Dionysos (Roman name: Bacchus) was the ancient Greek god of wine, merriment, and theatre.
Being the bad boy of Mt. Olympus, he was perhaps the most colorful of the
Olympian Gods. The cult of Dionysos became significant in Athens from the 6th century BCE and the
Dionysia festival of Athens and other cities would later evolve into the
Bacchanalia of Rome. The island
of Naxos was a particularly important sanctuary to the god. There is evidence
of a cult to Dionysos dating from the Mycenaean period (14th century BCE) and
the site continued to be important right into the Roman period. There was also
a sanctuary and theatre of Dionysos at Athens and a temple to the god at Dion (2nd century CE)
which also had Mycenaean origins. See pictures and read the complete article at
-- http://www.ancient.eu/Dionysos/
The witnesses, laying their coats at the feet of Saul, were the men that would cast the first stones at Stephen in Acts 7. Why did they all lay their coats at Saul’s feet? The Talmud contains a very interesting account of the act of stoning that may provide the answer. “When the trial was over, they take him [the condemned person] out to be stoned. The place of stoning was at a distance from the court, as it is said, ‘Take out the one who has cursed.’ [i] A man stands at the entrance of the court; in his hand is a signaling flag [Hebrew sudarin = sudar , ‘scarf, sweater’]. A horseman was stationed far away but within sight of him. If one [of the judges] says, ‘I have something [more] to say in his favor,’ he [the signaler] waves the sudarin , and the horseman runs and stops them [from stoning him]. Even if [the condemned person] himself says, ‘I have something to say in my favor,’ they bring him back, even four of five times, only provided that there is some substance to...
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