History of the Bible-Part I

Satan has, what few of us enjoy....time. Time enough to corrupt, manipulate and even degrade the Holy Bible. Therefore, it is vitally important to examine the history of God’s Word and expose the treachery and deceit that the devil has inflicted, while hiding behind the authority of God’s Word.

  “History of the Bible”

Part 1: Old Testament Hebrew  -  Origin of Texts

  “I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name!”   (Psalms 138:2)
  When the anti-Christ declares that he is god, and demands to be worshiped; most of the earth will eagerly comply. They will do so, based upon the anti-Christ’s miraculous power, and by the scriptural teachings of the False Prophet and his corrupt scriptures. ..........................more

  November 11th of every year; we honor those whom have unselfishly served their country. Truly, our military veterans deserve such tribute, and we should show as much respect for their contributions as possible. Sadly however, for every name written on a stone, or inscribed on a marble wall; we can never adequately honor their sacrifice. Therefore, the very best we can do is remember.
 
  Forgotten however, are the many faces of those who fought and died in a war we never hear about. A deadly war that continues to maim, conquer and destroy without notice. Veterans of this war are not honored. They are not given parades. There are no flags, and no holidays to honor their sacrifice. The wounded of this war are not on any list. They are not cared for, nor are their burial plots marked. The lone distinction of this war, is it’s relentless desire to remain secret. No one is to know. No one is to suspect, and certainly; no one is allowed to expose the facts of this battle.
 
  What makes this war so unique, is that this war is not fought where you’d think. There are no rules of engagement, and its victims are not even aware that they’ve been hurt. Further, this conflict flows like a misty shadow, back and forth, between truth, fiction, fact and belief.
 
  Unfortunately, this battle is really the only war that exists, or has ever existed. All other engagements, whether public or private, physical or spiritual are waged in accordance to the rule of this war: the damnation, or salvation of your soul. From the very beginning, forces within and without one’s own life are fought over this most precious ground. One either recognizes this fact, and endeavors to survive, or is swept away by the tide of denial.
 
  Therefore, since God has no desire to lose a single soul, He forever remains at the head of the charge. All one must do is follow. God wrote in the Book of Psalms, chapter 12: 6-8: “ The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever. The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted!”
 
  Hence, we are given a most precious instrument of war, the Holy Bible. As written in both Psalms 138, and in Psalms chapter 12; our Heavenly Father draws His Sword of truth as a battle plan to keep, preserve and save His children. When you think about it, if God does not keep His Word, then the promises made to Abraham mean nothing. The gift of salvation is questionable, and your reward in heaven is in peril. God must keep His Word, or He is not God. It’s that simple. The mere fact that God must ‘preserve’ His Word also suggests that attempts have and are being made to corrupt its message.
  
  Ancient history as recorded in hand writing form began as long ago as 3100 BC. The practice of writing was developed in Mesopotamia and artifacts of stone or clay tablets have been discovered to show that mankind took a serious interest in recording the events of their day.
  
  As an example, the Tell el-Amarna letters are composed of some 406 clay tablets that record historical events as long ago as the conquest of Palestine by Joshua, and the nation of Israel. Those clay tablets were written in the common language of the Babylonians (Akkadian).
  
  In Romans 3:2 we are told that the nation of Israel was given the Word of God. For centuries this nation labored to preserve God’s Word despite physical and spiritual hardship. Prior to the mid 15th century AD, and the invention of the printing press, all scripture was preserved either by hand, or by the tradition of oral teaching.
  
  The earliest Hebrew recordings come from the discoveries of the Moabite Stone and the Ras-Shamra tablets, which were written in ancient Hebrew around 900 BC, sometime after the Exodus. However, we know that God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses around 1400 BC, and that other Old Testament scriptures have been found that pre-date the 900 BC discoveries.
 
  The problem with stone or clay tablets comes when one wishes to spread the message. Stone carvings take time to create and mass production would be difficult. Thankfully, in 2200 BC, the Egyptians developed the practice of writing on papyrus, and therefore it is likely that the Israelites also recorded their sacred script on papyrus as well as on clay tablets.
 
  Since, as we have discussed, stone or clay tablets are not practical for mass communications, it is reasonable to believe that the majority of copies of God’s Word were recorded on papyrus. In this manner, thousands of copies could have been distributed, and the original stone texts could have been left for preservation in a sanctuary for safe keeping.   
 
