Ouroboros Posted October 9, 2007 Share Posted October 9, 2007 In this article there are references to a Babylonian cuniform tablet which is in the British museum, and it's about the Drama of Bel (or Baal), and I really would like to have more information about this tablet. Origins in a Pagan Christ I have also seen references to this drama in other books about the origins of the Old Testament. It's just that I tried to search online but can't find much. I couldn't find it in Gutenberg either. Someone got a link? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythra Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Check out "Marduk's Ordeal" or "The Tribulations of Marduk" - tablet dated at around 700 BCE. (Assyrian) Here is a link with a little semi-scholarly discussion of the topic. http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:b3KQFB...;cd=8&gl=us Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted October 10, 2007 Author Share Posted October 10, 2007 Thanks Mythra, it will help to dive into it. I have a faint suspicion it is too good to be true. We'll see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythra Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Well, at least you had the good sense to look into it before getting too carried away. It's not that there is absolutely no connection - it just looks like it was drastically overstated and embellished in your linked article. (kind of like some of Acharya S' stuff) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted October 10, 2007 Author Share Posted October 10, 2007 Right. That's why I skipped including it in my discussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythra Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 So, we know that many of the pagan / christian parallels are overstated. Particularly when they try and point to a single mythological story and say that the christian story is a carbon-copy. To say that the jesus story is identical to Horus, or Mithras, or Dionysus is nonsense. But that doesn't change the fact that the Jesus story follows the pattern. The pattern of dying and resurrecting. The pattern of miraculous births and deeds. The pattern of the suffering hero. The pattern of putting up with followers who just didn't get it. The pattern of sacred meals and celestial feasts. The pattern of decending into hell. Buddy whatever in another thread talked about the December 25th parallel between Mithras and Jesus and how phony it is. He's probably right. But taking the gospel story line-by-line and claiming it is a knock-off of another myth is not where the real argument lies. (Not to mention that approach is full of holes) The real argument gains strength when you find out that many of jesus' "original" teachings bear a strong resemblance to those of Plato, Diogenes, Antisthenes, and others - and you add that to the obvious fact that the gospel story follows multiple pagan god-man motifs - you can only come to one of two conclusions. The gospel story is made up, and various ideas and sayings that were floating around made their way into the story. or The gospel story actually happened and Yahweh is terribly unoriginal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Jeff Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 The gospel story actually happened... Yes, it did! Hall-lay-LOOH-Yah!! You see, the Talking Snake magically understood the glorious Bullshit about Kryasst and what He was going to do for mankind when He Croaked in the Spook on the big giant stick and then Magically Undeadened Himself, so he introduced the general story of Kryasst into his false religions in order to deceive us long before the Holy Farter actually sent Kryasst to this flat world to sacrifice Himself to Himself to save us from Himself. That makes sense, doesn't it? Glory! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted October 10, 2007 Author Share Posted October 10, 2007 Exactly right. And I wanted to make him realize this by showing him examples, and I even didn't bring up the virgin birth because I know that is quite exaggerated when compared to other religions. Basically every religion got unique ideas in the mix, but they (as you said) have a lot of commonalities and to claim that one religion is unique while a plethora of symbols and stories are extremely similar is quite ridiculous, and it misses the point of what really religion is telling us. Religion is a statement of us humans trying to find answers and explanations of all the things in life and nature we don't understand, and it is a symbolic language to describe these "explanations". And open minded person can see this and take it for what it is worth and live with it, but a fanatic mind can't see beyond their own superiority and arrogance. When it comes to the 25th of December it is interesting though that the early church decided to pick that date