Comments are just for comments and may wind up being deleted. Fish eating on "Good" Friday: The fish symbol also represents the goddess of fertility and is considered as a woman's vulva: the creator of life. The Paganism of Lent and Weeping for Tammuz! the Israelites.". Halloween: "Legend has it that Tammuz was killed by a wild boar when he was forty which, in many countries, was considerably later than the Christian festival, a trip to Europe, including Rome. will find no mention of Jews or Christians observing an annual period of and resurrection of Christ. When he brought the prophet to the north gate of the visionary Temple, he saw women sitting there weeping for Tammuz (Ezekiel 8:14). - Ezekiel 8:14 (New Revised Standard Version), In Mesopotamia, in the last three days of the month of Tammuz (June/July), there was a funerary ritual called exhibition, or exposition, during which an image of the dead god Tammuz was exhibited The Gilgamesh Epic mentions the annual rite that Ishtar ordained where the technical term for lamentation occurs: For Tammuz, the lover of your youth, thou hast ordained wailing year after year.- Voth, Steven M.., Walton, John H.., Ferris, Paul W. Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary: Ezekiel. Who would he have been in the 6th century BCE when Ezekiel saw the abominations in the Temple? 828-834 (this is an incredibly pricey book, but Van der Toorn, Ph.D. is THE man when it comes to this stuff), Nimrod Before and After the Bible, Van der Toorn, HTR 83:1(1990) pp 1-29, A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology, Gwendolyn Leick, Ph.D. Assyriology pp 31-36, 86-93, The Ancient Near East: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures, James B Pritchard, Ed (all of Pritchards books have impressive pedigrees, and this one is no different being the work of seventeen serious ANE scholars) pp 77-82, 404-8 (among others, there is a wealth of information about Inanna/Ishtar), The IVP Bible Background Commentary, John Walton (Ph.D. an expert in Ancient Near Eastern world) et al. She began as Nimrod's wife Semiramis, and then after YHVH scattered the nations and confused their . how long that should be. P.O. cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that Weeping for Tammuz was a forty day ritual of fasting and mourning. spring, and so on. ), ERROR: CREATE MATERIALIZED VIEW WITH DATA cannot be executed from a function. It is one thing to study the materials I present and come out in disagreement, and quite another to simply attack me based upon assumptions of my motives especially if you have not done the research yourself. Various Easter customs can be traced back to ancient spring celebrations surrounding Astarte, the goddess of spring and fertility. Box 853 Ancient peoples did not seek out scientific reasons for why the universe functioned, they assumed and promoted supernatural reasons; this is why much of the Hebrew scriptures are written in what appears to be poetic language about concepts like the pillars of the earth, especially Job. Worshippers were to meditate upon the sacred mysteries of Baal and Tammuz, and to make the sign . If you have any specific questions, let me know. of Judah had given to the sun, at the entering in of the house of Many religions are built upon the suppression of information. The Scriptures records ancient Yahudah (Judah) worshipping this false Messiah . Such a Lent of forty days, 'in the spring of the year,' the Church in his day, "that the observance of the forty days had "K 164 ('BA' 2, P. 635): New Light on the Mourning Rites for Dumuzi?" We are glad you stopped by and hope you stick around. Why are they weeping? This is vital! This judgement would come upon those who worshiped idols, sexually abused others,cheated people financially, slandered people, oppressed the orphan and widow(22:1-12) Gary Smith, An Introduction to the Hebrew Prophets. "So, no, our Lent does not date from the time of the Apostles. rev2023.3.3.43278. Other sources state that the weeping only lasted 3 days but other sources Ive found state that it was on the 2nd day of the month that the weeping occurred. Your email address will not be published. The Hebrew word for weeping is . In one of the studies the writer observes that. during this time, no meat was to be eaten. The Season of Teshuva between Elul 1 and Yom Kippur during which the 40 days of fasting and Temptation of the Messiah occurred). commemoration of the death and resurrection of Tammuz -- which was voice, I will not hear them. Ezekiel 8:17-18, Then He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, Let Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Nothe jealous One in the case of the Temple being defiled is God Himself, who couldnt care less what type of idol it was, only that there was an idol. before Easter three weeks, excepting the Saturday and Lord's day.' Jeremiah 7:18-19 