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117-473: The Pythia was established at the latest in the 8th century BC, (though some estimates date the shrine to as early as 1400 BC), and was widely credited for her prophecies uttered under divine possession ( enthusiasmos ) by Apollo . The Pythian priestess emerged pre-eminent by the end of the 7th century BC and continued to be consulted until the late 4th century AD. During this period, the Delphic Oracle

234-586: A prophet ) by a supernatural entity. Prophecies are a feature of many cultures and belief systems and usually contain divine will or law , or preternatural knowledge, for example of future events. They can be revealed to the prophet in various ways depending on the religion and the story, such as visions , or direct interaction with divine beings in physical form. Stories of prophetic deeds sometimes receive considerable attention and some have been known to survive for centuries through oral tradition or as religious texts . The English noun "prophecy", in

351-578: A paean or hymn of thanksgiving also appear in the Iliad . After the prayer to avert evil from the Achaeans , a paean is sung. In an almost identical line (X.391) that suggests a formulaic expression, Achilles tells the Myrmidons to sing the paean after the death of Hector . To discover the relation between Paean or Paeon, the healer-god, and paean in the sense of "song", it is necessary to identify

468-418: A French photograph of the excavated interior of the temple clearly depicts a springlike pool as well as a number of small vertical fissures, indicating numerous pathways by which vapors could enter the base of the temple. During the 1980s, the interdisciplinary team of geologist Jelle Zeilinga de Boer, archaeologist John R. Hale, forensic chemist Jeffrey P. Chanton, and toxicologist Henry R. Spiller investigated

585-457: A belief in prophecy. The church claims this gift is manifested by one person (the prophesier) laying their hands on another person, who receives an individual message said by the prophesier. Prophesiers are believed to be used by the Holy Ghost as instruments through whom their God expresses his promises, advice and commandments. The church claims people receive messages about their future, in

702-541: A chasm in the rock, and that she spoke gibberish which priests interpreted as the enigmatic prophecies and turned them into poetic dactylic hexameters preserved in Greek literature. This idea, however, has been challenged by scholars such as Joseph Fontenrose and Lisa Maurizio, who argue that the ancient sources uniformly represent the Pythia speaking intelligibly, and giving prophecies in her own voice. Herodotus , writing in

819-430: A crack in the earth, was behaving strangely. On entering the chasm, he found himself filled with a divine presence and the ability to see outside of the present, into the past and the future. Excited by his discovery, he shared it with nearby villagers. Many started visiting the site to experience the convulsions and inspirational trances, though some were said to disappear into the cleft due to their frenzied state. A shrine

936-458: A dolphin ( delphys , gen. delphinos ). Dolphin-Apollo revealed himself to the terrified Cretans and bade them follow him up to the "place where you will have rich offerings". The Cretans "danced in time and followed, singing Iē Paiēon , like the paeans of the Cretans in whose breasts the divine Muse has placed "honey-voiced singing". "Paean" seems to have been the name by which Apollo

1053-560: A fleet left the harbour, and also after a victory had been won. The Greek poet Aeschylus who took part in the Battle of Salamis , commented on the power of the paean over enemies (in this case the Persians ): All the barbarians felt fear because they had been deprived of what they expected. The Greeks were singing the stately paean at that time not for flight, but because they were hastening into battle and were stout of heart. A paean

1170-423: A forgery. Ichadon prophesied to the king that at his execution a wonderful miracle would convince the opposing court faction of Buddhism's power. Ichadon's scheme went as planned, and the opposing officials took the bait. When Ichadon was executed on the 15th day of the 9th month in 527, his prophecy was fulfilled; the earth shook, the sun was darkened, beautiful flowers rained from the sky, his severed head flew to

1287-677: A language they can understand. But there is also the term rasūl ( Arabic : رسول "messenger, apostle") to classify those who bring a divine revelation ( Arabic : رسالة risālah "message") via an angel . Knowledge of the Islamic prophets is one of the six articles of the Islamic faith , and specifically mentioned in the Quran. Along with Muhammad , many of the prophets in Judaism (such as Noah , Abraham , Moses , Aaron , Elijah , etc.) and prophets of Christianity ( Adam , Zechariah

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1404-534: A leader sang in a monodic style, with the chorus responding with a simple, informal phrase; however, later in its development, the paean was an entirely choral form. Typically the paean was in the Dorian mode (note that the Ancient Greek Dorian was different from the modern Dorian mode; see musical mode ), and was accompanied by the kithara , which was Apollo's instrument. Paeans meant to be sung on

1521-563: A month, thereafter, the oracle would undergo purification rites, including fasting, to ceremonially prepare the Pythia for communications with the divine. On the seventh day of each month, she would be led by two attended oracular priests, with her face veiled in purple. A priest would then declaim: Servant of the Delphian Apollo Go to the Castallian Spring Wash in its silvery eddies, And return cleansed to

1638-474: A past event (an act termed " postdiction "). Bill Whitcomb in The Magician's Companion observes, One point to remember is that the probability of an event changes as soon as a prophecy (or divination) exists. . . . The accuracy or outcome of any prophecy is altered by the desires and attachments of the seer and those who hear the prophecy. Many prophets make a large number of prophecies. This makes

1755-410: A runner after a race or a dancer after an ecstatic dance, which may have had a physical effect on the health of the Pythia. Several other officiants served the oracle in addition to the Pythia. After 200 BC, at any given time, there were two priests of Apollo, who were in charge of the entire sanctuary; Plutarch, who served as a priest during the late first century and early second century CE, gives us

