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17. SAIVISM
"Shaiva theism was expounded in the Agamas, which number two hundred including the Upagamas (the "Lesser" Agamas), which were composed 6- 7th century AD. In the 7th century AD, Banabhatta included the worship of Shiva in his account of the prominent religious sects of that time. In the 7th century AD the great Chinese traveller Xuanzang (Huen Tsang) toured India and wrote in Chinese about the prevalence of Shiva worship at that time, describing Shiva temples at Kanoj, Karachi, Malwa, Gandhar (Kandahar), and especially at Varanasi (Benares) where he saw twenty large temples dedicated to Shiva."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Shaivism
These lead us to the validity at least to some extent on the influence of Christianity in the development of both Saivism and Vaishnavism. Especially relevant is the numistic evidence of the Indo-Parthian Kingdom which was the center of St.thomas' ministry to start with. It gives us an indication that saivism was most probably the first form of Christianity. It is certain that it underwent changes and transformations and syncretization by the time it reached the sixth century. Thus there is a lot of validity in the argument as presented by Dr. Devakala which we explained in the chapter ofn Thomas.
Biblical Christianity, Judaism and Shaivite Hinduism Share the Same Names for God.
http://www.viewzone.com/matlock.html Judaism
Shaivism Ish; Yish; Is; Isa; Issa; El; Al; etc.
The same in Shaivism (Suffixes and prefixes to mean "God") Yahve; Jahve; Tseeva (God)
Shiva; Shaiva; Siva (God) Elohim; Elokhim (God intellectualized) Lakhimi (Goddess of Prosperity); Lokhi; Lukh (Shiva) El Shaddai (The Almighty)
Saday; Sada (Shiva) Ha-Kadosh (The Holy One)
Hakh-e-Kheda (God's Duty) El Elyon (Possessor of Heaven and Earth) II Layun (Absorption in God) Yesoda (Dual Sexual Nature of Life) Yeshoda (Shiva's Dual Sexual Nature)
Similar sacred symbolism and iconography are associated with both the Hebrew Yah-Veh and the Kashmiri Shaiva: The Holy Trinity; the flame; the cherub; the guardian angel; the snake; the bull; blowing of bull's horn, etc.
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