My last post was on Hebrew Literary Form in the Book of Mormon, centered primarily on chiasmus, but there are a number of these ancient Hebrew literary forms that existed (see the linked material in the prior post).
The precision, neatness, and simplicity of these literary forms are proof of the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, it is an elegant work.
How chiasmus was found in the Book of Mormon was that the young John Welch learned of chiasmus in the bible as a missionary, and began searching for the same patterns in the Book of Mormon, and there they were.
There are three tools in Jewish mysticism that orthodox LDS scholars may steer clear of, because the mere mention of them could create a perceived link between the author and the dreaded and feared Cabala (Kabbalah).
Within Cabalistic teaching there are three tools (among other tools) that are employed; Notaricon, Gemetria (Gematria), and Temurah. To the degree they are properly used, and where the excesses start, I will leave that to the reader to decide. My purpose here is only to demonstrate that beneath the surface of the scriptures, there is a lot going on. (Explanation of Notaricon, Gemetria, and Temurah)
These tools work in Hebrew, but not in English, and the Book of Mormon was written in Reformed Egyptian. So there are some major complexities, but I think someone qualified should study these Hebrew Literary Forms to see if any of these forms ever existed, and if they survived, in the Book of Mormon.
This study could also argue for or against the legitimacy of the study of Notaricon, Gemetria, and Temurah in the bible.
And, if these forms are found in the Book of Mormon, what insights could they convey? This could be a gold mine, or an empty cave, but we will never know until we take a look.
21 comments:
I am really curious now. I will go read some more about those tools. I wonder what is so scary about Kabbalah.
Mckenzi:
This Cabala question is interesting. In my opinion, what is really important to understand is the oral traditions of the Jews, which is the basis for Jewish Mysticism, including the "learning of the Jews" that Nephi spoke of (chiasum, parallelism, and the temple).
Thru time, more and more corruptions entered into this body of teachings. Then with the current fad of following what some people call Cabala, no respected scholar wants to be linked to Cabala, especially not a BYU professor. And who can blame them, LDS people tend to be very conservative by culture, the professors need to sell books and stand pier reviews. A link to Cabala is not going to help this. Hugh Nibley got away with it, but who else can?
I think Prof. Hamblin could.
I think there is great knowledge to be had by this kind of study of the Book of Mormon, but I fear we are held back by the traditions of of protestant fathers.
Mormonism has much more kinship to Jewish Mysticism than our protestant culture, but not all Mormons are comfortable with this likeness (if they even know it exists).
If you are interested in an introduction to these topics, may I suggest my latest book "Mormon Mysticism" which you can download in PDF format, on the main page of my site (or see it in HTML), almost at the top where is says "Mormon Mysticism The Book" just under my picture. It is an easy read.
I welcome your critical review.
Thank you for this answer. Yes, I print out your book. I have it here and I'm interested in reading it. I'm going to go check out who Prof. Hamblin is now.
Mckenzi:
Great, I hope you enjoy it.
I am very proud of the book actually. I won't guarantee that you will like it, but I will guarantee that you have never read a book like it.
Not everyone like it, I am interested in you honest review.
-David
Hey Mckenzi:
Just checking on how your reading is coming.
-David
oop. Hi! Will see. Having a full week. Is there a way to be notified by email comments to a thread? I found this by accident.
McKenzi:
Yes there is a way to be notified with follow-up comments. When you post a comment, on the right sidebar there will be a checkbox that says "Email follow-up comments to" and if you check that you should get all comments on that post.
I believe you can also just go to the post by clicking on the post title, then at the very bottom of the page is a "Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)" and if you click it, you should get all the comments on that post.
Thanks,
-David
????????? Quaballah-Calala-Kaballa
"I think there is great knowledge to be had by this kind of study of the Book of Mormon, but I fear we are held back by the traditions of of protestant fathers.
Mormonism has much more kinship to Jewish Mysticism than our protestant culture, but not all Mormons are comfortable with this likeness (if they even know it exists)."
Lets see, the Godless and the Jewish Witches are More Mormon Like than the Protestants.Is that Good or Bad??
The Jewish Mystics are so Lost in thought that God is a Giant Mystery. Un content to Know God, But happy to cast stones at the Lord, Hang Him on a tree and reduce God to the"Unknown God" and make God a Mystery.
If you buy the Quaballa you may well be in the Dump of Jewish Gnosticism/Mysticism. and a Dump it is.
