Two possible explanations, the first is that they are sympathetically acting out the role of the faithful Sirtar and Gestinanna as they wept for their son/brother (notice that no men are involved, only women, so this is plausible). until the time of Saint Ambrose (c339-397). JPS Tanakh 1917 Then He brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz. Wilkinson's Egyptians. But I will get all of the verses and timelines together and repost <3, Welcome to Stack Exchange. The Original Myth. yet today most of the Christian world observes a 40 day period called Lent, A cursory search on BibleGateway shows that the only occurrence of Tammuz is in Ezekiel 8. In the carvings, Tammuz appears (from far off) to be carrying what looks like a cross, but if one simply takes a good look, it is clear that he is carrying long branches with three curved branches with leaves coming out from the top. When Nimrod died Semiramis was pregnant. The Scriptures records ancient Yahudah (Judah) worshipping this false Messiah . Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. I have heard it said that it must be a big phallic symbol causing everyone to be jealous, but no phallic symbol that is big enough to be seen from afar could seriously be expected to make anyone jealous, especially God. (What is it actually based on? This weeping occurs in the Spring. rev2023.3.3.43278. 142, The end of Duuzu in the summer (month IV) especially came to be set aside for mourning the dead Dumuzi, who would rise again only with the winter rains. inviolate.". In verse, 14 we see the women are weeping for Tammuz, God calls this a greater abomination for they are committing adultery on top of the idolatry we see is being done earlier in the passage. Could it be an offering of water (tears) to the soil in the absence of the fertility that Tammuz brings? Semiramis became known as the fertility goddess Ishtar. varied. About Catholicism But Perhaps Don't), by John Deedy, copyright Is a PhD visitor considered as a visiting scholar? least an indirect connection with the pre-Christian [pagan] feasts It would be an in your face image that would provoke jealousy. Lord said to him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst cry over all the abominations that are done within it. Ezekiel lol, she was called the heavenly grape-vine but that is interesting, that the wife and sister have similar names and especially since Inanna had nothing to do with grape vines herself, but was the goddess of the storehouse in the earliest legends. So the 40 days of Tammuz went pig hunting and was gored to death by a wild boar and that is why pagans eat ham on Easter. Note that Lent is a moveable observance, connected to and preceding Is it possible to rotate a window 90 degrees if it has the same length and width? These rites began on the 26th, with the last moonlight, and continued through the 29th.- Fleming, Daniel E. Time at Emar: The Cultic Calendar and the Rituals from the Diviner's Archive. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress, Lent is based on Tammuz worship. Thats the claim lets test it against what is actually known and weigh the evidence. He was the son of Nimrod. eighth centuries; there are no feasts observed on Sundays; purple vestments "Thus, by mid-fourth century, the duration of Lent -- the word itself means . These two weeks are called Is it possible to create a concave light? Teaser sample of Context For Kids Volume 1: Honor and Shame in the Bible Coming Soon! The women for certain would have been weeping in the summer/fall. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. Thank you! to observe a forty day period of fasting prior to Easter, indicating that Goddess associated with Tammuz) reason for use of eggs and bunnies as symbols of fertility) > obscures Passover and the significance of the redeeming blood of messiah. She took on many names in different cultures including Isis, Diana, Astarte, Ishtar, Aphrodite, Venus, and Easter. Publications. Are the women weeping so as to ensure that Tammuz will return and bless the land again? In the mean while an enormous number of texts from Babylonia have been excavated and lots of good studies of Babylonian religion in general and Tammuz in particular are available, in real books, and even on the internet. the Israelites.". To answer the question of why Tammuz was carrying a branch, it is quite simple Tammuz was an agricultural/shepherd deity. Confronting a Devastating Doctrine: Are Children Is Hand Washing Commanded? The forty days abstinence of Lent Who would he have been in the 6th century BCE when Ezekiel saw the abominations in the Temple? 106, 107. To begin, @lasersauce made the correct observation that. How do you know when to understand the Hebrew word (olam) as "eternal" or simply a long duration? SURE! Not only am I not attacking other ministries, but I am personally pleading guilty to having spread misinformation before I learned to study for myself and to find reputable sources of information. This is why Lent means "spring"; it took place from spring to early summer. 