Table of Contents

I. The Origins of the Old Testament

        1.  The Development of the Early Text

1.1 The Differing Early traditions

1.2 How It Was Copied and Edited

1.3 How It Was Translated

                The Custom of Writing Pseudonymously and Anonymously

1.4 How It Was Made Official (Canonized)

2.1 Clues for Dating Ecclesiastes

2.2 Clues for Dating Isaiah

2.3 Clues for Dating the Pentateuch

                Additional Evidence of Editorial Activity in the Pentateuch 

2.4 Clues for Dating Daniel 

2.5 Clues for Dating 1 Samuel

2.6 Chronological Chart of Biblical Literature

        3. The Origins and Development of the Law of Moses

        6. The Links between the  Greeks and the Israelites

        7. Greek Stories and Their Parallels in the Old Testament

        8. The Jewish Calendar from Adam to Moses

II. The History of God

    9. The History of God From Abraham to Moses

El-Elyon, the God of Melchizedek
The Sons of God
The God of Abraham Compared to the God of Moses
How Moses Discovered Yahweh

10. The History of God from Moses to 586 BCE

11. Similarities between God and Other Ancient Near Eastern Gods

12. The Body of God, according to the Old Testament

13. The Mind of God, according to the Old Testament

III. The Development of Judeo-Christian Doctrines after 586 BCE

14. Zoroaster: The Man who Changed the Course of Judeo-Christianity

Zoroaster’s Influence on the Jews
How Monotheism Was Established in Judaism
Angels: the Relics of Polytheism
Examples of Zoroastrian Influence on Judaism

15. The Origins of Satan and Predestination

16. The Origins of the Belief in Eternal Life

16.1 Did Moses Believe in Eternal Life?

                The Afterlife of the Pre-exilic Jews
16.2 How the belief in Eternal Life Entered Judaism

IV. The Melting Pot that Brewed Christianity

18.The Cultural Background of Christianity

18.1 How the Greeks Promoted the Blending of Religions

18.2 How the Greek Culture Transformed Palestinian Judaism

How the Greeks Transformed the Beliefs of the Essenes

How the Greeks Transformed the Beliefs of the Pharisees

19. Alexandrian Judaism: the Precursor of Christianity

20. How the Intertestamental Books Influenced the New Testament Writers

21. The Zoroastrian Influence on the New Testament Writers

22. The Essene Influence on the New Testament Writers

23. Plato's Influence on the New Testament Writers

24. The Greek Mystery Religions and Their Influence on Christianity

24.1 Similarities between the Greek Mystery Religions and Christianity

24.2 The Eleusinian Mysteries
The Origins of Baptism
24.3 The Mystery of Dionysus
                The Origins of Communion
24.4 The Orphics
                 The Origins of Praying for the Salvation of the Dead
24.5 The Mystery of Isis and Osiris
24.6 The Mystery of Attis
24.7 The Mystery of Mithras
25. How Philo Laid the Foundations of Christianity

25.1  Philo the Platonist

25.2 How the Greeks Rejected the Anthropomorphic Gods

25.3 How Philo’s God Became the God of Christianity

                   Does the God of Christianity Have the Form of a Man?
23.4 How Philo Inspired the New Testament Writers

Quotations from Philo and Their Parallels in the Gospels

V. The Birth of Christianity

28. The Jewish Christians: the Original Followers of Jesus

29. Dissension between the Jewish and Hellenist Christians

The Origins of Paul’s Doctrine of “Spiritual Circumcision”
Philo’s Word: a Model for Interpreting Jesus
The Sacrificial Death of Eleazar: a Model for Interpreting Jesus’ Death
Sacrifice of the Firstborn: a Model for Interpreting Jesus’ Death

31. How the Hellenist Christians Misquoted the Old Testament

By Adopting the Septuagint as Their Old Testament
By Altering Old Testament Quotations and Disregarding Their Context
By Turning the Old Testament into a Book of Allegories
By Alienating the Old Testament from the Jews

32. How the Hellenist Christians Evolved into Gentile Christians

32.1 How Paul Drew Gentiles to   Christianity

32.1 The Greek Influence on the Church after Paul

32.2 Gentile Relics in Christianity

Jesus' Teachings Compared to Those of His Contemporary Jewish Rabbis

35. What Kind of Messiah Did Jesus Claim to Be?

35.1 What Did “Son of God” Mean in Those Days?
                King of the Jews = Son of God.
35.2 Why Did the Romans Crucify Jesus?

