Posted by: religionthink | August 20, 2007

The Murder of God

The Murder of God

By A D. Wayman

“How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives: who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves? What festivals of atonement, what sacred games shall we have to invent? Is not the greatness of this deed too great for us? Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it? There has never been a greater deed; and whoever is born after us—for the sake of this deed he will belong to a higher history than all history hitherto.”1

The above quote by Nietzsche touches on one of the main issues possibly facing religious thought today. It is a question of how to transform the religion into something we can identify with. Is religion about emotion, churches, the asking of favors, group therapy and the many other uses we have selfishly used the deity for? By confining the religion to these shallow means we all have been murders and it is these very selfish desires that have killed the gods and closed their paths to true understanding. There are many murder weapons that we have constructed, both knowingly and unknowingly.

The anthropologist Joseph Campbell spent most of his life time explaining how the myth transforms through times and how the metaphors are pathways that are well trod. They are the road signs that direct through life’s challenges, adventures, and battles. Many however mistake them for the end result and fail to push on. It is at this point of the trip that divisions are created and fences are constructed to separate the perceived truth from the false and the perceived evil from the good. It is this polarized world view that possibly may be one murder weapon that we have used.

Another murder weapon used against the deity is the failure to view common themes on a global scale. Some are quick to label themes of a belief system outside their group as pagan or false but fail to notice that the same may exist with in their own. Others, upon noting these themes, write volumes of material to justify why the theme is acceptable in their own belief system and not in others. Such a fence enhances divisions among groups of people and hinders the contribution of abstract expressionism, which religion happens to be just one aspect of the whole.

Lastly, another murder weapon is ignorance of history and culture. Many times modern theology is forced on texts, without knowing the political, social, religious, and cultural environment the writings come from. Many texts are changed, rewritten, reworded, or reinterpreted, to support such theological view which is then passed off as the original.

The question remains on how to reconstruct the metaphor in a way that is relevant to ourselves and to our community. No matter how hard one tries to fence in such themes they tend to flow over the dam` in other forms of expression. From Marduk and his fight with Tiamat to Harry Potter fighting the serpent in the Chamber of Secrets, themes spill over and are expressed abstractly in a meaningful way no matter how much the established orthodox views of religion fight it. The fix is not to try to contain such a force but let it flow like water in our minds and lives. Because once contained, we have contributed a fatal thrust to the deity with our sword of ego. Must we ourselves not become gods simply to appear worthy of it?

1. Friedrich Nietzsche, The Gay Science (1882, 1887) para. 125; Walter Kaufmann ed. (New York: Vintage, 1974), pp.181-82.]

(A. D. Wayman is the author and creator of http://www.religionthink.com)

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Posted in Bible, Judaism, Religion, Sin

Posted by: religionthink | July 27, 2007

Psalm 31: My Bones Waste Away

Psalm 31: My Bones Waste Away

By A. D. Wayman

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eye wastes away from grief, my soul and body also. For my life is spent with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery, and my bones waste away. I am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me. I have passed out of mind like one who is dead; I have become like a broken vessel. (Psa 31:9-12)

In the Psalm discussed we see that it can be broken into three distinct sections. The first section tells of a life threatening disease that has overcome the writer and we can deduct that he may be near death. The second section tells how he is abandoned by all his friends and his enemies are telling lies about the writer. Lastly we see in verses 20-25 a prayer of thanksgiving which are commonly found when reading the Psalms.1

In comparing this text to other literature of the ancient Near East we come to perhaps the most commonly used, the “Prayer of Lamentation to Ishtar”. This fits properly into context with this Psalm and the reader of this essay is encouraged to read this text in full to understand the many similarities to this Psalm and others. Below is possibly the most relevant verses of the prayer in comparison to the discussed Psalm.

See me O my Lady, accept my prayers.
Faithfully look upon me and hear my supplication.
Promise my forgiveness and let thy spirit be appeased.
Pity! For my wretched body which is full of confusion and trouble.
Pity! For my sickened heart which is full of tears and suffering.
Pity! For my wretched intestines (which are full of) confusion and trouble.

Pity! For my afflicted house which mourns bitterly.
Pity! For my feelings which are satiated with tears and suffering.
O exalted Irnini, fierce lion, let thy heart be at rest.
O angry wild ox, let thy spirit be appeased.

Let the favor of thine eyes be upon me.
With thy bright features look faithfully upon me.
Drive away the evil spells of my body (and) let me see thy bright light.

How long, O my Lady, shall my adversaries be looking upon me,
In lying and untruth shall they plan evil against me,

Shall my pursuers and those who exult over me rage against me?
How long, O my Lady, shall the crippled and weak seek me out?
One has made for me long sackcloth; thus I have appeared before thee.

The weak have become strong; but I am weak.
I toss about like flood-water, which an evil wind makes violent.
My heart is flying; it keeps fluttering like a bird of heaven.
I mourn like a dove night and day.

I am beaten down, and so I weep bitterly.
With “Oh” and “Alas” my spirit is distressed.
I – what have I done, O my god and my goddess?
Like one who does not fear my god and my goddess I am treated;
While sickness, headache, loss, and destruction are provided for me;2

Another text that may be relevant to Psalm 31 comes to us from the East in the Rig Veda Book 8 “Hymn 18 to Aditya.”. Here the writer asks favors from the deity and in this case deities, for some of the same issues.

Now let the mortal offer prayer to win the unexampled grace
Of these Adityas and their aid to cherish life.
For not an enemy molests the paths which these Adityas tread:
Infallible guards, they strengthen us in happiness.
Now soon may Bhaga, Savitar, Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman
Give us the shelter widely spread which we implore.
With Gods come thou whose fostering care none checks, O Goddesss Aditi:
Come, dear to many, with the Lords who guard us well.
For well these Sons of Aditi know to keep enmities aloof,
Unrivalled, giving ample room, they save from woe.
Aditi guard our herd by day, Aditi, free from guile, by night,
Aditi, ever strengthening, save us from grief!
And in the day our hymn is this: May Aditi come nigh to help,
With loving-kindness bring us weal and chase our foes.
And may the Asvins, the divine Pair of Physicians, send us health:
May they remove iniquity and chase our foes.
May Agni bless us with his fires, and Surya warm us pleasantly:
May the pure Wind breathe sweet on us, and chase our foes.
Drive ye disease and strife away, drive ye away malignity:

Adityas, keep us ever far from sore distress.
Remove from us the arrow, keep famine, Adityas! far away:
Keep enmities afar from us, Lords of all wealth!
Now, O Adityas, grant to us the shelter that lets man go free,

Yea, even the sinner from his sin, ye Bounteous Gods
Whatever mortal with the powe r of demons fain would injure us,
May he, impetuous, suffer harm by his own deeds.
May sin o’ertake our human foe, the man who speaketh evil thing,
Him who would cause our misery, whose heart is false.
Gods, ye are with the simple ones, ye know each mortal in your hearts;
Ye, Vasus, well discriminate the false and true.
Fain would we have the sheltering aid of mountains and of water-floods:
Keep far from us iniquity, O Heaven and Earth.
So with auspicious sheltering aid do ye, O Vasus, carry us
Beyond all trouble and distress, borne in your ship.
Adityas, ye Most Mighty Ones, grant to our children and their seed
Extended term of life that they may live long days.
Sacrifice, O Adityas, is your inward monitor: be kind,
For in the bond of kindred we are bound to you.
The Maruts’ high protecting aid, the Asvins, and the God who saves,
Mitra and Varuna for weal we supplicate.
Grant us a home with triple guard, Aryaman, Mitra, Varuna!
Unthreatened, Maruts! meet for praise, and filled with men.
And as we human beings, O Adityas, are akin to death,
Graciously lengthen ye our lives that we may live.3

In the above hymn, written beautifully by a writer possibly from the same time period as the Psalm, we can see that the writer was concerned with the same themes; concerns about heath, protection from evil doers, death, and verses of thanksgiving. Next we come to an interesting text from the Uargit.

The Epic of Kret, interestingly follows the story of the Iliad and may possibly be the bridge between the Iliad and the early Hebrew stories of Abraham and Sarah. In the epic Kret’s wife, who was to merry him, is taken by another king. Kret, in turn, pleads to the head of the Canaanite pantheon god El for justice. El, in his divine mercy, has compassion and tells Kret that he must follow certain rites and sacrifices and then lay siege to the city. Kret follows the god El’s instructions; the wife is given to him and all the promises that El made to Kret are fulfilled. He has seven sons and one daughter.

Kret however, fails to honor the goddess Asherah, wife of El. The goddess in a fit of rage causes a sickness to fall on Kret. His children weep for him and his daughter tries to cure him without success. It is after much drama, and pleading that El has once again compassion. After all mortal healing attempts are exhausted El; after holding council among the gods, after no god steps forward to help, heals and restores Kert to kingship.4 Below is the lamentation of Kret’s daughter, Octivia, and the reply of El the compassionate.

Will the Kind One’s offspring not live on?
Baal’s mountain, father, will weep for you,
Zaphon, the holy stronghold,
the holy stronghold will lament,
the stronghold wide and broad:

‘Is not Kirta El’s son,
an offspring of the Kind and Holy One?’ ”
Baal’s rain for the earth,
and the rain of the Most High for the fields;
for Baal’s rain benefits the earth,
and the rain of the Most High the fields,
benefits the wheat in the furrow,
the spelt in the tilled ground. . . .
The plowmen lifted their heads,
the sowers of grain their backs:
gone was the food from their bins,
gone was the wine from their skins,
gone was the oil from their vats.