1872-409: A strategy to overcome court opposition. Ichadon schemed with the king, convincing him to make a proclamation granting Buddhism official state sanction using the royal seal. Ichadon told the king to deny having made such a proclamation when the opposing officials received it and demanded an explanation. Instead, Ichadon would confess and accept the punishment of execution, for what would quickly be seen as

1989-413: A tripod, while making her prophecies in an ecstatic trance state, like shamans , and her utterings unintelligible. According to William Godwin, the tripod was perforated with holes, and as she inhaled the vapors, her figure would seem to enlarge, her hair stood on end, her complexion changed, her heart panted, her bosom swelled, and her voice became seemingly more than human. Since the first operation of

2106-563: A vision of the Maid of Heaven who told him of his divine mission, and the promise of divine assistance; In Baháʼí belief, the Maid of Heaven is a representation of the divine. The Haedong Kosung-jon (Biographies of High Monks) records that King Beopheung of Silla desired to promulgate Buddhism as the state religion. However, officials in his court opposed him. In the fourteenth year of his reign, Beopheung's "Grand Secretary", Ichadon , devised

2223-449: A woman chosen from an influential family, well educated in geography, politics, history, philosophy, and the arts. During later periods, however, uneducated peasant women were chosen for the role, which may explain why the poetic pentameter or hexameter prophecies of the early period were later made only in prose . Often, the priestess's answers to questions would be put into hexameter by a priest. The archaeologist John Hale reports that:

2340-614: Is a denomination that traces its history to the Millerite Movement and the Great Disappointment . Seventh-day Adventists "accept the biblical teaching of spiritual gifts and believe that the gift of prophecy is one of the identifying marks of the remnant church." The church also believes Ellen G. White to be a prophet and that her writings are divinely inspired. Since 1972, the neo-Pentecostal Church of God Ministry of Jesus Christ International has expressed

2457-577: Is acknowledged to have been the last authentic prophet if one accepts the opinion that Nechemyah died in Babylon before 9th Tevet 3448 (313 BCE). The Torah contains laws concerning the false prophet (Deuteronomy 13:2-6, 18:20-22). Prophets in Islam, like Lot , for example, are false prophets according to Jewish standards. In the Torah, prophecy often consisted of a conditioned warning by their God of

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2574-585: Is evidence that Apollo supposedly took over the shrine with the arrival of priests from Delos in the 8th century, from an earlier dedication to Gaia . The 8th-century reformulation of the Oracle at Delphi as a shrine to Apollo seems associated with the rise in importance of the city of Corinth and the importance of sites in the Corinthian Gulf . The earliest account of the origin of the Delphic oracle

2691-470: Is provided in the Homeric Hymn to Delphic Apollo, which recent scholarship dates within a narrow range, c. 580–570 BC. It describes in detail how Apollo chose his first priests, whom he selected in their "swift ship"; they were " Cretans from Minos ' city of Knossos " who were voyaging to sandy Pylos . But Apollo, who had Delphinios as one of his cult epithets, leapt into the ship in the form of

2808-704: Is regarded as the oldest form of occult inquiry and was often expressed in verse. In contemporary Western cultures, theological revelation and poetry are typically seen as distinct and often even as opposed to each other. Yet the two still are often understood together as symbiotic in their origins, aims, and purposes. Middle English poems of a political nature are linked with Latin and vernacular prophecies. Prophecies in this sense are predictions concerning kingdoms or peoples; and these predictions are often eschatological or apocalyptic . The prophetic tradition in English derives in from Geoffrey of Monmouth 's History of

2925-516: Is sometimes considered the birthplace of Pentecostalism . This revival is well known for the " speaking in tongues " that occurred there. Some participants of the Azusa Street Revival are claimed to have prophesied. Pentecostals believe prophecy and certain other gifts are once again being given to Christians. The Charismatic Movement also accepts spiritual gifts like speaking in tongues and prophecy. The Seventh-day Adventist Church

3042-417: Is strong structural evidence that indicates where it was most likely located.) They also found evidence for underground passages and chambers, and drains for spring water. Additionally, they discovered at the site formations of travertine , a form of calcite created when water flows through limestone and dissolves calcium carbonate , which is later redeposited. Further investigation revealed that deep beneath

3159-459: Is the Tui bei tu (推背圖). Esoteric prophecy has been claimed for, but not by, Michel de Nostredame (1503–1566), popularly referred to as Nostradamus , who claimed to be a converted Christian . It is known that he suffered several tragedies in his life, and was persecuted to some degree for his cryptic esoteric writings about the future, reportedly derived through a use of a crystal ball . Nostradamus

3276-524: Is the largest Latter Day Saint body. The current Prophet/President of the LDS Church is Russell M. Nelson . The church has, since Joseph Smith's death on June 27, 1844, held a belief that the president of their church is also a literal prophet of God. The church also maintains that further revelations claimed to have been given through Joseph Smith are published in the Doctrine and Covenants , one of

3393-400: Is unclear; it has been suggested that they interpreted the Pythia's prophecies, or even reformatted her utterances into verse, but it has also been argued that the term prophētēs is a generic reference to any cult officials of the sanctuary, including the Pythia. There were five hosioi , whose responsibilities are unknown, but may have been involved in some manner with the operation of

3510-623: The Baháʼí Faith , claimed to have been the promised messianic figure of all previous religions, and a Manifestation of God , a type of prophet in the Baháʼí writings that serves as intermediary between the divine and humanity and who speaks with the voice of a God. Bahá'u'lláh claimed that, while being imprisoned in the Siyah-Chal in Iran, he underwent a series of mystical experiences including having

