Inactivation

The first draft of 'The Consequences of Volition' was finished in the hostel of a Benedictine monastery, in the Rhineland. I knew immediately that it would require revision, but decided to put that aside for then. One cannot be the critical reader to a text so freshly written. I'm not sure when I'll start to work on the second draft. What I am sure of is that the book has been paradoxical in its imprint on my internal life.

The entire endeavour started as a way for me to systematise my current position on a number of theological issues. Apart from the fact that I've emerged on the other end far more Armenian than I was when I entered, completing the draft left me with a strange sense of intellectual sterility. For the longest time, my drive to understand God, to make sense of all His apparent contradictions and reconcile His character with this reality had been an engine of my relationship with Him. With the last word of my draft, swiftly and disorientingly, that dynamic evaporated. There was nothing in my personal experience that I could not find rationale for, albeit with some situations more finely resolved than others.

A new struggle began, one against which I was unprepared and had heard no clear advice for. An intellectual pride bubbled up within me. I felt that in understanding the purposes and intentions of God, I had somehow arrived at a vantage point from which I could criticise His ways. There was anger, undeniable, and resentment against elements of the design that I deemed, in my small mind, to be unsuited toward the end goal. This conundrum put me out for weeks. Eventually, through prayer, through reflection and by scripture, it was overcome. The questions of Job 38 to 41 were called to mind, as well as my theories about the subtleties of the original sin. The Lord and the tempter vied for my allegiance in the tumult, each promising a satisfaction of their own. I understood just a little more of what the Son must have experienced at the end of Matthew 4.

One movement has come to a close. Another one is opening. With this transition, I sense that it is time for this blog to go quiet. It will remain here, a record of the past, the journey that I have taken for the last few years. Yet, there has been a change, one which I describe to myself as moving away from cathartic creativity to convicted creativity. A fundamental drive has been replaced, and with that, the investigative purpose of this blog is met. Lexical Mindscapes has been a vent, a sounding board, an empty sheet for my hypotheses to mature as I studied the scriptures and renewed my mind. It was an outgrowth of Eldawn, took on a purpose of its own, and itself gave rise to the Consequences of Volition. Now it yields, not with drained lethargy, but with peaceful repose, contented to have served in what capacity that it has.

I may begin another blog in future, but that remains to be seen. In years to come I expect I will look back on the content here, then cringe sheepishly or reminisce nostalgically. Yet, I am glad for the records, however superficial or postured they are for public view, of my inner life. 

De Morte Jesu

Oct 2016 Edit: There has been an interesting development which forces me to reconsider my position on the dates in this post. A few months ago it became clear to me that my method below had an ambiguity relating to the year of Jesus' death. Both the years 30 and 31 A.D. just so happen to have the same alignment of dates on the Hebrew calendar and the days of the week. Furthermore, there isn't an agreed answer on when the Artaxerxes decree is issued, either 457 or 458 B.C., which does nothing to help clarify the two options. However, I would now like to adopt the position of 30 A.D., given what I have recently found about about the Yom Kippur red thread phenomenon of the 40 years before the destruction of the temple. Thus, replace all the mentions of 31 A.D. should be adjusted to the year before, 30 A.D.. This also means that in my current understanding of Jesus' life:

• Birth of Jesus - 5 B.C.
• Baptism - 26 A.D.

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In all likelihood, this is going to be another drop in the ocean of opinions about the exact date of Jesus' crucifixion and the timing of the Passion week, but I felt it would be worth recording my own investigations on the matter. Many sites take a whole lot of positions based on a simple reading of one text here or there, or the application of preconceived notions or oddly constructed notions (luni-solar Sabbath among them...) to try and reconcile all the facts. I will, as much as possible, use the bible as the authority to interpret itself. We begin with the first Passover.

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Exodus 12:1 - 20 (NKJV)

12 Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, ²“This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. ³Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. ⁴And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. ⁵Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. ⁶Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. ⁷And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. ⁸Then they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. ⁹Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. ¹⁰You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. ¹¹And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.

¹²‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. ¹³Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.

¹⁴‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. ¹⁵Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. ¹⁶On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. ¹⁷So you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. ¹⁸In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. ¹⁹For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. ²⁰You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’”

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From this passage I would like to take out a number of points:

• v.3 On the 10th of the first month, every man, according to his household, takes a lamb.
• v.6 The lamb is killed at twilight on the 14th of that month
• If one reckons the day from twilight to twilight, it would mean that the lamb would die at the end of the 14th, just as the 15th was beginning.
• v.11 That very night the Lord swept through Egypt, so they had to eat it in haste.
• This would be the night of the 15th day of the 1st month.
• v. 14-20 Description of the feast of Unleavened bread, which goes, specifically according to verse 18, from the close of the 14th till the 21st at twilight, because by the 21st evening, this period ends. 
• During this period, there is to be absolutely no leaven, which is yeast, in the house.
• In addition, the first and seventh days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or the 15th and 21st of the month, were to be holy convocations, during which no one may do customary work

The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th and last till the 21st. The Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread pretty much go together. Jesus was the Passover Lamb, the Lamb of God, Agnus Dei, and we shall see how that is fulfilled with precision. Next, let us move into Leviticus for the feast days.

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Leviticus 23: 1-21 (NKJV)

23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ²“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.

The Sabbath

³‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings.

The Passover and Unleavened Bread

⁴‘These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. ⁵On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover. ⁶And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. ⁷On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. ⁸But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.’”

The Feast of Firstfruits

⁹And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁰“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. ¹¹He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. ¹²And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord. ¹³Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the Lord, for a sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. ¹⁴You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

The Feast of Weeks

¹⁵‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. ¹⁶Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. ¹⁷You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord. ¹⁸And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams. They shall be as a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the Lord. ¹⁹Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering, and two male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering. ²⁰The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs. They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest. ²¹And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. 

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Once again, several points must be highlighted about the Spring feasts:

• v. 1 The Lord claims all the feast days as day of holy convocations.
• v.3 The weekly Sabbath of the Lord is on the 7th day of the week, and it is also described as a holy convocation, a day for no work.
• v. 5 - 8 This has to be interpreted in light of what we understood from Exodus 12. 
• The 15th is the feast of unleavened bread because on that night, one eats unleavened bread together with the roasted passover lamb.
• The period of unleavened bread however, again begins with a holy day on the 15th and ends with a holy day on the 21st. Since the 15th in particular is also called the Feast of Unleavened bread and based on verse 1, the 15th is also an especially holy day. I will call the 15th and 21st the Sabbaths of Unleavened Bread.
• v. 9-12 The Feast of Firstfruits is not linked to a specific day on the calendar, rather it is observed on the first first day of the week after the harvest comes in.
• v. 15-16 The Feast of Weeks is linked with the Feast of Firstfruits
• Once again this means that it is not linked with a particular day on the calendar, but with the timing of the harvest.
• It is on the 50th day counting the Feast of Firstfruits as Day 1.
• This day is also described with the words holy convocation, and the Israelites were told not to do customary work on it. Thus I will call this the Sabbath of Weeks.

With the workings of the calendar established, we can now move into interpreting the timing of the Passion week. I will use Mark's account because it is generally regarded as chronological along with Luke, and Mark actually gives us more time specific details than Luke does.

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Mark 14 (NKJV)

14 After two days it was the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by trickery and put Him to death. ²But they said, “Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.”

³And being in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at the table, a woman came having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard. Then she broke the flask and poured it on His head. ⁴But there were some who were indignant among themselves, and said, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted? ⁵For it might have been sold for more than three hundred denarii and given to the poor.” And they criticized her sharply.

⁶But Jesus said, “Let her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a good work for Me. ⁷For you have the poor with you always, and whenever you wish you may do them good; but Me you do not have always. ⁸She has done what she could. She has come beforehand to anoint My body for burial. ⁹Assuredly, I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her.”

¹⁰Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. ¹¹And when they heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

¹²Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare, that You may eat the Passover?”

