Chapter XI.—Why They Call Themselves Peratæ; Their Theory of Generation Supported by an Appeal to Antiquity; Their Interpretation of the Exodus ofIsrael; Their System of “The Serpent;” Deduced by Them from Scripture; This the Real Import of the Doctrines of the Astrologers.

They denominate themselves, however, Peratæ, imagining that none of those things existing by generation can escape the determined lot for those things that derive their existence from generation. For if, says (the Peratic), anything be altogether begotten, it also perishes, as also is the opinion of the Sibyl.469    See Oracula Sibyllina Fragm., ii. ver. 1. But we alone, he says, who are conversant with the necessity of generation, and the paths through which man has entered into the world, and who have been accurately instructed (in these matters), we alone are competent to proceed through and pass beyond destruction.470    περασαι; hence their name Peratics, i.e., Transcendentalists. Bunsen considers, however, that such a derivation as this was not the true one (see note 1, p. 60), but merely an after-thought. The title of one of the Peratic treatises, as altered by Bunsen from Οἱ προάστειοι ἕως αιθέρος into Οἱ Περάται ἕως αἰθέρος, i.e., “the Transcendental Etherians,” would agree with their subsequent assumption of this title. [Bunsen, i. p. 37.] But water, he says, is destruction; nor did the world, he says, perish by any other thing quicker than by water. Water, however, is that which rolls around among the Proastioi, (and) they assert (it to be) Cronus. For such a power, he says, is of the colour of water; and this power, he says—that is, Cronus—none of those things existent by generation can escape. For Cronus is a cause to every generation, in regard of succumbing under destruction, and there could not exist (an instance of) generation in which Cronus does not interfere. This, he says, is what the poets also affirm, and what even appals the gods:—

“For know, he says, this earth and spacious heaven above,

And Styx’ flooded water, which is the oath

That greatest is, and dreaded most by gods of happy life.”

And not only, he says, do the poets make this statement, but already also the very wisest men among the Greeks. And Heraclitus is even one of these, employing the following words: “For to souls water becomes death.” This death, (the Peratic) says, seizes the Egyptians in the Red Sea, along with their chariots.  All, however, who are ignorant (of this fact), he says, are Egyptians. And this, they assert, is the departure from Egypt, (that is,) from the body. For they suppose little Egypt to be body, and that it crosses the Red Sea—that is, the water of corruption, which is Cronus—and that it reaches a place beyond the Red Sea, that is, generation; and that it comes into the wilderness, that is, that it attains a condition independent of generation, where there exist promiscuously all the gods of destruction and the God of salvation.

Now, he says, the stars are the gods of destruction, which impose upon existent things the necessity of alterable generation. These, he says, Moses denominated serpents of the wilderness, which gnaw and utterly ruin those who imagined that they had crossed the Red Sea. To those, then, he says, who of the children of Israel were bitten in the wilderness, Moses exhibited the real and perfect serpent; and they who believed on this serpent were not bitten in the wilderness, that is, (were not assailed) by (evil) powers. No one therefore, he says, is there who is able to save and deliver those that come forth from Egypt, that is, from the body and from this world, unless alone the serpent that is perfect and replete with fulness. Upon this (serpent), he says, he who fixes his hope is not destroyed by the snakes of the wilderness, that is, by the gods of generation. (This statement) is written, he says, in a book of Moses. This serpent, he says, is the power that attended Moses,471    Ex. iv. 2–4, 17; vii. 9–13. the rod that was turned into a serpent. The serpents, however, of the magicians—(that is,) the gods of destruction—withstood the power of Moses in Egypt, but the rod of Moses reduced them all to subjection and slew them. This universal serpent is, he says, the wise discourse of Eve. This, he says, is the mystery of Edem, this the river of Edem; this the mark that was set upon Cain, that any one who findeth him might not kill him. This, he says,472    Or, “they say.” is Cain,473    Gen. iv. 15. whose sacrifice474    Gen. iv. 5. the god of this world did not accept. The gory sacrifice, however, of Abel he approved of; for the ruler of this world rejoices in (offerings of) blood. This, he says, is he who appeared in the last days, in form of a man, in the times of Herod, being born after the likeness of Joseph, who was sold by the hand of his brethren, to whom alone belonged the coat of many colours.  This, he says, is he who is according to the likeness of Esau, whose garment—he not being himself present—was blessed; who did not receive, he says, the benediction uttered by him of enfeebled vision.475    Gen. xxvii. 1. He acquired, however, wealth from a source independent of this, receiving nothing from him whose eyes were dim; and Jacob saw his countenance,476    Gen. xxxiii. 10. as a man beholds the face of God. In regard of this, he says, it has been written that “Nebrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord.”477    Gen. x. 9. And there are, he says, many who closely imitate this (Nimrod): as numerous are they as the gnawing (serpents) which were seen in the wilderness by the children of Israel, from which that perfect serpent which Moses set up delivered those that were bitten. This, he says, is that which has been declared: “In the same manner as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so also must the Son of man be lifted up.”478    John iii. 14, 15. According to the likeness of this was made in the desert the brazen serpent which Moses set up. Of this alone, he says, the image is in heaven, always conspicuous in light.

