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EASTER
Easter
(
<START GREEK>pa/sxa
<END GREEK>, a Greek form of the Hebrews <START HEBREW>js^P@
<END HEBREW>, and so Latinized by the Vulgate pascha), i.e., Passover. Easter is a word of Saxon origin, and imports a goddess of the Saxons, or, rather, of the East, Estera, in honor of whom sacrifices being annually offered about the Passover time of the year (spring), the name became attached by association of ideas to the Christian festival of the resurrection, which happened at the time of the Passover: hence we say Easter-day, Easter Sunday, but very improperly; as we by no means refer the festival then kept to the goddess of the ancient Saxons. So the present German word for Easter Ostern, is referred to the same goddess, Estera or Ostera. — Calmet, s.v. The occurrence of this word in the A.V. of Ac 12:4 — "Intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people" — is chiefly noticeable as an example of the want of consistency in the translators. See AUTHORIZED VERSION. In the earlier English versions Easter had been frequently used as the translation of
<START GREEK>pa/sxa
<END GREEK>. At the last revision Passover was substituted in all passages but this. It would seem from this, and from the use of such words as "robbers of churches" (Ac 19:37), " town-clerk" (Ac 19:35), " sergeants" (Ac 16:35), " deputy" (Ac 13:7, etc.), as if the Acts of the Apostles had fallen into the hands of a translator who acted on the principle of choosing, not the most correct, but the most familiar equivalents (comp. Trench, On the Authorized Version of the N.T. p. 21). — Smith, s.v. For all that regards the nature and celebration of the feast referred to in Ac 12:4, See PASSOVER.
(from McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Easter
(
<START GREEK>pa/sxa
<END GREEK>, a Greek form of the Hebrews <START HEBREW>js^P@
<END HEBREW>, and so Latinized by the Vulgate pascha), i.e., Passover. Easter is a word of Saxon origin, and imports a goddess of the Saxons, or, rather, of the East, Estera, in honor of whom sacrifices being annually offered about the Passover time of the year (spring), the name became attached by association of ideas to the Christian festival of the resurrection, which happened at the time of the Passover: hence we say Easter-day, Easter Sunday, but very improperly; as we by no means refer the festival then kept to the goddess of the ancient Saxons. So the present German word for Easter Ostern, is referred to the same goddess, Estera or Ostera. — Calmet, s.v. The occurrence of this word in the A.V. of Ac 12:4 — "Intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people" — is chiefly noticeable as an example of the want of consistency in the translators. See AUTHORIZED VERSION. In the earlier English versions Easter had been frequently used as the translation of
<START GREEK>pa/sxa
<END GREEK>. At the last revision Passover was substituted in all passages but this. It would seem from this, and from the use of such words as "robbers of churches" (Ac 19:37), " town-clerk" (Ac 19:35), " sergeants" (Ac 16:35), " deputy" (Ac 13:7, etc.), as if the Acts of the Apostles had fallen into the hands of a translator who acted on the principle of choosing, not the most correct, but the most familiar equivalents (comp. Trench, On the Authorized Version of the N.T. p. 21). — Smith, s.v. For all that regards the nature and celebration of the feast referred to in Ac 12:4, See PASSOVER.
(from McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia, Electronic Database. Copyright © 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
EASTER
ASTER
(es'-ter) (
pascha
, from Aramaic
paccha°
and Hebrew
pecach
, the Passover festival): The English word comes from the Anglo-Saxon Eastre or Estera, a Teutonic goddess to whom sacrifice was offered in April, so the name was transferred to the paschal feast. The word does not properly occur in Scripture, although the King James Version has it in Ac 12:4 where it stands for Passover, as it is rightly rendered in the Revised Version (British and American). There is no trace of Easter celebration in the New Testament, though some would see an intimation of it in 1 Co 5:7. The Jewish Christians in the early church continued to celebrate the Passover, regarding Christ as the true paschal lamb, and this naturally passed over into a commemoration of the death and resurrection of Our Lord, or an Easter feast. This was preceded by a fast, which was considered by one party as ending at the hour of the crucifixion, i.e. at 3 o'clock on Friday, by another as continuing until the hour of the resurrection before dawn on Easter morning.
