The term Theotokos, which is used and applied to Mary, Mother of Jesus at the Council of Nicaea 325, has different meaning in each church. Greek term Theotokos, equalized or synchronized with a few terms: Mater Dei for Roman Catholic, Mother of God, Deipara, the birth giver for Christ, and others.
For the Assyrian Church, the term Theotokos, which if translated into Aramaic as 'Yaldath Alaha', a term that is not appropriate. The rejection by the Assyrian Church of the term 'Yaldath Alaha', which is the Syriac rendering of the Theotokos, was first raised officially in 612. Narsai, the leading scholar in the School of Nisibis and the former instructor of the school of Edessa, had discussed and rejected the term Yaldath Alaha because this term was nothing but "Mother of Godhead".
Assyrian Church saw that "Yaldath Alaha" is not the satisfactory rendering of the Greek term "Theotokos", though admittedly as the best available. As Protestants refused to use the term "Mater Dei", the term "Yaldath Alaha" is harder than that for an Assyrian to say it, because that term would mean "Mater Deitatis" or even "Mater Trinitatis", because the word 'Alaha'Is the common name to all three Persons of the Holy Trinity.
Nestorius (who from his name appears as Nestorian, for the people of Assyria) teaches that the unity of the God-man is a compound (such as in a marriage). Therefore, Nestorius against 'motherhood of Mary' as the 'Mother of God' (Theotokos), a title which is used since the time of Origen (died: 253 / 4). He argued that Mary is not the mother of Christ's divinity, but only from the nature of his humanity. In it implied a denial of the fullness of humanity of Jesus. It is impossible that the child born of Mary into the world is God. He preferred to use the term 'Christotokos'. He said: "I do not acknowledge God who was two or three months." He emphasizes the dual nature of self-nature of Christ, for his teachings contradict the teachings of Apollinaris who is seen as a pioneer of monophysitism teaching.
Christotokos for the Assyrian Church (although the term "Msikha" etymologically an equivalent word "Christ" in Greek), has a deeper meaning, not just a prophecy of the Messiah-King, but on the union of the two Natures (keyane: physis) and two qnume (hypostasis). Synod of Aqaq in 486 and the Synod of Yeshu-yabh in 585 distinguished, in their Syriac expression between the Greek term of prosopon to which they rendered the Syriac word parsopa i.e. person, and the Greek term for hypostasis to which they rendered the Syriac word Qenuma.
One more reason for rejection 'Yaldath Alaha' (Theotokos) for the Virgin Mary can be found at the Synod of Bishops in 612, which states that it is impossible that Godhead should be converted into Manhood, Manhood or into Godhead, for the essential being is not capable of change or suffering; and if the Godhead be changed, it is not a revelation, but an alteration of Godhead; and if Manhood be taken out of its nature, it is not the redemption, but the destruction of Manhood ... when we call Christ "perfect God," we do not mean the Trinity, but one of the Qnumi of the Trinity: God the Word.
The most interesting thing is when the Assyrian people (also called Dyophysites) questioned the term "Mother of God" to the Syrian Orthodox (sometimes called the Monophysites, a nickname that is considered insulting by them), "Why not Yaldath Msikha (Christotokos)? 'Yaldath Alaha'(Mother of Godhead) and 'Yaldath Barnasha'(Mother of Manhood) are alike objectionable; for the first omits, and may be taken as denying the humanity; and second fails adequately to recognize the divinity of our Redeemer. If one admitted, the other ought to be admitted too, but why not be content with the term that expresses both Natures? ".
READING LIST
- Aziz A. Atiya, A History of Eastern Christianity (London: 1968)
- Babai, Histoire de Mar-Jabalaha (ed. P. Bedjan; Paris: np, 1895)
- Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart, sub voce, Nestorius (Tubingen, 1960)
- Die Religion in Geschichte und Gegenwart, sub voce, Assyrische Kirche (Tubingen, 1960)
- F. McLeod, Narsai's Metrical Homilies on the Nativity, Epiphany, Passion, Ressurection and Assension: Critical Edition of the Syriac Text (Patrologia Orientalists, Vol. 40.1.182; Turnhout: np, 1979)
- Synodicon Orientale (ed. JB Chabot; Paris: 1902)
Friday, January 29, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
LITTLE NOTES ON CHRISTMAS (2)
So why is there a difference between the Christmas Day of Western Church (Roman and Protestant) and the Eastern Church? Actually, setting of the holiday feasts of the Church for the first time accurately counted in Egypt by an astronomer from the Coptic Church, his name is Batlimeus, which at the end of the second century AD make careful calculations on the order of al-Baba Dimitri, who served as Patriarch of Alexandria from the year 199-232 AD
Batlimous perform calculations based on the appearance of Siriuz star (Egyptian calendar was recognized by UNESCO as the most accurate calendar than any other calendar that never existed). At that time, the Roman Empire in the region use the Julian calendar (the renewal of Sosigenes, who came from Alexandria, Egypt) is calculated based on 700 years of the founding of Rome. At a later date (1582 AD), Pope Gregory of Rome modifying the Julian calendar which is called the Gregorian calendar in effect in the Western Church until now, but in the Eastern Churches still use the Julian calendar.
