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Gnosticism's Christian form grew to prominence in the 2nd century A.D. Ultimately denounced as heretical by the early church, Gnosticism proposed a revealed knowledge of God ("gnosis" meaning "knowledge" in Greek), held as a secret tradition of the apostles. In The Gnostic Gospels, author Elaine Pagels suggests that Christianity could have developed quite differently if Gnostic texts had become part of the Christian canon. Without a doubt: Gnosticism celebrates God as both Mother and Father, shows a very human Jesus's relationship to Mary Magdalene, suggests the Resurrection is better understood symbolically, and speaks to self-knowledge as the route to union with God. Pagels argues that Christian orthodoxy grew out of the political considerations of the day, serving to legitimize and consolidate early church leadership. Her contrast of that developing orthodoxy with Gnostic teachings presents an intriguing trajectory on a world faith as it "might have become." The Gnostic Gospels provides engaging reading for those seeking a broader perspective on the early development of Christianity. --F. Hall
Book Description
A provocative study of the gnostic gospels and the world of early Christianity as revealed through the Nag Hammadi texts.
Customer Reviews:
Remarkable.......2007-09-27
This book is great. Plenty of information to understand gnosticism as well as early church politics. The density of informations requires you read it with a pen or reread it. I will do that as it is so easy to read and engrossing.
Interesting Read.......2007-05-14
I recently finished the book. I found it very interesting and a thought provoking read. At times it was a dragged a bit, but over all worth the effort.
A spotlight on controversy.......2007-05-13
I have always enjoyed Ms Pagels' commentaries on the History Channel, and found this book expands upon them in a scholarly manner, as she gives not only her conclusions but the path she took to arrive at them. This is a fine volume for anyone interested in early Christian ideas which were discarded.
J. V. Vaisvil
Informative.......2007-05-06
Still reading this but it's very informative because it gives background and history which is different from the other Gnostic Gospels that I have. If you are searching for truth and are willing to open your mind to ALL possibilities, add this to your collection. My motto is, I am searching for the truth and I don't care what clothes it is wearing. Truth is Truth. If you agree, get this book and continue your search. This will help you.
Outstanding scholarly work.......2007-04-11
Originally written nearly 30 years ago, this book remains a must-read on the subject. Elaine Pagels is a renowned scholar with a Harvard Ph.D. in religion. She directly studied and translated some of the Nag Hammadi manuscripts in the early seventies. Her related research represents the foundation of this book. She later became a Princeton professor. She wrote several seminal books on Christianity. Her lifelong work has significantly advanced our knowledge of early Christianity.
Each chapter focuses on a specific tenet of Christianity and stresses the differences between Gnostic and orthodox Christians. While the orthodox Christians believe in the physical reality of Jesus' resurrection, the immaculate conception of Jesus, and martyrdom; the Gnostic Christians interpret the resurrection in a spiritual way (not a literal one). They also do not believe in the Immaculate Conception. And, they reject martyrdom as a fanatical practice not reflecting Jesus' teachings.
The Gnostic Christians don't believe in the orthodox Christians' hierarchy. Gnostic Christians believe each of us has direct access to God. And, that orthodox bishops and priests represent unwanted obstacles to this access. Additionally, Gnostic Christians do not exclude women as the sexes are equal in front of God. They even revere God as both the Father and the Mother. Also, they don't consider Mary Magdalene to be a woman of ill repute, but instead an equal if not a superior to the twelve apostles.
For Gnostic Christians, the overarching factor is how much gnosis (knowledge) a believer has. This also entails wisdom and maturity. Gnosis is means knowledge based on empirical firsthand experience in Greek. It entails self-knowledge or "know thyself" a key concept in Greek philosophy (Aristotle, Plato, Socrates). For Gnostic Christian this concept is so important that knowing self ultimately leads to knowing God. Thus, there is no separation between God and the individual. This underlines the drastic difference between Gnostic and orthodox Christians. The author mentions that this concept leads to Gnosticism having a significant influence on modern Existentialism.
Gnostic Christians also considered Jesus to be a spiritual guide more than a divine entity. The author indicates that other historians suggested this concept comes from Buddhism and that early Gnostic Christians may have likely been influenced by Buddhism. They support their arguments by the existing trade routes of the time that linked the relevant regions allowing for the mentioned exchange of spiritual concepts.
Pagels advances that the orthodox Christians more concrete criteria to join their religion were at the essence of their success over their Gnostic counterparts. For a religion to be successful it needs more than ideas. It needs a strong organizational political structure that promotes its expansion based on principles readily understandable to newcomers. Orthodox Christianity had all these elements enhancing its prospective success. Gnosticism had ideas alone. Within two centuries, the Gnostic movement will have disappeared and orthodox Christianity will flourish presenting a fairly united front for over a millennium until Martin Luther in the 16th century. Oddly enough, Luther's Reformation would adopt certain of the Gnostics concepts including the deemphasizing of a religious hierarchy and implementing the more direct access between each individual and God.
