The Pageless Book

Photo Above by Justin Henry. Photo Below by Wendy.

“Make your own Bible. Select and collect all the words and sentences that in your reading have been like the blast of triumph out of Shakespeare, Seneca, Moses, John and Paul.”
- Ralph Waldo Emerson, 1803 - 1882.

What exactly makes a text holy? Some would tell you it is the inherent truth of the text, the authority endowed upon the book’s author by a divine source, and the traditions surrounding the text. That is basically that person’s way of telling you which books he or she believes you should accept as holy. Seeing as each person’s interpretation of the truth, acceptance of authority, and version of tradition is a matter of opinion and personal taste, we cannot use these as objective means of deciding which writings are holy. Or can we?

Consider the possibility that holiness is not endowed upon the text by the writer, but instead by the reader. What if that which makes a book sacred is the divinity within the person who reads it? How would that change religion and spirituality? We would become more tolerant and open minded towards other religions and traditions. As individuals, our relationship with the text would be much different; we would be more willing to question our own point of view and accept another’s point of view as equally valid. Would we be so bold as to become prophets ourselves and write our own holy texts? Well, as you’ve probably already surmised, I am quite comfortable with the idea that we each could be prophets if we choose.

I can understand if the idea of prophecy rubs some of my readers the wrong way. It is, after all, the prophets that declare their own writings as the final true word of God. No one wants to be seen as being a raving zealot or, worse yet, dangerously insane. Let me see if I can ease your concerns. Prayer is a commonly accepted practice, used to purposely communicate your thoughts and feelings to the Divine Source. Meditation is a commonly accepted practice of silencing the mind, the result of which opens the heart and mind to listen for answers from that same Divine Source. Billions of people, all over the world and from all religions, use both means of communing with the Divine every day. The difference between them and so-called prophets is that the prophets have the sense to write down what they hear and then become famous for teaching the wisdom of the text - or rather, the wisdom inherent in the reader.

There is a down side to all this, though; you would be forced to think for yourself. Not everyone is reassured by their own judgment in what is true for them. These people would rather be told what to think rather then think for themselves. Doubt, for some, is a downward spiral rather then a purifier of faith. They see it as such, because doubt forces them to question the pillars which they believe their faith is dependent on. Like a child who believes that the trees hold up the sky, every question of doubt in one of these false pillars of faith seem to threaten to bring eternal night. This is truly sad, because you cannot have free will without doubt, and without free will, faith within holy writings is meaningless.

To write your own Bible is to reclaim that free will and reclaim your right to commune with the divine as you see fit. Religion was never meant to be a static list of beliefs and creeds, but rather an on-going conversation between man and the Divine. I look forward to reading some of your own conversations with the Divine and continuing to share my conversations with you.
Originally Posted October 5th, 2007.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: Bible, Holy Text, Mysticism, Prophecy, Religion, Spirituality

I’ve been reading Aryeh Kaplan’s translation of The Bahir, one of the firsts texts on Qabalah or Jewish Mysticism, and I’ve realized that I am yet to write about Qabalah in any substantial way here on my blog. When I talk about Qabalah on this website, I have this annoying habit of just assuming that my readership knows what I am talking about. Pretty arrogant of me, if I do say so myself. The problem, however, is that I’m not quite sure that my definition can do it justice.

Qabalah is at once very complicated, simple, obscure, clear, self-contradictory, and internally consistent. It has often been called the Zen Buddhism of Western Culture, and, like Zen Buddhism, is a peculiar mixture of pretentious bovine manure and profound truth. Both lie and truth may or may not lead an adherent to enlightenment. The driving force behind Qabalah and Zen Buddhism is to get the adherent to think and break beyond their preconceived notions. I am not entirely sure I am qualified to speak about either, to be honest. I don’t pretend to be any more enlightened than the average angst filled teenager - my poetry certainly isn’t any better.

Yet, I am always willing to try humbly. Being forewarned of my ineptitude, I can only ask my readers to keep an open, if discerning, mind as I move forward.

The word “Qabalah” means to receive. In Jewish folklore, the teachings of Qabalah were said to have been received by Adam in the Garden of Eden, and later again by Moses on Mount Sinai. The word itself has been subject to a variety of English spellings (Kabbalah, Cabala…) all of which refer to the same body of practices, although may at times be used to differentiate one school of Qabalah from another. Currently, there are four major branches of Qabalah: Jewish Qabalah, Christian Qabalah, Hermetic Qabalah, and Red String Qabalah.

