aerial spirits of Solomon aerial spirits of Solomon DEMONs associated with the four elements who were commanded by the legendary King SOLOMON. The aerial spirits are both good and evil. They can show anything in the world that is hidden and can fetch, carry, and do anything contained in the four elements of earth, air, water, and fire. The aerial spirits are governed by 31 princes who are aligned to points on a compass. Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology. Look at other dictionaries: The Lesser Key of Solomon — For other uses, see Key of Solomon (disambiguation). aerial spirits of Solomon DEMONs associated with the four elements who were commanded by the legendary King SOLOMON. The aerial spirits are governed by 31 princes who are aligned to points on a compass. Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology. Look at other dictionaries: The Lesser Key of Solomon — For other uses, see Key of Solomon (disambiguation). aerial spirits of Solomon Encyclopedia of Demons and Demonology. Look at other dictionaries:
Ugarit Excavated ruins at Ras Shamra Ugarit (/ˌuːɡəˈriːt, ˌjuː-/; Ugaritic: 𐎜𐎂𐎗𐎚, ʼUgrt; Arabic: أوغاريت) was an ancient port city, the ruins of which are located at what is now called Ras Shamra (sometimes written "Ras Shamrah"; Arabic: رأس شمرة, literally "Cape Fennel"),[1] a headland in northern Syria. Ugarit had close connections to the Hittite Empire, sent tribute to Egypt at times, and maintained trade and diplomatic connections with Cyprus (then called Alashiya), documented in the archives recovered from the site and corroborated by Mycenaean and Cypriot pottery found there. History[edit] Ras Shamra lies on the Mediterranean coast, some 11 kilometres (7 mi) north of Latakia, near modern Burj al-Qasab. Though the site is thought to have been inhabited earlier, Neolithic Ugarit was already important enough to be fortified with a wall early on, perhaps by 6000 BC. The first written evidence mentioning the city comes from the nearby city of Ebla, ca. 1800 BC. Destruction[edit]
Hittite mythology Seated deity, late Hittite Empire (13th century BC) The understanding of Hittite mythology depends on readings of surviving stone carvings, deciphering of the iconology represented in seal stones, interpreting ground plans of temples: additionally, there are a few images of deities, for the Hittites often worshipped their gods through Huwasi stones, which represented deities and were treated as sacred objects. Gods were often depicted standing on the backs of their respective beasts, or may have been identifiable in their animal form.[3] Overview[edit] Priests and cult sites[edit] The liminal figure mediating between the intimately connected worlds of gods and mankind was the king and priest; in a ritual dating from the Hittite Old Kingdom period: The gods, the Sun-God and the Storm-God, have entrusted to me, the king, the land and my household, so that I, the king, should protect my land and my household, for myself.[5] Deities and their myths[edit] List of Hittite deities[15][edit]
Africa - Province of the Roman Empire The idea of Roman expansion into North Africa started with the fear and jealousy caused by the great economic power of Carthage. In the 3rd Century BC, Rome and Carthage jockeyed with each other for position and strength along the Mediterranean. The two had developed an unhealthy rivalry which, in 264 BCE led directly to a series of 3 wars, the Punic Wars. By 146 BCE, Carthage was destroyed and Rome, having taken control of Spain and Africa, was soon to be the undisputed master of the world. Rome established its first African colony, Africa Vetus, in the most fertile part of what was formerly Carthaginian territory, and established Utica as the administrative capital. The freedom of rule eventually gave rise to an illegitimate Numidian prince, Jugurtha, and the onset of the Jugurthine War. The civil war between Caesar and Pompey briefly brought North Africa into the Roman spotlight once again. Berber opposition to the Roman presence in Africa was nearly constant.
Ugarit and the Bible ASSIGNMENT: Read Coogan and Gordon; then read the following lectures. 1. Introduction. The ancient Canaanite city-state of Ugarit is of utmost importance for those who study the Old Testament. Why should people interested in the Old Testament want to know about this city and its inhabitants? In short, when one has well in hand the literature and theology of Ugarit, one is well on the way to being able to comprehend some of the most important ideas contained in the Old Testament. 2. In 1928 a group of French archaeologists journeyed with 7 camels, one donkey, and some burden bearers towards the tel known as Ras Shamra. After the discovery of the cemetery they found a city and a royal palace about 1000 meters from the sea on a tel 18 meters high. The greatest discovery made at the site was a collection of tablets carved with (a then) unknown cuneiform script. Ugarit experienced a very long history. In the period 1200 - 1180 the city steeply declined and then mysteriously came to an end. 3.
