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« • • ♦ V < > r fr * •» « •• * < * /< * * Portland Observer DECEMBER 20,1989 Page 3 IÜH Scripture o f the ‘Weefi Beyond Kwanzaa * / Professor McKinley Burt In last w eek's description o f the mag nificent Kwanzaa holiday and the celebra tions o f thanksgiving, regeneration and affirmation, I provided some details of a past that illuminates the ages-old African genesis o f such spirituality as the world still possesses. It was emphasized that there is no lack o f evidence or documentation, of preserved manuscripts, papyri, stone tab lets or religious icons - but that what we do have are arrogant and racist attempts to revise eternal truths and verities. W e fmd that the G re a t Seals and coins o f might but arrogant nations no longer feature black doves grasping olive branches but, instead, present the fierce visage o f the Eagle, a refined killer. Thus, the meaning has been lost from the m essage o f hope and truth that the biblical prophet Isaiah saw rising out of Ethiopian on "buzzing wings.” And under standing has been stripped from the tradi tion o f the ancient Greeks who stated that their moat sacred o f temples at Dodona was founded by two Black priestess who in the farm o f doves flew there from the original temple in Egypt. And who is it that is so devoid o f feeling and passion that they could listen to the earthy, sing song chants of the black Preacher (King, Jackson, et al), or to the tear-bringing truths o f existence imbedded in the soaring lyrics o f the Black spiritual—and not wonder how many thou sands o f years it took to forge these voices. Indeed, it is true that * ‘In the beginning was the w o rd ." And that pronouncement is recorded in Africa, long before the Greeks, and long before the Hebrews. One o f the most revered and earliest religious icons is the cross, though by the Judaic period it was being used as an instru ment for the torture and crucifixion o f criminals and religious dissidents. In the reliable "Archaeology o f Christian Art" we find the cross described as "chiefly representative o f the ideas prevalent among the Egyptians, namely the source o f life, and o f hope o f a world to com e. " B u t when this cross (tau or patibulary) was brought over into the early church around A.D. 377, it was no longer carried th African concept o f an "A nkh,” the symbol o f life. The church fathers added their endowments and we find such inscriptions as this from Rev. 1, 8, "I am Alpha and Omega, the begin ning and ending, saith the Lord, which is and which was and which is to come, the almighty. The African version o f this eter nal sym bol, the Ankh, has been found in excavations all through Egypt, Nubia, Ethio pia and in Western Arabia. On page 141 o f the "Metropolitan Museum o f Art” com panion piece to the King Tut E xhibition, w e find exquisite reproductions o f copper and bronze hand mirrors in the shape o f the Ankh. icon is exactly as described in details o f the Tem ple o f Solom on--but these arks came several thousand years earlier. When we speak like this o f rituals and ceremonies I am always brought to mind of the extraordinary and m agnificent harvest festival which celebrates an annual reunion o f the sym bolic goddess Hathor with her bridegroom , Horus, who awaits her at the 6,000 year old city o f Edfu, 30 m iles down stream on the N ile from the staging area. Satellite television broadcasts may have thrilled you with their coverage o f m assive religious ceremonies at the Vatican, and you may have been more than impressed by helicopter view s o f the last royal wedding in England- -but these contemporary scenes o f western pomp and ceremony are simply beggared when one contemplates the stag gering logistics required to stage the fantas tic panorama offered by the yearly celebra tion o f the m arriage o f Hathor o f Dendera to Horus o f Edfu (Horus is the African god whose eye is shown just above the trun- acated pyramid o f the great seal o f the United S ta tes-A symbol devised by Tho mas Jefferson to portray “ the concept upon which America is founded, truth and jus tice.” In Africa the concept was known as Maat; see reverse o f dollar bill). This harvest celebration o f the cycle o f man, nature and spirit began 6,000 years ago and lasted almost 2,000 years. It would begin at Dendera with a week o f joyous celebration and praiseful thanksgiving ritu als, and then the brides party embarked in beautifully decorated boats for the weeklong journey downstream. At each nightfall there would be stop at a chosen city where the waterborne throng would be joined by more boats, more singers, dancers and m