Der Sturz des Teufels in der Urzeit Eine traditionsgeschichtliche Skizze zu einem Motiv frühjüdischer und frühchristlicher Theologie mit besonderer Berücksichtigung des Luzifermythos

The present article deals with Jewish, Christian and Gnostic traditions concerning the Devil's original fall at the beginning of time. These traditions must be distinguished from narratives about the eschatological fall of the Devil, which tend to be older than stories about his original fall. A survey of the narratives about the Devil's original fall is given, with particular attention assigned to the reconstruction of the historical tradition background of the Lucifer legend. A God/Devil dualism is only attested comparably late in these narratives. Therefore the conventional designation of the Devil as God's opponent should be avoided.