If you were not able to attend the symposium, or would like to go back and listen to any of the great presentations, you can do so here.

The session of the symposium that was most in line with my interests was the Saturday Morning session entitled: Priests, Kings, and Temples.

The presentations at that session were the following:

“The Anointing of the Gods: Sanctification and Authority from Egyptian Pharaohs to Hebrew Priest Kings and Beyond” –John F. Hall, Brigham Young University (listen to mp3)

“The Ezekiel Mural at Dura Europos and the Mysteries of Aaron, Moses, and Melchizedek” — Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Independent Scholar, Florida; David Larsen, PhD student, University of St Andrews (listen to mp3)

“Kingship and Seer Stones: A Comparison of European Regalia and Scriptural Accounts of the Urim and Thummim and Liahona” –Paul Callister, University of Missouri-Kansas City (listen to mp3)

This symposium celebrates the 50th anniversary of BYU Studies and will have a very broad range of presenters and topics.  Of special interest (to me, anyways):

Jeffrey Bradshaw will be presenting on Saturday morning at 9:35am (in the N. Assembly room). His paper is called “The Ezekiel Mural at Dura Europos and the Mysteries of Aaron, Moses, and Melchizedek.” I worked with him a bit on this project and I can tell you that it is very exciting material.

Also, in that same session, starting at 9am, John Hall (BYU professor of Classics) will be giving a presentation entitled “The Anointing of the Gods: Sanctification and Authority from Egyptian Pharaohs to Hebrew Priest-Kings and Beyond.” I heard a version of this paper in London at the Temple Studies Group conference and it was awesome.  You can see my notes on it here.

I also recommend Lynn Wilson’s paper at 1:35pm in the same room. Lynn did her PhD in Theology at Marquette University and is a great scholar. I heard her speak at SBL two years ago and she has done some very interesting research.

There are many other papers that look very interesting. I just wish I could be there! If you are planning to attend, it would probably be good to register at their website (registration is free and open to the public). See their website below.

The following is some more specific info regarding the symposium, copied from their official website: http://byustudies.byu.edu/symposium.aspx

Title: “Of Things Both in Heaven and in the Earth” D&C 88: 78, 79

When: March 12–13, 2010

Where: Hinckley Alumni Center on Brigham Young University campus in Provo, Utah

What: To celebrate its fiftieth anniversary, BYU Studies is holding a special symposium on Friday, March 12, and Saturday, March 13, in the beautiful Hinckley Alumni and Visitor’s Center at Brigham Young University. The theme, which captures the mission statement of BYU Studies, is drawn from D&C 88:78–79, “Of Things Both in Heaven and in the Earth.” The event is free and open to the public. A preliminary schedule is available at byustudies.byu.edu.

Three plenary sessions and four blocks of concurrent sessions, from 9:00 am on Friday until 3:00 pm on Saturday, will feature more than fifty fascinating presenters. A poster session, scheduled for Friday afternoon, will highlight recent research from a variety of disciplines by both seasoned professors and younger scholars.

The three plenary speakers are Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Professor of Church History and Doctrine and publications director of the Religious Studies Center at BYU; Van C. Gessel, Professor of Japanese and former Dean of the College of Humanities at BYU; and George S. Tate, Professor of Humanities and Comparative Literature and former Dean of Undergraduate Education at BYU. Holzapfel will share new discoveries about Wilford Woodruff’s 1897 recorded testimony concerning Joseph Smith and the succession in the Church presidency. Gessel will examine the challenges of introducing Christian vocabulary into non-Christian cultures. Tate will give a behind-the-scenes look at his work on the 1918 influenza pandemic and the 1918 revelation that became Doctrine and Covenants 138, recently published in BYU Studies and the Ensign.

According to Welch, those who come will have the chance to meet “other like-minded individuals who enjoy exploring a variety of topics” along with several BYU Studies authors. “This symposium will help involve readers in the academic experience,” explains Welch.

Contact: For questions or comments, contact BYU Studies at

(801) 422-6691 or at byustudies_symposium@byu.edu

Can’t Attend? We will be blogging this event on March 12th and 13th. We will post summaries of each session shortly after they end, so if you are not in the area and cannot attend you can follow our blog posts. Some sessions will also be recorded for later broadcast as well. Check back on this page for links to our blog.

–Additional Information

Directions

Parking

–Schedule links

PDF of entire schedule

Wednesday

Friday morning

Friday afternoon

Saturday morning

Saturday afternoon

So far, only two papers have been posted, but more are forthcoming.  The great news is that the full text of Dr. Margaret Barker’s presentation is posted (for my own humble summary of her words, see here). Also, Dr. Sebastian Brock’s wonderful paper on “The Holy Oil in the Syriac Tradition” is there as well (unfortunately, I have not yet been able to post my notes from his paper, so please check out the link).

