OLDEST RELIGIONS: the Entire History | 4K FULL DOCUMENTARY

Foreign.

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Welcome to a journey of true gnosis. Today, you will be transported back in time to the ancient world, where the gods and goddesses of paganism and nature worship reigned supreme for thousands of years. From the Neolithic to the Bronze Age, from there, you will witness the evolution of theology as the syncretic Roman Imperial cult emerged from the dust of the Game of Thrones, sparked by Alexander the Great. And after the Augustan age, eventually giving way to the monotheistic religions of Judeo-Christianity, Neoplatonism, and Islam. Prepare to be amazed by the rich history and fascinating insights that await you in this video.

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Oh, foreign.

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Foreign.

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According to the Bible, Adam and Eve lived 4,000 years before the time of Christ. The flood occurred around 2,700 years before Christ, meaning civilization started over during the time when Noah landed the Ark in Anatolia. However, there are some things that seem to go against this theory. But I'll give the credit that where credit's due. If the ark's gonna land anywhere, Anatolia is a great place for it to land because this is an ancient place that goes back millions of years. The Black Sea region was inhabited by people for hundreds and thousands of years. This is the Anatolian Earth Mother, Kubaba, later known as Cybele. And if you look at her depiction, seated, heavy-set grandmother figure, there's something really interesting about Kubaba. Number one, she seems to predate written language and even make her way all the way down into the Roman era as Cybele, the Great Mother. Venerated. Her evolution over time is phenomenal, and the reason why it is because she is older than the Bible itself. She's older than the Bible even reports time itself to be. Now, what do I mean by that? For a long time, we didn't know how old the world was. For many centuries, scholars sort of went along with the Bible. The Bible says Adam and Eve and Noah. Babylon was the first city around 3,500 BCE. All right, let's go with that. But since the Enlightenment, scholarship has gotten a lot better, and now we know that the Earth is millions of years old, and humans have been around for hundreds of thousands of years. In 1999, in Morocco, a depiction just like Kubaba was found, known as the Venus of Tan-Tan. This idol is dated to 300,000 to 500,000 years old. You didn't hear that wrong. 300,000 to 500,000 years old. According to Robert Bednarik, an anthropologist, who says this is the earliest representation of the human form in existence on the planet, discovered in 1999 during an archaeological survey by Lutz Fiedler, Northwest Africa, and Morocco. According to Bednarik, this was most likely a manuport, which is an object that appears to look like a shape and then is taken as one. The horizontal grooves were caused by some sort of carving stone tool. The dating has been a point of controversy. However, the findings of Bednarik have not been re-examined by other scholars. His statements have neither been confirmed nor rejected. Stanley Ambrose thinks that the object is as old as they say it is due to its natural weathering patterns.

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This is called the Lion Man. The Lion Man was found in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It's 40,000 years old, sculpted with mammoth tusk ivory, a species of mammoth that has been long extinct. Dating this thing took clearly 40,000 years old. It has the head of a cave lion, another extinct animal, with a partly human body, and it stands upright. What you're staring at right now is an object that is so ancient that it's not even conceived of being this old before we figured out the age of the Earth. Found in 1939, the Lion Man makes a story that sounds like a myth. The way around his body was caused by the handling of being passed around and rubbed as a part of a ritual or religious rite. It's impossible to know what the story was about him. However, some of the oldest images of the god Mithras depicts him standing upright with the head of a lion, wrapped with the serpent-like forms, which is the primordial deity. The oldest myth that people know of in ancient Greece is the story of a primordial god or goddess leaping out of chaos, wrapped around with a serpent. And here we have one of the oldest gods, Mithras, who shows up in the Rig Veda as Mitra, and he is has the head of a lion, wrapped around by a serpent. Now, it's probably a stretch to say the Lion Man is connected to Mithras. However, it is very interesting that we look at Mithras. His story is told all the way in the beginning, as soon as we find writing, and here we are depicted in the same way.

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Is estimated to be 25,000 to 30,000 years old. Found in August of 1908 by Johann Veran in a site near Willendorf in Lower Austria. It is carved from oolitic limestone that is not even local to the area and tinted with red ocher. The reason why this figure is dated to what it is is its association with Upper Paleolithic Gravettian industry with similar sculptures exactly like this dating to the same time. It probably was left on the ground somewhere and buried around 25,000 years ago with radiocarbon dating surrounding this exact time. Really, it seems to be a type of fertility idol. It never had any feet and would not have stood on its own. It might have been pegged into soft ground and stood up on a pedestal. Notice the similarities between this Venus and the Kubaba figure from Anatolia. Later becomes the model for Cybele, Venus, and Barakat Ram is also dated to 280,000 years ago. It's a small pebble found on the Golan Heights near Israel. It was excavated by Naama Goran-Inbar from the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Inbar suggested that the object resembled the female body and that it was artificially modified by hominids to emphasize its anthropomorphic features. The object was called the figurine and is currently known as the Venus of Berekhat Ram, and it's fascinating how similar these objects turn out to be.

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Venus of Hohle Fels, dated to 40,000 years old, found in Europe near Germany. This is the oldest undisputed example of a depiction of a human being. The other two that I mentioned have disputes. This has no disputes. 40,000 years old. Venus figurine looks almost similar to the other ones that I've shown, and it's sculpted from a woolly mammoth tusk, an animal that is no longer alive on the planet. Venus of Dolní Věstonice, 29,000 years ago, found in the Czech Republic at the base of Devín Mountain. It seems to be a symbol of fertility. Relatively smaller head, little detail. A feature which no longer remains part of the sculpture is the fact that it is thought to have been originally ornamented with four feathers. This is evidenced by the four small holes on the top of the head, although the type of feather has not been determined. The holes are said to be produced with a tool that is relatively sharp. In addition to the Venus figurine, figures of a bear, a lion, and a mammoth, along with a fox, rhino, and owls, and more than 2,000 balls of burnt clay were found in the same general location. This is the Venus of Galgenberg, dated to 30,000 years old. Because of the figurine exhibiting a dancing pose, it was nicknamed Fanny after Fanny Elssler, an Austrian ballerina of the 19th century. It is sculpted from shiny green serpentine rock, which is found in the immediate vicinity of where the figurine was unearthed. This beautiful image right here is known as the Venus of Laussel, carved from limestone rock in Marque, France. The figure holds a bison horn in the shape of a crescent moon, or possibly a cornucopia, which would be held with oil inside of it. It has 13 notches. She has large breasts and a great stomach, just like the other Venuses do, or later on, Cybele. This one is dated to 25,000 years old. This is direct evidence of sophisticated Stone Age tool use. This one was discovered in 1911. The figure and the horn are considered significant in figurative studies of Paleolithic art, and it seems to be just right in line with the other Venus images of around the world. The color and the number of notches on the horn may symbolize the number of moons in a year and the number of menstrual cycles in a year, connecting the goddess with the moon and menstrual cycles. Venus of Lespugue, dated to 25,000 years ago in the foothills of the Pyrenees in France and Spain. This one is six inches tall, carved from tusk ivory, an extinct animal. The carving shows a skirt hanging below the hips made of twisted fibers. This statue may display the earliest representation of someone spinning thread. This one is my favorite. Venus of Brassempouy, known as the Lady with the Hood. Another fragment of ivory, carved from tusk, dated to 25,000 years ago, found near Spain. She is wearing a hat, which is evidence of sophistication in dress from the Stone Age. This Venus is carved with mammoth ivory, and according to archaeologist Paul Bond, the head is unsexed, although it is usually called a Venus or a lady. But the head has a forehead, nose, and brows carved in relief with no mouth on the head. A checkerboard-like pattern formed by two series of shallow incisions at right angles to each other. The hair is styled in cornrows. It is agreed by scholars that this Venus also belongs to the Paleolithic material culture of the Gravettian, from 22,000 to 29 years ago. This one, known as the Venus figurine of Gagarin, also made with ivory, dating to 20,000 years ago from Russia. The depiction is very similar to the other ones seen all around the world. This is Venus Zaraysk. Both of these found in the same location, made from mammoth ivory, dated to 14,000 years ago from Russia.

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And lastly, the Venus of Monruz is another Venus figurine, dated to around 10,000 years ago, right around the time of Göbekli Tepe, when languages are being developed and then civilization is starting to form, when we're almost entering the Copper Age and leaving the Stone Age. We see some sophistication. It has a black jet pendant in the shape of a stylized human body, almost like modern art, discovered in 1991 in Switzerland.

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Oh.

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From 12,000 to 10,000 BCE, Anatolia, also known as Asia Minor, transitioning from the late Paleolithic to the Mesolithic period. During this time, the region was characterized by a hunter-gatherer lifestyle with small groups of people living in temporary settlements. The climate was gradually warming after the last Ice Age, leading to the expansion of forests and the increased availability of resources such as plants and animals. As the environment became more hospitable, human population in Anatolia began to grow. People started to develop new technologies and tools to adapt to their surroundings. The inhabitants of this region relied on hunting, fishing, gathering wild plants for sustenance. They also began to develop more advanced stone tools, such as microliths, which were small, sharp-edged tools used for various purposes, including hunting and food processing.

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There is evidence of increased social interaction and trade between different groups of people in Anatolia. This exchange of ideas and resources likely played a significant role in the development of new technologies and the eventual rise of agriculture in the region. It is clear that between the time of 12,000 to 10,000 BCE, significant change and development in Anatolia, setting the stage for the emergence of more complex societies. An archaeological site located in Southeastern Turkey, near the city of Şanlıurfa, dates back to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period, around 10,000 BCE, making it one of the oldest known human-made religious structures on the planet.

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It consists of several circular and oval-shaped stone enclosures, with the largest measuring about 30 meters in diameter. The site is notable for its T-shaped limestone pillars, some of which are up to 5.5 meters tall and weigh up to 20 tons. Many of these pillars are decorated with intricate carvings of animals such as foxes, snakes, scorpions, birds, and other abstract symbols. The purpose of Göbekli Tepe remains a subject of debate among archaeologists and philologists. Some believe it was a religious center or sanctuary, where others think it may have just been a social gathering place. The site predates the invention of pottery, metal tools, and advanced agriculture, which has led some researchers to propose that it may have played a role in the transition from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to a more settled agricultural society. One of the most intriguing aspects of Göbekli Tepe is the apparent lack of permanent habitation. There is little evidence of houses or domestic structures, suggesting that the site was not a permanent settlement, but rather a place visited periodically for religious ceremonial purposes, similar to what we see at Stonehenge. The site was intentionally buried around 8000 BCE, possibly as a means of decommissioning the structure or as a form of ritual closure. The reasons for this remain unclear, but it has helped to preserve the site in a relatively good condition. Göbekli Tepe has significantly impacted our understanding of early human societies and the development of religion, art, and architecture. Its discovery has challenged traditional theories about the origins of civilization and has raised new questions about the role of religion and ritual in the lives of prehistoric people.

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Jericho, one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with evidence of settlements that go back to 9000 BCE. Its first inhabitants were likely a mix of hunter-gatherers, just like Göbekli Tepe. It was settled in an area due to its fertile soil and abundant water sources. These early inhabitants would have lived in simple mud brick houses and relied on agriculture, hunting, and gathering. Over time, the settlement grew and developed, eventually becoming the fortified city that we know today. However, a more advanced city or palace known as Knossos in Crete, which has evidence of people living there going back to 7000 BCE. This may be the first real city in the world. Now, Knossos would not have existed as the ancient Minoan palace that we know of today. However, it does have evidence of some sort of building structure located where the palace was built, which means that Knossos as a city can be traced back to 7000 BCE. The Minoan civilization, which was centered on the island of Crete, did not emerge until 2700 BC. However, in 7000 BCE, the area was inhabited by Neolithic communities who practiced agriculture, and these are the people that Homer talks about that are called the Pelasgians.

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The Copper Age, also known as the Chalcolithic period, was a transitional phase between the Neolithic Stone Age and the Bronze Age. It is generally dated between 4500 and 3300 BCE. During this time, human societies began to use copper tools and weapons in addition to stone. The Copper Age was marked by significant advancements in technology, agriculture, and social organization. As people learned how to smelt and work with copper, they were able to create more efficient tools and weapons, which in turn allowed for more productive farming and hunting. This led to an increase in food, population, supporting larger populations, then the growth of settlements, which came with the growth of art and ideas, which led to religion. Trade networks expanded during the Copper Age as communities sought to acquire copper and other valuable resources. The exchange of goods and ideas facilitated the spread of new technologies and cultural practices across different regions. Medicines were traded. Metallurgy also had a profound impact on social structures as specialized craftsmen emerged to produce copper tools and weapons. These skilled artisans often held a higher status within their communities, reflecting the growing importance of metalworking in Copper Age societies. Ritual practices continued to play a central role in the lives of Copper Age people. Megalithic structures such as Stonehenge in England and the Ġgantija temples in Malta were constructed during this period, demonstrating the sophisticated engineering skills and religious beliefs of these ancient societies. The emergence of complex burial practices, including the use of grave goods and elaborate tombs, also points to a growing concern for the afterlife and the veneration of ancestors.

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The Copper Age saw the rise of several important civilizations, including the Sumerians in Mesopotamia, as well as the Minoans of Crete, pre-dynastic Egyptians in the Nile Valley. These early societies developed complex political systems, monumental architecture, and sophisticated art and writing systems, laying the groundwork for later Bronze Age civilizations to follow. As trade networks expanded, the facilitation of goods and ideas crossed paths from different regions, and religion and ritual practices continued to play central roles in the lives of people. Culturally and politically, the influence of the Proto-Indo-European pantheon on Vedic and Greco-Roman mythology, as well as the early Sumerians and pre-dynastic Egyptians, can be traced back to this transformative period in human history.

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The Proto-Indo-European pantheon of gods' beliefs originated in the Pontic-Caspian Black Sea steppe region, a region that spans from modern-day Ukraine, Russia, and Kazakhstan all the way over to Europe. As the Proto-Indo-Europeans migrated and interacted with other cultures, their religious beliefs spread and evolved. The Vedic religion, which emerged in ancient India around 1500 BCE, shares many similarities with these Proto-Indo-Europeans. For example, the Vedic god Indra, the king of the gods, the god of thunder, is strikingly similar to the Proto-Indo-European god Perkūnas. Similar to the Veda god of fire, Agni, can be traced back to the Proto-Indo-European god Kangūnos. The influence of the Proto-Indo-European pantheon can also be seen in Greco-Roman mythology. The Greek god Zeus and the Roman god Jupiter both share characteristics with the sky god Dyēus ph₂tḗr. Additionally, the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon, and the Roman god Neptune have similarities with the Proto-Indo-European god of water, *H₂ep-nom-neptos.

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The Sumerians, who inhabited modern-day Iraq, developed one of the earliest known systems of writing, the cuneiform script. This allowed them to record their religious beliefs, which centered around a pantheon of gods, including Anu, god of the sky, and Enlil, the god of wind and storms. These gods would later influence the religious beliefs of the Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians. The Pelasgians, however, were pre-Hellenic people who inhabited parts of Greece and the Aegean region before the arrival of the Greeks. Little is known about their religion, as their few surviving records or artifacts. However, it is believed that they practiced a form of animism or nature worship, with a focus on fertility and agricultural deities. Some scholars suggest that the Pelasgians may have influenced the development of early Greek religion, particularly the worship of the Earth goddess Gaia and other chthonic deities. Pre-dynastic Egypt, before the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt around 3000 BCE, various local deities were worshiped. Some of these deities, such as the falcon god Horus and the cow goddess Hathor, will later be incorporated into the Egyptian pantheon during the dynastic period. The early Egyptians also believed in the concept of Ma'at, cosmic order that maintained balance and harmony in the universe. The Minoans, centered around the island of Crete, was another influential Bronze Age culture. These Minoans are best known for their palace that I mentioned earlier at Knossos, which featured elaborate frescoes depicting religious scenes. Minoan religion appears to have been centered around a great goddess who is associated with fertility, nature, and possibly the underworld. The Minoans also had a male god depicted as a bull or a bull-headed man who connected with Bacchus, may have been the consort to the Great Goddess. Dionysus shows up in the earliest forms of writing as well as hieroglyphs, predating writing itself. The Minoan religion was centered around the worship of these various deities, with a strong emphasis on the female goddess, the serpent goddess. The primary deity was this mother goddess who was associated with animals and nature. Other important deities, the master of animals and Sky Father, were part of this pantheon, and the Minoans practiced rituals involving animal sacrifices, processions, orgies, and offerings. The religious symbols included the double-headed ax, the bull, and the serpent.

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The Roman Pantheon was influenced by these various cultures. Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. Manu and Yemo are figures from Indo-European mythology, just like Romulus and Remus are the legendary founders of Rome and Roman mythology. Manu and Yemo are believed to be the first man and first king, respectively, in the Indo-European mythological tradition. In some versions of the myth, Yemo is sacrificed by Manu to create the world, just as Romulus kills Remus in order to build Rome. In the Indian myths, Manu, the first man, and his twin brother Yama is sacrificed and is the first to die, who becomes the king of the underworld, while Manu becomes the father of mankind and survives a flood, like Noah and Gilgamesh.

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God Mars, Roman god of war and oaths, is connected to the Proto-Indo-European god *māwor, the deity of war and storms. This figure is also related to the Greek Ares and the Hindu Maruts. Neptune, the Roman god of the sea, is linked to the Proto-Indo-European *neptos, the deity of water and underworld. This figure is also related to the Vedic god Napāts and the Irish god Nechtan. Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom and war, is associated with the Proto-Indo-European goddess *jḗsus, the deity of dawn. And this figure is also related to Athena and Eos and the Hindu goddess Ushas. Venus also related to this goddess, as well, is the goddess of love and beauty and fertility, also the Dawn Goddess, who is known in Latin as Lucifer, lightbringer. *H₂eywos is the figure in the Proto-Indo-European pantheon related to this. There is also Perkūnas, the Lord of Oaks, which reminds one of Zeus of Dodona, one of the Ancient Wonders of the World, surrounded by oak trees, and like Perkūnas, he is a sky god connected with thunder and lightning. Obvious connections to Indra, as well as Zeus. Keraunos, the name of Zeus's Thunderbolt. Hekate, the spring nymph associated with the river of the same name, identified with Demeter. The name could be a borrowing, as it rather follows a Celtic soundbar, which explains why Indra and Dyēus Ph₂tḗr in Hindu mythology are two distinct gods, unlike how Zeus takes on the role of both and is synced with Jupiter. Both related to Dyēus, or Day Father. Jupiter, the king of the gods in the Roman Pantheon, is associated with Dyēus Ph₂tḗr, the sky father. This deity is also the precursor to Zeus, as I've mentioned, and the Hindu god Dyēus Pitta. This god, although a sky father, seems to be connected with an underworld king of Hades, known as Dis Pater. Dis Pater, otherwise known as Rex Inferni or Pluto, is a Roman god of the underworld. This was originally associated with fertile agricultural land and mineral wealth, and since those minerals came from underground, he was later equated with chthonic deities. Dionysus, Pluto, Hades, as well as Saturn, who becomes the king of the underworld and rules the Golden Age where everybody has wealth. Tacitus refers to the god Odin as Mercury, Thor as Hercules, and Tyr as Mars. He calls the Isis of the Suebi, who is known as Freya. I think it should be pointed out that Herodotus also relates that the Hyperboreans are descended from Hermes, connecting Odin once again to Mercury. But Julius Caesar himself, who spent many years of his life in Gaul, relates that they are descended from this. This makes sense because the ancient form of Bacchus, who is the frenzy god, and Odin is the god of the frenzy who possesses. Bacchus is also the god of the frenzy who possesses. Both Odin and Bacchus are connected to the All-Father, Dis, the king of the underworld. This connection between Hades and Bacchus goes back to the Greeks as well. Here we see two depictions of Bacchus and Hades, both looking identical, black beards, ivy wreath crown, and holding a thyrsus staff.

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Pluto's role as the Devourer and underworld King can be traced to Egypt. Sobek, also known as Seb or Geb, is either depicted with the head of a snake or a crocodile, as he devours the souls of the wicked. In Greco-Roman Egypt, Seb or Geb was equated with the Greek god Kronos because he held a quite similar position in the Greek pantheon as the father of the gods, Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, as Seb did in Egyptian mythology. This equation is particularly well attested in Tebtunis in the southern Fayum. Seb and Kronos were here part of a local version of the cult of Sobek, Lord of the Four Corners, the crocodile god. The equation was shown on the one hand in local iconography of the gods, in which Seb is depicted as a man with attributes of Kronos, and Kronos with the attributes of Seb. On the other hand, the priests of the local main temple identify themselves in Egyptian texts as priests of Sakhnatubis Seb or Saknap-tmus Geb, but in Greek texts as priests of Satantubus Kronos. Accordingly, Egyptian names formed with the name of the god Seb or Geb were just as popular among local villagers as Greek names derived from Kronos, especially Cronian.

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In the case of the Egyptians, it was this Destroyer Seb who takes on all the traits of the Earth Shaker Poseidon, Hades, King of the underworld, and the Sky Father Zeus. And he holds a trident like Poseidon, but also like Shiva. Seb, like Shiva, can be connected with the Proto-Indo-European *Sawa through this god Sabazios, who also has a Proto-Indo-European root name *Siwa. Shiva, one of the principal deities in Hinduism, is indeed associated with time through his aspect of Kala. Kala, which means time in Sanskrit, is one of the many aspects of Shiva. In this form, Shiva is considered the Lord of time, destruction, and change, just as Saturn has the same traits. He is often depicted as the destroyer of the universe, who brings about the end of time to make way for new creation. This cyclical nature of time in the universe is a key concept in Hindu cosmology. Kalis, when Kali, have similar Proto-Indo-European etymologies. The word for Kalis, as you can see here in this chart, to call, to cry, it's also related to the word calendar, or the calendars of a month in the Roman Calendar. But here we see *kel to turn in motion, pivot, whole star, connecting with time and the cyclical nature of these heavens in the sky that turns in a clockwise nature. *Kel and Kali are related through this Proto-Indo-European word. So the goddess Kali, who's the consort of Shiva, just as Kalis is the father of Saturn in Roman mythology. And Kalis is depicted on the cuirass of Augustus of Prima Porta, the very top above the four horses of Helios's quadriga. He is a mature, bearded man who holds a cloak over his head so that it billows in the form of an arch, a conventional sign of deity that recalls the vault of the firmament. He is balanced and paired with the personification of Earth at the bottom of the cuirass. These two figures have also been identified as Saturn and Magna Mater to represent the new Saturnian Golden Age of Augustan ideology. On the altar of the Lares, now held by the Vatican, Kalis in his chariot appears among with Mithras above the figure of Augustus. The name Kalis occurs in dedicatory inscriptions and the connection to the cult of Mithras. The Mithraic Kalis is sometimes depicted allegorically as an eagle bending over the sphere of heaven marked with symbols of the planet or the zodiac. In the Mithraic context, he is associated with Catus and can appear as Kalis Aeternus, Eternal Sky, a form of Ahura Mazda is invoked in Latin as Kalis Aeternus. Jupiter, the walls of some of the Mithraea feature allegorical depictions of the cosmos with Oceanus and Kalis. The Mithraeum of Dieburg represents the tripartite world of Kalis, Oceanus, and Tellus. Below Feitan, Helios, Dramas, Mitra-Varuna is a deity or dyad of deities that played a significant role in the Proto-Indo-European religion as well as the Vedic religion, composed of two distinct elements, Mitra and Varuna. This divine pair represented different aspects of sovereignty, with Mitra embodying reason, order, and benevolence, and Varuna symbolizing violence, darkness, and inspiration of the frenzy. The concept of Mitra as Brahman and Varuna as the king of Godhara is a particularly suggestive formula. Normally live in a mysterious world of their own, beyond the darkness into which Indra smoked the singular Gandharva for the greater good of the Brahmana. In Varuna's legend, the Gandharva intervened at a tragic moment to restore his foul virility with magic herbs, just as the first Luperci put an end to the sterility of the woman Romulus had abducted. This Mitra-Varuna dyad can be seen as an ancient form of the Apollonian-Dionysian dualism that we see in Greek mythology, sky and underworld, dark and light, righteousness and liberty. In an earlier model, Georges Dumézil proposed that *Wornos, also the god in the reconstructed dialogue, as the nocturnal sky and benevolent counterpart of *Deiwos, with possible cognates the Greek Ouranos and Vedic Varuna, from the Proto-Indo-European *waru, which means to encompass over. *Wornos may have personified the firmament or dwelled in the night sky. In both Greek and Vedic poetry, Ouranos and Varuna are portrayed as wide-looking, bounding or seizing their victims, and having or being heavenly seat. This dyad can be seen in the Thracian religion with Clement of Alexandria compared to Jesus being in the bosom of Yahweh, when she compared to Sabazios being the godhead of Bacchus and Zeus or Saturn. Sabazios, a god of the Thracians and Phrygians, is also known from Greek and Latin sources as Sabadius or Sabedios. His name related to the Macedonian word Sadoy or Saturns. According to some scholars, he was a Thracian mountain god whose cult was carried by Phrygian emigrants from Thrace to Anatolia. Greek sources from the 5th century BCE onward mention Sabazios as a Thracian god in Athens. His cult's initiation ceremonies took place by night, and the depths were purified by being rubbed by serpents. A sacramental drink was also involved. The identification of Sabazios with Dionysus, which occurs regularly in Hellenistic sources, is unquestionable. He might have had the features of the heavenly god, hence he was later identified with the Semitic god Baal, both of them receiving the Greek epithet Hypsistos, or highest, or supreme. Sabazios's name connected with the Proto-Indo-European *siwo, connected to Shiva, as well as Saturn, meaning his own. The idea of freedom, which constantly shows up in the epithets of Dionysus. Franz Cumont has suggested a relationship with the Illyrian Sabai or Sabayam, identifying beer extracted from cereals, such as we see in the Eleusinian Mysteries, Bacchus and Demeter. Sabazios connected with the Proto-Indo-European word for sap, as a sap god, which says juices and fluids being drunk in the Mysteries. This translation corresponds well to the pattern of Dionysus, who has the divinity of humidity and such, was connected to the vegetation and intoxication.

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Under the Roman rulers, Sabazios was worshiped in Thrace, where he was often known as Sabadius, or in Latin, Sabadios, and where he received such epithets as Benevolent, Curious, Lord, Magistos, greatest, and Hypsistos, most high, and so forth. Theos Hypsistos, God most high, and he was constantly identified both with Zeus, the Sun, and the Moon, sort of a dual underworld Sky Father Earth Sun godhead, sun and moon in one. The motifs of hands making the votive gesture are among the distinctive features of his cult. The right hand of God, according to several Christian writers, Clement, Arnobius, Maternus. The most impressive rite of initiation into the mysteries of Sabazios consisted of the adept's contact with the serpent, that was first coiled over his breast and then pulled down to his genitals. No less enigmatic than Zalmoxis, Sabazios was worshiped as early as the 4th century BCE, both as the chthonic and heavenly god, as I mentioned, and traces back to this common roots of Zababa. Scholars have often tried to solve this riddle, supposing that borrowing from the Jewish religion, but the Jewish influence was not relevant in Italia before the 3rd century BCE. One should rather consider the chthonic features determining the character of the Thracian Sabazios, whereas the Phrygian Sabazios was probably connected with the Sky Father Zeus. This very Sky Father that was often worshiped side by side with the Earth Mother Kubaba, later known as Cybele. The Sumerians in the 4th century BCE show evidence of knowledge of this very duo. Zababa, Sumerian god of war and the tutelary deity of the city of Kish, before it became Babylon. In ancient Mesopotamia, he is often depicted as a warrior holding a weapon, it's just like Sabazios was, such as a mace or a bow, and often associated with the protection of the city and its people. Zababa was often linked with the goddess Inanna, either related as brother and sister or husband and wife. The goddess Kubaba, mentioned in the legendary Sumerian King List, though due to her gender, her inclusion is considered unusual. While modern authors refer to her as the queen, Sumerian title applied to her is Lugal, King, which had no feminine counterpart. A inscription from Ur instead states that there was no king while Kubaba reigned, a span of 100 years. She is the only ruler from the Third Dynasty of Kish listed. The list describes her as the innkeeper and credits her with strengthening the foundation of Kish and attributes 100 years, culminating in a temporary transfer of power from Kish to Akshak before it was regained by Ur-Zababa. The latter ruler is said to be Kubaba's son, which makes her the grandfather of Ur-Zababa. Once again, Ur-Zababa, named after the god, a legendary king who reigned for 400 years and was the legendary opponent of Sargon of Akkad, the founder of the first Akkadian Dynasty. The Sumerian Sargon Legend is a Sumerian text purporting to be Sargon's biography. In this text, Ur-Zababa, who is the grandson of legendary Kubaba, the queen, is mentioned, who often, who awakes after a dream for unknown reasons. Ur-Zababa appoints Sargon as his cupbearer. Soon after this, Ur-Zababa invites Sargon to his chambers to discuss a dream of Sargon's involving the favor of the goddess Inanna. Also in the Sargon Legend, Ur-Zababa is described as being the brother of Holy Inanna, just as the god Zababa is the brother of Kubaba, the goddess. And this goddess would end up replacing Kubaba as the main goddess of Babylon, just as Ninurta would replace Zababa as the tutelary deity of Babylon. Inanna and Ninurta have parallels to Venus and Saturn in Roman mythology, and it could be how the king and queen God of Israel, Yahweh and Asherah, became the head of the pantheon. The golden vines and scepters in the temple of Yahweh, along with the observance of the Sabbath, reflects the Babylonian connections to Israelite tradition. In ancient Babylonia, the Akkadian word *šabūm* corresponds to the 15th day of the month as the day of quieting God's heart. These are the Akkadian words meaning seventh day. The Babylonians observed the full moon as a day of rest and called it the Shabbat. Sabazios, the Phrygian descendant of this ancient deity, can be seen with the moon on his forehead, possible early connections between Sabazios and his followers are indigenous mother goddess, Phrygian Cybele, may be reflected in Homer's brief reference to the youthful feats of Priam, who aided the Phrygians in their battles against the Amazons. An aspect of the compromise religious settlement, similar to other mythic adjustments throughout the Aegean culture, can be read in the later Phrygian King Gordius' adoption with Cybele of Midas.

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One of the native religious creatures was the lunar bull. Sabazios' relation with the goddess may be surmised in the way that his horse places a hoof on the head of the bull in a Roman marble relief at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Whether or not this can be shown as direct influences or just indirect passing down of ideas through the cultural milieu is unknown, but I do think it shows that some aspects of religion are universal. It can be traced back to the beginning of civilization. Even the word holy itself, Proto-Indo-European word which is *h₂eyk*, can be related to both the Greek *hagios* and the Vedic *yā́gios*. So the word holy being common from one side of the continent to the other side of the continent shows that the religious rites are universally connected.

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Thank you.

Sumerian stories have had significant influence on various aspects of ancient Near Eastern literature, including the Hebrew Bible, also called the Torah and the Tanakh. It's important to note that the Bible is a collection of texts written by different authors over a long period of time, and its composition was influenced by various cultural and literary traditions, including those of the Sumerians.

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The Sumerians were an ancient civilization that flourished in Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq, around 4000 to 2000 BC. They left behind a rich literary tradition, including mythological and epic texts. Saw the Sumerian stories and motifs that influenced the Bible. The Sumerian creation myth, known as the Enûma Eliš, bears similarities to the creation account found in the Book of Genesis. Both narratives involve the establishment of order from chaos and the separation of the heavens and the Earth. Genesis 1:2 states that the Earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the Earth, and the spirit of God was hovering over the waters. Notice how the waters are plural. In the Enûma Eliš, it is two waters known as Apsu and Tiamat. Hebrew for deep is *təhôm*. The word for Tiamat is cognate for deep. So not only is there a connection between the way the story is written off the rip, but we also have cognates in the language. The two waters being Apsu and Tiamat, the primeval waters, just as the surface of the deep hovering over the waters.

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The Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh contains a flood narrative that predates the biblical account of Noah's flood by thousands of years. The similarities between the two stories, such as the construction of an ark, the preservation of animals, and sending out a dove to find land, suggest that the biblical flood story may have drawn inspiration from the Sumerian tradition. Sumerians developed one of the earliest known legal codes, known as the Code of Ur-Nammu. This influenced subsequent legal codes of the ancient Near East, including the biblical laws found in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy. Similarities in themes and regulations, such as the concept of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The exact same phrase is found in Sumerian law codes. Now, this is a very specific thing to say, "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth," which shows up in the Code of Hammurabi, shows up in Leviticus when Yahweh tells Moses, "an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth." These regulations regarding property and slavery suggest a shared legal heritage.

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The biblical Book of Proverbs, there are similarities to Sumerian wisdom literature, such as the Instructions of Shuruppak, just like the Instructions of Amenemope, which I'll get to later. Both of these texts offer moral and practical advice on various aspects of life. Hebrew authors and editors transformed and adapted these Sumerian stories to fit the religious and cultural context. The influence of Sumerian literature is evident in themes, motifs, and narrative structures found in the Hebrew Bible. This influence is a part of a broader cultural exchange and continuity in the ancient Near East. Ugaritic stories, specifically those discovered in the ancient city of Ugarit, modern-day Syria, have also had an impact on the development of biblical literature. Ugarit was a flourishing city-state during the Late Bronze Age, from 1400 to 1200 BCE, and its texts, written in cuneiform script, provide valuable insights into the religious and cultural milieu of the ancient Near East. The Ugaritic texts contain myths, epic poems, and ritual texts that have parallels and influences on certain aspects of the Hebrew Bible. The Baal Cycle, most famous Ugaritic text, a collection of mythological texts, while the Canaanite god Baal, the Baal Cycle shares similarities with biblical narratives, particularly in the portrayal of a divine conflict between a storm god and the forces of chaos. These parallels can be seen in passages of the Psalms that describe Yahweh's victory over chaos and the sea, and descriptions of Yahweh's control over the elements. Baal defeats the Leviathan, just as Yahweh defeats the Leviathan in Psalms. Ugaritic texts depict a divine assembly or a council of gods with El as the head deity. This assembly plays a role in divine decision-making and governance. Similar concepts are found in the Hebrew Bible, where Yahweh presides over a heavenly council, as seen in passages like Psalm 82 and Job 1:6. Psalm 82 saying, "El presides in the great assembly; he renders judgment among the gods." The Elohim. But also Job 1:6 states, "Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before El, and Satan came also among them." Both of these texts are not even hiding the fact that there are lesser gods below the high god, who is El.

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Ritual and liturgical texts contain descriptions of religious rituals and liturgies performed in honor of various Ugaritic deities. These texts offer insights into the religious practices and beliefs of the ancient Near East. Some scholars suggest that elements of the Ugaritic rituals may have influenced certain aspects of Israelite worship, such as the structure and content of Psalms and other poetic texts. The Ugaritic language, closely related to Hebrew, provides linguistic and lexical parallels that shed light on certain biblical terms and expressions. The study of Ugaritic has helped scholars better understand and interpret Hebrew words and phrases found in the Bible.

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Egyptian stories and cultural influence are evident in various aspects of the Hebrew Bible. Egypt, a powerful and influential civilization in the Near East, had a significant impact on the development of Israelite culture and religious beliefs. The story of the Exodus, which describes the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, is one of the central narratives in the Bible. The biblical account shares the same thematic elements and motifs with Egyptian literature, such as the idea of the divine deliverer and confrontation between a powerful ruler and a figure chosen by God. While the Exodus story primarily reflects Israelite perspectives, it is likely that the historical experience of the Hyksos leaving Egypt may have influenced this narrative. Some Judeo-Christian scholars try to link these as the same event. However, this is not likely considering the dates are separated by several centuries. Within the Hyksos period, we don't see a Moses or Joshua or Aaron, and the Exodus story is likely a legend because even the Pharaoh is not named. If this was a real story, the Pharaoh should just be named, and scholars would be able to point to these events because we have so much data on every single Pharaoh, we'd be able to know which of these pharaohs lines up with this story. The assumption that this was Pharaoh Ramses is not likely due to the fact that Ramses conquers Canaan, and in the text of the biblical story, he fails to catch up to the Israelites, which is the opposite of what happens with Ramses. In fact, after Ramses, the land of Canaan was under Egyptian occupation for another 200 years, which would not make any sense if Moses and the Israelites were setting up the covenant during this time under Egyptian occupation.

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The biblical Book of Proverbs contains wisdom sayings and teachings that are similar to those found in ancient Egyptian wisdom literature, such as the Instructions of Amenemope. In fact, some of the manuscripts from the Septuagint actually still have Amenemope in the text. Both traditions emphasize ethical conduct, practical advice for daily life, and the pursuit of wisdom. Egyptian religious symbolism and imagery can be found in certain biblical texts. For example, in the Book of Ezekiel, the prophets use symbols reminiscent of Egyptian religious motifs to convey his message. The portrayal of Pharaoh as a powerful ruler and the imagery associated with the Egyptian gods and goddesses also demonstrate the cultural influence of Egypt. Here on the stone of Hezekiah, you can see an Egyptian ankh present. The use of hymnic and liturgical elements in the Hebrew Bible show similarities to Egyptian religious practices. The Psalms contain hymns of praise and worship that share structural and thematic resemblances to ancient Egyptian hymns and prayers. Some of the legal concepts in the Hebrew Bible bear similarities to Egyptian legal traditions, just as the Sumerian and Babylonian texts do. The Canaanites arguably have the most influence on the Hebrew Bible. The Canaanite Pantheon of gods was a diverse and complex system of deities worshiped by the ancient Canaanites, the land that would be present-day Israel right now, who inhabited the region corresponding to present-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and parts of Jordan and Syria. Here are some key gods and goddesses from the Canaanite Pantheon. Number one, El. The same name as the god of the Hebrew Bible. El is the chief deity in the Canaanite Pantheon and was associated with authority, kingship, and wisdom. He's often depicted as an aged and bearded figure. El presided over a divine council and held a central position in the Canaanite religious beliefs. His son was Baal. Baal was one of the most prominent gods in the Canaanite Pantheon. He was associated with storms, fertility, and agricultural abundance. Baal was depicted as a powerful warrior wielding a lightning bolt, symbolizing his control over the forces of nature. El had a wife named Asherah, the consort of El, considered the mother goddess in Canaanite religion, the Queen of Heaven. She represented fertility, motherhood, and nurturing. Asherah was often depicted as the divine mother figure, sometimes portrayed alongside a sacred tree or a pole representing her presence. Anat was a fierce and warlike goddess associated with battle, violence, protection, and wisdom. Like Athena, Anat was depicted as a warrior goddess, often shown with a bow, a spear, or a shield.

Astarte, also known as Astra, was the goddess associated with love, beauty, and sexuality. She was considered the patron of fertility, both in terms of human production and agricultural abundance. Starke was depicted as a sensual goddess adorned with jewelry and symbols of fertility.

Dagon was associated with agriculture, grain, and fertility. He was often depicted as a fish-like deity, symbolizing abundance, with fertility linked to water and agricultural prosperity.

Last but certainly not least, Yahweh, often referred to as Yahoo, was the deity associated with a specific region or tribe, rather than being a central figure in the broader Canaanite Pantheon. The understanding of Yahweh's role in the Canaanite religion is complex and subject to ongoing scholarly debate. He was a tribal deity; he's also one of the sons of El. There are some who suggest that Yahweh and Baal are interchangeable, depending on the location, both being the son of El and both being extremely important as princes of the pantheon. This may play into the later tradition of the Hebrew Bible, where the priests of Yahweh are battling with the priests of Baal, such as the story of Elijah and Jezebel.

Another perspective suggests that Yahweh emerged through a process of syncretism, wherein the worship of Yahweh merged with elements of Canaanite religious beliefs and practices. This view posits that Yahweh began as a local deity, later absorbed attributes and roles from other Canaanite Gods, such as El and Baal.

Canaanite stories have significant impact on the Hebrew Bible, given the close historical and cultural connections between the Israelites and Canaanites. The Canaanites were the indigenous inhabitants of the land of Canaan, which encompasses modern-day Israel. Canaanite mythology and religious beliefs, cultic practices such as sacrifices, offerings, and temple worship, biblical attacks frequently mention Israelite interactions with Canaanite religious practices, often presenting them negatively, that Israelites should avoid them. The Canaanite practices and the Israelites' response to them are discussed in the context of idolatry and the centralization of worship in Jerusalem.

Thank you. Absorption of the Canaanite El into the Yahweh religion is a complex process that took place over an extended period of time. El, the chief deity in the pantheon, associated with authority, kingship, and divine counsel, becomes one in the same with his own son, Yahweh. Throughout the Hebrew Bible, Yahweh and El, or El Elyon, which means "God Most High," are interchangeable and mean the same thing. At some points, the biblical attacks even refer to Yahweh as El Elyon, emphasizing his identification with the Supreme deity. This suggests that the early Israelites may have seen Yahweh as a manifestation or an aspect of El.

As the Israelites settled in Canaan, they likely interacted and assimilated elements of Canaanite culture and religious practices. The worship of El may have influenced the evolving understanding of Yahweh, with El's attributes and characteristics merging with those ascribed to Yahweh. The process of syncretism, wherein deities from different religious traditions are combined or identified with each other, likely played a role. Over time, as the Israelites established their religious identity, there may have been a merging of El and Yahweh, resulting in the understanding of Yahweh as the primary deity, supreme authority.

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El's association with the Divine Council, consisting of subordinate deities, can be seen in both Canaanite and early Israelite traditions. As the Israelite religion developed, the concept of divine counsel was retained, but with Yahweh as the head of the council.

The Phoenician stories and cultural influences left their mark on certain aspects of the Hebrew Bible. The Phoenicians, which are the purple people called by the Greeks, are an ancient seafaring people who inhabited the coastal region of modern-day Lebanon. They had significant interactions with the Israelites, leading to cultural exchanges and influences. With direct evidence of Phoenician stories in the Bible, the Neoplatonist writer Porphyry states that a priest named Sanko Nathan of Beirut wrote the truest history because he obtained the records from Hiram-bolus, priests of Yew. That Sanko Niethan dedicated his history to Abibal King of Beirut, and it was approved by the king and other investigators. The date of this writing being around 1200 BCE.

In this text, El, who is also called Kronos, sacrifices his only begotten son, Yahood, as an offering to his father in heaven and then circumcises himself and decreed from that day forward that all of his offspring must also circumcise themselves in honor of Aranos. El was deified as the star of Saturn, Saturday being the same day as the Sabbath. This story is clearly borrowed by the Hebrew scribes for the Book of Genesis, when Abraham, who was offering his only begotten son, Isaac, as an offering to El. But in this case, an angel stops him. However, like in the Phoenician myth, it is Abraham who is the first patriarch to circumcise himself and make this a custom among the Israelites for all males.

The Israelites had a tendency to synthesize elements from neighboring cultures, and the Phoenicians played a role in this process. The worship of Canaanite deities, including Baal and Asherah, found its way into Israelite religious practices, as described in the Hebrew Bible. These influences can be seen in the biblical narratives of Israelite idolatry and their struggle to remain faithful to only Yahweh. Phoenician expertise and craftsmanship in maritime trade likely influenced the construction of the first temple in Jerusalem, known as the Solomon Temple. Phoenician artisans and materials were involved in the construction, and some architectural and artistic elements may have been influenced by Phoenician styles. The Hebrew Bible contains references to Phoenician cities such as Tyre and Sidon and their cultural practices. For example, the story of King Hiram of Tyre collaborating with King Solomon in the building of the temple highlights the close relationship between the Israelites and Phoenicians.

The First Temple period in ancient Israel was when the First Temple, also known as Solomon's Temple, stood in Jerusalem. This period spans between approximately the 10th century BCE until its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. Understanding the religious landscape during this period is complex, and scholarly views vary regarding the extent of polytheistic practices present during this time. The practice of monotheism seems to be only after the Israelites returned back from Babylon in the 5th century. Scholars suggest that polytheistic elements persisted during this period. They argue that while Yahweh may have been regarded as the primary deity, other gods and goddesses were still acknowledged in worship alongside Yahweh. The archaeological evidence, including inscriptions and artifacts found in Jerusalem, indicate the presence of symbols associated with other deities during this time.

The Elephantine Jews were a Jewish community that resided in the ancient city of Elephantine, located on an island in the Nile River in Egypt. They lived during the 5th century BCE and left behind a corpus of documents known as the Elephantine Papyri, which provides insights into the religious beliefs and practices of the time. Based on the Elephantine Papyri, it appears that the religion of the Elephantine Jews was a blend of Yahweh worship and syncretic elements influenced by the local religious environment. While they acknowledged Yahweh as the primary deity, they also incorporated certain practices from both Egyptian and Canaanite religious traditions.

These Elephantine Jews built and maintained a temple dedicated to Yahweh on the island. They considered Yahweh as the Supreme deity and sought his guidance and protection. However, alongside the worship of Yahweh, there were also other gods and goddesses like Asherah. One of the prominent deities mentioned in the Elephantine Papyri is Yahu, often identified as a syncretic form of Yahweh fused with Egyptian gods like Amun. Additional Egyptian gods, particularly Khnum, Satis, and Anuket, were worshiped in this location. These deities were believed to have protective powers and were invoked for various purposes, such as fertility, health, and general well-being. This Elephantine Papyrus indicates a level of polytheism and syncretism, as well as cultural assimilation, where elements of different religious traditions coexisted. Overall, the Elephantine Jews maintained a distinctive religious identity centered around Yahweh but also incorporated beliefs and practices from their local environment. Their religion demonstrates the complex nature of religious syncretism and the adaptation of religious traditions in a multicultural context.

The exact timeframe for the final compilation of the Torah, or the first five books of Moses (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy), into its current monotheistic form is a subject of scholarly debate. Most Scholars agree that these texts were written during the post-Babylonian exile, as the Israelites returned to their land. Religious leaders and scribes likely engaged in the process of collecting, editing, and shaping various religious texts. There is no mention of the Torah by any Greek, Egyptian, Persian, or Syrian sources before the 5th century BCE. Moses, Noah, and Abraham are not mentioned in any text before the 5th century BCE. Only the kings like David and Omri show up in some stelae, but the stories of the flood, the Exodus, and the 12 tribes of Israel show up in popular culture only after Alexander the Great conquers Persia in the 4th century BCE.

There are some scholars who now suggest that the five books of Moses were compiled in Alexandria during the Ptolemaic period. Ancient historians like Herodotus, Xenophon, and Thucydides don't even mention Israel in their writings. This suggests that Israel was not a powerful kingdom, just a small city-state. It's possible that these texts existed as independent scrolls during these periods, but they were not known to most of the world outside the Levant until the 4th century BCE.

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This is the end of our mythological journey through the ancient realms of Sumer, Ugarit, Egypt, Canaan, and beyond. As we've explored this rich tapestry of these captivating civilizations, it became clear that their stories, beliefs, and cultural influences have left an indelible mark on the biblical world. From the epic tales of Gilgamesh in Sumer, the poetic sagas of Baal in Ugarit, from the mystical hymns of the Egyptian gods to the intricate pantheon of the Canaanite deities, we find a treasure trove of inspiration that seeped into the very fabric of the Hebrew Bible. But the skilled weavers, the biblical authors and editors, didn't simply copy and paste from the neighboring mythologies. Oh no, they expertly blended, transformed, and repurposed these ancient narratives, weaving them into a new tapestry of faith, history, and moral guidance.

Let me give you one more example before I go: the story of Esther and Mordecai. Esther and Mordecai look a lot like Ishtar and Marduk. The story of Esther and Mordecai has obvious parallels to the story of Ishtar descending into the underworld to save Tammuz from his death. In the story of Ishtar and Tammuz, Tammuz is taken down to the underworld, the lover of Ishtar, and then Ishtar goes and descends down. And as she goes down, from every layer of hell, she has to take off a layer of clothing until she gets to the bottom layer where she has to face off with the queen of the underworld, where she stays down there for three days until her Gally eunuchs are sent down from heaven to bring her back to life, where she is able to take Tammuz and raise him out of hell, and thus springtime ensues.

