Could the Egun people be the descendants of the Aegean people of Philistine?

The Philistines are a people that for a while troubled Israel their neighbour. They descended from Mizraim which is Egypt (Genesis 10:13-14; Deuteronomy 2:23; Jeremiah 47:4), and were reputed for their metalworking abilities. Also, they are known as one of the Aegean peoples of the Aegean civilization that used to live around the Aegean sea until tsunamis, a volcanic eruption, and Greek expansion (c. 1200 – 1000 BCE) resulted in their migration to a part of the coastal plain of the Levant from Joppa to the Gaza Strip. This movement may have have also occurred during and after the time they almost destroyed Anatolia, Cyprus and Syria. They also attempted same on Egypt during the 8^th year of Ramses III (c. 1190 BCE) but were forced to retreat to the aforementioned part of the Levant which today is called Palestine. This area is described as a Pentapolis, having been partitioned into five divisions including Ekron, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Gath and Gaza.

It was this same people that captured Samson, that troubled Israel during the time of the Judges, kings Saul (Shaul/Shọla?) and Daodu (David), and worshipped Baalzebub as recorded duing the reign of king Ahaziah of Israel (2 Kings 1). Later, they were conquered by Pharaoh Shishak, also known as Sheshonk I (c. 918 BCE) and by the Assyrians during the reigns of Esarhaddon and his son Ashurbanipal (7^th century BCE. Perhaps they were also deported just as Israel (732 – 722 BCE); the Babylonians who thereafter overthrew the Assyrians (612 – 605 BCE) controlled Palestine.

Thereafter there is little mention of the Philistines which is in line with the declarations of Yehve by the mouth of His prophets about their slaughter and decline and subsequent habitation of a part of their land by a mixed race (Zechariah 9:6) for their idolatry and attacks on Israel. However, He did say that a remnant would survive, be for Him and like one of His people (Zechariah 9:5-8). A very specific example of how this would happen is mentioned in Zechariah 9:8 where He said that the people of Ekron, one of the five Philistine divisions, would be like a Jebusite.

The Jebusites today are the Ijebu people who live among the Yoruba as one of them, while the Yoruba (a name thought to be cognate with Jeroboam) are of Israel. Hence, not all Yoruba were originally of Israel but migrated as a mixed multitude with the children of Israel from the Levant and Assyria to Ile-Ifẹ which is in the region of West Africa where Yehve led us to – sort of like a repeat of history.  Upon settling at Ile-Ifẹ the children of Israel led by Oduduwa (it seems there was a first Oduduwa who was grandfather of Jacob/Ọranmiyan and another but same Oduduwa who was father of another but same Jacob/Ọranmiyan) used Ifa (Ephod, used in inquiring of Yehve/Olodumare), in addition to other divine nudges, to determine which part of the land to settle. This is how the children of Israel and the mixed multitude settled in their allocated portions, a glimpse of the perfect one to come (Ezekiel 47:22-23) and a repeat of the exodus out of Egypt (Exodus 12:38; Numbers 11:4).

Among the mixed multitude that spread out from Ile-Ifẹ are the Egun people who settled in southern Benin Republic (formerly Dahomey) and southwest of Yorubaland in the Nigerian states of Lagos and Ogun, just as the locations of Biblical Israel and Philistine/Palestine. In Nigeria they are of the kingdom of Badagry and their Ọba (royal father, a title perhaps borrowed from the Yoruba) is known as the Akran. The name Ekron (one of the 5 Philistine divisions) is extremely similar to Akran. Since the Philistines descended from Mizraim (Egypt) there should be some continuity between both traditions which can be used in linking Akran to Ekron. It turns out that the Pharaoh meaning “great house”, which is the title/epithet of the Egyptian king, is symbolic of the royal palace and by extension the kingdom of Egypt. Hence it is possible that the epithet Akran symbolizes the people of Ekron/Akran.   

There is a city in Benin Republic named Ouidah or Whydah where many Egun people have resided since  migrating from Ile-Ifẹ  and which is according to the actual pronunciation of the name Judah; perhaps directly linked to the prophecy in Zechariah 9:8 about the remaining Philistines being like a leader in Judah.

Furthermore, the word Egun is phonetically similar to Aegean, and historians have acknowledged that the Philistines are of the Aegean civilization that once lived around the Aegean Sea.

If all these are true, that the Egun people are the same Philistines of the Aegean civilization, then the people are living proof of the anti-Truth of Christianity-Islam-Judaism, of white supremacy, and of the iniquity of the Amorites (Genesis 15:16).

Questions

• What is to be believed about the history (his-story) of that civilization as propagated by Hellenists (Greeks) and their supporters/imitators?
• Since Ham is acknowledged as a Negro, Egypt/Mizraim was one of his sons, and the Philistines descended from Egypt, how come historians failed (deliberately?) to acknowledge that (1) the Philistines are Negro, and (2) the people of Palestine plagiarized history?

The Egun people should not take these assumptions, if accurate, in anger as a direct implication is that Yehve will gather them to Israel as one of His people. They’ve been grafted (Genesis 18:18; 22:18).

Identifying Israel via the colocation of Jebus, Ekron, and Edom as markers

Since Biblical prophecies from Yehve (God Most High) indicate that the people of Jebus, Ekron and Edom would be possessed by Israel, this information can be used in determining the location of the scattered sheep of Israel today. I do not know much about how the Ewe and Ga-Dangme who are of Israel just as the Yoruba, identify themselves so the comparisons mentioned here are limited to the Yoruba.