¹³And He sent out two of His disciples and said to them, “Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him. ¹⁴Wherever he goes in, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?”’ ¹⁵Then he will show you a large upper room, furnished and prepared; there make ready for us.”

¹⁶So His disciples went out, and came into the city, and found it just as He had said to them; and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁷In the evening He came with the twelve. ¹⁸Now as they sat and ate, Jesus said, “Assuredly, I say to you, one of you who eats with Me will betray Me.”

¹⁹And they began to be sorrowful, and to say to Him one by one, “Is it I?” And another said, “Is it I?”

²⁰He answered and said to them, “It is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish. ²¹The Son of Man indeed goes just as it is written of Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would have been good for that man if he had never been born.”

²²And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

²³Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. ²⁴And He said to them, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. ²⁵Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”

²⁶And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

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Do feel free to corroborate the description in Mark with the relevant ones in Matthew 26 and Luke 22. We see here overall, that Jesus is observing the festivals of the Lord as prescribed in the Law.

• v. 12 The first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover Lamb, can only be the 14th, according to the descriptions in the Torah.
• v. 12-14 It would thus be logical then, for the disciples to ask Jesus where He intended to eat the Passover. The location would have been kept for the entire duration of the seven days perhaps.
• v. 17 They arrive to the upper room and there they eat the unleavened bread, as described by Exodus 12:18. The passover lamb has not yet been sacrificed. Thus there is only bread and wine. 

Thus we can see that the Last Supper is in fact, the first unleavened meal of the seven days, and would have taken place on the 14th of the first month, in the evening. It would also have been the first Sabbath of Unleavened Bread, and on this day, only work that was done in preparation for the 15th would be allowed. Then, if we trace the developments of the rest of the day over the next few chapters, we find that Jesus' betrayal, arrest, trials and crucifixion all happen over the course of the 14th in an extremely rushed manner. Jesus then dies on the 14th, just as the passover lambs do. 

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Mark 15:21 - 16:2 (NKJV)

²¹Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. ²²And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. ²³Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. ²⁴And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.

²⁵Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him. ²⁶And the inscription of His accusation was written above:

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

²⁷With Him they also crucified two robbers, one on His right and the other on His left. ²⁸So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And He was numbered with the transgressors.”

²⁹And those who passed by blasphemed Him, wagging their heads and saying, “Aha! You who destroy the temple and build it in three days, ³⁰save Yourself, and come down from the cross!”

³¹Likewise the chief priests also, mocking among themselves with the scribes, said, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save. ³²Let the Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe.”

Even those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

³³Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. ³⁴And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”

³⁵Some of those who stood by, when they heard that, said, “Look, He is calling for Elijah!” ³⁶Then someone ran and filled a sponge full of sour wine, put it on a reed, and offered it to Him to drink, saying, “Let Him alone; let us see if Elijah will come to take Him down.”

³⁷And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.

³⁸Then the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. ³⁹So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, “Truly this Man was the Son of God!”

⁴⁰There were also women looking on from afar, among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome, ⁴¹who also followed Him and ministered to Him when He was in Galilee, and many other women who came up with Him to Jerusalem.

⁴²Now when evening had come, because it was the Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, ⁴³Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. ⁴⁴Pilate marveled that He was already dead; and summoning the centurion, he asked him if He had been dead for some time. ⁴⁵So when he found out from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. ⁴⁶Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. ⁴⁷And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses observed where He was laid.

16 Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and anoint Him. ²Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. 

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Once again, I'm going to try and pull out some key points to help us make sense of this.

• v. 25: Jesus is crucified at the 3rd hour
• v. 33: Darkness comes over the land at the 6th hour
• v. 33-39: Jesus dies at the 9th hour
• v. 42: The evening, which I shall hazard is twilight, comes, and Jesus is buried at about this time, before the second Sabbath of the Unleavened bread begins on the 15th. The 14th is referred to as the Day of Preparation, and it is on this day that work to prepare for the feast of the 15th is still allowed. In a way, Jesus' crucifixion and death, is passover preparation.
• v. 47: The Marys observe where Jesus is buried.
• v.1: The Sabbath here refers to the Sabbath of the 15th. Thus, the women may have come on the evening of the 16th to anoint Jesus' body.
• v.2: This refers to the first day of the week with respect to the seven day weekly cycle. So only in the day do we see that Jesus is risen.

Now I'll make a couple more points and then show you how I believe it fits together.

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Matthew 12

³⁸Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered, saying, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” ³⁹But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. ⁴⁰For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. 

Jesus speaks of 3 days and 3 nights. If we are to take His words literally, then we ought to count three of each between the crucifixion and the resurrection. Given that Jesus dies about the end of the day on the 14th, this is how we ought to count. 15th: First night, first day. 16th: Second night, second day. 17th: Third night, third day. He would then be raised on the 18th, in the evening. Then he would have been seen on the 18th in the day.

This places the 18th as the first day of the week (Sat-Sun), and if we work backwards, the day of the 17th would be a Fri-Sat, 16th a Thur-Fri, 15th a Wed-Thur and 14th a Tues-Wed.

1 Corinthians 15
²⁰But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. ²¹For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. ²³But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.

This is the last passage that needs to be connected, that Christ is the firstfruits of those who are alseep as well as the Passover Lamb. We've already seen how the firstfruits is observed on the first day of the week, in relation to the harvest. I would submit that this is fulfilled precisely in the same way as the Passover symbolism was, and that the 18th would have been the feast of firstfruits.

Thus, we see that over this week of important festivals, there would in fact have been a succession of holy days.
14th: First day of unleavened bread, holy convocation, Day of preparation for the 15th
15th: Second day of unleavened bread, holy convocation, Day of the Passover Meal
17th: Fourth day of unleavened bread, holy convocation, Weekly Sabbath of the Lord

18th: Fifth day of unleavened bread, holy convocation, Feast of Firstfruits.
20th: Seventh day of unleavened bread, holy convocation, End of the unleavened period.

Jesus would have fulfilled each of these in their full prophetic meanings when He came at his first coming, if we adopt the proper biblical chronology of events.

The last check is to see if this aligns with the prophecy of Daniel's 70 weeks, which is numbered from the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem.

Daniel 9
²⁴“Seventy weeks are determined
For your people and for your holy city,
To finish the transgression,
To make an end of sins,
To make reconciliation for iniquity,
To bring in everlasting righteousness,
To seal up vision and prophecy,
And to anoint the Most Holy.

²⁵“Know therefore and understand,
That from the going forth of the command
To restore and build Jerusalem
Until Messiah the Prince,
There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks;
The street shall be built again, and the wall,
Even in troublesome times.

²⁶“And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
²⁷Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is determined,
Is poured out on the desolate.”

The understanding of the decree in question is the decree mentioned in Ezra 7, which I will leave you to investigate. It is issued by Artaxerxes in 457 B.C. Counting a year for a day, 7+62 weeks brings us to 69*7=483, and that turns out to be 27 A.D. Verse 27, often interpreted as being about the antichrist, is in fact about the Messiah. The antichrist power attempts to take away the daily sacrifices, but only the Messiah ends them by perfecting the sacrificial system. The end of sacrifices and offerings comes in the middle of the last of the 70 weeks, which is in 31 A.D.

If we look at the calendar for spring 31 A.D, it shows us precisely the predicted alignment of the weekly cycle with the festivals, in accordance with what we spent the first section of this post working through. The 14th of the first month falls on a Tues-Wed. That served for me as sufficient confirmation of the accuracy of the dating of Jesus' crucifixion in this manner, as it harmonises two different sets of prophetic meanings.


