Review:
SEX, DRUGS, VIOLENCE
& THE BIBLE
Canada VON
IVO
ISBN #1-55056-798-5
482 + Pages
Illustrated
$24.95 USA
$34.95 Canada
SEX,
DRUGS, VIOLENCE AND THE BIBLE (abbreviated
in this Review as SDVB) is an amazingly readable indictment of the Old
and New Testament—and should be required reading in all Bible Studies and
Comparative Religion classes. Not only is SDVB a well thought scholarly work;
it also loaded with often amusing, often revealing snippets of Biblical scandal
and hidden lore.
SDVB operates
on (at least) two basic levels: the
scholarly and the popular.
This is a
source of the Reviewer’s enjoyment of the book—and is also a source of
potential (minor) problems. For example, a scholar may become a little
irritated with the many humorous asides and anecdotes that spice up the
information—just as the extensive notation found on almost every page might
overwhelm the lay reader. Additionally, the Authors make no secret of their
core intention of writing the book as a means of promoting the central thesis
summed up on the book’s jacket:
Second
only to sex, do drugs—as in psychoactive substances—play a
pivotal
role in the development of religious thought and experience, and the
Judaeo-Christian
traditions
are no exception. What will be surprising to most modern readers is the
frequent use
of
intoxicants like wine, strong-drink, and mandrake in the Bible. Perhaps even
harder to accept
will be
the copious use of cannabis, (Hebrew kaneh-bosm), by both the Hebrew
Priests and Kings
for
shamanistic purposes…a tradition that was continued by both Jesus and his
followers.
The main body of SDVB is composed of two sections: PART ONE--EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT JUDAISM BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK THE RABBI and PART TWO--EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CHRISTIANITY BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK THE MINISTER.
Chapter
1, The Mythical Age: The opening section of what we affectionately term “The
Anti-Bible” lays the foundation for two major themes that are developed
throughout SDVB—namely that the Tree of Life is a mega-cultural image
representing cannabis (or other psycho-active substance); and that the worship
of The Goddess or Earth Mother continued virtually uninterrupted throughout the
ancient history of the Hebrew People. These assertions are supported by
quotation from Scripture and illustrated artifacts—and are particularly eye
opening to us as pertaining to The Goddess.
Chapter
2, The Patriarchs: This Chapter will
certainly cause Fundamentalist and Orthodox heads to spin—and yet it too is
based directly on passages in “The Good Book” itself. For example, we learn not
only did the revered Patriarch Abraham prostitute his Main Squeeze to Pharaoh,
but also that this one-sided wife-swapping had the added advantage of spreading
venereal disease among the Egyptians, resulting in the seldom mentioned First
Exodus:
But the
Lord inflicted serious disease on Pharaoh and his household because
of
Abraham’s wife Sarai. So Pharaoh summoned Abraham. “What have you
done to
me?” he said. “Why didn’t you tell me she was your wife? Why did
you say,
‘She is my sister ,’ so that I took her to be my wife. Take her and go!”
Then
Pharaoh gave orders about Abraham to his men, and they sent him on his
way, with his wife and everything he had.
--Genesis
12:10-20
[P. 44]
As the
Authors of SDVB observe, this quaint little tale is suspiciously similar to the
more familiar Moses Exodus story. Perhaps the Hebrews under Moses were less
than heroically kicked out of Egypt too?
The remainder
of this Chapter deals with a number of other Biblical sexual exposés that any
open-minded reader will find to be both salacious and enlightening.
Of particular
interest to Gnostic Pagans is the Scripture passage quoted on Pgs. 60-61:
Then
Judah said to Onan, ‘Lie with your brother’s wife and fulfill your duty to her
as a
brother-in-law to produce offspring for your brother. But Onan knew that
the
offspring would not be his; so wherever he layed with his brother’s wife,
he
spilled his semen on the ground to keep from producing offspring…
What he
did was wicked in the Lord’s sight; so he put him to death…
(Genesis
38:8-10)
And regarding this verse, the Authors of
SDBV comment:
It is
often suggested that Onan’s sin was masturbation…But…The story obviously
describes
coitus interruptus, in order to avoid pregnancy…For Abraham’s
seed,
blessed by god, was not to be stifled from its holy cause of populating
the world
with his descendants. The lord’s anger at this birth control practice
likely
pre-dates Onan or Abraham, and is probably related to the phallic nature
of the
Jewish God.
