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ENDRE ÁDÁM HAMVAS
I believe it is evident that Hippolytus attributes a spiritual interpretation
to baptism here." If credence is given to his report, then a very interesting
phenomenon is revealed. The members of the sect created a special amalgam
of ancient myths, Christian theology, and Biblical hermeneutics: they taught
that the promise of baptism leads to eternal bliss and that this happens
through an anointment with life-giving water. We must lay emphasis on the
fact that in the case of this text, the interpretation of baptism is parallel to
that of the Gnostics, who interpreted it as a spiritual act leading to rebirth
or immortalization, not only as a psychic cleansing ritual. This means that
the aim of baptism was considered not only to wash away sins but to guide
the believer towards a new, immortal life. These references to the life-giving
water can perhaps be found also in CH IV, quoted above, where baptism in the
divine mind is a tool for the rebirth for the eternal life.”” When in the sixth
section, Tat says that he also would like to become immersed (baptisthénai),
this may also be a reference to a ritual bath. Hermes’ answer confirms the
comparison with the Naaseni. Similarly, Hermes says the following: “Unless
you first hate your body, my child, you cannot love yourself, but when you
have loved yourself, you will possess mind, and if you have mind, you will also
have a share in the way of learning.”** It is remarkable that in the case of the
Hermetic text, the same scheme can be found as in the case of the Christian
sect, i.e., to become immersed in or anointed with life-giving water means to
hate one’s own body, which connects the person to the evil material world,
and then, to gain life from the immaterial realm.”
In his brief but important work, De ecclesiae Catholicae unitate, Cyprian
argues—on the basis of Biblical passages—against the validity of the baptism
of the heretics. He states not only that outside the church there is no salvation,
but also that the baptism of the heretics is work done for Satan. He says that
an invalid baptism also gives a new life, a new life coming not from the water
of life but from the water of death; that as to its spiritual effect, it does not
2% About the technical language in early Christian literature, see Richard Reitzenstein,
Hellenistic Mystery-Religions, Eugene, Pickwick Publications, trans. by John E. Steele, 1978,
501-511.
Cf. K. W. Tréger: Mysterienglaube und Gnosis in Corpus Hermeticum XIII, Berlin, Akademie
Verlag, 1971, 54-82.
CH IV, 6: Kay@ Bantıodijvaı BodAonaı, © nétep. — ’Eùv ui MP@tov Td od Gov morons,
TEKVOV, GEAUTOV PIAfjoal Od Sivacat PiATjoac dé GeavTOV, vodv EEeıg, Kal TOV VODV EXWV Kal TÄIG
EMLOTHLNS HETAAT WN.
There has been an attempt from the beginnings of modern research into the Hermetica to
prove that the motive of the cratér in CH IV is not only a metaphor but carries a sacramental
character as well; cf. C. F. Georg Heinrici, Die Hermes-Mystik und das Neue Testament,
Leipzig, J. C. Hinrichs, 1918, 44. As Tröger points out, there is another theory which stresses
the spiritual character of the text and supposes that there is no necessary connection to real
ritual acts; cf. Troger, Mysterienglaube, 57.
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