Judaism & Christianity

PREFACE

Please note: There will be no voting—this is for information only. However comments are welcome, as are PMs and email with any questions about this essay, but any comment which is simply "testimony" otherwise known as witnessing. by churchy people, argumentative, or preachy, will be deleted immediately. This is not a forum for debating—most of the facts are from the bible itself and speak for themselves, or from verifiable and known history.

The King James Version of the bible is principally used unless noted otherwise As well, I've used Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible which identifies every word in the KJV of the bible as well as where to find them. Other bibles say essentially the same basic things which, where needed or appropriate, I quote from.

This essay deals with whether or not we can ascertain the origin of Judaism and Christianity, and what is known and not known about the Old Testament's origin, as well as that of the New Testament.

My writings were originally intended for lesbians who have been intimidated from birth, shamed, humiliated, pushed to feel guilty, and made to believe that they are an abomination in the sight of the god of the bible, that is, the Old and New Testaments of Judaism and Christianity. They have been made to feel a need to hide their true sense of who and what they are in body and mind. Many have given in and attempted to conform to that "accepted normal" life that society, culture, and especially religion, say that it is how they should live.

Today, we find it difficult to imagine life in the days spoken of in the Bible. Our culture, at least in what we consider the Western World of the United States and Canada; Europe for the most part plus Scandinavia; Australia and New Zealand, we have what Liv, in my stories, The Devil's Gateway, called a Golden Age of Books. Before the Bible began to seriously be doubted as reliable history, and even unto this day, there are many of what Liv called "Me-too" books written by rabid believers of the Bible as God's word to all of humanity.

Since then, and particularly of late, there have come to light the writings of biblical historians of a different sort. They are archeologists, historians, researchers with a particular bent toward historical and textual criticism, as well as many who are feeling a newer Zeitgeist that does not fear the wrath of the Christian churches coming down on them as Copernicus and other scientists such as Galileo feared.

Much has come to light, verifiable knowledge that is changing the landscape of biblical times, as well as the veracity of the Bible—or the lack of truth in it. This Golden Age of Books didn't come about until the latter part of the twentieth century. In fact, there were few books about the Bible save those by dedicated Christians who wrote from pure belief, and no objective inquiry as to the veracity of what they were writing. What they were writing is popularly called "Witnessing" by the churches, and generally written to bolster the faith of those who are already pretty much "faithful".

In biblical times, and until the Golden Age of Books, there was a great lack of knowledge (unlike today); the bible being accepted as true in every respect—from a lack of means of communication, as well as illiteracy which for much too long was rampant, approximating 95 percent according to the best educated guesses in biblical times and for centuries afterward.

For this essay I will, for the most part, offer two authors—three really as two wrote one book jointly—whose books I urge any who are interested in learning what the facts really are as regards to whether or not the Bible is actually the "Holy and inerrant" (no errors in the Bible) word of God as the Fundamentalists say of the Bible, and that the Catholic Church is still allowing their faithful to believe, though quietly admitting to what researchers have discovered, namely that the Bible was written at various times, and some books (such as Daniel) were written centuries later than the time it purports to speak about. Too, it has been openly recognized that none of the books of the Old Testament, and very few of those of the New Testament, were written by authors who are actually known (such as the gospels).

I also often cite from the Catholic Family Connections Bible which contains many admissions (that we have no idea who the authors of books in the Bible are), as well as other interesting information.

What isn't, and is known is that no one knows for sure how Judaism began, but it is known that what we're told in the Bible is not how it began. There are far too many errors in the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament.

This essay, then, looks to see if any discernible beginning can be found as to how, first, Judaism came into being, and secondly, how Christianity began, and if they are believable.

Scientifically, the very first chapter of Genesis reveals an error of major proportions that is also irrefutable. In verses 11 and 12, we read:

And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself upon the earth: and it was so.

And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good. (From the King James Version of the Bible, but other versions read much the same.)

What the error here is that this is said to occur on the third day of creation (verse 13). There is no sun until the next day according to verses 16 through 19. Plants and trees get their energy from the sun——no sun, no plants or trees, and definitely no fruit to be given as the Bible says that there was. The creative writers got it backward, but at that time they probably didn't know that. No God, or gods, or Goddess, could make such a mistake if they are the true creators as is claimed in the Bible that their God is.

How Judaism may have come about

Though the actual origins of the Bible stories are unknown, much has been extrapolated based on some textual criticism and known factual history itself along with archeology. Also, the Bible itself offers a most interesting tease as to how it may all have begun. This last is found in II Kings, chapter 22. The much favored of God, king Hezekiah, dies and is succeeded by Manasseh, who was said to reign for fifty and five years (II Kings, chapter 22, verse 1). On dying, he was succeeded by Amon who was said to reign for two years (II Kings, chapter 22, verse 19), and was slain by servants (verse 23).

This brings us to Josiah, another favored of God in chapter 22, who "...reigned for thirty and one years...' (verse 1). Josiah is said to have ordered the temple to be remodeled, when in chapter 22, verse 8, Hilkiah, the high priest is said to have found"...the book of the law in the house of the Lord."

