Epiphanes (Gnostic)

Epiphanes (born in Alexandria, Egypt, sometime in the first half of the 2nd century CE, died circa 155 CE) was the son of Carpocrates and a prominent Gnostic teacher associated with the Carpocratian sect. Information about Epiphanes is largely derived from the writings of Clement of Alexandria, particularly in his Stromata.

Clement portrays Epiphanes as a proponent of radical antinomianism, advocating for a communal sharing of goods and women based on a perceived natural equality among humans. Epiphanes argued that human laws contradicted the divine law of nature, which he believed mandated a universal sharing of resources and experiences. He reasoned that because God created everything for the common benefit of all, legal structures enforcing private property and restricting sexual activity were inherently unjust.

Epiphanes is credited with writing a work titled On Righteousness, fragments of which are preserved by Clement. These fragments depict a cosmology where God created the world equally for all, and that human laws have corrupted this original divine order. According to Clement, Epiphanes presented his teachings as a liberation from restrictive societal norms and a return to a state of natural harmony and equality.

However, the accuracy of Clement's portrayal of Epiphanes and Carpocratianism is debated. Some scholars argue that Clement's descriptions are polemical and intended to discredit Gnostic movements by exaggerating their alleged immorality. It is therefore difficult to ascertain the true nature of Epiphanes' teachings and the practices of his followers based solely on Clement's account. Regardless, Epiphanes remains a significant figure in the study of early Gnosticism, representing a strand of thought that challenged conventional morality and social structures.