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St Paul - History, Biblical Epistles, Gnosticism and Mithraism

Read / Write Comments | By Vexen Crabtree 1999 Dec 22

St. Paul is attributed with the writing of 13 books in the Bible, 7 by himself and 6 by others in his name. He was born in Tarsus as "Saul" and adopted the name of Paul after converting to what is now Christianity. He was an early leader of the growing Christian churches around the Roman Empire, and the writings of St. Paul are the earliest existing Christian writings known to historians. Despite this, Paul never met Jesus and appears to rely mostly on Greek myths and legends, many of which he copied, placing Jesus at the center of them.

  1. Paul's Epistles
  2. How Saul of Tarsus Becomes St. Paul
    1. The Conversion
    2. Paul Was Converted to Christianity by a Seizure
    3. Saint Paul
  3. Paul Combined The Greek Christ and the Hebrew Messiah
  4. Mithraism
  5. Gnosticism
  6. Paul's Funky Laws

1. Paul's Epistles

Paul's epistles (letters) make up 7 of the Books of the Bible. Six more were written in Paul's name at later dates (in some cases some believe the text was written over 80 years after Paul's death). When the New Testament was compiled, over two hundred years later, no-one knew that some of Paul's letters were merely written in his name. The authentic, early, writings are gnostic, whereas the later pseudonymous texts are more literalist and misogynistic. The four gospels are written using Paul as a source, although none of the originals of Paul's writings have survived.

By Paul:

1 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon and Romans1.Pseudonymous writings in the name of Paul:
1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Ephesians, Colossians and 2 Thessalonians1.2. How Saul of Tarsus Becomes St. Paul2.1. The ConversionSaul of Tarsus is the man we now call Paul. Saul was a Greek Jew, working for a Sadducee High Priest as a type of hired goon. Some say that he was likely a follower of Mithraism, which was a popular religion in the first century Roman Empire especially in Paul's home town of Tarsus. He was a powerful and outspoken critic of the troublesome sect of Jews that were led by the Rabbi Yeshua Nazaret. Acts 8:3 describes Saul ridiculing and arresting the followers of Yeshua. On the way to Jerusalem it was believed that Saul was going to continue to harass the followers of Yeshua. Instead, at about the age of 30, Paul revealed himself as a convert to the Jewish sect of Yeshua and changed his name to Paul.“Paul was originally a Jewish Pharisee from outside Palestine, who had heard the Christian proclamation of Jesus, found it blasphemous, and worked to oppose it with all his heart and strength, one of the first the most forceful persecutors of the new faith (Gal. 1:13; cf. Acts 8:3). But Paul himself then had some kind of visionary experience of Jesus (Gal. 1:15-16; 1 Cor. 15:8-11) and changed from being the Christian movement's chief adversary to being its chief advocate, transformed from persecutor to proclaimer.”"Lost Christianities" by Bart Ehrman (2003)2Saul was convinced from his Mithraistic roots that the Christ would return within his lifetime. Possibly he felt much guilt for persecuting the Yeshua cult despite it being his job. Converting presented a personal chance of guilt abstention and controversial fame. He became the holy man he desired to be and was vindicated of all the wrong he had done in persecuting Yeshua: He declared himself born again and began actively preaching about Jesus the Christ. This guilt-complex explanation is not the only one presented by scholars, others have held that the mystical experience Saul had was the result of neurology:2.2. Paul Was Converted to Christianity by a Seizure“Saint Paul certainly had an epileptoid, if not an epileptic seizure.”"The Varieties of Religious Experience" by William James (1902)3William James, the well-known psychologist and author on the history of religion, is convinced that St Paul's vision of Christ (his only "contact" with Jesus, ever) was a seizure (Acts 9:3-9). His claim is scientifically likely and has been made by scientists and doctors many times in history4. The prominent book on brain neurology, Neuroscience states that some people have a once-in-a-life seizure that can include visual hallucinations. In the general (non-epileptic) population, it occurs in 7 to 10 percent of people's lives5."What Causes Religion and Superstitions?: Biological Neuronal Dysfunction as a Cause of Religion" by Vexen Crabtree (2007)2.3. Saint PaulIn Damascus Saul preached his new belief but the locals forced him away. He arrived at Jerusalem but the original followers of Yeshua did not trust Saul, their old enemy. Paul left Jerusalem and went to his home town, Tarsus, in Cilicia/Cesarea, in an area now called Turkey.Paul was the original preacher of "Jesus the Christ". Yeshua was not called "Jesus" (in Greek) nor "Christ" (another Greek idea) until Paul concluded that Yeshua was Christ. Paul combined his own beliefs with those of the Jewish followers of Yeshua, including many rituals and parts of the Mithraist religion. He confused the Hellenic Christ theme with the messiah of Judaism, and the result was the sacrificial nature of Christ that Christianity has.Paul opposed Jewish tradition and preached a new covenant from God that included women and Gentiles (non-Jews). This allowed many new converts and followers to what became known as Pauline Christianity. He gained a new life of which he could be proud. However many of his attempts to preach his new way in the synagogues were rebuked and he spent more than one stretch in prison. He travelled throughout the Mediterranean bringing the Good News to the Gentiles. Paul died in about 64ce after a two year stretch in a prison in Rome.3. Paul Combined The Greek Christ and the Hebrew MessiahSome text taken from www.elpaso.net/~spoon/advocate/wcs“Paul mistook the Jewish "Messiah" to mean the Hellenistic "Christ". This happened before anything was written down; it happened during Paul's conversations with people as he was working through what had happened. A messiah is a person who is a great leader who leads your people to freedom. The title was taken by Jews from Persian culture. A christ is a god-king who dies as an offering to some divine being as a sacrifice in return for prosperity, especially agricultural prosperity. Both are anointed with oil as a mystical, sexual rite.”Jesus didn't exist (Quoted in 1999, site is now down)The pagan theme of Christ, as was a popular part of Roman mystery religions and folklore, was combined with the Hebrew Yeshua story by Paul and his subsequent followers. It was Mithraism that probably provided the greatest influence of all the mystery religions, as Tarsus was a heavily Mithraist place. Tarsus was a very old seaport, over 2000 years old, and Mithraism was popular there with shrines and imagery stretching as far West as the Danube river. Paul no doubt found a large audience there for his preaching of Jesus, the new Christ, and for the story of salvation, as Mithraism contained many compatible and defining features of his Christ theory. This is why Christianity came to have so many rituals and beliefs in common with Mithraism, even down to the same wording used in prayers.Here are some older myths that were common which Paul would have known as a Roman:Attis "was the son of the goddess Nana's earthly incarnation. She was a virgin. "He grew up to become a sacrificial victim and savior, slain to bring salvation to mankind. His body was eaten by his worshippers in the form of bread. He was resurrected to become the most high god, who holds the universe together. Like his priests, he was castrated, then crucified on a pine tree, whence his holy blood poured down to redeem the earth" [Unknown source]Osiris started out as an Egyptian God of Vegetation, resurrection and the endless seasons. Osiris evolved to become a dominant God in the Egyptian religion. Osiris presides over the tribunal of the dead, who must appeal to him with gifts and tokens of goodness gained whilst they were alive, because he can give them new life. The Cult of Osiris and Isis, found in Rome, were directed towards Salvation and making sure that they would please Osiris when they die. Osiris was tricked and killed (but returned to life), and for a period of time his enemies ruled in his place. (Similar to Revelations20)Asklepios (5th century bce): The majority of the miracles performed by Jesus appear to have their root in Asklepios' miracles, healings etc. A blind healed by Asklepios see at first only trees, like the one healed by Jesus. Asklepios heals poor and rich, men and women, slaves and free, like Jesus. He raises the dead, the details being the same as in the Jesus stories.Herakles (5th century bce), like Jesus, was born of a virgin. Zeus was his father. Like Jesus he walked on the waters, was viewed as a savior, dies with the words "father, it is done" and rises to heaven. There are many more parallels.Dionysios (8th century bce), like Jesus, was the son of a god (Zeus) and a mortal woman. He was a healer, turned water into wine (the marriage at Kana) and was a mortal and resurrected god.Christ theme: The words "My El, why have you forsaken me?" are those of a pagan Messiah, "El" is a pagan God and this is the word used in older Biblical texts, only, it is Jesus who is said to say them. Pagan kings were often assumed to rule by divine right, and the ritual sacrifice of them often involved a judas. The judas would take the place of the true king for the sacrifice, the point of which was to renew the Earth and to bring salvation to mankind. Mythically the sacrificed people rose again from the dead at the same time as salvation was given (through the sacrifice).There are many different books that the Christian church decided to expunge. We have snippets and scraps from many such books including the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Gnostic Gospels, the Apocrypha, 1Infancy, 2Infancy, Nicodemus and the first and second Book of Adam and Eve.It is revealing that in one such book Jesus is not crucified, but Judas is instead whilst Jesus stands laughing on a hill. Try these two sources for copies of some of these texts: The Lost Books of the Bible and the Forgotten Books of Eden published by World Bible Publishers, Inc. and The Other Bible: Ancient Alternative Scriptures edited by Willis Barnstone.4. Mithraism“Spirit of Spirit, if it be your will, give me over to immortal birth so that I may be born again - and the sacred spirit may breathe in me.”Prayer to Mithras“Mithraism and Judaism merged and became Christianity. Jesus, son of the Hebrew sky God, and Mithras, son of Ormuzd are both the same myth. The rituals of Christianity coincide with the earlier rituals of Mithraism, including the Eucharist and the Communion in great detail. The language used by Mithraism was the language used by Christians. St Paul as the first "Christian" bears much of the responsibility for merging the two in his preaching and teaching, and also comes from Tarsus, a major Mithraist center.The idea of a sacrificed saviour is Mithraist, so is the symbolism of bulls, rams, sheep, the blood of a transformed saviour washing away sins and granting eternal life, the 7 sacraments, the banishing of an evil host from heaven, apocalyptic end of time when God/Ormuzd sends the wicked to hell and establishes peace. Roman Emperors, Mithraist then Christian, mixed the rituals and laws of both religions into one. Emperor Constantine established 25th of Dec, the birthdate of Mithras, to be the birthdate of Jesus too. The principal day of worship of the Jews, The Sabbath, was replaced by the Mithraistic Sun Day as the Christian holy day. The Catholic Church, based in Rome and founded on top of the most venerated Mithraist temple, wiped out all competing son-of-god religions within the Roman Empire, giving us modern literalist Christianity.”"Mithraism and Early Christianity" by Vexen Crabtree (2002)“It was in Tarsus that the Mysteries of Mithras had originated, so it would have been unthinkable that Paul would have been unaware of the remarkable similarities we have already explored between Christian doctrines and the teachings of Mithraism. [Footnote:] Tarsus was the capital of Cilicia, where, according to Plutarch [46-125ce], the Mithraic Mysteries were being practiced as early as 67bce”"Jesus Mysteries" by Freke & Gandy [Book Review] (1999)65. GnosticismGnosticism is an early form of Christianity that taught the same as Mystery religions: That the great son-of-god characters were only symbolic. The Outer Mystery comprised of the publicly available information and constructed stories of the religion, whereas the Inner Mysteries were learned by initiates, and revealed that these stories were allegorical and symbolic creations that hold deeper spiritual meanings. Literalists were those who later rejected the inner teachings, forming Christianity as we know it today, as a religion that beliefs in the rebirth of their savior in an actual physical, real, literalist way.Was Paul himself a gnostic and a teacher of the Jesus Mysteries, or was he a literalist? Freke and Gandy conclude that he was neither. A large chapter of their Jesus Mysteries hypothesis is dedicated to showing us the many ways in which early Christianity was a Mystery religion, which was later replaced Christians who only interpreted its vegetation myths literally rather than spiritually. They conclude that although Paul's genuine teachings were gnostic, Paul was neither for or against gnosticism, because literalist Christianity did not yet exist, so there was no "side" to be on.“Upon reflection we felt that to call Paul a Gnostic was, in a sense, misleading. The more we looked at the evidence we had uncovered, the more it seemed that to apply to the terms 'Gnostic' and 'Literalist' to the Christianity of the first century was actually meaningless. From Paul's letters it is clear that the Christian community of this period was deeply divided, yet this schism was not between Gnostics and Literalists, as was the case by the end of the second century. Paul is neither anti-Gnostic nor pro-Gnostic, because in his day the great schism between Gnostics and Literalists had yet to occur.At the time of Paul, the strands of thought that would become Gnosticism and Literalism were harmoniously co-existing as the Inner and Outer teachings of the Jesus Mysteries. The theological battle that Paul is engaged in is between those initiates of the Jesus Mysteries who want to maintain a traditional and distinctively Jewish identity and those, like himself, who wish to make their new Mysteries completely 'modern' and cosmopolitan.”"Jesus Mysteries" by Freke & Gandy [Book Review] (1999)7That Christianity actually started out as a Roman Mystery Religion is not accepted even by many liberal Christians, but nonetheless the evidence is laid out comprehensively that Paul taught gnostic teachings, not because he was a "gnostic" as opposed to a "literalist", but because Christianity was inherently gnostic from its conception. It was another god-man religion like Mithraism, Osiris-Dionysis myths and other common religions of the time. Taking the bullet points from Freke and Gandy (p212-213), here is some of the simplified evidence that Paul taught the same things that the Mystery religions, because Paul was himself a gnostic, being an initiate of The Jesus Mysteries: The Gnostics claimed that their spiritual lineage stemmed from Paul and that they were privy to secret oral teachings taught by Paul to select disciples Gnostics had many gospels which they attributed to Paul, their 'Great Apostle' Many Gnostic groups claimed Paul as their founding father By the middle of the second century the communities to which Paul had written his letters are known to have been centres of Marcionite Gnosticism Paul's anti-Gnostic Pastoral letters are fakes, forged in the late second century. In the genuine letters Paul is not anti-Gnostic and never mentions an historical Jesus Literalist Christians of the early second century attack Paul, who they claim 'contradicts' the true teaching and is the 'adversary' of Jesus. Paul was born in Tarsus, a major centre for the Pagan Mysteries, and often uses terms from the Mysteries in his letters. He even calls himself a 'Steward of the Mysteries of God', the term for a priest in the Pagan Mysteries of Serapis. Paul quotes Pagan sages and teaches Pagan doctrines. [...] Paul's letters reveal a powerful Gnostic content. Paul regularly uses Gnostic terms. [...] He teaches that Jesus came only in the 'likeness' of flesh. [...] He describes the scriptures as 'allegories' and 'symbolic'. [...] Whilst the Literalists saw the resurrection as the promise that they would rise from their graves and experience bodily immortality after the Second Coming, Paul teaches the Gnostic doctrine that the resurrection is a mystical experience that can be had here and now.  The great secret that Paul claims to be able to reveal is not that Jesus literally walked the Earth, but the mystical revelation of "Christ in you".  The Gnostics claimed that, like the gospels, Paul's letters encoded secret teachings. Paul taught in 'two ways at once': the Outer Mysteries [and] the Inner Mysteries. [...]. What does this mean? It means that the rebirth of Jesus was not thought of as a historical event. This explains why, for example, early Christians had no traditions on the birth of Jesus, nor did they know where he was buried, nor are there any mentions of a historical Jesus by historians. All the elements of the birth narrative that we know are false are easily explained by the fact that they were gnostic stories, designed to teach initiates greater truths than the mere literal value of the stories. All of this not only lends support to the suspected truth that Jesus did not exist, but the idea that Christianity as a literalist religion based on historical truth is a mistake.6. Paul's Funky Laws“The "glad tidings" were followed closely by the absolutely worst tidings - those of St Paul.”"The AntiChrist" by Friedrich Nietzsche(1888)The teachings of St. Paul are infamously misogynistic. The following text is copied and slightly edited version of text from hansss/Pauls-laws.html, which is no longer online.Don't marry unless you 'cannot control yourselves' (1 Cor. 7:1, 1 Cor. 7:38 - From genuine teachings of Paul) Don't get divorced (1 Cor. 7:11 - Genuine) Don't get circumcised (1 Cor. 7:19, Gal. 5:2 - Genuine) Don't seek freedom from slavery (1 Cor. 7:21, Tit. 2:9 - Former genuine, latter a fake) Don't worry about eating food sacrificed to idols (1 Cor. 8:4 - Genuine) Don't have long hair [men] (1 Cor. 11:14 - Genuine) Don't wear gold, braids, expensive clothes (1 Tim. 2:9 - Fake) Don't let women teach/have authority over men (1 Tim. 2:12 - Fake) Don't give welfare to women under sixty (1 Tim. 5:9 - Fake) 1 Corinthians 7:1 Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. 2But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. 3The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4The wife’s body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband’s body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. 5Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. 6I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7I wish that all men were as I am. But each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that. 8Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. 9But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion. 10To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord): A wife must not separate from her husband. 11But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife. 12To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. 15But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace. 16How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?17Nevertheless, each one should retain the place in life that the Lord assigned to him and to which God has called him. This is the rule I lay down in all the churches. 18Was a man already circumcised when he was called? He should not become uncircumcised. Was a man uncircumcised when he was called? He should not be circumcised.19Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God’s commands is what counts. 20Each one should remain in the situation which he was in when God called him. 21Were you a slave when you were called? Don’t let it trouble you although if you can gain your freedom, do so. 22For he who was a slave when he was called by the Lord is the Lord’s freedman; similarly, he who was a free man when he was called is Christ’s slave.23You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of men. 24Brothers, each man, as responsible to God, should remain in the situation God called him to. 25Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for you to remain as you are. 27Are you married? Do not seek a divorce. Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife. 28But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this. 29What I mean, brothers, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they had none; 30those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away. 32I would like you to be free from concern. An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord’s affairs how he can please the Lord. 33But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world how he can please his wife-34and his interests are divided. An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: Her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world how she can please her husband. 35I am saying this for your own good, not to restrict you, but that you may live in a right way in undivided devotion to the Lord. 36If anyone thinks he is acting improperly toward the virgin he is engaged to, and if she is getting along in years and he feels he ought to marry, he should do as he wants. He is not sinning. They should get married. 37But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind, who is under no compulsion but has control over his own will, and who has made up his mind not to marry the virgin this man also does the right thing. 38So then, he who marries the virgin does right, but he who does not marry her does even better. 39A woman is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to marry anyone she wishes, but he must belong to the Lord. 40In my judgment, she is happier if she stays as she is and I think that I too have the Spirit of God.1 Corinthians 8:1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. 2The man who thinks he knows something does not yet know as he ought to know. 3But the man who loves God is known by God. 4So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world and that there is no God but one. 5For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), 6yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. 7But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled. 8But food does not bring us near to God; we are no worse if we do not eat, and no better if we do. 9Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.10For if anyone with a weak conscience sees you who have this knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, won’t he be emboldened to eat what has been sacrificed to idols? 11So this weak brother, for whom Christ died, is destroyed by your knowledge. 12When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ. 13Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall.1 Corinthians 10:25 Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, 26for, "The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it." 27If some unbeliever invites you to a meal and you want to go, eat whatever is put before you without raising questions of conscience. 28But if anyone says to you, "This has been offered in sacrifice," then do not eat it, both for the sake of the man who told you and for conscience’ sake-- 29the other man’s conscience, I mean, not yours. For why should my freedom be judged by another’s conscience?1 Corinthians 11:1 Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ. 2I praise you for remembering me in everything and for holding to the teachings, just as I passed them on to you. 3Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4Every man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonours his head. 5And every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonours her head it is just as though her head were shaved. 6If a woman does not cover her head, she should have her hair cut off; and if it is a disgrace for a woman to have her hair cut or shaved off, she should cover her head. 7A man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8For man did not come from woman, but woman from man; 9neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have a sign of authority on her head. 11In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.13Judge for yourselves: Is it proper for a woman to pray to God with her head uncovered?14Does not the very nature of things teach you that if a man has long hair, it is a disgrace to him, 15but that if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For long hair is given to her as a covering. 16If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice nor do the churches of God.Galatians 5:2: Mark my words! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no value to you at all. 3Again I declare to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated to obey the whole law.Galatians 5:12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!1 Timothy 2:9 I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. 11A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent. 13For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner. 15But women will be saved through childbearing if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.1 Timothy 5:8 If anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for his immediate family, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. 9No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.11As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry. 12Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they have broken their first pledge. 13Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to. 14So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for slander.Titus 2:3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. 6Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. 7In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness 8and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. 9Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,

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By Vexen Crabtree 1999 Dec 22
Last Updated: 2010 Jun 11

References: (What's this?)

 

Bear, Connors and Paradiso
"Neuroscience" (1996). Published by Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The Amazon link is to a newer version. Mark F. Bear Ph.D. and Barry W Connors Ph.D. are both Professors of Neuroscience at Brown University, Rhode Island, USA, and Michael A. Paradiso Ph.D., associate professor.

Crabtree, Vexen
"Mithraism and Early Christianity" (2002). Accessed 2010 Jun 11.
"Religion Versus Womankind" (2007). Accessed 2010 Jun 11.

Ehrman, Bart
"Lost Christianities" (2003 hardback). Oxford University Press, New York, USA.

Freke, Timothy & Gandy, Peter
"The Jesus Mysteries" (1999). 2000 paperback edition published by Thorsons, London. [Book Review]

James, William
"The Varieties of Religious Experience" (1902). From the Gifford Lectures delivered at Edinburgh 1901-1902, first Edition printed 1960. Quotes from fifth edition, 1971, Collins. [Book Review]

Nietzsche, Friedrich (1844-1900)
"The AntiChrist" (1888). Quotes from Prometheus Books publication, 2000, translation by Anthony M. Ludovici. [Book Review]

Notes

  1. From www.ReligiousTolerance.org on 2002 August 19: 
    "In his opinion, of the thirteen epistles which say that they were written by Paul, critical scholars have reached a near consensus that seven are Paul's: 1 Thessalonians, Galatians, 1 & 2 Corinthians, Philippians, Philemon and Romans.
    Agreement that he did not write:
    • 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus is about 90%
    • Ephesians is about 80%
    • Colossians is about 60%
    • 2 Thessalonians is a slight majority.
    "

    As an example, the historian Bart Ehrman notes in "Lost Christianities" that "the pastoral letters of 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus [...] claim to be written by Paul, but appear to have been written long after his death"^

  2. Ehrman (2003) p96.^
  3. James (1901) p35.^
  4. H Göbel, H Isler, H-P Hasenfratz in Cephalalgia (An International Journal of Headache), 1995 Jun, Vol. 15 Issue 3 p180. Added to this page on 2007 Feb 25.^
  5. Bear et al (1996) p464. Added to this page on 2007 Feb 25.^
  6. Freke & Gandy (1999) p199.^
  7. Freke & Gandy (1999) p214.^


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The Gospel of Mark

Read / Write Comments | By Vexen Crabtree 2006 Aug 21

This anonymous gospel was the first to be written, between 60 and 80ce, by a Roman convert to Christianity. It was copied word-for-word and used extensively by Matthew and Luke, as their primary source although they edited some details. Nevertheless, the gospel author didn't meet Jesus, wrote in Greek, not Hebrew, and was not a Jew. It is unlikely that Mark knew any Jews. There was no-one to correct his blunders about Jewish life, such as misquoting the 10 commandments, attributing God's words to Moses, and having Jews buy things on the Sabbath. The Gospel of Mark has undergone many changes and there are several ancient versions. The oldest versions of Mark all end at Mark 16:8 many with the words "according to Mark". 9-20 was a later edition by a different unknown author. The Gospel of Mark contradicts the other gospels on many points and contains internal inconsistencies, some of these were later fixed by Matthew and Luke when they made their own copies of Mark. Half way through the second century the Christian proto-orthodox had come to call it 'Mark', although the author is unknown.

  1. The Gospel of Mark
  2. Our Version of Mark is Different to the Original
  3. Mark was Not a Jew and had No Jewish Contacts
  4. Why was Mark Written?
  5. The Contradictions, Absurdities and Confused Stories of Mark
  6. Appendix: Bible Verses

1. The Gospel of Mark

The author of Mark never met Jesus. He wrote in Greek, whereas Jesus and the original Christians spoke Aramaic. Despite this, Matthew and Luke use Mark as their most important source and copy 95% of his text for their own later gospels.

"Of the 661 verses in Marks' Gospel, Matthew's Gospel uses about 607 and Luke's Gospel uses about 360"

Steven Carr

The author of Mark wrote in a form of 'Latinized' Greek after (or shortly before) the destruction of the Temple in 70ce, which he mentions. He must have been born 30-50ce. He wrote in either Rome or Syria. The Latin-Greek is similar to the written language of Rome, and the 'sense of persecution' also hints that Mark wrote in Rome, where Nero was the worst for persecuting Christians. "Mark" was Written before Matthew and Luke (100ce), who both use Mark as a source. It was the most extensive source for the other gospels, and there are only about 30 verses that were not copied or used by the authors of Matthew and Luke. Despite this, Mark did not actually meet Jesus nor speak the same language as him.

The Gospel of Mark was written anonymously was not known as a Gospel of 'Mark' for over a hundred years. When Christians came to name the gospels, they picked 'Mark', who they thought should be a disciple of Peter, who in Greek mythology was associated with the Egyptian god Petra, the gate guardian of Heaven.

As a Roman, Mark directed his writings at a Roman audience. He felt required to explain Jewish customs, and does not bother to explain Roman culture to his readers. Yet he did not extensively understand Jewish culture, and his gospel once even misquotes the 10 commandments! He commits other errors that no Jew (no long term friend of Peter) could have committed, such as having Jews buy things on the Sabbath, of quoting Moses instead of God, and confusing many other Jewish things. Many such things are described on this document by Steven Carr, attached to the end of this page.

2. Our Version of Mark is Different to the Original

Many versions of Mark circulated in ancient history. The version we have dates to around 150ce. One of the more shocking versions of the gospel of Mark is the Carpocratians version of Mark that describes Jesus's paedophiliac relations with young boys, which the Carpocratians considered a virtue.

“The first thing to point out is that [...] Mark's Gospel circulated in different versions. [...] Weknow that it did, since we have numerous manuscripts of Mark's Gospel, as well as of all the books of the New Testament, and no two of these manuscripts are exactly alike [...]. Some of the differences are significant. For example, when Jesus is approached by a leper who wants to be healed (Mark 1:41), rather than indicating that Jesus felt compassion (as found in most manuscripts), some of our earliest manuscripts instead say that he became angry. [...]

Of even greater significance are the last twelve verses of Mark, in which Jesus appears to his disciples after the resurrection, telling them to preach the gospel to all the nations and indicating that those who believe in him will speak in strange tongues, handle snakes, and drink poison without feeling its effects. But this amazing and startling ending is not found in the oldest and best manuscripts of Mark. Instead, these manuscripts end at Mark 16:8, where the women at Jesus' tomb are told that he has been raised, are instructed to inform Peter, but then flee the tomb and say nothing to anyone, "for they were afraid." [...] There is no account of Jesus appearing to his disciples, after the resurrection.”

"Lost Christianities" by Bart Ehrman (2003)1

3. Mark was Not a Jew and had No Jewish Contacts

Mark didn't appear to know any Hebrew or Aramaic (the language of Jesus and his first followers). All his quotes from the Old Testament are from the faulty Septuagint translation, in Greek. For example:

“The most telling moment [...] is when Mark has Jesus quote from the Old Testament in his arguments against the Pharisees. Nothing surprising about this - except that Jesus quotes from the mistranslated Greek version of the Old Testament, which suits his purpose precisely, not from the original Hebrew, which says something quite different [...]. That Jesus the Jew should quote a Greek mistranslation of Jewish Holy Scripture to impress orthodox Jewish Pharisees is simply unthinkable.”

"Jesus Mysteries" by Freke & Gandy [Book Review] (1999)2

Freke and Gandy explain that this can only occur because Mark was written, not by a Jew or anyone who had met Jesus, but by a Roman who didn't speak Hebrew and didn't know that the Greek translation was imperfect.

The following is an abstract from Steven Carr's text. He explains in great detail all the mistakes Mark makes about Jewish customs, beliefs and practices and shows without a doubt that Mark was not a Jew. It seems clear that Mark probably didn't have any Jewish friends to read over his writings or correct him. Matthew and Luke quoted Mark at length: Matthew understood Jewish ways and therefore corrected many of Mark's mistakes.

Mark was not by Mark!

To determine that, it is necessary to look very closely at how Luke and especially Matthew used Mark's Gospel. Time and time again, we see Matthew correcting Mark's blunders about Judaism. Clearly Matthew was a Jew and Mark, despite Papias' bold assertion, was not very close to the Jerusalem Church.

  • Comparing Matthew 15:4 with Mark 7:10, Mark represents a more Gentile attitude in quoting the Old Testament as "Moses said" rather than "God said." Matthew, a Jew, would never have attributed the 10 commandments to Moses. It was God who said them, as all Jews will tell you.

  • Mark 5:22: "One of the rulers of the synagogue." Diaspora synagogues may sometimes have had more than ruler, as at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13:15), but Palestinian synagogues normally had only one. Matthew 9:18, drops this phrase.

     

  • Mark 14:12: On the first day of unleavened bread when they sacrificed the Passover, confuses Nisan 15 with Nisan 14. Naturally, Matthew 26:17 drops the phrase "when they sacrificed the Passover". Was Mark a Jew who did not know about the Passover?

  • Mark 14:13 says that the disciples were to be met by a man carrying a pitcher of water. Matthew 26:18 drops the idea that a Jewish man would do a woman's work.

  • Mark 15:42, "When evening was already come, because it was Friday (paraskeue) that is, the day before the sabbath ..." . This means "either that Friday began with that sunset, and Jesus had died on Thursday; or else, the evangelist forgot [or did not know] that the Jewish day began at evening." Matthew 27:57-62 clarifies Mark's confusion over Jewish days. Interestingly, the NIV tries to translate the problem away by writing for Mark 15:42 'So as evening approached", rather than "and when evening had come", as the RSV has it.

  • Mark 15:46 says that that same evening Joseph of Arimathea "bought a linen cloth." Matthew drops the idea of a Jew buying something on the Sabbath. No Jew could have made that mistake.

  • Mark 1:2 wrongly ascribes Malachi 3:1 to Isaiah. Matthew 3:3 corrects this.

  • In Mark 2:7 the teachers of the law complain that Jesus is forgiving sins and say 'Who can forgive sins but God alone?'. Jews did not think that. Matthew 9:3 drops the phrase. There is a Dead Sea Scroll called 'The Prayer of Nabonidus'(4Q242) , written and copied by Jews, where it is said by Nabonidus '... an exorcist pardoned my sins. He was a Jew...'. Jews did believe that God could give authority to men to forgive sin.

  • Mark 2:26 - Abiathar should be Ahimelech.Matthew 12:1-8 does not repeat the mistake. Incidentally, if Jesus was thinking of 1 Sam. 21:1-8 when he said that David and those who were with him were hungry, then, in his omniscience, he forgot that David was on the run alone and the story that David told Ahimelech was a falsehood - David was not on a mission from the king and he did not have an appointment with any young men.

  • Mark 10:19 misquotes the Ten Commandments and inserts an extra commandment: "Do not defraud." Matthew 19:18-20 sticks to the original 10, plus the one that many Rabbis regarded as a summary of the commandments.

  • Mark 15:34 has Jesus quoting Psalm 22:1 in Aramaic (Eloi). Had Jesus done this, bystanders could hardly have supposed that he was calling for Elijah. Jesus must have used Hebrew Eli, as at Matthew 27:46. The NIV tries to harmonize Matthew and Mark here by using Eloi in both places.

     

More dubious statements by a "Companion of Peter"

  • Mark 7:31 says that Jesus and his disciples journeyed "out from the borders of Tyre ... through Sidon, to the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders". The journey described is like "travelling from Cornwall to London by way of Manchester" (Anderson, H. _The Gospel of Mark_, NCB (London, 1976).

  • Mark 8:10 refers to the "the district of Dalmanutha." As far as is known, there was no such place in Galilee. (The difficulty was recognized early because there are many textual variants in the manuscripts.)

  • Mark 5:1 specifies that the eastern side of the lake of Galilee is the country of theGerasenes. This is more than 30 miles from a lake. This caused a lot of confusion as can be seen by the variety of names in the texts here. Matthew changed Mark's Gerasenes to Gadarenes in Matthew 8:28. Gadara was a well-known spa only eight miles from the lake.

  • Mark 6:14-27 repeatedly refers to Herod Antipas as a "king." Matthew commits this error only once (14:9). The correct title 'tetrarch' appears in Matthew 14:1, Luke 3:19,Luke 9:7, Acts 13:1, but not once in Mark's Gospel.

  • Mark 6:17 says that Antipas married the wife of his brother Philip. According to Josephus, Antiquities.18.5.4, she was actually the wife of a different brother.

Places where Matthew adds Jewish elements which 'Mark' overlooked

  • Mark 13:17-19 fails to urge Jesus' followers to pray that they do not have to flee on the sabbath (compare Matthew 24:20).

  • Mark 2:23-28 lacks the appeal to the Mosaic Law found in Matthew 12:5.

  • Mark 7:19b, a comment by the evangelist, asserts that Jesus "declared all foods clean." Matthew 15:20 drops this. It is inconceivable that Jesus would have abolished the food laws without his opponents ever once mentioning that in accusations.

  • Mark 9:4 names Elijah before Moses. Naturally, Matthew 17:3 puts Moses before Elijah, as Moses is far more important to Jews than Elijah.

  • Mark 11:10 refers to the kingdom our father David. No Jew would have referred to our father David. The father of the nation was Abraham, or possibly Jacob, who was renamed Israel. Not all Jews were sons of David. Naturally, Matthew 21:9 does not refer to our father David.

  • Mark 12:31,33,34 subordinate the Torah to love, and to the kingdom, in contrast toMatt. 22:36-40, who as a Jew, put a far greater emphasis on the Law.

Mark has to explain Jewish features.

Mark never explains Gentile matters, such as who Pilate was. However, he assumes that his intended readers know even less about Judaism than he does and he has to explain the most elementary features. By contrast, Matthew makes more use of Judaism and assumes his readers are up to speed. Was Mark really a Jewish companion of Peter, or someone who was very close to the earliest, Jewish, followers of Jesus?

  • Only Mark 12:42 explains that a lepton, a coin used in Palestine, was worth half a quadrans. Further more, "quadrans" is a word borrowed from Latin.

     

  • Mark 10:12 forbids women to divorce their husbands and remarry. But Jewish law already forbade that! The teaching would have seemed outlandish to a Jew of Palestine, but was an appropriate expansion for those of pagan background.

     

  • At Mark 3:17 and Mark 10:46, he has to explain the most elementary meanings of Aramaic surnames. This is supposedly from somebody to whom Aramaic was a mother tongue. Even if Mark is just explaining things to his readers, it is clear that his readers, being ignorant of elementary Aramaic and even the currency of Palestine, would have been in no position to check out any of the things that he wrote.

     

  • Mark 6:48 uses 'the fourth watch'. The Jews divided the night into three watches. The Romans divided the night into four watches, according to the conservative 'New Bible Dictionary'. This is still more evidence that Mark's Gospel was written for people who would have been familiar with Roman and not Jewish customs, and so would have found it hard to check the Gospel stories.

     

There is nothing in Mark which a well educated Roman Gentile would not have known. For example, when Mark 15:38 talks about the curtain of the Temple, Roman Gentiles would have known that the Temple had a curtain, as it was taken to Rome after Jerusalem was sacked (Book 7, Chapter 5 in 'Wars of the Jews' by Josephus).

Mark didn't know Peter

We have seen already that Mark was not known as a Gospel of 'Mark' for over a hundred years. When Christians came to name the Gospels, they picked 'Mark', who they thought should be a disciple of Peter, who in Greek mythology was associated with the Egyptian god Petra, the gate guardian of Heaven. Nowadays, Christians nowadays consider 'Peter' to be a genuine historical person, but it seems that even if he was real, Mark didn't know him. Peter certainly could have corrected any of Mark's errors in Jewish knowledge, and it is ludicrous to assume that Mark wrote this text without showing Peter (or any other Jew). It is clear that Mark didn't know any Jews. All three other gospels refer to Peter (Matthew 16:17-20, Luke 22:28-32 and John 21:15-17) and give him authority, whereas Mark doesn't. I think Mark knew Peter was not real; but merely a piece of Roman mythology used symbolically in a way all Romans would have understood. Later authors (such as the Jewish author of the Gospel of Matthew), who copied Mark's text, did not know this, therefore they elevated him.

4. Why was Mark Written?

“Professor Dennis R MacDonald writes: "Whether as a response to the Jewish War (66-70) or to the deaths of the earliest followers of Jesus, or to the need of a definitive version of Jesus' life, or to objectionable theological trends, the author of the Gospel of Mark recast traditional materials into a dramatic narrative climaxing in Jesus' death. It is not clear precisely what kind of book the author set out to compose, insofar as no document written prior to Mark exactly conforms with its literary properties. Its themes of travel, conflict with supernatural foes, suffering, and secrecy resonate with Homer's Odyssey and Greek romantic novels. Its focus on the character, identity, and death of a single individual reminds one of ancient biographies. Its dialogues, tragic outcome, and peculiar ending call to mind Greek drama. Some have suggested that the author created a new, mixed genre for narrating the life and death of Jesus."”

"Early Christian Literature" by Prof. Dennis R. MacDonald, via Wikipedia accessed 2006 Aug 21

The re-writing of the Jewish-Christian stories about Jesus into a complete biography were as revolutionary as St Paul's letters to the early Christian churches. Together they produced a Roman version of Jewish Christianity.

5. The Contradictions, Absurdities and Confused Stories of Mark

  • Jesus sends his disciples out to preach, but in Mark they are told to wear sandals (contradicting Matthew), and are told to take a staff (contradicting Luke):

     

    Matthew 10:9-10Mark 6:8-9Luke 9:3
    Do not take along any gold or silver or copper in your belts; take no bag for the journey, or extra tunic, or sandals or a staffTake nothing for the journey except a staff - no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. Wear sandals but not an extra tunic.Take nothing for the journey - no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic.

     

  • The gospels describe where Jesus taught. Mark contradicts Luke and John's accounts:

     

    Book“Mark has Jesus teaching only in the area of Galilee, and not in Judea, and only traveling the 70 miles to Jerusalem once, at the end of his life. Luke, however, portrays Jesus as teaching equally in Galilee and Judea. John's Jesus, on the other hand, preaches mainly in Jerusalem and makes only occasional visits to Galilee.”

    "Jesus Mysteries" by Freke & Gandy [Book Review] (1999)3

  • Mark contradicts Luke and John on the issue of how Jesus was sentenced:

     

    “According to Matthew and Mark, Jesus was both tried and sentenced by the Jewish priests of the Sanhedrin. Luke has it that Jesus was [not] sentenced by them. Yet according to John, Jesus does not appear before the Sanhedrin at all.”

    "Jesus Mysteries" by Freke & Gandy [Book Review] (1999)3

  • The gospel of Mark does not describe the history of Jesus or his virgin birth. These parts of the New Testament's stories were added by Matthew, 30 years later, who assimilated other myths into the legends.

“The accounts of Matthew, Mark and Luke contradict each other, even on the parts of Christian mythology which Christians consider to be the most important: The crucifixion and resurrection. They give different sets of final words, confusingly different accounts of the empty tomb (one of them including an earthquake), and wildly different accounts of the resurrection. They're all making it up!”

"The Crucifixion Facade" by Vexen Crabtree (2002)

Two minor contradictions with Matthew on the wording of Jesus and the details of some events show us that passing on stories by word-of-mouth causes inaccuracies:

Matthew 20:29-34 (Jesus heals 2 blind men)Mark 10:46-52 (Only 1 blind man)
And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, two blind men sitting by the roadside, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent; but they cried out the more, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!" And Jesus stopped and called them, saying, "What do you want me to do for you?" They said to him, "Lord, let our eyes be opened." And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they received their sight and followed him.And they came to Jericho; and as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great multitude, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent; but he cried out all the more, "Son of David, have mercy on me!"... And Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" And the blind man said to him, "Master, let me receive my sight." And Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your faith has made you well." And immediately he received his sight and followed him on the way.
Matthew 21:12 (Jesus goes from the Temple to Bethany, and saw the fig tree)Mark 11:11-17
And Jesus entered the temple of God and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer'; but you make it a den of robbers."...But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that he did, and the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" they were indignant; and they said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?" And Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast brought perfect praise'?" And leaving them, he went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there. In the morning, as he was returning to the city, he was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the wayside he went to it, and found nothing on it but leaves only. And he said to it, "May no fruit ever come from you again!" And the fig tree withered at once.And he entered Jerusalem,and went into the temple; and when he had looked round at everything, as it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the twelve. On the following day, when they came from Bethany, he was hungry. And seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to see if he could find anything on it. When he came to it, he found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. And he said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again". And his disciples heard it. And they came to Jerusalem. And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold and those who bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons; and he would not allow any one to carry anything through the temple. And he taught, and said to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations'? But you have made it a den of robbers."

Hansss

An excerpt from Steven Carr on other contradictions:

Mark 4:11 says that the secret of the kingdom of God has been given to the disciples. What was this secret? When was it given to the disciples, who seem totally ignorant of who Jesus was (Mark 4:41)?

In Mark 6:7-13 till 29-30 the disciples are sent out to preach and teach. As the disciples did not know Jesus was the Messiah until Mark 8:30, that must have been interesting!

Peter - Repent of your sins, and follow Jesus of Nazareth.
Bystander in the crowd - Is he the Messiah who will rid us of the cursed Roman occupation?
Peter - I never thought to ask him. I don't know. I'll ask him when I see him again, and get back to you.

What could the disciples have preached and taught in Mark 6 that had anything to do with the secret of the kingdom of God? Why send people out to teach without explaining that you are the Messiah?

They were also given power over evil spirits, but it is not until Mark 9:29 that Jesus explains that they have to pray first before driving out a demon. How did the disciples drive out demons before that, when Jesus had neglected to give them such basic instruction as to pray first?

Mark 7:14 gives some instruction about the Law which a simpleton could grasp, yet Jesus tells the disciples in verse 18 that they are without understanding. These are the preacher-teachers who had been given the secret of the kingdom of God.

Despite not being able to understand, and not knowing, elementary instruction about the Law, they had already by chapter 3 had liberal practices on fasting and the Sabbath, and the whole teaching of chapter 7 which the disciples did not understand) was caused by a question about the practices of those same disciples!

Don't forget that these preacher-teachers, who had been given the secret of the Kingdom of God in 4:11, had had their hearts hardened in 6:52, so that they did not understand even such a blatant miracle as walking on water. Why give the disciples the secret of the kingdom of God and then harden their hearts so that they don't understand it? Surely the average Christian would fall about laughing if he read such stories in the Book of Mormon or the Qu'ran.

Some Characteristics Unique to Mark

  • Son of Man is the main title used for Jesus in Mark [...] Mark has Jesus call himself 'Son of Man' numerous times

     

  • The testing of Jesus for forty days contains no discourse between Jesus and Satan (Mark 1:12-13). Later authors added this.

     

  • Jesus's family say he is out of his mind (Mark 3:21).

     

  • Only place in the New Testament Jesus is addressed as "the son of Mary" (Mark 6:3) and the only gospel that both names his brothers and mentions his sisters (Mark 6:3). Matthew has a slightly different name for one brother and no mention of sisters (Matthew 13:55). Jewish authors were not often inclined to mentionmothers and sisters, only brothers and fathers.

     

  • When Jesus is arrested a young naked man flees (Mark 14:51-52). The Greeks were much more inclined to write of romantic involvements between spiritual leaders and young men.

     

6. Appendix: Bible Verses

The Gospel of Mark
Mark 1:12-13 used on Arian Christianity (the Father is Greater than the Son): A Precursor to Modern Christianity: Biblical References
Mark 1:24 used on Arian Christianity (the Father is Greater than the Son): A Precursor to Modern Christianity: Biblical ReferencesMark 1:35 used on Prayer is Not Godly, But Useless and Satanic: Biblical Rules: Pray in Private and Secretly, Not In PublicMark 3:5 used on Anti-Semitism: 2000 Years of Christian Love: Reasons for Christian Anti-SemitismMark 6:46 used on Prayer is Not Godly, But Useless and Satanic: Biblical Rules: Pray in Private and Secretly, Not In PublicMark 6:21 used on Christmas: Paganism, Sun Worship and Commercialism: Anti-Christmas ChristiansMark 10:14-15 used on Infanticide and Heaven: ConclusionsMark 11:24-25 used on Prayer is Not Godly, But Useless and Satanic: Those With Some Faith Will Have Prayers Come TrueMark 13:32 used on Arian Christianity (the Father is Greater than the Son): A Precursor to Modern Christianity: Biblical ReferencesMark 14:32 used on Prayer is Not Godly, But Useless and Satanic: Biblical Rules: Pray in Private and Secretly, Not In PublicMark 14:34-35 used on Prayer is Not Godly, But Useless and Satanic: Biblical Rules: Pray in Private and Secretly, Not In PublicMark 14:39 used on Prayer is Not Godly, But Useless and Satanic: Biblical Rules: Pray in Private and Secretly, Not In PublicMark 15:15 used on Anti-Semitism: 2000 Years of Christian Love: Reasons for Christian Anti-SemitismMark 15:11 used on Anti-Semitism: 2000 Years of Christian Love: Reasons for Christian Anti-SemitismMark 15:15 used on Time to Move On: Religion Has Cost Too Much: Anti-SemitismMark 15:44 used on The Crucifixion Facade: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Contradict Each OtherMark 15:34 used on The Crucifixion Facade: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John Contradict Each OtherMark 15.25 used on The Crucifixion Facade: Surviving a CrucifixionMark 16:4 used on The Gospel of Matthew, the Fraud!: The CrucifixionMark 16:1-8 used on The Gospel of Matthew, the Fraud!: The CrucifixionMark 16:16 used on Pascal's Wager is Safer in Reverse: Picking a Religion is Dangerous: Believing in the Wrong God

Read / Write Comments


By Vexen Crabtree 2006 Aug 21

Links:

References: (What's this?)

Book

Book

 

Ehrman, Bart
"Lost Christianities" (2003 hardback). Oxford University Press, New York, USA.

Freke, Timothy & Gandy, Peter
"The Jesus Mysteries" (1999). 2000 paperback edition published by Thorsons, London. [Book Review]

Notes

  1. Ehrman (2003) p78-79.^
  2. Freke & Gandy (1999) p176.^
  3. Freke & Gandy (1999) p173.^
  4. 2006 Aug 21: Some of the text and notes on this page was written in 1998, but it is now completely rewritten.
  5. 2006 Oct 23: Added quotes from "Jesus Mysteries" by Freke & Gandy [Book Review] (1999).


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The God of the Christian Bible is Evil
Evidence from Scripture and Nature

Read / Write Comments | By Vexen Crabtree 2006 Jul 11

  1. The Old Testament God is Evil
    1. God Creates Evil Regardless of Human Free Will
    2. Some Genocides Committed Directly by God
    3. Satan and God are Interchangeable
    4. Fear God
  2. The New Testament Tells us that the Old Testament God is Evil
  3. The New Testament God is Also Evil
    1. No Free Will
    2. God Destroys Families
  4. The Problem of Evil

1. The Old Testament God is Evil

1.1. God Creates Evil Regardless of Human Free Will

"I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD do all these things." (Isaiah 45:7)

Isaiah 45:7 affirms that God creates darkness and disaster. It is not a creation of mankind, nor of fallen beings or Satan. The Hebrew word here that is translated as "disaster" could also mean "wickedness", "hurt", "affliction" or "adversity". God creates these things directly. Any argument that asserts that evil is a result of Human free will must first get over the fact that the Christian Bible states that God creates evil and disaster itself. Not only does this God create darkness and disaster, but it actively "does" them too. It doesn't merely create them as possibilities for other people, it actively chooses to do them itself.

The Book of Lamentations confirms that free will cannot stop evil, when evil comes from God, nor can man stop goodness, when goodness comes from God:

Who is he that can speak, and it happens, when the Lord command it not?37
Out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth not both evil and good?38

Lamentations 3:37-38

1.2. Some Genocides Committed Directly by God

Some of these are of the young, the innocent, and some are even the results of accidents. They are my five favorite smitings of the Old Testament (click the link for full descriptions of each one):

  1. 2 Kings 2:23-24 : 42 children are killed for calling a prophet "baldy", by two she-bears.
  2. 1 Samuel 6:19 : 50 070 (or 70) people are killed for looking in (or "at") the Ark of the Covenant.
  3. 1 Kings 20:30 : God makes a wall fall on and kill 27 000 of an army retreating from some Israelites.
  4. Numbers 16:16-49 : Death to all those who complain (14 950 of them altogether).
  5. 2 Samuel 6:6-11 : God kills someone for accidentally touching the Ark of the Covenant.

In addition to these are some more serious issues:

christianity.gifThe Adam and Eve story shows god as an immoral bad parent, not as a loving God2002

  1. The immoral doctrine of original sin, where children are punished for the sins of their parents is hardly the scheme of a moral god. Adam and Eve were punished with death, pain, suffering and caused the evil of all mankind... yet they themselves 'sinned' before they knew the difference between Good and Evil. God must be immoral, if it punishes innocent people for sins they do not understand and could not resist.

     

  2. The Flood could not be the creation of a patient, loving, caring, forgiving or good god.

     

1.3. Satan and God are Interchangeable

As various authors copied copies of the Hebrew Scriptures, changes accumulated in the stories. Sometimes, the same story appears twice. There are even two accounts of the Creation that contradict each other in the details. One such doubled story shows us clearly that the Old Testament God is evil, and Satan itself is not a separate being, but is actually part of God, a face of God. There is one occasion when David took a census of his men in order to count how many could fight in the armies of Israel. 1 Chronicles 21:2 and 2 Samuel 24:2 both contain a copy of the exact same text:

“So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, "Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are."”

1 Chronicles 21:2

“So the king said to Joab and the army commanders [a] with him, "Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are."”

2 Samuel 24:2

What had happened is that God had a rule: That David was not allowed to 'number' Israel. But, for some reason, David went ahead and did so. As a result, God punished them all for breaking his rule. But, it is very telling when we examine the preceding verse: Who inspired David to count Israel's fighting men?

“Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel”

1 Chronicles 21:1

“The anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, "Go and take a census of Israel and Judah." ”

2 Samuel 24:1

In one copy of the story, we are told Satan told David to do so. In the other, it was God. How can this be? It is because in the Old Testament, Satan and God are the same being. Satan in the Old Testament is merely the face that God puts on when it is testing its people. "The anger of the Lord" is Satan. It was common in old religions (Hinduism, Roman religions, etc) for gods to have multiple faces, each associated with different emotions. In the Christian Bible, Satan is God. It is not just the Old Testament that contains such revealing truths, the New Testament tells the same story:

1.4. Fear God

"And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people"

Exodus 32:14

"The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name"

Exodus 15:3

"For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God"

Exodus 34:14

The Old Testament describes God as angry, fearsome, destructive and vengeful. In continual deviance from what a good god would do, and feel, the God of the Old Testament sometimes repents of its own actions and thoughts. How can a god that knows everything, and is never wrong, repent? How can a good god even have evil thoughts, let alone do evil actions?

It seems one thing that Old Testament gets right is its assertions that we should fear god. See Lev. 25:17; Deut. 6:2, 6:13, 10:12, 10:20,31:12-13; Joshua 4:24; 1 Sam. 12:14; 2 Kings 17:39; Job 28:28; Psalms 19:9, 25:14, 33:8,33:18, 34:9, 96:4, 103:11, 103:17, 111:10, 112:1, 115:13, 128:1, 147:11; Proverbs 1:7, 22:4, 24:21; Ecc. 5:7,12:13; Jer. 5:22. We should definitely fear such a god as this!

In Old Testament times, people were exposed to many different Gods. Frequently, people would simply have to be scared into worshipping one god over another. By representing it as powerful, destructive, jealous and harsh, the Jews who wrote the Old Testament were affirming that they believed their God should be worshipped, and other Gods should be abandoned.

2. The New Testament Tells us that the Old Testament God is Evil

christianity.gif2nd Century Marcionite Christians believed that the Old Testament God was Evil2006

The author of the Gospel of Luke wrote that Jesus said that 'a tree is known by its fruit' (Luke 6:43-44): "Good trees do not produce rotten fruit, and rotten trees do not produce good fruit". The Old Testament God, who says that he "creates evil" (Amos. 3:6, Isaiah 45:7), cannot therefore be a 'good tree', but must be a rotten one. An ancient form of Christianity was preached by Marcion, who realized that the God of the Old Testament must be Evil. As Marcion believed that the Good News of the New Testament was the plan of salvation from a good God, he believed that through Jesus the evil god the Old Testament had been defeated.

3. The New Testament God is Also Evil

3.1. No Free Will

Jesus and the Disciples accepted the Old Testament as God's word. They could only do this if they themselves believed that God was not benevolent. They also preached the goodness of God, despite his apparent evil. This is because they, like the writers of the Old Testament, do not care if god is 'good' or 'evil', they merely wish to do its will, in order to get rewards in heaven.

The Book of Revelations is the climax and final book of the New Testament, where it is said that God will once again revert to his Old Testament ways... the suffering and pain described in the apocalypse is something that a good god could never let happen. To even believe that God do this is to believe in a monstrous demon of a God.

Free WillThe New Testament preaches at great length that we have no free will, and that God's punishment is arbitrary

“Not only does the existence of God logically, philosophically and theologically deny the possibility of free will, but the Bible also says that there is no free will! Examining the writings of St Paul, the Biblical books of Ephesians, Romans, 2 Timothy, 2 Thessalonians and Revelations, we see that God's plan overrides our free will; those that do good do the specific good that God predestined them to do, and all others are ruled by Satan because God sends "powerful delusions" to them. The Christian Bible frequently states that God creates our future and decides our fates, no matter what our own will is. It constantly denies that we have free will.”

