Then joined issue Tiamat and Marduk, wisest of gods.
They strove in single combat, locked in battle.
The lord spread out his net to enfold her,
The Evil Wind, which followed behind, he let loose in her face
When Tiamat opened her mouth to consume him,
He drove in the Evil Wind that she close not her lips.
As the fierce winds charged her belly,
Her body was distended and her mouth was wide open.
He released the arrow, it tore her belly,
It cut through her insides, splitting her heart.
Having thus subdued her, he extinguished her life.
He cast down her carcass to stand upon it.
Then goes on to describe how "valiant Marduk ...crushed her skull," dismembered her, and used her body to create world.
After account of other gods and creation of heavens, concludes:
(Addressing Ea):
Blood I will mass and cause bones to be.
I will establish a savage, 'man' shall be his name.
Verily, savage-man I will create.
He shall be charged with the service of the gods
That they might be at ease!
From Instructions
of Kagemni, an advice manual
for Egyptian
government
officials:
If you are a man of note sitting in the council of your lord, fix your heart upon what is good. Be silent--this is better than flowers. Speak only if you can unravel the difficulty ... to speak is harder than any other work ... Bend your back to him that is over you, your superior in the king's administration. So will your house endure with its substance, and your pay be duly awarded. To resist him that is set in authority is evil.From the Egyptian creation account:
I spat out what was Shu [god of air], and I sputtered out what was Tefnut [goddess of moisture]. It was Nun who brought them up, and my Eye followed after them since the ages when they were distant from me ... They brought to me my Eye with them. After I had joined together my members, I wept over them. That is how humans came into being from the tears which came forth from my Eye.
The Making of the Covenant
(From the Hebrew Bible, American Standard Bible translation)
Deuteronomy 29
1These are the words of the covenant which Jehovah commanded Moses
to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the
covenant which he made with them in Horeb.
2 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen
all that Jehovah did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto
Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;
3 the great trials which thine eyes saw, the signs, and those great
wonders:
4 but Jehovah hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and
ears to hear, unto this day.
5 And I have led you forty years in the
wilderness: your clothes are not waxed old upon you, and thy shoe is
not waxed old upon thy foot.
. . .
9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye
may
prosper in all that ye do.
10 Ye stand this day all of you before Jehovah your God; your heads,
your tribes, your elders, and your officers, even all the men of
Israel,
11 your little ones, your wives, and thy sojourner that is in the midst
of thy camps, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water;
12 that thou mayest enter into the covenant of Jehovah thy God, and
into his oath, which Jehovah thy God maketh with thee this day;
13 that he may establish thee this day unto himself for a people, and
that he may be unto thee a God, as he spake unto thee, and as he sware
unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. 14 Neither with
you only do I make this covenant and this oath,
15 but with him that standeth here with us this day before Jehovah our
God, and also with him that is not here with us this day
16 (for ye know how we dwelt in the land of Egypt, and how we came
through the midst of the nations through which ye passed;
17 and ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and
stone, silver and gold,which were among them);
18 lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe,
whose heart turneth away this day from Jehovah our God, to go to serve
the gods of those nations; lest there should be among you a root that
beareth gall and wormwood;
19 and it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that
he bless himself in his heart, saying, I shall have peace, though I
walk in the stubbornness of my heart, to destroy the moist with the
dry.
20 Jehovah will not pardon him, but then the anger of Jehovah and his
jealousy will smoke against that man, and all the curse that is written
in this book shall lie upon him, and Jehovah will blot out his name
from under heaven.
21 And Jehovah will set him apart unto evil out of all the tribes of
Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that is written in
this book ofthe law.
22 And the generation to come, your children that shall rise up after
you, and the foreigner that shall come from a far land, shall say,
whenthey see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses wherewith
Jehovah hath made it sick;
23 and that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt,and a
burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth
therein, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and
Zeboiim,which Jehovah overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:
24 even all the nations shall say, Wherefore hath Jehovah done thus
unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?
