Abraxas

Etymology

The initial attested spelling was Abrasax (Αβρασαξ). It appears in nearly all the legends on gems; in the Greek writers, Hippolytus, Epiphanius, Didymus (De Trin. iii. 42), and Theodoret; and in Latin writers Augustine and Praedestinatus. The spelling Abraxas, common today, probably originated in the Latin transliteration, either due to a confusion made between the Greek letters sigma (Σ) and xi (Ξ), or to a euphemistic inversion. It appears in the translator of Irenaeus and the other Latin authors, and even, though most sparingly, in the magical papyri and engraved stones.

The attempts to discover a derivation for the name, Greek, Hebrew, Coptic, or other, have not been entirely successful:

Egyptian

Claudius Salmasius (1588–1653) thought it Egyptian, but never gave the proofs which he promised.

J. J. Bellermann thinks it is a compound of the Egyptian words abrak and sax, meaning "the honorable and hallowed word", or "the word is adorable".

Samuel Sharpe finds in it an Egyptian invocation to the Godhead, meaning "hurt me not".

Hebrew

Abraham Geiger sees in it a Grecized form of Ha-Brachah, "The Blessing". Charles William King supports this gloss, citing a similar translation of the word abracadabra as Ha-Brachah-dabarata, "Pronounce the Blessing".

J. B. Passerius derives it from abh, "father", bara, "to create", and a- negative—"the uncreated Father".

Wendelin connected it with the numerical value of "abh" father, "ben" son, rouach hakadōs holy spirit.

Giuseppe Barzilai goes back for explanation to the first verse of the Ana BeKoach prayer, for which he takes on the traditional attribution to Nehunya ben HaKanah of the Mishnaic period, but it has been critically redated to the middle ages. The literal rendering of the line is "O [God], with thy mighty right hand deliver the captive [people]". By forming an acronym (from the initial letters of the first two words, the final letters of the last two words, then the final letters of the fourth and third words), the word אברהכת is proposed. Barzilai latinizes it freely as Abrakd (pronounced Abrakad), which he interprets as "the host of the winged ones", i.e., angels. His theory is without regard to grammar (the usual word-order in Hebrew compounds, grammatical number), nor to any attestation or parallel. Further, while this theory can explain the mystic word Abracadabra, the association of this phrase with Abraxas is uncertain. Considering the Abraxas stone more generally, Barzilai noted some iconographic similarities between them and biblical passages, for example between Harpocrates and Moses.

Greek

Wendelin discovers a compound of the initial letters, amounting to 365 in numerical value, of four Hebrew and three Greek words, all written with Greek characters: ab, ben, rouach, hakadōs; sōtēria apo xylou ("Father, Son, Spirit, holy; salvation from the cross").

According to a note of Isaac de Beausobre's, Jean Hardouin accepted the first three of these, taking the four others for the initials of the Greek anthrōpoussōzōn hagiōi xylōi, "saving mankind by the holy cross".

Isaac de Beausobre derives Abraxas from the Greek habros and saō, "the beautiful, the glorious Savior".

Gaius Julius Hyginus (Fabulae, 183) gives Abrax Aslo Therbeeo as names of horses of the sun mentioned by 'Homerus'. The passage is miserably corrupt, but it may not be accidental that the first three syllables make Abraxas.

Other

The seven letters spelling its name may represent each of the seven classic planets.

Perhaps the word may be included among those mysterious expressions discussed by Adolf von Harnack, "which belong to no known speech, and by their singular collocation of vowels and consonants give evidence that they belong to some mystic dialect, or take their origin from some supposed divine inspiration".

The Egyptian author of the book De Mysteriis in reply to Porphyry (vii. 4) admits a preference of 'barbarous' to vernacular names in sacred things, urging a peculiar sanctity in the languages of certain nations, as the Egyptians and Assyrians; and Origen (Contra Cels. i. 24) refers to the 'potent names' used by Egyptian sages, Persian Magi, and Indian Brahmins, signifying deities in the several languages.

Written sources

In heresiologies

Several heresiological works (from 2nd century Proto-orthodox Christianity through the 5th century) describe Abraxas in the context of the Basilidian heresy, but it is uncertain what the actual role and function of Abraxas was in the Basilidian system, as they often show no direct acquaintance with the doctrines of Basilides himself.

In the system described by Irenaeus, "the Unbegotten Father" is the progenitor of Nous "Discerning Mind"; Nous produced Logos "Word, Reason"; Logos produced Phronesis "Mindfulness"; Phronesis produced Sophia "Wisdom" and Dynamis "Potentiality"; Sophia and Dynamis produced the principalities, powers, and angels, the last of whom create "the first heaven". They, in turn, originate a second series, who create a second heaven. The process continues in like manner until 365 heavens are in existence, the angels of the last or visible heaven being the authors of our world. "The ruler" [principem, i.e., probably ton archonta] of the 365 heavens "is Abraxas, and for this reason he contains within himself 365 numbers".

