DOCSLIB.ORG

Jezebel: the Middle Road Less Taken

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Jezebel: the Middle Road Less Taken JEZEBEL: THE MIDDLE ROAD LESS TAKEN Kendall Reilly Submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Arts (Research) May 18 2015 Word Count 46,463 School of Historical and Philosophical Studies Faculty of Arts The University of Melbourne Produced on Archival Quality Paper Abstract The Biblical Jezebel has been 'reclaimed' by feminists and 'denounced' by fundamentalists (at Jezebel's time known as 'passionate' Yahweh adherents) for nearly three millennia. These contrasting extremes often lack a judicious assessment of the evidence. By utilising texts and archaeology, this thesis takes a ‘middle road’ by looking at powerful women (mortal or semi-divine) and goddesses contemporary to Jezebel. This approach assists our understanding of Israelite laws, which were often restrictive and xenophobic (especially towards women, adornment and polytheism). That our view of Jezebel is so negative largely derives from the way these laws portrayed Jezebel and other feisty and flamboyant women like her. ii Declaration This is to certify that: i. The thesis comprises only my original work towards the Masters except where indicated in the preface, ii. Due acknowledgement has been made in the text to all other materials used, iii. The thesis is less than 50,000 words in length, exclusive of tables, maps, bibliographies and appendices as approved by the Research Higher Degrees Committee. Signed: Date: iii Figure 1: Map of the Ancient Near East (from Bible History Online 2013). iv Figure 2: Approximate chronology of the reign of the House of Omri (from the California Institute for Ancient Studies 2013). v Preface As an undergraduate I loved archaeology and history, in particular the cultural development of ancient Israel. I was not brought up in a religious household, being educated only in the basics of the New Testament and Genesis in the Old Testament; I had no knowledge of the rest of the Bible. It was only then that I was introduced to Jezebel, a most interesting woman, whom many declare a 'villain' of the Bible. She absolutely fascinated me. Here, within the pages of the Bible itself was a woman (if she did truly exist), a foreigner and a polytheist, accused by the Deuteronomistic authors of turning not only her husband, but an entire country to idolatry! It made me consider that this Phoenician queen must have wielded a substantial amount of power, thus creating a perceptible threat to Yahwism and consequently to the writers of the Bible. Yet, she was also a murderer and broke several of the Ten Commandments—a most interesting woman. Many of the commentaries that involved Jezebel accused her of being a whore; in this context, not idolater but adulterer—a seductress prowling after a man called Jehu, her husband's murderer. This accusation against Jezebel was based on one simple line: "When Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes, and adorned her head and looked out the window" (2 Kings 9:30). The negative emphasis placed on this single passage—Jezebel is charged with adorning herself to seduce her husband's enemy, which greatly contrasts with other passages in which she demonstrates the love of her husband by murder—suggested to me that some research needed to take place into the significance of adornment within the pages of the Bible. It was rather surprising to find that no 'middle road' of the study of Jezebel has ever been taken: it is always feminists versus biblical fundamentalists, firing their beliefs at one another, and often in a less than professional way.1 I never agreed entirely with either faction. Further enquiry led me to the knowledge that there were indeed other powerful women, roughly contemporary with Jezebel, recorded in history and myth. Moreover, depending on the law codes of each of these women's countries, and whether or not they were wielding their power for the good of their husband and country, they would be either admired or condemned throughout history. Thus, with all these various subjects, ideas and negative and positive associations in mind, I began my research for this thesis. 