1.
Hebrew language
–
Hebrew is a language native to Israel, spoken by over 9 million people worldwide, of whom over 5 million are in Israel. Historically, it is regarded as the language of the Israelites and their ancestors, the earliest examples of written Paleo-Hebrew date from the 10th century BCE. Hebrew belongs to the West Semitic branch of the Afroasiatic language family, Hebrew is the only living Canaanite language left, and the only truly successful example of a revived dead language. Hebrew had ceased to be a spoken language somewhere between 200 and 400 CE, declining since the aftermath of the Bar Kokhba revolt. Aramaic and to a lesser extent Greek were already in use as international languages, especially among elites and it survived into the medieval period as the language of Jewish liturgy, rabbinic literature, intra-Jewish commerce, and poetry. Then, in the 19th century, it was revived as a spoken and literary language, and, according to Ethnologue, had become, as of 1998, the language of 5 million people worldwide. After Israel, the United States has the second largest Hebrew-speaking population, with 220,000 fluent speakers, Modern Hebrew is one of the two official languages of the State of Israel, while premodern Hebrew is used for prayer or study in Jewish communities around the world today. Ancient Hebrew is also the tongue of the Samaritans, while modern Hebrew or Arabic is their vernacular. For this reason, Hebrew has been referred to by Jews as Leshon Hakodesh, the modern word Hebrew is derived from the word Ivri, one of several names for the Israelite people. It is traditionally understood to be a based on the name of Abrahams ancestor, Eber. This name is based upon the root ʕ-b-r meaning to cross over. Interpretations of the term ʕibrim link it to this verb, cross over, in the Bible, the Hebrew language is called Yәhudit because Judah was the surviving kingdom at the time of the quotation. In Isaiah 19,18 it is called the Language of Canaan, Hebrew belongs to the Canaanite group of languages. In turn, the Canaanite languages are a branch of the Northwest Semitic family of languages, according to Avraham ben-Yosef, Hebrew flourished as a spoken language in the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah during about 1200 to 586 BCE. Scholars debate the degree to which Hebrew was a vernacular in ancient times following the Babylonian exile. In July 2008 Israeli archaeologist Yossi Garfinkel discovered a ceramic shard at Khirbet Qeiyafa which he claimed may be the earliest Hebrew writing yet discovered, dating around 3000 years ago. The Gezer calendar also dates back to the 10th century BCE at the beginning of the Monarchic Period, classified as Archaic Biblical Hebrew, the calendar presents a list of seasons and related agricultural activities. The Gezer calendar is written in an old Semitic script, akin to the Phoenician one that through the Greeks, the Gezer calendar is written without any vowels, and it does not use consonants to imply vowels even in the places where later Hebrew spelling requires it
Hebrew language
–
Hebrew street sign, above in
Hebrew alphabet, below in
Latin transliteration. Aluf Batslut veAluf Shum (he) ("The Onion Champion and the Garlic Champion") is a
play by
Hayim Nahman Bialik.
Hebrew language
–
Portion of the
Temple Scroll, one of the longest of the
Dead Sea Scrolls discovered at
Qumran
Hebrew language
–
The
Shebna Inscription, from the tomb of a royal steward found in
Siloam, dates to the 7th century BCE.
Hebrew language
–
Hebrew script used in writing a Torah scroll. Note ornamental "crowns" on tops of certain letters.
2.
El (deity)
–
’Ēl is a Northwest Semitic word meaning god or deity, or referring to any one of multiple major Ancient Near East deities. A rarer spelling, ila, represents the form in Old Akkadian. The word is derived from the Proto-Semitic archaic biliteral ʔ‑L, meaning god, specific deities known as El or Il include the supreme god of the Canaanite religion and the supreme god of the Mesopotamian Semites in the pre-Sargonic period. Cognate forms are found throughout the Semitic languages and they include Ugaritic ʾil, pl. ʾlm, Phoenician ʾl pl. ʾlm, Hebrew ʾēl, pl. ʾēlîm, Aramaic ʾl, Akkadian ilu, pl. ilānu. In northwest Semitic use, El was both a word for any god and the special name or title of a particular god who was distinguished from other gods as being the god. El is listed at the head of many pantheons, in some Canaanite and Ugaritic sources, El played a role as father of the gods or of creation. For example, in the Ugaritic texts, ʾil mlk is understood to mean Ēl the King, the Semitic root ʾlh may be ʾl with a parasitic h, and ʾl may be an abbreviated form of ʾlh. In Ugaritic the plural form meaning gods is ʾilhm, equivalent to Hebrew ʾelōhîm powers, in the Hebrew texts this word is interpreted as being semantically singular for god by religious readers. Inconsistencies that arise between monotheism and polytheism in the texts are reflective of this hypothesis, the stem ʾl is found prominently in the earliest strata of east Semitic, northwest Semitic, and south Semitic groups. The Egyptian god Ptah is given the title ḏū gitti Lord of Gath in a prism from Lachish which has on its face the name of Amenhotep II The title ḏū gitti is also found in Serābitṭ text 353. A Phoenician inscribed amulet of the seventh century BCE from Arslan Tash may refer to ʼĒl, the text was translated by Rosenthal as follows, An eternal bond has been established for us. Ashshur has established for us, and all the divine beings, however, Cross translated the text as follows, The Eternal One has made a covenant oath with us, Asherah has made with us. And all the sons of El, And the great council of all the Holy Ones, with oaths of Heaven and Ancient Earth. In some inscriptions, the name ’Ēl qōne ’arṣ meaning ʼĒl creator of Earth appears, in Hittite texts, the expression becomes the single name Ilkunirsa, this Ilkunirsa appearing as the husband of Asherdu and father of 77 or 88 sons. In a Hurrian hymn to ʼĒl, he is called ’il brt and ’il dn which Cross takes as ʼĒl of the covenant and ʼĒl the judge respectively. Various family gods are recorded, divine names listed as belong to a family or clan, sometimes by title and sometimes by name. In Amorite personal names, the most common elements are Il, Hadad/Adad. It is likely that Il is also often the god called in Akkadian texts Amurru or Il Amurru
El (deity)
–
Possible depiction of Ēl with two lions on the back of the handle of the
Gebel el-Arak Knife c. 3450 BCE
El (deity)
–
El, seated on a throne with lion feet, wears conical horned headdress, a tunic and mantle. He receives gifts from a priest or king or lesser deity.
El (deity)
–
Gilded statuette of El from
Megiddo
3.
Archangel
–
An archangel /ˌɑːrkˈeɪndʒəl/ is an angel of high rank. The word archangel itself is associated with the Abrahamic religions. The word archangel is derived from the Greek ἀρχάγγελος, Michael and Gabriel are recognized as archangels in Judaism, Islam and by most Christians. Protestants recognize Gabriel as an angel but consider Michael to be the only archangel, raphael—mentioned in the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit—is also recognized in the Catholic and Orthodox churches. Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael are venerated in the Roman Catholic Church with a feast on September 29, the named archangels in Islam are Gabriel, Michael, Israfil and Azrael. Jewish literature, such as the Book of Enoch, mentions Metatron as an archangel, called the highest of the angels, some branches of the faiths mentioned have identified a group of seven Archangels, but the actual angels vary, depending on the source. Gabriel, Michael, and Raphael are always mentioned, the other archangels vary, but most commonly include Uriel, in Zoroastrianism, sacred texts allude to the six great Amesha Spenta of Ahura Mazda. An increasing number of experts in anthropology, theology and philosophy, the Amesha Spentas of Zoroastrianism are likened to archangels. They individually inhabit immortal bodies that operate in the world to protect, guide, and inspire humanity. The Avesta explains the origin and nature of archangels or Amesha Spentas, to maintain equilibrium, Ahura Mazda engaged in the first act of creation, distinguishing his Holy Spirit Spenta Mainyu, the Archangel of righteousness. Ahura Mazda also distinguished from himself six more Amesha Spentas, who, along with Spenta Mainyu, then he oversaw the development of sixteen lands, each imbued with a unique cultural catalyst calculated to encourage the formation of distinct human populations. The Amesha Spentas were charged with protecting these holy lands and through their emanation, the Amesha Spentas as attributes of God are, Spenta Mainyu, lit. Immortality The Hebrew Bible uses the ter. מלאכי אלוהים, The Hebrew word for angel is malach, מלאכי י י, בני אלוהים and הקדושים to refer to beings traditionally interpreted as angelic messengers. Other terms are used in texts, such as העליונים. References to angels are uncommon in Jewish literature except in works such as the Book of Daniel, though they are mentioned briefly in the stories of Jacob. Daniel is the first biblical figure to refer to individual angels by name and it is therefore widely speculated that Jewish interest in angels developed during the Babylonian captivity. According to Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish of Tiberias, specific names for the angels were brought back by the Jews from Babylon, there are no explicit references to archangels in the canonical texts of the Hebrew Bible. In post-Biblical Judaism, certain angels came to take on a particular significance, though these archangels were believed to have rank amongst the heavenly host, no systematic hierarchy ever developed
Archangel
–
The Annunciation by
Paolo de Matteis
Archangel
–
Jacob wrestling with the Angel by
Gustave Doré 1885
Archangel
–
Guido Reni 's Archangel Michael Trampling Satan, 1636.
Archangel
–
Gabriel, Michael and Raphael, depicted in
stained glass in
St Ailbe's Church, a Catholic church in Ireland
4.