3627-619: The Greek παιάν (also παιήων or παιών), "song of triumph, any solemn song or chant". "Paeon" was also the name of a divine physician and an epithet ("byname") of Apollo . The basis of the word παιάν is *παιάϝων." Its ultimate etymology is unclear. R. S. P. Beekes has suggested the meaning "who heals illnesses through magic", from *παῖϝα/*παϝία "blow", related to παίω "beat" (from Proto-Indo-European *ph 2 u-ie/o- ) or παύω "withhold" (of uncertain etymology). He alternatively suggested that paian "may well be Pre-Greek ". In Homer , Paeon

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3744-709: The Seven Sages of Greece ("know thyself" perhaps also being attributed to other famous philosophers). The temple survived until AD 390, when the Roman emperor Theodosius I silenced the oracle by destroying the temple and most of the statues and works of art to remove all traces of paganism. There have been many attempts to find a scientific explanation for the Pythia's inspiration. Most commonly, these refer to an observation made by Plutarch , who presided as high priest at Delphi for several years, who stated that her oracular powers appeared to be associated with vapors from

3861-817: The Standard Works . Additional revelations and prophecies outside the Standard Works, such as Joseph Smith's " White Horse Prophecy ", concerning a great and final war in the United States before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, can be found in other church published works. The Arabic term for prophecy nubū'ah ( Arabic : نُبُوْءَة ) stems from the term for prophets, nabī ( Arabic : نَبِي ; pl. anbiyāʼ from nabā "tidings, announcement") who are lawbringers that Muslims believe were sent by God to every person, bringing God's message in

3978-515: The nation of Israel , and later to the population of Judea and elsewhere. Experience of prophecy in the Torah and the rest of Tanakh was not restricted to Jews. Nor was the prophetic experience restricted to the Hebrew language. There exists a problem in verifying most Native American prophecy, in that they remain primarily an oral tradition , and thus there is no way to cite references of where writings have been committed to paper. In their system,

4095-462: The "sacred disease", which could have amounted to the possession of the Pythia by the spirit of Apollo, rendering Pythia his spokesperson and prophetess. The oleander fumes (the "spirit of Apollo") could have originated in a brazier located in an underground chamber (the antron) and have escaped through an opening (the "chasm") in the temple's floor. This hypothesis fits the findings of the archaeological excavations that revealed an underground space under

4212-472: The 4th century the paean became merely a formula of adulation ; its object was either to implore protection against disease and misfortune, or to offer thanks after such protection had been rendered. Its connection with Apollo as the slayer of the Python led to its association with battle and victory; hence it became the custom for a paean to be sung by an army on the march and before entering into battle, when

4329-465: The Apollonian, with the laurel. But ever since the introduction of the cult of Dionysus at Delphi, the god that brought his followers into ecstasy and madness, the Delphic god gave oracles through Pythia, who also fell into a trance under the influence of vapors and fumes coming from the opening, the inner sanctum of the Oracle. Pythia sat on top of a tall gilded tripod that stood above the opening. In

4446-493: The Commentators Merely by Statistics ". Other modern poets who write on prophets or prophecy include Carl Dennis , Richard Wilbur , and Derek Walcott . Paean A paean ( / ˈ p iː ə n / ) is a song or lyric poem expressing triumph or thanksgiving. In classical antiquity , it is usually performed by a chorus, but some examples seem intended for an individual voice ( monody ). It comes from

4563-476: The Delphi region lies a bituminous deposit, rich in hydrocarbons and full of pitch, that has a petrochemical content as high as 20%. Friction created by earthquakes heat the bituminous layers resulting in vaporization of the hydrocarbons which rise to the surface through small fissures in the rock. Prophecy In religion , a prophecy is a message that has been communicated to a person (typically called

4680-477: The French excavations there, concurred with Oppé's pronouncements, claiming that gaseous emissions were not even possible in a volcanic zone such as Delphi. Neither Oppé nor Amandry were geologists, though, and no geologists had been involved in the debate up to that point. Subsequent re-examination of the French excavations, however, has shown that this consensus may have been mistaken. Broad (2007) demonstrates that

4797-476: The Kerna spring waters that flowed under the temple. It has often been suggested that these vapors may have been hallucinogenic gases. Recent geological investigations have suggested that gas emissions from a geologic chasm in the earth could have inspired the Delphic Oracle to "connect with the divine". Some researchers suggest the possibility that ethylene gas caused the Pythia's state of inspiration, based on

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4914-557: The Kings of Britain (1136), otherwise called " Prophecies of Merlin ;" this work is prelude to numerous books devoted to King Arthur . In 18th century England, prophecy as poetry is revived by William Blake who wrote: America: A Prophecy (1783) and Europe: A Prophecy (1794). Contemporary American poetry is also rich in lyrics about prophesy, including poems entitled Prophecy by Dana Gioia and Eileen Myles . In 1962, Robert Frost published "The Prophets Really Prophesy as Mystics

5031-528: The Oracles and that she would be dressed in the costume of a virgin, as a sort of reminder of the prophetess of olden times. The scholar Martin Litchfield West writes that the Pythia shows many traits of shamanistic practices, likely inherited or influenced from Central Asian practices, although there is no evidence of any such association at this time. He cites the Pythia sitting in a cauldron on

5148-417: The Pythia operated are scarce, missing, or non-existent, as authors from the classical period (6th to 4th centuries BC) treat the process as common knowledge with no need to explain. Those who discussed the oracle in any detail are from 1st century BC to 4th century AD and give conflicting stories. One of the main stories claimed that the Pythia delivered oracles in a frenzied state induced by vapours rising from