Jewish Qabalah, or Orthodox Qabalah, is what I want to focus on today. However, I want to touch base on the other three as well. Christian Qabalah is, predictably, the application of the practices of Qabalah to Christian teachings. Understandably, Orthodox Qabalists see Christian Qabalah as a perversion of the truth behind Jewish Qabalah. Hermetic Qabalah is the adaptation of Qabalah as a system of symbolism by Occult Qabalists. This is the Qabalah that I know best - The Qabalah of The Golden Dawn. Both Jewish and Christian Qabalists view Hermetic Qabalah as an abomination. “Red String” Qabalah, or pop-culture Qabalah, is the Qabalah that Madonna practices, and which you are most likely to find along side copies of the “Celestine Prophecy” in New Age shops. If you guessed that Jewish, Christian, and Hermetic Qabalists all disdain Red String Qabalah with a vitriol rivaling the toxicity of battery acid, give yourself a pat on the back.

Inter-religious politics aside, Qabalah is a means of extrapolating meaning from holy texts. Every method of squeezing further meaning from a sentence, word, or letter is used. To quote The Bahir:

Why does the Torah begin with the letter Bet? In order that it begin with a blessing (Berachah). How do we know that the Torah is called a blessing? Because it is written (Deuteronomy 33:23) “The filling is God’s blessing possessing the Sea and the South” The sea is nothing other than the Torah, as it is written (Job 11:9) “It is wider than the sea.” What is the meaning of the verse “The filling is God’s blessing?” This means wherever we find the letter Bet it indicates a blessing. It is thus written (Genesis 1:1), “In the beginning (Bereshit)…”

The reasoning behind Qabalah seems simple enough; the books of the Hebrew Prophets as they are originally written is the word of God, as such every letter of those books contains nuance of meaning that can only be understood through the methods of Qabalah. From the outside it seems a bit silly to think that just because two words begin with the same letter, or have the same letters, or are the same numerical value that the meaning behind those words are related. However, Qabalah is more of a means to an end. Assuming meaningful connections between words and ideas creates verbal puzzles seated in the text and context of the Hebrew Bible. These puzzles serve to break down the presumptions, much like Zen Koans.

Unlike Zen Koans, the extrapolated knowledge serves as a basis for an even more complicated system of symbols - The Tree of Life - from which ever more complicated riddles emerge. Each successive level of complexity is declared to deliver within it some aspect of the Truth, and indeed adherents find truth in this complexity. I hesitate to call it the Seinfeld of religions, but seeing as so many people find that show funny even though it’s not funny, this works as an excellent metaphor. When they realize that this found truth is in spite of, rather than because of, that complexity, do those who plumb the depths of Qabalah begin to shake free from the habit of literal interpretation and the belief in an absolute Truth. This is where the real work towards enlightenment begins… and consequently, where I have so little experience.

Now, you might question as to why someone would want to practice Qabalah, as it seems to be little more than mental gymnastics. But it is these same mental gymnastics that allows the adherents of Qabalah to ascribe more meaning to the world around them, and see the interconnection between all things. Qabalah pushes each adherent to question the world around them, their assumptions about that world and how it works. I admit that it isn’t the only path to enlightenment, but I love it because of it’s eccentricities; it’s more like a hobby than it is a religion, which is how I like my religion.

For More About Qabalah

• http://www.kabbalah.info/
• http://www.digital-brilliance.com/kab/faq.htm
• http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Judaism/kabbalah.html
• http://www.webofqabalah.com/

Photo Credits From Top:

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: Bible, Holy Text, Occult, Qabalah, Religion

Above Photo by Joka2000. Photo Below by Alan Turkus. Final Photo by Joel Friesen.

Of Sandalphon, the second part of The Gated Emptiness, changes in tone and language from the rest of the text. The perspective shifts from third person to first person; little doubt is left as to whom is speaking. God speaks to us directly in these passages in a strangely humble demeanor.

I must remind the reader that this is filtered through my own consciousness. While I have perceived God speaking in a humble manner, it might be a result of my own discontent with the demanding God of the Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. This means nothing as to the true personality of God; it is my understanding that our concept of personality is meaningless when compared against true divine consciousness. The text reads:

I am confusion. I am confused as you are. I am you.

