We have seen how, after Nicea, Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. But what about the Jews? In 70 AD, after a bitter rebellion, the Romans destroyed the Temple in Jerusalem. The rebellion lasted from 66 AD to 73 AD. According to both Tacitus and Josephus 1.1 million Jews died and 97,000 were sold into slavery. (Personally, I think this figure is over-stated and that Tacitus accepted Josephus as his source. But regardless of the exact numbers, there was a tremendo...
"Render unto Caesar....." In 325 AD, a council of bishops was convened at Nicea, in Turkey. The decisions of that council would effect the future of religion in the West for centuries to come. Constantine had become Emperor in 323 AD, after defeating the Emperor Licinius in battle. Constantine would end the persecutions against the Christians and would, on his deathbed in 337, accept conversion to Christianity becoming the first Christian Roman Emperor. But in 323, he was still a paga...
"These are the secret sayings that the living Jesus spoke, and which the twin (Didymos) Judas Thomas wrote down (recorded.)" These are the opening words of the Gospel of Thomas, first discovered in the 1890's and also included in the documents that comprise the collection known as the Gnostic Gospels. It begins in the desert. It always begins in the desert. The year is 1945. An Arab named Muhammed Ali al-Samman and his brothers had gone to collect sabakh , a soft soil used to fert...
We have seen how Christianity emerged from Judaism. But how similiar are the two religions? Here is a quick comparison: Judaism Tribal religion, believing that the Jewish people are “Chosen” by God. Before 70 AD, Judaism was centered around Jerusalem and the Temple. Although there are some conversions, Judaism is passed on as birthright Long history, stretching back to Abraham. The God of the Jews meted out punishments to the enemies of the Jews. Christianity
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In Part I, I discussed how Judaism is a tribal religion. That is to say that it elevates one people above all others. It was an effective force in uniting twelve tribes into one people, distinguishing them from others by circumcision and the Ten Commandments and by the laws of kashruth or kosher eating, by establishing common tradition and more. It enabled the Jewish people to carve out a kingdom in middle of hostile neighbors. It established the need for a single leader, from Moses to the Ki...
This is the first of a series of articles that are largely intended for the JCS (Jewish Cultural Society) 7th Grade Class and is an overview. The general orientation is secular, that is that I espouse a "real world" view focusing on recorded events rather than traditional comparisons of belief systems. I feel that it is important to give this disclaimer at the beginning, but let me also differentiate between secularism and atheism of agnosticism. I believe that every individual must find ...
Every man, woman and child, every people, race and religion, all humans will face times of adversity. All of us will have to overcome the forces that hold us down, that keep us from finding our own Promised Lands. These are our own, personal "times of bondage in Egypt" if you will. Tonight, on the first night of Pesach or Passover, I want to express what I see as the universality of the struggle to be free. The Passover Holiday is one that belongs to us all. It is often thought of as a "Je...
Like millions of others, I have been watching the reviews and previews of Mel Gibson's film "The Passion of the Christ." I haven't had the opportunity to see it yet, but I fully intend to. I have heard Mel Gibson speak about the film and respond to the charges that the film is anti-Semitic and may create or exacerbate the rift between Christians and Jews. The core issue is, of course, what was the role of the Jews in the death of Jesus and what are the consequences. I am going to try to be ...