5265-451: The Pythia was (on occasion) a noble of aristocratic family, sometimes a peasant, sometimes rich, sometimes poor, sometimes old, sometimes young, sometimes a very lettered and educated woman to whom somebody like the high priest and the philosopher Plutarch would dedicate essays, other times who could not write her own name. So it seems to have been aptitude rather than any ascribed status that made these women eligible to be Pythias and speak for

5382-406: The altar and sprinkled with water. If the kid trembled from the hooves upward it was considered a good omen for the oracle, but if it did not, the enquirer was considered to have been rejected by the god and the consultation was terminated. If it were a good omen, however, the goat would subsequently be sacrificed to Apollo. In turn, the animal's organs, particularly its liver, were examined to ensure

5499-419: The archaeological evidence." An early visitor to these "dells of Parnassus ", at the end of the eighth century, was Hesiod , who was shown the omphalos . There are many later stories of the origins of the Delphic Oracle. One late explanation, which is first related by the 1st century BC writer Diodorus Siculus , tells of a goat herder named Coretas, who noticed one day that one of his goats, who fell into

5616-399: The authority of Zeus , and the cleft from which emerged the sacred pneuma . Petitioners drew lots to determine the order of admission, but representatives of a city-state or those who brought larger donations to Apollo were secured a higher place in line. Each person approaching the oracle was accompanied with a proxenos specific to the state of the petitioner, whose job was to identify

5733-450: The battlefield were accompanied by aulos and kithara. Two musical fragments of paeans survive from late antiquity: one by Athénaios Athenaíou " (Athenaios son of Athenaios), the other by Limenius of Athens . The fragment by Limenius has been dated to 128 BC; the one by Athenaios may have been composed in the same year, or ten years earlier. Paean is now usually used to mean an expression of praise or exultation (such as its coining in

5850-533: The best reference is an Elder, who acts as a repository of the accumulated wisdom of their tradition. In another type of example, it is recorded that there are three Dogrib prophets who had claimed to have been divinely inspired to bring the message of Christianity's God to their people. This prophecy among the Dogrib involves elements such as dances and trance-like states. In ancient Chinese, prophetic texts are known as Chen (谶). The most famous Chinese prophecy

5967-473: The blessing and the curse.' [...] Ecstatic prophecy - nebiism - and temple priests were indigenous to Canaanite culture and represented elements adopted by the Israelites. With the fusion of the functions of the seer-priest with the functions of the temple-sacrificial priests and ecstatic prophets, two main groups developed: the priests occupied with cult and sacrifice [...] and the 'prophets' who 'continued

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6084-411: The chances of at least one prophecy being correct much higher by sheer weight of numbers. The phenomenon of prophecy is not well understood in psychology research literature. Psychiatrist and neurologist Arthur Deikman describes the phenomenon as an "intuitive knowing, a type of perception that bypasses the usual sensory channels and rational intellect." "(P)rophecy can be likened to a bridge between

6201-478: The citizen of their polis . This service, too, was paid for. Plutarch describes the events of one session in which the omens were ill-favored, but the Oracle was consulted nonetheless. The priests proceeded to receive the prophecy, but the result was a hysterical uncontrollable reaction from the priestess that resulted in her death a few days later. At times when the Pythia was not available, consultants could obtain guidance by asking simple yes-or-no questions to

6318-508: The connection between ritual chant and the shaman 's healing arts. Previously, L. R. Farnell had referred to the ancient association between the healing craft and the singing of spells, but found it impossible to decide which was the original sense. At all events the meaning of "healer" gradually gave place to that of " hymn ", from the phrase "Ἰὴ Παιάν" or "Ἰὼ Παιάν". Such songs were originally addressed to Apollo, and afterwards to other gods, like Dionysus , Helios , and Asclepius . About

6435-515: The consciousness and perception of the dominant culture. A recognized form of Christian prophecy is the "prophetic drama" which Frederick Dillistone describes as a "metaphorical conjunction between present situations and future events". In his Dialogue with Trypho , Justin Martyr argued that prophets were no longer among Israel but were in the Church. The Shepherd of Hermas , written around

6552-552: The consequences should the society, specific communities, or their leaders not adhere to the Torah's instructions in the time contemporary with the prophet's life. Prophecies sometimes included conditioned promises of blessing for obeying their god, and returning to behaviors and laws as written in the Torah. Conditioned-warning prophecies feature in all Jewish works of the Tanakh . Notably Maimonides (1138–1204), philosophically suggested that there once were many levels of prophecy, from

6669-406: The death of her predecessor, from amongst a guild of priestesses of the temple. These women were all natives of Delphi and were required to have had a sober life and be of good character. Although some were married, upon assuming their role as the Pythia, the priestesses ceased all family responsibilities, marital relations, and individual identity. In the heyday of the oracle, the Pythia may have been

6786-467: The details of a chasm and a vapor in the first place. In accordance with this definitive statement, such scholars as Frederick Poulson, E. R. Dodds, Joseph Fontenrose, and Saul Levin all stated that there were no vapors and no chasm. For the decades to follow, scientists and scholars believed the ancient descriptions of a sacred, inspiring pneuma to be fallacious. During 1950, the French hellenist Pierre Amandry , who had worked at Delphi and later directed

6903-409: The ecstatic prophet derived from two distinctly different social and institutional backgrounds. The seer belonged to the earliest stratum of Israelite society and was related to the priest who 'was not originally in the first instance a sacrificer, but as with the old Arabs, custodian of the sanctuary, oracle priest, "seer" and holder of the effective future-creating and future-interpreting word of power,

