One concept which is really an addition to the bible is the concept of hell. This first appears in the new testament which was compiled in the 4th century, the mid 300s.
Depending on which modified or edited version of the christian bible you use hell in various forms is mentioned around 20 different times.
https://carm.org/what-are-the-verses-that-mention-hell
Now "hell" isn't actually in the bible at all unless you get a hold of a bible version that has been specifically and purposely mistranslated to include the word "hell".
The versions of 'hell" are varied. "Sheol" paints hell as a grave or a place that the dead remain. It is a loose jewish translation of the Greek word Hades. But Hades is actually a Greek god that tends the dead as well as a place where the dead go.
The concept of hell actually originates from what westerners call the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The actual title is "The Book of Coming Forth by Day or Spells for Going Forth by Day". It was a manual for knowing how to navigate the netherworld. A person would buy such a manual from an Egyptian priest and the priest would write a new manual each time, no two being alike.
In the 4th century when the new testament was actually compiled edited and written, hell became more significant. After all the Emporer Constantine needed the threat to hold over people's heads to force them to obey his adopted religion.
So in REAL christianity stemming from the first century by word of mouth and random letters, there is no real hell concept, just life and death and eternal life and eternal death. The "fire and brimstone" was added much later to give the Emporer leverage on his people.
This is just one example of the biblical afterthought. There are many others like using "resurrection" a concept stolen from other religions to bolster the mystique of jesus the character In 323 ADE these "afterthoughts" additions were debated to create what we now call the New Testament. Which further points out the political nature and the lack of credibility of the bible.
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Hmmm. Interesting. But not surprising.
It is clear also that Paul made the crucifixion become a sacrifice for the salvation of the Gentiles.
Seeing that there's no complete original authentic Bible before 692 A.D. it's more likely that the Bible writers included their concept of hell from the Koran. They altered it into a temporary cell where everyone gets bail on Judgment Day. After that the inmates can move into the golden cube called New Jerusalem or get tossed into the lake of fire. But the biblical hell is only temporary, it's not permanent like the Islamic hell.
Vulgate Bible:
"A Latin translation of the Bible made by the scholar Jerome, a saint of the Roman Catholic Church, in the fourth century. This translation was the standard Bible of the Western world until the Reformation. Vulgate comes from a Latin word meaning “common,” because Jerome's translation used the Latin of everyday speech."
350 years before the Qu'ran. And in continuous official use up until the 15th century. Where do you get the 692CE date?
Old man shouts ...,
There's no such thing as an original authentic Jerome Bible from the fourth century.
The earliest complete authentic Bible is the Codex Amiatinus from 692 A.D. Three master copies were written. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Codex_Amiatinus
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/nov/30/oldest-complete-latin-bibl...
You simply can't produce an earlier complete Bible because none exists.
The Codex Amiatinus was written to counter the Koran that Uthman's committee had written in the 640s. The Christians didn't have an unified collection of their religious fairy tale before that time.
We will disagree, Jeromes Vulgate bible was in continuous use, the three copies produced in Northumberland and named after the location where one was found . The Vulgate Bible was copied and formed the Codex Amiatanus. That the texts for the originals have been lost is not surprising but scholarly opinion that I have researched suggests that much of the modern Vulgate was indeed dating to Jeromes original.
The Catholic Church affirmed the Vulgate as its official Latin Bible at the Council of Trent (1545–63), not in 692CE though there was no authoritative edition at that time available. Only copies.
I can see your argument, however, the qu'ran was only revealed in its entirety up to 632CE and at that time was still a minor pimple on the troubled sea of the middle east. In fact not until the 8th Century CE did the Koranic texts and the violence of its followers win more than a cursory mention in the history of the Church or the Eastern Empire.
To assert that the Amiatanus/Vulgate version of hell is based on an unreliable and unverifiable selection of verses from the teachings and texts of the "Companions" is pretty much a long bow to draw.
@ Diotrephes
I am going t reply to myself as your comments have made me revisit some old notes I made about the origins of hell and their influence on Islam. I wont go into the different greek words with differing meanings eventually all translated as "hell" that is for another time.
