Ophites
The Ophites were an early Christian sect that emerged in the second century, characterized by their adherence to Gnostic beliefs. Their name, derived from the Greek word "ophis," meaning "snake," reflects their unique theological perspective, which included the reverence of the serpent from the biblical Genesis. The Ophites viewed the material world as inherently evil, a creation of a lesser deity known as the demiurge, whom they called Jaldabaoth. In contrast, they believed in a higher, more spiritual God who represented true knowledge and salvation.
Central to their beliefs was the interpretation that the serpent in the Garden of Eden was a figure seeking to impart divine knowledge to humanity, opposing the demiurge's intentions. The Ophites also held that Jesus was a human who later received divine essence, enabling him to impart hidden spiritual truths following his resurrection. Their rituals reportedly included the use of a snake in communion practices, though these accounts are debated by scholars due to the sect's classification as heretical by the early Church. Overall, the Ophites represent a fascinating example of the diverse theological interpretations that arose in early Christianity, highlighting the complexity of religious beliefs during that period.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Ophites
The Ophites were an early Christian religious sect that believed in an opposing set of dual supreme beings and revered the serpent from the biblical book of Genesis. The Ophites, whose name derives from the Greek ophis, or “snake,” were gnostics, a subset of Christians who believed that the material world was evil and true salvation could only be found in the secret knowledge of divine truths. Little is known of the Ophites except what was recorded by second-century Christian writers, but their views were considered heretical by the early Church.
Overview
In the early centuries of Christianity’s existence, different groups splintered off from the religion’s main teachings to form their own, and often unique, theologies. The gnostics were a group of different Christian sects who believed in a common idea: that there was not one divine god, but rather two opposing supreme beings. The gnostics considered the physical world to be evil and chaotic and believed its creator god—the Jewish God of the Old Testament—was an inferior or “lesser” deity known as the demiurge. The true God was spiritual, remote, and beyond human understanding. Many gnostics believed it was this true God that sent his spiritual “spark” into the human Jesus Christ.
The Ophites were a second-century religious sect that believed in many of the core gnostic philosophies. They believed the demiurge was named Jaldabaoth, or “son of chaos,” and it was he who created the physical world. Jaldabaoth was the god who forbid Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the biblical Garden of Eden. The Ophites believed that the serpent that tempted Eve to eat the fruit from the tree was trying to impart the secret knowledge of God to humanity, but was prevented from doing so by Jaldabaoth. As a result, the Ophites revered the serpent as a benefactor of humanity who tried to give humans knowledge of the divine.
The Ophites also believed Jesus was a human born to a virgin mother, but received the divine essence known as Christ later in life. Because Christ was in opposition to Jaldabaoth, the latter orchestrated Jesus’s crucifixion and death. However, after Jesus was resurrected from the dead, he received the hidden spiritual knowledge of the higher God, and taught that knowledge to his followers.
Some early Christian writers reported that the Ophites conducted services in which a snake was kept in a basket and released on a table to lick pieces of bread to be used during the communion ritual. However, because the Church considered the Ophites a heretical sect, scholars have questioned the reliability of these accounts. Second-century Christian bishop Irenaeus recorded the Ophites’ beliefs in a list of heretical religious groups, while fourth-century bishop Philaster wrote that the group was inspired by the devil. The second-century Greek philosopher Celsus, a noted critic of Christianity, and third-century Christian scholar Origen both mention that the Ophites used a complex diagram of interconnected circles to illustrate their theological worldview.
Bibliography
“Demiurge.” Catholic Encyclopedia, 2020, www.newadvent.org/cathen/04707b.htm. Accessed 6 Nov. 2020.
“Gnosticism: Dualism and Monism.” The Gnostic Jesus, www.gnostic-jesus.com/gnostic-jesus/Overview/dualism-and-monism.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2020.
Hoeller, Stephan A. Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing. Quest Books, 2002.
Kohler, Kaufmann, and Samuel Krauss. “Ophites.” Jewish Encyclopedia, 2011, www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11720-ophites. Accessed 6 Nov. 2020.
Moore, Edward. “Gnosticism.” Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, iep.utm.edu/gnostic/. Accessed 6 Nov. 2020.
“Ophites.” McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia, 2020, www.biblicalcyclopedia.com/O/ophites.html. Accessed 6 Nov. 2020.
Owens, Lance. “The Ophite Diagrams.” Gnostic Society Library, gnosis.org/library/ophite.htm. Accessed 6 Nov. 2020.
Smith, Andrew Phillip. “Ophites.” A Dictionary of Gnosticism. Quest Books, 2009, p. 181.