Journal Honors Moshe Idel, One of Judaism's Premiere Teachers
This was an exciting heads up, so I share it with you all as well. Take advantage of this.
Tidbits & Insights
- Book of Mormon YouTube Videos
Here are the Book of Mormon videos I have been producing for You Tube. Enjoy. http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=TheBackyardProfessor - Lot and his wife in the Bible........
JAMES (age 4) was listening to a Bible story. His dad read: 'The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city but his wife looked back and was turn ed to salt.' Concerned, James asked: 'What happened to the flea?' - We are but dust..........
The Sermon I think this Mom will never forget.... this particular Sunday sermon... 'Dear Lord,' the minister began, with arms extend ed toward heaven and a rapturous look on his up turned face. 'Without you, we are but dust...' He would have continued but at that moment my very obedient daughter who was listening leaned over to me and asked quite audibly in her shrill little four year old girl voice, 'Mom, what is butt dust?' - Kerry Shirts author: Mormon Times links to the Internet School of the Prophets -
I was just notified that the "Mormon Times" has linked to our Internet School of the Prophets showing we are serious about studying Hebrew and recognizing the great Spiritual heritage of Judaism, our Brothers and Sisters in Israel. This is very nice to be specified as the best blog for today. Here's the link. http://mormontimes.com/ME_blogs.php?todayBlog=1
Categories
- A Zohar Commentary
- Andre Orlov's Research - Book of Enoch
- Appreciating Hugh Nibley
- Biblical Exegesis
- Book of Mormon
- Current Affairs
- Dead Sea Scrolls
- Egyptological Analysis
- Hebrew Learning and Study
- James Joyce Themes
- Kabbalah ideas and thoughts
- Margaret Barker's ideas
- Podcasts
- Religion
- Sacred Geometry
- Science
- Weblogs
- Zohar Musings
Recent Posts
- Scientific Creationism is Anything but "Scientific"
- Intelligent Design is Not Science
- 545 People & Our Country
- Michael S. Heiser's Council of the Gods
- Do LDS Scholars Shy Away from Book of Mormon Research with *Real* Scholars?
- Heads Up! New Book on the Book of Mormon!
- DNA and the Jews
- Fabulous Interview of Mesoamerican Scholar Michael D. Coe
- Updating and Expanding
- Raed Tihs and Be Atsonsihed
LDS Blogs
Interesting websites
- Society for Old Testament Studies
A very fine source for online materials and printed, published materials for the study of the Old Testament. - Slavonic Pseudepigrapha
Andrei Orlov's new website of Slavonic (Russian) Pseudepigrapha. A MUST READ. The finest, and so far as I am aware, the first collection of Russian sources and Pseudepgraphic collection of primary documents and texts. - Paleo-Judaica
A scholarly site dealing with ancient Hebraic scriptures, archaeology, etc. - NT Gateway Blog
- Mormon Mysticism
The place to go for respectful, intelligent, insightful, and inter-religious discussion of the mystic dimensions in religion, with an emphasis on Mormonism, of course, since it is "Mormon Mysticism"... - Middle Eastern Texts Initiative
Dr. Daniel C. Peterson, Managing Editor of the Middle Eastern Texts Initiative. Link to the available texts, as well as texts coming out soon. Here are Dr. Peterson's classes he teaches as well. http://asiane.byu.edu/arabic/index.php?content=people/peterson - Michael Sheiser scholarly Council of the Gods Study
Michael Sheiser's scholarly Council of the Gods webpage. Most interesting. - Margaret Barker's Research
The website to get to the source herself, and help you understand her paradigm of the Bible and First Temple Judaism. One of the most important new insightful Bible scholars in the field over the last decade. - Learn Biblical Hebrew Online
A more detailed site than most online Hebrew sites. A great place to start your Biblical Hebrew initiation. - Kabbalah site
- Journal of Scriptural Reasoning
Interesting analysis of scriptures - Jewish Roots of Eastern Christian Mysticism
Fabulous resource - JerusalemPerspective.com Article
Articles discussing BIblical exegesis from Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, and the Ancient Near East in General - Interesting Kabbalah GLossary of terms
- Excellent ONLINE Biblical Studies Journals
AN amazng Resource!