  Further, the Talmud says that all writing of the Law must be written on skins, in rolled form. Judaic tradition says that the legend of the Abia Scroll was believed to have been written on animal skin as early as 1400 BC by a son of Aaron, the brother of Moses. Therefore, another source of scripture was handed down by vellum or animal skins. While animal skins are not as durable as clay tablets, they are certainly much easier to produce and are more durable than papyrus.
 
  In addition, since any skins and papyrus that may have survived the Babylonian destruction of Israel would have decayed by use and time, it is probable that there would have been more copies, or manuscripts of the originals produced. Most scholars believe that the first manuscripts of God’s Word were first complied during the age of the kings between 1000 and 600 BC, and therefore this practice of copying text would have continue during the Babylonian captivity.
 
  Historically then, we have three sources of history: stone, skin and papyrus, and four sources of scripture: stone, skin, papyrus and oral. However, original text does not exist. The Ark of the Covenant, that housed the Ten Commandments disappeared around 600 BC. Whatever stone or clay tablets of scripture that existed also disappeared at this time when the Babylonians destroyed the Jewish nation and it’s temple. The Babylonian King recorded the artifacts his armies removed from the temple in minute detail, and specious few of the treasures were ever returned. As a result, most original writings or tablets prior to 500 BC have become lost and no longer exist. 
 
  But we do know that the Persian king Cyrus allowed Ezra to reclaim some of the temple treasures of Solomon around 516 BC, and that he read scripture to his people when they constructed the 2nd temple in Jerusalem. Therefore, some originals, or at least their copies must have returned to the Holy Land with Ezra. Therefore, we know that some of the original copies did in fact exist as late as 500 BC and that God has surely kept His Word and preserved His Holy text.

  The copy of scripture was not an ordinary task to be undertaken by just anyone. I Chronicals 16:4 states: “ And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the Lord, and to record, and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel!” Without a doubt, our Lord preserved a remnant of loyal Levites to accurately preserve His Word despite the pagan apostasy of Temple worship before the captivity, through its slavery and on down to Ezra. As a salutation to the ancient scribes of Israel, the following will demonstrate the sincerity and reverence the writers of God’s Word held for their labor:

  1. The parchment must be made from the skin of a clean animal (clean meaning ceremonially clean according to the Old Testament sanitary laws); must be prepared by a Jew only, and the skins must be fastened together by strings taken from clean animals.
 
  2. Each column must have no less than forty-eight, nor more than sixty lines. The entire copy must be first lined.
 
  3. The ink must be of no other color than black, and it must be prepared according to a special recipe.
 
  4. No word nor letter could be written from memory; the scribe must have an authentic copy before him, and he must read and pronounce aloud each word before writing it.
 
  5. He must reverently wipe his pen each time before writing the word for "God" (Elohim), and he must wash his whole body before writing the name "Jehovah" (LORD in our King James Bibles), lest the Holy Name be contaminated.
 
  6. Strict rules were given concerning forms of the letters, spaces between letters, words and sections, the use of the pen, the color of the parchment, etc.
 
  7. The revision (to correct any errors) of a roll must be made within thirty days after the work was finished; otherwise it was worthless. One mistake on a sheet condemned the entire sheet. If three mistakes were found on any page, the entire manuscript was condemned.
 
  8. Every word and every letter was counted, and if a letter was omitted, or if an extra letter was inserted, or if two letters touched one another, the manuscript was condemned and destroyed at once.

  From Moses to Ezra and to Nehemiah and on down to the first Christian church, a single stream of scripture has survived unchanged, unedited and unchallenged despite the translation of the text into many languages. Translations are not revisions. Revisions change the text. But our God has promised to preserve His Word, and language is not too hard for the Lord. After all, it is the Spirit of God that created multiple languages in the first place, at the construction of the Tower of Babel. Since our God originated the numerous languages, He can certainly translate them, and the argument that the original Greek and Hebrew are better, weakens our God.
 
  When the scribes of Israel began writing down the words of God, the ancient Hebrew language was used, but the script was written with consonants only, and did not contain any vowels. Therefore, the writings of Moses, and early Old Testament books were annotated by the scribes to indicate the correct vowels to be used, which was based upon root words that consist of 3 consonants that have a basic meaning, and then a vowel is added to create the distinction in meaning.
 
  The difficulty in copying God’s Word was that by 500 BC the ancient Hebrew language was common only among the educated and privileged class. After more than 70 years in captivity, only a few scribes remained that had a true working knowledge of the Ancient Hebrew. Most of the Jews had adopted to the customs and workings of Babylonian society and spoke in the customary Aramaic tongue of the day.
 
