The Origins of Christianity and the Bible. A survey of the sources and development of the Judeo-Christian beliefs.

This is a comprehensive study of the origins and the evolution of the Christian beliefs, from about the 20th century BCE to about the end of the 4th century CE. The author shows how the Christian beliefs evolved primarily form Judaism and secondarily from the Greek mystery religions and Plato. He explains with simple terms how the Jews borrowed many of their laws and beliefs from the early Babylonians, the Phoenicians, the Canaanites, and from the Egyptians. Rather than relying on arguments to make his case, he presents evidence (ancient quotations) as demonstrated below. Here are two quotations, set side by side, for easy visual comparison. One is from the Eshnunna Code and the other is form Exodus. Compare:

The similarities suggest that one writer borrowed from the other. Is this just a coincidence? To establish a pattern one has to present several examples of imitation. Here are two more. These ones are comparisons between the Hammurabi Code and Exodus:

There are more that two dozen comparables between the Hammurabi Code and the Law of Moses similar to the above. Such evidence cannot be a coincidence. Who borrowed? The one who wrote later borrowed his ideas from the writer who wrote earlier. The Eshnunna Code and the Hammurabi Code were written long before the Law of Moses.

The process of discovering the origins of Christianity entails much detective work. It is like solving a crossword puzzle.

The author explains how the stories of the Old Testament originated and when they were written down (obviously, after writing developed).

The author addresses questions, such as the following: From where did Abraham obtain his beliefs? Did Moses really write the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible)? Why didn't Moses believe that Satan exists or that God is a trinity, or that there is life after death? Who introduced the belief in life after death and how did such belief enter Judaism before the times of Jesus? Who was the first to claim that God is a trinity? Did Jesus claim to be God? Did Jesus abolish Judaism to establish Hellenistic Christianity (today's Christianity)? Exactly how did Diaspora Judaism was transformed into Hellenistic Christianity? Why did the Romans crucify Jesus? Did Jesus' followers believe Jesus is God? Did Paul and the early Church Fathers believe Jesus is God? From where did Paul obtain his beliefs? What do non-biblical sources tell us about the above questions? (This last question is of great importance.)

This study sets aside the dogmatic-theological approach to the scriptures in order to reach a reasonable-historical understanding. The author adheres to the historical-literary method of biblical criticism (the so-called higher criticism), which is concerned with issues such as the following: Who wrote a particular biblical book? On what sources did the writer of that book depend? How were the biblical manuscripts preserved? Was the biblical text altered during the process of making manuscript copies? Briefly, this approach asks the same questions about reliability and attestation that would be asked by anyone attempting to establish the credibility of any verbal or written assertion.
To get a feel for the book, check out the main subject titles: Abridged Table of Contents. Also, examine its Timeline. (A Timeline of beliefs, events, persons, landmarks, and other pertinent facts, which are mentioned or discussed in this book, and relate to the development of the Judaic and Christian beliefs.)

This subject is essential in understanding our social environment, because Christianity impacts our personal lives, our work environment, our schools, our laws, our courts, and the decisions of our political leaders on national and world matters. This study is helpful in understanding why Christianity is mixed and will continue to mix with politics. By the way, separation of Church and State is not possible in any country whose dominant religion is Islam, Judaism, or Christianity. Most of the world's history has been shaped by these religions, and particularly by Christianity. Therefore, understanding Christianity leads to understanding world history and the conflicts in the Middle-East, which threaten the stability of the world.

This book was written for those who want to know the facts concerning Judaism and Christianity; for those who approach this subject dispassionately and, relatively speaking, without partiality; (no one is totally free of bias); for those who are willing to measure Christianity with the same critical (analytical) standards as the ones they would use to measure Islam or Atheism.

There is the pastoral approach to the Bible and then, there is the scholarly approach. These approaches yield different results. For example, if you ask your pastor, priest, or rabbi, What did God create first? He will tell you: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1 KJV) But if you ask a biblical scholar the same question he or she will point out three biblical passages, which give three different answers:

A scholar will explain the reason why the above verses disagree: Genesis, Proverbs, and Revelation were written in three different periods and by three different persons, who had slightly different religious beliefs in their minds.

