Where Did Easter Get Its Name?
Where
Did The Concept of An Easter Egg and Bunny Originate?
By Paul S. Taylor
The
name “Easter” has its roots in ancient polytheistic religions (paganism). On
this, all scholars agree. This name is never used in the original Scriptures,
nor is it ever associated biblically with the death and resurrection of Jesus
Christ. For these reasons, we prefer to use the term “Resurrection Sunday”
rather than “Easter” when referring to the annual Christian remembrance of
Christ’s resurrection.
Ancient
Origin
Most reference books say that the name “Easter” derived from the Eastre,
the Teutonic goddess of Spring. Although this relationship exists, in reality,
the origin of the 
name
and the goddess are far more ancient - going all the way back to the Tower
of Babel. The origin begins not long after the biblical Flood.
The
Flood was a divine judgment sent on mankind after evil had become all pervasive
and all people everywhere were totally unresponsive to God. The Bible says that “the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of
the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5, NKJV). It is
not difficult to imagine that life must have been almost unbearable at this
time in history. God gave humankind a second chance by preserving the righteous
man Noah and his family (a total of 8 people).
After
the Flood, Noah had a talented, but evil, great-grandson named Nimrod (Genesis 10:6-10) who rebelled greatly against
God. The Bible says that he was
“a mighty one” [1]. Jewish tradition indicates that Nimrod
was a tyrant “who made all of the people rebellious against God.”
[2]. It is evident from history that Nimrod was not only a political leader,
but also the lead priest of a form of occultic worship. [3].
King
Nimrod, Queen Semiramis (Easter), and Tammuz (the “reincarnated” Nimrod)
Nimrod
built and organized major cities. The Bible
notes that these included Babel, Asshur, Nineveh and Calah (Genesis 10:10-12). If you know anything
about ancient history, the mention of these places may send shivers up your
spine. For these were cities of great, almost unimaginable practices and
perversion.
When
Nimrod eventually died, the Babylonian mystery religion in which he figured
prominently continued on. His wife Queen Semiramis saw to that. Once he was
dead, she deified him as the Sun-god. In various cultures he later became known
as Baal, the Great Life Giver, the god of fire, Baalim, Bel, Molech, etc.
“Later,
when this adulterous and idolatrous woman gave birth to an illegitimate son,
she claimed that this son, Tammuz by name, was Nimrod reborn.” [4].
Semiramis “claimed that her son was supernaturally conceived [no human father]
and that he was the promised seed, the ‘savior’“ - promised by God in Genesis
“In
the old fables of the Mystery cults, their ‘savior’ Tammuz, was worshipped with
various rites at the Spring season. According to the legends, after he was
slain [killed by a wild boar], he went into the underworld. But through the
weeping of his mother… he mystically revived in the springing forth of the
vegetation - in Spring! Each year a spring festival dramatically represented
this supposed ‘resurrection’ from the underworld. [6].
Thus,
a terrible false religion developed with its sun and moon worship, priests,
astrology, demonic worship, worship of stars associated with their gods,
idolatry, mysterious rites, human sacrifice, and more. Frankly, the practices
which went on were so horrible that it is not fitting for me to speak of them
here.
It was at Nimrod’s city of 
Flood
world. For humanity’s sake, something had to be done to slow and frustrate
this organization of an evil one world, tyrannical government.
God
confused their language, so that they could not understand each other (Genesis 11:7). (This is the ultimate
source of the world’s many languages.) As a result, many people moved away from
the area in groups according to their particular new language. Most, if not
all, of these people carried their evil Sun-God-based religion with them. They
continued to worship the stars and practice all the other ungodly rituals of
their religion. Some also continued to build pyramids reminiscent of the Tower
of Babel as part of this mystery religion. Today, we can still find remnants of
these throughout the world (e.g.,
Babel
was the origin of an idolatrous system that swept the world. The Bible says of her, “Babylon… the nations drank her wine; Therefore the nations are
deranged” (Jeremiah 51:7). The Bible often speaks of the Satanic
religions which came from her. The ancient Greek historian Herodotus “witnessed
the Mystery religion and its rites in numerous countries and mentions how
Babylon was the primeval source from which ALL systems of idolatry flowed. [7]. Austen Layard said “that we have the united testimony of
sacred and profane history that idolatry originated in the area of Babylonia -
the most ancient of religious systems.” [8].