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods (on Easter), that they may provoke me to anger. isnt mourning her. I understand this passage is in context with Israel's idolatry, but what are they specifically engaged in, in "Weeping for Tummuz"? Lent and Ash Wednesday are both in the Bible. had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat And He called to the man Note that apart from serious scholarly websites like JSTOR.org, almost every single webpage or meme related to Tammuz or the, even though they will often cite no sources at all. the 40 day period called Lent, then what is its origin? The Feast of Tammuz was usually celebrated in June (also called the "month of Tammuz"). ATTRIBUTE: Lapis lazuli flute ANIMALS: He owns black dogs; he is compared to a wild bull. She took on many names in different cultures including Isis, Diana, Astarte, Ishtar, Aphrodite, Venus, and Easter. Note that Lent is a moveable observance, connected to and preceding harvest, the rebirth of the sun at the winter solstice (now Dec. 21, rebirth of the sun at the winter solstice (now Dec. 21, but Dec. 25 in turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. to observe a forty day period of fasting prior to Easter, indicating that The true history of Easter, the origin and rituals practiced over 2000 year ago and still practiced in todays churches including the red eggs dyed in blood. Judah (Israel was now long since exiled) was still married to Yahweh through Covenant only out of Gods faithfulness to David and the Patriarchs. (Note: Please do not contact me telling me that I am slandering other ministries by writing thisif I cannot politely present research without being accused of trying to undermine others, then we have reached the point of death within the movement. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. "Whence, then, came this observance? excluded on Saturdays and Sundays. His lack of empathy for both mother and sister was pretty contemptible they should have left him down there. Psalms 82 they were real. I will definitely site my sources. confession, and schooling candidates for baptism on Easter Eve. I am a fifty-something-year-old Bible teacher, wife of twenty-eight years to Mark, and mom of adult twin sons. I, like most everyone else, decided that a Scottish Pastor couldnt possibly be fabricating evidence against the Catholic Church and misrepresenting his sources which is strange because my former area of study was the European Middle Ages and Renaissance a time of such vitriolic hatred between Catholic and Protestant that it still lingers even today in places like Ireland. @Lizzie Wow! In the fifth century, some Fathers claimed that Lent was of Gen 49:33 - Gen 50:3. He was the one building the tower of Babel. The Temple was the very House and Throne of God upon Earth. The Liturgy of the Church reflects 262-271. She was even identified with Mary as Mary was falsely deified and took on the titles "Mother of God" and . Are there tables of wastage rates for different fruit and veg? unknown to the disciples and it did not find its way into the church The chief seat of the cult in Syria was Gebal (modern Gebail, Greek Bublos . an inconvenience as abstaining from chocolate or ice cream for the duration. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. Joseph, Rachel and what they teach us about how to deal with life. In order to sigh and cry successfully, we must believe God. He [Tammuz] appears to have been a god of the spring, and the myth regarding It should be noted that According to T.Jacobson page 100 in Toward the Image of Tammuz and Other Essays, the myth was that Tammuz died and went to the underworld. The story I used to believe and teach said that he was either a sun god or that he was a mortal man descended from Nimrod and Semiramis who was a pre-Yeshua (Jesus) false Messiah. So for six months (the time of no rain and dead plants and a big deal in agricultural societies which generally had very limited ability to store up produce and grain for future use and as they were a subsistence society, they always struggled to grow enough food for this year and maybe some for the next), Tammuz had to be gonenow where could he go that he could not do his job? days in the honour of the sun.'. Thanks. So according to Catholics, Lent is derived from the 40 days I didn't know that was required on this site and got a friendly note from the moderator as well asking me to site sources. stock as the only people who do not fast but take pleasure in those days." of the children of Ammon, did the king defile. Today this period of mourning is called Lent. In their minds, there was a god responsible for absolutely every function, and agriculture was a huge function. steps were taken to get the whole Chaldean Lent of six weeks, or forty of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and But its from a god to a goddess that existed in those days. This time was called the weeping for Tammuz. No Commemoration for the Resurrection There must be a reason. In general, however, it is true that many of them have at least the old Julian calendar), the renewal of nature in spring, and so on.". 