Curious that Clement and Basilides have similar interests in a rather innocuous passage in the Psalms. Seems to imply a common belief in a supernatural Jesus:
But it is said Providence, from above, from what is of prime importance, as from the head, reaches to all, "as the ointment," it is said, "which descends to Aaron's beard, and to the skirt of his garment" (that is, of the great High Priest, "by whom all things were made, and without whom not even one thing was made") [Strom 6.17]
and Basilides a half century earlier in Alexandria:
On this account, the Sonship left it near to that place which cannot be conceived by mind, nor described by words, though. not altogether abandoned by himself, but retaining something of his power (or essence), just as a vessel once filled with a precious perfume ever retains traces of that perfume, however carefully it may have been emptied. And this is manifestly like the ointment upon the head "which ran down to Aaron's beard"--that is, the perfume of the Sonship, brought down by the Holy Ghost even into the impurity and degradation of mortality, out of which itself at the beginning had soared aloft, raised by the Sonship, as it were, on eagle's wings, being itself fastened upon his back. [Philosophumena]
Last edited by stephan happy huller on Mon Mar 17, 2014 8:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
So, divine providence gets equated to drool or snot.
In the words of TV entertainer Carol Burnett:
"Yuck, ewe, icky-poo!"
DCH
stephan happy huller wrote:Curious that Clement and Basilides have similar interests in a rather innocuous passage in the Pentateuch. Seems to imply a common belief in a supernatural Jesus:
But it is said Providence, from above, from what is of prime importance, as from the head, reaches to all, "as the ointment," it is said, "which descends to Aaron's beard, and to the skirt of his garment" (that is, of the great High Priest, "by whom all things were made, and without whom not even one thing was made") [Strom 6.17]
and Basilides a half century earlier in Alexandria:
On this account, the Sonship left it near to that place which cannot be conceived by mind, nor described by words, though. not altogether abandoned by himself, but retaining something of his power (or essence), just as a vessel once filled with a precious perfume ever retains traces of that perfume, however carefully it may have been emptied. And this is manifestly like the ointment upon the head "which ran down to Aaron's beard"--that is, the perfume of the Sonship, brought down by the Holy Ghost even into the impurity and degradation of mortality, out of which itself at the beginning had soared aloft, raised by the Sonship, as it were, on eagle's wings, being itself fastened upon his back. [Philosophumena]
A better question is WTF is Psalm 133 about anyway?
A song of ascent (steps = הַֽמַּעֲל֗וֹת) of David.
How good and pleasant it is
for brothers to dwell again as one (יָֽחַד)!
2
It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.
3
It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even eternal life.
I think the early Christians were just keeping alive an earlier mystical understanding of the passage relating to mystical union with God. In other words, after baptism 'Jesus' and his 'brothers' were united together as one being. How can anyone deny this interpretation? What other interpretation could there be?
I think Jesus is the oil here. I suspect that it has something to do with Theodotian's translation of Daniel 9:26 where the ointment will disappear after the destruction of the temple although I am not sure.
