AAL’S LABYRINTH HISTORY An Alternative Viewpoint…..contd. #59

 

Wise men of Chaldea

625BCE           NABOPOLASSAR (r. 625-604 BCE) sheikh of a Semitic Chaldean tribe (76) and first king of the New Babylonian Empire, he takes over the Assyrian capital Nineveh, with the help of the Medes and Persians. Thus, independence from the Assyrians is gained for Babylon. This is known as the state of the New Babylon or Chaldea. The latter title probably comes from the naming of the intellectuals as Chaldeans or wise men and referring to  both Babylonians and captured Hebrews Nabopolassar’s son NEBUCHADREZZAR (76) is the second king of the New Babylonian Empire. He continues the rebuilding of Babylon after its destruction by the Assyrians in 689 BCE. New buildings included the ‘Hanging Gardens’, nominated as one of the ‘Seven Wonders of the World’. Possibly these gardens were built on a stepped pyramid called a ziggurat.

‘ Hanging Gardens ‘of Babylon

[An imaginary 19^th century depiction]

609                 JEHOIAKIM king of Judah, the southern kingdom of ancient Israel, from 609 to 598 BCE. When King Josiah died at Megiddo in 609, he was succeeded by his son Jehoahaz.  The Egyptian pharaoh Necho, however, deposed Jehoahaz and placed Jehoiakim, also a son of Josiah, on the throne (II Kings 23). Judah will subsequently come under Babylonian domination, but Jehoiakim will rebel about 601 and then die shortly before Nebuchadnezzar II takes Jerusalem in 597.  The prophet Jeremiah speaks of the reign of Jehoiakim (Jeremiah 36).

Josiah of Juda

[An imaginary 16^th century portrait]

606                 CYAXARES descendant of Median Deioces (708 BCE). He makes an alliance with the Babylonians against the Assyrians. Later, Cyaxares will destroy Nineveh, capital of Assyria, when he annexes Assyria in 612. By this action he extends the Median Empire. (40)

 

c604 BCE        LAO-TSE ancient Chinese sage whose name means ‘old boy’ or ‘venerable philosopher’. He is the founder of the philosophy of Taoism, which is recorded in the T’ao-Teh King’.  Lao-Tse is a contemporary of Confucius upon whom he had some influence.  As librarian and archivist of the royal house of the Chou dynasty, Lao-Tse resided in the capitol of Chow.  Retiring from the world at the distress of its evils, he took up the command of the ‘warden of the outer gate’.

He then put into book form the essence of his teachings, known as the doctrine of ‘The Way’ or ‘Tao’. During his life Lao-Tse attempted to make no converts to the Tao, possibly because he realized that his philosophies were far ahead of his age and that people were not ready to receive such teachings.  Lao-Tse professes to be the transmitter of an earlier knowledge of Hwang-Ti rather than the originator of ‘The Way’ and the ‘I Ching’ or ‘Book of Changes’. Hwang-Ti is the legendary civilizer of China c2704 BCE. (6)

                   Lao-Tse

c600         From the Egyptian cursive writing known as Hieratic, develops an even more cursive from of script known as demotic (of the people). (144). Demotic looks very similar to Hebrew and indeed later research shows that Hebrew ideograms are derived from Egypt.

 

                     The end of the 7^th Century BCE brings the official founding of Dionysiac feasts at Corinth, Sicyon, Athens, (33) whilst in Europe, the ‘Hallstatt’ Culture of the Celtic people is giving way to the ‘La Tene’ culture which is to develop into a highly refined living, as reflected in their art works. The original ‘La Tene’ settlement is by the lake of Neuchâtel, Switzerland and marks a second and more sophisticated period of Celtic culture that is to develop. By 100 BCE this culture will succumb to the growing Roman Empire. [371]

5th century Celtic ornament

RAM FEVER

 ARIES is the first sign of the zodiac circle because it is the sign of the northern spring equinox, which in turn is the point marking the beginning of the natural year. Ancient calendars used this point to start their solar year in contrast to our western artificial calendar, which starts its calendar year in the month of January. 

 

So, with the rushing in of new energies for the start of a new solar year, the Ram was chosen as the symbol of the zodiacal sign of Aries. And Aries has great affinity with the planet Mars, or in astrological speak, Mars is the ruler of Aries.

An image of Mars from Albumasar’s

‘De Magnus Conjunctionibus’ [9^th Century]

Mars is hot and fiery, it is the life driving force that gives initiative to take action, drawing, as all the planets do, its own life from our sun, the hub of our universe. Mars was the planet particularly favoured by the Romans. This accords well with their pagan religion of Mithraism, the religion of fire, fire that makes so much possible in the lives of human beings.

 

We will meet Mars again in his association with the sign Scorpio, but here in Aries, the Martian energy is less complicated and therefore freer to have a more direct and easy expression of itself. Without Mars energy, little or nothing can be accomplished; no one would get out of bed in the morning, or strive for achievement in the world, or make love and generate more babies. Mars is the fighting energy that enables us to push our way through life. Of course too much push can make one very unpopular and too much fire makes an enemy of an otherwise very useful commodity.

 

The secret side of the Ram is seen in the Ancient Egyptian god Khnum who guards one of the 21 portals of the House of Osiris. As an ancient creator god, Khnum moulds man on his potter’s wheel, or as Vulcan, hammers out man on his anvil with the aid of fire.

Khnum guarding a portal.

From the Ancient Egyptian ‘Book of the Dead’.

It takes persistence and courage to get through life, sadly when these ‘thrusting’ qualities are devoid of the human virtues and chivalry, one can descend into pointless war and aggression, instead of fighting for good like King Arthur or Parsifal.

Chivalry: the knight and his lady.