Guardians of the Gate

This exploration of the phenomenon of angelic vice regency in Late Antiquity compares figures from Judaism, Mandaeism, and Gnosticism. The first part of the book is devoted to the question of mediation in Late Antiquity and to the role of exegesis in the formation of vice regent myths. The second part of the book examines the Jewish figures Metatron and Akatriel, the Mandaean figure Abathur, and the Gnostic figure Sabaoth.

After a final chapter on the types of communities which may have produced these myths, the volume concludes with appendices which briefly examine Christian, Muslim, and Hermetic traditions. This volume is especially helpful to those interested in the connections between late antique mythologies and in particular the many parallels between Jewish mysticism and Mandaeism.