2 (Winter, 1962), pp. Bishop of Rome [514-523], about the year 519, which decreed that Lent should In their minds, there was a god responsible for absolutely every function, and agriculture was a huge function. In the more famous Inannas Descent, we see Inanna (Ishtar) consigned to dwell in the underworld by her sister unless she can find a replacement returning back to the earth to find someone suitable (so she can be with her beloved husband, Dumuzi), she finds that he um. Each year men and women had to grieve or weep with Ishtar (Nimrod's mother), over the death of Tammuz (Nimrod), and celebrate the god's resurrection and return in the spring. which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for When could a ferry-boat bound for Italy get becalmed in the Straits of Corfu after meeting contrary winds and drifting to Paxos? by Alexander Hislop, page 104. The Hebrew word for weeping is . these: 'Those who inhabit the princely city of Rome fast together Is there a connection between Inanna and Gestinanna? Christians followed different customs -- some fasted for several days, others Because Tammuz was killed when he was forty years old, Pagans fast one day for each of the years that he lived leading into Easter. be solemnly kept before Easter. Thank you for your energetic search! Now turn again, you will see The, between Elul 1 and Yom Kippur during which the 40 days of fasting and Temptation of the Messiah occurred), Now before I go any further, please note that before I actually started doing the ANE researchyears ago I was one of the people spreading the misinformation about Tammuz that originated in the 1850s in one pseudo-archaeological book by a man named Alexander Hislopupon which many other books were later based. They baked cakes shaped like naked women and phallic symbols. }. According to pursuing its usual policy, took measures to get the Christian and Pagan The 40 Days of Weeping for Tammuz (Lent) According to Catholics, Lent is derived from the 40 days Yeshua spent fasting in the wilderness, but it is admitted that the observance of Lent was unknown to the disciples and it did not find its way into the church until several centuries after the time of the Messiah. American King James Version , where Ezekiel saw in vision an abominable sight: women "weeping for Tammuz" at the very temple of God. In this regard, Becking and Dijkistra (1996) provide important historical details. The Temple was the very House and Throne of God upon Earth. Baal, Tammuz, Ashtoreth, Astarte and Ishtar are all connected with pagan sun Tag! He obviously must be gone and unable to perform his cosmic function. I only have 1 source for this and that is the Bible. 1, No. which, in many countries, was considerably later than the Christian festival, celebrated by alternate weeping and rejoicing. the 40 days of fasting in the wilderness preceded the earthly ministry In this chapter, Ezekiel condemns the idolatry which he sees in the Jerusalem Temple. The Liturgy of the Church reflects The resurrection of Tammuz, through Ishtar's weeping, was dramatically represented in order to insure the success of the crops and the fertility of the people. The visions of the temple that God gave to Ezekiel in chapter eight actually show what was taking place in Jerusalem at the temple. Ezekiel 8 in Context Part 2, Episode 164: Purim 2023Honor, Shame and Two Brave Queens, Episode 163: Sociology IIReligion, Weird Science, and Practical Linguistics, Episode 162 Sociology I: Groupthink, Holy/Profane and Clean/Unclean, Episode 161: The Advent of John the Baptist in Luke, Episode 160: Special Teaching #1The Advent of the Messiah in Matthew, Infertility, Barreness, Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Child Loss. 8:12-14] He called it an abomination. Here are some sources I've found regarding the weeping of tammuz but does anyone have some other sources regarding this practice? the Church in his day, "that the observance of the forty days had In Ezekiel 8:14 the prophet is taken up in a vision, and shown women who "Weep for Tammuz". Hope of Israel Ministries Why are they weeping? One of these ceremonies is recorded in Ezekiel 8:14 Ezekiel 8:14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess [Astarte (For another scholarly take on the identity of the Queen of Heaven, I recommend Dr. Dinah Dyes book The Temple Revealed in Creation). 2 Ki 23:11 And he [King Josiah] took away the horses that the kings Let me ignite a passion for Ancient Near Eastern and First Century Bible Context. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. greater abominations. Ezekiel 8:6 . We traced the origins of the fallacious narrative that "Easter" was an ancient pagan observance, either in honor of . Elijah fasted and journeyed to Horeb for 40 days: 1 Kings 19:8. Ezek 8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, What does the Most High mean by 'inhabiting the waste places of the land of Israel' in Ezekiel 33:24? The roots of the Easter celebration date to long before Jesus Christ's life, death and resurrection. The 40 Days of Weeping for Tammuz (Lent) According to the Roman Church, Lent is derived from the 40 days Yeshua spent fasting in the wilderness, but it is admitted that the observance of Lent was unknown to the disciples and it did not find its way into the church until several centuries after the time of the Messiah. (1). "Legend has it that Tammuz was killed by a wild boar when he was forty "Whence, then, came this observance? confession, and schooling candidates for baptism on Easter Eve. What video game is Charlie playing in Poker Face S01E07? So, whats the living in the underworld for six months motif all about? But at last, when the worship of Astarte was rising into the ascendant, When we automatically assume that the image was designed to make people jealous through sexual motifs, we are injecting a modern mindset into the mix. It was the fallen of Mesopotamia idolatry for these gods that fell. of Lent the Church unites herself each year to the mystery of Jesus in Q2. This practice is known as Weeping for Tammuz by pagans but called Lent by Catholics. However, here does not take the form found in the above citations, rather appearing in the causative: until several centuries after the time of the Messiah. sun toward the east. These are things which were occuring in the house of the Lord; and God called it an abomination. commemoration of the death and resurrection of Tammuz -- which was 3 (Sep. 1965), pp. I can see that there are numerous complications in examining this passage-but the common theme appears to be a fertility/spring ritual cult, a vestige of the Caananite festivals. EDIT: If you are wondering where Lent might, in fact, have come from, check out this possibility. Also, I've heard that it was supposedly 40 days after 40 years he supposedly lived but I have yet to find any primary or academic sources regarding that. In the book of Ezekiel, it describes women weeping for the god, Tammuz, in the Temple. fasting in the wilderness, but it is admitted that the observance of Lent American edition, 1959, published in America by Loizeaux Brothers, pages Hi Tau, I'm just seeing your comment. He appears to have been a god of the spring, and the myth regarding him told of his early death and of the descent of Istar his bride into the underworld in search of him. Because Tammuz was killed when he was forty years old, pagans fast one day for each of the years that he lived leading into Easter. Honestly I had never noticed! The Catholic Fact Book, copyright 1986 by John Deedy, Two possible explanations, the first is that they are sympathetically acting out the role of the faithful Sirtar and Gestinanna as they wept for their son/brother (notice that no men are involved, only women, so this is plausible). Canaan spied on for 40 days: Num 13:25, 14:34. copyright 1988 by John J. Dietzen, M.A., S.T.L., ISBN 0-940518-01-5 (paperback), She began as Nimrod's wife Semiramis, and then after YHVH scattered the nations and confused their . In general, however, it is true that many of them have at This time was called the weeping for Tammuz. I suppose its harmless because nobody actually cares about Tammuz since the practice has currently morphed into a celebration leading up to Easter (Ishtar) or Resurrection Day (of Jesus Christ). evolve into Lent. Quin fue Tamz, por qu (y cundo) las mujeres lloraban por l? among the Phoenicians, Egyptians, Mexicans, and, for a time, even among As we see in this picture take by Matthew Vander Els in the Golan, it would be a terribly stressful time. 2 Ki 23:12 And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh published by Thomas More Press, page 360. I am a chemist, and my husband is an engineer so we had to take some of the same classes, but both basic engineering and the sciences can exist without each other yet neither can exist without physics and math.). unknown to the disciples and it did not find its way into the church Tammuz is another one of these Sumerian gods who came to life again through the excavators shovel. Halloween: His vision of the defiled temple continues as far as Ezekiel 11:25. I tell you what they would have been better off weeping for his faithful sister. It only takes a minute to sign up. period of fasting in the Roman Church before the sitting of the Nicene Certainly, one might interpret Psalm 82 as a denunciation of celebrity worship, but what specific references can you provide to support your assertion that Tammuz was a deified celebrity? But its from a god to a goddess that existed in those days. Lent is connected with the Babylonian goddess Ashtoreth/ Here we see YHVH condemning this practice called "weeping for Tammuz" which today is called Lent: Ezekiel 8:13-14 . No Commemoration for the Resurrection Now that woman was a piece of work! Easter, the goddess of the dawn is the Universal goddess of fertility throughout history since the Tower of Babel. Yeah I know the only sources that I can find regarding the weeping of Tammuz was 40 days and was the origin of Lent is from fundamentalists, . a trip to Europe, including Rome. It would appear that God destroyed the idol of Tammuz and its remembrance given the context: Furthermore He said to me, Son of man, do you see what they are Could it be an offering of water (tears) to the soil in the absence of the fertility that Tammuz brings? doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel commits here, Tammuz. "lengthening spring days," from the Indo-European langat-tin, I will definitely site my sources. Source: Babylon Mystery Religion, by Ralph Edward Woodrow, Church, however, Lent begins eight weeks before Easter, since fasting is Semiramis believed Tammuz was Nimrod reincarnated. Lent was held 40 days before the feast, "celebrated by alternate weeping and rejoicing." This is why Lent means "spring"; it took place from spring to early summer. Weeping for Tammuz The biblical book of Ezekiel mentions, with great disapproval, an ancient Near Eastern ritual associated with the death of Ishtar's husband Tammuz. several weeks. This flies in the face of most commentaries. His lack of empathy for both mother and sister was pretty contemptible they should have left him down there. Hislop points out that forty days -- a day for each year Tammuz It is common for people to be very emotionally attached to legends, but remember that regardless, I am a sister in Messiahnot simply someone to lash out at. the date of Easter), and it concludes with the Passiontide, the two-week worship. "So, no, our Lent does not date from the time of the Apostles. about the same time of year -- feasts centering around the harvest, the How should Ezekiel 3:19 be translated, "delivered your soul" or "saved your life"? reckon forty hours both of day and night to their fast." Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. How to show that an expression of a finite type must be one of the finitely many possible values? For instance, the ancient Egyptians observed a forty day fast in honor of Osiris. spring, and so on. Is Gest jest a prefix? About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . "In the Western Church today, Lent begins six and a half weeks before The Resurrection of Tammuz. and resurrection of Christ. When you have a chance, check out the. . 828-834 (this is an incredibly pricey book, but Van der Toorn, Ph.D. is THE man when it comes to this stuff), Nimrod Before and After the Bible, Van der Toorn, HTR 83:1(1990) pp 1-29, A Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology, Gwendolyn Leick, Ph.D. Assyriology pp 31-36, 86-93, The Ancient Near East: An Anthology of Texts and Pictures, James B Pritchard, Ed (all of Pritchards books have impressive pedigrees, and this one is no different being the work of seventeen serious ANE scholars) pp 77-82, 404-8 (among others, there is a wealth of information about Inanna/Ishtar), The IVP Bible Background Commentary, John Walton (Ph.D. an expert in Ancient Near Eastern world) et al. time frame was never fixed, rules never formalized. This practice is known as Weeping for Tammuz by Pagans but called Lent by Catholics. Asaph was a musician in the Levitical priesthood of Israel. which precedes the festival of Easter Sunday. In the fifth century, some Fathers claimed that Lent was of The passage doesn't explain what it means, although they are engaged in some form of idolatry. 84, No. (What is it actually based on? The information available is very complex, so I have gleaned the most relevent information to answer the question. And He called to the man During Lent, for 40 days, excluding Sundays, fasting is recommended This was believed to help resurrect Tammuz, promising renewal of the earth's vegetation." [1] This idolatrous practice of mourning over a physical image of Tammuz actually seems to be consistent with Ezekiel 8:14 since in the original language there is a definitive article before his name, meaning the women sat weeping for the Tammuz . What is the point of Thrower's Bandolier? It's important here to support your assertions. The 27th of Duuzu was the day of releasing; it was also a day on which a (funerary) display was made in Aur Nineveh, Kalu and Arbela. rev2023.3.3.43278. In order to sigh and cry successfully, we must believe God. Adar (Mar) Fish tails in canal. Hope of Israel Ministries -- Taking a Lead What does the word (giyd) mean in Ezekiel 37:8? harvest, the rebirth of the sun at the winter solstice (now Dec. 21, as we are, yet without sinning" [Heb 4:15]. Dummelows book was published in 1909, when the study of ancient Babylonia was still in its infancy. Many religions are built upon the suppression of information. His death was commemorated by 40 days of weeping for Tammuz because he unjustly dies so young, with worshipers giving up a pleasure in this life so he could in enjoy it in the next. Nothe jealous One in the case of the Temple being defiled is God Himself, who couldnt care less what type of idol it was, only that there was an idol. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? There must be a reason. We primarily know about her because an ancient author named Sanchuniathon (first Millenium BCE) wrote about her and actually, Sanchuniaton is a man from whom we get a lot of our information about ancient Near Eastern religion because he was a prolific Phoenician sage. COLOUR: Red Day: Ritual mourning for Tammuz begins annually with the Summer Solstice. to the great annual festival in commemoration of the death and resurrection Did he have anything to do with the image of jealousy? Probably not.