Christian Appropriation
In the most obvious example of [Christian] appropriation, celebrations of the Winter Solstice were overwritten with celebrations of Christ's birth. Elves of the natural world and the female land-goddesses known as Landdísir were transformed into saints, and the protective family spirits called Hamingja or Fylgja became guardian angels.
Balder’s death and eventual resurrection were reflected in the sacrifice of Christ on Good Friday and his return to life on Easter Sunday. The Easter holiday itself is named for the Germanic goddess Eostra. As early as the ninth century, there are written records that the continental Germans knew April as Ôstarmânoth, named for Ostarâ, the German version of the fertility goddess.
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Full article here.
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In the most obvious example of [Christian] appropriation, celebrations of the Winter Solstice were overwritten with celebrations of Christ's birth. Elves of the natural world and the female land-goddesses known as Landdísir were transformed into saints, and the protective family spirits called Hamingja or Fylgja became guardian angels.
Balder’s death and eventual resurrection were reflected in the sacrifice of Christ on Good Friday and his return to life on Easter Sunday. The Easter holiday itself is named for the Germanic goddess Eostra. As early as the ninth century, there are written records that the continental Germans knew April as Ôstarmânoth, named for Ostarâ, the German version of the fertility goddess.
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Full article here.
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The 'True Birth' Of 'Jesus Christ'
Rather than the advent and death of a "historical" Christ, the single most important events in the history of Christianity were the "conversion" of the Pagan Emperor Constantine and the convening of the raucous Council of Nicea in 325, which in fact marked the true birth of Jesus Christ.
It is maintained that during the Nicene Council the names Jesus and Christ were put together for the first time in the phrase "Jesus Christ" or "Christ Jesus," uniting two of the major factions, with Jesus representing the Hesus of the Druids, Joshua of the Israelites, Horus of the Egyptians, and Christ representing the Krishna of India, the Anointed of the Jews, among others.
It is thus alleged that the phrase "Jesus Christ," which had never been a name, does not appear in Greek or Latin authors prior to the first Council of Nicea.
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From: The Christ Conspiracy by D.M. Murdock.
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Rather than the advent and death of a "historical" Christ, the single most important events in the history of Christianity were the "conversion" of the Pagan Emperor Constantine and the convening of the raucous Council of Nicea in 325, which in fact marked the true birth of Jesus Christ.
It is maintained that during the Nicene Council the names Jesus and Christ were put together for the first time in the phrase "Jesus Christ" or "Christ Jesus," uniting two of the major factions, with Jesus representing the Hesus of the Druids, Joshua of the Israelites, Horus of the Egyptians, and Christ representing the Krishna of India, the Anointed of the Jews, among others.
It is thus alleged that the phrase "Jesus Christ," which had never been a name, does not appear in Greek or Latin authors prior to the first Council of Nicea.
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From: The Christ Conspiracy by D.M. Murdock.
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"Josephus records the rise and popularity of several false messiahs in the same general period as Christianity was getting started. He does not explicitly call them messiahs—he probably wanted to avoid reminding his Gentile audience that this was the product of Jewish ideology, and instead claimed it was the product of fringe criminals and ruffians. Josephus recounts at least four messianic figures of the early first century, and documents how enormously popular they were, compelling the Romans to mass military action to suppress them."
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From: On the Historicity of Jesus by Richard Carrier.
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From: On the Historicity of Jesus by Richard Carrier.
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"In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is depicted as having been brought up in a city called 'Nazareth,' a purported biographical detail upon which much speculation has been hung over the centuries as to a 'historical' Jewish messiah figure in the gospel story, buried somewhere underneath layers of pious elaboration. Despite all of this speculation, there exists no hard scientific evidence that the polis or 'city' of Nazareth as depicted in the New Testament even existed at the time when Christ was supposedly being raised there."
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From: Was There a Historical Jesus of Nazareth? by D.M. Murdock.
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From: Was There a Historical Jesus of Nazareth? by D.M. Murdock.
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The Total Extermination Of The Amalekites
The Massacre of Verden was an event during the Saxon Wars where the Frankish king Charlemagne ordered the death of 4,500 Saxons in October 782.
