[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
thoroughly schooled in the rational methods of Archimedes, Euclid, and Aristotle. And imagine him
reading the Apocalypse, various writings about Armageddon. How would he react to such an
experience? He would merely shrug, says Aime Michel: "It would never occur to him to place the
slightest credence in such a compendium of what must regard as insanities. Such a scene must have
taken place thousands of times at the end of classical antiquity. And we know that every time there
was the same rejection, the same shrugging, because we have no record of any critical examination
of the doctrines, ideas, and claims of the counterculture that expressed itself through the
Apocalypse. This counterculture was too absurd to retain the attention of a reader of Plato. A short
time a very short time elapsed, the counterculture triumphed, and Plato was forgotten for a
thousand years. Could it happen again?"
Only a thorough examination of the ancient records can save us from the effects of such cultural
myopia. Among other interesting objects, some of the artifacts that have come to us from Phoenicia
provide insight into the idea of contact in antiquity.
Phoenician Amulets
History books tell us that the Phoenician civilization was established long before the Hebrew
migrations, when several Semitic tribes founded a series of cities on the Mediterranean littoral. The
main ones were known as Tyre, Sidon, Tripoli, and Byblos, and each was governed by an oligarchy
or by a king. At the height of its development, Phoenicia itself extended through that part of Syria
that goes from Nahr-al-Kabir (Eleutherus) on the north to Mount Carmel on the south.
Sir E. A. Wallis Budge, one of this century's most distinguished scholars of Egypt and
Mesopotamia, states that the Phoenicians were not a literary people. Unlike most Semitic peoples,
they loved the sea. They used their abundant forests to supply timber for their ships. Their work was
exceptionally refined and their products were sold by their merchants throughout the ancient world,
in Europe, Asia, Africa, and India. They had learned from Babylon the art of dyeing, from Egypt the
craft of glassblowing, and they used accurate systems of weights. Little is known of their religious
beliefs, although it is often pointed out, on linguistic grounds, that the names of their gods showed
direct Babylonian, Egyptian, and Greek influences.
Of their ritual practices we are told that they sacrificed their firstborn children in times of trouble;
that they killed their prisoners of war on the altars of their gods; and that their women surrendered
their virginity in the sanctuaries of Astarte. For their personal magical protection the Phoenicians
appear to have adopted the type of amulets used in Babylonia and Assyria, and a collection of
cylinder seals has been preserved in the British Museum. Some of these artifacts, which are shown
in Wallis Budge's book Amulets and Superstitions, may date from a few centuries B.C., probably
from about 400 to 300 B.C. Five of these cylinder seals depict a Winged Disk, often with
appendages. Figures that are referred to in the literature as "divine beings" are seen emerging from
these disks in four cases. And in every one of them human figures in ceremonial dress appear to be
involved in rituals that contain. Assyrian features.
The first cylinder seal shows a hero holding in each hands the foreleg of a winged beast. One of
these two beasts has horns on its head and a tail. Above the human being is the winged disk, from
which a god is emerging. ("Ahuramazda or some Assyrian god," writes Sir Wallis Budge.) The
interpretation of the second amulet involves scorpion-men and sexual symbols. It is apparent that
two strange creatures, obviously male, are supporting a winged disk above a sacred tree. To the
right is a worshipper, while another person is bringing some sort of animal as a sacrifice. Here,
again, two divine figures are to be seen, emerging from the disk.
In the third amulet two large winged figures classically interpreted as "priests wearing winged
garments" frame a large disk with extended legs. Directly beneath the disk is a symbol of
lightning or a thunderbolt, before which a man appears to be standing in adoration. There is
something on top of the disk.
Another artifact: a sphinx and a goat stand on either side of a sacred tree above which is a winged
disk. Two men are performing a ritual in connection with the scene.
In the last amulet two of the strange dwarfish figures, which authorities call scorpion-men (despite
their large breasts on this particular seal), are supporting a "winged disk from which project the
heads of three divine beings." Two men are in adoration before the disk, beneath which a sort of
vaulted door can be seen. To the left is a very strange figure interpreted as "a god holding a gazelle
or goat under each arm."