New problems that arise is the fact that the two calendars (Julian and Gregorian) BASED ON THE circulation of the Sun. Then there differences in the implementation of the calculation of Easter feast. Western Church who follow the Jewish Passover customs determined that the time of the celebration of Easter is right on the full moon in spring. In fact, the Jewish calendar is clearly different from the Gregorian calendar. Jewish calendar, which is BASED on the Moon circulation, has a number of days is only 354 days a year, so the difference with the Gregorian calendar by 10 days.
Therefore it on October 5, 1582 AD, the Gregorian calendar moved forward 10 days, then one day be eliminated in 1700, 1800 and 1900 AD to follow the rising full moon at Passover, as Jewish tradition. What happens then is the total difference in the celebration of Easter between the Western Church with the Eastern Churches to 13 days. This happens because the Eastern Church does not follow the tradition of the full moon at Easter. Eastern Church determined that the celebration of Passover always occurs on Sunday, does not care whether it occurs during a full moon or not, for guiding the Eastern Church is no longer the Jewish Passover, but Jesus himself, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 5:7, και γαρ το πασχα ημων εθυθη χριστος kai gar to pascha hēmōn etuthē Christos, “for Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
As mentioned earlier, the Egyptian calendar was made by Batlimous has set the birth of Jesus occurred on the 29th at Khiahk month, or on the 25th of the month Tebeth (Jewish calendar); then later on the basis of thirteen-day difference between the Western and Eastern Churches Easter celebration, then the Eastern Church has set a Christmas celebration for the Eastern Church was held on January 7, the difference is thirteen days from the date of December 25, which is Christmas Day for the Western Church.
Tenoo oasht emmok o piekhristos nem pekyot en aghathos nem pi epnevma ethowab je akee ak soati emmon nai nan
We worship You O Christ with Your Good Father and the Holy Spirit, for You have come and saved us.
READING LIST
* Iris Habib al-Misri, The Story of the Copts (Cairo: The Middle East Council of Churches)
* Markus Aziz Khalil, The Coptic Orthodox Church (Montreal, Canada: The Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate)
* The Modern Science of Astrology (London: UNESCO, 1966)
Batlimous perform calculations based on the appearance of Siriuz star (Egyptian calendar was recognized by UNESCO as the most accurate calendar than any other calendar that never existed). At that time, the Roman Empire in the region use the Julian calendar (the renewal of Sosigenes, who came from Alexandria, Egypt) is calculated based on 700 years of the founding of Rome. At a later date (1582 AD), Pope Gregory of Rome modifying the Julian calendar which is called the Gregorian calendar in effect in the Western Church until now, but in the Eastern Churches still use the Julian calendar.
New problems that arise is the fact that the two calendars (Julian and Gregorian) BASED ON THE circulation of the Sun. Then there differences in the implementation of the calculation of Easter feast. Western Church who follow the Jewish Passover customs determined that the time of the celebration of Easter is right on the full moon in spring. In fact, the Jewish calendar is clearly different from the Gregorian calendar. Jewish calendar, which is BASED on the Moon circulation, has a number of days is only 354 days a year, so the difference with the Gregorian calendar by 10 days.
Therefore it on October 5, 1582 AD, the Gregorian calendar moved forward 10 days, then one day be eliminated in 1700, 1800 and 1900 AD to follow the rising full moon at Passover, as Jewish tradition. What happens then is the total difference in the celebration of Easter between the Western Church with the Eastern Churches to 13 days. This happens because the Eastern Church does not follow the tradition of the full moon at Easter. Eastern Church determined that the celebration of Passover always occurs on Sunday, does not care whether it occurs during a full moon or not, for guiding the Eastern Church is no longer the Jewish Passover, but Jesus himself, as recorded in 1 Corinthians 5:7, και γαρ το πασχα ημων εθυθη χριστος kai gar to pascha hēmōn etuthē Christos, “for Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.”
As mentioned earlier, the Egyptian calendar was made by Batlimous has set the birth of Jesus occurred on the 29th at Khiahk month, or on the 25th of the month Tebeth (Jewish calendar); then later on the basis of thirteen-day difference between the Western and Eastern Churches Easter celebration, then the Eastern Church has set a Christmas celebration for the Eastern Church was held on January 7, the difference is thirteen days from the date of December 25, which is Christmas Day for the Western Church.
Tenoo oasht emmok o piekhristos nem pekyot en aghathos nem pi epnevma ethowab je akee ak soati emmon nai nan
We worship You O Christ with Your Good Father and the Holy Spirit, for You have come and saved us.
READING LIST
* Iris Habib al-Misri, The Story of the Copts (Cairo: The Middle East Council of Churches)
* Markus Aziz Khalil, The Coptic Orthodox Church (Montreal, Canada: The Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate)
* The Modern Science of Astrology (London: UNESCO, 1966)
Monday, January 18, 2010
LITTLE NOTES ON CHRISTMAS (1)
We just passed in December and for all human beings just passed the Christmas celebration. Most Christians celebrate Christmas Day on December 25, while others celebrated on January 6/7, for anyone to celebrate on January 13 (Armenia). The question that arises, why is there a difference on the celebration of Christmas?
Must be recognized that the determination of when the date of the birth of Jesus is certainly very difficult to do if not impossible. This is because in the canonical Gospels are not mentioned for sure, even when the apostles were still alive, they also never set a date of birth of Jesus much less to celebrate. That's why can be understood about the rejection of Christmas celebrations conducted by several parties (for example: Jehovah's Witnesses).
