SATAN – The Personification of Evil

Christian Mysteries - Unveiled

Article: SATAN – The Personification of Evil

     Since the most ancient of societies, Satan has evolved from the superstitious notion of the human mind which saw and created a need for a supernatural entity to bear the blame and as a curse for human failures. While on the other hand, the good entity of a supernatural God fights for their cause, receives their adoration and holds out a rewarding after-life. The faulting is either attributed to God as a punishment, a lesson or declared as the evil-doings of the Satan.  This mentality or mindset has gradually evolved into a theology for all religious belief-systems, ancient and present.

From the Christian perspective, the Satan or Devil has taken the blame for not only mankind’s evil and sufferings but also for imitating and promoting Christianity in the form of ancient pagan religions centuries before Jesus Christ. 

Many mid-second century pagan theologians like Celsus and early Church Fathers, like Justin Martyr (145-149 A.D.)
 Tertullian, (160-230 A.D.),  Origen (185-254 A.D.) Clement (died 110 A.D.), and Jerome (347-420 A.D.) were fiercely debating, same time acknowledging, the many similarities reported between Christianity and other pre-Christian pagan religions.

Justin Martyr, who said, “For when they say that Dionysus arose again and ascended to heaven, is it not evidence the devil has imitated the prophecy?” In his others works such as "The Demons Imitate Christian Doctrine," and 1 Apology, he reiterates "And when we say also that the Word, who is the first-born of God, was produced without sexual union, and that He, Jesus Christ, our Teacher, was crucified. and rose again, and ascended into heaven, we propound nothing different from what you believe regarding those whom you esteem sons of Jupiter. ... But as we have said above, wicked devils perpetrated these things  … “

In the Old Testament books of Numbers and Job, Satan appears as a God’s dutiful servant or as messenger “Malek” in Hebrew, “Angelos” in Greek,  In Hebrew, Angels are known as “bene ‘elohim” which means “sons of God”, in a hierarchal rank formation -  a members of God's royal court. The Hebrew term Satan is not a character but describes an adversarial role.  (I Samuel 2 9:4, 11 Samuel, 1 9:2 2, 1 Kings S: 4, 14, 23, and 25.) Satan also acts as a prosecutor in Psalms 109:6-9, which says: “Give him over to wickedness, and let Satan stand at his right hand to accuse him,” also Zechariah 3 and in Job I and 2.

The Hebrew root “stn” means to oppose, obstruct. 

To be continued...

Paul Rodricks, Author & Freelance Writer.

I invite your comments and queries. Thank you.

Paul Rodricks

Paul's WRITERS DIG 7

Contact: paulrodericks@gmail.com

Blog: www.paulswritersdig7.blogspot.com

Preview of Section 2 - Music Staff & Scale Notes

Creative Music Composing
Self-Teaching Manual

Releasing soon......

Creative Music Composing

Self-Teaching Manual

By Paul Rodricks

Have you ever felt the urge to write your own songs? 

To compose your own lyrics and melody?

Are you a lyricist wishing to set music to your lyrics? 

Or a music composer desirous of writing the lyrics to

your music? Or a music lover and hobbyist wondering

how songs are crafted? 

If so, Creative Music Composing 

is just the right practical

self-teaching manual for you. Because Songwriting has

never been made so easy and simple.

The Manual  covers all the music aspects of Writing Melodies– melody notes, tonality of scales and harmony in chord progressions and rhythm. You begin from learning to create simple melodies to composing complete performing versions of songs by using the Digital Numbering System, the Solfeggio (do-re-mi) and ABCDEFG notation methods. 

Become a successful Songwriter.  Compose your

own Lyrics and Music to styles such as Pop, Rock,

Blues, Country, R&B, Jazz, Gospel and others.

Read here the Preview of the Section 2 from Creative Music Composing by Paul Rodricks:

Section 2

“If I were not a Physicist, I’d probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music … I get most joy in life out of music.” 

- Albert Einstein

Music Staff and Scale Notes

Fig. 1 - The music staff with its elements at a glance:

The Music Staff, Bar/Measure

     In the following Sections of the music theory, we shall deal with only the essentials of music fundamentals as may be necessary to write simple melodies to begin with.  For a more thorough study, you would need a music theory book available at any local music bookstore.     