1 Feminists often admire her as hero, a powerful woman, and a role model, very often 'forgetting' she murdered in cold blood; whereas the fundamentalists place her in a category with Eve, Delilah, Herodias, etc., as causing the downfall of the Israelites, accusing her of being a whore and an idolatress. Specific examples will be throughout the thesis. vi Acknowledgements There are so many people that I would like to thank for their help, for putting up with my 'vague' moments and patiently steering me back on topic. Firstly, my principal supervisor Professor Tony Sagona; I don't know how to thank you, you have been so patient and helpful with my work, and you kept me motivated. You also gave me enough confidence to tutor—something that I still love to do. My secondary supervisor Professor Louise Hitchcock; you too helped me so much through the pitfalls of thesis writing and made me really think about the essence of my essay. You also opened my eyes to the joys of fieldwork. Heather Stone, my life saver, you have taught me the foibles of grammar, and gave me sound advice when needed. Abby Robinson; an absolutely fantastic person who offered to edit my essay "thank you so much" Lastly, to my university friends who offered to read my thesis: "Thank you". Members of my family require special thanks: to my Dad, Peter, and sister, Tennille, for enduring me, and to my partner Dan, who has tolerated me, and has not once complained. You have been so supportive and often saved me with your computer expertise. THANK YOU! Finally I would like to thank the most important person of all, my fantastic mother, Hilary, who passed away suddenly in October, 2013. Mum, you saw me through every stage of my university studies, and put up with a lot from me through the years—the moaning, the tears and the frustration, and late hours in the night, so thank you—this one is for you. vii CONTENTS ABSTRACT ii DECLARATION iii MAP OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST iv HOUSE OF OMRI TIMELINE v PREFACE vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vii CONTENTS PAGE viii LIST OF FIGURES AND ILLUSTRATIONS x INTRODUCTION xii 1 JEZEBEL, INANNA AND POWERFUL WOMEN OF THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST AND THEIR CODES OF LAW 1 Evidence of Aha, Jezebel and Jehu 1 Jezebel's Role, Scripture and Religious Dogma Within the Bible 5 Women in Ancient Texts and Their Countries' Law Codes 8 Sumerian, Babylonian and Assyrian Laws 11 Egypt in Regards to Law 17 Phoenician Law 22 Hittite Law 24 Israelite Law 26 2 GODDESSES, MORTAL AND SEMI-MYTHIC WOMEN WITH POWER IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST 30 Inanna 32 Anat 36 Nitocris the Egyptian 41 Hatshepsut 42 Deborah and Jael of Israel 48 Queen Twosre 48 Dido of Phoenicia 49 Semiramis 50 Nitocris the Babylonian 53 Queen Rhodogune 54 Queen Vashti and Queen Esther 55 Conclusion 56 3 JEZEBEL: WHAT'S IN A NAME? A NARRATIVE OF JEZEBEL FROM THE BIBLE WITH COMMENTARY, AND HER HISTORICAL TRANSFORMATION TO THE BIBLICAL HARLOT 57 Archaeological Evidence 58 Evidence of Phoenician Trade During Jezebel's Lifetime 60 viii Phoenician Ivories 62 The Political Marriage of Jezebel 65 Israelite Ethnicity 66 The Bible and Jezebel 69 The Biblical Evidence: Mount Carmel 72 The Naboth Episode 76 The Beginning of the End for the Omri Dynasty 81 The Seed of Evil- Resewn 83 4 JEZEBEL'S PHOENICIAN POWER AND PRESTEIGE VERSUS FEAR AND LOATHING IN ISRAEL 85 Jezebel's Life Changes 85 Early Pre-Israelite Religion 90 The Fear of the 'Other' and Intermarriage 91 Abandoning One's God's for Yahweh 93 Jezebel, the Bible and Paganism 94 Religion in Ancient Israel 95 Household Cult in Ancient Israel 97 Archaeological Evidence of Household Cult 98 Prostitutes, Priestesses, and Widows 102 Magic, Sorcery, 'Witches' and the role of the Queen Mother 110 The Position of 'Gebira' and Her Role in State