Ah, here we go again - that seasonal meme that just won’t die. Many Christians, typically of more fundamentalist oriented denominations, have been trying to connect Easter with Ishtar for well over 100 years; since about the late 1800’s. The simple truth is that “Easter” does *not* derive from “Ishtar” - this association represents a complete false etymology, and a completely fabricated origin. To put it in the simplest terms possible, there is just absolutely no way culturally, and particularly linguistically, to connect Ishtar with Easter….but that certainly has not prevented people from making some rather valiant and, in some cases, even impressive attempts. In addition, eggs and hares have _never_ been historically associated (or even suggested to be associated) with Ishtar. Her sacred animal was the lion, her symbols, the eight pointed star and a twisted knot of reeds representing the doorpost to a grain house (in her earliest form, she was a goddess of grain). Not _one credible source_ cites eggs. Indeed, neither the hare nor eggs were seen as fertility symbols in the ancient Near East. Ishtar’s cult practice died out about 300 AD; long before many European peoples started associating the Christian resurrection narrative with their existing springtime traditions. To try and associate Ishtar with Easter is a bit like trying to say that the word “baby” has the same root as the word “Babylon”. The majority of this nonsense came from a Scottish Presbyterian minister from the 1800’s; one Alexander Hislop. In his 1858 book, _“The Two Babylons”,_ he asserts that the Roman Catholic Church is a continuation of the religion of ancient Babylon, only in a Christian guise. He goes through great pains in associating and connecting Catholic practices and holidays with those of the ancient Babylonian religion. His book, of course, has been thoroughly discredited (as early as the 1920’s). Indeed, there is no serious self-respecting Biblical scholar who would give any credence to Hislop’s “theories”. Scholars today recognize it for the vehemently anti-Catholic drivel that it is, and note that most of his theories come either from the realm of his very over active imagination, or his complete misunderstanding of both Catholicism and the religion of ancient Babylon. As one historian puts it: _“Hislop’s book is wonderful because it’s full of imagination and nonsense. It’s fantastic but utterly misconceived. Hislop’s tendency was to think if it sounds the same, it must be connected.”_ It’s from Hislop that the idea of just about everything from Easter ham to hot cross buns are pagan in origin and tie back to Ishtar and another Babylonian deity, Dumuz/Tamuz. The association is a complete false etymology and symbol association, created to further promote the beliefs and ideas of some Christian denominations…... the reality is, is that there is just absolutely no association whatsoever; it’s shoddy scholarship coupled with wishful thinking at best. It’s become a seasonal meme that just can’t seem fade into oblivion, and one that some people just can’t seem to let go of. When it comes down to it and one really takes the time to study the actual origins and not the assumed ones, the “Easter = Ishtar” myth manages to be anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic, anti-Christian and anti-pagan (because it peddles a false version of pagan belief) which, when you really think about it, is quite an achievement, really. But it’s utter nonsense.
First, thanks for your interest and comment. Nice to have sb who is interested in all these wretched things. Second: I did NOT mention Ishtar nowhere in the video. She was a Babylonian Goddess. Whereas Astarte was a Goddess of war and fertility who was served in old Egypt and Syria and Kanaan/ISrael/Palsestine. Sure, historicians see a link here. But is it proven? By the way, Astarte IS also mentioned in the Bible and her pagan service was even a problem back then: 5 "For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord" (1 Kings 11) This shredds the FIRST COMMANDEMENT: I am your God - you shall have no other Godsbefore me. Also, I mentioned in the video different theories of linguists and historians about where the names easter/ostern derive from. ONE thing is totally clear: That this name of Easter/Ostern cannot be found anywhere in the Bible, as well as ceremonies with eggs and rabbits, and that it is pagan - and also the pagan spring feasts are. Shalom.
