Gedaliahu A. G. Stroumsa Another Seed: Studies in Gnostic Mythology Nag Hammadi Studies XXIV (Leiden: Brill, 1984) 195 pages.
About the
Author:
Gedaliahu Stroumsa was born in
Introduction: Gnostic
Sexual
Myth
Stroumsa views Gnosticism, particularly Sethian Gnosticism, as a mythological phenomenon, "the last significant outburst of mythical thought in Antiquity." It is significant as one of a very few creations of new mythological patterns whose origin and early development are not buried in prehistory. Gnosticism is self-consciously both a mythology and a theology, so that its myths have a peculiar character that is both post-philosophical and post-biblical. Sethian Gnosticism is examined as a radical reconception, even inversion, of Jewish values and elements, which is reflected in the reorganization of the elements of Jewish myth.
His study aims to delineate the background of biblical
exegesis
as well
as Greek philosophy against which Gnosticism emerged, in order to
discover and
analyze the organizing and governing principles concealed in the
mythology of
Gnosticism. The hope is
to bridge
the gap between phenomenological descriptions and the research
into
Gnostic
origins.
Part One: From Origin of Evil
to Origin
of
Righteousness
1. Unde Malum:
From Apocalyptic Literature to
Gnostic
Myth
The dualism of the Sethian gnostic texts is viewed as a
basic
polarity
between the world and the spiritual realm of the higher God. An obsessive preoccupation
with the
problem of evil is viewed as the basis for the Gnostic rejection of
the
material
world and its creator.
Jewish
apocalyptic and pseudepigraphic literature provides a defined
literary
context
in which the emergence of the Gnostic mythological confrontation
with
evil can
be examined. Apocalyptic
literature
already represents a process of reflection on the origin of evil
as
represented
in two biblical myths of the Urzeit:
the sin of Adam and Eve, and
the descent
of the 'Sons of God' from their heavenly abode and their copulation
with
the
daughters of men (Gen. 6:1-4).
The
Biblical account is etiological; it accounts for the moral depravity of
mankind. Gnostic
reinterpretation
puts the origin of evil in the attempt to mix the unclean elements
of
darkness
or matter with the pure elements of light or spirit (mixis). Salvation is possible
only if
the pure
elements remained untainted.
The myth of the Fallen Angels assumes a role at the core of the
mythological expression of Gnostic consciousness. The Jewish theological problem
of the
existence of evil is inverted in Gnosticism, so that Gnosticism seeks
to
explain
the possibility of salvation in a creation that is utterly evil. In the resulting myth, evil
stems from
the lust of the angels; salvation depends on the transmission of a
pure
seed by
women who escape unsoiled.
2. The Archons as
Seducers
There are three elements (mythologoumena) which are identified as keys to the Gnostic sexual myth: the Seduction of Eve by Yaldabaoth, the presence of the Female Spiritual Principle in the snake, and the birth of Cain and Seth. In the Jewish texts, the theme of intercourse between the sons of God and daughters of men is integrated into human history 96 the origin of evil was not commitant with God's creation. Gnosticism has a vested interest in showing that the pattern of mixis was begun in the first generation of mankind. In some texts, the responsibility for the sin of Adam and Eve is attributed to the demiurge himself; sexual impulse is seen as stemming directly from the male/female duality. The existence of the imperfect world is explained as an abortion/miscarriage.
Stroumsa proposes that the Gnostic interpretation is rooted
in
Jewish
exegesis of Gen. 4:1b, 4:25, and 5:3.
Gen. 4:1b could be interpreted as meaning that Cain was the
son
of
Sammael and Eve. This
helps to
explain Cain as murderer.
Seth is then the first son of Adam.
Alternatively, Cain is the son of the earthly Adam, and Gen.
4:25
is
interpreted to mean that Seth's father is the heavenly, not
earthly
Adam. This builds on the
similarity
of Gen.
1:27, 5:1 and 5:3. These can
be combined so that Cain is the son of Eve and the archon, and Seth
is
the son
of heavenly Adam. The
fourth
possibility eliminates the earthly Eve as the mother of Seth since
she
is not
explicitly mentioned in Gen. 5:3.
