Passover Prt1

[I's2C]

If you do nothing else this year at least celebrate the Holiest day of Christianity the way GOD tells us to do it! This may very well be our last chance to do it GODS way, most important Passover of our lives, we are seeing all prophecy being fulfilled with the generation of the fig tree coming to a conclusion where all prophecy will be fulfilled, not maybe, WILL be fulfilled! Don’t let any Church or man say anyone is not worthy of this blessing, don’t let them steal your blessing. If we waited on us to be ready we would never take communion; we don't do it because we are worthy we do it because CHRIST was worthy. Dont let man steal your blessing by telling anyone they are not worthy.

Spring Equinox this year -The first day of spring is Monday, March 20, 2023, at 5:24 p.m. EDT. GOD tells us back when Israel became a nation on 14th Nisan/Abib and their exodus from Egypt; The 1st day was reckoned from sunset to sunset, Those 3 main feast were Passover for 1 day and 7 days of Unleavened bread, Pentecost, and Feast of Tabernacles they were to remain Holy in which no servile work was to be done (Lev.23:7,24,35. Ex 12:16) These Holy days are a very good time to Commune with GOD if you choose. Exo 12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. Exo 12:18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.

Very first Passover was of the Exodus of the newly formed nation of Israel; at the hand of GOD Moses delivered them from the 400 years of harsh bondage in a desert by Egypt, the 10th plague in a darkness so thick you could feel it where GOD passed over every house that did what HE instructed. Passover-14th day after Spring Equinox at sundown will be 15th of Abib/Nissan is Passover; this is a perpetual time line to keep feasts in order as long as sun rises in the East and sets in the West; this being the custom from Exodus to crucifixion of CHRIST when CHRIST became our Passover; The most Holy day of Christianity. This year will be at sundown April 3rd-sundown April 4th-Holiest day of all Christianity when we take of the LORDS table, we commune with GODHEAD. If you want GODS blessing than we need to do it GODS way. 1Co 5:7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
Christians should always be unleavened meaning- CHRIST became our Passover; we strive to purge out sin every day. Today We use blessed oil over our door and door sides so that all evil, pestilence and death (Satan) passes us by, just as the blood of the very first Passover is an example for us; so that evil knows we are children of the 1 and only GOD, that evil does not dare come near or be sent back where they came from. You want peace of mind? Then do it GODS way. Psalm 34:1 I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.

Let’s be clear it is not the oil or the bread or the wine that does anything; it is our obedience to GOD who ordained this statue for us to do in remembrance. It is the act of obeying HIS commandments by reading GODS WORD that shows we read and adhere to them. We were to do this in plain sight of our children with sole intent so they would ask why we do it. Therefore the world, our children and our children’s children never forget. We do it because GOD wants to see if you have read the letter HE sent you to follow HIM or traditions of men who make void the WORD of GOD. Ultimately and spiritually when you don’t do it GODS way it is the mark of Satan, doing his work for him, there is no in between. Exo 12:24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.
Today we take of the bread and cup and commune with GOD/CHRIST as often as we meet. Today we take of the wine representing blood of CHRIST on this day> HE shed on the cross, a perfect sacrifice where HE took the sins of man on HIMSELF. The bread representing HIS body: we break to remember that Scripture is sure! that not a bone of HIS was broken which was custom for Romans to do to all those that were crucified, to make sure they died a quick death. When coming to CHRIST they knew HE was already dead so that the prophecy would be true and again as prophecy fulfilled speared HIM where blood and water spilled (Ps. 22). All prophesied with such accuracy a thousand years before the fact so readers of scripture could read with faith that the WORD is true from an Omnipotent GOD.

Exo 12:26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service?

Exo 12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.

Exo 12:27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped.

This first Passover in 1491 BC @12 midnight on 15th of Abib/Nisan; we are to keep until CHRIST return’s on 2nd Advent. If you want GOD to bless you, you must fallow HIS commandments, HIS health laws, HIS ordinances, don’t let traditions of man take away your blessings by allowing on the most Holy day of Christianity to be hijacked by pagan rituals. You want blessings than do it GODS way, not mans.

Somewhere in the translation evil seed have changed the word of pascal to Easter, could only have come by from seed of Satan. How do you get Easter from pascha? Does not translate in any language backwards or forward. Seed of Satan confusing the people of GOD with one word, 1 tradition on the most holy day of Christianity where it was never, nor could ever be translated Easter, but Pascha from beginning to end.

Act 12:4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

One of The worst translations in the KJV Bible; the only time mentioned in GODS WORD, no 2nd witness of it anywhere.

Gr. MS doesn’t say Easter its Strongs-Gr. pascha; pas'khah-of Aramaic origin compare 6453} the Passover; should have been translated Passover; how could any scholar ever mis-translate a word so bad? A true person of GOD couldn’t have, had to come about by Satan’s seed.

 

[ViaCrucis]

The holiest day in Christianity is the Christian Passover, Pascha or Easter, the Feast of Feasts and Day of Days.

What the Jewish Passover looked forward to, Christ has fulfilled.

Christ is risen from the dead.
Death has died.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

The use of the Germanic "Easter" in place of the Greek "Pascha" isn't that big of a deal. According to Daniell, David (2003). The Bible in English: its history and influence.,

Certain Greek and Hebrew words were to be translated in a manner that reflected the traditional usage of the church. For example, old ecclesiastical words such as the word "church" were to be retained and not to be translated as "congregation".

So translating Pascha into Easter, while technically incorrect, the KJV translators were simply using the English word in use by the common people at that time for the Resurrection of Christ.

 

[I's2C]

It gets its origin from Ishtar; was a Phenician pagan fertility goddess and has absolutely nothing to do with the Christian high Sabbath. CHRIST became our Passover, the sacrificial lamb. Only the seed of Satan (Kenites) could have caused anyone to change this unholy pagan religion with the highest day of Christianity. How sad/angry GOD must be; when this Holy day comes around and HE sees HIS children celebrate a day when Moses delivered Israel with the right hand of GOD and the very same day HIS only begotten SON would become the sacrificial lamb in houses of GOD. Every time this day comes and I look around the way our churches-Houses of GOD celebrate I cant help but think how sad GOD must be to see HIS children worship this day. I just cry and only can be sad with HIM>don't get me wrong many of these are good people and I know many but the way they have been taught is wrong. Many sat in pews their whole life never being taught GODS WORD fallowing traditions of men not GOD>
Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
This one verse sums up the majority of churches today, written of the church of end times as we see in verse 16 where no one can make any argument as to who CHRIST is talking about. dogs here is Gr. kuon and implies a temple male prostitute of Ashtoreth who was a Phoenician fatality goddess worshiped in Cyprus, in the woods near churches and instituted in the early church; just as Ishtar another fertility goddess most likely both lend to each other, as Easter to fill pews. {Smiths-Ashtoreth (a star) the principal female divinity of the Phoenicians, called Ishtar by the Assyrians and Astarte by the Greeks and Romans. She was by some ancient writers identified with the moon. But on the other hand the Assyrian Ishtar was not the moon-goddess, but the planet Venus; and Astarte was by many identified with the goddess Venus (or Aphrodite) as well as with the plant of that name}. She was called the queen of heaven. Christians lay down their self-righteous holier than thou mentality and say they have no idols; Do you celebrate Easter dressed up as a bunny hopping around in your churches? die eggs, have sun rise services? These are just a couple of ways you are idol worshiping. Traditions of men make void the WORD of GOD.
Rev 22:16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.
Early elders of the church thought if they replaced pascha with Easter they could get these people from out the groves and into their church. They may have had good intentions but with the help of Kenites have perverted the most Holiest of all feasts. Where churches have Easter bunnies and roll Easter eggs on the most Holy day of Christianity; Passover. In the grove orgies; Men would hop from one woman to the other of in which the women some very young were forced to perform these orgies in groves. They rolled eggs around to test fertility; if it cracked it was a bad sign of the fertility. I ask you what does any of these things have to do with the one and only BRIGHT MORNING STAR?
The word dog appears in Phoenician remains, as supplied to a class of servants attached to a temple of Ashtoreth in Cyprus. Otherwise implying male prostitutes in the house of GOD itself. Look around does anyone see what’s going on in their neighborhood church today, where they have allowed drag queen shows in their houses of worship. Invited homosexuals as preachers, deacons and leaders of their church. You have small highly susceptible children seeing this and thinking it is ok because, if the House of GOD would allow it, it must be ok. They look up at their parents and adults to guide their fragile minds; but when they themselves are confused because of what they are being taught then they don’t stand a chance. Even these children with their pureness can feel this is not right but when they see it in the Churches, schools, tv and in the White House how can they combat it with their fragile deceptive young minds. GOD want be mocked and in the days of Sodom and Gomorrah the children’s voices crying out to GOD was what called for their destruction. If your church does not practise in this way than GOD is not angry with you but if you do GOD help you!!

