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For thousands of years, followers of religions have believed in sacred stories, called myths, religious leaders often used these stories to dramatize the teachings of their faith.

Originally, people told myths to describe how the sacred powers directly influenced the world. As the stories developed, they showed how some features or events in the world was directly caused by the sacred powers.

Today, there are scientific explanations for many of the subjects dealt with in sacred stories. But some religious groups still insist that the stories are true in every detail.

Other groups believe only in the message contained in the stories, not in the specific details. Still others regard sacred stories as symbolic expressions of the ideals and values of their faith.

The Brief Story of Jonah:

Jonah was chosen by God to go to Nineveh and cry against that wicked city. Jonah did not wish to go. He was reluctant to carry out his responsibility. He fled from the face of the Lord. He was cast into the sea. He was swallowed up by the whale.

Jonah declared that he cried out to the Lord from “hell”. At last, Jonah turned his heart to Nineveh and preached to the wicked city of Nineveh. The people repented and they were saved through Jonah’s message of salvation, (compare Jonah chapter 1-3).

Historical Literature of the Story:

This story was written in about the year 400B.C. Since the Jews had returned from Babylon and resettled securely in their fortified town, they had become rather self-righteous, telling each other that they were Yaweh’s chosen race and that everyone else was wicked. “Self-righteousness” was the process of measuring oneself up against oneself rather than up against a lofty conception of the creator. It was easier to succeed and it led to smugness.

The author of the book objected to this smugness. He said that if his fellow Jews were really blessed with an enlightened vision of the creator’s mind, they should share it with other nations, not keep it to themselves.

The book is therefore a satire, Jonah meant ‘dove’ and stood for Israel. Nineveh, in the minds of the Jews at that time, stood for Gentile irrigation. In the satire, Jonah did not want to enlighten the gentiles. He wanted to see them liquidated if possible! In fact, he would sooner have died than share the Jewish vision with them.

Thus, the story of Jonah was a sort of parable, that is, a subtle device to expose a hidden meaning.

The dove was widely regarded as a symbol of peace and reconciliation (See Noah’s story in Gen. and from Mark 1, Matt 3, and 4, Luke 3 and John 1): (New English Bible). That idea of peace was not a passive pacifism but, in terms of the old fertility wisdom, it was an active fruitfulness, a state of bioplasmic balance within the self and the world.

So the word-play of the story was clear. Jonah the dove tried to fly away from his duty and caused a storm, but learnt his lesson in a whale’s belly (the word could also mean womb) and emerged to bring peace to the world at large.

Similar Story in Pagan Nations:

Ancient Greeks where already well aware of such stories as well as other ancient Mediterranean.

The said ancient Greeks knew about dolphins in 200B.C and credited them with a level of intelligence similar to our own. There are numerous Mediterranean legends which relate how dolphins saved the lives of human beings. Well-known examples are the fable told by Herodotus (b. 484 B.C), about the miraculous rescue of the poet Arion in the sea of Corinth and the story told by Pliny the younger (b. 61 C.E) of a boy carried to the beach by a dolphin. Pliny was a Roman author and administrator.



My Arguments:

It would be contrary to science to believe or assume that Jonah as a physical person was literally swallowed by a whale or ‘big fish’, according to some translations. If one did, then it must have been a sperm whale or cachalot. According to animal scientists, this is the only whale with a throat large enough to swallow a man whole. Sperm whales have been taken containing pieces of squid considerably larger than a man’s body. The sperm whale does occasionally occur in the Mediterranean. It is by no means impossible that a sperm whale should swallow a man. There is naturally no sound evidence that a whale has ever done so – but it is inconceivable that a man swallowed by a sperm whole could live. Quite apart from the effect of the gastric juices, he would surely suffocate within a moment or two.

Sperm whale lives in warm seas between 40o latitude north and 40o latitude south, though solitary males may venture into polar waters. They are not found in the Mediterranean, commonly.

In addition, whales do not eat fish, so what prompted it to swallow Jonah? It’s very unlikely one did. Whales depend on some of the smallest living things for their survival. The blue whale which can weigh up to 209 ton (190 metric tons), eats almost nothing but shrimplike crustaceans called krill, some of which are only 3/10 inches (8 millimeters) in length. Krills are part of the zoo plankton inhabiting the world’s oceans. Most often, whales feed on concentrated masses of krill, sometimes consuming 5,000 pounds (2,300 kilograms) at one feeding.

