We can certainly say that the desire to know the future is innate in human nature. To live with the awareness of what will or might happen is such a strong desire that, since ancient times, people have been drawn to explore the realm of the sacred and the mysterious.
Prophecies, oracles, and magical rites are just some of the tools found in many traditions across time and space.
As part of the “Visions and Prophecies” series, one session was dedicated to the special role and mission of Prophets and Prophetesses.
The experience of prophecy is central to the three major monotheistic religions: Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, but it is within Judaism that the prophet holds a unique appeal.
The prophetic writings in the Old Testament draw a line between Jewish prophecy and earlier pagan divination. While both involve foretelling the future, the key difference is the special connection, between the prophet and God, where God speaks directly to the man or woman.
The word “prophet” itself comes from the Greek term profànai, meaning “to speak on behalf of another.” In Hebrew scriptures, however, several terms are used: nabi, which means “the one who speaks” and is the most commonly used, and ro’eh and hozeh, which are synonyms, though they carry subtle differences. The first means “seer,” and the second means “speaker” or “announcer.”
Moses is the undisputed prophet and key figure in the great epic of the Jewish people. Through him, they were freed from slavery in Egypt and led across the Red Sea to the promised land.
In Jewish tradition, Moses is considered the author of the first five books of the Old Testament, the Torah. The root y r h of the word Torah has several meanings, including “to teach”, “to instruct”, and “to lay the foundation”. Therefore, the books – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy—are seen as the collection of teachings and commandments recognized and followed by the Jewish people, as revealed by God through Moses, in respect of an Alliance.
In particular, Genesis, the first book, reveals the creation: from the origins of the world to humanity.
Though it is widely known, beneath the apparent simplicity of the story lies an exceptional theological depth.
To understand it, one must consider that the text has undergone many translations from the original language, possibly losing some of its deeper meaning. And since it is a mythic narrative that cannot be placed in time and space, it is considered “metahistorical” and “metaphysical.”
Visionary quotes from Genesis act as enlightening pieces in the following text: SCIENTIFIC COSMOLOGY AND ARCHAEOSOPHICAL RESEARCH.
