Also worth noting, while the teachings ascribed to Christ are valuable, there is also no evidence a literal Jesus ever existed. He was not mentioned by contemporary historians nor by the Romans or Herodians. The first mention came from a Roman historian, Josephus who was born around 30 years after Jesus is said to have died, so, one presumes he began as an adult which means 50- 60 years after Jesus died. In the times many people died young so whatever Josephus used was hearsay.
The Bible stories about Jesus were written 100 to 200 years after his death so four to eight generations later. Interestingly the attributes for Jesus are word for word those of the Roman God Mithras and for Mary, his mother, word for word those of the Great Mother Goddess Isis from Egypt. There are also claims the teachings of Jesus and the Lord's Prayer have been transcribed from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
None of this is surprising. All religions plagiarised because myths have universal appeal and because it was a way to entice people to join the religion. The Catholics certainly did this, picking up many pagan Gods and Goddesses and turning them into Saints to lure the populace into converting.
Judaism drew on the religions of its time, Christianity the same and deeply on Judaism, Islam the same and deeply on Judaism and Christianity. Any study of religions shows at core they have the same innate wisdom and core teachings. Again, not surprising because such things have emerged from the universal mind and the human minds.
To say that Josephus is a Roman historian is akin to referring to an Indian historian during British rule as a British historian. Josephus was born in Jerusalem at a time when Jerusalem was governed by Rome. Josephus was Jewish. When the time came that he traveled to Rome, it was to defend persecuted Pharisees.
The earliest books written recounting the life of Jesus - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - are broadly understood by academics to have been written as soon as 20 years to as late as 70 years after the life of Jesus. Estimates of 100 years or more are significant outliers if referring to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John or are referring to later writings, such as that known as the Gospel of Thomas.
Jewish is a religion. We do not define historians by their religion but their nationality at the time. We do not talk about Christian historians so why would we talk about Jewish historians.
Josephus was Roman and yes an Indian historian during British rule was British. That is why when India gained independence, Britain opened its doors to any who wanted to migrate.
As to when the Bible stories were written the fact remains there is no historical or archaeological evidence to validate them and as religious stories they are not fact even if there might be a few facts scattered among them.
To refer to an Indian historian as a British historian would belie his culture and worldview. Likewise with Josephus.
In cases of wealthy or powerful historic figures, there may be physical evidences of their existence such as coins or statues. Most historical figures, particularly ancients, are known only by written sources. Sometimes those written sources are from eyewitnesses, but more often they are written generations later.
There are archeological findings consistent with (not proof of) biblical accounts. Even Time Magazine recognized that recent findings (1990 at the time) were consistent with the biblical account of Jericho. This included sudden collapse of the walls, a layer of soot and grain stores, with the exact date within 200 years remaining in question.
Why would it? Indian historians write about Britain and British historians write about India.
We were talking nationality and Josephus was a Roman. Like it or not. His religion is irrelevant.
Time magazine is the comicbook source for history and has zero credibilility. It caters to Americans who know very little and where there are huge amounts of fundo Christians who are not known for facts or reason.
No hard evidence, no archaeological evidence, which means no evidence for Jericho, Exodus, Jews in Egypt, conquering anything, a tribe or kingdom called Israel or Kings David or Solomon. Fairy stories. Facts work best.
Time Magazine is used because it is anything but friendly toward Christians. Publications by Christian scholars and archeologists (those with a Christian worldview) are replete with data consistent with (not proof of) biblical scripture.
Given that the biblical story was written by dozens of different authors over thousands of years, shouldn't archeological evidence disproving what is posited be abundant, or at least existent? Besides the dating of things being questioned, I am not aware of any, and I would be interesting in looking at any presented.
It is easier to prove than disprove in archaeology and history. And even then. As an example, some claim that Israel was mentioned by the ancient Egyptians but this involves interpretation of a word that some believe meant Israel. They cannot prove it. It is conjecture.
But, since archaeologists, including Israeli despite desperate searching, have said there is no evidence for a kingdom of Israel, or its kings, and not even a tribe, we can conclude that the word interpreted as Israel, probably is not.