@@clearpuretrue4ever144 No, they cannot be found in the Bible. Christianity was obviously brought to England and Germany centuries after the books of the Bible were written. Eostra (Ostara in Germany) lent only her name to the holiday in the same way that other Germanic deities lent their names to our weekdays. Without going into detail, Easter eggs are entirely a Christian thing as is the Easter Hare. There is zero connection to paganism. The Easter Hare comes from the Lutherans (yep, the Protestants) in the 1500’s and eggs were a forbidden food during the Lenten fast, so on Easter Sunday, eating eggs was regarded as a ‘treat’ of sorts. This was especially true for poorer people who did not keep animals for slaughter, and could not afford to buy meat. In anticipation of Easter, in many traditions, the eggs were colored during the last days of Lent to mark the end of penance and fasting. Many feasts we now associate with Judaism, have their ultimate origin in feasts celebrating the cycles of the year (i.e. they are “pagan” in origin). Hannukkah is, in part, a celebration of the Winter Solstice and the coming of the light, Sukot is equivalent of the Western ‘Mabon’ - a celebration of the Autumnal Equinox and the harvest. In addition the lulav and etrog being shaken in six directions represents the 4 cardinal directions and the concept of above and below (“as above, so below”). Tu Bishvat a celebration of the arrival of spring.
@@clearpuretrue4ever144 Ishtar and Astarte were essentially the same goddess, in different languages, but talked about by cultures in the same region throughout the Old Testament. Either way, the word Easter had just as much in common with the words East or Star, but no harm has come of those. If the hearts of the people who practice a holiday are purely focused on Christian and Secular thing, the technicalities of a single word's previous used will mean next to nothing to God. God knows our hearts.
I'm afraid the title sounded much more... black-and-white than the video itself. Yes, Easter had some cultural practices that weren't all created specifically to be Christian. But not everything thought of in secular or Gentile settings is inherently corrupt. We're not romanticizing other gods or inviting their influence, we're not rebelling against the teachings and influence of the One True God - we're drawing chickens and eggs. It's fine. There are important things to challenge as a Christian, but it's not this.
Ah, here we go again - that seasonal meme that just won’t die.
Many Christians, typically of more fundamentalist oriented denominations, have been trying to connect Easter with Ishtar for well over 100 years; since about the late 1800’s.
The simple truth is that “Easter” does *not* derive from “Ishtar” - this association represents a complete false etymology, and a completely fabricated origin.
To put it in the simplest terms possible, there is just absolutely no way culturally, and particularly linguistically, to connect Ishtar with Easter….but that certainly has not prevented people from making some rather valiant and, in some cases, even impressive attempts.
In addition, eggs and hares have _never_ been historically associated (or even suggested to be associated) with Ishtar. Her sacred animal was the lion, her symbols, the eight pointed star and a twisted knot of reeds representing the doorpost to a grain house (in her earliest form, she was a goddess of grain). Not _one credible source_ cites eggs. Indeed, neither the hare nor eggs were seen as fertility symbols in the ancient Near East.
Ishtar’s cult practice died out about 300 AD; long before many European peoples started associating the Christian resurrection narrative with their existing springtime traditions. To try and associate Ishtar with Easter is a bit like trying to say that the word “baby” has the same root as the word “Babylon”.
The majority of this nonsense came from a Scottish Presbyterian minister from the 1800’s; one Alexander Hislop. In his 1858 book, _“The Two Babylons”,_ he asserts that the Roman Catholic Church is a continuation of the religion of ancient Babylon, only in a Christian guise. He goes through great pains in associating and connecting Catholic practices and holidays with those of the ancient Babylonian religion.
His book, of course, has been thoroughly discredited (as early as the 1920’s). Indeed, there is no serious self-respecting Biblical scholar who would give any credence to Hislop’s “theories”. Scholars today recognize it for the vehemently anti-Catholic drivel that it is, and note that most of his theories come either from the realm of his very over active imagination, or his complete misunderstanding of both Catholicism and the religion of ancient Babylon. As one historian puts it: _“Hislop’s book is wonderful because it’s full of imagination and nonsense. It’s fantastic but utterly misconceived. Hislop’s tendency was to think if it sounds the same, it must be connected.”_
It’s from Hislop that the idea of just about everything from Easter ham to hot cross buns are pagan in origin and tie back to Ishtar and another Babylonian deity, Dumuz/Tamuz.
