One or Three?

[sami]

 

ONE OR THREE?

In his book TWO BABYLONS, Alexander Hislop traces the various mythologies back to a common heritage. Hislop pointed out the antiquity of the theological concept of the Trinity by giving examples of pagan trinities in Siberia, Japan, and India. He noted that the recognition of the Trinity was “universal in all the ancient nations of the world”. He went so far as to say that “the supreme divinity in almost all heathen nations was triune”.

Historian Arthur Wainwright can find no doctrine remotely resembling the doctrine of the Trinity taught in Judaism until the time of Philo in the first century AD. And we know that Philo, even though he was a Jewish priest, was heavily influenced by Greek pagan thought.

The idea of a “plural” God was far from the Hebrew mind.

The pagan idea of a triad is very old. Sumerians, according to Morris Jastrow, paid homage to a triad of El-lil, “god or lord of the storm”, Ea, “water deity” of Eridu on the Persian Gulf, and Anu, sun god of Ur-uk.

El-lil, was called “the father of Sumer” (“Shinar”), and “chief of gods”, “creator and sustainer of life”. The universe was apparently up among these three “pre-eminent” deities.

Later, Marduk, the “firstborn” of Ea, and the patron deity of Babylon, is made “god of the earth”,
and his symbol, oddly enough, is the dragon. He was called “Bel” or “Baal” (lord).

Ashur, the god of the Assyrian capital was a “sun god”, and his consort or wife was Ishtar, the “great mother” goddess of Nineveh, a city founded by Ninus or Nimrod.

Ishtar, known as Ashtoreth to the Phoenicians, and Astarte to the Greeks, was often portrayed riding on a lion. She was called the daughter of the moon, and identified in astrology as the Roman Venus (“goddess of love”). She was also known as Nana or Madonna (Lady). From whence comes the title and worship of Mary as the Madonna and queen of heaven.

Ishtar has a bloody history as a goddess. She was reputedly the murderer of her consort Tammuz (variously known as Baal, Adonis, the Egyptian Osiris, the Greek Bacchus, or simply Nimrod). Queen Semiramis later brought forth an illegitimate son, which she claimed was Nimrod resurrected. He was called El-Bar, or “God the Son”, and “the Branch of Cush”. Thus was formulated one of the ancient triadic patterns of “father, mother, son”

Franz Cumont tells us that triads were very common in the religion of the Chaldeans. The Babylonian triad became the Syrian triad of Hadad, Atargatis, and Simios. In Rome, this triad was Jupiter, Venus, and Mercury. Not only did the triadic pattern of deity spread throughout the world, but Cumont remarks on the continuing influence of the Babylonian priesthood after the fall of Babylon from political leadership.

The ancient Greeks impressed with the wisdom of the Babylonians. Franz Cumont said, “Philosophy claimed more and more to derive its inspiration from the fabulous wisdom of Chaldea (Babylon) and Egypt”.

According to Cumont, the “entire neo-platonic school is heavily indebted to the Chaldeans (Babylonians)”. It was the neo-platonic school of philosophy which influenced the Catholic fathers, Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen.

Porphyry reveals that the neo-platonists had incorporated Babylonian and Persian demonology into their philosophical system.

The Greek philosopher Plato, greatly influenced the Catholic fathers. He was acquainted with Babylonian wisdom, and had traveled to Babylonia, Israel, and Egypt.

Philo Judaeus (20 BC-50 AD) of Alexandria was the man who attempted to fuse the strict monotheistic theology of the Hebrew religion with the transcendental theology and philosophy of the Greek platonists.

He, Philo, had a profound influence upon the Catholic fathers, and therefore upon the development of the Catholic Trinity.
For one looking into Philo’s work will see that his conception of the Logos, with some modifications, is very similar to later trinitarian teaching on the Catholic Logos.

Charles Semisch has stated, “The early (Catholic) Fathers only poured the contents of the scriptures into a Philonian vessel: they view the biblical passages through a Philonian medium”.
I thought that the quote by historian Will Durant is quite appropriate: “Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it.

. . . From Egypt came the ideas of a divine trinity.” In the book Egyptian Religion, where Siegfried Morenz says: “The trinity was a major preoccupation of Egyptian theologians . . . Three gods are combined and treated as a single being, addressed in the singular. In this way the spiritual force of Egyptian religion shows a direct link with Christian theology.”

Morenz goes on to say “Alexandrian theology as the intermediary between the Egyptian religious heritage and Christianity.”

Edward Gibbon’s History of Christianity said : “If Paganism was conquered by Christianity, it is equally true that Christianity was corrupted by Paganism. The pure Deism of the first Christians . . . was changed, by the Church of Rome, into the incomprehensible dogma of the trinity. Many of the pagan tenets, invented by the Egyptians and idealized by Plato, were retained as being worthy of belief.”

Dictionary of Religious Knowledge says that the Trinity “is a corruption borrowed from the heathen religions, and ingrafted on the Christian faith.”

The book…. The Paganism in Our Christianity said this of the trinity doctrine: “The origin of the [Trinity] is entirely pagan.”

[Jean Luc DESSONS]

Le 11/07/2018 à 03:57, sami a dit :

 

UN OU TROIS?

Dans son livre deux Babylones, Alexander Hislop retrace les différentes mythologies revenir à un patrimoine commun. Hislop a souligné l'ancienneté du concept théologique de la Trinité en donnant des exemples des Trinités païens en Sibérie, le Japon et l'Inde. Il a noté que la reconnaissance de la Trinité était « universelle dans toutes les anciennes nations du monde ». Il est allé jusqu'à dire que « la divinité suprême dans presque toutes les nations païennes était trinitaire ».

