Editing Abraxas (section)

== Sources ==
It is uncertain what the actual role and function of Abraxas was in the [[Basilideans|Basilidian system]], as our authorities (see below) often show no direct acquaintance with the doctrines of [[Basilides]] himself.

=== As an archon ===
[[File:Abraxas3.jpg|thumb|right|Gemstone carved with Abraxas, obverse and reverse.]]

In the system described by [[Irenaeus]], "the Unbegotten Father" is the progenitor of ''[[Nous]]'' "Discerning Mind"; ''Nous'' produced ''[[Logos]]'' "Word, Reason"; ''Logos'' produced ''[[Phronesis]]'' "Mindfulness"; ''Phronesis'' produced ''[[Sophia (wisdom)|Sophia]]'' "Wisdom" and ''[[potentiality and actuality|Dynamis]]'' "Potentiality"; ''Sophia'' and ''Dynamis'' produced the principalities, powers, and angels, the last of whom create "the first heaven". They, in turn, originate a second series, who create a second heaven. The process continues in like manner until 365 heavens are in existence, the angels of the last or visible heaven being the authors of our world.<ref name="EB1911"/> "The ruler" [''principem'', i.e., probably ''ton [[archon (Gnosticism)|archonta]]''] of the 365 heavens "is Abraxas, and for this reason he contains within himself 365 numbers".

The name occurs in the ''[[Refutation of All Heresies]]'' (vii. 26) by [[Hippolytus of Rome|Hippolytus]], who appears in these chapters to have followed the ''Exegetica'' of Basilides. After describing the manifestation of the Gospel in the [[Ogdoad (Gnosticism)|Ogdoad]] and [[Archon (Gnosticism)#Hebdomad|Hebdomad]], he adds that the Basilidians have a long account of the innumerable creations and powers in the several 'stages' of the upper world (''diastemata''), in which they speak of 365 heavens and say that "their great archon" is Abrasax, because his name contains the number 365, the number of the days in the year; i.e. the sum of the numbers denoted by the Greek letters in ΑΒΡΑΣΑΞ according to the rules of [[isopsephy]] is 365:

{{block indent|1=Α = 1, Β = 2, Ρ = 100, Α = 1, Σ = 200, Α = 1, Ξ = 60}}

=== As a god ===
[[Epiphanius of Salamis|Epiphanius]] (''[[Panarion|Haer]]''. 69, 73 f.) appears to follow partly Irenaeus, partly the lost Compendium of Hippolytus.<ref>Lipsius, R. A., ''Zur Quellenkritik d. Epiphanios'' 99 f.</ref> He designates Abraxas more distinctly as "the power above all, and First Principle", "the cause and first archetype" of all things; and mentions that the Basilidians referred to 365 as the number of parts (''mele'') in the human body, as well as of days in the year.

The author of the appendix to Tertullian ''De Praescr. Haer''. (c. 4), who likewise follows Hippolytus's Compendium,<ref>Lipsius 33 f. &c.</ref> adds some further particulars; that 'Abraxas' gave birth to Mind (''nous''), the first in the series of primary powers enumerated likewise by Irenaeus and Epiphanius; that the world, as well as the 365 heavens, was created in honour of 'Abraxas'; and that Christ was sent not by the Maker of the world but by 'Abraxas'.

Nothing can be built on the vague allusions of [[Jerome]], according to whom 'Abraxas' meant for Basilides "the greatest God" (''De vir. ill''. 21), "the highest God" (''Dial. adv. Lucif''. 23), "the Almighty God" (''Comm. in Amos'' iii. 9), and "the Lord the Creator" (''Comm. in Nah''. i. 11). The notices in [[Theodoret]] (''Haer. fab''. i. 4), [[Augustine]] (''Haer''. 4), and 'Praedestinatus' (i. 3), have no independent value.

It is evident from these particulars that Abrasax was the name of the first of the 365 Archons, and accordingly stood below Sophia and Dynamis and their progenitors; but his position is not expressly stated, so that the writer of the supplement to Tertullian had some excuse for confusing him with "the Supreme God".

=== As an aeon ===
With the availability of primary sources, such as those in the [[Nag Hammadi library]], the identity of Abraxas remains unclear. The ''Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit'', for instance, refers to Abraxas as an [[Aeon (Gnosticism)|Aeon]] dwelling with [[Sophia (wisdom)|Sophia]] and other Aeons of the [[Pleroma]] in the light of the luminary [[Eleleth]]. In several texts, the luminary Eleleth is the last of the luminaries (Spiritual Lights) that come forward, and it is the Aeon Sophia, associated with Eleleth, who encounters darkness and becomes involved in the chain of events that leads to the Demiurge's rule of this world, and the salvage effort that ensues. As such, the role of Aeons of Eleleth, including Abraxas, Sophia, and others, pertains to this outer border of the Pleroma that encounters the ignorance of the world of Lack and interacts to rectify the error of ignorance in the world of materiality.

In the Apocalypse of Adam, Abrasax is sent along with [[Sablo]] and [[Gamaliel]] to bring some of the Gnostic people "out of the fire and the wrath, and take them above the aeons and the rulers of the powers, and take them away [...] of life [...] and take them away [...] aeons [...] dwelling place of the great [...] there, with the holy angels and the aeons. The men will be like those angels, for they are not strangers to them."<ref name="ApocAdamMacRae">{{cite web |last1=MacRae |first1=George W. (trans) |title=The Apocalypse of Adam |url=http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/adam.html |website=The Gnostic Society Library |publisher=[[Gnostic Society]] |access-date=13 April 2025}}</ref>

=== As a demon ===
The Catholic church later deemed Abraxas a pagan god, and ultimately branded him a demon as documented in J. Collin de Plancy's ''[[Dictionnaire Infernal|Infernal Dictionary]]'', Abraxas (or Abracax) is labeled the "supreme God" of the Basilidians, whom he describes as "heretics of the second century". He further indicated the Basilidians attributed to Abraxas the rule over "365 skies" and "365 virtues". In a final statement on Basilidians, de Plancy states that their view was that Jesus Christ was merely a "benevolent ghost sent on Earth by Abraxas".{{sfn|de Plancy|2015|p=764}}