With that in mind, this is the final hypothesis of the Passion week. It does include some details I haven't demonstrated here, but that I have also worked through:

9th Abib (19-20 April 31)

• Friday Morning: 
• Jesus Arrives in Bethany for the final Passover (John 12:1)

10th Abib (20-21 April 31, Weekly Sabbath)

• Saturday Morning:
• Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-11, Luke 19:28-40, John 12:9-19)
• Jesus Mourns over Jerusalem (Luke 19:41-44)

11th Abib (21-22 April 31)

• Saturday Evening
• Jesus returns to Bethany with the 12 (Mark 11:11)
• Sunday Morning
• Cursing of the Fig Tree (Matthew 21:18-19, Mark 11:12-14)
• Cleansing of the Temple (Matthew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-18, Luke 19:45-48)
• Jesus Heals in the Temple (Matthew 21:14-16)

12th Abib (22-23 April 31)

• Sunday Evening
• When evening comes, He went out of the city (Matthew 21:17, Mark 11:19)
• Monday Morning
• Disciples see the Fig Tree (Matthew 21:20-22, Mark 11:20-26)
• Jesus debates with the Jewish Leaders
• Jesus’ Authority is Challenged, Who sent John the Baptist? (Matthew 21:23-27, Mark 11:27-33, Luke 20:1-8)
• Parable of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)
• Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (Matthew 21:33-46, Mark 12:1-12, Luke 20:9-19)
• Parable of the Wedding Feast (Matthew 22:1-14)
• Taxes to Caesar? (Matthew 22:15-22, Mark 12:13-17, Luke 20:20-26)
• Sadducees ask about the Resurrection (Matthew 22:23-33, Mark 12:18-27, Luke 20:27-40)
• The Greatest Commandment (Matthew 22:34-40, Mark 12:28-34)
• Jesus asks about Psalm 110 (Matthew 22:41-46, Mark 12:35-37, Luke 20:41-44)
• Warning about the Scribes (Matthew 23:1-12, Mark 12:38-40, Luke 20:45-47)
• Woe to the Scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 23:13-36)
• Jesus Laments about Jerusalem (Matthew 23:37-39)
• The Widow’s Offering (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4)
• Destruction of the Temple Predicted (Matthew 24:1-2, Mark 13:1-2, Luke 21:5-6)
• Olivet Discourse
• Signs of the Times (Matthew 24:3-14, Mark 13:3-13, Luke 21:7-19)
• The Abomination of Desolation (Matthew 24:15-26, Mark 13:14-23, Luke 21:20-24)
• Coming of the Son (Matthew 24:27-31, Mark 13:24-27, Luke 21:25-28)
• The Parable of the Fig Tree (Mathew 24:32-35, Mark 13:28-31, Luke 21:29-33)
• Warning to be Alert (Matthew 24:36-44, Mark 13:32-37, Luke 21:34-38)
• The Faithful and Wicked Servant (Matthew 24:45-51)
• Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
• Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30)
• The Judgement of the Son of Man (Matthew 25:31-46)

13th Abib (23-24 April 31)

• Monday Evening
• The chief priests and scribes conspire to put Jesus to death (Matthew 26:1-5, Mark 14:1-2, Luke 22:1-2)
• Jesus is anointed by Mary and Judas disdains her (Matthew 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, John 12:2-8)
• Judas agrees to betray Jesus (Matthew 26:14-16, Mark 14:10-11, Luke 22:3-6)
• Tuesday Morning
• Disciples look for a place to have the Passover (Matthew 26:17-19, Mark 14:12-16, Luke 22:7-13)

14th Abib (24-25 April 31)

• Tuesday Evening:
• The First Day of Unleavened Bread
• The Last Supper (Matthew 26:20, Mark 14:17)
• Jesus washes His disciples’ feet (John 13:1-17)
• Prediction of the Betrayal (Matthew 26:21-25, Mark 14:18-21, John 13:18-21)
• The Bread and the Wine (Matthew 26:26-29, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:14-23)
• The Disciples Argue about who is Greatest (Luke 22:24-30)
• Jesus identifies his betrayer (John 13:22-30)
• Love one another (John 13:31-35)
• Peter asks where Jesus is going (John 13:36-14:4)
• Thomas asks about the way (John 14:5-7)
• Philip asks Jesus to show then the Father (John 14:8-21)
• Judas asks Jesus about the exclusive manifestation (John 14:22-31)
• Up to the Roof:
• The True Vine (John 15:1-8)
• Perfect Love (John 15:9-17)
• Coming Persecution (John 15:18-16:4)
• The Helper (John 16:5-16)
• The Disciples puzzle over Jesus’ meaning (John16:17-33)
• The High Priestly Prayer (John 17)
• Departure to the Mount of Olives (Matthew 26:30, Mark 14:26, John 18:1)
• Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial a Second Time (Matthew 26:31-35, Mark 14:27-31, Luke 22:31-34)
• Jesus’ subtle warning (Luke 22:35-38)
• The Garden of Gethsemane
• Prayer (Matthew 26:36-46, Mark 14:32-42, Luke 22:39-46)
• Betrayal and Arrest (Matthew 26:47-56, Mark 14:43-52, Luke 22:47-53, John 18:2-11)
• The Night Trial of the Sanhedrin (Matthew 26:57-66, Mark 14:53-65, John 18:12-14, 19-24)
• Denials of Peter (Matthew 26: 69-75, Mark 14:66-72, Luke 22:54-62, John 18:15-18, 25-27)
• Jesus Mocked and Beaten (Matthew 26:67-68, Luke 22:63-65)
• Wednesday Morning:
• Mock Trial of the Sanhedrin (Luke 22:66-71)
• Trials before Pilate (Matthew 27:1-2, 11-14, Mark 15:1-5, Luke 23:1-5, John 18: 28-38)
• Suicide of Judas (Matthew 27:3-10)
• Trial before Herod (Luke 23:6-12)
• Release of Barabbas (Matthew 27:15-26, Mark 15:6-15, Luke 23:13-25, John 18: 39-40)
• Mocking and Torture (Matthew 27:27-31, Mark 15:16-20, John 19:1-4)
• Pilate’s Pressurised Decision (John 19:5-15)
• Crucifixion (Matthew 27: 32-44, Mark 15:21-32, Luke 23:26-38, John 19:16-27)
• Dialogue with the Two Criminals (Luke 23:39-43)
• Death (Matthew 27: 45-56, Mark 15:33-41, Luke 23:44-49, John 19:28-30)
• Burial (Matthew 27:57-61, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-55, John 19:31-42)

15th Abib (25-26 April 31)

• Wednesday Evening: 
• Passover Meal, Feast of Unleavened Bread. 
• First Evening in the Tomb
• Thursday Morning: 
• First Morning in the Tomb
• Pilate sets a guard over the tomb (Matthew 27:62-66)

16th Abib (26-27 April 31)

• Thursday Evening: 
• Third Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Second Evening in the Tomb, 
• Day of Preparation for the Weekly Sabbath
• Marys and Salome anoint Jesus’ body with spices (Mark 16:1, Luke 23:56)
• Friday Morning: Second Morning in the Tomb

17th Abib (27-28 April 31)

• Friday Evening: 
• Weekly Sabbath, Fourth Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread
• Third Evening in the Tomb, Weekly Sabbath
• Saturday Morning: Third Morning in the Tomb

18th Abib (28-29 April 31)

• Saturday Evening: 
• Resurrection of Jesus, First Day or the Week, 
• Fifth Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, 
• Also the Feast of Firstfruits
• Sunday Morning:
• The Marys see the empty tomb (Matthew 28:1-8, Mark 16:2-8, Luke 24:1-11, John 20:1-2)
• Mary Magdalene sees the resurrected Jesus (Mark 16:9-11, Luke 24:10, John 20:11-18)
• The Women see Jesus (Matthew 28:9-10)
• Peter sees the Empty Tomb (Luke 24:12, John 20:3-10)
• Jesus appears to two disciples on the Road to Emmaus (Mark 16:12-13, Luke 24:13-35)
• Jesus appears to the central disciples (Mark 16:14, Luke 24:36-43, John 20:19-23)

All this structure is still working and hypothetical, but as of today, it is the most consistent understanding that I have of what transpired that dramatic week.

