Trying to understand how this world function in our minds. Interrelation between physical and nonphysical entities.
Wednesday, 31 January 2018
THE EPIC OF GILGAMESH.
The description of a person who was treated as a renown hero in Ancient Mesopotamia is written in the first clay tablets found among the ruins of the temple library of the god Nabu (Nebo) at the palace of the king Ash'Ur'Banipal in Nineveh. The name of the character is Gilgamesh. The material contained in the tablets is very old and consists of numerous originally independent episodes that must have been current long before it spring into existence at later time when the Epic of Gilgamesh was woven together. Yet the arrogance, ruthlessness and depravity of the character were a subject of great concern for the people of Uruk (his kingdom). The Epic also contains some very indecent sections showing the vile, filthy and perverted side of the character. Yet the character is presented as the greatest and strongest hero that ever lived. The myth also says of him that he was 2/3 god and 1/3 man.
The Epic begins with 5 Sumerian poems about Gilgamesh, king of Uruk. The first few tablets of the compiled version known as the "Old Babylonian" dates to the 18th BC and is titled after the first few words of the text "Surpassing All Other Kings"(Shutur eli Sharri). The later version dates from the 13th to the 10th BC and bears the title "He Who Saw the Deep"(Sha Naqba Tmuru).
The first half of the story discusses the character of Gilgamek, king of Uruk. His people complained to the great god Anu, and the god instructed the goddess Ar'Ur'u to create another wild ox, half- man, half-animal, who would challenge him and distract his mind from all the filthy thinking that was going on. This wild man, Enkidu, who is covered in hair and lives in the wild with the animals, was spotted by a trapper, whose livelihood is being ruined because Enkidu is uprooting his traps. The trapper tells the sun-god Shamash about the man, and it is arranged for Enkidu to be seduced by Shamhat, a temple prostitute, his first step towards being tamed.
After Enkidu becomes civilized through sexual initiation (6 days and 7 nights), the man travels to Uruk, where he challenges Gilgamesh to a test of strength. Gilgamesh, two-thirds god and one-third man, wins and the two become friends. Gilgamesh proposes a journey to the Cedar Forest to slay the demi-god Humbaba in order to gain fame and renown. The leders give Gilgamesh advice for his journey. He visits his mother, the goddess Nin-Sun, who seeks the support and protection of the sun-god Shamash for their adventure. Nin-Sun adopts Enkidu as her son, and Gilgamesh leaves instructions for the governance of Uruk in his absence.
Gilgamesh and Enkidu journey to the Cedar Forest. Every few days they camp on a mountain, and perform a dream ritual. Gilgamesh has 5 terryfying dreams about falling mountains, thunderstorms, wild bulls, and a thunderbird that breathes fire. Despite similarities between his dream figures and earlier descriptions of Humbaba, Enkidu interprets these dreams as good omens. The heroes enter the Cedar Forest. Humbaba accuses Enkidu of betrayal, and vows to disembowel Gilgamesh and feed his flesh to the birds. The mountains quake with the tumult of the battle and the sky turns black. The god Shamash sends 13 winds to bind Humbaba, and he is captured. Humbaba curses them both and Gilgamesh dispatches him with a blow to the neck. The heroes cut down many cedars, including a gigantic tree that Enkidu plans to fashion into a gate for the temple of En-Lil. They build a raft and return home along the Euphrates with the giant tree and the head of Humbaba.
Then Gilgamesh rejects the advances of the goddess Ishtar because of her mistreatment of previous lovers. Ishtar asks her father Anu to send the Bull of heaven (Gugalanna), to avenge her. When her father rejects her complains, the goddess threatens to raise the death who will outnumber the living and devour them. Anu becomes frightened and gives in to her. Ishtar leads the Bull to Uruk and it causes a widespread devastation. It lowers the level of the Euphrates and dries up the marshes. It opens up huge pits that swallow 300 men. Without any divine assistance, both men attack and slay the Bull, and offer up its heart to Shamash. When Ishtar cries out, Enkidu hurls one of the hindquarters of the Bull at her. The city of Uruk celebrates, but Enkidu has an ominus dream about his future failure.
Uruk was an ancient city of Sumer and later Babylonia, situated in the Southern part of Mesopotamia, East of the present bed of the Euphrates River. The original site was South West of the ancient Euphrates, now dry. The change in position was caused by a shift in the Euphrates at some point in history contributing to the decline of Uruk. It is believed Uruk is the biblical Erech, the 2nd city founded by Nim-Rod in Shinar.
Uruk was the main force of urbanization and state formation (4,000-3200BC). This period of 800 years a shift from small, agricultural villages to a significantly larger and more complex urban center occurred with a full-time bureaucracy, military, and stratified society. Uruk culture exported by Summerian traders and colonists had an effect on all surrounding peoples, who gradually evolved their own comparable, competing economies and cultures.
Uruk's growth underpins geographical factors. Through the gradual domestication of grains from the Zagros Foothills and extensive irrigation techniques, the area supported a vast variety of edible food.
Although currently degraded through overgrazing and deforestation, the Zagros is still home to a complex flora. Remnants of the originally widespread oak-dominated woodland can still be found, as can the park-like pistachio/almond steppe-lands. The ancestors of many familiar foods, including wheat, barley, lentil, almond, walnut, pistachio, apricot, plum, pomegranate and grape can be found growing wild throughout the mountains.
In Enkidu's dream, the gods decide that one of the heroes must die because they killed Humbaba and the Bull (Gugalanna). Enkidu is marked for death. Enkidu curses the great door he has fashioned for En-Lil's temple. The also curses the trapper and Shamhat for removing him from the wild. The god tells him that Gilgamesh will bestow great honors upon him at his funeral, and will wander into the wild consumed by grief. Enkidu regrets his curses and blesses Shmahat. In a second dream, however, he sees himself being taken captive to the Netherworld by the Angel of Death. The underworld is a "house of dust" and darkness whose inhabitants eat clay, and are clothed in bird feathers, supervised by awful beings. For 12 days, Enkidu's condition worsens. Finally, after a lament that he could not meet a heroic death in battle, he dies.
Gilgamesh roams the wild wearing animal skins, grieving for Enkidu. Fearful of his own death, he decides to seek "the Faraway"(Utna-Pishtim), and learn the secret of eternal life. Among the survivors of the Great Flood, the Faraway and his wife are the only humans to have been granted immortality by the gods. Gilgamesh crosses a mountain pass at night and encounters a pride of lions. Before sleeping he prays for protection to the moon god Sin. Then, waking from an encouraging dream, he kills the lions and uses their skins for clothing. After a long journey, he arrives at the twin peaks of Mount Mashu at the end of he earth. He comes across a tunnel, which no man has ever entered, guarded by two terrible scorpion-men. After questioning him and recognizing his semi-divine nature, they allow him to enter it, and he passes under the mountains along the Road of the Sun. In complete darkness he follows the road for 12 "double hours," managing to complete the trip before the Sun catches up with him. He arrives at the Garden of the gods, a paradise full of jewel-laden trees.
Gilgamesh meets ale-wife (brewer woman), who assumes that he is a murderer or thief because of his disheveled appearance. She attempts to dissuade him from his quest, but sends him to the ferryman, Ur-Shanabi, who will help him to cross the sea of "the Faraway." He, out of spontaneous rage, destroys the stone-giants that live with "the Faraway." The ferryman informs him that he has just destroyed the only creatures who can cross the Waters of Death, which are deadly to touch. The ferryman instructs Gilgamesh to cut down 120 trees and fashion them into punting poles. When they reach the island where "the Faraway" lives, the creature reprimands him, declaring that fighting the common fate of humans is futile and diminishes life's joys.
Gilgamesh observes that 'the Faraway" seems no different from himself and asks him how he obtained his immortality. The Faraway explains that the gods decided to send a Great Flood. To save him the god Ea told the Faraway to built a boat. He gave precise dimensions, and it was sealed with pitch and bitumen. His entire family went aboard together with his craftsmen and all the animals of the field. A violent storm then arose which caused the terrified gods to retreat to the heavens. Ishtar lamented the wholesale destruction of humanity, and the other gods wept beside her. The storm lasted 6 days and nights, after which all the human beings turned to clay. His boat lodges on a mountain, and he releases a dove, a swallow, and a raven. When the raven fails to return, he opens the boat and frees everyone. The Faraway then offers a sacrifice to the gods, who smell the sweet flavor and gather around. Ishtar vows that just as she will never forget the brilliant necklace that hangs around her neck, she will always remember this time. When En-Lil arrives, angry that there are survivors, she condemns him for instigating the Flood. Ea also castigates En-Lil for sending a disproportionate punishement. En-Lil blesses Faraway and his wife, and rewards them with eternal life. It was a unique gift.
Gilgamesh weeps at the futulity of his efforts, because he lost all chance of immortality. He returns to Uruk.
The nations surely knew about the Creator, even though they had no respect for Him. The Name of God, in a civilization which is in rebellion against His rule, would be in a derisive form, not in its true form. The Epic is the description of the first "God is Dead" movement. The hero excited the population to such an affront and contempt of God, making them see a bold man and of great strength and perceive that it was his own courage which procured them happiness. The hero also persuaded them not to ascribe it to the Creator. The character also gradually changed the government into tyranny -seeing no other way for men to live a life, but to bring them into a constant dependence upon his own power.
Monday, 29 January 2018
THE SLEEPY HOLLOW VILLAGE.
The Sleepy Hollow is a village located on the East bank of the Hudson River, about 48 km/30mi North of New York City, in the town of Mount Pleasant, in Westchester County, New York.
The village is known to many via "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," a short story about the local area and its infamous specter, the Headless Horseman, written by Washington Irving, who lived in the area and is buried in the Sleepy Hollow cemetery. Owing to this story, as well as the village roots in early American folklore, Sleepy Hollow is considered to be one of the most haunted places in the world.
Numerous notable world people are buried in the burying ground of about 36 hectares (90acres). The churchyard of the Old Dutch Church, the colonial-era church that was a setting for the short story, is contiguous with but separated from the burying ground.
The Old Dutch Church is the second oldest church and the 15th oldest building in the state of new York, renovated after an 1837 fire. The17th-century stone church is located on the East side of Albany Post Road, just North of the downtown village. A wooded area to the South East buffers the church from the residential area in that direction. The building itself is a rectangular structure with thick field-stone walls. In its original bell, a verse from Romans 8:31 is engraved, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" and the initials of Frederick Philipse in it. He was the architect and financier of the church.
Approximately 100 meters/300 ft to the South of the church is the body of water (mill pond) at Philips'Burg Manor House. The Manor (farm house) dates from 1693, when Frederick Philipse was granted 21,000 hectares / 52,000 acres along the Hudson River by the British Crown. A facility was built at the confluence of the Pocantico and Hudson Rivers as a provisioning for the family due to their Atlantic trading and as headquarters for a worldwide shipping operation. For more than 30 years, he and his wife and later his son, shipped hundreds of African men, women, and children as slaves across the Atlantic. By the mid 18th century, the family had one of the largest slave-holdings in the colonial North.
The original land that would become Sleepy Hollow village was first bought from Adriaen van der Donck, a landholder in New Netherland, a 17th-century colony of the Dutch Republic before the English takeover in 1664. At the outbreak of the American Civil War, the Philipses supported the British, and their landholdings were seized and auctioned off.
The cemetery in the village is the final resting place of numerous famous figures, including Washington Irving, the author of the short story "the legend of Sleepy Hollow." Among them we find the following:
-Viola Allen (October 27, 1867-May 9,1948) an American stage actress who played leading roles in Shakespeare and other plays.
-John Dustin Archbold (July 26, 1848-December 6,1916) one of the United States' earliest oil refiners. He rose rapidly at John Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company handling many of the complex secret negotiations over the years.
-Elizabeth Arden (Florence Nightingale Graham) (December 31,1878-October 18,1966), a Canadian-born American businesswoman who built a cosmetics empire in the United States. She was the sole owner, and at the peak of her carrier, one of the wealthiest women in the world.
The Rockefeller family estate (Kykuit), whose grounds have a common boundary or frontier with the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, contains the private Rockefeller cemetery.
The village is known to many via "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow," a short story about the local area and its infamous specter, the Headless Horseman, written by Washington Irving, who lived in the area and is buried in the Sleepy Hollow cemetery. Owing to this story, as well as the village roots in early American folklore, Sleepy Hollow is considered to be one of the most haunted places in the world.
Numerous notable world people are buried in the burying ground of about 36 hectares (90acres). The churchyard of the Old Dutch Church, the colonial-era church that was a setting for the short story, is contiguous with but separated from the burying ground.
The Old Dutch Church is the second oldest church and the 15th oldest building in the state of new York, renovated after an 1837 fire. The17th-century stone church is located on the East side of Albany Post Road, just North of the downtown village. A wooded area to the South East buffers the church from the residential area in that direction. The building itself is a rectangular structure with thick field-stone walls. In its original bell, a verse from Romans 8:31 is engraved, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" and the initials of Frederick Philipse in it. He was the architect and financier of the church.
Approximately 100 meters/300 ft to the South of the church is the body of water (mill pond) at Philips'Burg Manor House. The Manor (farm house) dates from 1693, when Frederick Philipse was granted 21,000 hectares / 52,000 acres along the Hudson River by the British Crown. A facility was built at the confluence of the Pocantico and Hudson Rivers as a provisioning for the family due to their Atlantic trading and as headquarters for a worldwide shipping operation. For more than 30 years, he and his wife and later his son, shipped hundreds of African men, women, and children as slaves across the Atlantic. By the mid 18th century, the family had one of the largest slave-holdings in the colonial North.
The original land that would become Sleepy Hollow village was first bought from Adriaen van der Donck, a landholder in New Netherland, a 17th-century colony of the Dutch Republic before the English takeover in 1664. At the outbreak of the American Civil War, the Philipses supported the British, and their landholdings were seized and auctioned off.
The cemetery in the village is the final resting place of numerous famous figures, including Washington Irving, the author of the short story "the legend of Sleepy Hollow." Among them we find the following:
-Viola Allen (October 27, 1867-May 9,1948) an American stage actress who played leading roles in Shakespeare and other plays.
