Ancient gods and their mysteries : will they return in 2012 A.D.?
Ancient Gods and Their MysteriesWill They Return in 2012 A.D.?By Robert BerringerCloudrider BooksCopyright © 2005 Robert T. BerringerAll right reserved.ISBN: 0-9758927-3-8Chapter One Yahweh and the Hebrews The Pentateuch is the first five books of the Bible. Jews call it "the Torah," the teachings of Moses or "the Book of Moses." The Pentateuch contains the ancient history of the Jews from Adam to Noah to Abraham to Moses. It gives the basic covenant between Yahweh and the Hebrews. The sacred name of God, "YHWH" in ancient Hebrew, was translated "Jehovah" in the original King James Version of the Bible. Recent versions have translated the name YHWH as "LORD," usually in capital letters. Since ancient Hebrew writing omits vowels, there is room for more than one translation of many words. We will follow most Hebrew scholars who now prefer "Yahweh" to "Jehovah." Using LORD instead of Yahweh strikes us as misleading. As the Bible says, Yahweh is his name. The Reformation led to many scholars studying the Bible. Spinoza and others found many inconsistencies in the Pentateuch and thought that there were at least two authors of Genesis. One author used the name "Yahweh" and the other called the ancient god of the Hebrews "Elohim." "Elohim" is the general Hebrew term for the plural word "gods." Although Moses lived around 1300 B.C., the oldest written tradition behind the Pentateuch dates to about 950 B.C., during the time of King Solomon. This is another long gap in the history of Israel when Yahweh was mostly absent from the world. "When David and Solomon united Israel as a kingdom, a new era (of) trained scribes and writers was made possible. Sometime during Solomon's reign, an unknown author put together the Yahwist account from the viewpoint of the southern tribe of Judah, to glorify the monarchy created by David and Solomon" (Boodt 1984, 94). We call the Judah author who first wrote down major sections of the Bible "the Yahwist" or "J." We call the later northern kingdom of Israel author "the Elohist" or "E." The Yahwist and the Elohist-not Moses are the main authors of the Pentateuch. When Solomon died and the nation split into a northern kingdom, which called itself just plain "Israel," and a southern kingdom, called Judah, the northerners needed a revised version of the traditions that would not glorify Jerusalem and the kings of Judah so much. They produced a second and revised account of the old traditions, which used "Elohim" for God and place names that were more familiar to their part of the country. They also emphasized the role of the covenant with Moses and avoided much of the Yahwist's intimate language about God walking and talking with humans. They favored instead a more "spiritualized" and awesome sense of God's dealings with Israel. When the North fell to the Assyrian army in 722 B.C., the northerners who fled south carried their written Elohist source with them. The J and E documents then combined (ibid. 95). Oral and written traditions were edited often over the many centuries. Since the original Yahwist document, most editors and translations have "avoided much of the Yahwist intimate language about God walking and talking with humans," especially talking to Moses. They have also minimized the concept of other gods and leaned toward monotheism. Christian ministers call him God, and Jesus called him Father. But Moses, David, Solomon, Isaiah and other Old Testament writers called him Yahweh. "Yahweh" is his name! He is one of many gods who came from heaven to earth. He lived in the clouds and came down to the top of mountains. Recent literary studies of the Pentateuch have convinced many scholars that J was a highly skilled female writer, probably in the royal court of Jerusalem's Golden Age, following King Solomon's reign. Harold Bloom writes, "My J is a Gevurah ('great lady') of post-Solomonic court circles, herself of Davidic blood, who began writing her great work in the later years of Solomon" (Bloom 1990, 19). Bloom fully appreciates the literary genius of J, especially her usage of irony and tragedy. He notes that the women in J's narratives are more noble than time male heroes. J goes out of her way to retell stories where Yahweh is jealous, angry, vengeful and inconsistent. Moses is frequently portrayed as a weak leader, often helped by his wife. Harold Bloom has collaborated with translator David Rosenberg in The Book of J, which includes a translation of J's contribution to the Pentateuch. Reading it takes one back to the days of Solomon. The following dates are tabulated from their Bible chronology (ibid. 7). c. 1280 B.C.E. Moses and the Exodus from Egypt 1000-961 B.C.E. King David 961-922 B.C.E. King Solomon 900-850 B.C.E. Book of J Composed 850-800 B.C.E. E Revision of J Another good source book is The Five Books of Moses, which is often called the "Schocken Bible" (Fox 1997). It preserves much of the poetic nature of the old Hebrew Pentateuch and uses "YHWH" as the name of the Hebrew God. We will base most Pentateuch translations on the King James Version, using Yahweh as the current preferred translation of YHWH. We will also translate "Elohim" as "the gods." "At the beginning of the gods creating of the heavens and the earth when the earth was wild and waste, darkness over the face of ocean, rushing spirit of the gods hovering over the face of the waters" (Genesis 1, following Fox 1997). Early in the gods creation of the heavens and the earth, the rushing spirit of the gods hovered over the face of the waters. Both "gods" and "heavens" are definitely plural. Now when the earth was wild and waste, the rushing spirit created life on earth and finally man. The gods said, "Let us make humankind, in our image, according to our likeness! Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, the fowl of the sky, animals, all of earth and all crawling things that crawl about upon the earth! So the gods created humankind in their image, in the image of the gods they created them, male and female." (ibid.) The above Elohist (E) version comes first in the Bible. The gods (Elohim) made humankind, both male and female in their image, to have dominion over the earth. This first (Genesis 1) creation story agrees with many older creation myths from the Middle East: The gods created the heavens and the earth and then man, in that order. The ancient Fertile Crescent and Egyptian gods all came from the heavens to earth and are often called the Old Heaven and Earth Gods. Basic to most western religions, man is made in the image of god. The Sumerians and Babylonians believed that man was made using blood and spirit from one or more of the gods. Let us turn next to the first written version of creation as told by the Yahwist. At the time of Yahweh God's making of earth and heaven, no bush of the field was yet on earth, and Yahweh, God, formed the human, of dust from the soil, He blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the human became a living being. Yahweh, God, planted a Garden of Eden Land of Pleasure, in the east. Yahweh, God, caused to spring up from the soil Every type of tree, desirable to look at and good to eat, and the Tree of Life in the midst of the garden And the tree of the Knowing of Good and Evil. (Op cit. Genesis 2) The Yahwist then says that a river flows out of the Garden of Eden that divides into four streams. The Tigris and Euphrates are two of the rivers named. Thus, the Bible states that the Garden of Eden was located at the headwaters of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in northeast Mesopotamia. The highlands of Mesopotamia and Anatolia (Turkey) are the source of most of western civilization's domesticated plants and trees, especially before 7000 B.C. Yahweh took the human Adam and set him into the Garden of Eden to work it and watch it. The ancient Sumerian gods also created man to work for them. "Yahweh, God, commanded the humans saying that from every tree of the garden you may eat, but from the Tree of the Knowing of Good and Evil, you shall not eat from it. For on the day that you eat from it, you shall surely die" (ibid.). The serpent was very wise-wiser than Adam or Eve. He told Eve, "You will not die," after Yahweh told Adam, "You shall surely die" if you eat the forbidden fruit. We believe the serpent was really another god who tried to teach Adam and Eve about good and evil. Serpents are a common sign of ancient gods. The serpent told the truth and Yahweh did not. Perhaps the Yahwist or a thousand years of oral traditions got the gods mixed up. Adam and Eve did not die when they learned about good and evil. Yahweh was worried that Adam and Eve would find the secret of eternal life. The ancient humans like Adam, Methuselah and Noah were said to live a long time, but the gods lived much longer. "Yahweh God said, behold man has become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also the tree of life, and eat, and live forever: Therefore Yahweh God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden" (Genesis 3). The Elohist then added that God used Cherubim or Winged Sphinxes with a flaming sword to keep humans out of the Garden of Eden and away from the Tree of Life. We should think long and hard about Genesis 1-3 and especially about the Tree of Knowledge and the Tree of Life. The gods were very interested in man, good and evil, and eternal life. He who has ears to hear, let him hear. The above passages are more evidence that the Bible recognized more than one god from the time of Adam to the time of the Yahwist. The human has become like one of us, knowing good and evil. Is there any other form of life that knows good from evil? When man was created in the image of the gods, he did not know good and evil. It took the serpent or wise snake and the Tree of Knowing Good and Evil to endow man with a conscience. Yahweh used extreme measures to keep humans away from the Tree of Life. The Cherubim or Winged Sphinxes with tile flaming sword which turned every way are clearly divine or superhuman entities. Later we will encounter powerful winged creatures with ever-turning swords when we discuss the mysterious Ark of the Covenant. We don't know what Cherubim or Winged Sphinxes are, but ancient followers of the heaven and earth