h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

On the other hand, certain words have *not* been changed - the Noah story, for instance, contains many Babylonian words not otherwise used in Hebrew, betraying its origins in the Gilgamesh myth.

Gif

Gif

have you read any David Gemmell??

his last outing before he died was a trilogy called troy

nothing of the fantasy story of homer just a story with all the characters in a believable context showing how legends rise up century's after the fact

A clarification of my assertion that 'there's no reason to suppose that King David didn't exist'.

Indeed, I take the point that there's no reason to think that he *did* exist. Netherless, some might care to argue that our written versions of oral sources suggest that *someone* must have existed - just as King Arthur, Robin Hood and Santa Claus must/may have been based on a real-life, historical person, albeit considerably embellished. (Although I suggest that in the case of biblical figures, literalist believers would cavill at the charge of embellishment).

What I was really meaning was...let's suppose that there were good archeological evidence for King David - say cuneiform tablets from 1000BC detailing the contents of his granary. This would in no way suggest that the man was anything special, that he was in communication with god, that the deeds attributed to him in the Bible are accurate, that the geneology of Jesus at the start of Matthew is accurate...etc. etc.

But no doubt the religious would argue that the Biblical case is different; why would anyone embellish something as important as god's word. Well, OK - we can observe that humans tend to embellish all sorts of things (King Arthur, etc. etc.)...but not *religion*, surely!!!

And Yet We Observe - unless one is completely gullible, we can see numerous prime, real-time examples of religions growing from embellishement. For example - we can accept on good evidence, including film footage and first-hand accounts, that His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie I was a genuine, historic personage. But the I-ternally living Jah whose coming was foretold by Marcus Garvey (who was also captured on film)? Nah! Even though he inspired a whole load of *damn* fine religious music.

>>the Noah story, for instance, contains many Babylonian words not otherwise used in Hebrew, betraying its origins in the Gilgamesh myth.


But surely Noah/Gilgamesh are a race memory of a massive tsunami?

nah, it's a racial memory of the flooding of the mediterranean sea

The Mediterranean flooded five million years ago so it couldn't have been the source of the flood story.

On the other hand, the Black sea did.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/ev_noah.htm

It's also interesting that this region is close to the source of the Indo European languages so maybe there was a sudden loss of the fertile plains around a fresh water lake that suddenly grew much larger and went salt. The people were forced out taking their language and their story of a flood.

http://scienceblogs.com/dispatches/2008/11/seven_days_of_godly_sex.php?utm_source=networkbanner&utm_medium=link

The first comment made me pause... and then

Gif

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord...

'Surely, I come quickly' Rev 22:20

Global sea levels rose by approx. 150 feet at the end of the last ice age. I'm sure many peoples would have noticed.

"The Mediterranean flooded five million years ago so it couldn't have been the source of the flood story."
That'll be why there was a at the end then...
It is a theory that has been seriously advanced by the religious, mainly YECs, unsurprisingly.

Thanks, I didn't get that at first

I find your lack of faith disturbing.

http://www.fsite.com/ebay/ifylofd.jpg

Overheard on R4 just now:

"[a survey showed that] only one in four can tell the story of the nativity with complete accuracy."

It was the last word that made me .

Isn't that a similar success rate to the Bible?

Gif

HI

Which story would that be then?

As I recall, the gospels don't tend to agree on the exact process of events leading up to the birth of Jesus.

Well...the relentless indoctrination has taken root. My daughter's presenting to her class on Christmas today. Her conclusion is that Christians took over all the midwinter festivals that people have anyway.

One of her Powerpoints:

Who celebrates Christmas?
- You, me and Christians.



A Happy Winterval to one and all.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=xlcULT1AjsM

Gif