Gnostic Informant

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel:    / @latenitegnosis   Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX SABAZIOS , a god of the Thracians and the Phrygians, is also known from Greek and Latin sources as Sabadios, Sauazios, Saazios, Sabos, Sebazios, Sabadius, and Sebadius. His name is related to the Macedonian word sauâdai, or saûdoi, meaning "satyrs" (Detschew, 1957, p. 427). According to some scholars (e.g., Lozovan, 1968), he was a Thracian mountain god whose cult was carried by Phrygian emigrants from Thrace to Anatolia. Greek sources from the fifth century bce onward mention Sabazios as a Thracian or Phrygian god. In Athens, his cult's initiation ceremonies took place by night, and the adepts were purified by being rubbed with mud. A sacramental drink was also involved. The identification of Sabazios with Dionysos, which occurs regularly in Hellenistic sources, is unquestionable. However, Phrygian inscriptions relate him to Zeus, and in North Africa, where his cult is attested as early as the fourth century bce, he might have had the features of a heavenly god; hence he was later identified with the Semitic god Baal, both of them receiving the Greek epithet hupsistos ("highest, supreme"). He was probably worshiped in Thrace under other local names, such as Athyparenos, Arsilenos, Batalde Ouenos, Eleneites, Mytorgenos, Ouerzel(enos), and Tasibastenus. Sabazios's name has been connected with the Indo-European *swo-, meaning "[his] own," and with the idea of freedom, which occurs frequently among the epithets of Dionysos. Franz Cumont has suggested a relationship with the Illyrian sabaia, or sabaium, identifying a beer extracted from cereals (see Russu, 1969, p. 241). More recently, Gheorghe Muşu has translated Sabazios as "sap god," from the Indo-European roots *sap- ("taste, perceive") and *sab- ("juice, fluid"). This translation corresponds well to the pattern of Dionysos/Sabazios, who was the divinity of humidity and as such was connected with both vegetation and intoxication (see Muşu, in Vulpe, 1980, pp. 333–336). The Jews of Syria and Anatolia identified Sabazios with Sabaoth. Under the Roman rulers Sabazios was worshiped in Thrace, where he was more often known as Sebazios or, in Latin, Sabazius, Sabadius, or Sebadius and where he received such epithets as epekoos ("benevolent"), kurios ("lord"), megistos ("greatest"), and so forth. In Crimea, probably under Jewish-Anatolian influence, he was called hupsistos. He was constantly identified with both Zeus and the sun. Motifs of hands making the votive gesture of benedictio Latina are among the distinctive features of his cult. According to several Christian writers (Clement of Alexandria, Arnobius, and Firmicus Maternus), the most impressive rite of initiation into the mysteries of Sabazios consisted of the adept's contact with a snake (aureus coluber ) that was first put over his breast (per sinum ducunt ) and then pulled down to his genitals. No less enigmatic than Zalmoxis, Sabazios was worshiped as early as the fourth century bce both as a chthonic and as a heavenly god. Scholars have too often tried to solve this riddle by supposing a borrowing from Jewish religion, but Jewish influence was not relevant in Anatolia before the third century bce. One should rather consider that chthonic features determined the character of the Thracian Sabazios, whereas the Phrygian Sabazios was probably connected with the sky. The ecstatic Eastern rites practiced largely by women in Athens were thrown together for rhetorical purposes by Demosthenes in undermining his opponent Aeschines for participating in his mother's cultic associations: #gnosticinformant #documentary #christianity

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel:    / @latenitegnosis   Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX Cooney is a UCLA professor of Egyptology and archaeology and already a bestselling author (“The Woman Who Would Be King,” 2014, and “When Women Ruled the World,” 2019). In her latest book, she admits that her fascination with ancient Egypt has soured — so much so that she now describes herself as a “recovering Egyptologist.” The uncritical admiration of the pharaohs that has continued to the present day, she writes, is a legacy of the ancient rulers’ efforts to manipulate how they were perceived, and has even served as a narrative and cultural foundation propping up modern authoritarianism. “How many of us have had deep obsessions with the ancient world — I just love Egyptian temples! I adore Greek mythology! — that are really symptoms of an ongoing addiction to male power that we just can’t kick?” Cooney writes. “The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World,” published by National Geographic, draws direct parallels between the rulers of 3,000 years ago and modern tyrants. In it, Cooney describes how the pharaohs created a compelling moral argument for power that continues to mislead people today, and which is linked directly to the current rise of authoritarianism. Cooney explores the pitfalls of patriarchal systems that harm women and men alike, and she convincingly argues that society is duplicating the historical patterns that have repeatedly led to power collapses. Only this time, she notes, climate change has altered the rules of recovery. Cooney is chair of UCLA’s Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. In an interview with UCLA Newsroom, she talks about what lessons ancient Egyptian narratives might offer in light of the societal and social challenges the world faces in 2021. Why are the pharaohs of ancient Egypt still so relevant thousands of years later? Pharaohs open themselves up to social justice discussions. The hard thing is that the pharaohs were arguably the best ever at presenting an authoritarian regime as good and pure and moral. That’s the underlying idea that needs to be popped first, because we still buy into it today. Concepts of patriarchal society, extraction of natural resources for profit, exploitation, overwork, misogyny and more all came pouring out of the Egyptian narrative. Osiris (/oʊˈsaɪrɪs/, from Egyptian wsjr, Coptic: ⲟⲩⲥⲓⲣⲉ ousire, Late Coptic [uˈsiræ]; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎𐤓, romanized: ʾsr) is the god of fertility, agriculture, the afterlife, the dead, resurrection, life, and vegetation in ancient Egyptian religion. He was classically depicted as a green-skinned deity with a pharaoh's beard, partially mummy-wrapped at the legs, wearing a distinctive atef crown, and holding a symbolic crook and flail. He was one of the first to be associated with the mummy wrap. When his brother Set cut him up into pieces after killing him, Osiris' wife Isis found all the pieces and wrapped his body up, enabling him to return to life. Osiris was widely worshipped until the decline of ancient Egyptian religion during the rise of Christianity in the Roman Empire. The first evidence of the worship of Osiris is from the middle of the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt (25th century BC), although it is likely that he was worshiped much earlier; the Khenti-Amentiu epithet dates to at least the First Dynasty, and was also used as a pharaonic title. #gnosticinformant #osiris #christianity

