Kanteans - A Gnostic sect of the Sassanid empire (formerly Babylon), which existed until the time of King Yezdegerd II (442-57 CE). Their prophet was the slave Battai (459-84 CE) who had knowledge of the Manichaean beliefs. Battai taught that before the beginning, the supreme divinity divided himself in half, producing Good and Evil. Good ruled over light and Evil over darkness. Evil made war on the supreme divinity, who spoke a word creating the Lord God. The Lord God then spoke seven words engendering seven powers called "Seven Lords who Wander" (planets). Seven demons originating from Evil conquered the seven powers, stole the idea of the soul from the supreme divinity and proceeded to create Adam. The supreme divinity destroyed their creation and recreated Adam.

The Kantean sect is described as being half-way between the Mandaeans and the Manichaeans. The Kanteans considered Abel a prophet and cited him as the dispenser of their doctrine. They viewed the Savior as the Son of the Light who came to free humanity from the persecution of the world

Each Kantean, and also the Yazuqeans, always carried a barsum with them wherever they went. A barsum is a Persian sacramental bundle of branches symbolizing Horos, the secret of the absolute and impassable Limit between the supreme divinity and the lower Earth. The barsum also symbolized the Spirit trapped in the burden of the flesh and earthly labor.

"Moreover they throw mankind into great distraction and into a life of toll, so that their mankind might be occupied by worldly affairs, and might not have the opportunity of being devoted to the holy spirit­." (The Hypostasis of the Archons, Gnostic papyri)

Key to Hydromancy, The - Hydromancy is divination by means of water, an early system of divination similar to Runes. "The Key to Hydromancy" is a text describing the influences of the planets and of the angels and demons at each hour of each day of the week. The text gives indications for the "characters" to be inscribed on stone amulets and for the plants it is appropriate to associate with them.

Kukeans - A Gnostic sect (middle of the 4th century) which taught that without oppositional forces, without duality, there can be no physical universe. The Kukeans believed God was born from the Awakened Sea situated in the World of Light, both older than god. He saw his image on the water and took it to be his companion. Together, God and the image engendered all the gods and goddesses, called the Mother of the Life. Close to the god born of the awakoned Sea was an inert statue. God did not feel threatened by its ability to make war on him, so he refused to cast it out; instead, he breathed life into it so it could make war on him. The living statue made war on god, and every time they fought they engendered the birth of carnal forces: ­ animals, beasts, reptiles, which multiplied.

So far as I've read, the Kukeans theory of creation is totally original in Gnostic concepts. Where did the inert statue come from that God noticed standing close by? And then he was so bored he breathed life into so it could attack him? And from that action we came into existence? How odd. Is this where the word "Kuku" came from?

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