Jesus as the New Moses

....

[Sir Colin] Humphreys analyzed a variety of religious calendars — Jewish and Egyptian, solar and lunar — and reached his own conclusion that ties up the loose ends. It turns out that Passover began at sunset on Thursday, April 2, in the year 33, according to the calendar adopted during the Jews' Babylonian exile in the sixth century B.C. But a different religious calendar, dating back to the Jews' time in Egypt, would have Passover beginning at sunrise on Wednesday, April 1. That means Matthew, Mark and Luke could make a case for Wednesday's evening meal being part of Passover (by the pre-Exilic reckoning), while John would be justified in saying it happened before Passover (by the more recent reckoning). If his timeline is true, the Last Supper would have taken place on April 1. Jesus' main trial before the Sanhedrin would have been on April 2. The confirmation of his sentence and his appearances before Pontius Pilate would have occurred on the morning of Good Friday, April 3, followed by the crucifixion. All this would lead up to the first Easter Sunday on April 5 of the year 33. Cambridge U. Press "The Mystery of the Last Supper" analyzes the timeline of the Passion story. Many in the scientific community might see Humphreys' work as an empty exercise. They might even doubt whether Jesus was a historical figure at all. But Humphreys hopes that his analysis will be useful to scriptural scholars as well as rank-and-file believers. "For biblical scholars, it resolves the discrepancy," he told me. "We now have just the right amount of space that we need for the Gospel events." Humphreys also believes that Jesus and his followers were trying to send a theological message by celebrating the Passover on a schedule that goes back to a time before the Babylonian exile, to the era of Moses and the Exodus. "It mirrors the covenant that Moses announced," Humphreys told me. "It's cementing the message of Jesus, that he's the new Moses."

....


Taken from:
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/04/19/6497928-did-jesus-eat-an-early-last-supper?lite









The Mystery of the Last Supper

Reconstructing the Final Days of Jesus




Colin J. Humphreys



University of Cambridge





Paperback



(ISBN-13: 9780521732000)



Also available in Hardback
Adobe eBook
Mobipocket eBook

Published April 2011

Available, despatch within 3-4 weeks



US $24.99

Singapore price US $26.74 (inclusive of GST)







View Frontmatter as PDF (147KB)

The Mystery of the Last Supper



Cambridge University Press

9780521517553 - The Mystery of the Last Supper - Reconstructing the Final Days of Jesus - By Colin J. Humphreys

Frontmatter/Prelims

The Mystery of the Last Supper



Apparent inconsistencies in the gospel accounts of Jesus’ final week have puzzled Bible scholars for centuries. Matthew, Mark and Luke clearly state that the last supper was a Passover meal, whereas John asserts that it occurred before the festival. The gospel narratives also do not seem to allow enough time for all the events recorded between the last supper and the crucifixion, whilst indicating that Wednesday was a ‘missing day’ on which Jesus did nothing. Colin Humphreys presents a compelling fresh account of how these inconsistencies can be explained, drawing on evidence from the Dead Sea Scrolls and Egyptian texts and using astronomy to reconstruct ancient calendars. In doing so, Humphreys proposes a new theory – that the last supper took place on a Wednesday, rather than Thursday as traditionally believed – and successfully unifies the supposedly contradictory gospel stories.



Sir Colin J. Humphreys is Professor and Director of Research at the Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy at the University of Cambridge. He is the author of The Miracles of Exodus (2003).



The Mystery of the Last Supper



Reconstructing the Final Days of Jesus



Colin J. Humphreys



CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS

Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town,Singapore, São Paulo, Delhi, Tokyo, Mexico City



Cambridge University Press

The Edinburgh Building, Cambridge CB2 8RU, UK



Published in the United States of America by Cambridge University Press, New York



www.cambridge.org

Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9780521517553



© Colin J. Humphreys 2011



This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press.



First published 2011



Printed in the United Kingdom at the University Press, Cambridge



A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library



ISBN 978-0-521-51755-3 Hardback

ISBN 978-0-521-73200-0 Paperback



Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication, and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.



Contents



List of illustrations

vi

Foreword by

I. Howard Marshall

ix

Acknowledgements

xii

1 Four mysteries of the last week of Jesus

1

2 Dating the crucifixion – the first clues

14

3 The problem of the last supper

26

4 Can we reconstruct the Jewish calendar at the time of Christ?

39

5 The date of the crucifixion

61

6 The moon will be turned to blood

80

7 Did Jesus use the solar calendar of Qumran for his last supper Passover?

95

8 Does ancient Egypt hold a key to unlocking the problem of the last supper?

110

9 Discovering the lost calendar of ancient Israel

121

10 Was the lost ancient Jewish calendar used in Israel at the time of Jesus?

135

11 The date of the last supper: the hidden clues in the gospels

151

12 From the last supper to the crucifixion: a new analysis of the gospel accounts

169

13 A new reconstruction of the final days of Jesus

191

Notes

197

Bibliography

227

Index of biblical and other ancient sources

234

General index

239

Illustrations



1.1 The Three Crosses. Etching by Rembrandt in 1653.

2

2.1 Bronze coin from Antioch dated year 1 of Tiberius and year 45 of Actium.

19

3.1 Advertisement in the June 1, 1954, Wall Street Journal in which some of the Dead Sea Scrolls went up for sale.

33

4.1 The appearance of the moon throughout the lunar month. (a) The waxing moon (increasing in size). (b) The waning moon (decreasing in size).

41

4.2 Observing the new crescent moon (in the evening sky).

42

4.3 The invisibility of the new crescent moon in the morning sky.

44

4.4 (a) Conjunction: the moon is between the sun and the earth. (b) First visibility of the new crescent moon. (c) Full moon. (d) Last visibility of the old crescent moon.

