The Old Testament was written in ancient Hebrew, which has no vowels and little punctuation. The phrase 'I Am Who I Am' — God's name as revealed to MOSES — is written with four consonants that translates roughly as "I Am Who I Am."
These four letters are known as the Tetragrammaton and they contain a divine mystery: no-one knows how or is allowed to pronounce them. The Jewish people do not speak aloud the Name of God. No mortal tongue is allowed to utter it. To avoid blasphemy, other words are substituted, such as 'Adonai' (Ruler), or 'Ha Shem' (The Name). Even today, Bibles depict the Name of God with the euphemism 'Lord' instead of his actual Name.
How about the Fates, under the Greeks? CLOTHO who spins the Thread of Life, LACHESIS who allots the length of the yarn, and ATROPOS who does the snip (the final one). As the daughters of primeval night deities EREBUS and NYX (though some claim that ZEUS and THEMIS should be held responsible), the FATES control the destinies of all. Even the Gods are subject to their decisions.
Under the Romans they became just as popular under the name PARCAE.
Then there is CRONUS: Father of the Gods and one of the TITANS. He's known as the Castrator.
His mighty father URANUS was terrified of the children of GAIA and banished them. With a swipe of a sickle, CRONUS killed his father URANUS, CRONUS became supreme and ruled a Golden Age of peace and prosperity. With his wife RHEA he fathered all the other Gods.
CRONUS became fearful of his own powerful children, so he ate them and only baby ZEUS escaped.
The Roman god JUPITER started out as a primeval nature deity. A Sky God, he was in charge of the fundamental forces of nature and ruled the weather. When Greek culture began to influence Roman thought, JUPITER took on the attributes of ZEUS. Jupiter became King of the Gods and the special protector of Rome.
What about LUCIFER: Son of the Dawn? He was the Roman 'Bearer of Light' and God of the Evening Star and Morning Star. No connection with SATAN. Under the Greeks he was the God PHOSPHEROS.
What of the Eqyptian gods, starting with Ra, previously known as ATUM, the most important Egyptian God. Ra created himself out of the mound formed by primordial chaos, and then made SHU and TEFNUT to form the world. Now Ra sails across the sky as the sun. Mankind was made from Ra's tears. THOTH, MAAT, HATHOR, HORUS are up there with Ra, along with ABTU and ANET and KHEPRI the dung beetle. Thoth is the author of the book of the dead, the master of time, mathematics, astronomy, all knowledge. NUT was the mother of Ra's children: OSIRIS, ISIS, SET and NEPHTHYS.
As for SATAN, here is why he is also known as LUCIFER. Lucifer is a Latin word meaning Light-Bearer. St JEROME (4th Century) used it to denote the Greek word Heosphoros when he was translating the Bible into Latin. But Heosphoros means 'morning star', and the Biblical passage in question (Isaiah 14) is really just taunting the King of Babylon.
Originally posted by scherzoOh, that one. But we've had the discussion already.
Citations please. I have a copy of the whole Bible, and use it for all three Abrahamic faiths. If you give me a citation in the Bible that implies or states the existence of gods other than God, I will give you my citation.
Go back in the thread and see it. You even find the ref.
You don't even have to give yours.
I think that people are understanding the bible wrong when they make reference to the commandment about believing in other gods.
I believe, this is completely my own opinion, that when the bible says to not believe in other gods, this is referring to the BELIEF of other gods. What God, or the Lord or whatever you want to call him, actually wants is that everyone should BELIEVE IN HIM ALONE. It is the key factor of BELIEVING that is crucial. He might not be afraid of other gods, but he is afraid that other people will BELIEVE in the existence of other gods.
Oh and I'm an atheist but i'm just being analytical of the Bible.
Originally posted by scherzohttp://www.holysmoke.org/hs00/bible2.htm
Citations please. I have a copy of the whole Bible, and use it for all three Abrahamic faiths. If you give me a citation in the Bible that implies or states the existence of gods other than God, I will give you my citation.
Adrammelech II Kings 17:31 Sepharvite God.
Anammelech II Kings 17:31 Sepharvite God.
Ashima II Kings 17:30 Samaritan Moon Goddess.
Ashtoreth I Kings 11:05 Canaanite Goddess.
Baal I Kings 18:19 Canaanite God ("Lord"😉 of
fertility, vegitation, and storms.
Baal-berith Judges 8:33 A regional variation/aspect of Baal.
Baal-peor Numbers 25:03 Moabite regional variation/aspect of
Baal.