[P. 61]
This is no doubt the case, but masturbation was—and still is—considered to be a heinous sin among Fundamentalists of all Old Aeon persuasion. Perhaps this is the real “Original Sin?”
It is interesting that Jehovah (Mortal Ego Mind) is so sexually controlling regarding his “Chosen People.” His only approved means of birth control involved injunctions to kill everybody who wasn’t circumcised.
It was one of the Mysteries of Ancient Egyptian School of Life that the World and All Creation emerged from an Act of Divine Masturbation by the god Amun. Therefore human masturbation is, in effect, AN ENACTMENT OF SYMPATHETIC OR RITUAL MAGICK. In fact, SDVB elaborates on this concept when discussing the practices and beliefs of various Gnostic Sects in The New Testament section.
Chapter 3, The Story of Moses and the Journey to the Promised Land. Among many other topics, this Chapter addresses the symbiotic theological relationship between Judaism and Paganism (including the Egyptian Religion). The perpetuation of Serpent Worship (a multi-cultural symbol of The Goddess); the use of Holy Incense comprised of psychoactive substance; as well as subjects of interest to the General Reader, and of special interest to Gnostic School Initiates.
SDVB presents a most interesting theory of Ancient Consciousness:
(Julian)
Jaynes referred to the mental state of pre-consciousness man
as
the Bicameral-Mind…unable to introspect, ancient humans heard their first
thoughts
as
auditory hallucinations, and took these to be the voice of God…Humanity’s
transition into
consciousness
was an evolutionary step, and the voices which the first ‘thinkers’ heard, came
from
the
brains’ right-hemisphere, and told them what to do in times of novelty or
stress.
[P. 78]
The Gnostic Pagan School calls this stage of pre-consciousness the Aeon of Set.
The
visual images and voices heard by the early
Shamanistic
[sic] ingestor [sic] of such substances were interpreted by
them,
as actual events with the gods…
[P. 79]
[See also Review: DAIMONIC REALITY].
Regarding the on-going worship of The Goddess, the Authors write:
The
Canaanite goddess Ashera, whose name is translated as ‘grove,’ was
particularly
popular with the ancient Israelites, especially during the later age of kings,
as
seen by numerous surviving artifacts, and numerous references to her poles
in the Old Testament.
Further,
the worship of these cultic fertility objects, the physical forms of Baal and
Ashera
(or
her counterparts), were often accompanied by frenzied and orgiastic sexual
activity.
[P. 84]
The Authors correctly indicate that the “Maypole” is a modern survivor of the Ashera Pole tradition. “The streamers coming from the top of the maypole, and the dancers who hold on to them while they circle around the pole, represent divine semen, and the pole itself, the divine erection fertilizing Mother earth with life.” To this we will only add that anyone who as witnessed an “authentic” Maypole Dance, would have seen an equally paired number of boys and girls dancing around the pole, and that when a boy and girl meet in the dance, they both leap up and down, and then continue dancing until they meet a new partner, and then repeat the leaping dance. It is quite charming—and the sexual implications couldn’t be clearer.
On Pgs. 94-95, the Authors state a sardonic—and all too true— interpretation of the Ten Commandments:
1.
Thou Shalt Not have any other God
besides Yahweh, (whose name is JEALOUS).
2.
Thou Shalt Not make any graven images,
(Moses made the graven image of the Bronze Serpent, and the Ark of the Covenant
had the graven of cherubim [Actually two of Isis’ four sisters; another image
“borrowed” from Egypt --.Ed]).
3.
Thou Shalt Not take the Lord’s name in
vain, (Goddamit!).
4.
Thou Shalt Not work on Sabbath day, (a
six-day work week isn’t at all generous by today’s standards).
5.
Thou Shalt Honor They parents, (or die
for not doing so).
6.
Thou Shalt Not kill, (only applies to
other Hebrews, unless of course they break one of these other commandments).
7.
Thou Shalt Not commit adultery, (with
other Hebrew wives).
8.
Thou Shalt Not steal, (from other
Hebrews).
9.
Thou Shalt Not bear false witness
against a neighbor, (if he’s a Hebrew).
10.
