Part of a series of articles on Christianity

Foundations Jesus Christ Church · Christian Theology New Covenant · Supersessionism Apostles · Kingdom · Gospel History of Christianity · Timeline Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Christ is the English translation of the Greek word (Christós), which literally means The Anointed One. ... The phrase One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church appears in the Nicene Creed () and, in part, in the Apostles Creed (the holy catholic church, sanctam ecclesiam catholicam). ... Given the overwhelming influence exercised by Christianity, especially in pre-modern Europe, Christian theology permeates much of Western culture and often reflects that culture. ... Christians believe that Jesus is the mediator of the New Covenant (see Hebrews 8:6). ... Supersessionism (sometimes referred to as replacement theology by its critics) is a belief that Christianity is the fulfillment and continuation of the Old Testament, and that Jews who deny that Jesus is the Messiah are not being faithful to the revelation that God has given them, and they therefore fall... “Apostle” redirects here. ... The Kingdom of God or Reign of God (Greek basileia tou theou,[1]) is a foundational concept in Christianity, as it is the central theme of Jesus of Nazareths message in the synoptic Gospels. ... For other uses, see Gospel (disambiguation). ... The history of Christianity concerns the history of the Christian religion and the Church, from Jesus and his Twelve Apostles to contemporary times. ... Christianity was around before it was actually refered to as Christianity. Before Christ was born, there were believers descended from Adam and Eve that knew who God was and had a connection (faith) with Him. ... Bible Old Testament · New Testament Books · Canon · Apocrypha Septuagint · Decalogue Birth · Resurrection Sermon on the Mount Great Commission Translations · English Inspiration · Hermeneutics This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh. ... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... The canonical list of the Books of the Bible differs among Jews, and Catholic, Protestant, and Eastern Orthodox Christians, even though there is a great deal of overlap. ... A biblical canon is a list published by a religious authority of those books of the Bible that are considered inspired by God. ... The biblical apocrypha includes texts written in the Jewish and Christian religious traditions that either were accepted into the biblical canon by some, but not all, Christian faiths, or are frequently printed in Bibles despite their non-canonical status. ... The Septuagint: A page from Codex vaticanus, the basis of Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brentons English translation. ... This 1768 parchment (612x502 mm) by Jekuthiel Sofer emulated the 1675 Decalogue at Amsterdam Esnoga synagogue. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... The death and resurrection of Jesus are two events in the New Testament in which Jesus is crucified on one day (the Day of Preparation, i. ... The Sermon on the Mount was, according to the Gospel of Matthew 5-7, a particular sermon given by Jesus of Nazareth (estimated around AD 30) on a mountainside to his disciples and a large crowd. ... In Christian tradition, the Great Commission is the instruction of the resurrected Jesus Christ to his disciples, that they spread the faith to all the world. ... The Bible has been translated into many languages. ... The efforts of translating the Bible from its original languages into over 2,000 others have spanned more than two millennia. ... Biblical inspiration is the doctrine in Christian theology concerned with the divine origin of the Bible and what the Bible teaches about itself. ... Biblical Hermeneutics, part of the broader hermeneutical question, relates to the problem of how one is to understand Holy Scripture. ... Christian Theology Trinity (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) History of · Theology · Apologetics Creation · Fall of Man · Covenant · Law Grace · Faith · Justification · Salvation Sanctification · Theosis · Worship Church · Sacraments · Eschatology Given the overwhelming influence exercised by Christianity, especially in pre-modern Europe, Christian theology permeates much of Western culture and often reflects that culture. ... For other uses, see Trinity (disambiguation). ... In many religions, the supreme God is given the title and attributions of Father. ... Christian views of Jesus consist of the teachings and beliefs held by Christian groups about Jesus, including his divinity, humanity, and earthly life. ... In Christian religions that trace their roots to belief in the Nicene Creed, the Holy Spirit (Hebrew: ‎ Ruah haqodesh; Greek: ; Latin: ; also called the Holy Ghost) is the third consubstantial Person of the Holy Trinity or the Godhead. ... This is an overview of the history of theology in Greek thought, Christianity, Judaism and Islam from the time of Christ to the present. ... Theology (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογια, logia, words, sayings, or discourse) is reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Christian apologetics is the field of study concerned with the systematic defense of Christianity. ... Creation (theology) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... In Abrahamic religion, The Fall of Man or The Story of the Fall, or simply The Fall, refers to humanitys purported transition from a state of innocent bliss to a state of sinful understanding. ... Covenant, meaning a solemn contract, oath, or bond, is the customary word used to translate the Hebrew word berith (ברית, Tiberian Hebrew bÉ™rîṯ, Standard Hebrew bÉ™rit) as it is used in the Hebrew Bible. ... Note: Judaism commonly uses the term Tanakh. ... In Christianity, divine grace refers to the sovereign favor of God for humankind, as manifest in the