A KISSed History of Beliefs
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Genesis says that God created the heavens and the earth. Other parts of scripture place the sun, moon and stars in "the heavens". Now are you suggesting that the sun, moon and stars are not part of the universe, along with our earth? If you are going to complain about using the common language of this day instead of the exact words of scripture then I would suggest that you be consistent and post only in Hebrew, Aramaic and Koine Greek, the true words of scripture, as the English you use is merely a translation into the words of today.
You cited the first corner piece.
Can you identify any of the other three required beliefs?
I would note that more recent discoveries have pushed back to origins of writing by several millennium in the general European-Asian region. A three-dimensional form of preserved communication (writing?) seems to have arisen in the central-southern Americas at some point in time. But this and the many others of the most ancient apparent forms of writing cannot be read anymore, at least not at present. Alphabetic writing seems to have developed in general Egyptian-Palestine region, at least according to modern thought.
Science has determined that the universe is heading for heat death, an ending. Things that end must have a beginning. If you wish to argue for a series of infinite universes, each arising from the death of the preceding one, you get into a logical contradiction, in an infinite series, which that would have to be, there is always at least one more prior to the one that you claim exists, thus the existing universe can never come to be. Thus, we may be certain that this universe has a beginning, and that such a beginning requires a creator.
Current science indicates that the universe is not oscillating eternally but instead began with a bang.
Scripture teaches that God (Alpha) created the singularity that banged bigly and will recreate it at an end (Omega) called Judgment Day.
Creation of believers (the beginning of the HOB) is one corner piece (Gen. 1:1), and recreation/resurrection to judgment (the end and final destiny of believers) is the opposite corner piece (Heb. 9:27, Rev. 20:11-15) in the puzzle of ultimate reality.
Does anyone want to guess what are the other two beliefs necessary for salvation?
In Israel, Omri established Samaria as his capital. His son, Ahab, married the daughter of a Phoenecian king-priest, Jezebel, who made Baal-worship the official religion, which led to a showdown with the prophet Elijah on Mount Carmel (1Kings 18). Ahab’s successor, Jehu, is shown on his knees in 841 paying tribute to the Assyrian Shalmaneser III on the Black Obelisk that is now in the British Museum.
During the reign of Azariah/Uzziah, Amos was the first in a series of prophets whose words were preserved separately from the accounts of the national history, including Hosea, the only writing prophet from Israel, and Isaiah, who spoke of the Messiah and salvation of the Gentiles.
About this time around the Aegean, the Phoenecians founded Carthage (in 814), and the Etruscans invaded Italy. Elsewhere, the Cimmerians were displaced by Scythians in Russia, the Vedas were being written and collected in India, the feudalistic Chou dynasty began in China, and the Nok culture was in Nigeria.
Samaria fell to Shalmaneser V in 722, and the ten northern tribes were exiled to various locations throughout the Assyrian Empire. In Judah, King Hezekiah was succeeded by Manasseh and then Josiah, the most righteous king since David, who led a religious reform, probably encouraged by the prophet Jeremiah, who followed Isaiah and may have written Kings (2Kings 22:3, Jer. 1:2, 2Chron. 34). Josiah was killed in 609 by pharaoh Neco, who tried to prevent the Babylonians from conquering the Assyrians.
In Greece, the poet Homer (8th century?) wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey. In Africa, Egypt’s dynasties included the Theban, Memphite and Ethiopian kings before the Assyrian occupation in 674-650), which was followed by the 26th dynasty of the Saite kings.
In 586 Nebuchadnezzar burned Jerusalem and carried the upper classes of people back to Babylon. He was succeeded by Amel-Marduk in 561. Apparently the prophet Daniel was one of the exiles taken in 605 by Nebuchadnezzar, and Ezekiel was taken captive in 597.
After the death of the Median king Cyaxares, Cyrus II of Persia (now Iran) overthrew the rule of Astyages about 550 and issued an edict permitting the Jews and other captives to leave Babylon and return to their homelands. By this time an important new Jewish institution had developed—the synagogue or school for studying the Mosaic Law—and with it a new personality, the teacher or rabbi. In Persia the preaching of Zoroaster (d.c.551) was incorporated in the Avesta, which shows affinities with the Rig-Veda.
Meanwhile, in Greece the nascence of science can be marked by Thales’ (d.c. 545) attempt to find naturalistic explanations for phenomena and his concern about the most basic element composing material substances. Pythagoras (c.525), a transmigrationist, marked the rise of mathematics, viewing it as the essence of the world. About 500, Parmenides taught that being is eternal and change is illusion, while Heraclitus said that all is in flux, opposites define each other, and the One is world, symbolized by fire. In Carthage about 520, explorers sailed around the coast of Africa as far as Sierra Leone.
During this period in India, Hinduism assimilated new views collected in the Upanishads. Then Mahavira (d.527) founded an ascetic sect known as Jainism and Siddhartha Gautama (d.483) founded Buddhism, teaching the attainment of nirvana by means of meditation and enlightenment. In China Lao Tzu (d.c.517) founded Taoism and Confucius (d.479) developed his pragmatic philosophy. In Japan, Shinto ancestor worship existed during the Yamato dynasty (b.660).
