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December 04, 2024
Peace Publishers LLC. Resources in fifteen categories for self-instruction, classes, sermons, and conferences. An original 21st Century Commentary on Revelation is being added. Site administrator and publisher in English and Spanish: Homer Dewayne Shappley, evangelist and author of 2,500-plus documents in both languages. Oversight: Cairo, Tennesse Church of Christ.
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NIMROD
"...he was the first on earth to be a MIGHTY MAN."
Genesis 10:8-9; 1 Chronicles 1:10; Micah 5:6
Semiramis, his wife, proclaimed herself "Rhea" which means "Mother of the Gods."
They found BABEL and perhaps initiate the construction of the Tower of Babel.
Ancient peoples of the Western Hemisphere build step-pyramids similar to those in the Near East, Asia, and Egypt. How can their presence and works be explained?
Relevance and importance
of this subject.
“Mother goddess religions,” in one form or another, including Roman Catholicism, are the religions of perhaps a third, or more, of the world population today. Where and when did they begin? History points particularly to the Shinar (Cinar) and ancient Assyria areas of Northwestern Mesopotamia, between the upper reaches of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, and the time frame of 1,800 to 2,100 years BCE (Before the Common Era, that is, before Christ). At the present time (2022), Iraq, Iran, Turkey, and Syria share parts of those territories. https://creation.com/babel-upper-mesopotamia; https://creation.com/the-date-of-noahs-flood
The worship or veneration of “Mother goddesses” can be traced back at least to Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod. It would seem that the hundreds of millions around the globe who trust their souls to Mother Goddesses would, indeed, be wise to inform themselves on the origin, legitimacy, and reality or fiction of such beings. The names of many appear in many settings throughout the history of the human race, and not a few of these female deities are present today on the great stage of the still-unraveling human drama.
More reasons for the relevance and importance of this subject come to light during the course of its development.
A. Nimrod and his wife, Semiramis began kingdom building in the Shinar-Assyria region indicated. Genesis records, referring to Nimrod: “The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nin′eveh, Reho′both-Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nin′eveh and Calah; that is the great city.” Genesis 10:6-11; 1 Chronicles 1:10; Micah 5:6
B. Nimrod was the great-grandson of Noah. The lineage of Nimrod is as follows: Noah engendered Ham, Ham engendered Cush, and Cush was the father of Nimrod.
1. Nimrod “became a mighty hunter before the Lord.” Genesis 10:9. This description of him leads us to think of the Syrian king Tiglath-Pileser I, who was also acclaimed a great hunter, reportedly killing 120 lions in physical combat and 800 from his chariot. “The History of Civilization,” Volume I, Will Durant, Page 266
2. This Nimrod “was the first on earth to be a mighty man.” Genesis 10:8
Let us take note of the clear implications of the statement: “the first on earth to be a mighty man.” To my understanding, it is equal to saying that he was “the first great caudillo-king-dictator, organizer of peoples, and founder of cities and kingdoms.”
The Mountain of Nimrud in Turkey
It is 7,054 feet (2,150 meters) high.
In 62 BCE (Before the Common Era), king Antiochus I Theos, who reigned over Commagene, a kingdom north of Syria and the Euphrates, ordered a tomb-sanctuary to be built on top
of the mountain, flanked by huge statues 26-30 feet tall (8-9 meters) of himself, two lions, two eagles, and various Greek, Armenian, and Persian gods. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Nemrut
The name of the mountain is testimony to the existence of NIMROD, great-grandson of NOAH, as a real human being.
3. “Nimrod” is the translation of the Hebrew “Gibor,” a word meaning “tyrant” or “rebel.” [B-8. This code indicates “Page 8” of the book that corresponds to the letter “B” in the List of sources at the end of this article.]
The name “Gibor” highlights the character of the man we know as “Nimrod," to wit: Hard, rebellious, tyrannical, dictatorial, not at all subject to the true God and Creator. “…a mighty hunter before the Lord” is not to be interpreted as “according to the will and purpose of Jehovah,” Keil and Delitzsch point out. In their “Commentary on the Old Testament.” 1975 edition, Page 165
His Hebrew name “Marad” means “we rebel,” indicating “violent resistance against God.” “Who Was Nimrod?” by Dr. David Livingstone. www.ancientdays.net/nimrod.htm
4. Nimrod established various cities, including Babel, “in the land of Shinar,” and Nineveh, a city that would later become the capital of Assyria.
