Larsa was destyds ‘n baie belangrike stad in antieke Sumer. Hoekom? Dit was sentrum waar die songod Utu (Shamasj) aanbid is.
Hierdie mense se lewens het om die heidense tempels gedraai. Die Here het in elke mens die drang geplaas om te aanbid.
Die probleem is dat die ou Duiwel hierdie drang om te aanbid weg van God wil weglei en dan beland ons in ‘n gemors.
Net God alleen is aanbiddingswaardig. Net Hy alleen gee vir Sy skepping om. Net Hy is ‘n God van liefde. So ‘n groot liefde dat Hy Jesus gegee het om in die plek van die sondaar te kom sterf.
Mag die Here ons help om nie deur die vyand mislei te word nie. Daar is ‘n diepe vreugde wanneer ons die God wat ons gemaak het, aanbid.
WADI BRISA INSKRIPSIES
Kom eers gou saam met my na die pragtige land van Libanon. Dis hier waar sommige van die mense van Sumer hulle hout kom haal het.
By ‘n plek in die noorde van Libanon, vind mens ‘n aangrypende inskripsie van Nebukadnesar.
Hy het aan beide kante van ‘n ou pad dieselfde inligting in twee tale laat skyf. Moderne Babilonies van sy dag en ook in ou-Babilonies. Dit sou die verbygangers die geleenheid gee om te kies om die taal van hulle keuse te lees.
Die inskripsie bestaan uit 1400 lyntjies. Dis die mees volledige profiel van Nebukadnesar. Ek het veral navorsing gedoen oor sy verwysings na sy bouwerk by die tempels van Sumer en Akkad.
Kom ek noem een voorbeeld van baie.
“For my lord Shamash, who always gives me a positive reliable answer to my query, I rebuilt the Ebabbar, his temple in Larsa.” Twin Inscriptions of Nebuchadnezzar p.61
ARGEOLOGIE
Kom ons hoor of ‘n argeoloog met die naam van Loftus die spore van Nebukadnesar hier by Larsa ontdek het.
Aanvanklik het hy nie eers geweet die naam van die stad waar hy opgrawings gedoen het Larsa is. Hy het dit eers ontdek toe hy op een van die boustene die naam van die stad en die naam van Nebukadnesar ontdek het.
Hy het baie moeite gedoen om die tempel van Shamash te ondersoek wat deur Nebukadnesar herbou is.
Terwyl ek hier oor die ruïnes van ‘n eens magtige stad gestap het, het ek aan die betroubaarheid van die Bybel gedink. Hoeveel vyande wou hom na Rommel status afbring. Dit het nie gewerk nie. Inteendeel. Aanvalle het sy status net verhef.
HAMURABI
Larsa het tot sy einde gekom toe toe Hammurabi van Babilon sy koning Rim-Sin in 1763 vC verslaan het en toe oor die stad begin regeer het.
PARADISE
At one of our Universities we studied the translation of some of the cuneiform clay tablets from the library of Ashurbanipal. He was the last great Assyrian king before they were defeated by Cyaxares and Nabopolasser in 612.
He sent scribes into every region of the Neo-Assyrian Empire to collect ancient texts. He hired scholars and scribes to copy texts, mainly from Babylonian sources. I had the privilege to visit the ruins of ancient Nineveh where some 10,000 clay tablets were discovered.
One of the messages that I shall never forget tell of a paradise.
The synopsis of the paradise can be found in the following words:
Kish kiri. Gub. Mach. Sikil.
“Kish kiri” refers to a paradise. And then he explains what this paradise has to offer.
“Gup” means that the god Enlil planted a garden. It is not manmade it is god-made.
“Mach” is the word for majestic, marvellous, indescribable.
“Sikil” is a Sumerian word like the Hebrew “Shalom”, or the Arabic “Aleichem Salaam”.
But it is more than that. The paradise offers people security, happiness, eternal life and whatever good thing you can imagine is in the paradise “Kish kiri”.
Does this Sumerian paradise remind you of another paradise?
Opn 21:1 Revelation 21:1 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea.
Verse 2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Verse 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
Verse 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Verse 5 Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
Verse 6 And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.