Luke_Wilbur

Take a break and watch the Fix - One Thing Leads To Another "One Thing Leads To Another"

Prana is universal energy. Master Stephen believes that we must have a pure head, throat, and heart to be grateful for the gift of Prana. In Christianity the Holy Spirit is more than just breath. It dwells in us. Herodotus' account (written c. 440 BC) refers to the myths of Io and Europa. (History, I:1). In Sumerian mythology, Anu (also An; from Sumerian An meaning sky and heaven) was a sky-god, the god of heaven, lord of constellations, king of gods, spirits and demons, and dwelt in the highest heavenly regions. It was believed that he had the power to judge those who had committed crimes, and that he had created the stars as soldiers to destroy the wicked. His attribute was the royal tiara. He was one of the oldest gods in the Sumerian pantheon and part of a triad including Enlil (god of the air) and Enki (god of water). He was called Anu by the later Akkadians in Babylonian culture. By virtue of being the first figure in a triad consisting of Anu, Enlil, and Enki (also known as Ea), Anu came to be regarded as the father and at first, king of the gods. Anu is so prominently associated with the E-anna temple in the city of Uruk (biblical Erech) in southern Babylonia that there are good reasons for believing this place to be the original seat of the Anu cult. If this is correct, then the goddess Inanna (or Ishtar) of Uruk may at one time have been his consort. Anu in Sanskrit is a yogamāyā potency that induces a spiritual loving sentiment Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrī Caitanya Caritāmṛta Ādi 4.30 Zână (plural zâne; zînă and zîne, d̦ână and d̦âne in old spellings) is the Romanian equivalent of the Greek Charites. These characters make positive appearances in fairy tales and reside mostly in the woods. They can also be considered the Romanian equivalent of fairies and of the Germanic Elf. They give life to fetuses in utero and bestow upon them great gifts like the art of dancing, beauty, kindness, and luck. In folk tales, it is told not to upset them because they also have the power to do bad things or put a curse on the wrongdoer. They also act like guardian angels, especially for children who enter the woods, or for other good people. sân (common abbreviation of sfânt - "saint", "holy") Sânziană (Sân-ziană) is the Romanian name for gentle fairies who play an important part in local folklore, also used to designate the Galium verum or Cruciata laevipes flowers. Under the plural form Sânziene, the word designates an annual festival in the fairies' honor. One etymology of Sânziană is that the word comes from the Latin Sancta Diana, the Roman goddess of the hunt and moon, also celebrated in Roman Dacia (ancient Romania). Diana was known to be the virgin goddess and looked after virgins and women. She was one of the three maiden goddesses, Diana, Minerva and Vesta, who swore never to marry. Is there a bridge between Ziana meaning Heaven and Ziana meaning fairy? An interesting factoid is the Santa Ana winds are known as the "devil winds" across Southern California and Northern Baja for the hot dry weather (often the hottest of the year) that they bring in the fall, and are infamous for fanning regional wildfires. san in Sanskrit means being so, being Bhagavad-gītā As It Is 4.6 Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.23.8 Ana in Sanskrit means breath inspired, breathing, inhalation, respiration, exhaling through the nose, blowing, and that which energizes everything. Hare Krishna Shiva and Shakti, Krishna and Radha, and Rama and Sita. I sense from my reading that the East has more feminine traits for the Holy Spirit, while in the West the Holy Spirit is more masculine. Looking to see if there is root origin in Pneuma umā in Sanskrit means Pārvatī, Goddess Umā (wife of Lord Śiva), demigoddess Atma in Sanskrit means soul There is an ancient Jewish tradition called ta'anit dibur -- a "speech fast." When people find themselves talking too much, they refrain from all conversation except for Torah study. Likewise, in the House of Prayer, there should be no outside conversations -- just Hashem and yourself. Ta'Anit Esther, the Fast of Esther, is observed on Adar 13 in anticipation of Hashem's deliverance of the Jewish people. Sanskrit has the verb form: aniti 'to breathe, breathes, he breathes, respire, gasp; to live (anit, ana, anana) can be gender neutral or masculine in origin. Anit is an ancient Indian grammatical term an-i 'without i', referring to the infinitive meaning unlimited; not bounded or restricted; undefined. Anit can mean simply breathed ānanā in Sanskrit means face, their faces, mouth, her mouth, mouths. appearance prāṇa in Sanskrit means of the air going outward, outgoing air, incoming breath, life, air of respiration, the vital air, the life air, the life force, the living force, the senses, my mind, the life and soul prāṇāyāma in Sanskrit practice by breathing exercise, by the practice of regulating the airs within the body, yogic breath control prāṇa-āyāma — trance induced by stopping all breathing Yama means the god of punishment, of the lord of death, we shall go, let us go, of Yamarāja, the lord of death, the regulating principle āyāma means length, Atri Muni was one of the mental sons of Brahmaji Some Jews like, Rabbi Jacob Emden believe that the writers of the Gospel never meant to say that the Jesus Christ came to abolish Judaism, but only that he came to establish a religion based on the long forgotten Seven Commandments given to the Sons of Noah. He reasoned that Saint Paul circumcised Saint Timothy, because his mother was Jewish. Gentiles are not to be circumcised, because that marks the Covenant Hashem gave to Israel. Emden's logic was correct, but not address the issue of Jesus Christ being the Son of Hashem. Emden was a traditionalist who responded to the ideals of tolerance being circulated during the 18th-century Enlightenment. He stretched the traditional inclusive position into universal directions. Believing, like Maimonides, that Christianity and Islam have important roles to play in God's plan for mankind, he wrote: A "righteous proselyte" is a gentile who has converted to Judaism, is bound to all the doctrines and precepts of the Jewish economy, and is considered a full member of the Jewish people. A "gate proselyte" is a resident alien who lives in the Land of Israel and follows some of the customs. They are not required to be circumcised nor to comply with the whole of the Torah. They are bound only to conform to the Seven Laws of Noah (do not worship idols, do not blaspheme God's name, do not murder, do not commit fornication (immoral sexual acts), do not steal, do not tear the limb from a living animal, and do not fail to establish rule of law) to be assured of a place in the world to come.

The Great Isaiah Scroll Christ is the true Easter. Not a bunny. Some theologians believe that the Zachariah mentioned by Jesus was actually John the Baptist's father. Just like today many children are named after their ancestors, famous people, places, or just because they like popular names. In 2003, a 4th-century inscription on Yad Avshalom, a 1st-century monument in Jerusalem, was deciphered as, "This is the tomb of Zachariah, the martyr, the holy priest, the father of John." This suggests to some scholars that it is the burial place of Zechariah the father of John the Baptist. Zechariah and St. John the Baptist. A medieval Georgian fresco from Jerusalem. National Parliamentary Library of Georgia Professor Gideon Foerster at the Hebrew University states that the inscription tallies with a 6th-century Christian text stating that Zechariah was buried with Simon the Elder and James the brother of Jesus, and believes that both are authentic. http://www.haaretz.com/print-edition/news/jewish-yad-avshalom-revealed-as-a-christian-shrine-from-byzantine-era-1.94882 Ben Hanan began to recruit for armed conflict. The Zealots, who were quartered in the Temple, learned that ben Hanan was preparing for battle, and sallied forth, attacking all in their way. Ben Hanan quickly organized the people against them. The skirmish began with the belligerents throwing rocks at one another, then javelins, then finally hand-to-hand combat with swords ensued. Eventually the Zealots retreated to the inner court of the Temple, and 6,000 of ben Hanan's men held the first (outer) court. http://www.bible.ca/archeology/archeology-exodus-route-sinai-levitical-priesthood-levi-gershomites-kohathites-merarites-aaronic-zadok-asaph-heman-ethan-abiathar-eli-sadducees-annas-caiaphas-ananias.htm

Thank you for your response. You do not know of a good leader in that region people should follow?

Am I correct that you believe Allah is against Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Bashar al-Assad? Who do you think should lead Syria? We converse about meat. I wonder how much meat Syrians are getting. May Allah give them refugee status in Saudi Arabia and the UAE. What would be nice if they allow the refugees temporary shelter around Mecca. It would be a safe place.

I do not mean to change the subject, but so many innocent people are dying. I also mean no disrespect to you or your belief. I have two Sunni Muslims working for me. They are honest and hard working. I also do not think people of any standing government or religion is free from transgression. Only the Creator is perfect. But, what I am reading from your statement is that Baha'i, the Shiites are no different from Christians, from an Islamic standpoint. Sufism must also be not considered part of Islam from your point of view. The Islamic State Caliph, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is a Sunni. Do you consider Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi actions morally correct? Or is Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi a killer of Muslims and his recompense will be Hell? As one of your readers I would like to better understand what is going on in Syria from your point of view. On a different note. You must have read about red meat and pork being linked to cancer. http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/26/health/meat-causes-cancer-food-alternatives/

I am not making a case against Islam with you. I am asking your opinion of Islamic State that is killing Christians and Muslims. http://myreader.toile-libre.org/uploads/My_53b039f00cb03.pdf The declaration states that the "people of bid’ah (heresy) are humiliated." Does that mean devout Christians like myself? Finally do you support khalīfah Ibrāhīm?

