70 heavenly messenger addresses Zostrianos as the one who should save those who are worthy (4.7-18). Is Zostrianos to be understood as an incarnation of Seth? A similar question is posed in Melchizedek, where ‘we find the elect referred to as both “the children of Seth” (5,20) and “the race of the High-priest,” that is, Melchizedek (6,17). We shall have to return to this problem. [In patristic sources we find further evidence of Gnostic speculation on Seth as the father of a special race. Epiphanius begins his description of the Sethian Gnostics with the observation that they trace their “race (yév0s) back to Seth, son of Adam’ (Her, 39.1.3), and to the action of the “Mother” (Sophia) in depositing in Seth the “seed of the power from above" (39.2.4-6). A “salvation history” of the race of Seth is also pre- sented in Epiphanius’s account, resembling those we have encountered in the Coptic sources. As has already been observed, Hippolytus’s account of Sethian Gnos- ticism differs remarkably from that of Epiphanius. There we find no reference to the “seed” or “race” of Seth. Seth merely functions as an allegorical symbol for the principle of Light, in contrast to Cain (Dark- ness) and Abel (Intermediate Spirit; see Ref. 5.20). Similarly, the Valen- tinians look upon Seth as an allegorical symbol of the “spiritual” (xvev- aruxés) class of mankind, that is, the Gnostics.* Finally, in contrast, we should recall that one Gnostic system evidently looked upon Seth as the father of all mankind, not just of the Gnostic “race” (Irenaeus, Haer. 1.30.9, discussed above). ‘The theory of a Gnostic race of Sethian ancestry has important paral- lets in Jewish speculation on Seth. As an example from Jewish apocalyp- ticliterature, the dream visions of Enoch in 1 Enoch (chaps. 85-90) could be cited. In that passage a kind of “salvation history” is narrated, telling of the history of the world from creation to the coming of the Messiah. Seth is presented symbolically as a white bull, the people of Israel as a nation of white bulls, and the Messiah as a white bull. The rest of humankind, in contrast, is presented as black oxen. This suggests that Seth is looked upon as the progenitor of the elect race, and finally of the Messiah. (6. Cl. discussion above, and the references in n. 15. 66. CE Kiln, Seth, 20-23. A number of other texts trace the generations of the back to Sah with focus on Cen. 1-3, according o which Sath i the bearer ‘of the “image of God.” See, eg. Pine REL. 22 and the Samaritan Molad Moshe cl ‘ij, Seth, 8°10, 29-30. ‘The Figure of Seth in Gnostic Literature n Especially important for our purposes, however, is Philo’s treatise On the Posterity and Exile of Cain. Commenting on Gen. 4:17-25, Philo remarks that all lovers of virtue are descendants of Seth (Post. 42), in contrast to the race of Cain. Again, commenting on the term ér¢por rxépua in Gen. 4:25, Philo says that Seth is the “seed of human virtue” (Post. 173), sown from God (Post. 171). For Philo, therefore, all virtuous people are the race of Seth, which means that actual human generation is itelevant. The Gnostics look upon spiritual or Gnostic mankind in the same way, as symbolic “descendants” of Seth. In both cases this doctrine is read out of Gen. 4:25. Indeed it would appear that the Gnostic inter- pretation of Gen. 4:25 is influenced by a Jewish exegetical tradition similar to that encountered in Philo. In any case, no such interpretation of Gen. 4:25 is ever found in (non-Gnostic) Christian sources. D. Seth as Recipient/Revealer of Gnosis” A very prominent aspect of Gnostic speculation on Seth is the role that he is thought to play in the transmission of redemptive knowledge, and in that connection Seth is credited with the ‘authorship’ of a num- ber of books. In discussing Seth’s role in the transmission of revelation, The Apocalypse of Adam is the obvious starting point, for this document represents the earliest stage in the development of