"Biblical Christianity Denies Free Will" by Vexen Crabtree (2005)

The doctrine of predestination is like the doctrine of original sin. They affirm that God is not just, not moral, and is actively evil and arbitrary. Not only do god's plans override free will, but, God also punishes those who it has predetermined to be punished. There is no grand moral plan to god's will. It makes no sense to say that this is the behaviour of a good god. The New Testament makes more sense if its schemes are the plan of an evil god, rather than a good one.

3.2. God Destroys Families

Jesus said:

"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."

Matthew 10:34-37

"Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division: For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three. The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law."

Luke 12:51-53

These compare well with Exodus 15:3, "The LORD is a man of war: the LORD is his name".

4. The Problem of Evil

theodicy.gifList pages on the Problem of Evil on this site by Vexen

“If God is all-powerful and all-good, it would have created a universe with no suffering and no evil. But, evil and suffering exist. Therefore God does not exist, is not all-powerful or is not benevolent. [...] Attempts to justify the existence of evil are called theodicies. There have been no fully working theodicies created to date, even popular ones such as the free will theodicy were rejected thousands of years ago for reasons that still stand today. It seems that if there is a god, it is not the all-good moral being that classical religions would have us believe.”

"The Problem of Evil: Why Would a Good God Create Suffering?" by Vexen Crabtree (2002)

pentacle.gifArguments that God Must be Evil, by Vexen Crabtree 2003

“The existence of such large quantities of suffering, despair, pain, of natural disasters such as earthquakes, of the death of the unborn and the immense suffering of lovers & kind-hearted people means that god is evil and intentionally creates life in order to create suffering. That all life exists in a food chain means that life is completely tied to death, and such a barbaric biological cycle could only have been made by an evil god. Also, that such a god appears not to exist, or actively hides itself, is a source of confusion, conflict, war and stress and is again more likely the antics of an evil god. Given the state of the natural world, it is impossible that a good god exists. [...]

 

If God did exist and was evil [...] it would create maximum confusion by preaching multiple conflicting religions. It would create heaven and make it hard to get to in order to tease and torture people into making their own lives hell. As all of those things happen, if there is a God, it is doing the things an evil God would do!

Once I recognized and accepted this state of affairs and adequately called myself a Satanist, I could concentrate my life on happiness, love, stability and peace. Because I know and understand that death always wins, that life is temporary, I waste no time on short-term whims that reduce my quality of life, or of those around me, and I waste no time with spiritual pipe dreams. Recognizing Satan as the personified meta-figure of reality is self-affirming, life-affirming, positive, honest and clarifying.”

"Evidence that if there is a God, it is an Evil One" by Vexen Crabtree (2003)

Read / Write Comments


By Vexen Crabtree 2006 Jul 11

Notes

  1. Biblical quotes in the "Fear God" section were originally compiled by Edward O'Toole.
  2. 2006 Dec 20: Added text on 1 Chronicles 21:1-2 and 2 Samuel 24:1-2.


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Types of Christianity in History
Who Were the First Christians?

Read / Write Comments | By Vexen Crabtree 2010 Feb 18

Complete Pages

Mithraism and Early Christianity1st Century Christian Ebionites: The Original Christians?Arian Christianity (the Father is Greater than the Son): A Precursor to Modern ChristianityChristian Marcionites: 2nd Century ChristianityHow Modern Christianity Began: The Cappadocian-Nicene-Pauline Roman Amalgamation

  1. Christianity was Massively Varied
  2. The Earliest Christianities
    1. Mithraism and Christianity (200BCE +)
    2. The Therapeutae (10CE)
    3. Ebionite Christians (1st-4th Century)
    4. Arian Christians (2nd-8th Century)
    5. Marcionite Christians (2nd-5th Century)
    6. Roman Christianity / Pauline Christianity (4th Century +)
  3. What Was the Original Christianity?
    1. Who Were the First Christians?
    2. The Progression From Paganism to Christianity
    3. Christian Arguments Defending the Similarities of Christianity to Paganism
  4. Literal Christianity: The Loss of Symbolism by the Fifth Century
  5. Lost Christianities of Later History
    1. The Cathars / Albigenses
    2. The Waldenses (12th Century)
  6. Modern Christianity is Still Very Varied

1. Christianity was Massively Varied

Christianity is not a single, ancient religion. It is a series of religions all given the same name. Many assume that only modern Christianity to be what Christianity is. Some historical forms of Christianity have made more sense, and some have made less sense, than the Christian mythology that is common today.

“During the first three Christian centuries, the practices and beliefs found among people who called themselves Christian were so varied that that the differences between Roman Catholics, Primitive Baptists, and Seventh-Day Adventists pale by comparison. Most of these ancient forms of Christianity are unknown to people in the world today.

 

In the second and third centuries there were, of course, Christians who believed in one God. But there were others who insisted that there were two. Some said there were thirty. Others claimed there were 365.”

"Lost Christianities" by Bart Ehrman (2003)1

'Christianity' as a single religion is not 2,000 years old. A series of varied different religions, flowing on from one another, have all called themselves "Christian". Rightly so. But the beliefs and form have changed so much from time to time that it is best to consider Christianity a series of religions and the word "Christianity" to be an umbrella term for multiple faiths all of which have the same name but different beliefs. Unfortunately for hundreds of years until the Enlightenment, it was thought that modern-day Christianity in its various forms, represented early Christianity. It hardly does. Christianity now is quite varied, but in history the varieties were much more exotic.

“The historian, in speaking of Christianity, has to be careful to recognize the very great changes that it has undergone, and the variety of forms that it may assume even at one epoch.”

"History of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell (1946)2

Book“In the first few centuries CE there really was no such thing as 'the Church', only competing factions, of which the Literalists were one.”

"Jesus Mysteries" by Freke & Gandy [Book Review] (1999)3

So what were the original, ancient forms of Christianity like? What happened to them? We will see!

2. The Earliest Christianities

2.1. Mithraism and Christianity (200BCE +)

Many have realized that as Christianity copied, re-named and inherited many Pagan myths, such as those of Mithraism, that it is hard to pin down a "start" date for Christian ideas. If you go back far enough, Christian history is actually pagan history.

“Jesus, son of the Hebrew sky God, and Mithras, son of Ormuzd are both the same myth. The rituals of Christianity coincide with the earlier rituals of Mithraism, including the Eucharist and the Communion in great detail. The language used by Mithraism was the language used by Christians. [...] The idea of a sacrificed saviour is Mithraist, so is the symbolism of bulls, rams, sheep, the blood of a transformed saviour washing away sins and granting eternal life, the 7 sacraments, the banishing of an evil host from heaven, apocalyptic end of time when God/Ormuzd sends the wicked to hell and establishes peace. Roman Emperors, Mithraist then Christian, mixed the rituals and laws of both religions into one. Emperor Constantine established 25th of Dec, the birthdate of Mithras, to be the birthdate of Jesus too. The principal day of worship of the Jews, The Sabbath, was replaced by the Mithraistic Sun Day as the Christian holy day. The Catholic Church, based in Rome and founded on top of the most venerated Mithraist temple, wiped out all competing son-of-god religions within the Roman Empire, giving us modern literalist Christianity.”

"Mithraism and Early Christianity" by Vexen Crabtree (2002)

2.2. The Therapeutae (10CE)

Early Christians were criticized for copying Pagan ideas and stories and simply re-telling them. By the 4th century, the founders of the Christian Church sought evidence and historical proof to back up their mistaken opinion that Christianity was a new religion, derived from the new revelations of Jesus. Eusebius failed to find much evidence at all, except in the book of the first century author, Philo, who described a group of people who were clearly practicing Christian rituals:

“Eusebius, the fourth-century Church propagandist, could find little evidence from which to construct a history of Christianity, so he eagerly seized upon a description in one of Philo's books, of a group of Jews called the Therapeutae. Philo's description of their spring festival is reminiscent of the Christian celebration of Easter and Eusebius, therefore, claimed that he had discovered the earliest Christians in Alexandria. [... but] the spring, of course, was also the time when Pagans celebrated their festival of the dying and resurrecting godman, so Eusebius is unjustified in his assumption. Philo wrote about the Therapeutae in 10 CE, which would be 20 years before the supposed date of the crucifixion [...]. The Therapeutae are a group of Jews clearly practising a Jewish version of the Pagan Mysteries. [...] We can tell that the Therapeutae were Jews because they celebrated the Jewish festival of the Pentecost and kept sacred the Sabbath. [...]”

"Jesus Mysteries" by Freke & Gandy [Book Review] (1999)4

Eusebius didn't know that Philo was writing 20 years too early, and he had therefore uncovered additional evidence that turn-of-the-millennium Jewish Paganism was almost identical to Christianity in terms of rituals and beliefs - if Jesus arrived and preached a New Testament, it seems he really didn't have anything new to say that wasn't already being practiced in a Christian way by pagans. The fact that "Philo can, in one sentence, compare the Therapeutae to both initiates of the Mysteries of Dionysis and the followers of Moses on the banks of the Red Sea shows just how integrated Pagan and Jewish traditions had become". They lived "near that great melting-pot pf Pagan and Jewish cultures, Alexandria".

Today when we trace the source of modern Christianity, we find that Christianity was codified in the 4th century. But in the fourth century, they didn't know what the source of Christianity was although critics said it was re-hashed paganism. So in the fourth century, they too searched in history to find the source of Christianity. They found the history of their religion to pre-date the actual founding of their own religion. The ancient history of Christianity is merged with the history of Paganism and the Church Fathers in the 4th century, so much closer to original Christianity than us, even mistook a group of pagans for early Christians. It wasn't the only time that they done this either, for when Bishop Melito in 160ce when in search of the ancient center of Christianity, he discovered only a group called the Ebionites, another ancient group that 4th century Christianity rejected as heretical.

2.3. Ebionite Christians (1st-4th Century)

Book

Ebionite Christians believed that all the Jewish Laws had to be obeyed; including the Sabbath and circumcision for all males. As such, they considered St Paul to be the archenemy of Christianity as he taught that people did not have to obey the Law in order to be saved. They believed Jesus was Human, and adopted by God as a perfect sacrifice.

“The Ebionites were some of the original Christians: Jews who believed that Jesus was the Messiah. They populated the legendary Jerusalem Church. 'Ebionite' was sometimes used as a term to describe all Christians. Those who we now know as Pauline Christians opposed the Ebionites, after discovering them and realizing that their beliefs differed. Authors such as Tertullian, Origen of Alexandria, and many other intolerant "heresy-hunters" wrote at great length against the Ebionites. Many of the claims made against them were based on misunderstandings of their beliefs, and many anti-Ebionite claims were plainly ridiculous. [Ehrman, 2003]. Pauline Christians eradicated the Ebionites, burning all of their books (none survived) and harassing and arresting the people until none were left. They edited Luke 2:32 and 2:48 where Joseph was twice called the 'father' of Jesus so that it did not say so, and they also edited Luke 3:22 where it plainly stated, in accordance with Ebionite beliefs, that God adopted Jesus. Pauline Christians, as non-Jewish Romans, handily came across a mistranslated prophecy that said Jesus would be born of a virgin (like other Roman sons-of-gods), adding a whole two chapters to the beginning of Matthew to prove their point. These edits, now they are uncovered, show that the Ebionites were treated very cruelly and unfairly, and that the original readings of Matthew and Luke both support Ebionite Christianity, rather than the Pauline Christianity that the West has inherited.

If we were to guess which group was the more austere, holy and godly, we would have to guess it was the Ebionites rather than the Pauline Christians who slaughtered, slandered and oppressed them. Unfortunately the victors get to write history, and it is Pauline Christianity that became the legacy of the Roman Empire. After the fourth century, the Ebionites were vanquished.”

"1st Century Christian Ebionites: The Original Christians?" by Vexen Crabtree (2006)

2.4. Arian Christians (2nd-8th Century)

As Jewish Christianity began to develop its own character, Jesus was no longer considered to be just a man. He had a special relationship with god, and was perhaps conceived of by God before anything was created. But he was not an eternal man nor a god.

“Arianism describes the pre-trinitarian doctrine of a holy, but not a godly, Jesus. It is not alwaysadoptionism and not always monotheistic, either. It was defined by a negative principal (that logically Jesus can't be God and still suffer on the cross). If Jesus was God (i.e., perfect), Arians realized, what chance would any Human have of imitating him? Although Arian-sounding theologies existed from the second century onwards, it only became a wide point of contention after the third century. In the third century Origen of Alexandria, the greatest theologian of his time, had declared that the Father was Greater than the Son. This principal was later named after its principal proponent and most articulate defender, Arius (256-336ce). It was opposed by Athanasius, who became a Nicene Christian from 325ce. In the Roman Empire, Arian Christianity was supplanted by intolerant Nicene Christianity by the 5th century, but remained the most popular form of Christianity amongst the tribes surrounding the empire, until the 8th century. [...]

 

The eventual victory of the Cappadocian Nicene faith from 380ce meant that as the Empire collapsed, the Christianity that was left behind was the dark, violent, centralized type that did not tolerate dissent. By the late fourth century, a recognizable Roman Catholic Church had emerged. The doctrine of the Trinity had been created, and the vengeful violence of Nicene Christianity was in full, open, bloody view. Anti-semitism was given its official sanction. The edited Nicene Creed was the only form of belief that was to be tolerated. Inquisitors began reviewing religious beliefs, condemning victims to imprisonment, torture and public execution for failing to believe the right things. This state of affairs persisted and plunged Christian societies into a 1000-year long dark ages. If the Arians had survived the onslaught and been the religion that the Empire left behind, we would have been left with a Christianity that would have left a glowing legacy of Jesus. Instead, the Nicene's violence and intolerance won out, and the 'ages of faith' that resulted darkened humanity from the fifth until the fifteenth century.”

"Arian Christianity (the Father is Greater than the Son): A Precursor to Modern Christianity" by Vexen Crabtree (2008)

2.5. Marcionite Christians (2nd-5th Century)

Marcionites believed that the God of the Old Testament (wrathful and angry) was a different God to the New Testament's mystical and forgiving one. Their reasoning was sensible and their knowledge of Christian texts of the time was the most involved. Their collection of Christian texts into a canon was the first ever collection and formed the template for what was to become the Bible.

“At one point, the early Christian writings that were collected by Marcion, along with his own writings, were all destroyed. A domineering early Catholic Church, the Pauline Christians, committed themselves to a long-term campaign against these early Christians. Tertullian produced five volumes attacking Marcionism and distributed them throughout the Roman Empire. The honest intellectual and rational approach of Marcion to the Old Testament and the saving grace of Jesus were lost, burnt and oppressed by the more violent and aggressive Pauline Christians. It is ironic that in the name of 'good works', Pauline Christians murdered and tortured those who believed differently to themselves... if it is true, as Jesus says and as Marcion pointed out, that good trees do not produce rotten fruit, then have we ended up with a rotten tree grown from a rotten fruit, instead of the real Christianity as espoused by Jesus?

 

If it is Christian duty to 'turn the other cheek', 'resist not evil', 'love your enemies' and 'love your neighbours as yourself', then it is clear that the Pauline Christians, who eliminated Marcionism and got to choose the books of the Bible, were not the true Christians.”

"Christian Marcionites: 2nd Century Christianity" by Vexen Crabtree (2006)

2.6. Roman Christianity / Pauline Christianity (4th Century +)

"St Paul - History, Letters, Influences and Instructions; Gnosticism and Mithraism" by Vexen Crabtree (1999)
“The gnostic Mithraists and Jewish Ebionites formed the very first Christians of the first century, with practices and beliefs based respectively on Gnostic and Judaistic rituals, symbols and practices. Pauline Christians dispensed with the difficult Jewish laws and became popular amongst gentiles, soon out-numbering the Jewish Christians, causing them to be secluded and eventually suppressed. Increasing literalism amongst roman converts then led the Pauline Christians to become obsessed with enforcing their literal interpretation of Christianities original stories, causing another huge rift with older gnostic-style Christians. With Roman power behind their printing press and the favour of Emperors, the Pauline-Nicene Christians wiped out the gnostics, annihilated the Arians after long bloody campaigns, and murdered and burnt the Marcionitesand many other small sects, to leave themselves as the sole Christians within the Roman Empire, free to edit their own books to 'prove' how all their predecessors had been wrong. The three Cappadocian scholars promoted the Holy Spirit to the godhead to create a Trinity, which was codified strictly in to the Nicene Creed of 381, which went to careful lengths to disclaim against 'heresy'. Emperor Theodosius published a series of forceful edicts intolerant of all non-Nicene sects. This state of affairs persisted in the West for over a thousand years from the 5th century.

 

Despite the number of denominations that now exist, Christian diversity has never again regained the richness it had in the first few centuries. Christianity has remained, in the West, the Pauline, Cappadocian, Nicene victor that emerged from the ashes of Christian groups within the Roman Empire and Judea. It is a shame that it appears the most worldly, least spiritual, most power-hungry, least tolerant, most violent and least honest form of Christianity is the one that survived those brutal battles of the first few centuries.”

"How Modern Christianity Began: The Cappadocian-Nicene-Pauline Roman Amalgamation" by Vexen Crabtree (2008)

3. What Was the Original Christianity?

3.1. Who Were the First Christians?

We have described the Ebionites, the Marcionites, touched upon the Gnostics, and the Pauline Christians. Who were the original Christians? The Pauline Christians, Greek-speaking and with Roman power, rose to power and eliminated the others in the most un-Christian way. These were the late-comers to Christendom of these four groups. The methodical historian Bauer has studied this question at great length:

Book“Bauer proceeds by looking at certain geographical regions of early Christendom for which we have some evidence - particularly the city of Edessa in eastern Syria, Antioch in western Syria, Egypt, Asia Minor, Macedonia, and Rome. For each place, he considers the available Christian sources and subjects them to the closest scrutiny, demonstrating that contrary to the reports of Eusebius, the earliest and/or predominant forms of Christianity in most of these areas were heretical (i.e., forms subsequently condemned by the victorious party). Christianity in Edessa, for example, a major centre for orthodox Christianity in later times, was originally Marcionite; the earliest Christians in Egypt were various kinds of Gnostic, and so on. Later orthodox Christians, after they had secured their victory, tried to obscure the real history of the conflict. But they were not completely successful, leaving traces that can be scrutinized for the truth.”

"Lost Christianities" by Bart Ehrman (2003)5

I will now summarize some contenders and explain if they could have been the true source of Christianity:

  1. Ebionite Christians were the true Christians: Aramaic-speakers like Jesus and his apostles, they would have been the Jewish witnesses to Jesus' ministry and preaching. From this starting point, Jesus' teachings spread. They also, however, spread from Saul of Damascus, who renamed himself Paul and who preached an anti-Ebionite version of Christianity for the gentiles, which was much easier to follow and more popular.

     

  2. The Marcionites were converts to Christ, who believed truly that he had been adopted by God at his baptism, and that he had come to abolish the laws of the Old Testament, thereby defeating the evil god of the old testament. Such gnostic beliefs may be the original form of Christianity as we shall see, but Marcionism itself can only be a later re-expression of it, and no historian thinks that the Marcionites were the original Christians.

     

  3. Gnostic Christians: With stories, myths and beliefs that are exactly the same as Christian ones in many of the little details, gnostic beliefs manage to pre-date Christians ones by over 200 years. They understood what the stories of the NT really meant. Jesus didn't really exist, but was a collection of such earlier stories, rewritten in Greek, with Greek names. This is the approach taken by historians such as Freke & Gandy.

     

  4. Pauline / Roman Christians: When the Roman-backed instance of Christianity went in search of the ancient centres of Christianity, they discovered to their horror that the Ebionites and Gnostics pre-dated them. Their un-Christian answer was to edit verses, burn books, invent doctrines such as the Trinity, arrest and harass the other poverty-stricken Christians until no opposition was left. The form of Christianity that we have inherited from the Roman Empire is far from what Christianity originally was, yet most modern denominations took Cappadocian-Nicene Pauline Christianity as their starting point (and few have moved far from it).

3.2. The Progression From Paganism to Christianity

Elements common to all types of the Christian religion that were common in previous Pagan mystery religions include much of the religious content of Christianity. All elements of Jesus' life such as the events around his birth, death and ministry were already parts of the myths surrounding other god-men of the time. Peripheral elements such as there being twelve disciples were similarly present in other more ancient religions and sometimes with an astonishing amount of duplication. First century critics of Christianity voiced accusations that Christianity was nothing but another copy of common religions.

All the actual sayings and teachings of Jesus were also not new, and much of the time speeches attributed to Jesus are more like collections of Jewish and Pagan sayings. Even distinctive texts like the Sermon on the Mount are not unique. If we remove all the content that Jesus could not have heard and repeated himself, there is nothing else left. If we remove the supernatural elements of Christianity that are copies of already existing thought and religion, there is nothing left which is unique! Even many of the sayings of subsequent Christians are not unique; Jesus appears to not have taught anyone anything that was not already present in the common culture of the time. This shows us that not only did Christianity follow on, as expected, from previous thought in history but that we do not even need to believe in God or supernatural events in order to account for the history of Christianity. Stephen Hodge studied the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were written some time between 170bce and 68bce6, and very usefully lists many of the similarities found in the Dead Sea Scrolls to the teachings and organisation of Jewish Christianity. He also concludes that these Jewish documents make the teachings and appearance of Jewish Christianity less revolutionary.

Book“... the collection is really an invaluable cross-section of religious material that reveals for the first time just how rich and varied Jewish spiritual life was at that time. The scrolls offer an intellectual and devotional landscape into which Jesus and his movement can be placed. No longer does Jewish Christianity seem an inexplicable, isolated occurrence. [...]

 

In other words, the true value of the Dead Sea Scrolls is that they help provide a genuine context for what was to become Christianity. For example, they tell us just how widespread was the expectation and longing for a saving Messiah among Jews at that time, and that there were a number of competing theories about the expected role of this Messiah in the world of Judaism. The scrolls also reveal that the expectation found in the Gospels that the end of the world was imminent was a dominant belief in many quarters in Judaea.”

“All biblical scholars agree that, apart from their intrinsic value, the sectarian scrolls are of tremendous importance as background information to the social and religious conditions in Judaea that led to the rise of Christianity. [... There are] subtle implications that can be derived from the Qumran texts, for they not only provide interesting parallels to Christian concepts and practice but tend to reduce the uniqueness of the Yeshua movement. It is reasonable to assume that there was perhaps not that much direct contact between most members of each community, but that there was a pool of religious language and beliefs shared by many other Jewish groups which have long since disappeared.”

"Dead Sea Scrolls" by Stephen Hodge (2001)7

3.3. Christian Arguments Defending the Similarities of Christianity to Paganism

The fact that many pagan religions had many of the same dates, beliefs and practices as Christians led later Christians to denounce them as 'satanic imitations'. Theologians made the famous argument that the Devil had created these pagan religions so that people would think that Christianity was just a developed copy of them. The Cardinal Newman argued that (be it God or Satan's fiat) these pagan religions merely prepared people to accept Christianity. In other words, god made pagan religions in order to teach people Christianity, before revealingactual Christianity.

Book“To Newman, 'Pagan literature, philosophy and mythology were but a preparation for the Gospel.' His Protestant counterpart, Bishop Westcott of Durham, praised Greek thought for representing several stages in the unfolding of divine purpose. Gladstone determined 'to prove the intimate connection between the Hebrew and Olympian revelations', and told the House of Commons that Greek mythology had prepared minds for some of Christ's teachings. Kingsley agreed that it contained essential lessons in the human relationship with the divine.”

"The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft" by Prof. R. Hutton (1999)8

Unfortunately, it seems that all such arguments are only half-truths. If there is a progression of human belief, then it implies that Christianity is itself not the final truth. Islam, for example, claims to be host to the teachings of the prophet that followed on from Jesus. If this progressive march continues, then Christianity itself may well just be a stepping-stone for another religion.

4. Literal Christianity: The Loss of Symbolism by the Fifth Century

Jesus may well have started out as the creation of Gnostics, who were telling a symbolic story with many parables, much mysticism, and little historical truth. But this story paired well with the Jewish community who were expecting an actual Messiah to arrive. Whether or not Jesus existed as an actual person, it soon transpired that the generations after his supposed existence came to believe in him has an actual person. Although St Paul wrote exactly like a gnostic in all his early writings, Greek authors forged seven epistles with a strong literalist slant, which they then included in the Christian Bible. The sanction of an official canon of Christian texts at the expense of all others was the first major step towards literalist Christianity. By the 4th century, the Pauline Christians had violently enforced their vision of a real, historical Jesus. Christianity has become increasingly literalist, and recent centuries have seen the rising of fundamentalist Christianity, which takes nearly all Biblical stories at literal face value.

“Paul's epistles make up 7 of the Books of the Bible. Also, six more were written in Paul's name at later dates (in some cases some believe the text was written over 80 years after Paul's death). There are 13 epistles (epistles) which were canonized into the Bible under the name of Paul. The authentic writings are gnostic, whereas the later pseudonymous texts are more literalist and misogynistic.”

"St Paul - History, Letters, Influences and Instructions; Gnosticism and Mithraism" by Vexen Crabtree (1999)

Book“The history of Christianity - from the death on the cross onwards - is the history of a gradual and ever coarser misunderstanding of an original symbolism.”

"The AntiChrist" by Friedrich Nietzsche (1888)9

5. Lost Christianities of Later History

5.1. The Cathars / Albigenses

The Marcionites of the 2nd century were lost to oppression, however, their form of Christianity was not completely eradicated. The Paulicians (followers of Marcion) and Manicheans fused to form the Bulgarian Bogomils, who like their founding sects, were oppressed. But the Bogomils were carried by Crusaders to Italy and France, where their gnostic-seeming beliefs flourished and were widely accepted.

Book“The most interesting, and also the largest, of the heretical sects were the Cathari, who, in the South of France, are better known as Albigenses. [Their beliefs] were widely held in Northern Italy, and in the South of France they were held by the great majority [...]. The cause of this wide diffusion of heresy was partly disappointment at the failure of the Crusades, but mainly moral disgust at the wealth and wickedness of the clergy. [...] The Church was rich and largely worldly; very many priests were grossly immoral. [...] The more the Church claimed supremacy of religious grounds, the more plain people were shocked by the contrast between profession and performance. [...]

 

It seems that the Cathari were dualists and that, like the Gnostics, they considered the Old Testament Jehovah a wicked demiurge, the true God being revealed in the New Testament. They regarded matter as essentially evil, and believed that for the virtuous there is no resurrection of the body. The wicked, however, will suffer transmigration into the bodies of animals. On this ground they were vegetarians, abstaining even from eggs, cheese and milk. They ate fish, however, because they believed that fishes are not sexually generated. All sex was abhorrent to them [...]. They accepted the New Testament more literally than did the orthodox; they abstained from oaths, and turned the other cheek.”

"History of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell (1946)10

5.2. The Waldenses (12th Century)

“These were the followers of Peter Waldo, an enthusiast who in 1170, started a 'crusade' for observance of the law of Christ. He gave all his goods to the poor, and founded a society called the 'Poor men of Lyons', who practised poverty and a strictly virtuous life. At first they had papal approval, but they inveighed somewhat too forcibly against the immorality of the clergy, and were condemned by the Council of Verona in 1184. Thereupon they decided that every good man is competent to preach and expounded the Scriptures; they appointed their own ministers, and dispensed with the services of the Catholic priesthood. [...] All this heresy alarmed the Church, and vigorous measures were taken to suppress it. [Pope] Innocent III considered that heretics deserved death, being guilty of treason to Christ. He called upon the king of France to embark upon a crusade against the Albigenses [which affected the Waldenses also], which was done in 1209. It was conducted with incredible ferocity; after the taking of Carcassonne, especially, there was an appalling massacre. [...]”

"History of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell (1946)11

6. Modern Christianity is Still Very Varied

“One major aspect of Christianity can be said to be the cause of its success: That there is a lot of widespread difference in belief across Christian denominations. As perhaps the most fragmented and violent religion in history, Christianity has become broken into countless different Churches all of which call themselves Christian. Many denominations are intolerant of each others' beliefs. It can be said that as all these denominations cover such a wide range of beliefs that it is obvious that many people can call themselves a Christian. But, merely knowing that they call themselves a Christian gives us very little actual information about their beliefs, as Christianity is such a diverse religion. [...] In this way all major religions that exist for long period of time (thousands of years) come to be more of an umbrella term for a vast array of beliefs and practices.”

"Institutionalized Religions Have Their Numbers Inflated by National Polls" by Vexen Crabtree(2009)

Professor Bart Ehrman opens his book Lost Christianities with the statement that "it may be difficult to image a religious phenomenon more diverse than modern-day Christianity"12(excepting, he explains, that ancient Christianity was even more diverse).

Read / Write Comments


By Vexen Crabtree 2010 Feb 18
Second edition 2006 Jun 17
Originally published 2003 May 11
Last Updated: 2010 Feb 18

Links:

References: (What's this?)

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Ehrman, Bart
"Lost Christianities" (2003 hardback). Oxford University Press, New York, USA.

Freke, Timothy & Gandy, Peter
"The Jesus Mysteries" (1999). 2000 paperback edition published by Thorsons, London. [Book Review]

Hodge, Stephen
"Dead Sea Scrolls" (2001). Paperback first edition published by Piatkus books, London UK. [Book Review]

Hutton, Ronald
"The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft" (1999). 2001 paperback edition published by Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK.

Nietzsche, Friedrich (1844-1900)
"The AntiChrist" (1888). Quotes from Prometheus Books publication, 2000, translation by Anthony M. Ludovici. [Book Review]

Rubenstein, Richard E.
"When Jesus Became God: The Struggle to Define Christianity During the Last Days of Rome" (1999). First Harvest edition, 2000. Published by Harcourt, Inc.

Russell, Bertrand (1872-1970)
"History of Western Philosophy" (1946). Quotes from 2000 edition published by Routledge, London, UK.

Notes

  1. Ehrman (2003) p1-2.^
  2. Russell (1946) p290.^
  3. Freke & Gandy (1999) p266.^
  4. Freke & Gandy (1999) p225-227.^
  5. Ehrman (2003) p174^
  6. Hodge (2001) p37.^
  7. Hodge (2001) introduction p3-4, conclusion p217-218.^
  8. Hutton (1999) p12-13.^
  9. Nietzsche (1888) paragraph 37.^
  10. Russell (1946) p438-439^
  11. Russell (1946) p440^
  12. Ehrman (2003) p1.^


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Christian Mythology: Adam and Eve

Read / Write Comments | By Vexen Crabtree 2002 Sep 30

The story of Adam and Eve is part of the Biblical mythology of Original Sin. Christians, Muslims and Jews are all 'people of the book' who take as holy the stories of the Hebrew era. In this story, the existence of death and suffering are attributed to the 'sin' of eating from the 'tree of knowledge'. Before this event, there was no death of suffering. Adam and Eve were innocent, and obeyed a serpent that told them to eat from the tree. Apparently, they obeyed the wrong being, because God's punishment was to inflict death and suffering upon them and all their ancestors, including such niceties as making childbirth painful for women.

The story fails to present any valid morals and instead proposes that (a) it is acceptable to punish people for the sins of others (original sin) and (b) that death is a suitable punishment for disobedience - ever wondered why so many oppressive governments were bedfellows with established religions? Also Adam and Eve's children must have slept with their own parents or siblings. It is an immoral story that we shouldn't suffer upon children until they are old enough to understand it as a religious myth. God is shown to be a bad parent, uncaring. The logic of the story is faulty. The story itself, in the same way as other religious texts formed, is a compilation and redaction of religious myths, and has no consistent single author.

  1. Reconciling Adam and Eve with Science
  2. Incest
  3. Morals of the Adam and Eve Story
  4. Did God Create More People than Just Adam and Eve?
  5. God is a Bad Parent
  6. Misogyny

1. Reconciling Adam and Eve with Science

The Abrahamic religions, Christianity, Islam and Judaism all contain the myth of Adam and Eve as the first two created people. Genetically, in-breeding results in mutations and infertile offspring, and the other sciences noted all point to evolution and more standard biological development as the real creator of the Human species. So, what is done with the story of Adam and Eve?

“God, being a pure spirit, has no hands, and He causes His creatures to develop one from another by the power which He has imparted to Nature. If, therefore, the Lord made Adam from the dust of the earth, we must understand that man came out of that earth under the Divine Influence and yet after a natural manner.

"The History of Magic" by Eliphas Levi (1860)1

Eliphas Levi is saying is that the method by which God created the first Human beings was via evolution. God, if it existed, created the Universe using the Big bang in a way that would facilitate the evolution of mankind on Earth following normal natural laws of nature. Adam and Eve may represent the first two Human Beings, or the first conscious ones. But basically, this portrays god as a god of the gaps: As nature and science account for the existence of life and consciousness, God itself is no longer directly responsible or necessary in order to explain these things.

2. Incest

After Adam and Eve had children, how did they proceed onto the third generation? The children must have slept with each other, or their own parents. How do you explain this to an inquisitive child without condoning incest? Incest was the order of the day, and would have been required for two or three generations. The same applies to the story of Noah's Ark. The children of Noah's family and his wife's family must have slept with members of their parent's family, or each other. Any further generations would againbe faced with the same choice.

Biology
The main problem is not morals, it can be argued that just because it is immoral does not mean that it didn't happen. The main problem is biological. Interbreeding two families causes severe retardation, mutation and infertility. This happens to isolated Human population even when there are more than two families. The problem increases with severity the more the inbreeding occurs.

“Full-sibling or parent-child incest results in about 17% child mortality and 25% child disability, for a combined result of about 42% nonviable offspring.”

Donald Brown, 'Human Universals' pp123

The phenomenon of nonviable offspring from breeding between closely related family members is not limited to Humans, but to most life, especially amongst mammals and multicellular organisms:

“A study of 38 captive mammalian species found a cross-species average of around 33% offspring mortality resulting from closely incestuous matings.”

Donald Brown, 'Human Universals' pp124

Due to the non viable offspring that result from incest, which gets worse with each generation, the Adam and Eve story cannot be the literal whole truth. When a Christian next time relies on the urban myth of "Christian Family Values" then wander how they would explain to someone the big question of "What happened after the Flood?" The only moral escape route is to admit that the Adam and Eve story is a metaphor. The only biologically correct explanation known is that we evolved slowly from lower animals so that incest was never a problem as there was an entire pool of families to draw from, which were all slowly evolving into humans en masse just as we are right now slowly evolving, like all other species, into future species.

3. Morals of the Adam and Eve Story

There are many "trees that are most pleasing" in the Garden of Eve. However:

“Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

Genesis 2:17

Innocence
Adam and Eve did not know of good and evil. They were innocent. They did not know of deceit, anger, lust or evil. The serpent lied to them but they would not have known that the serpent's intents were not good. They couldn't have known, so they believed what the serpent said. This isn't Adam and Eve's fault, but ask yourself if God knew that they would have believed the serpent, why did God not stop the serpent? God itself could easily have picked the serpent up and thrown it out of the Garden of Eve. If impurity or non-innocence are ground for God throwing you out of the Garden of Eden, then God should have thrown the serpent out. Only two conclusions are possible:

  1. God does not throw out beings from the Garden of Eden merely because they are imperfect
  2. God created the serpent to test Adam and Eve

Number one contradicts God throwing out Adam and Eve because they disobeyed God. Number two, however, is illogical as God would have known that Adam and Eve did not know or understand evil and could not have mistrusted the serpent. It cannot have been a "test" because God already knew the answer. In short: It makes no logical sense to claim that the Adam and Eve story is a true explanation of morality, evil or mankind's imperfection. Mankind is not perfect. If God exists, God created mankind as not perfect. The Adam and Eve story was a failed attempt by us to explain why we are not perfect.

The Adam and Eve theodicy fails as an explanation for why we choose evil sometimes, original sin is not a valid explanation for why God created evil. Also it is an immoral story, for God punishes people who chose an actionwithout knowing that such a choice was bad.

Punishment for disobedience
God makes a command known, but makes a death threat as a punishment. A death threat is not a suitable punishment for eating from the tree of knowledge. A death threat should only be issued under serious circumstances, not as a punishment for curiosity or disobedience. This story demonstrates God's wrath and anger and shows us that God is not forgiving. If we use this story as an example for ethical thinking, we can conclude that we can kill or shorten the lives of those who do not do as we say! During the Dark Ages, coincidentally, this is what the Christian Church did.

The punishment of Mankind
The Original Sin is the reason Christians say that Human Beings experience suffering - as a result of Adam and Eve's actions. Genesis 3:16-19 describes some of the punishments in more detail. This is why all Humans die, because Adam & Eve disobeyed God.

 

Is it really moral to punish someone for someone else's actions? How can we even consider prompting our children to think like that? Conclusions on the morals of the Adam and Eve story:Punishing one person for the actions of another is immoral. If we use the Adam and Eve story to explain evil, suffering and death then we are saying that God is immoral and not a forgiving God. Judging Adam and Eve even when they didn't know the difference between good and evil, when they didn't know it was wrong to disobey and couldn't understand that the serpent tricked them, is also immoral. The Adam and Eve story is not a suitable moral story for children nor is it a valid theodicy to explain evil.4. Did God Create More People than Just Adam and Eve?Some people argue that God must have created more people than just Adam and Eve. That the Bible doesn't say God only created Adam and Eve. This defense is a valid defence against the incest problem associated with Adam and Eve. For example, the Bible mentions that Adam and Eve had two children, Cain and Abel, both males. When they grew up, one of them 'found' a wife. If not his own (unmentioned) sister or his own mum, whowas this wife? It appears God must have created more than just Adam and Eve.What does this mean in practical terms for the original sin? When did God create these people? It must have been:Before the fallorAfter the fallIf God created the extra people before the fall then are we led to believe that all the people God created also chose to eat from the Tree of Knowledge? This doesn't seem to make sense, because when Adam and Eve ate of it he appeared to them and told them off. God has quite a presence and it would no doubt be enough to scare off anyone else from eating from the tree! Either God let them all eat, knowing none of them had the knowledge required for them to distrust the serpent or to understand that disobedience was wrong, in which case God is an immensely poor parent. A parent knows that its children do not know not to touch a hot pan. So, parents warn their children not to. When their children go to touch the pan, the parent does more than just warn them. Because the parent knows that the child is not capable of understanding why not to touch the pan, the parent steps in and physically protects the child. God did not do this with Adam and Eve and anyone who was around: God did not protect its children from the danger. God is a bad parent.God must have created the extra people after the fall. But this seems to be wrong. Because that would mean that God was creating imperfect people who were not the children of Adam and Eve. People who are not the children of Adam and Eve would not suffer from death or disease (which are the effects of original sin). So God created these extra people and created them with weakness to death and disease on purpose. If this is true, if God created these people like that, then original sin doesn't explain death and disease as these people were not subject to the original sin.The explanation that God created more people than just Adam and Eve shows us that the Adam and Eve story is not a valid excuse for death "entering the world". God himself created death and the Adam and Eve story is merely apologetics on behalf of fearful God believers who wish to think of Humans as evil due to our own actions, and not due to Creation. The truth is, Human Beings were not created by a benevolent God and the Adam and Eve story fails to reconcile God and evil, God is still immoral.Creation of more people before the fall seems more likelyThe criticism resulting from God creating people after the fall is less serious than that if he created them before. In the latter case we merely conclude that he is a bad parent, and perhaps not omniscient, whereas if he created people after the fall he is a downright immoral monster.5. God is a Bad Parent Remedial Christianityby Paul Laughlin"Author Paul Alan Laughlin, a liberal Christian, drew an analogy between the story of Genesis 3 and "a more modern scenario." The following parable is based on his tale: A woman bakes a batch of cookies for a party. She warns her twins, aged 3, to not eat any. She explained to them, deceitfully, that if they did, then she would kill them. Not thinking things through carefully, she placed the cookies on a table, easily accessible to the twins. A brother who was older, wiser and more mature than the twins asked whether their mother had forbidden them to eat anything in the house. The girl twin, Edna, said that mother had only forbidden them to eat the cookies -- on pain of death. The older brother chuckled and told his sister that parents did that a lot. He said: "Of course she wouldn't kill you. She simply wants to deny you the pleasure of munching on the cookies. She doesn't want to share the cookies. She wants to keep them all to herself." Edna does exactly what any adult could predict: she eats one. Then, she persuades her twin brother Albert to eat another.The mother returns, not aware of the twin's disobedience. She notices crumbs on the table and on the twins' lips. She correctly concludes that the twins have eaten cookies. She flies into a rage, beats them, and throws them out of the house to fend for themselves. She cuts them out of her will. She does all she can to make the lives of any future descendents of the twins miserable."By OCRT, "GENESIS 3: The fall/rise of humanity"Any parent who acts like this lacks love, compassion, intelligence or morals, yet this is exactly how God acts in the Genesis story of Adam and Eve. A possible Christian defence, in order to try and keep God as the good guy, would be that God then rectified the situation by sending his son out to retrieve his children. But this could all have been averted if God was simply a better parent in the first place!6. MisogynyChristianity subjected our culture to a particularly nasty brand of misogyny, included scripturally-based subduction of women which in part all derived from the story of Adam and Eve. Eve, in particular, was given immense blame and said to have caused all of womankind to be inferior, naturally inclined to sin, not to mention the further punishments God inflicted upon women according to the myth. However, some Christians (especially in the modern era) have disregarded these scriptural arguments and traditions.“Some writers, such as the catholic convert Richard Carpenter, went so far as to argue that 'the greatest fault' should be attributed to Adam, since he was persuaded to disobey God by a mere mortal, whereas Eve had been deceived by the more formidable powers of Satan himself.”"The Devil in Early Modern England" by Darren Oldridge (2000)2

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By Vexen Crabtree 2002 Sep 30

References: (What's this?)

 

Crabtree, Vexen
"The Problem of Evil: Why Would a Good God Create Suffering?" (2002). Accessed 2010 May 26.

Levi, Eliphas
"The History of Magic" (1860). Translation and Preface by Arthur Edward Waite, 1971, first edition of Waite translation was 1913. Eliphas Levi is the writing name of Alphonse Louis Constant. Published by Rider & Company, London, UK.

Oldridge, Darren
"The Devil in Early Modern England" (2000). Sutton Publishing Limited, England.

Notes

  1. Levi (1860) p203-4.^
  2. Oldridge (2000) p92. Added to this page on 2003 Nov 15.^
  3. 2003 Apr 08: Added text on God is a bad parent.


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Christianity's 7 Day Creation Myth

Read / Write Comments | By Vexen Crabtree 2003 April 06

This page is a few notes highlighting the shortcomings of the Genesis account of a seven day creation. It cannot be a literal event, nor is it a useful or logical metaphor or symbolic account. Most people do not need to read this website as common sense normally prevails, but, Christian fundamentalists exist even in the 21st century who hold to this creationist account.

  1. Genesis
  2. Chronological Mistakes
  3. The Creation of the Sun
  4. The Day of Rest: Is God Really All-Powerful?
  5. God Planted Fake Evidence to Confuse Us?
  6. Conclusions

1. Genesis

Genesis is the first "Book of Moses" and is part of the Jewish scriptures, later included in the Christian Bible.

“Genesis contains two stories which describe the creation of the world, the rest of the universe, and all of the forms of life, including humans. The first story is found in Genesis 1:1 to 2:3; the second in Genesis 2.4 to 2:25. Elements of an alternative, ancient eastern Mediterranean belief about the creation of the world is found in two passages of Psalms.”

Stories from the Hebrew Scriptures

Here we are looking at the first creation story, which is separated into days. The second recounting in Genesis contradicts the first on a few chronological details, but we are not looking at that nor at the older Mediterranean links. The following is therefore the most traditional 7 day creation account, the text which opens both the Jewish Torah and the Christian Bible.

“The authors of Genesis seem have picked up part of their story from Hindu legends of the creation and early history of humanity. Stories of Hindu heroes Adimo, Heva, Sherma, Hama and Jiapheta apparently were replicated into legends about Adam, Eve.”

Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance

The text was written from between the 10th and 6th century bce but some scholars believe it wasn't completely written until as late as 2 centuries bce1.

Creationists are fundamentalist Christians who believe that the evidence is wrong, and that the Universe was created according to a literal interpretation of Genesis' 7 day creation account. The Liberal Interpretation is normally that the story is a metaphor designed to explain that God is all powerful. The secular belief is that the Genesis account is purely a result of myth and prescientific attempts to understand the Universe. The secular belief is the most sensible one, and, luckily for Christianity, modern Christians are generally accepting of the idea that Genesis is scientifically flawed and written by Human beings, not dictated by God.

There is a wealth of evidence from multiple disciplines of science that tell us tremendous amounts about the long and rich history of the Earth. Evidence for the great timespans of earthly geology comes not just from fossils (which are enough evidence on their own). Speeds of movement of continents, strata of rock, folds, breaks and contours all trace a very long history of geological slow movement.2

2. Chronological Mistakes

0804717702.01.MZZZZZZZ.jpg
Evolution and the
Myths of Creationism

Whether we take the story literally or metaphorically, whether we accept that the "seven days" are actual periods of 24 hours, or that they represent much longer periods of time (billions of years), there are problems with the order in which the Genesis account says things were created in.

An expert on the mythology of Genesis, Eugene Y. C. Ho, summarizes some of the problems of the creation account in Genesis:

“It violently contradicts what the astronomers, geologists, and evolutionists tell us about the order of appearance of things on Earth and the time at which they appeared. [...] The table below highlights some of the more important astronomical and paleontological events pertinent to our current study.

 

 

EventYears ago
Big Bang15,000 million
Birth of the Sun, the Earth, and the Moon4600 million
Emergence of Life (Pre-cellular Life)3800 million
Inorganic Release of Trace Amount of Oxygen3700 million
Origin of Photo-synthetic Bacteria3200 million
Advent of Oxygen-rich Atmosphere2000 million
Development of Sexual Reproduction1100 million
Spread of Jawless Fishes505 million
First Amphibians408 million
First Reptiles360 million
First Dinosaurs and Mammal-like Reptiles; Origin of Mammals248 million
First Birds213 million
Australopithecus4 million
Homo Habilis2.2 million
Homo Erectus1.5 million
Homo Sapiens200 thousand
Modern Humans35 thousand

On the other hand, if we now construct a table on the Creation of the Universe and of life on Earth, based on Genesis 1:1 to 2:3 and the Liberal Interpretation thereof, then it would display the following results:

 

Creation of Day and Night"Day" 1
Creation of Heaven"Day" 2
Creation of the Earth, the Seas, and the Plants"Day" 3
Creation of the Sun, the Moon, and the Stars"Day" 4
Creation of Fishes and Birds [Beginning of Sexual Reproduction]"Day" 5
Creation of Land Animals (Cattle, Insects, Reptiles, Man)"Day" 6
No Further Emergence of Life Forms on Earth"Day" 7

"Is a Liberal Interpretation of the Creation Story Compatible with Science?" by Eugene Y. C. Ho.

Several illogical and impossible contradictions occur when trying to fit Genesis' separation of creation into 7 periods. In particular I will examine the problems arising from the time at which the Sun was created.

3. The Creation of the Sun

According to the writers of Genesis, God created the Sun half way through the creation week. They also explain what God did during the first "days". But without a sun, there were no actual days. Without a sun to rotate around there were no "mornings" or changes in the time of day. Likewise, without natural sunlight, plants could not have grown and survived. Plants were created, however, before the Sun. If the length of time is billions of years per day, then it is very much impossible that plants could survive before the Sun was created.

“The Genesis writer(s) didn't understand the nature of darkness either. He said that God created light (somehow before the sun and stars were made) and then "divided the light from the darkness" (1:3-4). Light, however, is not something that can be separated from darkness. Light is an electromagnetic radiation from an energy source like the sun or stars, and darkness is merely the absence of light. Without light, there will automatically be darkness. No god is needed to separate or divide light from darkness. We know that today; the prescientific Genesis writer(s) didn't.”

[Source lost]

We know, and would assume, that the writer(s) of Genesis clearly did not know that the Earth revolves around the sun, that days and nights are effects of the Earth's spin, that light is electromagnetic radiation, and that darkness is the absence of light. Whoever wrote the text of Genesis were clearly fallible, pre-scientific Human beings. If God had inspired these texts, although it could not have inspired a technical liturgy because the words did not yet exist, it surely would have dictated or inspired text that wasn't out and out erroneous.

4. The Day of Rest: Is God Really All-Powerful?

“Why would an infinitely powerful God even need six days? Wouldn't he have the ability to create everything in an instant? And, why would he have to rest when he was all done?”

"God, the Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist" by Prof. Victor J. Stenger (2007)3

Book

The seventh day is a sign of the mythical assumptions of those who wrote the genesis account. God is omnipotent and omniscient. Yet, it took the seventh day resting? And working outif its creation was good? It is not true that an omnipotent (all-powerful) being ever needs to rest. It is also untrue that an omniscient (all-knowing) being ever needs to wonder, ponder orthink: It simply knows, and instantly. So, we immediately arrive at the conclusion that the seventh day is allegorical, symbolic and mythical: The reasons stated in the Genesis account are not direct recordings of real events, but stories and reworking of older myths.

The Holy Day
A common defence of the Genesis account of the seventh day is that the reason for the strange "resting" is that God wanted the seventh day to be holy; therefore it rested on it to make it a day of rest. However. God is the absolute truth, and it would not be necessary for God to rest in order to make the seventh day holy. To make the seventh day holy it could have had Moses inspired to preach "Take one day in 7, the Saturday, to rest" rather than using a non-logical seventh day of rest in Genesis. As a omniscient being it cannot be illogical, and therefore the Genesis 7 day creation must be false, or at least, non-literal.

A long seventh day
Some say that the first 6 days are metaphors for the first 15 billion years of the Universe's history and that the seventh day, where God is resting, is the present era. This would then account for why God is so silent and absent from world affairs - because it is resting. Resting would then be a polite word for 'hiding' or 'concealing' itself. The reasons for this concealment, in my mind, is that God does not exist, and the myth is designed to explain why God isn't around during this long final day of creation, because it is 'resting'.

5. God Planted Fake Evidence to Confuse Us?

Given the mass of evidence from geology, physics, archaeology, etc, that the Earth is very old and the universe somewhat older, even some creationists have been convinced by the evidence. If you ever want proof that creationists are driven by some wierd psychological factors rather than any sense of realism, it can be seen in the following book, described by Martin Gardner:

Book“Thousands of books were published in the nineteenth century, most of them in England, attempting to harmonize geology and Genesis. In this dreary and pathetic literature, one books stands out from all the others as so delightful and fantastic that it deserves special mention. It was calledOmphalos (the Greek word for navel), and was written by zoologist Philip Gosse, father of the eminent British poet and critic, Edmune Gosse. [... He] admitted geology had established beyond any doubt that the earth had a long geological history in which plants and animals flourished before the time of Adam. He was also convinced that the earth was created about 4,000 B.C., in six days, exactly as described inGenesis. How did he reconcile these apparently contradictory opinions? Very simple. Just as Adam was created with a navel, the relic of a birth which never occurred, so the entire earth was created with all the fossils relics of a past which had no existence except in the mind of God!”

"Fads & Fallacies in the Name of Science" by Martin Gardner (1957)4

Despite this, there is a final argument that should put an end to such silliness:

  • If God plants such convincing evidence all around us that the Earth and the Universe are billions of years old, then, God wants us to believe that that is the case. Therefore, creationists are going against God's will in saying otherwise.

     

6. Conclusions

The seven day creation is not literal, there are illogical and unscientific errors that would not have been apparent to the authors but which are highlighted on this page and by science. The shape of the Earth is not flat. The Sun does not revolve around the Earth. The creation of light and the sun happened independent of each other, and there were 'days' before the sun was created for the Earth to rotate around. The order in which animals, plants and other elements of life appear in Genesis contradict the order that appears in the fossil record and the order of creation of the stars, the sun, etc, also contradict what we know scientifically. The logic is flawed behind the 'day of rest', an all-powerful God does not need rest. In short, the separation of creation into a seven day period is a useless and outdated creation story riddled with errors.

Genesis is written by fallible Human beings, not God, and is proven to be a false record of creation. It also shows many symptoms of being a piecemeal, fragmented myth that has been edited and rewritten over time so that it hardly even makes internal sense. It contains no moral teachings and nothing educational. It is an irredeemable anachronism that we ever teach our children its pointless myths and retain it as part of Christianity. It should be purged.

Read / Write Comments


By Vexen Crabtree 2003 April 06
Originally published 1998

References: (What's this?)

Book

Book

 

Gardner, Martin
"Fads & Fallacies in the Name of Science" (1957). Published by Dover Publications, Inc., New York, USA. Originally published by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1952 as "In the Name of Science".

Stenger, Prof. Victor J.
"God, the Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist" (2007). Published by Prometheus Books. Stenger is a Nobel-prize winning physicist, and a skeptical philosopher whose research is strictly rational and evidence-based.

