Creation Myth
Day Three
Topics covered in this document:
Introduction
This parchment presents the events of the third day of creation.
On this day, God assembled the Lower Waters in one place, allowing dry
land to emerge. After naming the dry land Earth and the waters Sea, He
commanded the Earth to bring forth grass, herbs, and trees.
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together
unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so. And God called
the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas:
and God saw that it was good. And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass,
the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind,
whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth
brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree
yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that
it was good. And the evening and the morning were the third day.
-Gen. 1:9-13.
Paradise
The creation of Paradise was the most important work of the third day,
though some Rabbinic sources say that Paradise was created earlier, prior
to the creation of the earth ... and that plants were added to the existing
Paradise during the third day.
Paradise = Heavenly Jerusalem
The terms Paradise and Heavenly Jerusalem represent the same place, and
may be used interchangeably.
Paradise Neighbors Eden
Beyond Paradise sits Eden, containing 310 worlds of its own.
Gates of Paradise
Two carbuncle gates form the entrance to Paradise, with sixty myriads
of ministering angels keeping watch over them.
[Carbuncle in this context refers to an obsolete usage of the
word. The old form of the word refers to a deep-red garnet. Today it has
a very different meaning, referring instead to boils on the skin.]
Inside Paradise
Only the righteous may pass through the gates of Paradise.
Seven Clouds of Glory
When a just man arrives at the gates of Paradise, the angels carefully
remove his burial clothes and array him in seven garments made of clouds
of glory.
Two Crowns
The just man then receives two crowns ... one of gold and one of precious
stones and pearls.
Rivers and Flowers
The angels then lead the just man to a place full of rivers, surrounded
by 800 kinds of roses and myrtles.
Canopy Over Pious
Over the head of the pious, the angels build a canopy ... beneath which
flow four rivers -- one of milk, one of honey, one of balsam, and one of
wine.
Life's Four Stages
Each day, the just person passes through all four stages of his or her
life -- childhood, youth, adulthood, and old age ... enjoying the pleasures
of each age.
Paradise and Hell Legends
Many of the best-known Jewish legends about Paradise and Hell can be
attributed to the writings of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi who, according to a
well-known Talmudic tradition, was one of very few mortals permitted to
enter Paradise during his lifetime.
Among the Kabbalists, on the other hand, descriptions given by Jellinek
are quite popular.
Unfortunately, in Christian religions, many of their concepts of Hell
are a direct carryover from its description in Dante's Inferno.
More to Come
There is, of course, a lot more information written about Paradise than
is included in this brief summary. Perhaps one day the Village Fox will write
a separate parchment on this very interesting topic.
Lucifer
On the Third Day, Lucifer (see Note below about his name) walked through
Eden amid blazing jewels.
High-Ranking Cherub
Often called the son of the Dawn (Helel ben Shahar), Lucifer was one of
God's chief archangels -- a high-ranking cherub whose body was aflame with
gold and rare gems such as carnelian, topaz, emerald, diamond, beryl, onyx,
jasper, sapphire, and carbuncle.
Now, "beautiful" may be an inappropriate term to use when describing a
male. If that's true, however, can I at least describe Lucifer as an
extremely dazzling all-male heart-throb?
Fall of Lucifer
At first Lucifer, whom God had appointed the Guardian of All Nations,
behaved righteously. However, his immense pride soon changed him. And not
to mention, gave us one of our well-known clichés: "Pride goes
before a fall."
Impressed with his own beauty, Lucifer assumed that he could easily
outshine even the stars. So he aspired to rise above the clouds, all the
way to the Mount of Assembly (where God lives) ... and thus, to become
God's equal.
When God saw his boasting and ambition, he tossed Lucifer out of the
heavenly Eden (which, if you recall, was a neighbor of Paradise) down to
the Earth ... and from there, to the depths of Sheol.
Isaiah Compares King to Lucifer
In one translation of Isaiah 14:12-15, the pre-ordained fall of Lucifer
is compared to that of a cruel King of Babylon. By identifying the king with
Lucifer, Isaiah implies that the king's power had faded considerably by the
time Isaiah wrote this taunt song.
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the Dawn! How art
thou cast down to the ground, despoiler of nations! And thou saidst in thy
heart: "I will ascend to heaven, above the stars of El will I lift my throne;
I will sit on the Mount of Meeting, in the utmost North. I will ascend above
the hills of cloud; I will be like unto the Most High!" Yet thou art brought
down to Sheol, to the bottomless abyss.
This short reference by Isaiah suggests that the legend of Lucifer's fall
from Paradise was well-known enough so as not to require a full narrative.
