Leader of a gnostic sect, he taught that he was an incarnation of God.  He was the successor to Menahem who had been the actual instigator of what was to become the mission to the Gentiles.

He was the leader of the Magians of West Menasseh or Samaritans.  (West Menasseh, just north of Judah/Judea, hosted the town of Samaria and the Mediterranean port of Caesarea.)

He accepted Jesus as the true 'David' provided Jesus acted as a subordinate priest - Levite, a major political/personal mistake by Jesus. (JM, 110)

Dr Thiering ranks him as the most important figure of the time after Jesus.  He was a gifted Samaritan who blended Judaism and Greek philosophies with science.  

The Magus means Magician (the magician of Samaria) and he and Helena gained a following using/inferring magical powers.

No friend of Jerusalem and favouring war / zealotry, he naturally sided with the eastern, nationalistic Jews.

After John the Baptist died in September 31 AD (at the request of his mistress, Helena) Simon became Pope and adopted the Baptists' name of "the Voice".  

His enemies used names like "Satan" and  "Beelzebul" , the latter a name for a demonic power.

When Simon Magus' bitter enemy Agrippa 1 rose to power in 37 AD, a schism occurred with Simon Magus commencing a rival mission with the eastern Hebrews.  In 38 AD, the anti-Agrippa party starts its own (re)baptisms with Simon Magus as Pope in this schism.

Maybe 'bitter enemy' is an understatement (JM, 358) as Simon Magus arranged the poisoning of Agrippa 1 at 3 p.m. Friday 10 April 44 (with the approval of most of the ascetics).   

By 50 AD, Simon Magus was the head of all the eastern factions and arch enemy of the Christians, who had separated out from the peace Hellenists.  Simon Magus was  by then preaching essentially a rival Jewish-style faith to the Gentiles.

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