1906 Jewish Encyclopedia According to Canaanite beliefs, when the physical body dies, the npš (usually translated as "soul") departs from the body to the land of Mot. Bodies were buried with grave goods, and offerings of food and drink were made to the dead to ensure that they would not bother the living. Dead relatives were venerated and sometimes asked for help. Jesus is the Master Craftsman who works only with imperfect material like you and me. Hashem as Architect/Builder/Geometer/Craftsman, The Frontispiece of Bible Moralise Prefactory miniature from a moralized Bible of "God as architect of the world", folio I verso, Paris ca. 1220–1230. Ink, tempera, and gold leaf on vellum 1' 1½" × 8¼". Osterreichische Nationalbibliothek, Vienna 2554. God shapes the universe with the aid of a compass. Within the perfect circle already created are the spherical sun and moon and the unformed matter that will become the earth once God applies the same geometric principles to it. A view of the earth influenced by Ancient Greek Geometry and icons of the Eastern Orthodox Church. http://beginningandend.com/kehas-illuminati-die-young-video-the-marketing-of-satan/ Six is the number of the beasts and of man (both created on the 6th day). Proverbs 15 http://world-news-research.com/27nov2006.html http://revelationrevolution.org/revelation-11-a-preterist-commentary-who-are-the-two-witnesses/ The Babylonian Talmud Tractate Hagiga Baraita" probably referred to teachings from schools outside of the main Mishnaic-era academies Matthew 2 The Jewish leaders considered a Nazarene to be negative connotation. The enemies of Jesus Christ have done their very best to promote the rejection of his mission by taunting and humiliation. Like Babylonian Talmud Tract Hagiga (Holocaust) Chapter II Regulations Concerning Public Lectures Which Are Not Allowed As stated in the following Boraitha: It is written [Deut. iv. 32]: "For do but ask of former days" (this is in the singular). From this we may infer, that one may ask, not two. Lest one assume that a man can ask, What was before the creation? therefore it is written [ibid.]: "Since the day that God created man from the earth"; but lest one assume, a man must not ask even what was done in the six days of creation? therefore it is written [ibid.]: "Which were before thee" [i.e., the six days before]; lest one ask, What is above and what is beneath, what was before creation and what will be after it? therefore it is written [ibid.]: "From one end of the heavens unto the other end of the heavens," "but not what is beyond." [if we infer this from what is written: "From one end of the heavens unto the other end," why is needed the verse further: "Since the day that God created man upon the earth"? This is according to R. Elazar, who said that Adam was tall from the earth up to heaven, and after he had transgressed, the Holy One, blessed be He, laid His hand upon him, and made him lower, as it is written (Ps. cxxxix. 5): "Behind and before hast thou hedged me in, and thou placest upon me thy hand."] R. Jehudah in the name of Rabh said: Ten things were created on the first day, and they are: heaven and earth; chaos and desolation; light and darkness; wind and waters; the measures of the day and those of the night--heaven and earth, for it is written [Gen. i. 1]: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth"; chaos and desolation, for it is written [ibid. i. 2]: "And the earth was without form and void (chaos)"; light and darkness--darkness, for it is written [ibid., ibid.]: "And darkness was upon the face of the deep"; light, for it is written [ibid. i. 3]: "And God said, Let there be light"; wind and water, for it is written [ibid. i. 2]: "And the spirit (wind) of God was waving over the face of the waters"; the measures of the day and those of the night, for it is written [ibid. i. 5]: "And it was evening; and it was morning, the first day." We have learned in a Boraitha: Chaos is a green line compassing all the world, and from it darkness springs, as it is written [Ps. xviii. 12]: "He made darkness his hiding place, round about him." Desolation--this means the stones covered p. 23 with mud, which are sunk in the deep, from which waters come forth, as it is written [is. xxxiv. 11]: "And he shall stretch out over it the line of destination and the weights of desolation." Was light created on the first day? Is it not written [Gen. i. 17]: "And God set them in the expansion of the heaven," and also [ibid. i. 19]: "And it was evening and it was morning the fourth day"? This is as R. Elazar said: The light which the Holy One created on the first day, Adam saw by its means from one end of the world to the other. When the Holy One considered the generation of the flood and the generation of the dispersion, and that their works were vain, He took it from them and concealed it for the upright in the world to come. In this, however, the following Tanaim differ, as we have learned in a Boraitha: The light which the Holy One, blessed be He, created on the first day, Adam observed and saw by its means from one end of the world' to the other. So said R. Jacob. But the sages said. These are the luminaries which were created on the first day, but were not hung up until the fourth day. R. Zutra bar Tobiah in the name of Rabh said: By ten things the world was created: by wisdom and by understanding; by knowledge and by strength; by rebuke and by might; by righteousness and by judgment; by mercy and by compassion. 1 R. Jehudah in the name of Rabh said: At the time that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world it went spreading on like two clews of shoot and warp, until the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked it and brought it to a standstill, as it is written [Job xxvi. 11]: "The pillars of heaven tremble greatly, and are astounded at his rebuke." And this is what Resh Lakish also said: What is meant by [Gen. xvii. 1]: "I am the Almighty God"? (‏שדי‎) It means: I am He Who (‏ש‎) said to the world, "Enough" (‏די‎) Resh Lakish said again: At the time the Holy One, blessed be He, created the sea, it went spreading on, until the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked it and made it dry, for it is written [Nah. i. 4]: "He rebuketh the sea and maketh it dry; and all the rivers he dried up." The rabbis taught: The School of Shammai say: The heavens were created in the beginning, and afterwards the earth was created, for it is written [Gen. i. 1]: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." But the School of Hillel say: The earth was created in the beginning, and afterwards the p. 24 heavens, for it is written [Gen. ii. 4]: "On the day that the Lord God made earth and heaven." Said the School of Hillel to the School of Shammai: According to your words, a man builds an upper story, and afterwards builds a house; and the heavens are the upper story, as it is written [Amos ix. 6]: "That buildeth in the heavens his steps, and hath founded his vault over the earth." Said the School of Shammai to the School of Hillel: According to you, a man makes a footstool, and afterwards makes a throne, as it is written [is. lxvi. i]: "Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool." The sages say: Both were created together, as it is written [ibid. xlviii. 13]: "My hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned out the heavens. I call unto them, they stand forward together." What is meant by "heavens"? Said R. Jose bar Hanina: It means, the place where there is water. In a Boraitha it is explained as equivalent to fire and water, thus teaching that the Holy One, blessed be He, brought them and mingled them one with the other, and made from them the firmament. R. Ishmael questioned R. Aqiba when they were on the road: Thou art one who hast served for twenty-two years Na'hum, the man of "Gimzu," the man who expounded the meaning of all the particles "eth" (the) which are in the Law. What was his exposition of "Eth-ha-shamayim v'eth haaretz"? R. Aqiba answered: If the words had been simply: First created God heaven and earth, I should have said, "Heaven" is another name of God. But as it is now, all know that heaven and earth are to be taken in the literal meaning. And why do I find the expression "v'eth haaretz"? To show that heaven preceded the earth. There is a Boraitha of R. Jose which says: Woe to the creatures which see and know not what they see, which stand and know not upon what they stand. Upon what does the earth stand? Upon the pillars. The pillars stand upon the waters; the waters upon the mountains; the mountains upon the wind; the wind upon the storm; 1 the storm is suspended upon the strength of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is written [Deut. Xxxiii. 27]: "And here beneath, the everlasting arms." The sages say: It stands upon twelve pillars, as it is p. 25 written [Deut. xxiii. 8]: "He set the bounds of the tribes according to the number of the sons of Israel." According to others, seven pillars, as it is written [Prov. ix. i]: "She had hewn out her seven pillars." R. Elazar b. Shamua said: Upon one pillar, and its name is Zaddik (The Righteous), as it is written [Prov. x. 25]: "But the righteous is an everlasting foundation." R. Jehudah said: There are two firmaments, as it is written [Deut. x. 14]: "Behold, to the Lord thy God belong the heavens and the heavens of the heavens." Resh Lakish said, they are seven, viz.: Vilon, Rakia, Shchakim, Zbul, Maon, Makhon, Araboth. Vilon serves no purpose whatever save this, that it enters in the morning, and goes forth in the evening, and renews every day the work of creation. Rakia is that in which are set sun and moon, stars and constellations. Shchakim is that in which the millstones stand and grind manna for the righteous. Zbul is that in which is the heavenly Jerusalem and the Temple, and the altar is built there, and Michael the great prince stands and offers upon it an offering. Maon is that in which are companies of ministering angels, who utter His song in the night and are silent in the day for the sake of the glory of Israel. Resh Lakish said: Every one who studied in the Law in this world, which is like the night, the Holy One, blessed be He, stretches over him the thread of grace for the future world, which is like the day, as it is written: "By the day the Lord gives his merciful command, and by night his song is with me." Makhon is that in which are the treasures of hail, and the high dwelling-place of harmful dews and the high dwelling-place of the round drops, and the chamber of the whirlwind and of the storm, and the retreat of noisome vapor; and their doors are made of fire. Araboth is that in which are righteousness and judgment and grace, the treasures of life and the treasures of peace and the treasures of blessing, and the souls of the righteous and the spirits and souls which are about to be created, and the dew with which the Holy One, blessed be He, is about to quicken mortals. There also are celestials and seraphs and holy beings and ministering angels and the throne of glory, and the King, the Living God, high and lifted up, sitting over them among the clouds, and darkness and cloud and thick darkness surround Him. How is there darkness in the presence of the Lord? Is it not written [Dan. ii. 22]: "He is that revealeth what is deep and secret: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him"? This presents no difficulty. p. 26 [paragraph continues] The one refers to that which is within, the other to that which is without. R. A'ha bar Jacob said: There is again a firmament above the heads of the living creatures, for it is written [Ezek. i. 22]: "And the likeness of a vault was over the head of the living creatures, shining like the glitter of the purest crystal." So far thou hast permission to speak. Thenceforward thou hast not permission to speak. For thus it is written in the book of Ben Sira: Seek not out the things that are too hard for thee, and into the things that are hidden from thee inquire thou not. In what is permitted to thee instruct thyself thou must not discuss secret things. We have learned in a Boraitha: Rabban Johanan b. Zakkai said: What answer did the heavenly voice make to that wicked man at the time when he said [is. xiv. 14], "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be equal to the Most High"? The heavenly voice said to him: Thou wicked man, son of a wicked man, grandson of Nimrod the Wicked, who led all the world to rebel against Him in his kingdom, how many are the years of a man? Seventy years, as it is said [Ps. xc. 10]: "The days of our years in this life are seventy years, and if by uncommon vigor they be eighty . . ." And is not from the earth to the firmament a journey of five hundred years, and so too the interspace of the firmaments? Above there are the holy living creatures. The feet of the living creatures are of corresponding measure to all the things mentioned above, the ankles of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the legs of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the knees of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the thighs of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the bodies of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the necks of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the heads of the living creatures are of corresponding measure, the horns of the living creatures are of corresponding measure. Above them is the throne of glory. The feet of the throne of glory are of corresponding measure. The throne of glory is of corresponding measure. The King, the Living and Eternal God, high and lifted up, sitteth upon them. And thou didst say: "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be equal to the Most High"? Yet thou, shalt be brought down to bell, to the uttermost parts of the pit. "Nor the divine chariot with one." R. Hyya taught: But you may impart to him the quintessence of the chapters. Said p. 27 [paragraph continues] R. Zera: Even that may only be imparted to a chief of the Beth Din, and only then when his heart yearns for knowledge. R. Ami said: The secrets of the Law may be imparted only to the one who has the five prescribed things, viz. [is. iii, 3]: "The captain of fifty, and the honorable man, and the counsellor, and the skilful artificer, and the eloquent orator." R. Johanan said to R. Elazar: Come, I will fully instruct thee in the subject of the divine chariot. He said to him: I am not old enough. When he was old enough, R. Johanan's soul had passed away. R. Asi said to him: Come, I will fully instruct thee in the subject of the divine chariot. He said to him: If I had been worthy, I should have received full instruction from R. Johanan, thy teacher. R. Joseph was giving full instruction in the subject of the divine chariot. The sages of Pumbeditha were teaching the subject of creation. They said to him: Would the master instruct us fully in the subject of the divine chariot? He answered them: Instruct me in the subject of creation. After they had instructed him, they said to him: Would the master instruct us in the subject of the divine chariot? He answered: In reference to this we have learned in a Boraitha: It is written [song of Songs iv. 11]: "Honey and milk are under thy tongue." That means, let words sweeter than honey and milk be under thy tongue. R. Abuhu infers the same thing from the following passage [Prov. xxvii. 26]: "The sheep are for thy clothing." That means, things that are the secrets of the world shall be under thy clothes. They said to him: We have worked in them as far as the words [Ezek. ii. 1]: "And he said unto me, Son of man." And he said to them: But this is the real subject of the divine chariot. The rabbis taught: It happened once that a certain child, who was reading in his teacher's house in the Book of Ezekiel, was pondering over 'Hashmal, and there came out fire from 'Hashmal and burnt him, and they sought in consequence to conceal the Book of Ezekiel. Said Hananiah b. Hezkyah to them: If he was wise, are then all wise? It is written [Ezek. i. 4]: "And I saw, and behold, a storm wind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a flaming fire, and a brightness was on it round about; and out of the midst of it was like the glitter of amber, out of the midst of the fire." Whither did it go?, Said R. Jehudah in the name of Rabh: It went forth to subdue the whole world under the wicked Nebuchadnezzar. And this was done that the nations might not p. 28 say: The Holy One, blessed be He, delivered His children into the hands of a low nation. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: What forced Me to minister to worshippers of carved images? The iniquities of Israel, they forced me. It is written [ibid. i. 15]: "And I looked on the living creatures, and behold, there was one wheel upon the earth close by the living creatures." Said R. Elazar: It means a certain angel who stands upon the earth, and his head reaches to the level of the living creatures. In a Tosephtha we are taught that his name is Sandalphon, who is higher than his fellows by the space of a journey of five hundred years, and he stands behind the divine chariot and binds crowns for his Creator. This is not so, as it is written [Ezek. iii. 12]: "Blessed be the glory of the Lord from his place." From this we may infer that His place is impossible to know? He utters one of the holy names of the Lord over the wreath, and thereupon he goes and rests by His head. Rabha said: All which Ezekiel saw Isaiah saw, but Ezekiel was like a villager who saw the king for the first time (and therefore he said all that he has seen); Isaiah, however, was like a townsman who has often seen the king (and therefore he said little). Resh Lakish said: What is the meaning of the passage [Ex. xv. 1]: "I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously"? It means a song to Him who takes His place proudly above the high, as the Master said: The king among living creatures is a lion; the king among domestic beasts is an ox; the king among birds is an eagle, but man takes his place proudly above them, and the Holy One, blessed be He, takes His place proudly above them all, and above the whole world in its entirety. We have learned in a Boraitha: Rabbi said in the name of Abba Jose b. Dosai: It is written [Dan. vii. 10]: "Thousand times thousands ministered unto him." This is the number of one troop, but all his troops cannot be numbered. R. Jeremiah bar Abba, however, said: This passage refers to the fiery stream, as it is written [ibid., ibid.]: "A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him; thousand times thousands ministered unto him; and myriad times myriads stood before him." Whence does it come forth? From the perspiration of the living creatures. And upon what is it poured? Said R. Zutra bar Tobiah in the name of Rabh: Upon the heads of the wicked men in Gehenna, as it is written [Jer. xxiii. 19]: "Behold, the storm wind of the Lord is gone forth in fury; yea, a whirling storm upon the head of the wicked shall it fall grievously." R. p. 29 [paragraph continues] A'ha bar Jacob said: Upon those who were held back, as it is writ. ten [Job xxii. 16]: "Who were shrivelled up before their time, whose foundation was flooded away like a river?" There is a Boraitha to the effect that R. Simeon the Pious said: There are nine hundred and seventy-four generations which were held back from being created. The Holy One, blessed be He, scattered them through all the successive generations, and these are the impudent (‏עזי פגים‎) who are in a generation. R. Na'hman bar Itz'hak, however, said: On the contrary, this passage refers to those who are wrinkled for blessing, as it is written: As for these scholars who have become wrinkled over the words of the Law in this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, discloses to them the secrets of the world to come, as it is written [Job xxii. 16]: "Whose foundation was flooded away like a river." Samuel said to Hyya bar Rabh: Thou son of a scholar, come and I will tell thee something of those noble words which thy father used to say: Every several day ministering angels are created from the fiery stream, and they utter a song and perish, as it. is written [Lam. iii. 23]: "They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness." When R. Dimi came he said: Eighteen curses did Isaiah pronounce upon Israel, and he was not satisfied, until he had spoken against them this passage [is. iii. 5]: "The boy shall demean himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honorable." What are the eighteen curses? The following [is. iii. 1-4]: For, behold, the Lord, the Eternal of hosts, doth remove from Jerusalem and from Judah stay and staff, every stay of bread, and every stay of water. The hero and the men of war," etc., etc. "Stay"--these are the learned in the Law. "Staff"--these are the learned in the Mishna; e.g., R. Jehudah b. Tema and his fellows. [R. Papa and the rabbis differ in respect to this: One says, there were six hundred sections of Mishna, and another says, there were seven hundred sections.] "Every stay of bread"--these are the learned in Talmud, as it is written [Prov. ix. 5): "Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled." "And every stay of water"--these are the learned in Agada, who draw a man's heart like water by means of Agada." "The hero"--this is the man versed, in oral tradition. "And the man of war"--this is he who knows how to handle matters in the battle of the Law. "The judge"--this p. 30 is a magistrate who gives decisions faithfully, "And the prophet"--this is in its literal meaning. "The prudent"--this is a king, as it is written [Prov. xvi. 10] "There should be a wise sentence on the lips of the king." "And the ancient"--this is he who is worthy to sit as a teacher presiding over an academy. "The captain of fifty"--this is in accordance with R. Abuhu, who saith: From this we may infer, that an interpreter who is less than fifty years old is not appointed over the congregation. "And the honorable man"--this is he for whose merits his generation is forgiven; by Heaven (e.g., R. Hanina b. Dosa); in this world (e.g., R. Abuhu in the house of Cæsar). "And the counsellor"--one who knows how to intercalate years and to fix months. "And the skilful"--this is the disciple who, by his keenness, sharpens the minds of his teachers. "Artificer"--at the time he is unfolding the words of the Law all are made like deaf men. 1 "And the eloquent"--this is he who, having knowledge of one thing, can derive therefrom knowledge of another thing. 2 "Orator"--this is he to whom it is fitting to impart the words of the Law, which is given in a whisper (e.g., the subject of the divine chariot. See page 21). "And I will set up boys as their princes"--that is, as R. Elazar said: These are men who are deprived of good works. 3 "And children shall rule over them"--as R. A'ha bar Jacob said: These are foxes and sons of foxes. 4 And he was not satisfied until he had said to them: "The boy shall demean himself proudly against the ancient," etc. [ibid., ibid.]--these are the men who are deprived of good works. They shall demean themselves proudly against the one who is filled with good works as a pomegranate. "And the base against the honorable"--i.e., that one to whom heavy sins are like light ones will demean himself proudly against the one to whom light sins are like heavy ones. R. Kattina said: Even at the time of the destruction of p. 31 [paragraph continues] Jerusalem there did not cease from them faithful men. Is that so? Did we not learn: Rabha said: Jerusalem was not laid waste till there ceased from it faithful men, as it is written [Jer. v. 1]: "Roam about through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and notice, and search in its broad places, if ye can find one man, if there be one who executeth justice, that searcheth for truth: and I will pardon it"? This presents no difficulty. The former means, faithful in the study of the Law, and the latter means, honesty in common business. The rabbis taught: It happened with Rabban Johanan b. Zakkai that he was riding upon his ass and was travelling on the road, and R. Elazar b. Arakh was behind him, as driver. Said the latter to him: Rabbi, teach me a chapter on the subject of the divine chariot. And he answered him: Have I not taught you: Nor the chariot with one individual, unless he was a wise man and had much knowledge of his own? Then he said to him: Rabbi, allow me to say before thee one thing which thou hast taught me. He allowed him. Immediately R. Johanan b. Zakkai dismounted from the ass, and wrapped himself up and seated himself upon the stone under the olive tree. R. Elazar asked him: Rabbi, wherefore didst thou dismount from the ass? He answered him: Is it right that thou shouldest investigate the subject of the divine chariot, and the Shekhina is with us and ministering angels accompany us, and that I should ride. upon the ass? Then R. Elazar b. Arakh entered upon the subject of the divine chariot and lectured: And there descended fire from heaven and encircled all the terebinth trees of the field, which uttered a song. [What was the song which they uttered? [Ps. cxlviii. 7, 9, 14]: "Praise the Lord from the earth, ye sea monsters, and all deeps . . . fruitful trees and all cedars . . . Hallelujah."] An angel answered from the fire: This is the real subject of the divine chariot. R. Johanan arose and kissed him upon his head, and said: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who hath given to our father Abraham. a son who is able to understand and lecture on this subject. There is one who lectures well, but doth not perform well. There is one who performeth well, but does not expound well. Thou dost expound well and dost perform well. Blessed art thou, Abraham our father, from whose loins bath come forth Elazar b. Arakh. And when these things were told to R. Joshua, he and R. Jose the priest were travelling on the road. They said: Let us also expound on the same subject. R. Joshua opened his mouth p. 32 and lectured: And it was the day of the summer solstice. The heavens were wrapped in clouds, and there appeared the form of a bow in the cloud, and the angels were assembling and coming to hearken, as the men assemble and come to look at the festivities of bridegroom and bride. R. Jose the priest went forward and related the whole occurrence to Rabban Johanan b. Zakkai, who said: Blessed are ye, and blessed is she that bare you. Blessed are mine eyes, that they have thus seen. And also in my dream I and ye were resting upon Mount Sinai, and a heavenly voice was heard, which said: Come up hither, come up hither. Large banqueting chambers are prepared and fair coverlets are spread for you, you and your disciples and your disciples' disciples, as fitted to attain to the third degree of blessedness. Is it so? Have we not learned in a Boraitha: R. Jose in the name of R. Jehudah said: There were three consecutive expositions. R. Joshua explained things before R. Johanan b. Zakkai; R. Aqiba explained things before R. Joshua; Hananiah b. Hachinai explained before R. Aqiba. Hence we see that R. Elazar b. Arakh was not mentioned. (This presents no difficulty:) He who teaches and before whom others teach is mentioned, while he who teaches and before whom others do not teach is not mentioned. But was not Hananiah b. Hachinai one who taught and before whom others did not teach? And still he was mentioned? Yea, for he taught at least in the presence of one who taught others. The rabbis taught: Four men went up into the heavenly garden, 1 and they were: Ben Azzai and Ben Zoma, A'her and R. Aqiba. Ben Azzai gazed and died; 2 to him the scriptural passage may be applied [Ps. cxvi. 15]: "Grievous in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his pious ones." Ben Zoma gazed and went mad; to him the scriptural passage may be applied [Prov. xxv. 16] Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou consume too much of it, and have to vomit it forth." A'her cut the plants. 3 R. Aqiba departed p. 33 in peace. 1 A'her cut the plants; it is to him that the scriptural passage may be applied [Eccl. v. 6]: "Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy body to sin." There came out a heavenly voice and said [Jer. iii. 14]: "Return, O backsliding children" (except A'her). When he learned it he said: Inasmuch as that man is excluded from yonder world, let him go and enjoy himself in this world. A'her went forth into evil courses. A'her asked this question of R. Meir, after he had gone forth into evil courses: What is the meaning of the passage [Eccl. vii. 14]: "Also this hath God made in equal measure with the other"? He answered him: Everything which the Holy One, blessed be He, created, He created with its counterpart. He created mountains; He created hills: He created seas; He created rivers. He said to him: R. Aqiba thy teacher did not say so, but he explained it as meaning that He created righteous; He created sinners. He created the Garden of Eden; He created Gehenna. To every individual belongs two shares, one in the Garden of Eden and one in Gehenna. If one is meritorious and righteous, he receives his own portion and also the portion of his neighbor in the Garden of Eden. If he has incurred guilt, he receives his own portion and also the portion of his neighbor in Gehenna. [R. Mesharshia said: What is the Scripture proof? As regards the righteous it is written [is. lxi. 7]: "Therefore in their hand shall they possess a twofold (portion)"; as regards the wicked it is said [Jer. xvii. 18]: "And strike them with a double breach."] A'her asked again of R. Meir: What is the meaning of the passage [Job xxviii. 17]: "She cannot be estimated after gold and glass; and not in exchange for her (can) vessels of refined gold (be taken)"? He answered him: These are the words of the Law, which are difficult to buy, as vessels of gold and of pure gold, and are easily lost, as vessels of glass. He said to him: R. Aqiba thy teacher did not say so, but he explained it as meaning that as vessels of gold and vessels of glass, although they are broken, may be mended, so a disciple of the sages, although he have sinned, may be mended. He said to him: Return thyself also. He answered him I have already heard from behind the curtain [Jer. iii. 14]: "Return, O backsliding children" (except A'her). Also, what happened to Ben Zoma with R. Jehoshua b. Hananiah, as it seems to us the version of the Palestinian Talmud is correct. See note above.} p. 34 The rabbis taught: It happened that A'her was riding upon his horse on the Sabbath, and R. Meir was walking behind him to learn the Law from his mouth. He said to him: Meir, turn thee backwards, for I have already measured by means of my horse's hoofs up to this point the legal limit of the Sabbath. He answered him: Return thyself also. He said to him: And have I not already answered thee what I have heard from behind the curtain? He forced him to enter a place of lecturing. He said to a child: Repeat for me thy verse. He said to him [is. xlviii. 22]: "There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked." He brought him to another synagogue, until he had brought him into thirteen synagogues. They all repeated to him the same way. In the last one he said to him: Repeat for me thy verse. He said to him [Ps. i. 16]: "But unto the wicked God saith: What hast thou to do to relate my statutes, and why bearest thou my covenant upon thy mouth?" That child was a stammerer. It sounded as if he had said: "And to Elisha said God," etc. 1 And he said: If there had been a knife in my hand I would have cut him in pieces. When A'her died it was said: Let him not be brought into judgment (because he has studied the Law), but let him not be admitted to the world to come (because he sinned). R. Meir said: It would have been better if he would have been brought to judgment and punished, and then admitted to the world to come. I wish I would die, in order that smoke should go up from his grave (i.e., that he should be brought to judgment). When R. Meir died it was so: smoke went up from the grave of A'her. Said R. Johanan: A mighty deed it was to consign his teacher to the flames. There was one among us, and we should not find a way to save him? If I take him by the hand, who will snatch him away from me? Would that I might die and extinguish the smoke from his grave. And it was so. When R. Johanan died the smoke ceased from the grave of A'her. The public mourner then uttered this expression over him: Even the keeper of the door of Gehenna stood not his ground before thee, O our teacher! The daughter of A'her came to Rabbi and asked him for food. He said to her: Whose daughter art thou? She answered: p. 35 [paragraph continues] I am the daughter of A'her. And he said to her: Is there still of his seed in the world? Is it not written [Job xviii. 19]: "He will have neither son nor grandson among his people, nor any that escapeth in the places of his sojourning"? She said to him: Remember his studiousness, and not his deeds. Immediately there came down fire, and consumed the seat of Rabbi. Rabbi wept and said: And if those who disgrace themselves through it, are honored thus, how much more those who obtain praise through their use of it. How did R. Meir study the Law from the mouth of A'her? Have we not learned (see Tract Moed Katan) that if it is not certain that the rabbi is equal to an angel, no instruction must be received from him? Said Resh Lakish: R. Meir interpreted the following passage thus [Prov. xxii. 17]: "Incline thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thy heart unto my knowledge." It is not written, "Unto their knowledge," but "unto My knowledge." R. Hanina said the following passage [Ps. xlv. 11]: "Hearken, O daughter, and look and incline thy ear, and forget thy own people, and thy father's houses," etc. But do not these passages contradict each other? Nay, the one is the case of an adult, the other of a young person (who cannot distinguish between good and evil). When R. Dimi came he said: They say in the West: R. Meir, while eating the date, he threw away the stone (i.e., he picked out the good and threw away the bad teachings). Rabha expounded the meaning of the passage [song of Songs vi. 11]: "Into the nut-garden was I gone down, to look about among the plants of the valley," etc. Why are scholars likened to a nut? It means to say that, as a nut, although soiled, what is within it is clean: so also, although a scholar has sinned, his study of the law is not rejected. Rabba bar Shila met Elijah and said to him: What is the Holy One, blessed be He, doing? He answered him: He had uttered doctrine in the name of all other rabbis, but in the name of R. Meir He had not uttered. He said to him: Why? Because he learned doctrine from the mouth of A'her. He said to him again: Why? R. Meir found a pomegranate. He ate its inside and cast away its husk. He answered him: He is at this moment saying: Meir my son is speaking and says: At the time that men were afflicted, the Shekhina used the following language: My head and my arm are heavy on me (i.e., I am sorry that the men I have created have to die for their sins). If the p. 36 [paragraph continues] Holy One, blessed be he, is thus grieved when the blood of wicked men is poured out, how much more when the blood of the righteous man is poured out. Samuel found R. Jehudah when the latter was swinging upon the bolt of a door and weeping. He said to him: Is it a small thing that is written concerning the rabbis [is. xxxiii. 18]: "Where is he who wrote down? where is he that weighed? where is he that counted the towers"? "Where is he that counted?" for they counted all the letters that are in the Books of the Law. "Where is he that weighed?" for they weighed the light and the heavy things which are in the Law. "Where is he that counted the towers?" for they taught three hundred doctrines concerning the tower which flies in the air. And R. Ami said: Three hundred questions were treated by Doeg and Ahithophel concerning the tower which flies in the air. And we learned, however, in a Mishna (Tract Sanhedrin, chap. xi. 1): Three kings and four private persons have no position in the world to come, and we--what will there be for us? He said to him: Oh, clever one, there was uncleanness in their hearts. It was said about A'her: Greek melody ceased not from his mouth, as it was said of him (A'her), that at the time when he stood up to go out of the college many books of the Minim used to fall from his lap. Nimus of Gardi 1 asked R. Meir: Does all wool which goes down to the dyeing-vat come up with the right color? He answered him: All which was clean on its mother's (sheep's) back does so come up; all which was not clean on its mother's back does not so come up. It is said above: R. Aqiba went into the heavenly garden in peace and came down from it in peace. And it is to him that the scriptural passage may be applied [song of Songs i. 4]: "Oh, draw me! after thee will we run." Nevertheless R. Aqiba was also in danger of being thrust away by the angels, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Leave this elder, for he is worthy to avail himself of My glory. What kept R. Aqiba from being misled, as was A'her? The passage [1 Kings xix. 11, 12]: "But not in the wind was the Lord; and after the wind was an earthquake, but not in the p. 37 earthquake was the Lord; and after the earthquake was a fire, but not in the fire was the Lord; and after the fire was the sound of a soft whisper. And, behold, the Lord passed by" (i.e., from the whisper he understood that there was the Shekhina). The rabbis taught: Six things are said with regard to demons, three in which they are like the angels: they have wings, they float from one end of the world to the other, and they know what is about to be; and three in which they are like men: they eat and drink, they are fruitful and multiply, and they are mortal. Six things are said with regard to men, three in which they are like angels: they have knowledge like the angels, they go with stature erect, and they speak in the holy language; and three like the beasts: they eat and drink like beasts, and they are fruitful and multiply, and they relieve nature. "Every one who does not respect the glory," etc. What is meant by this? Said R. Joseph: This is the man who commits a transgression secretly. This is in accordance with R. Itz'hak, who said: Every one who committeth a transgression secretly is as though he jarred the feet of the Shekhina, as it is written [is. lxvi. i]: "Thus hath said the Lord, The heaven is my throne and the earth is my foot-stool." But this is not so, for R. Alea the Elder said (in Tract Moed Katan), that in such a case he may go to a place where he is not known? (as it will be explained in Moed Katan). This presents no difficulty. The former is the case of a man who has found a means of checking his evil nature; the other, of one who is not able to do so. R. Jehudah in the name of R. Na'hmani, the interpreter of Resh Lakish, lectured: Every one who gazes upon three things, his eyes grow weak, viz.: upon the bow, and the prince, and the priests. Upon the bow, for it is written [Ezek. i. 28]: "Like the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud on the day of rain . . . this was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord." Upon the prince, for it is written [Num. xxvii. 20]: "And thou shalt put some of thy greatness upon him." 1 He that gazeth upon the priests--this has to do with the time that the Temple was in existence, when they stood upon their platform and blessed Israel in the ineffable name. The same lectured again in the name of the same authority: p. 38 [paragraph continues] It is written [Mic. vii. 5]: "Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a confidant." It means, if the evil imagination say to thee, Do thou sin and the Lord will forgive, be not persuaded, as it is written: "Trust ye not in an evil one"; 1 and "an evil one" is nothing but the evil imagination, as it is written [Gen. viii. 21]: "The imagination of a man's heart is evil"; and there is no "guide" but the Lord, as it is written [Jer. iii. 4]: "My father, the guide of my youth art thou." Perhaps one might say, Who witnesseth against me? The stones of a man's house and the timbers of his house, these witness against him, as it is written [Hab. ii. 11]: "For the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the wood (work) will answer it." The sages say: The soul of a man witnesseth against him, as it is written [Mic. vii. 5]: "From her that lieth in thy bosom guard the doors of thy mouth." What is this that lieth in a man's bosom? Say, it is the soul. R. Zerika said: The two angels which lead him, these witness against him, as it is written [Ps. xci. 11]: "For his angels will he give charge concerning thee, to guard thee on all thy ways." Others say: The limbs of one's body testify against him, as it is written [is. xliii. 12]: "And ye are my witness, saith the Lord, and I am God." MISHNA: Jose b. Joezer says that one must not lay on his hand (on a sacrifice on a biblical festival), but Joseph b. Johanan says that one may. Joshua b. P'ra'hia says that one must not lay it, but Mathai the Arbelite says that one may. Jebudah b. Tabbai says that one must not, but Simeon b. Sheta'h says he should. Sh'maia says he must, but Abtalian says he must not. Hillel and Mena'hem. did not differ. Mena'hem went out (left the Sanhedrin); Shammai entered it. Shammai says one must not; Hillel says one may. The first of the several pairs were princes, the second to them were chiefs of the court. GEMARA: The rabbis taught: In the three former pairs, which say that a man is not to lay, and in the two latter pairs, which say that a man is to lay, the first were princes and the second chiefs of the court. So said R. Meir. But the sages say: Jehudah b. Tabbai was a chief of the court and Simeon b. Sheta'h was a prince. "Mena'hem went out," etc. Whither did he go out? Said Rabha: He went out from the service of the king. We have p. 39 learned in a Boraitha: Mena'hem went out from the service of the king, and there went out with him eighty pairs of disciples clothed in Syrian robes. Said R. Shaman bar Abba in the name of R. Johanan: Let a rabbinical decree concerning the Sabbath not be a light thing in thine eyes, for the laying on of the hand is only a rabbinical prohibition, and the greatest men of the different generations were divided upon this matter. Is this not self-evident? He comes to teach us that even a rabbinical prohibition which is seemingly contrary to a positive command of the Bible must also not be light in thine eyes. But this is also self-evident from the teachings of our Mishna? This is needed to object to those who say that they differ not as to the rabbinical prohibition, but as to the laying on of the hand itself, because they maintain that the laying on of the hand is necessary only in case of a voluntary peace-offering, but not in that of an obligatory peace-offering. 1 Said Rami bar Hama: Infer from this that the laying on of the hands must be with all one's strength, because if we would imagine that all the strength is not necessary, what labor is it or what is he doing to the animal that the rabbis prohibited it on the festival? An objection was raised: We have learned elsewhere It is written [Lev. i. 2-4]: "Speak unto the children of Israel . . . and he shall lay his hand." He--the males, but not the females of Israel. R. Jose and R. Simeon, however, said that the females of Israel, if they wish, they may lay on their hands (although it is not obligatory for them); and R. Jose added to this: My father Elazar told me that it happened once that we had a calf of peace-offering, and we brought it to the department of the women, and the latter laid their hands on it. It was not because the laying on of the hands belongs to women, but so as to gratify them. Now, if you think that the laying on of the hand must be with all one's strength, would it be right, in order to gratify the women, to allow them to do labor with the holy things? Infer, therefore, from this that it is not necessary to use all the strength. Nay, maybe it is necessary, but in that case it was told to the women to lay on their hands lightly. If so, why does R. Jose say: Not because the laying on of the hands belongs to women, etc. Let him say, because it was not considered p. 40 laying on at all? Said R. Ami: he meant both, firstly, because it was not considered laying on the hands at all; and, secondly, in order to gratify the women. MISHNA: The House of Shammai say: A peace-offering may be brought without laying the hands on them, but not burnt-offerings. But the House of Hillel say: Both peace-offerings and burnt-offerings may be brought, and also lay the hands on them. In the case of Pentecost, which falls upon the eve of a Sabbath, the House of Shammai say: The day for sacrificing is after the Sabbath. But the House of Hillel say: There is no day for sacrificing after the Sabbath. Both, however, admit that if it fall upon a Sabbath the day for sacrificing is the day after the Sabbath. And on that day (which is called the day of sacrificing) a high-priest is not to clothe himself in his costly garments, unless in case of a mourning or of a fast. The prohibition was in order not to confirm the words of those who say, Pentecost is after the Sabbath (only). GEMARA: (The Gemara begins with the saying of R. Elazar in the name of R. Oshiyah, that the Pentecost-offering is transferable to all the six succeeding days, and repeats here all the statement contained in Tract Rosh Hashana, p. 6, lines 15-29.) "In the case of Pentecost which falls on the eve of a Sabbath," etc. Does that not mean that there is no day at all for sacrificing? Nay, it means that a substituted day is necessary for this. But what does it come to teach us--that it shall be sacrificed on the very day of the festival? Was this not discussed already in the beginning of our Mishna? It is needed. For if the statement would be in the latter paragraph only, one might say that the School of Shammai hold so because it can be done on the morrow, but if it fall on the eve of a Sabbath, when it cannot be done on the morrow, they agree with the School of Hillel; and if the statement would be in the first paragraph only, one might say that the School of Hillel allow it to be sacrificed on the very day of the festival because it cannot be done on the morrow, but when the Pentecost falls on the Sabbath day, they agree with the House of Shammai; therefore both statements are needed. (An objection was raised:) Come and hear: He who has not kept the feast for the seven days of the Passover, and the eight days of the Feast of Tabernacles, and the first day of Pentecost, he cannot afterwards keep the p. 41 feast. Did this not include also the day of Pentecost, that it has no compensation? (i.e., if not sacrificed on the very festival, it cannot be done soon any other day). Nay, it means the last day of compensation. The disciples of R. Eliezer b. Jacob taught It is written [Lev. xxiii. 21, 22]: "And ye shall proclaim." "And when ye reap." What is the feast in which thou makest proclamation and reapest? Thou must say, it is the Feast of Pentecost. Now, let us see. When is it? If I am to say on the holiday itself, how is reaping lawful on a holiday? We must then say, it means the completion days. Resh Lakish, however, said: It is inferred from the following passage [Ex. xxiii. 16]: "And the feast of the harvest." What is the feast on which thou feastest and reapest? Thou must say, it is the Pentecost. When is it? If I am to say, on the holiday itself, how is reaping lawful on a holiday? We must then say, it means the completion days. Said R. Johanan: According to thee, the Feast of Ingathering. What is the feast in which there is an ingathering? Thou must then say, it is the Feast of Tabernacles. When is it? Shall I say, on the holiday itself? How is work lawful on a holiday? And if you will say, that it means on one of the middle days? But even then is work allowed on those days? Therefore we must say, that it means the feast that falls during the time of the gathering in. Say, also, this is the case here. We see from this that both are of the opinion that on the middle days the doing of work is forbidden. Whence do we deduce this? From the following Boraitha: It is written [Lev. xxiii. 8]: "No servile work shall ye do." That means, that on the middle days the doing of work is forbidden. So said R. Jose the Galilean. R. Aqiba says: It was not necessary, because it is written [ibid. 4]: "These are the feasts of the Lord," etc. With reference to what is the Scripture speaking? If to the first day, it has been already called a Sabbath day; if to the seventh day, it has also been already called a Sabbath day. We must therefore say, it refers to the middle days, to teach that doing of work is forbidden thereon. There is another Boraitha: It is written [Deut. xvi. 8]: "Six days shalt thou eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work." As on the seventh day work is prohibited, so also on the six days. But one might say, as on the seventh day no work at all is to be done, so also on the six days; therefore it is p. 42 written [ibid.]: "And on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly . . . thou shalt not work," thus indicating that on the seventh day no work at all shall be done, but on the six days there is not a prohibition from all work. Consequently, the Scripture has communicated only to the sages that they can decree on which days work is and on which work is not allowed, and what labor may and what labor may not be done, etc. "But it is allowed in case of a mourning or of a fast after the Sabbath." But have we not learned in a Boraitha: It happened that Alexis died in Luda, and all Israel assembled to mourn him, and R. Tarphon had not allowed them because it was the festival? Now, if it was the festival itself, how did they come to assemble at all? We must therefore say, it was on the day of sacrificing, and hence we see even on those days it is not allowed to mourn? The Mishna refers to a case when the Pentecost falls on a Sabbath. And the case of Alexis was when it fell on the first day of the week. MISHNA: One may wash his hands for common food and for second-tithes and for heave-offerings, but for hallowed things they must be bathed legally. For the sin-offering, if one's hands be defiled, his whole body is defiled. If he have dipped for common food, he has credit as clean for common food, but is forbidden tithe; if for tithe, he has credit for tithe, but not for heave-offering; if for heave-offering, he has credit for heave-offering, but not sacred things; if for sacred things, he has credit for sacred things, but not sin-offering. If for a weightier thing (more rigorous), he is free for a lighter thing (lenient). If he have dipped without any intention for cleanness, it is as though he had not dipped. The garments of a common person are defiled by pressure (i.e., are looked upon as affected by uncleanness arising from pressure) for Pharisees; the garments of Pharisees are defiled by pressure for those that eat heave-offering; the garments of those that eat heave-offering are defiled by pressure for those that partake of sacred things; the garments of those that partake of sacred things are defiled by pressure for those that partake of sin-offering. Jose b. Joezer was the most pious among the priests, and yet his apron was defiled by pressure for those that partake of sacred things. Johanan b. Gudgodah was one who ate his ordinary food all his days with observance of the laws of purification which belong to sacred things, and yet his apron was defiled by pressure for those that partake of sin-offering. p. 43 GEMARA: Is, then, for common food and tithes, washing of hands needed? (Have we not learned elsewhere that it is not needed?) This presents no difficulty: The one has to do with bread, the other with fruit. For R. Na'hman said: Every one who washes his hands for fruit is overscrupulous and affected. "He that dips for common food and has credit for common food," etc. According to whom is our Mishna? Shall we say it is according to the rabbis, for they make a distinction between common food and tithes? According to whom, then, would be the latter part of the Mishna: The garments of a common person are defiled by pressure for Pharisees; the garments of Pharisees are defiled by pressure for those that eat heave-offering? which is certainly in accordance with R. Meir, who says, common food and tithes are exactly the same? Then this conclusion would be that the former part is according to the rabbis, and the latter part according to R. Meir? Yea, it is so. R. A'ha bar Ada, however, teaches in the latter part five orders, and establishes it all according to the rabbis. Translated by William Whiston The phrases traditionally rendered as "Jesus of Nazareth" can also be translated as "Jesus the Nazarene" or "Jesus the Nazorean", and the title "Nazarene" may have a religious significance instead of denoting a place of origin. Some scholars believe that Nazarenes were the name of a sect of Northern Essenes living near Mount Carmel. Many Southern Jews did not respect the Jews living in the North for proximity and their historical relationship to gentiles as we read in Maccabees. Nazareth was the community which housed the Roman garrison for the northern regions of Galilee. The Jews at that time despised Roman occupation of their land. During the Maccabees period and Israelite man or woman could only become a Nazirite by an intentional verbal declaration. This declaration can be in any language, and can be something as minor as saying "me too" as a nazirite passes by. A person can specify the duration as any period of 30 days or more. If a person does not specify, or specifies a time less than 30 days, the vow is for 30 days. A person who says "I am a nazirite forever" or "I am a nazirite for all my life" is a permanent nazirite and slightly different laws apply. Likewise if a person says "I am a nazirite like Samson," the laws of a Samson-like nazirite apply. However if a person says that he is a nazirite for a thousand years, he is a regular nazirite. A father, but not a mother, can declare his son, but not his daughter, a nazirite. However the child or any close family member has a right to refuse this status. At the end of the nazirite period the nazirite brings three sacrifices in the Temple in Jerusalem. The first is a ewe for a chatat (sin offering), the second is lamb for an olah (elevation offering), and finally a ram as a shelamim (peace offering) along with a basket of matzah and their grain and drink offerings. After bringing the sacrifices the nazirite shaves his or her head in the outer courtyard of the Temple. Part of the Nazir's commencement offering is given to the Kohen. This gift is listed as one of the twenty-four kohanic gifts. Nahmanides, in his commentary on the Torah, explains that ideally the person should be a nazirite his whole life. Therefore ceasing to be nazirite requires a sin-offering. http://beginningandend.com/kehas-illuminati-die-young-video-the-marketing-of-satan/ Six is the number of the beasts and of man (both created on the 6th day).