Isaiah omits all the details of the God's punishment of Lucifer, stating
only that God (here named Elyon, "the Most High") resented rivals.
Lucifer is Planet Venus
Originally, whenever the name Helel ben Shahar appeared in a document,
it referred to the planet Venus, which astronomers tell us is the last
proud heavenly light (planet) to defy sunrise each morning (the "morning
star").
Lucifer is Satan or Samael
In the New Testament, Lucifer is identified with Satan ... and in
the Targum with Samael.
Lucifer's Name
A reader of my web pages pointed out that Lucifer is a Latin name and
doesn't appear in the Hebrew text of Isaiah 14:12. That is true, but still
I have chosen to use the name by which the archangel is known by a lot of
people ... namely, Lucifer.
If anyone has trouble with my using the name Lucifer, I suggest they
consult Hebrew Myths: The Book of Genesis by two eminent scholars,
Robert Graves and Raphael Patai; McGraw-Hill; 1966; pp 57-59. If the use of
the name Lucifer satisfied them, then I feel justified in using it also.
Troubled Waters
If you recall, on the previous (second) day, God had divided the waters
above from the waters below ... which caused a great sadness to fall upon
the waters below. Now once again, on this, the third day, the waters below
felt like they had been unfairly treated ... since they were forced to occupy
only the lowest spots (the sea beds).
Revolt of the Seas
Angered by God's disrespect for them, the waters below rebelled against
having to collect in the deep-lying basins. They threatened to overflow the
earth if God didn't do something. After all, they claimed, they were one of
the first creations to sing the praises of God. But God forced the prideful
waters back into the sea, and encircled them with sand.
According to a popular tradition, the action of the waves as they roll
onto and recede from the beach is a result of the ocean recoiling in memory
of its reprimand.
Rain and Salt
Rain, it is thought, is caused by the weeping of the waters above over
the constant rebelliousness of their sibling waters below.
Furthermore, it was believed that it is salt in the water that helps
prevent the ocean from overflowing.
Seas in Babylonian Talmud
The strife between God and the oceans is reminiscent of the death of
Rahab, the Angel of the Sea. When Rahab rebelled against God, his punishment
was death ... and his body is believed to rest at the bottom of the sea.
[This story of Rahab is found in the Babylonian Talmud and closely parallels
an old Babylonian myth.]
The Babylonians called the ocean the "Sea of Death" (in reference to
Rahab's death) ... and this title was adopted by the Hebrews. The name,
Sea of Death, was often mistaken by early Christian writers as a reference
to the Dead Sea.
Arrogance of Some Trees
Two kinds of plants were created on the third day -- the terrestrial
plants and the plants found in Paradise.
Cedars of Lebanon
The first terrestrial trees to be created were the cedars of Lebanon.
In their pride of being created first, they shot skyward, high into the
air. They weren't satisfied to only be watered by the feminine waters
below, but attempted to reach upward where they could be watered by the
masculine waters above as well.
As you might guess, God was not pleased with their arrogance. So He also
created iron on the third day ... from which the axe is made. And thus, the
lofty trees were forced to supply the handles for the very axes that were
used to cut them down. [This just happens to be a rehash of an old,
well-known fable of the time.]
Fruit Trees
Palestinian manuscripts contain two versions of the creation of
fruit trees and of their arrogance. One thing in their favor, however,
was that, unlike their tall siblings, they were satisfied being watered
by the femine waters below.
Edible Trees
One version claims that the earth was commanded to bring forth
edible trees (bark and all) ... but instead, the earth brought
forth fruit trees (where only the fruit can be eaten). I guess the trees
thought they were too good to be common food for humans.
Fall Causes Loss of Fruit
The other version claims that the earth brought forth every tree as a
fruit tree. But after the Fall of Adam, some trees lost their ability to
bear fruit.
Explicit Command of Fruit Trees
Because of their arrogant nature, God had to explicitly command the
fruit trees to bear fruit with the seeds of their own kind inside.
This commandment might have been brought about by the knowledge the
Hebrews had of grafting one type of tree into another, creating a new
variety or species of fruit tree.
Humility of Grasses and Herbs
The grasses and herbs only had to be commanded to reproduce. They were
not as arrogant as the trees, it seems.
When plants are watered primarily by rain water, it is considered a
legitimate fecundation. However, artificial fecundation is considered
illegitimate.
I'm not quite sure how this reconciles with the desert conditions in
which the Hebrews lived. Surely, they had to water their crops by irrigation
rather than relying solely on rain water. Unless, of course, this story is
a recollection from an earlier era when there was water in the desert.
What Next?
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Have a pleasant day!
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