I know that a summary of Dr. Laurence Hemming’s paper will soon appear as well on the Temple Studies Group site.  More should be available soon, so please keep checking the site for updates.  These papers represent some of the most excellent research available on this topic, and are highly valuable for anyone interested in temple studies and related themes.

The Anointing of the Gods: Sanctification and Authority from Egyptian Pharaohs to Hebrew Priest Kings and Beyond

presentation by Dr. John F. Hall

The title of this paper, which references the “anointing of the gods”, refers to both the fact that the ceremony of anointing belongs to the gods as well as the fact that it provides the means whereby worthy individuals are to be included among the gods — in the company of God and the sons of God.  Thus, the ancient tradition of anointing is related to, or a part of, the doctrine of theosis.

The doctrine of theosis can be found not only in the religion of ancient Israel and among early Christians, but also in several modern Christian religious traditions including my own. It is linked to the temple where instruction is conducted and rites performed which asssist the individual in his quest to come into the presence of the Lord.

The work of Margaret Barker has helped make these connections more clear and shown how the resurrection is a necessary part of the at-one-ment with God, in which the individual obtains exaltation through a heavenly ascent to the throne of God, where he/she is permitted to see God face-to-face.  These elements are all connected to the anointing in the temple setting.

The anointing, then, has to do with:

• a representation of the process of sanctification
• authorization to be sealed unto eternal life
• enabling the ascent to heaven to see the face of God (resurrection)

Perhaps not surprisingly, similarity of purpose and procedure can be noted among temple rituals designed to secure return to the very presence of the Divine along with admission to the hosts of heaven as sons of God, whether in Hebrew, early Christian, or even ancient Egyptian rites and ceremonies.

Those attending this conference will be familiar with Dr. Barker’s research on Solomon’s temple — that it was a place where the pilgrim could have received the anointing with holy oil, the sacrament of Wisdom, which Pope Leo the great informed us was the sacrament of Theosis. The purpose of this rite was a preparation to see the face of God.  We have learned in this conference how common this practice of “chrismation” was, and is, among Christians, and we now know that this is a tradition preserved from the ancient temple of Jerusalem.

The anointing was a sacred rite in other ancient traditions with which the Israelites were very familiar with: those of ancient Egypt.  A number of the key patriarchs of Israel were intimately connected with the land and ways of Egypt. Abraham, Joseph, and Moses spent much time and held influential positions in Egypt.  The Egyptians themselves may have even remembered connections to Noah and Enoch (who were very influential for the temple rituals).  In short, there is evidence for Egyptian influence on Israel (and vice versa). There were many shared understandings regarding divine ascent and related doctrines.

Extra-biblical texts tell the story of Joseph’s marriage to Aseneth in more detail — she was from a royal line in Egypt, the daughter of the high priest of On.  After Joseph was given his own crown, he ruled in the sacred city of Heliopolis, center of the cult of Amon-Re, and sacred city of the God Atum, the first Father from whom the pharaohs would claim descent.  This city was the center of Egyptian temple rites, and was the place where the Ished Tree of Life stood, and the ben-ben stone of creation was located.  Joseph’s place in this holy city most certainly gave the Israelites a strong familiarity with Egyptian temple rituals.

Moses, due to his princely position in Egypt, would have known these traditions as well (see Acts 7:22). When Moses was commanded to prepare the holy anointing oil of olive oil and spices (myrrh, cinnamon, calamus, cassia — Ex. 30:23–25) — this was similar to the anointing oil of the Egyptians, with which Moses was surely familiar.

Ritual anointing with sacred oil is documented as fulfilling an important role in the religious ceremonial of Egypt. From Pyramid texts of the early third millenium B.C.E., to Gnostic documents of the Christian era found at Nag Hammadi, anointing can be shown to provide sanctification and give authorization for ascent to the gods and inclusion in their company.

From the several temple-related Egyptian texts that have been uncovered, we can reconstruct quite well the anointing rituals.

• It took place on the New Year, first day of the month Thoth, the day of greates light of the year (summer solstice)
• Like other Near Eastern New Year rites, it represented the death, resurrection, and ascension of king to the gods
• It was performed in a temple, most likely at Heliopolis or nearby
• It presented ascent/resurrection as preceding death, prefiguring the mission of the Son of Man

The ascent is enabled through the anointing ritual.  With the anointing, the goddesses invest the king with “fiery divine power.” The king is anointed by the Queen of Heaven, the Mother Goddess (earlier on known as Hathor, later as Isis).

Pharaoh was anointed after the pattern of Horus’ anointing by his mother Isis with the protecting nine fiery oils (or oils of fire or light). In the earlier pyramid texts there are seven oils associated with the fiery Eye of Horus, entrance to the ways of light and fiery celestial regions. We remember that like Isis, in the traditions of the first temple period, Wisdom anoints with oil which represents light. For oil or the light which oil symbolizes was the sacrament of Wisdom and to the anointed ones Wisdom was mother, as she was mother to the anointed Messiah (Barker, Temple Themes, 236).