To this day the majority of Christian movements follow an orthodox Christian structure. Gnostic Christianity has entirely disappeared; But as mentioned some of its ideas have survived within eastern philosophies (Buddhism), classical Greek philosophy, and modern existentialism.
This is a fascinating book on a subject with an extensive literature. If you like this book, I strongly recommend all the other books written by the same author. I also recommend books written by Michael Baigent. In particular, his latest book "The Jesus Papers" is excellent.
Book Description
A landmark work of scholarship and literary translation, The Gnostic Bible presents the most significant and beautiful sacred texts of gnostic mysticism. The gnostics were religious thinkers who believed that salvation is found through mystical knowledge and personal religious experience. Gnostic writings offer striking perspectives on both early Christian and non-Christian thought. Dating from the first to the thirteenth centuries, the selections in this volume represent Jewish, Christian, Hermetic, Mandaean, Manichaean, Islamic, and Cathar forms of gnostic spirituality, and their sources include Egypt, the Greco-Roman world, the Middle East, Syria, Iraq, China, and France. These texts show that gnosticism was a world religion that sought truths in a wide variety of traditions and expressed those truths in powerful and provocative mystical poetry and prose. This is the first time that such a diverse collection of ancient gnostic texts has been published in a single volume, and many of the texts have never before been translated into English.
Customer Reviews:
The Gnostic Bible.......2007-01-23
Excellent source of additional books to the Bible that didn't make it, for whatever reason. The book itself is very, very involved and in some very difficult dialogue/dialect....be ready to study. Enjoy yourself in God's words to you.
A Complete Bible for the Gnostics.......2006-07-30
This is truly a complete Bible for the Gnostics. It contains every major writing that is considered Gnostic. It includes both and Ancient and Medieval writings. The writings are gathered from all religious branches of Gnostics Pagan,Jewish,Christian,Mandaen,Manichaen,Islamic and Cathar.
With in this volume we have early wisdom Gospels such as Thomas and even the biblical John, there is Sethian,Valentian,Syrian,and Hermetic Literature.
This is a great volume to use in referencing the original works as you read about them. I read this entire volume through from front to back when I had just began studing Gnosticism and had a hard time comprehending it.Some of the writings are hard to understand with out a full understanding of what the writer was trying to teach. For example the book Thunder teaches nondualism but makes no sense with out this understanding.While I believe the Gospels of Philip and Thomas are very easy to understand.This volume contains almost the entire Nag Hammadi text and so many other texts, it is like one stop shopping for all the texts you will need in your studies. If you are interested in Gnosticism this "Bible" should be in your reference library.
HIDDEN SECRETE.......2006-06-13
Why has this author left out the most important writing of Jesus Christ - 'The Sophia of Jesus Christ'? read in the NAG HAMMADI LIBRARY. The Gnostic Bible is without meaning without this writing.
Seek the truth & it will liberate you . . ........2006-03-14
whenever I see these religious fanatics trying to put down yet another "heretical" work of humankind, I shudder b/c if they had the power, we'd have the inquisition all over again. Why so afraid of people reading anything they want? Specially if it would help rid us of ignorance & long-hammered traditions based on man-made politics and search for power? The converted are blinded by their conversion and in turn want to blind others without questioning their own motives . . . why, it would mean they are questioning their faith . . . and that's a no-no . . . might burn in hell if you question your blind faith, right?
Of COURSE it's not biblical. That's the whole point. It's apocryphal........2005-12-31
This book is not intended to supplant the various "canonical" Christian bibles. This is a collection of scriptures from heterodox sources, sects that were repressed by orthodox authorities and branded as heretics- exactly as certain reviewers seem intent on doing. But this collection is not presented as an inspirational or spiritual text; rather, it is meant to be a tool for students of world religions. It provides a window into an ancient and beautiful tradition that is very nearly extinct. Don't give so beautiful and thorough a scholarly work a bad review just because it isn't in line with your personal beliefs.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
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History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10
Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.
I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.
Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.
Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.
I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.
This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.
Book Description
For all those readers curious to read the actual texts of the Gnostic Gospels, here is the definitive collection of all the Gnostic Gospels and Gospel–like texts.
o Marvin Meyer, premier scholar of Gnostic and other Christian literature outside the New Testament, presents every Gnostic Gospel and Jesus text with a brilliant overall introduction, introductions to each text, and notes that explain everything the reader needs to know to understand the text. He includes his latest translations of not only the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip, the Gospel of Mary, but other texts such as the Secret Book of John, which some scholars regard as the second part of the New Testament Gospel of John. The material is largely from the discovery at Nag Hammadi, freshly translated and introduced, but also includes texts found elsewhere. The texts, especially taken together, present an image of Jesus as the ultimate wisdom teacher, a kind of mysterious Jewish Zen master, who scandalized listeners by his radical egalitarianism (regarding women, slaves, the poor, the marginalized as of equal status, or more, with establishment male believers) and his insistence on living the message, spiritual experience, vs. outer observance only.