-John Dustin Archbold (July 26, 1848-December 6,1916) one of the United States' earliest oil refiners. He rose rapidly at John Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company handling many of the complex secret negotiations over the years.
-Elizabeth Arden (Florence Nightingale Graham) (December 31,1878-October 18,1966), a Canadian-born American businesswoman who built a cosmetics empire in the United States. She was the sole owner, and at the peak of her carrier, one of the wealthiest women in the world.
The Rockefeller family estate (Kykuit), whose grounds have a common boundary or frontier with the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, contains the private Rockefeller cemetery.
Thursday, 25 January 2018
THE CHALDEAN PRACTICE OF LIVER-READING.
The practice of liver-reading by means of augury was a rite of major importance among the ancient Chaldeans. It was undertaken for the purpose of determining what the heavenly entities had in mind. This was absolute distinct from predestination by astrology.
The favorite method of augury among the ancient Chaldeans was the examination of the liver of a slaughtered animal. It was thought that when an animal was offered up in sacrifice to a heavenly entity that the deity identified himself for the time being with the animal, and the beast thus afforded a means of indicating the wishes of the heavenly entity. The soul of the animal became the soul of the god, therefore if the signs of the liver of the sacrificed animal cold be read, the mind of the deity became clear, and his intentions regarding any matter were known.
Among the Chaldeans the common belief was that the soul was almost invariable resided in the liver instead of in the heart or brain. The liver was, in fact, supposed to be the fountain of the flesh, the blood supply, and therefore the fountain of life itself.
More blood is secreted by the liver than by any other organ in the body, and upon the opening of a carcass the liver appears as the most striking organ, the most central, and the most sanguinary of the vital parts.
The animal usually sacrificed was a sheep without blemish, the liver of which is the most complicated in appearance among the animal kingdom. The two lower lobes are sharply divided from one another and are separated from the upper by a narrow depression, and the whole surface is covered with markings and fissures, lines and curves which give to the liver much the appearance of a map on which roads and valleys are outlined. This apply to the fleshy excised liver only, and these markings are never the same in any two livers.
Certain priests were set apart for the practice of liver-reading, and these priests were exceedingly experts, being able to decipher the signs with great skill. The manner of slaughtering the sheep and the examination of its liver was done with the most meticulous care. They first examined the gall-bladder, which might be reduced or swollen. They inferred various circumstances from the several ducts and the shapes and sizes of the lobes and their appendices. Sometimes the signs were doubtful, and upon such occasions a second sheep was sacrificed. Diseases of the liver, too, particularly common among sheep in all countries, were even more frequent among these animals in the marshy portions of the Euphrates Valley.
The literature connected with the augury is very extensive, and Assur-Bani-Pal's library contained thousands of fragments describing the omens deduced from the practice. These enumerated the chief appearances of the liver, as the shade of the color of the gall, the length of the ducts, and so forth.
The lobes were divided into sections, lower, medial, and higher, and the interpretation varied from the phenomena therein observed. The markings of the liver possessed various names, such as "palaces," "weapons," "paths," and "feet." Peculiar signs, when they were found connected with events of importance, were specially noted and handed down from generation to generation of readers.
Later in the progress of the art the various combinations of signs came to be known so well, and there were so many cuneiform texts in existence which afforded instruction in them. The liver-reading is a very complicated art in its deeper significance.
One of the earliest instances on record of liver-reading is that regarding Naram-Sin, who consulted a sheep's liver before declaring war. Sargon did likewise, and Gudea is found too applying to his liver inspectors when attempting to discover a favorable time for laying the foundations of the temple of Nin-Girsu. Throughout the whole history of Babylonian monarchy in fact, from its early beginnings to its end, we find this system in vogue.
The favorite method of augury among the ancient Chaldeans was the examination of the liver of a slaughtered animal. It was thought that when an animal was offered up in sacrifice to a heavenly entity that the deity identified himself for the time being with the animal, and the beast thus afforded a means of indicating the wishes of the heavenly entity. The soul of the animal became the soul of the god, therefore if the signs of the liver of the sacrificed animal cold be read, the mind of the deity became clear, and his intentions regarding any matter were known.
Among the Chaldeans the common belief was that the soul was almost invariable resided in the liver instead of in the heart or brain. The liver was, in fact, supposed to be the fountain of the flesh, the blood supply, and therefore the fountain of life itself.
More blood is secreted by the liver than by any other organ in the body, and upon the opening of a carcass the liver appears as the most striking organ, the most central, and the most sanguinary of the vital parts.
The animal usually sacrificed was a sheep without blemish, the liver of which is the most complicated in appearance among the animal kingdom. The two lower lobes are sharply divided from one another and are separated from the upper by a narrow depression, and the whole surface is covered with markings and fissures, lines and curves which give to the liver much the appearance of a map on which roads and valleys are outlined. This apply to the fleshy excised liver only, and these markings are never the same in any two livers.
Certain priests were set apart for the practice of liver-reading, and these priests were exceedingly experts, being able to decipher the signs with great skill. The manner of slaughtering the sheep and the examination of its liver was done with the most meticulous care. They first examined the gall-bladder, which might be reduced or swollen. They inferred various circumstances from the several ducts and the shapes and sizes of the lobes and their appendices. Sometimes the signs were doubtful, and upon such occasions a second sheep was sacrificed. Diseases of the liver, too, particularly common among sheep in all countries, were even more frequent among these animals in the marshy portions of the Euphrates Valley.
The literature connected with the augury is very extensive, and Assur-Bani-Pal's library contained thousands of fragments describing the omens deduced from the practice. These enumerated the chief appearances of the liver, as the shade of the color of the gall, the length of the ducts, and so forth.
The lobes were divided into sections, lower, medial, and higher, and the interpretation varied from the phenomena therein observed. The markings of the liver possessed various names, such as "palaces," "weapons," "paths," and "feet." Peculiar signs, when they were found connected with events of importance, were specially noted and handed down from generation to generation of readers.
Later in the progress of the art the various combinations of signs came to be known so well, and there were so many cuneiform texts in existence which afforded instruction in them. The liver-reading is a very complicated art in its deeper significance.
One of the earliest instances on record of liver-reading is that regarding Naram-Sin, who consulted a sheep's liver before declaring war. Sargon did likewise, and Gudea is found too applying to his liver inspectors when attempting to discover a favorable time for laying the foundations of the temple of Nin-Girsu. Throughout the whole history of Babylonian monarchy in fact, from its early beginnings to its end, we find this system in vogue.
BABYLONIAN DEMON GODS.
Babylonian demons were legions and most of them exceedingly malevolent. Many of the Babylonian gods retained traces of their primeval demoniacal characteristics, and this applies to a great triad, Ea, Anu, and En-lil, who evolved into a godhead from an animistic group of nature spirits. Each of these gods was accompanied by demon groups. An infinite number of guardian spirits is included in the demonological system. These dwell in houses and are the tutelars of village communities and clans. Thus the disease-demons were the beloved sons of Bel, the fates were the 7 daughters of Anu, and the 7 storm-demons were the children of Ea.
In the art which claims control of the secret forces of nature by ritualistic methods, an extremely prudent, cautious, attentive and discreet role was developed towards the consequence of one's behavior. The description of the primeval form of Ea was done as follows: his head like a serpent's, the ears as those of a lizard, his horns twisted into curls, his body as a sun-fish full of stars, his feet armed with claws, and the sole of his foot with no heel.
Ea was the great magician of the gods; his sway over the forces of nature was secured by the performance of rites, and his services were obtained by human beings who performed requisite ceremonies and repeated appropriate hymns. Although he might be worshiped and propitiated in his temple at Eridu, he could also be summoned in mud huts.
Ura, is said to be the demon of disease. Once he made up his mind to destroy mankind, but Ishnu, his counsellor, appeased him and gave humanity a chance of escape. Whoever praise Ura and magnified his name would rule the 4 quarters of the world, and should have none to oppose him.He should not die in pestilence, and his speech should bring him into favor with the great ones of the earth. Wherever a tablet with the song of Ura was set up, in that house or nation there should be immunity from the pestilence.
Many Assyrian spirits were half-human and half-supernatural, and some of them supposedly contracted unions with human beings. The offspring of such unions was a spirit called Alu, which haunted ruins and deserted buildings and entered houses of men like a ghost to steal their sleep. A ghost had the ability to drain away the strength of the living.
An old text says, "When a ghost appeared in the house of a living man there were destruction of that house. When it spoke and hearken for an answer, the man was suppose to die, and lamentation came after."
In the closing lines of the epic of Gilgamesh, we read that the dead were left unburied and their ghosts haunted the living until given proper sepulture. They roamed the streets looking for houses in which to dwell. They frequently terrified children (weak souls) into madness or death, and bitterly mocked those in tribulation. They were the outcast of mortality, spiteful and venomous because they had not been properly treated. It was dangerous even to look upon a corpse, lest the spirit of the dead man should seize upon the beholder.
The Utukku, an evil spirit lurked generally in the desert, laying in wait for unsuspecting travelers. The travelers of today are the ones who without knowing enter the realm of many evil spirits that are waiting for them when they are initiated in the consumption of any type of hallucinogen.
The evil spirit does not confine its haunt to the more barren places, for it is also to be found among the mountains (greedy and proud souls), in graveyards (wicked souls), and even in the sea (materialistic souls). An evil fate befell the man upon whom it looks.
The Labartu, a feminine evil spirit, is spoken of as the daughter of Anu. She is suppose to dwell in the mountains or in marshy places, and is particular addicted to the destruction of children.
The belief in "taboo" was universal in ancient Chaldea. There were taboos on many things, but especially among corpses and uncleanness of all kinds. The taboo is found alluded into a text "as the barrier that none can pass." The taboo is usually intended to hedge into the sacred thing from a profane person or common people, but it also can be employed for sanitary reasons. Thus the flesh of certain animals, such as the pig, may not be eaten in hot countries. Food must not be prepared by those who are in the slightest degree suspected of uncleanness. These laws were usually of the most rigorous character. If a man violated the taboo placed upon certain foods, then he himself became taboo. No one had anything to do with him. He was left to his own devices, and, in short, became a sort of pariah.
Because of the belief in the power of supernatural forces, anyone who came into contact with a person who was in any way unclean, or with a corpse or other unpleasant object, he was supposed to come within the radius of the evil which emanated from it.
In the art which claims control of the secret forces of nature by ritualistic methods, an extremely prudent, cautious, attentive and discreet role was developed towards the consequence of one's behavior. The description of the primeval form of Ea was done as follows: his head like a serpent's, the ears as those of a lizard, his horns twisted into curls, his body as a sun-fish full of stars, his feet armed with claws, and the sole of his foot with no heel.
Ea was the great magician of the gods; his sway over the forces of nature was secured by the performance of rites, and his services were obtained by human beings who performed requisite ceremonies and repeated appropriate hymns. Although he might be worshiped and propitiated in his temple at Eridu, he could also be summoned in mud huts.
Ura, is said to be the demon of disease. Once he made up his mind to destroy mankind, but Ishnu, his counsellor, appeased him and gave humanity a chance of escape. Whoever praise Ura and magnified his name would rule the 4 quarters of the world, and should have none to oppose him.He should not die in pestilence, and his speech should bring him into favor with the great ones of the earth. Wherever a tablet with the song of Ura was set up, in that house or nation there should be immunity from the pestilence.
Many Assyrian spirits were half-human and half-supernatural, and some of them supposedly contracted unions with human beings. The offspring of such unions was a spirit called Alu, which haunted ruins and deserted buildings and entered houses of men like a ghost to steal their sleep. A ghost had the ability to drain away the strength of the living.
An old text says, "When a ghost appeared in the house of a living man there were destruction of that house. When it spoke and hearken for an answer, the man was suppose to die, and lamentation came after."
In the closing lines of the epic of Gilgamesh, we read that the dead were left unburied and their ghosts haunted the living until given proper sepulture. They roamed the streets looking for houses in which to dwell. They frequently terrified children (weak souls) into madness or death, and bitterly mocked those in tribulation. They were the outcast of mortality, spiteful and venomous because they had not been properly treated. It was dangerous even to look upon a corpse, lest the spirit of the dead man should seize upon the beholder.
The Utukku, an evil spirit lurked generally in the desert, laying in wait for unsuspecting travelers. The travelers of today are the ones who without knowing enter the realm of many evil spirits that are waiting for them when they are initiated in the consumption of any type of hallucinogen.
The evil spirit does not confine its haunt to the more barren places, for it is also to be found among the mountains (greedy and proud souls), in graveyards (wicked souls), and even in the sea (materialistic souls). An evil fate befell the man upon whom it looks.
The Labartu, a feminine evil spirit, is spoken of as the daughter of Anu. She is suppose to dwell in the mountains or in marshy places, and is particular addicted to the destruction of children.
The belief in "taboo" was universal in ancient Chaldea. There were taboos on many things, but especially among corpses and uncleanness of all kinds. The taboo is found alluded into a text "as the barrier that none can pass." The taboo is usually intended to hedge into the sacred thing from a profane person or common people, but it also can be employed for sanitary reasons. Thus the flesh of certain animals, such as the pig, may not be eaten in hot countries. Food must not be prepared by those who are in the slightest degree suspected of uncleanness. These laws were usually of the most rigorous character. If a man violated the taboo placed upon certain foods, then he himself became taboo. No one had anything to do with him. He was left to his own devices, and, in short, became a sort of pariah.
Because of the belief in the power of supernatural forces, anyone who came into contact with a person who was in any way unclean, or with a corpse or other unpleasant object, he was supposed to come within the radius of the evil which emanated from it.
Wednesday, 24 January 2018
RACHEL AND HER FATHER' s IMAGES..
The earliest Biblical account of anything connected with magic, is to be found in the history of Rachel, daughter of Laban (grandson of Abram's brother Nahor) the Syrian, younger sister of Leah, and Jacob's first cousin and preferred wife. (Genesis 29)
An Aramaic translation paraphrase the account in this way: "And Rachel stole the images of her father, for the images had murdered a man, who was a first-born son, and, having cut off the man's head, the images embalmed it with salt and spices, and the images wrote divinations upon a plate of gold, and put it under his tongue and placed it against the wall, and it conversed with them, and Laban, the Syrian worshiped it. And Rachel stole the science of her father, that he might not discover Jacob's departure.