The name occurs in the Refutation of All Heresies (vii. 26) by Hippolytus of Rome, who appears in these chapters to have followed the Exegetica of Basilides. After describing the manifestation of the Gospel in the Ogdoad and Hebdomad, he adds that the Basilidians have a long account of the innumerable creations and powers in the several 'stages' of the upper world (diastemata), in which they speak of 365 heavens and say that "their great archon" is Abrasax, because his name contains the number 365, the number of the days in the year; i.e. the sum of the numbers denoted by the Greek letters in ΑΒΡΑΣΑΞ according to the rules of isopsephy is 365:

Epiphanius (Haer. 69, 73 f.) appears to follow partly Irenaeus, partly the lost Compendium of Hippolytus. He designates Abraxas more distinctly as "the power above all, and First Principle", "the cause and first archetype" of all things; and mentions that the Basilidians referred to 365 as the number of parts (mele) in the human body, as well as of days in the year.

In Adversus omnes haereses (c. 4), the Pseudo-Tertullian likewise follows Hippolytus's Compendium, and adds some further particulars; that 'Abraxas' gave birth to Mind (nous), the first in the series of primary powers enumerated likewise by Irenaeus and Epiphanius; that the world, as well as the 365 heavens, was created in honour of 'Abraxas'; and that Christ was sent not by the Maker of the world but by 'Abraxas'.

In Sethian texts

With the availability of primary sources, such as those in the Nag Hammadi library, the identity of Abraxas remains unclear, but it appears lower on the cosmological hierarchy, than in the heresiological sources. Scholars have grouped three texts that allude to him under Sethian gnosticism.

The Holy Book of the Great Invisible Spirit, for instance, refers to Abraxas as an Aeon dwelling with Sophia and other Aeons of the Pleroma in the light of the luminary Eleleth. In several texts, the luminary Eleleth is the last of the luminaries (Spiritual Lights) that come forward, and it is the Aeon Sophia, associated with Eleleth, who encounters darkness and becomes involved in the chain of events that leads to the Demiurge's rule of this world, and the salvage effort that ensues. As such, the role of Aeons of Eleleth, including Abraxas, Sophia, and others, pertains to this outer border of the Pleroma that encounters the ignorance of the world of Lack and interacts to rectify the error of ignorance in the world of materiality.

In the Apocalypse of Adam, Abrasax is sent along with Sablo and Gamaliel to bring some of the Gnostic people "out of the fire and the wrath, and take them above the aeons and the rulers of the powers, and take them away [...] of life [...] and take them away [...] aeons [...] dwelling place of the great [...] there, with the holy angels and the aeons. The men will be like those angels, for they are not strangers to them."

Magical objects

Abraxas stones

A vast number of engraved stones are in existence, to which the name "Abraxas-stones" has long been given. The subjects are mythological, and chiefly grotesque, with various inscriptions, in which ΑΒΡΑΣΑΞ often occurs, alone or with other words. Sometimes the whole space is taken up with the inscription. In certain obscure magical writings of Egyptian origin ἀβραξάς or ἀβρασάξ is found associated with other names which frequently accompany it on gems; it is also found on the Greek metal curse tablets (defixiones), among other mystical words.

The meaning of the legends is seldom intelligible: but some of the gems, if not all, are amulets. Antiquarians from the 17th-19th centuries developed a thematic classification of the artefacts, some bearing Abrasax as inscriptions and some related only by iconography. Today they are often studied as part of a wider class of magical objects.

The Abraxas-image alone, without external Iconisms, and either without, or but a simple, inscription. The Abrasax-imago proper is usually found with a shield, a sphere or wreath and whip, a sword or sceptre, a cock's head, the body clad with armor, and a serpent's tail. There are, however, innumerable modifications of these figures: Lions', hawks', and eagles' skins, with or without mottos, with or without a trident and star, and with or without reverses.

Abraxas combined with other Gnostic Powers. If, in a single instance, this supreme being was represented in connection with powers of subordinate rank, nothing could have been more natural than to represent it also in combination with its emanations, the seven superior spirits, the thirty Aeons, and the three hundred and sixty-five cosmical Genii; and yet this occurs upon none of the relics as yet discovered, whilst those with Powers not belonging to the Gnostic system are frequently met with.

Abraxas with Jewish symbols. This combination predominates, not indeed with symbolical figures, but in the form of inscriptions, such as: Iao, Eloai, Adonai, Sabaoth, Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, Onoel, Ananoel, Raphael, Japlael, and many others. The name ΙΑΩ, to which ΣΑΒΑΩΘ is sometimes added, is found with this figure even more frequently than ΑΒΡΑΣΑΞ, and they are often combined. Beside an Abrasax figure the following, for instance, is found: ΙΑΩ ΑΒΡΑΣΑΞ ΑΔΩΝ ΑΤΑ, "Iao Abrasax, thou art the Lord". With the Abrasax-shield are also found the divine names Sabaoth Iao, Iao Abrasax, Adonai Abrasax, etc.

Magical papyri

Having due regard to the magic papyri, in which many of the unintelligible names of the Abrasax-stones reappear, besides directions for making and using gems with similar figures and formulas for magical purposes, it can scarcely be doubted that many of these stones are pagan amulets and instruments of magic.