In the story of Esther in the Bible, there's a lot of similarities and parallels. Instead of Tammuz, it's Mordecai. Now, why would they use Marduk's name instead of Tammuz? Well, it turns out that Marduk and Tammuz are actually synchronized in many texts. The god Bel is actually a synchronization of Marduk and Dumuzi, or Tammuz. So it actually does make sense for Mordecai to be the name of the Hebrew person who is saved by Esther in this text. Mordecai is taken into a dungeon by Haman, and then Esther has to go into the court of the King of Persia, Xerxes, and she has to plead for the safety of Mordecai, which she is successful. When her eunuch priest, just like the Gally eunuchs, her eunuchs actually come to her aid, and she also has to take off layers of clothing as well. It is a clear mimesis of the story of the Sumerians. I am of the opinion that these writers did this with no ill intent, and they were just trying to pass down sacred stories that everyone knew.

The Sumerian flood myth finds its counterpart in the story of Noah and the Ark. Canaanite storm god Baal's conflict with the sea god Yam echoes the biblical portrayal of Yahweh's triumph over chaos, and the grandeur of Egyptian cosmology lends its majesty to the descriptions of Heaven and Earth in Genesis. Yes, this interplay between mythologies goes beyond mere literary borrowings. It reveals the interconnectedness of ancient civilizations, the vibrant exchange of ideas, and the eternal quest for humanity to understand the mysteries of the world and our place in it. Esther, just like Ishtar, is a story that explains the death of the winter and the resurrection of the spring. Both Ishtar and Esther have their festivals at the same time of the year.

The ancient Pelasgians, mentioned by the Greek poet Homer, were a mysterious and enigmatic people who played a significant role in early Greek mythology and history. Homer describes them as a prehistoric civilization, often associated with the region of Thessaly and the city of Argos. However, the exact origins and characteristics of the Pelasgians remain a subject of debate among historians and scholars. According to Homer, the Pelasgians were people who lived in the time before the Trojan War and were associated with the construction of massive structures, such as the walls of Mycenae and the palaces of Minoan Crete (Knossos). They were considered skilled builders and were often depicted as a semi-divine or legendary group. Homer describes the Cretans as an ancient civilization that had 90 city-states surrounded by the palace of Knossos. Some ancient Greek writers even suggested that the Pelasgians were the original inhabitants of Greece, predating other Greek-speaking tribes. Among the Pelasgians dwelling in Crete were the Dorians, who in Greek is "gifted people." The historical reality of the Pelasgians is complex and elusive, as they appear in various ancient Greek texts with different interpretations. Some Scholars argue that they were a distinct ethnic group, while others propose that the term "Pelasgian" was used to refer to various indigenous populations of the Aegean region. Ultimately, the true identity and nature of the Pelasgians remain shrouded in the midst of antiquity, leaving us fragments of mythology and historical accounts that continue to intrigue and fascinate to this day.

The ancestors of the Greeks in and around the Black Sea region are generally believed to be these very people who are also called Proto-Greeks and Mycenaean Greeks, even going back to the Minoan Linear A, pre-Greeks. The Mycenaean civilization of mainland Greece, which flourished from around the 16th to 12th century BCE, is considered an important precursor to classical Greek civilization. These Mycenaeans were part of a broader group of Indo-European speakers who migrated into the Balkans and Anatolia during the Bronze Age. These migrations are often associated with the expansion of the Indo-European language family, which includes Greek as one of its branches. The exact origins of the Proto-Greeks are still a subject of ongoing research and debate among historians and philologists. The Mycenaeans established a powerful civilization centered around the southern part of mainland Greece, with major centers such as Mycenae, Pylos, and Tiryns. They were skilled warriors, traders, and builders, known for their impressive palaces and fortifications. Their culture and language laid the foundation for the later development of ancient Greek civilization. It's important to note that while the Mycenaeans and their language are considered a significant part of the Proto-Indo-European ancestry of the Greeks, the complex history of ancient migrations and cultural interactions in the region makes it difficult to attribute the Greek population exclusively to a single ancestral group, such as the Pelasgians.

However, civilization around the Black Sea region has had a long, rich history dating back thousands of years, millennia even. The area has been inhabited by various cultures and civilizations since ancient times. The earliest evidence of human habitation in this region can be traced back to the Stone Age, also called Paleolithic, around 45,000 years ago to 12,000 years ago. In terms of more complex civilizations, one of the notable early cultures in this region was the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture, which flourished around 5500 to 2750 BCE. This Neolithic culture was known for its advanced agriculture, pottery, and sizable settlements, and could very well be what Homer thought were the Pelasgians. Moving forward in the timeline, the Black Sea region saw the rise and fall of various ancient civilizations. The ancient Greeks established numerous colonies along the coast of the Black Sea from the 8th century BCE. The Milesians, Phocaeans, and Scythians played significant roles in trade and cultural exchange in this region, known as the Bosporus (modern-day Ukraine). In the Classical period, the region became a melting pot of cultures, with influences of Greek, Persian, Scythian, Thracian, and later Roman civilizations shaping its history. The Bosporan Kingdom, centered in present-day Crimea, emerged as a Hellenistic state in the 5th century BCE, lasting all the way into the 4th century CE. During the Medieval Era, though the Black Sea region witnessed the presence of the Byzantines, Bulgars, and Khazar Empires, among others. The rise of the Muslim Ottoman Empire in the 14th century brought significant changes to the region, with Ottoman dominance lasting until the early 20th century. Given this rich and diverse historical backdrop, civilization in this Black Sea region spans several millennia, with different cultures and civilizations leaving their mark on the region's heritage. I am one of the people who believe that this is the region that Homer was talking about when he spoke about the Pelasgians who came down into Mycenaean Greece and Minoan Crete. Thank you.

This culture, stretching back to 10,000 BCE, in and around the same time that Göbekli Tepe shows up on the radar, this Pelasgian culture, as it's called by Homer, has arguably the oldest religion in the world. This religion would be the main influence for both the Sumerian and Mediterranean world, as well as later Indian culture, the Hindus and the Vedics. Do we have anything to show for it? The answer is no. However, this Pelasgian creation myth has been reconstructed by Robert Graves in the 20th century, and here's how he did it. If you've seen my last video on the older version of Genesis that predates the Bible, that's a theogony written by Philo of Byblos in the first century, who cites a Bronze Age priest named Sanko Nathan from the region of the Phoenicians. With that theogony side by side with the Orphic theogony and the theogony of Hesiod, as well as Sumerian Tablets, Homer's Iliad, geography by Posidonius, the Argonautica, and John Zetzus, also using Pliny the Elder's history, Robert Graves was able to reconstruct the Pelasgian creation myth, and here is how it goes:

Pelasgian Creation Myth: The Oldest Creation Myth in the World

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In the beginning, Eurynome, the goddess of all things, rose naked from Chaos but found nothing substantial for her feet to rest upon and therefore divided the sea from the sky. Dancing lonely upon its waves, she danced toward the South, and the wind set in motion behind her seemed something new and apart with which to begin a work of creation. Wheeling about, she caught hold of this North Wind, rubbed it between her hands, and behold, the Great Serpent Ophion. Eurynome danced to warm herself wildly and more wildly until Ophion, grown lustful, coiled about those divine limbs and was moved to couple with her. Now, the North Wind, who is also called Boreas, fertilizes, which is why mares often turn their hindquarters to the wind and breed foals without the aid of a stallion.

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So Eurynome was likewise got with child. Next, she assumed the form of a dove brooding on the waters and the waves, and in due process of time, laid the universal egg. At her bidding, Ophion coiled seven times about this egg until it hatched and split into two. Out tumbled all things that exist: her children, which were Sun, Moon, planets, stars, the Earth with its mountains and rivers, trees, herbs, and living creatures. Eurynome and Ophion made their home upon Mount Olympus, where he vexed her by claiming to be the author of the universe. Forthwith, she bruised his head with her heel, kicked out his teeth, and banished him to the dark caves below the Earth. Next, the goddess created seven planetary powers, setting a Titaness and a Titan over each: Theia and Hyperion for the Sun; Phoebe and Atlas for the Moon; Dione and Crius for the planet Mars; Metis and Coeus for the planet Mercury; Themis and Iapetus for the planet Jupiter; Tethys and Oceanus for Venus; Rhea and Cronus for the planet Saturn. But the first man was Pelasgus, ancestor of the Pelasgians. He sprang from the soil of Arcadia, followed by certain others whom he thought to make huts and feed upon acorns and sow pigskin tunics, such as poor folks still wear in Euboea and Phocis.

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That concludes the oldest creation myth ever. And in this archaic religious system, there were as yet neither gods nor priests, but only a universal goddess and her priestesses. Women being the dominant sex and man her frightened victim. Fatherhood was not honored; conception being attributed to the wind, the eating of beans, or the accidental swallowing of an insect. Inheritance was matrilineal, and snakes were regarded as incarnations of the dead. Eurynome, which means "wide wandering," was the goddess's title as the visible moon. She's also called Phanes by the Greeks in the Orphic theogony. The Sumerian name for her was called Yahu, "exalted dove," a title which later passed to Jehovah as the Creator. It was a dove that Marduk symbolically sliced her into two at the Babylonian Spring Festival, known as Akitu, when he inaugurated the new world order. This god Yahu, who was a goddess, became synchronized with Marduk, who was already synchronized from Dumuzi, in a pre-Semitic god known as Zababa. And Zababa, who is represented by the full moon, would be the origin of the word Shabbat, which in Babylonian means "full moon," and the Babylonians celebrated this Shabbat every full moon with rest. This god Zababa, who appears in Anatolia as well as Sumer in other places, is the origin of the god Sabazios, worshiped on the island of Crete by the Minoans and brought into the Phrygian religion as well, who was married to the mountain god Kababa, later known as Cybele. And Sabazios is identified by the Greeks as Dionysus or Bacchus, the underworld son of God. The Thracians, who worshiped this god as Zalmoxis, as Herodotus states: "Here the Getae, the bravest of the Thracians and the most just, they believe they are immortal forever living in the following sense: they think they do not die and that when one who dies joins Zalmoxis, a divine being. Some call this divine being Gebelizes. Gebelizes is broken down into two different words: and Zeus, Kybelizes. Every four years they send a messenger to Zalmoxis, who was chosen by chance. They ask him to tell Zalmoxis what they want. On that occasion, the mission is performed in the following way: men standing there for that purpose hold three spears. Other people take one who is sent to Zalmoxis by his hands and feet and fling him into the air on the spears. If he dies pierced, they think that divinity is going to help them. If he does not die, it is he who is accursed, and they declare that he is a bad person. And after he has been charged, they send another. The messenger is told the request while he is still alive. The same Thracians on other occasions when it thunders and lightens shoot up an arrow up in the air against the sky. They menace and menace the divinity because they think there is no God other than this God." Herodotus asserts that Zalmoxis was originally a human being, who is this God incarnate, a slave who converted the Thracians to his beliefs. He was a slave of Pythagoras and was initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries near Athens. He built a banquet hall and received the chiefs and his fellow countrymen at a banquet. He taught that neither his guests nor their descendants would ever taste death, but instead would go to a place where they would live forever in complete happiness. He then dug an underground residence. When it was finished, he disappeared from Thrace, living for three years in his underground residence. The Thracians missed him and wept for him in mourning. During the fourth year, he rose back up again, and thus they believed that Zalmoxis was Sabazios incarnate. These very Thracians are the origins of the Orphic Mysteries. As time went by, as Aristotle talks about, and Iamblichus as well, Zalmoxis became identified with Saturn or Cronus, and in the regions of Phrygia and Cappadocia, he himself would be known as Theos Hypsistos, "God Most High," and the origins of monotheism in the Greek world come from this very line. Menecius of Patrae, who also identified Zalmoxis with Cronus, says that he was worshiped side by side with the Hearth Mother. In Plato's writings, Zalmoxis is mentioned as skilled in the arts and incantation. His realm as a god is not very clear, as some considered him to be a sky god, and it's possible that the origins of Heaven come from this god as well. Through our group of scholars who believed that these Getae, like the other Proto-Indo-European peoples, were polytheistic. Diodorus of Sicily tells us that the Getae worshiped Hestia and Zalmoxis as the two prime beings who ruled over a lesser divinities of demons. Least when you look at the spelling of Zalmoxis and break down what his name means, the word "Zelm" coming from the root "zemelo" which means Earth, is also cognate with Semele. So Zalmoxis, like Dionysus, is the son of Semele, Earthborn, Chthonian son of God. And if you look at his depictions, he has the moon on his head like horns, and he stands on top of a lunar bowl. Zababa was the god who was replaced by Ninurta, whose name means "full moon." The parallels between Zalmoxis, Dionysus, Saturn, and Zababa are uncanny and cannot be ignored, especially when we look at him being worshiped side by side with the Queen of Heaven, Archival.

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With that being said, write in the comments what you think about these Pelasgian myths and gods that are worshiped in the regions of Thrace and Phrygia, this Black Sea region, which happens to be the same location where Göbekli Tepe is one of the oldest religious sites in the world. The oldest attested version of Genesis goes back to Sanko Nathan before the collapse of the Bronze Age, and his writing survived in temples, and according to Philo of Byblos, this is what it says. Philo of Byblos's writings are passed down through Eusebius, and this is all we have left.

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"The first principle of the universe was dark air with cloud and wind, or rather a blast of cloudy air and turbid chaos. Dark was Erebus, and these were boundless and for long ages had no limit. But when the wind became enamored of its own parents and a mixture took place, the connection was called Eros, desire. This was the beginning of all creation, of all things. But the wind itself had no knowledge of its own creation. From its connection, Mott was produced, which some say is mud and others a watery compound, and all of this came every germ of creation and the generation of the universe. So there were certain animals which had no sensation, and out of them grew intelligent animals, and were called Zophasen, that is, observers of heaven, and they were formed like the shape of an egg. Also, Mott burst forth into light and sun and moon and stars and the great constellations. Such was their cosmogony, introducing downright atheism. But let us now see how Sanko Nathan states the generation of animals to have arisen. He says: 'And when the air burst into light, both the sea and the land become heated, and then sorrows, winds, and clouds and very great downpours and floods of waters of heaven. After the waters are separated and removed from their proper place because of the sun's heat, and all met together again in the air, dashing together one against another, things and lightnings were produced, and at the rattle of the thunder, the intelligent animals already described woke up and were scared of the sound and began to move both on land and sea, male and female.'

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'Such is the theory of the generation of animals. Next, after this, Sanko Nathan adds these things were found written in the cosmogony of Tatatus in his commentaries, both from conjectures and from evidences which intellect discerned and discovered and made clear to us.'

Tatatus is called Thoth by the Egyptians and Hermes to the Greeks. Next to this, after mentioning the names of the winds, Notus and Boreas, and the rest, he continues: 'But these were the first who consecrated the productions of the Earth and regarded them as gods and worship them as being the support of life both to themselves and to those who were to come after them and to all before them, and they offer to them drink offerings and libations. These were the notions of worship corresponding to their own weakness and timidity of the soul. Then he says that from the wind Copious and his wife Bow, which he translates as Night, were born Aeon and Protogonus, mortal men so-called, and that Aeon discovered the food obtained from trees. That their offspring were called Genos and Guine and inhabited Phoenicia, and that when droughts occurred, they stretched out their hands to heaven towards the sun, for him alone they regarded as God and Lord of Heaven, calling him Bilsutment, which in the Phoenician language means Lord of Heaven, and in Greek, Zeus.

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'And after this, he charges the Greeks with error, saying: "For it is not without cause that we have explained these things in many ways, but in view of later misinterpretations of the names and history, which the Greeks in ignorance took in a wrong sense, being deceived by the ambiguity of the translation."

Son of Iron and Protogonus were begotten again mortal children whose names are Light, Fire, and Flame. These, says he, discovered fire from rubbing pieces of wood together and taught the use of it, and they begat sons of surpassing size and stature whose names were applied to the mountains which they occupied, so that from them were named Cassius, Lavinus, Antillobinus, and Brathy. From these were begotten Memrius and Hipseranius, and they got their names from their mothers, as the women in those days had free intercourse with any whom they met. Hip Surionus inhabited Tyre and contrived huts out of reeds and rushes and papyrus, and he quarreled with his brother Ausos, who first invented a covering for the body from skins of wild beasts, which he was strong enough to capture. And when furious rains and winds occurred, the trees entire were rubbed against each other and caught fire and burned down the wood that was there, and Oswalds took a tree and having stripped off the branches was first who ventured to embark on the sea and be consecrated two pillars to fire and wind and worship them and poured libations of blood upon from the wild beasts that he took in hunting.

All right.

Or Hip Surionus and our all seals were dead. Those were left consecrated staves to them and year by year worshiped their pillars and kept festivals in their honor. But many years afterwards, from the race of the Ellipserenius were born Agrius and Halieus, the inventors of hunting and fishing, from whom were named Huntsman and Fishermen. And from there were born two brethren, discoverers of iron and mode of working it. The one whom Christ saw practiced oratory and incantations and divinations, and that he was Hephaestus and invented the hook, bait, line, and raft, and was the first of all men to make voyage, wherefore they reverence him also as a god after his death, and he was also called Zeus Melakios. And some say that his brothers invented walls of brick. Afterwards, there sprang from their race two youths, one whom was called Techneites, the artificial, and the other Gainos Autocratan, earthborn, aboriginal. These devised the mixing of straw with the clay of bricks and drying them in the sun. And moreover, invented roofs from them. Others were born, one whom was called Agros and the other Agrarios, or Argros. And of the latter, there isn't Phoenicia much venerated statue, a shrine drawn by yokes of oxen, and among the people of Byblos, he is named the greatest of the Gods.

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Devised and into houses of courts and enclosures in caves. From them came husbandmen and huntsmen. They are also called Elite and Titans. From these reborn Eminos and Magus, who established villages and sheepfolds. From them came Mysore and Siddac, that is to say, just or righteous. These discovered the use of salt. From Mysore was born Tautus, who invented the first alphabet of the Egyptians, who calls him Thoth, the Greeks Hermes. From Siddic came the Dioscuri, or the Cabiri, or Corybantes, or Samothraces. These, he says, invented the first ship. From having sprung others who discovered herbs and healing of venomous bites and charms, and in their time is born another called Elian, the most high female, named Beruth, and these dwelt in the neighborhoods of Byblos. And from them is born Abigius, or Auto Katan, whom the afterwards called Arnos, so that from him they name the element above as Arenos, because of the excellence of its beauty. And he has a sister of the aforesaid parents, who is called Gaia, Earth, and from her, he says, because of her beauty, they call the Earth the same name. And their father, the most high, died in an encounter with wild beasts and was deified, and his children offered to him libations and sacrifices. And Arnos, having succeeded his father's rule, takes to himself in marriage his sister Gaia and gets by her four sons: El, who was called Cronus; Bay Tillis; and Dagon, who is Satan; and Atlas. Also, by otherwise Arunos, begot a numerous progeny, on which account Gaia was angry, and from jealousy began to reproach Arunos, so that they even separated from each other. But Arunos, after he had left her, used to come upon her with violence whenever he chose and consort with her and go away again. He used to try also to destroy his children by her, but Gaia repelled him many times, having gathered to herself allies. And when Cronus, who was called El, had advanced to manhood, he, with the council ship and help of Hermes Trismegistus, who was his secretary, repelled his father Arunos and avenged their mother Gaia. To El, our born children Persephone and Athena. Former died of virgin, but by the advice of Athena and Hermes Trismegistus, El made a sickle and a spear of iron. Then Hermes taught magical words to the allies of El and inspired them with the desire of fighting against Arunos on behalf of Gaia. So Cronus, who was called El and Saturn, inspired them with a desire of fighting against Arunos on behalf of Gaia. And thus Cronus engaged in war and drove Arunos from his government and succeeded that to the kingdom. Also, there was taken in battle the beloved concubine of Arunos, being great with child, who El gave in marriage to Dagon, and in his house she gave birth to the child begotten of Arunos, and she named him Damaris. After this, El builds a wall around his own dwelling and found the first city, Byblos, in Phoenicia. So after this, he became suspicious of his own brother Atlas, with the advice of Hermes, threw him into a deep pit and buried him. About this time, the descendants of the Dioscuri put together rafts and ships and made voyages, and being cast ashore near Mount Cassius, consecrated a temple there. And the allies of El, who was called Cronus, were surnamed the Elohim, as these same who were surnamed after El, who would be called the Crony, after Cronus.

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And El, having a son Seditas, dispatched him with his own sword because he regarded him with suspicion and deprived him of life, thus becoming the murderers of his own son. In like manner, he cut off the head of his daughter, so that all the gods were dismayed at this position of El. But at this time, Arunos, being in banishment, secretly sends his maiden daughter Astarte with two of her sisters, Aya and Dione, to slay El by craft. But El caught them, and though they were his sisters, made them his wedded wives. And when Arunos knew it, he sent I Marmene and Hora with the other allies on an expedition against Cronus, and these El won over to his side and kept with him. Further, he says that God Arunos devised the Batilia, having contrived to put life into stones. And in El, they were born of Astarte seven daughters, Titanitis, or Artemis, and again the same that were born of Rhea, seven sons, of whom the youngest was deified at birth. Females, and of Astarte again two males, Desire and Love. And Dagon, after he discovered corn and the plow, was called Zeus Erotrios. And of the Titanists united to Siddock, who was called the righteous, gives birth to Asclepius, or Ashman, the eighth son.

In Perea, there also was born to El three sons: Cronus, named after his father; Zeus; and Apollo. In their time are born Pontus, Typhon, Nerius, father of Pontus and son of Bellows. And from Pontus is born Sidon, who from the exceeding sweetness of her voice was first to invent the musical song, and Poseidon. And to Damaris is born Melkarthus, who was called Hercules. Then again, Arunos makes war against Pontus, and after revolting, attaches himself to Damaris. And Damaris attacks Pontus, but Pontus puts him to flight. And Damaris vowed an offering if he should escape. And then, in the 32nd year of his power and kingdom, El, that is Cronus, also known as Saturn, having waylaid his father Arunos in an inland spot, got him into his hands, emasculates him near some fountains and rivers. There Arunos was deified, and he breathed his last. The blood from his wounds dropped into the fountains and in the waters and in the rivers, and the spot is pointed out to this day. That is to say, the story of El. And such are the glories of the mode of life so vaunted among the Greeks of the men in the days of Cronus, whom they also affirmed to have been the first golden race of articulate-speaking men, that blessed happiness of the olden time. But Astarte, the greatest goddess, and Zeus Damaris, and the Dallas, king of gods, reigned over the country with the consent of El. And Astarte set the head of a bull upon her own head as a mask of royalty, and in traveling around the world, she found a star that had fallen from the sky, which she took up and consecrated in the holy island of Tyre. And the Phoenicians say that Astarte is Aphrodite and Venus.

El, going around the world, gives the kingdom of Attica to his own daughter Athena. But on the occurrence of a pestilence, immortality. El offers his only begotten son as a whole burnt offering to his father Arunos, his son Yahood, and he circumcises himself and compelling his allies to do the same. And not long after, another of his sons by Rhea, named Muff, having died, he deifies him, and the Phoenicians call him Thanatos, or Death, and Pluto. And after this, El gave the city of Byblos to the goddess Baltus, which is also called Dione, and Beirut to Poseidon and the Cabiri and Agarote and Helios, who is also consecrated the remains of Pontus at Beirut. But before this, God Tatatus, who is called Thoth, imitated the features of the gods who were his companions, El and Dagon, and the rest, and gave form to the sacred characters of the letters: four eyes in front and behind, but two of them quietly close, and upon his shoulders four wings, two spread for flying and two folded, and the symbol meant that El could see when he was asleep and sleep while waking, and similarly in the case of the wings, that he flew while at rest and was at rest while flying. But to each of the other gods, he gave two wings upon the shoulders, as meaning that they accompanied El in his flight. And to El himself again, he gave two wings upon his head, one representing all-ruling mind and one sensation. And when El came into the South Country, he gave all of Egypt to Thoth, that might be his royal dwelling place. These things, he said, were recorded first by Siddock's seven sons, the Cabiri, and their eighth brother, Ashman, known as Asclepius, as the God Thoth commanded them all. All these stories they, beyond who was the first hero font of all the Phoenicians from the beginning, allegorized and mixed up the physical and cosmical phenomena and delivered to the prophets who celebrated the orgies and inaugurated the Mysteries. And they, proposing to increase their vain pretensions from every source, handed them on to their successors and to their foreign visitors. One of these, Osiris, the inventor of the three letters, brother Kana, who was first to have been named the Phoenix. Then afterwards, Philo of Byblos adds: "The Greeks, surpassing all ingenious, appropriated most of the earliest stories and then variously decked them out with ornaments of tragic phrase and adorned them in every way with the purpose of charming by the pleasant fables. Hence," he said, "and the celebrated cyclical poets framed theogonies of their own and battles of the Giants and battles of the Titans and castrations, and with these fables as they traveled about, they conquered and drove out the truth."

But our ears having grown up in familiarity with their fictions and being for long ages preoccupied, guard as a trust the mythology which they received, just as I said at the beginning. And this mythology, being aided by time, has made its own hold difficult for us to escape from. So the truth is thought to be nonsense, but the spurious narrative, truth. Let these suffice as quotations from the writings of Sanko Nathan, translated by Philo of Byblos, and it proved as true by the testimony of Porphyry the philosopher. The same author in History of the Jews further writes thus concerning El: "Tatatus, who the Egyptians call Thoth, excelled in wisdom among the Phoenicians and was the first to rescue the worship of the gods from their ignorance and vulgarity and arrange it in the same order of intelligent experience. Many generations after him, a god Sormabolos and thorough, whose name was changed to Usarthus, brought the light of theology of Thoth, which had been hidden and overshadowed by allegories." Porphyry then adds: "It was a custom of the ancients and great crises of danger for the rulers of a city or nation, in order to avert a common ruin, to give up the most beloved of their children for sacrifice as a ransom to avenging daemons, and those who were thus given up were sacrificed with the mystical rites of the Phoenicians."

The Phoenicians call L, who was a king of the country and subsequently after his decree was deified as the star Saturn, had by a nymph of the country named Anoveretz, only begotten son, whom on this account was called Yetdude, the only begotten being still so-called among the Phoenicians. And when very great dangers from war had beset the country, he arrayed his son in royal apparel, prepared an altar, and sacrificed him, and then circumcised himself and made it accustomed among the Phoenicians from that day forward.

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Porphyry then talks about how the same author, Philo of Byblos, in his translation from Sanko Nathan about the Phoenician alphabet, says concerning the reptiles and venomous beasts which contribute no good service to mankind but work death and destruction to any in whom they inject their incurable and fatal poison. This also he describes saying a word for as follows: "The nature of the dragon and of serpents. Thoth himself regarded as divine, and so again after him did the Phoenicians and Egyptians. For this animal was declared by him to be of all reptiles most full of breath and fiery, in consequence of which it also exerts an unsurpassable swiftness by means of its breath, without feet and hands or any other of the external members by which the other animals make their movements. It also exhibits forms of various shapes, and in progress makes spiral leaps as swift as it chooses. It is also most long-lived, and its nature is to be put off its old skin and so not only to grow young again but also to assume a larger growth. And after it has fulfilled its appointed measure of age, it is self-consumed in the manner as Thoth himself has set down in his sacred books, for which reason this animal has been also adopted in temples and then mystic rites."

Spoken more fully about it in the Memoirs entitled Ethiopian, in which we prove that it is immortal and self-consumed, as I stated before. For this animal does not die by a natural death, but only is struck by a violent blow. The Phoenicians call it the good daemon. In like manner, the Egyptians also surname it knife, and they add to the head of a hawk because of the hawk's activity. Apius also, who was called among them the chief hero font and sacred scribe, whose work is translated into Greek by Arius of Heracleopolis, speaks in an allegory word for word as follows:

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"The first and most divine being is a serpent with the form of a hawk, extremely graceful, which whenever he opened his eyes filled all with light in its original birthplace, but if he shut his eyes, darkness came on. Apius here intimates that he is also a fiery substance by saying he shines through, for to shine through is peculiar to light." From the Phoenicians, Pharisides also took the first ideas of his theology concerning the god by him Ophion and concerning Ophiades, of whom we shall speak again. Moreover, the Egyptians, describing the world from the same idea, engrave a circumference of circle of the color of the sky in fire, and a hawk-shaped serpent stretches across the middle of it, and the whole shape is like that of the Greek letter Theta, representing the circle of the world and signifying the serpent which connects it in the middle. The good daemon. Zoroaster, the Magis, and the sacred collection of Persian records says in express words: "And God has the head of a hawk. He is the first, incorruptible, eternal, uncreated, without parts, most unlike all else."

The controller of all good, who cannot be bribed, the best of all the good, the wisest of all the wise. And he is also Father of good laws and Justice, self-taught, natural, perfect, and wise, and the sole author of The Sacred power of nature. Zorrester is the first of all the mortals to oppose L, who was called Kronos.

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The same also is said of him, my astonish, in the book entitled Octatuk from Thoth. As is said, all receive their impulse towards physiological systems. And having built temples, they consecrated in the shrines the primary elements represented by serpents. And in their honor, celebrated festivals and sacrifices and mystic rites, regarding them as the greatest gods and the rulers of the universe. So much concerning serpents.

Such then is the character of the Theology of the Phoenicians and the Egyptians. The Dervani Papyrus is an ancient Greek Papyrus roll found in 1962, attributed to the Thracian Bard Orpheus himself. It's a theogony that lines up very well with the Sanko and the eighth in Genesis story that I did a video on a few months ago. According to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register, this Papyrus is the oldest known European book in the world and one of the oldest books in world history that still survives.

Here is what it says: Irenaeus, Urenaeus. They honor the souls, drink offerings, bring honors, offer to each of them some sort of bird harmonized to music. Uranius, but a Daemon comes into existence for each one. Persons who are wiped out, but those below are called Daemons and do not have of the Gods, but are called serpents. They are like wicked men who are punished with death, and they are responsible for such persons. As an initiate, he who changes established penalties, give rather than causes harm, did not let the world accept vicissitudes of Destiny. It is not the world ordered as a result of these. Likewise, Heraclitus, deeming the shared sensations important, overturns those that are individual, speaking like an allegorist. He said Helios, and according to his own nature, it's the breadth, the size of a human foot, and does not surpass its limits, for it surpasses its own breath at all. The Urenaeus, the allies of Justice, will discover it surpassing. They sacrifice of Justice by the moon and Terrors ask in Oracle. They ask an Oracle for them. We will enter the prophetic shrine to inquire with regard to what is prophesied, whether it is permissible to believe in the Terrors of Hades. Why do they disbelieve in them, since they do not understand dream visions or any other occurrences? What sort of proofs would induce them to believe? For since they are overcome both by error and pleasure, as well, they do not learn or believe. Disbelief and ignorance are the same thing, for if they do not learn or comprehend, it is impossible for them to believe, even when they see dream visions.

Disbelief appears. Prayers and sacrifices placate souls. An incantation by magoy can dislodge demons that become a hindrance. Demons that are a hindrance are vengeful souls. For this reason, the magoi performed the sacrifice as if they are paying a blood price onto offerings. They make libations of water and milk, with both of which they also make drink offerings. They sacrifice cakes that are countless and many humped, because the souls too are countless. Initiates make a first sacrifice to the humanities in the same way as magoi do. The humanities are souls. Hence, a person who intends to sacrifice to the gods first sacrifices a bird. They are souls. This, but as many souls they wear.

I shall also prove that Orpheus composed a vision, a hymn that says wholesome and permissible things, for he was speaking allegorically with his composition, and it was impossible for him to state the application of his words. What are meant? His composition is a strange one, riddling for human beings, but Orpheus did not wish to state with it unbelievable riddles, but important things in the riddles. In fact, he is speaking allegorically from his very first word through his last, as he reveals even his well-known verse. For when he tells to them, "Shut the doors on the ears," he means that he is not making laws for most people, but he is only addressing the few who have ears to hear, those who are pure in hearing. But in the next verse, as he been revealed in the following verse, "Those who were born of Zeus, the almighty King, that the world is ruled." Orpheus reveals in the following verses: "When Zeus took from his father the predicted rule and strength in his arms and the illustrious Daemon." It has not been noticed that these verses are in altered order. They in fact run as follows: "When Zeus took strength from his father and the illustrious Daemon." Since they have run this way, one must understand them not as Zeus takes his father's power, but as he takes strength from him, having it contrary to predictions, for this too, necessity being considered, and having learned.

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To be so, Orpheus made the rule belonged to the strongest, as a son belongs to its father. But those who do not comprehend what is meant suppose that Zeus takes the strength and the Daemon from his own father. So understanding that when fire has been mangled with other elements, it agitates the things that exist and stops them from coming together because of heat, Zeus alters it, and that is unstable. Once altered, to stop the things that exist from call seeing those elements that are ignited are dominated, and once they are dominated, they mingle with the other elements. But we understand that Orpheus put a riddle in the words, "He took in his arms," just as the other elements, the firmest elements, are intended strongly. He stated that Zeus sees the Daemon as if belonging to a strong one.

The next verse is "Night, Nyx, the gods immortal nurse, who voices all things." Saying "voicing all things" means teaching all things, for a voice and utterance are the same thing. To voice means the same as to utter, and to utter means the same as to say, for it is impossible to say if one does not utter. And Orpheus deemed say and utter the same thing. Say and teach have the same sense, for it is impossible to teach without saying whatever is taught by means of words, and teaching is deemed to be a kind of saying. So teach was not distinguished from say, and say was not distinguished from utter, but utter, say, and teach have the same sense. Thus, there is nothing to stop "voicing all things" from meaning the same as teaching all things. When Orpheus terms Nix, he is hinting that whenever elements the sun warms and dissolves, night cools and solidifies them. Whatever elements the sun warmed of night, Orpheus that says that night or Nyx prophesied from the Adaitan, because he makes the judgment that depth of Nyx is a daitan, for it does not set danaya like the light, but the light overtakes it as it stays the same point. Prophecy means the same as suffice. One must reflect that prophecy is used under the same conditions as suffice, for example, as they consider that this God prophecies, they go to ascertain what they should do.

The next verse, Orpheus says, "She prophesied all that has permitted him to hear."

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Orpheus revealed that beside the things that exist, able to and to take his rule away. The next verse runs as follows: "So that on snowy Olympus, lovely seat, Zeus, ruler of all Olympus." Olympus is the same thing as time, but those who suppose that Olympus is the same thing as sky or arenos are quite mistaken, as they do not comprehend that it is impossible for sky to be longer rather than broader. But if someone termed time long, he would not be at all mistaken. Wherever Orpheus intended to say that sky, he added the epithet broad, but wherever he meant time, he did the opposite, since he never added the epithet broad, but long. By saying that Olympus is snowy, he used the meaning snow-covered, white, bright, gray.

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"When Zeus had heard his father's prophecies." The verse, "for neither did he hear them, but it has been revealed that he had already heard them, nor does Nyx order him, but Orpheus reveals this by saying as follows."

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"He ingested the phallus that first procreated the Ether." Since Orpheus is speaking about reality in a riddling way throughout his composition, one must discuss it verse by verse. He used this verse like getting the sun to a genital organ because he saw that people think procreation resides in genital organs and does not arise without the genital organs, for without Helios, it is impossible for things to exist, to have become, to be as they are. And when the things that exist had come about, the sun, everything, nor for the things that exist to surround.

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"Procreated the brightest, widest element once it had been separated from itself." So Orpheus states that this Kronos was born to Gaia by Helios because he caused the elements to be thrust against each other on account of the sun. This is why Orpheus says, "He who did a great deed."

The next verse, "Aranos, son of Nyx, he who was the first king." After he was named Mind, Noos, Chronos became. He thrust the elements against one another. Orpheus states that he did a great deed to Aranos. He states that sky and his kingship taken away. Orpheus named him Kronos after his action and named the other elements in accord to the same principle, for all the things that exist, as he sees with nature. Orpheus states that Aronos had his kingship taken away when the things that exist were thrust together.

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"When mind caused them to thrust and against each other and made the things that exist once they had been separated stand apart from each other." For as Helios was being separated and cut off in the middle, mind fixed both elements above the Sun and those below and holds them fast.

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"From him in turn came Chronos and next was crafty Zeus." Orpheus means that his rule has existed since he became king, but his rule is explained because by thrusting the things that exist against each other, he caused them to stand apart and created the present transmutation, not creating different things from different ones, but different ones from the same. The phrase "and next was crafty Zeus" reveals that he is not a different God, but the same one.

Orpheus states the following: "Seizing kingly honor, he swallowed Menace too." It has been revealed that Orpheus stated that the sun is a genital organ. He says that the things which now arise from existent things of the phallus of the firstborn king, and on him grew all the Immortals, blessed gods and goddesses, the rivers, lovely springs, and all the rest, all that had been born. He himself alone became. In these words, he hints that the things which exist have always existed, and those which now arise from existing things. The phrase "he himself alone became" by saying this, he reveals that mind itself, existing on its own, is equal to everything else, as if the rest were not thing, for it is impossible for these things that exist to exist without mind. Mind equal to everything, king of all.

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"Next verse, Zeus was first born, Zeus of the shining bolt was last." This verse proves that Zeus existed before he was named, then he was named, for air was pre-existent, and even before those things which now exist were put together, and he will always exist, for he did not come to be, but existed. Why Zeus was called heir has been revealed earlier in this treatise, but he was believed to have come to be because he was named Zeus, as if he had not existed before. Orpheus said that air would be last because he was named Zeus, and this will continue to be his name so long as things which now exist have been put together in the same element in which they were suspended when they were pre-existent. Orpheus is stating that things which exists became such as they are on account of air, and having come to be all in air, he only gives hints in these verses. Zeus is head, Zeus is center, all things come from Zeus. By saying head, he says in a riddling way that those things which exist have air as their head. His rule comes about to have been put together.

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"Next verse, fate." In saying this, Orpheus meant that and the elements that are born downwards, which he meant in stating this, but that the Earth and all the other elements are in the air, as he is breath. So Orpheus named this breath fate, but the rest of mankind say fate spun for them, as the saying goes, "What fate spun will be." Speaking rightly, but not knowing what either fate or spun is. For Orpheus called wisdom fate. This appeared to him to be the most apt of the names that all mankind has given him, for before being called Zeus, fate, the wisdom of God forever and always, but being called fate, was called Zeus. They suppose that he came to be, although he had existed even before, but was not yet named. This is why Orpheus says, "Zeus was first born." Being first, those people who do not grasp what is meant suppose that Zeus. Each individual thing has been called after the dominant element in it. All things were called Zeus by the same principle, for air dominates all things to the extent that he wants. When people say fate spun, they mean that wisdom of Zeus sanctioned that what exists has come to be and will come to be, must have come to be, exist, and cease to be. Orpheus likens him to a King, for this among the names that were current appeared to him to be apt.

When he says as follows: "Thank you, Zeus the King, Zeus ruler of all, he of the shining bolt." Orpheus said that he is King because although there are many rulerships, one rule dominates and brings everything about, for not one to bring about ruler, the world is ruled.

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As for the initiates, I am less amazed at those persons who have performed the rites and been initiated in the cities do not comprehend them, for it is impossible to hear what is said and learn it simultaneously. But those who have been initiated by someone who makes a profession of the rites are worthy of amazement and pity. Amazement because although they suppose before they perform the rite they will have gnosis, after they have performed it, they go away without gaining gnosis and make no further inquiries, as if they knew something about what they saw, heard, or learned. And pity because it does not suffice them that they have wasted the fee that they paid beforehand, but they also go away Barefoot of their judgment too. Before performing the rites, they expect to have gnosis. After they have performed them, they go away even of their expectation.

To one who hears the verses, the story appears to say that Zeus had intercourse with his own daughter, with his mother, but with his sister. When he saw the verse, "When Zeus first mounted Heavenly Aphrodite and begat from her persuasion and harmony, when neither the hot had come together with the hot, nor the cold with the cold." By saying "when Zeus mounted," Orpheus reveals that the elements divided into little bits, moved on, and mounted into the air, and by mounting, were put together with each other. They kept mounting until the point when each had come to its like. Heavenly Aphrodite, Zeus, Afrodis, Mount, Persuasion, and Harmony are conventional names for the same God. A man uniting sexually with a woman is said to aphrodise, as the saying goes, for when the things that now exist were United with the other God was named Aphrodite. He was named Persuasion because the things that exist gave way to each other. To give way is the same as persuade. He was named Harmony because he fitted together hermos many elements to each of the things that exist, for they had existed even before, but they were named as coming to be after they had been separated. The fact of their separation reveals that governs that now.

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Ed everything likewise, as best he was able to, since he understood that people do not have similar nature and do not all desire the same things. When they had the most power, they say whatever comes into their minds, whatever they may have to desire, not all the same things, driven by greed, but on occasion by ignorance as well. Gaia, Mother, Rhea, Hera are the same. She was called Gaia or Earth by convention. Mother because everything comes to be from her. Guy and Gaia in accord with individuals dialect, she was called Demeter, like gay meter, single name from both, for it was the same name.

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There is a statement in the hymns too: Demeter, Rhea, Gay Meter, Hestia, Deo. For she is called Dale because she was injured in sexual union. Orpheus will reveal this when according to his verses she comes to be. She was called Raya because many animals of all sorts were born easily from her. Reya means easily among the poets. She was called Hera.

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"The next verse, he contrived the great strength of wide flowing ocean." This verse has been composed in a misleading way and is obscure to most people, but to those who comprehend it with ears to hear, it all right is obvious that ocean is air, and that air is Zeus. Hence, when Zeus did not contrive another Zeus, but he himself contrived great straight for himself. But those who did not comprehend it suppose that ocean is the river because Orpheus added that the epithet wide flowing. But Orpheus hints at his own judgment and every day in colloquial words, for people say those who have great power among mankind have wide influence.

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"Next verse, he put in the might of silver swirling echolias." Orpheus gives water generally the name acolyus. The phrase "put in the might" means that Zeus rule arises in each, but wanted the phrase "equal limbed moon" for the things are round and equal and measured from the middle, but it is impossible for such things are not round to be equal limbed.

The following verse reveals it: "Luna or Selena, Moon, who shows for many mortals across the endless Earth."

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One might suppose that this verse was intended differently, because if the moon surpasses its limits, the things that exist show more clearly then before it surpasses them. But Orpheus does not mean this when he states that it shows, for he had meant this, he would have not stated it. He shows for many, but for all at once, both for those who farm the land and for sailors, showing when one must sell the season for the former. For had Selena not come into existence, people would not have found the number of either the seasons or the wins, and all other things. The element of which the sun consists are hot, very bright, and those of which the moon consists are whitest of all and divided up in accord with the same principle, but are not hot. There are other elements too, now suspended in the air, far away from each other, but by day they are visible as they are dominated by the sun, whereas by night they are visibly exist but are dominated not by the moon, an account of their smallness. Each of them is suspended by necessity so that they cannot join up with each other, for word otherwise all those elements that have the same power as from with the sun was put together would join up in a lump. Had not Theos desired the existence of those things that now exist, he would not have created the Sun, but he created it, and it became of such a kind of dimension as explained at the start of my treatise.

The verse after these are composed as an obstacle, since Orpheus does not want everyone to comprehend them. In the following passage, he only gives hints. But when the mind of Aegis-bearing Zeus and all contrived Zeus wish to unite with his highest mother in love. Orpheus says "mother" because mind is the mother, and "other elements," "hi us" because she is good. He reveals that hyos signifies good in the following words too: "Hermes, Maya's son, guide and Giver of goods, ion." It is clear in the following passage too, for double jars are placed on Zeus's floor of gifts of evil and the other full goods, ion. Those who do not understand the phrase metros chaos suppose it means his own mother, but Orpheus wanted to present that God as wanting to unite with his own mother and love. He could have said his own Hail Mother by changing some letters, for in this way it would become his own obvious that both good mother.

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And that is the end of this Papyrus. This fascinating Papyrus, which seems to me to be probably a precursor to Epicurean thoughts, very scientific, very taking the allegories and making it into some sort of some sort of reality that exists in this world that we're in. And so you have this succession that we see from the Hesiod Theogony or Sanko and the Athens text, you see that there, but it also is changed in a way where it's becoming sort of a scientific treatise, if you will. And the Orphics are very fascinated, but fascinating in this sense, you can see how this is the precursor in the mystery called world, with the emphasis on getting initiated. The initiates have ears to hear, and they are the ones who are going to be reincarnated as transmigrated souls and will have the good destiny. And those who don't have ears to hear, those are the ones we need to pity. That is the Orphic cosmology. And so this papyri is so fascinating. It is the Orphic poems of distinctive verses of the pre-Socratic philosophers, and like I said earlier, Anaxagoras is the one who's credited for this, and from the time of Philip of Macedon, right before Alexander the Great conquers the East, so this was being written when Persia was still ruling.

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Lucius Plutarch was the high priest of Apollo at Delphi and Middle Platonist philosopher from the end of the first century, who wrote dozens of books and almost a hundred essays on topics that stretch from epistemology, ethics, history, and metaphysics. He was a student of Ammonius of Athens, one of the founders of Middle Platonism, and focused much of his life on the topic of religion.

In book four, question number six, he says, "Which God is worshiped by the Jews?" Now, if you were to compare Yahweh and Dionysus, you could think of a million things that separate the two. Number one, Yahweh is not the god of wine and parties and orgies, and Dionysus is not a God who wants a grand temple and a high priesthood, and definitely no Messiah. There are definite things that separate these two gods. In some ways, they are almost opposites. You can almost say that Dionysus is closer to Satan than he is to Yahweh. And all those points are fair. However, Plutarch makes some good points here. He says, "The Tulyrian god called Evias, the insider of women, famous for the honors he has conferred upon him by mad men, to be inscribed and enrolled in the mysteries of the Jews." Or is there any solid reason that could be given to prove Adonis to be the same with Bacchus, and no man is able or fit to bring the chief confirmation of this truth, but those amongst us who are initiated and skilled in Greek or chief mysteries of the God, but what no religion forbids to speak of among friends, especially over wine, the gift of Bacchus. I am ready at the command of these gentlemen to disclose." He then says, "When all the company requested and earnestly begged it of him, first of all, the time and manner of the greatest, most holy rights of the Jews is exactly agreeable to the holy rights of Bacchus. For that which they call the fast, they celebrate in the midst of vintage, furnishing their tables with all sorts of fruits, while they sit under the Tabernacles made of vines and ivy. On the day which they immediately go before this, they call the holy day of Tabernacles. Within a few days after, they celebrate another feast, not darkly, but openly dedicated to Bacchus, for they have a feast amongst them called Crediphoria from carrying palm trees, and Thricephoria when they enter into the temple carrying the thricey. What they do within, I know not, but it is very probable that they perform the rites of Bacchus. First, they have little trumpets such as the Greeks used in their bacchanalia to call upon their gods with. Others go before them playing upon harps, which they call Levites, whether so named from Lucius or Evias, either word agrees with Bacchus. And I suppose that they're Sabbaths have some relation to Bacchus, for even now many call the bakai by the name Sabazios, the Sabbath God, and they make use of that word at the celebration of Bacchus's orgies, and this may be discovered out of Demosthenes or Menander. Nor would it be out of place or anyone to say that the name Sabbath was given to this feast from the agitation and excitement with the priest of Bacchus display. The Jews themselves witnessed no less, for when they keep the Sabbath, they invite one another to drink until they are drunk, or if they chance to be hindered by some more weighty business, it is the fashion at least to taste wine. Some perhaps may surmise that these are mere conjectures, but there are other arguments which were clearly events the truth of what I assert. First, may be drawn from their high priest, who on holidays enters their temple with his meter on a raid in a skin of hind embroidered with gold, wearing buskins and a coat hanging down to his ankles. Besides, he has a great many little bells depending from his garment which make a noise as he walks. So in the nocturnal ceremonies of Bacchus, as the fashion is among us, they make use of the music and call the gods nurses. High upon the wall of their Temple is a representation of the thriceys and timbrals, which surely suits no other God than Bacchus. Moreover, they are forbidden to use honey in their sacrifices because they suppose that a mixture of honey corrupts and deads the wine, and honey was used for a libation in former days, and with it the Ancients or want to make themselves drunk before the vine was known, and at this day barbarous people who want wine drink laying the sweetness of the honey by bitter roots, much of the taste of our wine. The Greeks offered to their gods these temperate offerings or honey offerings, as they called them, because the honey was of a nature quite contrary to wine. But this is no inconsiderable argument that Bacchus is worshiped by the Jews, in that amongst other kinds of punishment that was most remarkably odious, by which malefactors were forbid the use of wine for so long a time as the judge thought fit to prescribe."