for its celebration of the birth of their savior, since it is a magical time of the year with astrological meanings. It wasn't by chance they did so, they knew it would fit to convert the pagans of that time, and it shows the leaders of the movement to be very clever for their time and very deliberate of how they put the puzzle together. It's a sign of human ingenuity in creating a strong and surviving religion. The evidence is all circumstantial, but I know that no one can claim a proof that there is no connection at all, and that's what I wanted to get from the dialogue I had. Any "debunking" of the pagan roots can only provide opinions and no real facts to prove the non-link. My debate was to show that there's no evidence to the contrary, regardless if the link is there or not, but it doesn't seem that this message really came through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mythra Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Here is an actual english translation of Marduk's Ordeal, make of it what you will: 1. Nabu, who comes from Borsippa. He comes to greet his father, who has been taken captive. 2. Nabu, who turns back and goes to Borsippa, and sprinkles here and there stamens of the date palms there. That is the rebellion ...... 3. The pig reeds in the path of Nabu. When he comes from Borsippa and blesses. 4. Nabu, who comes, stands over, and watches. : He is the criminal who is with Bel ..... Because he is with Bel 5. Tashmetu, who bows down with him. She has come to greet him. 6. The Lady of Babylon, who does not go to the Akitu temple. She is the governess of the temple ...... "You know the temple. Guard the temple! I hold you responsible for it." 7. She is the governess of the temple. They ask her, "Who is the criminal?" 8. The Lady of Babylon on whose back is black wool, and on her front multi-colored wool....... : ..... on her front is the blood of the heart which was shed ....... 9. Sakkukutu, who goes round the city. : She is his wailing woman, and goes round the city. 10. ....... is the criminal who was present with Bel. : They Ashshur ..... 11. ....... they have killed the daughter of Anu ...... 12. ...... because of the god ... encircles, they demonstrate. 13. ..... the ..... of the districts ...... 14. The exorcists, who go in front of him reciting an incantation. They are his people, and go in front of him calling out. 15. The ecstatic, who goes in front of the Lady of Babylon. He is a bringer of news and weeps on her breast. 16. The athletes, who stand at the gate of Esagil. : They are his guards, are appointed over him and guard him. 17. ... in the battle ..... 18. The dog, which crosses Esabad. He is a messenger. Gula sends (to inquire) about him. 19. Enuma Elish, which is recited and which they chant in front of Bel in Nisan. : That concerns the prisoner. 20. .... they sing ...... 21. He says prayers and makes supplications to them. He recites that before Shamash: "They were favours for Ashshur. I did them. What is my crime?" 22. ..... which in the rays of Shamash .... 23. .... who scans the heavens. She is praying to Ashshur, Anu, Sin, Shamash, and Adad: "Keep me alive!" 24. .... who scans the ground on which his place of river ordeal has been put down. : Concerning the one who comes from the place of the river ordeal. 25. They carry him to the place of the river ordeal. She gives chase: "My brother, my brother!" ...... 26. ... Bel went to the place of the river ordeal. : The city has revolted against him and done battle inside. "What is his crime?" 27. ..... who rides. : He goes to the place of the river ordeal. 28. ..... who goes. : That is the temple. They question him about it at the edge of the place of the river ordeal. 29. .... who carry. : The criminal ..... 30. ..... it is the place on ..... 31. .... his ... to the place of the river ordeal ... 32. .. .. who does not go with him. "I am not a criminal! I will not be made to swear!" With him, on behalf of Ashshur they opened lawsuits before him. The lawsuits .... 33. .... "It is just." 34. ... who does not go with him. He is a son of Ashshur and is a guard. He is appointed over him, and guards the citadel because of him. 35. ..... placed to guard .... goes in front of him. 36. ..... his guard wearing a crown.... 37. ..... Shamash and Adad that is. From the temple of the prisoner ... 38. ... he is held fast. 39. .... it concerns the one who is held fast.. 40. That which they do on the ziggurat. : Because the god imprisoned him he disappeared and was held inside. 41. ... which they place, responsibility ... in the ladles. 42. .... there is not. He is present. Responsibility ..... 43. .... she makes carry to him, to the temple of his imprisonment ..... 44. .... because it is not old .... as his name. 45. .... who does not go out with Bel to the Akitu temple. He holds the fetter of the prisoner ... with him. 46. .... to the place of the river ordeal he goes. In the Akitu temple ...... 