Isis was mother of the messianic god Horus, who was the opener of the ways and responsible for the at-one-ment of those likewise ascending through the seven houses of the gods in the company of Horus on the celestial bark.  In Egypt, messianic function were divided between Horus and Osiris — Horus governs the atonement process and Osiris provided the possibility of atonement through his own death and resurrection.  Because of the death and resurrection of Osiris, and through his anointing at the hands of his mother Isis, which anointing provides a protection, Horus is permitted to ascend through the fiery regions of the heavens.  The pharaoh, then, is anointed after the manner of Horus. He gains the protection that Horus had to accomplish the heavenly ascent. As he is anointed with each of the several oils, a chant is sung declaring the protection given.  The conclusion of the ascent is recognized by the enthronement and crowning of the king and he is given the status of godhood. The accompanying hymn announces:

He lives the life Re lives/ He sees with the vision with which Re sees/ He hears with the vision with which Re hears/ He rules with the power with which Re rules/ He fulfills his eternal round like Re.

The pharaoh’s name can then be written on a leaf of the Tree of Life, confirming his sonship under Amun-Re.

Similar themes are found in other Egyptian temple rituals, including the ordinance known as the “opening of the mouth.” Although some scholars see this as a rite performed only on the dead, there is evidence that it was part of an initiation into the temple mysteries for the living.  (For a similar ritual among the Greeks, see my posts on the Orphic Gold Tablets) There is also evidence that this ritual was not only for royalty, but could be performed on deserving commoners, as well (e.g., Imhotep and Amenhotep, important architects — human beings who were believed to have been deified through this process).

During the opening of the mouth ritual, the initiate was:

• purified through washing
• anointed in specific order of mouth, eyes, ears, head, and different parts of body, including vitals and limbs
• reborn into a higher existence
• resurrected, given authorization to ascend through the seven houses of the gods to the eighth house, where the beings of light reside and where Osiris sits enthroned
• enabled to recall his life before mortal existence, through the oil of memory
• able to reverse the several “blows of death” inflicted from the beginning of the world

The express purpose of this ritual was to enable the individual to achieve exaltation and deification.

After the opening of the mouth the recipient of the ordinance becomes a Horus, with the name of Horus on his forehead, healed of mortality, resurrected and so ascending thorugh the heavens to the place where the great god Amun, the hidden one, sits upon the cosmic throne with its base of diamond and emerald (Nibley, JSP, 170).

There are many connections between these rituals and themes in Jewish and Christian literature, especially pseudepigraphal and apocalyptic texts.  The similarities to the revelation given to John are apparent.  In 2 Enoch (30:8-9), the “seven blows of death” relate to sight, hearing, smell, speech, taste, breathing, and procreation, and Ben Sira refers to the reversal of death in terms of tongue, eyes, ears, and heart — both texts preserve the order of anointing in the opening of the mouth ceremony.

An early Christian hymn preserved in the Apostolic Constitutions (7:38), perhaps related to chrismation, emphasizes the blessing of having, in this specific order: “a tongue for harmony and taste, power to see, and to hear sound, breathing of the air, hands to work and feet to go on.” Cyril of Jerusalem details Christian anointing as “with ointment your forehead and sense organs are sacramentally anointed” (Ecclesiastical Hierarchy, 484B).  A text used by Christians called Joseph and Aseneth refers to the renewal/resurrection of Aseneth through washing, anointing, and clothing by an angel, after which her name is entered into the Book of Life (Joseph and Aseneth, 8:9-10, 14:3-15, 15:4).

It is through the power of the resurrection of Osiris that others are given power to be resurrected.  Osiris has the right of judgment and power to bestow eternal life. Just as Christians believe that Christ was the first to receive the holy anointing and to ascend to God, similarly Osiris was believed to be the first to pass through anointing to ascent and enthronement, thus establishing a pattern to be imitated by his followers. The individual becomes “an Osiris” by learning his mysteries.

The name “Osiris” is, therefore, assumed at the outset by all deemed worthy to undergo initiation into the mysteries of the Egyptian temple.

Professor Nibley has provided a reconstruction of the ritual:

• The initiate is taken by the godly guide, Thoth (represented by priest), through the sacred precincts (Thoth is often connected to Enoch, which thus connects the Egyptian temple rituals to those of Enoch’s temple on the original Mt. Zion)
• The priest (Thoth), finding the initiate worthy, present him before the gods upon entry
• In the outer courtyard, ritual washings are performed and the initiate is pronounced clean and prepared to enter a new life
• After passing through the temple garden and its tree of life, where the Queen of Heaven presides, the initiate was robed in a leopard or lion skin and taught that entry to and exit from life in this world was through the the garden.
• After entry into the temple itself, there is (arguably) a second clothing, this time in robes of the priesthood — brilliant white linen, representing the heavenly garments of radiant light.