“El has heard your speech:
look-you are wise, like El,

like the Bull, the Kind One;
call to Ilisha, the carpenter god,
Ilisha, the carpenter of Baal’s house,
and his wives, the carpenter goddesses. . . .”

He called to Ilisha, the carpenter god,
Ilisha, the carpenter of Baal’s house,
and his wives, the carpenter goddesses.
And El the Kind, the Compassionate, replied:
“Listen, Ilisha, carpenter god,

Ilisha, the carpenter of Baal’s house,
and your wives, the carpenter goddesses:
go up to the height of the building. . . .”

And El the Kind, the Compassionate, replied:
Who among the gods can expel the sickness,
drive out the disease?”
But none of the gods answered him.

He spoke a second, then a third time:
“Who among the gods can expel the sickness,
drive out the disease?”
But none of the gods answered him. .

He spoke a fourth, then a fifth time:
Who among the gods can expel the sickness,
drive out the disease?”
But none of the gods answered him.

He spoke a sixth, then a seventh time:
“Who among the gods can expel the sickness,
drive out the disease?”
But none of the gods answered him.

Then El the Kind, the Compassionate, replied:
My sons, sit down upon your thrones,
upon your princely seats.
I will work magic,
I will bring relief:
I will expel the sickness,
I will drive out the disease.” 5

The rest of the text tells how Kert is restored to power. In passing the story of Abraham’s promise, taking of Sarah by the kings, heavenly council convening, and Psalm 82 all may be relevant for discussion when researching the above text. However, such topics may be better dealt with at grater length in another essay. focusing again on Psalm 31 we can see the common themes presented here and how the different writes used lamentation to provoke the god to act on their behalf.


1. Dahood, Mitchell. The Anchor Bible: Psalms 1-50. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1968.

2. Pritchard, James. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. “Prayer of Lamentation to Ishtar” Princeton University Press, Princeton, New York 1950. pg. 384. Also online at http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/humm/Resources/Ane/lamIshtr.html

3. Griffith, Ralph T.H. The Rig Veda Book 8 Hymn 18 http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/rigveda/rv08018.htm

4. Gordon, Cyrus H. Ugarit and Minoan Crete: The Bearing of Their Texts on the Origins of Western Culture. New York: Norton, 1966. pg 100-101.

5. Coogan, Michael David. Stories from Ancient Canaan. The Westminster Press. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1978. p. 71-72

 

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Posted in Ancient Near East, Baal, Bible, Judaism, Old Testament, Psalm, Psalms, Religion, Rig Veda, Sheol

Posted by: religionthink | July 23, 2007

Dragon Slayers: Indra, Marduk, Yahweh, and Baal- A Literary Comparison Part 2

Dragon Slayers: Indra, Marduk, Yahweh, and Baal

A Literary Comparison Part 2 of 4

By, A.D. Wayman

The Primal Beginning

With in the Babylonian Creation Epic of Enuma Elish, Marduk was already in line to become the leader of the gods. Resting in the fresh waters of the god Apsu. As in the Hebrew creation account in Genesis, the world and creation is unformed covered in a mixture of fresh water (Apsu) and mixing with the salt water (Tiamat).

When there was no heaven,
no earth, no height, no depth, no name,
when Apsu was alone,
the sweet water, the first begetter; and Tiamat
the bitter water, and that
return to the womb, her Mummu,
when there were no gods-

When sweet and bitter
mingled together, no reed was plaited, no rushes
muddied the water,
the gods were nameless, natureless, futureless, then
from Apsu and Tiamat
in the waters gods were created, in the waters
silt precipitated, 1

It can be a mystery to those not familiar with the metaphors of the ancient Near East but the account of the birth and battle of Marduk and the creation were of most important and resonated as a powerful epic battle that was internalized every year through an reenactment ritual. 2 Here in just a few sentences we view the imagery of a chaotic scene. Fresh water and salt water mixing, no sky, no earth, nor universal order. The story goes on to account for the creation of the land gods, sky gods, and various assistants. We then come to a point where the Creator God Ea overtakes Apsu and his visor. There is much more to this account, and the reader is encouraged to read this text in full. For this essay however we will be discussing the themes of comparison.

The Birth of Marduk

Then Ea ripped off his flaming glory coat and took his crown, he set on himself the aureole of the king. When Ea has bound Apsu he killed him, and Mummu, the dark counselor, he led by the nose and locked away.

Ea has defeated his enemies and trodden them down. Now that his triumph was completed, in deep peace he rested, in his holy palace Ea slept. Over the abyss, the distance, he built his house and shrine and there magnificently he lived with his wife Damkina . In that room, at the point of decision where what is to come is predetermined, he was conceived, the most sagacious, the one from the first most absolute in action.

In the deep abyss he was conceived, MARDUK was made in the heart of the apsu, MARDUK was created in the heart of the holy Apsu. Ea begot him and Damkina bore him, father and mother; he sucked the paps of goddesses, from his nurses he was fed on the terrib leness that filled him.3

Here in this translation, we find the war between the gods. A creator god binds the primal water god and Mummu, the evil counselor, is led away by the nose and confined. Here we have the binding of the visor, which we may note in passing, has evolved into the more modern text of the binding of the accuser in the Hebrew texts or “Ha Satan”. Here also it is through the creator god Ea within the primal fresh water god Apsu that Marduk is brought forth and bore by his mother Damkina. We also see that Ea after is quest of overcoming Apsu rests and builds a temple. As we remember Yahweh also rests and it is Baal after over coming the god Yam, as we shall see later, lobbies the heavenly council for a temple in his honor. Marduk is weaned and the text relates that at birth his is most perfect.

When Ea who begot him saw him he exulted, he was radiant, light-hearted, for he saw that he was perfect, and he multiplied his godhead, the one to be first and stand highest.

His limbs were immaculate, the making a fearful mystery beyond comprehension; with four eyes for limitless sight, and four ears hearing all; when his lips moved a tongue of fire burst out. Titanic limbs, standing so high he overtopped the tallest god; he was strong and he wore the glory of ten, and their lightnings played round him.

‘My son, my son, son of the sun, and heaven’s sun!’4

The Birth of Marduk denotes and important change in thinking. Tiamat the primal sea, salt water, is now viewed as a coiling serpent. She sends the other gods cowering. It is foreshadowed above that Marduk will become the dominant god and will lead the journey and battle that will bring order to the cosmos. We see in the text above that already at his birth he is associated with being a storm god, all seeing and all hearing with his multiple eyes and ears while shooting fire from his mouth when he speaks. In passing we see Ea ordain the young Marduk with an acknowledgment ‘My son, my son, son of the sun, and heaven’s sun! which brings us forward to the saying of Yahweh from the clouds at the baptism initiation of the one later called Jesus.

The Conquest

The gods in the heavenly council are afraid of the now raging Tiamat and her fierce army that she has collected and each of the gods have come back shaking at he knees. Marduk is chosen by the council to go and do the battle.

Now Kingu, thus exalted, having received the power of Anu,
Decreed the fate for the gods, her sons, saying:
‘Let the opening of your mouth quench the Fire-god;
Whoso is exalted in the battle, let him display his might!’
I sent Anu, but he could not withstand her;
Nudimmud was afraid and turned back.
But Marduk hath set out, the director of the gods, your son;
To set out against Tiamat his heart hath prompted him.
He opened his mouth and spake unto me, saying:
‘If I, your avenger,
Conquer Tiamat and give you life,
Appoint an assembly, make my fate preeminent and proclaim it.
In Upsukkinaku seat yourselves joyfully together;
With my word in place of you will I decree fate.
May, whatsoever I do remain unaltered,
May the word of my lips never be changed nor made of no avail.’
Hasten, therefore, and swiftly decree for him the fate which you bestow,
That he may go and fight your strong enemy!
Lahmu and Lahamu heard and cried aloud
All of the Igigi [The elder gods] wailed bitterly, saying:
What has been altered so that they should
We do not understand the deed of Tiamat!
Then did they collect and go,
The great gods, all of them, who decree fate.
They entered in before Ansar, they filled…
They kissed one another, in the assembly…;
They made ready for the feast, at the banquet they sat;
They ate bread, they mixed sesame-wine.
The sweet drink, the mead, confused their…
They were drunk with drinking, their bodies were filled.
They were wholly at ease, their spirit was exalted;
Then for Marduk, their avenger, did they decree the fate.5

Later we shall see the storm god Baal making such an address to the heavenly council when Mot, the lord of the underworld comes to call. Yahweh addresses the Divine Council in Psalm 82, threatening to make the gods human for their injustice. In Habakkuk 3 we read the holy war hymn of the victorious Yahweh doing battle with the sea.

I saw the tents of Cushan under affliction; the tent-curtains of the land of Midian trembled. Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord? Or your anger against the rivers, or your rage against the sea, when you drove your horses, your chariots to victory? You brandished your naked bow, sated were the arrows at your command. (Selah) You split the earth with rivers. The mountains saw you, and writhed; a torrent of water swept by; the deep gave forth its voice. The sun raised high its hands; the moon stood still in its exalted place, at the light of your arrows speeding by, at the gleam of your flashing spear. In fury you trod the earth, in anger you trampled nations. You came forth to save your people, to save your anointed. Hab3:7-13

In the text above concerning Marduk, With the decree from the heavenly council, called “Upsukkinaku” his fate is sealed. He sets out on his quest to face the dragon. He will venture into unknown territory, into the belly of the serpent and hope to return, setting order to the disorder, and calmness to the raging waters of the dragon.

Tiamat has amassed a large army of howling, fierce, and battle hardened demons. They have amassed to her aid and to her bidding. They have made weapons of war that no god in the council has seen before, and she comes taunting the gods.