  During the rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire, followed by the Babylonian, and then eventually the Persian, most of the people in the Middle Eastern world spoke one of five dialects of the Aramaic tongue. The use of the Hebrew language had by then been relegated to worship and scripture reading.
 
  Further, by 500 BC, the Persian King Darius issued a degree that all subjects of the Persian Empire must use the Old Aramaic language, or as it was called, the Imperial Aramaic tongue. Unfortunately, this opened the door to argument and contention among the Jews who were by then depending more and more upon the authority of oral teaching, rather than the written Word. (Sadly, 2500 years later, the practice of deferring to the priesthood over scripture is a dominant fact of religious worship even today, world wide).
 
  It is noteworthy to recall that in the days before the captivity, the Jews in Jerusalem would congregate at the temple to hear the Word of God. When the priests read the scripture, in Hebrew, it was followed by an amplification by the priests of its significance. As recorded by the prophets, the priests led their sheep into pagan practice and away from God’s Word, which resulted in God’s punishment and exile into Babylon.
 
  Since the original ancient Hebrew was used less and less by the common people in those days, preferring instead to use the Aramaic tongue, like anything else, when one no longer practices, you begin to lose your skill. By the time the Jews were carried into Babylon, only the educated segment of Jewish society understood the Ancient Hebrew language. The commoners were satisfied with the Aramaic, and trusted their priests to reveal God’s Word.
 
  Unfortunately, because the priesthood had already adopted pagan practice into their worship prior to the Babylonian invasion, their oral interpretations were amended to reflect the desires of the clergy to appease the Babylonian court.
Forgotten by many were the precepts, teachings and prophecies of the written word. As time passed, the Levite scribes were pushed to the rear of ceremony and ritual practice taught by the priests. But a remnant did remain loyal to their office, and kept copying the text to be handed down to future generations. Because these scribes were unwelcome in most Babylonian circles, they left with Ezra, when the opportunity came.
 
  By the time Ezra returned to the Holy Land, some of the Jews that remained in Babylon had adopted the Babylonian mystery religion, because living in the Babylonian and Persian culture was much easier when one choose to consider the philosophy and customs of their captors. A few that remained however, were not comfortable with paganism and sought a resolution between the teachings of their elders, and that of the Babylonian mystics.

  Predictably, this produced a conflicting opinion among the elders, and to settle their argument; they decided to form a committee to re-establish the true word of God. The first attempt to revive the truth came when the elders sought to translate the Old Testament from Hebrew to Aramaic.
 
  As we shall discuss in detail when examining the New Testament, biblical truth is the enemy of the devil. We must never forget that when the vilest of men are exalted, as the Psalmist wrote, the Holy Word becomes the battle ground for truth, and its exploitation has not escaped Satan’s leer.
 
  Therefore, like all wars, intelligence gathering, or information control can effect the outcome of a battle. As the famous Roman Orator Cicero once claimed, the most effective and destructive element in a battle, lives within the walls of the king. From that position, the king’s enemy can affect the outcome of a war by his corrupt consulship and the planting of false information.
 
  In a war, if Field Commanders are not given the correct assessment of critical information, their decision making and battle plans are at best compromised. Therefore, we would not be over stating the importance of God’s Word, the Holy Bible in our struggle to keep our souls from destruction. Not only is the Bible our battle plan for eternity, the information must be dependable, up to date and accurate.
 
  Our adversary the devil wishes to be worshiped as god, and seeks to counterfeit everything he touches. The devil employs a dark world full of deceiving spirits that he leads into battle to wage war against truth. Since the devil is trying to bring a false Messiah into the world, he will not backdown from any avenue of approach to ambush God’s children, including God’s Holy Word.

  Satan has, what few of us enjoy....time. Time enough to corrupt, manipulate and even degrade the Holy Bible. Therefore, it is vitally important to examine the history of God’s Word and expose the treachery and deceit that the devil has inflicted, while hiding behind the authority of God’s Word.
 
  At this point in history, the devil arrives on the scene to take down truth to the ground and to stomp as much purity out of God’s Word as he can, without leaving any evidence of his work. Obviously, we would not accept a total re-written word, especially one authorized by the devil,  so the changes must be subtle, selective and appear to be a logical result of scholarly study.
 
