Jerome

says that Abraxas (mystically 365), the “supreme” among Gnostiks, was Mithras and Khreistos. He was also Adoni, “ the Lord,” Samas- ‘Alam or “the sun of eternity,” Elohim, and Iao-Sabao (or Yahveh- Sabaoth), “the Lord of Hosts.” He appears as Harpocrates, the child Horus, on the lotus with his finger to his mouth (see Fingers). He again has the head of an a on gems and on a Syrian terra-cotta (see Onolatria); and Ireneus himself says that “ the a mentioned in the Gospels is a type of Christ”; Epiphanius calls it the emblem of Sabaoth, and Plutarch tells us that Set in Egypt was a -headed. The “supreme one” was also the Agatho-daimon, or “ good spirit ”— the serpent with the rayed head accompanying the names Tao and Khnumis. Such gems were used as amulets, like many others that have been cla ed as Gnostik, but only those with well-known Gnostik names attached can be so described. The serpent worshiping Gnostiks included Sethians, Perate, Nicol a i tans, and Nalhasim or Ophites (‘‘ serpent worshipers”) as described by Hippolytus (see Rivers of Life, li, p. 528, fig. 334), Karpocrates, and his son Epiphanes, in our 2nd century, developed doctrines taat spread among other sects, including Ene ratites or “abstainers” from wine (even for the Eucharist), Docetze who spoke of Christ’s spirit-body, Antitactes, Markosians, and followers of Tatian, Val ent in us, and Barde sanes. The latter, with his son Harm on i us, appeared in Me so pot am i a; but the most famous of these sects was that of the Manicheans, followers of Manes, who was executed in our 8rd century in Persia, and who was well acquainted with both Mazdean and Buddhist teachings. The Manic he wans were specially detested by the Catholics of the 4th century, but their ideas spread to Asia Minor, Bulgaria, France, and Spain, and appear as late as the 13th century among the Albigenses. To them is sometimes attributed the apochryphal gospel of the “ Pseudo-Matthew,” though the Markosians appear to have claimed it as the work of their leader Markos, Many of its legends seem to be borrowed from the legend of Buddha, such as the story of the tree that bowed to Mary in Egypt (as the Palisa tree bowed to Maya, mother of Buddha): Christ, like Buddha, astonishes his teachers at school by inspired knowledge of the mystic meanings of the letters of the alphabet: images bow down to him, as they did also to Buddha, Most of these sects sought to unite men by a vast syncretic system, like the later Moslem philosophers and mystics (see Druses); and they compa ed sea and land to make proselytes. Some deified their teachers, and Epiphanes—dying young—was so worshiped. By our 6th century, however, they had been all more or le stamped out by the orthodox emperors and bishops, though opinion among Christians still remained much divided. Some were severe ascetiks, like the Encratites and the Me so pot am i an Sabians or “ baptisers,” called later “Christians of St John.” Many taught that matter was evil, and forbade matrimony, holding E ene beliefs (see Matt. xix, 12), The accusations levelled against Manichwans, as regards eating babies, and their “fig ceremony” (see Fig), were repeated later about the Templars (see King’s Gnostics, pp. 192-198). The world, in Gnostik belief, was evil and material, and could not be saved, for all except the few elect were incapable of wisdom. They rejected a Saviour of men, and were in consequence much persecuted. 177