This, he says, is the great beginning respecting which Scripture has spoken. Concerning this, he says it has been declared: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. This was in the beginning with God, all things were made by Him, and without Him was not one thing that was made. And what was formed in Him is life.”479    John i. 1–4. And in Him, he says, has been formed Eve; (now) Eve is life. This, however, he says, is Eve, mother of all living,480    The Abbe Cruise thinks that Hippolytus is here quoting from the Gospel of Eve (see Epiph., Hær., xxvi. 2).—a common nature, that is, of gods, angels, immortals, mortals, irrational creatures, (and) rational ones. For, he says, the expression “all” he uttered of all (existences). And if the eyes of any, he says, are blessed, this one, looking upward on the firmament, will behold at the mighty summit481    ἄκρᾳ: this is a conjectural reading instead of ἀρχῇ. of heaven the beauteous image of the serpent, turning itself, and becoming an originating principle of every (species of) motion to all things that are being produced. He will (thereby) know that without him nothing consists, either of things in heaven, or things on earth. or things under the earth. Not night, not moon, not fruits, not generation, not wealth, not sustenance, not anything at all of existent things, is without his guidance. In regard of this, he says, is the great wonder which is beheld in the firmament by those who are able to observe it. For, he says, at this top of his head, a fact which is more incredible than all things to those who are ignorant, “are setting and rising mingled one with other.” This it is in regard of which ignorance is in the habit of affirming:  in heaven

“Draco revolves, marvel mighty of monster dread.”482    Aratus, Phænom., v. 62.

And on both sides of him have been placed Corona and Lyra; and above, near the top itself of the head, is visible the piteous man “Engonasis,”

“Holding the right foot’s end of Draco fierce.”483    Ibid., v. 46.

And at the back of Engonasis is an imperfect serpent, with both hands tightly secured by Anguitenens, and being hindered from touching Corona that lies beside the perfect serpent.

