Review of Mythology by Edith Hamilton ***** A Classic Coverage of Classics.

I would say that this contains all the mythology that is important to know for the lay person. These are the gods that pop up all over the place in a lot of literature. The section on Norse mythology is somewhat lacking. By now most literate people would consider this one a classic.

Review of Einstein's God by Krista Tippett **** If Scientists Should Listen to Religionists, then Religionists Should Listen to Scientists.

I found the book to be very interesting. It is a good introduction to what some of modernity's best thinkers believe. It is important to know what scientists think about Gd, as these folks are usually very reasonable. In my book, reason is a virtue. Scientists generally don’t think like those that have faith. It is like their brains are wired differently. These viewpoints matter though, as we should look to knowledgeable people for information. Many people like to trumpet literal 7 day creationism to scientists. Why not let scientists give their opinion on religion? It’s a good idea. Maybe, scientists will listen to you if you listen to them? In fact, I think by knowing what other sides think and why, we are well on the way to forming a more perfect union.

Review of Maimonides by Sherwin Nuland ***** - Excellent!

Nuland takes his atheism right out of the book and is a good reporter. I learned so much about the history of Jewish medicine through reading this book, especially that Maimonides was influenced to a great deal by Greek medicine. It was interesting to find that he would heal by any means necessary. His presentation of Maimonides is quite endearing, as this man understood that it was more important to save a life even if it caused the healer not to observe the Shabbat. Also, a big take home message for me is the association of healers with Judaism, and that the word rabbi, usually translated, “Teacher,” can also be translated as, “Healer.”

Review of Inferno by Dante * Dated.

One of those classics that would not make it in today's world. There are some humorous parts, but the America ‘s so over the edge with its shock culture, such as shock rock, and shock news that it makes this book seem quite dated.

A Case for a Less Materialistic Christmas: Christmas, Jesus, Materialism, Forgiveness and the Day of Judgment

I do not believe Jesus is G-d, nor am I a Christian. I do not even believe Jesus was or is a savior. I do not believe in the Trinity. I do not believe Jesus was the Messiah or the Christ. If you are a Christian, please put those negative sentiments toward my belief aside. I have read the New Testament. I am not ignorant of it. Casting aside my own opinion of Jesus, as a whole, I will focus on Jesus’ good aspects in this essay.

To Jesus’ credit, like all those who love knowledge, philosophers, Jesus was not a materialist. Thus, I will use the teachings of Jesus to drive my message home. Jesus would be shouting to his many of his modern followers every Christmas, “You liars! You hypocrites! You are in danger of the fires of Hell!”

Who was Jesus?

My view of Jesus is very negative, but I am not beyond using positive things he said to drive home a message. Let’s consider the identity of Jesus. Jesus was a homeless person (Matthew 8:20). The prophet Mohammed concurs and believes Jesus to have been the least materialistic prophet. I have no doubt that Jesus was very clever, such that he was probably homeless by choice, probably because having a home would have given him a locus, and that would have hindered his ability to preach his message. Jesus was most likely homeless because he felt he needed mobility. Jesus thought his message was more important than materialism. By choice, Jesus would not be someone who would even had a place to put a present. Jesus would have preferred repentance to presents. There is no evidence of Jesus accepting birthday presents. He would have no use for them, as he was not a materialist. If you are his follower consider this: The New Testament calls us to be imitators of Jesus the Christ (Ephesians 5:1). In fact, as evidence of this I suggest that Jesus deemed a homeless beggar whose sores had been licked by dogs to be a sign of his kingdom (Luke 16). He never praises riches. The evidence all suggests that Jesus outright rejected materialism.

Turning Jesus’ birthday into a day of presents, and making Christmas into a season of materialism, is blasphemy of his message. To such things, there was who asked, “How many times should I forgive my brother?” Jesus’ reply seems close to infinite forgiveness, but it is not. Indeed, the forgiveness of Jesus is limited to 70 times 7, or 77 times (Matthew 18). Such limited forgiveness suggests that by the time someone had reached middle age and was still participating in the blasphemy of the birth of Jesus, that if you meet Jesus on the day of judgment, he would say “Away from me evil doer.” In Jesus philosophy, your place would be hell if you are a slave to the materialism of Christmas, going into debt just to buy more presents.