o For those wanting to learn more after reading The Da Vinci Code. This book provides the definitive next book for those looking for expert presentation of the alternative Gnostic stream of Christianity, in which there is no talk of crucifixion and Mary Magdalene is presented as the disciple that Jesus loved best. "Marv is one of the original secret gospels scholars who has done an enormous amount of work to bring these texts to light. All of his research on the Nag Hammadi texts is having an incredible impact on our knowledge of early Christian history––it is virtually redefining it." ––Dr. Elaine Pagels, Princeton University
Customer Reviews:
A different view of things..........2007-04-12
I was very pleased with Marvin Meyer's translations and loved that he had so many notes in the back to look at while reading the texts. It was an interesting look into the world of the ancient Gnostics. I really enjoyed the Gospels of Thomas and Mary. Some of the other ones, as written by Valentinus, for example, I just really couldn't get into because of some of the radical ideas such as the evilness of the human world, which I happen to like. lol
Wow I read a lot of these Gnostic texts.......2006-09-08
Yet another in my library of "religious" documents. Religion and philosophy are two of my main interests and I get into more of what didn't make it in as opposed to what did make it in. Any rate, wonderful read. Interesting to read more of what the early Christians believed.
Gnostic Gospels.......2006-08-25
This book provides readers unaware of the nature or scope of the Gnostic Gospels a thoughtful and thought provoking introduction to the subject. I now feel better informed on this aspect of Christian religion and traditions.
Very interesting in parts, confusing in others........2006-08-05
That sort of book is difficult to "judge" or rate with a star system, given that this is a collection of different books, written by different authors, etc.
The first texts are very interesting, especially if you have some serious knowledge of the Bible beforehand and if Christianity in general is an interest of yours. It can be inspiring and won't fail to surprise you. That's the good side of this collection.
Now, there are books in there that are really cryptic. Stories where Adam and Eve have two children, Jahveh and God (or else, I don't claim to be super precise here, but I know Jahveh was in the lot)and etc, etc. I'm no specialist in the apocrypha, and I have to say that even with the introduction of Meyer, nothing made much sense in those more obscure stories.
In conclusion, while there are some books here that are indeed very interesting for the non-specialist reader, there are others that will merely confuse you. I would imagine.
The Gnostic Gospels of Jesus:.......2006-07-25
This book pulls together all of the Gnostic Gospels into a comprehensive and understandable whole. I wish I had known this before I bought all the rest. Thank you.
Average customer rating:
- Gnostic trip
- A New Look at Jesus
- Finally some new Information
- Useful resource
- Offers differing points of view of early Christianity.
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The Secret Teachings of Jesus: Four Gnostic Gospels
Manufacturer: Vintage
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ASIN: 0394744330
Release Date: 1986-05-12 |
Book Description
In December 1945, two Egyptian fellahin, digging for natural fertilizer in the Nile River valley unearthed a sealed storage jar. The jar proved to hold treasure of an unexpected sort: a collection of some fifty-two ancient manuscripts, most of which reflect the teachings of a mystical religious movement we call Gnosticism (from the Greek word gnosis, "knowledge"). The texts are also, with few exceptions, Christian documents, and thus they provide us with valuable new information about the character of the early church, and about the Gnostic Christians within the church.
In this volume, Marvin W. Meyer has produced a new English translation for general readers of four of the most important and revealing of these early Christian texts -- the Secret Book of James, the Gospel of Thomas, the Book of Thomas, and the Secret Book of John.
Customer Reviews:
Gnostic trip.......2007-03-16
Not at all happy with the book. Sorry I ordered it. Even the author changed the point of view. Why can't the true story be told?
A New Look at Jesus.......2006-09-19
Very interesting presentaton. It is a translation of texts that you do not find in the Bible.
It would have been better presented with some more comments. Good informaton but very dry presentaton for reading.
Finally some new Information.......2006-09-17
I found this book was very thought provoking. Finally some new information to ponder. If all you want is more of what you already knew, this probably isn't the book for you. The last Gospel in the book gives you a very different slant on things. Wish that we could find more books that give you something other than the same old thing.
Useful resource.......2006-05-24
This is a great resource that finally lets people see for themselves what the Gnostic writings are about: blathering nonesense removed from historical context. These writings would not inspire an elementary student of religion. They reveal a totally different religion that did not inspire the majority of it's readers. These books went out of circulation long before Christianity was legal. There was no power structure in place, only the plain sense of average people who said, "What?" when they read these and "Wow!" when they read the first four gospels, written more than 100 years earlier. I'm glad to finally be able to see for myself that all the hoopla is just that. This version is readable and accurate.
Offers differing points of view of early Christianity........2006-02-28
I never believed the garbage put out by the Catholic Church that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. I never understood why women were so beaten down since there were at least 7 women disciples who accompanied the 12 apostles. This book and the Gospel of Mary puts things in perspective. Remember, history is written by the winners. There was no Council of Nicea or New Testament during the early days of Christianity. There were many growing pains and these books help one understand that. Peter was not unlike many men of his time, who believed women were not worth anything, just part of men's possessions.
