Hislop did a fantastic job selling his bizarre hypothesis of Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz and the Babylon mystery religion; as it continues to be the primary teaching in the church today to explain the prophecy of the 'harlot woman' of Revelation 17. This is the only chapter in the entirety of the Bible explained by an outside source.
The majority of parishioners aren't even aware that these tales are based upon mythology, mythical figures and fictional characters. Those who are aware, just don't care. It is taught in church and that is good enough for them. Afterall, who would question their favorite Bible teacher?
Surely Bible teachers had done their research on this, investing in a full analysis of Hislop's claims before teaching it as a historical and biblical narrative? One would think so, but it is impossible to fully analyze the conjuncture of Hislop and still teach it as a historical or biblical narrative with a clear conscience. Many are being misled by these teachings.
The interpretation of Alexander Hislop is the most protected non-Biblical source in modern history. The truth in the Bible supports itself both historically and scripturally. When you have doubts or questions, the Bible defends itself as scripture is interconnected and scripture defines scripture. Not so with Hislop. When you have doubts or questions as to the logic of reincarnation or mythical characters there are no discussions or debates. You become an outcast, verbally attacked as 'crazy', your comments hidden, blocked or deleted. It is something you cannot question or criticize. The insanity of it all just boggles my mind. But, it is what it is. In the age of mass deception, logic and reason become the first victims.
Beginning sometime around 2012 or 13, something quite uncanny occurred. Someone taught the Hislop narrative of the mystery religion of Semiramis, and before long every bible teacher was teaching it. As a result, you can't listen to a sermon on Revelation 17 without it. Almost all use the same Hislop narrative that includes Nimrod, a fabled mother / wife Semiramis and a son named Tammuz.
Prior to this being taught in the church no one knew who this woman called Semiramis was. Anyone familiar with Assyrian history could tell you about a Queen Sammu-ramat, the queen who ruled an empire (811 B.C.) after her husband was killed in battle. She ruled until their biological son was old enough to ascend the throne as the rightful heir. She was also known as Semiramis but, unlike the fictional Semiramis, she did not marry her son nor was her son the reincarnation of her husband.
Her heroic legend got a makeover when a 5th century B.C. Greek physician and historian named Ctesias pushed Semiramis back into time and paired her with a King Ninus (3000 B.C.). King Ninus was a mythological god-king of Greek mythology who ruled Nineveh. Based upon Greek mythology and the Biblical tale of Nimrod, the god-king Ninus, known as a warrior and conqueror, magically became Nimrod, the mighty hunter.
Thus began the legend of Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz.
There are several stories based on the marriage of Nimrod and Semiramis. One story describes how Nimrod took a break from building an empire and met a temple prostitute named Semiramis. They fell deeply in love and the happy couple ruled the kingdom of Babel.
Semiramis decided she wanted to rule the kingdom herself and had Nimrod put to death. Her and Shem were working together because apparently he was the one to do the deed. After his death, she quickly elevated Nimrod to sun-god status and miraculously conceived a child when Nimrod shined his sun-god light upon her, creating a halo. The baby, she claimed, would be Nimrod, reincarnated to life once again. She ruled Babel until her son (the reincarnation of Nimrod) reached the age of maturity. She then married her son to ensure her seat on the throne and jointly ruled the kingdom with her son / husband by her side.
As for the reincarnated Nimrod, Semiramis demanded the people of Babel worship him along with herself as the mother of a reincarnated sun-god child. Thus began the mother-child mystery religion of Semiramis and the worship of a mother and child deity.
This mystery religion was well organized with priests and secret rituals dedicated to the worship of Semiramis that are still practiced to this day. Semiramis had thousands of followers who decided the best way to spread her worship was to go deep undercover and worship in secret. This mystery mother-child religion swept through the entire world from Babel, stayed hidden and deeply buried, practiced in secret until the Catholic church was formed 3000 years later.
Semiramis is worshiped as Mary and the reincarnated Nimrod who became the god-child, Tammuz is worshiped as Christ Jesus. Tammuz, as the reincarnation of Nimrod is the same being as the father. So now, the father and son are one and the same being. Semiramis as per Hislop is the 'Holy Spirit'. Thus begins the pagan trinity of Nimrod as the father, Semiramis as the mother and the holy spirit and the son is the child-god Tammuz.
