S U P P L E M E N TA
MHNH
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
Estudios de Astrología, Magia y Religión Antiguas Volumen 1
Emilio Suárez de la Torre & Aurelio Pérez Jiménez (eds.)
Mito y Magia en
Grecia y Roma
Libros Pórtico
Primera edición Barcelona 2013 © Emilio Suárez de la Torre © Aurelio Pérez Jiménez Edita: © Libros Pórtico Distribuye: Pórtico Librerías, S.A. Muñoz Seca, 6 50005 Zaragoza (España) Fax: (+34)976353226
[email protected] www.porticolibrerias.es Imprime: Imagraf Impresores, S.A. Nabucco 14 29006 Málaga Tfno. (+34)952328597 I.S.B.N: 978-84-7956-114-7 D. L.: 334 - 2013 Impreso en España Universitat Pompeu Fabra Portada: Estatua del dios Bēsas (Museo del Louvre, N 437) XXX dinastía, 379-341 a.C. (Fotografía de los editores) Acción Complementaria FFI 2011-14879-E (MINECO) Ajut de AGAUR (Generalitat de Catalunya)
Índice .......................................................................7-10 E. Suárez de la Torre, “Presentación” R. Di Donato, “Polivalenze magiche”........................................................................11-24
J. Pàmias, “Zeus y Alcmena, magia y misterio (Pherecyd. fr. 13)”.............................25-36 . R. Forero Álvarez, “Elementos mágicos, religiosos y médicos en el hechizo de ...............................................37-44 rejuvenecimiento de Medea (Ov., Met. VII, 234-293)” A. Ruiz Pérez, “Sémele como maga”.........................................................................45-54 M. García Teijeiro & Mª T. Molinos Tejada, “Medea y Talo”..................................55-66 N. Villagra Hidalgo, “Tesalias: brujas ciegas, cojas y sin hijos”.................................67-76 J. A. Clua Serena, “Defixiones et Ἀραί littéraires, et de la tabella à la λοιδορία: le voleur”................................................................................................................77-84 Chr. A. Faraone, “Heraclean Labors on Ancient Greek Amulets: Myth into Magic or Magic into Myth?”................................................................................85-102 .......103-116 A. Mastrocinque, “Perseus and Sabaoth in Magic Arts and Oriental Beliefs” A. Bernabé & R. Martín Hernández, “Orphica et magica. Rasgos órficos en las ἐπωιδαί suritálicas: consideraciones sobre los Hexámetros Getty”..............117-148 J. Pòrtulas, “Observations on the Katabasis of P. Fayum 2 (P. Brit. Mus. 1192)”....149-160 G. Sfameni Gasparro, “Tra mageutiké téchne e teologia: i PGM come testimoni della religiosità tardo-antica”....................................................................161-178 E. Suárez de la Torre, “Mito, teología, magia y astrología en PGM XIII (P. Leid. I 395)” .......................................................................................................179-202 M. Zago, “Bēsas “de la vista débil”. Manipulación de las sustancias y détour mítico-ritual en los papiros mágicos griegos (PGM VII y VIII)”......................203-212 M. Blanco Cesteros, “El embarazo infamante de Selene: una calumnia verosímil”.....213-222 J. L. Calvo Martínez, “Mythopoesis and Religion in Magical Hymns”....................223-236 A. Pérez Jiménez, “Misticismo, magia y religión en la casa novena de la dodecátropos”.........................................................................................................237-256 Fco. Marco Simón, “Referencias míticas y topografía divina en documentos .........................................................257-272 mágico-religiosos del Occidente romano” C. Sánchez Natalías, “Las defixiones de Bolonia: ¿Un nuevo retrato de Hé.......................................................................................................273-282 cate-Selene?” A. Blomart, “Religion ou magie ? Les textes oubliés sur l’evocatio et la devotio romaines”...................................................................................................283-298 F. Graf, “The Christian Transformation of Magic”................................................299-310 J. Mª Nieto Ibáñez, “El error pagano: politeísmo y prácticas mágicas en los autores patrísticos”.............................................................................................311-324 J. Cuesta Fernández, “Mitificación de Nerón en los Oráculos Sibilinos. Re ..............................................................................325-336 visión crítica de la cuestión”
Perseus and Sabaoth in Magic Arts and Oriental Beliefs Attilio Mastrocinque Università di Verona
[email protected] Abstract Perseus was worshipped in the Near East and Egypt rather than in Greece. He was a god who was identified with different characters of Eastern mythologies. Here two case studies are presented, namely that of Ascalon, where this hero was called Phanebalos and worshipped among the highest gods, and that of Egypt, where he was identified with a lion-headed god, who was supposed to have cut Medusa’s head.