Cult 114 5 THE SEXUALISED ADORNMENT AND DEATH OF JEZEBEL; THE CONTINUED STIGMA AND SUBSEQUENT ENDEAVOUR OF EMANCIPATION 121 Issues with Adornment in the Bible 121 The Sexualisation of 'Jezebels' and Subsequent Gender Panic Within Other Texts 124 The Babylonian Talmud 128 The Middle Ages 130 Jezebel and Queen Mary of England 132 Jezebel in Regards to African American Slaves 133 The Black Athena 133 Jezebel and the Femme Fatale 134 Feminism and the 'Reclaiming' of Jezebel 135 The 'Historical Imagination' 143 Theories on the Death of Jezebel 145 The Seduction of Jehu 151 The Death of Jezebel 153 CONCLUSION 157 BIBLIOGRAPHY 161 SCRIPTURE INDEX 194 APPENDIX A: EARLY WRITERS OF VIRTUOUS WOMEN 197 APPENDIX B: A LAMENT OVER TYRE 199 ix Lists of Figures and Illustrations Figure 1: Map of the Ancient Near East iv Figure 2: Thiele's Conventional Chart from 990 to 780 BCE v Figure 3: A Scene From the Black Obelisk Depicting Jehu 1 Figure 4: Kurkh Monolith (Stela of Shalmaneser III c. 852 BCE 2 Figure 5: Possible Seal of Jezebel? 4 Figure 6: Code of Hammurabi Stele 12 Figure 7: Nen-Kheft-Ka and Wife Nefer-shemes 20 Figure 8: Rehotep and Wife Nofret 20 Figure 9: Painting of Jezebel 57 Figure 10: Ancient Trading Routes of the Phoenicians and Greeks 59 Figure 11: Part of the Balawat Gate, Assyria 61 Figure 12: Cylinder Seal Depicting the Sacred Tree and the Gods 63 Figure 13: Phoenician Ivory Sphinx in the Egyptian Style 64 Figure 14: Phoenician Ivory Depicting Sacred Tree (Egyptian Style) 64 Figure 15: Phoenician Ivory Sphinx in the Egyptian Style 64 Figure 16: Panel with a Male Figure Grasping a Tree; Winged Sun Disc Above 64 Figure 17: Mount Carmel 74 Figure 18: Painting of Elijah's Prophecy of the Omri Dynasty 81 Figure 19: Painting of Child Murderer Athaliah 83 x Figure 20: Map of Samaria 88 Figure 21: Map of Phoenicia and Their Commodities 89 Figure 22–25: Asherah/Astarte Plaques 99 Figure 26: Israelite Cult Stand with Musicians from Ashdod 99 Figure 27: Bronze Bull Statue from Dotham 99 Figure 28: Ta'anach Cult Stand 100 Figure 29: Bottom Register of Ta'anach Cult Stand 100 Figure 30: Grayscale Drawing of Ta'anach Cult Stand 100 Figure 31: Cultic Figures, Talismans etc.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Sex Morals and the Law in Ancient Egypt and Babylon James Bronson Reynolds
    Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume 5 | Issue 1 Article 4 1914 Sex Morals and the Law in Ancient Egypt and Babylon James Bronson Reynolds Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarlycommons.law.northwestern.edu/jclc Part of the Criminal Law Commons, Criminology Commons, and the Criminology and Criminal Justice Commons Recommended Citation James Bronson Reynolds, Sex Morals and the Law in Ancient Egypt and Babylon, 5 J. Am. Inst. Crim. L. & Criminology 20 (May 1914 to March 1915) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Northwestern University School of Law Scholarly Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology by an authorized editor of Northwestern University School of Law Scholarly Commons. SEX MORALS AND THE LAW IN ANCIENT EGYPT AND BABYLON. JAMEs BuoNsoN REYNoLDS.' EGYPT. Present knowledge of the criminal law of ancient Egypt relating to sex morals is fragmentary and incomplete in spite of the fact that considerable light has been thrown upon the subject by recent excava- tions and scholarship. We have not yet, however, sufficient data to de- termine the character or moral value of Egyptian law, or of its in- fluence on the Medeterranean world. Egyptian law was, however, elaborately and carefully expanded during the flourishing period of the nation's history.2 Twenty thousand volumes are said to have been written on the Divine law of Hermes, the traditional law-giver of Egypt, whose position is similar to that of Manu in relation to the laws of India. And while it is impossible to trace the direct influence of Egyptian law on the laws of later nations, its indirect influence upon the founders of Grecian law is established beyond ques- tion.