Part Two: The Gnostic
Race
3. Seth and the
Child
The child as savior is a variously represented theme in the literature of Antiquity. Seth is one of the clearest manifestations of the savior-child. Seth tends to be considered the first son of Adam. The First Adam 96 heavenly counterpart of Adam 96 was identified with the supreme God, and the heavenly counterpart of Seth was developed on the basis of Gen 5:3 'according to his likeness, in his image'[2]. Seth was the savior of mankind since he 'recovered' the glory of Adam and Eve before the fall (Apoc. Adam). In Gos. Eg. the parousia of Seth was identified with the advent of Jesus, who is considered to be the earthly manifestation of the heavenly Seth.
The name Seth seems to stem either from the root 'to drink', or 'to plant'. The idea being evoked is that of a seed planted which is watered to bring it to full growth. This becomes a metaphor of a 'pure seed' which grows into a plant that 'bears fruit'. The community of Gnostics is variously identified with the 'plant' or the 'fruit'.
Gnostic soteriology has been considered to be totally ahistorical and non-temporal in its attitude. This chapter examines this assumption with particular focus on the Apocalypse of Adam, in which there is a 'seed of men' who escaped the rule of the demiurge and his archons, and received the life of knowledge. These form a 'kingless race' in a 'holy dwelling place'. They remain pure and undefiled by any desire. These are fundamentally different from common humanity and do not share in its history.
The Apoc. Adam describes three major events in
world
history,
which correspond to three advents of the illuminator of knowledge. Each time the illuminator
comes to save
his seed and to usher in a new period.
The first two events are cataclysmic attempts by the demiurge
to
destroy
the Gnostics. The first is the Flood in the days of Noah. In the second, the powers of
the
demiurge throw fire, sulphur, and asphalt on the 'kingless race'
in
their land
(
This is the second longest chapter of the book, and perhaps the least successful. The argument for a 'Gnostic' conception of salvation history rests almost entirely on a single text (Apocalypse of Adam). There are several elements in this text which are clearly associated with salvation history in other pseudepigraphic literature. However, the essential characteristic of the Gnostic race remains its total independence of the world, its archons, and thus its history. At most, Stroumsa delineates a point of tension between the Gnostic self-conception as 'other' and participation in the life and events of the world.
This chapter begins by examining the Gnostic texts for
evidence
of the
The promised land with a holy dwelling place (Apoc. Adam)
is
essentially otherworldly, not a geographical location The 'holy
dwelling
place'
is a new creation where they will go away from this one. This also occurs in Marcion,
Manicaeanism. This place
is reached
with the help of an illuminator or through attainment of Gnosis,
and
they would
live there with angels of the great light.
It was a land of truth where the Holy Spirit dwelt, and the
place
the
illuminator comes from.
This place
of salvation or promised land retains some temporal reality from
its
Jewish
heritage, in that Gnostics in some sense belong there
already.
6. Sons of God or Sons of
Seth
This chapter examines the various Jewish and Christian interpretations of 'the sons of God' in Gen 6:1-4 as the context for the Gnostic self-identification as the sons of Seth. There is a clear tradition during the first centuries of the common era that the 'sons of God' in this passage are angels who descend from heaven and become the teachers of women and the fathers of giants. This tradition is reflected in Greek translations of Genesis, as well as 1Enoch and other pseudepigraphic literature. A second tradition identifies 'the sons of God' with the descendents of Seth as a line of righteous men, leading to Enoch, and Noah. The intercourse between the 'sons of God' and the 'daughters of men' that is responsible for the birth of the giants and the corruption of the world, is then viewed as intermarriage between the descendents of Seth and the descendents of Cain, so that the descendents of Seth become opposed to Noah. The second tradition tends to dominate later Jewish and Christian exegesis.
The Gnostic description of the seed of Seth is another race,
one
which is
opposed to the 'material race' (Tri. Trac. 119:8-10). This race is immovable and
incorruptible, living and immovable.
It is a 'race of the immortal soul (Apoc. Adam
78:3-5). The father of
this race is
'the perfect
man', the Great or heavenly Seth.