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LateNiteGnosis Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX The Mesha Stele, also known as the Moabite Stone, is a stele dated around 840 BCE containing a significant Canaanite inscription in the name of King Mesha of Moab (a kingdom located in modern Jordan). Mesha tells how Chemosh, the god of Moab, had been angry with his people and had allowed them to be subjugated to the Kingdom of Israel, but at length, Chemosh returned and assisted Mesha to throw off the yoke of Israel and restore the lands of Moab. Mesha also describes his many building projects. It is written in a variant of the Phoenician alphabet, closely related to the Paleo-Hebrew script. The stone was discovered intact by Frederick Augustus Klein, an Anglican missionary, at the site of ancient Dibon (now Dhiban, Jordan), in August 1868. A "squeeze" (a papier-mâché impression) had been obtained by a local Arab on behalf of Charles Simon Clermont-Ganneau, an archaeologist based in the French consulate in Jerusalem. The next year, the stele was smashed into several fragments by the Bani Hamida tribe, seen as an act of defiance against the Ottoman authorities who had pressured the Bedouins to hand over the stele so that it could be given to Germany. Clermont-Ganneau later managed to acquire the fragments and piece them together thanks to the impression made before the stele's destruction. The Mesha Stele, the first major epigraphic Canaanite inscription found in the region of Palestine, the longest Iron Age inscription ever found in the region, constitutes the major evidence for the Moabite language, and is a "corner-stone of Semitic epigraphy", and history.[7] The stele, whose story parallels, with some differences, an episode in the Bible's Books of Kings (2 Kings 3:4–28), provides invaluable information on the Moabite language and the political relationship between Moab and Israel at one moment in the 9th century BCE. It is the most extensive inscription ever recovered that refers to the kingdom of Israel (the "House of Omri"); it bears the earliest certain extrabiblical reference to the Israelite god Yahweh. It is also one of four known contemporary inscriptions containing the name of Israel, the others being the Merneptah Stele, the Tel Dan Stele, and one of the Kurkh Monoliths. Its authenticity has been disputed over the years, and some biblical minimalists suggest the text was not historical, but a biblical allegory. The stele itself is regarded as genuine and historical by the vast majority of biblical archaeologists today. #gnosticinformant #moabitestone #meshastele

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. The ancient Pelasgians mentioned by the Greek poet Homer were a mysterious and enigmatic people who played a significant role in early Greek mythology and history. Homer described them as a prehistoric civilization, often associated with the region of Thessaly and the city of Argos. However, the exact origins and characteristics of the Pelasgians remain a subject of debate among historians and scholars. According to Homer, the Pelasgians were a people who lived in the time before the Trojan War and were associated with the construction of massive structures, such as the walls of Mycenae. They were considered skilled builders and were often depicted as a semi-divine or legendary group. Some ancient Greek writers even suggested that the Pelasgians were the original inhabitants of Greece, predating other Greek-speaking tribes. The historical reality of the Pelasgians is complex and elusive, as they appear in various ancient Greek texts with different interpretations. Some scholars argue that they were a distinct ethnic group, while others propose that the term "Pelasgians" was used to refer to various indigenous populations of the Aegean region. Ultimately, the true identity and nature of the Pelasgians remain shrouded in the mists of antiquity, leaving us with fragments of mythology and historical accounts that continue to intrigue and fascinate to this day. The proto-Indo-European ancestors of the Greeks in and around the Black Sea region are generally believed to be the people known as the Proto-Greeks or the Mycenaean Greeks. The Mycenaean civilization, which flourished from around the 16th to the 12th century BCE, is considered an important precursor to classical Greek civilization. The Mycenaeans were part of a broader group of Indo-European speakers who migrated into the Balkans and Anatolia during the Bronze Age. These migrations are often associated with the expansion of the Indo-European language family, which includes Greek as one of its branches. The exact origins of the Proto-Greeks are still a subject of ongoing research and debate among historians and linguists. The Mycenaeans established a powerful civilization centered around the southern part of mainland Greece, with major centers such as Mycenae, Pylos, and Tiryns. They were skilled warriors, traders, and builders, known for their impressive palaces and fortifications. Their culture and language laid the foundation for the later development of ancient Greek civilization. It's important to note that while the Mycenaeans and their language are considered a significant part of the proto-Indo-European ancestry of the Greeks, the complex history of ancient migrations and cultural interactions in the region makes it difficult to attribute the Greek population exclusively to a single ancestral group. Civilization around the Black Sea region has a long and rich history, dating back thousands of years. The area has been inhabited by various cultures and civilizations since ancient times. The earliest evidence of human habitation in the region can be traced back to the Paleolithic era, around 45,000 to 12,000 years ago. In terms of more complex civilizations, one of the notable early cultures in the region was the Cucuteni-Trypillian culture, which flourished from approximately 5500 to 2750 BCE. This Neolithic culture was known for its advanced agriculture, pottery, and sizable settlements. Moving forward in time, the Black Sea region saw the rise and fall of various ancient civilizations. The ancient Greeks established numerous colonies along the coast of the Black Sea from the 8th century BCE onward, fostering trade and cultural exchange in the region. Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX#gnosticinformant #oldest #documentary

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LateNiteGnosis Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX DYING AND RISING GODS . The category of dying and rising gods, once a major topic of scholarly investigation, must now be understood to have been largely a misnomer based on imaginative reconstructions and exceedingly late or highly ambiguous texts. As applied in the scholarly literature, "dying and rising gods" is a generic appellation for a group of male deities found in agrarian Mediterranean societies who serve as the focus of myths and rituals that allegedly narrate and annually represent their death and resurrection. Beyond this sufficient criterion, dying and rising deities were often held by scholars to have a number of cultic associations, sometimes thought to form a "pattern." They were young male figures of fertility; the drama of their lives was often associated with mother or virgin goddesses; in some areas, they were related to the institution of sacred kingship, often expressed through rituals of sacred marriage; there were dramatic reenactments of their life, death, and putative resurrection, often accompanied by a ritual identification of either the society or given individuals with their fate. The category of dying and rising gods, as well as the pattern of its mythic and ritual associations, received its earliest full formulation in the influential work of James G. Frazer The Golden Bough, especially in its two central volumes, The Dying God and Adonis, Attis, Osiris. Frazer offered two interpretations, one euhemerist, the other naturist. In the former, which focused on the figure of the dying god, it was held that a (sacred) king would be slain when his fertility waned. This practice, it was suggested, would be later mythologized, giving rise to a dying god. The naturist explanation, which covered the full cycle of dying and rising, held the deities to be personifications of the seasonal cycle of vegetation. The two interpretations were linked by the notion that death followed upon a loss of fertility, with a period of sterility being followed by one of rejuvenation, either in the transfer of the kingship to a successor or by the rebirth or resurrection of the deity. ESHMUN was a Phoenician healer god, later identified with Asklepios, the patron of medicine, by the Greeks and the Romans. He seems to be attested since the third millennium bce in Syria, though his physiognomy becomes clear only in the first millennium bce. The etymology of Eshmun clearly connects him with "oil," which had therapeutic and ritual functions (in relationship with the kingship ritual) in the ancient Near East. In the Ebla archives (middle of the third millennium bce), the theophoric element sí-mi-nu/a is found in some personal names, written dì-giš in Sumerian, meaning "oil." In the ritual texts of Ugarit and Ras Ibn Hani, in the late Bronze Age (eighteenth century bce), the god Šmn is also mentioned as a beneficiary of offerings (Keilalphabetischen Texte aus Ugarit 1.164:9, 1.41:[45], 1.87:50). Unfortunately nothing is known about the functions or the role of this god in the Syrian pantheons, but his connection with oil must indicate that he was "the one who oils," and thus "the one who heals." This is surely the main reason why Eshmun was later assimilated to Asklepios/Aesculapius. His occasional interpretatio as Apollo (for example, in Carthage) is also based on the same background, because Apollo was also a salvific god. According to Philo of Byblos (Eus., Praeparation Evangelica I, 10, 38) #gnosticinformant #christianity #documentary