sorcerers is Gr. Strongs 5333 pharmakos-same as Gr. 5332 pharmakeus=a druggist or poison giver, where our word pharmacy comes from; we have our government and big pharma mandating poisons to be put into our bodies where many churches helped to push it on their congregations.
Amo 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

 

[JSRG]

It gets its origin from Ishtar; was a Phenician pagan fertility goddess and has absolutely nothing to do with the Christian high Sabbath.

This is a claim people make, but do not substantiate. There is simply a lack of proof that the English word Easter had anything at all to do with Ishtar. The word for Easter doesn't even resemble Ishtar in most European languages (e.g. it is Pasqua in Italian).

Early elders of the church thought if they replaced pascha with Easter they could get these people from out the groves and into their church. They may have had good intentions but with the help of Kenites have perverted the most Holiest of all feasts. Where churches have Easter bunnies and roll Easter eggs on the most Holy day of Christianity; Passover. In the grove orgies; Men would hop from one woman to the other of in which the women some very young were forced to perform these orgies in groves. They rolled eggs around to test fertility; if it cracked it was a bad sign of the fertility. I ask you what does any of these things have to do with the one and only BRIGHT MORNING STAR?

You offer no evidence that in these "grove orgies" that "men would hop from one woman to another" or "they rolled eggs around to test fertility." Can you offer any evidence of this?

But even if these unsubstantiated claims actually were accurate, trying to draw a connection between these and Easter Eggs or Easter rabbits still makes little sense. The claim is made that "Early elders of the church thought if they replaced pascha with Easter they could get these people from out the groves and into their church." Exactly how "early" are these elders given that the Easter bunny is unknown prior to the 17th century and Easter eggs seem to have first appeared around the 11th century? Indeed, by the time these became associated with Easter, paganism had gone extinct in Europe; there were no people to get "from out the groves" anymore.

 

[I's2C]

This is a claim people make, but do not substantiate. There is simply a lack of proof that the English word Easter had anything at all to do with Ishtar. The word for Easter doesn't even resemble Ishtar in most European languages (e.g. it is Pasqua in Italian).



You offer no evidence that in these "grove orgies" that "men would hop from one woman to another" or "they rolled eggs around to test fertility." Can you offer any evidence of this?

But even if these unsubstantiated claims actually were accurate, trying to draw a connection between these and Easter Eggs or Easter rabbits still makes little sense. The claim is made that "Early elders of the church thought if they replaced pascha with Easter they could get these people from out the groves and into their church." Exactly how "early" are these elders given that the Easter bunny is unknown prior to the 17th century and Easter eggs seem to have first appeared around the 11th century? Indeed, by the time these became associated with Easter, paganism had gone extinct in Europe; there were no people to get "from out the groves" anymore.

As Christians our most Holy day but sense you brought it up: Webster’s 3rd edition Collegiate dictionary before they became woke and change definitions on a daily basis to fit life styles says: Easter origin-name of a pagan vernal festival almost coincident in date with paschal festival of the church<Eastre, dawn goddess<

In Acts 12:4 Easter; (Gr. Pascha) is a heathen term, derived from the Saxon goddess Eastre, the same as Astarte, the Syrian Venus, called Ashtoreth in O.T.

Pascha translated at least 26 other times in New Testament and translated -Passover and this one time -Easter and the whole Christian feast changed forever.

Mark 7:13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Easter transliterates from a so called goddess-queen of heaven; supposedly an egg fell from heaven and the fish rolled it to the bank, the doves sat on it and hatched it and eastar (estar) the goddess was born.

From that egg we have the Easter egg, nowhere in GODs WORD does it tell us to celebrate Passover in this manner. This has to break GODS heart for Christians to do this.

80% of America participates in this holiest of days, dying eggs, getting candy from an Easter bunny and hiding them and let the children find them, never knowing the true meaning, a tradition the White house televises each year the old practice of egg rolling for the fertility goddess; abomination and adultery to GOD. Speaking of bunny’s and eggs; never mentioning the SON of GOD that was crucified and became our Passover lamb. It was a spring festival taught years before CHRIST ever walked into a tabernacle and planted into the WORD of GOD that could only have come about by the hands of Satan himself, laughing the whole time, every time Christians practice it. Easter bunny that brings more insult to the feast day where they hopped quick like a bunny from 1 girl to the next. Traditions of men make void the WORD of GOD; in this nation and around the world this is 1 and possibly the worst of all.

Eastre the queen of heaven was in operation long before our Passover-CHRIST; many scholars tried to correct this word in acts but were ridiculed and ruined many of them.

1 of many places Mentioned in our FATHERS WORD; GOD tells us what they did to celebrate her.

Jer 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.


Jer 7:19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?
GOD asking do we do it to HIS face in spike? Because it is nowhere in GODs WORD to color eggs and hide them with a bunny. CHRIST is our Passover that went through so much that we may live. We just spit in HIS face when we celebrate Passover weekend and that HE raised from the tomb defeating death, that is to say Satan, this way.

CHRIST warned us to be weary of false doctrines; in HIS time was the of the Sadducee's and Pharisees

Jer 7:20 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, mine anger and my fury shall be poured out upon this place, upon man, and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn, and shall not be quenched.

A curse GOD puts on those that worship this way knowingly that it came from a pagan goddess.

Ezekiel brought to the House of GOD in Jerusalem and shown where they brought every abominable thing in including Eastre. GOD saying something even worse than insects and abominable acts;

Eze 8:14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

Tammuz=mythical goddess>was an idol personifying vegetable and animal life; worshiped in Phoenicia and Babylonia

Eze 8:15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.

Eze 8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.

Between the porch and alter the place appointed for priest. Was seen as far back as Job 31:26 and foreseen in Deut. 4:19 adopted as early as Asa 2Chron. 14:5

Eze 8:17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.

So many celebrate sunrise Easter, worshiping the sun and goddess of heaven; the Ark of GOD placed in the Holy of Holies at the Western end of Tabernacle; would mean Eze. 8:16 24 elders (priest) they would have to turn their back on the Alter of GOD facing east waiting on the Sun to rise. GOD is angry at this tradition of men ever sense long ago, has it changed? No! many/ most unwittingly still do this and call it a Holy practice; GOD does not see it that way!! Most don’t realize they are doing this but I would bet that the Church elders would have to know the history of it. One might say “well that was OT times they do not do it today” OH?

Eze 8:18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.