The name “Nineveh” is derived from “Nina,” the name of a goddess who was later called “Ishtar.”
“Cush became the father of Nimrod; he was the first on earth to be a mighty man. He was a mighty hunter before the Lord; therefore, it is said, ‘Like Nimrod a mighty hunter before the Lord.’ The beginning of his kingdom was Babel, Erech, and Accad, all of them in the land of Shinar. From that land he went into Assyria, and built Nin′eveh, Reho′both-Ir, Calah, and Resen between Nin′eveh and Calah; that is the great city.” Genesis 10:8-12
“Calah… the great city,” so Calah is called in the Genesis record. Thus, Rome on the Tiber, capital of the Roman Empire until late in the third century CE, was not the first nor the only “great city” of the world. Long before Rome became renowned, other cities were called “great,” as also “holy.”
The powerful, dominating, corrupt influence of “the great harlot” made itself felt strongly in them before that “woman… on a scarlet beast” (Revelation 17:1-6) established herself in “the great city” of the Common Era (Christian Age), that is, in the “four Rome’s” of this Era, which are: Pagan Rome, in Italy, converted to “Christian Rome” under Constantine I, the “New Rome” renamed Constantinople, and also Papal Rome.
Calah, originally established by Nimrod (Genesis 10:11), and known today as Nimrud, developed into a “great city” in Shinar, then became “a major Assyrian city between approximately 1350 and 610 BCE. By 800 BCE Nimrud had grown to 75,000 inhabitants making it the largest city in the world.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimrud
This painting is an artistical representation, based on archaeological finds, of the interior of the palace of Tiglath-pileser III, king of Syria (7th century BCE).
C. In her early appearances in the world, "the great harlot” of Revelation sits on the kingdom of the four cities in Shinar and on ancient Assyria. She does
it through the person of Semiramis, the wife of Nimrod. That is to say, “the great harlot” is personified in Semiramis.
1. Diodorus, a Grecian man of Cecilia, recounts the history of Semiramis. “The History of Civilization,” Volume I, Will Durant, Page 267
2. After Nimrod dies, Semiramis proclaims herself to be “Rhea,” that is, “Mother of the Gods.” According to many ancient documents, statues, and holy places, “Mother of the Gods” is a common and notable designation in the annals of the human race.
3. Farther along in history, Nimrod, long dead but not forgotten, becomes known as “Baal,” a title that means “Lord” or “Master.” He was also called “Kronos.” “Saturn” was the name the Romans gave Kronos. A-31 List. As the wife of Baal, Semiramis would have had the title of “Baalti.”
Translated to Latin, “Baalti” means “Mea Domina.” Translated to Italian, the name or title is “Madonna!”
Following the idolatrous tradition that originated in Shinar-Assyria-Chaldea, the Roman Catholic Church calls Mary “the Madonna,” a title she absolutely never received according to the history of Mary in the New Testament.
It is, thus, that linguistical links form a remarkable and indisputable chain between the very ancient mother goddess Baalti (Semiramis) and Mary, the Madonna of Roman Catholicism.
What impartial and intelligent investigator, historian, or theologian would be capable of proving this is not just as we present it.
The perspicacious student of human history and of the book of Revelation does not miss the evident connection between the paganism of ancient Shinar and Assyria, and the “Mariology” of the Roman Catholic Church.
An artistic representation of Semiramis, wife of Nimrod. A dove rests on the fingers of her right hand. The Tower of Babel is visible in the background to her right
4. Turning again to Semiramis, she assured the people of her time and place that the birth of Tammuz, her son, had been miraculous, claiming that he was the reincarnation of Nimrod.
Classical writers identify Tammuz with “Bacus,” a name meaning “Suffering Son.” A-21 List
There are those who associate this “Suffering Son” with the prophecy of Genesis 3:15 where God says to Satan: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
The similarity between Tammuz and Christ is quite evident. It is said of both of them that their birth was miraculous. “Suffering Son” is equally applicable to both. Of course, one of them has to be a false “Messiah.” Tammuz, born to a woman who had the brazen folly of calling herself “Mother of the gods,” is surely the false “Suffering Son.” Therefore, Jesus Christ, and not Tammuz (Bacus), is the one who fulfills the prophecy of Genesis 3:15.