What does Mysticism-Gnosticism-Esoteric study really have to Offer? Hidden Knowledge ?
Take the Grand Masters and Rabbis.
Which of them Will Declare Jesus is Christ?
Those who proclaim the "Secret Knowledge"
Who or which of them will come forward and say
"Repent and Believe in Jesus Christ and you Shall be Saved"
Which of these Mystics seek or sought for the Gifts of the Holy Ghost?
Which of these Devils Declare Jesus as Christ?
None Do as they are children of the Devil and the Truth (Jesus Christ.The Way,The Truth and the Light and Life) has no place in them.
I AM THAT "I AM"
and thou shalt call His Name( Jesus Christ)
Jehovah the Saviour for He (Jehovah) shall save his People.
In the Beginning God....
In the Beginning was the Jehovah and was Made flesh and dwelt among Us.
The Lord said Unto my "LORD"
The Jews Were rebuked by Jesus/Jehovah for having become Children of the Devil and Told the Jews if they were Gods children The would have accepted him as Christ.
It is a Stretch of the Devils Hand to Make Linkage to the Cabal of the Dark Lords of Cabala. and refer to the Quaballa (Jewish Mysticism-Gnosticism-Esoteric)
"Traditions/Learning of the Jews" that Nephi Spoke of
Nibley and Hamblin are not Gods anointed.
The Mystics.The Gnostics.The Esoterics.
See God as Dead. They see God as the
"Unknown God" who they will create.
They neither see, say or declare Jesus as Christ.
The have a Form of Godliness But deny Jesus as Christ and the Power there of (Holy Ghost Revelation) that is why they are let to there own vices of Much learning and never Coming to the Knowledge that Jesus is Christ.
"no respected scholar wants to be linked to Cabala, especially not a BYU professor. And who can blame them, LDS people tend to be very conservative by culture,"
Annon Said:
“What does Mysticism-Gnosticism-Esoteric study really have to Offer? Hidden Knowledge ?”
I have not defended Gnosticism anywhere herein. I did write a brief section on Gnosticism in Mormon Mysticism, the book. You can see that section here: Gnosticism.
So, if the questions is what does Mysticism study have to offer, I would say, Everything. Using the word mysticism in the sense that it is the things of God, hid from the profane, but revealed to the righteous, it is where all that God has is promised to His righteous children.
Mysticism is the receipt of the Abrahamic Covenant.
-David
Annon Said:
“Take the Grand Masters and Rabbis._Which of them Will Declare Jesus is Christ?_Those who proclaim the "Secret Knowledge"_Who or which of them will come forward and say_"Repent and Believe in Jesus Christ and you Shall be Saved"_Which of these Mystics seek or sought for the Gifts of the Holy Ghost?”
David Says:
When you ask about the Grand Masters, who are you referring to? Adam, Abraham, Moses, Ezekiel, John, or Joseph? While I don’t use the phrase “Grand Masters,” if I was going to use that phrase, these are some of who I would include in that list.
So I am unsure of what straw man you are setting up, but you can set it and knock it down all you want, because I am sure who you think are Grand Master, are not the same people I have in mind.
-David
The Grand Masters are Legion for they are Many.
They are the fruit and vine of freemasonry.
Albert Pike Grand Commander, Elias Levi, Masons, Master Masons. Manly P Hall and Aliester Crowley are Pure Luciferians, Childern of the Serpent, enlighten are they.
Master of Mysteries and the Cabala, and Did not Confess Christ. Of what worth is their Rants and Raves Without the Witness of the Christ.
Jesus/Jehovah is the Alpha and the Omega
or the First and Last in Word and deed Indeed.
The Kaballah Like Masonry and the Dark Lords.
Does not Declare Messiah/Christ, and is a "book"
written by those who Openly Deny Messiah.
They are the manifestation of Qaballah.
Surely Nephi was not envisioning Drunk Rabbis in the Dark Ages, Writing psyco-babel in the basement.
The Devil reaches far and wide
It seems so fashionable and chic to follow the Likes of Madonna and other celebs in their New persuits of enlightenment and learning.
"Thru time, more and more corruptions entered into this body of teachings. Then with the current fad of following what some people call Cabala,"
It is Rather odd that the Masons are forbidden to Pray (at the Lodge or Temple) in the Name of Messiah/Christ-Jesus/Jehovah.
The "FREE"Masons make such a big to-do of the
"HOUSE OF THE TEMPLE" and Mention not the
LORD who's HOUSE it is. Wonder why???