7020-768: The festivals of Apollo (especially the Hyacinthia ), at banquets, and later even at public funerals . In later times they were addressed not only to the gods, but to human beings . In this manner the Rhodians celebrated Ptolemy I of Egypt , the Samians Lysander of Sparta , the Athenians Demetrius , the Delphians Craterus of Macedon . Musically, the paean was a choral ode, and originally had an antiphonal character, in which

7137-568: The field's answer when it does form." Some cite aspects of cognitive psychology such as pattern forming and attention to the formation of prophecy in modern-day society as well as the declining influence of religion in daily life. For the ancient Greeks , prediction, prophesy, and poetry were often intertwined. Prophecies were given in verse, and a word for poet in Latin is “vates” or prophet. Both poets and oracles claimed to be inspired by forces outside themselves. In ancient China, divination

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7254-464: The fifth century BC, describes the Pythia speaking in dactylic hexameters. The name Pythia is derived from " pythia hiereia " ( Greek : πυθία ἱέρεια ), meaning ' priestess of the Pythian Apollo ' ; it is related to Pythios ( Πύθιος ), an epithet of Apollo , itself deriving from Pytho , which in myth was the original name of Delphi . As such, the word is likely related to Python ,

7371-948: The form of promises given by their God and expected to be fulfilled by divine action. In the Apostolic-Prophetic Movement , a prophesy is simply a word delivered under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that accurately communicates God's "thoughts and intention". The Apostolic Council of Prophetic Elders was a council of prophetic elders co-convened by C. Peter Wagner and Cindy Jacobs that included: Beth Alves, Jim Gool, Chuck Pierce , Mike and Cindy Jacobs , Bart Pierces, John and Paula Sanford, Dutch Sheets , Tommy Tenny , Heckor Torres, Barbara Wentroble, Mike Bickle , Paul Cain , Emanuele Cannistraci, Bill Hamon, Kingsley Fletcher , Ernest Gentile, Jim Laffoon, James Ryle, and Gwen Shaw. The Latter Day Saint movement maintains that its first prophet, Joseph Smith ,

7488-490: The gas emitted from the chasm, or CO 2 and H 2 S , arguing that the chasm itself might have been a seismic ground rupture. Oleander , in contemporary toxicological literature, has also been considered responsible for contributing symptoms similar to those of the Pythia. The Pythia used oleander as a complement during the oracular procedure, chewing its leaves and inhaling their smoke. The toxic substances of oleander results in symptoms similar to those of epilepsy,

7605-478: The gift and power of God, and the publication of this translation are known as the Book of Mormon . Following Smith's murder, there was a succession crisis that resulted in a great schism. The majority of Latter-day Saints believing Brigham Young to be the next prophet and following him out to Utah, while a minority returned to Missouri with Emma Smith, believing Joseph Smith Junior's son, Joseph Smith III , to be

7722-535: The god Apollo. But he reports one story as follows: Echecrates the Thessalian , having arrived at the shrine and beheld the virgin who uttered the oracle, became enamoured of her because of her beauty, carried her away and violated her; and that the Delphians because of this deplorable occurrence passed a law that in the future a virgin should no longer prophesy but that an elderly woman of fifty would declare

7839-405: The god. The job of a priestess, especially the Pythia, was a respectable career for Greek women. Priestesses enjoyed many liberties and rewards for their social position, such as freedom from taxation, the right to own property and attend public events, a salary and housing provided by the state, a wide range of duties depending on their affiliation, and often gold crowns. During the main period of

7956-700: The highest (such as those experienced by Moses ) to the lowest (where the individuals were able to apprehend the Divine Will, but not respond or even describe this experience to others, citing for example, Shem, Eber and most notably, Noah , who, in the biblical narrative, does not issue prophetic declarations). Maimonides, in his philosophical work The Guide for the Perplexed , outlines twelve modes of prophecy from lesser to greater degree of clarity: The Tanakh contains prophecies from various Hebrew prophets (55 in total) who communicated messages from God to

8073-440: The individual 'mystical self' and the communal 'mystical body'," writes religious sociologist Margaret Poloma . Prophecy seems to involve "the free association that occurred through the workings of the right brain." Psychologist Julian Jaynes proposed that this is a temporary accessing of the bicameral mind; that is, a temporary separating of functions, such that the authoritarian part of the mind seems to literally be speaking to

8190-482: The matching symptoms, ethylene's use as an anesthetic, and the smell of the chamber, as described by Plutarch. Traces of ethylene have been found in the waters of the Castallian spring, which is now largely diverted for the town water supply of the town of modern Delphi . However, Lehoux argues that ethylene is "impossible" and benzene is "crucially underdetermined". Others argue instead that methane might have been

8307-405: The meaning of the "E at Delphi" (the only literary source for the E inscription), there have been various interpretations of this letter. In ancient times, the origin of these phrases was attributed to one or more of the Seven Sages of Greece . Pythia would then remove her purple veil. She would wear a short plain white dress. At the temple fire to Hestia , a live goat kid would be set in front of

8424-417: The mid-2nd century, describes the way prophecy was being used within the church of that time. Irenaeus confirms the existence of such spiritual gifts in his Against Heresies . Although some modern commentators claim that Montanus was rejected because he claimed to be a prophet, a careful examination of history shows that the gift of prophecy was still acknowledged during the time of Montanus, and that he

