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= Paradise =
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Introduction
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In religion and folklore, paradise is a place of everlasting
happiness, delight, and bliss. Paradisiacal notions are often laden
with pastoral imagery, and may be cosmogonical, eschatological, or
both, often contrasted with the miseries of human civilization: in
paradise there is only peace, prosperity, and happiness. Paradise is a
place of contentment, a land of luxury and fulfillment containing
ever-lasting bliss and delight. Paradise is often described as a
"higher place", the holiest place, in contrast to this world, or
underworlds such as hell.
In eschatological contexts, paradise is imagined as an abode of the
virtuous dead. In Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, heaven is a
paradisiacal belief. In Hinduism and Buddhism, paradise and heaven are
synonymous, with higher levels available to beings who have achieved
special attainments of virtue and meditation. In old Egyptian beliefs,
the underworld is Aaru, the reed-fields of ideal hunting and fishing
grounds where the dead lived after judgment. For the Celts, it was the
Fortunate Isle of Mag Mell. For the classical Greeks, the Elysian
fields was a paradisiacal land of plenty where adherents hoped the
heroic and righteous dead would spend eternity. In the Zoroastrian
Avesta, the "Best Existence" and the "House of Song" are places of the
righteous dead. On the other hand, in cosmogonical contexts 'paradise'
describes the world before it was tainted by evil.
The concept is a theme in art and literature, particularly of the
pre-Enlightenment era. John Milton's 'Paradise Lost' is an example of
such usage.
Etymology and concept history
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The word "paradise" entered English from the French 'paradis',
inherited from the Latin 'paradisus', from Greek 'parádeisos'
(παράδεισος), from an Old Iranian form, from
Proto-Iranian'*parādaiĵah-' "walled enclosure", whence Old Persian
𐎱𐎼𐎭𐎹𐎭𐎠𐎶 'p-r-d-y-d-a-m /paridaidam/', Avestan 𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬭𐬌⸱𐬛𐬀𐬉𐬰𐬀
'pairi-daêza-'. The literal meaning of this Eastern Old Iranian
language word is "walled (enclosure)", from 'pairi-' 'around' (cognate
with Greek περί of identical meaning) and '-diz' "to make, form (a
wall), build" (cognate with Greek τεῖχος 'wall'). The word's etymology
is ultimately derived from a PIE root '*dheigʷ' "to stick and set up
(a wall)", and '*per' "around".
By the 6th/5th century BCE, the Old Iranian word had been borrowed
into Assyrian 'pardesu' "domain". It subsequently came to indicate the
expansive walled gardens of the First Persian Empire, and was
subsequently borrowed into Greek as παράδεισος 'parádeisos' "park for
animals" in the 'Anabasis' of the early 4th century BCE Athenian
Xenophon, Aramaic as 'pardaysa' "royal park", and Hebrew as פַּרְדֵּס
'pardes', "orchard" (appearing thrice in the Tanakh; in the Song of
Solomon (), Ecclesiastes () and Nehemiah ()). In the Septuagint
(3rd-1st centuries BCE), Greek παράδεισος 'parádeisos' was used to
translate both Hebrew פרדס 'pardes' and Hebrew גן ', "garden" (e.g. (,
): it is from this usage that the use of "paradise" to refer to the
Garden of Eden derives. The same usage also appears in Arabic and in
the Quran as 'firdaws' فردوس.
The idea of a walled enclosure was not preserved in most Iranian
usage, and generally came to refer to a plantation or other cultivated
area, not necessarily walled. For example, the Old Iranian word
survives as 'Pardis' in New Persian as well as its derivative 'pālīz'
(or "jālīz"), which denotes a vegetable patch.
Hebrew Bible
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The Hebrew word 'pardes' appears only in the post-Exilic period (after
538 BCE); it occurs in the Song of Songs 4:13, Ecclesiastes 2:5, and
Nehemiah 2:8, in each case meaning "park" or "garden", the original
Persian meaning of the word, where it describes the royal parks of
Cyrus the Great by Xenophon in Anabasis.
In Second Temple era Judaism, "paradise" came to be associated with
the Garden of Eden and prophecies of restoration of Eden, and
transferred to heaven.
In the apocryphal Apocalypse of Moses, Adam and Eve are expelled from
paradise (rather than Eden) after the Fall of man, having been tricked
by the serpent. After the death of Adam, the Archangel Michael carries
Adam's body to be buried in Paradise, in the Third Heaven.
New Testament
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The Greek word 'παράδεισος' appears three times in the New Testament:
* Luke 23:43 - by Jesus on the cross, in response to the thief's
request that Jesus remember him when he came into his kingdom.
* 2 Cor. 12:4 - in Paul's description of a third heaven paradise.
