Saturday, February 05, 2011

Banner of Michael in China and Ghana


Concentric Circles a Religious Symbol in China

During an early August visit to Chicago for the fourth triennial delegate assembly of the Urantia Brotherhood in 1973, I visited the Field Museum and stumbled into the Hall of Jade, a Chinese jade exhibit started by a Mr. and Mrs. James Kellogg. Its earliest jades consist of disks including the ones pictured below with curator descriptions (also, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bi_%28jade%29).


Jade bi disk
(China, Neolithic period, circa 3300–2200 B.C.)
The Field Museum Cat.1926.1689.182860
Neg. # 182860

Disks with small center holes, called bi (“bee”), often lay on, under, or near the body in Neolithic Chinese graves. Perhaps they were placed there as protection for the deceased. This bi is from the Liangzhu (“lee-ong-joo”) culture, known to have lived in parts of China’s Yangzi River Valley from around 3300–2200 B.C.


Jade ring
(China, late Neolithic period, circa 2600–1900 B.C.)
The Field Museum Cat.1910.1114.116574
Neg. # 116574

Rings such as these have been found in many Neolithic burial sites. Their significance is unknown, but perhaps people believed that placing them in a grave would protect the deceased in the afterlife.



Jade collared disk
(China, Bronze Age, circa 1900–221 B.C.)
The Field Museum Cat.1926.1689.182873
Neg. # 182873
Rings with a raised “collar” around the center hole might have been worn as bracelets.


Jade bi disk
(China, Han period, 206 B.C.–A.D. 220)
The Field Museum Cat.1926.1689.182876
Neg. # 182876

Han period jade workers embellished the ancient bi (“bee”) disk form, used in burials in China since Neolithic times, with new designs and patterns, such as these raised bumps.

I found other disks here:

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Most of these carvings weigh a pound or more each, as I recall. Jade has such hardness as to make carving impossible, and grinding both difficult and time-consuming with primitive tools.

Some Gemstones Hardness

• Diamond –10
• Sapphire, Ruby–9
• Crysoberyl, Alexandrite, Cats eye—8.5
• Beryl, Emerald, Aquamarine – 7.5-8
• Zircon – 7.5
• Tourmaline (Elbaite, Dravite) – 7-7.5
• Quartz (Amethyst, Citrine) — 7
• Jadeite 6.5-7
• Nephrite –6.5-7
• Garnet (Hessonite, Rhodolite, Spessartine) — 6.6-7.5
• Lapislazuli– 5-5.5
• Opal — 5.5-6.5
• Turquoise — 5-6
• Feldspars (like Labradorite, Amazonite, Moonstone, or Sunstone)–6-6.5

Thus, the shapes required much work to produce, and probably commanded a high price. Smaller objects like these in bluer or greener jade remain popular today as jewelry. Jade and nephrite come in a variety of colors including light blue:



Source of Religious Symbology of the Three Azure Blue Concentric Circles 

The Urantia Book logo consists of three azure blue concentric circles on a white background.



Judging from the Field Museum curator's descriptions it appears that the curator has not read the Urantia Book story revealing the origin of the jade disks. According to the book, about 4000 years ago Machiventa Melchizedek's followers shunned use of the symbol in Salem because they revered it. But the missionaries surely carried it with them as the symbol of Melchizedek's teachings about the Paradise Trinity, all the way to China and Japan.

One can read the book on-line here:

Review these excerpts from the purported fifth epochal revelation of truth to the people of this world.

53:5.4 Since Michael elected to remain aloof from the actual warfare of the Lucifer rebellion, Gabriel called his personal staff together on Edentia and, in counsel with the Most Highs, elected to assume command of the loyal hosts of Satania. Michael remained on Salvington while Gabriel proceeded to Jerusem, and establishing himself on the sphere dedicated to the Father — the same Universal Father whose personality Lucifer and Satan had questioned — in the presence of the forgathered hosts of loyal personalities, he displayed the banner of Michael, the material emblem of the Trinity government of all creation, the three azure blue concentric circles on a white background.

[Note about azure blue - see color chart toward bottom of http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azure_(color)]

93:2.5 In personal appearance, Melchizedek resembled the then blended Nodite and Sumerian peoples, being almost six feet in height and possessing a commanding presence. He spoke Chaldean and a half dozen other languages. He dressed much as did the Canaanite priests except that on his breast he wore an emblem of three concentric circles, the Satania symbol of the Paradise Trinity. In the course of his ministry this insignia of three concentric circles became regarded as so sacred by his followers that they never dared to use it, and it was soon forgotten with the passing of a few generations.

93:3.3 The symbol of the three concentric circles, which Melchizedek adopted as the insignia of his bestowal, a majority of the people interpreted as standing for the three kingdoms of men, angels, and God. And they were allowed to continue in that belief; very few of his followers ever knew that these three circles were emblematic of the infinity, eternity, and universality of the Paradise Trinity of divine maintenance and direction; even Abraham rather regarded this symbol as standing for the three Most Highs of Edentia, as he had been instructed that the three Most Highs functioned as one. To the extent that Melchizedek taught the Trinity concept symbolized in his insignia, he usually associated it with the three Vorondadek rulers of the constellation of Norlatiadek.

93:7.1 Melchizedek continued for some years to instruct his students and to train the Salem missionaries, who penetrated to all the surrounding tribes, especially to Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Asia Minor. And as the decades passed, these teachers journeyed farther and farther from Salem, carrying with them Machiventa’s gospel of belief and faith in God.

93:7.2 The descendants of Adamson, clustered about the shores of the lake of Van, were willing listeners to the Hittite teachers of the Salem cult. From this onetime Andite center, teachers were dispatched to the remote regions of both Europe and Asia. Salem missionaries penetrated all Europe, even to the British Isles. One group went by way of the Faroes to the Andonites of Iceland, while another traversed China and reached the Japanese of the eastern islands. The lives and experiences of the men and women who ventured forth from Salem, Mesopotamia, and Lake Van to enlighten the tribes of the Eastern Hemisphere present a heroic chapter in the annals of the human race.

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The fact that archeologists discovered the jade discs in burial chambers reveals the religious significance of that symbol of the Paradise Trinity to the people of ancient China.

Chief of the Adinkra Symbols of the Akans of Ghana

I found this symbol:


  • Adinkra Hene means Adinkra King.
  • "Chief of the Adinkra symbols"
  • Forms the basis of Adinkera printing.
  • Symbol of greatness, charisma and leadership
  • This symbol is said to have played an inspiring role in the designing of other symbols. It signifies the importance of playing a leadership role.

here:

For background:

and of course

The Connection

I now see that Melchizedek's missionaries carried the symbol into Ghana and inspired the creation of the Adinkra symbols. I just wonder whether the Akans imported the entire Adinkra symbol set and their meanings from Melchizedek's missionaries.

And I knew in 1973 from the Field museum's jade exhibit that the missionaries had carried the symbol into China. How comforting to see archeology and anthropology reveal the connection between this religious symbol and a purported revelation.

Also see these articles:


Bob Hurt
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