Freethought & Rationalism Archive

gnosis92 · 03-04-2007, 12:17 PM

I can't find this on wiki.

I heard that Roman General Pompei conquered Judea from the Greek Selucids around 30 BCE, and wanted to enter the Holy of Holies, expecting to see a most marvelous idol to the Hebrew deity, whom he heard great things about.

He entered, saw the Torah scrolls, queried where's the idol? The point is that the ROman pagans thought 1 god could not have so much power, so they thought it common sense to have many gods.

Toto · 03-04-2007, 12:47 PM

Spelling is your friend

Pompey

Quote:

Pompey entered the Holy of Holies; this was only the second time that someone had dared to penetrate into this sacred spot. It was during the war in Judea that Pompey heard of the death of Mithridates. He went to the Temple to satisfy his curiosity about stories he had heard about the worship of the Jewish people. He made it a priority to find out whether or not the Jews had no physical statue or image of God in their most sacred place of worship. To Pompey, it was inconceivable to worship a God without portraying him in a type of physical likeness, like a statue. What Pompey saw was unlike anything he had seen on his travels. He found no physical statue, religious image, or pictorial description of the Hebrew God.

Chris Weimer · 03-04-2007, 01:45 PM

The Latin is Pompeius.

Ben C Smith · 03-04-2007, 04:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Weimer

The Latin is Pompeius.

What?? I thought it was Pompous!

Ben.

Chris Weimer · 03-04-2007, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben C Smith

What?? I thought it was Pompous!

Ben.

Though he probably was quite so...

gnosis92 · 03-04-2007, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toto

Spelling is your friend

Pompey

well thanks, and i even added another sentenceInstead, he saw the Torah scrolls, and was thoroughly confused.

Roger Pearse · 03-05-2007, 03:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Weimer

Though he probably was quite so...

Cicero always calls him by his cognomen 'Magnus' -- with the sense of "our big man".

All the best,

Roger Pearse

lpetrich · 03-07-2007, 07:48 AM

Isaac Asimov once wrote an essay about this event, "Pompey and Circumstance", describing how Pompey's career had gone uphill before that event, and downhill afterwards.

There is an alternative to the explanation that God had gotten pissed at him for performing this sacrilege. It is that at no other point in his career could he have done that -- he could not have done that early in his career or late in his career.

03-04-2007, 12:17 PM	#1
gnosis92 Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: usa Posts: 3,103	Can a historian confirm this story about Pompeii and the Second Temple I can't find this on wiki. I heard that Roman General Pompei conquered Judea from the Greek Selucids around 30 BCE, and wanted to enter the Holy of Holies, expecting to see a most marvelous idol to the Hebrew deity, whom he heard great things about. He entered, saw the Torah scrolls, queried where's the idol? The point is that the ROman pagans thought 1 god could not have so much power, so they thought it common sense to have many gods.

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03-04-2007, 01:45 PM	#3
Chris Weimer Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: none Posts: 9,879	The Latin is Pompeius.

03-07-2007, 07:48 AM	#8
lpetrich Contributor Join Date: Jul 2000 Location: Lebanon, OR, USA Posts: 16,829	Isaac Asimov once wrote an essay about this event, "Pompey and Circumstance", describing how Pompey's career had gone uphill before that event, and downhill afterwards. There is an alternative to the explanation that God had gotten pissed at him for performing this sacrilege. It is that at no other point in his career could he have done that -- he could not have done that early in his career or late in his career.

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