8541-428: The more "pneumatic" aspect of the character and work of the old "seers"' and 'were mediums of the divinely inspired "word" which was "whispered to" them, or "came to them"' [...] The prophets retained, in guild fashion, the old seer relationship to the cult [...]. According to Judaism, authentic Nevuah ( נבואה , "Prophecy") got withdrawn from the world after the destruction of the first Jerusalem Temple . Malachi

8658-499: The most information about the organization of the oracle at that time. Before 200 BC, while the temple was dedicated to Apollo, there was probably only one priest of Apollo. Priests were chosen from among the main citizens of Delphi, and were appointed for life. In addition to overseeing the oracle, priests would also conduct sacrifices at other festivals of Apollo, and had charge of the Pythian Games . Earlier arrangements, before

8775-476: The name of the mythical snake that was slain by Apollo near Delphi. Etymologically, the Greeks derived this place name from the verb πύθειν ( púthein ) 'to rot', which refers to the sickly sweet smell from the decomposing body of the monstrous Python after it was slain by Apollo. The Delphic oracle may have been present in some form from 1400 BC, in the middle period of Mycenaean Greece (1750–1050 BC). There

8892-468: The new god justified, but presumably having to retain the priestesses of the original oracle because of the long tradition. It is possible that the myths portray Poseidon as mollified by the gift of a new site in Troizen . Diodorus explained how, initially, the Pythia was an appropriately clad young virgin , for great emphasis was placed on the Oracle's chastity and purity to be reserved for union with

9009-763: The next legitimate prophet (forming the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , now the Community of Christ). Since even before the death of Joseph Smith in 1844, there have been numerous separatist Latter Day Saint sects that have splintered from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints . To this day, there are an unknown number of organizations within the Latter Day Saint movement, each with their own proposed prophet. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)

9126-422: The old days, Pythia was a virgin, young girl, but after Echecrates of Thessaly kidnapped and violated a young and beautiful Pythia in the late 3rd century BC, a woman older than fifty years old was chosen, who dressed and wore jewelry to resemble a young maiden girl. According to tradition, Phemonoe was the first Pythia. Though little is known of how the priestess was chosen, the Pythia was probably selected, at

9243-530: The oracle of the Temple of Delphi, it was believed that the god lived within a laurel (his holy plant) and gave oracles for the future with the rustling of the leaves. It was also said that the art of divination had been taught to the god by the three winged sisters of Parnassus, the Thriae, at the time when Apollo was grazing his cattle there. The Thriae used to have a Kliromanteion (oracle by lot) in that area in

9360-401: The oracle's popularity, as many as three women served as Pythia, another vestige of the triad, with two taking turns in giving prophecy and another kept in reserve. Only one day of the month could the priestess be consulted. Plutarch said that the Pythia's life was shortened through the service of Apollo. The sessions were said to be exhausting. At the end of each period the Pythia would be like

9477-655: The oracle. In the traditions associated with Apollo, the oracle gave prophecies during the nine warmest months of each year. During winter months, Apollo was said to have deserted his temple, his place being taken by his divine half-brother Dionysus , whose tomb was also within the temple. It is not known whether the Oracle participated with the Dionysian rites of the Maenads or Thyades in the Korykion cave on Mount Parnassos, although Plutarch informs us that his friend Clea

9594-482: The past and it is possible that such was the first oracle of Delphi, i.e. using the lot (throwing lots in a container and pulling a lot, the color and shape of which were of particular importance). Three oracles had successively operated in Delphi – the chthonion using egkoimisi (a procedure that involved sleeping in the holy place, so as to experience a revealing dream), the Kliromanteion and finally

9711-471: The people. "The name prophet, from the Greek meaning "forespeaker" ( πρὸ being used in the original local sense), is an equivalent of the Hebrew Navi , which signifies properly a delegate or mouthpiece of another." Sigmund Mowinckel 's account of prophecy in ancient Israel distinguishes seers and prophets - both in their origins and in their functions: According to Mowinckel, the early seer and

9828-404: The person as if a separate (and external) voice. Jaynes posits that the gods heard as voices in the head were and are organizations of the central nervous system. God speaking through man, according to Jaynes, is a more recent vestige of God speaking to man; the product of a more integrated higher self. When the bicameral mind speaks, there is no introspection. In earlier times, posits Jaynes, there

9945-581: The priest , John the Baptist , Jesus Christ ) are mentioned by name in the Quran. In the sense of predicting events, the Quran contains verses believed to have predicted many events years before they happened and that such prophecies are proof of the divine origin of the Qur'an. The Qur'an itself states "Every ˹destined˺ matter has a ˹set˺ time to transpire. And you will soon come to know." Muslims also recognize

10062-417: The priest Ion dancing on the highest point of Mount Parnassus, going about his duties within the temple, and sprinkling the temple floor with holy water. The purification ceremonies always were performed on the seventh day of the month, which was sacred to and associated with the god Apollo. Then, escorted by the hosioi , an aristocratic council of five, with a crowd of oracular servants, they would arrive at

10179-413: The priests. A response was returned through the tossing of colored beans, one color designating "yes", another "no". Little else is known of this practice. Between 535 and 615 of the Oracles (statements) of Delphi are known to have survived since classical times, of which over half are said to be accurate historically (see List of oracular statements from Delphi for examples). Cicero noted no expedition

10296-480: The production of fumes. Adolphe Paul Oppé published an influential article in 1904, which made three crucial claims: No chasm or vapor ever existed; no natural gas could create prophetic visions; and the recorded incidents of a priestess undergoing violent and often deadly reactions was inconsistent with the more customary reports. Oppé explained away all the ancient testimony as being reports of gullible travelers fooled by wily local guides who, Oppé believed, invented