  To begin, the true Word of God remained under the care of God’s loyal scribes who continued to copy His Word in Hebrew after their return to the Holy Land. Therefore, the remaining elders of the Judaic leadership in Babylon then decided to examine the scriptures themselves to establish the correct path the people would take to seek their God. The problem is, since most of the people spoke Aramaic, and they did not have the benefit of the written works in the Aramaic language, the Babylonian elders felt that a translation was needed.
 
  As a result, they gathered together and debated the correct translation of the Ancient Hebrew Bible into the Aramaic. This is precisely the opportunity the devil had been waiting for, because the translation in all reality, in the end, became a revision. When their new scribes began to record the debate between the scholars of Babylon, they found that the committee was well versed in scripture and few changes were made. At least in the beginning.
 
  But as time went on, the debate began to consider Rabbinic interpretation into the translation of the Hebrew into the Aramaic. As a result, since Aramaic consonants can stand for 2 or 3 different sounds, the Rabbinical interpretation focused on writing words as they were “pronounced”, rather than upon the etymological form of Hebrew words (meaning by the root or history of words).  By using this method of translation, the Rabbinic interpretation found precedence over the original Hebrew text as changes in scripture were adopted. 
 
  To further their advance, the Rabbi’s also claimed that according to a legacy passed down through the priesthood, Moses was given additional amplifications and explanations that were not recorded, when he received the Ten Commandments. Just exactly what these amplifications and explanations were when passed down is unknown, since they were not recorded in written form until around 100 - 200 AD. Presumably, this unrecorded wisdom was orally passed down. But, as a result, this belief gave the priests an unparalleled and unchallenged position to refute, change or modify when necessary, the Hebrew script of God’s Word.
 
  The debate lasted for approximately 350 years before a formal written document was believed to have been produced in the form of Targums. The Targums were edited, changed and re-written during the course of many debates until the Tanakh was believed to have first been revealed in about 142 BC. Some of the Targums included the Mishnah, Nevi’im (Book of the Prophets) and the Tosefta.
 
  Along with the Babylonian Targums, the Midrashim was also being read in Galilee, after the 135 BC revolt by the followers of Bar Kokhba. Apparently, the teachings of these Babylonian elders had been carried into Jerusalem and the Holy Land. Further, to add to the mix, there was a dialect of Aramaic called Hasmonaean, that originated in Judea that also translated the Hebrew Bible. Since the followers of Bar Kokhba had fled to Galilee, their text was then called the Galilean Targumic work, that was an amended text, that was obviously influenced by the Babylonian Targums.
 
  Therefore, there were in existence a number of Biblical works being read that mostly agreed with each other, but did in fact contain revisions that did not come from the original Hebrew text. As a result, one could choose to read from the original Hebrew, copied by the scribes who kept God’s Word intact, or by reading the Aramaic translations, which unfortunately reflected the Rabbinic“interpretation”.
 
  Today, only a few of the original Aramaic translations of the Hebrew Bible exist from this time period: Ezra 4:8 to 6:18, and chapter 7:12-26 of Ezra’s book. A partial verse from Jeremiah 10:11, and Genesis 31: 47.  There is also a document from this period of Daniel 2:4 to 7:28.
 
  But the only record of the Oral Law did not exist in written form until produced in 200 AD by a Rabbi named Judah ha Nasi and his book the Mishnah (Oral Law). It is not historically certain when the Talmud was first developed, but we do know that the purpose of the Talmud was a discussion by the Rabbi’s pertaining to Jewish Law. This debate, as it were, was a recorded history of the elders discussions pertaining to Jewish Law. Since the Talmud also consisted of the works of the (Tanakh) Gemara, which means to complete, it is logical to believe that the Talmud was a result of the very same Aramaic translation committee in both Babylon and in Jerusalem..
 
  With respect to the efforts of committee that produced the Talmud, it is fair to say that much of the teachings are consistent with the Ancient Hebrew Text, even though the Hebrew constitutes less than 50 % of the script. Further, there are many good lessons taught by the Talmud that bring wisdom. As a point of fact, it must also be considered that the debate that produced the Talmud recorded all discussions, pro and con.

  As a result, doctrines contrary to the Hebrew scripture were recorded and discussed, but not necessarily agreed upon as truth. Therefore, one side of an argument is presented, but not as a declaration of truth, but as a point of contention. But the issue is presented just the same. Unfortunately, this practice of recording left open an opportunity for one to decide for themselves what is correct, and what is truth.