Charlemagne claimed suzerainty over Saxony and in 772 destroyed the Irminsul, an important object in Saxon paganism, during his intermittent thirty-year campaign to Christianize the Saxons. The massacre occurred in Verden in what is now Lower Saxony, Germany.
Historian Alessandro Barbero says that "the most likely inspiration for the mass execution of Verden was the Bible", Charlemagne desiring "to act like a true King of Israel", citing the biblical tale of the total extermination of the Amalekites and the conquest of the Moabites by David.
Barbero further points out that a few years later, a royal chronicler, commenting on Charlemagne's treatment of the Saxons, records that "either they were defeated or subjected to the Christian religion or completely swept away."
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Full article here.
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The Massacre of Verden was an event during the Saxon Wars where the Frankish king Charlemagne ordered the death of 4,500 Saxons in October 782.
Charlemagne claimed suzerainty over Saxony and in 772 destroyed the Irminsul, an important object in Saxon paganism, during his intermittent thirty-year campaign to Christianize the Saxons. The massacre occurred in Verden in what is now Lower Saxony, Germany.
Historian Alessandro Barbero says that "the most likely inspiration for the mass execution of Verden was the Bible", Charlemagne desiring "to act like a true King of Israel", citing the biblical tale of the total extermination of the Amalekites and the conquest of the Moabites by David.
Barbero further points out that a few years later, a royal chronicler, commenting on Charlemagne's treatment of the Saxons, records that "either they were defeated or subjected to the Christian religion or completely swept away."
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Full article here.
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"Charlemagne created a peaceful environment for Jews in his kingdom. Charlemagne fostered a system where the Christian majority could procure credit through Jewish constituents. Christians were forbidden to loan money at an interest rate, a restriction not shared by the Jews. As a result, Jews were enabled to dominate the money-lending/banking business, thrusting many into prominence & wealth throughout Medieval Europe. The flip side of this was that they would suffer persecutions throughout their history in Europe in part based on the perception that they exploited the Christian community."
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Full article here.
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Full article here.
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Ethnikos & Katholikos
The word pagan is derived from the Latin pāgānus, meaning "rural" or "rustic". Initially, the word ethnikos was used in the Bible to refer to pagans, meaning those of the ethnic faith, and the word gentile derives from the Latin gentilis, meaning "clan" or "tribe". Catholic, however, derives from the Greek katholikos, meaning "universal", for we "are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28).
The purpose of Abrahamism is and always has been the universal worship of "the God of Israel" (Isa 45:3) and therefore the Jews—his "treasured possession" who were "chosen out of all the peoples" (Deut 7:6)—by proxy. Those who "will rule over many nations but none will rule over [them]" (Deut 15:6), who will be "the head, not the tail" (Deut 28:13), and who promote universalism—through Christianity and Islam—for everyone but themselves, for they are "a people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations". (Num 23:9)
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The word pagan is derived from the Latin pāgānus, meaning "rural" or "rustic". Initially, the word ethnikos was used in the Bible to refer to pagans, meaning those of the ethnic faith, and the word gentile derives from the Latin gentilis, meaning "clan" or "tribe". Catholic, however, derives from the Greek katholikos, meaning "universal", for we "are all one in Christ Jesus" (Gal 3:28).
The purpose of Abrahamism is and always has been the universal worship of "the God of Israel" (Isa 45:3) and therefore the Jews—his "treasured possession" who were "chosen out of all the peoples" (Deut 7:6)—by proxy. Those who "will rule over many nations but none will rule over [them]" (Deut 15:6), who will be "the head, not the tail" (Deut 28:13), and who promote universalism—through Christianity and Islam—for everyone but themselves, for they are "a people dwelling alone, not reckoning itself among the nations". (Num 23:9)
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Just Doing What The Bible Said
"Five perfectly red heifers, required for the ritual purification of those who have touched a dead body, arrived in Israel from a ranch in Texas on Thursday, as the Temple Institute continues preparations to lay the ground for the construction of the Third Temple in Jerusalem."
"Byron Stinson, the farmer who raised the cattle, is a devout Christian who began breeding cattle for the trait. 'I didn’t set out to do this, but right now, I am probably the best red heifer hunter in Texas,' Stinson told Israel365 news. 'The Bible says to bring a red cow to purify Israel, and I may not understand it, but I am just doing what the Bible said.'"