There is no clear trace of the Christmas festival before the fourth century; partly because the feast of the Epiphany (In general, this feast was the feast of the appearance of Christ in the flesh, and particularly of the manifestation of Jesus' Messiahship by His baptism in the Jordan River, the festival at once of His birth and His baptism. This feast spread from the East towards the West but when the East adopted from the West the Christmas festival, Epiphany was restricted to the celebration of the baptism of Christ, and made one of the three great reasons for administration of baptism.) in a measure held the place of it; partly because of birth of Christ, the date of which at any rate was uncertain, was less prominent in the Christian mind than His death and resurrection. It was of the Western (Roman) origin, and found its way to the East after the middle of the fourth century for John Chrysostom, in a Homily which was probably preached December 25, 386 AD, speaks of the celebration of the separate day of the Nativity as having been recently introduced in Antioch.
In the Bible, noted that the Angel Gabriel to meet Mary at 6 month after Elizabeth began to contain John the Baptist (Luke 1:26). As mentioned earlier, the historical record of the birth of John the Baptist announced by the angel, we just got in 386 AD from the writings of Church Fathers, John Chrysostom. According to Chrysostom, John the Baptist's birth notification occurs on the Feast of Tabernacle Tabernacle (Yom Kippur), which took place on the 10th of the month Tishri, when the priest Zechariah of the group's Abijah served in the Temple, Jerusalem.
Jewish calendar on the count of certain years have months to 13, so the month after the month of Tishri six may fall in the month Adar Syeni or Nisan. Therefore, the turn of service in the Temple by the priests as defined in the Torah to be shifted each year. This is very difficult and can not be used as a benchmark. But if we look at the Syrian Church traditions originating from the Mar Ephraim the Syrian, stated that the notice of the Angel Gabriel to Mary falls in the month of Nisan.
Church tradition is consistent with the record of John Chrysostom which calculates according to the Syro-Macedonians chronicle, that Mary received good news from the angel Gabriel (Annunciation of Christ) took place on March 25 (Syro-Macedonians: Xanthikos). Based on these calculations and then we get the birth of Jesus is on the 29th of the month Khiahk (this is recorded in the Coptic Didascalia Apostolorum, Khiahk is the fourth month of the Egyptian calendar), which is parallel to the 25th of the month Tebet (Tebet is the ninth month on the calendar Jew), or on December 25 in AD
READING LIST
* Jack Finegan, Handbook of Biblical Chronology (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1964)
* Mar Ignatius Zakka I 'Iwas, At-Taufat ar-Ruhiyyat fii Ash-Shalat al-Fardhiyyat (Allepo: Dar Ar-Raha lin Nasyr, 1990)
* Markus Aziz Khalil, The Coptic Orthodox Church (Montreal, Canada: The Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate)
Must be recognized that the determination of when the date of the birth of Jesus is certainly very difficult to do if not impossible. This is because in the canonical Gospels are not mentioned for sure, even when the apostles were still alive, they also never set a date of birth of Jesus much less to celebrate. That's why can be understood about the rejection of Christmas celebrations conducted by several parties (for example: Jehovah's Witnesses).
There is no clear trace of the Christmas festival before the fourth century; partly because the feast of the Epiphany (In general, this feast was the feast of the appearance of Christ in the flesh, and particularly of the manifestation of Jesus' Messiahship by His baptism in the Jordan River, the festival at once of His birth and His baptism. This feast spread from the East towards the West but when the East adopted from the West the Christmas festival, Epiphany was restricted to the celebration of the baptism of Christ, and made one of the three great reasons for administration of baptism.) in a measure held the place of it; partly because of birth of Christ, the date of which at any rate was uncertain, was less prominent in the Christian mind than His death and resurrection. It was of the Western (Roman) origin, and found its way to the East after the middle of the fourth century for John Chrysostom, in a Homily which was probably preached December 25, 386 AD, speaks of the celebration of the separate day of the Nativity as having been recently introduced in Antioch.
In the Bible, noted that the Angel Gabriel to meet Mary at 6 month after Elizabeth began to contain John the Baptist (Luke 1:26). As mentioned earlier, the historical record of the birth of John the Baptist announced by the angel, we just got in 386 AD from the writings of Church Fathers, John Chrysostom. According to Chrysostom, John the Baptist's birth notification occurs on the Feast of Tabernacle Tabernacle (Yom Kippur), which took place on the 10th of the month Tishri, when the priest Zechariah of the group's Abijah served in the Temple, Jerusalem.
Jewish calendar on the count of certain years have months to 13, so the month after the month of Tishri six may fall in the month Adar Syeni or Nisan. Therefore, the turn of service in the Temple by the priests as defined in the Torah to be shifted each year. This is very difficult and can not be used as a benchmark. But if we look at the Syrian Church traditions originating from the Mar Ephraim the Syrian, stated that the notice of the Angel Gabriel to Mary falls in the month of Nisan.
