It’s about the birth of Armilus, a figure who looms large in Jewish messianic mythology as something akin to the Anti-Christ.
The story starts in Rome. Not just any Rome, but a Rome harboring a secret: a marble statue of a beautiful woman. This isn't just any sculpture; legend says it wasn't made by human hands. Some even whisper it was created during the very six days of Creation! Imagine that – a statue touched by the divine, yet destined for a dark fate.
And that fate involves Satan himself. The tale goes that Satan, consumed by lust for this statue, will one day descend to earth and… well, copulate with it. Yes, you read that right. It’s a shocking image, and intentionally so.
The result? The stone will become pregnant. After nine months of unnatural gestation, the statue will burst open, and from it will emerge a male child – but oh, what a child! This is Armilus. He's described as a monstrous figure, a man already fully grown, but with two heads. He stands twelve cubits high (that's about eighteen feet!), his eyes are set a span apart, crooked and bloodshot. Red hair, green feet, and six fingers on each hand complete this terrifying portrait.
So, where does this chilling story come from? We find variations in several texts. Midrash Aseret ha-Shvatim, for instance, retells this legend. So does Tefillat Rabbi Shim'on ben Yohai, as recorded in Beit ha-Midrash. Pirkei Hekhalot Rabbati and Otot ha-Mashiah in Beit ha-Midrash also recount aspects of this strange birth.
What's the meaning behind this grotesque myth? Many scholars interpret Armilus as a distorted reflection of Romulus, the founder of Rome. Rome, in this context, often symbolizes Christianity. Could this myth be suggesting that Christianity is seen, in some corners, as a monstrous offspring of Judaism? It's a disturbing thought, but one worth considering.
And what about that alluring statue, the one created during the six days of Creation? According to Schwartz's Tree of Souls, that detail adds another layer of complexity. If God was the sculptor, then Satan's act isn't just one of lust, but an act of defiance, a deliberate act of hostility against the divine.
From this perspective, the birth of Armilus becomes a symbolic representation of the worship of idols. These idols, no matter how beautiful or alluring, are ultimately just stone. The story serves as a warning about the dangers of misplaced devotion.
Interestingly, some versions of the myth don't feature Satan at all. Instead, the statue's lovers are described as the "sons of Belial" – a biblical term for "worthless people." But regardless of who fathers him, the result is the same: a grotesque, supernaturally evil being. This origin story explains Armilus's immense power, especially in the versions where Satan is his father.
It's also worth noting a possible parallel to the Greek myth of Niobe, whom Zeus turned into a statue. While Niobe's statue weeps, the statue of the woman in the Armilus myth becomes pregnant and gives birth, as Robert Graves discusses in Greek Myths.
Ultimately, the myth of Armilus is a dark and unsettling one. He is destined to conquer Israel before finally being defeated by the Messiah. It's a story filled with bizarre imagery and unsettling themes, but it offers a glimpse into the complex and often contradictory nature of Jewish messianic beliefs. What does this story make you think about the nature of evil, creation, and the seductive power of false idols?