Other than the lost stones containing the Ten Commandments supposedly written by God and given to Moses, this is the first time we're told of any writing of the law actually being written by someone in what is called a "book" (verse10), and it is told to Josiah.

Which book that we now have, if any of them, was this book, or books? We're not told, only that Josiah took it very seriously. Are there any clues as to which book, if any, this was?

The Catholic Family Connections Bible offers some clues that are verified by others also. It says that"Inspired authors: scribes from the eighth century BC [700s BCE] adapting the earlier Covenant Law to Israel's changing situation." This what they say in a sort of preface to the book of Deuteronomy.

Earlier in the Introduction to the Pentateuch (what the first five books of the Old Testament are called, of which Deuteronomy is the fifth book), the Catholic Family Connections Bible tells of there being"...several historic traditions, or sources. These are primarily four-the so-called Yahwist, Elohist, Priestly, and Deuteronomic strands that run through the Pentateuch."

In other words, the first five books were written by four different people or groups of people, plus the word"primarily" tells us that others at some time or other had their input too. Is this true?

Most who have read of the creation in chapter 1 of Genesis, and then again in chapter 2 of Genesis, have noted the vast difference between the two accounts. The chapter 2 version is attributed to the Yahwist person or group, while the chapter 1 version is attributed to the Priestly person or group.

We are further told that"However, even this analysis of Pentateuch is an over-simplification, for it is not always possible to distinguish with certainty among the various sources. The fact is that each of these individual traditions incorporates much older material."

In other words, it's all a fairly much indecipherable mishmash that is being faked in good faith. Yes, that's strong, but passing off "scripture" as holy and to be obeyed is worse and never should have occurred.

However, let's continue on. There is even more to substantiate the above minor rant, for it further says:

Even the later laws which have been added in P [Priestly writings] and D [Deuteronomic writings] are presented as a Moasaic heritage. Moses is the lawgiver par excellence, and all later legislation is conceived in his spirit, and therefore attributed to him."

Translation: No matter that Moses is not supposed to really have said (written) it, they think it fits how he might have said/written it, so it's his. There's more to this travesty too:

"The laws in Exodus and Leviticus (P tradition) are both early and late."

If I read this right, some "P" type inserts were made at various times, including somewhat later. We'll be able to see more on this as a great possibility as far as some researchers are concerned. In the meantime, here's some Catholic PR writings and guidance—or mis-guidance.

This sacred history [the Pentateuch]was formed within the bosom of early Israel, guided by the spirit of God. It was sung beside the desert campfires; it was brought together in writing about the sixth century B.C., when the literary formation of the Pentateuch came to an end."

What is being said here is that all of what these illiterate people were able to remember everything and pass it on to their illiterate children for about four hundred years until one of the books could be set in writing [somewhere in about the 7 or 500s BCE]. From my previous essay on the Old Testament, you may recall that the Bible states that there were six hundred thousand men who were considered warriors in the Exodus, and when wives, children, and Levites, as well as old people, are considered, it has been conservatively estimated that there had to be two and a half to three million people in the Exodus, and all of the warriors originally, save two, died. That means their wives and the old people died too, so who remembered it all in the proper order and sang?

The Catholic Bible being used doesn't say when the book of Exodus may have been written, however, of Leviticus, it says:

Inspired Author: the Priestly writer writing after the Babylonian Exile," as well the same for the book of Numbers save that it cites "Authors" instead of one author.

Writtenafter the Babylonian Exile?

So, if Deuteronomy was the book of the Law found in Josiah's time, then the books of Leviticus and Numbers, placed before Deuteronomy in our present Bibles, is in an incorrect order.

In a reading of Deuteronomy, one will find much that is repeated from previous books that were placed before it. As stated, it is a mishmash.

Researchers' findings

Of a certainty, Judaism didn't start with Genesis, or with the Exodus. From the findings of Textual critics, along with the lack of writing in Hebrew until about one thousand BCE about the time David was said to be king), that was quite impossible. That leaves the Bible saying that "the Law" was found by Hilkiah in the time of Josiah in question.

We not only don't know what "book" of the Law was found by Hilkiah that was shown to the king, Josiah, that started (or, as believers would say, "restarted") the religious fervor for Yahweh, but we are told by the bible that it was accepted as scripture. The king accepted it, and more, was said to have acted vigorously to do as the Law commanded.

The book is thought to be what we now have as Deuteronomy (the fifth and last book of the Pentateuch), but that is the principal belief. Who wrote it, and when is not known, but since the Hebrew language wasn't known to be in use until about one thousand BCE, or about the time of David's rule, some think scribes and priests from David's time may have written it. Nothing is certain in this.

The main thing is, no one questioned the finding by Hilkiah that we know about, nor did anyone really read it save maybe some scribes and priests, and perhaps Josiah. Just about everyone was illiterate, and more, the "books" were actually scrolls (as we've found from the Dead Sea Scrolls), as printing and bound books would not be known for another two thousand or so years. Naturally, there were no researchers either.

The same is true of the "books" of the Law that were said to be read by Ezra as is written of in the book of Nehemiah. Again, those were scrolls, and there were no researchers. We only have the book of Nehemiah to tell us that they had it and read it to the people that were left in Judea. More, the time frames of this are unknown.