Good Christian folk sat in pews their whole life but not understanding the abominations they do to GOD and will wander what they did when GOD doesn’t hear their prayers. At CHRIST return when they say they cast out demons in the LORDS name HE says HE will tell them “HE knows them not". Their church leaders leading them down a road perdition.
The sons of Satan translating Pascha to Easter; celebrating Passover with eggs and sun worship is a great abomination and a spit in CHRIST face who became our Passover Lamb.

The Roman Church created the observance of Easter, not the Church of Messiah.

Victor, Bishop of Rome, proclaimed that Easter must be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox, of their Roman calendar model, This was done to ensure that Easter would never fall on the Biblical Passover.

This effectively caused ‘Christians’ to be out of sync with the heavenly cycles on which the Father based the solar calendar.The churches in Asia were unwilling to compromise observing the Holy Feast Days, so the Bishops of Rome had Emperor Constantine make a law forbidding them.

In 325 A.D., at the First Council of Nicaea, they established the date of Easter as the first Sunday after the full moon following the March equinox. As Christians we never go by lunar that is of Satan we go by Solar that never changes. Moon phase always change from month to month, year to year. All prophecy of Satan are always given in months while all prophecy of good are given in Solar-day, we are of the light not dark. As Christians we go by Solar not lunar for we are of the light not dark.

You might say this is not done today but John, who wrote the Revelations of our LORD, was taken to the end times of what churches were doing in latter days. CHRIST only approved of 2 out of 7.

Rev 22:15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

This one verse sums up the majority of churches today, written of the church of end times as we see in verse 16 where no one can make any argument as to who CHRIST is talking about. The scarlet harlot as I call her. What ever name you call it, it all comes from Satan! Celebrate the way GOD tells us CHRIST who became our Passover showed us how. If you want to die eggs and give out candy, fine do it on another day not Pascha.

 

[FireDragon76]

Easter is related to the word "East", which in turn both come from the name for the Germanic goddess of the dawn, Eostre, the same as the Greek Eos, or the Hindu goddess Ushas. Only in German and English is festival of the resurrection of Christ named thusly. In most other European languages, the day is either simply called Voskresenye (in Slavic languages, it means "The Resurrection"), or derived from Pascua/Pascha (from Pesach, Hebrew for "Passover").

 

[ralliann]

Easter is related to the word "East",

Greek
king of the Jews.
We have seen his star in the east. This was a known prophesy of the Messiah.
Notice, they knew exactly what these wise men meant.
The star prophesy of Moses
Nu 24:17 I shall see him, but not now: I shall behold him, but not nigh: there shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth.

792 ἀστήρ aster as-tare’

probably from the base of 4766; n m; TDNT-1:503,86; {See TDNT 109}

AV-star 24; 24

1) a star

which in turn both come from the name for the Germanic goddess of the dawn, Eostre, the same as the Greek Eos, or the Hindu goddess Ushas. Only in German and English is festival of the resurrection of Christ named thusly. In most other European languages, the day is either simply called Voskresenye (in Slavic languages, it means "The Resurrection"), or derived from Pascua/Pascha (from Pesach, Hebrew for "Passover").

Or a star in the Greek. The east star/ dayspring. Which also the sun
Mal 4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

2Pe 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

There is more, but this should be enough, for aster, or east star.

 

[JSRG]

As Christians our most Holy day but sense you brought it up: Webster’s 3rd edition Collegiate dictionary before they became woke and change definitions on a daily basis to fit life styles says: Easter origin-name of a pagan vernal festival almost coincident in date with paschal festival of the church<Eastre, dawn goddess<

First, I would also like to note that despite my request, you seem to have offered no evidence either of your claim that there were "grove orgies" in which "men would hop from one woman to another" and "they rolled eggs around to test fertility" with the insinuation this is what caused Easter practices.

Moving on to what you say here, I do not have the specific edition you cite, so I have to take your word for it that that's what it said. But if it is what it says, then it's not exactly accurate.

Firstly, let's move back to the question of Eastre, better known as Eostre, the goddess from which the name Easter supposedly came from. The only mention we have of this goddess's existence is a brief mention in the Reckoning of Time by Bede, an 8th-century work about... well, the reckoning of time. There is a portion where he discusses the names of the months in the old English calendar, he mentions Eostormonab (one of the months) and Eostre. Here are the pertinent excerpts (one can find them at Bede, on 'Eostre'):

In olden time the English people -- for it did not seem fitting to me that I should speak of other people's observance of the year and yet be silent about my own nation's -- calculated their months according to the course of the moon. Hence, after the manner of the Greeks and the Romans (the months) take their name from the Moon, for the Moon is called mona and the month monath.

The first month, which the Latins call January, is Giuli; February is called Solmonath; March Hrethmonath; April, Eosturmonath; May, Thrimilchi; June, Litha; July, also Litha; August, Weodmonath; September, Halegmonath; October, Winterfilleth; November, Blodmonath; December, Giuli, the same name by which January is called. ...

Nor is it irrelevant if we take the time to translate the names of the other months. ... Hrethmonath is named for their goddess Hretha, to whom they sacrificed at this time. 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. Thrimilchi was so called because in that month the cattle were milked three times a day...

It should again be stressed: This is the only source we have about Eostre. So if anyone claims anything at all about Eostre that isn't in the above section, it's speculation. The dictionary claims that Eostre was a dawn goddess... you may notice the obvious fact Bede doesn't say that. So it's speculation and therefore incorrect on the part of the dictionary to claim. It's possible (her name could have a relationship to older words for dawn), but it's nevertheless a speculation. I want to make this clear to all readers: If you see someone say anything about the characteristics of Eostre (e.g. what she was a goddess of or what her symbols or holidays were), and it isn't found in Bede's work, it's speculation.

Similarly, the statement "name of a pagan vernal festival almost coincident in date with paschal festival of the church" is inaccurate. Bede doesn't say anything at all about that being the name of any pagan vernal festival; he merely says there were feasts to Eostre in that month. Note there being a plural of feasts, indicating this wouldn't have been a specific festival on a specific day, but something happening multiple times in the month. We also don't know when those feasts were in the month, so "almost coincident in time with paschal festival of the church" is speculative as well, but I suppose falling within the same month at least could grant "almost coincident in time" if you define it a bit loosely.

So as we can see, the definition offered by your dictionary is rather fallacious, making claims that are not verified by the source we have. They're speculations. To be fair, the dictionary may have been trying to offer a simplified version of it by cutting through the uncertainties--still, it would have been more accurate had it used words such as "probably" or "possibly".

But this then brings us to another important issue. As noted, our only source on this is Bede's mention. But is Bede correct to begin with that Eostormunab was named after a goddess named Eostre and that there were feasts to her? Bede was writing centuries after the British Isles had been converted to Christianity, so anything he was writing about pagan deities was concerning things centuries ago.

This brings us the important question, though: Is Bede's claim even true? As noted, this is the only mention we have of Eostre. No other source refers to her, there is no physical evidence of any altars or temples, nothing. Thus, quite a few people have proposed that Bede was simply wrong here in ascribing the name of the month to Eostre, and that its name had some different origin; it is not clear at what time he believed that these feasts were done to Eostre, but it could have (even in his own view) been quite a long time ago, and if so this could have developed as an inaccurate source he was relying on. Certainly one would expect that such a goddess like this would have left more of a trace in history than a brief mention on where a month's name comes from.

Given these considerations, the New Oxford American Dictionary gives a better explanation for its etymology:

"Old English ēastre; of Germanic origin and related to German Ostern and east; perhaps from Ēastre, the name of a goddess associated with spring."

It brings up the possible Eastre/Eostre connection, but acknowledges that this is simply a "perhaps". Additionally, it doesn't engage in the speculative claims about there being a festival that Easter took its name from.