L'historien Arthur Wainwright ne peut trouver aucune doctrine qui ressemblât à la doctrine de la Trinité enseignée dans le judaïsme jusqu'au moment de Philo au premier siècle de notre ère. Et nous savons que Philo, bien qu'il était un prêtre juif, a été fortement influencée par la pensée grecque païenne.

L'idée d'un Dieu était loin de l'esprit hébreu « pluriel ».

L'idée païenne d'une triade est très ancienne. Sumériens, selon Morris Jastrow, a rendu hommage à une triade d'El-lil, « dieu ou seigneur de la tempête », Ea, « divinité de l'eau » de Éridou sur le golfe Persique et Anu, dieu du soleil d'Ur-uk.

El-lil, a été appelé « le père de Sumer » ( « Shinhar »), et « chef des dieux », « Créateur et de la vie ». L'univers était apparemment en entre ces trois divinités « prééminent ».

Plus tard, Marduk, le « premier - né » de Ea, et la divinité protectrice de Babylone, est fait « dieu de la terre »,
et son symbole, assez curieusement, est le dragon. Il a été appelé « Bel » ou « Baal » (seigneur).

Assur, le dieu de la capitale assyrienne était un « dieu du soleil », et son épouse ou la femme était Ishtar, la déesse « grand-mère » de Ninive, une ville fondée par Ninus ou Nemrod.

Ishtar, connu sous le nom Astarté aux Phéniciens, et Astarté aux Grecs, a souvent été dépeint à cheval sur un lion. Elle a appelé la fille de la lune, et identifié dans l'astrologie comme la Vénus romaine ( « déesse de l'amour »). Elle était aussi connu comme Nana ou Madonna (Lady). D'où vient le titre et le culte de Marie comme la Vierge et de la reine du ciel.

Ishtar a une histoire sanglante comme une déesse. Elle était réputé le meurtrier de son consort Tammuz (diversement connue sous le nom de Baal, Adonis, l'Egyptien Osiris, le grec Bacchus, ou tout simplement Nimrod). La reine Sémiramis plus tard enfanta un fils illégitime, qu'elle prétendait être ressuscitée Nimrod. Il a été appelé El-Bar, ou « Dieu le Fils », et « la Direction de Cush ». Ainsi a été formulé l'un des anciens modèles triadiques de « père, mère, fils »

Franz Cumont nous dit que triades étaient très fréquents dans la religion des Chaldéens. La triade de Babylone est devenue la triade syrienne de Hadad, Atargatis et Simios. A Rome, cette triade était Jupiter, Vénus et Mercure. Non seulement le modèle triadique de divinité répandue dans le monde, mais remarque Cumont sur l'influence continue du sacerdoce de Babylone après la chute de Babylone des dirigeants politiques.

The ancient Greeks impressed with the wisdom of the Babylonians. Franz Cumont said, “Philosophy claimed more and more to derive its inspiration from the fabulous wisdom of Chaldea (Babylon) and Egypt”.

According to Cumont, the “entire neo-platonic school is heavily indebted to the Chaldeans (Babylonians)”. It was the neo-platonic school of philosophy which influenced the Catholic fathers, Justin Martyr, Clement of Alexandria, and Origen.

Porphyry reveals that the neo-platonists had incorporated Babylonian and Persian demonology into their philosophical system.

The Greek philosopher Plato, greatly influenced the Catholic fathers. He was acquainted with Babylonian wisdom, and had traveled to Babylonia, Israel, and Egypt.

Philo Judaeus (20 BC-50 AD) of Alexandria was the man who attempted to fuse the strict monotheistic theology of the Hebrew religion with the transcendental theology and philosophy of the Greek platonists.

He, Philo, had a profound influence upon the Catholic fathers, and therefore upon the development of the Catholic Trinity.
For one looking into Philo’s work will see that his conception of the Logos, with some modifications, is very similar to later trinitarian teaching on the Catholic Logos.

Charles Semisch has stated, “The early (Catholic) Fathers only poured the contents of the scriptures into a Philonian vessel: they view the biblical passages through a Philonian medium”.
I thought that the quote by historian Will Durant is quite appropriate: “Christianity did not destroy paganism; it adopted it.

. . . From Egypt came the ideas of a divine trinity.” In the book Egyptian Religion, where Siegfried Morenz says: “The trinity was a major preoccupation of Egyptian theologians . . . Three gods are combined and treated as a single being, addressed in the singular. In this way the spiritual force of Egyptian religion shows a direct link with Christian theology.”

Morenz goes on to say “Alexandrian theology as the intermediary between the Egyptian religious heritage and Christianity.”

Edward Gibbon’s History of Christianity said : “If Paganism was conquered by Christianity, it is equally true that Christianity was corrupted by Paganism. The pure Deism of the first Christians . . . was changed, by the Church of Rome, into the incomprehensible dogma of the trinity. Many of the pagan tenets, invented by the Egyptians and idealized by Plato, were retained as being worthy of belief.”

Dictionary of Religious Knowledge says that the Trinity “is a corruption borrowed from the heathen religions, and ingrafted on the Christian faith.”

The book…. The Paganism in Our Christianity said this of the trinity doctrine: “The origin of the [Trinity] is entirely pagan.”