My book will undoubtedly shock you. Filled with amazing discoveries, reinterpretations, and expositions, this biblical analysis was written with two audiences in mind, appealing to both scholars and the educated general public. Rich in interdisciplinary approaches, I have sought to incorporate theology with history, ancient studies, anthropology, linguistics, and philosophy. Having had an academic background in the humanities, philosophy, religion, and sociology, I come to this area of study from a global, as well as from an interdisciplinary perspective. I am grateful for having the opportunity to have studied under so many great thinkers in so many different fields. This project is the result of a lengthy study of - and fascination with - the Bible and its origins, and should be of particular interest to all of those who take religion seriously. After reading this book, Jews and Christians will undoubtedly reassess the meaning of the Bible and the values of religious institutions. This work also warrants a very special perspective for women, especially feminists. In making use of the most recent biblical scholarship, as a spring-board, I believe, I have gone beyond the present state of biblical knowledge and theories, exploring deep into virgin territory. I have found no other single book containing as many little-known-facts, along with probable and plausible biblical interpretations, as this one. Thus, for all of these reasons, I believe that this book is truly the first of its kind anywhere, with much more information and philosophical truths than any other single work to-date.
Part I of this work is the basis for my research and main thesis, the "Polytheism of the Bible," and the investigation of good and evil, as portrayed in the Bible. This search has led me to several astonishing discoveries based upon pre-biblical texts and cultures, particularly the Ugaritic of ancient Canaan and Syria. Much of this research is unknown outside of the strict academic disciplines and esoteric intellectual circles. For the first time, a complete biblical exposition, along with the author's own speculations, interpretations, and conclusions, has been made available in a relatively easy-to-read style and format.
According to the biblical account of world history, Adam's son, Cain, was the founder of Canaan; thus, the Canaanites, from ancient Canaan to present day Israel, were supposedly Hebrew in origin, since Abraham represented the first Hebrew patriarchal leader. Furthermore, the biblical account of Babel (the Tower of) and Babylon (in the Book of Genesis) insists that Hebrew was the very first language, but we know from our present state of knowledge that this could not be true. The Ugaritic culture and language of ancient Canaan was not originally Hebrew, but a variation of a Mesopotamian wedge-shaped alphabet known as cuneiform. In addition, based on my studies, it is most likely that this culture, complete with language, belief system, and writings, was directly influential on the Hebrews - and the development of their language, religion, and (relatively recent) canonical writings, known as - the Bible.
According to evolutionary evidence, the development of man, from the use of fire and tools (and tool making) to the domestication of animals, spans the epochs of Homo erectus, Australopithicus, Neanderthal man, Cro-magnon man, and Homo sapiens. From approximately one-half million years, B.C.E. to about ten thousand years, B.C.E., including the Great Ice Age and Paleolithic Stone Age, man evolved into a sign, symbol, and tool (maker and...) user; painting cave walls, depicting bison and bulls, such as those at Altamira, Spain and in France, at the Hall of Bulls. This kind of prehistory, of course, is all somewhat speculative. It is, however, with the era of between six thousand and one thousand years B.C.E. that the present inquiry begins. It is here where we come to the very beginning epoch of history, that is to say, written history. Now the traceable human evidence is much less speculative. On the contrary, we now approach data rich in historical evidence going far beyond the limited archeological evidence from strictly artifacts. The discoveries of cultural parallels are quite staggering. The art of the Indus valley, for example, reiterates and confirms the emphasis - and fascination with - bovine symbols. The veneration of bulls and cows becomes paramount in Persian, India, and later in Greece. The bull reappears once again in almost all cultures, as a principal connecting link with divinity, even to the biblical Hebrews. It is with the written scriptures of history that we are now able to fit together many of the missing pieces into a highly cohesive and tightly fit mosaic.