This is only one version of events taught from the pulpit. There are several other versions as well. The most common version is the one created by Alexander Hislop. It goes something like this; Semiramis was the adorable blond haired, blue eyed floozy and the wife of Cush; Nimrod. a grotesque, deformed black man was their biological son. Craving power and prestige, Semiramis left Cush, to marry their son so she could reign as the Queen of Babel. Crushed, Cush ended his exploration of the Nile to become the god Bel - the mastermind of the pagan trinity previously mentioned,
Truth doesn't require four or five versions to cement a simple fact. These stories are not found anywhere in history. They are not found in any authentic historical context such as a cuneiform tablet, a parchment of papyrus or within any ancient translated tale.
But, you can find several versions and variations of the tale spread across various Christian websites such as: bible.org, bibletools.org, ccg.org, and blueletterbible.org to name a few.
Some bible teachers will even go as far as teach an entire sermon on mythology, reincarnation and fictional characters ending with the mystery religion of Semiramis. This is generally followed with another sermon based upon the corruption of the Catholic church, aka: the church of Semiramis. The golden cup the woman holds becomes the golden chalice in the Catholic church. The purple and scarlet she is clothed in become the robes of the Popes and priests, and the mountains or, kingdoms where the woman sits become the hills of Rome. Thus began the use of 'code words' to interpret the Revelation 17 prophecy.
There are only a few that teach directly from the Bible. The number of Pastors or Bible teachers that teach Revelation 17 from a biblical perspective are becoming fewer and fewer in number. The last Bible teacher (that I know of) who taught Rev 17 & 18 from a biblical perspective was Andy Woods, and that was about four years ago.
The harlot church perspective has never sat right with me, ever. I had always sensed something was amiss, and Hislop's historical context with mythology and pagan deities was all wrong. And, scripture seemed to clarify that it was something different, something deeply profound, but obvious at the same time. Something that must be found by searching scripture for answers and not outside sources; meat vs milk. 1 Corinthians 3:2
And there lies the dilemma, how does one separate fact from fiction or scripture from fables when it is taught from the pulpit?
What happened to do not go beyond what is written in Corinthians 4:6, or refusing the teachings of false doctrine such as fables or mythology? According to Got Questions a false (or deceptive) doctrine is a teaching or a set of principles that deal in fables or falsehoods, things that are not taught by scripture. A false doctrine would be the revelation of the unknown and unmentioned wife / mother of Nimrod (who is only mentioned five times in the Bible), or that Jesus and Lucifer are brothers or that Mary has the power of intercession. All are false doctrine.
Have our Bible teachers moved away from being Shepherds of the Word to become disciples of Alexander Hislop for interpretation? And why is this the only chapter of the entire Bible infused with fables and false doctrine and explained by an outside source; beyond what is written in scripture?
For a time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the Truth, and (truth) shall be turned unto fables. 2 Timothy 4:3
Can it be undone or is it already too late?
The woman is the mystery. The woman is further revealed as the great city. The mystery of the woman is that she is a metaphor for a great, large, mighty (megas, megalēs) city. We are further told that this city will be located in the wilderness (desert) riding a beast with seven heads and ten horns. Spread throughout chapter 17 and 18 are a bunch of clues unraveling the mystery of the woman. There is also a mystery that surrounds the scarlet beast kingdom that has the seven heads and ten horns as well.
And the angel said to me, Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carries her, which has the seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:7
This beast represents a powerful kingdom that rises just prior to the tribulation period. And, it's right in our face, forming right before our eyes, just as the prophetic text details. The ten kings are setting up a system of checks and balances that serve their purpose of designing a global coup. They are currently setting up the system of the beast just waiting for the right crisis to implement. The Roman empire is beginning to crumble under the weight of mass immigration making way for the rise of a new kingdom - merged with or 'revived' from older beast kingdoms: the lion, the bear and the leopard.
But, according to the majority of Christian Bible teachers, this interpretation is incorrect and the correct interpretation is the one Alexander Hislop invented a thousand years later detailing the Catholic church as the woman.
Are there any teachings that offer an entire Biblical perspective of Revelation 17, from the viewpoint of a harlot city that rises in the last days? Are there any Bible teachers left that have not fallen prey to the Semiramis, Nimrod and Tammuz fable? Revelation 17 and 18 work together as a giant looking glass, zooming in on the harlot woman, pulling her into focus unveiling her as a great city that rules over the kings of the earth in the last days.
John documented this event carefully, using specific Greek words to describe what he saw when he was taken in the spirit.
For example: the very first verse of Revelation 17 contains one very important clue that identifies a mystery surrounding the woman. It is hidden in the Greek word John used which is translated by the English to harlot or whore. The word πόρνης is defined by its root: πόρνη; which translates to porné, porn, prostitute: whore or harlot.
