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Nimrod |
On Legends |
There have been many legends about Nimrod and the corruption that came out of Babylon. Revelation 17 mentions "Mystery Babylon the mother of harlots and abominations of the earth."
The idea being that Nimrod, although knowing the one true God, created his own perverted religion. This would spread out to the nations of the earth, and is the stating point for all the pagan religions. Many have tried to trace it back in an effort to know for sure what is the "Mystery Babylon." Papers have been written stating it is the Roman Catholic church, New Age movement, Pentecostals, Trinitarians, Masons, Modern day Judaism, ect. Many even say that the holidays like Christmas, Easter, New Years, Ground Hog Day ect. also come from here, and try to use that to say Christians should not observe these holidays. In an effort to get at the facts I have gathered the following source material:
| Nimrod Nimrod, also called Amraphel and Hammurabi, was born 252 years after the flood of Noah. He was the son of Cush, son of Ham, son of Noah. He built the cities of Babel, Erech, and Accad and in Assyria he built Nineveh, and Calnah. Nimrod was blessed by God and won all the wars he fought. After winning the war between the sons of Ham and the sons of Japheth, at the age of 40, he was made king over the people, and then built the city of Shinar and ruled from there. This was the same year Abraham was born. During the next 45 years his empire flourished. Nimrod with Chedorlaomer and the other kings laid waist to all of Syria and subdued the offspring of the giants. Nimrod was called the mighty hunter before the LORD (LXX Giant hunter). Nimrod wanted to have revenge on God for destroying his forefathers. He turned the government into a tyranny and set up 12 gods of wood after the 12 months of the year (or after the Zodiac), commanding everyone to worship one monthly. Babylon had sages and conjurers. Anuki was the accurate dream interpreter for Nimrod. Nimrod build the Tower of Babel. When Abraham was 45, which was 337 years after the flood, God confounded the languages and scattered the people, and they left off building the city. Within the next 3 years people separated, by language, into different parts of the world, then one of the last earthquakes hit that divided the continents. Chedorlaomer then left the Babylonian Empire and formed the Elamite Empire (Persian), in Iran. At that time nimrod finished building the city of Babel and constructed the cities of Erech, Accad, and Calnah. 340 years after the flood there was war again between the sons of Ham and Chedorlaomer. Sodom, Gomorrah, and the other cites of the plains, were conquered and paid tribute to Chedorlaomer for 12 years. 352 years after the flood the 5 cities rebelled. After five years Nimrod seeing the cities remained free thought he could make war against Chedorlaomer, but Nimrod was defeated and his son Mardon, who was more wicked that his father, was killed in the battle as well. This happened 357 years after the flood. Nimrod was under the subjection of Chedorlaomer for a long time, and this battle caused Tidal, king of goyim, and Arioch, king of Elasar, to make a covenant with Chedorlaomer. Chedorlaomer attacked the rebellious 5 cities 378 after flood, with the collation of kings. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are captured along with Lot. Abraham then attacked the collation of kings, freeing Lot and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah, and may have killed Chedorlaomer in this battle. Over time the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah became exceedingly wicked. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah observed the four seasonal pagan holidays, with dances timbrels, and orgies. They kept getting more and more wicked until 391 years after the flood The LORD destroyed the cities of the plains. When Nimrod was 215, which was 467 years after the flood; he was beheaded by Esau and he was buried in his city. At the death of Nimrod his kingdom split back into many divisions, and all those parts that Nimrod reigned over were restored to the respective kings of the land and all the people of the house of Nimrod were for a long time enslaved to all the other kings of the land. Facts taken from Genesis 10-11, Jasher 7-27, Josephus Ant. 1.4.2-3,9 - See Also Romans 1 |
The earliest sources have the sun god and moon goddess, after the confounding of the languages some will have a moon god and a sun goddess or both male and female. Ashatroth of the Zidonians, Asherah of the Israeli-Phoenician, Astarte of the Phoenicians, and Ishtar of Babylon are virtually identical. Some later goddesses, like Dianna of the Ephesians, have the similar background but with additional legends, based on the region. Goddesses based on planets like Venus or stars come later.
Agriculture and fertility will be connected since the equinoxes and solstices of the sun were observed. The hunt and animal/human sacrifice will become part of the worship of the sun god. And sex and agriculture will become part of the worship of the moon.