[16] Καλοῦσι δὲ αὑτοὺς Περάτας, μηδέν[α] δύνασθαι νομίζοντες τῶν ἐν γενέσει καθεστηκότων διαφυγεῖν τὴν ἀπὸ τῆς γενέσεως τοῖς γεγενημένοις ὡρισμένην μοῖραν_εἰ γάρ τι, φησί, γενητόν, ὅλως καὶ φθείρεται, καθάπερ καὶ Σιβύλλῃ δοκεῖ: _μόνοι δέ, φησίν, ἡμεῖς οἱ τὴν ἀνάγκην τῆς γενέσεως ἐγνωκότες, καὶ τὰς ὁδοὺς δι' ὧν εἰσελήλυθεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς τὸν κόσμον ἀκριβῶς δεδιδαγμένοι, διελθεῖν καὶ περᾶσαι τὴν φθορὰν μόνοι δυνάμεθα. ἔστι δὲ ἡ φθορά, φησί, τὸ ὕδωρ, οὐδὲ ἄλλῳ τινί, φησίν, ἐφθάρη τάχιον ὁ κόσμος ἢ ὕδατι. τὸ δὲ ὕδωρ ἐστί, τὸ περιεσφαιρωκὸς ἐν τοῖς προαστείοις, λέγουσιν, ὁ Κρόνος. δύναμις γάρ [ἐστι,] φησίν, ὑδατόχρους, ἥντινα δύναμιν, φησί, _τουτέστι τὸν Κρόνον_οὐδεὶς τῶν ἐν γενέσει καθεστώτων διαφυγεῖν δύναται. πάσῃ γὰρ γενέσει, [φησί,] πρὸς τὸ ὑποπεσεῖν τῇ φθορᾷ αἴτιος ἐφέστηκεν ὁ Κρόνος, καὶ οὐκ ἂν γένοιτο γένεσις [ἐν] ᾗ [ὁ] Κρόνος οὐκ ἐμποδίζει. τοῦτό ἐστι, φησίν, [τὸ ὕδωρ] ὃ καὶ οἱ ποιηταὶ λέγουσι, τὸ καὶ τοὺς θεοὺς ἐκφοβοῦν: ἴστω γάρ_φησί_τόδε γαῖα καὶ οὐρανὸς εὐρὺς ὕπερθεν καὶ τὸ κατ[ε]ιβόμενον Στυγὸς ὕδωρ, ὅς τε μέγιστος ὅρκος δεινότατός τε πέλει μακάρεσ[σ]ι θεοῖσιν. οὐ μόνον δὲ τοῦτο, φησίν, οἱ ποιηταὶ λέγουσιν, ἀλλ' ἤδη καὶ οἱ σοφώτατοι τῶν Ἑλλήνων, ὧν ἐστι καὶ Ἡράκλειτος εἷς, λέγων: «ψυχῇσι γὰρ θάνατος ὕδωρ γενέσθαι». οὗτος, φησίν, ὁ θάνατος καταλαμβάνει τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους ἐν [τῇ] Ἐρυθρᾷ θαλάσσῃ μετὰ τῶν ἁρμάτων αὐτῶν: πάντες γὰρ οἱ ἀγνοοῦντες, φησίν, εἰσὶν Αἰγύπτιοι. καὶ τοῦτό ἐστι, λέγουσι, τὸ ἐξελθεῖν ἐξ Αἰγύπτου_[τουτέστιν] ἐκ τοῦ σώματος: Αἴγυπτον γὰρ εἶναι [μικρὰν] τὸ σῶμα νομίζουσι_, καὶ περᾶσαι τὴν θάλασσαν τὴν Ἐρυθράν_τουτέστι τῆς φθορᾶς τὸ ὕδωρ, ὅ ἐστιν ὁ Κρόνος_, καὶ γενέσθαι πέραν τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης_τουτέστι τῆς γενέσεως_, καὶ ἐλθεῖν εἰς τὴν ἔρημον_τουτέστιν ἔξω [τῆς] γενέσεως γενέσθαι, ὅπου εἰσίν, [φησίν,] ὁμοῦ πάντες οἱ θεοὶ τῆς ἀπωλείας καὶ ὁ θεὸς τῆς σωτηρίας. _ Εἰσὶ δέ, φησίν, οἱ θεοὶ τῆς ἀπωλείας οἱ ἀστέρες, οἱ τῆς μεταβλητῆς γενέσεως ἐπιφέροντες τοῖς γινομένοις τὴν ἀνάγκην. τούτους, φησίν, ἐκάλεσε Μωϋσῆς ὄφεις τῆς ἐρήμου, δάκνοντας καὶ διαφθείροντας τοὺς πεπερακέναι νομίζοντας τὴν Ἐρυθρὰν θάλασσαν. δακνομένοις οὖν, φησίν, ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ ἐπέδειξε Μωϋσῆς τὸν ἀληθινὸν ὄφιν, τὸν τέλειον, εἰς ὃν οἱ πιστεύοντες οὐκ[έτι] ἐδάκνοντο ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ_τουτέστιν ὑπὸ τῶν δυνάμεων. _οὐδεὶς οὖν [ἐστι,] φησίν, ὁ δυνάμενος σῶσαι καὶ ῥύσασθαι τοὺς ἐκπορευομένους ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου_ τουτέστιν ἐκ σώματος καὶ ἐκ τοῦδε τοῦ κόσμου_, εἰ μὴ μόνος ὁ τέλειος, ὁ πλήρης τῶν πληρῶν ὄφις. ἐπὶ τοῦτον, φησίν, ὁ ἐλπίσας ὑπὸ τῶν ὄφεων τῆς ἐρήμου οὐ διαφθείρεται_τουτέστιν [ὑπὸ] τῶν θεῶν τῆς γενέσεως_, [ὡς] γέγραπται, φησίν, ἐν βίβλῳ Μωσέως. οὗτος, φησίν, ὁ ὄφις ἐστὶν ἡ δύναμις ἡ παρακολουθήσασα τῷ Μωσεῖ, ἡ ῥάβδος ἡ στρεφομένη εἰς ὄφιν. ἀνθεστήκεισαν δέ, φησί, τῇ δυνάμει Μωσέως [ἐν] Αἰγύπτῳ τῶν μάγων οἱ ὄφεις_[τουτέστιν] οἱ θεοὶ τῆς ἀπωλείας: _ ἀλλὰ πάντας αὐτοὺς ὑπέταξε καὶ διέφθειρεν ἡ ῥάβδος Μωσέως. Ὁ [δὲ] καθολικὸς ὄφις, φησίν, οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ σοφὸς τῆς Εὔας λόγος. τοῦτ(ο), φ(ησ)ίν, ἐστὶ [τὸ] μυστήριον Ἐδέμ, τοῦτο ποταμὸς [ἐκπορευόμενος] ἐξ Ἐδέμ, τοῦτο σημεῖον τὸ τεθὲν τῷ Κάϊν, ἵνα πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων αὐτὸν μ(ὴ) ἀποκτείνῃ [αὐτόν]. οὗτος, φησίν, ἐστὶν [ὁ] Κάϊν οὗ τὴν θυσίαν οὐ π(ρο)σεδέξατο ὁ θεὸς τοῦδε τοῦ κόσμου, τὴν δὲ ᾑμαγμένην προσήκατο τοῦ Ἄβελ: αἵμασι γάρ, [φησί,] χαίρει ὁ τοῦδε τοῦ κόσμου δ(ε)σπότης. οὗτός ἐστι, φησίν, ὁ ἐν ἐσχάταις ἡμέραις ἐν ἀνθρώπου μορφῇ φανεὶς ἐν τοῖς χρόνοις Ἡρώδου, [ὁ] γενόμενος κατ' εἰκόνα Ἰωσὴφ τοῦ πεπραμένου ἐκ χειρὸς ἀδελφῶν, οὗ μόνου τὸ ἔνδυμα ἦν ποικίλον. οὗτός ἐστι, φησίν, ὁ [γενόμενος] κατ' εἰκόνα Ἠσαῦ, οὗ καὶ μὴ παρόντος ἡ στολὴ εὐλόγηται: ὃς οὐκ ἐδέξατο, φησί, τὴν ἀμβλυωπὸν εὐλογίαν, ἀλλ' ἐπλούτησεν ἔξωθεν, οὐδὲν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀμβλυωποῦντος λαβών: οὗ εἶδε τὸ πρόσωπον Ἰακὼβ «ὡς ἂν ἴδοι ἄνθρωπος πρόσωπον θεοῦ». περὶ τούτου, φησί, γέγραπται: «ὡς Νεβρὼδ γίγας κυνηγὸς ἔναντι κυρίου». εἰσὶ δέ, φησί, τούτου ἀντίμιμοι πολλοί, τοσοῦτοι ὅσοι ὄφεις ἦσαν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ δάκνοντες, ἀφ' ὧν ἐρ[ρ]ύσατο τοὺς δακνομένους ὁ τέλειος ἐκεῖνος [ὄφις], ὃν ἔστησε Μωϋσῆς. τοῦτό ἐστι, φησί, τὸ εἰρημένον: «καὶ ὃν τρόπον ὕψωσε Μωϋσῆς τὸν ὄφιν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, οὕτως