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Historicity of Jesus.Pdf So...if Jesus Didn’t Exist, Where Did He Come from Then? Richard Carrier, Ph.D www.richardcarrier.info Friday, July 13, 12 Three Horses in the Race Christian Historicity Secular Historicity Secular Non-Historicity Jesus was the name Jesus was an Jesus was an ordinary of a celestial being, amazingly famous nobody, whom no subordinate to God, superman who could one noticed but a few with whom some walk on water and fanatical followers. people hallucinated shit. conversations. The Gospel began as a On Jesus, Gospels mythic allegory about The Gospels are are mostly fiction but the celestial Jesus, set on the straight dope! there are kernels of earth, as most myths truth in them. then were. Friday, July 13, 12 Three Horses in the Race Forget All Other Christian Historicity Secular Historicity MythicistSecular Non-Historicity Theories Jesus was the name Jesus was an Jesus was an ordinary of a celestial being, amazingly famous nobody, whom no subordinate to God, superman who could one noticed but a few with whom some walk on water and fanatical followers. people hallucinated shit. conversations. The Gospel began as a On Jesus, Gospels mythic allegory about The Gospels are are mostly fiction but the celestial Jesus, set on the straight dope! there are kernels of earth, as most myths truth in them. then were. Friday, July 13, 12 The Divine Analogy Islam: Mohammed “hallucinates” conversations with the angel Gabriel and the Koran records the spoken teachings of Gabriel. Mormonism: Joseph Smith “hallucinates” conversations with the angel Moroni and seeing words on magical plates, and the Book of Mormon records what the latter two said. Friday, July 13, 12 The Divine Analogy Islam: Mohammed “hallucinates” conversations with the angel Gabriel and the Koran recordsJesus the was spoken originally teachings a of Gabriel. celestial being like Gabriel Mormonism:or Moroni, Joseph and Smith taught “hallucinates” his conversationsfollowers with thein the angel same Moroni way. and seeing words on magical plates, and the Book of Mormon records what the latter two said. Friday, July 13, 12 The Divine Analogy Islam: Mohammed “hallucinates” conversations withThen the angelhe was Gabriel and the Koran records“Euhemerized”Jesus the was spoken originally teachings (stories a of Gabriel. celestialwere created being likethat Gabriel placed Mormonism:orhim Moroni, Josephon earth and Smith interacting taught “hallucinates” his conversationsfollowerswith with historical thein the angel same figures Moroni way.) and seeing words on magical plates, and the Book of Mormon records what the latter two said. Friday, July 13, 12 The Divine Analogy Islam: Mohammed “hallucinates” conversations withThen the angelhe was Gabriel and the Koran records“Euhemerized”Jesus theThen was spoken people originally teachings started(stories a of Gabriel. celestialwerebelieving created being or likethatselling Gabriel placed those Mormonism:orhim Moroni, Josephonstories earth and Smith asinteracting taught true. “hallucinates” his conversationsfollowerswith with historical thein the angel same figures Moroni way.) and seeing words on magical plates, and the Book of Mormon records what the latter two said. Friday, July 13, 12 Why Is That Credible? Friday, July 13, 12 Trends in Hellenistic Religion Petra Pakkanen, Interpreting Early Hellenistic Religion (1996) Four big trends in religion in the centuries leading up to Christianity Christianity conforms to all four Friday, July 13, 12 The Four Trends Syncretism: combining a foreign cult deity with Hellenistic elements. Monotheism: transforming polytheism into monotheism (via henotheism). Individualism: agricultural salvation cults retooled as personal salvation cults. Cosmopolitanism: all races, cultures, classes admitted as equals, with fictive kinship (members are all “brothers”); you now “join” a religion rather than being born into it. Friday, July 13, 12 The Trend in Action Friday, July 13, 12 The Trend in Action Combined Hellenistic elements Eleusinian & Dionysian Mysteries with Phoenician (Western Syria). Combined Hellenistic elements Mysteries of Attis & Cybele with Phrygian (Northern Turkey). Combined Hellenistic elements Mysteries of Jupiter Dolichenus with Anatolian (Western Turkey). Combined Hellenistic elements Mysteries of Mithras (Mithraism) with Persian (Iran). Combined Hellenistic elements Mysteries of Isis & Osiris with Egyptian. Combined Hellenistic elements Christianity with Jewish (Israel / Palestine). Friday, July 13, 12 Dying-and-Rising Gods Romulus: Roman state god, his death and resurrection celebrated in annual plays. Osiris: Egyptian god, those baptized into his death and resurrection are saved in the afterlife. Zalmoxis: Thracian god, his death and resurrection assures followers of eternal life. Friday, July 13, 12 Dying-and-Rising Gods Romulus: Roman state god, his death and resurrection celebrated in annual plays. Osiris: Egyptian god, those baptized into his death and resurrection are saved in the afterlife. Zalmoxis: Thracian god, his death and resurrection assures followers of eternal life. Friday, July 13, 12 But Mithra is Not a Dying-and-Rising God Friday, July 13, 12 All These Gods Do Have in Common.... They are all “savior gods” They are all the “son” of God (or “daughter”) They all undergo a “passion” They all obtain victory over death, which they share with their followers They all have stories about them set in human history on earth Yet none of them ever actually existed Friday, July 13, 12 All These Gods Do Have in Common.... They are all “savior gods” They are all the “son” of God (or “daughter”) But they were not all born They all undergoon December a “passion” 25 (and neither was Jesus for more They all obtainthan victory a century). over death, which they share with their followers Etc. They all have stories about them set in human history on earth Yet none of them ever actually existed Friday, July 13, 12 Philo of Alexandria Tells Us... For sources see Carrier, Not the Impossible Faith, pp. 250-51 There was a pre-Christian Jewish belief in a celestial being actually named “Jesus” who was... The firstborn son of God... The celestial “image of God” God’s agent of creation... And God’s celestial high priest. Friday, July 13, 12 Philo of Alexandria Tells Us... For sources see Carrier, Not the Impossible Faith, pp. 250-51 There was a pre-Christian Jewish belief in a celestial being actually named “Jesus” who was... Romans 8:29 The firstborn son of God... The celestial “image of God” God’s agent of creation... And God’s celestial high priest. Friday, July 13, 12 Philo of Alexandria Tells Us... For sources see Carrier, Not the Impossible Faith, pp. 250-51 There was a pre-Christian Jewish belief in a celestial being actually named “Jesus” who was... Romans 8:29 The firstborn son of God... 2 Corinthians 4:4 The celestial “image of God” God’s agent of creation... And God’s celestial high priest. Friday, July 13, 12 Philo of Alexandria Tells Us... For sources see Carrier, Not the Impossible Faith, pp. 250-51 There was a pre-Christian Jewish belief in a celestial being actually named “Jesus” who was... Romans 8:29 The firstborn son of God... 2 Corinthians 4:4 The celestial “image of God” 1 Corinthians 8:6 God’s agent of creation... And God’s celestial high priest. Friday, July 13, 12 Philo of Alexandria Tells Us... For sources see Carrier, Not the Impossible Faith, pp. 250-51 There was a pre-Christian Jewish belief in a celestial being actually named “Jesus” who was... Romans 8:29 The firstborn son of God... 2 Corinthians 4:4 The celestial “image of God” 1 Corinthians 8:6 God’s agent of creation... And God’s celestial high priest. Hebrews 2:17, 4:14, ... Friday, July 13, 12 Philo of Alexandria Tells Us... For sources see Carrier, Not the Impossible Faith, pp. 250-51 There was a pre-Christian Jewish belief in a celestialPhilippians being 2:5-11: actually Earliest named “Jesus” knownwho was... Christians believed this Romans 8:29 preexistent being descended, becameThe firstborn incarnate son and of God...died, rose 2 Corinthians 4:4 again, then appeared to select Thepeople celestial to tell “image them of this. God” 1 Corinthians 8:6 God’s agent of creation... And God’s celestial high priest. Hebrews 2:17, 4:14, ... Friday, July 13, 12 Philo of Alexandria Tells Us... For sources see Carrier, Not the Impossible Faith, pp. 250-51 There was a pre-Christian Jewish belief in a celestialPhilippians being 2:5-11: actually Earliest named “Jesus” Romans 8:29 knownOnwho the was... ChristiansMost Plausible believed Mythicist this preexistent being descended, Theory:The firstborn This incarnation, son of God... death, becameand burial incarnate took placeand died, in outer rose 2 Corinthians 4:4 again,space then just appeared below the to moon. select Thepeople celestial to tell “image them of this. God” 1 Corinthians 8:6 God’s agent of creation... And God’s celestial high priest. Hebrews 2:17, 4:14, ... Friday, July 13, 12 Philo of Alexandria Tells Us... For sources see Carrier, Not the Impossible Faith, pp. 250-51 There was a pre-Christian Jewish belief in a celestialPhilippians being 2:5-11: actually Earliest named “Jesus” The same was taught of Romans 8:29 knownOnwho the was... ChristiansOsiris:Most Plausible public believed stories Mythicist this put preexistent being descended, Theory:The firstbornhim This on incarnation, sonearth, of butGod... private death, becameand burial storiesincarnate took had placeand his died, death in outer rose and 2 Corinthians 4:4 again,space thenresurrection just appeared below theoccur to moon. select in Thepeople celestial to tell “image them of this. God” outer space just below the 1 Corinthians 8:6 God’s moon.agent of creation... And God’s celestial high priest. Hebrews 2:17, 4:14, ... Friday, July 13, 12 Philo of Alexandria Tells Us... For sources see Carrier, Not the Impossible Faith, pp. 250-51 There was a pre-Christian Jewish belief in a celestialPhilippiansThe being same 2:5-11: actually was Earliest taught named of “Jesus” knownwho was..
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