Jewish mysticism
–
Academic study of Jewish mysticism, especially since Gershom Scholems Major Trends in Jewish Mysticism, distinguishes between different forms of mysticism across different eras of Jewish history. Of these, Kabbalah, which emerged in 12th-century Europe, is the most well known, among previous forms were Merkabah mysticism, and Chassidei Ashkenaz around the time of Kabbalistic emergence. This issue is crystallised until today by alternative views on the origin of the Zohar, traditional Kabbalists regard it as originating in Tannaic times, redacting the Oral Torah, so do not make a sharp distinction between Kabbalah and early Rabbinic Jewish mysticism. Academic scholars regard it as a synthesis from Medieval times, but assimilating and incorporating into itself earlier forms of Jewish mystical tradition, after Luria, two new mystical forms popularised Kabbalah in Judaism, antinomian-heretical Sabbatean movements, and Hasidic Judaism. As separate traditions of development outside Judaism, drawing from, syncretically adapting, the Kabbalistic form of Jewish mysticism itself divides into three general streams, the Theosophical/Speculative Kabbalah, the Meditative/Ecstatic Kabbalah, and the Practical/Magical Kabbalah. As in Kabbalah, the text can contain aspects of all three approaches, though the three streams often distill into three separate literatures under the influence of particular exponents or eras. Within Kabbalah, the tradition is distinguished from many forms of mysticism in other religions by its doctrinal form as a mystical philosophy of Gnosis esoteric knowledge. Instead, the tradition of Meditative Kabbalah has similarity of aim, if not form, with traditions of general mysticism. The tradition of theurgic Practical Kabbalah in Judaism, censored and restricted by mainstream Jewish Kabbalists, has similarities with non-Jewish Hermetic Qabalah magical Western Esotericism
Jewish mysticism
–
Jewish mysticism
5.
Kabbalah
–
Kabbalah is an esoteric method, discipline, and school of thought that originated in Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist in Judaism is called a Mekubbal, Kabbalah is a set of esoteric teachings meant to explain the relationship between an unchanging, eternal, and mysterious Ein Sof and the mortal and finite universe. While it is used by some denominations, it is not a religious denomination in itself. It forms the foundations of religious interpretation. Kabbalah seeks to define the nature of the universe and the human being, the nature and purpose of existence and it also presents methods to aid understanding of the concepts and thereby attain spiritual realisation. Kabbalah originally developed within the realm of Jewish tradition, and kabbalists often use classical Jewish sources to explain, traditional practitioners believe its earliest origins pre-date world religions, forming the primordial blueprint for Creations philosophies, religions, sciences, arts, and political systems. Safed Rabbi Isaac Luria is considered the father of contemporary Kabbalah and it was popularised in the form of Hasidic Judaism from the 18th century onwards. According to the Zohar, a text for kabbalistic thought. These four levels are called pardes from their initial letters, peshat, the direct interpretations of meaning. Derash, midrashic meanings, often with imaginative comparisons with similar words or verses, sod, the inner, esoteric meanings, expressed in kabbalah. Kabbalah is considered by its followers as a part of the study of Torah – the study of Torah being an inherent duty of observant Jews. A third tradition, related but more shunned, involves the magical aims of Practical Kabbalah and they can be readily distinguished by their basic intent with respect to God, The Theosophical tradition of Theoretical Kabbalah seeks to understand and describe the divine realm. Consequently, it formed a minor tradition shunned from Kabbalah. According to traditional belief, early kabbalistic knowledge was transmitted orally by the Patriarchs, prophets, According to this view, early kabbalah was, in around the 10th century BC, an open knowledge practiced by over a million people in ancient Israel. Foreign conquests drove the Jewish spiritual leadership of the time to hide the knowledge and make it secret and it is hard to clarify with any degree of certainty the exact concepts within kabbalah. There are several different schools of thought with different outlooks, however. From the Renaissance onwards Jewish Kabbalah texts entered non-Jewish culture, where they were studied and translated by Christian Hebraists, syncretic traditions of Christian Kabbalah and Hermetic Qabalah developed independently of Jewish Kabbalah, reading the Jewish texts as universal ancient wisdom. Both adapted the Jewish concepts freely from their Judaic understanding, to merge with other theologies, religious traditions, with the decline of Christian Cabala in the Age of Reason, Hermetic Qabalah continued as a central underground tradition in Western esotericism
Kabbalah
–
Latin translation of
Gikatilla's Shaarei Ora
Kabbalah
–
Jewish mysticism
Kabbalah
–
Grave of
Rabbi Akiva in
Tiberias. He features in Hekhalot mystical literature, and as one of the four who entered the
Pardes
6.
Judaism
–
Judaism encompasses the religion, philosophy, culture and way of life of the Jewish people. Judaism is an ancient monotheistic Abrahamic religion, with the Torah as its text, and supplemental oral tradition represented by later texts such as the Midrash. Judaism is considered by religious Jews to be the expression of the relationship that God established with the Children of Israel. With between 14.5 and 17.4 million adherents worldwide, Judaism is the tenth-largest religion in the world, Judaism includes a wide corpus of texts, practices, theological positions, and forms of organization. Modern branches of Judaism such as Humanistic Judaism may be nontheistic, today, the largest Jewish religious movements are Orthodox Judaism, Conservative Judaism and Reform Judaism. Major sources of difference between groups are their approaches to Jewish law, the authority of the Rabbinic tradition. Orthodox Judaism maintains that the Torah and Jewish law are divine in origin, eternal and unalterable, Conservative and Reform Judaism are more liberal, with Conservative Judaism generally promoting a more traditional interpretation of Judaisms requirements than Reform Judaism. A typical Reform position is that Jewish law should be viewed as a set of guidelines rather than as a set of restrictions and obligations whose observance is required of all Jews. Historically, special courts enforced Jewish law, today, these still exist. Authority on theological and legal matters is not vested in any one person or organization, the history of Judaism spans more than 3,000 years. Judaism has its roots as a religion in the Middle East during the Bronze Age. Judaism is considered one of the oldest monotheistic religions, the Hebrews and Israelites were already referred to as Jews in later books of the Tanakh such as the Book of Esther, with the term Jews replacing the title Children of Israel. Judaisms texts, traditions and values strongly influenced later Abrahamic religions, including Christianity, Islam, many aspects of Judaism have also directly or indirectly influenced secular Western ethics and civil law. Jews are a group and include those born Jewish and converts to Judaism. In 2015, the world Jewish population was estimated at about 14.3 million, Judaism thus begins with ethical monotheism, the belief that God is one and is concerned with the actions of humankind. According to the Tanakh, God promised Abraham to make of his offspring a great nation, many generations later, he commanded the nation of Israel to love and worship only one God, that is, the Jewish nation is to reciprocate Gods concern for the world. He also commanded the Jewish people to one another, that is. These commandments are but two of a corpus of commandments and laws that constitute this covenant, which is the substance of Judaism
Judaism
–
Judaica (clockwise from top):
Shabbat candlesticks,
handwashing cup,
Chumash and
Tanakh,
Torah pointer,
shofar and
etrog box
Judaism
–
Silver case containing a handwritten
Torah (
Museum of Jewish Art and History, Paris)
Judaism
–
Glass platter inscribed with the Hebrew word zokhreinu – remember us
Judaism
–
A 19th-century silver
Macedonian Hanukkah menorah
7.
Sephirot
–
The term is alternatively transliterated into English as Sefirot/Sefiroth, singular Sephirah/Sefirah etc. Alternative configurations of the sephirot are given by different schools in the development of Kabbalah. The tradition of enumerating 10 is stated in the Sefer Yetzirah, Ten sephirot of nothingness, ten and not nine, ten and not eleven. As altogether 11 sephirot are listed across the different schemes, two are seen as unconscious and conscious manifestations of the principle, conserving the ten categories. In Kabbalah the functional structure of the sephirot in channeling Divine creative life force, the first sephirah describes the Divine Will above intellect. The next sephirot describe conscious Divine Intellect, and the latter sephirot describe the primary and secondary conscious Divine Emotions, two sephirot are feminine, as the female principle in Kabbalah describes a vessel that receives the outward male light, then inwardly nurtures and gives birth to lower sephirot. Corresponding to this is the Female Divine Presence, Kabbalah sees the human soul as mirroring the Divine, and more widely, all creations as reflections of their life source in the sephirot. Therefore, the sephirot also describe the life of man. This relationship between the soul of man and the Divine, gives Kabbalah one of its two central metaphors in describing Divinity, alongside the other Ohr metaphor, however, Kabbalah repeatedly stresses the need to avoid all corporeal interpretation. Through this, the sephirot are related to the structure of the body and are reformed into Partsufim, underlying the structural purpose of each sephirah is a hidden motivational force which is understood best by comparison with a corresponding psychological state in human spiritual experience. The term sefirah thus has complex connotations within Kabbalah, the Sephirot are considered revelations of the Creators Will, and they should not be understood as ten different gods but as ten different ways the one God reveals his Will through the Emanations. While in Cordoveran Kabbalah, Keter is listed as the first Sephirah, the Sephirot are emanated from the Divine Will, because Kabbalah sees different levels within Keter, reflecting Gods inner Will and outer Will. The innermost, hidden levels of Keter, also in some contexts called The head/beginning that is not known, are united above the Sephirot with the Ein Sof and it is not God who changes but the ability to perceive God that changes. This difference between the MaOhr and the Ohr He emanates is stressed in Kabbalah, so as to avoid notions of any plurality in the Godhead. In its early 12th-century dissemination, Kabbalah received criticism from some Rabbis, the multiplicity of revealed emanations only applies from the perspective of the Creation, and not from the perspective of the infinite Divine essence. The ten Sephirot are a step-by-step process illuminating the Divine plan as it unfolds itself in Creation and they are fully found in the Medieval Kabbalah texts, such as the central work in Kabbalah, the Zohar. The Hebrew etymology of their names in Kabbalah is understood to refer to the aspects of meaning of each Sephirah. Kabbalah expounds on the terms of the Sephirot and this difference of opinion reflects earlier Medieval debate on whether Keter can be identified with the Ohr Ein Sof itself, or as the first revealed Sephirah
Sephirot
–
The Yosher -Upright configuration of the 10 Sephirot, arranged into 3 columns
Sephirot
Sephirot
–
Kabbalah relates the Sephirot and Indwelling Shechinah Presence to Male-Female Divine principles, represented in the union of Jewish marriage Below. In Medieval Kabbalah the task of man is Yichud-"Union" of Male and Female Divinity on High [
citation needed]. In Lurianic Kabbalah man redeems exiled Sparks of Holiness of the Shechinah from material Kelipot
Sephirot
–
Ten Sephirot on the east wall of the Cordoba Synagogue, Spain
8.