blessings bestowed upon all —irrespective of actions (deeds), earned worth, or proven goodness. ... Faith in Christianity centers on faith in the Resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) ... the gospel I preached to you. ... In Christian theology, justification is Gods act of making or declaring a sinner righteous before God. ... In theology, salvation can mean three related things: freed forever from the punishment of sin Revelation 1:5-6 NRSV - also called deliverance;[1] being saved for something, such as an afterlife or participating in the Reign of God Revelation 1:6 NRSV - also called redemption;[2]) and a process... Sanctification or in its verb form, sanctify, literally means to set apart for special use or purpose, that is to make holy or sacred (compare Latin sanctus holy). Therefore sanctification refers to the state or process of being set apart, i. ... In Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic theology, theosis (Greek: , meaning divinization (or deification, or to make divine), is the call to man to become holy and seek union with God, beginning in this life and later consummated in the resurrection. ... Monument honoring the right to worship, Washington, D.C. In Christianity, worship has been considered by most Christians to be the central act of Christian identity throughout history. ... In Christian theology, ecclesiology is the study of doctrine pertaining to the Church itself as a community or organic entity, and with the understanding of what the church is —ie. ... In Christian belief and practice, a sacrament is a rite that mediates divine grace, constituting a sacred mystery. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... History and Traditions Early · Councils Creeds · Marcionism . Missions Great Schism · Crusades · Reformation Great Awakenings · Great Apostasy Restorationism · Nontrinitarianism Thomism · Arminianism Congregationalism The term Early Christianity here refers to Christianity of the period after the Death of Jesus and the foundation of the churches of Jerusalem and Antioch in the 30s and before the First Council of Nicaea in 325. ... In Christianity, an Ecumenical Council or general council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ... A creed is a statement or confession of belief — usually religious belief — or faith. ... In Early Christianity Marcionism is the dualist belief system that originates in the teachings of Marcion of Sinope at Rome around the year 144 (115 years and 6 months from the Crucifixion, according to Tertullians reckoning in Adversus Marcionem, xv). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... For the later Papal Schism in Avignon, see Western Schism. ... The Siege of Antioch, from a medieval miniature painting, during the First Crusade. ... Another major contention was the tremendous corruption within the Churchs hierarchy, all the way up to the Bishop of Rome, who appointed individuals to various positions within the Church (bishop, cardinal, etc. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Revivalism. ... The Great Apostasy is a disparaging term used by some religious groups to allege a general fallen state of traditional Christianity, or especially of Catholicism, magisterial Protestantism and Eastern Orthodoxy, that it is not representative of the faith founded by Jesus and promulgated through his twelve Apostles: in short, that... For other usages, see Dispensationalism, Restoration Movement, and Restoration Restorationism refers to unaffiliated religious movements that attempted to circumvent Protestant denominationalism and orthodox Christian creeds to restore Christianity to their constructions of its original form. ... Nontrinitarianism is any of various Christian beliefs that reject the doctrine that God is three distinct persons in one being, (the Trinity). ... Thomism is the philosophical school that followed in the legacy of Thomas Aquinas. ... For the Armenian nationality, see Armenia or the Armenian language. ... Congregational churches are Protestant Christian churches practicing congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation indepedently and autonomously runs its own affairs. ... Eastern Christianity Eastern Orthodox · Oriental Orthodox Syriac Christianity · Eastern Catholic Eastern Christianity refers collectively to the Christian traditions and churches which developed in Greece, Russia, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, northeastern Africa and southern India over several centuries of religious antiquity. ... The Eastern Orthodox Church is a Christian body that views itself: as the historical continuation of the original Christian community established by Jesus Christ and the Twelve Apostles. ... The term Oriental Orthodoxy refers to the communion of Eastern Christian Churches that recognize only the first three ecumenical councils — the First Council of Nicaea, the First Council of Constantinople and the Council of Ephesus — and reject the dogmatic definitions of the Council of Chalcedon. ... Syriac Christianity is a culturally and linguistically distinctive community within Eastern Christianity. ... The Eastern Catholic Churches are autonomous particular Churches in full communion with the Pope of Rome. ... Western Christianity Western Catholicism · Protestantism Anabaptism · Lutheranism · Calvinism Anglicanism · Baptist · Methodism Evangelicalism · Fundamentalism Unitarianism . Liberalism Adventism · Pentecostalism Latter Day Saints · Christian Science Jehovah's Witnesses · Unity Church Western Christianity is a form of Christianity that consists of the Latin Rite of the Catholic Church and Protestantism. ... The Roman Catholic Church or Catholic Church (see terminology below) is the Christian Church in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, currently Pope Benedict XVI. It traces its origins to the original Christian community founded by Jesus Christ and led by the Twelve Apostles, in particular Saint Peter. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Anabaptists (Greek ανα (again) +βαπτιζω (baptize), thus, re-baptizers [1], German: Wiedertäufer) are Christians of the Radical Reformation. ... Lutheranism is a movement within Christianity that began with the theological insights of Martin Luther in the 16th century. ... Calvinism is a theological system and an approach to the Christian life that emphasizes Gods sovereignty in all things. ... The term Anglican (from Medieval Latin ecclesia anglicana, meaning the English Church) is used to describe how the people, institutions and churches as well as the liturgical traditions and theological concepts developed by the state established Church of England, the Anglican Communion. ... Baptist is a term describing a tradition within Christianity and may also refer to individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. ... For the Methodist school of ancient Greek medicine, see Methodism (history of medicine) Methodism or the Methodist movement is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity. ... The word evangelicalism usually refers to a broad collection of religious beliefs, practices, and traditions which are found among conservative Protestant Christians. ... Fundamentalist Christianity, or Christian fundamentalism, is a movement that arose mainly within British and American Protestantism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by conservative evangelical Christians, who, in a reaction to modernism, actively affirmed a fundamental set of Christian beliefs: the inerrancy of the Bible, the virgin birth... It has been suggested that Unitarian Christianity be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The term Adventist can refer to One who believes in the Second Advent (usually known as the Second coming) of Jesus. ... The Pentecostal movement within Evangelical Christianity places special emphasis on the direct personal experience of God through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, as shown in the Biblical account of the Day of Pentecost. ... The Latter Day Saint movement is a religious movement that can be said to have been founded primarily by Joseph Smith, Jr. ... Christian Science is a religious teaching regarding the efficacy of spiritual healing according to the interpretation of the Bible by Mary Baker Eddy, in her book Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures (First published in 1875). ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Christian movements are theological, political, or philosophical intepretations of Christianity that are not generally represented by a specific church, sect, or denomination. ... A denomination, in the Christian sense of the word, is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and/or doctrine. ... The word ecumenism (also oecumenism, Å“cumenism) is derived from Greek (oikoumene), which means the inhabited world, and was historically used with specific reference to the Roman Empire. ... A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. ... This article is about the many forms of prayer within Christianity. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... // Partial list of Christian liturgies (past and present) Roman Catholic church (churches in communion with the Holy See of the Bishop of Rome) Latin Rite Novus Ordo Missae Tridentine Mass Anglican Use Mozarabic Rite Ambrosian Rite Gallican Rite Eastern Rite, e. ... The liturgical year, also known as the Christian year, consists of the cycle of liturgical seasons in some Christian churches which determines when Feasts, Memorials, Commemorations, and Solemnities are to be observed and which portions of Scripture are to be read. ... Christian art is art that spans many segments of Christianity. ... Throughout the history of Christianity, a wide range of Christians and non-Christians alike have offered criticisms of Christianity, the Church, and Christians themselves. ... Important Figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius . Marcion of Sinope . Pope Paul of Tarsus (b. ... The Church Fathers or Fathers of the Church are the early and influential theologians and writers in the Christian Church, particularly those of the first five centuries of Christian history. ... The relationship between Constantine I and Christianity entails both the nature of the conversion of the emperor to Christianity, and his relations with the Christian Church. ... Athanasius of Alexandria (Greek: Αθανάσιος) (also spelled Athanasios) (c. ... “Augustinus” redirects here. ... Saint Anselm of Canterbury (1033 or 1034 – April 21, 1109) was an Italian medieval philosopher and theologian, who held the office of Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109. ... Saint Thomas Aquinas [Thomas of Aquin, or Aquino] (c. ... Gregory Palamas Gregory Palamas (Γρηγόριος Παλαμάς) (1296 - 1359) was a monk of Mount Athos in Greece and later Archbishop of Thessalonica known as a preeminent theologian of Hesychasm. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Martin Luther (November 10, 1483 – February 18, 1546) was a German monk,[1] priest, professor, theologian, and church reformer. ... John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564) was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and was a central developer of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism or Reformed theology. ... John Wesley (June 17, 1703 – March 2, 1791) was an 18th-century Anglican clergyman and Christian theologian who was an early leader in the Methodist movement. ... Arius (AD/CE 256 - 336, poss. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Marcionism. ... The Pope (or Pope of Rome) (from Latin: papa, Papa, father; from Greek: papas / = priest originating from πατήρ = father )[1] is the Bishop of Rome and the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church. ...