But let's suppose that sure, Bede was right about this. What does it mean? Not all that much. Bede doesn't give a timeframe, so he could have easily been referring to something that happened long ago and fell out of favor before Christianity was ever introduced to the British Isles. Even if this was more recent, more plausibly the name Easter came from the month that Easter took place in, rather than it being directly from the alleged goddess.​

In Acts 12:4 Easter; (Gr. Pascha) is a heathen term, derived from the Saxon goddess Eastre, the same as Astarte, the Syrian Venus, called Ashtoreth in O.T.

As far as I am aware there is no evidence that Eastre, if she was an actual goddess to begin with, had anything to do with Astarte or Venus. Certainly you have not provided any.

Pascha translated at least 26 other times in New Testament and translated -Passover and this one time -Easter and the whole Christian feast changed forever.

The mere fact the KJV translated it as Easter changed it forever? Hardly. Easter was the English word for Easter long before the KJV was ever translated.

Easter transliterates from a so called goddess-queen of heaven; supposedly an egg fell from heaven and the fish rolled it to the bank, the doves sat on it and hatched it and eastar (estar) the goddess was born.

From that egg we have the Easter egg, nowhere in GODs WORD does it tell us to celebrate Passover in this manner. This has to break GODS heart for Christians to do this.

There is no evidence that Eastre came out of any egg at all; again, it's not mentioned by Bede, it's speculation. This falling out of heaven in an egg is a story that Hyginus says about Venus. We can see it at ToposText and he says:

"VENUS: Into the Euphrates River an egg of wonderful size is said to have fallen, which the fish rolled to the bank. Doves sat on it, and when it was heated, it hatched out Venus, who was later called the Syrian goddess. Since she excelled the rest in justice and uprightness, by a favour granted by Jove, the fish were put among the number of the stars, and because of this the Syrians do not eat fish or doves, considering them as gods."

This notably goes against the origin of Venus given by other writers, such as Hesiod who says in Theogony that Aphrodite (Greek name for Venus) came from sea foam (see The Theogony of Hesiod).

But supposing this was the origin of Venus, coming out of an egg, you simply claim "from that egg we have the Easter egg." Yet again this is asserted without proof; you don't get to point to a mention of an egg in one thing and then say it somehow affected a completely separate usage of eggs. Again, Easter Eggs only became a habit well after paganism had died off in Europe, so to try to draw any connection makes little sense.

80% of America participates in this holiest of days, dying eggs, getting candy from an Easter bunny and hiding them and let the children find them, never knowing the true meaning, a tradition the White house televises each year the old practice of egg rolling for the fertility goddess; abomination and adultery to GOD. Speaking of bunny’s and eggs; never mentioning the SON of GOD that was crucified and became our Passover lamb. It was a spring festival taught years before CHRIST ever walked into a tabernacle and planted into the WORD of GOD that could only have come about by the hands of Satan himself, laughing the whole time, every time Christians practice it. Easter bunny that brings more insult to the feast day where they hopped quick like a bunny from 1 girl to the next. Traditions of men make void the WORD of GOD; in this nation and around the world this is 1 and possibly the worst of all.

As I noted at the start, despite my request for evidence that there was any "feast day where they hopped quick like a bunny from 1 girl to the next" you have offered none. Now you add the additional claim that this "feast day" being "a spring festival taught years before CHRIST" again without offering any evidence. Can you provide any?

Eastre the queen of heaven was in operation long before our Passover-CHRIST; many scholars tried to correct this word in acts but were ridiculed and ruined many of them.

Another claim made without evidence. Can you demonstrate that any scholars were "ridiculed and ruined" for this? Certainly, it doesn't seem to have stopped scholars from, in just about every notable English translation other than the KJV, translating Acts 12:4 as Passover. Of all the translations on Biblegateway for this verse, only the KJV and a few variants of the KJV use Easter, with everything else using Passover or some variant thereof, except for the Contemporary English Version which simply says "festival." See Acts 12:4 - Bible Gateway.

The Roman Church created the observance of Easter, not the Church of Messiah.

Victor, Bishop of Rome, proclaimed that Easter must be celebrated on the first Sunday after the full moon following the vernal equinox, of their Roman calendar model, This was done to ensure that Easter would never fall on the Biblical Passover.

This effectively caused ‘Christians’ to be out of sync with the heavenly cycles on which the Father based the solar calendar.The churches in Asia were unwilling to compromise observing the Holy Feast Days, so the Bishops of Rome had Emperor Constantine make a law forbidding them.

It's inaccurate to claim that "the Roman Church" did this. All of the churches outside of the Province of Asia had their Pascha celebration on a Sunday. This was independent of Victor. What Victor did was attempt to be more aggressive and cut off the churches that held it on the same day as the Jews, but strong criticism of other bishops (including those who felt it should be celebrated on Sunday) talked him out of it. Our information on this comes from Eusebius's Church History, Book 5 Chapters 23-24 (see CHURCH FATHERS: Church History, Book V (Eusebius)).

It is additionally inaccurate to claim it created the observance of Easter when Easter, as has been noted, is a term exclusive to the English language and came about later. In Greek and Latin, the word for Easter and Passover are the same, which is why qualifiers are often used to make it clear which is in view; for example, Eusebius refers to "the Saviour's passover".

In 325 A.D., at the First Council of Nicaea, they established the date of Easter as the first Sunday after the full moon following the March equinox. As Christians we never go by lunar that is of Satan we go by Solar that never changes. Moon phase always change from month to month, year to year. All prophecy of Satan are always given in months while all prophecy of good are given in Solar-day, we are of the light not dark. As Christians we go by Solar not lunar for we are of the light not dark.

The issue here is that the Jewish Passover is done by lunar calculations. It always happens under a full moon, after all. Indeed, it's supposed to be the first full moon of the spring. If going "by lunar" is Satanic, then you're saying that Passover, even under the Jewish timing, is Satanic.

 

[I's2C]

First, I would also like to note that despite my request, you seem to have offered no evidence either of your claim that there were "grove orgies" in which "men would hop from one woman to another" and "they rolled eggs around to test fertility" with the insinuation this is what caused Easter practices.

Moving on to what you say here, I do not have the specific edition you cite, so I have to take your word for it that that's what it said. But if it is what it says, then it's not exactly accurate.

Firstly, let's move back to the question of Eastre, better known as Eostre, the goddess from which the name Easter supposedly came from. The only mention we have of this goddess's existence is a brief mention in the Reckoning of Time by Bede, an 8th-century work about... well, the reckoning of time. There is a portion where he discusses the names of the months in the old English calendar, he mentions Eostormonab (one of the months) and Eostre. Here are the pertinent excerpts (one can find them at Bede, on 'Eostre'):

In olden time the English people -- for it did not seem fitting to me that I should speak of other people's observance of the year and yet be silent about my own nation's -- calculated their months according to the course of the moon. Hence, after the manner of the Greeks and the Romans (the months) take their name from the Moon, for the Moon is called mona and the month monath.

The first month, which the Latins call January, is Giuli; February is called Solmonath; March Hrethmonath; April, Eosturmonath; May, Thrimilchi; June, Litha; July, also Litha; August, Weodmonath; September, Halegmonath; October, Winterfilleth; November, Blodmonath; December, Giuli, the same name by which January is called. ...

Nor is it irrelevant if we take the time to translate the names of the other months. ... Hrethmonath is named for their goddess Hretha, to whom they sacrificed at this time. 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. Thrimilchi was so called because in that month the cattle were milked three times a day...

It should again be stressed: This is the only source we have about Eostre. So if anyone claims anything at all about Eostre that isn't in the above section, it's speculation. The dictionary claims that Eostre was a dawn goddess... you may notice the obvious fact Bede doesn't say that. So it's speculation and therefore incorrect on the part of the dictionary to claim. It's possible (her name could have a relationship to older words for dawn), but it's nevertheless a speculation. I want to make this clear to all readers: If you see someone say anything about the characteristics of Eostre (e.g. what she was a goddess of or what her symbols or holidays were), and it isn't found in Bede's work, it's speculation.