46

5.1 Christ Driving the Money Changers from the Temple. Etching by Rembrandt in 1635.

77

6.1 Why the moon can appear blood red.

87

6.2 The eclipsed moon rising over the Mount of Olives on Friday, April 3, ad 33.

92

7.1 Qumran caves.

98

7.2 The gates of heaven.

105

8.1 Map of Canaan showing the regions of Galilee, Samaria and Judah.

112

8.2 Last and first visibility of the lunar crescent.

117

10.1 The Merneptah Stele.

137

11.1 Jerusalem at the time of Jesus, showing the probable location of the Essene Gate, the Essene quarter, the last supper and the Garden of Gethsemane.

159

Foreword



For the past few years I have been following with keen interest and excitement the researches of Colin Humphreys into the last supper narratives in the gospels. Previously he had investigated the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and the ten unusual happenings recorded as accompanying that event. He also offered a new identification of the ‘star of Bethlehem’ as a comet that appeared in 5 bc. Finally, he made a fresh attempt to date the crucifixion of Jesus by using astronomical evidence for determining the likely year and also by proposing that Peter’s reference in his Pentecost speech to the moon being turned to blood (Acts 2:20) was to a lunar eclipse in ad 33 at which the moon would indeed have had a blood-red appearance.



This new book returns to this last theme and offers a detailed study of the associated puzzles caused by the apparent discrepancy between the gospel of John and the other three gospels on the date of the last supper of Jesus. Colin’s solution is a new version of the old theory that different Jewish groups may have used different calendrical systems, together with a proposal that Jesus held his meal not on the Thursday immediately preceding his crucifixion on the Friday but on the Wednesday evening, a view that allows a more adequate period of time for all the recorded events that have to be fitted in between the meal and the crucifixion.



The result is what is sometimes called a tour de force, an unusually capable feat of bringing together a vast amount of detailed evidence and showing how there is one complex solution that can account for it all. (Sometimes I have the feeling that people use this phrase when they cannot help admiring the skill and knowledge displayed in the operation but nevertheless find the hypothesis to be ‘highly ingenious but ultimately not successful’. That negative implication should not be read into my remarks here.)



The breadth and depth of learning here is quite remarkable in that the author is Professor of Materials Science in Cambridge, and he studies biblical history as a leisure sideline, showing wide-ranging competence in astronomy (aided here by a professional), ancient calendrical studies and biblical scholarship. But difficult subject-matter is treated in a simple and readable manner so that the non-expert can easily follow the argument. The author’s enthusiasm carries the reader along almost effortlessly. Frequent summaries help to chart the path that is being followed.



Many people (such as some members of the Jesus Seminar in North America) still hold that the gospel accounts of the life and death of Jesus are implausible and unhistorical to various degrees. But current biblical scholarship is producing a series of lengthy, learned works by professionals who are united in holding that much of the story can be accorded a much higher level of historical reliability when assessed by the appropriate methods. I need only mention the monographs produced by Richard Bauckham, James Dunn, Martin Hengel (and his collaborators), Craig Keener, John P. Meier and Tom Wright, and the symposia edited by Darrell Bock and Robert Webb and by Stanley Porter and Tom Holmen. These are works of technical scholarship each running to very many pages and beyond the reach of the public generally. By contrast Colin Humphreys is writing in much shorter compass and with great clarity for a wider audience.



A very considerable part of what he says in this book would certainly command wide if not total assent among scholars. His demonstration that the last supper and crucifixion must be dated to either ad 30 or ad 33 confirms what experts generally hold, and his preference for the latter date is powerfully argued. His view that there were different calendars side by side at the time of Jesus is not new but is a carefully argued variant based on a new evaluation of the evidence. His redating of the last supper to a Wednesday shows that he is not afraid to challenge traditional opinions that are of questionable validity.



Here, then, is a book that offers a new historical reconstruction of the evidence that must be taken very seriously indeed, and biblical scholars must not assume that because it is written at a more popular level it can be ignored. If I hesitate to say that I agree with every detail of the argument or hold back from saying ‘there is no doubt that Colin has solved all the problems’, that probably reflects normal scholarly caution.



....



Taken from: http://www.cambridge.org/asia/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=9780521732000&ss=fro

Pentecost Sunday

Pentecost

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


“And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD” (Lev. 23:15-16).


The word “Pentecost” comes from the Greek word for the “fiftieth day.” “Pente” is Greek for five. It is called “Shavout,” the Feast of Weeks (Exod. 34:22; Deut. 16:9-11) and the Feast of Harvest (Exod. 23:16) of the Day of the First Fruits (Num. 28:26).


"And thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the feast of ingathering at the year’s end" (Ex. 34:22) .


“Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn. And thou shalt keep the feast of weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God, according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee: And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, that are among you, in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place his name there” (Deut. 16:9-11).


“Also in the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks be out, ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work” ( Num. 28:26).


Pentecost fell on the 50th day after the Passover. The Feast of the First Fruits, which fell on Sunday, the week after the Passover, was a feast of thanksgiving for the Spring crops. The feast offers thanksgiving to God for the Summer harvest (Lev. 23:15-16). The day after Passover was the Feast of the Unleavened Bread which lasted seven day. (Nisan 15-21). Pentecost was fifty days from Nisan 15 which was the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.


It was fifty days after God delivered the Children of Israel from captivity in Egypt that He gave them the Ten Commandments and the Law, establishing Israel as a nation. On this same day, fifty days after Christ was crucified that God established the institution of the local church there in Jerusalem as Acts 2 records.


On the Day of Pentecost believers for the first time were permanently indwelled by the Holy Spirit and received the Baptism of the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised the day He ascended into heaven. (Acts 1:5-8) Empowered by the Holy Spirit believers would spread out into Jerusalem and thence to Judea, Samaria and out to the ends of the earth preaching the God.


