The Origin and Evolution of the Saraph Symbol
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Asherah in the Hebrew Bible and Northwest Semitic Literature Author(S): John Day Source: Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol
Asherah in the Hebrew Bible and Northwest Semitic Literature Author(s): John Day Source: Journal of Biblical Literature, Vol. 105, No. 3 (Sep., 1986), pp. 385-408 Published by: The Society of Biblical Literature Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3260509 . Accessed: 11/05/2013 22:44 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. The Society of Biblical Literature is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Journal of Biblical Literature. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 143.207.2.50 on Sat, 11 May 2013 22:44:00 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions JBL 105/3 (1986) 385-408 ASHERAH IN THE HEBREW BIBLE AND NORTHWEST SEMITIC LITERATURE* JOHN DAY Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University, England, OX2 6QA The late lamented Mitchell Dahood was noted for the use he made of the Ugaritic and other Northwest Semitic texts in the interpretation of the Hebrew Bible. Although many of his views are open to question, it is indisputable that the Ugaritic and other Northwest Semitic texts have revolutionized our understanding of the Bible. One matter in which this is certainly the case is the subject of this paper, Asherah.' Until the discovery of the Ugaritic texts in 1929 and subsequent years it was common for scholars to deny the very existence of the goddess Asherah, whether in or outside the Bible, and many of those who did accept her existence wrongly equated her with Astarte. -
Ancient Greece. ¡ the Basilisc Was an Extremely Deadly Serpent, Whose Touch Alone Could Wither Plants and Kill a Man
Ancient Greece. ¡ The Basilisc was an extremely deadly serpent, whose touch alone could wither plants and kill a man. ¡ The creature is later shown in the form of a serpent- tailed bird. ¡ Cerberus was the gigantic hound which guarded the gates of Haides. ¡ He was posted to prevent ghosts of the dead from leaving the underworld. ¡ Cerberus was described as a three- headed dog with a serpent's tail, a mane of snakes, and a lion's claws. The Chimera The Chimera was a monstrous beast with the body and maned head of a lion, a goat's head rising from its back, a set of goat-udders, and a serpents tail. It could also breath fire. The hero Bellerophon rode into battle to kill it on the back of the winged horse Pegasus. ¡ The Gryphon or Griffin was a beast with the head and wings of an eagle and the body of a lion. ¡ A tribe of the beasts guarded rich gold deposits in certain mountains. HYDRA was a gigantic, nine-headed water-serpent. Hercules was sent to destroy her as one of his twelve labours, but for each of her heads that he decapitated, two more sprang forth. So he used burning brands to stop the heads regenerating. The Gorgons The Gorgons were three powerful, winged daemons named Medusa, Sthenno and Euryale. Of the three sisters only Medousa was mortal, and so it was her head which the King commanded the young hero Perseus to fetch. He accomplished this with the help of the gods who equipped him with a reflective shield, curved sword, winged boots and helm of invisibility. -
15. Bible Marking
LESSON FIFTEEN Hezekiah: The Challenge from Assyria Quote: “He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.” 2 Kings 18:5, 6 Bible Marking Hezekiah - 2 Kings 18 2 Kings 18:1 - “Hezekiah” - Means “strengthened of Yahweh”. It was only through Yahweh’s strength that the reformation was accomplished, that Hezekiah was healed, and that Assyria was defeated. So great was Hezekiah, that we are given 3 records of his life (Kings, Chronicles and Isaiah). A Reformation on Divine Principles Mark above & “Ahaz” - Means “possessor”, ie. a selfish man, below 2 Kg 18 who was Judah’s worst king Ahaz had given himself over to idolatry, following the examples of those who had left the truth (2 Chron 28:1-2), and 2 Kings 18:2 - “Abi” - The margin has - ‘Abijah, of the world in general (2 Kg 16:3, 10-11). He therefore made 2 Chron 29:1’. “Abijah” means “Yah is Father”. Judah “naked” in the sight of Yahweh, and “transgressed sore She appears to be the inspiration for Hezekiah to against Yahweh” (2 Chron 28:19). Now Hezekiah brought devote his life to the service of Yahweh. See about a reformation upon Divine principles. He turned the Prov 22:6. people back to Yahweh and His Word and to the Pioneers of “Zachariah” - Means “Yahweh hath remembered” the truth (David, Asaph and Gad and Nathan etc). -
Theosophical Symbology Some Hints Towards Interpretation of the Symbolism of the Seal of the Society