Book Description
This is the most complete, up–to–date, one–volume, English–language edition of the renowned library of fourth–century Gnostic manuscripts discovered in Egypt in 1945, which rivaled the Dead Sea Scrolls find in significance. It includes the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary, and other Gnostic gospels and sacred texts. This volume also includes introductory essays, notes, tables, glossary, index, etc. to help the reader understand the context and contemporary significance of these texts which have shed new light on early Christianity and ancient thought.
This team of collaborators launched modern Gnostic studies and exposed a movement within Christianity whose teachings are in many ways as relevant today as they were centuries ago. The importance of their work has been underscored with the success of books by bestselling authors such as Elaine Pagels, Harold Bloom, and even Dan Brown.
Opening the secrets of a religion which the Gnostics themselves had hoped would be kept sealed until the Last Day, this edition takes into account recent developments including the significance of the Gospel of Thomas and other lost gospels as a source of the authentic sayings of Jesus. This fascinating collection will become a welcome addition to the understanding of the formative years of the early Christian Church.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent compilation of Gnostic scriptures.......2007-10-04
In this book you will find excellent translations of the ancient Gnostic manuscripts that were hidden in jars by the Nile in Egypt some time in the first few hundred years of the common era. These manuscripts include scriptures that were not supported by the Roman Catholic Church and early Church fathers which might have been what lead to there being hidden. They were discovered in 1945 by a group of young peasants digging for fertilizer in Nag Hammadi Egypt. While they were mishandled and some were even burned before reaching the hands of antiquity dealers they turned out to be a discovery equal to the dead sea scrolls.
This volume includes all the documents that were found, writings supposedly from the apostle Paul, never before senn gospels attributed to Phillip and Thomas, Sethian writings, Valentian writings, and much more. The editor ensures that each translation is preceded by an explanation of the document and puts in context to when and why it was written. This is very helpful because it can be very confusing to read these 1800 year old documents with out a guide. Marvin Meyer has gathered an all star group to present this volume Peter Funk, Paul Poirier, and James Robinson with an introduction by Elaine Pagels wo brought Gnosticism mainstream. If you are a Gnostic, this is as close as will will ever have to your own "Bible" if you are interested in understanding Gnosticism who have the correct palce to start your study, with the original writings. Hear you will find the ancient Gnostics speaking for themselves through their myths and beliefs about the here and now and their true nature.
Translations of the Nag Hammadi texts.......2007-07-13
This is probably the most definitive book of the Nag Hammadi texts' translations at the present time. The ancient texts were found buried in Egyptian soil in the year 1945, and they gave a better view to origins of Christianity. The gnostic view. In place of blind faith the inner knowledge of oneself (=gnosis) is seen to be the key factor in one's religious experience.
The Nag Hammadi texts were not included in the Bible for some hazy reasons/irrationalities, and one can see that the Bible is missing many points of view. It takes some patience to read the Nag Hammadi texts too, but the new views to existing concepts are definetely worth it. --> The jealous God of Moses'n'Israel was not good at all, true Jesus was not crucified, the world is seen as a mere illusion, Holy Spirit is associated with thought/thinking, Jesus with knowledge of truth/self, God with love/wholeness, etc...
Being in the gnosis..........2007-05-30
This book finds an honoured place on my shelves, next to the older edition of the Nag Hammadi scriptures assembled under the direction of James M. Robinson, who provides the preface (and much underlying research). According to Robinson, `The Nag Hammadi Scriptures is a collection of thirteen papyrus codices - bound books, not scrolls - that were buried near the city of Nag Hammadi in Upper Egypt most likely in the second half of the fourth century CE.' The texts contained here are a fascinating collection, bringing to light literally dozens of texts that had previously been unknown for over a millennium, although about ten of them are in such fragmentary form that it still cannot be said that these have been recovered. It is supposed by many scholars that this is a collection that was buried by Gnostics, but this is not without controversy.
This text has as a leader over the title the phrase `The International Edition', for good reason. There have been three different projects, one in English, one in French, and one in German, over the past generation, the fruits of which have been brought together here in one volume. The representatives from each team are James M. Robinson, Wolf-Peter Funk, and Paul-Hubert Poirier, for the English, German, and French research projects respectively. The introduction is provided by Marvin Meyer and Elaine Pagels, both names known to people who study Gnostic and early biblical texts.
In the introduction, Meyers and Pagels offer the caution that the title `Nag Hammadi Scriptures' cannot imply a canon of scriptures similar to the Bible or Quran - these are texts that were less a sacred (and closed) collection and more of a general gathering of pieces that were considered inspired and inspirational. The original language of the texts is Coptic, although these may have been translated originally from Greek.