Persian mythology Persian mythology are traditional tales and stories of ancient origin, all involving extraordinary or supernatural beings. Drawn from the legendary past of Iran, they reflect the attitudes of the society to which they first belonged - attitudes towards the confrontation of good and evil, the actions of the gods, yazats (lesser gods), and the exploits of heroes and fabulous creatures. Myths play a crucial part in Iranian culture and our understanding of them is increased when we consider them within the context of Iranian history. For this purpose we must ignore modern political boundaries and look at historical developments in the Greater Iran, a vast area covering parts of Central Asia well beyond the frontiers of present-day Iran. The geography of this region, with its high mountain ranges, plays a significant role in many of the mythological stories. Key texts[edit] The central collection of Persian mythology is the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi, written over a thousand years ago.
The Book of the Cave of Treasures - Abraham and the City of Ur Sacred-Texts Christianity Index Previous Next p. 273 The paragraphs which the author of the "Cave Treasures" devotes to the history of Terah and Abraham throw new light upon the lives of these patriarchs and the conditions under which they lived in the city of Ur, and they contain many interesting details which are not recorded in the Book of Genesis, and some new information concerning the overthrow of the city of Ur by the "Wind Flood." It is quite clear that Terah and Abraham were great, powerful and wealthy shêkhs, and their large flocks of sheep and goats and herds of camels suggest that they were owners and breeders of cattle on a large scale, and masters of caravans. The three hundred and eighteen trained men, born in his house (Gen. xiv. 14), whom Abraham armed and sent forth to rescue Lot, his nephew, were probably the armed guards who marched with his flocks and herds and caravans and protected them. p. 275 During the winter of 1925-26, Mr. Mr. p. 285 p. 286 p. 288 p. 289 p. 290 Next
Into the Land of Canaan (other possible Biblical sources) - DefinitelyNotFirewater In my previous post on Panbabylonism, I spoke of evidence that suggests that much of the Hebrew Bible, and the stories and ideas therein, were preceded in time by similar stories in Mesopotamia. By evidence, I mean actual physical evidence, in the form of writing on tablets and cylinders and pottery shards that is older than any version of the Tanakh extant. I suggested the possibility of the Bible stories being copied from earlier sources. I'm no religious studies scholar, and I would like for this statement to qualify anything I might write after this. The casual reader may consider me to be wishy-washy, a flip-flopper, or a waffler (I'm pretty sure these words all mean the same thing). I once wrote an entire post saying that I would never qualify my statements again. Okay, I apologize for that. There are enough independent sources who have verified that the Tanakh is not, in fact, a giant cookbook. Ugaritic as a language appeared to have close linguistic ties to Biblical Hebrew.
