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The book "Seola" aka "Angels and Women", mummies, and a plethora of other curiosities from the 1800's onward


Anna

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The topic bellow is not accepting any further comments so I have no choice but to start another topic, although this thread will probably be really short...

I  wanted to comment on this remark made by @Alessandro Corona : "Russell was also involved in the distribution of a book written by a demon through automatic/angel writing called seola, later renamed to of angels and women. Samuel Herd has even come out and said it was a fantastic novel. So you can see the type of judgment the leadership of bethel really has".

That the book was written through automatic angel writing is mere speculation and not based on any know facts.  The publishers Leopold Classic Library commented on its re- print: ....."our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades...... We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic book”  I have the book, and agree with both Leopold publishing and Br. Herd (if he really said anything like what was quoted). It is a romantic novel of the caliber of well known classics and if you can get a hold of it (Amazon has it) then I recommend it for your library.

I think the rumour originally got started because it was said that  Ms. Ann Eliza Smith, the author, had never read the Bible and despite that, her observations regarding that time (antediluvian) were remarkably accurate so much so that is was deemed she must have had this information communicated to her via an angel. I find it unlikely that she didn’t know anything about the Bible since most people at that time did, and one of her other novels (From dawn to sunrise) apparently deals with “the historical and philosophical religious ideas of mankind”. She herself says that : “the theory upon which the story is founded is in strict accordance with the sacred writings of the Hebrews and traditions of other ancient nations”.

Anyway, for those who want to know more about the novel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seola

Note what the footnote says about the music that she said had inspired her: “A book review publisher called, "Good Company-Sunday Afternoon: A magazine for the household" released an article on the novel Seola in 1878. The magazine believed the compositions that motivated Smith to write the novel was the prelude to the “Creation”, one of Strauss’s waltzes, a scrap of a symphony of Saint Saens, and Wagner’s Centennial March, all played simultaneously in a small room”. 

Also note the reason Br. Russell recommended the book was because: "we believe it will be of interest to Bible Students, who are familiar with the machinations of the devil and the demons and the influence exercised by them prior to the flood and also now in this evil day. The book throws light on the subject and is believed, will aid those who carefully consider it to avoid the baneful effects of spiritism, now so prevalent in the world".

Of course this kind of reasoning was very popular at the time because as was said "spiritism was now so prevalent in the world"*. However now, we would just consider the novel an interesting read as any other, well written story, (that was made up but based on facts), would be.

*It seems the popularity of spiritism (called spiritualism by wikipedia) got it's modern start in Europe and the USA in the late 1800's with the "help" of the Fox sisters: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fox_sisters

 

 

 

 

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The topic bellow is not accepting any further comments so I have no choice but to start another topic, although this thread will probably be really short... I  wanted to comment on this remark m

He did. I found a copy. Attached below. Try from about the 6 minute mark through the 9 minute mark. Also note this picture from Rutherford's book Religion (1940) p.16. Notice the plumes on the he

I thought I’d also mention that funnily enough this kind of “mass hysteria” regarding spiritism prevailed into the 1990’s among the Witnesses, and was marked by supposed demon possession of items brou

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6 hours ago, AllenSmith said:

Since spiritism was a fade in those days. Could it be possible, people like Gerber and others lied in order to receive recognition? After all, Gerber’s wife was the “medium”, not Gerber. He could have simply seen a different bible translation from earlier works and ran with as a spiritual, calling (The powers of BE). Unfortunately, opposers did the same thing.

 

I don't know much about Greber. But since he lived in that popular spiritistic era, it's quite possible. Reminds me of Joseph Smith translating the golden tablets, and instead of a hat and seer stone, Greber had his wife.....

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 As we know, spiritism has been around since the fall of Adam and Eve in various forms, but “modern spiritism” (or spiritualism), apparently  “developed and reached its peak growth in membership from the 1840s to the 1920s, especially in English-speaking countries. By 1897, spiritualism was said to have more than eight million followers in the United States and Europe, mostly drawn from the middle and upper classes"  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritualism  

My opinion is that Spiritism can be associated with a type of “mass hysteria” which is defined by Wikipedia as: "a phenomenon that transmits collective illusions of threats, whether real or imaginary, through a population in society as a result of rumors and fear"..

I don’t want anyone to think I am dismissing that spirits are real and that they have had influence in the past and present.  I am merely suggesting that a lot of beliefs and stories surrounding the concept of a spirit world in modern times can be attributed to “mass hysteria” and it could explain Russell and others being influenced by it (the hysteria, not the spiritism). I agree with JWI comment in one of the threads: “I do think people who tend to decide that everything is either Satan or Jehovah are more likely to fool themselves into thinking in black and white. When they don't understand something and think it's positive then that must be Jehovah. When they don't understand something and they think that it's negative, then it must be Satan” A classic example, as also brought out by JWI is the dramatic musings of Br Woodworth regarding what he thought were influences from Satan: “Visions may be tried, wonderful illuminations of the mind as by a soft but glorious greenish or yellowish haze. Seductive suggestions may be made, based on circumstances of the environment. Offers of inspiration may be made. (Finished Mystery) When I read that it reminded me of what the author of Seola said regarding her inspiration for the novel: “...listening to the performance of an extraordinary musical composition. It was sudden and unforeseen as the landscape which sometimes appears to a benighted traveller, for one instant only, illumined by the lightning's flash”