After the death of the Median king Cyaxares, Cyrus II of Persia (now Iran) overthrew the rule of Astyages about 550 and issued an edict permitting the Jews and other captives to leave Babylon and return to their homelands. By this time an important new Jewish institution had developed—the synagogue or school for studying the Mosaic Law—and with it a new personality, the teacher or rabbi. In Persia the preaching of Zoroaster (d.c.551) was incorporated in the Avesta, which shows affinities with the Rig-Veda.
Meanwhile, in Greece the nascence of science can be marked by Thales’ (d.c. 545) attempt to find naturalistic explanations for phenomena and his concern about the most basic element composing material substances. Pythagoras (c.525), a transmigrationist, marked the rise of mathematics, viewing it as the essence of the world. About 500, Parmenides taught that being is eternal and change is illusion, while Heraclitus said that all is in flux, opposites define each other, and the One is world, symbolized by fire. In Carthage about 520, explorers sailed around the coast of Africa as far as Sierra Leone.
During this period in India, Hinduism assimilated new views collected in the Upanishads. Then Mahavira (d.527) founded an ascetic sect known as Jainism and Siddhartha Gautama (d.483) founded Buddhism, teaching the attainment of nirvana by means of meditation and enlightenment. In China Lao Tzu (d.c.517) founded Taoism and Confucius (d.479) developed his pragmatic philosophy. In Japan, Shinto ancestor worship existed during the Yamato dynasty (b.660).
The return of the Jewish exiles apparently occurred in at least five stages.
First, Sheshbazzar returned and began work on the foundations of a new temple. During the reign of Darius I (522-486) Zerubbabel led an attempt to restore the temple that was stymied by Samaritan opposition.
It was during the reign of the next king, Xerxes (486-465) that the events in the book of Esther occurred.
Third, in the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes I (465-425), Nehemiah was appointed governor of Judah and allowed to rebuild Jerusalem’s city wall (NEH 2:1-20 & 6:15).
Next, work on the temple began again in the second year of the reign of King Darius II (423-404), during the prophetic ministries of Haggai and Zechariah (EZR 4:24-5:2, HAG 1:1-15, ZCH 1:1-17, 4:6-10 & 8:9-15).
Finally, in the seventh year of the reign of king Artaxerxes II (404-359), Ezra the priest led an expedition from Babylon and reinstituted Judaism. He apparently ignored the messianic prophecies, which set the stage for conflict between the Pharisees and Christians. About this time Malachi wrote what proved to be the last book in the OT canon.
In 500 a rebellion against Persian rule by the Greek cities in Lydia/Ionia was abetted by Athens, so Darius I attempted to conquer Greece. However, his army was defeated at a battle on the plains of Marathon in 490.
His son Xerxes marched an army across the Dardanelles Strait (Hellespont) on a pontoon bridge in 480, but his navy was defeated in the Bay of Salamis, so he had to abort the attack.
In order to be prepared for future Persian attacks, Athens formed an alliance called the Delian league, which won another naval victory over the Persian fleet defending Ionia in 468.
This prompted Sparta to form a league, which fought the Peloponnesian War with the Delian league from 431-404 with Persian financial aid. Both sides were so weakened that they were easily conquered by Philip of Macedon in 338.
First, Sheshbazzar returned and began work on the foundations of a new temple. During the reign of Darius I (522-486) Zerubbabel led an attempt to restore the temple that was stymied by Samaritan opposition.
It was during the reign of the next king, Xerxes (486-465) that the events in the book of Esther occurred.
Third, in the twentieth year of the reign of Artaxerxes I (465-425), Nehemiah was appointed governor of Judah and allowed to rebuild Jerusalem’s city wall (NEH 2:1-20 & 6:15).
Next, work on the temple began again in the second year of the reign of King Darius II (423-404), during the prophetic ministries of Haggai and Zechariah (EZR 4:24-5:2, HAG 1:1-15, ZCH 1:1-17, 4:6-10 & 8:9-15).
Finally, in the seventh year of the reign of king Artaxerxes II (404-359), Ezra the priest led an expedition from Babylon and reinstituted Judaism. He apparently ignored the messianic prophecies, which set the stage for conflict between the Pharisees and Christians. About this time Malachi wrote what proved to be the last book in the OT canon.
In 500 a rebellion against Persian rule by the Greek cities in Lydia/Ionia was abetted by Athens, so Darius I attempted to conquer Greece. However, his army was defeated at a battle on the plains of Marathon in 490.
His son Xerxes marched an army across the Dardanelles Strait (Hellespont) on a pontoon bridge in 480, but his navy was defeated in the Bay of Salamis, so he had to abort the attack.
In order to be prepared for future Persian attacks, Athens formed an alliance called the Delian league, which won another naval victory over the Persian fleet defending Ionia in 468.
This prompted Sparta to form a league, which fought the Peloponnesian War with the Delian league from 431-404 with Persian financial aid. Both sides were so weakened that they were easily conquered by Philip of Macedon in 338.
