2016/10/20 by M. David Litwa · 2 citations
Arts and Humanities · #Historical, Religious, and Philosophical Studies #Biblical Studies and Interpretation #Medieval and Classical Philosophy
paper · doi:10.1093/acprof:oso/9780190467166.003.0004
openalex publication_date 2016/10/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
In one of the ironies of mythic history, Yahweh himself became guilty of self-deification. In the book of Isaiah, the Jewish deity declares: “I am God and there is no other!” (46:9). In gnostic sources, this declaration becomes the mantra of the foolish creator, Yaldabaoth. This chapter examines three versions of Yaldabaoth’s myth (all found in Nag Hammadi codex II) in (1) The Apocryphon of John, (2) The Nature of the Rulers, and (3) The Origin of the World. It is argued that Gnostic Christians created the character of Yaldabaoth not to subvert Judaism itself but to criticize fellow Christians who adopted Yahweh’s superiority. By fitting the Jewish deity into the typology of self-deification, gnostics showed how foolish it was to believe in a jealous god who tried to prevent the deification of others.