Clement of Rome

Today I started looking at the "apostolic father" called Clement of Rome. You can read about him here and here.

Clement is thought to have lived between 35 CE and 99 or 101 CE. He is recorded by ancient historians to have been the 1st, 2nd, Or 3rd Bishop of Rome, after Peter. In other words, nobody is sure which number bishop he was. He is assumed to have known the apostle Paul and maybe John. The Clement mentioned in Philippians 4:3 is thought by some to be this Clement, but there is no surety.

One epistle to Corinth, called 1 Clement, is attributed to him as the true author. Other writings deemed falsely ascribed to him are 2Clement or 2 epistles on virginity. (?)

Legend/tradition has Clement imprisoned under Emperor Trajan and executed by being tied to an anchor and thrown into the Black Sea. This was supposedly done because he had miraculously produced water for thirsty prisoners, causing them to convert to christianity.

Clement's letter to the Corinthians begins here.

On Jerome's preface to the book of Job and other thoughts

I have occasionally been reading 18th and 19th century authors who have written their objections to religion, the Bible and Christianity. Recently, I started Diegesis by Robert Taylor and The Testament of Jean Messlier.

I find Diegesis to be a jumbled collection of the author's thoughts and opinions of the origins of Christianity based on his interpretation and understanding of ancient myths, legends, and writings. It is arrogant in tone and often sarcastic. There is also a strong thread of anti semitism. Many of his point are obscure and don't seem especially valid. However, he does make some interesting references to scripture and the writings of early christians.

Testament is written by a Catholic priest who was disgusted with his religion. It was not distributed till after his death. I've only started reading it today, but I noticed that the author also referred to the writings of early christians and their references to the Bible. So, I decided to look at Jerome, who translated the bible into Latin and created what is known as the Vulgate.

From there I went to Christian Classics Ethereal Library and found translations of some of the writings of Jerome. I read his preface to the book of Job here. Apparently, even in the 4th century, there were abundant problems with various translations of scripture. Passages were often altered, added, or left out. Jerome mentions a few instances. I find this fascinating. Also, he decided to translate the old testament into Latin from the Hebrew instead of the Greek Septuagint. This was an unpopular decision because many Christians believed the Septuagint to be divinely inspired. (And the Hebrew wasn't?) This reminds me of the modern arguments regarding the King James version of the Bible.

I may spend more time exploring the writings of prominent figures in the early church.


Edited for an error in the language of the Septuagint.

Book review: Present Over Perfect

Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic For a Simpler More Soulful Way of Living by Shauna Niequist is  a book written by a modern Christian woman about her "spiritual journey." I read it because a christian friend kind of begged me to be in a summer book discussion group with other Christian friends. I couldn't see any way out without hurting feelings or causing a scandal by announcing I am an atheist. We haven't had the discussion group yet, but I've finished the book.

First of all, the author and I are nothing alike. She is high energy, I am relatively low energy. She is a hare, I am a tortoise. I move slowly, but at a steady incremental pace and try to finish what I start.  She is a career woman, I made home and family a priority from the beginning, because that's what I thought I was supposed to do. I learned hand crafts, sewing, cooking, and gardening, early on. I spend a great deal of time reading and researching. She talks about slowing down to have time for those kinds of things. She is a people person and people pleaser. I am happier doing my own thing and being the boss of my own life, when I can. I have friends, but I limit my social experiences because they exhaust me. I could go on, but I will sum up by saying I could not relate to her life very much.

The book is about how the author found more psychological peace by reducing her stress load, cutting back on outside obligations, decluttering her house, and prioritizing family. All these things are the subjects of many popular self help books which go into far more detail.The author gives a little practical advice and a lot of patting herself on the back, interspersed with obligatory "spiritual" language. The Jesus talk felt superfluous. The author accomplished her reformation by her own power, and the priviledges of her personal background.

 Shauna presents herself as just being honest about her shortcomings, but in many places it strikes me as humble bragging. She and her husband have a lifestyle and income level that many of us only dream about. We are told that they are "makers," a term which I admit annoys me because it sounds pretentious and a little self consciously hip. A maker is basically a person with a skill who creates a unique product or service of some kind, using modern technology/information for the research, production, marketing, and selling. She is an author and he is a musician.

There isn't a lot of lasting substance to this book. It is one of those feel-good ladies' discussion group books. The kind that encourages bunches of women to sit around commiserating about their frustrations and imperfections, while drinking coffee and eating some desserts nicer than those they give their children and husbands. Hey, I'm not knocking that kind of thing. It can actually be a fun and relaxing break from the mundane. However, I doubt these kind of books produce real changes in many people's lives, not like Marie Kondo's Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up. (Smile)

Edited for spelling and grammar.