For the Best in GODLESSNESS
may the Sith Lord MAXIMUS DARKNESS
Manely P. Hall present to you the Path of the Lost
THE SECRET TEACHING OF ALL AGES
http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/secret_teachings_of_all_ages/table_of_contents.htm
Mysteries and Secret Teachings? Who's?
"Mormonism has much more kinship to Jewish Mysticism than our protestant culture, but not all Mormons are comfortable with this likeness (if they even know it exists)."
Is that GOOD or BAD
It is Neither. It is a Lie and a Stretch of the Facts.
Later in Joseph Smith's life He started to Embrace Things Egyptian, Freemasonry and Hanging around with a few Rabbi friends. Was that Pleasing to the Lord and was it all good?
The FIRST 1st Vision was the Father and Son.
Not a rabbi, and the Book of Mormon is a Witness of Jesus Christ. The Cabala is Not a witness of the Father or the Son.
Mormons were Bible Based . New Testament/Old
Joseph Smith never Translated the Cabala
( JST Kaballa)
Another Leap is your Term" Jewish Mysticism"!!!! and trying to infer it means "learning of the Jews"
There are indeed "mysteries" of God and Holyness
But trying to conjure up the Qaballah and insert the doctrine of Devils and men into the house of the Lord is a NO! NO!
It is a sandy foundation on which the word "Cabala"
is based, in the beginning it makes a nice introduction but ends up Godless and Void of
EMANUAL or "God is With US"
And Found not is EL-IZA-BETH the "House of GOD"
This Cabala question is interesting. In my opinion, what is really important to understand is the oral traditions of the Jews, which is the basis for Jewish Mysticism, including the "learning of the Jews" that Nephi spoke of (chiasum, parallelism, and the temple).
The Cabalah was first taught by God himself to a select company of angels, who formed a theosophic school in Paradise. After the Fall, the angels most graciously communicated this heavenly doctrine to the disobedient child of earth, to furnish the protoplasts With the means of returning to their pristine nobility and felicity. From Adam it passed over to Noah, and then to Abraham, the friend of God, who emigrated with it to Egypt, where the patriarch allowed a portion of this mysterious doctrine to ooze out. It was in this way that the Egyptians obtained some knowledge of it, and the other Eastern nations could introduce it into their philosophical systems..........
Buxtorf (Lexicon of the Talmud) defines the Cabala to be a secret science, which treats in a mystical and enigmatical manner of things divine, angelical, theological, celestial, and metaphysical; the subjects being enveloped in striking symbols and secret modes of teaching. Much use is made of it in the advanced degrees, and entire Rites have been constructed on its principles. Hence it demands a place in any general work on Freemasonry.
http://www.phoenixmasonry.org/mackeys_encyclopedia/c.htm
Maybe we should all become a Witch and a Mason
or Hang out with Madonna!!!!!!
Anon wrote- "The Jewish Mystics are so Lost in thought that God is a Giant Mystery." and "The Mystics.The Gnostics.The Esoterics. See God as Dead. They see God as the "Unknown God" who they will create."
ES- Wow Anon you are REALLY trying hard to get a flame war started here. I have studied Kabbalah, Cabalah, and Qabbalah for a number of years. I have read volumes 1-3 of the Pritzker Edition of the Zohar the Sepher Yetzirah and other Kabbalistic texts. I have also read Cabalistic literature from the Renaissance and Enlightenment period. Further I have read a fair amount of Qabbalistic literature as well. Your characterization of these mystical threads is frankly downright humorous. It frankly made me giggle and guffaw reading what you wrote.
"mischaracterized Kabbalah have you :-)"
"Taken in like fish have you been by antimasonic literature :-)"
As one who HAS walked the path of the Etz Chiam, I can tell you that those who have walked the Kabbalistic Netivot would NOT say that they worship the "Giant Mystery," or a "Dead," or "Unknown" God. The whole point of ascending and descending the Etz Chiam is to come to know God. You absolutely crack me up Anon.
Anon - "Which of them Will Declare Jesus is Christ?"
I do! So does every Cabbalist.
Anon - "Those who proclaim the 'Secret Knowledge' Who or which of them will come forward and say 'Repent and Believe in Jesus Christ and you Shall be Saved'
I do! Hmmmm ... the same can be said for all of the Cabbalists. The same can be said for a fair number of Qabbalists that I know as well.
