(April 11, 2016 at 6:28 pm)Constable Dorfl Wrote:(April 10, 2016 at 11:17 am)Rhondazvous Wrote: I've heard it said that Judaism did not exist until after the common era. I haven't found enough evidence to give credulity to this assertion, but if anyone here has evidence, please share it.
That could be the modern form of judaism where all jews are subject to the religious laws. Prior to the various revolts against Rome, the only jews fully subject to temple law were the priesthood and the nobility (both groups being virtually synonymous).
Judaism as a coherent religious grouping is probably no older than the return from Babylonian captivity (so c550BCE). It is at this period where you'll find the strongest evidence for the cult of yhwh becoming a monotheistic cult, rather than being part of a polytheistic or a henotheistic one. And most of the ideas on monotheism were probably developed from contact with Persian zoroastrians.
If it goes back to the Babylonian captivity, then it would be interesting to follow the development and divergence of apocalyptic Judaism vis a vis rabbinical Judaism.
The god who allows children to be raped out of respect for the free will choice of the rapist, but punishes gay men for engaging in mutually consensual sex couldn't possibly be responsible for an intelligently designed universe.
I may defend your right to free speech, but i won't help you pass out flyers.
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.
--Voltaire
Nietzsche isn't dead. How do I know he lives? He lives in my mind.
I may defend your right to free speech, but i won't help you pass out flyers.
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.
--Voltaire
Nietzsche isn't dead. How do I know he lives? He lives in my mind.
