The Bible, the old and new testament. I think of the bible as a very important historical book documenting the evolution of thought, culture and morals of the western world. Mostly done through allegorical stories that are not technically true but stories that carry a moral meaning. In the bible Moses, after seeing God, is full of rays of light radiating off of his body and particularly off of his face and head. In the King James version is is translated at horns of light. If you go to the Sistine Chapel in Rome there is a large bronze statue of Moses with huge horns on his head like a bull or the Devil i.e. the rays of light. If they cannot translate that accurately how are we suppose to believe that this document is the EXACT voice of God?
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.I see the Bible the same way. It's like reading the psychology of humankind as it goes through change. I also believe that the core social values of ancient Israel became those of Great Britain which also became those of the United States. These values are expressed in law. The book is far from ideal, being very old. But it has poetry, fiction, myth, history and all the aspirations of man expressed in many different ways.
I think the literal understanding of 'horns of light' seemed hollow to many old students of the Bible and led to complex interpretations like we read in the Kabbalah.
brentan
Level 8
June 20, 2018
1
Thank you for saying something intelligent. So many people have such a negative knee jerk reaction to the Bible.
If you consider a select group of men sitting around (Council oh Nicea - 325) selecting those books that were principly patriarchal in their otientstion. Few if the books that focused on women were selected or included in the final manuscript. If the Bible is a good chronicler of western thought, were women missing from their culture? What about the Greeks, they haDore to fo with the formation of the foundations of Western civilization, and the Chridtian God wasn't part of their belief system. What about the roll of Jews in the evolution of Western civilization? Or how about the role of the African and zmMidfle Eastern scholars in the evolution of western civilization. After all it was Christianity that set back the development of Science for over 5oo years (Dark Ages) and chased it into the Middle East where it flourished and continued to evolve. Algebra and alchemy (the beginnings of chemistry) evolved during this period on the Middle Eadt. Meanwhile, witch burning and the Jewish pogrom was occurring as a mainstay of Christianity.
No the Bible is not an important piece of non-fiction.
t1nick
Level 8
June 19, 2018
2
You have so much mixed up it is impossible to to know where to start. First the Bible is not the only work that is important. Many people are as you throwing the baby out with the bath water. Yes there are others just as important. Why not point them out? The council of Nicea is as you described about 2 THOUSAND YEARS after the Old testament Bible. Yes you are right they, the christians, left out some important books but again you miss the point. Instead of being so negative why not say something positive? Point out other books that are important but I am a little sick and tired of people just spewing out crap and not adding positive thoughts. Give it a try you might not be single without the dark cloud you seem to carry around.
I'm happy for you.
evergreen
Level 8
June 19, 2018
0
I concur Aquaeyes. The bible was not the only scholarly writing to come out of this time. It is true that the Torah pre-dates Christianity by a couple of thousand years and is the basis for Christianity's Old Testament. But between the Council of Nicea (325 CE) and the Council of Rome - 500's) when the New Testament was invented, I beleive thst over 4000 books of Judiac teachings (again Old Testament) and early Christian teachings were known, but not used. Why were the one's selected and others excluded. I believe that is a significant question when addressing the Bible's biases, Christianity's worth, and whether it serves as a text that accurately reflects the timr.
You asked for some other significant writings of the time, (going from about 300 BCE to the Council of Rome - 500's CE).
The Jewish Talmud ( by a more signifacant writing than the Bible will ever be in my opnion);
The Ovid
Virgil's Aeneid
Suetonius's. " The Twelve Ceasars";
The writings of Pliny the Elder
Horace's "Odes"
The writings of Ptolemy, just to name a few. All better sources and more representative of the evolution of Western thought and civilization in my opnion.
History being written by the victors....maybe you ought to talk to Darius?!
AnneWimsey
Level 9
June 19, 2018
0
I see your point, but any translation or work of art is purely man made. Why restrict your argument to the bible? there are many other religious works, for which the same can be said.
magicwatch
Level 7
June 19, 2018
0
Go ahead and name a few. I cannot believe how you completely missed the point. Add to the thoughts not just tear down try to build up add to the positive thoughts. My point is the bible is NOT the word of God, it is just a collection of stories that explains why and how much, not all of WESTERN civilization thoughts evolved. If you know of other books lets hear it.
@aquaeyes this is a double neagative. If god does not exist, how can there be a word of god ?
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