Notes

  1. Ontario Consultants for Religious Tolerance, "Archaeology and the Hebrew Scriptures". Accessed 2001.^
  2. Gardner (1957) p129.^
  3. Stenger (2007) ch 5 "The Uncongenial Universe" p157. Quote added to this page on 2010 Feb 14.^
  4. Gardner (1957) ch11 "Geology versus Genesis" p124.^


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YAHWEH - GOD OF THE HEBREWS


1052§2 96:0.2 The Salem religion was revered as a tradition by the Kenites and several other Canaanite tribes. And this was one of the purposes of Melchizedek's incarnation: That a religion of one God should be so fostered as to prepare the way for the earth bestowal of a Son of that one God. Michael could hardly come to Urantia until there existed a people believing in the Universal Father among whom he could appear. 
1052§3 96:0.3 The Salem religion persisted among the Kenites in Palestine as their creed, and this religion as it was later adopted by the Hebrews was influenced, first, by Egyptian moral teachings; later, by Babylonian theologic thought; and lastly, by Iranian conceptions of good and evil. Factually the Hebrew religion is predicated upon the covenant between Abraham and Machiventa Melchizedek, evolutionally it is the outgrowth of many unique situational circumstances, but culturally it has borrowed freely from the religion, morality, and philosophy of the entire Levant. It is through the Hebrew religion that much of the morality and religious thought of Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Iran was transmitted to the Occidental peoples.1. DEITY CONCEPTS AMONG THE SEMITES
1052§4 96:1.1 The early Semites regarded everything as being indwelt by a spirit. There were spirits of the animal and vegetable worlds; annual spirits, the lord of progeny; spirits of fire, water, and air; a veritable pantheon of spirits to be feared and worshiped. And the teaching of Melchizedek regarding a Universal Creator never fully destroyed the belief in these subordinate spirits or nature gods. 
1052§5 96:1.2 The progress of the Hebrews from polytheism through henotheism to monotheism was not an unbroken and continuous conceptual development. They experienced many retrogressions in the evolution of their Deity concepts, while during any one epoch there existed varying ideas of God among different groups of Semite believers. From time to time numerous terms were applied to their concepts of God, and in order to prevent confusion these various Deity titles will be defined as they pertain to the evolution of Jewish theology:1053§1 96:1.3Yahweh was the god of the southern Palestinian tribes, who associated this concept of deity with Mount Horeb, the Sinai volcano. Yahweh was merely one of the hundreds and thousands of nature gods which held the attention and claimed the worship of the Semitic tribes and peoples.1053§2 96:1.4El Elyon. For centuries after Melchizedek's sojourn at Salem his doctrine of Deity persisted in various versions but was generally connoted by the term El Elyon, the Most High God of heaven. Many Semites, including the immediate descendants of Abraham, at various times worshiped both Yahweh and El Elyon.1053§3 96:1.5El Shaddai. It is difficult to explain what El Shaddai stood for. This idea of God was a composite derived from the teachings of Amenemope's Book of Wisdom modified by Ikhnaton's doctrine of Aton and further influenced by Melchizedek's teachings embodied in the concept of El Elyon. But as the concept of El Shaddai permeated the Hebrew mind, it became thoroughly colored with the Yahweh beliefs of the desert.1053§4 96:1.6One of the dominant ideas of the religion of this era was the Egyptian concept of divine Providence, the teaching that material prosperity was a reward for serving El Shaddai.1053§5 96:1.7El. Amid all this confusion of terminology and haziness of concept, many devout believers sincerely endeavored to worship all of these evolving ideas of divinity, and there grew up the practice of referring to this composite Deity as El. And this term included still other of the Bedouin nature gods.1053§6 96:1.8Elohim. In Kish and Ur there long persisted Sumerian-Chaldean groups who taught a three-in-one God concept founded on the traditions of the days of Adam and Melchizedek. This doctrine was carried to Egypt, where this Trinity was worshiped under the name of Elohim, or in the singular as Eloah. The philosophic circles of Egypt and later Alexandrian teachers of Hebraic extraction taught this unity of pluralistic Gods, and many of Moses' advisers at the time of the exodus believed in this Trinity. But the concept of the trinitarian Elohim never became a real part of Hebrew theology until after they had come under the political influence of the Babylonians.1053§7 96:1.9Sundry names. The Semites disliked to speak the name of their Deity, and they therefore resorted to numerous appellations from time to time, such as: The Spirit of God, The Lord, The Angel of the Lord, The Almighty, The Holy One, The Most High, Adonai, The Ancient of Days, The Lord God of Israel, The Creator of Heaven and Earth, Kyrios, Jah, The Lord of Hosts, and The Father in Heaven.
1053§8 96:1.10 Jehovahis a term which in recent times has been employed to designate the completed concept of Yahweh which finally evolved in the long Hebrew experience. But the name Jehovah did not come into use until fifteen hundred years after the times of Jesus. 
1054§1 96:1.11 Up to about 2000 B.C., Mount Sinai was intermittently active as a volcano, occasional eruptions occurring as late as the time of the sojourn of the Israelites in this region. The fire and smoke, together with the thunderous detonations associated with the eruptions of this volcanic mountain, all impressed and awed the Bedouins of the surrounding regions and caused them greatly to fear Yahweh. This spirit of Mount Horeb later became the god of the Hebrew Semites, and they eventually believed him to be supreme over all other gods. 
1054§2 96:1.12 The Canaanites had long revered Yahweh, and although many of the Kenites believed more or less in El Elyon, the supergod of the Salem religion, a majority of the Canaanites held loosely to the worship of the old tribal deities. They were hardly willing to abandon their national deities in favor of an international, not to say an interplanetary, God. They were not universal-deity minded, and therefore these tribes continued to worship their tribal deities, including Yahweh and the silver and golden calves which symbolized the Bedouin herders' concept of the spirit of the Sinai volcano. 
1054§3 96:1.13 The Syrians, while worshiping their gods, also believed in Yahweh of the Hebrews, for their prophets said to the Syrian king: "Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we; but let us fight against them on the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they." 
1054§4 96:1.14 As man advances in culture, the lesser gods are subordinated to a supreme deity; the great Jove persists only as an exclamation. The monotheists keep their subordinate gods as spirits, demons, fates, Nereids, fairies, brownies, dwarfs, banshees, and the evil eye. The Hebrews passed through henotheism and long believed in the existence of gods other than Yahweh, but they increasingly held that these foreign deities were subordinate to Yahweh. They conceded the actuality of Chemosh, god of the Amorites, but maintained that he was subordinate to Yahweh. 
1054§5 96:1.15 The idea of Yahweh has undergone the most extensive development of all the mortal theories of God. Its progressive evolution can only be compared with the metamorphosis of the Buddha concept in Asia, which in the end led to the concept of the Universal Absolute even as the Yahweh concept finally led to the idea of the Universal Father. But as a matter of historic fact, it should be understood that, while the Jews thus changed their views of Deity from the tribal god of Mount Horeb to the loving and merciful Creator Father of later times, they did not change his name; they continued all the way along to call this evolving concept of Deity, Yahweh.2. THE SEMITIC PEOPLES
1054§6 96:2.1 The Semites of the East were well-organized and well-led horsemen who invaded the eastern regions of the fertile crescent and there united with the Babylonians. The Chaldeans near Ur were among the most advanced of the eastern Semites. The Phoenicians were a superior and well-organized group of mixed Semites who held the western section of Palestine, along the Mediterranean coast. Racially the Semites were among the most blended of Urantia peoples, containing hereditary factors from almost all of the nine world races. 
1054§7 96:2.2 Again and again the Arabian Semites fought their way into the northern Promised Land, the land that "flowed with milk and honey," but just as often were they ejected by the better-organized and more highly civilized northern Semites and Hittites. Later, during an unusually severe famine, these roving Bedouins entered Egypt in large numbers as contract laborers on the Egyptian public works, only to find themselves undergoing the bitter experience of enslavement at the hard daily toil of the common and downtrodden laborers of the Nile valley. 
1055§1 96:2.3 It was only after the days of Machiventa Melchizedek and Abraham that certain tribes of Semites, because of their peculiar religious beliefs, were called the children of Israel and later on Hebrews, Jews, and the "chosen people." Abraham was not the racial father of all the Hebrews; he was not even the progenitor of all the Bedouin Semites who were held captive in Egypt. True, his offspring, coming up out of Egypt, did form the nucleus of the later Jewish people, but the vast majority of the men and women who became incorporated into the clans of Israel had never sojourned in Egypt. They were merely fellow nomads who chose to follow the leadership of Moses as the children of Abraham and their Semite associates from Egypt journeyed through northern Arabia. 
1055§2 96:2.4 The Melchizedek teaching concerning El Elyon, the Most High, and the covenant of divine favor through faith, had been largely forgotten by the time of the Egyptian enslavement of the Semite peoples who were shortly to form the Hebrew nation. But throughout this period of captivity these Arabian nomads maintained a lingering traditional belief in Yahweh as their racial deity. 
1055§3 96:2.5 Yahweh was worshiped by more than one hundred separate Arabian tribes, and except for the tinge of the El Elyon concept of Melchizedek which persisted among the more educated classes of Egypt, including the mixed Hebrew and Egyptian stocks, the religion of the rank and file of the Hebrew captive slaves was a modified version of the old Yahweh ritual of magic and sacrifice.3. THE MATCHLESS MOSES
1055§4 96:3.1 The beginning of the evolution of the Hebraic concepts and ideals of a Supreme Creator dates from the departure of the Semites from Egypt under that great leader, teacher, and organizer, Moses. His mother was of the royal family of Egypt; his father was a Semitic liaison officer between the government and the Bedouin captives. Moses thus possessed qualities derived from superior racial sources; his ancestry was so highly blended that it is impossible to classify him in any one racial group. Had he not been of this mixed type, he would never have displayed that unusual versatility and adaptability which enabled him to manage the diversified horde which eventually became associated with those Bedouin Semites who fled from Egypt to the Arabian desert under his leadership. 
1055§5 96:3.2 Despite the enticements of the culture of the Nile kingdom, Moses elected to cast his lot with the people of his father. At the time this great organizer was formulating his plans for the eventual freeing of his father's people, the Bedouin captives hardly had a religion worthy of the name; they were virtually without a true concept of God and without hope in the world. 
1055§6 96:3.3 No leader ever undertook to reform and uplift a more forlorn, downcast, dejected, and ignorant group of human beings. But these slaves carried latent possibilities of development in their hereditary strains, and there were a sufficient number of educated leaders who had been coached by Moses in preparation for the day of revolt and the strike for liberty to constitute a corps of efficient organizers. These superior men had been employed as native overseers of their people; they had received some education because of Moses' influence with the Egyptian rulers. 
1056§1 96:3.4 Moses endeavored to negotiate diplomatically for the freedom of his fellow Semites. He and his brother entered into a compact with the king of Egypt whereby they were granted permission peaceably to leave the valley of the Nile for the Arabian desert. They were to receive a modest payment of money and goods in token of their long service in Egypt. The Hebrews for their part entered into an agreement to maintain friendly relations with the Pharaohs and not to join in any alliance against Egypt. But the king later saw fit to repudiate this treaty, giving as his reason the excuse that his spies had discovered disloyalty among the Bedouin slaves. He claimed they sought freedom for the purpose of going into the desert to organize the nomads against Egypt. 
1056§2 96:3.5 But Moses was not discouraged; he bided his time, and in less than a year, when the Egyptian military forces were fully occupied in resisting the simultaneous onslaughts of a strong Libyan thrust from the south and a Greek naval invasion from the north, this intrepid organizer led his compatriots out of Egypt in a spectacular night flight. This dash for liberty was carefully planned and skillfully executed. And they were successful, notwithstanding that they were hotly pursued by Pharaoh and a small body of Egyptians, who all fell before the fugitives' defense, yielding much booty, all of which was augmented by the loot of the advancing host of escaping slaves as they marched on toward their ancestral desert home.4. THE PROCLAMATION OF YAHWEH
1056§3 96:4.1 The evolution and elevation of the Mosaic teaching has influenced almost one half of all the world, and still does even in the twentieth century. While Moses comprehended the more advanced Egyptian religious philosophy, the Bedouin slaves knew little about such teachings, but they had never entirely forgotten the god of Mount Horeb, whom their ancestors had called Yahweh. 
1056§4 96:4.2 Moses had heard of the teachings of Machiventa Melchizedek from both his father and his mother, their commonness of religious belief being the explanation for the unusual union between a woman of royal blood and a man from a captive race. Moses' father-in-law was a Kenite worshiper of El Elyon, but the emancipator's parents were believers in El Shaddai. Moses thus was educated an El Shaddaist; through the influence of his father-in-law he became an El Elyonist; and by the time of the Hebrew encampment about Mount Sinai after the flight from Egypt, he had formulated a new and enlarged concept of Deity (derived from all his former beliefs), which he wisely decided to proclaim to his people as an expanded concept of their olden tribal god, Yahweh. 
1056§5 96:4.3 Moses had endeavored to teach these Bedouins the idea of El Elyon, but before leaving Egypt, he had become convinced they would never fully comprehend this doctrine. Therefore he deliberately determined upon the compromise adoption of their tribal god of the desert as the one and only god of his followers. Moses did not specifically teach that other peoples and nations might not have other gods, but he did resolutely maintain that Yahweh was over and above all, especially to the Hebrews. But always was he plagued by the awkward predicament of trying to present his new and higher idea of Deity to these ignorant slaves under the guise of the ancient term Yahweh, which had always been symbolized by the golden calf of the Bedouin tribes. 
1056§6 96:4.4 The fact that Yahweh was the god of the fleeing Hebrews explains why they tarried so long before the holy mountain of Sinai, and why they there received the ten commandments which Moses promulgated in the name of Yahweh, the god of Horeb. During this lengthy sojourn before Sinai the religious ceremonials of the newly evolving Hebrew worship were further perfected. 
1057§1 96:4.5 It does not appear that Moses would ever have succeeded in the establishment of his somewhat advanced ceremonial worship and in keeping his followers intact for a quarter of a century had it not been for the violent eruption of Horeb during the third week of their worshipful sojourn at its base. "The mountain of Yahweh was consumed in fire, and the smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly." In view of this cataclysm it is not surprising that Moses could impress upon his brethren the teaching that their God was "mighty, terrible, a devouring fire, fearful, and all-powerful." 
1057§2 96:4.6 Moses proclaimed that Yahweh was the Lord God of Israel, who had singled out the Hebrews as his chosen people; he was building a new nation, and he wisely nationalized his religious teachings, telling his followers that Yahweh was a hard taskmaster, a "jealous God." But nonetheless he sought to enlarge their concept of divinity when he taught them that Yahweh was the "God of the spirits of all flesh," and when he said, "The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms." Moses taught that Yahweh was a covenant-keeping God; that he "will not forsake you, neither destroy you, nor forget the covenant of your fathers because the Lord loves you and will not forget the oath by which he swore to your fathers." 
1057§3 96:4.7 Moses made a heroic effort to uplift Yahweh to the dignity of a supreme Deity when he presented him as the "God of truth and without iniquity, just and right in all his ways." And yet, despite this exalted teaching, the limited understanding of his followers made it necessary to speak of God as being in man's image, as being subject to fits of anger, wrath, and severity, even that he was vengeful and easily influenced by man's conduct. 
1057§4 96:4.8 Under the teachings of Moses this tribal nature god, Yahweh, became the Lord God of Israel, who followed them through the wilderness and even into exile, where he presently was conceived of as the God of all peoples. The later captivity that enslaved the Jews in Babylon finally liberated the evolving concept of Yahweh to assume the monotheistic role of the God of all nations. 
1057§5 96:4.9 The most unique and amazing feature of the religious history of the Hebrews concerns this continuous evolution of the concept of Deity from the primitive god of Mount Horeb up through the teachings of their successive spiritual leaders to the high level of development depicted in the Deity doctrines of the Isaiahs, who proclaimed that magnificent concept of the loving and merciful Creator Father.5. THE TEACHINGS OF MOSES
1057§6 96:5.1 Moses was an extraordinary combination of military leader, social organizer, and religious teacher. He was the most important individual world teacher and leader between the times of Machiventa and Jesus. Moses attempted to introduce many reforms in Israel of which there is no record. In the space of one man's life he led the polyglot horde of so-called Hebrews out of slavery and uncivilized roaming while he laid the foundation for the subsequent birth of a nation and the perpetuation of a race. 
1058§1 96:5.2 There is so little on record of the great work of Moses because the Hebrews had no written language at the time of the exodus. The record of the times and doings of Moses was derived from the traditions extant more than one thousand years after the death of the great leader. 
1058§2 96:5.3 Many of the advances which Moses made over and above the religion of the Egyptians and the surrounding Levantine tribes were due to the Kenite traditions of the time of Melchizedek. Without the teaching of Machiventa to Abraham and his contemporaries, the Hebrews would have come out of Egypt in hopeless darkness. Moses and his father-in-law, Jethro, gathered up the residue of the traditions of the days of Melchizedek, and these teachings, joined to the learning of the Egyptians, guided Moses in the creation of the improved religion and ritual of the Israelites. Moses was an organizer; he selected the best in the religion and mores of Egypt and Palestine and, associating these practices with the traditions of the Melchizedek teachings, organized the Hebrew ceremonial system of worship. 
1058§3 96:5.4 Moses was a believer in Providence; he had become thoroughly tainted with the doctrines of Egypt concerning the supernatural control of the Nile and the other elements of nature. He had a great vision of God, but he was thoroughly sincere when he taught the Hebrews that, if they would obey God, "He will love you, bless you, and multiply you. He will multiply the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your land—the corn, wine, oil, and your flocks. You shall be prospered above all people, and the Lord your God will take away from you all sickness and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt upon you." He even said: "Remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the power to get wealth." "You shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow. You shall reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over you." 
1058§4 96:5.5 But it was truly pitiful to watch this great mind of Moses trying to adapt his sublime concept of El Elyon, the Most High, to the comprehension of the ignorant and illiterate Hebrews. To his assembled leaders he thundered, "The Lord your God is one God; there is none beside him"; while to the mixed multitude he declared, "Who is like your God among all the gods?" Moses made a brave and partly successful stand against fetishes and idolatry, declaring, "You saw no similitude on the day that your God spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire." He also forbade the making of images of any sort. 
1058§5 96:5.6 Moses feared to proclaim the mercy of Yahweh, preferring to awe his people with the fear of the justice of God, saying: "The Lord your God is God of Gods, and Lord of Lords, a great God, a mighty and terrible God, who regards not man." Again he sought to control the turbulent clans when he declared that "your God kills when you disobey him; he heals and gives life when you obey him." But Moses taught these tribes that they would become the chosen people of God only on condition that they "kept all his commandments and obeyed all his statutes." 
1058§6 96:5.7 Little of the mercy of God was taught the Hebrews during these early times. They learned of God as "the Almighty; the Lord is a man of war, God of battles, glorious in power, who dashes in pieces his enemies." "The Lord your God walks in the midst of the camp to deliver you." The Israelites thought of their God as one who loved them, but who also "hardened Pharaoh's heart" and "cursed their enemies." 
1058§7 96:5.8 While Moses presented fleeting glimpses of a universal and beneficent Deity to the children of Israel, on the whole, their day-by-day concept of Yahweh was that of a God but little better than the tribal gods of the surrounding peoples. Their concept of God was primitive, crude, and anthropomorphic; when Moses passed on, these Bedouin tribes quickly reverted to the semibarbaric ideas of their olden gods of Horeb and the desert. The enlarged and more sublime vision of God which Moses every now and then presented to his leaders was soon lost to view, while most of the people turned to the worship of their fetish golden calves, the Palestinian herdsman's symbol of Yahweh. 
1059§1 96:5.9 When Moses turned over the command of the Hebrews to Joshua, he had already gathered up thousands of the collateral descendants of Abraham, Nahor, Lot, and other of the related tribes and had whipped them into a self-sustaining and partially self-regulating nation of pastoral warriors.6. THE GOD CONCEPT AFTER MOSES' DEATH
1059§2 96:6.1 Upon the death of Moses his lofty concept of Yahweh rapidly deteriorated. Joshua and the leaders of Israel continued to harbor the Mosaic traditions of the all-wise, beneficent, and almighty God, but the common people rapidly reverted to the older desert idea of Yahweh. And this backward drift of the concept of Deity continued increasingly under the successive rule of the various tribal sheiks, the so-called Judges. 
1059§3 96:6.2 The spell of the extraordinary personality of Moses had kept alive in the hearts of his followers the inspiration of an increasingly enlarged concept of God; but when they once reached the fertile lands of Palestine, they quickly evolved from nomadic herders into settled and somewhat sedate farmers. And this evolution of life practices and change of religious viewpoint demanded a more or less complete change in the character of their conception of the nature of their God, Yahweh. During the times of the beginning of the transmutation of the austere, crude, exacting, and thunderous desert god of Sinai into the later appearing concept of a God of love, justice, and mercy, the Hebrews almost lost sight of Moses' lofty teachings. They came near losing all concept of monotheism; they nearly lost their opportunity of becoming the people who would serve as a vital link in the spiritual evolution of Urantia, the group who would conserve the Melchizedek teaching of one God until the times of the incarnation of a bestowal Son of that Father of all. 
1059§4 96:6.3 Desperately Joshua sought to hold the concept of a supreme Yahweh in the minds of the tribesmen, causing it to be proclaimed: "As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will not fail you nor forsake you." Joshua found it necessary to preach a stern gospel to his disbelieving people, people all too willing to believe their old and native religion but unwilling to go forward in the religion of faith and righteousness. The burden of Joshua's teaching became: "Yahweh is a holy God; he is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins." The highest concept of this age pictured Yahweh as a "God of power, judgment, and justice." 
1059§5 96:6.4 But even in this dark age, every now and then a solitary teacher would arise proclaiming the Mosaic concept of divinity: "You children of wickedness cannot serve the Lord, for he is a holy God." "Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his Maker?" "Can you by searching find out God? Can you find out the Almighty to perfection? Behold, God is great and we know him not. Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out."7. PSALMS AND THE BOOK OF JOB
1060§1 96:7.1 Under the leadership of their sheiks and priests the Hebrews became loosely established in Palestine. But they soon drifted back into the benighted beliefs of the desert and became contaminated with the less advanced Canaanite religious practices. They became idolatrous and licentious, and their idea of Deity fell far below the Egyptian and Mesopotamian concepts of God that were maintained by certain surviving Salem groups, and which are recorded in some of the Psalms and in the so-called Book of Job. 
1060§2 96:7.2 The Psalms are the work of a score or more of authors; many were written by Egyptian and Mesopotamian teachers. During these times when the Levant worshiped nature gods, there were still a goodly number who believed in the supremacy of El Elyon, the Most High. 
1060§3 96:7.3 No collection of religious writings gives expression to such a wealth of devotion and inspirational ideas of God as the Book of Psalms. And it would be very helpful if, in the perusal of this wonderful collection of worshipful literature, consideration could be given to the source and chronology of each separate hymn of praise and adoration, bearing in mind that no other single collection covers such a great range of time. This Book of Psalms is the record of the varying concepts of God entertained by the believers of the Salem religion throughout the Levant and embraces the entire period from Amenemope to Isaiah. In the Psalms God is depicted in all phases of conception, from the crude idea of a tribal deity to the vastly expanded ideal of the later Hebrews, wherein Yahweh is pictured as a loving ruler and merciful Father. 
1060§4 96:7.4 And when thus regarded, this group of Psalms constitutes the most valuable and helpful assortment of devotional sentiments ever assembled by man up to the times of the twentieth century. The worshipful spirit of this collection of hymns transcends that of all other sacred books of the world. 
1060§5 96:7.5 The variegated picture of Deity presented in the Book of Job was the product of more than a score of Mesopotamian religious teachers extending over a period of almost three hundred years. And when you read the lofty concept of divinity found in this compilation of Mesopotamian beliefs, you will recognize that it was in the neighborhood of Ur of Chaldea that the idea of a real God was best preserved during the dark days in Palestine. 
1060§6 96:7.6 In Palestine the wisdom and all-pervasiveness of God was often grasped but seldom his love and mercy. The Yahweh of these times "sends evil spirits to dominate the souls of his enemies"; he prospers his own and obedient children, while he curses and visits dire judgments upon all others. "He disappoints the devices of the crafty; he takes the wise in their own deceit." 
1060§7 96:7.7 Only at Ur did a voice arise to cry out the mercy of God, saying: "He shall pray to God and shall find favor with him and shall see his face with joy, for God will give to man divine righteousness." Thus from Ur there is preached salvation, divine favor, by faith: "He is gracious to the repentant and says, `Deliver him from going down in the pit, for I have found a ransom.' If any say, `I have sinned and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not,' God will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and he shall see the light." Not since the times of Melchizedek had the Levantine world heard such a ringing and cheering message of human salvation as this extraordinary teaching of Elihu, the prophet of Ur and priest of the Salem believers, that is, the remnant of the onetime Melchizedek colony in Mesopotamia. 
1061§1 96:7.8 And thus did the remnants of the Salem missionaries in Mesopotamia maintain the light of truth during the period of the disorganization of the Hebrew peoples until the appearance of the first of that long line of the teachers of Israel who never stopped as they built, concept upon concept, until they had achieved the realization of the ideal of the Universal and Creator Father of all, the acme of the evolution of the Yahweh concept.[Presented by a Melchizedek of Nebadon.]

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New Testament Manuscripts

Carsten Thiede is regarded by a few analysts of Biblical texts as revolutionary, but to most he is deemed hasty at best--at worst a crackpot. His attempts at redating one manuscript (p64) to the First Century have been completely ignored. Still, his re-identification of a fragment found in the 7th cave at Qumran with a portion of the gospel according to Mark may very well stand. If José O'Callaghan's identification of the fragment (now championed by Thiede) proves accurate, that fragment is most likely the oldest existing manuscript containing any portion of the New Testament, for the Qumran caves were closed c. 68 CE when the Romans invaded the area.

The manuscript fragment is written on in an early Greek script type on papyrus. It contains few characters on each side (see the article by clicking here), but its identification with Mark would be powerful. Still, most scholars dispute that identification, leaving another manuscript as the oldest known.

All of the oldest extant NT manuscripts were written in Greek uncial (capital letter) style on papyrus. About 100 of these have been identified, although a few of them were later found to be portions of the same manuscripts. All of these papyri date to the eighth century or earlier, with most of them predating the sixth century. Noteworthy also is the fact that all of them were discovered in this century. Indeed, our best knowledge about the early NT text has been gained within the past 150 years.

What follows is a list of certain papyri, their contents, and approximate date. The reader may assume that various holes (called lacunae) exist throughout portions of the manuscripts, since it is natural for such holes to develop.

 

NumberContentsApproximate Date
p46most of Paul's letters and Hebrewsonce dated c. 200
redated by Young Kyu Kim to c. 85
p52fragment of Johnc. 110-125
p66most of Johnc. 125-175
or 3rd century
p45four gospels and Actsusu. III
but some date it II
p32most of Titususu. III
but some date it II
p75most of Luke and Johnc. 175-225
p13part of Hebrewsc. 200
p721 Pet, 2 Pet, JudeIII
p47fragment of RevelationIII

While the papyri are generally early, most of them are fragmentary. The earliest nearly complete NT manuscripts are from c. 325-350, and most of them are later. These are written on parchment and are generally referred to simply as Uncials in order to distinguish them from the later manuscripts that were written using lower case letters. The Uncials date from c. 200 to the 11th century (XI).

 

NumberingName (where relevant)ContentsApproximate Date
Aleph 01Codex SinaiticusEntire NT, in nearly standard order
followed by the Letter of Barnabas
and the Shepherd of Hermas (incomplete)		c. 350
B 02Codex VaticanusMost of NT, with Pauline letters
following general letters
breaks off at Heb 9:14		c. 325
A 03Codex AlexandrinusEntire NT, with missing sections
adds 1 Clement and 2 Clement		V
D 05Codex Bezae CantabrigiensisFour gospels and most of ActsV - VI
D 06Codex ClaromontinusPaul's letters, minus Ephesians,
plus Hebrews		VI
W 032Codex Washingtoneus/Freerianusfour gospels
added section of Mark 16,
called the Freer Logion		V

The above lists contain the earliest and most highly regarded New Testament manuscripts that are currently known to exist. They contain styles of variation that will be discussed later. All in all, over 6000 Greek NT manuscripts exist in various styles. Click here to proceed to next week's discussion of New Testament Apocrypha.



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Josephus on Jesus

The so called Testimonium Flavianum. This is the only direct discussion of Jesus to be found in the writings of Josephus. Unfortunately, the text as we have it in extant copies of Josephus' Antiquities appears to have been dramatically re-written from a Christian point of view. (The writings of Josephus were brought down to us from antiquity not by the Jewish community, but by the Christians). The second column contains an Arabic quotation of the Josephus passage that has a much less Christian flavor. Some scholars have argued that the Arabic version has a more likely claim to originality.

Although that is a strong possibility, it should be noted that even the Arabic version is a good deal kinder to Jesus than Josephus usually is to messianic claimants. In addition it is harder to see why the Christian scribe would feel so compelled to change it. It is possible that the original may have been much more insulting, in keeping with Josephus' normal pattern, and that the Greek and Arabic versions are simply two different recensions of a Christian rewrite. R. Eisler has made an effort to reconstruct an 'original' that might have, given Christian revision, served as a base for the version that survives in Greek. It is, of course, entirely hypothetical, and no textual evidence exists to support it, but it does fit in better with Josephus' usual pattern and language, as well as the general context of the passage.

On the other hand, it may be possible to 'save' the Arabic version. Particularly if we remove the last sentence (accordingly ...wonders) as a pious expansion, we are left with a non-committal report on the martyrdom at Roman hands of a pious Jew. This would not be at all inconsistent with Josephus' style, particularly if he discounted as later followers' embellishments the claims made by Christians that Jesus was the Messiah. This last suggestion is to some extent crippled by the less controversial reference in Antiquities 20 if it is genuine (see below).

Greek Version

Josephus, Antiquities 18.63, probably in a Christian redaction
Tr. I. H. Feldman, Loeb Classical Library, vol. 9, pp. 49ff.
About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man if indeed one ought to call him a man. For he was one who wrought surprising feats and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won overmany Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. WhenPilate, upon hearing him accused by men of the highest standing among us, had condemned him to be crucified, those who had in the first place come to love him did not cease. On the third day he appeared to them restored to life. For the prophets of God had prophesied these and myriads of other marvellous things about him.And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still up to now, not disappeared.

Arabic Version

Arabic summary, presumably of Antiquities 18.63. From Agapios' Kitab al-'Unwan ("Book of the Title," 10th c.).
The translation belongs to Shlomo Pines. See also James H. Charlesworth, Jesus Within Judaism.
Similarly Josephus the Hebrew. For he says in the treatises that he has written on the governance of the Jews:
At this time there was a wise man who was calledJesus. And his conduct was good, and he was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and the other nations became his disciples. Pilate condemned him to be crucifiedand to die. And those who had become his disciples did not abandon his discipleship. They reported that he had appeared to themafter his crucifixion and that he was alive; accordingly, he was perhapsthe Messiah concerning whom the prophets have recounted wonders.

R. Eisler's Reconstruction

Same text, in a less complementary modern scholarly reconstruction.
R. Eisler, The Messiah Jesus, (tr. A. H. Krappe), 1931, p. 61. Quoted from the Loeb Classical Library , vol. 9, p. 48.
Now about this time arose an occasion for new disturbances, a certain Jesus, a wizard of a man, if indeed he may be called a man, who was the most monstrous of men, whom his disciples call a son of God, as having done wonders such as no man has ever done.... He was in fact a teacher of astonishing tricks to such men as accept the abnormal with delight.... And he seduced many Jews and many also of the Greek nation, and was regarded by them as the Messiah.... And when, on the indictment of the principal men among us, Pilate had sentenced him to the cross, still those who before had admired him did not cease to rave. For it seemed to them that having been dead for three days, he had appeared to them alive again, as the divinely-inspired prophets had foretold -- these and ten thousand other wonderful things -- concerning him. And even now the race of those who are called 'Messianists' after him is not extinct.

The only usually undisputed allusion to Jesus in Josephus is actually only a passing reference in the context of the trial of James. James is identified, not as James son of ???? as one would normally expect but as brother of Jesus. While this passage is more likely to be authentic than the one above, it is not without problems. Origen knows and cites this passage, and is unaware of the 'Testimonium Flavianum' above, providing some evidence for its presence in the Antiquities before its Christian reworking. On the other hand, Origen's version contains the unlikely addition in which Josephus also says that it is as punishment for the execution of James that Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed. The possibility suggests itself that even Origen's Josephus has undergone Christian reworking, simply of a different variety, in which, perhaps, the insulting Testimonium has been expunged, and James has been introduced as a pious Jewish hero.

Josephus, Antiquities 20.9.1
Since Ananus was that kind of person, and because he perceived an opportunity with Festus having died and Albinus not yet arrived, he called a meeting of the Sanhedrin and brought James, the brother of Jesus (who is called 'Messiah') along with some others. He accused them of transgressing the law, and handed them over for stoning.


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VICARIUS FILII DEI
666, The Number of the Beast

Rev 13:16 And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
Rev 13:17 And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
Rev 13:18 Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

Note that according to verse 17, there are three different characteristics that distinguish the beast:

  • his mark (of authority)
  • his name
  • the number of his name (666).

It might be argued by some that 666 must be applied to one man's name, and that this will then help identify him as the antichrist. I would offer the following verse to show that 666 need not apply solely to a man's name:

Rev 19:16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

The same Greek word translated as name (onoma: G3686) that appears in Revelation 13:17-18 is also used in chapter 19:16, so clearly the word can also apply to a title, and not just one man's name. Now, we are told that it takes a certain understanding and wisdom to discern just how this number is actually applied. Based on the fact that 666 can apply to a title, below are several words and phrases that have been put forth over the centuries as probable solutions to the enigma of 666.

gematria-table.gif

GREEK

The numeric equivalents of Greek letters can also be found in the Encyclopedia Britannica under "Languages of the World", Table 8.

The ancient Greek word for "the Latin speaking man" is LATEINOS

L =   30lambda
A =     1alpha
T = 300tau
E =     5epsilon
I =     10iota
N =   50nu
O =   70omicron
S = 200sigma
------------
666

NOTE: Latin is the official language of the Roman Catholic Church. Church Documents are usually published first in Latin, and then translated from the Latin into other languages. The association of "Lateinos" with 666 was first suggested by Irenæus (ca. 130-202 A.D.) who proposed in his Against Heresies that it might be the name of the fourth kingdom in Daniel 7:7.

Then also Lateinos has the number six hundred and sixty-six; and it is a very probable [solution], this being the name of the last kingdom [of the four seen by Daniel]. For the Latins are they who at present bear rule: I will not, however, make any boast over this [coincidence].

Source: star.gif Against Heresies, by Irenæus, Book 5, chapter 30, paragraph 3.
star.gif St. Irenaeus biography online at the New Advent Catholic web site.

The ancient Greek for
"The Latin Kingdom" is
HE LATINE BASILEIA
 BASILEIA is Strong's # G932		The ancient Greek for
"Italian Church" is
ITALIKA EKKLESIA
EKKLESIA is Strong's # G1577 		And in ancient Greek 
the word APOSTATES		And in ancient Greek 
the word for "tradition"
PARADOSIS
Strong's # G3862
H =      0(transliterated)
E =      8eta
L =    30lambda
A =     1alpha
T =  300tau
I =     10iota
N =   50nu
E =     8eta
B =     2beta
A =     1alpha
S =  200sigma
I =     10iota
L =    30lambda
E =      5epsilon
I =     10iota
A =      1alpha

 

666
I =    10iota
T = 300tau
A =     1alpha
L =   30lambda
I =     10iota
K =   20kappa
A =     1alpha
E =     5epsilon
K =   20kappa
K =   20kappa
L =   30lambda
E =     8eta
S =  200sigma
I =     10iota
A =     1alpha

 

666
A =     1alpha
P =   80pi
O =   70omicron
ST =   6stigma*
A =     1alpha
T = 300tau
E =     8eta
S =  200sigma

 

666

* Stigma stigma.gifis a now obsolete Greek  character, but it appears in the New Testament in Rev 13:18 to give the value 666 (chi xi stigma - See Strong's Concordance, # G5516).

P =   80pi
A =     1alpha
R = 100rho
A =     1alpha
D =     4delta
O =   70omicron
S =  200sigma
I =     10iota
S =  200sigma

 

666

 

 

LATIN

 

NUMERALNAMEVALUE
Iunus1
Vquinque5
Xdecem10
Lquinquaginta50
Ccentum100
Dquingenti500
Mmille1000


VICARIUS FILII DEI

THE LITERAL MEANING:VICARIUS - substituting for, or in place of
FILII - means son
DEI - means God

 

V=5 F =no valueD=500
I=1I=1E=no value
C=100L=50I=1
A=no valueI=1--------
R=no valueI=1501
I=1--------
U/V=553
S=no value
--------

112 + 53 + 501 = 666

112

 

DUX CLERI
translated means Captain of the Clergy

D = 500
U =     5
X =   10
C = 100
L =   50
E = no value
R = no value
I =       1
--------------------
666

 

LUDOVICUS
translated means Vicar of the Court

L =   50
U =     5
D = 500
O = no value
V =     5
I =       1
C = 100
U =     5
S = no value
--------------------
666

 

HEBREW

The numeric equivalents of Hebrew letters can be found in the Encyclopedia Britannica under "Languages of the World", Table 50.

ROMIITH
means the Roman Kingdom

R =   200resh
O =       6waw (vav)
M =     40mem
I =       10yod
I =       10yod
TH = 400taw
--------------
666

 

ROMITI
means the Roman Man

R = 200resh
O =     6waw (vav)
M =   40mem
I =     10yod
T = 400taw
I =     10yod
----------
666

 

Note:

  • Lateinos, Ecclesia Italika, and Romith are cited as possible solutions by Johannes Gerhard (1582-1637), a Lutheran, in his Adnotationes in Apocalypsin, page 110.
  • Romith, Vicarius Filii Dei, Dux Cleri, Ordinarius Ovilis Christi Pastor, and Dic Lux are cited by the rector of Berlin, Andreas Helwig [or Helwich] (1572-1643) in his Antichristus Romanus, in proprio suo nomine, numerum illum Apocalypticum (DCLXVI) continente proditus, published in 1612 in Wittenberg.
  • Dux Cleri is cited by Walter Brute (or Britte), a fourteenth century follower of Wycliff, in his Registrum, page 356.
  • Ludovicus was proposed by James Bicheno (d. 1831), a British minister and author, applying it at the time to the French King Louis XIV, as the two-horned beast from the earth.
  • He Latine Basileia and Lateinos are cited by Alexander Campbell (1788-1866), founder of the Disciples of Christ, in A Debate on the Roman Catholic Religion of 1837.

See The PROPHETIC FAITH OF OUR FATHERS, The Historical Development of Prophetic Interpretation, by Le Roy Edwin Froom, Volumes II and IV, published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association, Washington D.C., Copyright 1948.

This relationship of 666 in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew is only one relatively small, yet important indicator that the Papacy is the Antichrist and the beast from the sea of Revelation 13. This association by itself proves little, as 666 can fit other people using the same methods. All the other biblical characteristics of the Antichrist must be considered and met as well, then this association becomes significant.

666 and CÆSAR NERO

Some will suggest that the book of Revelation was written only for those living at the time, and that 666 most probably applies to Cæsar Nero, who ruled Rome from 54 to 68 A.D., rather than someone from latter centuries. This point of view, which suggests Revelation had an immediate application to the first century, rather than being prophetic, is known as preterism, and is commonly held by the Catholic Church. So, just how is Nero linked to 666?

The preterist takes a relatively uncommon form of Nero's name, Nero Cæsar or Cæsar Nero, and adds an "n", resulting in Neron Cæsar. Next the Latin is transliterated into Aramaic, resulting in nrwn qsr,which when using the numeric equivalent of the letters, then adds up to 666 as follows:

Nun=50
Resh=200
Waw=6
Nun=50
Qoph=100
Samech=60
Resh=200

An example of this spelling has apparently been recently discovered in one of the Dead Sea scrolls. If you use the same process, but without the added "n" the result is 616. Interestingly, some early manuscripts have 616 rather than 666, but even scholars such as Irenæus [A.D. 120-202] attribute the 616 to only a copyist error (Against Heresies: Book V Chapter XXX.), "this number [666] being found in all the most approved and ancient copies" [of the Apocalypse] and asserts that "men who saw John face to face bearing their testimony" [to it - 666].

There is a problem though with the above calculation. According to the rules of Jewish numerology, known as gematria, when the letter Nun appears a second time in a word, it is known as a "Final", and takes the value of 700.* So to be precise, NRWN QSR actually adds up to 1316 and not 666.

*Source: Behind Numerology, by Shirley Blackwell Lawrence, copyright 1989, published by Newcastle Publishing Co., Inc., North Hollywood, California, ISBN 0-87877-145-X, page 41.

So the preterist calculation which attributes 666 to Nero, however, is nothing more than a rather desperate attempt to find some likely candidate for the Antichrist other than the Papacy.


THE WORD ANTI-

Look up in Strong's Concordance word 473 in the Greek dictionary. You will find the the word anti is often used to denote substitution-

473. anti, an-tee'; a prim. particle; opposite, i.e. instead or because of (rarely in addition to):--for, in the room of. Often used in composition to denote contrast, requital, *substitution*, correspondence, etc.

An example of how anti is used this way can be found in the words type and antitype, which are used with respect to Bible prophecy. The "type" is the pattern or symbol, and the antitype is the fulfillment. The Jewish Passover was a "type" and the crucifixion of Jesus is the "antitype" or fulfillment of the example of the type. You substitute the antitype into the symbolism of the type to arrive at the complete meaning.

The Catholic Church has essentially confirmed this usage of the word anti. In the 1994 Catholic Almanac on page 158 there is "the list of men who claimed or exercised the papal office in an uncanonical manner." So these men tried to substitute themselves for the true Pope, and usurp that office, so to speak. The Catholic church denies the papal authority of the men on that list because they attempted a substitute (false) claim on the Papacy. That list is a list of ANTI-POPES! So the word anti can clearly mean a substitute for something.

THE WORD ANTICHRIST

Antichrist (word 500 in Strong's Greek dictionary) can be correctly interpreted then, as someone who substitutes himself for Jesus Christ, the Son of God, just as an antipope substituted himself into the office of the Papacy.

The Vicar of Christ (Vicarius Christi)

"Vicar of Christ . . . Title used almost exclusively of the Bishop of Rome as successor of Peter and, therefore, the one in the Church who particularly takes the place of Christ; but used also of bishops in general and even of priests. First used by the Roman Synod of A.D. 495 to refer to Pope Gelasius; more commonly in Roman curial usage to refer to the Bishop of Rome during the pontificate of Pope Eugene III (1145-1153). Pope Innocent III (1198-1216) asserted explicitly that the Pope is the Vicar of Christ; further defined at the Council of Florence in the Decree for the Greeks (1439) and Vatican Council I in Pastor Aerternus (1870). The Second Vatican Council, in Lumen Gentium , n.27, calls bishops in general "vicars and legates of Christ." All bishops are vicars of Christ for their local churches in their ministerial functions as priest, prophet, and king, as the Pope is for the universal church; the title further denotes they exercise their authority in the Church not by delegation from any other person, but from Christ Himself."

Source: Catholic Dictionary, Peter M.J. Stravinskas, Editor, published by Our Sunday Visitor, Inc., Huntington, 1993, pp. 484-485.

THE WORDS VICARIOUS AND VICAR

Now look up the word vicarious in almost any common dictionary. Here is what you would find in the Webster Handy College Dictionary: "substituting for or, feeling in place of another."

Also in the Webster's II New Riverside Desk Dictionary for the definition of Vicar-

1. A parish priest in the Church of England.
2. A cleric in the Episcopal Church in charge of a chapel.
3. One who serves as a *substitute* for another.

A Vicar General is defined in the 1994 Catholic Almanac on page 330 as "a priest or bishop appointed by the bishop of a diocese to serve as his deputy, with ordinary executive power, in the administration of the diocese." So a vicar serves in the place of (substituting for) the bishop, and assumes his power of office for certain duties.

So the Papal title of VICAR OF CHRIST which in Latin is VICARIUS CHRISTI, means a SUBSTITUTE FOR CHRIST, which is synonymous with Antichrist, i.e., assuming the power of God on earth! This blasphemous claim is made repeatedly by various Popes and is the very foundation of Roman Catholicism and it's Papacy.

Some Catholics may protest that the Pope represents, but does not substitute for Jesus Christ, to avoid the association.

Now, from the Webster Hand College Dictionary, the definition of the word represent:

1. portray; depict; describe.
2. play the role of; impersonate.
3. denote; symbolize; stand for.
4. speak and act for; *be a substitute for*.
5. set forth; assert.
6. be composed of; consist in.

Clearly then, Vicar of Christ (Vicarius Christi) and Antichrist have exactly the same meaning. The Pope substitutes himself in place of God on earth, and that is *exactly* the meaning of Antichrist.

VICAR OF THE SON OF GOD

Some Catholics will claim that the title VICARIUS FILII DEI is an anti-catholic fabrication, a complete fake, never used by the Catholic church. One example of this is online at the Catholic star.gif Envoy Magazine in the article titled star.gif Pope Fiction by Patrick Madrid (See Fiction 5). star.gifMy complete discussion with Patrick Madrid.

Another Catholic apologist, Karl Keating of the organization Catholic Answers, in a debate in the fall of 1989 with Jose Ventilacion of Iglesia ni Cristo, stated the following:

The whole Iglesia argument against the Catholic Church is a big fraud, and let me prove it to you, from Pasugo [God's Message]. I mentioned in my opening remarks, Iglesia is so fond of claiming that the Pope is the beast of Revelation. We know that the beast of Revelation has the number 666, right?

Now here is the argument, follow this carefully. The Pope's have what is known as a tiara, that means a triple crown, a triply high crown, three levels. The beast can be identified. You find a man whose name, when added up adds up to 666, or a man whose title adds up to 666. Now, Iglesia ni Cristo says two things. One, that the title of the Pope, in Latin, is Vicarius Filii Dei, and second, that that title appears on the three bands of the tiara. I have in front of me a photo copy of the September 1976 issue of Pasugo. Here is a drawing made by the staff showing the tiara with those words on it. This is just a pen drawing. Two things to say. Does the title Vicarius Filii Dei add up to 666? Yes it does. But, is that a title of the Popes? Have they ever used it? No.

Do you know what Vicarius Filii Dei means? It means vicar, or representative, or agent, Vicar of the Son of God. The Pope has never used that title. No Pope ever. The official title of the pope, one of several, is Vicar of Christ, not Vicar of the Son of God. We Catholics claim he is the representative on earth of the God-man the Messiah, not of the second person of the Trinity as such. But you see, the Vicar of Christ, in Latin, is Vicarius Christi, and when you add up the letters, they don't add up to 666.

So the first thing, the first thing, that the Iglesia ni Cristo has done, and as I say, it repeats this story every four issues or so in its magazine. The first thing is to claim that the title of the Pope is Vicarius Filii Dei. That's a lie. It's not at all. Why does it claim that? Because it wants to find a title that adds up to 666. It doesn't care about the truth!

For those with high speed internet, see beginning at 38:50 minutes into this video of the debate at Google Videos. For those with dialup, here is audio of the above quote (mp3). Mr. Keating also stated this in print: "Vicarius Filii Dei never has been used as a title by any Pope.", Catholicism and Fundamentalism, by Karl Keating, Ignatius Press, 1988, pg 221.

The following evidence is offered to prove that VICARIUS FILII DEI is indeed genuine.

Vicarius Filii Dei translated in English is Vicar of the Son of God, a phrase that has been used by Catholics:

[pg. 140]

... there are Catholics who talk against the temporal power of the Pope, either because they have been stunned by the clamours of a Protestant people, or because they are white-hearted, and have not courage to stand in the face of popular falsehood for an unpopular truth. The spirit of Protestant Englandits lawlessness, its pride, its contempt, and its enmity to the Church of Godhas made Catholics too to be cold-hearted, even when the Vicar of Jesus Christ is insulted. We have need, then, to be upon our guard. It shall happen once more with some, as it did when the Son of God was in His Passionthey saw Him betrayed, bound, carried away, buffeted, blindfolded, and scourged; they saw Him carry His Cross to Calvary, then nailed upon it, and lifted up to the scorn of the world; and they said, "If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him."* So in like manner they say now, "See this Catholic Church, this Church of God, feeble and weak, rejected even by the very nations called Catholic. There is Catholic France, and Catholic Germany, and Catholic Italy, giving up this exploded figment of the temporal power of the Vicar of Jesus Christ." And

* St. Matt. xxvii. 42.

[pg. 141]

so, because the Church seems weak, and the Vicar of the Son of God is renewing the Passion of his Master upon earth, therefore we are scandalized, therefore we turn our faces from him. Where, then, is our faith? But the Son of God foretold these things when He said, "And now I have told you, before it come to pass; that when it shall come to pass, you may believe."*

* St. John xiv. 29.

[pg. 230]

... Lastly, the only other point upon which I shall speak to is this. We have already seen how the powers and glories of the Holy See have been progressively unfolding; how the time of St. Gregory I. was a period of apostolic missions, converting the nations to the faith; how the time of St. Leo III. was a period

[pg. 231]

of creating the Christian world; how the time of St. Gregory VII. was a period of purifying the sanctuary of the Church; and how the time of Alexander III. was a period of royalty of government and of ecclesiastical order, when the divine power of the church directed, by a firm and sacred authority, the civil powers of the world within the sphere of the law of God and of obedience to the faith. Now I observe these powers of the Holy See have been always rising, always culminating. The temporal power in the hand of St. Gregory I. was a fatherly and patriarchal rule over nations not as yet reduced to civil order. In the hands of St. Leo III. it became a power of building empires. In the hands of St. Gregory VII. it was a scourge to chasten them. In the hands of Alexander III. it was a dynasty, ruling supremely, in the name of God, over the powers of the world. And now in these later times the temporal sovereignty has become a law of the conscience, an axiom of the reason. Through long contests and denials it has passed into consciences, intellects, and hearts of men. Like the great dogmas of the Church, through controversy it has reached its analysis and expression. It stands by the side of the Immaculate Conception a theological certainty, if not a definition. So that I may say there never was a time when the temporal power of the Vicar of the Son of God, though assailed as we see it, was more firmly rooted through-

[pg. 232]

out the whole unity of the Catholic Church in the hearts and convictions of its members; and that by a double process, not only by its own proper evidence, not only by the light of God's dealing with the world, but by contrast. For the nations of Europe have already seen that the society of the world, without the guidance and preservation of the Church of God, resolves itself into confusion. They have seen every form of political society, and the confederations of kingdoms and nations, dissolve and pass away. While all the floating societies of the world have drifted down the stream, the centre of obedience has become more stable. Men have learned from the history of modern Europe that the law which is called the law of nations—that is, the rule of justice which regulates the relations of people with people—has become weak and powerless. And why? Because the nations have broken the bonds which bound them to the centre of obedience, and have shaken off the noble submission to a tribunal higher than man, from which came forth, in other days, the judgments of equity and of justice. It was a dignified obedience to bow to the Vicar of the Son of God, and to remit the arbitration of their griefs to one whom all wills consented to obey.

Source: The Temporal Power of the Vicar of Jesus Christ, by Henry Edward Manning, D.D. (appointed Archbishop of Westminster in 1865 and Cardinal in 1875), second edition with a preface, published in 1862 in London by Burns & Lambert, 17 &18 Portman Street.

For what is the temporal power, but the condition of peaceful independence and supreme direction over all Christians, and all Christian so- [p. 166] cieties, inherent in the office of Vicar of Christ, and head of the Christian Church? When the Civil powers became Christian, faith and obedience restrained them from casting so much as a shadow of human sovereignty over the Vicar of the Son of God. They who attempt it now will do it at their peril.

The Vatican Council And Its Definitions: Pastoral Letter to the Clergy, By Henry Edward Manning, Archbishop of Westminster, Second Edition, New York, 1871, p. 166.

Segur-Familiar-1881.gif

ST. PETER'S.

What Rome is to the world, St. Peter's is to Rome.
Rome is the holy city, the centre of the Catholic faith, the citadel of truth, the very sanctuary of the Catholic religion. And of all the temples that are enclosed within this one vast temple, St. Peter's is the chief; it is the central point of religious faith in Rome, and her most magnificent crown. Every one can understand why. Within these sacred walls repose the relics of the Prince of the Apostles, the first Bishop of Rome, the first of the long line of Pontiffs, the first Vicar of Jesus Christ. And close by, in an immense palace near to the church, the Pontiff lives, — the successor of St. Peter, the Vicar of the Son of God,and Sovereign Pastor of all the Christians upon the face of the whole earth.

 

Familiar Instructions And Evening Lectures On All The Truths Of Religion, byMonseigneur Louis Gaston A. de Sègur, translated from the French, Vol. II.; London: Burns & Oates, 1881, p. 204.

Malgré ces pénibles travaux, le vicaire du Fils de Dieu menait une vie extrêmement frugale.  [In spite of this painful work, the vicar of the Son of God (Peter) carried out an extremely frugal life.]

Catéchisme de Persévérance, L'Abbe J. Guame, Cinquieme Edition, Tome Cinquième, Paris, 1845, p. 25




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From Crossing The Threshold of Hope, by Pope John Paul II:
First Chapter: "The Pope": A Scandal and a Mystery (bold emphasis is mine):

[pg. 3] The leader of the Catholic Church is defined by the faith as the Vicar of Jesus Christ (and is accepted as such by believers). The Pope is considered the man on earth who represents the Son of God, who "takes the place" of the Second Person of the omnipotent God of the Trinity.

[pg. 13] The Pope is not the only one who holds this title. With regard to the Church entrusted to him, each bishop is Vicarius Christi.

Note that on page three of the Pope's book, "represents the Son of God" is synonymous with "Vicar of Jesus Christ". A vicar clearly represents, substitutes for, or "takes the place" of another, as stated. Consequently "represents the Son of God" can be translated in Latin as Vicarius Filii Dei, which in Roman Numerals will add up to 666. The title Vicarius Christi, translated into English, means a substitute for Christ, i.e., Antichrist, as demonstrated above, which is applied by the Pope to every bishop of the Catholic Church!

VICARIUS FILII DEI
The Historical Proof.

