Did Moses Exist? The Myth of the Israelite Lawgiver PDF
Preview Did Moses Exist? The Myth of the Israelite Lawgiver
Did Moses Exist? The Myth of the Israelite Lawgiver D.M. Murdock Stellar House Publishing Seattle, Washington StellarHousePublishing.com ALSO BY D.M. MURDOCK a.k.a. ACHARYA S The Christ Conspiracy: The Greatest Story Ever Sold Suns of God: Krishna, Buddha and Christ Unveiled Who Was Jesus? Fingerprints of The Christ Christ in Egypt: The Horus-Jesus Connection The Gospel According to Acharya S The Astrotheology Calendar Series DID MOSES EXIST? THE MYTH OF THE ISRAELITE LAWGIVER Copyright © 2014 by D.M. Murdock a.k.a. Acharya S All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise—without written permission except for brief quotations in articles and reviews. For information, address Stellar House Publishing, LLC, 93 S. Jackson St., Ste. 57463, Seattle, WA 98104; www.stellarhousepublishing.com Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Murdock, D.M./Acharya S Did Moses Exist? The Myth of the Israelite Lawgiver. 1. Moses—Historicity 2. Judaism—Origin Includes bibliographical references and index ISBN: 0-9799631-8-4 ISBN13: 978-0-9799631-8-6 Design and layout by D.M. Murdock; cover by Mark Chiacchira and D.M. Murdock; Kindle and EPUB editions formatted by David Deley. Cover images (clockwise from upper left): Moses mosaic in the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis; Michelangelo, Moses with horns, San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome; cuneiform muš, Sumerian for “snake” or “serpent”; Hebrew text of Exodus verses; Hero (Gilgamesh?) holding lion, palace of Sargon II at Khorsabad, 713-706 BCE; Epic of Gilgamesh in cuneiform; Dionysus coin; Moses and the Burning Bush by Mark Chiacchira; Moses holding tablets by José de Ribera (1591–1652). Biblical quotes herein are from the Revised Standard Version or “RSV,” except where otherwise noted. Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Table of Contents List of Illustrations Preface The Book of Enoch and Talmud Comparative Religion Suppressed Meaningful Mythology Primary Sources and Translations Pioneering Scholarship Modern Discoveries Space Consideration Unprecedented Access Introduction Greek Scriptural Knowledge? Philo Judaeus of Alexandria Mythological, Not Historical The Mysterious Milieu of the Day Many Lawgivers and Law Codes Jewish and Pagan Syncretism Major Crossing Egypt and the Levant Byblos Osiris in Jerusalem Differences Irrelevant Biblical Special Pleading Who Wrote the Pentateuch? Mosaic Attribution Anachronisms and Contradictions Book of the Wars of the Lord Moses’s Era No Moses Before the Exile? Divine Revelation and Authority No Archaeological Evidence Wellhausen and the Documentary Hypothesis Exodus Composition Earlier Folklore The Book of the Law Found or Fabricated? Josiah’s Yahwism Ezra’s Memories Ancient Egyptian Words Hebrew Emergence Conclusion Was Moses an Egyptian Pharaoh or Priest? Exodus Date Akhenaten the Monotheist? Atenism Hebrew Henotheism Yahweh Supremacy Great Hymn to Aten and Psalm 104 Thutmose II Etymology of Moses Pharaoh Thutmose III King Tut Ramesses I Seti I Ramesses II Nectanebo II A Priest of Aten? Historical Fiction Conclusion The Exodus as History? Nonbiblical References Logistic Implausibility Modern Gatherings Irrelevant Geography and Archaeology The Burning Bush Rods to Serpents Bricks without Straw Elderly Leaders The 10 Plagues Unleavened Bread Mass Communication The Route of the Exodus