Thou Shalt Not covet, (the possessions
of other Hebrews).
The validity of this ironic interpretation is proven time and again throughout the “ethnic cleansing” diatribes permeating the Old Testament.
Chapter
4, Judging the Judges. Details the development of Judaism as a Nationalistic
religion, and the clash between the Pagan Culture of Baal and the Egocentric demands
of Yahweh. Included is an analysis of the story of Samson, the corrupted Hebrew
variant of Herakles; and even more tribal slaughter instigated by the
judgmental demands of the Demiurge (Jehovah.)
The Authors
conclude:
After
looking over the Old Testament Judges, it is hard to see what basis
these
ancient stories of tribal heroes and villains have in playing with modern
religious thought.
None of
them proclaim any form of profound theological insight,
and many
would be considered criminals by today’s standards…
[Pgs.
110-111]
Chapter
5, The Age of Kings. Examines the role of the Prophet Samuel in the emergence of
Nation Kings Saul and David.
prayed to
the Lord to heal her barrenness and give her a son. When these prayers were
answered
and she
bore Samuel, she dedicated him to the Lord, stating, “He will give strength
to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.” Samuel, more so
than any of the figures in Judges, is comparable in his charisma and leadership
of the Israelite(s), to Moses. The reference to the horn of the anointed makes
reference to both the reintroductionof the kaneh-bosom anointing oil,
apparently absent throughout the story of Judges, and Samuel’s use of this
preparation to prepare the Jewish priest-kings for their roles as leaders.
[P. 112]
This theme
regarding the composition and importance of the anointing oil will play a
crucial role when the Authors later examine the role of Jesus as Messiah in
Part Two, The New Testament.
The sexual
intricacies of David’s life are explored, including the much-discussed
possibility of David’s homosexual relationship with Jonathan, and his
treacherous wooing of Bathsheba.
On Page 129 a
footnote draws a parallel between David and Pagan counterparts:
Dr. Hugh
Schonfield has suggested that there was a connection between the name of David,
and that
of Dad, (also Adad), the counterpart of Tammuz in Palestine. David was
portrayed as
a
shepherd, as was Tammuz, and there was a shrine of Adonis-Tammuz in David’s
city
of
Bethlehem (the place of Bread).” (Schonfield 1966).
Pagan Rites
flourished under David’s rule, as also noted on the same page:
…we can
see from Biblical references to David not sleeping with his concubines
that his
fertility is draining up, thus signaling the end of his reign. As the fertility
of the land
was
associated with that of the King…David is eager to see a three year famine end,
and is
driven
to…sacrificing seven of Saul’s son’s…“All seven of them fell together; they
were put to death
during
the first days of the harvest, just as the barley harvest was beginning.” (2
Samuel 21: 9).
Further
documentation…is seen by David’s purchase of the threshing-floor
in order
to build an Altar for the Lord. This clearly showing that at the time of David,
Yahweh
was a Semitic Tammuz or Baal and his proper worship was closely affiliated with
the
fertility of the land and king.
Pagan Ritual
also continued, practiced primarily by Hebrew women, who no doubt had more
faith that The Great Mother would lend a compassionate ear to prayers for
fertility than would the stern and remote, male God Jehovah.
Chapter
6, Solomon’s Reign. Documents the
continuation of Paganism (“idolatry”) under the rule of the psychologically
complex King Solomon (whose many foreign wives, including the sister of
Pharaoh, as was the custom, continued to freely practice their polytheistic
beliefs in Israel.)
This Chapter
also continues to examine the Ark of the Covenant, the mysterious artifact that
has inspired so many expeditions and controversy.
One of many
theories regarding the Ark alleges that it was a form of ancient technology, a
sort of electrical battery capable not only of instantly electrocuting anyone
who dared touch it, but was also instrumental in bringing down the Walls of
Jericho.
As to these
claims, we cannot comment other than to repeat that the artistic image of the
Ark resembles Egyptian funeral caskets that contained mummified internal
organs. Atop the casket on each corner were fixed four statuettes with
outspread, protecting winged arms, representing the four mourning sisters of
Isis. Certainly it is possible that the Egyptian-trained Magician Moses adapted
the appearance of the Ark to depict a male and female figure in sexual embrace
(as the Authors of SDBV suggest), and, of course, this revision could have been
meant to represent the Male and Female polarities (Hadit and Nuit, or SHIVA and
SHAKTI.)