The Donation of Constantine is the most famous forgery in European history, and was discovered in the Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals in the 9th century (c. 847-853). The forger is thought to have beenJohannes Hymonides (John the Deacon of the 9th century). The Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals are fictitious letters alleged to be from early popes [Clement (A.D. 100) to Gregory the Great (A.D. 600)], collected by Isidore Mercator in the 9th century. Since the scholarly criticism of the fifteenth century they have been known to be forgeries and have been called "Pseudo-Isidorian Decretals" or False Decretals, to acknowledge that they are fraudulent.

The donation reads in part as follows in Latin: (caps added for emphasis) -

... ut sicut B. Petrus in terris VICARIUS FILII DEI esse videtur constitutus, ita et Pontifices, qui ipsius principis apostolorum gerunt vices, principatus potestatem amplius quam terrena imperialis nostrae serenitatis mansuetudo habere videtur, conscessam a nobis nostroque imperio obtineant...

In English that is-

... as the Blessed Peter is seen to have been constituted vicar of the Son of God on the earth, so the Pontiffs who are the representatives of that same chief of the apostles, should obtain from us and our empire the power of a supremacy greater than the clemency of our earthly imperial serenity is seen to have conceded to it,
(continuing beyond the Latin above)
choosing that same chief of the apostles and his vicars to be our constant intercessors with God. And to the extent of our earthly Imperial power, we have decreed that his holy Roman Church shall be honored with veneration, and that more than our empire and earthly throne the most sacred seat of the Blessed Peter shall be gloriously exalted, we giving to it power, and dignity of glory, and vigor, and honor imperial. And we ordain and decree that he shall have the supremacy as well over the four principal seats, Alexandria, Antioch, Jerusalem, and Constantinople, as also over all the churches of God in the whole earth. And the Pontiff, who at the time shall be at the head of the holy Roman church itself, shall be more exalted than, and chief over, all the priests of the whole world, and according to his judgment everything which is provided for the service of God and for the stability of the faith of Christians is to be administered.

Source: Christopher B. Coleman's The Treatise of Lorenzo Valla on the Donation of Constantine, pp. 12,13 Copyright 1922 by Yale University Press, New Haven, Conn.

star.gifPhotos of a 16th century copy of the Donation are online at the Vatican Secret Archive web site. The phrase vicarius filli Dei appears at the end of the 5th line down of the left page of the 7th photo.The image below is enlarged by 100% and sharpened to make it readable. See also this page, #11.

Donation-7detail.gif

rime  sanitati  comperi  me restitutum, utile
judicauimus   una  cum   nostris  satrapibus
omnibus  et  universo Senatu optimatibus It
et  cuncto populo Romanae gloriae imperij
subiacenti, ut  sicut in terris vicarius filii Dei
esse  videtur  constitutus etiam et pontifices,
qui   ipsius  principes  Apostolorum  gerunt

The Donation of Constantine has two parts, the first relates the alleged conversion story of Constantine to the Christian faith, and is called the "Confessio". The second part, called the "Donatio", lists the authority, privileges and property bestowed on the papacy by the emperor. It was later incorporated into most of the medieval collections of Catholic canon law (Anselm's, Cardinal Deusdedit's (c. 1087), and Gratian's Decretum (c. 1148) also known as Concordia Discordantium Canonum).

University of Zaragosa Library Catalogue Entry Corpus Iuris Canonici. Decretum Gratiani, cum apparatu Bartholomaei Brixiensis et Johannis Semecae, Basileae : Johannes Froben , 13 junio 1493. (Has full document download, .djvu format)

  • Scanned page (.gif) - Distinctio 96 vicarius filii Dei (Quote of Donation of Constantine)

At right is the page of Gratian's Decretum printed in 1512 with the title vicarius filii dei indicated by the arrow.  The entire volume is online at Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, the title appears on photo 201.

Distinctio-96-tn.jpg

The Donation of Constantine was cited in writing by no less than 10 Popes as proof of their civil authority and sovereignty over Rome, and what came to be known as the Papal States, which included a large portion of Italy. It was also eventually exposed as a pious fraud in 1440 by Laurentius Vallawho proved the donation had to have been written several centuries after the death of Constantine (337 A.D.) The Vatican condemned Valla's scholarly work by listing it in the Index Librorum Prohibitorum, the Index of Prohibited Books of 1559, and as late as 1580 the official edition of the Corpus Juris upheld the genuineness of the False Decretals. So the Donation of Constantine was held to be genuine for centuries.

Catholics finally abandoned the defense of the authenticity of the Donation of Constantine shortly after Cesare Baronius published his Ecclesiastical Annals in 1592, which admitted the fraud, although the Donation and title Vicarius Filii Dei continued to appear in Canon law and other Catholic publications well into the 19th century.

Vicarius Filii Dei in the text of the Donation of Constantine in an 1869 Vatican printing of star.gif Cardinal Deusdedit's Canon Law (compiled in 1087 A.D.) online at Google books.star.gifDeusdedit's bio.

Below is a copy of the cover page of Catholic Canon Law (Corpus Iuris Canonici) and Gratian's Decretalspublished in 1879 in Germany by Emil Friedberg:

grat-1c.gif

The Donation of Constantine is quoted in column 342, part of which is shown below. The phrase "vicarius filii dei" is found near the center of the paragraph. (Note that a "u" is used in place of a "v".)

grat-2c.gif

The Bavarian State Library of Germany has a digitized 1879 version ofCorpus Iuris Canonici available online, with full document download in .pdf format.  The title appears incolumn 342 (image 223). The relevant section is found under the following headings:

- CONCORDIA DISCORDANTIUM CANONUM AC PRIMUM DE IURE NATURAE ET CONSTITUTIONIS
- DISTINCTIO XCVI.
- C. XIV. De eodem.

 

VICARIUS FILII DEI USED TWICE BY POPE PAUL VI
IN OFFICIAL PAPAL DECREES

Paul6.jpgVicarius Filii Dei was used twice by Pope Paul VI in documents found on the Vatican's web site. These are Apostolic Constitutions, which are the highest form of official Papal decree in the Roman Catholic Church and are issued with binding legal authority. Historically these decrees were known as papal bulls, the name referring to the lead metal seal (bulla) attached to authenticate the document. As a general rule, the superscription that opens papal bulls typically reads:

NAME (without ordinal number) EPISCOPUS, SERVUS SERVORUM DEI, AD PERPETUAM REI MEMORIAM
So, the following Apostolic Constitutions begin:
PAULUS, EPISCOPUS, SERVUS SERVORUM DEI, AD PERPETUAM REI MEMORIAM
PAUL, BISHOP, SERVANT OF THE SERVANTS OF GOD, FOR EVERLASTING REMEMBRANCE OF THE MATTER

Bafianae (January 11, 1968), Decree of Paul VI elevating the Prefecture Apostolic of Bafia, Cameroon, to a Diocese: 
Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Commentarium Officiale, vol. LX (1968), n. 6, pp. 317-319. Libreria Editrice Vaticana. ISBN 8820960680, 9788820960681. 
Scans: Title page - 317 - 318 - 319.

Adorandi Dei Filii Vicarius et Procurator, quibus numen aeternum summam Ecclesiae sanctae dedit, ...
As the worshipful Son of God's Vicar and Caretaker, to whom the eternal divine will has given the highest rank of the holy Church, ...

Rivi Muniensis (August 9, 1965), Decree of Paul VI creating the Vicariate Apostolic of Río Muni, Equatorial Guinea: 
Acta Apostolicae Sedis, Commentarium Officiale, vol. LVIII (1966), n. 6, pp. 421-422. Libreria Editrice Vaticana, ISBN 8820960664, 9788820960667. 
Scans: Title page - 421 - 422.

Qui summi Dei numine et voluntate principem locum in Christi Ecclesia, obtinemus, adorandi Filii Dei hic in terris Vicarii Petrique successores, ...
We who the supreme God providentially wills, and maintains, in the principle position over Christ's Church, the worshipful Son of God's Vicar(s) upon the earth, Peter's successor(s), ...

Acta Apostolicae Sedis (Acts of the Apostolic See) is the official publication of the Holy See, and documents published in it are considered authentic and officially promulgated. The Vatican's web site for their Secret Archives estimates the total number of papal documents to be above 30 million. This is a staggering number of documents, and makes it a virtual certainty that Vicarius Filii Dei was used in other official documents that have yet to be discovered.

English translations of the above Apostolic Constitutions are not available on the Vatican web site. However, regarding the translation of Rivi Muniensis, a similar wording in Latin was used by Cardinal Robert Bellarmine (1542-1621) that can act as a guide. Here is one example in his De Ecclesia militante:

As thus understood, the definition of the Church given by Bellarmine is that usually adopted by Catholic theologians: "A body of men united together by the profession of the same Christian Faith, and by participation in the same sacraments, under the governance of lawful pastors, more especially of the Roman Pontiff, the sole vicar of Christ on earth" (Cœtus hominum ejusdem christianse fidei professione, et eorumdem sacramentorum communione colligatus, sub regimine legitimorum pastorum et praecipue unius Christi in Terris vicarii Romani Pontificis.—Bellarmine, De Eccl., III, ii, 9).

Source: The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume Three, copyright 1908 by Robert Appleton Co., and 1913 by The Encyclopedia Press, entry on The Church, page 745.

Note that in the above translation of the Latin: "unius Christi in Terris vicarii Romani Pontificis", "vicarii" does not apply to "Romani Pontificis" (i.e., vicar of the Roman Pontiff), but rather it applies to the preceding "Christi" (vicar of Christ on earth). This indicates that in the similarly worded Rivi Muniensis, "Vicarii" applies to "Filii Dei" (Son of God's vicar upon the earth), not "Petrique Successores"(vicar of Peter's successor, or vicar and successor of Peter) as an English speaker might presume. It is also worth noting that Cardinal Bellarmine's definition of the Christian Church excludes those who do not consider themselves subject to the authority of the Roman Pontiff, which is to say that Protestants are not part of the Church.

VICARIUS FILII DEI USED BY POPE LEO IX IN AN OFFICIAL LETTER
THAT RESULTED IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH BEING SPLIT IN TWO!

According to the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia entry on the Donation of Constantine:

The first pope who used it in an official act and relied upon it, was Leo IX; in a letter of 1054 to Michael Cærularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, he cites the "Donatio" to show that the Holy See possessed both an earthly and a heavenly imperium, the royal priesthood. ... Gregory VII himself never quoted this document in his long warfare for ecclesiastical liberty against the secular power. But Urban II made use of it in 1091 to support his claims on the island of Corsica. Later popes (Innocent III, Gregory IX, Innocent IV) took its authority for granted (Innocent III, Sermo de sancto Silvestro, in P.L., CCXVII, 481 sqq.; Raynaldus, Annales, ad an. 1236, n. 24; Potthast, Regesta, no. 11,848), and ecclesiastical writers often adduced its evidence in favour of the papacy. The medieval adversaries of the popes, on the other hand, never denied the validity of this appeal to the pretended donation of Constantine ... The authenticity of the document, as already stated, was doubted by no one before the fifteenth century.

Source: star.gifThe 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia online at the New Advent web site. Scanned page of Volume 5, entry on Donation of Constantine, page 120.

Regarding the letter of Leo IX to Michael Cærularius, the text of the letter is cited in the following work:

Geddes-p12.gif

Several Tracts Against Popery, by Michael Geddes, LL.D., London, 1715. See pages 11 - 20.

In this letter, which the 1913 Catholic Encyclopedia deems an official act, Pope Leo IX was asserting his primacy as the Bishop of Rome, and to that end he reproduced that portion of the donation containing vicarius filii Dei (see page 12 at left) for the edification of the Greek Patriarch. In the prologue of his citation of the donation, Leo IX said, in affirming the donation as genuine:

"But lest perhaps", saith Leo, "some Scruple may still remain with you concerning it's earthly Domination, (that is the Papacy's) and that you may not so much as lightly suspect, that the holy Roman See seeks to vindicate and defend its unshaken Honour with foolish and old Wives Fables, we will here produce a few Privileges which were confirmed by the Hand of the said Constantine, ... by which Truth will be confirmed, ... we do not follow learned Fables, but do manifest unto you the Power of Our Lord Jesus Christ [2 Pet. 1:16], ... Know ye that the same glorious Prince in the aforesaid Privilege, did, ... thus promulgate the special Dignity of the RomanChurch". (pgs. 18, 19)

As Geddes says:

"Was there ever any Truth spoke of with more Assurance, or with a greater Air of Devotion, than Constantine's Donation, and theRoman Church's never having made use of Fables, as spoke of here by Leo." 
"As Leo is, you see, in his Prologue to this Donation, very peremptory that it is authentick, so he triumphs in his Epilogue to it, as if its being so were made indubitable by him, saying," ... 'Wherefore Truth being supported by these and many more such Testimonies, does not blush, but impudent Vanity is confounded.'  "If this Pope had any Shame in him, he would never have ventured on this Occasion to have spoke either of Blushing or of Impudence; or if he had had any Religion, would he have dared to have made such a Grimace as this."
"For as if he himself believed all that he saith here so positively, and with so great an Air of Religion, concerning these Donations being indubitably authentick, he was certainly the simplest and most credulous Man that ever put Pen to Paper: So if he did not believe it himself, as it is more than probable he did not, he was a most profane and vile Hypocrite to cant about it, as he does. However, what this Pope saith here so dogmatically of the Instrument of Constantine's Donation, and its being authentick, ought to be remembered." (pgs. 19, 20)

The letter begins with the Intitulatio: "Leo episcopus, servus servorum Dei", which is characteristic of official papal bulls. It was addressed to Michael Cærularius, Patriarch of Constantinople, and Leo, Metropolitan of Achrida, and was in response to a letter sent by Leo, Metropolitan of Achrida to John, Bishop of Tranum (Bulgaria), that categorically attacked the customs of the Latin Church that differed from those of the Greeks. Especially criticized were the Roman traditions of fasting on the Saturday Sabbath and consecration of unleavened bread. Leo IX in his letter accused Constantinople of historically being the source of heresy and claimed in emphatic terms the primacy of the Bishop of Rome over even the Patriarch of Constantinople*, who would have none of it. After Leo's assertion of primacy was summarily rejected, Patriarch Cærularius was excommunicated by papal legates who entered Constantinople's St. Sophia during the liturgy on July 16, 1054, and publicly threw down a Bull that anathematized Cerularius on the altar table. By that dramatic act, the Church was split in two in the Great Schism that has ever since divided East and West.

* "Pope Leo IX. cites long extracts of it [the Donation] in his letter to Michael Cerularius, patriarch of Constantinople, in 1054, in order to establish against the Greeks the spiritual and temporal jurisdiction of the Holy See.2"—  The Power of the Pope During the Middle Ages, by M. Gosselin, Vol. 1., Translated by Rev. Matthew Kelly, London, pg. 318.

The full Latin text of the epistle of Pope Leo IX is online:

The full Latin text of the Donation of Constantine is online:

In the 12th century, the canonist John the Deacon of the Lateran wrote Liber de ecclesia Lateranensi (On the Lateran Church) in which the text of the Donation of Constantine appeared, including Vicarius Filii Dei.

  • See Migne, Gregorii Papaei, Cognomento Magni, Opera Omnia, Book IV, Liber de ecclesia Lateranensi, pg. 1389.
  • See Migne, Patrologiae Cursus Completus, Book CXCIV (194), Liber de ecclesia Lateranensi, Col 1545.
lateran%20cathedra%20benedict.jpgSt. John Lateran Cathedral figures prominently in Bible prophecy as it has the official "cathedra" or throne of the Bishop of Rome, it is the oldest or "Mother" church of Christendom, and it was in fact formerly the palace of the emperor, bequeathed to the Pope when Constantine vacated Rome for Constantinople, leaving the Bishop of Rome to fill the vacuum. This is mentioned in both the Donation and in the book of Revelation:

Rev 13:2 And the beast [papal Rome] which I saw was like unto a leopard [Greece], and his feet were as the feet of a bear [Medo-Persia], and his mouth as the mouth of a lion [Babylon]: and the dragon [pagan Rome / Satan] gave him [the papacy] his power, and his seat [cathedra, St. John Lateran], and great authority.

At left is Pope Benedict XVI on the throne in the apse of St. John Lateran Cathedral, formerly the palace of Emperor Constantine the Great, now the official cathedra of the Bishop of Rome. St. John Lateran is located on one of the seven hills of Rome. See: What Does The Word Vatican Mean?

A papal bull by Pope Nicolaus IV (1289) used an expanded title, stating the Roman Pontiff ... is in fact the Vicar of Jesus Christ Son of God [Vicarius enim Jesu Christi Filii Dei est.]

14th Century Canon Lawyer Applies Vicarius Filii Dei To The Pope

VFD.gif

Agostino Trionfo of Ancona (Augustinus Triumphus) 1243-1328 A.D.
Summa de potestate ecclesiastica (Summary On The Power Of The Church)

Trionfo was expressly commissioned by Pope John XXII to produce a book that would set forth and defend the ecclesiastical and temporal authority of the papacy. The result was Summa de potestate ecclesiastica, which was completed in the year 1320 and dedicated to the same Pope, and is considered the high water mark of papal pretentions.

The Summa de potestate ecclesiastica of Augustinus Triumphus has been described as 'one of the half dozen most influential and most important books ever written' on the nature of the papal supremacy in the Middle ages, 1...
1 C. H. McIlwain, The Growth of Political Thought in the West (London, 1932), p. 278. — The Problem of Sovereignty in the Later Middle Ages: The Papal Monarchy with Augustinus Triumphus and the Publicists by Michael Wilks, Cambridge University Press, 2008, ISBN 052107018X, 9780521070188, p. 2

Augustinus' Summa de potestate ecclesiastica is an extensive treatise, counting over 600 double column pages in the early printed editions. It consists of 112 questions, divided into three major parts. There are at least twenty-four extant manuscripts of the complete work, and another fifteen containing fragments. The Summa received five editions in the fifteenth century, and the four successive editions in Rome, beginning in 1582 and ending in 1585, which was the last edition of Augustinus' work. — High Way To Heaven, The Augustinian Platform Between Reform and Reformation, 1292-1524, by Eric Leland Saak, Leiden; Boston, MA: Brill, 2002, page 50.

The University of Maryland claims 29 editions of Summa were published between 1320 and 1584 in Latin, and it is held by 55 libraries worldwide.

Note that Summa was coming off the presses of Rome during the early years of the Catholic Church's enforcement of the Tridentine Index of Forbidden Books (Index Librorum Prohibitorum), which began in 1546 under Pope Pius IV and the Council of Trent, and remained in effect for over 300 years. The 1582 printing is prefaced by an endorsement by F. Augustinus Fiuizanius Romanus, Sacrista, Et Ordinis Augustiniani, Vicarius Generalis, under the name of Pope Gregory XIII. The crest of Pope Gregory XIII, with the winged dragon, appears on the title page, as shown below. In Summa, Agostino applied Vicarius Filii Dei to the papacy.

Refer to the following guide for the Latin and corresponding English for each edition of Summa. The Latin spelling varies slightly depending on abbreviations used.

Fiuizanius.gif

Trionfo-cover-sm.gif
  • Question 6 Ad 1, solus enim Papa dicitur esse Vicarius Dei: ... [Only the Pope is said to be the Vicar of God: ...]
  • Question 22 Ad 2, Sed Papa est vicarius Dei in terris. [Indeed the Pope is the vicar of God on the earth.]
  • Question 35 Ad 5, Sed Papa est vicarius Dei. [Indeed the Pope is the vicar of God.]
  • Question 36 Ad 7, ... ut sicut beatus Petrus in terris vicarius filii Dei esse videtur constitutus, ... [... as the Blessed Peter is seen to have been constituted vicar of the Son of God on the earth, ...] (Quote of Donation of Constantine)
  • Question 37 Ad 3, Constantinus huiusmodi translationem fecit auctoritate summi pontificis, qui tamquam vicarius Dei filii [filius] coelestis imperatoris iurisdictionem habet universalem super omnia regna et imperia. [Constantine transferred authority to the supreme pontiff, who is the vicar of God's son, heaven's commander in chief, with universal governmental jurisdiction over all kingdoms and empires.]
  • Question 37 Ad 5, Qualitercunque tamen institutio Imperii sit variata: nulli tamen dubium esse debet quin summa pontifex, quem Constantinus vicarium esse dei filii firmiter confessus est imperatorem possit eligere quemcumque et undecumque sibi placet in auxilium et defensionem ecclesiae. [Yet never the less in instituting changes of rulers: there can be no doubt that the supreme pontiff whom Constantine enduringly confesses to be the vicar of God's son, the commander in chief, is able to select whomever from wherever he pleases to aid and defend the church.]
  • Question 43 Ad 3, ... ut sicut beatus Petrus in terris vicarius filii Dei esse videtur constitutus, ... [... as the Blessed Peter is seen to have been constituted vicar of the Son of God on the earth, ...] (Quote of Donation of Constantine)
  • Question 44 Ad 8, Papa est Vicarius Christi. [The Pope is the Vicar of Christ.]
  • Question 45 Ad 2, ... quòd Papa vicarius lesu Christi, vice Dei viventis, in toto orbe terrarum spiritualium, & temporalium habet universalum iurisdictionem: ..." [... the fact is the Pope is the vicar of Jesus Christ, in the place of the living God, has universal spiritual and temporal jurisdiction of the entire globe of the earth: ...]
  • Question 50 Ad 2 addresses the Pope changing the Sabbath commandment (see below).
  • Question 61 Ad 1, Est enim ipse papa Dei filii vicarius. [The pope is in fact himself the vicar of the son of God.]
  • Question 61 Ad 4, Unde in persona Summi Pontificis vicarij Iesu Christi scribitur Ezec. 34. [Therefore the role of the Supreme Pontiffs is vicars of Jesus Christ as written in Ezek. 34:10-12.]
  • Question 101 Ad 7, Sed Papa Christi vicarius est. [Indeed the Pope is Christ's vicar.]

1473 edition of Summa de potestate ecclesiastica, Augustinus Triumphus
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek - High Resolution Color Photos(Has full document download, .pdf format - 328 Mb).

1475 edition of Summa de potestate ecclesiastica, Agostino Trionfo, Arnold Ther Hoernen, Cologne. 
Die Inkunabelsammlung der Universitäts- und Stadtbibliothek Köln - High Resolution Color Photos

1476 edition of Summa de potestate ecclesiastica, Agostino Trionfo, Antonio Bartolomei Miscomini, Venezia.
Access document online at Gallica. (Has full document download, .pdf format - 92 Mb).

1479 edition of Summa de potestate ecclesiastica, Agostino Trionfo, impr. Francisci de Cinquinis, Rome.
Access document online at Gallica. (Has full document download, .pdf format -  79 Mb).

1484 edition of Summa de potestate ecclesiastica, Agostino Trionfo, Petrus Ungarus, Lugduni.
University of Zaragosa Library Catalogue Entry (Has full document download, .djvu format - 27 Mb)

1487 edition of Summa de potestate ecclesiastica, Agostino Trionfo, Johannes Leoviller, Venezia. 
Biblioteca Digital Hispanica (Has full document download, .pdf format - 20 Mb)

1582 edition of Summa de potestate ecclesiastica, Augustini Triumphi, Vincentium Accoltum, Romae.
Universidad de Granada (Has full document download, pages 1-318 .tif, 69 Mb)

Dr. Johannes Quasten (1900-1987), a renowned Catholic patristics scholar, considered perhaps the greatest authority in this field, when questioned in 1943 about Vicarius Filii Dei, freely admitted in writing that "The title Vicarius Filii Dei as well as the title Vicarius Christi is very common as the title for the Pope." So, it is reasonable to assume that Dr. Quasten was indeed aware of the title appearing in Summa,and in Leo IX's letter, thus his concession that it is very common. See The Search to Document and Authenticate Vicarius Filii Dei.

These extraordinary and blasphemous claims in Summa deserve special attention:

Question 6 Ad 1:

Secunda ratio accipitur ex parte Papae. solus Papa dicitur esse Vicarius Dei: quia solum quod ligatur vel solvitur per eum, habetur solutum et ligatum per ipsum Deum. Sententia igitur Papae et sententia Dei vna sententia est: sicut una sententia est Papae, et auditoris eius. Cum igitur appellatio semper fiat a minori iudice ad superiorem, sicut nullus est major seipso: ita nulla appellatio tenet, facta a Papa ad Deum: quia unum consistorium est ipsius Papae et ipsius Dei: cuius consistorij clauiger et ostiarius est ipse Papa. Nullus ergo potest appellare a Papa ad Deum. Nullus ergo potest appellare a Papa ad Deum, sicut nulla potest intrare ad consistorium Dei, nisi mediante Papa, qui est aeternae vitae cónsistorij clauiger, et ostiarius et sicut nullus pot appellare ad se ipsum: ita nullas pót appellare à Papa ad Deu. quia vna sententia est, et vna curia Dei, et Pape.

Second reason considering the role of the Pope. Only the Pope is said to be the Vicar of God: because he alone is able to bind and loose, possessing alone loosing and binding given to him by God. The decision of the Pope and the decision of God constitute one decision, just as the decision of the Pope and his disciple are the same. Since, therefore, an appeal is always taken from an inferior judge to a superior, as no one is greater than himself, so no appeal holds when made from the Pope to God, because there is one consistory of the Pope himself and of God Himself, of which consistory the Pope himself is the key-bearer and the doorkeeper. Therefore no one can appeal from the Pope to God, as no one can enter into the consistory of God without the mediation of the Pope, who is the key-bearer and the doorkeeper of the consistory of eternal life; and as no one can appeal to himself, so no one can appeal from the Pope to God, because there is one decision and one court of God, and the Pope.

Question 9: De Exhibitione Honoris Papae. 
Displaying honor to the Pope.

Ad 1:

Utrum honor, qui debetur Christo secundum quod Deus, debeatur Papae.
Whether the honor due Christ as God is due the Pope.

Ad Primum sic proceditur. Videtur enim, quod honor, qui debetur Christo secundum, quod Deus debeatur Papae. Quia honor debetur potestati: sed una est potestas Christi secundum quod Deus, et Papae. quod probatur.

So proceeding on the first point. It is to be seen as fact that the honor that is due Christ as God is due also to the Pope: because the honor is due the power, and the power of Christ as God and the [power of the] Pope are one, which is shown to be true.

So, from the first apparent use of Vicarius Filii Dei by a Pope in an official act in 1054 A.D., to the last printed edition of Trionfo's Summa de potestate ecclesiastica in 1585 in Rome, is a span of 531 years.

The first known association of Vicarius Filii Dei with 666 appeared in Apodictica Tractatio Questionis, num certum aliquid Anti-Christi Nomen exstet, cui Numerus ille Apocalypticus DCLXVI respondeat? — Proof Regarding the Question, whether any certain Name of Anti-Christ can be shown to correspond to the Apocalyptic Number 666? (Gryphiswaldiae [Germany], published in 1600), by M. Carolus Aglaeonius Irenochoraeus, believed to be a pseudonym for Andreas Helwig [or Helwich] the rector of Berlin. In 1612 he also published Antichristus Romanus, in proprio suo nomine, numerum illum Apocalypticum (DCLXVI) continente proditus, — Roman Antichrist, particular names that total the Apocalyptic Number 666, that contain treachery, in Wittenberg, which also identified Vicarius Filii Dei. In 1630, Helwig published Antichristus Romanus ex proprio suo nomine proditus: et in gloriam Domini nostri Jesu Christi summi et unici ecclesiae pontificis, cujus honorem et cathedram iste oppositus VICarIVs fILII DeI sibi vendicans toti Orbi imponit, publicatus, et S. ecclesiae catholicae judicio subjectus, — Roman Antichrist, particular names of treachery: opposing the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ the only high priest of the church, whose official dignity and authority this Vicar of the Son of God usurps, and sells deceitfully to the whole world, subjecting the Holy universal church to his judgment, per M. Andream Helvigium, Rectorem Gymnasii Stralsund. StralsundI. Vna sit aVXILIVM gloria nostra, DeI. Literis Ferberianis. 4. (The capitalized letters of the phrase VICarIVs fILII DeI in Roman Numerals equal 666.)

That's 546 years from Pope Leo IX's letter to the first public revelation in 1600 that the phrase equaled 666, 546 years that Vicarius Filii Dei would not have been denied as applying to the Pope by anyone in the Roman Catholic Church, and even so, it continued to appear in Catholic canon law and other Catholic publications for additional centuries.



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THE POPE CHANGED SABBATH TO SUNDAY

Satan's policy in this final conflict with God's people is the same that he employed in the opening of the great controversy in heaven. He professed to be seeking to promote the stability of the divine government, while secretly bending every effort to secure its overthrow. And the very work which he was thus endeavoring to accomplish he charged upon the loyal angels. The same policy of deception has marked the history of the Roman Church. It has professed to act as the vicegerent of Heaven, while seeking to exalt itself above God and to change His law. (Great Controversy, 591)

Below is Question 50 (L) of Summa regarding the Third Commandment ( TERTII PRAECEPTI ) from the 1582 edition:

Question50.gif

The first point on the 3rd commandment asks:

Primo, Utrum Papa possit dispensare, quòd dies Sabbati servetur secundum sensum spiritualem, non litteralem.
First, whether the Pope is able to override it, that the Sabbath day be observed according to a spiritual sense, not literally.

Note the second point on the 3rd commandment, which reads:

Secundo, Utrum Papa possit dispensare, quòd dies Sabbati in diem Dominicam sit mutata.
Second, whether the Pope is able to override it, that the Sabbath day be changed to the Lord's day.

The subsequent points read:

Tertio, Utrum Papa possit dispensare, quòd dies Dominica fiant servilia opera.
Third, whether the Pope is able to override it, that he may permit servile work on the Lord's day.

Quarto, Utrum Papa debeat prohibere strictius opera servilia fieri in die Dominica, quàm fuerint prohibita in die Sabbati.
Fourth, whether the Pope may strictly prohibit servile work on the Lord's day, as it was prohibited on the Sabbath.

Quinto, Utrum Papa possit dispensare, quòd in dies Dominica fiat forum rerum emptionis, & venditionis.
Fifth, whether the Pope is able to override it, and may permit market buying and selling on the Lord's day.

Sexto, Utrum Papa possit dispensare, quòd in dies Dominica committatur bellum.
Sixth, whether the Pope is able to override it, so that war may be waged on the Lord's day.

Question50-2.gif

The resolution of the point under Article 2 (shown above) reads:

Dies Sabbati, in Diem Dominicam iure à Papa mutata est, propter significatorum preeminentiam, factorum excellentiam, temporumque convenientiam.
The Pope has changed the law of the Sabbath day to the Lord's day, due to its significant preeminence, its excellent maker, and its convenient time.

So, the same document that applies Vicarius Filii Dei to the Pope, credits the papacy with changing God's Commandment from the seventh-day Sabbath to the first day of the week, Sunday!

The full Third Commandment pages (Question 50) from the 1582 edition of Summa:
Pages are reduced 50% to only 200k for dialup users.

History identifies the Pope that decreed the change from the Sabbath to Sunday as Sylvester I.

Augustinus Triumphus is also described as "a major canon lawyer of the 13th century, and a simply rabid defender of extreme papal supremacy." See also Encyclopedia of the Middle Ages entry on Augustine of Ancona. Here is some additional information regarding him:

The Problem of Sovereignty in the Later Middle Ages: The Papal Monarchy with Augustinus Triumphus and the Publicists
By Michael Wilks
Published by Cambridge University Press, 2008
ISBN 052107018X, 9780521070188

p. 2

The Summa de potestate ecclesiastica of Augustinus Triumphus has been described as 'one of the half dozen most influential and most important books ever written' on the nature of the papal supremacy in the Middle ages, 1...

1 C. H. McIlwain, The Growth of Political Thought in the West (London, 1932), p. 278.

p. 272

Est enim ipse papa Dei Filii vicarius. — Augustinus Triumphus, (Agostino Trionfo of Ancona, 1243-1328) Summa de potestate ecclesiastica (The Power of the Church), lxi. I, p. 321.

p. 543

... quem Constantinus vicarium esse dei filii firmiter confessus est ... — Augustinus Triumphus, Summa de potestate ecclesiastica (The Power of the Church), xxxvii, 5, p. 222.

p. 545

Constantinus huiusmodi translationem fecit auctoritate summi pontificis, qui tamquam vicarius Dei Filii [filius] coelestis imperatoris iurisdictionem habet universalem super omnia regna et imperia  —Augustinus Triumphus, Summa de potestate ecclesiastica (The Power of the Church) xxxvii. 3 and 3 ad I, p. 221.

HISTORY OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
By PHILIP SCHAFF
VOLUME V.   PART II
THE MIDDLE AGES 
FROM BONIFACE VIII, 1294, TO THE PROTESTANT REFORMATION, 1517 
BY
DAVID S. SCHAFF, D.D.

PROFESSOR OF CHURCH HISTORY IN THE WESTERN
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY, PITTSBURG

NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
1910

p. 80

Triumphus, an Italian, born in Ancona, 1243, made archbishop of Nazareth and died at Naples, 1328, was a zealous advocate of Boniface VIII. His leading treatise, The Power of the Church,—Summa de potestate ecclesiastica, — vindicates John XXII. for his decision on the question of evangelical poverty and for his opposition to the emperor’s dominion in Italy.155 The pope has unrestricted power on the earth. It is so vast that even he himself cannot know fully what he is able to do.156 His judgment is the judgment of God. Their tribunals are one.157 His power of granting indulgences is so great that, if he so wished, he could empty purgatory of its denizens provided that conditions were complied with.158

155 For edd. of Triumphus’ tract, see Potthast, Bibl. Hist. under Triumphus. Riezler, p. 286, dates the tract 1324-1328, Haller, p. 83, 1322, Scholz, p. 172, 1320. See Poole, 252 sq.
156Nec credo, quod papa possit scire totum quod potest facere per potentiam suam, 32. 3, quoted by Döllinger, Papstthum, p. 433.
157 This famous passage runs sententia papae sententia Dei una sententia est, quia unum consistorium est ipsius papal et ipsius Dei ... cujus consistorii claviger et ostiarius est ipse papa. See Schwab, Gerson, p. 24.
158Totum purgatorium evacuare potest, 3. 28. Döllinger, p. 451, says of Triumphus’ tract that on almost every page the Church is represented as a dwarf with the head of a giant, that is, the pope.

Saint Antoninus (Antoninus Florentinus 1389-1459), Archbishop of Florence, in his Summae Sacrae Theologiae, Iuris Pontificij, & Caesarei, Tertia Pars (1581), cited the Donation of Constantine, including Vicarius Filii Dei, in Titulus Vigesimus Secundus (Title 22), Cap 5: De Potestate Papae ... (The Power of the Pope), §.16. The beginning of the same section refers to question 43 (Ad 3) of Aug. de Ancho. (Augustinus Triumphus' Summa de potestate ecclesiastica), which also cites the Donation (see above).

The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary for Revelation 13:18 states:

18. Here is wisdom. Compare the phrase, “here is the mind which hath wisdom” (ch. 17:9). The wisdom here commended is doubtless that to which Paul refers in Eph. 1:17. Only by divine enlightenment will men understand the mysteries of the Word of God (see on 1 Cor. 2:14).
Understanding. Or, “intelligence.” Those who wish to know the meaning of the cryptic number may understand.  
Count. Or, “calculate.”  
Number of the beast. It should be noted that the beast has already been conclusively identified (see on vs. 1–10). The number provides confirmatory evidence of this.  
Since the early days of Christianity there has been much discussion as to the significance of 666. One of the earliest to write on the subject was Irenaeus (c. a.d. 130–c. 202). He identified the beast as the Antichrist, and believed that the numerical values of the letters of his name would add up to 666. He suggested the name Teitan, a name sometimes accounted divine, as having great probability. He also suggested, but as much less probable, the name Lateinos, this being the name of the last kingdom of the four seen by Daniel. At the same time he warned that “it is therefore more certain, and less hazardous, to await the fulfillment of the prophecy, than to be making surmises, and casting about for any names that may present themselves, inasmuch as many names can be found possessing the number mentioned” (Against Heresies v. 30. 3; ANF, vol. 1, p. 559).  Since Irenaeus’ day 666 has been applied to many names. The number alone cannot identify the beast since numerous names can add up to 666. However, inasmuch as the beast has already been identified, the number 666 must have a relationship to this power. Otherwise there would be no valid reason for the angel giving John the information contained in v. 18, at this point in the prophetic narrative. An interpretation that gained currency in the period following the Reformation was that 666 stood for Vicarius Filii Dei, meaning “vicar of the Son of God,” one of the titles for the pope of Rome. The numerical value of the component letters of this title totals 666 as follows:

V5
I1
C100
A.....
R.....
I1
V(U=V)5
S.....
F.....
I1
L50
I1
I1
D500
E.....
I1
___
666

This interpretation was based on the identification of the pope as Antichrist, the historic Reformation concept. The principal exponent of this interpretation was Andreas Helwig (c. 1572–1643; see L. E. Froom, The Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers, vol. 2, pp. 605–608). Many since his day have adopted this interpretation. Inasmuch as this commentary identifies the beast as the papacy, it also accepts this view as being the beast thus far presented, though recognizing that there may be more implied in the cryptogram than this interpretation provides.
Regarding the title Vicarius Filii Dei, the Catholic journal Our Sunday Visitor, of April 18, 1915, reported in answer to a query, “What are the letters supposed to be in the Pope’s crown, and what do they signify, if anything?” “The letters inscribed in the Pope’s mitre are these: Vicarius Filii Dei, which is the Latin for Vicar of the Son of God. Catholics hold that the Church which is a visible society must have a visible head” (p. 3). The issue of November 15, 1914, admitted that the Latin numerals added together total 666, but went on to declare that many other names also yield this total. In the issue of August 3, 1941, page 7, the subject of Vicarius Filii Dei again came up for discussion, and the statement was made that this title is not inscribed on the pope’s tiara. The tiara, it averred, bears no inscription whatsoever (p. 7). The Catholic Encyclopedia distinguishes between the mitre and the tiara by describing the tiara as a non-liturgical ornament and the mitre as one worn for liturgical functions. Whether the inscription Vicarius Filii Dei appears on the tiara or the mitre is really beside the point. The title is admittedly applied to the pope, and that is sufficient for the purposes of prophecy.

Nichol, Francis D., Commentary on Daniel and Revelation, The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association), 2008, ISBN: 9780828011709, pgs. 823-824 (from Vol. 7, Philippians to Revelation).

In the Chapel of St. Sylvester (part of the Basilica of Santi Quattro Coronati, located in Rome on Coelian hill, between St. John Lateran and the Coliseum), a series of frescoes commissioned by Pope Innocent IV, and completed in 1246, depict various events in the life of Pope Sylvester I.

sylvester-constantine-fresco.jpg
The Donation of Constantine, Santi Quattro Coronati, Rome.

In one of the fresco panels, shown above, Emperor Constantine is offering his crown to the Pope, illustrating the Donation of Constantine. In the following panel, the triumphal Pope, riding on horseback and wearing Constantine's tiara, is led through Rome by the humbled Emperor, who is on foot.

Another painting representing the star.gifDonation of Constantine, shown below, is in the Vatican, in the Sala di Costantino. It was painted by Raphael and his workshop from 1519 to 1525, along with depictions of Constantine's baptism, his vision of the cross, and his victory at the battle at Milvian bridge, so at the time it would seem the Donation of Constantine was still considered to be genuine.

Detail of the Donation of Constantine as depicted in a painting by
Gianfrancesco Penni, in the Sala di Costantino, the Vatican.
donation.jpg
For the whole painting, see The Art of Renaissance Rome, by Loren Partridge,
published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, A Times Mirror Company,
Copyright 1996 by Calmann & King, Ltd., ISBN 0-8109-2718-7, page 158.

The kneeling Constantine is handing Pope Sylvester I a statuette of Roma Aeterna (eternal Rome) symbolizing the transfer of power from the emperor to the papacy. On February 23, 1520, about four years before the Raphael's painting of the Donation was completed, Martin Luther, in a letter to Spalatin, wrote:

I have at hand Lorenzo Valla's proof that the Donation of Constantine is a forgery. Good heavens, what darkness and wickedness is at Rome. You wonder at the judgment of God that such unauthentic, crass, imprudent lies not only lived, but prevailed for so many centuries, that they were incorporated in the canon law ... and became as articles of faith. I am in such a passion that I scarcely doubt that the pope is the Antichrist expected by the world, so closely do their acts, lives, sayings, and laws agree.

Source: The Art of Renaissance Rome, by Loren Partridge, published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York, A Times Mirror Company, Copyright 1996 by Calmann & King, Ltd., ISBN 0-8109-2718-7, page 159.

9. ... All these excessive, over-presumptuous, and most wicked claims of the Pope are the invention of the devil, with the object of bringing in antichrist in due course and of raising the Pope above God, as indeed many have done and are now doing. It is not meet that the Pope should exalt himself above temporal authority, except in spiritual matters, such as preaching and absolution; in other matters he should be subject to it, according to the teaching of St. Paul (Rom. xiii.) and St. Peter (I Peter iii.), as I have said above. He is not the vicar of Christ in heaven, but only of Christ upon earth. For Christ in heaven, in the form of a ruler, requires no vicar, but there sits, sees, does, knows, and commands all things. But He requires him "in the form of a servant" to represent Him as He walked upon earth, working, preaching, suffering, and dying. But they reverse this: they take from Christ His power as a heavenly Ruler, and give it to the Pope, and allow "the form of a servant" to be entirely forgotten (Phil. ii. 7). He should properly be called the counter-Christ, whom the Scriptures call antichrist; for his whole existence, work, and proceedings are directed against Christ, to ruin and destroy the existence and will of Christ.

It is also absurd and puerile for the Pope to boast for such blind, foolish reasons, in his decretal Pastoralis, that he is the rightful heir to the empire, if the throne be vacant. Who gave it to him? Did Christ do so when He said, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, but ye shall not do so" (Luke xxii. 25, 26)? Did St. Peter bequeath it to him? It disgusts me that we have to read and teach such impudent, clumsy, foolish lies in the canon law, and, moreover, to take them for Christian doctrine, while in reality they are mere devilish lies. Of this kind also is the unheard-of lie touching the "donation of Constantine." It must have been a plague sent by God that induced so many wise people to accept such lies, though they are so gross and clumsy that one would think a drunken boor could lie more skillfully. How could preaching, prayer, study, and the care of the poor consist with the government of the empire? These are the true offices of the Pope, which Christ imposed with such insistence that He forbade them to take either coat or scrip (Matt. x. 10), for he that has to govern a single house can hardly perform these duties. Yet the Pope wishes to rule an empire and to remain a pope. This is the invention of the knaves that would fain become lords of the world in the Pope's name, and set up again the old Roman empire, as it was formerly, by means of the Pope and name of Christ, in its former condition.

Source: Luther's star.gifAddress To The Nobility of the German Nation, 1520.



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The Vatican's Salone Sistino

Named for Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590) who commissioned its construction, the Salone Sistino (or Apostolic Library) is on the top floor of the building that spans the north end of the Cortile del Belvedere from east to west, connecting the Belvedere and the Vatican Palace. Richly decorated by Giovani Guerra, Cesare Nebbia, and assistants, there are several frescoes of note. On the east end of the grand hall, there is a fresco of the First Nicean Council of 325 A.D. Beneath the fresco is the inscription:

S·SILVESTRO·PP·FL·CONSTANTINO·MAG·IMP·CHRISTVS·DEI·F·PATRI
CONSVBSTANTIALIS·DECLARATVR·ARII·IMPIETAS·CONDEMNATVR

Without the abbreviations the first line reads:

SANCTVS SILVESTRO PAPA FLAVIO CONSTANTINO MAGNO IMPERATORE CHRISTVS DEI FILIUS PATRI

The inscription states that Pope Silvester I and Emperor Flavius Constantine declare Christ the Son and God the Father consubstantial, condemning the Arian heresy. In the fresco, Bishop Hosius of Cordoba is presiding and is seated at top center. He is flanked by Pope Sylvester's legates, Victor and Vincentius. The crowned emperor Constantine, who convened the council, is seated in the left center foreground, and Christ and God the Father are seated in a cloud at top left.

At the opposite, or west end of the Salone Sistino, is another set of 3 related frescoes on the center pilaster between the arched doorways. On the left side of the pilaster (Christ's right hand) is a Pope standing with triple cross and tiara, with the inscription CHRISTI DOMINI VICARIVS — Vicar of Christ the Lord.

The center fresco depicts Christ seated. Over His head is Alpha and Omega, in His hand is an open book, and at His feet is the inscription IESVS CHRISTVS SVMMVS MAGISTER, CAELESTIS DOCTRINAE AVCTOR — Jesus Christ, Supreme Teacher, Heavenly Author of Doctrine.

The fresco on the right side of the pilaster (Christ's left hand) depicts an Emperor standing, with crown, sword, and blue mantle. The inscription reads ECCLESIAE DEFENSOR — Defender of the Church.

See also:

The Sistine hall suffered severe damage December 22, 1931, when central support columns and a large portion of the roof totally collapsed and plunged through two floors, but it was completely rebuilt and restored.

 

 

Salone-Sistino-sm.jpg

Photo by Notre DameArchitecture Library

In 1793, and later editions, the book Apocalyptical Key. An Extraordinary Discourse on the Rise and Fall of the Papacy; ... by Robert Fleming (1660-1716), was reprinted with the assertion by the editor that VICARIVS FILII DEI was inscribed over a door of the Vatican (see pg. 48). The fresco of a Pope on the pilaster between the Vatican Library and the Salone Sistino, while admittedly not having the exact wording, and on a pilaster rather than over the door, is the closest known example that may be the inscription referred to in this and other books.

star.gifLucius Ferraris, about 1755, wrote an elaborate multi-volume theological reference work or encyclopedia titled Prompta Bibliotheca in which he quoted the Donation of Constantine, including the phrase Vicarius Filii Dei, in article 2 of the entry "Papa" (Pope). He cited the revised canon law as his authority. Here is the cover page of volume 5, of an edition published in 1858, note that it carries the blessing of Pope Gregory XVI -  (SANCTISSIMI D. N. GREGORII XVI P.M.)

prompta-cover.gif

Below is part of column 1828 from volume 5 of Prompta Bibliotheca, 1858 Paris edition, where the title of Vicarius Filii Dei appears in #20 of article 2 of the entry "Papa" (Pope), which I have indicated with an arrow. Again, this is a quote from the Donation of Constantine:

vicarius.gif

Full scanned pages from star.gifPrompta Bibliotheca.

Ferraris' work was later revised, enlarged, and once again published in Rome in 1890. In that edition, the document and papal title Vicarius Filii Dei were still retained. (Lucius Ferraris, Prompta Bibliotheca(Rome, 1890), Vol. VI, p. 43, col. 2.)

According the star.gif1913 Catholic Encyclopedia, a further revised edition of Prompta Bibliotheca was published in Rome by the presses of the Vatican's Office of Propaganda in 1899.

So, for well over 600 years, the Donation of Constantine was held by the Roman Catholic Church to be a valid document transferring authority from Emperor Constantine and it does contain the Latin title Vicarius Filii Dei. This is irrefutable proof that it is not a Protestant invention. The title continued to appear in Catholic publications even into the 20th century.

In the Nov 15, 1914 Edition of Our Sunday Visitor, (a Catholic publication), the following question was addressed on page 3 in the section titled Bureau of Information:

Is it true that the words of the Apocalypse in the 13th Chapter, 18th verse refer to the Pope?

The words referred to are these "Here is wisdom. He that hath understanding, let him count the number of the beast. For it is a the number of a man: and the number of him is six hundred sixty-six." The title of the Pope in Rome is Vicarius Filii Dei. This is inscribed on his mitre

  • ; and if you take the letters of his title which represent Latin numerals (printed large) and add them together they come to 666.

    • VICARIVSFILIIDEI
    5110015150115001

    Add these together and the result will be 666.
    This "argument" was submitted to Rev. Ernest R. Hull, and answered in the following manner: "Almost every eminent man in Christendom, who has enjoyed the privilege of possessing enemies, has had his name turned and twisted till they could get the number 666 out of it. In past history there have been numberless beasts or Anti-Christs, all of whose names counted up to 666. I fancy that my own name, especially in Latin form, might give the number of the beast:

    ERNESTVSREGINALDVSHVLL
    5150500555050=666

    Quod erat demonstrandum, namely, that Rev. Ernest R. Hull is Anti-Christ, or the Beast of the Apocalypse!"
    Perhaps a little ingenuity with your name will show that you are the beast of the Apocalypse too.

    star.gif View a facsimile copy of the above item online.
    star.gifThe top of page one.
    star.gifEditorial information from page 2. Contains sanctions for the editor from Pope Pius X, dated May 17, 1914; from Archbishop John Bonzano of Melitene, the Apostolic Delegate to the U.S., dated April 27, 1913; and from H. J. Alerding, Bishop of Fort Wayne, Indiana., dated March 29, 1912.

    Rev. Ernest R. Hull S. J. was editor of The Examiner of Bombay, India, a Catholic newsweekly.

    *[The Vatican's Papal Sacristy has more than a dozen papal triple (triregno) crowns, which are properly called tiaras. The papal mitre, of which there have been very many, is quite different. A mitre is shown below on the right.]

    tiara2.jpgpope-pallium.jpg
    Pope John XXIII
    wearing a triple tiara.    		Pope John Paul II
    wearing a papal mitre.

    Again in the April 18th, 1915 edition of Our Sunday Visitor, Rev. John F. Noll, editor, the following question was addressed on page 3, in the section titled Bureau of Information:

    What are the letters supposed to be in the Pope's crown, and what do they signify, if anything?

    The letters inscribed in the Pope's mitre are these: Vicarius Filii Dei, which is the Latin for the Vicar of the Son of God. Catholics hold that the church which is a visible society must have a visible head. Christ, before His ascension into heaven, appointed St. Peter to act as His representative. Upon the death of Peter the man who succeeded to the office of Peter as Bishop of Rome, was recognized as the head of the Church. Hence to the Bishop of Rome, as head of the Church, was given the title "Vicar of Christ."

    Enemies of the Papacy denounce this title as a malicious assumption. But the Bible informs us that Christ did not only give His Church authority to teach, but also to rule. Laying claim to the authority to rule in Christ's spiritual kingdom, in Christ's stead, is not a whit more malicious than laying claim to the authority to teach in Christ's name. And this every Christian minister does.

    star.gifView a facsimile copy of the above item online.
    star.gifThe top of page one.
    star.gifEditorial information from page 2. Contains sanctions for the editor from Pope Pius X, dated May 17, 1914; from Archbishop John Bonzano of Melitene, the Apostolic Delegate to the U.S., dated April 27, 1913; and from H. J. Alerding, Bishop of Fort Wayne, Indiana., dated March 29, 1912.

    It was not long before the editors of Our Sunday Visitor made a very curious change, completely contradicting what they themselves had previously stated regarding Vicarius Filii Dei (and cited above). The following is from the Bureau of Information section in the September 16, 1917 edition:

    What application has the number 666 to Pope Benedict XV?
    —    None whatever. Such an interpretation of Chapter XIII, Verse 18 of the Apocalypse is entirely unfounded and is nothing more than a display of malignant hatred. It is the effervescense of vacuous minds. Earlier commentators spent considerable time in trying to determine the personality of the beast, and they referred it to Nero Caesar; for by supplying the numerals for the Hebrew characters in his name, the number 666 was obtained. During the period of the Reformation and for years after, the Apocalypse furnished the basis of much political and religious incrimination. In later years, really reliable commentators have ceased the silly prattle about the Popes, Napoleon, Rome and subjecting the Book to the Rules of exegesis see a reference to conditions existing at the time of St. John. (This interpretation, of course, does not include the Resurrection, the millennium, and the plagues preceding the consummation of the world, as referring to principle events in the first century). In a "Dictionary of the Bible" edited by William Schmidt, a Protestant author, page 1038, will be found the following; "Ebrard reckons that not less than eighty systematic commentaries are worthy of note, and states the less valuable writings on this inexhaustible subject are unnumbered if not innumerable. Fanaticism, theological hatred, and vain curiosity may have largely influenced their composition." Also on page 1039 we find the following: "Against the Historical scheme it is urged, that its advocates differ very widely among themselves; that they assume without any authority that the 1260 days are so many years; that several of its applications—e.g., of the symbol of the ten-horned beast to be the Popes, and the sixth seal to the conversion of Constantine—are inconsistent with the context; that attempts by some of this school to predict future events by the help of Revelation have ended in repeated failures."
    Besides, if present-day writers are so anxious to see the fulfillment in the person of the Pope, why not be consistent? Such interpreters have never shown that the title "Vicarius Filii Dei" is really inscribed upon the Pope's tiara. Moreover, the passage states that the number refers to a man, in other words the numerals represented by the letters in his name, which total the sum 666. The words Vicarius Filii Dei are not the name of the Pope, they do not even constitute his official title. The name of our President is Woodrow Wilson. His title is President of the United States. If we take the name Benedict XV and follow out the same numerical addition, we find that his number instead of being 666 would be 1123.
    This question was submitted to Rev. Earnest R. Hull and answered in the following manner: "Almost every eminent man in Christendom, who has enjoyed the privilege of possessing enemies, has had his name turned and twisted till they could get the number 666 out of it. In past history there have been numberless beasts or Anti-Christs, all of whose names counted up to 666. I fancy thatmy own name, especially in Latin form, might give the number of the beast:

    ERNESTVSREGINALDVSHVLL
    5150500555050=666

    Add these together and the result will be 666.
    Quod erat demonstrandum    , namely, that Rev. Ernest R. Hull is Anti-Christ, or the Beast of the Apocalypse!"
    Since the war fanatical "private interpreters" have made the number 666 refer to the Kaiser; others even to President Wilson.

    star.gifView a facsimile copy of the above item online.

    Several years later, again on page 3 in the section titled Bureau of Information, the title was affirmed, though it was denied that the title appeared on a tiara:

    The Pope claims to be the vicar of the Son of God, while the Latin words for this designation are not inscribed, as anti-Catholics maintain, on the Pope's tiara. — Our Sunday Visitor, 11, No. 14, July 23, 1922.