Chokhmah
–
The Hebrew noun chokhmah, also sometimes transliterated hokhmah, is the Hebrew word for wisdom. The word occurs 149 times in the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud describes knowledge of the Talmudic order of Kodshim as a high level of wisdom, chokhmah. It is cognate with the Arabic word for wisdom hikmah, the related adjective for wise or noun wise man is hakham, the feminine adjective is hakhama). For example, a rabbi or person who is learned in Torah and Talmud is called a Talmid Chacham, denoting a very learned person or, literally. Certain Sefardic Jews refer to their rabbis as a wise man, the name chabad, of the Chabad-Lubavitch Hasidim, is an acronym, and the first letter is taken from chokhmah, ח for wisdom – ב for understanding – ד for knowledge. In the Kabbalah, Wisdom, chokhmah is the name of one of the sefirot, hikmah Sophia Torah Wisdom, A story from the Talmud of the great Aba Chilkiya
Chokhmah
–
Chief Rabbi Jacob Saul Dwek,
Hakham Bashi of
Aleppo,
Syria, 1908
9.
Four Worlds
–
The Four Worlds, sometimes counted with a prior stage to make Five Worlds, are the comprehensive categories of spiritual realms in Kabbalah in the descending chain of Existence. The concept of Worlds denotes the emanation of creative lifeforce from the Ein Sof Divine Infinite, through progressive, as such, God is described as the Most Hidden of All Hidden, and Olam is etymologically related to, and sometimes spelled as, עלם. While these dimmings form innumerable differentiated spiritual levels, each a particular World/Realm, nonetheless, through the mediation of the sephirot, five Comprehensive Worlds emerge. Higher realms metaphorically denote greater revelation of the Divine Ohr light, in more open proximity to their source, the Worlds are garments of the Ein Sof, and Hasidic thought interprets their reality as only apparent to Creation, while from above the Divine Infinite fills all equally. As particular sephirot dominate in each realm, so the primordial fifth World, Adam Kadmon, is excluded for its transcendence. Their names are read out from Isaiah 43,7, Every one that is called by My name and for My glory, I have created, I have formed, even I have made. Below Asiyah, the lowest spiritual World, is Asiyah-Gashmi, our Physical Universe, collectively, the Four Worlds are also referred to as ABiYA, after their initial letters. As well as the role each World has in the process of Creation. The Worlds are formed by the Ohr Mimalei Kol Olmin, the Divine creative light that Fills all Worlds immanently, the 10 sephirot attributes and 12 basic partzufim personas shine in each world, as well as more specific Divine manifestations. In Lurianic Kabbalah, the partzufim dynamically interact with each other, nonetheless, in each World, particular sephirot and partzufim predominate. The Five Worlds in descending order, Adam Kadmon meaning Primordial Man, the anthropomorphic metaphor Adam denotes the Yosher configuration of the sephirot in the form of Man, though not yet manifest. Kadmon signifies primary of all primaries, the first pristine emanation, Adam Kadmon is the realm of Keter Elyon, the lucid and luminous light, the pure lucid sephirot which are concealed and hidden in potential. Containing the future emergence of Creation, it is Divine light with no vessels, in Lurianism, the lights from AK precipitate Tohu and Tikun. As Keter is elevated above the sephirot, so Adam Kadmon is supreme above the Worlds, atziluth, meaning World of Emanation, also Close. On this level the light of the Ein Sof radiates and is united with its source. This supernal revelation therefore precludes the souls and Divine emanations in Atzilus from sensing their own existence, in Atzilus the 10 sephirot emerge in revelation, with Chochma dominating, all is nullification of essence to Divinity, not considered created and separate. The last sephirah Malchut is the Divine speech of Genesis 1, on this level is the first concept of creatio ex nihilo, however without yet shape or form, as the creations of Beriah sense their own existence, though in nullification of being to Divinity. Beriah is the realm of the Divine Throne, denoting the sephirot configuration of Atzilus descending into Beriah like a King on a Throne, the sephirah Binah predominates, Divine intellect
Four Worlds
–
General Worlds in
Kabbalah
Four Worlds
–
Jacob's vision in
Genesis 28:12 of a ladder between Heaven and Earth. In Kabbalistic interpretation, the Sulam -ladder's four main divisions are the Four Worlds and the
angelic hierarchy embody external dimensions of the
lights-vessels, while souls embody inner dimensions
Four Worlds
–
Ezekiel's Tomb in Iraq. Ezekiel's vision of the Divine
Merkabah -Chariot, and Isaiah's vision of the
Kisei HaKavod -Throne of Glory, are related in Kabbalah to beholding the Four Worlds from
Yetzirah, and from
Beriah
10.
Cherub
–
A cherub is one of the unearthly beings who directly attend to God according to Abrahamic religions. The numerous depictions of cherubim assign to them many different roles, angelic status is not attributed to cherubim in the Old Testament, only in later sources like De Coelesti Hierarchia are they identified as a hierarchical rank of angels. Different sources give conflicting information as to the appearance of cherubim. An early, traditional Jewish notion supposes that cherubim had youthful, in the Book of Ezekiel and Christian icons, the cherub is depicted as having a number of wing pairs, and four faces, that of a lion, an ox, a human, and an eagle. In Christian tradition, cherubim have become associated with the putto, one of these is the Babylonian lamassu, a protective spirit with a sphinx-like form, possessing the wings of an eagle, the body of a lion, and the head of a king. This was adopted largely in Phoenicia and he thus concludes that cherubim had an intercessory role. This conclusion, based on sources, is still drawn upon in relatively recent commentaries and articles. Friedrich Delitzch connected the Hebrew word cherubim with the Assyrian terms kirubu and karabu, karppe states that the name Cherubim is Babylonian, and that it does not mean powerful, but, however, propitious. However, while the shedu were popular in Mesopotamia, archaeological remains from the Levant suggest that they were rare in the immediate vicinity of the Israelites. In particular, in a reminiscent of Ezekiels dream, the Megiddo Ivories depict an unknown king being carried on his throne by hybrid winged-creatures. The cherubim are the most frequently occurring heavenly creature in the Hebrew Bible, despite these many references, the role of the cherubim is never explicitly elucidated. Other than in the book of Ezekiel, the Bible describes cherubim with one face, one pair of wings, in Exodus 25, 18-22, Yahweh tells Moses to make multiple images of cherubim at specific points around the Ark of the Covenant. In Isaiah 37,16, Hezekiah prays, addressing Yahweh as enthroned above the cherubim, Cherubim feature at some length in the Book of Ezekiel. While they first appear in one, in which they are transporting the throne of Yahweh by the river Chebar. In Ezekiel 1, 5-11 they are described as having the likeness of a man, and having four faces, that of a man, a lion, and ox, and an eagle. The four faces represent the four domains of Gods rule, the man represents humanity, the lion, wild animals, the ox, domestic animals, and the eagle, birds. These faces peer out from the center of an array of four wings, under their wings are human hands, their legs are described as straight, and their feet like those of a calf, and shone like polished brass. Between the creatures glowing coals that moved between them could be seen, their fire went up and down, and lightning burst forth from it, the cherubs also moved like flashes of lightning
Cherub
–
A cherub, according to traditional Christian
iconography.
Cherub
Cherub
–
A pair of
shedu, protecting a doorway (the body of the creatures extending into the distance)
Cherub
–
James Jacques Joseph Tissot - The Ark Passes Over the Jordan
11.
Ophanim
–
The ophanim or ofanim, also called galgalim, refer to the wheels seen in Ezekiels vision of the chariot in Ezekiel 1, 15-21. One of the Dead Sea scrolls construes them as angels, late sections of the Book of Enoch portray them as a class of beings who never sleep. These wheels have been associated with Daniel 7,9 of the four, eye-covered wheels, the four wheels move with the Cherubim because the spirit of the Cherubim is in them. The late Second Book of Enoch also referred to them as the many-eyed ones, for some the Ophanim are also related to or equated to the Thrones, since the Throne of God is usually depicted as being moved by wheels, in the vision of Daniel 7,9. However the Thrones, are a form of celestial spiritual being. The cherubim carry, by moving the Ophanim, the throne of God and these Angelic Princes are often also called Ofanim, Wheels of Galgallin. It is said that they were the wheels of the Lords Heavenly Chariot. The four wheels had rims and they had spokes, and their rims were full of round about. They are also referred to as many-eyed ones. Rosemary Ellen Guiley states that, The thrones, also known as ophanim and they are characterized by peace and submission, God rests upon them. Thrones are depicted as great wheels containing many eyes, and reside in the area of the cosmos where material form begins to take shape and they chant glorias to God and remain forever in his presence. They mete out justice and maintain the cosmic harmony of all universal laws. Maimonides lists Ophanim as occupying the second of ten ranks of angels in his exposition of the Jewish angelic hierarchy, Ophanim are mentioned in the kel adon prayer, often sung by the congregation, as part of the traditional Shabbat morning service. In the Jewish angelic hierarchy thrones and wheels are different and this is also true in the Kabbalistic angelic hierarchy. De Coelesti Hierarchia refers to the Thrones as the third Order of the first sphere, the other two superior orders being the Cherubim and Seraphim. It is mentioned that The name of the most glorious and exalted Thrones denotes that which is exempt from and untainted by any base and earthly thing, and the super mundane ascent up the steep. The heavenly Seraphim and Cherubim as well as the Ophanim still continue to aid humans in spiritual evolution and his successor Elijah Muhammad also identified them with contemporary sightings of flying saucers
Ophanim
–
One traditional depiction of the
chariot vision, based on the description in Ezekiel.
