The Bible- History or Myth?

When I first started writing my blog, I started out with researching old mysteries and stories that I felt could be re-investigated in order to search for the truth. Many of the stories I have researched and wrote about on my "Dreaming Casually" blog are cold cases or stories that many have speculated as cover-ups. I never had really considered writing about origins or biblical history before until I had a falling out with an acquaintance of mine a few months ago due to our differences in beliefs (spiritually). One thing this person told me was, "You write so many stories and dig and search for the truth about those things but why haven't you wrote about the Bible?"


You see, this person doesn't believe the Bible is real and is very adamant about this. I on the other hand, believe the Bible is true and accurate and I decided here and now to state the historical proof that the Bible is very accurate and real. I also wanted to show the differences between prophecies and predictions made in the Bible than to the predictions made in recorded mythology.


The Difference Between Myth and Legend


According to Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology, many stories and epic tales have been carried down for thousands of years. Telling tales of legend and myths in regards to the creation of life, the earth, the universe and various teaching of gods and such. However, no records really tell specific dates, names of true historical people or even real locations in order to prove such tales actually occurred.  The Bible, on the other hand has countless stories with such vivid historical detail that has been since proven to be historically accurate even to this day.


In the epic tales of Homer's Iliad and The Odyssey, the stories are about mythology of pagan gods and their lives intertwining or co-mingling among mortals. Even the ancient Egyptians, Celtics and Norse religions believed in and told of various "legends and lore" of times passed without really giving specifics about when, and where they occurred.


 PROPHECY



In Greek mythology, the belief in ancient oracles was rampant, although only the rich and powerful were able to consult with them. They believed that the oracles had powers of prediction and prophecy. However, the stories that oracles gave were more often than not just ambiguous, vague and most often unreliable. They also could be bought by the highest bidder. Even in today's society, many people are habitual horoscope readers constantly checking to see what the future holds for their destiny, sometimes paying for a horoscope service, calling phone psychics for advice and or purchasing magazines just to read their horoscopes. Sadly, today's horoscopes and "psychic" readings are not much better than the vague stories of the ancient oracles themselves.

A good example of the enigmatic predictions of the oracles is the story of King Pyrrhus of Epirus. According to the ancient tale, the King's army was engaged in an epic battle with the Roman army. He went to to the oracle Delphi for answers. The answer he received from the oracle was spoken in two ways, and thus could be interpreted differently:

 (1) "I say that thou son of Æacus canst conquer the Romans. Thou shalt go, thou shalt return, never shalt thou perish in war."

 (2) "I say that the Romans can conquer thee, son of Æacus. Thou shalt go, thou shalt never return, thou shalt perish in war."

The King chose to go by the second definition and lost in battle. Why am I bringing this story up? Because this is a great example of the vague and uncertain predictions the oracles would provide. Often times, the oracles spoke in unintelligible sounds and used priests to be their "interpreters" in order for them to create their verses to be spoken to the one seeking answers. More often then not, the answer had a double interpretation making it impossible for someone to understand the real answer. Almost like a riddle.

A great example of an oracle giving the wrong answer was in the case of the King of Lydia, Croesus. He consulted the oracle to find out who would win the war. The oracle told him, "If Croesus crosses the Halys, he will destroy a mighty empire."  In actuality, when he crossed the river Halys to invade Cappadocia, Cyrus the Persian was waiting for him and destroyed his army. Thus, Croesus' empire was the one defeated, and the oracle's answers proved fatal to Croesus.

The Bible, on the other hand, states prophecies that have taken place down to the last detail and proven the scripture that states, "No one word out of all the good words that Jehovah your God has spoken to you has failed."- Joshua 23:14

Examples of History

2 Kings, Chapter 24 tells that the king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar took a man named Jehoiachin into exile to Babylon. It goes on to say that "Evil-merodach the king of Babylon, in the year of his becoming king, raised up the head of Jehoiachin the king of Judah out of the house of detention." It also goes on to state that Jehoiachin was given an "allowance" daily for the rest of his life.


