‘We are the heirs and propagators of Paganism.... Happy is he who, for the sake of Paganism, bears the burden (of persecution?) with firm hope. Who else have civilized the world, and built the cities, if not the nobles and kings of Paganism? Who else have set in order the harbours and the rivers? And who else have taught the hidden wisdom? To whom else has the Deity revealed itself, given oracles, and told about the future, if not to the famous men among the Pagans? The Pagans have made known all this. They have discovered the art of healing the soul; they have also made known the art of healing the body. They have filled the earth with settled forms of government, and with wisdom, which is the highest good. Without Paganism the world would be empty and miserable’. -- Thabit ibn Qurra. Quoted from Scott’s Testimonia to the Hermetica. (Solos Press unfortunately very abridged and typographically inferior edition).
"There was a big influence of Hermetic and Gnostic literature and ideas on the Arabic world and particularly among the Arabs of Harran. Talismanic Magic was practised by these Arabs, and the influence came through the Sabeans who were immersed in Hermetism, in both its philosophical and religious, and its magical aspects." -- Yates, Giordano Bruno and the Hermetic Tradition, p. 49 pbk ed.
"Le calendrier des fêtes sabéennes offre des rapprochements curieux avec celui des fêtes persanes et chretiennes les noms des planètes sont évidemment grecs, ce qui prouve que la religion des habitants de Harran et des districts voisins etait un melange de dogmes asiatiques et de mythologie grecque ou romaine avec des idees gnostiques. Ce qui y est dit des sectaires de la tête, Asshub-er-ras [arabic], et qu’on ne doit pas confondre avec les Asshub-er-res [arabic] du Coran, rappelle la tête baphometique de la doctrine des Templiers, que les premiers docteurs ne avaient prise assurement que dans les aberrations du gnosticisme." -- Hammer-Purgstall, Extraits du Fihrist, Sur la religion des Sabéens., Journal Asiatique, Sept-Oct. 1841.
"Most ancient, pagan, Mesopotamian Urfa had worshipped gods of the sun and moon and stars, a faith that survived in the surrounding countryside until the Middle Ages, when the Crusaders found a remnant priesthood still at their rituals in ancient ruined temples. The cult had come to Urfa and its neighbouring cities from southern Mesopotamia. In those days several cities had sacred pools like those at Urfa; some of them with stone altars that stood out of the water and the priests who would swim to their daily devotions were surrounded, it is said, by leaping fish, by sacred fish, so tame that they would come to you if you called their names. " John Romer, Testament, p. 19.
"Le nom de Boghdadiens, c’est à dire "dieu donnés", que le prètre donne à ses coreligionnaires, prouve que cette secte de harraniens ou sabéens, au commencement de la islam, ne se bornait pas à Harran et à ses environs, mais se entendait jusqu’à la endroit ou Bagdad remplaça le temple des Boghdadiens, dont la ville prit le nom." -- Hammer-Purgstall, op cit.
"‘Our Scriptures’, they must have said to the Moslem officials, ‘are the Hermetic writings; and our Prophets are those whose teaching is recorded in those writings, namely, Hermes Trismegistus, and his teacher Agathos Daimon.’" -- from Scott’s Testimonia to the Hermetica.
"Ancient and potent Protector, Agathodaimon, hail: we adore thee and thee we invoke.
"Glorious Serpent-God, encircling the Equal Cross, Knouphis -- Agathodaimon, hail: we adore thee and thee we invoke.
"Abundant goodness bestowing, Agathodaimon, hail: we adore thee and thee we invoke.
"Terrible invincible God, Knouphis-Agathodaimon, hail: we adore thee and thee we invoke.
"Holy Shepherd of thy People, Agathodaimon, hail: we adore thee and thee we invoke.
O thou Winged Splendour with broad pinions of emerald and gold, Knouphis-Agathodaimon, hail: we adore thee and thee we invoke.
"Divine Priest of the Sun, thou white and scintillant, Agathodaimon, hail: we adore thee and thee we invoke.
"Aid of the Seeker for Truth, Knouphis-Agathodaimon, hail: we adore thee and thee we invoke.
"Immortal Guide of the Wise, Agathodaimon, hail: we adore thee and thee we invoke.
"Mighty Champion of the Way, Knouphis-Agathodaimon, hail: we adore thee and thee we invoke.
"Orient Spirit of Light, Agathodaimon, hail: we adore thee and thee we invoke.
"Now and ever blessed, crowned with the Crown of Twelve Rays, Knouphis-Agathodaimon, hail: we exalt thee!" -- Denning and Phillips, Mysteria Magica, pp. 364 -- 365.
The city of Harran is an important location in the history of the Authentic Tradition. In ancient Sumerian times, it was a caravan city, used by the Banu-Yamina. It was to Harran that Sin the Moon-God moved to, from his city of Ur. Abraham, we are told, while living in Ur, packed everything up and moved to Harran. In Alexandrian times, Harran was an important place. Later, in Roman times, Crassus lost his life at the hands of the Parthians and his head was used in a public enactment of the Bacchae. Finally, we have read of the Pagans of Harran, or Sabians, who were the last remnants of the old religion. The present survey will cover some of the early history, but the majority of it will focus on the Harranians -- that is to say, the Sabians, or Pagans, of Harran.
The sections of this chapter are as follows:
3. The Sabians of Harran -- General Information.
4. The Sabians of Harran -- Historical Details.
5. Readings in the Authentic Tradition ~~ relating to this subject matter.
[Page links to a .pdf file with the Readings materials. [qadosh46.pdf]
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