Deuxième épître de JeanLa Deuxième épître de Jean est un livre du Nouveau Testament. L'auteur de cette épître et de la suivante ne donne pas son nom mais se nomme l'« Ancien » qui est à considérer comme une figure importante de l'école johannique et dont l'assimilation parfois propose à Jean le Presbytre relève de la conjecture. La lettre provient d'Asie Mineure, peut-être d'Éphèse, où elle a été rédigée vers 110.
NaassenesThe Naassenes (Greek Naasseni, possibly from Hebrew נָחָשׁ naḥaš, snake) were a Christian Gnostic sect known only through the writings of Hippolytus of Rome. The Naassenes claimed to have been taught their doctrines by Mariamne, a disciple of James the Just. The retention of the Hebrew form shows that their beliefs may represent the earliest stages of Gnosticism. Hippolytus regards them as among the first to be called simply "Gnostics", alleging that they alone have sounded the depths of knowledge.
Énosh (Seth)Énosh () est un personnage biblique de l'Ancien Testament. Il est fils de Seth et, selon le livre des Jubilés, d'Azura. Il épouse une vierge envoyée par Dieu et, à 90 ans, a un fils Kénan. Il meurt à 905 ans. Le nom Énosh, qu'il vaut mieux écrire avec s, et sans h initial, correspond à l'hébreu אנוש [enosh], signifiant homme. Il est transcrit par Ενως, [énōs] dans la Septante. Il ne doit pas être confondu avec le patriarche Hénoch, fils de Jared. Il ne doit pas être confondu non plus avec Enosh, le fils de Caïn.
World of LightIn Mandaeism, the World of Light or Lightworld (ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡖࡍࡄࡅࡓࡀ) is the primeval, transcendental world from which Tibil and the World of Darkness emerged. The Great Life (Hayyi Rabbi or Supreme God/Monad) is the ruler of the World of Light. Countless uthras dwell in škintas in the World of Light. (A škinta is a celestial dwelling where uthras, or benevolent celestial beings, live in the World of Light.) The World of Light is the source of the Great Yardna (Jordan River) of Life, also known as Piriawis.
CaïnitesLes Caïnites sont un mouvement gnostique et antinomiste paléochrétien décrit par différents hérésiologues à la suite d'Irénée de Lyon qui, à la fin du , mentionne un groupe qu'il associe à lÉvangile de Judas et qui tient le personnage biblique de Caïn en haute estime du fait de son opposition au dieu de l'Ancien Testament. L'existence d'un tel groupe, du moins sous une telle dénomination, est remise en question par l'exégèse du début du .
NicolaismNicolaism (also Nicholaism, Nicolaitism, Nicolationism, or Nicolaitanism) was an early Christian sect mentioned twice in the Book of Revelation of the New Testament. The adherents were called Nicolaitans, Nicolaitanes, or Nicolaites. They were considered heretical by the mainstream early Christian Church. According to Revelation 2:6 and 15, they were known in the cities of Ephesus and Pergamum.
Five SealsIn Sethian Gnostic texts, the Five Seals are typically described as a baptismal rite involving a series of five full immersions in holy running or "living water," symbolizing spiritual ascension to the divine realm. The Five Seals are frequently mentioned in various Sethian Gnostic texts from the Nag Hammadi library. While some scholars consider the Five Seals to be literary symbolism rather than an actual religious ritual, Birger A. Pearson believes that the Five Seals refer to an actual ritual in which the initiate was ritually immersed in water five times.
Divine sparkThe divine spark is a term used in various different religious traditions. In Gnosticism, the divine spark is the portion of God that resides within each human being. The purpose of life is to enable the Divine Spark to be released from its captivity in matter and reestablish its connection with, or simply return to, God, who is perceived as being the source of the Divine Light. In the Gnostic Christian tradition, Christ is seen as a wholly divine being which has taken human form in order to lead humanity back to the Light.
Easter letterThe Festal Letters or Easter Letters are a series of annual letters by which the Bishops of Alexandria, in conformity with a decision of the First Council of Nicaea, announced the date on which Easter was to be celebrated. The council chose Alexandria because of its famous school of astronomy, and the date of Easter depends on the spring equinox and the phases of the moon. The most famous of those letters are those authored by Athanasius, a collection of which was rediscovered in a Syriac translation in 1842.