Coptic is the Egyptian language written with the Greek alphabet; there are different dialects of Coptic, and the Nag Hammadi library shows at least two. They were found in codex form (book form rather than scroll form), discovered in the mid 1940s, just a few years prior to the discovery of the first Dead Sea Scrolls (another reason for the combination of the texts in the public imagination). However, even this discovery led to others - there was an earlier find that made its way to Berlin (rather like the earlier `Dead Sea Scroll' that had been found in Cairo), and a third collection discovered in the 1970s, and passed from hand to hand until retrieved by scholars (now known as the Codex Tchacos).
Included in these texts are The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Philip, The Gospel of Truth, The Gospel of Mary and other gospel contenders (alas, in fragmentary form--this edition carries as much of the text in translation as was recovered). The Gospel of Thomas has perhaps been the highest profile text from Nag Hammadi; it has been translated and commented upon extensively, particularly in modern scholarship which discusses gospel development. The most recent `star' among the non-canonical gospels is the Gospel of Judas, the publication of which Meyer was involved in not long ago (taken for the first time from the Codex Tchacos discovery).
Some of the texts were known by title prior to the discovery of these manuscripts - some titles were found on heretical texts lists, and yet, the idea of heresy is a slippery one, which the authors discuss in context of the non-canonical gospels and texts found in the collection that still had a following within early Christian communities.
For purposes of scholarship, there are limitations to this volume. `As in Nag Hammadi Deutsche, here also only Coptic page numbers are given, and not line numbers from the manuscripts. The Nag Hammadi Scriptures is not presented as an edition of Coptic manuscripts but a publication of texts in English translation, and for this reason the continuation of the use of references based upon line numbers in Coptic manuscripts seems inappropriate.' There are, however, generous notes and references that can provide much of what the average and even scholarly reader will need save for those few specialists who will no doubt know how to use this information to go further.
As an epilogue after the texts, there are four essays that discuss the different ideas within the scholarly community about the texts and Gnosticism more generally. Some have proposed abandoning the term as inappropriate (or too vague to be useful), and others follow the lead of Ireneaus, who apparently used the terms to describe certain groups as they themselves had used it in self-reference.
This is a fascinating text, useful for those who want more insight into the kinds of spiritual writing that were circulating in addition to the canonical scriptures of the early Christians. This also provides information about what the early Christians were reacting to - and opens up new possibilities of interpretation of early Christian history and practice.
The standard source for decades to come..........2007-04-10
Dr. Marvin Meyer has done a masterful job in producing a volume that will serve for many decades as the standard source. Scholarly understanding of the Gnostic texts found at Nag Hammadi has vastly matured since their original publication as the Nag Hammadi Library in 1977. This new edition fully reflects that refinement in "the scholarly ear" for both the forgotten ancient tongue and the spiritual tradition preserved in the Gnostic Coptic texts. In every possible way, publication of The Nag Hammadi Scriptures represents a milestone in modern understanding of Gnostic tradition. Elaine Pagels, the author and professor who introduced a generation of readers to the Gnostic Gospels, appropriately pens the introduction to this landmark edition. Every student of Gnosticism will want to own this book, but before jumping into the big volume, we still highly recommend a study of briefer introductory readings -- a good place to start is Dr. Meyer's "The Gnostic Discoveries: The Impact of the Nag Hammadi Library".
Book Description
Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy, authors of The Jesus Mysteries and Jesus and the Lost Goddess, return with a powerful indictment of Jewish, Christian, and Islamic fundamentalism and a passionate reinterpretation of Gnostic spirituality. According to Freke and Gandy, religiously inspired acts of violence, such as the attacks on 9/11, are nothing new. They are the continuation of a long and bloody history of brutality caused by mistaking bizarre old books for the Word of God. The time has come to end religious intolerance and wake up to oneness by rediscovering the Gnostic way of transforming oneself and the world.
Freke and Gandy's Incendiary New Book Is a Wake-Up Call to the World
What if the Old Testament is a work of fiction, Jesus never existed, and Muhammad was a mobster?
What if the Bible and the Qur’an are works of political propaganda created by Taliban-like fundamentalists to justify the sort of religious violence we are witnessing in the world today?
What if there is a big idea that could free us from the us-versus-them world created by religion and make it possible for us to truly love our neighbors—and even our enemies?
What if it is possible to awaken to a profound state of oneness and love, which the Gnostic Christians symbolized by the enigmatic figure of the laughing Jesus?
Discover for Yourself Why the Gnostic Jesus Laughs
Customer Reviews:
Half Truths and Reductionism.......2007-06-18
I am sorry I bought this book. The first section of the book totally discredits the exoteric viewpoint. Granted, humanity needs to evolve out of the literalist mindset...which is based on fear and ignorance. However, the authors throw the baby out with the bathwater and then provide us with their vision of the "truth."