Perspectives: Noxious Impulses

This post some may find somewhat offensive, and I myself find it very speculative, but hey, what else is this blog for? It has to do with the hypothetical origins of every system of ideological thought, explained from a theistic foundation. It will also serve as the guideline from which I will eventually, hopefully, write a second book that will serve as my Apologia. Admittedly I'm getting ahead of myself since as of this writing, I'm only halfway through the second chapter of the Consequences of Volition. Oh, there is too much to express on these pages.

I will try and express my views in as abstract a mode as possible. What follows simply derives from some basic principles. It will, inevitably, be incorporated into the mythos of Eldwan, to characterise the world, but also to grant it a sense of richness that may seem varied, but logical. The worldviews I will describe may not match up entirely with the fine subdivisions that modern philosophy distinguishes. It may be more useful to think of them as categories.

~~~

1. The Theistic Worldview

This is the simplest to derive. If one accepts that there is a perfect God and He created a perfect universe, then this perspective towards life would be the most logical posture to adopt in a perfect creation. God made the world and after that creative week, He looked at it and felt immense satisfaction. It was all good. All created beings would have submitted to the wise design of God, and there would have been no hurt or confusion in the beginning.

There are three essential questions that I will track through the rest of this post that will help to characterise each worldview in a few key concepts. Let me introduce them here.

Does God Exist? - Which simply asks if the worldview accepts the existence of God or denies it.

Is God Good? - Which asks if an existing God has good purposes for what He has created. 

Is God Wise? - Which asks if a God with a purpose has the best possible means of achieving that purpose and knows what has to be done to attain it.

Is God Wise? Yes

Is God Good? Yes

Does God Exist? Yes

In the essence of the theistic worldview, the answer to all three questions is emphatically yes. God is wise, God is good and God exists. As long as all beings continue to abide by these principles and act accordingly, then there is harmony between creation and creator, and things proceed in the most effective time towards His good purpose. Those who adopt this view in relation to their God will always persist through every movement of the world, but they will at times be oppressed, and often, few in number.

2. The Heteristic Worldview

The first rebellion in one sense, was not flagrant, but in another, was the most decisive break from the worldview before it, since there was no precedent. It begins when a created being, who as I have suggested before, ought to be the first created being, decides to answer one of those questions differently. The rebellion has to be extremely convincing, but in essence still growing out of a sense of pride. Therefore, I doubt that the rebellious being could have gone around simply parading the idea that he would set himself up as rival god, at least at the beginning. Instead, I would say that the rebel would have touted a better method by which God's purpose could have been achieved. In a sense the message would have said: 'This is taking too long, there is a better way.' He himself would have to be utterly convinced of his suggestion before taking it to everyone else. In effect, he was questioning the wisdom of God. This worldview has the longest journey in its development, but I don't want to address that here.

Is God Wise? No then Yes

Is God Good? Yes then No

Does God Exist? Yes

God comes down very hard on the created beings who took that fateful decision to break the perfect harmony that existed before. Conversely, He also made arrangements for the rebellious to be reconciled to Him. The rebel himself persisted in his disobedience, and stubbornly proceeds to attempt to prove the superiority of his method of achieving God's purpose. Those who follow this view place their hopes in the rebel, and believe that he will achieve for them what God will not. At the same time, in order to achieve God's purpose, independently, they find themselves having to imitate the system of God as much as possible. Therefore, the transition between the answers. God's wisdom is borrowed, but His good character is degraded in this view.

This society is cut off from God, who is the source of all goodness and blessing. The rebel attempts to fulfil the role of an infinite god for his followers, but he soon realises that he cannot. Instead, he begins to focus his efforts to develop a select few, and the rest begin to flounder.

3. The Dualistic Worldview

Those who do not follow the rebel are now presented with a choice, once again with respect to God's will. To be clear, it is a choice between awaiting God's redemption plan or attempting to fulfil that redemption on their own strength. It would be appealing for some to say that redemption simply meant defeating the first rebellious impulse. Humanity now takes God's will into our own hands and decides that we will attain that will in our own way. Once again, there is a sense of irony about this view, as it is in essence, repeating the very same rebellion that it claims to want to destroy. This time the issue is not about God's original creative purpose, but about His redemptive purpose.

Is God Wise? No

Is God Good? Yes

Does God Exist? Yes

Adherents of this view believe that they have the authority to bring God's redemptive will to pass by the means they deem wisest. They earnestly believe that the first impulse is evil to its core, and ruining the creative will of God. They will walk a fine line between claiming the authority and representation of God's will on earth, and effecting their own imperfect wills more often than not. In their supposed divine sanction, they will inflict great suffering on the world by attempting to execute their flawed understanding of God's redemption. Their sense of righteousness will blind them to the gentle righteousness of God, and compel the greatest atrocities on those who follow the rebel. To these, the world is divided into two clashing impulses, the light and the dark, the good and the evil.

The finite leaders of these men are even less capable than the rebel at providing for the needs of their people. The society that results becomes highly stratified, with an elite that interprets the will of God for the masses and directs their efforts, mostly into conflict with the heterodox society.

4. The Humanistic Worldview

Centuries have gone by perhaps, and the wars between the first two rebellious impulses have drained the world and exhausted its population. Much grief beyond the imaginings of either set of leaders has flowed as a result of the clash of their ideologies. Bitterness and a desire for revenge have simply given way to a longing for peace and tolerance. The touting of God's purpose, either in its original sense or in its redemptive sense, as a cloak for personal ambition and pride, has caused many to be disillusioned with the very notion that God has goodness for humanity at His heart. They decide that they will strike out on their own, and rely on their own human faculties to guide their lives. Some say that God is no longer involved in the matters of humanity, that He has departed to realms unknown and left us to our own fate. Others begin to say that God is not good, and that we must determine goodness for ourselves.

Is God Wise? No

Is God Good? No

Does God Exist? Yes

Those who agree with this view begin to experiment, and they found an enlightened society, where humanity, in thoughtful self-examination, determines how to govern itself. They decide that the transcendent purposes of God must be put aside in order to realise their full inherent potential. God may exist, but His will is to have no practical bearing on this society.

By valuing men, this impulse guides a society flourishes as no other has for many a century. At the same time, it is more fragmented than any other before it, for every opinion is considered and upheld, and a thousand voices clamour with their perspectives, each seeming valid to some fraction of the populace. 

Then this movement's ironic backlash manifests. Tolerance becomes intolerant of intolerance. The leaders of this society cast moral judgements on the leaders of the other two impulses. They begin to mobilise against them. Perhaps the second impulse has already branded them traitors, and attacked them first. Whatever it is, the situation is inherently unstable. A new power has risen that claims morality as its prerogative which was previously the sole domain of another. The third humanistic impulse rushes back against the oppressive order of first heteristic and second dualistic impulses. They claim that they are liberating the oppressed. In putting man above God, they are happy to desecrate all that was once called sacred in defiance of the transcendent, because they sincerely believe that the transcendent has caused more harm than good. In their rampant transgressions, they degrade themselves and betray their ideals.

5. The Nihilistic Worldview

God disappointed man, then the rebel disappointed man, and in two phases, men disappointed men. There was now no recourse for the rebellious. Each impulse had given birth to another, each more destructive than the one before it. It seemed as though humanity was careening on a course towards complete self destruction. Hope died, and with hope dead, the very notion of God, meaning, morality and design took on a bitter anguish that could not be articulated. Being so utterly scarred by the abuses of the impulses that have come before, this final, destructive impulse emerges as a final, most antithetical movement. It represents the very opposite of a God who delighted in life, meaning and significance, and consumes its followers in a rampant hurtle into self annihilation. 

Is God Wise? No

Is God Good? No

Does God Exist? No

It proposes that life is without any higher meaning. With that, there are two responses. The first we may call stoicism. It states that life is inherently capricious and hostile, and we should always prepare for the worst and not be surprised by the suffering of the world. The second is hedonism, which grasps recklessly at what offers the little pleasures in life, being content with scraps that themselves grow cold from overindulgence.

This last movement cannot, in its purest form, hope to achieve anything beyond a promotion of death. It grows only by drawing converts from the other worldviews, for in itself, it offers no motivation to continue the exercise of life. So God offers life, and nihilism drains it like a void, consuming the gifts of the divine source.

