Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
This forum is used with the NationStates web-game designed and run by Max Barry. While not officially affiliated, this serves as the regional forum for the regions: Middle East, African Continent, American Continent, Asian Continent, and European Continent.

You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and can "read only".

In order to get the most out of these forums, please become a member and read this guide - http://z3.invisionfree.com/nationstates/index.php?showtopic=3060


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Sefer Shanaim; The book of years
Topic Started: Mar 26 2008, 06:52 PM (492 Views)
Filo
Member Avatar
General
OCC: It is my intention telling stories about the antiquity of Rakis.
I know that my english is bad by i wish try the same ;)

I hope you enjoy this, and if not at least have compassion to not be rough with me

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Abnar
Member Avatar
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the lurkiest of them all?
Good writing is good writing, regardless of language. Can't wait to see this.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Filo
Member Avatar
General
Preface: A book older than the bibble?
Essay on Sefer Shanaim by Prof. Lukas Littleturtle of N.U.A.S of Cheyenne

It is difficult understand the Efraimite bibble end ands Sefer Shanaim starts.
As knowed, Lost hebraism has not sapience books, no Sirach, no quelet etc..etc...because they were deported, or moved in shara, before the jews culture was ready to elaborate foreign thougths in this books.
The have not Kabbala and have not Talmud, because in exile they have not the possobility to develope a line of study collegable with greek culture so fundamental in the developement of this books and traditions.
The Sefer Shanaim is the compensation of these lacks.
This is a book of knowledge, is inspirated but is not holy as bibble, but form many ways is more important than bibble itself in the eyes of the common Ephraimite.
The ten books of Genesis Commentaries are too complex and long to be read by the common and the bibble is too holy to talk of it in the streets.
Sefer Shanaim is perfect for this task.
In many ways is similar to Talmud, there are narrations and legends that find now place in the bibble(as the story of King Jeu and the Assiryan king Shalmanasser, in the book is longly expanded and different from the bibble one) or sentences or, again life of saints or others great man of tyhe past.
Studing the book we can see that is very old as structure and perhaps so old to be older than the Ečhraimite bibble itself.
Is it possible?
The Ephraimite Bibble is a rewriting of a collection of original textes once separated, many of this texts are present in Sefar more elonged and dettaliated.
Obviusly it is not a evidence but may contribuite to undertsand well the book itlself.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Filo
Member Avatar
General
Only who come down the ladders of humility, will step up the ladders of wisdom
- Sefar Shanaim, introduction to Chapter I°

He was the first, the greatest of all, blessed by God.
Saint between the saints.
Holy between the holies.
He was born when the moon was dark and the sky was black.
He was the first and the noblest.

Well he was born from a woman of the tribe of Ephraim and was called: Lion, Elephant, towering, powerfull, gloarious.

His father Gedeon, a chief and a priest in the tribe of Ephraim, when he was 8 days old take i'm to the shrine and, after asked benediction of god upon him, called him Usul.

There was a night without stars, Gedeon was prayng and sayng "Oh my God, powerfull over powerfull, holy of the holiest.
My hearth is sad too death.
My homeland is conquered by people that not understand your name, who not know you.
My wife cannot generate a son.
I ask you my Lord, send a son.
I ask you Lord, send us a liberator".

God understand the words of Gedeon and when Gedeon was asleep he send him a vision.

"A great tree will born in this lands, a tree so great that lions, leopars, panthers and other big cats will come under it to find confort from the sun light.
I'll bless this tree and the tree will become a nation, the nation an empire and i'll bless your son, because you have come to me asking freedom.
Because the other peoples will know that i'm a hearing God, and i not going away from my own people.
Now, Gedeon, return home.
You will find a hurt horse, a dead goat and a live lion.
Cure the first.
Heat the second.
Riode the third.
When you will arrive at home go to your wife and meet her, between now and nine months i'll promise you a son".

Gedeon, the next morning, gone to his house and did what the Lord ask to him.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Filo
Member Avatar
General
The Man who knows when he is wrong is on the way of salvation

-- a quote of Rabbi BenGaza.