Your pastor, priest, or rabbi will tell you that God gave the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, and Moses wrote it in the Pentateuch. But scholars will point out the following facts: the Pentateuch was written in Hebrew and Moses did not know how to write Hebrew, because the Hebrew writing did not become available to the Israelites until about two centuries after Moses died. Furthermore, about fifty of the laws of Moses (who lived in the 13th century BCE) are strikingly similar to the laws of Hammurabi (who lived during the 18th century BCE). Here are two examples:

The Mosaic Law came hundreds of years after Hammurabi's Law and it exhibits a considerable dependence on the latter. The similarities between these laws (in fifty instances) cannot be explained away; those similarities are not just a coincidence. Evidence shows that the early Israelites borrowed many of their laws from their neighbors: the early Babylonians and the Canaanites. The book explains how this transfer of ideas took place. The above samples were provided, so that you can get the basic idea of the process of tracing the origins of biblical beliefs. There are more factors involved in this process, which are explained in the book.

Scholarly rule number one: Dead men cannot write books
Scholarly rule number two: the name that appears in the title of a biblical book does not indicate the author of that book

Most people are under the impression that the name in the title of a biblical book (Daniel, Samuel, Joshua, etc.) indicates the author of such book. Did the prophet Samuel write the books titled 1 and 2 Samuel? The following verse of 1 Samuel says that Samuel died during the reign of Saul (ca. 1050-1010 BCE): “Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had mourned for him and buried him in Ramah, his own city. … Saul gathered all Israel …” (1 Samuel 28:3-4 NRSV) Now, Samuel could not have written that he died and that the Israelites mourned for him and buried him. This book also says that after Samuel died Saul went to a medium, who raised Samuel’s spirit form the dead: “Then Samuel {the spirit of Samuel} said to Saul, ‘Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up {from the dead}?’ ” (1 Samuel 28:15 NRSV) Obviously, Samuel could not have written that he was raised from the dead. Therefore, Samuel did not write 1 Samuel, even though it is titled "Samuel." Neither did he write 2 Samuel, because this book is the sequel of 1 Samuel. So one cannot determine the authorship of a biblical book by its title. The NIV Study Bible says, “Who the author was cannot be known with certainty since the book gives no indication of his identity. Some have suggested Zabud …” [1] The book gives an indication that Samuel died. One thing is certain: dead men cannot write books. This is scholarly rule number one. This rule applies also to the case of Moses. Moses could not have written the book of Deuteronomy, which says that he was buried and that people mourned for him for thirty days: “So Moses … died there in the land of Moab … And he {the LORD himself} buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, … but no man knows of his sepulcher {tomb} to this day. And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died ... And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days: so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended. ... And there arose not a prophet since {that time} in Israel like ... Moses.” (Deuteronomy 34:5-8, 10 KJV) This rule applies also to the case of Joshua. Joshua could not have written the book titled after him because he could not have written the following: “After these things Joshua … died … They buried him in his own inheritance … Israel served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua …” (Joshua 24:29-31 NRSV) Had Joshua written the book of Joshua, he would not have written it in the third person and he would not have written the following: “… Joshua … said in the sight of Israel, ‘Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and Moon, in the valley of Aijalon.’ And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar?” (Joshua 10:12-13, NRSV) Had Joshua been an eyewitness of that spectacular miracle, writing shortly after it happened, he would not have written “Is this not written in the Book of Jashar?” The NIV Study Bible reads, “… we are unsure who the final author or editor was.” [2] (The NIV commment admits that the Bible was edited.)
The book of 2 Samuel is not about Samuel, it does not mention Samuel, it was not written by Samuel, and it contains stories which took place after the times of Samuel. Why then is titled Samuel? Originally 1 and 2 Samuel were one book, until sometime before the Common Era the Septuagint translators divided it into two books. The original book was titled Samuel because Samuel plays an important role in the early part of this book. Likewise, the book of Joshua is titled Joshua, because Joshua plays an important role in the stories contained in this book. To conclude, here is scholarly rule number two: just because a biblical book is titled with a name (1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, Joshua, Esther, Daniel, Job, or Ezra) and just because the person named in the title plays a role in that book, it does not mean that the book was written by the person named in the title. This rule also applies to the individual psalms, which are titled “A Psalm of David.” This rule also applies to the four Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

[1] The NIV Study Bible, p. 371 (Introduction to 1 Samuel).