The root identifies the whore or harlot, but it does not fully capture the meaning behind the purpose of the Greek word that John used, which was πόρνης. This specific word is further used to define the harlot; as a 'commercially corrupt one' - to export or sell commodities for financial gain. πόρνης is the feminine form of πόρνος which in its Greek translation is: male prostitute or sex trafficker. The feminine would simply mean a female prostitute or sex trafficker.
The harlot is involved in commercialized sex trafficking and the distribution of pharmaceuticals, (commercially corrupt or commercialized corruption) which is supported in the following chapter with distinct identifiers. This is where the woman in the ephah, comes into play with wicked commerce.
The Greek translation of πόρνης, lays the foundation for the rest of the chapter and directly connects it to the following chapter. Sandwiched between the first verse and the last are key details which further define the harlot as a spiritually and morally corrupt city and lays the groundwork for her pivotal role to come. This is the mystery of the woman: or at least the first clue to solving the mystery that surrounds her.
Scattered throughout history and within the pages of the Bible is documentation revealing how the occult permeated the area of the Mesopotamia and spread rapidly throughout the new world until the rise of Christianity. Then, it went deep underground until the practice began to rise again across Europe and the U.S. during the last few centuries.
What I found really interesting was that when the practice of occult rituals exploded, so did the rise of exorcisms and anti-witchcraft incantations. That they would appear simultaneously makes perfect sense, one used to combat the other. Demon possession must have been well received in the early days after the flood; similar to how Vodun or Voodoo-Catholic practices of 'serving the spirits' has been rising in New York and New Orleans.
This can be proven and documented with biblical and historical references, detailing the progression throughout the Mesopotamia. I have already done the work.
It makes more sense than a mother-child religion that 'supposedly' flooded the modern world with mother child worship. The mother-child religions represent roughly .02% of the 200+ fertility religions that saturated the Mesopotamia 4000 years ago.
If identifying the woman as a city makes me the bad guy, or girl in this case, so be it. I will be the rebel, digressing from the majority but, I never felt comfortable parroting the Semiramis, Nimrod and Tammuz fable so many preach today. And, I am not the only one who interprets scripture with scripture and not outside sources.
Pastor Robert Furrow, (though he doesn't grasp the entire concept of the harlot city), saw through the Hislop fables. He even warns his parishioners against Hislop's book, The Two Babylons because it's deceptive. There is the article from Ralph Woodrow, titled: The Two Babylons, a Case Study of Poor Methodology that details his decision to pull a book he had written in favor of Alexander Hislop's work. Ralph Woodrow wrote another book entitled: The Babylon Connection? in 1997 which thoroughly details Hislop's inaccuracies after a deeper investigation. And there is Bible teacher, Joel Richardson who urges you not to be a Nimrod. :)
There are other people as well, who, through study and careful analysis, have caught on to this deception. I found the writings of Lee Threipland on Faithwriters. He wrote an article in 2018 entitled Nimrod, Semiramis and Tammuz -The Myths behind the myth (Short version part 1) which is very informative. If you are searching for honest answers, I encourage you to read through his article. He details several key points that are very telling and should be considered. There is a variety of online articles that debunk Alexander Hislop's mythology. You just have to do the research. It's out there.
Any interpretation other than what is taught in the church today is considered controversial. Imagine this: a teaching based upon biblical interpretation is considered controversial as it doesn't follow Alexander Hislop's interpretation of events. The harlot church or religion using Alexander Hislop's hypothesis, has been taught by so many, and for so long, it is fully ingrained into the teaching of prophecy today.
Searching for the truth shouldn't be controversial, but, what you find may be.
The teaching proposed by Alexander Hislop is interesting and even educational, the Roman Catholic church had become a monster during its lifetime. And yet, the tribulation is a future event.
There are a few bible students that have created videos confronting the faulty methodology of Alexander Hislop. Comments under the videos mock, insult and scoff showing an obvious disdain to those who hold a different opinion, reveal historical errors or faulty logic. The comments are anti-Catholic, full of distasteful rhetoric spewed in condemnation directed at the debunkers. This is mainly a result of the teachings of Alexander Hislop and those found in the church revolving around the Revelation 17 prophecy.
Yes, the Catholic church is an organism unto its own self, seeking to dominate fundamental Christianity with idols and the acceptance of 'one god' worshipped in different ways. But you don't need Hislop's mumbo jumbo and the rewriting of ancient history to prove that.
