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Sumerian Gods Create a Biogenetic Experiment
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Pine Cone at the Vatican
Ibis bird goes to Thoth or Z


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Dec 21, 2004
The Navel Stone

The curious object shown here is a Hellenistic or early Roman marble copy of the so-called omphalos or "navel", its surface covered with a woolen mesh. It was originally located in the temple of Apollo at Delphi, Greece. The travel writer, Pausanias, wrote the following about this rock:

"What the Delphians call the NAVEL is made of white stone: the Delphians maintain, and Pindar writes to the same effect in one of his odes, that this is the center of the entire earth."

Countless other surviving reports identify this navel-stone or Delphi as the center of the earth. But this deeply-rooted tradition raises a number of questions. Why was Delphi regarded as the center of the earth? And why did the centre have to be represented as a conical stone rather than, for example, a navelstring? The German scholar Wilhelm Roscher, who devoted no less than three books to this subject, was probably right when he derived the identification of Delphi as the center of the earth from the simple psychological tendency to place one's own land in the centre. Even if that is granted, however, the imagery itself still needs to be explained, especially because many other ancient societies identified one or another rock as the "navel" of the earth. In Petra, in modern Jordan, a "conic navel" was found, two meters in height and diameter, which was evidently regarded as a symbol of the cosmic center. The Israelites believed that the Holy of Holies in Solomon's temple was built on the "foundation stone" of the earth, which was the first object created by God, that he placed in the center of the universe. Muslims regard the Ka‘ba, the sacred black stone at Mecca, as the mark of the cosmic center. Many more examples could be adduced.

The key to the significance of such omphaloi is the connection to the heavenly pole. It is not difficult to understand why the cosmic pole would be singled out as the center of heaven par excellence, particularly in early societies with no concept of heliocentricity. The revolution of the stars around the pole and the constancy of the pole star near the center could readily be taken to mean that the polar region was the center of the cosmos. Earth navels such as the omphalos at Delphi and the Ka‘ba at Mecca must therefore have been deliberately modeled after the cosmic pole, even if this involved the erroneous conception that Delphi, Mecca, and other such places were located directly underneath the heavenly pole or, in other words, at the terrestrial poles.

So much was fully understood and elaborated by A.J. Wensinck, Mircea Eliade, and other students of early religion. What these scholars failed to notice, however, was that this cannot be the whole story. Granted that cultic "earth navels" were modeled after the celestial pole, the question remains just why the pole was so frequently represented by pillars and conical stones? Other recurring aspects of the iconography of the omphalos can be added. The Greek and the Semitic omphaloi were both depicted with a serpent wound around them. What could that have meant in connection with the pole of heaven? The symbol of the winged sun disc used to be placed right above the omphalos. Why? In order to make sense of this welter of confusing ideas, it is of paramount importance to consider that the ancients were looking at a different, more active sky than the one we presently see. The available evidence strongly suggests that the ancients were describing the axis mundi, the central axis connecting the poles of heaven and earth, as a visible object.

Based on an extensive analysis of ancient rock art, plasma physicist Anthony Peratt has recently proposed that a stupendous glowing plasma column formed in the 4th or 3rd millennium BCE as a result of a high-energy disturbance in the geomagnetic field. The known laboratory sequence of phases in the development of such a plasma column matches precisely the various aspects in the ancient mythological descriptions of the axis mundi. The plasma column will at some point have looked like a luminous cone; at another it will have been surrounded by a bright helix not unlike a serpent; and at another it will have been surmounted by two extensions resembling outstretched wings. This elegant hypothesis accounts at once for the significance and the complex morphology of the omphalos in ancient religion. Needless to say, many more years of painstaking analysis will be needed before the entire tangle is unraveled.

 Contributed by Rens van der Sluijs


  EXECUTIVE EDITORS: David Talbott, Wallace Thornhill
MANAGING EDITOR: Amy Acheson
  CONTRIBUTING EDITORS: Mel Acheson, Michael Armstrong, Dwardu Cardona, 
Ev Cochrane,   Walter Radtke, C.J. Ransom, Don Scott, Rens van der Sluijs, Ian Tresman
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Copyright 2004: thunderbolts.info

Omphalos – Mysterious Ancient Sacred Object And Its Meaning

AncientPages.com | May 24, 2017 | Ancient Mysteries, Artifacts, Featured Stories, News | No Comments

A. Sutherland – AncientPages.com – Standing in the center of the archaeological complex of Delphi, few people pay attention to this sacred object of rather insignificant structure.