Our opinion is that anointing ceremonies, following the practice and order of the opening of the mouth ceremony, occurred within the more sacred realm. The ritual anointing, as seen in the ceremony of the opening of the mouth, possessed power to bring about resurrection.

To enter the temple, the initiate had to pass through two pillars, similar to the two pillars of Solomon’s temple called Boaz and Joachin that stood at the entrance.  The Egyptian entry pylons marked the horizon, where heaven and earth met, and where the sun could be seen beginning its trajectory — representing the beginning of the soul’s ascent into heaven. The initiate will be as the glory of the sun rising.

The culmination of rites at the later temple of Hathor at Dendera consisted of climbing stairs to exit through the pylons at the time of the sun’s rising. That representation of the sun ascending between columns, the aht hieroglyph, came to symbolize ascent to eternal life (Nibley, JSP, 109-111)…

The ritual continues:

• After entry, anointing, and clothing in heavenly robes (thus being protected and endowed with power), the initiate begins his journey through the seven chambers or houses of the gods, representing the heavens through which the journey passes
• The initiate is taught by Thoth the secrets to passing by the divine guardians of the gates of each house/heaven, in similar manner to the pattern found in Enoch’s Book of Luminaries.
• At the end of this ascent journey, the initiate enters the eighth and final chamber, the abode of the gods (compare to Holy of Holies)
• In this abode of the gods, the journey has ended and the initiate receives the promised reward of beholding the face of Osiris, who is seated on his throne.  The individual is there seated upon the throne of the god and crowned as one of the holy ones of light (compare to Enoch’s transformation and enthronement and Rev. 3: 20–21)

In  the Book of the Dead are recorded the final words of the initiation to this point made possible through the ceremony of anointing. And so with Thoth by his side, the initiate, exalted by the mystery he has completed, and after the manner of Osiris by whom he has been received and approved, declares “I have risen up and walked about in Heaven, I have been raised up in a pillar of light. I have sailed with Ra in the boat of the sun. Bless him in his spinning circuit of sky. I have come to the place of Horus’ eye. I am the unbroken seal on the book of myself. My words are heartfelt, my prayers are like incense to the nostrils of the gods. My spirit flares with the fire of god. I am a shining Osiris. My face is aglow with the radiance of white light. Open the way to me…and the gate opens. (N. Ellis, Awakening Osiris).  And Osiris reveals himself face to face declaring his identity. “I am Eldest, Son of the Great One who dwells in eternal burnings, son of the Burning One. I am exalted, I am renewed, I am rejuvenated, I am Osiris. And so now thou too” (Book of the Dead, 43). The ascent is complete and enthronement occurs as the final aspect of resurrection. The initiate has no further need to fear death, for it has been conquered.

From a stele of the 18th dynasty, a similar themed enthronement scene is described. The initiate is presented by Horus to the God of Gods, Amun, to whom the initiate declares: “I am thy son, O great one, I have seen the hidden  things which are thine, I am crowned upon thy throne as a king and a god — I shall not die.” And Amun replies, “thou art my son, the heir who came forth from my flesh. As long as I shall be, thou shalt be” (A. Gardiner, JEA, 39 (1953), 13-31).

In summary, the Egyptian temple rituals show us that anointing was meant to enable the heavenly ascent, resurrection, and atonement with the gods.  How are these rituals connected to the ceremonies of the First Temple in Jerusalem, the early Christian anointings, and the Gnostic rites? Many of these and our own religious traditions relate in some way to those of ancient Egypt.  It is public knowledge that my own Christian tradition, in our modern temples, includes the practice of washing, anointing, clothing, etc.  These rites are similar to those of Solomon’s temple and early Christianity, but also very much similar to the traditions of ancient Egypt, which were virtually unknown in the time of Joseph Smith, when he instituted the LDS temple ceremonies.  How did the Egyptians receive these traditions, which are shared with our Judeo-Christian tradition, that man can ascend to heaven to behold the face of God, so thus conquer death and obtain eternal life?  This knowledge was to be obtained in the temple, both ancient and modern.

Frederick M. Huchel, in his recent review of Dr. Barker’s Temple Themes in Christian Worship, notes how Joseph Smith restored this ancient tradition that in the temple one could behold the face of God.  This was key to Joseph’s religion. (See FARMS Review of Books)

With your permission I should like to conclude with a scripture with which some here may resonate, undoubtedly the wise men of ancient Egypt would. It is found in the 132nd Section of the Doctrine and Covenants, one of the standard works of the LDS Church, and comes from one of the final teachings of Joseph Smith.

