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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. 27 28 29 + 22e Daréczi-Sepsi-Vassänyi_Initiation_155x240.indb 22 6 2020.06.15. 11:04:10