Church tradition is consistent with the record of John Chrysostom which calculates according to the Syro-Macedonians chronicle, that Mary received good news from the angel Gabriel (Annunciation of Christ) took place on March 25 (Syro-Macedonians: Xanthikos). Based on these calculations and then we get the birth of Jesus is on the 29th of the month Khiahk (this is recorded in the Coptic Didascalia Apostolorum, Khiahk is the fourth month of the Egyptian calendar), which is parallel to the 25th of the month Tebet (Tebet is the ninth month on the calendar Jew), or on December 25 in AD
READING LIST
* Jack Finegan, Handbook of Biblical Chronology (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1964)
* Mar Ignatius Zakka I 'Iwas, At-Taufat ar-Ruhiyyat fii Ash-Shalat al-Fardhiyyat (Allepo: Dar Ar-Raha lin Nasyr, 1990)
* Markus Aziz Khalil, The Coptic Orthodox Church (Montreal, Canada: The Coptic Orthodox Patriarchate)
Sunday, January 10, 2010
JESUS, GOSPEL AND LANGUAGES
One of the most unique and interesting of the gospel is the fact that since the beginning, the preaching of Jesus had begun in the midst of the world truly multiethnical and multilingual, which is in the Galilee region in the first century AD. The prophet Isaiah once called the ministry of Jesus as: "... but in the future he will honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan." (Isaiah 9:1, NIV). With a unique background is Christianity begins. Jesus himself, according to the experts are also able to speak in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and some Greek.
Hebrew and Aramaic has a close connection because it is a cognate language. There are a lot of the same word in both languages, as well as grammar, and syntax.
If seen from the history of the Bible, at the time of Abraham (± 1900 BC) could be said that both languages (Hebrew-Aramaic) are identical. In Deuteronomy 26:5, tells about Abraham: אֲרַמִּי אִבֵד אָבִי Arami obed Avî , “ My father was a wandering Aramean, ...". In its development (± 1100-722 BC) appears both languages separately. In the area of Jews in Palestine developed into Hebrew, while in the Aramaic kingdoms in Mesopotamia, as in Damascus, Zobah and Hamath appears Aramaic.
Hebrew (Classical) is used as an official language of the Kingdom of Israel until the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC. While Aramaic continued to develop when the Assyrians back to controlled Mesopotamia territory(883-606 BC) that Aramaic became the official language of the kingdom. Aramaic is also used in the neighborhood of Babylon (606-539 BC) and continued later by the Persians (539-333 BC). The use of Aramaic became widespread so became the lingua franca of the Middle Eastern community (including the region of Galilee and Samaria), in addition to Greek and Latin used by the Roman Empire.
Unlike the Aramaic flourished, in the Hebrew language was so frozen decline to a mere "language of the sacred" or "language of liturgy" in the temple and also in the synagogues. Even at the time of Jesus, Aramaic was equated with the Hebrew language, regarded as a dialect of Hebrew of the Galilee. Aramaic language usage is more common in everyday social relationship with the distinguished from Hebrew (classical) which is used as a "rabbinical literary language" (otherwise known as the Mishnah Hebrew).
In the Aramaic language that Jesus spoke every day and teach His disciples. But when Jesus was about to read the Torah (Qeri'a ha-Torah) and the prophets (Nevi'im) in the synagogue, Jesus will read in Hebrew (Luke 4:18-20). As with the call of Jesus, Ελωι, Ελωι, λαμμα σαβαχθανι "Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachthani?" (Mark 15:34) on the cross. The call comes from Psalm 22:1 which reads in Hebrew: Eli, Eli, lamah azabthani אלי אלי למה עזבתני, but spoken by Jesus does not take the Hebrew text, but comes from the Targum (the comments on the books of the Old Testament) in Aramaic. The call of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark itself is very close to the Syriac: Alohi, Alohi, l'mono shebachtheni. It is worthy of note, that a Hebrew MS. of the twelfth century, instead of עזבתני azabthani , Forsaken me, reads שכחתני shechachthani , Forgotten me.
The difficulty that comes later is that the canonical Gospels were written in Greek (not in Hebrew or Aramaic), a wider use throughout the Roman Empire, although there are data from the Fragment of Papias who said that Matthew wrote his gospel in the "Hebrew" . The Hebrew here is meant not the classical-rabbinical Hebrew language but "Hebrew dialect" which means Aramaic (cf. Matthew 26:73). And if this opinion is true, then more or less similar results with the Peshitta text, the Aramaic Gospels dating from the 2nd century AD, older than any existing Codex and used as the basis for the translation of modern Bibles.
Hebrew and Aramaic has a close connection because it is a cognate language. There are a lot of the same word in both languages, as well as grammar, and syntax.
If seen from the history of the Bible, at the time of Abraham (± 1900 BC) could be said that both languages (Hebrew-Aramaic) are identical. In Deuteronomy 26:5, tells about Abraham: אֲרַמִּי אִבֵד אָבִי Arami obed Avî , “ My father was a wandering Aramean, ...". In its development (± 1100-722 BC) appears both languages separately. In the area of Jews in Palestine developed into Hebrew, while in the Aramaic kingdoms in Mesopotamia, as in Damascus, Zobah and Hamath appears Aramaic.
