Questions tagged [bible]
For questions related to the Old and New Testament. [Disclaimer: Religious subjects are on topic when dealing with the stories and symbols in the bible, but be aware we take a mythographic approach, which may not always be in line with religious doctrine.]
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Is there any historical documentation about witches using windows for divination?
Is there any historical documentation about witches using windows for divination?
I have seen some rabbinic scholars (like Alshich, Albo, Abarbanel, and Saba) ntrepret the Biblical passages concerning ...
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1answer
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What is the symbolism of horses in Canaanite sun worship?
In the Book of Kings it says:
"He [King Josiah] did away with the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun, at the entrance of the House of the LORD, near the chamber of the ...
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1answer
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Significance of Enoch's age in the Hebrew Bible and identification with seventh antediluvian king/sage from Mesopotamian mythology
In the Hebrew Bible, Genesis 5:23 records Enoch's age as 365 years. As far as I can tell based on my review of the BHS and Göttingen LXX apparatus, there are no alternate readings of this number as ...
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What inspired the story of The Sinai Event and what other stories did it inspire?
This is a two-part question:
1: What are the earliest known examples of a group believing in a story that is based on or inspired by the story of The Sinai Event? (The Samaritans are a good example, ...
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1answer
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Do any ancient sources describe Set as a mortal? And could Set be Sekhen?
Set
Set /sɛt/ or Seth /sɛθ/ (Egyptian: stẖ;[a]) is a god of deserts, storms, disorder, violence, and foreigners in ancient Egyptian religion.1 In Ancient Greek, the god's name is given as Sēth (Σήθ). ...
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1answer
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Is the battle of Upper Egypt versus Nubia (Sudan) in 3250bc, the oldest verifiable battle in both historical, and legendary accounts?
Campaign by King Scorpion (I) against King "Taurus"
Further confirmation of the existence of this ruler is the interpretation of a rock drawing discovered in 2003 on the Gebel Tjauty in the ...
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0answers
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Was the historical Hyksos account, the real story behind the biblical exodus narrative?
Hyksos
The Hyksos (/ˈhɪksɒs/; Egyptian ḥqꜣ(w)-ḫꜣswt, Egyptological pronunciation: hekau khasut,[4] "ruler(s) of foreign lands"; Ancient Greek: Ὑκσώς, Ὑξώς) were people of probable Levantine ...
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1answer
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Was Eannatum, the real historical figure that was characterised as Adam, in the Garden of Eden narrative?
Eannatum
Eannatum (Sumerian: 𒂍𒀭𒈾𒁺 É.AN.NA-tum2) was a Sumerian Ensi (ruler or king) of Lagash circa 2500–2400 BCE. He established one of the first verifiable empires in history: he subdued Elam ...
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1answer
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Ba'al-Pe'or outside of Jewish sources
In the Tanach, Ba'al-Pe'or was a Moabite deity used by the Moabites and Midianites to cause the People of Israel to sin with idolatry and immorality (Numbers 25). Ba'al Pe'or is further mentioned in ...
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1answer
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Tubal-cain (תּוּבַל קַיִן) and Vulcan
In Hebrew, "B" and "V" are the same letter (ב), so without the "Tu", Tubalcain (תּוּבַל קַיִן) and Vulcan are very similar names.
The French spelling is "Vulcain&...
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2answers
118 views
Are There Biblical References to Good Magic?
I believe in God and Christianity and have had this question for a while. Are there scriptural references to good magic outside of heavenly miracles or priesthood? I know there are many stories of (...
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1answer
82 views
Any stories in Bible/Christian mythology about person regaining Adam's primeval innocence?
I read about a sect of Early Christianity called the Adamites who claimed to have regained the innocence that Adam had in the Garden of Eden before he ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Has ...
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1answer
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Satan and Angra Mainyu
Many people say that Satan(Lucifer's Devil side) completely originated from Ahriman. I don't know much about the Avesta of Zoroaster but is that true?