    The University of Notre Dame has the above editions of star.gifOur Sunday Visitor on microfilm.

    Our Sunday Visitor is still in business:

    star.gif Our Sunday Visitor
    200 Noll Plaza
    Huntington, Indiana 46750
    Phone: (800) 348-2440

    The most plausible name we have ever seen suggested as containing the number of the beast, is the blasphemous title which the pope applies to himself, and wears in jeweled letters upon his miter or pontifical crown. That title is this: Vicarious filii Dei: "Vicegerent of the Son of God." Taking the letters out of this title which the Latins use as numerals, and giving them their numerical value, we have just 666. Thus we have V, 5; I, 1; C, 100; (a and r not used as numerals;) I, 1; U (formerly the same as V) 5; (s and f not used as numerals;) I, 1; L, 50; I, 1; I, 1; D, 500; (e not used as a numeral;) I, 1. Adding these numbers together, we have just 666.
    The following extract on this point is from a work entitled "The Reformation,"

  • bearing the date of 1832:―
     "Mrs. A., said Miss. Emmons, I saw a very curious fact the other day; I have dwelt upon it much and will mention it. A person, lately, was witnessing a ceremony of the Romish church. As [pg. 226] the Pope passed him in the procession, splendidly dressed in his pontifical robes, the gentleman's eye rested on these full, blazing, letters in front of his miter: "VICARIOUS FILII DEI," The Vicar of the Son of God." His thoughts, with the rapidity of lightning, reverted to Rev. xiii, 18. Will you turn to it? said Mrs. A. Alice opened the New Testament and read: 'Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred three score and six.'She paused, and Miss. Emmons said, He took out his pencil, and, marking the numerical letters of the inscription on his tablet, it stood 666."
    Here we have indeed the number of a man, even the "man of sin;" and it is a little singular, perhaps providential, that he should select a title which shows the blasphemous character of the beast, and then cause it to be inscribed upon his miter, as if to brand himself with the number 666.

  •  The Reformation: A True Tale of the Sixteenth Century, by Anne Tuttle Jones Bullard, published in 1832 by the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society, Boston, Massachusetts, pgs. 247-248. Identification by Jerry A. Stevens, October 9, 2006.

    • Source: Thoughts, Critical and Practical, on the Book of Revelation, by Uriah Smith, published in 1865 by the Steam Press of the Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association, Battle Creek, Michigan, pgs. 225-226.

    Note that Anne Bullard, on page 247, presents the title with the word VICARIVS, the old Latin spelling that uses a "V" for a "U". This is likely to be the form of the word used if it appeared on a papal tiara or mitre. Uriah Smith on the other hand, misquotes Bullard, using the unlikely English spelling, VICARIOUS, which has "OU". Smith in his later publications changes this to the more modern Latin, VICARIUS, using only a "U", as shown below, which also may be the way it was inscribed with jewels on the papal mitre or tiara.

    . . . The most plausible expression we have seen suggested as containing the number of the beast, is the title which the pope takes to himself, and allows others to apply to him. That title is this:Vicarius Filii Dei, "Vicegerent of the Son of God." Taking the letters out of this title which the Latins used as numerals, and giving them their numerical value, we have just 666. Thus we have V, 5; I, 1; C, 100; (a and r not used as numerals); I, 1; U (formerly the same as V), 5; (s and f not used as numerals); I, 1; L, 50; I, 1; I, 1; D, 500 (e not used as a numeral); I, 1. Adding these numbers together, we have just 666.
    This title, there is reason to believe, was formerly inscribed upon the pope's crown. The following testimony on this point is given by the late Elder D. E. Scoles, of Washburn, Mo.:—
    "I have met two men who declare that they have seen this specific crown; and their testimony is so perfectly in agreement that I am convinced that what they saw is true. The first man was M. De Latti, a Sabbath-keeper who had previously been a Catholic priest, and had spent four years in Rome. He visited me when I was pastor in St. Paul, Minn., several years ago. I showed him my tract,  'The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast.' He at once told me that the inscription was not correctly placed in my illustration. He stated that he had often seen it in the museum at the Vatican, and [pg. 625] gave a detailed and accurate description of the whole crown. VFD-Scoles.gifWhen my tract was published [Feb. of 1895], I was ignorant of the arrangement of the words of the Latin inscriptions, hence, in the illustration of the crown, placed them in one line. Brother De Latti at once pointed out the mistake, and said the first word of the sentence was on the first crown of the triple arrangement, the second word on the second part of the crown, while the word Dei was on the lower division of the triple crown. He also explained that the first two words were in dark-colored jewels, while the Dei was composed entirely of diamonds.
    "During a tent-meeting which I held in Webb City, Mo., I presented the subject, 'The Seal of God and the Mark of the Beast.' I used charts to illustrate it, one being a reproduction of the crown as Brother De Latti had described it. A Presbyterian minister was present, Rev. B. Hoffman, and when I described the crown, he spoke out publicly and made a statement to the congregation, saying that while in Rome studying for the priesthood, he had seen this very crown, and noted its inscription, and that the word Dei was composed of one hundred diamonds. I met him and learned his name, and visited him at his home, and was convinced from his description that this was the identical crown that Brother De Latti had seen, but which has been denied by many. I then asked him for a written statement, and he gave me the following:—
    " ' To Whom It May Concern: This is to certify that I was born in Bavaria in 1828, was educated in Munich, and was reared a Roman Catholic. In 1844 and 1845 I was a student for the priesthood in the Jesuit College in Rome. During the Easter service of 1845, Pope Gregory XVI wore a triple crown upon which was the inscription, in jewels, Vicarius Filii Dei. We were told that there were one hundred diamonds in the word Dei; the other words were of some other kind of precious stones of a darker color. There was one word upon each crown, and not all on the same line. I was present at the service, and saw the crown distinctly, and noted it carefully.
    " ' In 1850 I was converted to God and to Protestantism. Two years later I entered the Evangelical Church ministry, but later in life I united with the Presbyterian Church, of [pg. 626] which I am now a retired pastor, having been in the ministry for fifty years.
    " ' I have made the above statement at the request of Elder D. E. Scoles, as he states that some deny that the pope ever wore this tiara. But I know that he did, for I saw it upon his head.

    " ' Sincerely yours in Christian service,
    (Signed)          " ' B. HOFFMAN.
    [Balthazer Hoffmann]

    " ' Webb City, Mo., Oct. 29, 1906.' "

    The following extract is from a work entitled The Reformation,

  • bearing the date of 1832:—
    " ' Mrs. A.,' said Miss Emmons, ' I saw a very curious fact the other day; I have dwelt upon it much, and will mention it. A person, lately, was witnessing a ceremony of the Romish Church. As the pope passed him in procession, splendidly dressed in his pontifical robes, the gentleman's eye rested on these full, blazing letters in front of his miter: "VICARIUS FILII DEI," the Vicar of the Son of God. His thoughts, with the rapidity of lightning, reverted to Rev. 13:18.' 'Will you turn to it?' said Mrs. A. Alice opened the New Testament and read: 'Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.' She paused, and Miss Emmons said, 'He took out his pencil, and marking the numerical letters of the inscription on his tablet, it stood 666.' "
    Here we have indeed the number of a man, even the "man of sin;" and it is a little singular, perhaps providential, that he should select a title which shows the blasphemous character of the beast, and then cause it to be inscribed upon his miter, as if to brand himself with the number 666.

  •  The Reformation: A True Tale of the Sixteenth Century, by Anne Tuttle Jones Bullard, published in 1832 by the Massachusetts Sabbath School Society, Boston, Massachusetts, pgs. 247-248. Identification by Jerry A. Stevens, October 9, 2006.

    • Source: Daniel  and the Revelation. The Response of History to the Voice of Prophecy: A Verse by Verse Study of These Important Books of the Bible, by Uriah Smith, Southern Publishing Association, Nashville, Tennessee, copyright 1907 by Mrs. Uriah Smith, (published sometime after May of 1911), pgs.  624-626.

    Elder D. E. Scoles' account was also published in the Advent Review and Sabbath Herald, Dec, 20, 1906, page 10.

    I have received what seems to be reliable information that a photo may exist (similar to the one below) of a papal funeral in St. Peter's Basilica near the beginning of the 20th century, in which the tiara inscribed with Vicarius Filii Dei can be seen. Combined with the above claims of Our Sunday Visitor, this would indicate that it was the funeral of either Leo XIII (1878-1903), or Pius X (1903-1914), and that previous popes probably wore the tiara in question. If anyone can turn up any photos and make them available to me, I will post them in this article.

    LEO XIII

    • The Trenton Times of New Jersey reported on July 23rd, 1903, that during the first of nine days of mourning for Pope Leo XIII, his coffin was publicly displayed on a catafalque in the choir chapel opposite the Chapel of the Sacrament, surmounted by a triple tiara.
    • The Reno Evening Gazette reported on July 28th, 1903, that for a requiem Mass for Leo XIII, a large catafalque was placed in the Sistine chapel, and on top of it was displayed a triple tiara on two cushions.

    Catafalque-LeoXIII.jpg

    Catafalque in the Sistine chapel for the requiem Masses for Pope Leo XIII.
    A triple tiara can be seen at the top.

    PIUS X

    • The Syracuse Herald of New York reported on August 21, 1914 that the body of Pope Pius X lay in state wearing pontifical vestments, to include a triple crown.
    • The Nevada State Journal of Reno reported on August 29th, 1914 that at the first of three funeral Masses for Pope Pius X in the Sistine chapel, attended by nearly 50 cardinals, a triple crown was displayed on a large catafalque.

    pius-10-casket.jpg

    The body of Pope Pius X (who died in 1914) on display in front of St. Peter's high altar during a Pontifical Mass on May 30th, 1954, celebrating his canonization as a Saint the prior evening.  A papal tiara can be seen above the glass-sided casket.
    vfd-tiara-sm.gif

    That the papal tiara was routinely worn both before and after a pontifical Mass at the Vatican, is demonstrated by the following 1911 Catholic Encyclopedia entry:


    Pontifical Mass

    The solemn pontifical Mass celebrated by the pope in St. Peter's has some peculiar ceremonies. ... The pope, wearing the falda, amice, alb, cincture, pectoral cross, stola, cope (mantum), and tiara is carried into the basilica on the sedia gestatoria under the canopy and with the twoflabella borne on either side. ... The pope returns to the altar to finish the Mass. After the blessing the assistant priest publishes the plenary indulgence. At the end of the last Gospel the pope goes to the sedia gestatoria, puts on the tiara, and returns in procession as he had entered.

    Source: star.gifThe 1911 Catholic Encyclopedia Online, volume 12.

     

    sedia-gestatoria.jpg
    Crowned Pope Pius XII on the Sedia Gestatoria

    J23Mass-tiaras.JPG
    Pope John XXIII celebrating Mass at St. Peter's.
    Two triple tiaras can be seen on the altar to the Pope's right and a mitre to his left.

    Note the following item in a widely circulated Catholic publication from 1938. In it the title Vicarius Filii Dei and 666 is discussed, but the validity of Vicarius Filii Dei as a papal title is not denied:

    345.   I have heard that he [the pope] is Anti-Christ, and that he was described by St. John as 666, the numerical equivalent of the Latin words of the Pope's title, Vicarius Filii Dei.

    That interpretation is absurd, and rejected by all reputable scholars, Catholic and non-Catholic alike. In any case, St. John wrote in Greek, and there is no warrant whatever for the translation to the Latin language. Moreover, whatever be the true interpretation of this mystical number, it certainly refers to some one individual being. If it referred to one particular Pope, it could refer to none of the others. To which Pope will people refer it? To a past Pope? Then he is dead and gone, and we need not worry about him. To the present Pope? He is the very antithesis of all the conditions of the Beast as described by St. John. However, the number does not refer to any of the Popes at all.

    Source: Radio Replies, First Volume, by Rev. Dr. Leslie Rumble, M.S.C. and Rev. Charles Mortimer Carty, Copyright 1938, printed by Radio Replies Press, St. Paul 1, Minn., U.S.A., #345, page 80.

    So Catholics themselves originally used the phrase VICARIUS FILII DEI in the forged document known as the Donation of Constantine that was held to be genuine for many hundreds of years and Catholics continued to claim that VICARIUS FILII DEI was inscribed on one of the papal mitres as recently as 1915, and the title was not denied in print by Catholic apologists as recently as 1938.

    An anecdote I can relate to you applies here. In discussing 666 with a fellow coworker one day, he told me that he used to be in training to be a Catholic Priest, and in class one day the priest told the prospective inductees that there was no way to disprove that 666 applied to the papal title, and they would have to live with that fact if they wanted to be priests, or drop out. My friend did not go on to be a priest, though he may have quit for other reasons.

    This identification of 666 with the Papal title of Vicarius Fill Dei first surfaced in print in the year 1612 A.D. in a book published in Wittenberg Germany by Andreas Helwig called The Roman Antichrist(Antichristus Romanus). It is available online in Hungarian (.pdf). So the Roman Catholic Church has had over 390 years to conclusively prove it false, yet they have not done so. Why? Because it is true?!




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    ELLEN WHITE AND 666

    Some Catholics will respond to the Seventh-day Adventist that the number 666 can similarly be derived from the name of Ellen Gould White, a prominent figure in the Adventist church (see the article at star.gifNew Advent). The calculation is made as follows:

    ELLENGOULDWHITE
    5050550500101

    The letter "w" in this case, is proposed to be the equivalent of a double "v" or "u", which has a value of 5 and is therefore 10 when doubled.. However, in Latin, a single "v" was used to represent the "w", "v" and "u" sound, the double-u (w) apparently evolved many centuries later in other languages. So, it would seem the correct rendering in Latin would be ELLEN GOVLD VHITE, which does not add up to 666. Be that as it may, lets accept the calculation as stated above. Does this indicate that Ellen White is a likely candidate for the antichrist or beast described in Revelation 13?

    Using the same method of calculation, it should be apparent that there might be literally thousands of names that add up to 666, as Rev. Ernest R. Hull demonstrated in the Our Sunday Visitor article above. So obviously the application of the number to any single individual is admittedly quite meaningless, unless and until all the other characteristics of "the antichrist" can be adequately met. Even the Catholics that raise this issue are unlikely to suggest that they seriously consider Ellen White to be the antichrist entity that scripture warns about.

    The MAN of Sin

    2 Thess 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;
    2 Thess 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

    Scholars generally agree that the "man of sin" in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 is the same entity described in Revelation as the beast whose number is 666, the "little horn" power of Daniel 7, and the harlot riding the beast in Revelation 17. See the table in star.gifThe Catholic Origins of Futurism and Preterism. To my knowledge, no Catholic or Protestant scholar has ever proposed that this "antichrist" entity could potentially be a woman. So who then is a likely candidate?

    Scholars agree that the Bible is clear about a "man of sin" who will substitute himself for God in the very temple of God. While most of the Christian community has been told to look for a man in the future that will fit this characteristic of Antichrist, the Vicar of Christ has already precisely fulfilled this prophecy for centuries! When the Pope speaks "ex-cathedra", which means from Peter's chair, Catholic's are bound to believe his decree as though it were given from God himself!

    So as the Vicar of Christ, the Pope speaks from Peter's chair, in the Cathedral of God, declaring himself to be infallible in defining and declaring unbiblical doctrines which he claims to be essential to salvation as though he were God!

    Is this not an exact and precise fulfillment of 2 Thessalonians 2:4 identifying the Papacy as the Antichrist?

    Here is just one example of a Papal claim that fits 2 Thess 2:4-

    But the supreme teacher in the Church is the Roman Pontiff. Union of minds, therefore, requires, together with a perfect accord in the one faith, complete submission and obedience of will to the Church and to the Roman Pontiff, as to God Himself.

    Source: Pope Leo XIII, Encyclical Letter, “On the Chief Duties of Christians as Citizens,” dated January 10, 1890, trans. in The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII (New York: Benziger, 1903), p. 193.

    Here is the same encyclical star.gif SAPIENTIAE CHRISTIANAE online.
    See paragraph #22 for the above quote.

    THE NUMBER 666, PAGAN SUN WORSHIP AND ANCIENT BABYLON

    "The ancients claimed that God works by mathematics. Their religion was a conglomeration of religion, astrology, alchemy, physical and mental science, and mathematics. Ancient astrology divided the starry heavens into 36 constellations. These were represented by different amulets called "Sigilla Solis," or the sun seal. These amulets were worn by the pagan priests, and they contained all the numbers from 1 to 36. By these figures they claimed to be able to foretell future events. These amulets were usually made of gold, yellow being the sun color. While being carried, these amulets were wrapped in yellow silk, as it was thought that the bearer would thus receive the beneficial powers believed to emanate from the jewel."

    amulet1.jpg

    "These drawings from photographs taken in 1910, show actual amulets then in the Berlin Museum. [Photo of an amulet recently auctioned] They reveal the veneration the ancients had for the sun-god. On the front side of No.1 we see the god of the sun standing on the lion. This indicated the sun's position in the constellation of Leo during the hot days of August. On the back is inscribed "Nachyel," meaning "intelligence of the sun," and in 36 squares are arranged the numerals 1 to 36 (see table 1) in such a way that adding the numbers of any column either horizontally or vertically, and also the two diagonals crossing the square, the total is the same- 111. The sum of the six columns, computed either horizontally or vertically, is 6 x 111, or 666."

    amulet2.jpg

    "The second illustration is also a solar seal, but it honors the star Basilisco, which was the diminutive form of the Greek basileus (king), thus meaning the same as the Latin regulus. Now, Regulus is the only first-magnitude star in the constellation of Leo. The sun and the moon are again clearly seen on this amulet, and on the reverse side is the same arrangement of numerals, with the actual figure given of the total 666."

    [The lower coin shows the conjunction of the Sun, Moon and the star Regulus in the constellation of Leo the Lion that occurred on 19 August 1705.]

    666.gif

    Source: Unfolding the Revelation (Revised) by Roy Allan Anderson, pages 125-127, Published and copyrighted 1953, 1961,1974 by Pacific Press Publishing Association, Boise Idaho, Oshawa Ontario, Canada. Library of Congress Catalogue Card No. 61-10884.

    Table #1 as illustrated above is also referred to in numerology as the magic Square of the Sun. There are similar magic squares for Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus, Mercury and the Moon, all of which have been known for centuries.

    So 666 is a number associated with pagan sun-worship, which originated in the mysteries of ancient pagan Babylon. In Revelation 666 is associated with the number of the beast (from the sea), the Antichrist, and the harlot church of Mystery Babylon. So just who is Babylon?-

    1 Pet 5:13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

    Read what most *any* commentary says about the above verse and who "Babylon" is. There is absolutely no evidence that Peter ever ministered in literal ancient Babylon. However, early Christians used the term "Babylon" as a veiled code word for a particular city, so as to avoid persecution from that pagan power. That city is Rome.

    So the evidence presented here makes 666 a link between ancient sun worshipping pagan Babylon and the Papacy of the Roman Catholic Church, which is dominated by pagan practices and solar images, and referred to as Babylon in the book of Revelation. This is just a small part of the evidence that makes this relationship apparent.

    666.jpg

    		Just as a curiosity, look at this picture of  St. Mary's Catholic Cathedral in San Francisco.
    Notice the 3 rows of 6 circled crosses in the design. Six, Six, Six!

    The circled cross is actually the ancient symbol for Baal and Shamash, the pagan Sun god!
    See star.gifLa Verita - The Truth

    From the video "666 and the Mark" by James Arrabito,
    Copyright © LLT Productions - Used by Permission

    2 August, 2009
    An open email to Patrick Madrid and Karl Keating,

    I quote both of you:

    "If the person making this claim disputes these facts, ask him to furnish an example of the alleged title, Vicarius Filii Dei, being used officially by a pope. You won't encounter papal decrees, conciliar statements, or other authentic, official Catholic documents in which the pope calls himself the 'Vicar of the Son of God.' Why? Because no such examples exist. Vicarius Filii Dei has never been an official title of the pope." (Pope Fiction, by Patrick Madrid, 1999, pg. 91.)

    "Vicarius Filii Dei never has been used as a title by any Pope." (Catholicism and Fundamentalism, by Karl Keating, 1988, pg 221.)

    Pope Paul VI used the title twice, in 1965 and 1968, in Apostolic Constitutions, applying the title to himself, and in plural form to all Peter's successors. See http://biblelight.net/666.htm#OFFICIAL
    I invite the two of you to respond to this papal use of the title, and I will also append your response to my web page.

    Michael Scheifler

    On Sept. 10th, 2009, former Seventh Day Adventist now Roman Catholic, Hugo Mendez, posted a response to this article on his blog.
    Here is my reply.

    See also:

    Can the word antichrist as defined in the epistles of John be applied biblically to the Papacy?
    Antichrist:
    Denying Jesus Christ is Come in the Flesh

    NOTE: 666 is the number of the beast, not the mark.
    Please see star.gif The Seal of God and Mark of the Beast.

    star.gifVICARIUS FILII DEI and 666 Response to a Challenge by Patrick Madrid of Envoy Magazine.
    star.gifA Challenge to Catholic Apologist Karl Keating.
    star.gif Correcting Samuele Bacchiocchi.
    star.gifSeventh-Day Adventists and 666     by Bob Stanley.
    star.gif Sunday, the Sabbath, and the Mark of the Beast by James Aiken.
    star.gifVicarius Filii Dei & 666 Debunked by Stephen P. Haws




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    Anti-Semitism: 2000 Years of Christian Love

    Read / Write Comments | By Vexen Crabtree 2004 Oct 06

    This is about the active hatred and oppression of Jews in history and at present. It is an examination of how and where specific anti-semitism arose out of proportion to the "normal" background levels of prejudice that have always plagued mankind. The history of organized anti-Semitism is a history of Christian influence... this page is about that history with a few introductions to the confusing subject of how a religion that arose out of Judaism and Paganism combined, then turned on its heritage with the most bloody and hateful vengeance that either pagans or Jews have ever seen.

    1. Introduction
      1. The Rise of Christianity
      2. Crazy Beliefs are Sometimes Dangerous
      3. Anti-Zionism, Anti-Judaism, Anti-Semitism, Israel and Racism
    2. BCE to 4th Century: The Roman Empire Tolerated Jews Until Christianity Arose
    3. 6th-11th Century: Non-Christian Cultures were not Anti-semitic or Intolerant
    4. 11th-12th Century: The First Crusade: Muslims Were Tolerant of Others, Christians Were Not
    5. 13th-16th Century: Christian Anti-Jewish Legislation Continues
      1. Christian Anti-Jewish Legislation Continues
      2. Martin Luther (1483-1540)
    6. 19th Century
    7. Reasons for Christian Anti-Semitism
    8. Hitler's Germany
    9. Modern Times
    10. Conclusions

    1. Introduction

    1.1. The Rise of Christianity

    Nearly every culture that came into contact with Western Christianity tolerated and accepted Jews untilChristianity spread its violent anti-Jewish message across the West. Only with Christian principles was anti-semitism made possible, culminating in the atrocities of the Nazis during World War 2. No other religion has hated the Jews as much as Christian communities.

    The Dark Ages, encompassing the Spanish Inquisition, the Burning Times witch hunts, etc, was the time in which Christianity had complete control over the imagery and information people could come into contact with. Anti-Semitism spread from Christianity, through many stereotyped and falsified stories, to the whole of Europe and wherever else the Christian message spread at that time.

    “Semites include Hebrews, Assyrians, and Arabs. But hatred of, or prejudice against, the Jews specifically, which has waxed and waned since the foundation of Christianity - goes by themisnomer of anti-Semitism. One strand derives from the crude assertion that 'the Jews crucified Christ'”

    "Ideas that Shaped Our World" by Robert Stewart (1997)1

    Book“By tradition Semites are descendants of Shem, son of Noah, and include most of the peoples of the Middle East. Anti-Semitism refers specifically to prejudice against or hatred towards the Jews. In its earliest systematic form, anti-Semitism had a religious character, reflecting the hostility of Christians towards the Jews, based on their complicity in the murder of Jesus and their refusal to recognize him as the Son of God. Economic anti-Semitism developed from the Middle Ages onwards, expressing a distaste for the Jews as moneylenders and traders. The nineteenth century saw the birth of racial anti-Semitism in the works of Wagner and H. S. Chamberlain, who condemned the Jewish peoples as fundamentally evil and destructive. Such ideas provided the ideological basis for German Nazism and found their most grotesque expression in the Holocaust.”

    "Political Ideologies" by Andrew Heywood (2003)2

    1.2. Crazy Beliefs are Sometimes Dangerous

    “Crazy beliefs are not harmless. Take the horrendous history of a theory which started out as amateur science, and proceeded to defy the general scientific community and win approval at a national level. The theory of a 'hierarchy' of delineated human races, with Nordics at the top and Negros at the bottom (with a special place reserved for the Christ-rejecting Jews), combined pseudoscientific anthropology with religious prejudice to create history's most horrific apparatus of prejudiced murder. The Nazi's ideology of race and euthanasia derived from erroneous beliefs based on faulty theory; and it blossomed into a wave of terror. It is no exaggeration to say that, in a world where nuclear weaponry is becoming more easily available, that beliefs need to be questioned and challenged continuously and vigorously.”

    "Why Question Beliefs?" by Vexen Crabtree (2009)
    Added to this page on 2009 Nov 29

    1.3. Anti-Zionism, Anti-Judaism, Anti-Semitism, Israel and Racism

    Although this essay is about hateful and racist antisemitism, we need to define other terms that are related. Anti-Zionism and Anti-Judaism are both different from racist anti-semitism.

    • Anti-Zionism: The belief that Israel, as a country, should not exist and the land that it now exists should be returned to the original owners. It is also used to describe those who would reduce the power, strength or stability of Israel as a country - regardless of whether the inhabitants are Jews, Christians, Arabs, etc.

       

      Book“It is unreasonable and unfair to assume that opposition to Zionism or criticism of Israeli policies and action is [...] an expression of anti-Semitic prejudice. The Arab-Israel conflict is a political one - a clash between states and peoples over real issue.”

      "Semites and Anti-Semites" by Bernard Lewis (1986)3

       

    • Anti-Judaism: Philosophy, Logic, Reason and religious beliefs lead many to reject Judaism as a religion, just as Judaism itself rejects other religions. It is in the nature of religious dialogue that this be true - but anyone can convert to Judaism and be a Jew, according to their beliefs, so anti-Judaism is not race specific or necessarily prejudice.

       

    • Anti-Semitism: This is a racist dislike of the Jewish race, a form of xenophobia. This page is not about anti-zionism or anti-Judaism.

       

    They are all inevitable and deeply linked. One must be careful not to accuse the victims of Israel as being anti-Semites, when in fact they're merely anti-Zionists, or to accuse a Hindu of being an anti-semite because he sees the religion of Judaism as wrong or silly. Even if such a view is ignorant, uneducated or prejudice, it is held against the religion, not against a race of people. Likewise you must be doubly careful when criticizing Israel or Judaism, not to accidentally fall into anti-semitic rhetoric. Be precise and be aware of the issues. For obvious historical reasons there is a lot of emotion around the sensitive issues of antisemitism, people are apt to find it where it isn't present as much as to miss it where it is!

    2. BCE to 4th Century: The Roman Empire Tolerated Jews Until Christianity Arose

    The Roman way was tolerance. They allowed religious groups to order their own internal affairs according to their own religious rules. They allowed most religions to exist alongside each other, with the Emperors having various religious affiliations. Sometimes certain cults and sects were suppressed, sometimes bloodily and violently, but historically there was no other empire so tolerant and accepting of a multitude of religious beliefs as under Roman rule.

    As Jewish Christianity arose within Judea, inside the Roman Empire, its fundamentally Jewish beliefs combined with pagan sun worshipping religions such as Mithraism and other Roman influences. Pauline Christianity, which is the Christianity we know, was very similar to Judaism and the original Gnostic Christianity. It was these two close neighbours that Christianity first came to view as its two greatest competitors and enemies; all three had similar beliefs, all three competed for the same types of religious convert. But gnostic Christianity and the priestly castes of Judaism were both peaceful. Pauline Christianity was bloodthirsty.

    “After the first century, Christianity also crystallized, and the relations of Judaism and Christianity were wholly hostile and external; as we shall see, Christianity powerfully stimulated anti-Semitism. Throughout the Middle Ages, Jews had no part in the culture of Christian countries, and were too severely persecuted to be able to make contributions to civilisation [...]. It was only among the Muhammedans, at that period, that Jews were treated humanely, and were able to pursue philosophy.”

    "History of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell (1946)4

    "Within only a few decades of the Crucifixion, many converts to Christianity had already chosen to forget that the four evangelists, the twelve apostles and even Christ himself had been devout and practising Jews", "All that was well done in the Old Testament or that might be interpreted as proof of Messianic authority, the Christians claimed for themselves; the failures and denunciations they allotted to the Jews". The Jews saw the plundering and abuse of their own holy texts and themselves wrote on the life of Jesus. "Christian writers retaliated with hideous accounts of Jewish depravity". "It is here, in the rantings of the early Church Fathers against the Jews, that the first fertile seeds lie buried in the hysterical anti-semitism that was to become so rampant in the Middle Ages.". Quotes taken from "The Medieval Underworld" by Andrew McCall (1979)5.

    Even before the Church was the official religion of the Roman Empire, when it was still autonomous, it was producing official anti-Judaism legislation. For example in 306ce "The church Synod of Elvira banned marriages, sexual intercourse and community contacts between Christians and Jews"6.

    The aggressive Pauline Christianity gained the upper hand in the 4th century. The Roman Empire became a Christian Empire and under Emperor Constantine from the 4th century "theological diatribes" against the Jews began to appear in law. The first bloodshed was the finalisation of the slaughter of all the gnostics and the destruction and oppression of Judaism. The Roman Empire, once a multicultural tolerant nation became a theocracy ruled by Christian intolerance; and this influence spread through the Roman Empire to all of the Western world. Where Christianity had a stronger foothold, the Jews and non-Christians were persecuted and slaughtered more mercilessly than at any other time.

    Due to this "religious fanaticism of such intensity" Jews were forced to live separately, were striped of wealth, belongings and all rights, they were reduced to slavery, ceremonially and regularly dehumanized, scapegoated, humiliated and slaughtered by Christian powers. This intolerance combined with complete enforced ignorance and superstition in all areas of life, resulted in the Dark Ages; that period in the Middle Ages when all of Europe was under the brooding, monstrous shadow of a bloodthirsty, out-of-control, corrupt Christian Church ruled from Rome. Roman Catholicism became most successful and bloodthirsty religion the world has ever known.

    “Mixed marriages between Jews and Christians were punished by death. In the Codex Thedosians of the Emperor Theodosius II (408-450), the Jews were forbidden to hold any public office or function or to build new synagogues. Justinian completed this process of discrimination against the Jews in the 6th century by outlawing them altogether with all pagans and 'heretics'.”

    "The misery of Christianity - a plea for Humanity without God" by Joachin Kahl (1968)7

    The Christian anti-Judaism hatred spread further and further... this trend lasted a full one thousand years before it began to abate.

    • 315: Constantine published the Edict of Milan. [...] Jews lost many rights with this edict. They were no longer permitted to live in Jerusalem, or to proselytize.
    • 325: The Council of Nicea decided to separate the celebration of Easter from the Jewish Passover. They stated: "For it is unbecoming beyond measure that on this holiest of festivals we should follow the customs of the Jews. Henceforth let us have nothing in common with this odious people...We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews...our worship follows a...more convenient course...we desire dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews...How, then, could we follow these Jews, who are almost certainly blinded."
    • 337: Christian Emperor Constantius created a law which made the marriage of a Jewish man to a Christian punishable by death.
    • 339: Converting to Judaism became a criminal offence.
    • 343-381: The Laodicean Synod approved Cannon XXXVIII: "It is not lawful [for Christians] to receive unleavened bread from the Jews, nor to be partakers of their impiety."
    • 367 - 376: St. Hilary of Poitiers referred to Jews as a perverse people who God has cursed forever. St. Ephroem refers to synagogues as brothels.
    • 379-395: Emperor Theodosius the Great permitted the destruction of synagogues if it served a religious purpose. Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire at this time.
    • 380: The bishop of Milan was responsible for the burning of a synagogue; he referred to it as "an act pleasing to God."
    • 415: The Bishop of Alexandria, St. Cyril, expelled the Jews from that Egyptian city.
    • 415: St. Augustine wrote "The true image of the Hebrew is Judas Iscariot, who sells the Lord for silver. The Jew can never understand the Scriptures and forever will bear the guilt for the death of Jesus."
    • 418: St. Jerome, who created the Vulgate translation of the Bible wrote of a synagogue: "If you call it a brothel, a den of vice, the Devil's refuge, Satan's fortress, a place to deprave the soul, an abyss of every conceivable disaster or whatever you will, you are still saying less than it deserves."
    • 489 - 519: Christian mobs destroyed the synagogues in Antioch, Daphne (near Antioch) and Ravenna.

    List taken from www.ReligiousTolerance.org6




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    3. 6th-11th Century: Non-Christian Cultures were not Anti-semitic or Intolerant

    It wasn't just the Roman Empire that tolerated Jews and multiple religions. Most surrounding cultures did too. It was only with the rise of Christianity that the world saw bloodthirsty, immoral and fundamentalist intolerance for freedom of belief. Non-Christian cultures around the growing darkness of Christianity were tolerant of Jews and others, including fledgling Christian communities, but Christian theology was not a well behaved child; its founders and theology was deeply intolerant of any knowledge or ways of life that was non-Christian. The most Christian countries were the most anti-semitic, the more the anti-Jewish rhetoric and legislation spread from the Christian Churches, the worse the violence became.

    Spain

    Under the Moors and the Arian Kings of Spain Christians and Jews could both practice their religions freely.

    “But to this relatively satisfactory situation the conversion of King Recared (589) and his successors to Catholicism soon put a stop. From the moment the voice of Catholic orthodoxy gained the royal ear [...] and throughout the seventh century, a series of Church canons and royal enactments complemented one another in a rising crescendo of anti-Jewish measures that was to culminate, at the end of the same century, in the total destruction of Spanish Jewry.”

    "The Medieval Underworld" by Andrew McCall (1979)8

    “The seventeenth Church Council of Toledo bound over every Spanish Jew [...] into perpetual slavery. Whatever their intentions in 694, there can have been few Jewish slaves who regretted the annihilation in 711 of the Visigoth kingdom at the hands of the Moors, under whom the subject peoples, both Christians and Jews, were permitted to practice their own religions in a more tolerant atmosphere of cultural exchange.”

    "The Medieval Underworld" by Andrew McCall (1979)8

    France

    One European purge of Jews centered around the widespread Christian belief that the end of the world was going to occur in 1033, the 1000th anniversary of the fable of the crucifixion of Jesus. France had also succumbed, after centuries of toleration, to the Christian anti-Jewish ravings.

    “In France some Christians sought to prepare the way for the return of the Saviour by forcibly baptising or murdering Jews.”

    "The Medieval Underworld" by Andrew McCall (1979)9

    Western Europe

    All of Western Europe gradually came to be as bad as main Catholic countries as Catholicism's power continued to increase and spread, even to Germany which had, before Christianity, had high morals and tolerated Jews.

    The Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance note that persecution and outlawing of a Jew would stop if he converted to Christianity:

    • 528: Emperor Justinian (527-564) passed the Justinian Code. It prohibited Jews from building synagogues, reading the Bible in Hebrew, assemble in public, celebrate Passover before Easter, and testifying against Christians in court.
    • 535: The "Synod of Claremont decreed that Jews could not hold public office or have authority over Christians."
    • 538: The 3rd and 4th Councils of Orleans prohibited Jews from appearing in public during the Easter season. Canon XXX decreed that "From the Thursday before Easter for four days, Jews may not appear in the company of Christians." 5 Marriages between Christians and Jews were prohibited. Christians were prohibited from converting to Judaism.
    • 561: The bishop of Uzes expelled Jews from his diocese in France.
    • 612: Jews were not allowed to own land, to be farmers or enter certain trades.
    • 613: Very serious persecution began in Spain. Jews were given the options of either leaving Spain or converting to Christianity. Jewish children over 6 years of age were taken from their parents and given a Christian education
    • 692: Cannon II of the Quinisext Council stated: "Let no one in the priestly order nor any layman eat the unleavened bread of the Jews, nor have any familiar intercourse with them, nor summon them in illness, nor receive medicines from them, nor bathe with them; but if anyone shall take in hand to do so, if he is a cleric, let him be deposed, but if a layman, let him be cut off."
    • 694: The 17th Church Council of Toledo, Spain defined Jews as the serfs of the prince. This was based, in part, on the beliefs by Chrysostom, Origen, Jerome, and other Church Fathers that God punished the Jews with perpetual slavery because of their responsibility for the execution of Jesus.
    • 722: Leo III outlawed Judaism. Jews were baptized against their will.
    • 855: Jews were exiled from Italy
    • 1050: The Synod of Narbonne prohibited Christians from living in the homes of Jews.
    • 1078: "Pope Gregory VII decreed that Jews could not hold office or be superiors to Christians."
    • 1078: The Synod of Gerona forced Jews to pay church taxes
    • 1096: The First Crusade was launched in this year. Although the prime goal of the crusades was to liberate Jerusalem from the Muslims, Jews were a second target. As the soldiers passed through Europe on the way to the Holy Land, large numbers of Jews were challenged: "Christ-killers, embrace the Cross or die!" 12,000 Jews in the Rhine Valley alone were killed in the first Crusade. This behavior continued for 8 additional crusades until the 9th in 1272.
    • 1099: The Crusaders forced all of the Jews of Jerusalem into a central synagogue and set it on fire. Those who tried to escape were forced back into the burning building.

    List taken from ReligiousTolerance.org6

    4. 11th-12th Century: The First Crusade: Muslims Were Tolerant of Others, Christians Were Not

    “Throughout the Middle Ages, the [Muslims] were more civilized and more humane than the Christians. Christians persecuted Jews, especially at times of religious excitement; the Crusades were associated with appalling pogroms. In Mohammedan countries, on the contrary, Jews at most times were not in any way ill treated. Especially in Moorish Spain [...].”

    "History of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell (1946)4

    Germany and more Eastern countries were not anti-Jewish, and communities existed there peacefully. But with the Crusades, large Western Christian armies roamed Europe, having an unfortunate affect on many Jewish settlements. In 1095 Pope Urban II 'proclaimed the first Crusade, which produced a wave of religious enthusiasm [...] - also to atrocious pogroms of Jews' writes Bertrand Russell (1946)10. He continues; 'Christian armies began to advance into Germany, and the first to feel the edge of their weapons were the peaceful Jewish communities long-settled in the trading cities along the river-valleys of the Rhineland and the Danube'.

    Crusaders said, "'Great tracts of country stand between us and the enemies of God whom we wish to conquer. It is absurd to begin this enterprise when before our eyes are the Jews, more hostile to God than any other race'. Most men who wore the cross made little distinction between Jew and Muslim"11.

    “By early 1096, they [including "monks who had absconded from their monasteries"] were already beginning to move south-eastwards, in bands large and small. [They] butchered as many Jews as they could lay their hands on and looted their property.”

    "The Medieval Underworld" by Andrew McCall (1979)12

    Chronicler Solomon bar Simson records an age-old Christian argument, "You are the children of those who killed the object of our veneration, hanging him on a tree. And he himself had said, "There will yet come a day when my children will come and avenge my blood." We are his children and it is therefore our duty to avenge him against you who disbelieve in him"11.

    Tens of thousands were killed in total. Multiple communities were attacked including those at Cologne, Neuss, Eller, Xanten, Trier and Metz. Also different groups of Christians under multiple leaders, from Christian Monks to Christian Hermits, overwhelmed Jews in Prague, Ratisbon, Regensburg, and other places, after attempting forced conversions of the Jews to Christianity.

    “Those [Jews] who were not massacred were often despoiled of their property and forcibly baptized. There were large-scale murders of Jews in Germany at the time of the first Crusade and in England, at the time of the third Crusade, on the accession of Richard Coeur de Lion. York, where the first Christian emperor had begun his reign, was the scene of one of the most appalling mass-atrocities against Jews. The Jews, before the Crusades, had almost a monopoly of the trade in Eastern goods throughout Europe; after the Crusades, as a result of the persecution of Jews, this trade was largely in Christian hands.”

    "History of Western Philosophy" by Bertrand Russell (1946)13

    That Muslims were more tolerant towards Jews than Christians were is evidenced by the Jews' reaction to the Christian armies that were murdering them en route to the holy lands. They allied with the Muslims. Although Robert Spencer is intensely critical of Islam in his realistic book "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam" (2005), he still witnesses that Jews found solace in Muslim lands from the marauding Christians:

    Book“It is unfortunately true that Crusaders targeted Jews on several occasions. Some groups of Crusaders allowed themselves to be diverted from the mission Pope Urban had given them. Stirred up by anti-Semitic preachers, one contingent of men who were making their way East for the First Crusade instead turned to terrorize Jews in Europe, massacring many. Count Ernicho of Leiningen and his followers advanced through the Rhineland, killing and plundering Jews in five German cities: Speyer, Worms, Mainz, Trier and Cologne. [News] spread to the Middle East and led many Jews to ally with the Muslims and fight against the Crusaders when they arrived. Fifty years later, another group in the Rhineland, bound for the Second Crusade, began massacring Jews again.”

    "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam" by Robert Spencer (2005)14

    Some Christians were horrified and ashamed by the actions of their comrades, and some of their written complaints survive. But the overwhelming vast majority of Christian texts and rhetoric were violently anti-Jew. The hatred was very specifically anti-Jew and not merely anti-pagan. It wasn't a blanket hatred as with "pagans" in general, but a directed hatred of the Jews in particular.

    After the taking over of Jerusalem from the Muslims by the Christian armies, the Muslims hoped to reclaim their territory but they weren't the only ones who wanted to see the Christian aggressors removed:

    “Nor were the Muslims the only ones to hope for a return to Islam. For generations, apart for some years of madness under Caliph al-Hakim, the Jews of the land and the city had, on the whole, been treated with tolerance by the Muslim rulers of Palestine. Yet what had the Christians done? Among the first monstrous acts of their presence in Jerusalem they had shut Jews in a synagogue and burnt them alive.”

    "People of the First Crusade" by Michael Foss (1997)15

    The Jews reminisced over the temperate Muslim government, the safety, stability and tolerance of Muslim rule. It had all been replaced by Christian war, blood, danger, instability and fierce anti-semitism. The Muslims had also allowed the co-existence of Orthodox Greek Christians, and also Christian Copts, Syrians, Jacobites and Armenians. These relatively peaceful Christian groups were all oppressed by the new Christians proclaiming Latin patriarchy. The Catholics destroyed all peace in the whole middle East. The more pagan Christians, peaceful and tolerant, were shocked at how low and barbaric Western Christianity had become.

    5. 13th-16th Century: Christian Anti-Jewish Legislation Continues

    5.1. Christian Anti-Jewish Legislation Continues

    In England the Jews' situation was unique. Before Christianity, England contained many religions, pagan Celts, druids, natural religions and an assortment of imported beliefs all co-existed. But the conversion of the Roman Empire to Christianity led to a top-down enforcement of Christianity. The populace were convinced, coerced and led into Christianity by varied ingenious schemes, and all other religious beliefs were purged. Christianity meant the end of religious pluralism in England in the Middle Ages; if the Jews were present before 1000ce, they too would have been violently purged. Jews were introduced to England only in the 11th century, but by then England was already Christian. They were imported as subservients to the Christian government, coerced into providing trading advice and financial services.

    The thirteenth century saw continuing Papal legislation limiting the rights of Jews, cross-marriage and even cross-contact between Jews and Christians were enforced, with Jews living in walled-off areas. The Catholic Church led the world in making new, innovative ways at dehumanizing the Jews, removing every right possible.

    "Throughout Western Europe, although in some countries later than others, the general pattern was the same. The springtime of Christian usury and the pillaging, burning and looting of Jewish property" led eventually to them becoming financially useless and being expelled by the Christian rulers.

    In England, France and Germany Jews were expelled as Christian commerce finally caught up with historical Jewish experience of trade which they'd gained before Christianity shattered their communities. "And from Spain and Portugal too, where Jewish prosperity lasted longer than in the North, all Jews who refused to convert to Christianity were finally driven out in the last decade of the fifteenth century [so that] the main bulk of the European Jewish had been pushed eastwards into Poland and the European provinces along the Russian border"16.

    5.2. Martin Luther (1483-1540)

    Martin Luther fathered the Protestant reformation with the publication of his 95 theses in 1517. He was also one of the most famous Christian anti-Semitical writers during this time, and in 1543 listed seven horrible, unjust and inhuman ways in which Jews should be treated, effectively stripping them of most their rights within (what was to be) Protestant territories. Martin Gardner, the mathematician and skeptic, traces the history of the abuse of scientific ideas, and traces the history of anti-semitism through to its Christian roots.

    “In Germany, the first influential and passionate anti-Semite was Martin Luther. His solution of the German 'Jewish problem' was a simple one. Drive them out of Germany. [...] He wrote: 'They are such a heavy burden like a plague, pestilence, misfortune...'. Either deport them, or put them into slave labour, Martin Luther argued. He also suggested 'that their synagogues or schools be set on fire... that their houses be broken up and destroyed...'”

    "Fads & Fallacies in the Name of Science' by Martin Gardner (1957)17

    “New York, NY, April 20...The impact of Martin Luther's anti-Jewish writings, the persistence of anti-Jewish ideas in Christian theology and the efforts of the Lutheran Church to fight the scourge of anti-Semitism and racism are explored in the new issue of [our] Interfaith Focus.”

    Anti-Defamation League (1999 or 2000)

    “He made his famous recommendation that rebellious peasants should be 'killed like mad dogs' [and] that synagogues be burned - Jews were 'poisonous bitter worms'. [...] The Bohemian Protestants also turned on the Jews and expelled them from Prague. Indeed, most of the new sects were as intolerant as the old ones.”

    "A History of Sin" by Oliver Thomson (1993) 18



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    6. 19th Century

    Book“In the nineteenth century, the Catholic Church opposed the emancipation of the Jews, insisting that they remain in ghettos [...] and be denied equal rights. In its view, which dated back to St. Augustine in the fifth century, Jews should remain degraded until they renounced their anachronistic religion and embraced the saving truth of Christianity. The Jews immured since 1555 in the ghetto of Rome, which was ruled by the popes [...] suffered oppression, humiliation - including, as in the Middle Ages, having to wear a yellow star of David on their clothing [...]. After 1870 and until [the 1960s] papal pronouncements regarding Jews normally assumed that their proper status was ghetto subjugation and restrictions. [...] Forced conversions ended only after 1870. [...]

     

    Popes fostered anti-semitic movements in Europe; from behind the scene Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903) supported the virulently antisemitic Catholic Social Party in Austria and smiled on its leader, Karl Lueger, as he smiled on the French antisemitic volcano Edouard Drumont. [...]

    The Vatican daily L'Osservature Romano in 1892 "glorified in antisemitism. Good antisemitism, wrote a typical Catholic journalist, is "nothing other than Christianity, completed and perfected in Catholicism".”

    "Anti-Semitism" by Marvin Perry and Frederick M. Schweitzer (2002)19

    7. Reasons for Christian Anti-Semitism

    The Church Fathers were anti-Jewish, probably because the Jews actually owned and wrote the "Old Testament" of the Christian Bible, and argued with the new Christian sect over the claims of these newcomers about the Jewish Scriptures. From the very beginning the Church Fathers were vehemently anti-Jewish. They claimed that Jews belonged to Christians, along with their sacred texts; the Jews were forced to be slaves of Christians. Aquinas, a highly influential Christian theologian of the 13th century, is just one example of a high-brow Christian scholar who continually repeated the traditional Christian claims against Jews.

    "St Thomas Aquinas gives the principle theological backing in his Summa Theologica when, reiterating the views of St Bernard, he declares that 'since the Jews are the slaves of the Church, she can dispose of their possessions'."

    "The Medieval Underworld" by Andrew McCall (1979)20

    “In the Gospels we read more and more frequently about the Jewish people being reluctant to accept Jesus as the Messiah. He speaks to the Jewish audiences about 'your Law' as if it were not the same Law which he acknowledges and lives by. He grieves for the 'hardness of the hearts' of the Jewish congregation (Mark 3:5). We read about the Jewish people having been 'moved against' Jesus by the priests (Mark 15:11)”

    "Jesus Versus Christianity" by Alfred Reynolds (1993)21

    "The Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets"

    Pilate, the Roman governor, is pressurized by Jews to "take action against an innocent man to placate the hostile Jews (Mark 15:15)". Jesus is crucified despite Pilate finding 'no fault in him' (Luke 23:3). Pilate 'asserts the prisoner's innocence' (John 19:4-6), and only the insistence of 'the Jews' prompts him to deliver Jesus to his executioners. Reading this story in the Gospel of John, one might even get the impression that the executioners in question were Jews, although the only form of execution used by the Jews was stoning; crucifixion, the Roman form of carrying out a death sentence, filled them with horror'. The later gospels are even more adamant in their condemnation of 'the Jews'.21

    The Christians always blamed the Jews for the persecution of their Messiah (see my page on Paul & Mithraismfor why and when Christianity decided that Yeshua was the messiah), and because it the Jews who killed him they have consistently produced violently anti-semitic propaganda, which have permeated into society in general even in today's enlightened world.

    Note that the Romans crucified a large number of people of all types yet the crucifixion of Jesus is not attributed to the Romans by the Christians but always to the Jews. Jesus was killed by the Romans as a conspirator who wished to instigate a theocracy in Roman territory, yet the Italians are not blamed (as ancestors of the Romans) but the Jews (as ancestors of the Rabbis with whom Jesus argued).

    St Paul, a very early Christian writer and the most influential saint of Christianity, wrote in 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16"...the Jews, who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us. How displeasing they are to God! How hostile they are to everyone! ... In this way they have brought to completion all the sins they have always committed".

    From the very outset there were hatefully anti-Jewish Christians. It was hundreds of years before the New Testament was compiled, but the writings of such influential people as St Paul, so early, are an indication as to how intrinsically anti-Jewish Christianity was to become.

    Sons of the Devil

    “[The Bible's representation of the Jew:] The Jews were descended neither from God (like Jesus and the Christians), nor from Abraham but from the devil (John 8:44), and, as the children of the devil, the father of lies and a murderer from the beginning, they were bound to seek Jesus' life.”

    "The Misery of Christianity - a Plea for Humanity without God" by Joachin Kahl (1968)22

    “Jesus said to [the Jews], "If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. [...] You belong to your father, the devil [...] The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.”

    John 8:42-47, New Testament, NIV

    More Pauline Text

    “The epistles show that at one time the point was reached when no reconciliation was possible and when the 'Church of Christ' was inevitably set against 'the Jews'. The Jews are said to have failed to attain righteousness and stumbled through unbelief (Rom. 9:3113). They are ignorant of God's will (Rom. 10:3) and invoke His severe stricture (Rom. 10:21). Straying from the path of righteousness, they have sinned through blindness and stubbornness (Rom. 11). ['The Jews'] have 'both killed the Lord Jesus and their own prophets, and... please not God, and are contrary to all men (1 Tess. 2:15)”

    "Jesus Versus Christianity" by Alfred Reynolds (1993)23

    Hypocrisy

    “It is a painful but inescapable truth that antisemitism, which seethes with hate, was spawned and nourished by Christianity, which reveres a Jewish prophet who preached love and compassion. The New Testament and the writings of the Church Fathers often refer to Jews and Judaism contemptuously. Jews were depicted as an accused people, children of the Devil collectively condemned by God to suffer for rejecting and killing Christ. This degrading image of the Jew was propagated over the centuries in numerous books, sermons, works of art, and folklore, and vestiges endure into the twenty-first century. Two thousand years of Christian anti-Judaism [...] hardened hearts against Jews. [...] This mind-set, deeply embedded in the Christian outlook, helps to explain why so many people were receptive to anti-Jewish propaganda”

    "Anti-Semitism" by Marvin Perry and Frederick M. Schweitzer (2002)24

    The hypocrisy is that the Jews were led from captivity by Moses, a character massively revered within Christianity, and Jesus preached love and tolerance, yet the Christians managed to bring the world, and the Jews, down to a horrific hell as if Jesus and Moses both never existed! It is a psychological characteristic of Christianity that has allowed such contradiction, violent hypocrisy and emotional corruption within its ranks for so many hundreds of years.

    BookFor the first few hundred years, Christians did not have a bible. They exchanged writings, letters and collections of stories and sayings between themselves. Bart Ehrman is one of the most qualified historians of early Christianity. In "Lost Christianities", he points out that the Gospel of Peter, perhaps the most or second most widely read Christian book sometime after 100ce to 200ce, was also a highly anti-semitic gospel, even more than the surviving gospels that were canonized25.

    Even though it is a contradiction and makes little sense, anti-semitism, a hatred of Jews, has pervaded Christian history and theology for two thousand years.

    8. Hitler's Germany

    “Nazi anti-Judaism was the work of godless, anti-Christian criminals. But it would not have been possible without the almost two thousand years' pre-history of 'Christian' anti-Judaism...”

    Hans Küng, "On Being a Christian"

    “I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.”

    Adolf Hitler

    The most well-known example of serious anti-semitism is the atrocities committed by Hitler's Germany, with millions of Jews murdered. Like previous Catholic-influenced pograms, the Nazis also slaughtered many other groups such as gays, occultists, atheists and many forms of minority religion.

    “Hitler would have to have been positively unusual not to have been influenced by the long standing Christian tradition of blaming Jews as Christ-killers. In a speech in Munich in 1923, Hitler said, 'The first thing to do is to rescue [Germany] from the Jew who is ruining our country... We want to prevent our Germany from suffering, as Another did, the death upon the Cross.'