Now, these three statements pose a significant problem - God isn’t suppose to be confused. Isn’t the Divine suppose to have some plan? Theologically, this can be pretty disturbing. However, there is more here than what is on the surface. The word “confusion” comes from the Latin word “confundere” which means to pour together. In the word’s evolution, it has also passed through old French as meaning “to overthrow”, before coming to the English language as meaning “mental perplexity or disturbance”.

All three of these definition play a part in understanding the meaning of this text. First, we are told that God embodies confusion. We are confused as to the nature of God, as it is beyond our ability to comprehend. What does it mean, however, to say that God is the embodiment of overthrowing? This becomes more clear with the second statement; saying that God is “overthrown” implies that God changes. Like we do, God evolves and learns through alternating between confusion and realization.

Yet this leads us to another question - why does God need to evolve or learn? With the third and final statement in conjunction with our third definition, this answer is laid to bare; we are apart of God. Just as we are several things “poured together” into human form - muscles, organs, cells, proteins, and atoms - God is also the admixture of several things; the only difference is that God’s “things” encompasses all. The text continues:

You will not be rid of me. You might shred off the fat and skin of your body, skewer your flesh with your own bone and I will be in pain with you. If you should love yourself, I would love you.

Well, if God is inherent in all things, and all things in God, it makes sense that we could not get rid of God. When we suffer God would suffer, just as when we cut our finger, we feel the pain with our finger. Should we choose to love ourselves, God would love us in return as we are apart of God. Only when we become hateful does the Divine become hateful towards us, just as we would hate cells that turn cancerous within our own body. Yet God is not done speaking about his love for us; the text continues:

Innumerous are the ways in which I love you. I love you with death and I love you with life. I love you with pain and with ecstasy. I love you with the blue empty sky and the full brown earth. I shall not save you from my love; I made you to see, and you shall see it all.

Death and life, pain and pleasure, all that is above and all that is below - all of our individual experiences are manifestations of God’s love for us. Our purpose in life is to find meaning within those experiences, to learn, and to evolve. We cannot be asked to be spared heartache, pain, and suffering; we would be in affect asking to remain unchanged, uninspired, and ignorant. Worse yet, we would be asking God to remain unchanging, uninspired, and support us like some parents support basement dwelling men and women in their early twenties.

I suspect that some would disagree with what I have written here, considering that my interpretation of this text amounts to answers for long-held insurmountable questions. To think that a few sentences are enough to answer the question “what is the meaning of life” or “why does God make us suffer” would be foolish on my part. However, I dare to suggest that what I am getting at is a fairly good guide towards answers for those questions. Like a finger pointing to the moon, it is important not to misinterpret that which points to the truth for the truth.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: Death, God, Holy Text, Life, Love, Questions

Above Photo by Steven Keys. Photo Below by Maria Ganessas.

“Young man—Young man—Your arm’s too short to box with God.”
- James Weldon Johnson, 1871–1938.

The above famed quote, often reiterated by Christians and other mainstream monotheists, is assumed to mean that you cannot fight against God’s will, or defeat the universal truth of God. It has been used as a condescending way to counter the arguments of those that fall outside the bounds of mainstream religion. Yet, I feel that the full extent of meaning behind the quote is lost to those who use it in arrogance as a verbal parry. The irony of the situation is that it is the religions themselves who provide the target with which to box - not God.

How so, you might ask. After all, the greatness of the Divine is beyond the reach of men and women of this world. How then can I fault monotheistic religions for making this claim? How can I point and show that it is they who are the cause of this conflict? The answer - another ironic twist. The fault that I find with the mainstream religions of the western world is the same fault that they had found with the fallen polytheistic religions - idolatry.

Most monotheistic religions believe that they know the difference between an idol and the One True God. The God they worship is, of course, assumed to be correct, while the God that everyone else worships is implied to be the idol. Just what does it mean to worship an idol? The practice of literally bowing before a statue in reverence has not been common in western culture since before the colonization of the Americas. In this society, idolatry has come to mean the worship of ideas as God.

What ideas do we, as a society, worship as God? There are no lack of choices; we as a society have chosen to venerate sex, money, movie stars, musicians, and athletes as the end-all and be-all. We are a society of vices and it has long been the mainstream religious establishments that have fought against our idolatries. So, what gives me the right to say that they, too, are idolaters? Their idols are their ideas of what God is or is not and their presumed exclusive access to the “Truth.”