  Further, there were in existence 2 Talmud’s. One, known as the Babylonian Talmud, and another known as the Jerusalem Talmud. Obviously, the names denote where the script originated. But this also created some problem, in that each presented itself as the true authority of God’s Word, which created a division between the elders of the faith.
 
  Another unfortunate aspect of the Talmud came later in the 13th century AD, when Roman Catholic opposition to the Jews developed in both Spain and France. Using the Talmud as the source of Roman opposition, gave the Inquisition and persecution of the Jews the justification the Catholics needed to imprison, murder and relocate Jewish citizens. Added to this, came forgeries of the Talmud that the Roman Opposition used to destroy Jewish Bibles, books and literature.
 
  But let’s be brutally honest here, the history of the Talmud is not a justification of its accuracy, nor is the translation of the Hebrew Text into Aramaic, correct. It all boils down to one basic argument, you either trust the untainted original Hebrew Text as the true Word of God, or one simply relies upon the works of Rabbinic interpretation as the infallible Word of God.
 
  In addition, the devil was not content with interpretation and translation to pollute God’s Word, he also brought in 2 new concepts of Biblical truth that led many away from the Old Testament Bible of the Hebrews: First, came the so called Old, or Original Greek Septuagint. After the Grecian Empire overthrew the Persian kingdom, the conqueror Alexander the Great began to bring the Greek language and custom to the known world. 

  As a result, in 331 BC, the Greek language began to dominate and eventually become the common language of the world. Since most of the people became accustomed to the use of the Greek, a Bible called the Greek Septuagint was believed to have existed between 300 to 250 BC. Keep in mind that no such Bible has ever been discovered, but many scholars of the early churches refer to this alleged document as a source of authority, including the Jewish clergy.
 
  Do not confuse this original Greek Septuagint with the Greek Septuagint written by a man named Origen in the 3rd century AD. This text was believed to have been in existence much earlier, and as a result was believed to be the most accurate rendering of scripture since it pre-dates the 142 BC Tanakh. However, the only source of this Gospel comes from a letter written by a man named Aristeas.
  
  This letter became known as the LXX, which was alleged to be an ancient document called "The Letter of Aristeas". This work was to be an official translating the Hebrew Bible into the Greek. Not only that, but this translation was to be accepted as the official Bible of the Jews and was to be used to replace the Hebrew Bible. This translation was believed to have taken place in Alexandria, Egypt.
 
  According to this letter, 72 Jewish scholars, of which six scholars from each of the twelve tribes of Israel, would produce the translation. But the problem is that there are absolutely NO Greek Old Testament manuscripts in existence with a date of 250 BC or anywhere near it. Neither is there any record in Jewish history of such a work being contemplated or performed.

  Further the LXX included such books as the "Bel and the Dragon", "Judith" and "Tobit" and other apocryphal books accepted by the Roman Catholic Church. But, those books did not exist in 250 BC, having been written later.
 
  A document called the Ryland’s Papyrus, #458 does exhibit a Greek written document that was believed to have been written in 150 BC, but it contains only the chapters of 23-38 of the Book of Deuteronomy. However, this did not stop later corrupt scholars, such as Eusebius and Philo (See Part 2: History of the New Testament), from assuming that the #458 papyrus was ‘evidence’ that a complete Old Testament Translation into the Greek once existed.
 
  In addition, we do not even know if a man named Aristeas actually existed. Some scholars believe that the true author was none other, but Philo himself. This would bring the document well pass the 250 BC date, and into the Second century A.D.
 
  Further, in the 3rd  century AD, as mentioned above, a man named Origen did in fact write a Greek Septuagint, but as Origen himself admits, he did not translate his Greek Septuagint from any existing Old Greek Septuagint, but from the original Hebrew text. Unfortunately, Origen’s translation (2nd colum of his Hexpala) included his own personal views, which were Gnostic, and that he also changed scripture to suit those views. (More in part 2). 
 
  Therefore, if scholars refer to the Greek Septuagint of Origen, while suggesting that his script comes from an original Old Greek Septuagint of 300 -350 BC, then those scholars can claim that their text is older, and therefore more reliable than those of Greek translations from the early 1st  Century AD. Perhaps this was the real intention of the Aristeas letter, to deceive believers into thinking that Origen's second column is a copy of the so called LXX.
 
  But, as many other Bible scholars have argued,  how did Aristeas ever locate the twelve tribes in order to pick his six representative scholars from each. After all, ten of the tribes of Israel have been dispersed throughout the world since 700 BC. Therefore, how could Aristeas have found the correct 12 tribes, let alone pick 6 scholars from among them?
   