With all her force she rageth, full of wrath.
All the gods have turned to her,
With those, whom ye created, they go at her side.
They are banded together, and at the side of Tiamat they advance;
They are furious, they devise mischief without resting night and day.
They prepare for battle, fuming and raging;
They have joined their forces and are making war.
Ummu-Hubur, who formed all things,
Hath made in addition weapons invincible; she hath spawned monster-serpents,
Sharp of tooth and merciless of fang.
With poison, instead of blood, she hath filled their bodies.
Fierce monster-vipers she hath clothed with terror,
With splendor she hath decked them; she hath made them of lofty stature.
Whoever beboldeth them, terror overcometh him,
Their bodies rear up and none can withstand their attack.
She hath set up vipers, and dragons, and the monster Lahamu,
And hurricanes, and raging bounds, and scorpion-men,
And mighty tempests, and fish-men, and rams;
They bear merciless weapons, without fear of the fight.
Her commands are miahty; none can. resist them;
After this fashion, huge of stature, hath she made eleven monsters. 6

Marduk and the Serpent

So with his fate sealed Marduk faces the Dragon. In the texts concerning Indra and Yahweh the details are somewhat watered down by metaphor and symbolism. Although we do have some descriptions from the Vedas and biblical texts, it is with in this story of Enuma Elish, and the Baal Epic from Ugarit that we have blow by blow commentary. These texts are so detailed that they give us descriptions on the seriousness of the battle. Even the modern apocalyptic text Revelation is no match for the details given in the two mentioned texts. Marduk gathers his weapons of war and sets off.

They robed him in robes of a king, the scepter and the throne they gave him, and matchless war-weapons as a shield against the adversary.

‘Be off. Slit life from Tiamat, and may the winds carry her blood to the world’s secret ends.’

The old gods had assigned to Bel what he would be and what he should do, always conquering, always succeeding;

Then Marduk made a bow and strung it to be his own weapon, he set the arrow against the bow-string, in his right hand he grasped the mace and lifted it up, bow and quiver hung at his side, lightnings played in front of him, he was altogether an incandesce nce.

He netted a net, a snare for Tiamat; the winds from their quarters held it, south wind, north, east wind, west, and no part of Tiamat could escape.

With the net, the gift of Anu, held close to his side, he himself raised up…7

Like the mighty Indra, Marduk now wages a fierce war he mounts the storm chariot, takes his bow with him the Killer, the Pitiless, Trampler, and Haste, all knowing how to both plunder and murder; he rides out to meet the mighty Tiamat and finds her in full rage.

When Tiamat heard him her wits scattered, she was possessed and shrieked aloud, her legs shook from the crotch down, she gabbled spells, muttered maledictions, while the gods of war sharpened their weapons. 8

The speech that Marduk gives to Tiamat is most interesting. In the Ugarit account of the battle between Mot and Baal; Baal’s speech to Mot is somewhat different in that is a speech of submission to the dragon Death. Baal of the Ugarit accepts his fate. However, in the case of Indra and Marduk and also in the texts of Yahweh, they use their wit to conquer. The speech below can make us relate to the speech David gave to the taunting Goliath. All of this is relevant because the Hero’s Journey, for the most part follows the pattern.

Then the lord raised the thunderbolt, his mighty weapon,
And against Tiamat, who was raging, thus he sent the word:
Thou art become great, thou hast exalted thyself on high,
And thy heart hath prompted thee to call to battle.
… their fathers…,
… their… thou hatest…
Thou hast exalted Kingu to be thy spouse,
Thou hast… him, that, even as Anu, he should issue deerees.
thou hast followed after evil,
And against the gods my fathers thou hast contrived thy wicked plan.
Let then thy host be equipped, let thy weapons be girded on!
Stand! I and thou, let us join battle! 9

Like the mighty Indra we find Marduk entering the mouth of Tiamat and traveling to her innards he splits her gut like a shell fish. Parting her separating the waters from the sky.

Then they met: Marduk, that cleverest of gods, and Tiamat grappled alone in singled fight.

The lord shot his net to entangle Tiamat, and the pursuing tumid wind, Imhullu, came from behind and beat in her face. When the mouth gaped open to suck him down he drove Imhullu in, so that the mouth would not shut but wind raged through her belly; her carcass blown up, tumescent,. She gaped- And now he shot the arrow that split the belly, that pierced the gut and cut the womb. 10

After the return Marduk, the Bull, is crowned King of Kings and the gods set him as ruler of all gods. From the remains of the fierce Tiamat; Marduk creates the earth, cycle of Days, and years. Once more where there was disorder there is order. After his battle, with order restored, creation completed and his temple built he rests. The heavenly council (the Igigi shouts with Joy the works of the mighty Marduk.

They stood in front of him, low they bowed and they shouted

‘He is king indeed!’

When all the gods in their generations were drunk with the glamour of the manhood of Marduk, when they has seen his clothing spoiled with the dust of battle, then they made their act of obedience…

He bathed and put on clean robes, for he was their king… A glory was round his head; in his right hand he held the mace of war, in his left grasped the scepter of peace, the bow was slung on his back; he held the net, and his glory touched the abyss…

He mounted the throne raised up in the temple. Damkina and Ea and all the Great Gods, all the Igigi shouted,
‘In time past Marduk meant only “the beloved son” but now he is king indeed, this is so!’

They shouted together, 11

In the next portion of our study we will examine similar battles when discussing the dragon slayer of the Hebrews, the storm god, bull of heaven, Yahweh. We have seen, as the culture shifts, the mythology and rituals also demand a change. For if frozen the metaphors no longer are relevant and archetypes no longer work for the believer. So the shift from one god to the next, allows the attributes of the imagery to be used and internalized. Rituals are reworked to serve the needs of the evolving cultural pattern. From farming, to raiding, then to city states, we see the change in the literature from Agni to Indra, from Apsu to Marduk, from El to Yahweh, and from El to Baal.12

1. Sandars, Nancy K. Poems of Heaven and Hell from Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Penguin, 1971. “Enuma Elish”. Tablet 1.

2. Dally, Stephanie. Myths from Mesopotamia: Creation, the Flood Gilgamesh, and Others. Oxford University Press Inc., Oxford, New York 1989. p.231

3. Sandars. “Enuma Elish”. Tablet 1.

4. Sandars. “Enuma Elish”. Tablet 1.

5. King. L.W. “ENUMA ELISH THE EPIC OF CREATION” The Seven Tablets of Creation. London 1902. Tablet 3.

6. King. “Enuma Elish”. Tablet 3.

7. Sandars. “Enuma Elish”. Tablet 4

8. Sandars.” Enuma Elish”. Tablet 4

9. King. Enuma Elish. Tablet 4.

10. Sandars. “Enuma Elish”. Tablet 4

11. Sandars.” Enuma Elish”. Tablet 5

12. See: Karen Armstrong’s The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions.. Anchor books 2007.

This essay was written by the author of http://www.religionthink.com

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Posted in Ancient Near East, Baal, Bible, Gilgamesh, Indra, Judaism, Marduk, Old Testament, Rig Veda

Posted by: religionthink | July 18, 2007

Dragon Slayers: Indra, Marduk, Yahweh, and Baal- A Literary Comparison

Dragon Slayers: Indra, Marduk, Yahweh, and Baal

A Literary Comparison Part 1 of 4

By, A.D. Wayman

Introduction

– Vritra seized the celestial lord who had performed a hundred sacrifices. And filled with wrath, he whirled Indra and threw him into his mouth. And when Indra was swallowed up by Vritra, the terrified senior gods, possessed of great might, created Jrimbhika to kill Vritra. And as Vritra yawned and his mouth opened the slayer of the Asura, Vala contracted the different parts of his body, and came out from within.- 1

– The lord shot his net to entangle Tiamat, and the pursuing tumid wind, Imhullu, came from behind and beat in her face. When the mouth gaped open to suck him down he drove Imhullu in, so that the mouth would not shut but wind raged through her belly; her carcass blown up, tumescent,. She gaped- And now he shot the arrow that split the belly, that pierced the gut and cut the womb.- 2

 

– You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the dragons in the waters. You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness. You cut openings for springs and torrents; you dried up ever-flowing streams. Yours is the day, yours also the night; you established the luminaries and the sun. You have fixed all the bounds of the earth; you made summer and winter. – Psa 74:13-17 NRSV

 

–“One lip to the earth, one lip to the heavens; he will stretch his tongue to the stars, Baal must enter inside him; he must go down into his mouth, like an olive cake, the earth’s produce, the fruit of the trees.” Baal the Conqueror became afraid; the Rider on the Clouds was terrified: “Leave me; speak to Ers son Death, repeat to Ers Darling, the Hero:’Message of Baal the Conqueror, the word of the Conqueror of Warriors: Hail, Ers son Death! I am your servant, I am yours forever.’ 3

 

Scholars of mythology and anthropology, within the last century, have forged many new trails through the landscape of the metaphor. It is the contribution of these scholars that bring to light new forms of research, which allows readers of such studies to see much deeper into the human forms of expression then ever before. Scholars like George Frazer, Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, David Bindy, Stanley Hyman, Haskell Block, and Karen Armstrong with her research concerning comparative religion; create a window into the somewhat mystical environment of abstract expression. It is in this environment that worlds are created, enemies slain, death conquered; resurrections and rebirths are common themes. It is hoped that the reader of this essay, by comparing such works of literature, will realize that the myth needs not to be defined by historical facts, or landmarks for them to function. The four texts above, as the reader will see, are from four different cultures, but have the same themes and motifs present.

