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

470 The Cjoh Age fur May 11, 1921- -Mythology and the Bible (Part One)By Morton Edgm (Glasgow)T MAY be asked: What possible connectionI in there between Mythology and the BibletThe Bible is "the Word of Truth"; but is notmyth an untruth?Notice, however, that many of the anaieatmythiaal tales have a substratum of historicalfmt. Much in them that appears fabulous andnonsensical on the surfaoe, proves on carefulinvestigation to have a hidden meaning.That the ancient nations of Baby' Egypt,Greece, and others, were highly civilized irdemonstrated by the remains of their wonderfularchitecture, the style of which cannot beimproved upon even by the advanced nationaof our day. Such cultured people must havehad some reason, satisfactory to themselves, toinduce them to worship their mythical gode.The Bible throws light upon this question;and a knowledge of Mythology aids us to understanda number of very obscure tests of theScriptures.- 7 -Smiptural Recogitwn of Haathen GodsIn giving the law to the Israelites, the Lordcommanded them on no account to worship thegods of the other nations. But we read of manyinstances where they deliberately disregardedthis injunction, and were in consequence pnnisheduntil they returned to Him, the only tmeGod. Jeremiah records a case in point (44: Lb-19,25) : "As for the word that thou hast spokenunto us in the name of the Lord, we will nothearken nnto thee, but we will certainly dowhatsoever thing goeth forth out of our ownmouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven,and to pour out drink offerings unto her,as w-e have done, we, and our fathers, our kings,and our princes, in the cities of Jodah, and inthe streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plentyof 'victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.But ajnce we left off to burn incense to thequeen of heaven, and to pour out drink offeringsunto her, we have wanted all things, andhave been consumed by the sword and by thefamine. And when we burned inoense to thequeen ohheaven," etc. See alsa Jeremiah 7: 17,19: "Sew thou not what the7 do in the dtlerof Jndah and in the etreeta of Jerusaleml Theahildren gather wood, and the fathers kindlethe are, and the wclrnen kneed their dough, tomake cakes to the queen of heaven, and theypour out drink offerings unto other gods, thatthey may provoke me to anger."Who man this "queen of heaven" in whomthe erring Jews had such implicit confidenoelIn Judges 2 : 11-13 is recorded another fallingaway of the Israelites: "And they forsook thoLord God of their fathers, which brought them -out of the land of Egypt, and followed oClwgods, of the gods of the people that wenround about them, and bowed themselves untothem, and provoked the Lord nnto anger. Adthey forsook the Lord, and served Baal a dAshtaroth."Who was Baalt Who was Ashtaroth?As all are aware, the Bible contain6 manyreferences to Baal; yet it does not disclooe thaidentity of this god, nor explain why the faithlessJews and other peoples so ctonsistenqrendered him obeisance. It is here that we snaided by Mythology, the study of which revealthe fact that the god Baal and the goddouded the queen of heaven were universally war?shiped nnder~various names and titles. Whilothis is recognized by students of Mythology,it is not so*generally realized that these sanudeities are even now worshiped in our v qmidst by the adherents of that great idolatrowsystem which the Scriptures name '%abylonthe Great" lThe Two BabylonsHistory proves that Papacy's adoration ofimages, dead saints and relics, its holy candla,holy water, etc., and all its vain ritual, are borrowedfrom heathen sources. Papacy's exouao,as voiced by Cardinal Newman, is that althoughit is admitted that such things are "the veryinstruments and appendages of demon-worship",they were, however, "sanctioned by adoption intothe church". (Newman's Development, pp.359,360) But it is now clearly apparent that thoRoman Church has not been justified in adopting heathen customs and practices. For this vsl.lpreason, Papacy is denominated "Babylon thoQrear'; the Babylon of old was full of thevabominations, and therefore well typified thofallen church of the gospel age.Babylon was the first nation or kingdomafter the deluge, and by it idolatroms w o awas inauguratad. _ _ __-