Chapter
7, A Kingdom Divided. Examines the
on-going struggle between the Northern and Southern factions in Israel; the
role of Sacred Prostitution (both female and male) in Paganism—and its possible
extension to The Temple. Also, continues the argument that the ancient Hebrews
utilized psychoactive substances.
In the
Old Testament, a repeated distinction is made between wine and ‘strong drink’;
both of
which were inebriants…Like the ancient Greeks, the ancient Israelites did not
know
distillation
technology, but possessed an inebriant
other than wine, which apparently was more potent. Was the Biblical shekar,
‘strong drink,’ not an inebriating potion analogous to the ancient Greek wines,
some of which were entheogenic (sic)
potions?
[Note 339,
P. 158]
By the term
“entheogenic” we are assuming this term is to mean psychoactive substances that
act as a catalyst for Sacred Experience.
Chapter 8,
The Fall of Samaria/The Doom of Jerusalem.
This is a pivotal Chapter of SDBV and
illustrates the Author’s comprehensive grasp of the Historical Materialist
realities involving the formation—and ultimate destruction—of the Israel Nation
State as it relates to the Old Testament.
As if it
weren’t “bad” enough that the Hebrews continued to engage in their attraction
to so-called “foreign” gods; their own High Priests perpetrated a great fraud
upon them.
Sounding like
something from Nixon’s Watergate or Clinton’s Zippergate, SDVB intelligently
unfolds the plausible tale of how the Hebrew High Priest Hilkiah fraudulently
claimed to discover a “lost” document of the original Mosaic Book of the
Law—i.e., DEUTERONOMY, a crass and blatant forgery.
Other
scholars have been far more hard-hitting in their comments
upon this
so-called discovery suggesting that it was a forgery…produced
by a
priest of the temple. An act committed by the Hebrew priesthood in hopes of
eradicating
the competing cults and their deities, which were getting more sacrifices from
the
people than the Temple of Yahweh was.
[P. 169]
Makes sense
to us!
In fact, as the Authors of SDVB indicate—and they are joined by many other Sources in this—the Temple was a virtual charnel house of animal sacrifice, with the cloud and smell of burning fat polluting the entire City of Jerusalem.
You are
to seek the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes
to put
his name there for his dwelling. To that place you must go; there bring your
burnt
offerings
and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts.
--Deuteronomy
12:5-6
The Authors
comment:
The
tribes of Israel are being directed to the temple in Jerusalem…
They are
no longer to make burnt offerings…anywhere [else]…
Prior to
the Deuteronomic (sic) reforms, the priests of Yahweh’s temple
had to
angrily and jealously…watch the wealth…dispersed throughout the many
different
temples of numerous deities…spread throughout the kingdom of Judah.
[Pgs.170-171]
The Age Old
Story!
Theology (and
revisionist theology, at that) invoked to feed Human Greed…
Destroy
completely all the places on the high mountains and on the
hills
and under every spreading tree where the nations you are
dispossessing
worship their gods. Break down their altars, smash
their
sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire, cut
down
the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.
[Deuteronomy
12:2-3.]
Passages like
the above quoted forgery from “The Bad Book” itself, no doubt inspired the
Christian fanatics who were later to destroy all the Pagan Art and Science they
good get their frustrated little hands on—and, equally without a doubt, sent
the Taliban on its crazed mission to blow up historic Buddhist statuary.
The Authors
provide some interesting insights regarding this process of religious
subjugation to the jealous Demiurge Yahweh:
Further,
if we were to look at the Old Testament’s historical record itself,
we
would find that the people were correct
in their statements concerning the prosperity
of the
kingdom coinciding with the…pagan worship that Jeremiah so harshly condemned
High
points in the kingdom occurred under idolatrous kings such as Solomon, Ahab,
Manasseh, and Jereboam II. The only two kings after David, who appear in the Lord’s favor,
Hezekiah
and Josiah, both had unpopular reigns, and their actions throughout can be seen
as contributing greatly to the kingdom’s eventual demise.
[P. 190]
The Authors
quote from Mircea Eliade’s 1978, A HISTORY OF RELIGIOUS IDEAS, VOL. I:
The
prophets finally succeeded in emptying nature of any divine presence.