5. It is theorized that Semiramis might have played an important role in the development of the “Chaldean Mysteries” that served to propagate the idolatry she promoted. Semiramis is present by means of the mythological character of the goddess Isis (Helen) in a Samaritan sect supposedly organized by the magician Simon. “Clearly, Osiris was Nimrod and Isis was Semiramis. So then, Simon the Magician said that he himself had been the power that manifested itself in Nimrod and Helen was Semiramis, the Queen of Heaven.” https://hope-of-israel.org/magus.html
6. The infamous “Tower of Babel” was erected in “the land of Shinar,” where Nimrod and Semiramis began their reign. According to some ancient legends, this couple took the initiative in the construction of that tower, a structure that became the unmistakable sign of idolatry and human pride.
The Pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico.
“The pyramid of the Sun in Teotihuacan, Mexico, was erected between the years 50 and 200 CE. It is constructed of adobes covered with rock, employing the design of
sloping slabs, and reaches a height of 200 feet (61 meters). A wide stairway with multiple landings leads to the top where a temple once existed.” Bridgeman Art Library, London/New York/Tom Owen Edmunds. Biblioteca de Consulta Microsoft ® Encarta ®
Long before the time of Jesus Christ, tribes and even nations of human beings existed in remote areas of planet Earth, some with well-developed organizations and economies. For example, in the Western Hemisphere:
Ancient tribes in the Appalachian Mountains of North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, and other states. https://www.ancient-origins.net/opinion-guest-authors/lost-tribe-clover-hollow-oldest-civilization-world-found-appalachian-mountains-021025. https://www.ancient-origins.net/myths-legends-americas/moon-eyed-people-0016334
The Clovis Culture, the Poverty Point Culture, the Mound Builders, the Mississippian Culture, and many more in North America. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Native_Americans_in_the_United_States
The Olmec People. “The Olmecs were the earliest known major Mesoamerican civilization. Following a progressive development in Soconusco, they occupied the tropical lowlands of the modern-day Mexican states of Veracruz and Tabasco.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olmecs
The Mayas date from 1,500 years before the time of Christ.
The Incas, from 1,100 years before Christ.
How can the presence of so many human beings in the places referred to of the Western Hemisphere, before the time of Christ (BCE), be explained? The answer may be found, not in the fiction-loaded “Book of Mormon,” but in Genesis 11:9. God himself “scattered” the people “abroad over the face of the earth.”
How can the similarity between the pyramids of Babylon and Egypt with those of Central and South America be explained, separated as they are by thousands of miles of seas and lands? Behold, as follows, an explanation fully reasonable in the opinion of this writer:
Human beings, scattered from Babel “abroad over the face of the earth,” would have taken along in their minds the design and purpose of the Tower of Babel.
The “tower" of "Babel” was highly unlikely to be a cylindrical or quadrangular structure of the same width at the top as on the base. Rather, no doubt it would have been a “ziggurat,” that is, a step-pyramid structure. Some of the pyramids of Egypt, as also many of the Western Hemisphere, have followed the ancient architectural plan of the tower of Babel. This is the consensus of a number of sources I have consulted.
It is altogether improbable that the Tower of Babel would have had a uniform cylindrical form bottom to top, for, if those who worked on the structure had attempted to implement such a design, they simply could not have attained more than perhaps five floors or so. The principal reasons are that they did not possess iron or steel beams nor the sophisticated machinery to build a cylindrical “tower with its top in the clouds.” Genesis 11:1-4. It is, therefore, much more logical to see the “tower” as a step-pyramid, as in the above painting, though that painting no doubt highly exaggerates the size of the tower of Babel since the number of able-bodied men available to carry on the project was perhaps less than 3,000.
“Using the average of 5.07 sons per generation found in Genesis 10, and assuming that Babel was begun the generation after Peleg and dispersed about 43 years later, there may have been 3,000 adult men alive on Earth when the project began, and still fewer than 10,000 adult men at the dispersion. With such a small workforce building both the tower and the city, gathering food, exploring the new world, and all the other economic activities, the original tower could not have been nearly as large as later ziggurats built with massive workforces.” https://creation.com/babel-upper-mesopotamia
The Step-pyramid of Saqqara, Egypt was constructed from 2737 to 2717 BCE, during the period of the Third Dynasty.
