The Hand As A Cup In Ancient Temple Worship

[urroner]

Some time ago, I found this article/paper and found it rather interesting, but there has been a small voice gnawing at the back of my head since then asking me if the article is sound and well researched or if it's an faith promoting rumor type article.

It talks about the meaning of a cupped hand in ancient religious ceremonies.

THE HAND AS A CUP IN ANCIENT TEMPLE WORSHIP

The paper was presented at the 13th Annual Symposium on the Archaeology of the Scriptures, held at BYU on 26 September 1981, by Dr. Lynn M. Hilton.

Any constructive comments would be highly appreciated.

Here is the part that I found rather interesting.

In this private communication, Mr. Tvedtnes notes that "there are some hints that the open hand is to be filled with sacrificial items (meat, etc.) E.g., cf. Lev. 8:26-28 and Ex. 29:24. See also 2 Chr. 13:9, which should read 'to fill his hand with a young bullock'(KJV 'to consecrate himself with a young bullock')."

He further draws this enlightening conclusion: "In the Temple, the priest evidently stood with hand in cupping shape, ready to receive something which was given to him. It was probably incense, though, in the last days (see Rev. 2:17; D&C 130:11), it will evidently be the white stone or urim and thummim, with the new name written in it."

It is safe to conclude that the use of the hand in cupping shape in early temple worship was a widespread practice and must have been handed down from the ancients. Lacking an actual Urim and Thummim, ancient priests may have used the next most precious thing available to them--frankincense. I agree with Mr. Tvedtnes that faithful saints should expect their outstretched hand in cupping shape someday to be filled with a sacred object.

[rameumptom]

I suppose someone could ask John Tvedtnes if he was quoted correctly, and if so, if he still holds to that concept 30 years later.

[HiJolly]

Or, maybe, LIVING WATER?

HJ

[mfbukowski]

Or, maybe, LIVING WATER?

What the heck?

[mfbukowski]

You can also see a hand in that position as that as a kind of "V" shape.

[HiJolly]

What the heck?

I came across this after I'd been studying kabbalah for a couple of years. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Madonna's learning from the Berg brothers, who have kind of 'Hollywood-ized' their strain of kabbalah. Still, they clearly have some of it right.

HJ

[WalkerW]

I came across this after I'd been studying kabbalah for a couple of years. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. Madonna's learning from the Berg brothers, who have kind of 'Hollywood-ized' their strain of kabbalah. Still, they clearly have some of it right.

HJ

What do they have to say about this particular symbol? Do you know?

[mfbukowski]

What do they have to say about this particular symbol? Do you know?

When the King Tut exhibit was in LA, there was an Egyptian statue of an individual doing those same gestures. No photography was allowed, and I haven't been able to find another shot of it anywhere.

If I recall correctly, the Bergs have recently been in the news regarding the impropriety of some financial dealings.

Edit: Here is one of the stories on that.

[HiJolly]

What do they have to say about this particular symbol? Do you know?

I don't know. Kabbalah/Cabala/Qabalah is very deep. I've not yet studied that.

I've focused more on parts that have helped me understand Adam-God, Heavenly Mother, the Atonement and the Fall. Oh, and the Creation.

HiJolly

[HiJolly]

When the King Tut exhibit was in LA, there was an Egyptian statue of an individual doing those same gestures. No photography was allowed, and I haven't been able to find another shot of it anywhere.

If I recall correctly, the Bergs have recently been in the news regarding the impropriety of some financial dealings.

Edit: Here is one of the stories on that.

Wow, thanks, I hadn't heard about that.

HiJolly

[Bill Hamblin]

Here are a couple of photos of the thing Tvedtnes is talking about from the 13th century BC Ramesseum in Thebes/Luxor.

[Bill Hamblin]

When the King Tut exhibit was in LA, there was an Egyptian statue of an individual doing those same gestures. No photography was allowed, and I haven't been able to find another shot of it anywhere.

If I recall correctly, the Bergs have recently been in the news regarding the impropriety of some financial dealings.

Edit: Here is one of the stories on that.

Is this what you are talking about?

[WalkerW]

Also, check out the picture at the beginning of this article. Notice the king on the second floor. This is Syrian.

[cdowis]

There is a Greek word which means the palm of the open hand. It was used in the context of a marriage ceremony.

It is used once in the NT in an interesting context.

This was a decade ago, but I'll see if I can find it. Perhaps someone else can find it.