(from International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
ASTER
(es'-ter) (
pascha
, from Aramaic
paccha°
and Hebrew
pecach
, the Passover festival): The English word comes from the Anglo-Saxon Eastre or Estera, a Teutonic goddess to whom sacrifice was offered in April, so the name was transferred to the paschal feast. The word does not properly occur in Scripture, although the King James Version has it in Ac 12:4 where it stands for Passover, as it is rightly rendered in the Revised Version (British and American). There is no trace of Easter celebration in the New Testament, though some would see an intimation of it in 1 Co 5:7. The Jewish Christians in the early church continued to celebrate the Passover, regarding Christ as the true paschal lamb, and this naturally passed over into a commemoration of the death and resurrection of Our Lord, or an Easter feast. This was preceded by a fast, which was considered by one party as ending at the hour of the crucifixion, i.e. at 3 o'clock on Friday, by another as continuing until the hour of the resurrection before dawn on Easter morning.
(from International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, Electronic Database Copyright © 1996, 2003, 2006 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)
EASTER
EASTER (Grk.
pascha
, from Heb.
pesah
). The Passover (which see), and so translated in every passage except in the KJV: "intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people" (Ac 12:4). In the earlier English versions Easter had been frequently used as the translation of
pascha
. At the last revision Passover was substituted in all passages but this. See Passover.
The word Easter is of Saxon origin, Eastra, the goddess of spring, in whose honor sacrifices were offered about Passover time each year. By the eighth century Anglo-Saxons had adopted the name to designate the celebration of Christ's resurrection.
(from The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.)
EASTER (Grk.
pascha
, from Heb.
pesah
). The Passover (which see), and so translated in every passage except in the KJV: "intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people" (Ac 12:4). In the earlier English versions Easter had been frequently used as the translation of
pascha
. At the last revision Passover was substituted in all passages but this. See Passover.
The word Easter is of Saxon origin, Eastra, the goddess of spring, in whose honor sacrifices were offered about Passover time each year. By the eighth century Anglo-Saxons had adopted the name to designate the celebration of Christ's resurrection.
(from The New Unger's Bible Dictionary. Originally published by Moody Press of Chicago, Illinois. Copyright © 1988.)
EASTER
Easter is also an occasion for wearing new clothes and a traditional time for the extended family to gather and share a meal, typically including ham. The celebration of Easter, at least for Anglo-Saxons, originally seems to have supplanted a pagan celebration of Spring, With the growth of religious pluralism and secularism in American culture, vestiges of the original pagan celebration—such as the fertility symbols of eggs and rabbits—have provided a popular alternative theme of celebration. Inevitably, this has eroded the formerly dominant Christian interpretation of the day.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. F. X. Weiser, The Easter Book (1954); F. X. Weiser,
(from Dictionary of Christianity in America, edited by Daniel G. Reid, Robert D. Linder, Bruce L. Shelley and Harry S. Stout. © 1990 by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA; published by InterVarsity Press. All rights reserved.)
Easter is also an occasion for wearing new clothes and a traditional time for the extended family to gather and share a meal, typically including ham. The celebration of Easter, at least for Anglo-Saxons, originally seems to have supplanted a pagan celebration of Spring, With the growth of religious pluralism and secularism in American culture, vestiges of the original pagan celebration—such as the fertility symbols of eggs and rabbits—have provided a popular alternative theme of celebration. Inevitably, this has eroded the formerly dominant Christian interpretation of the day.
BIBLIOGRAPHY. F. X. Weiser, The Easter Book (1954); F. X. Weiser,
(from Dictionary of Christianity in America, edited by Daniel G. Reid, Robert D. Linder, Bruce L. Shelley and Harry S. Stout. © 1990 by InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA; published by InterVarsity Press. All rights reserved.)
Actually none of them.
The most obvious connection is to Astarte.
The connection with Ishtar comes from inference based on description of Ishtar worship in Babylon in Xenephon's Cyropaedia as translated by MIT's Classics department; and Heroditus description of Astarte Worship in Rawlinson's Heroditus, also translated by MIT's Classics department;
The most obvious connection is to Astarte.