Ophanim
–
First Sphere
12.
Torah
–
The Torah is the central reference of Judaism. It has a range of meanings and it can most specifically mean the first five books of the twenty-four books of the Tanakh, and it usually includes the rabbinic commentaries. In rabbinic literature the word Torah denotes both the five books and the Oral Torah, the Oral Torah consists of interpretations and amplifications which according to rabbinic tradition have been handed down from generation to generation and are now embodied in the Talmud and Midrash. According to the Midrash, the Torah was created prior to the creation of the world, traditionally, the words of the Torah are written on a scroll by a scribe in Hebrew. A Torah portion is read publicly at least once every three days in the presence of a congregation, reading the Torah publicly is one of the bases for Jewish communal life. The word Torah in Hebrew is derived from the root ירה, the meaning of the word is therefore teaching, doctrine, or instruction, the commonly accepted law gives a wrong impression. Other translational contexts in the English language include custom, theory, guidance, the earliest name for the first part of the Bible seems to have been The Torah of Moses. This title, however, is neither in the Torah itself. It appears in Joshua and Kings, but it cannot be said to refer there to the entire corpus, in contrast, there is every likelihood that its use in the post-Exilic works was intended to be comprehensive. Other early titles were The Book of Moses and The Book of the Torah, Christian scholars usually refer to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible as the Pentateuch, a term first used in the Hellenistic Judaism of Alexandria, meaning five books, or as the Law. The Torah starts from the beginning of Gods creating the world, through the beginnings of the people of Israel, their descent into Egypt, and it ends with the death of Moses, just before the people of Israel cross to the promised land of Canaan. Interspersed in the narrative are the teachings given explicitly or implicitly embedded in the narrative. This is followed by the story of the three patriarchs, Joseph and the four matriarchs, God gives to the patriarchs a promise of the land of Canaan, but at the end of Genesis the sons of Jacob end up leaving Canaan for Egypt due to a regional famine. They had heard there was a grain storage and distribution facility in Egypt. Exodus begins the story of Gods revelation to his people of Israel through Moses, Moses receives the Torah from God, and teaches His laws and Covenant to the people of Israel. It also talks about the first violation of the covenant when the Golden Calf was constructed, Exodus includes the instructions on building the Tabernacle and concludes with its actual construction. Leviticus begins with instructions to the Israelites on how to use the Tabernacle, leviticus 26 provides a detailed list of rewards for following Gods commandments and a detailed list of punishments for not following them. Numbers tells how Israel consolidated itself as a community at Sinai, set out from Sinai to move towards Canaan, even Moses sins and is told he would not live to enter the land
Torah
–
Sefer Torah at old
Glockengasse Synagogue (reconstruction),
Cologne
Torah
–
Silver Torah Case,
Ottoman Empire Museum of Jewish Art and History
Torah
–
Reading of the Torah
Torah
–
Tanakh (Judaism)
13.
Living creatures (Bible)
–
The living creatures, living beings, or Hayyoth are a class of heavenly beings described in Ezekiels vision of the heavenly chariot in the first and tenth chapters of the Book of Ezekiel. References to the creatures recur in texts of Second Temple Judaism, in rabbinical literature, and in the Book of Daniel. Ezekiels vision of the four living creatures in Ezekiel chapter 1 are identified as cherubim in chapter 10 who are Gods throne bearers, Cherubim as minor guardian deities of temple or palace thresholds are known all over the Ancient East. Each of Ezekiels cherubim have four faces, that of a man, a lion, an ox, however, their human shape appearances set them apart from the griffin-like cherubs of Babylonia and Assyria. In their ability to move, Ezekiels cherubim do not need to turn and this description of movement differs from the seraphim in Isaiahs vision who have an extra set of wings for their ability to fly. In Daniel, four living creatures surround the throne upon which the Ancient of Days sits Daniel 7. This white throne is also referenced in the judgement in Revelation 20. The four beasts differ from the four beasts in Ezekiel chapter 1 and Revelation 4, 6–8 in that there are a lion, a calf, an eagle and a man faced creature. The beasts have four wings, just as the beasts in Ezekiel have four wings, the first beast has its wings removed, it is stood upright, and it is given the mind of a man. This beast which is given authority to rule, closely matches the description of the Dragon, the beast out of the sea in Revelation chapter 13, the final beast, is a mechanical beast with large iron teeth. It crushes and devours its victims, and tramples underfoot whatever is left and this beast most resembles the winepress spoken of in Revelation 14, 18-20. In Revelation 4, 6–8, four living beings are seen in Johns vision and these appear as a lion, an ox, a man, and an eagle, much as in Ezekiel but in a different order. They have six wings, whereas Ezekiels four living creatures are described as only having four, in verse 6, they are said to have eyes all over, front and back which suggests that they are alert and knowledgeable, that nothing escapes their notice. The description parallels the wheels that are beside the creatures in Ezek 1.18,10.12. The Hebrew word for wheel was used in later Jewish literature to indicate a member of the angelic orders. The term eyes can also be used as a metaphor for stars, in Revelation, these four beasts surround the one on the red throne, which is contrasted with the white throne in Daniel Daniel 7,9 and Revelation Revelation 20, 11-15. Comparing the living creatures in Ezekiel with Revelations is a prominent apocalyptic study in Western Christianity, an example is the 18th Century works of Jonathan Edwards recorded interpretation of 1722/23. The four living creatures that John of Patmos sees in the Book of Revelation, is the reworking of the living creatures in the visions of Ezekiel
Living creatures (Bible)
–
Ezekiel's "chariot vision", by
Matthaeus Merian (1593-1650).
14.
Sefer Raziel HaMalakh
–
The book cannot be shown to predate the 13th century, but may in parts date back to Late Antiquity. Like other obscure ancient texts such as the Bahir and Sefer Yetzirah, the tradition around the book attributes it to have been revealed to Adam by the angel Raziel. The title itself is mentioned in another work of late antiquity. Critical historians regard it as a work, most probably originating among the Chassidei Ashkenaz. Sections of it are no doubt older and it draws heavily on Sepher Yetzirah and Sepher Ha-Razim. There are multiple versions, containing up to seven tractates. The printed version of Sefer Raziel is divided into five books and it features an elaborate angelology, magical uses of the zodiac, gematria, names of God, protective spells, and a method of writing magical healing amulets. Book six of the Liber Razielis is based on the Sefer ha-Razim Book of Secrets, the book becomes notorious in German Renaissance magic, named together with Picatrix as among the most abominable works of Nigromantia by Johannes Hartlieb. The prayer of Adam is paraphrased by Nicholas of Cues in two sermons and further use of by Reuchlin in his De Arte Cabbalistica. Konrad Bollstatter in the 15th century also shows awareness of the Latin version of the Prayer of Adam an interpolation in Cgm 252, although he replaces Raziel with Raphael and Seth with Sem. The Angel Raziel teaches the power of speech, the contained within the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet, their combinations. Raziel was sent to earth with specific purpose to teach Adam and Abraham the ways of Nature. The eternal divine creative life energy of this earth is love, the book explains the laws of birth, death, reincarnation of the soul. The Heptameron, ascribed to Petrus de Apono, is based on the Book of Raziel, full-text PDF version, in Hebrew, from HebrewBooks. org Steve Savedow, Sepher Rezial Hemelach, The Book of the Angel Rezial, Red Wheel/Weiser, ISBN 978-1-57863-193-3. Giovanni Grippo, Sepher Raziel, Das Buch des Erzengels Raziel, G. G. Verlag, giovanni Grippo, Sepher Raziel ha Malakh, Book of Raziel, G. G. Publisher, ISBN 978-3-9810622-7-4
Sefer Raziel HaMalakh
–
An excerpt from Sefer Raziel HaMalakh, featuring various magical
sigils (or סגולות, seguloth, in
Hebrew).
15.
