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Acanthus: Greek Culture

8th June 2011, hej

 

4) The conflict: Greek verus Hebrew thinking

We have a great contrast. On one hand very, very ancient Hebrew understanding that endured until well after the era of the Apostle Paul, that proclaimed that all humans die and turn to dust. Then there is also Greeco- Roman pagan thought that emerged in the Hellenistic world that things might be cyclic, and speculated, without evidence, that death may not be an end.


The Hebrew scriptures hint at the origin of the Hellenistic thinking.

The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden thou may freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eat of it your shall dying die.” (Genesis 2:16-17)

The serpent said to Eve regarding eating that tree, “Ye shall not surely die:” (Genesis 3:4)

The acanthus as a Roman symbol borrowed from Hellenistic culture echoes the words of the serpent. It was said to the serpent, and any who inherit that serpent thinking,

I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. (Genesis 3:15)


The culture of Hellenism had been in strong conflict with the Jewish culture at the time of the Macabees. Hellenism however was taken further by Rome. As Rome's influence grew, the Roman culture gained an influence during Herod's rule in Judea. The conflict became more muted. The Jewish leadership began to fear the Romans rather than the God of Israel. When Jesus, by demonstration of God's power, began to lead the people to return to God, the Jewish leadership acted on their fear of Roman power. They are recorded as saying,

If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. (John 11:48)

Their reasoning was incorrect. Their power was from God only. However, in this way, it was the Roman power, who valued the acanthus, that spoke the idea of the serpent, that was involved when 'the seed of the woman', Jesus, was 'bruised the heel' by crucifixion.


From the dominance of Greek-influenced Rome until its transference into an apostate Roman 'christianity' until the modern world, the Greek idea of an immortal soul has dominated and has paralleled the influence of Greek architecture and the prevalence of the acanthus decoration.


It is perhaps not an accident that with the liberation of Jews from ghettos in the late1800's and their increasing influence on thought after 1900, that the world began to prefer less decoration and the acanthus leaf motif was not so evident. Jewish architects were foremost in the less decorated styles of the Modern era. From about the same time, the mid 1800's, the ancient Hebrew thinking of death, dissolution of being and a bodily resurrection from dust on an appointed day was preached openly once again.


The words of Christ were read with the clarity of Hebrew thinking,

Jesus said, “Ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (John 8:24)

The Apostle Paul, another Hebrew, is in no doubt of his people's ancient understanding. His language is very strong,

But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
Thou fool, that which thou sow is not quickened, except it die: (1Corinthians 15:35-36)


The acanthus leaf has no longer the association that it once had, but the wise may ponder when they see it, that there was intense enmity between the Hellenistic and the Hebrew cultures. And one of the fundamental differences is exemplified in the meaning of the Acanthus decoration. Using speculation that rivalled the serpent's in Eden, philosophers of the Hellenistic world began to innovate and wonder if a bit of them might go on living, and if perhaps an intangible bit might animate a plant, or if the soul of plant might become human.


However Hebrew belief remained unchanged from the beginning; a belief that all die and turn to dust. From Job to Daniel to Paul the only hope expressed was that being raised from the dust on an appointed day. Early Christians exemplify Hebrew ideas and did most to promote the resurrection. They witnessed that a man who was dead in the grave for three days rose from the dead to live forever.

For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. (1Corinthians 15:22-23)


The 'creative tension' of 'christianity' is due to the late corruption of the Hebrew gospel with a Greek pagan error from incoherent discussions of philosophy. There has been enmity and tension always between those who call themselves Christian who hold the Hebrew ideas in purity and those who bear the Greek ideas of an immortal soul that went with the acanthus. The acanthus name “thorny flower” if used purposefully in decoration, bears a story of condemnation. The writer to the Hebrews speaks of it directly,

But that which bears thorns akantha and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned. (Hebrews 6:8)



For more see heart, mind and soul


Topics: Greek, acanthus
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