In this all-but-extinct group we have an interesting mix of Chaldaean Magical Tradition, Neo-Platonist philosophy, Gnosticism, Hermeticism. This group preserved a considerable number of strands in the Authentic Tradition, and transmitted them, more or less intact, to the West. The materials we have utilized in our search may be dated, or may seem far-reaching, but it is not very easy at all finding material on this group. We possess more on the other groups, including those we thought we'd never find any resources for.
While there are those who see in Hermes Trismegistus a form of Akhnaten, there are more important considerations. Namely, the preservation of the Authentic Tradition, and, in our case, the discovery of a rather long running lineage of parts of the Tradition.
The Magical Religious group concept is one which is or should be of interest to Thelemites, particularly, since Thelema consists of a magical religion. Also, the contactee group paradigm in tandem with Magical Religion is of great importance. Where we see these concepts, together, or separately, we see the Authentic Tradition, throughout history. The influence the Harranians had upon the West is considerable, and, ultimately, we find the magical religion paradigm present in the teachings and rituals of Martinez de Pasqually. Later, we find it again, in Thelema. Also, we can see it in the Frankist-Fratres Lucis-Hermetic Brotherhood of Luxor paradigm, and on to the Borderland Sciences Research Foundation.
Is it possible that a group of Bogdadiens / Harranians / Sabians migrated to Constantinople, and eventually established the Brothers of the East? Is it possible that the Brothers of the East survived until the time that they were absorbed into the Florentine Academy(ies)? At this stage, we can answer in the affirmative. What significance does this bear? Simply put, it tells us that even through the Dark Ages, the Gnosis was never lost, and there are breadcrumbs linking the sects that died out at the time of the ascendancy of orthodox Christianity to groups like the Harranians (and others, too). And, from these important groups, vital information was transmitted to the West, and the Rose-Croix traditions sprang up, with the help of important persons such as Ficino, Reuchlin, Agrippa, and others.
When Masonry became the vogue trend, the Authentic Tradition was still preserved and transmitted, via conduits such as Martinez de Pasqually, and through other groups, and while there may exist, today, questions as to the actuality of an unbroken succession of Initiators/Initiates from Martinez to the present, the teachings have prevailed.
There are those who will say that these sources are dated, and dated they are. Yet, there are materials, particularly the French articles from Journal asiatique, that have yet to be made available to those of us who read the English language. Those who are able to gain access to some of the sources cited will appreciate the value of these "dated" sources.
Dupuis. Origine de tous les cultes, or Religion Universelle. In 7 volumes. (Paris: La Librairie Historique d'Émile Babeuf, 1822.)
[Sabians are noticed in Volume I, and Volume III is most useful regarding Agathodaimon and other related deities.]
Encyclopaedia Britannica. 11th Edition. [EB 11th]
-- 14th Edition, 1930. [EB 14th 1930]
-- 14th Edition, 1959. [EB 14th 1959]
[These old editions are superior to any of the new encyclopaedias, particularly the worthless Encarta and Grolier products.]
Hastings, James. Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics. [ERE]
[The Best religious encyclopaedia available ever.]
AJAE. Sabians, Sabaeans, or Sabeans. ASUTA, online edition, 2000. [Mandaean World.]
-- Who are the Sabians of the Koran?. ASUTA, online edition, 2000. [Mandaean World.]
[Being a major source for Mandaean literature, the articles from this site are particularly anti in relation to the Harranians. Yet, it may be that the Harranians weren't the only ones who appropriated the term "Sabians" to themselves.]
Al-Biruni, The Chronology of Ancient Nations, translated and edited by Dr. C. Edward Sachau. (London: William H. Allen and Co., 1879.)
[Gives the Sabian calendar of festivals.]
Beausobre. Histoire de Manichée et du Manicheisme. Tome Second. (Amsterdam: J. Frederic Bernard, 1739.)
[Very dated, but contains some interesting information, and a lot of source materials.]
Frazer, James. Attis, Adonis, and Osiris.
Graves, Robert. The White Goddess. First Edition.
Guyard, Stanislas. Un Grand Maître des Assassins, au temps de Saladin. JA April-May-June 1877.
[Points out the influence that the Gnostics and the Harranians had (and other groups like them) on the formation of Isma'ili philosophy, when 'Abdallah ibn Maymun created the sect.]
Hammer-Purgstall, J. von. Extraits du FIHRIST, Sur la religion des Sabéens. Journal asiatique, September-October 1841.
[Excellent article. If collated with the Calendar given by al-Biruni, and the rituals given by von Hofe, and other sources, we would have a reconstruction of the liturgies.]
Herbelot. Bibliothèque Orientale. Article on the Sabians, pp. 725-727.
[Dated, but still an ancient source.]