Some translations of the Bible refer to whale as “big fish” but it is a common knowledge that a whale is not a fish but a mammal though it looks like a big fish. This is to prove that the story of Jonah and the whale is contrary to science.

Furthermore, how would one explain Jeremiah 51:34, 44 which states where Babylon like a sea dragon swallows Israel and there after a time spews her forth again.

If that happened literally, why do we still have Israel still fixed at its original position today as a nation? Interestingly, the nation still maintains its ancient name till this moment.

The book of Isaiah states that: “Death was swallowed up in victory” (Isaiah 25:, Paul also stated that: “Death is swallowed up in victory” (1 Corinthians 15:54). Does the afore-mentioned statements mean death had been literally swallowed up? If so, why are people still dying?

Unraveling the Secret of the Story:

Human knowledge is of two kinds, one is the knowledge of the senses: sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell. We have a knowledge of many things through these outer senses. For examples, the sun can seen by the eye, sounds can be heard by the ear, heat and cold can be felt by the touch, foods can be tasted, perfumes can be perceived by the sense of smell. These things are all apparent to other physical senses. This is the first kind of knowledge.

The second kind of human knowledge is intellectual. Intellectual realities are not perceptible to the senses. They have no outward form. They occupy no space. They cannot be seen, heard, touched, tasted or smelled. Love is such a reality. The ear cannot hear love, nor can the eyes see it. Love cannot be touched, tasted or perceived by the sense of smell. Joy is also an intellectual reality of this nature.

Knowledge, likewise, cannot be recognized by the outward senses. These are not material things. They are intellectual or spiritual qualities. In other to explain intellectual or spiritual realities, it is necessary to use figures or symbol which are apparent to the outward senses. This is the easiest and the most effective way in which such spiritual truths can be understood. Sometimes it is the only way.

Let’s take an example from a secular literary writing done by George Orwell. In 1945, the English writer George Orwell (1903-1950), published his novel ‘Animal Farm’, the story of a group of animals who overthrow their human masters. One cannot read literal meaning to the story. Of course, it is a satire on communism, it created a great impression, as did his last novel ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’, published in 1949. This is set in a nightmare world of the future, in which came to pass, in which a state has complete control over people’s lives.

The Simple, Beautiful Truth Behind The Story Of Jonah And The Whale.

Jonah was chosen by God to go to Nineveh and cry against that wicked city. Jonah did not wish to go. He was reluctant to evangelize. He fled from the face of the Lord. The spirit died within him, and he was cast into the “sea of materialism”. He was swallowed up by the “whale of earthly desires and disobedience”. All signs of Jonah’s spiritual life had vanished. Jonah himself declared that he cried out to the Lord from “hell”. The belly of the whale was the grave of his disobedience and lack of understanding.

At last, obedience to the edict of the creator, Jonah turned his heart to Nineveh and to his responsibilities. The “whale” and the “sea” gave up their treasure, for Jonah’s spirit could no longer be restrained by such graves (belly of the whale). He was “ resurrected”. He went to Nineveh. He was afire with the miracle of the rebirth which God had caused in his soul. He preached to the wicked city of Nineveh. The people repented and they were saved through the “resurrection” of Jonah. The belly of the whale was a symbol of his temporary spiritual death, his grave, his hell.

Conclusion:

When we seek to explain the intellectual or spiritual realities, we are obliged to express them in a form which the outward senses can comprehend. Until the student of scriptures understands this fundamental truth, the books will remain incomprehensible to him. For instance, in Africa, the progenitors of Africans used riddles, proverbs, tales and adages to teach and speak most of the time. They seem contrary to reason. They are ‘sealed up’ and closed. That is applicable to the Holy Scriptures. But once the truth is recognized, the unity and beauty to be found in the meanings of the sacred scriptures immediately become apparent. What was impossible for the logical mind to accept before now becomes something lucid and inspiring.

This is a Revelation.



*Please see the article : https://unrevs.com/science-and-religion-the-big-clash/
*Also read https://unrevs.com/historical-theology-of-resurrection/

A fact in itself is nothing. It is valuable only for the idea attached to it, or for the proof which it furnishes.

Now, let’s asses the records of three Jesus’.

