Ascension

The belief was widespread among the Babylonians and the peoples of the ancient world that the Divine allowed that exclusively pious people who lived an impeccable life should leave the world without experiencing death. Babylonian legends tell ο Xisufra (an analogue of the biblical Noah among the Chaldeans ) that he was taken to heaven because he had received the mercy of the Lord God ^[3] , and about Ethan Gilgamesh ascending in an eagle to heaven, “ from where the earth seems like a hill, a sea like a bowl of water ” ^[4] . In addition to the two named, Hebrew stories mention other persons who have not tasted death. Apocryphal, as well as agadic literature, rank Baruch ^[5] in this category, along with Ezra and Moses , despite the fact that the death of the latter is definitely mentioned in the Old Testament. ^[2]

The following persons taken to heaven are mentioned in agadic literature: Enoch, Elijah, Eliezer , Abraham's servant (Eliezer from Damascus); Abdemelech , the Ethiopian slave of Zedekiah, who freed Jeremiah from death ( Jer. 38: 7 ); Hiram of Tire , builder of the Solomon's temple; Javis ( 1 Chronicles 4:10 ), Serah , the daughter of Asher; Bithya , daughter of Pharaoh and foster mother of Moses ( 1 Chronicles 4:18 ); and in later times - the amorai of Joshua bin Levi and the grandson of Yehuda Ganasi , whose name is not mentioned ^[6] . ^[2]

According to the agadists, all these persons were transferred and were in paradise , which was later supposed to be in heaven ; therefore, the Old Testament quite correctly reports that Elijah ascended into heaven. However, not all Talmudists shared this belief; for example, the tannai rabbi José declared that never Divine greatness ( Shekhinah ) descended to earth and never Moses and Elijah ascended into heaven. ^[2]

In addition to these, there were other people who temporarily ascended to heaven and then returned to earth again. The biblical prototype of the latter is Moses , who ascended to God to receive the Torah ; later legends are also known to a number of pious people who, like Moses, received instruction and revelation in heaven, which are mentioned in the apocryphal books, “ Apocalypse of Abraham ”, “ Abrahamic Testament ” and “ Apocalypse of Baruch ”. ^[2]

In biblical times, some individuals received Revelations in Paradise. The Talmud tells of four sages who were in paradise ^[7] . Although most commentators, starting with Gaon Samuel ben-Hofney (d. 1034), interpret the word dr.-Heb. פרדם (literally "garden") allegorically in the sense of "garden of wisdom", the expression "נכננםו לפרדם" (enter paradise), which is quite consistent with the phrase "נכנםו לגן עדן" (entered the garden of Eden) - it means rather that four people - Elisha ben Abuy (I — II centuries), Rabbi Akiva (d. 137), Ben Azzai (first third of the II century) and Ben Zoma (beginning of the II century) - were indeed in heaven. ^[2]

Later Midrashs mention the ascension of the tannas of the 1st and 2nd centuries (from the 3rd Tannan generation) by Ismail bin Elish , who was one of ten martyrs during the period of the Adrian persecution. He, Rabbi Akiva, and his teacher, Nekhunya ben-Gakan, were known among the mystics of the Gaonean period under the name "Triumvirate" (מרכנה יורדי; riding a celestial chariot).

Guy-Gaon says that in that era, some mystics knew how to fall into a state of self-hypnosis through various tricks, in which they assured that they saw the sky open and contemplated its secrets. They believed that only the one who is able to take the Merkabah path, who has a knowledge of religion, accurately fulfills all the commandments and precepts and generally tries to lead a superhuman pure life ^[8] . This was traditionally considered a subject of study, and thus less perfect people tried by fasting and prayer to free their feelings from the impressions of the outside world, and they were able to fall into a state of ecstasy in which they shared their heavenly visions . ^[2]

A newer form of this kind of ascension was the עלית נשמה (Ascension of the Soul) Hasidim . The founder of Hasidism, Israel Baal Shem-Tob , spoke of his ascension. This was expressed even more definitely by the later representatives of this religious movement in Judaism: in a state of ecstasy, they believed, and in the opinion of others, they pretended to be believers that they were ascended to heaven. ^[2]

In myths

• Hercules ascended to heaven, was accepted among the gods, and Hera reconciled with him, married his daughter Hebe, the goddess of eternal youth, to him.
• According to Titus Livy , Aeneas was lifted up alive to heaven and became a god.
• 717 BC e. - death, resurrection and ascension of Romulus to heaven.

In different religions

• ? - Enoch, the son of Jared (or Enoch; Heb. Hanoch) - the Old Testament character, the seventh patriarch, starting from Adam.
• IX century BC e. - the ascension of the prophet Elijah to heaven on a fiery chariot in Christianity and Judaism.
• 33 year - Ascension of the Lord - a Christian holiday, an event described in the Gospels and Acts of the Apostles.
• 48 year - Ascension of the Virgin Mary - the dogma of the Catholic Church.
• 619 - miraj in Islam, the ascension of the Prophet Muhammad to heaven.

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