The Birth of Indra and Its Relevance

Starting with the god Indra, he like the other gods that we will research, was the god of the storm, sea, and war. His birth is debatable as it should be, there are a few explanations given in the Rig Veda, some of the oldest hymns of the Hindu religion. Below are the three ways from the Vedas on the birth of Indra. The first, Symbolized as a Bull he springs into existence already a warrior and conquer. It may be proper to point out that also, Marduk, Yahweh, and Baal were also storm gods and symbolized as bulls.

Soon as the young Bull sprang into existence he longed to taste the pressed-out Soma’s liquor. Drink thou thy fill, according to thy longing, first, of the goodly mixture blent with Soma. That day when thou wast born thou, fain to taste it, drankest the plant’s milk which the mountains nourish. That milk thy Mother first, the Dame who bare thee, poured for thee in thy mighty Father’s dwelling. Desiring food he came unto his Mother, and on her breast beheld the pungent Soma. Wise, he moved on, keeping aloof the others, and wrought great exploits in his varied aspects. Fierce, quickly conquering, of surpassing vigour, he framed his body even as he listed. E’en from his birth-time Indra conquered Tvastar, bore off the Soma and in beakers drank it. Call we on Maghavan, auspicious Indra, best Hero in the fight where spoil is gathered; The Strong, who listens, who gives aid in battles, who slays the Vrtras, wins and gathers riches. 4

Next we come to another account Where Indra is seen to grow so large in the womb that he, upon birth , almost causes the death of his mother. Though a ready born warrior he is forsaken by the gods and is hid by his mother, after being hit in the jaw by Vyamsa, who some believe to be his father, Indra battles with the serpent, and appears to be overwhelmed. He later raises to victory and takes his place as a dominate player by the conclusion of the hymn below.

This is the ancient and accepted pathway by which all Gods have come into existence. Hereby could one be born though waxen mighty. Let him not, otherwise, destroy his Mother. Not this way go I forth: hard is the passage. Forth from the side obliquely will I issue. Much that is yet undone must I accomplish; one must I combat and the other question. He bent his eye upon the dying Mother: My word I now withdraw. That way I follow. In Tvastar’s dwelling Indra drank the Soma, a hundredworth of juice pressed from the mortar. What strange act shall he do, he whom his Mother bore for a thousand months and many autumns? No peer hath he among those born already, nor among those who shall be born hereafter. Deeming him a reproach, his mother hid him, Indra, endowed with all heroic valour. Then up he sprang himself, assumed his vesture, and filled, as soon as born, the earth and heaven. With lively motion onward flow these waters, the Holy Ones, shouting, as ’twere, together. Ask them to. tell thee what the floods are saying, what girdling rock the waters burst asunder. Are they addressing him with words of welcome? Will the floods take on them the shame of Indra? With his great thunderbolt my Son hath slaughtered Vrtra, and set these rivers free to wander. I cast thee from me, mine,-thy youthful mother: thee, mine own offspring, Kusava hath swallowed. To him, mine infant, were the waters gracious. Indra, my Son, rose up in conquering vigour. Thou art mine own, O Maghavan, whom Vyamsa struck to the ground and smote thy jaws in pieces. But, smitten through, the mastery thou wonnest, and with thy bolt the Dasa’s head thou crushedst. The Heifer hath brought forth the Strong, the Mighty, the unconquerable Bull, the furious Indra. The Mother left her unlicked Calf to wander, seeking himself, the path that he would follow. Then to her mighty Child the Mother turned her, saying, My son, these Deities forsake thee. Then Indra said, about to slaughter Vrtra, O my friend Vrtra, stride full boldly forward. Who was he then who made thy Mother widow? Who sought to stay thee lying still or moving? What God, when by the foot thy Sire thou tookest and slewest, was at hand to give thee comfort? In deep distress I cooked a dog’s intestines. Among the Gods I found not one to comfort. My consort I beheld in degradation. The Falcon then brought me the pleasant Soma. 5

The above hymn was given in full by the author of this essay to point out several other comparisons. First, it is here we find that Indra is referred to by other names Maghavan being one. Such a practice was common also in the ancient Near East. We find such examples such as The Hymn of the Fifty Names of Marduk, Yahweh-Elohim and Aliyn– Baal. Secondly, this hymn shows Indra claiming legitimacy among the gods. This process occurs in the texts concerning Marduk, Yahweh, and Baal as we soon shall see.

The last Hymn to be given here concerning the birth of Indra, shows the god Purusa, bringing forth creation and the birth of Indra by his mouth, which possibly may mean the spoken word. We find Purusa having a thousand heads and a thousand eyes, and a thousand feet, which like the Hebrew deity, knows, sees, and is a creator of all. Purusa has no beginning nor end and such is the case also with the Hebrew, Elohim, that some translations in the English start the creation story with “ When Elohim begin to create the heavens and the earth..”6 Below we also read of the gods themselves offering sacrifice.

A thousand heads hath Purusa, a thousand eyes, a thousand feet. On every side pervading earth he fills a space ten fingers wide. This Purusa is all that yet hath been and all that is to be. The Lord of Immortality which waxes greater still by food. So mighty is his greatness; yea, greater than this is Purusa. All creatures are one-fourth of him, three-fourths eternal life in heaven. With three-fourths Purusa went up: onefourth of him again was here. Thence he strode out to every side over what cats not and what cats. As soon as he was born he spread eastward and westward o’er the earth. When Gods prepared the sacrifice with Purusa as their offering, Its oil was spring, the holy gift was autumn; summer was the wood. They balmed as victim on the grass Purusa born in earliest time. With him the Deities and all Sadhyas and Rsis sacrificed. From that great general sacrifice the dripping fat was gathered up. He formed the creatures of-the air, and animals both wild and tame. From that great general sacrifice Rcas and Sama-hymns were born: Therefrom were spells and charms produced; the Yajus had its birth from it. From it were horses born, from it all cattle with two rows of teeth: From it were generated kine, from it the goats and sheep were born. When they divided Purusa how many portions did they make? What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet? The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rajanya made. His thighs became the Vaisya, from his feet the Sudra was produced. The Moon was gendered from his mind, and from his eye the Sun had birth; Indra and Agni from his mouth were born, and Vayu from his breath. Forth from his navel came mid-air the sky was fashioned from his head Earth from his feet, and from his car the regions. Thus they formed the worlds. Seven fencing-sticks had he, thrice seven layers of fuel were prepared, When the Gods, offering sacrifice, bound, as their victim, Purusa. Gods, sacrificing, sacrificed the victim these were the carliest holy ordinances. The Mighty Ones attained the height of heaven, there where the Sidhyas, Gods of old, are dwelling. 6

Indra and the Dragon

Now turning to the battle between Indra and the dragon we find a detailed battle described in the Rig Veda. The text below is one of the few texts that describe the battle at length. It is given in full to help the reader realize its significance in metaphoric terms.

I WILL declare the manly deeds of Indra, the first that he achieved, the Thunder-wielder.He slew the Dragon, then disclosed the waters, and cleft the channels of the mountain torrents. He slew the Dragon lying on the mountain: his heavenly bolt of thunder Tvastar fashioned. Like lowing kine in rapid flow descending the waters glided downward to the ocean. Impetuous as a bull, he chose the Soma and in three sacred beakers drank the juices. Maghavan grasped the thunder for his weapon, and smote to death this firstborn of the dragons. When, Indra, thou hadst slain the dragon’s firstborn, and overcome the charms of the enchanters, Then, giving life to Sun and Dawn and Heaven, thou foundest not one foe to stand against thee. Indra with his own great and deadly thunder smote into pieces Vrtra, worst of Vrtras.

As trunks of trees, what time the axe hath felled them, low on the earth so lies the prostrate Dragon. He, like a mad weak warrior, challenged Indra, the great impetuous many-slaying Hero. He, brooking not the clashing of the weapons, crushed–Indra’s foe–the shattered forts in falling. Footless and handless still he challenged Indra, who smote him with his bolt between the shoulders. Emasculate yet claiming manly vigour, thus Vrtra lay with scattered limbs dissevered. There as he lies like a bank-bursting river, the waters taking courage flow above him.

The Dragon lies beneath the feet of torrents which Vrtra with his greatness had encompassed. Then humbled was the strength of Vrtra’s mother: Indra hath cast his deadly bolt against her. The mother was above, the son was under and like a cow beside her calf lay Danu. Rolled in the midst of never-ceasing currents flowing without a rest for ever onward.The waters bear off Vrtra’s nameless body: the foe of Indra sank to during darkness. Guarded by Ahi stood the thralls of Dasas, the waters stayed like kine held by the robber. But he, when he had smitten Vrtra, opened the cave wherein the floods had been imprisoned. A horse’s tail wast thou when he, O Indra, smote on thy bolt; thou, God without a second, Thou hast won back the kine, hast won the Soma; thou hast let loose to flow the Seven Rivers. Nothing availed him lightning, nothing thunder, hailstorm or mist which had spread around him: When Indra and the Dragon strove in battle, Maghavan gained the victory for ever. Whom sawest thou to avenge the Dragon, Indra, that fear possessed thy heart when thou hadst slain him; That, like a hawk affrighted through the regions, thou crossedst nine-and-ninety flowing rivers? Indra is King of all that moves and moves not, of creatures tame and horned, the Thunder-wielder. Over all living men he rules as Sovran, containing all as spokes within the felly. 7

The use of weaponry, such as the elements, the severing of limbs, the release of the waters, all are repeated in the literature concerning Marduk, Yahweh and Baal. The creation of Sun, Dawn, and Heaven, are all metaphors and themes that readers of such literature find common. In the hymn above , not only is the dragon defeated and creation formed but also the god claims legitimacy. In the texts of ancient Near Eastern literature the god at times demands a temple to be built. Next we will look at some Babylonian literature and examine some common elements and motifs in the literature concerning Marduk.