[2] The NIV Study Bible, p. 289 (Introduction to Joshua).

The author of this book is a biblical historian/researcher, specializing in the history and the evolution of the Judaic and Christian beliefs, from about 2000 BCE to about 400 CE. His love and curiosity for this subject drives him to a life-time process of studying and learning. To write on this subject, the author pursued an education, which covers several biblical fields. He studied the writings of numerous acknowledged biblical scholars of various biblical fields. To get an idea of the type of books that he studied, see the Bibliography. In addition to the books listed in the Bibliography, the author studied various Greek writings of the Classical Greek Era, the Hellenistic Era, and the Roman Era; specifically, writings which relate to Christianity. He also studied various intertestamental books, (Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal), and various writings of the early Church Fathers. He is familiar with Classical Greek, Koine Greek (the language of the New Testament and the Greek Old Testament), and Modern Greek (he speaks and reads Greek fluently). Therefore, he carried out a first-hand research into the Greek New Testament and the Septuagint (the Greek version of the Old Testament). He used powerful computers and biblical software to conduct this research. Without such tools this research would not have been possible. He has worked on this project, almost full time, for more than 16 years.

About the uniqueness of this book: To the knowledge of the author, there is no other book, which covers comprehensively the subject of the origins and the evolution of the Judaic and Christian beliefs. Had there been such a book, he would not have written this one.

About the documentation: The author uses more than 2,500 citations from ancient writings, from ancient inscriptions, from books of acknowledged biblical experts, and from authoritative dictionaries. He also used thousands of quotations from the Bible. This is truly a reference book.

How this book relates to mainstream biblical scholarship: During his 16 years of research the author consulted the writings of hundreds of scholars. Part of his task was to examine and compare many points of view. Most of the facts that he presented in his book are in accord with the facts of the scholars of The Anchor Bible Dictionary, an acknowledged scholarly biblical encyclopedia, written by over 800 article contributors (biblical scholars from around the world). {The Anchor Bible Dictionary, editor in chief David Noel Freedman, Doubleday, NY, London, 1992, 6 volumes.} Also, many of the facts that he presented in his book are taught in seminaries and universities, and, in some cases, broadcasted in scholarly television programs. For instance, the History Channel ™ (A&E Television Network) presented the program "Who Wrote the Bible?" in which several acknowledged scholars discussed various topics, which the author presents in his book. If you have not seen this program on television and want to see it, you can purchase a copy of it from the website of the History Channel. ™

According to the Old Testament, the Law of Moses originated with the Ten Commandments. “And he {Moses} wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.” (Exodus 34:28 NRSV) But evidence shows that the third commandment, the one forbidding the worshipping of idols, [1] was not in effect in the times of Moses. Here is the evidence. Moses himself made an idol, in the form of a serpent, which had miraculous powers: “So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.” (Numbers 21:9 NRSV) The Israelites did not pray to God to be healed from the bites of poisonous snakes. They looked at an idol, the bronze serpent that Moses made, and they were healed. The idol functioned as a medium for those miracles. [2] The following verses indicate that the Israelites worshipped this idol until the days of King Hezekiah: “... Hezekiah son of King Ahaz of Judah ... broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made, for until those days the people of Israel had made offerings to it; it {the serpent} was called Nehushtan.” [3] (2 Kings 18:1, 4 NRSV) Hezekiah (he reigned ca. 716 to ca. 687 BCE) destroyed the idol that Moses had made and put a stop to the practice of sacrificing (making offerings) to the serpent. This suggests that the third commandment [4] was not in effect before Hezekiah destroyed the idol that Moses had made. This is just one out of many pieces of evidence which show that the story of the Ten Commandments is a legend.

