James Tabor's book The Jesus Dynasty has attracted the attention of top British Biblical scholar Geza Vermes (pictured). In his latest book, The Nativity: History and Legend, Vermes both lists it in his bibliography and notes that “The possibility that Panthera was the father of Jesus has been revived by James D. Tabor...” (167-168)
Also from the Vermes book, this quotation: “... the chances that Jesus was born on 25th December are 1 in 365 (or 366 in leap years). This date was invented by the Western church – as late as the fourth century under the emperor Constantine – as a way to replace the pagan festival of the Unvanquished Sun, and is first attested, to be precise, in a Roman calendar in AD 334.” (10)
The Nativity is published in the UK by Penguin, but not yet available in the US.
On other matters: A while back AW reported on the unexpected visit by UCG's president to LCG headquarters. The public statements from the two church bodies were, in true COG style, 95% smokescreen, and we've now been advised that the UCG minister whose actions led to the unprecedented meeting - an abortive attempt to take his congregation over into LCG - was Herberth Cisneros of El Salvador. All references to Cisneros now seem to have been wiped from UCG's websites.
Meanwhile, damage control on the Bryce defection seems well underway in LCG, judging from the approach by LCG minister Wally Smith.
2 comments:
For those in the States who have no access to Vermes book,and want a good Xmas read, may I suggest Raymond Brown's-- Birth of the Messiah. It is one of the definitive works on the origins, style and problems with the birth stories and the so called "prophecies" of Jesus birth.
DEARLY BELOVED,
We are gathered here at this most inauspicious time of the year to evoke fond memories of the HERBAL
HORROR that us brought together to WCG.
Let us now be thankful,having discarded the chains of slavery,that we can, in freedom and peace,celebrate the former pagan festival of Brumalia.
Isn't it wonderful not to have a Rod or a Gerry uttering fatuous wafflings from the pulpit,or breathing down our collective necks through their local minions.
At this time of the year I wonder which regards himself as the IMMACULATE CONCEPTION.There are many candidates, and for that we should be truly thankful.After all,it gives us mere peasants and hoi polloi MORE opportunity to air our dissident and irreverent views.
Would anyone care to identify the
THREE WISE MEN of the CHURCHES OF GOD? This could be a DIEHL too diffi-CULT,methinks.
They of the enlightenment would probably label us the SINNER-SCHISM.
And may their YULETIDE topshelves be adequately stocked so they can destroy a few more brain cells.Oops, that was an error...what brain cells??. I must be more careful in my typing.
HAVE A HAPPY ONE!!!
Jorgheinz
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