yet today most of the Christian world observes a 40 day period called Lent, There must be a reason. be found in the Catholic Church? and the Spring or Vernal equinox. Could it be an offering of water (tears) to the soil in the absence of the fertility that Tammuz brings? Thank you for your energetic search! steps were taken to get the whole Chaldean Lent of six weeks, or forty causing everyone to be jealous, but no phallic symbol that is big enough to be seen from afar could seriously be expected to make anyone jealous, especially God. in any way to his crucifixion or the Passover. I didn't know that was required on this site and got a friendly note from the moderator as well asking me to site sources. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. Cush married a woman named Semiramis and they had a son named Nimrod. The Paganism of Lent and Weeping for Tammuz! this was the mode now practiced throughout Christendom." Council does not very clearly appear, but for a considerable period after The chief seat of the cult in Syria was Gebal, where was the celebrated temple of Venus or Aphrodite, the ruins of . In the 1920s (and even before) serious scholars who did have access to the books that Hislop cited realized that he was not honest about his source material, and literally made up a lot of things. (What is it actually based on? This is a substantial answer and I have up-voted it. Between the altar and the porch of the temple there were twenty-five men worshiping the sun (8:14-16).There was an idol in the temple court that angered God (8:3-5). In context of Psalm 82:1,6 the term is "elohim", or those who ruled unjustly and judged over Israel. spring to begin. Was the idol of jealousy in Ezekiel 8:5 the "abomination causing desolation" that Jesus refer to? a raven and a dove: Gen 8:6-7. Such a Lent of forty days, 'in the spring of the year,' 15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? 262-271. Now before I go any further, please note that before I actually started doing the ANE researchyears ago I was one of the people spreading the misinformation about Tammuz that originated in the 1850s in one pseudo-archaeological book by a man named Alexander Hislopupon which many other books were later based. Posted by Tyler Dawn | Sep 17, 2015 | Biblical Context Studies, Challenging the "Everything is Pagan" Meme Culture | 4 |, Lent is based on Tammuz worship. Thats the claim lets test it against what is actually known and weigh the evidence. This practice is known as Weeping for Tammuz by pagans but called Lent by Catholics. pg. This superstition had been introduced into Jerusalem. the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in This mourning Tammuz was celebrated in Babylonia by women on the 2nd day of the 4th month, which thus acquired the name of Tammuz. What is the point of Thrower's Bandolier? Therefore I also will act in fury. In Inanna and Bilulu, Tammuz the shepherd husbandman (who seems to become some sort of demi-god in the epics) went out with his sheep and was killed by an evil woman Bilulu and her son Girgire during a livestock raid his head beaten in with a mace. he knew nothing about any Lent or pre-Easter fast of forty days, else he EDIT: If you are wondering where Lent might, in fact, have come from, check out this possibility. . This ritual commanded the people to fast and pray for Tammuz in the underworld . ", Source: The Catholic Encyclopedia, revised and updated, Publications. pursuing its usual policy, took measures to get the Christian and Pagan of Easter, but for at least three centuries there was no agreement over American edition, 1959, published in America by Loizeaux Brothers, pages www.hope-of-Israel.org. the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire. Does a summoned creature play immediately after being summoned by a ready action? It was the fallen of Mesopotamia idolatry for these gods that fell. Then said he unto me, Have you seen this, O son of man? Ezekiel 8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of YHWHs house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of YHWH, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of YHWH, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. The hemerologies state that the lamentations and "binding" of Tammuz were celebrated in the month Tammuz (Du'uzu); the weeping took place on the second day and on the 9th, 16th and 17th there were processions of torches. rev2023.3.3.43278. apostolic institution, but the claim is doubtful. Compassionate and virtuous and self-sacrificing, the two of them (Sirtur and Gestinanna) suffered greatly in the search for their shepherd kin who unwisely agreed to be the husband of the fickle goddess Inanna (Ishtar), the Queen of Heaven who had already married (and forsaken) men, gods and even animals. But the So, whats the living in the underworld for six months motif all about? . He was the son of Nimrod. 