gods believed they had divine powers. They were not human, and they were not gods. They may have been machines. They were usually seen protecting the property of the gods, often with rotating swords. Cherubim could keep all humans out of the Garden of Eden for millennia. There are more descriptions of winged sphinxes than of angels in both art and literature before 500 B.C., including in the Old Testament. They were usually divine protectors of sacred places or shrines. Figure 1B is an ancient Persian painting of a fierce-looking Winged Sphinx (Cotterell 2000, 40). Many sphinxes were pictured with deadly scorpion tails. Adam and Eve were sent east, out of the Garden of Eden. Figure 1A shows my estimate of the location of the Garden of Eden, near the first domestication of emmer, or wheat (Harper Collins 2001, 80). East of Eden looks toward the Zygros Mountains. Some early Neolithic and interesting underground settlements have been found near Lake Van northeast of Eden. Note that we are still in or near the Fertile Crescent, the location of the first farmers in the Near East and the home of the oldest civilization. After creation comes the flood. There are many worldwide references to the Great Flood, or Deluge. The oldest historical records are from Mesopotamia. King Ashurbanipal, the last Assyrian king, said, "I understand the enigmatic words in the stone carvings before the Deluge." We believe he was referring to the "Olden Times" and the ancient Sumerian writing that had been revered for two thousand years, just like Latin is today. For more than two thousand years, Assyrian and Babylonian priests regarded ancient Sumerian script as sacred. They told the story of humans becoming numerous and too noisy. Before the flood, there were many marriages between the gods and humans. Genesis 6 tells that "when men first became many on the face of the earth and daughters were born to them, that the sons of god saw how beautiful the human women were and they took themselves wives, of all which they chose. And Yahweh said, my spirit shall not always strive with man for he also is flesh" (ibid.). In addition to the sons of god, there were giants (Nephilim) and heroes in those days before the flood. Many scholars believe that the giants and heroes were demigods, half divine and spirit, and half human. "Divine beings" married women and had many children. The children were called demigods (half-gods). We should note carefully when Yahweh speaks, for he did not speak to many humans and they would surely remember his words. His rushing spirit shall not remain for ages! Noah was more than five hundred years old before the flood. His grandfather Methuselah lived 969 years. Yahweh says, "My spirit shall only remain with humans for 120 years" (Genesis 6). Humans were living too long and having too many children. Yahweh's rushing spirit was not lasting! Yahweh like the gods before him was not omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent nor eternal. After Noah, humans lived fewer than 120 years, and the giants and heroes disappeared. Drastic changes occurred at the time of the Deluge. Fox translates "sons of God" as "divine beings" (ibid.). Rosenburg translates "sons of God" as "sons of heaven" (Bloom 1990, 68). "Nephilim" is traditionally translated as "giants." It literally means "those who were cast upon the earth" (Sitchin 1967, 18). They were the "sons of the gods," "the people of the shem," the "people of the rocket ships." Sitchin translates "shem" as "rocket ships" instead of "name." In context, Sitchin's translation makes more sense. All translators agree that Genesis 6 talks about divine beings from heaven who had children by beautiful human women. They were probably the sons of the gods, the people of the spaceships. Later theologians called them the "fallen angels." Most Christian and many Jewish scholars try to be politically correct and incorporate monotheistic and "wholly other" theologies into their translations. They believe there is only One God and he is wholly other than earthly man. Rosenburg and Sitchin are Hebrew experts, and their literal translations make more sense to me. Their translations are more consistent with other ancient sources. The first six chapters of Genesis are a variation of ancient Mesopotamian theology. The gods came down from heaven (the sky) and had sexual intercourse with women. Yahweh was unhappy with the results of this experiment. Now Yahweh saw "that the wickedness of man was great on earth and every imagination of the thoughts of his head were continually evil (Genesis 6). Yahweh said, I will destroy man from the face of the earth. But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh." Here the Yahwist and oral tradition identified Yahweh with the god who saved Noah and mankind from the flood. Ancient Sumerian myths say the high god Enki saved mankind after the council of gods headed by Enlil voted to destroy mankind. After the flood, Yahweh made his first covenant with man, saying, "I will never again strike down all living-things, as I have done" (Genesis 8). The destruction of much of life would cause a drastic genetic bottleneck. Noah's