Seven Species of the Land of Israel

The Seven Species (Hebrew: שבעת המינים‎, Shiv'at HaMinim) are seven agricultural products - two grains and five fruits - that are listed in the Hebrew Bible (Deut 8:8) as being special products of the Land of Israel.

The seven species listed are wheat, barley, grape, fig, pomegranates, olive (oil), and date (honey) (Deut 8:8).^[1]

History[link]

For thousands of years, the Seven Species have played an important role in the food of Jews in Israel and the religious traditions of Judaism.

Many references to these basic foods can be found in Bible. The Mishna states that only first fruits of the Seven Species could be brought to the Temple in Jerusalem as offerings. Wheat fields, vineyards and olive groves are still a salient feature of the Israeli landscape today. Figs, pomegranates and dates are common ingredients in the cuisine of Israel. ^[2]

Wheat and barley[link]

The ancient Israelites cultivated both wheat and barley. These two grains are mentioned first in the biblical list of the Seven Species of the land of Israel and their importance as food in ancient Israelite cuisine is also seen in the celebration of the barley harvest at the festival of Shavuot and of the wheat harvest at the festival of Sukkot.^[3]

Grapes[link]

Grapes were used mainly for the production of wine, although they were also eaten fresh and dried.^[4]

Figs[link]

Figs were cultivated throughout the land of Israel and fresh or dried figs were part of the daily diet. A common way of preparing dried figs was to chop them and press them into a cake.^[5] Figs are frequently mentioned in the Bible (for example, 1 Samuel 25:18, 1 Samuel 30:12 and 1 Chronicles 12:41).^[6]

Pomegranates[link]

Pomegranates were usually eaten fresh, although occasionally they were used to make juice or wine, or sun-dried for use when the fresh fruit was out of season. They probably played a minor part in Israelite cuisine, but were symbolically important, as adornments on the hem of the robe of the high priest and the Temple pillars, and embossed on coinage.^[7]

Olives[link]

The olive was one of the main three elements in Israelite cuisine. Olive oil was used not only for food and for cooking, but also for lighting, sacrificial offerings, ointment, and anointment for priestly or royal office.^[8]

Dates[link]

Dates were eaten fresh or dried, but were used mostly boiled into thick, long-lasting syrup called “date honey” (dvash temarim) for use as a sweetener. The honey in the Biblical reference of “a land flowing with milk and honey” ((for example, Exod 3:8) is date honey.^[9]

Modern significance[link]

The seven species are traditionally eaten on Tu Bishvat, the Jewish "New Year for Trees", on Sukkot, the "Festival of Booths", and on Shavuot, the "Festival of Weeks". In halakha (Jewish law), they are considered more important than other fruits, and a special berakhah (blessing) is recited after eating them. Additionally, the blessing prior to eating them precedes those of other food items, except for bread.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Seven Species

Riley L. Martin (born May 9, 1946) is a self-described alien contactee, author, and radio host. Martin is the author of the book The Coming of Tan,^[1] which describes his life and his alleged abduction by aliens. He hosts The Riley Martin Show on the Sirius Satellite Radio channel Howard 101. He had another weekly radio show, The Official Riley Martin Radio Show, but he chose not to continue the show due to financial issues.^[2]

Biography[link]

Riley Martin was born in Mississippi to a family of sharecroppers of African American and Native American descent.^{[citation needed]} He is an ordained ceremonial minister in First Nation Church. He claims he was first abducted by aliens while living in Arkansas in November 1953.^[3]

Martin has characterized his interaction with the aliens as positive. The Biaviian alien O-Qua Tangin Wann (also known as Tan), is listed as the co-author of his book.^[1] Martin asserts that a significant amount of knowledge was uploaded into his brain by the aliens, including 144,000 different alien "symbols" within a matter of minutes.