Key Words: Perseus, Sabaoth, Magic, Oriental beliefs.
We are used to considering Perseus to be a Greek hero because we know the Greek mythology, whereas near eastern mythology is scarcely known. To a certain extent, however, archaeological finds, iconography and magical documents offset this lack. My paper will begin with a very specific use of Perseus’ myth and iconography. The most famous image of this hero shows him as conquering Gorgo and holding her cut head. This iconography was chosen to represent some very intriguing near eastern and Egyptian gods. 1.1 Perseus in Palestine We could admit that Perseus was more revered in Palestine, Egypt and all the Near East than in Greece. Many cities of Southern Phoenicia and Palestine, and especially Ioppe1 and Ascalon venerated the Greek hero. In Ascalon he was called Phanebalos, a Greek transcription of the Semitic words pn b‘l, “face of Baal”, “image of Baal”)2. His cult was ancient, because we know of IV century BC Samarian silver coins on which the Gorgoneion and Pegasus are represented3. Perseus was a very popular character in the eastern provinces and even the fishermen of the Eritrean sea knew him and called a big fish “Perseus”4. Perseus and his mother Danae were in fact drawn to 1
Ios., Bell.Iud. III.420; Plin., N.h. V.128; Paus. IV.35.9. I am indebted to Kassandra Jackson for the improvement of my English.
2
Mastrocinque (2011), chap. 4.
3
Chaya (2000-2002).
4
Aelian., N.a. III.28; Hesych., s.v. Persos.
Emilio Suárez de la Torre & Aurelio Pérez Jiménez (Eds.), Mito y Magia en Grecia y Roma, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, 2013, pp. 103-116.
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Seriphos by the nets of local fishermen, as it was told in Aeschylos’ Diktylkoi5. Perseus iconographies are well documented everywhere in the East, from the V century frescoes of Elmalı, in Lycia, to the bronze coins of the Seleucid and Pontic kingdoms. We remember also the cult of Chrysaor (born from Gorgo’s beheaded body) in eastern Caria. In particular, Perseus occupied a place of honour in Tarsos, where he represented an important link with Argos, a city of which Tarsos pretended to be a colony6. He was indeed an important link between Greece and the Persian kingdom, because he was supposed to be the ancestor of Persians7. Opportunely Robin Lane Fox said that “Perseus became the hero of integration between East and West”8. This fact gave new reasons to expand his mythology and cult, especially within the Persian empire. 1.2 Perseus in Egypt In Egypt too Perseus was greatly respected, especially in the Theban district9. Herodotus10 said: “nothing but Delta is Egypt, whereof the seabord reaches, according to them (the Ionians), from what is called the watchtower of Perseus, forty schoeni to the salting factories of Pelusium…” Strabo11 confirms the existence of this ancient tower of Perseus: “After the Bolbitine mouth one comes to a low and sandy promontory which projects rather far into the sea; it is called Agnu-Ceras. And then to the Watch-tower of Perseus and the Wall of the Milesians…” Alexander came to Egypt and was recognized as a legitimate heir of the pharaohs because he was the scion of an Argive royal family, which descended from the Egyptian kings, as Aeschylus (Supplices), Euripides (Archelaos) and other poets testified12. I can not continue to present the myth and cult of Perseus in Egypt and the Near East, but even so it is evident that this hero was more popular in those areas than in Greece, where he was never worshipped in this way. 2.1 The lion-headed god In late Hellenistic and Roman Egypt a lion-headed god was chosen to represent the biblical creator, who was supposed to be a young and warlike god. Among these 5
TGF, III, F 46-47.
