Man's Search For Spirituality - E Christopher Reyes (jenna bush book club .TXT) 📗

BC 3474- Adam dies at the age of 930 [3474 B.C.E.]
BC 3450 (?)-The legendary Tower of Babel in Babylon reaches up to the heavens. ~Genesis 11:4. Does man, once again, wish to attain the powers of God, to be with God, and dwell in his domain? Dimensions of “E-temen-an-ki” or “The Foundation of Heaven and Earth” are derived from a cuneiform tablet of Anubelshunu from the year BC 229 during the reign of King Seleucus using Sumerian measurements, each side being 90 double cubits [90 cubits being the distance a man could walk in one minute]. Thus 4 X 90 = 360. There is a clear reference to sacred numbers and magical beliefs in the text, which further states, “The initiate is to show this to the initiate. But, the un-initiate shall not see it.” ~The Gods of the Egyptians by E.A. Wallis Budge, vol. 2, Dover Publications.
The Akkadian language uses the word “Bab-ilu,” which translates into “Gate of God,” and tablets that have been found among the ruins of Babylon, with the exact form of the name by which its inhabitants called it: “Bab-ilu,” which means, the “Gate of God.” ~Witness of Assyria, Pg. 37.
Sometimes written with two signs, a gate and god. The ancient Hebrew bears the same interpretation without any forced etymology, Babel: the Gate of God. The place was not founded by Semitic Babylonians, but by the Akkadians, and it was neither a city nor a town, but a temple, consisting of seven platforms, each being tinted a different color, and dedicated to the seven [known] planets, the topmost one being dedicated to the moon. It was called by the Semitic invaders, Ca-dimorra, the gate of God thus being translated by them into their own tongue.
The story of the confusion of languages was a theory born in the imagination of the writer of the “Inspired Text.” The concept of a Sabbath originated with the Akkadians, who occupied a tract of land in the historic valley of the Tigris and Euphrates about five thousand years before the “Christ” Jesus, where the civilization of the world is alleged to have commenced. It was believed for many centuries that God would punish the Sabbath breaking individual and the Sabbath breaking nation.
The Akkadians were eventually conquered by the Assyrians, and from the ruins of whose empire subsequently arose the monarchies of Nineveh and Babylon, were the inventors of cuneiform writing, which consisted of figures of various kinds of animals, limbs, etc., traced with a style upon clay cylinders or tablets. Many of these have been found under the ruins of the buried cities; twelve were found in Babylonia in AD 1876, others at Tel-el-Amarna in Egypt in AD 1887, and among the ruins of Lachish in Southern Palestine, and are now decipherable. The religion of the Akkadians, Shamanism, from the Semitic Shamas = Sun,  was both astronomical and phallic. They had their “Trinity, “ a ‘Celestial Father’ and ‘Mother,’ and their off-spring, the ‘Sun God,’ an infant, Sargon ,who was placed by his mother in a reed basket, and left on the bank of a river, subsequently found, and eventually becoming king of Babylon, in 3750 BCE. The name Adam is derived from the Assyrian Adami, meaning man.
They also had their “Holy Water,” “Penitential Psalms,” table of “Shew-bread,” and “Ark” containing the images of their gods. They dedicated special days to the sun, moon, and five planets: Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, and Saturn, each cycle of which became a week of seven days.
“The number seven thus became sacred to them,” as did the number twelve, which represented the twelve signs of the zodiac, and from which the idea of the twelve apostles was derived. “They had a special deity who received honor, as patron of the number seven; and destructive tempests and winds were believed to be directed by the will of seven wicked spirits.” ~F.J. Gould, A Concise History of Religion.
The seven heavenly bodies are represented in the seven platforms, by which the astronomer priests ascended to the summit of their temple, in the so-called “Tower of Babel.” The 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th days of each month are called 'Sabbaths,' or 'Rest Days,' and are rigorously kept, not even the king is permitted to eat cooked food, change his clothes, drive his chariot, sit in the judgment seat, review his troops, or even take medicine on any of these days. The Sabbatical concept widens, from the Akkadians to their Semitic conquerors, the inhabitants of the neighboring countries of Phoenicia, Phrygia, Canaan, and Syria; and from these to the Jews during their captivity. The Puritans in the 16th century attempted, to revive the ceremonial obligations of the Jewish Sabbath; but altering the day of the week from the seventh to the first, which secured for them the name of “Sabbatarians.” The Jews kept the 'Sabbath' with infinite strictness, and with them, this period of time known as the Sabbath became so Holy that he who violated it by working was punished by death. Sabbath breaking and murder were equal crimes. On the Sabbath the pious Jew could not build a fire in his house, ate cold victuals, and thanked God for the good that he ate. The gates of the city were closed on the Sabbath, no business was done on the Sabbath, and the traveler who arrived at the city on that day remained locked outside until evening.
If he happened to fall and hurt himself doing so, he remained where he fell until the sun had gone done. Remember, even Jesus Christ was chastised for performing miracles and healing the sick on the Sabbath. ~Exodus 20:8, 31:13, Leviticus 25:2, 26:34, Isaiah 56:4, Ezekiel 20:12, 22:8, Matthew 12:8, 24:20, Mark 2:27, Colossians 2:16, Hebrews 4:9, Hosea 2:11, Luke 14:5, Acts 1:12.
