Pluto's 'Gate to Hell' uncovered in Turkey

Francesco D'Andria

A digital illustration shows the ancient Plutonium, celebrated as the portal to the underworld in Greco-Roman mythology.

By Rossella LorenziDiscovery News

A “gate to hell” has emerged from ruins in southwestern Turkey, Italian archaeologists have announced.

Known as Pluto's Gate -- Ploutonion in Greek, Plutonium in Latin -- the cave was celebrated as the portal to the underworld in Greco-Roman mythology and tradition.

Historic sources located the site in the ancient Phrygian city of Hierapolis, now called Pamukkale, and described the opening as filled with lethal mephitic vapors.

PHOTOS: The Hunt for Lost Cities

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“This space is full of a vapor so misty and dense that one can scarcely see the ground. Any animal that passes inside meets instant death,” the Greek geographer Strabo (64/63 BC -- about 24 A.D.) wrote.

“I threw in sparrows and they immediately breathed their last and fell,” he added.

Announced this month at a conference on Italian archaeology in Istanbul, Turkey, the finding was made by a team led by Francesco D'Andria, professor of classic archaeology at the University of Salento.

D'Andria has conducted extensive archaeological research at the World Heritage Site of Hierapolis. Two years ago he claimed to discover there the tomb of Saint Philip, one of the 12 apostles of Jesus Christ.

Founded around 190 B.C. by Eumenes II, King of Pergamum (197 B.C.-159 B.C.), Hierapolis was given over to Rome in 133 B.C.

ANALYSIS: Tomb of Jesus' Apostle Found In Turkey?

The Hellenistic city grew into a flourishing Roman city, with temples, a theater and popular sacred hot springs, believed to have healing properties.

“We found the Plutonium by reconstructing the route of a thermal spring. Indeed, Pamukkale' springs, which produce the famous white travertine terraces, originate from this cave,” D'Andria told Discovery News.

Featuring a vast array of abandoned broken ruins, possibly the result of earthquakes, the site revealed more ruins once it was excavated. The archaeologists found Ionic semi columns and, on top of them, an inscription with a dedication to the deities of the underworld -- Pluto and Kore.

D'Andria also found the remains of a temple, a pool and a series of steps placed above the cave -- all matching the descriptions of the site in ancient sources.

“People could watch the sacred rites from these steps, but they could not get to the area near the opening. Only the priests could stand in front of the portal,” D'Andria said.

According to the archaeologist, there was a sort of touristic organization at the site. Small birds were given to pilgrims to test the deadly effects of the cave, while hallucinated priests sacrificed bulls to Pluto.

The ceremony included leading the animals into the cave, and dragging them out dead.

Top 10 Animal Mysteries and Myths Explained

“We could see the cave's lethal properties during the excavation. Several birds died as they tried to get close to the warm opening, instantly killed by the carbon dioxide fumes,” D'Andria said.

Only the eunuchs of Cybele, an ancient fertility goddess, were able to enter the hell gate without any apparent damage.

“They hold their breath as much as they can,” Strabo wrote, adding that their immunity could have been due to their "menomation," “divine providence” or “certain physical powers that are antidotes against the vapor.”

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According to D'Andria, the site was a famous destination for rites of incubation. Pilgrims took the waters in the pool near the temple, slept not too far from the cave and received visions and prophecies, in a sort of oracle of Delphi effect. Indeed, the fumes coming from the depths of Hierapoli's phreatic groundwater produced hallucinations.

“This is an exceptional discovery as it confirms and clarifies the information we have from the ancient literary and historic sources,” Alister Filippini, a researcher in Roman history at the Universities of Palermo, Italy, and Cologne, Germany, told Discovery News.

Fully functional until the 4th century A.D., and occasionally visited during the following two centuries, the site represented “an important pilgrimage destination for the last pagan intellectuals of the Late Antiquity,” Filippini said.

During the 6th century A.D., the Plutonium was obliterated by the Christians. Earthquakes may have then completed the destruction.

D'Andria and his team are now working on the digital reconstruction of the site.

This is a great example of how people in the ancient world made reference to what they thought was aspects of the supernatural, but were completely natural, albeit, deadly occurrences. 

I think I know why Catholic priests molest kids.