~~~

In future posts, I will elaborate on the characteristics of each of these movements individually, for in my conception, they are far from abstract. All future movements that arise are nothing more than permutations and variations of the beliefs that arise from these fundamentals.

Harmatiai: Part Two

The narrative of self-destruction and futility continues from the last post.

7. The Betrayal of Laodicea and the Second Fallen Civil War

The fallen cities have generally become disillusioned with the leadership of Sardis, and the Laodiceans have gradually become less concerned about their allegiance to Eleyon, and more concerned about simply seeking the good life. As they look to the apparent successes of the Luminosa and the failings of their own states, they seriously consider if moving under Alero's banner might be more stable and prosperous. After all, when Sardis was sacked, the population had been given a chance to remake their lives in the safety of the Luminosan cities, and many of them were fitting in quite comfortably.

In about the twelfth century, Laodicea holds a referendum. The issue at hand is whether they will pledge their allegiance to Sardis or to Eleris. The humans vote to join with the Luminosa. They send a delegation to Eleris, to discuss terms of this new relationship. Laodicea is to become a vassal city of the Luminosa, sending taxes and in turn, promised protection. A delegation from the Luminosa comes to the Laodiceans and ratifies the agreement with them there. At this point, the elves are commanded to leave Laodicea and find some other city to dwell in, along with the humans in the minority who disagreed with the decision. This population emigrates to the remaining cities, Sardis, Ephesus and Philadelphia.

Upon hearing about their complete betrayal this time, the council of Sardis is incensed against Laodicea. Sardis sends missives to Pergamum, Ephesus and Philadelphia to rally against the Laodicean traitors, but Pergamum sends only a token force, Ephesus ignores the messenger entirely and Philadelphia, expectedly, declines and upholds Laodicea's right to choose their own fate. Sardis nonetheless declares war on Laodicea and makes aggressive advances. They manage to cause considerable damage to the surrounding lands but upon reaching Laodicea, they find that there is already a strange enhancement of the Luminosan magic, that is able to repulse all their efforts. Sardis has no choice but to back off and accept the current geopolitical realities of the times.

8. The Rise of Totalitarian Sardis

The people of Sardis are frustrated and angry with their defeats and loss of power. They hark back to times past when they were the leaders of the Fallen, not only in name but in fact. They dream again of greatness and a federation of cities, strong in unity and able to take down the Luminosa to bring prophecy to fulfilment. They lament the fractured and degraded nature of many of the other cities, one by one succumbing to destructive tendencies. The people of Sardis have themselves remained morally upright, well managed in their societies and the most prosperous of the cities. Eleris still cannot compare head to head with the might of the Sardinian army on the open field, and the edifices, civil law and economy of Sardis is unmatched.

One man decides that something must be done. The pattern of Sardis must be enforced on the remaining Fallen cities to strengthen them against the decay of immorality and despair. The government of Sardis must extend its dominion over the other cities in order to lift them out of the errors of their ways. The council of Sardis decides to grant dictatorship to this one man, a man with a vision of a revitalised world, with the city of Sardis as its enlightened authority. With this in mind, Sardis begins to make diplomatic overtures externally. Internally, the policy of Sardis falls ever more tightly into the grip of the central government, with the ultimate aim of embodying the ideal of strength in unity, where all areas of society work towards one goal.

Pergamum decides to accept the offer to become Sardis' vassal, as they have felt threatened by the expansion of Luminosan influence through Laodicea. Ephesus however, once again ignores Sardis, criticising them for their arrogance in assuming superiority and the right to rule. Philadelphia insists that a vision of a federation is incompatible with the kind of government that Sardis's council is turning into, which has a centralised and absolutist philosophy.

9. The Sardinian Subjugation War and the Concealment of Ephesus

Insulted and determined to remain true to his vision, the dictator of Sardis declares war on Ephesus and Philadelphia, the last free cities. Philadelphia cannot resist, as they have long remained pacifists and have not developed any significant martial technologies of their own. Some are allowed to remain in Philadelphian lands, but most of the population is taken back to Sardis to begin the next phase of the plan, full scale mobilisation for war with the Luminosa.

Ephesus, by the thirteenth century, has become a highly stratified society. Magical purebloods sit at the top, commanding most of the resources and inbreeding to maintain their magical potential. The lower classes take on manual labour while the upper classes pursue esoteric research. Their slant has been intensely biological, delving into physiology, ecosystems, cloning and genetic engineering. They are determined that the solution to the Luminosan problem will come not from man, but from harnessing the powers of nature, believing that the militarised Sardis is fundamentally misguided. When the armies of Sardis come to storm Ephesus, the very forest and waters around them seem enchanted and dangerous, strange creatures with venom and claws attack the armies of Sardis and drive them back. Ephesus becomes a hidden city, protected by its environment, its location is forgotten in time. Only the elves of Philadelphia are permitted access and can find their way through the shifting glades and labyrinthine paths.

10. The Sardinian-Luminosan War and the Bane of Sardis

Soon, the Sardinians are ready for their greatest push against the Luminosa. The Philadelphians have been treated like slaves and the Pergamines, having lost their magical potential utterly, like second class citizens. The army of Sardis is effectively tiered, the expendable Philadelphians, the infantry Pergamines, and the elite Sardinian forces.

The first push against the Luminosa is lethal and highly successful. Laodicea is infiltrated with a precision and tactical genius that takes the defenders completely off guard. The necromantic magical source is destroyed and the power of the Luminosa broken in that region. Laodicea is annexed for Sardis. The Sardinian army moves on and swiftly attacks Alaris, the cultural jewel of the Luminosa, which for the first time is captured successfully, such that it can no longer serve as a source of supplies and support for a besieged Eleris. The strategies employed by Sardis though, effective as they may be, come at great cost of life, particularly to the lower ranks and the Philadelphian slaves. Even the Luminosa are taken aback by the Sardinian leadership's willingness to sacrifice human lives for their objectives.

The final phase of Sardis' war plan begins. They surround Eleris and the most unnerving initiative is put into motion. Suicide agents simply give themselves up in a destructive frenzy within Eleris, and these kamikaze attacks throw the Elerian defences into complete disorder. This is the hidden innovation of the tyrant, and upon its implementation, his cabinet fractures. Nonetheless, the tyrant enters Alero's temple, and manages to destroy the necromantic heart of Eleris, disabling the armies and defences of the city. In his victory, he boasts to Alero that he is the Messiah, come to crush the serpent's head. Alero only begins to laugh, to mock the tyrant's utter hypocrisy and abandonment of honour. In a great speech, Alero calls upon all that remains of nobility among humans and the Sardinian leadership to rally and put down their deranged leader.

The greatest war criminals of Sardis are trialled and found guilty, sentenced to the dungeons of Eleris to await their end in the batteries of the generators. The reconstruction effort is great, helped along by the resources of the remaining Sardinians, who decide that they must give up the fight and work for the reconciliation of the cities, even the Luminosa. Sardis would never again rise up in violence against its neighbours.

The fourteenth century begins with a new hope for a world of peace, under the purported benevolence of Alero. Eleris, Alaris, Sardis, Pergamum and Laodicea, the only cities of significance remaining, pool their resources to a try to commit to a better future. The victor narrative of the Luminosa is promulgated throughout the world, in the effort to quell dissent. Sardis the magnificent is scarred by a collective guilt and for a time retreats from centre stage, before eventually emerging as a tamed lion under the steady hand of the Luminosa. Pergamum is all but degraded, becoming a city of such vice and hedonism that her reputation is infamous. Some of the Pergamian elite, or whatever remains of them, move to Alaris where they find some semblance of how Pergamum used to be, a place of creativity and artistic pursuit. Laodicea only remains as an output, most of the population moving to Eleris and Alaris in the reconstruction effort and settling in afterwards.