The Persian translation gives to the images a name "astrolabes"and implies that they were instruments used for judicial astrology, and that Rachel stole them to prevent her father from discovering their route. At all events the images were means of prediction or divination among believers and unbelievers; they were known among the Egyptians and among Syrians. The images were not objects of religious worship since they do not appear from any other passage of Scripture that Laban was an idolater. The fact that Rachel took them seems, on account of their supposed supernatural powers. There is a not very dissimilar account related in the Book of Judges (chapter 18) of Micah and his images, which seems sufficient to prove that the use of them was not inconsistent with the profession of true religion.
According to the Scripture, Jacob, at the time of the account, fled from his murderous brother Esau, traveling to Haran in Paddan-Aram, in "the land of the Orientals." (Genesis 28)
Rachel, a girl "beautiful in form and beautiful of countenance,"served as a shepherdess for her father Laban the Syrian and she met Jacob at a well near Haran.
Jacob was received into his uncle's household and one month later agreed to serve Laban 7 years in order to marry Rachel, with whom he was now in love. On his wedding night, his uncle substituted Rachel with the older sister Leah. Accused of trickery by Jacob, Laban appealed to local custom as an excuse for his conduct. Jacob agreed to carry out a full marriage week with Leah before receiving Rachel and thereafter to work another 7 years for Laban. Jacob was now ready to depart from Haran, in "the land of the Orientals" but his father-in law prevailed upon him to remain longer, and it was 6 years later that at God's direction, Jacob pulled away. Due to Laban's double-dealing methods, Jacob did not advise him of his departure and both Leah and Rachel were in agreement with him in doing this. Before leaving, Rachel stole her father's images, used for magic purposes.
Abram, the first of the Old Testament Patriarchs, son of Terah was born in Ur of the Chaldees, and was given the name of Abraham, meaning "father of many nations," when God made a Covenant with him, promising that his descendants should inherit Canaan, the "Promised Land." Abram came to believe in one God by reflecting on the nature of the universe.
According to a legend, Abram was told to sell images made by his father Terah, but smashed them as a sign that he would no longer be associated with them. Obeying God's command, he later left Haran, where Terah and his family had settled, taking with him his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot and other members of his family to Canaan. Abraham, Nahor, and Ham, were brothers, and descendants of Terah. Terah's father was also named Nahor and was the son of Serug and descendant of Shem.
Nahor (Abram's brother), married Milcah, Lot's sister, and daughter of his brother Haran, hence niece of Nahor. By Milcah he had 8 sons and by his concubine Reumah he had 4 more sons, totalling 12, some of whom became tribal heads. (Genesis 11, 22) Through his son Beth'Uel, Nahor became grandfather to Laban and Rebekah and great-grandfather of Leah, Rachel, Jacob, and Esau. (Genesis 24, 29; 1 Chron.1) Through his sons Uz, and Buz, Nahor may have also been a forefather of Job and Elibu. (Job1, 32)
The Genesis account of Terah and Abram leaving Ur of the Chaldees does not include Nahor's name in the list of travelers. It does seem, however, that he may have come later, for Abraham's servant came to "the city of Nahor," seeking a wife for Isaac, traveled to Haran, where Terah took up dwelling and died and where Nahor's grandson Laban lived when Jacob went to him. (Genesis 11, 12, 27)
When Jacob parted company from Laban, before leaving, Rachel stole her father's images. Laban later caught up with the group and made known the theft of his images. Jacob, unaware of Rachel's guilt, showed his disapproval of the act itself, decreeing death for the offender if found among his entourage. Laban's search led into Rachel's tent but she avoided exposure, claiming to be indisposed due to her menstrual period, while remaining seated on the saddlebags where the images were. (Genesis 30) The few details recorded can give a partial picture of Rachel's personality, showing her shrewdness in avoiding detection even to her own husband and partly attributable to her family background. Whatever her weakness, she was dearly loved by Jacob, who, even in old age, viewed her as having been his true loving wife and prized her children over all his other. Laban, then, made a covenant of family peace with Jacob and called on "the god of Abraham and the god of Nahor" to judge between them. To memorialize it, a stone pillar and a heap of stones were set up. Using Hebrew, Jacob called the heap of stones Galeed, meaning "Witness heap." Laban, using an Aramaic or Syrian expression having the same meaning called it Jegar-Sahadutha. (Genesis 31) It was also called "The Watchtower." After bidding his grandchildren and daughters farewell, Laban returned home, and the Scripture makes no further mention of him.
After returning to the land of his fathers and meeting his brother Esau, Jacob showed his continued preference for Rachel. After dwelling for a time in Succoth, then in Shechem and finally in Bethel, Jacob headed farther South. Somewhere between Bethel and Bethlehem, Rachel gave birth to her 2nd son, and she named him Benoni but Jacob immediately changed the name to Benjamin. She died in childbearing and was buried there, and Jacob erected a pillar to mark the grave. (Genesis 33; 35)
The name Haran (meaning mountaineer) in Northern Mesopotamia embraced the surrounding area. Haran is listed among the nations conquered by the kings of Assyria. (2 Kings 19; Isaiah 37) Also the Assyrian King Sennacherib, trying to intimidate Judean King Hezekiah, boasted about his forefathers' conquest of Haran and other places. Assyrian sources refer to Haran as "Harranu" meaning "road," because of being on the route linking it with cities such as Nineveh, Asshur, Babylon, and Tyre, as well as the land of Egypt. (Ezekiel 27)
Rachel's grave site in the territory of Benjamin at Zeizah was still known in Samuel's time, some six centuries later, on regards of the evil desire of the people of Israel in having a king instead of having God as a supreme King. At Jeremiah (chapter 31) Rachel is depicted as weeping over her sons who have been carried into the land of the enemy, her lamentation being heard in Ramah (North of Jerusalem in the territory of Benjamin). Rachel's being the mother not only of Joseph but also of Benjamin, whose tribe formed part of the Southern kingdom of Judah, make her a fitting symbol of the mothers of all Israel, whose their bringing forth sons now seemed to have been in vain. God's promise, however, was that the exiles would certainly return from the land of the enemy. (Jeremiah 31)
An Aramaic translation paraphrase the account in this way: "And Rachel stole the images of her father, for the images had murdered a man, who was a first-born son, and, having cut off the man's head, the images embalmed it with salt and spices, and the images wrote divinations upon a plate of gold, and put it under his tongue and placed it against the wall, and it conversed with them, and Laban, the Syrian worshiped it. And Rachel stole the science of her father, that he might not discover Jacob's departure.
The Persian translation gives to the images a name "astrolabes"and implies that they were instruments used for judicial astrology, and that Rachel stole them to prevent her father from discovering their route. At all events the images were means of prediction or divination among believers and unbelievers; they were known among the Egyptians and among Syrians. The images were not objects of religious worship since they do not appear from any other passage of Scripture that Laban was an idolater. The fact that Rachel took them seems, on account of their supposed supernatural powers. There is a not very dissimilar account related in the Book of Judges (chapter 18) of Micah and his images, which seems sufficient to prove that the use of them was not inconsistent with the profession of true religion.
According to the Scripture, Jacob, at the time of the account, fled from his murderous brother Esau, traveling to Haran in Paddan-Aram, in "the land of the Orientals." (Genesis 28)
Rachel, a girl "beautiful in form and beautiful of countenance,"served as a shepherdess for her father Laban the Syrian and she met Jacob at a well near Haran.
Jacob was received into his uncle's household and one month later agreed to serve Laban 7 years in order to marry Rachel, with whom he was now in love. On his wedding night, his uncle substituted Rachel with the older sister Leah. Accused of trickery by Jacob, Laban appealed to local custom as an excuse for his conduct. Jacob agreed to carry out a full marriage week with Leah before receiving Rachel and thereafter to work another 7 years for Laban. Jacob was now ready to depart from Haran, in "the land of the Orientals" but his father-in law prevailed upon him to remain longer, and it was 6 years later that at God's direction, Jacob pulled away. Due to Laban's double-dealing methods, Jacob did not advise him of his departure and both Leah and Rachel were in agreement with him in doing this. Before leaving, Rachel stole her father's images, used for magic purposes.
Abram, the first of the Old Testament Patriarchs, son of Terah was born in Ur of the Chaldees, and was given the name of Abraham, meaning "father of many nations," when God made a Covenant with him, promising that his descendants should inherit Canaan, the "Promised Land." Abram came to believe in one God by reflecting on the nature of the universe.
According to a legend, Abram was told to sell images made by his father Terah, but smashed them as a sign that he would no longer be associated with them. Obeying God's command, he later left Haran, where Terah and his family had settled, taking with him his wife Sarah, his nephew Lot and other members of his family to Canaan. Abraham, Nahor, and Ham, were brothers, and descendants of Terah. Terah's father was also named Nahor and was the son of Serug and descendant of Shem.
Nahor (Abram's brother), married Milcah, Lot's sister, and daughter of his brother Haran, hence niece of Nahor. By Milcah he had 8 sons and by his concubine Reumah he had 4 more sons, totalling 12, some of whom became tribal heads. (Genesis 11, 22) Through his son Beth'Uel, Nahor became grandfather to Laban and Rebekah and great-grandfather of Leah, Rachel, Jacob, and Esau. (Genesis 24, 29; 1 Chron.1) Through his sons Uz, and Buz, Nahor may have also been a forefather of Job and Elibu. (Job1, 32)
The Genesis account of Terah and Abram leaving Ur of the Chaldees does not include Nahor's name in the list of travelers. It does seem, however, that he may have come later, for Abraham's servant came to "the city of Nahor," seeking a wife for Isaac, traveled to Haran, where Terah took up dwelling and died and where Nahor's grandson Laban lived when Jacob went to him. (Genesis 11, 12, 27)
When Jacob parted company from Laban, before leaving, Rachel stole her father's images. Laban later caught up with the group and made known the theft of his images. Jacob, unaware of Rachel's guilt, showed his disapproval of the act itself, decreeing death for the offender if found among his entourage. Laban's search led into Rachel's tent but she avoided exposure, claiming to be indisposed due to her menstrual period, while remaining seated on the saddlebags where the images were. (Genesis 30) The few details recorded can give a partial picture of Rachel's personality, showing her shrewdness in avoiding detection even to her own husband and partly attributable to her family background. Whatever her weakness, she was dearly loved by Jacob, who, even in old age, viewed her as having been his true loving wife and prized her children over all his other. Laban, then, made a covenant of family peace with Jacob and called on "the god of Abraham and the god of Nahor" to judge between them. To memorialize it, a stone pillar and a heap of stones were set up. Using Hebrew, Jacob called the heap of stones Galeed, meaning "Witness heap." Laban, using an Aramaic or Syrian expression having the same meaning called it Jegar-Sahadutha. (Genesis 31) It was also called "The Watchtower." After bidding his grandchildren and daughters farewell, Laban returned home, and the Scripture makes no further mention of him.
After returning to the land of his fathers and meeting his brother Esau, Jacob showed his continued preference for Rachel. After dwelling for a time in Succoth, then in Shechem and finally in Bethel, Jacob headed farther South. Somewhere between Bethel and Bethlehem, Rachel gave birth to her 2nd son, and she named him Benoni but Jacob immediately changed the name to Benjamin. She died in childbearing and was buried there, and Jacob erected a pillar to mark the grave. (Genesis 33; 35)
The name Haran (meaning mountaineer) in Northern Mesopotamia embraced the surrounding area. Haran is listed among the nations conquered by the kings of Assyria. (2 Kings 19; Isaiah 37) Also the Assyrian King Sennacherib, trying to intimidate Judean King Hezekiah, boasted about his forefathers' conquest of Haran and other places. Assyrian sources refer to Haran as "Harranu" meaning "road," because of being on the route linking it with cities such as Nineveh, Asshur, Babylon, and Tyre, as well as the land of Egypt. (Ezekiel 27)
Rachel's grave site in the territory of Benjamin at Zeizah was still known in Samuel's time, some six centuries later, on regards of the evil desire of the people of Israel in having a king instead of having God as a supreme King. At Jeremiah (chapter 31) Rachel is depicted as weeping over her sons who have been carried into the land of the enemy, her lamentation being heard in Ramah (North of Jerusalem in the territory of Benjamin). Rachel's being the mother not only of Joseph but also of Benjamin, whose tribe formed part of the Southern kingdom of Judah, make her a fitting symbol of the mothers of all Israel, whose their bringing forth sons now seemed to have been in vain. God's promise, however, was that the exiles would certainly return from the land of the enemy. (Jeremiah 31)
THE HOMETOWN OF UR IN BABYLONIA.
Terah, son of Nahor, son of Serug, and father of Abram, all descendants of Shem's son Ar'Pachshad.
Ar'Pachshad was one of the 5 sons of Shem, eldest son of Noah, and his brothers were Elam, Asshur, Lud, and Aram. Ar'Pachshad is said to have been born two years after the Flood, when Shem was 100.
In the Masoretic text, used as the basis for translations of the Old Testament in Protestant Bibles such as the King James Version and American Standard Version, says, that Serug was 30 when Nahor was born, and lived another 200 years, making his age at death 230.
The Book of Jubilees, well known to early Christians, as evidenced by the writings of Origen, gives the name of Serug's mother, Ora, and wife Milcah. It also states that his original name was Seroh, but it was changed to Serug in the time when Noah's children began to fight wars, and the city of Ur Kesdim (Ur of the Chaldees) was built, where Serug and his descendants lived. It also says that this Serug was the first of the patriarchal line to abandon the Law of God and turn to idol worship, teaching sorcery to his son Nahor. The Chaldeans scarcely discriminated between religion and magic. One difference between religious priests and magicians was that the one employed supernatural powers for religious purposes and the other used it for his own needs. The magical practices received from primeval times were developed into accepted rituals, just as primeval religious ideas evolved into dogmas under the stress of controversy and opinion. As there were men who would dispute upon religious questions, so were the persons who would discuss magical matters. It is only when they begin to evolve, to branch out, that the two systems present differences. The ethical element does not enter into the magic world as it does into true religion.
