Saba Religion

Wouldn't the Sabeans have practiced a form of Judaism (due to the Queen of Sheba's relationship with Solomon), rather than worship Baal?

I think it's a bit silly to assume that since sheba visited solomon once that the saba were jews.

I think it says in the Koran that she became muslim (Jewish?) when she went there.

So maybe she had. Does it also mean her kingdom(Queendom?) as a whole converted too? Not likely.

If she became muslim then she travelled into the future because muhammed wasn't born until the 600s or thereabouts.

I think the Koran is actually referring to Judaism...

Despite what the bible may or may not say about the Queen of Sheba, who may or may not be a Sabaean (although there is scanty evidence for female rule in Saba), the Sabaeans practiced a polytheistic religion with the god Almaqah being the most important by a fairly large margin. There are a few thousand inscriptions written by the Sabaeans themselves over the span of several hundred years that attest to it.

I think we'd rather rely on archaeology and south arabian inscriptions and what they have to tell us about their religion. Stories about the queen of Sheba, related by hoopoe birds to king Solomon, are not quite as reliable in most of our opinion. (though if any team members disagree they are welcome to say so here :laugh4:)

She was a Buddist Monk!

Oh, ok.

Dang... I think the witch/"queen" should burn at the stake.
:mean:

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Originally Posted by Teleklos Archelaou

I think we'd rather rely on archaeology and south arabian inscriptions and what they have to tell us about their religion. Stories about the queen of Sheba, related by hoopoe birds to king Solomon, are not quite as reliable in most of our opinion. (though if any team members disagree they are welcome to say so here :laugh4:)

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There's no problem in using positively available data, on the contrary it's the better way to go whenever possible. However, while talking about a story that's essential to some of the greatest religions, such expressions may sound, or transmit as derogatory and pejorative.

The right not to believe does not include humiliating believers.

Oh, I'm not meaning that you're humiliating Teleklos! But I know many trolls at these very ORG fora that qualify.

:bow:
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Well, we aren't justifying or confirming or denying the importance or validity of religion or religious beliefs of modern day individuals, just putting forth some of the main criteria we use in assessing ancient south arabian religious practices. What I said does seem pretty accurate in regards to that.

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That's all OK. I was referring particularly to the hoopoe birds part. ~;)
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I didn't make the bird part up. That's in the Koran and might be in the Targum. Solomon tells a hoopoe bird to tell him about the queen and that's where he gets the 411. :grin: Just search 'hoopoe solomon' and you'll find it. Here's a nice pic of the queen and bird chatting:
http://artscenecal.com/ArtistsFiles/...nOfSheba3.html

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I know the story pretty well. Actually...

:gah2: Never mind, I failed to make my point clear enough. Let's move on for Almakah's sake. ~D
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At the time Semitic religions were not as rigid as they would later become. Before the Hebrews became truely monotheistic they worshipped (or at least accepted the existance and validity of) other Semitic gods, such as Baal, together with Yahweh. If the queen of Sheba adopted Yahweh as her primary deity it would not have meant a huge doctrinal change for her people or indeed for her.

Indeed, the Hebrews themselves were fairly polythesitc even into periods of which the Bible would tell us they werent.

Wasn't it the Babylonian captivity that shaped Hashem as we know Him?
Some combination of El and Enki? (which would explain God being benevolent and vengeful, as one of these was a 'nice god' and the other an SOB).

I could be wrong of course.

Btw, how many Baals are there? (am I correct in thinking Baal means Lord, and there were several gods with the prefix? ie Baal-Moloch, etc?)

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Originally Posted by Zaknafien

Indeed, the Hebrews themselves were fairly polythesitc even into periods of which the Bible would tell us they werent.

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indeed- my people behaved in shameful periods those days. such is the case of josaiah- he became a Ba'al teshuva- meaning he wasnt religious then he became religious- then he made everyone else destroy their idols by force, then the people hid their idols and worshiped them when the kings troops werent there.

he thought the nation was pure from idols, so he refused the egyptian king to pass through israel, and offered battle. to make a long story short, he was defeated b/c he thought the nation was pure & hashem was behind them. he was kiled and the egyptians shot 300 arrows into him. tis a sad story.

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Originally Posted by Johnny5

Yahweh

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this is a bad english translation of the true word. the word should be "hashem" meaning "the name" (ha= "the", shem= "name")

Quite. And, originally the Hebrew word Elohim is plural, referring to many gods, not just "The God".

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Originally Posted by hooahguy14

indeed- my people behaved in shameful periods those days. such is the case of josaiah- he became a Ba'al teshuva- meaning he wasnt religious then he became religious- then he made everyone else destroy their idols by force, then the people hid their idols and worshiped them when the kings troops werent there.

he thought the nation was pure from idols, so he refused the egyptian king to pass through israel, and offered battle. to make a long story short, he was defeated b/c he thought the nation was pure & hashem was behind them. he was kiled and the egyptians shot 300 arrows into him. tis a sad story.


this is a bad english translation of the true word. the word should be "hashem" meaning "the name" (ha= "the", shem= "name")

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I was under the impression YHWH means I Am That I Am, and that Jews say Hashem because it is forbidden to speak the name of God?

well, that would be wrong anyhow. it doesnt, but the last u saif is true, but correct.

2 points to anyone who knows what Israel actually means.

"Struggles with God"

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Originally Posted by abou

2 points to anyone who knows what Israel actually means.

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Israel, n. A war-torn hellhole of no significant value, where the world's most publicly intolerant populations convene so as to slaughter each other in a tradition over a thousand years old.

Is that worth two points?

Cheers.

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Originally Posted by abou

2 points to anyone who knows what Israel actually means.

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Israel is the alternative name for Jacob, given to him by the angel he wrestled at the banks of the River Jabbok (genesis 32:23). because the 12 tribes came from him, Israel is named after him.

Oh, we were going to semantic/etmological meaning.

I should still get at least a point.

Cheers.

you get -2 because of that seemingly anti-semitic post. ~:angry:

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Originally Posted by hooahguy14

you get -2 because of that seemingly anti-semitic post. ~:angry:

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I don't see how that could have possibly been construed as anti-Semitic except by anyone specifically trying to find something to call anti-Semitic. Certainly, Israelis and Islamic terrorists happen to be massacring each other there now, but it started out with Christians and Muslims massacring each other, if you measure it from the First Crusade. Of course, that would be ignoring wonderfully tolerant events like Titus' sack of the city, pillaging of the temple, and imposition of pagan religious sites in the second half of the first century AD.

Cheers.