Basically,
almost every vile, profane and idolatrous practice you can think of originated
at Babel with Queen Semiramis, the Mother Goddess and Nimrod. As the people
scattered from Babel with their different languages, they, of course, used
different names for Nimrod (Tammuz) and Semiramis. Some called the Mother
Goddess “ISHTAR” (originally pronounced “Easter”). [9]. In
other lands, she was called Eostre, Astarte, Ostera, and Eastre. Other names
for Semiramis, the Mother Goddess include: Wife of Baal, Ashtaroth or
Ashtoreth, and Queen of Heaven. [10]. The Mother goddess was
frequently worshipped as the goddess of fertility - and as a sort of Mother
Nature and goddess of Spring and sexual love and birth. She was also worshipped
as a mediator between god and man. Sexual orgies and temple prostitutes were
often used in her worship and in attempting to gain her favor.
The
Easter Rabbit or Hare
The
rabbit is well known as a sexual symbol of fertility. In various parts of the
world, religions which developed from Babel also associate the rabbit with
periodicity, both human and lunar (Egypt, China, etc.). As you may remember,
the Mother Goddess Semiramis (Easter) is associated with the Moon. In other
words, the Easter bunny symbolizes the Mother Goddess. Annual Spring time
fertility rituals are associated worship of the Mother Goddess and Tammuz, the
reincarnation of her husband Nimrod.
The
Easter Egg
Most
children and families who color or hide Easter eggs as part of their
Resurrection Sunday tradition have no knowledge of the origin of these
traditions. Easter egg activities have become a part of Western culture. Many
would be surprised and even dismayed to learn where the traditions originated.
“The
egg was a sacred symbol among the Babylonians. They believed an old fable about
an egg of wondrous size which was supposed to have fallen from heaven into the
Euphrates River. From this marvelous egg - according to the ancient story - the
Goddess Astarte (Easter) [Semiramis], was hatched. And so the egg came to
symbolize the Goddess Easter.” [11].
The idea of a mystic egg spread from Babylon to many parts of the world. [12]. In Rome, the mystic egg preceded processions in honor of
the Mother Goddess Roman. The egg was part of the sacred ceremonies of the
Mysteries of Bacchus. The Druids used the egg as their sacred emblem. In Northern
Europe, China and Japan 
the
eggs were colored for their sacred festivals. [13].
The
egg was also a symbol of fertility; Semiramis (Easter) was the goddess of
Fertility. The Easter egg is a symbol of the pagan Mother Goddess, and it
even bears one of her names.
Summary
and Conclusion
“Easter” is simply one of the names of a
woman who mightily deceived the world and whose religion has caused untold
suffering and misery. [14]. She was clearly an enemy of
Christianity, and her son Tammuz was an anti-Christ, a false messiah that ultimately
deceived millions.
If
you are Christian, it is not difficult to discern the bizarre deception and
confusion that Satan has successfully orchestrated. For example, notice the
embarrassing irony in these traditions which are practiced innocently by most
people. They are repeated year after year, because they have become traditional
and their origin is unknown to many.
On
the day commemorating Christ’s resurrection, Americans roll decorated eggs on
the White House lawn and pretend the Easter rabbit hid them. The same ritual is
practiced at some Christian churches.
“In
Lancashire [England] on Easter eve boys and men have been in the habit of
touring the towns and villages as ‘Pace-eggers’ begging for eggs before
performing the ‘Pace-Egging’ or Pasch (i.e., Easter) play.” [15].
“In
Greece each person in a group bangs his red EASTER EGG [not knowing that it is
symbol of the Goddess] against the eggs of all the others present in turn,
saying ‘Christ is risen,’ and receives the reply ‘He is risen indeed.’” [16].
