In an interesting section in The New Testament that recently caught my attention, Paul mentions “Jannes and Jambres”, ( יניס Yoḥanai, ימבריס Yambres) who were in opposition to Moses. This particular section is all about Evil in The Last Days and here is where we will find mention of Jannes and Jambres. These are the names given to magicians mentioned in the Book of Exodus.
1) But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty.
2) For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy,
3) heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good,
4) treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
5) having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
6) For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions,
7) always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth.
8) Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith.
9) But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men.
2 Timothy 3:1-9
Although they're not specifically named, Jannes and Jambres are the names understood to be pharaoh's magicians mentioned in the Book of Exodus:
10) So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron cast down his staff before Pharaoh and his servants, and it became a serpent.
11) Then Pharaoh summoned the wise men and the sorcerers, and they, the magicians of Egypt, also did the same by their secret arts.
12) For each man cast down his staff, and they became serpents. But Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs.
Exodus 7:10-12
Jannes and Jambres are not mentioned anywhere in the Tanakh (The Hebrew Bible or "Old Testament") however, according to both Jewish and Christian tradition and several extra-canonical texts, these are the magicians who Paul was talking about in his letter to Timothy.
“The names Jannes and Jambres (Greek: Ἰάννης, Ἰαμβρῆς; Iannēs, Iambrēs) appear in 2 Timothy in the New Testament. Origen says that there was an apocryphal book called The Book of Jannes and Jambres, containing details of their exploits, and that Paul the Apostle was quoting from it. This book, known as The Apocryphon of Jannes and Jambres the magicians, exists in some Greek fragments present in the Chester Beatty Papyri No XVI (which has been edited and translated by Albert Pietersma), and in an extensive Ethiopic fragment which was discovered in 2014. It was also probably known to the Qumran community, since the Qumran community refers to one of the magicians by the name of Jannes. The Testament of Solomon also refers to the magicians by the name of Jannes and Jambres.” - Wikipedia
They are briefly mentioned, as "Yoḥana and Mamre", in The Talmud:
וכולן אינן באות אלא מן המובחר כו': אמרי ליה יוחנא וממרא למשה תבן אתה מכניס לעפריים אמר להו אמרי אינשי למתא ירקא ירקא שקול:
The mishna states: And all meal offerings come only from the optimal produce. One of the places the mishna mentions as having good-quality produce is Aforayim. The superior quality of its produce was so well known that Aforayim was used as an example in colloquial aphorisms. In Moses and Aaron’s first meeting with Pharaoh, Aaron cast his staff to the ground, whereupon it turned into a serpent. Pharaoh’s necromancers then duplicated the feat using their incantations, only to then be confounded when Aaron’s staff swallowed up all of theirs (see Exodus 7:10–12). The Gemara relates the conversation that took place: Pharaoh’s two leading necromancers, Yoḥana and Mamre, said to Moses: Are you are bringing straw to Afarayim? Performing necromancy in Egypt, the world leader in sorcery, is like bringing straw to Afarayim, which is rich in the finest grains. Moses said to them: It is as people say: To a city rich in herbs, take herbs. If you want to guarantee that people will appreciate your merchandise, bring it to a place where they are familiar with it. - Menachot 85a:3
Jannes and Jambres are essentially said to be part of the “mixed multitude” that came along with Israel out of Egypt. There’s not too much else that I can find about these guys, they’re quite mysterious really. I’ve even ran across some Jewish oral traditions that actually name these two guys in particular as using their dark arts to deceive the Nation of Israel and making them believe that Moses had actually died after he went up on Mt. Saini. Without their leader, Israel believed that they had to find another connection to G*d. Jannes and Jambres were conveniently there to offer up the the whole golden calf idea and give them a direct connection foreign gods. I believe that these oral traditions, such as The Talmud and The Zohar, are some of our best resources to understand why Paul considered these two guys important enough to mention in his letter to Timothy.
I was able to locate these guys in The Zohar, in a Section entitled “The Golden Calf”, in Parasha Ki Tisa.
59. Come and behold: it is written, "And when the people saw that Moses delayed" (Shemot 32:1). Who are "the people?" HE ANSWERS: They are the mixed multitude. And who was the mixed multitude? Were they Ludim and Kushim and Kaftorim and Togarmin, who are called mixed multitude? They were Egyptian and traveled from Egypt. And if they were a mixture of many nations, it should have stated so. "And a mixed multitude went up also with them" (Shemot 12:38) - LUDIM, KUSHIM, ETC., according to their mixture.