this idea in Gnostic literature. ‘The incipit of The Apocalypse of Adam reads, “The revelation which ‘Adam taught his son Seth in the seven hundredth year, saying (642-4). The revelation is to be seen as a “testamentary” revelation, for the “seven hundredth year’ is to be understood as the last year of ‘Adam's life Adam tells his son Seth of his and Eve's experience in paradise, and transmits revelation that he had received from three angelic informants regarding the future adventures of the elect race, the coming destructions by flood and fire, and the coming of a savior. It is specified that special revelation will be written by angels “on a high 67. Ct. MacRae, “Seth,” 17-19, (68. The ‘seven hundredth year” indicates the time since the birth of Seth, which (according to the 120% text of Gen. 53) took place 230 years after Adam's cretion. CE. the parallel in Adam and Eve, where however, the eight hundred years reflects the use of the Hebrew text of Gen. 8:3 (130 years). The paalel in Apoc. Mos. ly States that Adan ha Lived 990 yeuts (ce Ges 55) a a call i ws to Bn Wo eat his dying words. On The Apocalypse of Adam as a “testament,” and is relationship to the Jewish Adam literature, see exp. Perkins, “Apocalyptic Schematlztion,” 591-94.n mountain, upon a rock of truth” (85,10-11). The conclusion to the book informs us that Adam’s son, Seth, “taught his seed” about the revelations he had received from Adam (85,19-24). The Apocalypse of Adam is, in a sense, part and parcel of the Jewish apocryphal Adam literature known to have circulated from at least the first century c.., and shows special affinities with the Life of Adam and Eve. In Adam and Eve one finds important parallels to The Apocalypse of ‘Adam, both in form and content, beginning especially at 25:1. Compare the opening passages of the revelation to Seth in The Apocalypse of Adam and Adam and Eve: The Apocalypse of Adan ‘Adam and Eve ‘Adam taught his son Seth... saying, Adam said to Seth, “Listen, Seth, my “Listen tomy words, my son Seth. son, and I will pass on to you what | When God had created meout of _heard and saw. After your mother the earth along with Eve your mother...” (64,2-8) ise...” 25:1), Cf. 32:1: And Adam answered and said, ‘Listen tome, my sons. When God made us, me and your mother..." In Adam and Eve, as in The Apocalypse of Adam, Adam not only tells, Seth of his experiences in paradise, but also prophesies the future salva- tion of the elect (cf. esp. 29:1-10). At the end of Adam and Eve, Eve instructs her children to write what they had heard from Adam and Eve ‘on tables of stone and clay, stone to survive a judgment of flood, and clay to survive a judgment of fire (50:1-2). Seth thereupon makes the tables (51:3). In this connection we recall the tradition found in Josephus (Ant. 1.69- 71): the progeny of Seth inscribed their (astronomical) discoveries on ‘two steles, one of brick and one of stone, that their lore might survive the destruction by fire and deluge predicted by Adam. The stone stele, Josephus reports, still survives ‘in the land of Eapita) ‘The reference in The Apocalypse of Adam to angelic revelations written con stone on a high mountain reflects this tradition found in Josephus nis” (cart. yiv iw (68, The translation used here is that of M.D. Johnson in OTP, vol. 2. _ “The Figure of Sethin Gnoste Literature 2 and Adam and Eve. “The land of Seiris” in Josephus may be understood as the land of Egypt” but other testimonies to the tradition refer to “Mount Sir." “Mount Sir” is to be identified as the mountain of the Flood story (cf. the ‘mountains of Ararat," Gen. 8:4). This identification is made explicitly in The Hypostasis of the Archons 92,14; and the name may have been assimilated to the Babylonian name for the mountain of the Flood story, “Nisir.7? Seth’s role in the transmission of gnosis in The Apocalypse of Adam consists essentially of handing on to his “seed” the revelations he had heard from Adam. In