family and other inhabitants of the ark had a definite survival benefit. Did Yahweh favor the Semites at this time, the dawn of the Neolithic Age? Does Yahweh like shepherds and farmers? The meek may inherit the earth. The next time Yahweh spoke was more than five thousand years later when he didn't like the humans building the Tower of Babel. As we described in Chapter 1, the ancient heaven and earth gods disappeared for long periods of time. And the whole earth was of one language (script) and one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar (Sumer) and they dwelt there. And they said one to another ... let us build a city and a tower, whose top may reach to heaven; and let us make us a name (spaceship), lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men built. And Yahweh said, behold, the people are one, and they have all one language, and now nothing will restrain them from doing that which they imagine to do. Let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech. So Yahweh scattered them abroad upon the face of all the earth (Genesis 11). The gods did not like the idea that humans could build their own "name" or "spaceship." The Sumerian gods had spaceships, but only a chosen few humans were allowed to ride in them. We note that before 3100 B.C., the only known writing was Sumerian. By the time of Moses, around 1200 B.C., there were many languages. Most of the scripts were Semitic based. The vast differences between each of the many ancient languages and numerical systems are puzzling. Egyptian language, writing and numerical systems are much different than those from Mesopotamia. Even the writings from different Mesopotamian cultures were quite different by 2000 B.C. These differences in writing and languages before 2000 B.C. are in sharp contrast to the similarity of languages and writing found in the Indo-European languages that later spread in Europe and India. I believe divine intervention is the best explanation. The Bible plainly says that after many years, Yahweh came down from heaven to earth and interfered in mankind's building of cities and language. Just like in the Garden of Eden, Yahweh did not want humans to become like gods. Enki and the Sumerian gods also did not want man to become like gods. The early Egyptians only hoped for their kings to become gods, and they had to be perfect like the gods. Note that Yahweh came down after many years. It is easy to lose track of time when the gods come down every thousand years and then they confuse your language, your calendars and your math. The god Thoth even hid historical records, for which some people are still looking, mostly in and around the Great Pyramid. Centuries later, Yahweh was still scattering Semites from Sumer. Now Yahweh said to Abram (Abraham), Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, to a land I will show thee. And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great: and thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed (Genesis 12) If you are not already familiar with the above words from Genesis 12, read them again and ponder them. This is the theology of the Yahwist, and the core belief of most Jews and many Christians. This second covenant was between Yahweh and his people, compared to the first covenant with all mankind. Yahweh has chosen Abraham and his descendants to be his chosen people'. Yahweh said, "I will bless those who bless you, he who curses you, I will damn." The Yahwist (J) always called Abraham by his original name "Abram," which means "exalted father." Later the priestly writers (P) changed his name to "Abraham," which means "father of a host of nations" (Bloom 1990, 198). Abraham went from Sumeria to Canaan by way of Egypt. Abraham often referred to his god as god-most-high (Elelyon), but the Yahwist used "Yahweh" for the god of Abraham. "I am Yahweh who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans (Sumerians) to give you this land to inherit it" (Genesis 15). Later in this chapter we will find that the name "Yahweh" was first revealed to Moses on Mount Sinai around 1280 B.C. After reaching Palestine, Yahweh was arguing with Abraham about the destruction of Sodom, when he sent two divine messengers to Sodom. Abraham's nephew, Lot, bowed down to them, knowing they were Yahweh's messengers. The men of Sodom encircled Lot's house and demanded to "know" (sodomize) the messengers. The divine messengers struck the would-be rapists with dazzling light. The messengers told Lot "we will destroy this place (and) Yahweh has sent us to destroy it ... Yahweh rained brimstone and fire upon Sodom and Gomorrah, coming from Yahweh, out of heaven ... (Abraham saw) the dense-smoke of the land which went as the dense-smoke of a furnace!" (Genesis 19). Who were Yahweh's "messengers," sometimes called "men," who could bring ruin to two or more cities-"the cities of the plain"? What weapons did they use to blind a large group of men and then in a flash torch a city in the third millennium B.C.? This all happened at the dawn of the Bronze Age, a time that had no known explosives or electrical devices of any kind. Sitchin and others believe Yahweh