Jebus

When ISRAEL left Egypt by Yehve’s hand to inherit the Promised Land they met the Jebusites who were living on one of the mountains of Jerusalem. This location is named in the Bible as Jebus. Many years later Oba Daodu (David) took that portion of the Land from the Jebusites who became servants of the Israelites, and Solomon (Daodu’s heir) built the Temple over a threshing floor previously owned by a Jebusite. Looking at the relationship between both peoples it is obvious that, unlike other who the Israelites met in the Land, the Jebusites offered little resistance to Israel. Additionally, the fate of the Jebusites in Israel after the transition of Daodu as described in Zechariah 9:6-7 (perhaps it is mentioned in detail in “lost” books like the Book of Shemaiah (2 Chronicles 2:15)) is that Israel absorbed them.

This implies that it is very much possible to find the Jebusites today among the scattered sheep of Israel (Yoruba/Ewe/Ga-Dangme), especially in the region of West Africa referred to in Hosea 11:11 as Assyria (today their descendants are the Hausa, Kanem-Borno, Boko Haram). The Yoruba are mostly in the southwest region of Nigeria, a nation whom the Amorites of Britain gave charge to the Assyrian descendants). Not surprisingly there exist a people in Yorubaland called the Ijebu (Jebu according to the British slave masters) who today appear so indistinguishable from other Yoruba peoples, except for their high level of frugality and a peculiar penchant for partying. There are various versions of their history but one has it that the first Oba (royal father) of each of the two principal Ijebu divisions were appointed from Ile-Ifẹ, actions which are most likely glimpses of the perfect one to come (Revelations 2:26-27). Ile-Ifẹ has been the spiritual home of the Yoruba/Ewe/Ga-Dangme upon arriving from Israel.

(Source: BBC)

Ekron

If the Ijebu are truly the Biblical Jebusites their presence as one of the Yoruba peoples can be used to identify the people of Ekron (also spelled as Accaron), a Philistine division and descendants of Mizraim (Egypt), as Yehve said they will be absorbed into Israel (Zechariah 9:7).

There is a kingdom known as Badagry out link along the coastal part of Yorubaland whose Oba is called the Akran of Badagry. The people call themselves Egun, their presence extends into Benin Republic, and they are reputed for their fantastic drums, song and dance, and their language which some Yoruba people consider as an outlier dialect. They say they are not originally Yoruba but that they accepted the protection of the Ọyọ Empire, or something like that. This may be a jumpy comparison but searching for Philistine cultural practices/markers among the people of Badagry should prove interesting.

• Badagry Local Government
• Badagry Town in Nigeria Was Slave Trade Route in West Africa

Edom

Occurring more than once in the Bible is the prophecy about Israel possessing the remnant of Edom (Amos 9:12; Numbers 24; Isaiah 11:14). Since the Edo people of Nigeria and their descendant kingdoms are the Biblical Edomites it can be easily seen that the prophecy has been fulfilled in the ascension of Ọranmiyan (also shortened as  Ọranyan), a Yoruba king, to the Edo throne as the first Ọba of Edo sometime during the 12^th century CE. Curiously, historians have noted that the people of Israel referred to Jacob by the epithet Orion as they pictured the Orion constellation as a depiction of Jacob wrestling with an angel (Genesis 32:24-30); the words Ọranyan and Orion are cognates. Note that before the European colonization of Yorubaland which was patterned after the Roman colonization of the kingdom of Judah (Judaea in the New Testament), the Yoruba would inquire of Yehve concerning a new born child. Perhaps the Yoruba believed that Yehve had sent the Jacob to his people one more for the purpose of establishing the lost sheep of Israel in West Africa after they left Assyria in 612 BCE, he was involved in establishing Israel in the Promised Land – not hard to believe upon considering other Biblical figures like Yeshua, Daodu, Moses, Elijah/John the Baptist that were born with specific tasks. Oral accounts have it that Ọranmiyan also set forth from Yorubaland to reclaim the Promised Land but returned because of the distance, and the time had not yet arrived. However the Edo still retain the identity and there is a healthy and brotherly relationship between the Yoruba and Edo today, very much unlike the ancient hatred described in the Bible.

Igbo Nation. The process of possessing the remnant of Edom seems to have involved the introduction of Jacobian DNA into the Edo gene pool, and culminated in the splicing out of certain Edomite introns that were expressed as such phenotypes like reddish and hairy skin, materialism, envy, hatred for Israel, dubiousness, hedonism and disregard for walking with Yehve. Such phenotypes were traits of Esau and his descendants as well described in Ezekiel 35 and the Books of Obadiah and Jasher. The introns seem to be harboured today by the Igbo who have consistently done to the Yoruba similar actions that the Biblical Edomites did to Israel.

It is not for nothing that Yehve said He had hated Esau (Malachi 1:2-3; Romans 9:13).

Perhaps we can say that the ligation of Israelite and Edomite exons plus the splicing out of Igbo introns, which is like grafting Esau into Israel, was necessary to ensure the continuity of Esau’s descendants and can be seen as proof of Yehve’s enduring mercies as He had also said no man would remain in Edom.

The Igbo people whose homeland is Southeast Nigeria around the lower River Niger left the Edo kingdom in a great migration southwards and eastwards during the 18^th century after a rebellion that resulted in internal strife. Many Edo peoples migrated southwards after this incident to found new kingdoms including the Urhobo, Agbor, Isoko, amongst others. They can all be identified by their fondness of the red color as seen in their attires, and their region including the Igbo homeland is where oil palm trees – from which the reddish palm oil is extracted – are cultivated the most in Nigeria. However, only the Igbo seem to have the distinctive reddish and hairy skin.