     

    Christian hatred of Jews is not just a Catholic tradition. Martin Luther was a virulent anti-Semite. At the Diet of Worms he said that 'All Jews should be driven from Germany.' And he wrote a whole book, On the Jews and their Lies, which probably influenced Hitler. Luther described the Jews as a 'brood of vipers' and the same phrase was used by Hitler in a remarkable speech of 1922, in which he several times repeated that he was a Christian. [...] It is hard to know whether Hitler picked up the phrase 'brood of vipers' from Luther, or whether he got it directly from Matthew 3:7. [...] As for the theme of Jewish persecution as part of God's will, Hitler returned to it in Mein Kampf: 'Hence today I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator: by defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.' That was 1925. He said it again in a speech in the Reichstag in 1938, and he said similar things throughout his career.”

    "The God Delusion" by Prof. Richard Dawkins (2006)26

    Some object by saying that Hitler wasn't being very Christian, but, as pointed out, his anti-semitism comes after 2,000 years of already-existing Christian anti-semitism.

    “Witness the role played by the Catholic Church in aiding Nazi Germany. For example, the German Church opened its genealogical records to the Third Reich so that a person's Jewish ancestry could be traced. Not a single German Catholic, including Adolf Hitler, was excommunicated for committing crimes against humanity.”

    "God, the Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist"
    Prof. Victor J. Stenger (2007)27

    9. Modern Times

    Stereotypes

    The stereotypes of Jews that were fabricated by early Christians are still with us today: Big nosed, money grabbers, conspirators and grotesque, these all stem from the bigoted viewpoints forced upon all of Europe by Christian literature and messages that were endlessly created in the name of their God, based on versus found in the New Testament.

    Liberal Christianity

    There have always been moral people, some of them Christians, who have bemourned the actions of fellow Christians against the Jews. Thankfully, the future is bright as in the 20th and 21st centuries, liberal Christianity has become the dominant form of Christianity. Liberal Christianity abandons much of the traditions and original Christian ideas in favour of a much more deistic approach to belief and morality. Liberal Christianity is largely moral and certainly good-natured. As such, the more violent anti-Jewish readings are marginalized in favour of other, more universal, interpretations. Liberal Christianity, and especially universalism, has led to a much more moral-minded and apologetic Christianity, which is a very welcome modern trend.

    10. Conclusions

    The violent and irrational anti-semitism in history has had its roots in one common cause: the teachings of early and middle ages Christianity. Anti-semitism has always been rife within Christianity from the original Church Fathers of the first century. Many of the most influential Christian theologians, for example Augustine, St Aquinas and later, Martin Luther, all indulged themselves by writing anti-Jewish volumes. Aquinas wrote that "since the Jews are the slaves of the Church, she can dispose of their possessions". The Christian anti-semites took their cue from Biblical verses such as Mark 15:15, Luke 23:3, John 19:4-6, 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 that blames Jews as a whole for the death of Jesus, John 8:42-47 that says Jews are descended from the devil, and in Rom 10:3 that they are ignorant of God's will, and other verses are often cited by early Christians too although sometimes the logic of their exegesis confuses me.

    No other religion has displayed such immovable hatred towards another religion as Christianity did towards the Jews. No holy war has ever lasted so long and been so bloody as the one the Christians waged against innocent Jews from the first century and through the Dark Ages. History provides us with only few occasions where Jews, or even Muslims or pagans, were as intolerant or morally corrupt as the West was under Christian rule. Thankfully modern Christianity, since it lost its power, is generally more humane. Christianity has slowly been forced to change its ways mostly due to pressure from increasingly powerful secular, poly-cultural governments and changing culture.

    It was Christianity that turned the Roman system of tolerance and temperance into a monstrous behemoth and oppressor of any non-Christian belief systems. Muslim governments and people through the Middle Ages were more tolerant of beliefs, of science and knowledge, and of Jews, than Western Christianity. Pagan culturessurrounding Western Christian countries were all more tolerant of Jews than those countries inflicted by Christianity. Anti-semitism marched in step with Christianity, was caused by Christian beliefs and was preached from the pulpit by the highest Christian leaders right on through to the twentieth century.

    Read / Write Comments


    By Vexen Crabtree 2004 Oct 06
    Originally published 2000 Apr 06.
    Last Updated: 2009 Nov 29

    Links:

    References: (What's this?)

    Book

    Book

    Book

    Book

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    Dawkins, Prof. Richard. "The God Delusion" (2006 hardback). Published by Bantam Press, Transworld Publishers, Uxbridge Road, London, UK.

    Ehrman, Bart. "Lost Christianities" (2003 hardback). Oxford University Press, New York, USA.

    Foss, Michael. "People of the First Crusade" (1997).

    Gardner, Martin. "Fads & Fallacies in the Name of Science" (1957). Published by Dover Publications, Inc., New York, USA. Originally published by G. P. Putnam's Sons in 1952 as "In the Name of Science".

    Heywood, Andrew. "Political Ideologies" (2003 3rd ed). First edition 1992. Published by Palgrave MacMillan.

    Kahl, Joachin. "The Misery of Christianity - a Plea for Humanity without God" (1968).

    Lewis, Bernard. "Semites and Anti-Semites" (1986 hardback).

    McCall, Andrew. "The Medieval Underworld" (1979). Quotes from 2004 Sutton Publishing softback edition.

    Perry, Marvin & Schweitzer, Frederick M. "Anti-Semitism" (2002 hardback). Published by Palgrave Macmillan.

    Reynolds, Alfred. "Jesus Versus Christianity" (1993 ed). Originally published 1988. Cambridge International Publishers, London UK.

    Russell, Bertrand (1872-1970). "History of Western Philosophy" (1946). Quotes from 2000 edition published by Routledge, London, UK.

    Spencer, Robert. "The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam" (2005). Published in the United States by Regnery Publishing, Inc, Washington, DC.

    Stenger, Prof. Victor J. "God, the Failed Hypothesis: How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist" (2007). Published by Prometheus Books. Stenger is a Nobel-prize winning physicist, and a skeptical philosopher whose research is strictly rational and evidence-based.

    Stewart, Robert (Ed.). "Ideas that Shaped Our World" (1997). Quotes from original Marshall Editions hardback edition.

    Thomson, Oliver. "A History of Sin" (1993 hardback). Canongate Press.

    Notes

    1. Stewart (1997) p55.^
    2. Heywood (1992) p233.^
    3. Lewis (1986) p20/22. Added to this page on 2005 Mar 18.^
    4. Russell (1946) p324. Added to this page on 2006 Jul 11.^^
    5. McCall (1979) p259-260.^
    6. ReligiousTolerance.org article "Anti-Judaism: 70 TO 1200 CE". Accessed in year 2000.^^
    7. Kahl (1968) p55.^
    8. McCall (1979) p261, p263.^
    9. McCall (1979) p215.^
    10. Russell (1946) p423.^
    11. Foss (1997) p58-59.^
    12. McCall (1979) p91.^
    13. Russell (1946) p427.^
    14. Spencer (2005) p142-3. Added to this page on 2007 Jan 21.^
    15. Foss (1997) p183.^
    16. McCall (1979) p283-284.^
    17. Gardner (1957) ch13 Apologists for Hate. Added to this page on 2009 Aug 17.^
    18. Thomson (1993) p161.^
    19. Perry & Schweitzer (2002) p6. Added to this page on 2005 Mar 18.^
    20. McCall (1979) p271-272.^
    21. Reynolds (1993) p316-7.^
    22. Kahl (1968) p53.^
    23. Reynolds (1993) p314.^
    24. Perry & Schweitzer (2002) p3.^
    25. Ehrman (2003) p18, 20.^
    26. Dawkins (2006) p274-276. Added to this page on 2006 Dec 24.^
    27. Stenger (2007) p249. Added to this page on 2010 Feb 24.^


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    Manuscript found in Ethiopian monastery could be world's oldest illustrated Christian work

    A manuscript found in a remote Ethiopian monastery could be the oldest illustrated Christian work in the world, experts have claimed.

    By Laura Roberts
    Published: 1:07PM BST 05 Jul 2010

    - A still colourful page from the book despite the 1600 age of the worlds oldest christian book found in a remote monastry in Ethiopia. The text was thought to be medieval but carbon dating has taken it back to the 5th century AD.
    - A still colourful page from the book despite the 1600 age of the worlds oldest christian book found in a remote monastry in Ethiopia. The text was thought to be medieval but carbon dating has taken it back to the 5th century AD.

    Originally thought to be from around the 11th century, new carbon dating techniques place the Garima Gospels between 330 and 650 AD.

    The 1,600 year-old texts are named after a monk, Abba Garima, who arrived in Ethiopia in the fifth century.

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    According to legend, he copied out the Gospels in just one day after founding the Garima Monastery, near Adwa in the north of the country.

    The vividly illustrated pages have been conserved by the Ethiopian Heritage Fund and it is hoped that the two volumes will be made available to visitors to the monastery which is in discussions to start a museum there.

    Illustrations of the saints Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are all included in the book along with what may be the first ever Christian illustration of a building, the Temple of the Jews.

    The Garima Gospels, which are believed to have magical powers, have never left the monastery.

    They were written on goat skin in the early Ethiopian language of Ge'ez and are thought to be the earliest example of book binding still attached to the original pages.

    The earlier date given to the manuscripts coincides with Abba (Father) Garima's arrival in Ethiopia from Constantinople in 494 AD adding weight to the legend that he was responsible, at least in part, for writing the texts.

    Mark Winstanley, who helped to carry out the conservation, said: "The monks believe that the book has the magical powers of a holy text. If someone is ill they are read passages from the book and it is thought to give them strength. Although the monks have always believed in the legend of Abba Garima the new date means it could actually be true."



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    Way of the Cross is wrong, claims leading archaeologist

    Pilgrims have been walking the wrong Way of the Cross for almost 1,000 years, a prominent archaeological expert on Jerusalem has claimed.

    By Stephen Adams 
    Published: 5:33PM BST 10 Apr 2009

    The path they have been taking - called the Via Dolorosa or Via Crucis - starts in the wrong part of the city, according to Professor Shimon Gibson, a British-born academic who studied at University College London.

    For centuries it has been assumed that the place where Jesus was tried by Pontius Pilate was the Antonia Fortress in the north of Jerusalem. Christian pilgrims have consequently followed the route from there to Calvary Hill, believing this was the way Jesus dragged the cross.

    Related Articles

    But Prof Gibson said: "When we measured the remains of the Antonia Fortress, we found it was so small it could have been no bigger than a tower."

    He thought it more likely that Pontius Pilate's Praetorium was elsewhere: "With Pontius Pilate being a governor used to palatial surroundings, he would have got use of the old palace of Herod the Great, which was enormous."

    The remains of the palace in the south west of the Old City, he said, included a "large paved courtyard" by military barracks near the Jaffa Gate that would have been ideal for holding Jesus's public trial.

    He also thought the Rock of Calvary, also called Golgotha, was too small to have been the site of the crucifixion. It took place some 60ft away, he contended.

    Prof Gibson thought the rock became the focus of early Christians' beliefs after the true site was buried beneath a pagan temple built by Hadrian.

    He said: "The top of the rock was always visible, so Christians could say, 'This marks the spot of the crucifixion.' "

    The academic, who has outlined his theories in a new book called The Final Days of Jesus, concluded 12th century crusaders were responsible for redrawing the spiritual map of Jerusalem, including the Way of the Cross.

    "They killed almost everyone, including the local Christians," he said. "A lot of the original early Christian traditions were lost."



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    இன்றைய சிந்தனை****இன்பங்கள் சேர்ந்து வருவதில்லை; துன்பங்கள் தனியே வருவதில்லை ****

    கூகிள் வரைபடத்தில் இயேசு கிறிஸ்துவின் முகம்!

    POSTED BY பாடுமீன் ON 4:23 AMUNDER வேடிக்கை
    jesu3.jpg
    அண்மையில் தெய்வீகம் சமந்தப்பட்ட ஏகப்பட்ட அதிசயன்களே அதிகம் இடம் பெற்றுவருகிறது. அந்த வரிசையில் உலகின் பல இடங்களிலும், பல பொருட்களிலும் யேசு நாதரின் முகத்தைச் சித்திரிக்கும் தோற்றங்கள் அண்மைய நாட்களில் தெரிகின்றன.கங்கேரியாவில் உள்ள விவசாய நிலம் ஒன்றுக்கு அருகில் இறுதியாக யேசுநாதரின் முகத்தைச் சித்திரிக்கும் தோற்றம் ஒன்றை பார்க்க முடிந்துள்ளது.பிரித்தானியாவைச் சேர்ந்த 26 வயது இளைஞன் ஒருவர் விடுமுறைக்கு சுற்றுலா செல்ல பொருத்தமான இடத்தை இணையத்த்தில் GOOGLE EARTH இல் தேடியபோது இந்த உருவம் எதேச்சையாக அவர் கண்ணில் பட்டிருக்கின்றது.அவர் ஒரு ஆன்மீகவாதி அல்லர் என்றும் யேசுவையோ, மரியாளையோ இணையத்தில் தேடியிருக்கவில்லை என்றும் இந்த இளைஞன் கூறுகின்றார்.



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    காமத்தையும் பின்பக்க புணர்ச்சியையும் ஒழுக்கக் கேட்டையும் கற்பிப்பது பைபிள் என அம்பலப்படுத்திய ஏடு.

    clip_image005.jpgகாமத்தையும் பின்பக்க புணர்ச்சியையும் ஒழுக்கக் கேட்டையும் கற்பிப்பது பைபிள் என அம்பலப்படுத்திய ஏடு.

    உலக பகுத்தறிவாளர்கள் எனும் வரிசையில் இடம்பெறத் தக்கவர்களில் சார்லஸ் பிராட்லா அவர்களைப்பற்றி எழுதத் தொடங்குவதற்குக் காரணமே அவர் பலவகைகளிலும் தந்தை பெரியார் அவர்களைப் போலவே அமைந்திருந்தார் என்பதே

    தந்தை பெரியார் பிறந்த செப்டம்பர் மாதத்தில்தான் பிராடலாவும் பிறந்தார். ஆனால், 36 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்னால் பிறந்தார். 1833 செப்டம்பர் 26-இல் சார்லஸ் பிராட்லா லண்டனுக்குப் பக்கத்தில் ஹாக்ஸ்டன் எனுமிடத்தில் பிறந்தார். அவரின் தந்தை ஓர் ஏழை வக்கீல் குமாஸ்தா.ஏழ்மையின் காரணமாக அதிகம் படிக்க வாய்ப்பில்லாததால் அவருடைய பள்ளிப் படிப்பு 11-ஆம் வயதுடன் முடிந்து விட்டது.

    தன் தந்தை பணிபுரிந்த இடத்திலேயே இவரும் எடுபிடி வேலைகள் செய்யும் ஆபீஸ் பாய் ஆகப் பணியில் சேர்ந்தார். சில ஆண்டுகள் கழித்து ஒரு நிலக்கரி நிறுவனத்தில் எழுத்தாளராக பணியில் சேர்ந்தார்.

    அதன்பிறகு ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை பள்ளியில் ஆசிரியராக சேர்ந்தார்.ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமைப் பள்ளி என்பது, கிறித்துவ மதத்தைப்பற்றி சொல்லிக் கொடுக்கும் பள்ளி. பைபிளின் அடிப்படையில், பாடங்கள் தயாரிக்கப்பட்டு அவற்றைச் சிறுவர்களுக்கும் இளைஞர்களுக்கும் சொல்லித் தரும் பணி.

    உலகத்தில் கிறித்தவர்கள் திங்கள் முதல் சனிவரை கர்த்தரையோ கிறிஸ்துவையோ பற்றி நினைத்துப் பார்ப்பது கிடையாது. ஞாயிற்றுக் கிழமை காலையில் பைபிளைக் கையில் தூக்கிக் கொண்டு ஆலயத்துக்குப் போய் இருவரையும் நினைத்து முணுமுணுப்பர்.

    அதுபோலவே ஆறு நாள்கள் அறிவுக்கும் வாழ்க்கைக்கும் பயன்படும் படிப்பை படிப்பவர்கள் ஏழாம் நாள் கடளுக்குப் பயப்படும் படிப்பைக் கற்க வேண்டும் என்பதற்காக இந்தப் பள்ளிகள்.பாதிரியார் ஜான் கிரகாம் பாக்கர் என்பவர் 39 பாடங்களைக் கொடுத்து மாணவர்களுக்குச் சொல்லிக் கொடுக்கும்படி இளைஞரான பிராட்லாவுக்கு அறிவுரை கூறினார்.

    பிராட்லாவும் பாடங்களை நடத்தினார்.பைபிளில் இருந்தவற்றிற்கும் ஆங்கிலிகன் சர்ச் எழுதித் தந்துள்ள பாடங்களுக்கும் வேறுபாடுகள் இருந்தன; சிலவற்றில் முரண்பாடுகளும் இருந்தன என்பதை அவர் உணர்ந்தார். தாம் உணர்ந்தவற்றைப் பற்றிப் பாதிரியாரிடம் விளக்கம் கேட்டார். வந்தது வினை!

    மத நூல்களில் எழுதப்பட்டிருக்கும் எல்லாவற்றையும் அப்படியே ஏற்க வேண்டும், நம்ப வேண்டும், கடை பிடிக்கவேண்டும். சந்தேகம் எழுந்தாலும் விளக்கம் கேட்டாலும் நாத்திகன், நிரீசுரவாதி என்றெல்லாம் பட்டம் (பழிச்சொல்) சூட்டப்படும்.

    இதுதானே மதவாதிகள் இன்னும்கூட கைக் கொள்ளும் நடைமுறை?அந்த அடிப்படையில் பாதிரியார் பிராட்லாவைப் பழி சுமத்தினார். (உண்மையும் அதுதான்).

    ஆசிரியர் வேலையிலிருந்து நீக்கிவிட்டார்.வேலையும் போய், மதத்திற்கு எதிரானவன் என்ற பட்டத்தையும் பெற்று வீட்டுக்கு வந்த மகனை தந்தை திட்டினார். மகன், தாம் தவறே செய்யவில்லை என்று வாதிட்டார்.பைபிளின் முரண்பாடுகளைச் சுட்டிக் காட்டிப் பேசினார்.

    தந்தையின் காதுகளில் அது ஏறவில்லை. பக்தி வந்தால்தான் புத்தி போய்விடும்! மகனின் நியாய வாதங்களை எதிர்கொள்ள மனமும், அறிவும் அற்ற அவரால் செய்ய முடிந்தது ஒன்றுதான்! தன் வீட்டிலிருந்து தம் மகனை வெளியேற்றி விட்டார்.

    வீட்டைவிட்டும் குடும்பத்தைவிட்டும் துரத்தப்பட்ட அவரை அரவணைத்துக் கொண்டவர் எலிசபெத் ஷார்ப்ள்ஸ் கார்லைல் எனும் அம்மையார்.இவரின் கணவர் ரிச்சர்டு கார்லைல். அவர் புகழ்பெற்ற பகுத்தறிவாளரான தாமஸ் பெய்னின் ஏஜ் ஆஃப் ரீசன் (Age of Reason) எனும் வெளியீட்டை அச்சிட்டு வழங்கியவர். அதனால் மத நிந்தனைக் குற்றமும் அரசுத் துரோகக் குற்றமும் சுமத்தப்பட்டு 1819-ல் சிறைத் தண்டனை விதிக்கப்பட்டவர்.

    ரிச்சர்டு கார்லைல் இறந்த பிறகும்கூட அவரது துணைவியார் எலிசபெத் அதே பகுத்தறிவுப் பிரச்சாரத்தில் ஈடுபட்டு வந்தவர். அவர் கண்களிலும் காதுகளிலும் சார்லஸ் பிராட்லா எனும் இளைஞனின் செயல்கள் தென்படவே இயல்பான கொள்கைப்பற்றால் ஆதரித்தார். அப்போது அவரின் வயது 16 தான்.1840களில் ஜி.ஜே. ஹோலியோக் (Holy Oake) என்னும் பெயர் கொண்ட பகுத்தறிவாளர் இருந்தார்.

    அவர் சவுத் வெல் (South Well) எனும் பகுத்தறிவுச் சிந்தனையாளர் எழுதிய (Oracle of Reason) (காரணியின் குரல்) என்ற ஏட்டின் கருத்துகளால் கவரப்பட்டவர்.

    அந்த ஏடு மதத்தைப் பின்னியெடுத்த ஏடு. பைபிளைக் கடுமையாகக் கண்டனம் செய்த ஏடு. வெறுக்கத்தக்க வகையில் யூதர்களால் உருவாக்கப்பட்டது பைபிள் என்று பிரகடனப்படுத்திய ஏடு.

    எல்லா வகையிலும் மடத்தனமும் நிறைந்த ஒழுக்கங் கெட்டவர்களை உயர்த்திப்பிடிப்பதால் அறிவுள்ளவர்களால் வெறுக்கத்தக்கதுமானது பைபிள் என்று அறைந்து கூறிய ஏடு.

    காமத்தையும் பின்பக்க புணர்ச்சியையும் ஒழுக்கக் கேட்டையும் கற்பிப்பது பைபிள் என அம்பலப்படுத்திய ஏடு.

    சும்மா இருக்குமா மதம், மதம் கொண்ட அரசு? சவுத்வெல் கைது செய்யப்பட்டார். மத நிந்தனைக் குற்றம் புரிந்தார் என வழக்கு போடப்பட்டு, ஓர் ஆண்டு சிறைத் தண்டனை விதிக்கப்பட்டார்.

    ஆனாலும் ஏடு தொடர்ந்து வெளி வந்தது. சிறை தண்டனை அளிக்கப்பட்ட பிறகு இரண்டு, மூன்று இதழ்கள் வெளிவந்தன. அதன்பின் ஹோலியோக் இதழின் ஆசிரியப் பொறுப்பை ஏற்றுக்கொண்டார்.காரணியின் குரலில் கடுமை சற்று குறைந்து வெளிவந்தது.1842-ல் சிறைப்பட்டிருக்கும் சவுத்வெல் வைக்கப்பட்டிருக்கும் பிரிஸ்டல் நகருக்கு நடைப்பயணம் புறப்பட்டார்.

    வழியெங்கும் பிரச்சாரம். செல்டன்ஹாம் எனும் ஊரில் மதத்தைப்பற்றியும் கடவுளைப்பற்றியும் உரை நிகழ்த்தியதற்காக அவர் மீது நடவடிக்கை எடுக்கப்பட வேண்டும் என்று நாளிதழ் ஒன்று எழுதும் அளவுக்கு அவரது பேச்சு அமைந்திருந்தது.ஹோலியோக் கைது செய்யப்பட்டு குளூசெஸ்டர் நகரின் சிறையில் அடைக்கப்பட்டார்.

    சட்டப்படி அவர் சிறைப்படுத்தப்படவில்லை என்று போராட்டங்கள் நடத்தப்பட்ட பின்னர்தான் எதிர் வழக்காடுவதற்காக அவரை விடுவித்தனர்.லண்டனுக்குச் சென்று ரிச்சர்டு, கார்லைலைச் சந்தித்தார். அவர்மூலம் ஒரு வழக்கறிஞரை அமர்த்திக் கொண்டார்.

    அவரது வழக்கு விசாரணையின்-போது வாக்குமூலம் எனும் வகையில் தன் தரப்பு வாதங்களை அடுக்கடுக்காக எடுத்துக் கூறினார். ஒன்பது மணிநேரம் பேசினார். அந்தப் பேச்சு அவரை விடுதலை செய்வதற்குப் பயன்படவில்லை;

    அவரது வாதத்திலிருந்த காரண காரியங்கள் நீதிபதியை எரிச்சல் அடையச் செய்துவிட்டது.அவரும் மதம், கடவுள் நம்பிக்கை கொண்டவர்தானே!

    ஹோலி யோக்குக்கு ஆறு மாதச் சிறைத் தண்டனை கிடைத்தது.சிறை வாழ்க்கையின்போது அவரின் சின்னஞ்சிறு மகள் இறந்துவிட்ட சோகமும் அவரது குடும்பத்தின் வறுமை வாழ்வும் அவரை வாட்டின. என்றாலும் கடவுள் நம்பிக்கையற்றவராக அவரை முழுமைப்படுத்தியது.

    1848 இல் மதத்தின் விளைவான பரந்துபட்ட கொடுமைகளை எடுத்துரைக்கும் சங்கம் ஒன்றைத் தொடங்கினார். லண்டனில் உள்ள அறிவியல் மன்றத்தில் அவருடைய உரையைக் கேட்க 1851-இல் முந்நூறுக்கம் மேற்பட்ட சுதந்திரச் சிந்தனையாளர்கள் கூடினர் என்றால் பார்த்துக் கொள்ளுங்கள்.

    மதச்சார்பற்ற சங்கம் (செக்யுலர் சொசைட்டி) தொடங்கினார். மான்செஸ்டர் நகரில் மாநாடு நடத்தினார். 1853-இல் லண்டன் நகர்ச் சங்கம் நடத்திய மாநாட்டில் அவருக்கு 250 பவுண்டு நிதி அளிக்கப்பட்டது.அந்த தொகையில் ப்ளீட் தெருவில் (Fleet Street) கட்டடம் ஒன்று வாங்கிப் பிரசுர நிலையம் அமைத்தார். லண்டன் நகரத்தின் அனைத்துப் பத்திரிகை அலுவலங்களும் அமைந்துள்ள தெருதான் இது.

    அங்கேயே இவருக்கும் இடம் கிடைத்தது.பிராட்லாவை ஹோலியோக்கிடம் அறிமுகம் செய்து வைத்தார். எலிசபெத் கார்லைல் பிராட்லா பொதுக்கூட்டத்தில் பேசும் நிகழ்ச்சியை அவர் ஏற்பாடு செய்தார்.அப்போது பிராட்லாவுக்கு வயது 17. முழுமையான நாத்திக உரையை அவர் நிகழ்த்தினார். அதன்பிறகு பிராட்லா ஒரு சிறிய வெளியீட்டை எழுதி வெளியிட்டார்.கிறித்துவர்களைப்-பற்றி சில சொற்கள் (A few words on the Christian Creed) என்ற வெளியீடு அது. என்ன பேசி, என்ன எழுதி என்ன பலன்?

    வாழ்க்கைக்குப் பணம் இல்லை. அதன் விளைவு?பிராட்லா போர்ப்படையில் சேர்ந்து விட்டார், சிப்பாயாக! இந்தியாவுக்கு வர வேண்டும், செல்வம் தேட வேண்டும் என்ற எண்ணத்தில்தான் சேர்ந்தார்.

    ஆனால் அவர் டப்ளின் நகருக்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டார். 1853-இல் போர்ப்படையிலிருந்து விலகி விட்டார். லண்டன் நகருக்கு வந்தார். மீண்டும் எழுதத் தொடங்கினார். சிலை உடைப்பாளன் எனும் பொருள் தரக்கூடிய (Iconoclast) என்ற புனை பெயரில் ஏடுகளுக்குக் கட்டுரைகள் எழுதினார். லண்டன் மதச் சார்பற்றோர் சங்கத்தின் தலைவராக 1858-ல் வந்தார். அப்போது அவருக்கு வயது 25 தான்.--- - சு.அறிவுக்கரசு.
    unmaionline.com/20080402/pa-10.
    ----------------------------------------------
    நான் ஏன் கிறிஸ்தவனல்ல?
    பெட்ரண்ட்ரஸல் M.A., F.R.S.,

    கிடைக்குமிடம் :
    பெரியார் சுயமரியாதைப் பிரசார நிறுவன வெளியீடு
    பெரியார் திடல், 50, ஈ.வெ.கி சம்பத் சாலை,
    வேப்பேரி, சென்னை ‍ 6000 007
    -------------------------------------------


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    ஏசு கடவுள் அல்ல - பைபிள் புரட்டுகள். கிறித்தவ மதத்தில் A to Z வரை பிரிவுகள்:

    ஏசு கடவுள் அல்ல - பைபிள் புரட்டுகள். கிறித்தவ மதத்தில் A to Z வரை பிரிவுகள் : சு. அறிவுக்கரசு.

    இந்த நாட்டில் (நியூசிலாந்து நாட்டில் ) 48 எரிமலைகள் உயிர்ப்புடன் உள்ளன. 100 கி.மீ. அடியில் வெப்பச் சூழல் உள்ளதால் அடிக்கடி எரிமலைக் குழம்புகள் வெளிப் போந்தன. 50 ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு வெளிவந்த எரிமலை வெடிப்பினால், அதன் குழம்பினால் நாட்டின் பகுதிகள் உருப்பெற்றன என்கிறார்கள். கடந்த 20 ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகளில் நான்கு பெரிய எரிமலை வெடிப்புகள் ஏற்பட்டுள்ளனவாம்.

    மிகச் சமீபத்தில் ஏற்பட்ட எரிமலை வெடிப்பு 600 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு ஏற்பட்டது. இதனால் ஏற்பட்ட தீக்குழம்பு மணிக்கு 300 கி.மீ. வேகத்தில் வழிந்து பாய்ந்து பரவியது. வெடித்த இடம் சுமார் ஒரு கி.மீ. பள்ளமாக உள்ளது.

    இந்த நாட்டு மண்ணின் தன்மையைக் கன்னித்தன்மையைக் காப்பாற்றி வருகிறார்கள். அவற்றின் இயற்கைத் தன்மையைக் கெடுக்கும் எந்தக் காரியத்தையும் செய்யாமல் பாதுகாத்து வருகிறார்கள். ஆயிரக்கணக்கான ஓடைகளும் ஆறுகளும் குறுக்கும் நெடுக்குமாக நாடு முழுவதும் கடல் போலக் காட்சியளிக்கும் ஏரிகள் பல. நாடெங்கும் காடுகள், மரங்கள், சோலைகள், பூத்துக் குலுங்கும் மலர்கள். அச்சமின்றி வாழும் விலங்குகள், பறவைகள். அழகே அழகாக உள்ளது.

    மீன் பிடிப்பதிலும்....கடலின் உள்ளே நீந்தும் மீன்களைப் பிடிப்பதிலும் கட்டுப்பாடு. மீன் பிடிப்பதற்கு என்றே ஜாதி கிடையாது, இந்தியாவைப் போல் யார் வேண்டுமானாலும் பிடிக்கலாம். பிடிக்கிறார்கள். ஆனால், உரிமம் பெற்றுப் பிடிக்கவேண்டும். பொழுது போக்கிற்காகக் கூட உரிமம் பெற்றுத்தான் மீன் பிடிக்க வேண்டும். பொழுது போக்குக்காகப் பிடிப்பவர்கள் அதை விற்ககூடாது. சொந்தத்திற்கு மட்டுமே பயன்படுத்திக் கொள்ளலாம்.

    45 நாள்கள் மீன்பிடிப்பதற்குத் தடை விதிக்கிறது இந்தியா. மீன் வளரும் காலத்தில் அதைப்பிடித்து இனப் பெருக்கத்தைக் குறைத்து விடக்கூடாது என்பதற்காக. அங்கோ எந்தக் காலத்திலும் பிடிக்கலாம். ஆனால், ஒரு அடிக்குமேல் பெரியதாக உள்ள மீனை மட்டுமே பிடிக்கவேண்டும். 12 அங்குலத்திற்குக் குறைவானவற்றைப் பிடிக்கக் கூடாது.

    இப்படிப்பட்ட கட்டுப்பாடுகளையெல்லாம் விதித்துக் கடைப்பிடித்து வரும் நாட்டில் கடவுள் வணக்கத்திற்கு மட்டும் கட்டுப்பாடே கிடையாது.

    A முதல் Z வரை அத்தனை எழுத்தைக் கொண்டும் கிறித்தவ மதத்தில் பிரிவுகள் உண்டு. அத்தனையும் இங்கே உண்டு. எத்தனைப் பேர் பின்பற்றுகிறார்கள் என்ற விவஸ்தையே இல்லாமல் அவனவன் ஒரு மூடக் குழுமத்தை வைத்திருக்கிறான்.

    எத்தனை மதங்கள் ?அடிடாம் (Adidam) என ஒரு கிறித்தவர் பிரிவு உள்ளது. அமெரிக்காவில் பிராங்க்ளின் ஜோன்ஸ் என்பவர் 1939இல் தொடங்கிய மதப் பிரிவு. இந்து மத மூடக்கொள்கையான “கர்மா”, “மறுபிறப்பு” என்பவற்றைப் போதித்தாராம். இதைப் பின்பற்றுபவர்கள் மொத்தம் 1700 பேர்கள் உள்ளனராம். இவர்களில் இந்த நாட்டில் 45 பேர்கள் உள்ளனர். ஆக்லாந்து, வெலிங்டன், கிறிஸ்ட்சர்ச் ஆகிய மூன்று நகரங்களில் இவர்களின் ஆசிரமம் உண்டு.

    கிறித்தவ மிசினரிகளின் கூட்டமைப்பு என்ற பிரிவில் 249 பேர்கள் உள்ளனர். கிறித்தவ கான்வென்ட் சர்ச் என்ற பிரிவில் 700 பேர் உள்ளனர். பெரும்பான்மைக் கிறித்தவ மதத்திலிருந்து சற்றே வேறுபட்டு தனிக்கடை நடத்துகின்றனர்.

    ஒரு வகை பெந்தகோஸ்தல் பிரிவில் 135 பேர்கள் உள்ளனர். ஏவாளின் தூண்டுதலால் விலக்கப்பட்ட கனியை ஆதாம் சாப்பிட்டதால் பாவம் செய்து வீழ்ந்து விட்டான் (நல்லது, கெட்டது எவை என உணரும் தன்மையைக் கூறுகிறார்கள்) என்று சொல்கிறதல்லவா கிறித்தவம்?

    அந்தக் காலத்துக்கு முந்தைய நிலைக்கு மக்களை அழைத்துச் செல்வதற்காக ஒரு பிரிவு ஏற்பட்டது. 1924இல் நெதர்லாந்து நாட்டில் தோன்றிய இந்தப் பிரிவு 40 நாடுகளில் இருக்கிறதாம். நியூசிலாந்து நாட்டிலும் இப்பிரிவினர் இருக்கின்றனர். அவர்களின் தொகை - அசந்து விடாதீர்கள் வெறும் 20 பேர் மட்டுமே! இவர்களுக்கு கிறித்துமஸ், ஈஸ்டர் எனும் இரண்டு பண்டிகைகள் மட்டுமே உண்டு! இவர்களின் அமைப்பின் பெயர்
    LACTORIUM ROSICRUCIANUM.

    நம் பக்கத்து மதம் :சுதந்திர கத்தோலிக்க சர்ச் என்று பெயர் வைத்துக் கொண்டு மரக்கறி மட்டுமே சாப்பிட வேண்டும், பெண்களுக்குச் சமஉரிமை கிடையாது என்பதைப் போதித்துக் கொண்டிருக்கும் பிரிவு கூட உண்டு. இதில் 135பேர் இருக்கின்றனர்.

    கீழை நாடுகளான சீனம், ஜப்பான் ஆகிய நாடுகளின் மதங்களும் இங்கு உண்டு. சீனத்தில் காணாமல் போய்விட்ட கன்பூசியஸ் மதம் இங்கு உண்டு. மொத்தம் 51 பேர்கள். இதை இன்றும் பின்பற்றிக்கொண்டிருக்கின்றனர்.

    அதேபோல, டாவோயிசம் 1107 பேர்களால் கடைப்பிடிக்கப்படுகிறது.
    இந்திய இறக்குமதி மூடப்பிரிவான ஆனந்தமார்க்கம் 1974இல் இருந்து இங்கே இருக்கிறது. ஆக்லாண்டு, டுனேடின் ஆகிய இரண்டு ஊர்களில் 300 பேர்கள் பின்பற்றிக் கொண்டிருக்கிறார்கள். 57 ஜைனர்கள் உள்ளனர். 39 ஆயிரம் இந்துக்கள் இருக்கின்றனர். இவர்களில் 140 பிரிவுகள் உள்ளன என்றும் கணக்கிட்டுள்ளார்கள்.

    கடவுள் காட்சி தந்த மதங்கள் :
    மதமல்ல - வாழ்க்கை முறை என்று கூறிக்-கொள்ளும் ஷின்டோ (மதம்) ஜப்பான் நாட்டிலிருந்து இங்கு வந்து தங்கியுள்ளது. மொத்தம் 135 பேர்கள் இதைப்பின்பற்றுகின்றனர். “உண்மை விளக்கின் ஒளி” எனும் சுக்யோ மகிகாரி (SUKYO MAHIKARI) (1959-இல் ஜப்பானில் தோன்றியது. கொடாமா ஓகாடா என்பவருக்கு வானத்திலிருந்து அறிவுரைகள் வழங்கப்பட்டனவாம். அதன் அடிப்படையில் 111பேர் நியூசிலாந்தில் உள்ளனர். இதன் சிறப்பு என்னவென்றால் எந்த மதத்தினரும் இதில் அங்கம் வகிக்கலாம். ஆனாலும் 111 பேர் மட்டுமே உள்ளனர். அவனவனைக் கடைத்தேற்றி சொர்க்கம் அனுப்பி வைக்க ஒரு மதம் தேவைப் படுகிறதல்லவா ?

    தென்கொரியாவில் சன்மியுங் மூன் என்பருக்கு வரிசையாக இயேசு, புத்தர் போன்ற மதத்தலைவர்கள் காட்சியளித்துக் கொண்டே இருந்தனர். இது நடந்தது 1954-இல் ஆதாமும், ஏவாளும் வீழ்ச்சியடைந்த காட்சி இவர் கண்களுக்குத் தென்பட்டதாம். இயேசு மீண்டும் வருவார் என்பதும் காட்சியாகத் தெரிந்ததாம். இப்படியெல்லாம் கூறி ஒரு மதப்பிரிவைத் தொடங்கிவிட்டார். அதைச் சேர்ந்தவர்கள் மூனிஸ் (Moonies ) என்ற பெயராலேயே அழைக்கப் படுகின்றனர். அவரும் அவரின் மனைவியும் “உண்மைப் பெற்றோர்”, அவருடைய குழந்தைகள் கடவுளின் குழந்தைகளாம்! எத்தனைக் குழந்தைகளைப் பெற்றவர்கள் என்ற கணக்கு நமக்குக் கூறப்படவில்லை. பைபிளைக் கடைப் பிடிக்கும் இவர்களைப் பின்பற்றும் பைத்தியக்காரர்கள் 153 பேர் மட்டுமே! இவர்களின் ஆலயத்துக்குப் பெயர் ஒன்றிணைக்கும் ஆலயம் என்பதாம்!

    ஏசு கடவுள் அல்ல
    ஏசுவைத் தேவகுமாரன் என்றவர்கள் இப்போது ஏசுவையே தேவனாக ஆக்கிவிட்டார்கள். இது தவறு. ஏசு கடவுள் அல்ல. ஏசு, பரிசுத்த ஆவி தந்தை என்ற மூன்று (Trinity) கிடையாது. தந்தை என்பவர் கடவுளல்ல, அவருக்குச் சமமுமல்ல என்று ஒரு பிரிவு. சர்ச் (ஆலயம்) எனக் கூறக்கூடாது என்கிறது இது. அதாவத தேவனின் இல்லமல்ல அது வெறும் கட்டடம்தான் எனக் கூறுகிறது. கிறிஸ்டா-டெல்பியன்கள் என இப்பிரிவுக்குப் பெயர்.
    1840-இல் ஜான் தாமஸ் என்பவர் தொடங்கியது. இதைப் பின்பற்றுவோர் இந்த நாட்டில் 1686 பேர் உள்ளனர்.

    ஜெஹோவின் சாட்சிகள் என்ற பிரிவில் 18 ஆயிரம் பேர் உள்ளனர். இப்பிரிவு 1800இல் தொடங்கப்பட்டது. 230 நாடுகளில் உள்ளது. தலைமையிடம் நியூயார்க் நகரம். இதில் ஆண்கள் மட்டுமே பாதிரிகளாக முடியும். கிறித்தவ மதத்தின் எந்தப் பண்டிகையையும் இவர்கள் கொண்டாடுவதில்லை. இயேசு இறந்ததை மட்டுமே கொண்டாடுகிறார்கள். அது கூட சிலுவையில் அறையப்பட்டுச் சாகடிக்கப்பட்டார் என்பதை ஏற்பதில்லை. மாறாக அவர் கழுவேற்றிக் கொல்லப்பட்டார் (மரக்கழு) என்கிறார்கள். நரகம் கிடையாது என்கிறார்கள். இந்தக் கொள்கையை ஏற்கவில்லையென்றால் கதி மோட்சமே கிடையாது. நித்திய வாழ்வை இழப்பீர்கள் என்றெல்லாம் மிரட்டுகிறார்கள்.

    ஏசுவுடன் ஒரு லட்சத்து 44 ஆயிரம் பேர்கள் “ராஜ்ய பரிபாலனம்” கெய்வார்கள் என்கிறார்கள். ஏசுவைக் கடவுளல்ல என்கிறார்கள்.முழுநேர ஊழியர்களை முன்னோடிகள் (Pioneer) என்றும் பகுதிநேர ஊழியர்களை வெளியீட்டாளர் (Publishers) என்றும் கூறுகிறார்கள்.

    எல்லாவற்றிற்கும் மறுப்பு மதம்
    பைபிளை மனிதர்கள் உணர்ச்சியின் தூண்டுதலால் எழுதினார்கள். கடவுளின் சொற்கள் அல்ல எனக் கூறும் மதப் பிரிவும் உண்டு. ஞாயிற்றுக்கிழமை புனித நாள் அல்ல. எல்லா நாட்களைப் போல அதுவும் ஒரு நாள். பிரார்த்தனை தேவையில்லை. ஜெப வார்த்தைகள் கூற வேண்டியதில்லை. பாட்டுப் பாடி ஸ்தோத்திரம் கூற வேண்டியது இல்லை. வழிபாடு தேவையற்றது. பாதிரி கூடாது. கடவுளின் வார்த்தைகளுக்காகவே காத்திருந்து கேட்க வேண்டும்; அனுபவத்தைப் பெற வேண்டும் என்றார் ஜார்ஜ் பாக்ஸ் (1624-1691) என்பவர். இவரது கொள்கைப் பிரிவுக்கு மத நண்பர்களின் சங்கம் (Religious Society of Friends) என்று பெயர். நண்பர் கழகம் (Quakers) என்றும் கூறுவர். இவர்களும் 1074 பேர் இந்த நாட்டில் உள்ளனர்.

    கர்த்தர் ஓய்வு எடுத்தநாள் ஞாயிறு அல்ல; சனிக்கிழமை தான். கிறித்து மீண்டும் வருவார். சரியானவர்கள் அவருடன் ஆயிரம் ஆண்டுகள் சேர்ந்து வசிக்கலாம். கிறித்துவும் தகுதியானவர்களும் பூமிக்கு இறங்கி வருவார்கள். சாத்தான் முழுமையாக அழிக்கப்படும் என்று இந்தக் கொள்கைகளைக் கூறினார் ஒருவர். அவர் எல்லன் ஒயிட். அமெரிக்காவில் தொடங்கிய இப்பிரிவு நியுசிலாந்தில் சுமார் 12 ஆயிரத்து 600 பேர்களைக் கொண்ட பிரிவாக வளர்ந்துள்ளது.

    இவர்கள் செவன்த்டே அட்வென்டிஸ்ட் (Seventh Day Adventist) எனப்படுவோர். கர்த்தர் ஒரு நாள் ஓய்வெடுக்கவில்லை, ஏழு நாளும் வேலை செய்தார்; இரண்டாம் முறையாக இயேசு வருவார் எனும் இரண்டையும் நம்புபவர்கள் இவர்கள்.

    பைபிள் புரட்டு :இத்தனை சமாச்சாரங்களுக்கும் அடிப்படை பைபிள், அதில் கூறப்பட்ட கதைகள். அது கடவுளால் எழுதப்பட்டதல்ல; ஏசுவால் எழுதப்பட்டதல்ல. நான்கு நபர்களால் எழுதப்பட்டவை. ஒரே காலகட்டத்தில் கூட அல்ல. பல்வேறு காலகட்டங்களில் எழுதப்பட்டவை.

    மார்க் எழுதியது கி.பி. 64-ல் மாத்தியூ எழுதியது கி.பி. 110இல் லூக் எழுதியது கி.பி. 180இல் ஜான் கடைசியாக எழுதியது கி.பி.200இல் முதல் மூவரும் சுருக்கமாக எழுதிவிட்டனர். ஏசுவின் சில சம்பவங்களை மட்டுமே எழுதினர் என்று முழுவதுமாக எழுதுகிறேன் என்று கற்பனைக் குதிரையைத் தட்டிவிட்டு ஜான் (யோவான்) எழுதிய சுவிசேஷம் தான் விரிவானது. இந்த பைபிள்கள் எல்லாமே அராமிக் மொழியில் எழுதப்பட்டன. இந்த மொழி தெரிந்தவர்கள் இன்றைக்கு நூறு பேருக்குக் குறைவானவர்கள்.

    இந்த மொழியில் ஏசு பேசும் காட்சிகள் கொண்டது “டாவின்சி கோட்” சினிமா.அராமிக் மொழியில் இருந்த பைபிள்களை (நான்கையும்) இலத்தீன் மொழியில் பெயர்த்து எழுதியவர் ஜெரோம் என்பவர். ரோமானிய அரசு இதை கி.பி. 392 இல் பரப்பியது.

    இந்த பைபிளை வைத்துக் கொண்டு பல பிரிவுகள் கிறித்தவத்தில் அவை அத்தனையும் உண்டு நியூசிலாந்து நாட்டில்!

    கடவுளை நம்பாத, மதச்சார்பற்ற, பகுத்தறிவாளர்கள் 30 விழுக் காட்டினர் இந்த நாட்டில் உண்டு!

    பல மதப் பிரிவுகளையும் தனித்தனியே கணக்கிட்டுப் பார்த்தால் மதச்சார்பற்ற நாம்தான் நியூசிலாந்து நாட்டில் பெரும்பான்மை!.
    > சு. அறிவுக்கரசு. > http://unmaionline.com/20070701/12.htm
    ----------------------


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    கிறித்து பிறந்து 381 ஆண்டுகள் கழித்து தான் அவர் பரமபிதாவின் குழந்தை என்கிற புளுகு பைபிளில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டது. தகிடுதத்தம் செய்வது அவர்களின் வழக்கம்.

    bibleகிறித்து பிறந்து 381 ஆண்டுகள் கழித்து தான் அவர் பரமபிதாவின் குழந்தை என்கிற புளுகு பைபிளில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டது.

    20 ஆண்டுகள் கழித்து ஏசுவுக்கு இரண்டு பெரும் சக்திகள் உண்டு என்று இடைச் செருகல் செய்தார்கள்.

    காலதேச வர்த்தமானத்திற்குத் தகுந்தவாறு, தகிடுதத்தம் செய்வது அவர்களின் வழக்கம் தான். சு. அறிவுக்கரசு.

    இப்படித்தான் அப்போதும் நடந்தது! பைபிளில் உள்ள கதை களைத் தற்காலத்திற்கேற்ப மாற்றி எழுதுகிறார்கள்.

    லண்டனில் ஹில்லிங்டன் எனுமிடத்தில் உள்ள தூய ஜான் ஆலயத்தின் பாதிரி ராபர்ட் ஹாரிசன் என்பார் அம்மாதிரி 10 கதைகளை மாற்றி எழுதியிருக்கிறார்.

    பைபிளில் உள்ள கதைகளை நீங்களும் மாற்றி எழுதுங்கள் என்று பிறர்க்கும் கோரிக்கை விடுத்துள்ளார். அப்படி எழுதினால்தான் எதிர்காலச் சந்ததியினரும் கதைகளைப் படிப்பதற்கு வாய்ப்பாக இருக்கும் என்று அவர் கூறுகிறார்.

    செய்பவர்களும் சொல்பவர்களும் பகுத்தறிவாளர்கள் அன்று, நம்பிக்கைவாதிகள் தான்.டேவிடும் கோலியாத்தும் என்கிற கதையை மாற்றியுள்ளார்.

    பெருங்குடிகாரனான கோலியாத் குடிமயக்கத்தில் இருந்தபோது, டேவிட் (தாவீது) அவனை வென்று விடுவதாகக் கதை எழுதியுள்ளார். ஆதாம் ஏவான் கதையைத் தலைகீழாக மாற்றி விட்டார்கள். ஆதாமை ஏவாள் கெட்ட காரியம் செய்யத் தூண்டினாள் என்ற கதைக்குப் பதில் ஏவாளின் அழகிய உடலைக் கண்டு பரவசமுற்று ஆதாம் சில வற்றைச் செய்தான் என்று எழுதியுள்ளனர்.

    இம்மாதிரிச் செய்வது அந்த மதத்திற்கு ஒன்றும் புதிதல்ல.

    பைபிளே அப்படி எழுதப்பட்டதுதான்.

    கிறித்து பிறந்து 381 ஆண்டுகள் கழித்து தான் அவர் பரமபிதாவின் குழந்தை என்கிற புளுகு பைபிளில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டது.

    அதற்கு 50 ஆண்டுகள் கழித்து தான் அவர் தாய் மேரி, கன்னித்தாய் என்று எழுதிச் சேர்த்தார்கள்.

    20 ஆண்டுகள் கழித்து ஏசுவுக்கு இரண்டு பெரும் சக்திகள் உண்டு என்று இடைச் செருகல் செய்தார்கள். காலதேச வர்த்தமானத்திற்குத் தகுந்தவாறு, தகிடுதத்தம் செய்வது அவர்களின் வழக்கம் தான்.
    >> சு. அறிவுக்கரசு.
    http://viduthalai.com/20080405/snews06.html
    ----------------------------------------------


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    பைபிள்: உன் கர்ப்பக்கனியான உன் புத்திரபுத்திரிகளின் மாம்சத்தைத் தின்பாய்!! ?? !! ??

    பைபிள்: உன் கர்ப்பக்கனியான உன் புத்திரபுத்திரிகளின் மாம்சத்தைத் தின்பாய். -மகனை ஆக்கித் தின்றோம் .

    பைபிள் : உபாகமம் -28 அதிகாரம்
    53. உன் சத்துருக்கள் உன்னை முற்றிக்கைப்போட்டு நெருக்குங்காலத்தில், உன் தேவனாகிய கர்த்தர் உனக்குக் கொடுத்த உன் கர்ப்பக்கனியான உன் புத்திரபுத்திரிகளின் மாம்சத்தைத் தின்பாய்

    .57. உன் சத்துருக்கள் உன் வாசல்களில் உன்னை முற்றிக்கைப்போட்டு நெருக்குங்காலத்தில், சகலமும் குறைவுபடுவதினால், அவைகளை இரகசியமாய்த் தின்னுவான்.

    58. உன் தேவனாகிய கர்த்தர் என்னும் மகிமையும் பயங்கரமுமான நாமத்திற்குப் பயப்படும்படிக்கு, நீ இந்தப் புஸ்தகத்தில் எழுதியிருக்கிற இந்த நியாயப்பிரமாண வார்த்தைகளின்படியெல்லாம் நடக்கக் கவனமாயிராவிட்டால்,

    59. கர்த்தர் நீங்காத பெரிய வாதைகளாலும் நீங்காத கொடிய ரோகங்களாலும் உன்னையும் உன் சந்ததியையும் அதிசயமாய் வாதித்து,

    60. நீ கண்டு பயந்த எகிப்து வியாதிகளெல்லாம் உன்மேல் வருவிப்பார்; அவைகள் உன்னைப் பற்றிக்கொள்ளும்.

    61. இந்த நியாயப்பிரமாண புஸ்தகத்தில் எழுதியிராத எல்லாப் பிணியையும் வாதையையும் நீ அழியுமளவும் கர்த்தர்உன்மேல் வரப்பண்ணுவார்.

    63. கர்த்தர் உங்களுக்கு நன்மை செய்யவும் உங்களைப் பெருகப்பண்ணவும் எப்படி உங்கள் மேல் இரம்மியமாயிருந்தாரோ, அப்படியே கர்த்தர் உங்களை அழிக்கவும் உங்களை அதம்பண்ணவும் இரம்மியமாயிருப்பார்;
    நீங்கள் சுதந்தரிக்கப்போகிற தேசத்திலிருந்துபிடுங்கிப்போடப்படுவீர்கள்.

    64. கர்த்தர் உன்னைப் பூமியின் ஒரு முனைதுவக்கி பூமியின்மறுமுனை ( ??)மட்டும் இருக்கிற எல்லா ஜனங்களுக்குள்ளும்சிதற அடிப்பார்;
    அங்கே நீயும் உன் பிதாக்களும் அறியாத மரமும் கல்லுமான அந்நிய தேவர்களைச் சேவிப்பாய்.

    65. அந்த ஜாதிகளுக்குள்ளே உனக்கு இளைப்பாறுதல் இராது, உன் உள்ளங்கால்கள் தங்கித் தரிக்க இடமும் இராது; அங்கேகர்த்தர் உனக்குத் தத்தளிக்கிற இருதயத்தையும், சோர்ந்துபோகிற கண்களையும், மனச்சஞ்சலத்தையும் கொடுப்பார்.

    66. உன் ஜீவன் உனக்குச் சந்தேகத்தில் ஊசலாடும்; உன் ஜீவனைப்பற்றி நம்பிக்கையில்லாமல் இரவும் பகலும் திகில்கொண்டிருப்பாய்.
    -------------------------------------
    மகனை ஆக்கித் தின்றோம்

    பைபிள் :II இராஜாக்கள் 6 அதிகாரம்

    25. அதினால் சமாரியாவிலே கொடிய பஞ்சமுண்டாயிற்று; ஒரு கழுதைத் தலை எண்பது வெள்ளிக்காசுக்கும், புறாக்களுக்குப் போடுகிற காற்படி பயறு ஐந்து வெள்ளிக்காசுக்கும் விற்கப்படுமட்டும் அதை முற்றிக்கை போட்டார்கள்.

