Ancient of Days

Ancient of Days is a name for God in Aramaic: "Atik Yomin"; in the Greek Septuagint: "Palaios Hemeron"; and in the Vulgate: "Antiquus Dierum".

The title "Ancient of Days" has been used as a source of inspiration in art and music, denoting the creator's aspects of eternity combined with perfection. William Blake's watercolour relief etching entitled "The Ancient of Days" is one such example.

In Religion

Judaism

:"See also The names of God in Judaism"There are many sources for this term, including:

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire.

Daniel 7:9

Whenever Judgment looms and the forehead of the Impatient One is revealed, the Forehead of the Ancient of Ancients is revealed; Judgment subsides and is not executed.

Idra Rabba, Zohar 3:136b

This term appears three times in the book of Daniel (7:9, 13, 22),Cite web|url=http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Daniel%207;&version=9|title=Daniel 7|accessdate=2008-01-21|publisher=BibleGateway.com (KJV)] and is used in the sense of God being eternal.cite book | title=Easton's Bible Dictionary, "Ancient of Days"| url=http://www.ccel.org/ccel/easton/ebd2.html?term=Ancient%20of%20Days| last=Easton| first=M. G.| authorlink=Matthew George Easton| date=1897 "In contrast with all earthly kings, his days are past reckoning."]

The most powerful effect of this particular Name of God stems from the Jewish mystical book the Zohar, the seminal document of Kaballah that stems from 13th century Spain. In the Kaballah there is mention of the Ancient of Ancients, also interpreted as En Sof or the unmanifested God. The Ancient of Days is the maifestation of the Ancient of Ancients in space and time. The Kaballah goes into great detail describing the White Head of God and ultimately the emanation of its personality or attributes. [Wayback|http://web.archive.org/web/20070702115508/http://www.sfu.ca/~hayward/van/glossary/ancient.html|Glossary entry for Ancient of Days; Van Morrison. Retrieved 2007-01-21]

Christianity

In Eastern Orthodox Christian hymns and icons, the Ancient of Days is sometimes identified with God the Father, and sometimes with God the Son, or Jesus Christ. As such, an icon will sometimes portray Jesus Christ as an old man, the Ancient of Days, to show symbolically that he existed from all eternity, and sometimes as a young man to portray him as he was incarnate.Fact|date=January 2008

In the hymn "Immortal, Invisible, God only Wise", the last two lines of the first verse read:

: "Most blessed, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,": "Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise."

Mormon tradition

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the title "Ancient of Days" belongs to Adam, the oldest man, who is also identified with the archangel Michael.Cite web | url=http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/27/11 | title=Doctrine & Covenants 27:11 | accessdate=2008-05-19|publisher=Lds.org]

Hinduism

The Sanskrit name, Karttikeya or Skanda, means "always a youth" and is revered as one of the four (or seven) sons of Brahma.cite book | title=A classical dictionary of Hindu mythology and religion, geography, history, and literature| url=http://www.mythfolklore.net/india/courseinfo/books.htm#dowson| last=Dowson| first=John (1820-1881)| date=1879| publisher=Trübner| location=London [Reprint, London: Routledge, 1979] . ISBN 0-415-24521-4]

Buddhism

In Buddhism, in the Kevattha Sutta (Digha Nikaya 11), the term "ancient of days" is referred to the creator God Brahma,

"“I am the Great Brahma, the Supreme, the Mighty, the All-seeing, the Ruler, the Lord of all, the Controller, the Creator, the Chief of all, appointing to each his place, the Ancient of days, the Father of all that are and are to be.” ."

In Buddhism, although Brahma or God is respected, he is not regarded as omnipotent or all knowing, but someone in samsara who is subject to ignorance, birth and death (over billions of years) and a disciple of the Buddha.

Bahá’í

In the Bahá’í Faith, 'the Ancient of Days' is one of the titles with which Bahá’u’lláh refers to Himself. [ The World Order of Bahá’u’lláh, Shoghi Effendi, US Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1991 first pocket-size edition, pg. 206]

Esotericism

In Esoteric tradition,Fact|date=January 2008 the Ancient of Days is also known as Sanat Kumara.Fact|date=January 2008

Modern references

"The Ancient of Days", is a 1992 song composed by Gary Sadler and Jamie Harvill.Also the cover of a 1978 album by the band "Slave"

References