Exploring Holy Books: A Scientific Perspective

[Evo]

That's great marcus and thanks to hamster for bringing it up.

A magic white squirrel, I want one.

 

[marcus]

It may be of interest that according to the clues we have in both among the Finns and in Sumerian society the women brewed the beer. Clay tablet pictures show women brewing beer. Legal texts refer to beer shops owned and operated by women (rather than men).

For some reason the Sumerians liked to drink beer through reeds---like our soda straws.

The Sumerians had a special goddess for beer. Her name was Ninkasi, sometimes written Nin-kasi. There is a Hymn to Ninkasi. This is appropriate to quote because this thread is about enjoying holy texts.

Selected stazas from the 1800 BC Sumerian Hymn to Ninkasi, the Beer Goddess

...
...

You are the one who soaks the malt in a jar,
The waves rise, the waves fall.
Ninkasi, you are the one who soaks the malt in a jar,
The waves rise, the waves fall.

You are the one who spreads the cooked mash on large reed mats,
Coolness overcomes,
Ninkasi, you are the one who spreads the cooked mash on large reed mats,
Coolness overcomes,

You are the one who holds with both hands the great sweet wort,
Brewing [it] with honey [and] wine
(You the sweet wort to the vessel)
Ninkasi, (...)(You the sweet wort to the vessel)

The filtering vat, which makes a pleasant sound,
You place appropriately on a large collector vat.
Ninkasi, the filtering vat, which makes a pleasant sound,
You place appropriately on a large collector vat.

When you pour out the filtered beer of the collector vat,
It is [like] the onrush of Tigris and Euphrates.
Ninkasi, you are the one who pours out the filtered beer of the collector vat,
It is [like] the onrush of Tigris and Euphrates. The whole hymn is given here:
http://beeradvocate.com/articles/304

I helped make some beer recently, being taught by the son of a friend (apparently in our society it's primarily men who make the beer). The cooked barley malt and hops liquid, before it ferments, is called the WORT, a nice word. When the wort begins to ferment, it churns with the action of the yeast. The jug of wort is alive with turbulence---it roils and bubbles. There is sound.

I think the Sumerian poet was very good to point out the sounds of beer making, and to compare with the rushing waters of the mighty Tigris and Euphrates.

There is a part of this or another hymn where another goddess, the sky goddess if I remember correctly, comes to visit Ninkasi, and they drink together.

 

[Evo]

Today I watched a special on the history of beer, and in ancient cultures, women indeed brewed the beer. They mentioned that in many current tribal cultures women still do the brewing much as it was done thousands of years ago.

Nice find marcus.

 

[lisab]

Many years ago, I read Genesis to get better at crossword puzzles.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Many years ago, I read Genesis to get better at crossword puzzles.

I can only think of one instance in which that would be a useful: A five-letter word relating to procreation.