D. In Sumeria, the goddess “Ninkarsag” was worshipped, and they called her “Mother of Sorrows.” She interceded, so they believed, between human beings and the “hard gods,” for these were inclined to treat humans harshly. “The Story of Civilization,” Volume I, Will Durant, Page 267
The likenesses between the mythological Ninkarsag and “Mary, the Mother of Sorrows” is as astonishing as it is instructive, for the Roman Catholic concept of a “Mother Intercessor” is almost identical to the one the ancient Sumerians had of their goddess Ninkarsag.
It seems that the average Roman Catholic holds his/her Virgin Mary to be more tender, understanding, and compassionate than the “hard” Jehovah God, even more than the Son, Jesus Christ. To this may surely be attributed their notable tendency to appeal more to their Virgin Mary than to Jesus Christ himself. In clear violation of the New Testament doctrine which says: “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” 1 Timothy 2:5
E. It is, then, fully established that, from remote times, “the great harlot” has come along through the ages and around the globe “seated” on many peoples and their idolatrous rulers. She first sat on Shinar-Assyria-Sumeria, dominating, governing, and corrupting.
1. In Sumeria, “the priests came to be the richest and most powerful class in the cities. Regarding the majority of matters, they were the government. It was difficult to determine in what measure the ‘patesi’ (leader) was a priest or to what point he was king.” “The Story of Civilization,” Volume I, Will Durant, Page 128
2. The great cities of Sumeria “were organized around the priestly temples and bureaucracies.” Microsoft CD-ROM, Bookshelf
Similarly, in Italy, Spain, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and wherever the Roman Catholic Church has attained power, a Roman Catholic cathedral or chapel occupies the very center of cities, towns, and villages. From their “sacred temples,” the Roman Catholic clergy pretends to exercise control not only of souls but also of politics and economies, having different degrees of success depending on the strength of local secular governments and the percentage of the population they are able to count on.
Relevance and importance of this study.
No way can Semiramis and her mythological offspring across the ages and into modern times save the soul of any human being. Myths and mythological beings have no power whatsoever to rescue souls from evil, injustice, and sin, and then provide for them a “world to come” entirely free of them. Hebrews 2:5. “The only true God” is the only being who can. And he does it for those who learn to love and obey him through his Son, Jesus Christ. John 17:3. “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12. No “Mother Goddess,” no goddess or god of any other kind or with any other name has a part in the process. God and Jesus Christ are the only Creators of human beings and of the whole universe. Colossians 1:11.19. Logically, they ascribe to themselves, and no other, the right and power to save the soul of each and every human being from eternal condemnation.
The initial conditions they set for pardon and eventual total reconciliation and glorification are: “He who believes and is baptized will be saved.” Mark 16:15-16.
“Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38
Some sources of information consulted in the development
of this study on Nimrod, Semiramis, and “the great harlot”
of Revelation
“A” corresponds to the book: “The Two Babylons.” Author: Alexander Hislop. Second American edition, 1959. Published by Loizeaux Brothers, Neptune, New Jersey.
“B” corresponds to the book: “Babylon, Mystery Religion.” Author: Ralph Woodrow, P. O. Box 124, Riverside, California 92502.
“C” corresponds to the book: “A Woman Rides the Beast.” Author: Dave Hunt. Published by Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, Oregon 97402.
“The History of Civilization,” by Will and Ariel Durant. Pulitzer Prize series in 11 volumes. Published by Simon and Schuster, New York.
“The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge.” Online edition. Published by Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
“The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire.” By Edward Gibbon. Published by William Benton. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., Chicago, London, Toronto. 1952. One of the 52-volume set of books entitled: “The Most Important Books of the Western World.”
Several other sources are identified in the body of the text of this study.
Much additional, relevant material may be found on the Internet, for example, in http//www.wikipedia.org and http//www.creation.com.
Esteemed reader, if you have any doubt or question about this subject, please feel free to send me an E-mail to hshappley@yahoo.com. If you have found it helpful, a “Like” from you would be most appreciated.
Text and Document Composition by the author Homer Dewayne Shappley. All rights reserved. The only restrictions on the use of this document are the sale of it in any format and proper identification of its origin.
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