29
votes
Accepted
Why did God prefer Abel's offering to Cain's?
There still remains much controversy on this question. In fact, there are books written devoted to just this narrative. It's frankly impossible to answer, however, I've outlined some of the theories.
...
- 6,578
22
votes
Accepted
Who commands the Heavenly Host in combat?
To oversimplify it, God is too powerful. One twitch of a (metaphorical) muscle, and poof everything is gone. God created everything, the whole universe, including the dragon (devil/Satan) and demons. ...
- 1,674
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 ...
- 427
16
votes
Accepted
Where was the "garden of Eden" located?
The second book of Genesis (or Bereshit in Hebrew) contains the passage:
A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters. The name of the first is the ...
- 6,578
13
votes
Where was the "garden of Eden" located?
This question needs to be answered from the perspective of the likely intent of the author and in light of what the term Eden meant in the times before and up to the period when the story was written (...
- 2,207
13
votes
Accepted
Did the sun stand still at around the same time in Toltec and Biblical traditions?
Alas, no, they do not happen around the same time. The time difference is about 1350 years.
The corresponding footnote in the source for the Toltec version states that
Anytime a number is in front of ...
- 1,674
11
votes
In Leviticus, who or what is Azazel?
In Aron Pinker's article "A Goat for Azazel", in the Journal of Hewbrew Scriptures, he suggests Azazel (עזאזל), was originally it's homophone עזזאל, or "Powerful God", residing in ...
- 9,108
10
votes
What was Jesus's original name?
It depends on which language we're talking about. 1st-century A.D. Palestine was a multicultural, multilingual location (not much unlike the same region is at present day). The classic Biblical ...
- 9,345
10
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 ...
- 13.9k
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 ...
- 324
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.
- 191
8
votes
Accepted
Are the Anunnaki mentioned in the Bible?
How could they be related ? Anakim just means "sons of Anak".
It is just a race of giants, and there is nothing giving them godlike power or something.
Anunnaki, as I explained in another post, means ...
- 467
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 ...
- 675
8
votes
Accepted
Who/what is Lilith?
Lilith in Mesopotamia
First Lilith (Lilitu) is of Mesopotamian origin. She is a female "demon"/"succubus" (Consider I use here modern terms, Sumerian or Akkadian got no clue what those was). We find ...
- 3,441
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. ...
- 9,345
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 ...
- 3,992
6
votes
Where was the "garden of Eden" located?
I commend to your attention www.ldolphin.org/eden for a look at the theories of Dr.Juris Karins, of Southwest Missouri State University, in Springfield. [Other data on Dr. Karins' far reaching ...
- 169
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 ...
- 348
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:
...
- 908
5
votes
Who commands the Heavenly Host in combat?
The Judeo/Christian system of heaven is very organised with different angels, class of angels, prophets, and today ministers, pastors, bishops, etc. They each have a role.
Jesus for example is placed ...
- 59
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)...
- 3,441
4
votes
Why did God prefer Abel's offering to Cain's?
It's not about fruits vs animals. If Abel worked the soil, his offering would have been favored. The key is that Abel gave the best of him - the firstborn. Cain did not.
Say, you are a father and you ...
- 149
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 ...
- 2,844
4
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 ...
- 3,992
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-...
- 5,286
3
votes
Why did God prefer Abel's offering to Cain's?
I don't have enough reputation to comment on @C.M. Weimer's answer, so in lieu of that I will expand upon something he said and add a point of my own in the hopes that it's good enough to qualify as a ...
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,...
- 908
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 ...
- 5,286
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