10413-518: The reason why the Pythia could only venture into her oracular chamber once a month, both to coincide with the correct concentration of gases, and to prolong the already-short lifespan of the Pythia by limiting her exposure to such fumes. Beginning during 1892, a team of French archaeologists directed by Théophile Homolle of the Collège de France excavated the site at Delphi. Contrary to ancient literature, they found no fissure and no possible means for

10530-441: The redundant expression "paeans of praise"). A song called "Paean" was used in a Chinese propaganda film called The East Is Red . After being captured by North Korea in 1968, the commander of USS Pueblo , Lloyd M. Bucher , used "paean" (read 'pee on', i.e. urinate on) as a code that his confession was forced. Under threat of death, Bucher agreed to "confess to his and the crew's transgression" in his own hand, and included

10647-422: The results of applying the alleged Bible code , as well as to other purported pseudo-prophetic works. Most reliable academic sources maintain that the associations made between world events and Nostradamus's quatrains are largely the result of misinterpretations or mistranslations (sometimes deliberate) or else are so tenuous as to render them useless as evidence of any genuine predictive power. Moreover, none of

10764-414: The sacred Geumgang Mountains, and milk instead of blood sprayed 100 feet in the air from his beheaded corpse. The omen was accepted by the opposing court officials as a manifestation of heaven's approval, and Buddhism was made the state religion in 527. According to Walter Brueggemann , the task of prophetic (Christian) ministry is to nurture, nourish and evoke a consciousness and perception alternative to

10881-456: The second temple it retained the 6 by 15 column pattern around the stylobate . Inside was the adyton , the centre of the Delphic oracle and seat of Pythia. The temple had the statement " Know thyself ", one of the Delphic maxims , carved into it (and some modern Greek writers say the rest were carved into it), and the maxims were attributed to Apollo and given through the Oracle and/or

10998-407: The sense of "function of a prophet" appeared from about 1225, from Old French profecie (12th century), and from prophetia , Greek propheteia "gift of interpreting the will of God", from Greek prophetes (see prophet ). The related meaning, "thing spoken or written by a prophet", dates from c. 1300, while the verb "to prophesy" is recorded by 1377. In 1863, Bahá'u'lláh , the founder of

11115-459: The shore of the Corinthian Gulf . The rift of the Gulf of Corinth is one of the most geologically active sites on Earth; shifts there impose immense strains on nearby fault lines, such as those below Delphi. The two faults cross one another, and they intersect right below where the adyton was probably located. (The actual, original oracle chamber had been destroyed by the moving faults, but there

11232-418: The signs were favorable , and then burned outside on the altar of Chios . The rising smoke was a signal that the oracle was open. The Oracle then descended into the adyton (Greek for 'inaccessible') and mounted her tripod seat, holding laurel leaves and a dish of Kassotis spring water into which she gazed. Nearby was the omphalos (Greek for 'navel'), which was flanked by two solid gold eagles representing

11349-464: The site at Delphi using this photograph and other sources as evidence, as part of a United Nations survey of all active faults in Greece. Jelle Zeilinga de Boer saw evidence of a fault line in Delphi that lay under the ruined temple. During several expeditions, they discovered two major fault lines, one lying north–south, the Kerna fault, and the other lying east–west, the Delphic fault, which parallels

11466-418: The sources listed offers any evidence that anyone has ever interpreted any of Nostradamus's pseudo-prophetic works specifically enough to allow a clear identification of any event in advance. According to skeptics, many apparently fulfilled prophecies can be explained as coincidences , possibly aided by the prophecy's own vagueness, and others may have been invented after the fact to match the circumstances of

11583-512: The supplicant to the oracle would undergo a four-stage process, typical of shamanic journeys. The ruins of the Temple of Delphi visible today date from the 4th century BC, and are of a peripteral Doric building. It was erected on the remains of an earlier temple, dated to the 6th century BC, which itself was erected on the site of a 7th-century-BC construction attributed to the architects Trophonios and Agamedes. The 6th-century BC temple

11700-439: The temple became dedicated to Apollo, are not documented. The other officiants associated with the oracle are less well known. These are the hosioi ( ὅσιοι , 'holy ones') and the prophētai ( προφῆται , singular prophētēs ). Prophētēs is the origin of the English word prophet , with the meaning 'one who forespeaks, one who foretells'. The prophetai are referred to in literary sources, but their function

11817-584: The temple. Guard your lips from offence To those who ask for oracles. Let the God's answer come Pure from all private fault. The Pythia would then bathe naked in the Castalian Spring , then drink the holier waters of the Cassotis , which flowed closer to the temple, where a naiad possessing magical powers was said to live. Euripides described this ritual purification ceremony, starting first with

11934-499: The temple. Consultants, carrying laurel branches sacred to Apollo, approached the temple along the winding upward course of the Sacred Way, bringing a young goat kid for sacrifice in the forecourt of the temple, and a monetary fee. Inscribed on a column in the pronaos (forecourt) of the temple were an enigmatic "E" and three maxims: These seem to have played an important part in the temple ritual. According to Plutarch's essay on

12051-437: The temple. This explanation sheds light on the alleged spirit and chasm of Delphi, that have been the subject of intense debate and interdisciplinary research for the last hundred years. Regardless of which fumes existed in the chasm, winter months would bring cooler weather, decreasing release of gases in the chamber. This offers a plausible explanation for the absence of summer deities in winter months. A toxic gas also explains