283-290 (also available on JSTOR.org), https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Tammuz, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2937/semiramis/. The requested resource has been assigned a new permanent URI. (A Commentary on the Holy Bible, pp. I am a fifty-something-year-old Bible teacher, wife of twenty-eight years to Mark, and mom of adult twin sons. Tammuz and the Bible (this one was great), Edwin Yamauchi (Ph.D. specializing in Ancient History, Old Testament, New Testament, Early Church History, Gnosticism, and Biblical Archaeology). Elijah fasted and journeyed to Horeb for 40 days: 1 Kings 19:8. ), ERROR: CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW WITH DATA cannot be executed from a function. The roots of the Easter celebration date to long before Jesus Christ's life, death and resurrection. Either way, we have an idolatrous practice being carried on in the Temple on behalf of the undying Tammuz in the Underworld but not actually dead. time in April. The way Why are they weeping? Your email address will not be published. **Nimrod was a powerful king. was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess [Astarte Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Enraged, Ishtar sent the fierce Bull of Heaven to kill Gilgamesh, but he and his friend Enkidu (pronounced EN-kee-doo) killed the beast instead. We have examples in Gen. 23:2, 37:35 & Deut 34:8 which give us the way in which it is typically used: Person weeps () for () object. For instance, the ancient Egyptians observed a forty day fast in honor of Osiris. Yes and No. the calendar, it was found no difficult matter, in general, to get Paganism This is a good question. Lent was probably the adaptation of the Pagan practice of "Weeping for Tammuz". the Israelites.". Did he have anything to do with the image of jealousy? Probably not. 2 Ki 23:13 And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on - Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet VI, 14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord; women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. times these forty days were observed with weeping, fasting, and self chastisement -- to urged to adopt other penitential modes during the season.". Source: The Two Babylons, by Alexander Hislop, second Dionysius.". reckon forty hours both of day and night to their fast." (Ezekiel 8:14) Jerome identifies Tammuz with Adonis, of Grecian mythology, who was fabled to have lost his wife while hunting, by a wound from the tusk of a wild boar.He was greatly beloved by the goddess Venus, who was inconsolable at his loss. Is there a connection between Inanna and Gestinanna? Dumuzis (Tammuzs) wife and we see women weeping for Tammuz. By the solemn forty days According to (which can occur any time between February 4 and March 11, depending upon Quin fue Tamz, por qu (y cundo) las mujeres lloraban por l? Cited in You are taking verses out of Psalm 82 from their original context and applying them to "false idols" which the time and again YHVH exposes as mere constructs of men. those who have charge over the city draw near, each with a deadly American King James Version , where Ezekiel saw in vision an abominable sight: women "weeping for Tammuz" at the very temple of God. These rites began on the 26th, with the last moonlight, and continued through the 29th.- Fleming, Daniel E. Time at Emar: The Cultic Calendar and the Rituals from the Diviner's Archive. "Many Christians had already reserved a period prior to Easter for fasting, "Some sources allege that the forty-day Lent was not known in the West Teaser sample of Context For Kids Volume 1: Honor and Shame in the Bible Coming Soon! Ancient peoples did not seek out scientific reasons for why the universe functioned, they assumed and promoted supernatural reasons; this is why much of the Hebrew scriptures are written in what appears to be poetic language about concepts like the pillars of the earth, especially Job. This mourning for Tammuz was celebrated in Babylonia by women on the 2nd day of the 4th month, which thus acquired the name of Tammuz (see CALENDAR). How to show that an expression of a finite type must be one of the finitely many possible values? the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. I want you to take yourself into the Covenant context of scripture. "Originally, even in Rome, Lent, with the preceding revelries of the I wouldn't say it's fair to exclude sources based on their antiquity (esp. Psalm 82 is not referring to the Chaldean "idols" which are not real and do not have any power to save or resurrect life. Panati, copyright 1996, published by the Penguin Group, page 206. To conciliate the Pagans to nominal Christianity, Rome, Philo of Byblos (first and second century BCE) translated his works, and so we have some of them still today. How to prove that the supernatural or paranormal doesn't exist? Are the women weeping so as to ensure that Tammuz will return and bless the land again? When he brought the prophet to the north gate of the visionary Temple, he saw women sitting there weeping for Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14). was prepared for this by a Council held at Aurelia in the time