Lyrics.. I asked if Shri Mataji believes that the Holy Spirit dwells within her? Or does Shri Mataji profess she is the Holy Spirit? If the former, does Shri Mataji believe we all have the Holy Spirit dwelling with us? If the latter does Shri Mataji profess we are all the Holy Spirit? I received a response from Sandeep Krish. Isaiah 13 According to Rabbinic Judaism, the Oral Torah or Oral Law (Hebrew: תורה שבעל פה, Torah she-be-`al peh, lit "Torah that is spoken") represents those laws, statutes, and legal interpretations that were not recorded in the Five Books of Moses, the "Written Torah" (Hebrew: תורה שבכתב, Torah she-bi-khtav, lit. "Torah that is written"), but nonetheless are regarded by Orthodox Jews as prescriptive and co-given. This holistic Jewish code of conduct encompass a wide swath of ritual, worship, God-man and interpersonal relationships, from dietary laws to Sabbath and festival observance to marital relations, agricultural practices, and civil claims and damages. According to Jewish tradition, the Oral Torah was passed down orally in an unbroken chain from generation to generation until its contents were finally committed to writing following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, when Jewish civilization was faced with an existential threat. The major repositories of the Oral Torah are the Mishnah, compiled between 200–220 CE by Rabbi Yehudah haNasi, and the Gemara, a series of running commentaries and debates concerning the Mishnah, which together are the Talmud, the preeminent text of Rabbinic Judaism. In fact, two "versions" of the Talmud exist: one produced in Jerusalem c. 300-350 CE (the Jerusalem Talmud), and second, more extensive Talmud compiled in Babylonia and published c. 450-500 CE (the Babylonian Talmud). The six "orders" (top-level sections) or guilds (sedarim) of the Mishna (shisha sidrei mishna) the lessons taught by the Men of the Great Assembly (Anshei Kennesses Hagedola).The sixth section is Taharos (since. Purity), purity regulations. There are 12 treaties (tractates) of Taharos: Kaylim - The longest tractate in the whole Mishna. It deals with the ritual purity (tuma'ah) of utensils. Ohalos - The laws of ritual impurity that can be caused by being under the same roof as the defiled object. Negaim - The laws of Tzara'as. Para - The red heifer (cow) whose ashes are used to purify those who have come in contact with dead human bodies. Taharos - The general laws of impurity. Mikvaos - The laws governing the building and maintenance of ritual (purification) pools. Nidah - The laws surrounding a woman's menstrual cycle. Machshirim - The preliminary preparation needed before an object can become ritually defiled. Zavim - The laws concerning various bodily emmissions. Tavul Yom - The status of an impure person who's been to the mikva, but must still wait for nightfall. Yedaim - The special role played by hands in the laws of purity. Uktzim - The role of stems and shells in the ritual purity of produce. The six working days of the week The six days of Creation Six is the number of the beasts and of man (both created on the 6th day).

What is your opinion of the Islamic State? Why are so many young people getting involved? Many Blessings.

I would like to know the wisdom of the Saudis for not allowing Muslim refugees in their country?

The Nature of Freemasonry The Nature of Jesus 10:32 “Whoever, then, acknowledges 58 me before people, I will acknowledge 59 before my Father in heaven. 10:33 But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven. 10:34 “Do not think that I have come to bring 60 peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace but a sword. 10:35 For I have come to set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 10:36 and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. 61 10:37 “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 10:38 And whoever does not take up his cross 62 and follow me is not worthy of me. 10:39 Whoever finds his life 63 will lose it, 64 and whoever loses his life because of me 65 will find it. 10:40 “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. 66 10:41 Whoever receives a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward. Whoever 67 receives a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. 10:42 And whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple, I tell you the truth, 68 he will never lose his reward.” Pandit Dhanaraja was a friend of Bhagwan Das, a scholar of Sanskrit, and member Order of the Star in the East (OSE), of the international organization established in 1911 by the leadership of the Theosophical Society at Adyar, Chennai. Bhagwan Das was an opponent of President Annie Besant of the Theosophical Society (founded by Helena Blavatsky) calling her adopted son, Jiddu Krishnamurti, the living reincarnation of Jesus Christ. He wrote about that subject in his pamphlet, "The Central Hindu College and Mrs. Besant." Bhagwan Das remained always loyal to the Theosophical Society, however, and served as General Secretary for the Indian Section. He made great contributions to Theosophical literature, and his best-known work is The Essential Unity of All Religions. The Order of the Star in the East (OSE) was established in 1911 to prepare the world for the arrival of a messianic entity, the so-called World Teacher or Maitreya. OSE believed an eight year old boy Jiddu Krishnamurti, they found on a beach in South India was a vehicle of the Lord Maitreya. Krishnamurti: The Invention of a Messiah "In the spring of 1909, Krishnamurti turned up with his brother on a beach near Madras. He was six years old. Charles Webster Leadbeater --- and I didn't make up that name --- saw him, saw auras, and said "This one is going to be the new divine." A Jesus of the East, as it were. Leadbeater was co-founder of Theosophy. He was "massively built, he oozed strength and vitality, even in his mid-fifties, with a chest broad as an English oak...a thick silver beard and powerful shoulders." He immediately had the youngster moved him onto the school grounds. The boy was an "empty vessel," to be cleaned up (he was fly-specked, dirty) and brought up in the proper English manner, with a proper English education. Unfortunately, Leadbeater was, they say, as interested in the beauty of the boy as in his auras. Over the next few years, there were claims of hanky-panky with the new empty vessel, his brother, and with others. To get away from the scandal of it, the Theosophists sent Krishnamurti --- hereinafter known as Krishna --- off to England to be properly educated as the new Christ." Eighteen years later, Krishnamurti dissolved the OSE during the annual Star Camp at Ommen, the Netherlands, on 3 August 1929.He stated that he had made his decision after "careful consideration" during the previous two years, and that: "I maintain that truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. That is my point of view, and I adhere to that absolutely and unconditionally. Truth, being limitless, unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be organized; nor should any organization be formed to lead or coerce people along a particular path. ... This is no magnificent deed, because I do not want followers, and I mean this. The moment you follow someone you cease to follow Truth. I am not concerned whether you pay attention to what I say or not. I want to do a certain thing in the world and I am going to do it with unwavering concentration. I am concerning myself with only one essential thing: to set man free. I desire to free him from all cages, from all fears, and not to found religions, new sects, nor to establish new theories and new philosophies." Krishnamurti: The Invention of a Messiah "When followers tried to put Krishna back on the divinity throne, he would go into a rage: "this sort of blank, inactive acceptance of his words infuriated him and led him to deride audiences for their spineless devotion." The hardest time for him was when it came time to hide from "a genuinely kind and sincere person...the Dalai Lama, whom he dreaded having to inform about the absurdity of institutionalized religion and spiritual authority." Krishnamurti died 17 February 1986. Ten days before he passed on, he said, "For seventy years that super energy --- no --- that immense energy, immense intelligence, has been using this body. I don't think people realize what tremendous energy and intelligence went through this body...You won't find another body like this, or that supreme intelligence operating in a body for many hundred years. You won't see it again. When he goes, it goes." Kushan Maitreya. Musee Guimet, Paris. According to Buddhist tradition, Maitreya is a bodhisattva who will appear on Earth in the future, achieve complete enlightenment, and teach the pure dharma. According to scriptures, Maitreya will be a successor to the present Buddha, Gautama Buddha (also known as Śākyamuni Buddha). Annie Besant was a known activist who wrote attacks on the churches and the way they controlled people's lives. In particular she attacked the status of the Church of England as a state-sponsored faith. In 1889, she was asked to write a review for the Pall Mall Gazette on The Secret Doctrine, a book by H. P. Blavatsky. After reading it, she sought an interview with its author, meeting Blavatsky in Paris. In this way she was converted to Theosophy. Theosophy (from Greek θεοσοφία theosophia, which comes from the combination of words θεός theos, God + σοφία sophia, wisdom; literally "God's wisdom") refers to systems of esoteric philosophy concerning, or seeking direct knowledge of, presumed mysteries of being and nature, particularly concerning the nature of divinity. Theosophy is considered a part of the broader field of esotericism, referring to hidden knowledge or wisdom that offers the individual enlightenment and salvation. The theosopher seeks to understand the mysteries of the universe and the bonds that unite the universe, humanity, and the divine. The goal of theosophy is to explore the origin of divinity, humanity and the world. From investigation of those topics, theosophers try to discover a coherent description of the purpose and origin of the universe. The present-day New Age movement is said to be based to a considerable extent on original Theosophical tenets and ideas. "No single organization or movement has contributed so many components to the New Age Movement as the Theosophical Society. ... It has been the major force in the dissemination of occult literature in the West in the twentieth century. In 1902 Annie Besant and fellow theosophist Francesca Arundale travelled to Paris, along with six friends to become Freemasons. "They were all initiated, passed and raised into the first three degrees and Annie returned to England, bearing a Charter and founded there the first Lodge of International Mixed Masonry, Le Droit Humain." Besant eventually became the Order's Most Puissant Grand Commander, and was a major influence in the international growth of the Order. 7. Is Freemasonry a religion? [Le Droit Humain] It is not. It is concerned with the ultimate values of human life, and so might be called “religious” in a broad sense of that term. Some branches of Freemasonry do their work “to the glory of the Great Architect of the Universe (a poetic expression for the cosmic guiding intelligence) and to the perfection of humanity.” Some work only “to the perfection of humanity.” But in either case, Freemasonry is not a religion, and Freemasons belong to all of the great religions of the world (Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, and so on) or to none at all. 8. Is belief in God a requirement to be a Freemason? [Le Droit Humain - American Federation] "The Order professes no dogma and rejects dogmatism. Our members are men and women fraternally united without distinction on grounds of race, ethnic origin, philosophical opinion or religion. Freemasons owe obedience to the International Order of Freemasonry for Men and Women, Le Droit Humain, and to the laws of their country; they must live honorably, practice justice, and love their neighbors. In addition, they respect members’ independence from religious institutions and organizations, and are respectful of the right to absolute freedom of conscience of all." The Le Droit Humain Freemasons do not require the belief in a Supreme Being as the Scottish and York Rites. In 2001 the Grand Lodge of Freemasonry for Men and Women was formed by expelled and suspended members of the Consistory Council of the "Le Droit Humain" British Federation for refusing to drop the requirement for a belief in a Supreme Being. The Eastern Order of International Co-Freemasonry formed later, as did a few other smaller orders. Declaration of the Grand Lodge of Freemasonry for Men and Women The essential requirement of a belief in a Supreme Being and the use of the V.S.L. writings of the great religions is the most important Landmark of Ancient Freemasonry. Without this, Masonic rituals, as we all know them, become useless literature without a spiritual aim. 7. Is Freemasonry a religion? [Eastern Order of International Co-Freemasonry] Certainly not. It is, however, concerned with the ultimate values of human life, and so might be called “religious” in a broad sense of that term. Freemasonry works “to the glory of the Great Architect of the Universe (a poetic expression for the cosmic intelligence that guides the world and everything in it) and to the perfection (or evolutionary development) of humanity.” But Freemasonry is not a religion, and Freemasons belong to the many various religions of the world or to none at all. Freemasons may be Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, Zoroastrians, Confucians, or various other religionists; or they may have no specific religious affiliation. That is the choice of each individual Freemason. Is Freemasonry a religion [scottish] No. While it is a requirement that each member believe in a Supreme Being, it is not important how one expresses that very personal belief. Further, there is no dogmatic system in Freemasonry. However, confusion about the secular nature of Freemasonry has been a common misconception for many years. Most likely, this misconception is due to the Holy Book that sits on the altar in the middle of a Masonic lodge. This Holy Book does not have to be Christian, like the Bible, rather it can be any Holy Book that is important to the members of the lodge. In the U.S. where the population is mostly Christian, the Holy Book most often used in Lodges is the King James Version of the Bible. Cryptic Rite [York] One reason for its popularity is that it completes a story, a Masonic allegory. Freemasonry is very philosophical and teaches its ideals by allegory or story. This philosophy is moralistic and religious however Freemasonry is not a religion., nor a substitute for one. A requirement for membership in Freemasonry is a professed belief in God and eternal life. It is mandatory that a man profess a personal faith in a Supreme Being prior to becoming a Freemason. Fremasonry never attempts to alter any one's beliefs. Freemasonry offers no theology or plan of salvation. However, it does offer a moral plan to use in this world. Leaving the Mason to look to his religion for salvation into the next world. Radha Burnier was the Head of the Krotona Institute of Theosophy in Ojai, California; The Manor Centre in Sydney and President of the International Theosophical Centre in Naarden, Holland. She was president of the Olcott Education Society, The Theosophical Order of Service (founded by Annie Besant in 1908), the Besant Education Fellowship and founder of The New Life for India Movement (1968), which promotes right citizenship, right values and right means among Indians. She was a former member of "Le Droit Humain" and the Head of the Eastern Order of International Co-Freemasonry. She was also a close associate of Jiddu Krishnamurti and was a Trustee of the Krishnamurti Foundation India. An interesting factoid. Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak is a member of the Freemason Charity Lodge No. 362, located in Campbell, California. How does a materialist quanitify an intimate connection with another? Is it purely physical? Pinacoteca Comunale, Recanati Verklärung Christi https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Divine_filiation The Seven Deadly Sins seven_deadly_sins_models_130127.jpg The Transfiguration of Jesus is an episode in the New Testament narrative in which Jesus is transfigured (or metamorphosed) and becomes radiant upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 17:1–9, Mark 9:2-8, Luke 9:28–36) describe it, and 2 Peter 1:16–18 refers to it. The presence of the prophets next to Jesus and the perceptions of the disciples have been subject to theological debate. Origen was the first to comment that the presence of Moses and Elijah represented the "Law and the Prophets", referring to the Torah (also called the Pentateuch) and the rest of the Hebrew Bible.[25] Martin Luther, continued to see them as the Law and the Prophets respectively, and their recognition of and conversation with Jesus as a symbol of how Jesus fulfills "the law and the prophets" (Matthew 5:17–19, see also Expounding of the Law). The real presence of Moses and Elijah on the mount is rejected by those churches and individuals who believe in "soul sleep" (Christian mortalism) until resurrection. Several commentators have noted that Jesus describes the transfiguration using the Greek word orama (Matthew 17:9), according to Thayer more often used for a supernatural "vision" than for real physical events,and concluded that Moses and Elijah were not truly there Mortalism emerged in Christianity when it was promoted by some Reformation leaders, and it survives today mostly among Restorationist sects, such as Jehovah's Witnesses. Conti has argued that during the Reformation both psychosomnolence (the belief that the soul sleeps until the resurrection) and thnetopsychism (the belief that the body and soul both die and then both rise again) were quite common. Matthew 17 17:1 Six days later 1 Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, 2 and led them privately up a high mountain. 17:2 And he was transfigured before them. 3 His 4 face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 17:3 Then Moses 5 and Elijah 6 also appeared before them, talking with him. 17:4 So 7 Peter said 8 to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make 9 three shelters 10 – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 17:5 While he was still speaking, a 11 bright cloud 12 overshadowed 13 them, and a voice from the cloud said, 14 “This is my one dear Son, 15 in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!” 16 17:6 When the disciples heard this, they were overwhelmed with fear and threw themselves down with their faces to the ground. 17 17:7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Do not be afraid.” 17:8 When 18 they looked up, all they saw was Jesus alone. 17:9 As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, 19 “Do not tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 17:10 The disciples asked him, 20 “Why then do the experts in the law 21 say that Elijah must come first?” 17:11 He 22 answered, “Elijah does indeed come first and will restore all things. 17:12 And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In 23 the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.” 17:13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist. If Jesus Christ is the firstborn of the dead, then how did he speak with Elijah and Moses before he was resurrected? As I have written, there are those that believe Enoch and Elijah did not die, but the bible is clear that Moses did in fact die. Deuteronomy Chapter 34 5 So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD. 6 And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab over against Beth-peor; and no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day. Is David going to reign with Jesus for a 1000 years after the first resurrection at the end of time? Approximately 50 years before Christ's birth there was a sect called Essenes. During Christ's life there was a sect known as Nazarines or Nazarites. Were the Essenes the same as the the Nazarites? Is it possible that Jesus was speaking to Moses without his glorified body? The Prophets understood the pain Hashem was willing to instill on His chosen Son as a testament of sacrifice to a rebellious creation. An invisible Lord begot a visible son for the world to believe in and understand the meaning of selfless love and devotion. What kind of a Jew was Jesus? James D. Tabor Jeremiah 45 Matthew 4 King David like Jesus did not come from wealth and nobility and was shunned for his wisdom and relationship with Hashem. Psalms 22 Isaiah knew that the righteous one would have suffer the punishment of man for following the commands of Hashem. Isaiah 49 Menahem the Essene (Hebrew: מנחם‎, Menahem) was a Jewish Tanna sage living during the era of the Zugot might be either considered the Teacher of Righteousness or the Wicked Priest. He was "Paired" ("Zugot", pairs) with Hillel the Elder (president) and served as Av Beit Din (judge). Menachem was Tana 's last generation lived period of couples. The Mishnah, Tractate "Hagigah" 16b, cites that he "went forth [out]", and as a result of that he was replaced by Shammai, that became from that point on the "Pair" mate of Hillel the Elder. Ten years after the inauguration of Hillel the Elder to the Nasi or President of the Great Sanhedrin in Jerusalem and Menahem the Essene as Hillel’s Vice–President or Av Beit Din a mysterious event occurred. Some identify the comforting mentioned in the Mishnah with the cited Josephus ( Antiquities of the Jews , Book O, Chapter X, E), where Menahem tells about the plague of the Essenes. Around 20 CE, as recorded in the Hagigah 16B, Menahem the Essene took 80 “pairs of disciples” and left the religious politics of Judea. "He that dips for common food and has credit for common food," etc. According to whom is our Mishna? Shall we say it is according to the rabbis, for they make a distinction between common food and tithes? According to whom, then, would be the latter part of the Mishna: The garments of a common person are defiled by pressure for Pharisees; the garments of Pharisees are defiled by pressure for those that eat heave-offering? which is certainly in accordance with R. Meir, who says, common food and tithes are exactly the same? Then this conclusion would be that the former part is according to the rabbis, and the latter part according to R. Meir? Yea, it is so. R. A'ha bar Ada, however, teaches in the latter part five orders, and establishes it all according to the rabbis.

