Overview
Decks of cards were originally not just for game playing;
they were also for teaching and memorizing important information. Old newspapers state they were used for
teaching children also. Most interesting
though is that the deck of cards does agree with our Father in Heaven’s solar calendar that was documented in the Book
of Enoch, Book of Jubilees and the Dead Sea Scrolls.
The European countries did use different suits. The card deck above was produced in 1990
after Germany was reunited and it reflects an Austrian hybrid deck
used to help players learn the suits. The
cards also differed in other ways; such as the King face cards changed
sometimes to show local the countries historical kings. Some countries have Queen Cards and other
showed Knight Cards. Here in America we
use the French playing card version. All
cards decks with 52 cards do reflect our Father in Heaven’s calendar.
The origin of playing cards was different depending on which
old newspaper I read. Wikipedia says that playing cards arrived in Europe from Mamluk Egypt
around 1370 and were already reported in France in 1377. The French suit
insignia was derived from German suits around 1480. I did find one newspaper
that agrees with Wikipedia that the cards were used in Egypt and that article
is very interesting (shown below).
1908 news –Cards
played in Egypt during Joseph’s reign.
Column 1 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn93053726/1908-11-07/ed-1/seq-9.pdf
Column 1 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn93053726/1908-11-07/ed-1/seq-9.pdf
The
deck of cards was in use before Pope
Gregory implemented the calendar changes in 1582. These calendar changes would definitely helped
use to forget the meaning behind the playing cards.
52 Weeks per Year &
52 Cards
A deck of cards has 52 cards and there are 52 weeks in each
year. Therefore, there is a card for
every week of the calendar year.
4 Seasons per Year
& 4 Suits
There are 4 seasons and 4 suits of cards in each deck. Each season has 13 weeks with 91 day
each. Each suit has 13 cards that total
91. The red suits represent the days
after the spring equinox when the days are getting longer. The black suits represent the days after the
fall equinox when the days are getting shorter.
12 Months per Year
& 12 Court Cards
There are 12 months in a year and 12 Court cards (cards with
faces).
364 Days in a Year
& Cards Total 364
According to the Book of Enoch, Jubilees and the Dead Sea
Scrolls there are 364 days in a year and if you add the values of each card
together you get a sum of 364. Our
ancestor’s ancient calendar was based
on a sidereal day which is a 364 day year.
Today’s calendar is based on a topical year of 365.25 days.
The Joker
The Joker was not part of the original deck of cards. It was introduced in
America during the civil war and was created as a trump card to play the
game Euchre. Other countries later added
Joker cards.
Suits
Based on reading old newspapers and Wikipeda, these are the suits
which represent seasons and classes of men.
Note: I added
pictures of the Greek cards suits based on dictionary descriptions. Wikipedia does not reflect Greek suits.
1920 news –‘How Hearts & Spades Began’
column 4 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87057262/1920-09-09/ed-1/seq-8.pdf
column 4 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87057262/1920-09-09/ed-1/seq-8.pdf
Hearts, Cups & Roses – Spring
The French and Germans named this suit ‘hearts’. The Italians and Spanish called this suit
‘cups’. The Swiss-Germans called it
‘roses’. The Greeks called this suit
κούπα (koúpa) which means a cup (drinking vessel) or liquid measure.
The suit of hearts was assigned to the clergy and was the
symbol for spring. In this quarter is
when Passover and the Last Super occur.
The heart might be the symbol for blood.
“And the cup
in like manner after supper, saying, This cup
is the new covenant in my blood, even that
which is poured out for you.”
ASV Luke 22:20
Diamonds, Tiles, Coins & Bells - Summer
The bells used in the Swiss and Germen suits are called
either Jingle Bells or Sleigh
Bells and they were fastened to horse harnesses that pulled carriages or
sleighs.