Saint Augustine does not say however that they kept Sunday as a festival, but merely that they [Manichaeans] then worshipped the Almighty Sun: “Vos in die, quem dicunt solis, solem colitis.” ~Faust. Bk XVIII. c. 5, [349].
The early Christians did not hold the seventh day in such veneration, and as a matter of fact, they ceased to regard it as Holy, even changing the sacred day from the seventh to the first in an attempt to distance themselves from their Hebrew roots. This change was really made by Emperor Constantine, because the first day of the week was the Sunday of the Pagans, change would delineate the Jews from the Christianized Jews, and this day was given to the pleasures [sexual] and recreation as well as to religious ceremonies for many centuries prior.
After Emperor Constantine designated the first day to be kept Holy and observed by Christians, Sunday eventually became the accepted sacred time for Jesus. But, the early Christians, kept the day much as it had been kept by their Pagan contemporaries, by attending church in the morning, and in the afternoon enjoying their leisure. The Catholic Church adopted the prevailing customs, and to accommodate itself to Pagan ways and superstitions, it agreed, as far as it could, with the basic concepts of the Pagans to facilitate their conversion. ~Sabbath Superstition Robert Green Ingersoll
The Hebrews were more forgiving in acceptance of other religions. According to Eliyahu Silver and Rabbi Yitschak Goldstein Although anyone who is driven by the right motives can become Jewish and join the Jewish people, this is not a necessity in order to enter heaven.
Noah was not Jewish, but nevertheless it is written about him , “Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations.” ~Genesis 6:9. And what was his reward? “And Noah walked with God.” The same holds true for Job. He was also not Jewish. “Job was perfect and upright, and one that eschewed evil.” ~Job 1:1.
Therefore you don't have to be Jewish in order to be a God fearing and righteous person. The Jewish people believe they have a different mission in life: “And you shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, a holy nation.” ~Exodus 19:6.
For this reason the Jewish people have to live according to *613 Commandments. For the Noachide, non-Jew, life is considerably easier; he has far fewer commandments.
Seven of them are particularly notable, because if he transgresses them, he will be punished by a human court.
These are:
7. Establish courts of law.
8. Do not murder
9. Do not worship idols
10. Do not blaspheme
11. Do not steal.
12. Do not commit adultery
13. Do not eat the limbs of a live animal.
*For deeper revelations into the Jewish faith, read, The Seven Laws of Noah, by Jacob Joseph, School Press. 1981 New York, The Path of the Righteous Gentile, Targum Press, Southfield 1987, or contact The International Lubavitch Organization, headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, also active in informing non-Jews of their God given Code of Law.
“For all the gods of the nations are idols; but the Lord made the Heavens.” ~Psalm 96.
BC 3400- Seth's great-great-great grandchild, Enoch, son of Jared is born. Enoch lives 365 years and fathers many sons and daughters. The Arabian name of Enoch is Edris, and their traditions of him are that he is an eminent astronomer, mathematician and a great prophet of God.
Seth's great-great-great-great grandchild, Methuselah, son of Enoch is born, and Methuselah lives 969 years, making him the oldest of the ancient ones, and also the oldest man to ever live. Methuselah's name means, “At his death, it will come.” After Methuselah's birth, the Bible records that Enoch develops a close relationship with God leading to his transformation to Heaven at the age of 365. Methuselah dies the year of the flood. Methuselah fathers many sons and daughters. “And Enoch walked with God 365 years and begat sons and daughters.” ~Genesis 5:22. “And he was not for God took him.” ~Genesis 5:24.
BC 3300- The marriages of brothers and sisters is quite common [Biblically] until prohibited by the Law of Moses in 1491 B.C.E. “It is said of Seth, and his posterity, that they were very good and virtuous, and very happy, without any considerable misfortunes for seven generations.” ~Flavius Josephus.
“Seth and his posterity were the inventors of that peculiar sort of wisdom, which is concerned with the heavenly bodies and their order.” ~Flavius Josephus, 2nd century.
Jewish astrological practice holds that astrology is to be used to rescue Moses from death following the Pharaoh’s hard line decree that every newborn Hebrew male child will be cast into the River Nile. This story is addressed in the Midrash: “Why did they decree that they should cast them into the river? Because the astrologers foresaw that Israel’s savior would be smitten by water, and they thought that he would be drowned in the water: but as we know it, it was only on account of the well of water that the decree of death was pronounced upon him...” ~see Numbers 20:1-13, Exodus Rabbah 1:18.
Moses’ Hebrew mother follows the child and later serves as his nursemaid, teaching Moses the Hebrew tribal traditions, while Moses attends royal schools, finish in the great astrological college at Annu. As Pharaoh’s adopted son, Moses is fully initiated into all the sacred surreptitious rites, and becomes, like the Pharonic family, a professional astrologer and an astrolator-priest.
BC 3200-Intermarriage is frowned upon, “The Cainites held greater and greater influence over the godly descendants of Seth as intermarriage became more and more pervasive.” ~Genesis 6:1-2. Bloodshed, debauchery, and wickedness characterize a growing proportion of human society. ~Genesis 6:1-2,4-5, 11.
Seth's great-great-great-great-great grandchild, Lamech, son of Methuselah is born. Lamech lives 777 years and fathers many sons and daughters. Lamech is the first man