Proverbs 31, part 3 and wrap up

We left off at verse 24:

*The wife of noble character "makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes." This lady is a one woman factory. She obviously doesn't have toddlers. When does she eat and sleep?

*"She is clothed with strength and dignity (I'm picturing the statue of liberty); she can laugh at the days to come." This lady is not worried about the future, she's prepared.

*"She speaks with wisdom and faithful instruction is on her tongue." I wonder if less perfect people get a little tired of her.

*"She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness." We get it, she's a busy lady. I know I'm getting tired just reading about this paragon of virtue.

*"Her children arise and call her blessed." When do they ever see her or get to spend time with her? "Her husband also, and he praises her." Of course he does, he doesn't want to lose his meal ticket. See women of the world, this is all you have to do to get your husband to praise you. Earn it.

*"Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Not only that, you are a figment of some man's imagination. A woman certainly didn't write this passage.

*"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears Yahweh is to be respected." What does that mean? Is the author saying that a god fearing woman will try to emulate this example of perfection? How does one show that one  fears Yahweh? By working one's self to exhaustion? We are not told that this woman prays or performs any kind of religious rituals.

*"Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate." What reward has she earned? Not rest. Looks like praise is the reward. Not only praise, but praise at the city gate. Who is at the city gate? All those shiftless men who sitting around just talking religion and politics. Industrious women aren't hanging around the city gate. Who gets to hear and reap the social benefits of the public praise of this woman? Her husband.

I have read this passage sarcastically because I don't think it should be taken seriously. It is one man's description of an ideal wife, who doesn't exist.  Supposedly it has traditionally been read by husbands to their wives at Sabbath meals. What a load of guilt to lay on a woman who might not measure up, as is likely.

We don't know exactly when this was written, or by whom. There is no mention of heaven, hell, angels, demons, satan, divine inspiration, original sin, or a messiah. There is only a passing mention of Yahweh. No where in the bible is there an equal passage about a noble husband. Most women probably wouldn't have been able to read it. Since men were  in charge of  public scripture reading, and were the ones who wrote the scriptures, it's not surprising. The Bible is conspicuously missing a woman's point of view.

Proverbs 31, part 2

We left off at verse 16.

*A wife of noble characer "considers a field and buys it",without asking her husband! "Out of her earnings (she's a working woman) she plants a vinyard." This lady invests in the future. This lady manages her own finances and property. Imagine that.

*"She sets about her work vigorously, her arms are strong for her tasks." This lady is admired for her physical strength! She is not required to be dainty and appear weak to appease her husband's ego.

*"She sees that her trading is profitable." This lady knows market rates and how to keep from getting swindled. She gets what her products are worth. "Her lamp does not go out at night." She works long hours.

*"In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers." She keeps busy and is not afraid to work.

*"She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hand to the needy." This lady is generous and compassionate to those less fortunate than herself.

*"When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet." She is prepared for the winter weather and makes sure her family is dressed warmly.

*"She makes coverings for her bed. She is  clothed in fine linen and purple." This lady is industrious and wealthy.

*So, what does her husband do? "Her husband is respected at the city gate where he takes his seat among the elders of the land." In other words, he sits on his butt all day talking with other similarly lucky men who have overworked wives to run thier households and make their clothes. If she were to stop doing all that stuff she does so well, it wouldn't be so good for his reputation.

To be fair, a woman of that time most likely would not have considered her position to be unjust or oppressive. There were no modern sensibilities about equality, independence, overwork, and emotional labor.  Plus, this is an *ideal* woman of the time. The likelihood of any one woman having all these attributes seems pretty slim. Even though the woman in Proverbs 31 is part of a patriarchal system, she has appears to have a considerable amount of freedom, compared to what the modern Christian fundamentalist patriarchy would give their wives. I don't see anything about deferring to her husband or asking his advice when she is capable of thinking for herself.


To be continued...

Proverbs 31: 10- 31, part 1

Today we will look at the passage recommended as an example to Christian women everywhere, the Proverbs 31 woman, "the wife of noble character." (According to the NIV). I have no idea if the same emphasis is placed on this passage for Jewish women.

The passage is at the tail end of the book of Proverbs and is labelled as an epilogue. My study Bible tells me it is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew Alphabet. Read more about it here. The actual author is unknown, but it is placed in the chapter with advice to King Lemuel from his mother.