Let me give you an example of how these faiths set up idols on God’s throne. Were I to claim that only adherents of my particular faith will receive God’s heavenly reward, I would be rejecting a God that would choose to give the heavenly reward to all people. If I were to claim that only the literal interpretation of a particular holy text is the correct and final word of God, I would be rejecting a God that would choose to speak freely with whomever listened. The moment I told you that your concept of God is incorrect, I would presume to tell God what God can and can not do. Your arms are too short to box with God, but I could claim God is small enough to fit inside a box? We box not with God, but instead with the mainstream religions’ narrow concept of God.

Trying to force something as great as God to conform to the limits of mortal intellect and ego is like trying to bottle sunlight - it’s absurd. We must stop trying to define the undefinable, limit the limitless and measure the infinite. What we are then left with is a spirituality that does not contradict science, never becomes dated or irrelevant, and is always the source of unity and brotherhood.

Originally Published September 25th, 2007.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: Christian, Faith, God, Holy Text, Religion, Spirituality

Above Photo by Di’ goy! Zabala. Book Photo by Lin Pernille. Church Photo by Lyn Gateley.

The text of The Gated Emptiness can never, and will never, be used as the basis for a religion. It is written to discredit itself, encourage dissidence, and give the power of religion back to each individual. Realistically, I doubt that these words that I wrote in a trance will ever gain popularity, but should The Gated Emptiness manage to, the very mechanism of its language prevents the formation of a singular religious institution. This is because it reads:

“Unto earth, God saw fit to give man and woman and child alike prophecy. In the ages that passed, many books were pieced from the words grasped through the smoke and scent of the mind. Some were warped by the poisons mankind had consumed, others were broken and still others were misunderstood.”

As I have pointed out in the article I wrote before this, the trinity of man-woman-child is representative of all humanity. Whether male or female, young or old, beggar or billionaire, The Gated Emptiness claims that we are each endowed with the privilege of communicating with our creator. Not all people will take advantage of this privilege, nor can anyone claim that their communication with the Divine is any closer to truth than any other.

The passage above implies that all holy texts are flawed, including itself. This text, like all texts, was pieced together - its words grasped at due to our inability to understand. In the same way that we can not describe a scent in concrete terms, we can not put words to the absolute Truth. To make matters worse, the very methods in which we receive these holy texts, the transfer and translation of these holy texts, and our understanding of these holy texts are called into question. There is no perfection in this communication between us and the Divine; it is as organic and messy as the rest of reality.

What is worse is that the passage that follows suggests that no one religion is permanent. It reads:

“There are three books of which the first given to Metatron, the second to Sandalphon, and the last to Apollion. All these books where once in time one page and again shall return to one page. Those of the future shall forget the past. Those of the past shall forget the present. Those of the present shall forget the future. So it is with all temples; God’s hand knows no religion.”

We are confronted with the question of which three books The Gated Emptiness refers. Ironically enough, the trinity which receives each book also serves as the namesakes of each chapter of this text. Each of the three chapters of The Gated Emptiness could be written on one page and still remain legible. However, I don’t believe this is the meaning behind this passage.

It makes more sense that the three books that are referred to are the Jewish Bible, the Christian New Testament, and the Qu’ran. The believers of these three are, as the Muslims put it, people of the book. If you put this in the context in which I was raised, it only makes sense that the Jewish Bible, the Christian New Testament, and the Qu’ran are the three books referred to in The Gated Emptiness. I was raised a Christian, in a Christian society. Judaism and Islam are the only two religions that are considered as possibly being equals to Christianity in this society.

However, this passage suggests that in the same way these religions have come into being, they can and will depart. No one religion can serve as the eternal religion; there simply is no such thing. As much as anyone would like to believe that their faith is the one faith that finally gets it right, it simply is not so. All religions will falter and fail, and the only thing left will be humanity’s relationship with the Divine. That is the way God has meant it to be.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: God, Holy Text, Humanity, Prophecy, Religion

Would a holy text written in the twenty first century need a creation story? Science has already provided us with the ultimate in creation stories - the verifiable facts. Although there exists gaps in our knowledge, there is enough information for us as human beings to gain a fairly good grasp of the events as they really occurred. No further myth or allegory necessary. Yet The Gated Emptiness provides us with a short creation story within the first third of the text. Why?