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A Bible conspiracy theory is any conspiracy theory that posits that much of what is known about the Bible is a deception created to suppress some secret, ancient truth. Some of these theories claim that Jesus really had a wife and children, or that a group such as the Priory of Sion has secret information about the true descendants of Jesus; some claim that there was a secret movement to censor books that truly belonged in the Bible, etc. A conspiracy theory attempts to attribute the ultimate cause of an event or chain of events (usually political, social, or historical events), or the concealment of such causes from public knowledge, to a secret, and often deceptive, plot by a covert alliance of powerful or influential people or organizations. ... This Gutenberg Bible is displayed by the United States Library of Congress. ... A common dictionary definition of truth is agreement with fact or reality.[1] There is no single definition of truth about which the majority of philosophers agree. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Prieuré de Sion, usually rendered in English translation as Priory of Sion or even Priory of Zion, is an elusive protagonist in many works of both non-fiction and fiction. ... Censorship is the removal or withholding of information from the public by a controlling group or body. ...

Bible conspiracy theory has its roots firstly in Bible-based theologies. The Judeo-Christian tradition has a reference to a "conspiracy" in the Book of Jeremiah chapter 11.Jeremiah 11:9 Theology (Greek θεος, theos, God, + λογια, logia, words, sayings, or discourse) is reasoned discourse concerning religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Judeo-Christian (or Judaeo-Christian) is a term used to describe the body of concepts and values which are thought to be held in common by Judaism and Christianity, and typically considered (sometimes along with classical Greco-Roman civilization) a fundamental basis for Western legal codes and moral values. ... Bold text The Book of Jeremiah, or Jeremiah (יִרְמְיָהוּ Yirmiyahu in Hebrew), is a book that is part of the Hebrew Bible, Judaisms Tanakh, and later became a part of Christianitys Old Testament. ...

And the LORD said unto me, A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah, and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Judah (יְהוּדָה Praise, Standard Hebrew Yəhuda, Tiberian Hebrew Yəhûḏāh) is the name of several Biblical and historical figures. ...

Not all theories involving a conspiracy of deception affecting the Bible or its interpretation are held by a small fringe. For examples, mainstream Islam teaches that the Bible was deliberately corrupted by a conspiracy of both Jewish and Christian leaders to hide God's truth, and that only with the dictation to Muhammed of the Qur'an was God's truth finally revealed. Islam (Arabic:  ) is a monotheistic religion based upon the teachings of Muhammad, a 7th century Arab religious and political figure. ... For other people named Muhammad, see Muhammad (disambiguation). ... The Qurān [1] (Arabic: ‎, literally the recitation; also called ‎ The Noble Qurān; also transliterated as Quran, Koran, and Al-Quran) is the central religious text of Islam. ...

This subject should not be confused with deliberately fictional Bible conspiracy theories. A number of bestselling modern novels have incorporated elements of bible conspiracy theories to flesh out their storylines, rather than to push these theories as actual suggestions.