[1] “You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” (Exodus 20:4 NRSV)
[2] Professor Lowell K. Handy wrote, “Serpent figures crafted from copper alloy or bronze have been found throughout the Ancient Near East. Some fine examples have been recovered on plaques with deities or as independent figurines … These objects have been assumed to be cultic images and the appearance of the serpent (in artwork) in the hands of a god or goddess would seem to confirm this. The serpent appears to have been a stock religious character in Syria-Palestine from the middle of the 2d millennium through the 1st millennium BCE often appearing on pottery or pendants of various types, more attested than in bronze.” The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 5, p. 1117, article: Serpent, Bronze.
[3] Professor Lowell K. Handy wrote, “It has been suggested that the deity represented by the snake figure was the little known Horon and was related to the Greek Asclepius who was represented by a snake symbol (Gray 1949:32).” The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 5, p. 1117, article: Serpent, Bronze.
[4] “You shall not make cast idols.” (Exodus 34:17 NRSV) (See also Deuteronomy 5:8, which is identical to Exodus 20:4).

Paul's Teaching Compared to the Teaching of the Old Testament

How Paul Contradicted the Old Testament

Paul: cursed are they who keep the Law
“For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse ...” (Galatians 3:10 KJV)

Proverbs: blessed is he who keeps the Law
“blessed is he who keeps the law.” (Proverbs 29:18 NIV)

Paul: no righteousness is gained by observing the law
“... for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing.” (Galatians 2:21 NIV)

Deuteronomy: righteousness is obtained by observing the law
“And it will be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.” (Deuteronomy 6:25 KJV)

If righteousness cannot be gained through the Law, then all the Jews who worship God and practice the Law will go to Hell.

Paul: God will judge the world through Jesus
“on the day when, according to my gospel, God, through Jesus Christ, will judge the secret thoughts of all.” (Romans 2:16 NRSV)

Ezekiel: God will judge the world himself
“Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep.” (Ezekiel 34:20 NRSV)

The author of Hebrews was probably Apollos, a co-worker of Paul. His teachings were similar to Paul’s. He wrote,

Sacrifice can never take away sins
“And every priest stands daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:11 KJV)

Leviticus: Sacrifice procures forgiveness of sins
“and the priest will burn them upon the altar ... and the priest will make an atonement for his sin that he has committed, and it will be forgiven him.” (Leviticus 4:35 KJV) [1]

Hebrews: the Law makes nothing perfect
“… for the law made nothing perfect …” (Hebrews 7:19 NIV)

Psalms: The Law makes the soul perfect
“The law of the LORD is perfect, restoring the soul;” (Psalms 19:7 NASB)

[1] Also “... the blood: and I have given it to you ... to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul.” (Leviticus 17:11 KJV)

            1. The Development of the Early Text
            2. The Importance of Dating the Old Testament Books
            3. The Origins and Development of the Law of Moses
            4. Literary Sources of the Old Testament
            5. The Miracles of Exodus Explained

9. The History of God From Abraham to Moses
10. The History of God from Moses to 586 BCE

            14. Zoroaster: The Man who Changed the Course of Judeo-Christianity
            15. The Origins of Satan and Predestination
            16. The Origins of the Belief in Eternal Life
            17. How Zoroaster Influenced the Greeks and the Essenes

18.The Cultural Background of Christianity
19. Alexandrian Judaism: the Precursor of Christianity

20. How the Intertestamental Books Influenced the New Testament Writers
21. Zoroaster's Influence on the New Testament Writers

            24. The Greek Mystery Religions and Their Influence on Christianity
            25. How Philo Laid the Foundations of Christianity
            26. How Philo Fashioned the Word of God
            27. Pre-Christian Stories that Molded the Story of Jesus

            29. Dissension between the Jewish and Hellenist Christians
            30. How the Hellenist Christians Separated from the Jewish Christians
            31. How the Hellenist Christians Misquoted the Old Testament
            32. How the Hellenist Christians Evolved into Gentile Christians

36. While Jesus Was Alive, Did His Family and His Disciples Believe He Was God?

            40. How Men Were Turned into Gods
            41. How the Image of Jesus Evolved in the Synoptic Gospels
            42. The Jesus of Paul
             43. The Jesus of John
            44. How the Early Church Fathers Viewed Jesus

45. The Origins of the Trinity Doctrine
46. How the 4th Century Church Fathers Declared Jesus Equal to God

VIII. An Inquiry in the Testimony for Jesus
IX. Various Biblical Discrepancies
X. The Unfulfilled Prophecies

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