Hofe, Hal von. DIVINE PNEUMATA: Seven Complete Planetary Rituals Reconstructed from the Practices of the Sabians of Harran. This article was found on an Internet site. Very useful.
-- translation from Book III, Chapter 7 of the Picatrix, from an e-list. Very useful.
Journal Asiatique, Rapport Annuel, July 1858.
[Discusses Chwolsohn's work on the Sabians, and Nabatean Agriculture, which was discussed in detail in a series of articles in JA.]
Lambert, Mayer. Notes de grammaire sabéenne. In JA, March-April, 1908.
[This refers to the Sabaean language, but we are putting all Sabian / Sabaean / Harranian sources in this section.]
Maimonides, Moses. The Guide for the Perplexed. (New York: Dover Publications Inc., 1956.)
[Contains lengthy diatribes against the Harranians, but is useful for some of the information it preserves.]
Margoliouth, D. S. Harranians, article in ERE.
O'Connor, J. J., and Robertson, E. F. Al-Sabi Thabit ibn Qurra al-Harrani. (Encyclopaedia article from the Internet: )
http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Thabit.html
-- Abu Allah Mohammed ibn Jabir Al-Battani. (Encyclopaedia article from the Internet:)
http://www-history.mcs.st-and.ac.uk/~history/Mathematicians/Al-Battani.html
Plessner, Martin. Introduction to the Picatrix, taken from the Internet at:
http://www.esotericarchives.com/picatrix.htm
[Compare with the Table of Contents of Agrippa's magnum opus.]
Pike, Albert. The Book of the Words. Reprint. Kila: Kessinger, 1992.
Quatremère. Mémoire sur les Nabatéens. Series of articles published in JA, January - March, 1835.
[Excellent narrative on the history of the Nabateans, something that has yet to be accomplished by scholars who write in the English language.]
Sunwall, Mark. Maimonides on the Sabians, A Case of Constructive Disapproval. From the Internet: http://www.friesian.com/sunwall.htm .
Thorndike, Lynn. A History of Magic and Experimental Science during the first Thirteen Centuries of our Era. (New York: The MacMillan Company, 1923.) Article on Arabic Occult Science of the Ninth Century, Volume I, Chapter xxviii.
[More interesting for its discussion of magical technique, rather than for historical detail.]
Unattributed article. Monuments religieux chez les sabéens. In Magasin Pittoresque.
Albright, William Foxwell. Yahweh and the Gods of Canaan. (Garden City: Doubleday, 1969.)
[The chapter on the Phoenicians has some interesting details as to the development of the literary tradition in the Near East.]
Budge, E. A. Wallis. Amulets and Talismans. (New Hyde Park: University Books, 1961.)
-- The Gods of the Egyptians. (New York: Dover Publications, 1969.)
Jastrow, Morris. The Religion of Babylonia and Assyria. (Boston: Ginn & Company, 1898.)
[For our money, one of the best source materials, even 104 years later.]
Karppe, M. S. Quelques mots d'astrologie talmudique. (In Journal asiatique, March-April, 1895).
[Excellent article, very useful for Kabbalists and Magicians. Mentions Nibiru in it, too.]
Paton, Lewis Bayles. Sanchuniathon article. In Hastings' Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, Volume 11.
[One of the best sources for the Phoenician cosmology of Sanchuniathon.]
"Simon", ed. The Necronomicon. (New York: Avon Books, 1980.)
Sitchin, Zecharia. The 12th Planet. (New York: Avon Books, 1978 [pbk. ed.])
-- The Wars of Gods and Men. (New York: Avon Books, 1985.)
Thierens, A. E. Astrology in Mesopotamian Culture. (Leiden: E. J. Brill, 1935.) (Reprinted by Borderland Sciences Research Foundation.)
[A truly esoteric book. Buy your copy today!]
Ficino, Marsilio, tr. Corpus Hermeticum. (this ed. n.d.)
[It appears to us that all translations of the Hermetica are different. It would be good to see this original Latin work translated afresh, so we don't have to depend upon Scott, Eberhard, Kingsford.]
-- De Mysteriis Aegyptiorum, etc. (Iamblichus, Porphyry, Proclus, etc.) (Venice: Aldus Manutius, 1497.)
[A very interesting collection of texts. The practical side of the philosophical materials presented in the Hermetica.]
Kingsford, Anna; and Maitland, Edward, tr., ed. The Virgin of the World of Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus. Secret Doctrine Reference Series. (Minneapolis: Wizards Book Shelf, 1977.)
[Interesting historical preface. The Asclepius is better in this edition than in the Scott translation.]
Randolph, Paschal Beverly. Hermes Mercurius Trismegistus: His Divine Pymander. (Des Plaines: Yogi Publication Society, n.d.)
[This is the Eberhard translation. This is the translation that most people get access to, but it too is missing something.]