Though Christmas is an invented holiday, and all attempts to determine the date of Jesus’ birth are mere speculation. The best evidence shows Jesus was born in 4 CE during the summer. I am not one who believes Jesus was very concerned about the date of his birth. Celebrating Christmas would probably be just fine by Jesus. I am not one who believes completely doing away with Christmas, despite its lack of historical accuracy is unimportant in this case. To radically change anything except the materialism of Christmas is really unnecessary and inconsequential. The inaccurate yearly celebration of the birth of Jesus should be considered an outright harmless event. However, do not call yourself a Christian if you celebrate Christmas materialistically, then Jesus would not allow you in his kingdom.

Note: The inspiration for this blog is Bill McKibben's book Hundred Dollar Holiday: The Case for A More Joyful Christmas.

**** Review of The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

I fall into the category of one of those believers that Dawkin's says deserve respect. That is Dawkins is not criticizing all believers in God. He is criticizing the believers in God that are delusional.

** God is Not Great – Christopher Hitchens

I believe in Goad. Christopher Hitchens doesn't. He loses a star for not successfully refuting any reasons why I believe in Goad. That is, to Hitchens’ it would seem that all God’s are equal. He refuted some common beliefs about God. However, I am a believer in God, and Hitchens’ failed to attack my idea of what Gd is.

Reviews of Books by Bart D. Ehrman

**** Jesus Interrupted - Bart D. Ehrman - Ehrman is one of my favorite authors. He exposes some contradictions in the New Testament that are not able to be reconciled. If you have Christians breathing down your back, evangelizing, trying to get you to convert, consider this book as weaponry. Evangelists your contradictions are exposed, and your Word is not reliable!

1st Zerah: Who is Zerah? What are the Zerahites?

Ethics of our Fathers 6:3 He who learns from his companion one section, or one canon, or one verse, or one word, (or) even one letter, is bound to do him honour; for thus we find with David king of Israel, who learned not from Achithophel but two things only, that he called him his master, his guide, and his acquaintance,

The Bible mentions several Zerahs, or does it? Zerah’s name appears in many ancestries in not only the Torah, but the entire Tanach. The Tanach is the Jewish Bible. It does not include the New Testament. This essay is purely speculative.

Genesis 36:16 is the first appearance of the name Zerah. He is mentioned as the son of the Edomite, “Reuel.”

Genesis 36:13 And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath, and Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah. These were the sons of Basemath Esau's wife.

That Esau took her as a wife indicates that Basemath was indeed an Abrahamite. The Torah says that Basemath was the daughter of Ishmael (Genesis 36:3). Ishmael was the firstborn of Abraham’s sons. Basemath was also the wife of Esau. That makes Zerah in the third generation. First there was Esau, the brother of Jacob. Next there was Reuel, the son of Esau. Last there was Zerah, the son of Reuel, but was this an adoption? Zerah is also the third generation from Jacob. Generation one was Jacob. Generation 2 was Judah. In generation 3 was Zerah (Generation 38:30). In fact, it is mentioned that Tamar bore Zerah (Genesis 38:27-30). However, if this is the same Zerah, his earmarks were that he had affiliations with both the Edomites and the Ishmaelites. What I suggest is that these two supposed Zerahs are the same person that became the clan of the Zerahites. In fact, though Tamar bore Zerah, he was first mothered by Basemath. But, Zerah carries the paternal Y chromosome of Judah conferring the scepter, but due to a conversion he was both an Edomite and a Judahite, and had associations with Ishmaelites. That is that he was mothered by two tribes. So far, I suggest all Zerahites are mothered by two tribes, both Ishmaelite and Judahite, and fathered by two tribes Edomite and Judahite.

It is thought that the marks of an Edomite in today’s society might be such as joining the military. In fact, my father showed military aptitude and served his nation as a Captain in the military elite Special Forces. However, he also possessed some of the earmarks of Jacob as well, as he became a public school teacher. The earmarks of Jacob would be study. Furthermore, I possess the Y chromosome of a Regent, indicating the association of the scepter with my family. Besides the Stewarts, the Hamilton’s are the second noblest clan in Scotland. I mention this because several ancestries of mine go back to Zeus. It is thought that Zeus is a fictional name for the Zerahites.