1. Udyoga Parva Kisari Mohan Ganguli. The Mahabharata Book 5: Section 9, tr. 1883-1896 http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m05/m05009.htm

2. Sandars, Nancy K. Poems of Heaven and Hell from Ancient Mesopotamia. New York: Penguin, 1971

3. Coogan, Michael David. Stories from Ancient Canaan. The Westminster Press. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1978. p.107

4. Griffith, Ralph T.H. Rig Veda Book 3 Hym 48 http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/

5. –Rig Veda Book 4 Hym 18 http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/

6. See: Hebrew-English Tanakh : the traditional Hebrew text and the new JPS translation. Philadelphia, Jewish Publication Society, 1999.

7. –Rig Veda Book 1 Hym 32 http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/

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Posted in Ancient Near East, Baal, Indra, Marduk, Old Testament, Psalms, Religion, Rig Veda

Posted by: religionthink | July 14, 2007

Beware of the Dogs: Paul and the Philippian Opponents

Beware of the Dogs: Paul and the Philippian Opponents

Schmithals, in his text Paul and the Gnostics lays out a compelling hypothesis on who the Apostle Paul labeled as “Dogs” in the text of Philippians. Below we will look at the letter that concerns us and discuss some of the theories of who these people were and why they were causing such an issue for Paul. Given below is Epistle “C” of the Philippian text. Schmithals breaks the text into three separate parts and hypothesizes that the text was written and later woven together. Other scholars also hold this view and with a few differing verses ,1 for the most part, agree with the “three Letter” theory. For this topic we will only be concerned with the Epistle “C”. It is in this Epistle that Paul uses the strongest language against those who were set to undermine his message and theology.


Epistle “C”

3:2-4:3+ 4:8-9 NRSV

Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! For it is we who are the circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and boast in Christ Jesus and have no confidence in the flesh— even though I, too, have reason for confidence in the flesh. If anyone else has reason to be confident in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, a member of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew born of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us then who are mature be of the same mind; and if you think differently about anything, this too God will reveal to you. Only let us hold fast to what we have attained. Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. He will transform the body of our humiliation that it may be conformed to the body of his glory, by the power that also enables him to make all things subject to himself.

Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm in the Lord in this way, my beloved. I urge Euodia and I urge Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord. Yes, and I ask you also, my loyal companion, help these women, for they have struggled beside me in the work of the gospel, together with Clement and the rest of my co-workers, whose names are in the book of life. Finally, beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing the things that you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, and the God of peace will be with you.

The above section was possibly written last as Paul has received a gift while in prison and through Epaphras sends a brief note of thanks 4:10-23. Later we find Epaphras falling ill and the Philippians heard of the issue at some point. Paul gets wind of divisions occurring in and od adversaries and writes 1:1-3 + 4:4-7 and send Epaphras back. It is shortly after this he gains more information of the issue and perhaps recognizes similarities to the Galatian issue or that of Corinth and so writes the above “C’ Epistle, 3:2-4:3+ 4:8-9.2 After reading the text above as a whole we can see how well the text coincides with the subject matter, unbroken, and Paul having more information can better combat the issue of those trying to undermine him and his followers.

Before discussing such a topic some preconceived notions about the texts of Paul must first be dispelled. The first is the assumed notion that is was Jewish believers trying to undermine Paul. Many a excellent scholars have erred on this notion without considering the other possibilities. Secondly, and of less importance, the writing of Polycarp to the Philippians, which references to “Letters” appear do not necessarily mean the present writing, which some use to break up the text of Philippians as Schmithals hypothesizes . Many letters may have been circulated and lost. The critical analysis breakup of the text should be looked at from all points of view and as with such studies there are no absolutes.

In identifying these mischievous opponents we turn to a quote in an essay by Darrell J. Doughty from Drew University.

“See W. SCHMITHALS, “Die Irrlehrer des Philipperbriefes,” in Paulus und die Gnostiker. Untersuchungen zu den kleinen Paulusbriefen (Hamburg: Herbert Reich, 1965), 47-88; A.F.J. KLIJN, “Paul’s Opponents in Philippians iii,” NovTest 7 (1964), 278-284; H. KOESTER, “The Purpose of the Polemic of a Pauline Fragment (Philippians III),” NTS 8 (1961/62), 317-332; J. GNILKA, “Die antipaulinischen Mission in Philippi,” BZ 9 (1965), 258-276; R. JEWETT, “Conflicting Movements in the Early Church as Reflected in Philippians,” NovTest 12 (1970) 362-389; P. SIBER, Mit Christus Leben (Zürich: Theologischer Verlag, 1971). The history of the debate concerning the opponents of Paul is summarized by E.E. ELLIS, “Paul and his Opponents: Trends in Research,” in Christianity, Judaism, and Other Graeco-Roman Cults. Festschrift M. Smith (Leiden: Brill, 1975), 264-298.

Schmithals conceives the supposed opponents in Philippi as Jewish-Christian Gnostic libertines, who regarded circumcision as a symbol of their spiritual liberation from the flesh and as the distinctive mark of their Jewish origin, to which they appealed as a sign of their personal authority, but who may or may not have demanded circumcision from the Philippians. Most scholars, however, perceive the opponents as Jewish-Christian Judaizers, who explicitly demanded circumcision and submission to the law as a condition for participation in the promises of salvation. But scholars differ as to the actual identity of these opponents, whether they were similar to those known from 2 Corinthians (Gnilka), or Galatians (Jewett), or perhaps from Colossians (Koester), and whether they were moral libertines (Gnilka), or legalistic perfectionists (Koester), or whether opponents of both varieties were present (Jewett).”3

It is thought by the author of this essay that much of the studies done concerning the opponent of Paul in in Glacia can be applied here. S. Madewell brought forth some strong arguments of the Proto-Gnostic as the opponents. In an essay concerning the topic S. Madewell uses Schmithals to make a compelling argument quoted below:

“Schmithals writes, “Circumcision underwent a Gnostic reinterpretation….. The foreskin symbolized the body of flesh (sarx) and thus the – really performed – act of circumcision portrayed the liberation of the pneuma-self from the prison of this body.”*Gospel of Philip, Saying 123, “When Abraham rejoiced that he would see that which he was to see, he cut off the flesh of his foreskin, whereby he shows us that it is necessary to destroy the flesh of the members of the world.”Paul was a proto-rabbinic sage. For Paul, the “pneuma” (spirit) and the “sarx” (flesh) meant the Good Impulse and the Evil Impulse – the two components of the “psyche” (soul). For Paul, what truly mattered was that one become a “new creature” (Gal. 6:15) via the activation of the Good Impulse, which couldn’t be accomplished by the removal of one’s foreskin. (If that were the case, then how could females hope to become “new creatures”…?) However, for those influenced by a Platonic framework the words “pneuma” and “sarx” took on a meaning distinct from Paul’s proto-rabbinic orientation. This is why ascetic proto-Gnostics could glory in their pneumatic attainments, while exhorting others to cast off the sinful flesh. Pop-culture reference? How ’bout Marshall Applewhite?

Schmithals writes, “For Gnosticism … circumcision is an unnecessary action with only symbolic significance, which one could, for tactical external reasons, just as well maintain as abandon. That the cutsom of circumcision among Jewish Christian Gnostics in the Syrian-Palestinian territory was common and was still practiced in Galatia is just as likely as the fact that it was given up as the progress of the Gnostic mission advanced toward the West. Thus the church’s heresy fighters cannot in fact report of any of the later Gnostics that they practiced circumcision.”*

Here are some other points Schmithals* makes:

1. Jewish Christian Gnostics, whose home in any case was not Judea, naturally had no connection at all with the “apostolic counicl” [Acts 15] and its agreements.

2. The church fathers unanimously know to report that precisely in the early, the New Testament, the Pauline era, and precisely in Gentile territory, especially in Asia Minor, [Jewish Christian Gnostics] had preached circumcision.

3. It is most obvious to select the Jewish Christian Gnostic named, Cerinthus, particularly as described by Epiphanius, for comparison with the Galatian adversaries of Paul. In all the accounts of the church fathers we can detect how dangerous Cerinthus must have been to the beginning Gentile Christianity. His appearance in Asisa Minor is historically incontestable. Asia is said to have been his homeland. Epiphanius even reports that his school flourished in Galatia. In any case, he belongs to the early period, to the beginnings of Christian Gnosticism, and without question connects typical Gnosticism with a confession of Christ and with Jewish practices such as that of circumcision.

4. One need not immediately assume that they were Cerinthians who appeared in Galatia, but in no case can on at once attribute the false teachers, because of their circumcision, to the judaizing party. This heretical feature fits at least just as well … at any rate in that time and place, with Jewish Christian Gnosticis, who are conducting a mission in Paul’s tracks.

* – Walter Schmithals, “Paul & the Gnostics,” pp. 13-59.4

Along with this argument, and treading lightly another possibility arises. That these opponents may have been, like those in Glatia Shammite Spies. In another essay concerning Glatians, S. Madewell discusses this theory at length.