The Bible as a Lie

The largest conspiracy theory^{[citation needed]} is that Roman emperor Constantine supposedly imposed changes in the Bible onto the early 4th-century A.D. Church by establishing two ecumenical counsels, one to form the Old Testament and the second, First Council of Nicaea, to form the new testament. These were both expanded upon in the movie the Da Vinci code. // Constantine is a common name derived from the Latin word constans, meaning constant or steadfast. ... The First Council of Nicaea, held in Nicea in Bithynia (in present-day Turkey), convoked by the Roman Emperor Constantine I in 325, was the first ecumenical[1] conference of bishops of the Catholic Church, and most significantly resulted in the first uniform Christian doctrine, called the Nicene Creed. ... The Da Vinci Code book cover The Da Vinci Code is a novel written by American author Dan Brown and published in 2003 by Doubleday Fiction (ISBN 0385504209). ...

Old Testament

A tradition is that seventy-two Jewish scholars (LXX being the nearest round number) translated the Pentateuch (or Torah) from Hebrew into Greek for one of the Ptolemaic kings, Ptolemy II Philadelphus, 285-247 BC. Who had it subsequently edited and later expanded it by the addition of other "translated" works.^{[citation needed]} Look up Pentateuch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... 309–246 BC), with Arsinoë II. Ptolemy II Philadelphus (Greek: , 309 BC–246 BC), was the king of Ptolemaic Egypt from 281 BC to 246 BC. He was the son of the founder of the Ptolemaic kingdom Ptolemy I Soter and Berenice. ...

The small community of the remnants of the Samaritans in Palestine includes only their version of the Torah and the Book of Joshua in their canon.^{[citation needed]} This grouping is sometimes referred to as the Hexateuch. The Samaritan community possesses a copy of the Torah that they believe to have been penned by Aaron himself. Samaritans hold that the Talmud was merely the attempt of those taken into the Babylonian Captivity to reassert their political authority over those Hebrews who remained in Judah, and also that they contaminated Judaism with Zoroastrianism; Samaritans view Ezra as the great corrupter of scripture (rather than the great restorer). The Samaritans have their own version of the first six books of the Bible, with the first five being known by scholars as the Samaritan Pentateuch, showing many variations from the masoretic text of the Torah (which is used by non-Samaritan Jews, and which is a major basis for most Christian Bible translations).^{[citation needed]} A few of these differences are related to Samaritan beliefs (such as changing the roles of Gerizim and Ebal), while most are due to small spelling regularizations and modernizations of archaic or difficult-to-understand Hebrew forms in the Samaritan text (as opposed to the Masoretic text, where there was much more emphasis on lectio difficilior).Template:Fasct However, the Samaritan text is still an important resource for Biblical textual scholars, since it is an early independent witness to the history of the Biblical text (there has been little or no influence or harmonization between Samaritan and Jewish text versions since before the Maccabee period). This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The Holy Land or Palestine Showing not only the Old Kingdoms of Judea and Israel but also the 12 Tribes Distinctly, and Confirming Even the Diversity of the Locations of their Ancient Positions and Doing So as the Holy Scriptures Indicate, a geographic map from the studio of Tobiae Conradi... Tora redirects here. ... The Book of Joshua is the sixth book in both the Hebrew Tanakh and the Old Testament of the Christian Bible. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... The first page of the Vilna Edition of the Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Berachot, folio 2a The Talmud (Hebrew: תלמוד) is a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history. ... Babylonian captivity also refers to the permanence of the Avignon Papacy. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Ezra is a personal name derived from Hebrew, written variously as עֶזְרָא ( Standard Hebrew ), Ê¿Ezra, ( Tiberian Hebrew ), Ê¿Ezrâ: short for עַזְרִיאֵל My help/court is God, Standard Hebrew Ê¿Azriʾel, Tiberian Hebrew Ê¿Azrîʾēl, Arabic: عزير. // Once there once an ezra who ate two pies the kill barney with jake burton Unless otherwise... This entry incorporates text from Eastons Bible Dictionary, 1897, with some modernisation. ... The Masoretic Text (MT) is the Hebrew text of the Tanakh approved for general use in Judaism. ... Tora redirects here. ... Mount Gerizim (Samaritan Hebrew Ar-garízim) is a mountain in the West Bank near Nablus which is sacred to the Samaritan sect; it plays a role in their religion analogous to that of Jerusalem in orthodox Judaism. ... Mount Ebal, a mountain peak 940 meters above sea level just north of the West Bank city of Nablus. ... Lectio difficilior potior (Latin for the more difficult reading is the stronger) is a principle of textual criticism. ... The Maccabees were a Jewish family who fought against the rule of Antiochus IV Epiphanes of the Hellenistic Seleucid dynasty, who was succeeded by his infant son Antiochus V Eupator. ...