John the Baptist as Elijah – a Yoruba perspective

The anthropologist Dierk Lange has shown that the Yoruba people, core Ọyọ in particular, are of Israel, so the implication of this information is that Yoruba customs and beliefs can be used for Bible Study. The connection between John the Baptist and Elijah which has been misinterpreted by some is one out of many topics that can be studied with this fact in mind. Note that the people of the kingdom of Judah (Judaea), and Samaria, who would have provided apt elucidations were long ago slaughtered and some enslaved by the Romans and Byzantine forces during the Jewish-Roman wars and Samaritan revolts.

Before John was beheaded it seems he was not aware that he had been around previously as one of the prophets and he even denied being one of them (John 1:19-21).

He and Elijah were hairy and wore leather belts around their waists (2 Kings 1:8; Matthew 3:4) and turned the hearts of many back to God (1 Kings 17-40; Mark 1:2-5).

Thankfully, Ela (transliterated in Bibles today as El) known to the Yoruba as the Redeemer always knew him as He is the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9) and confirmed that John is indeed Elijah. The explanation for this can be found in the Odu Ifa of the Yoruba/Ewe.

When an individual is created, he goes to a particular place to choose his Ipin (destiny, set of goals to be achieved in one’s lifetime), commonly referred to as Ori-inu (inner head), and then presents himself to God. Thereafter he is born on earth but in the process forgets his destiny (though his spirit never forgets). His task on earth is to remember that destiny and work towards it.

Since Ela had told us via the Prophets (Malachi 4:5,6) that He would send Elijah to His people with the task of preparing His way, coupled with Elijah forgetting his identity upon being born as John but still accomplishing that same task, we can see clearly why John said he was not one of the previous prophets as his mind was not conscious of his identity as Elijah. According to Yoruba tradition Ela-Orunmila (Saviour) is said to be present as the witness when we choose our destiny and is called Eleri Ipin (Witness to Destiny), thus indicating that the Saviour said truly and plainly that John the Baptist is indeed Elijah (Matthew 11:4; 17:11-12). Moreover, it is hard to see the logic in the argument of some based on Luke 1:16-17 that John came in the spirit and power of and not as Elijah as this implies that more than one person can have the same spirit.

Matthew 17:11 Yeshua answered and he said to them, “Elijah does come first so that everything may end.” 12 But I say to you, behold, Elijah has come, and they did not know him, and they have done unto him everything whatsoever they wished; likewise also The Son of Man is going to suffer from them.

A common saying among the Yoruba is “we know the secret of the world” (Deuteronomy 29:29).

For more on Yoruba Philosophy see: The Yoruba Metaphysical concept of Ori

Why the Oba (Abba) does not number his children

The Yoruba people call their kings OBA, which is equivalent to Abba as mentioned in Mark 14:36. In Nigeria where there is one of the largest concentrations of Yoruba people, kings are generally referred to in the English language as royal fathers. This is an apt translation of Oba as the royal father is regarded as a father on a grander scale than the father of a family. Since a nation can be regarded as a family or a unit and the family head or husband who is a male accordingly regarded as the father, the Oba or royal father is the father of all the people (his subjects). It is not then surprising that the Yoruba people observe a taboo that regards an attempt to number the children of the family head and Oba especially as an abomination as his children are a blessing from OLODUMARE that are supposed to be too numerous to count. Hence the Yoruba saying,

A kii ka ọmọ fun ọlọmọ.
We do not count the children for the owner of the children.

Likewise, since Yeshua/Yahushua, the Son of GOD, calls OLODUMARE “Our Father”, “Father” and “Abba”, and since Abba is the same as Oba, Abba must mean “Our Father”, “Father of Man” and “Father of All”. The earthly Oba is seen as YAHWEH’s representative.

The background of this taboo seems to have been forgotten among the Yoruba people just as those for many taboos have been noted in Africa with no tangible background. Nevertheless, to get more evidence of this particular Yoruba census taboo’s roots we would have to look at the Israel and the Bible as some Yoruba peoples are thought to be descendants of Israel. Thankfully, I received the revelation on the Aiku (Yoruba for the evening of Saturday and day of Sunday; translated as day of longevity) or October 29 and 30 of Owara (Yoruba for October).

The taboo was as a result of the punishment Israel received for the national census that Dawodu (David in Yoruba language) carried out as recorded in 2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21 from which 70,000 men died. From this account it almost seems that Joab was more righteous and fearful of OLODUMARE than Dawodu in this matter. However, Joab’s stance seemed to have been borne out of gut instinct or listening to his Ori Inu (Inner Head or Guardian Angel or Ego or the principal architect of our fortune both in heaven and on earth) as he was not able to provide reasons to convince David that the planned national census was abominable as he rightly expressed – my speculation. The punishment meted out to Dawodu was the beginning of the observance of the taboo.

But what is wrong in carrying out a census? Other censuses of Israel had been carried out before the one just mentioned. For example, censuses were mentioned in Numbers 1: 1-3 and 1 Samuel 15:4. Perhaps the taboo-resulting one opposed by Joab was at a time when the nation of Israel was mature, well-defined and settled. In Genesis 46: 26-27 we see the number of persons of Israel that migrated to Egypt where and when Yosef (also known as Joseph) was Vice-Gerent. This migration can be thought of as the infant stage of the nation of Israel, much like a sower knowing the number of seeds sown in a particular location but not knowing the number of seeds and/or fruits that are reaped upon maturity and harvest.

