"Gate to Hades" uncovered [maybe]

[Barbara]

Just in time for Great Lent !

This is in the spectacular Anatolian city of Pamukkale, ancient Hieropolis, a great religious center in Roman times, as well as
where the Apostle Philip died.

A "gate to hell" has been discovered by archaeologists in ruins in southwestern Turkey according to Discovery News reported on Monday, Apr. 1, 2013. Known as Pluto's Gate - Ploutonion in Greek, Plutonium in Latin - the cave was often celebrated as a portal to the underworld. ...

Historic sources located the "gate to hell" site in the ancient Phrygian city of Hierapolis, which is now known as Pamukkale.

For the complete story, please see the link below:
http://www.examiner.com/article/gate-to ... uto-s-gate

[Maria]

Moderator Note:

Please limit the quote from a book, article, or newspaper to two or three sentences.
AP and Reuters news should be limited to one sentence with a link to the story.

[joasia]

Very interesting. I was just reading the novel by Lewis Wallace called Ben Hur: A Tale of the Christ. The movie Ben Hur is loosely based on it...Hollywood style of course.

There's a lot of dialogue, in the novel, and in Chapter 7, there are two Roman soldiers:

"Gods! How cold it is!" says one of them, a powerful figure in armor; on his head a brazen helmet, on his body a shining breastplate and skirts of mail. "How cold it is! Dost thou remember, my Caius, that vault in the Comitium at home which the flamens say is the entrance to the lower world? By Pluto! I could stand there this morning, long enough at least to get warm again!"

I guess he was familiar with Roman history. I'm too tired to pluck out the details. Perhaps someone else has more stamina. I just wanted to share this quote. Interesting though that the Romans spoke in terms of their beliefs in the gods.

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/2145/214 ... m#chap0105

[Barbara]

That IS amazing ! Both the concept of the entrance to "the Lower World" which was another way the Romans described Hades,
then the soldier saying "By Pluto !" Perfect juxtaposition with the article.

Also the term "Gods !" - I am sure the Romans DID say that all the time in normal everyday speech.
They were more religious than given credit for, I am positive.

[Maria]

That IS amazing ! Both the concept of the entrance to "the Lower World" which was another way the Romans described Hades,
then the soldier saying "By Pluto !" Perfect juxtaposition with the article.

Also the term "Gods !" - I am sure the Romans DID say that all the time in normal everyday speech.
They were more religious than given credit for, I am positive.

Yes, indeed. The Romans accused the Christians of being atheists because we did not believe in their plurality of gods. Instead we worshipped the Triune God.

[joasia]

Actually Barbara, your term "Hades" is the correct term for the underworld or the place where souls go. The term "Hell" that is usually used for this translation is incorrect. This term should be used for Gehenna which is the last stop for eternal damnation after the Second Judgement. There's also the name Tartaros which also means Hell/Gehenna.

[Barbara]

Thanks for clarifying that about Gehenna/Tartaros, joasia.

I did realize about Hades, so that's why I put that in the title line, rather than Hell.

When the secular press writes, they figure out what will catch the maximum attention of the average person in a few words.
Hence they often pose a question to get one to open up the story and read it.
Often even ordinary Americans boo and hiss at some of the absolutel drivel that is produced by the American media.
For example, a story will be dramatically headlined about one point. Then everything else BUT that central question will be answered in the body of the article !
Or, like a recent one about dentists, it provides about zero useful information, at least what the reader was EXPECTING to learn about after the grand billing
in the article's headline !

Hence they write up things to catch attention only. This article WAS more interesting for those of us who are fascinated with mystical speciulation,
even from the remote past! There IS continuity. After all, whether people were pre-Christian or Christian, they have the same eternal fears of a judgment and/or
punishment meted out for their sins.