11. The Ministry of Noah

Only two cities remain outside the influence of the Luminosa. The first is Ephesus, seemingly fading into isolated irrelevance. The second is Philadelphia, which is little but a small hamlet after the draining war. It is from humble Philadelphia that a man receives a call that will upend the new world order. About a hundred years have passed since the war, and the last elves of Philadelphia are given instructions. Eleyon instructs that Noah, a farmer of Philadelphia and its youngest man, is to marry and have three sons. The Philadelphians had stopped procreating after Noah was born, because of a misinterpretation of his name. When Noah's sons are mature, word comes again, Noah is to go with three of his sons to the cities of Sardis, Ephesus and Pergamum to prophesy about a disaster that is to come, for the wrath of the Eleyon is burning against them. He is to invite them to the salvation that Eleyon will prepare for them.

Noah goes to Ephesus first, shown the path by the elves of Philadelphia. In Ephesus, he is treated with scorn, for he has no elvish blood, and is but a peasant in their eyes. The Ephesians believe that they will one day be the victors over the Luminosa, and their hope in a salvation of their own making deafens them to Noah's prophecy. Only one daughter of one of the noble houses of Ephesus chooses to come away with him. She becomes the wife of Japheth, Noah's eldest son.

Noah goes to Sardis, and preaches but the Sardinians despise his message, refusing to believe any more in the words of Eleyon which they had tried repeatedly and failed to fulfil. Eleyon is a liar they claim, all his words have only brought about death and destruction, not salvation. The will of Sardis is spent in rage and grief and all they want now is to work for the healing of man. Only one daughter of Sardis believes and comes with them, she becomes the wife of Shem, Noah's middle son.

Finally, Noah goes to Pergamum, the pleasure city of the antediluvian world, and preaches judgement. The Pergamines accept the judgement but do not wish to be saved, welcoming the message that the world will come to an end. Once again, only one daughter of Ephesus believes Noah and comes away with them, and she becomes the wife of Ham, Noah's youngest son.

In total Noah ministers for six years, from 1630 to 1636, and when he returns to Philadelphia, Eleyon tells him to begin to build an ark.

12. The Death of Cain, The Destruction of Ephesus, Sardis and Pergamum

In the year 1650, Cain dies despite the best medical intervention of the Luminosa and Alero's image begins to come apart. There was nothing to be done, the breath of Eleyon had departed from Cain's flesh. Sardis and Pergamum are also caught up in fresh turmoil and Alero suppresses them brutally. The events of the Cradle of Sinners occur. Dalvos falls into Ephesus, Lelia, on the run, passes through Pergamum to try and reach Philadelphia, while Barvos and the delegation arrive at Philadelphia, determined to learn the way to Ephesus.

In the ensuing drama, Ephesus is found guilty of trying to create a disease to eliminate the Luminosa, and a weapon of nuclear proportions is detonated there, destroying the main city in 1651. However, its refuges remain hidden, and from there, the Ephesians attempt to stage their revenge. The elves of Ephesus flee with pairs of animals to Philadelphia, all affected by radiation. Many of the elves themselves soon die of radiation poisoning. The rest pass over the mountains in a final departure, with the Philadelphian elves. Eleyon sets up a protective barrier around Philadelphia so that they cannot be pursued.

13. The Plague of the Luminosa

In the year 1655, the Luminosa begin to succumb to a sickening and deadly disease. It is the perfect biological weapon, spreading from person to person, with long incubation periods and highly infectious. The plague begins in Sardis, but soon spread through all the Luminosan cities. Pergamum is the first to be completely overwhelmed, then Alaris. Selvia dies in this plague.

14. The Third Fallen-Luminosan War and the Flood
The remaining healthy individuals in Sardis and Eleris decide that the entire Ephesian forest must be completely destroyed. A vast army of Ephesians emerges from the forest, with all manner of strange beasts and half-men, and they march on Sardis to destroy it. The final confrontation occurs once again on the historic Mirrosea mesa. As the battle rages, the deluge begins. Noah, his family and the animals in the ark are preserved.

Semi-Fictional Key Dates:
Birth of Noah - 1056
Lifespan decree - 1530
Birth of Japheth - 1565
Birth of Shem - 1567
Maturity of Japheth - 1630
Maturity of Ham - 1634
Ministry of Noah - 1630 to 1636
Building of the Ark: 1636 to 1656
Death of Cain - 1650
Death of Lamech - 1651
Flood - 1656

What has been is what will be, 

and what has been done is what will be done,

and there is nothing new under the sun.

Is there a thing of which it is said, “See, this is new”?

It has been already in the ages before us.

There is no remembrance of former things, 

nor will there be any remembrance of later things 

yet to be among those who come after

Ecclesiastes 1: 9-11

Harmatiai: Part One

It's always pleasant when I can incorporate more biblical inspirations into the mythos of Eldwan, and this one has happened so precisely that I cannot claim to have devised it alone. It follows very much from the previous post that explains the new developments to the magical system of Eldwan. The way that it all fell into place was quite uncanny. I had previously wanted to develop the non-Luminosan societies to a greater extent, and thought I would perhaps have 7 houses of elves, and 7 cities of men that they would lead, but I was stumped as to how to characterise them in ways that would be meaningful and distinct. I came up with a rough draft of some possibilities rather on a whim, focusing on a key deficiency of truth for each city. 

I've recently been studying the Revelation to John and hit the section about the 7 churches of Asia Minor, then I had flash of inspiration to link each church to one of the cities. As I was reading and thinking through each of the rebukes and encouragements given to the churches, I began to match them up. Quite eerily, I only had to make two minor changes and everything fell into place. The saga and downfall of the seven fallen cities is described below.

A History of the Fallen Cities

An Overview: When the Fallen are expelled from the garden, Eleyon tells the elves to prepare to depart, for He intends to spare them from the ravages of sin. Seven couples of Elves however, determine that they wish to remain among the Fallen, wishing to do what they can to preserve the lives of their brethren. They wish to be moral guides and teachers of wisdom to the societies they come along side of. They would not be rulers or generals, but servants. Eleyon warns them that their choice will mean suffering and the eventual destruction of their families. Nonetheless, the fourteen elves are resolute. Knowing the goodness behind their intentions, and that he would have done the same, Eleyon grants their petition, with one condition, that there ought not to be any intermarriage between the elvish lines and the fallen lines.

The Fallen who do not take up Alero's invitation are segregated into seven groups and spread out over the surface of the earth to found seven cities. For the sake of clarity, I will use the names of the seven churches in Revelation, though they will not be the final names of those cities. Meanwhile, Alero's society, the Luminosa, grows gradually more powerful as they develop technologically.

Key Events

1. The First Marriage of an Elf and a Woman in Sardis

2. The Death of Adam

3. The Failed Messiah and the First Fallen-Luminosan War

4. The Sack of Smryna and the Second Fallen-Luminosan War

5. The Rape of Thyatria and the First Fallen Civil War

6. The Despair of Pergamum and the Expulsion of the Pergamine Elves

7. The Betrayal of Laodicea and the Second Fallen Civil War

8. The Rise of Totalitarian Sardis

9. The Sardinian Subjugation War and the Concealment of Ephesus

10. The Sardinian-Luminosan War and the Bane of Sardis

11. The Ministry of Noah

12. The Death of Cain, The Destruction of Ephesus, Sardis and Pergamum

13. The Plague of the Luminosa

14. The Third Fallen-Luminosan War and the Flood

Detailed Accounts

1. The First Marriage of an Elf and a Woman in Sardis
For the first several hundred years, the system holds. The fallen turn to the Elves for wisdom when there are issues they cannot resolve among themselves. Societies prosper and steward the land they have well. The population of the seven cities grows and the societies appear to flourish. Though the ban on mixed marriages is in place, it becomes harder and harder to reason about why things must be segregated in the way they are to some of the societies of the Fallen.