    26. இஸ்ரவேலின் ராஜா அலங்கத்தின் மேல் நடந்துபோகையில், ஒரு ஸ்திரீ அவனைப்பார்த்துக் கூப்பிட்டு, ராஜாவாகிய என் ஆண்டவனே, இரட்சியும் என்றாள்.

    27. அதற்கு அவன்: கர்த்தர் உன்னை இரட்சிக்காதிருந்தால் நான் எதிலிருந்து எடுத்து உன்னை இரட்சிக்கலாம்? களஞ்சியத்திலிருந்தா, ஆலையிலிருந்தா என்று சொல்லி,

    28. ராஜா பின்னையும் அவளைப் பார்த்து: உனக்கு என்னவேண்டும் என்று கேட்டான். அதற்கு அவள்: இந்த ஸ்திரீ என்னை நோக்கி: உன் மகனைத் தா, அவனை இன்று தின்போம்; நாளைக்கு என் மகனைத் தின்போம் என்றாள்.

    29. அப்படியே என் மகனை ஆக்கித் தின்றோம்; மறுநாளில் நான் இவளை நோக்கி: நாம் உன் மகனைத் தின்ன அவனைத் தா என்றேன்; அவள் தன் மகனை ஒளித்துவிட்டாள் என்றாள்.

    33. அவர்களோடே அவன் பேசிக்கொண்டிருக்கையில், அந்த ஆள் அவனிடத்தில் வந்து: இதோ, இந்தப் பொல்லாப்புகர்த்தரால் உண்டானது; நான் இனிக் கர்த்தருக்காகக்காத்திருக்க வேண்டியது என்ன என்று ராஜா சொல்லுகிறார் என்றான்.

    King James Version of the Bible Book of Deuteronomy Chapter 28
    Eat Your Children
    28:53 And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:

    28:57 And toward her young one that cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children which she shall bear: for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness, wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.

    28:58 If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;

    28:59 Then the LORD will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.

    28:60 Moreover he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.

    28:61 Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.

    28:63 And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.

    28:64 And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

    28:65 And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest: but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind:

    28:66 And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:

    Comment
    Here we have the horrific calling for cannibalism. It comes even more barbaric considering it calls for the devouring of their own sons and daughters.

    Hardly anyone today accepts cannibalism, yet many fundamentalist Christians would have us believe that cannibalism will result if we choose not to believe in God or to choose another god.
    (See also II Kings 6:28-29)

    Eating Dung And Son
    "And there was a great famine in Samaria: and, behold, they besieged it, until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a cab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver." (II Kings 6:25)

    "And the king said unto her, What aileth thee? And she answered, This woman said unto me, Give thy son, that we may eat him to day, and we will eat my son to morrow. So we boiled my son, and did eat him: and I said unto her on the next day, Give thy son, that we may eat him: and she hath hid her son...." ( II Kings 6:28-29 )
    Comment

    According to the Bible, a horrible famine took place in Samaria where in desperation, the people ate feces of doves, (strangely worth more than a donkey's head). The same chapter describes an incident of cannibalism-- a son boiled alive by his mother to provide food.


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    பைபிளின் வகைகள்-- பைபிளில் அக்கிரமஙகள் ஆபாச, காம அபத்தஙகள் ஒழுக்க எதிர்மறைகள், பெண் இழிவு

    darkbible.gifசு. அறிவுக்கரசு.மிக நாகரிகமாக எழுதிய
    ஏசு கடவுள் அல்ல - பைபிள் புரட்டுகள். கிறித்தவ மதத்தில் A to Z வரை பிரிவுகள்:கட்டுரைக்கு எச்சரிக்கை
    வ்ந்ததால் உண்மைகளை சிந்திக்க சில துளிகள் மட்டுமே இணைய தளத்தில் எடுக்கப்பட்டு அவைகளின் சுட்டிகளையும் தர‌ப்பட்டுள்ளது. அனைத்தையும் மொழி பெய்ர்த்தால் ....... க‌ இருக்கும்.

    அவைகளுக்கு எச்சரிக்கைகளை எதிர்பார்க்கலாமா ?

    இதை ப‌திப்பிக்க‌ நோக்க‌மில்லை. சூழ் நிலை அப்ப‌டி.

    PHOTO >>http://www.nobeliefs.com/DarkBible/DarkBibleContents.htm << href="http://www.nobeliefs.com/DarkBible/darkbible1.htm">http://www.nobeliefs.com/DarkBible/darkbible1.htm
    The Dark Bible
    A Short History of the Bible

    Today we still have dozens of Bible translation versions, with Bible scholars still arguing over the meaning and proper translations of words and phrases. The following shows just a few of the most popular versions:
    வகை வகையான‌ பைபிளின் சில‌..
    King James Version (KJV)
    The New King James Version (NKJV)
    Modern King James Version [Green's Translation] (MKJV)
    Literal Translation Version [Green] (LITV)
    International Standard Version (ISV)
    The New International Version (NIV)
    English Standard Version (ESV)
    New English Bible (NEB)
    American Standard Version (ASV)
    New American Standard Bible (NASB)
    Revised Standard Version (RSV)
    New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
    Contemporary English Version (CEV)
    Today's English Version (TEV)
    The Living Bible (LB)
    New Century Version (NC)New Life Version (NLV)
    New Living Translation (NLT)
    Young's Literal Translation (YLT)
    Revised Young's Literal Translation (RYLT)
    John Darby's New Translation
    Weymouth New Testament Translation
    Rotherham's
    (One might wonder what will happen to the "new" revisions a few hundred years from now. Nevertheless, the King James Version still remains the most used Bible in the world today and it will probably continue its popularity long into the future.)

    No doubt that future versions of Bibles will surface in the future: revisions of previously revised Bibles and newer revisions of new versions. The history of the many versions of the Bible stories, from the ancient Mesopotamian myths to the varied interpretations, interpolations, and versions of the Bible speaks volumes about the reliability of their interpretations and the alleged "truth" they claim the Bible holds, because it shows that the Bible comes not from supernatural agents but rather from human imagination.

    We have not one shred of evidence for the supernatural influence on human written works (and mostly from unknown authors), but we do have an abundance of evidence for human recorded beliefs and myths. This shows a marked difference between those of scientific works and those deriving from religious minds. For example, Euclid's Elements written around 300 B.C.E. has changed little since its inception. Scientists don't argue and debate about its meaning because they know it doesn't represent an absolute or fixed work. It only provides a step in the understanding of geometry. Most Christian apologists, on the other hand, view the Bible as fixed and absolute, if only they could only just get the interpretation correct. But regardless of how much they want the Bible to reflect their particular beliefs, they can never dislodge the violence and atrocities described and condoned by their God in the stories in the Old Testament. Nor can they dismiss the even more horrific result of the horrors of Hell as amplified by the words of the alleged Jesus in the New Testament where almost everyone on earth dies in eternal fire. In short, Bible belief influences horror, not by the majority but by the few that actually believe in its macabre prophecy and have the power to force their beliefs onto the majority.

    We have little reason to think that violence inspired by Bibles and other religious texts will ever cease. One only has to look at the religious wars around the world to see belief's everlasting destructive potential. One only has to look at the Protestant-Catholic uprising in Ireland, the conflicts in the middle east with Jews fighting Moslems & Christians, the Gulf war, Sudan's civil war between Christians and Islamics, the Bosnia conflicts, and the war in Iraq. The desperate acts of fanatical individuals who have killed for their beliefs of Jesus, Mohammed, God or Satan would create a death list unmatched by any other method in history. The "Holy" Bible supports the notion of war and destruction, not only as a prophesy but as a moral necessity. If we wish to become a peaceful species, it may well serve us to understand the forces of belief that keep us in continual conflict and why the Bible has such a stronghold on the minds of people around the world.
    ]
    http://www.nobeliefs.com/DarkBible/darkbible2.htm

    The Dark Bible
    Atrocities (only a few)
    பைபிளில் அக்கிரமஙகள் ( கொஞ்சம் )

    Babylon is fallen
    David slaughters them
    Decapitate them!
    Gideon slaughters
    God buries them alive
    God kills the firstborns!
    God sends pestilence
    God slaughters blacks
    God's threat to kill
    Godly head wounds
    Godly mass murder
    Kill all unbelievers
    Kill man, woman, infant
    King David's holocaust
    Moses' mass murder
    Nail his head!
    Raping and killing
    Shed the blood
    Slaughter of innocents
    Slay old and young
    Stone the woman!
    The survivors
    Utter destruction, 1
    Utter destruction, 2
    Washing feet in blood

    http://www.nobeliefs.com/DarkBible/darkbible3.htm
    ------------------------------
    The Dark Bible
    Sex, Obscenities, Filth
    ஆபாச, காம அபத்தஙகள்
    Biblical pornography
    Cain's Wife?
    David uncovers himself
    Death to adulterers
    Drugs and aphrodisiacs
    Eat human feces!
    Eating dung and drinking piss
    Boil and eat your son
    Expose her breasts!
    Fatal orgasm
    Fecal disposal
    God given hemorrhoids
    God's bowel diseases
    God's fecal fetish
    Howl and strip naked
    Incestuous relations
    Passing wind
    Piss crimes
    Pisseth against walls
    Prophesy in the nude
    The sacred penis

    http://www.nobeliefs.com/DarkBible/darkbible4.htm
    --------------------------------------
    The Dark Bible
    Morality And Contradictions
    ஒழுக்க எதிர்மறைகள்
    Back To Table Of Contents

    Be wise as serpents
    Beat that slave
    Burn the daughter!
    Burn them!
    Creation contradiction, 1
    Creation contradiction, 2
    Creation contradiction, 3
    Curse the children
    Eat your children
    God accepts slavery
    God condones slavery
    The Gods creation
    God orders adultery
    God's OK on abortion
    Golden rule
    Happy to kill children
    Hate them!
    Hate your family
    He must increase but I must decrease
    Human sacrifice
    Make weapons
    More than one god
    Pray in the closet
    Rape my daughter
    Serpent Jews
    Slay enemies
    Synagogues of Satan
    Talking donkey
    The "gods"
    The sun stands still
    Turn thy cheek
    Virgin's worth
    Wars must be


    The Crucifixion by Mathias Grunewald (1480-1530)
    This painting gives a pictorial example of the horrific nature of the Bible with its Godly atrocities and tortures. Here we have the contorted body of Jesus flayed, bruised and bleeding. Above the pointing hand of John the Baptist (on the right) are inscribed in Latin "He must increase, but I must decrease" from John 3:30. Indeed, any human who believes in the Bible decreases his potential as a human.

    http://www.nobeliefs.com/DarkBible/darkbible5.htm


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    பைபிள்: கருணையின் வடிவான‌ கர்த்தரை அவமதித்ததால் பூமி தன் வாயைத் திறந்து, இவர்களையும் இவர்களுக்கு உண்டான யாவையும் விழுங்கி மூடிக்கொண்டது.

    பைபிள்: கருணையின் வடிவான‌ கர்த்தரை அவமதித்ததால் பூமி தன் வாயைத் திறந்து, இவர்களையும் இவர்களுக்கு உண்டான யாவையும் விழுங்கி மூடிக்கொண்டது.

    பைபிள்: எண்ணாகமம்-- 16 அதிகாரம்.

    30. கர்த்தர் ஒரு புதிய காரியத்தை நேரிடச்செய்வதால், பூமி தன் வாயைத் திறந்து, இவர்கள் உயிரோடே பாதாளத்தில் இறங்கத்தக்கதாக இவர்களையும் இவர்களுக்கு உண்டான யாவையும் விழுங்கிப் போட்டதேயானால், இந்த மனிதர்கர்த்தரை அவமதித்தார்கள் என்பதை அறிந்துகொள்வீர்கள் என்றான்.

    31. அவன் இந்த வார்த்தைகளையெல்லாம் சொல்லி முடித்தவுடனே, அவர்கள் நின்றிருந்த நிலம் பிளந்தது;

    32. பூமி தன் வாயைத் திறந்து, அவர்களையும் அவர்கள் வீடுகளையும், கோராகுக்குரிய எல்லா மனிதரையும், அவர்களுக்கு உண்டான சகல பொருள்களையும் விழுங்கிப்போட்டது.

    33. அவர்கள் தங்களுக்கு உண்டானவை எல்லாவற்றோடும் உயிரோடே பாதாளத்தில் இறங்கினார்கள்; பூமி அவர்களை மூடிக்கொண்டது; இப்படிச் சபையின் நடுவிலிருந்து அழிந்துபோனார்கள்.

    34. அவர்களைச் சுற்றிலும் இருந்த இஸ்ரவேலர் யாவரும் அவர்கள் கூக்குரலைக்கேட்டு, பூமி நம்மையும் விழுங்கிப்போடும் என்று சொல்லி ஓடினார்கள்.

    35. அக்கினி கர்த்தருடைய சந்நிதியிலிருந்து புறப்பட்டு, தூபங்காட்டின இருநூற்று ஐம்பது பேரையும் பட்சித்துப் ( சாப்பிட்டு) போட்டது.

    King James Version of the Bible Book of Numbers Chapter 16

    16:30 But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth, and swallow them up, with all that appertain unto them, and they go down quick into the pit; then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD.

    16:31 And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them:

    16:32 And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

    16:33 They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

    16:34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.

    16:35 And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.

    God Buries Them Alive
    "And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

    They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation.

    And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense."(Numbers 16:32-35)

    CommentMoses relays a sadistic threat that asks us to believe that God punishes members of families, including innocent infants. And again we have the Satanic fire coming from God burning his creations.


    நான் ஏன் கிறிஸ்தவனல்ல? பெட்ரண்ட்ரஸல் M.A., F.R.S.,கிடைக்குமிடம்: பெரியார் சுயமரியாதைப் பிரசார நிறுவன வெளியீடுபெரியார் திடல், 50, ஈ.வெ.கி சம்பத் சாலை,வேப்பேரி, சென்னை ‍ 6000 007

    இந்த புத்தகம் கிடைக்கப் பெறாதவர்கள் எங்கும்கிடைக்கக் கூடிய பைபிள் ஆங்கில பிரதி , தமிழ் பிரதி ஒவ்வொன்று வாங்கி கொண்டு சுட்டிக் காண்பிக்க‌ப்ப‌ட்டிருக்கும் பைபிளின் அதிகார‌ம், அத்தியாய‌ம், வ‌ச‌னம் ஆகிய‌வ‌ற்றை ப‌டித்து பைபிள் எப்ப‌டிப் ப‌ட்ட‌து ( புனிதமா ? அல்லது என்ன? ) என்று விளங்க‌லாம்.

    அப‌த்தங்க‌ளை சுல‌ப‌மாக‌ விள‌ங்கிவிடாத‌படி வார்த்தைகளை அமைத்திரூப்பார்க‌ள். திரிப்ப‌தில் திறமை பெற்ற‌வர்க‌ள்.

    உதாரணம் : மனுஷனிலிருந்து கழிந்த கஷ்டத்தின் வறட்டிகளால் = மலம்.


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    -------------------------------
    The Dark Bible
    God, Satan, Jesus, Heaven
    Back To Table Of Contents

    The back parts of God
    Beasts in heaven
    The brethren of Jesus
    Christ with horns
    Christ's temper
    Curse the earth
    Evil from God
    The evil spirit of the Lord, 1
    The evil spirit of the Lord, 2
    Get thee behind me Satan
    God creates evil and peace
    The final lie
    Fire from the Lord
    Fire of God
    God casts stones
    God rejoices your death
    God 'The Jealous'
    God's fiery serpents
    God-- man of war
    God & Satan the same?
    I came not to send peace
    I come to send fire
    Jesus not entirely good
    Jesus reveals himself
    Jesus' servants would fight
    Jesus will kill children
    Pray in the closet
    Promise to return
    Sacrifice or suicide?
    The wrathful God
    Wars must be

    http://www.nobeliefs.com/DarkBible/darkbible6.htm
    --------------------------
    The Dark Bible
    Women's Inferior Status
    பெண் இழிவு
    Back To Table Of Contents
    Burn the daughter!
    Cut off her hand!
    Expose her breasts!
    Female births get penalty
    Female inferiority
    God's OK on abortion
    Jesus will kill children
    Kill the witches!
    Moses' mass murder
    Rape my daughter
    Raping and killing
    Silence the woman!
    Stone the woman
    "Virgin" mistranslation
    Virgin's worth
    Wives, submit yourselves!
    Women shall not speak
    Women's sorrow
    Rip up pregnant women
    The wicked woman
    The Biblical view of women
    The God of the Bible decrees that woman must submit to the dominance of man.
    "The social and legal position of an Israelite wife was inferior to the position a wife occupied in the great countries round about... all the texts show that Israelites wanted mainly sons to perpetuate the family line and fortune, and to preserve the ancestral inheritance... A husband could divorce his wife; women on the other hand could not ask for divorce... the wife called her husband Ba'al or master; she also called him adon or lord; she addressed him, in fact, as a slave addressed his master or subject, his king. The Decalogue includes a man's wife among his possessions... all her life she remains a minor. The wife does not inherit from her husband, nor daughters from their father, except when there is no male heir. A vow made by a girl or married woman needs, to be valid, the consent of the father or husband and if this consent is withheld, the vow is null and void. A man had a right to sell his daughter. Women were excluded from the succession."
    -Roland de Vaux, archaeologist and priest
    http://www.nobeliefs.com/DarkBible/darkbible7.htm
    ---------------------------
    The Dark Bible
    Bibliography
    (Click on an underlined title to obtain it)
    Akerley, Ben Edward, "The X-Rated Bible," (1989)
    Allen, Steve, "Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, & Morality," (1990)
    Allen, Steve, "More Steve Allen on the Bible, Religion, & Morality," (1993)
    Asimov, Isaac, "Asimov's Guide to the Bible (Vol 1 &2)," (1968-69)
    Bible, the New Revised Standard Version, (1989)
    Broderick, Robert, "The Catholic Encyclopedia", 1990
    Buttrich, George A, "The Interpreter's Bible," (1952)
    Campbell, Joseph, "The Masks of God," (1964)
    Crees, Adrian, "Anatomy of Religion"
    Day, John, "Molech: A God of Human sacrifice in the Old Testament"
    De Vaux, Roland, "Ancient Israel," (1965)
    Eisler, Riane, "The Chalice & the Blade," (1987)
    Foote, G.W, et al, "The Bible Handbook for Free Thinkers and Inquiring Christians"
    Friedlander, Gerald, "The Jewish Sources of the Sermon on the Mount," (1969)
    God? "Holy Bible, King James Version," (1611)
    Herbert, A. S., "The Book of the Prophet," (1973)
    Kaiser, Otto, "The Old Testament Library, Isaiah 1-12," (1972)
    Kennedy, D. James, "Why I Believe," (1980)
    Meyer, Marvin W., "The Secret Teachings of Jesus," (1984)
    Midrash Rabbah
    Pagels, Elaine, "The Gnostic Gospels," (1979)
    Pagels, Elaine, "Adam, Eve, and the Serpent" (1988)
    Richards, Lawrence O., "The Revell Bible Dictionary," (1984)
    Romer, John "Testament, Bible and History," (1988)
    Stanton, Elizabeth Cady, "The Woman's Bible,"(1895)
    Stone, Merlin, "When God Was a Woman," (1976)
    Watts, Alan "Beyond Theology," (1964)
    Wilson, Dorthy F., "The Gospel Sources"
    Wood, Forrest G., "The Arrogance of Race," (1990)

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    பைபிள் பூமியிலேயே மிக மிக அபாயகரமான, சிறுவர்களுக்கு கிட்டக்கூடாத, பூட்டி, ஒதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட வேண்டியது..ஏன்? ...

    BERNARDSHAWநோபல் பரிசு பெற்ற உலக பேறிஞர் ஜார்ஜ் பெர்னாட்சா கூறினார்.

    பைபிள் பூமியிலேயே மிக மிக அபாயகரமான, சிறுவர்களுக்கு கிட்டக்கூடாத, பூட்டி, ஒதுக்கி வைக்கப்பட வேண்டியது..
    ஏன்?

    NOBEL PRIZE WINNER George Bernard Shaw said
    “THE MOST DANGEROUS BOOK ON EARTH “(the Bible), KEEP IT UNDER LOCK AND KEY.” Keep the Bible out of your children’s reach. Why did George Bernard Shaw called the Bible the most dangerous book on the Earth !!!?
    தொடரவும்….
    காமத்தையும் பின்பக்க புணர்ச்சியையும் ஒழுக்கக் கேட்டையும் கற்பிப்பது பைபிள் என அம்பலப்படுத்திய ஏடு.

    பைபிள்: மகள்கள் தகப்பனுடன் உடலுறவு கொள்ளும் ஒழுக்கக்கேட்டை ஆதரிக்கிறதா?

    பைபிள்: மாமனார் தன் மருமகளுடன் உறவு கொள்ளும் ஒழுக்கக்கேட்டை தூக்கிப்பிடித்து ஆத‌ரிக்கிற( து?) தா?

    பைபிள்: வேசியிடம் கர்த்தராகிய ஆண்டவர் சொல்லுகிறது என்னவென்றால்…படித்துவிட்டு எதன் வழி சிரிப்பீர்கள் ?

    பைபிள்: அவ‌ளை நிர்வாண‌மாக்கி. மானத்தையும் தெரியப்பண்ணி மலத்தையே உங்கள் முகங்களில் இறைப்பேன். -கர்த்தர்.

    பைபிள் : குழந்தைகளைப் பிடித்து, கல்லின்மேல் மோதியடிக்கிறவன் பாக்கியவான். சிசுக்களை சிதறடித்து கர்ப்பிணிகள் கீறப்படட்டும்.-

    பைபிள் : ஏசு ( கடவுள் ) வின் குடல், ஆசன வழி வெளியிடும் ஒலி எப்படி தொனிக்குமாம். ?. படித்துவிட்டு வாசகர்கள் எதன் வழி சிரிப்பீர்கள் ?

    ஆணுறை இன்றி விதவையுயுடன் கருத்தரிக்காமல் உடலுறவு எப்படி?. பைபிளில் வழி.

    பைபிள் கொடுமை : மாதவிடாய் பெண்களை- தொட்டலோ, படுக்கை, உட்கார்ந்த இருந்த எதையாகிலும் தொட்டவனுக்கு தண்டனை ?

    ஏசு கிறுஸ்து (கடவுள் ) கதறினார் ? சிலுவையில் தன் உயிருக்காக ம‌ட்டும் எப்ப்டி கதறினார் ?

    கிறித்து பிறந்து 381 ஆண்டுகள் கழித்து தான் அவர் பரமபிதாவின் குழந்தை என்கிற புளுகு பைபிளில் சேர்க்கப்பட்டது. தகிடுதத்தம் செய்வது அவர்களின் வழக்கம்.

    இயேசு விபச்சாரர்களின் சந்ததியா? ஆபாச வர்ணனைகள் நிறைந்த பைபிள். பைபிளின் குளறுபடி.

    ஏசுவைக் கொல்லும்போது அவர்அணிந்திருந்த துணி.? கதை விடுகிறார்கள்! .

    பைபிளில்- பெண்களின் இழி நிலை .என்ன கொடுமை.

    பைபிளின் 20,000 to 50,000பிழைகள். சில பகுதிகள் உண்மையல்ல ஆதலால் பைபிளின் மீது ஆணையாக சத்தியம் கூடாது.> கத்தோலிக்க திருச்சபை.

    பைபிளின் வகைகள்-- பைபிளில் அக்கிரமஙகள் ஆபாச, காம அபத்தஙகள் ஒழுக்க எதிர்மறைகள், பெண் இழிவு

    ஏசு கடவுள் அல்ல - பைபிள் புரட்டுகள். கிறித்தவ மதத்தில் A to Z வரை பிரிவுகள்:

    கிறிஸ்துவ மத நம்பிக்கையால் கொல்லப்பட்ட கோடானு கோடி கோடி மக்கள்கள். வெளிப்பட்ட சில‌ விபரங்கள் மட்டும்.

    தானும் த‌ன் மதமும் வாழ சாத்தானை காப்பாற்றிய பாதிரி அகம் பார்த்து கைதட்டி சிரித்த சாத்தான். தோல்வியில் தொங்கிய பாதிரியார் !!!

    தொடரும்…


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    பைபிளில் விஞ்ஞான அறிவிற்கு புறம்பான கூற்றுகள்.!!! சிரிக்கவேண்டாம்.

    ஆகாயத்துக்கு ஜ‌ன்னல்கள்?. பூமிக்கு அஸ்திவாரம்?, நான்கு மூலைகள்?. சூரியன் தான் நகருகுறது. பூமியல்ல‌!!

    ஆகாயத்துக்கு ஜ‌ன்னல்கள்?

    பைபிள்: ஆதியாகமம் 7 அதிகாரம்.
    11. நோவாவுக்கு அறுநூறாம் வயதாகும் வருஷம் இரண்டாம் மாதம் பதினேழாம் தேதியாகிய அந்நாளிலே, மகா ஆழத்தின் ஊற்றுக்கண்களெல்லாம் பிளந்தன; வானத்தின் மதகுகளும் (ஜ‌ன்னல்கள் ) திறவுண்டன.

    1. UNSCIENTIFIC TEACHINGS IN BIBLE
    (i) The sky has windows
    The sky is nothing but a vacuum. It does not have windows. But Holy Bible states that the windows of sky were opened

    170. ?11. In the six hundredth year of Noah?s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the Mountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.?
    - Genesis, 7/11

    No scientist will agree to the above text.

    பூமிக்கு அஸ்திவாரம், தூண்கள் நான்கு மூலைகள்?
    பூமிக்கு அஸ்திவாரம்
    பைபிள் சங்கீதம் 104 அதிகாரம்
    5. பூமி ஒருபோதும் நிலைபேராதபடி அதின் ஆதாரங்கள்மேல் அதை ஸ்தாபித்தார்.

    பூமிக்கு அஸ்திவாரம், தூண்கள் நான்கு மூலைகள்?
    (ii) The earth has foundations, pillars and four corners!
    According to Biblical Geography (Social Science), the earth has foundations, pillars and four corners !
    Read the following three verses :
    The Earth has foundations :
    171. ?5. Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.?
    - Psalms, 104/5

    பூமிக்கு அஸ்திவாரம்?

    பைபிள்: I சாமுவேல் 2 அதிகாரம்

    8. அவர் சிறியவனைப் புழுதியிலிருந்து எடுத்து, எளியவனைக் குப்பையிலிருந்து உயர்த்துகிறார்; அவர்களைப் பிரபுக்களோடே உட்காரவும், மகிமையுள்ள சிங்காசனத்தைச் சுதந்தரிக்கவும் பண்ணுகிறார்;

    பூமியின் அஸ்திபாரங்கள் கர்த்தருடையவைகள்; அவரே அவைகளின்மேல் பூச்சக்கரத்தை வைத்தார்.

    The Earth has pillars :
    172. ?8?? for the pillars of the earth are the Lord?s, and he bath set the world upon them.?
    - I Samuel, 2/8

    பூமிக்கு நான்கு மூலைகள்?

    பைபிள்: வெளி 7 அதிகாரம்

    1. இவைகளுக்குப்பின்பு, பூமியின் நான்கு திசைகளிலும் நான்கு தூதர்கள் நின்று, பூமியின்மேலாவது, சமுத்திரத்தின் மேலாவது, ஒரு மரத்தின்மேலாவது, காற்று அடியாதபடிக்கு, பூமியின் நான்கு காற்றுகளையும் பிடித்திருக்கக்கண்டேன்.


    The Earth has four corners :
    173. ?1. And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.?
    - Revelation, 7/1

    சூரியன் தான் நகருகுறது. பூமியல்ல‌ ?
    பைபிள் யோசுவா 10 அதிகாரம்
    13. அப்பொழுது ஜனங்கள் தங்கள் சத்துருக்களுக்கு நீதியைச் சரிக்கட்டுமட்டும் சூரியன் தரித்தது, சந்திரனும் நின்றது; இது யாசேரின் புஸ்தகத்தில் எழுதியிருக்க
    வில்லையா; அப்படியே சூரியன் அஸ்தமிக்கத் தீவிரிக்காமல், ஏறக்குறைய ஒருபகல்முழுதும் நடுவானத்தில் நின்றது.
    ================================
    கிறித்தவத்திலும் மடமை:அகிலம் முழுவதும் வியாபித்துப் பரவியுள்ள மிகப் பெரிய மதமான கிறித்துவின் மத நூலான, மறை நூலான, வேத நூலான விவிலியத்தில்-பைபிளில் உலகம் தட்டை என்று கருத்து உரைக்கப் பட்ட நேரத்தில் கிறித்தவ மதத்தில் தோன்றிய அறிவியல் அறிஞர் கலிலியோ என்பவர் உலகம் தட்டை என்பதை மறுத்து உலகம் உருண்டை என்று சொன்னார் என்பதும், தன் கருத்தை மிகுந்த எதிர்ப்புகளுக்கிடையே வரலாற்றில் பதித்து நிறுவினார் என்பதும்தானே உண்மை!

    உலகம் உருண்டை என்னும் அறிவுபூர்வமான-ஆக்க ரீதியான கலிலியோவின் ஆராய்ச்சி உண்மைக் கருத்தை ஏற்றுக் கொண்டால் ஏசுநாதரும், கிறித்தவ மதமும், பைபிள் என்னும் விவிலியமும் அடிபட்டு ஆட்டங்கண்டு செத்தொழிந்து மறையுமே என்று எண்ணிய கிறித்தவ மத வெறியர்கள் தங்கள் மதக் கருத்துக் கோட்பாட்டைக் காக்கும் பொருட்டு அறிவியல் ஆய்வறிஞன் கலிலியோவை அடித்தே கொன்றார்கள் என்பதை எவரே மறுக்க இயலும்?

    thamilachi.blogspot.com/
    =================================
    174. ?13. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.? - Joshua, 10/13

    All the educated people of the world know today that the sun never moves, it is the earth that revolves.

    When Copernicus declared this scientific truth for the first time, the clergymen raised hues and cries against the learned scientist calling him atheist, because he contradicted Holy Bible.

    Consequently he was humiliated and tortured.

    Martin Luther, the German religious reformer who was the founder of the Protestant Reformation, commented upon the Copernicus theory as under :
    ?The fool (Copernicus) wishes to reverse the entire science of astronomy. But sacred Scripture tells us that Joshua commanded the sun to stand still, and not the earth.? - Martin Luther

    Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru writes in his ?Glimpses of World History? :
    ?
    Giordano Bruno, an Italian, was burnt in Rome by the Church in 1600for insisting that the earth went round the sun.?
    - Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru

    James A. Haught states in his book, ?Holy Horrors? :
    ?At Alexandria in 415, the great woman scientist Hypatia, head of Alexandria Library, was beaten to death by monks and other followers of St Cyril, who viewed her science much as the church later viewed Galileo?s.? - James A. Haught

    While commenting upon Biblical Science, George Bernard Shaw, the famous playwright, critic and essayist who was awarded the Nobel Prize for literature in 1925, observes :

    ?Bible is hopelessly pre-evolutionary; its descriptions of the origin of life and morals are obviously fairy tales; its astronomy is terracentric; its notions of the starry universe are childish; its history is epical and legendary: in short, people whose education in these departments is derived from the Bible are so absurdly misinformed as to be unfit for public employment, parental responsibility, or the franchise.?
    - George Bernard Shaw

    In modern scientific era, educated Christian missionaries feel ashamed to give any publicity to the afore-mentioned verse of the Holy Bible.


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    AD20120108772616-UAE%20-%20Sharjah-%20.jpg
    UAE - Sharjah- Jan 04 - 2012: Archaeologists Akshyeta Suryanarayan searching for crafts and bones during a working day at the Tell Abraq archaeological site ( Jaime Puebla - The National Newspaper )

     

    Sharjah's 3,000-year-old clue to the first domesticated camels

    Marie-Louise Olson
    Jan 8, 2012 
    SHARJAH // Archaeologists are unearthing answers to one of the Arab region’s biggest historical mysteries – the origin of the domesticated dromedary.
    According to 3,000-year-old evidence discovered at two excavation sites in Sharjah, people in what is now the UAE were probably the first to domesticate the wild camel.
    A team from Bryn Mawr College in Philadelphia has been digging at the sites in Tell Abraq and Muweilah along the border with Umm Al Qaiwain since early December.
    The excavations have revealed almost 10 times as many bones of domesticated dromedaries as at any other single site in the Middle East.
    The sites have been known to archaeologists since the 1970s, when they were first excavated by teams from Australia and Denmark.
    Among them was a young archaeology doctoral student, Peter Magee, who came to the region because he was fascinated by the Middle East’s history.
    Now he has returned to explore the sites again, “because there were unanswered questions here that I wanted to resolve”.
    According to Mr Magee, the history of the domesticated dromedary is key to understanding the expansion of human settlements at that time, around 1000BC, when the camel was vital to a flourishing local population as a prime source of meat and milk.
    More important, it was used to transport goods across the harsh desert landscape, which helped to facilitate development.
    Periods of drying and drought in the Middle East often caused societies to collapse, Mr Magee says, but not in the UAE.
    “When there were periods of desiccation in this area, it actually seemed to cause expansion, which is a very interesting pattern quite different from the rest of the region,” he said.
    The excavation sites show evidence that this expansion could be due to the domestication of camels, and the emergence of innovations such as irrigation systems.“The Tell Abraq site is important because it contains multiple layers that show many periods of occupation. This provides us with an opportunity to see the development of the economy and the environment at that time.”
    According to Mr Magee, the earliest levels of the site go back to 2500BC, during the Bronze Age, the period that was focused upon in the earlier excavations.
    “The period from about 2000BC to about 500BC is still poorly known in this region, so I was quite sure that we could find deposits dated to that period on this side of the mound.”
    The past few weeks of digging have proved his hunch was right.
    The 15-member team, which includes Steve Karacic, a PhD candidate from Bryn Mawr, unearthed a deep, 4.5-metre-wide stone wall from around 1000BC – the same period in which large human settlements in the region increased.
     
     
    “It’s very exciting to find this,” said Mr Karacic, who is digging in the UAE for the second year in a row. “We’ve found a lot of floors in these trenches, so being out here has been a lot of fun.”
    According to Mr Magee, it would be “easy to think” that the wall could have been a fortification, “but 3,000 years ago the most sophisticated weapons were metal and bronze bows and arrows. They wouldn’t have needed a wall to protect against that.”
    It was more likely, he said, to be a “statement of ownership”.
    “If you were walking towards the site from the south east, you would have seen this massive stone wall rising up, so it would have been a monumental statement in the landscape.”
    There is still no evidence showing the name of the native tribe at the time, nor what language they spoke. However, the sites have changed the common understanding of trading patterns in the region.
    “We’ve found evidence that we traded with the rest of Arabia during this time, and that was not really possible until the camel was domesticated.”
    Last week the team unearthed painted figurines of camels with saddles on them, which Mr Magee said attests to the theory of the changes in trading patterns.
    They have also found thousands of ceramic shards, stone vessels, sea shells, bronze items, animal bones and an inscription written in an extinct language from Yemen.
    Three American undergraduate students from the Philadelphia college are in charge of sifting through the never-ending piles of dirt.
    Akshyeta Suryanarayan, 20, picked up a flat-looking rock and asked Mr Magee if it was a piece of pottery.
    “No, that looks like a turtle shell,” he said.
    “We’ve found a lot of interesting things, and it’s cool to learn how it works out here on an excavation site,” said Sara, while prodding a few pieces of 3,000-year-old bird bone.
    “Our discoveries will mean that some of the early ideas about the transition into this more intense period of occupation around 1000 BC clearly need to be rewritten – some of which I wrote 15 years ago,” Mr Magee said.
    “We need to think about the fact that new evidence changes opinions, including our own, and that is exciting.”


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    பவுல் V/S இயேசு

     
    12:35 PM  B.G.MUJAHIDH ALI 

    கிறித்தவ நண்பர்கள் முக்கியமாகக் கவனத்தில் கொள்ள வேண்டிய ஒரு விஷயத்தை நாம் இங்கே சுட்டிக்காட்டக் கடமைப்பட்டுள்ளோம்.

    நீங்கள் இயேசுவை உண்மையாகவே மதிப்பவர்களாக இருந்தால் இயேசு தான் உலகில் வாழும் போது எதைச் சொன்னாரோ அதை ஏற்று நடக்க வேண்டும்.

    அவர் இந்த உலகில் வாழும் போது தன்னைக் கடவுள் என்றோ கடவுளின் தன்மை பெற்றவர் என்றோ கடவுளின் அவதாரம் என்றோ அவர் கூறவில்லை.

    மாறாக ஒரே கடவுளைத் தான் வணங்க வேண்டும் என்றே அவர் போதித்தார்.

    கிறித்தவர்களுக்கு எதிரியாக இருந்து கிறித்தவர்களுக்குக் கொடுமைகள் பல இழைத்த சவுல் என்ற யூதர் பவுல் என்று தன் பெயரை மாற்றிக் கொண்டு கிறித்தவ மதத்தில் சேர்ந்து இயேசு போதித்த கொள்கைக்கு மாற்றமான கொள்கையை உருவாக்கினார். அதைத் தீவிரமாகப் பிரச்சாரம் செய்து இயேசுவுக்கு எதிரான கொள்கையை கிறித்தவ மார்க்கமாக்கி விட்டார்.

    இதை புதிய ஏற்பாட்டில் அப்போஸ்தலர் நடபடிகள் முதல் கடைசி வரை வாசிக்கும் ஒவ்வொருவரும் அறிந்து கொள்ளலாம்.
    பவுல் தனது முகமூடியைத் தானே கிழித்துக் காட்டுவதை பைபிளில் நீங்கள் காணலாம்.

    இதோ பவுல் கூறுவதைக் கேளுங்கள்!
    19.நான் ஒருவருக்கும் அடிமைப்படாதவனாயிருந்தும் நான் அதிக ஜனங்களை ஆதாயப்படுத்திக் கொள்ளும்படிக்கு என்னைத் தானே எல்லாருக்கும் அடிமையாக்கினேன்.

    20. யூதரை ஆதாயப்படுத்திக் கொள்ளும் படிக்கு யூதருக்கு யூதனைப் போலவும் நியாயப் பிரமாணத்துக்குக் கீழ்ப்பட்டவர்களை ஆதாயப்படுத்திக் கொள்ளும்படிக்கு நியாயப் பிரமாணத்துக்குக் கீழ்ப்பட்டவனைப் போலவுமானேன்.

    21. நியாயப் பிரமாணமில்லாதவர்களை ஆதாயப்படுத்திக் கொள்ளும்படிக்கு அவர்களுக்கு நியாயப் பிரமாணம் இல்லாதவனைப் போலவுமானேன். அப்படியிருந்தும் நான் தேவனுக்கு முன்பாக நியாயப் பிரமாணமில்லாதவனாயிராமல் கிறிஸ்துவின் பிரமாணத்துக்குள்ளானவனாயிருக்கிறேன்.

    22. பலவீனரை ஆதாயப்படுத்திக் கொள்ளும்படிக்குப் பலவீனருக்குப் பலவீனனைப் போலானேன்; எப்படியாகிலும் சிலரை இரட்சிக்கும்படிக்கு நான் எல்லாருக்கும் எல்லாமானேன்.

    23. சுவிசேஷத்தில் நான் உடன்பங்காளியாகும்படிக்கு அதினிமித்தமே இப்படிச் செய்கிறேன்.
    1கொரி-9:19-23

    மத்தேயு, மாற்கு, யோவான், லூக்கா ஆகிய நான்கு பேர் சுவிஷேசங்களை எழுதினார்கள். அது போல் நானும் சுவிஷேசத்தில் பங்காளியாவதற்காகவே இவர் புதுக் கொள்கையை உண்டாக்கியதாக பவுல் கூறுகிறார்.

    மேலும் ஒவ்வொரு இனத்தவரையும் ஏமாற்றுவதற்காக ஒவ்வொருவரிடமும் ஒரு வேடம் போட்டுள்ளார் என்பதை அவரே தன் வாயால் சொல்கிறார்.

    இன்னும் அவர் சொல்வதைக் கேளுங்கள்!
    5. நான் மனுஷர் பேசுகிற பிரகாரமாய்ப் பேசுகிறேன்; நம்முடைய அநீதி தேவனுடைய நீதியை விளங்கப் பண்ணினால் என்ன சொல்லுவோம்? கோபாக்கினையைச் செலுத்துகிற தேவன் அநீதராயிருக்கிறார் என்று சொல்லலாமா?

    6. அப்படிச் சொல்லக் கூடாது; சொல்லக் கூடுமானால் தேவன் உலகத்தை நியாயந்தீர்ப்பதெப்படி?

    7. அன்றியும் என் பொய்யினாலே தேவனுடைய சத்தியம் அவருக்கு மகிமையுண்டாக விளங்கினதுண்டானால் இனி நான் பாவியென்று தீர்க்கப்படுவானேன்?

    8. நன்மை வரும்படிக்குத் தீமை செய்வோமாக என்றும் சொல்லலாமல்லவா? நாங்கள் அப்படிப் போதிக்கிறவர்களென்றும் சிலர் எங்களைத் தூஷித்துச் சொல்லுகிறார்களே; அப்படிப் போதிக்கிறவரகள் மேல் வரும் ஆக்கினை நீதியாயிருக்கும்.
    ரோமர் 3:5-8

    இவர் கூறுவது அனைத்தும் பொய் என்று அன்றைக்கு எதிர்ப்பு வந்த போது தேவனுக்கு மகிமை ஏற்படுத்துவதற்காக அதாவது மதத்துக்கு ஆள் பிடிப்பதற்காக பொய் சொல்லலாம் என்று பச்சையாக ஒப்புக் கொள்கிறார்.

    இயெசுவின் கொள்கையைச் சொன்னால் எடுபடாது. இரத்தம் சிந்தியதை வைத்து ஒரு கொள்கையை உருவாக்கினால் அது நன்றாக எடுபடும்; அதிக மக்கள் சேருவார்கள் என்பதற்காகவே இந்தக் கொள்கையை பவுல் உண்டாக்கினார்.

    இன்றும் கூட கிறித்தவ மத குருமார்கள் குருடர்கள் பார்க்கிறார்கள்; செவிடர்கள் கேட்கிறார்கள் என்று பொது இடங்களில் நாடகம் நடத்தி மக்களை ஏமாற்றுவதற்குக் காரணம் கடவுளுக்காக பொய் சொல்லலாம் என்ற பவுல் கொள்கையே காரணம்.

    பவுல் கூறுவது வேதத்துக்கும் இயேசுவுக்கும் எதிரானது என்று பண்டிதர்கள் அன்றைக்கே கேள்வி கேட்டுள்ளனர். அதற்கு பவுல் சொல்லும் பதில் இது தான்.

    15. எப்படியெனில் நான் செய்கிறது எனக்கே சம்மதியில்லை; நான் விரும்புகிறதைச் செய்யாமல் நான் வெறுக்கிறதையே செய்கிறேன்.
    ரோமர் 7:15

    எனக்கே விருப்பமில்லை தான்; ஆள் பிடிக்க வேண்டுமானால் இரத்ததைக் காட்டி பச்சாதாபம் தேடுவது தான் உதவும் என்பதற்காக தனக்கே விருப்பமில்லாத ஒன்றைப் பிரச்சாரம் செய்வதாக ஒப்புக் கொள்கிறார்.

    இயேசு மரணித்த பின் உயிர்த்தெழுந்தார் என்ற கொள்கையை உண்டாக்கியதே நான் தான் எனவும் தனது மகன் தீமேத்தயூவுக்கு எழுதிய அறிவுரையில் குறிப்பிடுகிறார் பவுல்.

    8. தாவீதின் சந்ததியில் பிறந்த இயேசு கிறிஸ்து என் சுவிசேஷத்தின்படியே மரித்தோரிலிருந்தெழுப்பப்பட்டவரென்று நினைத்துக்கொள்.
    2-தீமேத்தயூ 2:8

    இயேசுவுக்குப் பின் பல காலம் கழித்து இயேசுவின் கொள்கைக்கு எதிராக வேதத்துக்கு எதிராக இவர் செய்த அநேக மாற்றங்கள் உள்ளன.



    முரண்பாடு 1

    இயேசு(அவருக்கு சாந்தி உண்டாகுவதாக) அவர்கள் அனுப்பப்பட்டது இஸ்ரவேலர்களுக்காகவா? அல்லது இஸ்ரவேலர்கள் அல்லாதவருக்காகவா? 

     
        
    பவுல்இயேசு
    அப்போஸ்தலர்
    13 அதிகாரம்
    47. நீர் பூமியின் கடைசிபரியந்தமும் இரட்சிப்பாயிருக்கும்படி உம்மை ஜாதிகளுக்கு ஒளியாக வைத்தேன் என்கிற வேதவாக்கியத்தின்படி கர்த்தர் எங்களுக்குக் கட்டளையிட்டிருக்கிறபடியினால் இப்படிச் செய்கிறோம் என்றார்கள்.

    அப்போஸ்தலர்
    18 அதிகாரம்
    6. அவர்கள் எதிர்த்து நின்று தூஷித்தபோது, அவன் தன் வஸ்திரங்களை உதறி: உங்கள் இரத்தப்பழி உங்கள் தலையின்மேல் இருக்கும்; நான் சுத்தமாயிருக்கிறேன்; இதுமுதல் புறஜாதியாரிடத்திற்குப் போகிறேனென்று அவர்களுடனே சொல்லி,

    அப்போஸ்தலர்
    28 அதிகாரம்
    28. ஆதலால் தேவனுடைய இரட்சிப்பு புறஜாதியாருக்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டிருக்கிறதென்றும், அவர்கள் அதற்குச் செவிகொடுப்பார்களென்றும் உங்களுக்குத் தெரிந்திருக்கக்கடவது என்றான்.

    ரோமர்
    15 அதிகாரம்
    16. தேவன் எனக்கு அளித்த கிருபையினாலே உங்களுக்கு ஞாபகப்படுத்தும்படிக்கு இவைகளை நான் அதிக தைரியமாய் எழுதினேன்.    		மத்தேயு
    10 அதிகாரம்
    5. இந்தப் பன்னிருவரையும் இயேசு அனுப்புகையில், அவர்களுக்குக் கட்டளையிட்டுச் சொன்னது என்னவென்றால்: நீங்கள் புறஜாதியார் நாட்டுக்குப் போகாமலும், சமாரியர் பட்டணங்களில் பிரவேசியாமலும்,

    மத்தேயு
    15 அதிகாரம்
    24. அதற்கு அவர்: காணாமற்போன ஆடுகளாகிய இஸ்ரவேல் வீட்டாரிடத்திற்கு அனுப்பப்பட்டேனேயன்றி, மற்றப்படியல்ல என்றார்.

    யோவான்
    4 அதிகாரம்
    22. நீங்கள் அறியாததைத் தொழுதுகொள்ளுகிறீர்கள்; நாங்கள் அறிந்திருக்கிறதைத் தொழுதுகொள்ளுகிறோம்; ஏனென்றால் இரட்சிப்பு யூதர்கள் வழியாய் வருகிறது.


    இயேசு(அவருக்கு சாந்தி உண்டாகுவதாக) அவர்களோ இஸ்ரவேலருக்கு அனுப்பபட்டேன் என்றுமத்தேயு 15 அதிகாரம் 24. சொல்கிறது. மேலும் அவர் தனது சீடருகளுக்கு மத்தேயு 10 அதிகாரம்
    5. இந்தப் பன்னிருவரையும் இயேசு அனுப்புகையில், அவர்களுக்குக் கட்டளையிட்டுச் சொன்னது என்னவென்றால்: நீங்கள் புறஜாதியார் நாட்டுக்குப் போகாமலும், சமாரியர் பட்டணங்களில் பிரவேசியாமலும்,
    6. காணாமற் போன ஆடுகளாகிய இஸ்ரவேல் வீட்டாரிடத்திற்குப் போங்கள்.

    இஸ்ரவேல் அல்லாத மக்களுக்கு கிறித்தவக் கொள்கையைப் பிரச்சாரம் செய்யக் கூடாது என்று இயேசு சொல்லி இருக்க அவரது சீடர்களும் அவ்வாறே வழி நடந்திருக்க பவுல் தான் இதையும் மாற்றியதாக வாக்கு மூலம் தருகிறார்.

    அப்போஸ்தலர்
    13 அதிகாரம் 
    46. அப்பொழுது பவுலும் பர்னபாவும் தைரியங்கொண்டு அவர்களை நோக்கி: முதலாவது உங்களுக்கே தேவவசனத்தைச் சொல்லவேண்டியதாயிருந்தது; நீங்களோ அதைத் தள்ளி, உங்களை நித்தியஜீவனுக்கு அபாத்திரராகத் தீர்த்துக்கொள்ளுகிறபடியினால், இதோ, நாங்கள் புறஜாதியாரிடத்தில் போகிறோம்.

    முரண்பாடு 2


    பவுல்: இயேசு பிரிவினையே போக்கி சமாதானத்தை உண்டாக்கினார்..
    இயேசு: நான் பிரிவினையே உண்டாக்க வந்தேன்.
     
    பவுல்இயேசு
    ரோமர்
    12 அதிகாரம்
    18. கூடுமானால் உங்களாலானமட்டும் எல்லா மனுஷரோடும் சமாதானமாயிருங்கள்.

    எபேசியர்
    2 அதிகாரம்
    14. எப்படியெனில், அவரே நம்முடைய சமாதான காரணராகி, இருதிறத்தாரையும் ஒன்றாக்கி, பகையாக நின்ற பிரிவினையாகிய நடுச்சுவரைத் தகர்த்து,

    15. சட்டதிட்டங்களாகிய நியாயப்பிரமாணத்தைத் தம்முடைய மாம்சத்தினாலே ஒழித்து, இருதிறத்தாரையும் தமக்குள்ளாக ஒரே புதிய மனுஷனாகச் சிருஷ்டித்து, இப்படிச் சமாதானம்பண்ணி,

    16. பகையைச் சிலுவையினால் கொன்று, அதினாலே இருதிறத்தாரையும் ஒரே சரீரமாக தேவனுக்கு ஒப்புரவாக்கினார்.

    17. அல்லாமலும் அவர் வந்து, தூரமாயிருந்த உங்களுக்கும், சமீபமாயிருந்த அவர்களுக்கும், சமாதானத்தைச் சுவிசேஷமாக அறிவித்தார்.
    		மத்தேயு
    10 அதிகாரம்
    34. பூமியின்மேல் சமாதானத்தை அனுப்பவந்தேன் என்று எண்ணாதிருங்கள்; சமாதானத்தையல்ல, பட்டயத்தையே அனுப்பவந்தேன்.

    லூக்கா
    12 அதிகாரம்
    51. நான் பூமியிலே சமாதானத்தை உண்டாக்க வந்தேன் என்று நினைக்கிறீர்களோ? சமாதானத்தையல்ல, பிரிவினையையே உண்டாக்க வந்தேன் என்று உங்களுக்குச் சொல்லுகிறேன்.






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    முரண்பாடு 3

    ஆண்கள் விருத்த சேதனம் செய்யலாமா? அல்லது செய்யக்கூடாதா?

     
    பவுல்இயேசு
    கலாத்தியர்
    5 அதிகாரம்
    2. இதோ, நீங்கள் விருத்தசேதனம்பண்ணிக்கொண்டால் கிறிஸ்துவினால் உங்களுக்கு ஒரு பிரயோஜனமுமிராது என்று பவுலாகிய நான் உங்களுக்குச் சொல்லுகிறேன்.

    3. மேலும், விருத்தசேதனம்பண்ணிக்கொள்ளுகிற எந்த மனுஷனும் நியாயப்பிரமாணம் முழுவதையும் நிறைவேற்றக் கடனாளியாயிருக்கிறான் என்று மறுபடியும் அப்படிப்பட்டவனுக்குச் சாட்சியாகச் சொல்லுகிறேன்.

    6. கிறிஸ்து இயேசுவினிடத்தில் விருத்தசேதனமும் விருத்தசேதனமில்லாமையும் ஒன்றுக்கும் உதவாது, அன்பினால் கிரியைசெய்கிற விசுவாசமே உதவும்.    		ஆதியாகமம்
    17 அதிகாரம்
    11. உங்கள் நுனித்தோலின் மாம்சத்தை விருத்தசேதனம்பண்ணக்கடவீர்கள்; அது எனக்கும் உங்களுக்குமுள்ள உடன்படிக்கைக்கு அடையாளமாயிருக்கும்.

    12. உங்களில் தலைமுறை தலைமுறையாகப் பிறக்கும் ஆண்பிள்ளைகளையெல்லாம் எட்டாம் நாளிலே விருத்தசேதனம் பண்ணப்படவேண்டும்; வீட்டிலே பிறந்த பிள்ளையும் உன் வித்தல்லாத அந்நியனிடத்தில் பணத்திற்குக் கொள்ளப்பட்ட எந்தப் பிள்ளையும், அப்படியே விருத்தசேதனம் பண்ணப்படவேண்டும்.

    13. உன் வீட்டிலே பிறந்த பிள்ளையும், உன் பணத்திற்குக் கொள்ளப்பட்டவனும், விருத்தசேதனம் பண்ணப்படவேண்டியது அவசியம்; இப்படி என் உடன்படிக்கை உங்கள் மாம்சத்திலே நித்திய உடன்படிக்கையாக இருக்கக்கடவது.

