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David Lucifer
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The word of the Lord -- or something like it
« on: 2006-05-07 14:01:00 » |
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Source: Vancouver Sun
The word of the Lord -- or something like it
The Bible has changed so many times it's hard to know what to believe, writes Jennifer Green.
Jennifer Green
The Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, May 06, 2006
For all those folks following the Good Book, here's some bad news.
Turns out a lot of the modern Bible was tacked on, scratched out, or just plain garbled from the original Gospels as scribes over the millennia tried to present Christianity in what they thought was its truest light.
In fact, many modern Bibles are based on flawed originals, says Bart Ehrman in his bestselling book Misquoting Jesus: The Story behind who Changed the Bible and Why.
Even the beloved King James version has several segments based on a 12th-century manuscript that scholars now say was one of the most error-riddled in the history of the New Testament.
Some of the changes hit sore spots even today. For instance, St. Paul may not have been as critical of women as we have been led to believe.
Mr. Ehrman, chair of the department of religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, says it was not Paul but a second-century follower of his who wrote in 1Timothy 2:11-15: "let a woman learn in silence with full submission. I permit no woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she is to keep silent ..."
Similarly, says Mr. Ehrman, scholars doubt that Paul wrote a passage in Corinthians saying "let the women keep silent."
It appears these later additions were intended to address a power struggle in the early church. For one thing, he asks, why would Paul say women should only speak with their heads covered in 11:2-16 of 1 Corinthians, only to say elsewhere they may not speak at all?
To date, 5,700 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament have been discovered, the earliest a tiny fragment of John 18 written around 120 CE. Including the 10,000 Latin Vulgate versions, and the thousands in other languages, we have between 200,000 and 400,000 variants of the New Testament today.
Scholars are able to compare the scripts to determine which was likely the earliest and had the fewest errors -- either accidental copying mistakes or intentional changes or additions tacked on by later writers to make a point or "clarify" something.
It did not help that Greek was written without spaces between the letters, making translation all that more difficult. Imagine trying to make sense of godisnowhere: God is nowhere? God is now here? They are profoundly different statements.
But scholars have found that the earliest New Testament copies -- and the most likely accurate -- differ starkly from the Bible we are familiar with.
John 7:53-8:12 is one of the best-known stories of the Bible, where Jesus saves the adulteress from stoning, and tells the Pharisees "let the one who is without sin among you cast the first stone."
It is an elegant and morally satisfying story -- but it did not start out in the original New Testament, says Mr. Ehrman. Biblical scholars agree the writing style is markedly different from the rest of John, and it has many words and phrases completely out of tune.
In our current version of Mark's account of Jesus' death and resurrection, Christ appears to Mary Magdalene, then to two other disciples, and finally to all of them. He tells them to go forth and preach what He has taught them and He says, finally, that those who believe will "cast out demons in my name; they will speak in new tongues; and they will take up snakes in their hands; and if they drink any poison, it will not harm them; they will place their hands upon the sick and heal them."
None of these last 12 verses are anywhere to be found in the early Gospels, which end abruptly with the women fleeing in terror from Christ's tomb. Perhaps the original ending of Mark is lost to time. But scholars have no doubt that, whatever happened to the original, these final 12 verses were a much later addition.
And these are just the most dramatic of more than 30,000 changes, errors, or ideological amendments peppering one of our civilization's most important books.
That's because from the moment Christ left Earth, His followers were debating what His life and death had really meant, and how His teachings ought to be preached. All manner of letters and gospels were produced, many in conflict with one another. These authors setting down the story of Jesus saw themselves as writers creating a new story, not scribes transcribing an old story.
Most people expected Christ to return imminently and overthrow evil once and for all. When it became apparent that that wasn't going to happen, the early church realized it had to get more structured if it was to survive. At that point, leaders began to decide which gospels were legitimate, and which were not. They not only had to contend with external persecution, but a constellation of different varieties of Christianity all clamouring for legitimacy. It was not until 367 CE that a canon was finally established.
Even though the church had settled on which texts to use, it had trouble making true copies of them. Almost nobody could read and write very well. Even village scribes could barely comprehend what they were writing. Often the best they could do was literally copy something put in front of them, errors and all.
Mr. Ehrman began his academic career as a fundamentalist and evangelical who took the Bible as literal truth. Today, he has a much more nuanced idea of "truth."
He says in the introduction to his book, that his studies "led to a radical rethinking of my understanding of what the Bible is. This was a seismic change for me. Before this ... my faith had been based completely on a certain view of the Bible as the fully inspired, inerrant word of God."
Now he says, he sees the Bible as "a very human book with very human points of view, many of which differ from one another, and none of which offers an inerrant guide to how we should live."