Hebrew (Classical) is used as an official language of the Kingdom of Israel until the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC. While Aramaic continued to develop when the Assyrians back to controlled Mesopotamia territory(883-606 BC) that Aramaic became the official language of the kingdom. Aramaic is also used in the neighborhood of Babylon (606-539 BC) and continued later by the Persians (539-333 BC). The use of Aramaic became widespread so became the lingua franca of the Middle Eastern community (including the region of Galilee and Samaria), in addition to Greek and Latin used by the Roman Empire.
Unlike the Aramaic flourished, in the Hebrew language was so frozen decline to a mere "language of the sacred" or "language of liturgy" in the temple and also in the synagogues. Even at the time of Jesus, Aramaic was equated with the Hebrew language, regarded as a dialect of Hebrew of the Galilee. Aramaic language usage is more common in everyday social relationship with the distinguished from Hebrew (classical) which is used as a "rabbinical literary language" (otherwise known as the Mishnah Hebrew).
In the Aramaic language that Jesus spoke every day and teach His disciples. But when Jesus was about to read the Torah (Qeri'a ha-Torah) and the prophets (Nevi'im) in the synagogue, Jesus will read in Hebrew (Luke 4:18-20). As with the call of Jesus, Ελωι, Ελωι, λαμμα σαβαχθανι "Eloi, Eloi, lamma sabachthani?" (Mark 15:34) on the cross. The call comes from Psalm 22:1 which reads in Hebrew: Eli, Eli, lamah azabthani אלי אלי למה עזבתני, but spoken by Jesus does not take the Hebrew text, but comes from the Targum (the comments on the books of the Old Testament) in Aramaic. The call of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark itself is very close to the Syriac: Alohi, Alohi, l'mono shebachtheni. It is worthy of note, that a Hebrew MS. of the twelfth century, instead of עזבתני azabthani , Forsaken me, reads שכחתני shechachthani , Forgotten me.
The difficulty that comes later is that the canonical Gospels were written in Greek (not in Hebrew or Aramaic), a wider use throughout the Roman Empire, although there are data from the Fragment of Papias who said that Matthew wrote his gospel in the "Hebrew" . The Hebrew here is meant not the classical-rabbinical Hebrew language but "Hebrew dialect" which means Aramaic (cf. Matthew 26:73). And if this opinion is true, then more or less similar results with the Peshitta text, the Aramaic Gospels dating from the 2nd century AD, older than any existing Codex and used as the basis for the translation of modern Bibles.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
BETHLEHEM STAR AND THE MAGI
ܘܐܡܪܝܢ ܐܝܟܘ ܡܠܟܐ ܕܝܗܘܕܝܐ ܕܐܬܝܠܕ ܚܙܝܢ ܓܝܪ ܟܘܟܒܗ ܒܡܕܢܚܐ ܘܐܬܝܢ ܠܡܣܓܕ ܠܗ
Wamerein aikuw malka d’yehuwdaya dateyalda chezin geir kawkabah bemedincha watain l’misgad leh
And they said: where is He the King of the Jews who has been born? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.
(Matthew 2:2, Peshitta)
In the Christmas story are the group described the Magi who came from the East to Jerusalem because it had seen a star as a sign of the birth of a Jewish king. Approximately star which can be equated with the Christmas Star or the Star of Bethlehem which guided the Magi had come to find Jesus? Are conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn occurred in 7 BC as mentioned by Johannes Kepler, an astronomer at the 17th century AD? Or, Novae star appearance in the year 5 BC, recorded by a Church Father, Clement of Alexandria who lived in the early 2nd century AD? (note that this star was also called by a Chinese astronomer named Ma Tuan Lien, in an ancient Chinese encyclopaedia entitled: Wen Kao Thung Hien. Jack Finegan, quoting Montifiore book, Novum Testamentum, Vol. 4 / 1960, wrote that the two stars that was used as a reference by the Magi.
Let's see one by one these arguments. Apparently conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC was matched with the findings of stone slabs on the ancient tower Zippar, on the banks of the Euphrates river. Thus, where the plate was also well matched with the origin of the people of ancient Babylon. The sound of the inscription on the slab in the language of ancient Babylon: Mullu-Baba zippati U kaiwanu ina. It means: "Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces". Archeology evidence also found in a papyrus from the year 42 AD, which also noted the conjunction of these planets. The papyrus is now kept in Berlin.
This Zippar plate was first discovered by P. Scanable in 1925. According Scanable, in the Zippar city there has been a famous astrological school in the days of ancient Babylon. Interesting fact is when we track the astrological symbol of Babylon. In the Babylonian astrology, the stars are sometimes identified with the nations of their neighbors, but associated with other meanings. From the study of ancient manuscripts Babylonian religion, Pisces represents the end times, as the largest planet Jupiter, the royal planet in Babylonian astrology, symbolizing the Ruler or King. While Saturn symbolizes the Palestinian state. So, based on the way people think of ancient Babylon, astronomical phenomena that can be interpreted that a king had come at that time, his place in the Palestinian territories.
According to the tradition of the East Syrian Church (Assyrian) who is d Iraq, the Magi had mentioned "were apparently speaking Aramaic, had they could come only from the kingdom of Urhai or Edessa." And pull it again, in the Syriac Christian tradition, as related by Mar Mshihazkha in a book entitled: Sources Syriaques, mentioned that the first bishop of Adiabene area directly appointed by the Apostle Thadeus, namely Bishop Mar Pkidha, was a descendant of one of the Magi.