Our present day understanding of ancient history has come a long way since, The Histories, of Herodotus, a sixth century Greek who was also the first historian of western civilization. Aside from archeological discoveries, his first (and mostly second-) hand information still remains the main corpus of work regarding ancient Egypt and Phoenicia. In his famous Book II of The Histories, he explores many of the parallels between ancient Egypt and Greece, comparing the principal gods and goddesses of both cultures. Included in his analysis is the crucial connection of Osiris with the Greek counterpart, Dionysius, and the worship of divine bulls and cows. Aside from his fallacious extrapolations and errors from second hand information, his analysis seriously lacked information on ancient Mesopotamia and Canaan-Syria, where archeological artifacts and written evidence proved to either precede or be concurrent with Egyptian culture.
We all know that Mesopotamia and Egypt were the first cultures in history to have settled into developed cities and empires. What most people do not know, however, is that biblical Hebrew, both in the stories and language, did not just parallel - nor precede many other cultures, but, on the contrary, copied them. The Ugaritic Canaanite-Syrian culture in particular, was one that preceded the settlement of Jews in that region. Consequently, it was their language, gods, and scriptural writings that were the basis for the Hebrew Bible. In addition, a massive priestly cover-up of these historic events is demonstrated through evidence of priestly scribal modifications, mistranslations, and misinterpretations... all purposely orchestrated. Furthermore, in avoiding, denying, and suppressing these earlier pagan influences, religious leaders have undermined their own religious institutions and heritage. This has been done, I believe, out of their own self-interests, for their own survival and enrichment. Consequently, in order to downplay this heritage, and lessen the originality and, hence, the importance of the Bible, an all-out attack had to be waged. This process, I hope to show convincingly, encouraged priestly castes to: (1) create (that is to say, 'invent') and radically embellish upon already existing biblical characters, personifying and individualizing them far beyond the original intent, and (directly and indirectly related to the first point) (2) form necessary social, political, economic, and legal alliances with/in the State.
It is well known that priestly castes developed simultaneously in both India and Persia, due to the influence of the invading Aryans. The most privileged socioeconomic class and caste in India was (and still is) that of the Brahmins, made up of mostly educated priests and intellectuals. Similarly, the Persian Mobadn, also a caste of priests and intellectuals, represented the second highest caste, being directly under the emperor and nobles. It was the great religious revolutionaries, Buddha, Mohammed, and Gandhi, who strongly opposed the caste system, helping to eliminate it from their society. It is clear that, in addition to these great men, Judaism and Christianity also contributed their revolutionary leaders, such as Moses and Jesus. Unfortunately, although very successful, these men did not rid their culture of privileged priestly castes nor of patriarchal authority and power. The writing of the Bible itself, starting with the Torah, reflected the input of the "P"-riestly source of authorship and a "R"-edacter who synthesized it all into one harmonious work. This, I believe, was the very first Judaic trace of a movement towards a male dominated caste of priests, who were descendants from the tribe of Levi. Likewise, the Christian Church, formed by St. Paul and other disciples of Jesus (Apostles), along with many early Christian leaders, also represented a strict patriarchal hierarchy of priests (bishops) and philosophers. All of these religions reflect institutions of a very stratified social order, with political-economic incentives always operating beneath the surface.
