Cowboy Cosmology

[injest]

I will just quote a bunch from Indian Abraham

The hints in the Old Testament become a detailed tale in the Khedorlaomer Texts, which make clear that the war was intended to prevent the return of Marduk and thwart the efforts of Nabu to gain access to Sinai. 

These texts not only name the very same kings who are mentioned in the Bible but even repeat the biblical detail of the switch of allegiance “in the thirteenth year”!

As we return to the Kedorlaomer Texts to obtain the details for the biblical frame, we should bear in mind that they were written by a Babylonian historian who favored Marduk’s desire to make Babylon “the heavenward navel in the four regions.” It was to thwart this that the gods opposing Marduk ordered Khedorlaomer to seize and defile Babylon.

The despoiling of Babylon was only the beginning.  After the “bad deeds” were done there, Utu/Shamash (son of Nannar-Sin and twin of Inanna/Ishtar) sought action against Nabu (son of Marduk).... the gods assembled.... Ishtar decreed an oracle, and the army put together by the kings of the East arrived in Transjordan....

When the invaders....” thereafter, Dur-Mah-Ilani was to be captured and the Canaanite cities (including Gaza and Beer-Sheba in the Negev) were to be punished. But at Dur-Mah-Ilani, according to the Babylonian text, “the son of the priest, whom the gods in their true counsel had anointed,” stood in the invader’s way and “the despoiling prevented.”

Though not specifically mentioned by name, the Babylonian text did indeed refer to Abraham, the son of Terah the priest, and spelled out his role in turning back the invaders.

This is strengthened by the fact that the Mesopotamian and biblical texts relate the same event in the same locality with the same outcome.

Further strengthening this position is the date formulas for the reign of Amar-Sin called his seventh year.  The crucial year being 2041 BC, the year of the military expedition - also MU NE IB.RU.UM BA.HUL meaning – “Year the Shepherding-abode of IB.RU.UM was attacked.”

Can this reference, in the exact crucial year, be other than to Abraham and his shepherding abode?
 

Having carried out his mission, Abraham returned to his base near Hebron.  Encouraged by his feat, the Canaanite kings marched his forces to intercept the retreating army from the East. But the invaders beat them and seized all the possessions of Sodom and Gomorrah as well as one prize hostage: They took with them Lot, the nephew of Abraham, who was residing at Sodom.

On hearing the news, Abraham called up his best cavalrymen and pursued the retreating invaders. Catching up with them near Damascus, he succeeded in releasing Lot and retrieving all the booty.  Upon his return he was greeted as a victor in the Valley of Shalem (Jerusalem):

     ”And Malkizedek, the king of Shalem, brought forth bread and wine,
     for he was priest unto the God Most High”.
     And he blessed him, saying:
     “Blessed be Abram unto the God Most High, Possessor of Heaven and Earth;
     And blessed be the God Most High who hath delivered thy foes unto thine hand.”

Soon the Canaanite kings also arrived to thank Abraham, and offered him all the seized possessions as a reward.  But Abraham, saying that his local allies could share in that, refused to take “even a shoelace” for himself or his warriors.

The invasion of the Sinai was thwarted, but the danger to it was not removed; and the efforts of Marduk to gain the supremacy intensified ever more.  Fifteen years later Sodom and Gomorrah went up in flames when Ninurta and Nergal unleashed the weapons of awesome brilliance.

well this was my THIRD guess...

[Wayne]

well this was my THIRD guess...

  I know, mine too!!   

I'm all like .. whoa. Here's a different version of the story where Abraham is apparently a major international ambassador running between India, Persia, and Egypt.

[Wayne]

A quick look at the map shows that Canaan is a major choke point between Egypt and Mesopotamia. So everybody was fighting over it. Abraham managed to calm things down for a while, but eventually they blew it up.

So who are these guys? Actually they are the names of Babylonian gods, and the Babylonian names of the planets.

Marduk is the planet Jupiter, Nergal is Mars, and Ninurta is Saturn. Ishtar is Venus.

By the way if you've ever heard of Mount Nebo in church music, Nebo is the planet Mercury.

[injest]

A quick look at the map shows that Canaan is a major choke point between Egypt and Mesopotamia. So everybody was fighting over it. Abraham managed to calm things down for a while, but eventually they blew it up.