* Rev. 2:7 - alluding to the tree of life mentioned at Gen.2:8.
Judaism
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According to Jewish eschatology, the higher Gan Eden is called the
"Garden of Righteousness". It has been created since the beginning of
the world, and will appear gloriously at the end of time. The
righteous dwelling there will enjoy the sight of the heavenly 'chayot'
carrying the throne of God. Each of the righteous will walk with God,
who will lead them in a dance. Its Jewish and non-Jewish inhabitants
are "clothed with garments of light and eternal life, and eat of the
tree of life" (Enoch 58,3) near to God and His anointed ones. This
Jewish rabbinical concept of a higher Gan Eden is opposed by the
Hebrew terms 'gehinnom' (the source, via Yiddish, of the English
"Gehenna")"Gehenna... Hebrew: 'Gehinom': 'Hell.' Literally: the Valley
('gay') of Hinnom" and 'sheol', figurative names for the place of
spiritual purification for the wicked dead in Judaism, a place
envisioned as being at the greatest possible distance from heaven.
Rabbinic Judaism
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In modern Jewish eschatology it is believed that history will complete
itself and the ultimate destination will be when all mankind returns
to the Garden of Eden.
In the Talmud and the Jewish Kabbalah, the scholars agree that there
are two types of spiritual places called "Garden in Eden". The first
is rather terrestrial, of abundant fertility and luxuriant vegetation,
known as the "lower Gan Eden". The second is envisioned as being
celestial, the habitation of righteous, Jewish and non-Jewish,
immortal souls, known as the "higher Gan Eden". The rabbis
differentiate between 'Gan' and Eden. Adam is said to have dwelt only
in the 'Gan', whereas Eden is said never to be witnessed by any mortal
eye. In Rabbinic Judaism, the word 'Pardes' recurs, but less often in
the Second Temple context of Eden or restored Eden. A well-known
reference is in the Pardes story, where the word may allude to mystic
philosophy.
The Zohar gives the word a mystical interpretation, and associates it
with the four kinds of Biblical exegesis: 'peshat' (literal meaning),
'remez' (allusion), 'derash' (anagogical), and 'sod' (mystic). The
initial letters of those four words then form - 'p(a)rd(e)s', which
was in turn felt to represent the fourfold interpretation of the Torah
(in which 'sod' - the mystical interpretation - ranks highest).
Christianity
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In the 2nd century AD, Irenaeus distinguished paradise from heaven. In
'Against Heresies', he wrote that only those deemed worthy would
inherit a home in heaven, while others would enjoy paradise, and the
rest live in the restored Jerusalem (which was mostly a ruin after the
Jewish-Roman wars but was rebuilt beginning with Constantine the Great
in the 4th century). Origen likewise distinguished paradise from
heaven, describing paradise as the earthly "school" for souls of the
righteous dead, preparing them for their ascent through the celestial
spheres to heaven.
Many early Christians identified Abraham's bosom with paradise, where
the souls of the righteous go until the resurrection of the dead;
others were inconsistent in their identification of paradise, such as
St. Augustine, whose views varied.
In Luke 23:43, Jesus has a conversation with one of those crucified
with him, who asks, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your
kingdom". Jesus answers him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with
me in paradise". This has often been interpreted to mean that on that
same day the thief and Jesus would enter the intermediate resting
place of the dead who were waiting for the Resurrection. Divergent
views on paradise, and when one enters it, may have been responsible
for a punctuation difference in Luke; for example, the two early
Syriac versions translate Luke 23:43 differently. The Curetonian
Gospels read "Today I tell you that you will be with me in paradise",
whereas the Sinaitic Palimpsest reads "I tell you, today you will be
with me in paradise". Likewise the two earliest Greek codices with
punctuation disagree: Codex Vaticanus has a pause mark (a single dot
on the baseline) in the original ink equidistant between 'today' and
the following word (with no later corrections and no dot before
"today"), whereas Codex Alexandrinus has the "today in paradise"
reading. In addition, an adverb of time is never used in the nearly
100 other places in the Gospels where Jesus uses the phrase, "Truly I
say to you".
In Christian art, Fra Angelico's 'Last Judgement' painting shows
Paradise on its left side. There is a tree of life (and another tree)
and a circle dance of liberated souls. In the middle is a hole. In
Muslim art it similarly indicates the presence of the Prophet or
divine beings. It visually says, "Those here cannot be depicted".
Jehovah's Witnesses
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Jehovah's Witnesses believe, from their interpretation of the Book of
Genesis, that God's original purpose was, and is, to have the earth
filled with the offspring of Adam and Eve as caretakers of a global
paradise. However, Adam and Eve rebelled against God's sovereignty and
were banished from the Garden of Eden, driven out of paradise into
toil and misery.
