Include these Facts in Discussions about the Bible

Obviously, Bibles play major roles in all “biblical heritages,” therefore it is essential for Biblical Heritage Explorers to include facts about Bibles in their discussions – and belief systems. This is why Explorers “take the Pledge.”

My belief system will be large enough to include all of the facts,

open enough to be examined and questioned,

and flexible enough to change when errors or new facts are discovered.

Fact #1

The book most people call “the Bible” is a translation.

As of October 2019 the full Christian Bible has been translated into 698 languages, the New Testament has been translated into an additional 1,548 languages and Bible portions or stories into 1,138 other languages. One of those languages is English, which didn’t exist until the 5^th century CE. Prior to then the inhabitants of Britain spoke a Celtic language.[1]

Fact #2

No Bible is a translation of original books.

No original manuscript of any book of the Bible exists today.

● Approximately 6,000 Greek manuscripts and fragments of New Testament writings have been discovered and catalogued.

● About 10,000 manuscripts of the Latin Vulgate have been discovered.

● Manuscripts of other versions exist -- Syriac, Coptic, Armenian, Old Georgian, Church Slavonic, and others.

● Writings of church fathers that contain quotes of Bible verses exist -- Clement of Alexandria, Origen, and Athanasius are among the Greek; Tertullian, Jerome, and Augustine among the Latins.[2]

● Textual differences are also found in modern editions of the traditional text of the Hebrew Bible, the so-called Masoretic Text.

● We now have manuscripts in Hebrew and other languages from the Middle Ages and ancient times as well as fragments of leather and papyrus scrolls two thousand years old or more (Dead Sea Scrolls).

● All of these manuscripts differ from one another to a greater or lesser extent.

Since no textual source contains what could be called “the original biblical text,” a serious involvement in biblical studies clearly necessitates the study of all sources, including the differences between them.[3]

Fact #3

Translators translated “reconstructed texts.”

The primary goal of textual criticism has traditionally been to reconstruct “the actual text that the author wrote.” However, surviving manuscripts are copies of earlier copies -- often at an unknown number of steps removed from the original.[4] One thing scholars know is that in the process of hand copying manuscripts changes to text were made.

● Some changes were accidental because people making the copies were simply tired, inattentive, or, on occasion, inept.

● Other changes were intentional because scribes wanted the new copy to emphasize precisely what they themselves believed or remove something they didn’t believe or thought was a mistake.

● All translations of the Bible today have been affected by those changes.  

Conclusion

As the result of 21^st computer technologies and powerful algorithms, scholars have access to a tremendous amount of new information.

● They are able to see previously unknown writings that are beneath those they see.

● Data from archaeological, genetic, historical and cultural databases are linked to specific manuscripts being examined.

● Writings from other peoples involved in events recorded in the Bible can also examined and compared to biblical accounts.

● Scholars have more information about scribes that made the copies.

Based on what we are now seeing, in the near future we will know much more about the book in all biblical heritages. Regardless of what you believe about that book, it is important to remember the following:

● “The Bible” is a very important because of the role it has played in the development of Western civilization.

● “The Bible” is revered by over two-billion people today because it lies at the foundation of the largest religion of the world today, Christianity.

● Christian and Jewish Scriptures are writings that people around the world turn to in difficult and uncertain times – even people who are not Christians or Jews.

When it comes to belief systems and discussions about “the Bible’” -- all of the things above need to be included. I hope you found this informative and thank you for reading it. Please discuss it with others, too.

Shalom,

Jim Myers

☼ Your donation makes these emails possible! Click Here to Donate.

☼ Subscribe to this Mail List so you won’t miss future emails. It is FREE! Click Here.

☼ Let people know what we do by “Liking” us on Facebook. Click Here.

☼ Visit the BHC website and you will find more articles like this! Click Here.

---

[1] https://www.englishclub.com/history-of-english/

[2] Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why By Bart D. Ehrman © 2005; HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY; pp. 62, 69, 83-84, 88-89, 208-212.

[3] Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible (Second Revised Edition) by Emanuel Tov © 1992, 2001 Augsburg Fortress, Minneapolis, MN; p. 2.

[4] https://chs.harvard.edu/CHS/article/display/4742.1-textual-criticism-as-applied-to-biblical-and-classical-texts

Doing What’s Life Instead of Believing What’s Right!

In my previous email, Adam Destroyed the Law But Jesus Didn’t (click here to read), I discussed what the words found in Matthew 5:17 meant to Yeshua, the Jesus of history. English translations have something like this:

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:

I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.”