Pope Francis really moved me. What he said about how we treat immigrants is biblical. Malachi 3

Russian and Greek iconography depicts Jesus as the Word or Logos, Wisdom, and the Angel of Great Counsel. Veneration (Latin veneratio or dulia, Greek δουλεία, douleia), or veneration of saints, is the act of honoring a saint, a person who has been identified as having a high degree of sanctity or holiness. Angels are shown similar veneration in many religions. Philologically, "to venerate" derives from the Latin verb, venerare, meaning to regard with reverence and respect. Within Christianity, veneration is practiced by groups such as the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Roman Catholic, and Eastern Catholic Churches, all of which have varying types of canonization or glorification procedures. In some Christian denominations, veneration is shown outwardly by respectfully bowing or making the sign of the cross before a saint's icon, relics, or statue, or by going on pilgrimage to sites associated with saints. The practice of veneration is deemed heretical by iconoclastic denominations. In Judaism, there is no classical or formal recognition of saints, but there is a long history of reverence shown toward biblical heroes and martyrs. In some regions, for example within Judaism in Morocco, there is a long and widespread tradition of saint veneration. The Jewish Saint Amram ben Diwan is credited with many healing miracles and had at least one son, Rabbi Hayyim ben Diwan. While touring Morocco with his son, he fell ill and died in Ouazzane in 1782. Saint Amram ben Diwan burial place in Ouazzane became a pilgrimage site and is regularly visited, particularly by people who invoke him to heal their illness. Tombs of Jewish Saints Hinduism has a long tradition of veneration of saints, expressed toward various gurus and teachers of sanctity, both living and dead. Branches of Buddhism include formal liturgical worship of saints, with Mahayana Buddhism classifying degrees of sainthood. In Islam, veneration of saints is practiced by sects such as the Shi'a and Sufi, and in many parts of Southeast Asia, along with "folk Islam", which often incorporates local beliefs and practices. Other sects, such as Sunnis and Wahhabists, abhor the practice. Epicurus was correct that we must not assign divinity to celestial or earthly events. The prophet Isaiah stated the futility of such nonsense 400 years before Epicurus. Isaiah 47 The followers of Epicurus method of plural explanation fail to place God's will as a cause for everything. Rather Epicureans emphasize the neutrality of divinity, if it exists. They fail to understand those who seek the wisdom of the creator. 1 Corinthians 15 Philippians 3;20-21 For our conservation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the LORD Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto hemself. Psalms 53 2 Kings 23 23:1 The king summoned all the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem. 1 23:2 The king went up to the Lord’s temple, accompanied by all the people of Judah, all the residents of Jerusalem, the priests, and the prophets. All the people were there, from the youngest to the oldest. He read aloud 2 all the words of the scroll of the covenant that had been discovered in the Lord’s temple. 23:3 The king stood by the pillar and renewed 3 the covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow 4 the Lord and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, 5 by carrying out the terms 6 of this covenant recorded on this scroll. All the people agreed to keep the covenant. 7 23:4 The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the high-ranking priests, 8 and the guards 9 to bring out of the Lord’s temple all the items that were used in the worship of 10 Baal, Asherah, and all the stars of the sky. 11 The king 12 burned them outside of Jerusalem in the terraces 13 of Kidron, and carried their ashes to Bethel. 14 23:5 He eliminated 15 the pagan priests whom the kings of Judah had appointed to offer sacrifices 16 on the high places in the cities of Judah and in the area right around Jerusalem. (They offered sacrifices 17 to Baal, the sun god, the moon god, the constellations, and all the stars in the sky.) 23:6 He removed the Asherah pole from the Lord’s temple and took it outside Jerusalem to the Kidron Valley, where he burned it. 18 He smashed it to dust and then threw the dust in the public graveyard. 19 23:7 He tore down the quarters 20 of the male cultic prostitutes in the Lord’s temple, where women were weaving shrines 21 for Asherah. 23:8 He brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and ruined 22 the high places where the priests had offered sacrifices, from Geba to Beer Sheba. 23 He tore down the high place of the goat idols 24 situated at the entrance of the gate of Joshua, the city official, on the left side of the city gate. 23:9 (Now the priests of the high places did not go up to the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem, but they did eat unleavened cakes among their fellow priests.) 25 23:10 The king 26 ruined Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that no one could pass his son or his daughter through the fire to Molech. 27 23:11 He removed from the entrance to the Lord’s temple the statues of horses 28 that the kings of Judah had placed there in honor of the sun god. (They were kept near the room of Nathan Melech the eunuch, which was situated among the courtyards.) 29 He burned up the chariots devoted to the sun god. 30 23:12 The king tore down the altars the kings of Judah had set up on the roof of Ahaz’s upper room, as well as the altars Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple. He crushed them up 31 and threw the dust in the Kidron Valley. 23:13 The king ruined the high places east of Jerusalem, south of the Mount of Destruction, 32 that King Solomon of Israel had built for the detestable Sidonian goddess Astarte, the detestable Moabite god Chemosh, and the horrible Ammonite god Milcom. 23:14 He smashed the sacred pillars to bits, cut down the Asherah pole, and filled those shrines 33 with human bones. 23:15 He also tore down the altar in Bethel 34 at the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who encouraged Israel to sin. 35 He burned all the combustible items at that high place and crushed them to dust; including the Asherah pole. 36 23:16 When Josiah turned around, he saw the tombs there on the hill. So he ordered the bones from the tombs to be brought; 37 he burned them on the altar and defiled it. This fulfilled the Lord’s announcement made by the prophet while Jeroboam stood by the altar during a festival. King Josiah 38 turned and saw the grave of the prophet who had foretold this. 39 23:17 He asked, “What is this grave marker I see?” The men from the city replied, “It’s the grave of the prophet 40 who came from Judah and foretold these very things you have done to the altar of Bethel.” 23:18 The king 41 said, “Leave it alone! No one must touch his bones.” So they left his bones undisturbed, as well as the bones of the Israelite prophet buried beside him. 42 23:19 Josiah also removed all the shrines on the high places in the cities of Samaria. The kings of Israel had made them and angered the Lord. 43 He did to them what he had done to the high place in Bethel. 44 23:20 He sacrificed all the priests of the high places on the altars located there, and burned human bones on them. Then he returned to Jerusalem. 23:21 The king ordered all the people, “Observe the Passover of the Lord your God, as prescribed in this scroll of the covenant.” 23:22 He issued this edict because 45 a Passover like this had not been observed since the days of the judges; it was neglected for the entire period of the kings of Israel and Judah. 46 23:23 But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah’s reign, such a Passover of the Lord was observed in Jerusalem. 23:24 Josiah also got rid of 47 the ritual pits used to conjure up spirits, 48 the magicians, personal idols, disgusting images, 49 and all the detestable idols that had appeared in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem. In this way he carried out the terms of the law 50 recorded on the scroll that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the Lord’s temple. 23:25 No king before or after repented before the Lord as he did, with his whole heart, soul, and being in accordance with the whole law of Moses. 51 “My heart is confident in you, O God; no wonder I can sing your praises with all my heart!” Psalm 108:1 Faithfulness is defined as: “constant; true to one’s word or promise”. This defines Our God! “The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; My God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.” Psalm 18 18:9 When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you, you must not learn the abhorrent practices of those nations. 18:10 There must never be found among you anyone who sacrifices his son or daughter in the fire, 12 anyone who practices divination, 13 an omen reader, 14 a soothsayer, 15 a sorcerer, 16 18:11 one who casts spells, 17 one who conjures up spirits, 18 a practitioner of the occult, 19 or a necromancer. 20 18:12 Whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Lord and because of these detestable things 21 the Lord your God is about to drive them out 22 from before you. 18:13 You must be blameless before the Lord your God. 18:14 Those nations that you are about to dispossess listen to omen readers and diviners, but the Lord your God has not given you permission to do such things. 18:15 The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you – from your fellow Israelites; 23 you must listen to him. 18:16 This accords with what happened at Horeb in the day of the assembly. You asked the Lord your God: “Please do not make us hear the voice of the Lord our 24 God any more or see this great fire any more lest we die.” 18:17 The Lord then said to me, “What they have said is good. 18:18 I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their fellow Israelites. I will put my words in his mouth and he will speak to them whatever I command. 18:19 I will personally hold responsible 25 anyone who then pays no attention to the words that prophet 26 speaks in my name. 18:20 “But if any prophet presumes to speak anything in my name that I have not authorized 27 him to speak, or speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. 18:21 Now if you say to yourselves, 28 ‘How can we tell that a message is not from the Lord?’ 29 – 18:22 whenever a prophet speaks in my 30 name and the prediction 31 is not fulfilled, 32 then I have 33 not spoken it; 34 the prophet has presumed to speak it, so you need not fear him.” Acts 14 With a gentle spirit God wants us to honor everyone, including Himself. And we must accept being subjected to those in authority, even if this means suffering unjustly. We must remember that Jesus unjustly suffered on the cross for our sake. When we suffer for doing good, God looks upon us favorably. People will also take notice of our tranquil lifestyle. As we know, actions speak louder than words. 1 Peter 1

The Four and Twenty Elders Casting their Crowns before the Divine Throne, c. 1803–5. William Blake, Tate. 354 x 293 mm.

1 John 4 Watch Moral Rot Of Zionist Christians by Brother Nathanael and discern whether this video rightly rebukes Christians for not following our Father's commands or promotes hate against a Jewish Christian political movement. Colossians 2 3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 3:2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 3:4 When Christ (who is your 1 life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. 3:5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: 2 sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, 3 evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. 3:6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. 4 3:7 You also lived your lives 5 in this way at one time, when you used to live among them. 3:8 But now, put off all such things 6 as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. 3:9 Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices 3:10 and have been clothed with the new man 7 that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. 3:11 Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave 8 or free, but Christ is all and in all. Revelation 3 4:1 After these things I looked, and there was 1 a door standing open in heaven! 2 And the first voice I had heard speaking to me 3 like a trumpet 4 said: “Come up here so that 5 I can show you what must happen after these things.” 4:2 Immediately I was in the Spirit, 6 and 7 a throne was standing 8 in heaven with someone seated on it! 4:3 And the one seated on it was like jasper 9 and carnelian 10 in appearance, and a rainbow looking like it was made of emerald 11 encircled the throne. 4:4 In 12 a circle around the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on those thrones were twenty-four elders. They were 13 dressed in white clothing and had golden crowns 14 on their heads. 4:5 From 15 the throne came out flashes of lightning and roaring 16 and crashes of thunder. Seven flaming torches, which are the seven spirits of God, 17 were burning in front of the throne 4:6 and in front of the throne was something like a sea of glass, like crystal. 18 In 19 the middle of the throne 20 and around the throne were four living creatures 21 full of eyes in front and in back. 4:7 The 22 first living creature was like a lion, the 23 second creature like an ox, the third creature had a face like a man’s, and the fourth creature looked like an eagle flying. 4:8 Each one of the four living creatures had six wings 24 and was full of eyes all around and inside. 25 They never rest day or night, saying: 26 “Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God, the All-Powerful, 27 Who was and who is, and who is still to come!” 4:9 And whenever the living creatures give glory, honor, 28 and thanks to the one who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 4:10 the twenty-four elders throw themselves to the ground 29 before the one who sits on the throne and worship the one who lives forever and ever, and they offer their crowns 30 before his 31 throne, saying: 4:11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, since you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created!” 3 Jesus mentions Zechariah son of Barachiah. The prophet rebuked the Israelites in his time in a similar fashion. Zechariah 1 Isaiah 5 5:16 The Lord who commands armies will be exalted when he punishes, the sovereign Gods authority will be recognized when he judges. 5:17 Lambs will graze as if in their pastures, amid the ruins the rich sojourners will graze. 5:18 Those who pull evil along using cords of emptiness are as good as dead, who pull sin as with cart ropes. 5:19 They say, Let him hurry, let him act quickly, so we can see; let the plan of the Holy One of Israel take shape and come to pass, then we will know it! 5:20 Those who call evil good and good evil are as good as dead, who turn darkness into light and light into darkness, who turn bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter. 5:21 Those who think they are wise are as good as dead, those who think they possess understanding. 5:22 Those who are champions at drinking wine are as good as dead, who display great courage when mixing strong drinks. 5:23 They pronounce the guilty innocent for a payoff, they ignore the just cause of the innocent. 5:24 Therefore, as flaming fire devours straw, and dry grass disintegrates in the flames, so their root will rot, and their flower will blow away like dust. For they have rejected the law of the Lord who commands armies, they have spurned the commands of the Holy One of Israel. 5:25 So the Lord is furious with his people; he lifts his hand and strikes them. The mountains shake, and corpses lie like manure in the middle of the streets. Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again. What is the correlation with Paul and the "Sons of Light"? The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation by: Michael Wise Martin Abegg, Jr. Edward Cook Harper San Francisco 1996 1QM, 4Q491-496 In 1870, an Aramaic manuscript entitled "The Gospel of the Nazirenes" was discovered, translated and published. The first collected volume was issued by The Order of At-One-Ment and United Templars Society—a publishing imprint which the author had established in 1881. The explanatory preface referred to an ancient source manuscript "preserved in the Monasteries of Tibet" which has never been produced or proven to exist. In subsequent editions, released during the early 1900s, the anonymous Editors revised their claim by stating that the text was "communicated" by departed mystics "in dreams and visions of the night". http://www.thenazareneway.com/ght_table_of_contents.htm Title: The Old Syriac Gospels or Evangelion Da-Mepharreshê; being the text of the Sinai or Syro-Antiochene palimpsest, including the latest additions and emendations, with the variants of the Curetonian text, corroborations from many other MSS., and a list of quotations from ancient authors. Edited by Agnes Smith Lewis. With four facsimiles. Contributor: SMITH, afterwards LEWIS, Agnes. Publication Details: London : Williams & Norgate, 1910. Language: syc Uniform Title: Bible.Gospels. Syriac Identifier: System number 000333898 Physical Description: lxxviii, 334, v p. ; 4º. Shelfmark(s): Asia, Pacific & Africa 753.h.38. UIN: BLL01000333898 https://lostchristianity.wordpress.com/tag/jesus-essene-nazareth-nazarene-nazarite-dead-sea-scrolls-qumran-vegetarianism-animal-sacrifice-pharisee-sadducee-josephus-encyclopaedia-biblica-bible-christianity-christians/ http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/ipc/ipc14.htm http://www.thenazareneway.com/Caesar The Heb. word for maketh to tremble, ויתר, also means, 'he releaseth', cf. מותר permitted. http://www.biblicalaudio.com/text/enoch.pdf https://heavenawaits.wordpress.com/metatron-the-lesser-yhvh/ http://www.neirot.com/inspiration/the-eternal-bond#comment-175303 http://www.edah.org/backend/coldfusion/search/document.cfm?title=The%20Way%20of%20Torah&hyperlink=rabin3_1.htm&type=JournalArticle&category=Orthodoxy%20and%20Modernity&authortitle=&firstname=Nahum%20Eliezer%20&lastname=Rabinovitch&pubsource=not%20available&authorid=335&pdfattachment=Rabinovitch3_1.pdf http://www.jlaw.com/Articles/noach2.html http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/loj/loj304.htm http://www.askelm.com/essentials/ess030.htm http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/b/KA/ka-4.htm Do Messianic Jews follow or reject the Talmud? Joel Chasid was kind enough to give me an answer. Joel Chasid