Magic (paranormal)
–
Magic or sorcery is the use of rituals, symbols, actions, gestures, and language with the aim of exploiting supernatural forces. The term magic has a variety of meanings, and there is no agreed upon definition of what it is or how it can be used. Religious scholars have defined magic in many different ways, one approach, associated with the anthropologists Edward Tylor and James G. Frazer, has magic and science be opposites. Many scholars of religion have rejected the utility of the term magic, the term magic comes from the Old Persian magu, a word that applied to a form of religious functionary about which little is known. This meaning of the term was adopted by Latin in the first century BCE. The concept was incorporated into Christian theology during the first century CE. This concept was pervasive throughout the Middle Ages, although in the modern period Italian humanists reinterpreted the term in a positive sense to establish the idea of natural magic. Both negative and positive understandings of the term were retained in Western culture over the following centuries, throughout Western history, there have been examples of individuals claiming to be practitioners of magic and referring to themselves as magicians. This trend has proliferated in the period, with a growing number of magicians appearing within the esoteric milieu. Scholars of religion have failed to agree on a definition of magic is. The subject has one of intense dispute, with some scholars criticizing the validity of the term in the first place. Even among those throughout history who have described themselves as magicians, there has been some debate among scholars as to whether to use the term magic at all. The scholar of religion Jonathan Z. Smith for example argued that it had no utility as a term that scholars should use. Religious historian Wouter Hanegraaff agreed, stating that the magic is an important object of historical research. Since the 1990s its usage among scholars has declined, within Western culture, magic has been linked to the idea of the Other. Using the term magic when discussing non-Western cultures or pre-modern forms of Western society raises problems, alternately, this term implies that all categories of magic are ethnocentric and that such Western preconceptions are an unavoidable component of scholarly research. Magic is one of the most heavily theorized concepts in the study of religion, the intellectualist approach to defining magic is associated with two prominent British anthropologists, Edward Tylor and James G. Frazer. This was an approach that viewed magic as being the theoretical opposite of science, in his 1871 book Primitive Culture, Tylor characterized magic as beliefs based on the error of mistaking ideal analogy for real analogy
Magic (paranormal)
–
"
Circe Offering the Cup to Ulysses " by
John William Waterhouse
Magic (paranormal)
–
The "
Magician " card from a 15th-century
tarot deck.
Magic (paranormal)
–
Juju charm protecting dugout canoe on riverbank, in
Suriname.1954.
Magic (paranormal)
–
Traditional welcome performance,
Mitral,
Kheda district, Gujarat
16.
God
–
In monotheism, God is conceived of as the Supreme Being and principal object of faith. The concept of God as described by most theologians includes the attributes of omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, divine simplicity, many theologians also describe God as being omnibenevolent and all loving. Furthermore, some religions attribute only a purely grammatical gender to God, incorporeity and corporeity of God are related to conceptions of transcendence and immanence of God, with positions of synthesis such as the immanent transcendence of Chinese theology. God has been conceived as personal or impersonal. In theism, God is the creator and sustainer of the universe, while in deism, God is the creator, in pantheism, God is the universe itself. In atheism, God is not believed to exist, while God is deemed unknown or unknowable within the context of agnosticism, God has also been conceived as the source of all moral obligation, and the greatest conceivable existent. Many notable philosophers have developed arguments for and against the existence of God, there are many names for God, and different names are attached to different cultural ideas about Gods identity and attributes. In the ancient Egyptian era of Atenism, possibly the earliest recorded monotheistic religion, this deity was called Aten, premised on being the one true Supreme Being and creator of the universe. In the Hebrew Bible and Judaism, He Who Is, I Am that I Am, in the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, God, consubstantial in three persons, is called the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In Judaism, it is common to refer to God by the titular names Elohim or Adonai, in Islam, the name Allah is used, while Muslims also have a multitude of titular names for God. In Hinduism, Brahman is often considered a concept of God. In Chinese religion, God is conceived as the progenitor of the universe, intrinsic to it, other religions have names for God, for instance, Baha in the Baháí Faith, Waheguru in Sikhism, and Ahura Mazda in Zoroastrianism. The earliest written form of the Germanic word God comes from the 6th-century Christian Codex Argenteus, the English word itself is derived from the Proto-Germanic * ǥuđan. The reconstructed Proto-Indo-European form * ǵhu-tó-m was likely based on the root * ǵhau-, in the English language, the capitalized form of God continues to represent a distinction between monotheistic God and gods in polytheism. The same holds for Hebrew El, but in Judaism, God is also given a proper name, in many translations of the Bible, when the word LORD is in all capitals, it signifies that the word represents the tetragrammaton. Allāh is the Arabic term with no plural used by Muslims and Arabic speaking Christians and Jews meaning The God, Ahura Mazda is the name for God used in Zoroastrianism. Mazda, or rather the Avestan stem-form Mazdā-, nominative Mazdå and it is generally taken to be the proper name of the spirit, and like its Sanskrit cognate medhā, means intelligence or wisdom. Both the Avestan and Sanskrit words reflect Proto-Indo-Iranian *mazdhā-, from Proto-Indo-European mn̩sdʰeh1, literally meaning placing ones mind, Waheguru is a term most often used in Sikhism to refer to God
God
–
"God the Father", a representation of the theistic version of God, by
Ludovico Mazzolino (1480 –
c. 1528)
God
–
Detail of
Sistine Chapel fresco Creation of the Sun and Moon by
Michelangelo (c. 1512), a well-known example of the depiction of
God the Father in Western art
God
–
Depiction of God in the Catholic Church, Latin America
God
–
St. Thomas Aquinas summarized
five arguments which he believed were proof for the existence of God
17.
Adam and Eve
–
Adam and Eve, according to the creation myth of the Abrahamic religions, were the first man and woman and the ancestors of all humans. It provides the basis for the belief that humanity is in essence a single family, with everyone descended from a single pair of original ancestors. It also provides much of the basis for the doctrines of the fall of man and original sin that are important beliefs in Christianity. In the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible, chapters one through five, in the first, Adam and Eve are not mentioned. Instead, God created humankind in Gods image and instructed them to multiply, in the second narrative, God fashions Adam from dust and places him in the Garden of Eden. Adam is told that he can till the ground and eat freely of all the trees in the garden, except for a tree of the knowledge of good, subsequently, Eve is created from one of Adams ribs to be Adams companion. They are innocent and unashamed about their nakedness, however, a serpent deceives Eve into eating fruit from the forbidden tree, and she gives some of the fruit to Adam. These acts give them additional knowledge, but it gives them the ability to conjure negative and destructive concepts such as shame, God later curses the serpent and the ground. God prophetically tells the woman and the man what will be the consequences of their sin of disobeying God, then he banishes them from the Garden of Eden. The story underwent extensive elaboration in later Abrahamic traditions, and it has been analyzed by modern biblical scholars. The story of Adam and Eve is often depicted in art, the story of the fall of Adam is often understood to be an allegory. There is no evidence that Adam and Eve ever literally existed. In the Book of Genesis, the Genesis creation narrative tells of the creation of the first humans, humankind, in Genesis 1, scholars recognize two separate accounts of the creation in the Old Testament. In the Priestly narrative, God creates the world in six days, culminating in the creation of humanity, here, in the Priestly narrative, the emphasis is on the entirety of the universe and its creation. Here, in the Jahwist narrative, the emphasis is on the Earth within the universe, and humankinds residence on the Earth. Contrast, for example, the order of terms in Genesis 1,1 where it says that God made the heavens and the Earth with Genesis 2,4 where it says God made the Earth and the heavens. In the Jahwist version of the story, God places the man in a garden in Eden where he is permitted to till the land and tend the garden and animals, Genesis 2, 8–15. But none of the animals are found to be a companion for the man, so God causes the man to sleep
Adam and Eve
–
Adam and Eve a painting by
Peter Paul Rubens.
Adam and Eve
–
The Creation of Adam depicted in the
Sistine Chapel by
Michelangelo
Adam and Eve
–
William Blake 's color printing of God Judging Adam (1795). This print is currently held by the
Tate Collection. In the Biblical story, God's judgement is expulsion from the Garden of Eden.
Adam and Eve
–
The fall of Adam and Eve as depicted in the
Sistine Chapel by
Michelangelo
18.
Tree of the knowledge of good and evil
–
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is one of two specific trees in the story of the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2–3, along with the tree of life. Genesis 2 narrates that God places the first man and woman in a garden with trees of fruits they may eat. When, in Genesis 3, a serpent seduces the woman to eat from its fruit and she also lets the man taste it, God expels them from the garden. The phrase in Hebrew, טוֹב וָרָע, tov wa-raʿ, literally translates as good and this is seen in the Egyptian expression evil-good, which is normally employed to mean everything. In Greek literature, Homer also uses the device when he lets Telemachus say, I know all things, the good and the evil. If tree of the knowledge of good and evil is to be understood to mean a tree whose fruit imparts knowledge of everything and this view is held by several scholars. However, given the context of disobedience to God, other interpretations of the implications of this phrase also demand consideration. Robert Alter emphasizes the point that when God forbids the man to eat from that tree, he says that if he does so. The Hebrew behind this is in a regularly used in the Hebrew Bible for issuing death sentences. In Jewish tradition, the Tree of Knowledge and the eating of its fruit represents the beginning of the mixture of good, before that time, the two were separate, and evil had only a nebulous existence in potential. While free choice did exist before eating the fruit, evil existed as an entity separate from the human psyche, eating and internalizing the forbidden fruit changed this and thus was born the yeitzer hara, the Evil Inclination. In Rashis notes on Genesis 3,3, the first sin came about because Eve added a clause to the Divine command. By saying this, Eve added to YHWHs command and thereby came to detract from it, as it is written, since evil has no independent existence, it depends on holiness to draw down the Divine life-force, on whose leftovers it then feeds and derives existence. Once evil is separated from holiness through beirurim, its source of life is cut off and this is accomplished through observance of the 613 commandments in the Torah, which deal primarily with physical objects wherein good and evil are mixed together. Thus, the task of beirurim rectifies the sin of the Tree and draws the Shechinah back down to earth, where the sin of the Tree had caused Her to depart. In Christian theology, consuming the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil was the sin committed by Adam. In Catholicism, Augustine of Hippo taught that the tree should be understood both symbolically and as a real tree - similarly to Jerusalem being both a city and a figure of Heavenly Jerusalem. Augustine underlined that the fruits of that tree were not evil by themselves, in Western Christian art, the fruit of the tree is commonly depicted as the apple, which originated in central Asia
Tree of the knowledge of good and evil
–
"The Fall of Man" by
Lucas Cranach the Elder. The Tree of Knowledge is on the right.
Tree of the knowledge of good and evil
–
A marble
bas relief by
Lorenzo Maitani on the
Orvieto Cathedral, Italy depicts Eve and the tree
19.
