Illegal alien Sukhdev Singh was issued a non-domiciled CDL by the state of New York in 2025, DHS says

by Matt Agorist, The Free Thought Project: (People’s Dispatch) Over 1,400 people have been killed and 18,000 injured in Iran since the start of the US-Israeli war against the country on February 28. Major civilian casualties have been reported, including 160 school girls killed in an attack on their elementary school. As the conflict reaches its third week, the […]

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  For the ancient Greeks, lineage was of prime importance. To a large extent, it determined one’s standing in society. It could be a badge of honor or a stain of ignominy beyond one’s control.   This dynamic was apparent in the mythologies as well, and ancestry meant as much to the gods as it did to the mortals in the real world. It defined successions, rivalries, and divine power.   From the Primordials to the Titans and the Olympians, lineage shaped the story of the Greek deities, defining their place in the cosmos.   The Primordials: The First Lineage in Greek Mythology Uranus depicted on the Gigantomachy frieze, Pergamon Altar. Source: Pergamon Museum/Wikimedia Commons   Before the Titans and the Olympians, there were the Primordials—immensely powerful forces rather than beings resembling stereotypical gods, and as such, they were never worshiped. These concepts were, however, personified with certain human characteristics in order for the Greeks to make sense of creation.   The genealogy of the Greek god according to Hesiod. Source: TheCollector   In the beginning, there was Chaos, the first “being” to exist, and from whom all others sprang. It was a formless mass that existed as the opposite of order, rendered as the idea of a yawning chasm or void. After the creation of Chaos, Gaia was formed. She was the personification of “Mother” Earth and parthenogenetically gave birth to the sky (Uranus/Ouranos), the sea, and the mountains. This method of reproduction is not understood as being in human terms, but rather as divine concepts far beyond the bounds of organic reproduction. Therefore, the fact that Uranus became Gaia’s husband is not considered an incestual taboo.   More Primordials were formed. Tartarus was the personification of a great abyss where night, darkness, sleep, and death made their home. Tartarus, as a deity and a place, later becomes the prison for the Titans. The other Primordials included Eros, the representation of love, and Erebus, the personification of darkness.   A depiction of Nyx from the 10th-century Paris Psalter. Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France/Wikimedia Commons   From these Primordials came all other life. Nyx, the personification of night, came from Chaos and was the mother of many deities listed by ancient authors such as Hesiod, Cicero, and Hyginus. Among them were Aether and Hemera, the personifications of air and day, respectively. She gave birth to a thousand daughters known as the Keres, who were the goddesses of cruel and violent deaths. She also had a thousand sons known as the Oneiroi, the gods of dreams who worked with Hypnos, the god of sleep.   Among her other children were Moirai—the Fates, Nemesis, the goddess of retribution, Geras, the god of old age, Thanatos, the god of death, and Philotes, the goddess of love, affection, friendship, and sex.   One of her daughters, Eris, the goddess of discord, went on to have many children of her own, each a deity representing an abstract concept.   The Titans The Mutilation of Uranus by Saturn by Giorgio Vasari and Cristoforo Gherardi, 16th century. Source: Palazzo Vecchio/Wikimedia Commons   Representing the first godly dynasty in Greek myth were the Titans. They were 12 of the offspring of Gaia and Uranus, who also sired the Cyclopes. According to Hesiod, Uranus hid their giant offspring, the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, in Tartarus, and in an act of revenge, Gaia sought the help of her Titan children, but only Cronus helped her. They planned an ambush, and Cronus castrated his father with a sickle. This act marked the end of the Primordial era and the beginning of the age of the Titans.   Where Uranus’ blood met the ground arose the Gigantes, Erinyes, and Meliae, and from the mixture of blood and semen, Aphrodite was created.   Head of Oceanus. Source: Vatican Museums/Wikimedia Commons   Not much was written about the Titans regarding their domains. Six of the Elder Titans were male. Oceanus was the eldest and was the embodiment of water, as he formed the ocean or river that encircled the world. His brother, Coeus, based on his name, which means “question,” has been linked to intelligence and the pursuit of knowledge.   Crios was associated with the constellation Aries, and may have been further associated with the stars, while Hyperion was also associated with cosmology, fathering Helios (the Sun) and Selene (the Moon). Iapetus was linked to mortality and human lifespan, and Cronus, the youngest, ruled over destructive time, but was also seen as a deity of the harvest.   An ancient mosaic of Mnemosyne. Source: National Archaeological Museum of Tarragona/Wikimedia Commons   Of the six sisters, Theia was associated with sight, brightness, and the brilliance of precious metals, while Rhea was labeled a “mother goddess” linked to fertility and fruitfulness. Associated with oracles and prophecies, Themis also ruled over justice and order, while Mnemosyne was the mother of the Muses and the goddess of memory.   Also associated with prophecy, Phoebe was the goddess of intellect, while Tethys was associated with water, being the wife and sister of Oceanos, with whom she bore the Oceanids and the river gods.   