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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ001146A
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00:25 This is Papua New Guinea, the land of mystery. This is a land 00:30 of ancient cultures, many of them are unique and diverse. 00:34 Their festivals, practices and customs in keeping with this 00:39 land are colorful and mysterious and today we're setting out in 00:45 search of one of the most amazing and mysterious of all, 00:48 the Smoke Mountains of Papua New Guinea. We came to explore 00:55 one of the most bizarre rituals of the ancient world, the death 01:00 and mourning customs of the remote Anga tribe and their 01:05 unusual mummification practices. Apparently, they smoke cure the 01:11 bodies of the dead and place them along cliff faces 01:14 overlooking their village. 01:16 These mummies have fascinated anthropologists 01:20 writers and film makers for more than a hundred years. 01:25 But few have been able to tell fact from fiction. Most of 01:28 what's known about the mummies is based on hearsay, exaggeration 01:32 or flight of imagination. So we are setting off to discover 01:37 what we can for ourselves. Join me on an incredible journey to 01:44 search for the smoke mummies of Papua New Guinea. And in our 01:48 search we might just unravel one of the greatest mysteries 01:54 of all, what happens to us, after we die. 01:57 ♪ ♪ 02:26 Our journey in search of the smoked mummies of Papua New 02:28 Guinea started in Lae, the second-largest city in Papua New 02:34 Guinea. We've hired a light aircraft to fly us into a bush 02:36 airfield at Menyamya. Now Menyamya is in the heart of 02:42 Anga country and is truly remote. It's a district center 02:46 in the Moresby Province which is a gateway to the highlands of 02:49 New Guinea. Here the Anga people still follow a subsistence 02:54 lifestyle and wear their traditional dress on special 02:59 occasions. In the past they were considered violent and fierce 03:03 warriors, often attacking more peaceful tribes in the region. 03:12 Although the Anga are a peaceful people today their fierce 03:17 reputation and warrior heritage is displayed in the traditional 03:20 welcome that awaits us on our arrival at the bush airstrip. 03:24 We are greeted by a group of men and women in traditional 03:28 dress as we set foot on their land. The welcome ritual begins 03:32 with the leading warrior advancing and circling. He 03:38 returns to the group and then they all rush in with attacking 03:40 and threatening gestures, shouting and brandishing their 03:46 primitive but deadly weapons including bows and arrows, 03:49 spears and clubs. It's a confronting and intimidating 03:53 experience as they wave their weapons menacingly at your head. 03:56 However, it's with some relief that their demeanor changes and 04:02 we're welcomed into their territory and given permission 04:05 to continue our journey. For centuries the Anga tribe has 04:11 tribe have practiced a unique mummification technique, smoke 04:16 curing. They used to smoke their dead and leave the mummified 04:20 bodies in burial caves and cliff ledges to watch over their 04:24 descendants. While this practice has mostly died out with the 04:28 coming of Christianity the skeletal remains and what is 04:32 left of their leather-like skin still keep guard from where they 04:37 were placed years ago. Most of the smoked corpses are found in 04:45 the Aseki district several hours drive from here. So we've got to 04:49 travel deeper into the jungle by four-wheel drive. It's necessary 04:53 to carry everything we need with us as there's nothing much 04:57 available once we leave Menyamya. The Menyamya region 05:06 is known for its tangled and impenetrable rain forest. This 05:11 tropical jungle is filled with some of the most spectacular 05:14 butterflies, orchids and birds on planet earth. These jungles 05:20 are home to a fabulous array of orchids. Orchids are the largest 05:25 group of all living flowers and there are over 3000 known 05:30 species of orchids in New Guinea more than any other country in 05:33 the world. They thrive in these tropical rain forests. They come 05:39 in all shapes, sizes and colors and they are truly magnificent. 05:44 These jungles also have a remarkable and beautiful array 05:49 of butterfly species. There are nearly a thousand different 05:53 butterfly species in New Guinea. It's forests are graced by these 05:56 magnificent creatures and are home to the world's largest 06:00 butterfly, the Queen Alexandra Birdwing. It's got a wing span 06:04 over 25 cm. These jungles are also home to one of the richest 06:10 and most varied array of birds in the world. Over 700 species 06:16 of birds inhabit these forests including 36 species of birds of 06:21 paradise, probably the most spectacular and beautiful 06:25 feathered creatures on our planet. The raggiana bird of 06:29 paradise is the national emblem of Papua New Guinea. These 06:34 magnificent birds are distinguished by striking color 06:38 and bright plumage of yellow, blue, scarlet and