Josephus Flavius originally named Joseph Ben Mathias was a Jewish historian who was born in Jerusalem, Israel in the first century. He wrote about 19 different people by that name ‘Jesus’. At present, we know there are people in different parts of the world bearing the name ‘Jesus’ or ‘Joshua’. The name is becoming common in South America and places like Spain and Portugal.

It is pertinent to mention a famous Jewish religious writer, Jesus Ben Sirach (b.190B.C), the writer of ‘Ecclesiasticus’, a canonized book which is part of the Apocrypha. The name ‘Jesus Ben Sirach’ means Jesus the son of Sirach.

In this article, we are to discuss three Jesus’ without Sirach.

Before I talk about the first Jesus, let me start by explaining and interpreting the name ‘Jesus’. The name ‘Jesus’ is ‘Ioseous’ in Greek, in Hebrew it is ‘Joshua’ pronounced ‘Yeshua’ which means ‘Yaweh saves’ or ‘God saves’. ‘Joshua’ or ‘Yeshua’ is a Hebrew form, it came from a Sumerian word meaning ‘juice of life’ which saves, restores and heals’.



jesus
This confirms that the name ‘Jesus’ is a Greek transliteration. While ‘Joshua’ was the real name of those who answered that name, it is pronounced Yeshua in the original Jewish tongue. The reason is because in ancient times, the Hebrew language was written without vowels and they have no ‘J’ in their alphabets. Jesus is ‘Jesu’ in Latin. ‘Isa’ in Arabic.

A bandit hanged 112 years ago in Culiacan, Mexico, has virtually become a saint to people in North Western Mexico. Bumper Stickers on cars praise him, businesses are named after him, and one popular song places him second only to God. The bandit, Jesus Malverde, is revered as a benefactor of the poor and an ‘outwitter’ of the authorities. Visitors flock to a shrine built to honour him in Culiacan, leaving presents (gifts) to thank him for various ‘miracles’ like lost cattle found, good catches of fish, illnesses cured and so on. Reporters say notorious drug traffickers also thank Malverde when their shipments of drugs arrived safely in the United States.



Malverde
Let’s move away from Malverde to the second and third Jesus. Are you aware that the man that was set free by Pilate for Jesus to be crucified was also by name Jesus? It therefore means Jesus the son of Mary was killed in place of Jesus Barabbas.

In Matthew, Barabbas is referred to as ‘Jesus Barabbas’. The full description in Matthew 27:17 reads; “whom will ye say that I release unto you? Jesus Barabbas or Jesus which is called Christ?”

The Revised Standard Version that was published in 1952 as a revision of the American Standard Version of 1901 acknowledges that other ancient manuscripts or authorities read ‘Jesus Barabbas’ (Please see the footnotes of the chapter).

man
The new International Version that was publish in 1973 reads: “So when the crowd had gathered, Pilate asked them, which one do you want me to release to you; Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”.

Contemporary English Version that was published in 1995 reads; “So when the crowd came together, Pilate asked them which prisoner do you want me to set free? Do you want Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Messiah?”

Good News Translation published in 1976 also acknowledge the same. Both New English Translation (NET Bible) published in 2005 and New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) that was published in American English in 1989 with Anglicized Version in 1995 refer to this man as Jesus Barabbas.

Of course, some ancient manuscripts of Matt. 27:16-17 give the full name of Barabbas as Jesus Barabbas.

Barabbas means “son of the father”, “son of the teacher” or “son of the master”. He was the prisoner who in an act of customary clemency, was released at the feast of the Passover. Pilate had offered the crowd the release of either Barabbas or Jesus Christ. The crowd was persuaded by the priest and elders to choose the release of Jesus Barabbas.

Matthew described Barabbas as a notable prisoner (Matt. 27:16) while John asserts that he was a robber (John 18:40).

According to Mark, he was an insurrectionist imprisoned with fellow insurrectionists and murderers (Mark 15:7), Luke describes him as one who had been cast into prison for sedition and murder (Luke 23: 25).

Interestingly, hundreds of millions of Muslims do not believe that Jesus the son of Mary was actually crucified. This also lends support to their view that Jesus escaped death. Quran says that someone else replaced Jesus Christ. Though verse 158 of the same chapter seem to give an inner meaning.