    [Show full text]
  • 2 the Assyrian Empire, the Conquest of Israel, and the Colonization of Judah 37 I
    ISRAEL AND EMPIRE ii ISRAEL AND EMPIRE A Postcolonial History of Israel and Early Judaism Leo G. Perdue and Warren Carter Edited by Coleman A. Baker LONDON • NEW DELHI • NEW YORK • SYDNEY 1 Bloomsbury T&T Clark An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Imprint previously known as T&T Clark 50 Bedford Square 1385 Broadway London New York WC1B 3DP NY 10018 UK USA www.bloomsbury.com Bloomsbury, T&T Clark and the Diana logo are trademarks of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc First published 2015 © Leo G. Perdue, Warren Carter and Coleman A. Baker, 2015 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publishers. Leo G. Perdue, Warren Carter and Coleman A. Baker have asserted their rights under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as Authors of this work. No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury or the authors. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. ISBN: HB: 978-0-56705-409-8 PB: 978-0-56724-328-7 ePDF: 978-0-56728-051-0 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library. Typeset by Forthcoming Publications (www.forthpub.com) 1 Contents Abbreviations vii Preface ix Introduction: Empires, Colonies, and Postcolonial Interpretation 1 I.
    [Show full text]
  • Intertextual Connection to the Elijah/Jezebel
    Scholars Crossing LBTS Faculty Publications and Presentations 2005 Femme Fatale Redux: Intertextual Connection to the Elijah/ Jezebel Narratives in Mark 6:14–29 Gary E. Yates Liberty University, [email protected] David M. Hoffeditz Cedarville University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/lts_fac_pubs Recommended Citation Yates, Gary E. and Hoffeditz, David M., "Femme Fatale Redux: Intertextual Connection to the Elijah/ Jezebel Narratives in Mark 6:14–29" (2005). LBTS Faculty Publications and Presentations. 4. https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/lts_fac_pubs/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Crossing. It has been accepted for inclusion in LBTS Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of Scholars Crossing. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Bulletin for Biblical Research 15.2 (2005) 199-221. Femme Fatale Redux: Intertextual Connection to the Elijah/ Jezebel Narratives in Mark 6:14–29 DAVID M. HOFFEDITZ AND GARY E. YATES CEDARVILLE UNIVERSITY LIBERTY UNIVERSITY In this article we trace important intertextual connections between the pe- ricopes of the beheading of John in Mark’s Gospel and the OT narratives sur- rounding the figures of Jezebel and Elijah. This form of intertextuality serves three key polemical purposes in Mark’s narrative: 1. to highlight the culpability and despicability of Herodias in having John put to death by depicting her as another Jezebel—the epitome of female wickedness in the OT; 2. to demonstrate the irony of reversal in that the OT narrative has the word of the prophet putting the wicked queen to death, while in the NT, the word of the wicked queen succeeds in bringing about the death of the prophet; 3.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Revelation: Unveiling Reality “Sex, Money and Jezebel” Revelation 2:18-29 Kevin Haah April 17, 2016
    Revelation: Unveiling Reality “Sex, Money and Jezebel” Revelation 2:18-29 Kevin Haah April 17, 2016 Turn on Timer! [Slide 1] We are in a middle of a series entitled, “Revelation: Unveiling Reality.” Revelation was written to show us that reality is more than what we see with our eyes. That’s the thesis of the book: things are not as they seem. This book unveils reality not just of the future, but also of the present. There is more to this present moment then we can know with our unaided senses. The more we see this, the more our perspective toward life changes. We see the world differently. We see the pressures and stresses of our lives differently. So, this is a practical book. It helps us be faithful even during hardships! Today, we are going to look at one of the letters to the seven churches, the letter to the church in Thyatira. [Slide 2] Today’s sermon is entitled, “Sex, Money and Jezebel.” [Slide 3] Let’s go to Revelation 2:18-29: 18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These are the words of the Son of God, whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze. 19 I know your deeds, your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first. [Slide 4] 20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.