The Philistines Pillars of Cloud and Fire Parting the Red Sea? Exodus Encampments? Mt. Horeb and Mt. Sinai Serabit el-Khadim Gulf of Aqaba Baal Zephon and Migdol Water Sources Heavenly Manna 29 Trillion Quails? Tents or Booths? Striking the Rock The Amalekites and the Magic Rod Judging According to What Statutes? Priests before Priests? The Ten Commandments The Ark of the Covenant Golden Calf Magical Wood? Cannibalism Disposition of the Dead Giants in the Promised Land No Edomites Holy Genocide Time Compression Canaanites and Amorites Magical Clothes Conquest of Canaan Jericho Apologies Conclusion The Exodus in Ancient Literature Circular Reasoning Song of the Sea The Baal Cycle The Deep and Other Allegories Song of Moses The Song of Deborah Exodus in the Prophets Absent Egyptian Record The Ipuwer Papyrus Amarna Letters Conclusion Hyksos and Lepers Conquerors or Captives? Religious Conflict? History or Fiction? Ahmose I Jerusalem Founding Hyksos as Greeks of Argos Proto-Israelite Amorites Osarseph and the Lepers Syrians from Palestine Antiochus IV Lysimachus and Chaeremon Tacitus on Jewish Origins Flight of Saturn Thieving Son of Joseph? Conclusion Who Were the Israelites? El Prevails Merneptah Stele Hapiru Shasu of Yhw Yhw is Yahweh? Early Israelite Religion Conclusion The Exodus as Myth The Slaughter of Innocents The Flight Archetype The Great Mendes Stele The Exodus from Egypt of Osiris The Exodus of Jesus Pagan Exoduses Exodus as Midrash Magical Rod The 10 Plagues? 600,000 as a Mystical Number Mythical Pillars Parting and Crossing the Sea Controlling the Waters Storm and Sun God Wandering the Wilderness 12 Wells and 70 Palms Manna and Heavenly Bread Water from a Rock Forty Days, Nights and Years The Many Arks Covenants and Testaments The Golden Calf Redux Mythical Giants Conclusion The Lawgiver Archetype The Hero’s Birth Divine Legislators Ur-Nammu Menes/Manes, Manis and Mannus Menu/Manu Minos Law Code/Tablets of Law Pygmy Lawgiver Conclusion The Dionysus Connection Early History Sumerian Dionysus? Dionysus in Literature Homer Hesiod Homeric Hymns Anacreon Pindar Herodotus Orphic Hymns Euripides Aristophanes Plato Megasthenes Artapanus Apollodorus Maccabees Varro Cicero Diodorus Horace Ovid Seneca Pliny the Elder Plutarch Pausanias Arrian Justin Martyr Lucian of Samosata Clement of Alexandria Polyaenus Philostratus Porphyry Eusebius Sepphoris Mosaics Macrobius Hermias Nonnus Sanford Vossius Bochart Gale Thomassin Patrick Danet Huet Voltaire Edwards Bell Dupuis Hort Le Brun Bellamy Clarke Higgins Darlington Taylor Massey Conclusion The Life of Dionysus Bacchic Attributes God of Nysa Drawn from the Nile Mises Twice-Born Grapevines Marriage to Zipporah Burning ‘Bush’ Land Flowing with Milk and Honey Smiting Unbelievers Passover, Vernal Equinox and Wilderness Exodus into the Sea Food of the Gods Women Celebrating Water Manifestation Jehovahnissi Dian-nisi, Great Judge of Heaven and Earth ‘Dog’ as Companion Sun Standing Still Conclusion The Vine and Wine Early History Egypt’s Vineyards Wine Goddesses Greek Viniculture Blood and Resurrection Wine Epithets and Roles Elixir of Love Baal’s Cup Sacred Drinking Banquet Biblical Grape Reverence Water to Wine Ass and Foal The Shoot of Jesse Sacred Serpents Conclusion The Great God Sun Shamash, Lord of the World Semitic Sun Goddess King, Shepherd and Raiser of the Dead El the Canaanite High God The God of Exodus? Holy Mount of Elohim Yahweh as El’s Son El’s Wives Asherat and Anat
The list of books you might like
