ORDERING OF SPACE, THE PHYSICAL WORLD
Only with the knowledge of an established order in the heavens could Man map the terrestrial regions. By reference to the stars in their immutable order, every location on earth could be described and named, according to the pattern of the heavens.[1] With such a reference Man could traverse land and sea without losing his way. The aleph ve tau was therefore the means by which Man could orient himself in space as well as time.
In fact time could only be determined with reference to a location in space. That is, to tell time on earth, there must be a predetermined point as the prime meridian. From this point, in reference to the pole of the heavens and the equinoctial points, a zenith can be established, that is, a point in the heavens directly above the earthly point. The passage of a predetermined star across this point marks the beginning and end of a time cycle. As we have shown above, for example, for Biblical time-reckoning of the year, that star was no doubt Aldebaran. This event could be predicted with a great deal of precision if the earthly point was a permanent one. That is why the Temple was so important to the community.
The relationship between time-reckoning and an established place is the basis for the similarity in meaning of a cluster of phonosthemes in Biblical Hebrew which have to do with time and space. The word mô‘êd means “…appointed time, place, meeting…1.b. in particular…sacred season…set feast or appointed season…days of appointed season (i.e. festivals)…” An interesting passage is Isaiah 33:20:
Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts! (mô‘êd). Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, an immovable tent, whose stakes will never be plucked up, nor will any of its cords be broken. (RSV)
Naturally speaking, this is interpreted as “the city of our appointed feasts,” for indeed Jerusalem was the appointed place for the gathering of Israel for the feasts of the Old Covenant. I believe, however, that Zion here represents the zenith, the heavenly Pattern for the earthly Jerusalem. The zenith as the point where the prime meridian is crossed by the equinoctial line is the counterpart of the point represented in the mercy seat in the Holy of Holies, in the inner court of the Temple in Jerusalem. The prophets often called Jerusalem “the daughter of Zion,” that is, the copy, not the original. As a fallen city she was called “daughter of Babylon.”
Interpreting Isaiah 33:20 to mean the earthly, fallen Jerusalem, the Jews in AD 70 risked all, thinking that the copy was the original that would never fall. When it did fall, it was as if the sun and moon had been darkened and the stars had fallen from their place, for the people whose faith was in the copy were totally disoriented. Those who trusted in Christ, the true aleph ve tau, (Alpha and Omega), in the heavens that could never be moved, had a secure and steadfast orientation. The true Jerusalem, the Body of Christ, the Church, remained a quiet habitation, the immovable tent, the reference point on earth representing the reality in heaven.
Indeed, we have an indication that Jerusalem was once called “The Aleph”, Joshua 18:28 (AMP), speaking of the cities allotted to the tribe of Benjamin: “Zelah, Haeleph, the Jebusite [city] – that is, Jerusalem – Gibeah, and Kiriath-[jearim]; fourteen cities with their villages….” The ‘Ha-’ is the prefix meaning ‘the’; therefore ‘Haeleph’ means ‘the eleph’. (See Word Study at 1:8.)
The very essence of idolatry is to worship the created rather than the Creator. Those religions whose focus, whose confidence and faith is in the earthly copy, are idol worshippers and are doomed to disappointment and failure as was the Pharisaical Jews of AD 70.
The cluster of stars called ‘the Pleiades’ is also in the constellation Taurus. Nilsson shows that in the reckoning of the sidereal year the most commonly used stars in all primitive societies were the Pleiades (Nilsson, 129). The word translated ‘Pleiades’ in the Bible is from the Hebrew kîymah from the root cûm related to ‘âmâm ‘to gather together, to collect, to join together.’[2] The Pleiades, as a great cluster, is the heavenly Pattern for the gathering of the congregation at the Passover Feast which followed the spring equinox, represented by Aldebaran.
This gathering of the people, was called the ‘âdâh meaning “1….congregation (properly company assembled together by appointment or acting concertedly)… 3. elsewhere of Israel….The ‘êdâh also means ‘testimony, witness.”[3] The congregation gathered to witness the Law of God in the faithfulness of the movements of the time-telling heavens, which Law was a counterpart of the Mosaic and Levitical Laws written upon stone. Part of this celebration was the ritual counting (recounting) of His mighty deeds as recorded in the Scriptures. Certain portions of Scripture were divided in such a way as to serve as counters of the times. These chronicles, or history, of God’s deeds were imitated by the heathen cultures in recording the deeds of their king as a record of the passing of each day and so of the counting of time.