Similarly, the statement "name of a pagan vernal festival almost coincident in date with paschal festival of the church" is inaccurate. Bede doesn't say anything at all about that being the name of any pagan vernal festival; he merely says there were feasts to Eostre in that month. Note there being a plural of feasts, indicating this wouldn't have been a specific festival on a specific day, but something happening multiple times in the month. We also don't know when those feasts were in the month, so "almost coincident in time with paschal festival of the church" is speculative as well, but I suppose falling within the same month at least could grant "almost coincident in time" if you define it a bit loosely.

So as we can see, the definition offered by your dictionary is rather fallacious, making claims that are not verified by the source we have. They're speculations. To be fair, the dictionary may have been trying to offer a simplified version of it by cutting through the uncertainties--still, it would have been more accurate had it used words such as "probably" or "possibly".

But this then brings us to another important issue. As noted, our only source on this is Bede's mention. But is Bede correct to begin with that Eostormunab was named after a goddess named Eostre and that there were feasts to her? Bede was writing centuries after the British Isles had been converted to Christianity, so anything he was writing about pagan deities was concerning things centuries ago.

This brings us the important question, though: Is Bede's claim even true? As noted, this is the only mention we have of Eostre. No other source refers to her, there is no physical evidence of any altars or temples, nothing. Thus, quite a few people have proposed that Bede was simply wrong here in ascribing the name of the month to Eostre, and that its name had some different origin; it is not clear at what time he believed that these feasts were done to Eostre, but it could have (even in his own view) been quite a long time ago, and if so this could have developed as an inaccurate source he was relying on. Certainly one would expect that such a goddess like this would have left more of a trace in history than a brief mention on where a month's name comes from.

Given these considerations, the New Oxford American Dictionary gives a better explanation for its etymology:

"Old English ēastre; of Germanic origin and related to German Ostern and east; perhaps from Ēastre, the name of a goddess associated with spring."

It brings up the possible Eastre/Eostre connection, but acknowledges that this is simply a "perhaps". Additionally, it doesn't engage in the speculative claims about there being a festival that Easter took its name from.

But let's suppose that sure, Bede was right about this. What does it mean? Not all that much. Bede doesn't give a timeframe, so he could have easily been referring to something that happened long ago and fell out of favor before Christianity was ever introduced to the British Isles. Even if this was more recent, more plausibly the name Easter came from the month that Easter took place in, rather than it being directly from the alleged goddess.​

As far as I am aware there is no evidence that Eastre, if she was an actual goddess to begin with, had anything to do with Astarte or Venus. Certainly you have not provided any.



The mere fact the KJV translated it as Easter changed it forever? Hardly. Easter was the English word for Easter long before the KJV was ever translated.




There is no evidence that Eastre came out of any egg at all; again, it's not mentioned by Bede, it's speculation. This falling out of heaven in an egg is a story that Hyginus says about Venus. We can see it at ToposText and he says:

"VENUS: Into the Euphrates River an egg of wonderful size is said to have fallen, which the fish rolled to the bank. Doves sat on it, and when it was heated, it hatched out Venus, who was later called the Syrian goddess. Since she excelled the rest in justice and uprightness, by a favour granted by Jove, the fish were put among the number of the stars, and because of this the Syrians do not eat fish or doves, considering them as gods."

This notably goes against the origin of Venus given by other writers, such as Hesiod who says in Theogony that Aphrodite (Greek name for Venus) came from sea foam (see The Theogony of Hesiod).

But supposing this was the origin of Venus, coming out of an egg, you simply claim "from that egg we have the Easter egg." Yet again this is asserted without proof; you don't get to point to a mention of an egg in one thing and then say it somehow affected a completely separate usage of eggs. Again, Easter Eggs only became a habit well after paganism had died off in Europe, so to try to draw any connection makes little sense.



As I noted at the start, despite my request for evidence that there was any "feast day where they hopped quick like a bunny from 1 girl to the next" you have offered none. Now you add the additional claim that this "feast day" being "a spring festival taught years before CHRIST" again without offering any evidence. Can you provide any?



Another claim made without evidence. Can you demonstrate that any scholars were "ridiculed and ruined" for this? Certainly, it doesn't seem to have stopped scholars from, in just about every notable English translation other than the KJV, translating Acts 12:4 as Passover. Of all the translations on Biblegateway for this verse, only the KJV and a few variants of the KJV use Easter, with everything else using Passover or some variant thereof, except for the Contemporary English Version which simply says "festival." See Acts 12:4 - Bible Gateway.



It's inaccurate to claim that "the Roman Church" did this. All of the churches outside of the Province of Asia had their Pascha celebration on a Sunday. This was independent of Victor. What Victor did was attempt to be more aggressive and cut off the churches that held it on the same day as the Jews, but strong criticism of other bishops (including those who felt it should be celebrated on Sunday) talked him out of it. Our information on this comes from Eusebius's Church History, Book 5 Chapters 23-24 (see CHURCH FATHERS: Church History, Book V (Eusebius)).

It is additionally inaccurate to claim it created the observance of Easter when Easter, as has been noted, is a term exclusive to the English language and came about later. In Greek and Latin, the word for Easter and Passover are the same, which is why qualifiers are often used to make it clear which is in view; for example, Eusebius refers to "the Saviour's passover".



The issue here is that the Jewish Passover is done by lunar calculations. It always happens under a full moon, after all. Indeed, it's supposed to be the first full moon of the spring. If going "by lunar" is Satanic, then you're saying that Passover, even under the Jewish timing, is Satanic.

For one never stated Roman church started, in fact I stated they worshiped queen of Heaven way before CHRIST walked thew earth. But to answer everything you got wrong would take more time than I have. I am not going to get into a vain argument with you, and take away from those who have eyes to see on this HOLY FEAST.: I think no matter what proof I hand you, you would be contentious toward it. I laid out the outline from scripture to history if you are truly concerned on these things you do the research; I know the truth and you can either do GODS way or have a good trip, choice is yours!!!! Their is plenty of proof to every thing I have said and I outlined how YOU can start research on your own and not waste my time. I showed how in scripture to do GODS way or go your own way, really does not matter to me 1 way or the other. GOD HIMSELF called them drove worshipers in Jer. 7:18 who worshiped the queen of heaven, what do you think they were doing in droves, patty cake? What ever name she has had over time she was a pagan fertility goddess that brings GOD to anger. You want to worship her, have at it.Your last post you asked for a date, I gave you the date the church changed Passover, you asked where in scripture, I gave you scripture, even the definition. From my study in Passover 1, 2 and last post to you is from origin to acts of the church. There is plenty of history on the subject, like I said volumes of books. The whole purpose of my post was for those to in this one Passover to do it GODS way, that is if you want to be blessed; may be our last chance to do it the right way. You can go by moon phases if you want but as true Christian I go by Solar, not lunar; solar cycle does not change, We are of the light not dark. It doesn't matter by what name you give it it is still wrong, period, full stop. By changing from Pascha to Easter takes away from what, how, when, why to observe this Holy Day the way GOD told us to do from Exodus to CHRIST who became our, for all time perfect sacrifice. HE showed the Disciples how too on what is called HIS last supper. I seen where you got your information where they are wrong on most all facts. I also come across this link that I agree with. Walking With God: The Truth About Easter and Passover
It is very first time I seen this, I usually study from books I have. Mainly KJV Bible, Strongs, smiths and Greens interlinear; these are sufficient in my studies and usually dont need anything else, But if you want truth than search and I always tell people dont take any mans word for anything but do research yourself. I outlined a some what history of it through the study in Passover, prt. 1, 2 and it is clear how GOD told us to worship until 2nd advent. HE tells us how, when, why and its all I need.