For myself, the Talmud has strengthened my understanding the teachings of our Lord Jesus and His disciples. The Baal Cycle is a Ugaritic cycle of stories about the Canaanite god Baal, also known as Hadad the god of rain, storm and fertility. They are written in Ugaritic, a language written in a cuneiform alphabet, on a series of clay tablets found in the 1920s in the Tell of Ugarit (modern Ras Shamra), situated on the Mediterranean coast of northern Syria, a few kilometers north of the modern city of Latakia, far ahead of the now known coast. The first settlement in southern Mesopotamia was Eridu. The Sumerians claimed that their civilization had been brought, fully formed, to the city of Eridu by their god Enki or by his advisor (or Abgallu from ab=water, gal=big, lu=man), Adapa U-an (the Oannes of Berossus). The first people at Eridu brought with them the Samarran culture from northern Mesopotamia and are identified with the Ubaid period, but it is not known whether or not these were Sumerians (associated later with the Uruk period). Enki was originally patron god of the city of Eridu, but later the influence of his cult spread throughout Mesopotamia and to the Canaanites, Hittites and Hurrians. He was the deity of crafts (gašam); mischief; water, seawater, lakewater (a, aba, ab), intelligence (gestú, literally "ear") and creation (Nudimmud: nu, likeness, dim mud, make beer). He was associated with the southern band of constellations called stars of Ea, but also with the constellation AŠ-IKU, the Field (Square of Pegasus). Beginning around the second millennium BCE, he was sometimes referred to in writing by the numeric ideogram for "40," occasionally referred to as his "sacred number." The planet Mercury, associated with Babylonian Nabu (the son of Marduk) was in Sumerian times, identified with Enki. Curses of Belial (Dead Sea Scrolls, 394, 4Q286(4Q287, fr. 6)=4QBerakhot) In the Dead Sea Scrolls, there exists a fragment entitled “Curses of Belial” (4Q286(4Q287, fr. 6)=4QBerakhot). This fragment holds much rich language that reflects the sentiment shared between the Qumran towards Belial. In many ways this text shows how these people thought Belial influenced sin through the way they address him and speak of him. By addressing “Belial and all his guilty lot,” (4Q286:2) they make it clear that he is not only impious, but also guilty of sins. Informing this state of uncleanliness are both his “hostile” and “wicked design” (4Q286:3,4). Through this design, Belial poisons the thoughts of those who are not necessarily sinners. Thus a dualism is born from those inclined to be wicked and those who aren’t.[42] It is clear that Belial directly influences sin by the mention of “abominable plots” and “guilty inclination” (4Q286:8,9). These are both mechanisms by which Belial advances his evil agenda that the Qumran have exposed and are calling upon God to protect them from. There is a deep sense of fear that Belial will “establish in their heart their evil devices” (4Q286:11,12). This sense of fear is the stimulus for this prayer in the first place. Without the worry and potential of falling victim to Belial’s demonic sway, the Qumran people would never feel impelled to craft a curse. This very fact illuminates the power Belial was believed to hold over mortals, and the fact that sin proved to be a temptation that must stem from an impure origin. In Jubilees 1:20, Belial’s appearance continues to support the notion that sin is a direct product of his influence. Moreover, Belial’s presence acts as a placeholder for all negative influences or those that would potentially interfere with God’s will and a pious existence. Similarly to the “gentiles…[who] cause them to sin against you” (Jubilees 1:19), Belial is associated with a force that drives one away from God. Coupled in this plea for protection against foreign rule, in this case the Egyptians, is a plea for protection from “the spirit of Belial” (Jubilees 1:19). Belial’s tendency is to “ensnare [you] from every path of righteousness” (Jubilees 1:19). This phrase is intentionally vague, allowing room for interpretation. Everyone, in one way or another, finds themselves straying from the path of righteousness and by pawning this transgression off on Belial, he becomes a scapegoat for all misguidance, no matter what the cause. By associating Belial with all sorts of misfortune and negative external influence, the Qumran people are henceforth allowed to be let off for the sins they commit. Belial’s presence is found throughout the War Scrolls, located in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and is established as the force occupying the opposite end of the spectrum of God. In Col. I, verse 1, the very first line of the document, it is stated that “the first attack of the Sons of Light shall be undertaken against the forces of the Sons of Darkness, the army of Belial” (1Q33;1:1).[43] This dichotomy sheds light on the negative connotations that Belial held at the time.[44] Where God and his Sons of Light are forces that protect and promote piety, Belial and his Sons of Darkness cater to the opposite, instilling the desire to sin and encouraging destruction. This opposition is only reinforced later in the document; it continues to read that the “holy ones” will “strike a blow at wickedness,” ultimately resulting in the “annihilation of the Sons of Darkness” (1Q33:1:13). This epic battle between good and evil described in such abstract terms, however it is also applicable to everyday life and serves as a lens through which the Qumran see the world. Every day is the Sons of Light battle evil and call upon God to help them overcome evil in ways small and large. Belial’s influence is not taken lightly. In Col. XI, verse 8, the text depicts God conquering the “hordes of Belial” (1Q33;11:8). This defeat is indicative of God’s power over Belial and his forces of temptation. However the fact that Belial is the leader of hordes is a testament to how persuasive he can be. If Belial was obviously an arbiter of wrongdoing and was blatantly in the wrong, he wouldn’t be able to amass an army. This fact serves as a warning message, reasserting God’s strength, while also making it extremely clear the breadth of Belial’s prowess. Belial’s “council is to condemn and convict,” so the Qumran feel strongly that their people are not only aware of his purpose, but also equipped to combat his influence (1Q33;13:11). In the Damascus Document, Belial also makes a prominent appearance, being established as a source of evil and an origin of several types of sin. In Column 4, the first mention of Belial reads: “Belial shall be unleashed against Israel” (4Q266). This phrase is able to be interpreted myriad different ways. Belial is characterized in a wild and uncontrollable fashion, making him seem more dangerous and unpredictable. The notion of being unleashed is such that once he is free to roam; he is unstoppable and able to carry out his agenda uninhibited. The passage then goes to enumerate the “three nets” (4Q266;4:16) by which Belial captures his prey and forces them to sin. “Fornication…, riches…, [and] the profanation of the temple” (4Q266;4:17,18) make up the three nets. These three temptations were three agents by which people were driven to sin, so subsequently, the Qumran people crafted the nets of Belial to rationalize why these specific temptations were so toxic. Later in Column 5, Belial is mentioned again as one of “the removers of bound who led Israel astray” (4Q266;5:20). This statement is a clear display of Belial’s influence over man regarding sin. The passage goes on to state: “they preached rebellion against…God” (4Q266;5:21,22). Belial’s purpose is to undermine the teachings of God, and he achieves this by imparting his nets on humans, or the incentive to sin. At this point I do not think that John the Baptist or Jesus was an Essene. The self-isolation of the Essene communities, was in stark contrast to the style of life of the last Prophet of the old Covenant and the founder of Christianity. John's baptisms drew large crowds to the disdain of Herod. And the activity of Jesus surrounded all human life. The preaching John and Jesus was for all to hear. The difference between John and Jesus was our Lord did not reject history and human societies, the functions and their institutions. But, Jesus did rebuke Jews from following human tradition that modified the torah. Unlike the Essenes, Jesus, moved from place to place to teach, goes to the temple, visiting synagogues , accept invitations to various homes for participation in meals. The life of the people was accepted in its entirety, except the evil and sin. The reason Jesus was talking about sanctification of all elements of the world and man and for reconciliation of man with nature and God . The eschatological Essene communities instead manifested refusal and opposition to the natural world and of this story, to the human body and the functions of sex to marriage and social institutions without accepting human social and historical context. Both John and Jesus knew the history of the Essenes, Sadducees, and Pharisees. But, Jesus knew intimately their beliefs and the beliefs of every other culture in the world since the beginning of time. Soma (Sanskrit सोम sóma), or Haoma (Avestan), from Proto-Indo-Iranian *sauma-, was a Vedic ritual drink of importance among the early Indo-Iranians, and the subsequent Vedic and greater Persian cultures. It is frequently mentioned in the Rigveda, whose Soma Mandala contains 114 hymns, many praising its energizing qualities. The Chinese word for cannabis hemp is Huo Ma or literally "fire hemp". The choice of Cannabis as a candidate is further supported by the traditional Zulu use of this drug for energizing warriors. Sufic Islamists and Zoroastarians use cannabis. Zoroaster (c. 628-c. 551 BC), the Persian prophet, is responsible for the earliest mention of the plant's use as a sacrament. He gave hemp first place in the sacred text, the Zend-Avesta, which lists over 10,000 medicinal plants. For the Zoroastrians - among whom may have been the biblical Magi - cannabis was considered the chief religious sacrament of the priest class. Aka Manah (Akoman, Ako-Manah) is the Avestan language name for the most powerful of all Zoroastrian daeva "Evil Mind", "Evil Purpose", "Evil Thinking" or "Evil Intention". Aka Manah inspires the evil sorcerous mind. Aka Manah has no material form but when evoked manifests he has been described as a shadowy flame lit from within with a baneful light. Aka Manah was sent by Ahriman to seduce the prophet Zarathustra. His eternal opponent is Vohu Manah. From the Firdawsi's Shahnameh, the Book of Kings: Image of the Div (demon) Akvan pausing before hurling Rustam into the water. 16th-17th century. Library of Congress Persian Collection A Zoroastrian Sephirot The Bactria–Margiana Archaeological Complex (or BMAC, also known as the Oxus civilization) is the modern archaeological designation for a Bronze Age civilisation of Central Asia, dated to ca. 2300–1700 BCE, located in present day northern Afghanistan, eastern Turkmenistan, southern Uzbekistan and western Tajikistan, centered on the upper Amu Darya (Oxus River). Its sites were discovered and named by the Soviet archaeologist Viktor Sarianidi (1976). Bactria was the Greek name for the area of Bactra (modern Balkh), in what is now northern Afghanistan, and Margiana was the Greek name for the Persian satrapy of Margu, the capital of which was Merv, in modern-day southeastern Turkmenistan. Bird-Headed Man with two Snakes, bronze. Northern Afghanistan, 2000-1500 B.C. Tools and Equipment; seals Bronze 2 7/8 in. (7.30 cm) Shinji Shumeikai Acquisition Fund (AC1995.5.6) http://collections.lacma.orgSPAM176930 The Karura (迦楼羅) is a divine creature with human torso and birdlike head in Japanese Hindu-Buddhist mythology. Tokyo National Museum Asuras are demigods, or semi-blessed beings. They are powerful, yet fierce and quarrelsome, and like humans, they are partly good and partly evil. In their earliest Hindu and Brahman manifestations, the Ashura are always fighting the Ten (Deva) for supremancy (often battling the deities commanded by Taishakuten, the Lord Indra of Hindu mythology). The Ashura are sometimes compared to the Titans of Greek mythology — in one legend, they stand in the ocean with the water coming up to only their knees. But in most accounts, the Ashura are not giants. The Buddhist asuras are broadly derived, in general character, from the wicked asuras of Hinduism, Some say Ashura was an Indian royal who converted to Buddhism. In other Hindu traditions, Ashura is a sun goddess, feared for bringing droughts. Ashurkhana (Hussainia, Imambargah) is a congregation hall for Shia commemoration ceremonies for martyred Imam (Islamic worship leader). http://youtu.be/SepSVRz4LA0 Did Zarathustra live or visit the Indus Valley? I have read that Zoroaster was born into Spitama clan and was a Vedic Brahmin priest. And like Abraham he rejected the Asuras and believed in one god. The opposite of the eagle winged solar disc is the bat winged upside down pentagram. http://www.theorderofphosphorus.com/articles_vampirism.html Exodus 20:21 And a stranger shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. There are those who consider Qumran texts Roman propaganda.

Happy memorial day. Joe and I first visited my father's grave. Then my buddy Mike came over and we all went to Arlington Cemetery to visit Joe's father's grave.

Happy memorial day. Joe and I first visited my father's grave. Then my buddy Mike came over and we all went to Arlington Cemetery to visit Joe's father's grave. Solomon ben Abraham ben Samuel (called "Rashba of the mountain," also known as Solomon of Montpellier, was a Provençal rabbi and Talmudist of the first half of the 13th century. He was rabbi at Montpellier, and leader of the movement against Maimonides. The Rashba, cited in full in Ein Ya'akov, took the following passage as an opportunity to explain at length his allegorical approach to understanding Aggadah. Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Berakoth Folio 54a - 54b CHAPTER IX The Rashba explains that the mountain symbolizes the patriarchs, and that Og (Amorite king of Bashan) was hoping to defeat the Jews with the merit he had acquired by assisting Abraham. However, with the combined merit of Moses, the Jews and the patriarchs, they were able to withstand Og's merit. As a gentile I have to remind myself of the persecutions and suffering of the Jewish Dispora leading up to the Talmudic period, then later during the Ein Yaakov period. I often wonder if my Spanish ancestors were converted Jews. The Tuya side of my family, including myself, tends to be slightly superstitious. Jewish Rabbis repeatedly state that many passages are written under the cover of coded allegory to allude oppressors of their faith. Thus the writings are written in a spiritual language that a Jew educated in the faith can understand. It is my current belief that many esoteric Christians viewed many of these allegories in the literal sense. Ein Yaakov: The Ethical and Inspirational Teachings of the Talmud By Jacob ben Solomon Ibn Ḥabib, Avraham Ein Yaakov (Hebrew: עין יעקב‎) is a compilation of all the Aggadic material in the Talmud together with commentaries. Its introduction contains an account of the history of Talmudic censorship and the term Gemara. It was compiled by Jacob ibn Habib and (after his death) by his son Rabbi Levi ibn Habib. Aggadah is a compendium of rabbinic texts that incorporates folklore, historical anecdotes, moral exhortations, and practical advice in various spheres, from business to medicine. Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto, the Ramchal, explains that the Oral Law, in fact, comprises two components: the legal component (חלק המצוות), discussing the mitzvot and halakha; and "the secret" component (חלק הסודות), discussing the deeper teachings. The aggadah, along with the Kabbalah, falls under the latter. The rabbis of the Mishnaic era believed that it would be dangerous to record the deeper teachings in explicit, mishnah-like, medium. Rather, they would be conveyed in a "concealed mode" and via "paradoxes". (Due to their value, these teachings should not become accessible to those "of bad character" and due to their depth they should not be made available to those "not schooled in the ways of analysis".) This mode of the transmission was nevertheless based on consistent rules and principles such that those "equipped with the keys" would be able to unlock their meaning; to others they would appear as non-rational or fantastic.