"'The prophecies came true, and the Jews are back in Israel,' added Stinson. 'Now they need to build a Temple. But it's like buying a really nice car. If you don’t have the key, you aren’t going anywhere. The red heifer is the key to making the Temple work like it’s supposed to.'"
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Full article here.
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"Five perfectly red heifers, required for the ritual purification of those who have touched a dead body, arrived in Israel from a ranch in Texas on Thursday, as the Temple Institute continues preparations to lay the ground for the construction of the Third Temple in Jerusalem."
"Byron Stinson, the farmer who raised the cattle, is a devout Christian who began breeding cattle for the trait. 'I didn’t set out to do this, but right now, I am probably the best red heifer hunter in Texas,' Stinson told Israel365 news. 'The Bible says to bring a red cow to purify Israel, and I may not understand it, but I am just doing what the Bible said.'"
"'The prophecies came true, and the Jews are back in Israel,' added Stinson. 'Now they need to build a Temple. But it's like buying a really nice car. If you don’t have the key, you aren’t going anywhere. The red heifer is the key to making the Temple work like it’s supposed to.'"
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Full article here.
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The Son Of God
Christ's biographical account in the gospels shares many similarities with other religious figures. One was Dionysus, who was believed by the Greeks to be the son of Zeus—the "father of the gods."
In other words, Dionysus was considered to be the "son of god," or the "son of the father." His mother was a mortal named Semele, who was supernaturally impregnated by Zeus. And—get this—the followers of Dionysus were claimed to have been "born again."
Dionysus, like Christ, was a traveling teacher and he was alleged to be the god of wine. This wine attachment is also observed with Christ, who placed a considerable emphasis on wine in the ceremonial "Lord's Supper" and, of course, wine was the theme behind the "miracle" of turning water into wine at the Cana wedding feast.
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From: What Is Wrong With the Bible? by Charles Giuliani.
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Christ's biographical account in the gospels shares many similarities with other religious figures. One was Dionysus, who was believed by the Greeks to be the son of Zeus—the "father of the gods."
In other words, Dionysus was considered to be the "son of god," or the "son of the father." His mother was a mortal named Semele, who was supernaturally impregnated by Zeus. And—get this—the followers of Dionysus were claimed to have been "born again."
Dionysus, like Christ, was a traveling teacher and he was alleged to be the god of wine. This wine attachment is also observed with Christ, who placed a considerable emphasis on wine in the ceremonial "Lord's Supper" and, of course, wine was the theme behind the "miracle" of turning water into wine at the Cana wedding feast.
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From: What Is Wrong With the Bible? by Charles Giuliani.
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"Because it is forbidden for the Jews to convert those who are genetically outside the Jewish tribe to Judaism, the only way to make the non-Jews follow the Torah was the creation of another Torah-guided religion. And Rabbi Joshua—who became Jesus Christ in the minds of the pagans—had done it, and we the Jews have to be thankful for his efforts to fulfill the Jewish mission of the Chosen."
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"Martin Luther spent a month in Rome in 1510, three years before Pope Leo X became pontiff, and was disillusioned at the corruption he found there, and alleged in 1531 that Pope Leo X had vetoed a measure that cardinals should restrict the number of boys they kept for their pleasure, 'otherwise it would have been spread throughout the world how openly and shamelessly the pope and the cardinals in Rome practice sodomy.'"
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Full article here.
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Full article here.
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The Ruination Of Literacy And History
One of the greatest crimes in human history was the destruction in 391 of the library at Alexandria perpetrated by Christian fanatics under Theophilus bent on hiding the truth about their religion and its alleged founder. Because of this villainy, we have lost priceless information as to the true state of the ancient world, with such desolation also setting back civilization at least 1,000 years.
The destruction did not end there, however, as the ruination of literacy and history became an all-consuming Christian pursuit. By the fifth century the destruction was so complete Archbishop Chrysostom could boast of it thus: "Every trace of the old philosophy and literature of the ancient world has vanished from the face of the earth."
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From: The Christ Conspiracy by D.M. Murdock.