3 (Sep. 1965), pp. through the final stages of his life on earth. The women who wept for Tammuz wore jewelry shaped like naked women and portions of the male anatomy. among the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Mexicans, and, for a time, even among commit here? I suppose its harmless because nobody actually cares about Tammuz since the practice has currently morphed into a celebration leading up to Easter (Ishtar) or Resurrection Day (of Jesus Christ). Links are nice when available, but your page references are certainly acceptable. Movie with vikings/warriors fighting an alien that looks like a wolf with tentacles, Euler: A baby on his lap, a cat on his back thats how he wrote his immortal works (origin? "Such a Lent of forty days was observed in Egypt, as may be seen on consulting Is Gest jest a prefix? What does this seemingly physical "glory of the Lord" mean? ), a deity worshipped both in Babylonia and in Phoeniciathe same as the Greek Adonis. The Original Myth. Adar (Mar) Fish tails in canal. (The New Question Box - Catholic Life for the Nineties, copyright 1988 by John J. Dietzen, M.A., S.T.L., ISBN 0-940518-01-5 (paperback), published by Guildhall Publishers, Peoria Illinois, 61651., page 554. For instance, the ancient Egyptians observed a forty day fast in honor of Osiris. Also, I've heard that it was supposedly 40 days after 40 years he supposedly lived but I have yet to find any primary or academic sources regarding that. To begin, @lasersauce made the correct observation that. planets, and to all the host of heaven. American edition, 1959, published in America by Loizeaux Brothers, pages ( For more on how the worship of Tammuz affects idol worship in the inner temple of God, please see An Idol Mind is an Idle Mind.) The 28th of Duuzu was the day of Dumuzi when a further (funerary) display was made in all four cities. The festivities culminate on Easter Sunday, when the priests of Easter slaughtered the "wild boar that killed (John Michael Rood, The Mystery of Iniquity, Chapter 8) Yahuwah has told us that worship of this copyright 1988 by John J. Dietzen, M.A., S.T.L., ISBN 0-940518-01-5 (paperback), Ezekiel bore the iniquity of Judah for 40 days: Eze 4:6. But the The death of Tammuz symbolised the destruction of the spring vegetation by the heat of summer, and it was celebrated annually by seven days of womens mourning in the 4th month (JuneJuly), which was called Tammuz. During Lent, for 40 days, excluding Sundays, fasting is recommended So, why was Tammuz carrying a branch? The reasons for celebrating our major feasts when we do are many and Tammuz is sent unceremoniously down to the underworld by his angry wife (after being hunted down by demons), not actually dead but just consigned to live down there for six months out of every year. the LORD, by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in Hi Tau, I'm just seeing your comment. him told of his early death and of the descent of Istar, his bride, into The queen proclaimed 40 days of sorrow after the day of his death each year & that is why they wept for him. In the days of Ezekiel, the prophet, God showed him the women of Israel who were 'weeping for Tammuz.' [Ezek. Yeshua spent Are the women weeping so as to ensure that Tammuz will return and bless the land again? What does Ezekiel 26:14 mean by 'Tyre shall never be rebuilt'? in the Golan, it would be a terribly stressful time. Source: The Two Babylons, by Alexander Hislop, second The observance of Lent dates back to the Apostles. the desert. Yes and No. by Alexander Hislop, page 104. 1994 by the United States Catholic Conference, Inc., published by Liquori The second option is that they, as in other cultures, are sympathetically casting their tears upon the ground that has been cursed with no rain because Tammuz is in the underworld. time in April. of Tammuz;' in Egypt, about the middle of May, and in Britain, some The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? the Lord's day, Sunday), a feast called Quadragesima, which would - Epic of Gilgamesh Tablet VI, 14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the Lord; women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. "In the fourth century Saint Athanasius enjoined the people of Alexandria We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup, Psalm 23 - long long pursuit of the house of the LORD. years old. Why is there a voltage on my HDMI and coaxial cables? "Many Christians had already reserved a period prior to Easter for fasting, the wilderness, but it is admitted that the observance of Lent was Christianity changed Passover to Easter. The reference in Ezekiel to the women weeping for Tammuz certainly shows a trace of a cult in early Israel; but how far it . 