When man began to multiply on the face of the land and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of man were attractive. And they took as their wives any they chose.

Genesis 6:1

One of the biggest themes I would like to explore with Eldwan is the difficulty we have in determining what is wise and what is unwise. That which appears good and beautiful to us may not in fact be truly good and beautiful, and the consequences may be so far reaching that they cannot be anticipated. So, by about the fifth or sixth century, the cracks begin to give. In the city of Sardis, a young couple, a son of the Elves and a daughter of the Fallen resolve to be married into one household. Their elders tell them that the Elf will lose his immortality, but that does not change the Elf's mind and he decides he would rather choose mortality than to be apart from his beloved. In defiance of their elders, who had stronger convictions, they marry and have issue. The debate rages over definitions of good and evil, over what the potential consequences of this action will be. Yet, their marriage is healthy, and children of this union are not only healthy, but it soon becomes apparent that they are sensitive and can use magic.

Critics are silenced and the floodgates open. Many more Sardinian couples that had not spoken out about their love follow the precedent, and there are soon many more half-elven children walking the streets of Sardis. Two other cities, Ephesus and Pergamum, also begin to allow mixed marriages. The other four cities adopt various postures: Philadelphia and Smryna simply recall the other original instruction and chooses to trust in the intentions of Eleyon. Thyatira and Laodicea respond by trying to put more regulations around human and elf relations, imposing more segregations and in Thyatira, living separately.

Sardis begins to grow into unprecedented might, through the use of magic to generate abundance from their land, as do Ephesus and Pergamum to a lesser degree. By the ninth century, all of the population of Sardis has elvish blood and can use magic. Sardis grows proud, and in their relations with the other cities, Sardis begins to posture more as a hegemon than as an equal. Sensing that something is deeply awry, the elves of Ephesus and Pergamum put a stop to any further marriages between elves and humans.

2. The Death of Adam

In the year 930, in the city of Philadelphia, age finally claims the life of Adam, and it becomes clear that even without violent injury, those who are fallen will face the cold grip of mortality. In Eldwan, death by old age was introduced by Ilvesu, as she took matters into her own hands and poisoned the tree of ether. It had not been in the original intent of Eleyon for death to come through biological degradation.

With his death, representatives of all men come to Philadelphia, which has remained a small and humble city through the centuries, a metropolis of the surrounding agrarian towns. For the first time in centuries, Cain is seen among his brothers, come to pay respects to his father. The elves sense something deeply disturbing emanating from the presence of the Luminosan delegation, a chilling and unnatural power.

After the ceremony, fear begins to settle into the hearts of humans. Eve is also ailing, and she knows her death is also soon upon her. The words of Eleyon ring through their minds, about the fate of Adam, and also, about the fate of the serpent. After the departure of the Luminosa, Eve, in her despair, declares her personal hatred of the serpent, for his role in the fall of mankind.

I will put enmity between you and the woman, between your offspring and her offspring,

He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.

Genesis 3:15

3. The Failed Messiah and the First Fallen-Luminosan War

As the delegation of Sardis returns to their grand capital, they discuss the events that have just transpired. One young man speaks up, he is the brightest of his generation, and the elders listen to him, for they are overcome with uncertainty about their own fates. He claims to have a mission from Eleyon, that he is the promised seed, and be the one to crush Alero. He believes that in destroying the Luminosa, they would fulfil the prophecy. By showing their hatred of the serpent, they would redeem themselves and Eleyon would return to make everything aright.

Missives are sent out to the seven cities of the Fallen, telling them to prepare to arm against the Luminosa. The half-elves especially, begin to train in combat, using magic. Weapons are designed for the first time, primitive, but nonetheless, deadly for the inexperienced and unprepared.

Alero soon discovers what is afoot, and begins to prepare the Luminosa for what is to come. The armies of the Fallen challenge the Luminosa on the Mirrorsea. The Fallen discover that their magic is far stronger, and grow confident in their success on the battlefield. They push the Luminosan army back on the defensive, and they retreat to Eleris. Here the tide of the battle begins to turn against the Fallen, as the Luminosa find greater proximity with their power source, but they still seem on equal footing. I will not work out the details of the battle. Perhaps as death fills the air, the Luminosa get increasingly strong since that is the basis of their magic. In the end, the young leader is killed, the Luminosa are triumphant, and the coalition fractures.

In the aftermath of the war, the Thyatirans begin to envy the power of the three cities with half elves. The Philadelphians and Smyrnans contributed the least to the war, believing that it was misguided, and so Sardis begins to nurse a grudge against them, accusing them of cowardice and pacifism. The Laodiceans are discouraged by their lack of magic and begin to internalise an inferiority narrative. The Pergamine half elves are also revealed to be much stronger than any other magic users for some mysterious reason, and fractures and divisions become manifest.

4. The Sack of Smryna and the Second Fallen-Luminosan War

As the Fallen recover from the aftermath of the failure of this great war, the Luminosa now discipline and regroup. The Luminosa are keen to take revenge, and also to rebuild their lost source of energy. To that end, Alero incites them to target the city of Smyrna, also relatively weak, unaided by magic, and close to their borders.

The elves had cautioned against the madness of such a conflict, and many broken families are grieving for lost ones. A shattered idealism has left a hollow sense of purposelessness in its wake. The cities attempt to go back to normal, but the horrors of the war cannot be forgotten. Laodicea disarms entirely, revolted by the very idea of weapons, others, particularly the three cities with half elves, determine that they must find even more effective means of circumventing Elerian defences.

After a few decades, Smyrna is besieged with a ferocity fuelled by a drive for revenge. They are overwhelmed and the entire surviving population taken as prisoners of war. They are given a choice join the Luminosa or be kept as fuel for the necromantic powerhouse. Many choose to join the Luminosa but an elect are faithful to their call, and they are kept in the dungeons of Eleris.

The remaining six cities of the Fallen are enraged and Sardis, Pergamum, Ephesus, Thyatira and Laodicea rally again and attack. Philadelphia once again only sends support in the form of supplies. Once again, the Luminosa are weaker further away from Eleris, but as they approach it, the Luminosa grow stronger. In this war, the Fallen do not even make it as far as they did in the first war. The Pergamine half elves were falsely confident, but in this war they are somehow much weaker than in the previous one. The Laodicean division is filled with fear and turns to flee from the battle, causing the Thyatiran division to sustain much heavier losses. The Fallen are forced to retreat. The Luminosa do not pursue them, for their objective is attained.

The Pergamine half-elves, in examining their performance, realise that this generation of half-elves is only about an eighth to a quarter as strong as the last generation, and it comes to light that Pergamum has been tolerating sexual immorality and this is diluting their magical potential.

5. The Rape of Thyatira and the First Fallen Civil War

Now the Thyatiran humans are filled with hatred against the Laodiceans, who they feel betrayed them. They are also overcome with fear that as a non-magical city of the Fallen, the Luminosa will target them in a future war. A woman rises up in the council of Thyatira and decides that drastic action must be taken. The leaders of Thyatira rally behind her and they arm themselves and head towards the elvish district. Then the tragic doom of the Thyatiran elves transpires. The elves who resist too strongly are simply killed, while the rest of the male elves are raped in an effort to try and conceive half-elven children by them.

Not all of the Thyatirans engage in this madness. A few try to save the elves they can and spirit them away to the other cities. Those who opposed the woman and her forces are also expelled from Thyatira, many of them head to Philadelphia. Of the elves who survive, some are they are so overcome by hurt and shame that they can no longer hope in their original mission. Those who flee to Philadelphia are nursed and cared for, and many of the scarred elves from the other cities eventually go to Philadelphia where they find that they are the most welcome. They eventually decide to leave the cradle and pass beyond the mountains. This is the first establishment of the secret west road through the mountains, a road which many elves will follow in future.