The other thing that Plutarch lays out is the imagery in the temple. The vines and animals and gold and purple would be very familiar to somebody from Athens or Eleusinian Mysteries would see this and think of Bacchus and Demeter. In the book Second Chronicles, there is an in-depth description of the building of the temple by Solomon, in which much of it is built with gold and ivy and depictions of the heavens and the sea and many animals. This particular verse in chapter 11:15 says, "He set up priests of his own for the high places for the satyrs and the calves which he had made." Calves and Saturns are the exact model for the worship of Dionysus. In fact, Dionysus is even worshiped in the form of a satyr. He leads an army of satyrs in the Dionysia from Knossos. And to top it all off, Leviticus 17:7 says, "That they shall know more offer their sacrifice to satyrs, after whom they have gone whoring. This shall be a statute forever to them throughout their generations." This verse in Leviticus acknowledges an ancient rite that the Jews used to practice before it was outlawed.

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Right around the same time, Tacitus in his Histories, book five, says something very similar to this. In book five, Tacitus talks about the Jews possibly being refugees from the island of Crete, claiming that their name Judea is actually from the Mount Ida, and that Ashra is a translation for Rhea, the great mother of the Idean mountain. The God that was worshiped there was Saturn, also known as Sabazios. He says that Moses, wishing to secure the future of his authority over the nation, gave them a novel form of worship, opposed to all that is practiced by other men. Things sacred with us, with them have no sanctity, while they allow what with us is forbidden. In their holy place, they have consecrated an image of the animal by whose guidance they found deliverance from their long and thirsty wanderings, which would be the image of the donkey. They slay the ram, seemingly in derision of Ammon, and they sacrifice the ox because the Egyptians worship it as Apis. And he's arguing that the reason why their rites are the opposite of the Greeks is because of this. But then he says, "By their frequent fasts, they still bear witness to the long hunger of former days, and the Jewish bread made without leavening is retained as a memorial of their hurried seizure of corn. We are told that the rest of the seventh day was adopted because this brought them termination of their toils. After a while of indolence beguiled them into giving up the seventh year also. But others say it is observance of honor of Saturn, either in the primitive elements of their faith having been transmitted from the Idean who are said to have shared the flight of that God and to have found that race, or the circumstance that the seven stars which rule the destinies of men, Saturn moves in the highest orbit and with the mightiest power, and that many of the heavenly bodies complete the revolutions and courses in multiples of seven." In this passage, Tacitus is speaking of the Idean Sabazios, the God of the Cretans, who was brought to Anatolia by migrants. They call those profane who make representations of God in human shape out of perishable materials. They believe that being to the Supreme and eternal, neither capable of representation nor of decay. They therefore do not allow any images to stand in their cities, much less in their temples. This flattery is not paid to their kings, nor this honor to our Emperors. From the fact, however, that their priests used the chant to the music of flutes and symbols and wore garlands of ivy, and that of a golden vine was found in the temple, some have thought that they worshiped Father Liber, Dionysus, Bacchus, the Conqueror of the East, though their institutions do not by any means harmonize with the theory, for Liber established a festive and cheerful worship, while the Jewish religion is tasteless and mean. So you can see in this passage that Tacitus is wondering why are there so much similarities, but also at the same time, they seem to be almost opposite in the sense of the rites. Plutarch also says that when Pompey the Great sacked Jerusalem, the only thing he found in the Holy of Holies was the golden ivy diadem that Bacchus wears.

Both of these sources, Tacitus and Plutarch, being late first, early second century sources, are a little late in the game. But if we go back to Herodotus, the father of History himself, there might be something in there that I think might be interesting for this conversation.

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Herodotus, who's writing about all the Mediterranean world, from Babylon to Spain, to the north and Germany, and down into Africa, he even India, he's got everyone covered. Not that he's correct in everything that he says, but he does seem to know his geography pretty well. And the question is, what does he say about Israel? Nothing. In fact, Israel as a word is never mentioned by Herodotus. Herodotus lived in the 5th century BCE. This would have been not only after the exile to Babylon, but would have been right when they were coming back during the time of the Persian rule of the Middle East. So the question is, how does he not know about Israel? I think the answer to that question is that Israel just wasn't that big. Might have been a collection of city-states loosely connected through culture. Herodotus writes about the gods that are worshiped in this region. He talks about the Egyptian religion, he talks about the Arabian religion, he talks about the Syrian religion, and the Phoenician religion. The Sinai Peninsula, according to Herodotus, is just part of the Arabs. And interestingly enough, Herodotus, when he's speaking about this part of the world, he says that there are only two Gods worshiped here. Drumroll, guess who these two Gods are? Dionysus and Venus. Here's what he says: "Now, after the Persians conquered Egypt, they established this system, stored water along the desert road mentioned earlier, but before this time, there was no water available at all. So Cambyses, acquiring information from Phanes in the Heliconesian, visited, sent messengers to the Arabian king, asking him for safe conduct for his army, which she obtained by exchangeable pledges with him." Reason why I pointed this verse out first, this would be the exact route that would lead from Persia to Egypt. This would be the Sinai Judean region. This would be where the Israelites would be dwelling. Maybe he didn't know they're called Israelites. And this is what he says: "After this, the Arabians, who regard pledges made to their fellow men with special reverence, enter into a pledge in this way: between the two men who wish to make a pledge, stands another man who cuts the palm of each along the thumb with a sharp stone. Then taking a small strip of cloth from the cloak of each man, he daubs seven stones that have been set up between them with their blood, and as he does so, he invokes Dionysus and Urania." Upon completion of this ceremony, the man offering the pledge commends the visitor or fellow citizen who is receiving his pledge to his own friends and family, who then consider themselves as rightful guarantors of the pledge too. These Arabians believe that Dionysus and Urania are the only Gods who exist, and they claim that they cut their hair to look just like the haircut of Dionysus. They shear the hair around the head in a ring and shave under the temples. Dionysus they call Oral taught or Urania Alatath." Interesting part about this is that the only part of this region who would worship only two Gods would possibly be the Israelites, because this would be the time when Ashura and El would be worshiped side by side. Could it be that this is a similar tradition that's not the same as Jerusalem, but maybe a little more south, a little more of a privatized rite with the similar idea? The Semitic version of Dionysus out in the Sinai desert. Urania is the name for Queen of Heaven. This would have been the title that Ashura or Rhea would have had as well. Another interesting part of that passage was the blood oath and the seven times of dabbing for purification. In Leviticus, it says, "The priest shall sprinkle the blood of the victim seven times on the man that is to be purified." The seven times is exactly what Herodotus speaks about. The incenses frankincense and myrrh, olibanum and galbanum, popular incenses burned in the Orphic and Eleusinian rites, also found in Arabia for Yahweh and El. Coronities says when he talks about the Bacchic origins, it is originally an Egyptian custom. So we're already dealing with that region of the world, the same place where the Israelites supposedly come out of. Herodotus says that the Orphics or Bacchae wear linen tunics called calorisus, which are fringed with tassels around their legs. Over these garments, they drape white woolen cloaks. When they enter sanctuaries or when they are buried, however, they never wear wool, for to do so and be offend their religious sensibility. In this, they agree with the ritual practices called Orphic and Bacchic, which are in reality Egyptian and Pythagorean, for the participants in these rites also find it religiously offensive to be buried in woolen garments, and there is a sacred story concerning this. The tassels hanging down the garments is exactly what you see with the Levite priest, and they're also wearing white. There's an exact match here.

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Herodotus says, speaking on the Orphics and Pythagoreans, worship Dionysus. "Now I will describe the way they mourn and bury their dead. When someone highly esteemed in their household dies, the women of that household plaster their heads and faces over with mud. Then leaving the corpse, they wander throughout the city beating their chest, binding up their garments, and exposing themselves, and they are accompanied by their female relatives. The men beat their chest and bind up their garments. When they have finished performing this ritual, they carry the body away to be embalmed." He says this is an Egyptian custom, and they even use Phoenician date palm wine. In Ezekiel 21, when speaking on mourning, Ezekiel says, "Cry out and wail, son of man, for it is against my people, it is against all the princes of Israel. They are thrown to the sword. Therefore, beat your breast." The idea of beating their breasts over mourning, something we see common between both Islam and Judaism. Isaiah and 32 says, "Beat your breast in mourning for the pleasant fields, fruitful vines, for the land of my people producing thorns and briars, for all the happy homes in a joyful city. For the palace will be abandoned, the crowded city deserted, awful and fortress, wastelands forever, a delight for wild donkeys and a pasture for flocks." The beating of the breast, the mourning over the dead for seven days.

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An author named Menacius from the 3rd century BCE talks about when Antiochus Epiphanes raided the temple in Jerusalem, there was one idol, a golden donkey with a man on it. This is an image that looks exactly like Dionysus. Dionysus, as you see in this ancient image, Dionysus on top of a donkey. Once again, we have another match of images. The image found in the temple matches the image of Dionysus riding the donkey. There's actually a tribe in Athens, an ancient tribe in the name of them, spelling very similar to Yakov or Jacob. The name Yaakov looks a lot like the Bacchic chant Yaki Yake. And also the wife Rebecca looks like Rebecca. Rebecca. The names of the patriarchs in the Old Testament look a lot like Bacchic chants. Adam and Eve resemble Adis and Iwa. Iwa is the Bacchic chant for Persephone or Kore, the maiden who was taken down to Hades by Pluto. And Pluto's name, spelled Hades, looks very similar to Adam, the patriarch. Joseph has a lot of similarities to Dionysus as well. Joseph is constantly compared to Serapis and Osiris, who is an Egyptian rendering of the ancient Bacchus. We know from Philo of Byblos that El or Saturn has a story written about him that is very much paralleled to the story of Abraham. Kronos, who the Phoenicians call El, who was a king of the country and subsequently after his decree was deified as the star Saturn, had by a nymph of the country named Annoboret, an only begotten son, whom on this account was called Yetud, the only begotten being still so-called among the Phoenicians. And when very great dangers from war had beset the country, he arrayed his son in royal apparel, prepared an altar, and sacrificed him, and then circumcised himself and made it a custom among the Phoenicians from that day forward. Sarah being paralleled to the nymph Annoboret, which turns out to look a lot like Ops in the stories of Saturn and Ops. In Genesis, Joseph is sold into Egypt, just like Dionysus is sold into slavery as well. Both are arrested and put in dungeons, and both rise out and become avengers. When Joseph is in jail, he interprets two dreams. The first dream: a vine in front of the chief cupbearer. The vine was three branches, and it barely budded, and when blossoms came out, it clusters ripened into grapes. Pharaoh's cup was in his hand, and he took grapes and pressed them into his cup and put them into Pharaoh's hand. Joseph interprets this dream. The three branches are three days. Within three days, Pharaoh will lift up his head and restore him to his post. He will be handing Pharaoh his cup. The imagery of the vine and the grapes could be possibly perceived as very Bacchic. The next passage, though, I think makes it a little more convincing, because the other chief baker has a dream in which he had three wicker baskets on his head, and the top on where all kinds of bakery products, but the birds were pecking at them. Joseph says that these three baskets are three days, and in three days, Pharaoh will lift up your head and have you impaled on a stake. The imagery of the grain and the vine are both these dreams. Those could be seen in the Eleusinian Mysteries as Bacchus and Demeter, which is possibly where Christianity might even have the idea of a Eucharist from. You have Isaac, whose name also appears very similar to a Bacchic chant, Yakis Yakis. You have Yaakov, Yakis, Isaac, Jacob, and then the brothers Esau. The brother of Jacob, in his name, could mean red or hairy, his nickname being Edom. And as the boys grew up, Esau became a skillful hunter, a man who lived in the open, whereas Yaakov was a simple man who kept to his tents. Isaac preferred Esau because he was fond of game, but Rebecca noticed all these names, Rebecca, Yaakov, Isaac, all these names sound so Bacchic. Anyways, once when Jacob was cooking his stew, Esau came in from the open, famished. He said to Jacob, "Let me gulp down some of that red stuff." In Hebrew, it's adom, another play on the word red, which is also a Bacchic chant. And it says, "Let me gulp down some of that red stuff, I'm starving." But Jacob replied, "First give me your birthright in exchange for it." "Look," said Esau, "I'm on the point of dying. What good will any birthright do to me?" But Yaakov insisted, "Swear to me first." So he sold Yaakov his birthright under oath. Jacob then gave him some bread and lentil stew, and Esau drank, got up, and went his way. Esau carried very little for his birthright. This appears to be very similar to the dynamic between Pantheus and Dionysus, where Dionysus demands full devotion from Pantheus, almost like a birthright. Pantheus was the chosen heir of Cadmus, but Dionysus ends up taking this birthright, if you will, from him through the use of persuasion, the same way that Yaakov persuades Esau to give up his birthright. So could it be that these, the story of Genesis, is a euhemerization of the ancient Bacchic traditions? And I don't want to say the same traditions that we find in Athens. What I think is more likely is that both Athens and Jerusalem are coming from a common source that possibly dates to the Bronze Age. We do know from archaeology that Dionysus or Bacchus is one of the oldest gods of the Mediterranean, his worship going back before alphabets in Linear B. The oldest mention of Moses that exists in the historical record outside of any biblical manuscript or source, it's from Hecataeus of Abdera, whose writing in the 4th century BCE in Alexandria, and he is cited by Diodorus of Sicily, who claims that Moses claimed to have received his laws from a god named Yao, and Yao happens to be also a Bacchic chant. And when we see his name in the Greek sources, for example, Diodorus of Sicily says, "Amongst the Jews, Moses pretended that the god named Yao gave him his laws." Macrobius Saturnalia wrote, "The sacred things ye learned to none disclose, a little falsehood much discretion shows. Regard Yaos as supreme above, in winter Pluto, in spring's opening Jove, Phoebus through blazing summer rules the day, Wallace Autumn owns the mild Yaos sway." Here we find Yahoo expressed, recognized as the title of the supreme god. And Orpheus also says that Jove, Pluto, Phoebus, and Bacchus are all one. In these Orphic hymns, the word Yao would be chanted, and it would be accompanied with the burning of frankincense and myrrh, and musicians with using symbols and drums and flutes, the same way that the Psalms of David would be performed. Orpheus and David are identical match. Plato insisted that Orpheus was the father of Moose or Moses, and the Orphics were a huge part of Jewish society in Alexandria in the 1st century BCE and 1st century of the Common Era. The Romans confused Yahweh with Jupiter Sabazios, and in the 2nd century BCE, when the Jews were persecuted, along with the worshipers of Dionysus, there were two decrees in that century. One in 186 for the worship of Dionysus to be suppressed, and another one in 148 BCE where the Jews and Chaldeans, along with the worshipers of Sabacios, who also is one with Dionysus, was kicked out of Rome that year. Nias Cornelius Hispalus, Praetor per Granius, and the year of the Consulate of Marcus Popilius Laenas and Lucius Calpurnius, ordered the astrologers by an edict to leave Rome and Italy within 10 days, since by a fallacious interpretation of the stars, they protrude fickle and silly minds, thereby making profit out of their lives. Same Praetor compelled the Jews who attempted to infect the Roman custom with the cult of Jupiter Sabacious to return to their homes. Some have even gone as far as saying that the spelling or pronunciation of Jehovah, its Savot, which brings us back to Plutarch, who maintains that this Egyptian Typhon is the same as the Jewish Yahweh. And the monotheistic Hecestarians all over the Eastern Realms of the Roman Empire worship this version of Saturn, whose worship day is the Sabbath, Saturn's Day. These Byzantine Greek encyclopedias write, "Sabazios is the same as Dionysus. He acquired this form."

Of address from the right pertaining to him for The Barbarians call the Bacca cry Sebastian and some of the Greeks too follow suit and cry sabasmos, thereby Dionysus becomes Sabazios. They also used to call saboy those places that had been dedicated to him and his bakkings. Damasthenes says some of the sad boy for those who are dedicated to Savacios, that is the Dionysus, are called bakoy, and they say that Sebaceous and Dionysus are the same. Thus, some also say the Greeks called bakoy saboy.

He also later on says, "On attaining manhood, you abetted your mother in her initiations, in her other rituals, and read aloud from the cultic writings. You rubbed the fat cheek snakes and swung them above your head, crying." And so, in 186 BCE, when we look at the suppression and outlawing of the worship of Dionysus, it makes you wonder: why was this God singled out? And why were these people persecuted? Is this the same God that is worshiped by the Jews? Or do both of these traditions come from a common ancestor tradition?

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So we have the names of the Patriarchs looking like bakic chants: Iwa and Adam. Even Adam. Could it possibly be that these two characters are a hammerization of Persephone and Hades? And that Persephone, who takes a bite of the pomegranate, is stuck in Hades, which would be a parallel to Eve taking a bite of the fruit and being cast out of paradise? With all that being said, this could be all a stretch. However, if there is some truth to this, it brings a whole new light to Christianity and the origins of Christianity. Because if Tacitus and Plutarch were able to understand these connections between the bakic, Orphic, and Judaean, then it's not a stretch to say that the gospel writers would have saw these things as well. Which is why you have some stories that look like mimesis between Dionysus and Jesus. Which is why Jesus, looking like the True Vine, as he calls himself, "My Father is the husbandman, and I am the True Vine," looks a lot like Sabazios, who is Saturn holding the scythe, who is the husbandman who reaps the dead, and he is the true vine like Dionysus.

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Helios is the sun god, the All-Seeing Eye in the Sky. He is known to the Egyptians as Ra or Atum, later known as Amun-Ra, and to the Babylonians as Shemesh. He is the son of Hyperion and Thea, the brother of Selena, the moon, and Eos, dawn. He's also the uncle of Lucifer. To the Egyptians, he was not created by any marriage or couple. He came straight out of the abyss of chaos and became the creator of the gods. The Aeneid of Heliopolis, where all the gods were created, the beginning of all Egypt begins here.

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He comes from the proto-Indo-European god and goddess Siol or Sol. According to Plato, through the mouth of Socrates, his Doric name is Helios. Throughout the myths given by Homer and Hesiod and others, he's always seeing when no one else can see. For example, when Persephone is picked up by Hades and brought to the underworld, he's the one that saw what happened and tells Demeter what to do to find her. In The Odyssey, Odysseus's men, despite the warnings of Odysseus, impiously kill and eat sacred cattle kept at Thronakia, sacred island. Helios was there to see it when no one else would. So he informs Zeus, and Zeus punishes them by throwing a thunderbolt at their ship. Nothing escapes the eye of Helios, or I should say, the Eye of Ra.

Helios is one of the 12 Titans. All the gods gathered in front of Zeus to cast lots to see which place or country they would rule over. Helios happened to be absent for this and missed out. So Zeus gave him the rule of the sky and of the island of Rhodes and married Rhodos, the daughter of Poseidon, and they have seven sons who found the civilization of Rhodes. Or the megalith Colossus of Rhodes, one of the ancient wonders of the world, would stand in honor of Helios himself. His seven sons were known as the Heliadae. They were Ochimas, Kerafas, Makarias, Aktis, Tenas, Triopas, and Kandelas. They were expert astrologers and seafarers and the first to introduce sacrifices to Athena at Rhodes. Tenas was the most highly endowed of the Heliadae, the sons of Helios, most favored by Helios himself. He was the best at science and the best looking. And so his other brothers, Makarias, Kandelas, Triopus, and Aktis, were jealous of him. So what they did is they found him and killed him in their jealousy. Those four sons had to flee the wrath of Helios after what they did. Makarias fled to Lesbos, Kandelas flees to Coast, Trio pass flees to Korea, and Aktis flees to Egypt.

Now, Aktis goes down into Egypt and finds the city of Heliopolis. But what's so striking about this story is it looks really similar to Genesis 37, where Joseph, one of the twelve sons of Jacob, is the most favored and best looking favorite of Jacob, where his jealous brethren tried to kill him, but he survives, and he goes down into Egypt and gets sold by the Midianites into slavery in Egypt. Now, at first glance, yes, the stories are different in many ways. One of them has seven sons, the other has 12 sons, and one of them, the jealous brethren, kill the favored son. And with Joseph, he actually survives. But there are some striking similarities. It should point out in both stories, we have a bunch of sons with one great son who is highly favored over the rest, and the other ones are jealous. And in both stories, one of the brothers flees to Egypt.

Now, at first, you're like, "Okay, that's not that crazy." Until you figure out that Joseph, he marries Potiphar's daughter. Potiphar is the high priest of the city Heliopolis. So now we have both characters that flee to Egypt end up in the city of Heliopolis in some way or another. It gets even crazier. According to Josephus, in Against Apion, Book 1, Chapter 26, verse 250, "It was also reported that the priests who ordained their polity and their laws was by birth of Heliopolis, and his name O Seraph or Osiris, who was the god of Heliopolis, but that when he was gone over to these people, his name was changed, and then he was called Moses." This is what the Egyptians relate about the Jews, with much more, which I admit for the sake of brevity. But still, Manetho goes on that after this, Amonofis returned back from Ethiopia with the great army, as did his son Ramses and another army also, and that both of them joined battle with the Shepherds and the polluted people and beat them and killed in great many of them and pursued them to the bounds of Syria. Turns out that Manetho himself was a high priest of Heliopolis.

Now, Alexander the Great, when he went to Egypt, the first city he went to after he entered the gates and set up his garrisons was Heliopolis. And upon leaving Heliopolis, they decided to build Alexandria. Alexandria's Library, according to Manetho, got most of its information of Egyptian history from the Library of Heliopolis. Tells us that Heliopolis had records of the world going back thousands of years to the Atlanteans. When Alexander was built, they took most of the resources from Heliopolis and brought it up to Alexandria and basically swapped the center of learning and philosophy from Heliopolis to Alexandria.

Now, Moses is the lawgiver and the one who sets up the state of Israel. Solon was said to have traveled down to Heliopolis to learn the ways of the priests of Heliopolis and then brought back the laws to Athens. So we have in both cases a lawgiver coming out of Heliopolis and bringing back civilization to the people in their respected lands. Going back to the Joseph and Helios comparison, in both myths, we have two stories that have sons that are jealous of another son, one of them going down into Egypt and settling in Heliopolis, and then laws coming out of Heliopolis in the form of Solon, the lawgiver, who got his name Solon from Sol from Heliopolis, where he was renamed, and Moses, who brings out laws from Heliopolis as well. We put that together with what Josephus, Manetho, and Plutarch tell us about the greatness of Heliopolis and its records of the ancient past teachings of philosophy. We have no choice but to take consideration: is this a very important ancient city to people who wrote the Bible or Greek mythology?

Thank you.

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Herodotus states that the priests of Heliopolis were best informed in matters of history of all Egyptians. Heliopolis flourished as a seat of learning during the Greek period. The schools of philosophy and astronomy are claimed to have been frequented by Orpheus, Homer, Pythagoras, Plato, as well as Solon. Ptolemy II had Manetho collect all of his history of the ancient kings of Egypt from its archives and bring him to Alexandria, just as he had 70 elders of the Jews bring the history of Canaan. Its inscription on the Obelisk of Heliopolis reads: "The daughter of Amun-Ra, who is in his heart, his unique one, who come into being through him, the glorious image of the Lord of all, whose beauty the souls of Heliopolis created, who seizes the two lands like the self-created one, glorious nursling of the two magicians, whom Amun himself caused to ascend to the throne."

One of the most ancient Egyptian texts from the Egyptian Book of the Dead states: "Behold now, O ye luminaries in Heliopolis, ye people in Kir Abba, the God hath born his cordage, hath been completed, and the instrument wherewith he maketh his way. He has grasped firmly. Osiris knew is strong with them to direct the implement of the Gods." And then it says on the bottom: "Shall be said over a figure of the deceased, which shall be placed in a model of a boat of the Sun. And behold, he that recited this shall be washed and shall be ceremonially pure, shall have burnt incense before Ra, and shall offer wine cakes and roasted fowl for the journey of the deceased in the boat of Ra. Now, every coup, which is a mummy, for whom such things are done, shall have in existence among the living ones, and he shall never perish, and he shall have being like unto that of the holy God. No evil thing whatsoever shall attack him. He shall be like unto a happy coup in Amintet, and he shall not die a second time. He shall eat and he shall drink in the presence of Osiris each day. He shall be born again, the kings of the north and of the South, and each and every day he shall quaff water at the fountainhead. He shall come forth by day, even those Horus. He shall live and shall become unto a God, and he shall be him among the living ones, even as is Ra, each and every day, continually and regularly forever."

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When we look at the Temple of Heliopolis, we notice that it has a similar layout to the Temple of Jerusalem: a rectangle with a square with a holy of holies within the middle. There is another temple that is designed this way in Canaan, known as Baalbek. But also, this exact location was named Heliopolis by the Romans. The god that was worshiped there is Jupiter Heliopolis, a sort of equivalent of Amun-Ra. Amun being Jupiter, Ra being Helios. Amun-Ra, or Jupiter Heliopolis. After the war between Mark Antony and Augustus, when Mark Antony lost and killed himself, Augustus, upon visiting Heliopolis, decided to bring back the great Obelisk, and it is still standing in Rome today at Saint Peter's Square in the Vatican.

When Akhenaten in the 18th Dynasty became Pharaoh, he introduced a henotheistic worship of the deified solar disk. As part of his construction projects, he built a Heliopolitan temple named "Elevating Aten," whose stones can be seen in the sum of the gates of Cairo's medieval city. The cult of the Minervous Bull, another embodiment of the sun, had its altar here as well. The bulls' form burial ground was situated north of the city. Now, in this very area of Greater Memphis, which stretches out for Heliopolis, Giza, and Saqqara, these two bulls, Apis and Mnevis, were located in Memphis and in Heliopolis. And even Alexander the Great offered sacrifice to the Apis Bull on his way through Egypt.

What I find is very interesting is that when we get into the third century, there was a Syrian named Elagabalus, who was the high priest of the temple in Syria, the god of the mountain, but he's also a sun god, Heliogabalus. He became the Roman Emperor and introduced this cult into the Roman Imperial cult. According to Cassius Dio, Emperor Elagabalus also introduced the rites of the Christian, Samaritans, and Jews and combined it with Heliogabalus. The Historia Augusta says he enshrined Heliogabalus on the Palatine Hill next to the Temple of the Emperors and built a temple for him, being eager to transfer to that temple both the emblem of the mother goddess and the fire of Vesta, the Palladia, the sacred shields, and all the objects sacred to the Romans, so that no god should be worshiped at Rome except Heliogabalus. He used to say, furthermore, that the religion of the Jews and the Samaritans and the rites of the Christians ought to be transferred there, so that the priesthood of Heliogabalus might include the mysteries of every cult. This would plant the seeds for Roman religion. By going up to the time of Constantine, what that did was, in the stern realms of the Roman Empire, the two biggest competing cults became Christianity and Sol Invictus, the modern version of the worship of the sun god, the unconquerable son. There are coins of Helios being titled the Unconquerable Sun going back to the first century. So when Constantine became the emperor, he decided that these rites are the most important ones, and he became a Christian. But the Unconquerable Son, Sol Invictus, was still arguably the most popular god to the people of the Roman Legions, and it wasn't until the time of Theodosius where this Sol Invictus cult would be replaced by pure Christianity.

Thank you.

Of Isaiah chapter 19 gives a prophecy of the destruction of Egypt, but in verse 18 it says, "On that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan and swearing by the Lord of hosts. One shall be called the City of the Sun."

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The first generation of men in Egypt, contemplating the beauty of the superior world, admiring with astonishment the frame and order of the universe, supposed there were two chief gods that were eternal, that is to say, the Sun and the Moon. The first, which they call Osiris, and the other Isis. Both names having proper etymologies, for Osiris in the Greek language signifies a thing with many eyes, which may be properly applied to the Sun, darting his rays into every corner, and as it were with so many eyes viewing and surveying the whole land and sea, and which agrees the poet: "The Sun from the lofty sphere, all seas, all here."

Some also the ancient Greek mythologists say Osiris is Dionysus and surname him Sirius among Umalpas, and his Bacchanaal verses, Dionysus darts his fiery rays. An Orpheus, the bard, calls affinities and Dionysus. Some likewise set him forth clothed with the spotted skin of a fawn, called Nibrous, from the variety of stars that surround him. Isis likewise, being interpreted, signifies ancient. That name being inscribed to the Moon, from the internal generations, they add likewise to her horns because her aspect is such an increase and in her decrease, representing a sickle, and because an ox among the Egyptians is offered into her sacrifice. They hold that these gods govern the whole world, cherishing and increasing all things, and divide the year into three parts, that is to say, spring, summer, and winter, by an invisible motion perfecting their constant course in that time. And thought they are in their very natures very differing one from another, yet they complete the whole year with the most excellent harmony consent. They say that these gods and their natures do contribute much to the generation of all things, the one being a hot and active nature, the other moist and cold, but both having something of the air, and that by these all things are both brought forth and nourished. And therefore, that every particular being in the universe is perfected and completed by the Sun and the Moon, whose qualities as before declared are five: spirit, are quickening, efficiency, heat or fire, dryness or earth, moisture or water, and air. At which the world does consist, as man made up of head, hands, feet, and other parts. These five are reputed for gods, and the people of Egypt, who were the first that spoke articulately, gave names proper to the several natures according to the language that they speak. And therefore, they call the spirit Jupiter, which is such interpretation because a quickening influence is derived from this into all living creatures as from the original principle, and upon that account he is esteemed the common parent of all things. And to this most famous poet of the Greeks gives testimony, or speaking of this God, he says: "Of men and gods, the father." Fire they call interpretation Balkan, and him they had a veneration as a great God, as he that greatly contributed to the generation and perfection of all beings whatsoever. The Earth, as the common womb of all production, they call Matera, as the Greeks in process of time by a small alteration of one letter and the emission of two letters called the Earth Demeter, which was very anciently called Gen Matera, or Mother Earth, as Orpheus attests in this verse: "The mother earth Demeter also called, brings forth most richly." Water or moisture, the ancients called Oceanus, which by interpretation is a nourishing mother, and so taken by the Grecians, of which the poet says: "Thus the father of the Gods, the ocean is Tethys the mother called." But the Egyptians account their Nile to be Oceanus, of which all the gods were born, for in Egypt, among all countries in the world, are many cities built by the ancient gods, as by Jupiter, Sol, Mercury, Apollo, Pan, Elithia, and many others. To the air that gave the name Minerva, signifying something proper to the nature thereof, and called her the daughter of Jupiter, and counted a virgin because the air naturally is not subject to corruption and is the highest part of the universe. Once rises the fable that she was the issue of Jupiter's brain. They say she is called also Tritogenous, or Thrice-begotten, because she changes her natural qualities thrice in a year: spring, summer, and winter. And that she was called Glaucopis, not that she has gray eyes, as some of the Greeks have supposed, for that is a weak conceit, but because the air seems to be of a gray color to the view.

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They report likewise that these five gods travel through the whole world, representing themselves to men sometimes in the shapes of sacred living creatures, and sometimes in the form of men or some other representation. And this is not a fable, but very possible if it be true that these generate all things. And the poet who traveled into Egypt and some parts of his works affirms this appearance to be learned is from the priests.

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"The gods also, like strangers, come from far in diverse shapes within towns appear, viewing men's good and wicked acts." And these are the stories told by the Egyptians of the heavenly immortal gods. Besides these, they say there are others that are terrestrial, which were forgotten of the former gods and were originally immortal, then, but by reason of their wisdom to all mankind have obtained immortality, of which some have been kings of Egypt. Some of whom, by interpretation, have had the same names with the celestial gods, others have kept their own proper names. For they report that Sol, Saturn, Rhea, Jupiter, also known as Amon, Juno, Bacchus, Vesta, and lastly Mercury, who is called Thoth, reigned in Egypt. And Sol was the first king of Egypt, whose name was the same at the celestial planet called Sol, with the priesthood and Heliopolis.

But there are some of the priests who affirm Vulcan to be the first of their gods, and that he was advanced to all dignity upon account of being the first that used fire, which was so beneficial to all mankind. For a tree in the mountain happening to be set on fire by lightning, the wood next adjoining was presently all in a flame, and Vulcan thereupon coming to that place was mightily refreshed by the heat of it, being then winter season, and when the fire began to fail, he added more combustible matter to it, and by that means preserving it, calling it other men to enjoy the benefits of that which he himself was the first inventor, as he gave out.

Afterwards, they say Saturn reigned and married his sister Rhea, and that he begot of her Osiris and Isis. But others say Jupiter and Juno, who for their great virtues ruled all over the world. That if Jupiter and Juno were born five gods, one upon every day of the five Egyptian intercalary days, the names of these gods: Osiris, Isis, Typhon, Apollo, and Venus. That Osiris was interpreted Bacchus, and Isis plainly Sirius. That Osiris married Isis, and after he came to the kingdom did much perform many things for the common benefit and advantage of mankind. For he was the first that forbade men eating one another, and at the same time Isis found out the way of making bread and wheat and barley, which before grew here and there in the fields amongst the other herbs and grasses, and the use of it unknown. And Osiris teaching the way and manner of tillage and well management of the fruits of the Earth. This change of food became grateful both because it was naturally sweet and delicious, and the men were thereby restrained from the mutual butcheries of one another. For an evidence of this first finding out the use of these fruits, they allege ancient custom among them, for even this day, in the time of harvest, the inhabitants offer their first fruits, the ears of corn, howling and wailing about the handfuls they offer, invoking this God Isis, and this they do in return of due honor to her that invention. At first, in some cities, when they celebrate the Feast of Isis in a pompous procession, they carry out vessels of wheat and barley in memory of the first invention by the care and industry of this goddess. They say likewise that Isis made many laws for the good of human society, whereby were strained from lawless force, violence one upon another, out of fear of punishment. And therefore Saris was called by the ancient Greeks Themopherus, that is lawgiver, being the princess that first constituted laws for the better government of her people. Osiris moreover built Thebes in Egypt, the hundred gates, and called it after his mother's name, but in following times it was called Theophilus and Thebes, of whose first founder not only historians but the priests of Egypt themselves are much in doubt, for some say it was not built by Osiris, but by many years after by a king of Egypt, whose history we shall treat hereafter in its proper place.

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They report likewise that he built two magnificent temples and dedicated to his parents Jupiter and Juno, and likewise two golden altars, the greater to the great God Jupiter, the other to his father Saturn, who had formerly reigned there, whom they call Amon. That he is reacted golden altars to other gods and instituted their several rites of worship and appointed priests to have the oversight and care of the holy things. In the time of Osiris, in Isis, projectors and ingenious artists were in great honor and esteem. That therefore in Thebes there were the goldsmiths and braziers who made arms and weapons for the killing of wild beasts and other instruments for the husbanding of the ground and improvement of tillage.

Besides images of the gods and the altars in gold, they say that Osiris was much given to husbandry. That he was the son of Jupiter, brought up by Nysa, a town of Arabia the Happy, near to Egypt, called by the Greeks Dionysus from his father and the place of his education. Poet in his hymns makes mention of Nysa as bordering upon Egypt, where he says: "Far off from Phenicia stands the sacred Nysa, where streams of Egypt's Nile begins to rise on mountain high with pleasant wood adorned."

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Here near unto Nysa, they say he found out the use of the vine, and there planting it, was the first that drank wine and taught others how to plant it and use it, and to grasp in their vintage and keep and preserve it. Above all others, he most honored Hermes, one of admirable ingenuity and quick invention in finding out what might be useful to mankind. This Hermes was the first that taught how to speak distinctly and articulately, and gave names to many things that had been known before. He found out letters and instituted the worship of the gods, and was the first to observe the motion of the stars, invented music, taught the manner of wrestling, invented arithmetic, and the art of curious graving and cutting of statues. He first found out the harp with three strings in resemblance of the three seasons of the year, causing three several sounds: the treble, bass, and mean. The treble to represent this summer, the bass the winter, and the mean the spring. He was the first that taught the Greeks eloquence, thence he is called Hermes, a speaker or interpreter. To conclude, he was Osiris's sacred scribe, to whom he communicated all his secrets, and was chiefly steered by his advice in everything. He not Minerva, as the Greeks affirm, found out the use of the olive tree for the making of holy oils.

It is moreover reported that Osiris, being the prince of a public spirit, in the very ambitious of glory, raised a great army with which he resolved to go through all parts of the world that were inhabited and to teach men how to plant vines and how to sow wheat and barley. For he hoped that if he could civilize men and take them off from their rude and beast-like courses of life, by such public good and advantage, he should raise a foundation amongst all mankind for his immortal praise and honor, which happened accordingly. For not only that age, but posterity ever after honored those among the chiefest of their gods that first found out their proper and ordinary food. Having therefore settled his affairs in Egypt and committed the government of his whole kingdom to his wife Isis, he joined her with Thoth as her chief counselor of state. He far excelled others in wisdom and prudence.

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But Hercules, his near kinsman, he left general of all his forces within his dominions, a man admired for all his valor and strength of body. As to those parts which lay near Phenicia and upon the seacoast of them, he made Bucyrus, Lord Lieutenant of all Ethiopia, Libya, Antias. Then marching out of Egypt, he began his expedition, taking along with him his brother, whom the Greeks called Apollo. This Apollo is reported to have discovered the laurel tree, which all dedicate especially to this God, and where diadems of laurel leaves. To Osiris, they attribute the finding out of the ivy tree, and where ivy diadems instead of laurel, and dedicate to him, who the Greeks call Bacchus. Therefore, in the Egyptian tongue, they call ivy Osiris's plant, which they prefer before the vine and all their sacrifices because this loses its leaves, and the others always continue fresh and green. Which rule the ancients have observed in other plants that are always green, dedicating myrtle to Venus, laurel to Apollo, olive to Pallas, and ivy to Osiris.

It is said that two of his sons accompanied their father Osiris in his expedition, one called Anubis and the other Makado, both valiant men. Both of them were coats of male, there were extraordinary remarkable, covered with the skins of such creatures as resembled them in stoutness and valor. Anubis was covered with the dogs, and Makado with the skin of a wolf, and for this reason these beasts are religiously adored by the Egyptians. He had likewise for his companion Pan, whom the Egyptians have in great veneration, for they not only set up images and statues in every temple, but built a city and call it after his name, called by the inhabitants, which by interpretation is Pan City. There went along with them likewise those that were skillful in husbandry, as Marrow in the planting of vines, and Triptolemus in sowing of corn, gathering the harvest. All things being prepared, now Osiris, having vowed to the gods to let his hair grow till he returned into Egypt, marched through Ethiopia. And for that very reason, it is a piece of religion and practice among the Egyptians this very day, and those that traveled abroad suffer their hair to grow till they return home. As he passed through Ethiopia, a company of satyrs presented to him, who, as it is reported, were all hairy down to their loins. For Osiris was a man given to mirth and jollity, and took great pleasure in music and dancing, and therefore carried along with him a train of musicians, of whom nine were virgins, most excellent singers and experts, and many other things, who the Greeks call the Muses, whom Apollo was the captain, the brother of Osiris, who's then called the leader of the Muses. Upon this account, the satyrs, who are naturally inclined to skipping and dancing and singing and all other sorts of mirth, were taken in as part of the army. For Osiris was not for war, nor came to fight battles and to decide controversy by the sword. Every country receiving him for his merits and virtues as a god. In Ethiopia, having instructed the inhabitants in husbandry and tillage of the ground, and built several cities among them, he left there behind some of the governors of the country and others to be the gatherers of his tribute. While they were thus employed, it is said the River Nile, above the dog days, at which time it uses to be the highest, broke down its banks and overflowed the greatest part of Egypt, and that part especially where Prometheus was the governor, in so much is almost all the inhabitants were drowned, so that Prometheus was near and to killing himself for the grief of heart. And from the sudden and violent eruption of the waters, the river was called Eagle. Hercules, who was always high in difficult enterprises and everestote spirit, presently made up breaches and turned the river into its channel and kept it within the ancient banks, and therefore some of the Greek poets from this fact have forged a fable that Hercules killed the eagle that fled upon Prometheus's heart. The most ancient name of this river was Oceanus, which in the Greek pronunciation Okeanus, afterwards called Eagle, upon the violent eruption. Lastly, it was called Egyptus from the name of a king that reigned there, which the poets attest, who says: "In the river of Egyptus, then I placed the galley swift, for near Thonus, as it is called, an ancient marked town of Egypt, the river empties itself into the sea." The last name which still remains derives from Nilas, a king of those parts.

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Osiris, being come to the borders of Ethiopia, raised high banks on either side of the river, lest in time of its inundation should overflow the country more than was convenient and make it marsh and boggy, and made floodgates to let the water by degrees as far as was necessary. Thence he passed through Arabia, bordering upon the Red Sea, as far as to India and the utmost coasts that were inhabited. He built likewise many cities in India, one which he called Nisa, willing to have remembrance of that of Egypt where he was brought up. At this Nisa in India, he planted ivy, which grows and remains here only, for all other places in India or the parts Jason. He left likewise many other marks of his being and those parts by which the later interpret, by which the later inhabitants are induced to believe and to affirm that this God was born in India. He likewise addicted himself much to hunting of elephants and took care to have statues of himself in every place and lasting monuments of his expedition. Thence passing the rest of Asia, he transported his army through the Hellespont into Europe, and in Thrace, he killed like Kurgis, the king of the barbarians, who opposed him in his designs. Then he ordered Maro, at the time of an old man, to take care of the planters in that country and build the city and call it Marines after his own name. Makado, his son, he made king of Macedonia, so calling it after him. To Triptolemus, he appointed a culture and tillage of the land of Attica. To conclude, Osiris, having traveled through the whole world by finding out food fit and convenient for man's body, was a benefactor for all mankind. Where vines would not grow and be fruitful, he taught the inhabitants to make drink of barley. He brought back with him into Egypt the most precious and richest things that every place did afford, and for the many benefits and advantages, by the common consent of all men, he gained the reward of immortality and honor equal to the heavenly deities.

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The story of Osiris's death is as follows: Seth invited Osiris to a banquet with some of Seth's wicked friends. After the feasting, a casket was carried in, a gift from Seth to anyone who could fit inside. Seth's friends tried and vain to squeeze, stretch, or slide themselves in the casket. None of them fit. Then Osiris took his turn and fit perfectly in the casket. In a flash, Seth slammed down the lid and sealed it shut. The coffin was then thrown into the Nile. It floated off toward the sea. Isis was heartbroken at the loss of her husband. Isis was pregnant at this time with Horus, leaving her baby son behind with Hermes, she set out to find Osiris's body.

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After many weeks, Isis reached the city of Byblos in Phenicia. With the help of her magic, she discovered Osiris's coffin with a great ivy tree growing from the coffin. She hurried back to Egypt, but before she could place Iris in his tomb, Seth found the body. He chopped his brother into 14 pieces and scattered them across the land of Egypt. Isis set out once again to search for the pieces of Osiris's body. After weeks of searching, she found all but one part of Osiris's body: his phallus, which had been swallowed by a fish. To protect Osiris from Seth, Isis buried Osiris in 13 different places. The spirit of Osiris passed into the underworld, where he became the king of Hades. Osiris transmigrated his soul into his son Horus, the birth of Horus, the Avenger of the father, was seen by some as a resurrection of Osiris. Seth became Pharaoh of Egypt.

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One day, when Horus was just a child, Seth took on the shape of a scorpion, came into Horus's room, and stung him and killed him. Horus was then sent to the underworld with his father, where he would stay there until he was of age so he can avenge his father. And when he was of age, Amun, the father of Osiris, the ruler and creator of the universe, took Horus and brought him back to the land of the living by the sacred boat.

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Seth was already waiting for his return. Charged that Horus and aimed fire at his eyes and blinded him. After many weeks, Horus regained his sight. Horus grabbed the great army and chased down Seth up the River Nile, where they reached the island of Elephantine. Horus saw that's standing there in the form of a vast red hippopotamus, uttering a terrible curse. Horse threw its much force a javelin in the roof of Seth's mouths and into his brain. The red hippopotamus sank dead into the Nile. The darkness vanished, and the people of Egypt rejoiced of the victory of Horus, son of Osiris, the Avenger. Peace came to Egypt, and Horus was crowned Pharaoh.

Now, after the death of Osiris, Isis and Hermes celebrated his funeral with sacrifices and other divine honors as to one of the gods and instituted many sacred rites and mystical ceremonies in memory of the mighty works wrought by his hero now deified. Anciently, the Egyptian priests kept the manner of the death of Osiris secret in their own registers among themselves, but in after times it fell out that some that could not hold blurted it out the secret mysteries of Osiris, and so it came abroad. For they say that Osiris, while he governed Egypt with all justice imaginable, murdered by his brother, who was known as Typhon to the Greeks, and that he mangled his body into 6 to 20 pieces and gave to each of his confederates in the treason a piece, by that means bringing them all within the same horde guilt and thereby the more to engage them advance him to the throne and defend and preserve in the possession. But Isis, with the assistance of her son Horus, avenged the death of Osiris and got revenge upon Seth and his accomplices and possessed herself of the kingdom of Egypt. It is said that the battle was fought near a river not far off a town now called Antia in Arabia, as so-called from Anthias, whom Hercules slew in the time of Osiris. She found all the pieces of his body except for the phallus. And having a desire to conceal her husband's burial, yet to have him honored by God by all Egyptians, she thus contrived it. She closed all the pieces together, cementing them with wax and aromatic spices, and so that the shape of a man of the bigness of Osiris, she sent for the priests to her one by one and swore them all they should not discover what she should then entrust them with. Then she told them privately that they only should have the burial of the king's body, and recounting the many good works he had done, charged them to bury the body in proper place among themselves and to pay unto all the divine honor as to God. That they should dedicate to him one of the beasts bred among them, which of them they pleased. That it was alive, they should pay it with some veneration as they did before Osiris himself, and when it was dead, it should worship it with the same adoration and worship given to Osiris. But being willing to encourage the priests that these divine offices by profit and advantage, she gave them a third part of the country for maintenance of service of the god and their attendance at the altars.

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Therefore of Osiris's great deeds, being incited there unto the commands of the queen and an expectation of their own profit and advantage, the priests exactly performed everything that Isis enjoined them. And therefore every order of the priests at this day are of opinion that Osiris is buried among them, and they have those beasts in great veneration that were so long since thus consecrated and renewed their mournings for Osiris, the weeping for the dead God over the graves of those beasts. There are two sacred bowls especially, the bull Apis and the other Mnevis, that are consecrated to Osiris and reputed as gods generally all by Egyptians. For this creature of all others was extraordinary serviceable to the first inventors of husbandry, both as the sowing corn and the other advantages concerning tillage, of which all reap the benefit. Lastly, they say that after the death of Osiris, Isis made a vow never to marry another man and spent the rest of her days in exact administration of justice among her subjects, excelling all other princes and her acts of grace and bounty towards her people. And therefore after her death, she was numbered among the gods and as such had divine honor and veneration and was buried at Memphis, where they show her sepulture at this day in the Grove of Vulcan. Yet there are some that deny that these gods are buried in Memphis, but near the mountains of Ethiopia and Egypt, and the Isle of the Nile, lying near a place called Phile, and upon the account also called the Holy Field. They confirmed this by undoubted signs and marks left in the island, as a sepulture built and erected to Osiris, religiously reverenced by all the priests of Egypt, wherein are laid up 360 bulls, which certain priests appointed for that purpose fill every day with milk and call upon the gods by name with mourning and lamentation for the cause. None go into the island except the priests. The inhabitants of Thebes, which is the most ancient city of Egypt, account is great oath and by no means to be violated if a man swear by Osiris that lies buried at Phile. The several parts therefore of Osiris being found, they report were buried in this manner before related.

Privy members, they say, were thrown into the river by Typhon because none of his partners would receive them, and yet that they were divinely honored by Isis. For she commanded an image of this very part to be set up in the temples and to be religiously adored, and in all their ceremonies and sacrifices to this God, she ordered that part to be held in divine veneration and honor. And therefore Grations, after they learned the rites and ceremonies of the Feast of Bacchus and the origin solemnities, the Egyptians and all their mysteries and sacrifice to this God, they adored the member of the phallus, and the growing of corn is the growing of the phallus of Osiris.