It seems like people in those days were full of notions of “Gothic Romanticism” and flowery speech. Coupled with the “mass hysteria” I mentioned, you have the ingredients for all kinds of perceived ideas and theories. Interestingly, during that period of time people were also fascinated with anything Egyptian, initiated by the public unwrappings of mummies in the 1920’s in Europe, (brought over by French archeologists during Napoleon's invasion of Egypt) and later the travelling mummy  exhibits in the United States (where Joseph Smith purchased the Egyptian papyri claiming they were  written by Abraham, sorry @TrueTomHarley)

I made up a (very incomplete) list of just some of happenings during that particularly “spiritistic” era.

1823 Joseph Smith is visited by Angel Moroni

1827 Jane Webb publishes her Gothic fiction “The Mummy!”

1835 Joseph Smith publishes the “Book of Abraham”

1845 Edgar Allan Poe publishes his poem “the Raven”

1848 The Fox sisters begin their “mysterious” rappings

1875 Ms. Mary Baker Eddy publishes her book “Science and Health”

1878 Ms. Smith publishes her novel Seola

1890 Elijah Bond gives commercial birth to the Ouija board (what is commercial birth?....I think I just made that one up)

1923 Greber attends his first séance

1937 Greber translates Bible manuscripts

etc. etc.

Of course in that list would also be Russell’s writings, including Woodworth’s “Finished Mystery”

But I am no more suggesting that Russell or Woodworth were under the influence of the spirit world than I am suggesting that any of the other the people in my list were.  Joseph Smith was an egotistical con man, Edgar Allan Poe, although brilliant, an alcoholic and drug addict, the Fox sisters con artists, Elijah Bond an opportunistic businessman....etc. etc.  I believe they all had their reasons for why and what they wrote or did, but communicating with the spirit world was not one of them. ...

Nor would I ever suggest Russell and co were con men, but rather, naively led along with the fascinations of that time, and maybe sometimes influenced by a lack of sleep.

 

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13 minutes ago, Anna said:

Nor would I ever suggest Russell and co were con men, but rather, naively led along with the fascinations of that time, and maybe sometimes influenced by a lack of sleep.

Or maybe just did what any of us would have done, had we been there. We can all look back on our "naivety".

17 minutes ago, Anna said:

Edgar Allan Poe, although brilliant, an alcoholic and drug addict,

I always found it fascinating that the Greek word translated as "spiritism" (pharmakeia) has no relationship to the word "spirit" (pneuma) or any of it's derivatives.

Googles quick reference result is interesting: The ancient Greek word pharmakon” is paradoxical and can be translated as “drug,” which means both “remedy” and “poison”. ... From the same root derives another word, “Pharmakos” (Greek: φαρμακος), which becomes later the term“pharmakeus”, meaning druggist, poisoner, by extension, wizard, magician or sorcerer.

Of course the relationship  to our modern "pharmacist" can easily be seen.

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3 hours ago, Gone Fishing said:

Or maybe just did what any of us would have done, had we been there. We can all look back on our "naivety".

I agree completely! Hindsight is  20/20

3 hours ago, Gone Fishing said:

I always found it fascinating that the Greek word translated as "spiritism" (pharmakeia) has no relationship to the word "spirit" (pneuma) or any of it's derivatives.

Googles quick reference result is interesting: The ancient Greek word pharmakon” is paradoxical and can be translated as “drug,” which means both “remedy” and “poison”. ... From the same root derives another word, “Pharmakos” (Greek: φαρμακος), which becomes later the term“pharmakeus”, meaning druggist, poisoner, by extension, wizard, magician or sorcerer.

Of course the relationship  to our modern "pharmacist" can easily be seen.

Interesting, thanks!

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3 hours ago, AllenSmith said:

Maybe Mrs. Smith went to Washington, decided to read the books of Adam and Eve along with the Book, Enoch, “NOT THE BIBLE” and decided a rewrite. I don’t know if plagiarism was high back then, but if it was, then it makes, for better storytelling. That also speaks for canonical and non-canonical books. And if Mrs. Smith never read the canonical bible (KJV), or books therein, then she was correct.

Possibly. There doesn't seem to be any information whether she did or didn't consult the account in Genesis, although perhaps that was a a given. But yes, she definitely seems to have consulted non canonical Hebrew writings and even the sanskrit literature of India. She would have got similar information about a flood since as we know, the flood "legend" appears in most ancient writings. What is definite is her novel is a hundred times more accurate Biblically than that awful movie Noah, which I only watched because of Russel Crowe and because everyone said how terrible it was.