“I am of the opinion that the pro-circumcision hardliners from Judea, who appeared at the Syrian Antioch – having been sent there by Yeshua’s brother, Ya’akov (James) – were disciples of Bet Shammai and that, having presented themselves to Ya’akov, they claimed to be followers of Yeshua in order to infiltrate their ranks for the purpose of finding something to charge them with. They might have intended to drag Yeshua’s followers before one of the local Judean, Shammaite controlled 23-Man Sanhedrins. Alternately, they might have wanted to dig up some dirt on Yeshua’s followers and turn them over to the Zadokite controlled Political Sanhedrin, if one accepts Solomon Zeitlin’s argument – in “Who Crucified Jesus?” – that such a body did indeed exist. No doubt, Ya’akov (James) perceived the hidden agenda of these Shammaites and decided to get them out from under foot by sending them to the Syrian Antioch, where they would have no recourse to their courts and/or the Zadokites and their thugs. When these Shammaites “from James” arrived at the Syrian Antioch they found Shimon (Peter) conducting a “visitation” of sorts with this mixed community of Jewish and Gentile Believers. Shimon (Peter), as Ya’akov (James) before him, probably realized immediately that these were Shammaites and, with Yeshua’s warning in mind (Matt. 10:17), he grew fearful of these “certain men of Judea” and separated himself from the Gentile Believers, because he was all too aware of the fact that Bet Shammai regarded Pagans and Gerim Toshav (Repentant Gentiles) as inherently impure.” 5

Still after all the research and possibilities scholars are still divided on who the opponents may have been. It is hoped that by going through some of the theories and the historical background that more information can be gleamed from the references in the text. When dealing with such topics, one may never be able to find a definite answer however some make more sense then others. The most common issue is the misunderstanding of Jewish and Gnostic history and theology and how these belief systems evolved.

1. For the different theories on where the letter is separated see Schmithals Paul and the Gnostics. p.79-80

2. Schmithals lays out this hypothesis in Paul and the Gnostics. p.79

3. Darrell J. Doughty “Citizens of Heaven. Philippians 3:2-21 as a Deutero-Pauline Passage” http://www.depts.drew.edu/jhc/djdcitz.html

4. See S. Madewell’s “Paul vs. the proto-Gnostics” at http://z11.invisionfree.com/Yeshua_Quest/index.php?showtopic=47

5. See S. Madewell’s “The Shammite Spies at the Syrian Antioch” at http://z11.invisionfree.com/Yeshua_Quest/index.php?showtopic=47

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Posted in Gnostic, Gnosticism, New Testament, Paul, Philippians, Proto-Gnostic, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | July 13, 2007

That which is born of the flesh is flesh.

That which is born of the flesh is flesh

Many times one can get lost in the hedge rows of theology and at time the texts that originally meant one particular view is lost in translation and denominational theology and belief systems.  With little research done on the historical context and few lay-persons understanding Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic, the texts on Being Born Again and the repentance movements are lost in oversimplified renderings by those less then qualified but are thought to be.  While the qualifications are a matter of opinion it is most frustrating at times to some believers searching for the Jewish view of repentance.  In response to such issues.  Yeshua Quest along with ReligionThink has been posting videos relevant to Jewish beliefs and articles on the topic of repentance movements from a Historical and Jewish Perspective.  I would invite those with an intrest to visit the following links on the articles and videos below.

 Yeshua Quest  “God Birthing”

 Yeshua Quest “Born Again? What does that mean?”

 Yeshua Quest Jewish Videos on Youtube

 Also Visit ReligionThink for essays, videos, and articles on topics of world religion and theologies. 

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Posted in Bible, Hell, Judaism, New Testament, Original Sin, Religion, Sin

Posted by: religionthink | July 13, 2007

Psalm 30: O Yahweh, You Lifted me From Sheol

Psalm 30: O Yahweh, You Lifted me From Sheol

By A. D. Wayman

מזמור שׁיר־חנכת הבית לדוד׃

ארוממך יהוה כי דליתני ולא־שׂמחת איבי לי׃

יהוה אלהי שׁועתי אליך ותרפאני׃

יהוה העלית מן־שׁאול נפשׁי חייתני מיורדי־בור׃

זמרו ליהוה חסידיו והודו לזכר קדשׁו׃

כי רגע באפו חיים ברצונו בערב ילין בכי ולבקר רנה׃

ואני אמרתי בשׁלוי בל־אמוט לעולם׃

יהוה ברצונך העמדתה להררי עז הסתרת פניך הייתי נבהל׃

אליך יהוה אקרא ואל־אדני אתחנן׃

מה־בצע בדמי ברדתי אל־שׁחת היודך עפר היגיד אמתך׃

שׁמע־יהוה וחנני יהוה היה־עזר לי׃

הפכת מספדי למחול לי פתחת שׂקי ותאזרני שׂמחה׃

למען יזמרך כבוד ולא ידם יהוה אלהי לעולם אודך׃

The Hebrew text it’s self is given here do to translation issues. It is interesting that some translations leave out the heading of the Psalms while others include it. Still some use the wording of Yhovah 1 while others YHWH. Such terms are loaded with symbolism, along with preconceived notions about the theology of the wording with interpretations all derived from a belief system or underlying denominational motive. For the sake of avoiding confusion the translation in English is given from The Scriptures. 1998 version compiled by the Institute for Scripture Research (ISR).2

I exalt You, O יהוה, for You have drawn me up, And have not let my enemies rejoice over me. (2) יהוה my Elohim, I have cried to You, And You have healed me. (3) יהוה, You brought me up from the grave; You have kept me alive, from going down into the pit. (4) Sing praise to יהוה, You kind ones of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His Set-apartness. (5) For His displeasure is for a moment, His delight is for life; Weeping might last for the night, But joy comes in the morning. (6) As for me, I have said in my ease, “Never would I be shaken!” (7) יהוה, in Your good pleasure You have made my mountain to stand strong; You hid Your face, and I was troubled. (8) I cried out to You, O יהוה ; And to יהוה I prayed: (9) “What gain is there in my blood, When I go down to the pit? Would dust praise You? Would it declare Your truth? (10) “Hear, O יהוה, and show me favour; יהוה, be my helper!” (11) You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have torn off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness, (12) So that esteem might praise You and not be silent. O יהוה my Elohim, I thank You forever. Psa 30:1-12.

As we can see above even this translation leaves off the title of the Psalm, which we may find elsewhere:

A Mizmor / a song of David for the dedication of the temple /. 3

Moving along without other distractions we can view from the texts that the write has been spared from death and death in this Psalm is viewed as punishment. While it may be appropriate to bring the mind the text of Job, and his dealings with Yahweh on the issue it may server better to view across the cultural landscape of mythology to broaden our views of such literature. We will now look to other texts that view death in such a way from the East and Ancient Near East to see what role this motif has played. We will first look to the Rig Veda, then to a Sumerian text for comparisons. As we see the similarities, one will note how the same metaphors played the same roles for both the Hebrews and their neighbors.

Turning to the Rig Veda, already in volume one we come to a text suited almost perfect to Psalm 30. In Hymn 25 to Verna we read the following:

1 WHATEVER law of thine, O God, O Varuna, as we are men,
Day after day we violate.
2 give us not as a prey to death, to be destroyed by thee in wrath,
To thy fierce anger when displeased.
3 To gain thy mercy, Varuna, with hymns we bind thy heart, as binds
The charioteer his tethered horse.
4 They flee from me dispirited, bent only on obtaining wealths
As to their nests the birds of air.
5 When shall we bring, to be appeased, the Hero, Lord of warrior might,
Him, the far-seeing Varuna?
6 This, this with joy they both accept in common: never do they fail
The ever-faithful worshipper.
7 He knows the path of birds that fly through heaven, and, Sovran of the sea,
He knows the ships that are thereon.
8 True to his holy law, he knows the twelve moons with their progeny:
He knows the moon of later birth.
9 He knows the pathway of the wind, the spreading, high, and mighty wind:
He knows the Gods who dwell above.
10 Varuna, true to holy law, sits down among his people; he,
Most wise, sits there to govern all.
11 From thence percerving he beholds all wondrous things, both what hath been,
And what hereafter will be done.
12 May that Aditya, very wise, make fair paths for us all our days:
May he prolong our lives for us.
13 Varuna, wearing golden mail, hath clad him in a shining robe.
His spies are seated found about.
14 The God whom enemies threaten not, nor those who tyrannize o’er men,
Nor those whose minds are bent on wrong.
15 He who gives glory to mankind, not glory that is incomplete,
To our own bodies giving it.
16 Yearning for the wide-seeing One, my thoughts move onward unto him,
As kine unto their pastures move.
17 Once more together let us speak, because my meath is brought: priest-like
Thou eatest what is dear to thee.
18 Now saw I him whom all may see, I saw his car above the earth:
He hath accepted these my songs.
19 Varuna, hear this call of mine: be gracious unto us this day
Longing for help I cried to thee.
20 Thou, O wise God, art Lord of all, thou art the King of earth and heaven
Hear, as thou goest on thy way.
21 Release us from the upper bond, untie the bond between, and loose
The bonds below, that I may live..4

Taking note of verse two of this Hymn we can readily see the motif of death playing the functions discussed earlier. Death here is seen as a punishment dealt out by Verna, god of the Sky. 5 Turning now to the Ancient Near East we come to the text of Lugalbanda in the Mountain Cave. Here Lugalbanda is stricken with a fever and being unconscious for some time was feared dead and was taken to a cave. Below we read a portion of the text and the response of the deities. And so lugalbanda is saved from the brink of death by the gods.

“Utu, I greet you! Let me be ill no longer! Hero, Ningal’s son, I greet you! Let me be ill no longer! Utu, you have let me come up into the mountains in the company of my brothers. In the mountain cave, the most dreadful spot on earth, let me be ill no longer! Here where there is no mother, there is no father, there is no acquaintance, no one whom I value, my mother is not here to say “Alas, my child!” My brother is not here to say “Alas, my brother!” My mother’s neighbor who enters our house is not here to weep over me. If the male and female protective deities were standing by, the deity of neighbourliness would say, “A man should not perish”. A lost dog is bad; a lost man is terrible. On the unknown way at the edge of the mountains, Utu, is a lost man, a man in an even more terrible situation. Don’t make me flow away like water in a violent death! Don’t make me eat saltpetre as if it were barley! Don’t make me fall like a throwstick somewhere in the desert unknown to me! Afflicted with a name which excites my brothers’ scorn, let me be ill no longer! Afflicted with the derision of my comrades, let me be ill no longer! Let me not come to an end in the mountains like a weakling!”

