Capricornus 4

Capricornus

The Sea-Goat, the Goat, Capricorn [Middle English Capricorne, from Latin Capricornus : caper, capr-, goat + cornu, horn], which comes on the Meridian on September 20. It is second only to Cancer as the least visible constellation of the zodiac, Capricornus is perhaps the oldest constellation to have been recognized and note that it is the Day One of this book. Depictions of a goat, or of a goat-fish, have been found on Babylonian tablets around 3,000 years old (1000 B.C.) [Sumerian SUHUR.MASH, Akk. suhurmashu/i], and the origins of this figure may be prehistoric. Also the Sumerian Mashdagu, is the first month of the year, corresponding to Capricorn.

About 2,000 years ago the Sun reached its most southerly position in the sky -- that is, the winter solstice -- when it passed in front of this constellation at 23.5 degrees south of the celestial equator. This position thus came to be called the Tropic of Capricorn, a term still used today even though, because of the continuing precession of the equinoxes, the Sun is no longer in this constellation in midwinter. The winter solstice occurs about December 21, which is nearly coincident with the beginning of the astrological period known as Capricorn, on December 22.

Azazel (Heb. 'aza'zel, az-aw-zale', from Heb. 'ez, aze, from Heb. 'azaz, aw-zaz', to be stout, thus a she-goat (as strong), kid) a Biblical word of the Old Testament, the evil spirit in the wilderness to whom a scapegoat was sent on the Day of Atonement. In Islam it is one of the jinn [Hebrew ‘azazel, removal, scapegoat (ritually sent into the wilderness), perhaps originally a divine name]. The Islamic [Arabic] jinn is also called djinn which in the Moslem legend, was a spirit capable of assuming human or animal form and exercising supernatural influence over people. Some scholars see in the word the name of a personal being--a demon of the wilderness or a fallen angel who seduces people to evil (as in the Book of Enoch), or an epithet applied to the devil.
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Goats and Scapegoat from the Holy Bible

In the OT, atonement is expressed by the verb kaphar, whose root meaning is "to cover over." The noun related to this verb, kopher, is mainly used of the ransom price that "covers" and offense. The ritual of the Day of Atonement should be studied, and in particular the part played by the two goats (Lev. 16:15-17, 20-22). The high priest sprinkled the blood on the "atonement cover" (Heb. kapporeth).
Leviticus 16:7 And he shall take the two goats, and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.16:8 And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats; one lot for the LORD, and the other lot for the scapegoat. 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD's lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. 16:11 And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself, and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself:
Leviticus 16:16 And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions in all their sins: and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.
The above verses describe the great holy and high day of atonement. We find the scapegoat that bears the sin of the people off into the wilderness, but the goat (the sin offering) which was taken by the high priest was slain, and its blood sprinkled upon the altar.
And so Christ is that great day of atonement. He is that great sin offering! He is the one who dies for us. Christ is both the Lamb of God and the Goat of God. From this dying goat, we also see a living fish. God’s people are as fishers of men.

The Lamb from the Holy Bible

John 1:28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 1:30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 1:31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 1:32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 1:33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 1:34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. 1:35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples; 1:36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God! 1:37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 1:38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? 1:39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour. 1:40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. 1:41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

Capricornus, The Sea Goat is a strange creature, the front half of which is a goat and the rear half a fish! The goat is in a fallen position with one leg doubled under his body; the head is bent forward and is in a dying situation. On the other hand the tail of the fish is vigorous and living. This represents Christ coming forth out of His death the living body of His Church--referred to as fishes.

The Hebrew name for the constellation Capricornus is Gedi, which means "A Kid; A Goat"; it also means "The Cut-Off"--- the meaning of atonement.

Ancient Sumerians believed these stars were associated with the god Ea, also called Oannnes, who brought culture and science from the sea to mankind. Ea or Enki, Oannes (god of the waters called Apsu, the Babylonian Abyss or the waters which surround and hold up the earth,- like the Greek’s idea of "Ocean," as in Space). Ea married the goddess Ninki or Damkina (Damgalnunna, also Ninkhursag) and their children were Marduk and Nanshe. Ea was depicted as a goat with a fish’s tail (The zodiac image of Capricornus) or in human form with water gushing from his shoulders or from a vase he carried (The zodiac image of Aquarius). Ea, of the "House of the water," god of sweet waters and wisdom, with his divine word was creator of mankind from clay with the help of the Sumerian goddess Aruru (see the Akkadian version of the Epic of Gilgamesh and the wild man Enkidu). Ea was also patron of all arts, and the chief god of the Mesopotamian city of Eridu. In ancient times the year began with the entrance of the Sun into the constellation of Aries, March 21, and ended in February, the name "Anno" (Medieval Latin : anno, in the year) was given in honor of Oannes, identified with Janus (Roman god of gates and doorways, depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions or past wisdom and future knowledge), who taught the Chaldeans science and the arts and warned them of the Flood. In Palestine Oannes (a Mesopotamian god of wisdom, part man and part fish) was under the name Dagon.