[Deborah]

Very interesting. This probably has nothing to do with anything but I find it interesting:

Judges 7:

6And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

7And the Lord said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place.

Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

The number of them that lapped - From this account it appears that some of the people went down on their knees, and putting their mouths to the water, sucked up what they needed; the others stooped down, and taking up water in the hollow of their hands, applied it to their mouth.

[cdowis]

Nice try, but that is the OT, in Hebrew.

I am talking about Greek, in the NT. Something to do with the covenant.

[mfbukowski]

Is this what you are talking about?

Wow those are great! I think that is the "Henu" pose?

No, this was a free-standing sculpture, and as I recall, it was perfectly in the pose Madonna was in on that magazine cover, and also as I recall it was labeled something like "Tomb Sentry Figure" or something like that.

I have been searching for a picture of it for years!

If I knew at the time how hard it would be to find, I would have gone back and gotten a picture somehow- but I didn't!

It was touring with the Tut materials- don't know for sure if it was part of the Tut stuff per se- this was at the LA County Musem of Art I think 2005.

[Deborah]

Nice try, but that is the OT, in Hebrew.

I am talking about Greek, in the NT. Something to do with the covenant.

Were you talking to me?

I think it's interesting that the ones who cupped their hands to their lips were the ones chosen to fight the enemy. If this is indeed an ancient form of covenant between men and God then that would certainly be symbolic of their faithfulness. Or it could just represent those who were more vigilant because they didn't bury their heads in the water.

[mfbukowski]

This is an interesting piece- note the falcon-headed figure at the lower right; if you go to the site, there's more explanation. Not exactly scholarly but worth checking out!

It appears that the figure in the lower right is actually holding a vessel (cup?) of some kind.

The section is labeled "Judgement of the Dead"

In spell 125, the deceased is first led into the broad court of the Two Maats or Two Truths, to declare innocence of wrongs before the great god, and before the full tribunal of forty-two divine assessors, including Osiris and Ra. Some of the denials reflect the precepts of the Instruction genre of Egyptian literature, whereby the father instructs a son or apprentice in the correct way to behave. Others are related to the priestly oaths of purity taken at the moment of entering priestly service. The style of the declarations are in the form of "I have not done X."

The illustrations, or vignettes, of the "weighing of the heart" often include the four sons of Horus as protectors of the internal organs of the deceased after mummification. These were represented by the canopic jars. They were named Imseti, who was human-headed and guarded the liver, Hapi, who was baboon-headed, guarding the lungs, Dua-mutef, jackal-headed, guarding the stomach, and Qebeh-senuef, falcon-headed, for the intestines.

During the 18th Dynasty, the scales are depicted as being managed by Thoth, in his baboon form, beside the god Osiris who is seated on his throne. Later 18th Dynasty versions make Anubis, god of embalming, the deity in charge of the weighing, and they now add a monster called Ammut, Swallower of the Damned. If the heart proved to be false, and the deceased wicked, Ammut would swallow the heart and the deceased would die a second death. The earliest manuscript showing Anubis and Ammut is the Book of Nebqed during the reign of either Tuthmosis IV or Amenhotep III.

[volgadon]

Othmar Keel mentions the hand as cup in his book on the Psalms.

[Calm]

Wow those are great! I think that is the "Henu" pose?

No, this was a free-standing sculpture, and as I recall, it was perfectly in the pose Madonna was in on that magazine cover, and also as I recall it was labeled something like "Tomb Sentry Figure" or something like that.

I have been searching for a picture of it for years!

If I knew at the time how hard it would be to find, I would have gone back and gotten a picture somehow- but I didn't!

It was touring with the Tut materials- don't know for sure if it was part of the Tut stuff per se- this was at the LA County Musem of Art I think 2005.

Do you have the book that went with the exhibit? If not, I will look in mine to see if it has it.

[mfbukowski]

Do you have the book that went with the exhibit? If not, I will look in mine to see if it has it.

No, I do not have the book.

But I think there were some objects that were not part of the Tut stuff which were also on display- can't remember. But if you could check that, that would be great!

[Bill Hamblin]

Here's an interesting terracotta cupped hand holding an incense bowl. It's Hellenistic period, from the Antioch Museum in Turkey.

[CV75]

An ark is a cup or container, and we have many applications of the idea where such an object receives and keeps or protects living things and those things that bring forth life (spiritual and eternal): Ark of the Covenant, Noah's ark, Jaredite barges, the Garden of Eden, the temples.