LAO TSE (604 - 531 BC)

LAO TSE (604 - 531 BC)

Born in Keuh-jin in China, Lao Tse worked as an archivist in the imperial Chou Dynasty, and it was during this time that he wrote the Tao Te Ching, one of the oldest and most famous philosophical works from the Far East.

The work formed the basis of the teachings of Taoism, which is currently one of the world's largest religions. In his book, Lao Tse describes his belief that world order is based on the Tao (ways or paths) that a person follows during his lifetime. In the course of his life, one is aware of the balance between humanity and the universe and between all the contrasting forces in the nature of the universe and human nature. This dualism and balance is embodied in yin and yang which literally means a dark side and a light side and a hill, but it is simply a symbol of the two opposing elements such as light and darkness, as well as male and female, strong and weak, the sky. and earth, black and white, and good and bad.

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According to Chinese tradition, the author of the Tao Te Ching was a man named Lao Tse who was a contemporary but older than Kong Hu-Cu. However, Confucius-Cu lived in the 6th century B.C., and both from the point of view of style and content, few scholars today believe that the Tao Te Ching was written at such an early time. Opinions differ as to the actual date of compilation of the book. (The Tao Te Ching himself never mentions any specific person's name, nor places, dates, or historical events). However, 320 BC is a reasonable estimate of eighty years from the actual date, and may have been closer.

This issue creates a sharp dispute over time even regarding the existence of Lao Tse himself. While authorities believe the tradition that Lao Tse lived in the 6th century BC, have therefore concluded he did not write the Tao Te Ching. Other scholars consider the man to be nothing more than a fictional character. With estimates are as follows:

1. Lao Tse really did exist and was the author of the Tao Te Ching;

2. He lived in the 4th century BC;

3. The story that Lao Tse was contemporary with but older than Confucius-Cu is a contrived statement, fictitious and concocted by a later Taoist philosopher for the sole purpose of adding prestige to his person and his book.

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It should be noted that from earlier Chinese writers, either Kong Hu-Cu (551 - 479 BC), or Mo-Ti (5th century BC), or Meng-Tse (371 - 289 BC), none of them mention either Lao Tse or Tao Te Ching. However, Chuan Tse, a famous Taoist philosopher who appeared around 300 BC mentioned Lao Tse's name repeatedly.

Because the question of whether or not there is a human named Lao Tse in this world is still a question of his biography. However, there is a source worthy of respect in the form of a statement as follows:

Lao Tse was born and lived in northern China. Part of his life he was a historian or a director of the government archives, most likely in the city of Loyang, the royal capital of the Chou dynasty. Lao Tse is not a real name, but a nickname meaning "elder." He is married and has a son named Tsung. Si Tsung later became a general in the country of Wei.

Although Taoism started as a secular philosophy, a kind of religious movement developed from there. However, as Taoism as a philosophy proceeded on the basis specifically of the ideas set out in the Tao Te Ching, this "Taoist Religion" was soon engulfed in superstitious beliefs and worship that had little to do with Taoism.

In the West, the Tao Te Ching is far more popular than the writings of Kong Hu-Cu or any of the Confucian philosophers. In fact, at least forty different English translations have been published of the book, more than any translation of any other book except the Bible.

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HOMER (850 BC)

HOMER (850 BC)

Homer was a blind literary writer who lived in Greece in the ninth century BC. He wrote two of the longest-lasting epics in the history of world civilization, but beyond that, little is known about him. It could be that he was a wandering writer or maybe he was a story reader at a court in a city in Greece. There are also those who believe that he may also be a shadow character to explain the works he has created.

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At about the same time in that century to describe Homer's life, two works of literature, The Iliad and The Odyssey, appeared in Greek literature. Conceived against the Trojan war, both literatures are influential because they survive as the most outstanding works of literature. The Iliad tells the story of Achilles (Ahiles) and his debate with the commander Agamemnon about Briseis, a female captive of Trojan origin. Ahiles refuses to fight against the Trojans, but when his friend Patroclus is killed by the Trojan general, Hector, Ahiles enters the war to avenge his friend's death.

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The creation of the Odyssey is based on Odysseus' astonishment for 10 years and his encounters with giants, monsters and witches. When he returned to his home in Ithaca, he was forced to defend several men who tried to persuade his wife Penelope, who was told that she would become a widow. Eventually, Odysseus regained his crown on Ithaca and reunited with Penelope.

There are still other works from Homer, but the real literary legacy lies in the countless numbers imbued with the Iliad and Odyssey, as well as by the mythologies and characters he created.

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PROPHET MOSES (1300 - 1220 BC)

PROPHET MOSES (1300 - 1220 BC)

In the thirteenth century BC, the Hebrews lived in Egypt where they lived under the torment of the rulers. At one point, the Pharaoh ordered that all Hebrew male babies should be killed. To save Moses, his mother placed him in a basket, which was made of grass, and floated him into the Nile. As she hopes, the baby will be rescued by Pharaoh's daughter and brought him to live in the Royal palace. When Musa grew older and matured, he persuaded the people to come with him, which in the end, although reluctantly, Pharaoh Ramses II (1292 - 1225 BC) also allowed. Moses then took the Hebrews out of Egypt, after which it is said that they spent 40 years wandering through Sinai to the promised land (to be occupied), which is now Israel.