this respect The Apocalypse of Adam adheres to the pattern established in the Jewish Adam books, such as Adam and Eve. ‘The intentionality in The Apocalypse of Adam, of course, is radically different; the Gnostic author is obviously critical of the Jewish apocry- phal Adam tradition,”* and breathes the Gnostic spirit of defiance vis-a- vis the Creator. Seth’s role as revealer of gnosis is escalated in other Gnostic docu ‘ments. The Gospel of the Egyptians represents such an escalation in its treatment, although at numerous points it shares common traditions with The Apocalypse of Adam, including a similar handling of “salvation history.” No mention is made of Adam’s role in the transmission of knowledge in the gospel. At the end of it we are informed that “the great Seth” (ie, the heavenly Seth) wrote the book and placed it “in high ‘mountains” (Ill 68,1-3), “in the mountain that is called Charaxio™ (Ill {68,12-13), that it might be used as revelation for the elect of the end time. 70. Josephus’ xark yi rv Telpda can be taken a8 equivalent to 2y 19 Enpibir 7 ina Hermetic text ascribed to Manetho and preserved by Syncellus; see W. G. Waddel, trans, Manetho (LCL; Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1940) 208-9. The eapae 1s the home of lis, who is herself called oxyde in Greco-Egyptian texts. For discussion sce exp. Richard Reitzenstein, Poimandres: Studien zur griechlch-tgypischen urd fr Chrisichen Literatur (Leipzig: Teubner, 1904; repr. Darmstadt: Wissenschaftiche Buch ‘eselachaf, 1966) 183. 71. Eg, the Chronology of Pa-Malalas 65: es xb Tipber dpe. See William Adler, “Materials Relating to Seth’ (fn. 1). Cf. also Adlers “Notes to Tet of Syneelus and Pseudo-Malalas!; but Adler overlooks the possiblity that “the land of Seis” i Egypt. Cf. n. 70, and the excusus below. 72. Ct. “the Epic of Gilgamesh” ANET, 94 (tablet XL line 140). Unfortunately the Hellenistic author Berossos does not specify the name of the mountain, he merely reports thatthe flood hero Xisouthros's boat came to rest 2» reit KopBealay Bpeet rt “Apuenas. See fr. 34 in Paul Schnabel, Berossos und die Babylonisch-Helleisische Literatur (Berlin: Teubner, 1923) 266. Altematvely, the name “Mount Si” may reflect assimilation to the biblical mountain of the Edomites, Mount Seir (Eny), which was also a mountain of divine revelation (¢, eg. lsu. 21:11). ! owe this suggestion to John Strugnellof Harvard. See now also Stroumes, Another Seed 115-19. 73. Ct. Petkins, “Apocalyptic Schematization” 51.4 {GNOSTICIM, JUDAISM, AND EGYPTIAN CHRISTIANITY The Gospel of the Egyptians is meant to reveal gnosis about the highest God, and as such is also given the title “The Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit” (11 69,16-19; cf. 40,12-14) In The Three Steles of Seth the heavenly Seth is credited with three steles inscribed with praises offered up by Seth to the heavenly triad of Father, Mother, and Son. The reference to “steles’ reflects the Jewish legend of revelatory steles of stone and brick (discussed above). A cer- tain Dositheos is credited with reading and transmitting the contents of Seth’s steles for the benefit of the elect. The occurrence of the name “Dositheos” may reflect Samaritan influence.”* In this context we should compare Zostrianos. At the end of that document Zostrianos reports, “I wrote three tablets (and) left them as knowledge for those who come after me, the living elect” (130,14). This seems to reflect the tradition concerning the Sethian “steles” discussed above, though the word translated “tablets” (wos) indicates a wooden tablet rather than one of stone. The colophon at the end poses another question: “Zostrianos. Words of truth of Zostrianos. God of Truth. Words of Zoroaster” (132,6-9). Recalling that Zoroaster may have been identified with Seth in certain circles,” and noting the redemptive role assigned to Zostrianos in the tractate, we are entitled to wonder whether Zostrianos might not have