Ascending to Heaven through Seven Gates.

In short according to ancient tradition this simply required an Eagle, the Constellation Aquila, which in Hinduism would be Garuda the Mount of Vishnu the Divine incarnate that could thus ascend and descend as he so pleased, but this tradition also traces back to Sumeria and was also widely considered in Classical lore, there are also aspects of this in Biblical tradition.



The myth of Etana and his ascent to Heaven upon an eagle is well known but much less well known is that Babylonian Astrology connected a figure to the Constellation Aquila known as LU-USH which generally gets translated as The Dead Man were LU means man and uš2/USH is taken as dead, but there are derivative associations with that related to sekēru/secret

uš2 "to shut off, block up" Akk. sekēru

Sumerian word for witchcraft, uš (pronounced “ush”). it’s basic meaning is “spittle,” or even “poison.

ush does basically mean “spittle” or “mucous” and is a word for “magical spell”. “To spit” is the verb phrase ush dug. The word ushzu, literally “knower of spells”, means “sorcerer”

Ush as secret

Ush as sorcery

So it can be seen LU-USH could also be taken to relate to a knower of secrets of spells and sorcery, and USH is found in names of early Dynastic rulers unlikely relating to dead. The given reason for Etana's journey to Heaven was to obtain the plant of Birth/šammu ša alādi, even that can have associations with witchcraft and poison as Proto-Semitic : Sammu "plant, poison", though Etana was looking for a beneficial herbal remedy in order for his wife to give birth which was understood as held by Istar as seen in a dream and thus he ascended to her Heaven.

We passed through the gates of Anu, Enlil and Ea,
We passed through the gates of Sin, Shamash, Adad and Ishtar,
We did obeisance together, you and I,
I saw a house with windows, it had no seal
I.... and went inside.
A remarkable young woman was seated therein,
She was imposing... beautiful of feature.
A throne was set out, the ground was trodden down,
Under the throne [ ] lions were crouching,
As I went in, the lions sprang at me.
I awoke with a start and shuddered [ ]".
The eagle said to him, to Etana:
" My friend, the [ ] are obvious,
Come, let me take you up to heaven

The Myth of Etana

Having considered the Mesopotamian background for a figure associated with Aquila we are in a better position to understand why the Emperor Hadrian determined that Antinous should be translated into the Heavens thus, this is generally considered an entirely new invention and whim of Hadrian however he was highly interested in Astrology and must have been aware of Babylonian tradition, thus LU-USH became Antinous, sometimes even looking as something of a dead man.



Legends and cults of Antinous were often complex and contradictory, but he was generally considered as having drowned or been sacrificed during the Feast of Osiris while sailing down the Nile, early Christian writers considered it a cult involving actual magic and rivaling Christianity in the early Centuries.

Much more commonly the Constellation Antinous was represented as Eros/Cupid, the arrow Sagitta above Aquila could be taken as the Arrow of Eros, and it is thus the Divine Eros that is ascending and descending from Heaven through Aquila.



It is noteworthy that Hadrian also identified Antinous with Adonai and visited the Cave of Adonai at Bethlehem, which he would thus have taken as the cave of Antinous, upon which was built the church of the Nativity.

“We lament Adonis under the earth (chthonios), / Whom we formerly called Antinous.” (the Citharoedic Hymn of Curium, written in the doorway of the temple of Apollon on the island of Cyprus.)

The holy site, known as the Grotto, that the Church of the Nativity sits atop, is today associated with the cave in which the birth of Jesus of Nazareth is said to have occurred. In 135, Hadrian is said to have had the Christian site above the Grotto converted into a worship place for Adonis, the Greek god of beauty and desire

A certain amount of rivalry then over who best personified the Dead Secret Man, the representation of Antinous below based on the actual likeness, Anti-nous literally translates as counter to the mind, and thus the association with the passions.

a reply to: Madrusa

In Biblical tradition the Eagle as might be expected is associate with Heavenly power in the same sense that in Mesopotamia it was understood as AN-ZU which it is refered to as in the Etana myth, it will also be seen as counter to the serpent again as in the Etana myth, as representing the Heavenly and the Earthly.

As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

Look! An eagle will soar and swoop down, spreading its wings over Bozrah. In that day the hearts of Edom’s warriors will be like the heart of a woman in labor.

“Put the trumpet to your lips! An eagle is over the house of the LORD because the people have broken my covenant and rebelled against my law.

The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach.