Martin claims that these aliens, flying aboard 'The Great Mother Ship' to which he is taken every time he is willingly "abducted," have given him this knowledge so that he can produce and sell hand-drawings of these symbols, which will allow passage aboard the Mother Ship when the Earth is 'transformed' in 2012. Martin claims that each symbol is uniquely tuned to its buyer. Martin did however say on the November 29, 2006 Howard 101 program that “You don’t exactly have to have one of my symbols in order to go,” and stated further that some symbol owners would have their personal reasons for not going, and some Earth populace who had never heard of Riley might be offered the opportunity to participate in the potential airlift. Riley's official website has become the primary platform from which he sells his symbols, the audio book (in his own stentorian voice), a soulful CD of 1990s music, and other articles such as Cherokee Nation headbands and talking bobbleheads. Martin has been rumored to be an alcoholic due to his (what appears to be) slurred speech during the course of each radio show he does on SiriusXM (even vomiting on-air during a May 2012 program) but he Denys these allegations.

Seven types of extraterrestrial beings[link]

Martin describes seven types of extraterrestrial beings who reside in a mother ship near Saturn:

• the Biaviians, the aliens who have had the most interaction with Martin, who are short with large heads,
• the Targzissians, who are "obviously" Reptilians,
• the Stagyians, who have a bony, leathery appearance and a peaceful and scientific disposition,
• the Dorians, who resemble blonde-haired, blue-eyed humans (see Nordic aliens),
• the Insectillians (a.k.a. the Skreed), who are "smart bugs" five feet tall,
• the Nyptonians, who are "water people" with "underwater bases" on Earth.^[4]
• A seventh type of alien that cannot be pronounced by humans.

These seven types are the intelligent extraterrestrial beings allowed to sit on a "high council". There are other extraterrestrial beings whose species are not represented on the council.^[1]

Martin on Sirius Satellite Radio[link]

[edit] Hello Earth episode synopses

• First Episode March 27, 2006: On March 27, 2006, Riley Martin was given a one hour tryout radio show entitled Hello Earth (also referred to as The Riley Martin Show) on Sirius Satellite Radio's Howard 101. The show featured Martin telling his story with occasional questions by Curtis "Coopy Coop" Cooperman, his publisher and co-host, and did not feature phone calls. The show was very well received by Howard Stern and his fans.

• Second Episode May 1, 2006: Hello Earth returned to Sirius radio on May 1, 2006. Starting with this second show, phone calls were prominently and effectively featured.

• Third Episode May 8, 2006: Martin put forth the idea that alien pioneers came to the Earth in prehistoric times and wiped out the dinosaurs with nuclear weapons, making room for our mammalian ancestors. Martin also plugged his hand drawn symbols which can allegedly be used as "tickets" to ride in the mother ship when the Earth is destroyed in 2012.

• Fourth Episode May 23, 2006: On May 23, 2006, when Martin was asked if the Biaviians were Greys, he responded that they are not only different, but that the Grey aliens are a cross between the Targzissians and humans (explaining their unpleasant nature) and live in subterranean caverns on Venus.

• Fifth Episode June 6, 2006: On the June 6, 2006 show, Martin spent over 40 minutes answering listener phone calls. He addressed the notion of "Biaviian" religion, expressing that the aliens look to the light spectrum for enlightenment. Martin expressed that the aliens' ability to travel faster than the speed of light indicated they were closer to this enlightenment. He indicated that some of the alien species seen on the mothership may have engaged in sexual encounters with pre-human simians in the Tigris-Euphrates delta. When asked about the status of pets on the alien mother ship, Martin indicated each traveler can bring one pet aboard, but that beloved animals could be regenerated by the "Biaviians" from a hair or saliva sample.

• Sixth Episode June 20, 2006: Upon returning to the Sirius airwaves, and seemingly placated about his agreement (which is not mentioned) with Sirius, Riley Martin provided details on secret United States government efforts to reverse-engineer alien spacecraft. He indicated that the government has successfully replicated certain flight-oriented elements of the craft, but have yet to harness its fusion-based propulsion systems. According to Martin, only limited, low-altitude flight tests have taken place using traditional propulsion systems. Martin also addressed the question of crop circles, citing the aliens' light-based technology. Flight-capable orbs emitting powerful light beams are used to create the crop circles, in a manner swift enough to have evaded discovery.

