IS THE STATUE OF LIBERTY PAGAN?

William F. Dankenbring

What is the history and origin of the famed "Statue of Liberty"?

Is it so innocent as millions assume? There is much more to this

story than most believe. It is time we pulled aside the cloak, and

took a good look at the real facts, and what they mean for us,

today. You might be shocked to know the deception that has

been pulled over the eyes of the American people!

It is very interesting that the great symbol that is situated in the harbor of New York City, the Statue of Liberty, is a woman carrying a torch. As we saw in a previous issue of Prophecy Flash, New York City itself represents the city of "modern Babylon the great." Just like its predecessor of olden days, modern New York is the financial hub and capital of the world. It is the center of American and multi-national finance, marketing, and the location of the headquarters of the United Nations.

Looking at the prophecies of the end-time Babylon in the book of Revelation, we find that it is associated with a "woman." In fact, she is called a "woman," and the prophet Isaiah speaks of her as "the daughter of Babylon." In Revelation we read:

". . . I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. . . And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH" (Rev.17:3-5).

And in chapter 18 we read further:

And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power . . . And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of demons, and the hold of every foul spirit . . .For all nation have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the MERCHANTS of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, 'Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues'" (Rev.18:1-4).

When we read all the facts, we discover that there are three components of modern "Babylon." It is a major world city and sea port of modern commerce and trade -- a "mighty city" (Rev.18:10-11). It is also a great religious system which dominates the world, and which is pagan at heart, teaching involvement with the politics of this world, abominable doctrines and spiritual fornication (Rev.17:3-4), and which is responsible for the martyrdom and death of many of YHWH's true saints (Rev.17:6). The third component of this modern "Babylon" is the great World Empire which it rides and rules --called the "Beast" in Revelation (see Rev.17:3, 8). The female Babylon is a great harlot or whore (Rev.17:16) which governs a "Beast" Empire which possesses "seven heads and ten horns" (Rev.17:3).

The Daughter of Babylon

The prophet Isaiah tells us more about this symbiotic relationship. He writes of the modern "daughter" of ancient Babylon, thusly:

"Come down, and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon, sit on the ground: there is no throne, O DAUGHTER of the Chaldeans: for thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate. . . Thy nakedness shall be uncovered, yea, thy shame shall be seen: I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man. . . . And thou saidst, I shall be a lady for ever: so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it. Wherefore, hear now this, thou that art given to PLEASURES, that dwellest CARELESSLY, that sayest in thine heart, I am, and none else beside me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children. But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in ONE DAY, the loss of children and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness: thou hast said, 'None seeth me.' Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth: and mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off, and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know . . . Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame. . . Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast labored, even thy MERCHANTS, from thy youth; they shall wander every one to his quarter; none shall save thee" (Isaiah 47:1-15).

New York City has been a merchant capital from its inception, from the time it was first settled by Dutch traders and called "New Amsterdam." From the time it was first settled, it was a place of rampant enterprise and merchandising, and grew to symbolize the entrepreneurial spirit of America.

The world at large is totally ignorant of the occult symbolism which lies behind the famed statue of liberty which sits astride the harbor of New York, symbolizing its true inner character and purpose. The sculptor who made the great statue was Italian. His name was Auguste Bertholdi. His work was greatly influenced by the ancient sculptor Phidias who made gigantic statues of ancient goddesses, particularly "Athena," the goddess of wisdom and "Nemesis" (another name for Venus), a goddess who held a cup in her right hand. Before beginning the statue of liberty project, Bertholdi was seeking a commission to construct a giant statue of the goddess "Isis," the Egyptian Queen of Heaven, to overlook the Suez canal. The statue of Isis was to be of "a robed woman holding aloft a torch" (Statue of Liberty: 1st Hundred Years, Bernard Weisberger, p.30, quoted in Beyond Babylon, James Lloyd, p.103).

