Have you ever read the book "The Passover Plot"? The book presents an interesting theory of how the crucifixion and resurrection could have been done in human terms, not divine intervention. (lemmy.world)

submitted 8 months ago by Mickey7@lemmy.world to c/atheism@lemmy.world

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I read this book many, many years ago. I found the proposed theory interesting. I am not saying that I believe it.

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[-] j4k3@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

That was my reasoning. All the gospel accounts were written decades after the supposed events. They have copying errors and congruity that parallels primary school level homework copying. It is easy to claim anything about "witnessed" accounts with crowds when most of those people are dead, and no one is there to substantiate the narrative. Religion and politics were inextricably bound in this era. There was an opportune religious/political career path amongst the displaced diaspora in the void left behind after the first Jewish-Roman war of 66-74 CE. They had every reason to see the opportunity, copy someone else's homework and play along with the sham. There was no doubt an enormous amount of prejudice against any Jewish faith as they had lost everything.

In a time of centralization of government, monotheism is simply an easy method of radical political factions control. Populist torch and pitchfork movements are harder to create when one can not randomly invoke a rare god or make up a new one.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

The problem is that there is no evidence of anyone else being crucified by the Romans for violating Mosaic law despite Jesus not being the only claimant to be the messiah during the Roman occupation of Judea. In fact, Josephus mentions multiple other resistance leaders who he at least implies were claimants to be the Jewish messiah, but not Jesus. (The passage about Jesus in Josephus is almost certainly a later Christian forgery to correct this.)

[-] j4k3@lemmy.world 2 points 8 months ago

Yeah, that's what I'm saying. The evidence points at opportunism taking advantage of a traumatized group, which is a much more believable narrative than magic moon water walker

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

I think the more believable narrative is that it didn't happen and was just part of a hagiography of a messiah claimant.

[-] j4k3@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

Harsh word drop!

hagiography - a biography that idolizes or idealizes the person (especially a person called a "saint")

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 3 points 8 months ago

Exactly. And it's pretty difficult to argue that the New Testament gospels don't fit that description.

this post was submitted on 20 Mar 2024

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