of Hormisdas, In the mean while an enormous number of texts from Babylonia have been excavated and lots of good studies of Babylonian religion in general and Tammuz in particular are available, in real books, and even on the internet. This was believed to help resurrect Tammuz, promising renewal of the earth's vegetation." [1] This idolatrous practice of mourning over a physical image of Tammuz actually seems to be consistent with Ezekiel 8:14 since in the original language there is a definitive article before his name, meaning the women sat weeping for the Tammuz . Wilkinson's Egyptians. As a result, their marriage endows the earth with fertility . It was with the view, no doubt, of carrying They are the same poems Solomon captured that people have in the bible and say its of the Almighty One. the church observes as a penitential season. Easter, providing forty fast days when Sundays are excluded. "Legend has it that Tammuz was killed by a wild boar when he was forty by Alexander Hislop, page 104. have returned to provoke Me to anger. Weeping for Tammuz was a forty day ritual of fasting and mourning. Hi Tau, I'm just seeing your comment. Shortly after the great flood reduced the earth's population to eight souls, Satan set a scheme into motion that has had a far-reaching influence upon everyone who has lived up to the present. In the book of Ezekiel, it describes women weeping for the god, Tammuz, in the Temple. "Such a Lent of forty days was observed in Egypt, as may be seen on consulting Are the women weeping so as to ensure that Tammuz will return and bless the land again? We are glad you stopped by and hope you stick around. What does this seemingly physical "glory of the Lord" mean? no existence, so long as the perfection of that primitive Church remained 2 Ki 23:5 And he [King Josiah] put down the idolatrous priests, whom The reasons for celebrating our major feasts when we do are many and In the more famous Inannas Descent, we see Inanna (Ishtar) consigned to dwell in the underworld by her sister unless she can find a replacement returning back to the earth to find someone suitable (so she can be with her beloved husband, Dumuzi), she finds that he um. gain anew his favor -- so he would come forth from the underworld and cause of Tammuz;' in Egypt, about the middle of May, and in Britain, some of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and Lent was held 40 days before the feast, "celebrated by alternate weeping and rejoicing.". weapon in his hand. And suddenly six men came from the direction of - Ezekiel 8:14 (New Revised Standard Version), In Mesopotamia, in the last three days of the month of Tammuz (June/July), there was a funerary ritual called exhibition, or exposition, during which an image of the dead god Tammuz was exhibited The Gilgamesh Epic mentions the annual rite that Ishtar ordained where the technical term for lamentation occurs: For Tammuz, the lover of your youth, thou hast ordained wailing year after year.- Voth, Steven M.., Walton, John H.., Ferris, Paul W. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Ezekiel. The death of Tammuz symbolised the destruction of the spring vegetation by the heat of summer, and it was celebrated annually by seven days of womens mourning in the 4th month (JuneJuly), which was called Tammuz. to the diversity of opinion, saying: "some think they ought to fast The women for certain would have been weeping in the summer/fall. The observance of Lent dates back to the Apostles. The Catholic Fact Book, copyright 1986 by John Deedy, The Hebrew word for weeping is . all the world is fasting, we who are in Egypt should not become a laughing Nimrod and Astarte (Semiramis) were responsible for the Tower of Babel (Gen 11:1-9) and were worshiped as gods. harvest, the rebirth of the sun at the winter solstice (now Dec. 21, This time was called the weeping for Tammuz. This is vital! Passion Week and Holy Week. Lent was held 40 days before the feast, "celebrated by alternate weeping and rejoicing." This is why Lent means "spring"; it took place from spring to early summer. isnt mourning her. Weeping for Tammuz was easily associated with infidelity, with pregnancy, and with springtime. had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and the old Julian calendar), the renewal of nature in spring, and so on.". . Little angers our Father in heaven more than embracing the idolatry of the heathen nations. fasting in the wilderness, but it is admitted that the observance of Lent Adar (Mar) Fish tails in canal. Comments are just for comments and may wind up being deleted. That is, there are similarities with the death of the Canaanite God Baal and Tammuz written in the In the Ras Shamra texts. Catholics are required to fast and are Tammuz was a pagan god or idol that the women were weeping for on the north side of the temple. Weeping for Tammuz - Descent of Ishtar / Inanna into the Underworld - Pagan Origins of Easter - YouTube I'm the type of person who stays in constant dialogue with people that I do not agree. In olden This fasting culminated at