One could apply the same approach to the word transcribed as Palestine, carved in stone by the ancient Egyptians more than 5000 years ago. Except, in addition, there are maps, records, data, images of Palestine going back thousands of years. So, we would have to conclude that the evidence for more than 5000 years could be questioned but the reality of Palestine could not for thousands of years at least.
Much of archaeology is conjecture and interpretation and so is a lot of history. But, in both cases, facts must be provided, a few or many, to support the conjecture or interpretation.
Like science and medicine, research is often compromised in archaeology depending upon who is funding the research. We humans being flawed and often unconsciously directed toward certain outcomes to meet our needs and the needs of others.
So, in a long-winded way I am saying that proof is often hard to find about the ancient past and that is why common sense and reason must play a part.
Jesus may have existed but warning bells ring at the fact no contemporary historian or recordist mentioned him. Israel may have existed as a tribe but orthodox Jews claim it was only ever a way to live and not a place. That must be balanced.
The Egyptians were consummate recordists and forensic clerks and yet never mentioned Jews being in their country. And at the time the Jews supposedly fled, the Exodus, into the region of Canaan and the country of Palestine, it was all under Egyptian rule so they would have been fleeing from Egypt into Egyptian hands. Makes no sense.
The Romans were the same and yet never mentioned Jesus.
At the end of the day how much does it matter? Not much unless you get a bunch of fanatics rampaging in blood-drenched fury through Palestine and the Middle East, supported by Christians, because they believe their realtor God, clearly a nasty piece of work, handed out land to some primitive tribe of Jews.
Beyond can I prove it, the critical question is, DOES IT MAKE SENSE?
Hi Daniel, last Saturday on your online Q&A, I wrote a brief text about my own experience of travelling to Egypt in 2025. I’d flown out to join the Global March to Gaza, however this humanitarian mission was aborted even before we boarded the plane in the UK. This was all due to Israel putting political pressure on its neighbour —Egypt. Four weeks later it emerged that Israel had done a deal with Egypt to supply them with $35 billion dollars worth of gas from the Gaza coastline.
Here’s a short music video entitled “So you Wanna go back to Egypt.” Its a prayerful lament instead of the film we had gone to make about the march to Gaza.
Daniel, for the first time, I am able to read this story without fable. I now understand what I would say is metaphor. The Israelites, represent anyone today, who as they abandoned the enslavement and security of Egypt, we also seek to let go of the many things that bind us but offer a bubble. When they found themselves in the wilderness, it is the same fear we encounter once we believe to have let go to so many of the myths and beliefs we carry for generations. Like the Israelites we come to expect that the final knowing, all too often referred to as enlightenment, is some kind of divine blissful pleasurable state. Like a young child, when we don't get what we want, we run back desperately to our mom. Even when mom is cruel. We seek safety in and only in what we know.
We fear the unknown.
Further down the narrative, the cycle repeats because the pull for freedom, like the pull of the flame for the moth, represents the death of the ego. The flame of course is the love of God. The burning is inevitable.
So once again, Jesus, being just a metaphor for any man, who has found truth, finds himself elsewhere but nevertheless always in the same place. Meaning, there is no escape, from truth. There is only fear and self denial.
Great thoughts and very well expressed. Of course for Christians the whole Exodus story is symbolic and mirrors our own spiritual journey from slavery through a time of transformative atruggling to a new future. I always thought it should have ended before the frankly disastrous and puzzling book of Joshua. The original Torah does, I suppose. I thought that the Israelites only got to enter the Promised Land once all of the old people (including even Moses) who had left Egypt had died off in the Wilderness. Your insight that slavery conditioning was still there in a now dark and sublimated form transmogrified into imperial impulses is very, very interesting. 🙏🙏🙏
While most religious stories are myth and fairy tales, it is interesting how deeply immersed in it all, other word for it, lies, is Judaism.
