The Origin
Of
Our Belief In God
by Erik Langkjer
Part II: The Sun Hero
16. Dura Europos
We will concentrate on the Jewish synagogue and its famous pictures. Several pictures on the ceiling showed a bull being attacked by a lion. In the picture of Mordocai on horseback approaching the throne of Esther and the Persian king. Goodenough has already recognised the type of the Syrian Cavalier God, and in the men dressed in white clothes greeting him, Goodenough recognised those who had already reached apotheosis. To this could be added that the throne of the high king (acc. to Goodenough dressed in the same attire as God sitting on his throne in the central scene above the large wine-tree) is a small stepped Ziggurat/mountain of god, and the queen sitting next to him makes the apotheosis into an androgynous state. In the description of the flood by Berossos, it all ends on a mountain where Xis-uthros and his wife, his daughter and his captain, two couples, are taken up to eternal life[1].
The greeting gesture could be compared with the gesture of the same group in the picture above from Palmyra.
The same "ideas" have governed the interpretation of Sura 17,1 in the Koran, resulting in the tradition about Muhammad travelling to Mt. Zion, and from there up to the throne of God on the back of Alborac.
Goodenough has also shown how Moses is transformed into Heracles, his staff being changed into a club. He is the sun hero leading Israel out of Egypt, out of darkness. Egypt is shown as a pitch- dark world behind an open gate (the gate of the underworld). The pillar of smoke and the pillar of fire have become two Heracles pillars standing next to the "Egyptian gate". They are marked out as opposites: black and red. The pillar-symbols are important: also Moses himself is seen as the pillar supporting the vault.
C.H.Kraeling, Synagogue 236,fig. 61
On North African stelai Saturn is seen between sun and moon. They are the duality united in Kvn, the world pillar. On a fragment of the typical Jupiter Dolichenus (a North Syrian location) plate is seen the bearded Saturn with polos at the top of the pyramid uniting the duality of sun and moon (Cook,Zeus II,fig.491). Also Moses is the centre of sun, moon and seven stars. He is, as shown by Goodenough, seen as approaching the light, but has only a small remnant of a shadow. But also in the three pictures of Moses placed together with the dead Moses in a composition beside the niche of the Thora shrine, he is shown as a pillar with a square-like construction over his head. He is the triple sun hero, finally being changed into the mystical world pillar.
The triple sun is also seen in a picture of the three gods, Malakbel, Dusares, and Juppiter Baalbeck (du Mesnil du Buisson, Tess.). The three pictures of Moses show him as the young, green life-giving column, the mature reader of the law - red as the strong, burning sun and at last, as the dead Moses, the black pillar supporting the vault.
The facade of the small temple over the Torah shrine has a gate supported by three pillars. Two Heracles-like pillars, and at the centre a pillar with seven discs as its only decoration (the semeion as symbol of the world pillar and of mystical ascent), cf the picture of the closed heavenly temple behind the seven walls. Important is also the "valley of death" in contrast to the "valley of life" (this is the interpretation by Goodenough): the valley of death is flanked by the split world mountain, the valley of life by the united world-mountain. The picture-cycle dedicated to Ezekiel shows first the valley of the dead with the split mountain bathed in sunlight, then the valley of life where the dead are coming to life again bathed in a mystical reddish light. The split mountain is this visible world where death rules, but behind it there is the mystical primordial unity enlightened by the supernatural fiery light.
The main scene is the large wine over the Torah niche, and at the top God enthroned with a woman on his right hand and a man on his left (androgynous polarity). Below David is sitting in the vine like Orpheus taming the wild animals with his play on a harp (a lion and a bird are seen among the leaves). Also Resheph with the lute was identified with Orpheus[2]. The scene is obviously a mystical one as proved by Goodenough, and the vine is the symbol of the "sober intoxication" treated in the famous book by Hans Lewy, Sobria Ebrietas, 1929. In the hymns of David the community lifts their hearts and souls to ecstasy before the throne of god. But perhaps even more than that, for the man sitting on the throne is dressed in exactly the same red Persian costume as the Persian king and as Mordocai. We are dealing with a mysticism which experienced unity even with God himself.
