Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Religion. Show all posts

Thursday, May 26, 2011

10 People Who Sold Their Soul To The Devil

There is always someone looking for the easy way of obtaining more pleasure, wealth or power. I always find it fascinating the lengths some will try just to achieve what they desire most. This list looks at 10 who are believed to have turned to the ultimate evil to obtain their desire.

10
Pope Sylvester II
(born c. 945- died 5-12-1003)


Pope Sylvester II was one of the most learned men of his time. Well versed in mathematics, astronomy, and mechanics; he is credited with inventing the hydraulic organ, pendulum clock, and introducing Arabic numerals to Western Europe. He also wrote books on mathematics, natural science, music, theology and philosophy. Pope Sylvester II was the first French Pope and certainly the most significant in the 10th century. Upon his death, rumors began to fly that his great intelligence – and, consequently his inventive genius – was the result of a pact with the devil. This was most likely due to his regular contact with great scientific minds in the Arab world and his brave attempts to root out simony in the Church.

9
Nicolo Paganini
(born 10-27-1782 – died 5-27-1840)


Nicolo Paganini is one of the greatest violin virtuosos to have ever lived. He learned to play the mandolin at 5 and was composing by 7. He started playing publicly at 12 but by 16 he had a breakdown and disappeared into alcoholism. He sobered up and by 22 was the first music superstar. Paganini was capable of playing three octaves across four strings in a hand span, a feat that is nearly impossible even by today’s standards. He composed 24 Caprices at 23 and for years no other violinist was capable of playing much of his music. His playing of tender passages is said to have brought audiences to tears. One of his famous pieces was called Le Streghe which translates to Witches’ Dance. Audiences believed Paganini made a pact with the devil to perform supernatural displays of technique. Some patrons even claimed to see the devil helping him during his performances. It is because he was denied the Last Rites in the Church and his widely rumored association with the devil, that his body was denied a Catholic burial in Genoa. It took four years, and an appeal to the Pope, before the body was allowed to be transported to Genoa, but was still not buried. His remains were finally put to rest in 1876 in a cemetery in Parma.

8
Gilles de Rais
(born 1404- died 1440)


Gilles de Rais was considered intelligent, courageous and very attractive with a bluish black beard. Born to one of the most distinguished families in Brittany, he came into his own when his father died in Gilles’ 20th year. He found himself with untold wealth and power which eventually led to his downfall. Gilles got an attack of “keeping up with the Joneses” which ultimately led to the loss of much of his wealth. In desperation he began to experiment with the occult under the direction of a man named Francesco Prelati, who promised that Gilles could help him regain his squandered fortune by sacrificing children to a demon called “Baron.” Over the course of his killing spree, Gilles raped, tortured, and murdered between 80 and 200 children. He was tried, found guilty, and executed by hanging and burning.

7
General Jonathan Moulton
(born 7-21-1726- died 9-18-1787)


Jonathan Moulton started as an apprentice to a cabinet maker but in 1745 he left and started his career in the New England Army. He fought in the King George War and the French and Indian War. He married in 1749 and sired 11 children. He became one of the wealthiest men in New Hampshire and this led to later tales of his deal with the devil. In 1769 the mansion he built in a poor Puritan town burned to the ground. Popular belief at the time was that Moulton had a pact with the devil wherein he would fill Moulton’s boots to the brim with gold once a month in return for his soul. It was said that Moulton thought up a clever ploy and placed his boots – with the soles cut off – over a large hole in the ground. The devil, wondering why it was taking so much gold to fill the boots discovered the trick and exacted revenge. It is believed that when Moulton died his body disappeared out of the coffin and was replaced by a box of coins stamped with an image of the devil. Moulton’s coffin was buried with no grave marker and its location is unknown.

6
Father Urbain Grandier
(born c. 1590- died 8-16-1634)


Father Urbain Granadier was a French Catholic priest who was burned at the stake after being convicted of witchcraft. He served as priest in the church of Sainte Croix in Loudun, in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Poitiers. Ignoring his vow of priestly celibacy, he is known to have had sexual relationships with a number of women and to have acquired a reputation as a philanderer. In 1632, a group of nuns from the local Ursuline convent accused him of having bewitched them, sending the demon Asmodai, among others, to commit evil and impudent acts with them. At his trial, the judges, after torturing the priest, introduced documents purportedly signed by Grandier and several demons as evidence that he had made a diabolical pact. They were written backwards in Latin and even included the signature of Satan himself. The text of the pact read as follows (the original can be seen above – click for a larger view):

We, the influential Lucifer, the young Satan, Beelzebub, Leviathan, Elimi,
and Astaroth, together with others, have today accepted the covenant pact
of Urbain Grandier, who is ours. And him do we promise
the love of women, the flower of virgins, the respect of monarchs, honors, lusts and powers.
He will go whoring three days long; the carousal will be dear to him. He offers us once
in the year a seal of blood, under the feet he will trample the holy things of the church and
he will ask us many questions; with this pact he will live twenty years happy
on the earth of men, and will later join us to sin against God.
Bound in hell, in the council of demons.
Lucifer Beelzebub Satan
Astaroth Leviathan Elimi
The seals placed the Devil, the master, and the demons, princes of the lord.
Baalberith, writer.