The scripture mentions in Genesis the descendants of Terah, father of Abram in this way: "These are the descendants of Terah, who was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot, and Haran died in his hometown of Ur in Babylonia, while his father was still living." (11: 27-28)
Ur is mentioned three more times in the Scripture:
-Genesis 11:31, "Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, who was the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, Abram's wife, and with them he left the city of Ur in Babylonia to go to the Land of Canaan. They went as far as Haran and settled there. Terah died there at the age of 205.
-Genesis 15:1-7, "After this (Abram rescues Lot and received Melchizedek's blessing), Abram had a vision and heard the Lord say to him, 'Do not be afraid, Abram, I will shield you from danger and give you a great reward.' But Abram answered, 'Sovereign Lord, what good will your reward do me, since I have no children? My only heir is Eliezer of Damascus. You have given me no children, and one of my slaves will inherit my property.' Then Abram heard the Lord speaking to him again, 'This slave Eleazer will not inherit your property; your own son will be your heir.' The Lord took Abram outside and said, 'Look at the sky and try to count the stars; you will have as many descendants as that.' Abram put his trust in the Lord, and because of this the Lord was pleased with him. Then the Lord said to him, 'I Am the Lord, Who led you out of Ur in Babylonia, to give you this Land as your own.'"
-Nehemiah 9, "On the 24th Day of the 7th Month the people of Israel gathered to fast in order to show sorrow for their sins. They had already separated themselves from all foreigners. They wore sackcloth and put dust on their heads as signs of grief. Then they stood and began to confess the sins that they and their ancestors had committed. For about 3 hours the Law of the Lord their God was read to them, and for the next 3 hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God. (9:1-3)
There was a platform for the Levites, and on it stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani. They prayed aloud to the Lord their God. " (9:4)
"The following Levites gave a call to worship: Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hash-Abneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said: 'Stand up and praise the Lord your God; praise Him forever and ever! Let everyone praise His glorious Name, although no human praise is great enough.'
And then the people of Israel prayed this prayer: 'You, Lord, You alone are Lord; You made the heavens and the stars of the sky. You made land and sea and everything in them; You gave life to all.
The heavenly powers bow down and worship You.' " (9:5-6)
"You, Lord God, chose Abram and led him out of Ur in Babylonia; You changed his name to Abraham. You found that he was faithful to You, and You made a Covenant with him. You promised to give him the Land of the Canaanites, the Land of the Hittites and the Amorites, the Land of the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Girgashites, to be a Land where his descendants would live. You kept Your promise, because You are faithful." (9:7-8) ...
Ar'Pachshad was one of the 5 sons of Shem, eldest son of Noah, and his brothers were Elam, Asshur, Lud, and Aram. Ar'Pachshad is said to have been born two years after the Flood, when Shem was 100.
In the Masoretic text, used as the basis for translations of the Old Testament in Protestant Bibles such as the King James Version and American Standard Version, says, that Serug was 30 when Nahor was born, and lived another 200 years, making his age at death 230.
The Book of Jubilees, well known to early Christians, as evidenced by the writings of Origen, gives the name of Serug's mother, Ora, and wife Milcah. It also states that his original name was Seroh, but it was changed to Serug in the time when Noah's children began to fight wars, and the city of Ur Kesdim (Ur of the Chaldees) was built, where Serug and his descendants lived. It also says that this Serug was the first of the patriarchal line to abandon the Law of God and turn to idol worship, teaching sorcery to his son Nahor. The Chaldeans scarcely discriminated between religion and magic. One difference between religious priests and magicians was that the one employed supernatural powers for religious purposes and the other used it for his own needs. The magical practices received from primeval times were developed into accepted rituals, just as primeval religious ideas evolved into dogmas under the stress of controversy and opinion. As there were men who would dispute upon religious questions, so were the persons who would discuss magical matters. It is only when they begin to evolve, to branch out, that the two systems present differences. The ethical element does not enter into the magic world as it does into true religion.
The scripture mentions in Genesis the descendants of Terah, father of Abram in this way: "These are the descendants of Terah, who was the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran was the father of Lot, and Haran died in his hometown of Ur in Babylonia, while his father was still living." (11: 27-28)
Ur is mentioned three more times in the Scripture:
-Genesis 11:31, "Terah took his son Abram, his grandson Lot, who was the son of Haran, and his daughter-in-law Sarai, Abram's wife, and with them he left the city of Ur in Babylonia to go to the Land of Canaan. They went as far as Haran and settled there. Terah died there at the age of 205.
-Genesis 15:1-7, "After this (Abram rescues Lot and received Melchizedek's blessing), Abram had a vision and heard the Lord say to him, 'Do not be afraid, Abram, I will shield you from danger and give you a great reward.' But Abram answered, 'Sovereign Lord, what good will your reward do me, since I have no children? My only heir is Eliezer of Damascus. You have given me no children, and one of my slaves will inherit my property.' Then Abram heard the Lord speaking to him again, 'This slave Eleazer will not inherit your property; your own son will be your heir.' The Lord took Abram outside and said, 'Look at the sky and try to count the stars; you will have as many descendants as that.' Abram put his trust in the Lord, and because of this the Lord was pleased with him. Then the Lord said to him, 'I Am the Lord, Who led you out of Ur in Babylonia, to give you this Land as your own.'"
-Nehemiah 9, "On the 24th Day of the 7th Month the people of Israel gathered to fast in order to show sorrow for their sins. They had already separated themselves from all foreigners. They wore sackcloth and put dust on their heads as signs of grief. Then they stood and began to confess the sins that they and their ancestors had committed. For about 3 hours the Law of the Lord their God was read to them, and for the next 3 hours they confessed their sins and worshiped the Lord their God. (9:1-3)
There was a platform for the Levites, and on it stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani. They prayed aloud to the Lord their God. " (9:4)
"The following Levites gave a call to worship: Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hash-Abneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said: 'Stand up and praise the Lord your God; praise Him forever and ever! Let everyone praise His glorious Name, although no human praise is great enough.'
And then the people of Israel prayed this prayer: 'You, Lord, You alone are Lord; You made the heavens and the stars of the sky. You made land and sea and everything in them; You gave life to all.
The heavenly powers bow down and worship You.' " (9:5-6)
"You, Lord God, chose Abram and led him out of Ur in Babylonia; You changed his name to Abraham. You found that he was faithful to You, and You made a Covenant with him. You promised to give him the Land of the Canaanites, the Land of the Hittites and the Amorites, the Land of the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Girgashites, to be a Land where his descendants would live. You kept Your promise, because You are faithful." (9:7-8) ...
Sunday, 14 January 2018
EZEKIEL AND JESUS CHRIST.
Not in vain, does Ezekiel (1:1) prophesy "in the 30th Year, in the 4th Month, on the 5th Day of the month, and I was in the midst of the captivity by the River Chebar (River of the World), and the heavens were opened," at the beginning of his Book. He lived in exile in Babylon during the period before and after the Fall of Jerusalem. His message was addressed both to the exiles in Babylonia and to the people in Jerusalem. For Ezekiel, his name itself, means "power of God," and the power of God is none other than Christ the Lord.
Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians addresses the meaning of Christ in this way: "God has shown that the wisdom of the World is foolishness! For God in His Wisdom made it impossible for people to know Him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, by means of the so-called "foolish message we preach," God decided to save those who believe. Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom. As for us, we proclaim the 'crucified Christ,' a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles; but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, 'this message is Christ, Who is the Power of God' and the Wisdom of God." (1 Cor 1:20-24)
Christ Jesus is the one who took on human sufferings, but, in order to do so, he had to undertake human birth. For He would not have been capable of human feelings, words, behavior, the cross and death if he had not received a human beginning. His birth was not from the seed of a man and a woman coming together, but in accordance with the Scriptural declaration which says,
"Behold a virgin will conceive in her womb and she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Emmanuel."(Isa 7) Emmanuel, then, is not to be pronounce as an empty name, since it signifies a reality, "God is with us."(Matt 1)The Scripture says:"This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly so he made plans to break the engagement privately. While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. She will have a son, and you will name Him Jesus -because He will save His people from their sins." Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, "A virgin will become pregnant and ahve a son, and he will be called Immanuel"(which means "God is with us"). (Matt 1: 18-23)
It is also written at the beginning of the Book of Ezekiel that he was 30 years old and the Lord Jesus Christ, "when Jesus began His work, he was about 30 years old,"by the Jordan River (Matt 3:13), and "the heavens were opened"(Luk 3:21). And through the entire prophecy of Ezekiel, he is called: "son of man."The heavens had been closed and they are opened for the advent of Christ, so that the Holy Spirit may come first upon Him in the form of a dove (Matt 3:16). For He could not pass to us the Holy Spirit unless He first came down, One who shared in all ways human nature. The One who descended is also the very One who ascended above all heavens, that he might fulfill all things.
Hebrews 1 says, "The Son was made greater than the angels, just as the Name that God gave Him is greater than theirs."(4) "What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by Him to help those who are to receive salvation."(14) Hebrews 2 says, "That is why we must hold on all the more firmly to the Truths we have heard, so that we will not be carried away.The Message given to our ancestors by the angels was shown to be true, and those who did not follow it or obey it received the punishment they deserved."(1-2) "God has no placed the angels as rulers over the New World to come -the World of which we speak. .What are human beings, O God that You should think of them; mere human beings that You should care for them? You made them for a little while lower than the angels; You crowned them with glory and honor, and made them rulers over all things." .. It says that God made them 'rulers over all things'; this clearly include everything. We do not, however, see human beings ruling over all things now. But we do see Jesus, Who for a little while was made lower than the angels, so that through God's grace He should die for everyone. We see Him now crowned with glory and honor because of the Death He suffered. It was only right that God, Who creates and preserves all things, should make Jesus perfect through suffering, in order to bring many children to share His glory. For Jesus is the One Who leads them to salvation. (2:5-10)
It is also written Ezekiel "the son of Buzi"(Ez 1:3), which means "despised."
The parallel with Christ is in Hebrews 10, it says,"We have complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the Death of Jesus. He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain -that is, through His Own Body. We have a Great Priest in charge of the House of God. So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water. ... For there is no longer any sacrifice that will take away sins if we purposely go on sinning after the Truth has been made known to us. Instead, all that is left is to wait in fear for the coming Judgment and the fierce Fire which will destroy those who oppose God! Anyone who disobeys the Law of Moses is put to death without any mercy when judged guilty from the evidence of two or more witnesses. What, then, of those who despise the Son of God? who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God's Covenant which purified them from sin? .. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God." (Hebrews 10: 19-31)
Ezekiel 1:1 also says, "By the River Chebar." This refers to that very heavy River of the World.
"And the heavens opened," meaning that the heavens had been closed and they now are opened for the advent of Christ. It is not sufficient for one heaven to be opened, but many are opened, so that not from one but from all the heavens angels may come down to those who are willing to follow God's New Covenant, in the body of Jesus Christ.
Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians addresses the meaning of Christ in this way: "God has shown that the wisdom of the World is foolishness! For God in His Wisdom made it impossible for people to know Him by means of their own wisdom. Instead, by means of the so-called "foolish message we preach," God decided to save those who believe. Jews want miracles for proof, and Greeks look for wisdom. As for us, we proclaim the 'crucified Christ,' a message that is offensive to the Jews and nonsense to the Gentiles; but for those whom God has called, both Jews and Gentiles, 'this message is Christ, Who is the Power of God' and the Wisdom of God." (1 Cor 1:20-24)
Christ Jesus is the one who took on human sufferings, but, in order to do so, he had to undertake human birth. For He would not have been capable of human feelings, words, behavior, the cross and death if he had not received a human beginning. His birth was not from the seed of a man and a woman coming together, but in accordance with the Scriptural declaration which says,
"Behold a virgin will conceive in her womb and she will give birth to a son, and you will call his name Emmanuel."(Isa 7) Emmanuel, then, is not to be pronounce as an empty name, since it signifies a reality, "God is with us."(Matt 1)The Scripture says:"This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married, she found out that she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly so he made plans to break the engagement privately. While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, 'Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. She will have a son, and you will name Him Jesus -because He will save His people from their sins." Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, "A virgin will become pregnant and ahve a son, and he will be called Immanuel"(which means "God is with us"). (Matt 1: 18-23)
It is also written at the beginning of the Book of Ezekiel that he was 30 years old and the Lord Jesus Christ, "when Jesus began His work, he was about 30 years old,"by the Jordan River (Matt 3:13), and "the heavens were opened"(Luk 3:21). And through the entire prophecy of Ezekiel, he is called: "son of man."The heavens had been closed and they are opened for the advent of Christ, so that the Holy Spirit may come first upon Him in the form of a dove (Matt 3:16). For He could not pass to us the Holy Spirit unless He first came down, One who shared in all ways human nature. The One who descended is also the very One who ascended above all heavens, that he might fulfill all things.
Hebrews 1 says, "The Son was made greater than the angels, just as the Name that God gave Him is greater than theirs."(4) "What are the angels, then? They are spirits who serve God and are sent by Him to help those who are to receive salvation."(14) Hebrews 2 says, "That is why we must hold on all the more firmly to the Truths we have heard, so that we will not be carried away.The Message given to our ancestors by the angels was shown to be true, and those who did not follow it or obey it received the punishment they deserved."(1-2) "God has no placed the angels as rulers over the New World to come -the World of which we speak. .What are human beings, O God that You should think of them; mere human beings that You should care for them? You made them for a little while lower than the angels; You crowned them with glory and honor, and made them rulers over all things." .. It says that God made them 'rulers over all things'; this clearly include everything. We do not, however, see human beings ruling over all things now. But we do see Jesus, Who for a little while was made lower than the angels, so that through God's grace He should die for everyone. We see Him now crowned with glory and honor because of the Death He suffered. It was only right that God, Who creates and preserves all things, should make Jesus perfect through suffering, in order to bring many children to share His glory. For Jesus is the One Who leads them to salvation. (2:5-10)
It is also written Ezekiel "the son of Buzi"(Ez 1:3), which means "despised."
