Manuscripts of the Gods: The Bible and Ancient Cultural Thresholds

by James Whitlark, Ph.D.

Abstract: Most of the world's scriptures developed during the period of manuscripts: "loud literacy" both because it was read aloud and because it brought so much prestige to the lectors/scribes that they flaunted it. To be comprehensible, ancient sacred texts had to fit the medium of "loud literacy" and the assumptions about communication that emerged very gradually during its period, slowly passing through a series of thresholds related to the Jung/Graves stages. To trace this effect, Manuscripts of the Gods uses four ancient cities (Rome, Taxila, Alexandria, and Tun-huang) as examples of manuscript cultures, and makes an imaginary trip to them to interpret the Bible in their contexts.

Introduction

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Part I

In Rome

Genesis 1-3

Genesis 4-11

Genesis 12-36

Genesis 37—

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Part II

In Taxila

Job 1-2

Job 3-14

Job 15-37

Job 38—

Psalms (1)

Psalms (2)

Ecclesiastes (1)

Ecclesiastes (2)

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Part III

In Alexandria

Mark (1)

Mark (2)

Mark (3)

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Part IV

In Tun-huang

John (1)

John (2)

John (3)

Revelation (1)

Revelation (2)

Revelation (3)

Revelation (4)

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Bibliography (1)

Bibliography (2)

Bibliography (3)

Bibliography (4)