Rigvedic deities In the Rigveda it is stated that there are 33 deities associated with sky (dyu), earth (prithvi) and the middle realm (antariksha), though a larger number of deities are mentioned in the text.[1] There are 1028 hymns in the Rigveda, most of them dedicated to specific deities. Invoked in groups are the Vishvedevas (the "all-gods"), the Maruts, violent storm gods in Indra's train and the Ashvins, the twin horsemen. Rivers play an important role, deified as goddesses, most prominently the Sapta Sindhu and the Sarasvati River. Yama is the first ancestor, also worshipped as a deity, and the god of the underworld and death. Vishnu and Rudra, the prominent deities of later Hinduism (Rudra being an early form of Shiva) are present as marginal gods. The names of Indra, Mitra, Varuna and the Nasatyas are also attested in a Mitanni treaty, suggesting that the some of the religion of the Mitannis was very close to that of the Rigveda. Deities by prominence[edit] See also[edit] Historical Vedic religion
Lemba people The Lemba or wa-Remba (their preferred name is Mwenye)[1] are a southern African ethnic group found in Zimbabwe and South Africa, and with smaller, little-known branches in Mozambique and Malawi. According to Tudor Parfitt, Professor of Oriental and African Studies at the University of London, in 2002 they numbered an estimated 50,000.[2] Since the late twentieth century, there has been increased media and scholarly attention to the people's claims of partial common descent to the Jewish people.[3][4][5][dead link] They speak the Bantu languages spoken by their geographic neighbours and resemble them physically, but they have some religious practices and beliefs similar to those in Judaism and Islam, which they say were transmitted orally.[6] Today, many Lemba are Christians (including Messianic Jews) or Muslims, while maintaining several Jewish practices. Jewish or Arab links[edit] Lemba traditions and culture[edit] Sacred ngoma[edit] DNA testing[edit] Construction of Great Zimbabwe[edit]
Islam Islam (/ˈɪslɑːm/;[note 1] Arabic: الإسلام, al-ʾIslām IPA: [ælʔɪsˈlæːm] ( )[note 2]) is a monotheistic and Abrahamic religion articulated by the Qur'an, an Islamic holy book considered by its adherents to be the verbatim word of God (Allāh), and for the vast majority of adherents, also by the teachings and normative example (called the Sunnah and composed of hadith) of Muhammad (c. 570–8 June 632 CE), considered by most of them to be the last prophet of God. An adherent of Islam is called a Muslim. Most Muslims are of two denominations: Sunni (75–90%)[8] or Shia (10–20%).[9] About 13% of Muslims live in Indonesia,[10] the largest Muslim-majority country, 25% in South Asia,[10] 20% in the Middle East,[11] and 15% in Sub-Saharan Africa.[12] Sizable minorities are also found in Europe, China, Russia, and the Americas. Etymology and meaning Articles of faith God Main articles: God in Islam and Allah Islam's most fundamental concept is a rigorous monotheism, called tawḥīd (Arabic: توحيد). Angels
Egyptian mythology Egyptian mythology is the collection of myths from ancient Egypt, which describe the actions of the Egyptian gods as a means of understanding the world. The beliefs that these myths express are an important part of ancient Egyptian religion. Myths appear frequently in Egyptian writings and art, particularly in short stories and in religious material such as hymns, ritual texts, funerary texts, and temple decoration. These sources rarely contain a complete account of a myth and often describe only brief fragments. The details of these sacred events differ greatly from one text to another and often seem contradictory. Mythology profoundly influenced Egyptian culture. Origins[edit] The development of Egyptian myth is difficult to trace. Another possible source for mythology is ritual. In private rituals, which are often called "magical", the myth and the ritual are particularly closely tied. Definition and scope[edit] Content and meaning[edit] Sources[edit] Religious sources[edit]
Christianity Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Emperor Constantine the Great decriminalized Christianity in the Roman Empire by the Edict of Milan (313), later convening the Council of Nicaea (325) where Early Christianity was consolidated into what would become the State church of the Roman Empire (380). The early history of Christianity's united church before major schisms is sometimes referred to as the "Great Church" (though divergent sects existed at the same time, including Gnostics, Marcionites, and Jewish Christians). The Church of the East split after the Council of Ephesus (431) and Oriental Orthodoxy split after the Council of Chalcedon (451) over differences in Christology,[6] while the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church separated in the East–West Schism (1054), mostly over the authority of the bishop of Rome. Etymology Beliefs Creeds Concise doctrinal statements or confessions of religious beliefs are known as creeds. Jesus
Chinese mythology Chinese mythology refers to those myths found in the historical geographic area of China: these include myths in Chinese and other languages, as transmitted by Han Chinese as well as other ethnic groups (of which fifty-six are officially recognized by the current administration of China).[1] Chinese mythology includes creation myths and legends, such as myths concerning the founding of Chinese culture and the Chinese state. As in many cultures' mythologies, Chinese mythology has in the past been believed to be, at least in part, a factual recording of history. Thus, in the study of historical Chinese culture, many of the stories that have been told regarding characters and events which have been written or told of the distant past have a double tradition: one which presents a more historicized and one which presents a more mythological version.[2] Historians have written evidence of Chinese mythological symbolism from the 12th century BC in the Oracle bone script. Major concepts[edit]