Garden of Eden
–
The Garden of Eden or often Paradise is the biblical garden of God, described most notably in the Book of Genesis chapters 2 and 3, and also in the Book of Ezekiel. The garden of God, not called Eden, is mentioned in Genesis 13, the Book of Zechariah and the Book of Psalms also refer to trees and water in relation to the temple without explicitly mentioning Eden. Traditionally, the derivation of the name Eden was from the Akkadian edinnu. Eden is now believed to be closely related to an Aramaic root word meaning fruitful. The Hebrew term is translated pleasure in Sarahs secret saying in Genesis 18,12, in the Hebrew Bible, Adam and Eve are depicted as walking around the Garden of Eden naked due to their innocence. Eden and its rivers may signify the real Jerusalem, the Temple of Solomon and it may also represent the divine garden on Zion, and the mountain of God, which was also Jerusalem. The imagery of the Garden, with its serpent and cherubs, has compared to the images of the Solomonic Temple with its copper serpent. The second part of the Genesis creation narrative, Genesis, opens with Adonai Elohim creating the first man, the man was free to eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Last of all, the God made a woman from a rib of the man to be a companion the man, cherubim were placed east of the garden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep him away from the tree of life. Genesis lists four rivers in association with the garden of Eden, Pishon, Gihon, the Tigris, and it also refers to the land of Cush - translated/interpreted as Ethiopia, but thought by some to equate to Cossaea, a Greek name for the land of the Kassites. These lands lie north of Elam, immediately to the east of ancient Babylon, in Antiquities of the Jews, the first-century Jewish historian Josephus identifies the Pishon as what the Greeks called Ganges and the Geon as the Nile. According to Terje Stordalen, the Eden in Ezekiel appears to be located in Lebanon. According to the Bible, the location of Eden is described in the Book of Genesis, chapter 2, verse 10-14, A river flowed from Eden to water the garden, and from there it divided to make four streams. The first is named the Pishon, and this winds all through the land of Havilah where there is gold, the gold of this country is pure, bdellium and cornelian stone are found there. The second river is named the Gihon, and this winds all through the land of Cush, the third river is named the Tigris, and this flows to the east of Ashur. The fourth river is the Euphrates, the city of Dilmun in the Sumerian mythological story of Enki and Ninhursag is a paradisaical abode of the immortals, where sickness and death were unknown. In this painting, only the action takes place there identifies the setting as distinct from the Garden of the Hesperides. The Persian term paradise, meaning a garden or hunting-park
Garden of Eden
–
The Garden of Eden as depicted in the first or left panel of
Bosch 's
The Garden of Earthly Delights Triptych. The panel includes many imagined and exotic
African animals.
Garden of Eden
–
Expulsion from Paradise, painting by
James Jacques Joseph Tissot
Garden of Eden
–
The Expulsion illustrated in the English
Caedmon manuscript, c. 1000 CE
Garden of Eden
–
Carte de la Situation du Paradis Terrestre, Et des Pais Habitez par les Patriarches Dressee pour bien entendre l'Histoire Sainte, Par Messire Pierre Daniel Huet
20.
Prometheus
–
Ancient myths and legends relate at least four versions of the narratives describing Prometheus, his exploits with Zeus, and his eternal punishment as also inflicted by Zeus. There is a single somewhat comprehensive version of the birth of Prometheus, the most significant narratives of his origin appear in the Theogony of Hesiod which relates Prometheus as being the son of the Titan Iapetus by Clymene, one of the Oceanids. Hesiod then presents Prometheus as subsequently being a challenger to Zeuss omnipotence. Each individual ancient author selectively preferred certain crucial stories depicting Prometheus over others, all three of the major Athenian tragedians, Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides, were affected by the myth of Prometheus. The surviving plays and fragments of Aeschylus regarding Prometheus retain a place of prominence within modern scholarship for their having survived the ravages of time. The majority of written by Aeschylus, Sophocles and Euripides have been lost to literary antiquity. The influence of the myth of Prometheus extends well into the 20th, the etymology of the theonym prometheus is debated. The classical view is that it signifies forethought, as that of his brother Epimetheus denotes afterthought. It has been theorized that it derives from the Proto-Indo-European root that also produces the Vedic pra math, to steal, hence pramathyu-s, thief, cognate with Prometheus, the Vedic myth of fires theft by Mātariśvan is an analog to the Greek account. Pramantha was the used to create fire. Prometheus, himself a Titan, managed to avoid being in the direct confrontational cosmic battle between Zeus and the other Olympians against Cronus and the other Titans. Prometheus and his struggle would be of vast merit to society as well in this mythology as he was to be credited with the creation of humans. The four most ancient historical sources for the Prometheus myth are Hesiod, Homer, Pindar, the Prometheus myth first appeared in the late 8th-century BCE Greek epic poet Hesiods Theogony. He was a son of the Titan Iapetus by Clymene, one of the Oceanids and he was brother to Menoetius, Atlas, and Epimetheus. In the Theogony, Hesiod introduces Prometheus as a challenger to Zeuss omniscience and omnipotence. In the trick at Mekone, a sacrificial meal marking the settling of accounts between mortals and immortals, Prometheus played a trick against Zeus. He placed two sacrificial offerings before the Olympian, a selection of hidden inside an oxs stomach. Zeus chose the latter, setting a precedent for future sacrifices, henceforth, humans would keep that meat for themselves and burn the bones wrapped in fat as an offering to the gods
Prometheus
–
Prometheus depicted in a sculpture by
Nicolas-Sébastien Adam, 1762 (
Louvre)
Prometheus
–
Prometheus Brings Fire by
Heinrich Friedrich Füger. Prometheus brings fire to mankind as told by Hesiod, with its having been hidden as revenge for the trick at Mecone.
Prometheus
–
Heracles freeing Prometheus from his torment by the eagle (
Attic black-figure cup, c. 500 BCE)
Prometheus
–
Heracles freeing Prometheus, relief from the Temple of Aphrodite at
Aphrodisias
21.
Enoch (ancestor of Noah)
–
Enoch is a figure in Biblical literature. In the seventh generation from Adam, he was considered the author of the Book of Enoch, in addition to an appearance in the Book of Genesis of the Hebrew Bible, Enoch is the subject of many Jewish and Christian writings. Enoch was the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, at 65 years old, he begot Methuselah. Regim and Gaidad are also mentioned as his sons according to 2 Enoch, the Bible says that Enoch lived 365 years before he was taken by God. The text reads that Enoch walked with God, and he was no more, for God took him and this Enoch is not to be confused with Cains son Enoch. The Christian New Testament has three references to Enoch from the lineage of Seth, Enoch appears in the Book of Genesis of the Pentateuch as the seventh of the ten pre-Deluge Patriarchs. Genesis recounts that each of the pre-Flood Patriarchs lived for several centuries, Genesis 5 provides a genealogy of these ten figures, providing the age at which each fathered the next, and the age of each figure at death. Enoch is considered by many to be the exception, who is said to not see death. Furthermore, Genesis 5, 22–29 states that Enoch lived 365 years which is short in the context of his peers. The brief account of Enoch in Genesis 5 ends with the note that he not, 3rd Book of Enoch, a Rabbinic text in Hebrew usually dated to the fifth century AD. These recount how Enoch was taken up to Heaven and was appointed guardian of all the treasures, chief of the archangels. He was subsequently taught all secrets and mysteries and, with all the angels at his back, fulfils of his own accord whatever comes out of the mouth of God, executing His decrees. Much esoteric literature like the 3rd Book of Enoch identifies Enoch as the Metatron, the Book of Giants resembles the Book of Enoch, a pseudepigraphical Jewish work from the 3rd century BC. At least six and as many as eleven copies were found among the Dead Sea Scrolls collections, the third-century BC translators who produced the Greek Septuagint rendered the phrase God took him with the Greek verb metatithemi meaning moving from one place to another. Sirach 44,16, from about the period, states that Enoch pleased God and was translated into paradise that he may give repentance to the nations. The Greek word used here for paradise, paradeisos, was derived from an ancient Persian word meaning enclosed garden, later, however, the term became synonymous for heaven, as is the case here. In classical Rabbinical literature, there are views of Enoch. One view regarding Enoch was that found in the Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, which thought of Enoch as a man, taken to Heaven
Enoch (ancestor of Noah)
–
God took Enoch, as in Genesis 5:24: "And Enoch walked with God, and he was no longer, for God had taken him" (JP), illustration from the 1728 Figures de la Bible; illustrated by Gerard Hoet
Enoch (ancestor of Noah)
–
Elijah and Enoch - seventeenth-century icon, Historic Museum in Sanok, Poland
22.