Robinson, James, ed. The Nag Hammadi Library. (San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1981.)
[Placed in this section for its inclusion of a couple Hermetic tractates, namely part of the Asclepius (the Prophecy), and the Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth, as well as a Hermetic Communion.]
Scott, Walter, ed., tr. HERMETICA: The Ancient Greek and Latin Writings which contain Religious or Philosophic Teachings ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus. (SOLOS Press, 1992.)
[Had we the four volume set, we would say that it was the definitive edition. However, we cannot say that, since this is an abridgement, missing the Testimonia, which Adrian Gilbert considered to be unnecessary. Maybe to Adrian Gilbert, but not to us. Perhaps it was because there was no mention of Atlantis or Edgar Cayce.]
Bonwick, James. Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought. (Indian Hills: The Falcon's Wing Press, 1956.)
[This is truly an excellent little work.]
Charroux, Robert. Masters of the World. (New York: Berkley Medallion Books, 1974.)
[Chosen for its inclusion of Sanchuniathon's Cosmogony.]
Denning, Melita; and Phillips, Osborne. Mysteria Magica (Volume 3 of The Magical Philosophy.) (St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1986.)
[The Mass in this book is one of the best.]
Eckstein, Baron. Sur les sources de la Cosmogonie de Sanchoniathon. In JA, 1959-1860.
[This work traces the Phoenician Cosmogony back to India, via the Dioscuri, via the Yadavas, to Northwest India, and thence to ancient Sumer, much like our thesis works, even though we didn't run across this important article until early January 2002.]
Hippolytus. Refutation of all Heresies. Online edition at http://www.ccel.org
[Section on the Naassenes.]
Jennings, Hargrave. Ophiolatreia. (Anonymous.) Privately Printed, 1889.
[This work must be made available. Stay tuned.]
Jomard, Edme-François, et. al. Description de l'Egypte. (Several volumes, plus the Volume of Plates, republished in 1987 by Princeton Architectural Press, and edited and introduced by Charles Coulston Gillispie and Michel Dewachter.)
[This is the best set of books on ancient Egypt ever produced. And it is one of the first sets. We scanned the plate showing the Chnuphis serpent, the Goddess Hathor, the Winged Disc, Thoth, and other deities.]
King, C. W. The Gnostics and their Remains (Second Edition). Secret Doctrine Reference Series. (San Diego: Wizards Bookshelf, 1982.)
[Section on Agathodaimon Worship.]
Layton, Bentley. The Gnostic Scriptures. (Garden City: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 1987.)
[Map of the Gnostic Sect and its Opponents. Also, details on the Hermetic tradition.]
Legge, Francis. Forerunners and Rivals of Christianity from 330 B.C. to 330 A. D. (New Hyde Park: University Books, 1964.)
[Details on the Ophites.]
Mariette-Bey, Auguste. Dendérah - Description générale du grand temple de cette ville. (Paris: Librairie A. Franck, 1875.)
[Mentions that the Egyptians who built the Denderah temple, incorporated the Agathodaimon worship into the ritual work that took place there. See the plate from Description of Egypt, that we posted in this article. Agathodaimon is called Ra-nen-Neter.]
Schaff. History of the Christian Church. Online edition at http://www.ccel.org
[Very useful for information on heretical movements.]
Agrippa, Henry Cornelius. (Tr., Ed., and introduced by Donald Tyson.) Three Books of Occult Philosophy. (St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1998.)
[The best work on Magick in the West, until Papus' Elementary Treatise on Practical Magic, in the 1890s.]
Auden, M. Histoire de Léon X. (Paris: L. Maison, 1846.)
[Contains details on the Council of Florence, and the establishment of the Platonic School.]
Baigent, Michael; Leigh, Richard; and Lincoln, Henry. Holy Blood, Holy Grail. (New York: Dell Publishing, 1983 [Pbk. Ed.].)
[For its mention of the relationship between René d'Anjou and Cosimo de Medici and the establishment of the Platonic School.]
McIntosh, Christopher. The Rosicrucians: The History, Mythology, and Rituals of an Esoteric Order. (York Beach: Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1997. Third Revised Edition.)
[This is an excellent little work, little because it is concise, not because it is wanting -- except for more details on the Asiatic Brethren! ]
Monnier, Philippe. Le Quattrocento: essai sur l'histoire littéraire du XV° siècle italien. (Paris: Perrin et Cie, 1901.)
[Details the transmission of Wisdom from Constantinople to the West, in 1439.]
Yates, Frances. Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition. (New York: Vintage Books, 1969 [pbk. ed.].)
[The first work we read, mentioning the Sabians of Harran. A definitive work.]
| [HOME] | [CONTENTS] | [PREVIOUS] | [NEXT] | [MAIL] |