I think the answer is to give us context and to show us the relationship between humanity and the rest of the universe. The creation story of any religion is kind of like the directory in a mall, showing where you are in relation to where you want to go. You are here; you are the little blue dot on this map. You are human, a being that is both divine and earthly in origin, both perfect and flawed. Where you go from here is your choice, but this is your starting point.

The Gated Emptiness reads:

“In the void was chaos, and in chaos was all things possible, but not probable. Then was created limits and perception, and so all things that were, were probable, but not all things possible. Within everything probable, there lies a small piece of the impossible; God leaves nothing to chance.

And in this matrix of possibility, there emerged many things; all being perfect as all being flawed. The future shall be the past forever.”

Did you catch that? I have to admit the first time I wrote those lines, I had trouble understanding exactly what was meant. Let me see if I can break it down by using a metaphor. Reality before creation was like a blank canvas in a dark room, awaiting paint. There is raw possibility, but without the first brush stroke, the canvas is destined to remain blank. Before we can start painting, we need to turn on the lights to see what we are doing. We need to perceive the truth of the void, and then create one limit.

That first brush stroke across the canvas changes everything. It puts a limit on what we can create. By perceiving those limits we now know that is probable. Is this going to be a painting of rolling hills and happy trees, or are we going to make paint a nude portrait? Either way, it would have to incorporate that single brush stroke. Is there still a lot that is possible? Yes, but we’ve created a limit on that possibility, creating probability. However, just because there is probability, doesn’t mean we cannot attempt to stretch the limits of that probability.

God leaves nothing to chance; those limits are there to be challenged and as a challenge. This probability is due to our perception, and we can change how we choose to look at any given situation to create new possibilities. Perfection and flaw are matters of how we choose to perceive the world, Even though our past has put limits on what is possible, that doesn’t mean we cannot choose to be more radical and push those limits. Even when faced with the painting of Mona Lisa, we can choose to see the empty canvas underneath the painting and create something entirely new.

The Gated Emptiness continues:

“There were created moments, and in between moments angels unfurled as scrolls of continuity. Writ on those scrolls were lives that were to be lived, words to be said, and all things that are to come to past. God did let every thing touched by its divine hand choose its angel.

So was created man, grown from the garden of the world and made complex yet not complicated. And so was created woman as well, the fruitful and delicious strength to which man served. And so was created child, by union of the sharp and soft within woman by man. Each chose their angels.”

Here we are given a more definite idea of how humans relate to this matrix of possibility. Philosophers, behaviorists, and theologians have long argued whether human kind has free will. Some have argued that our attitudes and behaviors are predetermined by our external stimuli, while others have argued that choices we make are free of outside influence - we have free will. Both arguments have valid points. The Gated Emptiness, however, suggests that there is a certain amount of predestination and free will.

Our choices and the outcome of those choices are symbolized as angels. It is not just humanity which chooses; all parts of creation has some influence over its own fate, whether these parts are conscious of that influence or not. Man was “grown from the garden of th world,” suggesting that there was some amount of predestination in our evolution. Also notice that man serves woman, recognizing that the possibility of birth that women represent should be treated with reverence.

Ultimately, the creation story as depicted in The Gated Emptiness sets humanity up to be responsible for itself. Man, woman, and child alike is given the ability to choose their own angel or their own place within the matrix of possibilities. We are given hope, in that we are able to push the boundaries of the reality we live in, however there is a consequence for each action of which we must be mindful. This is where we stand in relation to the rest of the universe. Where shall we go from here?

Garden Photo by John Weiss. Dice Photo by M.P. Dehaan. Globe Image by Charles Dawley.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: God, Holy Text, Humanity, Individuality, Myth, Religion

The first sixty words of The Gated Emptiness reads:

“In the beginning, there was emptiness. And the emptiness was consciousness and consciousness was inconceivable, amen. And in that maelstrom of consciousness, three beings emerged, these being Metatron, Sandalphon, and Apollion. They were likened unto serpents and wove throughout the continuity of consciousness. Through Metatron is God’s omnipotence, through Sandalphon is God’s omnipresence, and through Apollion is God’s omniscience. Amen.”

Who or what exactly are these three entities first introduced in this book, and why do they come before the introduction of God? I like to think of The Gated Emptiness as being something of an iconoclast’s holy book, yet the first thing the book does is set up three idols to represent the qualities of God. Why do we need to start this text off in this way?

