Jannes and Jambres

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Illustration of the rods of Aaron and of the "wise men and sorcerers" becoming snakes.

In Jewish and Christian traditions, Jannes and Jambres (Hebrew: יניס Yannis, ימבריס Yambres) are the names given to magicians mentioned in the Book of Exodus. This naming tradition is well-attested in ancient and medieval literature. In Latin manuscripts of the New Testament, and in Latin writing traditions, their names are known as Jamnes and Mambres.[1]

Hebrew Bible

Jannes and Jambres are not specifically mentioned in the

KJV
)

And

magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments
. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

New Testament and Second Temple literature

Main article: Apocryphon of Jannes and Jambres

The names Jannes and Jambres (

Ethiopic fragment which was discovered in 2014.[4] It was also probably known to the Qumran community, since the Qumran community refers to one of the magicians by the name of Jannes.[5] The Testament of Solomon
also refers to the magicians by the name of Jannes and Jambres.

Greco-Roman literature

The name of Jannes not as that of a magical opponent of Moses but as the originator with Moses and one Lotapea

Neopythagorean philosopher, called them sacred Egyptian scribes. The Gospel of Nicodemus
also refers to the magicians by the name of Jannes and Jambres.

In a brief passage cited in Eusebius' Praeparatio evangelica, Numenius said that "Jannes and Jambres were able to undo, publicly, even the greatest of the disasters that Moses brought against Egypt." This statement contradicts the biblical account according to which the magicians were able to follow Moses' acts only to the second plague inclusive (Ex 8:18).[9]

Rabbinic literature

The

Golden Calf, or at the slaughter of Korah and his followers.[citation needed
]

Apart from their opposition to Moses there are other aggadic lore and legends about Egyptian sorcerers; it was said that during the end of their days they had necessary occult knowledge to embark on a journey to the Jewish world to come. They were not welcomed and the angels of the first few heavens fought them vigorously but they could not evict them due to the potent talismans that were worn by the wizards. As they entered the fourth heaven they were met by Michael and Gabriel; legends say that the battle was very evenly balanced, but in the end it was the angels who had to fall back. Upon entering the fifth heaven they were met by none other than Metatron, who did not come at them with defiance or anger, but appeared accommodating, considering the circumstances; after conversing for a short time the angel was successful in convincing Jannes and Jambres to remove their talismans, leaving them thus vulnerable. Metatron was quick to act and threw them out of heaven with a wave of his hand. It is said that they lost all memory of the event after that.[citation needed]

League with the Devil

The earliest mention of "Jannes and his brother" in the

Cyprian (5th century?), the great magician of Antioch relates how the Devil called him "a clever lad, a new Jambres, trained for service, and worthy of fellowship with himself" . [9] In his Lausiac History (5th century), Palladius relates that Macarius of Alexandria (4th century) once visited the garden-tomb of Jannes and Jambres, and upon arrival was met by seventy demons who resided there.[9]

In popular culture

See also

Notes

  1. ISSN 0022-5185
    .
  2. ^ 3:8
  3. ^ Pietersma A. The Apocryphon of Jannes and Jambres
  4. ^ Erho, Ted; Krueger, Frederic; Hoffmann, Matthias (2016). "Neues von Pharaos Zauberern". Welt und Umwelt der Bibel. 2: 70–72. Retrieved 29 January 2018.
  5. ^ "For in times past, Moses and Aaron stood in the power of the Prince of Lights, and Belial raised up Yannes and his brother in his cunning when seeking to do evil to Israel the first time." The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation; Michael Wise, The Damascus Document, pg56)
  6. ^ The relevant chapter at the Perseus Project
  7. ^ Torrey, Charles C. “The Magic of ‘Lotapes.’” Journal of Biblical Literature, vol. 68, no. 4, Society of Biblical Literature, 1949, pp. 325–27, https://doi.org/10.2307/3262101.
  8. ^ "PLINY'S NATURAL HISTORY". www.masseiana.org. Archived from the original on 2017-01-01. Retrieved 2017-05-03. XXX
  9. ^
    ISBN 0-385-18813-7
    (Vol. 2), pp. 427-428
  10. ^ Menachot 85a
  11. ^ Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), Exodus 1:15, Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), Exodus 7:10–12, Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), Numbers 22:22
  12. ISBN 978-0-9778737-1-5
  13. ^ "The Legends of the Jews: Chapter IV: Moses in Egypt". www.sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  14. ^ "Book of Jasher, Chapter 79". www.sacred-texts.com. Retrieved 2021-02-08.
  15. ^ Long, Phillip (22 May 2018). "The Book of Jannes and Jambres". readingacts.com. Retrieved 18 February 2023.

References

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