“The Herb Which Has Bitterness”: Readdressing the Gospel according to the Egyptians and Clement of Alexandria’s Anti-Encratite Interpretation

The extant fragments of the Greek Gospel according to the Egyptians, quoted by Clement of Alexandria, belong to a dialogue between Jesus and his disciple “Salome,” and deal with the issues of sexual intercourse, procreation, and gender differentiation. Following an overview of the fragments, this paper will focus on the enigmatic saying about “the herb which has bitterness” (str. 3.9.66.2), trying to shed new light on its meaning and especially on the sense and background (often overlooked) of the anti-Encratite interpretation given by Clement. The text will be examined in parallel with other passages from Clement’s works and with other literature as well, including ancient medical and botanical literature.