Myths as Symbolic Maps of Social-Moral Order: From Moses Lawgiver-Prophet to Hammurabi Code - Mesopotamian Gods (Shamash, Marduk, Enki, Nabu, Inanna, Enlil, and Anu), Zeus, Indra, Elzbieta Halas, "groups exist only on the ground of common symbolizati

As Confucius, a Chinese philosopher and spiritual leader who lived from 551 to 479 BCE, observed long ago, "Signs and symbols rule the world, not words or laws!" The modern world has proved Confucius right. For better or worse political and religious symbols are very salient and often very emotionally evocative in today's world. The Nazi regime manipulated symbols to create motivations in members and promote their ideology. The Nazis used propaganda largely grounded in symbols and symbolism to advocate their biased version of truth. Religious symbols are also extremely prominent. The symbol of Jesus Christ on the cross – of course - is a powerful prototypal symbol. Furthermore, pivotal values and ideals such as freedom, equality, justice, family, love, as well a nation are largely symbolic in nature. Moses – Prophet and Lawgiver Now, many westerners and Christians might think that Moses and the ten commandments aren't myth – it is real. A closer examination of morals might shed some light on this question, While Spinoza, the philosopher, - and others argue that morals are derived from reason, recent neuroscience research indicates that emotions are pivotal. Neuroscientists Funk and Gazzaniga observe, "Morality is a set of complex emotional and cognitive processes that is reflected across many brain domains. Some of the emotions processed are more central to morality than others, but all emotions contribute to moral judgment given specific contextual situations." (Brain Architecture of human morality, Funk and Gazzanigna Current opinion in Neurobiology 2009 19:678-681) Alex P. Jassen, in his analysis of prophecy and lawgiving in Judaism, The Presentation of the Ancient Prophets as Lawgivers at Qumran observes, "The Qumran community, like nearly all segments of Second Temple Judaism, viewed itself as based on a revealed religion." It stands to reason that in one sense or another, all religions view their beliefs as revealed religion or truths. Jassen states that the "Qumran texts routinely represent the ancient prophets as mediators of divinely revealed law, sometimes in cooperation with Moses and sometimes independent of Moses." Jassen goes on to highlight the spiritual aspect of prophecy-lawgiving: Nehemiah 9.52 The notice that God, through his spirit, sent the prophets to instruct (Vowrft) Israel (line 4) is drawn from Neh 9:20, where God is lauded for bestowing on Israel "your good spirit to instruct them (oVottJr6) "53 The prophets, sent with the aid of a divine spirit, are identified with the task of "instruction" and "illumination." That would seem to suggest that spirituality is a "substrate" for morals, law, and social-moral order. Ancient Hebrew – Knowledge as yada, Christ on spirit and McGilChrist on Experience The ancient Hebrews made an interesting connection between "spirit" and knowledge, with one passage directly referencing spirit as conveying an understanding of good and bad (foreshadowing Christ's "Spirit is truth!" (John 5:6). Exodus 31:3 And I have filled him with the spirit of God, with the ability to distinguish between the good and the bad, and with the ability to discern the processes of construction, and with an intimate ability to perform the tasks, and in all manner of workmanship. Or Exodus 31: 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills. Quotes from the Gospel Being born of the Holy Spirit makes us a spiritual being (John 3: 6). "God is a Spirit" (the Holy Spirit) (John 4:24). He is to be worshipped in spirit and in truth (John 4: 24). He is the Spirit of truth (John 15: 26). He is the Spirit of truth (John 14.17). Jesus' words are spirit and life (John 6: 63). In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word for knowledge, as expressed in root "yada," appears nearly 950 times so it is a word that is important to everyday life and functioning. It's usage in the Bible expressed a generally wider understanding of the word as opposed to the rather narrow definition of knowledge in terms of rational analysis, scientific facts or philosophical truths as current usage would indicate. Yada includes all manner of workmanship and construction as well as perceiving, learning, understanding, willing, performing, and experiencing. To know is not to be intellectually informed about some abstract principle, but to grasp the world and experience truth. Knowledge is not the passive internalization of information and facts, but rather the shared fulfillment of being and the expression of the actualization of knowledge (and God). Yet, as Biblical scholars point out, perhaps the most salient and significant characteristic of the ancient Hebrew understanding and usage of "knowledge" is that it definitely indicates more personal and intimate relationship which is far removed from the contemporary understanding as something impersonal and objective. There is an aspect of subjectivity that the ancient Hebrews embraced. "Meaning emerges from engagement with the world, not from abstract contemplation of it." — Iain McGilchrist Briefly, I should highlight that Kant argued that beauty is the origin of morals. Irish theologian and poet John O'Donohue stated that "Beauty is the illumination of the soul!" From that perspective it would stand to reason that "Truth" would also be an illumination of the soul. The Code of Hammurabi