The Biggest Lie in the Study of Earliest Christianity

[stephan happy huller]

I find the question of whether or not Jesus existed quite tedious (given that there is almost nothing to talk about). Basically a war between people that love Christianity the way it is versus those who hate Christianity the way it is. Why not talk instead about the 'biggest lie' in earliest Christianity - i.e. the assumption that Christians endured punishments because they steadfastly devoted themselves to a single all powerful God? The more I look at the evidence the more I see the exact opposite - i.e. that Christianity, under the pressure of the Imperial 'cosmocrator' cult in the late second/early third century was coerced by the Roman authorities and 'good society' (i.e. philosophers, thinkers etc) brought pressure to bear on Judaism, Samaritanism and Christianity to become 'monarchical' (or as 'monotheistic'). I see no evidence in the Pentateuch for a single god. I see clear evidence that there were Jewish and Samaritan sects who argued the exact opposite (i.e. that there were two or more powers in heaven). I see Christianity as a development of these 'heresies.' So how do we end up with Judaism, Samaritanism and Christianity basically walking in lockstep in the early third century confessing their belief in a single all powerful 'ruler of the world.' The success of Imperial pressure brought to bear during the reign of Commodus and Septimius Severus. That's all.

[ghost]

The more I look at the evidence the more I see the exact opposite - i.e. that Christianity, under the pressure of the Imperial 'cosmocrator' cult in the late second/early third century was coerced by the Roman authorities and 'good society' (i.e. philosophers, thinkers etc) brought pressure to bear on Judaism, Samaritanism and Christianity to become 'monarchical' (or as 'monotheistic').

So how do we end up with Judaism, Samaritanism and Christianity basically walking in lockstep in the early third century confessing their belief in a single all powerful 'ruler of the world.' The success of Imperial pressure brought to bear during the reign of Commodus and Septimius Severus.

There was no Christianity east of the Roman Empire?

[stephan happy huller]

But these were overcome in the fourth century. The example of Edessa and Osroene and Armenia and later Persia all point to the ultimate triumph of Nicene Christianity.

[Peter Kirby]

What did the Roman authorities get out of it?

[MrMacSon]

I find the question of whether or not Jesus existed quite tedious (given that there is almost nothing to talk about). Basically a war between people that love Christianity the way it is versus those who hate Christianity the way it is.

Not so - that's a false dichotomy.

Why not talk instead about the 'biggest lie' in earliest Christianity - i.e. the assumption that Christians endured punishments because they steadfastly devoted themselves to a single all powerful God? The more I look at the evidence the more I see the exact opposite - i.e. that Christianity, under the pressure of the Imperial 'cosmocrator' cult in the late second/early third century was coerced by the Roman authorities and 'good society' (i.e. philosophers, thinkers etc) brought pressure to bear on Judaism, Samaritanism and Christianity to become 'monarchical' (or as 'monotheistic').

Good points. Candida Moss addresses this.

[neilgodfrey]

So how do we end up with Judaism, Samaritanism and Christianity basically walking in lockstep in the early third century confessing their belief in a single all powerful 'ruler of the world.' The success of Imperial pressure brought to bear during the reign of Commodus and Septimius Severus. That's all.

This is also the question historian Tom Holland is exploring in In the Shadow of the Sword and in collections of essays in Pagan Monotheism in Late Antiquity. I think imperial pressure can only work where it has the right stuff to mould and pressure into what it wants. Certainly it was a vital force, but there were also cultural developments slowly working their influence for centuries before then, too. Very important, yes, but 'not all', I think.

[stephan happy huller]

Right but the question necessarily emerges - why did the Empire take such a keen interest in reforming Judaism, Samaritanism and Christianity in particular at the end of the second century? This has not been developed before. The answer is clearly connected to the experience of the revolts of the beginning of the second century.

[beowulf]

The “biggest lie” must be the abdication of God. This lie also shows that the author(s) knew the man was still dead.


Matthew 16:19
God abdicates
19I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.’

[Peter Kirby]

Right but the question necessarily emerges - why did the Empire take such a keen interest in reforming Judaism, Samaritanism and Christianity in particular at the end of the second century? This has not been developed before. The answer is clearly connected to the experience of the revolts of the beginning of the second century.

Okay, you got me. Why?

[stephan happy huller]

Here is the answer. From Abu'l Fath who was clearly citing an earlier source:

After Eleazer, ‘Aqbun was High Priest for 23 years. ln the days of this ‘Aqbun, terrible hardships fell upon the Samaritans from Commodus the king — worse than anything that had befallen them from Hadrian. He forbade them to read the Torah; he closed the schools of learning and (forbade) all instruction in the Law. He bolted shut the Synagogues. The High Priests fled, The High Priests fled, as did the wise men, from the tyranny of Commodus the king on account of the great number whom he killed and crucified in every place.

