Bible Study the Eostre / Eastre cult

[Bob10]

Eostre, "goddess of Dawn"



According to Bede (c. 672 - 735), "Eosturmonath has a name which is now translated "Paschal month", and which was once called after a goddess of theirs named Eostre, in whose honour feasts were celebrated in that month. Now they designate that Paschal season by her name, calling the joys of the new rite by the time-honoured name of the old observance."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eostre




Another symbol sacred to Eostre is the Hare, which eventually became the Easter bunny of today. In the cult of Eostre, the hare was a symbol of fertility, a common tradition amongst Anglo-Saxon speakers.

The Christian church eventually took over the festival of Eostre, incorporating ancient customs into early Christianity. As the festival of Eostre was about celebrating life and re-birth, the Christians found it easy and convenient to exchange Eostre for their own symbol of re-birth, the resurrected Christ, while retaining the name Eostre or Easter.

http://myths.allinfoabout.com/feature64.html




Eostre worship consisted of: Ostern Hare, Ostara eggs, the Ostara sword, and hilltop ceremonies at dawn.




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What the early Church fathers accomplished by inserting the spring equinox into the calculation of the date of pascha was to cut the Passover loose from its moorings in Scripture and move it to the date of pagan Eastre.

Whether accidently or by intent, you decide.

 

[Bob10]

Interesting that there is no holy convocation commanded for First Fruits -- i.e. the Resurrection. Could that be because God wanted to avoid any kind of mixture with the pagan celebration of Easter?

Easter is not of God, despite the great affection and allegiance to it that most Christians have. It is nothing more than a Christianized version of an ancient pagan fertility festival that dates all the way back to Babylon.

To all you sincere and earnest followers of Jesus, I encourage you to humble yourselves and at least look into the origins of Easter. You needn't go any farther than credited, secular sources like the Encyclopedia Britannica. And by all means, explore and try out the biblical festivals. They are prescribed by God and are full of the rich symbolism and prophecy of Messiah's life and death and coming again.

O LORD, my strength and my stronghold, And my refuge in the day of distress, To You the nations will come From the ends of the earth and say, "Our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, Futility and things of no profit." Can man make gods for himself? Yet they are not gods! Therefore behold, I am going to make them know-- This time I will make them know My power and My might; And they shall know that My name is the LORD. [Jer. 16:19]

 

[Bob10]

Do Christians ever wonder why it is that the entire world, both secular and religious, tends to observe the holidays of Christmas and Easter? I mean, down the street from where I work, there is a topless club with a sign out front advertising a special steak and eggs breakfast for Easter Sunday.

Hello people?!? What on earth does stripping, baskets of candy, rabbit laying eggs and the Easter Ham have ANYTHING to do with the spotless Lamb of God?

I'll tell you why the world celebrates Easter and Christmas. It's because these holidays, from their inception, were simply age-old pagan festivals that were Christianized to welcome in all the various religions into the fold of the emerging faith.

It's time that we come out of Babylon, brothers and sisters. God is holy and He has prescribed how He desires to be worshipped. Let us cast off the vain and worthless traditions that we have inherited from our fathers and walk in the ancient paths of God, for therein lies the blessing.

 

[tim-from-pa]

I agree with you 100% here Bob. I've been saying that we should not call it Easter, but Firstfruits.

I find something strangely humorous about this pagan festival. Speaking of the egg and fertility cults, we see that the egg also crept into the sedar meal. Despite explanations, I heard that Jews really are not sure where that custom got started. Those eggs surely get around! :-D

 

[guibox]

Hello people?!? What on earth does stripping, baskets of candy, rabbit laying eggs and the Easter Ham have ANYTHING to do with the spotless Lamb of God?

What?/ You don't know? I thought everybody knew that! ;-)

Good to see you back, Bob10, we have missed you here!

 

[Bob10]

Thank you. Good to be back, guibox.

It's difficult to remember but I think this web site closed down or remodeled a while ago, and I left around that time.