been regarded as an incamation of Seth in the minds of the author and his circle. The Second Treatise of the Great Seth presents an analogous problem, for its attributed (in a probably secondary title at the end: 70,1112) to the “great Seth.” In the body of the text Jesus Christ isthe revealer, but it is probable that the Treatise was used (if not composed) in circles in ‘which Jesus Christ was venerated as an incarnation of Seth This brings us to the testimony of Epiphanius regarding the Sethian Gnostics. As we have already noted, the Sethians known to Epiphanius not only had seven books in the name of Seth (Haer. 39.5.1) but also regarded Jesus Christ as a manifestation of Seth himself (39.1.3; 39.3.5). In addition, they had books called “Allogenes’ (39.5.1). The Archontics, too, had books called “Allogeneis* (40.2.2), as well as books in Seth’s own name (40.7.4). Seth himself, in their system, bore the name “Allo- 74, So Schenke, ‘Das Sethianische System,” 171-72. 75. See esp. Wilhelm Boussct, Heupiprobleme der Gnosis (Gottingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1907) 378-82 76. See now Louis Painchatd, Le Deusidme Traité du Grand Seth (NH VIL2) (BCNH, "Testes" 6; Québec: Universit Laval, 198), esp. 21. “The Figure of Seth In Gnostic Literature 5 genes” (40.7.1). Books in the name of Seth circulated also among the libertine “Gnostics”(Haer. 26.8.1)” ‘The information we have from Epiphanius regarding the use of books called “Allogenes,” and the identity of “Allogenes’ and Seth, allows us to inquire whether the “Allogenes’ who addresses his son “Mesos” in the ‘Nag Hammadi tractate Allogens is to be understood as a manifestation of, or incarnation of, Seth. In Allogenes the feminine revealer-angel ‘Youel guides Allogenes on a visionary ascent to the heavenly realm; the same kind of revelatory ascent is attributed to Seth-Allogenes by the Archontics, according to Epiphanius (Haer. 407.1-2)7* At the end of the tractate Allogenes is commanded to write down the revelations, and to leave the book upon a mountain for the sake of those who are “worthy” (68,16-21). These details recall the end of The Gospel of the Egyptians (discussed above).” At the very end of Allogenes, there is a possible reference to other books of Allogenes: “all [the books of] Allo[gelnes” (69,17-19), corroborating Epiphanius's statements regarding a plurality of Allogenes books (Haer. 39.5.1; 40.2.2) Hippolytus's information regarding a Paraphrase of Seth in use among, the Sethians (Ref. 5.22), plus the similarity in content between The Para~ phrase of Shem and the “Sethian” system described by the church father, ‘poses the question whether the title given to the Nag Hammadi tractate isa mistake for the title given by Hippolytus, or vice versa. Alternatively, ‘we might consider the possibility that the names “Shem” and “Seth” ‘were interchangeable among some Gnostics."” In The Paraphrase of ‘Shem, Shem, in a state of ecstasy, receives a revelation from a redeemer figure called “Derdekeas.” At one point in the text, Derdekeas says to Shem, “I shall reveal to you completely that you may reveal them to those who will be upon the earth the second time” (26,21-25). This refers 7 i the same pasage we rnd sho of “apoctypcs of Adan i posable thao atte Nog Hara poco don enon othe, Sa the Cologne Man Coes (pp, S05) ques rom a apogee of See) eaciing ste revnery oncy fo even Se albert ence andtndwig Koonen et, "Der Kolner Mant Kode (. Colo, inn. 470) EPL THE PENNIE TOV BaMMTOE AVON, Eon dt Sion 173" 2 10099) 852. The prs Serween the quoi and the eat preserr asks eget tat the micheal the Achonts sured ommon sae 23. Perhaps ths psage in Agnes might ea ep etermining the meaning of she name giant he muni of rere in The Gap! of te Egypt, "Chario™ tes"“Mntan ofthe worthy relecng'n combination tthe tre rd fr Sout ya the ele safe ye en Seema sgeton se now Stounan; Another Seed, 16 Ser rrech Wine, “The Redecne igi” (tn, 19), 18 cls Kj, St, 8