Pentecost falls on Sunday, the first day of the week “the morrow after the Sabbath.” (See Leviticus 23:11, 23:15, 23:16) Jesus was resurrected on first day of week, on the day of First Fruits which was Sunday. The Lord began the institution of the local church on Sunday, the Day of Pentecost. Thus on this Day the first believers of this present dispensation which is called the Church Age were indwelled by the Holy Spirit and empowered to be witnesses to the Gospel. The first “Fruit” was Christ, and the second “fruits” were those saved on the Day of Pentecost and those who have believed since.


Lev. 23:17, records that two “wave” loaves of bread of equal weight were baked with leaven. These two loaves were called the “first fruits.” The loaves represent sinful man, not the Lord and the Holy Spirit, because leaven is used. It seems clear they represent the bride of Christ made up of Jews and Gentiles, both with sin, unlike the unleavened bread at Passover which represented a sinless Messiah.


The provision for the poor and needy (Lev. 23:22). After Jesus’ resurrection He appeared to His disciples and taught them during the following forty day (Acts 1:3). He told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit would come and indwell them in the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:1, says that on the Day of Pentecost the Spirit did come and gathered a harvest of over 3000 souls. This was a great harvest of souls in number that First Fruits, but the Fall harvest will be even greater at the Rapture of the Bride of Christ. The Jews could fully understand and appreciate the sequence of events of Christ’s death (on Passover), burial (during Unleaven Bread), resurrection (on First Fruits) and the coming of the Holy Spirit (on the Feast of the Harvest or Pentecost).


Jews read the story of Ruth on the Day of Pentecost, even today. It is a story of love and devotion, it centers around the harvest. The story also relates the ingathering of Ruth, the Moabitess, a Gentile woman who came to know Naomi and her God, and was accepted. On the birth of the local church, the way was paved for both Jew and Gentile to accept and be accepted as a part of the family of God.


The harvest stops with the Fall harvest. Symbolically Christians are presently in the Summer harvest and must still be working in the fields until the Lord of the Harvest comes at the Second Coming and the Fall harvest is reaped.


Those listed as present in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost were Jewish pilgrims from different nations. They were in these various nations due to the Dispersion. They all could understand both Aramaic and Greek in addition to the language of the nation where they lived. Thus, the gift of languages (KJV “tongues”) was really unnecessary. The key was Peter’s explanation in Acts 2:14-22. He said in the “last days” I will pour out my Spirit quoting Joel 2:28. What Peter was emphasizing was that this was an event of the “last days” which clearly was identified with the Coming of the Messiah. Peter preached that Jesus was the Messiah (verse 22f). Joel 2, begins with the proclamation of the terrible “day of the Lord” which is a reference to the judgment in the Great Tribulation. There is a regathering of Israel (Joel 2:15-16) and in Joel 2:18-27, God promises deliverance and the Millennium. In Joel 2:28, which is a reference to the Millennium, that follows the Coming of the Messiah, God says there will be an out pouring of His Spirit. In view is the promise that God will restore Israel. Peter is referring to Joel’s prophecy of God’s coming of deliverance of Israel. Verse 32, says that in Jerusalem shall be deliverance.


There was no need for “tongues” because the people could have understood Aramaic or Greek, thus the miracle was done as a sign of Jesus being the promised Deliverer and Messiah. Three thousand Jews, mostly of the pilgrims from other nations, understood the message and the point Peter made and they believed and were saved. It should have been a sign to all the Jews in Jerusalem and especially to those who have cried that He be crucified. However the Jews of Jerusalem continued mostly to reject Christ. Nothing that happen on this day can be understood in any way to have been remotely like the ecstatic speech of the modern tongues movement which is simply a learned psychological behavior. The sounds produced by modern tongues speakers is not a language, but mainly randomly uttered vowels.


All Rights Reserved 1996-2012 (Cooper P Abrams III - Bible-truth.org) This work is reserved in its use only to preserve the author's ownership of his work. Any part of this work may be freely used without the author's permission for use in preaching and Bible studies. This material must not be sold and proper credit should be given.


....


Taken from: http://bible-truth.org/Feasts-Pentecost.html

Hoshea, King of Israel

Taken from: http://www.aboutbibleprophecy.com/p108.htm

Hoshea was the 19th [we would query this number: AMAIC] and final king of the ancient kingdom of Israel. He was the son of Elah and he became king after he assassinated King Pekah. He reigned nine years in Samaria (733-724 BC). King Hoshea's army was attacked and defeated in battle by King Shalmaneser of Assyria.















100 Prophecies, explains how Bible prophecies have been fulfilled in history. Click for more information.















Assyria forced Israel to pay hefty annual taxes to Assyria. Hoshea, however, stopped paying the taxation and he asked King So of Egypt to help him break free of Assyria's power. The Assyrians responded by placing Hoshea in prison, and by besieging and conquering Samaria.























The Assyrians were brutal in their treatment of Israel. Many Israelites were killed or exiled out of the land of Israel. Many were placed in colonies in Halah, Gozan, and among the cities of the Medes. Hoshea's story is found in 2 Kings, chapters 15, 17 and 18.















