Zionism I

Written by thehouseofvines

O Dionysos Mekal, establisher of Beit She’an,
Great God of luxuriant growth and Sun-warmed stone,
who wields the was-sceptre in your right hand
and an ankh in your left, you who are honored
where East and West entwine, among your city’s
gleaming temples, houses of study, colonnaded
walkways, teeming theaters, gymnasia and public baths,
as well as the hills, groves, orchards, and fertile valleys
of Judah and Samaria— hear me.
And you, virgin Chokmah, Cupbearer
of the ancient Council, clever daughter
of ʾĂšērāh the Queen of the Gods,
and handmaiden of ‘El Šadday the King,
who cherishes you above all his children,
and made you concubine of Mount Zion’s
valiant Defender against the onslaught
of Amalek and the hated Nephilim,
enemies of divine order— hear me.
O happy couple, may your powers
be joined in fruitful union
like the star-gleaming Sky
and the precious Earth,
like law and liberty,
like ecstasy and wisdom,
like justice and mercy.
O Dove and Bull, as you rise pure from
your mikveh in the holy Jordan— hear me.
May your chuppah forever bless
the land upon which it is erected.
May the lifting of the bride’s veil
inscribed with the entire oral Torah
reveal salvific mysteries to the people.
May you recite the seven blessings
together over wine, and circle
the Ark of the Covenant seven times.
May your first dance together
drive away misfortune
and bring luck and protection
to the people of Israēl,
who have been called as guests
to the feast by the groom who traveled
near and far on his donkey,
seeking them out in their exile
to bring them home, that they might celebrate
the marriage of Sophia and Yēšaʿ before the living
throne of Yahweh of Samaria and his ʾĂšērāh,
as well as the entire Bene ʾĔlōhīm,
both divine and mortal, who have come
from all over to attend the festivities.
Šālōm. Šālōm. Šālōm. L’chaim!

8 thoughts on “Zionism I”

    1. I can say having seen him work that yes, there are breadcrumbs and he’s very good at following them.

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      1. Yup. And thankfully there’s a lot of really good scholars who have done the work of tracing those breadcrumbs and pointing out others I never would have imagined. For instance there’s a great book that discusses the absorption and adaptation of Dionysian beliefs and iconography in China and Japan, from the early Hellenistic period up to the present. While I knew that he was popular along the trade routes and in the Greek kingdom that briefly existed in northern China I had no idea his influence was so widespread and persistent there. The ancients weren’t kidding when they said that Dionysos was widely traveled! (And other Gods like Herakles, Apollon and Pan are too, all of whom have been formally adopted into Buddhism.)

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  4. As a Jew who nonetheless belongs to the gods of Kemet (and what do you know, honours Dionysus too), I feel almost like this was written for me. I know that it wasn’t, but still…uncanny and wonderful!

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