25 Then men shall say, Because they forsook the covenant of Jehovah,
the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them
forth out of the land of Egypt,
26 and went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods that they
knew not, and that he had not given unto them:
27 therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against this land, to
bring upon it all the curse that is written in this book;
28 and Jehovah rooted them out of their land in anger, and inwrath, and
in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as at this day.
29 The secret things belong unto Jehovah our God; but the things that
are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may
do all the words of this law
Deuteronomy 30
1 And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee,
the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou
shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither Jehovah thy God
hath driven thee,
2 and shalt return unto Jehovah thy God, and shalt obey his voice
according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children,
with all thy heart, and with all thy soul;
3 that then Jehovah thy God will turn thy captivity, and have
compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the
peoples, whither Jehovah thy God hath scattered thee.
4 If any of thine outcasts be in the uttermost parts of heaven, from
thence will Jehovah thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch
thee:
5 andJehovah thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers
possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and
multiply thee above thy fathers.
6 And Jehovah thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy
seed, to love Jehovah thy God with all thyheart, and with all thy soul,
that thou mayest live.
7 And Jehovah thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and
on them that hate thee,that persecuted thee.
8 And thou shalt return and obey the voice of Jehovah, and do all his
commandments which I command thee this day.
9 And Jehovah thy God will make thee plenteous in all the work of thy
hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in
the fruit of thy ground, for good: for Jehovah will again rejoice over
thee for good, as he rejoiced over thy fathers;
10 if thou shalt obey the voice of Jehovah thy God, to keep his
commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the
law; if thou turn unto Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all
thy soul.
....
15 See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and
evil;
16 in that I command thee this day to love Jehovah thy God, to walk in
his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his
ordinances,that thou mayest live and multiply, and that Jehovah thy God
may bless thee in the land whither thou goest in to possess it.
17 But if thy heart turn away, and thou wilt not hear, but shalt be
drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;
18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish; ye shall
not prolong your days in the land, whither thou passest over the Jordan
to go in to possess it.
19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have
set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore
choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed; 20 to love
Jehovah thy God, to obey his voice, and to cleave unto him; for he is
thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the
land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac,and to
Jacob, to give them.
Homer's
Iliad -- Excerpts
from battle between
Hector and
Achilles that show role of Athena
[Athena] overtook Lord Hektor
– but she seemed Dêíphobos [Hektor’s brother] in form and
resonant voice,
appearing at his shoulder, saying
swiftly:
“Ai! Dear brother, how he runs,
Achilleus,
harrying you around the town of Priam!
Come, we’ll stand and take him on.”
...
This way, by guile, Athena led him on.
[Achilleus] balanced the spear far shadowed, and threw it;
but glorious Hektor kept his eyes on him, and voided it,
for he dropped, watchful, to his knee, and the bronze spear
flew
over his shoulder
and stuck in the ground, but Pallas Athene snatched it, and
gave
it
back to Achilleus, unseen by Hektor shepherd of the people.
[After Hektor throws his spear and fails to wound
Achilleus]
He stood discouraged, and had no other ash spear; but lifting
his voice he called aloud on Deiphobos [Hektor's brother] of
the pale shield,
and asked him for a long spear, but Deiphobos was not near him.
And Hektor knew the truth inside his heart, and spoke aloud:
'No use. Here at last the gods have summoned me
deathward.
I thought Deiphobos the hero was here close beside me,
but he is behind the wall and it was Athene cheating me ...