Great Books
Did God Have a Wife?: William G. Dever
Dever, one of the world's most renowned archaeologists has finally asked the BIG question, and his research, archaeology, and scholarship have come up with the most stunning answer. Yes, God was married! His analysis of the folk religion, and how the common folk worshipped was one of the powerful aspects of this book, the stuff that never made it into the Bible, yet is reflected in the archaeology of the people in the countryside. This is archaeology at its level-headed best. A very shocking book, as well as revealing for his amazingly coherent, and provocative challenges, and answers to the nay-sayers of Asherah being God's wife. I highly recommend it. (*****)Giorgio Santillana, Hertha von Dechend: Hamlet's Mill
This is not the easiest book to read or understand, but it is by far one of the most influential ones I own for the sheer power of generating ideas and themes to research and write on. It is archeoastronomy detective work like no other text. Scholarly, erudite, difficult, astounding, breath-taking. I also rate this one as one of those books in my all time favorite top 10. I know others have not found their overall thesis convincing, but archeoastronomy is indepted to this book for having a serious start, and it has also come a long way since, especially with John Major Jenkins work on "Maya Cosmogenesis 2012" and "The Galactic Alignment." Archeoastronomy became a hobby of mine directly because of this book. I highly recommend it. It was reprinted for the 3rd time in 1992, and well worth shelling out the dough for it. (*****)- Hugh Nibley: The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri
This 2nd edition has been enlarged, updated, totally checked footnotes for accuracy of quotes and use of sources, all new pictures and more than what the original edition had, and all footnotes put at the bottom of the page for easier reading. John Gee, the LDS Egyptologist at BYU/FARMS (Now the Neal A. Maxwell Institute) spent 17 years checking the accuracy of every single quote and deserves our accolades and congratulations. So does FARMS for putting back all the materials that were supposed to be originally in here. It has gone from a 270 page text to over 600. It is a magnificent tome, very useful indexes, much nicer to read and understand, and is one of my all time favorite top 10 books. (*****) Jason Lotterhand: The Thursday Night Tarot
In his down to earth style and humor, Lotterhand opens up the world of the Tarot symbolisms and what they can mean for us in our every day to day lives. Without stuffy erudition, nor with New Age silliness, Lotterhand goes through the Major Arcana of the Tarot Cards and analyzes their interpretations as he understands things. You can't help but come away from this book feeling good. This is the collection of his classes he has taught for years and years, including questions from many of his students and his responses. I have read it many times, and will continue reading it as a perfect introduction as to what the Tarot symbolisms and use really means, not what phony prognosticators of the New Age Movement have hijacked the Tarot to mean. Their use of it is an "adulterated use" to quote Paul Foster Case, another of the true Tarot interpreter geniuses. The overall view of the Tarot following Lotterhand's interpretation is one of love.... love for God, our fellowman, as well as for ourselves. That Tarot has nothing at all in any form to do with Satan worship, devil loving wickdness, and magic is more than proven by Lotterhand's scholarship in this fascinating area. I highly and strongly recommend this cure for the disease of understanding Tarot as an evil Devil inspired system. (*****)- John W. Welch, David & JoAnn Seely, editors: Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem
The most complete, insightful look into Jerusalem as she existed in 600 B.C. just before the Babylonian captivity. It analyzes and looks into the social life, economic, political, physical, spiritual, archaeological, and in every way possible to understand what life was like for Lehi as a parent, and Nephi as a child. The updating of the Lachish Letters, of the reform of King Josiah, the Rechabites, International affairs occurring, Egyptian connections, etc., is powerfully transforming our understanding on the very real background and pathbreaking work that the FARMS group (now called the Neal A. Maxwell Institute) is performing on all aspects of the LDS scriptures, culture, doctrine, and history. A most delightful read! (****) - Kevin Townley: The Cube of Space
This book (Archive Press, 1993) is the singular most comprehensive description, discussion, meditation, and writing of the Sefer Yetzirah's description of the Cube of Space in existence. Townley has written a book like no other, although his followup book "Meditations on the Cube of Space" (Archer Books, 2003) is also in-depth and provocative. David Allen Hulse's book "New Dimensions for the Cube of Space," Samuel Weiser, 2000) is a simpler guide, with different developments, discussions and assignments for the Tarot Card symbolisms on the cube however. Townley has discussed every single available notion of the cube, its symbolisms, significance, and interest in both the Jewish Kabbalistic texts, as well as for us in our modern meditations for further understanding of the cosmos. His two books are nothing less than a tour de force, which gives years of pleasant reading. (****) Leonora Leet: The Secret Doctrine of the Kabbalah