The parallel with Christ is in Hebrews 10, it says,"We have complete freedom to go into the Most Holy Place by means of the Death of Jesus. He opened for us a new way, a living way, through the curtain -that is, through His Own Body. We have a Great Priest in charge of the House of God. So let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, with hearts that have been purified from a guilty conscience and with bodies washed with clean water. ... For there is no longer any sacrifice that will take away sins if we purposely go on sinning after the Truth has been made known to us. Instead, all that is left is to wait in fear for the coming Judgment and the fierce Fire which will destroy those who oppose God! Anyone who disobeys the Law of Moses is put to death without any mercy when judged guilty from the evidence of two or more witnesses. What, then, of those who despise the Son of God? who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God's Covenant which purified them from sin? .. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the Hands of the Living God." (Hebrews 10: 19-31)
Ezekiel 1:1 also says, "By the River Chebar." This refers to that very heavy River of the World.
"And the heavens opened," meaning that the heavens had been closed and they now are opened for the advent of Christ. It is not sufficient for one heaven to be opened, but many are opened, so that not from one but from all the heavens angels may come down to those who are willing to follow God's New Covenant, in the body of Jesus Christ.
CHINA'S FIVE CARDINAL MOUNTAINS.
The Five Great Mountains (Wu Yue) are arranged according to the five cardinal directions, which includes the center as a direction.
The grouping of the five mountains appeared during the Warring States period (475BC-221BC), and the term 'Wu Yue' (Five Summits) was made famous during the reign of Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty 140-87BC.
In Chinese traditional religion they have cosmological and theological significance as they represent on the physical plane of earth the natural order emanating from the primordial force of Creation, Tian-Shangdi. Tian is one of the oldest terms for heaven and a key concept in mythology, philosophy, and religion. Shanddi is the term for "Supreme Deity" or "Highest Deity" in the theology of classical texts.
The Wu'Fang Shangdi (Wu'Di), "Five Forms of the Highest Deity" are the five main deities proceeding from the universal God. They have cosmological significance as they describe space as an "altar"(Tan).
They have a celestial, and a terrestrial and a chthonic form. The method of understanding their language in an attempt to gain insight into a question or situation was done by an standardized process that involved markings on the ground or the patterns formed by tossed handfuls of soil, rock, or sand.
The Han Dynasty identified themselves as the descendants of the Red and Yellow deities. The legend says that the deities or forces were enemies who fought each other in the physical realm. In the Battle of Ban'Quan, the Yan Emperor (Flame) and the Huang'Di (Yellow Thearch) fought the first battle in Chinese history on a nearby plains, and is credited for the formation of the Huaxia tribe (basis of the Han civilization).
The first legendary sovereigns of China went on excursions or formed processions to the summits of the Five Great Mountains. Every visit took place at the same time of the year. Then the First Emperor of Qin (18 February, 259BC-10 September, 210BC), in a unified China, formalized these expeditions and incorporated them into a state ritual. With every new dynasty, the new emperor hurried to the Five Great Mountains in order to lay claim to his new acquired domains. This imperial custom was preserved until the end of the last dynasty (Qing) in 1911.
Qin also followed the school of the Five Elements -Earth, Wood, Metal, Fire, and Water. The element of his date of birth was Water, connected with the color Black. It was believed that the royal house of the previous dynasty Zhou (followed the Shang and lasted longer than any other in China history) had ruled by the power of Fire, which was the color Red. The cycle established that the next royal house must be ruled by the next element on the list. Black became the color for garments, flags, pennants. Other associations include North as the cardinal direction, Winter season, and the number 6. While the previous Warring States era was one of constant warfare, it was also a golden age of free thought. Qin eliminated the Hundred School of Thoughts and all other schools of thought were banned. Legalism became the endorsed ideology, which was basically a system that required people to follow the laws or be punished accordingly. To avoid scholars' comparisons of his reign with the past, Qin ordered most existing books to be burned with the exception of those on astrology, agriculture, medicine, divination, and the history of his own State. This was done with the purpose of furthering the ongoing reformation of the writing system by removing examples of ancient and for him obsolete scripts. Owning the Book of Songs or the Classic of History was to be punished severely. Qi had some 460 scholars buried alive for owning the forbidden books. His oldest son criticized him for that action. Later in his life, Qin feared death and desperately sought the fabled elixir of life. he was obsessed with it and fell prey to many who offered him supposed elixirs. Reportedly, he died from elixir poisoning due to ingesting mercury pills, made by his own alchemists and court physicians in an attempt to preserve his life.
Now the Five Great Mountains are the places where formal sacrifices have been resumed in Confucian and Taoist styles. They have become places of pilgrimage where hundreds of pilgrims gather in temples and caves.There are also various Buddhists temples and Confucian academies built on these mountains.
The grouping of the five mountains appeared during the Warring States period (475BC-221BC), and the term 'Wu Yue' (Five Summits) was made famous during the reign of Emperor Wudi of the Western Han Dynasty 140-87BC.
In Chinese traditional religion they have cosmological and theological significance as they represent on the physical plane of earth the natural order emanating from the primordial force of Creation, Tian-Shangdi. Tian is one of the oldest terms for heaven and a key concept in mythology, philosophy, and religion. Shanddi is the term for "Supreme Deity" or "Highest Deity" in the theology of classical texts.
The Wu'Fang Shangdi (Wu'Di), "Five Forms of the Highest Deity" are the five main deities proceeding from the universal God. They have cosmological significance as they describe space as an "altar"(Tan).
They have a celestial, and a terrestrial and a chthonic form. The method of understanding their language in an attempt to gain insight into a question or situation was done by an standardized process that involved markings on the ground or the patterns formed by tossed handfuls of soil, rock, or sand.
The Han Dynasty identified themselves as the descendants of the Red and Yellow deities. The legend says that the deities or forces were enemies who fought each other in the physical realm. In the Battle of Ban'Quan, the Yan Emperor (Flame) and the Huang'Di (Yellow Thearch) fought the first battle in Chinese history on a nearby plains, and is credited for the formation of the Huaxia tribe (basis of the Han civilization).
The first legendary sovereigns of China went on excursions or formed processions to the summits of the Five Great Mountains. Every visit took place at the same time of the year. Then the First Emperor of Qin (18 February, 259BC-10 September, 210BC), in a unified China, formalized these expeditions and incorporated them into a state ritual. With every new dynasty, the new emperor hurried to the Five Great Mountains in order to lay claim to his new acquired domains. This imperial custom was preserved until the end of the last dynasty (Qing) in 1911.
Qin also followed the school of the Five Elements -Earth, Wood, Metal, Fire, and Water. The element of his date of birth was Water, connected with the color Black. It was believed that the royal house of the previous dynasty Zhou (followed the Shang and lasted longer than any other in China history) had ruled by the power of Fire, which was the color Red. The cycle established that the next royal house must be ruled by the next element on the list. Black became the color for garments, flags, pennants. Other associations include North as the cardinal direction, Winter season, and the number 6. While the previous Warring States era was one of constant warfare, it was also a golden age of free thought. Qin eliminated the Hundred School of Thoughts and all other schools of thought were banned. Legalism became the endorsed ideology, which was basically a system that required people to follow the laws or be punished accordingly. To avoid scholars' comparisons of his reign with the past, Qin ordered most existing books to be burned with the exception of those on astrology, agriculture, medicine, divination, and the history of his own State. This was done with the purpose of furthering the ongoing reformation of the writing system by removing examples of ancient and for him obsolete scripts. Owning the Book of Songs or the Classic of History was to be punished severely. Qi had some 460 scholars buried alive for owning the forbidden books. His oldest son criticized him for that action. Later in his life, Qin feared death and desperately sought the fabled elixir of life. he was obsessed with it and fell prey to many who offered him supposed elixirs. Reportedly, he died from elixir poisoning due to ingesting mercury pills, made by his own alchemists and court physicians in an attempt to preserve his life.
Now the Five Great Mountains are the places where formal sacrifices have been resumed in Confucian and Taoist styles. They have become places of pilgrimage where hundreds of pilgrims gather in temples and caves.There are also various Buddhists temples and Confucian academies built on these mountains.
Saturday, 13 January 2018
ORIGEN Adamantius, THE UNCONQUERABLE.
Origen was the most prolific and controversial Greek scholar of his age. A first-rate Christian and a profound student of the Scripture, he was born in Alexandria (185-254) and spent the first half of his career there. His teachings were especially influential in the East, with Athanasius of Alexandria, the chief defender of Trinitarianism, and the three Cappadocian Fathers (Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, and Gregory of Nazianzus) being among his most devoted followers.
This 3rd century "religious fanatic" gave up his job, slept on the floor, ate no meat, drank no wine, fasted twice a week, owned no shoes, and reportedly castrated himself for faith. His reported self-mutilation in response to Matthew 19 was condemned as a drastic misinterpretation of the text: "Jesus left Galilee and went to the territory of Judea on the other side of the Jordan River. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. Some Pharisees came to Him and tried to stop Him by asking, "Does our Law (of Sin) allow a man to divorce his wife for whatever reason he wishes?" Jesus answered, "Haven't you read the Scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female? And God said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.' So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate them, what God has joined together. ... His disciples said to Him, 'If this is how it is between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.' Jesus answered, 'This teaching does not apply to everyone, but only to those to whom God has given it. For there are different reasons why men cannot marry: some, because they were born that way; others, because men made them that way; and others do not marry for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Let him who can accept this teaching do so.' (Matthew 19: 1-12)
Origen Adamantius was the oldest of 7 children in a Christian home, he grew up learning the Scripture and the meaning of commitment. In 202 CE when his father, Leonidas, was beheaded for his beliefs in the outbreak of the persecution during the reign of Septimus Severus. Origen wanted to turn himself in to the authorities and die as a martyr, too. His mother prevented him from even leaving the house by hiding his clothes. The death of his father left the family impoverished when their property was taken and confiscated.
Origen studied at a school of Christians theologians and priests in Alexandria. The teachers were very influential in many of the early theological controversies of the Christian doctrine. He quickly earned a reputation as a prodigy. To support his family, the 18-year-old, opened a grammar school, copied texts, and instructed those seeking to become members of the church. Clement of Alexandria was forced to flee from the city due to persecution and the school of Alexandria needed a new principal, Origen was asked to take on the position. In Palestine he preached without being ordained and was so condemned by his bishop, Demetrius. Despite such condemnation, Origen said,"I want to be a man of the church ... to be called ... of Christ."
The condemnation was never lifted and was recognized by Rome but rejected in the provinces of Palestine, Phoenicia, Arabia, and Achaia. His teachings of the pre-existence of souls and the final reconciliation of all creatures were rejected by the church.Time later, in 250 CE the emperor Decius had Origen imprisoned and tortured. He was deliberately kept alive in the hope that he would renounce his Faith. But Decius died first and Origen went free for about 4 years and died in 254 CE.
Origen described the Trinity as a hierarchy, not as an equality of Father, Son, and Spirit, and rejected the goodness of material creation. He himself studied under Ammonius Saccas in order to better defend his faith against non-Christian arguments. Other of his teachings was that all spirits were created equal, existed before birth, and then fell from grace. Furthermore, "those rational beings who sinned and on account fell from the state in which they were, in proportion to their particular sins, were enslaved in bodies as punishment"-some demos, some men, some angels. "The power of choosing between good and evil is within the reach of all," he said. Also, when answering the charge that Christians, by refusal of military service, fail the test of good citizenship, he wrote: "We who by our prayers destroy all demons which stir up wars, violate oaths, and disturb the peace are more help to emperors than those who seem to be doing the fighting."
Origen worked for 20 years on his analysis of the Old Testament, a massive work (Hexapla) written to answer Jewish and Gnostic critics questions about the interpretation of Christianity. The work has 6 parallel columns: one in Hebrew, and the other 5 in various Greek translations, including one he found at Jericho in a jar. The work became an important step in the development of the Christian doctrine, but unfortunately it was destroyed. So massive it was that scholars doubt anyone ever copied it entirely.
Origen was the first in analyzing the Scripture on 3 levels: literal, moral, and allegorical. As he put it, "for just man consists of a body, soul, and spirit, so in the same way does the Scripture." He, in fact, preferred the allegorical not only because it allowed for more spiritual interpretation, but many passages Origen found impossible to read literally.
Three centuries after his death, the Council of Constantinople (553 CE) pronounced him a heretic. Some contend that Origen was merely trying to frame Faith in the ideas of his day; still his works were suppressed following his condemnation, so modern judgment is impossible.
This 3rd century "religious fanatic" gave up his job, slept on the floor, ate no meat, drank no wine, fasted twice a week, owned no shoes, and reportedly castrated himself for faith. His reported self-mutilation in response to Matthew 19 was condemned as a drastic misinterpretation of the text: "Jesus left Galilee and went to the territory of Judea on the other side of the Jordan River. Large crowds followed Him, and He healed them there. Some Pharisees came to Him and tried to stop Him by asking, "Does our Law (of Sin) allow a man to divorce his wife for whatever reason he wishes?" Jesus answered, "Haven't you read the Scripture that says that in the beginning the Creator made people male and female? And God said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and unite with his wife, and the two will become one.' So they are no longer two, but one. No human being must separate them, what God has joined together. ... His disciples said to Him, 'If this is how it is between a man and his wife, it is better not to marry.' Jesus answered, 'This teaching does not apply to everyone, but only to those to whom God has given it. For there are different reasons why men cannot marry: some, because they were born that way; others, because men made them that way; and others do not marry for the sake of the Kingdom of heaven. Let him who can accept this teaching do so.' (Matthew 19: 1-12)
Origen Adamantius was the oldest of 7 children in a Christian home, he grew up learning the Scripture and the meaning of commitment. In 202 CE when his father, Leonidas, was beheaded for his beliefs in the outbreak of the persecution during the reign of Septimus Severus. Origen wanted to turn himself in to the authorities and die as a martyr, too. His mother prevented him from even leaving the house by hiding his clothes. The death of his father left the family impoverished when their property was taken and confiscated.
Origen studied at a school of Christians theologians and priests in Alexandria. The teachers were very influential in many of the early theological controversies of the Christian doctrine. He quickly earned a reputation as a prodigy. To support his family, the 18-year-old, opened a grammar school, copied texts, and instructed those seeking to become members of the church. Clement of Alexandria was forced to flee from the city due to persecution and the school of Alexandria needed a new principal, Origen was asked to take on the position. In Palestine he preached without being ordained and was so condemned by his bishop, Demetrius. Despite such condemnation, Origen said,"I want to be a man of the church ... to be called ... of Christ."
