In
Sethian Gnostic texts, Micheus, Michar, and Mnesinous are the three heavenly spirits that preside over the rite of
baptism
Baptism (from ) is a Christians, Christian sacrament of initiation almost invariably with the use of water. It may be performed by aspersion, sprinkling or affusion, pouring water on the head, or by immersion baptism, immersing in water eit ...
, performed in the wellspring of
Living Water
Living water (; ) is a biblical term which appears in both the Old and New Testaments. In and , the prophet describes God as "the spring of living water", who has been forsaken by his chosen people Israel. Later, the prophet Zechariah describ ...
. They are mentioned in the
Nag Hammadi
Nag Hammadi ( ; ) is a city and Markaz (administrative division), markaz in Upper Egypt.
It is located on the west bank of the Nile in the Qena Governorate, about north-west of Luxor. The city had a population of close to 61,737 .
History
...
tractates of the ''
Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit
The ''Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit'', also known as the ''Coptic Gospel of the Egyptians'', is a Sethian Gnostic text found in Codices III and IV of the Nag Hammadi library. The text describes the origin of three powers: the Father, t ...
'', ''
Trimorphic Protennoia'', ''
Zostrianos
''Zostrianos'' is a Sethian Gnostic text. It is the first tractate of two in Codex VIII of the Nag Hammadi library. It takes up 132 of the 140 pages in the codex, making ''Zostrianos'' the longest tractate of the entire library. However the text ...
'', and ''
Apocalypse of Adam
The Apocalypse of Adam is a Sethian Gnostic apocalyptic writing. It is the fifth tractate in Codex V of the Nag Hammadi library, transcribed in Coptic. The date of the original work has been a point of scholarly contention because the writing ...
''. In the texts, the trio is frequently mentioned along with
Yesseus Mazareus Yessedekeus
In Sethian Gnostic texts, Yesseus Mazareus Yessedekeus is the personification of the Living Water. He is mentioned in the Nag Hammadi tractates of the ''Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit'', ''Zostrianos'', and ''Apocalypse of Adam''.
Etymo ...
, the name of the
Living Water
Living water (; ) is a biblical term which appears in both the Old and New Testaments. In and , the prophet describes God as "the spring of living water", who has been forsaken by his chosen people Israel. Later, the prophet Zechariah describ ...
.
Occasionally in some of the Nag Hammadi texts, only Micheus and Michar are mentioned, without Mnesinous.
Parallels
In
Mandaeism
Mandaeism (Mandaic language, Classical Mandaic: ),https://qadaha.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/nhura-dictionary-mandaic-english-mandaic.pdf sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnosticism, Gnostic, Monotheism, ...
,
Bihram
In Mandaeism, Bihram () or Bihram Rabba (, "Bihram the Great") is an uthra (angel or guardian) who presides over the ''masbuta'', or baptism ritual. Bihram is mentioned in Mandaean texts such as the ''Qulasta''. Many Mandaean masbuta ritual praye ...
is the
uthra
An uthra or ʿutra (, Neo-Mandaic ''oṯrɔ'', traditionally transliterated ''eutra''; plural: ʿuthrē, traditionally transliterated ''eutria'') is a "divine messenger of the light" in Mandaeism. Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath transl ...
(celestial spirit) presiding over the
masbuta
Maṣbuta (; pronounced ''maṣwottā'' in Neo-Mandaic) is the ritual of immersion in water in the Mandaean religion.
Overview
Mandaeans revere John the Baptist and practice frequent baptism (''masbuta'') as ritual purification, not of initia ...
(baptism).
See also
*
Shilmai
In Mandaeism, Shilmai (Šilmai; ) or Shalmai (Šalmai) is an uthra (angel or guardian) who serves as one of the two guardian spirits of Piriawis, the heavenly ''yardna'' (river) in the World of Light. In the ''Ginza Rabba'' and ''Qulasta'', he is ...
and
Nidbai
In Mandaeism, Nidbai () is an uthra (angel or guardian) who serves as one of the two guardian spirits () of Piriawis, the heavenly ''yardna'' (river) in the World of Light. In the ''Ginza Rabba'' and ''Qulasta'', he is usually mentioned together ...
*
Adathan and Yadathan
In Mandaeism, Adathan () and Yadathan () are a pair of uthras (angel or guardian) who stand at the Gate of Life in the World of Light (''Right Ginza'' 15.8), praising and worshipping Hayyi Rabbi (''Qulasta'' prayer 77). In the ''Ginza Rabba'' a ...
*
Xroshtag and Padvaxtag
Xrôshtag and Padvâxtag (''Xrōštag and Padvāxtag'') are a pair of Manichaean divinities, always depicted together, who serve as the personifications of the words "call" and "answer".Burkitt, F. C. 1935. Xrôshtag and Padvâxtag, Call and Answ ...
in
Manichaeism
Manichaeism (; in ; ) is an endangered former major world religion currently only practiced in China around Cao'an,R. van den Broek, Wouter J. Hanegraaff ''Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times''. SUNY Press, 1998 p. 37 found ...
References
Sethianism
Baptism
Gnostic deities
{{Gnosticism-stub