Here is what I am really focusing on at the moment because I find it strange. I have long been familiar with the idea that Yeshua (Jesus) was associated with the fish god Dagon and other Fertility Gods.
In fact, I do believe that many of the Jewish stories in the Old Testament were influenced by the Sumerian, Akkadian and Babylon pantheons. The book of Genesis appears to be a monotheistic version of the Sumerian/Babylon origin stories Enu Elish complete with Noah (Ziusudra). Some go so far as to say that the name Genesis implies it's the 'Genes of Isis' an ancient Egyptian Goddess, and Laurence Gardner at least seems to think the ancient Sumerian/Akkadian/Babylonian gods founded a genetic lineage of kings. The idea that the entire Passion of the Christ was some sort of complicated script is what gives rise to the following being of interest. Yes, this is based primarily on the source of my Past Life memory which leaves a lot of room for doubt (in fact, perhaps, mired in doubt) but it does provide some room for a curious hypothesis. Looking At History Rarely do we sit back and think of things from a different perspective then what is taught. We are taught that each religion, especially ancient ones, exist in some sort of distant vacuum then those that are currently in vogue with absolutely no connection. In fact, what happens in one part of the world is taught as being completely unrelated to events in other parts of the world. Recently, when I was pursuing a question someone raise about Esther in the bible being Ishtar from Babylonia not only did I find that completely in error but was shocked to discover that Xerxes of Persia (Iran) who invaded Greece (famously depicted in the three hundred) was married to Jewish Esther. I think it is important to remember that Israel was conquered by Babylon (Iran), Persia (Iraq), Greece in 333bc, and then by Rome. They also had intricate relationships with Egypt (the captivity that may or may not have happened) and other countries. The problem is, much like large companies today, when the name of the state or area changes so much it's really hard to keep track of what area or gods were attached to that area. I find this a lot when trying to study the ancient Sumerian Gods and Goddesses for the purpose of trying to follow Zechiriah Stitchin's approach to what he calls the Annunaki (an idea I sort of love because it actually explains the paradoxes in the bible). Whether the were aliens that came down here or some sort of souls from another dimension I don't really care that much. I originally intended to write about the two oldest texts that I knew of regarding the Hero's Journey: Gilgamesh and the Descent of Inanna/Ishtar. My goal was to explain that there are two very different views of what a man's Hero Journey consists of and what a woman's Hero Journey consists of but then I ran into several curiosities that provoked a unique series of research. This is one of the blogs in which I will address this curious journey I've taken. As I researched the subject on Innana's descent I was appalled. I have seen comparisons of Jesus with Krishna, with the fish god Dagon and with a series of others but never Dumozi The Shepard. I was never impressed by the loose and vague similarities by other dieties to the story of Yeshua or his symbols. The similarities are staggering regarding several symbols used for both and there are startling coincidences that are almost overwhelming. These thoughts of course, might be blasphemy to some but I hope they are true because it would be truly gorgeously stunning and beautiful. Scholarly and spiritual folks have weighed down both stories with layers of rhetoric and theory. However, when we remove the interpretations and look at the stories themselves some ideas become apparent. When a story is repeated over and over again I always find it fascinating. Down the Rabbit Hole First, it was the story of Gilgamesh that lead me to the story of Innana's descent. Gilgamesh, a demigod, kills the bull of heaven when he's attempting to become one of the immortals. What prompts Inanna to journey into the underworld is to witness the death rituals of the Bull of Heaven, her sister's husband. Second, there is an astonishing amount of similarity between Yeshua (Jesus) and the story, worship and symbols of Innana's consort Dumozi. When I say a lot, I mean it's stunning. To really get at the similarities we have to look at the marriage of Innana and Dumozi/Tammuz. Dumozi may have been renamed Adonis in the Westernized version of the myth. I have not really delved deeply into opinion articles to see if this connection has been made before by other people in the way I am going to present it. I have seen that there are articles exploring the connection between the two comparing and contrasting them, debunking this idea and what not but I have not read them. Here are the Symbolic Similarities: 1. The Shepard. Yeshua is known as a Shepard. Dumuzi is the Shepard. 2. Venus- Inanna's star was that of Venus. Yeshua refers to himself as Venus. 