Utu accepted his tears. He sent down his divine encouragement to him in the mountain cave.

She who makes …… for the poor, whose game (i.e. battle) is sweet, the prostitute who goes out to the inn, who makes the bedchamber delightful, who is food to the poor man — Inana (i.e. the evening star), the daughter of Suen, arose before him like a bull in the Land. Her brilliance, like that of holy Cara, her stellar brightness illuminated for him the mountain cave. When he lifted his eyes upwards to Inana, he wept as if before his own father. In the mountain cave he raised to her his fair hands:

“Inana, if only this were my home, if only this were my city! If only this were Kulaba, the city in which my mother bore me ……! Even if it were to me as the waste land to a snake! If it were to me as a crack in the ground to a scorpion! My mighty people ……! My great ladies ……! …… to E-ana!”
2 lines unclear
“The little stones of it, the shining stones in their glory, sajkal stones above, …… below, from its crying out in the mountain land Zabu, from its voice …… open — may my limbs not perish in the mountains of the cypresses!”

Inana accepted his tears. With power of life she let him go to sleep just like the sleeping Utu. Inana enveloped him with heart’s joy as if with a woollen garment. Then, just as if ……, she went to brick-built Kulaba.

The bull that eats up the black soup, the astral holy bull-calf (i.e. the moon), came to watch over him. He shines (?) in the heavens like the morning star, he spreads bright light in the night. Suen, who is greeted as the new moon, father Nanna, gives the direction for the rising Utu. The glorious lord whom the crown befits, Suen, the beloved son of Enlil, the god (1 ms. has instead: the lord) reached the zenith splendidly. His brilliance like holy Cara (1 ms. has instead: Utu) (1 ms. has instead: like lapis lazuli), his starry radiance illuminated for him the mountain cave. When Lugalbanda raised his eyes to heaven to Suen, he wept to him as if to his own father. In the mountain cave he raised to him his fair hands:

“King whom one cannot reach in the distant sky! Suen, whom one cannot reach in the distant sky! King who loves justice, who hates evil! Suen, who loves justice, who hates evil! Justice brings joy justly to your heart. A poplar, a great staff, forms a sceptre for you, you who loosen the bonds of justice, who do not loosen the bonds of evil. If you encounter evil before you, it is dragged away behind ……. When your heart becomes angry, you spit your venom at evil like a snake which drools poison.”

Suen accepted his tears and gave him life. He conferred on his feet the power to stand.

A second time (i.e. at the following sunrise), as the bright bull rising up from the horizon, the bull resting among the cypresses, a shield standing on the ground, watched by the assembly, a shield coming out from the treasury, watched by the young men — the youth Utu extended his holy, shining rays down from heaven (1 ms. from Ur adds: …… holy, his brilliance illuminated for him the mountain cave), he bestowed them on holy Lugalbanda in the mountain cave. His good protective god hovered ahead of him, his good protective goddess walked behind him. The god which had smitten him.6

It the comparisons above are able to get a glimpse of how much of the Hebrew metaphors were used elsewhere. This may also server a a way to view such issues across the culture and even the globe. At times our view of sacred texts are limited and one tends to forget that such written forms of human expression were a part everyday life. An as seen above more then one god showed mercy and compassion on the believer that called out in some form of lamentation and was spared from death.

1. For an explanation on how Jehovah was used see article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jehovah

2. The author tends at times not to agree with the translations of TS98 but the text was used here to show the word usage of YHWEH in the Psalm discussed.

3. ‘The Psalms Project Master Table” http://www.bibal.net/04/proj/proj-pss1.html. Text used is from file: http://www.bibal.net/04/proso/psalms-ii/pdf/dlc_ps030-001-f.pdf

4. English translation by Ralph T.H. Griffith http://www.hinduwebsite.com/sacredscripts/

5. For information on the god Varuna see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Varuna

6. Black, J.A., Cunningham, G., Robson, E., and Zólyomi, G., The Electronic Text Corpus of Sumerian Literature, Oxford 1998

*This essay was written by the author of religionthink.com

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Posted in Ancient Near East, Bible, Hell, Judaism, New Testament, Old Testament, Psalm, Psalms, Religion, Rig Veda, Sheol

Posted by: religionthink | June 25, 2007

Psalm 29: Give Yahweh, O Gods, Give Yahweh Praise.

Psalm 29: Give Yahweh, O Gods, Give Yahweh Praise.

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendor. The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty. The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire. The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh. (Psa 29:1-8NRSV)

Psalms 29 is most interesting in that the wording is similar to that of Psalms 82. Here the Heavenly Council is addressed to worship Yahweh and proclaim his dominion. So where can we find such writings in the Ancient Near East? Psalms 82 is thought by some to be an adaptation of an old Canaanite hymn to the storm god Baal. From the research done by H.L. Ginsberg, every word in this psalm can be found duplicated in the older Canaanite texts. 1

A posting by Quartz Hill School of theology we find the following quote on the topic:

“Psalm 29 provides our final example of the potential of the Ugaritic texts for illuminating the Bible. The Psalmist praises God in powerful language, evocative of a thunderstorm; thunder, described as God’s voice, is referred to seventimes. In 1935, H.L. Ginsberg proposed that Psalm 29 was originally a Phoenician hymn which had found its way into the Psalter. In support of his hypothesis, he noted several aspects of the psalm which suggested to him that it had been composed initially in honor of the storm god, Baal; he drew upon the Ugaritic texts to substatiate his hypothesis. Theodor Gaster took the hypothesis further in a study published in the Jewish Quarterly Review in 1947. Drawing on the evidence of the Ugaritic texts, he proposed that the psalm was originally Canaanite; it had been modified for inclusion in Israel’s hymnbook simply by the replacement of the name Baal with the personal name of Israel’s God.

Today, although debate continues on the details of the hypothesis, almost all scholars agree that Psalm 29’s background is Baal worship, as portrayed in the tablets from Ugarit. The psalm in itts present form has a powerful effect; the power of nature and of the storm are not excusively the domain of Baal; all power, including that of storm and thunder, is the perogative of Israel’s God. yet the Ugaritic background of the psalm reveals its sources. “ 2

Continuing on we will look to the Canaanite texts and see if we can find an example where such praise is given to Baal in such a way. Due to the challenge of gaining access to such material the author of this essay will use examples more commonly available to the public. One such text, is known as the Baal Cycle.

In the Psalm above Yahweh is also alluded to as a storm god, thundering, ruling the floods, shaking the earth, sending fire and lightning. In the Canaanite text the mentioned Baal fights both the Sea “  ים yâm-Hebrew, Canaanite-Yam” and the god of the underworld and of death “  מוּת mûth-Hebrew,
Canaanite- Mot”. It is in this text we find a beautifully written text of praise to Baal:

Then Baal opened a slit in the clouds,
Baal sounded his holy voice,
Baal thundered from his lips. . .
the earth’s high places shook.
Baal’s enemies fled to the woods,
Hadad’s haters took to the mountains.
And Baal the Conqueror said:
“Hadad’s enemies, why are you quaking?
why are you quaking, assailers of the Valiant One?”
Baal’s eye guided his hand,
as he swung a cedar in his right hand.
So Baal was enthroned in his house.
“No other king or non-king
shall set his power over the earth.
I will send no tribute to Ers son Death,
no homage to El’s Darling, the Hero.
Let Death cry to himself,
let the Darling grumble in his heart;
for I alone will rule over the gods;
I alone will fatten gods and men;
I alone will satisfy earth’s masses.” 3

Also cedars of Lebanon are also mentioned when materials are gathered to build the house of Baal.

But Kothar-wa-Hasis replied: “You’ll recall my words, Baa!.” They built his house,they erected his palace;
they went to the Lebanon for wood,
to Sirion for the finest cedar;
they went to the Lebanon for wood,
to Sirion for the finest cedar.4

One in closing other topics that should be pointed out is that the God El of the Canaanite pantheon at times is read addressing the Heavenly Council. Also the description of the holy mountains in both texts. It is interesting to see the influence that the Hebrews and Canaanite had on each other as they lived as neighbors. And it seems that no matter how hard the priestly, and prophet casts of Israeli society tried to purge the early Yahweh cult of such influences much slipped in and was adapted to fit the archetypes and metaphors of the people.

