E-BOOK

Who was Jahweh, Abraham’s god in Genesis? Both, the religious and scientific exegetes, have always identified him with God Almighty. But his physical characteristics, as they result from the biblical account, are not at all supernatural, to such a point that he is unequivocally defined as a human being (Gen. 18,2). Could he be identified with the pharaoh, the godly sovereign of Egypt? This simple hypothesis discloses to the Author the truly historical content of the holy book. From the beginning he narrows the span of his research, analyzing Israel’s history, only for the period from Abraham to Joshua. He does confront the text of the Bible with the results of the latest archaeological and historical research over the mentioned time frame. His research, however, is focused on the attempt of comprehending the concrete truthfulness of the Bible, utilizing the methods of modern and critical research. Similar to Schliemann in his days, when he discovered Troy only on the base of Homer’s text, he tackles the problems with only the Bible in his hands, and - taking into account all different translations and different interpretations of the Bible’s exegetes - he proves the events narrated in the Bible, utilizing all available profane knowledge, and describes them “as they happened in reality”. Through in-depth analysis of all details the Author reaches some sensational conclusions, like for example that Abraham was not a nomadic shepherd, as it is commonly accepted, but a man of highborn origin, who was probably kept as a hostage, in the Canaanite territory held by the pharaoh Thutmosis III, who later elevated him amongst the caste of the feudal lords of that country. That the “almost” sacrifice of Isaac on mount Moriah was not ordered by God, but by the pharaoh, namely Amenophis II, who wanted to test the unconditioned obedience of Abraham. Or that the “God” mentioned in the Bible, who paid a visit to Abraham in Hebron, welcomed with a big banquet, was the same pharaoh, who was then worshipped like a god. Further, that the walls of Jericho were not destroyed by the sound of Joshua’s trumpets, but by way of undermining them, as was the custom in those days. That Sodom and Gomorra were not destroyed by fire striking from the sky, but by means of pyrotechnic devices, of which Amenophis II made large use during his second military campaign in Canaan. That God did not precede the fleeing Israelites disguised as a large cloud of smoke, but that Moses used containers of burning tar which produced a lot of smoke, as orientation signal to guide the Israelites through the desert. That Moses probably decided to be buried with valuable treasures in a tomb which resembled those of the pharaohs, in a secret place of the Exodus’ desert. As these examples demonstrate, the Author’s aim is not that of providing a theological explanation or confirmation of the text of the Bible. He tries instead to provide explanation to the narrated events in the light of historical background, thus confirming the basic truthfulness of the content of the Bible. Concurrently the book reveals a lot of unexpected and very fascinating aspects, which can lead to a more in depth and comprehensive understanding of the text of the Bible.

ISBN: 978-2-36580-013-6

Release date: 15/04/2013

9 €