From Osiris and Isis to a reign of Alexander the Great, who built a city after his own name, the Egyptian priests reckoned above 10,000 years. They affirm that those that say this god Osiris was born at Thebes in Boeotia of Jupiter and Semele relate that which is false. For they say that Orpheus, after he came into Egypt, was initiated into the sacred mysteries of Bacchus or Dionysus, and being special friend to the Thebans in Boeotia and of great esteem among them, to manifest his gratitude, transferred the birth of Bacchus or Osiris over into Greece. And the common people, partly out of ignorance and partly out of desire they had about this God should be a Greek, readily receive these mysteries and sacred rites among them. And that Orpheus took the occasion following to fix the birth of the God and his rights and ceremonies among the Greeks. And thus Cadmus, they say, was born at Thebes in Egypt, and amongst other children begot Semele, that she was got with child by one unknown and was delivered at seven months' end of a child very like to Osiris, as the Egyptians describe him. But such births are not used to live, either because it is not the pleasure of the gods it should be, or that the law of nature will not admit it. Semele was not with a man and was miraculously pregnant with Dionysus, who the Egyptians know as Osiris. This is the second birth of Osiris. The matter coming to Cadmus, being before worn by the Oracle to protect the laws of his country, he wrapped the infant in gold and in situated sacrifices to be offered to him, as if Osiris had appeared again in this shape and caused it to be spread abroad that it was begotten with Jupiter, thereby both to honor Osiris and to cover his daughter's shame. And therefore it is a common report among the Greeks that Semele, the daughter of Cadmus, was with child by no other than Jupiter, and by him had Osiris. And after times, Orpheus, by reason of his excellent art and skill in music and knowledge in theology and institution of sacred rites and sacrifices to the gods, was greatly esteemed among the Greeks, and especially was received and entertained by the Thebans and by them highly honored above all others, who, being excellently learned in the Egyptian theology, brought down to the birth of the ancient Osiris to a far later time, and to gratify the Cadmians or thebans, instituted new rites and ceremonies, at which he ordered that it should be declared to all that were admitted to those mysteries that Dionysus or Osiris was begotten by a virgin assembly by Jupiter. People therefore, partly through ignorance and partly by being deceived with their dazzling lust of Orpheus's reputation and with their good opinion of his truth and faithfulness in this matter, especially to have this God reputed a Greek, being to the use of these rites as it before declared, and went these stories, the mythologists and poets have filled all the theaters, and now it is generally received as truth, not in the least to be questioned. To conclude, the priests say that the Greeks have arrogated themselves both their gods and demigods or heroes, and say that the divers colonies were transported over to them out of Egypt. For Hercules was an Egyptian, and by his valor made his way into most parts of the world and set up a pillar in Africa, and this they endeavor to make proof that the Greeks themselves. For whereas it is owned by all that Hercules assisted the gods and the Giants' War, it is plain that at the time when the Greeks say Hercules was born, the Earth had not the stand the strength to produce giants, neither were there any in those days, that is to say, in the next before the Trojan War. But rather, as Egyptians affirm, the first generation, beginning of mankind, from which the Egyptians account above ten thousand years, but the Trojan War not 1200. And according to this computation of the Egyptians, a club and lion skin may agree well enough with the ancient Hercules, for the use of arms not being at the time found out, men fought with clubs and staves and covered their bodies with beasts of skins, with skins of beasts. This ancient Hercules, they say, was the son of Jupiter, but no not who was mother, he who was the son of El.

Camino, they affirm, was born above ten thousand years after the other and was called at first Alucius, but afterwards Heracles. Not that he had an honorable surname from Juno, as Matrix says, but assumed to himself the name of emulation, desiring to do as great as the ancient Hercules, and so to inherit as well his fame and glory as his name.

Moreover, the Greeks have a very ancient tradition, which agrees with the Egyptians, that Hercules freed the earth from wild beasts, which cannot possibly be applied to him who flourished about the time of the Trojans, when most parts of the world were free from such annoyances by improvement of lands and multitudes of populous cities, by the reduction of the world to a more civil course of living. It agrees best with ancient Hercules, when men were yet vexed and plagued with wild beasts, and especially in Egypt, whose upper part is wilderness and full of wild beasts at this very day. And it is but very reasonable to think that Hercules should mind the prosperity, the prosperity and welfare of Egypt and his own country, and free the land from wild beasts, and so deliver it into the hands of husbandmen, and improve by tillage, that upon his account was honored as a god.

The report likewise that Perseus was born in Egypt, and that the Greeks say transferred from thence the birth of Isis into Argos, inventing a story that she was the same with Io, who was metamorphosed into a bowl. And indeed, there are great differences in disputes discerning these gods, for some call the same goddess Isis, others call her Sarapis, some Thermosphorus, others Luna, others Juno, and some other names, like the Great Mother and Demeter. They term Osiris sometimes with Sarapis, sometimes Dionysus, sometimes Pluto, and also Ammon, sometimes Jupiter, often Pan. There are some likewise that say Sarapis is the same as the Greek Pluto, also some who identify Ashman, the Phoenician god, as Osiris or Bel.

The Egyptians report that Isis found many medicines for the recovery of men's health, being very expert in the art of physic, and contrived many remedies for that purpose. And therefore, even now, when she is advanced to an immortal state, she takes pleasure in curing men's bodies, and that those that desire her assistance in their sleep can clearly manifest her presence and afford ready and effectual relief to them that stand in need of it. For clear proof of all this, they say they have not only usual fables of the Greeks, but the undoubted evidence, and that almost the whole world bears testimony to this by the respect and honor they pay to this goddess, the account of her great fame in curing diseases. For in sleep she is present with persons and applies remedies to the sick, and wonderfully cures those that are her votaries, that many that have been given up by the physicians as incurable have been restored by Isis, and that many who have been blind and lame were restored by Isis, many who have sought to her help have been perfectly restored to their former sight and soundness of body. They say that she found out a medicine that would raise the dead to life.

The Sumerians tell a story about Isis and Osiris, and Isis going down into the underworld, bringing Osiris up and raising the dead among them. At the Spring Equinox, she not only raised her son Horus that was killed by the Titans and found dead in the water, but that the application made him immortal. This Horus was the last of the gods that reigned in Egypt after the translation of Osiris, his father. This Horus, they say, by interpretation, is Apollo, who, being taught by his mother Isis, the art of physic and divination, was very beneficial to mankind in these respects.

The Egyptian priests, in their computation of time, do reckon above three and twenty thousand years for the reign of Sol to the passage of Alexander the Great into Asia. And in their fabulous stories, they say the most ancient of their gods reigned 1200 years, and the latter no less than 300 years apiece. Whereas this great number of years seems incredible, some have not stuck to affirm that the motion of the sun not being then known, the year was reckoned according to the course of the moon, and therefore the solar year consisting then but of 300 days, some of them were sure to live 1200 lunar years. And even in this day, now that there are 12 months in the year, many live 100 solar years. The like they say of them that reigned 300 years, for in their time, they say the year was made up of four months, every four applicable to each of the three seasons of the solar year, that is to say, spring, summer, and winter. Which is the reason that some of the Greeks call the year Horus seasons and historical nails horography.

The Egyptians, moreover, among their fables, report that in the fame of Isis, there were men of vast bodies, whom the Greeks called Giants, and whom they place in their temples prodigious shapes, who were whipped and scourged by them that sacrificed to Osiris. Some idly give forth that they sprang from the earth when at first being the living creatures. Others report that from many extraordinary things done by men of strong bodies, the fables and stories of giants rose, but in the most degree that for the war they raised against the gods Jupiter and Osiris, they were all destroyed.

It was a law likewise, they say, in Egypt, against a caution of other nations, that brothers and sisters might marry one another, which accordingly was preposterous and successful in the marriage of Isis, who married her brother Osiris. And after his death, made a vow never to marry another man. After she had revenged her husband's death upon his murderers, she governed the kingdom and reigned justly all her days, and did good universally to all sorts of people, obliging them with many and extraordinary benefits and advantages. And for her sake, it is accustomed among them that they honor a queen and allow her more power and authority than a king, and in their contracts of marriage, authority is given to the wife over her husband, at which time the husbands promised to be obedient in their wives in all things.

Isis was buried at Memphis, where at this day her shrine is to be seen in the Grove of Vulcan, although some affirm that these gods lie buried in the Nile and fill us, as said before. Neither am I ignorant that some writers say their sepultures are at Nisa in Arabia, whence Dionysus is called Nisayas, where they say a pillar is erected to each of these deities with inscriptions and sacred letters upon them. And one which that belonging to Isis are these words: "I am Isis, Queen of all this country, scholar of Mercury. What laws I have made, none are traditional. I am the eldest daughter of the youngest God, Saturn. I am the wife and sister of King Osiris. I am she that first found out corn for man's use. I am the mother of King Horus. I am she that arises in the dog star. The city of Bubastus was built in memory of me. Farewell. Rejoice, O Egypt, that was my nurse, that brought me up."

On Osiris's pillar, there are these that follow: "My father was Saturn, the youngest of all the gods. I am Osiris, that led an army through all the nations as far as the deserts of India, and in the countries lying to the north as far as to the head springs of the river Ister, and the other parts as far as the ocean. I am the eldest, firstborn son of Saturn, a branch of a famous noble stock, cousin-german to the day. There is not a place in the world where I have not been, and what I have discovered, I have imparted to all." So much of the inscriptions on the pillars, they say, may be read. The rest is defaced and worn out through the length of time.

Thus, therefore, many disagree concerning the sepultures of these gods, because the priests, who were secretly instructed in the perfect knowledge of these matters, would not suffer them to be spread abroad, out of fear of these punishments that such were liable unto who revealed the secrets of the gods. They reported that afterwards, many colonies out of Egypt were dispersed over all parts of the world, that Belus, who was taken up to be the son of Neptune and Libra, led a colony into the province of Babylon, having fixing his seat at the river Euphrates, consecrated priests, and according to the custom of the Egyptians, freed from all public taxes and impositions. These priests the Babylonians call Chaldeans, who observed the motions of the stars in imitation of the priests, naturalists, astrologers of Egypt.

That Danaus likewise from thence another colony planted them in Argos, the most ancient city of all Greece, and that the people of Cocos and Pontus and the Jews lying between Arabia and Syria were colonies of Egypt, and that therefore it is ancient custom among these nations to circumcise all their male children after their rights and customs received from the Egyptians. That the Athenians likewise are a colony of the Saints, which came out of Egypt, and are kindred. They endeavor to prove by these arguments, that is to say, that only of all the Greeks call the city Austin tomb from Asatu, a city among these people of the Saints, and that for the better government of the commonwealth, they divide their people into the same ranks and degrees as they do in Egypt, to wit, into three orders. The first they call Eupatridae, employed for the most part in studying liberal arts and sciences, and are advanced in the highest offices and places of performance and state, as the priests of Egypt are. The second order of men are the rustic and country people, who are the soldiers and take up arms upon occasions for the defense of the country, like to those who are called husbandmen in Egypt, who furnish out soldiers there. And the third ranked I reckoned tradesmen and artificers, who commonly bore all the necessary and public offices, which agrees exactly with the orders among usage of the Egyptians.

They say likewise that there are some Athenian generals that came out of Egypt, for they affirm that Erechtheus, the father of Menethius, was captain in the Trojan War, an Egyptian, and afterwards a king of Athens. The Athenians had not wit enough to find out the true reason why two natures were ascribed to him, for every man knows that he was called half-beast, that is, half-man, half-beast, and the true ground was because he was a member of two several commonwealths, Greek and Barbarian. Likewise, one of the kings of Athens, they say, was an Egyptian, which they proved by these arguments, that whereas there was a great drought, as all confess, almost over all the world except Egypt only, because of a peculiar property of the place which destroyed both men and the fruits of the earth together, Erechtheus transported a great quantity of corn to Athens out of Egypt, because they and the Egyptians were of the same kindred. Which the kindness of the citizens were so affected, they advanced him into the kingdom, which after he instituted the festivals and taught the Egyptian rites and mysteries.

They say moreover that it is reported upon good ground that the goddess herself came into Attica at the time when corn and other good fruit and her name were transported to their, and that therefore it seemed as if she had again renewed the invention of seed she did at the beginning. Likewise, the Athenians themselves confess that in the reign of Erechtheus, when the drought had burnt up all the fruits of the earth, Ceres came thither and gave them corn, and that the rites and mysteries of this goddess were then begun in Eleusis, and the sacrifices of ancient ceremonies both of the Athenians and Egyptians are one and the same, and that they took their original from the Eleusinian of the Egyptian priests and their heralds from the past story. Further, that only the Greeks swear by the name of Isis, and then all their manners and customs, they are all together like the Egyptians. These and many other such like arguments bring maintain this colony out of ambition, because of the glory and renown of that city, that any ground of truth they have for their assertion.

To conclude, the Egyptians say that many parts of the world were planted by their ancestors, by colonies sent from thence, by means of the state and grandeur of their kings and their vast number of their people, which reports not to being supported with sufficient arguments nor tested by credible authors, we think them not worthy of any further account. But this much we thought fit to say of Egyptian theology.

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An animal is offered up. Thou receive a garment of finest linen from the hands of the ministrant of Ra. Eat the bread upon the cloth with the goddess herself has prepared. Drink the wine from the cup with Ra has prepared. Whoever does this in my name shall be reborn.

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The dynastic cult of the Ptolemies, instituted by Ptolemy the First, who was a best friend, figure, and general of Alexander the Great, as a Greek hierarchy with worshipers drawn from Greek-speaking populations, but also borrowing from Theronian cults of Egypt of Isis, Osiris, and Ammon. Hermetic tradition, the official cult established by the second Ptolemy Philadelphus, interestingly included an assumption into heaven. Theocritus and Callimachus, both court poets, both whose works have passed down to us, treat this theme with apparent seriousness, imitated by the Seleucids in Syria, as we know from an edict of Antiochus III dated from 205, establishing a priesthood for his wife Laodicey, quite distinct from the external municipal honors paid to the royal house. The Adelids, though cultivated in this manner by various Greek cities and indeed by their own ministers, offered a cult and most flattering eulogy to Adelus's wife Apollonis on her removal to the gods, instituted an official royal court themselves till after 188. Even then, deification remains strictly posthumous. Atlas III came close to being worshiped in his own lifetime, but got no farther. After military, this emerges with some clarity and curious efforts of the first two Ptolemies and the Seleucids to establish syncretic anthropomorphic Greco-Egyptian deities who could serve the needs of the polyglot non-Egyptian ruling community of Alexandria, Memphis, Ptolemais, and other administrative and commercial centers of the country, also Asia Minor and parts of Hellas where Ptolemy had a lot of support as well.

Our evidence, especially with Ptolemy I, is sketchy, but as you'll see later, Posinaeus tells us the widespread Egyptian cults all over Central Greece make it clear how widespread these ideas became. Serapis, one among many deities, both Greek and local, received royal support during this period. Tradition inherited from Alexander himself, who propitiated a variety of deities wherever he went, is according to the Greek Alexander Romance, he spoke with Serapis. Now, obviously, this is written afterwards, but the people of the second century BC, first century BC, and even first century AD clearly wanted to tie this God to Alexander himself, who was the son of Amon, the god of gods, the Jupiter Saturn God, the god of what we basically are trying to create with Serapis himself. But the case of Serapis does not seem to have unique features. The metamorphosis and promotion of this deity as a prop of the royal cult were carried out by Greek intellectuals of Alexandria. Demetrius the Savior gave the god a splendid early boost in his pious by claiming a miracle that God had restored his failing eyesight, also echoed later on with Vespasian. Miracles multiplied as in other healing shrines such as Epidurus. The process known as sleeping in, something we see with the cult of Asclepius for the sick, they would sleep in the temple overnight to be healed. This is a practice that would happen in Egypt for Serapis, also pointing out his Asclepius-like qualities. Strabo gives a vivid picture of the Sarapion at Canopus on the Nile with its very distinguished patients and the nightly crowd of revelers abroad the riverboats. Hellenized Egyptian priest Minato was on hand to offer local technical advice, but it was the Greek court sculptor Baraxis who designed the huge seated cult figure, bearded and benign, half Zeus, half Pluto, crowned with the grain Modius, symbolic of fertility, often seen in the cult of Eleusis, where we see Demeter and Dionysus wearing similar Modii, signifying grain and vine. The mysteries of fertility, of agriculture, of death and rebirth, and the fact that he's Pluto and Zeus gives him underworld and heaven rule. He much resembled Zeus, in whom he became to be synchronized in the Roman period, giving rise to the popular slogan: "There is but one Zeus, Sarapas."

Onto this composite figure, there were also grafted the healing attributes of Asclepius and later Helios, the sun, placed behind his head. As Isis would get the moon placed behind her head, father and mother, sun and moon, and the underworld connection from being Osiris as well as Pluto, though with Greek Cerebrus rather than Egyptian Anubis seated at his feet. The intention may have been to appeal to Egyptians as well as Greeks, but we can also detect in this heavily synchronized deity a growing trend toward monotheism, a general assimilation of local or specialized cults, like that of the Stoic World Soul, was a natural product and would reach its local climate under the early Roman Empire. Serapis was also reasonably enough, as a creation of the establishment, very soon accorded special respect by Ptolemaic bureaucrats as a God who could, if properly appropriated, boost their official reputations or give them a leg up in the promotional ladder. One letter to Ptolemy II's financial minister Apollonius reminds him pointedly that Serapis could still further improve even his already exalted position in the king's eyes. The implications of this patronage for the nexus between monarch, priesthood, and civil service are fascinating. Soldiers, of course, another powerful lobby in Ptolemaic Egypt, would particularly appreciate the god's supposed ability to cure wounds and offer protection in battle. It was Ptolemy the Second's officers, civil servants for the most part, who introduced the cult of Serapis to Greece and the Aegean, and indeed throughout the oikoumene. Would have to make a clear distinction between the public official established creed, inevitably a political phenomenon, which tended to fall off in the third century abroad after Ptolemaic loss of naval hegemony and at home with the native resurgence that followed. Raffia and considerable popularity and joy by the oldest, oddest ancient deities from his launching in Alexandria until his final eclipse and partial absorption by Christianity. But hold that thought about Christianity. Cynics might argue that a God who promised his devotees both physical health and material riches could hardly go wrong with Hellenistic devotees, so long as he made good on even a small percentage of his promises. But there was more to it than this. Serapis answered prayers, gave dreams and visions, answered the need for intimate contact with divinity, a personal God, more than just an autonomous sovereign Lord of other gods. He came in your room at night and visited you in your dreams and told you to your face what was needed. Children in all walks of life named Sarapion after the god. Chance has preserved a late 3rd Century eratology of Serapis from Delos, which offers a glimpse of a family priesthood there, and building of a shrine, prosecution of the priests by a group of xenophobic Dalians on the excuse that he had failed to obtain a building permit, and his acquittal and triumph thanks to the arete of the God who regularly gave his acolyte instructions during nocturnal visitations.

In Alexandria itself, on the other hand, the Serapis cult was rather slow to catch on outside official circles, and when it did, this was due in great part to the accident of its association with the cult of Isis. Well addressed as thou of countless names, the goddess who indeed became all things to all men, slaves included. Isis, the Egyptian belief, the wife of Osiris and the mother via his resurrected body of Horus. Now hellenized Hippocrates was now refurbished as Serapis' official spouse, in which she enjoyed an even greater and more widespread success. She offered salvation for the wicked, for the people who repent, and there is also a baptism involved. By looking at the text from Apuleius, the Golden Ass, and it was a faith-based salvation as well. The balance in the new syncretic Isis between Greek and Egyptian elements is complex and perhaps ultimately impossible to determine, though her more Promethean qualities associated with the discovery of a whole range of inventions from writing to husbandry, essential for civilized life, have a decidedly sophisticated flavor, and her mysteries similarly suggest Eleusis rather than Memphis. And Romans did not hide this at all. The shrines and of Demeter sometimes would just say Demeter-Isis, or even sometimes Persephone-Isis, and basically it was public knowledge that Demeter was Isis, Isis was the goddess of the Mysteries, the Isis cult began to spread throughout the Mediterranean world as early as the 4th century, largely carried by Egyptian sailors. The establishment of the Temple of Isis in Piraeus, the cult acquired dynastic currency, as it were, among Egyptian Greeks through its adoption by Arsinoe II as part of the joint Serapis-Isis promotion campaign, and because of her own subsequent assimilation after death in 270 to the goddess's persona or avatar, we found dedications made in the name of Isis or Arsinoe Philadelphus and sacrificial vases inscribed with the same title for the use of Alexandrian ladies who hoped for a share of her beauty, intelligence, and success. Tell me the third, day Isis and Serapis were included together with the deified rulers and royal oath by the Greco-Roman period. Isis had become the most influential and emotionally potent deity known to the ancient world. Statues, shrines of every sort associated with her worship have been found throughout the length and breadth of the Roman Empire. Isis came to assimilate not only in a wide assortment of goddesses, most notably Demeter, but also a quite extraordinary range of functions, as is apparent from her surviving erotologies. She is Queen of every land, the goddess among women, she's Demeter, she's Ceres, she's Ishtar, she's Inanna, she's Magna Mater, the goddess among women. Give her not only fruitfulness, but also literacy, who came down to Earth from Heaven, traced out the courses of the stars, brought salvation, resurrected Osiris, gave birth to the holy child Horus, taught men the ways of the sea, and thus became the patron and protectress of sailors, revealed the holy ministries. "I am the lady of the Thunderbolt. I calm and swell the sea. I am in the rays of the sun. I and the sun's attendant in its journey. That which I will, find fulfillment. All things yield before me. I free those in bonds. I am Mistress of seafaring. I raise up island from the depths to the light. I am Lady of Reigns. I vanquish destiny." These are strong mystical undertones about Isis, as is clear from the famous description of her by Apuleius with her long rippling hair and lunar aureole. She supplied the essential iconography and perhaps also some of the early liturgical material subsequent cult of the Blessed Virgin Mary. But to begin with, this was a wholly unforeseen development. The Hellenization of Isis as Serapis offers a vivid glimpse into a kind of spiritual black hole. Egypt's Greco-Macedonian elite was suffering from something worse than cultural alienation, materialism, and bred its own to human God Kings, Caesar worship, apotheosis, while the Olympians, anthropomorphic tribal patriarchs that they were, had simply reverted to type and left a void that neither affluence nor astrology could fill.

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During the regular season of the Summer Winds, to ensure safe voyage back to Rome, there occurred miraculous events manifesting the goodwill of heaven and a certain favor of Providence towards him whose eyes were well known to have been wasted away to blindness. On the advice of an oracle by Serapis, whom this superstitious people worship as their chief deity, fell at Vespasian's feet, demanding with sobs a cure for his blindness, and imploring the emperor would deign to moisten his eyes and eyeballs with the spittle from his mouth. Another man with a maimed hand, also inspired by an oracle of Serapis, besat Vespasian to imprint his footmark on it. Vespasian laughed at them and refused, but they insisted. He half feared a refutation of gullibility, was half moved to hope by their petition and the flattery of his courtiers. He eventually told the doctors to form an opinion whether such cases of blindness and deformity could be remedied by human aid. Doctors discussed the question from various angles, saying that in one case the power of sight was not extinct and would return if the impediments were removed. In the other case, the limbs were distorted and could be set right again by the application of an effective remedy. This might be the will of Heaven, and the emperor had perhaps been chosen as a divine instrument. The man's blindness was recovered, and he can see again, and the other arm grew back from its deformity. This convinced Vespasian that there were no limits to his destiny. It deepened Vespasian's desire to visit the holy place of Serapis in Egypt. About the fortunes and the empire, he gave orders that no one else would be allowed to enter the temple, and then went in. While absorbed in his devotions, he saw behind him an Egyptian noble named Basilitis, whom he knew to be lying ill several days' journey from Alexandria. He inquired of the priest whether Basilitis had entered the temple that day. He inquired of everyone he met whether he had been seen in the city. He even sent horsemen who discovered that at the time Basilitis had been 80 miles away. Vespasian, therefore, took what he had seen for divine apparition, and from that name Basilitis deduced the tenor of the oracle's response.

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The origins of the gods Serapis have not yet been canvassed in any Roman authorities. The priests of Egypt give the following account: King Ptolemy the First of the Macedonians, building walls and temples and instituting religious cults for the newly founded city of Alexandria, when there appeared to him in his sleep a young man of striking beauty and superhuman stature, who looked like Asclepius, who advised him to send his most faithful friends to Pontus to fetch his image. This would bring blessings to the kingdom, and its resting place would grow great and famous. The youth then appeared to ascend into heaven in a sheet of flame. Impressed by this miraculous omen, Ptolemy revealed his nocturnal vision to the priests of Egypt, who are used to interpreting such things. As they had but little knowledge of Pontus or foreign matters, he consulted an Athenian named Timotheus, a member of the Eumolpidae clan, whom he had brought over to Eleusis to act as priest of the religious rites, and asked him to ask him what a strange cult and what God was meant. Timotheus, a high-ranking initiate of the Eleusinian Mysteries, found some people who had traveled to Pontus and learned from a near town called Sinope (same place Diogenes was from) there was a temple which had long been famous in the neighborhood as the seat of Jupiter Diss, or Father Diss Pothor Diss. Indeed, near it there also stood a female figure who was commonly called Persephone, sometimes Isis. Ptolemy was like most despots, easily terrified at first, but liable when his panic was over to think more of his pleasures than religious duties. The incident was gradually forgotten, and other thoughts occupied his mind until the vision was repeated in a more terrible, impressive form than before, and he was threatened with death and destruction of his kingdom if he failed to fulfill his instructions. He at once gave orders that an embassy should be made ready with presents for King Sidrathemus, who was then reigning at Sinope. He was a Magi. He instructed them to consult the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi. They made a successful voyage and received a clear answer from the oracle: they were to go, bring back the image of Apollo's father, but leave behind his sisters. This story is anchoring itself in the mysteries of Delphi, Eleusis, as well as Egypt, but also conflating Father Diss with Jupiter and Pluto. Jupiter Diss is usually conflated with Uranus, the heaven. Pluto is usually the underworld god, and Jupiter is the sky god. So this is like a father god archetype who looks like Asclepius but has all the traits of the God the Father. On their arrival at Sinope, they laid their king's presence, petition, and instructions before Scarathimus. He was afraid of the god and yet alarmed by the threats of his subjects who opposed the project. Then again, he often felt tempted by the envoy's presence and promises. Three years passed. Ptolemy's zeal never abated for a moment. He persisted in his petition and kept sending more and more distinguished envoys, more ships, more gold. Then a threatening vision appeared before the king of Sinope, bidding him no longer thwart the gods. This when he still hesitated, he was beset by every kind of disease and disaster. Like Pharaoh, the gods were plainly angry, and every day the burden of the wrath grew greater. He summoned an assembly and laid before it the divine commands, his own and Ptolemy's vision. The king found the people unfavorable. They were jealous of Egypt and fearful of their own future. They surged around the temple. The story now grows grander still. The God himself, it says, embarked unaided on one of the ships that lay beached on the shore. Doesn't say if he teleported or if the statue literally walked. This is unclear, but it somehow made its way by itself from the location it's sent up to a boat destined to Alexandria, accompanied by a miracle of accomplishing a long sea journey for three days and three nights. A temple worthy of so important a city was then built in the quarter called Rakotis, on the site of the ancient shrine of Serapis and Isis. This was the most widely accepted account of the god's origin and arrival. Some people maintain that the god was brought from the Syrian town of Seleucia during the reign of Ptolemy. Others again say it was the same Ptolemy but make the place of origin the famous town of Memphis, once the bulwark of ancient Egypt. Many take the god for Asclepius because of his beard and hair, because he also cures diseases as well, and others plainly for Osiris, as intended to be, and many, many other Jupiter because he sits on the throne and holds the thunderbolts, a sovereign lord of the world. But the majority of people, either judging by what are clearly attributes of the god or by ingenious process of conjecture, identify him with Father Diss, Etruscan and European descent. This Father, I mean, it's really the ultimate composite god, the Father Figure, archetypal God, and this would be the most important, most famous cult of Alexandria going forward.

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According to Plutarch, on Isis and Osiris, he tells the same story that is Tacitus about the Pluto statue being taken out of Sinope by Ptolemy the Savior. Serapis, they say, is no other than Pluto, and Isis is Persephone, as Archilochus of Euboea informs us. He also says that Pluto is no other than Dionysus himself, according to Heraclitus and Plutarch. For Serapis is a common god to all, as they all participate of divine matters. Best understand, for the Phrygians say that Heracles, and that Typhon was the son of Iacchos, son of Heracles. No more than we have to condemn Pharlarkis when he writes that Dionysus first brought two bollocks out of India into Egypt, and the name was Apis, and the other was Osiris. But that Serapis is the name of him who orders the universe. And from these sentiments of Philarcus are foolish and absurd. But theirs are much more to affirm Serapis to be no god at all, but only the name of the chest in which Apis lies, and that there are at Memphis certain great gates of copper called the Gates of Oblivion and Lamentation, which being opened when they bury Apis, make it a doleful and hideous noise straight from hell, which say that they is that reason that when they hear any sort of copper instrument sounding, we are presently startled and seized by fear. But they judge more discreetly who suppose his name to be derived from sarathia, which signifies to be born again, and so make it mean that the motion of the universe is hurried and born along violently. But the greatest part of the priests do say that Osiris and Apis are both of them but one complex being, while they tell us in their sacred commentaries and sermons that we are to look upon the Apis as the beautiful image of the soul of Osiris. I, for my part, do believe that the name Serapis be Egyptian. It may not be improperly to know joy and merriment, because I find the Egyptians term the festival which we call merry-making in their language Saria. Besides, I find Plato to be of opinion that Pluto is called Hades because he is the son of Abdo, which is modesty, and because he is a gentle god to such as the conversion with him. And among the Egyptians, there are great many other names that are definitions of which they express. So they call the place whither they believe men's souls to go after death, Amenthes, which signifies in their language the receiver and giver. But whether this be of those names that have been anciently brought over the transported out of Greece into Egypt, we shall consider other time. But the present, we must hasten to dispatch the remaining parts of the opinion handled. Osiris, therefore, and Isis pass from the number of good daemons into that of the gods. But the power of Typhon being much obscured and weakened in himself, besides great dejection of mind and agony, as it were, at the last gasp, they therefore whilst used certain sacrifices to comfort and appease his mind, and another while again have certain solemnities wherein they base and affront him by mishandling and abusing such men as they find to have red hair, and by breaking the neck of an ass down a precipice, as they do to the Coptites, because Typhon was red-haired, and the ass is complexion. Moreover, Pythagoreans look upon Typhon as a demonic power, and they say he has produced an even proportion of numbers, to wit, that of 56. And again, they say the property of the triangle ever pertains to Pluto, Dionysus, and Mars, of the quadrangle, Rhea, Aphrodite, Demeter, and Hestia, and Hera, of the figure of 12 angles to Zeus, and of the figure of 56 angles to Typhon. Eudicus relates Plutarch goes on about Typhon for a little bit and talking about this connection between the red hair and the ass. He says, moreover, the ass suffers for being like him, as hath already spoken of, as much for the stupidity and sensualness of his disposition as for the redness of his color. Wherefore, because of all Persian monarchs, they had the greatest aversion for Ochus, as looking upon him as a villainous and abominable person, they gave him the nickname of the Ass. Upon which he replied, "But this Ass shall dine upon your ox, and he shall be slaughtered." The Apis, and so he slaughtered the Apis, as Dinan relates to us in his history. As for those that tell us that Typhon was seven days flying from battle upon the back of an ass, and having narrowly escaped with his life, afterwards got two sons called Hiroshima or Jerusalem and Judeas, they are manifestly attempting, as shown by the very matter, to rest into this fable relations to the Jews. Now, this is mind-blowing because if we actually go back earlier in this treatise by Plutarch, he mentions that the god Amon, who is pretty much the same God as Serapis, he's sort of the Father God figure, but predates Serapis by about a thousand years. He is related by Plutarch in the following manner:

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He says that Amon, the Egyptian Zeus, Monatho relates that the word Amon is a word that signifies hidden and hiding. But Hecataeus of Abdera saith the Egyptians used this word when they call any of the gods, not just Amon, any of the gods. It is a word of invoking, for that it is a term of calling. Therefore, they must be of the opinion that the first God is the same with the universe, and therefore, while they invoke him who is unmanifest and hidden, and pray him to make himself manifest and known to them, they cry. Now, the question is, is this the root word for Amen? They're both words that are used to invoke deity. This makes sense because the Jews and Israel was part of Egypt for about 1500 years, maybe more. Now, even if you look at, for example, some of the oldest archeology, for example, this is Hezekiah's Stone. You've noticed the Egyptian Ankh on the right. Clearly, this is a nation that came out of Egypt, and not in the sense of an Exodus, but in the sense of a colony detaching itself and gaining freedom. When I think of Amon and Alexander the Great in the Rick Alexander Romance, it is said that Amon is the father of Alexander. Alexander the Great goes and visits the Oracle of Amon in the Siwa desert of Egypt and is told that today I have begotten you. He is the son of Amon. And for Serapis and for Ptolemy I to go to great lengths to set up this cult of Serapis that so much resembles Amon as this father God figure who is God of all gods and God of all humans, to me, I think it's pretty obvious this is an attempt to create a one world universal monotheistic religion with a sort of Trinity with Isis, Serapis, and this sun god Hippocrates. As far back as Herodotus in the mid 5th century BCE, people were already identifying Osiris with Dionysus and Isis with Demeter, and the mysteries of Egypt being tied to the mysteries of Eleusis. So, according to Pausanias, nine miles from Tithra, there's a shrine of Asclepius, called the first founder, almost looks identical to the shrine of Serapis. Inside the ring wall, the ritual suppliance of any of the god's slaves have cottages in the middle is the temple, and a bearded stone statue over 12 feet high of what looks like Serapis, but was known to these people in Phocis as Asclepius. However, five miles from there is a sanctuary to Isis. And in this Isis sanctuary is the holiest ever temple built by Greece for the Egyptian goddess. The Theans have a sacred edition that no one should live there, and no one can go into the holy place except those chosen by Isis and summoned by Serapis in their sleep by visions. The gods of the underworld do the same in the cities of Maine, sending visionary dreams when they wish a man to enter the holy palaces. This is thought to be the location that Apuleius was in, and the Golden Ass, in his dream of Isis, I was keen to purify myself, so I bathed myself in the sea waters, plunging my head seven times beneath the waves, for Pythagoras of god-like fame proclaimed that number to be especially officious and sacred rites. Then with my tears I in my eyes, I address this prayer: "The supremely powerful goddess, Queen of Heaven, at one time you appear in the guise of Ceres, bountiful and primeval bearer of crops. In your delight at recovering your daughter, you have dispensed with ancient barbaric diet of acorns and schooled us in civilized fair. Now you dwell in the field of Eleusis. At another time, you are Heavenly Venus, and in giving birth to love, Eros, when the world was first begun, you united the opposing sexes and multiply the human race by producing ever abundant offspring. Now you are venerated at the wavelath shrine, Paphos. At another time, you are Phoebe's sister, by applying soothing remedies, you relieve the pain of childbirth and have brought teeming numbers to birth. Now you are worshiped in the famed shrines of Avicius, and another time you're Persephone, whose house at night inspired dread, and whose triple form restrains the emergence of ghosts, as you keep the entrance to the Earth above firmly barred. You wander through diverse light of yours, diverse groves, and are appeased by varying rites. With this feminine light of yours, you brighten every city and nourish the luxurious seeds with your moist fire, bestowing your light interminably according to the wandering paths of the sun." It sounds a lot like Him to Hades, which was repurposed for Jesus. It's synchronizing all these ancient goddesses and saying that you, they all were just Isis the whole time. They thought they were other gods, but really it was Isis. Or really, they thought they were worshiping Osiris, but really it was Jesus. This very sanctuary is disappeared now, but the sense of personal calling by the God is very strong in the cult of Isis at this time. It has been analyzed by A.D. Knox in conversion in 1933. This is their very location of Apuleius, the school, the mass, and which seems to have relation to the cult images of Isis at this Theban sanctuary. They celebrate a festival to Isis twice a year, one in spring, the other in autumn. Two days before each festival, those allowed to enter clean out the holy place in a way not to be spoken about. On the last of the three days of the festival, they hold a fair. Everything sacrifice goes in procession. They say an unsanctified man with no right to go down to the holy place once went inside of it with curios. As the fire was just beginning to burn, he saw spirits of the dead thronging everywhere. He went home to Tithra, told the story of what he had seen, and then breathed his last. Pausanias says he's also heard something similar from a Phoenician. The Egyptians celebrate a festival for Isis when they say she grieves for Serapis, at the time the Nile begins to rise, and many people say it does the tears of Isis that swell the river and the water the plowed land. However, James Fraser even thinks that when corn grows, this is the direction of Serapis. A Roman who is governor of Egypt bribed a man and sent into the holy place of Isis at Coptos. The man he sent in did return from the holy place, and he found the same thing happened to him. He described what he had seen: spirits flying out of the holy place, and immediately after told the story, he died.

One of the major cults of Rome paraded a particularly clear, distinctive identity through its public monuments and rituals. The Sanctuary of Isis and Serapis, one of the arguably maybe even the biggest temple built in Rome under the Augustus era, Sanctuary of Isis and Serapis on the Campus Martius, differed from the normal Greco-Roman temples in its design and decoration, and much of it was not open to non-initiates. This was a mystery cult that you had to have initiation to get into. It seems to have been started by Augustus and Gaius and dedicated in the first century BC, but the sanctuary as we know dates from later first century AD with some later additions and alterations. Saint Peter's Basilica, there is an obelisk that was brought from Augustus which has the words: "Here is the king who will rule the world, whom Amon loves." And this is adjacent to Saint Peter's Square, where Saint Peter was crucified. Two arches form the entrance to a large courtyard, 70 meters across, within which an obelisk honoring the Emperor Domitian had rebuilt the temple, perhaps a new plan after its destruction by fire in 80 AD. This courtyard was opened to passersby, but two sanctuaries opened off the accessible only to the narrow doorways and probably not evident to the general public. To the south was a sanctuary of Isis. Here at the center of a great semicircle apse was a colossal statue of the deity, flanked in other niches by statues of Serapis and Anubis. Projecting into the water in the middle of the apse were giant statues in Greek style Tiber, Nile, and Ocean water gods, symbolizing the position of the cult in the Roman world. To the north was a great courtyard up to 70 meters across and 100 meters long. Its layout and purpose are not wholly clear, as the Severan Marble Plan largely breaks off at this point. Lines of obelisks or trees, perhaps forming a processional route, and at the far end, probably shrines of Isis and Serapis in the Egyptian style, and Serapis in Greek style. The plan of this northern area was probably modeled on the sanctuary of Serapis at Saqqara in Egypt. Overall, some of the decoration came directly from Egypt, including several sphinxes, and of course, the obelisk that I mentioned before, and portraits of earlier Egyptian rulers, pharaohs and tolerants, and also several of the obelisks were reused centuries later to decorate the Renaissance piazzas of Rome. Other items, including baboons and crocodiles, were imitations of genuine Egyptian products, further enhanced the Egyptian atmosphere. In addition, the priests of the cult obeyed bizarre regulations of dress and diet: shaved heads, white robes, prohibition on eating pork and fish, and drinking of wine. An elaborate daily ritual took place in these sanctuaries behind closed doors, but outside the sanctuary, individual initiates could be seen performing actions that seemed quite weird, some observers such as leaping into the river Tiber for baptism, and on festival days, grand carnival processions passed through the streets of Rome. Now we can see pretty clearly through iconography the connection between Isis and influences it has on Mary going forward, and I think the same applies with Serapis and Jesus. And there's actually some information that I think you should know that might not be true. It's from the Historia Augusta, so we should take it with a grain of salt, but there is very well could be true, it just would need some more evidence. And when I say that, you'll understand after I read this to you. This is a letter to Emperor Hadrian in the second century, where it says: "To the Egyptians, whom you are pleased to commend to me, I know thoroughly from a close observation to be a light, fickle, and constant people, changing with every turn of fortune." The

Christians among them are worshipers of Serapis and those calling themselves Bishops of Christ, so scruple not to act as the votaries of that God. The truth is, there is no one, whether ruler of a synagogue, or Samaritan, or press-biter of the Christians, mathematician, astrologer, magician, Magi, that does not homage to Serapis. The patriarch himself of the church, when he comes to Egypt, is some compelled to worship Serapis, and others Christ. It is a race of men of all most seditious, vain, and mischievous.

Hadrian also went on to find his own dying and rising mystery cult based on the strange death of his lover Antonius, who, undergoing a special mystery, writes in the Nile, drowned at a young age. To connect us with the Christians that were actually living in Egypt at the time, the reason why I think there might be some truth to this is we look at Hippocrates, who is an early Christian Alexandrian. His name literally means Horus or Horus the child, and this deification process, apotheosis process, that is so common among the cult of Serapis, seems to be prevalent in this cult of Hippocrates. So I'm starting to look at this with a more concerned.

Now, another thing I think I should point out is a group of Egyptian Christians known as the Nasines, second century, and they were another synchronistic group of Christians who had a hymn purposed to Attis but was repurposed for Jesus. And it goes like this: "The less had won, born of Kronos, Zeus, or Rhea, I loudly held thee, Jesus, you the Osiris call, Thrice Adonis, Egypt calls you Osiris, Samothraceans called you Adamus, the Phrygian's Pappas, a corpse, a god, unfruitful goat-herd, green ear of harvested rain, fruitful almond-borne, Orpheus, player of the pipes."

The term *origia* designated certain ceremonies and religious rites with particular reference to the initiation into a specific cult. Usually, there were secret rites that had a symbolic function. The term "mystery" is also used. As Walter Burkett remarks, ancient mysteries were a kind of personal religion, since the initiation depended upon a person's decision to participate in a cult in its practice and force hope and belief in prosperity and future life after death.

Such cults usually consisted of a variety of activities, such as purification, processions, sacrifices, dramatic enactments. The word "mystery" or *mysterion* in Greek comes from the verb *mine*, meaning to close the *missed* eye. Those who participated were required to keep their mouths closed and do not reveal secrets to those who had not been initiated. Yeah, the word "orgiastic" in its modern sense probably best describes certain cults because, probably towards the end of the Hellenistic time, when a fusion of religions from various origins took place, the most important cults of this: Eleusinia, Desmaphoria, Dionysia, Orphica, Cabiria, and the mysteries for the worship of Cybele, Isis, and Sabazios.

The general idea of passing beyond the limits of morality in as many directions as possible lies behind the existence performance of the orgiastic cults. Moreover, the psychological need to ritualize all possible polarities of human nature, so to not be excluded from a community but rather belong to one, is another factor that explains the wide reception they had in antiquity. Herodotus speaks of thirty thousand people attending the mysteries.

The roots of many orgiastic cults are hidden in the midst of prehistory, since they develop from rural festivals that celebrated the power of nature and fertility. The notions of death and resurrection are associated with many principal figures of the mysteries, for example, Dionysus, Persephone, Adonis, Attis, Osiris, and the Mithraic bull. The Eleusinia were mystery cults centered around the myth and rape of Persephone, the daughter of Demeter by Hades, and the search of the mother for her daughter. The explanation of natural phenomena and the human hope for rich agricultural production and fertility were treated in a symbolic manner. A series of purification rites took place, and although there is some uncertainty as to what went on there, there are plenty of literary and archaeological sources to help us reconstruct the image of the Eleusinian Mysteries. They continued to exist throughout the Roman period until the 4th century A.D., when the emperor Theodosius abolished them.

The Dionysiac cults, which had more of an orgiastic character in the modern sense of the word, included much wildness and extravagance. The cult of Dionysus had many festivals, for example, the City and the Rural Dionysia, to Anthesteria, and the Oscophoria. Besides the official celebration in honor of the god, there were private celebrations that involved ecstatic worship of the god, going beyond oneself. The phenomenon of Maenadism, as described in Euripides' *Bacchae*, is one example of extravagant rites that, even if they are mythical, still retain the element of self-transcendence that orgiastic cults promoted. Women in a state of ecstasy abandoned their homes and joined frenzy dances on the mountains, swinging the thrice-sea in the torches. This cult involved a sacramental meal and devouring of an animal as it was bleeding. There is evidence of *origia* of this type on Mount Parnassus by women controlled by Apollo, who admitted Dionysus to Delphi and assisted the establishment of his cult in a milder form.

The Orphic cult promised life after death and it was related to the Oriental and Egyptian ideas of the afterlife. It involved many expiation rites. The worship of Cybele, the Great Mother, is a result of much religious syncretism. The orgiastic character is strongly associated with her due to the institution of the eunuch priest, the self-castrating Galli. In the Eleusinian Mysteries, there is the mythic narrative corresponding to the ritual practice: Attis, the young lover of the goddess, who castrated and became her follower. Various rites were associated with the worship of Cybele, such as the Taurobolia (slaughter of the bull) and the Criobolia (sacrifice of a ram), perhaps dating in the second century A.D., when the initiate had to be drenched in the blood of a sacrificial bull or lamb.

Cabiria was a mystery cult that took place in Samothrace and acquired importance second only to the Eleusinian Mysteries. Ancient writers talk about the cult of the Great Gods in Samothrace. It is possible that the Great Mother of the Gods, as well as Hecate, in a certain Zarinthea, Aphrodite, were worshiped in Samothrace. Archaeology reveals that the shrines were active until the 3rd century and possibly the 4th century as well. As at Eleusis, the two important stages were those of preparation and initiation. Whereas at the Eleusinian Mysteries, one had to wait for at least a year between the two, in Samothrace, they had to be achieved on the same day. All the initiation rites occurred at night. The most important buildings found: the Anaktoron, where the initiation took place, built in the first century BCE; the Hiera Oikia, where all the preparations were made; the Arsinoeion, built in 289 and 281, are Arsinoe, the wife of Lysimachus, a place for sacrifices and gatherings; and an actual shrine. Many votive offerings have been excavated at Eleusis, and it is possible to see the ruins of a theater.

Cults associated with foreign gods, such as Mithras, Serapis, and Isis, were important in Greek religious life until late antiquity. Orgiastic cults continued to exist even after pagan times and within Christianity, and some blended into Christian ceremonies, although there was conscious opposition, particularly by the Church Fathers. After the establishment of Christianity, many of the places that were important for ancient mysteries were destroyed. This happened at Samothrace.

Here's what Clement of Alexandria has to say about the orgiastic rites:

Clement of Alexandria, *Exhortation of the Greeks*.

"But what if I were to recount the mysteries for you? I will not burlesque them as Alcibiades is said to have done, but will thoroughly lay bare, in accordance with the principle of truth, the trickery they conceal. And as for your so-called Gods themselves, to whom the mystic rites belong, I will display them on stage of life, as it were, for the spectators of truth. The raving Dionysus is worshiped by Bacchae with orgies, in which they celebrate their sacred frenzy by a feast of raw flesh, wreath and snakes. They perform the distribution of portions of their victims, shouting the name Eva, Eva, that Eva through whom error entered the world. And a consecrated snake is the emblem of the Bacchic orgies. At any rate, according to the correct Hebrew speech, *heav* with an aspirate means female snake. Demeter and Persephone have come to be the subject of a mystic drama, and Eleusis celebrates with torches the rape of the daughter and the sorrowful wandering of the mother. Now, it seems to me that the term 'orgy' and 'mystery' must be derived from the former, from the wrath or *j* of Demeter against Zeus, and the latter from the pollution *missiles* that took place in connection with Dionysus. But even if they are named after a certain Maia of Attica, who, according to Apollodorus, was killed in hunting, I make no objection. Your mysteries have received the glory of funeral honors. You may also, in another way, suppose them to be hunting stories, *mytharia*, since the letters correspond. For us, surely, as there are men who hunt wild beasts, so do legends like these hunt the rudest among the Thracians, the silliest among the Phrygians, and the demon-fears among the Greeks."