5
Giuseppe Tartini
(born 4-8-1692- died 2-26-1770)

Tartini was an Italian composer and violinist. He was one of the most instrumental musical composers having written over 400 works. Unlike most of his contemporaries he wrote no church music or operas, he focused most of his work on violin concerti and sonatas. His most infamous piece is called the Devil’s Trill Sonata. The story behind “Devil’s Trill” starts with a dream. Tartini allegedly told the French astronomer Jérôme Lalande that he dreamed that The Devil appeared to him and asked to be his servant. At the end of their lessons Tartini handed the devil his violin to test his skill—the devil immediately began to play with such virtuosity that Tartini felt his breath taken away. When the composer awoke he immediately jotted down the sonata, desperately trying to recapture what he had heard in the dream. Despite the sonata being successful with his audiences, Tartini lamented that the piece was still far from what he had heard in his dream. What he had written was, in his own words: “so inferior to what I had heard, that if I could have subsisted on other means, I would have broken my violin and abandoned music forever.” You can listen to part IV of the piece above – the most difficult section, played by Itzhak Perlman. If you prefer a more techno version of the piece,

4
Cornelius Agrippa
(born 9-14-1486- died 2-18-1535)


Cornelius Agrippa was the most influential writer of renaissance esoterica. He studied law and medicine but never obtained a degree. He was considered a magician, occult writer, theologian, astrologer and alchemist. He was a leader in feminist rights and often defended women accused of witchcraft. He wrote 3 books on the occult that are still in use today. In 1535 he was labeled a heretic and sentenced to death. He escaped and on his way home fell ill and died. After Agrippa’s death, rumors circulated about his having summoned demons. In the most famous of these, Agrippa, upon his deathbed, released a black dog which had been his familiar. This black dog resurfaced in various legends about Faustus, and in Goethe’s version became the “schwarze Pudel” Mephistopheles.

3
Robert Johnson
(born 5-8-1911- died 9-16-1938)


Robert Johnson was a great American Blues musician. Ranked 5th out of 100 on Rolling Stones list as the greatest guitarists of all time. The legend goes that he wanted to be great at guitar and was instructed to head to a crossroads. There he met the devil who tuned his guitar, giving him mastery over the instrument. Johnson did little to dispel the rumors, even encouraging them by alluding to the fact that he had, indeed, made a deal with the prince of darkness. He produced 6 records before his death at age 27. Johnson’s death is controversial as the most common claim is he was caught flirting with a married women and she offered him some whiskey which was believed to be poisoned by her husband. He was buried in an unmarked grave, the location of which is still under debate.

2
Johann Georg Faust
(born c. 1480- died c. 1540)


Dr. Johann Georg Faust was an itinerant alchemist, astrologer and magician of the German Renaissance. His life became the nucleus of the popular tale of Doctor Faust from ca. the 1580s, notably culminating in Marlowe’s The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus (1604) and Goethe’s Faust (1808). Legend has it that Faust wanted a life of pleasure and having been involved with the occult learned how to summon the devil. Having done so he made a deal with him for his soul in return for 24 years of service from Satan. Unfortunately, after 16 years he regretted his deal and wanted to withdraw it. The consequences of this attempt to withdraw the deal are well known to any who have read the various fictional tales of Faust’s life: the devil brutally murdered him.

1
St. Theophilus of Adana
(died c. 538)



Saint Theophilus the Penitent, or Theophilus of Adana (died ca. 538), was a cleric in the sixth century Church who is said to have made a deal with the devil to gain an ecclesiastical position. His story is significant as it is the oldest story of a pact with the Devil. Theophilus was the archdeacon of Adana, Cilicia, which is part of modern Turkey. He was unanimously elected to be a bishop, but turned the position down out of humility. Another man was elected in his stead. When the new bishop unjustly deprived Theophilus of his position as archdeacon, Theophilus regretted his humility and sought out a wizard to help him contact Satan. In exchange for his aid, Satan demanded that Theophilus renounce Christ and the Virgin Mary in a contract signed with his own blood. Theophilus complied, and the devil gave him the position as bishop.

Years later, fearful for his soul, Theophilus repented and prayed to the Virgin for forgiveness. After forty days of fasting, the Virgin appeared to him and verbally chastised him. Theophilus begged forgiveness and Mary promised to intercede with God. He then fasted a further thirty days, at which time Mary appeared to him again, and granted him Absolution. However, Satan was unwilling to relinquish his hold over Theophilus, and it was a further three days before Theophilus awoke to find the damning contract on his chest. He then took the contract to the legitimate bishop and confessed all that he had done. The bishop burned the document, and Theophilus expired, out of sheer joy to be free from the burden of his contract. [Source]

 

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10 People Who Give Atheism a Bad Name

Atheism has been around for thousands of years, and responsible for many philosophical and scientific developments. Like any movement, it has had its fair share of evil characters. As atheism has no moral precepts, outside of natural morality and ethics, it is hard to say how their atheism influenced their behavior or the particular political and similar movements they chose to follow. It seems that no matter what philosophy or religion people profess, people will always do wrong, whether or not in the name of their faith.

10
Alfred Kinsey


Alfred Kinsey was an infamous American biologist and professor of entomology and zoology, who made groundbreaking research on human sexuality. Undoubtedly, he helped to progress social values – but, nevertheless, he took sadistic pleasure out of his research, and did some very weird stuff, including exploiting children for sex. Moreover, much of his research was fraud.

9
Napoleon Bonaparte



Many people agree that Napoleon Bonaparte, heavily involved in the anti-clerical French Revolution, was atheist – he claimed that “all religions have been made by men”. He was one of the best ever military commanders, and conquered much of Europe. He staged a coup and declared himself Emperor. While he ended anarchy in post-Revolution France, many considered him a tyrant and usurper. He ignored treaties and conventions, seeking undisputed rule throughout Europe. He plundered conquered territories. His 17 years of rule resulted in the bankruptcy of France, loss of many of her territories, six million dead Europeans and economic setback in just one generation.

8
Than Shwe


Than Shwe is the 77 year old dictator of Myanmar/Burma, the head of the ruling military junta. He has overseen the formation of one of the most closed societies in the world. There is no notion of free press, and journalists who opposed his regime are detained. Aung Suu Kyi, the leader of the main opposition party, is kept in house detention by him. Civil servants are forbidden from resigning. Burma has the highest rate of child soldiers in the world, and uses forced labor on construction projects. As far as dictators go, Than Shwe keeps a relatively low, and even sullen, profile. Nevertheless, he reportedly leads an extravagant lifestyle, while his people continue to suffer a life of extreme poverty and natural disasters. In the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, he refused entry into the country for many foreign aid organizations.