If memory serves, even the most wacky and out-of-touch of the Pope’s statements are considered to be infallible (when issued as a solemn promulgation of dogma). Furthermore, the Holy Father regularly attracts thousands of faithful adherents, who strain to hear his every (infallible) verbal ejaculation.

I suspect that some priests misunderstand the term ejaculation is in the religious sense. Or perhaps they understand what the actual meaning is. 

A few questions for Christians

I assume you think the 10 Commandments were a good thing for humanity. Why wouldn't god have provided them to Adam and Eve so that their kids would know the laws of god from the start? Since mankind became so evil that god had to wipe them all out except for the 8 people he allowed to escape on the ark, isn't it possible that if mankind had had the 10 Commandments from the beginning that man would not have been so evil? If it would not have made any difference, perhaps the 10 Commandments are not as special as Christians try to claim.

Why do the other seven people get a pass from god on being killed by the flood? Noah was supposedly blameless and god was pleased with him.Which is odd for all people were supposed born with original sin and have been sinning since they were born.  However, the other seven would have been as evil as everyone else that god decided had to be killed. Seems rather arbitrary on the part of god.

Why the flood? He can turn people into salt. Isn't that a faster and easier way to deal with the problem of humanity? Why make all the blameless animals pay a price for the sins of humanity?

Why would god put the tree of good and evil in the garden since he did not want Adam or Eve to eat from it? Especially since he is all knowing and knows they will eat from it? If his plan is that they do eat it, why is he mad? 

If Jesus is the solution to the problem that Adam and Eve created, why not have the first child of Adam and Eve be Jesus? He can die immediately and help billions avoid hell. Isn't that his goal?

Following Biden's advice gets shotgun-blasting homeowner in trouble

The vice president is a big fan of the shotgun, insisting it's a more effective deterrent than anassault weapon in the wrong hands. He even told a reporter this week that to keep intruders away from your home, "just fire a shotgun through the door." Which Trevor Snowden did that very day, claiming two men were climbing through his bedroom window and pointing guns at him to rob him. Except Shotgun Joe's advice earned Snowden a summons from Virginia Beach police for reckless handling of a firearm. Meaning it backfired. Maybe the veep's new nickname should be "Hipshot." 

http://now.msn.com/joe-bidens-advice-gets-shotgun-shooter-in-trouble-with-police/

Rumor: Next pope will be last according to doomsday 'prophecy'

12th century saint's writings are being interpreted as predicting the demise of the Roman Catholic Church and end of the world.

UNCONFIRMED: The next pope elected will be the last
Pope Benedict XVI's announcement of his resignation has been greeted with shock from many Catholics. And as the church's cardinals prepare to elect a new pontiff, NBC and the Daily Mail report that an old doomsday prophecy is making the rounds among some theologians — one that predicts the downfall of the Vatican and possibly the world.
'Prophecy of the Popes'
Saint Malachy is an Irish saint who lived between 1094 and 1148 and served as the archbishop of Armagh. He is perhaps best known for supposedly penning an apocalyptic series of 112 phrases, which he claimed came to him in a vision and predicted the series of popes who would reign over the church and eventually preside over its downfall. The so-called "Prophecy of the Popes" has been pointed to by numerous doomsayers over the years in predicting catastrophe for the church.
Roughly translated from its original Latin, the Prophecy reads: "In the extreme persecution of the Holy Roman Church, there will sit Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills [i.e. Rome] will be destroyed, and the terrible judge will judge his people. The End."
Peter the Roman
If "Peter the Roman" is to oversee the end of times, who is Peter the Roman? According to some, he could be one of the leading candidates to become pope. Ghanaian Cardinal Peter Turkson is a member of the Catholic administrative body, the Roman Curia, and could therefore be loosely described as Peter the Roman.
'Prophecy' may be forgery
Among the many problems with the Malachy's supposed prophecy is that he may have never written it at all. According numerous sources including the New Advent's Catholic Encyclopedia, there was no mention of Malachy's writings for more than 400 years from the time it was said to have been written and 1590 when Benedictine monk Arnold de Wyon published the "Prophecy of Popes." The silence about the writings from even Malachy's closest friends has led many scholars to conclude that the writings are forgeries, likely written by Wyon himself, and the Catholic Church has never embraced the writings as official doctrine.
Video: Watch an interview with the authors of a book on the 'Prophecy of Popes'

http://news.msn.com/rumors/rumor-next-pope-will-be-last-according-to-doomsday-prophecy