"A curse then upon the man who started this deception for mankind, whether it be Darkness who introduced the mysteries of the Mother of the Gods, or Iasion who founded the Samothracian orgies and rites, or the Phrygian Midas who learned the artful deception from Idris and then passed it on to his subjects. For I could not be beguiled by the claims of the Islander Cinyras of Cyprus, who had the audacity to transfer the orgies of Aphrodite from night to day in his ambition to deify a harlot of his own country. Others say it was Melonpus, the son of Amyntheon, who brought into Greece from Egypt the festivals of Demeter, who was Isis, that is the story of her grief celebrated in the hymns. These men, I for my part, would call originators of mischief, parents of godless legends, and deadly demon worship, seeing that they implanted the mysteries in human life to be a seed of evil and corruption. But now, in high time too, I will convict your orgies themselves of being full of deception and jugglery. And if you have been initiated, you will smile the more. At least these legends you are wont to honor, I will tell openly the secret things, and will not shrink from speaking of what you are not ashamed of. There is the foam-born, cypress-born goddess, the darling of Cinyras, Aphrodite Venus, who received the name Philomides because she was born from the *medea*, the lustful members that were cut off from Ouranos, and after the separation did violence to the wave. See how lewd are the members from which so worthy an offspring is born. And in the rites which celebrate this pleasure of the sea as a symbol of her birth, the gift of a cake and salt and a *fellows* is made in those who are initiated in the art of fornication. And the initiated bring their tribute of coin to the goddess as lovers due to a mistress. The mysteries of Demeter commemorate the amorous embraces of Zeus with his mother Demeter. The wrath of Demeter, I do not know what to call, for the future mother or wife on account of what she is said to have received the name Bremo. Also, the supplications of Zeus, the drink of bile, the tearing out the heart of the victims, and the unspeakable obscenities. The same rites are performed in honor of Attis and Cybele and the Corybantes by the Phrygians, who have spread it abroad, how that Zeus tore off his testicles of a ram and then brought and flung them into the midst of Demeter's lap, thus paying a sham penalty for his violent embrace by pretending that he had mutilated himself. If I go on further to quote the symbols of initiation into this mystery, they will, I know, move you to laughter, even though you are in no laughing humor when your rites are being exposed. 'I ate from the drum, I drank from the symbol, I carried the sacred dish, I stole in this bridal chamber.' Are not these symbols an outrage? Are not the mysteries a mockery? But what if I were to add the rest of the story? Demeter becomes pregnant, the maiden grows up, and Zeus, who begot her, has further intercourse, this time with Persephone herself, his own daughter. After his union with her mother Demeter, totally forgetful of his former pollution, Zeus becomes the ravisher as well as father of the maiden, meeting her under the form of a serpent, his true nature being thus revealed. At any rate, the Sabazian Mysteries, the sign given to those who are initiated is the god over the breast. This is a serpent drawn over the breast of the votaries, a proof *lie candaceness* of Zeus. Persephone also bears a child which has the form of a bull. Sure, we are told by a certain mythological poet, the bull begets a snake, the snake begets a bull. On hills, the herdsmen bear the mystic goad."

The herdsmen's goad being, I think, a name for the wand which the Bacchic wreath. Would you have me also tell you the story of Persephone gathering flowers, of her basket, and how she was seized by Hades, of the chasm that opened up in the earth, and of the swine of Eubolius that were swallowed up along the two deities, which is the reason given for the custom of casting swine into the sacred caverns at the festival of Thesmophoria? This is the tale which the women celebrate at their various feasts in the city: Thesmophoria, Skirophoria, Eratophoria, where in different ways they work up the tragedy of the rape of Persephone.

Mysteries of Dionysus of a perfectly savage character. He was yet a child, and the Curetes were dancing around him with warlike movement. When the Titans stealthily drew near, first they beguiled him with childish toys, and then these very Titans tore him to pieces, though he was but an infant. Orpheus of Thrace, the poet of the initiation, speaks of top-wheel, the jointed dolls with beauteous fruit of gold from the clear voice has varieties. And it is worthwhile to quote the worthless symbols of this rite of yours in order to excite condemnation: knuckle bone, the ball, the spinning top, apples, wheel, mirror, fleece.

Now Athena made off with the heart of Dionysus and received the name Pallas from its palpitating. But the Titans, they who tore him to pieces, placed a cauldron upon a tripod, and casting the limbs of Dionysus into it, first boiled them down. Then piercing them with the spits, they held them over *have faced us*. Later on, Zeus appeared, perhaps since he was a god, because he smelt the steam of the flesh that it was cooking, which your gods admit they receive as their portion. He plagues the Titans with thunder and entrusts the limbs of Dionysus to his son Apollo for burial. In obedience to Zeus, Apollo carries a mutilated corpse to Parnassus and lays it to rest.

If you would like a vision of the Corybantic orgies also, this is the story: The Corybantes slew the third one, who was their brother, covered the head of the corpse with the purple cloak, and then wreathed it and buried it, bearing it out of brazen shield to the skirts of Mount Olympus. Here we see what the mysteries are: in one word, murders and burials. Uh, uh, by the way, Clement, that's two words. Anyways, uh, back to the story. The priests of these mysteries, whom such as are interested in them call presidents of the prince's rights, and important to the dismal tale, they forbid wild celery root placed on the table, for they actually believe the wild celery grows out of the blood that flowed from the murdered brother. It is a similar custom, of course, that is observed by the women who celebrate the Thesmophoria. They are careful not to eat any pomegranate seeds which fall to the ground, being of the opinion that pomegranates spring from the drops of Dionysus' blood. The Corybantes from the drop are called by the name Cabiri, which proclaims the rite of the Cabiri, for this is the very pair of fratricides got possession of the chest in which the *virilia* of Dionysus were deposited. They are so joined, being exiles, and communicated their precious teaching of piety, the *virilia* and the chest to Tuscans for purpose of worship. For this reason, not unnaturally, some wish to call Dionysus Attis, because he was mutilated, also Osiris.

How can we wonder if Tuscans, who are the barbarians, are thus consecrated to base passions, when Athenians and the rest of Greece, I blush even to speak of it, possess that shameful tale about Demeter? It tells how Demeter, wandering through Eleusis, was in a part of Attica in search of her daughter. The maiden, the virgin, becomes exhausted and sits down at a well in deep distress. This display of grief is forbidden up to the present day to those who are initiated, lest the worshiper should seem to imitate the goddess in her sorrow. At the time, Eleusis was inhabited by Aborigines whose names were the Babo, the Dusalius, the Triptolemus, and the Umoplus, and the Eubalius. Triptolemus, Balos, a swineherd. These were progenitors of the Umopolite and the Heralds who formed the priestly clan at Athens. But to continue, for I will not forbear to tell the rest of the story. Babo, having received Demeter as a guest, offers her a draught of wine, a meal. She declines to take it, being unwilling to drink on account of her mourning. Babo is deeply hurt, thinking she has been slighted, and thereupon uncovers her secret parts and exhibits them to the goddess. Demeter is pleased at the sight, and now at last receives the draught, delighted with the spectacle. These are the secret mysteries of the Athenians. These are also the subjects of Orpheus' poems. I will quote you the very lines of Orpheus in order that you may have the originator of the mysteries as witness of their shamelessness: "This said, she drew aside her robes and showed a sight of shame. Child Iacchus was there, and laughing, plunged his hand below her breast. Then smiled the goddess in her heart, she smiled and drank the draught that came from the glancing cup." And the formula of the Eleusinian Mysteries is as follows: "I fasted, I drank the draught, I took from the chest, having done my task, I placed it in the basket, from the basket into the chest." Beautiful sights indeed, and fit for a goddess. Yes, such rites are meat for night and torch fires, and for the great-hearted, I should rather say empty-headed, erect the *ade* with the rest of the Greeks as well, whom after death await such things as they expect. Against whom does Heraclitus of Ephesus utter this prophecy? Against the night-roamers, magicians, Bacchants, lane and revelers, and devotees of the mysteries. These are the people who he threatened with the penalties that followed death, for these he prophecies the fire, for in unholy fashion they are initiated into the mysteries customary among men.

These are the mysteries of the atheists, and I am right in branding as atheists men who are ignorant of the true God, but shamelessly worship a child being torn to pieces by Titans, a poor grief-struck woman, and parts of the body which, for shame, are truly too sacred to speak of. It is twofold atheism in which they are entangled: first, the atheism of being ignorant of God, since they do not recognize the true God; and then the second error of believing in the existence of beings that have no existence and calling them by the name of gods, those who are not really gods, nay more, who do not even exist. No doubt this is the reason why the Apostle convicts us when he says, "And ye were strangers from the covenants of the promise, being without hope and atheists in the world."

Form or another, magical beliefs and rituals have always found a place in Greek tradition. Although it must be said that magic, as a distinct and easily recognizable category, one no longer readily accepted by modern scholarship, for the sake of this video, however, while acknowledging the considerable debate on the topic, it may be understood in the present context to indicate that the end of a continuously large undifferentiated spectrum of religious thought and behavior deemed unacceptable to the dominant culture at any given period because of the purposes for which it is employed, because of the methods and the powers it is believed to use, and because of the assumptions it makes about the nature of the cosmos.

The ancient Greek religious tradition included a vast array of magical techniques through which it is believed that people could attain material enrichment and success, could discover hidden information, or can cause those they wanted to love them and those they hated to suffer or die. It seems likely that most people's religious beliefs and practices contained much that they may be categorized at the magical end of the spectrum. In an atmosphere of general uncertainty, insecurity, and helplessness, magic claimed to provide a method that worked directly and relatively dependably to solve all the problems, difficulties, and unfulfilled aspirations of everyday life.

Firm evidence of belief in magical power and practice goes back to the earliest Greek literature, although this undoubtedly represents a far older tradition in pre-history. Circe in Homer's *Odyssey*, for example, knows how to summon spirits of the dead and uses magic rituals to transform humans into animals, while in the myth, Medea possesses the power of the evil eye and can cause all manner of harm by magical means. Important references to magical practices and beliefs are found in literature from the entire span of the ancient Greek culture, for example, in Hesiod, Plato, Aristotle, Theocritus, Apollonius of Rhodes, Plutarch, Lucian, Plotinus, and Iamblichus. Knowledge derived from this material is supplemented by archaeological artifacts, and particularly curse tablets, figurines, and amulet gemstones.

The most detailed information concerning magic in the older Hellenic tradition comes from the Greek Magical Papyri from Egypt and dates between the 2nd century BCE to the 5th century. This very rich collection of material demonstrates clearly that the Greek tradition of magic cannot be taken in isolation from the Egyptians, Jews, and other Eastern traditions, and confirms that magic was practiced at many levels, from villages to courts, and by practitioners ranging from itinerant to highly institutionalized individuals. The magic revealed by these sources is primarily concerned with using the supernatural forces believed to control and influence the world in which humans exist. Whether these are gods and goddesses, intermediary powers such as angels, demons, deacons, spirits of the dead, and those associated with nature, such as solar and astral powers, feature prominently. While in the papyri, with their particularly cultural context, the Jewish God Yahweh is the most frequently named, but in general, the forces of the underworld, notably Hecate, were undoubtedly those thought most helpful and potent.

Magical practice, ranging from the crude and casual to elaborate and formal, was thought to be empowered in almost all cases by a combination of speech and ritual action, although sometimes no more than vestigial at a low level. These words and actions, which are often involved overt symbolic linkage to desired outcome, were underpinned at the most complex end of the scale by a vast system of knowledge of numerous levels of often highly individualized supernatural powers and of the names, words, and practices to make them responsive or submissive. It was vital to know all natural materials, whether animal, vegetable, or mineral, thought to be particularly favorable or potent in relation to purposes of magic in hand, and either sympathetic or antipathetic to the powers being used. Important too was knowledge of correct timing, generally determined by complicated astrological lore, and location, for example, the crossroads or a place of a violent death. Just as most people today, however, use modern technology with almost no knowledge of the underlying science behind it, so most of the employed magical techniques in the ancient world had no real understanding of their formal and complex intellectual basis.

Magical practice in the Greek tradition may be said to fall into one of three general categories: protection, manipulation, and the discovery of normally hidden knowledge. For protection, amulets were most commonly used. These operated at all levels, from individual and communal, and were either worn on the body or placed strategically on the doorpost of a house, for example, or on a city gate. All manner of materials were used, but all were thought to have some special, whether physical or symbolic. This might be increased by combining elements, by adding written formulas, and by preparing them at the proper time and place.

Best known among an enormous range of popular techniques of magical manipulation is the use of a curse tablet or a voodoo doll. In the former case, magic formulas, most often inscribed on a lead tablet that was then associated with the enforcing powers by, for example, being inserted in a tomb or a burial at a crossroads. The tablet was also frequently bound or fixed symbolically during the ritual, perhaps being tied with elaborately knotted thread or pierced with a nail. Practices involving magical figurines were generally similar, although wax or clay might be used, and rituals of piercing and binding were often more complicated. Symbolic melting or severing of the image might occur, and it might be associated with the victim by using personal materials and by inscribing personal names on specific body parts. In both cases, ritual action was carefully timed and located, and was accompanied by equally elaborate verbal elements. Such practices were believed to cause general loss of performance, overwhelming lusts, or even death. These effects might extend not only to human but to livestock and crops as well.

Other manipulatory techniques involving summoning and the compelling supernatural powers or spirits, and their more elaborate forms, complex rituals of invocation took place, and the interaction with their powers might be thought to occur in a trance state or by means of vision seen, perhaps in a shining surface of a vessel of water or a mirror. The latter practices relate closely to some use for determining hidden knowledge. Also related to these manipulator techniques are the late antique rites of theurgy, talked about by Neoplatonists like Iamblichus. This is a form of divination.

Divination, the supposed ability to acquire knowledge of the future or other normally inaccessible matters by supernatural means, has always found a place in the Greek tradition, from antiquity to the present day. But while some forms have enjoyed cultural approval, others have been condemned. All the methods of divination in Greek tradition, from the most sophisticated to the most crude, operate on the same basic principle: the belief that the supernatural forces, whether gods, angels, demons, nor spirits of the dead, endowed with greater understanding than humans, may reveal part of their superior knowledge through the phenomena being experienced or observed. Scholarship, following distinctions drawn in antiquity, has traditionally divided the methods of divination known in the Greek world between the natural or intuitive and the artificial or inductive. Such groupings, however, tend to be confusing, since even in the most apparently intuitive methods, some manipulation may be thought possible or necessary. They also impose a distinction not perceived by the great majority of actual participants and have further but understood in different ways by different scholars.

Oracular prophecy undoubtedly enjoyed the highest cultural esteem in the ancient Greek world. It was conducted at all manner of holy places, some of which transcended state boundaries and were highly institutionalized, although most were very local, catering to a small communities and individuals. It also encompassed a broad spectrum of techniques, ranging from ecstatic utterance or frenzied behavior to the interpretations of the rustling leaves and the sacred tree or ripples in a sacred pool. The most famous site was Delphi, where Apollo was believed to speak through an inspired individual, the Pythia, but there were a number of other major oracles of similar standing, that of Zeus at Dodona, for example. At these important centers, a variety of complex rituals of consultation were conducted in elaborate physical surroundings to produce the oracular response. Questions were often posed by the representatives of cities and other such groups and concerned important matters of state policy and law, although individuals might also make inquiries. Another type of oracle, operating at a high cultural level and best exemplified by the tradition of the Sibylline ecstatic prophecy, did not offer answers to specific questions but rather spoke generally about the future.

Closely related to oracular prophecy was the interpretation of dreams, which were taken to be inspired by supernatural powers. At some major sites and at a great number of lesser ones, a god was believed to inspire the sick who slept there with dreams that either healed directly or told how a cure might be effected. Incubation, most notable perhaps, was the shrine of Asclepius. People also commonly interpreted their own dreams as predictions of the future, or else they might employ professionals who had training and access to the many textbooks of dream interpretation that developed over the centuries and in some cases incorporated material from outside Greek tradition. Dream interpretation illustrates quickly quite clearly the problems of drawing sharp distinctions between natural and artificial forms of divination, for although it might appear to be a purely intuitive technique, in many cases, there was an obvious perception that dreams might be induced either in the self or another, and the powers producing them manipulated.

Related to this notion was a whole range of other divinatory techniques that involved the inducement of inspiration. Thus, in practices such as hydromancy, *lactomancy*, *catapromancy*, where the behavior of objects or substances in a vessel of water was observed, or in more complex forms, mediums sought visions on the surface of water or some other shining reflective material. It was believed that supernatural forces could be induced or forced by a diviner or a sorcerer to reveal hidden knowledge. Often these powers were thought to be the spirits of the dead, and hence such techniques were perceived to be forms of necromancy.

Other common and highly developed methods of divination in the pre-Christian Greek world included augury, in which the believed behavior of birds was noted; pyroscopy, in which the behavior of sacrificial victims and even more importantly, the formation, development, and marking of their various organs, such as the liver or shoulder blades, were observed. Also subject to interpretation were the chance utterances of people and involuntary movements of the body, such as twitching or sneezing, itching, as well as the patterns found on various parts of the body, like the palms. Palm-checking. Natural signs were thought to predict coming weather, while heavenly events, from thunder and lightning to the appearance of comets and shooting stars, were believed to be very significant. From Hellenistic times, the sometimes immensely complex and scientific technique of astrology developed under Eastern influence, using observation of the regular and irregular movements of heavenly bodies. This either predicted the future or determined the most appropriate course of timing of action. Other simple and consequently very common techniques involving the reading the pattern in which dice cast objects, such as dice, grain, knuckle bones, or lots, fell, or the order in which they were extracted from a container. The point at which spinning objects stopped was believed to be revealing, for example, of the identity of a thief, and the significance might be derived from passages determined by some random method of selection and written text.

With the rise of Christianity to dominance in the Greek world, the old officially sanctioned forms of divination ceased to be culturally acceptable. Most had formally banned by the 4th century and gradually fell into disuse. Oracular prophecy thus almost completely disappeared as a result of the church's need to preserve the authority of its canon, despite having enjoyed some prominence in the form of directly inspired utterance and primitive Christianity and in some heretical sects. The various types of divination related to animal sacrifice also vanished along with the sacrificial rituals themselves. But although the new Christian orthodoxy claimed that all forms of pagan divination were evil and nothing but vehicles of demonic deceit, practice at popular level dictated that some at least would continue relatively unchanged in the public sphere. Incubation, for example, carried on without interruption, churches taking the place of pagan shrines and Christian holy figures substituting as the source of inspiration. There is also abundant evidence throughout the Byzantine times and down to a modern period that very many of the more private individual forms of divination continue to be practiced, and not only at local level, but sometimes even in places such as the Imperial court itself.

Mysticism, in fact, characteristic of the Greeks, not to have invented a separate abstract term for the kind of experience they deemed inseparable from true philosophy and theology. What we do have in Greek are terms for "mystery," "mystic," and "mystical," deriving from the verb to close the eye. To initiate into the mysteries, those terms denote that which is hidden, that which lies beyond the realm of ordinary existence. In this video, we are looking at the broad definition of mysticism: the quest for an experience of unmediated contact with the divine.

Alongside the anthropomorphic polytheism of Greek religion, there was an alternative form of religion represented by the mystery cults. These offered a direct apprehension of the divine, unattainable within civil religion. Of these cults, the Eleusinian and Dionysian Mysteries are of particular importance. The origins of the Eleusinian Mysteries are pre-Hellenic. They consisted in the reenactment of the myth of Demeter, the Earth Mother, and her daughter Kore, or Persephone. They involved several stages of initiation, producing fellowship with the goddess and cultivating with the beholding of the revelation of these deities at the shrine of Eleusis.

And seeking actual possession by and union with Dionysus. This was to be attained through rites of an orgiastic character and an outgoing of consciousness or ecstasy. Both cults were associated with the triumph over death and rebirth into immortality. The myth of the death and rebirth of Dionysus became a prominent feature of the Orphic movement, active from the 6th century BCE. The Orphics sought deliverance from the cycle of transmigration and reincarnation through union with a divine understood not merely as a transient ecstatic experience, but as a permanent state of blessedness.

Plato's philosophy has a profound mystical element. His philosophy was preeminently a way, a means whereby a man might acquire true participatory knowledge of the real, the eternal. The ways are variously described: it is Being in the *Phaedo*, the Good in the *Republic*, Beauty in the *Symposium* and the *Phaedrus*, and the One in the *Philebus*. Unawakened to the real, eternal world, man perceives only the phenomenal world, the world of sense perception. In his famous cave simile, Plato compares the situation of the unawakened to men shackled in a cave, able to see only the shadows of those who pass by behind them. Reawakening to the real world, the nominal world of ideal forms, is a painful but necessary experience. From that awakening, one must strive for the apprehension of the transcendent reality that is the source of all that is. This way of contemplation and the intuitive participatory knowledge is a guiding principle in Plato's work. It is, for example, the way that the rulers of the city-state must follow. It was to be an important influence in shaping the Christian mystical tradition.

The mystical way enunciated so clearly by Plato suffuses much of the Hellenistic philosophical tradition. Aristotle, notwithstanding the many differences he had with his master, speaks of the contemplative life as a participation in the divine life, in which subject-object distinction between man and the divine disappears.

His successors of Plato elaborated the mystical element in his work. The Stoicized form of Platonism, known as Middle Platonism, which held sway roughly from the first century BCE to the third century of the Common Era, developed a much clearer idea of the transcendence of God as opposed to the divine that founded Plato himself. It was against this intellectual background that many of the most outstanding examples of Hellenic mysticism emerge. The work of Philo of Alexandria from the first century represents a form of Judaism profoundly shaped by Middle Platonism of his day. Philo presents God as radically unknowable in himself, but made known in his powers or operations. This distinction, not original to Philo, was to have a long and eventful history. For Philo, God reveals himself according to man's capacity to apprehend him. To describe this process of revelation, Philo does use the language of the mystery religions, although he was not directly influenced by them. He describes the soul's journey to God as beginning with conversion and the recognition of the createdness of the universe. Through moral purity, the soul comes to know itself and to recognize its utter dependence upon God. Knowledge of God is a divine grace, not a natural capacity. It entails a going out of oneself, a form of ecstasy, seen most clearly in the Hebrew prophets. The shining of the light of God within entails suspension of the faculties, entails ecstasy and divine possession and madness. In such a state, the soul is superior to man, but less than God.

The Hermetic movement that developed in Egypt in the first three centuries of the Christian era made some of the Egyptian religion and certainly drew upon Judaism, but was profoundly Hellenic in inspiration. The Hermetic texts present a guide to mystical experience viewed from a variety of standpoints. They speak of God as ineffable but unknowable by man, by virtue of man's divine nature. The great evil is ignorance. The mystical way consists, therefore, the re-acquisition of self-knowledge, which is knowledge of the divine, and the ascent to ecstatic vision of God, in which man is deified, or rather, realizes his own divinity.

The extraordinarily complex and seductive tradition known as Gnosticism posed a grave threat to Christianity in the first three centuries of the Christian era. While teachings and practices vary greatly, Gnosticism was essentially an attempt to present Christianity as a mystery religion analogous to the mysteries of Mithras, Cybele, and Isis that were flourishing at that time, teaching a radical form of dualism between God and the world. The Gnostics offered an initiatory form of knowledge, *gnosis*, whereby those who had a divine spark within them might escape from the material world and find salvation. Gnostic dualism found a new expression in the third century with the rise of the Manichaean religion.

The finest example of Hellenic mysticism is to be found in the teachings of Plotinus from the 3rd century, founder of a tradition known as Neoplatonism. A student of Ammonius of Alexandria, Plotinus took up the perception of the transcendence of God found in Middle Platonism and developed it out into a thoroughgoing statement of divine incomprehensibility. Plotinus's teaching is centered around the soul's ascent to reunion with the One. We know from his biographer Porphyry that Plotinus himself experienced mystical union with the One on several occasions. Plotinus teaches a way whereby the obscurities of material life might be removed and the return to God accomplished. Plotinus had far more positive attitude to the material world than the Gnostics did, but is at the same time unequivocal in his understanding that the material is to be left behind on the soul's journey back to God. The return to the contemplation of God in Plotinus is also the return to oneself. It is a return to the vision of light in which the subject-object distinction between man and God disappears, in which the soul becomes that light, being raised to godhood, or better, knowing its godhood. Center coincides with center. This is the life of the gods and of the God-like and the blessed among them, liberation from the alien matter that besets us here, a life taking no pleasure of the things of the earth, the passing of the alone to the alone.

The Christian mystical tradition took up and reshaped many features of the mysticism of the Hellenistic period, being principally indebted to Philo and Plotinus. Indeed, while Philo's influence on the Jewish tradition was initially minimal, and many of Plotinus's successors lapsed into theurgy or magic, it was the Christians who preserved many of the insights of these two great teachers within the context of a living tradition. Clement of Alexandria integrated much of Philo's mystical teaching within the Christian tradition, most notably the motif of the divine darkness on Mount Sinai used to express God's incomprehensibility. Clement went beyond Philo in speaking quite unambiguously of man's deification. Like Philo, Clement used the language of the pagan mysteries to describe the mysteries of his own faith.

Here's what Clement has to say:

"Oh, truly holy mysteries! O light undefiled! I am led by the torchbearer to be initiated into heaven and God. Though initiation, I become holy. The Lord is my *herofont*, and as one who leads by light, *photogus* seals the votary for himself. We should not forget how attractive this sort of language would have been to a second-century Alexandrian ear."

Origen's work was of a deeply mystical character, something that those familiar only with his *On the First Principle* and *Contra Celsum* would know. For Origen, the mystical life is a realization of the union with Christ effected at baptism. His commentary and homilies on the *Song of Songs* developed this theme. Origen takes Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Songs to refer to three stages of the ascent to God: that is, the acquisition of the virtues, the proper understanding of the natural world, and finally, contemplation of God. And this understanding, the goal of the mystical life, is union with the spiritual intellect, or *nous*, to God through contemplation. It does not entail ecstasy.

The Alexandrian mystical tradition formed a crucial component of the teaching of the Cappadocian Fathers. This is evident in Saint Gregory of Nyssa's *Life of Moses*. It is also apparent in the works of Evagrius of Pontus and Pseudo-Macarius. Evagrius made Origen's threefold distinction of the spiritual life classic. He also refrains from speaking about ecstasy.

Macarius is less reserved and speaks of the intellect as utterly disbanded and ravished, carried away by prayer and become one with it. He also follows Clement and Philo in using the phrase "sober drunkenness," a motif avoided by both Origen and Evagrius. There was a danger in the Christian usage of the Hellenic mystical tradition that the mystical life would be seen as circular, as an escape from matter and return to the pre-cosmic unity. This element of circularity is palpable in the teachings of Origen and Evagrius. It is avoided by the Cappadocians and by Macarius in the emphasis on personhood and the integrity of the body. Union with God in these writers has no connotations into the divine. The things of the Pseudo-Dionysius, deeply influenced by the Neoplatonism of Plotinus and Proclus, do not adequately avoid the dangers of circularity, while their wonderful evocations of the super-rational and the ecstatic apprehension of God in the state of perfect unknowing were to be enormously influential, they lacked the personalistic element so vital to true Christian mysticism.

Who was known by the Romans as Dia Roma and Minerva, she is equated by the Greeks with the Egyptian goddess Neith, who was the patron goddess of Sais, Egypt, possessing very similar traits. But both of these goddesses can trace these traits to the goddess Anat, Canaanite Ugaritic goddess with the epithets such as "the Virgin" and "wisdom," clearly possessing similar traits as this goddess. Nike, Victory, Pallas, Athena, Sophia of wisdom, Parthenos, Athena the Virgin. Some go even far to recreate her with the Hindu god Saraswati for being the goddess of knowledge and wisdom as well. However, it's clear that Minerva and Athena are the same god with the same origin story. To prevent any more confusion, I'm going to call her by her Latin name Minerva here on out.

Her origin story goes all the way back to the time before Jupiter deposed Saturn. The nymphs of the mountain and the ocean in Crete, without the knowledge of Cronus, raised Jupiter, the father of gods and men. By that time, he was in love with the nymph Metis. She was the most prudent of all the nymphs, decisively helped Zeus win victory over deposing his father Saturn, who ate his own children. She gave Jupiter the magical herb which forced the terrible child-eater Cronus to pull out of his stomach all the gods he had swallowed. Metis was the first wife of Zeus.

At a feast held in Olympus to formalize their relationship, Uranus and Gaia revealed to the very grandson that Metis would give him, firstly, a daughter, and then a son who would become so strong that he would become the first of the gods. This is a reference to Dionysus, but the daughter would come first. This daughter is Minerva. The oracle from his ancestors put him into thinking, therefore, when he saw that Metis was pregnant, he could not settle down. Jupiter asked for an herb from his grandmother Gaia, whoever ate the herb would become as small as the size of a little finger. Gaia did not refuse to favor and asked, and she gave him the herb. Then Jupiter ran on Metis and gave it to her to swallow, saying that this herb would help her give birth to strong children. Metis believed him, swallowing this herb, she became diminishing. Jupiter opened his huge mouth and swallowed her. He did the same trick as his father did, but he ate his wife and the child that was in her womb.

Once Jupiter swallowed her, he immediately gained all the wisdom of the world. He knew every moment what was good and what was bad. After a few days, he started to get a headache, and discomfort became more and more intense. As the headache got stronger, Jupiter was in terrible pain. All goddesses tried to soothe him with magic herbs, but nothing seemed to ease the pain. He screamed and knocked on the ground, so that the whole Olympus echoed and trembled by his voice. One night, Jupiter could not bear it anymore, and there's two versions of this story. One is that he called in Prometheus, who was given the double-headed axe by Hephaestus to come and relieve the pain. In another version, it's Hephaestus himself who comes with a huge hammer. The moment Zeus saw him and said, "Quickly, give my head a strike with your hammer in order to save me once and for all from this torment."

The divine blacksmith rolled his eyes and refused to do so, but Jupiter was not joking. Enraged, he threatened Hephaestus that he will throw him from Olympus. And so Hephaestus, or Prometheus, struck the head of Jupiter, and then, in front of everyone's eyes, sprang from the head of.

Jupiter, full armored, gray-eyed daughter Minerva, holding the shield, wearing a helmet, waved menacingly a spear. Minerva, the goddess of war, but also the patron of wisdom, Minerva inherited her father's omnipotence and wisdom of Mattis.

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Here's what Proclus has to say about Minerva. And thus much concerning the planetary deities who were called by the Ancients the governors of the world. The next place, therefore, let us direct our attention to what Plato, his best interpreter, Proclus, had transmitted to us concerning Minerva. Divinity connected with the ether also has an allotment in the celestial regions. Plato, in Timaeus, describes this goddess both a lover of war and a lover of wisdom, for he says that she is Philip polemic and philosophic, as she everywhere however exerts this twofold power according to her intellectual, supermundane, and mud-Dave substance.

I shall present what Proclus says, representing the two powers of the goddess in his commentary on what part of the Timaeus where she is celebrated by Plato in the Demiurge. "And father," says he, "of the whole world, many orders of gods that had the form of the one present themselves to the view, and those are of a guardian or demiurgic, elevating, connective, perfective characteristic. But the undefiled and untamed deity Minerva is one of the first intellectual unities subsisting in the Demiurge, according to which he himself remains firm and immutable in all things proceeding from him. Participate of the inflexible power and through which he intellectually perceives everything and is separate in an exempt manner of all beings."

All theologists therefore call this Divinity Minerva, as being brought forth indeed from the summit of her father and abiding in him, being demiurgic, separate, and immaterial intelligence. Hence Socrates, in the Cratylus, celebrates her as Theonue or deific intellection. But as in conjunction other divinities sustaining all things in the one Demiurge and arranging holes together with her father, through the first of these they denominate her philosophic, through the second Phillip polemic. She who, according to the form of one, connectedly contains all the paternal wisdom as a philosopher, and she who invariably rules over all the contrary, may be properly called a lover of War.

Hence Orpheus, speaking of her birth, says that Jupiter generated her from his head with armor shining like brazen flower. Sins, however, it was necessary that she should proceed in second and third orders, she appears in the order to which Persephone belongs. According to the undefiled habitat, she generates every virtue from herself and elevating powers, an illuminate secondary natures with intellect and an undefiled life. Hence she is called Core Projectines. She likewise appears among the liberated gods, uniting the lunar order with the intellectual and demiurgic Light, causing the productions of the divinities to be undefiled and demonstrating the one Unity of them to be unmingled with their depending Powers.

She also appears in the heavens, sublunar region, and according to the United gift of herself, imparts that cause both the philosophic and the filopole polemic power. For her inflexibility is intellectual, your separate wisdom is pure and unmingly with secondary natures, and the one characteristic peculiarity of Minerva's Providence extends as far as the last orders. For since whatever there are partial souls that resemble her Divinity, they exert an admirable prudence and exhibit an unconquerable strength. What we ought to say of her attended course of day minds and divine mundane, liberated and ruling orders, for all these received as from a fountain the 20-fold peculiarity of this goddess.

Hence also the Divine poet Homer, indicating both these powers of Minerva in conjunction, fabulous devices says, "The radiant feel for sacred fingers woe floats in rich waves and spreads the court of Job's her father's war-like robe for limbs invest in which verses by the veil but she wove into which she gave substance by her intellectuals." Her intellectual wisdom is signified by the warlike robe of Jupiter. We must understand her demiurgic powers which immutably takes care of mundane natures and prepares more divine beings always to have dominion in the world. Hence also, I think, Homer represents her as an associate in battle with the Greeks against the Barbarians, just as Plato here relates that she was an associate with the Greeks against the inhabitants of the Atlantic Island, in order that everywhere more intellectual and divine Natures they rule over such as are more irrational and vile.

For Mars is also a friend to war and contraries, but with the separation and division more adapted to the things themselves. Minerva, however, connects contrary and illuminates the subjects of her government with the Union. Hence likewise she is said to be fellow polemic or Strife fighting War. She always loves, and she is a friend to war indeed because she is allotted the summit of Separation, but she is a lover of the contraries because these are in certain respect congregated through this goddess, in consequence of better Natures having Dominion. On this account likewise the Ancients co-arranged Victory Nike with Minerva.

If therefore these things are right, assertive she is philosophic indeed, as being the demiurgic intelligence, and as separate and immaterial wisdom Sophia. Hence also she is called Metis by the Gods. She is Philip lemon, is connecting the contrarities and holes, and as an untamed, inflexible deity. On this account likewise she preserves Bacchus undefiled but vanquishes the Giants in conjunction with her father. Two alone shakes the Aegis without waiting for the Mandate of Jupiter. She also hurls the javelin, shook by her arm. "The Massey Javelin bends, huge, ponderous, strong, and when her Fury burns, whole ranks of Heroes tames and overturns." Again, she is Lucifer, as every way extending intellectual light, the savior lightbringer, is establishing every partial intellect in the total intellections of her father. Her game, or the artificial, as presiding over demiurgic works. Orpheus says, "The father produced her that she, the queen, might be of Mighty works." But she is Caliergos, or the beautiful fabricator, as connecting by Beauty all the works of the father. The virgin, as exerting an undefiled and unbingled purity, and Aggiocus, or Aegis-bearing, as moving the whole of fate, given the keys to fate, and being the leader of its Productions. Her alone has this power, no other gods possess with respect to the spear and shield with which this goddess, and the statues of her, is represented as armed.

Iamblichus, as we are informed by Proclus, explains these in the most violently inspired manner as follows:

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"Since every divine nature ought to act and not to suffer, order that by operating it may not have the infectious which is similar to matter, but by not suffering it may not have the efficiency which resembles material Natures that produce accompanied with passion, that it may have neither of these, he asserts that Shields are powers through which a divine nature remains impassive and pure, surrounding itself with an infragible guard. But Spears are powers, according to which it proceeds without contact, operates in all things, amputating the material nature and giving assistance to every generation producing form. These powers are first seen in Minerva, hence also in the statues of her she is armed with a spear and a shield. She vanquishes everything and, according to the theologis, remains inflexibly uncontaminated."

And father, things are seen in secondary degree in the Minerva's powers, but in such as are whole, and such as are partial. For as the Jovian and demiurgic multitudes imitate their monads, and as the prophetic and Apollonial multitudes participate of the characteristic peculiarity of Apollo, thus also the Minerva's number Adam breaks the uncontaminated and unmingled nature of Minerva, and they are seen ultimately in Minerva's souls, or in these also. The shield is untamed and inflexible power of reason, but the spear is that which is incisive of matter and which liberates souls from the pertubations arising from demons or destiny.

With respect to the mundane allotment also of this goddess, who proceeds supernally from intellectual causes to Earth, foreign observes Intimaeus, she primarily subsists in her father, but secondarily in the supermundane gods. That her third progression is in the 12 liberated rulers, and that after this she unfolds into light a liberated authority in the heavens. In one way indeed, and the inertic sphere, but there are also a certain allotment of this goddess is expanded, whether it be about the Ram, or that about the Virgin, or whether it be some one of the northern stars, as the Electra, which is there by certain persons asserted to be. But she unfolds his power in another way in the Sun, for there also an admirable power and a Minerva's order fabricates holes according to the theologists in conjunction with the Sun, and again in another way in the Moon, being the monad of the Triad which is there, but in another way in the Earth, according to the similitude of the allotments of the Earth to the celestial distributions, and lastly she unfolds this liberated authority differently in different parts of the Earth, according the peculiaries of the providential energy.

This being the case, it is by no means wonderful that one deity Minerva is said by Plato to have the allotment of Athens and Science in Egypt. For it must not be supposed that because partial souls are not naturally adapted to inhabit two bodies at once, this is also impossible to the gods, but there is a participation of the same divine power according to different places, yet the one power there is also multitude, and by this place indeed it is participated in one way, but by other places in different way, and in some sameness is more abundant, but in others difference.

Foreign another part likewise of the same admirable work, Proclus observes of this Goddess that it is manifest from the Greeks that her dominion extends from on high as far to the last of things, but they say that she was generated from the summit or head of Jupiter. But the Egyptians relate that this inscription was written in the additum of the goddess: "I am the things that are, that will be, and that have been, but none has ever laid open the Garment by which I am concealed. The fruit which I brought forth was the Sun." The goddess, therefore, being demiurgic and at the same time apparent and unappearance, has an allotment in the heavens and illuminates generation with forms. For the signs of the zodiac, the Ram is ascribed to the goddess, and the equinoxical circle itself, where especially a power motive of the universe is established. And thus much concerning the fellow polemic and philosophic goddess Minerva.

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was fought in 480 BCE between the Persians and the Greeks led by Sparta under King Leonidas. This battle, sometimes known as the 300, would become an iconic moment for Western Civilization all the way up until today. A century later, a man named Philip of Macedon would go on to unite the Greek city-states into the Hellenic League and finally give back to Persia what has been dissed to them for so long. The Persians were the globalist Empire of the time period. The king of the Persians was known as the King of Kings. For example, Xerxes had titles such as Great King, Pharaoh of Egypt, King of all Countries, King of Babylon, King of Kings. And so a real-life Game of Thrones followed. The last ruler of this line would be Darius III, and just before Philip invaded Persia, he would get murdered and his son Alexander would take control of the soon-to-be Macedonian Empire. Alexander would be the hegemon of the Hellenic League that his father Philip started, and he would also become the Pharaoh of Egypt, King of Persia, King of Kings, if you will. Alexander's Empire would span all the way from India to the Mediterranean. He had plans to go into Rome and into Arabia. In fact, while Alexander was on campaigns in the East, his uncle also named Alexander was already invading Italy and he failed and was killed after making a treaty with the Romans. He had one successful victory over the Samnites but was killed by the Lucanians at the Battle of Pandosia. After his death, he was succeeded by Aeacides, the cousin of Alexander, and he would be the first satrap of the kingdom of Epirus. This would be important for the Rise of Rome.

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When Alexander dies, the Empire is divided up and sliced up into satrapies, in the same way that Cyrus had his kingdom laid out, except at this point in time, there is no King of Kings, if you will. So the Game of Thrones begins at this moment.

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Before Alexander the Great was even ready to rest, his body was being taken back to Macedon in a giant tomb on wheels, carried by horses, and Bacchants playing flutes and singers and dancers. It was a scene to be held. Eredaeus had the honors of taking Alexander back to Macedon to his mother Olympias, who at this point in time was closest thing you're going to get to a queen of the world. But just as Eredaeus was on his way to get through Turkey, Ptolemy the Savior, son of Lagus, intercepted the tomb and brought it down to Egypt, where he would have Alexander placed with who he thought was the real father of Alexander, which was Nectanebo. This story would be placed in the Alexander Romance. Hirticus, the Regent of Babylon, was furious after this, so he went down to fight against Ptolemy for the body of Alexander, but Ptolemy would be the one to defeat Hirticus. The deity is officially underway. Alexander's generals are now at war. It's time to choose a side. I can do an entire three to four hour video just in the next five years span, but to save time before the topic of this video, I'm going to skip ahead and let you know that when the dust settles, we end up with Lysimachus in control of Thrace and Phrygia, and Antipater, or died at age 81, was succeeded by Cassander. Cassander would be the one to arrest and murder the mother of Alexander the Great, Olympias. As interpreter, grew close to his death in 319, he transferred the Regency of Macedon, not to Cassander, but to Polyperchon, possibly so not to alarm the other Diadochi through an apparent move towards dynastic ambition. Cassander, however, rejected his father's decision and immediately went to seek support of Antigonus the One-Eyed, the general of Alexander, along with Ptolemy and Lysimachus to forge the strongest alliance ship between these four. This would not last long, as Seleucus the First had plans of his own to be the next king of kings and control Babylon, and he was extremely successful, defeating battle after battle. The Seleucid Empire would rise and control all of Persia, most of Mesopotamia. Antigonus, who was the satrap of Phrygia, made an attempt to make a new division following the death of Hirticus by the hands of Ptolemy. The partition Triparadesis was a deal struck in 321 BCE. However, only two years later, Antipater was killed, and the second Diadochi War began.

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Cassander would stand out in these wars as being the most hostile to the memory of Alexander because of what he did to his mother and how he was opposed by the kingdom of Epirus, the last stand of remnant from Philip and Olympias. He would have Alexander IV, Roxana, and all of Alexander's supposed illegitimate sons executed and lied to Olympias, and when he said that he would spare her life, he would then move the capital from Pella to Thessalonica, which he named after his wife. It would be the Antigonids who would get the revenge. Demetrius of Macedon, the son of Antigonus the One-Eyed, served as the highest general under both Philip and Alexander. I will be doing an entire video on Demetrius. He would even be worshipped in his lifetime and be given the title of Savior Soter. He would be the next hegemon of the Hellenic League after Alexander himself, because of his success against Cassander, Seleucus, and Lysimachus, who were united to destroy him and his father. These armies met at the Battle of Ipsus in Phrygia in 301 BC. Antigonus was killed, and Demetrius, after sustaining severe losses, retired to Ephesus. Plutarch gives an amazing story about his life ups and downs, but to make a long story short for this video, by the year 294 BCE, he finally establishes himself on the throne of Macedonia by murdering Alexander V, the son of Cassander, and faced the rebellion but was able to restore the League of Hellas. This it was when the finally the dust was settling after the third Diadochi, later be known by historians as the Kingdoms of the Diadochi or the Hellenistic period from 275 to 30 BCE, when Augustus would take control and win the Game of Thrones. But the question is, how does somebody from Rome win this Game of Thrones and not somebody from Macedonia? As I mentioned, the dust is finally settled. Lysimachus is in control in the North, Kingdom of Epirus in the West, Seleucids control of Asia, and Ptolemy is in control of Egypt. Demetrius was a god in his lifetime, people thought that he was the god Dionysus. Plutarch compares him to Mark Antony, and there's a lot of good reasons for this. Both of their locks would run out before they could even become as great as they were supposed to be. 288 BCE, Demetrius was totally forsaken by his troops on the field of the battle, and he surrendered to Seleucus. So Lucas would let him live in the court in Babylon, however, he died as a drunken decadent not long after this. There are many tragedies and plays and operas dedicated to his life, which brings us to the next chapter of this story, Pyrrhus of Epirus.

Foreign descendant from Alexander's Dynasty, he would do what Alexander's Uncle tried to do and go and invade Italy once and for all. However, even though he kinda did win the war against Rome, it was called Pyrrhic Victory, named after him, because the win was so catastrophic, the outcome is what is called a loss. At this point, there was no long-term success having been done. In fact, Rome just got stronger from it. But Greek ideals did start to spread in Italy at this time, and Hellenism is now becoming part of Roman religion. Cato the Censor, or known as Cato the Elder, was known to reject Hellenism and to preach the old ways and support the old religion favor over Hellenism, but Hellenism was too strong and too popular. Platonism, Pythagoreanism, Orphism, all spread throughout Italy. So during the Roman Republic, Rome has tons of festivals every month. Saturnalia in December, Lupercalia in February, Liberalia in March in honor of Bacchus, Cerealia in honor of Ceres in April, Megalesia in April in honor of Cybele, and Parilia, Robigalia, and the Floralia also in April and May. Lemuria in honor of the Goddess Mania in May, Vestalia in honor of the god Vesta in June, the Games of Apollo in July, Festival of Diana in August, the Games of Rome in September. Basically, every month the Romans are throwing a festival for some sort of God.

These Gods change over time, and there are some major events that happen, and it has to do with the Sibylline Books. The Sibylline Books in Rome were held sacred, and they were guarded by these priesthoods. 13 of these Sibyls throughout the Empire. The Samian Sibyl was in Samos, the Tiburtine Sibyl in the city of Tibur, the Phrygian Sibyl in Phrygia, the Persian Sibyl, the Libyan Sibyl, the Hellespontine Sibyl, as well as the Delphic Sibyl, the Cumaean Sibyl, the Chamarain Sibyl, and the Erythraean Sibyl. The Erythraean Sibyl was the prophetess who was presiding over the Oracle at Erythrae, a town in Ionia opposite of Chios.

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In 433 BCE, upon the advice of the Sibylline Oracles and the Sibylline Books, priests were told to import Apollo. It was in a time of a plague, and the Romans vowed a temple to Apollo for the People's Health. The temple was dedicated two years later. According to Livy, it was situated outside the Pomerium, apparently because Apollo was a non-Roman deity. There was probably an earlier shrine on this site of this Temple that is later referred to as Apollo Medicus, the Healer. The Sibylline Books are guiding the Romans in changing their religion, and every time the Sibylline Books have a message for the priests, major changes to the Roman religion. In 399 BCE, in another time of plague, the Romans introduced the Ludi Scaenici, originally a Greek practice, on the advice of the Sibylline Books. Here's what Livy says: "Plague was rife, affecting all living creatures, since no cause or end of this incurable disease was found. The Senate decided to consult the Sibylline Books. The Duumvirs celebrated over a period of eight days, the first Ludi Scaenici ever held in Rome, in order to win the favor of Apollo, Latona, Diana, Hercules, Mercury, and Neptune, spreading couches for them that were richly furnished, as was possible at that time. The ritual was also..."

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When Alexander dies, the Empire is divided up and sliced up into satrapies, in the same way that Cyrus had his kingdom laid out, except at this point in time, there is no King of Kings, if you will. So the Game of Thrones begins at this moment.

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Before Alexander the Great was even ready to rest, his body was being taken back to Macedon in a giant tomb on wheels, carried by horses, and Bacchants playing flutes and singers and dancers. It was a scene to be held. Eredaeus had the honors of taking Alexander back to Macedon to his mother Olympias, who at this point in time was closest thing you're going to get to a queen of the world. But just as Eredaeus was on his way to get through Turkey, Ptolemy the Savior, son of Lagus, intercepted the tomb and brought it down to Egypt, where he would have Alexander placed with who he thought was the real father of Alexander, which was Nectanebo. This story would be placed in the Alexander Romance. Hirticus, the Regent of Babylon, was furious after this, so he went down to fight against Ptolemy for the body of Alexander, but Ptolemy would be the one to defeat Hirticus. The deity is officially underway. Alexander's generals are now at war. It's time to choose a side. I can do an entire three to four hour video just in the next five years span, but to save time before the topic of this video, I'm going to skip ahead and let you know that when the dust settles, we end up with Lysimachus in control of Thrace and Phrygia, and Antipater, or died at age 81, was succeeded by Cassander. Cassander would be the one to arrest and murder the mother of Alexander the Great, Olympias. As interpreter, grew close to his death in 319, he transferred the Regency of Macedon, not to Cassander, but to Polyperchon, possibly so not to alarm the other Diadochi through an apparent move towards dynastic ambition. Cassander, however, rejected his father's decision and immediately went to seek support of Antigonus the One-Eyed, the general of Alexander, along with Ptolemy and Lysimachus to forge the strongest alliance ship between these four. This would not last long, as Seleucus the First had plans of his own to be the next king of kings and control Babylon, and he was extremely successful, defeating battle after battle. The Seleucid Empire would rise and control all of Persia, most of Mesopotamia. Antigonus, who was the satrap of Phrygia, made an attempt to make a new division following the death of Hirticus by the hands of Ptolemy. The partition Triparadesis was a deal struck in 321 BCE. However, only two years later, Antipater was killed, and the second Diadochi War began.