7
Kim Jong Il


Kim Jong-Il is the de facto leader of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and responsible for the deaths of four million of his fellow Koreans. He is also at the heart of a bizarre personality cult; apocryphal stories such as how “at the time of his birth there were flashes of lightening and thunder, the iceberg in the pond on Mt. Paektu emitted a mysterious sound as it broke, and bright double rainbows rose up” are abundant. Those caught stealing food in the famine-struck nation, or attempting to cross the borders, are subject to public execution. Kim is continuing his lavish lifestyle and military obsession in spite of the crumbling economy. In North Korea he and his father are deified, considered saviors of the whole universe. 250,000 dissidents are confined to “re-education camps”. He has waged a war on South Korea that involved assassinating South Korean leaders and blowing up South Korean planes. He presents a great threat to the world in terms of nuclear warfare, having persuaded the Soviet Union to award him a nuclear reactor in 1984.

6
Jeffrey Dahmer


Jeffrey Dahmer, an infamous serial killer and atheist sentenced to 900 years in prison, said “if a person doesn’t think that there is a God to be accountable to, then what’s the point of trying to modify your behavior to keep it within acceptable ranges?”. He brutally killed seventeen men and boys, dismembering them, storing their parts and indulging in cannibalism and necrophilia. In 1991, he was caught by the police after one of his would-be victims escaped. Despite pleading not guilty on the basis on insanity, the court found him sane and fully accountable. He later expressed remorse.

5
Jim Jones


Jim Jones drew people into atheism through the People’s Temple, largely based in California. He said that he “took the church and used the church to bring people to atheism”. In 1978, 909 people at the restricted communist “sanctuary” he presided over in Jonestown, Guyana, committed “revolutionary suicide” at his command. This occurred after the arrival of an American delegation, which he claimed was conspiring against the People’s Temple. Men, women and children took a vial of cyanide and died within five minutes. Only a few people escaped. This event was the largest single loss of American civilian life, in a non-natural disaster, up until 9/11. This entry has the unique status of being on both the atheism and Christianity list. The reason is that the majority of people considered Jones to be the leader of a type of Christian cult, but, as the quote above illustrates, it was really a ruse to attract people who would otherwise have steered well clear of him.

4
Benito Mussolini


Mussolini is notorious for his war crimes as a Fascist dictator during World War II. As a young man he openly declared his atheism, and in his early career as a politician was openly anti-clerical. He was the Italian leader of the National Fascist Party, became Prime Minister in 1922 and was eventually a dictator who severely restricted freedom of speech. Mussolini supported Hitler’s conquest of Austria. In 1935, he invaded Ethiopia, using poison gas, bombing Red Cross hospitals and concentration camps to kill civilians and destroy “inferior” cultures. He ordered the execution of prisoners without trial and the shooting of “witch-doctors”. Italian troops used public executions, hostage taking and burning of villages to crush the Slavic population of Yugoslavia. These acts are now widely considered an attempt at genocide. However, later he tried to associate Fascism with Catholicism in order to garner dwindling support (however his widow made it clear that he was still staunchly atheist). Mussolini was also deeply anti-Semitic.

3
Mao Zedong


Mao Zedong led the Communist Party of China to victory in the Chinese Civil War, helping to establish the People’s Republic of China. He had ambitions for a strong China, but his programs largely failed altogether. He has been blamed for the death of between 20 and 67 million of his “comrades”. Under his insane rule there was a culture akin to anarchy, that killed the economy and industrial production. His “Great Leap Forward” triggered a catastrophic and massive famine. However, he is most notorious for the precepts of the “Cultural Revolution”, which led to perhaps the greatest era of cultural vandalism the world has ever known. Antiques, historical sites, artifacts, ancient documents, feng shui traditions, Chinese traditional dresses and monasteries were destroyed for being associated with the “old ways of thinking”. Many copies of the Qu’ran were burnt. Red Guard groups around the country destroyed political and educational stability, criticizing anyone who considered himself superior, destroying reputations and lives. Mao, privately, led a life of great deviancy and excess. He also exacted revenge on all those, mainly intellectuals and professionals, who had disgraced Mao in his earlier career. He also targeted anyone with links to the Chinese Nationalist Party as well as anyone who posed a threat to him. Five million were executed in death camps. 36 million were persecuted and tortured. There were even instances of cannibalism.

2
Pol Pot


Pol Pot was the leader of the Khmer Rouge and Prime Minister of Cambodia from 1976 to 1979, having been de facto leader since mid-1975. During his time in power Pol Pot imposed an extreme version of agrarian communism, where all city dwellers were relocated to the countryside to work in collective farms and forced labour projects. The combined effect of slave labour, malnutrition, poor medical care and executions is estimated to have killed around 2 million Cambodians (approximately one third of the population). His regime achieved special notoriety by singling out all intellectuals, and other “bourgeois enemies”, for murder. The Khmer Rouge committed mass executions in sites known as the Killing Fields, and the executed were buried in mass graves. In order to save ammunition, executions were often carried out using hammers, axe handles, spades or sharpened bamboo sticks. His attempts to “cleanse” the country resulted in the deaths of 1.7 to 2.5 million people. He also had an intense dislike of anyone with the semblance of being intelligent, such as those who wore glasses or who spoke another language.

1
Joseph Stalin


Stalin was General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union’s Central Committee, from 1922 until his death in 1953. Under Stalin’s leadership, the Ukraine suffered a famine (Holodomor) so great it is considered by many to be an act of genocide on the part of Stalin’s government. Estimates of the number of deaths range from 2.5 million to 10 million. The famine was caused by direct political and administrative decisions. In addition to the famine, Stalin ordered purges within the Soviet Union of any person deemed to be an enemy of the state (i.e. capitalists, theists). In total, estimates of the total number murdered under Stalin’s reign, range from 10 million to 60 million. His government promoted atheism with mass propaganda in school, and held a terror campaign against the religious. He crushed the Russian Orthodox Church, leveling thousands of churches and shooting more than 100,000 priests, monks and nuns between 1937 and 1938.