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One of the greatest crimes in human history was the destruction in 391 of the library at Alexandria perpetrated by Christian fanatics under Theophilus bent on hiding the truth about their religion and its alleged founder. Because of this villainy, we have lost priceless information as to the true state of the ancient world, with such desolation also setting back civilization at least 1,000 years.
The destruction did not end there, however, as the ruination of literacy and history became an all-consuming Christian pursuit. By the fifth century the destruction was so complete Archbishop Chrysostom could boast of it thus: "Every trace of the old philosophy and literature of the ancient world has vanished from the face of the earth."
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From: The Christ Conspiracy by D.M. Murdock.
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"The 'Wisdom of Solomon'—generally dated to the mid-first century BC—presents that a 'righteous man' whose 'soul is blameless,' yet is mistreated 'with insult and torture' and wrongly condemned to a 'shameful death' (2:19-22; compare Mark 15:29-32), is in fact a 'Son of God' (2:13, 2:16, 2:18, 5:5) who will be resurrected and crowned by God, while those who despise him will be condemned. This lesson certainly predates Christianity, which makes this another example of how Jewish values were primed for accepting the story of Jesus."
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From: Not the Impossible Faith by Richard Carrier.
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From: Not the Impossible Faith by Richard Carrier.
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We Have No Evidence
We have no evidence that an historical Jesus even existed, until decades after his death. We have no bodies, no tombs, no physical remains, no letters, no engravings—nothing that counts as evidence. The oldest existing Bible dates from the year 350; as we move backward in time from there, our confidence in the actual text diminishes significantly. Expert consensus is that the four Gospels date to the years 70 to 95 AD, and Paul’s letters to 50 to 70 AD.
Between the years zero and 93 AD we have absolutely no independent, corroborating evidence for such things as the Bethlehem star, any of Jesus’ 36 miracles, any of the apostles’ miracles, or any of the Christian-specific events depicted in the New Testament. Josephus’ brief reference in 93 is the first independent confirmation of the mere existence of a Christian movement, followed by Tacitus and Pliny around the year 115.
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From: The Jesus Hoax by David Skrbina.
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We have no evidence that an historical Jesus even existed, until decades after his death. We have no bodies, no tombs, no physical remains, no letters, no engravings—nothing that counts as evidence. The oldest existing Bible dates from the year 350; as we move backward in time from there, our confidence in the actual text diminishes significantly. Expert consensus is that the four Gospels date to the years 70 to 95 AD, and Paul’s letters to 50 to 70 AD.
Between the years zero and 93 AD we have absolutely no independent, corroborating evidence for such things as the Bethlehem star, any of Jesus’ 36 miracles, any of the apostles’ miracles, or any of the Christian-specific events depicted in the New Testament. Josephus’ brief reference in 93 is the first independent confirmation of the mere existence of a Christian movement, followed by Tacitus and Pliny around the year 115.
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From: The Jesus Hoax by David Skrbina.
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"The entire world has already become filled with the mention of Mashiach [the Jewish Messiah], Torah [Jewish scriptures], and mitzvot [Jewish law]. Ultimately, all the deeds of Jesus of Nazareth and that Ishmaelite who arose after him [Muhammad] will only serve to prepare the way for Mashiach's coming and the improvement of the entire world, motivating the nations to serve [the Jewish] God together."
— Maimonides (The Mishneh Torah)
The most influential Jewish philosopher and Torah scholar of all time, Maimonides, praising Christianity and Islam for spreading Jewish prophecies, Jewish scriptures, Jewish law, and the universal worship of the Jewish God across the non-Jewish nations.
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— Maimonides (The Mishneh Torah)
The most influential Jewish philosopher and Torah scholar of all time, Maimonides, praising Christianity and Islam for spreading Jewish prophecies, Jewish scriptures, Jewish law, and the universal worship of the Jewish God across the non-Jewish nations.
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Paul the Apostle, whose letters formed the foundation of Christianity—despite never even having met Jesus—admitting that he was "indeed a Jew".
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Why Should We Not Worship Gods?
Whatever the outcome of the debate over the form of God and the importance of images, the Christians are the losers, since they worship neither a god nor even a demon, but a dead man! Moreover, why should we not worship gods?
If it is accepted that all of nature—everything in the world—operates according to the will of God and that nothing works contrary to his purposes, then it must also be accepted that the angels, the demons, heroes—everything in the universe—are subject to the will of the great God who rules over all.