This book just simply stunned me. It is one of the most fascinating analysis of Sacred Geometry and modern Quantum Physics along with a detailed discovery after discover after discovery of the Jewish religious system called Kabbalah. Leet's geometric charts make the book even easier to understand, but the depth of her cogent reasoning concerning the cosmos, geometry, and music is a sight to behold. Her follow up book "The Universal Kabbalah" is quite interesting in the first few chapters and then bogs my mind down with so much detail and analysis that it is far over my head, though I am working on deciphering it. Leet spent over 20 years analyzing and writing about her discoveries. The most significant one concerns the Kabbalah Tree of Life diagram which is remarkably elucidated by Leet, both in the historical aspects of its changes, as well as the reasons why it is the shape and form that it is, and the meaning of sacred geometrical extensions of the already existing lines of the Tree of Life. A most significant contribution, not only to my own understanding of Kabbalah and Geometry, but for my own enthusiasm of learning more about the Kabbalah (****)Margaret Barker: The Great High Priest
With her astonishing range of scholarship and working with ancient archaeological and linguistic data, Barker has changed our understanding of the ancient Hebraic Priesthood as well as religion. This book is a milestone. (*****)Menas Kafatos, Robert Nadeau: The Conscious Universe
The Quantum Physics notion of Complementarity (two particles being connected, no matter how far apart they are in the universe), as well as understanding how the part relates to the whole is what is explored in this gem of a little book. This is no spiritual guru linking of science and religion together by mis-representing one or the other or both of the disciplines, but a sober, real look into the ideas of consciousness, and how Quantum Physics has come around to recognizing the universal aspect of consciousness in *all things*. An amazing book, quite technically written, but with amazing conclusions. The main conclusion being that consciousness can no longer be separated from the problem of the way science operates. (****)Robert Eisenman: The New Testament Code
Again, with his impeccible schoalrship and thirst for detail Eisenman extends his analysis and evidence for a First Century Early Christian provenance for the Dead Sea Scrolls using the internal materials of the scrolls themselves, their literary usages, their dramatis personae, and their descriptions of what sins abound with the wicked foreign leaders, which can only possibly apply to the Herodians. I wish Eisenman's writing style was easier however. For this reason I can't give it a 5 star rating. His information is astonishingly useful however, and rather controversial, my kind of book! (****)Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism: Howard Schwartz
Magnaminous! This compilation from all periods of Jewish mythology, using hundreds, if not thousands of the texts, shows without doubt or question that there was a Jewish mythology, and its power of presentation for relevance is unsurpassed in all of mythology. From the Creation, the the Shekhinah as the wife of God, to Israel's woes, and successes, this detailed, and humorous, insightful, powerful book has so much in it from the lives of the Patriarchs, the prophets, and the rabbis, that it will take many months to read all the way through it. I have referenced it several times, and spent not a few very delightful evenings (even rainy days) browsing through its pages, and the excellent scholarly discussions by Schwarts itself placing things in context. This is a book I turn to again and again and again with new "Aha!" insights from every single page. (*****)
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March 31, 2008
March 30, 2008
New Podcast: The Value of Learning and Understanding Hebrew
Here is a new podcast, starting up the Backard Professor podcast series after a 4 month lay off. I discuss the importance and interest and great value there is in learning Hebrew for appreciating the scriptures even more than we do.
March 29, 2008
Ezekiel's Heavenly Chariot Ideas From Other Traditions
Here is a sample of what I mean when I say understanding the meanings of the Tarot symbolism are spiritually enlightening for us. The wacky way of misusing it these days for fortune telling and all the crap the Tarot is abused by now is way off base, even according to one of the true Tarot geniuses who ever walked the planet, Paul Foster Case.
Daniel Matt's 4th volume of the "Zohar" (the most scholarly, interesting, and powerful translation and commentary for our day) is a delightful text to...