    [Show full text]
  • Marten Stol WOMEN in the ANCIENT NEAR EAST
    Marten Stol WOMEN IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST Marten Stol Women in the Ancient Near East Marten Stol Women in the Ancient Near East Translated by Helen and Mervyn Richardson ISBN 978-1-61451-323-0 e-ISBN (PDF) 978-1-61451-263-9 e-ISBN (EPUB) 978-1-5015-0021-3 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- NoDerivs 3.0 License. For details go to http://creativecommons.org/licenses/ by-nc-nd/3.0/ Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A CIP catalog record for this book has been applied for at the Library of Congress. Bibliographic information published by the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek The Deutsche Nationalbibliothek lists this publication in the Deutsche Nationalbibliografie; detailed bibliographic data are available on the Internet at http://dnb.dnb.de. Original edition: Vrouwen van Babylon. Prinsessen, priesteressen, prostituees in de bakermat van de cultuur. Uitgeverij Kok, Utrecht (2012). Translated by Helen and Mervyn Richardson © 2016 Walter de Gruyter Inc., Boston/Berlin Cover Image: Marten Stol Typesetting: Dörlemann Satz GmbH & Co. KG, Lemförde Printing and binding: cpi books GmbH, Leck ♾ Printed on acid-free paper Printed in Germany www.degruyter.com Table of Contents Introduction 1 Map 5 1 Her outward appearance 7 1.1 Phases of life 7 1.2 The girl 10 1.3 The virgin 13 1.4 Women’s clothing 17 1.5 Cosmetics and beauty 47 1.6 The language of women 56 1.7 Women’s names 58 2 Marriage 60 2.1 Preparations 62 2.2 Age for marrying 66 2.3 Regulations 67 2.4 The betrothal 72 2.5 The wedding 93 2.6
    [Show full text]
  • Jesus Vs Jezebel
    Spring 2006 J ESUS VS J EZ EBEL THE SEXUAL SEDUCTION OF AMERICA WELCOME TO AMERICA’S SEXUAL ORGY. by Charles Crismier III THE CULTURAL GOSPEL believed and practiced “I will not blot out his name from the book of IN THIS ISSUE evangelistically from coast to coast and exported life” (Rev. 3:5, Rev. 21:27). abroad on the wings of democracy is promiscuous sex, the ultimate expression of godless prosperity. The fol- To the church in Thyatira was written: 10 POWER POINTS lowing portrait reveals how the salacious serpent has “I know thy works, and charity, and service, How to live pure in an “R” rated sexually seduced the world’s only nation which boldly and faith... Notwithstanding I have a few things culture. Page 4 professed to be “UNDER GOD.” It is JESUS vs. JE- against you because you suffer that woman ZEBEL... and JEZEBEL is winning. Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to SEX AND THE DE- teach and seduce my servants to commit forni- “Spirit of Prophecy” cation....” As a nation that desires to continue STRUCTION OF ROME to claim being “UNDER GOD,” we in America HE EZEBEL ONNECTION Find out how sexual license de- T J C must listen carefully to Jesus’ warning, a warn- stroyed Israel’s liberty. Page 4 The “Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev. ing particularly to those who profess to be his 1:1) describes the testimony of Jesus, the Savior followers. IF YOU WERE GOD... of the world, Lord of Nations and the Church, How would you respond to a sex- as “the spirit of prophecy” (Rev.