Later historical kings will be added with other legends to these figures. The Assyrians will adopt their first king, Assur as their god, and the Egyptians will adopt Osiris as a god. Osiris was the last king of Egypt before they started calling their rulers pharaoh, he lived in Abraham’s time. Nimrods sun Mardon will be worshiped as Marduk later in Babylon. Jupiter, Saturn, and Venus were human rulers who worshiped the sun and moon, and are buried on the isles of Crete and Cyprus, according to very ancient historical records
Goddess Astoreth
The pomegranate, the dove, crab, and in later times the loin were sacred to
her. Calves were sacrificed to her. Her priests were eunuchs in women's
cloths. Orgies re part of the worship (Augustine de civit dei 2.3) On coins she is seen riding on a
lion with rays going out from her head, holding a thunderbolt in one hand
and a scepter in the other. She is also depicted as having horns and
sometimes four wings.
Jeremiah 7:18 cakes were called cabwneV in Greek and
were shaped like a sickle or crescent moon. Baked for the queen of heaven (vs 44
without men present)
Goddess Asharah
The words the LLX used shows with certainty that asharah and
astoreth are one and the same. Over time some minor differenced crept
in.
Her symbol was a cone shaped round at the base going up by degrees
till reaching a point, usually white or light colored. (Wiccan's will
recognize this as "drawing down the moon" )
Ezekiel 13:17-21 The daughters of Israel fastened "magic bands" (kesatot)
on their wrists and with them "trapped souls like birds." This word only occurs
in this passage and is related to the Sumerian KI-ShU, meaning some kind of magical
imprisonment. In the Greek form kiste, Latin cista, it appears
as a container used in certain mystery rituals of the Dionysiac cult, for carrying of
secret implements. The cista is symbolically depicted as a basket with a
snake is emerging. On sarcophagi inscribed with Bacchic scenes, the cista is
shown being kicked open by Pan and the snake raising itself from the half-opened lid. The
snake is an important feature of the Dionysiac cult and imagery. The Maenads of Euripides'
Bacchae have serpents entwined in their hair and round their limbs, and the snake was the
particular emblem of the Phyrigian Sabazios (Sabadius) with whom Dionysos is
identified."
So what was the instrument that the priestesses of Asharah used to trap and
control, some sort of drug perhaps?
God Tammuz
Ezekiel 8 worship of the sun, animals, and women were weeping for Tammuz.
putting the "branch to their nose."
God Chemosh - Moleh/Milcum
Human sacrifice was practiced for this sun god, (infants mostly) by the
Ammonites and Moabites.
Other Sun Gods
The Egyptian Ra then Osiris, Greek Adonis, Hadad of the Syrians, Bel or Belus of the Assyrians
Christmas
The origin of the festival is unknown. Scholars believe that it is derived in part from
rites held by pre-Christian Germanic and Celtic peoples to celebrate the winter solstice.
Christmas festivals, generally observed by Christians since the 4th century, incorporate
pagan customs, such as the use of holly, mistletoe, Yule logs, and wassail bowls (toasts).
The Christmas tree, an evergreen trimmed with lights and other decorations, is derived
from the so-called paradise tree, symbolizing Eden, of German mystery plays. The use of a
Christmas tree began early in the 17th century, in Strasbourg, France, spreading from
there through Germany and then into northern Europe. In 1841 Albert, prince consort of
Queen Victoria, introduced the Christmas tree custom to Great Britain; from there it
accompanied immigrants to the United States. Meanwhile, Dutch settlers had brought to the
New World the custom of celebrating St. Nicholas' Day on December 6, and especially St.
Nicholas' Eve, when gifts were given to children, of whom the saint was patron. British
settlers took over the tradition as part of their Christmas eve celebration. The English
name of the legendary jolly, red-garbed man who delivers presents to good children at
Christmas, Santa Claus, is derived from the Dutch Sinterklaas, a modification of
Saint Nikolaas.
Èastre
Èastre, the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility, to whom
was dedicated a month corresponding to April. Her festival was celebrated on the day of
the vernal equinox; traditions associated with the festival survive in the Easter rabbit,
a symbol of fertility, and in colored Easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors
to represent the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as
gifts.
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Other notes:
Legends |
| www.biblefacts.org | Date: 10-2003 |