The Watchtower Society and John and Morton Edgar - A2Z.org

and as it is a priucip!e in every religion that the highpriest wears the insignia of the god whom he serves,the Egyptian high priest wore a leopard's skln whenomciating on all importarit occasions. This article ofapparel was intended to commemorate some outstandingevent in connection with the god Osiris; for alltl~e strange clothing and head-gear of the heathen godsand priests were signs or symbols intended to conveysome meaning to those who were educated to understandthem-that is, to the " initiated." We who areinitiated into the mysteries of God's glorious plan ofthe Ages (Mark 4 : 11). have an understanding of thesymbolisms of the garments of the Iewirh high priests.The name Nimrod niealls literally " The subduer ofthe leopard,," being Cerived from ninar "a leopard,"and rad "to subdue. In these ancient days muchsignificance was attached to names, as students 03 theBible are aware. Nimrod's name, therefore, impliedthat his fame as a hunter rested mainly on the fact thathe had discovered the art of training the leopard toaid him in hunting the other wild beasts. A particularkind of leopard, named the cheetah, is used for huntingin India even at this day. When we find that Osirisand his priests are represented arrayed in leopard'sskins, we may be sure that deep meaning was attachedto this costume; we believe that it was intended toconvey to the initiates the understanding that theirgod Osiris was in reality Nimrod, tile renownedaLLeopard-tamer." It is well known that Nimrod orNinus, on becoming mighty, extended his dominion.conquering Egypt, in addition to other countries.Piutarch says,, there was a tradition among theEgyptians that Osiris was black (De Isid, et Os.,Vol. ii, p. 359). -4s the Egyptians were dark peoplethemselves, the blackness of Osiris must have been