The condemnation was never lifted and was recognized by Rome but rejected in the provinces of Palestine, Phoenicia, Arabia, and Achaia. His teachings of the pre-existence of souls and the final reconciliation of all creatures were rejected by the church.Time later, in 250 CE the emperor Decius had Origen imprisoned and tortured. He was deliberately kept alive in the hope that he would renounce his Faith. But Decius died first and Origen went free for about 4 years and died in 254 CE.
Origen described the Trinity as a hierarchy, not as an equality of Father, Son, and Spirit, and rejected the goodness of material creation. He himself studied under Ammonius Saccas in order to better defend his faith against non-Christian arguments. Other of his teachings was that all spirits were created equal, existed before birth, and then fell from grace. Furthermore, "those rational beings who sinned and on account fell from the state in which they were, in proportion to their particular sins, were enslaved in bodies as punishment"-some demos, some men, some angels. "The power of choosing between good and evil is within the reach of all," he said. Also, when answering the charge that Christians, by refusal of military service, fail the test of good citizenship, he wrote: "We who by our prayers destroy all demons which stir up wars, violate oaths, and disturb the peace are more help to emperors than those who seem to be doing the fighting."
Origen worked for 20 years on his analysis of the Old Testament, a massive work (Hexapla) written to answer Jewish and Gnostic critics questions about the interpretation of Christianity. The work has 6 parallel columns: one in Hebrew, and the other 5 in various Greek translations, including one he found at Jericho in a jar. The work became an important step in the development of the Christian doctrine, but unfortunately it was destroyed. So massive it was that scholars doubt anyone ever copied it entirely.
Origen was the first in analyzing the Scripture on 3 levels: literal, moral, and allegorical. As he put it, "for just man consists of a body, soul, and spirit, so in the same way does the Scripture." He, in fact, preferred the allegorical not only because it allowed for more spiritual interpretation, but many passages Origen found impossible to read literally.
Three centuries after his death, the Council of Constantinople (553 CE) pronounced him a heretic. Some contend that Origen was merely trying to frame Faith in the ideas of his day; still his works were suppressed following his condemnation, so modern judgment is impossible.
PREDESTINATION BELIEFS.
Predestination is the doctrine that views a pre-order of all creation's events.
In the Christian doctrine, in the New Testament, Romans chapters 8-11 presents a statement on predestination.
Paul says, "There is no condemnation 'now' for 'those' who 'live in union' with 'Christ (Spirit) Jesus (human body).' For the Law of the Spirit which brings us (eternal) life in union with Christ Jesus, has set me free from the Law of Sin and death." (Romans 8: 1-2)
Paul continue explaining, "We know that the Law is 'Spiritual', but I am a mortal, sold as a slave to (the Law of) Sin." (Romans 7: 14) "Shall we say, then, that the Law itself is sinful? Of course not! But it was the Law that made me know what Sin is. ... Sin found its chance to stir up all kinds of selfish desires in my human nature. Apart from Law, sin is a dead thing. .. Sin found its chance, and by means of the commandment which was meant to bring Life, it deceived me and killed me... by using what is good. Sin brought death in order that its true nature might be revealed. And so, by means of the commandment Sin is shown to be even more terribly sinful. (Romans 7: 7-13) "Since what I do is what I do not want to do, this shows that I agree that the Law (of Sin) is right. So I am not really the one who does this thing; rather it is the Sin that lives in me. I know that good does not live in my 'human nature' for even though the desire to do good is in me I am not able to do it by myself. "(Romans 7: 16-18)
Paul continue,"Certainly you will understand what I (Paul) am about to say, my friends, because all of you know about the Law (Spirit and Sin). The Law (of Sin) rules over people only as long as they live (in the mortal world). A married woman, for example, is bound by the Law to her husband as long as he lives; but if he dies, then she is free from the Law that bound her to him. So then, if she lives with another man while her husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is legally a free woman and does not commit adultery if she marries another man. This is how it is with the Law of the Spirit. As far as the Law of Sin is concerned, you also have died because you are part of the body of Christ (Law of the Spirit); and now you belong to Him who was raised from Death in order that we might be useful in the service of God." (Romans 7: 1-4) "What the Law could not do, because human nature was weak, God did. He condemned Sin in human nature by sending His own Son, who came with a nature like our sinful nature, to do away with Sin. God did this so that the 'righteous demands of the Law of the Spirit might be fully satisfied in us who live according to the Spirit, and not according to the human nature. Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants." (Romans 8: 3-5) "All of Creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal His children. For Creation was condemned to lose its purpose... But it is not just Creation alone that groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God's gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us His children and set our whole being free. ... The Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit Himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. And God who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of His people and in accordance with His Will. We know that in all things God works for good with those who love Him, those whom He has called according to His purpose. Those whom God had already predestined (chosen) He also set apart to become like His Son ... Who, then, can separate us from the Love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death? ,,, No, in all these things we complete victory through Him who loved us! For I am certain that nothing can separate us from His Love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below -there is nothing in all Creation that will ever be able to separate us from the Love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 19-39)
Biblical scholars have interpreted this passage in several ways. Many say this only has to do with service and is not about salvation. Others say that the predestination mentioned in this passage should be interpreted corporately rather than individuals. In corporate election, God does not choose which individuals He will save, but rather God chooses the church as a whole. Or put it differently, God chooses what type of individuals He will save, giving examples of their characters throughout the whole Scripture.
Paul also mention the topic of predestination in his Letter to the Ephesians, "In our union with Christ God has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. Even before the world was made, God had already pre-destined us to be His through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before Him. Because of His Love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ He would make us His children -this was His pleasure and purpose. Let us praise God for His glorious grace, for the free gift He gave us in his dear Son! .. In all His Wisdom and Insight God did what He had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan He had already decided to complete by means of Christ. This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all Creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head." (Ephesians 1: 3-10)
God's predestination is then to make sure that all the souls that were condemned against their will and relied in their Hope of Salvation now have the chance thanks to Christ Jesus to fight for it.
Many cultures around the world have different doctrines about the belief of predestination.
The Serbians, for example, believe firmly in predestination. They say that "there is no death without the appointed day." The belief in the immortality of the soul, of which even inanimate objects, (such as forests, lakes, mountains, etc.) possess it. They respects the souls of the animals, since their belief is that the soul of any animal is no less than the one in a man. For example, a bear is no less than a man since nobody knows if it has the soul of a man who has been punished and turned into an animal, because the bear can walk upright as man does. The jackal is another example, the animal is considered half-human, because its howls at night sound like the wails of a child. Also, it is a sin to kill a fox or a bee.
When a person dies, the soul delays its departure to the higher or lower spheres until the expiration of a certain period, during which it floats in the air, and can enter into the body of some animals or insects. Every soul has its own star, which appears in the firmament at the moment of its birth and it is extinguished when it dies. It is believed that the earth rests on water (mind), and the water reposes on a fire (energy) and the fire again is upon another fire (spiritual energy with its own law).
The soul of a dragon, is not considered a monster, for they know that the outward appearance is merely used as a misleading mask. In its true character, it is a handsome youth, possessing superhuman strength and courage, and it is usually represented as in love with some complementary female energies.
The funeral customs of burning their dead have been retained longest by Lithuanians. Their last recorded burial was in 1382 CE when a brother of a Grand Duke, was burnt together with his horses and arms, falcons and hounds. During the siege of Constantinople in 626 CE, the Souther Slavs burnt the bodies of their dead. The Russians did the same in 971 CE during the battles near Silistria.The Slavs of North Russia used to keep the ashes in a small vessel, which they would place on a pillar by the side of a public road; that custom persisted with the Southern ones as late as 1100 CE.
The Southern-Slavonic legends about predestination, received many elements from the Greeks and Romans. When the Slavs occupied Roman provinces, Christian region was limited to parts of the Byzantine provinces. In Dalmatia after the fall of Salona, the archbishopric was transferred to Spalato (Splyet), but in the papal bulls of 9th CE it continued always to be styled 'Salonitana ecclesia' and it claimed juridiction over the entire lands as far as the Danube.
Symbolically speaking about predestination, there are stones still in existence and even columns in large numbers close together. For example, there are over 6000 in Vlassenitza, and some 22000 in the whole of Herzegovina; some can be seen in Dalmatia. They are decorated with figures, which appear to be imitations of the work of Roman sculptors: arcades on columns, plant designs, trees, swords and shields, figures of warriors carrying their bows, horsemen, deer, bears, wild-boars, and falcons. There are also oblong representations of male and female figures dancing together and playing games. Some tombs, situated far from villages, are described by man's personal name, relating to the demarcations of territories. In Konavla, near Ragusa, in 1420 CE, for example, there was a certain point where important cross-roads met, and it was known as 'Obugonov Grob.' The custom survived time, even in our day, there is still a tombstone called 'Obugagn Greb.' It is the grave of the Governor Obuganitch of the family of Lyoubibratitch, famous in the 14th century.
In the Christian doctrine, in the New Testament, Romans chapters 8-11 presents a statement on predestination.
Paul says, "There is no condemnation 'now' for 'those' who 'live in union' with 'Christ (Spirit) Jesus (human body).' For the Law of the Spirit which brings us (eternal) life in union with Christ Jesus, has set me free from the Law of Sin and death." (Romans 8: 1-2)
Paul continue explaining, "We know that the Law is 'Spiritual', but I am a mortal, sold as a slave to (the Law of) Sin." (Romans 7: 14) "Shall we say, then, that the Law itself is sinful? Of course not! But it was the Law that made me know what Sin is. ... Sin found its chance to stir up all kinds of selfish desires in my human nature. Apart from Law, sin is a dead thing. .. Sin found its chance, and by means of the commandment which was meant to bring Life, it deceived me and killed me... by using what is good. Sin brought death in order that its true nature might be revealed. And so, by means of the commandment Sin is shown to be even more terribly sinful. (Romans 7: 7-13) "Since what I do is what I do not want to do, this shows that I agree that the Law (of Sin) is right. So I am not really the one who does this thing; rather it is the Sin that lives in me. I know that good does not live in my 'human nature' for even though the desire to do good is in me I am not able to do it by myself. "(Romans 7: 16-18)
Paul continue,"Certainly you will understand what I (Paul) am about to say, my friends, because all of you know about the Law (Spirit and Sin). The Law (of Sin) rules over people only as long as they live (in the mortal world). A married woman, for example, is bound by the Law to her husband as long as he lives; but if he dies, then she is free from the Law that bound her to him. So then, if she lives with another man while her husband is alive, she will be called an adulteress; but if her husband dies, she is legally a free woman and does not commit adultery if she marries another man. This is how it is with the Law of the Spirit. As far as the Law of Sin is concerned, you also have died because you are part of the body of Christ (Law of the Spirit); and now you belong to Him who was raised from Death in order that we might be useful in the service of God." (Romans 7: 1-4) "What the Law could not do, because human nature was weak, God did. He condemned Sin in human nature by sending His own Son, who came with a nature like our sinful nature, to do away with Sin. God did this so that the 'righteous demands of the Law of the Spirit might be fully satisfied in us who live according to the Spirit, and not according to the human nature. Those who live as their human nature tells them to, have their minds controlled by what human nature wants. Those who live as the Spirit tells them to, have their minds controlled by what the Spirit wants." (Romans 8: 3-5) "All of Creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal His children. For Creation was condemned to lose its purpose... But it is not just Creation alone that groans; we who have the Spirit as the first of God's gifts also groan within ourselves as we wait for God to make us His children and set our whole being free. ... The Spirit also comes to help us, weak as we are. For we do not know how we ought to pray; the Spirit Himself pleads with God for us in groans that words cannot express. And God who sees into our hearts, knows what the thought of the Spirit is; because the Spirit pleads with God on behalf of His people and in accordance with His Will. We know that in all things God works for good with those who love Him, those whom He has called according to His purpose. Those whom God had already predestined (chosen) He also set apart to become like His Son ... Who, then, can separate us from the Love of Christ? Can trouble do it, or hardship or persecution or hunger or poverty or danger or death? ,,, No, in all these things we complete victory through Him who loved us! For I am certain that nothing can separate us from His Love: neither death nor life, neither angels nor other heavenly rulers or powers, neither the present nor the future, neither the world above nor the world below -there is nothing in all Creation that will ever be able to separate us from the Love of God which is ours through Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8: 19-39)
Biblical scholars have interpreted this passage in several ways. Many say this only has to do with service and is not about salvation. Others say that the predestination mentioned in this passage should be interpreted corporately rather than individuals. In corporate election, God does not choose which individuals He will save, but rather God chooses the church as a whole. Or put it differently, God chooses what type of individuals He will save, giving examples of their characters throughout the whole Scripture.
Paul also mention the topic of predestination in his Letter to the Ephesians, "In our union with Christ God has blessed us by giving us every spiritual blessing in the heavenly world. Even before the world was made, God had already pre-destined us to be His through our union with Christ, so that we would be holy and without fault before Him. Because of His Love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ He would make us His children -this was His pleasure and purpose. Let us praise God for His glorious grace, for the free gift He gave us in his dear Son! .. In all His Wisdom and Insight God did what He had purposed, and made known to us the secret plan He had already decided to complete by means of Christ. This plan, which God will complete when the time is right, is to bring all Creation together, everything in heaven and on earth, with Christ as head." (Ephesians 1: 3-10)
God's predestination is then to make sure that all the souls that were condemned against their will and relied in their Hope of Salvation now have the chance thanks to Christ Jesus to fight for it.
Many cultures around the world have different doctrines about the belief of predestination.
The Serbians, for example, believe firmly in predestination. They say that "there is no death without the appointed day." The belief in the immortality of the soul, of which even inanimate objects, (such as forests, lakes, mountains, etc.) possess it. They respects the souls of the animals, since their belief is that the soul of any animal is no less than the one in a man. For example, a bear is no less than a man since nobody knows if it has the soul of a man who has been punished and turned into an animal, because the bear can walk upright as man does. The jackal is another example, the animal is considered half-human, because its howls at night sound like the wails of a child. Also, it is a sin to kill a fox or a bee.