Evolution always transcends and includes the lower stages of development and these authors miss the boat entirely. They simply discredit and throw out the lower holons and then arrogantly put forth their own half truths. In their version of "reality" , they throw out the intrinsic beauty and isness of individual holons. They discredit individuals and therefore set themselves up to be at a lower level of conscious development than the fundamentalists. Everything is "consciousness." This is a bunch of populist reductionist bunk. Everything is Spirit would be more accurate. Consciousness is a characteristic of Spirit. Spirit also has the characteristics of Love, Beauty, Power, Compassion, Creativity...etc. To reduce ALL THAT IS to mere consciousness is a popular fallacy in postmodern reductionist consciousness cults. To say that all individuals and BEINGS are all the same "consciousness" is more meaningless reductionist bunk. The facts of the matter are that every individual person and every individual thing have intrinsic worth and deep value as Individuating Spirit. Every Spirit Being has its unique justness and isness. Every Spirit Being is also a part of a much larger movement of Spirit Unfolding. Spirit permeates all things and all things and people are Spirit. (made of the same stuff) However, the authors miss the Individual Nature of Spirit and equate this with separateness.(ooh..separateness is evil!...more hogwash) Anyone can go into a state of meditation and realize the Witness. The Witness is the Objective Subject within all of US. The Witness is the One inside you who is watching the dream. Your Soul is Unique and precious and has infinite Value and Worth. Your Individuality is in no way an illusion. Your 3rd chakra will rebel if you take their viewpoint.
The difficult process of Becoming an Individual Being in all your Radiant Uniqueness is a Natural process and is well documented by Jung, Wilber, and others. To simply throw your hands up and reject your Unique Self is a cop out and is called reductionism. Not only are we individuating, we are also realizing our worth and value as part of the WHOLE.(G-D) If there is one thing that real Jesus taught, it is the Value of all Individual Beings.
However, your individuality is connected to all things through Spirit. I am throwing my copy of this book away. Sorry I wasted my hard earned money.
A must-read book!.......2007-05-05
I won't provide a summary of the book's content and key messages, as other reviewers have done that very well. This book is essential reading for anyone with an interest in religion and/or the mystery of life. If you read this book with an open mind (i.e. not as a stout religious person) you'll likely conclude that the literalist religions are a dreadful lie.
finally someone with a right mind.......2007-04-25
this book is great! covers allot of topics not usually intended for the masses. its about time the masses found out they are living a lie!
A soporofic call to wake up.......2007-03-25
The Laughing Jesus is a thoroughly exasperating tome of the "religion is nonsense but we have the answer" school. It is written in two parts: "the bathwater" and "the baby".
In "the bathwater", the authors fall into the classic trap of trying to argue a belief system is irrational and therefore shouldn't be believed. I've never understood why so many critics of fundamentalism, which we're told is irrational, seem to believe telling irrational people they're irrational will suddenly make them rational. I'd argue writing rational critiques of fundamentalist beliefs is its own special form of irrationality.
In their version of this pointless "you're stupid to believe this crap" endeavour, the authors dispute the disputable with the requisite amount of equally disputable evidence and use the conventional number of exclamation marks and cheap shots so we're never in any doubt who the alleged rational ones are. For the record, apparently the Jewish, Christian, and Muslim holy works are all bunk; Jesus, Moses et al didn't exist; Muhammad was just a mobster; and they can prove it.
Bathwater is followed by "the baby", but it's really just more bathwater. In part two they attempt to espouse Gnostic beliefs as the ultimate answer to all this religious mumbo jumbo but, for a book called The Laughing Jesus, they do so with a surprising lack of wit and joy. The result, sadly, reads like more mumbo jumbo.
Historically, mystics have embraced myth and symbol, as any reader of Jung will testify. Gnostics usually love their fairy stories, which stir our imagination (mysticism's greatest ally) to help us wake up. Not so Messrs Freke and Gandy - with them it's all Gnostic hockey sticks and fervour, leaving their call to wake up decidedly soporific.
Waking up With a Jolt.......2007-03-17
When the authors state in the first chapter that the book is a, "damning indictment of Literalist religion and a passionate affirmation of Gnostic spirituality," the reader is advised to take them at their word, in spades. It appears that Freke and Gandy believe that every negative/evil happening throughout history can be laid at the feet of Literalists, while all positive/forward movement humanity has enjoyed can be attributed either to Gnostics or their prevalence in a particular society. And while they also point out in the first chapter that the very nature of gnosis demands that experiential spiritual experience will necessarily vary from person to person, this view appears to be all but forgotten early on in the book. Never the less, the book is a very interesting read, especially if one takes the time to balance out the information presented by reading the works of other contemporary Gnostic authors.
As the writers proceed to dismantle the Torah, the Koran, and the New Testament Gospel accounts, they make many undeniably valid points denouncing the historic credibility of these writings, and clearly explain how Literalists institutionalized their belief systems in an unrelenting drive for power and control. However, they are either not unaware of, or do not subscribe to, the view that some of the information contained in these writings were the result of gnosis, use symbolic language, and were never meant to be taken literally in the first place. The second half of the book relates the author's personal experience of gnosis and is especially helpful in its explanation of the illusory nature of human life and the reality of immortal oneness that lies behind it. The authors point out that this awareness necessarily leads to the conclusion that "big love" and unselfishness are the means we use to stop sleep walking through life and awake to "lucid" living. And, like most Gnostics, they agree that personal experience, and the "knowing" that comes as a direct result of experience, cannot take place within a "one size fits all" religion.