Robert (1977).
Her. I.125; VI.54.
Lane Fox (1973), 201.
6 7 8 9
10 11
Her. II.91; see Sauneron (1962).
Her. II.15, transl. Godley.
Strab. XVII.1.18 = 801, transl. Jones.
12
See Mastrocinque (1988).
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lion-headed gods, the most ancient was an Egyptian deity, namely the son of Bastet or of Sekhmet13. He was chosen as an image of the biblical creator by the Ophite Gnostics, who called him Ialdabaoth Ariel, as we read on one gem and in the treatise Origin of the world14. This Ialdabaoth does not share the tyrannical and arrogant character that gnostic books and heresiologic Christian writers assign15to him. In fact he was the god of amulets and was invoked in several magical spells . Three gems depict the lion-headed god holding Gorgo’s head16; one17 of them (fig. 1) has Judaizing inscriptions: ΙΟΥΔΑC, “Judas”, and the anagram of ΜΙΧΑΗΛ, “Michael” ; another18 (fig. 2) bears the inscription ἑκατοντόμαχε, the name of an officer of the Jewish-Hellenistic army19. The third is engraved with the name of Iaô (fig. 3). The Jewish culture is therefore evidently in connection with this iconography. This god had a peculiarity. He could assume many names and be identified with some gods or heroes: he was Mihos, Bastet’s son, for the Egyptians, he was Ialdabaoth for the Ophite Gnostics, Judas or Michael for other judaizing sects. He was perhaps also Moses, as we will see later. 2.2 The lion-headed god as Sabaoth and Michael The inscriptions help to identify which the names of this god were and it is possible that different believers identified him with different gods or heroes. Let us notice that he has a strong military character: he wears a cuirass and holds a sword, and it goes without saying that his lion’s face is terrifying. This god was identified with Judas, a warlike Jewish hero20. Judas Maccabee was another warrior, who was defined as “a lion in battle”21. The name of Michael was not inscribed by chance on the gem, for he was the great warrior archangel. The name of the Jewish officier was meant to indicate that he was the general of a powerful heavenly army. This god was justifiably identified with Sabaoth, whose name 13
On the son of Bastet or Sekhmet: Yoyotte (1987-88); Yoyotte and Chuvin (1987-88).
14
Bonner (1949); Origin of the World (NHC II,5) 100, where it is stated that the Archon Ialdabaoth was called ‘Ariel’ by the perfect ones (the Gnostics) because he looked like a lion.
15
Cavada - Paci (2002) 202; see Mastrocinque (2005a), 75-79; Mastrocinque (2005b).
16
Two gems in Paris, Delatte - Derchain (1964), nos 302, 306; one in London: Michel (2001a), no. 170, pl. 40.
17
Delatte - Derchain (1964), no. 302.
18
Michel (2001a), no. 170, pl. 40.
19
Ios., Ant.Iud. XIII. 339 (ἑκατοντάμαχος); cf. Bonner (1950) , no. 169; Mastrocinque (2002), 164-170.
20
Gen. 49.9; cf. Mastrocinque (2002).
21
IMacch. 3.4.
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fig. 1
fig. 2
fig. 3
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signifies “armies”. A gem from Aquileia22 (fig. 4) shows this god, and the inscription says ϹΑΒΑΩΚ, i.e. ϹΑΒΑΩΘ. A similar gem, described in the XIX century, had the inscription Ϲαβαὼ Φρῆν Ἰάω23. A bronze amulet in Basel24 depicts this god and bears the inscription IAO SABAO. I have recently presented in an international conference another gem25 (fig. 5) showing the lion-headed god raised up to heaven by an eagle; his hair is that of a woman. That is perfectly fitting to him, according to some Gnostic beliefs known to
fig. 4
fig. 5
Epiphanius26. Another gem shows a god with his hair arranged in a tress behind the head27, and the inscription ϹΑΒΑΩ (fig. 6). Against whom did the great warrior Sabaoth and his army fight? The severed head of Gorgo shows that she was one of their enemies. Sabaoth seems to have replaced Perseus as he who conquered Gorgo. But it is possible that this lion-headed 22
SGG II, no. Aq 8.