    Fig. 2 and 2(a) below shows a group of 5 lines and 4 spaces (created between these lines) together called the Music Staff:   

    Fig. 2

                                                                     

     Fig. 2(a)  The Number of Lines and Spaces in a Music Staff:

     The Staff, which holds the musical notes on its lines and in the spaces, corresponding to the movement of your lyrics, is divided into equal parts called “MEASURES”.   

    

     A Measure is a vertical  line that you see drawn across the musical staff in Fig. 3, which is in turn popularly called the “BAR” line. The latter rhythmically splits the melody patterns of your lyrics in the

Measure. 

     Fig. 3 – The bar line defining the number of measures or bars in a music score or sheet-music.

     In the following Fig. 4, you see the double-vertical lines called the Double Bar which signify that the section or part of music notation before or in front of the double bar symbol ends there and the last darkened thick bar tells you that the music score or the song ends there

     Fig. 4. – The Double Bar & Darkened Bar

                                                                        Double        Darkened 

     In the case of a pair of dots appearing with a double-bar (generally darkened), it means the music score before the two-dotted double-bar or between any 2 (two)-dotted double-bars must be repeated. 

    

     Fig. 5. The Two-dotted Bars

   

                       Repeat this Section       Repeat this Section                

     D.C. is the abbreviation for da capo meaning that you play or sing from the beginning.

     Fig. 6 – The D.C. Symbol

                            Play/Sing from the beginning

     See below for an explanation of the abbreviations in the Fig. 7:

     Fig. 7 – The D.S., Coda other Symbols:

                              

Skip these measures 

                                                                                Continue from D.S. sign                           
               D.S. is a term for from the sign.

              The stricken “S” with the (slash) / across it and two dots                    is a continuation symbol.

                
              Coda symbol - The Circle with the Plus sign within                                      is a sign for skipping the measure/s.

     In playing or singing a music score when you come across a D.S. sign, it says that you go back to that part/measure of music which displays the “S” symbol with the slash and two dots over it, and continue from there.

    

    While the Coda symbol - Circle with the Plus Sign - tells you to skip or rather not to play or sing from all those bars/measures of notes that appear between this symbol and the bar or measure marked “CODA”, as you continue along the music score.   

     

   Notes can be held over bar lines by connecting them with ties, as depicted in the example below::

     Fig. 8 – Bar Line Tie

NEXT: Music Notes/Tones

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Author: paulrodericks@gmail.com

                                          
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Paul Rodricks, Author

Paul's WRITERS DIG 7

Contact: paulrodericks@gmail.com

Blog: www.paulswritersdig7.blogspot.com

Preview of CHAPTER TWO

The Chronicles of Moses
The Man who would be Pharaoh

Epic Novel

The Chronicles of Moses

- The Man who would be Pharaoh

By Paul Rodricks

 The Chronicles of Moses 

– The Man who would be Pharaoh

Now Available on Amazon.com

Historical-Ancient-Egyptian-Biblical Fiction Thriller.  

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Unique Novel with many DISCLOSURES.

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Glossary of Ancient Egyptian Names  

Senmut, Senenmut        “Mother’s brother” 

Kemet                          Egypt, ‘black’ land 

Waset                          Thebes 

Mennefer                      Memphis 

On                               Heliopolis

Ta-Seti                        Cush, Kush

Ta netjer                     Punt

Read the preview of the CHAPTER TWO here:

PART ONE 

 CHAPTER 2

     1524 BC – Hatshepsut

   

    At first Senenmut, felt outraged and then alarmed over the fate awaiting the deposed Queen. His mind tried to seek relief by going back into the past when destiny brought them together at the royal palace in Waset.  

    Her father Tuthmosis I, had become the Pharaoh King and they had shifted the place of residence from Mennefer.

    Hatshepsut was the favorite daughter of Tuthmosis I and Queen Ahmosis. She was eight years old when Mose as a child of three, come to live at the palace with his parents. She renamed him Senenmut.

    He knew her as Ma’at-Kare. And, this was his favorite name to address her in private. They had grown up with her half-brother Tuthmosis II, and others of the royal family. The outside world hailed her as the "Pharaoh's Daughter”, the Crown Princess-in-waiting.