Additionally, Numbers 26:13 mentions a Zerah of the Israelite tribe of Simon. This is thought to be a third conversion of Zerah, and it is a lifetime journey for each Zerahite to undergo slavery and a wondering in the desert, converting to the tribe of Simon shortly after slavery. First a Zerahite is an Edomite, then he is also a Judahite, and then he is also a Simonite. How can this be? I reason that Abrahamites intermingle. In fact, I suggest that the nation of Abraham is in fact the inhabitants of the USA. What Zerahites end up doing is starting to master Torah, and that this is the way of life for them. This is not to say all Zerahites are righteous (Joshua 7:1). Yet, this is not a call for all people to intermingle. However, some intermingling is thought to be a part of the Torah.

There are yet other occurrences of Zerah of the Bible, but not in the Torah. The book of Ezra knows of a Zerahiah (7:1), whom had also converted to the tribe of Levi. It is not clear if Zerahiah and Zerah are both Zerahites, and this is a place where I need more research. This should be less of a surprise than it really is. Jacob declares Simonites and Levites are a pair (Genesis 49:5), so it would be natural for such a conversion to take place. Additionally, the book of Chronicles lets us know that the Zerahiah of Ezra was of the line of Aaron, and is thus a Cohenim, or a candidate for being the high priest (5:32). Evidence of this would be obeying the command of a Cohen gadol to only marry virgins. Lastly, yet another conversion is made to the Levite clan of Gershon (Chronicles 6:6). What else would you expect from a politician other than affiliations with the various divisions of the clans of Abraham?

2 Chronicles 14:8 lastly mentions “Zerah the Ethiopian.” Perhaps, this individual was a Zerahite, as we know Zeus had African descendents through the Royal House of Thebes through Io, such that Pharoah of the Book of Exodus was probably an African Zerahite, as the scepter of Judah is not reported to have been removed during the enslavement of the Israelites. Zerah the Ethiopian was probably a descendant of Pharoah, such that all the Israelites did not leave during the Exodus, but some of the tribe of Judah remained behind and ruled there. All the attacking Ethiopians where mentioned as having been slain, but this is not to say that all the African Zerahites were on this military campaign. This was during the kingship of Asa, which was after 1,000 BCE, but before CE. Therefore, it should be understood that the word Zerah occurs over the course of thousands of years. There was probably an original founding member. However, this person was probably not Zerah the Ethiopian. Rather, Zerah should be thought of as the Zerahites. And, as they are not mentioned as having died in the JPS Bible, Zerahites are probably still around today. It is thought that when in 167 BCE, when a statue of Zeus was placed in the Holy of Holies it mystically led to Zerahites also being considered Cohenim, and the changing of the name of Zerah to Zerahiah, as only the High Priest is permitted to enter this sacred place. This radical change of Zerah to Zerahiah.

If the legends of Zeus are true, then we should also expect a Zerahite to have relations with Asians as well. Zeus is recorded to have married Europa, an Asian. This was a source for Asiatic nobility. Though I believe most Ishmaelites are currently Muslim, I am currently unsure who the Asians are in the Torah. This is a topic for further research. Personally, I have had relationships with Asians most of my life, as well as some Africans, Jews and Ishmaelites.

Craig HamiltonFirst Kings 2:10 - And David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David

November 19, 2010 at 4:40 pm

Craig HamiltonNote that in 1 Kings 2:10 “Fathers” is plural, suggesting that an individual can have more than one father.

November 19, 2010 at 4:41 pm

Craig HamiltonThe word “Fathers” occurs 508 times in the JPS 1917 Translation.

November 19, 2010 at 4:41 pm

Craig Hamilton“Who is Zerah? What are the Zerahites?” (October 2010). - There is not necessarily a Zerahite Y chromosome. However, if there is one then it is almost certainly Haplogroup I1. Thus, part of the blog is incorrect, as it was made on the assumption that because Tamar reportedly “bore” Zerah unto Judah, that this meant Zerah had a copy of Judah’s Y chromosome.