The association is a complete false etymology and symbol association, created to further promote the beliefs and ideas of some Christian denominations…... the reality is, is that there is just absolutely no association whatsoever; it’s shoddy scholarship coupled with wishful thinking at best. It’s become a seasonal meme that just can’t seem fade into oblivion, and one that some people just can’t seem to let go of.
When it comes down to it and one really takes the time to study the actual origins and not the assumed ones, the “Easter = Ishtar” myth manages to be anti-Semitic, anti-Catholic, anti-Christian and anti-pagan (because it peddles a false version of pagan belief) which, when you really think about it, is quite an achievement, really. But it’s utter nonsense.
First, thanks for your interest and comment. Nice to have sb who is interested in all these wretched things. Second: I did NOT mention Ishtar nowhere in the video. She was a Babylonian Goddess. Whereas Astarte was a Goddess of war and fertility who was served in old Egypt and Syria and Kanaan/ISrael/Palsestine. Sure, historicians see a link here. But is it proven? By the way, Astarte IS also mentioned in the Bible and her pagan service was even a problem back then: 5 "For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. So Solomon did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and did not wholly follow the Lord" (1 Kings 11) This shredds the FIRST COMMANDEMENT: I am your God - you shall have no other Godsbefore me.
Also, I mentioned in the video different theories of linguists and historians about where the names easter/ostern derive from. ONE thing is totally clear: That this name of Easter/Ostern cannot be found anywhere in the Bible, as well as ceremonies with eggs and rabbits, and that it is pagan - and also the pagan spring feasts are. Shalom.
@@clearpuretrue4ever144
No, they cannot be found in the Bible. Christianity was obviously brought to England and Germany centuries after the books of the Bible were written.
Eostra (Ostara in Germany) lent only her name to the holiday in the same way that other Germanic deities lent their names to our weekdays.
Without going into detail, Easter eggs are entirely a Christian thing as is the Easter Hare. There is zero connection to paganism. The Easter Hare comes from the Lutherans (yep, the Protestants) in the 1500’s and eggs were a forbidden food during the Lenten fast, so on Easter Sunday, eating eggs was regarded as a ‘treat’ of sorts. This was especially true for poorer people who did not keep animals for slaughter, and could not afford to buy meat. In anticipation of Easter, in many traditions, the eggs were colored during the last days of Lent to mark the end of penance and fasting.
Many feasts we now associate with Judaism, have their ultimate origin in feasts celebrating the cycles of the year (i.e. they are “pagan” in origin). Hannukkah is, in part, a celebration of the Winter Solstice and the coming of the light, Sukot is equivalent of the Western ‘Mabon’ - a celebration of the Autumnal Equinox and the harvest. In addition the lulav and etrog being shaken in six directions represents the 4 cardinal directions and the concept of above and below (“as above, so below”). Tu Bishvat a celebration of the arrival of spring.
@@clearpuretrue4ever144 Ishtar and Astarte were essentially the same goddess, in different languages, but talked about by cultures in the same region throughout the Old Testament.
Either way, the word Easter had just as much in common with the words East or Star, but no harm has come of those. If the hearts of the people who practice a holiday are purely focused on Christian and Secular thing, the technicalities of a single word's previous used will mean next to nothing to God. God knows our hearts.
I'm afraid the title sounded much more... black-and-white than the video itself. Yes, Easter had some cultural practices that weren't all created specifically to be Christian. But not everything thought of in secular or Gentile settings is inherently corrupt. We're not romanticizing other gods or inviting their influence, we're not rebelling against the teachings and influence of the One True God - we're drawing chickens and eggs. It's fine. There are important things to challenge as a Christian, but it's not this.