Theosophical Siftings Theosophical Symbology Vol 3, No 4 Theosophical Symbology Some Hints Towards Interpretation of the Symbolism of the Seal of the Society by G.R.S. Mead, F.T.S. Reprinted from “Theosophical Siftings” Volume 3 The Theosophical Publishing Society, England "A combination and a form, indeed, Where every god did seem to set his seal, To give the world assurance of a MAN." As the question is often asked, What is the meaning of the Seal of the Society, it may not be unprofitable to attempt a rough outline of some of the infinite interpretations that can be discovered therein. When, however, we consider that the whole of our philosophical literature is but a small contribution to the unriddling of this collective enigma of the sphinx of all sciences, religions and philosophies, it will be seen that no more than the barest outlines can be sketched in a short paper. In the first place, we are told that to every symbol, glyph and emblem there are seven keys, or rather, that the key may be turned seven times, corresponding to all the septenaries in nature and in man. We might even suppose, by using the law of analogy, that each of the seven keys might be turned seven times. So that if we were to suggest that these keys may be named the physiological, astronomical, cosmic, psychic, intellectual and spiritual, of which divine interpretation is the master-key, we should still be on our guard lest we may have confounded some of the turnings with the keys themselves. -
The Wild Boar from San Rossore
209.qxp 01-12-2009 12:04 Side 55 UDSTILLINGSHISTORIER OG UDSTILLINGSETIK ● NORDISK MUSEOLOGI 2009 ● 2, S. 55-79 Speaking to the Eye: The wild boar from San Rossore LIV EMMA THORSEN* Abstract: The article discusses a taxidermy work of a wild boar fighting two dogs. The tableau was made in 1824 by the Italian scientist Paolo Savi, director of the Natural History Museum in Pisa from 1823-1840. The point of departure is the sense of awe this brilliantly produced tableau evokes in the spectator. If an object could talk, what does the wild boar communicate? Stuffed animals are objects that operate in natural history exhibitions as well in several other contexts. They resist a standard classification, belonging to neither nature nor culture. The wild boar in question illustrates this ambiguity. To decode the tale of the boar, it is establis- hed as a centre in a network that connects Savi’s scientific and personal knowled- ge, the wild boar as a noble trophy, the development of the wild boar hunt in Tus- cany, perceptions of the boar and the connection between science and art. Key words: Natural history museum, taxidermy, wild boar, wild boar hunt, the wild boar in art, ornithology, natural history in Tuscany, Museo di Storia Naturale e del Territorio, Paolo Savi. In 1821, a giant male wild boar was killed at There is a complex history to this wild boar. San Rossore, the hunting property of the We have to understand the important role this Grand Duke of Toscana. It was killed during a species played in Italian and European hun- hunt arranged in honour of prominent guests ting tradition, the link between natural histo- of Ferdinand III. -
Serpent Symbols and Salvation in the Ancient Near East and the Book of Mormon
Journal of Book of Mormon Studies Volume 10 Number 2 Article 8 7-31-2001 Serpent Symbols and Salvation in the Ancient Near East and the Book of Mormon Andrew C. Skinner Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms BYU ScholarsArchive Citation Skinner, Andrew C. (2001) "Serpent Symbols and Salvation in the Ancient Near East and the Book of Mormon," Journal of Book of Mormon Studies: Vol. 10 : No. 2 , Article 8. Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol10/iss2/8 This Feature Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at BYU ScholarsArchive. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Book of Mormon Studies by an authorized editor of BYU ScholarsArchive. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected]. Title Serpent Symbols and Salvation in the Ancient Near East and the Book of Mormon Author(s) Andrew C. Skinner Reference Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 10/2 (2001): 42–55, 70–71. ISSN 1065-9366 (print), 2168-3158 (online) Abstract The serpent is often used to represent one of two things: Christ or Satan. This article synthesizes evi- dence from Egypt, Mesopotamia, Phoenicia, Greece, and Jerusalem to explain the reason for this duality. Many scholars suggest that the symbol of the serpent was used anciently to represent Jesus Christ but that Satan distorted the symbol, thereby creating this para- dox. The dual nature of the serpent is incorporated into the Old Testament, the New Testament, and the Book of Mormon. erpent ymbols & SSalvation in the ancient near east and the book of mormon andrew c. -
Benjamin Franklin (10 Vols., New York, 1905- 7), 5:167