BibleGateway.com

SearchEnter the Bible passage (e.g., John 3:16), keyword (e.g., Jesus, prophet, etc.) or topic (e.g., salvation) ---Amuzgo de Guerrero (AMU)--- Amuzgo de Guerrero ---العربية (AR)--- Arabic Bible: Easy-to-Read Version Arabic Life Application Bible ---Български (BG)--- 1940 Bulgarian Bible Bulgarian Bible Bulgarian New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version ---Chinanteco de Comaltepec (CCO)--- Chinanteco de Comaltepec ---Cakchiquel Occidental (CKW)--- Cakchiquel Occidental ---Kreyol (CPF)--- Haitian Creole Version ---Čeština (CS)--- Bible 21 Slovo na cestu ---Dansk (DA)--- Dette er Biblen på dansk ---Deutsch (DE)--- Hoffnung für Alle Luther Bibel 1545 Neue Genfer Übersetzung Schlachter 1951 Schlachter 2000 ---English (EN)--- 21st Century King James Version American Standard Version Amplified Bible Common English Bible Complete Jewish Bible Contemporary English Version Darby Translation Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition Easy-to-Read Version English Standard Version English Standard Version Anglicised GOD’S WORD Translation Good News Translation Holman Christian Standard Bible J.B. Phillips New Testament King James Version Lexham English Bible The Message New American Standard Bible New Century Version New International Reader's Version New International Version New International Version 1984 New International Version - UK New King James Version New Life Version New Living Translation Today's New International Version Worldwide English (New Testament) Wycliffe Bible Young's Literal Translation ---Español (ES)--- La Biblia de las Américas Castilian Dios Habla Hoy Nueva Biblia Latinoamericana de Hoy Nueva Traducción Viviente Nueva Versión Internacional Palabra de Dios para Todos Reina Valera Contemporánea Reina-Valera 1960 Reina-Valera 1995 Reina-Valera Antigua Traducción en lenguaje actual ---Français (FR)--- La Bible du Semeur Louis Segond Nouvelle Edition de Genève – NEG1979 Segond 21 ---Κοινη (GRC)--- 1550 Stephanus New Testament 1881 Westcott-Hort New Testament 1894 Scrivener New Testament SBL Greek New Testament ---עיברית (HE)--- The Westminster Leningrad Codex ---Ilonggo (HIL)--- Ang Pulong Sang Dios ---Hrvatski (HR)--- Croatian Bible ---Magyar (HU)--- Hungarian Károli Hungarian New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version ---Hawai‘i Pidgin (HWC)--- Hawai‘i Pidgin ---Íslenska (IS)--- Icelandic Bible ---Italiano (IT)--- Conferenza Episcopale Italiana La Nuova Diodati La Parola è Vita Nuova Riveduta 1994 Nuova Riveduta 2006 ---Jacalteco, Oriental (JAC)--- Jacalteco, Oriental ---Kekchi (KEK)--- Kekchi ---Latina (LA)--- Biblia Sacra Vulgata ---Māori (MI)--- Maori Bible ---Macedonian (MK)--- Macedonian New Testament ---Mam, Central (MVC)--- Mam, Central ---Mam, Todos Santos (MVJ)--- Mam de Todos Santos Chuchumatán ---Plautdietsch (NDS)--- Reimer 2001 ---Náhuatl de Guerrero (NGU)--- Náhuatl de Guerrero ---Nederlands (NL)--- Het Boek ---Norsk (NO)--- Det Norsk Bibelselskap 1930 En Levende Bok ---Polski (PL)--- Nowe Przymierze ---Português (PT)--- João Ferreira de Almeida Atualizada Nova Versão Internacional O Livro Portuguese New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version ---Quiché, Centro Occidenta (QUT)--- Quiché, Centro Occidental ---Română (RO)--- Cornilescu Romanian ---Русский (RU)--- Russian New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version Russian Synodal Version Slovo Zhizny ---Slovenčina (SK)--- Nádej pre kazdého ---Shqip (SQ)--- Albanian Bible ---Српски (SR)--- Serbian New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version ---Svenska (SV)--- Levande Bibeln Svenska 1917 Svenska Folkbibeln ---Kiswahili (SW)--- Swahili New Testament ---ภาษาไทย (TH)--- Thai New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version ---Tagalog (TL)--- Ang Salita ng Diyos ---Українська (UK)--- Ukrainian Bible Ukrainian New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version ---Uspanteco (USP)--- Uspanteco ---Tiêng Viêt (VI)--- 1934 Vietnamese Bible Ban Dich 2011 Vietnamese Bible: Easy-to-Read Version ---汉语 (ZH)--- Chinese New Testament: Easy-to-Read Version Chinese Standard Bible (Simplified) Chinese Standard Bible (Traditional) Chinese Union Version (Simplified) Chinese Union Version (Traditional) Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Simplified) Chinese Union Version Modern Punctuation (Traditional) Bible Book List Verse of the Day Share on facebookShare on twitterShare on email “May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 15:5-6 NIV View in context

View whole chapter

Print Today's passage is from the New International Version. Read by Max McLean. Provided by The Listener's Audio Bible. Latest Posts from the Bible Gateway BlogToday is Ascension Day Today, May 17th, is Ascension Day—or the Feast of the Ascension—a day commemorating Jesus’ ascent into heaven. In the Christian calendar, Ascension day always falls forty days after Easter. After the resurrection Jesus returned to His disciples. We read accounts … Continue reading → New Poll: How long have you been attending your current church? We’re opening a new poll today to ask about how long you’ve been attending your current church. Did you just start going there, or have you been going there your entire life? We want to know! Take a second to … Continue reading → Link Roundup: Don’t Name Your Kids After Hosea’s Children, Wycliffe’s New Bible Quiz Game, and More Here’s a collection of links, stories, and news items that have caught our attention lately: Wycliffe Bible Translators invites you to play In Other Words, a free online Bible quiz game, and to compete for great prizes like iPads, Kindles … Continue reading → Monday Morning Scripture: 1 Peter 3:8-18 Today's Bible reading explores one of the most challenging commands in the Bible: to love your enemy and repay evil with kindness. Continue reading → Read more at the Bible Gateway Blog (What is this?)

....


Taken from: http://www.biblegateway.com/app/

What was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?



Taken from: http://www.gotquestions.org/Sodom-and-Gomorrah.html



Question: "What was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?"

