Faux God Causes Faux God
More history is being uncovered near Jerusalem which gives physical background to the Jesus myth.
This is the precise variety of archaeological data needed to give a clear picture of why people living in the area, both Jews and Gentiles, may have started the Jesus movement for very moral reasons from within a politically debauched society. How it occurred is what the early Church tried to “document” as the myth’s proscribed texts. The fact they actually had to live through such insane rulers makes it less a wonder that so many people found it so easy to accept the mythology.
I’m glad they revolted. The Roman god-emperors were getting sadistically revolting by that time. Wasn’t Nero just around the corner? A quick Google shows he was fin by 68CE (Common Era.)
Regardless of one’s thoughts on the reality of Christ’s existence, it certainly suggests that these folks had reasons to develop a deep loathing and mistrust for their Roman lords. The story strongly indicates that at least of few of those folks were ready to live through just about any government as long as they could maintain their spiritual traditions. The time and circumstances made for a substantially well-fertilized culture from which all 3 of the major Abrahamic cultural-political traditions would bloom; Judaism for an apparent 3rd try at being the “Chosen Ones.”
Science suffered hugely in this time as well. If people like Nero (God for all intents and purposes according to the Law,) were making all the Life & Death decisions, objectivity might seem a little, well, subjective to him. Despite some lucid years, the next several centuries deteriorated fairly rapidly.
It took another burst of religious rebellion by people like Luther, over a thousand years later, to initiate the Reformation and build upon a Europe centered Renaissance.
[Link]Archaeologists used pottery and coins found at the site to estimate that people lived there from around 70 to 132 A.D., when the Romans crushed a second Jewish revolt.
"We were surprised to find such a massive settlement," Sklar-Parnes (of the Israel Antiquities Authority) said. She estimated the village covered between three and four acres. She said it is impossible to tell if the settlement was built before or after the destruction of the temple, though life continued there after 70 A.D."
This is the precise variety of archaeological data needed to give a clear picture of why people living in the area, both Jews and Gentiles, may have started the Jesus movement for very moral reasons from within a politically debauched society. How it occurred is what the early Church tried to “document” as the myth’s proscribed texts. The fact they actually had to live through such insane rulers makes it less a wonder that so many people found it so easy to accept the mythology.
I’m glad they revolted. The Roman god-emperors were getting sadistically revolting by that time. Wasn’t Nero just around the corner? A quick Google shows he was fin by 68CE (Common Era.)
Regardless of one’s thoughts on the reality of Christ’s existence, it certainly suggests that these folks had reasons to develop a deep loathing and mistrust for their Roman lords. The story strongly indicates that at least of few of those folks were ready to live through just about any government as long as they could maintain their spiritual traditions. The time and circumstances made for a substantially well-fertilized culture from which all 3 of the major Abrahamic cultural-political traditions would bloom; Judaism for an apparent 3rd try at being the “Chosen Ones.”
Science suffered hugely in this time as well. If people like Nero (God for all intents and purposes according to the Law,) were making all the Life & Death decisions, objectivity might seem a little, well, subjective to him. Despite some lucid years, the next several centuries deteriorated fairly rapidly.
It took another burst of religious rebellion by people like Luther, over a thousand years later, to initiate the Reformation and build upon a Europe centered Renaissance.
There were temples in Jerusalem, therefore the Bible was right. Good logic, good logic.
ReplyDeleteLOL!
ReplyDeleteMore like, there were Jews in Jerusalem when it was illegal for them to be there. Them having been deemed enemies of Rome and all. Kinda like a neighborhood al Qaeda supporters in Oshkosh. They'd have the governments, er, ear, for sure, unless they hid their allegiance. It takes a pretty strong stomach to hide your beliefs, but people do it all the time. (er, I really am not of the sort.{-; )
It's all about seeing what really exists and leaving out the gibberish; like virgin births & Jobic whales and Gardens of Eden and resurrections. You know, emotionally charged, ignoramified gibberish.
You can toss the kid with the tub, but don't toss the events with the myths.
Ramen (or something equally inane! .)
Hi, Michael,
ReplyDeleteWhether Jesus was a real person, an amalgam of several real persons, or a myth doesn't really matter. What I find interesting is how the turbulence, brutality and, well, trauma of that time period set the stage for the later practices of the Xian church and how they view both the world and their own mythos.
We know that individuals who experience childhood trauma express it later in life in various ways, up to and including severe dissociation. That seems to describe a lot of Xian history, too -- early "saints" whose claim to fame was roasting in the desert seeing demons or chopping their own nuts off (Origen); Augustine v Pelagius (5th-6th C feud partly over whether Xians would be accepting of Pagans or repress them); witch burnings and fundamentalism v humanitarian liberalism; monasticism v engagement with the world; the religion's constant presentation of itself as "oppressed" even though it's dominant; obsession with sin/uncleanness, etc.
I suspect, if we could go back and study them, we'd find several of the religion's founders based their theology on unexamined nasty things that had happened to them... to the great detriment of subsequent generations.
Jaaaay! LOL! Happy New Year bro! I thought you may have been kidnapped by Millenialists who were pissed that you personally prevented the Rapture with your topics! LOL! Glad to hear from you 'gain amigo.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it really doesn't matter whether dude was real or an amalgam. My desire to know, while actually quite small, is more an effect of always wanting the little things understood in context. How many times have I made, or seen made, decisions based on a tiny concern of personal comfort, usually because of someone's opinion or gut feeling on the matter? Quite a few!
If there's a way to know All the Facts, then I want to know them. In this topic's case, I really enjoy the archaeological work being done for what it says about daily life at the time. As you say, "if we could go back and study them, we'd find several of the religion's founders based their theology on unexamined nasty things that had happened to them... " Knowing what kinds of nasty things those were likely to be in daily life, helps determine how such folks came to some of their wildest conclusions in such a determined manner.
Augustine v Pelagius (5th-6th C feud partly over whether Xians would be accepting of Pagans or repress them)
I had to look this one up, because it really sounded like a Tone-Setter. Austin Cline's site was helpful as is often the case.
... in 416, Pelagius and his teachings were condemned at the Council of Carthage with Pope Innocent I confirming. Luckily for Pelagius, Innocent was ill and died very soon thereafter and the succeeding pope, Zosimus, retracted the condemnation and declared Pelagius orthodox. It was Zosimus' contention that if the essentials of the Christian Faith are followed, everything else was tangential.*
Oh no!!! Live and Let Live?!?! God (or the newest Wealthy converts) forbid!
Regardless, the more information that we have about people's daily existence, the more accurate is our ability to understand why they made the weightier decisions of their time.
* Not to dissapoint anyone, but the story continues on a bleaker note:
In a scene that would be repeated for centuries to come, the power of the state was brought to bear against religious dissent and the Emperor declared Pelagius, his supporter Celestius and all followers to be heretics. In 418, a council in Africa reasserted the verdict of the previous pope and Zosimus was forced to confirm, writing a letter of excommunication to Pelagius. In 431 he died alone and mostly forgotten.
So much for Papal wisdom ...