This being the case, it would be appropriate for each man who worships God also to honor the being who exercises his allotted responsibilities at God's pleasure, since that being must have been licensed to do what he does by God. A man who honors what belongs to God does not offend God, since all belongs to him.
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From: On the True Doctrine by Celsus (ca. 178 CE).
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Whatever the outcome of the debate over the form of God and the importance of images, the Christians are the losers, since they worship neither a god nor even a demon, but a dead man! Moreover, why should we not worship gods?
If it is accepted that all of nature—everything in the world—operates according to the will of God and that nothing works contrary to his purposes, then it must also be accepted that the angels, the demons, heroes—everything in the universe—are subject to the will of the great God who rules over all.
This being the case, it would be appropriate for each man who worships God also to honor the being who exercises his allotted responsibilities at God's pleasure, since that being must have been licensed to do what he does by God. A man who honors what belongs to God does not offend God, since all belongs to him.
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From: On the True Doctrine by Celsus (ca. 178 CE).
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A Fulfillment Of Biblical Prophecy
"White evangelicals, most of whom are proud Republicans, have the strongest views of Israelis. A whopping 86% of white evangelicals said they felt warmly toward Israelis—more than any other Christian group. The survey found that 70% of white evangelicals believe God gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people."
"'It's important to their theological narrative,' said Arielle Levites, research assistant professor at George Washington University, referring to white evangelicals. Many evangelicals view the creation of Israel in 1948 as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy that would usher in Jesus' return, although the survey did not ask about this."
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Full article here.
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"White evangelicals, most of whom are proud Republicans, have the strongest views of Israelis. A whopping 86% of white evangelicals said they felt warmly toward Israelis—more than any other Christian group. The survey found that 70% of white evangelicals believe God gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people."
"'It's important to their theological narrative,' said Arielle Levites, research assistant professor at George Washington University, referring to white evangelicals. Many evangelicals view the creation of Israel in 1948 as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy that would usher in Jesus' return, although the survey did not ask about this."
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Full article here.
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"Norway's Olaf Haraldsson, known as Olaf the Stout and later Saint Olaf, converted in France after a glorious career as a pagan Viking, which included leading the destruction of London Bridge in 1010. Returning to Norway as a Christian, he became king in 1016 and was thereafter a zealous evangelizer for the new faith. He burned down the farms of all who resisted conversion and crippled recalcitrant pagans. Reason, bribery, miracles, force—Olaf employed every method available to convert his people."
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Full article here.
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Full article here.
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A History That Never Happened
There is a problem with the names 'Jerusalem' and 'Israel'. Their derivation tells a history that is completely at odds with the Bible. The word Israel means 'fighter for El' who was a Canaanite god. Jerusalem is named after another Canaanite god called Shalem. But according to the Bible, the Canaanites were the deadly enemies of the Israelites. What is going on here? The answer is simple but shocking.
All the evidence now points to the Israelites being indigenous inhabitants of Canaan. The Biblical story that they arrived in Palestine from Egypt is a myth. The Israelites did not come from somewhere else, they were already there. This view is now widely shared by scholars. One modern archaeologist states: "The Israelites never were in Egypt. They never came from abroad. The whole chain is broken. It is not an historical one. It is a later legendary reconstruction of a history that never happened."
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From: The Laughing Jesus by Tim Freke.
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There is a problem with the names 'Jerusalem' and 'Israel'. Their derivation tells a history that is completely at odds with the Bible. The word Israel means 'fighter for El' who was a Canaanite god. Jerusalem is named after another Canaanite god called Shalem. But according to the Bible, the Canaanites were the deadly enemies of the Israelites. What is going on here? The answer is simple but shocking.
All the evidence now points to the Israelites being indigenous inhabitants of Canaan. The Biblical story that they arrived in Palestine from Egypt is a myth. The Israelites did not come from somewhere else, they were already there. This view is now widely shared by scholars. One modern archaeologist states: "The Israelites never were in Egypt. They never came from abroad. The whole chain is broken. It is not an historical one. It is a later legendary reconstruction of a history that never happened."
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From: The Laughing Jesus by Tim Freke.
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