“…When they are out of the world…they shall pass by the angels, and the gods, which are set there, to their exaltation and glory in all things, as hath been sealed upon their heads, which glory shall be a fulness and a continuation of the seeds forever and ever.

Then shall they be gods, because they have no end; therefore shall they be from everlasting to everlasting, because they continue; then shall they be above all, because all things are subject unto them. Then shall they be gods, because they have all power…

But if ye receive me in the world, then shall ye know me, and shall receive your exaltation; that where I am ye shall be also.

This is eternal lives—to know the only wise and true God, and Jesus Christ, whom he hath sent. I am he.

Although Prof. John Hall’s presentation was next after Dr. Barker’s, I am still working on the notes for his talk, so I will now post my notes from the esteemed Archimandrite Ephrem’s presentation covering the use of the anointing oil in the Orthodox Church, or, as he termed it, in the Byzantine tradition.  My notes are not a complete rendition of Father Ephrem’s comments and contain many of my own additions. FYI — Father Ephrem has a great website with many helpful patristic and liturgical texts at www.anastasis.org.uk.

The anointing oil has a number of uses in the Byzantine tradition.  Father Ephrem discussed, principally, its use in light (candles), baptism, healing, confirmation/chrismation, the consecration of tsars, and the anointing of holy objects.

Unless I misunderstood, there are two types of anointing oil.

1. The first is the basic pure olive oil, used in burning candles and lamps, for the anointing of catechumens (those preparing for baptism), and for the anointing of the sick for healing. It is also used in the waters of baptism.
2. The second type of oil is the “myron”, otherwise known as chrism. Myron is a myrrh-scented oil that is very complicated to make. It can only be made and consecrated during Holy Week and is composed of 43 different ingredients (incl. olive oil, wine, spices, and perfumes). They myron is used in confirmation/chrismation, coronation (the anointing of kings), and the anointing of altars, etc. “Myron” is a name for Christ (and also his Mother).

Oil of Healing

The anointing of the sick must be done by seven elders of the Church. After consecrating the olive oil, the person is anointed for the purpose of both healing and the forgiveness of sins (the two are thought to be related).

From a handout provided by Father Ephrem, I cite the following considering the rite of the Oil of Healing, emphasis in italics from original, bold is mine.

• The Priest says the Prayer of the Oil in front of the lamp.
• Note, that in the Great Church, instead of water, they put wine into the lamp of the Euchelaion.
• Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader: Lord, have mercy.
• Priest: Lord, who in your mercy and pity heal the afflictions of our souls and bodies, sanctify this oil, Master, that it may be for those who are anointed with it for healing and relief of every passion, bodily disease, stain of flesh and spirit and every evil; that through it your all-holy Name, of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, may be glorified now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.
• Reader: Amen.
• Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
• Reader: Lord, have mercy.
• And the Priest says this Prayer: O God without beginning and without end, Holy of Holies, who sent forth your Only-begotten Son to heal every disease and every weakness of our souls and bodies, send down your Holy Spirit and sanctify this oil; and cause it to be for your servant N. who is anointed for complete deliverance form his sins, for inheritance of the Kingdom of heaven. For you are God, great and wonderful, who keep your covenant and your mercy to those who love you. Through your holy child Jesus Christ you give deliverance from sins; you have given us new birth from sin, you give light to the blind, set upright those who are cast down; you love the righteous and are merciful to sinners; you have called us back from darkness and the shadow of death, saying to those in chains: Come forth, and to those in darkness reveal yourselves. For in our hearts has shone the light of the knowledge of your Only-begotten Son, since for us he appeared on earth and lived among men. And to as many as received him he gave power to become your children, O God, granting us the grace of sonship through the washing of rebirth, causing us to have no part in the tyranny of the devil. Since he did not consider it good for there to be cleansing by blood but by holy Oil, he has given us the sign of his Cross for us to become Christ’s flock, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, having purified us by water and sanctified us by the holy Spirit. Do you, Master and Lord, give grace for this your service, as you gave Mose your servant, Samuel your beloved, John our chosen one and all those who in each generation have bee well-pleasing to you. So make us too servants of the New Covenant of your Son for this oil, which you have made your own by your precious Blood, so that having put off worldly desires we may die to sin and live to righteousness, having put on our Lord Jesus Christ through the anointing of sanctification of the Oil which is about to be applied. May this oil, Lord, be an oil of gladness, an oil of sanctification, a royal garment, a breastplate of power, a protection against every operation of the devil, an inviolable seal, joy of heart, eternal delight, that all who are anointed with this oil of rebirth may become fearsome to their enemies and shine brightly with the brightness of your Saints, without spot or wrinkle, and that they may be received into your eternal rest and receive the prize of their high calling. For yours it is to have mercy and to save us, O God, our God, and to you we give glory, to Father, Son, and holy Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of ages.
• Reader: Amen.
• And after the Prayer the Priest takes some of the holy Oil and anoints the person making the Euchelaion, saying the following Prayer: Holy Father, physician of souls and bodies, who sent your Only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to heal every disease and to deliver from death, heal also your servant N. from the weakness of body and soul which holds him fast and give him life through the grace of your Son, at the prayers of our most holy Lady, Mother of God and ever-virgin Mary, by the might of the precious and life-giving Cross, at the protection of the honoured, heavenly and bodiless powers, of the honoured and glorious Prophet, Forerunner and Baptist John, of the holy, glorious and victorious Martyrs, of our venerable and God-bearing Fathers, of the holy and healing Unmercenaries Kosmas and Damian, Kyros and John, Panteleimon and Hermolaos, Sampson and Diomedes, Mokios and Akinitos, Thalalaios and Tryphon, of the holy and righteous Forebears of God, Joachim and Anne, and of all the Saints. For you are the fount of healings, O God, our God, and to you we give glory, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and to the ages of ages.
• Reader: Amen.
• The Prayer is said by each of the Priests, after reading the Gospel and the Prayer, while anointing the sick.

