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what did the Simonians believe?

Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2019 4:11 pm
by davidmartin
Looking into this the same tired old sources keep coming up. Surely theres more obscure ones than Justin M and the usual suspects, minor fathers, Syrian, Coptic?

So what did they believe?

I'll start the ball rolling, were they dualist Gnostics or not?
The quote from the Great Revelation doesn't seem to have any demiurge figure at all, seems to say the same God created the material world, etc

What Nag Hammadi texts are the most Simonian?
Or anti-Simonian... the gnostic apocalypse of Peter seems to attack Simon quite clearly

What's up with Helena as well, who is she? His syzygy?

Re: what did the Simonians believe?

Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2019 8:39 pm
by Ben C. Smith
davidmartin wrote: Thu Oct 10, 2019 4:11 pm Looking into this the same tired old sources keep coming up. Surely theres more obscure ones than Justin M and the usual suspects, minor fathers, Syrian, Coptic?
You can consult Mead online: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/12892/12 ... 2892-h.htm. Most of the sources listed are "the same tired old" ones, but at least you can read most of them all in one location. Would you consider the Clementine literature to be same old thing, as well? Mead summarizes the legends therein, and of course the texts themselves (the Recognitions and the Homilies) are available online at New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/fathers (under Clement of Rome).

Re: what did the Simonians believe?

Posted: Sun Oct 13, 2019 12:55 am
by davidmartin
Thankyou for this, I have read Mead what a great scholar, but that's the point, that was 100 years ago :) Why has no other sources turned up since then with all the tremendous work done to translate and locate manuscripts in monasteries and libraries and so on, plus computer reference searches etc. Its hard to believe more obscure sources aren't out there but maybe there isn't
What about the writings of Shenoute - untranslated? Could the Samaritan chronicler Katib of Abdul al-Fath contain any info, who knows the book in unavailable and out of print!

Re: what did the Simonians believe?

Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 7:37 am
by bbyrd009
davidmartin wrote: Thu Oct 10, 2019 4:11 pm Looking into this the same tired old sources keep coming up. Surely theres more obscure ones than Justin M and the usual suspects, minor fathers, Syrian, Coptic?

So what did they believe?

I'll start the ball rolling, were they dualist Gnostics or not?
The quote from the Great Revelation doesn't seem to have any demiurge figure at all, seems to say the same God created the material world, etc

What Nag Hammadi texts are the most Simonian?
Or anti-Simonian... the gnostic apocalypse of Peter seems to attack Simon quite clearly

What's up with Helena as well, who is she? His syzygy?
HA on the first sentence :-)

http://www.abarim-publications.com/Mean ... bRn3CUpDv4

Re: what did the Simonians believe?

Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 7:39 am
by bbyrd009
davidmartin wrote: Sun Oct 13, 2019 12:55 am Thankyou for this, I have read Mead what a great scholar, but that's the point, that was 100 years ago :) Why has no other sources turned up since then with all the tremendous work done to translate and locate manuscripts in monasteries and libraries and so on, plus computer reference searches etc. Its hard to believe more obscure sources aren't out there but maybe there isn't
What about the writings of Shenoute - untranslated? Could the Samaritan chronicler Katib of Abdul al-Fath contain any info, who knows the book in unavailable and out of print!
You might also appreciate the perspective above, coming from a guy who understands the naïve dialectic

Re: what did the Simonians believe?

Posted: Sat Oct 26, 2019 7:41 am
by bbyrd009
“Most of the sources listed are the same tired old ones”
“I know the wolves will rush in as soon as I leave, not sparing the flock”