23
Minervini (1857), 90.
24
Historisches Museum, Münzkabinett, inv. 1918.5134; Perassi (2011), 243, fig. 15.
25
In the Cabinet des Médailles, Reg. H.2452 (which will be published in my catalogue of the magical gems in this Museum).
26
Epiphan., Panar. XXVI.10.11 (I, 288 Holl), transl.: Williams (2009), 99.
27
Delatte-Derchain (1964), no. 424. The emasculated Kronos-Suchos appears as well to have long hair; see Mastrocinque (2011), chap. I.
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god was also a particular image of Perseus. His enemies were indeed demons, wicked inhabitants of this world, the cause of evil, corruption, sickness. The famous Testament of Solomon lists a series of demons and mentions angels who were supposed to conquer each one of them. Gorgo appears as one among the demons, bearing the name Obyzouth, i.e. Abyssos, and had disheveled hair28. 2.3 Sabaoth as he who beheaded Gorgo and defeats sicknesses A well known magical papyrus29 reports a recipe to heal the malaria of a certain Dionysos, and performs a summons using a wing formation written in this form: fig. 6
ΓΟΡΓΩΦΩΝΑϹ ΟΡΓΩΦΩΝΑϹ ΡΓΩΦΩΝΑϹ ΓΩΦΩΝΑϹ ΩΦΩΝΑϹ ΦΩΝΑϹ ΩΝΑϹ ΝΑϹ ΑϹ Ϲ I will not discuss the odd form Gorgophonas30, because it is enough for now to say that Gorgo’s killer was Perseus, the hero who was represented on another gem with a prayer against pellagra: “fly, pellagra, Perseus pursuits you”31. Another winged formation appealed to Lykourgos to avert the demon Rhyx Achôneôth32. An amulet to stop inflammation of the uvula has a winged formation with the word σταφυλοτόμος33, “he who cut the vine”, i.e. Lykourgos himself, who threatens the uvula, an organ similar to a grape. 28
Testa. Solom. 43 McCown.
29
PGM XVIIIb.
30 J. Scarborough, in PGMT, p.255: plural accusative referring to Athena; Daniel - Maltomini (1990), 4: an erroneous writing for Γοργοφόνος, who was Theseus; Faraone (2001), 7, n.16, supposes that the adjective signified γοργοφωνῆς: “he whose voice is terrible”; Mastrocinque (2008a), 101, supposes that it is a Doric form of Γοργωφώνης. 31
Neverov (1976), no. 143a.
32
Test. Salom. XIX, 58, ed. McCown (1922).
33
Pintaudi (1959), no. 59 = PGM CXX = Daniel - Maltomini (1990), no. 1.