Oil in Baptism

The standard oil is breathed upon by the priest and the water is blessed with oil by pouring the oil into the water. This rite of baptism is originally designed for the baptism of adults and is more difficult to perform on babies as the one baptized is then anointed on forehead, back, breast, senses — the whole body. Baptism is done by immersion — person is immersed three times — with the naming of the three Persons of the Trinity (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

• The Priest breathes on the container of oil three times and signs the oil three times as it is held by the Deacon [or Godparent].
• Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
• People: Lord, have mercy.
• The Priest says the following prayer quietly: Master, Lord God of our fathers, who sent out a dove to those in Noe’s ark, with a branch of olive in its beak as sign of reconciliation and salvation from the flood, and through these things prefigured the Mystery of grace; who have given the fruit of the olive for the completion of your holy Mysteries; who through it both filled those under the Law with the Holy Spirit, and make perfect those under grace; do you yourself bless this olive oil also by the power, operation and descent of your Holy Spirit, so that it may become an anointing of incorruption, a weapon of righteousness, renewal of soul and body, a driving away of every operation of the devil, for the removal of all evils from those who are anointed with it in faith, or who partake of it to your glory and that of your Only-begotten Son and your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.
• People: Amen.
• Deacon: Let us attend.
• The Priest, chanting Alleluia three times with the People, makes three Crosses with the oil in the water. Then he proclaims: Blessed is God, who enlightens and sanctifies everyone who comes into the world, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.
• People: Amen.
• The one to be baptized is brought forward. The Priest takes some of the oil and makes the sign of the Cross on the forehead, breast and back of the candidate, saying: The servant of God, N., is anointed with the oil of gladness, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. As he signs their breast and back he says: For healing of soul and body. On the ears: For the hearing of faith. On the feet: For your feet to walk. On the hands: Your hands made me and fashioned me. And when the whole body has been anointed the Priest baptizes the person, holding them upright and facing East, as he says: The servant of God N. is baptized, in the name of the Father. Amen. And of the Son. Amen. And of the Holy Spirit. Amen. At each invocation the Priest immerses them and raises them again.

The Myron in Baptism

• After the newly-baptized is clothed:
• Deacon: Let us pray to the Lord.
• People: Lord, have mercy.
• And the priest says this prayer: Blessed are you, Lord God almighty, the source of blessings, the Sun of righteousness, who have made the light of salvation shine for those in darkness through the appearing of your Only-Begotten Son and our God, and have granted us, unworthy though we are, the grace of blessed cleansing by holy Baptism, and divine sanctification by life-giving Anointing. And you have now been well-pleased to make your newly-enlightened servant to be born again through water and Spirit, and have granted him/her forgiveness of sins both voluntary and involuntary. Do you then, Master, compassionate, universal King, grant him/her also the Seal of the gift of your holy, all-powerful and adorable Spirit and the Communion of the holy Body and precious Blood of your Christ. Keep him/her in your sanctification; confirm him/her in the Orthodox Faith; deliver him/her from the evil one and all his devices, and by your saving fear guard hi/her soul in purity and righteousness; so that being in every deed and word well-pleasing to you, he/she may become a child and heir of your heavenly Kingdom.
• Aloud: Because you are our God, a God who has mercy and who saves, and to you we give glory, to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and for ever, and to the ages of ages.
• People: Amen.
• After the prayer he anoints the newly baptized with the holy Myron, making a sign of the Cross on the forehead, the eyes, the nostrils, the mouth, the two ears, the breast, the hands and feet saying: Seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

At the Consecration of Tsar Nicolas II

• The Tsar, followed by the Tsarina, descends from the dais. Walking on the floor, which is covered with crimson velvet bordered with gold lace, the Tsar, and after him the Tsarina, step for a moment onto the golden brocade to be anointed with the holy Myron by Metropolitan Palladius with the words: “Seal of the Gift of the Holy Spirit” [same as at baptism, but this is post-baptism]. And the bells and a salute of 101 salvoes herald the perfection of the Anointing. The Eucharist concludes the rite.

