Quick Answer
The Ophites (from Greek ophis, "serpent") were a group of Gnostic sects that venerated the serpent of Genesis as a liberator — the being who offered true knowledge to Adam and Eve against the wishes of the ignorant Demiurge. They represent one of the most radical inversions of biblical narrative in ancient Gnosticism.
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Quick Facts
- Named for their positive interpretation of the Genesis serpent
- The serpent is the revealer of gnosis — the Demiurge tried to keep humanity ignorant
- Various Ophite sects described by Irenaeus and Origen; no self-authored Ophite texts survive
- Related to Naassene Gnosticism, which similarly venerated the serpent