used lasers and nuclear weapons. There is evidence of extensive destruction near Sodom and Gomorrah around the time of Abraham. We know it was during Abraham's life because Abraham saw the destruction of Sodom. Archaeological excavations by Paul Lapp and others of the basin or plain south of the Dead Sea discovered large settlements that were abandoned between 2000 and 3000 B.C. Figure 2A shows one settlement that was burned to destruction around 3000 B.C. (Fagan 200l, 37). "To this very day, the water in springs surrounding the Dead Sea has Been found to be contaminated with radioactivity" (Sitchin 1985, 315). This short story in Genesis is old and an important key to my fear of Yahweh, my powerful physical god. Yahweh may live in heaven, but when he comes to earth, watch out! The destruction of the evil cities of the plains happened after 3000 B.C., at the end of the last age of man, about the same time Sumer was destroyed. Many humans were destroyed by the gods. The number of the original black-headed people who civilized Sumer before 3000 B.C. declined drastically. The population of Semites with new languages and calendars increased. He who has ears to Bear, let him hear! Lot and his two daughters survived the nuclear destruction in a cave. This was one of many "righteous remnants" at the end of the last age. We call them genetic bottlenecks. No other men were around the cave, and Lot slept with his daughters so his godly line (genes) would survive. The evil men and unfortunate women and children of Sodom and Gomorrah did not survive. "Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father. And the firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab, the father of the Moabites. And the younger daughter, she also bore a son, the father of the Ammonites" (Genesis 19). The remainder of Genesis adds few new messages from Yahweh. He talked to Jacob and reassured the patriarchs that they were blessed and would grow into a great nation. But it was more than five thousand generations later before the Yahwist tradition continues with Moses. So we will move on to study Yahweh's revelations to Moses around 1280 B.C. "And Yahweh's angel was seen in the flame of a fire in the midst of a bush, and the bush was not consumed ... (Yahweh said) I am the God of thy father, The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3). Note that the Yahwist said Jacob and not Israel. The Elohist (E) tradition later changed Jacob's name to Israel. Now Yahweh said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry ... and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land to a good large flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3). Now this is really interesting. Where was Yahweh for more than a thousand years? While the Semites helped build the pyramids, where was Yahweh? He was away, up in heaven. How far away is heaven? Did he "come down" in a spaceship? Why does he appear in burning bushes and fiery clouds? His messengers or angels also appear in burning bushes. Moses and Abraham looked at the messengers but they were afraid to gaze upon Yahweh. Moses asked God what his name was. "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM. Yahweh God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, The God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you: this is my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all generations" (Exodus 3). This ancient Yahwist tradition has God revealing to Moses his name for the first time. Some scholars note that YHWH is given in the future tense, and thereby translate it "I am becoming what I am becoming." Note also that the God of Moses would never give his name as "Allah, the compassionate one" or "the most merciful one." Yahweh would not represent himself as the god of all mankind. In keeping with monotheistic prejudices, many translators of the Koran translate "Allah" as "God." Modern Bibles such as the Revised Standard Version also confuse us by translating Elohim as God and YHWH as LORD. Political correctness now has God fighting God in a holy war or Jihad. "And Pharaoh said. Who is Yahweh that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not Yahweh, neither will I let Israel go" (Exodus 5). Yahweh told Moses to say to Pharaoh: "Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying: set free my people that they may serve me in the wilderness" (Exodus 7). The Pharaoh knew well the Hebrews, but he never heard of their God, Yahweh. Yahweh was clearly a tribal god, the God of the Hebrews. The Pharaoh knew of many gods. They knew of El, Elohim, Baal and hundreds of Egyptian gods. They also knew of many goddesses, but they knew not Yahweh. Yahweh was the little-known tribal god of Moses and the Hebrews. The struggle between Moses and Yahweh and Pharaoh and his gods is a well-known story. The following theme is often repeated: "Thus says Yahweh, God of the Hebrews. Set free my people that they may serve me!" (Exodus 9). Yahweh wanted to free the Hebrews from Pharaoh's servitude and place them in his servitude. In order to free the Hebrews, Yahweh killed the first-born of every house in Egypt except for the