There had never been any sort of proof to back this up until Archaeologists excavating the ruins of ancient Babylon uncovered tablets that dated to the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II.

Now what do you suppose they found inscribed on the tablets? None other than list rations that were given to prisoners and other dependents on the royal household. On the list was the king of the land of "Yahud" (Judah) "Yaukin" (Jehoiachin), just as the Bible had said all along.

The Uruk Kings List had only briefly mentioned of Amil-Marduk's reign of a short two years, but never before had historians even been able to prove the story of what happened to Nebuchadnezzar's successor "Evil-Merodach," and his part in the story of Jehoiachin other than what the Bible had said.  As the history proves, Amil-Marduk ended up falling victim to a court conspiracy and found himself in prison with the king of Judah, Jehoiachin. Later, after his father's death, Amil-Marduk becomes king of Babylon and uses his status to release Jehoiachin from prison.


 2 Kings 25:27-30 reads:
 "And it came about in the thirty-seventh year of the exile of Je·hoi´a·chin the king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, that E´vil-mer´o·dach the king of Babylon, in the year of his becoming king, raised up the head of Je·hoi´a·chin the king of Judah out of the house of detention; and he began to speak good things with him, and then put his throne higher than the thrones of the kings that were with him in Babylon. And he took off his prison garments; and he ate bread constantly before him all the days of his life.  As for his allowance, an allowance was constantly given him from the king, daily as due, all the days of his life."

Historians were also able to decipher that a vase found near the city of Susa read "Palace of Amil-Marduk (Evil-Merodach), King of Babylon, son of Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon," proving that the Bible is historically accurate. 

As you can see in this example the Bible had stated this story for thousands of years, and yet it took until historians and archaeologists dug up corroborating evidence to agree with the Biblical tales, for many to believe the Bible is telling the truth. Such a sad thing isn't it?


Babylon-The Fall Of An Empire

Let's take the fall of Babylon as another example. In the book of Isaiah, 200 years before the event took place, Isaiah predicted the detailed account Babylon being overthrown by Medo-Persia. The account stated that the name of the conqueror would be Cyrus and even detailed the strategy of how Cyrus would defeat Babylon through means of drying up the river and infiltrating the city. All this, 200 years before it ever took place.

And what does history say about this event?

By the year 540 BC, Cyrus aka "Cyrus the Great" had captured the capital city of Susa.  Cyrus then fought the Battle of Opis near the city of Opis which lay along the Tigris river, north of Babylon.  Sippar then was seized without a battle and then again without a battle Cyrus' army siezed Babylon and Nebonidas.  Greek Scholar, Herodotus explained that the Persians used a basin that had been earlier dug by the queen Nitokris (of Babylon) in order to protect from prior attacks by the Medes. It had diverted the Euphrates into a canal severely dropping the water level to that of a man's thigh, which allowed the invasion to take place through the river in the night, just as the Bible prophesied.

After seizing  Babylon, Cyrus proclaimed himself "King of Babylon and the four corners of the world" which was inscribed on the Cyrus cylinder. Another piece of evidence that shows the Bible and History go hand in hand.


Another Example

During the sixth century B.C.E., Daniel the Bible prophet spoke of his vision that foretold the defeat of the Medo-Persian empire by Greece. It went on into detail explaining that when the king became "mighty" that his empire would then become "broken." (Daniel 8: 5-8)

“The ram that you saw possessing the two horns [stands for] the kings of Me´di·a and Persia. And the hairy he-goat [stands for] the king of Greece; and as for the great horn that was between its eyes, it [stands for] the first king. And that one having been broken, so that there were four that finally stood up instead of it, there are four kingdoms from [his] nation that will stand up, but not with his power."- Daniel 8:20-22 


The symbolism here referring the two horned ram as Medo-Persia and the single horned ram as Greece, showing that the mighty ram would defeat its counterpart. It also stated that in its highest point of reign that the empire of Greece would fall and be broken into four parts.


And what does history say about this event?