Even Israeli archaeologists have admitted, despite desperate searching, there is not a shred of evidence for Jews in Europe, the Exodus, time in the desert, conquering anyone, a tribe called Israel let alone a kingdom and nothing for its claimed Kings David, Solomon etc. No evidence for Moses, falling walls of Jericho, absolutely nothing. None of it happened.
Indeed in the time that Jews supposedly fled Egypt for Palestine in the region of Canaan, the area was an Egyptian colony. It was nonsensical they would flee from Egyptian rule to Egyptian rule.
I firmly believe all religious writings should be read as metaphor and not literally. There will be some facts, as in Egypt existed and followers of Judaism existed in the times but that is about it.
The problem is not in believing such stories, the problem is in living them and committing the most evil atrocities and bestial savagery and sadistic cruelty which humans supposedly have attempted to evolve beyond.
And we—the United States—are the Egypt of this era. Israel is merely our tool. Those of us who strive to be free, and to free others, have to learn how to fight the empire from within.
Great article. Yes, you see a similar pattern of thinking, in the times of Jesus. Fear, religiosity and control in response to oppression by a foreign power. Leaving Egypt can be likened to freeing ourselves from that kind of thinking.
I always loved the poem Chad Gadya. It was one of my favorite parts of the Passover Seder. It's an allegory that describes how one superpower replaces another, and then another. Until the Holy One comes and puts an end to it all.
I also think we can liken America's current state as like Israel in the times of Jesus. Division, religiosity and control. On the one hand, there is the far right, crushing people under the weight of religion, and then, on the other extreme is woke-ism. But neither extreme is really where God is.
Also worth noting, while the teachings ascribed to Christ are valuable, there is also no evidence a literal Jesus ever existed. He was not mentioned by contemporary historians nor by the Romans or Herodians. The first mention came from a Roman historian, Josephus who was born around 30 years after Jesus is said to have died, so, one presumes he began as an adult which means 50- 60 years after Jesus died. In the times many people died young so whatever Josephus used was hearsay.
The Bible stories about Jesus were written 100 to 200 years after his death so four to eight generations later. Interestingly the attributes for Jesus are word for word those of the Roman God Mithras and for Mary, his mother, word for word those of the Great Mother Goddess Isis from Egypt. There are also claims the teachings of Jesus and the Lord's Prayer have been transcribed from ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs.
None of this is surprising. All religions plagiarised because myths have universal appeal and because it was a way to entice people to join the religion. The Catholics certainly did this, picking up many pagan Gods and Goddesses and turning them into Saints to lure the populace into converting.
Judaism drew on the religions of its time, Christianity the same and deeply on Judaism, Islam the same and deeply on Judaism and Christianity. Any study of religions shows at core they have the same innate wisdom and core teachings. Again, not surprising because such things have emerged from the universal mind and the human minds.
Once connected to the Christ within the question becomes irrelevant.
Yes, I agree. Whether you take it literally or metaphorically, it's pointing you toward the Christ within.
Absolutely but the quest toward that continues for humanity in general.
To say that Josephus is a Roman historian is akin to referring to an Indian historian during British rule as a British historian. Josephus was born in Jerusalem at a time when Jerusalem was governed by Rome. Josephus was Jewish. When the time came that he traveled to Rome, it was to defend persecuted Pharisees.
The earliest books written recounting the life of Jesus - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - are broadly understood by academics to have been written as soon as 20 years to as late as 70 years after the life of Jesus. Estimates of 100 years or more are significant outliers if referring to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John or are referring to later writings, such as that known as the Gospel of Thomas.
Jewish is a religion. We do not define historians by their religion but their nationality at the time. We do not talk about Christian historians so why would we talk about Jewish historians.
Josephus was Roman and yes an Indian historian during British rule was British. That is why when India gained independence, Britain opened its doors to any who wanted to migrate.
As to when the Bible stories were written the fact remains there is no historical or archaeological evidence to validate them and as religious stories they are not fact even if there might be a few facts scattered among them.
To refer to an Indian historian as a British historian would belie his culture and worldview. Likewise with Josephus.