© The Ottawa Citizen 2006
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Blunderov
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Re:The word of the Lord -- or something like it
« Reply #1 on: 2006-06-04 04:51:44 » |
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[Blunderov] Somehow this all set me off on a quest for Judas
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel_of_Judas *
which led to the Apocalypse of James
http://www.gnosis.org/naghamm/1ja.html
Which is utterly fascinating. Written in the form of a dialogue as is the case with the other Apocrypha, to my mind the most interesting bit (so far at least) is the attempted "patch" for the "problem of the female".
It had not ocurred to me before, but, theologically speaking, this is a bit of a bitch 
If God created man in his own image, then females are different than godly. And the question arises as to why it is necessary to have them at all. The "Pre-existent One" (as the Apocalypse very tellingly names God; an awarenes of Greek philosophy seems implicit here perhaps?) must have been capable of creating a universe without this apparent superfluity. And so it is, it seems to me, that the "Apocalypse of James" throws itself into frantic contortions to explain this away.
(Remember Scrat from "Ice Age"
http://uploads.gimmixx.de/1115997031/invafrcizeqv.jpg
straining to prevent the Glacier from cracking apart? Read on...)**
<snip>
"Nothing existed except Him-who-is. He is unnameable and ineffable. I myself am also unnameable, from Him-who-is, just as I have been given a number of names - two from Him-who-is. And I, I am before you. Since you have asked concerning femaleness, femaleness existed, but femaleness was not first. And it prepared for itself powers and gods. But it did not exist when I came forth, since I am an image of Him-who-is...
...But I shall call upon the imperishable knowledge, which is Sophia who is in the Father (and) who is the mother of Achamoth. Achamoth had no father nor male consort, but she is female from a female. She produced you without a male, since she was alone (and) in ignorance as to what lives through her mother because she thought that she alone existed. But I shall cry out to her mother. And then they will fall into confusion (and) will blame their root and the race of their mother. But you will go up to what is yours...
...The perishable has gone up to the imperishable and the female element has attained to this male element."
</snip>
A masterly misdirection of Rovian proportions. More to my own taste is the suggestion that the path to enlightenment is through excess. (My own interpretation obviously. Actual mileage may vary.)
"For you descended into a great ignorance,
but you have not been defiled by anything in it.
For you descended into a great mindlessness,
and your recollection remained.
You walked in mud,
and your garments were not soiled,
and you have not been buried in their filth,
and you have not been caught.
And I was not like them, but I clothed myself with everything of theirs. "
[Bl.] The Apocalypse also contains seeming corroboration for the Gospel of Judas' contention that Judas was carrying out instructions from Jesus himself.
<snip>
James said, "Rabbi, you have said, 'they will seize me.' But I, what can I do?" He said to me, "Fear not, James. You too will they seize. But leave Jerusalem...
...James said, "Rabbi, how, after these things, will you appear to us again? After they seize you, and you complete this destiny, you will go up to Him-who-is." The Lord said, "James, after these things I shall reveal to you everything, not for your sake alone but for the sake of the unbelief of men, so that faith may exist in them. For a multitude will attain to faith and they will increase in [...]. And after this I shall appear for a reproof to the archons. And I shall reveal to them that he cannot be seized. If they seize him, then he will overpower each of them. But now I shall go. Remember the things I have spoken and let them go up before you." James said,"Lord, I shall hasten as you have said." The Lord said farewell to him and fulfilled what was fitting.</snip>
Best regards.
*The Gospel of Judas belongs to a school of Gnosticism called Sethianism, a group who looked to Adam's son Seth as their spiritual ancestor. As in other Sethian documents, Jesus is equated with Seth: "The first is Seth, who is called Christ" although this is in part of an emanationist mythology describing both positive and negative aeons.
For metaphysical reasons, the Sethian Gnostics authors of this text maintained that Judas acted as he did in order that mankind might be redeemed by the death of Jesus' mortal body. For this reason, they regarded Judas as worthy of gratitude and veneration. The Gospel of Judas does not describe any events after the arrest of Jesus.
By contrast, the Gospel of John, unlike the synoptic gospels, contains the enigmatic statement of Jesus to Judas, as the latter leaves the Last Supper to set in motion the betrayal process, "Do quickly what you have to do." (John 13:27) (trans. The New English Bible). Most view this as a direct command to Judas to do what he did, while others believe Jesus was speaking to Satan rather than to Judas (thus "Satan entered into [Judas]").
Some two centuries after Irenaeus' complaint, Epiphanius of Salamis, bishop of Cyprus, criticized the Gospel of Judas for treating as commendable the person whom he saw as the betrayer of Jesus, and as one who "performed a good work for our salvation." (Haeres., xxxviii).
