16
votes
Accepted
Why is the story of Odin hanging from Yggdrasil so similar to that of Jesus on the cross?
Taking a look at a few things here.
The word Yggdrasil itself firstly. "Ygg," means Death. "Drasil" is a Nordic term that has the dual meanings of both "gallows" and "horse." So Yggdrasil itself ...
10
votes
Accepted
Are the Nephilim the demi-gods of the bible?
It depends what you mean by "demi-god".
They are of somewhat divine origin, by most understandings of "sons of God" (ancient Hebrew sources identify them with angels of some description). They were ...
9
votes
Why is the story of Odin hanging from Yggdrasil so similar to that of Jesus on the cross?
It would be hard to know definitively if this was due Christian influence on Odin's narrative b/c we don't have pre-Christian textual sources for Odin's. (i.e. This material was first recorded about ...
9
votes
Greek or Roman equivalent of Bible
One would have to start with the Iliad and Odyssey by Homer, the Theogony by Hesiod and the Aeneid by Virgil, in addition to the aforementioned Metamorphosis by Ovid.
8
votes
Accepted
Greek or Roman equivalent of Bible
In terms of comprehensiveness, the Bibliotheca of (Pseudo-)Apollodorus (text) is probably the best single work for Greek mythology.
Older sources, such as Homer, Hesiod, lyric poets (e.g. Pindar) and ...
7
votes
Does the Abrahamic God smite people with lightning?
Apparently, yes.
In the Bible there are several instances of fire raining down from the sky or "coming from the presence of" God and falling upon people. Some interpret these as lightning-strikes. ...
6
votes
Does the Abrahamic God smite people with lightning?
For this answer to work you will need the entire story of Job and his struggles, which is why I have included all of Job 1. I like it because it is the first poetic book in the Old Testament of the ...
6
votes
Are the Nephilim the demi-gods of the bible?
In accordance with both Jewish and Christian theology, there is only 1 God - Yahweh - who is the creator of everything: angels, people, animals, the universe, earth, etc. Worship of anything or anyone ...
6
votes
Accepted
Significance of Enoch's age in the Hebrew Bible and identification with seventh antediluvian king/sage from Mesopotamian mythology
A few possible answers:
From a more secular view:
Heinrich Zimmern in The Babylonian and the Hebrew Genesis (Originally in German "Biblische und babylonische Urgeschichte"), pg 44-45, wrote:
...
5
votes
Are There Biblical References to Good Magic?
It's always hard to prove a negative but I'm gonna try.
The bible is full of verses explicitly telling the reader that magic, sorcery, necromancy or divination is not allowed and should not be ...
4
votes
According to Biblical account, why fallen angels' offspring are giants? Or are they egg-born?
There is here and there some confusions in your question.
The Nephilims
What your are talking about in your question are the "Nephilims". Let's read the Bible (I will use the NIV as a reference text)...
4
votes
Are the Nephilim the demi-gods of the bible?
Are the Nephilim the demi-gods of the bible?
Impossible to say, but I doubt it.
Let us start by seeing who the Nephilim of the Scripture may truly be:
The Nephilim (Hebrew: נְפִילִים) were the ...
4
votes
Do any ancient sources describe Set as a mortal? And could Set be Sekhen?
Seth and Sekhen/Ka are completely unrelated names & meanings. Below are the names of Ka (left) and his queen Ha (right):
There are also inscriptions presenting an upright serekh with an upside-...
4
votes
What God or Gods matches up the most with being the "God of Fortresses" mentioned in the Bible in Daniel 11:38?
Biblical scholars specializing in Daniel identify this "god of fortresses" with Zeus Olympios, who is also being referred to in the surrounding verses. See, e.g., Amy-Jill Levine in The New ...
3
votes
Are the Nephilim the demi-gods of the bible?
Nephilim are Enoch's version of the Mesopothamian corpora. Given that Enoch lived in the 3rd century before modern era he had no clue to whom he was referring to:
Nephilim are the hebrew language ...
3
votes
Accepted
Tubal-cain (תּוּבַל קַיִן) and Vulcan
Googling Vulcan and Tubalcain has revealed a wealth of information:
The McClintock and Strong Biblical Cyclopedia writes:
"The derivation of the name is extremely obscure. Hasse (Entdeckungen, 2,...
3
votes
Are the Anunnaki mentioned in the Bible?
Abraham came from Sumer. His birth place was "Ur of the Chaldees", namely UR KAŠDIM (אוּר כַּשְׂדִּים). This is explicitly stated in Genesis 11:28:
"And died Haran before the face of ...
3
votes
Was Eannatum, the real historical figure that was characterised as Adam, in the Garden of Eden narrative?
If there is a connection, and I cannot stress this if enough, all it would indicate is that yet another biblical myth is based on older stories. It certainly doesn't in any way "prove" that ...
2
votes
Accepted
Are the Anunnaki mentioned in the Bible?
Anunnaki - Gods of Sumeria Or fallen Angels??
I found it very interesting that the earliest civilisation known to us in the historical records, the Sumerians, have a religion that talks of these ...
2
votes
Have Adam and Eve ever eaten the fruit from Tree of Life?
Nope, they did not get that tasty fruit that would have granted them eternal life:
Now the Lord God said, "Behold man has become like one of us, having the ability of knowing good and evil, and ...
2
votes
Ba'al-Pe'or outside of Jewish sources
The only ancient sources I have been able to find are from the works of Roman and Greek Christians from the early stages of the Christianisation of the Roman Empire. These typically are acquainted ...
2
votes
Definitive text on special stones
I have struggled to find a taxonomy of special stones or gems that takes the modern approach like a reference book. Under luminous gemstones there are part mythical part story works of scholarship. I ...
2
votes
Are There Biblical References to Good Magic?
In Genesis 1:14, God creates the Sun, Moon and Stars for "signs"
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to
divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs,...
2
votes
Are There Biblical References to Good Magic?
From the introduction of THE DEPICTION OF MAGIC IN RABBINIC TEXTS: THE RABBINIC AND THE GREEK CONCEPT OF MAGIC:
1
vote
Accepted
Any stories in Bible/Christian mythology about person regaining Adam's primeval innocence?
This concept does not originate in Christian mythology, not even in Judaic mythology. It is "borrowed" from older stories:
in the Sumerian Enki and Ninhursag, we find the concept of a primordial ...
1
vote
Satan and Angra Mainyu
Satan (or the devil) obtained for Jewish ideas almost the same
significance as Ahriman for Persian. Indeed, in certain respects he
developed greater power than his Persian counterpart, inasmuch as ...
1
vote
Definitive text on special stones
Surely the standard history applies: late antiquity sources, compiled in medieval encyclopedias, recycled since the Renaissance. Not being an expert I can just suggest some links
Camillo Leonardi (...
1
vote
Are the Nephilim the demi-gods of the bible?
Nephilim can be called demigods. The sons of gods are also referred to as gods by God in Ps 82:6. The word god describes where a being resides not a name. God is elohim in hebrew. In Ps 82:1 God (...
1
vote
Did the inhabitants of the ancient Near East believe in an ocean in the sky?
Not sure if my entry helps because its not connected with Near East but there are mentions in the ancient texts of the East (Hindu tradition) such as Padma Purana or Srimad Bhagavtam, where you will ...
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