What is a pitchfork? Who is that called? You will find answers to these and other questions in the article. “Wil” is the Babylonian word. It is the equivalent of the Phoenician "Baal" and means "Lord." What is Wil, find out below.
Supreme god
Few people know what a pitchfork is. This word is related to the Hebrew Baal, in modern scientific literature it is Bel, in Akkadian it sounds like Belu and is translated as lord, sovereign. It is known that Wil, also called Marduk (Heb. Merodach; Jer 50: 2), along with Enki and Anu belonged to the supreme gods of the Babylonian sanctuary (Jer 51:44).
At first he was only the most important god of Babylon, but since the reign of Hammurabi, his significance began to increase. Eyya was his father and Naboo his son (bibl. Nebo, Is. 46: 1).
Vila was revered in the seven-step ziggurat of Etemenanka and in the temple of Esagile. When the New Year was celebrated in the country, during the ceremony, the king had to touch the hand of Marduk, thereby ensuring the further prosperity of the state.
Book of the prophet daniel
So, you already know that Wil is the deity of Babylon. This idol is spoken of in the noncanonical section of the seer Daniel (XIV, 3-32). By the way, Wil is a Greek configuration named after the popular Babylonian life-giver Bel (in wedge-shaped texts - Bill).
In the indicated place of work of the seer Daniel, a story is described with this name that describes the superstition of the Babylonians. It illuminates the reign of Cyrus, who conquered Babylon. Cyrus from political species favored the temples and deities of this city. He idolized Vila, so he asked Daniel why he did not give any reverence to this deity.
Daniel replied that he worships only the true one god, and not lifeless idols. The king informed Daniel that he was mistaken in considering Vila deceased. After all, Vil eats and drinks every night all the sacrifices delivered to him - 40 sheep, 6 measures of wine and 12 measures of flour.
Daniel told the king that all this was eaten not by Ville, but by his priests. The ruler wanted to make sure the words of the prophet. The next night ordinary victims were delivered and the temple was sealed with the royal seal. Also, on the recommendation of Daniel, the floor was sprinkled with ash.
The next night, the victims disappeared, and the seal turned out to be intact. But Daniel drew the attention of the ruler to many traces on the ashes - children's, male and female. Then the priests admitted that they always entered the temple through a secret door and ate all the sacrifices. They were executed for deception, and the idol was destroyed by Daniel. Rawlinson believes that this story was written by a man who studied the Babylonian customs well.
A bit of history
So what is pitchfork? This is the name of the most important Sumerian deity Enlil, who was the god of heaven and air, and initially - the creator of a thunderstorm, similar to the Greek Zeus or the most trivial ideas about Yahweh. Enlil was worshiped in the Sumerian town of Nippur on the Euphrates, about 50 miles downstream of Babylon.
When Babylon became sovereign and increased to such an extent that it began to dominate this state under Hammurabi, its local deity Marduk (the Jews called it Merodah) naturally increased in value genotheistically.
Marduk acquired the attributes of Enlil and turned into a new Vila. Nevertheless, Nippur for a long period of time remained the most important center of worship, although it lost its political significance. Just a religious ceremony is the most conservative aspect of human culture.
The importance of Marduk was emphasized by the creation myth that arose in Babylon. When Tiamat (chaotic sea power) threatened the Sumerian old gods, they did not dare to fight against the monster. It was Marduk, the creator of the second generation, the son of Ei, who dared to fight with Tiamat. He destroyed her and formed a macrocosm from her remains. Thanks to this, Marduk moved to the position of the supreme creator over the more dilapidated Sumerian sanctuary, like Babylon on earth, having seized dominion over the more ancient Sumerian cities.
Of course, Assyria dominated over Babylon. The Assyrians considered their god Ashur the hero of the incident with Tiamat. But when Babylon at Nebuchadnezzar became supreme, Marduk also became a great deity. He was Wil-Marduk ("Lord Marduk"), or Saint Wil.
The Number Of The Beast
What is the meaning of the word vil? In ancient times, many nations did not have special signs to indicate numbers. The function of the numbers was performed by the letters of the alphabet. Therefore, the phrase "number of name", used in Revelation, must be understood as the sum of the numerical values of the letters that make up the name of the Beast. This opinion is shared by many fathers of the Holy Church.
There is a curious, albeit illogical, theory. In the Mediterranean during apostolic times, when the events of the New Testament took place, the Roman account based on the Latin alphabet was usually used. Surely everyone knows that the number of the Beast is 666. One of the versions of the full name of the First Antichrist, written in Latin letters, looks like this: VOLODYA ULYANOV LENIN.
It follows: (V = 5) + (L = 50) + (D = 500) + (U = 5) + (L = 50) + (V = 5) + (L = 50) + (I = 1) = 666
The initials of the Beast - V.L. (Vladimir Lenin). They coincide with the name of the Babylonian idol, Vila or VL, without vocalization (in the original version, the Old Testament was written without vowels). The fall of Soviet Babylon and its two antichrist is prophetically predicted in the story of Vila and the dragon, set out in chapter 14 of Daniel, which we spoke about above. On the fate of those who took the name of the Antichrist, it is said: “The smoke of their torment will rise forever and ever, and they will have no rest night or day, worshiping the beast and his image and accepting the mark of his name” (Rev. 14:11).
The fact that the theory is far-fetched is obvious. Firstly, why is Volodya? Not Vladimir, not Vladimir Ilyich, which would be much more logical? Secondly, why is the real surname and pseudonym used simultaneously? Obviously, the "researchers" simply sorted out all the possible combinations of options, adjusting the result. None of the generally accepted combinations of the first, middle, and last names of the number 666 gave. Therefore, in order to achieve a sensational revelation, it was necessary to construct such an indigestible combination.
Defeat Vila
According to the prophecies, the shameful fall of Vila was to happen simultaneously with the conquest of Babylon (Isa 46: 1; Jer 50: 2; 51:44). If we take into account that Wil was a highly respected deity of the Babylonians, it becomes clear why Jehovah's clergy claimed that he, along with other false creators, would be defeated at the time of the fall of Babylon. Almost two hundred years before the capture of this city by the Persians and Medes, Isaiah predicted that Nebo would bend and Wil would lose power due to the shameful defeat.
Their idols will be taken away in animals. Absolutely helpless, they will turn into luggage of pack animals. Nebo and Wil will not be saved. Jehovah will force Vila to give back what he swallowed with the help of his admirers, who attributed his victories to him. So Wil will have to return the captive people of Jehovah, as well as the sacred attributes of his temple.
Antique tradition
Where else is the word "pitchfork" found? The Greeks regarded the name "Vil" as their own. According to Herodotus, this is a deity. It was also an Indian god identified with Heracles.
Euhemerism
According to Egemer, the king of Babylon provided Zeus with hospitality. Got a name from the Egyptian Bela, son of Libya. According to the historian Phallus, Bel is the founder of Babylon and fought with the titans against Zeus.
Armenian mythology
In the myths of ancient Armenians, Bel is a giant from the country of giants, who was an opponent of the famous forefather of the Armenians Hayk. Hayk against the titan Bel, who wanted to subjugate everyone, raised a rebellion and killed him from the bow.