History goes on to show that Alexander the Great, ruler of Greece died suddenly at the age of 32, in the  prime of his age and at the top of game so-to-speak.  During a battle near Ipsus in Asia Minor the empire dissolved. The four victors divided the Grecian empire amongst themselves and no one out of the four were  ever able to attain the degree of power and rule that Alexander had done by himself, just as the Bible had foretold.



Conclusion

So to end this article on my blog, I have shown you how myths and history are far different from each other. I have also shown you a few examples of how history and the Bible are harmoniously joined together. You have the right to believe whatever it is you choose. However, I hope that if you were in doubt of the Bible' accuracy before reading this article, maybe the examples given here will make you search deeper for greater answers. The Bible is the most popular and most published book in the history of mankind. It has survived for thousands of years and still the accounts and advice given from the Bible can still be easy to relate to and to apply in every day life, even today.


The Bible really is a "lamp shining in a dark place," and all you need to do is pick it up and search to see that its stories and prophecies are historically accurate. 2 Peter 1:19-21




J'aime Rubio (Copyright) 2012

EASTER- Do You Really Know The Truth About It?

If you were to dive into the backgrounds of many holidays, you would see that most have pagan origins. The holiday known as Easter would not be an exception. When you think of Easter you probably think of bunny rabbits, baskets filled with goodies, chocolate, painted eggs and pastel colors. Many think Easter is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Let me inform, this is not. Easter has absolutely NOTHING to do with Jesus or any other true Christian customs.

To start out, true Christians know that Jesus wanted us to remember him, not by his birthday and not by the day he was resurrected. He wanted us to remember him and honor him on the day he died. NISAN 14 is the day that Jesus celebrated with his Apostles the ‘Lord’s Evening Meal’ in order to celebrate the Passover. The origin of the Passover Feast was derived from the night that God's angel swept over Egypt and killed the first born of anyone who did not have the blood of the lamb over their doorposts. This was the last of the 10 plagues of Egypt.

Jesus celebrated that 'Passover' with his Apostles but he gave a new commandment to celebrate this night in remembrance of him. Because days started at sundown to sundown that night of NISAN 14 still continued to the next day at sundown, the day Jesus died. That is why true Christians celebrate NISAN 14, not Easter. Easter is an entirely different subject and is days after NISAN 14.

Even the ancient ecclesiastical historian Socrates stated this, “Thus much already laid down may seem a sufficient treatise to prove that the celebration of the feast of Easter began everywhere more of custom than by any commandment either of Christ or any Apostle." It was obvious from times passed that the Christian Religion and that of many pagan customs would become so intertwined with one another that it would be almost impossible to pull apart and dissect the truth out of them.

First and foremost, the tradition of Easter goes back thousands of years all the way back to Babylonian customs and mythology. Although many believe that Easter is a Christian holiday or even some sort of hybrid between Christian and Germanic Religious beliefs, I can assure you that it goes much further. According to the book, “Two Babylons,” author Alexander Hislop states that the term Easter comes from Chaldean origin, for the name Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the Queen of Heaven. It goes even further back to the goddess Ishtar as you will read later on.

According to historians from the early 19th century, Easter originated with Ostara (or Ēostre) , the Pagan (Saxon) Germanic Goddess of Spring. It was Northern European culture that introduced the hare or rabbit into the whole idea of Easter. Ostara was the Goddess of Fertility, bringing an end to the Winter season and a new rebirth of life in Spring. 

EASTER BUNNY-

The hare or rabbit, which was well known for its propensity for rapid reproduction, was Ostara’s sacred animal. What many are not aware of is the fact that the Easter eggs and the Easter Bunny were also older in origin than one would think. They were actually celebrated in festivals all the way back in Mesopotamia at the Feast of Ishtar. The rabbit symbolized fertility, given the fact that rabbits have been known to become impregnated with a second litter while pregnant with the first litter. Also, in the Epic of Gilgamesh an “intersexual” being comes to rescue Ishtar from the Underworld while ancient customs in various mythology spoke of rabbits that were symbolized as being “hermaphrodite,” having both male and female parts just as the intersexual creature in the Epic of Gilgamesh.