It is constructed out of a pile of circular disks, each one somewhat smaller than the one underneath.

According to Herodotus, a sacred serpent was fed honey cakes once a month at the Acropolis in Athens. These honey cakes were marked with the Omphalos

According to Herodotus, a sacred serpent was fed honey cakes once a month at the Acropolis in Athens. These honey cakes were marked with the Omphalos

For the ancient Greeks this object, known as the Omphalos of Delphi represented a symbol for the ‘Navel of the World’.

Much later, the Greeks adopted the conical shaped stone as a sacred dwelling of Apollo, their Sun God Apollo – the residence of the Sun God. The most sacred device – Omphalos – was used at every oracular site.

The sacred stone ‘Omphalos’ had also a geodetic meaning – as a geodetic point of a master grid.

In his fascinating book ‘Gateways to the Otherworld: The Secrets Beyond the Final Journey, from the Egyptian Underworld to the Gates in the Sky‘ Philip Gardiner presents the strange object:

‘The superstition of the omphalos was widespread, similar to the serpent belief, from India to Greece. It is a boss or orb with spiral lines thought to represent serpents coiled or the electromagnetic energy encircling the globe. There are similar markings on ancient stone monuments across the world – especially at Newgrange in Ireland. Quintus Curtius also pointed out that in Africa there were such stones with spiral lines drawn, said to be a symbol of the serpent deity.

According to Herodotus, a sacred serpent was fed honey cakes once a month at the Acropolis in Athens. These honey cakes were marked with the Omphalos…”

The mythological story tells that the supreme Greek god, Zeus, sent two eagles from both ends of the world. These two birds began their flight at the same time, and kept flying until they met each other in the middle of the way, which was at the Omphalos.

This egg-shaped stone—the very stone described by the Greek writer Pausanias, who visited Delphi in the second century A.D. The original omphalos stone, now lost, was probably an archaic cult object that supplicants draped with wreaths, resembling the wreaths carved in relief on this stone. (Erich Lessing)

This egg-shaped stone—the very stone described by the Greek writer Pausanias, who visited Delphi in the second century A.D. The original omphalos stone, now lost, was probably an archaic cult object that supplicants draped with wreaths, resembling the wreaths carved in relief on this stone. (Erich Lessing)

The site that would later become known as Delphi, was a sacred place, which was inhabited by the Earth Goddess Gaia (or Gaea), the great mother of all, and guarded by her child, the serpent Python.

The Omphalos, probably a replica built in the 4th century BC, is a curious object and many theories have been proposed to explain the purpose of it.
Some have explained it as a funnel for the fumes that caused the Oracle at Delphi to get visions, some others suggest that the stone, given to Cronus by the goddess Rhea in order to thwart him from eating Zeus, their newborn son.

Omphalos at Delphi, Greece - probably a replica built in the 4th century BC - is a curious object and many theories have been proposed to explain the purpose of it.

Omphalos at Delphi, Greece – probably a replica built in the 4th century BC – is a curious object and many theories have been proposed to explain the purpose of it.

The word ‘omphalos’ or ‘baetylus’ is of Semitic origin (-bethel). Many of these stones existed in antiquity. They were considered sacred and mainly related to the cult of some particular god and looked upon as his abiding place or symbol.

See also:

Thales of Miletus: One Of The Famous “Seven Sages Of Greece” Who Predicted A Solar Eclipse

Socrates: Great Philosopher And Brave Man Who Still Inspires Many People

Halicarnassus’ Monumental Tomb Built With Shining Stones Belonged To Carian Ruler Mausolus

Sometimes these stones had a more regular shape; they were formed into pillars or into groups of three pillars.

Such columns were sometimes placed before a shrine; others were used as mileposts and often shaped into human form.

Vinca Omphalos stone - probably one of the oldest

Vinca Omphalos stone – probably one of the oldest

The baetylus (Bethel or Betyl) became the parent form for altars and iconic statuary. It was one of  sacred stones that once fell from heaven and contained the power of life, and thereafter such heavenly treasures were used for ritual and worship.

More evidence of the stone being taken from Bethel, a city described in the Hebrew Bible, of which location,  between Benjamin and Ephraim, was also confirmed by Jacob.