Sowing that is countable or in singles followed by reaping in multitudes is derived from OLODUMARE’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:3; 13:16; 15:5; 17:5-6; and 24:60), Isaac (Genesis 26:4) and Jacob (Genesis 28:3,14 and 34:9-11) of descendants that are too numerous for man to count.

Understanding the heart of OLODUMARE on this census taboo would necessitate the question,

Why does OLODUMARE want HIS people to be as numerous as the stars in the sky?

The answer is quite simple and is seen in the command HE gave to man when HE created them (Genesis 1:28) and to Noah and his sons (Genesis 9:1, 7), that is, to be fruitful, multiply, and bring forth abundantly on earth. HE is using HIS people to accomplish HIS will on earth.

Deriving the meaning of Abba from Oba

The Yoruba people call their kings OBA, which is equivalent to Abba as mentioned Mark 14:36. In Nigeria where there is one of the largest concentrations of Yoruba people, kings are generally referred to in the English language as royal fathers. This is an apt translation of Oba as the royal father is regarded as a father on a grander scale than the father of a family. Since a nation can be regarded as a family or a unit and the family head who is a male accordingly regarded as the father, the Oba or royal father is the father of all the people (his subjects).

Likewise, since Yeshua/Yahushua, the Son of GOD, calls YAHWEH “Our Father”, “Father” and “Abba”, and since Abba is the same as Oba, Abba just might mean “Our Father”, “Father of Man” and “Father of All”. The Oba is seen as YAHWEH’s representative.

In the beginning (a Yoruba version)

I saw this version of creation here as written by “Omilefun” which seems not to be well known among the Yoruba. This does not mean that I share the same belief. However, the intention is to show the acceptance in certain Yoruba quarters of the existence of the Pit and someone called Olosi (perhaps Satan’s former title) who rebelled against God.

Aláàfia se a ni
Àború, Àboyè, Àbosíse:

Ogbó, ató, Olófin á gbà é

ÈGBÈ ÓDÙN OLÓFIN = Family of OLÓFIN’S Secret.
Sharing the Spiritual Teachings of Baba ODÙDÚWÀ

First, Please excuse any mistakes in the English version of this text that I translated, it’s a second language to me.

Babalosha OMI le EFUN

Here is a link to a large English Image of the Tree of Creation of the Yoruba Genesis

http://img223.imagevenue.com/img.php?image=89784_Yoruba_Genesis_New_122_785 lo.jpg
Explanations of the Tree of Creation of the Yoruba Genesis from OLÓDÙMARÈ

This Sacred Esoteric Yoruba Teaching was given by Baba ODÙDÚWÀ through his Elegun (Medium) on January 2010.

An Egun (spirit guide) that is associated with BABA ODÙDÚWÀ also gave some teaching on this.

This is a work in progress, in relation to the description of the image, Baba Odùdúwà an his emissaries haven’t finish the whole description. Since there are a lot of people asking about it, I will give some of the description based on what Baba Odùdúwà and Egun Tata G:. has given us so far.

The Yoruba term that they gave us for this is:
ÒNÀ ÌYÁ ILÉ

That means the Path of the Mother Home, signifying the path that the creation took out of the Universal Neutral Energy – which we know with the code name OLÓDÙMARÈ.

Egun Tata G. gave this explanation

CREATION of the FIRST WORLD

OLÓDÙMARÈ – is the Universal Neutral Energy, from this Three Great Beings emanated, those were OLÓFIN, OLÓFIN ÒRUN and OLÓKUN. In the beginning only existed a kind of subtle “Ether”, like a “Gas”, a Neutral type of Energy that was owner of the Divine Universal Principles, from that Energy, the first Power that emanated out of this Neutral Energy was OLÓFIN. OLÓFIN is the First Conscious -Thoughtful Energy, in this process of emanation and manifestation of OLÓFIN, from the unconscious aspect of the Universal Divine Energy that we know as OLÓDÙMARÈ to the Conscious aspect that we know as OLÓFIN, with him he drag energy that also became a conscious divine being. When OLÓFIN emanated and detached (so to speak) another Great Divine Beings was generated out of this energy, he is the Great OLOKUN. This is the reason that Olókun is also so important, an the reason why Olókun is not an IRÚNMÒLE ORUN, ÒRÌSÀ or Egun (spirit). Olókun is like another GOD, closely to the level of OLÓFIN.

OLÓFIN due to so much thinking, pondering and meditation, and because he was felling so lonely in the immensity of the emptiness of the “Void”, OLÓFIN decided to create or emanated another creation, that is called OLÓFIN ÒRUN, that is the UNIVERSE. With OLÓFIN ÒRUN, were created the Galaxies, the Stars, the planets, and within them a Planet Earth.

Note: Also many other Earths in the universe were created, following the know principle of “As abode so bellow, as here so there”) , the same process of creation replicate (or duplicates) the pattern of this creation with some peculiarities, there big stars, small ones, red stars, blue stars, small planets, big planets, some planets with a certain type of gas combinations an another one with a different one, so creation in each place due to many factor is very peculiar to that place in the universe.

Baba ODÙDÚWÀ says that the deeper meaning of OLÓFIN is the Owner of the Secrets. He says that is also related to the word Aláàfin means the inheritor of the Secrets.

From OLÓFIN ÒRUN came OLORUN, that is the one who oversees and watch the Universe, he looks at the Stars.

