Saturninus of Antioch

Biography

He was supposed to be an apprentice of Menander, who had learned under Simon Magus and established a school in Antioch. Saturninus and Basilides were among his greatest students and went to teach after him, the former staying in Antioch and the latter moving to Alexandria. Saturninus adhered to his master's doctrines while Basilides developed them in different ways.[1] However, while Menander called himself the messenger of God, Saturninus considered Christ the only who could receive this title, and therefore might have been the first teacher to introduce Christ in Gnosticism.[2] At the same time, he also introduced the notion of the God of Judaism being an evil impostor, as well as the Platonic idea of a descended spark of life.[3] Saturninus might have been the source of Docetism mentioned by Ignatius of Antioch in his letters.[4]

Doctrine

Saturninus preached that matter was impure, and that the world had been created by seven rebel angels (known as the archons), the leader of which called himself the God of the Jews in imitation to the true God. However, while tyrannical, those angels weren't the main satanic figure, but neutral entities. Unlike Simon and Menander, Saturninus was an absolute dualist, believing that God was opposed by an equal principle that would be Satan.

After rebelling against God to create the world, the rebel angels would have switched their battle against Satan and his servants, who desired to dominate this creation. Man would have been created by the angels after a shining vision that appeared before them from above, but as they were unable to give him shape, God took pity on them and helped their creation, inspiring a spark on life on some men. However, Satan would have intervened as well, creating marriage and procreation, as well as making the rest of the men evil. Saturninus was also a Docetist, claiming that Jesus Christ had been a spirit sent by the Higher God to pass the knowoledge of gnosis.[2]

It is acknowledged that Saturninus was influenced by Zoroastrianism. The dualism between God and Satan would be similar to that of Ahura Mazda and Ahriman, while his seven angels would be similar to the Amesha Spenta.[2]

Notes
  1. Gerard van Groningen, First Century Gnosticism: Its Origin and Motifs
  2. Henry Longueville Mansel, The Gnostic Heresies of the First and Second Centuries
  3. A. H. B. Logan, Gnostic Truth and Christian Heresy: A Study in the History of Gnosticism
  4. J. Michael Matkin, The Complete Idiot's Guide to the Gnostic Gospels
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