In cases of wealthy or powerful historic figures, there may be physical evidences of their existence such as coins or statues. Most historical figures, particularly ancients, are known only by written sources. Sometimes those written sources are from eyewitnesses, but more often they are written generations later.
There are archeological findings consistent with (not proof of) biblical accounts. Even Time Magazine recognized that recent findings (1990 at the time) were consistent with the biblical account of Jericho. This included sudden collapse of the walls, a layer of soot and grain stores, with the exact date within 200 years remaining in question.
Why would it? Indian historians write about Britain and British historians write about India.
We were talking nationality and Josephus was a Roman. Like it or not. His religion is irrelevant.
Time magazine is the comicbook source for history and has zero credibilility. It caters to Americans who know very little and where there are huge amounts of fundo Christians who are not known for facts or reason.
No hard evidence, no archaeological evidence, which means no evidence for Jericho, Exodus, Jews in Egypt, conquering anything, a tribe or kingdom called Israel or Kings David or Solomon. Fairy stories. Facts work best.
Time Magazine is used because it is anything but friendly toward Christians. Publications by Christian scholars and archeologists (those with a Christian worldview) are replete with data consistent with (not proof of) biblical scripture.
Given that the biblical story was written by dozens of different authors over thousands of years, shouldn't archeological evidence disproving what is posited be abundant, or at least existent? Besides the dating of things being questioned, I am not aware of any, and I would be interesting in looking at any presented.
It is easier to prove than disprove in archaeology and history. And even then. As an example, some claim that Israel was mentioned by the ancient Egyptians but this involves interpretation of a word that some believe meant Israel. They cannot prove it. It is conjecture.
But, since archaeologists, including Israeli despite desperate searching, have said there is no evidence for a kingdom of Israel, or its kings, and not even a tribe, we can conclude that the word interpreted as Israel, probably is not.
One could apply the same approach to the word transcribed as Palestine, carved in stone by the ancient Egyptians more than 5000 years ago. Except, in addition, there are maps, records, data, images of Palestine going back thousands of years. So, we would have to conclude that the evidence for more than 5000 years could be questioned but the reality of Palestine could not for thousands of years at least.
Much of archaeology is conjecture and interpretation and so is a lot of history. But, in both cases, facts must be provided, a few or many, to support the conjecture or interpretation.
Like science and medicine, research is often compromised in archaeology depending upon who is funding the research. We humans being flawed and often unconsciously directed toward certain outcomes to meet our needs and the needs of others.
So, in a long-winded way I am saying that proof is often hard to find about the ancient past and that is why common sense and reason must play a part.
Jesus may have existed but warning bells ring at the fact no contemporary historian or recordist mentioned him. Israel may have existed as a tribe but orthodox Jews claim it was only ever a way to live and not a place. That must be balanced.
The Egyptians were consummate recordists and forensic clerks and yet never mentioned Jews being in their country. And at the time the Jews supposedly fled, the Exodus, into the region of Canaan and the country of Palestine, it was all under Egyptian rule so they would have been fleeing from Egypt into Egyptian hands. Makes no sense.
The Romans were the same and yet never mentioned Jesus.
At the end of the day how much does it matter? Not much unless you get a bunch of fanatics rampaging in blood-drenched fury through Palestine and the Middle East, supported by Christians, because they believe their realtor God, clearly a nasty piece of work, handed out land to some primitive tribe of Jews.
Beyond can I prove it, the critical question is, DOES IT MAKE SENSE?
The direct connection to God exists, and cannot be broken by external forces or systems. This is the meaning of "The Kingdom of God is within you."
Hi Daniel, last Saturday on your online Q&A, I wrote a brief text about my own experience of travelling to Egypt in 2025. I’d flown out to join the Global March to Gaza, however this humanitarian mission was aborted even before we boarded the plane in the UK. This was all due to Israel putting political pressure on its neighbour —Egypt. Four weeks later it emerged that Israel had done a deal with Egypt to supply them with $35 billion dollars worth of gas from the Gaza coastline.