Note: the ordination of priests is not done by oil, but only by the laying on of hands.

The first conference, held October 31 in London, England, is the 3rd Temple Studies Symposium, organized by Margaret Barker and the Temple Studies Group.

The second, held November 21-24 in New Orleans, LA, is the Society of Biblical Literature’s annual meeting.

The Temple Studies Group Symposium III — “The Holy Anointing Oil”

(From the Temple Studies Group website)

The next Temple Studies Group Symposium will be on Saturday 31 October 2009, 10am–4pm in the Temple Church, London.

Anointing with myrrh oil was the most holy mystery of the Jerusalem temple. It passed into Christianity and gave the faith its name. This symposium will explore the temple rite and its meaning, and then look at some of the ways in which Christians preserved the ancient tradition.

Confirmed speakers are:

Dr Richard Price [The Early Church];

Bishop Basil of Amphipolis [The Orthodox tradition];

Dr Sebastian Brock [The Syriac and Armenian tradition];

Dr Laurence Hemming [The Roman Catholic tradition];

Professor John Hall [The Anointing of the Gods in Egypt, Israel and Rome];

Dr Margaret Barker [The Temple Tradition].

I was blessed to be able to attend the last Temple Studies Group symposium, in May, on Temple Music.  It was absolutely incredible and inspiring to witness a group of scholars gathered to present material on and discuss themes related to the temple.  I was able to meet with many people I admire greatly, including Margaret Barker, Crispin Fletcher-Louis, Robin Griffith-Jones, and others.  I was also very pleased to meet, for the first time, Frederick Huchel and his wife.  It was a great experience and I am really looking forward to this next symposium.

This time, while  Bro. Huchel unfortunately will not be able to make it, Professor John Hall of BYU will be there, and also Gary Anderson, who is also LDS.  I look forward to meeting them.  Prof Hall, as you can see above, will be presenting a paper there.

If you’re interested, you can read my notes from the last Temple Studies Group symposium here.

SBL 2009 Annual Meeting in New Orleans

I will be attending, for the third time, the SBL (Society of Biblical Literature) Annual Meeting, this time being held in good old New Orleans, Louisiana. Actually, this will be the first time I will have ever been to that city (thank goodness it wasn’t totally washed away by Katrina or I would never have been able to say I ever went there).

This year’s meeting will be great.  Besides hearing presentations from some of the greatest biblical scholars in the world, there is the opportunity to meet and get to know many scholars and students in my field of study.  People come from all over the world to attend these meetings.

I will actually be presenting my first SBL Annual Meeting paper at this meeting.  I will be presenting at the Early Jewish and Christian Mysticism session on Monday, the 23rd. The session starts at 4:00pm and I will be the last speaker (session ends at 6:30pm).  The paper I will be presenting is entitled “And He Departed from the Throne: The Enthronement of Moses in Place of the Noble Man in Exogoge of Ezekiel the Tragedian.”  (I will be sure to share more about that paper with you in the future.)

Again, I will be taking careful notes at this meeting and will be sure to share it with you soon afterwards.

To see my notes from last year’s SBL conference, see here, here and here.

The Frithurex Press is pleased to announce the release of the book for which you (may) have been anxiously waiting.

The Cosmic Ring Dance of the Angels: An Early Christian Rite of the Temple, by Frederick M. Huchel

This book contains the text of the “long version” of a paper delivered at Symposium II of the Temple Studies Group in London, at historic Temple Church, in May of this year.

This book contains the full text of the presentation, which had to be drastically abbreviated for delivery in London,due to the time constraints of the symposium.

You may have read the abbreviated version on David J. Larsen’t site, www.heavenlyascents.com. Now, the full text is available. If you read and learned from Hugh Nibley’s article “The Early Christian Prayer Circle,” this volume will be a “must” for your library.

The book is available at

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-cosmic-ring-dance-of-the-angels—softbound/7409216

Thank you for your interest. An abstract of the book follows:

Abstract

In examining what can be reconstructed of the liturgy of the First Temple, and its apparent restoration in early Christianity, no loss can be more significant – or more poignant – than the loss of the sacred choral ring dance of prayer, which was seen to mirror the cosmic circle dance of the concourses of angels, in their concentric heavenly spheres – a dance which had the effect of opening up a conduit, from the Holy of Holies, up through the planetary spheres, to unfold a view of God Most High upon his celestial throne, in the highest Heaven, as chronicled in the experiences of such ancient prophets as Isaiah, Ezekiel, and the apostle John on Patmos.