Continue reading "Ezekiel's Heavenly Chariot Ideas From Other Traditions" »
What the Devil? Lucifer, the *Light Bearer*
In browsing through Nibley's The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri, I found something else that is pure Tarot philosophy, and is hence another demonstration, in my personal opinion that the Tarot is not witchcraft or Priesthoodless, Godless devil tom-foolery, or what have you. Labeling it does not demonstrate it is what the label pretends it to be.
Nibley on p. 254f (this is in the 2nd edition), noted that the Opening of the Mouth ceremony of the ancient Egyptians is like an awakening...
Continue reading "What the Devil? Lucifer, the *Light Bearer*" »
Electricity as Spiritual Fluid
Years and years ago as I was making my way through the “Journal of Discourses,” I found a most remarkable essay by Parley P. Pratt, “Spiritual Communication,” (April 7, 1853) wherein he noted that the dead are not really dead as if they have ceased to exist, but are rather “organized intelligences” made of element we call “Spirit.” (JD Vol. 2:8). Electricity he calls a “subtle fluid or spiritual element is endowed with the powers of locomotion in a far greater degree than the more gross or solid elements of nature.”
In the Kabbalah this “electricity” is “cosmic electricity, ....
The Speculum that Shines: Excursus #2 on the Zohar
Zohar Commentary, Excursus 2: Adam Kadmon - “Mirror, Mirror on the Sky, Who is Reflected in Your Eye?”
One of the items which I believe will help understand a lot of the comments in the Zohar, is understanding the concept of Adam Kadmon, The 
Supernal Man. The Man in the sky, whom we are “imaged” after here on earth, again echoing the “As Above, So Below” doctrine so prominent in so many ancient esoteric traditions.
The first step in the process of understanding Adam Kadmon...
Continue reading "The Speculum that Shines: Excursus #2 on the Zohar" »
March 23, 2008
The Speculum That Shines: Zohar Commentary Part 6
The Speculum That Shines: Zohar Commentary PART 6:
Summarizing some of Matt’s translation (I can’t include it all as I comment, I shall include pertinent sentences as I need to). This part of the commentary is probably one of the most important ones, since it grounds us, and gives us the background to what the Zohar rabbis are doing. 
Theirs is a combined discipline of geometry, sound, and language manipulation. (All of the pictures are made the same size in this Typepad program, but you may click on the picture to enlarge it and see it more clearly) With the background this part of the commentary supplies, we are no longer lost, as it were, trying to figure out what on earth are they talking about, and what do they mean? The difficulty sort of melts away. I have to emphasize the background, so this part of the commentary is going to be longer than the other parts, because without the background the Zohar is simply close to impossible to comprehend. The rabbis don’t start by dipping their toe in the water to test it, they don’t let us do this either. There is no background here, it is all foreground. They simply pitch us into the deep end and see if we can swim or sink. What we need is a life preserver so we can get around a bit and explore. That is what this part of the commentary is, the life preserver to help us get our bearings, to keep us from drowning in the utterly magnificent sea of images, ideas, and teachings, hints, and mysteries of linguistics, and ideologies they present to us. They come at us at the speed of light and just do not slow down, but are steady drum beats of information.
Continue reading "The Speculum That Shines: Zohar Commentary Part 6" »
March 20, 2008
Dancing in the rain
How to Dance in the Rain
It was a busy morning, about 8:30, when an elderly gentleman in his 80's arrived to have stitches removed from his thumb. He said he was in a hurry as he had an appointment at 9:00 am.
I took his vital signs and had him take a seat, knowing it would be over an hour before someone would to able to see him.
March 19, 2008
Are We Dishonestly Hiding Our Own History in Mormonism?
I recently read an argument that we Mormons are hiding our history and not giving "full disclosure" on many things that some folks ask about and learn later on once they convert. Is this dishonest? Are we hiding our history? Do we even yet comprehend it? I argue we don't. And I know critics against Mormonism don't, based on decades of experience reading their own knowledge of Mormon history, rather lopsided at best.
My first question is, is it even possible?
Continue reading "Are We Dishonestly Hiding Our Own History in Mormonism?" »
So? He said SO! SO???
The Vice President of the United States of America Dick Cheney today in an interview with Martha Radditz, was asked isn't it important that over 2/3rds of Americans want the war to end? Isn't it a matter to think about and work with? And Cheney sarcastically said "So?"............. SO? That's his attitude?! SO?????? Is this guy even American?
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