N.B. Adolf Hitler is left off this list because it is widely acknowledged that, while he abhorred organized religion, there is much evidence that he engaged in “nazi mysticism” or occultism.

 

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Top 10 Worst Theological or Mythological Demons

Whether you are religious or not, demons have played a large part in mythology, books, movies, and even music. Films, such as “Paranormal Activity”, “The Exorcist”, “The Exorcism of Emily Rose”, “Fallen”, and–more recently–”The Last Exorcism”, have made demons something to fear. Movies, however, rarely scratch the surface of just how evil these former, corrupt servants of God (or many gods) can be. Here, in no particular order, are the 10 worst–and/or weirdest–demons in theological and mythological history.

10
Abyzou


Origin: Jewish mythology
Also known as: Abizou, Obizu, Obizuth, Obyzouth, and Byzou

This female demon was believed to be responsible for miscarriages, still-births, and infant mortality. Abyzou is believed to have been infertile, so these heinous acts were/are most likely out of jealousy. She is often depicted having snake- and/or fish-like attributes. [Image Source]

9
Agares


Origin: Christian demonology
Also known as: Agreas

This male demon makes “those who run stand still”, a terrible thing to be a victim of during, say, a tornado. He is also said to be one of the demons that controls earthquakes. Agares also teaches many languages, focusing on the profanities and ethnic slurs. He is also believed to be the ruler of the eastern zone of Hell, and he is said to have 31 legions of demons at his command. He is also one of the–if not the–strangest looking demon on this list. He is often portrayed as a pale elderly man riding a crocodile, with a hawk either attached to or on his fist. No joke!

8
Aka Manah


Origin: Zoroastrian mythology
Also known as: Akem Manah, Akoman, Akvan

His name means “manah made evil”; in this case, the word “manah” represents “the mind”. Many refer to him as the demon of “evil intention”, “evil mind”, “evil purpose”, or “evil thinking”. His job: To prevent people from fulfilling their moral duties (.i.e.: being a good parent, saving a life, etc.).

7
Ala


Origin: Pre-Slovic and Slovic mythology, and Christian demonology
Also known as: plural: Ale

Ale are some of the few demons on this list who does evil deeds, but can be persuaded to do good deeds, and can even help you! They particularly like creating bad weather (most notably, hail- and thunder-storms) over farms, orchards, and vineyards, in order to destroy crops. They also are said to like eating children. Ale are so hungry, that they are said to be able to “eat the sun and/or moon”, creating eclipses. They can pose a great threat to a persons’ mental and physical life; they can even possess you. However, if you approach an Ala with trust and respect, she and the other Ale will save your life whenever necessary, and make you rich! Ale are also very afraid of eagles…just in case you don’t want to become friends with one. What they look like changes with each account; some say they look like ravens, others like clouds or dark winds; many say snakes or female dragons. They are believed to live in lakes, springs, clouds, unreachable mountains, forests, caves, or gigantic trees.

6
Asag


Origin: Sumerian mythology

Asag is one of many demons that causes sickness. “But what,”, you say, “separates him from other demons that cause sickness?”. Well, for one, he had sex with all the mountains in the world, and had a litter of “rock-demon” offspring that defends him in any battle. He is also believed to be so grotesquely, unbelievably ugly, that his very presence causes fish to be boiled alive in rivers and/or lakes within viewing-distance!

5
Belphegor


Origin: Christian demonology and Kabbalic mythology

Belphegor is absolutely unbelievable. He got his start in Assyria, many, many years ago. He was first called Baal-Peor, and he was associated with orgies, and other types of lewdness. The Israelites worshiped him, in the form of a phallic (penis-shaped) idol. Later on, in Kabbalic mythology, he was a demon who made people paranoid of each other, and who would seduce them with money and overall wealth. Needless to say, it was hard to summon Baal-Peor, because he required the sacrifice of human excrement! In the 16th Century, he changed his name to Belphegor, and changed his strategy (somewhat). He pretty much threw away the idea of causing mutual mistrust in people, and instead…focused on inventions. He would “suggest” crazy (yet plausible) inventions to people, and then use their greed to his (and their) advantage when they became successful. According to legend, Belphegor was sent to Earth from Hell to either justify of disprove the rumors that marriage can result in happiness. Finding no evidence that happiness is possible in a marriage (now, there’s a surprise), he chose to stay on Earth. He is notable for two bizarre attributes: He is believed to be physically, mentally, and strategically strongest in the month of April, and he either was or is Hell’s/Satan’s ambassador to France. Belphegor also played an role in Milton’s book, “Paradise Lost”. He is either depicted as a hideous, bearded demon with horns and claws, or a beautiful young woman.

4
Jikininki


Origin: Japanese Buddhist mythology

Jikininki are the spirits of selfish, greedy, or ungodly people who have passed on. They are said to be cursed to eat the flesh of human corpses. It is also said that they take valuables from the corpses, in order to bribe local law-enforcement officials to leave them alone. Unlike most demons, they actually hate what they are, and are in a constant state of self-disgust and self-loathing. Some accounts state that they are so terrifying to look at, that seeing one would make you paralyzed with fear. Other accounts indicate that Jikininki can take the form of normal human beings, and can even lead seemingly normal lives by day. They are notable in that–unlike other gaki or rakshasa (“hungry ghosts”), and ghosts in general–they are an endangered species, if one can use such a term in this context.

3
Pontianak


Origin: Indonesian mythology
Also known as: Kuntilanak, Matianak, or Boentianak

The Pontianak are the spirits of ladies who died during child-birth, and became undead. Pontianak are said to scare people (mostly men), and then rip out their internal organs for feeding with their claws. In the case of men that the Pontianak knew when they were alive (who abused, or otherwise betrayed them), they are said to remove the man’s genitalia with their bare hands (Ouch!!). They are much like vampires; however, they do what they do more out of vengeance, rather then necessity or sustenance. It’s also hard to judge just how far away from you they are; usually, a loud cry means the Pontianak is far away, whereas a soft cry signifies that the Pontianak is nearby. It is also said that a faint floral fragrance is detected upon first seeing it, however, the fragrance changes to something rotten after a short period of time. Pontianak are believed to live in banana trees, a possible phallic-/fertility-reference.

