[강 - 삶의 무대]_주원준박사의 구약성경과 신들_14회

The Hebrew word for river is ‘Nahar.’ It is a very familiar word, appearing more than 120 times in the Old Testament. This word refers to geographical rivers as well as being used as a mythological symbol. In the latter case, the ‘river’ is closely linked to the ‘sea.’ Rivers provide water. The four great civilizations of mankind—the Yellow River, the Indus, the Nile, and Mesopotamia—all originated from rivers. Where water, essential for the ‘conditions of life,’ flows, vegetation grows, and civilization flourishes. Therefore, reverence for rivers can be found in almost every religion. People of the Ancient Near East felt awe toward rivers. In other words, they possessed a ‘special affection’ for them. They served nature with a mindset vastly different from the modern rational worldview. They lived in a profound ‘world of meaning’ where deep reflections and confessions regarding rivers had accumulated. People of the Ancient Near East believed that divinity resided in specific rivers, such as the Nile and the Euphrates. The Nile is the lifeline of Egypt. This river is called 'Yeor' in Hebrew and 'Neilos' in Greek, both of which are rooted in ancient Egyptian words meaning 'period' or 'season.' Thus, the name of the Nile River means 'a season' or '(returning) period,' and is related to the period when the river floods once a year. In short, the essence of the Nile is flooding. Most gods of the ancient Near East are personified deities based on natural phenomena. Interestingly, in the case of the Nile, the river itself is not personified; only its 'flooding' is. The name of this 'god of the Nile's flooding' is 'Hapi.' As depicted in the image, this god has a bulging belly and, although male, possesses large breasts like a goddess. Papyrus bushes grow on his head, and he holds plants in his hands. Hapi has been depicted as a pair of Upper Nile and Lower Nile since the 19th Dynasty of the New Kingdom of ancient Egypt (to which Rameses II belonged). Hapi, the god of the Nile's flooding, is a god of vitality and fertility associated with the primordial abyss. The Hebrews, having endured long periods of slavery in Egypt, were familiar with Egyptian culture. Therefore, they would have been well aware of the religious significance of the Nile and of Hapi. However, the Old Testament remains silent regarding this god Hapi. Instead, it describes the flooding of the Nile not as an event of Hapi, but as a manifestation of God's power. The ancient Near East is home to two of the oldest of humanity's four great civilizations. Among them, "Mesopotamia" is the region situated between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers. But when exactly was this region named based on these two rivers? It is thanks to the ancient Greeks that this name spread throughout the world. Following Semitic tradition, the Greeks "translated" this region as "Mesopotamia" ("between the two rivers"). Thus, this expression entered the Bible as well. The two rivers, the Euphrates and the Tigris, already possessed divinity even before the Sumerian era. Both rivers held sacred status in the ancient Near East. The names of these two rivers were themselves the names of gods. In ancient Babylonian names, terms such as "Mar-Purattim" (son of Euphrates) and "Ummi-Idiklat" (Tigris is my mother) appear relatively frequently. However, the divinity of these two rivers weakened over time. In later texts, these two rivers are no longer mentioned as gods but are used merely as place names. Why is this? It is precisely because of the god Enki. Enki was one of the seven principal gods from the Sumerian era, the son of the supreme god Anu (the sky god), and the father of Dumuzi, the god of fertility. Enki's Akkadian name is Ea, and he is also the father of Marduk, who later ascended to the position of supreme god. Enki is a benevolent and good god. Looking at the painting, a river where fish frolic flows over Enki's shoulder, and a plant (the Tree of Life?) grows on his hat. He gives the impression of a benevolent grandfather with a long beard. In the ancient Near East, Enki was the god of the fertile underground waters who regularly caused floods to make the land fertile; he was also a benevolent deity who always helped those in need, solved their problems, and healed the sick. As a representative benevolent god, Enki was greatly loved by the public. It seems that because such an influential Enki firmly represented the divinity of the river, the divinity of these two rivers was relatively weakened. However, traces of ‘Enki,’ who wielded immense influence in the ancient Near East—a region with such strong influence—can hardly be found in the Old Testament. #DrJooWonJun #OldTestament #OldTestamentAndGods #CatholicPeaceBroadcasting #cpbc ========================================= Broadcast Mission ARS Donation: 060-706-1004 (5,000 won per call) 060-706-4004 (10,000 won per call) Donation Inquiries: 1588-2597 http://www.cpbc.co.kr/home/support/su... Daily Mass Int...