Around the same time as Irenaeus (ca. 180 CE), a pagan opponent of Christianity, Celsus, composed a treatise called True Doctrine, which, however, only survives through Origen’s refutation of it in his Contra Celsum. Among other things, Celsus described and ridiculed a “Christian” diagram, a drawing representing a map of the universe in the form of circles; users of this diagram also supposedly had to memorize certain passwords to be delivered to theriomorphic heavenly gatekeepers on the soul’s postmortem journey to the divine realm of the Father and Son. Origen wanted to make it absolutely clear to his readers that such teachings are not those of true Christians but of heretical “Ophites” (Ὀφιανοί, Cels. 3.13; 6.24,28,30; 7.40). A comparison between the diagram and Irenaeus’ Adv. haer. 1.30 shows that both draw upon essentially the same mythological speculation,17 which we may thus call, for the sake of convenience, “Ophite.” Origen had apparently obtained such a diagram himself (Cels. 6.24) as well, and compares his examplar to Celsus’ literary description.
(Tuomas Rasimus,
Paradise Reconsidered in Gnostic Mythmaking: Rethinking Sethianism in Light of the Ophite Evidence, p. 15, my bold)
After this, Origen goes on to describe the passwords that the ascending soul must say before the rulers (ἄρχων), heavenly gatekeepers, in order to pass by them on the way to the world of light (6.31). Again, whereas Celsus only hinted at such passwords (6.33; 7.40), Origen completes the information by actually quoting them (6.31). The names of these gatekeepers are the same as in Irenaeus’ account: Ialdabaoth, Iao, Sabaoth, Adonaios, Astaphaios, Ailoaios, and Horaios.31 The connection between these seven archons and the seven theriomorphic demons is not clear. They seem to be identified here (6.33; 7.40) but this may be secondary (see Chapter 3).
In Irenaeus’ account, the seven led by Ialdabaoth (the “holy hebdomad,” the seven planetary rulers) are clearly different from the seven led by Michael (the “lower hebdomad,” the seven mundane demons). Celsus further mentions that the ruler of the “archontic angels,” the Jewish God (apparently Ialdabaoth), was considered an accursed god, since he cursed the serpent for bringing knowledge to humankind (6.27–28). Origen also hints at the role of the serpent as the bringer of
knowledge (6.28). This agrees with Irenaeus’ report according to which the serpent’s advice was good (Adv. haer. 1.30.7). While in Irenaeus’ source a subtle distinction between the evil serpent and Sophia using it as her tool was made (1.30.7–8), the serpent itself had apparently also come to be thought of as positive in the minds of certain “others” (1.30.15).
(
ibid., p. 19, my bold)
And especially:
The context where Origen mentions the trees and the sword is the ascent of the soul through the gates of paradise guarded by the archons. As pointed out above, the archons as gatekeepers are probably based on the cherubs of Gen 3:24, guarding the way to the tree of life with the flaming sword. It is possible, then, that the circles of life and gnosis symbolize the salvific trees, which the archons try to keep out of reach of the ascending soul. The ultimate goal of the soul appears to be the “light of the Son and Father,” mentioned in the password delivered to the highest archon (Cels. 6.31).
(
ibid., p. 148, my bold)