Whole
sectors of the natural world—the “high places,” stones, springs, trees, certain
crops,
certain
flowers—will be denounced as unclean because they were polluted by the cult of
the Canaanite divinities of fertility…
[P. 191]
The
Authors conclude:
Now that
Yahweh has become a globally worshipped God,
it can be
seen by the massive deforestation and the degradation of nature in general,
as well
as the death of countless pagan aboriginal cultures, that his modern day
followers
have
continued on successfully with the task put forward in the vindictive words of his ancient prophets.
[P. 191]
The Chapter
also touches upon The Book of Daniel, the prototype for the latter bitter and
vicious Christian Revelation of John, a garbled mess of crackpot plagiarism.
Another
interesting concept presented in Chapter 6 is the Persian Zoroastrian influence
on the still somewhat fluid theological evolution of Yahweh:
Further,
prior to the Persian influence,
Yahweh
alone was the controller of both good and evil.
“I am
the lord, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness,
I
bring posterity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things.” (Isaiah 45: 6-7).
Satan,
when depicted in the earlier books of the Old Testament, is generally shown as
either
the
divine prosecutor, or carrying out malicious errands at the Lord’s bequest. It
was only after exposure to the Zoroastrian cosmology with its two continually
competing deities Ahura Mazda, the ruler of heaven who represented the truth,
and Angry Mainyu, who ruled hell and represented the Lie, that a similar split
took place in the minds of some Jews, and they divided their God’s monotheistic
power in half and shared it with Satan.
[P. 198]
In the CONCLUSION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT the sadomasochistic nature of the relationship between
Yahweh and his devotees (symbolized by the hapless Job) is explored:
and is
usually included among the works known as the Jewish Wisdom Literature.
This is
because it doesn’t refer to an actual episode in the long history of the
Israelites,
but
instead addresses some of the theological problems that the Israelites were
wrestling with.
The Book
of Job addresses the age old problem of unprecedented evil,
or put
more simply, why bad things happen to good people: “Yahweh’s justice meant
that good
consequences would come from good actions, that obedience would result in security
on the
land, in victory against foes and abundant life.” (Anderson, 1975) Unfortunately, these promises continually
failed to take place no matter how observant the people were of Yahweh’s law.
[P. 218]
Chapter 1: The
Other Sources. Explores the revolutionary
theological impact of the 1945 and 1947 discoveries of the Gnostic teachings
termed the Nag Hammadi Library and the Essene “Dead Sea Scrolls.”
In reference to the Tree of Life (and possible “cryptic
references to an entheogen, likely cannabis”), the Author’s quote from the
Essene The Book of Hymns:
[For these hast Thou planted a tree]
which blooms with flowers unfading,
whose boughs put forth thick leaves,
which stand firm-planted for ever,
and gives shade to all [ ];
[whose branches tower] to hea[ven],
whose roots sink down to the abyss.
All the rivers of Eden
[water] its boughs
…this one, which puts forth the shoot of Holiness
upon the stock of Truth,
Keep its secrets hidden, unknown,
sealed and unsuspected.
Moreover, O God, Thou has hedged in its fruit
by the mystic power of stalwart angels
by holy spirits,
and by flaming sword turning this way and that;
that [the wicked] may not [drink]
from the fountain of life
nor…imbibe the water of Holiness
…because, though indeed he has seen it,
he has never sensed what it was,
…but, instead keeps la[ying violent hands]
on what is really a flower unfading.
[Pgs. 10-11]
We see many possible interpretations of this verse. For
example, it may express a Hindu or Vedic influence involving mudras (esoteric
“seals”) and psychosexual spirituality. Or it may symbolize the
archetypal Savior Myth of the Christ crucified on the Tree of Being via the
Ancient Myth of Osiris (whose coffin was embraced by the roots of a cedar tree
growing in the middle of the Nile.) Or, of course, it may, as the Authors
speculate, represent a marijuana plant.
On
page 16, the Authors quote from the Gnostic philosopher Basilides concerning
the pre-origin of cosmology:
ought of
things that are…But…conjecture and mental quibbling apart,
there was
absolutely not even the One…and when I use the term “was,” I
do not
mean to say that it was…in any state of being; but merely to give some
suggestion
of what I wish to indicate, I use the expression “there was absolutely naught.”