3. Pisces- Innana is associated with the constellation of Pisces as is Jesus. This is the reason Yeshua symbol is the fish. In one of the original churches they found the ancient symbol of Pisces on the floor although the original reason for this has been lost. 4. Inanna is represented by the image of the lion. Dumuzi is the lamb. Hence, when the two lay down in their wedding bed it would be the lion laying with the lamb. (Note, however, that the lion and lamb quote isn't in the bible. The actual quote is wolf and lamb). 5. Fisherman- Yeshua refers to his disciples as Fisherman and two of them were known to actually hold that vocation. There is a story where Inanna's 'fisherman' defended her temple from desecration. 6. Crucifixion- When Inanna descends to the underworld she is crucified by her sister. Her body literally becomes a rotting corpse hung on a nail. Yeshua was crucified with nails through his wrists and ankles. 7. Resurrection: Innana is resurrected after three days. Yeshua is resurrected after three days. 8. Association with Grain: In both the case of Jesus (Mark 2:23) and Dumozi there is an association with grain and harvest. This may be, in large part, due to their resurrection being associated with fertility or vegetation Gods that are associated with the yearly cycles of spring, summer, fall and winter. 9. Sacred Marriage: Inanna symbolized the sacred marriage of the infinite and the finite. Yeshua (and the Jewish Old Testament) speak of a sacred marriage (the prior being with the Jewish people who broke the covenant when worshiping the golden calf and the latter between Jesus and his Church). 10. Bethlehem- The city of Bethlehem actually housed a Temple to Dumozi. Bethlehem was the birth place of Yeshua. 11. Yoke- In his marriage to Inanna Tammuz brings a wedding gift of two pails of milk that he carries in a yoke upon his shoulders (a type of contraption made of wood to easily carry milk about). Jesus says, "Take my yoke upon you." 12. Jesus says that after he is gone the 'holy spirit' will descend. Dumozi only spends six months in the underworld after which he reascends. He is then replaced by his sister- Khi-dimme-azaga- known as "child of the renowned spirit." 13. Bread and Wine. At pass over Jesus refers to the wine as his blood and bread as his body. In the myth of Inanna it is bread and water that revive her. (note that Dumozi's sister is considered the 'heavenly grapevine.') 14. The name Adonis (western version of Tammuz/Dumozi) literally translates as, "Lord," at title often applied to Jesus. 15. Prostitute Consorts: Inanna, Dumozi's wife, was the goddess of prostitution. Mary Magdaline who is proposed to be Jesus wife is traditionally considered to be a former prostitute or perhaps ran a brothel. Other Curiosities: 1. The River Adonis- Nahr Ibraham. On an interesting note the river associated with Tammuz/Dumozi/Adonis is now called the River of Abraham in Lebanon. This river is known to turn blood red which is considered the blood of Adonis that then cleanses the land. 2. Tammuz is a Jewish Month. Tammuz is an alternate name for the god Dumozi. 3. In the month of Tammuz there are Three Weeks of Mourning. In the tradition of Dumozi there is a period of mourning for the God who has descended. 4. Mostly women worshiped Tammuz and mourned him. There is a reference to that worship in the Old Testament Ezekial 8:14, "Then he brought me to the entrance of the North Gate of the house of the LORD and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz. 5. Corn Spirit. This one opens the door to an entire world of thought I do not want to delve into deeply here but I may build upon later. Adonis/Tammuz/Dumozi is considered a 'corn' spirit. He is considered to have taught mankind how to grow corn and cultivate fruit. Considering that there is corn depicted in association with Jesus in the Rosslyn Chapal of Scotland that predated the discovery of North America this is plausible. 6. Khi-dimme-azaga name is associated with the grape vine. There is very little about her in recorded history. 7. Khi-dimme-azaga time in the underworld is the fall and winter. Tummuz time in the underworld is Spring and Summer. 8. Two Witnesses- In biblical tradition there is the idea of the two Witnesses in Revelation. These Witnesses are traditionally Moses and Elisha. In the tradition of Inanna there were two witnesses sent into the underworld to bring her back. Traditional Thoughts The story of Innana's descent into the Underworld and Yehsua's Resurrection are both clear cases of the Hero's Journey Template. Further, there is the clear association between the typical story of the Changing of the Seasons (Inanna) a that processes 'marriage' to the dying/resurrected vegetation God (Dumuzi). Then there is the mysterious sister, Khi-dimme-azagand, who descends when Tummuz ascends. One could easily say that the reasoning for this is that they (both Jesus, Tammuz/Dumozi) are allegorical concepts of these natural changes of the seasons. This is a very shallow interpretation as it seems that our world is more of a