According to belief, The god Papsukal reports the entire situation to Ea (the king of gods) that Ereshkigal is holding Ishtar against her will in the Underworld. Ea manifests an intersex being called Asu-shu-namir and sends it to Ereshkigal, commanding it to invoke "the name of the great gods" against Erishkigal and to ask for the sacred bag containing the waters of life. Ereshkigal is enfuriated when she finds out Asu-shu-namir's demand, but she has to give it the water of life. So Asu-shu-namir drops water from the bag onto Ishtar and revives her. Then Ishtar passes back through the seven gates into the realm of the living.

EASTER EGGS-

In history the Easter eggs symbolized rebirth or new life. Many believe that it related to the resurrection of Jesus Christ but it does not. Long before Christ walked the earth, this custom was already taking place in the cradle of civilization, Assyria and Babylon. Eggs have always been regarded as a symbol of new life. To this day many superstitious people still use eggs to predict the sex in an unborn baby, by watching the rotation of an egg suspended by a string over the stomach of a pregnant woman.

Going even further back you will find in the story of Ishtar, the Babylonian “mother of the gods” whose very existence was said to have come from an egg. According to ancient Babylonian mythology, Ishtar came from a golden egg that descended from heaven. It survived the deluge (the flood of Noah’s day) and the fish pushed it onto the land. Then the birds sat upon it until it hatched, giving life to the deity Ishtar. 

The more you look into the story of Ishtar (especially in the Epic of Gilgamesh) the more you will find striking resemblance to other stories in mythology from Roman, to Greek, to Egyptian. Why do you think that is? That is because all mythology started from Babylon and evolved within each different civilization, making slight changes but not enough to detract from the ancient origins.

You see, Ishtar is none other than the Germanic Goddess Ostara, the Sumerian Goddess Inanna, the Greek Goddess Persephone or the Roman Goddess Proserpina (not to mention even more). Look the stories up, they are all similar. Easter is also a time in ancient mythology where the resurrection of the god Tammuz was celebrated, the lover of Ishtar.

The facts stand to point to the Goddesses of Rome, Greece, Sumer and Egypt having all come from one source, Babylon. All Easter origins come from here. You can agree with me or disagree, the history doesn’t lie. And if you search hard enough you will find that many gods or goddesses all derive from the very beginning of false gods, Tammuz and Ishtar.

If you read the Epic of Gilgamesh you will see the similarities to the stories of Persephone, Proserpina, Adonis and even some Egyptian mythology such as Isis and Osiris. Although, some characters change in some stories, the outline remains the same. 

PROSERPINA-

In Roman mythology, Venus sends her son Cupid to shoot his arrow at Pluto in order for him to find love. He comes out of the volcano Etna with four black horses named Orphnaeus, Aethon, Nycteus and Alastor. He then kidnaps Proserpina to the Underworld where he is ruler. Her mother, Demeter (or Ceres) goes searching the entire earth for her. Pluto tricks Proserpina to eat three seeds from a Pomagranate in order to entrap her in the Underworld.

She is now forced to spend three months out of the year with Pluto in the Underworld each year. According to Roman customs and beliefs, that is why the seasons change. During winter is when Proserpina goes to the Underworld and that is why her mother Demeter allows the earth to become barren, because she misses her. However, when Spring arrives all the blossom’s bloom and vegetation is abundant because Demeter’s daughter returns to her.

So in conclusion, this article is not to rain on your proverbial parade about your beliefs in Easter, but to be a wake up call. Just because you want something to be about Jesus doesn’t mean it is. Just because you want it to be about roses and flowers, fluffy bunnies and carefully decorated eggs doesn’t mean it is. Most everything that is known as a holiday comes from pagan origin, even if you wish to believe it is somehow Christian.

J'aime Rubio (copyright) 2012

Thank you Jes Alexander for allowing me to use your photo of Ishtar(Astarte).