The Masonic Connection

Bertholdi never made the statue of Isis for the Suez canal -- but it seems obvious that he made it after all, fulfilling his life's ambition, when he constructed the Statue of Liberty for the United States!

Writes James Lloyd in Beyond Babylon:

"Auguste Bertholdi was a member of the cultic Masonic Lodge in Paris, a `. . . secret international brotherhood linked to the ancient builders of the pyramids and the cathedrals' [quoted from Statue of Liberty, by Weisberger]; and as a result, fellow members of the mysterious order of Masons `. . . were frequently involved with the creation of the structure, and the various ceremonies that were dedicated to it' [ibid., p.44]. For example, the pedestal was built by another mason named Richard Hunt, and the design came from his study of `. . . pyramids, ziggurats, and other . . . styles' [Statue of Liberty video]. You'll recall The Tower of Babel was a ziggurat; and of course, the Statue of Liberty is actually a tower" (Beyond Babylon, p.103).

As the obelisk was completed in the 1880's, a number of American clergymen were upset that a "pagan goddess" was being placed on American soil. The Masonic Lodge, in the meantime, kept a low profile to avoid unnecessary controversy, just as they did when they planned the Washington monument, another Egyptian obelisk symbolizing the rays of the Egyptian god shining down and enlightening mankind.

The Masons, of course, trace the origin of their secret society back to king Solomon, and from him back to ancient Egypt. Says Alexander Hislop in his magnificent book, "The Two Babylons," concerning the origins of Masonry:

"It is admitted that the secret system of Free Masonry was originally founded on the MYSTERIES OF THE EGYPTIAN ISIS, THE GODDESS-MOTHER, OR WIFE OF OSIRIS. But what could have led to the union of a Masonic body with these Mysteries, had they not had particular reference to architecture, and had the god who was worshipped in them not been celebrated for his success in perfecting the arts of fortification and building. Now, if such were the case, considering the relation in which, as we have already seen, Egypt stood to Babylon, who would naturally be looked up to there as the great patron of the Masonic art? The strong presumption is, that NIMROD [the arch-rebel against Elohim -- Gen. 10:8-10] must have been the man. He was the first that gained fame in this way. As the child of the Babylonian goddess-mother, he was worshipped, as we have seen, in the character of Alamahozim, `The god of fortifications.' Osiris, in like manner, the child of the EGYPTIAN MADONNA, was equally celebrated as `the strong chief of the buildings.' This strong chief of the buildings was originally worshipped in Egypt with every physical characteristic of Nimrod" (Hislop, The Two Babylons, p.43).

As Hislop shows, Isis is the Egyptian name for the Babylonian goddess Ishtar, who is also the same as Athena (Greece), Minerva (Egypt and Greece), Astarte (Syria), Cybele (Rome), Ashtoreth (Israel), and Diana (Ephesus). This statue of the pagan Madonna, the Statue of "Liberty," is a statue of this same ancient pagan "Queen of Heaven," the wife of Nimrod, or Semiramis!

Goddess Diana of the Ephesians

The worship of this pagan goddess caused no small persecution for the true believers of the first century. Paul and his entourage, preaching the true good news about the Messiah and the Kingdom of YHWH, in the city of Ephesus, ran smack into the powerful Diana cult, and were hauled before the authorities of the city. We read in the book of Acts:

"And the same time there arose no small stir about that way. For a certain man, a silversmith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen; whom he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, 'Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands: So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought; but also that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshippeth.' And when they heard these sayings, they were filled with wrath, and cried out, saying, 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians.' And the whole city was filled with confusion: and having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, Paul's companions in travel, they rushed with one accord into the theatre. . . . And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with the hand, and would have made his defense unto the people. But when they knew he was a Jew, all with one voice about the space of two hours cried out, 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians'" (see Acts 19:23-41).

Who was this Diana, the goddess whose followers hated the true people of YHWH, and threatened Paul and his followers and helpers?