The Mesopotamians did connect AN-ZU to the Mount of the Sutean nomads in the Sinai region, or an Anzu chick because earlier they had connected the nest to the Zagros mountains of Elam.



Šaršar was the god of Sutean nomads, the Shara Mountain range that includes Mount Sinai, the Anzu chick was understood to have stolen the tablet of Destiny and taken it there and the Suteans were considered witches and sorcerers which according to tradition would explain their relationship with the Eagle of Heaven

It is also the case that Shara the God of the Sinai region was as Eros/Cupid, and thus would be delivered to and from the Earth by the Eagle taken as Heavenly power, also in the case of Adonai, dropped off in a cave some place among the serpents.



The constellation was understood to connect to the Zodiac between Capricorn and Sagittarius, thus potentially connecting to a specific day.

a reply to: Madrusa


I've always been amazed how ancient people could see 4 stars and say 'Yup... Sea serpent. "

And from that arose all these incredible stories that influence people to this very day.

a reply to: 19Bones79

It is an interesting question what is the correct version of any of this and who invented that in the first place, there are variations across various cultures but also correspondences, it seems to have been intended as a great narrative and mystery of the Heavens and likely originated from there, or the Berghof

a reply to: Madrusa


Would be interesting to get to the source of it all.

The information always seems like it's missing some crucial piece of info that would instantly make sense of it all and not leave you with more questions than before.


The closest to the truth if I were to hazard a guess is in fact the ancient aliens theory.


There are so many similarities across ancient cultures but according to accepted history they never came across each other.


What are the odds that so many cultures built pyramids and ziguratts with such precision and with limited technology so much so that we can't figure out how they did it? They are also positioned in such a way as to interact with the heavens themselves.

Those 2000 ton stone monoliths at Baalbek just blows my mind.



Perhaps humanity is just one big cargo cult, waiting for the 'gods' who will 'return any day now.'

a reply to: 19Bones79

This is why i consider the Eagle that key piece of the puzzle in terms of ascending/descending Heavenly power, this is the importance of the bird in Iranian tradition and also their name for śyená such is a likely basis for Sinai, generally given as meaning sharp through association, though the Pillars of the falcon God Horus-Sopdu whose hieroglyph meant sharp are also found there, so probably named after the Hawk God.

Sēnmurw (Pahlavi), Sīna-Mrū (Pāzand), a fabulous, mythical bird. The name derives from Avestan mərəγō saēnō ‘the bird Saēna’, originally a raptor, either eagle or falcon, as can be deduced from the etymologically identical Sanskrit śyená.

In Yašt 12.17 Saēna’s tree stands in the middle of the sea Vourukaša, it has good and potent medicine, is called all-healing, and the seeds of all plants are deposited on it. This scanty information is supplemented by the Pahlavi texts.

In the Mēnōg ī Xrad (ed. Anklesaria, 61.37-41) the Sēnmurw’s nest is on the “tree without evil and of many seeds.” When the bird rises, a thousand shoots grow from the tree, and when he (or she) alights, he breaks a thousand shoots and lets the seeds drop from them

There can be negative counter-parts to these birds but generally they are up to all sorts one way or another.

Simorg

originally posted by: Madrusa
Having considered the Mesopotamian background for a figure associated with Aquila we are in a better position to understand why the Emperor Hadrian determined that Antinous should be translated into the Heavens thus, this is generally considered an entirely new invention and whim of Hadrian however he was highly interested in Astrology and must have been aware of Babylonian tradition, thus LU-USH became Antinous, sometimes even looking as something of a dead man.

This won't hold water.

You've just tied Sumerian (which nobody spoke or could read by the time of Hadrian) with Babylonian.

The two are as different as Mexican and Canadian.

Much more commonly the Constellation Antinous was represented as Eros/Cupid, the arrow Sagitta above Aquila could be taken as the Arrow of Eros, and it is thus the Divine Eros that is ascending and descending from Heaven through Aquila.

It was because Antinous was Hadrian's sexual partner, bed-warmer, and lover. It had nothing to do with a legend from a land and a language that had been forgotten by that time. It had everything to do with the Roman legend of Cupid, symbol of erotic love *as well as* a symbol of love overcoming death

This ties in with the legend of Adonis.