Back to Zippar plate, the plate is there a term in the language of Babylon Kaiwanu, his Aramaic term: Kawkabah. Perhaps the words of the Magi approaching dialect Peshitta text: kawkabah be Chezin Geir medinchah. "We have seen His star rising in the East." In the process of phonetic correspondence, it is common in allied languages studies. Kaiwanu, became Kawkabah, in Aramaic. And the term parallel with the term in Arabic: Kawakib, Kawkabat. It means the same, star or a star.
READING LIST
- Aziz A. Atiya, History of Eastern Christianity (Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press)
- Jack Finegan, Handbook of Biblical Chronology (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1964)
- Santala Risto, The Messiah in the New Testament in the Light of Rabbinical Writings (Jerusalem: Koren Ahvah Meshihit, 1996)
- Samuel Hugh Moffett, A History of Christianity in Asia. Vol. I (New York: Orbis Book, 1998)
Wamerein aikuw malka d’yehuwdaya dateyalda chezin geir kawkabah bemedincha watain l’misgad leh
And they said: where is He the King of the Jews who has been born? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.
(Matthew 2:2, Peshitta)
In the Christmas story are the group described the Magi who came from the East to Jerusalem because it had seen a star as a sign of the birth of a Jewish king. Approximately star which can be equated with the Christmas Star or the Star of Bethlehem which guided the Magi had come to find Jesus? Are conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn occurred in 7 BC as mentioned by Johannes Kepler, an astronomer at the 17th century AD? Or, Novae star appearance in the year 5 BC, recorded by a Church Father, Clement of Alexandria who lived in the early 2nd century AD? (note that this star was also called by a Chinese astronomer named Ma Tuan Lien, in an ancient Chinese encyclopaedia entitled: Wen Kao Thung Hien. Jack Finegan, quoting Montifiore book, Novum Testamentum, Vol. 4 / 1960, wrote that the two stars that was used as a reference by the Magi.
Let's see one by one these arguments. Apparently conjunctions of Jupiter and Saturn in 7 BC was matched with the findings of stone slabs on the ancient tower Zippar, on the banks of the Euphrates river. Thus, where the plate was also well matched with the origin of the people of ancient Babylon. The sound of the inscription on the slab in the language of ancient Babylon: Mullu-Baba zippati U kaiwanu ina. It means: "Jupiter and Saturn in the constellation of Pisces". Archeology evidence also found in a papyrus from the year 42 AD, which also noted the conjunction of these planets. The papyrus is now kept in Berlin.
This Zippar plate was first discovered by P. Scanable in 1925. According Scanable, in the Zippar city there has been a famous astrological school in the days of ancient Babylon. Interesting fact is when we track the astrological symbol of Babylon. In the Babylonian astrology, the stars are sometimes identified with the nations of their neighbors, but associated with other meanings. From the study of ancient manuscripts Babylonian religion, Pisces represents the end times, as the largest planet Jupiter, the royal planet in Babylonian astrology, symbolizing the Ruler or King. While Saturn symbolizes the Palestinian state. So, based on the way people think of ancient Babylon, astronomical phenomena that can be interpreted that a king had come at that time, his place in the Palestinian territories.
According to the tradition of the East Syrian Church (Assyrian) who is d Iraq, the Magi had mentioned "were apparently speaking Aramaic, had they could come only from the kingdom of Urhai or Edessa." And pull it again, in the Syriac Christian tradition, as related by Mar Mshihazkha in a book entitled: Sources Syriaques, mentioned that the first bishop of Adiabene area directly appointed by the Apostle Thadeus, namely Bishop Mar Pkidha, was a descendant of one of the Magi.
Back to Zippar plate, the plate is there a term in the language of Babylon Kaiwanu, his Aramaic term: Kawkabah. Perhaps the words of the Magi approaching dialect Peshitta text: kawkabah be Chezin Geir medinchah. "We have seen His star rising in the East." In the process of phonetic correspondence, it is common in allied languages studies. Kaiwanu, became Kawkabah, in Aramaic. And the term parallel with the term in Arabic: Kawakib, Kawkabat. It means the same, star or a star.
READING LIST
- Aziz A. Atiya, History of Eastern Christianity (Notre Dame, Indiana: University of Notre Dame Press)
- Jack Finegan, Handbook of Biblical Chronology (New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1964)
- Santala Risto, The Messiah in the New Testament in the Light of Rabbinical Writings (Jerusalem: Koren Ahvah Meshihit, 1996)
- Samuel Hugh Moffett, A History of Christianity in Asia. Vol. I (New York: Orbis Book, 1998)
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The Name: YHWH, Yahweh
Since the New Testament written by the apostles of Christ, the Tetragramaton (four sacred letter: YHVH, Yahweh) had been translated into Greek language: κυριος Kyrios (LORD). This was already used by the Jews (Septuagint/LXX) and followed by Jesus and His apostles. Modern Jewish translate YHWH with THE LORD (with all capital letter). The first of all sects that shocking the translation tradition of this God’s name is the Jehovah’s Witnesses. This sect, with proud they proclaim brought back the Name: Yahweh into NT, even though the original texts (or the copy of it) from the apostles itself didn’t maintain that name. The question is: May “the proper name” be translated? If the translation of YHWH’s name is prohibited, why Jesus and His apostles didn’t maintain that Name?