The First World Kingdom After the Flood

The story goes back to an ancient king and arch-apostate, by the name of "Nimrod." Nimrod established the first "world kingdom" after the Flood. We read: "And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one [TYRANT] in the earth. He was a mighty hunter before YHWH: wherefore it is said, 'Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before YHWH. And the beginning of his kingdom was BABEL . . ." (Gen.10:8-10). Nimrod was a "mighty hunter against YHWH," which is the real meaning of the Hebrew word translated "before" in this verse.

Nimrod, in beginning his kingdom, sought to become known as the Liberator, or Emancipator, or "Deliverer," of mankind, taking the titles of the true Messiah to himself. Nimrod began to be known as "Phoroneus," which has several meanings. One signifies the "Apostate," truly what Nimrod was. However, it also means, "Emanipator," or "one who sets free," or gives liberty." Nimrod "delivered" the masses of people from the "fear of YHWH," from the worship of the true Elohim, and proclaimed his form of paganized "liberty" to the people, his paganized teachings setting people free from the laws of YHWH. The term "apostate" itself means "to cast off." Nimrod was the original "man of sin" who "cast off" the laws of YHWH, and rebelled against the Most High (compare II Thess.2:1-10). Says Hislop, the name "Phoroneus" comes from "Pharo, also pronounced Pharang, or Pharong, `to cast off, to make naked, to apostatise, to set free.'"

Nimrod's Wife and Consort

But Nimrod has a consort, a woman, a "harlot-mother," who became deified with him -- his mother-wife Semiramis. One of her names under which she was worshipped was "Feronia" in Rome, the goddess of liberty. Says Alexander Hislop:

"The Sabine goddess Feronia had evidently a relation to Phooroneus, as the `Emancipator.' She was believed to be THE `GODDESS OF LIBERTY,' because at Terracina slaves were emancipated in her temple. . . . The Chaldee meaning of the name `Fernonia,' strikingly confirms this conclusion. Her contemplar divinity, who was worshipped along with her in a grove, was, like Ninus, a youthful divinity. He was regarded as the `youthful Jupiter'" (p.52).

As we said earlier, another name for Semiramis or "Isis" was Cybele in Rome. As Nimrod was the "god of fortifications," so she was also an architectural deity -- the "goddess of fortifications." This version of the goddess is universally represented as wearing a crown of towers, like the Statue of Liberty! Alexander Hislop writes:

"But of the existence of a goddess of fortifications, everyone knows that there is the amplest evidence. That goddess is Cybele, who is universally represented with a mural or TURRETED CROWN, OR WITH A FORTIFICATION ON HER HEAD. Why was Rhea or Cybele thus represented? Ovid . . . says, why the STATUE OF CYBELE WORE A CROWN OF TOWERS was, `because she first erected them in cities.' The first city in the world after the flood (from whence the commencement of the world itself was often dated) that had towers and encompassing walls was BABYLON; and Ovid himself tells us that it was SEMIRAMIS, the first queen of that city, who was believed to have `surrounded Babylon with a wall of brick.' Semiramis, then, the first DEIFIED QUEEN of that city and TOWER [the Tower of Babel] whose top was intended to reach unto heaven, must have been the PROTOTYPE of the goddess who `first made towers in cities'" (p.30).

Diana of the Ephesians was this same dame -- the goddess of towers -- the original Semiramis, wife of Nimrod. Says Hislop,

"When we look at the Ephesian Diana, we find evidence to the very same effect. . . the Ephesian Diana . . . was represented with all the attributes of the MOTHER OF THE GODS, and, as the Mother of the gods, she wore a TURRETED CROWN, such as no one can contemplate without being forcibly reminded of the TOWER OF BABEL. Now this TOWER-BEARING DIANA is by an ancient scholiast expressly identified with SEMIRAMIS. When, therefore, we remember that the Rhea or Cybele, the tower-bearing goddess, was, in point of fact, a Babylonian goddess, and that Semiramis, when deified, was worshipped under the name of Rhea, there will remain I think, no doubt as to the personal identify of the `goddess of fortifications" (Hislop, p.30-31).

