Possessions, daimonia, must have been indicated by certain signs, otherwise such possessions could never have been inferred. Some deviations from the usual habits of the individual must have been presented to have induced the belief that the individual was influenced by some “supernatural” power. What then were the indications that the Greeks, the Romans, and the Jews, beholding in an individual, ascribed to possessions?
“And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out of her the same hour,” Acts 16:16-18. The phrase, here rendered, “possessed with a spirit of divination,” a spirit of divination,” is echousa pneuma Puthonos — that is, “having a spirit of Python” or “Apollo:” one supposed to be influenced by the god Apollo. The history of this damsel shows that her conduct, in continually following Paul and his companion, was contrary to the usual decorum manifested by her sex. And this deviation was a sign of her being influenced by something not usual; we would say madness: the ancients called it “a possession.” She followed Paul many days, continually crying, “These are the servants of the most high God.” She exhibited, in other words, a kind of insane fury or excitement. And that this exhibition was common to persons supposed to be possessed is evident from the following description of Pythia, the priestess of Apollo at Delphi: “She delivered the answer of the god to such as came to consult the oracle, and was supposed to be suddenly inspired by the sulphurous vapours, which issued from the hole of a subterraneous cavity within the temple, over which she sat bare on a three-legged stool called a tripod. In this stool was a small aperture, through which the vapour was inhaled by the priestess, and, at this divine inspiration her eyes suddenly sparkled, her hair stood on end, and a shivering ran over all her body. In this convulsive state she spoke the oracles of the god, often with loud howlings and cries, and her articulations were taken down by the priest, and set in order. Sometimes the spirit of inspiration was more gentle, and not always violent; yet Plutarch mentions one of the priestesses who was thrown into such an excessive fury that not only those who consulted the oracle but also the priests that conducted her to the sacred tripod and attended her during the inspiration, were terrified and forsook the temple; and so violent was the fit that she continued for some days in the most agonising situation, and at last died” (Lempriere’s Classical Dictionary—Article. “Pythia”).
Virgil gives a still more vivid description of the excitement of the priestess or sybil. The Trojan Eneas wishes to consult the oracle respecting his future proceedings. With this view he approaches the cave (after having made the usual offerings-paid priests in all ages requires these)—
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Author: John Epps
Keywords: mute spirit, demon, demons, devils, foul spirit, dumb spirit, evil spirit, deaf spirit, baalzebub, baalzebul, unclean spirit, Casting out, Casting out devils, Casting out demons, Demon possession, Madness, Epileptic seizure, Devil possessed, Possessed by demons, moonstruck, moon struck, possession, possessed by the devil, Mental illness, Demonology, Wicked spirits, Demoniac, Epilepsy, Epileptic
Bible reference(s): Leviticus 17:7, Deuteronomy 32:17, 2 Kings 1:2, 2 Kings 1:3, 2 Kings 1:6, 2 Kings 1:16, 2 Chronicles 11:15, Psalms 106:37, Zechariah 13:2, Matthew 4:24, Matthew 7:22, Matthew 8:31, Matthew 9:33, Matthew 9:34, Matthew 10:1, Matthew 10:8, Matthew 11:18, Matthew 12:24, Matthew 12:27, Matthew 12:28, Matthew 12:43, Matthew 17:15, Matthew 17:18, Mark 1:23, Mark 1:26, Mark 1:27, Mark 1:34, Mark 1:39, Mark 3:11, Mark 3:15, Mark 3:22, Mark 3:30, Mark 5:2, Mark 5:8, Mark 5:12, Mark 5:13, Mark 6:7, Mark 6:13, Mark 7:25, Mark 7:26, Mark 7:29, Mark 7:30, Mark 9:17, Mark 9:25, Mark 9:38, Mark 16:9, Mark 16:17, Luke 4:33, Luke 4:35, Luke 4:36, Luke 4:41, Luke 6:18, Luke 7:21, Luke 7:33, Luke 8:2, Luke 8:27, Luke 8:29, Luke 8:30, Luke 8:33, Luke 8:35, Luke 8:38, Luke 9:1, Luke 9:42, Luke 9:49, Luke 10:17, Luke 11:14, Luke 11:15, Luke 11:18, Luke 11:19, Luke 11:20, Luke 11:24, Luke 13:32, John 7:20, John 8:48, John 8:49, John 8:52, John 10:20, John 10:21, Acts 5:16, Acts 8:7, Acts 19:12, Acts 19:13, Acts 19:15, Acts 19:16, 1 Corinthians 10:20, 1 Corinthians 10:21, 1 Timothy 4:1, James 2:19, Revelation 9:20, Revelation 16:13, Revelation 16:14, Revelation 18:2
Source: A Biblical Exposition of the Truth Concerning “That Old Serpent, the Devil and Satan” (London: Sherwood & Co., 1842)
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