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LateNiteGnosis Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX A Venus figurine is any Upper Palaeolithic statuette portraying a woman, usually carved in the round. Most have been unearthed in Europe, but others have been found as far away as Siberia, and distributed across much of Eurasia. Most date from the Gravettian period (26,000–21,000 years ago). However, findings are not limited to this period; for example, the Venus of Hohle Fels dates back at least 35,000 years to the Aurignacian era, and the Venus of Monruz dates back about 11,000 years to the Magdalenian. Such figurines were carved from soft stone (such as steatite, calcite or limestone), bone or ivory, or formed of clay and fired. The latter are among the oldest ceramics known to historians. In total, over 200 such figurines are known; virtually all of modest size, between about 3 and 40 cm (1.2 and 15.7 in) in height. These figurines are recognised as some of the earliest works of prehistoric art. Most have wide hips and legs that taper to a point. Arms and feet are often absent, and the head is usually small and faceless. Various figurines exaggerate the abdomen, hips, breasts, thighs, or vulva, although many found examples do not reflect these typical characteristics. Depictions of hairstyles can be detailed, and especially in Siberian examples, clothing or tattoos may be indicated. The original cultural meaning and purpose of these artefacts is not known. It has frequently been suggested that they may have served a ritual or symbolic function. There are widely varying and speculative interpretations of their use or meaning: they have been seen as religious figures, an expression of health and fertility, grandmother goddesses, or as self-depictions by female artists. The Venus of Tan-Tan (supposedly, 500,000-300,000 BP) is an alleged artifact found in Morocco. It and its contemporary, the Venus of Berekhat Ram, have been claimed as the earliest representations of the human form. The Venus of Berekhat Ram (280,000-250,000 BP) is a pebble found at Berekhat Ram on the Golan Heights. The pebble was modified by early humans and is suggested to represent a female human figure. The object was excavated and first described by Naama Goren-Inbar from the Institute of Archaeology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The artifact is a scoria pebble, 35 mm long, 25 mm wide, and 21 mm thick. It weighs approximately 10 g. It was excavated in 1981 at the Acheulian site of Berekhat Ram, Golan Heights. The object is dated 280,000-250,000 BP. Goren-Inbar reported several artificial grooves on the object: one is a transversal groove in the upper third, others are longitudinal grooves on the sides below the traversal groove. Alexander Marshack performed a microscopic study of the object in 1997. He also reported artificial modifications including the transversal and longitudinal grooves found by Goren-Inbar. Finally, Francesco d'Errico and April Nowell re-examined the object using a comparative approach. They partly confirmed, partly corrected the findings of Marshack. d'Errico and Nowell also reported the above grooves (with some corrections) and, additionally, reported areas of possible abrasion on the front, back and bottom of the object. The Lion Man is a masterpiece. Sculpted with great originality, virtuosity and technical skill from mammoth ivory, this 40,000-year-old image is 31 centimetres tall. It has the head of a cave lion with a partly human body. He stands upright, perhaps on tiptoes, legs apart and arms to the sides of a slender, cat-like body with strong shoulders like the hips and thighs of a lion. #gnosticinformant #lionman #documentary

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LateNiteGnosis Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX The Death of Heracles or the Apotheosis of Heracles. It is a mythological tale that recounts the final moments and the subsequent events after the death of the great Greek hero, Heracles (or Hercules in Roman mythology). In Greek mythology, Heracles was renowned for his incredible strength and numerous heroic feats. However, his life was not without tragedy. After completing his twelve labors, Heracles faced a series of misfortunes, including the accidental murder of his wife Megara and their children, which was caused by a fit of madness sent by the goddess Hera, who harbored a deep resentment towards him. As a form of penance and purification for the crime he had committed, Heracles sought guidance from the Oracle of Delphi. The oracle instructed him to serve his cousin Eurystheus, the king who had imposed the twelve labors upon him, for a period of twelve years as recompense for the murders. After fulfilling this requirement, Heracles would be rewarded with immortality and a place among the gods. Following the completion of his servitude, Heracles was eager to ascend to Mount Olympus and join the gods. However, he faced a final challenge orchestrated by Hera. The goddess sent a vengeful centaur named Nessus to wreak havoc on Heracles and his wife Deianeira. During their encounter, Heracles slew Nessus with arrows dipped in the venomous blood of the Hydra. However, the story takes an unusual turn regarding the fate of Heracles' body. As the flames continued to burn, his close friend Philoctetes and his son Hyllus (also known as Hyllas) were present at the pyre. Stricken with grief, they debated the appropriate course of action. Some versions of the myth claim that the gods themselves ordered the disciples to eat the remains of Heracles as a means of absorbing his divine essence and allowing his soul to ascend to Olympus. This act of consuming Heracles' flesh is known as the immolation or autochthonous banquet. It was believed to symbolize the assimilation of Heracles' divine power by his followers, thus allowing his spirit to be released and join the realm of the gods. The story of the death of Heracles and the subsequent consumption of his body by his disciples is a lesser-known aspect of his myth. It emphasizes the hero's transition from mortality to immortality and the continuation of his divine legacy through his devoted followers. Hyllus was said to become the new heracles, and continue to Avenge and fufill the Will of the Father in Heaven. In Egyptian mythology, the story of how Horus avenged his father Osiris varies in different versions but generally involves a series of conflicts with his uncle Set (also known as Seth). The tale is part of the larger Osiris myth, which centers around the death and resurrection of Osiris, the god of the dead and ruler of the underworld. The deification of Julius Caesar and Augustus served both political and religious purposes. It bolstered the legitimacy and authority of Octavian/Augustus as the rightful heir and successor to Caesar. By presenting the emperors as gods, their rule was elevated above mortal affairs, and dissent or opposition could be construed as sacrilegious. The cults of Julius Caesar and Augustus continued to thrive long after their deaths, even beyond the time of the Roman Empire. Their influence extended to the early centuries of Christianity, as the refusal of Christians to partake in the Imperial Cults became a defining characteristic of their faith. #gnosticinformant #christianity #documentary

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LateNiteGnosis Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX Proto-Indo-European mythology is the body of myths and deities associated with the Proto-Indo-Europeans, the hypothetical speakers of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European language. Although the mythological motifs are not directly attested – since Proto-Indo-European speakers lived in preliterate societies – scholars of comparative mythology have reconstructed details from inherited similarities found among Indo-European languages, based on the assumption that parts of the Proto-Indo-Europeans' original belief systems survived in the daughter traditions. The Proto-Indo-European pantheon includes a number of securely reconstructed deities, since they are both cognates – linguistic siblings from a common origin – and associated with similar attributes and body of myths: such as *Dyḗws Ph₂tḗr, the daylight-sky god; his consort *Dʰéǵʰōm, the earth mother; his daughter *H₂éwsōs, the dawn goddess; his sons the Divine Twins; and *Seh₂ul, a solar goddess. Some deities, like the weather god *Perkʷunos or the herding-god *Péh₂usōn, are only attested in a limited number of traditions – Western (European) and Graeco-Aryan, respectively – and could therefore represent late additions that did not spread throughout the various Indo-European dialects. Some myths are also securely dated to Proto-Indo-European times, since they feature both linguistic and thematic evidence of an inherited motif: a story portraying a mythical figure associated with thunder and slaying a multi-headed serpent to release torrents of water that had previously been pent up; a creation myth involving two brothers, one of whom sacrifices the other in order to create the world; and probably the belief that the Otherworld was guarded by a watchdog and could only be reached by crossing a river. Various schools of thought exist regarding possible interpretations of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European mythology. The main mythologies used in comparative reconstruction are Indo-Iranian, Baltic, Roman, and Norse, often supported with evidence from the Celtic, Greek, Slavic, Hittite, Armenian, Illyrian, and Albanian traditions as well. One of the earliest attested and thus one of the most important of all Indo-European mythologies is Vedic mythology, especially the mythology of the Rigveda, the oldest of the Vedas. Early scholars of comparative mythology such as Friedrich Max Müller stressed the importance of Vedic mythology to such an extent that they practically equated it with Proto-Indo-European myths. Modern researchers have been much more cautious, recognizing that, although Vedic mythology is still central, other mythologies must also be taken into account. Another of the most important source mythologies for comparative research is Roman mythology. The Romans possessed a very complex mythological system, parts of which have been preserved through the characteristic Roman tendency to rationalize their myths into historical accounts. Despite its relatively late attestation, Norse mythology is still considered one of the three most important of the Indo-European mythologies for comparative research, due to the vast bulk of surviving Icelandic material. Baltic mythology has also received a great deal of scholarly attention, as it is linguistically the most conservative and archaic of all surviving branches, but has so far remained frustrating to researchers because the sources are so comparatively late. Nonetheless, Latvian folk songs are seen as a major source of information in the process of reconstructing Proto-Indo-European myth. #4k #religion #documentary