Karaite Judaism or Karaism is a Jewish denomination characterized by the sole reliance on the Tanakh as scripture, and the rejection of the Oral Law (the Mishnah and the Talmud) as halakha (Legally Binding, i.e. required religious practice). The word "Karaite" comes from the Hebrew word קָרָאִים (Standard Qaraʾim Tiberian Qārāʾîm), meaning "Readers (of Scripture)." This name was chosen by the adherents of Karaite Judaism to distinguish themselves from the adherents of Rabbinic Judaism.^{[citation needed]} Karaite Judaism or Karaism is a Jewish denomination characterized by the sole reliance on the Tanakh as scripture, and the rejection of the Oral Law (the Mishnah and the Talmud) as halakha (Legally Binding, i. ...

New Testament

Per David Icke the Bible, especially the New Testament, is a fabrication of the Roman Emperors to pacify a rebellious Judea,who subsequently edited the Old Testament ex post facto to prophesize about the Roman invented Jesus myth.^{[citation needed]} David Icke David Vaughan Icke (pronounced //) (born April 29, 1952) is a British writer. ... John 21:1 Jesus Appears to His Disciples--Alessandro Mantovani: the Vatican, Rome. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Map of the southern Levant, c. ... An ex post facto law (Latin for from a thing done afterward), also known as a retrospective law, is a law that is retroactive, i. ... The Jesus-Myth is a historical theory usually associated with a skeptical position on the historicity of Jesus, which claims that Jesus did not exist as an historical figure. ...

Joseph Atwill's book Caesar's Messiah describes how both the New Testament and historian Josephus's writings were fabricated by a group associated with Roman Emperors Vespasian and Titus. The intention of the religious text was both to pacify the rebellious Jews in Iudaea Province, and in conjunction with the Josephus text to form a dark satire of Vespasian's conquest of Judea, which would only be apparent to those knowledgeable enough about the events.^{[citation needed]} Joseph Atwill is an American scholarly author. ... An editor has expressed a concern that the subject of the article does not satisfy the notability guideline. ... A fanciful representation of Flavius Josephus, in an engraving in William Whistons translation of his works Josephus (years 37 – shortly after 100 AD)[1], who became known, in his capacity as a Roman citizen, as Flavius Josephus[2], was a 1st-century Jewish historian and apologist of priestly and... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Imperator Caesar Vespasianus Augustus (November 17, 9–June 23, 79), known originally as Titus Flavius Vespasianus and usually referred to in English as Vespasian, was emperor of Rome from 69 to 79. ... For other uses, see Titus (disambiguation). ... Iudaea Province in the 1st century Iudaea was a Roman province that extended over Judaea (Palestine). ...

Acharya S also claims inher book, [[The Christ Conspiracy, The Greatest Story Ever Sold]], that Jesus and Christianity were created by members of various secret societies, mystery schools and religions to unify the Roman Empire under one state religion, and that these people drew on numerous myths and rituals which existed previously and then constructed them into Christianity that exists today.^{[citation needed]} Acharya S is the pen name of D. Murdock. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ... Christianity is a monotheistic[1] religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as presented in the New Testament. ... Nations with state religions:  Buddhism  Islam  Shia Islam  Sunni Islam  Orthodox Christianity  Protestantism  Roman Catholic Church A state religion (also called an official religion, established church or state church) is a religious body or creed officially endorsed by the state. ...

Other claims are that many of the books of the New Testament especially those written by the Apostle Paul, were intentionally authored for the purpose of misleading contemporary Christians (and thus future generations and converts) away from established orthodoxy (commonly referred to as Judaism).^{[citation needed]} See article:Pauline Christianity. A 19th century picture of Paul of Tarsus Paul of Tarsus (originally Saul of Tarsus) or Saint Paul the Apostle (fl. ... Judaism is the religion of the Jewish people. ... Pauline Christianity is an expression which has been used, by those critical of Catholic, Orthodox and traditonal Protestant Christianity, to describe what is regarded as a distortion of the original teachings of Jesus due to the influence of Paul of Tarsus (otherwise St. ...