Devout Jews do think Christians are worshiping a false idol in Jesus Christ. Idolatry is one of three sins (along with adultery and murder) the Mishnah says must be resisted to the point of death. If yes, then no professed Christian including myself could never be considered a gate proselyte. Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sanhedrin Folio 93a Jews do not accept that Jesus Christ is their salvation. Further, they resent Christians trying to convert them. Some devout Jews consider converted Messianic Jews the biggest threat to their people. Messianic Jews have been called spiritual Nazis. Messianic Jews believe that the fulfillment of prophecy where the Hashem Holy Spirit on a supernatural level in 1967 where Jerusalem was taken over by Jews and the spiritual revival of Jesus appearing and converting traditional Jews. Rabbi Kaduri http://youtu.be/GKDp8aNTbrU Watch 'How Messianic Judaism is different from Christianity' byJoel Chernoff It is interesting note that Messianic Jews are devout Zionist that believe that Hashem is restoring Israel physically and spiritually. I contacted Jews for Jesus about their faith Did Hashem's commands get corrupted? Is ok to name the Divine name of Hashem as long as your state that you are living by the Bible in truth and not in vain? Is ok to name the Divine name of Hashem as long as your state that you are living by the Torah in truth and not in vain? It appears that it is ok to say the name as long as it is the truth or as long as you are speaking the truth. Exodus 23:1 Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Deuteronomy 5:20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor. Plain meaning of these verses seem to imply an oath (as in a court of law). There is clear difference of meaning for Jews and Christians on Leviticus 24:16. Septuagint Leuitikon 24:16 Whoever names the name of the Lord—by death let him be put to death; let the whole congregation of Israel stone him with stones. Whether a guest or a native, when he names the name, let him die. The Greek word blaptikos occurs neither as the lemma text of the edition nor as a variant in either apparatus criticus. In point of fact, it does not occur anywhere in the Septuagint. Leviticus (Vayikra) 24:16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, [and] all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name [of the LORD], shall be put to death. As I am now aware. Those of the Jewish faith believe that you should not name the Divine Name at all. The Talmud states that anyone who pronounces the divine name as it is spelt will not have a portion in the world to come after the resurrection. This seems to originate from http://www.sacred-texts.com/jud/t02/ros03.htm https://books.google.com/books?id=hS1VAAAAMAAJ&lpg=PA26&ots=QOQAKU14KG&dq=Rosh%20Hashanah%20the%20greeks%20decreed%20the%20name%20of%20god&pg=PA26#v=onepage&q=Rosh%20Hashanah%20the%20greeks%20decreed%20the%20name%20of%20god&f=false https://theorthodoxlife.wordpress.com/2012/03/12/masoretic-text-vs-original-hebrew/ Unetanneh Tokef, Unethanneh Toqeph, Un'taneh Tokef, or Unesanneh Tokef (ונתנה תוקף) ("Let us speak of the awesomeness ") is a piyyut that has been a part of the Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur liturgy in rabbinical Judaism for centuries. It introduces the Kedusha of Musaf for these days. It is chanted while the Torah ark (receptacle, or ornamental closet, which contains each synagogue's Torah scrolls) is open and the congregants are standing. The fourth paragraph of Unetanneh Tokef praises God as exalted above all existence, and begs Him to sanctify His Name by redeeming Israel - transitioning directly into the kedusha: Philippians 2 2 Corinthians 12 13:3 since you are demanding proof that Christ is speaking through me. He 5 is not weak toward you but is powerful among you. 13:4 For indeed he was crucified by reason of weakness, but he lives because of God’s power. For we also are weak in him, but we will live together with him, because of God’s power toward you. 13:5 Put yourselves to the test to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize regarding yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you – unless, indeed, you fail the test! 13:6 And I hope that you will realize that we have not failed the test! 13:7 Now we pray to God that you may not do anything wrong, not so that we may appear to have passed the test, but so that you may do what is right even if we may appear to have failed the test. 13:8 For we cannot do anything against the truth, but only for the sake of the truth. 13:9 For we rejoice whenever we are weak, but you are strong. And we pray for this: that you may become fully qualified. 11 13:10 Because of this I am writing these things while absent, so that when I arrive 12 I may not have to deal harshly with you 13 by using my authority – the Lord gave it to me for building up, not for tearing down! 1 Timothy 2 Matthew 20 Hashem and His Word and Spirit revealed moral and spiritual wisdom long before the new covenant was revealed to man. The last shall come first, and the first the last vineyard parable is similar to Aesop's turtle and hare story. Aesop (620–564 BCE) was an Ancient Greek story teller credited with a number of fables now collectively known as Aesop's Fables. As I previously stated, Hashem does not measure good and evil on scales. His system of giving grace is for him alone to choose. But, he has shown that his love for mercy and kindness is beyond measure. I believe Hashem wants us to love and fear his commands through the testimony Jesus, Angels, Prophets, and Communion of Saints. No matter who we are and what we have done if we just open our hearts to the Wisdom the Holy Spirit provides free of charge, then we will see the truth of what it means to be a lamb of our Lord. I praise Our Father for sharing this wisdom to a sinner. Praise Jesus for coming to my life. Praise the Holy Spirit for showing me Wisdom. I have a long way to go and short time to get there. But, I believe with the help of the Trinity of one Creator my pride will be stripped away and I will become a humble spirit. (Thaiman) and it is the name of a district and town in the land of Edom, named after Teman the grandson of Esau (the older son of Isaac), the son of his firstborn, Eliphaz (first-born son of Esau). The Midrash relates that when Jacob escaped from Esau and fled to his uncle Laban in Haran, Esau sent Eliphaz to pursue and kill Jacob, his uncle, who was his Rabbi also. When they met, Jacob implored Eliphaz not to kill him, but Eliphaz challenged that he had his father's instructions to fulfill. Jacob gave everything he had with him to Eliphaz and said, ”Take what I have, for a poor man is counted as dead." Eliphaz was satisfied and left his uncle and rabbi poor, but still alive: (Rashi to Book of Genesis Gen 29:11). Teman (Hebrew: תמין), was the name of an ancient biblical town of Arabia Petraea. The term is also traditionally applied to Yemenite Jews. Arabia Petraea, also called Provincia Arabia or simply Arabia, was a frontier province of the Roman Empire beginning in the 2nd century; it consisted of the former Nabataean kingdom in Jordan, southern Levant, the Sinai Peninsula and northwestern Arabian peninsula. Its capital was Petra. It was bordered on the north by Syria, on the west by Iudaea (merged with Syria from 135 AD) and Aegyptus, and on the south and east by the rest of Arabia, known as Arabia Deserta and Arabia Felix. trained in the school of Pamphilus, the disciple of Origen. Eusebius claimed that he had transcribed and translated the actual letter in the Syriac chancery documents of the king of Edessa. In AD 384, Egeria, a pilgrim from either Gaul or Spain, was given a personal tour by the Bishop of Edessa, who gave her many marvellous accounts of miracles that had saved Edessa from the Persians and put into her hands transcripts of the correspondence of Abgarus and Jesus, with embellishments. Part of her accounts of her travels, in letters to her sisterhood, survive. "She naïvely supposed that this version was more complete than the shorter letter which she had read in a translation at home, presumably one brought back to the Far West by an earlier pilgrim" (Palmer 1998). Her escorted tour, accompanied by a translator, was thorough; the bishop is quoted: "Now let us go to the gate where the messenger Ananias came in with the letter of which I have been telling you." (Palmer). There was however, no mention of any image reported by Egeria, who spent three days inspecting every corner of Edessa and the environs. The next stage of development appears in the Doctrine of Addai [Thaddeus], c. 400, which introduces a court painter among a delegation sent by Abgar to Jesus, who paints a portrait of Jesus to take back to his master: The mandylion was a semi-legendary relic of Christianity, a square or rectangular piece of cloth bearing the image of the face of Jesus Christ, and first appearing in the city of Edessa in the 6th century. The later legend of the image recounts that because the successors of Abgar reverted to paganism, the bishop placed the miraculous image inside a wall, and setting a burning lamp before the image, he sealed them up behind a tile; that the image was later found again, after a vision, on the very night of the Persian invasion, and that not only had it miraculously reproduced itself on the tile, but the same lamp was still burning before it; further, that the bishop of Edessa used a fire into which oil flowing from the image was poured to destroy the Persians. Abgar with the Image of Edessa. Photo of 10th century icon at St Catherine's monastery, Mount Sinai. This is a wing of a triptych, the missing central panel of which presumably showed the Image. "Abgar" resembles portraits of Emperor Constantine VII Porphyrogenitus, in whose reign the Image was brought to Constantinople in 944; the icon probably dates to soon after this. It is the earliest surviving representation of the Image or Mandylion. The image itself is said to have resurfaced in 525, during a flood of the Daisan, a tributary stream of the Euphrates that passed by Edessa. This flood is mentioned in the writings of the court historian Procopius of Caesarea. In the course of the reconstruction work, a cloth bearing the facial features of a man was discovered hidden in the wall above one of the gates of Edessa. Writing soon after the Persian siege of 544, Procopius says that the text of Jesus' letter, by then including a promise that "no enemy would ever enter the city", was inscribed over the city gate, but does not mention an image. Procopius is sceptical about the authenticity of the promise, but says that the wish to disprove it was part of the Persian king Khosrau I's motivation for the attack, as "it kept irritating his mind". Some fifty years later, Evagrius Scholasticus in his Ecclesiastical History (593) is the first to mention a role for the image in the relief of the siege, attributing it to a "God-made image," a miraculous imprint of the face of Jesus upon a cloth. Thus we can trace the development of the legend from a letter, but no image in Eusebius, to an image painted by a court painter in Addai, which becomes a miracle caused by a miraculously-created image supernaturally made when Jesus pressed a cloth to his wet face in Evagrius. It was this last and latest stage of the legend that became accepted in Eastern Orthodoxy, the image of Edessa that was "created by God, and not produced by the hands of man". This idea of an icon that was Acheiropoietos (Αχειροποίητος, literally "not-made-by-hand") is a separate enrichment of the original legend: similar legends of supernatural origins have accrued to other Orthodox icons. It has been suggested that the artist may have seen the Shroud of Turin, however, there is no continuous historical record of it before the 14th century. There are rather historical references and artist depictions prior to the 14th century that indicate that the Shroud of Turin and the Image of Edessa are the same. This includes desciptions of the Image of Edessa that match the Shroud of Turin (Bishop of Constantanople sermon, ca 944), commentary by Ordericus Vitalis in 1130 that the Image was a "body of the Lord", research that matches the facial image of the Shroud of Turin to coinage depicting the Image of Edessa, etc. In addition, research by John Jackson about folds discovered during the STURP investigation indicated that fold marks in the Shroud of Turin demonstrated that the cloth had been folded in a manner that only revealed its face, thereby demonstrating that the Shroud of Turin had been folded in a manner that would have been required to display the face only as in the Image of Edessa. http://otherworldmystery.com/the-shroud-of-turin-real-or-fake Listen to Daniel and Tegan Klenner covering House Of God Forever by Jon Foreman. Ephraim and Judah, Judah and Israel, Judah and Samaria According to a Jewish legend, Menachem, passed at least some of his mystical knowledge to the Talmudic mystic Nehunya ben HaKanah, to whom the Kabbalistic tradition attributes Sefer HaBahir and, by some opinions, Sefer HaKanah, Sefer HaPeliah and Sefer HaTemunah. Some Essene rituals, such as daily immersion in the mikveh, coincide with contemporary Hasidic practices; some historians have also suggested that the name "Essene" is a Hellenized form of the word "Hasidim" or "Hasid" ("pious ones"). However, the legendary connections between Essene and Kabbalistic tradition are not verified by modern historians. Vāyu is a primary Hindu deity, the Lord of the winds. He is also known as Vāta, Pavana (the Purifier), and sometimes Prāṇa (the breath). The Sanskrit word 'Vāta' literally means "blown", 'Vāyu' "blower", and 'Prāna' "breathing" (viz. the breath of life, cf. the *an- in 'animate'). Hence, the primary referent of the word is the "deity of Life", who is sometimes for clarity referred to as "Mukhya-Vāyu" (the chief Vāyu) or "Mukhya Prāna" (the chief of Life). It appears my search for the origin of the word spirit is prana. This is not taking account the Jewish meaning of spirit and God's Holy Spirit as I understand it. 1. Vohu Manah -Middle Persian -'Good Mind' - Vahman or Bahman of cattle (and all animal creation) 2. Asha Vahista - Middle Persian - 'Supreme Truth - Ardwahisht of fire (and all other luminaries) 3. Kshathra Vairya - Middle Persian - 'Excellent Dominion' - Shahrevar of metals (and minerals) 4. Spenta Armaiti - Middle Persian - 'Benign Thought' - Spendarmad of earth 5. Haurvatat - Middle Persian - 'Perfection' - Hordad or Khordad of water 6. Ameretat - Middle Persian - 'Deathlessness' - Amurdad of plants 7. Ahura Mazda - Middle Persian - the guardian of humankind In 1870, an Aramaic manuscript entitled "The Gospel of the Nazirenes" was discovered, translated and published. The first collected volume was issued by The Order of At-One-Ment and United Templars Society—a publishing imprint which the author had established in 1881. The explanatory preface referred to an ancient source manuscript "preserved in the Monasteries of Tibet" which has never been produced or proven to exist. In subsequent editions, released during the early 1900s, the anonymous Editors revised their claim by stating that the text was "communicated" by departed mystics "in dreams and visions of the night". http://www.thenazareneway.com/ght_table_of_contents.htm Title: The Old Syriac Gospels or Evangelion Da-Mepharreshê; being the text of the Sinai or Syro-Antiochene palimpsest, including the latest additions and emendations, with the variants of the Curetonian text, corroborations from many other MSS., and a list of quotations from ancient authors. Edited by Agnes Smith Lewis. With four facsimiles. Contributor: SMITH, afterwards LEWIS, Agnes. Publication Details: London : Williams & Norgate, 1910. Language: syc Uniform Title: Bible.Gospels. Syriac Identifier: System number 000333898 Physical Description: lxxviii, 334, v p. ; 4º. Shelfmark(s): Asia, Pacific & Africa 753.h.38. UIN: BLL01000333898 https://lostchristianity.wordpress.com/tag/jesus-essene-nazareth-nazarene-nazarite-dead-sea-scrolls-qumran-vegetarianism-animal-sacrifice-pharisee-sadducee-josephus-encyclopaedia-biblica-bible-christianity-christians/ http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/ipc/ipc14.htm http://www.thenazareneway.com/Caesar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-Dq1khdjC0 Prana is universal energy. Master Stephen believes that we must have a pure head, throat, and heart to be grateful for the gift of Prana. In Christianity the Holy Spirit is more than just breath. It dwells in us. Watch the Senator Obama's Sermon on the Mount Speech video and really think on the words he says. His statements represent the thoughts of others who believe that the laws of Moses and Jesus are not a good fit with this generation. That the gift of liberty our Lord has bestowed upon us restricts our freedom on earth. Now watch Jesus Sermon on the Mount The wrath of Hashem is more devastating than what the evil one can ever do. Admah (or Adamah - earth) was one of the city states of the Vale of Siddim. Shinab was king of Admah. Zeboiim has been recently associated with ruins SE of the Dead Sea. Shemeber was king of Zeboiim.

I contacted Hounnon Houedossi Ahouegnon, known as 'Mami Wata,' a priestess of African Vodun in the pantheon of Mami Wata about her faith. Mark 5 Dan Tribe plate on gate to Heichal Shlomo, Jerusalem Genesis 49 Listen to "Steve Vai - Crossroads guitar duel." The battle between good and evil takes many forms. In 381 AD the second ecumenical council of Constantinople decreed the Holy Spirit as "proceeding from the Father" based on Jesus statement in the Gospel of John, chapter 15, verse 26. John 15 1 Corinthians 2 Isaiah 40 1 John 5

