The tree, as stated before, was the symbol for the reincarnation of the sun god.ìEven where the sun was the [favorite] object of worship, as in
Babylon itself and elsewhere, at this festival he was
worshipped not merely as the orb of day, but as God
incarnate. It was an essential principle of the Babylonian
system, that the Sun or Baal was the one and only God.
When, therefore, Tammuz was worshipped as God incarnate,
that implied also that he was an incarnation of the Sun.î 7This practice of decorating a tree to honor the birth of the Savior is not found
anywhere in New Testament scripture. However, this idolatrous custom is spoken
against in the Old Testament.
ìThus saith the LORD, learn
not the way of the
heathen...for the customs of
the people are vain: for one
cutteth a tree out of the
forest...They deck it with gold;
they fasten it with nails and
with hammers, that it move
not.î Jeremiah 10:2,3,4
(emphasis mine)
White House Christmas Tree 2003
Tammuz, the illegitimate son of Semiramis is also mentioned.ìHe [the LORD] said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou
shalt see greater abominations that they do. Then he brought me
to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward
the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.î
Ezekiel 8:13-14 (emphasis mine)
Although in scripture he is called Tammuz, some of the more familiar names in
mythology are Dionysus and Bacchus. Bacchus is the roman god of intoxication,
whose festival was held in the spring. His festival, called the Bacchanalia, was a
wild feast where everyone got drunk and danced. In most cases, the practices of
the revelers resulted in criminal behavior.