The connection with Ishtar comes from inference based on description of Ishtar worship in Babylon in Xenephon's Cyropaedia as translated by MIT's Classics department; and Heroditus description of Astarte Worship in Rawlinson's Heroditus, also translated by MIT's Classics department;
Rawlinson: Herodotus 1,199
199. Now the most shameful of the customs of the Babylonians is as follows: every
woman of the country must sit down in the precincts of Aphrodite once in her life and
have commerce with a man who is a stranger: and many women who do not deign to
mingle with the rest, because they are made arrogant by wealth, drive to the temple with
pairs of horses in covered carriages, and so take their place, and a large number of
attendants follow after them; but the greater number do thus,—in the sacred enclosure of
Aphrodite sit great numbers of women with a wreath of cord about their heads; some
come and others go; and there are passages in straight lines going between the women
in every direction, through which the strangers pass by and make their choice. Here
when a woman takes her seat she does not depart again to her house until one of the
strangers has thrown a silver coin into her lap and has had commerce with her outside
the temple, and after throwing it he must say these words only: "I demand thee in the
name of the goddess Mylitta": now Mylitta is the name given by the Assyrians to
Aphrodite: and the silver coin may be of any value; whatever it is she will not refuse it, for
that is not lawful for her, seeing that this coin is made sacred by the act: and she follows
the man who has first thrown and does not reject any: and after that she departs to her
house, having acquitted herself of her duty to the goddess, nor will you be able
thenceforth to give any gift so great as to win her. So then as many as have attained to
beauty and stature are speedily released, but those of them who are unshapely remain
there much time, not being able to fulfil the law; for some of them remain even as much
as three or four years: and in some parts of Cyprus too there is a custom similar to this.
The Internet Classics Archive | The History of Herodotus by Herodotus {Return to: Is 47:1}
This is Heroditus on Ishtar worship I don't have Xenethon in my library but I use the online copy at MIT.edu
It will take a while to look up Heroditus on Astarte but this should convince you that I can
In any case the link is through Aphrodite. Heroditus refers to Ishtar as Aphrodite Xenophon as Ishtar
199. Now the most shameful of the customs of the Babylonians is as follows: every
woman of the country must sit down in the precincts of Aphrodite once in her life and
have commerce with a man who is a stranger: and many women who do not deign to
mingle with the rest, because they are made arrogant by wealth, drive to the temple with
pairs of horses in covered carriages, and so take their place, and a large number of
attendants follow after them; but the greater number do thus,—in the sacred enclosure of
Aphrodite sit great numbers of women with a wreath of cord about their heads; some
come and others go; and there are passages in straight lines going between the women
in every direction, through which the strangers pass by and make their choice. Here
when a woman takes her seat she does not depart again to her house until one of the
strangers has thrown a silver coin into her lap and has had commerce with her outside
the temple, and after throwing it he must say these words only: "I demand thee in the
name of the goddess Mylitta": now Mylitta is the name given by the Assyrians to
Aphrodite: and the silver coin may be of any value; whatever it is she will not refuse it, for
that is not lawful for her, seeing that this coin is made sacred by the act: and she follows
the man who has first thrown and does not reject any: and after that she departs to her
house, having acquitted herself of her duty to the goddess, nor will you be able
thenceforth to give any gift so great as to win her. So then as many as have attained to
beauty and stature are speedily released, but those of them who are unshapely remain
there much time, not being able to fulfil the law; for some of them remain even as much
as three or four years: and in some parts of Cyprus too there is a custom similar to this.
The Internet Classics Archive | The History of Herodotus by Herodotus {Return to: Is 47:1}
This is Heroditus on Ishtar worship I don't have Xenethon in my library but I use the online copy at MIT.edu
It will take a while to look up Heroditus on Astarte but this should convince you that I can
In any case the link is through Aphrodite. Heroditus refers to Ishtar as Aphrodite Xenophon as Ishtar
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(1) I still don't see the connection to Easter.
(2) Herodotus does what many Greeks did - he syncretizes Greek deities to tribal deities elsewhere. But we should be careful not to imagine that Greek myths about gods were identical to other tribal myths about similar gods. Herodotus also identifies Aphrodite with Nephthys and Alilat. Greek myths about Aphrodite were not identical to Babylonian myths about Ishtar or Canaanite myths about Astarte. Just because Herodotus may syncretize Aphrodite with Ishtar does not mean that the two were actually identical. Nor should we imagine that a deity local to some region retained a stagnant identity through time. Ishtar in early Sumer and Mesopotamia may be different from Ishtar in later Babylonian periods. Nor do Aphrodite's identity and myths remain stagnant through time in Greece.
In any case, on this thread, we're interested in Ishtar specifically and her supposed origins for the Christian Easter.
-Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, K. Van Der Toorn
(2) Herodotus does what many Greeks did - he syncretizes Greek deities to tribal deities elsewhere. But we should be careful not to imagine that Greek myths about gods were identical to other tribal myths about similar gods. Herodotus also identifies Aphrodite with Nephthys and Alilat. Greek myths about Aphrodite were not identical to Babylonian myths about Ishtar or Canaanite myths about Astarte. Just because Herodotus may syncretize Aphrodite with Ishtar does not mean that the two were actually identical. Nor should we imagine that a deity local to some region retained a stagnant identity through time. Ishtar in early Sumer and Mesopotamia may be different from Ishtar in later Babylonian periods. Nor do Aphrodite's identity and myths remain stagnant through time in Greece.
In any case, on this thread, we're interested in Ishtar specifically and her supposed origins for the Christian Easter.
-Dictionary of Deities and Demons in the Bible, K. Van Der Toorn
V
Actually, it's not "impossible" at all. Israel did not offer just one Passover lamb sacrifice. It offered several -- so many that the slaughter took most of the two hours before sundown. As Josephus, the Jewish historian wrote several years later:
So, as we can see, the shofar announcing the beginning of the sacrifice was sounded at the "ninth hour" (3:00 PM), and that is when Jesus died.
So, as we can see, the shofar announcing the beginning of the sacrifice was sounded at the "ninth hour" (3:00 PM), and that is when Jesus died.
Oester
means goddess of the East. Astarte was the goddess of the East to whom Oester refers.
Astarte was the Lydian name for Aphrodite. Ishtar was the Babylonian name for Aphrodite [or more likely Aphrodite was the Greek name for Ishtar]; since Ishtar came first. In any case the four names [at least from the perspective of ancient Greek historians] refer to the same goddess. The Saxons called her Oester, the Greeks called her Aphrodite, The Lydians (later called Ephesians) called her Astarte, and the Babylonians called her Ishtar.
means goddess of the East. Astarte was the goddess of the East to whom Oester refers.Astarte was the Lydian name for Aphrodite. Ishtar was the Babylonian name for Aphrodite [or more likely Aphrodite was the Greek name for Ishtar]; since Ishtar came first. In any case the four names [at least from the perspective of ancient Greek historians] refer to the same goddess. The Saxons called her Oester
, the Greeks called her Aphrodite, The Lydians (later called Ephesians) called her Astarte, and the Babylonians called her Ishtar.
Oester means goddess of the East. Astarte was the goddess of the East to whom Oester refers.
Astarte was the Lydian name for Aphrodite. Ishtar was the Babylonian name for Aphrodite [or more likely Aphrodite was the Greek name for Ishtar]; since Ishtar came first. In any case the four names [at least from the perspective of ancient Greek historians] refer to the same goddess. The Saxons called her Oester, the Greeks called her Aphrodite, The Lydians (later called Ephesians) called her Astarte, and the Babylonians called her Ishtar.
means goddess of the East. Astarte was the goddess of the East to whom Oester refers.Astarte was the Lydian name for Aphrodite. Ishtar was the Babylonian name for Aphrodite [or more likely Aphrodite was the Greek name for Ishtar]; since Ishtar came first. In any case the four names [at least from the perspective of ancient Greek historians] refer to the same goddess. The Saxons called her Oester
, the Greeks called her Aphrodite, The Lydians (later called Ephesians) called her Astarte, and the Babylonians called her Ishtar.
Christian practices for Easter originated from Pascha/Passover and the observance of the resurrection of Jesus. This is what Christian sources explicitly tell us; this is what Christians actually do on Easter (minus the Easter bunny and Easter egg stuff). I have yet to observe Christian cultic prostitution during an Easter ritual as might have been the case during an Ishtar ritual. Maybe I've been going to the wrong church though?
(2) As previously indicated, though tribal deities were commonly syncretized, as Herodotus did, they were not identical. Myths and rituals in Babylon about Ishtar were not identical to myths and rituals in Greece about Aphrodite. It's too overly simplistic to say that Aphrodite was identical to Ishtar, because they were in fact not identical given that they had different myths and different rituals. Sure, they shared some similarities, but similar doesn't mean identical nor does it indicate common origin. It's also too overly simplistic to say that Ishtar or Aphrodite retained the same identify through time given that their rituals and myths changed over time.