Divine Encounters - Zecharia Sitchin-pages

Page 302 of 384

Page 302 of 384
Divine Encounters - Zecharia Sitchin-pages

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298 that was used to enable all the Israelite multitude, standing at the foot of the mountain, to hear Yahweh's voice and his talk with Moses). Thus did Yahweh, in full view of all the people—all 600,000 of them—"descend upon Mount Sinai, on the top of it; and Yahweh called Moses up to the top of the Mount, and Moses went up." It was then, from atop the mount, from within the thick cloud, that "Elohim spoke the following words," pro- nouncing the Ten Commandments—the essentials of the He- brew Faith, the guidelines for social justice and human morality; a summary of the Covenant between Man and God, all of the Divine Teachings succinctly expressed. The first three Commandments established monotheism, proclaimed Yahweh as the Elohim of Israel, the sole God, and prohibited the making of idols and their worship: Il am Yahweh thy Elohim who hath brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. II Thou shalt have no other Elohim beside me; thou shalt not make for thyself any sculptured image of likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth. Thou shalt not bow to them nor worship them. . . in vain. Next came a Commandment intended to express the sanc- tity of the People of Israel and their subjection to a higher standard of daily life, by setting aside one day a week to be the Sabbath—a day devoted to contemplation and_ rest, applying equally to all people, to humans as well as to their livestock: IV Remember to keep the day of the Sabbath and sanctify it. DIVINE ENCOUNTERS If Thou shalt not utter the name of Yahweh thy Elohim