reflective matrix that is operating on a central Template (the Hero's Journey). These traditional thoughts and explanations are based on the typical mainstream thought that our ancestors were ignorant natives worshiping the powers of nature. Every take on the 'vegetation god' archetype reflects this belief. I have heard the argument that since this natural process was the core of almost all religions it made it easier for the Christian religion to grow. The reason being is that the pagans merely adapted their former beliefs based on this cyclical exchange to the new patriarchal idea. Non-Traditional Thoughts As everyone knows, I am not a huge supporter of mainstream thought. I believe it is simple but that there are, as I suggested with the Hero's Journey, Templates that exist on some other level/dimension that govern the matrix we experience here (I will get into this with a blog on the Higher Self and Matrix idea which are concepts I struggle with). What really amazed me is that Yeshua refers to himself as a Shepard. If we remove the idea that the Jews existed in a cultural vacuum, and it is indeed confirmed they knew of Tammuz because he is referenced in the Old Testament and there was a temple in Bethlehem, this becomes even more fascinating. (Fascinatingly, the God Enki also seems to be associated with the term the Great Shepard). Inanna's story was already ancient news when Yeshua was born. The question is what if Yeshua knew the story of Dumozi and was trying to invoke it on purpose? What if Yeshua was appealing to some sort of Template that exists on a higher level than the Hero's Journey? I have long believed that the sacred marriage that Yeshua refers to is not with the church or the nation of Israel. I also think that the true meaning of the "Holy Spirit" was concealed on some level and may reference a feminine aspect of the divine. One can also argue regarding Dumozi and his sister Khi-dimme-azagand represent summer and winter. This association is directly embodied in C.S. Lewis Narnia (that has been tied to the Christian religion). Also, we can see this born again, as it were, with the ascent of Daenary's Stormborn in Game of Thrones with the onset of the ominous statement, "Winter is Coming." The fact that the king richard is killed by a boar is tied into traditional stories of Adonis being slain by a boar as a sign that summer is over. Finally, there is the association in the myth regarding the river and grain. This is a bit confusing but the demons that pursued Inanna and ended up taking Dumozi to the underworld first offer a river and then a field of grain to the two witnesses and then to Khi-dimme-azagand who was hiding Dumozi. I may depart on a quest to better understand this concept in the future of the River and Grain but it is definitely a major archetype...and curiously appeared in one of my dreams long before this research. Conclusion There is definitely some sort of underlying Gnosis regarding the Jewish/Christian religion and the tale of Inanna and Dumozi. That there are associations between the symbols, events and sayings of Yeshua with the original tale are undeniable. There is even historical evidence that the Jewish people were exposed to the worship of Dumozi for a very long time as the God's name is mentioned in Ezekial and there are references in Joshua and Isaiah. The tale of the betraying bride (Inanna) can also be seen as being retold as the story of the Jewish people breaking their original covenant with God. We can find that there are 23 associations between traditional Judaisim and Christianity with the Inanna/Dumozi story. Further, if we look into other historical stories we can see the same story retold yet again in the tale of King Arthur. Here his wife, the beautiful Guinevere betrays him with Lancelot. Then there is his sister of Morgan Le Fey who collects his fallen body resembling Khi-dimme-azagand. Plus there is a promise of a return. In the book Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradly there is definitely hints that Christianity is just the reiteration of a long held spiritual belief system (the priestesses laying with the king at Beltane is a direct references of Innan's priestess who inaugurated the King to divinity). This is something I will develop further. Whenever humanity tells a story over and over again it is important. Although this one is not as defined as the Hero's Journey it is fascinating.
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Brave Soul! May Your Journey On The Path Of The Seeker Bring You Joy and Peace! I'm currently posting every Saturday. With a new addition the family I have pre-scheduled most posts through December 2022. Full Moon Posts will contain up-to-date content when I can get to them. Thank you so much for your support and understanding! This is a place where you can encounter new spiritual ideas that have helped me develop as an Individual On The Path of the Seeker. Take or Leave this information as you see fit. Archives
April 2024
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