60. HE ANSWERS: But THE VERSE SAYS, "And a mixed multitude went up also with them," YET DOES NOT MENTION THE NAMES OF THE NATIONS because they were all of one nation and one language. But all the magicians and sorcerers of Egypt were there, as it is written: "And the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner..." (Shemot 7:11), because they wanted to stand up against the wonders of the Holy One, blessed be He, AND SHOW THAT THEY ALSO COULD DO AS HE DOES. But when they saw the miracles and wonders that Moses performed in Egypt, they returned to Moses. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: 'Do not accept them.' Moses said: 'Master of the universe, since they saw Your mighty deeds they want to convert. Let them see Your mighty deeds every day and then they will know that there is no Elohim except You.' And Moses accepted them.
61. HE ASKS: Why did he call them a mixed multitude? HE ANSWERS: Because all the magicians of Egypt were present, and at their head were Yunus and Yambrus. They practiced magic FROM THE SIXTH HOUR after sunrise. The greater magicians would start to perform their magic at six-and-a-half hours after sunrise, when the sun started TO SET, until the beginning of nine-and-a-half hours, namely the full setting of the sun, WHEN IT IS TIME FOR EARLY MINCHAH. But all the minor magicians WOULD PRACTICE MAGIC from nine-and-a-half hours until midnight.
75. What did they do? They divided that gold between them, YUNUS AND YAMBRUS, AS MENTIONED EARLIER. One took two thirds and the other took one third. They rose with the sun at the sixth hour OF THE DAY, practiced their sorcery and employed their secret arts with verbal magic. Upon the beginning of the seventh hour, they both raised their hands to the hands of Aaron, as the words: "And he received the gold at their hand" (Shemot 32:4), refer to two and not more, NAMELY YUNUS AND YAMBRUS. As soon as he received from their hands, a voice came out and said: "They who join hands for wicked ends shall not go unpunished" (Mishlei 11:21). For it is written: "they are bent on mischief," (Shemot 32:22), MEANING, "AND AARON SAID...YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE, THAT THEY ARE BENT ON MISCHIEF" because he has brought evil into the world.
76. The secret of the matter is that these wicked sinners, magicians, were the sons of the evil Bilaam, the grandsons of the evil Laban. They saw that the Cup of Blessing, NAMELY MALCHUT, is on the right, and is always strengthened by the right, NAMELY FROM CHESED. They said: If the head of the right, NAMELY AARON, will be on this side, NAMELY THE OTHER SIDE, our strength and power will be as they should.
72. It is written: "And he received the gold at their hands, and fashioned it with a graving tool" (Ibid. 4). Aaron did not protect himself from the two wise men who were at the head of the mixed multitude. One of them was in front of them while the other one was performing his magic. After discussing it together, they took that gold, two thirds in the hand of one and a third in the hand of the other, because that is the way it has to be in this type of magic.
75. What did they do? They divided that gold between them, YUNUS AND YAMBRUS, AS MENTIONED EARLIER. One took two thirds and the other took one third. They rose with the sun at the sixth hour OF THE DAY, practiced their sorcery and employed their secret arts with verbal magic. Upon the beginning of the seventh hour, they both raised their hands to the hands of Aaron, as the words: "And he received the gold at their hand" (Shemot 32:4), refer to two and not more, NAMELY YUNUS AND YAMBRUS. As soon as he received from their hands, a voice came out and said: "They who join hands for wicked ends shall not go unpunished" (Mishlei 11:21). For it is written: "they are bent on mischief," (Shemot 32:22), MEANING, "AND AARON SAID...YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE, THAT THEY ARE BENT ON MISCHIEF" because he has brought evil into the world.
76. The secret of the matter is that these wicked sinners, magicians, were the sons of the evil Bilaam, the grandsons of the evil Laban. They saw that the Cup of Blessing, NAMELY MALCHUT, is on the right, and is always strengthened by the right, NAMELY FROM CHESED. They said: If the head of the right, NAMELY AARON, will be on this side, NAMELY THE OTHER SIDE, our strength and power will be as they should.
83. Now it can be asked, is not it written: "then I threw it into the fire" (Shemot 32:24), and DID nothing further, then "and there came out this calf" (Ibid.)? And yet you say that he "made it a golden calf?" HE ANSWERS: But heaven forbid that Aaron made THIS CALF, and the Torah proves it, as it is written: "And he took the calf which they had made" (Ibid. 20), AND IT IS NOT WRITTEN, 'WHICH HE HAD MADE'. It is written, "And he took the gold at their hand, and fashioned it." It means that by the power of these two, YUNUS AND YAMBRUS, everything was made, AND IT WAS as though AARON himself did it. But if these two had not been present THE CALF would not have been made, and would not have come out with skill. But who caused it to be made? These two, because while he was receiving it from their hand, they performed their magic and uttered incantations with their mouths, and drew a spirit from the Other Side.