The interpretation of this collection of artifacts raises several questions, because the classical
statement that the flying disk is simply a primitive representation of the sun or the soul leaves much
to be desired. Is it common for the winged disk (a frequent symbol in antiquity) to show several
beings emerging from its upper part? In what context are such representations encountered? If the
disk is interpreted as some mythological symbol connected with the cosmos (as is indicated by the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl chiara76.opx.pl
thoroughly schooled in the rational methods of Archimedes, Euclid, and Aristotle. And imagine him
reading the Apocalypse, various writings about Armageddon. How would he react to such an
experience? He would merely shrug, says Aime Michel: "It would never occur to him to place the
slightest credence in such a compendium of what must regard as insanities. Such a scene must have
taken place thousands of times at the end of classical antiquity. And we know that every time there
was the same rejection, the same shrugging, because we have no record of any critical examination
of the doctrines, ideas, and claims of the counterculture that expressed itself through the
Apocalypse. This counterculture was too absurd to retain the attention of a reader of Plato. A short
time a very short time elapsed, the counterculture triumphed, and Plato was forgotten for a
thousand years. Could it happen again?"
Only a thorough examination of the ancient records can save us from the effects of such cultural
myopia. Among other interesting objects, some of the artifacts that have come to us from Phoenicia
provide insight into the idea of contact in antiquity.
Phoenician Amulets
History books tell us that the Phoenician civilization was established long before the Hebrew
migrations, when several Semitic tribes founded a series of cities on the Mediterranean littoral. The
main ones were known as Tyre, Sidon, Tripoli, and Byblos, and each was governed by an oligarchy
or by a king. At the height of its development, Phoenicia itself extended through that part of Syria
that goes from Nahr-al-Kabir (Eleutherus) on the north to Mount Carmel on the south.
Sir E. A. Wallis Budge, one of this century's most distinguished scholars of Egypt and
Mesopotamia, states that the Phoenicians were not a literary people. Unlike most Semitic peoples,
they loved the sea. They used their abundant forests to supply timber for their ships. Their work was
exceptionally refined and their products were sold by their merchants throughout the ancient world,
in Europe, Asia, Africa, and India. They had learned from Babylon the art of dyeing, from Egypt the
craft of glassblowing, and they used accurate systems of weights. Little is known of their religious
beliefs, although it is often pointed out, on linguistic grounds, that the names of their gods showed
direct Babylonian, Egyptian, and Greek influences.
Of their ritual practices we are told that they sacrificed their firstborn children in times of trouble;
that they killed their prisoners of war on the altars of their gods; and that their women surrendered
their virginity in the sanctuaries of Astarte. For their personal magical protection the Phoenicians
appear to have adopted the type of amulets used in Babylonia and Assyria, and a collection of
cylinder seals has been preserved in the British Museum. Some of these artifacts, which are shown
in Wallis Budge's book Amulets and Superstitions, may date from a few centuries B.C., probably
from about 400 to 300 B.C. Five of these cylinder seals depict a Winged Disk, often with
appendages. Figures that are referred to in the literature as "divine beings" are seen emerging from
these disks in four cases. And in every one of them human figures in ceremonial dress appear to be
involved in rituals that contain. Assyrian features.
The first cylinder seal shows a hero holding in each hands the foreleg of a winged beast. One of
these two beasts has horns on its head and a tail. Above the human being is the winged disk, from
which a god is emerging. ("Ahuramazda or some Assyrian god," writes Sir Wallis Budge.) The
interpretation of the second amulet involves scorpion-men and sexual symbols. It is apparent that
two strange creatures, obviously male, are supporting a winged disk above a sacred tree. To the
right is a worshipper, while another person is bringing some sort of animal as a sacrifice. Here,
again, two divine figures are to be seen, emerging from the disk.
In the third amulet two large winged figures classically interpreted as "priests wearing winged
garments" frame a large disk with extended legs. Directly beneath the disk is a symbol of
lightning or a thunderbolt, before which a man appears to be standing in adoration. There is
something on top of the disk.
Another artifact: a sphinx and a goat stand on either side of a sacred tree above which is a winged
disk. Two men are performing a ritual in connection with the scene.
In the last amulet two of the strange dwarfish figures, which authorities call scorpion-men (despite
their large breasts on this particular seal), are supporting a "winged disk from which project the
heads of three divine beings." Two men are in adoration before the disk, beneath which a sort of
vaulted door can be seen. To the left is a very strange figure interpreted as "a god holding a gazelle
or goat under each arm."
The interpretation of this collection of artifacts raises several questions, because the classical
statement that the flying disk is simply a primitive representation of the sun or the soul leaves much
to be desired. Is it common for the winged disk (a frequent symbol in antiquity) to show several
beings emerging from its upper part? In what context are such representations encountered? If the
disk is interpreted as some mythological symbol connected with the cosmos (as is indicated by the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]