2
Lady Midday


Origin: Slavic mythology
Also known as: Pscipolnista, Poludnica, Polednice

“Lady Midday” is certainly a unique female demon. She is said to pose tough questions and make conversation with laborers working in the fields during the hottest part of the day in summertime. Any incorrect answer or unprompted subject change results in a beheading, either with a scythe, or a pair of shears. “Lady” is also the personification of heat-stroke, and can also give people insanity or heat-sickness, in lieu of decapitation. Her description varies between a 12 year old girl, an old woman, or a generally beautiful woman.

1
Lamashtu


Origin: Sumerian and Mesopotamian mythology
Also known as: Dimme

Lamashtu is a heinous, terrifying, demoness. She is said to menace women throughout and after the end of their pregnancies. She is routinely said to kidnap infants while they’re breastfeeding; she would suck their blood, and chew on their bones. Add to that the fact that her other hobbies included: Infesting rivers and lakes, killing crops and other plants, sucking the blood of men, creating sleep-disturbances, spreading diseases and illnesses, and bringing nightmares. And, unlike most demons from Mesopotamian mythology, she didn’t answer to anyone; not any god, or man, or any part of any divine hierarchy. So evil was Lamashtu, that pregnant women and their loved ones would routinely summon the demon, Pazuzu, to protect them. For the uninitiated, Pazuzu was the demon made famous by the, “The Exorcist” movies! Allegedly, Pazuzu and Lamashtu were fierce rivals, who would attack each other at any chance. While Pazuzu was known for bringing famines and droughts, soon-to-be-mothers were so afraid of Lamashtu, that they were willing to take the risk! That means that, yes, Linda Blair’s performance in “The Exorcist” was nothing compared to the wrath of Lamashtu! Lamashtu is usually described as a “mythological hybrid”, with the head of a lioness, the teeth and ears of a donkey, the feet of a bird (complete with sharp talons), as well as a hairy body, and long, sharp fingers and fingernails. She is usually depicted nursing a dog and a pig and holding snakes, while standing or kneeling on a donkey! Subtle, isn’t it?

 

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Top 10 Fieriest Books in the Bible

The Bible causes fire wherever it is mentioned. It is clearly one of the most controversial books in modern times – though perhaps not so much for its content as the actions of some who interpret it. This list does not preach at all, but is simply a brief examination of the stories from the Bible that make it a well known and talked-about book in world literature. You do not need to believe in God in order to enjoy this list.

10
Exodus



There is a lot of overlap in the first five Books of the Bible, called the Pentateuch or Torah. Much of what transpires in Exodus is repeated for good measure in #8. This is one of the most fun Books, and tells the life story of Moses, who sets God’s people free from hard bondage in Egypt. God seems to trample all over free will throughout the Book.

Here we get the legendary Ten Plagues of Egypt, and they are: blood, frogs, lice, flies, the death of all livestock save the Israelites’, boils and sores, hail, locusts, darkness and the death of all firstborn male Egyptian children. God hardens Pharaoh’s heart after each plague, which begs the question, how much punishment would he have stomached otherwise? Not until his own firstborn son dies does Pharaoh let the Israelites go.

God Himself leads them through the desert by day as a cloud, and by night as a pillar of fire for light. They reach Yam Suph, or Sea of Reeds, a marshy place where the water is not particularly deep, but where their livestock and carts cannot enter. God blocks the pursuing Egyptians from the Israelites by means of a cloud on the Egyptian side, and a pillar of fire on the Israelite side. Then he blows the water back all night and into the morning with a strong east wind, until the ground is dry dirt. The Israelites flee, “And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them. And I will be honored upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” This is a difficult place to pinpoint in the modern world. Most say it was somewhere along the modern-day Suez Canal. Others say it was at modern Nuweiba, on the Gulf of Aqaba. Wherever it was, Moses is clear on the water being deep enough to drown Pharaoh’s entire army, all the men and horses.

After this, the Israelites still don’t believe in God and anger him over and over, and every time, Moses saves everyone from annihilation by arguing with God (brave man). God even considers reneging on his Covenant with Abraham, by destroying all the Israelites and making of Moses a great nation of descendants. Moses implores God for forgiveness and to remember his Covenant, “and the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.” Even so, at the end, God refuses to let Moses go into the Promised Land, for the offense of striking water from the rock twice, instead of once, as God commanded. Moses had been mad with power.
9
Daniel



Daniel is by far the most difficult and bizarre Book of the Bible to translate. The first chapter is in Hebrew. The second through the seventh are in Aramaic, and the first chapters tell stories of Daniel, an exiled Jew in the court of Nebuchadnezzar II, in Babylon (Iraq). Nebuchadnezzar has conquered Judea and sacked Jerusalem, exiling all the Jews. He keeps Daniel safe as an expert on the Hebrew God, sort of as entertainment for the court, but now and then, portents occur that frighten Nebuchadnezzar, whose name is no fun to type, who then enlists the help of resident guru Daniel, and his three friends, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

One of the most famous of Daniel’s stories recounts how the king demands that Daniel’s three friends bow down and worship a 90 foot high gold idol. The three men refuse, explaining that this would infuriate their God, and they are afraid of him, not of Nebuchadnezzar. The king immediately has them thrown into a fiery furnace, heated seven times hotter than any other furnace in human history to that point. But when the king looks in, he does not see them burning. He sees four men walking around unharmed, “and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” This is considered by some to be one of the few appearances Jesus makes in the Old Testament.

Later, Daniel becomes the envy of all the other wisemen, who trick the king, Darius I, father of Xerxes who fought the Spartans at Thermopylae, into throwing Daniel into a den of lions, for the crime of praying to another God besides those of Babylon. God shuts the mouths of the lions that they are not hungry, and Daniel is saved.