The period before Philip’s conquest was a golden age, which included work by Pericles (statesman), Herodotus and Thucydides (historians), Sophocles and Euripedes (dramatists), Euclid (mathematicians), and Hippocrates (medical doctor).
In philosophy, Anaxorgas (c.430) was the first atomic theorist, although he also believed in a cosmic nous, and Protagoras (d.420) was a sophist, relativist, and (secular) humanist, saying that “man is the measure of all things”. He was opposed by Socrates (d.399), who utilized a dialectic method using inductive logic, and who said “the unexamined life is not worth living.”
Antisthenes, a student of Socrates, noted that every definition is tautological and descriptive, and along with Diogenes (d.325) is viewed as founding Cynicism, which preached asceticism and the debunking of customs that substitute for morals.
Another student of Socrates was Plato (427-347), who wrote Dialogues and The Republic, and who founded a school called the Academy about 387. He viewed himself as a gadfly for truth and taught that God is good, and good is absolute. He believed in eternal Ideas/Forms, four virtues, and three social classes.
His pupil was Aristotle, who wrote Nichomean Ethics, advocating the “golden mean” and saying that happiness accompanies virtuous activity. He differed with Plato in saying that universals do not exist independently of particular entities (a debate which dominated medieval philosophy). He established a school called the Lyceum in 335, and was hired by Philip to tutor Alexander.
Epicurus (c.310) taught atomism, the finality of death, and that pleasure and pain are the determiners of what is good and bad. Influenced by the Cynics, Zeno (c. 301) founded Stoicism by preaching that virtue consists in aligning desire with the universal deterministic Logos.
My reason for posting the HOB is not only for education about historical facts but also for edification by discussing how they are related to the NT Gospel. So, does anyone have analysis of the HOB from post #232 up to this point to offer?
In philosophy, Anaxorgas (c.430) was the first atomic theorist, although he also believed in a cosmic nous, and Protagoras (d.420) was a sophist, relativist, and (secular) humanist, saying that “man is the measure of all things”. He was opposed by Socrates (d.399), who utilized a dialectic method using inductive logic, and who said “the unexamined life is not worth living.”
Antisthenes, a student of Socrates, noted that every definition is tautological and descriptive, and along with Diogenes (d.325) is viewed as founding Cynicism, which preached asceticism and the debunking of customs that substitute for morals.
Another student of Socrates was Plato (427-347), who wrote Dialogues and The Republic, and who founded a school called the Academy about 387. He viewed himself as a gadfly for truth and taught that God is good, and good is absolute. He believed in eternal Ideas/Forms, four virtues, and three social classes.
His pupil was Aristotle, who wrote Nichomean Ethics, advocating the “golden mean” and saying that happiness accompanies virtuous activity. He differed with Plato in saying that universals do not exist independently of particular entities (a debate which dominated medieval philosophy). He established a school called the Lyceum in 335, and was hired by Philip to tutor Alexander.
Epicurus (c.310) taught atomism, the finality of death, and that pleasure and pain are the determiners of what is good and bad. Influenced by the Cynics, Zeno (c. 301) founded Stoicism by preaching that virtue consists in aligning desire with the universal deterministic Logos.
My reason for posting the HOB is not only for education about historical facts but also for edification by discussing how they are related to the NT Gospel. So, does anyone have analysis of the HOB from post #232 up to this point to offer?
Thanks, and understand that my analysis is in real time or as I am typing this, and my thinking is this:
1. What the HOB indicates up to the advent of Greek philosophy is how humanity thought during a period of time in which everyone lacked access to divine revelation other than via creation-conscience until the inspiration of Moses and prophets.
2. Humanity's thinking universally included awareness of morality and of gods and eventually of one God by the time of Abraham.
3. Thinking in the Greek culture included both the atheist humanism of Protagoras and the theist moralism of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.
4. My understanding of such Pauline teachings as Rom. 1:20, 2:28-29 is that humanity during this period of general revelation for most and the OT for some will be judged justly on the basis of whether or not they sought truth regarding salvation (per 1Tim. 2:3-4, 2Thes. 2:10).
5. There seems to be a connection between Plato and Christ: ???
I see one, and most people to whom I point it out can also suddenly see it, but there are still those who insist I must be wrong. But then I also keep seeing people who try to link our sin nature to DNA, which if one has a reasonable knowledge of biology, is pure bunk.
But your overview of the ancient knowledge, especially philosophy is good. In the 1st century most people would have been aware of things Greek philosophers taught and spot lots of connections that we, supposedly more knowledgeable people, miss.
But as for Plato and the resurrection, think of his "Allegory of the Cave" while reading 1 John 5:8.
I think you cited this for me awhile ago and I did not get it then, and I still don't.
What I associate with the images on the wall of the cave is 1Cor. 13:12.
Well, Paul said poor reflection, and I thought you were looking for something comparable by Plato--or visa versa.
However, I accept "photographic negative" as a modern equivalent.
Do you find other similarities?