If the point from which the beginning of the year was reckoned was represented by Aldebaran, then the congregation represented the cluster of the Pleiades, following shortly behind Aldebaran.’ Isaiah 43:12: “Ye are my witnesses (‘êdâh).” The congregation was the representation of the image of God, Himself, just as the Temple represented Aldebaran, as the appointed place and time.[4]
Although the lexicons give the root as yâ‘âd I believe this entire cluster of phonosthemes, (of which ‘êdâh is a part), can be traced to the biliteral root ‘âd and this in turn can be related to Assyrian ‘âdu ‘perpetuity (=advancing time… The preposition which has the same orthography, ‘âd, relates to space and time, “…of space …as far as…even unto; of time…until; of degree to suggest a higher or the highest…” (BDB). With another vowel the same form becomes ‘ed, ‘witness, testimony, evidence.’
Yet another form of this word is ‘êduth, (see also Commentary at 1:1 “Revelation: Definition – Hebrew“). Lexical meaning: “…testimony…1. testimony of the Ten Words on the tablets and as a solemn divine charge…; the ark…; the tabernacle…; 2. the code of law in general…”
From this same root is the word ‘âdad ‘count, reckon,…number, period; Aram. ‘idânah, time.
Closely allied to these is the word ‘âdah, as a verb, “pass on, advance…pass by, come…”
With an internal vowel change the biliteral root becomes ‘ûd, a verb meaning ‘return, go about, repeat, do again (Arabic…restore…say again, iterate…’ As a noun, ‘circuit, circle;….’ The same form, (supposed by the lexicons to be from another root however), means ‘bear witness…’
With different internal vowel change it becomes ‘ôd, as a substantive meaning ‘a going round, continuance…1.b. Expressing addition or repetition…’
There are traces of the movement of the prime meridian, no doubt to follow the precession of the equinox before the calculations were perfected. At one period of time the zenith was thought to be over Elam, (Olcott, 6). From the same priestly tradition it may have later been established over Ur in the time preceding Abraham‘s era. Abraham’s father was Terach, meaning ‘delay,’ according to Gesenius, but perhaps from the root yerach meaning ‘moon,’ or ‘month.’ Being from Ur of the Chaldees, the name may indicate that he was of the priestly class who were dedicated to time-reckoning by the moon.[5] His name, Delay, may indicate that the equinox was delayed and no longer appeared as calculated over Ur because of the precession of the equinox.
This fact may be part of the reason Abraham was called out of Ur to “a place which I will cause you to see.” That place is later found to be Mount Moriah, the Mount of Seeing. The promise to Abraham that he would inherit this land gave him reason to establish a point from which to reckon time and from which he would establish a zenith and prime meridian for his calculations.
The city of Ur was at one time known as “the City of Light,” (Ur means ‘light’), and there is an extant copy of the lament for the fall of that city, which in some respects is similar to the Lament over the fall of Jerusalem which we know as the book of Lamentations.[6] These laments are structured according to the letters of the alphabet. This suggests that the book of Revelation, while not a lament but rather a praise, celebrates the heavenly “City of Light,” the New Jerusalem, Zion, in relationship to the fall of the city which had once been the “City of Light” on the earth. The earthly Zion has now become Zanah, a harlot. The physical corollary of this “fall” is represented by the fact that the equinoctial point did indeed move on. This illustrates how the time-reckoning phenomena were used as a symbol.[7]
The writer of Hebrews is referring to this history of the precession of the equinox when he says of Abraham: “For he looked forward to the city which has foundations,[8] whose builder and maker is God.” (11:10 RSV). And although: “Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city which is to come,” (13:14), “You have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,” (12:22). He is picturing the mo`ed in the heavens of which every earthly copy is but a poor and perishable imitation.
The ancient city of Elam, as the “City of Light,” from whence the zenith was reckoned in those distant days, has probably given its name to the word for ‘eternity’, ‘ôwlam.[9] The words for Elam, the city, and for ‘ôlam, ‘eternity’, have the same radicals but different vowels. ‘Ôlam, as defined by Brown, Driver, Briggs, is from the root ‘âlam meaning ‘world, age, creation, time, remote time.’ Some researchers see it as from ‘âlam No. I, meaning ‘the hidden,’ or ‘to conceal.’
Gesenius gives the sense of ‘ôlam as “A) …what is hidden; specially hidden time, long; eternity, perpetuity…(1) of time long past…(2) …future time…(c) the metaphysical idea of eternity..”