Gedeon returned home and did as the Allmighty has commanded him.
Nine months after a strange come to his house and knoked the door.
"Stand up", said "stand up and come Gedeon because the promises of God are fullfilled.
Come and here and listen what the god was telling you".
It was night but Gedeon went out of his home and pitch himself to the ground prayng "How I, have found grace to the eyes of the Lord?".
The stranger answered "Have you done as The Allmighty as commanded you?"
"Yes", replied Gedeon "I have cured the wonded horse, eat the dead goat and rode the Lion".
"For your faith God will reward you", continued the stranger "your son will be a leader, will cure the wounded nation.
Will defeated the enemies of your people and will lead armies as many as the lions in the forest".
"Between a week you wife will birth a child: you'll give him the name Usul, because he will free your people and will stay like a pillar"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Filo
Member Avatar
General
OCC: any comment?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Filo
Member Avatar
General
God comes from Sinai and unchianed his own people from the hands of enemies
-- Faith profession of Rakis

The night Usul was born, the elders of Ephraim were meeting.
A Stranger come to the door and knocked it "Let me in, it is night, it is cold".
They let the Stranger enter and said "How are you travelling the night?".

The Stranger replied "I bring the words of Adonai, God of Sinai who have freed your peoples from Egypt, from the hands of Assur".
The elders fell with their faces on floor and answered "Tell us the words of God, tell us the the will of God of Sinai".

"Adonai say to you", replied the Stranger "I hve free you from Egypt, from the hands of Assur, i bring you to this land with herds and richesness, i save Ephraim once, i'll save Ephraim now.
A child is born, a Lion in the forest, a warrior, a king.
He will led you, and i'll put your enemies in his hands"

"But how we will recognize this child?", asked the elders.

"When the time will right, and the days were fullfilled i'll send a sign of my hanger, say Adonai God of Sinai, you'll recognize that the child is come and you'll bring the spears and will take the shields.
You, Ephraim, will come down in battle when my anger will resonate in the land".

Said so, the Stranger went away and leave Ephraim.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Filo
Member Avatar
General
Adonai is the Adonai, his name will be blessed forever
-- Prayer of the evening, incipit.

When Usul was nine and he was growth in beauty, wisdom and strength in the eyes of the lord, he was send by the father Gedeon to pasture the sheeps, for the first time.
When night come Usul remain alone on the mountain where sheeps were eating the grass and a lion arrived from the north.

The lion was the strongest lion ever appeared on the earth, so big and large that with the claws he killed a man.
With a bite breaked a cattle neck.

Usul thoungth "If the lion see me, i'm dead.
But flee away and leave here may sheeps...i cannot because is from their milk i have butter, i dress their hide.
I cannot ruin my father and lose my name".

So the boy, hidding behind a rock said "Lord, Adonai God of Sinai, who have freed my ancestors from Egypt, my fathers from Assur, i pray you, give me the strenght to kill the lion, to free myself from fear, the herd of my father from danger".

Usul took his own sling, he was used to hunt with, and chosen a rock from the grond, at great voice call the lion "You, Lion, the king of animals, leave my herd or fight me now".

The Lion went toward the boy and he said again "Adonai, save me from the bites of the lion, lead my hand, and give power to my rock.
If my hand is lead by God, how can i fail?
If the power come from God, how can the lion survive"

He shot with the sling and the rock throw in the head of the lion killing it.

The next day Usul returned to his own village, Sietch in the nation of Ephraim, and telled anything to his father.

Gedeon went on the mountain, took the hied of the lion and made a festival lasted seven days, because he said "The Lord have rescued my son Usul, his promises lasted forever"
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Filo
Member Avatar
General
The song of drums, the song of horn, don't fear the voices of the war.
Not have you Adonai to your side?


-- Battle invocation, Sefer Shanaim, chapter III°

The people of Ephraim was, at that time, under the heel of Ghana.
He ruled from far away and send his minister and generals to obtain tributes and treasures from the people of Ephraim and his hand was not easy.