The American Aesthetic of Franklin's Visual Creations ENJAMIN FRANKLIN'S VISUAL CREATIONS—his cartoons, designs for flags and paper money, emblems and devices— Breveal an underlying American aesthetic, i.e., an egalitarian and nationalistic impulse. Although these implications may be dis- cerned in a number of his visual creations, I will restrict this essay to four: first, the cartoon of Hercules and the Wagoneer that appeared in Franklin's pamphlet Plain Truth in 1747; second, the flags of the Associator companies of December 1747; third, the cut-snake cartoon of May 1754; and fourth, his designs for the first United States Continental currency in 1775 and 1776. These four devices or groups of devices afford a reasonable basis for generalizations concerning Franklin's visual creations. And since the conclusions shed light upon Franklin's notorious comments comparing the eagle as the emblem of the United States to the turkey ("a much more respectable bird and withal a true original Native of America"),1 I will discuss that opinion in an appendix. My premise (which will only be partially proven during the fol- lowing discussion) is that Franklin was an extraordinarily knowl- edgeable student of visual symbols, devices, and heraldry. Almost all eighteenth-century British and American printers used ornaments and illustrations. Many printers, including Franklin, made their own woodcuts and carefully designed the visual appearance of their broad- sides, newspapers, pamphlets, and books. Franklin's uses of the visual arts are distinguished from those of other colonial printers by his artistic creativity and by his interest in and scholarly knowledge of the general subject. -
Archons (Commanders) [NOTICE: They Are NOT Anlien Parasites], and Then, in a Mirror Image of the Great Emanations of the Pleroma, Hundreds of Lesser Angels
A R C H O N S HIDDEN RULERS THROUGH THE AGES A R C H O N S HIDDEN RULERS THROUGH THE AGES WATCH THIS IMPORTANT VIDEO UFOs, Aliens, and the Question of Contact MUST-SEE THE OCCULT REASON FOR PSYCHOPATHY Organic Portals: Aliens and Psychopaths KNOWLEDGE THROUGH GNOSIS Boris Mouravieff - GNOSIS IN THE BEGINNING ...1 The Gnostic core belief was a strong dualism: that the world of matter was deadening and inferior to a remote nonphysical home, to which an interior divine spark in most humans aspired to return after death. This led them to an absorption with the Jewish creation myths in Genesis, which they obsessively reinterpreted to formulate allegorical explanations of how humans ended up trapped in the world of matter. The basic Gnostic story, which varied in details from teacher to teacher, was this: In the beginning there was an unknowable, immaterial, and invisible God, sometimes called the Father of All and sometimes by other names. “He” was neither male nor female, and was composed of an implicitly finite amount of a living nonphysical substance. Surrounding this God was a great empty region called the Pleroma (the fullness). Beyond the Pleroma lay empty space. The God acted to fill the Pleroma through a series of emanations, a squeezing off of small portions of his/its nonphysical energetic divine material. In most accounts there are thirty emanations in fifteen complementary pairs, each getting slightly less of the divine material and therefore being slightly weaker. The emanations are called Aeons (eternities) and are mostly named personifications in Greek of abstract ideas. -
The Bronze Snake
Lesson 12 The Bronze Snake Numbers 20:1-21:9 Numbers 20 And the people of Israel, the whole congregation, came into the wilderness of Zin in the first month, and the people stayed in Kadesh. And Miriam died there and was buried there. 2 Now there was no water for the congregation. And they assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron. 3 And the people quarreled with Moses and said, “Would that we had perished when our brothers perished before the LORD! 4 Why have you brought the assembly of the LORD into this wilderness, that we should die here, both we and our cattle? 5 And why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is no place for grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, and there is no water to drink.” 6 Then Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly to the entrance of the tent of meeting and fell on their faces. And the glory of the LORD appeared to them, 7 and the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 8 “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” 9 And Moses took the staff from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10 Then Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, “Hear now, you rebels: shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” 11 And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. -
Puranas Also Talk About This Deed, Again Equating Garuda with Syena (Sanskrit Word for Eagle)