Jehovah's Witnesses

Jehovah's Witnesses believe that some renderings in certain Bible translations have been deliberately modified, (i.e the Holy name JHVH Jehovah or YHWH Yahweh, replaced in modern Bibles as LORD), but that the Bible itself is incorruptible because Jehovah God would guarantee the message He prepared for mankind was available always.^{[citation needed]} They have published their own translation, which they feel is the best translation available. However, Jehovah's Witnesses quote liberally from other translations in their publications as they feel the majority of translations contain renderings which help to more fully understand the original text. Jehovah's Witnesses have published much literature for the purpose of Bible study, none of which they hold as divinely inspired revelation. However, some critics claim that the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was written to support their religious beliefs.^{[citation needed]} The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) is a modern-language translation of the Bible published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. ... The New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures (NWT) is a modern-language translation of the Bible published by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. ...

Oneness Pentecostal/Jesus-Only churches

In the various Oneness Pentecostal/Jesus Only Churches, some recent bibles contain the word "Jesus" in the New Testament where most translations use "God" or "Lord". These publications support the Modalist theology that Jesus is the Father and the Son. Like Islam, they assert that many Trinitarian verses in the Bible were added in by dishonest scribes, and verses supporting Modalist viewpoints were taken out.^{[citation needed]} The majority of scholars believe the Comma Johanneum, perhaps the clearest Trinitarian passage in the entire Bible, is a late addition.^[1] Isaac Newton, the famed scientist, pointed out its questionable origin in An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture. The modern Modalist position is a result of R.E. McAleister's experiences at the Azusa Street Revival movement in Los Angeles, California in 1906. The Oneness movement rigidly adheres to the King James Bible translation, despite the fact that it was compiled entirely by Trinitarian translators. Popular televangelist and megachurch pastor T. D. Jakes is considered by some to subscribe to Oneness Pentecostal doctrine, though this is disputed by others.^{[citation needed]} Oneness Pentecostalism is a movement of Pentecostal Christianity that teaches the atoning death of Jesus Christ, His resurrection, His soon return, and the inerrancy of the word of God. ... The Jesus-Only doctrine is that which is taught by Oneness Pentecostals such as the United Pentecostal Church and other Apostolic denominations. ... In Christianity, Sabellianism (also known as modalism) is the second-century belief that the three persons of the Trinity are merely different modes or aspects of God, rather than three distinct persons. ... The adjective trinitarian is used in several senses: Ideas or things pertaining to the Holy Trinity A person or group adhering to the doctrine of Trinitarianism, which holds God to subsist in the form of the Holy Trinity The Trinitarian Order is a Catholic monastic order founded in 1198 by... This is about scribe, the profession. ... The Comma Johanneum was a clause present in most translations of the First Epistle of John published from 1522 until the later part of the 19th century, owing to the widespread use of the third edition of the Textus Receptus (TR) as a sole source for translation. ... Sir Isaac Newton, (4 January 1643 – 31 March 1727) [ OS: 25 December 1642 – 20 March 1727][1] was an English physicist, mathematician, astronomer, natural philosopher, and alchemist, regarded by many as the greatest figure in the history of science. ... An Historical Account of Two Notable Corruptions of Scripture is a dissertation by the English Mathematician and Scholar Isaac Newton. ... The Azusa Street Revival (1906–1909) took place in Los Angeles, California, and was led by William Seymour (1870–1922), an African American preacher. ... Nickname: City of Angels Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: State California County Los Angeles County Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D)  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... This page is about the version of the Bible; for the Harvey Danger album, see King James Version (album). ... In the USA, a televangelist (television evangelist) is a religious minister (often a Christian priest or minister) who devotes a large portion of his (or her) ministry to TV broadcasts to a regular viewing and listening audience. ... The interior of Rev. ... Bishop T.D Jakes. ...

Mormonism and The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints

According to the Church of the Latter-day Saints (LDS; see Mormonism), the Bible was incorrectly translated in several places, some of which differ from The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ and other new or newly-discovered revelations.^{[citation needed]} Because of this belief, Joseph Smith re-translated some portions of the Bible, which are known as the Joseph Smith Translation (JST). Joseph Smith did not use ancient manuscripts to support these revisions, but rather translated by "revelation" or "inspiration." The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints currently uses and publishes an edition of the King James Version of the Bible with footnotes which includes cross-references to the JST.^{[citation needed]} Mormonism is a term to describe religious, ideological, and cultural aspects of the various denominations of the Latter Day Saint movement. ... The Book of Mormon[1] is one of the sacred texts of the Latter Day Saint movement, named after the prophet/historian Mormon who, according to the text, compiled most of the book. ... The Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, also called the Inspired Version of the Bible or the JST, is a version of the Bible dictated by Joseph Smith, Jr. ... A manuscript (Latin manu scriptus, written by hand), strictly speaking, is any written document that is put down by hand, in contrast to being printed or reproduced some other way. ...