For order of the Ghana, Ephraim was deprived of iron and copper and horses "Because", said Ghana "Ephraim will not raise his hand against me and my empire".

Ephraim must pay Ghana with heards and corns and their condition was so terrible that elders of Ephraim said to Adonai "Oh Adonai, God of Sinai, why take us in this land? Why you have not let us die in hand of Assur?"



Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Filo
Member Avatar
General
The dead is sure peacefull, but the live can have hope...and hope is better than peace

-- Hadit from Usul.

Adonai heard the cry of his own people.

When Usul was a young man, his father, Gedeon, decided to send him from the uncle Rabban, with this message:

Oh Rabban, son of my father, my own brother; i'll send this my only son, son of your brother.
I send him because you will find for him, a women between the people of our father, as for me, and for you were did by our father.

The father gave Usul a sword, saing this words "My son, promised son of your father, promised by Adonai God of Sinai.
Take this sword, bring it with you and gone from your uncle Rabban, son of my father.
You will give you a woman to marry."

Usul asked "Why the sword oh father?"

Gedeon answered "The sword is your defence as you will defence for your own people.
But go now. and don't stop until you will see Rabban house"

And Usul went away moving toward the uncle home.
The spirit of Adonai was with him.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Filo
Member Avatar
General
The right lies not with force but with justice, and justice and force are not interchangeable

-- Traditioanl motto of Rakian Judge.

-- Note of the curator: This piece is written very late, is an moralistic piece to show how just and rightneuss Usul was --

A day, Usul entered in a town and was very hungry and entered in a house.
"Give me bred and water", said.
But the host refuse to give him bred and water and answered "I have for my own, and for my childre, how shall give you bread and water".

Usul was very displeased and said "My the punichement of Adonai come on you, who, in spit of the words of God refuse to feed an host", and lived the town and the house.

Some times ago returned in that town, he was a vinning general, he took with him seven prisoners and when entered in that town he spotted a trial.

The people of the town, seing him with many prisoniers come to him saing "Oh greater warrior, since the force of Adonai is with you, judge our couse".
Usul answered yes and was chosen as judge.

Well, to him was bring that man who refused to feed him and the accuser said "Oh greater warrior, this is the man you must judicate, he stels a cow from the commond town lands and cooks it for himself alone, to this accuse put him to death".

Usul listened the accuses and than looked that man "Remember me?", asked.
When he recived confirmation replied "I have year the accuses and they are false.
So i cannot comden you".

"But", said that man "i'll refuse to feed you, why you'll take no revenge over me", said.

"Because i follow the words of Adonai, and revenge instead of justice is against his words", replied him.

The people remain amazed by his wisdom and chose him as chief of the town.

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Filo
Member Avatar
General
The name of Adonai is more powerfull than 40000 swords

-- Rakian prayer before the battle.

In that days Usul was so strong and his followers so many, that Ghana said "I must kill him, before Efraim shall break his chains and refuse to pay me my tribute", so Ghana travel city by city and village by village, of whom were subjects to his power, cryng "How is able take a sword, how can fight take a bow, horses for the knights, arrows for the bows".
Many soldiers and Vassals, Ghana, had and so he gatered 40.000 warriors.

He descend in the plains of Rakis and prepare to attack Usul.

Usul was sad, he was seing in his mind "How can save me? Can Adonai, God of Sinai, free me from the hands of my enemis?"

While he was cryng in this way a stranger come and replied "Are you a fool? may be you not remember the gift Adonai gave you?
Not did it free your acsteros from Egypt, your fathers from Assur?"

"Yes", replied Usul
"And so, if yiou have God to your side, why you fear 40.000 swords? Do not you know that Adonai's power is greater than 40.000 swords?"
"This will be the sign Adonai promised to your people, a young lion will destroy an older, stone will destroy copper and bone will break bronze".



Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · Alternate Universes Forum · Next Topic »
Add Reply