Metatron, Sandalphon and Apollion are all angels found in Jewish and Christian folk lore. Metatron, who’s name is thought to mean ‘behind the throne,’ is said to be the angel who took Enoch away into the Kingdom of Heaven and is sometimes also identified as the angel who lead the people of Israel through the wilderness. Sandalphon, who’s name means ‘brother,’ is thought to be the prophet Elijah’s angelic form. Finally Apollion, also called Abaddon which means destroyer, appears in Revelations as the angel who opens the gates of the abyss. These three entities are something like a trinity, each representing an aspect of God. They are, however, merely symbolic.

If you believe as I do that God is both the sum of reality and beyond reality, there really isn’t any way to discuss God without creating idols of one kind or another. Even the idea of “God” is an idol - an assumption on our part as to the nature of reality. Breaking God (or reality) down into easily understandable chunks is the only way we can hope to communicate about its nature. Even though we understand that these “chunks” of God are not by themselves the definition of God, we get one step closer to grasping the unaccessible nature of the Divine. This also the purpose behind Qabalah, or Jewish Mysticism, which I will talk about more in later articles.

In all actuality, God is the first character to be introduced in The Gated Emptiness. God is the emptiness, which is inconceivable consciousness. The act of creation or realization that is called “a maelstrom of consciousness” relates not only to the creation of reality, but also making the inconceivable more understandable. The emergence of Metatron, Sandalphon, and Apollion is symbolic of this. Reality is like a huge piece of marble which remains meaningless until we cut away the excess and create a form; the portion that we cut away is no less apart of reality, but with out excluding something there is nothing to include.

In order to make itself more understandable, The Gated Emptiness is also divided into three distinct section, each named after one of the three before mentioned angels. It is absolutely necessary to break down the message into digestible parts, each with it’s own voice and theme. Of Metatron is something of a Genesis and Apocalypse story, that covers not only creation but also forewarns of destruction in symbolic terms that are easy to understand. This part shows us where we’ve been and asks us where we are going. Of Sandalphon takes the first person perspective, speaking to the reader as the identity of what I can only presume is God. In this voice, we are told why we suffer and asked to attempt to understand. Of Apollion are something like commandments, psalms, or allegories; it gives us advice. The final chapter mirrors its namesake in that it encourages us to break free and destroy our own idols and misconceptions.

These three parts come together to give us a more complete picture of the message behind The Gated Emptiness. This is similar in the way in which all holy books, when considered in the context of each other, gives us a better understanding of religion and spirituality as a whole. When approaching any literature, religious or not, it is important to look at the writing not only in a linear manner, but also view it in a non-linear fashion to gain a more panoramic view of the text. Perhaps that is the reason why most people cannot read the Christian Bible or Quran straight through; in order for the text to be meaningful, you need to know what happens in the end from the very beginning.

Angel image by Toni Lozano. Serpent Photo by Mike Wagner. Wall Photo by ‘Fotologic’.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: God, Holy Text, Individuality, Reason, Religion, Spirituality

Photo by Javier Cruz Barranco

In the entire history of the world, there has not been a civilization as successful as Western Civilization - except maybe the Roman Empire, but please let’s over look that. And perhaps the Ottoman Empire… and can we ignore the Chinese Celestial Empire as well? Well, our society may not be unique in terms of successfulness, but there’s no arguing that our civilization is pretty spiffy, in the grand scheme of things, and worth the time and effort to understand.

For better or for worse, the origins of our civilization are rooted deeply into the historical soil of Christianity. By extension the religions that it has came from or have come from Christianity are also important us. Trying to understand the origins of this religion, as well as how this religion has evolved over time, gives us a better understanding of where we have been and where we are going. With this perspective upon our own history, we can better grasp our identity as a civilization, and come to terms with the problems facing us today.

Given this, I present to you a time line of holy texts that have been influential to, or influenced by, Western Civilization. By no means is this a complete list of texts. Although I have tried to include all the major influences on our culture, I may have left a few out. Nor can I claim that all the information is completely accurate. The information I present here is a brief summary and may miss important details. If you find that I have inadvertently excluded something that you believe to be important, feel free to let me know.

• The Zend Avesta - c. 1200 BCE.

This is the Holy Book of Zoroastrianism, the first prophetic and monotheistic religion. This religion became prominent between 560 BCE and 650 CE, and shares many similarities to Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Like these religions, Zoroastrianism professes the existence of a heaven and hell, the belief in one God, and in the belief that this holy text is the word of God. You can find the text of The Zend Avesta here.