“And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first….”(Genesis 28:19)

George Andrew Reisner, an American archaeologist of Ancient Egypt and Palestine, who discovered the  Omphalos at the Amun/Zeus temple said that

“… in the front there is an opening. Inside a cavity with a depression, reminiscent of a seat, can be detected. I could imagine that this was the seat for a small deity figurine… Around the sculpture runs a band with sculptures of figures moving towards the opening of these figures, four people are features with wings.”

However, the remarkable object in Delphi is not the only Omphalos that has been discovered. Omphalos was also found at the ancient Greek oracle site of Ptoion and is connected with the Egyptian oasis of Siwas, in a temple where the gods Amun and Zeus were worshiped.

To the Etruscans, the Omphalos symbolized a route to the Underworld.

Written by – A. Sutherland AncientPages.com Staff Writer

Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com

Omphalos

The omphalos is a very common type of religious stone artifact/ tablet. The word omphalos means "navel" in Greek. According to the ancient Greeks, Zeus sent out two eagles to fly across the world and they met at its center, the "navel" of the world - which the omphalos represents.

Many records indicate that the omphalos stone was the holiest object at various oracle centers in all the lands bordering the Mediterranean Sea, the most well known being at Delphi. It most likely originated from the "stone of splendor" associated with the Canaanite god Baal. The main characteristic of the omphalos/stone of splendor was its ability to allow direct communication with the gods.

Most accounts locate the Omphalos in the temple adyton near the Pythia. The stone itself (which may have been a copy) has a carving of a knotted net covering its surface, and has a hollow centre, which widens towards its base. The Omphalos at Delphi came to be identified as the stone which Rhea wrapped in swaddling clothes, pretending it was Zeus. This was to deceive Cronus, his father, who swallowed his children so they could not grow up and depose him as he had deposed his own father, Ouranos.

Omphalos stones were said to allow direct communication with the gods. Leicester Holland (1933) has suggested that the stone was hollow to channel intoxicating vapours breathed by the Oracle. Erwin Rohde wrote that the Python at Delphi was an earth spirit, who was conquered by Apollo, and buried under the Omphalos, and that it is a case of one god setting up his temple on the grave of another. Christian destruction of the site in the fourth century at the order of Emperors Theodosius I and Arcadius makes all suggestions about its use tentative.

Jerusalem: In the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem there is also an omphalos. The existence of this stone is based upon the medieval cosmology which saw Jerusalem as the spiritual if not geographical center of the world (see T and O map). In fact, this tradition is likely based on an ancient Jewish tradition that saw Jerusalem as the navel of the world.

In the Jewish tradition, the Ark in the Temple in Jerusalem, through which God revealed himself to His people, was located on a Foundation Stone located on the Navel of the World. (This Jewish tradition is known to have begun in Hellenistic times, when Jews were already quite familiar with Greek culture - and thus, might be a deliberate emulation of and competition with the above tradition regarding Delphi).

Omphalos  Wikipedia


Hebrew Tree of Life

The Omphalos and Baetyl Stone
omphalos stone

Primitive Hill. Navel of the World. Axis Mundi. House of God.

  
In various creation stories there is the concept of the first land arising from the waters. This first land is called by different names. In Sumerian and Babylonian it is the primitive hill or primitive mountain and recognized through the worship of the sacred stone in other cultures. In Egypt this stone is the Benben, in Greece it is the Omphalos, in Rome it is the Baetyl and in Hinduism it is the Shiva linga. It also later became popular throughout the Levant in Phoenician cities like Sidon, Byblos and Tyre. This sacred stone that was worshiped has other mythologies and symbolism attached to it. It would include the axis mundi, world tree (Tree of Life), birds, serpents and fire. Historians say these stones because of certain descriptions by the ancients are assumed to be meteorites and therefore the association to fire. This may be true for some but not all. The Omphalos at Delphi was a stone and not a meteorite. It marked the center of the Hellenic world. The black stone from the Temple of Aphrodite in Cyprus is what is called an aniconic black stone which is not a meteorite. Today such a stone is part of the Muslim religion. It is housed in the black shrine in Mecca, the Kaaba, and is named al-Hajar-ul-Aswad. It was sent by Allah and landed in the paradise of Adam and Eve. Adam then built the Kaaba as a replica of Allah's house in Heaven. In Sumeria it was at creation that the primitive mountain arose from the primordial sea when earth and Heaven were separated. An was Heaven and Ki was the earth. In later Babylon it was on the primitive hill that the king stood within the axis mundi. The Egyptian myth had Atum standing on the Benben during his act of creation. Shiva's fiery linga which broke up from the nether world is the axis mundi and is the first linga from which Shiva emerged. The concept of the axis mundi is world wide and an explanation of its various meanings and symbols can be found at: http://en.allexperts.com/e/a/ax/axis_mundi.htm. The concept of the baetyl predates Shiva and can be found in the Indus Valley civilization. 