green. These 06:43 spectacular colors make them the world's most dramatic and 06:47 attractive birds. These jungles are also home to some unique and 06:52 amazing animals including the tree kangaroo. Now to many 06:58 people the suggestion that a kangaroo could live up a tree is 07:02 fantasy, yet deep in these mysterious forests there are 07:07 extraordinary kangaroos that do just that. Once you leave the 07:15 district center it's like stepping back into the stone age 07:19 People follow a lifestyle and live much the same way as they 07:23 have for thousands of years. In fact, 80 percent of the 07:27 population of Papua New Guinea five million rural people make a 07:31 living from subsistence farming. Only one fifth of the population 07:36 earns a wage. It's extremely rough in spectacular country. 07:44 The further inland we get the worse the road gets. It's a bone 07:48 jarring journey with large pot holes, muddy ruts, sharp bends, 07:54 washouts and river crossings. When it rains driving becomes 07:58 hazardous. As we near Asiki the rain arrived and the muddy 08:05 and slippery conditions made progress almost impossible. Our 08:09 vehicle got hopelessly bogged in the red mud and it took a lot 08:13 of time, patience, and effort to get moving again. This was 08:18 repeated several times. Now there's about a dozen sites in 08:23 the Asiki district where smoked corpses can be found. So we're 08:27 trying to find where the most accessible mummies are and also 08:31 ones that are in good condition. So we meet two of the tribal 08:37 leaders. They will advise us, organize permission for us to 08:42 travel deeper into this region and then guide us up to the 08:46 cliff ledge where the mummies are. As we are now entering the 08:50 Asiki region and new tribal territory, we are given another 08:54 traditional welcome. Once again it starts in an aggressive and 08:58 threatening way. As soon as we arrive and get out of the 09:02 vehicle the two tribal leaders advance shouting and waving 09:06 their weapons in a bold, hostile and frightening challenge. After 09:11 another confronting encounter involving clubs, spears and bows 09:16 and arrows things settle down. We're invited to follow and are 09:21 granted permission to proceed further. Our journey takes us 09:27 deeper into the jungle in our search for the mysterious 09:31 mummies. Our guide leads us towards the village entrance 09:36 pointing in the direction of the cliff ledge high in the 09:39 mountains where the mummies are located. After serious 09:43 discussion and negotiations we are given permission to view the 09:48 mummies, but we are now on what is considered sacred ground to 09:52 these villagers and so another welcome ceremony awaits us. This 09:57 is by far the most fierce and hostile we've yet experienced. 10:03 A group of villagers covered in mud and wearing pigs tusks and 10:07 other adornment confront us armed with a frightening array 10:11 of weapons. I'm told it's going to be _, wet and muddy so 10:19 it's off with the regular clothing and into expedition 10:22 gear and something more appropriate and just as well. 10:27 The final stage of our journey to the mummies is a laborious 10:32 climb through the jungle that's riddled with stinging nettles 10:35 and spider webs. The track is so steep and overgrown in parts 10:40 that it's necessary to climb on all fours. It's difficult to get 10:52 up here to the mummies. They are perched up here on this cliff 10:56 ledge. There's no flat ground to stand on here and it's very 11:01 slippery and easy to lose your footing. But this is what we've 11:06 been searching for and so we slipped and slid and struggled 11:10 and battled to get up here. The mummies are more macabre than 11:16 anything I'd imagined. There's 14 of them in this group. 11:21 They're all sitting in life like positions or curled up like 11:25 fetuses inside large baskets. They're supported by a banded 11:30 platform and scaffold. They're smeared with red clay and in 11:34 various stages of decomposition. There's parched sections of skin 11:39 and muscle clinging to their skeletons. The mummification 11:45 process is carried out carefully and respectfully. When someone 11:49 dies an experienced person in the art of mummification makes 11:54 an incision in the feet, knees and elbows of the deceased so 11:59 that the body fats can drain into containers. The fat is 12:05 smeared onto the body of the living relatives to impart the 12:09 strength of the dead to the living. Leftover fats are 12:13 used for cooking. Then the eyes, mouth and anus are sewn shut 12:17 to keep air from entering the body before it's subjected to 12:23 the smoking process. This takes weeks, sometimes even months. 12:28 After the body is smoke-cured it's covered in red clay and red 12:31 ocre to deter insects and predators. The mummy is then 12:36 placed in burial caves or along cliff ledges like this one 12:41 overlooking the village. The villagers then believe that the 12:45 the mummy becomes a watcher or a guardian for the village. 