Professor Steve Mason (Ph.D) https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/scholar/steve-mason/https://research.rug.nl/en/persons/steve-masonhttps://rug.academia.edu/SteveMasonhttps://www.thetorah.com/author/steve-mason Get his books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Steve-Mason/author/B01HVVIDJK?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true Steve Mason is Emeritus Professor of Ancient Mediterranean Cultures and Religions in the University of Groningen, in the Netherlands. His degrees are from Canada’s McMaster University (BA, MA) and University of St Michael’s College (PhD), with years of graduate study in Jerusalem and Tübingen, Germany. A fellow of the Royal Historical Society in the UK, Steve has published widely on Roman Judaea, the works of Josephus, historical method, and Christian origins. He leads an international project providing the first commentary to thirty Greek volumes by Flavius Josephus, along with a new translation, and has contributed three volumes to that project. His other books include Flavius Josephus on the Pharisees; Josephus and the New Testament; Josephus, Judaea, and Christian Origins; Orientation to the History of Roman Judaea; A History of the Jewish War, AD 66 - 74; and most recently, Jews and Christians in the Roman World — appearing this month from Brill Academic Publishers. Steve was born in Canada and grew up in Canada, Britain, and Australia. After first jobs in kitchens, factories, a mine mill, security, and counselling, Steve worked for the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Toronto’s York University, The Pennsylvania State University, The University of Aberdeen in Scotland, and The University of Groningen. He has been a guest professor with stays in Oxford, Princeton, Konstanz, Berlin, Paris, Trinity College Dublin, and Rome's Pontifical Biblical Institute. https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@gnosticinformanttv Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX Steve Mason (B.A., M.A. McMaster, Ph.D. St. Michael’s) is Professor of History and Canada Research Chair in Greco-Roman Cultural Interaction at York University in Toronto. He edits the twelve-volume Flavius Josephus: Translation and Commentary (Brill, 2000-), and has contributed two of its volumes: Life of Josephus and Judean War 2. His other books include Flavius Josephus on the Pharisees (1991), Josephus and the New Testament (second edn. 2003), and Josephus, Judea, and Christian Origins: Methods and Categories (2009). He is currently writing a book for Cambridge University Press on the Judaean-Roman War of 66 to 74. #gnosticinformant #josephus #stevemason

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LateNiteGnosis Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX Most historians have suggested that Sumer was first permanently settled between c. 5500 – c. 3300 BC by a West Asian people who spoke the Sumerian language (pointing to the names of cities, rivers, basic occupations, etc., as evidence), a non-Semitic and non-Indo-European agglutinative language isolate. The Blau Monuments combine proto-cuneiform characters and illustrations of early Sumerians, Jemdet Nasr period, 3100–2700 BC. British Museum. Others have suggested that the Sumerians were a North African people who migrated from the Green Sahara into the Middle East and were responsible for the spread of farming in the Middle East. However, with evidence strongly suggesting the first farmers originated from the Fertile Crescent, this suggestion is often discarded. Although not specifically discussing Sumerians, Lazaridis et al. 2016 have suggested a partial North African origin for some pre-Semitic cultures of the Middle East, particularly Natufians, after testing the genomes of Natufian and Pre-Pottery Neolithic culture-bearers. Alternatively, a recent (2013) genetic analysis of four ancient Mesopotamian skeletal DNA samples suggests an association of the Sumerians with Indus Valley Civilisation, possibly as a result of ancient Indus–Mesopotamia relations. According to some data, the Sumerians are associated with the Hurrians and Urartians, and the Caucasus is considered their homeland. A prehistoric people who lived in the region before the Sumerians have been termed the "Proto-Euphrateans" or "Ubaidians", and are theorized to have evolved from the Samarra culture of northern Mesopotamia. The Ubaidians, though never mentioned by the Sumerians themselves, are assumed by modern-day scholars to have been the first civilizing force in Sumer. They drained the marshes for agriculture, developed trade, and established industries, including weaving, leatherwork, metalwork, masonry, and pottery. Enthroned Sumerian king of Ur, possibly Ur-Pabilsag, with attendants. Standard of Ur, c. 2600 BC. Some scholars contest the idea of a Proto-Euphratean language or one substrate language; they think the Sumerian language may originally have been that of the hunting and fishing peoples who lived in the marshland and the Eastern Arabia littoral region and were part of the Arabian bifacial culture. Reliable historical records begin much later; there are none in Sumer of any kind that have been dated before Enmebaragesi (Early Dynastic I). Juris Zarins believes the Sumerians lived along the coast of Eastern Arabia, today's Persian Gulf region, before it was flooded at the end of the Ice Age. Sumerian civilization took form in the Uruk period (4th millennium BC), continuing into the Jemdet Nasr and Early Dynastic periods. The Sumerians progressively lost control to Semitic states from the northwest. Sumer was conquered by the Semitic-speaking kings of the Akkadian Empire around 2270 BC (short chronology), but Sumerian continued as a sacred language. Native Sumerian rule re-emerged for about a century in the Third Dynasty of Ur at approximately 2100–2000 BC, but the Akkadian language also remained in use for some time. The Sumerian city of Eridu, on the coast of the Persian Gulf, is considered to have been one of the oldest cities, where three separate cultures may have fused: that of peasant Ubaidian farmers, living in mud-brick huts and practicing irrigation; that of mobile nomadic Semitic pastoralists living in black tents and following herds of sheep and goats; and that of fisher folk, living in reed huts in the marshlands, who may have been the ancestors of the Sumerians. #gnosticinformant #bible #documentary