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

For one never stated Roman church started, in fact I stated they worshiped queen of Heaven way before CHRIST walked thew earth. But to answer everything you got wrong would take more time than I have. I am not going to get into a vain argument with you, and take away from those who have eyes to see on this HOLY FEAST.: I think no matter what proof I hand you, you would be contentious toward it. I laid out the outline from scripture to history if you are truly concerned on these things you do the research;

I have a bachelors in religious studies and a partial masters in divinity. I think I know my history.... And your statements are NOT it.

 

[JSRG]

For one never stated Roman church started, in fact I stated they worshiped queen of Heaven way before CHRIST walked thew earth. But to answer everything you got wrong would take more time than I have. I am not going to get into a vain argument with you, and take away from those who have eyes to see on this HOLY FEAST.: I think no matter what proof I hand you, you would be contentious toward it. I laid out the outline from scripture to history if you are truly concerned on these things you do the research; I know the truth and you can either do GODS way or have a good trip, choice is yours!!!! Their is plenty of proof to every thing I have said and I outlined how YOU can start research on your own and not waste my time.

There is "plenty of proof"? Yet neither you nor anyone else seems capable of offering it. I've read plenty of people who try to offer pagan origins of Easter, but they almost never cite any evidence whatsoever for their claims--and those that do actually offer things (not counting those who simply point to something which itself offers no evidence) tend to just misrepresent their sources, be based on out of date information, or be speculative.

You challenge me to do the research. I have done research. I've seen plenty of people make claims like yours--but no one cites evidence, and I have been unable to find any such evidence. And, indeed, their explanations for the supposed pagan origins of Easter eggs or rabbits don't even line up with each other; you claim that they came from grove orgies in which men "hopped" from one woman to another and testing eggs for fertility. Another person I saw claimed that they came from a pagan ritual in which children were sacrificed and eggs covered in their blood which were then buried to aid crops. Another claimed that Ishtar had a miracle in which a rabbit laid an egg. Evidence is never offered for any of these claims. Why do they all vary and why do none offer evidence? The most plausible explanation is simple: They're all made up. People just came up with made-up explanations for the source of Easter practices and then other people uncritically grabbed them, possibly changing them along the way as they uncritically repeated them in a game of telephone (hence the fact they can't even get the supposed pagan origins consistent).

I ask for evidence because no one has offered it, including yourself. The best anyone has ever been able to offer, at least when saying things they can point to actual evidence for, is to point to a few isolated instances of pagans doing something or other with eggs, but with no apparent connection to Easter eggs at all, nor any indication that it could have had any influence due to the timeline of Easter eggs developing too late.

I showed how in scripture to do GODS way or go your own way, really does not matter to me 1 way or the other. GOD HIMSELF called them drove worshipers in Jer. 7:18 who worshiped the queen of heaven, what do you think they were doing in droves, patty cake? What ever name she has had over time she was a pagan fertility goddess that brings GOD to anger. You want to worship her, have at it.Your last post you asked for a date, I gave you the date the church changed Passover,

You say my last post asked for a date. Where? Where did I ever ask for any date the church "changed" Passover? I do not think I ever said anything about this; the most I did was say that by the time Easter eggs and Easter rabbits became a thing, paganism had already been eradicated and thus it doesn't make sense to claim they were used to try to get pagans "out [of] the groves" as you claimed.

Though I note the dates you offer aren't anything about changing anything to Easter. The word "Easter" is just the English name for the holiday; none of the people you claim "changed" it ever even used the word Easter, as they were Greek or Latin speakers.

you asked where in scripture, I gave you scripture, even the definition.

Where did I ask anything about scripture at all? And how did you offer scripture? You threw out a bunch of biblical quotes, sure, but none seemed particularly relevant to what I was saying. The closest was how you talked a bunch about the portions of the bible criticizing the queen of heaven, but failed at proving any resemblance from it to Easter, Easter eggs, or Easter bunnies. The other was to point to Acts 12:4 as a mistranslation to Easter, but that really exists only in the KJV. The other scriptures you pointed to, as far as I remember, were simply ones that assume your point had already been proven.

From my study in Passover 1, 2 and last post to you is from origin to acts of the church. There is plenty of history on the subject, like I said volumes of books. The whole purpose of my post was for those to in this one Passover to do it GODS way, that is if you want to be blessed; may be our last chance to do it the right way. You can go by moon phases if you want but as true Christian I go by Solar, not lunar; solar cycle does not change, We are of the light not dark. It doesn't matter by what name you give it it is still wrong, period, full stop.

As I noted, and which you seem to have ignored, Passover's date is based on the moon.

Or rather, the date it's supposed to be done is based on the moon. The Hebrew calendar works thusly: Each month begins with a new moon, becomes a full moon midway through, and then ends with the return of the new moon. This is accomplished by having the months be 29-30 days long, in opposition to the modern Gregorian calendar which has months of 30-31 days (except for February), which allows for multiple new moons or full moons in the same month. Thus every holiday based on the Hebrew calendar is explicitly lunar-based, including Passover. Nisan 14, falling into the middle of the month, occurs under a full moon; it makes sense to put it under the full moon because during a night festival, you wanted the light the full moon provided.

Now, obviously, if you have twelve months that are 29-30 days long, you run up short of a full year, so every several years they would add in an extra month. Passover was required to be a spring festival, so the way it worked--or was supposed to work--was that in any year where Passover wouldn't have fallen in spring, they would add in the extra month. It was originally done on a year-to-year basis but nowadays is done in a 17-year cycle.

This is all very basic information about the Hebrew calendar that can easily be confirmed. For example, this Jewish site says:

https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/3210355/jewish/How-Does-the-Spring-Equinox-Relate-to-the-Timing-of-Passover.htm

So Passover, functionally, was set to be the first full moon after the spring equinox in the Hebrew calendar. This is clearly lunar-based.

By changing from Pascha to Easter takes away from what, how, when, why to observe this Holy Day the way GOD told us to do from Exodus to CHRIST who became our, for all time perfect sacrifice. HE showed the Disciples how too on what is called HIS last supper. I seen where you got your information where they are wrong on most all facts. I also come across this link that I agree with. Walking With God: The Truth About Easter and Passover
It is very first time I seen this, I usually study from books I have. Mainly KJV Bible, Strongs, smiths and Greens interlinear; these are sufficient in my studies and usually dont need anything else, But if you want truth than search and I always tell people dont take any mans word for anything but do research yourself. I outlined a some what history of it through the study in Passover, prt. 1, 2 and it is clear how GOD told us to worship until 2nd advent. HE tells us how, when, why and its all I need.

The website you link to makes the same problems you do: Namely, it offers claims without any evidence. And indeed, it makes claims that are simply not accurate, or are at the very least speculative. Concerning Easter eggs and Easter rabbits, it claims:

They in fact emerged from ancient paganism. The English word Easter is derived from the Old English term Eostre or Ostara, the name of the goddess of the spring, the dawn and fertility. Over 1,000 years before the birth of Jesus Christ, pagan people reveled in festivals to this and other pagan gods and goddesses that included sex rituals and even orgies. These festivities occurred around the time of the spring equinox when the sun’s rays brought warmth and life to the earth following the cold and darkness of winter.