  Further, if the scholars from the 12 tribes had been identified, they hardly would have agreed to such a project for two reasons.
   
 (1) Every Jew knew that the official caretaker of Scripture was the tribe of Levi as evidenced in Deuteronomy 17:18, 31:25,26 and Malachi 2:7. Thus, NO Jew who was not from the tribe of Levi would ever attempt such a forbidden enterprise.
   
 (2) It is obvious to any reader of the Bible that the Jews were to be distinctly different from the Gentile nations around them. Unto them was given such distinct practices as circumcision, Sabbath worship, sundry laws of cleansing and their own homeland. Added to this is the heritage of the Hebrew language. Even today, practicing Jews in China and India refuse to teach their children any language but Hebrew. The Falasha Jews of Ethiopia were distinct among the many tribes of their country by the fact that they jealously retained the Hebrew language as an evidence of their Jewish heritage. (Quote from Rev. Samuel C. Gipp “History of the Bible”).
  
  Another point to consider, again quoting from Reverend Samuel C. Gipp: “ Even if such a spurious document as the LXX really did exist, how could a Bible critic, who, in reference to the King James Bible, say that "No translation has the authority of the original language, " claim in the same breath that his pet LXX has equal authority with the Hebrew Original? This scholarly double-talk is nothing more than a self exalting authority striving to keep his scholarly position above those "unschooled in the original languages!"  

  Last, another unfortunate attack upon the Bible comes in the form of spiritual enlightenment. The most important book of the Kabbalah is the Zohar. The Zohar is in actuality a compilation of many books, most of which deal with spiritual interpretation, mystical psychology, mythical cosmogony and ritual ceremony.

  The book first appeared in the 13th century AD in Spain by a man named Moses De Leon, who insisted that his works were handed down through the centuries by a man named Shimon bar Yochai. Although De Leon insisted that the writings of the Zohar by bar Yochai were written between the 1st and 2nd century AD, he believed that the practice originated before the Babylonian captivity.
 
  The essential aspects of the Zoharic teaching is that man alone is responsible for his individual salvation in what is called the ‘divine effusion’ in his relationship to God. In other words, it is the actions and choices of man that dictate God’s response to His creation, and not as a result of God’s love for His children. Further, this salvation by personal works goes beyond a simple justification by forgiveness, but involves a process that goes back to the serpent’s original argument to Eve, that you will not die, but become gods.
 
  In many cases the teachings of the Zohar contradict the Ancient Hebrew Bible, but that is not a problem for it’s followers, so long as the teaching does not conflict with the Talmud. The believers contend that the discrepancies in scriptures are a result of a lack of personal understanding, that will be revealed as one progresses in the development of their individual faith. To demonstrate one’s level of knowledge, the Zohar consists of 4 kinds of texts:
 
  1) Peshat   -  (Simple or literal meaning)
 
  2) Remez  -  (Suggesting an allegorical meaning of scripture)
 
  3) Derash  -  (Rabbinic “Metaphorical” meaning)
 
  4) Sod       -  (Secret or Hidden meaning)

  After much study, the student of the Zohar is believed to transcend each of these levels until reaching the ultimate consciousness of their god. One either faithfully pursues this path, or remains at the level of their individual talent or desire.
 
  Since many of its believers wished to achieve the highest level of understanding, the followers first submitted themselves to a strict practice of observing the law. Next, the adept spends much time in reading and in study of the Zoharic practice. Then, to assist in reaching the proper level of understanding, the student will spend many hours in a day in meditation and prayer to receive full enlightenment.
 
  Unfortunately, since not all could keep the law, and some lacked the skill of scholarship, while others could not reach the benefit of spiritual meditation, most followers of the Zohar were encouraged to accept ‘agents’ to promote their ascendancy. If repetitive chanting, exotic music or ritual ceremony could not excite the imagination of the student, these agents, or spiritual aides were applied in many forms, dependent upon the era of the practice.

  It was not uncommon for the use of plants, herbs and strong drink to produce the desired level of a conscious ‘erotic’ relationship with their god. Hemp, mescaline, psilocin and Syrian Rue were some of the hallucinogenic agents applied by the priests in the early days of Zoharic practice. Maimonides opposed this practice, stating that “it produced an over-excited imagination, propelled by the wine room, that led to evil spirits, demons and eventual possession!”
 