Also from OLÓFIN ÒRUN, came OLÓFIN ÈLÀ, from ÈLÀ this came the inspiration and the Wisdom of IFA, that manifest through the being of Òrúnmìlà. From Òrúnmìlà, we have his divine given wife called ODÚ, that came the Igbá Odú.

Note: In the IFA tradition and lineage of Baba Odùdúwà, that he received directly from Baba Òrúnmìlà they give the Igbá Òrúnmìlà, Igbá Odú, and Igbá OLÓFIN.

Also from OLÓFIN ÈLÀ came other manifestations, one very famous one is Jesus (Yeshua) known in Baba Odùdúwà´s Esoteric Yoruba tradition as OLÓFIN ÁLÁ, the smallest son of OLÓFIN. Baba Odùdúwà reveals that he in his lost years, he traveled to the middle east, India, Tibet, Egypt, and he also went to the Yoruba land, he was marked as an son of Mérìndínlógún (16 Cowries), revealing that he is a son of OLÓFIN. Jesus or Yeshua was consecrated to IFA in Yoruba land, and he also received other initiations.

From OLÓFIN ÒRUN also came ORÍ, the ruler of Consciousness. Also from OLÓFIN ÒRUN came OSUN, the divine messenger of all that the humans do on Earth, and he gives direct reports of all we do (good or bad) to OLÓFIN.

OLÓFIN decides to create and give life to a special Being, this being is called now as OLÓSÍ (owner of the Left side, or the other side, the side of darkness, evil path), and he was created within this Solar System. OLÓSÍ was created immortal, powerful, beautiful, Omnipotent and perfect. OLÓSÍ was send to Earth, at that time the Earth was in Darkness, that was the Time of Great Darkness, there was a great ocean all over the planet, the planet was covered by dark clouds, and there were submarine volcanoes active, some were emerging to the surface of the waters, with lava flowing and becoming solid, forming new earth surface. The volcanic ash clouds spreading all over, the planet atmosphere was dark. OLÓSÍ started to deviate, to do crazy things, to pervert, he stars to create Chaos, to created deformed creations, kind of demonic like beings, he start to create havoc through Electrical Storms, Thunder and lighting.

OLÓFIN was fed up and lost his patience, and he tries to destroy OLÓSÍ through hitting him with electrical thunders over him, but he forgot he created OLÓSÍ as an immortal creature, so he couldn’t destroy him. OLÓFIN decides to control OLÓSÍ and he puts him in the underworld in the center of the planet. OLÓFIN made a pact with OLÓSÍ to keep away from Earth affairs and its creatures. Only every 12,000 years he can come out, that close to a half of the Zodiacal Great Year or Platonic Year of 25,920 earth years. OLÓFIN put some magical seals to keep OLÓSÍ away and controlled.

OLÓFIN learns from his mistake, and decides to make another creation, he decides its time to give Life to Earth, and make living creatures, but mortal ones. OLÓFIN creates the first mortal human being, that was OBÀTÁLÁ.

Note: Until this part the story will continue later with the Teaching of Baba Odùdúwà on this subject.

OLÓFIN creates the IRÚNMÒLE ÒRUN in the Universe, these IRÚNMÒLE ÒRUN are Universal Conscious Energies. Baba Odùdúwà says that what the Hebrew Torah and the Bible refer to as Angels and Archangels are the IRÚNMÒLE ÒRUN, these are divine creations. IKÚ – is one of this IRÚNMÒLE ÒRUN, or he is called the Angel of Death (Mal’akh haMavet in hebrew) in the westerns esoteric tradition. He doesn’t have any Mercy, he comes to destroy life, to take away life from this Earth, and from any other place in the universe. Some of the IRÚNMÒLE ÒRUN creates, other destroys, and other sustains the creation. The IRÚNMÒLE ÒRUN is something that only Baba Odùdúwà and his emissaries have talk as far as I know.

The IRÚNMÒLE ÒRUN is no the same as IRÚNMÒLE, the IRÚNMÒLE ÒRUN are higher Universal Powers or Energies in the Universe.

OLÓKUN

Baba Odùdúwà says that Olókun controls the deepness of the space of the universe, the darkness of space, that why these are part of his colors, black.

From Olokún, two aspects manifested,

A) ÌRÀWÒ OLÓKUN (o ÌRÀWÒLÓKUN)

B) OLÓKUN AYÉ

ÌRÀWÒ OLÓKUN (o ÌRÀWÒLÓKUN), has two manifestations, Baba Odùdúwà says that there are ÌRÀWÒ (Star and planets) govern by the energy of a certain ORISHA, or IRÚNMÒLE. Olókun rules the Planet Neptune, who is called ÌRÀWÒ OLÓKUN (o ÌRÀWÒLÓKUN).

OLÓKUN AYÉ is the Olókun the manifest in this World; it has Seven Manifestations, that’s why in the Ifá tradition of Baba Odùdúwà’s Lineage they have Seven Igbá Awo Olókun, one for each of these seven aspects of Olókun. We have to ask Baba more on this subject. OLÓKUN AYÉ controls the Oceans in this planet. Connected with Olókun Ayé and with ÌRÀWÒLÓKUN is OLÓSÀ, who is the Apètèbí (servant) of Olókun Ayé. Baba Odùdúwà says that OLÓKUN is a very Severe Divine Being, that’s why his Rituals have to be done with a lot of deep respect, that’s why in his rituals, if Olókun gets offended or angry he can take away a life of someone.