| ‘You, plague on all mankind and
on yourself. They’ll pay for fire: I’ll give another gift To men, an evil thing for their delight, And all will love this ruin in their hearts.’ So spoke the father of men and gods, and laughed. He told Hephaistos quickly to mix earth And water, and to put in it a voice And human power to move, to make a face Like an immortal goddess, and to shape The lovely figure of a virgin girl. Athena was to teach the girl to weave, And golden Aphrodite to pour charm Upon her head, and painful, strong desire, And body-shattering cares. Zeus ordered, then, The killer of Argos, Hermes, to put in Sly manners, and the morals of a bitch. The son of Kronos [Zeus] spoke, and was obeyed. The Lame God [Hephaistos] molded earth as Zeus decreed Into the image of a modest girl, Grey-eyed Athena made her robes and belt, Divine Seduction and the Graces gave Her golden necklaces, and for her head |
The Seasons wove spring flowers
into a crown. Hermes the Messenger put in her breast Lies and persuasive words and cunning ways; The herald of the gods then named the girl Pandora, for the gifts which all the gods Had given her, this ruin of mankind. The deep and total trap was now complete... Before this time men lived upon the earth Apart from sorrow and from painful work, Free from disease, which brings the Death-gods in. But now the woman opened up the cask, And scattered pains and evils among men. Inside the cask’s hard walls remained one thing, Hope, only, which did not fly through the door. The lid stopped her, but all the others flew,\ Thousands of troubles, wandering the earth. The earth is full of evils, and the sea. Diseases come to visit men by day And, uninvited, come again at night Bringing their pains in silence, for they were Deprived of speech by Zeus the Wise. And so There is no way to flee the mind of Zeus. |
Four Gospel Accounts of Crucifixion:
| Mark
15: 1And straightway in the morning the chief priests with the elders and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation, and bound Jesus, and carried him away, and delivered him up to Pilate. 2And Pilate asked him, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answering saith unto him, Thou sayest. 3And the chief priests accused him of many things. 4And Pilate again asked him, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they accuse thee of. 5But Jesus no more answered anything; insomuch that Pilate marvelled. 6Now at the feast he used to release unto them one prisoner, whom they asked of him. 7And there was one called Barabbas, lying bound with them that had made insurrection, men who in the insurrection had committed murder. 8And the multitude went up and began to ask him to do as he was wont to do unto them. 9And Pilate answered them, saying, Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 10For he perceived that for envy the chief priests had delivered him up. 11But the chief priests stirred up the multitude, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them. 12And Pilate again answered and said unto them, What then shall I do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews? 13And they cried out again, Crucify him. 14And Pilate said unto them, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, Crucify him. 15And Pilate, wishing to content the multitude, released unto them Barabbas, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified. 16And the soldiers led him away within the court, which is the Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. 17And they clothe him with purple, and platting a crown of thorns, they put it on him; 18and they began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! 19And they smote his head with a reed, and spat upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. 20And when they had mocked him, they took off from him the purple, and put on him his garments. And they lead him out to crucify him. |
Matthew
27: 1Now when morning was come, all the chief priests and the elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death: 2and they bound him, and led him away, and delivered him up to Pilate the governor. ... (skipped incident with Judas and 30 pieces of silver) ... 11Now Jesus stood before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou sayest. 12And when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he answered nothing. 13Then saith Pilate unto him, Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee? 14And he gave him no answer, not even to one word: insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly. 15Now at the feast the governor was wont to release unto the multitude one 55 prisoner, whom they would. 16And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. 17When therefore they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ? 18For he knew that for envy they had delivered him up. 19And while he was sitting on the judgment-seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that righteous man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him. 20Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the multitudes that they should ask for Barabbas, and destroy Jesus. 21But the governor answered and said unto them, Which of the two will ye that I release unto you? And they said, Barabbas. 22Pilate saith unto them, What then shall I do unto Jesus who is called Christ? They all say, Let him be crucified. 23And he said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out exceedingly, saying, Let him be crucified. 24So when Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye to it. 25And all the people answered and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. 26Then released he unto them Barabbas; but Jesus he scourged and delivered to be crucified. 27Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium, and gathered unto him the whole band. 28And they stripped him, and put on him a scarlet robe. 29And they platted a crown of thorns and put it upon his head, and a reed in his right hand; and they kneeled down before him, and mocked him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! 30And they spat upon him, and took the reed and smote him on the head. 31And when they had mocked him, they took off from him the robe, and put on him his garments, and led him away to crucify him. |
Luke