When a person dies, the soul delays its departure to the higher or lower spheres until the expiration of a certain period, during which it floats in the air, and can enter into the body of some animals or insects. Every soul has its own star, which appears in the firmament at the moment of its birth and it is extinguished when it dies. It is believed that the earth rests on water (mind), and the water reposes on a fire (energy) and the fire again is upon another fire (spiritual energy with its own law).
The soul of a dragon, is not considered a monster, for they know that the outward appearance is merely used as a misleading mask. In its true character, it is a handsome youth, possessing superhuman strength and courage, and it is usually represented as in love with some complementary female energies.
The funeral customs of burning their dead have been retained longest by Lithuanians. Their last recorded burial was in 1382 CE when a brother of a Grand Duke, was burnt together with his horses and arms, falcons and hounds. During the siege of Constantinople in 626 CE, the Souther Slavs burnt the bodies of their dead. The Russians did the same in 971 CE during the battles near Silistria.The Slavs of North Russia used to keep the ashes in a small vessel, which they would place on a pillar by the side of a public road; that custom persisted with the Southern ones as late as 1100 CE.
The Southern-Slavonic legends about predestination, received many elements from the Greeks and Romans. When the Slavs occupied Roman provinces, Christian region was limited to parts of the Byzantine provinces. In Dalmatia after the fall of Salona, the archbishopric was transferred to Spalato (Splyet), but in the papal bulls of 9th CE it continued always to be styled 'Salonitana ecclesia' and it claimed juridiction over the entire lands as far as the Danube.
Symbolically speaking about predestination, there are stones still in existence and even columns in large numbers close together. For example, there are over 6000 in Vlassenitza, and some 22000 in the whole of Herzegovina; some can be seen in Dalmatia. They are decorated with figures, which appear to be imitations of the work of Roman sculptors: arcades on columns, plant designs, trees, swords and shields, figures of warriors carrying their bows, horsemen, deer, bears, wild-boars, and falcons. There are also oblong representations of male and female figures dancing together and playing games. Some tombs, situated far from villages, are described by man's personal name, relating to the demarcations of territories. In Konavla, near Ragusa, in 1420 CE, for example, there was a certain point where important cross-roads met, and it was known as 'Obugonov Grob.' The custom survived time, even in our day, there is still a tombstone called 'Obugagn Greb.' It is the grave of the Governor Obuganitch of the family of Lyoubibratitch, famous in the 14th century.
Sunday, 7 January 2018
THE CHINESE CREATION MYTH.
In Chinese belief, the term "cosmogonic myth" is more accurate than "creation myth," since very few stories involve a creator deity or divine will and fundamentally it differs from monotheistic traditions.
The cosmogonic view perpetuated by Taoism appeared relatively late in Chinese history. In it, Tao is described as the ultimate force behind creation. With Tao, nothingness gave rise to existence, it gave rise to Yin and Yang, Yin-Yang gave rise to everything.
Another version is that of P'an Ku. This was an explanation offered by Taoist monks hundreds of years after Laozi; probably around 200CE. In this story, the universe begins as a cosmic egg. A god named P'an Ku, is hatched from a cosmic egg. As the god grew taller, the sky and the earth grew thicker and were separated further. After all this effort P'an Ku falls into pieces. Finally the god died and his body parts became different parts of the earth. His limbs become mountains, his blood the rivers, his breath the wind, his voice the thunder, his two eyes the sun and the moon, and the parasites on his body the
mankind.
Another version says that in the beginning was a huge egg containing Chaos and a mixture of Yin-Yang (female-male, cold-heat, dark-light, wet-dry, etc). Also within this Yin-Yang was P'an Ku who broke forth from the egg as a giant who separated the Yin-Yang into many opposites, including earth and sky. With a great chisel and a huge hammer, P'an Ku carved out the mountains, rivers, valleys, and oceans. He also made the sun, moon, and stars. When he died, after 18,000 years, it is said that the fleas became human beings. In short, the Chinese say that everything that is -is P'an Ku, and everything that P'an Ku is -is Yin-Yang.
Inspired by the cosmic harmony, Chinese thinkers have sought to codify this order in various ways. Whether to formulate thus underlying pattern through words and concepts or numbers and visual images has been debated since the Han dynasty.
The Book of Changes, for example, known as Yi-Jing, the oldest of the Chinese classics, explains the formation of the universe and the relationship of man to the universe. It sought to find symbolic and numerological parallels between the natural world and the Hexagrams used as a form of casting lots. Originally a prediction manual in the Western Zhou period (1000-750BC), over the course of the Warring States period and early imperial period (500-200BC) it was transformed into a cosmological text, with a series of commentaries known as the "Ten Wings." After becoming part of the Five Classics in the 2nd century BC, the book was the subject of scholarly commentary and the basis for prediction practice for centuries across the Far East.
Fu Chin, in 2852BC, theorized how the Universe was formed, through his keen observation of environments and orbits of the sun, moon, and stars. He used symbols to represent his views. He said that Yin-Yang were derived from the same origin, in two opposite background of force and energy that make the universe at what it is.
The cosmogonic view perpetuated by Taoism appeared relatively late in Chinese history. In it, Tao is described as the ultimate force behind creation. With Tao, nothingness gave rise to existence, it gave rise to Yin and Yang, Yin-Yang gave rise to everything.
Another version is that of P'an Ku. This was an explanation offered by Taoist monks hundreds of years after Laozi; probably around 200CE. In this story, the universe begins as a cosmic egg. A god named P'an Ku, is hatched from a cosmic egg. As the god grew taller, the sky and the earth grew thicker and were separated further. After all this effort P'an Ku falls into pieces. Finally the god died and his body parts became different parts of the earth. His limbs become mountains, his blood the rivers, his breath the wind, his voice the thunder, his two eyes the sun and the moon, and the parasites on his body the
mankind.
Another version says that in the beginning was a huge egg containing Chaos and a mixture of Yin-Yang (female-male, cold-heat, dark-light, wet-dry, etc). Also within this Yin-Yang was P'an Ku who broke forth from the egg as a giant who separated the Yin-Yang into many opposites, including earth and sky. With a great chisel and a huge hammer, P'an Ku carved out the mountains, rivers, valleys, and oceans. He also made the sun, moon, and stars. When he died, after 18,000 years, it is said that the fleas became human beings. In short, the Chinese say that everything that is -is P'an Ku, and everything that P'an Ku is -is Yin-Yang.
Inspired by the cosmic harmony, Chinese thinkers have sought to codify this order in various ways. Whether to formulate thus underlying pattern through words and concepts or numbers and visual images has been debated since the Han dynasty.
The Book of Changes, for example, known as Yi-Jing, the oldest of the Chinese classics, explains the formation of the universe and the relationship of man to the universe. It sought to find symbolic and numerological parallels between the natural world and the Hexagrams used as a form of casting lots. Originally a prediction manual in the Western Zhou period (1000-750BC), over the course of the Warring States period and early imperial period (500-200BC) it was transformed into a cosmological text, with a series of commentaries known as the "Ten Wings." After becoming part of the Five Classics in the 2nd century BC, the book was the subject of scholarly commentary and the basis for prediction practice for centuries across the Far East.
Fu Chin, in 2852BC, theorized how the Universe was formed, through his keen observation of environments and orbits of the sun, moon, and stars. He used symbols to represent his views. He said that Yin-Yang were derived from the same origin, in two opposite background of force and energy that make the universe at what it is.
Friday, 5 January 2018
ABRAHAM' s TESTS.
God tested Abraham 10 times and he withstood all of them.
Test #1.- God tells him to leave his homeland to be a stranger in the Land of Canaan.
The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's home, and go to a Land that I am going to show you. I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse those who curse you, and through you I will bless all the nations."
When Abram was 75 years old, he started out from Haran, as the Lord had told him to do; and Lot went with him. Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the wealth and all the slaves they had acquired in Haran, and they started out for the Land of Canaan. (Genesis 12: 1-5)
Test #2.- Immediately after his arrival in the Promise Land, he encounters a famine.
When they arrived in Canaan, Abram traveled through the Land until he came to the Sacred Tree of Moreh, the holy place at Shechem (at that time the Canaanites were still leaving in the Land). The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him: "This is the country that I am going to give to your descendants." Then Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. After that, he moved on South to the hill country East of the city of Beth'El and set up his camp between Beth'El on the West and Ai on the East. There also he built an altar and worshiped the Lord.Then he moved on from place to place,
going toward the Southern part of Canaan. But there was a famine in Canaan, and it was so bad that Abram went further South to Egypt, to live there for a while. (Genesis 12: 6-11)
Test #3.- The Egyptians seize his beloved wife, Sarah, and bring her to Pharaoh.
When he was about to cross the border into Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai,"You are a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you, they will assume that you are my wife, and so they will kill me and let you live. Tell them that you are my sister; then because of you they will let me live and treat me well."When he crossed the border into Egypt, the Egyptians did see that his wife was beautiful. Some of the court officials saw her and told the king how beautiful she was; so she was taken to his palace. Because of her the king treated Abram well and gave him flocks of sheep and goats, cattle, donkeys, slaves, and camels. But because the king had taken Sarai, the Lord sent terrible diseases on him and on the people of his palace. Then the king sent for Abram and asked him, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say that she was your sister, and let me take her as my wife? Here is your wife; take her and get out!" The king gave orders to his men, so they took Abram and put him out of the country, together with his wife and everything he owned.(12:11-20)
Abram went North out of Egypt to the Southern part of Canaan with his wife and everything he owned and Lot went with him. Abram was a very rich man, with sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as silver and gold. (Genesis 13: 1-2)
Test #4.- Abraham faces incredible odds in the battle of the four and five kings.
Then Abram left the Southern part of Canaan and moved from place to place, going toward Beth'El. He reached the place between Beth'El and Ai where he had camped before and had built an altar. There he worshiped the Lord. Lot also had sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as his own family and servants. And so there was not enough pasture land for the two of them to stay together, because they had too many animals. So quarrels broke out between the men who took care of Abram's animals and those who took care of Lot's animals. (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were still leaving in the land.) Then Abram said to Lot, "We are relatives, and your men and my men shouldn't be quarreling. So let's separate. Choose any part of the Land you want. You go one way, and I will go the other." Lot looked around and saw that the whole Jordan Valley, all the way to Zoar, had plenty of water, like the Garden of the Lord or like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself and moved away toward the East. (Genesis 13: 3-11) That is how the two men parted. Abram stayed in the Land of Canaan, and Lot settled among the Cities in the Valley and camped near Sodom, whose people were wicked and sinned against the Lord.
After Lot had left, the Lord said to Abram, "From where you are, look carefully in all directions. I am going to give you and your descendants all the Land that you see, and it will be yours forever. I am going to give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all; it would be as easy to count all the specks of dust on earth! Now, go and look over the whole Land, because I am going to give it all to you." So Abram moved his camp and settled near the Sacred Trees of Mamre at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord. (Genesis 13: 12-18)
Four kings, Amraphel of Babylonia, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim, went to war against five other kings, Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (or Zoar). These 5 kings had formed an alliance and joined forces in Siddim Valley, which is now the Dead Sea. They had been under control of Chedorlaomer for 12 years, but in the 13 year they rebelled against him.
In the 14th year Chedorlaomer and the other 3 kings came with their armies and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in the plain of Kiriathaim, and the Horites in the mountains of Edom, pursuing them as far as El Paran on the edge of the desert. Then they turned around and came back to Kadesh (then known as Enmishpat). They conquered all the land of the Amalekites and defeated the Amorites who lived in Hazazon Tamar.
Then the 5 kings (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, Bela) drew up their armies for battle in Siddim Valley and fought against the 4 kings (Elam, Goiim, Babylonia, Ellasar). Five kings against four. The valley was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah tried to run away from battle, they fell into the pits; but the other 3 kings escaped to the mountains. The 4 kings took everything in Sodom and Gomorrah including the food, and went away. Lot, Abram's nephew, was living in Sodom so they took him and all his possessions. But a man escaped and reported all this to Abram, the Hebrew who was living near the Sacred Trees belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his brothers Eshcol and Aner were Abram's allies.
When Abram heard that his nephew had been captured, he called together all the fighting men in his camp, 318 in all, and pursued the 4 kings all the way to Dan. There he divided his men into groups, attacked the enemy by night, and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, North of Damascus, and got back all the loot that had been taken. He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions together with the women and the other prisoners.
When Abram came back from his victory over Chedorlaomer and the other 3 kings, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in Shaveh Valley (also called King's Valley). And Melcizedek, who was king of Salem and also a priest of the Most High God, brought bread and wine to Abram, blessed him and said, "May the Most High God, Who made heaven and earth, bless Abram! May the Most High God, Who gave you victory over your enemies, be praised!" And Abram gave Melchizedek a 10th of all the loot he had recovered. The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Keep the loot but give me back all my people."
Abram answered, "I solemnly swear before the Lord, the Most High God, Maker of heaven and earth, that I will not keep anything of yours, not even a thread or a sandal strap. Then you can never say, 'I am the one who made Abram rich.' I will take nothing for myself. I will accept only what my men have used. But let my allies, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, take their share. (Genesis 14: 1-24)
Test #5.- He marries Hagar after not being able to have children with Sarah.
Abram's wife Sarai had not borne him any children. But she had an Egyptian slave woman named Hagar, and so she said to Abram, "The Lord has kept me from having children. Why don't you sleep with my slave? Perhaps she can have a child for me." Abram agreed with what Sarah said. So she gave Hagar to him to be his concubine. (This happened after Abram had lived in Canaan for 10 years.)
Abram had intercourse with Hagar, and she became pregnant, she became proud and despised Sarai.
Then Sarai said to Abram, "It is your fault that Hagar despises me. I myself gave her to you, and ever since she found out that she was pregnant, she has despised me. May the Lord judge which of us is right, you or me!" Abram answered, "Very well, she is your slave and under your control; do whatever you want with her." Then Sarai treated Hagar so cruelly that she ran away.
The angel of the Lord met Hagar at a Spring in the Desert on the Road to Shur and said, "Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She answered, "I am running away from my mistress." He said, "Go back to her and be her slave." Then he said, "I will give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them. You are going to have a son, and you will name him Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your cry of distress. But your son will live like a wild donkey; he will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will live apart from all his relatives."