These are all fun, creepy stories. And with Chapter 5, the Book becomes very strange and scarier: Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon, offends God by throwing a lavish party for thousands, during which everyone drinks from the holy cups stolen from Solomon’s Temple, in Jerusalem. An eerie, dismembered hand appears out of nowhere and writes Aramaic words on the wall in full view of everyone. No one can read them but Daniel, who translates ominously, “God has numbered the days of thy kingdom and finished it. Thou art weighed in the balances and found wanting. Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.” Belshazzar is murdered in his sleep that night, and Darius the Mede takes over Babylon.

But the scariest part by far begins with Chapter 7: Daniel dreams of four beasts, a lion, a bear, a leopard, and something horrible with iron teeth. These are four kingdoms that will rise in the future. Thousands of theologians and historians have attempted to decipher these, but what we can be sure of is that they appear to concern the End Times. God judges everyone who ever lived, and everyone goes to Heaven or Hell. The beasts are destroyed in fire, and the book ends with a cryptic warning that the end of the world is coming, when something evil shall make the whole world desolate for 1,290 days, before God destroys that evil.

8
Deuteronomy



Written by Moses himself, according to tradition, this book consists largely of God’s Law to the Israelites as they are about to enter the Promised Land. Before that, Moses has led the Israelites for 40 years through the Sinai, Saudi and Jordanian deserts, which is God’s punishment for their wickedness. Upon entering the inhabited lands to the south and west of Canaan, God tells Moses that these peoples have to be driven out of his chosen people’s land. This evident ethnic cleansing is generally interpreted as God’s punishment against all peoples that do not accept him as the one and only God, which means that the Israelites had to demand from every hostile encampment that they convert to Judaism.

Very few ever did, and all those who refused paid the ultimate price in spectacular fashion. Moses leads his people into battle against no less than 60 cities of one kingdom, Bashan, led by Og. This is after Moses and company defeat Sihon of Heshbon. God evidently overrides free will, itself, in this passage, as well as others throughout the Bible: “But Sihon king of Heshbon refused to let us pass through. For the LORD your God had made his spirit stubborn and his heart obstinate in order to give him into your hands, as he has now done.”

This is all done somewhere in the Sinai Peninsula, or Saudi Arabia’s and Jordan’s coast along the Gulf of Aqaba. Then the Israelites reach Mount Sinai, and God gives Moses the Ten Commandments, which Moses relays to the people. The people have degenerated into sin by building and worshiping a golden calf. Moses is none too pleased. He holds up the Tablets, and dashes them to pieces at the foot of the mountain, then orders those who desire to do the will of the Lord to come to him. All those of the tribe of Levi do so, and he orders them to take up swords and go through the whole body of people murdering about three thousand. Then Moses burns and grinds the calf into dust, scatters it on a body of water, and forces the Israelites to drink it. He does this to punish and protect them, since the Lord is intent on destroying every single one of them for their impudent offences. Moses prays to him for mercy, which he gives out of respect for Moses and love for his people. God wants discipline above all, and that is the most common defense for his vehemently destructive acts throughout the Bible.

7
Judges



The titular people are Judges of Israel, not of Israel’s many enemies. Again and again throughout the Bible, God’s chosen people turn away from him to sin, and he punishes them accordingly, usually by allowing some enemy to overpower them. Once this happens, a Judge arises who leads the Israelites back to God, and success. There are 12 Judges, as they are typically numbered: Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon and Samson.

Their judgments result in hundreds or thousands of enemy casualties. Othniel, whose name means Lion of the Almighty (it doesn’t get any better than this), defeats Cushan-Rishathaim and his Aramites. Ehud famously assassinates Eglon, whose fat covers the dagger. Shamgar stands his ground against the Philistines, and singlehandedly kills 600 of them with an ox driver, which is just a long, sturdy staff with a sharp, fire-hardened point. This may have been as long as 10 feet, and a skilled user could wield it like a spear or cudgel.

Then there’s Samson. He isn’t too bright, but you wouldn’t say it to his face. He rises against the Philistines and “the Spirit of the Lord [comes] mightily upon him,” and he kills 1,000 of them in a mountain pass with the jawbone of an ass. Spartans: what is your profession?

Then Delilah tricks him into letting her cut his hair, without which he has no superhuman strength, and the Philistines capture and blind him, then force him into slavery. He is brought out to be ridiculed at their feast in honor of their god, Dagon. Ask yourself how you might most offend the Hebrew God. This does the trick. Samson prays for his strength to return, and God seems to reply, “You got it.” Samson shouts, “Let me die with the Philistines!” and pulls the temple pillars down, collapsing the entire building onto himself and everyone in and on it, killing many more in death than he killed in life.

6
1 and 2 Samuel



1 and 2 Samuel were originally known as 1 and 2 Kings, while what are commonly found in modern Bibles as 1 and 2 Kings were referred to as 3 and 4 Kings. This lister has grouped these two Books together to make the list more varied, and the same goes for the next entry. Traditionally, Samuel the prophet wrote these, and they tell first of God’s choice of Saul for king of Israel, then how terrible a leader Saul is, and God’s sorrow at having chosen him (which doesn’t seem to fit with omniscience), and his replacement, David, arguably Israel’s greatest ruler. David is a sinner, though, and cheats on his wife with another man’s wife, Bathsheba. When he discovers that Bathseba is pregnant, he decides to conceal the sin by entreating her husband, Uriah, to sleep with her. When that doesn’t work, David orders him into the thickest part of the fighting, and to be abandoned. Sure enough, Uriah is killed, and when God finally tells Nathan, the king’s personal prophet, Nathan reads David the riot act, and David repents. God punishes him by killing his child with Bathsheba. David prays for forgiveness to spare the child, but to no avail.