12168-542: The validity of some prophecies in other sacred texts like in the Bible ; however, they believe that, unlike the Qur'an, some parts of the Bible have been corrupted over the years, and as a result, not all of the prophecies and verses in the Bible are accurate. The Hebrew term for prophet, Navi ( נבוא ), literally means "spokesperson"; a prophet speaks to the people as a mouthpiece of their God , and to their god on behalf of

12285-456: Was a French apothecary and reputed seer who published collections of foreknowledge of future events. He is best known for his book Les Propheties ("The Prophecies"), the first edition of which appeared in 1555. Since Les Propheties was published, Nostradamus has attracted an esoteric following that, along with the popularistic press, credits him with foreseeing world events. His esoteric cryptic foreseeings have in some cases been assimilated to

12402-530: Was additionally a visual component, now lost. Child development and consciousness author Joseph Chilton Pearce remarked that revelation typically appears in symbolic form and "in a single flash of insight." He used the metaphor of lightning striking and suggests that the revelation is "a result of a buildup of resonant potential." Pearce compared it to the earth asking a question and the sky answering it. Focus, he said, feeds into "a unified field of like resonance (and becomes) capable of attracting and receiving

12519-413: Was both a Priestess to Apollo and to the secret rites of Dionysus. The male priests seem to have had their own ceremonies to the dying and resurrecting god. Apollo was said to return at the beginning of spring, on the seventh day of the month of Bysios, his birthday. This would reiterate the absences of the great goddess Demeter in winter also, which would have been a part of the earliest traditions. Once

12636-627: Was controversial because of the manner in which he prophesied and the doctrines he propagated. Prophecy and other spiritual gifts were somewhat rarely acknowledged throughout church history and there are few examples of the prophetic and certain other gifts until the Scottish Covenanters like Prophet Peden and George Wishart . From 1904 to 1906, the Azusa Street Revival occurred in Los Angeles, California and

12753-400: Was erected at the site, where people began worshipping in the late Bronze Age , by 1600 BC. After the deaths of a number of men, the villagers chose a single young woman as the liaison for the divine inspirations. Eventually, she came to speak on behalf of the gods. According to earlier myths, the office of the oracle was initially possessed by the goddesses Themis and Phoebe , and the site

12870-513: Was initially sacred to Gaia . Subsequently, it was believed to be sacred to Poseidon , the god of earthquakes. During the Greek Dark Age , from the 11th to the 9th century BC, a new god of prophecy, Apollo, was said to have seized the temple and expelled the twin guardian serpents of Gaia, whose bodies he wrapped around the caduceus . Later myths stated that Phoebe or Themis had "given" the site to Apollo, rendering its seizure by priests of

12987-579: Was known in Mycenaean times. G. L. Huxley observes: "If the hymn to (Delphic) Apollo conveys a historical message, it is above all that there were once Cretan priests at Delphi." Robin Lane Fox notes that Cretan bronzes are found at Delphi from the eighth century onwards, and Cretan sculptures are dedicated as late as c. 620–600 BC: "Dedications at the site cannot establish the identity of its priesthood, but for once we have an explicit text to set beside

13104-469: Was named the "Temple of Alcmaeonidae " in tribute to the Athenian family who funded its reconstruction following a fire, which had destroyed the original structure. The new building was a Doric hexastyle temple of 6 by 15 columns. This temple was destroyed in 373 BC by an earthquake. The pediment sculptures are a tribute to Praxias and Androsthenes of Athens . Of a similar proportion to

13221-638: Was sung before the resuming of the naval battle between the Corcyraeans and Corinthians in a war leading up to the Peloponnesian War , implying that it might have been a common practice. In addition, the paean is said to have been sung just before the start of various battles (including the Battle of Cunaxa ) in Xenophon's "Anabasis" (or "Persian Expedition"). The most famous paeans are those of Bacchylides and Pindar . Paeans were sung at

13338-473: Was the Greek physician of the gods. In Iliad V he heals the wounded Ares and Hades with his herbal lore . In time Paeon (or Paean) became an epithet ("byname") of Apollo as a god capable of bringing disease and propitiated as a god of healing. Hesiod identifies Paeon as a separate god, and in later poetry Paeon is invoked independently as a health god. Later, Paean becomes a byname of Asclepius , another healer-god. The earliest appearances of

13455-544: Was the most prestigious and authoritative oracle among the Greeks, and she was among the most powerful women of the classical world. The oracle is one of the best-documented religious institutions of the classical Greeks. Authors who mention the oracle include Aeschylus , Aristotle , Clement of Alexandria , Diodorus , Diogenes , Euripides , Herodotus , Julian , Justin , Livy , Lucan , Nepos , Ovid , Pausanias , Pindar , Plato , Plutarch , Sophocles , Strabo , Thucydides , and Xenophon . Nevertheless, details of how

13572-499: Was undertaken, no colony sent out, and no affair of any distinguished individuals went on without the sanction of the oracle. The early fathers of the Christian church believed demons were allowed to assist them to spread idolatry, so that the need for a savior would be more evident. In antiquity, the people who went to the Oracle to ask for advice were known as "consultants", literally, "those who seek counsel". It would appear that

13689-528: Was visited by God and Jesus Christ in 1820. The Latter Day Saints further claims that God communicated directly with Joseph Smith on many subsequent occasions, and that following the death of Joseph Smith God has continued to speak through subsequent prophets. Joseph Smith claims to have been led by an angel to a large hill in upstate New York, where he was shown an ancient manuscript engraved on plates of gold metal. Joseph Smith claimed to have translated this manuscript into modern English under divine inspiration by

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