This week, we will be celebrating two Spring holidays, Easter and Passover. Both take place just after the Full Moon just after the Spring Equinox.
The First Council of Nicaea (325) established the date of Easter as the first Sunday after the full moon (the Paschal Full Moon) following the March equinox.
Wikipedia
The Christian festival celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the third day after his crucifixion, as described in the biblical New Testament. Passover is the commemoration of the Hebrew’s exodus from bondage in Egypt.
So what’s the connection?
In Greek and Latin, the original Christian celebration was called Pascha, from the Hebrew word Pesach (translated as Passover). The two holidays have a similar origin.
Easter, in this context, is pretty freakin’ amazing! A man dies and can bring himself back to life! This is beyond bringing another person back to life. Returning oneself! And without the help of medical technology of any kind.
At death, the soul separates from the body. Self-resurrection implies the soul has memory and awareness of the body, at least at 3 days after death. As a disembodied spirit, he was able to connect back. If we accept this as true, it is proof of life after death and physical immortality.
And we celebrate it with chocolate bunnies and painted eggs? The two don’t quite add up. Something is clearly wrong.
To the Hebrews in Israel, formerly Egyptians, resurrection is nothing new. In fact, it was once a minimal requirement to be a member of the Sanhedrin, in ancient Israel.
The Sanhedrin was the supreme council, or court, in ancient Israel. The Sanhedrin was comprised of 70 men, plus the high priest, who served as its president. the Sanhedrin had jurisdiction only over the province of Judea. The Sanhedrin had its own police force which could arrest people, as they did Jesus Christ.The Sanhedrin was abolished with the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D. Wikipedia
In the Talmud, a discussion of Jewish principles, it states:
All Israel have a portion in the world to come, but the following have no portion therein: He who maintains that resurrection is not a biblical doctrine. Tractate Sanhedrin,
Folio 90a Chapter 11
In fact, to be considered for membership in the Sanhedrin, the ability to resurrect was a minimal requirement! One of the disputes between the Pharisses and Seduccees was regarding life after death of both of the body and soul, including resurrection and immortality.
…they must be tall, of imposing appearance, and of advanced age; and they must be learned and must understand foreign languages as well as some of the arts of the necromancer.
(Sanh. 19a). Jewish Encyclodia
Of course this brings up all the issues regarding accuracy of these sources including Wikipedia, translations, and whether they are actually true. Let’s assume they are…at least for the moment.
Now on to Egypt.
Exodus….not the Bob Marley song, not the Cecil B. DeMill movie, but the old Biblical story. (Now I’ve got Bob’s rhythms in my head)…..tells the story of the Hebrews leaving Egypt to become a separate nation.
Long story short…..
- lots of plagues
- theft
- death
- whining in the desert
- possible Space Ship landing
- Age of Taurus (Calf) becomes the Age of Aries (Ram)
- patriarchy
- and a new nation
Oh, and immortality and resurrection in the process. Not in the movie version, though.
It says: And God spoke all these words, saying:”
Yes, god gave the commandments.
It goes on:
When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen. But do not have God speak to us or we will die.” Exodus 20:18
The energy vibrations from god’s voice were so strong that it took the people out of their body, and they were then returned. It was too much, and they asked Moses to speak to them from then on.
So here are two holidays, both ending with a story of death and rebirth. Both are related to the Spring Equinox, the entry of the Sun into the sign of Aries, resurrection & immortality. An egg hunt and a Seder meal seem to be an understatement to the magnitude of these events.
What does Spring have to do with immortality? Or creation for that matter…?
For a more detailed and cross-cultural view, download my free Spring Book!
If you don’t want to live forever and deal with aging, fading health & the direction this messed up world is going, that’s a whole other issue discover here.