October 2, 2011 at 7:39 pm

1st Torah Apologetics “Put to death a rebellious son.”

~ “Put to death the rebellious son.” - Moses

Deuteronomy 21:21, that a rebellious son should be stoned is a much maligned verse. Do not read “Child.” The verse says, “Son.” Maimonides counted the command relative to this as 106 (Leviticus 19:26, Deuteronomy 21:20). It is a negative commandment, meaning that both men and women Jews are obligated to it. Since, it is an obligation for a Jew to follow the laws of one’s country, the following is currently the correct rendering for USA citizens: “Not to eat or drink like a glutton or a drunkard (not to rebel against father or mother).” The following is text of the idea in question. It is quoted from a JPS (Jewish Publication Society) Bible and is€ free and in the public domain. It is available for free download at www.sacred-texts.com

From Deuteronmy (JPS):

21:18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, that will not hearken to the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and though they chasten him, will not hearken unto them;

21:19 then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

21:20 and they shall say unto the elders of his city: 'This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he doth not hearken to our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.'

21:21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die; so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

21:22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree;

21:23 his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt surely bury him the same day; for he that is hanged is a reproach unto God; that thou defile not thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

Atheists often sight this to say that the Torah is cruel and immoral. Even the Talmud questions if this verse is indeed authentic. However, psychology does know of sociopaths, people born without a conscious that can never have one, and will do evil at every chance (evil rebellious children that only become evil adults). In Freudian terms, sociopaths just have an id and an ego, but no superego. That is, psychologists believe that the premise of some religions - that everyone knows right from wrong - is not true. This is an accepted psychological diagnosis, “Antisocial personality disorder,” for which there is no cure. It is not even a sociopath’s fault that he or she is a sociopath. A sociopath is completely incapable of doing a good deed. For example, a sociopath would be completely incapable of knowing G-d exists. I use this example because of its importance to Christians and Muslims, who believe faith is the most important or only way to heaven. Jews believe faith is only required for Jewish males, as in the Torah is written as a positive or masculine commandment (Exodus 20:2). The rendering of this command should be, “To know that G-d exists,” and Maimonides counted it as the first of the 613 commandments of the Torah. According to the Torah, faith is not required in order for one to be a righteous gentile. According to the Talmud, righteous gentiles have a place in the hereafter. Belief in the hereafter, the resurrection of the dead (Book of Daniel) is number 13 of Maimonides 13 Principles. And additionally, faith is not required of Jewish women. A sociopath would commit any of the following commands which the Torah (Mosaic books) says should be universal to humanity.

1. Prohibition of Idolatry: You shall not have any idols before God.

2. Prohibition of Murder: You shall not murder. (Genesis 9:6)

3. Prohibition of Theft: You shall not steal.

4. Prohibition of Sexual Promiscuity: You shall not commit any of a series of sexual prohibitions, which include adultery, incest, bestiality and male homosexual intercourse.

5. Prohibition of Blasphemy: You shall not blaspheme God's name.

6. Dietary Law: Do not eat flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive. (Genesis 9:4)

7. Requirement to have just Laws: You shall set up an effective judiciary to enforce the preceding six laws fairly.

I will add that though several of these Noachide laws are in the 10 Commandments, Christians generally do not believe in the 10 Commandments, such as those of times and seasons regarding the Sabbath. Shabbat observance requires the following:

a. Not to travel on Shabbat outside the limits of one's place of residence (Ex. 16:29)

b. To sanctify Shabbat (Ex. 20:8)

c. Not to do work on Shabbat (Ex. 20:10).

d. To rest on Shabbat (Ex. 23:12; 34:21).

e. Not to inflict punishment on Shabbat (Ex. 35:3) (because some punishments were inflicted by fire) (negative).

Most Christians that believe that the Sabbath is Sunday fail to observe the Laws of Sabbath right from the start, merely by getting in their car and traveling from town to town to get to Church that day (Exodus 16:29). Muslims believe the Sabbath is on Friday. According to the Torah, Shabbat observance is only a requirement for Jews. Observance of Shabbat (Sabbath) and Kashrut (Kosher) are the most important definers of Jews, according to the Talmud, and Orthodox rabbis’ expect those righteous gentiles converting to Judaism to observe these laws first and foremost. In Orthodox Judaism, converts are also expected to be more sincere than their fellow Jews, although convert is a lower Talmudic caste than Israelite.