23: : 1And the whole company of them rose up, and brought him before Pilate. 2And they began to accuse him, saying, We found this man perverting our nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ a king. 3And Pilate asked him, saying, Art thou the King of the Jews? And he answered him and said, Thou sayest. 4And Pilate said unto the chief priests and the multitudes, I find no fault in this man. 5But they were the more urgent, saying, He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judaea, and beginning from Galilee even unto this place. 6But when Pilate heard it, he asked whether the man were a Galilaean. 7And when he knew that he was of Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him unto Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem in these days. 8Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was of a long time desirous to see him, because he had heard concerning him; and he hoped to see some miracle done by him. 9And he questioned him in many words; but he answered him nothing. 10And the chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him. 11And Herod with his soldiers set him at nought, and mocked him, and arraying him in gorgeous apparel sent him back to Pilate. 12And Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day: for before they were at enmity between themselves. 13And Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people, 14and said unto them, Ye brought unto me this man, as one that perverteth the people: and behold, I having examined him before you, found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him: 15no, nor yet Herod: for he sent him back unto us; and behold, nothing worthy of death hath been done by him. 16I will therefore chastise him, and release him. 17Now he must needs release unto them at the feast one prisoner. 18But they cried out all together, saying, Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas: — 19one who for a certain insurrection made in the city, and for murder, was cast into prison. 20And Pilate spake unto them again, desiring to release Jesus; 21but they shouted, saying, Crucify, crucify him. 22And he said unto them the third time, Why, what evil hath this man done? I have found no cause of death in him: I will therefore chastise him and release him. 23But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. And their voices prevailed. 24And Pilate gave sentence that what they asked for should be done. 25And he released him that for insurrection and murder had been cast into prison, whom they asked for; but Jesus he delivered up to their will. 26And when they led him away, they laid hold upon one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to bear it after Jesus. |
John
18: 24Annas therefore sent him bound unto Caiaphas the high priest. ... (skipped Peter’s denial of Christ) ... 29Pilate therefore went out unto them, and saith, What accusation bring ye against this man? 30They answered and said unto him, If this man were not an evildoer, we should not have delivered him up unto thee. 31Pilate therefore said unto them, Take him yourselves, and judge him according to your law. The Jews said unto him, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death: 32that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which he spake, signifying by what manner of death he should die. 33Pilate therefore entered again into the Praetorium, and called Jesus, and said unto him, Art thou the King of the 189 Jews? 34Jesus answered, Sayest thou this of thyself, or did others tell it thee concerning me? 35Pilate answered, Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests delivered thee unto me: what hast thou done? 36Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence. 37Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end have I been born, and to this end am I come into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find no crime in him. 39But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews? 40They cried out therefore again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas. Now Barabbas was a robber.) John 19: 1Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. 2And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and arrayed him in a purple garment; 3and they came unto him, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they struck him with their hands. 4And Pilate went out again, and saith unto them, Behold, I bring him out to you, that ye may know that I find no crime in him. 5Jesus therefore came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple garment. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold, the man! 6When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, saying, Crucify him, crucify him! Pilate saith unto them, Take him yourselves, and crucify him: for I find no crime in him. 7The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. 8When Pilate therefore heard this saying, he was the more afraid; 9and he entered into the Praetorium again, and saith unto Jesus, Whence art thou? But Jesus gave him no answer. 10Pilate therefore saith unto him, Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to release thee, and have power to crucify thee? 11Jesus answered him, Thou wouldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath 190 greater sin. 12Upon this Pilate sought to release him: but the Jews cried out, saying, If thou release this man, thou art not Caesar’s friend: every one that maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar. 13When Pilate therefore heard these words, he brought Jesus out, and sat down on the judgment-seat at a place called The Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha. 14Now it was the Preparation of the passover: it was about the sixth hour. And he saith unto the Jews, Behold, your King! 15They therefore cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him! Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar. 16Then therefore he delivered him unto them to be crucified. 17They took Jesus therefore: and he went out, bearing the cross for himself, unto the place called The place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha: 18where they crucified him, and with him two others, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst. 19And Pilate wrote a title also, and put it on the cross. And there was written, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. 20This title therefore read many of the Jews, for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city; and it was written in Hebrew, and in Latin, and in Greek. 21The chief priests of the Jews therefore said to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews. 22Pilate answered, What I have written I have written. 23The soldiers therefore, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also the coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout. |