** Bonus Scrat <weakly appeals to contention that the path to enlightenment is through excess>
http://sqrat.net/gallery/albums/tats/postcard2.sized.jpg
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Blunderov
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Re:The word of the Lord -- or something like it
« Reply #2 on: 2006-06-10 06:51:16 » |
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[Blunderov]I have not read "The Book of Thoth" - there is so much I haven't read - but from what I can gather it is an elucidation of deck of Tarot cards as opposed to the more traditional kind of book. I not big on the occult usually but I'm inclined to admire "The Book of Thoth" for the richness of it's art and metaphor. And probably it could prove useful in dredging up unexpected connections and associations in much the same way as the I-Ching does. Similarly, Leonardo da Vinci recommended staring at peeling paint on a wall for an extended period as a fulcrum for inspiration.
To each their own but I would caution against taking this sort of material too literally. The important thing, to my mind, is that one from time to time makes the effort, by whatever means, to step outside of one's own preconceptions.
Best regards.
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Blunderov
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Re:The word of the Lord -- or something like it
« Reply #3 on: 2006-06-12 21:17:31 » |
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Quote:
[Blunderov] Lots of people, hopefully none of them you, take this sort of thing too literally IMV. To my recent knowledge, the Psi Trance scene, which is quite strong here, is much taken with this kind of esoterica. You will find no shortage of people, usually women it seems, willing to tell your fortune with Tarot cards. And in all sincerity too. The Tarot was also much beloved by the hippies of yore.
With our new found love of democracy, Sunday TV programming in South Africa has become strange experience. In an attempt by the public broadcaster to give equal time to all "spiritual" beliefs, we are treated not only to the mainstream religions but also to numerologists, astrologists, crystal healers and homeopaths to name but a few. (Rastafarianism seems to be about the only exception of any significance. )
As to the "advice", well, it was not my intention to come off condescending, but I was trying to find another way to say that nothing is ever completely wasted because this too sounds rather condescending. Win some, lose some. It does worry me that people can be so readily taken in. Perhaps it shouldn't. There doesn't seem to be any help for it really.
Best regards.
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Hermit
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Re:The word of the Lord -- or something like it
« Reply #4 on: 2006-06-13 02:03:33 » |
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Caption: Aleister Crowley posing as the Bodhisvattva Hotei
Crap is crap. Life is short. Too short for crap. (As Crowley might have written)
Or, ars longa vita brevis*. (As Seneca rendering Hippocrates did write - and Crowley would undoubtedly have comprehended)
The principle use for Crowley, I have found, is the uncanny ability of his words to give a certain sort of Christian (the quasi-educated sort (pale mauve shudder) who have heard of him as the ludicrously described, and ridiculously self-advertised "wickedest man in the world" - but not read him) screaming conniptions. Then, if you are just a little bit fortunate, they go away (if not revolted then at least possibly convinced that you are too stupid to debate with - which is, I admit, often my reaction to those advocating any of the "magickally" misspelled nonsense (and I grant that Crowley knew how to spell)), but which can still serve the purpose).
Of course, I'm not averse to quoting (from book II of his wife, Rose' book, Liber AL vel Legis (illiterate capitalization and all)):
Quote:| "23. I am alone: there is no God where I am. 24. Behold! these be grave mysteries; for there are also of my friends who be hermits. Now think not to find them in the forest or on the mountain; but in beds of purple, caressed by magnificent beasts of women with large limbs, and fire and light in their eyes, and masses of flaming hair about them; there shall ye find them. Ye shall see them at rule, at victorious armies, at all the joy; and there shall be in them a joy a million times greater than this. Beware lest any force another, King against King! Love one another with burning hearts; on the low men trample in the fierce lust of your pride, in the day of your wrath." |
Even when this means that certain crystal polishing creatures get completely the wrong idea:Frail Pale Woe-man to the keeper of a knick-knack store [a friend of Hermit's] - wistfully, "Do you have any high energy crystals?"
Storekeeper (without hesitation): "You could try these quartz crystals over here. They develop a lot of energy when you strain them. Don't they Hermit?"
Hermit blows his nose explosively, makes throttling motions and rolls his eyes meaningfully.
Frail Pale Woe-man thing completely misses the point, takes this as confirmation, pays an exorbitant price and leaves. Clutching her invaluable "high-energy" crystals.
Hermit wonders sotto vocce if simply inserting a piezo-electric lighter in her ass would not have been even more energizing.
Months later, storekeeper notes that he now has a steady stream of customers coming into the store and asking for "Those powerful crystals you sell" Perhaps Crowley knew something I don't.
*Life is short, but the arts persist.
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With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion. - Steven Weinberg, 1999
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Blunderov
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Re:The word of the Lord -- or something like it
« Reply #5 on: 2006-06-13 15:35:30 » |
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Quote from: Aurorum on 2006-06-13 14:58:28
Aurorum: Hopefully, no one is "taken in" here; thus, why not focus on the information instead of the "cautioning of the others".
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[Blunderov] Well, I was simply attempting to be pleasant I suppose. To no apparent avail. Cest la vie.
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