Dusty Phrases

Dusty

April 6

Hi! Welcome to "Dusty Phrases." You will find a phrase below, in one ancient language or another, along with its English translation. You may also find the power to inspire your friends or provoke dread among your enemies.

For other examples, visit HERE:

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Latin:

Fiat lux

English:

Let there be light

This was once the Christian phrase most associated with the beginning of creation, as Latin was the language of the Christian Church for centuries. (More on the phrase, via wiki)

"Let there be light" is an English translation of the Hebrew יְהִי אוֹר‎ (yehi 'or) found in Genesis 1:3 of the Torah, the first part of the Hebrew Bible. In Old Testament translations of the phrase, translations include the Greek phrase γενηθήτω φῶς (genēthḗtō phôs) and the Latin phrases fiat lux and lux sit.)

Genesis 1

The phrase comes from the third verse of the Book of Genesis. In the King James Bible, it reads, in context:

¹In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.
²And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.
³And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.
⁴And God saw the light, and it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

Origin and etymology

In biblical Hebrew, the phrase יְהִי אוֹר‎ (yəhî 'ôr) is made of two words. יְהִי‎ (yəhî) is the third-person masculine singular jussive form of "to exist" and אוֹר‎ ('ôr) means "light."

In the Koine Greek Septuagint the phrase is translated "καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός γενηθήτω φῶς καὶ ἐγένετο φῶς" — kaì eîpen ho Theós genēthḗtō phôs kaì egéneto phôs. Γενηθήτω is the imperative form of γίγνομαι, "to come into being."

The original Latinization of the Greek translation used in the Vetus Latina was lux sit ("light – let it exist" or "let light exist"), which has been used occasionally, although there is debate as to its accuracy.

In the Latin Vulgate Bible, the Hebrew phrase יְהִי אוֹר‎ is translated in Latin as fiat lux. In context, the translation is "dixitque Deus fiat lux et facta est lux" ("And said God let there be light, and there was light"). Literally, fiat lux would be translated as "let light be made" (fiat is the third person singular present passive subjunctive form of the verb facio, meaning "to do" or "to make"). The Douay–Rheims Bible translates the phrase, from the Vulgate, as "Be light made. And light was made."

The phrase "Fiat Lux" has been used for other purposes, including as the name of a UFO cult based in Germany. (from wiki)

The 'religious order' of Fiat Lux was founded in 1980 by Swiss-born Erika Hedwig Bertschinger-Eicke who adopted the name Uriella as its spiritual leader and trance medium. According to members, Bertschinger receives divine messages from Jesus Christ as well as Mary, mother of Jesus.

The group also believes the apocalypse is coming, and that alien ships will arrive to evacuate adherents, followed by the transformation of the earth into a new paradise, called "Amora". According to Bertschinger, the end of the world was due to arrive in 1998, but has since been postponed "due to the immense praying energies of the faithful".

Characterized as a cult, Fiat Lux has been estimated to contain an "inner circle" of approximately 135 members in addition to 800 "dedicated followers" and 2000 "sympathizers". Devotees reportedly follow a monastic lifestyle, including scheduled prayer times, the wearing of white ceremonial robes, and adherence to a strict vegetarian diet.

The order's founder, Uriella (born 20 February 1929 in Zurich, Switzerland), died on 24 February 2019.

The group came under some fire after its organizer called for the release of a convicted pedophile. (It's strange how often cults seem to be pro-pedophile.)

On a more positive note, and for a better use of the phrase, "Fiat Lux" is also an organ piece composed by Theordore DuBois.