Isis unveiled, Volume 2 (of 2), Theology : $b A master-key to the mysteries of ancient and modern science and theologyBlavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Religion
Isis unveiled, Volume 2 (of 2), Theology : $b A master-key to the mysteries of ancient and modern science and theology
Blavatsky, H. P. (Helena Petrovna)
Theosophy
Considering that _Deuteronomy_ tells us that the “_Lord_” Himself
buried Moses in a valley of Moab (xxxiv. 6), “and no man knoweth of
his sepulchre unto this day,” this biblical _lapsus linguæ_ of Jude
gives a strong coloring to the assertions of some of the Gnostics.
They claimed but what was secretly taught by the Jewish kabalists
themselves; to wit: that the highest supreme God was unknown and
invisible; “the King of Light is a closed eye;” that Ilda-Baoth, the
Jewish second Adam, was the real Demiurge; and that Iao, Adonai,
Sabaoth, and Eloi were the quaternary emanation which formed the
unity of the God of the Hebrews--Jehovah. Moreover, the latter was
also called Michael and Samael by them, and regarded but as an angel,
several removes from the Godhead. In holding to such a belief, the
Gnostics countenanced the teachings of the greatest of the Jewish
doctors, Hillel, and other Babylonian divines. Josephus shows the
great deference of the official Synagogue in Jerusalem to the wisdom
of the schools of Central Asia. The colleges of Sora, Pumbiditha, and
Nahaidea were considered the headquarters of esoteric and theological
learning by all the schools of Palestine. The Chaldean version of
the _Pentateuch_, made by the well-known Babylonian divine, Onkelos,
was regarded as the most authoritative of all; and it is according
to this learned Rabbi that Hillel and other Tanaïm after him held
that the Being who appeared to Moses in the burning bush, on Mount
Sinai, and who finally buried him, was the _angel_ of the Lord,
Memro, and not the Lord Himself; and that he whom the Hebrews of
the _Old Testament_ mistook for _Iahoh_ was but His messenger, one
of His sons, or emanations. All this establishes but one logical
conclusion--namely, that the Gnostics were by far the superiors
of the disciples, in point of education and general information;
even in a knowledge of the religious tenets of the Jews themselves.
While they were perfectly well-versed in the Chaldean wisdom, the
well-meaning, pious, but fanatical as well as ignorant disciples,
unable to fully understand or grasp the religious spirit of their own
system, were driven in their disputations to such convincing logic
as the use of “brute beasts,” “sows,” “dogs,” and other epithets so
freely bestowed by Peter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account