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We can not be sure, however, that the Egyptians who used the Gorgophonas amulet thought of him as a Corinthian hero, and not as a lion-headed god. In fact Sabaoth, the lion-shaped warlike god, was often invoked against diseases, and especially malaria. In fact another similar amulet34 says: Lord Sabaoth, repel the pain from me, the headache pain, I pray, take [from me]. Another35 has: El, El Stragel, Strakouel, the god, the Satoucheos, the Psatoucheos, protect, shelter [the wearer against fever] whether [it is] every other day, or daily, or equinoctial, or perpetual; purify us, Eiaoth Sabaoth. The LXXXIII magical papyrus says: Goba ...s...mo ...nousba ...eiege ...osark. ..ause fever with shivering fits, I conjure you, Michael, archangel of the earth; [whether] it is daily or nightly or quartan fever; I conjure you, the Almighty Sabaoth…36. A love spell37 says: ὅτι κατέχω μὲ τὴν δεξιὰν τοὺς δύο δράκωντας καὶ τὴν νίκην τοῦ Ἰάω Σαβαώθ: because I am holding in my right hand the two serpents and the victory of Iao Sabaoth. This victory can be none other than that over Gorgo, whose head was covered with snakes. Sabaoth took over Perseus’ role as Gorgo’s killer, but evidently this was not enough, for he also took over also Zeus’ role as conqueror of giants. In fact in a complex “Hebrew” exorcism attributed to the Egyptian magus Pibechis, performed in the name of the Hebrew God, Sabaoth is invoked and hailed in this way: “I conjure you by the great god Sabaoth, through whom the Jordan River drew back and the Red Sea, which Israel crossed, became impassable… I conjure you by the one who destroyed the giants with lightning”38. 34
PGM XVIIIa, transl. J. Scarborough; cf. also VII, 218-221; XLIII.
35
PGM XLVII, transl. M. Smith.
36
PGM LXXXIII, 1-6, transl. R. Kotansky.
37
PGM XXXVI, 195-197, transl. O’Neil.
38
PGM IV, 3007-86, esp. 3059 transl. W. C. Grese; Jesus is also invoked together with the Hebrew god. This reference to the killing of giants recurs in two medieval exorcisms: Ps. Bas., Exorc. 2 (PG 31, 1679); Delatte (1957), 37, line 11; cf. Barb (1969), 296 and n. 5. Cf. the tradition of the Kyranides on the giants who had built the tower of Babel.
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This Sabaoth is the god who is represented on the gems. Even the Testament of Solomon begins with an invocation to λέων Σαβαώθ, “Sabaoth the lion”39, and therefore it is highly probable that this god was the lion-headed one. The proof could be a spindle-shaped haematite in the Cabinet des Médailles40 on which the lion-headed god is represented and the name Γιγαντορήκτα (“he who tore the giants in pieces”) occurs. The Testament of Solomon opens with the descent of the vampire demon Ornias upon Solomon’s servant. Solomon prays for help to Sabaoth; grace is granted him, and the archangel Michael brings him the ring with which he submits the demons. We find many recipes of magical papyri in which Sabaoth seems to be one among a confuse series of divine names of different origin. We have seen, on the other hand, that in many cases the practitioners knew well which god they were invoking, and his features fit with his warlike character. One must also notice that the magical spells often refer to Iao Sabaoth Adonai, as a sort of triad. 2.4 Sabaoth with a rod-snake The conqueror of Gorgo was also the conqueror of giants. Let us see how this god could destroy the giants. We actually know of many gems representing Chnoubis, the lion-headed snake, accompanied by an inscribed surname: Γιγαντορήκτα, Γιγαντοπνικτορήκτα, Γιγαντοφόντα41 (vel similia42): “he who breaks giants”, “he who stifles and breaks giants”, “he who kills giants”43. This Gigantomachy was not exactly that of Hesiod and other Greek poets, but depended on the biblical story of the fallen angels and their monstrous sons. The Enochic literature and the Gnostic doctrines were based on a passage in Genesis 6.4, which tells the story of the angels, who were the sons of God and had lain with women and generated children. These children destroyed men and spread evil, 39
Test. Salom. 100 McCown.
40
Collection Seyrig, 55, which will be published in my forthcoming edition.
41
Γιγαντοφόντα: Bonner (1951), 326, no. 21; Γιγαντοπνικτορήκτα: Cat. Southesk, no. 4.
42
Cf. Bonner (1950), 168-9.
