WI Ancient Jabulon Cult?

In the Royal Arch Degree of Freemasonry Jabulon is the name of god. According to some this presents a special trinity where Ja is Yaweh/Jehova, Bul is Baal/Hadad, and On is Osiris/Usiris.

Now I know that in ancient times it was not unheard of to combine gods, Serapis being the prime example, so how could something like Jabulon arise before 30 AD?
 
Well, to begin with we'll need a very early Judaism POD, before it can get too monotheistic. From there, there are two places this cult can get started:
1. The Levant, which has two of its native gods merged in with the foreign Egyptian God
2. Or Egypt, which incorporates two foreign Levantine gods into its native god.

Considering that Egypt is more powerful during this era, I would imagine that it would be the Levantines, possibly dominated by a stronger Egyptian Empire, that are trying to incorporate Egyptian elements in their religion. Unless somehow they conquer Egypt and rule long enough to make a difference, in some Qing Dynasty fashion.

Hmm... maybe NikoZnate would know better how this could be accomplished.
 
I could see the representations being as follows:

Yaweh=Birth
Baal=Life
Osiris=Death

Considering that Yaweh was undoubtedly a creator, Baal was a god of fertility and I think storms and rivers, and Osiris was a god of death.
 
Considering that Yaweh was undoubtedly a creator, Baal was a god of fertility and I think storms and rivers, and Osiris was a god of death.

Osiris isn't really a god of death, he's more a god of life-after-death, a god of resurrection and renewal. He was closely associated with the regrowth of plant life after droughts and floods, the triumph of life over death, really.

In the Royal Arch Degree of Freemasonry Jabulon is the name of god. According to some this presents a special trinity where Ja is Yaweh/Jehova, Bul is Baal/Hadad, and On is Osiris/Usiris.

Now I know that in ancient times it was not unheard of to combine gods, Serapis being the prime example, so how could something like Jabulon arise before 30 AD?

Freemasonry really doesn't hae anything to do with actual ancient Near Eastern religion. It's more a club of fanboys who, due to the constraints of their era, had to get their info from classical Greek mystic texts written by guys who were basically also fanboying.

That said, this sort of syncretism could have occured. What you'd need is a stronger Egyptian cultural presence in the Levant, and a lot of butterflies in Israelite history.
 

Hnau

Banned
I think I'll incorporate this into a timeline I'm working on. I have a polytheistic Levant under Egyptian aegis after the collapse of the Assyrian empire. I could explore the idea there, if WilliamPenn is interested in allowing it. But honestly, I don't think even that set up needs to be the case, it could have different origins. You would need the Judean religion to stay polytheistic, yes, but the Judeans could be inside Egypt itself, rather than Judah be under their influence. There were expatriate Judean communities in Egypt, generally founded by merchants and their families. Egypt welcomed these communities to live within its territory and protection, the same way they welcomed the Greeks in. It helped build better trading relationships with Egypt's neighbors.

These Judean expatriates would want to cope with their adoption of Egyptian tradition and culture and help them retain a sense of importance as they violate Judean traditions and culture. Yahweh would be associated with birth, ie the importance of the Judean heritage and allegiance to Judah, Baal with life outside of the protection of the holy covenant people, and Osiris with death in the newly-inherited homeland of Egypt and the inheritance involving new promises of paradise and reward.

I'm thinking, if this was the case, Jabulon would join the Egyptian pantheon of gods if society became tolerant of their cult's participation in civic life. Jabulon could have his own temple, priests, retainers, all luxuries supported by the Egyptian king or satrap with the intent on remaking Jewish expatriates into Egyptians. Over time, who knows if the fusion could develop into a kind of Trinitarian Monotheism much like Roman Catholicism, with Yahweh as the Father, Baal as the Son, and Osiris as the Holy Reaper. Then the Egyptian government may be a little more worried.
 
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Hnau

Banned
Osiris isn't really a god of death, he's more a god of life-after-death, a god of resurrection and renewal. He was closely associated with the regrowth of plant life after droughts and floods, the triumph of life over death, really.

What if every god is seen as a sort of guardian of a phase of existence. Ja prepares the spirit in the pre-life, Bul guides the spirit through life, and On guides the spirit towards his next destination. By creating a pact with Jabulon (Canaanite religion loves pacts), the cultist redeems his commitment to the God of This Life, Bul, and looks forward to making a new pact with On to inherit paradise in the next life. Ja, Bul, and On are One God, but also three.

What other details may there be? Judging how Serapis inherited a wife, Isis, from his Osiris connection, Jabulon may have a wife also, Ashertoris. Asher: Asherah, Canaanite mother goddess. Tor: Ashtor, Canaanite fertility goddess. Is: Isis, Egyptian mother goddess. Ashertoris may be there as the female co-deity. The Judeans of Juda proper may have rejected that Yahweh has a wife goddess, judging how unpopular Asherah became after King Josiah began reforming the Judean religion into monotheism... but that doesn't mean that the Egyptian Jews wouldn't. People liked that Osiris had a wife goddess they could pray to, with its own temples, traditions, ritual, and priestesses. Why not take a different path? Maybe Ashertoris would share a temple with Jabulon, but she would be there to be prayed to, just as the Virgin Mary is there to be prayed to in the Catholic cathedrals.

That sounds pretty cool to me.
 
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What if every god is seen as a sort of guardian of a phase of existence. Ja prepares the spirit in the pre-life, Bul guides the spirit through life, and On meets to spirit to help guide him towards his next destination. By creating a pact with Jabulon (Canaanite religion loves pacts), the cultist redeems his commitment to the God of This Life, Bul, and looks forward to making a new pact with On to inherit paradise in the next life. Ja, Bul, and On are One God, but also three.

What other details may there be? Jabulon may have a wife, Ashertoris. Aser: Asherah, Canaanite mother goddess. Tor: Ashtor, Canaanite fertility goddess. Is: Isis, Egyptian mother goddess.

That sounds pretty cool to me.

Nice idea, time isn't static, so why should the gods of its passing! :cool:
 

Hnau

Banned
Nice idea, time isn't static, so why should the gods of its passing! :cool:

That could be scripture:

"As Time is not static, and the seasons change, so Jabulon is not static. He changes with the seasons that are our life Before, our life Now, and our life After. From Ja, to Bul, to On, He changes, but remains Jabulon, even as Time remains Time though its seasons change."
 
I assume that Sinai would be the best place for this to rise. Unless borrowing from Exodus has potential?

Not really, since Exodus doesn't describe a historical event.

A Jewish community in Late Period or Hellenistic Egypt could work, though an alternate ancient Israel or Phoenicia with more Egyptian cultural influence would probably be a better bet.
 
Not really, since Exodus doesn't describe a historical event.

I know that, but isn't there a chance that it could be one in an AH?

A Jewish community in Late Period or Hellenistic Egypt could work, though an alternate ancient Israel or Phoenicia with more Egyptian cultural influence would probably be a better bet.

Oh, Pheonicians would be really cool. On the late Jewish community, I wonder if it could be a replacement for Christianity...
 
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