Re: Dionysus El Elyon and Zeus Baal Shamen

Dom wrote:
Is there any validity to the following, which was posted by
"Agamemnon" at:

http://groups.google.com/group/soc.history.ancient/msg/d99e4b6a9deec2f0?

=================

There were no such things a Orthodox Jews at the time of the
Maccabbees. Orthodox Judaism was invented in the middle ages. At the
time of the Maccabbees the Jews were polytheistic and always hade been
and two main factions of Jews dominated both of which wanted to
control the temple. One faction worshiped Baal Shamen who they
identified with Zeus (who was also syncretised with Zeus Belus or
Dushara in Arabic, the son of El) whereas another faction worshiped
Elyon his father who was syncretised with El (Alohi in Hebrew or Allah
in Arabic and referred to as Orotalt by Herodotus) who was identified
by the Jews with Dionysus.

The Jews who worshiped Dionysus El Elyon were allied with the
Ptolemaic Egyptians and were admitted into the mysteries and branded
with the Ivy Leaf symbol of Dionysus. Those that supported the claim
of Zeus Baal Shamen to the temple worshiped were allied with the
Seleucids. The temple was in fact original the temple of Elyon and
Judas Maccabbee led the Jews that worshiped Dionysus to retake if from
those that wanted to worship Baal Shamen there instead. From the First
Book of Maccabbees we know that when Judas finally capture the temple
he celebrated by worshiping Elyon by waving wands covered with ivy,
which of course was the Thyrsus as carried by Dionysus and his
followers.

Its posted by Agamemnon, that should answer your question.

There are several good works that cover this period and would answer your question. I'd recommend Martin Hengel's Judaism and Hellenism as perhaps one of the best and most accessible.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Dionysus El Elyon and Zeus Baal Shamen
    ... There were no such things a Orthodox Jews at the time of the ... time of the Maccabbees the Jews were polytheistic and always hade been ... The Jews who worshiped Dionysus El Elyon were allied with the ... Those that worshiped Dionysus El Elyon were allied with the Egyptians and initiated into the Mysteries of Dionysus since the Seconed book of Maccabbees makes states that the Jewish form of worship at their temple resembled that of Dionysus. ...
    (soc.history.ancient)
  • Re: Dionysus El Elyon and Zeus Baal Shamen
    ... There were no such things a Orthodox Jews at the time of the ... time of the Maccabbees the Jews were polytheistic and always hade been ... The Jews who worshiped Dionysus El Elyon were allied with the ... It also makes clear that they sang songs in worship, just like worshippers of Odin, does this mean that they worshipped the Norse gods too? ...
    (soc.history.ancient)
  • Re: Dionysus El Elyon and Zeus Baal Shamen
    ... There were no such things a Orthodox Jews at the time of the ... time of the Maccabbees the Jews were polytheistic and always hade been ... The Jews who worshiped Dionysus El Elyon were allied with the ... He also states that even before this arrival the Pelasgian Greeks still know the names of the Gods but did not know them as they do now since they did not know how to worship them properly. ...
    (soc.history.ancient)
  • Re: Dionysus El Elyon and Zeus Baal Shamen
    ... Read the first two books of Maccabbees, Eusebius Preparation for the Gospel book 1 and the Bible in Hebrew where all the different Gods the "Jews" worshiped are named individually. ... The Jews who worshiped Dionysus El Elyon were allied with the ... those that wanted to worship Baal Shamen there instead. ...
    (soc.history.ancient)
  • Re: Dionysus El Elyon and Zeus Baal Shamen
    ... time of the Maccabbees the Jews were polytheistic and always hade been ... those that wanted to worship Baal Shamen there instead. ... Seven years later the fragile silver scrolls were opened and their texts ...
    (soc.history.ancient)