🧵The Biblical "Satanic Verses": Demonic Sacrifices to "Azazel" 🤯
Previously, I have exposed the hidden influence of pagan mythology in the Bible. For example, see here: quranandbibleblog.com
quranandbibleblog.com (1/10)
Previously, I have exposed the hidden influence of pagan mythology in the Bible. For example, see here: quranandbibleblog.com
quranandbibleblog.com (1/10)
But this was just the tip of the iceberg! Perhaps the most egregious example of the influence of paganism in the Bible can be found in Leviticus 16:9-10, concerning the "day of atonement". (2/10)
Note that "Azazel" is a proper name. John L. McLaughlin links it to Hittite purification rituals & suggests the name means "angry god". Note that this "god" is not Yahweh. It is rather a "wilderness demon", i.e., Lev 16:9-10 tells the Israelites to offer a goat to a demon! (3/10)
In other words, Lev 16:9-10 commands the Israelites to offer a sacrifice to a demon!
While other interpretations have been suggested, scholars tend to favor the Azazel=demon interpretation. (4/10)
While other interpretations have been suggested, scholars tend to favor the Azazel=demon interpretation. (4/10)
The JPS Torah Commentary refers to Azazel as a "goat-demon". The irony is that sacrificing to "goat-demons" is expressly prohibited in the next chapter! Lev 17:7 states that these sacrifices are banned, so why is it allowed in Lev 16??? (5/10)
Brian McMorrow explains in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Volume 4, that "Azazel" is "Yahweh's enemy" and is a "demon" that "dwells in an uninhabited region". Why in the world was Yahweh telling Israelites to sacrifice a goat to a demon??? (6/10)
But it gets worse! The ritual has parallels to Babylonian pagan rituals as well! The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, while claiming the "meaning" is "at best uncertain", draws parallels with Lev 16 to a Babylonian ritual involving a "scapegoat". (7/10)
In this ritual, a sheep was killed on the New Year and thrown into a river. In both the Biblical ritual and the Babylonian ritual, the person performing the sacrifice would be considered "unclean". Lev 16:26 required a bath for the person to come back to the camp. (8/10)
The JPS Torah Commentary on Numbers also notes this. Calling Azazel a "satyr demon", it mentions the Babylonian ritual where the high priest would wipe the temple w/ a ram & throw it in a river, carrying away the "impurities" just like the goat carries sins away in Lev 16. (9/10)
In conclusion, Christians and Jews who make accusations against Islam of copying "paganism" really need to do some introspection. The only paganism we can see comes from the Bible!
And Allah (swt) knows best! (10/10)
And Allah (swt) knows best! (10/10)
@threadreaderapp unroll
Loading suggestions...