in Origen's account of the Ophite diagram.

Correct the seven-ruler sequenceSeparate diagram description from commentaryResolve the chapter-order inconsistency