Answer: The biblical account of Sodom and Gomorrah is recorded in Genesis chapters 18-19. Genesis chapter 18 records the Lord and two angels coming to speak with Abraham. The Lord informed Abraham that "the outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so grievous." Verses 22-33 record Abraham pleading with the Lord to have mercy on Sodom and Gomorrah because Abraham's nephew, Lot, and his family lived in Sodom.

Genesis chapter 19 records the two angels, disguised as human men, visiting Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot met the angels in the city square and urged them to stay at his house. The angels agreed. The Bible then informs us, "Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom — both young and old — surrounded the house. They called to Lot, 'Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.'" The angels then proceed to blind all the men of Sodom and Gomorrah and urge Lot and his family to flee from the cities to escape the wrath that God was about to deliver. Lot and his family flee the city, and then "the LORD rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah — from the LORD out of the heavens. Thus he overthrew those cities and the entire plain, including all those living in the cities..."

In light of the passage, the most common response to the question "What was the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah?" is that it was homosexuality. That is how the term "sodomy" came to be used to refer to anal sex between two men, whether consensual or forced. Clearly, homosexuality was part of why God destroyed the two cities. The men of Sodom and Gomorrah wanted to perform homosexual gang rape on the two angels (who were disguised as men). At the same time, it is not biblical to say that homosexuality was the exclusive reason why God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. The cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were definitely not exclusive in terms of the sins in which they indulged.

Ezekiel 16:49-50 declares, "Now this was the sin of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters were arrogant, overfed and unconcerned; they did not help the poor and needy. They were haughty and did detestable things before me..." The Hebrew word translated "detestable" refers to something that is morally disgusting and is the exact same word used in Leviticus 18:22 that refers to homosexuality as an "abomination." Similarly, Jude 7 declares, "...Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion." So, again, while homosexuality was not the only sin in which the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah indulged, it does appear to be the primary reason for the destruction of the cities.

Those who attempt to explain away the biblical condemnations of homosexuality claim that the sin of Sodom and Gomorrah was inhospitality. The men of Sodom and Gomorrah were certainly being inhospitable. There is probably nothing more inhospitable than homosexual gang rape. But to say God completely destroyed two cities and all their inhabitants for being inhospitable clearly misses the point. While Sodom and Gomorrah were guilty of many other horrendous sins, homosexuality was the reason God poured fiery sulfur on the cities, completely destroying them and all of their inhabitants. To this day, the area where Sodom and Gomorrah were located remains a desolate wasteland. Sodom and Gomorrah serve as a powerful example of how God feels about sin in general, and homosexuality specifically.

Recommended Resource: Coming out of Homosexuality by Bob Davies and 101 Frequently Asked Questions About Homosexuality by Mike Haley.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Related Topics:

What does the Bible say about gay marriage / same sex marriage?

Why was Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt?

Why did Lot offer up his daughters to be gang raped? Why did God allow Lot's daughters to later have sex with their father?

What does the Bible say about homosexuality? Is homosexuality a sin?

What does the Bible say about bisexuality (bi-sexuality)? Is being a bisexual (bi-sexual) a sin?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Return to:



Questions about Sin







--------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Return to:



GotQuestions.org Home

On Jacob's Wrestling With God. Pope Benedict XVI

"He Who Allows Himself to Be Blessed by God ... Renders the World Blessed"

VATICAN CITY, MAY 25, 2011 (Zenit.org).



- Here is a translation of the Italian-language catechesis Benedict XVI gave today during the general audience held in St. Peter's Square. The Pope continued with his new series of catecheses on prayer, reflecting today on prayer in the Patriarch Jacob's life. * * *



