It is an interesting theory that the pagan so-called gods were actually real people and that their deification began as
-
cryptoflovecraft — 3 years ago(April 03, 2023 02:55 PM)
They could have been loosely based on actual people or historical figures but more likely they're just invented myths based on archetypes. I'm sure there will be new gods, new myths and new religions in the future but the archetypes will remain the same.
-
merry christmas — 3 years ago(April 03, 2023 02:56 PM)
Imhotep was a real person who became deified. Maybe over time it would have been forgotten that he was once a man. It is certainly possible. Some of the gods were personifications of celestial bodies or other natural phenomena and unlikely to have been based on people. The heroes are more likely to have been real people. Hercules and Orion for instance.
-
Jewish_Baker — 3 years ago(April 03, 2023 03:16 PM)
When I first heard that there was not a shred of evidence discovered in the Sinai Desert that a large number of Jews had wandered for 40 years, I thought that wasn't such a big deal. I mean, it's a desert, right?
Shortly after I started to question my belief in God, I remember talking to my rabbi about Passover and the Exodus from Egypt. My rabbi knew that I was starting to doubt the supernatural and ridiculous aspects of the story. He told me in confidence that while the basic story is historical fact, the supernatural elements might have been an exaggeration or might not have actually happened at all. He assured me, however, that even though there might not have been plagues of frogs and Moses might not have parted the Red Sea, the Jews were slaves in Egypt, and the important thing is that there was an Exodus and that this is the core of what Passover is about. Except, in reality, there wasn't actually an Exodus. I have since learned that the Jews were never slaves in Egypt and that the entire story of Exodus is fiction.
When I first heard that there was not a shred of evidence discovered in the Sinai Desert that a large number of Jews had wandered for 40 years, I thought that wasn't such a big deal. I mean, it's a desert, right? Sand storms probably just swallowed up all the evidence. The more I looked into the story, however, the more I realized that the lack of evidence was actually a pretty big problem. According to the book of Exodus, a lot of Jews were wandering this desert, and it seems extremely unlikely (bordering on impossible) for this many people to leave absolutely no trace, especially when traces have been found for smaller groups of people which predated the Exodus in that same desert.
Just like the lack of evidence is itself strong evidence against the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites in the Americas as told in the Book of Mormon, the same is true with the Exodus story in the Torah.
Still, I didn't think all that much about it until years later, when I stumbled upon the article called, "Did Jewish Slaves Build the Pyramids?" by Brian Dunning. This article really got me thinking about the Exodus story again. Dunning's article reinforced my skepticism about the Exodus story and fueled my feelings of betrayal. I was taught for most of my life that it was a historical fact that the Jews were slaves in Egypt. This "history" was part of my cultural identity as a Jew. Even when I gave up the ridiculous, superstitious beliefs associated with Judaism, I could still proudly feel connected to the Jewish culture, which was grounded in a deep history of liberation from slavery.
As it turns out, well-known Jewish commentator and author Rabbi David Wolpe has also known about the Exodus Myth. In his article, "Did the Exodus Really Happen?" he mentions that other rabbis wanted him to keep the fiction of the Exodus story on the down-low. The basic story of the Exodus from Egypt (extracting supernatural elements) was touted to me as one of the most historical aspects of the Bible, yet it never happened. This seriously puts into question the historicity of any and all of the Bible stories.
Further, how immoral is it for modern Jews to continue to perpetuate this myth at the expense of Egyptian dignity? For thousands of years, the Jews have blamed the Egyptians for enslaving their ancestors when that never actually happened. Continuing to celebrate Passover without acknowledging the truth of history only perpetuates the shame.
Growing up, I loved celebrating Passover. I loved the story of people fighting for their freedom and fighting against slavery. I don't think Jews need to stop celebrating Passover or stop talking about this story. However, they need to acknowledge that the celebration is based on a completely fictional story and that the Egyptians never enslaved the Jews. Rabbis should even make a formal apology to the Egyptian people for vilifying them.
As a Humanist, I think it is important to talk about the plight against slavery and the fight for freedom. But I think people should do it honestly instead of turning real people in history into villains. There are plenty of real villains in history already.
Perhaps the holiday of Passover could focus more on the plight of Jews who escape Germany during the Second World War. There are some very inspirational acts of bravery and heroism worth telling from that time, and they don't require made-up history or supernatural plagues to reinforce the message. -
Soul_Venom — 3 years ago(April 03, 2023 07:18 PM)
Conman not that you likely care but for those who might read what you wrote evidence of passage HAS been found. Moses lead the people across the part of the Red Sea now know as the Gulf of Aqaba. They entered at what is now called Nuweibaa. The gulf averages 1500ft deep except for a narrow underwater ridge that runs from Nuweibaa NE to modern day Jordan. Over this ridge the water is only 50ft deep. In Jordan on the other side of the gulf there are Jewish petroglyphs carved into the canyon walls bearing a distinctly egyptian flair. Not more than 50 miles away in the maze of mountain canyons the remains of the Jewish encampment at Jabel el Lawz [Mt Sinai] are still visible.
Trump is still your President. Charlie Kirk still Wins! -
filmflaneur — 1 year ago(August 06, 2024 11:00 AM)
…Jewish petroglyphs carved into the canyon walls bearing a distinctly egyptian flair
https://universes.art/en/art-destinations/jordan/wadi-rum/khazali-canyon
https://www.wadirumnomads.com/the-petroglyphs-and-inscriptions-of-wadi-rum/
etc
Oddly, a fact not mentioned at all in accounts and images of the site that I can find..
I think you'll find things are a little more complicated than that.
Schrodinger's Cat walks into a bar, and doesn't. 