Simon Magus: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

All Topics

Simon Magus

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

	Simon Magus
	Home Discussion
	Topics Simon Magus Topic Home Simon Magus, also known as Simon the Sorcerer and Simon of Gitta, is the name used by early ChristianChristian A Christian is a follower of Jesus of Nazareth, referred to as Christ.... writers to refer to a person identified as a SamaritanSamaritan Samaritans "Shamerim Yisraelim" are both a religious and an ethnic group.... proto-GnosticGnosticism Gnosticism is a term created by modern scholars to describe a collection of religious groups, many of which thought of thems... . The name was also used generically by early Christian writers to refer to a person who founded his own religious sectSect A sect is in a non-Indian context generally a small religious or political group.... . Christian tradition The figure appeared prominently in several apocryphal accountsNew Testament apocrypha The category of New Testament apocrypha reminds the modern reader of the wide range of responses that were engendered in the... by early ChristianEarly Christianity Overview The term Early Christians here refers to Christians of the period before the First Council of Nicaea in 325.... authors, who regarded him as the first hereticChristian heresy Heresy, as a blanket term, describes a practice or belief that is labeled as unorthodox.... . He appears in the canonicalBiblical canon The biblical canon is an exclusive list of books written during the formative period of the Jewish or Christian faiths; the ... Acts of the ApostlesActs of the Apostles The Acts of the Apostles is a book of the Bible, which now stands fifth in the New Testament.... , verses According to reports by ancient Christian writers, the Gnostic sect of Simonianism believed that Simon Magus was GodGod God is the deity believed by monotheists to be the supreme reality.... (as conceived by the Gnostics) in human form. Almost all of the surviving sources for the life and thought of Simon Magus are contained in works from ancient ChristianChristianity Christianity is a monotheistic religion centered on Jesus of Nazareth, and on his life and teachings as presented in the New... writers: in the Acts of the Apostles, in patristic works, and in the apocryphaApocrypha Apocrypha are texts of uncertain authenticity or writings where the authorship is questioned.... l Acts of PeterActs of Peter One of the earliest of the apocryphal acts of the apostles, the Acts of Peter reports a miracle contest between Simon Magus ... , early Clementine literatureClementine literature Clementine literature is the name given to the religious romance which purports to contain a record made by one Clement of d... , and the Epistle of the Apostles. There are small fragments of a work written by him (or by one of his later followers using his name), the Apophasis Megale, or Great Pronouncement. He is also supposed to have written several treatises, two of which allegedly bear the titles The Four Quarters of the World and The Sermons of the Refuter, but are lost to us. Simon is specifically said to have possessed the ability to levitate and fly at will. There were accusations by Christians that he was a demonDemon In religion, folklore, and mythology a demon is a supernatural being that has generally been described as a malevolent spi... in human form, with the story of Simon the wizard as the cultural equivalent of MerlinMerlin Merlin Ambrosius - also known in Welsh as Myrddin Wyllt , and besides as Merlin Caledonensis , Merlinus,... during the Middle AgesMiddle Ages The Middle Ages formed the middle period in a traditional schematic division of European history into three "ages": the clas... . The apocryphalApocrypha Apocrypha are texts of uncertain authenticity or writings where the authorship is questioned.... Acts of PeterActs of Peter One of the earliest of the apocryphal acts of the apostles, the Acts of Peter reports a miracle contest between Simon Magus ... gives a legendary tale of Simon Magus' death. Simon is performing magicMagic (paranormal) *Magic/magick* and *sorcery* are the influencing of events, objects, people and physical phenomena by m... in the ForumRoman Forum The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed, in which commerce, business, prostitution, cult an... , and in order to prove himself to be a god, he levitates up into the air above the Forum. The apostle PeterSaint Peter Saint Peter, also known as Simon ben Jonah/BarJonah, Simon Peter, Cephas and Kepha — original ... prays to God to stop his flying, and he stops mid-air and falls into a place called the Sacra Via (meaning, Holy Way), breaking his legs "in three parts". The previously non-hostile crowd then stones him. Now gravely injured, he had some people carry him on a bed at night from RomeFacts About Rome Rome is the capital of Italy and of its region, called Latium.... to Aricia, and was brought from there to Terracina to a person named Castor, who on accusations of sorcery was banished from Rome. The Acts then continue that he died "while being sorely cut by two physicians". Another apocryphal document, the Acts of Peter and PaulActs of Peter and Paul The Acts of Peter and Paul is a late text from the New Testament apocrypha, thought to date from after the 4th century.... gives a slightly different version of the above incident, which was shown in the context of a debate in front of the Emperor NeroNero Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus , born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, also called Nero Claudius Drusu... . In this version, Paul the Apostle is present along with Peter, Simon levitates from a high wooden tower made upon his request, and dies "divided into four parts" due to