How are we to deal with authors who seem so set on advancing their left-wing agenda that they either ignore facts, twist them out of recognition, or make up imaginary factoids? I come across this often. Most of the time I simply decide not to finish the book. At the same time, if you do that, there isn’t much you can read. One of the things I try to do is go to older authors who might be a little more honest and objective.
I’m working through the 11 volume set by Will Durant, The Story of Civilization. I’m currently in volume three, and I came across something which helps to understand how to read these kind of people. What gives me the insight is reading how he presents things of which I have a good deal of knowledge, in this case biblical and Jewish history. As an example, he says this,
Page 541, footnote, “The word Messiah (Hebrew mahsiah) occurs frequently in the Old Testament. The Jews who made the Septuagint (c.a. 280 B.C.) translated it into the Greek Christos, the Anointed, he upon whom has been poured a chrism or holy oil.”Having just done some research on the term Messiah for another reason, I’m a little bit up on it. When you look at the use of this Hebrew word in the Old Testament it is somewhat frequent, 39 times, but only twice is it translated “Messiah”, both of them and Daniel and only in the KJV and NASB. Every other case that I could find refers to anointing a king, a priest, your shield or other types of things. There might be some double meanings in Psalms but it was not the overwhelming mindset that he claims. I don’t care what your Sunday School teacher told you. Look it up yourself. Do a search. Much of what we teach as Old Testament truth is borrowed from the Rabbis and Talmud of New Testament times.
I assume he uses the same liberality in interpreting the other religions of the day. He seems more concerned about finding Christian terminology and applying it to pagan rituals than he is and actually describing what is going on.
I will continue to read, but I will continue to read with discernment and I find myself skimming more and more as I go. I hope my brain does not rot.
Durant, Will. The Story of Civilization: Part 3, Caesar and Christ. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1944,1972.
homo unius libri
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Comments are welcome. Feel free to agree or disagree but keep it clean, courteous and short. I heard some shorthand on a podcast: TLDR, Too long, didn't read.