However, in the book of Ezra, it says that Ezra went to Judea from Babylon, but it doesn't say that he took any scrolls with him. Oddly, he took vessels of gold and silver (first chapter of Ezra). I say oddly because the Catholic Family Connections Bible says that Ezra and Nehemiah were originally one book which is thought to be an extension of the books of Chronicles. Further, it says that the author of those books is commonly called the "Chronicler".

In other words, the two books, Ezra and Nehemiah, may have been written by the same author as the books of Chronicles, which was thought to have been written about 400 BCE.

Another peculiarity of these books is that no known king of Persia of the time of the supposed happenings of these books is mentioned in either Ezra or Nehemiah. In Ezra, a king is mentioned as "Ahasuerus" in chapter 4, verse 6. There never has been a king of Persia named Ahasuerus.

An Internet search reveals that there are several guesses as to who this Ahasuerus may have been, and some rationales for their guessing, but nothing definitive, and definitely not factual. Again, this guessing has the supposed time of this occurrence in limbo.

However, we can readily extrapolate that something did happen. From history, we know that administrators, priests, skilled people, and anyone not a peasant was taken away, first by Assyrians in the northern kingdom of Israel, and then from Judah by the Babylonians.

There were books written at some time, and somehow the peasants were stimulated to a belief that seemed to stick, though who Ezra and Nehemiah were is unknown to history. We can accept that someone taught the Jews still in Judea the Law, either the one said extent from the time of Josiah, or a newer one. This being so, we can say:

The people they were read to were still illiterate, and none seemed to have known about the Law if we take Nehemiah's version of Ezra's reading to be a fact, for chapter 8, verses 8 through 9 say that it happened, and the people wept. Verse 13 says that all were given to understand the words of the law as they were taught by the Levites (verse 9) , indicating as Ms. Armstrong suggests, that most were hearing of the Law for the first time.

There had been a span of about two or three hundred years or so between Josiah's time and the possible time of Ezra's reading of the Law. It was said, or thought, that the priests that had been left behind didn't do much to keep the Law, or readings in it, the peasants being mostly the only ones left behind by both the Assyrians and Babylonians.

But what books of the Law did Ezra have that he read to the Judeans? No one knows, nor is it said. Was it still just the one book, Deuteronomy, or more?

It is believed that the books of the history—Judges, Samuel and Kings—have a similar style as the writing in Deuteronomy. However, since all of the books seem to have been edited time and again, and possibly written new, they are suspected to have been primarily written and edited while in Babylon. The various differences are said to be attributable to all being in scrolls rather than the easily referred to books we now have that can be read side-by-side.

Ezra being said to have started in Babylon gives some connection to the possibility that he had books—scrolls—written by those in Babylonian exile.

After these readings, there may have been one or more centuries for the Law to take hold in the people's consciousness. There had been so much strife and wars for hundreds of years, and there was still a great anxiety. In the time since they were given the Law by Ezra, or whomever, it was a comfort to them, a hope that a mighty and benevolent God would look out for their well being. The Law was something to hold onto, something that gave them a certainty for their present anxieties and the harder times that were soon to revisit them.

* * * *

At this point I'll quote some of what some researchers say.

In her book, The Bible, Ms. Armstrong, looking at the extant Hebrew scriptures at the time of the Babylonian exile writes:

In exile, the scribes pored over the scrolls [books]in the royal archive. The Deuteronomists added passages to their history to account for the disaster, which they attributed to Manasseh's religious policies [the king before Josiah who reigned fifty-five years and was said to have permitted idol worship].But some of the priests, who in losing their temple had lost their whole world, looked back to the past and found a reason for hope. Scholars call this priestly layer of the Pentateuch 'P', though we do not know whether P was an individual or, as seems more likely, and entire school. P revised the JE narrative [Yahwist, "J" because Yahweh is spelled with a J in German) and Elohist mentioned earler as the writers of some parts of the Pentateuch]and added the books of Numbers and Leviticus, drawing upon older document—genealogies, laws, and ritual texts—some written down, others transmitted." (Page25)

With this we have a possible corroboration of the strong possibility of Deuteronomy having been written before Leviticus and Numbers and maybe being the "book of the law" that Hilkiah said he found in the temple.

The authors of The Bible Unearthed give it further credence by writing (page 13):

"Scholars long ago recognized this book's [Deuteronomy ]possible connection to the otherwise mysterious "book of the Law" discovered by the high priest Hilkiah in the course of renovations to the Temple during the reign of Kind Josiah—in 622 BCE."

They continue:,"The impact of the book of Deuteronomy on the ultimate message of the Hebrew Bible goes far beyond its strict legal codes. The connected historical narrative of the books that follow the Pentateuch—Joshua, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings—is so closely related to Deuteronomy linguistically and theologically that it has come to be called by scholars since the middle of the 1940s the 'Deuteronomistic History' "

* * * *

So what is the beginning of Judaism? The only other place to look for a possible beginning is again given in the Bible itself, and that is in the stories of Abraham, Jacob, and Moses.