First, there is no evidence that Eostre had anything to do with spring or fertility. It is possible, but it's a speculation (the dawn is also a speculation but at least there's a possible etymological cognate there). Again, if Bede didn't write it, then it's a speculation (and that's assuming Bede was correct even in what he did write). As for Ostara, Ostara was a speculative goddess that Jacob Grimm came up with in the 19th century in his work "Teutonic Mythology" (page 288-230 in the 1882 edition). I noted earlier the lack of proof that there ever was an Eostre (this incidentally also applies to Hretha, the goddess that the previous month of the year was supposedly named after). People in the 19th century were also aware of this, which is why there was much skepticism about Bede's claim. Jacob Grimm had a high opinion of Bede, however, and wanted to defend him on the existence of Eostre and Hretha. As part of his defense of Bede on this matter he came up with a hypothetical German version of Eostre named Ostara. He was the one who came up with it. It's a speculation on his part, with no mention by anyone in history prior to him. This is why no one is able to point to any mention of Ostara prior to Grimm.

So as we see, evidence is not provided, and it asserts as facts ideas that are mere speculations. To be fair to the website, perhaps it was simply copying what other people said (as inaccurate claims like what it says are distressingly common). But it still demonstrates why it is a poor source.

In pagan cultures, eggs often symbolized fertility and reproduction. For example, the ancient Druids in Britain and Gaul (modern-day France), were said to dye eggs and bury them in the newly plowed fields in late winter to encourage fertility and prosperity. As to the Easter bunny, in ancient times rabbits, as a rapidly breeding mammal, were valued as a sign of producing offspring. In addition, the Easter sunrise service has roots in the pagan ritual of prostrating before the rising sun (see Ezekiel 8:16).

No evidence is offered that Druids dyed eggs or buried them in fields, and no evidence is offered that there is any connection between Easter sunrise and Ezekiel 8:16. It just claims it has roots without evidence. Interestingly, this actually contradicts the claim you made about the grove orgies being the origin of the Easter rabbit and Easter bunny as it claims an alternate origin entirely.

Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words states that Easter was “introduced into the apostate Western religion, as part of the attempt to adapt pagan festivals to Christianity” (1985, “Easter,” pp. 344-345, emphasis added throughout).

I've seen this citation before. Vine offers no evidence for his claim either (nor his claim that Easter comes from Astarte, which is not quoted in the article but is mentioned in his book shortly before the quote that is offered). Isn't it interesting how no one seems capable of offering evidence for these claims, and that the works they do cite make errors?

Also, author James Frazer wrote: “When we reflect how often the [mainstream] Church has skillfully contrived to plant the seeds of the new faith on the old stock of paganism, we may surmise that the Easter celebration of the dead and risen Christ was grafted upon a similar celebration of the dead and risen Adonis” of Greek mythology (The Golden Bough, 1890, p. 345).

First, The Golden Bough is rather speculative and is not taken seriously by actual anthropologists nowadays as far as I can tell. It is a highly questionable source.

But beyond that, what are the things he is referring to here? It isn't Easter eggs or Easter bunnies. Rather, he is referring to what he sees as connections between the "Gardens of Adonis" and modern Easter practices in Sicily and Calabria. But not only are his claims rather speculative, what he refers to are localized phenomenon in Sicilia and Calabria. As we see shortly before the quote the article offers:

"In Sicily gardens of Adonis are still sown in spring as well as in summer, from which we may perhaps infer that Sicily as well as Syria celebrated of old a vernal festival of the dead and risen god. At the approach of Easter, Sicilian women sow wheat, lentils, and canaryseed in plates, which they keep in the dark and water every two days. The plants soon shoot up; the stalks are tied together with red ribbons, and the plates containing them are placed on the sepulchres which, with the effigies of the dead Christ, are made up in Catholic and Greek churches on Good Friday, just as the gardens of Adonis were placed on the grave of the dead Adonis. The practice is not confined to Sicily, for it is observed also at Cosenza in Calabria, and perhaps in other places. The whole custom—sepulchres as well as plates of sprouting grain—may be nothing but a continuation, under a different name, of the worship of Adonis.

Nor are these Sicilian and Calabrian customs the only Easter ceremonies which resemble the rites of Adonis. “During the whole of Good Friday a waxen effigy of the dead Christ is exposed to view in the middle of the Greek churches and is covered with fervent kisses by the thronging crowd, while the whole church rings with melancholy, monotonous dirges. Late in the evening, when it has grown quite dark, this waxen image is carried by the priests into the street on a bier adorned with lemons, roses, jessamine, and other flowers, and there begins a grand procession of the multitude, who move in serried ranks, with slow and solemn step, through the whole town. Every man carries his taper and breaks out into doleful lamentation. At all the houses which the procession passes there are seated women with censers to fumigate the marching host. Thus the community solemnly buries its Christ as if he had just died. At last the waxen image is again deposited in the church, and the same lugubrious chants echo anew. These lamentations, accompanied by a strict fast, continue till midnight on Saturday. As the clock strikes twelve, the bishop appears and announces the glad tidings that ‘Christ is risen,’ to which the crowd replies, ‘He is risen indeed,’ and at once the whole city bursts into an uproar of joy, which finds vent in shrieks and shouts, in the endless discharge of carronades and muskets, and the explosion of fire-works of every sort. In the very same hour people plunge from the extremity of the fast into the enjoyment of the Easter lamb and neat wine.”"

Not only do we see considerable qualifiers ("we may perhaps infer", "may be nothing but a continuation", "resemble the rites of Adonis") the similarities seem rather vague to me. But we also note that what he refers to is a highly localized phenomenon. I haven't ever seen or heard of anyone doing the things described above for Easter before. It appears limited to those areas he describes (I am not sure if is is still done). So even if these could be linked to the gardens of Adonis--and as I have observed with the Easter rabbit and Easter bunny, I wonder if it can be demonstrated these things he refers to date back far enough that any pagan influence is plausible--it would prove little in regards to what is being discussed.

So what do we have from this site? We have speculations asserted as fact, we have claims made without evidence, and the only citations are from people who themselves offer no evidence (Vine) or are speculative and refer to things other than what the website is actually talking about (Frazer).

Perhaps I'm just screaming into the wind here in my requests for evidence. But I try to be open to when evidence is actually presented... the problem is, people don't present them. Thus we get claims like "churches have Easter bunnies and roll Easter eggs on the most Holy day of Christianity; Passover. In the grove orgies; Men would hop from one woman to the other of in which the women some very young were forced to perform these orgies in groves. They rolled eggs around to test fertility; if it cracked it was a bad sign of the fertility" offered without evidence, and when evidence is requested, it is not provided. The only conclusion I can come to is that this is because the evidence does not exist.

 

[ralliann]

Easter is related to the word "East", which in turn both come from the name for the Germanic goddess of the dawn, Eostre, the same as the Greek Eos, or the Hindu goddess Ushas. Only in German and English is festival of the resurrection of Christ named thusly. In most other European languages, the day is either simply called Voskresenye (in Slavic languages, it means "The Resurrection"), or derived from Pascua/Pascha (from Pesach, Hebrew for "Passover").

And it is his resurrection which is celebrated, in the ending of a fast, which all the churches did. The asian Church ended theirs on the day the passover was killed, others on the day of his resurrection.
Perhaps to do with this?
Luke 5:35 But the days will come, when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

Nor are these Sicilian and Calabrian customs the only Easter ceremonies which resemble the rites of Adonis. “During the whole of Good Friday a waxen effigy of the dead Christ is exposed to view in the middle of the Greek churches and is covered with fervent kisses by the thronging crowd, while the whole church rings with melancholy, monotonous dirges. Late in the evening, when it has grown quite dark, this waxen image is carried by the priests into the street on a bier adorned with lemons, roses, jessamine, and other flowers, and there begins a grand procession of the multitude, who move in serried ranks, with slow and solemn step, through the whole town. Every man carries his taper and breaks out into doleful lamentation. At all the houses which the procession passes there are seated women with censers to fumigate the marching host. Thus the community solemnly buries its Christ as if he had just died. At last the waxen image is again deposited in the church, and the same lugubrious chants echo anew. These lamentations, accompanied by a strict fast, continue till midnight on Saturday. As the clock strikes twelve, the bishop appears and announces the glad tidings that ‘Christ is risen,’ to which the crowd replies, ‘He is risen indeed,’ and at once the whole city bursts into an uproar of joy, which finds vent in shrieks and shouts, in the endless discharge of carronades and muskets, and the explosion of fire-works of every sort. In the very same hour people plunge from the extremity of the fast into the enjoyment of the Easter lamb and neat wine.”"