    [Show full text]
  • The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses
    The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses provides one of the most comprehensive listings and descriptions of Egyptian deities. Now in its second edition, it contains: ● A new introduction ● Updated entries and four new entries on deities ● Names of the deities as hieroglyphs ● A survey of gods and goddesses as they appear in Classical literature ● An expanded chronology and updated bibliography ● Illustrations of the gods and emblems of each district ● A map of ancient Egypt and a Time Chart. Presenting a vivid picture of the complexity and richness of imagery of Egyptian mythology, students studying Ancient Egypt, travellers, visitors to museums and all those interested in mythology will find this an invaluable resource. George Hart was staff lecturer and educator on the Ancient Egyptian collections in the Education Department of the British Museum. He is now a freelance lecturer and writer. You may also be interested in the following Routledge Student Reference titles: Archaeology: The Key Concepts Edited by Colin Renfrew and Paul Bahn Ancient History: Key Themes and Approaches Neville Morley Fifty Key Classical Authors Alison Sharrock and Rhiannon Ash Who’s Who in Classical Mythology Michael Grant and John Hazel Who’s Who in Non-Classical Mythology Egerton Sykes, revised by Allen Kendall Who’s Who in the Greek World John Hazel Who’s Who in the Roman World John Hazel The Routledge Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses George Hart Second edition First published 2005 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.
    [Show full text]
  • Women in Hebrew and Ancient Near Eastern Law
    Studia Antiqua Volume 3 Number 1 Article 5 June 2003 Women in Hebrew and Ancient Near Eastern Law Carol Pratt Bradley Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/studiaantiqua Part of the Near Eastern Languages and Societies Commons BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Bradley, Carol P. "Women in Hebrew and Ancient Near Eastern Law." Studia Antiqua 3, no. 1 (2003). https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/studiaantiqua/vol3/iss1/5 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Studia Antiqua by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Women in Hebrew and Ancient Near Eastern Law Carol Pratt Bradley The place of women in ancient history is a subject of much scholarly interest and debate. This paper approaches the issue by examining the laws of ancient Israel, along with other ancient law codes such as the Code of Hammurabi, the Laws of Urnammu, Lipit-Ishtar, Eshnunna, Hittite, Middle Assyrian, etc. Because laws reflect the values of the societies which developed them, they can be beneficial in assessing how women functioned and were esteemed within those cultures. A major consensus among scholars and students of ancient studies is that women in ancient times were second class, op- pressed, and subservient to men. This paper approaches the subject of the status of women anciently by examining the laws involving women in Hebrew law as found in the Old Testament, and in other law codes of the ancient Near East.
    [Show full text]
  • The Counterfeit for God's Forerunners FINAL with Front Page & Images
    The Counterfeit For God’s Forerunners ”The Son of God willingly destroyed Himself on the Cross” Compiled by: El-Azar Published by: Berashith Ministry ã 2020 First edition June 2020 Cover designed by Utilisoft Kallie du Plessis All Scripture quotations from E-Sword There is no copy right on our material. Please feel free to make as many copies needed for free distribution. Not for resale. PDF - Format A complete YouTube teaching is also available on our website to listen to. www.berashithministry.co.za email: [email protected] Counterfeit for God’s Forerunners FORWORD It was on the 4th of March 2009, at 3am, that the Lord awakened me. I started reading Psalms, but God audibly spoke to my spirit man and clearly instructed me to read Revelations 2 and 3. The message He gave me was personal and direct. “I know everything about you, Anton (my old pagan name at that stage). I know that you hate the Nicolaitans which I also hate {Revelation 2:6 that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate}. But you left your first love and I want you to repent and return to me {Revelation 2:4 But I have against you that you left your first love.} God’s invitation to return to Him, left me shocked and confused. I believed that I already served the Lord wholeheartedly. I cried for the next three months as the Lord guided me through the Book of Revelation. The messages to the first five congregations directly pointed to me. God continued and gave me information about my own persecution - that the devil will put me in prison for a short while in order to test my faith {Revelation 2:10 Do not at all fear what you are about to suffer.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Survival of Rape in the Book of Revelation Rape Cu