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LateNiteGnosis Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX In Sumerian mythology, the Underworld was known as Kur, and it was ruled by the goddess Ereshkigal. The Babylonians also had a similar concept of the Underworld, which they called Irkalla. According to Sumerian mythology, the Underworld was a dark and gloomy place where the souls of the dead went after they passed away. The journey to the Underworld was perilous, and the souls had to navigate through seven gates, each guarded by a different deity. Once in the Underworld, the souls were judged by Ereshkigal and her consort, Nergal. The souls were then assigned to different levels of the Underworld based on their deeds in life. The worst offenders were sent to the lowest level, where they were subjected to eternal torment. The Babylonians had a similar concept of the Underworld, but their version was more complex. According to Babylonian mythology, the Underworld was divided into several levels, each with its own ruler. The souls of the dead had to pass through each level, facing different challenges and obstacles along the way. One of the most famous stories from Babylonian mythology is the tale of Ishtar's descent into the Underworld. Ishtar was the goddess of love and fertility, and she decided to visit the Underworld to rescue her lover, Tammuz. However, she was unable to pass through the gates of the Underworld, and she was forced to remove her clothing and jewelry as payment to the gatekeepers. The seven deities that guard each of the seven gates in the Underworld are named: 1) Neti, 2) Gedu, 3) Ennugi, 4) Ninkasi, 5) Ninimma, 6) Enbilulu, and 7) Dumuzid/SISTER. These deities were believed to have the power to judge the souls of the deceased and determine their fate in the afterlife. It was believed that those who were deemed worthy would be granted access to the afterlife, while those who were deemed unworthy would be condemned to eternal suffering. The purpose of each of the seven gates in the Underworld is to prevent the dead from escaping and to ensure that they are judged fairly before being allowed to enter the afterlife. Each gate is guarded by a different deity, and each deity has a specific role in the judgment process. The first gate is guarded by the god Neti, who checks the name of the deceased against a list of those who are allowed to enter. The second gate is guarded by the god Gedu, who weighs the heart of the deceased against a feather to determine if they have lived a good life. The third gate is guarded by the goddess Lahamu, who judges the deceased based on their deeds in life. The fourth gate is guarded by the god Shala, who determines if the deceased has been faithful to their spouse. The fifth gate is guarded by the goddess Ninlil, who judges the deceased based on their knowledge and wisdom. The sixth gate is guarded by the god Nergal, who determines if the deceased has been a good ruler or leader. The seventh and final gate is guarded by the goddess Ereshkigal, who judges the deceased based on their overall worthiness to enter the afterlife. Ereshkigal is a prominent figure in Sumerian and Babylonian mythology, known as the goddess of the Underworld. She is the sister of the god of the sky, Anu, and the god of the earth, Enlil. Ereshkigal is often depicted as a fearsome and powerful goddess, ruling over the dead and the spirits of the Underworld. Ereshkigal held a senior status among the underworld deities, ruling over the category of so-called "transtigridian snake gods" Two Minoan snake goddess figurines were excavated in 1903 in the Minoan palace at Knossos in the Greek island of Crete. #gnosticinformant #documentary #mythology

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help produce more content. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LateNiteGnosis Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 The oldest known god in written history is typically considered to be Anu, the sky god, worshiped by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) around 4,000 BCE. Anu was part of the Sumerian pantheon and was later incorporated into the pantheon of other civilizations in the region, such as the Akkadians and Babylonians. Anu was believed to be the father of the gods and the ruler of the heavens. It's important to note that there may have been older gods or deities worshiped by prehistoric cultures that did not have written records. Archaeological evidence suggests that religious beliefs and practices existed long before the invention of writing. However, without written records, it is Anu & his daughter Ishtar, the morning star, who show up in the beginning. The oldest known tablet or inscription mentioning the god Anu comes from the ancient Sumerian city of Uruk and dates back to around 2500 BCE. This tablet, known as the Uruk King List, is a historical document that lists the kings of Uruk in chronological order. Among the names of the kings, there is a reference to Anu, indicating his prominence as a deity in that period. Additionally, Anu is mentioned in several other ancient Sumerian texts, such as hymns, prayers, and myths, which provide further insights into the role and significance of this god in Sumerian religious beliefs. These texts were written on clay tablets and have been discovered at various archaeological sites in Mesopotamia, including the cities of Nippur, Ur, and Eridu. It's worth noting that these inscriptions and tablets are the oldest known references to Anu specifically, but it is likely that the worship of Anu predates these written records, possibly by several centuries or more. Anu is considered the god of the heavens, and his name is often translated as "sky" or "firmament." Although the word AN is interchangable with the word logogram for the word GOD "diĝir", and it is theorized that the word AN, is cognate with the proto indo european root for the word ONE, which also is AN or EIN, showing ANU as a possible proto-Monad concept of "the ONE". Anu is the son of Anshar and Kishar, who are primordial deities associated with the horizon and the earth. Anu is depicted as a mighty and wise god who resides in the highest heaven, ruling over the other gods. He is often portrayed as the father or progenitor of other deities, including Enlil and Ea (also known as Enki). Anu's role as the supreme deity is sometimes overshadowed by other gods such as Enlil or Marduk, who gained more prominence in later periods. Nevertheless, Anu retains his status as the head of the pantheon and the ultimate authority. Anu's role in the divine hierarchy is also reflected in the Mesopotamian cosmology, where he occupies the highest level of the universe, separated from the earth and its inhabitants. He is associated with the celestial realm, divine laws, and the ordering of the cosmos. In the Akkadian mythology of Babylon, Anu is considered the chief god and the father of all other gods. He plays a crucial role in the creation story known as the Enuma Elish, where he gives birth to the god Ea and grants him authority over the earth. The god OURANOS in Greek mythology seems to have a similar role as "the firmament, or Heavens" god. Or Sky Father: Both Anu and Ouranos are considered the personifications of the sky and are regarded as sky kings. They are associated with the heavens and are seen as the rulers of the celestial realm. Both Anu and Ouranos are considered primordial deities, existing at the beginning of creation. They are among the earliest divine beings in their respective mythologies. #gnosticinformant #sumerian #history

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LateNiteGnosis Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX Lucy, the discovery of this 3.2 million-year-old fossil skeleton was such a monumental breakthrough and what it meant for our understanding of human evolution. In 1974, a team of researchers led by the renowned paleoanthropologist Dr. Donald Johanson made a groundbreaking find in the Afar region of Hadar, Ethiopia. They unearthed an almost complete fossil skeleton belonging to an early human ancestor of our species, whom they affectionately named Lucy after the Beatles' song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." The oldest known religion in Ethiopia is a traditional belief system called "Ethiopian Traditional Religion" or "Ethiopian indigenous faith." This religious practice predates the arrival of Christianity and Islam in the region by thousands of years. It encompasses a wide range of spiritual beliefs and practices that have been passed down through generations and are deeply rooted in Ethiopian culture and heritage. Ethiopian Religion is characterized by its strong connection to nature, ancestral worship, and the belief in supernatural forces and spirits. It incorporates elements of animism, where various aspects of the natural world, such as rivers, mountains, and trees, are considered to possess spiritual essence and are revered accordingly. The practice of Ethiopian Traditional Religion involves rituals, ceremonies, and offerings to appease and seek blessings from ancestral spirits and deities. These rituals often take place in sacred sites, such as forests, mountains, or ancient stone structures known as "mazgabas." The Aksumite religion, also known as the Aksumite Polytheism, refers to the religious practices and beliefs of the Aksumite Empire, an ancient kingdom located in present-day Ethiopia and Eritrea. The primary deity of the Aksumite religion was the god Mahrem, also known as Astar, who was considered the supreme god and the protector of the Aksumite kingdom. Mahrem was associated with the sky, rain, and fertility. The Aksumite kings, who held significant religious and political authority, were believed to be direct descendants of Mahrem, solidifying their divine status and legitimacy. In addition to Mahrem, the Aksumite pantheon included other gods and goddesses, such as Astar, Beher, Meder, and Waraqa. Each deity had specific domains and was worshipped for various purposes, including fertility, protection, agriculture, and prosperity. The Aksumites also practiced ancestor worship, believing that deceased ancestors played a role in the spiritual well-being and guidance of the living. They would honor and venerate their ancestors through rituals and offerings, seeking their blessings and assistance. The Aksumite religion was closely intertwined with the political and cultural aspects of the empire. Temples and religious structures, such as the famous Stelae of Aksum, were erected to honor the gods and commemorate the rulers. Ritual ceremonies, sacrifices, and festivals were held to celebrate important events, agricultural cycles, and religious observances. With the spread of Christianity in the 4th century CE, the Aksumite religion began to decline. Christianity eventually became the dominant religion in the region and played a significant role in shaping Ethiopian culture and identity. #gnosticinformant #documentary #africa