                The History of the Jewish Messiahs
                The Pilate of the Gospels Versus the Pilate of Historians
32.3 Jesus’ Messianic Movement Immediately after His Death

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

37. After Jesus Died, Did His Disciples Believe He Was God?

38. Did Mark Believe Jesus Was God?

39. How Jesus' Beliefs Reveal His Nature

VII. How Jesus Was Turned into God

40. How Men Were Turned into Gods

How the Righteous Became  Gods

How Matthew and Luke Copied from Mark

How Matthew and Luke Upgraded the Jesus of Mark

How Gods Impregnated Virgins

How the Editors of Matthew and Luke Upgraded Jesus

The Jesus of the Later Matthew and Later Luke: a Demi-god, the Savior of the World

42. The Jesus of Paul

44. How the Early Church Fathers Viewed Jesus

45. The Origins of the Trinity doctrine

How the Trinity Doctrine Developed in Christianity

46. How the 4th Century Church Fathers Declared Jesus Equal to God

VIII. An Inquiry in the Testimony for Jesus

47. The Making of the Testimony

47.1 Evidence of Exaggeration

47.2 The Unreliability of the Earliest Surviving manuscripts

47.3 Many Accounts not Witnessed

47.4 The Gospel Writers Were not Concerned with Historical Accuracy

47.5 The Testimony for Jesus was not Unanimously Accepted after it was Written

47.6 How Truthful Were the New Testament Writers?

47.7 How Truthful Were the Copyists of the New Testament?

47.8 How Truthful Are the Modern Translators of the Bible?

48. Concerning the Saying of Jesus?

Did Jesus speak Greek?
Did Jesus Make Statements against Israel?

Did Jesus say, "give good things?"?
Did Jesus say, "no sign will be given"?
Did Jesus say, "Hate your father and mother"?

Did Jesus say, "You blind fools!"?

Did Jesus say, "If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven"?

Did Jesus say, "Do not let anyone know about this" ?

Did Jesus say, "Beware of the teaching of Pharisees"?

Did Jesus say, "I am greater than Solomon"?

Did Jesus say, "All authority has been given to me"?

Did Jesus say, "Take a staff and wear sandals"?

Did Jesus say, "Better for Judas if he had never been born"?
Pre-Christian Pagan Sayings Attributed to Jesus

49. Concerning the Resurrection of Jesus
          Was Jesus' Resurrection Unique?

50.1 Was Jesus Born in Bethlehem?

50.2 The Discrepancies in Judas' Story

When Did Satan Enter Judas?
Did Judas Turn in Jesus with a Kiss?
Did Judas Throw the 30 Silver Coins in the Temple?
Who Bought the Field With the 30 Silver Coins?
How Did Judas Die?
Did Paul Believe that Judas Betrayed Jesus?

50.3 Discrepancies Between the Gospels

When Was John the Baptist Arrested?
Where Did Jesus Go First?
After How Many Days Did Jesus Go to the Mountain?
When Did Jesus Heal Bartimaeus?
Who Asked Jesus to Sit on His Right and Left?
Who Was the First to Walk on Water and Calm the Storm?
Did Jesus Calm the Wind or Did He Transport the Boat?
When Did John the Baptist Recognize the Messiah?
Did Jesus Eat the Passover Meal?
What Did Jesus Give First?
Who Carried Jesus' Cross to Golgotha?....
What Was Written on Jesus’ Crucifixion Plaque?
When Was Jesus Offered the Vinegar?
How Far Were the Women from the Cross?
What Were the Last Words of Jesus?
When Was the Veil of the Temple Torn?
Where Did Jesus Go after He Died?

IX. Various Biblical Discrepancies

51. Exaggerations and Generalizations

52. Some Discrepancies of the Old Testament

53. Some Discrepancies of the New Testament
54. Discrepancies between the Old Testament and the New Testament

X. The Unfulfilled Prophecies

55. What Constitutes a Genuine Prophecy?
56. The Unfulfilled Prophecies of the Old Testament
57. The Unfulfilled Prophecies of the New Testament

57.1 The Jews Will Bind Paul and Deliver Him to the Gentiles

57.2 No Sign Will Be Given to this Generation

57.3 Jesus' Prophecy to Return During the Lifetime of His Disciples

        About the Authorship of 2 Peter

57.4 Revelation: Jesus Will Return When Rome Will Fall

57.5 How the prophecies of Jesus' Return Impacted the World

Bibliography

Index of Names and Subjects

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