The Inside Assyria Discussion Forum #5

=> Letter to Maggie and David #2

Letter to Maggie and David #2

Posted by Tiglath (Guest) - Friday, April 27 2007, 1:26:27 (CEST) from 203.15.249.28 - 203.15.249.28 - Windows XP - Internet Explorer Website: Website title:

Easter Has No Connection to Ishtar Dean Kalimniou Australia I wish to make reference to the highly spurious article by Maggie Younan and David Gavary in which it is cclaimed that the word Easter is derived from the name of the Assyrian goddess Ishtar. The only evidence that the authors seem to provide for this highly unlikely etymology is that both words seem somehow to sound the same. The actual word Easter, is an Indo-Aryan word derived from the Germanic Eostre, the spring goddess. If the authors of the article postulate some sort of connection between the ancient Assyrian and the pre-Christian Germans, who antedated them by thousands of years, they have not advanced it. In truth, the authors' argument is rendered ever the more so unscholarly when it is considered that the vast majority of Christian peoples around the world do NOT use the word Easter to describe the resurrection. The Greeks, Italians and French for example, all use derivations of the Hebrew word "pesach' meaning passover, whereas the Slavic peoples use Velikonoc (Great Night) or Uskrs (Resurrection). The authors then go on to befuddle the various creation myths, confusing semi-histroical personages such as Semiramis with Ishtar and making incorrect claims such as that the ancient Greeks worshipped Astarte. All authorities agree that Astarte was not one of the goddesses of the Olympian Pantheon and it is unclear why such a claim would be made. Further, it appears that the authors have confused the meaning of Easter with the customs associated with Easter when they make the ridiculous claim that: "Easter has nothing whatsoever to do with the resurrection of Jesus Christ." Had they attended church at Easter, they would soon realise that the Resurrection of Christ is ALL that Easter is about. While the customs associated with Easter may hearken back to times predating that festival, this does not signify a negation of the actual event of Christ's resurrection. Even when dealing with customs associated with Easter, the authors automatically asume that customs such as "forty days of Lent, eggs, rabbits, hot cross buns and the Easter ham have everything to do with the ancient Assyrian religion and nothing whatsoever to do with Christianity." The truth is that most Middle Eastern Christians do not have a tradition of hot-cross buns, rabbits and Easter ham. Instead, these are Western traditions. Are we seriously to be.leve that these so-called Assyrian traditions magically jumped over the entire Middle East only to find themselves in Western Europe? I have yet to see the presence of rabbits and hot cross buns at an Assyrian Easter celebration. No evidence of the Assyrian origin of any 'customs' is provided in the article. Instead, the authors make a long list of hypotheses and conjecture about the Bible, uselessly quoting Old Testament tracts that pre-date Easter and making absurd claims about the day of Good Friday that thjey do not back up with any sources. These seem to serve no other purpose than to besmirch the most important event in the Christian religion. Quite apart from balking at publishing such an unscholarly and amateurish article Zinda should have had the sensitivity not to publish such an offensive piece during the celebration of Christ's resurrection. Conspiracy theories about nations providing the entire world with their culture are prominent in almost every single nation around the world. It serves no purpose other than to boost the low self esteem of those who have an inferiority complex to assert exclusive origins to a feast which is shared by thousands of peoples throughout the world. Are we to assume therefore that organised genocide as practised by Senaccherib and Nebuchadnezzar was also invented by Assyrians? This year, the persecuted but courageous Assyrians who steadfastly remain in Bet-Nahrain in the face of terrible persecution braved danger to themselves in order to go to church and celebrate Christ's resurrection, as they have done for 2,000 years. This article, written by persons who can comfortably insult these stoic people's beliefs in safety and security, miles away from danger, scorns not only those valiant Assyrians of Bet-Nahrain but also 2,000 years of tradition. It also provides the religious enemies of the Assyrian people with much to rejoice in. Regardless of such scorn, those heroic Assyrians remain steadfast in the knowledge that along with the Resurrection of the Lord, the resurrection of their people will come. --------------------- - BACK TO INDEX - REPLY - QUOTE - EDIT - DELETE -

The full topic: Letter to Maggie and David #2 Tiglath - Friday, April 27 2007, 1:26:27 (CEST) Etymology and the origins of Easter traditions Tiglath - 04/27 05:07 Bede's account of Eostre Tiglath - 04/27 05:13 Re: Letter to Maggie and David #2 pancho - 04/27 06:45 Re: Letter to Maggie and David #2 Sargon - 09/15 09:55 all well and good but... pancho - 09/15 16:47

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