The idea of hidden, or unfathomable time, perhaps meant that this culture had attained the knowledge of the time cycles so completely that they could calculate time without being able to see the time-indicators, as for example, the new moon. It would also indicate an awareness of “cosmic time,” that is, time as expressed by the speed of light, beyond observation.
I believe they did indeed have this concept of time that was even more advanced than that of Greece or Rome, that of time as Light. At any rate, they did discover the precession of the equinox and realized that the zenith did not remain over Elam, but moved farther west at the rate of approximately one degree per century. (Or, depending upon your sources, fifteen degrees each 2300 years!)
[1] Orientation in space had to do not only with a fixed and established point, such as the temple, but also with navigation. By charting the earth with latitude and longitude lines in relation to the stars, navigation into strange territories was made possible. Some of the figures made popular by ancient myths may have been drawn as outlines of coastlines so that ships could find their way. The long coast of Palestine was called Cepha, or ‘daughter of the rocks.’ The long chain or ridge of rocks was similar to the outline of the chain of Andromeda, the constellation. Navigators could steer by this outline and avoid the rocks. The constellation called Aquarius may be the outline of the coast of South America.
The constellation Aries, called “Al–Hamal” by the Arabs is much used in navigation. Its beta star, Greek name Arietos, was called by the Arabs “Sharatan” meaning ‘a sign.’ The Hebrews called it “Teli”. The constellation Aquarius may have been described in order to indicate a rough map of South America. (See Olcott, 57, 59-60).
The brightest star in the constellation Aquila is Al-tair from which mariners take the moons distance for computing longitude at sea. Aquila, the Eagle, is always associated with the “Arrow.” Aquila in ancient Sumerian-Akkadian was called “Alula,” the great spirit, a symbol of the noontide sun. In Hebrew it was called “Neshr“, an Eagle. Arabs called it “Al-`Okab” (ibid., 47).
[2] Ges. Lexicon, 639. BDB gives the meaning of the root cum as ‘heap up, accumulate; heap; herd.’ (465).
[3] BDB from the root yâ‘âd, but see cognate words and phonosthemes.
[4] The “idol god” of Egypt named mâ‘ât may have represented the concept of mô‘êd, (Nilsson, Primitive Time Reckoning, 342).
[5] He was, however, an idolater according to Joshua 24:2. This indicates that he was worshipping the created rather than the Creator. He, like the Jews who later worshipped the Temple and the land, failed to recognize that the reality was in the heavens.
[6] See Piotr Michalowski, The Lamentation over the Destruction of Sumer and Ur, For the Series: Mesopotamian Civilizations, (Winona Lake, Eisenbrauns, 1989).
[7] Ulansey has shown convincingly that Mithraism has as its basis the discovery of the movement of the equinoctial point.
The movement of the point is relative to that which was established in the past. It can be determined from any point on earth, of course, but the ancient time-recorders had been keeping the record at least from the time that the point was reckoned as over Elam. Abraham was one of the heirs of that ancient time-telling tradition.
[8] Perhaps “elements”. Malina says that ‘foundation’ is a synonym for ‘element’ or ‘basic constituent.’ Either of these terms can refer to signs of the “zodiac,” i.e., the heavenly alphabet in Hebrew, (Genre and Message, 241)
[9] Olcott says that stellar lore, (called Sabianism) was originated by the Akkadians (=highlanders, or mountaineers) from Elam or Susianna to the east of Assyria, and that they also originated writing and “civilization.” The Chaldeans had observatories, (ziggurats), in all their large cities. There were many shrines located atop terraces for this purpose. The stars were named and numbered by this time. The zenith was thought to be over Elam (Olcott, 6).
The Babylonian tablets reveal that the Akkadian signs, sphere, and “zodiac” were introduced prior to 3,000 B.C.
[10] But this is disputed by Neugebauer.
[11] Whiston‘s note (p. 75, note on 3.7.7) says this description is taken from Philo and is “fitted to Gentile philosophical notions.” This is no doubt true, but how else could the idea have been translated for the Greeks? Whiston points out that in Josephus‘ Wars 7.5.5, he makes the seven-branched candlestick an emblem of the seven days of creation and rest instead of the seven planets as in Antiquities. I believe there need not have been a discrepancy here if we realize that the days and the planets were named the same.
[12] C. G. Montefiore and H. Loewe, A Rabbinic Anthology, (London, Macmillan, 1938), 511.