the fall. Peter and Paul were then put in prison by Nero while ordering Simon's body be kept carefully for three days (thinking he would rise againResurrection The term resurrection is used in the literal sense to mean either the religious concept of the reunion of the spirit and the... ). The church of Santa Francesca RomanaSanta Francesca Romana Santa Francesca Romana, previously known as Santa Maria Nova, is a 9th century church in Rome, situated in the Roman F... claims to have been built on the spot in question (thus claiming that Simon Magus could indeed fly). Within the Church is a dented slab of marble that purports to bear the imprints of the knees of Peter and Paul during their prayer. Writings of Justin and Irenaeus Justin Martyr (in his Apologies, and in a lost work against heresies, which Irenaeus used as his main source) and Irenaeus (Adversus HaeresesOn the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis *On the Detection and Overthrow of the So-Called Gnosis* , commonly called *Against Heresies* , is a five-volume w... ) recount the myth of Simon and HeleneHelene Helene is a very popular female name, first attested in the Iliad .... . According to this myth, which was the center of Simonian religion, in the beginning God had his first thought, his Ennoia (see Sophia), which was female, and that thought was to create the angels. The First Thought then descended into the lower regions and created the angels. But the angels rebelled against her out of jealousy and created the world as her prison, imprisoning her in a female body. Thereafter, she was reincarnated many times, each time being shamed. Her many reincarnations included HelenHelen Overview Helen , often known as Helen of Troy, was reputed to be the most beautiful mortal woman in Greek mythology.... of Troy; among others, and she finally was reincarnated as Helene, a slave and prostitute in the PhoeniciaPhoenicia Phoenicia was an ancient civilization centred in the north of ancient Canaan, with its heartland along the coastal plains of... n city of Tyre. God then descended in the form of Simon Magus, to rescue his Ennoia. Having redeemed her from slavery, he travelled about with her, proclaiming himself to be God and her to be the Ennoia, promising that he would dissolve this world the angels had made, but that those who trusted in him and Helene could return with them to the higher regions. Justin and Irenaeus record several other pieces of information, including: that Simon came from the Samaritan village of Gitta and that the Simonians worshipped Simon in the form of ZeusFacts About Zeus In Greek mythology, Zeus is the highest ranking god among the Olympian gods, the ruler of Mount Olympus, and god of the sky... and Helene in the form of AthenaAthena In Greek mythology, Athena was the goddess of wisdom, weaving, crafts, and war.... . They also say that a statue to Simon was erected by Claudius Caesar on the island in the Tiber which the two bridges cross, with the inscription Simoni Deo Sancto, "To Simon the Holy God". However, in the 1500s, a statue was unearthed on the island in question, inscribed to Semo Sancus, a SabineSabine The tribe of the Sabines was an Italic tribe of ancient Italy.... deity, leading most scholars to believe that Justin Martyr confused Semoni Sancus with Simon. Writings of Hippolytus Hippolytus (in his Philosophumena) gives a much more doctrinally detailed account of Simonianism, including a system of divine emanations and interpretations of the Old TestamentOld Testament The Old Testament or the Hebrew Scriptures constitutes the first major part of the Bible used by Christians.... . Some believe that Hippolytus' account is of a later, more developed form of Simonianism, and that the original doctrines of the group were simpler, close to the account given by Justin Martyr and Irenaeus (this account however is also included in Hippolytus' work.) Hippolytus also quotes extensively from the Apophasis Megale. Radical criticism According to radical criticHigher criticism Higher criticism is a branch of literary analysis known as historical criticism that attempts to investigate the origins of ... Hermann Detering, Simon Magus may be a cypherCypher Cypher can refer to several topics:... for Paul of TarsusPaul of Tarsus Paul of Tarsus, also known as Paul the Apostle or Saint Paul , is widely considered to be central to the early d... , Paul having originally been detested by the church, and his name changed when Paul was rehabilitated by virtue of forged EpistlesAuthorship of the Pauline epistles The Pauline epistles are the fourteen books in the New Testament traditionally attributed to Paul of Tarsus, thirteen of which are... correcting the genuine ones. Sources in the 1911 Encyclopædia BritannicaEncyclopædia Britannica The *Encyclopdia Britannica* was first published in 1768–1771 as Encyclopdia Britannica, or, A dictionary of arts... David R. Cartlidge, The Fall and Rise of Simon Magus, Bible Review, Vol 21, No. 4, Fall 2005, Pages 24-36. Francis Legge, Forerunners and Rivals of Christianity, From 330 B.C. to 330 A.D. (1914), reprinted in two volumes bound as one, University Books New York, 1964. LC Catalog 64-24125. G. R. S. Mead, Canto XIX of The Divine ComedyThe Divine Comedy *The Divine Comedy* , written by Dante Alighieri between 1308 and his death in 1321, is widely considered the central epic... by Dante Alighieri. Simon is in the third ditch of the eighth circle of the Inferno (Hell). Ported, J.R., The Lost Bible Detering, H., The Falsified Paul (1995/2003) See also Flying Saints Simon Magus in popular cultureSimon Magus in popular culture Simon Magus can refer to:*Simon Magus is portrayed as a pivotal character, "Simon the Magician," played by Jack Palance, in... External links section 121: Simon Magus and the Simonians