Schenke proposed that a gap exists in the Gnostic texts
between
the first
sons of Seth and the Gnostics contemporary to the texts. Stroumsa postulates that the
Gnostic
self-identification with the descendents of Seth merged with the
tradition of
opposition of Noah to the sons of Seth provides one of the
motivations
for the
vilification of Noah and the vindication of
Part
Three: Echoes and
Repercussions
7. Gnostic Elements in Hermetic
Traditions
In this chapter, Stroumsa explores the writings of Zosimus[4], a 4th century alchemist, which reference traditions concerning the lust of angels for women as a source of technical knowledge. Zosimus also connects the race of philosophers, who spend their lives in immateriality, with the man inside Adam, 'Phos'. These may be liberated by the coming of the Son of God, who is opposed by the 'demon who mimics'. Stroumsa sees the transformation of the leader of the Sons of God into the false Son of God as originating in the Gnostic version of the Genesis story.
This chapter outlines some of the ways in which
Manichaeism
adopted and
transformed elements of Sethian gnosticism into its own form. The chapter attempts to
explore the
tension in Manichaean thought between independent use of Jewish
apocalyptic
traditions and the use of Jewish apocalyptic traditions transformed
by
Sethian
gnostic thought. The
roots of
Manichaean thought in Sethian gnosticism are evidenced by the
importance
of
'Sethel', the seduction of the archons, the view of the material
world
as an
'abortion' or miscarriage.
The
independent use of Jewish apocalyptic is briefly examined in the
connection
between the Manichaean Book of Giants and the fragments found
at
Conclusion: The Gnostic
Sexual
Myth
This concise summary of the conclusions of the previous chapters emphasizes the Gnostic dualistic view of history as a permanent conflict between the Gnostics and the forces of evil. This dualistic view of history is tied to the central Gnostic myth of a dual humanity; a common humanity born of the rape of Eve by the archon, who becomes the demiurge himself, and the 'pure' seed of Seth. Stroumsa uses the connections he has drawn between Gnostic and apocalyptic literature to argue that the roots of Gnosticism were in the exegetical problems of first century interpretation of Genesis. He sees Gnosticism as a radicalization and recrystallization of selected Jewish exegetical traditions which did not require Christian mediation. He sees the transition from the 'fall of Eve' to the fall of Sophia as deriving from:
As a result, he
attributes the
development of a hierarchical duality between God and the
demiurgic
angel to
Judaism, as an answer to the problem of biblical anthropomorphisms. The Gnostics, in turn,
picked
up this
duality and radicalized it by demonizing the demiurge and
identifying
him with
Satan. The identification
of evil
with matter is secondary to the demonization process, which
transformed
a
hierarchical duality into a conflicting dualism.
Evaluation
The book as a whole provides a valuable source for connecting various elements of the Gnostic myth with other Jewish literature of the period. Stroumsa shows a keen appreciation for the variation with the Gnostic corpus as well as an eye for common elements. This wealth of detail will make the book extremely difficult for a reader who is not already familiar with the Gnostic or pseudepigraphic texts involved. It succeeds very well at placing Gnostic interpretation of the first few chapters of Genesis within the larger context of biblical exegesis in antiquity. In particular, the delineation of the Gnostic tendency to shift particular events or elements 'backward' into the story of Adam and Eve works very well.
Stroumsa is less successful at uncovering the origins of
Gnosticism. His attempts to
trace
particular
elements (mythologoumenon) through the literature are hindered as
evidence for
historical development of ideas by questions concerning the
relative
dates of
the texts and traditions.
In
particular, Stroumsa often states that an exegetical tradition found
in
a later
text reflects a much earlier tradition.
Since there is no way of knowing how much earlier, or to
which
elements
of the tradition this actually applies, the effect is to introduce
a
large
measure of historical uncertainty.
[1] Quoted from
http://www.jewishhistory.huji.ac.il/Profs/HU/Other/stroumsa.htm.
[2] The triple emanation of the Immortal Man, the Son of Immortal Man, and the Son of Son of Immortal Man in Eugnostos is a very clear description of this.
[3] This tradition may be built on the connection of the
'sons of
Seth' with
[4] Zosimus was born in