Abraham
(Abram, Ibráhím) – This amazingly 'righteous'
phantom has a lot to answer for. Father of 'many nations'
his supposed behaviour set a terrifying example – not
only attempted murder of his favourite son but abandoning
to the desert the offspring of his various concubines.
Sadly, Judaism, Christianity and Islam all pay homage
to this con' man and warlord. Never actually existed,
of course,
but that hardly matters to religious zealots.
Abe' – just
before his death at the ripe old age of 175! (Genesis 25.7)
In
the 7th century BC a gaggle of émigré priests
hiding in the mountains of Judaea concocted 'Judaism'
and a mythical history of racial origins. Check
out how a marginal band of Semites re-invented themselves.
Much of
Judaism is a dialogue with Egypt – that towering
civilization which overshadowed the whole of the Levant.
But the ancient Egyptians knew nothing of 'the Jews.'
What
Kingdom? Strange that no one but the Jews noticed when
a shepherd giant-killer, court musician-poet, turned
warlord and conquered a Middle Eastern empire. Could
it all be a lie?
The
vibrant, expansive culture of the Greeks
presented a major challenge to the exclusiveness
and arrogance of Judaism. Rome's practical exploitation
exacerbated social tensions.