From OLÓFIN came OLÓFIN AYÉ, which manifested in this World as BABA ODÙDÚWÀ, who was the PATRIARCH and BABA (Father) of the Yoruba. ODÙDÚWÀ was a son of Mérìndínlógún (16 Cowries) in the Oracle Ceremony, revealing that he was a direct son of OLÓFIN. ODÙDÚWÀ and the 16 Wise Kings who came from the east founded the Yoruba culture; they established 16 kingdoms, one for each of the kings, who Baba ODÙDÚWÀ says that were 16 OBÀTÁLÁ. Baba ODÙDÚWÀ says that the true period of time that that happened was 20,000 years ago, when also ancient Egyptian civilization was beginning. BABA ODÙDÚWÀ title as OLÓFIN AYÉ, means the Owner of the Secrets of this World. 

IRÚNMÒLE and ÒRÌSÀ

IRÚNMÒLE is the Energy (or Archetypical Essence) that gives rise to the ÒRÌSÀ in this Solar System, and in other Star systems in the Universe. The IRÚNMÒLE makes that the rise of the ÒRÌSÀ repeats itself in all parts of the Universe, manifesting the same type of ÒRÌSÀ in different parts of the universe. Example, The IRÚNMÒLE OBÀTÁLÁ gives rise to the ÒRÌSÀ OBÀTÁLÁ in this Solar System, the same can happen in the nearest Star or Solar system close to this one we live line and in all Star Systems. That’s why the ÒRÌSÀ phenomena can happen all over the Universe, with certain peculiarities for all the different places in the Universe. The same happens with the other 401 IRÚNMÒLE that becomes the 401 ÒRÌSÀ.

There are two divisions in the 401 IRÚNMÒLE:

1) IGBÁ IRÚNMÒLE OYÙKÒTÚN

200 IRÚNMÒLE of the Right, the 200 SEVERE and WRATHFUL IRÚNMÒLE

They manifest the 200 Severe and Warrior type of ÒRÌSÀ in all Solar Systems in the Universe, the ÒRÌSÀ FUNFUN (White ÒRÌSÀ).

Examples: Èsú, Ògún, Òsóòsì

2) IGBÁ IRÚNMÒLE OJÙKÒSÌN

200 IRÚNMÒLE of the Left, the 200 PEACEUL and WISE IRÚNMÒLE

They manifest the 200 Peaceful and Wise type ÒRÌSÀ in all Solar Systems in the Universe, the ÒRÌSÀ PUPA (Red ÒRÌSÀ)

Examples: Obàtálá, Òsányìn

Also Baba Odùdúwà said there are 200 other IRÚNMÒLE that are kind of Neutral Power, for a total of 601 IRÚNMÒLE. That is something he hasn’t talk to much about it.

There is what is called in Baba Odùdúwà’s teaching as OKÀN IRÚNMÒLE, that gives rise to the OKÀN ÒRÌSÀ, in his teaching this is the position of IRÚNMÒLE OSUN, that gives rise to the ÒRÌSÀ OSUN in the Universe.

The Original OSUN on Earth was OSUN KOLE, the one who saved the Humanity, she was an Ìyáàmi Àjé, a Great and Powerful Witch, who had the true magical power to transform into any animal or bird she wanted to. This is something that Baba Odùdúwà said that only OSUN had that type of knowledge and power. She used to transform into a Vulture. Baba Odùdúwà says she was the last one to become an ÒRÌSÀ, she became the 401 ÒRÌSÀ.

He says that Olófin decree to have only 400 ÒRÌSÀ, Baba Odùdúwà explained how the human became an ÒRÌSÀ, but that’s part of another related teaching that will cover later. He says that the first human to become an ÒRÌSÀ 20,000 years ago was Ògún,

ESHU (ÈSÚ) is the Divine Severe Enforcer of the Universal Law, in the Teaching of Baba Odùdúwà, he gave the real meaning of ÈSÚ as the “The Consciousness of the Spirit of Nature”, he says that ÈSÚ has infinite manifestations or Paths (ÒNÀ ÈSÚ) in the Universe, he also said that there is a different ÈSÚ in every Star (Sun) of the Universe, he is the Divine Enforcer in that area. He said there is ÈSÚ INÁ, ÈSÚ ÌRÀWÒ, ÈSÚ OKUN, ÈSÚ ODÒ, ÈSÚ, etc…

The Living and the Death ones:

The ÈNÌÀ is the Living Human Being. When they die, there are the IKÚ (the Death Ones). In Baba Odùdúwà teaching he said the term EGÚNGÚN refers to the spirit of dead blood Ancestors, and the term of ÉGÚN is used to refer to a Spirit Guide, a spirit that has wisdom and can serve as a spiritual guide to a living human being.

The Living Human Being and the Dead (ÉGÚN, ÉGÚNGÚN) can become an ÒRÌSÀ. Only 401 Souls can become an ÒRÌSÀ in a long period of time, the last group of 401 ÒRÌSÀ was set around 20,000 years ago, as explained by Baba Odùdúwà. He said that in this new period of time another group of 401 Human Souls (Living or Dead) who had the real SODO ÒRÌSÀ Ceremony (the ÒRÌSÀ Crowning) and the Secret ÒRÌSÀ Symbol (or magical seal) scratch over the head area, that makes the person an ÒRÌSÀ, an Open Consciousness to the Divine. He said that in the ÒRÌSÀ Tradition there are 401 Magical Sigils o Symbols, plus 200 more, a total of 601. Baba Odùdúwà said that all the 401 ÒRÌSÀ will be known now in his Lineage, he will reestablish there secrets again for this new times. He said he will teach the long Praise to the 401 ÒRÌSÀ.