In Dura we are perhaps dealing with a synagogue belonging to the Essene party. We know that they considered the entrance into heaven as something that "had to be fought for"[3]. The gate out of Egypt is adorned with two statues of Nike with wreaths of victory standing on the cosmic globe and the war god Ares. This design seems to indicate "a sort of mystery which led to the victory of eternal life"[4]. The background is the ideology of the sun hero who struggles to reach paradise and the tree of life, Rev 2,7. He has already gone through death and shall not be touched by it a second time 2,11, but be enthroned with God 2,26ff & 3,21, he shall be clad in the white clothes of light 3,5, taste the ambrosian food of the angels 2,17, and have part in the holy Jhvh-name (ibd) and become a pillar 3,12. He is "he who has victory"[5].
The closed temple behind seven walls in Dura
The gate leading out of Egypt in Dura. Outside the pillar of fire and the pillar of smoke as Heraclespillars
In the synagogue of Dura Europos there is a picture of the closed temple surrounded by seven walls each of different colour, and outside the walls a central entrance flanked by two doors: an ascension through the seven heavens is linked to a symbolism pictured in the 3 doors. Duality (the 2 lion doors) contra unity (the central bull door). On the central door Adam is painted as the sun warrior holding the holy rosette in his hand and followed by the typical sun warrior's Dioscouric helpers (here Cain and Abel). He stands between the divine sacrificial bull and Eve depicted as Gaia, the earth-goddess with the horn of plenty. Adam-man is the sun warrior bringing the bull-sacrifice and celebrating holy wedlock with the "mother of all living", thereby completing his journey to heaven. Herodot tells us that the tower of Babel had 8 stories and on the top a woman would spend the night as bride for the god. She has to be an indigenous (epichôríôn).
Jesus is pictured as the sun warrior. He is born among shepherds, hidden from the king of chaos. He has to journey the magical three days until he reaches the top of the universe (Jerusalem), clearing the way of demons. He is followed by the Boanerges. He is the shepherd, the lamb with Jerusalem as his bride. He is also the ideal man, "the Son of Man", like Adam in Dura.
The holy bride is a symbol of the town, country or earth (therefore indigenous). In the Far East, in the country of Pandaia with Nysa & Mt. Meros, Heracles takes his daughter Pandaia ("All-earth") as his bride[6].
The small calathos on the head of Adam indicates that he is seen as world pillar.
[1] Euseb excerpt. Syncellus, ed.Dindorf, pp.53, 19-56, 3
[2] C.Picard, "Sur l´Orphée de la Fontaine monumentale de Byblos", Miscellanea Guillaume de Jerphanion I, 1947, pp.266-81
[3] Josephos. ant. jud.
[4] Goodenough, X, p.9
[5] Rev 2-3
[6] Solinus, polyhist. 52,14ff.
Disclaimer:
Some material presented will contain links, quotes, ideologies, etc., the contents of which should be understood to first, in their whole, reflect the views or opinions of their editors, and second, are used in my personal research as "fair use" sources only, and not espousement one way or the other. Researching for 'truth' leads one all over the place...a piece here, a piece there. As a researcher, I hunt, gather and disassemble resources, trying to put all the pieces into a coherent and logical whole. I encourage you to do the same. And please remember, these pages are only my effort to collect all the pieces I can find and see if they properly fit into the 'reality aggregate'.
Personal Position:
I've come to realize that 'truth' boils down to what we 'believe' the facts we've gathered point to. We only 'know' what we've 'experienced' firsthand. Everything else - what we read, what we watch, what we hear - is what someone else's gathered facts point to and 'they' 'believe' is 'truth', so that 'truth' seems to change in direct proportion to newly gathered facts divided by applied plausibility. Though I believe there is 'truth', until someone representing the celestial realm visibly appears and presents the heavenly records of Facts And Lies In The Order They Happened, I can't know for sure exactly what "the whole truth' on any given subject is, and what applies to me applies to everyone. Until then I'll continue to ask, "what does The Urantia Book say on the subject?"
~Gail Bird Allen
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Urantia Book, 44:0.11 - The Celestial Artisans
Never in your long ascendancy will you lose the power to recognize your associates of former existences. Always, as you ascend inward in the scale of life, will you retain the ability to recognize and fraternize with the fellow beings of your previous and lower levels of experience. Each new translation or resurrection will add one more group of spirit beings to your vision range without in the least depriving you of the ability to recognize your friends and fellows of former estates.
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Princess Bride 1987 Wallace Shawn (Vizzini) and Mandy Patinkin (Inigo Montoya)
Vizzini: HE DIDN'T FALL? INCONCEIVABLE.