Newsletter Archives www.dollsofindia.com Garuda – the divine Vahana of Vishnu Copyright © 2012, DollsofIndia Namah pannaganaddhaaya vaikunta vasavardhineh | Sruti-sindhu Sudhothpaada-mandaraaya Garutmathe || "I bow to Garuda, the One with the beautiful wings, whose limbs are adorned by the mighty serpents, who he has conquered in battle. I bow to the One who is forever in the devotion of his Lord, Vishnu. He is as adept as the Mandara Mountain, in churning the ocean of the Vedas, capturing the very essence of their wisdom." - the first two lines of the Garuda Stotra Garuda, the Mighty Eagle The Garuda is a large, mythical Eagle, which appears prominently in both Hindu and Buddhist mythology. Incidentally, Garuda is also the Hindu name for the constellation Aquila. The Brahminy kite and Phoenix are considered to be the modern representations of Garuda. Garuda is the national symbol of Indonesia – this mighty creature is depicted as a large Javanese eagle. 0In Hinduism, Garuda is an Upadevata, a divine entity, and is depicted as the vahana or mount of Sri Maha Vishnu. Garuda is usually portrayed as being a strong man; having a golden, glowing body; with a white face, red wings, and an eagle's beak. He is adorned with a crown on his head. This very ancient deity is believed to have a gigantic form, large enough to block out the Surya Devata or the Sun God. Garuda is widely known to be a permanent and sworn enemy of the Nagas, the ones belonging to the serpent race - it is believed that Garuda fed only on snakes. -
Unit 6 • Assessment
Unit 6 • Assessment Read the story about a Greek hero’s adventures. Then answer the questions. Bellerophon 1 Long ago, in the city of Ephyre, there lived a handsome young man named Bellerophon. His father was said to be the mighty Poseidon, god of the sea. His mother, though a mortal, had been a prize student of the goddess Athena. 2 Above all else, Bellerophon wanted to ride the great winged horse Pegasus. But how might a mortal catch and tame the amazing steed? 3 A wise man counseled him, “Spend the night at the temple of Athena. Perhaps she will help you.” Bellerophon followed the wise man’s advice. 4 During the night, Bellerophon dreamed that Athena paid him a visit. With her, she carried a golden object. “Awaken,” she said, “and I shall give you everything you need.” 5 Bellerophon arose instantly, but the goddess had disappeared. In the place where she had stood during his vision, he found a golden bridle. He knew this was a gift from the goddess to help him win the great horse. 6 Bellerophon soon went off to search for Pegasus. He found the horse drinking from a spring. When Bellerophon approached, the horse allowed the young man to bridle him. From that day, Bellerophon took long journeys and shared many adventures with the wondrous horse. 7 One day, the King of Lycia asked him to slay the monster Chimera. The beast had the head of a lion, the body of a goat, and a serpent’s tail. Its breath was a flame that could not be quenched. -
Rattlesnake Tales 127
Hamell and Fox Rattlesnake Tales 127 Rattlesnake Tales George Hamell and William A. Fox Archaeological evidence from the Northeast and from selected Mississippian sites is presented and combined with ethnographic, historic and linguistic data to investigate the symbolic significance of the rattlesnake to northeastern Native groups. The authors argue that the rattlesnake is, chief and foremost, the pre-eminent shaman with a (gourd) medicine rattle attached to his tail. A strong and pervasive association of serpents, including rattlesnakes, with lightning and rainfall is argued to have resulted in a drought-related ceremo- nial expression among Ontario Iroquoians from circa A.D. 1200 -1450. The Rattlesnake and Associates Personified (Crotalus admanteus) rattlesnake man-being held a special fascination for the Northern Iroquoians Few, if any of the other-than-human kinds of (Figure 2). people that populate the mythical realities of the This is unexpected because the historic range of North American Indians are held in greater the eastern diamondback rattlesnake did not esteem than the rattlesnake man-being,1 a grand- extend northward into the homeland of the father, and the proto-typical shaman and warrior Northern Iroquoians. However, by the later sev- (Hamell 1979:Figures 17, 19-21; 1998:258, enteenth century, the historic range of the 264-266, 270-271; cf. Klauber 1972, II:1116- Northern Iroquoians and the Iroquois proper 1219) (Figure 1). Real humans and the other- extended southward into the homeland of the than-human kinds of people around them con- eastern diamondback rattlesnake. By this time the stitute a social world, a three-dimensional net- Seneca and other Iroquois had also incorporated work of kinsmen, governed by the rule of reci- and assimilated into their identities individuals procity and with the intensity of the reciprocity and families from throughout the Great Lakes correlated with the social, geographical, and region and southward into Virginia and the sometimes mythical distance between them Carolinas.