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Definitive text on special stones
I'm wondering if there are any definitive texts, ancient or modern, that give some more depth to the origin of the meaning ascribed to them such as like here:
Lapis is an excellent stone for ...
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Are the Nephilim the demi-gods of the bible?
The Nephilim were not aliens, angels, “Watchers,” or rock monsters; they were literal, physical beings produced from the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men.
When man began to ...
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2answers
243 views
Greek or Roman equivalent of Bible
Wondering if there are any documents that document the Greek or Roman mythologies in a way similar to the bible, in that it acts as a comprehensive resource for all the knowledge about it. Maybe ...
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1answer
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Did the inhabitants of the ancient Near East believe in an ocean in the sky?
An ocean in the sky shows up quite a lot in depictions, for example Psalms 148:4:
Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
But finding good evidence for it in Egyptian ...
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2answers
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Does the Abrahamic God smite people with lightning?
A recent question on similarities between Zeus and the Christian God, and it occurred to me God striking down sinners with lightning is a trope, but, offhand, I can't think of stories from the bible ...
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1answer
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Does the Christian bible forbid marriage out of Christianity? [closed]
Does the bible, specifically say a Christian can not marry someone who is not Christian?
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Have Adam and Eve ever eaten the fruit from Tree of Life?
Did YWHW ever forbid Adam and Eve to eat the fruit from Tree of Life, or it was only forbidden after they ate the fruit from Tree of Good and Evil? Were they being expelled from Eden only because YWHW ...
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According to Biblical account, why fallen angels' offspring are giants? Or are they egg-born?
In the epic of Sodom and Gomorrah the angels appeared to Abraham were comely men desired by the citizens there, that is, they appeared as normal humans to the people except they were extraordinarily ...
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6answers
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Why is the story of Odin hanging from Yggdrasil so similar to that of Jesus on the cross?
I hope this actually has an answer, I couldn't find anything but speculation on the web.
Basically, the story of Odin hanging from Yggdrasil is very similar to that of Jesus on the cross. Here are ...
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1answer
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Who/what is Lilith?
So I was playing The Binding of Isaac the other day, and there's this character called Lilith.
Now I have good reason to believe that this is mythological. For one thing, all of the characters are ...
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What was Jesus's original name?
It seems that the name of Jesus is mentioned in the Bible under a few different names. Hence the curiosity to know what His real name was when he walked on earth.
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Are the Anunnaki mentioned in the Bible?
The following Bible passages mention “Anakim” and “Anak”:
Num 13:22; 13:28; 13:33
Deut 1:28; 2:10-11; 2:21, 9:2
Josh 11:21-22; 14:12; 14:15; 15:13-14; 21:11
Judg 1:20.
They sound similar.
Is there ...
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4answers
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Where was the "garden of Eden" located?
According to biblical tradition, where was the garden of Eden located? The garden of Eden being the earthly paradise where God placed Adam and Eve.
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4answers
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Why did God prefer Abel's offering to Cain's?
In the Old Testament, God accepts Abel's offering but rejects Cain's:
Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an ...
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1answer
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In Leviticus, who or what is Azazel?
In Leviticus 16.8-10, there is a reference to Azazel (עֲזָאזֵל):
חוְנָתַן אַהֲרֹן עַל שְׁנֵי הַשְּׂעִירִם גֹּרָלוֹת גּוֹרָל אֶחָד לַיהֹוָה וְגוֹרָל אֶחָד לַעֲזָאזֵל:
טוְהִקְרִיב אַהֲרֹן אֶת ...
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Did the sun stand still at around the same time in Toltec and Biblical traditions?
As I learned from my previous question, the Toltecs had a myth where the Sun did not move for a day.
In the year 8 Tochtli, which was 1,347 years after the second calamity and 4,779 years since the ...
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2answers
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Who commands the Heavenly Host in combat?
According to the bible, Heaven is defended by an army of good angels known as the Heavenly Host. For example, Christian mythology from the Book of Revelation states that the Heavenly Host will take ...