Dear Brothers and Sisters, Today I would like to reflect with you upon a text from the Book of Genesis that narrates a rather particular episode in the history of the Patriarch Jacob. It is not an easily interpreted passage, but it is an important one for our life of faith and prayer; it recounts the story of his wrestling with God at the ford of the Jabbok, from which we have just heard a passage. As you will remember, Jacob had taken away his twin brother Esau's birthright in exchange for a dish of lentils and then, through deception, had stolen the blessing of his father Isaac who was already quite advanced in years, by taking advantage of his blindness. Having escaped Esau's fury, he had taken refuge with a relative, Laban; he married and had grown rich and now was returning to the land of his birth, ready to face his brother after having put several prudent measures in place. But when he is all ready for this encounter -- after having made those who were with him cross the ford of the stream marking Esau's territory -- Jacob, now left alone, is suddenly attacked by an unknown figure who wrestles with him for the whole of the night. It is this hand to hand battle which we find in Chapter 32 of the Book of Genesis that becomes for him a singular experience of God. Night is the favorable time for acting in secret, the best time, therefore, for Jacob to enter his brother's territory without being seen, and perhaps with the illusion of taking Esau unawares. But instead, it is he who is surprised by an unexpected attack for which he was not prepared. He had used his cunning to try to save himself from a dangerous situation, he thought he had succeeded in having everything under control, and instead he now finds himself facing a mysterious battle that overtakes him in solitude without giving him the possibility of organizing an adequate defense. Defenseless -- in the night -- the Patriarch Jacob fights with someone. The text does not specify the aggressor's identity; it uses a Hebraic term that generically indicates "a man," "one, someone;" it therefore has a vague, undetermined definition that intentionally keeps the assailant in mystery. It is dark. Jacob is unsuccessful in seeing his opponent distinctly, and also for the reader he remains unknown. Someone is setting himself against the patriarch; this is the only sure fact furnished by the narrator. Only at the end, once the battle has ended and that "someone" has disappeared, only then will Jacob name him and be able to say that he has wrestled with God. The episode unfolds, therefore, in obscurity and it is difficult to perceive not only the identity of Jacob's assailant, but also the battle's progress. Reading the passage, it is hard to establish which of the two contenders succeeds in having the upper hand. The verbs used often lack an explicit subject, and the actions progress in an almost contradictory way, so that when one thinks that either of the two has prevailed, the next action immediately contradicts it and presents the other as the winner. At the beginning, in fact, Jacob seems to be the strongest, and the adversary -- the text states -- "did not prevail against him" (verse 26 [25]); yet he strikes the hollow of his thigh, dislocating it. One would then be led to think that Jacob has to surrender, but instead it's the other who asks him to let him go; and the patriarch refuses, laying down a condition: "I will not let you go, unless you bless me" (verse 27). He who by deception had defrauded his brother of the firstborn's blessing, now demands it from the stranger in whom perhaps he begins to see divine characteristics, but still without being able to truly recognize him. The rival, who seemed to be held and therefore defeated by Jacob, instead of submitting to his request, asks his name: "What is your name?" And the patriarch responds: "Jacob" (verse 28). Here the battle undergoes an important development. To know someone's name, in fact, implies a kind of power over the person, since the name, in biblical thinking, contains the most profound reality of the individual; it unveils his secret and his destiny. Knowing someone's name therefore means knowing the truth of the other, and this allows one to be able to dominate him. When, therefore, at the stranger's request, Jacob reveals his own name, he is handing himself over to his opponent; it is a form of surrender, of the total giving over of himself to the other. But in this act of surrender, Jacob paradoxically also emerges as a winner, because he receives a new name, together with an acknowledgement of victory on the part of his adversary, who says to him: "Your name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed" (verse 29 [28]). "Jacob" was a name that recalled the patriarch's problematic beginnings; in Hebrew, in fact, it calls to mind the word "heel," and takes the reader back to the moment of Jacob's birth when, coming from the maternal womb, his hand took hold of his twin brother's heel (cf. Gen. 25:26), as though prefiguring the overtaking of his brother's rights in his adult life; but the name Jacob also calls to mind the verb "to deceive, to supplant." Now, in the battle, the patriarch reveals to his opponent, through an act of entrustment and surrender, his own reality as a deceiver, a supplanter; but the other, who is God, transforms this negative reality into something positive: Jacob the deceiver becomes Israel; he is given a new name that signifies a new identity. But also here, the account maintains its intended duplicity, since the most probable meaning of the name Israel is "God is mighty, God triumphs." Jacob therefore prevailed, he triumphed -- it is the adversary himself who affirms it – but his new identity, received by the same adversary, affirms and testifies to God's triumph. When in turn Jacob will ask his contender's name, he will refuse to pronounce it, but he will reveal himself in an unequivocal gesture, by giving him his blessing. That blessing which the patriarch had asked at the beginning of the battle is now granted him. And it is not the blessing grasped by deception, but that given freely by God, which Jacob is able to receive because now he is alone, without protection, without cunning and deception. He gives himself over unarmed; he accepts surrendering himself and confessing the truth about himself. And so, at the end of the battle, having received the blessing, the patriarch is able finally to recognize the other, the God of the blessing: "I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved" (verse 31 [30]), and now he can cross the ford, the bearer of a new name but "conquered" by God and marked forever, limping from the wound he received. The explanations that biblical exegesis can give regarding this passage are numerous; in particular, the learned recognize in it intentions and literary components of various kinds, as well as references to a few popular stories. But when these elements are taken up by the sacred authors and included in the biblical account, they change in meaning and the text opens itself up to broader dimensions. The episode of the wrestling at the Jabbok is offered to the believer as a paradigmatic text in which the people of Israel speak of their own origins and trace out the features of a particular relationship between God and man. For this reason, as the Catechism of the Catholic Church also affirms: "the spiritual tradition of the Church has retained the symbol of prayer as a battle of faith and as the triumph of perseverance" (No. 2573). The biblical text speaks to us of the long night of the search for God, of the battle to know his name and to see his face; it is the night of prayer that, with tenacity and perseverance, asks a blessing and a new name from God, a new reality as the fruit of conversion and of forgiveness. In this way, Jacob's night at the ford of the Jabbok becomes for the believer a point of reference for understanding his relationship with God, which in prayer finds its ultimate expression. Prayer requires trust, closeness, in a symbolic "hand to hand" not with a God who is an adversary and enemy, but with a blessing Lord who remains always mysterious, who appears unattainable. For this reason the sacred author uses the symbol of battle, which implies strength of soul, perseverance, tenacity in reaching what we desire. And if the object of one's desire is a relationship with God, his blessing and his love, then the battle cannot but culminate in the gift of oneself to God, in the recognition of one's own weakness, which triumphs precisely when we reach the point of surrendering ourselves into the merciful hands of God. Dear brothers and sisters, our whole life is like this long night of battle and prayer that is meant to end in the desire and request for God's blessing, which cannot be grasped or won by counting on our own strength, but must be received from him with humility, as a gratuitous gift that allows us, in the end, to recognize the face of the Lord. And when this happens, our whole reality changes; we receive a new name and the blessing of God. But even more: Jacob, who receives a new name, who becomes Israel, also gives a new name to the place where he wrestled with God; he prayed there and renamed it Peniel, which means "the Face of God." With this name, he recognized that place as filled with God's presence; he renders the land sacred by imprinting upon it the memory of that mysterious encounter with God. He who allows himself to be blessed by God, who abandons himself to him, who allows himself to be transformed by him, renders the world blessed. May the Lord help us to fight the good fight of faith (cf. Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7) and to ask his blessing in our prayer, so that he may renew in us the anticipation of seeing his face. Thank you. [Translation by Diane Montagna] [The Holy Father then greeted pilgrims in several languages. In English, he said:] Dear Brothers and Sisters, In our catechesis on Christian prayer, we now turn to the biblical account of the Patriarch Jacob's struggle with God at the ford of the Jabbok (cf. Gen 32:23-33). This mysterious encounter takes place at night, when Jacob is alone and unarmed; the identity of his assailant and the winner of the contest is not at first clear. Jacob is wounded and must reveal his name to his rival, suggesting his defeat, yet he receives a new name 'Israel' and is given a blessing. At daybreak Jacob recognizes that his opponent is God; limping from his wound, he now crosses the ford. The Church's spiritual tradition has seen in this story a symbol of prayer as a faith-filled struggle which takes place at times in darkness, calls for perseverance, and is crowned by interior renewal and God's blessing. This struggle demands our unremitting effort, yet ends by surrender to God's mercy and gift. At daybreak, Jacob called the place of his struggle Peniel, which means "face of God", for he said: "I have seen God face to face, and yet my life is preserved" (Gen 32:30).



