The Ascent to the Hidden One: The Reception of the Egyptian One God in Neoplatonism and the Greek Magical Papyri

Abstract

In the hymns of New Kingdom Egypt, the philosophies of the Neoplatonists of Late Antiquity and in the Greek Magical Papyri of the same era we find descriptions of a certain deity. This divine Supreme Being emerged from the darkness by creating himself and then all creation came after him. But no ordinary person could unify with such a hidden, obscure and remote deity unless they had undergone rigorous training. This thesis aims to answer the questions: Why is it that we have this same description of this particular divinity in all three groups that are separated by thousands of years of history? In addition, why is the process of unification with this god so important in Late Antiquity? This thesis argues that in both the New Kingdom of Egypt and Late Antiquity there is a rise in a textual discourse surrounding God in the singular. However, beginning with Plato and reaching its apex in Late Antiquity with Porphyry and Iamblichus we also see philosophers competing for, or even asserting, the superiority of Greek philosophical knowledge over Egyptian rituals and religion. This study uses three different disciplinary perspectives: anthropology, philosophy of religion and postcolonialism. In concrete terms, this means it applies ideas originating in the theories of Ritual Mastery, Universalism and Orientalism, respectively. Firstly, through the framework of Orientalism, this thesis demonstrates how particular Platonists assert the superiority of Greece and use the figure of the Egyptian priests as a mouthpiece for Greek philosophical discussions. Secondly, this thesis examines how there are universalist notions of God between both the Egyptians and the Platonists. Lastly, by focusing on Porphyry’s and Iamblichus’ discussions of theurgy (a ritualistic method which aims at the return of the soul to god) this thesis examines the professionalisation of theology and the innovation of ritual to allow a unification with the One God through the lens of Ritual Mastery.