In short, I just have a hard time wrapping my head around the rewrite of Revelation 17 as a harlot church, which stifles further investigation into the prophecy; which only makes me wonder, what spirit had driven Hislop to divulge so much of his life into that subject. By isolating the harlot woman into Hislop's conjecture as a church and religion it becomes contrary to scripture, completely removing what John was portraying by the imagery of the harlot woman sitting on the heads of the scarlet beast kingdom.
Look here, don't look there.
I highly disapprove his rewrite of ancient history to make his theory work. I take that personally for I've been invested in the study of Mesopotamian history for several decades. He may have convinced the majority but, I am not the majority. And, I'm sure he was fully invested in his research, believing beyond a doubt he had found a key to unlock an ancient secret buried in time. A discovery of secret and hidden knowledge discovered and revealed only to him.
What do I mean by 'rewrite of ancient history'?
Here's an example which I have used several times: Tammuz, the pagan god of plants and pastures had been moved into the position of the son of the goddess Ishtar when all historical accounts point to Tammuz as being the boyfriend of Ishtar. And, by all authentic historical accounts (the real ones), Ishtar was childless. This is part of the mother-child hypotheses invented by Hislop which I covered in part in this post: Hislop and the Mother Child Religion.
I also have a difficult time believing that Nimrod continued his legacy through time and decided to call it quits once he became the god Odin of the Norsemen, the last of the pagan gods. And, where did he go afterwards? Perhaps while the Vikings were raiding the churches in the British Isles a Catholic priest exorcised his soul from Odin, allowing him to finally join the afterlife?
And why did Nimrod even continue into the Norse country after he became baby Jesus in the form of his reincarnated state as Tammuz? Semiramis stopped at Mary, what propelled Nimrod to continue? I thought Mary and Jesus were the crowning stopping point of Satan's pagan switcheroo?
I've decided to do a full analyses of Hislop's bizarre scheme to map Nimrod, Semiramis and the reincarnated Nimrod aka: Tammuz throughout history until they reach their final destination: the Catholic church. In fact, I've already started and God willing it should be completed by the end of the year.
The Semiramis Myth will be focusing on the writings of Alexander Hislop and the lack of post-flood evidence surrounding the existence of the woman called Semiramis.
It's a personal challenge to uncover and document the truth for others. Even if you are fully invested in Semiramis, fabled mother and wife of Nimrod and their sun-god child Tammuz, you may find this educational and perhaps helpful.
Perhaps after I finish, I too will become a believer?
I will attempt to highlight the key items used by those who rely on Alexander Hislop’s version of ancient events in order to tie Semiramis, Nimrod and Tammuz into the church and eventually the Revelation 17 prophecy as the religious center of a harlot religion via a harlot church. How does a church or religious system become a πόρνης a 'commercially corrupt one' a human trafficker, a drug distributor, a mega city? Is this similar to how the Kaaba defines Mecca, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount define Israel or the Roman Catholic church defines the Vatican? If so, then the Temple Mount, a church or Kaaba can sit in a city, become an important part of that city, even hold a dominant position, but how does a church become the city itself? How does that work?
And, how do you destroy a religious system, a belief system, by fire? Rev 17:16) This question had haunted me for a long time, ever since Pastor Andy Woods questioned this during one of his sermons.
Can you destroy a belief system such as the one Hamas follows by fire? Can you burn a few religious sites, or destroy an entire city such as Mecca or Vatican city and consider the religion or belief system wiped out?
That's not how this works.
The final clue the angel gave John was that the woman was a metaphor for a city, a mega city, a harlot city, a 'commercially corrupt' city.
And the woman that you saw, is the great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.
When I watch or listen to the teachings of Revelation 17 I always expect to hear the teaching from the viewpoint of a wicked and evil city but, that is hardly ever taught. Why is that? How did Babylon become a 'code word' for Rome? How did the city become the church? How do the heads of the beast aka: the mountains (kingdoms) become the hills of Rome? And if the heads are hills, which hill received a deadly head wound which was healed in Revelation 13:3?
Does an angel use 'code words' or would he use symbolic metaphors from the Old Testament prophets? Did Christ Jesus tell John that he could use 'code words' when it suited him? I don't remember that in scripture. But, what I do remember is this:
For I testify to every man that hears the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And, if any man shall take away from the words of the book, of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. Revelation 22:18,19
No, I don't believe the angel gave John 'code words' when he documented what he saw and put it into writing. No, I don't believe that John used 'code words' at all.
Do not go beyond what is written.
1 Corinthians 4:6
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