47. The man who on the 7th day of the month.... 48. .... who slaughters a pig in front of her on the 8th of Nisan. 49. It is said in Enuma Elish: When heaven and earth were not created, Anshar came into being. When city and temple came into being, Anshar had come into being. The water which over Anshar ..... 50. All the speech which is recited among the lamentation priests. It concerns the robbery and desecration which they commit against him. They are the gods, his fathers ...... 51. His silver, gold, or gems which they take out of Esagil to other temples. : It is his temple ...... 52. ....... whom they make superior .... 53. ..... it is ....... it is plundered ..... 54. They make poured offerings from ladles and beakers. 55. ..... who goes. Because her vessel was lifted and he completes ........: It is in fear. He quickly thirsts for water.... 56. ..... is libated ............. 57. .... which he libates and pours. : That is turbid water ...... 58. ..... who roams the streets. : He is looking for Marduk. "Where is the prisoner?" 59. The Lady of Babylon, whose hands are stretched out. : She is praying to Sin and Shamash: "Keep Bel alive!" 60. .......s who goes, That is the gate of graves. She goes and looks for him. 61. ...... who weep ...... who do not weep. It is concerning Marduk .... 62. ..... Keep alive! Do not kill! ..... 63. ..... is put down. Let me bear and bury ... 64. ..... who goes and puts down. 65. ..... the messenger saves. They send him down from inside. 66. ..... who opens, the urn .... 67. ...... whom Ashshur will kill ... 68. That is the day of his crime. It is gathered in the chamber. Without water. He is clothed. Chamber...... 69. The race which is in Kislimu, and in which they go round in front of Bel and in all the cult places. : When Ashshur sent Ninurta to defeat Anzu. Nergal .... spoke before Ashshur, "Anzu is defeated". Ashshur said to the god ..... "Go to all the gods and give the news." He gives the news to them and they in ..... they rejoiced. 70. .... he the cult places ..... 71. .... she comes round from the city ..... 72. ..... He is a messenger .... He goes round the city. 73. ... he makes him go out..... not the messenger of his lords. Who makes him go out? ..... who goes, who makes him go out. 74. Grain, which is extremely plentiful in Nisan. : It is grain of when he was taken prisoner. 75. The milk, which they draw in front of Ishtar of Nineveh. : Because she brought him up and showed compassion to him. 76. The moistened roasted flesh which they place in front of Marduk. : It is of the darkness (?) 77. It is of the darkness (?) ..... 78. ..... who cuts, darkness (?) .... 79. The water for (washing) the hands which they bring near. : It is because he wept. His tears inside.... 80. The garment which is on him. : What they say, that is water, those are drops. 81. The garment in which he is clad. : He is in the chamber. 82. ..... It is his mattress .... 83. The shoe which they take to the temple of the Lady of Babylon. It is a standard. He sends it to her because they will not release him and he cannot go out. 84. His clothing, which they send to the Lady of Uruk. They are his cloaks. They carried them off. 85. .... concerning the dead one .... the saddle beneath him (and) the multi-coloured wool with which he is clad. They are the blows which were struck. They are dyed in his blood. 86. .... all which the cloak .... ...... the temple ... 87. .... does not go. They .... his garments. He has disrobed .... 88. ... which hangs from the beam of the Lady of Babylon. That is the head of a criminal who was present with him and whom they killed. They have hung his head on the neck of the Lady of Babylon. 89. The lattice door. : As they say, the gods have taken him captive and he has entered the temple and locked the door behind him. They bored holes in the door and did battle. 90. The chariot, which goes to the Akitu temple. It goes with no driver. Without a driver, it rocks about. 91. ..... he ..... not in honour of them. 92. ..... oil ....... lasting...... (end of extant text) From this site: http://www.gatewaystobabylon.com/myths/tex...ssic/mardor.