There's no 'dead secret man' of Sumerian origin. There is, however, an emperor who was so grief-stricken at the death of his beautiful lover (which wasn't entirely unusual) that he bestowed stellar honors as well as deification on him (again, not unusual. Read up on the old rulers of that time... they did some rather wacky things.)

a reply to: Byrd

That comparison is ridiculous because Canada and Mexico are thousands of miles apart and unrelated cultures, Sumeria and Babylonia were the same place and had continuity of tradition, the terms considered are Sumerian rendered in Old Babylonian.

Hadrian was interested in Astrology so his choice wouldn't be arbitrary everything suggests he based it upon the Babylonian tradition which he'd have been very well informed of, what is obscure today could be more easily sourced then, the question has to be considered why he placed Antinous were he did and what were the aspects related to that region of the sky, because also some relationship to Zeus as an eagle abducting Ganymede.

LU-USH is Sumerian and can mean man- closed off/secret/dead and that was a Constellation next to Aquila, there has to be meaning to that so what would you suggest?

originally posted by: Madrusa
a reply to: Byrd

That comparison is ridiculous because Canada and Mexico are thousands of miles apart and unrelated cultures, Sumeria and Babylonia were the same place and had continuity of tradition, the terms considered are Sumerian rendered in Old Babylonian.

Hadrian was interested in Astrology so his choice wouldn't be arbitrary everything suggests he based it upon the Babylonian tradition which he'd have been very well informed of, what is obscure today could be more easily sourced then, the question has to be considered why he placed Antinous were he did and what were the aspects related to that region of the sky, because also some relationship to Zeus as an eagle abducting Ganymede.

LU-USH is Sumerian and can mean man- closed off/secret/dead and that was a Constellation next to Aquila, there has to be meaning to that so what would you suggest?

Byrd, a degreed Anthropologist, already told you the deal on this which you, in your utter ignorance, dismissed as "ridiculous."
Why should Byrd further engage with you in your ignorant ramblings and/or lego linguistics?

Harte

a reply to: Harte

So the relationship between Sumerian and Babylonian culture is just the same as between Canada and Mexico and who i am to argue because muh Degree but somehow Wikipedia begs to differ.

It retained the Sumerian language for religious use, earlier Akkadian and Sumerian traditions played a major role in Babylonian and Assyrian culture

So how is there a problem using Sumerian terms from the Old Babylonian period?

There's no point in trying to make dismissive remarks from a supposed position of authority when neither of you have such, any Assyriologist will have no problem considering Sumerian terms in an Old Babylonian religious context, I'd rather you didn't engage if you behave like clowns.

a reply to: Madrusa

Super interesting thread

Ties together a whole bunch of topics that I thought were related, but couldn't quite see how.

That the Tablet of Destiny was a technological device seems likely to me. Maybe also related to ascending to the heavens it seems. A stargate key? Wonder what happened to it.

In Mesopotamian mythology, the Tablet of Destinies[1] (Sumerian: 𒁾𒉆𒋻𒊏 dub namtarra;[2] Akkadian: ṭup šīmātu, ṭuppi šīmāti) was envisaged as a clay tablet inscribed with cuneiform writing, also impressed with cylinder seals, which, as a permanent legal document, conferred upon the god Enlil his supreme authority as ruler of the universe.

In the Sumerian poem Ninurta and the Turtle it is the god Enki, rather than Enlil, who holds the Tablet, as Enki has stolen it and brought it to the Abzu.[3] Both this poem and the Akkadian Anzû poem also share concern of the theft of the tablet by the bird Imdugud (Sumerian) or Anzû (Akkadian).[4] In the Babylonian Enuma Elish, Tiamat bestows this tablet on Kingu and gives him command of her army. In the end, the Tablet always returns to Enlil

The Anzu is described as a God and a bird.

identify the god known to the Semites in Mesopotamia as Zu with the god known to the Sumerians of the third millenium as the " divine Im-dugud bird ", i.e. bird of the " heavy storm".

From before Gudea's time we have to hand only onomastic 2 material, from Ur, Shuruppak and Lagash. From this we learn that Im-dugud is, in writing, defined as a god and as a bird ; that there were temples of Im-dugud at Shuruppak and Lagash, and that Im-dugud was an element of
theophorous names.

PD F

Then there is the Northern Tree normally connected with the heavens, which I guess is the Tree described in the Myth of Etna.

Mount Meru (Sanskrit/Pali: मेरु), also recognized as Sumeru, Sineru or Mahāmeru, is the sacred five-peaked mountain of Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist cosmology and is considered to be the center of all the physical, metaphysical and spiritual universes.

