Johnnyboy

Hey Guys. Ich have a little question for you. I know that the beast is normally seen as a symbol for Rome, but what do the historians think does the harlot symbollicaly stands for?

My Brockhaus just didn't have anything about this in it. ;D



Greetings from Heidelberg.

Johnnyboy

It's because I am German, isn't it?

Toto

Hi Johnnyboy - don't look so sad. Revelation is just not a hot topic here at the moment, and you asked a question that is hard to answer if you are looking for more that the usual interpretation.

There is a wikipedia article on The Whore of Bablyon

There is also Peter Kirby's site on The Apocalypse of John (Revelation)

If you try to research this on Google, you have to wade through a lot of Christian end-times propaganda, such as this (one of the more coherent sites.)

Doug Shaver

I don't think historians spend much time trying to interpret religious texts. At least not during their working hours.

aa5874

Also, anything in Revelation is incoherent.

Johnnyboy

@ Toto, thaks for the links.

But still it would be nice to read some historical-critical interpretertion of that... well "thing".

Chris Weimer

Au contraire, we do, actually. It's important to know what the harlot means symbolically to better understand the work.

gstafleu

Wike quotes Rev:
Sounds to me like the whore is symbolizing secular power, probably as bestowed by Rome upon its pupet goverments (the Herods come to mind). In that fashion, the current governments in Afghanistan and Iraq would be Whores of Washington (well, substitute some symbol for Washington of course). Just my personal opinion, obviously.

Doug Shaver

You mean you see the work as providing some insight into the thinking of some of the people who lived back then? I guess that would make sense.