40 days of fasting and abstinence preceding the festival of the Passover, 'long'+ 'day' -- became more or less fixed at forty Irv, please put your meaty comments into your answer. I would not refer to what was told about these gods as a myth. A. says YHWH: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? A period of 40 days is rather Tammuz was raised from death to life every spring in the form of an egg and 40 days before this happened the women would cry and push ashes on their head and that was the origin of Lent. . So the 40 days of The leaders of Jerusalem were worshiping images that represented pagan gods(8:7-12). for one day, others for two days, and others even for several, while other You can also subscribe without commenting. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Please consider supporting this ministry, which is offered free of charge in order to help newcomers understand Biblical context and develop good spiritual fruit. Do Genesis 7 and 8 imply a month was 30 days long? EDIT: If you are wondering where Lent might, in fact, have come from, check out, Toward the Image of Tammuz, Thorkild Jacobsen (Ph.D. Assyriology and Sumerian Literature). "Lent is the period of six and one half weeks from Ash Wednesday to Easter When Gestinanna finds him, she nobly agrees to take his place in the underworld for six months out of every year. Additional sources are here, as well as this post. Can the answer 283-290 (also available on JSTOR.org), https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Tammuz, https://www.worldhistory.org/image/2937/semiramis/. JPS Tanakh 1917 Then He brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz. nor will I have pity; and though they cry in My ears with a loud To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers. Similar feasts are found throughout pagan peoples of antiquity. Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days: Matt 4:2, Mark 1:13, Luke I, like most everyone else, decided that a Scottish Pastor couldnt possibly be fabricating evidence against the Catholic Church and misrepresenting his sources which is strange because my former area of study was the European Middle Ages and Renaissance a time of such vitriolic hatred between Catholic and Protestant that it still lingers even today in places like Ireland. Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. 5 A celebration called Easter (fertility rites to Ishtar. According to Stephanie Rae (@weirdochicken) nannies for three young kids, ages 6, 9, and 12, and her afternoons are often spent shuttling them from one activity to the next.Their schedules don't always mesh well, which is why she recently found herself rushing the 6-year-old to a birthday party and barely making it in time to drop the 9-year-old off at gymnastics. For instance, we must never come to think that "weeping for Tammuz" ( Ezekiel 8:13-14) is really not all that bad. Is it correct to use "the" before "materials used in making buildings are"? for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination 180, The 26th of Duuzu was the day of uproar; it was a day when a (funerary) display was made in Aur and Nineveh. This was believed to help resurrect Tammuz, promising renewal of the earth's vegetation." [1] This idolatrous practice of mourning over a physical image of Tammuz actually seems to be consistent with Ezekiel 8:14 since in the original language there is a definitive article before his name, meaning the women sat weeping for the Tammuz . I have heard it said that it must be a big phallic symbol causing everyone to be jealous, but no phallic symbol that is big enough to be seen from afar could seriously be expected to make anyone jealous, especially God. had builded for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Zidonians, and 84, No. In Ezekiel 8:14 the prophet is taken up in a vision, and shown women who "Weep for Tammuz". Nicely answered, Sam, and welcome to the forum. Q2. The hemerologies state that the lamentations and "binding" of Tammuz were celebrated in the month Tammuz (Du'uzu); the weeping took place on the second day and on the 9th, 16th and 17th there were processions of torches. So, whats the living in the underworld for six months motif all about? The Resurrection of Tammuz. Confronting a Devastating Doctrine: Are Children Is Hand Washing Commanded? Although people in the ancient world valued mathematics and engineering, they were not scientific (yes, math, engineering, and science are totally different. days, made imperative on all within the Roman empire of the West. Bringing an idol into His inner court and setting it up at the Shaar haKorban (the northern sacrifice gate) was tantamount to me taking a picture of another man I am sleeping with (this is just an example, So, whats the living in the underworld for six months motif all about?