At this point, the genealogy becomes more inconsistent and confusing, as the offspring of some of the Titans are considered a younger generation of Titans, while the offspring of other Titans are not considered Titans at all. Titans of note were Atlas and Prometheus, both sons of the Titan Iapetus and the Oceanid Clemene, whereas those not considered Titans were the Oceanids, the Muses, the Horae, the Moirai, and, fatefully, the first generation of Olympians, the children of Cronus and Rhea.   The designation of Titan here is malleable in certain cases due to the inconsistent and imaginative nature of the sources.   Zeus and the Olympians (Left) Saturn by Peter Paul Rubens, painted around 1636 to 1638. Source: Museo del Prado/Wikimedia Commons; (Right) Saturn Devouring His Son by Francisco Goya, painted between 1820 and 1823. Source: Museo del Prado/Wikimedia Commons   Just as he had overthrown his father, Uranus, Cronus also feared being overthrown. He swallowed each of his children when they were born from his sister-wife, Rhea. However, Rhea managed to hide Zeus, and when her son was fully grown, she fed Cronus an emetic, which caused him to vomit forth his other children, now also fully grown. Zeus freed his siblings and led them in a war against the Titans.   Aided by the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires, Zeus, along with his Olympian brothers and sisters, and some of the Titans who turned against Cronus, spent ten years fighting until his final victory. As punishment, he threw the Titans into Tartarus and appointed the Hecatoncheires as the guards. The Olympians then split their conquered dominion three ways between Zeus, who controlled the sky, Poseidon, who controlled the sea, and Hades, who controlled the underworld.   Zeus’ rule was further challenged by Typhon, the monstrous serpentine offspring of Gaia and Tartarus, but he repelled this challenge and solidified his place as ruler of the cosmos.   The Legacy of Zeus Jupiter in the Guise of Diana, and Callisto by François Boucher, 1763. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   One of the primary features of Zeus in the mythological texts was his penchant for sexual relations. As a result, he fathered many deities that exist within the Greek pantheon. Zeus was certainly not interested in monogamy with his wife, Hera, and he spread his seed far and wide, creating a complex family tree.   Ares, the god of war, was the result of the union between Zeus and Hera, while Artemis, the goddess of hunting, and her brother, Apollo, were the children of Zeus and the Titaness, Leto. Athena was born directly from the head of Zeus after he swallowed a pregnant Titaness named Metis, and Dionysus was born to the union between Zeus and Semele, a mortal princess of Thebes.   Leda and the Swan by Adolphe Yvone. Source: Cleveland Museum of Art/Wikimedia Commons   Zeus also fathered many mortal children. Among them were the mighty Heracles, as well as Helen of Troy, whose mother, Leda, was seduced by Zeus, who took the form of a swan. Yet another of Zeus’ children was the hero Perseus, famed for slaying the gorgon, Medusa.   Naturally, Hera had a distaste for her husband’s infidelity, and her revenge was often guided towards Zeus’ mistresses and offspring. She drove Heracles mad, and in a state of frenzy, Heracles killed his own wife and son. And so began the twelve labors of Heracles, whereby he tried to atone for his sins, while Hera did her best to foil his efforts.   In another example of jealous plotting, when Hera discovered Leto’s pregnancy, she made all the earth promise that Leto could not give birth on solid ground. Thus, Artemis and Apollo were born on the floating island of Delos, which was believed not to be anchored to the ground.   Zeus even impersonated other gods, transforming himself into Artemis in order to seduce one of her chaste followers, Callisto. The sapphic episode ends with Callisto pregnant, giving birth to Arcas, the king of the Arcadians, and being transformed into a bear by Zeus’ angry wife. Callisto finally ascended to the heavens as the constellation Ursa Major.   Other Divine Relations Venus Disarming Mars from the studio of Peter Paul Rubens. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Of course, Zeus wasn’t the only Olympian to have children. Prominent and powerful deities were also born to the other gods.   While married to Hephaestus, Aphrodite (who is also considered an Olympian despite her lineage) had a passionate affair with Ares, and the result of their union was Harmonia, the goddess of harmony and concord. In some versions of the story, Aphrodite was also the mother of Eros, previously noted as a Primordial. This exemplifies the inconsistency of the myths. Harmonia marries the hero Cadmus, and one of their children is Semele, the mother of Dionysus.   Occupying a large portion of the Greek myths are the tales of Poseidon, who fathered many children. He had many lovers of both sexes, the most famous of which was Amphitrite, a sea-goddess and nymph.   With Amphitrite, Poseidon fathered the merman Triton, and with a mortal woman named Cleito, he fathered Atlas, who would become the first ruler of Atlantis. Poseidon is also said to have fathered the minotaur-slaying Theseus, as well as the cyclops Polyphemus.   Mosaic of Poseidon and Amphitrite found in Herculaneum. Source: Wikimedia Commons   Many of the ancient Greek myths were born out of issues with lineage, from fears of succession to tales of Hera’s jealousy. Territorial claims were also connected to belief in the divine lineages. Athens identified with Athena, who was believed to have fought Poseidon for patronage of the city, while the Spartan kings’ legitimacy was based on the claim of being the descendants of Heracles.   For the ancient Greeks, mythology and its genealogies were far more than entertainment. They were explanations and justifications of the world around them, as well as being instruments of authority and power.