The magic papyri reflect the same ideas as the Abrasax-gems and often bear Hebraic names of God. The following example is illustrative: "I conjure you by Iaō Sabaōth Adōnai Abrasax, and by the great god, Iaeō". The patriarchs are sometimes addressed as deities; for which fact many instances may be adduced. In the group "Iakoubia, Iaōsabaōth Adōnai Abrasax", the first name seems to be composed of Jacob and Ya. Similarly, entities considered angels in Judaism are invoked as gods alongside Abrasax: thus "I conjure you ... by the god Michaēl, by the god Souriēl, by the god Gabriēl, by the god Raphaēl, by the god Abrasax Ablathanalba Akrammachari ...".

In text PGM V. 96–172, Abraxas is identified as part of the "true name which has been transmitted to the prophets of Israel" of the "Headless One, who created heaven and earth, who created night and day ... Osoronnophris whom none has ever seen ... awesome and invisible god with an empty spirit"; the name also includes Iaō and Adōnai. "Osoronnophris" represents Egyptian Wsir Wn-nfr, "Osiris the Perfect Being". Another identification with Osiris is made in PGM VII. 643-51: "you are not wine, but the guts of Osiris, the guts of ... Ablanathanalba Akrammachamarei Eee, who has been stationed over necessity, Iakoub Ia Iaō Sabaōth Adōnai Abrasax." PGM VIII. 1-63, on the other hand, identifies Abraxas as a name of "Hermes" (i.e. Thoth). Here the numerological properties of the name are invoked, with its seven letters corresponding to the seven planets and its isopsephic value of 365 corresponding to the days of the year. Thoth is also identified with Abrasax in PGM LXXIX. 1-7: "I am the soul of darkness, Abrasax, the eternal one, Michaēl, but my true name is Thōouth, Thōouth."

One papyrus titled the "Monad" or the "Eighth Book of Moses" (PGM XIII. 1–343) contains an invocation to a supreme creator God; Abraxas is given as being the name of this God in the language of the baboons. The papyrus goes on to describe a cosmogonic myth about Abraxas, describing how he created the Ogdoad by laughing. His first laughter created light; his second divided the primordial waters; his third created the mind; his fourth created fertility and procreation; his fifth created fate; his sixth created time (as the sun and moon); and his seventh and final laughter created the soul. Then, from various sounds made by Abrasax, there arose the serpent Python who "foreknew all things", the first man (or Fear), and the god Iaō, "who is lord of all". The man fought with Iaō, and Abrasax declared that Iaō's power would derive from both of the others, and that Iaō would take precedence over all the other gods. This text also describes Helios as an archangel of God/Abrasax.

Other

Abrasax (אברסכס, occasionally אברסקוס, אברכסיס, etc.) is also found in several Semitic sources, extending into the middle ages: late antique Aramaic (or bilingual) magical texts from Palestine; Incantation bowls from Mesopotamia; Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew magical texts from the Cairo Genizah; the Hebrew Sefer HaRazim which has been reconstructed from the Genizah - here Abrasax is the first among some thirty angels directing the sun during the day; Aramaic-Hebrew The Sword of Moses (?); and possibly in an Arabic charm from Aswan (as ابراهوس).

In architecture

Les Espaces d'Abraxas is a high-density housing complex in Noisy-le-Grand near Paris, France designed by Spanish architect Ricardo Bofill and opened in 1983.

In popular culture

In 1970, American rock band Santana released their second album titled Abraxas.

In 1999, American television show Charmed featured a demon named Abraxas in their season 2 premiere episode "Witch Trial".

In 2010, a video game Tron: Evolution featured an Alpha-class ISO in the Grid who became infected with a virus and attacked the Tron system, named Abraxas. His goal was to destroy and infect everything in his path.

In 2014, Sarah J. Mass’s book Heir of Fire from the Throne of Glass series introduces the wyvern named Abraxos.

In 2018, the surrealist action horror film 'Mandy' created by Italian-Canadian director Panos Cosmatos features a member of the Children of the New Dawn who uses a supernatural artifact known as the Horn of Abraxas to summon a demonic biker gang known as the Black Skulls. The horn is a small, emerald-coloured stone object that resembles a prehistoric ocarina or flute with four holes.

In 2021, the indie game 'Cruelty Squad' created by Finnish developer Ville Kallio featured Abraxas as a titular antagonist and final boss of the game, along with other various inspirations from Gnosticism.

In the 2022 folk horror video game The Excavation of Hob's Barrow, published by Wadjet Eye Games, Abraxas features as a long-dormant god/demon inspired by the original Gnostic mythology.

The 2023 horror movie Late Night with the Devil includes mention of a fictional cult that worships Abraxas.

In the 2024 video game Life Is Strange: Double Exposure and its 2026 sequel Life Is Strange: Reunion, Abraxas is a secret society at the fictional Caledon University.

Also released in 2024, the video game Wuthering Waves features a mascot character named Abby, whom the perennial antagonists—the godlike Threnodians—refer to as Abraxas.