Chapter III: The Origin of Gnosticism

Religion and Magic—Knowledge chief necessity in magic—Origin of myths, cosmogonies, and apocalypses—Spells and charms—Examples from Magic Papyri, Sumerian invocation of Persephone, etc.—Letter of Nephotes to Psammeticus with process of lecanomancy—Egyptian magicians deal with devils—Polyglot spell of Alleius Craeonius invokes Jehovah with heathen gods—Spread of magic in late Pagan and early Christian centuries—Magic ceremonies not all imposture—Hypnotism employed in magic—Influence of these ideas on evolution of Gnostic sects—Leads to development of ritual in worship, especially in Egypt—Effect of Gnostic ideas if not checked—Their early appearance in Greece—The rise of astrology—Its origin in Babylonia—Introduces new ideas in religion—Astrological tablets in Assurbanipal’s library—Construction of calendar—System of correspondences—Planetary influence—Change in astrology when united to Greek mathematics—Religion and Magic alike adopt astral theories—Increased importance of Sun worship—Impulse given by astral theories to Gnosticism—Entry into it of predestinarian ideas . . . 90-120

CHAPTER IV

PRE-CHRISTIAN GNOSTICS: THE ORPHICI

The Orphic poems and the Pythagoreans—The Orphic Theology and Legend of Dionysos—Orphics first to connect this with man’s fate in next world—Asceticism of Orphic ideal—Initiation a substitute for asceticism—Gold Plates of Italian Orphics and their likeness to Egyptian funerary literature—Orphic propaganda at first confined to Rhapsodists—Orphics seize upon worships of foreign gods—Demosthenes’ oration against Aeschines and its explanation—Orphics probably form _thiasi_ and other religious associations—The Orpheotelestae, wandering charlatans—The Orphic Hymns—Hymns to Persephone and Dionysos and their explanation—Influence of Orphics upon later religions—Orphism leads to spread of syncretism, magic, and external conformity—Summary of Orphism and its influence upon Gnosticism . . . 121-148

CHAPTER V

PRE-CHRISTIAN GNOSTICS: THE ESSENES

Contrast between religious ideas of Greeks and Jews—Fate of Jews under Alexander’s Successors and Maccabaean Wars—Josephus’ account of the Essenes—Its accuracy shown by Philo and others—Improbable views as to their origin—Essenes essentially Gnostics—Their secret teaching—The Enochian Apocalypses described—The Messianic delusions of the Jews in Roman times—Books of Enoch, etc.—Essene method of interpreting Scripture, isopsephism, and Cabala—Later history of Essenes—Survival of their exegetical methods among Gnostics . . . 149-171