The Didache Chapter 5 Demonic spirits have been recognized since the beginning of recorded history. Demonic spirits have been recorded in the Torah, New Testament, and Quran. These spirits reside in oracles, magicians, and even disguised a departed Saints. The oldest Demonic spirit is the serpent spirit (also known as the Python spirit or Satan). Demonic spirits require prayer and sacrifice, which greatly angers the Lord of all Spirits, Hashem. Individuals possessed of demonic spirits are revered, feared, consulted with, rebuked, and excorcised by the holy. Lycurgus Consulting the Pythia (1835/1845), as imagined by Eugène Delacroix. The Pythia commonly known as the Oracle of Delphi, was the name of any priestess throughout the history of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi, located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, beneath the Castalian Spring (the new priestess was selected after the death of the current priestess). The Oracle of Delphi was always a woman. The Pythia was widely credited for her prophecies inspired by Apollo. The Delphic oracle was established in the 8th century BC, although it may have been present in some form in Late Mycenaean times, from 1400 BC and was abandoned, and there is evidence that Apollo took over the shrine from an earlier dedication to Gaia. The last recorded response was given about 395 A.D. to Emperor Theodosius I, after he had ordered pagan temples to cease operation. During this period the Delphic Oracle was the most prestigious and authoritative oracle among the Greeks. The oracle is one of the best-documented religious institutions of the classical Greeks. Authors who mention the oracle include Aeschylus, Aristotle, Clement of Alexandria, Diodorus, Diogenes, Euripides, Herodotus, Julian, Justin, Livy, Lucan, Nepos, Ovid, Pausanias, Pindar, Plato, Plutarch, Sophocles, Strabo, Thucydides and Xenophon. The name "Pythia" derived from Pytho, which in myth was the original name of Delphi. The Greeks derived this place name from the verb, pythein (πύθειν, "to rot"), which refers to the decomposition of the body of the monstrous Python after he was slain by Apollo. The Homeric Hymns and Homerica Hymn 3 to Apollo English Translation by Hugh G. Evelyn-White. Inscriptions show that there was a temple of Apollo Delphinius （cp. ll. 495-6） at Cnossus and a Cretan month bearing the same name. Apollo killing Python. A 1581 engraving by Virgil Solis for Ovid's Metamorphoses, Book I. Pythia was the House of Snakes. The usual theory has been that the Pythia delivered oracles in a frenzied state induced by vapors rising from a chasm in the rock, and that she spoke gibberish which priests interpreted as the enigmatic prophecies preserved in Greek literature. According to earlier myths, the office of the oracle was initially possessed by the goddesses Themis and Phoebe, and the site was initially sacred to Gaia. Subsequently it was believed to be sacred to Poseidon, the "Earth-shaker" god of earthquakes. In some versions of the Greek flood myth, the ark of Deucalion comes to rest on the slopes of Parnassus. This is the version of the myth recounted in Ovid's Metamorphoses. Deucalion (/djuːˈkeɪliən/; Greek: Δευκαλίων) was the son of Prometheus; ancient sources name his mother as Clymene, Hesione, or Pronoia. He is closely connected with the Flood myth, according to which, the anger of Zeus was ignited by the hubris of the Pelasgians. So Zeus decided to put an end to the Bronze Age. According to this story, Lycaon, the king of Arcadia, had sacrificed a boy to Zeus, who was appalled by this savage offering. Zeus unleashed a deluge, so that the rivers ran in torrents and the sea flooded the coastal plain, engulfed the foothills with spray, and washed everything clean. Deucalion, with the aid of his father Prometheus, was saved from this deluge by building a chest. Like the Biblical Noah and the Mesopotamian counterpart Utnapishtim, he uses his device to survive the deluge with his wife, Pyrrha. The fullest accounts are provided in Ovid's Metamorphoses (8 AD) and in the Library of Pseudo-Apollodorus.Deucalion, who reigned over the region of Phthia, had been forewarned of the flood by his father, Prometheus. Deucalion was to build a chest and provision it carefully (no animals are rescued in this version of the Flood myth), so that when the waters receded after nine days, he and his wife Pyrrha, daughter of Epimetheus, were the one surviving pair of humans. Their chest touched solid ground on Mount Parnassus, or Mount Etna in Sicily, or Mount Athos in Chalkidiki, or Mount Othrys in Thessaly. Deluge, Engraving by Virgil Solis During the Greek Dark Age, from the 11th to the 9th century BC, a new god of prophecy, Apollo, allegedly seized the temple and expelled the twin guardian serpents of Gaia, whose bodies he wrapped around the caduceus. Later myths stated that Phoebe or Themis had "given" the site to Apollo, rationalizing its seizure by priests of the new god, but presumably, having to retain the priestesses of the original oracle because of the long tradition. Apparently Poseidon was mollified by the gift of a new site in Troizen. The Apostles mission was an extension of the mission of Jesus to heal and cast off demons from the sick. Mark 6 Saint Luke traveled with Saint Paul and Silas to the Roman colony of Philippi, Macedonia. Upon disciples arrival a woman possessed with the spirit of the Python displayed her power by identifying and announcing that these men were servants of the Creator wherever they went. Acts 16 Many believe the inspiration behind ventriloquism originates from an evil familiar spirit. Around the early 1800s the term "ventriloquist" was defined as an act of stagecraft in which a person (a ventriloquist) changes his or her voice so that it appears that the voice is coming from elsewhere, usually a puppeteered "dummy." The term ventriloquist was used in 1650s in the classical sense, from the Latin ventriloquy used in the 1580s + -ist "a particular talent." Ventriloquy originates from the Latin ventralis "of or pertaining to the belly or stomach," from Latin venter (genitive ventris) "belly, paunch; stomach, appetite; womb, unborn child" + loqui "speak" (see locution). Ventriloquy was patterned on Greek engastrimythos, literally "speaking in the belly, belly talker" which was not originally an entertainer's trick but rather a rumbling sort of internal speech, regarded as a sign of spiritual inspiration or (more usually) demonic possession. Engastrimythos is a witchlike descendant of the ancient Sibyls or prophetesses. Engastrimythoi, often male, were ventriloquists who disguised .The engastrimythoi were often mediums in a state of possession trance. Watch "Wanlu's Battle of Belly Talkers - Greetings to our friends in the Philippines" Ventriloquism Tutorial Master Ventriloquist Terry Peterson gives a crash course on how to be a ventriloquist, including how to say the difficult letters without moving the lips, and how to "throw" your voice into a telephone! Now watch "10000 year old Jinn in a man." Is this man possessed, schizophrenic, or an impostor? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Mhi4KBy9g Jeff Dunham with his popular puppet, Achmed. People often fear what they do not understand. A good ventriloquist is able to make inanimate objects (skulls, puppets, dolls, etc..) portray humans behavior as seemingly real. It is possible for a ventriloquist to uses this craft of deception to make inanimate objects appear dangerous or frightening. The phobic person observing these unnatural animated figures may experience heart palpitations,panic attacks, difficulty in breathing, rapid breathing, or choking sensations, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, shaking, shuddering, sweating, dizziness, insomnia, and/or increased sensitivity to sounds and lights.Automatonophobia is the fear of anything that falsely represents a sentient being. In a documentary concerning the film Magic, ventriloquist Dennis Alwood states that every professional ventriloquist has suffered from what psychologists call “spontaneous schizophrenia.” The brain of a ventriloquist is working for essentially two people — the ventriloquist and the dummy — and every once in awhile, the dummy will say something unscripted and the ventriloquist will be forced to react to it. At this point scientists don't know the gene variations that contribute to schizophrenia. Scientists think interactions between genes and the environment are necessary for schizophrenia to develop. Many environmental factors may be involved, such as exposure to viruses or malnutrition before birth, problems during birth, and other not yet known psychosocial factors. "Voices" are the most common type of hallucination in schizophrenia. Many people with the disorder hear voices. The voices may talk to the person about his or her behavior, order the person to do things, or warn the person of danger. Sometimes the voices talk to each other. People with schizophrenia may hear voices for a long time before family and friends notice the problem. A true discourse, upon the matter of Martha Brossier of Romorantin, pretended to be possessed by a devil. Translated out of French into English, by Abraham Hartwell (London: John Wolfe, printer, 1599), Environmental factors associated with the development of schizophrenia include the living environment, drug use and prenatal stressors. It has been hypothesised that in some people, development of schizophrenia is related to intestinal tract dysfunction such as seen with non-celiac gluten sensitivity or abnormalities in the intestinal flora. According to Pastor Steven Waterhouse there are least six factors differentiate schizophrenia from demonic possession as described in the Bible. 1. Attraction to vs. Aversion to Religion. Demons want nothing to do with Christ. Conversely, people with NBD are often devoutly religious. 2. Irrational Speech vs. Rational Speech. In New Testament accounts involving demons, the demons spoke in a rational manner. Untreated people with schizophrenia will often speak in nonsense and jump rapidly between unrelated topics. 3. Ordinary Learning vs. Supernatural Knowledge Demons in the New Testament would speak through people to convey knowledge that otherwise could not have been known to the possessed individuals. Those with NBD have no such ability to know facts which they have not acquired by normal learning. 4. Normal vs. Occultic Phenomena. There is an aspect to demon activity that is just plain spooky (ex.: poltergeists, levitation's, trances, telepathy). These have an impact on others in the room not just the possessed. With schizophrenia, the effect of the disorder is only on the disordered, not others. 5. The claim to be possessed Authors who have clinical experience both with demon possession and mental illness, believe those who claim to be possessed are very likely not possessed. Demons wish to be secretive and do not voluntarily claim to be present. 6. Effects of Therapy. If prayer solves the problem, then it was probably not schizophrenia. If medicine helps alleviate the problem, it was not demon possession. http://www.shoutingfromtherooftop.com/familiar-spirits-can-and-do-plague-christians.html http://www.shoutingfromtherooftop.com/idols.html VOODOOS AND OBEAHS Phases of West India Witchcraft BY JOSEPH J. WILLIAMS, S.J. Chapter IV ORIGIN OF OBEAH Bad Spirits are very real to the Jews. Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Berakoth Folio 6a Pesachim (Hebrew: פסחים‎), often spelt Pesaḥim in academic writings, is the third tractate of Seder Moed ("Order of Festivals") of the Mishnah and of the Talmud. It is concerned mainly with the laws of the Jewish holiday Passover as well as the Passover lamb offering. Within the Pesachim there is a warning for observant Jews not to go out at night or face the chance of Igrath or a destroying angel. Talmud - Mas. Pesachim 112b Mahalath (Hebrew מָחֲלַת, meaning either "sickness", "a company of dancers" or "a harp") was the third mentioned wife of Esau, a daughter of Ishmael and sister of Nebajoth. Esau took Mahalath from the house of Ishmael to be his wife, after seeing that Canaanite wives displeased his father, Isaac (Genesis 28:6-9). It has been proposed by some biblical scholars that Mahalath is another name for Esau's wife Basemath who is mentioned in Genesis. J.B. Phillips suggests that Esau changed the names of his Hittite wives, Judith and Basemath, as a way of pacifying his parents for the grief he caused them when he married Canaanite women: since he had two wives in his life called Basemath, he had to change the Ishmaelite's name, of which he chose: Mahalath. Yalkut Shimoni (I, 110) presents Samael as Esau's guardian angel. The Book of Genesis and Islamic traditions consider Ishmael to be the ancestor of the Ishmaelites. Ishmael (Hebrew: יִשְׁמָעֵאל, Modern Yishma'el, Tiberian Yišmāʻēl ISO 259-3, Yišmaˁel; Greek: Ἰσμαήλ Ismaēl; Arabic: إسماعيل‎ ʾIsmāʿīl; Latin: Ismael) is a figure in the Tanakh and the Qur'an and was Abraham's first son according to Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Ishmael was born to Abraham and Sarah's handmaiden Hagar. According to Muslim tradition, Ishmael and his mother are said to be buried next to the Kaaba in Mecca. According to the historical 21st century ancestry records and census 1st January 2015, shows a family upholding its linage to Basemath and can be traced to scion Ifraz Talib who currently resides in England. In Arabic Talib means "seeker of knowledge, student." Abu Talib was an uncle of Muhammad who raised him after his parents and grandparents died. His name was in fact a kunya (a nickname) formed using Abu; his real name may have been Imran. Agrat bat Mahlat (Igrath the daughter of Mahalath) Considering Mahlat (Mahalath) and Agrat (Igrath) as proper names and bat as "daughter of" (Hebrew), Agrat bat Mahlat means 'Agrat daughter of Mahlat'. Sometimes Agrat is used alone, or with variations (Agrath, Igrat, Iggeret). Iggeret means in Hebrew 'letter or missive' while 'agrah' means 'reward'. Mahlat may be from the word "mahalah" meaning sickness. In Zoharistic Kabbalah, Agrat bat Mahlat is a queen of the demons and one of four angels of sacred prostitution, who mates with archangel Samael. Her fellow succubi are Lilith, Naamah, and Eisheth. In the Rabbinic literature of Yalḳuṭ Ḥadash, on the eves of Wednesday and of the Sabbath, she is "the dancing roof-demon" who haunts the air with her chariot and her train of eighteen myriads of messengers of destruction. She dances while Lilith howls. She is also "the mistress of the sorceresses" who communicated magic secrets to Amemar (Ami Mar), a Jewish Amora sage of Babylon, of the fifth and sixth generation of the Amora era. He is accounted as one of the most prominent sages of his generation and the Headman to his town's sages, Nehardea. Among his disciples, one may find the most prominent sages of the sixth generation of the Amoras, among them: Rav Ashi, the head of the academy of Sura, who became Amemar's "Fellow Student", and R. Huna b. Nathan, the Exilarch. Among his colleagues: Mar Zutra and Rav Ashi, and many times the Talmud records all three of them together. Initially, his hometown was Nehardea, but later he moved to Mahuza, where he also served as a Dayan, religious Judge. Amoraim (Aramaic: plural אמוראים [ʔamoʁaˈʔim], singular Amora אמורא [ʔamoˈʁa]; "those who say" or "those who speak over the people", or "spokesmen"), were renowned Jewish scholars who "said" or "told over" the teachings of the Oral Torah, from about 200 to 500 CE in Babylonia and the Land of Israel. Their legal discussions and debates were eventually codified in the Gemara. The Amoraim followed the Tannaim in the sequence of ancient Jewish scholars. The Tannaim were direct transmitters of uncodified oral tradition; the Amoraim expounded upon and clarified the oral law after its initial codification. The first Babylonian Amoraim were Abba Arika, respectfully referred to as Rav, and his contemporary and frequent debate partner, Shmuel. Among the earliest Amoraim in Israel were Rabbi Yochanan and Shimon ben Lakish. Traditionally, the Amoraic period is reckoned as seven or eight generations (depending on where one begins and ends). The last Amoraim are generally considered to be Ravina I and Rav Ashi, and Ravina II, nephew of Ravina I, who codified the Babylonian Talmud around 500 CE. In total, 761 amoraim are mentioned by name in the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds. 367 of them were active in the land of Israel from around 200-350 CE, while the other 394 lived in Babylonia during 200-500 CE. According to the Kabbalah and the school of Rashba, Agrat bat Mahlat mated with King David and bore a cambion son Asmodeus, king of demons. The spiritual intervention of Hanina ben Dosa and Rabbi Abaye curbed her malevolent powers over humans. Further readings: http://www.slideshare.net/ernestrauthschild/the-curse-of-canaan http://www.blessedquietness.com/journal/housechu/embrace-Hebrew-roots-chapter-4.htm https://bible.org/article/demonism-jewishhellenistic-literature-and-its-relation-mark-5 The Succubus and Sacred Angels of Prostitution https://www.pinterest.com/explorersaurus/do-you-do-voodoo/ Kaitlyn Parks Each Queen was assigned regions by Samael, the Angel of Death, king over all demons (the four Queens being referred to as Samael's concubines). These regional assignments were: Lilith was given reign over the Kingdom of Damascus and the House of Rimmon (Rome) Naamath was given the Kingdom of Tyre (opposite the land of Israel) Mahalath the Kingdoms of Granata (Granada) & Ishmael, Egypt Igrat the Kingdoms of Malta (also called Rhodos) In the field of medicine, there is some belief that the stories relating to encounters with succubi bear similar resemblance to the contemporary phenomenon of people reporting alien abductions, which has been ascribed to the condition known as sleep paralysis. It is therefore suggested that historical accounts of people experiencing encounters with succubi may have been in fact symptoms of sleep paralysis, with the hallucination of the said creatures coming from their contemporary culture. A notable depiction of a Succubus-like vision, in contrast to the Incubus. My Dream, My Bad Dream, 1915 Fritz Schwimbeck Physiologically, sleep paralysis is closely related to REM atonia, the paralysis that occurs as a natural part of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. Sleep paralysis occurs either when falling asleep, or when awakening from sleep. When it occurs upon falling asleep, the person remains aware while the body shuts down for REM sleep, a condition called hypnagogic or predormital sleep paralysis. When it occurs upon awakening, the person becomes aware before the REM cycle is complete, and it is called hypnopompic or postdormital. The original definition of sleep paralysis was codified by Samuel Johnson in his A Dictionary of the English Language as nightmare, a term that evolved into our modern definition. Such sleep paralysis was widely considered the work of demons, and more specifically incubi, which were thought to sit on the chests of sleepers. In Old English the name for these beings was mare or mære (from a proto-Germanic *marōn, cf. Old Norse mara), hence comes the mare in the word nightmare. The word might be etymologically cognate to Greek Marōn (in the Odyssey) and Sanskrit Māra. When I was younger I would experience sleep paralysis. It was quite scary. My body could not move and would feel a dark presence. I would pray to Jesus for help, then my force my finger to move and I would have control of my body again. Some Muslims believe that sleep paralysis problem occurs when one deliberately tries to contact the jinns for no beneficial reason other than curiosity or much worse. With that point out the way let's continue insha Allah In Islamic theology jinn are said to be creatures with free will, made from smokeless fire by Allah as humans were made of clay, among other things. According to the Quran, jinn have free will, and Iblīs abused this freedom in front of Allah by refusing to bow to Adam when Allah ordered angels and jinn to do so. For disobeying Allah, Iblīs was expelled from Paradise and called "Shaytān" (Satan). Jinn are frequently mentioned in the Quran: Surah 72 (named Sūrat al-Jinn) is named after the jinn, and has a passage about them. Another surah (Sūrat al-Nās) mentions jinn in the last verse. The Qurʾan also mentions that Muhammad was sent as a prophet to both "humanity and the jinn", and that prophets and messengers were sent to both communities. The shaytan jinn are akin to demons in Christian tradition, but the jinn are not angels and the Quran draws a clear distinction between the two creations. The Quran states in Sūrat al-Kahf (The Cave), Ayah 50, that Iblis (Azazel) is one of the jinn. The black king of the djinns, Al-Malik al-Aswad, depicted in Kitab al-Bulhan = composite astrology/astronomy/geomancy Arabic manuscript. Original held by the Bodleian Libraries Shelfmark; MS. Bodl. Or. 133. Fol. 30b For the Maghreb, the jinn are another race inhabiting the earth, they are beings who live in deserted places, water sources, graveyards and forests. To manifest, they take various forms (shapeshifter), including those of humans or animals, usually snakes. Specific names of jinn in the Maghreb are: the 'efreet (عفاريت [ɒfɛːɾɪt]) (from' Iphrit عفريت): fire djinns, that inhabit the land. the Maritins (مارد [mɛːɾid]) (from Marid مارد): jinn who live near rivers. Sylphs (سلف [silf]): djinns equipped with wings that populate the heavens. [sura 37, verse 7] Belief in the jinns with their various subdivisions is common throughout the Sudan, especially among those of Arab stock or other Sudanese Muslims. The jinns are not always harmful, but they become so when they are provoked. People have thus developed a wealth of practices to frustrate them. A related belief is that every person is assigned one's own special jinni, also called a qarīn, and if the qarin is evil it could whisper to people's souls and tell them to submit to evil desires.The notion of a qarin is not universally accepted among all Muslims, but it is generally accepted that Shayṭān whispers in human minds, and he is assigned to each human being. In a hadith recorded by Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj, the companion Abdullah, son of Masud reported: 'The Prophet Muhammad said: 'There is not one of you who does not have a jinnī appointed to be his constant companion (qarīn).' They said, 'And you too, O Messenger of Allah?' He said, 'Me too, but Allah has helped me and he has submitted, so that he only helps me to do good. In Arabic folklore, the qarînah (قرينه) is a spirit similar to the succubus, with origins possibly in ancient Egyptian religion or in the animistic beliefs of pre-Islamic Arabia. A qarînah “sleeps with the person and has relations during sleep as is known by the dreams.” They are said to be invisible, but a person with “second sight” can see them, often in the form of a cat, dog, or other household pet. “In Omdurman it is a spirit which possesses. … Only certain people are possessed and such people cannot marry or the qarina will harm them.” In some books, there are mentioned a jinn called Ummu Subyan (sibyan) bothering pregnant women to cause them to suffer miscarriage. http://issuu.com/benpadiah/docs/tod In mythology Guanche of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, there was a belief in beings similar to djinns such as Maxios (lower or domestic genies) and Tibicenas (evil spirits) and the devil Guayota (god Aboriginal evil) that, as with Iblis Arabic, sometimes identifies conmo a genius The Guanches (also: Guanchis or Guanchetos) were the Berber aboriginal inhabitants of the Canary Islands. It is believed that they migrated to the archipelago around 1000 BC or perhaps earlier from North Africa. There was a general belief in a supreme being, called Achamán in Tenerife, Acoran in Gran Canaria, Eraoranhan in Hierro, and Abora in La Palma. The women of Hierro worshipped a goddess called Moneiba. According to tradition, the male and female gods lived in mountains, from which they descended to hear the prayers of the people. On other islands, the natives venerated the sun, moon, earth and stars. A belief in an evil spirit was general. In Tenerife, Magec (god of the Sun) and Chaxiraxi (the goddess mother) were also worshiped.In addition, two paredros also worshiped (mediators or intermediaries between the Mother Goddess and human), a daytime Magek star (sun) and an evening Achuguayo (moon). Chaxiraxi the island was sacred feminine continuation of the other African continental female deities as Astarte or Tanit. The demon of Tenerife was called Guayota and lived at the peak of Teide volcano, which was the hell called Echeyde; in Tenerife and Gran Canaria, the minor demon spirits took the form of wild black woolly dogs with red eyes called Jucanchas in the first and Tibicenas in the latter, which lived in deep caves inside the mountains, emerging at night to attack livestock and human beings. Some existing caves today are still referred to as Tibicena lairs, such as "Cueva del Tibicena". According to myth, Tibicenas attacked livestock and persons, particularly at night. Guanche mythology posited Tibicenas as offspring of Guayota, Inhabitants of Tenerife (where they were called Guacanchas) and Gran Canaria (where they were called Tibicenas) shared a belief in them. Both names refer to the same mythical being. Maxios or "Dioses Paredros" were benevolent minor gods or in the Guanche religion in Tenerife; domestic spirits and guardians of specific places. These were thought to be mediators between humans and Chaxiraxi, the great celestial mother. In times of drought, the Guanches drove their flocks to consecrated grounds, where the lambs were separated from their mothers in the belief that their plaintive bleating would melt the heart of the Great Spirit. During the religious feasts, hostilities were held in abeyance, from war to personal quarrels. The Guanches gathered at holy places they called efequenes or almogarenes (stone temples), where they celebrated rites, cults and offerings directed to the ancestors, and the Mother Goddess paredros, led by the Maguadas, Samarines, Kankus, Guademeñes or Faykanes; In short, the male and female components of the priestly class. The Spanish conquest of the Canaries was a process in which the advance of it consisted of the Catholic clergy, priests and nuns, to which the mercenary army colonizer sent replacing the Guanche spiritual belief to Catholic faith. Churches were built and on all efequenes or almogarenes, forbidding all worship, ritual and spiritual practice Guanche pain of death and in the name of anti-paganism. The resistance of the Guanche people and canary to Catholicism produced a syncretism (misturaje, medley) between Guanche female divinity and the Blessed Mary. The current Canarian village worships multiple and diverse virgins: Candelaria (TF), Pena (FV), Pine (LP), Nieves (P), Dolores (LZ), Guadeloupe (G), Reyes (H), unknowingly professing faith, devotion and admiration to the Mother Goddess. The Virgin of Candelaria (Patron of Canary Islands) in the Basilica of Candelaria (Tenerife). According to a legend recorded by Alonso de Espinosa in 1594, a statue of the Virgin Mary, bearing a child in one hand and a green candle in the other (hence "Candelaria"), was discovered on the beach of Chimisay (Güímar) by two Guanche goatherds in 1392. This was before the Castilian conquest of the island (the island was not fully conquered until 1496). One of the shepherds tried to throw a stone at the statue, but his arm became paralyzed; the other tried to stab the statue with a knife but ended up stabbing himself. The statue was taken by the local Guanche mencey, Acaymo, to the cueva de Chinguaro. The first mass was celebrated at Achbinico on February 2, 1497, and the Adelantado Alonso Fernández de Lugo ordered the construction of a hermitage there, but it was not built until 1526, during the rule of Pedro Fernández de Lugo.This was the site of the Basilica of Our Lady of Candelaria. The basilica was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in the 19th century. The statue itself was lost when a tsunami carried it out to sea in 1826; the present statue is a copy by Fernando Estévez. The image of the Virgin is dressed in rich robes of different colors and jewels. She was declared patroness of the Canary Islands in 1559, by Clement VIII (and principal patroness in 1867 by Pope Pius IX). The Virgin of Candelaria (Virgen de Candelaria, Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria), popularly called La Morenita, is widely prayed to for protection against epidemics, plagues, droughts and volcanic eruptions of Mount Teide and other volcanoes, in a manner similar to the invocation of St. Januarius of Naples to stop the eruptions of Vesuvius and of St. Agatha of Catania to eruptions of Mount Etna in Sicily. Every year on February 2 and August 15 is celebrated a big party in honor of the Virgin. These days there are thousands of pilgrims and tourists coming to Candelaria from all points of the Canary Islands and other parts of Spain and the world. The feast day is marked by a solemn procession and a religious ceremony, although its most famous component is a re-enactment of the discovery of the statue, with locals dressing up as guanche natives The cult of the Virgin of Candelaria swept America due to the emigration of Canaries. They brought the devotion as a symbol of their culture, somewhat similar to the diffusion of the cult of St. Patrick by Irish emigrants. On the other hand, the Candelaria image brought to the Philippines is a white image version with a child. In Guanche belief, the Virgin of Candelaria was identified Chaxiraxi, and her son Chijoraji. She is widely venerated in South America and the Caribbean, where she is the patroness of Oruro and La Paz (Bolivia), Medellín (Colombia) (which was founded as Villa de Nuestra Señora de La Candelaria de Medellín) and Mayagüez (Puerto Rico) (which was founded as Nuestra Señora de la Candelaria de Mayagüez). The Virgin of Candelaria is identified or syncretized with other holy spirits from other religions: In Cuban Santería, the Virgin of Candelaria is identified with Oyá. In Brazilian Candomblé, the Virgin of Candelaria is identified with Oshun. In the Andean religions of South American, the Virgin of Candelaria is identified with the cult to the Pachamama (Mother Earth). In the Cathedral of San Fernando of Texas (the oldest Catholic cathedral in the United States) is a replica of the Virgin of Candelaria, which is accurate to the venerated in the Canary Islands. This is because the city of San Antonio was founded by Canarians. In the Philippines, she is the patroness of Western Visayas and Negros Occidental and a white version with a child is found in the Jaro Cathedral in Iloilo which was brought by the Spanish immigrants during the Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines. Her feast is celebrated every February 2 with a pageantry where the Fiesta queen is chosen from prominent Spanish-Filipino families in the district of Jaro. The image and statue is located atop the cathedral and is the only Marian statue crowned by pope and saint in the Philippines during the visit of Pope John Paul II. In the Hindu religion, the Virgin of Candelaria is Kali, the black patron goddess of the city of Calcutta in India. Read the quote by Sancista Hermano "Brother" Luis, also known as Brujo Luis. He has practiced Caribbean Brujeria Witchcraft for over 20 years and discusses the Sanse spirit world. SANSE! SANTERISMO! PUERTO RICAN BRUJERIA & ESPIRITISMO! PAPA LEGBA SPIRIT AT THE CROSSROADS ELEGBA / PAPA LEGBA / ELEGGUA / LEBA / ELEGBARA 21 DIVISIONES / 21 DIVISION Metresili (Metres Ezili, La Virgen Dolorosa, Our Lady of Sorrows) spirit of love and prosperity. Metresas are female Voodoo spirits (Loases) that govern over human emotions such as Love, desire and passion. Espiritismo (Portuguese and Spanish for "Spiritism") is a term used in Latin America and the Caribbean to refer to the popular belief that good and evil spirits can affect health, luck and other aspects of human life. Espiritismo shares many of its fundamental concepts with 19th century Spiritualism as was practiced in the United States. During this period, several books on mediumship and spiritual practices became available in the Caribbean and Latin America. As many Native Americans and people of African descent had long standing traditions of ancestor worship and trance possession, Spiritualism was readily absorbed into and adapted to these pre-existing belief systems. Espiritismo differs from the Spiritism as the first consist of the syncretic religious practices described above while the second is the established religion-doctrine itself, directly based coding Allan Kardec's and other mediums' books, such as those from Francisco Xavier and Divaldo Franco. Metresili originates from the seven names the Catholic Church has given to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Our Lady of Sorrows (Latin: Beata Maria Virgo Perdolens), the Sorrowful Mother or Mother of Sorrows (Latin: Mater Dolorosa), and Our Lady of Piety, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows or Our Lady of the Seven Dolours are names given to describe the sorrows in Mary's life. The Blessed Virgin Mary has been one of the major subjects of Christian Art, Catholic Art and Western Art for many centuries. Literally hundreds of thousands of pieces of Marian art in the Catholic Church covering a range of Marian artistic topics have been produced, from masters such as Michelangelo and Botticelli to humble peasant artists. Iglesia de la Vera Cruz (Salamanca) The Seven Sorrows (or Dolors) are events in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary that are a popular devotion and are frequently depicted in art. It is a common devotion for Catholics to say daily one Our Father and seven Hail Marys for each. St. Simeon’s Prophecy. (Luke 2:34–35) The Flight into Egypt. (Matthew 2:13) The Loss of Jesus in the Temple. (Luke 2:43–45) The Meeting of Mary and Jesus on the Way to Calvary. The Crucifixion of Jesus. (John 19:25) The Piercing of the Side of Jesus, and His Descent from the Cross. (Matthew 27:57–59) The Burial of Jesus. (John 19:40–42) Among Catholic theologians, it is undisputed that Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and the human race, especially in the salvific role of redemption as exhibited by the crucifixion on Mount Calvary. Accordingly, the word "mediator" in the strict sense fits Jesus alone in relation to God, but in a subordinate sense Christians exercise a mediation "that is effective through, with, and in Christ. The subordinate mediator never stands alone, but is always dependent on Jesus. According to Totus Tuus Ministries a subordinate mediator is defined as someone delegated by the mediator to act in his name and with his authority. The effectiveness of the subordinate mediator derives his influence exclusively from the mediator. This is precisely what the Catholic Church teaches regarding Mary, the saints and anyone else empowered by our Savior Jesus Christ to act in a role of subordinate mediation. Many Catholics and Christians are not aware of the reasons for this apostasy that has discretely used the faces of our Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and the saints with ancient spirits of the past and their servants that are more than willing to perpetuate this blasphemy. I pray that the Church has apologized for damaging so many people.