  One of the more fascinating stories told in the Bible is the tale of the Tower of Babel. The giant tower designed to reach the heavens and the hubris of mankind in desiring to touch God are used as an explanation for the existence of multiple languages in the world. The story teaches a moral lesson and explains linguistic differences, and many consider it to be a simple work of moralistic fiction. However, could the story have been inspired by a real historical structure?   What Is the Tower of Babel? The Tower of Babel, by Anton Joseph von Prenner, c. 18th century. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   The story of the Tower of Babel can be found in the Book of Genesis 11:1-9. Shortly after the Great Flood, humanity began to prosper, and the ever-increasing human population conspired to work together to build a giant tower. It was built as a way to reach the heavens and ensure their names would live forever. They began making and baking bricks of clay, moulding them, and then the building work began, using bitumen as mortar to keep the bricks together. Such a large project required a lot of coordination, which was possible because they all spoke the same language, making communication easy.   God, seeing their ambitions, sowed confusion among the people by creating the many different languages of the world, explaining the origins of humanity’s multiple languages. After their languages were changed, the people departed, scattering across the world, populating it as God commanded.   Incidentally, the Bible never mentions the tower by name, referring to it only as “a city and a tower.” The name Tower of Babel comes from later Jewish tradition. The name may come from the Akkadian name for the city of Babylon, Bab-ilium, meaning “gate of God.” This sounds similar to the Hebrew word balal, a verb meaning to confuse or to mix up. It is often used in reference to speech, such as gibberish or nonsense. Over time, the two concepts would merge, and the story of the Tower of Babel was used to explain why there were so many languages. In the modern day, to babble means to talk incessantly without making any sense, and comes from the same root.   Many people, especially scholars, believe that the Tower of Babel is little more than a morality tale. It describes divine punishment for mankind’s hubris in hoping to reach the heavens and disobeying God’s command to repopulate the earth, and explains the origins of different languages. The tower is probably a fable, but could be inspired by an historical structure.   Mesopotamian Ziggurats Drawing of the Birs Nimrood ziggurat, by James Bucknell, 1830. Source: British Museum   In ancient Mesopotamia, the inhabitants built some of the first monumental architecture in history. These structures were known as ziggurats, a name which comes from the Assyrian word ziqqurratum, meaning height or peak. There are about 25 ziggurats that have been discovered by archaeologists, and they were built between 2200 and 500 BCE by the Sumerians, Assyrians, Babylonians, and others.   While exact structures varied, they followed the same basic principles. They were similar to step pyramids found in Egypt, with a wide base becoming narrower as the building ascended skyward in successive layers. They were square or rectangular in shape and were usually around 40-50 meters wide on each side. It is unknown how tall they could be since the surviving examples have collapsed at least partially, but they could have been several hundred feet tall.   The ziggurats were made from a core of mud brick, with an outer layer of baked brick. At the top of the structure was often a temple dedicated to one of the city’s gods. These towering constructions became the focal point for the local culture and religion. Access to the temple was highly restricted, with only priests of the deity being allowed to enter.   The ziggurats had no internal spaces, being solid in construction. Access to the temple on the top was through a spiral ramp around the outside or by a series of stairs on the side. The sides were not bare, but held carefully curated plant life, making the tower look more like a green hill shooting up from the desert sands.   Figure of Standing Male Worshiper, Sumerian, c. 2900-2600 BCE. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   Even though the average citizen was not allowed to climb the ziggurat or to enter the temple, there is no doubt that such a massive building inspired awe in any who saw it. The towering edifices dominated the landscape, casting both literal and metaphorical shadows in the minds of those who saw them. Despite their magnificence, they were not immune to the ravages of time. Today, none stand fully intact and most are crumbling structures that are mere shadows of their former glory.   The Ziggurat of Etemenanki Panel with striding lion, Babylonian, 604-562 BCE. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   In 597 BCE, the Neo-Babylonian empire conquered Jerusalem, destroying the Temple and deporting many of its citizens to Babylon and the Babylonian heartland. While in exile, the Israelites encountered the might of their captor’s culture and civilization, including the ziggurats. One of these, the Ziggurat of Etemenanki, may have been the inspiration for the Tower of Babel.   Meaning “Temple of the Foundations of Heaven and Earth” and dedicated to the god Marduk, this massive structure was located in Babylonian territory, about 56 miles south of modern Baghdad. It is unknown when the ziggurat was first built, but it was possibly as early as the 14th century BCE. It was destroyed, rebuilt, and torn down multiple times in its history.   When Alexander the Great conquered Babylon during his meteoric campaign against the Persian empire, the building was already in ruins. Alexander ordered it rebuilt, but progress halted after he left to march further east. When he returned, he ordered the building pulled down entirely to make room for new construction, but he died before it could happen. There was another half-hearted attempt at reconstruction under the Seleucid King Antiochus I, but nothing came of this. The last bits of the structure were pulled down, and there were no further mentions of the building.   Origins of the Story The Bedford Hours, Folio 17v, depicting the construction of the Tower of Babel, c. 1410–30, The British Library, via Daily Art Magazine   When the Hebrews were deported to Babylon, their captivity for several generations had a profound influence on their culture and beliefs. It is possible that the ziggurat of Etemenanki influenced the tale of the Tower of Babel.   According to the Biblical narrative, after the Great Flood, the people of the world did not want to populate the entire planet, but rather to stay together in a cohesive group. This parallels the urbanization of Mesopotamia, where people from around the world, or at least the surrounding region, gathered together in one place rather than spread out. Bricks were made, which were fired in kilns to harden.  We know that ziggurats were made from fired bricks, at least on the visible outer shell.   Furthermore, the building was almost certainly the largest building the Hebrews had ever seen, dwarfing the Temple of Jerusalem. According to one Mesopotamian stelle, the Ziggurat of Etemenanki was about 91 meters, or about 300 feet tall. Modern scholars believe that it was around half that height, since a mud brick building 300 feet tall would have trouble supporting its own weight. This is still about three times the height of the first Temple of Jerusalem, the largest building in the Hebrews’ experience. Such a structure would seem to brush up against the heavens, and would no doubt require the efforts of the entire world to create.   It is important to note that not all Hebrews were exiled to Babylon. It was mostly the ruling and priestly classes. These were the ones who were literate and were able to write down their experiences for future generations. While in exile, they were influenced by Babylonian culture and incorporated Babylonian themes and tales into their own written creations, such as a global flood or a powerful ruler being set adrift in a basket as a baby to avoid being killed. After several generations, Babylon was destroyed by the Persians and the Medes, allowing the Hebrews to return to their homeland. Once back in their ancestral lands, the histories they created in exile were combined with their own traditions, and soon the tale of the Tower of Babel was born.   Did the Ziggurat of Etemenanki Inspire the Tower of Babel? The Tower of Babel or Birs Nimrud Restored, by William Simpson, 1885. Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art   This is, of course, speculation, as we have no definitive proof of how the story of the Tower of Babel came to be. But when the circumstantial evidence is considered, it makes sense. The massive ziggurat was a major structure that required urbanisation and a large workforce, similar to the description of people gathering after the flood. The building materials and methods are described correctly, and the building seemed to reach towards the heavens.   It is unknown if the building was fully intact when the Israelites were sent to Babylon, but a partially ruined structure would strongly imply that construction was halted. The tale was told by a people in exile, surrounded by others who had a different culture and spoke an incomprehensible language, in a land whose name is very similar to the word for nonsense or gibberish. While this is hardly conclusive proof, it seems likely that the ziggurat of Etemenanki, or possibly some other monumental structure, inspired the Biblical tale.

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