Here is what he actually said:

Do not think that I have come to misinterpret the Torah or the Prophets.

I have come to correctly interpret them!

In my email, Making the Jesus of History Part of Lives and Discussions Today! (click here to read), I pointed out that in the first century environment in which Yeshua lived “correct interpretations of the Torah and the Prophets” were a very big deal. Yeshua wasn’t the only one claiming to “correctly interpret” them. He was competing with the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, Hellenists and Herodians. So, the Jewish people living in Galilee and Judea faced the challenge of “choosing from six interpretations” of their Scriptures.

We know a lot about what the Pharisees taught from Rabbinic Judaism (Babylonian Talmud). With the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls we learned much more about what the Essenes taught.

One thing the Pharisees and Essenes shared in common was that

they both insisted that members only follow their interpretations.

Yeshua, the Jesus of history, used their “mutual exclusivity claims” to a very important point – it was the one absolute requirement for membership in the Kingdom of Heaven!

Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments,

and teaches men so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Whoever does and teaches them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Make sure you understand this:

Unless your acts of tzedaqah exceeds those of the scribes and Pharisees,

you will not be in the Kingdom of Heaven.

The key point Yeshua made is this:

Doing acts of tzedaqah is required for entering in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Accepting, following or teaching anyone’s interpretations

-- without acts of tzedaqah –

isn’t enough for admittance into the Kingdom of Heaven.

What are “acts of tzedaqah”? I answered that question in my email, The Jewish Jesus and the Salvation of Gentiles (click here to read). In the first story in Genesis, the Story of the Creation of the Heavens and the Earth, the Creator used “The TOV Standard” to measure each act of creation:

Acts that are TOV protect and preserve lives,

make lives more functional and increase the quality of life.

Now pay close attention to the “acts of tzedaqah” Yeshua pointed out in the parable in Matthew 25:35-36:

Giving food to the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty,

bringing a stranger into a home, giving clothes to the naked,

visiting the sick, and going to see people in prison.

Acts of tzedaqah are acts are TOV -- they are acts that affect lives in TOV (good) ways. The acts Yeshua described in Matthew 25 are not the only acts of tzedaqah. For a human to survive and thrive as the Creator intended, their basic needs must be met:

● Basic physical needs -- water, food, clothing, shelter, protection, etc.

● Basic emotional needs -- affection, love, support, meaning, happiness, etc.

● Acts of tzedaqah provide basic physical and emotional needs for another person.

The key point Yeshua taught his followers was always be aware what’s going on in the lives of people you encounter in the normal course of your day. He stressed the importance of love in people’s lives. Something that lots of Bible readers do not know is that in Yeshua’s culture the opposite of love was not hate –

The opposite of love for the Jesus of history was indifference!

In my last email I challenged readers “to consider how the teachings of the Jesus of history can be applied to current circumstances.”

What would happen in America if Christians did

acts of tzedaqah like Jesus taught above in their lives?

I hope you found this informative and thank you for reading it. Please discuss it with others, too.

Shalom,

Jim Myers

☼ Your donation makes these emails possible! Click Here to Donate.

☼ Subscribe to this Mail List so you won’t miss future emails. It is FREE! Click Here.

☼ Let people know what we do by “Liking” us on Facebook. Click Here.

☼ Visit the BHC website and you will find more articles like this! Click Here.

Making the Jesus of History Part of Lives and Discussions Today!

In my last email, “Let’s not call him ‘The Jewish Jesus’”, I discussed how much I appreciated Dr. David Flusser’s work on Second Temple Judaism and Early Christianity. I pointed out that Flusser called Jesus “the Jesus of history” and “the historical Jesus” – but he did not call him “the Jewish Jesus.” Today I want to share two more things that set Flusser apart from other Jewish and Christian scholars.

While Flusser understood Jesus belonged fully to

the diverse and competing streams of Jewish thinking of the first century,

he felt no need to deny Jesus his high self-awareness.*

Flusser’s point about “diverse and competing streams of Jewish thinking of the first century” is critical for understand the people Jesus interacted with in the Gospels:

● Pharisees

● Sadducees

● Essenes

● Hellenists

● Herodians

All of the groups above had their own interpretations of Jewish Scriptures and other writings. The historical Jesus added his interpretations to the mix. He made sure the people that knew him best clearly understood what he believed God had called him to do. He announced it at his hometown synagogue on a Shabbat (Luke 4:16-21):

“The Spirit of Yahweh is upon me,

because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;

He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted,

to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind,

to set at liberty those who are oppressed . . .

Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Jesus told the people that he was the person God called to fulfill those words – he was “the anointed one.” When the Hebrew word translated “the anointed one” was translated into Greek it became “christos” – and when that was transliterated into English it became “Christ.”

By the way, in the Jewish Scriptures and Jewish culture

there have been many christs (anointed ones).

That is something that most people don’t know -- there were other people claiming to be “the anointed one” in the first century, too. For Flusser, Jesus seeing himself that way -- and others viewing him that way – wasn’t a problem. That is probably why Flusser said, “even Jesus’ most radical conclusions would have been unthinkable without the innovations of those in the generations of Jewish teachers before him and the nurturing environment of Jewish thought at the time he lived.”

However, because most people are not familiar with the Late Second Temple Period and the environment in which Jewish people lived, they cannot see the Jesus of history the ways his contemporaries saw him – or the way he saw himself.

Because of how the human brain biologically works,

the only thing any human can do is “use the beliefs he or she has acquired

about Jesus and his world to give meanings to the words of the New Testament.”

Flusser did something else that I encourage others to do – apply the teachings of Jesus to current circumstances to see their relevancy. A graduate student of his provided this example:

                   

On the eve of the Gulf War, January 15,1991, the streets of Jerusalem were virtually empty in anticipation of the outbreak of war and the consequent launching of scud missiles on the civilian Israeli population. The student went over to Flusser’s house to discuss a research project. Flusser opened the door and said, “Interesting days we are living in. What would Jesus say? Let’s go and find out.”

In closing let me challenge you to do the following:

1. Learn more about the diverse and competing streams of Jewish thinking of the first century.

2. Apply the teachings of the Jesus of history to current circumstances.

I hope you found this informative and thank you for reading it.

Shalom,

Jim Myers

☼ Help fund future emails like this one! Click Here to Donate.

☼ Subscribe to this Mail List so you won’t miss future emails. It is FREE! Click Here.

☼ Let people know what we do by “Liking” us on Facebook. Click Here.

☼ Visit the BHC website and you will find more articles like this! Click Here.

Sources:

● Jesus by David Flusser © 1997 The Maness Press , the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel; pp. 10-12.

Let’s not call him “The Jewish Jesus”

“Like research in other fields of human achievements and activities through the ages, the study of ancient Judaism and early Christianity must be done objectively, employing accepted and unbiased methods of scholarly endeavor. The starting point is a truism:

Christianity arose among the Jews —

it was once a part of Judaism.

Therefore if you want to analyze Christian origins,

you have to study ancient Judaism.”

Those are the words of the scholar I place at the top of my list for knowledge about the Second Temple Period and Early Christianity -- Dr. David Flusser (b. 1917 - d. 2000). He was an Israeli professor of Early Christianity and Judaism of the Second Temple Period (538 BCE to 70 CE) at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. His pioneering research on Jesus and Christianity’s relationship to Judaism won him international recognition. In 1980, Flusser, who spoke nine languages fluently and could read 26, received the Israel Prize, the country’s most prestigious honor.

As Israel’s foremost scholar on Jesus and Early Christianity, he was often asked to comment on “the Jewishness of Jesus” or to provide the “Jewish perspective.” Few requests irritated him more.

Flusser reminded his students that his is

not the study of “the Jewish Jesus” but the Jesus of history.

That Jesus was Jewish is a matter of historical record.

Flusser popularized the idea that Jesus never intended to start a new religion but was born and died a faithful Jew. It must be noted that whether reading the Greek philosophers, medieval theologians or the words of Jesus, Flusser did not work as a detached historian. He worked as “a man of faith” who saw his scholarship as having relevance to the complex challenges of the present age. Flusser was a devout Orthodox Jew who applied his study of the Torah and Talmud to the study of ancient Greek, Roman and Arabic texts, as well as the Hebrew of the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Something that set Flusser apart from other scholars, however, was that while he understood Jesus to belong fully to the diverse and competing streams of Jewish thinking of the first century -- he felt no need to deny his role as the cornerstone of the faith of the early Christianity. Thus, Flusser did not hesitate to question assumptions which are foundational for many contemporary New Testament scholars.

He was an original thinker willing to give fresh consideration to the evidence

— even if it meant challenging long-held opinions, sometimes even his own.