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I thought I’d also mention that funnily enough this kind of “mass hysteria” regarding spiritism prevailed into the 1990’s among the Witnesses, and was marked by supposed demon possession of items brought in bazaars, including mattresses which would throw the person on to the floor. Friends were known to do almost public burnings reminiscent of those who practiced magic in Paul’s day, of any items thought to be demon possessed. I too was guilty of this "hysteria" which confirms what @Gone Fishinghad probably in mind when he said had we lived in Russell's day, we too would have made the kind of "errors" in judgement that they did. One morning I was lying in bed, when I could have sworn my mattress shook. I thought to myself, this is it, it's possessed. In my mind I was already going through the steps of how I would tell my mother, and then the practical procedure of where and how we would burn it. No doubt we would have to pour  gallons of petrol on it because these demons are very resistant and stubborn, as I learned in one account in one of our magazines. I was worried about how to broach the subject though. The thought did occur to me that maybe I had done something wrong, and this is why I had been chosen by these supernatural beings as their next victim. I didn't have to worry too long because as soon as my mother got out of the shower, she had a phone call from one of her friends asking her if she had felt the tremor too. There had been a small earthquake. Whew!

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6 hours ago, Anna said:

“mass hysteria” regarding spiritism prevailed into the 1990’s

Yes I know about this. Initial Bible studies still point to the Ephesian incident at Acts 19:17-20 to encourage "cleaning house".

I have to say I would be wary of dismissing this outright as "mass hysteria", although obviously these things have a way of taking hold on a certain mentality. Anecdotal I know, but I do have a couple of experiences in this area. Here's one:

When I first had a Bible study, I was staying in a premises in Central London. I was subject to a repetitive nightmare of disturbing images and a feeling of someone in the room. This took place a number of times in such a way that I could not ignore it's repetitive nature. Not being one for disturbed sleep, I was concerned about this, so on the strength of a paragraph in the old Truth book (p145, para 14), I searched the room. Under the couch I was sleeping on I found....a Ouija board! I dispensed of it and ..you guessed it...no more sleepless nights!

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6 hours ago, Gone Fishing said:

I was concerned about this, so on the strength of a paragraph in the old Truth book (p145, para 14), I searched the room. Under the couch I was sleeping on I found....a Ouija board! I dispensed of it and ..you guessed it...no more sleepless nights!

Your experience reminds me of a thought I had when I read this bit of "news" back in 1992

*** g92 8/22 p. 29 Watching the World ***

  • Demonism in Rome  Gabriele Amorth claims that he has dealt with 12,000 cases of demon possession in the city of Rome alone since his appointment as a Catholic exorcist in 1986. “Why so many?” asked a journalist of the Italian newspaper Il Tempo. “All traditionally Catholic countries,” the priest asserted, “are immersed in a sea of infestation. Demon attacks can no longer be stemmed.” Amorth had harsh words for Rome: “The city of the pope is the most demon-possessed in the world. Over a hundred satanic cults operate there . . . Everybody should know that many children disappear in Rome and are used in satanic rites.”

Of course, this man was just as likely to find that the reason for the demon possession, in his mind, was that he found an old Truth book under the bed.

When we were dating, my wife had a study with a couple that I took over when we got married. (Both now baptized for 30 years.) Many nights, both the husband and the wife would hear things being thrown and dishes breaking, etc. My wife had already gone through all the ideas about getting rid of all crosses and religious imagery (which they gladly did). I had been a complete skeptic, not about the fact of demon possession, but about the object and manner of demon possession. This skepticism started especially after hearing the comment of a District Overseer vetting assembly experiences around 1974/5. At any rate, I had never expected to hear about both a husband and wife simultaneously experiencing the same thing.

We told them to try praying aloud and calling out the name "Jehovah" which was always the best solution offered during the assembly experiences. They claimed that they had even called out "Jehovah! Jehovah!" and it didn't work. (Although I have personally heard persons claim that it worked for them and others.) What finally worked was to just tell them to call us any time of the day or night when the experience happened.

I might have mentioned it when this came up during a recent discussion of the pronunciation of YHWH, but it appears that some of the magical amulets and magical papyri in Egypt show that the spiritistic magicians around the time of Jesus' human life were using the pronunciation "Je-ho-vah" (in addition to Ye-ho-wa, Yahuweh, Joweh, Jove, etc) as a way to invoke the spirit of magic. It occurred to me then, although I didn't mention it, that these magicians were, in effect, invoking demons by calling out "Jehovah!! Jehovah!"

In our congregation in Missouri in 1964 to 1974 I remember many talks that seemed to be aimed at the sisters who shopped at Goodwill and Salvation Army. Salvation Army was ruled against for its religious ties anyway, but for those who hadn't made a religious connection to Goodwill Industries, there were always warnings about how items that might seem innocuous could still be demon-possessed. What JTR pointed out here once, which surprised me for how obvious it seems now, was that no one ever warned the brothers that a used car (or car parts from a junk-yard, or a used lawn-mower, etc) might just as well be demon-possessed. It was always the things that women were known to shop for.

 

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