He has given the secret ÒRÌSÀ Sigil or symbol for the SODO ÒRÌSÀ Ceremonies that we have done in ÈGBÈ ÓDÙN OLÓFIN. We have done 18 SODO ÒRÌSÀ fallowing Baba Odùdúwà’s instruction on how to perform the Ceremony and with the Scratched Symbol of the ÒRÌSÀ on the head of the new Iyawo.

There are many teachings that Baba Odùdúwà has given, the true stories he knows of each of the 401 ÒRÌSÀ, the secrets of each of them and there ceremonies, the secrets of the herbs for healing all kinds of sickness, the secrets of the Oracle of 16 Cowries and there ODU, the sacred stories and teachings for each of the 256 Odú of the ÒRÌSÀ Tradition (Òòsà Tradition, the Legacy of Baba Odùdúwà)

Babalosha Omi Le Efun, member of ÈGBÈ ÓDÙN OLÓFIN 

Prostration among the Yoruba and the Israelites

Idọbalẹ agba ni iṣ’ọmọ lẹgbẹ keredudu-keredudu.

Respect for age is the fountain of blessings for youth.

Ifa proverb

Deeply ingrained within the tradition of the Yoruba people of West Africa is the unique way of greeting elders and the Oba (King) by the males, commonly known as prostration (doba’le).

This is a posture that involves falling flat on one’s face as a sign of respect and worship. It has been a peculiar part of the culture that any male that does not practice it when considered necessary is seen as very disrespectful and having shameful character and morals. The origin and reason may have been forgotten with time or perhaps one has to look at the root of the word doba’le and/or search deep within the Ifa literary corpus to shed more light on it. However, the practice is being watered down as a result of the introduction of the handshake that was introduced by European colonialists. Personally, I consider handshakes to be a candidate for consideration as a public health nuisance. Prostration is still observed by some Yoruba Christians during prayer and worship which he considers as normal instead of during special occasions, and in deference to an Oba. For females the greeting, also known as ikun’le, is done by bowing on one or both knees.

Interestingly, the Bible mentions many incidents in which greeting, deference and worship involved a similar or exact style of prostration. There are probably over a hundred verses from Genesis to Revelations where it is mentioned either as prostrate or fall on the face or bow to the earth or even worship.

However, it seems the people who call themselves Jews today and occupy the land of Israel only prostrate during prayer and worship while some do it on certain days. I am yet to come across any mention of the practice being associated with other activities like greeting elders including their priests, and non-religious events like weddings. Could the reason be that they are not the descendants of Jacob and thus it was alien to them when they adopted Judaism?

Furthermore, it appears that prostration is alien to the Igbo culture of which some of her people have claimed to have descended from the Jews – the tribe of Gad. Some have looked down on the Yoruba for posturing thus in showing respect for elders. If these look with scorn at those who prostrate then how would they react to seeing that Abraham, Jacob, Moses, the prophets and so on did same?

I have more questions like

• Are there any other groups of people within the Niger-Congo and Afro-Asiatic language families that practice prostration as part of daily life like the Yoruba?
• Did the Lemba, Ethiopians, Nubians and original Egyptians prostrate likewise?

Did the Yoruba people forget and substitute the name of GOD?

Ezekiel 20:43: There you shall remember your ways, and all your doings, in which you have polluted yourselves; and you shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that you have committed.

I had been contemplating for some days about the Yoruba traditional religion, particularly about the “personality” called ELA, the number 16, the Irunmole, and the Yoruba calendar otherwise known as Kojoda. I had wondered why and how it seemed that a of the people had forgotten or failed to consider the reason for the observance of their traditional practices. Rather, they seem okay with an attitude of “we inherited them from our ancestors”.

I had also studied the migration of the Yoruba and Ijebu peoples from the east, Canaan/Levant to be exact. Many want to deny this fact or think themselves too intellectually lazy to investigate. Yet there are many proofs relating to pointers like etymology and cultural anthropology that confirm the migration. The German anthropologist Dierk Lange, an emeritus professor of African History, has shown that the Yoruba people are the people of Israel who were deported from Assyria and migrated to West Africa.

Then, either on the 29th of August or 1st of September 2011, I had an argument with my dad concerning our understanding of the Word. This was after telling him the Yoruba/Ifa story concerning the establishment of the 7-day week.

Suddenly, it happened. The thought was distinctly “dropped” into my mind/heart and I was troubled. Rather, I was terrified. This is what was directed to me:

YESHUA                         ESHU

The name on the left is the Hebrew for the Son of God – erroneously taught worldwide as Jesus. That on the right is of the supposedly Yoruba trickster “divinity” who rebelled against God (some accounts say the rebel was actually Olosi and not Eshu) and was thus expelled from heaven, according to the Ifa literary corpus. If the first and last letters of the name YESHUA  are removed we have ESHU which when spelled using present-day Yoruba alphabets is EṢU. Could this be just a coincidence? Coincidence can be ruled out given the Yoruba migration from Canaan. I was all the more upset as I am not given to judgment and condemnation without reason. I remembered the Ifa account of how Ela supposedly became the most senior of all the Irunmole after an act of love, humility, proactiveness and responsibility. I also called to mind how this same Ela or another who was the son of Moremi (said to be linguistically similar to Miriam/Mary) ascended to heaven of his own accord and saves man.

