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Subject: High Charity--More than meets the eye
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Up until recently, I always glazed over the mobile Covenant city of High Charity. That is, until I read First Strike. At that time, I was reading through the forum at HBO when someone posted a crazy theory about the Ark being the same kind of artifact as High Charity. I began thinking about various explanations (namely the Covenant’s knack for emulation). But then in my Bible reading in the Old Testament, I came upon the phrase “high places” a lot. Everytime I saw it, I kept thinking of High Charity. Well, with a little research, this is what I’ve uncovered.

Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon

1. high place, ridge, height, bamah (technical name for cultic platform)
a. high place, mountain
b. high places, battlefields
c. high places (as places of worship)
d. funeral mound

The word “bamah” is used exactly 100 times in the Old Testament with these four definitions. It is always translated high place in reference to one of these four locations. Often, one must respect the context in this situation to understand what it means in any given passage. But to the Jews (and seemingly to the Covenant as well) all 4 definitions often overlap. Especially with the warrior-centric mentality of the Elites, to quote Bungie’s Primer to the Covenant, “Elites prefer to demonstrate their faith on the battlefield not the temple.” (http://www.bungie.net/News/TopStory.aspx?story=covenanthiera rchy&p=41894)

This is resounded by the tendency for the Prophets (and in turn the rest of the Covenant) to make anything Forerunner-ish “holy”. A weapon of mass destruction is a battlefield, a temple, as well as a funeral mound. This could also be an indication as to the significance in the naming of Burial Mounds. It could show that though the Covenant no longer occupies the space, an entire base was built (and ruined) there because they had such respect for their dead (and the cause for which they died).

This led me to look for the significance of this word to High Charity as we know it. This was first sparked by a passage in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 33:29 says:

“Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.”

That last phrase, “and thou shalt tread upon their high places” really got my attention. Not only is that a prophetical passage in the book, but I believe it doubles as one in the game. Certainly it can be reasoned that in Halo 2 when you were fighting in High Charity, you were ‘treading’ upon that high place. The intent of Master Chief and the bomb that was sent out was to destroy this place, and if Cortana is not corrupted, we may just see this high place destroyed and desecrated. Also, if you remember in Halo 2, the Prophet of Regret said,

“Yet the humans were able to evade your ships, land on the Sacred Ring, and desecrate it with their filthy footsteps?”

This is another fulfillment of the “treading upon their high places” prophecy. The other 99 times that this word is used in the Old Testament, it shows reverence to spiritual things, as well as contempt for the false religions of the heathen. It shows serene sanctuary for the Israelites, but a blinding hatred for the tainted lands of the enemy. In this way, I see the prophets reflecting this in their “high” places.

As I was looking through the various passages concerning high places, I came upon an interesting passage concerning the nation of Moab (one of Israel’s enemies). Isaiah 16:12 says,

“And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.”

It is saying that when Moab comes to the end of itself, when it turns to its sanctuary, it shall not prevail. We all know that this is what all Covenant (the alien) theology is based on “The Great Journey” of the Forerunner. Gravemind alludes that this is the activation of Halo. We know that the Covenant is now falling apart at the seams with civil war, the destruction of the armada with the first Halo, and the slipping war with humans (thanks to the actions of Master Chief at the end of First Strike). I think that the Prophets are going to become desperate and go to their sanctuary (Halo) to pray (and subsequently activate Halo) and not prevail (die…and take everyone with them).

In searching, I found some interesting notes on the history of Moab. Moab means “of his father”. In a similar way, the prophets follow their “fathers” in everything. They emulate the technology, and treat the Forerunner as gods. Moab was always closely related to Israel (see: humans) in every way imaginable…except one. You see, in the beginning of Moabite history, the Moabites lived together with the Israelites, as they shared a common ancestor. But as time went on, the two nations separated because of wildly varying religion. Eventually, their appearance began to differ slightly, into even today, as a trained eye, can distinct a Jew from a Jordanian (modern day descendant of Moab). The religions differed because Israel believed in one God, and the Moabites believed in many different gods. Eventually, the Moabites were completely separate from the Jews, despite the proximity to Israel. This is just an interesting support for the Forerunner = Covenant = Human theorists in the room.

  • 07.07.2006 9:45 AM PDT
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Good stuff. That took a lot of Biblical research, I applaud you.