Mt Meru

Of the four chief Anemoi, Boreas (Aquilo in Roman mythology) is the north wind and bringer of cold winter air, 

The deities equivalent to the Anemoi in Roman mythology were the Venti (Latin, "winds"). These gods had different names, but were otherwise very similar to their Greek counterparts, borrowing their attributes and being frequently conflated with them. Ptolomy's world map listed 12 winds: Septentrio (N), Aquilo (NNE), Vulturnus (NE), Subsolanus (E), Eurus (SE), Euroauster (SSE), Austerulnotus (S), Euronotus (SSW), Affricus (SW), Ephirus (W), Eurus (NW), Circius (NNW).

Anemoi

a reply to: Harte

Byrd, a degreed Anthropologist, already told you the deal on this which you, in your utter ignorance, dismissed as "ridiculous."
Why should Byrd further engage with you in your ignorant ramblings and/or lego linguistics?

Are you serious? 🤣 Funniest thing I've seen on here for a while.

You not know where you are or something?

This is ATS, not the twitterverse, no one cares about someone else's degree, links? Information?

a reply to: primalfractal

That's what first intrigued me, was the Dead Man constellation a personification of Fate, there was such a personification with the God Namtar, the vizier of Nergal, but any such case is quite complex.

The Akkadian term for the Tablet is ṭuppi šīmāti, were šīmāt indicates trait, natural disposition, inherent property, mušīm šīmāti, translates as “the one who determines or decrees fate” or “the one who appoints the function or determines the nature of something,”

“The Seal of Destinies, / with which Aššur (AN-ŠÁR), king of the gods, /seals the destinies / of the Igigi and Anunnaki, / of heaven, netherworld and man[kind]. / Whatever he seals / he will not alter. Whoever would alter (it), [may Aššur (AN-ŠÁR), king of the gods, (and) Mullissu (NIN.LÍL), / together with their children, slay with their / terrible weapons. /I (am) Sennacherib king of [Assyria], / the prince who reveres you. /Whoever erases (my) inscribed name / or discards this, your seal of Destinies/ – erase his name / and his seed from the land!

The seal of Destiny was impressed upon a Tablet which thus becomes the Tablet of Destiny , the holder of such a Tablet would then seemingly have the authority of the Highest God to do as they please, so An-zu stealing it and giving it to those who shouldn't hold it confers a false sense of authority, but Assyrian Kings believed they had the right to exercise authority as ruling in the name of Assur, thus it is the natural function of the Highest Power

Bond with Destiny



If the Eagle is taken as a symbol of the Highest Power, the solar Eagle of Assur, then it can relate to mušīm šīmāti and be thus the upholder of traits, natural dispositions and inherent properties, everything having it's function and Antinous placed in conjunction with it in terms of it is what it is, at least according to the Imperial Eagle of Rome.

In the story of Etana though the natural function of a King is to produce an heir and the Eagle helps him out with that, having the authority to ascend to the Heavens, problems only arise when the Eagle malfunctions...

a reply to: primalfractal

In terms of appeals to authority a Degree from Miskatonic university does not beat the Tablet of Destiny as upheld by Aššur (AN-ŠÁR), king of the gods, (and) Mullissu (NIN.LÍL),.

"This happening is the mystery"

originally posted by: Madrusa
a reply to: Harte

So the relationship between Sumerian and Babylonian culture is just the same as between Canada and Mexico and who i am to argue because muh Degree but somehow Wikipedia begs to differ.

It retained the Sumerian language for religious use, earlier Akkadian and Sumerian traditions played a major role in Babylonian and Assyrian culture

So how is there a problem using Sumerian terms from the Old Babylonian period?

There's no point in trying to make dismissive remarks from a supposed position of authority when neither of you have such, any Assyriologist will have no problem considering Sumerian terms in an Old Babylonian religious context, I'd rather you didn't engage if you behave like clowns.

Do you understand what is meant by the phrase "for religious use" here?

You are the clown here, and you're not even aware of the egg on your face.

Harte

originally posted by: primalfractal
a reply to: Harte

Byrd, a degreed Anthropologist, already told you the deal on this which you, in your utter ignorance, dismissed as "ridiculous."
Why should Byrd further engage with you in your ignorant ramblings and/or lego linguistics?

Are you serious? 🤣 Funniest thing I've seen on here for a while.

You not know where you are or something?

This is ATS, not the twitterverse, no one cares about someone else's degree, links? Information?