The reason for this (persecution) was a debate that took place in his presence between Levi and a man from his (Commodus') community called Alexander Aphridisias, from Aphridisias, concerning the coming-into-being of the world. Alexander said that its Substance and Prime Matter were eternal and that the Creator only provided the Form and Accidents. Levi replied that Substance and Matter need an originator, just as Form and Accidents do. To this, Alexander retorted, "This would lead to a situation where the world would not be possible and where God would have no power to bring it into being. . For, if he had the power from the first, then before that it cannot have been possible. And yet, if before that it were impossible, this would be a restriction, and there can be no restriction on his power."

Levi said that the world was possible of existence ab aetemo and that no time could be conceived in which the coming-into-being of the world could not be conceived. "lf it were to be supposed that the world simply 'existed' without being created and it be tried to prove that this belongs to the realm of possibility, then this would be a figment of the imagination — an intellectual fiction — and the world would be insubstantial and immaterial. And if something were to exist such as Matter and Substance, then it would exist de se. This existence must be either possible or necessary. lf it were possible, then the argument would be as before. lf it were necessary, however, then it would share with the first Almighty One in eternal existence. And if it did thus share, it would not change either in toto or in paribus, for change is an effect and an effect presupposes an Agent. For the one thing cannot be both Matter and Agent under any aspect.

The debate between them dragged on, with argument and polemic . The situation reached the stage where the possibility of the Creator's "Speaking" was denied. And the Mission of the Messengers is (implicitly) denied by whoever denies that the trustworthy Message has been uttered .( 690) Perhaps more of the discourse of this question ought to have been given here. But I have related it as I found it, and as much as I could cope with.

The situation became such that Commodus took umbrage, and said, "These people have perverted our faith, and have maliciously watered down what our sect regards as traditional, and they have acted in a hostile manner towards us.” So, he stretched out his hands, and many of their wise men were burnt to death; and the eyes of some of them were put out with red-hot iron pokers. He wiped out a great number of people, taking the Books of Chronicles which they had, as well as the Hymns which used to be recited over the Offerings.

In his day Galen the Physician had been an instructor of Commodus . Commodus ordered that the flesh of swine should be sold in every place and that it should be used with all that was eaten and drunk, so as to defile the Samaritans. He also forbade the Samaritans to open a Synagogue for themselves to pray or to read (the Torah) in. Many of the priests fled as from the sword. He took 100 elderly men from among the Chiefs of the Samaritans, and said to them, "Worship the idols". They refused, so he had them burnt to death. He captured 40 priests and dipped a bunch of grapes in pigs' fat and said to them, "Eat it !" They refused, so he heated iron pokers in a fire until they became red-hot and then put them in their eyes. Then he captured another 40 and said to them, "Eat this bunch (of grapes)". They refused, so he crushed them under the stones of the wine press. Then he took 40 of the High Priests "Eat this bunch (of grapes)". They refused, so he had them flung from the top of the fortress and no one dared bury them

He crucified numbers of them, and (other) people he beheaded and the dogs ate their corpses. The Chiefs of the Empire said to him, "If you want all "these Samaritans to embrace our religion, and to bow down to images, then summon their High Priest ‘Aqbun, for he is their model. Compel him to bow down, and all the others will follow him". Now ‘Aqbun was an extremely wealthy man. They sought him, and out of fear he hid himself. They looked for him in the Mountains and in caves, but they did not succeed in finding him. So the king instructed his servants, "Confiscate his wealth and burn down his house.”

This they did, and in burning down his house, they burnt in it the Prayers, the Songs of Praise and the Hymns which used to be recited on the Sabbath and Festivals and which had been handed down from the days of Divine Grace. And it was said to the High Priest 'Akbon: "All that is yours has been taken and your house is burnt down". And he answered and said "All is from God and it belongs to God, and if they have obtained mastery over me and my abode, I submit myself to affliction and destruction but I will not disavow God nor Moses, His prophet, nor His law." So they seized his two sons and the King said to them: "Worship idols." And they said: "We will die, but we will not worship other than God the Merciful."

And they inserted sticks under their nails and they flayed them alive and they put them to death with all torture and they cast their corpses to the dogs; and they hanged on the walls of Nablus thirty-six priests and they did not take down their corpses until they fell of themselves. And in the days of this King Commodus (may God curse him) none taught his son the Torah, except one out of a thousand and two out of a myriad secretly. And Commodus ruled thirty-two years and he died (may God not have mercy on him).

The government of Commodus and later Septimius Severus was actively involving itself in reshaping the Israelite cults to make them conform with a desired 'form.' The Jewish leadership seem to have embraced these reforms better than either the Samaritans or Christians and we don't hear of any persecutions of Jews in the period but interestingly the 'prince of the world' (cosmocrator) enters the liturgy by the command of Caesar undoubtedly.