12:48 Great warriors are given special positions higher up on 12:53 the cliffs to watch out for enemies and invaders. These 12:57 modern day warriors while standing here with their 13:01 ancestors who they tenderly and lovingly placed here to 13:05 watch out over their village and they believe that they are 13:09 watchers or guardians that are keeping them safe and protecting 13:13 them from danger. The highest respect that these warriors can 13:18 give their ancestors is to place them here on this cliff ledge in 13:22 this position of honor and prestige. The very sight of a 13:27 row of charred red bodies hanging off the mountains might 13:31 seem quite grotesque. In fact, I find it quite disturbing and 13:36 distressing. It's not something we're used to. But for the Anga 13:42 people it's the highest form of respect for the dead. When I 13:47 look at these mummified corpses lined up along the cliff ledge, 13:50 the question that keeps crossing my mind is where really are 13:56 these people? And it raises the age old question - what happens 14:02 after we die? It's an age old question. Men and women through 14:09 the centuries have wondered about the same thing. They've 14:14 wrestled with the uncertainty of death. What really happens to us 14:19 after we die? Every civilization and all religions have 14:24 endeavored 14:25 to provide answers. All of their theories and explanations fall 14:30 into three primary view points about death. The first view is 14:35 quite popular today but utterly dismal. And here it is: 14:40 When people die that's the end. They simply stop living and 14:46 there is nothing beyond this life. At death it's all over. 14:50 It's final. That's it. The second view teaches: 14:56 that people are immortal. Everybody lives forever. They 15:00 never actually die. At death they just continue on living 15:05 somewhere in some shape or form. Then the third view teaches that 15:12 people are mortal. They all can and do die. But there is life 15:17 after death and this after life is always connected to one 15:24 person, Jesus Christ, and comes through resurrection. Now these 15:29 three viewpoints about death are very different from each 15:34 other. They are conflicting views. And so the question is 15:39 how do we decide which one is right. How do we find out what 15:43 really happens when a person dies. Well I believe that there 15:48 is only one place to settle all the confusion about death. There 15:53 is only one reliable source of information that reveals 16:00 ultimate truth and that's the Bible, the word of God. The 16:03 Bible unlocks the mystery of death. Jesus stated it 16:08 succinctly. Here's what he said in John the 17th chapter and 16:14 verse 17: 16:22 So let's find out exactly what the Bible says on this subject. 16:28 Let's find out what really happens to a person after they 16:33 die. Well firstly the Bible clearly teaches that there is 16:38 life after death. It calls it eternal life or everlasting life 16:44 Please notice what the Bible says in John chapter 3 16:47 and verse 16: 17:01 The Bible says that eternal life is possible and is totally 17:06 dependent on belief in Jesus Christ and accepting him as 17:11 Savior. Eternal life is a gift from God. Here's what the Bible 17:16 says in Romans chapter 6 and verse 23: 17:30 The Bible says we've all sinned and that the wages of sin is 17:36 death. The Bible says we're not inherently immortal. Man does 17:41 not naturally possess eternal life in himself. Because we've 17:45 all sinned and made mistakes we die. We're not immortal. The 17:51 Bible says that only God is immortal. Here's what it says in 17:56 1 Timothy: 18:21 So the Bible says that only God is immortal. People are not 18:27 immortal. We don't naturally live forever. Because of our 18:31 sins and mistakes we are subject to death. We die. But if we 18:37 believe in Jesus and accept him as our Savior, then we receive 18:41 the gift of eternal life from God. But that eternal life is 18:47 always connected to one person, Jesus Christ, and belief in him. 18:52 And that gift of eternal life only becomes a reality at the 18:57 resurrection when Jesus returns the second time. Eternal life, 19:02 the gift of God, only comes at the resurrection. Here's what 19:08 the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 19:09 chapter 4, verses 16 and 17. 19:45 Aren't those priceless words? When Paul wanted to comfort 19:51 loved ones of those who had died in Christ, this is what he said. 19:55 He pointed them to the resurrection. This is the Bible 20:00 hope, the blessed hope. It doesn't seek comfort in 20:03 religious ritual, mummification or false theories. It focuses 20:08 on the great day when God will raise the dead. Death will be 20:13 overcome at the second coming of Christ. We have the promise 20:17 of eternal life now. We have the assurance of eternal life now. 20:23 But it's always connected to Jesus and the resurrection. We 20:28 only receive eternal life when Jesus returns a second time and 20:33 the resurrection of the dead takes place. The Bible makes 20:37 this crystal clear in the great chapter on the resurrection, 20:41 1 Corinthians 