• The Torah - c. 1200 BCE Authorship, c. 450 BCE Canonized.

Also called the Pentateuch, these five books are considered the word of God as written by Moses in traditional Judaism. The Torah itself has undergone several revisions throughout history. When Israel split from Judah, the two priesthoods began to support slightly different copies of the text. Originally, the Torah was four books, but would later became five books in c. 625 BCE, when the priesthood of Judah claimed to have discovered Deuteronomy. In c. 450 BCE after the exile in Babylon, these two text were combined with other versions of the Torah as well as Deuteronomy and finalized into the book we have today. You can find the text of The Torah here.

• The Tanakh - c. 1000 - 100 BCE Authorship, c. 75 CE Canonized.

Better known to Christian readers as the Old Testament, this holy text includes the Torah along with nineteen other texts which form the core of the Hebrew Religion. It includes the writings of prophets, the poetry of kings, and the histories of the Hebrew people. You can find the text of The Tanakh here.

• New Testament (KJV) - c. 50 - 75 CE Authorship, c. 400 CE Canonized.

Twenty seven books make up this text, and form the corner stone of the Christian faith. Although there are several inconsistencies in the text and mistakes made in the scribing of them, it is believed to be an historically accurate account of Jesus’s life and death. In 1611 CE, the most popular English Translation of the Bible, both New Testament and Old Testament, was published as The King James Bible. You can find the text of the Christian Bible here.

• The Gnostic Gospels - c. 75 - 150 CE.

The core of the Gnostic Gospels are the books found in the Nag Hammadi Library in 1945 CE. Gnosticism is one of the many minor off shoots of early Christianity that were suppressed and became extinct. Gnosticism became the foundation of Hermeticism, which then gave root to Occult practices in Medieval Europe. You can find some of the texts of The Gnostic Gospels here.

• The Kebra Negast - c. 300 CE.

This text was presented at the First Council of Nicaea for possible inclusion into the Christian Bible. It later became the Holy Book of the Rastafari movement, which began c. 1930 CE. The book is an account of the son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba, bringing the Ark of the Covenant into Ethiopia. You can find the text of The Kebra Negast here.

• The Qur’an - c. 600 CE.

As the sacred book of Islam, the Qur’an is believed by Muslims to be the final revelation to humanity. The book was first written by followers of Muhammad as recited by Muhammad the prophet over the course of 23 years. The text itself is poetic in nature and often alludes to stories of the Tanakh and the New Testament. You can find the text of The Quran here.

• The Adi Granth - c. 1600 CE.

The Adi Granth is the holy book of the Sikh religion. The text itself is a collection of the poetry, spiritual insights, and songs of the first five Gurus of the Sikh religion. Because the Sikh religion is a blending of both Islam and Hinduism, it also recognizes and included information from a number of Muslim and Hindu saints. You can find the text of The Adi Granth here.

• The Book of Mormon - 1830 CE First Publication.

Found and allegedly translated from golden plates by Joseph Smith, The Book of Mormon is the sacred text of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Copies are often given for free by missionaries, and who could probably give a better review of the text then I can here. You can find the text of The Book of Mormon here.

• The Kitab-i-Aqdas - c. 1840 CE.

Written by Bahá’u'lláh, the founder of the Bahai faith, this book claims to be the next revelation of the God of Abraham. The Kitab-i-Aqdas accepts of the account of Muhammad, Jesus, Buddha, and Abraham as revelations of God, and also asserts that there will be yet other messengers of God in the future. The Bahai faith is often described as a blended religion, combining the teachings of several earlier religions. You can find the text of The Kitab-i-Aqdas here.

• The Urantia Book - 1935 CE.

This text is a compilation of papers that were collected by a group known as the Forum. The members of this Forum claim that the papers materialized as a response to questions they have asked between 1925 and 1935. Although The Urantia Book shares several teachings that are similar to Christian beliefs, it also diverts from Christianity in regards to the birth, life, and death of Jesus Christ. It also delves into the study of the universe, presenting several theories on the makeup of reality. Currently, no single religion is associated with this text, although it is popular in New Age circles. You can find the text of The Urantia Book here.

Click on one link below.

written by John \\ tags: Bible, Faith, History, Holy Text, Humanity, Information, Religion, Review, Reviews, Tradition, Websites

Photo by Henri Bergius

Religions evolve. This has been true since the first time a human being prayed. The evolution of religion and how that evol