The Name: YHWH
the Origins and Theological Meaning
YHWH’s name was declared to Moses for the first time in Exodus 6:1. God declares Himself to prophet Moses in the burning bush and when God sends Moses to face the Pharaoh to brought back the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses asks: “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, `The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, `What is his name?' (Hebrew: מַה־֯שּׁמ֔וֹ Mah symo) Then what shall I tell them?" (Exodus 3:13, NIV).
For the record, the common practice to ask about a person's name in Hebrew using Mi pronouns is: Who, but in this verse is used "What (mah) about his name?". Mah symo is a question that require more in-depth answers, which gives the meaning of what and how or the nature of the name. And the answer to the question of God is the deepest meaning and the meaning of that name which is "a mystery that is behind the existence of that name". Mah symo question from Moses is not answered with 4 letters "YHWH" but was answered by God with the sentence: אהיה אשר אהיה Ehyeh asher Ehyeh (or in Greek of the Septuagint / LXX Εγω ειμι ὁ Ων Ego eimi ho On) I AM THAT I AM (Exodus 3:14). With these words, God declared Himself. This signifies the real being of God, His self-existence, and that He is the Being of beings; as it also denotes His eternity and immutability, and His Constancy and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises, for it includes all time, past, present, and to come; and the sense is, not only I am what I am at present, but I am what I have been, and I am what I shall be, and shall be what I am.
How grammatically we finally found a form of Yahweh? According to a commentary in Hebrew is quite representative (derived from Jewish Rabbis themselves), the form of Yahweh is closely related to the omnipresent of God, in the past, present and future. The existence of God if it is associated with the three aspects of time, in Hebrew is: hayah, "He was"; hoveh, "He is" and yihyeh, "He will be". The point here, God is all-eternal, not bound by the aspect of time, and it was proved by His power and His omnipresent which is always dynamic.
From the description above, it is clear that NT is more referring to the theological meaning behind that name, which is his power of life and not hold literally that dead letters. The name of this translation of Yahweh, among other things we can read in The Revelation of John:
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," declares the Lord God, the one who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty. (Rev 1:8)
Please note the phrase in italics. In Greek: ο ων και ο ην και ο ερχομενος ho on kai ho en kai ho erchomenos, this phrase is a translation of an Adon 'Olam prayer in Siddur (famous Jewish prayer), which contains information from the name of Yahweh (the name that prohibited for pronounced it): Vehu Haya Vehu Hove Vehu Yyiheeyeh Beteefarah (He is already there, existing, and which would have, his eternal power for ever).
The Name: YHWH
the Origins and Theological Meaning
YHWH’s name was declared to Moses for the first time in Exodus 6:1. God declares Himself to prophet Moses in the burning bush and when God sends Moses to face the Pharaoh to brought back the Israelites out of Egypt, Moses asks: “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, `The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, `What is his name?' (Hebrew: מַה־֯שּׁמ֔וֹ Mah symo) Then what shall I tell them?" (Exodus 3:13, NIV).
For the record, the common practice to ask about a person's name in Hebrew using Mi pronouns is: Who, but in this verse is used "What (mah) about his name?". Mah symo is a question that require more in-depth answers, which gives the meaning of what and how or the nature of the name. And the answer to the question of God is the deepest meaning and the meaning of that name which is "a mystery that is behind the existence of that name". Mah symo question from Moses is not answered with 4 letters "YHWH" but was answered by God with the sentence: אהיה אשר אהיה Ehyeh asher Ehyeh (or in Greek of the Septuagint / LXX Εγω ειμι ὁ Ων Ego eimi ho On) I AM THAT I AM (Exodus 3:14). With these words, God declared Himself. This signifies the real being of God, His self-existence, and that He is the Being of beings; as it also denotes His eternity and immutability, and His Constancy and faithfulness in fulfilling His promises, for it includes all time, past, present, and to come; and the sense is, not only I am what I am at present, but I am what I have been, and I am what I shall be, and shall be what I am.
How grammatically we finally found a form of Yahweh? According to a commentary in Hebrew is quite representative (derived from Jewish Rabbis themselves), the form of Yahweh is closely related to the omnipresent of God, in the past, present and future. The existence of God if it is associated with the three aspects of time, in Hebrew is: hayah, "He was"; hoveh, "He is" and yihyeh, "He will be". The point here, God is all-eternal, not bound by the aspect of time, and it was proved by His power and His omnipresent which is always dynamic.
From the description above, it is clear that NT is more referring to the theological meaning behind that name, which is his power of life and not hold literally that dead letters. The name of this translation of Yahweh, among other things we can read in The Revelation of John:
"I am the Alpha and the Omega," declares the Lord God, the one who is, who was, and who is coming, the Almighty. (Rev 1:8)
Please note the phrase in italics. In Greek: ο ων και ο ην και ο ερχομενος ho on kai ho en kai ho erchomenos, this phrase is a translation of an Adon 'Olam prayer in Siddur (famous Jewish prayer), which contains information from the name of Yahweh (the name that prohibited for pronounced it): Vehu Haya Vehu Hove Vehu Yyiheeyeh Beteefarah (He is already there, existing, and which would have, his eternal power for ever).
