Against Heresies: Book I
Chapter 24: Teachings of Saturninus and Basilides
Saturninus, who came from Antioch near Daphne, and Basilides seized some favorable opportunities and introduced different doctrines—Saturninus in Syria and Basilides in Alexandria. Saturninus, similar to Menander, spoke of one father unknown to everyone, who created angels, archangels, powers, and authorities. According to him, the world and everything in it were created by a group of seven angels. Humans, too, were the creation of angels, a bright image appearing below from the presence of the supreme power. When the humans could not retain this image because it quickly ascended again, the angels encouraged each other, saying, "Let us make man in our image and likeness." As a result, man was formed, but could not stand upright due to the angels' inability to give him that power, and he moved like a worm on the ground. Then the power above, having mercy on him because he was made in its likeness, sent a spark of life, which allowed man to stand upright, strengthened his joints, and made him live. He claims that this spark of life, after a person dies, returns to things of its own nature, while the rest of the body decomposes into its original elements.
He also stated as a fact that the Saviour was without birth, body, or shape, but appeared as a visible man; and he insisted that the God of the Jews was one of the angels. Because of this, since all the powers wanted to destroy his father, Christ came to destroy the God of the Jews, but to save those who believe in him, meaning those who have the spark of his life. This heretic was the first to claim that two types of people were created by the angels—one wicked and the other good. Since demons support the most wicked, the Saviour came to destroy evil people and demons, but to save the good. They also claim that marriage and procreation come from Satan. Many followers of his school abstain from eating animal food, misleading many with a pretended form of self-restraint. Additionally, they believe that some prophecies were spoken by the angels who made the world, and some by Satan. Saturninus describes Satan as an angel who is an enemy of the creators of the world, but especially of the God of the Jews.
Basilides, in an attempt to present something more profound and credible, expands his doctrines significantly. He explains that Nous was first born of the unborn father. From Nous came Logos, from Logos came Phronesis, from Phronesis came Sophia and Dynamis, and from Dynamis and Sophia came the powers, principalities, and angels, whom he calls the first; and they created the first heaven. Then other powers, formed by emanating from these, created another heaven similar to the first. Likewise, when others were formed from them, corresponding exactly to those above, they also made a third heaven. From this third heaven, a fourth succession of descendants was formed, and so on. In the same manner, it is claimed that more principalities and angels were formed, leading to the creation of three hundred and sixty-five heavens. Therefore, the year contains the same number of days, aligning with the number of heavens.
Angels who dwell in the lowest heaven, the one visible to us, created everything in the world and divided the earth and its nations among themselves. The leader among them is believed to be the God of the Jews. He wanted to make other nations submit to his own people, the Jews, leading all other rulers to resist and oppose him.
Therefore, all other nations were in conflict with his nation.
However, the father without origin or name, seeing their potential destruction, sent his own first-begotten Nous (known as Christ) to deliver those who believe in him from the power of those who created the world.
He appeared on earth as a man to these powers' nations and performed miracles.
Therefore, he did not suffer death himself; instead, Simon, a man from Cyrene, was compelled to carry the cross for him. Simon, transformed by him to appear as Jesus, was crucified due to ignorance and mistake, while Jesus himself took Simon's form and stood by, laughing at them. Jesus, being an incorporeal power and the Nous (mind) of the unborn father, changed his form at will and ascended to the one who sent him, mocking them as they could not capture him and he was invisible to all.
Those who understand these things are freed from the rulers who created the world, so we should not confess the crucified one, but rather him who came in human form, was thought to be crucified, and was called Jesus, sent by the father to destroy the works of the world's creators through this plan. If anyone, therefore, confesses the crucified one, that person remains a slave under those who formed our bodies; but the one who denies him is freed from these beings and understands the plan of the unborn father.
Salvation belongs to the soul alone, for the body is naturally subject to corruption. He also says that the prophecies came from the powers who created the world, but the law was specifically given by their leader, who brought the people out of Egypt. He considers the question about meats offered to idols unimportant, regards them as inconsequential, and uses them without hesitation; he also views the use of other things and the practice of every kind of lust as completely indifferent. Furthermore, these men practice magic and use images, incantations, invocations, and all sorts of curious arts. Creating certain names as if they were those of angels, they claim some of these belong to the first heaven and others to the second heaven; then they try to describe the names, principles, angels, and powers of the three hundred and sixty-five imagined heavens. They also claim that the barbarous name in which the Saviour ascended and descended is Caulacau.
He who has learned these things and knows all the angels and their causes becomes invisible and incomprehensible to the angels and all powers, just as Caulacau was. And as the son was unknown to everyone, so must they also be unknown to anyone; while they know everything and pass through all, they themselves remain invisible and unknown to everyone. For, they say, "Know everything, but let no one know you." For this reason, people of such belief are ready to recant their opinions; indeed, it is impossible for them to suffer because of a mere name, since they are like everyone else. However, the multitude cannot understand these matters, but only one out of a thousand or two out of ten thousand can. They declare that they are no longer Jews and that they are not yet Christians, and that it is not fitting to speak openly of their mysteries, but right to keep them secret by maintaining silence.
7. They determine the specific positions of the three hundred sixty-five heavens in the same manner as mathematicians do. By adopting the theorems of the mathematicians, they have applied them to their own teachings. They consider their leader to be Abraxas; and, for this reason, that word itself contains numbers totaling three hundred sixty-five.