The Quran reads; “And because of their saying (in boast), we killed Messiah ‘Isa’ (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary), the messenger of Allah but they killed him not, nor crucified, but the resemblance of Isa (Jesus) was put over by another man (and they killed that man), and those who differ there in are full of doubts. They have no (certain) knowledge, they follow nothing but conjecture. For surely; they killed him not (i.e Isa Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)”, then verse 158 states; “but Allah raised him up with his body and soul unto himself and he is in the heavens. And Allah is ever all powerful, all wise” (An Nisa 4:157-158, Muhsin Khan).

Muslims believe that their faith is the culmination of the revelations given to the faithful Hebrews and Christians of old. However, their teachings diverse from the older religions on some points, even though they cite both the Hebrew and the evangel in the Quran. Muslims believe the Bible contains revelations of God but that some of them were falsified later, partly because of too many translations.

Nevertheless, the Quran mentions the name of Abraham (Arabic Ibrahim) more than 60 times, mention Moses (Musa) around 130 times, some 20 times for Jesus Christ, and less than 10 times for Mohammed. Quran in Arabic means ‘recital reading’ or ‘recitation’.

Without digressing, let’s place the three Jesus’ side by side. Based on the little information about them, we can examine their life and times and see if there is any underlying thread of common identity.

On the surface, the three men seen quite different from one another. However, if we strip them of the things that are mere embellishments and later additions, or if we remove those distinctions that are as a result of faith, peculiar conditions of the era, their existed native land and other factors, it is amazing how similar two or three of them turn out to be.

Two of the three Jesus’ were once carpenters. Jesus Malverde and Jesus Christ, but we can’t trace the trade of Jesus Barabbas.
Three of them were to be impaled. Though two were actually impaled or hanged but one was freed – that was Jesus Barabbas.
Many Jews around the world who practices Judaism still believe that Jesus Christ was guilty of the offences that were leveled against him. This is contrary to what Pilate the Roman procurator told the chief priests (see Luke 23:13-16). Thus, the writers of the New Testament have explained and give reasons why their faith is in Christ Jesus.
In the other hand, Jesus Malverde also have worshippers who worship him with items like candles, sachet powders, soap, anointed oils ,incense etc. Just as some Christians sects worship the Christ. They also defend their belief and give reasons for their faith.

Two of the three Jesus’ were killed in spring time, while the other was released then. Jesus Christ was killed in the spring of A.D 33, Malverde was also killed in the spring of 1909.
Both Malverde and Christ were in their 30’s when executed. They were both betrayed by their friends and killed by armed law enforcement officers.
Marvede is regarded by some of his followers as the protector of the poor and so, worshipped and referred to as ‘angel of the poor’. Similarly, some Christians, mostly those from some African Independent churches worship Jesus Christ with the name ‘angel Michael’-making references to Daniel 10:13; Daniel 12:1; Jude 9 and Revelation 12:7. Thus, the angel (Michael) is revered by them as their protector.
Jesus Malverde’s birthday is usually marked by his ardent followers every 24th December, while the ‘Mass of Christ’ as well known as Christmas comes up every 25th of the same month.
Friends and gentle hearts, these are the salient things you need to know about the three Jesus’.

It is a revelation.

Read more religious facts from our website: https://unrevs.com/topics/religion/

Virginia born Clarence Saunders (born 9 August, 1881 – d. 14 October, 1953), entered the grocery business directly from the farm. Not being trained in the way stores had to be operated, he chafed at the initial he sensed in the field.

In 6th September, 1916, he launched a small chain of groceries designed to be operated with a minimum amount of labour. Most goods were placed on shelves where customers could choose what they wanted and take their selections to a cashier.




Saunders called this self-service groceries Piggly – Wiggly stores. It was located in Memphis, Tenessee. He kept prices low and used flamboyant advertising programmes. On the opening day of a new store, each red-headed woman who made a purchase was handed a bouquet of roses; a brass band played at the entrance all day; and coloured balloons floated above the crowds.

Four years after he began using these tactics, keyed to a radical new system of merchandising. Saunders had 2660 stores in operation. Competing chains sprang up; some of them branched out into merchandise other than groceries. By 1930 just 14 years after the Piggly Wiggly innovations began, self-service groceries had blossomed into supermarkets with thousands of items on their shelves and only a handful of persons working in them. “Kingsway”, was the first standard supermarket in Nigeria. It was launched in Lagos in 1948.

read more award articles on our website https://unrevs.com/topics/business/



BY: EFREMFON ENANG (Nigeria)

After the unsuccessful war against Israel in 1948 – 49, and after the government of king Farouk (b. 1920 – d. – 1965), which lasted from 1936 to 1952 became unpopular in the country, the Egyptians Army took power and made Egypt a republic in 1952. Colonial Gamal Abdel Nasser (b. 1918 – d.1970), became president in 1954 so it was in Egypt in 1952 that military dictatorship started in Africa.

