Naasseners

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The Naasseners (from the Hebrew word na'asch meaning snake) were a gnostic Ophite sect from around 100 A.D. The Naasseners, the Sethians, the Mandaeans, the Perates, and the Borborites are the known Ophite sects. Naasseners worshipped the serpent of Genesis as the bestower of knowledge. The Ophites' point of view on the biblic perception is this: The serpent is the hero, the one that calls himself God is called Yaldabaoth, Samael, or Saklas. Yaldabaoth was seen as the creator of the material world, but not as God, but as the will of God.^{[citation needed]} Samael can be compared to the angel of death or the Devil. Saklas means 'fool' in the ancient language of Aramaic.