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LateNiteGnosis Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX The origins and ethnic identity of the Pelasgians are uncertain. Some ancient sources believe they were an indigenous people of Greece, while others suggest they might have migrated from different regions, including the Black Sea Regions, Anatolia or the Balkans. Their precise ethnicity and language remain unresolved, though a combination of Proto-Indo European and Native Mediterannean is the most likely. The earliest references to the Pelasgians can be found in ancient Greek literature, particularly in the works of Homer, Herodotus, and Thucydides. In the Iliad, there were Pelasgians on both sides of the Trojan War. WHen Homer explains who the Ancient Trojans were, Pelasgians are mentioned between the Hellespontine cities and Thrace. Homer calls their town or district "Larisa" and characterises it as fertile, and its inhabitants as celebrated for their spearsmanship. He records their chiefs as Hippothous and Pylaeus, sons of Lethus, son of Teutamides. The Iliad also refers to the camp at Greece, specifically at "Argos Pelasgikon", which is most likely to be the plain of Thessaly, and to "Pelasgic Zeus", living in and ruling over Dodona. According to Homer, Pelasgians were camping out on the shore together with the following tribes: "Towards the sea lie the Carians and the Paeonians, with curved bows, and the Leleges and Caucones, and the goodly Pelasgi." In the Odyssey, they appear among the inhabitants of Crete. Which would possibly equate them with the Minoans themselves, who invented Purple Dye and migrated east towards coastal Levant and conquered Egypt. Odysseus, affecting to be Cretan himself, instances Pelasgians among the tribes in the ninety cities of Crete, "language mixing with language side by side".Last on his list, Homer distinguishes them from other ethnicities on the island: "Cretans proper", Achaeans, Cydonians, Dorians, and "noble Pelasgians". A fragment from Hesiod, calls Dodona, identified by reference to "the oak", the "seat of Pelasgians", thus explaining why Homer, in referring to Zeus as he ruled over Dodona, did not style him "Dodonic" but Pelasgic Zeus. He mentions also that Pelasgus was the father of King Lycaon of Arcadia. Asius of Samos claimed that Pelasgus as the first man, born of the earth.This account features centrally in the construction of an enduring autochthonous Arcadian identity into the Classical period. In a fragment by Pausanias, he cites Asius who describes the foundational hero of the Greek ethnic groups as "godlike Pelasgus [whom the] black earth gave up". Sophocles, in one of his famous plays, presents Inachus, as the elder in the lands of Argos, the Heran hills and among the Tyrsenoi Pelasgoi, an unusual hyphenated noun construction, "Tyrsenians-Pelasgians". Interpretation is open, even though translators typically make a decision, but Tyrsenians may well be the ethnonym Tyrrhenoi. A possible connection to the city of Tyre, a possible location where many Minoan Migrants moved to. All of this comes into context when we examine the writings of Pherecydes of Syros, the famous Pre-Socratic, who claims to have in his posession, the Pelasgian Creation myth, who he says was given to him by Phoenican Scholars. The sequence of Pherecydes' creation myth is as follows. First, there are the eternal gods Zas (Zeus), Chthoniê (Gaia) and Chronos (Kronos). Then Chronos creates elements in niches in the earth with his seed, from which other gods arise. This is followed by the three-day wedding of Zas and Chthonie. #gnosticinformant #4k #documentary

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LateNiteGnosis Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX Cyprus has a long history, with evidence of human habitation dating back as far as the 10th millennium BC. These earliest inhabitants are believed to have been hunter-gatherers who crossed over to the island from the nearby regions of the Middle East. The first major wave of civilization in Cyprus was during the Neolithic period, around 7000-6000 BC, when farming communities began to develop. The Bronze Age, which started around 2500 BC, brought significant advancements in metallurgy and commerce. Cyprus has since been occupied by a series of different civilizations including the Mycenaean Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, Arab caliphates, French Lusignan, Venetians, Ottoman Turks, and British. The Neolithic period on Cyprus, also known as the New Stone Age, is characterized by significant advancements in human technology and culture. It's believed to have started around 8200-7000 BC and lasted until about 3900 BC, spanning the Aceramic (without pottery) and Ceramic (with pottery) Neolithic periods. In the Aceramic Neolithic period (8200-5200 BC), Cyprus saw its first permanent human settlements. The inhabitants lived in round houses and survived mainly by hunting, gathering, and fishing. The Khirokitia culture is a well-known example of this period, with a well-preserved archaeological site that has provided a great deal of information about the early settlers' way of life. The Khirokitia people are known for their innovative architecture, including stone round houses, which were often partially buried in the ground for insulation. The Ceramic Neolithic period (ca. 4500-3900 BC) marked the introduction of pottery, more sophisticated tools, and the beginnings of agriculture. The Sotira culture is a significant group from this period. During this time, Cyprus had significant interactions with the surrounding regions, especially the Levantine coast, as evidenced by the commonality in certain types of pottery and other artifacts. Despite being an island, Cyprus had a rich Neolithic culture that closely mirrored the major developments happening on the mainland at the same time. The evidence of these ancient cultures provides invaluable insights into the human journey from hunter-gatherers to settled farming communities. The Copper Age, also known as the Chalcolithic Age, in Cyprus is believed to have begun around 3900 BC and continued until the advent of the Bronze Age around 2500 BC. This period is characterized by the development and use of copper, in addition to stone, for tools and other items. While farming continued to be the primary source of sustenance during the Copper Age, the inhabitants of Cyprus began to master the smelting and working of copper, which was abundant on the island. This allowed for the production of more durable tools, weapons, and other objects, facilitating a significant advancement in technology. The Cypriot Chalcolithic period is also noted for the production of distinctively decorated pottery, and for the beginning of trade relations with the surrounding regions. Artifacts from this period, such as cruciform figurines, plank-shaped figurines, and pottery with complex incised decoration, show a sophistication in their craftsmanship. These artifacts indicate that society was becoming more complex, with the development of new rituals and social norms. In terms of settlement, people during this period tended to live in small villages, usually built on hills, which allowed them to easily defend themselves. The architecture was simple, generally featuring round or rectangular houses. #gnosticinformant #documentary #4k

