Jannes

JANNES, and Jambres; or, as Pliny calls them, Jamne and Jotape, two Magicians, who, as St. Paul says, resisted Moses while he was in Egypt. King Pharaoh could find these two persons only, who were able to hold out against Moses, and by their enchantments imitate some part of Jonathan. in Numb. xxiii. 22.the real miracles performed by him. The Paraphrast Jonathan says, that they were the two sons of Balaam, who accompanied him, when he went to Balak King of Moab.

Artapanus tells us, that Pharaoh sent for Magicians¹ from Upper Egypt above Ambros. in 2 Tim. iii. 8.Memphis, to set them in opposition to Moses. Ambrosiaster or Hilary the Deacon, says, that they were two brothers. He Origen. tract. 95. in Matth.cites a book intitled Jannes and Mambres², which is likewise quoted by Origen, and ranked among the apocryphal books by Pope Gelasius, (Gelas. Dist. 15.) Some of the Hebrews (Vide Buxtorf. Lex. Thalmud. & Fabric. de Apocryph. V. T.) call them Janes and Jambres; others, Jochana and Mamré, or Jonas and Jombros. There are some, who say, their names are the same as John and Ambrose. Some will have it, that they flew away with their fathers; others, that they were drowned in the Red Sea with the Egyptians; others again, that they were killed by Phinehas in the war he made Ap. Euseb. præp. l. 9. p. 241. Pallad. Hist. Lausiac. c. 15. n. 722, 723. Bibl. Orient. p. 648, 649. Monosab.against the Midianites. Palladius, Author of the Historia Lausiaca, relates, that Macarius the Egyptian went purposely into a desart at the distance of some days journey from his dwelling, to see the tombs of these two famous Magicians, which he found in an old garden planted with trees, where there was an house with a great deal of rich furniture. Devils defended the entrance of it, and threatned Macarius: but he dispersed them; and having visited the house and garden, retired.

Numenius, cited by Aristobulus, says, that Jannes and Jambres were sacred Scribes of the Egyptians, who excelled in magick at the time when the Jews were driven out of Egypt. These were the only persons whom the Egyptians found capable of opposing Moses, who was a man whose prayers to God were very powerful. These two men, Jannes and Jambres, were alone able to frustrate the calamities which Moses brought upon the Egyptians. Pliny speaks likewise of the Faction or Sect of Magicians, whereof he says Moses, Jannes and Jocabel, or Jotapa, were Heads. By this last word he meant probably the Patriarch Joseph, whom the Egyptians looked upon as one of their most celebrated Sages. The Mussulmen add several particulars borrowed from apocryphal Books, or the tradition of the Eastern people, to the real history of Moses. They say, for example, that Moses having wrought his first miracles before Pharaoh, this Prince deliberated with his Council what he had to do in such a juncture; and that the result of the debate was, that he should amuse Moses with fair promises, and in the mean time send orders for the most expert Magicians in Egypt, the number of whom at that time was very great in Thebaïs, and set them in opposition to this man, who seemed more dextrous than any of those who had hitherto appeared.

Hereupon Couriers were immediately dispatched to the most celebrated Magicians of Thebaïs, commanding them to come forthwith to Pharaoh’s Court. Sabour and Gadour, two brothers, who passed for the most experienced, and were the principal of the Country, prepared themselves to pay obedience to the King’s Orders; but they went first by the advice of their mother, to their father’s tomb, in order to consult his ghost concerning the success of their journey. They called him by his name, and conjured him up: upon his answering them, they told him, that there were two brobrothers come into Egypt, for Moses and Aaron were inseparable, who without arms or soldiers, had created very great disorders in the King’s Affairs; that this Prince had sent for them to resist them, and oppose them with juggling tricks more powerful than theirs; that they were informed these two strangers had a Rod which would turn into a Dragon, and devour every thing that appeared before it.

Their father answered; As soon as you come to Pharaoh’s Court, learn whether the Rod you tell me of is transformed into a Dragon, while these two Magicians are sleeping. For no Inchantments by any Magician have their effect while he is in this condition; and be assured, that if it happens otherwise to these, no creature is capable of resisting them.

The two brothers therefore departing from Thebaïs, arrived at Memphis where the King kept his Court, and understood with great surprize, that while Moses and Aaron were at rest, their Rod immediately assumed the figure of a Serpent, which guarded them with vigilance and suffered no one whatsoever to approach their persons.

The two Magicians very much astonished at this prodigy, did notwithstanding present themselves before the King with all the other Magicians of the country, who came thither from all parts, and according to the account some give of them, amounted to the number of seventy thousand; for besides the two brothers Sabour and Gadour, who resorted thither with all their Disciples, there were two others whose names were Giaath and Mospha, whose train was not inferior to theirs. Lastly, the great Simeon, High-Priest of Egypt, and chief of all those who particularly professed Magick, appeared there likewise at the Head of a very numerous company of his profession.

All these people had provided Rods and Cords, to counterfeit the Miracle wrought by Moses; and as soon as this Prophet had thrown his miraculous Wand upon the ground, and it became a serpent, they too threw down their Rods and Cords, the inside whereof they had filled with quicksilver: these no sooner felt the heat of the sun, than they began to move, and to turn and wind of themselves several ways. The generality of the spectators, who beheld this at a distance, believed at first sight of their moving, that they were real serpents. But they were soon undeceived when they saw, that Moses’s serpent had torn in pieces and devoured all those which had been thus counterfeited.

This spectacle frightned the by-standers, who thereupon betook themselves immediately to flight. The two brothers Sabour and Gadour, glorified God, and were converted; they sincerely renounced their vain profession, and generously died for the true Religion; Pharaoh having ordered their hands and feet to be cut off, and their bodies to be fastned to gibbets, imagining that they had been corrupted by the Israelites to favour Moses and Aaron.

This whole recital supposes, that the Magicians wrought no true miracle, but only play’d hocus-pocus tricks, endeavouring thereby to impose upon the eyes and understanding of the spectators. Moses however expresses himself throughout in such a manner as might persuade us, that Pharaoh’s Magicians really operated the same effects as he himself produced; so that Pharaoh and his whole Court were persuaded, that the power of their Magicians was equal to that of Moses, till the Egyptians not being able to produce lice, as Moses had done, were constrained to own, that the finger of God was concerned in it. Exod. viii. 18, 19.Till then they had acknowledged nothing divine or supernatural in any thing he did. And it is agreed, that magick, and juggling tricks, evil Angels and Sorcerers, may sometimes imitate very nearly true miracles, and the operations of the Almighty. We confess that God may sometimes permit the Devil and wicked men to work true miracles; but he will never permit the Elect and those who with sincerity and reality seek after truth, to be led into error to the end. The falshood, error, malice and disorder which the Devil endeavours to establish, will sooner or later be discovered. See hereafter the Article MIRACLE.

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