In about 1250 BC, God appeared to Moses as a burning bush (Tree) on the slopes of Mount Sinai. God gave Moses two stones which contained a set of laws known as the Ten Commandments. Moses brought the two stones to his people and they endorsed them as basic moral teachings for the Jews. Christians then took the Ten Commandments and today they are the fundamental beliefs of more than 1.6 billion Christians.

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Despite his fame, reliable information about the life of Moses is scarce. It has even been speculated (although not accepted by most scholars) that Moses was actually Egyptian, since his name has Egyptian and not Jewish origins. (The name Musa means "son" or "son," and was widely used as part of many pharaohs). The Old Testament contains stories about Moses which have almost no meaning because they are filled with all kinds of miracles. Stories about Moses being able to cause havoc, about Moses being able to turn his staff into a snake, are examples of events that are out of the ordinary of nature.

Things like this burden people with impossibility so that they straighten the way so that people believe how Moses, who is now eighty years old, is capable of doing cxodus, leading the Jewish people across the desert in a period of not less than forty years. Actually we want to know exactly what Moses actually managed to do before his stories were buried in the undergrowth of the world of fairy tales.

Many parties wish to carry out a reasonable interpretation of the treasures of the Bible stories, for example about the ten testaments of prohibition, about the crossing of the Red Sea. However, the most favorite of the Old Testament stories regarding the life of Moses are the tales that can be compared with mythological stories. years 2360 - 2005 BC.

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In general, there are three major results associated with the deeds of Moses. First, he is considered a political figure who led the Jews to make a large-scale migration from Egypt. In this case, it was clear he deserved the award. Second, he succeeded as the author of the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy), which are often associated with the "Five books of Moses" and make up the Jewish Torah. This book includes the code of Moses, the set of laws on which Jewish conduct is based in the Bible, including the "Ten Commandments". From the point of view of the magnitude of the influence, especially the Torah and the Ten Commandments in general, the writers can no longer be classified as great people who have had a lasting influence. However, most Bible scholars agree that Moses was not the only author of the book. The book was evidently written by several authors and most of it was not written before the death of Moses. It is possible that Moses played some role in codifying Jewish customs or even laying down Jewish laws, but there is no definite proof of the extent and extent of his role.

Later, many people regarded Moses as the enforcer of Jewish monotheism. There seems to be no compelling reason to support that assumption. The only source of information we know about Moses is the Old Testament, and the Old Testament clearly and unambiguously relates to Abraham as the enforcer of monotheism. However, it is also true that Jewish monotheism cannot be dissimilar without Moses and is beyond question. Moses did hold a decisive role in terms of preserving and spreading . In this case, of course, lies the importance of its biggest role after Christianity and Islam, the two largest religions in the world, both of which have their origins in monotheism. The idea that there is one God, in which Moses believed wholeheartedly, eventually spread to most of the world.

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HAMMURABI (1792 - 1750 BC)

HAMMURABI (1792 - 1750 BC)

Hammurabi was the sixth king of the first Babylonian dynasty and he may also have been "Amraphel", the Biblical king of Sinoar (Genesis 14:1). He led his armies to attack Akkad, Elam, Larsa, Man and Sinner, thus becoming the Babylonian Empire in much the same way that Menes unified Egypt over a thousand years earlier.

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Even though he conquered many other kingdoms, Hammurabi was lost to time like other warlords if it were not discovered that it was then and in his hands that the world's first real official code appeared. Although he was once a very famous and respected king, who is always remembered for establishing order and truth in his country, his code was considered small compared to the traditions of the people, which were almost forgotten until 1901.

In that year a French archaeologist (archaeologist) found the code among the artifacts under the ruins of ancient Babylonia. The Code of Hammurabi is engraved between the planked pieces of rock in cuneiform script.

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In the code there are 282 laws, along with evidence from 35 other codes that have been split and released. The code identifies a specific criminal and describes the reward. For example, a person who fails to repair his waterways will be asked to pay for the damages of a neighbor whose fields are flooded, a female religious leader can be burned alive if she enters a stilt (public) house without permission, a widow can inherit a portion of her husband's property equal to that of which was inherited by his son, and a dukun whose patient died while being operated on could lose his hand (cut). The Code also states that a debtor can get out of debt by giving his wife or child to the debtor at intervals of three years.

The code is an official teaching by explaining the structure of government. Since the king was also a chief religious leader, the Code also governed the religious life of the Babylonians. First of all, laws were published and coded and shown to everyone. So, not made by the government in accordance with its own opinion. In this sense, Hammurabi's Code was a precursor to the official system as it is still used by more modern societies.

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