For Flusser, a better understanding of the ancient sources of two world religions — Judaism and Christianity – is needed to eliminate innate prejudices.

A study of the New Testament and early Christianity without

an intimate knowledge of Jewish sources

leads to inaccurate and fragmentary results.

Hence it is essential for a New Testament scholar – and readers -- to have access to all the available Jewish sources, as well as sound knowledge of the trends and groups of Judaism in antiquity.” Often people are surprised to learn the whole New Testament reflects Jewish thought and life from a time period earlier than most of the rabbinic texts -- not just the synoptic gospels. And likewise, evidence from New Testament research is also very fruitful for Jewish studies of that period too.

While reviewing notes from my earlier research recently, I realized I needed to change something I have been doing a lot in recent years. In the future, instead of referring to “the Jewish Jesus” I will refer to “Yeshua, the historical Jesus” or “Yeshua, the Jesus of history.”

Just as Christianity has changed over the past 2,000 years, so has Judaism. Two very different religions have emerged. Therefore, “the historical Jesus” or “the Jesus of history” better defines “the Jewishness of his world.” I hope you found this informative and thank you for reading it.

Shalom,

Jim Myers

☼ Help fund future emails like this one! Click Here to Donate.

☼ Subscribe to this Mail List so you won’t miss future emails. It is FREE! Click Here.

☼ Let people know what we do by “Liking” us on Facebook. Click Here.

☼ Visit the BHC website and you will find more articles like this! Click Here.

Sources:

● Jesus by David Flusser © 1997 The Maness Press , the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel; pp. 10-11.

● Judaism and the Origins of Christianity by David Flusser © 1988 Magnes Press, the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel, p. xii.

Two Amazing Hebrew Women that Faced the King of Egypt

This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. Sandwiched between two giants in the Bible -- Joseph and Moses – is the story of Shiphrah (beautiful) and Puah (groaning). Puah’s name is related to an account of woman giving birth. They are “the Hebrew midwives” in this story.

Exodus opens with a reference the “children of Israel” and Joseph, but in Exodus 1:13, under a king that had not known Joseph, the children of Israel are enslaved and forced to labor in the service of the new king. At that point, the Bible refers to them as the “Hebrews” – meaning aliens and foreigners. Shiphrah and Puah are only referred to as Hebrews, so that means that are to serve the king. Something that makes their story even more remarkable is that the king of Egypt was revered as a semi-divine being by Egyptians.

And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives,

of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah (beautiful),

and the name of the second Puah (groaning). (v. 15)

What do you think the women thought when they were told the king wanted to speak to them? Usually tribal leaders were called by the king, not women like the midwives. The king intentionally circumvented tribal authorities. By the way, the author of Exodus made an important point by not naming the king and naming the midwives. History would remember their names, but not his!

And the king said:

“When you serve as a midwife to the Hebrew women,

you ^plural two shall look upon the birth-stool --

if it is a son you ^plural shall kill him;

but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” (v. 16)

The “birth-stool” was the seat a woman about to give birth was customarily placed on. Therefore, a midwife was the first one to see the baby as it came forth. They were to kill male babies at that critical point before anyone else saw it.

But the midwives feared the unnamed God,

and they did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them –

they preserved the lives of the male children. (v. 17)

Someone, most likely their parents, had taught Shiphrah and Puah the Creation Story of the unnamed God in Genesis 1:1-2:4a. They “feared” the Creator more than they “feared” the king of Egypt. Notice that the king specifically commanded them “to look upon the birth-stool” – but they simply did not look until after the mother, father and probably other relatives saw the baby first! After they saw the baby it would have been impossible to secretly kill it.

And the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said unto them,

“Why have you done this?

Why have you preserved the lives of the male children?” (v.18)

And the midwives said unto Pharaoh:

“Because Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women,

they are more vigorous;

before the midwife comes unto them they have already delivered.” (v. 19)

We now discover that someone else watching what the midwives too!

And the unnamed God did TOV to the midwives;

and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

And it came to pass, because the midwives feared the unnamed God,

he made them houses. (vv. 20-21)

The Creator in the story in Genesis 1 looked at the results of the things he had done to see if they were “TOV.” It is translated “good” in our translations, but “good to the Creator” meant that “what had been done protected and preserved lives, made lives more functional and increased them quality of life.” The Creator rewarded the midwives for what they had done by doing something “good” (TOV) for them – and their people! First, the children of Israel continued to be fruitful and multiply – and grew very mighty. Second, the families of Shiphrah and Puah also grew and were blessed.