  • 07.07.2006 9:54 AM PDT
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Why does the title seem sooo...familiar?????

and good research man

[Edited on 7/7/2006]

  • 07.07.2006 9:59 AM PDT
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Location: Outlaws' Summit.

good post

nice evidence

  • 07.07.2006 10:01 AM PDT
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it's a very big research you have done... but I have just started to read "First Strike", and because of that I don't see the big picture here.. exept of that, great work man! ^^

  • 07.07.2006 10:03 AM PDT
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Hmm liars? Well, that could easily be the prophets lying to the rest of the Covvies about the purpose of halo OR the nature of the flood OR the relationship between the holy forerunners and the humans.

[Edited on 7/7/2006]

  • 07.07.2006 10:07 AM PDT
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Dude to do all that research Id be damned if anyone made fun of you thats a really good search...thanks.

  • 07.07.2006 10:09 AM PDT
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Posted by: Napo
Hmm liars? Well, that could easily be the prophets lying to the rest of the Covvies about the purpose of halo OR the nature of the flood OR the relationship between the holy forerunners and the humans.

How about all three?

  • 07.07.2006 10:35 AM PDT
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Here is a link to a new post about the Prophets from Halo and those from the Bible.

  • 07.07.2006 1:21 PM PDT

Transformers! Robots in disguise

It all makes sense now! The Spartans are the Autobots and the Covies are the Decepticons!

  • 07.07.2006 2:01 PM PDT
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i say, noice job

  • 07.07.2006 2:08 PM PDT
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wow...im amazed at the fact that Halo inspires a lot more people to go and read the Bible more than actually going to church.


nevertheless...great find.

  • 07.07.2006 2:22 PM PDT
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I'll add my praise, really well done.

This led me to look for the significance of this word to High Charity as we know it. This was first sparked by a passage in Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 33:29 says:

“Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.”


I did an online Bible search (which is convenient for a non-Christian), and the other way you could have found this passage is by doing a search on 'shield sword'. It apparently is the only passage in the Bible in which shield and sword are used as metaphors for a person or entity (for the Lord, in this case), as Cortana does in the trailer. I have a feeling you might have known that.

  • 07.07.2006 3:51 PM PDT
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Good stuff

  • 07.07.2006 4:13 PM PDT
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Yeah, good evidence, and nice noticing some of these patterns that a lot of people miss.

  • 07.07.2006 6:34 PM PDT
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its a very intersting thought but i think you over thought the idea ...alot...very alot...

  • 07.07.2006 6:39 PM PDT
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Good research

  • 07.07.2006 6:53 PM PDT
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good research. But it looks more like High Charity was built by the covenet.

  • 07.07.2006 7:07 PM PDT
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Carrots.

Posted by: Goodgamer77
High Charity--More than meets the eye.


Auto-bots, roll out!

  • 07.07.2006 7:27 PM PDT

"You ever wonder what's up there"
"Like what"
"Maybe someone up there was wondering what it's like here"
"I guess, do you think will ever meet them"
"I hope so, don't you...?"

- The proof there's intelligent life in the universe is the fact that they haven't visited Earth.

Join the Sangheili Empire, the last of the surviving Sangheili...

Good Job- Great Theory!

  • 07.07.2006 7:30 PM PDT
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Gah. All these religious links are really driving me away from Halo 3....

  • 07.07.2006 7:56 PM PDT
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Posted by: Goodgamer77
“Happy art thou, O Israel: who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee; and thou shalt tread upon their high places.”


This line in particular grabs me. Not exactly the High Charity part. What grabs me is that its seems so parallel to the halo 3 trailer.

I am your shield, I am your sword...
these words spoken from cortana match: the shield of thy help, and who is the sword...

If halo truel did use this text in reference to the trailer, then it could also explain why many people feel cortana is deceiving the Master Cheif as the Gravemind...

and thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee

Perhaps the LORD is the Master Cheif, and the high places, instead of High Charity is in fact, Earth (or humans, or the universe...)


Anywho, I love the theory, and I love the dedication it takes to make these theories. Good job!

  • 07.07.2006 8:09 PM PDT
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Im a Christian so this is really cool! I like how Bungie ties in Philosophy with their games. : )
Especially if its the single greatest book ever created and compiled. It's neat that bungie equates so much of their games and ancient writings. I like, I like... Good research! ; )

  • 07.07.2006 8:09 PM PDT
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Posted by: Hoplite A2
Im a Christian so this is really cool! I like how Bungie ties in Philosophy with their games. : )
Especially if its the single greatest book ever created and compiled. It's neat that bungie equates so much of their games and ancient writings. I like, I like... Good research! ; )

Don't get your Christian panties in a bunch. Bungie uses lots of mythology - Christian, Norse, Greek, etc.

  • 07.07.2006 8:17 PM PDT

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