Musings on biblical studies, politics, religion, ethics, human nature, tidbits from science
For earlier posts where I indicated the importance of some of Garbini’s approaches, see Testing (or not) Historical Sources for Reliability and Interview with Thomas L. Thompson #1. The current post follows on from the previous one where we outlined the identification as “forerunners” of Israel the Banu Yamina (Benjamin) with their “davids” in the … Continue reading “Israel’s Origins – before Palestine”
1. Die Auferweckung des Lazarus. 1. The raising of Lazarus. 165/166 Noch Einmal macht der Vierte eine verzweifelte Anstrengung, um die Ueberlegenheit seiner Darstellung über den synoptischen Geschichtskreis zu beweisen — das schien ihm viel zu einfach und gewöhnlich, wie hier, nachdem Zesus den jüdischen Herrschern den Bruch erklärt hatte, die Katastrophe eintritt, die Hohenpriester … Continue reading “Ch 1 – The Raising of Lazarus”
The philosophers have only interpreted the world, in various ways. The point, however, is to change it. — Karl Marx We call that a ridiculous state of intellect in a man, Socrates, which is concerned only with divine knowledge. — Plato Stranger Every architect, too, is a ruler of workmen, not a workman himself. Younger Socrates Yes. Stranger … Continue reading “Could Plato Really have Influenced Judaism and the Bible?”
122 3. Der Streit über die Berechtigung Jesu. 3. The controversy over the authority of Jesus. 122/123 Natürlich ist Matthäus, nachdem seine Hohenpriester und Schriftgelehrten nach der Lempelreiuigung bereits mit ihrem Bedenken über das Hosiannarufen der Kinder aufgetreten sind, und wenn sie nun nach der Verfluchung des Feigenbaums die Frage auf-werfen, die sich auf die … Continue reading “Ch 3 – The controversy over the authority of Jesus”
108 1. Der Einzug in Jerusalem 1. The Entry into Jerusalem 108 Woher weiß es Jesus, als er zu seinem feierlichen Einzugs in Jerusalem Anstalten trifft, daß dieselben nicht unnütz seyn werden? Sein feierlicher Einzug in Jerusalem ist von ihm von vornherein beabsichtigt — seine Absicht ist so ernstlich, er selbst seiner Sache so gewiß, … Continue reading “Ch 1 — The Entry into Jerusalem”
When we read the Bible we assume that its references to God or Lord all mean the same idea: the deity of Judeo-Christian belief. So when we (non-scholars) read that the Bible’s references to the God of the Patriarchs were originally names of various local deities it can be a difficult pill to swallow. But … Continue reading “When Yahweh was at Peace with Other Gods — [Biblical Creation Accounts/Plato’s Timaeus-Critias – 7e]”
I do not fully understand “racism”. I grew up in a time when aboriginal children were sometimes being taken from their families “for their own good”. Everything “we”, the white rulers of the land, were doing in relation to aborigines was “for their good”. Today, on the contrary, one is often confronted with an aboriginal’s … Continue reading “Nice Racism”
98 6. Der Reiche. 6. The rich man. 98 Wenn Jesus dem reichen Mann, der ihn fußfällig anflehte: „was soll ich thun, guter Meister, damit ich das ewige Leben erhaltt”, erwidert: „was nennst du mich gut? Niemand ist gut, außer der Eine Gott!” so steht diese abweisende Wendung mit der Tendenz des ganzen Abschnitts in … Continue reading “Ch 6 – The Rich Man”
Then God said, “Let us make humankind in our image [LXX εικόνα], according to our likeness [LXX όμοίωσιν]; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that … Continue reading “When God Created Humans, then Retired: Genesis 1 as Science — [Biblical Creation Accounts/Plato’s Timaeus – 5c]”
(continuing the series on Russell Gmirkin’s Plato’s Timaeus and the Biblical Creation Accounts) …. If the authors of Genesis were inspired by Plato’s discourse on the origins of the cosmos in Timaeus how can one explain the obvious contrast between Plato’s lengthy scientific and philosophical reasoning and the simple narrative in Genesis 1:1-2:3? To answer … Continue reading “Why Genesis 1-3 is Different from Other Myths — [Biblical Creation Accounts/Plato’s Timaeus – 3b]”
Here is the thesis that Russell Gmirkin [RG] is buttressing in Plato’s Timaeus and the Biblical Creation Accounts: Plato’s writings, including Plato’s Laws, envisioned theologically trained educated elites ruling the nation and creating a national literature to shape the beliefs and character of the ordinary citizenry, both youths and adults (Gmirkin 2017: 255-61). The creation … Continue reading “Genesis = Science + Myth + Theology — [Biblical Creation Accounts/Plato’s Timaeus – 3a]”
Over 6 pages Thomas Witulski discusses the evidence for the dates of the Bar Kochba war and over 120 pages the evidence for its causes. I will distill that down to a few key points and conclusions. Dates: It is probable that the Bar Kokhba rebellion broke out openly in the spring or summer of … Continue reading “The Bar Kochba War – Background and Hadrian’s Visit to Judea”
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod; and the angel stood, saying, “Rise, and measure the temple of God and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is outside the temple, leave out, and measure it not, for it is given unto the Gentiles; and the Holy … Continue reading “Revelation 11 and the meaning of Measuring the Temple”
If the book of Revelation is to be dated to the time of Hadrian (specifically to the late 120s or early 130s) how might the “four horsemen of the apocalypse” be understood? Some commentaries propose that the white horse represents the preaching of the gospel. The difficulty with this interpretation is that the first rider … Continue reading “The White Horseman of the Apocalypse”