The first sentence implies that such a woman is rare, therefore very valuable, worth far more than rubies. Because of her, her husband doesn't need anything. She only brings good to him, no harm, all the days if her life, because it's all about the man. There is no passage in the Bible about a husband of noble character.

1. She is a spinner and a weaver of wool and flax. I know exactly two people who do this today, but only with wool. One works for a historical site, the other does it as a hobby. Most people today rely on modern factory produced material. Would it be more virtuous to spin my own thread and weave my own cloth? Why? What would I accomplish, other than bragging rights? Unless you are really into fiber arts, you would be spending vast amounts of time doing something totally unnecessary.

2. She brings food from afar. Most people I know have to get in their cars and travel a few miles to a grocery store, it's just part of life. I imagine most women and men, except for those who have the means to hire someone to do it for them,  have done whatever travelling it takes to feed themselves and their families. It's called survival. Sometimes it may be hard, but is it necessarily virtuous?

3. She gets up while it is still dark and provides fod for her family. Lots of people get up before dark. Many don't but still provide food for their families. Virtue is often ascribed to early risers. Is it the early rising or what is accomplshed in a day that is truly virtuous? When I visited the Robert Frost homestead in Derry, NH, I heard a story about Mr. Frost that I will not forget: All the farmers around him got up to milk their cows at 4 am. They milked them again at 4 pm. Mr. Frost was a night owl. He hated getting up at 4 in the morning. So, he milked his cows at 12 noon and 12 midnight. The locals thought he was crazy and lazy, even though he was accomplishing the same amount of work. I imagine 4 am milking made sense at one time,  but the world has changed. There is still a stigma attached to staying up late and sleeping late.  Unless there is good reason, there is no need to keep doing things a particular way, just because they have always been done that way.

To be continued

Jonah wrap up

After reading the book of Jonah, we see that there is no way to know who was the author of the book, where the information came from, exactly when it was originally written, and exactly when the events were supposed to have taken place. The king of Nineveh is not named. The book does not claim to be the words of a god. There are no angels or demons. There is no mention of a messiah.*  There is no mention of a resurrection, or eternal life.  There is no hell, but there is a mention of Sheol in 2:2, translated as "grave."

If the book was written before the destruction of Nineveh in 612BCE, what was the intended message? Perhaps the author was a proponent of tolerance and/or trying to show Yahweh to be equally concerned for all people. Perhaps he was trying to convince the Israelites it wasn't too late to to repent, in a round about way.

If the book was written after the destruction of Nineveh, one can't help but wonder if it was satire. Perhaps it was showing the opposite, that Yahweh didn't actually care if a nation repented, he would destroy them if he wanted to. Or perhaps the author was showing that salvation from God's wrath is not necessarily permanent. Of course this is speculation.

Also, we need to remember that a revelation to one person is not a revelation to all. We didn't hear the voice Jonah heard. No one else in the story did either. There is an argument to be made that people who hear disembodied voices are not likely to be mentally stable. People who believe people who hear disembodied voices are probably gullible.

*In many Christian circles, Jonah is assumed to be a "type" of christ. There is nothing in the book of Jonah itself, when read as a stand alone story, to indicate that Jonah is supposed to prefigure or predict Jesus, or a messiah. To christian minds focussed on the relationship of the New Testament to the Old Testament, Moses, Joshua, and David, have all been types "prefiguring" Jesus. What they don't seem to realize is the more likely occurrance that the story of Jesus was written in such a way as to deliberately refer to these Heroes of the Old Testament.

Another way Jonah is a type of christ.
More typology of Jonah.

Jonah chapter 4

After reading chapter 4:

* God has not destroyed the Ninevites as he (actually Jonah) threatened. This made Jonah mad. He complained to Yahweh that he knew this was going to happen. That's why he tried to run away to Tarshish. He knew that Yahweh was a softy and would change his mind. Like he did during the flood, the death of all the first born Egyptians, Sodom and Gommorrah, the Canaanite masacres?

Now, because Yahweh did not destroy the Ninevites, Jonah is says, "Just kill me." Do you get the feeling that Jonah had been looking forward to the annhiliation? Or is it just that he feels like a fool, having predicted the destruction, only to find out it won't happen. After all, the measure of a prophet is whether his predictions come true.

Jonah goes outside the city to wait and watch whatever would happen to the city. He had built a shelter and Yahweh supposedly made a vine grow over it to give him shade. As a gardener, I can tell you, any type of vine is not going to get that big that quickly. We aren't told how long it was, but remember, back in Jonah 3:4 the Ninevites are told the city was to be overturned in forty days. Did Jonah wait for fourty days. (Where did he get food?) That could possibly be long enough for a vine to grow over a shelter, even without divine intervention.