"I distinguish three types of cult stones at Mohenjo-daro – and Harappa – the baetylic, the phallic and the yoni ring-stones. Each of these types is represented by numerous examples, both small and large, the former much predominating over the latter... On the other hand, it is probable that they were originally distinct from baetylic worship, which is found frequently connected with the cult of the Mother Goddess among the oldest tribes, whereas phallism is rarely, if ever, found among these aboriginal people." (Marshall 1931:63) By Gregory L. Possehl: http://www.scribd.com/doc/22597545/09-The-Indus-Civilization

The baetyl ultimately was the House of God - a Beth-El. These stones were venerated as having the god living or the god's soul residing within the sacred stone. They were believed to have supernatural powers as in giving the gift of prophecy. The word itself seems to be both Mediterranean and Semitic in origin. As a historical note the term baetyl for the first time was used by the author Pliny the Elder.

The stone's connection to birds: the omphalos has two - one on either side - and the Benben has the Bennu bird. The Benben does not seem to have been a geodetic marker on the order of the omphalos but rather a marker of where it all began. The Benben was the original primitive mound represented as a pyramid shaped stone and the dwelling place of the sun god with its association with the Bennu bird (also Benu bird). This is documented in the Egyptian Pyramid Texts. The Roman Baetyl also has bird associations. It was protected by an eagle which can be seen standing in front or on top of the stone on some Roman coins.
The omphalos stone below and to the far left is a Roman copy and covered in a design normally called a net. More likely it it a stylized pine cone of which other stones resemble. The gray stone is a replica of the Delphi stone and probably is what most of the stones looked like. The site of Delphi has been inhabited at least since the Neolithic between 5,000 and 3,000 BC. The next stone is wrapped with the serpent Python who guarded the omphalos at Pytho the name before the site was called Delphi. Omphalos meant "center of the Earth "and "navel" to the Greeks. The leaves ringing the bottom may be a reference to the Tree of Life. The last is an Egyptian illustration of the stone with two birds and two serpents. The birds show up in Greek renderings as well. The birds represent 'to lay out parallels and meridians' that is to say latitude and longitude. In Indian mythology Vishnu is found lying on the serpent Ananta inside the cosmic egg which when split half becomes the omphalos. This is part of the Indus Valley mythology.

greek omphalos stoneDelphi omphalos stonepythos and omphalosegyptian omphalos
The omphalos as the "navel of the earth" marks the terrestrial center from which all points are determined. Thus the parallels and meridians were measured from it - which in ancient Egypt the center was at the Temple of Amun. It marked the spot of the axis mundi which determined the cardinal points of the compass. This center ruled immense power both religious and political. In fact when the Babylonians ruled Mesopotamia they declared Marduk's temple as the axis mundi dethroning Enlil - a top pantheon god. That was quite a feat and they were successful. The Assyrians tried the same thing but were not able to accomplish what the Babylonians did.
shiva lingamIn India the Shiva linga is considered an omphalos. Its shape can be conical to phallic and be made from a variety of materials. The Shiva linga has a complex symbolism including the axis mundi and as with other omphalos the serpent and fire are also other aspects of the linga. It has a direct connection to the Hindu god Shiva and is his sign as well as a fertility symbol. The Sanskrit word Shiva is an adjective meaning kind, friendly, gracious or auspicious. As a proper name it means "The Auspicious One". Shiva also has an association with serpents and the trident called the Trishula of Shiva. The trident is also a symbol of Poseidon the Greek water god who if you go back far enough to an earlier time is Enki.
To the far left is an omphalos stone from Ireland. It is called the Turoe Stone and dates from 150 BC to 250 BC. The shorter stone is the Castlestrange stone.