    14. நுனித்தோலின் மாம்சம் விருத்தசேதனம்பண்ணப்படாதிருக்கிற நுனித்தோலுள்ள ஆண்பிள்ளையிருந்தால், அந்த ஆத்துமா என் உடன்படிக்கையை மீறினபடியால், தன் ஜனத்தில் இராதபடிக்கு அறுப்புண்டுபோவான் என்றார்.


    ஆண்கள் கட்டாயம் விருத்த சேதனம் செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று ஆதியாகமம்
    17 அதிகாரம் 11 முதல் 14     வரை சொல்கிறது. இயேசுவும் விருத்த சேதனம் செய்யப்பட்டார். விருத்தசேதனம் என்பது கர்த்தரால், முடிவில்லாத - நித்திய உடன்படிக்கை என்று சொல்லப்பட்ட - கண்டிப்பாக அனைவரும் செய்யவேண்டும் - என்று வலியுறுத்தப்பட்ட ஒரு சட்டம் என்பது மேற்கூறப்பட்ட பைபிள் வசனங்களின் மூலம் நமக்கு தெரியப்படுத்தப்படுகின்றது. ஆனால் பவுல் அவசியம் இல்லை என்கிறார்.

    முரண்பாடு 4

     

    பவுல்: நீ புத்தியீனன், 
    இயேசு:  மூடனே என்று சொல்லுகிறவன்  எரிநரகத்திற்கு ஏதுவாயிருப்பான். 
     
    பவுல்இயேசு
    கலாத்தியர்
    3 அதிகாரம்
    1. புத்தியில்லாத கலாத்தியரே, நீங்கள் சத்தியத்திற்குக் கீழ்ப்படியாமற் போகத்தக்கதாக உங்களை மயக்கினவன் யார்? இயேசுகிறிஸ்து சிலுவை--யிலறையப்பட்டவராக உங்கள் கண்களுக்குமுன் பிரத்தியட்சமாய் உங்களுக்குள்ளே வெளிப்படுத்தப்பட்டிருந்தாரே.

    I கொரிந்தியர்
    15 அதிகாரம்
    36. புத்தியீனனே, நீ விதைக்கிற விதை செத்தாலொழிய உயிர்க்கமாட்டாதே.    		மத்தேயு
    5 அதிகாரம்
    22. நான் உங்களுக்குச் சொல்லுகிறேன்; தன் சகோதரனை நியாயமில்லாமல் கோபித்துக்கொள்ளுகிறவன் நியாயத்தீர்ப்புக்கு ஏதுவாயிருப்பான்; தன் சகோதரனை வீணனென்று சொல்லுகிறவன் ஆலோசனை சங்கத்தீர்ப்புக்கு ஏதுவாயிருப்பான்; மூடனே என்று சொல்லுகிறவன் எரிநரகத்திற்கு ஏதுவாயிருப்பான்.


    முரண்பாடு 5

     

     
    பவுல்: துன்பங்களை இயேசு நீக்குகின்றார். 
    இயேசு: துன்பங்களை நீக்குபவர் இயேசு அல்ல, இயேசுவின் இறைவனே.
     
    பவுல்இயேசு

    கலாத்தியர்
    1 அதிகாரம்
    3. பிதாவாகிய தேவனாலும், நம்முடைய கர்த்தராகிய இயேசுகிறிஸ்துவினாலும் உங்களுக்குக் கிருபையும் சமாதானமும் உண்டாவதாக;

    கலாத்தியர்
    2 அதிகாரம்
    20. கிறிஸ்துவுடனேகூடச் சிலுவையிலறையப்பட்டேன்; ஆயினும், பிழைத்திருக்கிறேன்; இனி நான் அல்ல, கிறிஸ்துவே எனக்குள் பிழைத்திருக்கிறார்; நான் இப்பொழுது மாம்சத்தில் பிழைத்திருக்கிறதோ, என்னில் அன்புகூர்ந்து எனக்காகத் தம்மைத்தாமே ஒப்புக்கொடுத்த தேவனுடைய குமாரனைப்பற்றும் விசுவாசத்தினாலே பிழைத்திருக்கிறேன்.    		மத்தேயு
    27 அதிகாரம்
    46. ஒன்பதாம் மணி நேரத்தில் இயேசு: ஏலீ! ஏலீ! லாமா சபக்தானி, என்று மிகுந்த சத்தமிட்டுக் கூப்பிட்டார்; அதற்கு என் தேவனே! என் தேவனே! ஏன் என்னைக் கைவிட்டீர் என்று அர்த்தமாம்.

    மாற்கு
    15 அதிகாரம்
    34. ஒன்பதாம்மணி நேரத்திலே, இயேசு: எலோயீ! எலோயீ! லாமா சபக்தானி, என்று மிகுந்த சத்தமிட்டுக் கூப்பிட்டார்; அதற்கு: என் தேவனே! என் தேவனே! ஏன் என்னைக் கைவிட்டீர் என்று அர்த்தமாம்.

    மத்தேயு
    26 அதிகாரம்
    38. அப்பொழுது, அவர்: என் ஆத்துமா மரணத்துக்கேதுவான துக்கங்கொண்டிருக்கிறது; நீங்கள் இங்கே தங்கி, என்னோடே கூட விழித்திருங்கள் என்று சொல்லி;

    39. சற்று அப்புறம்போய், முகங்குப்புற விழுந்து: என் பிதாவே, இந்தப்பாத்திரம் என்னைவிட்டு நீங்கக்கூடுமானால் நீங்கும்படிசெய்யும்; ஆகிலும் என் சித்தத்தின்படியல்ல, உம்முடைய சித்தத்தின்படியே ஆகக்கடவது என்று ஜெபம்பண்ணினார்.

    முரண்பாடு 6

     

     
    பவுல்: மறைவான ஞானத்தை இயேசு அறிவார்.
    இயேசு: மறைவானதை இயேசு அறிவதில்லை.
     
    பவுல்இயேசு

    கொலோசெயர்
    2 அதிகாரம்
    3. அவருக்குள் ஞானம் அறிவு என்பவைகளாகிய பொக்கிஷங்களெல்லாம் அடங்கியிருக்கிறது.
    மாற்கு
    13 அதிகாரம்
    32. அந்த நாளையும் அந்த நாழிகையையும் பிதா ஒருவர் தவிர மற்றொருவனும் அறியான், பரலோகத்திலுள்ள தூதர்களும் அறியார்கள், குமாரனும் அறியார்.




    முரண்பாடு 7

    பவுல்:இயேசுவே  நீயாயத்தீர்ப்பு செய்வார்.   
    இயேசு: நான் யாருக்கும் நீயாயத்தீர்ப்பு செய்வதில்லை.  
     


     
    பவுல்இயேசு
    II கொரிந்தியர்
    5 அதிகாரம்
    10. ஏனென்றால், சரீரத்தில் அவனவன் செய்த நன்மைக்காவது தீமைக்காவது தக்க பலனை அடையும்படிக்கு, நாமெல்லாரும் கிறிஸ்துவின் நியாயாசனத்திற்கு முன்பாக வெளிப்படவேண்டும்.    		யோவான்
    8 அதிகாரம்
    15. நீங்கள் மாம்சத்துச்கேற்றபடி நியாயந்தீர்க்கிறீர்கள், நான் ஒருவனையும் நியாயந்தீர்க்கிறதில்லை;

    லூக்கா
    12 அதிகாரம்
    14. அதற்கு அவர்: மனுஷனே, என்னை உங்களுக்கு நியாயாதிபதியாகவும் பங்கிடுகிறவனாகவும் வைத்தவன் யார் என்றார்.

    யோவான்
    12 அதிகாரம்
    47. ஒருவன் என் வார்த்தைகளைக் கேட்டும் விசுவாசியாமற்போனால், அவனை நான் நியாயந்தீர்ப்பதில்லை; நான் உலகத்தை நியாயந்தீர்க்கவராமல், உலகத்தை இரட்சிக்கவந்தேன்.


    இயேசு அவர்கள் தாம் யாருக்கும் நீயாயத்தீர்ப்பு செய்வதில்லை என்கிறார்கள். மேலும் நியாயத்தீர்ப்புக்கு என்னை உங்களுக்கு நியாயாதிபதியாகவும் பங்கிடுகிறவனாகவும் வைத்தவன் யார் என்றும் கேட்கின்றார்கள். இன்னும் இயேசு அவர்கள் கூறுகின்றார்கள் நான் நியாயந்தீர்ப்பதில்லை; நான் உலகத்தை நியாயந்தீர்க்கவராமல், உலகத்தை இரட்சிக்கவந்தேன் என்று கூறுகின்றார்கள் ஆனால் பவுல் அதற்கு முற்றிலும் மாற்றமாக இயேசு அவர்கள் நீயாயன்த்தீர்ப்பு செய்வார் என்கிறார். 


    முரண்பாடு 8

     

     
    பவுல்: தீங்கு செய்பவர்களை அடியுங்கள். 
    இயேசு: தீங்கு செய்பவர்களை நேசியுங்கள்.
     
    பவுல்இயேசு
    அப்போஸ்தலர்
    23 அதிகாரம்
    2. அப்பொழுது பிரதான ஆசாரியனாகிய அனனியா அவனுக்குச் சமீபமாய் நின்றவர்களை நோக்கி: இவன் வாயில் அடியுங்கள் என்று கட்டளையிட்டான்.

    3. அப்பொழுது பவுல் அவனைப்பர்த்து: வெள்ளையடிக்கப்பட்ட சுவரே, தேவன் உம்மை அடிப்பார்; நியாயப்பிரமாணத்தின்படி என்னை நியாயம் விசாரிக்கிறவராய் உட்கார்ந்திருக்கிற நீர் நியாயப்பிரமாணத்திற்கு விரோதமாய் என்னை அடிக்கச் சொல்லலாமா என்றான்.

    4. சமீபத்திலே நின்றவர்கள்: தேவனுடைய பிரதான ஆசாரியரை வைகிறாயா என்றார்கள்.
    		மத்தேயு
    5 அதிகாரம்
    44. நான் உங்களுக்குச் சொல்லுகிறேன், உங்கள் சத்துருக்களைச் சிநேகியுங்கள்; உங்களைச் சபிக்கிறவர்களை ஆசீர்வதியுங்கள்; உங்களைப் பகைக்கிறவர்களுக்கு நன்மை செய்யுங்கள்; உங்களை நிந்திக்கிறவர்களுக்காகவும் உங்களைத் துன்பப்படுத்துகிறவர்களுக்காகவும் ஜெபம் பண்ணுங்கள்.


    முரண்பாடு 9
     

     
    பவுல்இயேசு
    கலாத்தியர்
    2 அதிகாரம்
    16. நியாயப்பிரமாணத்தின் கிரியைகளினாலே எந்த மனுஷனும் நீதிமானாக்கப்படுவதில்லையே.
    		மத்தேயு
    16 அதிகாரம்
    27. மனுஷகுமாரன் தம்முடைய பிதாவின் மகிமைபொருந்தினவராய்த் தம்முடைய தூதரோடுங்கூட வருவார்; அப்பொழுது, அவனவன் கிரியைக்குத்தக்கதாக அவனவனுக்குப் பலனளிப்பார்.




    பைபிளில் கூறப்பட்டுள்ள கடவுள் கொள்கையையும் பிற்காலத்தில் பவுல் அதிகமாக ஆள் சேர்ப்பதற்காக கற்பனையாக உருவாக்கியதே முக்கடவுள் கொள்கை.

    மனிதர்களின் பாவத்தைச் சுமப்பதற்காக இயேசு தன் உயிரை விட்டார்; இதை ஏற்றுக் கொண்டால் தான் பரலோக ராஜ்ஜியத்தில் வெற்றி பெற முடியும் என்பதும் பவுலின் கற்பனையே.

    இயேசு மரணித்த பின் உயிர்த்தெழுந்தார் என்ற கொள்கையை உண்டாக்கியதே நான் தான் எனவும் தனது மகன் தீமேத்தயூவுக்கு எழுதிய அறிவுரையில் குறிப்பிடுகிறார் பவுல்.

    8. தாவீதின் சந்ததியில் பிறந்த இயேசு கிறிஸ்து என் சுவிசேஷத்தின்படியே மரித்தோரிலிருந்தெழுப்பப்பட்டவரென்று நினைத்துக்கொள்.
    2-தீமேத்தயூ 2:8
    எனவே கிறித்தவ அன்பர்களுக்கு இயேசுவின் மீது அன்பும் மதிப்பும் இருந்தால் பவுலை விட இயேசு பெரியவர் என்ற நம்பிக்கை இருந்தால் இயேசுவை மனிதர் என்றும் கடவுளின் தூதர் என்றும் நம்புவதைத் தவிர வேறு வழியில்லை.


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    MOSES - Fact or Fiction?

    moses3.jpg moses1.gifAccording to Exodus the Egyptian pharaoh decided that all the newborn Hebrew sons should be tossed in the Nile. When Moses was born his mother beat pharaoh to it and placed the toddler in a basket of papyrus made tight with dirt and pitch and tossed the basket in the Nile herself. He was then found and adopted by the pharaoh’s daughter (Ex 1-10).

    An identical story
    On a clay tablet a thousand years older, dated ca 2300 BC, there is an identical story telling how the high priestess in the city of Azupia by the Euphrates gave birth to a son in secret since she as high priestess was supposed to live in chastity. She put her newborn son in a basket made tight with dirt and pitch, and placed it into the river (Euphrates). The child was found by Aqqi, the water bearer, and grew up to be a great king. The name of this child wasSargon (the true king) and he was one of the most important and influential Sumerian rulers and conquerors. His reign lasted for 56 years (2382-2327 BC) and the myth of his birth and childhood was read in the schools of Mesopotamia and was widely known, - obviously also for the authors of the Bible.

    Origin myths
    Such origin myths were central to ensure the position and legitimacy of important persons, both real and fictional. The legend of the founders of Rome, the twins Romulus and Remus, has a similar theme. The twins were born in secrecy by a fallen princess, put in a wicker basket and send bobbing down the river Tiber. They were found and raised by a wolf and finally found by a shepherd (Faustulus). The Egyptian god Osiris was also send floating down the river Nile in a basket as a child. This kind of mythical origin is a central factor which indicate that here we have a hero or possibly a godly person. Sargon was a real king, and we have historical evidence for this. If there once was a real person behind the many myths of Moses, there is not a shred of real evidence to support this. Anyway, the myth of his origin the Hebrews borrowed from the Sumerians.

    Historical Moses??
    There are no other written sources or existing evidence than the Bible to support a historic Moses, and we know the Moses stories in the Bible were first written in the last centuries BC. Moses is a formidable figure in the Bible, he is the leader of the Hebrews and led his people out of Egypt against the will of the mighty Pharaoh. He is a man of quite some authority, an authority he strangely enough still possessed after have been dragging the entire Jewish people around in the frigging desert for 40! years (Ex 16,35), until he finally entered the Promised Land. The distance from Egypt through the Sinai desert is approximately 400 km, and shouldn’t be more than a twelve to fifteen weeks on foot if we suppose an average distance of a modest 5 km pr day. 

    And another curious thing: Moses personally received the 10 commandments on Mount Sinai by the Lord Almighty himself. This was stone tablets with Gods own handiwork, where God himself had chiselled away with his divine sausage fingers the Ten Commandments. It is very surprising that Moses then, in a sudden fit of fury over the people’s dancing around the golden calf, actually could smash these unique stone tablets! Moses had obviously not much respect for Gods handiwork.

    There is absolutely no historical evidence for this greatest Jewish leader of all times. No inscriptions on whether stone, bone, bronze, clay tablets, papyri or any mentions in place names or in traditional legends in the area, other than in the Bible. Even though Moses is far younger than well documented Egyptian, Assyrian and Sumerian rulers who have left us monuments, statues, pictures/hieroglyphs and an abundance of inscriptions.

    Most real scientists agree that the exodus, the plagues of Egypt and the Moses stories are all mythical. There is simply not any shred of evidence that this ever happened. One should think that plagues like the ones the Bible describes happened, that this would at least be mentioned in the rich and advanced literate Egyptian culture, at least if huge part of pharaoh’s army drowned too. The Egyptians otherwise had a habit of recording almost everything of political, economical, military or religious nature. 

    The terrible plagues the Jewish God send over the Egyptians and the Pharaoh, should not be blamed solely on Pharaoh unwillingness to let the Hebrews go. According to the Bible it was the Lord who hardened the Pharaoh’s will, and thus got him to deny the Jews to leave, against his will. This way the Lord could unleash even more plagues on the Egyptians (Ex 4,21; 7,3-4; 9,12; 10,1. 20. 27; 11, 9-10). I suppose God wanted to show his whole repertoire of dirty tricks when it was clear that the Pharaoh’s wizards knew some nifty tricks too (Ex 7, 11. 22; 8, 7).

    The Exodus happened between 1491 and 1451 BC according to biblical chronology. Today we know that this exodus never actually happened, it’s a myth. There is however evidence of Semitic influence in the Nile delta from the fourth millennium BC, but according to the Bible this is approximately 2500 years earlier than the Hebrews came to Egypt. It is also evidence of Semitic presence in Egypt long after the Biblical exodus. 
    Furthermore, there is no evidence of any new Semitic immigration to the Holy Land around 1400 BC. And there are finally no written sources or archaeological evidence that a total population of 600.000 (according to the Bible) Hebrews were held as slaves in Egypt.

    There is also no linguistic evidence for the presence of the Jews as slaves in Egypt. Words and phrases are quickly assimilated between cultures, when races live and work together for even a short length of time. If the Jews had been in Egypt for more than a few weeks, there would definitely be Egyptian words in the Hebrew language, and Hebrew words in the Egyptian language. As it happens, there is not one common word between those two languages!

    Also, despite considerable efforts (mainly by Christian archaeologists!) there has been not one scrap of evidence found anywhere in the desert for the presence of the Hebrew race, as they supposedly meandered around for 40 years.

    (C) R.L. Børsheim 2005
    Thanks to Geoff Mather for the last two paragraphs.

    Sources: Karlheinz Deschner, Israel Finkelstein, Der Spiegel, Cappelen World history a.o.



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    Archeaology and the Bible

    What can the last decades of archaeological and linguistic research tell us of how the Old Testament came into existence? When was it written, by whom and what was its background? 

    King David and his kingdom?
    King David is a central figure in the stories of the Jewish history. According to the prophet Samuel David started out as a shepherd boy, he killed the giant and the philistine Goliath with a slingshot and eventually founded a kingdom. According to Biblical chronology he led his army to Jerusalem around 997 BC. Page up and page down the Old Testament celebrates the glorious king David who was chosen by God and became the founder of the Jewish nation. His sat on his throne for 40 years controlling a great kingdom stretching from the banks of Euphrates to the Mediterranean coast. But where on earth are the remains of this huge and glorious kingdom??

    In a slope in East Jerusalem there is an archaeological excavation area called “the house of David”. Here you’ll find some very modest ruins of a 16 square meters building without both hearth and windows. According to 1 Kings chapter 10 there was as much silver as stones in David’s Jerusalem. The miserable building remains of “the house of David” do surely not verify this.

    thora1.jpg   jerusalem1.jpg bibel4.gif

    Through the recent years of archaeological excavations the Bronze Age Jerusalem has shrinked down to a small village with approximately 2000 inhabitants. The Egyptologist Rolf Krauss calls it a “provincial nest”. With pollen analysis, studies of written cuneiform sources, and studies of ancient Egyptian texts, the real story of the Hebrews emerges from the myths. In the light of modern science the credibility of the Bible disintegrates, - the Old Testament histories are simply not true.

     minijehova.jpg etemananki.jpg

    Even Jehovah was once only a small fertility deity      The tower of Babel

    Some examples: The exodus from Egypt never happened and Canaan was never conquered by force by the Hebrews as Joshua tells us. The great kingdoms of David and Solomon are fantasies. These “kings”, if they really ever existed at all, ruled at best some insignificant parts of the province. “The Word of God” is pervaded with political propaganda, fiction and is mostly worthless as a historical source.

    Development of Jehovah
    The development of monotheism is also different than the version the Holy Book want us to believe. Even the almighty God was once a small insignificant deity. Originally Jehovah was a nature deity, a fertility deity responsible for rain and sun and good crops. All over the holy land idols made of metal or clay are found, both female and male idols. The Jews worshipped a polytheistic fertility religion. Their main male tribal god originally also had a female companion. As late as 100 BC the farmers around Jerusalem practiced polytheistic fertility rituals. And in Jerusalem the temple prostitution flourished. The Jewish prohibition on making depictions of God is also far younger than the Bible claims. In Ugarit, 400 km from Jerusalem, a small figurine of clay was excavated. The figurine shows a bearded man an depicts “El”, the wise one and heavenly father, - an early version of Jehovah. Excavations also show that the Jews had altars of limestone where they honoured their ancestors and made offerings to the natural deities. Rain deities are always popular in desert areas, and the rain god Baal was worshipped in several varieties, - one of which was Jehovah.

    The Jewish uprisings in 66-70 AD were a last desperate resistance after centuries of occupation, being conquered and exploited by the mighty neighbouring states. The Romans crushed the rebellions without mercy, and after the last uprising they levelled Jerusalem and the temple and brought its treasures to Rome. In an atmosphere of despair and rage, the Jewish religious megalomaniac Messianic fantasies prospered. The powerlessness of the Jews found an outlet in the myths and made up a glorious national history and dragging their enemy’s names through the dirt. In the Bible the tower of Babel (Babylon) is a ruin, in reality it stood 90 meters high. The Bible tells us that the walls of Jericho was brought down by trumpets, and bloody stories of God’s gruesome punishments of the enemies of the Jews like the Pharaoh of Egypt, the Babylonians, the Assyrians and against other local enemy tribes. Stories with little or no basis in reality whatsoever.

    “The Word of God” is permeated with lies and historical forgeries. A group of forgers, often called the Deuteronomists, changed the stories and fabricated the story of the Promised Land. The inconsistencies and contradictions of the Old Testament are clear evidence of its incoherent creation process. Even the main character is not portrayed as particularly coherent either. Sometimes he is called Jehovah, sometimes El or Elohim, sometimes he is a cloud, other times a pillar of fire or just a voice from above.*

    ISRAELOGJUDA_liten.gif Original Texts?
    The oldest known biblical texts are the Qumran scrolls, carbon dated to between 240 BC and 100 AD. The Qumran scrolls are actually not originals but just copies of copies. The Qumran scrolls include some texts (30 %) from the Hebrew bible, but only parts of Isaiah from the Christian Bible.
    There are tree different traditions when it comes to dating the Old Testament (OT): the “traditionalists” who believe OT came into being about around 1000 BC, the “moderate” who think OT emerged around 600 BC and the “minimalists” who think OT is a Hellenistic work which must have been produced after 330 BC. That is, after the writings of Plato and Aristotle were known. The minimalists have some major points here: It would be very strange to find elements of historiography, ethics and political science a long time before Plato, Aristotle and Socrates first described these concepts. If OT is as old as the traditionalists or moderate think it is very strange that no one in Antiquity knows of these early geniuses of Judah who forestalled the ideas of Plato and Socrates several hundred years earlier. The Greek historian Herodotus does not know of any of the major Jewish events the Bible tells about. The spiritual achievements in the texts are in no way comparable to the technological level this small area of desert at the time. This is evident in for example work on an irrigation system started in 720 BC to bring water into Jerusalem in subterranean channels. The system is full of dead end channels, when they chiselled their way in the wrong direction time after time. This flawed irrigation system is of course called a marvellous triumph of construction in the Bible. 
    The results of recent both archaeological, linguistic, and historical studies, tend to strengthen the case that the OT was produced in the very last centuries BC.

    According to Biblical chronology the forefather Abraham lived around 1800 BC, and the Exodus happened around 1250 BC. Abraham is in the Bible riding his camel, even though this animal was not domesticated in this area until 1000 BC? And how could the Jews in Genesis chapter 42 pay for their seeds with coins when the oldest known coins are from the seventh century BC in Asia Minor?

    The stories in Joshua of how the Jews and their furious God eradicated the native population and their many pagan deities, and settled in Canaan are pure fiction too. Archaeology have revealed that this area was peacefully populated over very long time. At 1000 BC approximately 50.000 people lived in the northern parts of Canaan (the mountain area up until the Sea of Galilee). In the southern parts (between Jerusalem and Hebron) it was a barren desert, inhospitable and with little water and vegetation, and of course very scarcely populated.

    The tribes of the area had their quarrels and fought each other occasionally, but the real ruler of the area was the Egyptian Pharaoh who expolited the copper mines here. Pharaoh established a chain of fortified strongholds all over the area so it is not very likely that Moses could start any campaign in this heavily fortified area. Pharaoh also demanded tribute from the population and those who refused to do forced labour duty for the Egyptians fled to the mountains. Some think that the name “Hebrew” originally stems from these outlaws in the mountains called “Hapiru” (vagabonds).

    Good old Moses is also just a mythical figure who never lived. The same is probably also the case for King David and his son Solomon. The texts ascribed to Solomon in the Bible are written centuries later than when he supposedly lived. In 1993 an inscription some interprets as “The house of David” was found in an old settlement site called “tell-dan” in East Jerusalem. The inscription itself have only six consonants, the vowels in-between you have to add yourself, and the inscription is thus open to several different interpretations. Religious inclined people like to see this as “evidence” of the Biblical King David. The problem here is that the settlement remains isa small miserable 16 square meters building without both hearth and windows, not exactly a Palace. If there once existed a King David in this area, he was never more than a petty king over a small territory.

    According to the holy Bible the most glorious and shining kingdoms rose in this barren desert. Where, in reality, only a few bearded shepherds shuffled around in the dust with their sheep, the marvellous kingdoms of David and Solomon should have flourished, says the Bible. These kingdoms were richer than any other kingdom on earth, still according to the Bible. Still, all efforts to find some remains of these fantastic kingdoms have been futile. The great Temple Solomon built of stone and filled with enormous amounts of gold is nowhere to be found. In David’s Jerusalem there was as much silver as stones (1 King 10,27). Yeah, right.
    Recent archaeology has revealed that Jerusalem was at best a small village at the time.

    Who wrote the Pentateuch?
    Behind the Pentateuch (aka the Jewish Thora) there are at least five different authors involved. Among all the fiction and plagiarism the writers have slipped in names of real places and real historic figures to make it more believable. In reality the original state of Israel was established sometime around 884 BC in the northern parts of Palestine with a population of ca 100.000. South of Israel Judah was established with Jerusalem as its centre, and had approximately 10.000 inhabitants living in scattered settlements. These to mini states didn’t last long, as the Assyrian empire expanded in the ninth and eighth century BC and conquered vast areas in the Middle East. The tiny state of Israel soon became the Assyrian province of Samaria, but the poor and puny Judah was not interesting enough and spared at first. The Assyrian conquest was merciless and huge populations were deported. Some 13000 Jews from Israel were deported, and there was a flood of people fleeing to Judah and the population of Jerusalem grew from 2000 to 15.000. Probably it was at this turmoil and pressured point in history the idea of one mighty god and monotheism emerged. In a squeeze between the super power Egypt and later the mighty Assyrian, Babylonian and Roman empires without any chance of military resistance whatsoever, the Jews turned to metaphysics. 

    Maybe it is King Josiah (639 - 609 BC) who should be credited for this. He is praised in the Bible as a king who seeks religious unity, who tries to get rid of all foreign gods and will free the people of Israel through a strict fulfilment of the religious laws and regulations. King Josiah ordered his priests to find a religious patron and to start to write the “national epos” of the Promised Land. From being a small tribal deity, and later the city god of Jerusalem, Jehovah was promoted to be a universal god. Religious ideas of the influential Assyrian culture also had its influence on this redefining of the Jewish God. 

    Through uncompromising monotheism, strict religious laws and hard penalties and bans to make offerings any other place than in the temple, the priests of Jerusalem strived for a total monopoly on faith. In the Old Testament texts it is obvious that the Judean Jews tries to blacken their neighbours to the north (Israel) to support their own role as defender of the only true faith.

    In the year 587 BC the Babylonian ruler Nebuchadnezzar II took Jerusalem on his way to Egypt. Many of the Jewish elite were deported to the metropolis Babylon. In the Jewish colony at the base of the enormous tower of Etemananki (the tower of Babel), towering 91 meters high, the Jews romanticised and further developed the dream of the Promised Land. In the melting pot of Babylon, their religious concepts were influenced by new ideas from, among others, Persia and the Zoroastrism with its prophet Zoroaster or Zarathustra. Zoroastrism had a huge impact on Judaism and later on the Jesus myth. This religion focused on the battle between good an evil, it was a monotheism with one universal god (Ahura Mazda), and one prophet and saviour (Zoroaster). The idea of the final judgment with salvation or eternal damnation was adopted by the Jews and of course later became a central part of Christianity. After monotheism was established in the Jewish religion, the writers tried to change all traces after the old polytheism in the holy texts.

    The Maccabees also edited part of the Old Testament texts, according to the experts. The Maccabees were a group of high priests and kings who fought for the independence of Jerusalem around 140 BC. The stories of the purely fictional conquering of Canaan by the Hebrews where thousands fell for the sword of Jews and the hand of God, suits the time of the Maccabees when there also was fought fierce battles over territories.

    Recent research results, analyses and debates of the origin and dating of the Pentateuch (the Jewish Thora) are no issue in Israel today. In Israel, it is the sentimental fanaticism that dominates. 
    The background and history of the Jewish and Christian religion, is a collection of texts full of wishful thinking, myths, political propaganda and pious lies, written in the very last centuries BC.

    Source: Der leere Thron, Der Spiegel 52/2002. 
    Finkelstein, Israel & Silberman, Neil Asher. 2001. "The Bible Unearthed. Archaeology's new vision of ancient Israel and the origin of it's sacred texts". Touchstone



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    Errors and Forgeries in the Bible

    Errors and forgeries in the Bible.
    Of all the 66 texts in the Bible, there doesn't exist one single handwritten original. We don't even have the first copies of the originals, we just have copies of copies of copies of copies etc. The writers in Antiquity also had somewhat looser standards for accuracy when writing down or copying texts. Sometimes they wrote in other authors' names (usually more famous and authoritative, authors), - they usually added, subtracted, altered and removed "historical" events in the texts as they saw fit. They often mixed fiction with non-fiction, and some could write texts in the name of their adversaries to discredit them, and then use the forged text against them later. Cunning...

    To start with the beginning:
    The Old Testament.The first five texts in the Bible; Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy are not written by Moses as the Church usually claims. Unknown Jewish priests wrote these five books between 900 and 100 BC. Their final editing was first done around 200 AD. The Psalms of David are not written by him, but were actually written much later. 
    We have our knowledge of this king David ("the bloodhound") from his son, the "prophet" Solomo (in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes andSong of Solomon). But then there is the problem that the alleged Solomon died at least 100-400 years before these texts ascribed to him were first created! Looking at the texts, it is obvious that they are the product of several different writers, writing at different times between 500 BC and 100 AD. 

    Both Judges, Kings and Chronicles are anonymous manuscripts, written at a much later time than the events they present. The same is the case for the books of the so-called prophets, which also were subjected to heavily editing later.         (Prophecies made much later than the events they predict, are never particularly impressive.)

    The chapters 24-27 and 40-55 of Isaiah, are forgeries in Isaiah's name. Only the first chapter of Zechariah are really by him, the rest is a forgery. Only 200-300 of the total 1273 verses by Ezekielare probably by Ezekiel. Etc etc.

    A lot of the stories in the Old Testament are in fact borrowed material. Particularly from the rich mythical heritage of the Sumerians, the inventors of writing. The story of Noah and the great flood, Cain and Abel, the gardens of Eden, creation of Eve from Adams rib, and numerous other myths are stories found recorded on Sumerian clay tablets dating 2-3000 years back, long before the earliest parts of the Old Testament were written down.

    The version of the Old Testament as we know it (with its 39 texts) was first assembled in the 15. Century AD!! Up through history there have existed a number of different Christian Bibles. All the different Christian sects had their own compilation of religious texts. Most of our Old Testament is based on translated medieval manuscripts not older then the 9.th or 10.th century AD.

    The New Testament
    None of the gospels were written to be part of a "holy Bible" inspired by God (Simply because the Bible as such didn't exist at that time.) We don't know anything about who wrote the gospels. The Church ascribed the names of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John to the texts much later. These four texts were not originally in the Bible, and they first became authoritative (approved by the church) late in the 2. century AD. The gospels are all written in Greek and there is no indication of any Hebrew originals, which rules out that the authors could be anyone among the followers of Jesus (who spoke Arameic). According too the gospels both Jesus and his disciples had no education and were illiterates, as most of their contemporaries. The gospel texts are also heavily edited by editors, in particular the gospel of St. John.

    The letters of John are not written by John the apostle. All the "Catholic letters" (I Peter, II Peter, I-III John, Jude) are also forgeries. And six of the thirteen letters of St. Paul are not by him. Even his "real" letters were later heavily edited by the Church. 
    Around 400 AD the scholar Hieronimus made a major editing of the Latin Bible, the result is the Latin Vulgata version of the Bible. This became the mother of all later translations. Hieronimus changed no less than 3500 instances in the text.

    Among the later added parts, not in the original Gospel texts: The sermon on the Mount, The story of Jesus' birth (Luke 2:1-21) and the stories of Jesus' resurrection!


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    The Sumerian Legacy

    The Sumerians invented writing and were the world’s first great Civilization as we know it. The civilization flourished in the valleys between the two great rivers Tigris and Euphrates, the area known as southern Iraq today.

    The Sumerian civilization existed for ca 3000 years, between the fifth and the second millennium BC. They reached their golden era 3-2000 BC. The Sumerians invented the wheel, the plough, irrigation, sailing boats, the keel, potter’s wheel and were the first to build stone arcs and multi-storeys buildings. They had an advanced juridical system, developed mathematics, astronomy and the calendar. Still today our definition of time is based on the original Sumerian number-system based on 6 and 60, and the division of the circle in 360 degrees. But their most important invention, the very basis of all later civilizations and cultures was done late in the 4 th century BC: – the art of writing. 

    The Sumerians wrote cuneiform script with straws from reed on clay tablets. Hundred of thousands of these clay tablets are found in archaeological excavations. The more of these tablets are found and interpreted, the more of the original stories and motifs known from the Old Testament stories emerges in their original form. Most of the clay tablets are at least a thousand years older than the earliest texts in the Old Testament. The Sumerian culture had a huge impact and formed the casting mould for the later great civilizations. 

    The creation
    The story of how man was created from dirt (clay?) and brought to life through a breath of air through the nose as told in Gen 2,7, is a copy of the far older Sumerian creation myth. The Sumerian legend is preserved as a seven-tablet epos, Enuma elish, ”In the beginning”.

    The creation of the world
    In both the Babylonian and Egyptian creation myth we find the motif of how once everything was water and how the gods create land, rivers, animals and vegetation. In the Babylonian story the giant Marduk fights and conquers the demons of the prehistoric waters. The most dangerous of the demons is the sal****er demon Tiâmat. The word the Bible texts uses for the chaotic prehistoric water, the Hebraic theôm, is the very same name. Marduk splits the demons body and creates heaven and earth, and then he organizes the stars and creates the moon. When he was done he left to the god Ea to create man out of clay and blood. The Biblical creation myths are based on these older myths. In the Bible it is of course Jehovah and not Marduk who is credited with the conquering of the prehistoric waters and its demons (in the Bible called dragons), and building the world from these (Psal. 74,12-17; 89,10-13. Isa. 42, 5; 51, 9-16; Job 9, 8-13; 26, 7-14; Gen 1). Marduk celebrated his achievements with a sacred wedding with the godess Zarpanitum, the diehard bachelor Jehovah took one day’s nap instead.

    The creation of man
    In the Bible God actually creates man twice, first in chapter one were he creates man and woman in his own image (Gen 1,27), and then in chapter two were he creates man (hebr: Adam) of dirt (hebr: Adama)(Gen 2,7) and a little later creates the woman from one of the ribs of man (Gen 2,22). It’s kind of strange that God creates man after created all the animals in chapter one, but in chapter two he created man before the animals. 

    On excavated clay tablets from Sumer there is a story that explains the background of the biblical story of the creation of women, the Garden of Eden and the fall of man and original sin. The strange story of how woman was created from the rib of Adam, do not make much sense. Why the rib? When we read the original story the writers of the Bible used as a template, it all becomes clearer.

    The Sumerian story tells about the god Enki, the god of water and wisdom and one of the central and most popular deities in the Sumerian pantheon, and of the paradisical land of Dilmun (today’s Bahrain). Dilmun is said to be to the east of Sumer. In the Biblical story the Garden of Eden is situated “in the east” (Gen 2,8). According to the myth Dilmun is a bright and clean place, without disease nor death, - a land of the living, a land of the immortals.

    However, Dilmun lacks one thing: water. But the water god Enki knows what to do and water is his business, and he creates a river that turns Dilmun into a divine garden with an abundance of fruit trees, flowers and green meadows.

    Then the great Sumerian mother-goddess Ninhursag enters the picture and creates eight different plants in this divine garden. The creation of these eight plants involves an intricate process with births of three generations of goddesses, and the story emphasizes that these births are all happening without the slightest pain or discomfort. 

    The happy camper Enki wants to taste the fruits of these eight plants and makes his servant Ismud (a god with two faces) to collect the fruits and he eats them one by one. This makes Ninhursag furious and she casts a lethal spell over Enki, and then disappears from the scene. Enki then becomes ill in eight different organs or body parts, one for each fruit. Enki’s condition is rapidly deteriorating, and the other gods are flabbergasted by this and do not know what to do to help the popular Enki. Finally a fox (!) gets Ninhursag to come back, exactly how is unknown because this part of the story is missing.

    Finally Ninhursag comes back and she places Enki between her legs and asks him in what body parts he is ill. Then she creates eight healing goddesses, one for each body part, and soon Enki is well again. One of the sick body parts is the ribs, and in Sumerian the word for rib is “ti”. The goddess created to heal Enki’s rib is called “Nin-ti”, which means the “rib woman”. However, the Sumerian word “ti” also means “life” or “to make life”, so “Nin-ti” also can mean “the woman who makes life”. The Sumerians were very fond of such puns, but this pun was of course lost on the bible authors, since the name Eve in Hebrew (Chavvah) may resemble the Hebrew word for “life” (Chay), but have no resemblance with the Hebrew word for “rib” (Tsela)(or `ala` in Aramaic). 

    The story’s emphasis that the births of the creation-goddesses is without any pain or discomfort, is an element we find in Gods punishment of Eve for causing the fall of man: “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children” (Gen 3,16). 

    The very name “Eden” is also originally a Sumerian name and simply means “plain/flat terrain”. The name originates from the controversy between the Mesopotamian city-states Lagash and Umma about whom should rule the fertile river-valley of Gu-Edina(The banks of Eden) located between the two cities. 

    The Great Flood
    In the cultures like the Sumerian/Mesopotamian and Egyptian, which emerged in fertile river valleys, the rivers are the very lifeblood of these cultures, the very foundations of existence. The yearly flooding of the rivers was crucial for agriculture and crops. If the flooding is too small or do not happen one year, famine, hunger and crisis is the result. If the flooding is too big, the fields, cities, granaries are destroyed and irrigation systems clogged, and the society faces a catastrophe.

    Destructive Floods were relative common in Mesopotamia, and the rivers and the deities associated with them were central to these people’s religion. The concept of a devastating great flood as the divine punishment of a displeased God is also very common in these cultures. It is also a concept quite foreign to pastoral desert nomads like the Hebrews. The biblical story of Noah and the Great flood is more or less a direct copy of the far older Sumerian mythical story of a great Flood and the boat-building hero Ziusutra found in the Gilgamesh epos.

    Many of the clay tablets with this epos are now in the British Museum. There exist several versions of the Mesopotamian myth of the great flood, all far older than the biblical version.
    The rivers of the Tigris, the Euphrates and the Nile evidently caused many great floods, so the background of the Mesopotamian myth is based on real events, but of course exaggerated in their mythical form. The Flood as it is presented in the Bible is exaggerated in such a way it is completely ridiculous. To cover all the mountains in the world the sea level had to rise 9000 meters. This would actually call for humongous amounts of water     *, actually many times the amount of water existing in our entire solar system.

    The size of the Ark (Gen 6,15) is described as big enough for two specimens of every species on earth. The volume of the almost 1 million known species of insects, each with multiple different families, would probably be bigger than the vessel itself, and then of course we have the problem with inbreeding. To avoid inbreeding the Lord allowed seven pairs of the birds and the “clean” animals in the Ark, but of humans there were only four pairs: Noah (hardly particularly fertile when 600 years old), his wife and their three sons and their wives. 

    By the way, how exactly did the 600(!) years old Noah and his family gather the 1,190,200 known species of invertebrates,5416 species of mammals, 5743 species of amphibians, 9917species of birds and appx. 8163 species of reptiles, - and each species with its many different families and subgroups? And this in only seven days? 


    Like all nature religions, natural disasters were considered as an act of God to punish his subordinates into obedience. The motif of the story of Cain and Abel can also be found in myths from old Sumeria together with many others. Since the Sumerians were the first literate civilisation, their myths and stories were written down, copied and became known over huge parts of the Middle East. Comparing the stories on the excavated clay tablets with the biblical stories, the similarities are quite obvious. The biblical texts were written late in antiquity, and the writers were inspired by, and building on an already rich source of stories, myths, religious motifs and history from the surrounding high cultures. 

    Actual historical events and figures were transformed and over time took on a mythical form. The biblical story of the tower of Babel (Babylon) is such a story. In this story all the people of Babel talked the same language, but when the people tried to build a tower into the heavens, God got annoyed and confused the people’s language so no one understood each other anymore. As a consequence the whole building project failed. The story relates to the real 90 meters tall tower Etemananki of Babylon.

    When Jerusalem was conquered by king Nebuchadrezzar 2 in 597 BC, he overthrows the Jewish king Jeconiah. Ten years later, in 587 BC, there was a Jewish uprising, and Nebuchadrezzar then levelled Jerusalem and brought part of the Jewish elite back to Babylon as hostages. The capitol of Babylon controlled the trading routes and was the centre for trade and culture in this mighty and influential empire. Babylon was a melting pot of people and many different languages were spoken. The Jewish elite stayed in Babylon from 886 until 839 BC, and reminiscences of it is found in Hymns verse 137 and the prophet Daniels stories of king Nebuchadrezzar (Dan 4,33).

    There is actual evidence of the Jew’ stay in Babylon in a clay tablet inventory from 592 BC. The inventory lists the different foods king Jeconiah and his court were entitled to. The size and monumentality of the city of Babylon, ands its rich culture made clearly quite an impression on the Hebrew elite. The huge central ziggurat and the 90-meter high tower Etemananki, several big temples and double 30 meters high city walls with towers, would impress anybody even today. It was also here the Jewish, and later Christian, idea of Angels originates, depictions of human figures with wings were commonplace on temples in Babylon. 

    © Ragnar L. Borsheim 2005



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    Early winter 1902 the French archaeologist Jacques de Morgan found a 2,25 meter tall polished black stele (diorite) in his excavations of the prehistoric city of Susa. On this stone there were carved cuneiform inscriptions and had a relief of two men at the top. De Morgan had found what later would be known as the Code of Hammurabi, 282 laws carved into stone. The code of Hammurabi became the very model of later legal systems, and also was the inspiration of the Biblical laws and regulations. On top of the stone, Hammurabi himself was depicted together with the Sungod Shamash, the divine protector of justice. 

    King Hammurabi was the first ever “Sun King” and he ruled between 1848 and 1805 BC. Originally the stone was erected in the sun temple in the city of Sippar in Babylon, where it stood for 650 years. In 1158 BC Babylon was attacked and ransacked by the Elamites, and when they were done they got the idea of dragging this heavy stone home to their own capital Susa. This was where Jacques De Morgan found it 3700 years later. Today the Hammurabi stone is on display in Louvre, Paris.

    King Hammurabi ratified a collection of 282 so called “righteous rulings” (dinat misharin) and let them be carved in stones and they were copied and spread over the kingdom (Babylon). These laws were meant to be guidance for the country and stand as model for executing justice throughout the kingdom. The prologue of the laws indicates a new ideology emphasising the king’s role as the representative of the Sun God, the righteous heavenly judge, on earth. Hammurabi’s laws were partly modelled after the ca 300 years older Ur-Nammus code, - the oldest known law code in the world.

    The biblical “And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” (Deut 19,21; Ex 21,23.25) is actually from Hammurabi. (From Judaism and Christianity Islam got this gem, and in many Muslim societies this is still practiced (the Sharia laws)). As opposed to the biblical laws, older Greek law and Roman law, Hammurabi also had laws for women’s rights. Women could file for divorce (§142), and on adultery there were equal punishments for men and women (§129). The code also had laws against evil gossip and the spreading of false rumours and punishments for those who couldn’t prove his or her allegations (§127).

    The 10 Commandments
    The Ten Commandments is listed both in the book of Exodus and the book of Deuteronomy. These commandments were given to Moses carved on two tables of stone by the God Father personally, becomingly shrouded in a dark cloud. The Stone tablet motif points directly to the Hammurabi laws which were copied and spread all over Babylon on clay and stone tablets and the original was also carved in the Hammurabi stone in the temple of Sippar. The Babylonian civilization had a huge cultural, political, juridical and religious influence on the surrounding cultures, and also on the writers of the Old Testament.

    The Ten Commandments are in the Bible portrayed as the first and foremost rules for the chosen people of God, the Israelites. And with Christianity the Church claims these commandments are the very evidence of the ethical and humane values of Christianity. Let us therefore examine these commandments so often are referred to when discussing ethics and moral. (The numbering is according to the order the commandments are listed in the Bible (Ex 20; Deut 5,7).

    1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
    2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
    3. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain
    4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 
    5. Honour thy father and thy mother: 
    6. Thou shalt not kill.
    7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
    8. Thou shalt not steal.
    9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
    10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

    The first four commandments only regulate the believer’s relationship with the deity, and is not exactly something to build a society on. They also have no moral or ethical relevance for one’s conduct towards other people or in society at large. And if you don’t believe in Jehovah, the four first commandments are utter useless!

    The fifth commandment tells you to honour your father and mother. Fine! But this is also nothing to regulate a society with, and has also no relevance for your conduct towards other people than your parents. The rest of the fifth commandment “that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee”, makes sense when we realize that Jehovah thinks that the death penalty is suitable punishment for not honouring your parents, - or worse, speak ill about them (see Ex 21,17; Lev 20,9).

    The 10 th Commandment deals with coveting, and has of course nothing to do in a code of laws. You can’t regulate human emotions by law. It’s stupid.

    The commandments 6 – 9 are common to all known human cultures independent of religion, and not at all particular to Christianity. When Christians refer to the Ten Commandments in debates on ethics and morality, it is usually just these four commandments they mean. These are also usually the only commandments they manage to remember, if one urges them to recite the Ten Commandments.

    The Ten Commandments contain no revolutionary news, no trace of wisdom, nothing brilliant. One should maybe expect something less trivial from the Highest Being??

    In the Biblical commandments there is no burden of proof or no defining of sentencing as in the Code of Hammurabi. The Biblical laws are also exclusively for the conduct towards “your next”, which means other Jews, and later other Christians. The sixth commandment of thou shalt not kill, does not extend to people outside the religion. There is no law against killing people of different faiths. The Old Testament is on the contrary full of stories of how the Jews and God Almighty kill men, women and children of the enemies of the Jews by the thousands (*).

    The maxim of the Catholic Church ”Omnem hominem fidelem judica tuum esse fratrem” (consider every believer as your brother) has not always been practiced accordingly by the Church. The Church’s efforts of putting an end to the common practice of plundering shipwrecked sailors in the Middle Ages, didn’t include Arabs or other infidels. The Church didn’t see any wrong in sending non-christian prisoners of war into slavery. In the 17 th century the Scottish clergy teached that one under no circumstances whatsoever should give food or shelter to a hungry human being if he didn’t have an orthodox Christian faith (Deschner).

    Very few of us commit murder in our lives, at least nowadays. The situation was obviously different in the time of Moses since the Bible all the time sees it necessary to remind the congregation of the sixth commandment. 

    It’s clearly not easy to live by your own rules either, as numerous stories in the Bible show. Especially it seems that the sixth commandment is particularly troublesome to follow for the Lord Almighty. The ninth commandment of not bearing false witness also seem to be at tough one for Jehovah, since he lies to his own prophets (1King. 22:23, 2.Chr. 18:22. Jer. 4:10, 20:7 Ezek 14:9) and deceives the evil ones (2.Thess 2:11-12). St Paul also admits using lies and deception to spread the word of God (Rom 3:7, 1.Cor 1:19-23). The biblical texts also forge the very word of God (Jer. 8:8).

    Even the noble Church Father Origenes thinks it should be allowed to lie and deceive to save souls. According to Origenes God’s love justifies him using lies. Church father John Chrysostomos (Gold mouth) thought lies were necessary for saving the soul (Deschner 1972:30). 
    Bishop and Church historian Euseb of Cæsarea (ca 265-430 AD) claimed openly that the Church should use deception and fraud if it was in the interest of the Church. The founder of the Jesuit order, Ignatius Loyola, wrote in the 16 th century ”We should always be open for what seems white to us, in reality is black if the leaders of the Church should decide so”.

    As juridical or social rules for human behaviour and for regulating any society, the Ten Commandments are apparently very insufficient. Jehovah also admits this in Ezek 20,25 “Wherefore I gave them also statutes that were not good, and judgments whereby they should not live”. 

    As we have seen, six of the commandments is rubbish, and the remaining four (6-9) are very banal and common to all cultures at all times. There is thus nothing particular original or “christian” about these commandments. 

    One should also notice that the order of the ten Commandments is the very same on the two places in the Bible (Ex 20; Deut 5,7). This has to say something about their relative significance and importance, - of God’s priorities. It should not surprise anybody vaguely familiar with the Old Testament stories, that the commandment “thou shalt not kill” is only ranked as number six.

    The death penalty
    The death penalty was commonplace in the Semitic societies, and usually in the form of stoning. Occasionally they also burned people alive. Through the mainly religious founded mosaic laws and regulations, the death penalty was used for a number of “offences”. The death penalty was used for everything from assassinations to mere trifles, and was often used arbitrary and as mean to an end in internal feuds.

    The Old Testament is brimming over with ridiculous, outdated and complete useless rules and regulations which penalty usually is death. Let’s exemplify with a few things the Bible and God think one should be killed for: 
    - to speak bad of your parents, 
    - to work on Sundays, 
    - not be circumcised, 
    - eat bloody meat, 
    - men having long hair, 
    - homosexuality, 
    - believe in ghosts (not the holy one I presume), 
    - be possessed by a spirit of the dead,
    - not celebrate Easter, 
    - if a daughter of a priest has sex she must be burned, 
    - for a man to have sex with a menstrual women (both should be exterminated), 
    - and of course to mock the holy name of the Lord. 
    Obstinate and disobedient sons should be stoned (Deut 21,18-21),and for a man to have sex with a married woman, both must die. Girls who aren’t virgins when they marry, should be stoned (Deut 22,13-21). If you hear that someone has been advertising for another religion in a neighbouring town, you should go there and kill all the inhabitants (and not to forget their cattle)(Deut 13,12-18). If some of your close relatives want you to convert to another religion, you should stone them (Deut 13,6-11). Should some poor bastard be unlucky enough to get his balls crushed or his penis cut, he is banned from the congregation and therefore condemned.

    The Lord further despises men in women’s clothing and women in men’s clothing (trousers?). Those who have the nerve not to listen to the priest during the service shall die. All the people shall hear about it and be scared to a degree that they no more will think of doing anything so wicked (Deut 17,12-13).

    But what about Jesus?
    Jesus says, “it is easier for heaven and earth to pass, than one tittle of the law to fail” (Lk 17,16), and “the law” means the Thora - aka the Pentateuch. So according to Jesus, all above is still valid! In the famous sermon on the mount Jesus also feels it should be capital punishment for calling somebody ”a fool” (Mt 5,22), even though he himself calls people "fools" on several occasions (Mt 23:17, Luke 11:40; 24:25). And the core message of Jesu teachings is that without believing in him as the son of God you are condemned to burn alive in Hell for eternity. Not very kind or ethical is it; thinking that eternal torture is a suitable punishment just for not believing in an unsupported and absurd notion?

    It is obvious to all that these rules are not particularly relevant today. Even seen in the light of the ancient times, many of these rules appear as quite bizarre. In today’s world the Ten Commandments and the other biblical rules are useless and irrelevant. Compared to the Declaration of human rights they are downright embarrassing and ridiculous.

    (C) R.L. Børsheim 2005

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    Hammurabi
    King Hammurabi Hammurabi og Shamash
    Hammurabi and Shamash10bud2.gif
    Moses
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    The Ten Commandments

    Further reading: 
    The Bible
    Deschner Karlheinz, 1972: ”Abermals krähte der Hahn” Stuttgart
    Kramer, Samuel Noah. 1963: ”The Sumerians, their history, culture and character”, Chicago & London
    Gen. Books on Mesopotamia, Sumer, Babylon 

    * - 1 King 20,29-30; 1 Chr 19,18; 2 King 19,35; 2 Chr 25,11-13; 2 Chr 14,9-13; 2 Sal 8,5; 2 Sam 10,18; 2 Sam 18,7; 2 Sam 8,13; Num 31,6-18; Judg 1,4; Judg 12,6; Judg 20,35; Judg 20,44-46; Judg 3,28-29; Judg 8,10-11; Judg 9,49; Ezek 9,4- 10; Esth 1 9,14-16; Jer 25,33-35; Hos 8,24; Nah 2,14; Nah 3, 1- 6
    hammurabi_stele.jpg
    The stele of Hammurabi's 282 laws
    sumer1.gif
    Clay tablet with cuneiform inscriptions
    10bud1.jpg
    smile_full.jpg
    Read why the teachings of Jesus are unethical here.



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