At dawn the next day (the next day from when?) God provided a worm to chew the vine. Oh! So that's where vine borers come from! If I kill the vine borers in my garden, am I obstructing the work of God? Jonah's vine died. Jonah lost his shade and got overheated. He again expressed a desire to have his life terminated. God asked him if he had a right to be angry about the vine. He said he did, angry enough to die. Wow! Jonah didn't have anything else to live for? Poor guy.

Yaweh says Jonah is sorry for a vine that he didn't even plant or tend. It sprang up in one night and died overnight. Wait, this was not a forty day vine, it was a one day vine? That makes it officially a miracle! Also, my study Bible says it may have been  a castor oil plant, not a vine at all. Do castor oil plants get tall and shady in one day? Nope. Also, castor oil plants are toxic to many insect pests as well as humans. It is often used as a natural insecticide. It is not likely to be killed by a chewing worm.

Any way, Yaweh tells Jonah that the great city of Nineveh has more than one hundred twenty thousand people, shouldn't he be concerned about them? (Not to mention all the cattle. ) Amazingly enough, the actual number of inhabitants in Nineveh at its peak probably was very close to one hundred twenty thousand. It truly was a great city of antiquity, and there is proof of its existence. Strangely enough, there is not one shred of proof of the nomadic tribe of two million (!) Hebrew people, not to mention their animals, who spent forty years in the desert of the Sinai peninsula. And people have looked.

Burning question: Why didn't Yahweh send prophets to the Canaanites, warning them to turn from their evil ways, before he had them slaughtered. Why wasn't he always a humanitarian?

Book Review: The Pentateuch and Book of Joshua Critically Examined

I am reading the Pentateuch and Book of Joshua Critically Examined. You can download it for free here: https://archive.org/details/pentateuchbookof00cole

The book was written by John William Colenso in 1862. The author was a missionary in Africa and was translating the bible into a local language when he realized, with the questions that arose from a native assistant,  that what he was translating was very problematic. In fact, he determined that it could not be true. Unfortunately he didn't give up his belief in God, just his belief in the infallibility of scripture. When you get to the meat of the book, he makes some very intelligent observations, based on reality and observable evidence.

First the cons: The quality of the transcription was horrible, with at least a dozen errors per page. The first 25% of the book contains the author's explanations for writing it and numerous disclaimers that in spite of the truth of what he found, he still retains a kind of belief. This part was very repetitive.

The pros: The author examines the historicity of the Pentateuch and Joshua with great practicality. He concentrates on the numbers of the people and animals that came out of Egypt during Exodus, giving detailed reasons for his conclusions that they are impossible. He then covers the sacrificial system, again concentrating on the numbers of animals and people involved and the practical concerns. He obviously spent a lot of time trying to reconcile scripture with facts, but was unable to do so.

Mr. Colenso does not think his observations about scripture will have a great impact on Christianity because: "One has great faith in the mere inertia of religious belief."

Even over 150 years later, Mr. Colenso's argument stand up well.

Jonah chapter 3

After reading chapter 3:

Yahweh tells Jonah to go to Ninevah, again, and give them his message. Then we are told Ninevah is such an important city that a visit requires three days. (The same number of days Jonah was in the big fish! Coincidence?) on the first day, Jonah goes into the city and starts proclaiming that Ninevah will be overturned in forty days. (Forty days is another very familiar number of days.) Lo and behold, the Ninevites believed Jonah! That was easy. They declared a fast and put on sackcloth.

When word reached the king, he must have believed it too, because he took off his royal robes and also put on sackcloth. Theses people were obviously not sceptics, if they believed a stranger who roamed around saying that a foreign god told him they are doomed. Nevertheless, the king issued a proclamation that every man and beast (poor beasts) was to be covered in sackcloth, give up their evil ways, and call urgently on God, maybe he would relent. Or... Maybe it never was going to happen in the first place.

The last verse of chapter three says that when God saw how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring the destruction on them that he had threatened. So, God promised to destroy Ninevah (said Jonah) but he didn't. He broke his promise? But, if this happened, there was only Jonah's word that God spoke to him. God didn't tell this to anyone else, not even a single Ninevite. A revelation to one man is just that. Why should anyone believe it?

Plus, have you noticed, we aren't even told what the "evil ways" of the Ninevites were.