Anon - "Which of these Mystics seek or sought for the Gifts of the Holy Ghost?"
I do! The same can be said of each and every person I have known who has travelled the netivot.
Extra "Logos"
God's Good News,The Gospel.
11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment;
"I have studied Kabbalah, Cabalah, and Qabbalah for a number of years"
"Cabala" is not the Gospel as "IT" is Not a Witness of
Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Christians and Mormons both share the premise that if you are not the Devils Child, and that you Beleive in God,That you would believe in Christ and If you Believe in Christ you will also Beleive in the Book of Mormon.
10 And now, my beloved brethren, and also Jew, and all ye ends of the earth, hearken unto these words and believe in Christ; and if ye believe not in these words believe in Christ. And if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good.
11 And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things, notwithstanding my weakness.
12 And I pray the Father in the name of Christ that many of us, if not all, may be saved in his akingdom at that great and last day.
Cabala is Not LOGOS
Does it not all revert back to PI and PHI?
Then God said, "Let there be light".
What was the word of God? Was it sound to light? Like "OM"?
Therefor I am led to get the idea that PI is the word of God.
As ISIS is speech.
And from what I gather, is that the Tree of Life, is not the right set up. It is supposed to look like the superman symbol. The diamond looking symbol.
I also want to mention that it makes more sense that they were astral traveling than anything. All those astral temples and down below where the sound does not escape when they play music and chant etc.
I am really starting to see the astral traveling in the glyphs.
One day people will realise they worship the Sun and Math like PI and PHI.
and kabbalah starts with a Q not a K or a C.
Jew-ish mysticism was made to scramble the truth so you would not get the whole truth only half. That is why it is only Jew"ish".
You-ish.
Good luck.
-skydiamond-
To David Littlefield (and others),
At this time, I'd like to address your statement that "Gematria doesn't work in English (regarding scripture). It certainly does! Simple(74) English(74) Gematria(74) with GOD=7_4 is a proof in itself. (A=1...Z=26, O=15 or zerO) That fact that using 'A-B-C becomes 1-2-3'(74) gives us religion=74, Jewish=74, Jesus=74, Messiah=74, Cross=74, Gospel=74, preacher=74, pastor=74, parables=74 is strong proof by itself and I'm far from finished(74) making my point(74).
I presented a one-page paper/poster at a NASA Conference in Pasadena last April. It makes the connect(74)ion between(74) this 7_4 phenomenon in English, religion, and science. Please check it out. It can be found at: http://exep.jpl.nasa.gov/exep_exoMtgPosters.cfm
- Brad Watson, Miami, FL - author of 'There Are No Coincidences': the "book/scroll" from The Revelation 5:1-10:10 with the "7 seals" ('beyond Einstein' scientific theories) on the cover
Brad Watson:
Very interesting comment!
My comment was really meant that if Gematria exists in Hebrew, Reformed Egyptian, or some other language in a text, like the Book of Mormon, don't have to high of hopes that that Gematria will carry through into our English translation.
But, if we could reconstruct what was likely the words used in the original languages we might find the text does/did carry Gematria, which would be a great apologetic tool, and could convey additional insights we never imagined.
Regarding the number 74 and it being embedded into English, that's very interesting! I will look at that a little closer.
Thank you!
David
Hey David!
I almost forgot to come back and read your response. By the way, I remember seeing on TV after I wrote to you that a meteor landed in Salt Lake City and it was recorded on video. The media showed it a couple of times. I wrote a book entitled: 'There Are No Coincidences'. Hum!
Although the #74 is very important in Simple(74) English(74) Gematria(74), it certainly isn't the only important number. Besides #7, #40 is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, beginning with Noah where it rains for 40 days & 40 nights. We'd find that in Genesis 7:4. Hum! Let's take a look at the name: 'David' = D4 + a1 +v22 +i9 +d4 = 40. Most know the story of the biblical David and how he kills Goliath. But few know that Goliath came out and challenged the Israelites for 40 days before David answered his challenge! And King David was ruler(74) for 40 years. So, is it 'coincidence' that the name David (in English) = 40 or is it by design? And if its not a 'coincidence', then who designed it?!
- Brad Watson, Miami, FL
The angels that communicated with Kelley in the crystal identified themselves as the same group of angelic beings who had instructed the biblical patriarch Enoch after Enoch was carried alive up into heaven. Because of the myth that Enoch had never died, but had been taken into heaven while still alive, over the centuries numerous occult books had been written that were attributed to his authority. The most famous of these is the Hebrew Book of Enoch, which is mainly concerned with the fall of the rebel angels from heaven.