  Of course not all followers of the Zohar have dabbled in this pseudo form of satanic ritual, but what is certain, the priests in the Temple of Solomon followed a similar form of worship as described by Isaiah in chapters 28, 29 & 30. Ancient pagan societies also practice their worship in much the same manner, and in today’s modern forms of Christian worship are traces of this erotic relationship with God, which are evident in the ‘New Age Christianity’, Charismatic Movement and in the Roman church.
 
  As a result, the Zohar is a culmination of many factors that begin with the lack of respect for God’s Word. Once it is accepted that God did not inspire His Word for all mankind in a manner that is simple, direct and truthful, the door is the open to suggest any form of personal interpretation.
 
  In the end, the history of the Old Testament began with the original writings of the Levite scribes and handed down from one generation to the next, which still exists today in the Old Testament of the King James Holy Bible. Unfortunately, along the way, mankind has fallen to the desires of their hearts and sought ways to amend truth. The so called Greek Septuagint, original or translated is nothing more than the work of one man, Origin, in who the revisionists of the modern translations of the Old Testament are based.
 
  Further, the Aramaic translation of the Ancient Hebrew text brought in the Rabbinic corruption of God’s Word by the use of language deceits and by the authority of spiritual imagination. If a verse of text says something in the original that does not please men, the scholar simply reverts to a better translation of words to effect the necessary change. If words cannot be altered, then a deeper more spiritual understanding is given to resolve the text. While the text says this, the scholar or priest will say that the text really means this, or that. When one takes the time to compare the original scriptures with the precepts of men, it is easy to detect the twist from a God centered life to that of a man catered doctrine.
 
  As stated above, the only real original text of Old Testament scripture that comes directly from God, unedited, unchanged and uncorrupted from its inception, can be found in the King James Old Testament. The faithful scribes copied God’s Word from 1400 BC to 1000 AD without a single mistake, change or alteration in what came to be called the Massorah, or Masoretic Text.
 
  Again, and as always, even this most divine document also fell to the cohorts of satanic intrigue. There exists actually 2 texts of the original Masoretic copies: one, the Masoretic text according to a Priest named Ben Asher, written in around 1000 AD and another Masoretic Text written by a man named Ben Chayyim in around 900 AD.

  Both texts claim the right of generational passing from one Levite scribe to another. While both Ben Asher and Ben Chayyim are indeed descendants of the Levite priesthood, and their writings can be traced from generation to generation,; their versions differ in many passages.

  For example, in most cases where scripture promises the Messiah, one text will demonstrate that Jesus Christ of Nazareth fulfilled those promises, over 300 verses, and the other changes those texts to give the impression that the Messiah has not even come as of this date:
 
  Genesis 22: 8 is changed from ‘God will provide himself a lamb’, to God will provide “for” himself a lamb which denies that God could send Himself as atonement for sin.
 
  Jeremiah 31 is amended to reflect not a ‘new covenant’, but a ‘renewing of the old covenant’. This changes the concept of redemption by faith, and not of works. If the covenant was renewed, rather than a new covenant, then our salvation is of works and not of faith.
 
  Isaiah 7:14 states in one text that a virgin shall conceive and bare the Messiah, but the other text changes that meaning from virgin to young woman, implying that the Messiah would be a natural man.
 
  Isaiah 9:6 confirms Genesis 22: 8 that God would provide Himself a lamb in one text, but the other changes that concept by removing the words ‘mighty God, and everlasting Father’.
 
  Ezekiel 38: 10 removes the words ‘also’ and ‘at the same time’ to change the meaning of the identity of the nation attacked by Gog. When you remove those words, one is left believing that the prophet is again referring to the nation of Israel, rather than another nation entirely, as the original text shows.
 
  Literally thousands of Old Testament scriptures are changed in one text, and maintained in another. Of course there are always those that support the concept that only the original artifact matters, since obviously, copies are subject to editing, manipulation and fraud.

  Generally, this attitude towards any discovery would reasonably be valid. However, unless there is evidence to show that the copy is less reliable, only the original text can verify this charge. Without an original text, this comparison cannot be made. Therefore, which Masoretic text is correct, the Ben Asher, or the Ben Chayyim?
 
  Consider first, that given the reverence of the scribes towards their work, and the undeniable fact that over 5000 manuscripts, written 2000 years ago are still in existence today and are 99 % the same, we must consider their accuracy. The Hebrew Masoretic Texts of Ben Chayyim was chosen by the translators of the King James because the texts agreed entirely with those 2000 year old manuscripts.
 