In our prayers, let us ask the Lord to help us as we fight the good fight of faith, and to bless us as we long to see his face. I offer a warm welcome to all the English-speaking pilgrims present at today's Audience, especially those from England, Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Nigeria, Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan and the United States. In a special way I welcome the group of Wounded Warriors, with the promise of my solidarity in prayer. I also greet the many student groups present, and I thank the choirs for their praise of God in song. Upon all of you I invoke the joy and peace of the Risen Lord.



....

Taken from: http://www.zenit.org/article-32676?l=english



An Excellent Overview of the Scriptures

A Father Who Keeps His Promises

In A Father Who Keeps His Promises, Scott Hahn explores the "covenant love" God reveals to us through the Scriptures and explains how God patiently reaches out to us-despite our faults and shortcomings-to restore us intro relationship with his divine Family.

Hahn begins the adventure of God's plan for the ages, beginning with Adam and Eve and continuing down through the generations to the coming of Christ and the birth of the Church.



....



Taken from: http://www.lighthousecatholicmedia.org/store/speaker/dr_scott_hahn

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Righteous Tobit

By Cranford Joseph Coulter, on February 19th, 2012

OK. How often do we think of Tobit? The two ministries that Tobit is known for are burial of the dead and almsgiving. He would sneak out at night and bury the fallen soldiers, even though they weren’t Jewish and it was likely to get him into trouble. Here is what he had to say to his son about almsgiving:



Give alms of thy substance; and when thou givest alms, let not thine eye be envious, neither turn thy face from any poor, and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee.

If thou hast abundance give alms accordingly: if thou have but a little, be not afraid to give according to that little:

For thou layest up a good treasure for thyself against the day of necessity.

Because that alms do deliver from death, and suffereth not to come into darkness.

For alms is a good gift unto all that give it in the sight of the most High.

- Tobit 4:7-11



Prayer is good with fasting and alms and righteousness. A little with righteousness is better than much with unrighteousness. It is better to give alms than to lay up gold:

For alms doth deliver from death, and shall purge away all sin. Those that exercise alms and righteousness shall be filled with life:

But they that sin are enemies to their own life.

- Tobit 12:8-10



Archangel Raphael

The Holy Archangel Raphael appeared to Tobit and aided him and his family in various ways. This icon has symbols in the corners which recall Tobit’s story.



Tobias was Tobit’s son. Tobias’ dog that accompanied him on the journey is on the upper left, The fish that nearly ate Tobias, but instead was eaten by him, and whose organs were used to deliver Sarah from the demon and Tobit from blindness is on the upper right. An eye representing Tobit’s sight that was restored is on the lower left. A bag of coins representing the treasure that was recovered is on the lower right. Tobit is a wonderful tale of stewardship, faith and doubt, romance and an ecology that encompasses the seen and unseen worlds in time and eternity. it is in Tobit that we learn that Raphael is one of the seven Angels who bear the prayers of the saints to the throne of God.



This icon is by the hand of Nick Papas of Houston, TX, and is avaiable from www.comeandseeicons.com

Role of Raphael and Righteousness of Tobit



The Feast of the Archangels: St Raphael Pray For Us!


Posted on September 1, 2007 by Mike Koeberlein



The Feast of the Archangels: St Raphael Pray For Us!



St. Raphael (“God Heals”) Pray For Us! The month of September at its 29th day calls us in meditation especially upon three principal angels, Archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Altogether the Bible says that there are seven angels who stand before the throne of God (Rev 8:2), it only lists the names of three of them throughout the Bible.



St. Michael means “like unto God”. He led the good angels of God against the fallen disobedient angels. The angels were all given that one chance to say either yes or no to God (Daniel 12: 1). We have many chances to amend our lives with the sacrament of confession, but the angels were given only one chance in the beginning.



St. Gabriel means “one who announces”, and he appeared to Mary with the message from God that she was to be the Mother of God and bear in her immaculate womb the Son of God, Jesus (Luke 1: 25-38).



The third archangel mentioned in the Bible by name is St. Raphael, meaning “God heals”. It is always the power of God that works in the angels as well as in all the saints. All people, whether single or married are privileged to have St. Raphael as patron of travelers, and that wonderful saint also heals and brings those in love together. St. Raphael is seen as healer, guide, and link to those who devoutly want to be partners to each other in marital blessedness.



Role of Raphael and Righteousness of Tobit



The Book of Tobit portrays St. Raphael in this true fashion. And the purpose of all of God’s Word, no matter what book of the Bible is to show that faithfulness and following the commands of God is what Scripture and the Catholic Church teach man. Assuredly, Tobit is seen as a righteous and just man, obeying God in all areas of his life. Tobit tells his son, Tobias—“Remember the Lord our God all your days, my son, and refuse to sin or transgress his commandments. Live uprightly all the days of your life…” (Tobit 4: 5-21) He instructs his son to do good, for his deeds will prosper. He tells him to care for the poor and share one’s goods with them. Almsgiving is one of his highest priorities, for charity will never be disregarded by the Lord. Tobit’s life is a shining example of works of mercy, truth, trust, and righteousness.



Marrying a Faithful Partner



Tobit further warns his son to refrain from all immorality and not to marry a pagan woman, but instead seek one who stands steadfastly with the Lord.