So who are these guys? Actually they are the names of Babylonian gods, and the Babylonian names of the planets.

Marduk is the planet Jupiter, Nergal is Mars, and Ninurta is Saturn. Ishtar is Venus.

By the way if you've ever heard of Mount Nebo in church music, Nebo is the planet Mercury.

ok how did they know about the planets? or were the planets named later?

[Wayne]

The ancients were way big into astronomy (and astrology). They constantly tracked Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, looking for some sort of message, even if no message was there.

Kind of like me reading Google. 

[Wayne]

They considered the sun and the moon to be "planets" along with Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. That's the source of the "sacredness" of the number seven, and the reason the week has 7 days.

In Babylonian they were the equivalent of Sunday, Moonday, Marsday, Mercuryday, Jupiterday, Venusday, and Saturnday.

Also note the names that don't correspond well in English (Tuesday to Friday) still do correspond in French: mardi, mercredi, jeudi ("jove" is the short form of "jupiter"), vendredi.

They're different in English just because we substituted Norse gods' names: Tiw, Woden, Thor, and Frigg.

[Wayne]

So anyway getting back to Sodom   

This site provides a quote from the Jewish historian Josephus (AD37-100)

At this time, when the Assyrians had the dominion over Asia, the people of Sodom were in a flourishing condition, both as to riches and the number of their youth. There were five kings that managed the affairs of this county: Ballas, Barsas, Senabar, and Sumobor, with the king of Bela; and each king led on his own troops: and the Assyrians made war upon them; and, dividing their army into four parts, fought against them. Now every part of the army had its own commander; and when the battle was joined, the Assyrians were conquerors, and imposed a tribute on the kings of the Sodomites, who submitted to this slavery twelve years; and so long they continued to pay their tribute: but on the thirteenth year they rebelled, and then the army of the Assyrians came upon them, under their commanders Amraphel, Arioch, Chodorlaomer, and Tidal. These kings had laid waste all Syria, and overthrown the offspring of the giants. And when they were come over against Sodom, they pitched their camp at the vale called the Slime Pits, for at that time there were pits in that place; but now, upon the destruction of the city of Sodom, that vale became the Lake Asphaltites, as it is called. However, concerning this lake we shall speak more presently. Now when the Sodomites joined battle with the Assyrians, and the fight was very obstinate, many of them were killed, and the rest were carried captive; among which captives was Lot, who had come to assist the Sodomites.

[CellarDweller]

I think that they misunderstood the story...remember back in the old days? one of the very very worst things you could do was violate the custom of "guest friendship"!! If you let someone stay under your roof then you took on his protection, and you offered no harm to him....

now the people of Sodom violated that rule by wanting to harm the two angels...so that is why they were destroyed.

Jess, you are not far off.

I had a book a while ago (i've since misplaced it) and in it, it explained the story of Sodom.

In the time of the story, it was customary to offer housing and food to travelers, even if they were enemies, because with the harsh climate, to be outside in the elements meant death.

When the angels appeared in Sodom, the only one to offer them safety was Lot.  The other citizens of Sodom refused to help anyone but themselves.

When Jesus talks about Sodom (Ezekiel 16:49), He states "This was the sin of your sister Sodom: pride, a full measure of food, and the comforts of wealth in peace, were seen in her and her daughters, and she gave no help to the poor or to those in need."

Jesus never said anything about homosexuality when talking about Sodom.

Homosexuality comes into play because when the villagers try to get the angels, they say they want to "know" them.  In the bible, the expression "to know" someone occasionally means in a sexual way.

[Wayne]

Yeah I had always thought it was repulsive that Lot offered them his daughters "to do whatever they wanted to them."

But the historical version of the story, outside the Bible, makes it clear that Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed in war. It even gives the names of the generals.

The word translated as "angels" is blatantly misrepresented. The word actually just means "messengers." Just some guys who were sent to warn Lot to leave.

[Wayne]

And here's the part that I love. Love love love love love.   

When they were come over against Sodom, they pitched their camp at the vale called the Slime Pits, for at that time there were pits in that place; but now, upon the destruction of the city of Sodom, that vale became the Lake Asphaltites