This is the most famous story of the Books of Samuel, but the whole Book is full of the battles into which David led the Israelites: full-scale war against all the hostile tribes surrounding Israel. David sacks Jerusalem, routs the Philistines, determines to destroy the Jebusites, who swore against him that their blind and lame people must be spared. He invades Jerusalem via their water system. This is the Book with the famous moment of poor Uzzah, a nobody who is carrying the Ark of the Covenant, when the Ark falls off its poles. He reaches up to stop it and when he touches, he falls dead. At times it seems as if all the mercy is gone out of God, and those who break the rules, one of which is “Don’t Touch the Ark,” must suffer horribly.

One of the best moments of this Book comes near the end, in Chapter 23 of the second part, with the listing of David’s Mighty Men, divided into Three greater and Thirty lesser warriors as captains. The first is Josheb Bashebeth, who has no less than three possible names: the others Ishbaal and, as per the King James, Adino the Eznite. He killed 800 men singlehandedly. And Eleazar and Shammah, just as able. Then of the Thirty, Abishai is listed with equal respect as the Three, for he lifted up his spear against 300 men and slew them all. Remember that every murder in the Bible is done in defiance, whether direct or indirect, against God, or it is done because God has commanded or ordained it.

5
1 and 2 Kings



There is no consensus on who wrote this Book, but it is probably a compilation of several authors, including Samuel, David, Solomon and Ezra. It would not have made it so high up this list were it not for the stories of two non-writing prophets, Elijah and Elisha. They have no backstory at all. Samuel is given the origin of lying in bed as a child and hearing the voice of the Lord, and mistaking it for his father. Moses has his backstory, as does Jesus. But Elijah’s story begins in Chapter 17, “And Elijan the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, ‘As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.’”

What follows next is very well known among the fun stories of the Bible. Ahab and his strumpet of a wife, Jezebel, worship Hadad, the thunder god of Akkadia. Akkadia is an area of Babylon (Iraq) and Assyria (Syria). Elijah has some choice words for them, and indeed, it does not rain for three years, and the severe drought and famine kills many. Elijah personally resurrects a widow’s son by praying to God. Then God sends Elijah to deal with Ahab and his people’s worship of a god who isn’t there. Elijah and Ahab insult each other, and then Elijah proposes a contest. Let’s all go up to Mount Carmel, he says, and sacrifice bulls to our gods. The one who answers will be God. Ahab and his priests agree, but after they howl and scream and cut themselves to entice Hadad to answer, he does not.

Elijah mocks them the entire time, one of the Bible’s few funny passages, “And it came to pass at noon that Elijah mocked them and said, ‘Cry aloud! For he is a god. Either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth and must be awaked.’” The Hebrew for “pursuing” is a common verb that can be translated many different ways. Some versions read “or he is relieving himself.”

When Hadad does not answer, Elijah has the priests soak the whole altar and dig a moat for the water, then prays to God, who immediately descends in a pillar of fire that consumes the bull, the altar rock, the wood and the water and the ground. Then Elijah says, “‘Take the prophets of Baal. Let not one of them escape.’” He has all the priests of Hadad (or Baal, which means “lord”) rounded up and slain at the banks of Kishon. He personally executes some of them. There were about 850 prophets of Baal Hadad.

Not long after this Elijah is more or less left alone. Jezebel puts out a hit on him in revenge, so he vacates the area. He befriends Elisha, another man of God, and passes the torch to him, so to speak, then leaves Earth for heaven in a fiery chariot, while Elisha watches. Elijah and Enoch (from Genesis) are the only two people named in the Bible who do not die. Elisha, in the Spirit of the Lord, is able to do anything. He parts the Jordan River, makes an iron axe-head float, and requests from God that a woman bear a son. God grants it. Then the son dies, and Elisha requests that he be resurrected. God grants it. Elisha is seen walking up to Bethel, when a gang of children follow him, teasing him for being bald. He turns and calls the wrath of God upon them, and two bears instantly pounce on them from the woods and rip 42 of them to pieces. Don’t trash talk an Old Testament prophet.

Elisha anoints Jehu as king of Israel, and while Jehu is traveling through Jezreel (near Har-Megiddo), Jezebel looks out a window and ridicules him and his God. Jehu immediately calls for the eunuchs inside to defenestrate her, and they throw her to her death. Then she is devoured by dogs until only her skull, hands and feet are left. This entire Book is the most detailed account of the most intense religious war in the history of Israel, told from the biased point of view of the Hebrews and their God.

4
Genesis



Genesis makes it so high onto this list because it is the only Book of the Bible the events of which have transpired, which depicts God actually destroying every single living organism on the entire planet: plants, animals, humans, everything, except for Noah and his family. This Flood Myth is present in nearly every culture’s history around the world, from the Jews to the Sumerians to the Aztecs and Mayans and Chinese, even Native American tribes. So something happened thousands of years ago, it happened all at once, and it was horrible beyond imagination.

The Bible states quite frankly that God is sorry he has made man. “And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.” He loves Noah, who is blameless, and so he spares him and his family, and 7 pairs of every clean animal and bird, 1 pair of every unclean animal, and every creeping thing. Noah is 600 years old when the Great Flood begins. The common idea that they were all in the ark for 40 days and 40 nights is not true. That’s just how long it rains. He actually stays in the ark with his family and all the animals for 1 year, 1 month and 27 days. That’s how long the water lasted above every thing. Absolutely every single living thing on the planet is drowned, except for the fishes, and those few who save themselves and other animals and plants in boats around the world.

Even God Himself feels bad at having done this, and when it is all over, he swears to Noah and his descendants that he will never again wipe out all life on Earth for man’s sake, “for man’s heart is evil from his youth,” which is to say, we can’t help it. His Covenant with Noah is the rainbow. God will never again curse the ground and destroy every living thing. With water.

This is also the Book most violently opposed to homosexuality, when God utterly incinerates Sodom and Gomorrah by fire and brimstone out of Heaven. The detonation is so severe that Lot’s wife turns to see and is seared to death into a pillar of salt. Some scholars have suggested that God’s fire and brimstone created a conflagration of the nature and intensity of a hydrogen bomb explosion, but without the radiation.