The experiences of Joseph Smith, from his initial theophany to his translation of the experiences of Lehi and the Lord Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon, to the Pentecostal experiences surrounding the dedication of the Kirtland Temple in 1836, combine with his restoration of the ancient circle of prayer to bolster our understanding of the Biblical record, and provide a greater understanding of this ancient rite of the Temple.

]]> http://www.heavenlyascents.com/2009/08/18/huchels-the-cosmic-ring-dance-of-the-angels-an-early-christian-rite-of-the-temple-released/feed/ 1 http://www.heavenlyascents.com/2008/08/22/upcoming-byu-sane-symposium-temples-and-ritual-in-antiquity/ http://www.heavenlyascents.com/2008/08/22/upcoming-byu-sane-symposium-temples-and-ritual-in-antiquity/#comments Sat, 23 Aug 2008 04:48:32 +0000 David Larsen http://heavenly.haymond.org/?p=290

Many of you have probably already heard of it, but I wanted to be sure to alert you to a great upcoming symposium being organized by the Students of the Ancient Near East (SANE) at BYU that will be entitled “Temples and Ritual in Antiquity“. The symposium is scheduled for Friday, November 7, 2008 at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.  I know that’s quite a ways off, but I didn’t think it would hurt to start generating some excitement about it already! Well, I’m excited, anyways…

I am posting the schedule of speakers below, which includes great names such as Drs. Bill Hamblin, David Seely, and John Gee, and Matthew Brown, to name a few. You will notice that there are also a number of students presenting, including myself. It will be a wonderful conference that you will not want to miss! Further details will be forthcoming, I am sure, but I will post the current proposed schedule here.  Now the hard part will be deciding which ones to attend!

Morning Sessions

Ancient Israel (Location: WSC 3290)

9:00-9:30          Daniel O. McClellan–”The Maccabean Martyrs as a Temple Sacrifice”

9:30-10:00        Dr. Dan Belnap–”The Role of Scent in the Rituals of Ancient Israel”

10:00-10:30      David Larsen–”Two High Priesthoods? Evidence for Changes in the Priesthood from First to Second Temple Judaism”

10:30-11:00      Dr. Bill Hamblin–TBA

Early Christianity (WSC 3280)

9:00-9:30          Andrew Miller–”The Mysteries in Pauline Christianity”

9:30-10:00        Seth Kohrman–”Christian Asceticism: The Body as a Temple: Biblical Origins”

10:00-10:30      Daniel Becerra–”The Chrism in Early Christianity”

10:30-11:00      Rachel A. Grover–”The Paradise Garden and Messianic Age Imagery in the 5th to 7th Century Church Floor Mosaics of Jordan”

Egypt (WSC 3220)

9:00-9:30          Bryan Stephen Kerr–”The Dedication of War Booty to the Temple in Egyptian Literature”

9:30-10:00        Doug Marsh–”The Microcosmic Egyptian Temple”

10:00-10:30      Elliott Wise–”An Odor of Sanctity: The Iconography, Magic, and Liturgy of Egyptian Incense”

10:30-11:00      Dr. John Gee–”Rituals of the Egyptian Temple: An Orientation”

Afternoon Sessions

Ancient Israel (WSC 3290)

11:15-11:45       James Carroll–”An Expanded View of the Israelite Scapegoat”

11:45-12:15       Dr. David Seely–”Josephus and the Temple”

12:15-12:45       Justin Robinson–”Covenants and Simile Curses”

12:45-1:15         Matthew Brown–”Kingship Initiation Motifs in Ancient Israel”

The Classical World (WSC 3280)

11:15-11:45       Chris Dawe–”The Deification of Romulus”

11:45-12:15       Dr. Bryan Benson–”The Treatment of Temples in Plato’s Republic and Laws“

12:15-12:45       Dustin Simmons–”Emperor as God: Roman Imperial Cult Worship & Implications for Early Christians”

12:45-1:15         Keith Fairbank–”The Eleusinian Mysteries: Greatest Conquest of Demetrios Poliorketes”

Open Session (WSC 3220)

11:15-11:45        Jacob Moody–”Philistine Ritual Artifacts”

11:45-12:15        Mark Wright–”The Cultural Context of Nephite Apostasy”

12:15-12:45        Scott Preston Sukhan Nibley–”Ancient Southeast Asian Temples”

12:45-1:15          Joseph Petramalo–”The Samaritan Temple and Priesthood”

I hope this gives you something to look forward to! For those planning to attend this event and the Society of Biblical Literature Conference in Boston (Nov. 21-25), that makes for a very busy November this year! As a side note, I just noticed that my friend and former PhD student at Marquette University, Lynne Wilson, will be giving a presentation at SBL in the “Latter-day Saints and the Bible” session. Her topic will be on “Joseph Smith’s Pneumatology Compared with the Bible.” As a topic that I have great interest in, I very much look forward to Lynne’s presentation (and the others as well, of course).