Samson's Riddle, Steeped in Honeyed Words

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Samson's Riddle, Steeped in Honeyed Words

Postby dragonsteeth » Thu 04 Sep 2014 10:51 pm

Writing in "The Bible and the Monuments", ( Eyre and Spottiswoode, London,1895) St. Chad Boscawen noted that the Eater of Samson's Riddle brings to mind Irkalla. Irkalla was the land of death and abode of Eriskigal Babylonian goddess of Venus.

Recognising this element of astral symbolism takes us a long way towards understanding the original meaning of the Riddle.

The Mesopotamian god of Mars was the winged lion Nergal (Boscawen p.158). Called the strong one amongst the gods, and like the heroes Samson and Hercules who share many characteristics with the Martian astral deity, Nergal was renowned for his prodigious strength. (Ev Cochrane Aeon Vol 1).

The strong of the Riddle points straight to this Babylonian god of Mars, but the key to the Riddle's meaning lies with the 'sweetness' from the second part of the text in Judges 14:14. The sweetness is not the sweetness of bees and honey, it is the sweetness of the ambrosial 'manna' of Exodus which sustained the Israelites even in the Valley of the Shadow of death. The correct answer to the Riddle is 'Manna'.

The Riddle is of critical importance to Hebrew studies as it provides an independent Scriptural reference for the story of the magical bread of Heaven provided by the Saviour of Exodus.

It is the tradition of the provision of 'manna' by the Shekinah, or guiding light in Exodus which is celebrated in the Christian Mass. This ritual is mirrored by the Riddle in which the astral god Nergal/Mars, and perhaps Eriskigal, godddess of Venus, that were identified as providers of the magical ambrosial food.

Howard Jones
dragonsteeth
 
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