In 1965, Algeria experience the first military dictatorship, colonial Houari Boumediene (b. 1927 – d. 1978) took control of the country.

Earlier the first military coup in West Africa took place in Togo on January 13,1963 in which President Sylvanus Olympio (b. 1902 – d. 1963) was assassinated, followed by Benin Republic on November 1965, the Central Africa Republic (C.A.R), Burkina Faso and Ghana in 1966.

In 1966, Kwame Nkrumah’s government was removed by the police and army under Gen. Emmanuel Kwasi Kotoka (b. 1926 – d. 1967). Lt. Gen. Akwasi Amankwaa Afrifa (b. 1936 – d. 1979) took over power when Kotoka was killed in 1967. In 1972 Ignatius Kutu Acheampong (b. 1931 – d. 1979) took over the government.

The first military coup, in 15th January 1966 marked the genesis of military rule in Nigeria. The coup was led by major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu (b. 1937 – d. 1967), and brought Major General J. T. U Aguiyi Ironsi (b. 1924 – d. 1966) to power as the first military head of state. He was removed six months after through a counter coup of July 29, 1966. The counter coup brought Lt. Col. Yakubu Gowon to power as the second military head of state. On July 29, 1975, a palace coup ousted Gowon who went for O. A.U 12th summit meeting in Kampala, Uganda. Brigadier Murtala Mohammed (b. 1938 – d. 1976) became the third head of state. He was also assassinated about six months later in an abortive coup spearheaded by Lt. Col. Bukar Sukar Dimka (b. 1940 – d. 1976) on 13th February 1976.

In 1967, the All People’s Congress (A.P.C) in Sierra Leone led by Dr. Siaka Stevens (b. 1905 – d. 1988), won the national election. There was immediately a military coup, in which army officers took control over the country. Within that period there were coup and counter coup in Sierra Leone.

In 1968, Republic of Congo had their first share of military dictatorship when the army leader Marien Ngouabi (b. 1938 – d. 1977) became president. That is when the country developed the socialist policies of government.

In Zaire (D.R.C), Rebels in Kisangani and Kalemi (then called Albertville) were defeated in 1965. President Moise Kapend Tshombe (b. 1919 – d. 1969) was dismissed in the same year, and later General Mobutu Sese Sekou (b. 1930 – d. 1997), leader of the army, took control of the government. He was the president of the country (Zaire) from 1965 to 1997.

At the beginning of 1971 the first military leadership experienced by the Ugandans was that of Gen. Idi Amin Dada (b. 1925 – d. 2003), who replaced Apollo Milton Obote’s (b. 1925 – d. 2005) government.

The monarchy of Muhammad Al-Idris Al –Sanusi, (b. 1889 – d. 1983), was overthrown by the revolution of 1969, when the revolutionary command council took control of the country under colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi (b. 1942 – d. 2011).

The first military takeover in Madagascar previously known as Malagasy happened in 1972 when Gen. Gabriel Ramanantsoa (b. 1906 – d. 1979), became a leader by a popular vote in a national referendum, he was the president and prime minister of Madagascar from 1972 to 1975.

In Republic of Mali, in 1968 the army took over power, in a coup de’ tat. Lieutenant Moussa Traore (b. 1936 – d. 2020), deposed president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita who had three years left in his second term in office. Traore ruled for more than 22 years before being ousted in a military coup in 1991.

The 1979 Equitorial Guinea Coup de’ tat happened on August 3, 1979 when President Francisco Macias Nguema’s (b. 1924 – d. 1979) nephew, Theodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo overthrew him in a bloody coup. He sentenced his uncle, the deposed president (Francisco) to death by firing squad on Sept. 29, 1979. Theodoro is still on the saddle. His uncle Francisco Macias Nguema served as the first president of the country from the independence in 1968 till the time he was overthrown in 1979.

Read more from our website [url]unrevs.com[/url]



By: Efremfon Enang (Nigeria).