The author of the Elenchos attributes to Alcibiades of Apamea, an Elchasaite who had arrived in Rome around 220 c.e., the preaching of a baptism for the remission of sin, and of ablutions for those that had been bitten by a rabid dog, the sick with consumption, and the possessed by demons. Erik Peterson has interpreted the rabid dog and the diseases as allegories of concupiscence, coming to the conclusion that the Elchasaite immersion would not have been an antidote for rabies, consumption, or demonic possession but rather a remedy against concupiscence and against the proliferation of sexual passion. In my opinion, such allegoric explanation is to be rejected. The symptoms of rabies—a disease which causes the infected to suffer from hydrophobia—could have been considered by the baptist Elchasaites as proof of a demonic presence within the person. Likewise, the mention of consumption and demonic possession should be interpreted literally, according to a cultural context in which disease, demonic possession, and sins were considered to be tightly linked. The Elenchos would therefore contain an ancient testimony of a Christian exorcistic rite performed in the water.

A Cure for Rabies or a Remedy for Concupiscence? A Baptism of the Elchasaites

NICOLOTTI, ANDREA
2008-01-01

Abstract

The author of the Elenchos attributes to Alcibiades of Apamea, an Elchasaite who had arrived in Rome around 220 c.e., the preaching of a baptism for the remission of sin, and of ablutions for those that had been bitten by a rabid dog, the sick with consumption, and the possessed by demons. Erik Peterson has interpreted the rabid dog and the diseases as allegories of concupiscence, coming to the conclusion that the Elchasaite immersion would not have been an antidote for rabies, consumption, or demonic possession but rather a remedy against concupiscence and against the proliferation of sexual passion. In my opinion, such allegoric explanation is to be rejected. The symptoms of rabies—a disease which causes the infected to suffer from hydrophobia—could have been considered by the baptist Elchasaites as proof of a demonic presence within the person. Likewise, the mention of consumption and demonic possession should be interpreted literally, according to a cultural context in which disease, demonic possession, and sins were considered to be tightly linked. The Elenchos would therefore contain an ancient testimony of a Christian exorcistic rite performed in the water.
2008
16
4
513
534
Elchasaites; Elenchos; Alcibiades of Apamea; baptism; exorcism; Hippolytus of Rome
A. Nicolotti
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Nicolotti, A Cure for Rabies or a Remedy for Concupiscence.pdf

Accesso aperto

Tipo di file: POSTPRINT (VERSIONE FINALE DELL’AUTORE)
Dimensione 292.29 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
292.29 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2318/83216
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 2
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 2
social impact