Surprisingly, after the author's denunciations of the God described in the Torah, Koran and Gospel accounts, they propose an equally distasteful "God/Awareness" that projects the illusion of individual human beings so that It might experience, grow and learn through them. They denounce a belief in the possibility of escaping the cycle of reincarnation as a, "pious distaste for life," and tout the beauty of embracing an endless, inescapable cycle of reincarnations where free will is nonexistent and suffering is inevitable. Read the book, and enjoy it for the thought provoking work that it is, while remembering that gnosis is fluid, personal, and highly varied. Lee & Steven Hager are the authors of Quantum Prodigal Son: Revisiting Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Perspective of Quantum Mechanics
Book Description
Gathered here for the first time in one comprehensive volume are excerpted ancient holy texts from Judeo-Christian traditions that were excluded from the official canon of the Old and New Testaments. The Other Bible is a unique sourcebook of essential selections from Jewish Psudepigrapha, early Kabbalah, Haggadah, Midrash, Christian Apocrypha, and Gnostic scriptures.
The Other Bible provides a rare opportunity to discover the poetic and narrative riches of this long-suppressed literature and experience firsthand its visionary discourses on the nature of God, humanity, the spiritual life, the world around us, and infinite worlds beyond this one.
Customer Reviews:
The Other Perspective.......2007-03-25
As Mr. Barnstone so ably points out in his introduction, "Had events been otherwise and certain of these inspired texts incorporated in our Bible, our understanding of the tradition of religious thought would have been radically altered." Much as we might wish to believe that truth is the foundation of religious constructs and "holy books" are the divinely inspired word of God, The Other Bible awakens us to the fact that both are the result of arbitrary choices made by those with specific agendas that included the desire for power and control. While Barnstone does not ask that we discard familiar writings, he does invite the reader to consider other valid texts that offer another perspective. Any serious seeker will do well to avail themselves of the invitation.
Barnstone's opening introduction and the short explanations offered before each text aid the reader in gaining a sense of time and place. Barnstone also offers knowledgeable insights that shed light on the wording and symbolism used in each text. We would, however, offer a word of caution to the reader. Mystical and Gnostic writings are not literalist works and cannot be taken at face value. Gnosis (knowledge) is received through personal experience, varies greatly from person to person, and is often impossible to translate into words. Spiritual insights were often couched in symbolic terms that would be meaningful only to those privy to their interpretation. While most "holy books" are static, gnosis is fluid, ever-changing and pertinent to the time and location in which it is written. Readers who expect to easily understand ancient mystical and Gnostic texts will be disappointed. On the other hand, the texts that Barnstone presents will hopefully whet the reader's appetite for their own personal gnosis. Gnosticism is alive and well, and we thank Mr. Barnstone for so ably presenting these historical texts. Lee & Steven Hager are the authors of Quantum Prodigal Son: Revisiting Jesus' Parable of the Prodigal Son from the Perspective of Quantum Mechanics
Great refrence book.......2006-08-26
If you have missilanious intrests in diffrent religous doctrins, this book is for you. Some of everything. However, the book of Enoch is here in part, but if you want that great book (WHICH I KNOW YOU DO) then you should just get the printed copy of it. whirlingwheels dot com
Very good collection of extra-canonical material.......2006-03-06
Willis Barstone, the compiler of the paralell text 'The Gnostic Bible', has here collated a wide range of diverse ancient religious literature.
In his introduction, Barstone concludes 'We have recieved a highly distorted and censored version of ancient religious literature...and now we can see these traditions free of their doctrinal strictures.' The historical evidence does support this thesis, though authors like Dan Brown tend to greatly exaggerate a 'conspiracy' to hide certain ancient documents.
What is true was that during the first few centuries after the ministry and teaching of Jesus, there was not one canonical Bible like the one we had today, but instead a very wide range of Christian movements, from Gnostics to Marcionites to the Proto-Orthodox, who all claimed to faithfully represent Jesus and his teachings. During this time all these movements produced countless Gospels, Acts, accounts of the creation of the universe, Infancy Stories and legends about Jesus and the Apostles, as well as bizarre myths about the fall of the female wisdom, Sophia, from the heights of the pleorama and the tragic creation of the God of the Old Testament, the 'Demiurge.'
With the victory of the Proto-Orthodox and the laying down of a fixed Biblical canon, the Church authorities were keen to bring the Christian religion under tight ecclesiastical control, and many works disagreeing with official doctrine were burned or destroyed, and movements deemed 'heretical' persecuted. A lot of 'Gospels' and other works of literature, as well as the literature of the Gnostics, was lost, until discoveries in the 19th and 20th centuries by scholars unearthed much material, such as the Nag Hammadi Library and the Dead Sea Scrolls. What these discoveries have shown is that Christianity was far more diverse and less unified in its beliefs than was originally thought.