Children of Israel! Is this Allah, the most merciful god of all mankind? This brutal event is celebrated as Passover, for Yahweh passed over the Hebrews' houses. Yahweh is a powerful god of wrath. After much magic and bloodshed, the Hebrews under the leadership of Moses left Egypt. Yahweh was indeed more powerful than all the many Egyptian gods. And the angel of god which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them. And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these; so that the one came not near the other all the night" (Exodus 14). What was this cloud and fire that stopped the most powerful army in the world? Both the Egyptians and the Hebrews were impressed by the power of Yahweh. Yahweh and his angels and their pillar of cloud and fire single-handedly defeated the powerful Egyptian army led by their Pharaoh. Yahweh looked out against the camp of Egypt in the column of fire and cloud and he panicked the camp of Egypt ... Yahweh is a man of war, Yahweh is his name ... Who is like you among the gods, O Yahweh, Who is like you, majestic among the holy-ones (Exodus 15). This Song of Miriam, from 1280 B.C., is not monotheistic. Yahweh is powerful-more powerful than the Egyptians and their many gods. And the Hebrews wandered in the wilderness, the Sinai desert and mountains for forty years saying, "Yahweh is greater than all gods" (Exodus 18). Yahweh asked Moses to bring the people to the base of Mount Sinai. "Now Mount Sinai was all in smoke, because Yahweh had descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly" (Exodus 19). This is a clear reference that Yahweh was in the clouds, higher than the top of the mountain. He came down to the top of Mount Sinai saying: "I am Yahweh thy God. Thou shalt have no other gods before me ... for I Yahweh thy God am a jealous God (Exodus 20). Yahweh asked Moses to come to Mount Sinai to get the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. "So Moses went up to the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain (for seven days) and the glory of Yahweh abode on Mount Sinai ... and the sight of the glory of Yahweh was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain" (Exodus 24). Some scholars believe "glory" refers to a throne or chariot. Sitchin believes it is a spaceship. "Glory" in Exodus is associated with fire and smoke and clouds. It may well be Yahweh's flying chariot. Yahweh was called the rider of the clouds. He rode in his glory, which made fire and smoke. Sitchin is right again! Yahweh's "glory" is a powerful flying machine with mighty clouds. He used it to defeat the Egyptians and defend and guide the Hebrews through the Sinai desert, by day and by night. Yahweh gave Moses detailed instructions on how to build the famous Ark of the Covenant. The ark was the location of the stone tablets containing the Ten Commandments. It became the main channel of communication between Yahweh and the Israelites. Sitchin analyzes the description of the Ark. Its main purpose, as stated in the Book of Exodus, was to serve as Dvir-literally a "speaker." The Ark was to be topped by two cherubim made of solid gold, with their wings touching. "It is there that I shall keep appointments with you," Yahweh told Moses, "and I will speak to you from above the cover from between the two Cherubim which shall be upon the Ark"(Sitchin 1996, 214). The tent where Moses kept the Ark of the Covenant was called the Tent of Appointment. Appointments were made for Moses and Aaron to talk to Yahweh. Special incense was burned to make a cloud of smoke in the sacred "Holy of Holies," a specially screened and secured portion of a large tent. Only Moses and a chosen few had access to the Ark of the Covenant. Aaron and his sons were designated high priests, with detailed instructions about protective clothing and incense. Even high priests had limited access to the sacred Ark of the Covenant. They had to follow exact rules "lest they die" (Numbers 4). "Any outsider who comes near will be put-to-death" (Numbers 17). The priests required specific incense and smoke to provide cover for the Ark before Yahweh would speak. "But when two of Aaron's sons brought near before the tent a strange fire, one that (presumably) failed to create the proper cloud, a fire went out from before Yahweh and consumed them" (Ibid. 216). About two hundred years later, the "speaker" was still working, as Yahweh used the Ark to give David detailed instructions on how to build the Jerusalem Temple. Let us summarize what we now know about Yahweh. Until the time of Moses nobody ever heard of Yahweh. The Egyptian and Babylonian priests knew many gods, but not Yahweh. They knew the ancient Mesopotamian heaven-and-earth gods who first created humans and then destroyed much life on earth with a deluge. These ancient gods hovered over water and Yahweh could have been one of them, hovering in "his glory." Yahweh freed the Hebrews so they could serve him. He gave Moses the Ten Commandments, reminding us that Yahweh is a jealous god who expects much from his people. Yahweh gave Moses detailed instruction of how to build an expensive and complex Ark of the Covenant. The Ark