So I prayed to God about what I thought to be a dilemma for me as I knew HE did not see it as such — I wanted to be sure about the source of the thought. The following day I wanted to read part of the Book of Ezekiel (his hair had locks; Yoruba people and “blacks” possess this unique hair type). If I remember correctly I first opened my Bible to a passage from the Book of Jeremiah and these two verses immediately caught my attention:

“Jeremiah 23:26: How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies, even the prophets of the deceit of their own heart?

Jeremiah 23:27: who think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers forgot my name for Baal.”

That was the answer to my prayer — Israel was forgetting the name of God for that of Baal. I still was not totally sure but I then remembered that a particular Yoruba cult, that of Shango (Ṣango) who is said to have been a king (Alaafin) of the former Oyo Empire and who is also worshiped by members of that cult depict him as holding a bifid axe in the same posture as Baal. It seems many of such devotees spend more time extolling extolling the likes of Ṣango that they’ve forgotten the name of God the Father. This is not surprising as it is like a repetition of history.

The Ewe who are one with the Yoruba and acknowledge Ile-Ifẹ as their home, refer to God Most High as Mawu. Curiously, the Yoruba word for cattle is Malu, and Jeroboam caused his people to worship a calf as their creator (1 Kings 12:26-30; 17:16; 2 Chronicles 11:15); likewise Aaron Exodus 32). If the etymologies of Mawu and Malu prove that the words are cognates perhaps Israel abandoned the calf-worship but forgot the divine name.

Could it be that sometime after the emigration of Israel from Assyria that there was a deliberate and perhaps political attempt by some Yoruba cultural custodians via substituting and flipping names in order to prevent their people from remembering their home in the Levant? Such happened before during the reign of Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:26-33; 13:33) and could account for the non-recollection of the name of God among the Yoruba, especially custodians like Ifa priests.

I shuddered to think of the implications. If indeed there was a name substitution — YESHUA / ESHU — and they are truly cognates then the Holy Bible as written in Yoruba language would need to be edited appropriately if the devil is named as Eshu therein. Perhaps the name substitution could account also for the “organized chaos” and stunted growth that seem to be prevalent within Yoruba land and amongst Yoruba peoples today. Prayers, preaching, discussions and the likes within the society including religious institutions would need to be modified accordingly. There is hope for the lost sheep of Israel in confessing the name of God Most High as some of the lost seep like the Nigerian philologist Modupe Oduyoye have studied the Ewe/Yoruba dialects and noted the word Yehve/Yevheh/Yihve.

Nevertheless the questions that need to be answered to put this name substitution hypothesis to rest is:

• What is the meaning of the name (if it is a name and not an epithet) EṢU?
• What are the etymologies of Mawu and Malu?

Traditional practices in Nigeria That Result In Environmental Degradation

The Igbo people of southeastern Nigeria have a lot of pride in observing their traditions which have been passed on for generations. However, some of these traditions have been carried out in ways that seem to destroy local flora and fauna. For instance, bird (eagle) feathers and elephant tusks are used a lot as part of regalia. They have also been trading in elephant tusks for centuries. But have the Igbo considered how their use without giving back to the environment has led to the dwindling fauna populations. Also, their craze for or preponderance of traditional titles puts further pressure on the biotic environment. I wonder if there are any elephants at all over there.

That is not to say that other ethnic groups in Nigeria are not culpable. Perhaps similar practices led to the extinction of elephants on these areas, hence the absence of feathers and tusks from their own regalia.

I do know that the Yoruba people use leaves during various rites like the conferment of chieftaincy titles and rarely employ some animal parts for some exotic medical purposes. I have also heard that the heavy use of the leaves of Thaumatoccus daniellii, which is a natural source of the intensely sweet protein known as thaumatin, for preparing moin-moin and eko, preservation of locust beans, and so on is causing the disappearance of the plant.

On 6 May 2011 Reuters and BBC reported that over one tonne of ivory or 115 elephant tusks were found in metal containers at Nairobi’s international airport in Kenya. The destination was Nigeria ― rather obnoxious, don’t you think ― but the address is was yet to be disclosed. My opinion is that most of it was to be shipped out of Nigeria while taking advantage of her porous borders and some corrupt government officials. But, is it possible that some or a large chunk was destined for southeastern Nigeria? Below is a reproduction of the news from BBC.

I am not trying to talk down a people. I just want us to question and reason together about our traditions. That one person or some persons started them some years ago does not mea that we have to accept them hook, line and sinker. Perhaps the imbalance we see in our environment today is a result of us observing a part of some of these traditions while the other part(s) which might have been meant to compensate have been forgotten. How about we investigate the source and veracity.

Are you aware of any other of such questionable traditions? Please share.

Dozens of elephant tusks seized at Nairobi airport

Environmentalists believe poaching is on the increase in Kenya

More than one tonne of ivory has been seized at Nairobi’s international airport, Kenyan police have said.

About 115 elephant tusks were found by sniffer dogs inside metal containers bound for an address in Nigeria.

It was the largest seizure in recent months, police said. Last year, two tonnes of ivory and five rhino horns were found at Nairobi’s airport.

Officials believe Kenya has become a transit point for international ivory smuggling, largely to Asia.

“We are suspecting they could be from here or neighbouring countries and we are on their toes. We must get them,” Eunice Kiheko, deputy police chief at the airport, told the Associated Press.

“They have killed many, many elephants and we cannot allow this.”

The shipment labels said the containers originated from two foreign embassies in Kenya which do not exist, officials said.

No arrests have yet been made.