Thursday, October 8, 2009
CUR DEUS HOMO
CUR DEUS HOMO, God became man
That statement will become major misunderstanding Christian doctrine, especially when we try to share it with the Muslims. For them, it sounds too pagan. God became man, it means that God being crucified, died, buried etc. Allah (the God) for them is sacral, just likes YHWH (God) for the Jews. It’s too rude for a Muslim and a Jew to say “Allah/YHWH became man”. And because of Christianity have same root with the Jews, so it’s impossible to say “the God (the Father) became man”. We can compare it with Islamic Theology (called ‘Ilm al-Kalam). In ‘Ilm al-Kalam, the God (Allah) can’t be understood in His Ousia (Dzat) but can be understood through His Hypostasis (Shifatullah). Shifatullah are “not God but not different with God”. Logos (Word of God, Kalimatullah) is one of the Shifatullah in Islam. “Power” and “Life” of God (called the Holy Spirit in Christian faith) are also Shifatullah, that ‘qaimah’ (paste or stand) on Dzatullah (Ousia). Sifatullah are “not God but not creation”.
In Islam, “Logos, Power and Life” of God are not to be understood as having a reality of self-identity entity, but in Christian faith both of them are having hypostasis (a reality that underlining identity). Logos is not the Father (God), but Logos is God (because He is immortal and not different with God), “The Word was God” (John 1:1).
The Word (the Son) is different with the Father, it’s explained by the Word himself when He became a man (nuzul, tajjasud): Jesus Christ and by the Bible statement in: John 1:1, 3:2, 3:17, 3:35, 5:24, 17:3, 20:17, 14:28 and many more. The Father (YHWH) that is transcendent, communicate Himself to mankind through His Word (called Memra in Targum). John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” Logos (the Word, the Son) is eternally coexisting with the Father. Origen of Alexandria appoint Christ as Logos, “if the first born of every creature, is the image of the invisible God, the Father is his arche.”
Because of this difficulty, so the Arabic Christian (may God protect them always!) never use term “God became man” (Allah al-Mutajjasad) but use term “Son of God became man” (Ibnullah al-Mutajjasad). So, clearly that Judaism tawhid (Unity), which is defending the God transcendency, in the same time give some space for Memra (Logos) that will be come in His Messiah, is still guarded and defended in the early church, because of it’s Judaic roots. And if we have open mind, we can more clearly understand this topic through reading The Epistle of St. Ignatius to Ephesians (VII) and to Magnesians (VIII), Adversus Haraeses (III) by Irenaeus, De Haraesibus by John of Damascus, The Dead Sea Scrolls, etc. It’s not just for Catholic or Orthodox Christian but for all Christian of any denomination. Haleluyah, Amen.
That statement will become major misunderstanding Christian doctrine, especially when we try to share it with the Muslims. For them, it sounds too pagan. God became man, it means that God being crucified, died, buried etc. Allah (the God) for them is sacral, just likes YHWH (God) for the Jews. It’s too rude for a Muslim and a Jew to say “Allah/YHWH became man”. And because of Christianity have same root with the Jews, so it’s impossible to say “the God (the Father) became man”. We can compare it with Islamic Theology (called ‘Ilm al-Kalam). In ‘Ilm al-Kalam, the God (Allah) can’t be understood in His Ousia (Dzat) but can be understood through His Hypostasis (Shifatullah). Shifatullah are “not God but not different with God”. Logos (Word of God, Kalimatullah) is one of the Shifatullah in Islam. “Power” and “Life” of God (called the Holy Spirit in Christian faith) are also Shifatullah, that ‘qaimah’ (paste or stand) on Dzatullah (Ousia). Sifatullah are “not God but not creation”.
In Islam, “Logos, Power and Life” of God are not to be understood as having a reality of self-identity entity, but in Christian faith both of them are having hypostasis (a reality that underlining identity). Logos is not the Father (God), but Logos is God (because He is immortal and not different with God), “The Word was God” (John 1:1).
The Word (the Son) is different with the Father, it’s explained by the Word himself when He became a man (nuzul, tajjasud): Jesus Christ and by the Bible statement in: John 1:1, 3:2, 3:17, 3:35, 5:24, 17:3, 20:17, 14:28 and many more. The Father (YHWH) that is transcendent, communicate Himself to mankind through His Word (called Memra in Targum). John 1:18, “No one has ever seen God; the only Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” Logos (the Word, the Son) is eternally coexisting with the Father. Origen of Alexandria appoint Christ as Logos, “if the first born of every creature, is the image of the invisible God, the Father is his arche.”
Because of this difficulty, so the Arabic Christian (may God protect them always!) never use term “God became man” (Allah al-Mutajjasad) but use term “Son of God became man” (Ibnullah al-Mutajjasad). So, clearly that Judaism tawhid (Unity), which is defending the God transcendency, in the same time give some space for Memra (Logos) that will be come in His Messiah, is still guarded and defended in the early church, because of it’s Judaic roots. And if we have open mind, we can more clearly understand this topic through reading The Epistle of St. Ignatius to Ephesians (VII) and to Magnesians (VIII), Adversus Haraeses (III) by Irenaeus, De Haraesibus by John of Damascus, The Dead Sea Scrolls, etc. It’s not just for Catholic or Orthodox Christian but for all Christian of any denomination. Haleluyah, Amen.
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