• Seventh Episode July 18, 2006: Martin began the show by stating that the probationary period of his show's run was over and asking the listeners to email Howard Stern and Sirius in support of the show. He complained that his staff have not received any money and put forth the possibility that this might be his last show. (It was stated at the end of the show, however, that the next new show would be in two weeks.) A few of the phone calls Martin received were goofy and he handled them well. In response to a question, Martin stated that the Biaviians, Stagyians, Dorians, and possibly the Nyptonians are all mammals. Martin assured a gay caller that Biaviians judge people by their character and have no prejudice against those with alternative lifestyles.

• Contract Dispute: Originally, the eighth episode of Hello Earth was scheduled for August 1, 2006 at 7 p.m. Eastern (4 p.m. Pacific) on Sirius Satellite Radio's Howard 101. However, on that day Howard 100/101 program director Tim Sabean reported that negotiations with Martin had broken down, leading to the possible cancellation of the show. Indeed, the show did not air. However, Riley did call into The Howard Stern Show on September 21, 2006 to announce that he had come to terms with Sirius for continuing "Hello Earth" at a later date.

• Eighth Episode October 24, 2006: Martin returned to the airwaves thanks to a new ISDN line directly connected at his home and answered questions about the aliens' ships' power sources, and how no two of his symbols were alike. Martin's friend Eric "E-Ron" McCauley, whom he identifies as being "like a son", served as co-host.

• Ninth Episode October 25, 2006: Martin described the planet Biave (which he has not visited in person) as having lighter gravity and growing large vegetables. He also stated that the aliens could simulate any kind of food, liquor or drugs without ill effects.

• Tenth Episode October 31, 2006: In response to a question from regular Howard Stern Show caller Hook Nose Mike, Martin defended his translation of the African sound bite that Sal the Stockbroker called in to prank him, explaining that the African language the sound bite is in ultimately derives from the Atlantean language, as Martin originally identified it.

• Regularly Scheduled: After a brief absence during contract negotiations during a second dispute, Martin was able to reach an agreement with Sirius. His show now airs regularly on Howard 101, Tuesday nights and Wednesday mornings at midnight ET. In July 2009 Sirius decided to fire Riley Martin due to Riley's using his "shout-outs" to acknowledge a business. Martin was rehired in October 2009.

Other notable appearances on Sirius[link]

[edit] Meet the Shrink

• On April 3, 2006, Martin appeared on an episode of the Sirius radio show Meet the Shrink, which featured an unusual therapy session. Martin spoke of his paranormal experiences and ideas and did a great deal of flirting with the therapist, Leslie Armstrong, who openly supported his paranormal ideas and seemed to enjoy his flirting. Stern and cast criticized Armstrong for flirting and enabling his beliefs in aliens rather than helping him.

References in other media[link]

• On their 'The Psycho-Social, Chemical, Biological & Electro-Magnetic Manipulation of Human Consciousness' Album, Jedi Mind Tricks released a song titled 'Books of Blood: The Coming of Tan' featuring El Eloh. The track is about aliens and features a short speech by Martin.

See also[link]

• Howard 101
• Abduction phenomenon
• Sirius Satellite Radio
• Extraterrestrial life in culture
• UFO
• Grey alien
• Coast to Coast AM
• Reptilians

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Riley Martin

• Home of ToddCast.Tv Podcast Riley Martin and Todd on A View of the Universe podcast
• Riley Martin.com
• The Riley Martin Show
• Official Riley Martin Forums
• Pay Riley Martin
• The Riley Martin Soundboard
• Riley Martin on The Jerry Springer Show (video)
• RileyMartinizer.com – Translates web pages and text into "Riley-Speak"
• Lyrics for 'Books of Blood: The Coming of Tan' by Jedi Mind Tricks

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