43
Note that the image of Chnoubis is hardly ever accompanied by that of the snake-footed rooster (extensively used on magic gems), that is to say the giant and the giant slayer are never seen facing each other, even though the snake-footed rooster is depicted alongside many divinities, both Egyptian and Greek. One such stone (SGG, I, 252) depicts a snake-footed lion and, on the reverse, bears the inscription ΓΙΓΑΝΤΟΡΗΚΤΑ; in Delatte - Derchain (1964), no. 12, the snake-footed rooster is accompanied, on the reverse side, by the same inscription. The gem depicting Chnoubis and a snake-footed rooster from Bombay [cf. Middleton (1892), 79], examined by Delatte - Derchain (1964), no. 87, is probably modern: Smith (1967), 418; cf. also note to SGG, I, 234. On the subject of Gigantorhekta (“he who destroys giants”) the expression rumpere serpentes, used by Ps.Quintil., Decl. X.15, describes one of the operations that magi were able to perform. The verb is also used in another well-known expression: rumpere invidiam.
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so that God sent the Flood and destroyed all creatures except Noah and his people. The angels’ children (the Nephilim) are referred to by the term GiBoR, GiBWR, i.e. a hero or a great man, but the Septuagint translated the term as γίγας, “giant”44, and especially in the phrase οἱ γίγαντες οἱ ἀπ᾽αἰῶνος: “giants born of, or descendants of the Aiôn”. Those giants were distroyed by God. They were drowned by the Deluge. A question arises spontaneously: who destroyed the giants: the lion-headed Sabaoth or the snake Chnoubis? Christian traditions in Syria knew of an enormous snake which strangled the giants45, and of a snake which ruled over Egypt and laid in the profound sea46. On a series of magical gems the divine snake Chnoubis appears to be held in the right hand of the lion-headed warrior47. Sometimes the leontocephalic god is accompanied by the name Chnoubis48. A conclusion could be drawn from all those documents: Sabaoth, the lion god, destroyed the Giants thanks to Chnoubis. Chnoubis was his weapon. In fact Chnoubis was supposed to control every liquid substance. One Chnoubis gem depicts the hieroglyph for water49. The power of the Chnoubis gems resided in the fact that the god who regulated the Nile flood, could also regulate menstruation, stimulate the flow of breast milk, and stop haemorrhaging, bleeding ulcers and abnormal digestive juices in the stomach or intestine50. 2.5 The rod of Moses Morton Smith51 recognized Moses in some images of the lion-headed god. In particu44
Barb (1957), 76-9. Philo, Gig. 58-61, seems to be refuting the theory that the giants mentioned in Genesis are the same as the giants spoken of by Greek mythographers and poets.
45
Passio Cyriaci et Julittae, whose translation is published by Gressmann (1921); cf. Mastrocinque
46
(2005a), 10; Mastrocinque (2008b).
Acta Apostolorum apocrypha, ed. R. A. Lipsius and M. Bonnet, II/2, 1903, p. 219-224; transl.
47
Guillaumont-Puech (1959), 41-3. According to the gnostic treatise Origin of the world: NHC II,5, 100: “Pistis Sophia saw Ialdabaoth moving about in the depth of the waters”. In the Apocryphon of John (NHC II,1; III,1; IV,1; BG 8502,2, 10) we read that the same Ialdabaoth “had the form of a dragon, the face of a lion with fiery eyes darting lightning and flames... and (Sophia) wrapped him in a shining cloud...”. This is Chnoubis’ image; the malevolent nature of this god depended on the condemnation by Christianized gnostics.
Cabinet des Médailles, Collection Seyrig n.i.B. 32.
48
Zierlein-Diehl (1986), p. 278, no. 854; cf. Michel (2001b), no. 58. On the amulet published by
49
Flinders Petrie (1914), pl. XLI he is called Chnoubis Charnous.
Delatte - Derchain (1964), no. 352.
50
Mastrocinque (2005a), § 20.
51
Smith (1981), 192-3. On this gem, however, the god has a rooster’s head: Bonner (1951), 332, no. 44; Michel (2001a), no. 179: ϲτόμαχε πέπτε. Cf. SGG, I, 193.