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Cassander would stand out in these wars as being the most hostile to the memory of Alexander because of what he did to his mother and how he was opposed by the kingdom of Epirus, the last stand of remnant from Philip and Olympias. He would have Alexander IV, Roxana, and all of Alexander's supposed illegitimate sons executed and lied to Olympias, and when he said that he would spare her life, he would then move the capital from Pella to Thessalonica, which he named after his wife. It would be the Antigonids who would get the revenge. Demetrius of Macedon, the son of Antigonus the One-Eyed, served as the highest general under both Philip and Alexander. I will be doing an entire video on Demetrius. He would even be worshipped in his lifetime and be given the title of Savior Soter. He would be the next hegemon of the Hellenic League after Alexander himself, because of his success against Cassander, Seleucus, and Lysimachus, who were united to destroy him and his father. These armies met at the Battle of Ipsus in Phrygia in 301 BC. Antigonus was killed, and Demetrius, after sustaining severe losses, retired to Ephesus. Plutarch gives an amazing story about his life ups and downs, but to make a long story short for this video, by the year 294 BCE, he finally establishes himself on the throne of Macedonia by murdering Alexander V, the son of Cassander, and faced the rebellion but was able to restore the League of Hellas. This it was when the finally the dust was settling after the third Diadochi, later be known by historians as the Kingdoms of the Diadochi or the Hellenistic period from 275 to 30 BCE, when Augustus would take control and win the Game of Thrones. But the question is, how does somebody from Rome win this Game of Thrones and not somebody from Macedonia? As I mentioned, the dust is finally settled. Lysimachus is in control in the North, Kingdom of Epirus in the West, Seleucids control of Asia, and Ptolemy is in control of Egypt. Demetrius was a god in his lifetime, people thought that he was the god Dionysus. Plutarch compares him to Mark Antony, and there's a lot of good reasons for this. Both of their locks would run out before they could even become as great as they were supposed to be. 288 BCE, Demetrius was totally forsaken by his troops on the field of the battle, and he surrendered to Seleucus. So Lucas would let him live in the court in Babylon, however, he died as a drunken decadent not long after this. There are many tragedies and plays and operas dedicated to his life, which brings us to the next chapter of this story, Pyrrhus of Epirus.

Foreign descendant from Alexander's Dynasty, he would do what Alexander's Uncle tried to do and go and invade Italy once and for all. However, even though he kinda did win the war against Rome, it was called Pyrrhic Victory, named after him, because the win was so catastrophic, the outcome is what is called a loss. At this point, there was no long-term success having been done. In fact, Rome just got stronger from it. But Greek ideals did start to spread in Italy at this time, and Hellenism is now becoming part of Roman religion. Cato the Censor, or known as Cato the Elder, was known to reject Hellenism and to preach the old ways and support the old religion favor over Hellenism, but Hellenism was too strong and too popular. Platonism, Pythagoreanism, Orphism, all spread throughout Italy. So during the Roman Republic, Rome has tons of festivals every month. Saturnalia in December, Lupercalia in February, Liberalia in March in honor of Bacchus, Cerealia in honor of Ceres in April, Megalesia in April in honor of Cybele, and Parilia, Robigalia, and the Floralia also in April and May. Lemuria in honor of the Goddess Mania in May, Vestalia in honor of the god Vesta in June, the Games of Apollo in July, Festival of Diana in August, the Games of Rome in September. Basically, every month the Romans are throwing a festival for some sort of God.

These Gods change over time, and there are some major events that happen, and it has to do with the Sibylline Books. The Sibylline Books in Rome were held sacred, and they were guarded by these priesthoods. 13 of these Sibyls throughout the Empire. The Samian Sibyl was in Samos, the Tiburtine Sibyl in the city of Tibur, the Phrygian Sibyl in Phrygia, the Persian Sibyl, the Libyan Sibyl, the Hellespontine Sibyl, as well as the Delphic Sibyl, the Cumaean Sibyl, the Chamarain Sibyl, and the Erythraean Sibyl. The Erythraean Sibyl was the prophetess who was presiding over the Oracle at Erythrae, a town in Ionia opposite of Chios.

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In 433 BCE, upon the advice of the Sibylline Oracles and the Sibylline Books, priests were told to import Apollo. It was in a time of a plague, and the Romans vowed a temple to Apollo for the People's Health. The temple was dedicated two years later. According to Livy, it was situated outside the Pomerium, apparently because Apollo was a non-Roman deity. There was probably an earlier shrine on this site of this Temple that is later referred to as Apollo Medicus, the Healer. The Sibylline Books are guiding the Romans in changing their religion, and every time the Sibylline Books have a message for the priests, major changes to the Roman religion. In 399 BCE, in another time of plague, the Romans introduced the Ludi Scaenici, originally a Greek practice, on the advice of the Sibylline Books. Here's what Livy says: "Plague was rife, affecting all living creatures, since no cause or end of this incurable disease was found. The Senate decided to consult the Sibylline Books. The Duumvirs celebrated over a period of eight days, the first Ludi Scaenici ever held in Rome, in order to win the favor of Apollo, Latona, Diana, Hercules, Mercury, and Neptune, spreading couches for them that were richly furnished, as was possible at that time. The ritual was also..."

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The true Game of Thrones style. Ptolemy Keraunos would be the breakout superstar of this story. This is where it gets crazy. Ptolemy Keraunos, whose name means Thunderbolt, known to be impatient and a destructive character. He was the eldest son of Ptolemy Soter, the king of Egypt, born around 319 BCE. He was in line to be the next king of Egypt and king of the Ptolemies. However, because of his destructive character, Ptolemy chose the second son, Ptolemy Philadelphus, to be the heir of the throne. Because of this, Ptolemy Keraunos angrily left the kingdom and went to Seleucus. Following his departure from Egypt, Ptolemy Keraunos went to the court of Lysimachus, who was ruling in Macedon, Thrace, and Asia Minor. Lysimachus's court was divided on the question of whether they should support Keraunos or not. On one hand, Lysimachus himself was married to Ptolemy II's sister, Arsinoe II. On the other hand, Lysimachus's heir, Agathocles, was married to Keraunos's full sister, Lysandra. By Lysimachus, ultimately chose to support Ptolemy II and sealed that decision at some point between 284 and 281 by marrying his daughter Arsinoe to Ptolemy II. This is where things get crazy. The course of events of how this played out is very unclear, and it's almost going to sound unbelievable, but Ptolemy Keraunos by himself was able to carry out the murder of Agathocles, which led to Seleucus invading Lysimachus's territory and then defeating Lysimachus, which brings us to only two people left in all of the Diadochi: Seleucus and Ptolemy. And Ptolemy's son then murdered Seleucus behind his back because he thought he had his support. Keraunos was placed in the court of Seleucus following his help against Lysimachus, but seeing the opportunity to gain Ptolemy, Keraunos was able to kill Seleucus and become the king of Macedonia. So within one year, the year 281 BCE, both Lysimachus and Seleucus are now dead, and Ptolemy the Savior, Ptolemy Soter, is the last standing general, the last king of all the Diadochi. He's kind of the winner of this Game of Thrones, but obviously, it's not over yet. There's still this tension between son and father. And so Ptolemy Keraunos was the king of Macedon for two years, from 281 to 279. And in January of 279, a group of Gauls led by Bolgius invaded Macedonia from the north, and Ptolemy Keraunos was killed in this invasion, and that was the end of this sporadic and almost unbelievable turn of events in the Diadochi. Meliager was the brother of Ptolemy Keraunos, also being the son of Ptolemy Soter, and he would rule Macedonia for only two months before Cassander's son, Antipater, would take back Macedonia from the Ptolemies. When it just looked like it was about to be a world Ptolemaic Empire, Cassander's son got it back, and that is the end of the Ptolemies in Macedonia. Antiochus the Soter succeeded Seleucus and would reign for 20 years and get the title King of the Universe, King of Kings. And thus the Seleucid Empire would stay extremely stable until the Rise of Rome, and the Ptolemies would stay extremely stable down in Egypt until the time of Rome. So to conclude this kind of chapter of this Game of Thrones that we're talking about here, Seleucids and Ptolemies settle the dust, and these are the two empires that would play tug of war for the next 200 years. Macedonia, though, would engage with Rome on one front, as Rome engages with Carthage on another front. The kingdom that was put in place by Pyrrhus in Syracuse was taken over by the Romans, who defeated Archimedes at the siege of Syracuse in 212 BCE. The rise of the Roman Republic would ensue from this, and Carthage would now be on the front of this war against Rome.

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It's the next rising star that needs to be mentioned immediately. Born in 247 BCE, he was a Carthaginian general and statesman who commanded the forces of Carthage in the battles against the Roman Republic. He is arguably the greatest military commander in world history. Even after being defeated, he cannot die. It's almost as if he lives forever, and it seems that way because his name just keeps popping up over and over again, even after it seems like he's defeated. Siege of Saguntum, Second Punic War, Battle of Rome, Cross, Battle of Cops, and finally, when Scipio was able to defeat Hannibal, he didn't kill him. Hannibal still goes and leaves Carthage and becomes allied with the Seleucids against Macedonia and Rome. As I said, he's indestructible. Hannibal does not die. He would live out his days in Turkey, in the location where a new Mithridatic Empire would rise up.

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It would be at this time when Rome would have control of all the Western Mediterranean, finally taking control of Carthage and Spain, and setting their sights to the East now, and squaring off with the famous Macedonians. Lucius Aemilius Paullus Macedonicus, a two-time consul of the Roman Republic, conquered Macedonia in the Third Macedonian War. The Third Macedonian War was fought between Rome and King Perseus of Macedon, the final successor of the Macedonians that goes all the way back to Philip and Alexander and Antigonus the One-Eyed. And when Philip V of Macedon was killed, he was succeeded by Perseus. Perseus was the last king of the Antigonid Dynasty and the last Macedonian who can trace his roots back to the time of Alexander. As I mentioned, he was defeated by Lucius Aemilius Paullus, but was able to live in the court at Rome and live out the rest of his life in good conditions and very famous as well. This was the end of the Greeks and the beginning of Rome. The Seleucid Empire would slowly get sandwiched in by the Romans and the Parthians, as the descendants of Ptolemy would stand by in Egypt and watch as their enemies would fall to Rome.

Jagartha was the grandson of the first Numidian king, Massinissa, who ruled from 202 to 148 BCE and funded Hannibal against the Romans. Gaius Marius, one of the old Roman Republic heroes who served as consul for many years, squared off against Jagartha, whose father supported Hannibal and assisted him in the Battle of Zama in the Second Punic War. Jagartha and his family had been long enemies of Rome. Marius and Sulla would team up to defeat Jagartha. With the surrender of Jagartha and the end of the war, Marius returned to Rome in triumph, where he would be elected consul unprecedentedly for every year from 104 to 101 BCE, something never been done before. And after a brief celebration of his triumph, Marius marched northward. Sulla would join him, which begins the climax and topic of today's video. And yeah, that was a long lead-up, but it was fun, wasn't it? Right. Anyways, Sulla would join him where he would defeat the rebellious Germanic tribes in 102 BCE. Despite these victories over Jagartha and the Germanic tribes, these two men, Marius and Sulla, would soon become the first arch-enemies and civil war veterans of Rome. This would set the tone for the end of the Roman Republic and the beginning of the Roman Empire. There's a reason why I chose Sulla to be on the thumbnail of this video, to be the main character of this story, because most people, when you're telling this Game of Thrones tale that really happened on planet Earth, usually start off with Alexander the Great and end somehow with Augustus, which is fine, I'm totally okay with that, but there needs to be credit where credit is due, and that's Sulla. Here's what Plutarch has to say in his Lives of the jealousy in how Sulla had reveled in after their return to Rome. Marius triumphed, but the glory of the Enterprise, which through the people's envy of Marius, was ascribed to Sulla. Secretly grieved him, and the truth is, Sulla himself was by nature vainglorious, and this being the first time that from a low and private condition he had risen to esteem amongst the citizens. Sulla is the Caesar before Caesar. After a series of well-placed bribes, Sulla would climb the political ladder by securing the position of Praetor Urbanus in 97 BCE, and later the Pro-Consul to Cilicia, where he would remain until 92 BCE, which brings us to the Social War. And here's where things start to turn for the Roman Republic. The jealousy and hatred would only deepen between Marius and Sulla. The Social War of allies from 91 to 88 BCE saw Rome face a revolt among the city's previously loyal allies in Italy, who demanded equal rights and citizenship. The war would end when Rome conceded to most of their demands. By establishing a reputation for ruthlessness and brutality in the war, Sulla became Rome's first general, a distinction Marius had previously held. Plutarch again gives us more insight: "After the war, Marius was unable to render any great service and prove that military excellence requires a man's highest strength and vigor. Sulla, on the other hand, did much that was memorable and achieved the reputation of a great leader among his fellow citizens, that of the greatest of leaders among his friends, and that of the most fortunate, even among his enemies."

Sulla was finally rewarded his first consulship in 88 BCE, but this would come after the famous Mithridatic Wars, which would put Sulla on the map, and once again, the reason why I selected him as the true winner of the Game of Thrones in the East. Mithridates VI of Pontus was causing problems, and his kingdom would rise up as the Seleucids would fall, as the Parthians would rise, and as the Ptolemies would kind of chilling out down in Egypt. Mithridates was the real deal at this time. And so, in 104 BCE, Mithridates invaded the provinces of Galatia and Bithynia. After an invasion of nearby Bithynia, he withdrew when issued a warning by the Roman Senate. However, he soon disregarded the warning and attacked three Roman legions sent against him. He had all Italian residents' property confiscated and ordered the locals to kill all Italians. The end result was economic chaos, bankruptcy for many in Rome. Sulla, the hero, would rise and was given the command of the Roman forces to face this evil enemy. Mithridates, however, the tribune Publius Sulpicius Rufus blocked the order and calling the elderly Marius out of retirement, awarded the command to him instead of Sulla. Marius was nearly 70 at the time, entered the fray embittered, seeking vengeance. Sulla was erased. Not only was possibly victory stolen from him, fame, the triumph, the glory taken from Sulla and given to Marius, but the spoils of war as well, the riches, the money, the gold. So, realizing that Sulla had the support of the army, six legions, 30,000 men, he said, "You know what? I'm going on my own." And so, as Plutarch writes, "Sulla shouted orders to set fire to the houses and seizing a blazing torch, led the way himself and ordered his archers to use their fire bolts and shoot them up at the roofs." This he did not from any calm calculation, but in a passion, and having surrendered to his anger, the command of his actions made his entry by the aid of fire, which made no distinction between the guilty and the innocent. Now, with fighting breaking out in the streets and the Senate against him, Sulla realized his best decision was to withdraw to the East and win battles to get famous. He escaped the city with the six legions, chose to march against Mithridates. Marius returned to Rome, initiating five days of murder and plunder, where he was again declared consul, only to die shortly afterwards in 86. Many of Sulla's supporters were executed. The rebellious Sulla, now angry, refused to obey a summons to return to the city and face a trial. At the urging of the consul Cinna, who is the uncle of Julius Caesar, the Roman Senate declared him an enemy of the state and condemned him to death. Ignoring all of this, Sulla continued eastward and not only did he defeat Mithridates, but crushed the rebellion in Greece and conquered Athens for the Romans. Sulla was now paving the way for Pompey and Caesar to win glorious battles all over the Roman Empire. And while he was in Athens, he earned a reputation for his ruthlessness by granting his men permission to pillage and murder as they saw fit, eventually destroying the very groves where the great philosophers Plato and Aristotle had reflected on the human condition. Even the ancient symbol of Athens, the Acropolis, was plundered. He would campaign for five years.

Foreign to Rome in 83 BCE, he took his army and crossed the Rubicon. Yes, Sulla crossed the Rubicon nearly 40 years before Caesar would do it. Sulla did everything Caesar did before Caesar did. In fact, Caesar would be brought in front of Sulla, as Sulla set as the dictator of the Roman Republic, and Sulla had the choice to kill Caesar because of his uncle Cinna, or free him, and he decided to free him. And so Julius Caesar was at his knees in front of Sulla, life in his hands. Sulla was more powerful than Julius Caesar, and Julius Caesar at this time was extremely powerful too. He was Rex Sacrorum, the highest priesthood that is available in the Roman religion. Sulla would rip this from him and let him serve. Caesar would have to wait until the death of Sulla for him to run as the Pontifex Maximus, which would then become the highest priesthood, and the Roman Rex Sacrorum was out of service all the way until the time of Augustus.

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Sulla had promised that after Rome would reach its destination of the civil wars, uprisings of the borders, after he completed his duties as a general, he had promised to take away his dictatorship and give it back to the Republic. This is something that Julius Caesar also did as well before he was murdered in the senate floor. However, this didn't happen with Sulla. Sulla actually did give up his dictatorship and live out his days in retirement in the city of Puteoli, Italy, where he would take all of his riches, and he had a boyfriend who was a famous musician and actor in place named Metropius, and they would live out their days as drunken Bacchants, reveling and living it up until they died. Sulla would live till 60 years old. The last two years of his life was not a dictator. He was still doing political affairs up until his last week of his life, but he was not in the Roman Senate and had nothing to do with being a dictator in his last two years. He did actually come through on his promise to give up his dictatorship, and his generals, Crassus and Pompey, immediately, just like the beginning of our story when Alexander died, would begin their battles and start off the next round of civil wars that would end up being the chasing of Spartacus and Caesar invading Gaul, Pompey invading Judea, conquering Egypt. And Sulla, in my opinion, basically lays down the blueprint, if you will, for people like Caesar to come along and follow what Sulla laid down. Caesar would win the civil war against Pompey. Rome would rise and take over all the Mediterranean, stretching all the way to Babylon. Crassus would die fighting in Babylon trying to take over the final frontier of this massive empire that everybody wants. And Julius Caesar would be killed in the senate floor. The conspirators would divide up the empire between themselves, but it wasn't long. Within a year, as the adopted son of Caesar, who is later known as Augustus, would rise up, take control with the help of Mark Antony and Lepidus, start what is known as the Second Triumvirate, and kill all the conspirators who killed Caesar. And then another civil war would break out between Augustus and Mark Antony. Mark Antony is compared with Demetrius the Soter by Plutarch, and this is a really interesting parallel that Plutarch lays out because both of them are called Dionysus, and they both have a lot of luck until the end. They're both very successful until the end where they are defeated by their rivals. And so Mark Antony is defeated by Augustus, and finally peace reigns at last. The Game of Thrones is finally over, and Augustus reigns for 40 years. And in fact, that last battle with the Parthians and Crassus that didn't go well for Rome, the Parthians would actually decide that it was better to bend the knee to Augustus. They gave back the standards that were taken from Crassus. Augustus makes a peace treaty with them. And just to just put a cherry on top, King Porus of India, who has the same name as the king Porus who was king of India during the time of Alexander, would send diplomats all the way from India to meet with Augustus and to give tribute and give presents. One of them actually was initiated into the Eleusinian Mysteries with Augustus. I just thought there'd be a cherry to throw on top to show what kind of power, what kind of respect this Augustus one would have.

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And Julius Caesar would be deified and remembered as the Great, the great bringer of this empire. But in all actuality, in my opinion, Sulla is the one who set everything up for the Caesars. And without Sulla, none of this would happen. Nobody would get the idea to cross a Rubicon. The groundwork would not be laid out. There's no blueprint to do any of this stuff if Sulla doesn't come along.

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And that is the point of my video. Sulla, in my opinion, was the true winner of the Game of Thrones, and the reason why, because nobody killed him or defeated him. He decided that his time was up, and that he actually gave up his dictatorship and lived out his life retired as a Bacchic reveler with a bunch of playwrights and musicians, living out their days as winners, as true victors over the politics. And even Augustus, after how successful and lucky Augustus was, he would go to his deathbed angry about his legions in the north that lost to the Germans. And so the reason why I bring this up is because there is no end of this story. The empires keep fighting, they keep being invaded by barbarians. There is no end of this cycle. This cycle continues forever. War doesn't stop. Russia is invading Ukraine right now. The Middle East is not stable. America is taking its fair share of resources from third world countries, and that's the way it is, and that's the way it's going to be. And so I look at Sulla, the only person who's ever really did this and said, and had the level of power, had the dictatorship in his hands, but didn't die with it, and actually selected and chose to take away with it, give it back to the Roman Republic. And so he is my choice for the winner of the real Game of Thrones.

After the collapse of the Bronze Age, it's almost as if the world started over again. The Etruscans populated Italy and brought with them the culture from the East, from Asia Minor and Greece. And while Rome is still a baby, it is surrounded by Sabines, Umbrians, Samnites, as well as Etruscans and Phoenician settlers. Rome is heavily influenced by the Etruscan religion. The Etruscan religion can be traced back to the Villanovan culture, directly post-Bronze Age culture of Italy. Gods and goddesses such as Mater Matuta, an indigenous Latin goddess whom the Romans eventually made equivalent to the Dawn or Eos in Greek. Other major gods of the Italians and the Romans are Fortuna, Summanus, Senkes, native original gods of the Italians. You also have what's called the Archaic Triad, made up of Jupiter, Mars, and Quirinus. Quirinus is also identified later with Romulus. This Triad, though, would end up being replaced by the Capitoline Triad of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. They also had a Pantheon of 12 gods known as the Dii Consentes, which consisted of Juno, Vesta, Minerva, Ceres, Diana, Venus, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Neptune, Vulcan, and Apollo. Apollo in the Etruscan religion is known as Epilu, which shows us how ancient Apollo really is, because Apollo is known throughout the entire Mediterranean world in some way or another. When the Parmenides and the Phocaeans came from Turkey to Southern Italy, they brought Apollo worship there as well. The Greeks also worshipped Apollo at Delphi and other locations.

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There's an ancient custom known as Mos Maiorum, ancestral custom, or the way of the ancestors, an unwritten code in which the ancient Romans derived their social norms from. They also have what's known as the 12 Tables, which was formally promulgated in 449 BCE in the Forum. The 12 Tables stated the rights and duties of the Roman citizen.

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The highest known ranking priest is known as the Rex Sacrorum, or the king of the sacred things. He was chosen by the Pontifex Maximus from a list of patricians submitted by a college of pontiffs. That sounds like the Pontifex Maximus has more power than him, however, he didn't actually have that much power. He was known as the fifth highest ranking priest under Rex Sacrorum. As I mentioned, also the Flamen Dialis, which is the high priest of Jupiter, the Flamen Martialis, the high priest of Mars, and the Flamen Quirinalis, high priest of Quirinus. Priesthood of Mars, though, had an opposite priesthood known as the Salii, or Leaping Priests, and they were chosen 12 young pre-adolescent boys who would serve term for four years and then be replaced by another young boy. There was also different priest functions, for example, the Haruspices, which inspected the entrails of sacrifice victims for portents and prophecies, and the Augurs would check for birds flying in the sky for prophecies as well. With that being said, the women joined the Vestal Virgins, which was a college of priestesses. During the time of Augustus, and they would have a term of 30 years of celibacy, and afterwards, the 30-year term was up, the Pontifex Maximus would then strategically marry them to different kings or governors in certain parts of the Roman Empire.

Every governor or king wanted to marry one of these Vestal Virgins because they brought with them a salary. The job of the Vestal Virgins was to read the sacred books of the Sibyl. One of the other more important priesthoods of ancient Rome was known as the Quindecemviri Sacris Faciundis, which was a priesthood of 15 members of a college who also, like the Vestal Virgins, had to guard the Sibylline Books. The Sibylline Books in this video, you will see, is the most important thing in Roman religion of all time. You will see how the Sibylline Books affect Roman religion from the time of the Etruscans down up until the time of Christianity. The only thread that stays there is the Sibylline Books.

But before I get to that, let's look at the world that the Romans were a part of. Over in Greece, there are four major religious parts of the pagan world. Number one, Zeus at Dodona, where the Oracle of Zeus was staying. People flocked from all over the Mediterranean world to go and speak to the Oracle of Zeus. You also have Artemis at Ephesus. Once again, people would flock from all over the Mediterranean world to see the goddess Artemis at Ephesus. Next, you have Delphi, the Oracle of Delphi of Apollo was the most famous Oracle in the entire world at the time. And finally, the Eleusinian Mysteries is where everybody wanted to be initiated because the Eleusinian Mysteries promised salvation and eternal life. The Eleusinian Mysteries was centered around Demeter and Bacchus and the daughter Persephone. You also have down in Egypt, the religion of Isis, Osiris, and Ra. The Oracle of Amon in the desert of Siwa was super ancient and famous. In fact, Alexander the Great himself visited this Oracle and was told that he would conquer the world and that he was the son of God. When Alexander the Great conquered the East, upon his death, the Empire divided up into his generals. After the dust settled between the wars of these generals, you basically have Lysimachus in control of Thrace and Asia Minor, you have Ptolemy in control of Egypt, and then you have Seleucus in control of Syria and Persia. Over in Greece, Cassander was succeeded by Philip IV of Macedonia. Cassander's son, Alexander V of Macedon, was ousted from power, and Greece was split up between Pyrrhus and Apparis and Demetrius I, son of Antigonus the One-Eyed. What followed from this is the Rise of Rome and the decline of Macedonia. To make a long story short, Pyrrhus tried to invade Italy and failed. He did win the war, but it's called a Pyrrhic Victory, named after him, because the win was so catastrophic, the outcome is what is called a loss. At this point, there was no long-term success having been done. In fact, Rome just got stronger from it. But Greek ideals did start to spread in Italy at this time, and Hellenism is now becoming part of Roman religion. Cato the Censor, or known as Cato the Elder, was known to reject Hellenism and to preach the old ways and support the old religion favor over Hellenism, but Hellenism was too strong and too popular. Platonism, Pythagoreanism, Orphism, all spread throughout Italy. So during the Roman Republic, Rome has tons of festivals every month. Saturnalia in December, Lupercalia in February, Liberalia in March in honor of Bacchus, Cerealia in honor of Ceres in April, Megalesia in April in honor of Cybele, and Parilia, Robigalia, and the Floralia also in April and May. Lemuria in honor of the Goddess Mania in May, Vestalia in honor of the god Vesta in June, the Games of Apollo in July, Festival of Diana in August, the Games of Rome in September. Basically, every month the Romans are throwing a festival for some sort of God.

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The Sibylline Books in Rome were held sacred, and they were guarded by these priesthoods. 13 of these Sibyls throughout the Empire. The Samian Sibyl was in Samos, the Tiburtine Sibyl in the city of Tibur, the Phrygian Sibyl in Phrygia, the Persian Sibyl, the Libyan Sibyl, the Hellespontine Sibyl, as well as the Delphic Sibyl, the Cumaean Sibyl, the Chamarain Sibyl, and the Erythraean Sibyl. The Erythraean Sibyl was the prophetess who was presiding over the Oracle at Erythrae, a town in Ionia opposite of Chios.

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In 433 BCE, upon the advice of the Sibylline Oracles and the Sibylline Books, priests were told to import Apollo. It was in a time of a plague, and the Romans vowed a temple to Apollo for the People's Health. The temple was dedicated two years later. According to Livy, it was situated outside the Pomerium, apparently because Apollo was a non-Roman deity. There was probably an earlier shrine on this site of this Temple that is later referred to as Apollo Medicus, the Healer. The Sibylline Books are guiding the Romans in changing their religion, and every time the Sibylline Books have a message for the priests, major changes to the Roman religion. In 399 BCE, in another time of plague, the Romans introduced the Ludi Scaenici, originally a Greek practice, on the advice of the Sibylline Books. Here's what Livy says: "Plague was rife, affecting all living creatures, since no cause or end of this incurable disease was found. The Senate decided to consult the Sibylline Books. The Duumvirs celebrated over a period of eight days, the first Ludi Scaenici ever held in Rome, in order to win the favor of Apollo, Latona, Diana, Hercules, Mercury, and Neptune, spreading couches for them that were richly furnished, as was possible at that time. The ritual was also..."

Celebrated in private houses and then again in 396 BCE. The Sibylline books told the priest to perform an *evocatio* of Juno of VI in 396. When the Romans were about to take the city of VI, an important, wealthy Etruscan city to the north of Rome, they performed the ritual of *evocatio*, inviting their enemy's god to come over to their side. Camillus, the Roman dictator, addressed the Veian goddess Juno, offering her a temple in Rome in return for her desertion of Veii. By the *evocatio*, the Romans deprived the enemy of divine protection while also adopting the gods of the vanquished into their own Pantheon. This is what's going to become the theme of Roman religion and Roman success for the next 500 years.

And in 292 BCE, because of a plague, once again the Romans consulted the Sibylline books, which advised them to bring in Asclepius, the Greek god of healing, from Epidaurus in Greece. Envoys were eventually sent to Greece. That god is said to have approached them in the form of a snake, and when nearing Rome, indicated the Tiber Island as the location for his temple. In 292 BCE, again, a foreign deity was installed outside the *pomerium*.

During the Hannibalic War, several expiations were recommended by the Sibylline books after the Roman defeat at the Battle of Trasimene and the death of Flaminius. One was the building of a shrine of Venus Erycina. The epithet derives from Eryx, a town in northwest Sicily, where the principal deity, Astarte, was the Carthaginian equivalent of Venus. This area had been an important stronghold of the Carthaginians during the First Punic War and had only been conquered by the Romans with great difficulty. In 217 BCE, the fear was that this part of Sicily might defect from Rome. This importation would seem to be another instance of *evocatio*, even though not explicitly mentioned as such in the scanty sources. Since her temple was located on the Capitoline Hill, Venus Erycina is the first known example of a foreign deity to be brought inside the *pomerium*.

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Then, in 213 BCE, the continuing war resulted in religious hysteria in Rome and the abandonment of Roman ritual. The Senate ordered that the praetor collect all the written prophecies and rituals and to forbid sacrifice in a new or foreign rite. The foreign superstition was evidently orgiastic and was perhaps an outbreak of Bacchic worship, or that of Magna Mater, or even both cults. But a year later, in 202 BCE, Livy reports the praetor's edict. Two oracles were published in response to the second games to Apollo were authorized after consultation of the Sibylline books.

Later after that, Hannibal was still in Italy, and his brother Hasdrubal wasn't en route from Spain to invade the north in an attempt to bring him reinforcements. In 208 BCE, because of the plague, the Senate ordered that the Festival of Apollo be made an annual celebration. And then, finally, in 207 BCE, Hasdrubal was defeated and killed at the Battle of the Metaurus before he could reach Hannibal. But the latter still remained in southern Italy.

In 205, the Romans were considering an invasion of Africa in the hope that this would cause Hannibal to withdraw from Italy. In the midst of this debate, the Romans consulted the Sibylline books, which advised them to bring to Rome Magna Mater, the Great Mother, who was known as the Mother of the Gods, originally from Phrygia. This goddess was worshiped extensively in the area later known as Asia Minor, Turkey, and throughout the Greek world. She was one of the most famous goddesses in all the Mediterranean. One of her most important sanctuaries was in Phrygia. Her priests were eunuchs, known as Galli, and her cult was orgiastic. Sternium, an earlier imported Greek ritual, and new games that were given a Greek title, the Megalensia, all an apparent attempt to present her as Greek rather than an Asiatic deity. There are several variants in the sources, including three different versions of her provenance. The antiquarian Varro, writing in the late Republic, derives her from Pergamum. Livy reports that she was brought from Pessinus, and Ovid unequivocally states that the goddess was to be found on Mount Ida near Troy. Livy reports that a sacred stone was brought from Pessinus, where Ovid seems to imply an anthropomorphic statue.

This is the transformation of Roman religion from outside conquering lands. In 186 BCE, the Roman Senate made a decree to suppress the worship of Bacchus, but however, this wouldn't last long because during the reign of Augustus, the worship of Bacchus was stronger than ever. The era of the Gracchi, and then Marius, and then Sulla. Sulla would go to war with Greece, and during this time, the trading between the Greeks and Romans, and the Roman Empire would expand its borders throughout the Mediterranean world and import all of the ways of the Greeks, such as Athens, the Eleusinian Mysteries, the Oracle at Delphi. All these things were now a part of the Roman Empire.

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And then, in 63 BC, Pompey the Great finishes this off and conquers Pontus, Phrygia, Syria, and Egypt. By Julius Caesar, 63 BCE was a year of big transformation. This is the year that Julius Caesar becomes elected as Pontifex Maximus, the high priest. Pontifex Maximus at this time is so important because the office of Rex Sacrorum was out of service. The last person to be elected as Rex Sacrorum was actually Julius Caesar, but because of Sulla, he had to abandon the priesthood, and it was never brought back again. And for 70 years, nobody was the Rex Sacrorum. So Pontifex Maximus was the highest priesthood and was the head of all of Roman religion. So Julius Caesar was the Pope, basically, of the Roman Pagan world. That's the best way to look at it. He was the highest priest of all. And that same year, Augustus was born. And after Julius Caesar is murdered, he adopted in his will Octavian, who takes on the name of Gaius Julius Caesar. And Julius Caesar is deified. Ovid and Virgil write religious texts: Ovid's *Metamorphoses*, Virgil's *Aeneid*. And these Latin texts are taking all of these ancient stories of Orpheus, of Medea, the stories of the religions of Cyprus, of Venus, or Adonis in Syria. All of these stories are taken and put into one story known as Ovid's *Metamorphoses*. This becomes a central text for Roman religion in the first century. Virgil's *Aeneid* does the same thing. And in both of these texts, Julius Caesar is deified. What happens as a result of this is Caesar worship. Augustus transforms the Roman religion forever.

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Throughout the Roman Empire, towns with the status of *municipia*, where local citizens had the so-called Latin rights and even full Roman citizenship, shared some of the Roman religious features of the colony. Their principal priesthoods, for example, were named after and modeled on Roman institutions. As I mentioned earlier, the Pontifices, the Augures, the Haruspices. And from the second century onwards, *municipia* in North Africa also began to build their own Capitolia. A Capitolium was built at Just time at the group of Roman citizens was granted Imperial permission to receive legacies. The building of the Capitolium with its Roman-style cult of the Capitoline Triad was presumably intended to promote the recognition as an independent community.

Augustus gradually accumulated memberships of all the major priestly colleges, becoming the Pontifex Maximus in 48 BC, the Augur in 41 BCE, and the Quindecemvir Sacris in 37 BCE. To mark this accumulation of priestly offices, a coin was issued in 16 BCE featuring the symbols of the priesthoods. In addition, Augustus was made a member of the three lesser priesthoods: Fratres Arvales, Sodales Titii, and the Vitialis. Portraits of the emperor, both on coins and statues, frequently showed him veiled in a toga in the stance of sacrifice. In fact, from this period on, virtually no one else depicted on a Roman public monument conducting sacrifice. Roman religion became tied to a particular person as well as a particular place.

In 7 BCE, Augustus divided Rome into 14 districts and 265 wards. This reorganization transformed the cults of the wards from 7 BCE onwards, and they became known as two different cults: the Lares Augusti and the Genius Augusti. To the old festival of the Lares on May 1st was added a new celebration on August 1st, when the magistrates took up office, in honor of the Genius Augusti. The significance of these new cults is clear enough in outline, if not in detail. The Lares, usually translated as household gods, were an ancient but obscure deities, seen by some ancient writers as the deified spirits of the dead. Basically, this was ancestor worship. Caesar worship was above the worship of the other gods. The calendar itself would transform from a lunar calendar to a solar calendar under the era of Julius Caesar, which is why it's known as the Julian calendar. This changes all the Roman traditions as well. Whoever was Caesar was in control of all religion. And as a result of thinkers like Lucretius and Cicero, Middle Platonism would evolve from the combination of Stoicism and Platonism. The city of Alexandria would become a beacon for religious movements to come out of Christianity, Gnosticism, as well as other mystery religions. Through the Middle Platonist world, they are on the rise. By the time we get to the second century, Christianity is not legalized yet, but it is a religion that is tolerated by some, and as a result of this, you have the second-century boom of Christianity and Gnosticism.

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Roman religious institutions in the provinces were not merely reflections then on different levels of Romanization. They were also useful counters in the competition for prestige, honor, and status that was once the defining feature of the provincial culture across the Roman world. You see, as I mentioned, the Flamen Dialis was no longer in service. But Augustus brought this back in 11 BCE, and the ancient priesthood of Jupiter, which was left unfilled. Not surprisingly, though, this has been a classic example of religious neglect. Some ancient authors write in approval of Augustus's appointment of a new priest after a long gap as one component of this revival of traditional religion. You see, Augustus fixed up and rededicated 82 temples in one year. The revival of ancient Roman religion was back, but not just in Rome. This time, it was all over the Mediterranean, and it was all Roman initiation.

Inevitably meant entry into another secret world. It was particularly associated with foreign cults which met privately. The cult of Mithras was adopted by the Roman Imperial cult throughout the Roman Empire, and as a result, the Magi influenced religion all over the Mediterranean. Mystery cults were the new thing now. In the cult of Mithras, individuals probably belonged primarily to one Mithraic sanctuary and its group of worshipers. Christians too had a set of procedures for new members which varied from group to group. In overtime, Augustus's reforms would change religion for the next 150 years. Even after the collapse of the Julio-Claudian Dynasty, the Flavians would follow suit. They would also build temples in honor of Isis, and foreign gods were seen as something that Rome was proud of.

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Over in Egypt, an even more interesting story happens. This is the story of the Serapium, the religion of Serapis. Let's see what Tacitus says about this story. How does God came to be so? Tacitus is talking about a story about Vespasian upon leaving Judea goes to Egypt, and at the request of a lame person, healed him and had his arm grow back in the name of Serapis.

He was convinced that there were no limits to his destiny. Nothing now seemed incredible. The great excitement of the bystanders, he stepped forward with a smile on his face and did as the men desired him. Immediately the hand recovered its functions, and daylight shone once more in the blind man's eyes. Those who were present still attest both miracles today. That there was nothing to gain by lying. The origins of the gods, Serapis, have not yet been canvassed in any Roman authorities. The priests of Egypt give the following account: King Ptolemy the First of the Macedonians, to put the power of Egypt on a firm footing, was engaged in building walls and temples and instituting religious cults for the newly founded city of Alexandria, where there appeared to him in sleep a young man of striking beauty and superhuman stature, who advised him to send his most faithful friends to Pontus to fetch his image. This would bring blessings to the kingdom, and its resting place would grow great and famous. The youth then appeared to ascend into heaven in a sheet of flame. Impressed by this miraculous omen, Ptolemy revealed his nocturnal vision to the priests of Egypt, who are used to interpreting such things. As they had but little knowledge of Pontus or foreign affairs, he consulted an Athenian named Timotheus, a member of the Eumolpid clan, who he had brought over from the Eleusinian Mysteries to act as priests of the religious rites, and asked him what strange cult and what God was meant. Found some people who had traveled to Pontus and learned from that near a town called Sinope, there was a temple which had long been famous in the neighborhood as the seat of Jupiter Dii. Indeed, near it, there also stood a female figure who was commonly called Proserpina or Persephone. Ptolemy was like most despots, easily terrified at first, but liable when his panic was over to think more of his pleasures than of his religious duties. The incident was gradually forgotten, and other thoughts occupied his mind until the vision was repeated in a more terrible and impressive form than before, and he was threatened with death and the destruction of his kingdom if he failed to fulfill instructions. He at once gave orders that an embassy should be made ready with presents for King Skedrathermus, who was then reigning at Sinope. On the envoy's departure, he instructed them to consult the Oracle of Apollo at Delphi. They made a successful voyage and received a clear answer from the Oracle. They were to go and bring back the image of Apollo's father, but leave behind his sisters.

Now think about what just happened in there in that passage. We were just told that this god Serapis is the father of Apollo, who's married to Persephone, who's also Isis, and he's linked to the Eleusinian Mysteries through this priest Timotheus, and also the Oracle at Delphi is saying where to find this god. So we have Athens, Delphi, Sinope, Egypt. All these places are linked in a sort of universal priesthood that's starting to form in Egypt, where this god has the ability to be linked with oracles from all over the Greek world. The most famous and important Delphi, Eleusis, Sinope, Egypt. This god Serapis, who they found in Sinope, was important to Delphi and Eleusis. The story now grows grander still. The god himself, it says, embarked unaided on one of the ships that lay beached on the shore, and by a miracle accomplished the long sea journey and landed at Alexandria within three days. A temple worthy of so important a city was then built in the quarter called Rhakotis, on the site of the ancient shrine of Serapis and Isis. This is the most widely accepted account of the god's origin and arrival. Some people, I am well aware, maintain that the god was brought from the Syrian town of Seleucia during the reign of Ptolemy the Third of that name. Others again say it was from this same Ptolemy, but make the place of origin the famous town of Memphis, once the bulwark of ancient Egypt. Many take the god for Asclepius because he cures diseases. Others, Osiris, the oldest of the local gods. Many again think he's Jupiter, as being the sovereign lord of the world. But the majority of people, either judging by what are clearly attributes of the god, or by an ingenious process of conjecture, identify him with Father Dis, which is the ancient Roman Father Jupiter.

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To read because the emperor of Rome is linked to this god, who is the highest god of all Egypt, who is important for Delphi, he's important for the Eleusinian Mysteries, he's important for the Seleucids, he's important for the kingdom of Pontus. What task is this trying to say here is that this god of Serapis is the most important god in the Roman Empire. That is a big claim. Now, the reason why I'm putting this up is because I want to show you here is where the Serapis priesthood gets famous from. But let's go over to Pontus now, Pergamum. So I mentioned how after Alexander the Great conquered the East, his kingdom was divided up. Lysimachus was in control of Thrace and Turkey. Lysimachus, after his death, his kingdom got split up as well, and the Attalid Dynasty reigned in what became the kingdom of Pergamum. And the kingdom of Pergamum becomes a Roman province in the year 63 BCE when Pompey the Great conquers all of the East. And so the priesthood in Pergamum was following suit of Egypt. They have an altar of Serapis, and now this is adopted into the Roman Imperial cult through a universal priesthood. Is forming now Pergamum, Egypt, and this royal priesthood that Pompey the Great allows to stay in power in Syria.

The story of Elagabalus, various Avatus Bassianus, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus, goes back to the time of the Roman Republic. Ptolemy V Epiphanes married Cleopatra, princess of the Seleucid Empire. This royal marriage would bring a bond between the Egyptians and the Syrians that would last through the form of a royal priesthood. Ptolemy V was a descendant of Ptolemy the First, who was the companion of Alexander the Great, while Cleopatra of Syria was the daughter of Antiochus the Great, who can trace her lineage back to Seleucus, also another general of Alexander the Great. This was all the way back in 200 BCE, which sets us up. And when Pompey the Great conquers the East, he will allow the priesthoods of the Eastern realms to stay in place, for example, Jerusalem, the temple to Yahweh, as well as this Syrian priesthood of Elagabal. And the reason why I bring this up is to set up the setting for Sohaemus of Emesa, a member of the royal family, second-born son and child to the priest-king Samsigeramus II, who ruled the Emesene kingdom from 14 until 42. He had an older brother named Gaius Julius Azizus, who was the first husband of the Herodian princess Drusilla, and had two sisters. Sohaemus was born and raised in Emesa. His paternal grandfather was the former Emesene priest-king Iamblichus II, who was installed by none other than Augustus.

Sohaemus married Drusilla, who was none other than the granddaughter of Mark Antony and Cleopatra, and they had a son named Gaius Julius Alexion. Sohaemus, during his reign, was crucial for the Roman Empire because when Titus and Vespasian came to conquer Israel, he was a key ally and aligned himself with the Romans against the Jews. This would allow the priesthood of Elagabal to survive for another century, which brings us to Julius Bassianus. Julius Bassianus was the high priest of Elagabal at the Temple of the Sun in Emesa, Syria, where the solar deity was worshiped in the shape of a black stone, which was said to have fallen from heaven. The name Elagabalus derives from "El," a Semitic word for God, and "Gabal," an Arabic word for mountain, god of the mountain. Bassianus was a member of the royal family, which I just had described, tracing its roots back to the royal families of Ptolemy, Seleucus, Mark Antony, Cleopatra, and the Romans knew that this was a real royal priesthood that existed in the Eastern Roman Empire. Now, Bassianus had a daughter named Julia Domna, who married the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus. Julia Domna was so famous and so revered by the Romans, she was deified as Augusta Soteria. In Athens, we have a Greek inscription from 211 of the Common Era. The inscription records a decree of honors granted to her by the Athenians. She has given the title Savior, implying that decree was in gratitude for some protection accorded to Athens. The surviving sections of the texts are concerned particularly with honors that identified Julia Domna with the ancient protective goddess of Athens, Athena Polias. So her full title becomes the Savior of Athens, Julia Sebaste, translated in Latin as Augusta. Here is the translation that we get from Mary Beard.

Her inherent philanthropy, cooperating for all, the Savior of Athens, Julia Sebaste. I propose that in all other respects it should be done as my colleague in office, Elpodapharos, son of Atis, from Palin, during my absence proposed. All the annual archons are to sacrifice to Good Fortune on the most holy birthday of Julia Sebaste Augusta, and to make Soteria, the Savior of Athens, Julia Augusta, Athena Polias. The general over the hoplites, the archon, the day of the month is to be holy, the day in which Athens dedicated the ancient temple to her. The war archon is to sacrifice to the mother of the forces on the first day of the Roman year, and these sacrifices are to be started by the priestess of Athena, and she will receive the prerequisites. And a golden statue of Julia Domna is to be set up in the Parthenon, and the general is to perform the preliminary sacrifice to Good Fortune in the archon, and all the priests and the herald are to pour libations, and the priestess and the queen of the king archon are to sacrifice and to offer Asteria of the priesthood of Athena Polias, and retiring araforai are also to sacrifice and raise the torch and dance at the festival, in order that through these events also our reverence towards the Savior of Athens, Julia Sebaste, may be evident. The account of these matters shall be inscribed on a tablet and set up by the altar of the Augusti on the Acropolis.

No woman in the history of the Roman Empire has ever been granted such high deification other than the wife of Augustus himself. She was seen as Athena incarnate and a savior, Soteria. Now, with that being said, I've just laid out to you there's a royal priesthood that's in Syria that traces its roots back to some of the most famous people in world history, according to the Romans and the Greeks. And we also have a deified woman, Julia Domna. And why did I tell you all this? You're looking at the title and saying, what does this have to do with Elagabalus? And when Severus died in 211, became the mediator between their two sons, Caracalla and Geta, to inherited the throne, and she was the actual Empress, the most powerful woman, the most powerful person actually in the entire Roman Empire, more powerful than Caracalla and Geta. And they were supposed to rule as joint emperors at her command, according to their father's wishes expressed in his will. However, the two young men had a discordant relationship, and Geta was murdered by Caracalla's soldiers in December of that year. Geta's name was then removed from inscriptions and his image erased as a result of the *damnatio memoriae*.

So, in 217, Caracalla began a new war with Parthia, and Domna went with Caracalla as far as Antioch, Syria. There she stayed, helping deal with his correspondence while he went on to the frontier. During the campaign, Caracalla was assassinated by a Roman soldier. At this point, all of her heirs were gone, her husband was gone. So Domna chose to commit suicide after hearing about the rebellion. Her sister, Julia Maesa, was the grandmother of Elagabalus, various Avatus Bassianus, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus.

Caracalla, while in Parthia, was murdered at the behest of one of his bodyguards, Macrinus. Macrinus would be the first Roman Emperor to hold himself as Roman Emperor without being named as an heir or by being decided by the Senate. Despite his equestrian background, Macrinus was accepted by the Senate for two reasons: for the removal of Caracalla, and for having received the loyalty of his legions. The Senate had no choice. However, within a year of his reign, he named his son, a nine-year-old boy, to be the emperor of the Roman Empire. Macrinus and his son Diadumenianus are the only two emperors that never would step foot in Rome. They spent their entire reign in the East. And after Macrinus was defeated in the Battle of Antioch in 218, Diadumenianus was sent to the court of Artabanus of Parthia to ensure his safety, as he was on the run from his revolting legions led by none other than the main character of this story, Elagabalus, various Avatus Bassianus, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus.