usi cians, and where more festivities would take place. At each city the local mayor and his officials would join the pilgrimage, all beautifully robed and gowned. M agnifi cently costumed crewmen rowed the craft to the beat o f enthusiastic but disciplined drummers. There was only room for some many boats on the river so hundreds of thousands accompanied the procession by land the entire thirty m iles. By journey's end the festive throng could not have fitted In (Memory O f ......... into a dozen Basilicas or Buckingham pal aces. For one o f the best descriptions o f this African Festival, sec “ Lamy, Egyptian M ysteries.” We are indebted to J.A. Rogers the noted historian for the following informa tion; his quotations have been verified many times. When the whites cam e into pow er they shifted the colors. But as late as 1500 the Ethiopians still depicted their goods and heroes black, an d their devils and villains, white. Father Fernandez, a Catholic missionary, who worked amongst them at this time, says, "They paint Christ, the B lessed Virgin, an d other saints in black form ; an d devils and w icked men, white. Thus Christ and his apostles are black and Judas, white. Annas, Calphas, Pilate, H erod and the t (Continued to Next Page) RICKY DARNELL CARTER Son of Geneva Knauls, Stepson of Paul Knauls Jesus Loves You! W ho was born in Portland, Oregon on February 14, 1954, to Geneva Knauls and Robert "R ocky" C arter, died M onday, December 18, 1989 at Portland Adventist Convalescent Center. Ricky died from injuries he sustained in an automobile accident on A p ril 14,1985. Funeral Service New Hope Baptist Church Saturday, Dec. 23,1989 at 10:00 A.M. 4236 N.E. Eighth Avenue (corner of 8th & Skidmore) Portland, Qregon 97211 & ñ r (503) 287-0261 r Phillip S. Nelson, Pastor Egyptian Ark. * St. John: Chapter 1 & 2 Strengt fien fo u r f a i t fi ‘Through (Prayer A n d d(eguiaf Cfiurcfi ‘Worship I '-'-r ^ 'l Psalm I— ,— 34:3 (— ARANATHA — | (XVilkinaua, A n e. E g y p t.} CORRECTION hurch 4222 N.E. 12th Avenue Portland Oregon Do to the over sight o f the com posi tion dept. o f the Portland Observer, we failed to add caption lines to two pictures that was in Professor M cK inley Burt's story on "KWANZAA: Time To Celebrate African-Ameri can Roots, December 13th issue. The two names are Joyce Harris and Gloria Phillips, ' Sunday Services Sunday School 9 : 0 0 A .M . Morning Worship 1 0 :3 0 A .M . Maranatha School of Ministry 6 : 3 0 P .M Mid-Week Services - Wednesday 7 :3 0 P .M Rev. W endell H . Wallace Senior Pastor ATTENTION RENTERS R&R Management Can Help You! We have from one (1) to four (4) bedrooms. Newly remodeled Nice, clean for familys who care about how they live. Sec. 8 We Welcome you Joyce Harris Coordinator J IM M Y DEAN SAUSAGE jnJMDein Interestingly, in the older books o f religious history (written before the turn o f the century—and before the A frican Exclu sion), you find that the authors rather hon estly and forthrightly present most facts as they are. An excellent case in point is found in "Sm ith, Dictionary o f th bible,” pub lished in 1865. Here, we find that whenever illustrations accompany the text, the en graving is always o f the African original. Especially significant is the entry, "Ark o f the C ovenant.” The accompanying picture is that o f an Egyptian Ark (after W ilkin son, Ancient Egypt), the exact same vessel found in King Tut's tomb, and as portrayed on temple walls and furnishings tiiroughout the ancient land. Look-alike models are shown as part o f African rituals, and other huge examples are replicas o f warships or freighters. Another illustration on the same page (from Lamy, Egyptian Mysteries) shows groups o f pall bearers carrying arks in a funerary procession. The appearance o f the • ROLLS • LINKS • PATTIES C a ll 2 8 2 -4 6 9 6 69 2413 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. We Can Help EACH OYSTERS FRESH PACIFIC MEDIUM SIZE Gloria Phillips Coordinator OREGON SH R IM P MEAT SEAFOOD FLAKES Í5? ‘TeacJting Church Tift/i A 'J(f aching “M inistry. ‘ MT. OLIVET BAPTIST ---- 1 D r. CHURCH ........ J James E. M a rtin , Senior Pastor 116 N.E. Schuyler • THE FRIENDLIEST STORES IN TOWN SINCE 190B SPECIALS EFFECTIVE DECEMBER 19th thru 24th, 1989 MEMBER OF UNITED GROCERS WFEKDAYS mm *’™ 9 mam » zpm (503)284-1954 7:45 A.M. - WORSHIP SERVICE 9:30 A.M. - SUNDAY SCHOOL 10:45 A.M. - WORSHIP SERVICE 6:30 P.M. - WORSHIP SERVICE BIBLE STUDY: 10:30 A.M. -1 2 NOON - WEDNESDAY 6:30 A.M. - 8:00 P.M. - WEDNESDAY Support Our Advertisers! Say You Saw It In The Portland Observer! Radio M inistry Each Sunday, 8 0 0 A M . - KBMS « * • • •-* * •* . . . . . •« Vs'WfitAt • >