• Welcome to Religious Forums, a friendly forum to discuss all religions in a friendly surrounding.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Our modern chat room. No add-ons or extensions required, just login and start chatting!
    • Access to private conversations with other members.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Beastial worship prohibition of Leviticus 20:16

Bear Wild

Bear Wild

Well-Known Member
eik said:
Check out the Ugaritic Narrative Poetry. Ba'al got up to many naughty things.
Click to expand...
I have read a translation but my understanding of their mythology is limited. It certainly shares symbolism with the mythology of the Indo-European cultures of its time. As for what Ba'al did or didn't do, care must be given in interpretation since there is considerable nature symbolism involved easy for misinterpretation. Is there something in particular you want to point out?
 
eik

eik

Active Member
Wild Fox said:
I have read a translation but my understanding of their mythology is limited. It certainly shares symbolism with the mythology of the Indo-European cultures of its time. As for what Ba'al did or didn't do, care must be given in interpretation since there is considerable nature symbolism involved easy for misinterpretation. Is there something in particular you want to point out?
Click to expand...
I answered your question. See the translation edited by Simon B. Parker. I am not an expert on Canaanite languages, if that's what your question is.
 
Last edited:
Babygirl2010

Babygirl2010

Member
The Egyptian Foundations of Greek Religion

Heracles is originally an Egyptian god and part of their pantheon of twelve, not a Greek hero (43). Hdt.'s researches on Heracles took him to Phoenician Tyre and to Thasos, where he was able to confirm that Heracles qua Olympian god predates Heracles qua Greek hero (44). Why do the Egyptians of Mendes not sacrifice goats? Because they regard Pan as a major deity. At Mendes Hdt. observed ritual sex between a woman and a goat (46). Pigs and swineherds are unclean for the Egyptians, for reasons Hdt. declines to give; but they do sacrifice pigs to the Moon and also to Dionysus (47). The Egyptians carry images with movable phalluses in their processions for Dionysus, rather than just phalluses as the Greeks do (48). The phallic procession for Dionysus was introduced to Greece by Melampus via Cadmus and Phoenician Tyre (49). Most Greek gods are borrowed from Egypt; exceptions are Poseidon, the Dioscuri, Hera, Hestia, Themis, the Graces and the Nereids. Poseidon is of Libyan origin (50). The Herms, statues with erect phalluses, were introduced to Greece by the Pelasgians. The Pelasgians introduced the "names" (i.e
 
Jayhawker Soule

Jayhawker Soule

-- untitled --
Premium Member
Babygirl2010 said:
The Egyptian Foundations of Greek Religion

Heracles is originally an Egyptian god and part of their pantheon of twelve, not a Greek hero (43). Hdt.'s researches on Heracles took him to Phoenician Tyre and to Thasos, where he was able to confirm that Heracles qua Olympian god predates Heracles qua Greek hero (44). Why do the Egyptians of Mendes not sacrifice goats? Because they regard Pan as a major deity. At Mendes Hdt. observed ritual sex between a woman and a goat (46). Pigs and swineherds are unclean for the Egyptians, for reasons Hdt. declines to give; but they do sacrifice pigs to the Moon and also to Dionysus (47). The Egyptians carry images with movable phalluses in their processions for Dionysus, rather than just phalluses as the Greeks do (48). The phallic procession for Dionysus was introduced to Greece by Melampus via Cadmus and Phoenician Tyre (49). Most Greek gods are borrowed from Egypt; exceptions are Poseidon, the Dioscuri, Hera, Hestia, Themis, the Graces and the Nereids. Poseidon is of Libyan origin (50). The Herms, statues with erect phalluses, were introduced to Greece by the Pelasgians. The Pelasgians introduced the "names" (i.e
Click to expand...

Therefore?

BTW, copying blocks of text from Herodotus is fine, but please reference the source in your post.
 
Last edited:
Milton Platt

Milton Platt

Well-Known Member
Babygirl2010 said:
16 And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.


The Israelites were constantly warned not to copy the religious practices of their pagan neighbors. They constantly disobeyed.
Three months out of Egypt and with Moses on Mt. Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights, they were ready to go back to pagan beast worship. Only this beast was not a living one, but one made of gold. (Exodus chapters 19-31)

Leviticus chapters 18 and 20 are mainly an address of pagan worship. It is unfortunate that when these chapters were translated from the ancient Hebrew into the English that a number of crucial Hebrew words were glossed over that would have helped people better understand what was meant in so many verses.

One word that is not only glossed over, but in a number of translations is not even included in the verse of Lev. 20:16 and that is the word approach (Qarab).
There are only 17 listings in the entire Old Testament of APPROACH and it has 3 somewhat similar meanings of a religious nature. 11 out of the 16 are found in Leviticus.

Writers of the time that this type of pagan animal worship was occurring, were themselves shocked that these priestessses were engaging in open copulation with animals.
If any Israelites were caught copying this kind of pagan worship the beast was to be killed along with the woman because the understanding was that such a monstrous birth was sure to result from the copulation were she be allowed to live.

Though there is no explicit prohibition of either religious or non-religious beastiality in the New Testament, it is taught against implicitly.
Click to expand...

So it was okay for a man to do this but not a woman?
 
Babygirl2010

Babygirl2010

Member
Milton Platt said:
So it was okay for a man to do this but not a woman?
Click to expand...
Neither the Israelite man nor the Israelite woman were to be allowed to copy their neighbors' pagan worship rituals. Consider the 15th verse. Just before this one. Both the man and the beast were to be destroyed. Also, remember that this is a more detailed prohibition than the first one of the 18th chapter.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top