Inigo Montoya: You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means. -
Urantia Book, 117:4.14 - The Finite God
And here is mystery: The more closely man approaches God through love, the greater the reality -- actuality -- of that man. The more man withdraws from God, the more nearly he approaches nonreality -- cessation of existence. When man consecrates his will to the doing of the Father's will, when man gives God all that he has, then does God make that man more than he is.
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Urantia Book, 167:7.4 - The Talk About Angels
"And do you not remember that I said to you once before that, if you had your spiritual eyes anointed, you would then see the heavens opened and behold the angels of God ascending and descending? It is by the ministry of the angels that one world may be kept in touch with other worlds, for have I not repeatedly told you that I have other sheep not of this fold?"
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Urantia Book, Foreword - 0:12.12 - The Trinities
But we know that there dwells within the human mind a fragment of God, and that there sojourns with the human soul the Spirit of Truth; and we further know that these spirit forces conspire to enable material man to grasp the reality of spiritual values and to comprehend the philosophy of universe meanings. But even more certainly we know that these spirits of the Divine Presence are able to assist man in the spiritual appropriation of all truth contributory to the enhancement of the ever-progressing reality of personal religious experience—God-consciousness.
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Urantia Book, 1:4.3 - The Mystery Of God
When you are through down here, when your course has been run in temporary form on earth, when your trial trip in the flesh is finished, when the dust that composes the mortal tabernacle "returns to the earth whence it came"; then, it is revealed, the indwelling "Spirit shall return to God who gave it." There sojourns within each moral being of this planet a fragment of God, a part and parcel of divinity. It is not yet yours by right of possession, but it is designedly intended to be one with you if you survive the mortal existence.
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Urantia Book, 1:4.1 - The Mystery Of God
And the greatest of all the unfathomable mysteries of God is the phenomenon of the divine indwelling of mortal minds. The manner in which the Universal Father sojourns with the creatures of time is the most profound of all universe mysteries; the divine presence in the mind of man is the mystery of mysteries.
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Urantia Book, 1:4.6 - The Mystery Of God
To every spirit being and to every mortal creature in every sphere and on every world of the universe of universes, the Universal Father reveals all of his gracious and divine self that can be discerned or comprehended by such spirit beings and by such mortal creatures. God is no respecter of persons, either spiritual or material. The divine presence which any child of the universe enjoys at any given moment is limited only by the capacity of such a creature to receive and to discern the spirit actualities of the supermaterial world.
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Urantia Book, 11:0.1 - The Eternal Isle Of Paradise
Paradise is the eternal center of the universe of universes and the abiding place of the Universal Father, the Eternal Son, the Infinite Spirit, and their divine co-ordinates and associates. This central Isle is the most gigantic organized body of cosmic reality in all the master universe. Paradise is a material sphere as well as a spiritual abode. All of the intelligent creation of the Universal Father is domiciled on material abodes; hence must the absolute controlling center also be material, literal. And again it should be reiterated that spirit things and spiritual beings are real.
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Urantia Book, 50:6.4 - Planetary Culture
Culture presupposes quality of mind; culture cannot be enhanced unless mind is elevated. Superior intellect will seek a noble culture and find some way to attain such a goal. Inferior minds will spurn the highest culture even when presented to them ready-made.
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Urantia Book, 54:1.6 - True And False Liberty
True liberty is the associate of genuine self-respect; false liberty is the consort of self-admiration. True liberty is the fruit of self-control; false liberty, the assumption of self-assertion. Self-control leads to altruistic service; self-admiration tends towards the exploitation of others for the selfish aggrandizement of such a mistaken individual as is willing to sacrifice righteous attainment for the sake of possessing unjust power over his fellow beings.
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Urantia Book, 54:1.9 - True And False Liberty
How dare the self-willed creature encroach upon the rights of his fellows in the name of personal liberty when the Supreme Rulers of the universe stand back in merciful respect for these prerogatives of will and potentials of personality! No being, in the exercise of his supposed personal liberty, has a right to deprive any other being of those privileges of existence conferred by the Creators and duly respected by all their loyal associates, subordinates, and subjects.
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Urantia Book, 54:1.8 - True And False Liberty
There is no error greater than that species of self-deception which leads intelligent beings to crave the exercise of power over other beings for the purpose of depriving these persons of their natural liberties. The golden rule of human fairness cries out against all such fraud, unfairness, selfishness, and unrighteousness.