3
Joshua



Joshua was Moses’s chief captain, and when Moses dies at the end of Deuteronomy, the Israelites have just entered Canaan, the Promised Land. He appoints Joshua as the new leader, and Joshua famously declares, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Well, that’s easier said than done. Especially given the service the Lord requires: Canaan isn’t exactly uninhabited. The reason the Jews and Muslims are so at odds with each other today stems from the Jews’ absolute destruction of most, or all, of the indigenous peoples of Canaaan. The Lord orders the Israelites to wipe out all those before them, and Joshua tells his men, “Whoever rebels against your word and does not obey your words, whatever you may command them, will be put to death.”

What happens next is nearly non-stop violence: 24 chapters of pitched battles, sieges and the policy of total war. Every single man, woman, child and animal that the Israelites encounter is slaughtered without hesitation, in every city, town, village and hut. There are only a very few exceptions, the first being Rahab the prostitute and her family. Rahab has heard who the Lord is, and fears him, so she helps the Israelite spies and tells them about Jericho’s defenses. With the Ark before them, the Israelites raze Jericho to the ground, charge in and annihilate every single living thing, even the cattle, except Rahab and her family, who convert to Judaism.

Think of this as a sort of prologue to the rest of the invasion. By the end of his Book, which Joshua is believed to have written, the Israelites have become so awesomely powerful via their God, that Adonizedek, the Amorite king of Jerusalem, resorts to forming a coalition of 5 kingdoms to halt the Israelites’ advance. This coalition is defeated at Gibeon, then fails spectacularly at Beth-horon, where Joshua leads the Israelites to yet another victory, and then God Himself sends a mighty storm of hailstones onto the fleeing Amorites and obliterates them. The five kings hide in a cave in terror, but Joshua’s men find them, and ridicule them. Joshua then has them impaled on stakes for public scorn, and then they are discarded back in their cave. In all, 31 kingdoms are deposed and slaughtered. The last is Hazor: after the Israelites roust them, Joshua is on direct orders from God to have them pursued so furiously as to cut their horses’ hindlegs so they can no longer run away, and burn their chariots. The inhabitants of the city of Hazor are murdered to the last man, woman, child, and animal, and the city is burned to the ground.

2
Ezekiel



Ezekiel’s second half or so is largely made up of a very detailed description of the New Jerusalem (see next entry), which is to be constructed after all of Ezekiel’s prophecies have come true. These prophecies make up the lion’s share of the first half of the Book, and they show in terrifying vividness the horror of God’s fury, unleashed full force against almost every single nation in the Middle East. Israel is certainly not immune, for, as frequently happens in the Old Testament, the Hebrews have turned away from God, and must be punished. Along with them, God intends to punish the peoples of Tyre, Sidon, Egypt, the Moabites, the Ammonites, the Edomites, and the Philistines. The manner in which he intends to punish these nations is terrible beyond belief.

First Jerusalem, the people of which have all become worthless in God’s sight, will be melted in the heat of God’s wrath, just as the slag of silver, brass, iron, lead, and tin is gathered and refined again, melted in the fire. So will God melt the faces of all Jerusalem inside the city walls. God states quite clearly that he will use Nebuchadnezzar’s armies to effect his fury. Then God sets his fury against Tyre, which he also intends to destroy by means of Nebuchadnezzar. He will cause Nebuchadnezzar to invade and destroy Tyre, break down its walls to the ground, trample its streets to dust and burn the whole ruin to ash, slaughter all the inhabitants with the sword, stampede them with his horses and chariots, and God Himself will destroy the remnant of the sea coast. The only survivors will be the ship captains, away at sea, who come home to find that they have no home left, and no families, “and I shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and they shall cry bitterly, cast dust upon their heads, wallow themselves in ashes, make themselves utterly bald for thee, and weep with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing. ‘What city is like Tyre?! Like the destroyed in the midst of the sea?!’”

Then Ezekiel spends three chapters railing against Egypt, which God will utterly demolish in every way, killing almost every one of its inhabitants, scattering the few remaining into all the nations, and wiping out the nation of Egypt from the face of the planet. In much the same way, all the above mentioned tribes will be conquered, slaughtered, and caused to wail in the desert, for lack of anything left. It is 25:17 of this Book, if you don’t recall, that is infamously quoted in Pulp Fiction, “And I shall execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes, and they shall know that I am the Lord, when I shall lay my vengeance upon them.”

1
Apocalypse



There remains, in all of world literature, from the first known writing–the Old Testament, Gilgamesh, the Iliad and the Odyssey, etc.–no more blood-curdling, hair-raising, horrifying imagery than is found in the Apocalypse according to Saint John the Divine (also known as “Revelations”). Saint John was exiled to Patmos Island in the Aegean Sea sometime in the last decade of the 1st Century, probably for preaching Christianity, and saw visions of the end of the world, as dictated by God. Here is a summary of some of the horrors contained in the book of Apocalypse.

There are three sets of seven dispensations of God’s fury, the first of seals on a scroll. The first four unleash the four horsemen, War, Pestilence, Famine, and Death. The sixth seal unleashes an earthquake that somehow darkens the sun and moon, the stars fall out of the sky to Earth, and the sky itself rolls up like a scroll. Every mountain and island is obliterated, and all those on Earth hide in the rubble of the mountains and scream for mercy. But there is no mercy to be had.

Then seven trumpets blast, and there is hail and fire mixed with blood that incinerates a third of the planet. “A great star fell from Heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers and the fountains of waters. The name of the star is Wormwood [Bitterness]. And many men died of the waters because they were made bitter.” This is thought by some to be a nuclear ICBM, which causes WWIII.

An earthquake that will make the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami look like a hiccup will erupt all over the planet, and shatter Jerusalem into three parts. Every world capital will be razed to the ground, and 100-pound hailstones will fall on Mankind. Scary visions indeed – and believed by over a billion people to be a true forecast of man’s future! You can read this book in its entirety here.

 

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