"Generation X," coming directly from the "me" (and before it, the "we") generation, experienced and exhibited a deep-seated alienation and repressiveness from our society. This cashed out as aesthetic, religious, and political estrangement. It was the nineteenth century philosopher - Hegel, who laid down the foundations for the dialectical relationship of religion and art to philosophyÉ Through a meticulous, rigorous, and critical analysis of the Bible and ancient history, I have sought to explore that relationship of inseparability. From the priestly 'censorship' of religious scriptures and history - to the censorship of art and, ultimately, all forms and freedoms of expression - philosophy reveals the inner Dialectic, as the true awareness of the totality of the relationships in world history. From Socrates to Hegel, and from Marx to Marcuse, philosophers have connected Beauty (aesthetics, i.e., artistic imagination and expression - including and applied to pleasure, beauty, sex, and love), Ethics, and Religion to Freedom, and hence, to the political realm of power. I am of the opinion that it is philosophy that can best reveal both the inner and inter-connections of politics and religion; the politics of religion mirrors the religion of politics, since the history of philosophy is the philosophy of history, being two sides of the same coin. Religious history, especially biblical and pre-biblical history, reveals a distortion, requiring a revision of that history. Women in particular, have been subject to a 'historectomy' of sorts, facilitated by a system of patriarchal monotheism; a system that inevitably condemns them as being "hysterical," rather than "historical." This process completes itself in the identification and equation of women with a host of evil demons, via specific personifications - including witches, Lilith, and Lucifer... as a "Venus in blue jeans," i.e., a 'Venus in disguise.'
From the Philosophy of Ordinary Language Analysis and Meaning to comparative etymological studies of language, a meticulous scrutiny of the historical development of language is of the utmost importance. The Greek word for happiness is eu daimon ia, literally "good demon/s," while the biblical Greek for gospel evangelist is eu aggelion, literally "good angels/news-messengers." The difference between the two, as with Good and Evil, may very well rest on - or cross - a very fine line.
Many critical biblical theories and discoveries have been accepted within this century, by scholars of theology, Hebrew, and archeology. First and foremost, is the wealth of evidence - demonstrating the radically divergent, and quite distinguishable authorships - later synthesized into one integrated body of scriptures known as the Old Testament, or the Hebrew Bible. This process, based on the Torah, i.e., the first five Books of the Bible, was one of relatively recent projects, with a completion date of around four hundred B.C.E. A minimum of five separate authors were responsible for this initial work. This theory has been long accepted, and is known as the Documentary Hypothesis. It must be understood, however, that these multiple authors were responsible for giving both separate and numerous names for god. The different names also reflect very different characteristics and modes of behavior. El, Elohim, Yah, Yahweh, Adonai(ay), El Shaddai(ay), Abyir, Kadoosh, Kneah, and many other names and epithets were given to god(s) by the various contributors to this highly eclectic work - now known as - The Bible.
Although these themes of distinct and obviously problematical natures have been common knowledge, and have been accepted by biblical scholars from all circles, they have not as yet led to (1) the appropriate changes in translations and interpretations of the Bible that should have followed from that knowledge and (2) the historical and anthropological revisions that should have placed the ancient Hebrews as followers, rather than innovators, of a supposedly new and unique religion and culture.
It has only been within the last thirty years that we have witnessed tremendous advances in our biblical knowledge and interpretations, reflecting the cross-cultural influences on the original Jews of the Old Testament. These advances however, have been highly conservative - and minimal at best - compared to the implications and conclusions that could and should have been made. No serious scholar has been bold enough to enter the treacherous waters that I am about to enter, risking public censure. The Mesopotamians (from Sumer, Akkad, Babylon, and Assyria), Egyptians, Phoenicians, and early Greeks have provided writings much earlier than those of the Bible, and, therefore, reflect a history predating the biblical Hebrews. This alone should have led to startling re-evaluations of the Hebrew language and scriptures, but the Ugaritic Canaanites provided the conclusive evidence for the present thesis of Hebrew non-originality. Both the language and scriptures of the Hebrews have to be reassessed as being a much more recent development than the current popular belief allows. Their development from these other cultures - rather than on or with them - renders the basis for the Hebrew Bible less and less unique, at every step along the way, on this historical path.
One of the major conclusions to be eventually drawn from all of this, I believe, is that the Hebrew culture, language, and scriptures reflect(ed) a polytheistic rather than a monotheistic conception of god. This conception seems to be inherent within the Hebrew Bible itself, and is clearly embedded within the very language of the Hebrews. Most of the biblical names, concepts, and stories have their roots in previous non-Jewish pagan religions. The Ugaritic Canaanites, whose language and scriptures left the most substantial mark and permanent stamp of influence upon Judaism, can never be separated out from the ancient Hebrews, nor ever be underestimated (although they were destroyed by them, militarily).
