INTRODUCTION

BEFORE THE NAME “Jezebel” became associated with female dominance, there were many “great goddesses”. Before this, there was Eve. One myth taught was that Eve entered into the serpent (in the garden of Eden), not that the serpent deceived Eve. Eve is portrayed as a “savior” sent into the world to free souls who have been entrapped in a body. Bentley Layton, in his book “The Riddle of the Thunder”, tells how Eve, not God, breathes the breath of life into Adam. As the female spiritual principle, she now rests inside Adam to enlighten and empower him (see Hypostasis of the Archons 2.4.88. 4-6). Layton writes that later the rules cut out the female part of Adam, who includes both male/female elements. This operation, he writes, removes not only the fleshly Eve but also the female spiritual principle. The purpose of the archons is to extract and rope this female spiritual principle (see Apocryphon of John 2:22, 32-23.2). But the female spiritual principle escapes from their evil and wicked machinations and “returns precisely in the serpent to teach the ‘good news’ of salvation, i.e., liberation (see his “the Riddle of the Thunder”, in Nag Hammadi, Gnosticism, and Early Christ.,1986, p. 48).

Irenaeus, a native of Smyrna, not far from Ephesus (center of heretical teachings in Paul’s day) informs of how these false teachings and (demonic) traditions were circulating in Asia Minor (see his “Against Heresies” 1.30 (Migne PG 7.699).

So Eve is the SAVIOR OF ALL mankind. She invites comparison with the authority of Isis and thence “Dome wisdom” (see Apocryphon of John NHC 2.69, 19-25, as quoted by Layton.

In it all, Eve’s human frailty was replaced by the might of a “goddess”. This spirit of “goddess worship”, the numerous variants/nuances of this (satanic) story now projected the spiritual potency of Eve and had, as Catherine c. Kroeger has written, “reshaped themselves into dangerous and destructive doctrines which the writer of the Pastorals (Paul) repudiated”.SAD BUT TRUE!!

Other than mere myths/stories/legends etc., there is evidence of Ophite Gnosticism in Asia Minor. There is the literary traditions of Ephesus (and its environs), the testimony of Scripture, and the archeological proofs - all tell of the “cult” exalting Eve and the Serpent ( I touch on some of this in my “Women in the Ministry” series up on the internet. So, when Jezebel came along it is not hard to see the serpent working in her life (the theme of this writing). All one has to do is a bit of research to see that by the time of the NT era, came myths and heresy venerated gods and goddess worship. Rev. 2:9 and 3:9 speaks of “synagogues of Satan” were present, Pergamum, a major “cult” center of the serpent god Asclepius, was identified as the location of “the throne of Satan” and “the place where Satan dwells” (see Rev. 2:13). Asclepius was also a Gnostic figure, frequently associated with women. His serpent form is represented in depictions of his daughter, Hygeia. (It is said that this “god” had been brought by a woman from Epidaurus to Sicyon in the form of a serpent. A statue of a woman riding on a serpent was supposed to be Aritodama, the mother of Asclepius’ son. (Pausanias 2.10.3)

JEZEBEL OF REV. 2:20

I also touched on this woman in my “Women in the Ministry” series, who taught a damning doctrine containing “the deep things of Satan (Rev. 2:20-24. See other translations besides the KJV). Part of her teachings were rooted in the doctrines of the Nicolaitans (Rev. 2:6,15).

In the Apocalypse, Ephesus is commended because it HATES the doctrines/deeds of the Nicolaitans. I hope to explore all these more fully in the future - the Gnostic groups of the Naarsenes and other Ophites who extol/worship the serpent, the “Naas” (Heb.:serpent).

For now, I hope what we offer our readers will get them to see just how deceived the Church has become pertaining to god/goddess worship, domination, and damnation.