ὑψωθῆναι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου». τούτου [γάρ, φησί,] κατ' εἰκόνα γέγονεν ὁ ὄφις ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ [ὁ] χαλκοῦς, ὃν ἔστησε Μωϋσῆς. Τούτου, φησί, μόνου τὸ ὁμοίωμα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ διὰ παντός ἐστιν [ἐν] φωτὶ ὁρώμενον. οὗτος, φησίν, ἐστὶν ἡ μεγάλη ἀρχὴ περὶ ἧς γέγραπται, [καὶ] περὶ τούτου, φησίν, εἴρηται: «ἐν ἀρχῇ ἦν ὁ λόγος, καὶ ὁ λόγος ἦν πρὸς τὸν θεόν, καὶ θεὸς ἦν ὁ λόγος. οὗτος ἦν ἐν ἀρχῇ πρὸς τὸν θεόν. πάντα δι' αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο, καὶ χωρὶς αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο οὐδὲ ἕν: ὃ γέγονεν ἐν αὐτῷ ζωή ἐστιν». ἐν αὐτῷ γάρ, φησίν, ἡ Εὔα γέγονεν, ἡ Εὔα [δὲ] ζωή. αὕτη δέ, φησίν, ἐστὶν ἡ Εὔα «μήτηρ πάντων τῶν ζώντων», τουτέστι κοινὴ φύσις θεῶν ἀγγέλων, ἀθανάτων θνητῶν, λογικῶν ἀλόγων: ὁ γὰρ «πάντων», φησίν, εἰπὼν εἴρηκε «πάντων [τῶν ὄντων]». καὶ εἴ τινος, φησίν, «οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ μακάριοι», οὗτος ὄψεται ἀναβλέψας εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν τοῦ ὄφεως τὴν καλὴν εἰκόνα ἐν τῇ μεγάλῃ ἀρχῇ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ στρεφομένην καὶ γινομένην ἀρχὴν πάσης κινήσεως πᾶσι τοῖς γινομένοις, [καὶ] γνώσεται ὅτι χωρὶς αὐτοῦ [οὐδὲν] οὔτε τῶν οὐρανίων οὔτε τῶν ἐπιγείων οὔτε τῶν καταχθονίων συνέστηκεν_οὐ νύξ, οὐ σελήνη, οὐ καρποί, οὐ γένεσις, οὐ πλοῦτος, οὐχ ὁδοιπορία_, οὐδ' ὅλως τι τῶν ὄντων ἐστὶ δίχα σημαίνοντος ἐκείνου. ἐπὶ τούτου, φησίν, ἐστὶ τὸ «μέγα θαῦμα» ὁρώμενον ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ τοῖς δυναμένοις ἰδεῖν: κατὰ γάρ, φησίν, αὐτὴν τὴν ἄκραν αὐτοῦ [τὴν] κεφαλήν_ὅπερ πάντων ἀπιστότερον τοῖς οὐκ εἰδόσι_μίσγονται δύσις τε καὶ ἀνατολὴ ἀλλήλαις. τοῦτ' ἔστι, [φησί,] περὶ οὗ εἶπεν ἡ ἀγνωσία: ἐν οὐρανῷ «εἱλεῖται μέγα θαῦμα Δράκον[τος]», «δεινοῖο πελώρου». ἑκατέρωθεν δὲ αὐτοῦ παρατέτακται Στέφανος καὶ Λύρα, καὶ κατ' αὐτὴν ἄνωθεν τὴν κεφαλὴν ἄκραν ἐλεεινὸς ἄνθρωπος, ὁ Ἐν γόνασιν [καλούμενος], ἐστὶν ὁρώμενος, δεξιτεροῦ ποδὸς ἄκρον ἔχων σκολιοῖο Δράκοντος. κατὰ δὲ τὸν νῶτον τοῦ Ἐν γόνασίν ἐστιν [ὁ] ἀτελὴς Ὄφις, ἀμφοτέραις ταῖς χερσὶ κατεσφιγμένος ὑπὸ τοῦ Ὀφιούχου καὶ κωλυόμενος ἐφάψασθαι τοῦ Στεφάνου, παρακειμένου τῷ τελείῳ Ὄφει.