The point is, Byrd is quite knowledgeable about the ancient Levant, among other regions.
Contrast that with the complete and pure ignorance of other posters here concerning the same subject.

Harte

a reply to: Harte

Sure and the term LU-USH is from the Mul-Apin

d.ZA.BA4.BA4, the Eagle TI8.(MUSHEN) and the Corpse (LU).USH

So you wish to argue that the Mul Apin is not a religious text and does not use Sumerian terms?

The Eagle is also termed Zababa which was the patron Deity of Kish, the City of Etana, and traces back to the Early Dynastic period, do you object to a Sumerian Deity being included in a Babylonian text, is this somehow also not allowed?

Zababa

I am really doubting your curious sense of authority in these matters.

a reply to: Madrusa

So the Tablet of Destiny is stolen and used as a symbol of authority by the Suteans, falsely, because it wasn't theirs. Possibly ending up at the Edomite temple, and from there to the newer version, Solomon's temple in Jerusalem.

Half way to Berghof

Sons of Seth and the South Wind

Edomite Temple

Antonous and the Roman version being somewhat similar, but instead of taking the actual Tablet, Hadrian replaced the astralogical/god symbolism with his own interpretation, and also usurped and included the grotto at Bethlehem with its Jesus/Sun mythos. Perhaps an attempt to reinvigorate the failing Roman Eagle.

Didn't seem to work.

The given reason for Etana's journey to Heaven was to obtain the plant of Birth/šammu ša alādi, even that can have associations with witchcraft and poison as Proto-Semitic : Sammu "plant, poison", though Etana was looking for a beneficial herbal remedy in order for his wife to give birth which was understood as held by Istar as seen in a dream and thus he ascended to her Heaven.

Could be soma.

Garuda, in Hindu mythology, the bird (a kite or an eagle) and the vahana (mount) of the god Vishnu. In the Rigveda the sun is compared to a bird in its flight across the sky, and an eagle carries the ambrosial soma plant from heaven to earth. The mythological account of Garuda’s birth in the Mahabharata identifies him as the younger brother of Aruna, the charioteer of the sun god,

www.britannica.com...

problems only arise when the Eagle malfunctions...

Etna has the Tablet/Keypass and authority to ascend, and heads for Heaven, in a vehicle, and is successful only on the second attempt.

Garuda (Sanskrit: गरुड Garuḍa; Pāli: गरुळ Garuḷa), also Galon or Nan Belu in Burmese and Karura in Japanese, is a legendary bird or bird-like creature in Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faith. He is variously the vehicle mount (vahana) of the Hindu god Vishnu

Vahana (Sanskrit: वाहन, Vāhanam or animal vehicle, literally "that which carries, that which pulls") denotes the being, typically an animal or mythical entity, a particular Hindu deity is said to use as a vehicle.

a reply to: Harte

The point is, Byrd is quite knowledgeable about the ancient Levant, among other regions.
Contrast that with the complete and pure ignorance of other posters here concerning the same subject

Well really Byrd should be able show his/her brilliance about "other regions" then, but hasn't, because anyone could work out that succeeding cultures in the same area often borrow and use information from the previous ones.

It's not rocket science, no degree needed.

Claiming otherwise is beyond disengenious.

Your fixation on Byrd and unwillingness to directly address the actual topic of contention, just obvious evasiveness and proof of your dishonesty.

a reply to: primalfractal

The myth is distancing En-lil and Nin-lil from whatever is happening on that there Mountain and any Divine authority that is being claimed by posting it as stolen/false , but it was not only men that were expected to follow the Divine Seal also the Anunnaki and Igigi, so even Angels may be somewhat confused at this point.

This can only have meaning in terms of magic which is why i looked at LU-USH as having potential meaning relating to sorcery/secrets as well as appearing somewhat doomed, as you say Hadrian was working his own magic in placing Antinous in that position, the emphasis in the Sumerian seals is always on Etana as a shepherd, his flock and dog are seen, his butter making activities but he was also the shepherd of the people in terms of Divine King, Hadrian may have been countering a Christian identification with the constellation and role through relating Antinous to the shepherd Osiris.

The tree which the Eagle perched upon could relate to all medicinal herbal knowledge, particularly in Iranian tradition, so the knowledge of Soma would be an aspect, but the question remains of where was this Heaven, which required one to pass through the gates of the planets and Sun and Moon, to pass through the Solar system, to that place were the Divine Kingship originated.