For that
“naught” is not simply so-called the ineffable, it is beyond that.
As the Authors point out, this brief statement prefigures
the speculations of contemporary physicists (and mathematicians).
Even Atheists and Nihilists might find an acceptable point
of reference.
Aleister
Crowley summed it up this way:
0 = (+1)
+ (-1)
At the bottom
of page 20 there are two very interesting notes:
51. The
Ophites, who will figure prominently in our study, were condemned by the
Orthodox
Church (who the hell wasn’t??? -. Ed) for their Tantric-like sexual
practices.
With an almost complete reversal of the Old Testament cosmologies,
figures
such as Cain, the Sodomites, and the Egyptians, became heroes to them.
“The
Ophites acknowledged Jesus as the savior, but rejected the importance of
the
crucifixion; Christ came to reveal gnosis (knowledge), not to die for men’s
sins”
(COLUMBIA
1968).
52. You
could say the androgynous serpent mind was carried out on
their
(Adam and Eve’s -.Ed) backs, as the Gnostic tractate,
On the
Origins of the World records how the 7
archons, (i.e.-planetary powers),
fashioned
man one part at a time, fashioning “the brain and nervous system” (i.e.,
spinal cord).
After
that “he came a soul endowed man,” but only when the light-mind descended from
Sophia
into this
properly prepared vessel.
The Ophites were an ancient Judaic faction with obvious
Pagan (“idolatrous”) links and associations with snake veneration.
The second
Note relates to the intricate doctrine regarding The Body of Light. According
to the Gnostic Pagan view, this Body of Light is more than the so-called
“Astral Body” which every sentient being is said to possess by virtue of
physical birth; rather the Body of Light is self-created by the awakened
Initiate who has taken responsibility and guardianship for her or his own
Spiritual Destiny—or as The Christ is said to have phrased it—they have become
their own Fathers and Mothers.
The Chapter
concludes with a concise and comprehensive statement pertaining to the
Traditional Gnostic Goal of Self-Realization:
This
“immortal man of light” is said to have descended from
the
original King of Light, in order to redeem the sparks of light trapped…in matter
back to
their original source. In the Gnostic cosmology, there is a correlation between
light and
knowledge,
thus the all potent King of Light is also known by its emanating force, the
Logos (Word).
Elsewhere,
this…“man of light,” becomes…the figure…Anthropos, a figure analogous to the
Adam Kadmon
of the later Kabalists…representing the androgynous, collective soul of humanity, its corporate spiritual essence. Anthropos was seen as a composite being formed out of the combined experience of all people, but also pre-existing before humanity…The Gnostic “theory of salvation…did not confine the idea to the crude and limited notion of a physical passion by a single individual, but expanded it into a…cosmical process, wrought by the volition of the Logos in his own nature.” (Mead, 1900).
It is by
the spread of knowledge, or light, possible only through the word, Logos,
that the
redemption of humanity…takes place…“The Mind was to instruct the mind;
‘self-analyzing
reflection’ was to be the Way. The material mind was to be purified, and so
become
one with the spiritual mind” (Mead, 1900). The purpose of humanity, in Gnostic
belief,
was as
“cosmologist.” In understanding the Universe, and humanities role in it, the
mind is unified to
the
divine Mind. What is the meaning of Life? To the Gnostics, the Question was the
Answer.
[Pgs. 24-25]
Chapter
2, New Testament References to Gnosticism.
This very short Chapter raises the possibility
that John the Baptist as well as Jesus were, in fact, Gnostics. [This question
will be explored at length in a forthcoming Review of THE JESUS MYSTERIES by Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy.]
The Authors
of SDVB conclude:
Despite
the Roman Catholic Church’s attempts to suppress the Gnostic texts
and
heresies amongst their own members…fragments of these works have miraculously
survived
for their rediscovery in our…era. Interestingly, two of the texts in the Nag
Hammadi
Library (The
Gospel of the Egyptians and Allogenes) refer to having been
intentionally stored in
a sacred
mountain waiting for their eventual rediscovery at the “end of time and eras.”
The Gnostics
who hid
these texts, apparently believed that their rediscovery would aid those who found
[them]
in their
overcoming the tyranny of Ialdabaoth—Yahweh, and his followers.