Here’s a short music video entitled “So you Wanna go back to Egypt.” Its a prayerful lament instead of the film we had gone to make about the march to Gaza.
https://youtu.be/OBxEdFrvKaU?is=zTgnUcrNJvkKNTS2
Thank you for sharing - great timing with the video.
Daniel, for the first time, I am able to read this story without fable. I now understand what I would say is metaphor. The Israelites, represent anyone today, who as they abandoned the enslavement and security of Egypt, we also seek to let go of the many things that bind us but offer a bubble. When they found themselves in the wilderness, it is the same fear we encounter once we believe to have let go to so many of the myths and beliefs we carry for generations. Like the Israelites we come to expect that the final knowing, all too often referred to as enlightenment, is some kind of divine blissful pleasurable state. Like a young child, when we don't get what we want, we run back desperately to our mom. Even when mom is cruel. We seek safety in and only in what we know.
We fear the unknown.
Further down the narrative, the cycle repeats because the pull for freedom, like the pull of the flame for the moth, represents the death of the ego. The flame of course is the love of God. The burning is inevitable.
So once again, Jesus, being just a metaphor for any man, who has found truth, finds himself elsewhere but nevertheless always in the same place. Meaning, there is no escape, from truth. There is only fear and self denial.
I’m happy it resonated :). It’s all about us
Great thoughts and very well expressed. Of course for Christians the whole Exodus story is symbolic and mirrors our own spiritual journey from slavery through a time of transformative atruggling to a new future. I always thought it should have ended before the frankly disastrous and puzzling book of Joshua. The original Torah does, I suppose. I thought that the Israelites only got to enter the Promised Land once all of the old people (including even Moses) who had left Egypt had died off in the Wilderness. Your insight that slavery conditioning was still there in a now dark and sublimated form transmogrified into imperial impulses is very, very interesting. 🙏🙏🙏
While most religious stories are myth and fairy tales, it is interesting how deeply immersed in it all, other word for it, lies, is Judaism.
Even Israeli archaeologists have admitted, despite desperate searching, there is not a shred of evidence for Jews in Europe, the Exodus, time in the desert, conquering anyone, a tribe called Israel let alone a kingdom and nothing for its claimed Kings David, Solomon etc. No evidence for Moses, falling walls of Jericho, absolutely nothing. None of it happened.
Indeed in the time that Jews supposedly fled Egypt for Palestine in the region of Canaan, the area was an Egyptian colony. It was nonsensical they would flee from Egyptian rule to Egyptian rule.
I firmly believe all religious writings should be read as metaphor and not literally. There will be some facts, as in Egypt existed and followers of Judaism existed in the times but that is about it.
It is metaphor
Yes it is and during our long left-brain dominance we forgot that truth.
Something can both exist in reality and have metaphoric value.
Absolutely. But to exist in reality there must be factual, verifiable evidence and that is rare in religious teachings.
Of course these stories are metaphors, or just lies.
But people still thrive on them and holding hands with imagined friends they commit factual genocide and then use the same lie to justify it.
The problem is not in believing such stories, the problem is in living them and committing the most evil atrocities and bestial savagery and sadistic cruelty which humans supposedly have attempted to evolve beyond.
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1DXDZYKa65/
And we—the United States—are the Egypt of this era. Israel is merely our tool. Those of us who strive to be free, and to free others, have to learn how to fight the empire from within.
A revealing insight.
A good book is "Leaving Egypt" by Chuck DeGroat. He is a Reformed pastor and counselor who has written some good books.
Great article. Yes, you see a similar pattern of thinking, in the times of Jesus. Fear, religiosity and control in response to oppression by a foreign power. Leaving Egypt can be likened to freeing ourselves from that kind of thinking.
I always loved the poem Chad Gadya. It was one of my favorite parts of the Passover Seder. It's an allegory that describes how one superpower replaces another, and then another. Until the Holy One comes and puts an end to it all.
I also think we can liken America's current state as like Israel in the times of Jesus. Division, religiosity and control. On the one hand, there is the far right, crushing people under the weight of religion, and then, on the other extreme is woke-ism. But neither extreme is really where God is.
Beautiful! Thank you.