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. Dr. Joshua Bowen (Ph.d) & Megan Lewis (M.A) Assyriology www.youtube.com/digitalhammurabi Learn to Read Sumerian: https://www.amazon.com/Learn-Read-Ancient-Sumerian-Introduction/dp/1734358602 Despite their ancient origins, the Anunnaki have been subject to many contemporary reinterpretations, notably in various fringe theories and works of pseudo-history. These often involve extraterrestrial influences and other speculative concepts, but these ideas are not supported by mainstream scholarship or historical evidence. But more on that later as well. The mythology of the Anunnaki is complex and spans several ancient cultures, with the earliest accounts coming from the Sumerians. Their stories, like many ancient mythologies, attempt to explain the origin of the world, the nature of gods and humanity, and the laws that govern existence. In Sumerian mythology, the Anunnaki were initially viewed as celestial deities associated with various aspects of life and nature. However, the term Anunnaki gradually came to be associated more specifically with chthonic (underworld) deities. In Mesopotamian mythology, the term "Anunnaki" was used to refer to deities in general, but it was often specifically associated with the deities of the underworld, the realm of the dead. However, this does not necessarily imply a negative or punitive association. In many ancient cultures, the world was perceived as a multitiered structure, often divided into heavens, earth, and underworld. Gods and goddesses were assigned to different realms based on their roles and functions. The Anunnaki are depicted in various myths as judges in the underworld, ruling over the fate of the dead. For instance, the goddess Ereshkigal, the queen of the underworld, and Nergal, the god of death and plague, were both considered part of the Anunnaki. The reason why many of the Anunnaki were associated with the underworld is likely related to the Sumerians' beliefs about life, death, and the afterlife. The underworld, known as Kur or Irkalla, was considered a dreary, dark place where the spirits of the dead existed in a shadowy version of their earthly life, sustained by libations and offerings from the living. The Nephilim, as depicted in biblical traditions, are the offspring of the sons of gods (or fallen angels) and are described as giants. In general, the Anunnaki and the fallen angels, who give birth to giants, or Nephilim, are separate entities from distinct cultural and religious contexts: Mesopotamian mythology and Hebrew religion, respectively. Both undergo the wrath of God and try to teach humans knowledge. Both the Anunnaki and the fallen angels are seen as powerful beings with the ability to influence humanity. The Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish religious work, ascribes the origins of sin and corruption on earth to a group of angels known as the "Watchers," who fell from grace by mating with human women and teaching humanity forbidden knowledge. But rather than the Anunnaki, This story shares more elements with the myth of the apkallu, seven wise men or demigods in Mesopotamian mythology who were created by the god Enki (a member of the Anunnaki) to establish culture and give civilization to mankind. #gnosticinformant #nephilim #anunnaki

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Thank you existing Patrons. The Etruscans, who lived primarily in the region now known as Tuscany, emerged around the 8th century BCE. They had a significant impact on the early Roman civilization and were eventually absorbed by the Romans. There were also various Italic tribes, including the Latins, Sabines, and Samnites, who lived in the Italian peninsula from around the 2nd millennium BCE. The Latins were the tribe from which the Romans emerged. Starting from the 8th century BCE, the Greeks established colonies in southern Italy and Sicily, an area that was often referred to as Magna Graecia. Aeneas, a legendary figure of both Trojan and Roman mythology, is renowned as the son of the divine Aphrodite and mortal Anchises. A part of Troy's royal lineage and a kin of Hector, Aeneas was a distinguished defender of his city during the Trojan War, demonstrating martial prowess second only to Hector himself. Homer's work subtly hints at Aeneas' discontent with his secondary role, thereby giving rise to a later narrative that posits Aeneas as a conspirator in Troy's betrayal to the Greeks. However, a more prevalent version of his story portrays Aeneas as the helm of the Trojan survivors following the Greek conquest of Troy. Regardless of these divergent accounts, the common thread in all the narratives is the survival of Aeneas, enabling him to be woven into the fabric of Roman mythology. The connection of Homeric heroes to Italy and Sicily can be traced back to the 8th century BCE, coinciding with the era when Homer's epics are believed to have transitioned into written form. Greek colonies, established in Italy and Sicily during this period and the ensuing century, often claimed lineage from figures central to the Trojan War. Aeneas, in particular, was associated with various locales and dynasties, notably within the region of Latium. As the Roman Empire expanded throughout Italy and across the Mediterranean, Roman authors imbued with a sense of patriotism sought to craft a mythological tradition that would simultaneously infuse their land with historical grandeur and subdue an underlying resentment towards Greek cultural hegemony. Aeneas, in his role as a Trojan adversary of the Greeks, and with a post-war narrative open to interpretation, was uniquely suited to embody the mythical precursor to the inception of Roman supremacy. Composed circa 29-19 BCE, Virgil's Aeneid narrates across 12 books the mythic establishment of Lavinium, the precursor to Alba Longa and Rome, by the Trojan hero Aeneas. As Virgil recounts, when the Greeks seized Troy, a resilient Aeneas was instructed by the apparition of Hector to escape and initiate a significant city abroad. Mustering his family and followers, Aeneas secured the penates— household deities—of Troy. However, amidst the chaos of evacuation from the burning city, his wife vanished. Her spirit later appeared to him, revealing his destiny to venture to a land in the west where the Tiber River coursed. Thus began Aeneas's epic journey, with stops in Thrace, Crete, and Sicily, and fraught with a plethora of trials culminating in a shipwreck near Carthage on the African coast. Here, he was hospitably received by Dido, the bereaved queen. As he narrated his tale, they fell in love and he delayed his journey until a stern reminder from the god Mercury refocused him on his ultimate objective: Rome. Wracked with guilt, he immediately deserted Dido, who subsequently ended her own life. Resuming his voyage, Aeneas eventually reached the mouth of the Tiber. #gnosticinformant #ancientrome #documentary #4k #rome #religion

Kyle Smith (Ph.D) Kyle Smith is associate professor and director of the History of Religions program at the University of Toronto. An award-winning teacher, he is the author or co-author of five books about Christian saints and martyrs. His most recent book, Cult of the Dead: A Brief History of Christianity, tells the fascinating story of how the world's most widespread religion is steeped in the memory of its martyrs. Links: Twitter, Instagram & TikTok: @kylesmithTO https://www.kylesmithto.com/ The Book "Cult of the Dead: A brief history of Christianity https://www.ucpress.edu/book/97805203...https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. Though it promises eternal life, Christianity was forged in death. Christianity is built upon the legacies of the apostles and martyrs who chose to die rather than renounce the name of their lord. In this innovative cultural history, Kyle Smith shows how a devotion to death has shaped Christianity for two thousand years. For centuries, Christians have cared for their saints, curating their deaths as examples of holiness. Martyrs’ stories, lurid legends of torture, have been told and retold, translated and rewritten. Martyrs’ bones are alive in the world, relics pulsing with wonder. Martyrs’ shrines are still visited by pilgrims, many in search of a miracle. Martyrs have even shaped the Christian conception of time, with each day of the year celebrating the death of a saint. From Roman antiquity to the present, by way of medieval England and the Protestant Reformation, Cult of the Dead tells the fascinating story of how the world’s most widespread religion is steeped in the memory of its martyrs. Reviews “With sly wit, subtle humour, agile prose and empathetic imagination, Kyle Smith narrates the growth of one of Christianity’s defining traditions.” —Times Literary Supplement “Cult of the Dead is the rare academic book that shows empathy; for the martyrs themselves [and] for those with devotion to them … Smith does our dearly departed the ultimate favor: He allows the dead to speak once more.” — National Catholic Reporter “Sheer erudition.” — Commonweal “For a topic that encompasses millennia of fascinating history, Smith’s digestible book offers a compelling and comprehensive introduction to the role of the lives and afterlives of Christianity’s martyrs in Western society from late antiquity to the present day.” — The New Criterion From the Back Cover “A brilliant, entertaining, and accessible account of the history of martyrdom. Invaluable for anyone interested in understanding the Christian faith.” —Bart D. Ehrman, author of Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why “An elegant and enlightening book.” —Elizabeth A. Castelli, author of Martyrdom and Memory: Early Christian Culture Making “A sweeping tour through the history of Christianity that makes the familiar seem fresh and dramatically brings to life the remarkable connections across time and space that constitute the Christian story.” —Kyle Harper, author of The Fate of Rome: Climate, Disease, and the End of an Empire “Cult of the Dead is vivid, readable, and often witty. Taking the reader on a journey from the time of Christ to the seventeenth century, it shows the intimate engagement with death at the heart of Christianity.” —Mary Wellesley, author of The Gilded Page: The Secret Lives of Medieval Manuscripts “Masterfully presented. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the significance of pain, torture, and death in the construction of Christian communities from the time of the apostles to the Protestant Reformation.” —Kristina Sessa, author of Daily Life in Late Antiquity 2nd Channel:    / @latenitegnosis   Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX#gnosticinformant #christianity #cultofthedead