[P.30]
Chapter 3, The Virgin Birth. Continues to examine the
alternative origins of the Jesus Christ Mythology as it pertains to Gnosticism,
as well as the highly influential Mithra Cult. SVDB’s view of this issue could
well be contrasted THE JESUS MYSTERIES; as the two studies provide totally
different perspectives that, somehow, are more or less reconciled under the
Gnostic umbrella. Unfortunately such a comparison is beyond the scope of this
particular Review; but suffice it to say that THE JESUS MYSTERIES is not
concerned so much about the alleged “Virgin Birth” of Jesus, as it denies that
there was ANY physical birth (“Virgin” or otherwise.)
SVDB
draws the many parallels between Mithraism and the Legend of Jesus Christ
(including dates such as the Winter Solstice Birth of the Invincible Sun, etc.)
The book also points out the questionable legitimacy of the “historical ”
Jesus:
Traces of an illegitimate birth can
even be seen in the scriptures themselves.
The Gospel of Matthew, has Joseph consider divorcing Mary when she suddenly becomes
pregnant “before they came together” (Matthew 1:18-19). We are told that, “Because Joseph her
husband was a righteous man and did
not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to
divorce her quietly”(Matthew 1:19).
[P.34]
Chapter
4, John the Baptizer. Again, another very short Chapter, and one that presents
valid allegorical/daemonic connections between the Hebrew John and Pagan
counterparts. The Authors quote from the insightful Kurt Rudolph:
Jewish baptismal sects evidently had
a certain affinity with Gnostic movements [1971].
[P.37]
Incidentally,
elsewhere Rudolph demonstrates the importance of the Eastern Direction of Water
in Traditional Gnosticism, as corresponding to the allegorical Baptism of
Christ in the River Jordan. The Gnostic Pagan School allegorically also relates
to this concept as the East being the Direction of the Rising Sun (Horus, The
New Aeon) over the horizon, setting in the West (Water/Osiris, The Old Aeon).
In a
footnote on Page 39, the Authors state:
The Mandeans (an influential Gnostic
Sect, --. Ed) do not recognize the divinity of Jesus,
but rather forgave their own prophet
John for baptizing Jesus whom they see as a false Messiah.
Contemporary Fundamentalist
Christians make much of the image of Christ-as-the-“Fishermen of Men,” but SDVB
draws on allegorical and historical sources to indicate that, indeed, this
Image of the Fish is dependent upon a more ancient motif:
“The only satisfactory explanation
why Jesus should be represented as a Fish,
seems to be that in the quaint
jargon of the Talmud the Messiah is often designated ‘Dag’ or ‘The Fish’”
(King, 1864)
“…the Fish takes its place in
importance as a sign of Christ in his
special office of Savior…In the Talmud
the Messiah is called ‘Dag’ or
‘Fish’…Where did the Jews learn to apply ‘Dag’ to
their Messiah? And why
did the primitive Christians adopt it as a sign of
Christ?… I cannot disguise facts.
Truth demands no concealment or apology. Paganism has its types and prophecies
of Christ as well as Judaism. What then is the Dag-on
of the old Babylonians? The fish-god
being that taught them all their civilization” (Lundy
1876).
[P. 41]
And
on the same page, this footnote:
Dagon’s cultic influence may have
even lasted down to modern times.
Commenting on the costumes that the
priests of Oannes (“John,” –Ed.)/Dagon’s
cult wore, well studied occultist
Fred Gettings commented that, “the curious fish-like
headgear is said by some to be the
origins of the papal headdress, which does indeed have
all the appearance of being a huge
fish mouth gaping at the skies—the symbolism pointing to the idea
that the pope is a high-initiate” (Gettings 1987).
This
no doubt is a fair assessment of the historic realities—and what a fraud that
bit of “costume” represents!
Chapter
5, The Anointed, Although another Chapter of few pages, this one gets right down to the
central thesis of SVDB’s interpretation of the New Testament:
The ministry of Jesus marked the return of the Jewish
Messiah-kings,
and thus the reemergence of the [psychoactive--Ed.]
Holy Oil. If Jesus was not initiated
in this fashion then he was not the Christ, and had no
official claim to the title, it was only given