The
seductive symbols of ancient ungodly religions inspired by Satan have been
incorporated into people’s everyday lives, even to this day - continuing to
obscure the truth of God.
One
might wonder if there is a better way for Christians to celebrate Jesus Christ’s
resurrection, the most important of all Christian holy days. In retrospect, it
seems obvious that it would have been a better witness to the world if
Christians had not attempted to ‘Christianize’ pagan celebrations - adopting
the name “Easter” (Ishtar/Semiramis) in remembrance of Christ. Jesus has been
obscured by painted eggs and bunnies. Attention has been shifted away from
spiritual truth and toward materialism (clothing, products and candies with the
wrong symbolism). Stores merchandise the name of Easter (not ‘Resurrection
Sunday’) and sell goods that have nothing to do with Christ’s death and
resurrection. Christians naively use symbols and practices that unknowingly
perpetuate ancient anti-Christ traditions - symbolic customs followed by the
same religious cults that inspired the destruction of great numbers of
Christians and Jews. Is the Devil laughing at us?
Many
church bodies recognize the problem and make every effort to keep the focus of
Resurrection Sunday totally on Jesus Christ and the Good News that He brought.
NOTE: The words “paganism” and “pagan”
(lowercase “p”) as used in this article and as normally understood in common
English usage, specifically refer to the ancient, civilized, polytheistic
peoples, such as the Greek, Romans and earlier. We are not referring to or
discussing the Neo-Pagans (uppercase “P”) of modern times, nor the Wiccans
which are associated with them.
End
Notes
1. Genesis
10:8 and 1 Chronicles 1:10 - “…Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the
Earth” (NKJV).
2.
The Jewish Encyclopedia, Vol. 9, p.
309, as cited by Ralph Woodrow, Babylon
Mystery Religion (Riverside, California: Ralph Woodrow Evangelistic Assn.,
1966).
3.
Ralph Woodrow,
4.
Woodrow, Ibid., p. 9.; In his reincarnated form (Nimrod/Tammuz), has been known
as Horus (
6.
“The resurrection of Tammuz [Nimrod] through Ishtar’s grief [Semiramis] was
dramatically represented annually in order to insure the success of the crops
and the fertility of the people… Each year men and women had to grieve with
Ishtar over the death of Tammuz and celebrate the god’s return, in order to win
anew her favor and her benefits!” [Homer W. Smith, Man and His Gods, p. 86, as cited by Woodrow, p. 157.]
7.
Ibid., p. 10; Herodotus’ History,
Book 2, p. 109, as cited by Woodrow.
8.
Woodrow, Ibid., p. 11; Austen Henry Layard,
10.
The names Ashtaroth or Ashtoreth, and Queen of Heaven where used for Semiramis
by the Israelites and the ungodly peoples around them, see Judges 2:13, Jeremiah
44:17-19, etc. Other names for Semiramis include Astarte (Cyprus), Diana
(Ephesus and throughout Asia Minor), Cybele (Asia Minor), Isis (Egypt),
Aphrodite, Ceres (Greece), Venus or Fortuna (Romans), Shingmoo (China), Disa
(Scandanavia), Nutria (Etruscans), Virgo-Paritura (Druids), Isi or Indrani or
Devaki (India).
11.
Woodrow, Ibid., pp. 152-153.
12.
James G. Frazer, The Golden Bough,
Vol. 12, 3rd Edition (1907-15, reissued 1935-36 and 1955); Maria Leach, editor,
Funk and Wagnall’s Standard Dictionary of
Folklore, Mythology and Legend, Vol. 1 (1949).
14.
This mystery religion of Babylon is well-known to still be alive in the world
today in various forms. Many of its elements are even present in the New Age
movement (reincarnation, astrology, channeling, claims of mysterious powers,
and more).
15.
Edwin Oliver James, Encyclopaedia
Britannica, Vol. 7 (Chicago: Encyclopaedia
Britannica, 1967), p. 867.]
16.
James, Ibid.
This
article is from www.christiananswers.net and was written by Paul S. Taylor
of Eden Communications.