The Israelites, from their inception as the chosen people of God, were told not to intermarry with the pagans who worshipped Baal, for they too would fall away from adoring the true God. Tobit was well aware of the connection between sexual immorality, vice, and worship of false gods. Each sin led to another one and the person away from the purity of Yahweh. He urges Tobias to take a wife from the tribe of his ancestors. All that the father says to his son, he has practiced all of his life. Old Testament Tobit has led a past of New Testament holiness, in accord with the beatitudes that Jesus preaches, by feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and burying the dead. Tobit abides by the Old Testament precepts. His total person, in mind and heart, is to love his brethren Israelites, even in the land of exile he finds himself in. Like Job, throughout all difficulties, he continues to praise God in all his ways and remain faithful, even in exile and after he loses his eyesight due to the dung of birds falling into them.



St. Raphael Seen as God’s Healer and Traveler



Within this book, we find St. Raphael, veiled as a kinsman of the Jewish people who is guide to the young Tobias in a mission to bring back to his father Tobit, the money that he has entrusted to one of his own tribesmen. Yet, the journey is one of wonderment and amazement, for before all of us is the concern of the holy Archangel Raphael for the healing of not only Tobias’s father but the deliverance of the woman from the devil and the eventual bringing together of two people in a holy union. Both the prayers his future wife Sarah, along with his own, are heard before the Most High God. St. Raphael is on his way from God to help them. The fish that St. Raphael tells Tobias to grab in the water is instrumental in healing the father’s blind eyes and driving out a demon that has been plaguing his future wife, resulting in seven dead husbands. The gall, heart, and liver are used by Tobias on the instructions of St. Raphael to be the healing agents. Yet, it is God in the end who does the healing through the intercession of St. Raphael. St. Raphael later reveals himself as the angel in disguise who has been helping the family.



Meaning of Marriage



This story is among the wisdom literature of the Bible. Marriage is seen as a beautiful gift from God. Tobias wants to begin the relationship to his beloved, whom God has given to him by an honest and truthful prayer before the marriage bed. By obeying St. Raphael, and taking the live ashes of incense with the heart and liver of the fish, the devil is expelled once and for all from the presence of Sarah. Tobias is now free to be with his intended bride. Before anything else takes place, he tells her to get up from bed so they may pray together, and the Lord will show his mercy upon them. The author of this book relates the prayer of praise and thanksgiving of Tobias, with his beloved using the very heart of the Book of Genesis when God told Adam that he was going to give him a helpmate--Blessed art thou, O God of our father, and blessed be thy holy and glorious Name for ever. Let the heavens and all thy creatures bless thee. Thou made Adam and gave him Eve his wife as a helper and support. From them the race of mankind has sprung. Thou did say, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; let us make a helper for him like himself.’ (Tobit 8: 5-6) And above all, Tobias prayerfully from his heart utters his sincere and true intentions toward this woman he is about to be with the rest of his life.



The Word of God here is telling us that this is a model of true love and marriage, and how honor toward one’s mate should be shown. Tobias says “And now, O Lord, I am not taking this sister of mine because of lust, but with sincerity. Grant that I may find mercy and may grow old together with her.” Sarah with jubilation says—“Amen”. (Tobit 8: 7-8) Marriage is seen as a holy union between two people who love each other, want to be faithful to God, and spread that love to family and others. The message of St. Raphael, when he reveals himself as the angel of the Lord, is that each of us should praise God and give thanks to Him for everything. He pleads in earnest that Tobit and his family should continue to do good, so that evil will not overtake them. So important is prayer with fasting, almsgiving, and righteousness. He stresses how powerful almsgiving and fasting are with righteousness. By “righteousness”, St. Raphael is saying that the unjust who commit sin are “the enemies of their own lives.” (Tobit 11: 10)



St. Raphael is the patron saint of medical workers, doctors, matchmakers, and travelers. Clearly, within the Book of Tobit, one can see that God wants us all to be healed and to be happy, in this world and forever. Blessedness can be achieved by the example of Tobit and his family, with answered prayers carried out by St. Raphael, by the will of God. God does answer prayers as he commands the angel (as many scholars believe it to be St. Raphael) to stir the water for the sick to be healed in the Gospel of St. John. (John 5: 1-15) As St. Raphael was intercessor for Tobit, Tobias, and Sarah, so too he is intercessor for us today.









This article can be reprinted by including the following credit:



This article is reprinted with written permission of 4marks Magazine and is part of the 4marks.com network which offers a variety of online services to Catholics, including our online Daily Catechism program, Catholic Trivia, Temperament Test and single Catholic service. To learn more about any of our services or how 4marks is helping Catholics connect online in order to deepen their faith offline visit www.4marks.com.

Series of Biblical and Historical Correspondences

See: http://www.truthnet.org/Biblicalarcheology/10/Dividedkingdom.htm

Historical Evidence for King Hoshea of Israel



BAR 21:06, Nov/Dec 1995




Royal Signature: Name of Israel’s Last King Surfaces in a Private Collection


By André Lemaire



The name of the northern kingdom of Israel’s last king has turned up on a beautiful seal from the eighth century B.C.E.! Although the seal did not belong to the king himself, it was the property of one of his high-ranking ministers.


The king is Hoshea (HWSû‘ in Hebrew; the same name as that of the prophet Hosea, but referring to a different person).a Hoshea ruled Israel from 732 or 731 B.C.E. to 722 B.C.E., just before it was destroyed by Assyrian conquest. The minister’s name inscribed on the seal is Abdi (‘BDY), or, to use his full name in English, Obadiah (again, the name of a prophet, but a different person).


....


Taken from:

http://members.bib-arch.org/publication.asp?PubID=BSBA&Volume=21&Issue=6&ArticleID=3