Russell's Gravesite Pictures - (just got back from Pittsburgh)

by thecarpenter 65 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • thecarpenter
    thecarpenter

    Well folks, got back from my trip to see Russell's grave site. It was quite a interesting experience and sobering to see the pyramid right by his tombstone. I'm kind of tired and will be hitting the sack soon but I wanted to post a few pictures. I'll post more tomorrow.

    This is the North face, notice the "Risen with Christ" words carved in...

    resizedsc_0377.jpg

    this is the east face side, notice the crown and cross as well as the "Watchtower Bible and Tract Society" words carved in...

    resizedsc_0395.jpg

    Here is something I never noticed before in of the pictures on the internet, there are carving in the books with various peoples names. Here is "Chas. T Russell"

    I assume the books represent the book of life, this carving was on the south face.

    resizedsc_0415.jpg

    thecarpenter aka gravedigger

  • neverendingjourney
    neverendingjourney

    What's the story with the pyramid? I've heard some people imply that it was built per Russell's instructions and I've heard other people say that it was built by dissident JWs that were kicked out of the Watchtower by Rutherford. Does anyone know for sure?

  • nicolaou
    nicolaou

    Thanks for the pictures thecarpenter. Here is Russell's pyramid grave as seen on google earth.

    alt

  • Mysterious
    Mysterious

    Pretty eroded looking around the edges. Good thing enough photos are being taken now to preserve the evidence further!

  • Es
    Es

    Thanks that was interesting, look forward to seeing more

    es

  • Highlander
    Highlander

    I look forward to seeing it myself. I don't have a trip planned at this time, but I'm hoping to go by the end of this year or early next year.

    Great photos!

  • stev
    stev

    Although the pyramid there looks like the Great Pyramid, it doesn't represent the Great Pyramid, but to the Bible Students it would represent the Christ Head and Body. The capstone at the top would represent Jesus as the Head, and the rest of the pyramid, the Church. The Bible Students at that time believed that those faithful who died would be immediately changed and be present and united with the rest of the resurrected Church. Hence "risen with Christ". The cross and crown - represents that the Church must endure suffering before they are glorified. Those who were faithful would have their names written in the book of life, as found in the Book of Revelation. The chapter on the Hidden Mystery in the Divine Plan of the Ages has an illustration of a pyramid, and an explanation of it. Also Chart of the Ages has pyramids, and there is a chapter explaining the meaning of the pyramid.

    The Bible Students would never have thought of the Masons, this symbolism was well known by the Bible Students, who would have read the Divine Plan of the Ages. Russell taught that in the parable of the Wheat and the Tares, the bundling of the tares represents human organizations, including secret societies such as the Masons. Russell encouraged leaving all human organizations not only the churches of that time, but even unions if possible. Russell was extremely anti-organization, and the harvest of the wheat would have required the separation from the tares, and separating from organizations as much as possible. Russell's followers thought of themselves as the wheat, and being part of the Masons would have been frowned on and put in doubt their being of the wheat.

    The Watchtower Society put the pyramid there and not dissident Bible Students. However, no matter how wrong Russell or the Bible Students might have been at that time, no matter how wrong how their interest in the Great Pyramid was, or the political motives that Rutherford might have had in putting it up, nevertheless they built it in honor of other human beings who had died or would die, and shows that they at least cared. It is unfortunate that those who are justly angry and hurt at religious abuse would let that override their sense of our common humanity. Mocking the dead and the bereaved is in poor taste as an argument of ridicule when despite our religious differences we will all die and lose people in death.

  • deddaisy
    deddaisy

    wasn't dissidents, Any witnesses doubting the Watchtower's history with the Great Pyramid can just check out Jehovah's Witnesses on Wikipedia. It's not an apostate website, and if it weren't a fact that Russell had religious beliefs based on the Pyramid then it's difficult to comprehend why the Watchtower Society hasn't dragged Wikipedia into court for defamation..............anyway, I came across this page in the back of Russell's old book, The Divine Plan of the Ages, A Helping Hand For Bible Students. It's the 1911 edition by the International Bible Students Association but has a copyright of 1886 by the Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society, Brooklyn NY. Anyway, I've left a few of the blah, blah lines out, because I don't feel like typing it all, but this is most of it straight from the Watchtower Society's publication cited above, notice the parts I've bolded:

    THINGS YOU OUGHT TO KNOW

    ----------AS ---------

    CHRISTIAN BIBLE STUDENTS
    -----------------

    DO YOU KNOW THAT


    --We are now living in “the Time of the End” of this Gospel age?

    --Our epoch is “the day of God’s Preparation” for the Millennial age?

    --The “Days of Waiting” are ended and the “Cleansing of the Sanctuary—the Church,--the separating of its Wheat and Tares, is now in progress?

    --This favor is gradually taking shape and known as Zionism?

    --Immanuel’s Kingdom is now in process of establishment?

    --The Great Pyramid in Egypt is a Witness to all these events of the ages and of our day—testifying in symbols?

    --The Pyramid’s downward passage under “A Draconis” symbolizes the course of sin? Its First Ascending Passage symbolizes the Jewish age? Its Grand Gallery symbolizes the Gospel age? Its Upper Step symbolizes the approaching period of tribulation and anarchy, “Judgments,” upon Christendom? Its King Chamber the Divine Nature, etc., of the Overcoming Church—the Christ, Head and Body? Its Ante-Chamber the Correction in Righteousness of the “Great Company” etc.? Its Queen’s Chamber those of Israel and the world who attain Restitution?

    All these interesting topics with ten Pyramid illustrations can be had in

    “Thy Kingdom Come”

    (In English, German, Swedish, Dano-Norwegian and Greek)

    380 PAGES—CLOTH BOUND 35 CENTS, POSTPAID; DELIVERED BY COLPOR-

    TEURS, 35 CENTS.
    --------------------------------------
    ADDRESS ORDERS TO PUBLISHERS

    WATCH TOWER BIBLE 7 TRACT SOCIETY

    BROOKLYN, N.Y., U.S.A.

  • cabasilas
    cabasilas

    The pyramid was erected by the Society. Details about its construction, including various items which were placed inside can be read in the January 1919 IBSA Convention Report:

    http://cchasson.free.fr/deposit/CR/1919convention.pdf

    This was the convention that re-elected Rutherford as president while he was jail in Atlanta. I believe the info on the plans for the pyramid at the grave is on pages 6 and 7 (or thereabouts).

    There are JWs who believe it was dissident Bible Students who erected the pyramid but that is not true as the above Convention Report shows. When I was at Bethel in the 70s another Bethelite told me of his visit to Pittsburgh and he had visited the cemetery. He told me the pyramid was erected by the "evil slave" and that the fact that Russell has his own headstone proved the point. He did not realize that the pyramid was to be the central focus for the entire site and would memorialize not only Russell, but Rutherford and Pilgrims.

    I wonder if there are any other Bible Students buried there? Does anyone know?

  • deddaisy
    deddaisy

    "Mocking the dead and the bereaved is in poor taste as an argument of ridicule when despite our religious differences we will all die and lose people in death. "---Stev

    Stev, I don't think it's anyone's intention to mock the dead and bereaved. I can only answer for myself of course, but I know the only reason I bother to spend even one more moment of my life with any of the WTS's publications or history is in order to possibly save life, not mock the dead. If one person might see, and then question Russell having a pyramid near his gravesite, it may convince him or her to question things prior to becoming baptized. It's in even poorer that many lives were, and will be, wasted on dedication to a society that predicted the end of the world for everyone except themselves.

Share this

Google+
Pinterest
Reddit