1. Dahood, Mitchell. The Anchor Bible: Psalms 1-50. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1968.

2.Quartze Hill School of Theology. Ugarit. http://www.theology.edu/ugarit.htm

3. Coogan, Michael David. Stories from Ancient Canaan. The Westminster Press. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 1978. p. 105

4. Coogan, pp. 103-104

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Posted in Ancient Near East, Baal, Bible, Judaism, Old Testament, Psalm, Psalms, Religion

Posted by: religionthink | June 25, 2007

Psalm 28: I would become like those who have descended the Pit

Psalm 28: I would become like those who have descended the Pit

To you, O Lord, I call; my rock, do not refuse to hear me, for if you are silent to me, I shall be like those who go down to the Pit. Hear the voice of my supplication, as I cry to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your most holy sanctuary. Do not drag me away with the wicked, with those who are workers of evil, who speak peace with their neighbors, while mischief is in their hearts. Repay them according to their work, and according to the evil of their deeds; repay them according to the work of their hands; render them their due reward. Because they do not regard the works of the Lord, or the work of his hands, he will break them down and build them up no more. Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever. (Psa 28:1-9 NRSV)

In the mentioned Psalm when read we can come to realize that the text has two distinct parts the first verses 1-5 is a personal lament pleading for Yahweh to deliver from impending death. Verses 6-9 is seen as a prayer of thanksgiving for the recovery from a sickness that may have cause death. Verses 8-9 give the illusion that this possibly was prayed by a king. Some believe that this text could be dated to the Second Temple Period.1

This text takes us back to a much older text like that of Job and of the written hardship there. We find Job sitting in the dung pile scraping his sores with ceramic shards saying almost the same types of themes we account for in the Psalm above. However we will leave this scene, and for a change turn to Eastern texts and see if there are any references to such themes as the ones we read here. One text that comes to light is the text of the Bhagavad-Gita or (the song of God). It is thought by some that the text may have been written between the fifth and second centuries BCE.2

The Bhagavad-Gita is relevant here because of the themes it presents. A warrior is on the battle field and knows he may die in that battle along with many others from both sides and results in a conversation between him and his god, Krishna. Krishna addresses his fears and in an act of divine revelation is able to encourage Arjuna to fight. Below we will compare two themes from this text to the Psalm above to bring to light the relationship in a more defined way.

The author of this essay strongly favors the translation by Juan Mascaro for its beautiful wording. For in the first chapter the text in this translation reads: “On the field of truth, on the battle-field of life, what came to pass, Sanjaya, when my sons and their warriors faced those of my brother Pandu? This translation, written in metaphoric terms places the account, as it should, squarely in our lives today. On the field of truth , on the battle field of life. Just like the first verses of the Psalm above we already have a very real and serious issues occurring from the start.3

Let us now look at some other relationships by searching deeper in the Bhagavad-Gita. Below we read the lament of Arjuna to his God:

Arguna said: Seeing these kinsmen, O Krishna! standing (here) desirous to engage in battle, my limbs droop down; my mouth is quite dried up; a tremor comes on my body; and my hairs stand on end; the Gândîva (bow) slips from my hand; my skin burns intensely. I am unable, too, to stand up; my mind whirls round, as it were; O Kesava! I see adverse omens ; and I do not perceive any good (to accrue) after killing (my) kinsmen in the battle. I do not wish for victory, O Krishna! nor sovereignty, nor pleasures: what is sovereignty to us, O Govinda! what enjoyments, and even life? Even those, for whose sake we desire sovereignty, enjoyments, and pleasures, are standing here for battle, abandoning life and wealth-preceptors, fathers, sons as well as grandfathers, maternal uncles, fathers-in-law, grandsons, brothers-in-law, as also (other) relatives. These I do not wish to kill, though they kill (me), O destroyer of Madhu! even for the sake of sovereignty over the three worlds, how much less then for this earth (alone)? What joy shall be ours, O Ganârdana! after killing Dhritarâshtra’s sons? Killing these felons we shall only incur sin. Therefore it is not proper for us to kill our own kinsmen, the sons of Dhritarâshtra. For how, O Mâdhava! shall we be happy after killing our own relatives? Although having their consciences corrupted by avarice, they do not see the evils flowing from the extinction of a family, and the sin in treachery to friends, still, O Ganârdana! Should not we, who do see the evils flowing from the extinction of a family, learn to refrain from that sin? On the extinction of a family, the eternal rites of families are destroyed. 4

After much debate on the issue and some most beautiful words and understanding given by Krishna and at the end a theophany experience, like the speech of Yahweh from the whirlwind in the text of Job, Arjuna, is most encouraged and offers a hymn of thanksgiving:

You are the supreme Brahman, the supreme goal, the holiest of the holy. All sages, as well as the divine sage Nârada, Asita, Devala, and Vyâsa, call you the eternal being, divine, the first god, the unborn, the all-pervading. And so, too, you tell me yourself, O Kesava! I believe all this that you tell me (to be) true; for, O lord! neither the gods nor demons understand your manifestation.. You only know your self by your self. O best of beings! creator of all things! lord of all things! god of gods! lord of the universe! be pleased to declare without, exception your divine emanations, by which emanations you stand pervading all these worlds. How shall I know you, O you of mystic power! always meditating on you? And in what various entities, O lord! should I meditate on you? Again, O Ganârdana! do you yourself declare your powers and emanations; because hearing this nectar, I (still) feel no satiety. 5

And later in the last chapter of the text we hear Arjuna say:

Destroyed is my delusion; by your favour, O undegraded one! I (now) recollect myself. I stand freed from doubts. I will do your bidding.6

So as we can see that there are common themes that run throughout the texts. Both cry out to the deity for assistance and both lamenters seem to receive and answer from the deity, followed by a thanksgiving confirming the wisdom, protection, and power of the God. In both cases the writers seem helpless and believe they are at an intersection of their lives and as seen both seem to deal with such issues in almost the same way even though they are from two different cultures and belief systems.

1. Dahood, Mitchell. The Anchor Bible: Psalms 1-50. Doubleday & Company, Inc. Garden City, New York 1968.

2. Bhagavad Gita, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhagavad_Gita

3. Mascara, Juan. The Bhagavad Gita. Penguin Classics, New York, NY 1962.

4. Telang, Trimbak Kâshinâth, M. A. The Bhagavadgîtâ with the Sanatsugâtîya and the Anugîtâ Volume 8, The Sacred Books of the East Oxford, The Clarendon Press. 1882. pp.40-42
5. Telang, pp. 87-88
6. Telang, p. 130.

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Posted by: religionthink | May 23, 2007

Psalm 27: They Have Stumbled and Fallen

Psalm 27: They Have Stumbled and Fallen

Of David. The Lord is my light and my redemption; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; whom shall I fear? Whenever evildoers come near to me to destroy my flesh, my oppressors and my foes – they have stumbled and fallen. If an army of the wicked encamps against me, my heart will not fear; if battle rises against me, in this I place my hope. One thing I have sought from the presence of the Lord; that thing I will continue to seek: that I should dwell in the sanctuary of the Lord all the days of my life, to see the pleasantness of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For he will hide me in his shadow in the day of evil, he will conceal me in the hiding place of his tabernacle, in a mighty fortress he will raise me up. And now my head will be lifted up over my enemies round about; and I will slaughter acceptable sacrifices in his tabernacle; I will sing praise and be glad in the presence of the Lord. Receive, O Lord, my prayer when I call, and have mercy on me and pity me. (Psalms 27).1

Above is part of an Aramaic translation of Psalms 27. At times it is hard to find translations that are true to the correct dialect of Aramaic. The above Psalm is thought to be two different parts put together by some scholars; however, due to the word usage in the second half it becomes apparent that the same writer wrote both. This Psalm has been used for about the last 200 years during the High Holidays. This Psalm is said to prepare believers for the joy of the Holidays and force them to confront their beliefs and faith. Also we will look at a text from the ancient Near East following the same pattern.

In Psalms 27 the first half depicts the assurance in Yahweh and the writer is giving sacrifice and he is protected from his enemies, the foes have fallen, and fear is far from the heart. In the second half however it seems the opposite takes place. The write cries in agony that Yahweh not forget him. The author of this Psalm apparently has been abandoned by his parents and hopes Yahweh will not do the same. Reading farther we also find out that the Psalmist is also surrounded by his enemies and is now worried about it. Possibly the Psalms teaches one to not hide from life’s troubles and still live in the framework of faith. It is through this struggle that makes the heart ready for some kind of repentance. 2

In the text Prayer of Lamentation to Ishtar we find the same writing style:

“Thy mercy! O Lady of conflict and of all battles.
O shining one, lioness of the Igigi, subduer of angry gods,
O most powerful of all princes, who holdest the reins (over) kings,
(But) who dost release the bridles of all maidservants,
Who art exalted and firmly fixed, O valiant Ishtar, great is thy might.
O brilliant one, torch of heaven and earth, light of all peoples,
O unequaled angry one of the fight, strong one of the battle,
O firebrand which is kindled against the enemy, which brings about the destruction of the furious,
O gleaming one, Ishtar, assembler of the host,
O deity of men, goddess of women, whose designs no one can conceive,
here thou dost look, one who is dead lives; one who is sick rises up;
The erring one who sees thy face goes aright.
I have cried to thee, suffering, wearied, and distressed, as thy servant.
See me O my Lady, accept my prayers.
Faithfully look upon me and hear my supplication.
Promise my forgiveness and let thy spirit be appeased.
Pity! For my wretched body which is full of confusion and trouble.
Pity! For my sickened heart which is full of tears and suffering.
Pity! For my wretched intestines (which are full of) confusion and trouble.”3

It is interesting to note that in the above text, like the Psalm the writer starts out with praise and worship to the Goddess and then in the second part of this section is switched to lamentation and inner wrangling. Lamentation to Ishtar has also been connected to the text of Job because it seems the writer makes the same complaints. Possibly it make a clear example that no matter how powerful the God or Goddess is , a certain amount of suffering it allotted to mankind. He must face this suffering, for just being a mortal, no matter how pious he or she may be.


1. <!–[endif]–>The Psalms Targum: An English Translation Edward M. Cook http://www.tulane.edu/~ntcs/pss/ps1.htm

2. Rabbi Benjamin J. Segal. “Recitation of the Psalm 27 at Rosh Hashanah”. http://eaglesnestcompanion.blogspot.com/search/label/Judaism

3. Pritchard, James. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. “Prayer of Lamentation to Ishtar” Princeton University Press, Princeton, New York 1950.

*This essay was written by the author of religionthink.com

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