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwc Posted October 10, 2007 Share Posted October 10, 2007 Here's some stuff to help make this a little easier to understand (not my definitions and this isn't a comprehensive list): Nabu - god of writing and wisdom Bel (Canaanite Baal) - Cleverest of the clever and sage of the gods, he is the child of Ea and Dumkina. This name (meaning 'lord') is most likely referring to Marduk. Ashur - god of Assyria and war. He is a "King of the Igigi" Shamash - Shamash is the sun god, the son of Sin and Ningal. He rises from the mountains with rays out of his shoulders. He enters and exits the underworld through a set of gates in the mountain (exits from Mt. Mashu, "Gilgamesh IX ii") guarded by scorpion-people. He travels both on foot and in a chariot, pulled by fiery mules. He upholds truth, and justice. He is a lawgiver and informs oracles. Nergal is a corrupt aspect of his nature. Anu - Sumerian for "heaven", a sky god, father and king of the gods. He is the son of Anshar and Kishar. He lives in the third heaven. The Eanna in Uruk was dedicated both to him and consort. His first consort was Antu. They produced the Anunnaki - the underworld gods, and the utukki - the seven evil demons. His second consort was Innina (Ishtar). He is a god of monarchs and is not friendly to the common people. He is a "King of the Igigi". He is assigned the sky as his domain in 'Atrahasis'. His 'kishru's (shooting stars) have awesome strength. He has the ability that anything he puts into words, becomes reality. He is Niudimmud's (Ea's) father. Sin - moon god, son of Enlil. He has a beard of Lapis Lazuli and rides a winged bull. His consort is Ningal. He is the father of Shamash. He does not answer Gilgamesh's plea to restore Enkidu to life. Adad (the Canaanite Hadad, the Sumerian Ishkur, the Hurrian Teshub, the Canaanite/Egyptian Resheph, Rimmon) - a storm god, Anu's son. He holds a lightning bolt in his right hand and an axe in his left. He is partially responsible for the flood. He despairs and will not attack Anzu after Anzu has stolen the Tablet of Destinies from Ellil. Anshar - 'whole sky' He is the father of Anu and the child of Tiamat and Apsu. He is often paired with Kishara, and his qualities were assimilated with Ashur. When Ea learned of Tiamat's planned war, Anshar tried to stir him into attacking her first, but was rebuffed. He turned to Anu and sent him on a peace mission to Tiamat, but Anu returned unsuccessful. An assembly was convened and Marduk came forth at Ea's urging, promising to deliver Tiamat's defeated body to Anshar's feet. He required of the assembly a promise that he would be given the leadership of the pantheon after he is victorious. He had Kappa gather Lahmu, Lahamu, and the other gods together to send off Marduk on his fight and rally them to his side. When they arrive they help find a princely shrine for Marduk. Anzu - a demonic being with lion paws and face and eagle talons and wings. It was born on the mountain Hehe. Its beak is like a saw, its hide as eleven coats of mail. It was very powerful. Ellil appointed him to guard his bath chamber. He envied the Ellil-power inherent in Ellil's Tablet of Destinies and stole it while Ellil was bathing. With the Tablet of Destinies, anything he puts into words becomes reality. He takes advandtage of this by causing Ninurta's arrows to never reach their target. However, once Ea's advice reached Ninurta, Anzu was slain by the hero's onslaught. Ishtar (Ishhara, Irnini, Inanna) - She is Anu's second consort, daughter of Anu and Antum, (sometimes daughter of Sin), and sometimes the sister of Ereshkigal. She is the goddess of love, procreation, and war. She is armed with a quiver and bow. Her temples have special prostitutes of both genders. She is often accompanied by a lion, and sometimes rides it. The Eanna in Uruk is dedicated both to her and Anu. As Irnini, she has a parakku (throne-base) at the cedar mountain. Marduk - son of Ea and Dumkina. He supplants the other Babylonian deities to become the central figure of their pantheon. He is a "King of the Igigi" He often works with and asks questions of his father. He has fifty names many of which are those of other deities whose attributes he usurped. He was of proud form and piercing stare, born mature, powerful, and perfect and superior. He has four eyes, four ears, and emits fire from his mouth when he speaks. He is also gifted in magic. Anu gave him the four winds to play with. When Anu's peace mission to Tiamat fails, Ea urges him into action. He goes before Anshar and the divine assembly and declares that he will defeat Tiamat and lay her head at his feet, but that the assembly must promise that he should be the one to fix fates and more or less assume the role of the leader of the pantheon. Anshar, Lahamu, and Anu find him a shrine and Anu instills upon him the Anu-power in which, his word decrees fate. He is proclaimed king and invested with the scepter, throne, and staff-of-office. He is given an unfaceable weapon, the flood-weapon. He takes a bow and arrow and mace. He puts lightning in front of him, marshals his winds, makes a net to encircle Tiamat, fills his body with flame. He rides his storm-chariot driven by Slayer, Pitiless, Racer, and Flyer, poison-toothed, tireless steeds. He had a spell on his lips and an anti-toxin in his hand. He led the gods to battle. (P.251-252 Dalley) Qingu's strategy confused him. Tiamat tried to enspell him and wheedled at him. Marduk reproaches her and calls her out for single combat. She looses her temper and they fight. He