And on his way to the court of Artabanus, Diadumenianus was found by legions sent by Elagabalus, who also was a young boy himself, 16 years old actually, sent out his legions against a nine-year-old. Just imagine the scene. You have a 16-year-old young boy priest and a leader of legions sending out a hit on a nine-year-old boy who's fleeing, who's the Roman Emperor. And they found him on his way there. He never actually made it to the court of Artabanus. He was killed on the way there. And now Elagabalus, who had defeated Macrinus and his son, was now hailed as the Roman Emperor.

Elagabalus, whose grandmother Julia Maesa, the sister of Julia Domna, as the royal line tracing back to Seleucus and Ptolemy, which was very intriguing for Romans. They loved Elagabalus. He was extremely popular.

Here's what Herodian has to say about Elagabalus: "And so Macrinus fled from battle. Both armies continued to fight. The bodyguards and spirit-bearers, from whom they call Praetorians, fought for Macrinus. These picked men making a courageous stand against the rest of the army. The remainder of the troops fought for Elagabalus. But when those who were fighting for Macrinus saw neither the emperor nor the Imperial emblems for some time, they did not know whether he had been killed or had fled the battlefield, nor did they know what course they should follow under these circumstances. They had no desire to fight for a man who was absent and were ashamed to surrender, betrayed, become prisoners of war. Informed by deserters of Macrinus's flight, Elagabalus sent heralds to advise the Praetorians that they were fighting vainly for a cowardly fugitive. He solemnly promised them security and amnesty and offered them service as bodyguard. Convinced, the Praetorians switched their allegiance. Elagabalus then sent men in pursuit of Macrinus, who by that time had fled for some distance. The fugitive was finally captured at Chalcedon in Bithynia, desperately ill and exhausted, and by his continuous flight, his pursuers fought him hiding in the outskirts of the city and cut off his head. It is said that he was hurrying to Rome, putting his faith in the people's enthusiastic support. But when he attempted to cross over to Europe by the narrow Propontic Gulf and was already close to Byzantium, they say that the wind was against him and carried him back to Asia and his fate. So by mischance, Macrinus failed to elude his pursuers and met an ignoble end a little later, while striving to get to Rome, where he should have gone in the beginning. Thus he owed his downfall equally to bad judgment and bad luck. Such was the fate of Macrinus, with him his son Diadumenianus."

Thank you. Now the entire army went over to Elagabalus, proclaiming him Emperor, and the youth assumed control of the empire after affairs in the East had been set in order for him by his grandmother Julia Maesa and his advisors, for he was young in years and lacking in education and administrative experience. He delayed his departure for only a short time, and Maesa was eager to return to her familiar imperial life at Rome. The Senate and the Roman people were dismayed at the report of these developments, but submitted through necessity because the army had elected to follow this course. They attributed the affair to the weakness of Macrinus and said that he alone was responsible for what had happened. Leaving Syria, Elagabalus proceeded to Nicomedia, where he was forced by the season of the year to spend the winter. Immediately he plunged into his mad activities, performing for his native god, Elagabalus, the fantastic rites he had been trained from childhood. The war the richest clothing, draping himself in purple robes embroidered in gold. To his necklaces and bracelets, he added a crown, a tiara glittering with gold and jewels. His dress showed the influence of a sacred robe of the Phoenicians and the luxurious garb of the Medes. He loathed the Greek and Roman garments because they were made of wool, in his opinion, an inferior material. Only the Syrian cloth met with his approval. Accompanied by flutes and drums, he went about performing, as it appeared, orgiastic service to his god, Elagabalus.

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Elagabalus, also known as Sol Invictus, the Invincible Sun God, oracular deity of Emesa, Syria. His sacred symbol, the conical black stone that fell from heaven. His cult was established in Rome from the later 2nd Century. In 218, his hereditary priest at Emesa, Elagabalus, became Emperor. Elagabalus made the god the supreme official deity of the empire, with precedence over Jupiter himself. This short-lived promotion, including the translation of the sacred stone to the Palatine, was ended by the assassination of Elagabalus. Although this cult survived to Aurelian and was brought back into the forefront. Which means no other than this Emperor Elagabalus, who is the gateway between the traditional Pagan Roman religion to the duality that we will later see under Constantine between Sol Invictus and Christianity. Both of those gods come from the East, obviously Christianity coming from Judaism. But the Sol Invictus religion has its roots in the Elagabalus rites. Before Elagabalus, Roman religion as we know it pretty much stays intact from the time of the Roman Republic through the Augustan regime. During the reign of Augustus, we see a lot of religious reforms, but we still see this Pantheon with the Palladium, with Jupiter as the high god, and of course, Mars, and those are the deities that are traditionally worshiped throughout the Roman Empire. And Elagabalus transforms the rites of religion.

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Historia Augusta has to say about the entrance of Elagabalus into Rome. "To return to Antoninus Varius, having obtained the Imperial power, sent messengers to Rome, and all ranks were stirred up in an immense longing for him was also created among the whole people through the name Antoninus, which seemed to have returned not as a title only, as it had been for Diadumenianus, but actually in the blood, since he had written what he was the son of Antoninus Bassianus, a royal priest from Emesa. He brought with him the reputation that is usually given to the new princes who follow usurpers, although it does not last except with the highest virtues, and many mediocre princes have lost it. In short, when Heliogabalus's letter was read in the Senate, at once good wishes were spoken for Antoninus and curses against Macrinus and his son, and Antoninus was acclaimed prince. All were in favor and eager to believe, as happens with the prayers of men who have to believe when they are longing for they desire to be true. But when he first entered the city, to leave out what was done in the provinces, he enshrined Heliogabalus on the Palatine Hill next to the Temple of the Emperors, and built a temple for him, being eager to transfer to that temple both the emblem of the mother goddess and the fire of Vesta, the Palladium, the sacred shields, and all the objects sacred to the Romans, so that no god should be worshiped at Rome except Heliogabalus. Furthermore, that the religions of the Jews and the Samaritans and the rites of the Christians ought to be transferred there, so that the priesthood of Heliogabalus might include the mysteries of every cause."

So if this is true, this would mean that Elagabalus himself, part of the reason why Christianity becomes an accepted religion in Rome. This leads up to Philip the Arab a few decades later being baptized and accepting Christianity.

Was born in 203, various Avatus Bassianus, and also given the name Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus. When he became Caesar, there were rumors that he was the son of Caracalla, which isn't true. Elagabalus's family held hereditary rights to the priesthood of the Sun God. When Elagabalus himself was the high priest at Emesa in Roman Syria, as part of the Emesene dynasty, the deity's Latin name is Sol.

Going back to Herodian, when she saw what Elagabalus was doing, Maesa was greatly disturbed and tried again and again to persuade the youth to wear Roman dress when he entered the city to visit the Senate, referring to his Syrian Phoenician garb. She was afraid that his appearance, obviously foreign and holy barbaric, would offend those who saw him. They were not used to such garb and considered his ornaments suitable only for women. But Elagabalus had nothing but contempt for the old woman's warnings, nor did anyone else succeed in convincing him. He would listen only to those who were like him and flattered his faults. Since, however, he wished the Senate and the Roman people to grow accustomed to seeing him in his costume and wished to test their reaction to this exotic sight before he returned to Rome, he had a full-length portrait painted showing him performing his priestly duties in public. His native god also appeared in the painting. The emperor was depicted sacrificing to him under favorable auspices. Sent this picture to Rome to be hung in the center of the Senate house, high above the statue of Nike Victory, which each senator burns frankincense and pours libation of wine upon entering the chamber. He directed all Roman officials who perform public sacrifices to call upon the new god, Elagabalus, before all others whom they invoke in their rites. By the time the emperor came to Rome, presenting the appearance described above, the Romans saw nothing unusual in it, for the painting had prepared them for what to expect. Elagabalus made the distinction of money customary at the session of Emperor and staged lavish, extravagant spectacles of every kind. He erected a huge, magnificent temple to his god, surrounded it with numerous altars. Coming forth every morning, he sacrificed hecatombs of bulls and a vast number of sheep. These he placed upon the altars and heaped up spices of every kind. He also set before the altars many jars of the oldest, finest wines, so that the streams of blood mingled with the streams of wine. Elagabalus danced around the altars to music played on every kind of instrument. Women from his own country accompanied him in these dances, carrying symbols and drums, encircled altars. The entire Senate and all the knights stood watching like spectators at the theater. People were amazed. The spices, the entrails of the sacrificial animals, were not carried by serpents or men of low birth. Rather, they were borne along in gold vessels held on high by Praetorian Prefects and the most important magistrates, who wore long-sleeved robes, broad purple stripe in the center, robes which hung to their feet in the Phoenician style. On their feet were linen shoes customarily worn by Eastern prophets. It was obvious that Elagabalus was praying to the highest honor to those associated with him and the performance of the sacred rites. Even though the emperor seemed to be devoting all his attention to dancing and his priestly duties, still he found the time to execute many famous and wealthy men who were charged with ridiculing and censoring his way of life. He married one of the noblest of the Roman ladies, proclaimed her Augusta, but he soon divorced her after depriving her of Imperial honors, ordered her to return to private life, so that he might seem to be doing something manly. He made love to one of the Vestal Virgins of Rome, priestesses who are bound by sacred vows to be chaste and remain virgin until the end of their lives. Taking the maiden away from Vesta and the holy virgin's quarters, he made her his wife. He sent a letter to the Senate asking to be forgiven for his impious adolescent transgression, telling them that he was afflicted and overwhelming passion for the maiden. He also informed them that the marriage of a priest and a priestess was both proper and sanctioned. But a short time later, he divorced the girl and took yet a third wife, a girl who belonged to the family of Commodus. Not content with making a mockery of human marriage, he even sought a wife for the god whose priest he was. He brought into his own bedroom the statue of Pallas, which the Romans worship, hidden and unseen, even though the statue has not been moved from the time that it was first brought from Troy, except when the Temple of Vesta was destroyed by fire. Elagabalus moved it now and brought it into the palace to be married to his god, proclaiming that his god was not pleased by a goddess of war wearing full armor. He sent for the statue of Urania, which the Carthaginians and Libyans especially venerate. This statue, they say, Dido the Phoenician set up at the time when she cut the hide into strips and founded the city of ancient Carthage. The Libyans call this goddess Urania, but the Phoenicians worship her as Astarte, identifying her with the moon, claiming that he was arranging a marriage between the Sun and the Moon. Elagabalus sent for the statue and all the gold in the temple and ordered the Carthaginians to provide in addition a huge sum of money for the goddess's dowry. When the statue arrived, he set it up with his god and ordered all men in Rome and throughout Italy to celebrate with lavish feasts and festivals, publicly and privately, in honor of the marriage of the deities. In the suburbs of Rome, the emperor built a very large, magnificent temple, to which every year in mid-summer he brought his god. He staged lavish shows and built race tracks and theaters, believing the chariot races, shows, and countless recitals would please the people, who held night-long feasts and celebrations. Placed the Sun God in a chariot with gold and jewels and brought him out from the city to the suburbs. A six-horse chariot bore the Sun God. The horses, huge and flawlessly white, and expensive gold fittings and rich ornaments. No one held the reins and no one rode in the chariot. The vehicle was escorted as if the Sun God himself were the charioteer. Elagabalus ran backward in front of the chariot, facing the god, and holding the horse's reins. He made the whole journey in this reverse fashion, looking up into the face of his god. Since he was unable to see where he was going, his route was paved with gold dust to keep him from stumbling and falling, and bodyguards supported him on each side to protect from injury. The people ran parallel to him, carrying torches and tossing wreaths and flowers. The statues of all the gods, costly or sacred offerings in the temples, the Imperial ornaments, valuable heirlooms, were carried by the cavalry under Praetorian guard in honor of the Sun God. After this, bringing the god out and placing him in the temple, Elagabalus performed the rites and sacrifices described above. Then, climbing to huge, lofty towers which he had erected, he threw down indiscriminately cups of gold and silver, clothing and cloth of every type to the mob below. He also distributed all kinds of tame animals, except swine, which in accordance with Phoenician custom he shunned. Many lost their lives in the ensuing scramble, impaled on the soldiers' spears, trampled to death. Thus the celebration of the emperor brought tragedy to a host of people. Elagabalus was often seen driving a chariot or dancing. He had no desire to sin in secret, but appeared in public with eyes painted and cheeks rubbed. These cosmetics merited to a face naturally handsome. Observing his actions, Maesa suspected that the soldiers were outraged by his eccentricities. Fearing that Elagabalus were killed, she would become a private citizen again. She tried to persuade the youth, who was in every respect an empty-headed young idiot, to adopt as his son and appoint as Caesar the first cousin and her grandson, the child of her other daughter, Mamea. She told the emperor what it pleased him to hear, that it was clearly necessary for him to have time to attend the worship and service of his God and devote himself to the rites and revelries and divine functions, that there should be another responsible for human affairs to afford him leisure and freedom from the cares of Empire. It was not necessary for him, she said, to look for a stranger or someone not a relative, and shouldn't trust these duties to his own cousin. It was then that the name Alexianus was changed to Alexander. The name of his grandfather became Alexander the Great, since the Macedonian was very famous and was held in high esteem. An alleged father of them both, Maesa's daughters, and the old woman too, boasted of their adultery with Antoninus, son of Severus, in order to increase the soldiers' love for the youths, who thus appeared to be Elagabalus's sons. Alexander was then appointed Caesar and served as Consul with Elagabalus himself, appearing before the Senate. Elagabalus confirmed this appointment, and all the Senators voted approval of the fantastic and ridiculous situation. They were ordered to endorse that the Emperor, who was about 16 years old, assumed the role of father to Alexander, who was 12. After adopting Alexander as Caesar, Elagabalus undertook to teach him his own practices. He instructed him in dancing and prancing and enrolling him in the priesthood. He wanted the lad to imitate his appearance and actions, but his mother, Mamea, kept Alexander from taking part in activities so disgraceful and unworthy of an emperor. Privately, she summoned teachers of every subject and had her son trained in lessons of self-discipline. Since he devoted himself to wrestling and physical exercise as well, he was by his mother's efforts educated according to both the Greek and Roman systems. Much annoyed at this, he regretted his decision to make Alexander his son and partner in the Empire. He therefore banished Alexander's teachers from the Imperial Palace. He put to death some of the most distinguished and sent others into exile. The emperor offered the most absurd excuses for doing this, claiming that these men, by teaching Alexander self-control, educating him in affairs, refusing to allow to dance and take part in the frenzied orgies, would corrupt his adopted son. The madness of Elagabalus increased to such a degree that he appointed all the actors from the stage in the public theaters and the most important posts of the empire, selecting as his Praetorian Prefect a man who had from childhood danced publicly in the Roman theater. He elevated in similar fashion another young actor, putting him in charge of the education and conduct of the Roman youths and the qualifications of those appointed to membership in the senatorial and equestrian orders. The charioteers, comedians, and actors of mimes, he entrusted the most important and responsible Imperial posts to slaves and freedmen, to men notorious for disgraceful acts, he assigned pro-consular provincial governorships, with everything that had formerly had been held sacred being done in a frenzy of arrogance and madness. All the Romans, especially the Praetorians, were angered and disgusted. They were annoyed when they saw the emperor, his face painted more elaborately than that of any modest woman, dancing in luxurious robes, femininely adorned with gold necklaces. As a result, they were more favorably disposed toward Alexander, for they had expected great things of a lad so properly and modestly reared. They kept continual watch upon the youth. When they saw that Elagabalus was plotting against him, his mother Mamea did not allow her son to touch any food or drink sent by the emperor, nor did Alexander use the cupbearers or cooks employed in the palace or those who happened to be in their mutual service. Only those chosen by the mother, those who seemed most trustworthy, were allowed to handle Alexander's food. But Mamea secretly distributed money to the Praetorians to win their goodwill for her son. It was to gold that the Praetorians were particularly devoted. When he learned this, Elagabalus plotted against Alexander and his mother in every conceivable way. But Maesa, the grandmother of both, foiled all his schemes. She was astute in every way and had spent much of her life in the Imperial Palace.

As the sister of Julia Domna, the deified Maesa had always lived with the Empress at the court. Therefore, none of Elagabalus's schemes escaped her attention, for the emperor was careless by nature and his intrigues were always obvious. Since his plots failed, the emperor undertook to strip Alexander of the honor of Caesar, but the youth was no longer to be seen at public addresses or in public processions. But the soldiers called for Alexander and were angry because he had been removed from his Imperial Post. Elagabalus's circle circulated a rumor that Alexander was dying to see how the Praetorians would react to the news. When they did not see the youth, the Praetorians were deeply grieved and enraged by the report. They refused to send the regular contingent of guards to the emperor and remained in the camp, demanding to see Alexander in the temple. Thoroughly frightened, Elagabalus placed Alexander in the Imperial litter, which was richly decorated with gold and precious gems, and set out with him for the Praetorian camp. The guards opened the gates and receiving them inside, brought the two youths to the temple in the camp. They welcomed Alexander with enthusiastic cheers, but ignored the emperor. Fuming at this treatment, although he spent the night in the camp, Elagabalus unleashed the fury of his wrath against the Praetorians. He ordered the arrest and punishment of the guards who had cheered Alexander openly and enthusiastically, pretending that these were responsible for the revolt and uproar. Praetorians were enraged by this order, since they had other reasons also for hating Elagabalus. They wished now to rid themselves of so disgraceful an emperor and believed too that they should rescue the Praetorians under arrest. Concerning this occasion, ideal and the provocation just, they killed Elagabalus and his mother Somaeus, for she was in the camp as Augusta, together with all the attendants who were seized in the camp and it seemed to be his associates and companions and evil. They gave the bodies of Elagabalus and Somaeus to those who wanted to drag them about and abuse them. With the bodies had been dragged throughout the city and

Mutilated corpses were thrown into the public sewer that flows into the Tiber. After having ruled the empire for more than five years, leading the kind of life described, Elagabalus perished in this manner, together with his mother. The Praetorians then proclaimed Alexander Emperor and conducted him into the palace while he was still at youth and still being given a thorough education by his mother and grandmother. That was the fate of Elagabalus.

Thank you. Before I continue with more about Elagabalus, I just want to mention Alexander, his successor, who he named as Caesar. The religion of Alexander was a combination of pagan, Orphic, and Christian beliefs. The Historia Augusta claims that Alexander prayed every morning in his private chapel. He was extremely tolerant of Jews and Christians alike. He continued all privileges towards Jews during his reign, and Alexander placed images of Abraham, Jesus, and Orpheus in his oratory, along with other Roman deities and classical figures. When you think of that picture, it's actually not that surprising. This is kind of how most Christians were in this time period. When we look at the old catacombs, the early Christian catacombs, oftentimes you would see images of Orpheus and Abraham and Jesus in the same areas. But I just think it's interesting how we have Roman emperors long before Constantine that are venerating Jesus.

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Now, to go back to Elagabalus, there are many things written about him from the historians, such as that he wanted to transition into a woman and that he was willing to give half the empire to anybody who could give him female genitalia. Cassius Dio states that Elagabalus was married five times, and that one of these marriages was to Hierocles, which was his chariot driver, and another man named Zotikus, an athlete from Smyrna. Dio also says that Elagabalus prostituted himself in taverns and brothels, and that he delighted in calling himself "Heracles' mistress" and he wore makeup, wigs, preferred to be called a lady and not a lord. It's not quite clear if Cassius Dio is being biased here, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's true either, nor would I see that as something negative either. But I do think it's interesting that Herodian doesn't talk about any of this, which means there might be some truth in the middle. There's even one story that says that he had so many roses thrown upon his party attendees that they smothered and died.

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But I think the main thing that I can take away from Elagabalus's reign that shapes the empire that follows him is his religious reforms. He did replace the Roman Triad of Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva with Elagabalus, Urania, Astarte, Elagabalus's religious reforms would set up the stage for later religious reforms that came under Aurelian and Constantine. The traditional pagan Rome as we knew it would forever be changed after Elagabalus. It would never go back again. He died at age 18 in the year 222. and will always be the wonder of the third century. Meanwhile, the Sibylline religion itself, as well as the Orphic religion, begin to blend with Judeo-Christianity in Alexandria, Egypt, and a movement known as the Hipsistarian religion, a Greek monotheism, is rising in Anatolia.

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The letters of Saint Paul and the Gospels are circulating throughout the Eastern Roman Empire at the same time as the rise of the Sol Invictus religion and these Hipsistarians or God worshipers, Theos worshipers, Greek monotheists are becoming Christian. Christianity takes over in the Eastern realms of the Roman Empire, and the Sibylline oracles have text about Jesus as well as Nero being the Antichrist. So the Sibylline books that were so central to Roman paganism are now central to Christianity. And as that is happening, Sol Invictus is the main god of Rome. He is a triad of Jupiter, Mithras, and Helios or Apollo.

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At times, Constantine makes the emperor. These are the two major religions: Christianity and Sol Invictus. And Christianity becomes legalized because of how popular it is at this time among ecclesias, among Christ's association groups, monastic orders throughout the Roman Empire. They now have their own funding. And within a couple of decades after Constantine, Theodosius and his dynasty decide that Christianity would be the only religion going forward. They shut down the Academy in Athens. They shut down the Temple of Serapis. They shut down the Mithraeum of Mithras. They shut down the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus. They shut down the Temple of Athena, the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus. All of these major pagan sites are now shut down. In response to Julian the Apostate, a final attempt to restore the old ways of Rome, which was a failure. And Christianity would be the only religion in the Western world for the next thousand years. When Aurelian dedicated the temple to Sol Invictus on December 25th, this became a national holiday. But Theodosius transferred this holiday to the birthday of Christ, which became Christmas. And many of the festivals throughout the Roman calendar were either completely removed or transferred into some sort of Christian festival, like Easter, for example. And Saturnalia would slowly morph into the holiday season. And that is the story of the evolution of Roman religion. Let me know what you guys think about that. If I left anything out, I really wanted to sweep through it quickly because there's a lot. These all these subjects can be an hour by itself, but I wanted to attempt to do a wide, macro sweeping of history of the evolution of religion and focus on these key game-changer moments of the Roman Empire and how it changes religion forever.

Flavius Claudius Julian, also known as Julian the Apostate, was the Roman Emperor from the year 361 to 363. He was born in the city of Constantinople in 331. During the reign of Constantine, he was the son of a half-brother of Constantine, his mother Julia Constantia. After his father's murder and dynastic intrigues of 337, Julian was placed by Constantius II in the care of an Arian bishop. From 342, he was confined for six years at an imperial estate in Cappadocia. He impressed his Christian tutors there as a gifted, pious pupil, but his reading of the Greek Classics was inclining him in private to worship and revere the old gods. In 351, as a student of Platonist philosophy and Pythagorean philosophy, he encountered the pagan Neoplatonist and was initiated as a hierophant by Maximus of Ephesus.

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For ten years, Julian's pagan conversion remained prudently kept secret. He continued his studies in Asia and later at Athens until summoned to Milan by Constantius to be married to the emperor's sister Helena and proclaimed Caesar with charge over Gaul and Britain in the year 335. Successful Gallic campaigns against the Alamanni and Franks between 356 and 359 proved Julian a talented general and won him great popularity with his army. When Constantius ordered the transfer of choice detachments to the East, the army mutinied and in February of 361, probably with tacit prompting, proclaimed Julian Augustus.

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Constantius's death late that year averted civil war, and Julian, now publicly declaring his paganism, entered Constantinople unopposed in December. The purge of the Imperial Court quickly followed, drastically reducing its officials and staff. In his brief reign, Julian showed remarkable energy in pursuit of highly ambitious aims. An immediate declaration of general religious toleration foreshadowed a vigorous program of pagan activism in the interest of Hellenism. The temples and finances of the ancestral cults were to be restored, and a hierarchy of provincial and civic pagan priesthoods were appointed, while the Christian churches and clergy lost the financial subsidies and privileges gained under Constantine and his successors.

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Though expressly opposed to violent persecution of Christians, Julian overtly discriminated in favor of pagan individuals and communities in his appointments and judgments. Measures such as his ban on the teaching of classical literature and philosophy by Christian professors and his encouragement of charitable expenditure by pagan priests marked a determination to marginalize Christianity as a social force. His attempts to revive the role of the cities in local administration by restoring their revenues and councils, his remarkable plan to rebuild the Jewish temple at Jerusalem.

Yes, you heard me right. Julian the Apostate, the pagan emperor, is the only Roman emperor that would want to restore the Jewish temple in Jerusalem, just as Cyrus the Great did. Julian the Apostate was almost the one to restore the Holy Land, Jerusalem. Our best appraisal in the light of this fundamental aim.

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Julian's military ambitions centered on an invasion of Persia, intended to settle Rome's long-running war with Shapur II. To prepare his expedition, he moved in June 362 to Antioch, Syria, where his relations with the mainly Christian population deteriorated markedly during this stay. The expedition set out in March 363, but despite some of his early successes, it was already in serious difficulties when Julian was fatally wounded in a melee in June 363. Helena died childless. He left no heir, and so Helena died childless in 360, and Julian did not marry. After his death, the reforms he had initiated quickly came to nothing, and Jerusalem was restored back to a Christian city as it was before Julian. Julian's personal piety and intellectual cultural interests are reflected in his surviving writings, which show considerable learning and some literary talent. They include polemics, theological and satirical works. In a collection of letters, public and private, of his anti-Christian critique against the Galileans, only fragments remain. His own philosophic ideology was rooted in Iamblichean Neoplatonism. The energy magic, how forcefully it impinged on his public religious reforms, is controversial. On one view, they were directed more to the founding of a Neoplatonic pagan church, very similar to the church we would see today, the Catholic Church, but instead of having a Trinity, you would have the gods. You would have the Great Mother, you would have Father Saturn, you would have Holy Bacchus, the Savior, Athena, Wisdom, those type of deities. Greco-Roman polytheism founded within Neoplatonic philosophy. The potential to appeal to a massive contemporary pagan was correspondingly limited due to the rise of monotheism.

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"Epistle to the Alexandrians" is as follows: "As the founder of your city was Alexander the Great, and your ruler and deity King Serapis, together with the Virgin Isis, his associate queen of all Egypt, you do not emulate a healthy city, but the deceased part dares to arrogate to itself the name of the whole city. By the gods, men of Alexandria, I should be very much ashamed if, in short, any Alexandrian should acknowledge himself to be a Galilean. The ancestors of the Hebrews were formerly slaves to the Egyptians, but now, men of Alexandria, you, the conquerors of Egypt, for Egypt was conquered by your father, sustain a voluntary servitude to the despisers of your national dogmas, in opposition to your ancient sacred institutions. And you do not recollect your former felicity when all Egypt had communion with the gods, and we enjoyed an abundance of good. But tell me, what advantage has occurred to your city from those who now introduce among you a new religion? Your founder was that pious man Alexander Macedon, who did not, by Jupiter, resemble any one of these, for any of the Hebrews who far excelled them. Even Ptolemy the son of Lagus was also superior to them. As to Alexander, if he had encountered he would have endangered even Romans. What then did the Ptolemies who succeeded your founder, educating your city like their own daughter from her infancy? They did not bring her to maturity, but the discourses of Jesus, nor did they construct the form of government through which she is now happy by the doctrine of the odious Galileans. Thirdly, after the Romans became its masters, taking it in bad government of the Ptolemies, Augustus visited your city and thus addressed your citizens: 'Men of Alexandria, I acquit your city of all blame out of regard for the great god Serapis, and also for the sake of the people and the grandeur of the city. A third cause of my kindness to you is my friend Arius. This Arius, the companion of Augustus Caesar and philosopher, was your fellow citizen.' The particular favors conferred on your city by the Olympic gods were, in short, such as these, many more, not to be prolix, I admit, but those blessings which the apparent gods bestow in common every day, not on one family nor in one single city, but on the whole world. Why do you not acknowledge? Are you alone insensible from the splendor that flows from the sun? Are you alone ignorant that the summer and winter are produced by him, and that all things are alone divified and alone germinate from him? Do you not also perceive the great advantages that accrue to your city from the moon? From him, and by him, the fabricator of all things, yet you dare not worship either of these deities. But this Jesus, whom neither you nor your fathers have seen, you think must necessarily be God, the Logos, while Him from eternity every generation of mankind has seen and seized and venerates, and venerating lives happily. I mean the mighty Helios, a living, animated, intellectual, beneficent image of the intelligible Father. You despise. If, however, you listen to my admonitions, you will by degrees return to the truth. You will not wander from the right path if you will be guided by him who to the 20th year of his age pursued that road, but has now worshiped the gods for near 12 years."

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That is one out of many of the Epistles written by Julian the Apostate on the Christians and the old gods. And so, when Julian the Apostate was killed during a battle against the Parthians, the Christians regained control of the Roman Empire, and all the plans to start a new Neoplatonist church fell, and all the plans to restore Jerusalem back to the Jewish priests fell as well, and Christianity would never be challenged in Rome ever again. Julian the Apostate, in my opinion, almost saved the world from the Dark Ages. I believe that if Julian would have been successful, the world would have had a much faster scientific revolution under the Neoplatonists. Now, I cannot demonstrate this, nor can I prove it, but I believe this by looking at the past and how the Greeks were very advanced in their science and did not let dogmatic religious superstition overtake the drive for knowledge and science. This is why I believe that whatever type of church Julian the Apostate would have put forth would have been better for the world. There would have been less anti-Semitism, and there would have been more aggressive inclinations. With that being said, Julian the Apostate is forever will go down as one of the greatest Roman emperors of all time, and his death would mark the end of the Constantine Dynasty, which ironically started off with the first Christian emperor and ends with the last pagan emperor.

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I have found no confession of faith to which I could ally myself without reservation. Now, in my old age, however, I have learned of a sect, the Hipsistarians, who, hemmed in between the heathens, Jews, and Christians, declared that they would treasure, admire, and honor the best, most perfect that might come from their knowledge, in so much as it must have a close connection to the Godhead, pay it reverence. A joyous light thus beamed at me suddenly out of a dark age, for I had the feeling that all my life I had been aspiring to qualify as a Hipsistarian. That, however, is no small task, for how does one, in the limitations of one's individuality, come to know what is most excellent? The Hipsistarians, worshipers of Hipsistos, which in Greek means "most high," a distinct Jewish/Pagan sect which flourished from about 200 BCE to around 400 CE, when the church began to no longer allow opposing sects other than Christianity. They mostly appear in Asia Minor, Cappadocia, Bithynia, Pontus, Paphlagonia, the southern Russian coast of the Black Sea, Pontus. According to Dr. Kaufman Kohler, they are traced back to the Bosphorus region in the first century of the Christian era and in Asia Minor in the 4th century. They worshiped God under the name Theos Hipsistos, Pantocrator, meaning "most high" and "almighty one." They observed the Sabbath and some of the dietary laws, but not circumcision, and they cherished a certain pagan veneration for fire and light, earth and sun, without observing any idolatrous rite. The first to write extensively on them as Gregory Nazianzen in his Contra Unomium. He says they are properly related to, if not identical with, the Mausoleans or the Eucumenoi, which are God worshipers who also worship the almighty God at the blaze of many lights. He thinks they are undoubtedly a remnant of Jewish proselytes who retained a few pagan notions but were regarded as hostile to Christian doctrines. Now, how far back can we go with this monotheistic Greek people? While some have argued that the actual origins of this Hipsistarian goes back to even beyond the time of the first century, eras going back to 5th, 6th century BCE, and this would be worshipers of Sabazios. Sabazios is the horseman and sky father of the Phrygians and Thracians. Greeks interpreted the Phrygian Sabazios as a combination of Dionysus and Zeus rolled into one, a sort of father-son godhead, if you will, like we see in Christianity.

He's often depicted with a bronze hand used in worships of Sabazios, hands decorated with religious symbols such as the pinecone and the Dioscuri. They were often attached to poles and used for processional use.

There's also some roots and evidence that the Cretans worshiped Sabazios as well. In fact, it's also said by Diodorus of Sicily that the Phrygian religion of Attis and the Great Mother, as well as Father Sabazios, has its roots in Crete, and that the legend states that Iasion, who was the lover of Demeter, brought the rites of the Great Mother to Phrygia, and that the real origins of this religion are from the Cretans. Is this true? Really can't really prove it. This is mostly mythology and legend, but if it is reflecting some pre-Minoan history, it would be very hard to prove. Possibly between the Sabazios and his followers and the indigenous mother goddess Cybele, reflected in Homer's brief reference to a youthful feast of Priam who aided the Phrygians in their battles with the Amazons. One of the native religious creatures was the lunar bull. Sabazios' relations with the goddess may be surmised in the way that the horses place a hoof on the head of the bull. Some of the arguments about this Sabazios relating to the god "Most High" Hipsistos has to do with linguistics. For example, in 139 BC, the Jews who were settled in Rome were expelled along with other Chaldean astrologers, Mithras, and Egyptian worshipers of Isis and Osiris. Cornelius Hepsalis, under a law, prescribed the propagation of the corrupting cult of drumroll. According to the epitome of the lost book of Valerius Maximus, Nias Cornelius Hepsalis, praetor peregrinus, in the year of the consulate of Marcus Lanus and Lucius Calpurnius, ordered the astrologers by edict to leave Rome and Italy within 10 days, since by a fallacious interpretation of the stars they protrude fickle and silly minds, thereby making profit out of their lives. The same praetor compelled the Jews who attempted to infect the Roman custom of the cult of Jupiter Sabazios to return to their homes. Now, linguistically, some have argued that Jehovah Sabaoth is linguistically connected to Yahweh Sabazios. This is very tempting, however, it's hard to prove that this is the case because there's not a lot of sources on it. It's just looking at the two different terms side by side, and they are very similar. Now, is there any evidence outside of this? Well, there's some. Here's the thing: Plutarch has always maintained that the Jews worship Dionysus, and that the day of the Sabbath was a festival of Sabazios. Some say, like Tacitus, for example, that the Jews worshiped Saturn. Saturday is the seventh day of the week. Plutarch also says that the Jewish god was the same as Typhon, which, and later in his book on Isis and Osiris, he also pulls back and rejects the monotheistic Hipsistarians worship the most high under this name, which may have been a form of the Jewish god. Also going back to Tacitus, Tacitus makes the argument that the Jews, before they became the Hyksos, were from Crete. According to people like Tacitus and Berossus, the Jews came down from Crete, invaded Egypt, conquered Egypt, and then were expelled. Now, is there any evidence for this either? Not really. But if you take all this and put it together, it seems to line up with some of these sources. Suetonius also tells us that when Pompey the Great raided the Temple of the Jews, he found an ivy diadem, which is also linked with both Dionysus and Sabazios. Sabazios is characterized as the ivy bearer. Dionysus wears an ivy diadem, which may have Orphic connections as well. Athens has a history of Sabazios as well. The ecstatic Eastern rites practiced largely by women in Athens were thrown together for rhetorical purposes by Demosthenes in undermining his opponent, Aeschines, for participating in his mother's cultic associations. On attaining manhood, you abetted your mother in her initiations on other rituals and read out loud from the cultic writings. You rubbed the fat cheek snakes and swung them on your head, crying "Iao Sabao" and "Hyes," which those are Bacchic cries, cries which means that Sabazios is definitely connected with Dionysus. Transference of Sabazios to the Roman world appears to have been mediated in large part through the Pergamon dynasty in the 3rd century BCE. The natural syncretic approach of Greek religion blurred distinctions. Strabo, for example, in the first century, linked Sabazios with Zagreus among Phrygian ministers in attendance of the sacred rites of Rhea and Dionysus. Clement of Alexandria had been informed the secret mysteries of Sabazios practiced among the Romans involved a serpent, a chthonic creature, unconnected with the mounted sky god of Phrygia. "God in the bosom" is a counter sign of the mysteries of Sabazios to the adepts. This is a snake passed through the bosom of the initiates. The Byzantine Greek encyclopedia, 10th century, the Choraea states Sabazios is the same as Dionysus. He acquired this form of address from the rite pertaining to him, for the barbarians call the Bacchic cry Sabatsian, hence some of the Greeks too follow suit and cry Sabasmos, thereby Dionysus becomes Sabazios. They also used to call Saboy those places that had been dedicated to him in the Bacchans.

Now, to go back to the Hipsistarians, by the time we get around to the 4th century, Gregory of Nazianzus describes this group as Jewish and pagan, but not Christian. Gregory's description of this cult occurs in his eulogy for his own father, who was a Hipsistarian before he converted to Christianity, which means this cult may have formed as the native Cappadocian cult of Zeus Sabazios, integrated with the cult of Yahweh Sabaoth practiced by the numerous and intellectually predominant Jewish colonies and associations of strict monotheists who fraternized with the Jews but also considered themselves free from the law of Moses. A third-century shrine in the walls of a city in Lycia, Greece, provides archaeological evidence for this cult. It has inscriptions with a declaration of the Apollonian Oracle of Didyma describing this God as self-begotten, untaught, unmothered, undisturbed, not permitting a name, many-named, dwelling in fire. Another inscription dedicates a lantern to the most high God, great number of votive tablets evidence that referring to one or more gods as most high, Hipsistos Theos, Hipsistos God most high, as either Zeus or Attis, but mostly unnamed. This was widespread throughout Anatolia. In fact, Acts 16:17 states that "these men are servants of the most high God." Could this be a reference to this sect? I would say yes. My own personal hypothesis is that the churches of Asia that Paul is writing to were already worshipers of God most high, who were already free from the laws of the Jews, but were still what scholars call God-fearers. Many of these God-fearers had Orphic roots, Pythagorean, Middle Platonist, but not really pagan. Maybe sometimes they were in the cult of Attis or in a cult of Dionysus, but they ultimately worshiped one most high version of Zeus or Jove. This is portrayed by people like Philo and in the pseudepigrapha texts from the first century BC to 4th century AD. We see the use of this term Hipsistos all throughout the Septuagint, which translates in the Hebrew as El Elyon. This term occurs more than 50 times for a substitution of the Tetragrammaton in the Septuagint. The existence of these people have contributed to the astounding swiftness of the spread of Christianity. Without this group of people, Christianity would have nobody to sell to. Persius, who was a first-century poet, ridiculed such hybrid religionists in his satire, and Tertullian in his Ad Nationes refers to them as well in the second century.

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So, with all that being said, who are these Hipsistarians? They are, for the most part, Sibylline, Orphic, monotheistic Greeks living in the eastern part of the Roman Empire who worshiped an ultimate God that we see in works such as Plato's Timaeus. And these were the very people coming out of ancient cults from Crete, Phrygia, Samothrace, who worshiped a form of Zeus known as Sabazios, but took the concept through the philosophy of Plato and Philo and over time became more aligned with the Jews of the Greek world. My thoughts are these monotheistic groups are not new to Christianity or Judaism, but were very, very common throughout the empire.

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Just as the ancient Near Eastern conception of prophecy and prophethood may mean different things in different contexts, so Orpheus may be all things to all men. Orpheus appears in countless legendary stories as the son of the solar Apollo, the high priest of Dionysus, and the Muse Calliope, or as a devoted worshiper of Apollo himself. Accordingly, Orpheus makes Helios the same as Apollo and Dionysus, though as a giver of oracles and the prophet, he always was a companion of Apollo, and he was always devoted to Bacchus. Subsequently, the Maenads sent against him in jealousy, and he was torn to pieces like the Egyptian Osiris.

And so, Orpheus is a prophet in the trivial sense of a person who foretells the future, or in the sense of the theological administrator, an authority in covenants and treaties of the Israelite politico-military enterprises. In both cases, prophecy is an integral part of divination, whose fundamental cosmological premise and logic are based on the ancient ideology of Near Eastern royalty. Consequently, prophecy is a form of divination, along with dreams, visions. By the time we get to the first century, Orphism and Judaism are starting to marry each other. There are Orphic texts that are used by the Jews, and the Jews in Alexandria are even claiming Orpheus as one of their prophets. Plato writes about Orpheus and Musaeus, Orpheus being the teacher of a man named Musaeus. There are some who later think that this is Moses, but the Alexandrians flipped this on their head and say that it's the other way around, that Musaeus or Moses is the teacher of Orpheus. And so the pagans and Jews go back and forth on who is more important to them. Between Orpheus's golden plates about how to get through Hades and be transmigrated are adopted by Gnostic Christians in the second century. The term "Orphism" is somewhat ambiguous, as it is not clear exactly what it refers to. The angels never spoke of Orphism, but only about Orpheus. Think of Orpheus like a prophet. Orpheus is presumed to be the author of Orphic books and certain Orphic rites. A book became Orphic simply by being ascribed to Orpheus. The question of whether Orphism existed as a religious movement or as merely a set of beliefs described in the Orphic literature remains controversial. The rise of Orphic ideas and the nature of Orphic practices remain obscure, despite some recent discoveries. The unifying factor: Orpheus is a mythical figure of Thracian origin whose main characteristic was a unique gift for music. This characteristic features in a number of ancient stories about Orpheus. He is said to have enchanted Hades with his song so that his prematurely dead wife Eurydice returned to life.

To have taken part in the Argonauts' Expedition and ousting the Sirens, and to have been beheaded by Thracian women, while his head continued to sing hymns. Though his achievements, Orpheus appears as a great shaman, somebody whose spirit can affect the whole of nature, plants and animals, souls, and even gods or Hades. These achievements are often the subject of the Orphic poems, usually hymns or longer poems of theogonic or cosmogenic content, most of them now lost or only partially preserved. Such Orphic poems presumably started to circulate from the 6th century BCE to the 5th and 4th centuries, as the testimony of various authorities suggest. Plato and others. A relatively recent find, the Derveni Papyrus, which I've done a video about recently, discovered in a tomb in northern Greece and dating from the 4th century BCE, contains a commentary on an Orphic theogony and proves that such Orphic poems were in circulation already in the 5th century BCE. In the 6th century CE, Damascius, discussing the Orphic account of the beginnings of the world, talks of three Orphic theologians of which he had only indirect knowledge. According to the core of Orphic cosmology, Cronus, the primordial divinity, gives birth to Aether and Chaos, and they generate a world egg. The link between these poems and a cult of Orpheus is difficult to determine. The Divinity Papyrus, buried and burned with an unknown Greek, makes even clearer the close linking of religious practices to a specific text. Orphism seems to have been very much a book religion. Plato talks of purveyors of purifications and rituals which bring deliverance from unrighteousness, claiming that these people perform rites in accordance with books by Muse and Orpheus. The most ancient testimony to Orphic practice comes from Herodotus, with reference to the prejudice against introducing woolen articles into temples or being buried in them.

Herodotus says this is an Egyptian custom, and in this they agree with the practices which are called Orphic, though they are actually Egyptian and Pythagorean. Herodotus is not the only one who identifies Orphic with Bacchic rites, and Euripides, Hippolytus, Theseus uses the verb "bacchian" for Orphic rites. Archaeological evidence further supports the close relation between Orphic and Bacchic rites, and Orpheus often figures in artistic depictions of predominantly Dionysian themes. Orpheus is sometimes said to be the initiator of the cult of Dionysus, but at other times he is presented as having neglected the worship of Dionysus after his journey to Hades, instead venerating the Sun, for which his punishment was his assassination by a group of Thracian women. We hear of active Orphic hoy in Athens and in southern Italy in the 5th century BCE, and we know of their distinctive views, but little is certain of their rites. Ancient sources speak of Orphic rites, though without giving precise information, and also participants in these rites, presumably the mysteries referred to at least in some of those occurrences are the Eleusinian Mysteries. In some sources, Orpheus is mentioned as their founder.

Mysteries are sometimes identified with the Eleusinian Mysteries. According to Plutarch, Orphic ideas indeed permeated the Eleusinian and also the Theban Mysteries of the Cabiri. Orphics were particularly concerned with the purity of the soul, which was deemed to be imprisoned in the body. This purity was sought through an ascetic way of life with strict rules, especially about diet, such as abstinence from meat, but also from eggs, beans, and wine. Orphics believed in an afterlife and the transmigration of the soul, similar to reincarnation, a feature which brings Orphism closer to Pythagorean ideas rather than Eleusinian Mysteries. There is a certain common ground between Orphism and Pythagoreanism, and perhaps some rivalry between them.

To judge from such contradicting testimonies is that according to which Pythagoras and the Pythagoreans were the true authors of Orphic poems, and that Pythagoras was indebted to Orpheus. Orphic literature proliferated in the Hellenistic and Imperial eras. In the religious syncretism of late antiquity, the name Orpheus continued to fascinate, but now there was even less concern for demarcation between Orphic and other religious cults. A significant revival of interest in Orphic literature occurs with the Neoplatonists. Orpheus was now not only an inspired poet but also a theologian and a prophet. The Orphic poems were interpreted allegorically. Under this interpretation, they were held to be in accord with the doctrines of Platonic philosophy. The Orpheus legend had a considerable impact on Christianity. Although the Orphic rites were dismissed, the story of Orpheus charming nature with his music was interpreted as a pre-figuration of Christ by Clement of Alexandria, charming human souls with his teaching. Christ in his role as the Good Shepherd is said to be the new Orpheus, and Christ is the new Orpheus singing the song of salvation. The figure of Orpheus, which is often found in catacombs, stands for Christ, who can be depicted as Orpheus himself, as you see here in the ancient catacombs. Orpheus is depicted right next to Jesus. Christian theology did not develop overnight from Paul's Epistles to the writing of the Gospels and then all the way down to the Nicene Creed. Christian theology was not something that was agreed upon. Christian theology was an evolution of ideas, and some of these ideas, such as the Trinity, salvation, have been in hell, and the nature of Christ, are ideas that were not decided upon overnight. These things developed over time. The region of the Roman Empire known as Bithynia and Phrygia and Thrace, Northern Macedonia, Pergamon, were the seven churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation. These are the main hot spots for Christian theology. These are where the church fathers lived and debated. These are Greek-speaking people. And I want to talk about where they came from. Why is it that Christianity has very different ideas than Judaism does? Could it be that the Greek world has just as much influence on Christianity as the Jewish world does?

So what was happening in this part of the world before Christianity? The popular religions of this region was Orphism and the religion of the Great Mother and Attis. Popular philosophy of the time: Middle Platonism, which is a combination of Stoicism and Platonism with some influences of the Peripatetic School of Aristotle and Epicurean thought. One of the best sources for Phrygia is from Strabo, who wrote in the first century with a wealth of knowledge and information. He talks about the rites of the Phrygians coming from the ancient Minoans, ancient Crete. Let's take a look at what Strabo has to say about Phrygia.

"The Korybantes are called divinities or the attendants of the gods by those handing down Cretan and Phrygian matters, which are interwoven with certain sacred rites, some of which are mystical and some otherwise, about the rearing of the child Zeus in Crete and the celebration of the secret rites of the Mother of the Gods in Phrygia and the region of the Trojan Ida. The variation in these accounts is such that some show the Korybantes to be the same as the Corybantes or the Cabiri and the Idean Dactyls, the hand of Sabazios. Speaking in general, for the most part, they are all inspired and Bacchic with martial dances, uproar, noise, symbols, drums and arms, as well as the flute and cries causing fear to their sacred rites in the manner of religious servants. These rites are considered to have something in common with those of the Samothracians, which is a mystery religion in the first century, and a number of other places, because the divine servants are said to be the same. But any such topic of investigation is theological and not alien to the speculation of the philosophers." Plato in his Phaedo 61, and the Pythagoreans called philosophy music, and they say that the cosmos is constructed according to harmony, assuming that every form of music is the work of the gods. Thus, the Muses are goddesses, Apollo is the leader of the Muses, and everything poetic is properly praise. Similarly, they attribute to music the building of character, as everything that improves the mind is near to the gods. Most of the Hellenes attribute to Dionysus, Apollo, Hecate, the Muses, and by Zeus, to Demeter, everything pertaining to secret rites, Bacchic or choral, as well as mystic initiations. They call both Dionysus and the divine leader of the mysteries of Demeter, Iacchus. The carrying of branches, choral dances, and initiations are common with these gods. The Muses are set over the choruses, and Apollo, or both, these divination. But all educated people, especially musicians, are servants of the Muses, and these, as well as those connected with divination, belong to Apollo. The initiated torchbearers and hierophants belong to Demeter. The Solonians, Saturns, and Bacchans, as well as those called Lanai, Thyi, Mimolones, Naiads, and Nymphs, belong to Dionysus. These ceremonies, especially those sacred to Zeus, were performed on the island of Crete with secret rites, such as servants as those who are around Dionysus, the setters. These were called Korytes, young men who exhibited martial movements along with dancing, presenting the myth of the origin of Zeus, introducing Cronus as being accustomed to swallow his children immediately after birth, and Rhea attempting to keep her labor pains secret. For this, she took the Korybantes as helpers. The drums and other such sounds and the noisy martial dance protected the goddess. It would create panic in Cronus, secretly stealing the child away so that he would be given over to them to be carefully raised. Thus, the Korybantes, because they were young men doing this service, or because they raised the young Zeus, it is said both ways, or believed worthy of this name.