In truth, the works used in the other Bible are well known to scholars of mysticism, ancient literature, philosophy, and theology, so they do not necessarily present a danger to your faith, though to the unprepared the notions in much of the literature can seem odd. In our 21st century age, we are used to finding truth in logic and science, whereas the writers of these ancient works found it in inner visions, mystical experience, and processes somewhat like the creation of art, music or poetry. As Barnstone says, there is a lot of very beautiful material material here, from the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas which emphasizes finding the divine within rather than hell and judgement, to the remarkable visions of the Books of Enoch which later were a source of imagery for the writers of Christian apocalyptic works, to the hauntingly beautiful poetry in the Odes of Solomon.
Somewhat less attractive are the rambling stories of the Aggadah, the confused and frenzied visions of the Gnostics, and their bizarre and pathological hatred of the universe, the world and the human body, the violent visions of doom and hell in the Apocalypse of Peter, and the overly long legends of the travels of the Apostles and their tedious focus on fantastic miracles. Still, there is much of religious worth and beauty in this collection, and Barnstone appropriately ends the book with quotes from the mystical Neo-Platonic Philosopher Plotinus and the shadowy Pseudo-Dionysius the Aeropagite, who would later found the mystical tradition in Christianity itself.
This book is well worth owning if you are interested in how we got the Bible, what got into it, and what didn't. In the end my view is that a lot of the material excluded is just as beautiful in a literary and religious sense as what was in the Bible (i.e. The books of Enoch, Gospel of Thomas, Odes of Solomon) and one wonders how our religious history would have unfolded had we had a different bible, or bibles, handed down to us by history.
A must for the serious Gnostic Student.......2006-01-22
Many years ago, I attended the Clairvision School. This is a school run by the author of `Awakening the third eye', Samuel Sagan. `The Other Bible' was on a list of recommend books to read. After reading `The Other Bible' I asked Samael about Gnosis. I discovered that Samuel's teachings had Gnosis as a foundation. The profoundness of `The Other Bible' has stayed with me these many years later as I still work at unravelling its mysteries.
For those who are interested in Gnosis or are already in a Gnostic School, I cannot stress enough the benefits of reading the Gnostic manuscripts contained within `The Other Bible'. This information is foundational and 'The Other Bible' is a great resource. In a lot of ways, it is no use for me to try and describe the Gnostic scripts contained in the other bible; you simply have to read these for yourself. Having said this, the other bible does contain other scripts that are definitely of a Judeo-Christian leaning.
Having read a large number of Judeo-Christian manuscripts, I found `The Other Bible' difficult when it came to the Gnostic Scripts. The Gnostic scripts are 'Other worldly'. The reason for this is that they are describing higher spiritual realms and states. Anything that I did not understand, I would shelve, as apposed to judge. This was especially true when it came to reading of the Demiurge (creator of this world) and fall of the Divine Sophia (feminine aspect of God). It has taken me many years for only certain aspects of these Gnostic scripts to fall into place. This is the nature of Gnosis, especially if you are trying to grasp it with the intellect or fallible mind. Those who are familiar with koans will understand what I am talking about.
I would also recommend the `Pistis Sophia' by Samael Aun Weor for further Gnostic readings. This version has commentary, so you will be able to get a better handle on what this amazing book has to offer.
The Other Bible.......2005-10-03
First of all, you must have a very strong faith to begin reading any book that claims to include lost or missed scriptures or Biblical histories. The writings are VERY interesting! Included are events from Christ's childhood (very interesting). Prophetic books are added and changed from what we read in the Bible as we know it. A must read. As initially stated, your faith must be very strong because much of what you believe as a Christian (or non-Christian) will be challenged. The book arrived in excellent condition, as promised by the seller, although almost 4 weeks after my order. This was my first order via Amazon from a private person. In the future, I will check the cost of shipping vs. anticipated receipt.
Product Description
`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the Antiquity and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by Pope Gregory Hildebrand was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.
Customer Reviews:
Check and see.......2007-06-21
I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.
Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22
Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.
Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05
We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:
a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;
b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;
c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.
Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:
It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.
- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.
- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.
Fomenko goes by the following axioms:
- Chronology is the basis of history;
- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;
- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;
- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;
- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;
- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.
Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?
The Russians:
Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.
The Westerners:
Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.
The Chinese:
Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.
The Arabs:
Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.
The Divinity:
Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.
According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.
St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."
Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09
After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.
However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:
- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.
I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.
The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.
It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?
Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.
Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).
Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30
If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?
Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.
Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..
Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.
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- Even in early Christianity, symbolic interpretations were asserted
- Interpreting the writings of Paul to find spirtual understanding
- Gnostic Hermeneutics in Action, on Paul's Letters...
- The Apostle Paul Code
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The Gnostic Paul: Gnostic Exegesis of the Pauline Letters
Elaine H. Pagels
Manufacturer: Trinity Press International
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