From all of the non-Hebraic religious influences - deemed as being either positive (and, therefore, not acknowledged as being "pagan" in origin) or as being negative (and severely criticized and condemned) by Hebrew leaders - comes the constant and continuous struggle against all foreign influence (so we thought, and were led to believe up until now). This vengeful ethnic cleansing consisted of expulsions, as well as genocidal exterminations, and can be found all throughout the Bible. The ecclesiastical hierarchy led this ruthless struggle, I am convinced, in an attempt to establish patriarchal monotheism. The Hebrew transition from polytheism to patriarchal monotheism took place over a long period of time. This process inevitably required a condemnation, and in the final analysis, resulted in an extermination of all matriarchal and polytheistic remnants. Due to the zeal and fervor of the Hebrew patriarchal leaders this process usually involved extreme and uncompromising measures.
The foreign gods and goddesses, especially Baal and Asherah, were the object of continuous, relentless, and protracted struggles and attacks - found all throughout the Bible. Hebrew patriarchal leaders were al-most always behind such campaigns. Coupled with the sexism of that patriarchal grab for power, was the combined attack of, for example, Elijah, in going against both Jezebel (a worshiper of Asherah) and Baal, in Book II of Kings, Chapter Ten. Asherah was the most influential, famous, and worshiped of all goddesses in Ugaritic Canaan-Syria. All of the drastic attempts to eliminate foreign influence were implemented under the guise of the Chosen People ideology.
We can easily find clues deeply embedded within the language of the biblical texts themselves, especially the original ones. The officially accepted text is known as the Masoretic Text (MT), established by Hebrew biblical scholars at the end of the Middle Ages, complete with paragraphs, sentence dividers, and vowel marks; but these signs were added to an alphabet originally consisting of only consonants, similar to most ancient languages, lacking vowels. Unfortunately, the MT is the oldest complete codex of the Hebrew Bible in existence (and there is no one version); fortunately, however, all of these texts are more than adequate for the purpose of revealing their "borrowed" nature, from previous "host" cultures.
Reconstructing the original biblical Hebrew is not an easy task, since the earliest complete Bible is from several different versions of the Masoretic Text (which first introduced vowel marks, paragraph separations, sentential cutoffs, etc.), going back to the Middle Ages, from the Ben Asher version (900 A.D. - or C.E.). The so-called "Received Text" (supposedly 'direct from God') is no more than a limited, incomplete, and hence, failed attempt by Erasmus to provide a new translation of the Bible in 1516, based on Latin and Greek texts. The oldest version of the Hebrew scriptures is actually the Dead Sea Scrolls, indicating a very different - and much more simplistic - Hebrew alphabet.
The Hebrew scriptures are not at all unique, as they are claimed to be, but are, more or less, copies of the Ugaritic religious scriptures found at Ras Shamra (1928). The excavation of the tablets began in 1929, revealing a hitherto unknown language and culture. I am convinced that the Hebrew language evolved, from this Ugaritic alphabetical cuneiform (wedge-shaped) language. These tablets, along with many other archeological finds, lend proof to the thesis of Hebrew non-originality; revealing the polytheistic and Ugaritic origins of the Hebrew Bible.
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F.T. De Angelis - originally from New York (born and raised) - teaches Philosophy, Humanities, and Religion - and is currently an Adjunct Professor at Grossmont and Southwestern Colleges (in the Southern California area). Professor De Angelis has taught Sociology at San Diego State University, and was an Associate in Humanities at the University of California, San Diego (La Jolla). He is credentialed to teach in the State of California, in Philosophy and Religion. He has written articles for international and university academic journals, such as Revolutionary World (Amsterdam: B.R. Grüner) and Kinesis (University of Southern Illinois, Carbondale) - 1974, and is also the author of...
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