contained the Ten Commandments and was topped with two winged sphinxes. The Ark had electrical properties that could kill trespassers. It was a communication device and Yahweh could talk through it. The Ark was a symbol of Israel's power for more than five hundred years before it mysteriously disappeared. Moses was not a strong leader, especially according to the Yahwist, but he was a faithful follower of Yahweh. He never made it to the Promised Land. His aide Joshua proved to be a better general when Israel conquered many cities in the Jordan Valley. In the entire Bible, Yahweh spoke mostly to Moses. I do not recall Yahweh speaking to directly to Jesus like these final words to Moses. I am Yahweh your God, which brought you forth out of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright. But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; and if ye shall despise my statutes, or if your soul abhor my terrible judgments, so that ye will not do all my commandments, but that ye break my covenant. Then I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrel of my covenant; and when ye are gathered together within your cities, I will send the pestilence among you, and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy ... and I will make your cities waste ... and I will scatter you among the heathen" (Leviticus 26). Moses and the Israelites believed in many gods, with Yahweh being their powerful tribal god. This belief lasted through the time of King David and King Solomon. We recall that Queen Jezebel worshiped the god Baal, a popular god in the Levant between 1200 B.C. and 500 B.C. The worship of Isis, Diana, Astere, Ashorteth and other goddesses was also popular throughout the region in the first millennium B.C. Other gods, goddesses, and the wrath of Yahweh were blamed for many of Israel's worldly troubles, even to this day.. In many ways, Yahweh is very different from most of the old heaven-and-earth gods. He is a hidden tribal god. He hid in burning bushes. If you looked at him you would go blind or die. Yahweh clearly did not want anybody messing with his Ark or his glory. No pictures! No graven images! No heroic human or animal likenesses, living or dead! No mother or father or family! Yahweh was one of the least personal of all the gods. Yahweh had human-looking messengers who were super-human. Christian artists often give Yahweh's messengers wings. They came down from heaven and could blind large groups of people. They also survived appearances in burning bushes. But in other ways Yahweh was similar to the ancient heaven-and-earth gods from Sumer. The Sumerian gods were also space travelers with powerful weapons, and they would disappear for long periods of time. The earthly Kingdom of Israel reached its zenith under King David and especially King Solomon. About 50 years before the Yahwist wrote the first version of the Pentateuch, David was composing songs about Yahweh, most of which were later collected in the book of Psalms. Arise O Yahweh, and scatter your enemies Let those who hate Yahweh run for their lives. Drive them off like smoke blown by the wind. Melt them like wax in fire. Let the wicked perish in the presence of Yahweh. But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in Yahweh's presence. Let them be filled with joy. Sing praises to God, and to his name. Sing loud praises to him who rides the clouds. His name is Yahweh, Rejoice in his presence (Psalm 68, a psalm of David). David was Yahweh's favorite poet and king. David loved to portray Yahweh as a powerful rider of the clouds. The earth quaked and trembled; the foundation of the heavens shook; they quaked because of his anger. Smoke poured from his nostrils; Fierce flames leaped from his mouth; Glowing coals flamed forth from him. He opened the heavens and came down; Dark storm clouds were beneath his feet. Mounted on a mighty cherubm he flew, Soaring on the wings of the wind. He shrouded himself in darkness, Veiling his approach with dense rain clouds. A great brightness shown before him, and bolts of lightning blazed forth Yahweh thundered from heaven; The Most High gave a mighty shout. He shot his arrows and scattered his enemies; his lightning flashed and they were confused, Then at the command of Yahweh, at the blast of his breath, The bottom of the sea could be seen, And the foundations of the earth were laid bare (2 Samuel 22) David reminds us that Yahweh is judge, jury, and executioner for his people. "Yahweh is a judge who is perfectly, fair. He is angry with the wicked every day. If a person does not repent. Yahweh will sharpen his sword. He will prepare his deadly, weapons and ignite his flaming arrows" (Psalm 7, a psalm of David). Many of David's psalms speak of what Yahweh will do in the future. But Yahweh remained hidden or sleeping. My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me? Why do you remain so distant? Why do you ignore my cries for help? Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief (Psalm 22, a psalm of David). A thousand years later, Jesus cried out the same lament on the cross. "My God, My god! Why have you forsaken me?" Like Jesus, David's despair in not hearing from Yahweh became a hope for a future judgment day. Turn from evil and do good, and you will live in the land forever. For Yahweh loves justice, and he will never abandon the godly. He will keep them safe forever, but the children of the wicked will perish. The godly will inherit the land and will live there forever. Don't be impatient for Yahweh to act. Travel steadily along his path. He will honor you, giving you the land. You will see the wicked destroyed. Look at those who are honest and good, for a wonderful future lies before those who love peace. But the wicked will be destroyed; they have no future (Psalm 37, a psalm of David). Again the creative David sings that the godly, the just and peacemakers shall inherit the land. Many years later, Jesus said that the meek shall inherit the earth. From the time of Moses to that of David was about three hundred years, the classical period of Israel. Note that the religion of Moses and David was worldly, and not other-worldly at all. Yahweh walked and talked with Moses and gave him the Ten Commandments etched in stone. Yahweh gave Moses specific, detailed instructions about how to build the Ark and later gave David detailed instructions for the Jerusalem Temple. Yahweh's covenant concerned the future of Israel on earth, not in heaven. Only Yahweh and the other gods lived in heaven. The above quotes from David were also worldly, mostly concerned with the survival of Israel. David's son Solomon was Israel's strongest king, and the builder of Jerusalem and the Temple. Israel's worldly kings lasted about 120 years before the kingdom divided in two. 200 years later, Isaiah became Israel's most important prophet. Yahweh, Lord of hosts, mustered the host of the battle. They came from a far country, from the end of heaven, even Yahweh, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land: Howl ye; for the day of Yahweh is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefor shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt ... Behold, the day of Yahweh cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. Therefor I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of Yahweh, Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger ... And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' excellency, shall be as when Yahweh overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah (Isaiah 13). David, Isaiah and the other Old Testament prophets held Babylon and its many ancient gods in high esteem. They also knew about the wrath of Yahweh, as seen in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Both the Yahwist and Isaiah wrote about Yahweh and his heavenly hosts, usually referring to many warriors from heaven and not from earth. "Thou shalt be visited of Yahweh, Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquakes, and with great noise, with storm and tempest, and with the flame of devouring fire" (Isaiah 29). The day of Yahweh was a common theme of the prophets. It is a day in the future when Yahweh will return to judge all nations. Yahweh will destroy all sinners and reward those who call upon his name and keep his commandments. A righteous remnant shall survive. John the Baptist and Jesus would later repeat the prophetic advice from Isaiah. Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand! She who has ears to hear, let her hear! Excerpted from Ancient Gods and Their Mysteriesby Robert Berringer Copyright © 2005 by Robert T. Berringer. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Print Book, English, ©2005
Cloudrider Books, Carrolltown, Va., ©2005
xiii, 192 pages : illustrations (some color), maps (some color) ; 23 cm
9780975892732, 0975892738
62864779
Ancient Gods and Their Mysteries
Will They Return in 2012 A.D.?By Robert Berringer
Cloudrider Books
Copyright © 2005 Robert T. BerringerAll right reserved.
ISBN: 0-9758927-3-8
Contents
Acknowledgments and Permissions............................viiPreface....................................................xiIntroduction...............................................11 - Yahweh and the Hebrews.................................72 - Enki and the Sumerians.................................313 - Thoth and the Egyptians................................394 - Quetzalcoatl and the Fifth Age.........................475 - The Dogon and the Sirius System........................636 - Megaliths and Sacred Sites.............................697 - The Old Equator........................................838 - Metamorphosis and the Ancient Gods.....................1119 - Ancient Underground Mysteries..........................11910 - More Ancient Mysteries................................13911 - Gravity, Mind and Spirit..............................15112 - Evolution, Race and Language..........................15713 - Summary...............................................173References.................................................183Index......................................................187
Excerpted from Ancient Gods and Their Mysteriesby Robert Berringer Copyright © 2005 by Robert T. Berringer. Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.