Few early Christian sects provoke as much immediate intrigue and scholarly debate as the Ophites. Deriving their name from the Greek word “ophis” (serpent), these Gnostics held beliefs that radically inverted the biblical narrative, challenging core tenets of what would become orthodox Christianity. Active primarily in the 2nd and 3rd centuries CE, their often-vilified tenets … Continue reading The Ophites: Gnostic Veneration of the Serpent in Eden