The concept of hell and punishment for not adhering to the Church's true way was widespread after the 4th Century and if you care to refer to Augustine of Hippo (4th CE saint and influential figure on the beliefs of the time) you will find his passages as follows : “hell, which also is called a lake of fire and brimstone, will be material fire, and will torment the bodies of the damned.” He also wrote of “those everlasting pains which are to follow” the final judgement (City of God 21.10, 13). The bishop argued that every child born is immediately and automatically condemned by Adam and Eve’s first sin. On that basis all those not baptised into orthodox Christianity, including newborn infants and others who have never so much as heard of Jesus Christ, are subject to the punishment.
Considering Augustine's influence on the church and the then classic and vulgate texts it is not surprising the concept of hell took hold as another useful lever of power over the populace.
You are quite correct in your assertion that Mohammed and the Companions expanded on this already existing blackmail viz: "Surely, those who disbelieve in our revelations, we will condemn them to the hell-fire. Whenever their skins are burnt, we will give them new skins. Thus, they will suffer continuously” (Sura 4:56, Khalifa translation). Numerous verses relegate unbelievers to this fiery hell, “wherein they abide forever.”
However I still doubt your claim that the vulgate or the older classic bible was rewritten in 680 ish AD to incorporate any Islamic version of hell. The reverse is much more likely and earlier during the formation of the Qu'ran about 606 onwards.
The qu'ran spends altogether much more time on the punishment of hell for unbelievers and backsliders than does any version of the bible. But that is probably because of a much less sophisticated base audience and the realisaton that a good carrot and BIG stick works better than honey and sweet treats to ensure profit.
P.s Thanks for making me take a trip down memory lane and revisit some studies which I have tonight brought up to date!. Good onya!
Diotrephes has some pretty odd ideas about the bible; although not as odd as your average theist, IMO.
I like Diatrophes though. Because although his ideas are odd, they're the type of odd that require knowing a lot of accurate information first. No one just jumps to saying the Ten Commandments are really 613, that requires careful (perhaps too careful) reading.
Sometimes I wonder if he's and ex-pastor or something along those lines.
Remember when he told us that Jesus wasn't Jewish (according to the bible) until the 1800's?
Did you ever notice even his name is significant? I remember when I first realized it I gave this man a silent salute.
Nyarlathotep,
It's amazing that people don't take human nature into consideration when discussing ancient Middle Eastern ethnocentric Jewish and Arabian religious fairy tales.
As you are aware, con men have used religious fairy tales for tens of thousands of years to control their superstitious buddies. Religion has always been a big business.
Now consider the ancient Middle East of the First Century. It would be easier to find an ice berg on the sun than it would be for Paul to have gone around the Middle East writing BS letters and having them survive and be collected into a book. They were oral stories that formed the basis of early Christianity. There are no valid authentic complete manuscripts from that time period.
When Uthman cooked up Islam he had a committee write it down in a book. The Christians didn't have a complete book for their fairy tale. So they set about writing one and produced three beautifully illustrated master copies. All subsequent Bibles are based on that fairy tale.
Now the simple fact is that despite everyone's bull shit not one person on this planet can produce an authentic original complete Bible dated earlier than the Codex Amiatinus.
In actuality very few people believe in the fairy tales. They just go along with the BS to get along with the crazies. For instance, ask a Bible thumper when the Apocrypha books were deleted from the Bible. Or ask a muslim when the Koran got numbered chapters and verses like the Bible. They won't have a clue.
People accept BS because it's easier (and safer) than thinking.
I have already rebutted your claims in my post above regarding the foundation of Islam and the version of hell.
There is thinking, scholarship, research and total la la land.
So far you have made claims with no evidence to back them up. So far you are in the "thinking' category.
When you get some credible evidence you will be in the "scholarship and research" zone.
With credible evidence or some scholarship, rebut my research and arguments with good evidence and citations.
Otherwise you are in la la land.
I like most of your posts. These are an overreach.
"So in REAL Christianity. . . there is no real hell concept, just life and death and eternal life and eternal death."
Hmm.
eternal life.... do you have any proof of that you would care to share?
How do you jump to that from me saying 'Hmm' lol