Such are the Hellenes in regard to secret rites. The tribe of the Phrygians and the Trojans living around Ida honored Rhea and worshiped her in secret rites, calling her the Mother of the Gods, the Phrygian and Great Goddess, as well as the Idaian Mother, naming after the mountain. In Crete, the Hellenes call her servants by the same name, Korytes, but not from the same mythical tale, but another, as if there were certain assistants to the setters, call them Corybantes. The poets are evidence for these conjectures. Pindar, in his Death Rim that begins formally, "There walked the song of the Death Rim, moving straight ahead," records the hymns about Dionysus, both the ancient and latter ones, and passing on from these, he says, "The August and Great Mother, the whirling of the symbols begins among the loud exaltation of the rattles and the torch kindled in the yellow pines." He shows the customs of the Hellenes around Dionysus and those of the Mother of the Gods among the Phrygians, related to each other. Euripides does the same thing in his Bacchae, bringing the Lydian together with the Phrygian because of their resemblance. But those who left Mount Tomolus, the fortress of Lydia, my revelers, women, raise up your symbols, native to the Phrygian city, inventions of myself and the Mother of the Gods. "Oh, blessed is he who is fortunate and lives a pure life, preserving the rites of the Great Mother Cybele and brandishing the thrice-wreathed with ivy. He who serves Dionysus becomes the Bacchans. Bring down Bromios, the son of a god, the god Dionysus, from the mountains of Phrygia to the wide streets of Hellas."

Again, in the following, he weaves in Cretan matters: "Oh, in a room of the chorus, sacred interiors of Crete, giving birth to Zeus in the cave, were the three helmeted Corybantes invented for me the drum stretched with hide and mixed in intense Bacchic frenzy with the sweet-sounding breath of the Phrygian flutes, placed in the hands of Mother Rhea, make the noisy Bacchic shout madden satyrs obtained from the Mother Rhea and added them the third year dances that praised Dionysus."

Euripides and Palamites, the chorus says of the hair of Dionysus, who rejoices on Ida with his dear Mother, with the Iacchic drums they bring together into one Selenus, Marsyas, and Olympus as the historical inventors of flutes, again associating the Dionysian and Phrygian matters. Often they confuse Ida with Olympus, making them resound as the same mountain. There are four peaks of Ida called Olympus, near and Dantria, and there is the Mysian Olympus that borders Ida, but it is not the same. At any rate, they invented suitable names for the flute, for the noise of the rattles, symbols, and drums, and for the shouting, the Bacchic cries, and the foot-stomping, as well as the servants, choral dancers, psalmist, and the attendants of the sacred rites. The Cabiri, Corybantes, Pans, Satyrs, calling the god Bacchus and calling Rhea Cybele, is also Phrygian in a way, the child of the Mother, as he too transmitted Dionysian matters. Similar to these rituals are those among the Thracians, among whom the Orphic ritual began. The Athenians, just as they continue to be hospitable to other foreign ways, are so in regard to the gods. They admitted so many foreign rituals, especially Thracian and Phrygian, that they were ridiculed for it. Plato records the Beneian and Demosthenes on the Crown, the Phrygian, when he attacks the mother of Isconus and the man himself for being with his mother during her initiations, joining her in leading the revelers and often calling out "Iao, Iao Sabao, Sabaho," which belong to the Sabazia in the Mother, always adding myth to their accounts. It is not easy to solve accurately all the enigmas, but if their greater numbers of myths are near to divine inspiration, rituals, and prophecy, in such a way also is enthusiasm for the arts, especially the Dionysian and Orphic rites. So the native religion of what became Christendom, the origins of Christian Roman Christian Eastern Roman Empire, was this Phrygian religion surrounded around the Great Mother of the Gods, but also this character named Sabazios, whose name some people think might have a connection with Saba or the Sabbath. The Byzantine Greek encyclopedia from the 10th century states that Sabazios is the same as Dionysus. He acquired this form of address from the rite pertaining to him, for the barbarians called the Bacchic cry Sabatsian, hence some of the Greeks too follow suit and cry Sabasmos, thereby Dionysus becomes Sabazios. They also used to call Saboy those places that had been dedicated to him as Bacchans. Demosthenes, Athenian orator, in his speech on behalf of Tithonus, mentions them. Some say that this Saboy is the term for those who are dedicated to Sabazios, that is, the Dionysus, just as those dedicated to Bacchus are Bacchoy. They say that Dionysus and Sabazios are the same. Thus, some also say that the Greeks called Bacchoy Saboy. In 139 BCE, Romans kicked out the Jews from the city, and according to Valerius Maximus, they wrote that Nias Hispalis, the praetor in the year of the consulate of Marcus Populus Lanus, ordered that the astrologers by an edict leave Rome and Italy within 10 days, since by a fallacious interpretation of the stars they protrude fickle and silly minds, thereby making profit out of their lies. The same praetor compelled the Jews who attempted to affect the Roman custom with the cult of Jupiter Sabazios to return to their homes. Some of these Romans identified Yahweh Sabaoth, which is Yahweh Lord of the Host, as Job Sabazios. This also is repeated by Plutarch, who maintained that the Jews actually worshiped Dionysus and that the Sabbath was the festival of Sabazios. Now, even if this isn't true, some of this might have influenced later Greek monotheists known as the Hipsistarians. These Hipsistarians inhabited the same lands as the Christians and worshipers and Orphics were, which was the Anatolia and Thrace region, and they believed in a god most high, Theos Hipsistos, and it turns out that this cult may have formed from the native Cappadocian cult of Zeus Sabazios with integration of Jewish ideals. However, these strict monotheists who also fraternized with the Jews and heavily borrowed from the Greek Septuagint also considered themselves free from the laws of Moses, something that lines up with the writings of Paul. Could it be that the people who Paul is writing to in these letters are in fact worshipers of Theos Hipsistos, the God most high?

Clement of Alexandria in his famous Protrepticus wrote that he had been informed that the secret mysteries of Sabazios, as practiced among the Romans, involved a serpent, a chthonic creature, unconnected with the mountain god of Phrygia. Sabazios, and he says that "God in the bosom" is a counter sign of the mysteries of Sabazios to the adepts. He said that this is a snake passed through the bosom of the initiates. Now, why is that so profound? Because the term "God in the bosom" from the Gospel of John in chapter 1, verse 18, it says that "no man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him." This would turn out to be one of the most important verses in the Bible for Trinitarian theology. The Father is in the Son, and the Son is in the Father, in the same way that Dionysus or Zagreus is inside of Sabazios or Zeus. Sabazios is a god of dual nature, whose father and son rolled into one, connected through a mediator, which is the spirit that possesses the initiates in the frenzies. Sabazios to the Roman world mediated in large part through Pergamon. The naturally syncretic approach of Greek religion blurred distinctions. Diodorus of Sicily conflated Sabazios with the secret second Dionysus that only initiates know about, not found in any text, who is born of Zeus and Persephone. The idea of a Trinity, usually a god of dual nature connected by a third spiritual nature that mediates in between them. We see this long before Christianity comes along. For example, Plato in his Timaeus says, "Anything created then is bound to be corporal, visible, and tangible. But fire is required for the creation of anything visible, and solidity for anything that is tangible, and earth for solidity. It follows that the god began to form the body of the universe out of fire and earth. But it's impossible for any two things to form from proper structure without the presence of a third thing. There has to be some bond to mediate between the two of them and bring them together. The best bond is the one that most effectively unifies itself and the things it is joining, and nothing does this better than correspondence. For whenever among three numbers, the matter, three solids, or three powers, one is a mean, such as the first in the series stands to be the mean, so the mean."

stands to the final number of the series, or conversely, as the final number stands to the mean, so the mean stands to the first. Then the mean can also be treated as first or last, or alternatively, the first and last terms can be treated as means, and so all of them will out of necessity turn out to be identical. And since they are identical, they are all three one.

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The Greek Jewish writer Philo expands upon Platonism through the Jewish lens in his book titled *Who is the Divine Heir of All Things*. He says, "But there are three kinds of life: the first life to God, the second with respect to the creature, and the third is on the borders of both, being compounded of the two others. For since the soul is spoken of in two ways: first of all as whole, secondly as the dominant part of it, which to speak properly is the soul of the soul, just as the eye is both the whole orb and also the most important part of that orb, that namely by which we see. It seemed good to the Lawgiver that the essence of the soul should be likewise twofold: blood being the essence of the entire soul, and the Divine Spirit being the essence of the dominant part of it. Accordingly, the soul of all flesh is the blood thereof."

"The Creator of the universe breathed into his face the breath of life, and man became a living soul." Who also, it is recorded, was fashioned after the image of the Creator. So the race of mankind is also twofold: the one being the race of those who live by the Divine Spirit and reason, formed of the earth. But that other is an accurate copy of the Divine image.

He then later on says, "The body, to fit it for its appropriate stationary conditions or motions, is invisible, spermatic, technical, and divine logos, which shall most properly be dedicated to the Father. A portion, cold and heat, in summer and spring, the different seasons of the year, divided by this dividing logos. For thus God allotted three days to eternity before the appearance of the sun; those which came after the sun he allotted to time, the sun being the imitation of eternity."

And time being the two primary powers of the Living God: the one his beneficial power, in accordance with which he made the world, and is called God; and the other the chastening power, according to which he rules and governs what he has created, in respect of which he further denominated the Lord. And these two, he here states, are to be divided in the middle by him standing above them both. For he says, "I will speak to you from above the Mercy Seat, in the midst between the two cherubim," that he might show the most ancient powers of the Living God are equal, that is, his beneficent and chastening power, being both divided by the same dividing logos.

So in Philo, we have this Platonic idea of the monad having a twofold nature with a spirit to mediate between the two. This, to me, is what later is adopted as Trinitarian theology.

Among Roman inscriptions from Nicopolis, Savacios is generally equated with Jove and mentioned alongside Mercury. Mercury is called the Angel and the messenger and the logos, which is also talked about in Philo's work as well. Which brings us to the next idea: is that if this really is a monotheistic tradition that evolved from the ancient rites of polytheism, then what happens to all the other lesser gods? I think that it's quite possible that these lesser gods become angels and demons. As in, we know for sure that Mercury, Fina, Nike, as well as others like Diana, are titled as Angelos, angels, messengers.

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And the other lesser deities sometimes called demons. That term *daemon*, which didn't necessarily mean evil deity, certainly became that way. As in Roman religion, there's the idea of *lemures*, which are spirits of the mortals who passed away. But there's also what's called the *genius*, and these are equivalent to what is now guardian angels. An ancient Roman religion, *manes*, *demanes* are the chthonic deities, sometimes represent the deceased loved ones. Here we have a third-century Christian tombstone that stands *dis manibus*, the spirits of the dead. So the same language is still being thrown around in these early Christian texts.

Apuleius says, "Indeed, that the souls of men are daemons, and that men become *lemures* if they are good, *larvae* if they are bad, and *manes* if it is uncertain whether they deserve well or ill." He also states that "the blessed are called *demones* because they are good souls, that is to say, good demons." Conforming his opinion that the souls of men are demons, could it be that these are the origins of people who go to heaven, people who go to hell, and people who go to Purgatory? In fact, people who end up as *lemures*, the wicked ones, belong to a category that was called *chthonioi*, those who dwell below. These are the people who are going to the bad part of Hades, who have eternal damnation, if you will.

In Horace, a first-century BC writer, you can see these ideas are already reflected in their common thought. Where it is, "Ode to Mercury," he says, "I call upon you, Mercury, you were the master who taught your pupil Amphion to move stones by singing, and upon you toward is so adept to make seven strings sound." Let Lady hear their crime and also of its famous punishment: the vat of water forever emptying through a leaking bottom, and the fate that awaits sinners in the underworld. So you have right there the imagery of a bottomless pit that is for sinners.

When Julius Caesar died, it was said that Venus came down from the heavens and brought his body up with her. The idea of the good rising upwards and the bad going down was part of Roman religion. During the Augustan age, Augustus and his death, the same thing happened. People said they saw Augustus rise up out of his grave and go up into the sky. And then, as well, for Claudius, a similar story occurs in which Claudius is seen flying up into the sky. Well, as a result of this, it became a common thing that people wanted to go up into heaven instead of going down into Hades, which was the common norm for everybody. By the time you get to the third century, it's pretty much universal that heaven is up and hell is down. This becomes central to Christian theology, which these ideas are found nowhere in the Old Testament or in Judaism.

I also find it interesting that when Pliny the Younger is talking about the Christians in the second century, he describes them as a group of people from Bithynia who are getting up at dawn every morning and singing hymns to Jesus. The singing hymns in Bithynia was the common practice of the religion of the Orphics and the Sebastian Mysteries. And in the earliest depictions of Jesus found in the catacombs, you can see he is depicted as Orpheus playing the lyre.

I'm going to leave you with one last idea, and this might be a stretch, but I think it's interesting to point out: When Jesus is on the cross, the last thing he says is "Loi, Loi." Could it be that the author of this text was placing a pun on *Sabbath Chthoni*, which is a title for the underworld, infernal Savacios?

"Then war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled down to the earth, with his angels." This was written at the end of the first century and was included in the canon of the New Testament. The ancient serpent called the devil or Satan cast down from heaven. What does this mean, and how did we get here? Let's go back to the beginning.

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The oldest text that mentions the name Satan is from *The Book of Job*. And in this text, Satan is not this divine opposition, underworld king that he's later depicted in late antiquity by both Jews and Christians and Muslims. But instead, he's more of a district attorney for Jehovah, and he's talking to El Jehovah about Job and why Job worships him because he has so much wealth, and if you take away his wealth, then he won't worship you anyway. Long story short, this old depiction of Satan is not at all in line with the Satan that we just heard from in Revelation. In fact, the serpent in the garden is never mentioned as being the same thing as Satan. The serpent in the garden was cast out of Eden along with Adam and Eve. Then there's no way he can possibly be in the later scene for Job, which makes no sense. So how do we get from Satan as some district attorney character who's aligning himself with the sons of God, and the serpent character who is cast out of paradise with Adam and Eve, and how do we get from those to being two separate things to this depiction of a war breaking out where the Great Dragon, ancient serpent, called the devil or Satan, is cast down? Where is Lucifer in all of this?

The ancient serpent. The Egyptian Book of the Dead dates back to the second millennium BCE, before the collapse of the Bronze Age. There is a text titled "The Chapter of the Making of the Transformation into the Serpent." "Sata, the Chancellor-in-Chief, knew triumphant, says: 'I am the serpent Sata, whose years are many. I die and I am born again each day. I am the serpent Sata which dwelleth in the uttermost parts of the earth. I die and I am born again, and I renew myself and I grow young each day.'" You might actually be surprised to discover that this is not the oldest. For the image of the serpent to be connected with rebirth, immortality, healing, this is an idea that traces itself back to the Bronze Age Black Sea region. The Peleset inhabit the world of Greece, Rome, Northern Africa. After the collapse of the Bronze Age, these myths are retold in the stories of Medea. The draconess of Medea were a pair of serpents which drew the flying chariot of the witch Medea. She summoned them to carry her away from Corinth following the murder of King Creon, his daughter Laodice, and her children by Jason. Diodorus of Sicily says that she was posing as a priest of Artemis. Artemis has the title *Lucifera*, she's also the brother of Apollo, who is the brilliant one, the lightbringer, and God of Music, Poetry, Beauty, Prophecy. Diodorus says she, Medea, posing as a priestess of Artemis, declared to King Peleus that Artemis, riding through the air upon a chariot drawn by draconesses, had flown in the air over many parts of the inhabited earth, had chosen the realm of the most pious king in all the world for the establishment of her own worship and for honors which she be forever and ever. By means of certain drugs, Medea caused shapes of draconesses to appear, which she declared had brought the goddess through the air from the Hyperboreans to make her stay with Peleus. Hyperboreans are a mythical race of people from the land of Scythia. This signifies this is an ancient myth brought to the Greeks from previous time.

You also have the god Set, an Egyptian deity identified with Typhon. He is the god of deserts, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners. Seth originally had a positive role where he accompanies Ra on his bark to repel Apep, the serpent of chaos. However, during the intermediate dynasty, Set's role would drastically change as he became identified with the storm god Typhon. He became the devil.

Which brings us to Angra Mainyu, another Middle Eastern deity, also known as Ahriman, who is called the devil as well. He is seen as the evil god in the cosmology of Zoroastrianism. He is just as powerful as the good God of Light, Ahura Mazda. In the Zend Avesta, Zoroaster is traveling through the desert. Once again, Set in the desert, but Angra Mainyu rushes up on him. Angra Mainyu asks to arrest her to give up the worship of Ahura Mazda and to worship him, and that if he worships him, he will be given all the boons of the world, the great boon to rule all the nations. Zoroaster declines and begins to chant in honor of Ahura Mazda, and Angra Mainyu is banished by these chants. The story seems very familiar to the Gospel of Matthew when Jesus is in the desert and is tempted by the devil in the wilderness. Zoroastrianism brings this divide in the world of mythology between good gods and bad gods, the devil and the god. This divide is seen all throughout the world: in Hinduism, you have the Devas and the Asuras; in Greek mythology, you have Olympians and Titans.

Which brings us to Saturn. These ideas go back to the Sumerians with Enlil and Enki. Enlil, who wants to flood the world, is tired of human beings, is betrayed by Enki, who rather tells humans how to survive the wrath of Enlil. This story is reflected in both Noah's Ark, but also Deucalion being told by Prometheus to build an ark because Zeus is going to flood the world.

This brings us to the myth of Saturn. And I mentioned Medea and the serpents as symbols of healing and rebirth and immortality. This was the world of the Saturnian Bronze Age. These myths are retold by Hesiod and Homer. Saturn's name is derived from *satus*, meaning sowing. And in late antiquity, Saturn would become synchronized with a number of deities. Cicero says that Saturn represents "the power which maintains the cyclic course of times and seasons." This is the sense that the Greek name of the god bears, for he is called Cronus, which is the same as Kronos or time. Saturn, for his part, got his name because he was sated with the years. He is the son of Heaven who kills his father Uranus to take on the throne and become the king of the universe. After being told by an oracle that his son would usurp him, the same way he usurped his father, he begins to eat his children so that none of them could ever usurp him.

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Hesiod's *Theogony* states Kronos, after castrating his father Uranus, becomes the supreme ruler of the cosmos and weds his sister Rhea, by whom he begets three daughters and three sons: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, and Poseidon, and lastly, wise Zeus, the youngest of the six. He swallows each child as soon as they are born, having received a prophecy from his parents, Gaia and Uranus, that one of his children is destined to one day overthrow him as his father. This causes Rhea increasing grief, and upon becoming pregnant with her sixth child, Zeus, she approaches her parents, Gaia and Uranus, seeking a plan to save her child and bring retribution to Cronus. Following her parents' instructions, she travels to Lyctus in Crete, where she gives birth to Zeus, handing the newborn child over to Gaia for her to raise. And Gaia takes him to a cave on Mount Ida. Rhea then gives to Cronus, in the place of the child, a stone wrapped in swaddling clothes. She promptly swallows, unaware that it isn't his son.

What does this have to do with Satan and the devil? Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus, all three of them would become rulers of a certain realm. Hades is the king of the underworld, Poseidon the king of the sea, and Zeus the king of the heavens, as he usurped Saturn. Saturn, however, would go on to rule a specific part of the underworld known as Elysium. This is the special part of Hades for people who attained a specific immortality from transmigration of the soul. So Saturn becomes the ruler and king of Hades, with his son Hades, also known as Pluto.

Religion of Orphism. These gods are heavily invoked in the hymns. Revelation 20:13 says, "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and there were open books. And one of them was the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their deeds, as recorded in the books. Then the sea gave up its dead, and then Death and Hades gave up their dead. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire." These are pagan gods that are invoked in the Orphic hymns being casted into the Lake of Fire in Revelation, the same book that mentions the Great Serpent, Satan, being cast down as well. This is there for a reason.

Hades, or Pluto, the Greek underworld god, as I've mentioned, often conflated with Ploutos, the god of wealth. Perhaps this is the reason why Satan in the desert is always offering wealth, always tempting with wealth. However, the god Dis Pater, the Roman underworld god, equivalent of Pluto, who's often synced with Bacchus, father of the riches. Cicero calls him "he has the power to possess and give spirits to those who drink the wine in the ceremonies." In Dante's *Divine Comedy*, there is a location known as the City of Dis, which comprises lower hell. This is a play on the father Dis Pater. He is also associated with Jupiter. This underworld god is the king of all the pagan gods. Father Liber, in the Roman religion, the free father, the god of wine, male fertility, and freedom, is the Roman equivalent of Dionysus and Bacchus. And after the spread of Hellenism, in fact, their mythologies would become one and the same. As Hellenism was spreading west, the conservatives from the old Etruscan religion rejected Bacchus. There was a decree laid out in the Senate, the suppression of Bacchus worship in 186 BCE, shortly after the end of the Second Punic War. Livy tells us that *Bacchanalia's* introduction by a foreign soothsayer, a Greek, mean condition, a low operator of sacrifices. The cult spread in secret like a plague. Lower classes, clubs, women, the young, morally weak, and effeminate males are particularly susceptible. All such persons, fickle, uneducated minds, but even Rome's elite are not immune. The *Bacchanalia's* priestesses urged their deluded flock to break all social and sexual boundaries, even to visit ritual murder, and those who oppose them or portray their secrets. But a loyal servant reveals all to a shocked Senate, whose quick thinking, wise actions, and piety save Rome from the divine wrath and disaster it would otherwise have suffered. Notice the demonization of Bacchus worship already happening in Rome in the second century BCE.

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According to James Fraser, Bacchus, who's also identified with Osiris from Egypt, is depicted as a goat-like Pan. He's also depicted as a bull with horns. Here we have the idea of an evil horn god, who's none other than Bacchus himself. In Egypt, he is the son of Amon, who's also king of the universe, like Father Liber and Dis Pater in Rome. He's depicted with horns, and he is the direct rival of Typhon. Ovid's *Metamorphoses*, written in the first century BCE, relays exactly this scene. He says, "How Typhon issuing from Earth's lowest depths struck terror in those heavenly hearts, and they all turned their backs and fled until they found refuge in Egypt and the seven-mouthed Nile. She told how Earth-born Typhon even there pursued them, and the gods concealed themselves in spurious shapes, and Jove became a ram, lord of the herd. She said, 'And so today, the great Libyan Ammon shone with curling horns. Phoebus Apollo hid as a raven, Bacchus a goat, Phobia cats, Juno a snow-white cow, Venus a fish, and Mercury an Ibis.'" The Muse Calliope, who is the mother of Orpheus, retells this tale, just as she tells of the rape of Persephone. And in the rape of Persephone, Hades, the underworld god, as I've introduced to you, comes up in the chasm and takes down Persephone, daughter of Demeter. And as she's brought down into the underworld, she takes a bite of the pomegranate, and because of this, she is not allowed to leave, and she becomes the queen of the underworld, married to Hades, otherwise known as Father Dis.

The myths of Dionysus tell us that he is the son of Persephone. However, this has its roots not only in Egypt but all over the Black Sea region. Of this chthonic Dionysus, the precursor to Dis Pater, the underworld Zeus, or chthonic Dionysus, goes back to the Bronze Age. Dionysus is one of the earliest known gods, with archaeological evidence supporting worship of this wine god dating back to 1300 BCE and beyond, with the god's name appearing on clay tablets in the Palace of Nestor in Pylos. Some researchers speculate that Hades was originally the chthonic aspect of Dionysus. Also, Diodorus tells us that this is part of the secrets of the Eleusinian Mysteries, which is why we don't know about this in any myths. This was secret information for initiates only. The theory is supported by a Homeric Hymn to Demeter, in which Demeter refuses to drink wine, associating it with the god who abducted her daughter Persephone, as well as two reliefs found in marble votives from the 4th century depicting Persephone and Dionysus as married.

In the Orphic tradition, Hades and Dionysus are linked in a different way with the advent of Zagreus. Zagreus is Persephone's son by Zeus. In this myth, Hades is viewed as the chthonic aspect of Zeus, and they were considered interlinked. All of this is going to matter when I get to my conclusion, but first, I want to talk about Pan.

Pan is the god of the wild, shepherds and flocks, rustic music, often depicted with goat horns, goat legs, and playing the flute. He's also affiliated with sex. Because of this, Pan is connected to fertility and the season of spring. And just like the serpent, he brings rebirth and resurrection. Pan means "all" in Greek. And just like how I mentioned with Dionysus being depicted or being connected with both Zeus and the underworld, chthonic Hades, Pan also is considered to be an aspect of Jupiter and also an aspect of Bacchus. So Pan, being the rustic god, was not worshipped in temples or built edifices, but in natural settings like caves and grottos and the slopes of mountains. On the Acropolis of Athens, in Israel, in the Galilee, there is a grotto of Pan known as Banias. I was there myself, and the tradition says that this is the opening to Hades, and this is where Pan is also linked with Hades himself, being called the king of the underworld, and his gateway to the underworld was right here in Israel. Pan also battles with Typhon. In the midst of Pan, he's born in Crete. Pan aided his father and brother in battle with the Titans by letting out a horrible screech and scattering them in terror. This is where Pan becomes the image of the devil. You might have heard of Pan's Labyrinth and thought of this equivalency with the devil in hell. This is an ancient tradition that Strabo, in his *Geography*, relates to us.

Book 17 of Strabo's *Geography*, when he's writing about Egypt, he says:

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"As far as Syene and Elephantine, there are the Theban guard station and the canal that leads to Tannis, and then Lyconopolis, Aphrodites, and the City of Pan, an old settlement of linen and stone workers. He then later on says, in the next paragraph, 'There is also a well that lies at a great depth, so that one goes down to it, a monolithic curved vault of outstanding size and workmanship. There is a canal that leads to the place from the Great River, and around the canal is the Grove of the Egyptian acanthus, sacred to Apollo. Abedos to have been a great city at one time, second only to Thebes. Today it is a small settlement. If, as they say, Memnon is called Ismenthes by the Egyptians, the Labyrinth would also be Menonian, and work of the same person as those in Abedos and in Thebes, for they say there are certain ammonia there. Beyond Abedos is the first of the three previously mentioned, the Oasis of Amon in Libya, which is seven days distance through the desert. In this settlement, there is an abundance of water and wine. Second is around Lake Moeris, and the third is around the Oracle of Amon.' Much has been said about Amon."

So we have a City of Pan, described as a labyrinth, Pan's Labyrinth, but also it is located in a place called Abedos. I find it interesting that this city called Abedos is sacred to Apollo, when in Book of Revelation, in verse 11 of chapter 9, it says, "A king, the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon." Which means Destroyer. The bottomless pit being identified with the devil. We see in these both locations, in Pan's Labyrinth in Egypt, and in Pan's Grotto in Israel, there is a path to the bottomless pit, the gateway to Hades, the key of the Abyss.

Revelation 20:1: "I saw an angel come down out of Heaven, having the key to the abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the Nations anymore until the thousand years were ended."

Pan is also very much linked with Apollo, as Strabo relates to us. In Ovid's *Metamorphoses*, throughout the tales, we're constantly being reminded that Pan, who plays the flute, is hanging out with Apollo, who plays the lyre.

This brings us to the topic of Lucifer. Apollo, whose epithet is *Phoebus*, which literally means bright, and his sister Diana or Artemis, who's known as *Lucifera*, lightbringer, very much reflect the idea of Venus and Lucifer. The planet Venus is Lucifer, the lightbringer. And Lucifer, according to Hesiod, is *Eosophoros*, the bringer of the dawn. Nowhere in any Greek or Roman mythology is *Eosophoros* or Lucifer evil or doing anything considered evil. He's exactly the opposite; he brings the light and salvation. How does the devil get acquainted with this title Lucifer? It comes through the stories of the fallen angels. The story of Apollo, who I just mentioned, is said to have built a foundation and altar on Delos using the horns of the goats that his sister Diana hunted. Apollo is said to have invented the lyre, and along with Artemis, the art of archery, and then taught humans the art of healing and archery. This idea of a god teaching humans knowledge would be considered evil. It is directly connected with the serpent in the garden telling Adam and Eve that they can be like gods if they take a bite of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

In *The Book of Enoch*, angels fallen from Heaven teach mankind the arts of metal making, healing, root cutting, etc. You might be surprised to know that there is no Satan in Enoch. Satan is not the fallen angels in Enoch; it is Azazel and Samyaza. Azazel is the scapegoat during Yom Kippur. One goat who represents Azazel, and another goat. In Leviticus 16, two male goats are to be sacrificed to Yahweh, and one of the two was selected by lot for Yahweh. Is seen as speaking through the lots. One goat is selected by lot and sent into the wilderness for Azazel. This goat was then cast out into the desert as part of Yom Kippur. The scapegoat ritual can be traced back to the 24th century BCE of Ebla, from where it spread throughout the ancient Near East. This was a pagan tradition from the ancient Canaanites. There is another Canaan idea, deity, an heir of mythology known as Eziz. He is equivalent of Phosphorus, the morning star, or trade riding a camel in the desert. He was venerated in Syria as Lucifer. So now we have these goat scapegoat god identified with Pan, is an underworld chthonic deity, and there's a pun on a Luciferian god named Azizos. Apollo, who is the beautiful god of music and beauty and knowledge, being cast down to earth in punishment by Zeus. This is what is later borrowed for the story of Lucifer, especially in Islam. You also have, as I mentioned with Anki and Enlil, you have the story of Prometheus, who tells mankind and humans how to build fires and how to be like the gods. He is also punished and chained to a rock. These stories of rebel gods who want to tell humans how to be like gods are what shapes the myth of Lucifer. There is no myth of Lucifer falling from heaven in any Judeo-Christian text ever. This is a later memory, if you will. So it's a later collective memory that people put onto Lucifer through these other myths like Prometheus and Apollo and Diana *Lucifera*.

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You might be saying, "But what about Isaiah?" In Isaiah 14:12: "How have you fallen from heaven, morning star, son of dawn?" And some translations it says, "Lucifer." "You have been cast down to earth. You who once laid low the nations. You said in your heart, 'I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the Mount of Assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon. I will ascend above the clouds; I will make myself the Most High.' But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit." This chapter of Isaiah was literally meant for the king of Babylon, who was taken and cut down by the Persians. Where he says in verse 3, "On this day the Lord gives you relief from your suffering and turmoil from the harsh labor forced on you. You will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon: 'Not Lucifer, but the king of Babylon. How the oppressor has come to an end! How his fury has ended! The Lord has broken the rod of the wicked, the scepter of the rulers, which in anger struck down peoples with unceasing blows and fury subdued nations with relentless aggression. And the lands are at rest and peace; they break into singing. Even the junipers and the cedars of Lebanon gloat over you and say, "Now that you have been laid low, no one comes to cut us down." The realm of the dead below is all astir to meet you at your coming; it stirs up the shades for you, all the leaders of the earth; it has brought down from their thrones all the kings of the nations. All of them will respond and say to you, 'You too have become as weak as we! You have become like us! Your pomp has been brought down to the grave, along with the noise of your harps; maggot are your couch beneath you, and worms are your covering.' How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations." Isaiah is talking about the king of Babylon, but he's using the imagery of Lucifer, the highest, the most brightest star in the sky. In Canaanite mythology, he's using the greatness of Lucifer, something to compare how great the king of Babylon was. This passage of Lucifer falling gets linked up with all these pagan stories of all these lightbringers and gods that rebelled, and you have now the foundation of a fallen Lucifer in the text of Isaiah.

Ezekiel 8:14-16 has an interesting passage that I want to relate to you right now. Says, "Then he brought me to the entrance of the Gate of the Lord's Temple, which faced the North. That's where I saw women seated weeping for Tammuz. And then he asked me, 'Do you see this, son of man? You are about to see even more detestable practices than these.'" Now, what does this mean? Weeping for Tammuz is a tradition that transcends all the pagan myths: the weeping for the dead god like Adonis or Attis or Osiris, and sometimes it's weeping for Persephone. This is such a central thing to the idea of Lucifer and Satan, because what you are seeing now is the idea of these pagan rites as detestable and abominations. Ezekiel was telling the reader that these are the rites that are infecting the Jewish tradition. You start to see this split between Judaism and paganism.

Which brings us to the story of Jezebel and Elijah. Jezebel worships Baal and Asherah. Baal, who used to be the son of El, another dying and rising agricultural deity of paganism. And her prophets of Baal cannot defeat Elijah, who is sending down fire from Uranus. This tradition depicts the triumph of El over Asherah and Baal, whereas Asherah and Baal later get identified with Isis and Serapis. Baal-Hammon and Serapis. There is also a Pergamon altar. The altar of Pergamon worships these deities along with Uranus, Zeus Ammon, which is why in Revelation 2, you get, "I know where you live—where Satan has his throne. Yet you remain true to my name; you did not renounce your faith in me, even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was put to death in your city—where Satan lives." This was an altar built by Augustus in honor of Zeus Ammon and Isis and Serapis, who are depicted as serpents.

Lord of the Flies. In Hebrew, one of the epithets for Zeus in Pergamon is *Apomnos*. Zeus *Ipomnos* is the god of the flies, the god of the dead, the underworld, chthonic Zeus. That's who Baal-Zebub is, who shows up in the Gospels and is cast out by Jesus.

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Which brings us back to Christianity. And Enoch. Enoch's fallen angels, a monotheistic retelling of the pagan traditions as fallen angels. This brings us to the author of Revelation, borrowing heavily from the Enochic tradition. The Great Serpent or Satan, as in Revelation 12, tells us, is literally paganism incarnate. He is the lightbringer, like Apollo and Diana, who also are cast down from heaven. He is the rebel, like Prometheus, who teaches mankind knowledge. He is the serpent in the garden, who tells you that you can be like gods if you take a bite. He is Bacchus, the spirit that possesses one. He is the chthonic Hades, the king of the underworld. He is the Saturn king who eats his children. And most of all, he is the image of Pan, the goat god, who lives in the labyrinth and the underworld. And he is Venus, Lucifer, the morning star.

These ideas continue after Christianity has its stronghold on the Romans. Baphomet, for example, becomes the sabbatic goat god who is worshipped by the Crusaders. Raymond d'Aguilers reports that the term Baphomet comes from a corruption of the word Mahomet or Muhammad. Somehow, this initiation rite of the Templars is about this goat god, Baphomet. Jules Michelet says that "the indictment published by the court of Rome set forth that in all provinces they had idols, that is to say, heads, some of which had three faces, others but one. Sometimes it was a human skull. That in their assemblies, they had especially in their grand chapters, they worshipped the idol as a god, as their savior. Say that this head could save them, that had bestowed on the order all its wealth, made the trees flower and the plants of the earth sprout forth," which is a pagan agricultural idea. Dante in his *Inferno* plays off of this and also depicts Satan with three heads, just as Michelet describes them of Baphomet.

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Then when we get to *Paradise Lost* by John Milton, the entire image of Lucifer and Satan is put together perfectly: the fall of Man, the temptation of Adam and Eve by the fallen angel Satan, who's also the serpent and the Luciferian angel. All of it is put together in 1667 by John Milton, who later is picked up by Aleister Crowley and the painting, famous depiction of the Baphomet by Eliphas Lévi, depicting this god with the staff of the serpents of Mercury and the pentagram on his head, which is the symbol of the pagan altar, the horns of the goat, the wings of the fallen angel Lucifer, and of course, he is male and female, like Venus and Lucifer. Aleister Crowley uses the Baphomet of Lévi within his cosmology of Thelema, the mystical system established by Crowley in the 20th century. Baphomet features in the Creed of the Gnostic Catholic Church, recited by the congregation in the Gnostic Mass, in the sentence, "And I believe in the Serpent and the Lion, mystery of mysteries, in His name, Baphomet." This is where we now have all of these sigils of Baphomet and Lucifer in the Satanic Temple, which is still alive today as a direct opposition to the biblical religions that seek to suppress the human condition of fleshly desires, of seeking knowledge, of progression.

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So my conclusion is that Lucifer and Satan is the embodiment of the pagan tradition itself, a direct opposition to the biblical God, and is also a realization that you cannot unify ancient religions into one religion. You have to choose: either you want the Messiah to come and bring in this one world submission to one God, or you reject that idea and instead put up on a throne to worship the world, human growth, and desires, which is not evil and is natural to take care of Mother Gaia and not wait for its destruction by a Messiah.

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Thank you.

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At the beginning, there is only chaos, night, Erebus, and deep Tartarus. Earth, the air, and heaven had no existence. Firstly, black wind, night, germless egg in the bosom of the infinite deep of Erebus. And from this, after the revolution of long ages, sprang the graceful Eros with his glittering golden wings. Swift as the whirlwinds of the tempest, he made it in deep Tartarus with dark chaos, winged like himself. And thus hatched forth our race, which was the first to see the light. Eros is the god of love, lust, and sex. He is also known in Latin as Cupid, desire. According to Hesiod, he was the firstborn of the gods. But when most people think of Cupid or Eros, they think of a weak baby with an arrow, sidekick of Venus, an afterthought in the discussion of the gods, nothing compared to Zeus, right? Well, not really. In fact, in one of the oldest novels passed down to us, known as *Daphnis and Chloe* by Longus, *Daphnis and Chloe* tells the story of a baby boy and a baby girl who are discovered separately, two years apart, alone and exposed on a Greek mountainside, taken in by a goatherd and his shepherd and raised near the town of Mytilene. They grow to maturity, hardly aware of one another's existence, until the mischievous god of love, Eros, creates in them a sudden, overpowering desire for one another.

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One of the characters in the story, Philoetus, says to the children, Daphne and Chloe, "Love, my children, is a god, young and beautiful and winged. That's why he delights in youth and pursues beauty and gives wings to the soul. And he can do greater things than Zeus himself. He has power over the elements, he has power over the stars, he has power over his fellow gods, far more than you have over your goats and your sheep. The flowers are all love's handiwork. These trees are his creations. He is the reason why rivers run and winds blow. I've even known a bull that fell in love and used to bellow as if he'd been stung by a gadfly."

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"And I've known a he-goat that loved a she-goat and followed her everywhere." I'm going to argue that Eros is the mightiest of all the gods, but I'm not the only one who made this argument.

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In the masterpiece by Plato, known as *Symposium*, love, or Eros, is the first topic of discussion at the wine party between Socrates and Phaedrus.

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"Let Phaedrus begin the praise of love, and good luck to him." All the company expressed their assent and desired him to do as Socrates bade him. Aristodemus did not recollect all that was said, nor do I recollect all that he related to me; but I will tell you what I thought was most worthy of remembrance, and what the chief speaker said. Phaedrus began by affirming that love is a mighty god and wonderful among gods and men, but especially wonderful in his birth, for he is the eldest of the gods, which is an honor to him and proof of his claim to his honor is that of his parents there is no memorial; neither poet nor prose writer has ever affirmed that he had any. As Hesiod says, Chaos came, and then broad-bosomed Earth, the everlasting seat of all that is, and Love. In other words, after Chaos, the Earth, and Love, these two came into being. Also Parmenides sings of generation: First in the train of gods he fashioned Love.

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Agrees with Hesiod. Thus numerous are the witnesses who acknowledge love to be the eldest of the gods. And not only is he the eldest, he is the source of the greatest benefits to us. For I know not any greater blessing to a young man who is beginning life than a virtuous lover, or to the lover than beloved youth. For the principle which ought to be the guide of men who would nobly live, the principle I say, neither kindred, nor honor, nor wealth, nor any other motive is able to implant so well as love. Of what am I speaking? Of the sense of honor and dishonor, without which neither states nor individuals ever to any good or great work. And I say that a lover who is detected and doing any dishonorable act, or submitting through cowardice when any dishonor is done to him by another, will be pained and being detected by his beloved. Then at being seen by his father or by his companions or by anyone else. The beloved too, when he is found in any disgraceful situation, has the same feeling about his lover. And if there were only some way of contriving that a state or any army should be made up of lovers and their loves, they would be very best governors of their own city, abstaining from all this honor and emulating one another in honor. And when fighting in each other's side, although a mere handful, they would overcome the world. For what lover would not choose rather to be seen by all mankind than by his beloved, either when abandoning his post, throwing away his arms, he would be ready to die a thousand deaths rather than endure this, or who would desert his beloved or fail him in the hour of danger? The various coward would become an inspired hero, equal to the bravest at such a time. Love would inspire him that courage which, as Homer says, the god breathes into the souls of the same heroes. Love of his own nature infuses into a lover. Love will make men dare to die for their beloved. Love alone. And women as well as men. Of this Alcestis, the daughter of Peleus, is a monument of all Hellas, for she was willing to lay down her life on behalf of her husband when no one else would, although he had a father and a mother. But the tenderness of love so far exceeded theirs that she made them seem to be strangers in blood to their own son and in name only related to him. And so noble to this action of hers appeared to the gods as well as to other men. Among the many who have done virtuously, she is one of the very few to whom, in admiration of her noble action, they have granted the privilege of returning alive to Earth. Such exceeding honors paved by the gods to the devotion of virtue and love. Orpheus, the son of August, the Harper, they sent away and presented to him an apparition only of her whom he sought, but herself they would not give up because he showed no spirit. He was only a heart player and did not dare like Alcestis to die for love, but was contriving how he might enter Hades alive. Moreover, they afterward caused him to suffer death at the hands of women as the punishment of his cowardice. Very different was the reward of the true love of Achilles toward his lover Patroclus. His lover, and not his love. The notion that Patroclus was the beloved one is a foolish error into which Asclepius has fallen, for Achilles was surely the fairer of the two, fairer also all the other heroes, and his Homer informs us, he was still beardless and younger. And greatly as the gods honor the virtue of love, still the return of love on the part of the beloved to the lover is more admired and valued and rewarded by them. For the lover is more divine because he is inspired by God. Now Achilles was quite aware, for he had been told by his mother that he might avoid death and return home to live to a good old age if he abstained from slaying Hector. Nevertheless, he gave his life to a revenge his friend and dared to die, not only in his defense, but after he was dead, wherever the gods honored him above Alcestis and sent him to the island of the Blessed.

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These are my reasons for affirming that love is the eldest and noblest and mightiest of the gods, and chiefest author and giver of virtue in life and of happiness after death. This, or something like this, was the speech of Phaedrus.

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As you can see, Plato lays it out pretty clearly. The god Love, Eros, Cupid, is the motivating factor behind all that is good in the world. People who have aspirations, who seek to get things done, whether it's battles, whether it's building a society, the motivating factor behind it is usually love. It's usually the caring for the people that you're close to. It's usually keeping families safe or impressing a lover at a young age, protecting your children.

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We see this throughout ancient myths. Jason in the *Argonautica* is saved by Medea's grace. She, he is also anointed by Medea, but none of this would have happened had it not for Eros getting involved and making Medea fall in love with Jason. Jason would have not have completed his journey.

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The same goes for Odysseus in *The Odyssey*. Would Odysseus be successful in his journey if it wasn't for Athena saving him time after time? And the reason behind it was Eros making Athena fall in love with Odysseus. So once again, love being the motivating factor, being the core, the driving factor behind the success in these epics. In the *Dionysiaca*, Eros drives Dionysus mad for Aura with the delicious wound of his arrow, and the god roamed over the hills, scourged with the greatest fire. In the story of Eros and Psyche...

Is within the golden ass of Appellius. The story tells a quest for love between Eros and Psych. Aphrodite, jealous of the beauty of the mortal princess, Eros falls in love with Psych and spirits her away to his home.

After a visit from Psych's jealous sisters, they caused Psych to portray love. After wandering for a long time, Psych runs into Aphrodite and asks for help, and she gives him a series of difficult tasks. After successfully completing them, Aphrodite relents and if it's like becomes immortal to live alongside her husband. Heroes.

The point of this is the motivating factor for love and psyche, which is the incarnate god of the human soul. Is the bond of love and marriage, the sort of glue that holds together all purpose in all things. Is love. Is not just famous in Greek mythology or Roman mythology. Is Cupid. Christianity has a lot to owe to Eros. Let me explain why.

Mark 28-34: "When one of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating, noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked of all the Commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus, "is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these." "Well said, teacher," the man replied. "You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burned offerings and sacrifices." When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." Is from then on, no one dared to ask him any more questions."

John 15:9-17 states as follows: "As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you my friends for everything I learned from the Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other."

And in this verse in particular, he mentions that "greater love has no other than this to lay down one's life for his friends." Similar to what we heard in Plato's Symposium, love being the motivating factor for people to do good deeds. Why this is the greatest commandment? Because other good deeds, other commandments become fulfilled just through this one commandment. Which is why Eros is the firstborn in a pagan sense. Jesus was not the first Jew to come up with sayings like this. Hillel the Elder, a generation before Jesus, says that "what is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow. This is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary."

The last thing I want to leave you with is from the Gnostic Nag Hammadi scriptures, so text known as "On the Origin of the World." It's quite long, so I'm not going to read the whole thing, but there is a passage about Eros. And it says: "Out of his first blood, Eros appeared, being androgynous. His masculine nature is humorous because he is a fire from the light. His feminine nature is that of a soul of blood and is derived from the substance of forethought. He is very handsome in his beauty, having more loveliness than all the creatures of Chaos. Then when all the gods and their angels saw Eros, they became enamored of him. But when he appeared among all of them, he made them inflamed, just as many lamps are kindled from a single lamp, and the light shines, but the lamp is not diminished. So also Eros was scattered in all the creatures of Chaos but was not diminished. Just as Eros appeared out of the midpoint between light and darkness and in the midst of the angels and people, the intercourse of Eros was consummated. So too the first sensual pleasure sprouted upon the Earth. The woman followed the Earth, and marriage followed the woman, and reproduction followed marriage, and death filed reproduction. After Eros, grave finds sprouted up from the blood that was shed upon the Earth. Therefore, those who drank the vine acquire the desire for intercourse. After the grapevine, a fig tree and a pomegranate tree sprouted up from the earth together. The rest of the trees according to their kind, their seeds deriving from the seed of the authorities and their angels."

This is a Gnostic version of the same thing the Hesiod and Phaedrus are getting at. It's also very relatable to what Jesus is getting at in his parables. If you do the commandment of love, everything else will follow. You don't need to worry about any other commandments because the commandment of love covers all the other commandments. Eros being the firstborn, that no other deity can come into existence without love because there is no purpose for them to be brought forth. But in this Gnostic text, the first blood was Eros appeared, and after Eros, the grapevine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, meaning in a Gnostic sense, instead of there being these gods, we have these different types of vines coming forth from the light of gnosis, and Eros is the first one.

If love is the only commandment you follow, all the other commandments will be fulfilled. All these things that we do, we fight, we build armies, we protect our cities, we protect our children, we protect our loved ones, we try to do things driven by love. All these characters and all these myths, Dionysus, Aphrodite, Medea, Athena, they are the saviors in all of these myths because they're driven by love. Which is why love is the mightiest of all the gods, really.

Marvel at the profound influence of these ancient mythologies on the biblical world. Let us recognize that shared motifs, cultural cross-pollination, and the universal tropes that emerged from these diverse narratives. As we delve into the depths of history, we uncover not only the roots of our collective heritage but also the timeless power of storytelling, shaping civilizations and shaping our very identities. So, dear viewers, as we bid farewell to this mythological odyssey, let us carry with us the wisdom and wonder of these ancient tales. And may we continue to explore, question, and appreciate the incredible tapestry of human imagination that binds us across time and space. Thank you for joining us on this illuminating journey. Until our paths cross again, keep seeking gnosis and embracing the marvels of our shared human story. Stay curious, stay inspired by the Muse, and keep weaving your own mythological tapestry. You have disdained true gnosis.