And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying:

“Every son that is born (to a Hebrew) you shall cast into the river (Nile),

but let every daughter (born to a Hebrew) you shall let live.” (v. 22)

The author of the story notes an important change in the actions of the king. He is now called “Pharaoh” -- the title of the king’s divine role. A pharaoh was a semi-divine being who mediated between men and gods. He now spoke, “as a semi-divine being” to his people – not to Hebrews. He commanded them to present all Hebrew males that are born as offerings to Hapi, the ancient Egyptian god of the Nile.

Sacrifice them to Hapi would increase your fertility and

ensure that Hapi will nourish our land with the Nile's annual floods.

This story is very similar to Noah’s story for ancient readers.

Because Noah had been taught about

the Creator and his Blessing, his actions saved mankind!

Because Shiphrah and Puah had been taught about

the Creator and his Blessing, their actions saved the children of Israel!

This is the lesson for readers of their story:

Be like Noah, Shiphrah and Puah in your generation --

and teach your children about the Creator and his Blessing too!

I hope you found this informative and thank you for reading it.

Shalom,

Jim Myers

☼ Help fund future emails like this one! Click Here to Donate.

☼ Subscribe to this Mail List so you won’t miss future emails. It is FREE! Click Here.

☼ Let people know what we do by “Liking” us on Facebook. Click Here.

☼ Visit the BHC website and you will find more articles like this! Click Here.

Adam Destroyed the Law But Jesus Didn’t

This is one of the worst mistranslations in the Bible of the teaching of Yeshua, the Jewish Jesus (Matthew 5:17-18):

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets:

I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

For verily I say unto you,

Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle

shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

I was taught that this meant “Jesus fulfilled all of the law, did away with it and we are under grace.” Christians were under grace, while Jews were under the law. The belief systems of over a billion Christians are constructed on that mistranslation. Interestingly, Yeshua’s words reminded his Jewish audience of something Adam did in the Garden of Eden. You will know what I mean when you understand the correct meanings of his words.

● The Torah or the Prophets were two sections of Jewish Scriptures at the time of Yeshua – and still are today.

● Destroy means “to add words to or remove words from the Torah or the Prophets” – or “to incorrectly interpret the words of the Torah or the Prophets.”

● Fulfill means “to correctly interpret the words of the Torah or the Prophets.”

● Verily should have been translated “Amen.”

● Jot should have been translated “Yod,” which is the name of the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet (see graphic above).

● Tittle should have been translated “thorn,” which was the name of the small tip scribes placed on certain letters.

● “in no wise pass from” is another way of saying “destroy.”

Now let’s put the pieces together and reconstruct what Yeshua actually taught:

Do not think that I have come to add words to,

take words from, or misinterpret the Torah or the Prophets.

I have not come to do that.

I have come to correctly interpret them!

Amen!

Make sure you understand this. Until heaven and earth pass away,

not one yod or one thorn on any letter of the Torah will be changed

until all of the words of the Torah has been correctly interpreted.

So what does this have to do with Adam? Below is the commandment Yahweh gave Adam in the Garden (Genesis 2:16-17):

And Yahweh the god commanded the man, saying,

"From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;

but from the Tree of the Knowledge of TOV (good) and RA (evil)

you shall not eat,

for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die."

Neither the animals nor Eve had been created when Adam was given this commandment. Here is the commandment Adam gave Eve (Genesis 3:2-3):

"From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat;

but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden,

the god has said, 'Y’all shall not eat from it

and y’all shall not touch it,

lest y’all die.'"

How many words of the original commandment are different from the commandment Adam gave Eve? Did you notice Adam also added a new commandment of own – “y’all shall not touch it.” 

Since this was the only law at that time,

Adam destroyed “all of the law”!

But, there are some important factor we need to keep consider before we condemn Adam. No one interpreted the words of the commandment for him and helped him know what they meant. No one was there to mentor and help him keep it. No one told him whether the commandment applied to Eve.

And no one told him that the tree next to the forbidden one

was the Tree of Life and eating its fruit would make him live forever!

I hope you found this informative and thank you for reading it.

Shalom,

Jim Myers

☼ Help fund future emails like this one! Click Here to Donate.

☼ Subscribe to this Mail List so you won’t miss future emails. It is FREE! Click Here.

☼ Let people know what we do by “Liking” us on Facebook. Click Here.

☼ Visit the BHC website and you will find more articles like this! Click Here.