This is the bier that we carry in the Greek Orthodox church during the Lamentations service on the night of Great Friday. FYI, yes, that is Tom Hanks who is Greek Orthodox. An icon of the Christ Crucified is placed on the bier. The service is focused on the death of Christ.

This is the Byzantine version of the Lamentations verses. The full service can run up to 3 hours. I think ours takes around 2-1/2 hours.

 

[FireDragon76]

This is the bier that we carry in the Greek Orthodox church during the Lamentations service on the night of Great Friday. FYI, yes, that is Tom Hanks who is Greek Orthodox. An icon of the Christ Crucified is placed on the bier. The service is focused on the death of Christ.

View attachment 329732

This is the Byzantine version of the Lamentations verses. The full service can run up to 3 hours. I think ours takes around 2-1/2 hours.

Hanks became Orthodox mostly for marriage some time ago, but as the years progressed he's matured in his faith.

He's a good example of an Orthodox Christian in the sense alot of "cradle" American Orthodox are. He doesn't wear his religion on his sleeve, doesn't get particularly involved in "political Christianity" in the US, but sometimes these types of people have a great deal of hidden holiness.

 

[PsaltiChrysostom]

Hanks became Orthodox mostly for marriage some time ago, but as the years progressed he's matured in his faith.

He's a good example of an Orthodox Christian in the sense alot of "cradle" American Orthodox are. He doesn't wear his religion on his sleeve, doesn't get particularly involved in "political Christianity" in the US, but sometimes these types of people have a great deal of hidden holiness.

He is very quiet publicly about his faith. I disagree with some of his movies (mainly Da Vinci Code), but he is an actor, not a theologian.

Troy Polomahu is another deeply Orthodox Christian who quietly practiced his faith on and off the field.

Tim Tebow God-Talk Could Be Elevated by Troy Polamalu

If Pittsburgh Steeler safety Troy Polamalu gets to tackle the Bronco’s QB in the first round of the playoffs, he won’t “Tebow,” but he might cross himself...

bleacherreport.com

 

[ViaCrucis]

We have literally only one source claiming there even was an Anglo-Saxon goddess named Eostre, and that's the Venerable Bede.

There is nothing corroborating what he says either. There is no other textual or archeological or even oral stories that corroborate it.

Further, the only thing that Bede actually says is that the Anglo-Saxons had a month named after a goddess named Eostre, they called it Eostermonath, which roughly corresponds to the month we call April. Bede then says that after their conversion, the Anglo-Saxons came into the habit of referring to the Paschal Feast by the name of the month it was in.

When I say there's no evidence to corroborate Bede's statement, I'm not calling Bede a liar. But I think it is entirely possible that Bede may simply be mistaken. When we look at the pattern of month names for the Anglo-Saxon months, almost all of them are named for things associated with the time of year or something in nature. Only two are said to be derived from Anglo-Saxon deities, and both share in common a complete lack of any evidence that any Germanic peoples worshiped gods by those names.

That leads me to speculate that it is entirely possible that Bede's etymology was mistaken, and that Eostermonath was likely named such because the days are getting longer, the sun is rising earlier in the morning--in the East. And the etymology for "east" literally refers to the dawn. In other words Eostermonath possibly simply meant "Dawn-month" in the same way that other Anglo-Saxon months were named.

And while I'm merely conjecturing that as a possibility, I think it makes a lot more sense then trying to engage in conspiracy theories about the supposed "pagan origins" of the Paschal Feast.

Remember kids, don't believe everything you read on the internet. Check sources. And if you want to check the same ones I did, you can find a modern translation of Bede's On the Reckoning of Time, which is where he talks about it. That's what I did.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[FireDragon76]

We have literally only one source claiming there even was an Anglo-Saxon goddess named Eostre, and that's the Venerable Bede.

There is nothing corroborating what he says either. There is no other textual or archeological or even oral stories that corroborate it.

Further, the only thing that Bede actually says is that the Anglo-Saxons had a month named after a goddess named Eostre, they called it Eostermonath, which roughly corresponds to the month we call April. Bede then says that after their conversion, the Anglo-Saxons came into the habit of referring to the Paschal Feast by the name of the month it was in.

When I say there's no evidence to corroborate Bede's statement, I'm not calling Bede a liar. But I think it is entirely possible that Bede may simply be mistaken. When we look at the pattern of month names for the Anglo-Saxon months, almost all of them are named for things associated with the time of year or something in nature. Only two are said to be derived from Anglo-Saxon deities, and both share in common a complete lack of any evidence that any Germanic peoples worshiped gods by those names.

That leads me to speculate that it is entirely possible that Bede's etymology was mistaken, and that Eostermonath was likely named such because the days are getting longer, the sun is rising earlier in the morning--in the East. And the etymology for "east" literally refers to the dawn. In other words Eostermonath possibly simply meant "Dawn-month" in the same way that other Anglo-Saxon months were named.

And while I'm merely conjecturing that as a possibility, I think it makes a lot more sense then trying to engage in conspiracy theories about the supposed "pagan origins" of the Paschal Feast.

Remember kids, don't believe everything you read on the internet. Check sources. And if you want to check the same ones I did, you can find a modern translation of Bede's On the Reckoning of Time, which is where he talks about it. That's what I did.

-CryptoLutheran

Among ancient Indo-European peoples, abstract concepts were represented by gods and goddesses.

 

[ViaCrucis]

Among ancient Indo-European peoples, abstract concepts were represented by gods and goddesses.

That's true. But there still remains the fact that all but two of the Anglo-Saxon months are not named after goddesses; and there really isn't anything to substantiate that any Germanic peoples worshiped goddesses named Eostre and Hretha. Of course Bede may be right, and we simply don't have any corroborating evidence.

I was merely offering conjecture that I think is possible. It's not a hill I'd die on obviously.

I just think it is interesting that we have nothing outside of Bede that even so much as hints to a goddess named Eostre in any Germanic pantheon.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[FireDragon76]

That's true. But there still remains the fact that all but two of the Anglo-Saxon months are not named after goddesses; and there really isn't anything to substantiate that any Germanic peoples worshiped goddesses named Eostre and Hretha. Of course Bede may be right, and we simply don't have any corroborating evidence.

I was merely offering conjecture that I think is possible. It's not a hill I'd die on obviously.

I just think it is interesting that we have nothing outside of Bede that even so much as hints to a goddess named Eostre in any Germanic pantheon.

-CryptoLutheran

Ēostre - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The evidence seems fairly solid to me. English holiday names are unusual in that way. It doesn't mean that Easter is in any way pagan, however (actually, in Slavic countries, Pascha is associated more with their "halloween", since the Slavic pagan day of the dead fell around that same time period).

In no way, though, is Easter named after Ishtar. Ishtar was unknown to Europeans and didn't feature in their pantheon.

Easter eggs are common to both East and West in Christendom, with the Eastern Orthodox peoples being fond of them in particular. They probably came from the early Church adopting Persian customs of decorating eggs. The eggs were dyed red in honor of Christ's Passion (there is an apocryphal story of Mary Magdalene that involves turning an egg red as a miraculous sign, which may be an allusion to this tradition).