World Axis

Tag: Jerusalem

  • The Crucifixion, Adam and the Tree of Eden

    The Crucifixion, Adam and the Tree of Eden

    Numerous Christian authors from the third and fourth century onwards made the connection between the crucifixion, Golgotha and Adam. The church father Origen (185 – 254 CE) wrote, ‘I have received a tradition to the effect that the body of Adam, the first man, was buried upon the spot where Christ was crucified.’ (Commentary on…

  • The Omphalos or Navel of the Earth

    The Omphalos or Navel of the Earth

    Many ancient civilizations believed in a navel or sacred centre, the earthly end of the world axis. For the Sumerians it was Nippur, for the Babylonians it was Babylon, for the Greeks it was Delphi, for the Jews and Christians it’s Jerusalem, for Buddhists it’s Bodh Gaya, and for Muslims it’s Mecca. One of the…