A "perfect" plan

I have a plan. The plan will allow a few people to be eternally happy after the plan is fulfilled. These people are ones I have already decided to accept In the plan,  (The odds are I did not pick you. Too bad for you) I decided to allow my daughter to date a man. She, of course, has no vote on the issue. (Who does she think she is, God?) The man she dates kills her. I actually knew the man would kill her (I am all knowing, FYI). I decided it was best that he kill her because it was my will that he do so. Killing my daughter will allow my master plan to be fulfilled. No one actually understands my master plan or my will, but that is meaningless. I know my will. And even though my daughter had to die, she should be happy that she got to be part of my plan. Ironically she is not happy that she was killed since she cried about being killed. (Ingrate)  And even though I will not tell anyone why it was important that my daughter be killed, I guarantee to everyone it really was important. Really, really important. And if you believe my story, you get to be eternally happy. Actually, I finally decided to allow other people to explain my motives. And you should believe them too. After all  they are talking about ME. So, that means they must be telling the truth. Anyway, I was describing why people get to go to eternal happiness. Well, actually not everyone. Just the people who read my story and believe I was telling the truth. The ones who do not read my story or disbelieve my story will NEVER, EVER, EVER get to be eternally happy In fact, they will be eternally unhappy. (Trust me, it is for the best)


Now you might think I am contradicting myself. Previously, I stated I had pre-selected the people who get eternal happiness. And that is true. The only people who will believe my story are the ones I pre-selected for eternal happiness. I realize this is difficult to accept. You must take my word for it. And if I pre-selected you, naturally, you will take my word for it. 

Now, what everyone knows but no one will discuss in any serious manner is that I could have decided on any other course of action to allow people to be eternally happy. I could have decided to allow everyone to be eternally happy without anyone getting killed. (I have that power) But that is just silly. Why would I do that? Death really makes me happy. I mean really, really happy. I am not sure why. I think it has something to do with the smell of death. I really love the smell of flesh being roasted. (If that sounds odd to you, you can assume you are not one of the people I have pre-selected)

Now what is really ironic is that I also created the man who would kill my daughter. I knew before I created him that he would kill my daughter, however, I was not concerned about that. What I am concerned with is that he cut off part of his penis. It is very, very important to me that he cut off part of his penis. Now, what is confusing to some people (heretics) is that I also had the ability to create all people without the part of the penis that I want cut off. They had the audacity to ask why I did not create people without the offending penis part!!!! Obviously, I wanted people to experience the joy of cutting off body parts to know me better. (I really like people cutting off parts of their body, just in case it is not obvious) Once I asked someone to accumulate large numbers of severed penis parts. I am not sure why I did not ask that he roast them as well. Oh well, perhaps, next time. 

Anyway, all I ask is that people cut off parts of their penis and believe me when I say my daughter deserved to be killed. I really don't know why some people think that is asking too much. I hate people like that. They deserve to roast for all eternity. After all, I do enjoy the smell of roasting flesh. It is like an eternal never ending sacrifice to me.

An apologist discusses where Cain get his wife.

Apologetics 101: Evidence Supports a Biblical Young Earth–Answers some common questions, including

Where did Cain get his wife?

Read more: http://creationrevolution.com/2012/07/bees-a-honey-of-a-problem-for-evolution/#ixzz2KAxgv04g

Why would you assume anyone would agree to marry Cain? He was the first murderer. Supposedly, the only people who exist are the offspring of Adam and Eve. Cain has been marked by god. Can you really imagine that anyone existing at that point in time would agree to marry Cain?

Wait a minute. I know what happened. According to Mosaic Law, “If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, he shall pay the girl’s father fifty shekels of silver. He must marry the girl, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives” (Deuteronomy 22:28–29)

Obviously, Cain raped one of his sisters, in full view of others, and then paid off his parents.

God truly thinks of everything. For the man of course. He obviously does not give a rip about the woman.

As an aside, the verse states "if they are discovered". So, a rape has no ramifications if the rape is not discovered? Isn't god all knowing and omnipresent? Does not that mean that every rape has been discovered? How could anyone hide a rape from an all knowing, omnipresent deity?