    Schulz 1 Jeremy Schulz Revealing Revelation Smith Reclaiming What Was Taken: Women’s Survival of Rape in the Book of Revelation Rape culture is, and has been, alive and thriving. The victimization of people who have been raped is constantly perpetuated by those in power, whether it be through media, political voice, or sacred scripture. In the following I will argue that the Book of Revelation was written with disregard to the suffering of victims of rape, and propagates the notion that sexual violence is a means to an end. I argue that this sacred text continues to objectify individuals who have been traumatized by rape, and I will suggest that the 'survivor' outlook be utilized to not only diminish the regularity of sexual violence, but to also help survivors of such violation to reclaim their inherent self-value. Reading the final book in the canon that makes up the Christian Bible can have a rather traumatizing effect upon anyone who can say they’ve lived a generally healthy and uneventful life; now compound the reading with one or more truly tragic experiences and you’ve got a book that, if written today, might have a trigger warning placed neatly on the cover. If we consider this as having an eschatological message, the inevitable end of times becomes a frightening experience, yet what is even more terrifying than the impending doom is the blatant and common images of sexual violence that permeate this text, and the idea that violating someone sexually is an appropriate method of punishment for certain transgressions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Good News
    The International Magazine of THE CHURCH OF GOD ~ ~~~ ~ VOL. XII, NUMBER 1 JANUARY, 1963 WHY God’s Women Do Not Wear MAKE-UP Here is the answer to the question: “Is it a SIN?” Here are ull the FACTS-where, when, by whom, and why it originated --its history-what the BIBLE says about it. by Herbert W. Armstrong OST WOMEN, today, take the use GOD’SLAWS (I John 3:4).The Apostle thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done of make-up as a matter of course. Paul said he would not have known this evil in thy sight” (Psalm 51 :4). M To ask the question, “Is it wrong? what constituted sin; except by Gods David’s sin was against God alone! Is it a SIN?” would prove a little start- Law. He would not have known it was God’s laws were devised and set in ling, and probably ridiculous, to the sin to covet, had not the tenth com- motion for oar good. Do we not all average modern woman. mandment given him that knowledge. want to be happy? God’s laws are THE Your great - grandmother probably Many people today, by the same WAY to happiness. Do we not want to would not have thought such questions token, do not know whether it is sin to find everything and everybody at peace ridiculous. But the modern girl or wom- wear lipstick, or other make-up on the with us? God’s laws are THE WAY to an lives in a world in which it has be- face.
    [Show full text]
  • THE REIGN of AL-IHAKIM Bl AMR ALLAH ‘(386/996 - 41\ / \ Q 2 \ % "A POLITICAL STUDY"
    THE REIGN OF AL-IHAKIM Bl AMR ALLAH ‘(386/996 - 41\ / \ Q 2 \ % "A POLITICAL STUDY" by SADEK ISMAIL ASSAAD Thesis submitted for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the University of London May 1971 ProQuest Number: 10672922 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 10672922 Published by ProQuest LLC(2017). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 ABSTRACT The present thesis is a political study of the reign of al-Hakim Bi Amr Allah the sixth Fatimid Imam-Caliph who ruled between 386-411/ 996-1021. It consists of a note on the sources and seven chapters. The first chapter is a biographical review of al-Hakim's person. It introduces a history of his birth, childhood, succession to the Caliphate, his education and private life and it examines the contradiction in the sources concerning his character. Chapter II discusses the problems which al-Hakim inherited from the previous rule and examines their impact on the political life of his State. Chapter III introduces the administration of the internal affairs of the State.
    [Show full text]