The God Culture: 100 Lies: #37: Jose Rizal Thought the Philippines Was the Garden of Eden

Welcome back to 100 lies The God Culture teaches about the Philippines. Today's lie concern Timothy Jay Schwab's claim Dr. Jose Rizal thought the Philippines was the Garden of Eden. 

This claims shows up in his videos.

Solomon's Gold Series - Part 12E: Garden of Eden, Mount of the East Found: Ophir, Philippines

11:22 Another viewer sent us this poem from Jose Rizal "My Last Farewell" written on the eve of his execution in 1896. We show it in its original form in Spanish as well as in English and Tagalog of course we'll read it in English because that's all we really know. "Farewell my adored land, region of the Sun caressed." Imagine that there we go with the Sun reference again. "Pearl of the Orient Sea, our Eden lost. With gladness I give you my life sad and repressed and were it more brilliant, more fresh, and at its best I would still give it to you for your welfare at most." So, not only is bdellium, pearl, found in the Philippines and the most significant in size but the land is even called the Pearl of the Orient. Hmm sounds like Havilah to me. Could it be? Of course it is. "Our Eden lost." So, Rizal knew that the Philippines was Ophir which we covered before according to his writings and he also knew it was the Garden of Eden. Yeah this could be a reference that anyone could make to any country their Eden blah, blah, blah, blah, yeah that's possible. However, we think this actually could be very telling because this man knew something. And by the way who lost Eden though? Actually Adam did. Fascinating.

100 Clues #13: Philippines Is The Ancient Land of PEARL: Havilah - Ophir, Sheba, Tarshish

8:09 The funny thing is even long before these large pearls were produced and then recorded Dr. Jose Rizal in 1896 wrote a poem identifying the Philippines as the Pearl of the Orient. Almost seems like he kind of knew something, huh? Well, you will find his contemporary professor Blumentritt writes that Rizal believed the Philippines was Ophir in fact and he did as well even in 1891.

This claim also shows up in his book The Search for King Solomon's Treasure. 

The Search for King Solomon's Treasure, pg. 296

Did Dr. Jose Rizal know more about the Philippines than we are told? On the eve of his execution, he wrote this poem in which he referred to the Philippines as the “region of the sun” which is important in identifying the land of Chryse/Ophir, “Pearl of the Orient Sea” which is crucial in revealing the land of Ancient Havilah next to the Garden of Eden and “our Eden lost” as if he knew this was in fact the long lost location of the Garden of Eden perhaps.

One must wonder if Rizal had other writings which may have been smuggled out of his prison of exile but no such speculation is needed to locate the Garden of Eden which has actually been recorded since very ancient times and exact directions even. We will delve into this realm though we were hesitant at first. Can we really find the Garden of Eden in the Philippines?

In one of his videos Tim says he previously covered writings where Dr. Rizal "knew the Philippines was Ophir." While they get a passing glance he does not cover those writings in his book The Search for King Solomon's Treasure in any meaningful way so they must not be very important.

The Search for King Solomon's Treasure, pg 102

Even in 1890, Philippine Former Prime Minister Pedro A. Paterno recorded Ophir as the Philippines and many allude Professor Fernando Blumentritt, contemporary and friend of Dr. Jose Rizal, knew as well.

However, Rizal's poem is very important. Tim even uses it in his conferences. 

So, what does this poem mean? Is Dr. Jose Rizal actually calling the Philippines the Garden of Eden? Of course not. It's a poem. It's the last poem he ever wrote before facing the firing squad.

It's not a geography lesson or a history course. It's 14 stanzas of thoughts about his country, the Philippines. Funny that Tim does not talk about the other stanzas or even attempt to relate the actual message of the poem. Instead he latches onto the phrases "pearl of the orient" and "our Eden lost" and says, "Oh, look see Rizal thought the Philippines was the Garden of Eden!"

In the fourth stanza Rizal writes:

My dreams, when scarcely a lad adolescent, 

My dreams when already a youth, full of vigor to attain, 

Were to see you, Gem of the Sea of the Orient, 

Your dark eyes dry, smooth brow held to a high plane,

Without frown, without wrinkles and of shame without stain.

According to Tim that would mean Rizal is not being poetic but is talking about the many precious gem stones that are to be found in the Philippines. Likewise in the 13th stanza Rizal writes:

My idolized Country, for whom I most gravely pine, 

Dear Philippines, to my last goodbye, oh, harken 

There I leave all: my parents, loves of mine, 

I'll go where there are no slaves, tyrants or hangmen 

Where faith does not kill and where God alone does reign.

Oh no! Is the Philippines now an idol to be worshipped? If we follow Tim's literal approach that is what we would have to say. 

Dr. Jose Rizal was not the first to call the Philippines Pearl of the Orient. Fr. Juan P. Delgado in his book Historia de Filipinas can claim that honor.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951002101076g&seq=47&q1=perla

In a short time the name of Nueva Castilla was forgotten and that of Manila prevailed by the election of the same Adelantado; for in this place he founded the city, which he spoke of as being the court and pearl of the East.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951002101076g&seq=97&q1=perla

Having described the island of Luzon, with all the provinces it contains, only the city of Manila, capital and court of the Philippines, remains before beginning the description of the other islands in particular. Because although it has already been outlined by other erudite pens, as all things have their beginnings, increases and decline, so has this capital, subject to changes, like other human things. In times past, according to the ancient historians, when trade with Japan flourished, Manila was the wonder and pearl of the East, as well in its neighborhood, as in buildings and riches, which, in exchange for the goods of the land, came in abundance; Now it can be said that it is only a canal, because there remains in it only the sign of the great deal of silver that comes from Spain having passed to other kingdoms, enriching them with it, without anything remaining in Manila but the sound that attracts the neighbors, bloodsuckers, Moors and heretics of Batavia to sweep it, leaving in it the infinite poverty and misery that its inhabitants experience, except for one or another neighbor who has some wealth, which, in these times, are counted.

https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=umn.31951002101076g&seq=281&q1=perla

Having already written elsewhere about the material nature of the city of Manila, we will put in this chapter its formal aspects, in which it can compete with the most famous in Europe. It is located in the best, most pleasant, leafy and abundant site of the island of Luzon, head and core of the Philippine Archipelago. It very justly deserves the name of pearl of the east, a distinguished and very loyal city; and as such, it enjoys all the honors, franchises and privileges of those who are heads of kingdom, granted by our Catholic kings in the decrees of November 19, 1595, and March 20, 1596, in the latter of which it was granted a particular coat of arms.

Each one of these mentions of the Pearl of the East is a reference to the City of Manila and not the entire nation and has nothing to do with actual pearls. Very obviously Rizal has taken this sobriquet and applied it to the nation as a whole. For Rizal the Philippines, his homeland, is beautiful and precious above all else. 

In 1911 The Manila Merchants Association published a pamphlet titled "The Philippines, Treasure House of the Tropics, Manila, Pearl of the Orient."

Are they claiming the Philippines is Ophir and the Garden of Eden by calling Manila Pearl of the Orient? No, they are indicating the beauty of the city. The point is Pearl of the Orient is a common name applied to the Philippines and has to do with the beauty of the nation and not its status as Ophir or The Garden of Eden.  

Tim's claim that Dr. Jose Rizal thought the Philippines was the Garden of Eden based on this poem is total nonsense and wrests it from its true meaning. It is simply one more lie about the Philippines being taught by Timothy Jay Schwab who is The God Culture.