Baal-zebub Luke 11:19 Philistine/Ekronian regional
variation/aspect of Baal.
Baalim I Kings 18:18 Canaanite Gods ("Lords"😉, a
collective of the different
aspects of Baa.
Bel Isiah 46:01 Assyrian/Babylonian/Sumerian God
("Lord"😉.
Chemosh I Kings 11:07 Moabite war God.
Dagon I Samuel 05:02 Philistine/Ekronian/Babylonian God
of agriculture.
Diana of the
Ephesians Acts 19:35 Ephesian moon and nature Goddess,
("Divine/Brilliant"😉.
Jehovah Exodus 6:03 Hebrew God
Jupiter Acts 14:12 Roman God (possibly derived from
'Zeus-pater', Father Zeus).
Lucifer Isiah 14:12 ("Light-Bearer"😉
Mercurius Acts 14:12 Otherwise known as the Roman God
Mercury, God of communication and
travel, and messenger of the
Gods...which is probably why Paul
was called this at Lystra.
Milcom I Kings 11:05 Ammonite God
Molech I Kings 11:07 Ammonite God, also called Moloch,
most probably Baal-Hammon of
Carthage.
Nebo Isiah 46:01 Assyrian/Babylonian/Chaldean God of
wisdom and writing, also called
Nabu.
Nergal II Kings 17:30 Cuth/Assyrian/Babylonian war and
underworld God, also called
Meshlamthea.
Nibhaz II Kings 17:31 Avites God
Nisroch II Kings 19:37 Assyrian God
Rimmon II Kings 05:18 Babylonian/Syrian storm God
involved (as Ramman) with the
Deluge, according to Hebrew texts;
also known as Ramman/Rammon.
Succoth-benoth II Kings 17:30 Babylonian fertility Goddess ("She
Who Produces Seed" ), also known as
Zarpanitu/Zerpanitum.
Tammuz Ezekial 8:14 Assyrian/Babylonian God
Tartak II Kings 17:31 Avites God
Originally posted by SwissGambitTaken. And why are there little winky faces after all your parentheses?
http://www.holysmoke.org/hs00/bible2.htm
Adrammelech II Kings 17:31 Sepharvite God.
Anammelech II Kings 17:31 Sepharvite God.
Ashima II Kings 17:30 Samaritan Moon Goddess.
Ashtoreth I Kings 11:05 Canaanite Goddess.
Baal I Kings 18:19 Canaanite God ("Lord"😉 of
...[text shortened]... l 8:14 Assyrian/Babylonian God
Tartak II Kings 17:31 Avites God
Originally posted by scherzoThat's right. If there were no gods, the commandment has no meaning.
"You shall have no other gods before Me."
Like if Eve gave Adam the question, you are not cheating on me, Adam darling? Adam would reply: No, who would that be? You know there's only you in my life!
Originally posted by 667joeIt depends on your definition of "god". Most people think of a "god" as an entity that can't be seen and has supernatural powers. As for scripture, however, it is important to note that this is not the standard understanding. For example, when the serpent tempted Adam and Eve with the fruit, the serpent said something of interest which was that if they partook of the fruit, they would be "as gods" knowing good from evil. From this I have deduced that the term is referring to the authority of over ones own free will and power. Once they rejected the will of their God who made them by partaking of the forbidden fruit, they then became their own moral agents and became "gods" themselves. Christ also said something to that effect which was that the scripture refers to fallen man as "gods".
Most theists believe in 1 god. If one god is possible, why not two , or a thousand? (Or none). Please no malarky about Jesus.
Originally posted by 667joeTheir would only be one God because the strongs one would kill or make the others worship him.
Most theists believe in 1 god. If one god is possible, why not two , or a thousand? (Or none). Please no malarky about Jesus.
The bible says that there are many gods but there is only one living God.
Originally posted by FabianFnasAs the story goes, he was jealous of them, not fearful. Something about the people worshiping them instead of him.
Then why is the christian god afraid of the others, if they're not alive?
But it comes off a bit like dad getting jealous because junior wants to play with action figures instead of going fishing.
Originally posted by SwissGambitRight. It was kind of a retorical question, not needed any answer because it is obvoius.
As the story goes, he was jealous of them, not fearful. Something about the people worshiping them instead of him.
But it comes off a bit like dad getting jealous because junior wants to play with action figures instead of going fishing.
It's like a magician calling every other magician a fraud, jealously wanting all performances for himself. "There is only one Magician and that's Me!"