Jehovah's Witnesses believe that disobedient and wicked people will be
destroyed by Christ at Armageddon and those obedient to Christ will
live eternally in a restored earthly paradise. Joining the survivors
will be the resurrected righteous and unrighteous people who died
prior to Armageddon. The latter are brought back because they paid for
their sins by their death and/or because they lacked opportunity to
learn of Jehovah's requirements before dying. These will be judged on
the basis of their post-resurrection obedience to instructions
revealed in new "scrolls". They believe that resurrection of the dead
to paradise earth is made possible by Christ's blood and the ransom
sacrifice. This provision does not apply to those whom Christ as Judge
deems to have sinned against God's holy spirit.
One of Jesus' statements before he died were the words to a man
hanging alongside him, "you will be with me in Paradise." The New
World Translation places a comma after the word 'today', dividing it
into two separate phrases, "I tell you today" and "you will be with me
in Paradise". This differs from standard translations of this verse as
"I tell you today you will be with me in Paradise". Based on
scriptures such as [
http://bible.cc/matthew/12-40.htm Matthew 12:40],
[
http://bible.cc/matthew/27-63.htm 27:63],
[
http://bible.cc/mark/8-31.htm Mark 8:31] and
[
http://bible.cc/mark/9-31.htm 9:31], Witnesses believe Jesus'
expectation that he would be bodily resurrected after three days
precluded his being in paradise on the same day that he died.
Mormonism
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In Latter Day Saint theology, paradise usually refers to the spirit
world, the place where spirits dwell following death and awaiting the
resurrection. In that context, "paradise" is the state of the
righteous after death. In contrast, the wicked and those who have not
yet learned the gospel of Jesus Christ await the resurrection in
spirit prison. After the universal resurrection, all persons will be
assigned to a particular kingdom or degree of glory. This may also be
termed "paradise".
Islam
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In the Quran, Heaven is denoted as 'Jannah' (garden), with the highest
level being called 'Firdaus', i.e. Paradise. It is used instead of
Heaven to describe the ultimate pleasurable place after death,
accessible by those who pray, donate to charity, and believe in:
Allah, the angels, his revealed books, his prophets and messengers,
the Day of Judgement and divine decree (Qadr), and follow God's will
in their life. Heaven in Islam is used to describe skies in the
literal sense and metaphorically to refer to the universe. In Islam,
the bounties and beauty of Heaven are immense, so much so that they
are beyond the abilities of mankind's worldly mind to comprehend.
There are eight doors of Jannah. These are eight grades of Jannah:
* 1. Jannah al-Mawa
* 2. Dar al-Maqam
* 3. Dar al-Salam
* 4. Dar al-Khuld
* 5. Jannah al-Adn
* 6. Jannah al-Na'im
* 7. Jannah al-Kasif
* 8. Jannah al-Firdaus
Jannah al-Mawa is in the lowest, Jannah al-Adn is the middle and
Jannah al-Firdaus is the highest.
Imam Bukhari has also recorded the tradition in which the Prophet
said,
In this tradition, it is evident that Al-Firdaus is the highest place
in Paradise, yet, it is stated that it is in the middle. While giving
an explanation of this description of Al-Firdaus, the great scholar,
Ibn Hibban states,
This explanation is in agreement to the explanation which has been
given by Abu Hurairah (r.a.) who said that
The Quran also gave a warning that not all Muslims or even the
believers will assuredly be permitted to enter Jannah except those who
had struggled in the name of God and tested from God's trials as faced
by the messengers of God or ancient prophets:
'Or do you think that you will enter Paradise while such [trial] has
not yet come to you as came to those who passed on before you? They
were touched by poverty and hardship and were shaken until [even
their] messenger and those who believed with him said,"When is the
help of Allah ?" Unquestionably, the help of Allah is near.' --
[
https://en.quranacademy.org/quran/2:214 Qur'an 2:214 (Al-Baqarah)
('Saheeh International')] Other instances where paradise is mentioned
in the Qur'an includes descriptions of springs, silk garments,
embellished carpets and women with beautiful eyes. These elements can
also be seen as depicted within Islamic art and architecture. "'The
semblance of Paradise (Jannah) promised the pious and devout (is that
of a garden) with streams of water that will not go rank, and rivers
of milk whose taste will not undergo a change, and rivers of wine
delectable to drinkers, and streams of purified honey, and fruits of
every kind in them, and forgiveness from their Lord."' (47:15).
References to Paradise (Jannah) in the Qur'an as reflected in Islamic art
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The Qur'an contains multiple passages in which paradise, or 'Jannah',
is referred to. The Holy Book contains 166 references to gardens, of
which nineteen mention 'Jannah', connoting both images of paradise
through gardens, water features, and fruit-bearing trees. Scholars are
unable to confirm that certain artistic choices were solely intended
to reflect the Qur'an's description of paradise, since there are not
extensive historical records to reference to. However, many elements
of Islamic art and architecture can certainly be interpreted as being
intended to reflect paradise as described in the Qur'an, and there are
particular historical records which support a number of case studies
in this claim.