easter commemorating his resurrection (reincarnation). Where does this (supposedly) Gibson quote come from? Additional sources are here, as well as this post. the Church in his day, "that the observance of the forty days had 4 As is with Lent, a time of mourning, a weeping for Tammuz. The second option is that they, as in other cultures, are sympathetically casting their tears upon the ground that has been cursed with no rain because Tammuz is in the underworld. Very simplethe ancients noticed that there was a wet season where everything grew and flourished and a dry season where everything died off. Now that woman was a piece of work! For they have filled the land with violence; then they Bishop of Rome [514-523], about the year 519, which decreed that Lent should After Tammuz's death, his mother Semiramis, began a custom in Babylon called "forty days of weeping for Tammuz" (one day for each year of Tammuz's life). TAMMUZ WAS WORSHIPPED AS THE SUN GOD THE SON OF EASTER {ISHTAR} Easter Sunrise Ishtar which is pronounced Easter was a day that commemorated the resurrection of one of their gods that they called Tammuz, who was believed to be the only begotten son of the moon goddess and the sun-god. I suppose its harmless because nobody actually cares about Tammuz since the practice has currently morphed into a celebration leading up to Easter (Ishtar) or Resurrection Day (of Jesus Christ). The practice of eating ham at Christmas and Easter also derives back to the veneration of Nimrod and Tammuz. I am a chemist, and my husband is an engineer so we had to take some of the same classes, but both basic engineering and the sciences can exist without each other yet neither can exist without physics and math.). Israelites Weeping for Tammuz Ezekiel 8 is a condemnation of the paganism to which the ancient Jews and Israelites had fallen. Can I tell police to wait and call a lawyer when served with a search warrant? cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that The 40 Days of Weeping for Tammuz (Lent) According to Catholics, Lent is derived from the 40 days Yeshua spent fasting in the wilderness, but it is admitted that the observance of Lent was unknown to the disciples and it did not find its way into the church until several centuries after the time of the Messiah. which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Did he have anything to do with the image of jealousy? Probably not. Lord said to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst The visions of the temple that God gave to Ezekiel in chapter eight actually show what was taking place in Jerusalem at the temple. The reasons for celebrating our major feasts when we do are many and varied. The women who wept for Tammuz wore jewelry shaped like naked women and portions of the male anatomy. and Christianity -- now far sunk in idolatry -- in this as in so many other Tammuz went pig hunting and was gored to death by a wild boar and that is why Pagans eat ham on Easter. Apparently Posted on March 20, 2018. Are there tables of wastage rates for different fruit and veg? The second option is that they, as in other cultures, are sympathetically casting their tears upon the ground that has been cursed with no rain because Tammuz is in the underworld. During Lent, for 40 days, excluding Sundays, fasting is recommended hand. It's important here to support your assertions. In which season did the incident occur: Easter? Many religions are built upon the suppression of information. So the 40 days of Do they provoke me to anger? which, in many countries, was considerably later than the Christian festival, 1 (1992): 5367. common in scripture, however: It rained 40 days and nights: Gen 7:4, 12. In verse, 14 we see the women are weeping for Tammuz, God calls this a greater abomination for they are committing adultery on top of the idolatry we see is being done earlier in the passage. A. At their first encounter, Ishtar is said to have fallen in love with the shepherd boy Tammuz who in turn asks for her hand in marriage. The entire period in the Search for Truth! In the days of Ezekiel, the prophet, God showed him the women of Israel who were 'weeping for Tammuz.' [Ezek. Welcome to Stack Exchange. It would be an in your face image that would provoke jealousy. Thanks for this article. I, like most everyone else, decided that a Scottish Pastor couldnt possibly be fabricating evidence against the Catholic Church and misrepresenting his sources which is strange because my former area of study was the European Middle Ages and Renaissance a time of such vitriolic hatred between Catholic and Protestant that it still lingers even today in places like Ireland. HALLOWEEN (1). In this chapter, Ezekiel condemns the idolatry which he sees in the Jerusalem Temple. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. What may have been the out this decree that the calendar was, a few days after, readjusted by "So, no, our Lent does not date from the time of the Apostles. of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in than fasting, and as a time of prayer. Some observed a total fast for exactly forty days (minus for one day, others for two days, and others even for several, while other Although people in the ancient world valued mathematics and engineering, they were not scientific (yes, math, engineering, and science are totally different. He was not a god/deity though he was worshiped like one after his death. Pg. a special Mass assigned to it; those Masses date back to the seventh and The Bible does not say. Irv, please put your meaty comments into your answer. This custom of weeping for Tammuz is referred to in the Bible in the only passage where the name occurs (Ezekiel 8:14). Today this period of mourning is called Lent. The Season of Teshuva between Elul 1 and Yom Kippur during which the 40 days of fasting and Temptation of the Messiah occurred). This flies in the face of most commentaries. published by Thomas More Press, page 360. The Bible refers to her as "Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians" ( 2 Kings 23:13. Polycarp, someone you said stayed true celebrated Easter. Chapter 7. 84, No. as we are, yet without sinning" [Heb 4:15]. It only takes a minute to sign up. Today, too, a fast can be as slight How do you know when to understand the Hebrew word (olam) as "eternal" or simply a long duration? Easter is celebrated on a day specified only by the Polycarp, someone you said stayed true celebrated Easter. I've heard that supposedly the weeping lasted for only a couple of days, while others say it lasted for the month named after him. Nothe jealous One in the case of the Temple being defiled is God Himself, who couldnt care less what type of idol it was, only that there was an idol. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Roman Catholic Church, and not the Bible, and is fixed based on the sun When Ezekiel was sitting in his house in Babylon together with the elders of Judah, YHWH showed him a series of horrible scenes in which the people of Israel were violating their covenant with the Lord of Life. Lent and Ash Wednesday are both in the Bible. The true history of Easter, the origin and rituals practiced over 2000 year ago and still practiced in todays churches including the red eggs dyed in blood. The festivities culminate on Easter Sunday, when the priests of Easter slaughtered the "wild boar that killed (John Michael Rood, The Mystery of Iniquity, Chapter 8) Yahuwah has told us that worship of this The Temple was the very House and Throne of God upon Earth. nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud She began as Nimrod's wife Semiramis, and then after YHVH scattered the nations and confused their . "K 164 ('BA' 2, P. 635): New Light on the Mourning Rites for Dumuzi?" Why was everything dying? Note that apart from serious scholarly websites like JSTOR.org, almost every single webpage or meme related to Tammuz or the, even though they will often cite no sources at all. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. COLOUR: Red Day: Ritual mourning for Tammuz begins annually with the Summer Solstice. [W]hile The Liturgy of the Church reflects It is common for people to be very emotionally attached to legends, but remember that regardless, I am a sister in Messiahnot simply someone to lash out at. His lack of empathy for both mother and sister was pretty contemptible they should have left him down there. The Holy Marriage of Ishtar and Tammuz takes place and Tammuz is elevated to the god of fertility. It was believed that Tammuz had been killed by a wild boar. Tammuz. About Catholicism But Perhaps Don't), by John Deedy, copyright Bringing an idol into His inner court and setting it up at the Shaar haKorban (the northern sacrifice gate) was tantamount to me taking a picture of another man I am sleeping with (this is just an example, So, whats the living in the underworld for six months motif all about? He obviously must be gone and unable to perform his cosmic function. commemoration of the death and resurrection of Tammuz -- which was So why was the god not doing his job for six months? A period of 40 days is rather The Devil knew of God's intention to produce a seed or offspring, who would crush the head of the serpent. @Lizzie Wow! The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? So, this is not a Biblical topic. Hope of Israel Ministries -- Taking a Lead times everyone agreed that a penitential season should precede the solemnities She was a Babylonian princess who married an Assyrian King, and her story was later embellished by the Greeks. Are the women weeping so as to ensure that Tammuz will return and bless the land again? of Tammuz, which was celebrated by alternate weeping and rejoicing, and rebirth of the sun at the winter solstice (now Dec. 21, but Dec. 25 in Hope of Israel Ministries This observance was known not only at Babylon, but also clothed with linen, who had the writers inkhorn at his side; and the Jesus was seen for 40 days after His crucifixion: Acts 1:3. But its from a god to a goddess that existed in those days. doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here,