Professor Tony Burke: Ph. D. (1995-2001) University of Toronto, Centre for the Study of Religion https://www.tonyburke.ca/about/ New Testament Apocrypha 1st Edition: https://www.amazon.com/New-Testament-... New Testament Apocrypha 2nd Edition: https://www.amazon.com/New-Testament-... New Testament Apocrypha 3rd Edition: https://www.amazon.com/New-Testament-... Free Apocryphal Text Resource: https://www.nasscal.com/ apocrypha, (from Greek apokryptein, “to hide away”), in biblical literature, works outside an accepted canon of scripture. The history of the term’s usage indicates that it referred to a body of esoteric writings that were at first prized, later tolerated, and finally excluded. In its broadest sense apocrypha has come to mean any writings of dubious authority. A brief treatment of apocrypha follows. For full treatment, see biblical literature: Apocryphal writings. There are several levels of dubiety within the general concept of apocryphal works in Judeo-Christian biblical writings. Apocrypha per se are outside the canon, not considered divinely inspired but regarded as worthy of study by the faithful. Pseudepigrapha are spurious works ostensibly written by a biblical figure. Deuterocanonical works are those that are accepted in one canon but not in all. https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. 2nd Channel:    / @latenitegnosis   Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX All the New Testament apocrypha are pseudepigraphal, and most of them fall into the categories of acts, gospels, and epistles, though there are a number of apocalypses and some can be characterized as wisdom books. The apocryphal acts purport to relate the lives or careers of various biblical figures, including most of the apostles; the epistles, gospels, and others are ascribed to such figures. Some relate encounters and events in mystical language and describe arcane rituals. Most of these works arose from sects that had been or would be declared heretical, such as, importantly, the Gnostics. Some of them argued against various heresies, and a few appear to have been neutral efforts to popularize the life of some saint or other early leader of the church, including a number of women. In the early decades of Christianity no orthodoxy had been established, and various parties or factions were vying for ascendancy and regularity in the young church. All sought through their writings, as through their preaching and missions, to win believers. In this setting virtually all works advocating beliefs that later became heretical were destined to denunciation and destruction. In addition to apocryphal works per se, the New Testament includes a number of works and fragments that are described by a second meaning of the term deuterocanonical: “added later.” The Letter to the Hebrews attributed to Paul, who died before it was written, is one of these; others are the letters of James, Peter (II), John (II and III), and Jude, and the Revelation to John. Fragments include Mark 16:9–20, Luke 22:43–44, and John 7:53 and 8:1–11. All are included in the Roman canon and are accepted by the Eastern Church and most Protestant churches. Heretical movements such as Gnosticism and Montanism spawned a great body of New Testament pseudepigrapha. The existence of such purported scriptures lent great impetus to the process of canonization in the young and orthodox Christian Church. See also various apocryphal works cited above. #gnosticinformant #apocrypha #christianity

https://www.patreon.com/GnosticInformant Please Consider joining my Patreon to help finding scholars to bring on. Any amount helps me. Thank you existing Patrons. John S. Kloppenborg is a specialist in Christian origins and second Temple Judaism, in particular the Jesus tradition (the canonical and non canonical gospels), and the social world of the early Jesus movement in Jewish Palestine and in the cities of the eastern Empire. He has written extensively on the Synoptic Sayings Gospel (Q) and the Synoptic Problem, and is currently writing on the parables of Jesus, the letter of James, and cultic, professional, and ethnic associations in the Graeco-Roman world. He is one of the general editors of the International Q Project and holds a five year SSHRC Insight Grant on Associative Practices in the Graeco-Roman World. https://www.tst.edu/directory/faculty... Professor John Kloppenborg: https://www.religion.utoronto.ca/peop... Get the Book Christ's Associations (Recommended): https://www.amazon.com/Christs-Associ... Q: https://www.amazon.com/Earliest-Gospe... Though this document has never been found, John Kloppenborg offers a succinct account of why scholars maintain it existed in the first place and demonstrates how they have been able to reconstruct its contents and wording from the two later Gospels that used it as a source: Matthew and Luke. Presented here in its entirety, as developed by the International Q Project, this Gospel reveals a very different portrait of Jesus than in much of the later canonical writings, challenging the way we think of Christian origins and the very nature and mission of Jesus Christ. Drawing on data about associative practices throughout the ancient world, this innovative study offers new insight into the structure and mission of the early Christ groups. John S. Kloppenborg situates the Christ associations within the broader historical context of the ancient Mediterranean and reveals that they were probably smaller than previously believed and did not have a uniform system of governance, and that the attraction of Christ groups was based more on practice than theological belief. -- Contents: 00:00 - Intro 05:00 - Ecclesia 14:10 - Q 24:05 - Gospel of Thomas 28:25 - Paul's Knowledge of Q 32:18 - God Fearers, Syncretists, and Hypsisterians 39:07 - Cult Receptions in Rome 40:58 - Mythicism 50:36 - What Jesus Really Said 01:03:28 - Pagan Christian Connections 01:15:26 - Outro -- 2nd Channel:    / @latenitegnosis   Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NealSendlak1 Discord: https://discord.com/invite/uWBZkxd4UX Reconstructions of the historical Jesus are based on the Pauline epistles and the gospels, while several non-biblical sources also support his historical existence. Since the 18th century, three separate scholarly quests for the historical Jesus have taken place, each with distinct characteristics and developing new and different research criteria. Virtually all scholars of antiquity agree that Jesus existed. Historian Michael Grant asserts that if conventional standards of historical criticism are applied to the New Testament, "we can no more reject Jesus' existence than we can reject the existence of a mass of pagan personages whose reality as historical figures is never questioned." There is no indication that writers in antiquity who opposed Christianity questioned the existence of Jesus. @kloppenborg Estimated to date back to the very early Jesus movement, the lost Gospel known as Q offers a distinct and remarkable picture of Jesus and his significance--and one that differs markedly from that offered by its contemporary, the apostle Paul. Q presents Jesus as a prophetic critic of unbelief and a sage with the wisdom that can transform. In Q, the true meaning of the "kingdom of God" is the fulfillment of a just society through the transformation of the human relationships within it. #gnosticinformant #jesus #christianity