Historical evidence does support the claim that certain Islamic garden
structures and mosaics, particularly those of Spanish, Persian and
Indian origins, were intended to mirror a scene of paradise as
described in the Qur'an.
Water features in Islamic gardens
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The Alhambra, Court of the Lions, Grenada, Spain
The structural layout of the gardens of the Alhambra in Grenada,
embodies the idea of water as a symbol of representing paradise within
Islamic gardens. In particular, the Courtyard of the Lions, which
follows the Quarter Garden, or the 'Chahar-Bagh' layout, typical to
Islamic gardens, features a serene water fountain at its centre. The
fountain is carved with stone lions, with the water emerging from the
mouths of these lions. The static nature of the locally sourced water
features within the Courtyard of the Lions at the Alhambra, adds to
the atmosphere of serenity and stillness which is typical of Islamic
gardens that utilise water features, resembling the image of paradise
as found in the Qur'an.
Tomb Gardens as representing Paradise
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There is not yet concrete evidence that Islamic gardens were solely
intended to represent images of paradise. However, it can be deduced
from certain inscriptions and intentions of structures, that creating
an atmosphere of divinity and serenity were part of the artists'
intentions.
Tombs became the metaphorical 'paradise on Earth' for Islamic
architecture and gardens; they were a place of eternal peace were
devout followers of God could rest.
The Taj Mahal
Upon the exterior of the tomb mausoleum of the Taj Mahal, inscriptions
of passages from the Qur'an adorn the exterior facades, encasing the
iwans. These inscriptions rehearse passages of an eschatological
nature, referencing the Day of Judgement and themes of paradise.
Similarly, the placement of the tomb structure within the waterscape
garden environment heightens the conceptual relationship between tomb
gardens and a place of paradise as discussed in the Qur'an. Similarly,
the white marble used for the construction of the tomb mausoleum,
furthers the relationship between the purity and divinity of the tomb,
elevating the status of the tomb to that of paradise.
Mosaic representations of paradise within Islamic Architecture
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Preserved historical writings from an interview with the artisan of
the Prophet's Mosque at Medina between 705 and 715, revealed how the
mosaic depictions of gardens within this mosque were in fact created
'"according to the picture of the Tree of Paradise and its palaces"'.
Structures that are similarly adorned with naturalistic mosaics, and
were created during the same period as the Prophet's Mosque at Medina,
can be said to have had the same intended effect.
The mosaic of the Dome of the Rock, Jerusalem
Constructed between 690 and 692, the Dome of the Rock at Jerusalem
features a large-scale mosaic on the interior of the domed structure.
It is likely that this richly embellished and detailed mosaic was
intended to replicate an image of paradise, featuring fruit-bearing
trees, vegetal motifs and flowing rivers. Accompanied by a
calligraphic frieze, the mosaic depicts symmetrical and vegetal vine
scrolls, surrounded by trees of blue, green and turquoise mosaics.
Jewel-like embellishments as well as gold pigment complete the mosaic.
Not only did mosaics of this kind seek to reflect paradise as
described in the Qur'an, but they were also thought to represent and
proclaim Muslim victories.
The mosaic of The Great Mosque of Damascus, Syria
In a similar instance, the mosaic within the Great Mosque of Damascus,
constructed within a similar timeframe to the Dome of the Rock,
features the most noticeable elements of a paradisiacal garden as
described in the Qur'an. Therefore, it would not be unreasonable to
suggest that the mosaic on the exterior facade of the Great Mosque of
Damascus, was similarly intended to replicate an image of paradise in
the viewer's mind.
Gnosticism
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On the Origin of the World, a text from the Nag Hammadi library held
in ancient Gnosticism, describes Paradise as being located outside the
circuit of the Sun and Moon in the luxuriant Earth east in the midst
of stones. The Tree of Life, which will provide for the souls of
saints after they come out of their corrupted bodies, is located in
the north of Paradise besides the Tree of Knowledge that contains the
power of God.
See also
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* Deylaman
* Dilmun
* Eridu
* El Dorado
* Fiddler's Green
* Golden Age
* Goloka
* Heaven
* Nirvana
* Paradise garden
* Shangri-La
* Tír na nÓg
* Valhalla
External links
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* [
http://www.balashon.com/2007/12/pardes-and-paradise.html Etymology
of "paradise"], Balashon.com
*
[
http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=paradise&searchmode=none
Etymology OnLine], etymonline.com
*
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=========
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Original Article:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paradise