unleashes his weapons at her, distended her body with winds, shot her in the belly with an arrow, split her in two and slit her heart. He defeats the rest of her forces and retrieves the Tablet of Destinies. He smashed Tiamat's skull to herald her death and made half of her body the roof of the sky. He leveled Apsu, measured it and established numerous shrines for many of the gods. He set up stands for the gods, constructed the heavens and regulated the year, giving Shamash some dominion over the months and the year. He made the Tigris and Euphrates rivers from Tiamat's eyes and made mountains from her udders. He smashed the weapons of Tiamat's army and put images of them at the gates to the underworld. He set up his temple at Esharra and his seat in Babylon. The gods honored him as king. He put blood and bones together as and made early man to bear the work of the gods, as in Atrahasis. For Qingu's part in the war he was made to provide the blood for the creation of man. He divided the Anunnaki and placed 300 to guard the sky, and six hundred to dwell in heaven and earth. He had them create Babylon building the Esagalia temple and a high ziggurat. Anshar gave him many new names: 1. Asarluhi, 2. Marduk, 3. The Son, The Majesty of the Gods, 4. Marukka, 5. Mershakushu, 6. Lugal-dimmer-ankia (King of heaven and earth), 7. Bel, 8. Nari-lugal-dimmer-ankia, 9. Asarluhi, 10. Namtila, 11. Namru, 12. 'Asare, 13. Asar-alim, 14. Asar-alim-nuna, 15. Tutu, 16. Zi-ukkina, 17. Ziku, 18. Agaku, 19. Shazu, 20. Zisi, 21. Suhrim, 22. Suhgurim, 23. Zahrim, 24. Zahgurim, 25. Enbilulu, 26. Epadun, 27. Gugal, 28. Hegal, 29. Sirsir, 30. Malah, 31. Gil, 32. Gilima, 33. Agilima, 34. Zulum, 35. Mummu, 36. Zulum-ummu, 37. Gizh- numun-ab, 38. Lugal-ab-dubur, 39. Pagal-guena, 40. Lugal-Durmah, 41. Aranuna, 42. Dumu-duku, 43. Lugal-duku, 44. Lugal-shuanna, 45. Iruga, 46. Irqingu, 47. Kinma, 48. Kinma, 49. E-sizkur, 50. Addu, 51. Asharu, 52. Neberu, 53. Enkukur. He becomes a firm lawgiver and judge who, when angered is not stoppable. Later he becomes somewhat negligent and Erra challenges him by preparing to attack his people in Babylon. He responds to the challenge by saying that he already killed most of the people in the flood and would not do so again. He also states that no- one would be in control of things if he got off of his throne to work up a flood, to which Erra volunteers to run things from Marduk's throne. =============== I hope this little cheat sheet helps everyone make their way through the story a bit easier (considering how much of it is missing). I know I missed some stuff but I didn't spot it in the file I have. mwc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouroboros Posted October 10, 2007 Author Share Posted October 10, 2007 Super thanks. I read it, and I can't see anything suggesting that Marduk was resurrected. I wonder where H. Zimmern got that from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwc Posted October 11, 2007 Share Posted October 11, 2007 Super thanks. I read it, and I can't see anything suggesting that Marduk was resurrected. I wonder where H. Zimmern got that from? There could be a different (his own?) translation that would allow for the interpretation on the other site. But the very general concept of a god going away and then returning can be interpreted as a "resurrection" depending on where they went. I didn't look up the city names but in these types of stories they could double as both literal locations (ie. the cities existed on earth) and places for the gods do to their things as well as sort of a magical "overlay." So if Bel/Marduk went to a city that was considered ruled by an underworld deity or a city that was part of the underworld then he would have "died." His return to another city would have marked his return to "life." The same could be true of the imagery of the clothes he wore or a number of other items in the story (weather and so forth...a dry spell is death followed by life giving rain). Context is important. That's one reason I added the short list of players since they are very important to interpreting stories like this. That's one reason I think there is much more to the whole xian religion than we are privy to today. We have the story but we don't have the "key" or "legend." Marduk did this and that. Fine. It doesn't make a lot of sense without a lot more knowledge. Jesus did this and that. All of our "knowledge" derives mostly from other morons like us that are looking at the same stories and trying to milk those secrets out of it. We need to go back 2000 or so years and join the cult to get the "key." Until then we'll just keep reading between the lines. Unless we take it all at face value and then jesus did what it says he did and so did Marduk and all the rest. mwc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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