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Ishtar on an Akkadian seal, licensed under CC BY 3.0 by Sailko .Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InannaThis image has not been changed and the author does not endorse this blog.
Over the next few weeks it is my intention to translate the entire Book of Sajaha and the Isais Offenbarung. What follows is Tablet or Chapter 9. My reason for starting part of the way through the book is due to its significance. Read the translation for yourself and you will see what I mean!
What follows is my own translation of this particular part of the Book of Sajaha which is taken to be a prophecy relating to the end times.
"There are three images which I want to show you next; and each one of them an event for a certain time.
The first image shows you a new king. He lives on the shore of the lake. His race * is related to us by blood. He sends out many ships. He annexes lands, which since the great Sargon I no one had seen any more. He is learned, his gods are also ours. The higher the sign of the new king climbs in the heavens, the more those who are envious forge hatred against him-and soon gather together to attack him. Terrible struggle comes, for the first time, the second time, and for the third time.
The new king finally succumbs to the majority. There remains no trace of him-only secret knowledge. Another king rules as the first one over the world. He is not of our blood and has no knowledge of the light. * His land lies distant. Through industriousness however this king achieves a great deal. However as the industriousness passes, so also does his work.
The second image, that I also want to bring you, shows many praying people; they pray a great deal and in many countries. However they do not pray to the true deity, their understanding is blinded. The light that was once there, they have veiled in their temples, their holy stones bear false inscriptions. And they offer false sacrifices, cutting girls' hair and burning the wise. They do not see the signs of their gods anymore. And just as they pray and sacrifice, so they wage greedy wars.
Their thoughts are empty, their spirits are sick, and their souls are deformed. Their gods slurp their blood, burn their flesh and eat the hair of their women. And they kill a great many.
The third image, that I want to give to you today, shows, how again a new king arises in the distance. And he is of our blood. His name is "Hope" because he closes the sources of evil. And every sign of heaven* gives him a year, the first half of it in peace and the second in war. However the sources of evil break out again, and they shower the young king with blood and fire from above and below and from all sides. Thus he perishes. And the name "Hope" falls with him.
Then the darkness completely seizes power in the world. The blinded people sacrifice in dull temples of the same impure kind. Schaddein (the prince of the shadow/evil) determines the course, his priests of the lie rule scornfully over the earth. Only the heirs of the heritage of Babylon, Assyria and Persia fight back. However these became weak long ago. The victory is far off. There is no new king anymore.
However a strong one will shake up the remnant of the heirs and wake some up. Like a comet which suddenly gives a sign. However the victory is far off, and there is no new king.
Something strange I see in addition to that: it is like a glowing wheel-gigantically large. And its spokes are intertwined people, who have no race. * They look sick, egoism * is in their breath. They are slaves to themselves and to the wheel. Those who hold the glowing circlet burn and scream at it. However the next push right away, although they resist. (This is) because the centre hub is likewise made of embers, and there the people burn. And thus yet more and more multitudes allow themselves to be driven towards the disaster that works from the centre of the embers.
This glowing wheel-gigantic to look upon-rolls over the earth. It brings fire, igniting countries and seas. A terrible noise sounds from everywhere-gruesome and without sense. The wheel however continues to race. The noise generated by scorched people in madness, drives it, making it quicker and quicker. In raging madness they jump on to the wheel of embers and turn into smoke.
Nowhere is there silence anymore, everywhere screaming and charging about and raging. The people do not recognise one another anymore. And none of them slow down the hideous rolling of the glowing wheel. A new king is still far off.
I then saw an entirely different image-and I don't know from where this image came; it was distant to the others. Then I saw the golden portrait of a beautiful goddess. It was set up on a high mast. I took it to be the portrait of Ishtar, although it did not bear her sign. I saw a king standing at the base of the Ishtar post. And a lot of people cheered him. All around lay a large city, and the entire city was in a celebratory mood. It was just as if the king of Babylon made a speech to his people. And I almost thought that I could detect a new Babylon, which lies there in a distant time-and I don't know, whether it is in the future, or past.
I saw a bright sun shine on the city with the golden goddess and on the entire land-up to the sea-into the mountains. And everywhere ruled great happiness, loud cheers sounded. And as the sun shone so brightly appeared also the light of love far and wide among people. I saw quarrels nowhere, I heard no anger, only joy everywhere and no trace of wild madness. Decorated ships sailed on the rivers and in the streets joyful wagons. And the desert was green in splendid forests."
* 'Geschlecht' has various meanings including race, lineage and gender. Clearly the context rules out 'gender'! I have chosen to translate the word as 'race' although Joshua Free uses the term 'family'. He may or may not be correct.
* The literal translation is 'light knowledge' but this would not make a great deal of sense in English. I have thus translated the adjective as a noun.
* I have translated 'Himmelszeichen' in a literal sense-'sign of heaven'. The context indicates that the meaning may be 'sign of the zodiac', the German for which is 'Sternzeichen'-'star sign'.
* 'Geschlecht'. Again I have translated this word as 'race' but Joshua Free uses the term 'gender'. It is a judgement call as to which word to use according to the context.
* I have translated 'Selbstsucht' as 'egoism'. For some reason Joshua Free has used the term 'selfishness'. Mine is the more accurate term.
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