Judaic

Moses is called for the traditional forty days and nights to a place of seclusion where God can properly reveal his laws. Only prophets, such as Moses, are granted the vision of true reality, which is God.

And he said unto Moses, Come up unto the Lord, thou, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship ye afar off.

And Moses alone shall come near the LORD: but they shall not come 5 nigh; neither shall the people go up with him.

And Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord, and all the judgments: and all the people answered with one voice, and said. All the words which the Lord hath said will we do.

And Moses wrote all the words of the Lord, and rose up early in the 10 morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

And he sent young men of the children of Israel, which offered burnt offerings, and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the Lord.

And Moses took half of the blood, and put it in basins: and half of the 15 blood he sprinkled on the altar.

And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said. All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.

And Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, 20 Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord hath made with you concerning all these words.

Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel:

And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were 25 a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.

And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

And the Lord unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be 30 there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.

And Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua: and Moses went up into the mount of God.

And he said unto the elders. Tarry ye here for us, until we come again 35 unto you: and, behold, Aaron and Hur are with you: if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them.

And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.

And the glory of the Lord bode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst 40 of the cloud.

And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount; and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

(Exodus 24.)

ISAAC TENS Gitksan Indian

In many “primitive" societies the shaman or medicine man fills the role of the prophet-seer-hero. Only he experiences fully the terror and ecstasy of communion with the unknown.

Thirty years after my birth was the time.

I went up into the hills to get firewood. While I was cutting up the wood into lengths, it grew dark towards the evening. Before I had finished my last

Stack of wood, a loud noise broke out over me, chu....., & a large owl

Appeared to me. The owl took hold of me, caught my face, & tried to lift s me up. I lost consciousness. As soon as I came back to my senses I realized that I had fallen into the snow. My head was coated with ice, & some blood was running out of my mouth.

I stood up 8c went down the trail, walking very fast, with some wood packed on my back. On my way, the trees seemed to shake 8c to lean over lo me; tall trees were crawling after me, as if they had been snakes. I could see them.

At my father’s home... I fell into a sort of trance. It seems that two shamans were working over me to bring me back to health.... When I woke up 8c opened my eyes, I thought that flies covered my face com - is pletely. I looked down, 8c instead of being on firm ground, I felt that I was drifting in a huge whirlpool. My heart was thumping fast.

Another time, I went to my hunting grounds on the other side of the river.... I caught two fishers in my traps, took their pelts, 8c threw the flesh 8c bones away. Farther along I looked for a bear’s den amid the tall 20 trees. As I glanced upwards, I saw an owl, at the top of a high cedar. I shot it, 8c it fell down in the bushes close to me. When I went to pick it up, it had disappeared. Not a feather was left; this seemed very strange. I walked down to the river, crossed over the ice, 8c returned to the village at Gitenmaks. Upon arriving at my fishing station on the point, I heard the 25 noise of a crowd of people around the smoke-house, as if I were being chased away, pursued. I dared not look behind to find out what all this was about, but I hurried straight ahead. The voices followed in my tracks & came very close behind me. Then I wheeled around 8c looked back, rhere was no one in sight, only trees. A trance came over me once more, so

& I fell down, unconscious. When I came to, my head was buried in a snowbank.

I got up & walked on the ice up the river to the village. There I met my father who had just come out to look for me, for he had missed me. We went back together to my house. Then my heart started to beat fast. Sc I began to tremble, just as had happened before, when the shamans were trying to fix me up. My flesh seemed to be boiling, 8c I could hear s“............

My body was quivering. While I remained in this state, I began to sing. A chant was coming out of me without my being able to do anything to stop it. Many things appeared to me presently: huge birds & other animals.... These were visible only to me, not to the others in my house. Such visions happen when a man is about to become a shaman; they occur of their own accord. The songs force themselves out complete without any attempt to compose them. But I learned & memorized those songs by repeating them.