"Standing at around 3 feet high the granite boulder known as the Turoe stone is a beautifully decorated phallic stone, the top half is covered with a curvilinear design typical of the Celtic art style known as La Tene, this dates the stone to around the 1st to 3rd centuries B C, the middle is decorated with a form of Greek key. The patterns are carved in relief using a technique known as poking." (http://www.megalithicireland.com/Turoe%2520Stone.htm)

"Along the side of the farm drive in the grounds of Castlestrange Demense stands this beautifully inscribed Cult stone, decorated with curvilinear ornament and dating to around 200 BC. At 60 cm high and approx. 90 cm long, it sits on a round bed of radially placed river rocks which in turn is surrounded by a protective cattle grid. While the function of these cult stones is not clear, it is presumed that they had a ritual or religious purpose. (http://www.ancientireland.org/castlestrange/index.htm)
Baetyl Handles
The omphalos is also known by its Latin name Baetyl and tends to look more like a tall pyramid. The images below are from Roman coins and show a winged angel on one side and on the reverse the baetyl stone. What is peculiar about these images is that the baetyl has handles on it. The first three have a handle on each side at the top. The fourth and fifth coin have a different rendering for these handles, more like knobs, and located at the top. If the baetyl does in fact come from the Egyptian Benben stone and thus the pyramidion, then it hearkens back to the winged disk and the "handles" that also appear at the top of the disk. It then would reinforce the concept that the "pointy object" could have been a container that opened and closed. Many of the images of the winged disk also had two handles.

What also raises questions is, why is this angel on the obverse of all the coins above? Same kneeling pose with the wreath and what is called a caduceus is another question. Why a caduceus? It may be a nod to the symbolism of the Tree of Life. Most Roman coins depict an emperor. Also on both sides of thebaetyl are the two birds (but could be grapes) associated with Greek and Egyptian omphalos stones. The only thing missing is a serpent. Some coins without baetyl handles do have an emperor on the obverse side.
 
Tree of Life
Here are three coins with associating the Tree of Life with the sacred stone. The first coin shows the classic fleur design for the leaves and fruit. The twin stones may depict a pair of oracle stones which was common at that time but these still are considered baetyls. Oracles were associated with the baetyl. The second shows the Tree growing from the baetyl itself much like the world tree growing from the primitive hill and the last is Greek with the typical Fleur-de-Lys symbol for the Tree of Life growing from the top of the omphalos. It is curious that the head of a bird is on the obverse side of this coin.

baetyl with tree of life
The Crease
There appears on some coins a crease at the top of the baetyl. The three coins below have an indication of a crease. The first two coins have an obvious crease. The coin to the far right has a faint line on the same diagonal and at the same height as the other two coins. This  diagonal crease at the top of the baetyl with the same slant and location indicates it is intentional. To me it looks like a hatch but you can draw your own conclusion. Since it shows up on three of these coins there must be some unknown symbolism connected to it. Of all the coin pages I have visited not one makes any reference to it, the handles yes the crease no. The last is a mystery. It looks like three poles with an undefinable object inside.

Axis Mundi
The coins below are even more curious in that they seem to show that the baetyl has an interior and that although this sacred stone is presumed to be solid yet there is something mysterious going on inside. It is as if the outside skin has been rendered open to reveal some sort of structure. Four of the five coins show a pole or strut. Notice at the top how the outside wraps itself over the internal object/structure of the second coin. The mundane answer to this pole could be and most likely is the axis mundi. These coins may be telling us something conneted with the baetyl in a mystical way that in reality does not belong there as these stones in real life were solid clear through. The baetyls did not have a pole inside them nor a skin that could be torn open. All of these coins also have the angel on them.

The Sphere
These images are baetyls. Although the first two are fairly rough looking these two coins have what appears to be a sphere coming out of the apex of the baetyl. Even in the more worn coin the sphere is easily discernible. Once again it is located at the top along with the handles and crease. The kneeling angel is on the obverse side. The last image is of the baetyl in the Temple of Aphrodite near Paphos, Cyprus. At the very tip of the stone is a sphere. These coins are minted in different locations. These images are telling us something we do not know or even suspect. My question is does this sphere represent an abstract icon of the god or of the god's soul? This is not something I had expected to find. It's spooky.

The symbols on either side of the baetyls that have the axis mundi and crease are the mint marks delta and gamma. The axis mundi and perhaps the crease as well may represent themes of this particular mint. These coins were struck in southwestern Anatolia, now Turkey, around 400 AD in a city named Kaunos. The ancient ruins of this city are still there. Click: Kaunos to see an image of it from Google Maps.