84. They drew two spirits together, one from the Male and one from the Female. THE SPIRIT OF the Male was clothed in the form of an ox, and THE SPIRIT OF the Female in the form of an ass, and they were both combined into one. Why these two? The ox, as we have already learned, BECAUSE THE FIRST PRIMARY CAUSE OF INJURY OF THE OTHER SIDE IS CALLED 'AN OX'. BUT why an ass? HE ANSWERS: Because it is written of the Egyptian magicians that, "Whose flesh is as the flesh of donkeys" (Yechezkel 23:20).
85. Therefore, all those of Yisrael died who joined them, WITH THE MIXED MULTITUDE, in their hearts. And because there were two forms, AN OX AND AN ASS, it is written: "These are your Elohim, Yisrael" (Shemot 32:4), instead of 'this', IN THE SINGULAR, because the two were together. SIMILARLY, "that brought you up out of Egypt" (Ibid.), "brought you up OUT OF EGYPT" has a plural form, instead of singular.
86. "...and made it a molten calf, and they said..." It is not written: 'and he said', but rather, "and they said," because Aaron said nothing. We have learned that it weighed 125 Kanterin (a certain measurement.)
92. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Aaron, these two magicians drew you toward what they wanted. By your life, two of your sons will fall, and they will be seized for this sin. This is what is written, "And Hashem was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him" (Devarim 9:20). This refers to his sons, as is written, "Yet I destroyed his fruit from above" (Amos 2:9), because the fruits of a man are his children.
93. Come and behold: Aaron placed that altar, WHICH IS MALCHUT, before him, and put the calf, WHICH IS THE OTHER SIDE, behind him. But his sons placed the Other Side in front and returned the side of the Holiness back LIKE IN THE SIN OF THE CALF, as it is written, "and offered STRANGE FIRE before Hashem" (Vayikra 10:1). They put THE STRANGE FIRE, WHICH IS THE OTHER SIDE, "before Hashem." So we see that HIS SONS were caught for this sin OF THE GOLDEN CALF.
The exact details of these two guys or exactly what all they were responsible for really doesn’t matter that much, however what does matter is that we understand these two characters and the traditional background that Paul and Timothy obviously knew quite well. I firmly believe that since they’re mentioned by name and printed in our Bibles, then we should be familiar with them as well, if nothing else just to understand the reference and context. In this personal letter to that Paul wrote to his friend Timothy, we are given a better glimpse of the world that they lived in and the oral traditions that they observed. Obviously Paul only mentioned them because he knew that Timothy would understand his reference, so in order for us to have the best understanding of scripture, we need to understand them as well.
Maybe these infamous black magicians are mentioned, in connection with the last days, as a sign that the vast majority of the world will embrace the dark arts and will be deceived by Satan. I see this myself with all the Yoga and New Age junk floating around these popular culture these days. Beware of anything Hermetic or New Age, even if its teachings seem to be pure. One of the most deceptive gifts that The Adversary can offer us a knowledge of the spiritual realms and mystical wisdom. He scatters bits and pieces of truth amongst his crafty lies, he's very clever indeed. His teachings are only half-truths at best, just as they are described in the given exert below. This is a prefect example of what I'm talking about, taken from "The Kybalion" (which is attributed to Hermes or Hermes Trismegistus, who is also said to be the same entity as the Egyptian deity Thoth).
“Everything is Dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of opposites; like and unlike are the same; opposites are identical in nature, but different in degree; extremes meet; all truths are but half-truths; all paradoxes may be reconciled.” - The Kybalion
The statement above does indeed have some truth to it. The dual nature of things can be observed in everything from good and bad to day and night, so that much we know is true. It's that half truth shtuyot that bothers me as I know there are no half-truths in the Holy Bible. This is how The Adversary deceives a lot of those who are trying to better themselves, innocent people who are just awakening to the fact that there is something else out there that's way bigger than just this physical reality. These are are our brothers and sisters, and they're simply confused as far as which path to follow, they're lost just as we all once were. We must witness to them whenever the opportunity has been given to do so and to serve as a light to the nations, just as we've all been commanded to do. Satan is said to be the "Master of Confusion" and I certainly believe that as truth.
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." - John 14:6
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the LORD are true, and righteous altogether." - Psalm 19:9
"The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever." - Psalm 119:160
"The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." - Psalm 145:18
Much Love and Blessings!
חסד ושלום עליכם והרבה אהבה וברכות
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