The three magical cities are utterly shocked and disgusted by what comes to be called the Rape of Thyatira. Those who flee to Laodicea also warn them that the Thyatirans are coming to exact their revenge for the cowardice of the Laodiceans in the Second Fallen-Luminosan War. The four cities band together and condemn Thyatira, declaring a war of extermination on the depraved city that had betrayed their elven teachers. There is no contest between the magical and non-magical forces, Thyatira is utterly sacked.

6. The Despair of Pergamum and the Expulsion of the Pergamine Elves

The Pergamine forces carry back stories of the carnage they witnessed in Thyatira. Having seen now the destruction of two of their sister cities, one from external forces and one from internal forces, they begin to give up on the plan of Eleyon, on the hope that he had given through the promise of a victory over Alero and eventual restoration.

Pergamum begins to cut off ties with the other cities, retreating from the world. Eventually, the mindset of hedonism begins to set in: Eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. Immorality becomes rampant and more and more people exchange the eternal for the temporal. The faithful of Pergamum begin to insist that their elves must depart, or they will be overrun by the growing evil of the city. The elves elect to stay, but soon, they are forced out by the masses, who do not want to be reminded of the transcendant. The Pergamine elves and faithful journey to Philadelphia where they find rest, welcome and solace. Some of the Pergamine elves now follow their Thyatiran fellows, past the mountains.

Rippling Degradation: An Expanded Magical Mechanism

I had previously incorporated aspects exploitable for necromancy into Eldwan's magical system in order to power Luminosan society. This second major revision comes by devising changes to the system that also link magical potency to sexual purity. It began with the idea that sexual impurity has consequences that are not immediate and not tangible for us, living in the times when we are now. But I felt that fantasy has the unique ability to render the intangible, tangible. Therefore I decided to take the opportunity and assign links between the two. 

In the overall scheme of things, sexual impurity is linked to magical motor functions, and because of the sins of those in ages past, we have lost those motor functions entirely, thus sexual purity no longer has consequences that are as obvious to us as they once were. This is not because there are no consequences, but rather that we have become so defiled as a species that anything of value in that respect has been utterly lost. Perhaps one could think of a family heirloom that was supposed to be passed faithfully from generation to generation, but in the midst of bickering and strife, is rendered worthless.

To be clear, since this is the first post in a long time to discuss the magic of Eldwan, I will describe it here. Eldwan is a world of three planes, the ether is the most fundamental, energy is of condensed ether, and matter is condensed energy. Magic basically refers to a direct manipulation of energy, and it operates according to four schools, corresponding to the four fundamental forces of physics. Like our physical bodies, humans in Eldwan were originally created with sensory and motor energy based pathways, an energy-based body if you will. Just as with physical senses, the magical senses allowed us to sense energy directly, and as with the physical neuro-musculo-skeletal system, magical motor systems would allow for direct application of various forces.

An additional disclaimer, but when I write about Eldwan and use biblical names, as I also will in the post following this one, I am not referring to the actual people, but rather their parallels in my subcreation, who's language I have not yet devised.

When Adam and Eve are first made, in their sinless state, they have senses to all three substances, ether, energy and matter, but a motor component only for matter. As humans matured they were allowed to eat of the tree that granted energy manipulation, thus acquiring access to a whole new layer of capabilities. They began to learn how to use it and wield their new power responsibly. However, in rebellion, some, Adam and Eve included, take of the second tree before the appointed time, or perhaps they are never meant to eat of that tree. Whatever it is, the consequences play out. The punishment of Eleyon is a removal of their ability to sense the magical world. Their direct ability to sense energy is removed from them in a neat severance of metaphysical substance.

As a result, their ability to sense their own glory, which had previously served as a covering of dignity, is lost, and they appear physically naked to one another. However, they actually still retain the entire structure of the energy based component of their being, and they could theoretically thrash around like a blind and deaf man with that body, dangerous as it may be. Like physical muscles, the energy body atrophies with disuse, and so many of the Fallen assume that their magical abilities are simply gone forever after the fall.

So this is the setup at the beginning of history and soon two key discoveries are made.

When Abel is murdered, Alero notices something quite unexpected. Abel's primary awareness, which was in the material realm, pushes through the barriers to the higher realms all the way through to the etheric plane as his body expires. In addition, Cain, by some strange empathy, also experiences a temporary opening of his own magical senses and for the briefest moment. This emphatic magical sense is the basis for necromancy, and Alero bases his promise of restoration of magic to the Luminosa on this mechanism.

Now the second mechanic I will describe is the actual novelty in this post. In the original design in Eldwan, the mother was the main contributor of physical substance for a new embryo. On the other hand, the father would be the main contributor of metaphysical, energy based substance. Something quite strange then happens, when the elves and humans have half-elven offspring. This was prohibited by Eleyon when they first asked if they might stay among their fallen brethren to guide them, nonetheless, a union happens after a few generations in defiance of the command. Specifically, when the 'sons of God' have children with the 'daughters of men', their children are once again able to use magic, because their senses are restored. These become the great heroes, the men of renown. By this means, three of the now seven houses of Fallen men reacquire the ability to use magic.

There is an additional point that drives the loss of sexual purity home. Let me arbitrarily assign a value of 12 units to the default magical strength available to each individual before the fall. This value is of 'genetic' potential, which, like physical traits, can be maximised only under optimal conditions. The Fallen, though unable to sense magic, still retained a latent potential, and when there were children by their elven fathers, this was unlocked once again.

The way that magical potential is inherited though, is not Mendelian. Rather, it comes from a common pool. When two individuals have relations in Eldwan, their very constitution is changed. Suppose both partners start with 12 units. After being joined, they retain a personal pool and a common pool is formed. The ratio of these pools is 1:1 for each individual. Thus, A and B would both have a personal pool of 6 units, and a common pool of 12 units. They access the common pool based on proximity to each other. When they are in physical contact, both of them can now draw upon 18 units in a synergistic fashion. The strength of access to the common pool diminishes according to the inverse square law. This is quite literally becoming 'one flesh'. Any child conceived by this union draws from the common pool, which is 12 units, as their starting potential. Therefore, in a faithful and monogamous society, the design holds true, and each generation is no less worse than the last.

Now the disorder enters. When A has relations with another individual, C who also has a potential of 12, the balance is altered. A now has two common pools and one personal pool, which splits his potentials as 4:4:4, instead of the intended 6:6. As a result, A's two common pools with B and C only have a total of 10 units, instead of the intended 12. A second consequence of this is that A in fact has the potential to draw upon even more magic than before. With his two common pools and his own, He can draw on a grand total of 26 units, even more than 18. Already the potentials for abusing this system begin to take shape.

First of all, when there are affairs and unfaithfulness, this system quickly begins to degenerate, with each generation inheriting less and less because of the choices of their parents. Soon there are families which have stronger bloodlines and those of weaker and more impure bloodlines. There is stratification and a very understandable reason for prejudice against the weaker families. There becomes a segregation of classes, with the higher classes marrying among themselves to preserve their magical potential, and judging those who have sexual immorality and weaker houses as unfit for spousal union.  The lower classes become forced to work physically, labouring in toil, while the upper classes disdain them and have their magic to spare them the demeaning drudgery.

Second, the potential for prostitution of a totally different kind becomes possible. A bully of a person could promise protection to others in exchange for access to their magical potential, acquiring vast reaches of magical potential for him or herself. The children of this 'strong wizard' of sorts would, counterintuitively, be much weaker compared to their parent. A dynasty obsessed with power yet losing its ability to work magic could begin a concubine system, with the parent forcing numerous partners on the heir, in order to raise the heir's abilities. This only accelerates the downward spiral of that family.

That is as far as I will detail things for now. In the next post, the wider consequences of abusing this system will be shown through the corruption of the houses of men and elves, the societies that lived apart from the Luminosa.