Bells are also
associated with clocks, indicating the hour by the striking of bells. The
word clock comes from the Latin word cloca which means bell. Bells in clock
towers or bell towers can be heard over long distances, which was especially
important in the time when clocks were too expensive for widespread use. I’m sure the Church bells rang when the Church
service was preparing to start.
This suit is associated with citizens, merchants and
tradespeople in the summer months; therefore they associated it with coins,
horses going to town, and trading goods.
Spades, Pike, Sword, Shield, & Leaves – Autumn or Fall
A spade in
Greek μπαστούνι (bastoúni) a cane,
walking stick. spade, as used in "queen of spades", not the gardening
implement. From Italian bastone which is a stick,
cane, staff, or pole. A pike is from Middle English pyke,
pyk, pik, pike (“pike; sharp point, iron tip of a staff or spear, pointed toe
of an item of footwear; sharp tool; mountain, peak”). Old French pic meaning a sharp point
or spike.
Spades was associated with nobility or military. It occurs in the fall during the time of the
final harvest and the leaves falling when they held the Feast of Trumpets, Day
of Atonement and went to the Feast of Tabernacles. This suit may represent this verse in
prophecy.
“And out of his mouth proceedeth
a sharp two edged sword; that with it he may
strike the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod
of iron; and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of
God the Almighty.” DR Rev 19:15
Clubs, Clovers & Acorns - Winter
This suit was associated with peasants and farmers. The old newspaper above stated is was originally
a clover which is also known as a shamrock.
Saint Patrick’s Day occurs during the winter season. Saint Patrick’s Day is the celebration of
removing the snakes from Ireland. Winter
is also when the Feast
of Purim was held when they purified the land with a battle. Therefore, this might represent past battles
with weapons. This also might represent
the trinity since Saint Patrick taught the trinity with a shamrock.
Paris Portrait Deck
Reflected below are the court cards that are also known as
face cards. This deck is called the
Paris Portrait Deck and old newspaper do reflect that these cards represent the
people shown below, with the exception of Rachel since one old newspaper stated
it was Esther of the bible.
I do wonder if the king originally stood for Abraham
since he was promised kings from his loins and the queen represents Sarah
since her name means queen. The Jacks
could be Jacob Israel just like the Union Jack represents him.
The queen sentiments came from a newspaper article
below. Another newspaper stated they
represented prudence, laws, liberty, and equity.
Note: The eighth
month is named after Athena in the Septuagint version of the bible. The
eighth month did occur during the autumn season.
Conclusion
The deck of cards can be used to teach the calendar,
seasons, bible stories, about past royalty, and about heroine events of the
past. These would be important teaching lessons
for our children. The deck of cards also
proves our past calendar of 364 days as stated in Enoch, Jubilees and the Dead
Sea Scrolls.
House of Cards
Sources & More Information
1890 news – A Pack of Playing Cards
1877 news – the origin of playing cards, column 5 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84031492/1877-11-10/ed-1/seq-9.pdf
1878 news – Sacred history and card playing
1882 news – the history of printing cards, last column https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015483/1882-05-02/ed-1/seq-1.pdf
1891 news – Japanese card history, column 4 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85033139/1891-08-20/ed-1/seq-1.pdf
1893 news – Playing Cards, Curious facts concerning their
history, column 5 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn94052989/1893-02-25/ed-1/seq-7.pdf
1894 news – origins of the figures on cards, column 1
1900 news – ‘Kings & Knaves’ Playing Cards concerning
their origin, column 1 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1894-09-29/ed-1/seq-14.pdf
1903 news – the history of playing cards, column 3 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015679/1902-12-26/ed-1/seq-5.pdf
1905 news – the history of playing cards https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042462/1905-04-30/ed-1/seq-35.pdf
1909 news – the history of playing cards https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn87096037/1909-07-01/ed-1/seq-7.pdf
1913 playing cards in a new light, column 1 https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1913-03-09/ed-1/seq-30.pdf
1934 news – the history of playing cards https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1934-05-06/ed-1/seq-81.pdf