This pagan licentious queen of vice and prostitution, infamous for her flagrant wanton spirit, was the original "tower woman." The very same goddess, known as Ashtoreth, which is cognately related to Ishtar and Astarte, the "Queen of Heaven" and "Mother of God" of the pagans, the original "Madonna" and "Celestial Virgin" (although she was no virgin!), was the pagan prototype of the "Virgin Mary" or "Madonna" of the Roman Catholic Church.

"Tower Woman"

The name "Ashtoreth" itself contains the syllable "tor" [tau resh, or TR in Hebrew] which means "to be round," or to "surround," suggesting a structure of a wall, or turret. "Ash-turret" literally means the "woman that made the encompassing wall," and the "tor" in Ashtoreth can signify "tower." In other words, Ashtoreth, Ishtar, or our modern EASTER or Eas-tor literally means TOWER WOMAN!

Does this description really fit the "Statue of Liberty" towering on an island in New York harbor, at the mouth of the Hudson River?

The Babylonian heritage of the "Statue of Liberty" should come as no real surprise to YHWH's people. Her identity is written in her shape. She stands on a base patterned after the Babylonian stepped-pyramids, or ziggurats, of old -- which themselves were designed by the "tower" woman Semiramis and her architects. She stands literally on a base patterned after the tower of Babel! She wears a turreted crown, like Rhea, Cybele, Diana, and the pagan goddesses who were counterparts of Semiramis. She stands as a universal symbol of "liberty," apart from the laws and commandments of YHWH. She represents the "emancipation" of mankind, and "immigration" and "unity" and the coming together of many races to become one universal mankind, all peoples coming together to one land, uniting the nations as "one," with one language.

This is exactly what ancient Nimrod and Semiramis tried to do at the original "Tower of Babel," but El-Shaddai defeated their attempt by scattering the nations and confounding their languages (Gen.11:1-9).

A New Look at the "Statue of Liberty"

Consider for a moment: The "Statue of Liberty," standing on Liberty Island, is one of the largest statues ever made. Its proper name is "Liberty Enlightening the World." The statue represents a proud woman, standing on a huge pedestal, with her right arm extended, holding high a flaming torch. A turreted crown with huge spikes symbolizing the rays of the sun rests on her head. At her feet is a broken shackle symbolizing the overthrow of "tyranny." The statue stands 151 feet in height, weighs about 100 tons, and stands on a Babylonia style tower which is 154 feet high.

In her poem "The New Colossus," Emma Lazarus calls the "Statue of Liberty" the "Mother of Exiles." But the truth is, she is the "Mother of harlots and abominations of the earth" (Rev.17:5). The liberty she promises is slavery to this world's system.

El-Shaddai abhors this world's evil system, based on the system begun in ancient Babylon by Nimrod and Semiramis. New York City, the modern Babylon, and banking capital of the world, home of Wall Street, and every wicked vice and every financial fraud and deceit, is the symbol of this world's system of financial enslavement and captivity. It is only fitting, in a sense, that the statue of the original "Queen of Heaven," the "goddess of fortifications," the Queen-Mother of Babylon, also known as Isis, Cybele, Feronia, Ishtar, Astarte, Ashtoreth, and Easter, should sit astride an island at the mouth of her world-renown harbor, beckoning to the world, "Come hither."

But El-Shaddai, our Father in heaven, says, to the contrary, "Flee fornication" with this world's evil and corrupt system of rebellion against El-Shaddai and His laws (I Cor.6:18). Paul says, "Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? What concord hath the Messiah with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of YHWH with idols? for YE are the temple of the living Elohim: as YHWH hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be my people. Wherefore COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM, and be ye SEPARATE, saith YHWH, and touch not the unclean thing [or crooked business deal, or pagan doctrine or practice!]; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith YHWH Almighty" (II Cor.6:14-18).