15. Listen to this: 21:00 But how can we be certain that this is right, that this is 21:04 going to happen? Well we already have a guarantee. We've got the 21:09 evidence. You see Jesus resurrection was an event that 21:14 New Testament writers could whole heartedly affirm. After 21:18 Christ's death, they'd seen him alive, spoken with him, touched 21:23 him. This was no wandering spirit. This wasn't their 21:27 imagination. This was flesh and blood reality. It was this 21:34 marvelous event the resurrection of Jesus that enabled the 21:38 disciples to know for sure that death could be overcome. It was 21:43 their guarantee. Not because of anything they had done, not 21:48 because of human effort, but solely because of the work of 21:53 God. The followers of Jesus, Christians, understood that 21:56 believers can be resurrected just as their Lord had 22:00 resurrected. Eternal life is in Christ. Notice what the Bible 22:05 says in John chapter 6 and verse 36: 22:14 That's where our hope must lie. In Jesus. He alone possesses the 22:21 key to the grave. Eternal life is a gift from him. The Bible 22:26 makes this crystal clear. Listen to what it says in 1 John 22:30 chapter 5 and verse 11: 22:41 That's the key to living forever. It's making the right 22:45 connection, believing in Jesus. Eternal life is in Jesus. Our 22:52 eternal life depends on connecting ourselves with him. 22:56 The Bible writers all placed their hope in Jesus and the 23:02 resurrection. Their faith was based entirely in a future event 23:07 that would echo their Lord's resurrection. They knew that 23:11 Jesus had promised the believer this in John chapter 6 23:14 and verse 54: 23:23 Yes when Jesus returns the dead in Christ will be raised and will 23:28 live forever. Until then they sleep in the grave. The Bible 23:33 consistently pictures death as a sleep that only Christ's coming 23:38 awakens. In fact, the Bible refers to death as a sleep no 23:43 less than 53 times. David, Daniel, Paul and Jesus himself 23:49 all referred to death as a sleep So what happens after we die? 23:55 Well the Bible says that believers in Jesus remain in 24:00 the grave in the sleep of death until Jesus comes and resurrects 24:04 them to live forever. This is the Bible hope, the blessed hope 24:10 We can have confidence in this hope. Why not make it your hope 24:16 right now as we pray. 24:20 Our dear heavenly Father, thank you for your word the Bible and 24:24 the great truths it reveals. I'm so thankful for the hope we have 24:29 in Jesus Christ and the resurrection. We don't have to 24:33 live under the shadow of death anymore. If we accept Jesus as 24:38 our personal Savior you've promised to give us eternal 24:43 life. His resurrection assures us that it will be repeated for 24:47 each of us at his second coming. We look forward to that day. 24:52 Keep us faithful until then. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. 24:59 Papua New Guinea is a land of mystery. The mummies of Papua 25:12 New Guinea are a reminder if the question we all ask about 25:17 perhaps the greatest mystery of all: What happens after we die? 25:22 Ancient cultures, men and women through the centuries have 25:26 wrestled with the uncertainty of death. They've been perplexed 25:30 over the unknown. Is there any way we can find reliable 25:36 information about what really happens when a person dies? 25:40 I believe there is. In fact, I'm convinced there's only one 25:45 reliable source of information regarding life after death and 25:49 that's the word of God. The Bible unlocks the mystery of 25:54 death. If you'd like to know more concerning the Biblical 25:57 truth about death then I'd like to recommend a free gift we have 26:02 for all our viewers today. It's the book What Happens When You 26:08 Die? This book is our gift to you and is absolutely free. 26:12 There are no costs or obligations whatsoever. Many 26:17 have been blessed by this book. They've found answers to their 26:21 questions about death. There is hope, real hope. So make the 26:27 most of this wonderful opportunity to receive the gift 26:30 we have for you today. Here's the information you need: Phone 26:36 or text us at 0436333555 in Australia or 0204222042 in 26:48 New Zealand or visit our website www.tij.tv to request today's 26:56 free offer and we'll send it to you totally free of charge and 27:00 with no obligation. Write to us at: 27:21 Don't delay. Call or text us now If you've enjoyed today's 27:28 journey to Papua New Guinea in search of the mysterious mummies 27:32 of Asiki and our reflections on the resurrection and the Bible's 27:36 hope of life after death, then be sure to join us again next 27:41 week when we will share another of life's journeys together. 27:45 Until then remember the ultimate destination of life's journey. 27:48 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth. And God will wipe away 27:54 every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death nor 27:58 sorrow nor crying. There shall be no more pain for the former 28:02 things have passed away. 28:04 ♪ ♪ |
Revised 2021-02-02