Bardesanes, 154–222?

Bardesanes was a Christian poet from the Syrian city-state of Edessa (now called Urfa, or Sanliurfa, in southern Turkey).  It is likely that he was a Gnostic philosopher—perhaps the last major teacher to attempt to disseminate Gnosticism within the ordinary Christian community—but, at the same time, there is considerable question whether he was a Gnostic at all.  Other influences on the thought of Bardesanes include Hermeticism, Chaldean mythology, and astrology.  He apparently believed in a Divine Mother as well as a Divine Father.