  Further, these extent copies were gathered from all over the world and are proof that Ben Chayyim did not write his own version. The 5330 manuscripts come from as far away as Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Apparently, these texts were considered authentic by their readers, or they would not have spread over the globe in the manner of accuracy that they did, nor would they have survived in tact, for such a long period. Ben Chayyim copied, he did not revise.
 
  While the texts of Ben Asher enjoy critical acclaim, particularly in Judaic circles, the only place of origin to support Ben Asher’s text comes from Alexandria Egypt, and the writings of Origen and his Greek Septuagint. Sadly, all of the New Revised editions of the Holy Bible i.e. the NIV, NKJV, NASB, the Living Word etc. contain the writings of Ben Asher, and that of Orgien. Whom should you trust with your soul?
 
  Logically, we can show that God’s Word was under attack as early as Solomon’s temple by the practices and eventual punishment of the Rabbinic priesthood in 586 BC. Further, after God sent Ezra back to the Holy Land with His Word, the priesthood joined together to rewrite God’s Word, based upon their own knowledge by the Aramaic translation, and then by the production of the Talmud, followed by the Zohar.
 
  Since God again destroyed their 2nd temple in 70 AD, is it logical to believe that the dispersion of the Jews after 70 AD is connected to their reverence for God’s Word?  After all, taking a look back at what happened when the temple was destroyed again in A.D. 70, the historian Josephus recorded some very strange events that occurred just prior to its destruction:
  
  1) A great light shone around the altar for a half-hour.
  
  2) The great and heavy gate that took 20 strong men to close, suddenly opened by itself. (This showed that God was letting in their enemies.)
  
  3) Then at the feast called "Pentecost" there was a great earthquake, and a great noise, and after that they heard a sound as of a great multitude, saying, "Let us remove hence" Josephus War VI. 3. P.582.
 
  God left the temple, and then it was destroyed, and notice, God left the temple on Pentecost, the very day the Holy Spirit was given to God's first fruits nearly 40 years earlier. Remember that God the Father will not back up the Prophesy if He did not agree with the one who was Prophesying, and Jesus foretold that the temple would be destroyed.

  Did God back Him up on this showing that Jesus was truly sent by God? And if so, could the fault be placed upon the backs of those who did not trust the scriptures that declared the true Messiah? Was it not the Talmud, written after the fact, between 200 and 700 AD by the priests, who still refused to recognize the original text and the history that proved it?
 
  Many Roman sources show awareness that Jesus was an historical figure as well as a teacher of the new covenant. Roman historians, like Tacitus, (Annals 15.44) record that the Christian movement began with Jesus, who was sentenced to death by Pontius Pilate.
 
  Suetonius (Claudius 25.4) refers to the expulsion of the Jews from Rome because of a riot instigated by one "Chrestus" c.48, and Pliny the younger, (Epistles 10.96), writing to Emperor Trajan, says that the early Christians sang a hymn to Christ as God. Evidence from the Jewish historian Josephus records the martyrdom of James, "the brother of Jesus called the Christ," in AD 62 (Antiquities 20.9.1)
 
  The Babylonian Talmud also refers to Jesus stating that a man named Jeshu ha-Nocri (Jesus) was a false prophet who was hanged on the eve of the Passover for sorcery and false teaching, and other alleged Jewish sources tell us that He had a brother named James.
 
  However, it is not the point of this author to prove the Holy Bible, the Scriptures will prove itself; rather, the point of this history is to show that God’s Word is constantly under attack, and that this assault is not directed at the Jews, or the Old Testament alone, but that the war continues, and has only gotten worse particularly within the texts of the New Testament.
 
  As bad as the behavior of the priests in Jerusalem was, their sins are nothing compared to the writings and doctrines of the slanderers of the New Testament Gospel of Jesus Christ as demonstrated in Part 2.
 
  To our Jewish brothers, I would encourage you to read the Old Testament of the Holy Bible as translated by the King James. Remember that the devil does need to change entire books, chapters or even verses to corrupt God’s Word. He only has to make subtle changes to a word or phrase here and there to destroy truth. Then, to cap off his delusion, all that is needed is a lazy heart to depend upon others to reveal scripture.

  Once we let others decide the fate of our souls, we have lost. Amos 8: 11-12 says: “ Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, and shall not find it!”

Go to History of the Bible - Part 2: "History of the New Testament"