There is no diagnosis most psychologists believe is more despicable, as even psychologists usually don’t have compassion for sociopaths and this is the only diagnosis, which they commonly feel this way about. A psychologist would be more likely to say murder should be forgiven, than say that sociopath is not a waste of flesh. Psychologists generally respond with compassion for every other psychological disease.

The Torah requires three eye witnesses to put someone to death, a trial, and several other measures, such as a warning and an acceptance of a warning (intent), and that the person does it anyway after the warning, to prevent a miscarriage of justice. Assuming, Judaic law (a utopian ideal for me), I believe that if three psychiatrists (read “elders” Deuteronomy 21:20) diagnose a child as a sociopath, then that child, if a boy (defined as under the age of thirteen), should be put to death, as the world is better off without him.

I do not believe in capital punishment by pelting anyone with stones. Rather, I believe sociopaths should be put to death by lethal injection. The Talmud says that, “When one sins it is as if their heart turns to stone.” Thus, I believe death by lethal injection is humane and correct replacement to the old way of pelting criminals with stones, as lethal injection causes a person’s heart to turn to stone.

Earlier I mentioned Maimonides Thirteen Principles. I am not sure if they are in the Talmud, a part of the Jewish canon, but they are commentary on the Mishnah, of which rabbinical commentary often canon. As far as I know, only the complete Talmud Bavli (Babylonian Talmud) is available in English in the public domain, so I am unable to check this. Maimonaides commented on a later Talmud, as he lived in the middle ages. Each country that the Jews have been in has had its own Talmud. Another famous ancient Talmud is the Jerusalem Talmud. The Thirteen Articles of Jewish faith are:1. Belief in the existence of the Creator, be He Blessed, who isperfect in every manner of existence and is the Primary Causeof all that exists.2. The belief in G-d's absolute and unparalleled unity.3. The belief in G-d's noncorporeality, nor that He will beaffected by any physical occurrences, such as movement, orrest, or dwelling.4. The belief in G-d's eternity.5. The imperative to worship Him exclusively and no foreign falsegods.6. The belief that G-d communicates with man through prophecy.7. The belief that the prophecy of Moses our teacher haspriority.8. The belief in the divine origin of the Torah.9. The belief in the immutability of the Torah.10. The belief in divine omniscience and providence.11. The belief in divine reward and retribution.12. The belief in the arrival of the Messiah and the messianicera.13. The belief in the resurrection of the dead.

My comment on principle 13: The world is absurd. It is in fact so absurd that the Prophet Daniel’s resurrection of the dead will not occur (Book of Daniel – Jewish and Christian canon).

The laws of Moses with reference to G-d are:

1. To know that G-d exists (Ex. 20:2; Deut. 5:6) (CCA1). See What Do Jews Believe?.

2. Not to entertain the idea that there is any god but the Eternal (Ex. 20:3) (CCN8). See What Do Jews Believe?.

3. Not to blaspheme (Ex. 22:27; in Christian texts, Ex. 22:28), the penalty for which is death (Lev. 24:16) (negative).

4. To hallow G-d's name (Lev. 22:32) (CCA5). See The Name of G-d.

5. Not to profane G-d's name (Lev. 22:32) (CCN155). See The Name of G-d.

6. To know that G-d is One, a complete Unity (Deut. 6:4) (CCA2). See What Do Jews Believe?.

7. To love G-d (Deut. 6:5) (CCA3). See What Do Jews Believe?.

8. To fear Him reverently (Deut. 6:13; 10:20) (CCA4).

9. Not to put the word of G-d to the test (Deut. 6:16) (negative).

10. To imitate His good and upright ways (Deut. 28:9) (CCA6).

CCA = affirmative commandment

CCN = negative commandment

The number following the commandment is according to Maimonides, where the total number is 613, which is derivable by Kabala.

Comments, questions, rebuttals, etcetera are welcome. How do you feel about Deuteronomy 21:21?