The Didache Chapter 5 Evil is so seductive. The spirit of deceit will do its very best to make you believe what is its own selfish interest is your own desire. What the spirit of deceit does not want you to know that it bows before Hashem's will. Santeria Church of the Orishas Dedicated to the religion of Santería and worship of the Orishas What’s the Difference Between Legba, Eleggua, Eshu and Exu?! Watch "Planet Doc Voodoo Mysteries." Rhythmic drumming forms an essential musical accompaniment to all vodou ceremonies. Each of the lwa, the spirits, has his or her own rhythm. Poto Mitan is the central pole in the voodoo temple (the hounfour). The term can also be used to designate the "family support", usually the mother. This term refers to that which is at the center of the home, the individual around which everything is organized and supported. Modern New Orleans Voodoo altar. Louisiana State Museum, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Mambo is the Vodou term for a female (as opposed to the Houngan, or male) High Priest in the Vodou religion in Haiti. They are the highest form of clergy in the religion, whose responsibility it is to preserve the rituals and songs and maintain the relationship between the spirits and the community as a whole (though some of this is the responsibility of the whole community as well). They are entrusted with leading the service of all of the spirits of their lineage. Gro Mambo Angélá Noványón Idizol, the founder of Le Peristyle Haitian Sanctuary, as well as the National African Religion Congress (NARC) There are two ranks of mambo, mambo asogwe (high priestess) and mambo sur pwen / mambo sur point ("junior priestess"). A mambo asogwe is the highest member of clergy in vodou; she is the only one with authority to ordain other priests. Houngan is the term for a male priest in Haitian Vodou. The term is derived from the Fon word "hùn gan". There are two ranks of houngan: houngan asogwe (high priest) and houngan sur pwen (junior priest). A houngan asogwe is the highest member of clergy in voodoo and the only one with authority to ordain other priests. Houngan after his Kanzo (Vodou initiation and ordination process) It is the Houngan's role to preserve the rituals and songs and maintain the relationship between the spirits and the community as a whole (though some of this is the responsibility of the whole community as well). They are entrusted with leading the service of all of the spirits of their lineage. Sometimes they may also be bokor (sorcerers). Hashem condemns seeking special knowledge either from the dead in general or from dead relatives (familiar spirits, spirits with whom the one praying had previous personal acquaintance). Leviticus 19 Leviticus Hashem condemns anyone who calls up a spirit of the dead. Leviticus 20 There are two testimonies that give the same account on Hashem choosing to use people and spirits, both good and evil, to fulfill His divine plan. 2 Chronicles 18 1 Kings 22 The Temple of the Python Temple of the Python is located in the town of Ouidah (Whydah Bird of Paradise) on the Atlantic coast of the Republic of Benin. Ouidah historically also called Whydah, Juda, and Ajudá by the Portuguese. The town encompasses an area of 141 sq miles and as of 2002 had a population of 76,555 people Ouidah was originally known as Glexwé, literally 'Farmhouse', and was part of the Kingdom of Whydah. The boundaries of Kingdom of Whydah are similar to today's Republic of Benin. Snake worship at The Temple of Python in Ouidah. The serpent deity Dangbé has been revered in the Ouidah area for centuries. As such the deity's “ancestors”, the XX python, are protected and honored in the city's Temple of the Python. The temple is maintained by the priests of Dangbé, and dozens of the sacred python are housed within. Whydah exported some thousand slaves a month, mainly from the interior of Africa. For this reason, it has been considered a "principal market" for human beings. Vodun (meaning spirit in the Fon and Ewe languages, pronounced [vodṹ] with a nasal high-tone u; also spelled Vodon, Vodoun, Vodou, Voudou, Voodoo, etc.) is practiced by the Ewe people of eastern and southern Ghana, and southern and central Togo; and the Kabye people, Mina people, and Fon people of southern and central Togo, southern and central Benin. It is also practiced by some Gun (Gbe) people of Lagos and Ogun in southwest Nigeria. Ewe religion is organized and centered around a creator/creatress deity, Mawu and Lisa. Mawu and Lisa (Goddess and God) to the Ewe is the Supreme Being and is remote from daily affairs. In addition the Ewe believe in many secondary gods (trɔwo) that are worshiped in unique ways. They also believe in spirit ancestors and divination is practiced. Se is a word for law, order and harmony; Se is the maker and keeper of human souls; in an abstract sense, Se is destiny. Ewe of Dahomey and Togo notes that "in the life of the Dahomian, Mawu is but another Vodu or Yehwe, the two (sets of) terms being synonymous. Mawu is a generic term for "Great God." In Dahomey faith, Mawu (alternately: Mahu) is a creator goddess, associated with the sun and moon. In some myths, she is the twin sister-wife of the male god Lisa; in others, both deities are aspects of the same androgynous or two-spirited deity, Mawu-Lisa. “In the Jewish Kabbalah, you also have the male (Hashem) and female (Shekhina) aspects of God. The dual aspect deity is similar to the Christian view of the reciprocal existence in the three persons of the Trinity Godhead. In Dahomey Nana Buluku is an androgynous Supreme Creator of the Universe and all that exists in it. She is celebrated as Nanã in Candomblé Jejé and as Nana Burukú in Candomblé Ketu, where she is pictured as a very old woman, older than creation itself. Mahu and Lisa are the children of Nana Buluku, and are the parents of Xevioso. Damballa (Dambala, Danbala) is a Vodau serpent Loa of the Dahomeans. His 7000 coils formed the earth and the heavens. The Fon people of Benin believe the rainbow snake Ayida-Weddo, created to serve Nana Buluku, held up the heavens. The creature had a twin personality as the red part of the rainbow was male, while the blue part was female. She is portrayed as a narrow green snake. Like Dambala, she lives in the sky as well as in all the trees, springs, pools, and rivers. In some West African mythology, Mawu the creator sent down Adanhu and Yewa from the sky with the rainbow serpent Ayida-Weddo. Here is an excerpt of the Voodoo creation belief: "In the beginning there was a vast serpent, whose body formed seven thousand coils beneath the earth, protecting it from descent into the abysmal sea. Then the titanic snake began to move and heave its massive form from the earth to envelop the sky. It scattered stars in the firmament and wound its taught flesh down the mountains to create riverbeds. it shot thunderbolts to the earth to create the sacred thunder stones. From its deepest core it released the sacred waters to fill the earth with life. As the first rains fell, a rainbow encompassed the sky and Dambala took her, Ayida Wedo, as his wife. The spiritual nectar that they created reproduces through all men and women as milk and semen. The serpent and the rainbow taught humankind the link between blood and life, between menstruation and birth, and the ultimate Vodou sacrament of blood sacrifice." Dambala and Ayida Wedo Dambala Wedo for Witches After creating the earth and all life and everything else on it, she became concerned that it might be too heavy, so she asked the primeval serpent, Aido Hwedo, to curl up beneath the earth and thrust it up in the sky. When she asked Awe, a monkey she had also created, to help out and make some more animals out of clay, he boasted to the other animals and challenged Mawu. Gbadu, the first woman Mawu had created, saw all the chaos on earth and told her children to go out among the people and remind them that only Mawu can give Sekpoli - the breath of life. Gbadu instructed her daughter, Minona, to go out among the people and teach them about the use of palm kernels as omens from Mawu. When Awe, the arrogant monkey climbed up to the heavens to try to show Mawu that he too could give life, he failed miserably. Mawu made him a bowl of porridge with the seed of death in it and reminded him that only she could give life and that she could also take it away. Watch "Voodoo Mounted by the gods." Dahomey was an African kingdom (located in the area of the present-day country of Benin) which lasted from about 1600 until 1894, when the last chief Behanzin was defeated by the French and the country was annexed into the French colonial empire. Dahomey developed on the Abomey Plateau among the Fon people in the early 17th century and became a regional power in the 18th century by conquering key cities on the Atlantic coast. For much of the 18th and 19th centuries, the Kingdom of Dahomey was a key regional state, eventually ending tributary status to the Oyo Empire.The Kingdom of Dahomey was an important regional power that had an organized domestic economy built on conquest and slave labor, significant international trade with European powers, a centralized administration, taxation systems, and an organized military. Most Dahomeans belong to the Fon tribes (the eastern Ewe), and their language is of the Kwa group of the Guinean languages. The majority of Dahomeans have preserved their ancient tribal beliefs; some practice Islam or Christianity. The Fon call one aspect of their serpent Ancestral deity by the name of Da or Dan. The Ba Kongo referred to this entitity often as Mbada or Mbaza. The Afrikans of Haiti combined these terms and hence we get Damballa. http://www.hope-of-israel.org/i000035a.htm The point of view of those that communicate with spirits. Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Sanhedrin Folio 65a NECROMANCY: By: Joseph Jacobs, Ludwig Blau The first oracle mentioned in history was dedicated to the Hivite serpent god, Ob, or Aub in Canaan. According to the Table of Nations (Genesis 10), the Hivites are one of the descendants of Canaan, son of Ham. (Also 1 Chronicles 1:13-15) A possible origin of the name may be in the Hebrew word chava ( חוה ), which means tent dweller. According to traditional Hebrew sources, the name "Hivite" is related to the Aramaic word "Khiv'va" (HVVA), meaning "snake", and related to the word 'awwiah in Galilee, meaning serpent, since they sniffed the ground like snakes looking for fertile land. The root HVVA is is Eph or Ev one of the first variations of the original Aub. In Genesis 34:2 it is mentioned that Shechem the son of Hamor was a Hivite. In Genesis 34:14, we find that the Hivites did not practice male circumcision, one of the few peoples living in the land of Canaan who did not. Circumcision was a common practice among the peoples living in Canaan. Egyptians, Edomites, Ammonites, Moabites, and various Canaanite tribes practiced male circumcision along with the Hebrews. Other than Israel’s nemesis – the Philistines – the Hivites appear to be an exception to the rule of circumcision, lending them some distinction among the tribes of Canaan. Deuteronomy 7:3 forbade Israelites from marrying Hivites, because they followed the serpent god Ob and other dieties. In 'The Serpent Myth', William Wynn Westcott, one of the founders of the 19th century Golden Dawn magical order, claims "Ob was an Egyptian word for serpent' and is the source of the term 'Obeah'. The Serpent is a symbol common to the Yezidi, Voodooists, Tantrics, and Thelemites. http://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/wos/wos04.htm http://www.bibliotecapleyades.net/sumer_anunnaki/reptiles/serpent_tribe/serpent_tribe04.htm

The Didache Chapter 5 Is dancing with rattle snakes a sign of faith or testing Hashem's Holy Spirit and Jesus? Watch comedian Will Ferrell dance with and get bitten by a rattlesnake in the movie "The Campaign" The practice of snake handling and of drinking strychnine and other poisons, found in a few offshoots of Pentecostalism, find their Biblical support in Mark 16:18. Mark 16 Watch the video, "Why does the Bible say you can drink poison and survive? ( Is Mark 16:18 a FORGERY !? )" The oldest copies of the Gospel of Mark, the Sinaitic and Vatican, end at Mark 16:8.This has led to questioning whether verses 9 through 20 in chapter 16 of the Gospel of Mark are intentional apostasy by an unknown writer or inspired by Hashem? Moses, Jesus and Paul verify Mark 16:18 that the true saints are protected by Hashem and through the power of the Holy Spirit are able to heal the sick. Luke 10 Acts 28 We should not put Hashem and Jesus to the test by drinking poison or dancing with venomous snakes. Luke 4 Numbers 21 Moses and the Brazen Serpent Augustus John Nehushtan was the (sacred) name by which the (great) brazen serpent was known during the years "the children of Israel succumbed did burn incense to it." I am quite certain Pentecostal consider snake dancing a demonstration of their faith. How many Pentecostal serpent handlers mistakenly look upon a rattlesnake as a proper object of worship? I gained some good wisdom from Herb of Healing Rooms of Frederick. Herb considered Christians dancing with snakes presumptuous. He felt that the Holy Spirit would protect the righteous faithful if they accidentally crossed the path of a poisonous snake and got bitten. But the Holy Spirit might not help one who purposely places an arm in a rattlesnake den. Proverbs 14 In Asher Elbein's essay, "The Pentecostal Serpent," six different types of snakes are used; the copperhead, the eastern diamondback, timber rattler, the grey-black pygmy rattler, the coral snake, and the cottonmouth. In addition to snake dancing being presumptuous, over time the seductive nature of the serpent may cause people can lose sight of the symbolical meaning and regard the serpent itself as the seat of the healing power, thus making it into an object of worship. 2 Kings 17 Like Pentecostalism, Haitian Voodoo is a high-energy, charismatic movement that includes spiritual possession with intense music and dancing. http://www.faithstreet.com/onfaith/2014/05/07/coming-soon-to-age-of-economic-inequality-radical-spirituality/31987 Li Grande Zombi – by Charles Gandolfo Can all Pentecostals discern whether they are being possessed by the Holy Spirit or a spirit of the antiChrist? 1 John 4 Loa (also spelled Lwa or L'wha, also referred to as Spirits, Mystères and the Invisibles) are intermediaries between Bondye (French: Bon Dieu, meaning "good God")—the Supreme Creator, who is distant from the world—and humanity. Unlike saints or angels however, they are not simply prayed to, they are served. They are each distinct beings with their own personal likes and dislikes, distinct sacred rhythms, songs, dances, ritual symbols, and special modes of service. Contrary to popular belief, the loa are not deities in and of themselves; they are intermediaries for, and dependent on, a distant Bondye. Haitian and Louisiana Loa are divided into several "nations." Two of the major nations are the Rada and Petro. The Rada Loa like Damballa, Erzulie Freda, Loco, Ayizan, Anaisa Pye, Damballa, Ayida-Weddo, Agwé, Papa Legba. can be directly traced to the Dahomey Vudus of West Africa. Many scholars believe that the name "Rada" is a corruption of "Arara," an African port from whence many slave ships were launched. Rada spirits are typically thought to be peaceful or benign. Petro Loa (Haitian Creole: Petwo) are considered to be more aggressive, and though some can be traced to the the Kongo and Dahomey pantheons, they are primarily Ayiti (Haiti) origin. African slaves absorbed some of the beliefs and practices of the indigenous people of Ayiti. Drumming at Rada ceremonies is mostly played in "even" time (4/4, 6/8, etc.,), while the drums in Petro play "odd" times (5/4,7/4, etc.,) and off beat; there is a sort of tension present at Petro ceremonies. Rouse classifies all indigenous inhabitants of the Greater Antilles (except the western tip of Cuba), the Bahamian archipelago, and the northern Lesser Antilles as Taíno indians. He subdivides the Taíno into three main groups: Classic Taíno, mostly from Haiti, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic; Western Taíno, or– sub-Taíno, for population from Jamaica, Cuba (except for the western tip) and the Bahamian archipelago; and Eastern Taíno for those from the Virgin Islands to Montserrat. The key to the relationship between the Caribbean Taíno and the East African slaves was the polytheistic nature of their religious beliefs, which made them both tolerant to each other's ways. Taíno spirituality centered on the worship of zemís. A zemí/cemí is a Loa or ancestor. The major Taíno loa are Yúcahu and Atabey. Yúcahu, which means spirit of cassava, was the Loa of cassava - the Taínos' main crop - and the sea. Atabey, mother of Yúcahu, was the goddess of the Moon, fresh waters and fertility. The minor Taíno gods related to the growing of cassava, the process of life, creation and death. Baibrama was a minor god worshiped for his assistance in growing cassava and curing people from its poisonous juice. Boinayel and his twin brother Márohu were the gods of rain and fair weather, respectively. Guabancex was the non-nurturing aspect of the goddess Atabey who had control over natural disasters. Juracán is often identified as the god of storms but the word simply means hurricane in the Taíno language. Guabancex had two assistants: Guataubá, a messenger who created hurricane winds, and Coatrisquie who created floodwaters. Maquetaurie Guayaba or Maketaori Guayaba was the god of Coaybay or Coabey, the land of the dead. Opiyelguabirán', a dog-shaped god, watched over the dead. Deminán Caracaracol, a male cultural hero from which the Taíno believed to descend, was worshipped as a zemí. Macocael was a cultural hero worshiped as a Loa who had failed to guard the mountain from which human beings arose. He was punished by being turned into stone, or a bird, a frog, or a reptile, depending on interpretation of the myth. Baron Samedi The Indian Zemi "connotes both the spirit of the dead, the soulless living and the fetish stone by which magic is accomplished." The word "zombie" comes from the Indian Zemi; so do the loa Simbi, patron of the rains, and Baron Samedi, Lord of the Cemetery and the Crossroads. Baron Samedi (French: Baron Saturday, also written Baron Samdi, Bawon Samedi, or Bawon Sanmdi) is one of the Loa of Haitian Vodou. Samedi is a Loa of the dead, along with Baron's numerous other incarnations Baron Cimetière, Baron La Croix, and Baron Kriminel. He is syncretized with Saint Martin de Porres. He is the head of the Guédé family of Loa. His wife is the Loa Maman Brigitte. He is usually depicted with a top hat, black tail coat, dark glasses, and cotton plugs in the nostrils, as if to resemble a corpse dressed and prepared for burial in the Haitian style. He has a white, frequently skull-like face (or actually has a skull for a face), and speaks in a nasal voice. Baron Samedi is noted for disruption, obscenity, debauchery, and having a particular fondness for tobacco and rum infused with hot peppers. Additionally, he is the Loa of resurrection, and in the latter capacity he is often called upon for healing by those near or approaching death, as it is only Baron who can accept an individual into the realm of the dead. Baron Samedi spends most of his time in the invisible realm of vodou spirits. He is notorious for his outrageous behavior, swearing continuously and making filthy jokes to the other spirits. He is married to another powerful spirit known as Maman Brigitte, but often chases after mortal women. He loves smoking and drinking and is rarely seen without a cigar in his mouth or a glass of rum in his bony fingers. Baron Samedi can usually be found at the crossroad between the worlds of the living and the dead. When someone dies, he digs their grave and greets their soul after they have been buried, leading them to the underworld. Baron Samedi is the leader of the Guédé, Loa with particular links to magic, ancestor worship and death. These lesser spirits, all dressed like the Baron, are all as rude and crude, but not nearly as charming as their master. They help carry the dead to the underworld. As well as being master of the dead, Baron Samedi is also a giver of life. He can cure any mortal of any disease or wound, if he thinks it is worthwhile. His powers are especially great when it comes to vodou curses and black magic. Even if somebody has been afflicted by a hex which brings them to the verge of death, they will not die if the Baron refuses to dig their grave. So long as this mighty spirit keeps them out of the ground, they are safe. He does also ensure that all corpses rot in the ground to stop any soul from being brought back as a brainless zombie. What he demands in return depends on his mood. Sometimes he is content with his followers wearing black, white or purple clothes or using sacred objects; he may simply ask for a small gift of cigars, rum, black coffee, grilled peanuts, or bread. But sometimes the Baron requires a vodou ceremony to help him cross over into this world. There are many Legbas in Umbanda, Candomble, Santeria, Sanse, Vodou, and other offshoots I am not aware of. I want to first focus on well known Legbas, then give a better understanding of what they mean in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. In Vodou (Voodoo), Papa Legba is the loa who serves as the intermediary between the loa (spirits) and humanity. Papa Legba is considered the good counterpart to Baron Samedi. He stands at a spiritual crossroads and gives (or denies) permission to speak with the spirits of Guinee, and is believed to speak all human languages. In Haiti, he is the great elocutioner. Legba facilitates communication, speech, and understanding. Papa Legba is also know as "Saint Lazarus" the ancient white bearded sage of experience and wisdom. Papa Legba Papa Legba is the first one saluted at all Haitian Loa ceremonies, and is considered to be the principle of life; the initial procreative whole. He is identified with the sun and the birth of life; the center post in all hounfor (Vodun temples) are called poteu Legba. Through this post the Loa enter the ceremonies, and it's also where there food is placed. Dancing, drumming, possession, and all the activities of ceremony revolve around the poteu Legba. He is said to be very wise, and only he knows the sacred language of Mawu-Lisa, the highest god in Vodun. All prayers and sacrifice must go through Legba, and only he can open the sacred gateway. Journey into the Spiritual World of Voodoo in New Orleans Elegba Tropenmuseum Elegba (Eleggua, Elegua, Elewa, Cuba Elegba or Niño de Atocha) is a much younger version of Papa Legba known in Haiti. He is often depicted with horns on his head and an erect penis symbolizing his insatiable nature. In Santeria (Way of the Saints) spirit is disguised as Saint Anthony of Padua "Leggua" holding baby Jesus. Santeria is an Afro-Caribbean religion based on Yoruba beliefs and traditions, the Lucumi slaves added Roman Catholic elements added to preserve their faith. Santeria is also known as La Regla Lucumi and the Rule of Osha. An orisha (spelled orichá or orixá in Latin America) is a spirit that reflects one of the manifestations of God (Eledumare, Olorun, Olofi) in Yoruba religion. There are a total of 401 orishas. In order to preserve and shield (mask) their traditional beliefs, the Lucumí people syncretized their Orichás with Roman Catholic saints Jean-Jacques Dessalines The revolutionary Jean-Jacques Dessalines presumptively proclaimed himself head of the Catholic church in Haiti after the Haitian Revolution. He set forward to limit the jurisdiction of priests and to appoint men to vacant positions in local church communities. He himself had caused the assassination of a large number of the missionaries by failing to stop slaughter of the white colonists. This caused a schism between the Haitian state and Rome, resulting in Rome's declining to send priests into the country. There were no priests to provide guidelines for the newly established Haitian state. As a consequence, the principles of Vodou and Catholicism were merged and Catholicism (with its Vodou influences) was made the state's official religion under the leadership of Henri Christophe. Another cause of the syncretic connection between Catholicism and Vodou was the state's ordination of Haitian men to the priesthood – a step that the Vatican would not recognize as legitimate. However, mixture of both religions shaped the way of how Haitians practice their ritual. The Haitians were going to church, but they continued to adhere to Vodou, using the rituals of the church to mask the practices of their native traditions. For many Protestants prayers to departed saints attract fallen angels into the spiritual atmosphere around your soul. The Yaruba orishas in counterfeit Catholic Saints demand both prayer and sacrifice, in my belief greatly angers our Creator. As a Catholic this upsets me that so many people are not aware that what they are doing is anti-Christian. I pray that our Latin Pope Francis addresses this issue that I am sure he is quite aware. None of these people should be able to receive communion until they renounce these African Orishas that are damning their spirits. The official position of the Roman Catholic Church is that asking saints for their prayers is no different than asking someone here on earth to pray for us. However, the practice of many Catholics diverges from official Roman Catholic teaching. Many Catholics do in fact pray directly to saints for help – instead of asking the saints and/or Mary to intercede with God for help. The church needs to better communicate this half truth to the congregation. This half truth has spawned Western Vudun.

The Didache Chapter 5 Prophets were known for wearing and passing on cloaks (mantles) as a sign of their calling from God. The story of how the mantle of prophetic authority was passed from Elijah to Elisha offers helpful understanding when the Lord releases one religious leader and calls a new one. 1 Kings 19 2 Kings 2 Nicolas Poussin - St John the Baptist Baptizes the People Louvre Museum Like the Prophet Elijah bestowing the power of Hashem's Holy Spirit on Elisha, John the Baptist bestowed the power of Hashem's Holy Spirit on Jesus. Matthew 3 Matthew 11 I always thought that the Holy Spirit came after Jesus to the Apostles. What I am coming to realize is Hashem's Holy Spirit has been with us all the time. Numbers 11 The Holy Spirit rests on the seventy Elders. The Holy Spirit rests on Mary and the twelve Apostles. Acts 2 Joel 2 Proverbs 1 Matthew 23 Jesus rebuked Jewish authority for being corrupt, vain, money hungry, lazy examples of following Hashem's laws given to Moses. How many of us today are guilty of the same transgression? Listen to Lenny Kravitz, "Fly Away." The song invokes your spirit to let go of your earthly constraints and escape to a distant place. Without the Holy Spirit escape from the physical is only a dream or death. Listen to Mr. B "In The Last Days I Will Pour Out My Spirit Upon All Flesh."