Raphael (archangel)
–
Raphael is an archangel of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam who in the Christian tradition performs all manners of healing. In Islam, Raphael is the fourth angel, in the Muslim tradition. Raphael is generally associated with the mentioned in the Gospel of John as stirring the water at the healing pool of Bethesda. Raphael is also an angel in Mormonism, as he is mentioned in the Doctrine. The angels mentioned in the Torah, the books of the Hebrew Bible, are without names. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish of Tiberias, asserted that all the names for the angels were brought back by the Jews from Babylon. Raphael is named in several Jewish apocryphal books, and place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may not see light. And on the day of the judgment he shall be cast into the fire. Of archangels in the angelology of post-Exilic Judaism, only Michael, mentioned as archangel, the name of the angel Raphael appears only in the Biblical Book of Tobit. The Book of Tobit is considered deuterocanonical by Catholics, Orthodox, Raphael first appears disguised in human form as the travelling companion of Tobits son, Tobiah, calling himself Azarias the son of the great Ananias. During the course of the journey the archangels protective influence is shown in many including the binding of a demon in the desert of upper Egypt. After returning and healing the blind Tobit, Azarias makes himself known as the angel Raphael, one of the seven and he is venerated as Saint Raphael the Archangel. In the New Testament, only the archangels Gabriel and Michael are mentioned by name, and he that went down first into the pond after the motion of the water was made whole of whatsoever infirmity he lay under. Because of the role assigned to Raphael, this particular angel is generally associated with the archangel. On July 8,1497, when Vasco Da Gama set forth from Lisbon with his four ship fleet to sail to India, when the flotilla reached the Cape of Good Hope on October 22, the sailors disembarked and erected a column in the archangels honor. The little statue of St. Raphael that accompanied Da Gama on the voyage is now in the Naval Museum in Lisbon, Raphael is said to guard pilgrims on their journeys, and is often depicted holding a staff. He is also depicted holding or standing on a fish. The feast day of Raphael was included for the first time in the General Roman Calendar in 1921, with the 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar, the feast was transferred to September 29 for celebration together with archangels Saints Michael and Gabriel
Raphael (archangel)
–
Saint Raphael the Archangel by
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Raphael (archangel)
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Tobias and the Angel
Raphael (archangel)
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Raphael, Palazzo Ducale, Venice, detail
Raphael (archangel)
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Virgin Mary
23.
Noah
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In the Abrahamic religions, Noah was the tenth and last of the pre-flood Patriarchs. The story of Noahs Ark is told in the Bibles Genesis flood narrative, the biblical account is followed by the story of the Curse of Canaan. Noah was the subject of much elaboration in the literature of later Abrahamic religions, the primary account of Noah in the Bible is in the Book of Genesis. Noah was the tenth of the pre-flood Patriarchs and his father was Lamech and his mother is unknown. When Noah was five hundred years old, he begat Shem, Ham, the Genesis flood narrative makes up chapters 6–9 in the Book of Genesis, in the Bible. Thus, the flood was no ordinary overflow but a reversal of creation, and God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. They were also told that all fowls, land animals, furthermore, as well as green plants, every moving thing would be their food with the exception that the blood was not to be eaten. Mans life blood would be required from the beasts and from man, whoso sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God made he man. Noah died 350 years after the flood, at the age of 950, the maximum human lifespan, as depicted by the Bible, diminishes rapidly thereafter, from almost 1,000 years to the 120 years of Moses. After the flood, Noah became a husbandman and he planted a vineyard, and he drank of the wine, and was drunken, and was uncovered within his tent. Noahs son Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his brethren, in Jewish tradition and rabbinic literature, rabbis blame Satan for the intoxicating properties of the wine. In the field of biblical criticism, J. H. Ellens and W. G. Rollins address the narrative of Genesis 9. Because of its brevity and textual inconsistencies, it has suggested that this narrative is a splinter from a more substantial tale. A fuller account would explain what exactly Ham had done to his father, or why Noah directed a curse at Canaan for Hams misdeed, or how Noah came to know what occurred. The narrator relates two facts, Noah became drunken and he was uncovered within his tent, and Ham saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. Thus, these passages revolve around sexuality and the exposure of genitalia as compared with other Hebrew Bible texts, such as Habakkuk 2,15 and Lamentations 4,21. Genesis 10 sets forth the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth, among Japheth’s descendants were the maritime nations. Ham’s son Cush had a son named Nimrod, who became the first man of might on earth, a mighty hunter, king in Babylon, from there Asshur went and built Nineveh
Noah
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Noah's Sacrifice by
Daniel Maclise
Noah
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12th century Venetian
mosaic depiction of Noah sending the dove
Noah
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Noah curses Ham by
Gustave Dore
Noah
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The dispersion of the descendants of Shem, Ham, and Japheth (map from the 1854 Historical Textbook and Atlas of Biblical Geography)
24.
Solomon
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Solomon, also called Jedidiah, was, according to the Bible, Quran, hadith and Hidden Words a fabulously wealthy and wise king of Israel and a son of David, the previous king of Israel. The conventional dates of Solomons reign are circa 970 to 931 BC and he is described as the third king of the United Monarchy, which would break apart into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah shortly after his death. Following the split, his descendants ruled over Judah alone. According to the Talmud, Solomon is one of the 48 prophets, in the Quran, he is considered a major prophet, and Muslims generally refer to him by the Arabic variant Sulayman, son of David. Solomon was, according to the Quran, a king of ancient Israel as well as the son of David, the Hebrew Bible credits him as the builder of the First Temple in Jerusalem. It portrays him as great in wisdom, wealth, and power any of the previous kings of the country. His sins included idolatry, marrying foreign women, and ultimately turning away from Yahweh, Solomon is the subject of many other later references and legends, most notably in the 1st-century apocryphal work known as the Testament of Solomon. Solomon was born in Jerusalem, the second child of David and his wife Bathsheba. The first child, a son conceived adulterously during Uriahs lifetime, had died before Solomon was conceived as a punishment on account of the death of Uriah by Davids order. Solomon had three named full brothers through Bathsheba, Nathan, Shammua, and Shobab, besides six known older half-brothers through as many mothers, according to the First Book of Kings, when David was old, he could not get warm. So they sought a young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite. The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, while David was in this state, court factions were maneuvering for power. Solomon greatly expanded his military strength, especially the cavalry and chariot arms and he founded numerous colonies, some of which doubled as trading posts and military outposts. Trade relationships were a focus of his administration, Solomon is considered the most wealthy of the Israelite kings named in the Bible. Solomon also built the First Temple, beginning in the year of his reign. Solomon was the Biblical king most famous for his wisdom, in 1 Kings he sacrificed to God and prayed for wisdom. God personally answered his prayer, promising him great wisdom because he did not ask for self-serving rewards like long life or the death of his enemies. Perhaps the best known story of his wisdom is the Judgment of Solomon, Solomon easily resolved the dispute by commanding the child to be cut in half and shared between the two
Solomon
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The Judgment of Solomon, 1617 by
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640)
Solomon
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Cornelis de Vos, The Anointing of Solomon. According to 1
Kings 1:39, Solomon was
anointed by
Zadok.
Solomon
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Luca Giordano – Dream of Solomon – God promises Solomon Wisdom.
Solomon
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The judgment of Solomon, painting on ceramic, Castelli, 18th century, Lille Museum of Fine Arts
25.
The Mortal Instruments
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The Mortal Instruments is a series of six young adult fantasy novels written by Cassandra Clare, the last of which was published May 27,2014. The Mortal Instruments is chronologically the third series of a five in The Shadowhunter Chronicles. The book series has one of the most popular within the young adult genre of paranormal romance/urban fantasy. When she began writing City of Bones, she did not view it as an adult work, but first and foremost as a fantasy novel. The books are set in Brooklyn, New York, Clary Fray is just your ordinary, red haired, teenage girl, who dreams of being an artist. She has a best friend, Simon, and they are inseparable, one night, when Clary is about to go out with Simon, her mother is acting weird. When Clary gets back, her mother is gone, Clary adjourns on a treacherous journey, after finding out shes not just an ordinary teenage girl after all. A breed of humans with angel blood, who fight demons while the rest of the word has no idea that the demons nor the Shadowhunters exist, will she decide to be with Simon or Jace. And will she be able to find her memories, and understand who she really is, to protect Clary, Jocelyn changes her surname to Fray. Clary is described as having long, curly red hair, freckles and she is very small and short, a little over five feet as first described in City of Bones and often viewed as younger than her actual age. In the first book, Clary is 15 years old, approaching 16, Clary is an artist, and in the first book, City of Bones, it is believed that she is a mundane, an ordinary human, as she first thought of herself. It is later revealed that she is a Shadowhunter, or Nephilim, Clary is described as being stubborn and often rushes into dangerous situations without considering the consequences. Her best friend in the series is Simon Lewis and he is in love with her but she is romantically involved with Jace. Clary is devastated when she is told that Jace is her brother but later learns that this is untrue, in the first few books, Clary has a tense relationship with the Lightwoods siblings. Jonathan Christopher Jace Herondale is described as being tall and muscular with scars across his skin from faded magical marks called Runes. He has wavy hair and golden eyes, and, like Clary, is a Shadowhunter. Jace is among the Nephilims best fighters, since Izzy stated that hes killed more demons than anybody his age, Jace is often flirty and insensitive, and is described as projecting a false arrogance due to an insecurity that he is not good enough. Throughout the books, Jaces biological family remains unknown although he refers to Isabelle, Alec, and Max as his siblings, in City of Bones, he believes he is a Wayland but at the end of the book Valentine Morgenstern falsely tells him that he is Jaces father
The Mortal Instruments
–
The Mortal Instruments
26.