The angels informed Dee through Kelley that Dee had been chosen to receive the true heavenly magic that had been taught by them in ages past to Enoch, in order that Dee could transmit their system of magic to human being who might be worthy to receive it.
The angels then dictated, in bits and pieces that are out of their correct sequence, an incredibly complex system of ceremonial high magic that is based on a set of magic squares containing a mixture of letters and numbers. This system of Enochian magic has come down to the present thanks to the miraculous preservation of Dee and Kelley's occult diaries.
The Great Table consists of four magic squares called Watchtowers, each twelve columns by thirteen rows in size. These squares are linked to the four directions of the compass: east, south, west and north. Each cell of these squares holds a letter. The four Watchtowers are joined together at the points of the compass by a cross of squares, known as the Black Cross, which also contains letters -- the letters on the Black Cross, when collected together in the form of a magic square of four rows and five columns of letters, are known as the Tablet of Union. The Watchtowers were used individually and separately by the members of the Golden Dawn, but were not employed in the form of the Great Table.
I've been researching codes and ciphers and your articles are very enlightening.
I have a question, which I can't seem to find the answer for.
How did Joseph Smith in his translation of the Bible not notice in Jeremiah, the Atbash code?
Not to belittle Joseph or the Mormon church. I look forward to your response.
Atbash, Kabbalah, Temurah and Gematria are related using ciphers and codes, as well as Anagrams are used in the Bible.
In the Bible
ATBASH ăt’ băsh (אתבשׁ). A cryptic device for writing Heb. The first letter, aleph (א) was substituted for the last letter, tau (ת), the second letter, bēth (ב) for the next to last letter, shin (שׁ), etc. No intensive study of atbash in the Bible has been made, but scholars believe there are at least three cases in Jeremiah.
Jeremiah 25:26 – "The king of Sheshach shall drink after them" – Sheshach meaning Babylon in Atbash (ששך=בבל)
Jeremiah 51:1 – "Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against the inhabitants of Lev-kamai, a destroying wind." – Lev-kamai meaning Chaldeans (לבקמי=כשדים)
Jeremiah 51:41 – "How has Sheshach been captured! and the praise of the whole earth taken! How has Babylon become a curse among the nations!" - Sheshach meaning Babylon (ששך=בבל)
Secrecy cannot be the reason for the use of atbash in Jeremiah 51 since the ch. contains plain references to Babylon. Keil suggests that atbash was employed to produce significant double meanings in 51:1, 41, deriving Sheshach from a root שׁכשׁך, “to sink, to crouch,” unattested in OT.
Atbash is further mentioned in the Talmud, Midrash and Kabbala.
One other question, oral teachings of the Torah are a second part of understanding, not taught in the written version of the Torah? What are those teachings and how do you learn them?
The Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy)
is the foundation of all Scripture.
This being the case, an inadequate or
erroneous understanding of the Torah makes
it much more difficult
to come to a proper understanding
of the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures, not
to mention the New Testament (which
is based on Torah). For this reason the
Jewish sages devised a system for
studying the Torah.
According to ancient records, this practice was begun
by Ezra (a Priest and Scribe) after the
Jewish captives had returned from
Babylon.
During the time of Y'shua, (Jesus)
two different cycles of reading were in
use. One cycle was accomplished in
one year's time, the other took three
years to complete.
~ Torah Reading Forbidden ~
During the reign of Antiochus
Epiphanies (ruled from 175-164 BCE),
the Jewish people were forbidden to
read the Torah or to circumcise their
children. Anyone caught doing so was
put to death. Many were martyred
because they circumcised their children.
However, they managed to get around
the prohibition concerning Torah
reading in a very resourceful way.
They set up a cycle of readings in the
Nevi'im (The Prophets) which reminded
them, in some way, of the
Torah portion that was normally read that
particular Sabbath. The connection
might be a reference to a story found in
the Torah reading or even a single word
that reminded them of that week's
Torah passage (called a parasha in Hebrew).
After reading this
Torah substitute, one of the men would say;
"Oh, that reminds me of the story
about...," and off they would go into a
discussion about that week's
Torah portion without having broken the law
against reading Torah. These portions
from the Nevi'im became known as the
Haftarah, which means"other readings."
Thank you very cool article
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