Hagar asked herself, "Have I really seen God and lived to tell about it?" So she called the Lord, who had spoken to her, "A God Who Sees." That is why people call the Well between Kadesh and Bered
"The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me." Hagar bore Abram a son, and he named him Ishmael. Abram was 86 years old at the time. (Genesis 16: 1-15)
Test #6.- God tells him to circumcise himself at an advance age.
When Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the Almighty God. Obey Me and always do what is right. I will make My Covenant with you and give you many descendants."
Abram bowed down with his face touching the ground, and God said,"I make this Covenant with you:
I promise that you will be the ancestor of many nations. Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, because I am making you the ancestor of many nations. I will give you many descendants, and some of them will be kings. You will have so many descendants that they will become nations.
I will keep My Promise to you and to your descendants in future generations as an everlasting covenant
I will be your God and the God of your descendants. I will give to you and to your descendants this Land in which you are now a foreigner. The whole Land of Canaan will belong to your descendants forever, and I will be their God." (Genesis 17: 1-8)
God said to Abraham, "You also must agree to keep the Covenant with Me, both you and your descendants in future generations. You and your descendants must all agree to circumcise every male among you. From now on you must circumcise every baby boy when he is 8 days old, including slaves born in your homes and slaves bought from foreigners. This will show that there is a Covenant between you and Me. Each one must be circumcised, and this will be a physical sign to show that My Covenant with you is everlasting. Any male who has not been circumcised will no longer be considered one of My people, because he has not kept the Covenant with me." (Genesis 17: 9-14)
Test #7.- The king of Gerar captures Sarah, intending to take her for himself. (Genesis 20)
Test #8.- God tells him to send Hagar away after having a child with her. (Genesis 21: 9-21)
Test #9.- His son, Ishmael, becomes estranged. (Genesis 21: 17-21; 25: 12-18)
Test #10.- God tells him to sacrifice his dear son Isaac upon an altar. (Genesis 22)
Test #1.- God tells him to leave his homeland to be a stranger in the Land of Canaan.
The Lord said to Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your father's home, and go to a Land that I am going to show you. I will give you many descendants, and they will become a great nation. I will bless you and make your name famous, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, but I will curse those who curse you, and through you I will bless all the nations."
When Abram was 75 years old, he started out from Haran, as the Lord had told him to do; and Lot went with him. Abram took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all the wealth and all the slaves they had acquired in Haran, and they started out for the Land of Canaan. (Genesis 12: 1-5)
Test #2.- Immediately after his arrival in the Promise Land, he encounters a famine.
When they arrived in Canaan, Abram traveled through the Land until he came to the Sacred Tree of Moreh, the holy place at Shechem (at that time the Canaanites were still leaving in the Land). The Lord appeared to Abram and said to him: "This is the country that I am going to give to your descendants." Then Abram built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him. After that, he moved on South to the hill country East of the city of Beth'El and set up his camp between Beth'El on the West and Ai on the East. There also he built an altar and worshiped the Lord.Then he moved on from place to place,
going toward the Southern part of Canaan. But there was a famine in Canaan, and it was so bad that Abram went further South to Egypt, to live there for a while. (Genesis 12: 6-11)
Test #3.- The Egyptians seize his beloved wife, Sarah, and bring her to Pharaoh.
When he was about to cross the border into Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai,"You are a beautiful woman. When the Egyptians see you, they will assume that you are my wife, and so they will kill me and let you live. Tell them that you are my sister; then because of you they will let me live and treat me well."When he crossed the border into Egypt, the Egyptians did see that his wife was beautiful. Some of the court officials saw her and told the king how beautiful she was; so she was taken to his palace. Because of her the king treated Abram well and gave him flocks of sheep and goats, cattle, donkeys, slaves, and camels. But because the king had taken Sarai, the Lord sent terrible diseases on him and on the people of his palace. Then the king sent for Abram and asked him, "What have you done to me? Why didn't you tell me that she was your wife? Why did you say that she was your sister, and let me take her as my wife? Here is your wife; take her and get out!" The king gave orders to his men, so they took Abram and put him out of the country, together with his wife and everything he owned.(12:11-20)
Abram went North out of Egypt to the Southern part of Canaan with his wife and everything he owned and Lot went with him. Abram was a very rich man, with sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as silver and gold. (Genesis 13: 1-2)
Test #4.- Abraham faces incredible odds in the battle of the four and five kings.
Then Abram left the Southern part of Canaan and moved from place to place, going toward Beth'El. He reached the place between Beth'El and Ai where he had camped before and had built an altar. There he worshiped the Lord. Lot also had sheep, goats, and cattle, as well as his own family and servants. And so there was not enough pasture land for the two of them to stay together, because they had too many animals. So quarrels broke out between the men who took care of Abram's animals and those who took care of Lot's animals. (At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were still leaving in the land.) Then Abram said to Lot, "We are relatives, and your men and my men shouldn't be quarreling. So let's separate. Choose any part of the Land you want. You go one way, and I will go the other." Lot looked around and saw that the whole Jordan Valley, all the way to Zoar, had plenty of water, like the Garden of the Lord or like the land of Egypt. (This was before the Lord had destroyed the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.) So Lot chose the whole Jordan Valley for himself and moved away toward the East. (Genesis 13: 3-11) That is how the two men parted. Abram stayed in the Land of Canaan, and Lot settled among the Cities in the Valley and camped near Sodom, whose people were wicked and sinned against the Lord.
After Lot had left, the Lord said to Abram, "From where you are, look carefully in all directions. I am going to give you and your descendants all the Land that you see, and it will be yours forever. I am going to give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them all; it would be as easy to count all the specks of dust on earth! Now, go and look over the whole Land, because I am going to give it all to you." So Abram moved his camp and settled near the Sacred Trees of Mamre at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord. (Genesis 13: 12-18)
Four kings, Amraphel of Babylonia, Arioch of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer of Elam, and Tidal of Goiim, went to war against five other kings, Bera of Sodom, Birsha of Gomorrah, Shinab of Admah, Shemeber of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (or Zoar). These 5 kings had formed an alliance and joined forces in Siddim Valley, which is now the Dead Sea. They had been under control of Chedorlaomer for 12 years, but in the 13 year they rebelled against him.
In the 14th year Chedorlaomer and the other 3 kings came with their armies and defeated the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, the Zuzim in Ham, the Emim in the plain of Kiriathaim, and the Horites in the mountains of Edom, pursuing them as far as El Paran on the edge of the desert. Then they turned around and came back to Kadesh (then known as Enmishpat). They conquered all the land of the Amalekites and defeated the Amorites who lived in Hazazon Tamar.
Then the 5 kings (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboiim, Bela) drew up their armies for battle in Siddim Valley and fought against the 4 kings (Elam, Goiim, Babylonia, Ellasar). Five kings against four. The valley was full of tar pits, and when the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah tried to run away from battle, they fell into the pits; but the other 3 kings escaped to the mountains. The 4 kings took everything in Sodom and Gomorrah including the food, and went away. Lot, Abram's nephew, was living in Sodom so they took him and all his possessions. But a man escaped and reported all this to Abram, the Hebrew who was living near the Sacred Trees belonging to Mamre the Amorite. Mamre and his brothers Eshcol and Aner were Abram's allies.
When Abram heard that his nephew had been captured, he called together all the fighting men in his camp, 318 in all, and pursued the 4 kings all the way to Dan. There he divided his men into groups, attacked the enemy by night, and defeated them. He chased them as far as Hobah, North of Damascus, and got back all the loot that had been taken. He also brought back his nephew Lot and his possessions together with the women and the other prisoners.
When Abram came back from his victory over Chedorlaomer and the other 3 kings, the king of Sodom went out to meet him in Shaveh Valley (also called King's Valley). And Melcizedek, who was king of Salem and also a priest of the Most High God, brought bread and wine to Abram, blessed him and said, "May the Most High God, Who made heaven and earth, bless Abram! May the Most High God, Who gave you victory over your enemies, be praised!" And Abram gave Melchizedek a 10th of all the loot he had recovered. The king of Sodom said to Abram, "Keep the loot but give me back all my people."
Abram answered, "I solemnly swear before the Lord, the Most High God, Maker of heaven and earth, that I will not keep anything of yours, not even a thread or a sandal strap. Then you can never say, 'I am the one who made Abram rich.' I will take nothing for myself. I will accept only what my men have used. But let my allies, Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre, take their share. (Genesis 14: 1-24)
Test #5.- He marries Hagar after not being able to have children with Sarah.
Abram's wife Sarai had not borne him any children. But she had an Egyptian slave woman named Hagar, and so she said to Abram, "The Lord has kept me from having children. Why don't you sleep with my slave? Perhaps she can have a child for me." Abram agreed with what Sarah said. So she gave Hagar to him to be his concubine. (This happened after Abram had lived in Canaan for 10 years.)
Abram had intercourse with Hagar, and she became pregnant, she became proud and despised Sarai.
Then Sarai said to Abram, "It is your fault that Hagar despises me. I myself gave her to you, and ever since she found out that she was pregnant, she has despised me. May the Lord judge which of us is right, you or me!" Abram answered, "Very well, she is your slave and under your control; do whatever you want with her." Then Sarai treated Hagar so cruelly that she ran away.
The angel of the Lord met Hagar at a Spring in the Desert on the Road to Shur and said, "Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from and where are you going?" She answered, "I am running away from my mistress." He said, "Go back to her and be her slave." Then he said, "I will give you so many descendants that no one will be able to count them. You are going to have a son, and you will name him Ishmael, because the Lord has heard your cry of distress. But your son will live like a wild donkey; he will be against everyone, and everyone will be against him. He will live apart from all his relatives."
Hagar asked herself, "Have I really seen God and lived to tell about it?" So she called the Lord, who had spoken to her, "A God Who Sees." That is why people call the Well between Kadesh and Bered
"The Well of the Living One Who Sees Me." Hagar bore Abram a son, and he named him Ishmael. Abram was 86 years old at the time. (Genesis 16: 1-15)
Test #6.- God tells him to circumcise himself at an advance age.
When Abraham was 99 years old, the Lord appeared to him and said, "I am the Almighty God. Obey Me and always do what is right. I will make My Covenant with you and give you many descendants."
Abram bowed down with his face touching the ground, and God said,"I make this Covenant with you:
I promise that you will be the ancestor of many nations. Your name will no longer be Abram, but Abraham, because I am making you the ancestor of many nations. I will give you many descendants, and some of them will be kings. You will have so many descendants that they will become nations.
I will keep My Promise to you and to your descendants in future generations as an everlasting covenant
I will be your God and the God of your descendants. I will give to you and to your descendants this Land in which you are now a foreigner. The whole Land of Canaan will belong to your descendants forever, and I will be their God." (Genesis 17: 1-8)
God said to Abraham, "You also must agree to keep the Covenant with Me, both you and your descendants in future generations. You and your descendants must all agree to circumcise every male among you. From now on you must circumcise every baby boy when he is 8 days old, including slaves born in your homes and slaves bought from foreigners. This will show that there is a Covenant between you and Me. Each one must be circumcised, and this will be a physical sign to show that My Covenant with you is everlasting. Any male who has not been circumcised will no longer be considered one of My people, because he has not kept the Covenant with me." (Genesis 17: 9-14)
Test #7.- The king of Gerar captures Sarah, intending to take her for himself. (Genesis 20)
Test #8.- God tells him to send Hagar away after having a child with her. (Genesis 21: 9-21)
Test #9.- His son, Ishmael, becomes estranged. (Genesis 21: 17-21; 25: 12-18)
Test #10.- God tells him to sacrifice his dear son Isaac upon an altar. (Genesis 22)
Thursday, 4 January 2018
THE RESTORATION MOVEMENT.
The term "Restoration Movement" became popular during the 19th century due to the influence of Alexander Campbell's essays on "A Restoration of the Ancient Order of Things" in the church.
Alexander was educated at the University of Glasgow, the 4th oldest university in the English speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities, being founded in 1451. Along with the University of Edin'Burgh, Glasgow was part of the Scottish Enlightenment during the 18th century. Sharing the humanist and rationalist outlook of the European Enlightenment of the same period, the ones behind of the Scottish Enlightenment asserted the importance of human reason combined with a rejection of any authority that was not in tune with their creed.
The Neo-Trophians, a literary secret society, at Bethany College, a private, liberal arts college in Bethany, West Virginia, was formed by Alexander Campbell in 1840. They came to be known on the campus only by the Greek letters Delta Tau Delta. Then they founded an Fraternity organization based on their common aims and brotherly regard about the principles of Truth, Courage, Faith, and Power.
Since 1858, the Fraternity has spread to nearly 200 campuses, with more than 130 active chapters and colonies of about 10,000 students. More than 170,000 men have joined the brotherhood since its founding.
Alexander Campbell (12 September,1788 - 4 March,1866) was a Scots-Irish immigrant. He became an "ordained minister" and joined his father Thomas Campbell as a leader of a reform effort known as the Restoration Movement, or Campbellism.
The pioneers of the movement were seeking to reform the church from within and sought the unification of all the congregations into a single body with the creed. It began on the United States during a Protestant revival around 1790. The Protestant revival gained a momentum by 1800 and, after 1820, membership rose rapidly among Baptist and Methodist congregations whose preachers led the revival.
Two groups independently developed similar ideas and were particularly important. The first led by Barton W Stone, began at Cane Ridge, Kentucky, and identified themselves as "Christians." The second began in Western Pennsylvania and Virginia (now West Virginia) and was led by Thomas Campbell and his son Alexander Campbell, both educated in Scotland; they eventually used the name "Disciples of Christ." Both groups sought to restore the organization of the Protestant church on the pattern set forth by the shared beliefs and in the form of a fixed formula. In 1832 both groups joined in fellowship with a handshake. Among other things, they were united in promoting the belief of Jesus Christ, then that Christians should celebrate the Lord's Supper on the first day of each week; and then the creed that only baptism by immersion in water is a necessary condition for salvation. Because the founders wanted to abandon all distinct religious bodies or denominational labels, they used the names that appear in the Scripture for the followers of Jesus. Both groups wanted to promote a return to the way in which the 1st-century churches operated, according to the creed of the restoration movement.
Because the Restoration Movement lacked any centralized structure, and having being originated in a variety of places with different leaders with no consistent nomenclature as a whole, then it has since divided into multiple separate groups.
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