No story about the omphalos and baetyl would be complete without including the two symbols tied together at almost every turn and they would be the serpent and the bird which in this case is an eagle. Both of these creatures by the way are considered as protecting the sacred stone. In the case of the serpent, at Delphi at least, it was killed by Apollo with his silver bow thus becoming like the  dragon slayers of lore. The eagle is a strong Roman symbol. If you look closely at the serpent coin you can see the omphalos in its symbolism of the pine cone.
omphalos as pine coneomphalso as pine coneThe first coin is from Syria 246-227 BC shows the god Apollo sitting on an omphalos stone which was a common scene found on many coins. But in this instance the omphalos is decorated as a pine cone. The next two coins also show the same scene with an even greater emphasis of omphalos as a pine cone. The pine cone as mentioned earlier represents the fruit from the Tree of Life.

On a final note about baetyls. The above "pine cone" is in Vatican City.
How far away do you think you are from the ancient First Legends of Sumeria?

"FROM WHERE DID WE GET THE WORD CHURCH?


NOTE: Most of the following research was compiled by a fellow believer, who,
for personal reasons, has chosen not to have his name affiliated with this site.


...The word "church" found in most (not all) Bibles is translated from the Greek word "ekklesia," and it means "called out ones." The word "church" is defined in most dictionaries as: "A building for public worship, especially Christian worship; the company of all Christians as a spiritual body." This, however, tells us nothing concerning the origin of this word and its original definition, meaning, and usage. Some theologians have erroneously stated that the word church comes from the Greek "kyrios" which means "lord," and thus "church" is those who belong to the Lord, or references the "Lord’s house." This is not, however, the origin or original meaning of the word "church."

"Church" is a very early English word that means "circle" (the shape of a circle), while the Greek word translated "church" is "ekklesia" and means "called out ones," and more properly answers to the English words: congregation, assembly or group.

...The word Bethel literally means "House of God," and was the name of a town about 17 km north of Jerusalem on the road to Shechem. Bethel was also the name of a Canaanite deity venerated at Bethel. In the ancient world Bethel is one of the camping places of Abraham and Jacob. From there Abraham sees the land God is giving him. It is also here where the dream of "Jacob’s ladder" occurs, and where God later appears to Jacob. Thus Bethel becomes a sanctuary of the patriarchs. Along with Ai, it is one of the first towns conquered by Joshua. Later, in the ninth century the town is the residence of a brotherhood of prophets centered around Elijah and Elisha. It also becomes for the Northern Kingdom the national center of worship, with its golden calf, "the sin of Jeroboam." Amos pronounces God’s judgment upon this cult (Amos 3:13-15; 5:4-7), and is expelled from Bethel by the priest Amaziah. Hosea waxes ironical about Bethel, the "House of God," that it has become Beth-aven (Hosea 5:8; 10:5), which means "the house of nothingness (or iniquity)." Josiah’s religious reform affects Bethel, where these altars and high places are destroyed (see II Kings 23:15-20).

...Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, under the entry "church" adds this:

"The etymology of this word is generally assumed to be from the Greek, kurious oikos (house of God); but this is most improbable, as the word existed in all the Celtic dialects long before the introduction of the Greek. No doubt the word means ‘a circle.’ The places of worship among the German and Celtic nations were always circular [witness circular Stonehenge, one of the most ancient stone megaliths on earth]. Compare Anglo-Saxon ‘circe,’ a small church, with ‘circol,’ a circle."" (http://hell-fact-or-fable.com/church.html)

Same author different page:

And the number one reason to reconsider your belief in an eternal hell:

1.a) GOD IS LOVE! (I John 4:8) Like any good parent who loves their children, discipline is always for the purpose of correction. If your children got out of line, would you lock them up in your basement and torture them unmercifully for sadistic reasons? Of course not! Those who teach that our loving heavenly Father will do so do not know the heart of God. [4] Likewise, it would be the height of hypocrisy for God to command us to love and to forgive our enemies, while at the same time unmercifully torturing His enemies for all eternity.

1.b) LOVE NEVER FAILS! (I Corinthians 13:8) If just one precious soul were to perish apart from the love of God, then that would mean that either a) God doesn’t love that individual, or b) that somehow God’s love has failed in that particular instance. And I can assure you that it is a tragic error to believe that the Love of God will fail! For God IS Love, and Love NEVER fails!

