1 Earliest Rome

12.7 The Christians
1. As Irenaeus has just explained, these two 'heretics' held that Jesus was the son not of god
but of Joseph. The name of the group was derived from the Hebrew word ebyon 'poor'.
12.7e(iv) 'Heresy' and the traditional gods
Hippolytus condemned the gnostic sect of the 'Naassenes' for their 'heretical'
theology, which allegedly led them to participate in the Greek cult of Magna
Mater and Attis.
See further: 2.7, 5.6a and b, 6.7, 8.7 on Magna Mater and Attis; 12.7e(ii)
on participation at festivals; Casey (1925-6)*; Frickel (1984).
Hippolytus, Refutation of all Heresies V.6.3-7, 9.7-11
Now the time has come for us to proceed with the business before us, and to begin with
those who have had the nerve to praise the serpent, who was the origin of sin, because of
some arguments invented through his inspiration. The priests and leaders of the sect were
initially those called Naassenes, so-called after the Hebrew word (w^xmeans serpent);
but subsequently they called themselves 'gnostics', claiming that they alone understood
'the depths' . Many have split off from them and
formed a heresy that is fragmented, though it is one, presenting the same points in
different words . . .
These people according to their own doctrine honour [before] all others Human and
the son of Human. Their Human is bisexual, and is called Adamas by them. There are
many, varied hymns to him, which, in brief, use the following sort of language: 'From
you, Father, and through you, Mother, the two immortal names, parents of the Aions
, Citizen of heaven, Mighty-named Human'. They divide him like Geryon 1
into three parts: the intellectual, the spiritual and the earthly. They also consider that
knowledge of him is the beginning of the ability to know god; as they sav, 'I he
beginning of perfection is the knowledge of Human, but the knowledge of god is
complete perfection'. All these parts, he