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lar, this alleged Moses appears on an intaglio (fig. 7) that pertains to a gems series which shows the lion-headed god with six rays or flames emanating from his sides, lifting up a tablet with the legend Ἰάω and accompanied (on the reverse side) by inscriptions urging the stomach to digest. On this gem, a small dancing figure appears, which cannot be a Jew delighted by the coming of the Law (as Smith supposed), but is probably, instead, a demon fleeing in front of the name of God. A similar demon appears on gems with the logos of Tantalos, and has his hands bound behind his body52. A link between the lion-headed god and Moses, however, can be recognized in another way. The astrological doctrine of the Peratae is described by Hippolytus in his Refutatio, Book V, ch.16. These “heretics” thought that the constellation of Dragon, i.e. the snake, was an image of Christ, who manifested himself as the serpent in the earthly Paradise (in the form of the river of Paradise), as the mark of Cain, as Cain himself, as the serpent-rod of Moses and as the brazen serpent erected by Moses. On several gems the lion-headed god holds a sceptre on which a snake is entwined53 (fig. 8), like on Asclepios’ sceptre. This is clearly the rod of Moses, fig. 7 which was both a rod and a snake. A similar magical rod was already known in the ancient Egyptian tradition54. According to the Bible, the Lord told Moses: Go to Pharaoh in the morning, as he is going out to the water; wait for him by the river’s bank, and take in your hand the rod which was turned into a serpent.” And the Lord ordered Moses to tell him: “I will strike the water that 52
Michel (2001a), no. 382; Michel (2004), pl. 56.2. Homer (Hom., Od. XI.587) describes Tantalos’ punishment and mentions a demon who made the water bassin dry up when he wanted to quench his thirst; see Faraone (2009). The flames could be interpreted as a process of transfiguration whereby the flesh becomes «flaming torches», according to Hebrew mysticism of the Imperial Age: Scholem (1941), 67.
53
See the gem on fig. 8: Delatte-Derchain, no. 303.
54
Ritner (2006).
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is in the Nile with the rod that is in my hand, and it shall be turned to blood55. With the same rod Moses made water flow from the rock56, and his brazen snake healed the snake bites of Israelites.
fig. 8
The gigantomachy of the lion-headed Sabaoth was therefore nothing but the Deluge. His magical snake Chnoubis was able to control the watery substances and thus provoked the Deluge. In this way Sabaoth played the roles of Perseus and of the leader of gods against the giants.
We conclude by saying that contemporary scholars of Christianism and Gnosis often show a total disdain for the study of magical gems; they chuckle as they know everything of the risible “Gnostic gems”. Nobody actually noticed that the Nag Hammadi texts enhanced the links between Gnosis and iconography of gems, and that “Gnostic gems” are more multifaceted and complicated than one could think. Bibliography Barb, A. (1957), “Abraxas-Studien”, in Hommages à Waldemar Deonna, Coll. Latomus 28, Bruxelles, 67-86. Barb, A. (1969), Review of Delatte and Derchain (1964), Gnomon 41.3, 298-307. Bonner, C. (1949), “An Amulet of the Ophite Gnostics”, in Commemorative Studies in Honor of Th.L.Shear, Hesperia Suppl. 8, 43-46. Bonner, C. (1950), Studies in Magical Amulets chiefly Graeco-Egyptian, Ann Arbor, University of Michigan Press. Bonner, C. (1951), “Amulets chiefly in the British Museum”, Hesperia 20, 301-345. Cat. Southesk: Carnegie, L.H.M. (ed.), Catalogue of the Collection of antique Gems formed by J. Ninth earl of Southesk K.T., I, London, Quaritch 1908. Cavada, E. and Paci G. (2002), “Un amuleto contro l’epilessia”, Archeo Alp. Archeologia delle Alpi 6, 189-215. Chaya, G. (2000-2002), “The Samarian Greek Gorgoneion Coin Series”, Israel Numismatic Journal 14, 19-25. Daniel, R.W. and Maltomini, F. (1990), Supplementum Magicum, I, Papyrologica Coloniensia 16, Opladen, Westdeutscher Verlag. Delatte, A. and Derchain, Ph. (1964), Les intailles magiques gréco-égyptiennes, Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France. 55
Ex. 7.14-17. Ex. 17.5.
56
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