    Senenmut grew up getting to watch Hatshepsut turn into a beautiful woman, learning, and adapting to her role as the heir apparent. Senenmut himself was receiving the royal academic training, which the Pharaohs had to undergo. 

    By the time, Hatshepsut was about 16 years old both her parents were dead. 

    According to the royal policy of succession, she had to marry her half-brother, Tuthmosis II. She ruled as a Co-regent for a few years when the Pharaoh died of chronic illness. They had no issue of their own, but he left behind a secondary son Tuthmosis III, born of his concubine, Iset. Tuthmosis was two-years old when his father died.

    Since Tuthmosis was a minor, Hatshepsut continued to rule as the Co-regent Queen Pharaoh. 

    Hatshepsut was about twenty-two old by then, and Senenmut about 19 years. Living and officiating at the royal palace made them feel naturally attracted to each other.

    Left without a husband, she had turned to the strong, good-looking, talented, and resourceful young Senenmut for a relationship. In time, their friendship became intimate. Moreover, he was already beginning to assist her in governing Kemet. He helped to consolidate her power and influence over the court officials. That included the royal dignitaries, the political leaders, and the ever-powerful Amun-Ra priesthood.

    Thus, seven years later, both having decided that an opportune time had come, Hatshepsut declared herself the ruling Queen Pharaoh. Tuthmosis was still an underage.  

    Thereafter, she promoted Senenmut to the highest position in Kemet, as her Chief Vizier. In due course, his accomplishments earned him more than 20 other royal titles. Some of these were the Official Architect-Engineer, Civic Planner, Diplomat, and Military Commander. 

    Hatshepsut was twenty-five years of age, when she gave birth in secret to their daughter, Princess Neferure. Senenmut himself took the complete responsibility of educating their daughter. He groomed Neferure and prepared her for the royal duties of the Crown Princess.  

    As the Queen Pharaoh of Kemet, Hatshepsut was a   shrewd politician and a graceful diplomat. She used propaganda and skill to exercise her authority to reign over the Kemite Empire. To prove Kemet’s sovereignty, Queen Hatshepsut sent Senenmut on military expeditions and diplomatic missions. Her Vizier led the Kemite army to counter the aggressions and put down the rebellions in Ta-Seti and Ta netjer. 

    Queen Hatshepsut also promoted trade missions, herself participating in a memorable one to Ta netjer. The Kemites coveted and were always in search of precious and valuable goods such as gold, ivory, exotic animals, spices, and aromatic trees.

During her rule, Queen Pharaoh Hatshepsut commissioned Senenmut to undertake the works of her three-level Mortuary Complex - Djeser-Djeseru. Within this complex, Senenmut would undertake to build his secret underground tomb. Hatshepsut also restored the ruined temples in the Valley of the Kings and she built a large temple in the honor of her father. 

    To commemorate the 30-year Anniversary of her reign as the Queen Pharaoh, she ordered the building of two Sed obelisks.

    She claimed a direct divine lineage to the national god, by first claiming the title, “Daughter of Amun-Ra” and later proclaiming herself as "God's Wife of Amun-Ra.” Hatshepsut did this to consolidate her right to rule as Pharaoh since kingship belonged to males only. Further, she went to the extent of commemorating the renewal of her Pharaoh Anniversary, at the significant Hep Sed Festival tradition.

    Keen to accentuate her role as the Pharaoh, Hatshepsut took to dressing in the male costume of the Kemite Pharaoh. This consisted of the Shendyt Kilt, the Nemes headdress with its Uraeus and the khat head-cloth and the false beard. In private, Senenmut would jest about her alien way of dressing, but they both knew it was a necessity to endorse her role as the Pharaoh.

    Another side of her, which the Vizier had recognized during her reign, was about her strong traits inherited from her father, the mighty Pharaoh Tuthmosis I. She possessed the characteristics of a strong-willed, persistent, and non-comprising person. To her allegiance meant total commitment.  

    He wondered what led to the unexpected overthrow by Tuthmosis. Except for the usual talks and rumors, they had seen no danger signs nor been warned of any impending revolt.

To be continued...

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Your comments and reviews will be appreciated. Thank you.

Paul Rodricks, Author.

Paul's WRITERS DIG 7

Contact: paulrodericks@gmail.com

Blog: www.paulswritersdig7.blogspot.com