The above reasons for not believing in the concept of hell is from Gary's (the webmaster) web site: hell-fact-or-fiction which on this particular page of his web site has his top 10 reasons for not believing in the concept of hell - and I agree.

 

HISTORY & SYMBOLISM

Throughout the span of recorded human history, Pinecones have served as a symbolic representation of Human Enlightenment, the Third Eye and the Pineal Gland.

Conifer Pine Trees are one of the most ancient plant genera on the planet, having existed nearly three times longer than all flowering plant species. The Pinecone is the evolutionary precursor to the flower, and its spines spiral in a perfect Fibonacci sequence in either direction, much like the Sacred Geometry of a rose or a sunflower.

Our “Pine”al Gland, shaped like (and named after) the Pinecone, is at the geometric center of our brain and is intimately linked to our body's perception of light. The Pineal modulates our wake-sleep patterns and circadian rhythms, remains uniquely isolated from the blood-brain barrier system, and receives a higher percentage of blood flow than any other area of the body save the kidneys.

It is considered by many to be our biological Third Eye, the "Seat of the Soul," the “Epicenter of Enlightenment” -- and its sacred symbol throughout history, in cultures around the world, has been the Pinecone.

The Egyptian Staff of Osiris, dating back to approximately 1224 BC, depicts two intertwining serpents rising up to meet at a pinecone. Modern scholars and philosophers have noted the staff’s symbolic parallels to the Indian “Kundalini,” a spiritual energy in the body depicted as coiled serpents rising up from the base of the spine to the Third Eye (Pineal Gland) in the moment of enlightenment. Awakened Kundalini represents the merging and alignment of the Chakras, and is said to be the one and only way to attain the “Divine Wisdom” bringing  pure joy, pure knowledge and pure love.

Depictions of Hindu deities are also interwoven with both literal and symbolic representations of serpents and pinecones. In some cases, Hindu gods are carved, sculpted or drawn holding a pinecone in outstretched hand. Shiva, the most prominent god in the Hindu tradition, is consistently depicted with a head, or coiled hair, shaped in marked similarity to a pinecone and interwoven with a serpent or serpents.

In addition to spiritual consciousness and enlightenment, pinecones have also historically been used as symbols of everlasting or eternal life. Ancient Assyrian palace carvings, dating back to 713-716 BC depict four-winged God-like figures purposefully holding aloft pinecones, or in some cases, using a pinecone to pollinate their depiction of the Tree of Life -- a tribute, perhaps, to both the Pinecone’s immortality symbolism and its role as an icon of enlightenment.

In yet another culture’s tribute to the Pinecone as symbolic of spiritual ascension and immortality, a statue of the Mexican god “Chicomecoatl” (“Seven Snakes”) again depicts the deity offering forth pinecones in one hand, and an evergreen tree in the other.

The Greeks and Romans also incorporated the Pinecone into their elaborate systems of religious belief and mythology. Dionysus, later known as Bacchus to the Romans, was continually depicted ca rrying a “Thyrsus,” a fennel staff woven with ivy and leaves and topped with a pinecone. The Thyrsus, purported to drip with honey, was regularly used as a sacred instrument at religious rituals and fetes.

Romans later built an enormous bronze sculpture, the “Pigna,” in the shape of a huge pinecone three stories tall. According to a popular medieval legend, the sculpture stood on top of the Pantheon, as a lid for the round opening in the center of the building's vault. The Pigna is confirmed to have served as a large fountain overflowing with water next the Temple of Isis in Ancient Rome, however, the gigantic statue now sits directly in front of the Catholic Vatican in the “Court of the Pinecone.”

Catholic religious tradition is intricately interwoven with pinecones, perhaps most prominently atop the sacred staff carried by the Pope himself. The Coat of Arms of the Holy See, found on the Vatican flag among other places, features a stacking of three crowns suspiciously similar in shape to a pinecone. The very name, “Holy See,” appears to many to be a direct reference to the Third Eye…

Pinecones also turn up as sources of “illumination” in the church, such as candleholders and lamps, seemingly symbolic of the spiritual illumination the Third Eye represents. All of these factors lead conspiracy theorists and philosophers to accuse the Catholic church of using Christianity/Catholicism as a veil to blind the public to true spiritual enlightenment: The awakening of our Pineal Gland.