Cassandra Clare
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Judith Rumelt, better known by her pen name Cassandra Clare, is an American author of young adult fiction, best known for her bestselling series The Mortal Instruments. Clare was born Judith Rumelt, to American parents, in Tehran, Iran and her parents are Elizabeth and Richard Rumelt, who are a business school professor and author, respectively. Her maternal grandfather was film producer Max Rosenberg, Clare is Jewish, and has described her family as not religious. As a child, Clare traveled frequently, spending time in Switzerland, England, while living in Los Angeles Clare began writing fan fiction using the name Cassandra Claire. The Draco Trilogy, based on Harry Potter and The Very Secret Diaries, however, she deleted her fan fiction from the Internet shortly before her first novel, The City of Bones, was published under the name Cassandra Clare. She is also friends with author Holly Black, and their books occasionally overlap, Clare mentioning characters from Blacks novels and vice versa, such as Val and Luis from Blacks Valiant. Clare is also credited by her publisher with creating the City of Fallen Angels treatment where a letter from one character to another is attached to the back of physical copies of a book. The goal is to spur print book sales and she currently resides in Amherst, Massachusetts, with her husband, Joshua Lewis, and three cats. In 2004, Clare started working on her novel, City of Bones. City of Ashes and City of Glass completed the first trilogy, a subsequent second trilogy contained three more books, City of Fallen Angels, City of Lost Souls, and City of Heavenly Fire. There is a trilogy called The Infernal Devices, which is set in the same universe as The Mortal Instruments. This consisting of three books, Clockwork Angel, published on August 31,2010, Clockwork Prince, published on December 6,2011, a fourth trilogy set in this universe was announced in 2012, to be collectively known as The Dark Artifices. The new contemporary series will be set in Los Angeles, and follow female shadowhunter Emma Carstairs, the first book, Lady Midnight, was released in March 2016 and the second, Lord of Shadows will be released in April 2017. There are also two series of interconnected short stories set in this universe, the first book in The Mortal Instruments was made into a film, The Mortal Instruments, City of Bones, by Unique Features and Constantin Film. First-time writer Jessica Postigo wrote the screenplay, lily Collins played Clary Fray and Jamie Campbell Bower played Jace Wayland. After a disappointing box office performance, subsequent movies in the series were cancelled, a television adaptation of The Mortal Instruments began airing in January,2016, and has been renewed for a second season. Parts of the case regarding unfair competition were dismissed on Nov.29,2016, the copyright violations were not dismissed, and the case is still in the courts. Authors website Authors livejournal Cassandra Clare at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
Cassandra Clare
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Clare speaking at the 2013 WonderCon at the Anaheim Convention Center,
Anaheim, California
27.
Nephilim
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The Nephilim /ˈnɛfᵻˌlɪm/ were the offspring of the sons of God and the daughters of men before the Deluge, according to Genesis 6,4 of the Bible. According to Numbers 13,33, they later inhabited Canaan at the time of the Israelite conquest of Canaan, an either similar or identical biblical Hebrew term, read as Nephilim by some scholars, or as the word fallen by others, appears in Ezekiel 32,27. The word is translated as giants in some Bibles and left untranslated in others. They are mentioned in two contexts in the Bible, when people began to multiply on the face of the ground, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that they were fair, and they took wives for themselves of all that they chose. Then the Lord said, My spirit shall not abide in mortals forever, for they are flesh, the Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went in to the daughters of humans, who bore children to them. These were the heroes that were of old, warriors of renown, the Lord said to Moses, Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. So they went up and spied out the land, yet the people who live in the land are strong, and the towns are fortified and very large, and besides, we saw the descendants of Anak there. 33 There we saw the Nephilim, and to ourselves we seemed like grasshoppers, from the context of that report it is clear that they assume that their listeners already know about the nephilim whose origins are described in the Book of Genesis. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Lexicon gives the meaning of nephilim as giants, Many suggested interpretations are based on the assumption that the word is a derivative of Hebrew verbal root n-ph-l fall. Robert Baker Girdlestone argued in 1871 the word comes from the Hiphil causative stem, Ronald Hendel states that it is a passive form ones who have fallen, grammatically analogous to paqid one who is appointed, asir one who is bound, etc. The majority of ancient biblical versions—including the Septuagint, Theodotion, Latin Vulgate, Samaritan Targum, Targum Onkelos, Symmachus translates it as the violent ones and Aquilas translation has been interpreted to mean either the fallen ones or the ones falling. The term Nephilim occurs twice in the Pentateuch, the first occurrence is in Genesis 6, 1–4, immediately before the account of Noahs ark. Where the Jewish Publication Society simply transliterated the Hebrew nephilim as Nephilim, the King James Version translated the term as giants. The nature of the Nephilim is complicated by the ambiguity of Genesis 6,4, Richard Hess in The Anchor Bible Dictionary takes it to mean that the Nephilim are the offspring, as does P. W. Coxon in Dictionary of deities and demons in the Bible. The second is Numbers 13, 32–33, where ten of the Twelve Spies report that they have seen fearsome giants in Canaan. And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the Nephilim, and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, Ezekiel 32,27 contains a phrase of disputed meaning. According to Ronald S. Hendel, the phrase should be interpreted as the Nephilim of old, the verse as understood by Hendel reads, The lie with the warriors, The Nephilim of old, who descended to Sheol with their weapons of war. They placed their swords beneath their heads and their shields upon their bones, There are effectively two views regarding the identity of the Nephilim, which follow on from alternative views about the identity of the sons of God
Nephilim
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The Fall of the Rebel Angels by
Hieronymus Bosch is based on Genesis 6:1–4
28.
Christopher Moore (author)
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Christopher Moore is an American writer of comic fantasy. He was born in Toledo, Ohio and he grew up in Mansfield, Ohio, and attended Ohio State University and Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California. An only child, Moore learned to himself with his imagination. He loved reading and his father brought him plenty of books from the library every week and he started writing around the age of twelve and realized that this was his talent by the time he was 16, and he began to consider making it his career. Moores novels typically involve conflicted everyman characters struggling through supernatural or extraordinary circumstances, with the possible exceptions of Fool, The Serpent of Venice, and Sacré Bleu, all his books take place in the same universe and some characters recur from novel to novel. According to his interview in the June 2007 issue of Writers Digest, IMDB lists a film version of The Stupidest Angel was allegedly planned for an October 2013 release, although the author denies this claim. As of June 2006, Moore has been living in San Francisco, after a few years on the island of Kauai, official website Christopher Moore at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database Interview at Book Reviews and More Interview at Windycon 42 Blog, conducted by John ONeill, 4/24/2015. Christopher Moore at Library of Congress Authorities, with 18 catalog records
Christopher Moore (author)
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Moore signing a copy of Bite Me at
Politics & Prose in Washington, 2010
29.
The Stupidest Angel
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The Stupidest Angel, A Heartwarming Tale of Christmas Terror is the eighth novel by Christopher Moore. Set during Christmas, it together several favored characters from his previous books set in the fictional town of Pine Cove. An unabridged commercial compact disc recording of the edition of The Stupidest Angel was issued with narration by Tony Roberts. In 2005 the novel won the Quill Award in the category of Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror, an angel named Raziel is sent to Earth to grant the wish of a child, he decides to help a boy who had witnessed the death of a man dressed as Santa Claus. Meanwhile, the town is preparing for a community dinner-gathering at the local church, in his inept attempt to bring Santa back to life, the angel causes the townspeople to fall under siege by brain-hungry zombies who arise from their burial plots. The story takes place in Pine Cove, setting of Practical Demonkeeping, tucker Case, helicopter pilot for the DEA, and his pet fruitbat, Roberto, appeared in Island of the Sequined Love Nun. The angel mentioned in the title, Raziel, appeared in Lamb, and Sam Applebaum mentions his rastafarian cousin Preston who lives in Maui, who was seen in Fluke and Bite Me, A Love Story. The title is a play on the title of the 1946 book The Littlest Angel by Charles Tazewell, a cartoon frame summarizing the plot of the novel, from the comic strip Unshelved, dated June 4,2006
The Stupidest Angel
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First edition cover
30.
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
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Legacy of Kain, Soul Reaver is an action-adventure video game developed by Crystal Dynamics and published by Eidos Interactive. It was released for the PlayStation and Microsoft Windows in 1999, as the second game in the Legacy of Kain series, Soul Reaver is the sequel to Blood Omen, Legacy of Kain. Soul Reaver was followed by three games, one of which, Soul Reaver 2, is a direct sequel, taking place 1500 years after the events of Blood Omen, Soul Reaver chronicles the journey of the vampire-turned-wraith Raziel, lieutenant to the vampire lord Kain. Raziel is killed by Kain, but is revived by The Elder God to become his soul reaver, Raziel shares this title with Kains sword, the Soul Reaver, which he acquires during the game. Crystal Dynamics began development of the game in 1997, but a relationship with Silicon Knights. This and other delays forced material originally planned for Soul Reaver to be released with later games of the series. Soul Reaver was generally received by critics and praised for its intriguing gothic story. However, the game was criticized for simple and repetitive gameplay, the player controls Raziel, a disfigured and ghostly vampire. The game is shown from a third-person perspective behind Raziel. Gameplay relies largely on shifting between the material and spectral planes of existence to progress through areas, many puzzles are based on the differences between the two realms, for example, platforms and environment features in one realm may change form to open new paths in the other. Block puzzles are also common and require the rotation, flipping, combat in Soul Reaver is a hack and slash system, involving the use of combinations of various different attacks before a finishing move. Raziels enemies are grouped into humans, spectral creatures, and most commonly, human enemies include peasants, vampire hunters and vampire worshippers. In the spectral realm, players fight minor enemies called Sluagh, each brood of vampire enemies has unique powers reminiscent of their clan leader. When killed, enemies leave behind souls that replenish Raziels health, at first, Raziel can jump, glide using his torn wings, move blocks, and pick up and throw objects and enemies. Initially unarmed, he fights using his claws, but can use weapons such as rocks, torches, spears and staffs. Raziel can freely shift to the realm, but can return to the material realm only through special portals when at full health. Raziel automatically shifts to the spectral realm if he runs out of health, as the game progresses, Raziel gains the powers of his clan brothers after defeating them and becomes able to phase through gates in the spectral realm and climb walls in the material realm. Initially vulnerable to water, he overcomes this weakness and learns to swim and he also gains the ability to constrict objects and enemies with a band of energy, although this feature was one of the few abilities not to feature in future games
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
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Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
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The same location in the material and spectral realms
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
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An early version of the
Glyph menu during development.