One theory proposes that the Pinecone was actually the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, purported in Genesis to have been eaten by Eve at the urgings of a serpent, and leading to the eviction of mankind from the Garden of Eden. This concept proves particularly provocative given the consistent reappearance of pinecone images with serpents and snake references across cultures.

The Bible itself alludes to pinecones and the Pineal Gland on several occasions, sometimes quite specifically. Beginning in Genesis, Jacob wrestles all night with God, and is commanded to change his name to Israel. The bible then purports the following:

And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: “For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Peniel the sun rose upon him.

--Genesis 32:30-31

(Literal Biblical translation of the word “Peniel” means “Face of God”)

In another interesting passage, Matthew seems to provide an uncannily similar description of the Third Eye to texts of the Yogic and Hindu spiritual traditions. This verse is also interesting because the Pineal Gland is the only part of the brain that is “single,” not possessing a left and right hemisphere.

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore your eye be single, your whole body shall be full of light.

--Matthew 6:22

Matthew’s description also appears pertinent to recent pineal experimentation conducted in amphibians. Pineal supplementation in frogs, which possess a more prominent Pineal Gland, results in a physical “lightening” of their entire skin pigmentation. The Pineal Gland in some reptiles actually still contains “rods“ and “cones“ as in our retinas, and is capable of directly perceiving light.

This final verse from Hosea, seems to more directly address the connection between spirituality and the Pinecone/Pine Tree:

O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols?

I will answer him and care for him.

I am like a green pine tree;

your fruitfulness comes from me.

--Hosea 14:8

In addition to critical theories relating to Christianity and the Catholic Church, conspiracy theorists also point to the presence of pinecones in Freemason architecture and symbolism as another example of organized spiritual oppression. They believe the Freemasons fully understand the spiritual significance of the Third Eye, and regularly pay iconic tribute to it, while continuing to placate the masses with a doctrine of religious and cultural dogma.

Pinecones regularly appear framed in Freemason Octagons on the ceilings of Masonic Lodges, and Large Freemason sculptures on the side of the Whitehall Building in the New York Financial District goes so far as to depict two enormous intertwining snakes spiraling up to a pinecone overlooking Battery Place (which is striking similarity to the Staff of Osiris).

Psychopharmacologist Rick Strassman believes the Third Eye/Pineal Gland to be the source of the psychedelic Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in our bodies. Strassman has hypothesized that large amounts of DMT are released in our bodies during heightened states of spiritual consciousness, such as birth, death and near-death experiences -- or perhaps during the awakening of our Kundalini in a moment of Enlightenment.

Synthesized DMT, or plants containing DMT are often used as recreational psychedelics, or in shamanic ceremonies, such as the Ayahuasca ceremony originating in South America. DMT and/or Ayahuasca users often report intensely entheogenic experiences of spiritual awakening, contact with entities of supernatural or spiritual origin, and the dilation or compression of time.

It is worth noting that among reports of thousands users experiences with Ayahuasca, the Serpent is documented as the the most commonly appearing archeatype in their spiritual/psychedelic visions.

Pinecone related similarities have also shown up in Crop Circles. Although Crop Circles are typically representative of a wide range of items and ideas, the two featured here reflect noteworthy Pinecone/Third Eye parallels…

As with many iconic symbols throughout history (the Swastika, the Christian Cross, the All-Seeing-Eye on the dollar bill), the totemic power of the Pinecone has been used by a broad spectrum of both positive and negative cultural forces throughout history to reference and allude to Spiritual Enlightenment and the Third Eye.

Modern-day organizations appear to be toting the Pinecone’s symbolic power over the masses, while simultaneously disguising its true importance -- and may even be seeking to chemically block or poison our Third Eye via Fluorinated public drinking water.

Third Eye Pinecone Talismans represent a reclamation of the emblematic power and natural beauty of the Pinecone, the Pineal Gland, and the ancient historical heritage accompanying one of Mother Nature’s most compelling organic symbols.

Third Eye Pinecone Necklaces and Talismans are made from the polished cross-section of a living pinecone, sustainably harvested in unique micro-climates, and specially cut, dried, cured and encased in protective resin. They are elegant, natural, unique, and symbolize the evolution of collective consciousness while harnessing the potent spiritual energy of the Pineal Gland and of the Third Eye.

Thank you for your interest in Pinecones. Should you wish to support the dissemination of this information, please visit our Products Page to purchase your own unique Pinecone Talisman or Necklace.