Currently the LDS Church has in their possession ancient Egyptian papyri,^{[citation needed]} written in what the church claims as Reformed Egyptian, that they claim Joseph Smith translated into what is now part of the Pearl of Great Price (PGP) sometime after the JST manuscripts were mostly finished. Some believe, like the JST, the translation is said to be^{[citation needed]} more of an inspired revelatory process than a direct translation from Reformed Egyptian.^{[citation needed]} Papyrus plant Cyperus papyrus at Kew Gardens, London Papyrus is an early form of paper made from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt. ... The Book of Mormon, a sacred text of Mormonism, states that it was written in reformed Egyptian[1] characters [2] on plates of ore[3] by prophets living in the Western Hemisphere between 600 B.C. and A.D. 421. ... For other uses of Pearl of Great Price, see the Pearl of Great Price page. ...

In the PGP Facsimiles #1, #2, and #3 Smith further describes the Cainite curse, its relationship to Egypt, and identifies the subjects in the pictures as the patriarch Abraham and the Egyptian king Pharaoh, his wife, and a black-skinned slave named Olimlah. In the middle of another of the facsimiles, God is said to reside near Kolob, a star "which is above all stars", and some take that as meaning it is near the center of the universe.^{[citation needed]} This page is a candidate to be moved to Wiktionary. ... Look up Curse in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... For other senses, see Patriarch (disambiguation). ... The angel prevents the sacrifice of Isaac (Rembrandt, 1634) Abraham (Hebrew: , Standard Avraham Ashkenazi Avrohom or Avruhom Tiberian  ; Arabic: ,  ; Geez: , ) is a figure in the Bible and Quran who is by believers regarded as the founding patriarch of the Israelites and of the Nabataean people in Jewish, Christian and... Pharaoh was the ancient Egyptian name for the office of kingship. ... In Mormonism, Kolob is a star or planet mentioned in the Book of Abraham as being nearest to the throne of God. ... Center of the Universe was a television series on CBS which ran from October 27, 2004, until February 16, 2005. ...

Hugh Nibley [1], Michael D. Rhodes [2] and Kerry Shirts [3] are all LDS scholars who defend the accuracy of Smith's translation of the Facsimiles.

Israel was not in Israel

The Lebanese scholar Kamal Salibi has written several books advocating the "Israel in Yemen" theory.^{[citation needed]} In this view, the placenames of the Bible actually allude to places in Arabia, and were later reinterpreted to refer to places in Judah when the Jews were placed there after the Babylonian Exile; and the ancient Jews actually came from Yemen, on the Arabian peninsula. Dr. Bernard Leeman ("Queen of Sheba and Biblical Scholarship" Queensland Academic Press 2005) has supported these views. Kamal Suleiman Salibi (born Beirut, 1929) is the Director of Royal Institute for Inter-Faith Studies and Emeritus Professor at the Department of History and Archaeology at the American University of Beirut, Lebanon. ... The neutrality of this article is disputed. ... The Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula is a mainly desert peninsula in Southwest Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia and an important part of the greater Middle East. ... Judah (יְהוּדָה Praise, Standard Hebrew Yəhuda, Tiberian Hebrew Yəhûḏāh) is the name of several Biblical and historical figures. ... The Babylonian captivity, or Babylonian exile, is the name generally given to the deportation and exile of the Jews of the ancient Kingdom of Judah to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar. ... // The Queen of Sheba, (Nigist Saba Amharic: ንግት ሳባ), referred to in the Bible books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles, the New Testament, the Quran, and Ethiopian history, was the ruler of Sheba, an ancient kingdom which modern archaeology speculates was located in present-day Eritrea, Ethiopia or Yemen. ...

As far as this hypothesis goes, claims of this nature do not constitute a true Bible conspiracy theory.^{[citation needed]} Such hypotheses would become a conspiracy theory if they additionally claimed that this came about as a deliberate corruption of the Biblical text, which later people then tried to hide, which Salibi does not assert.^{[citation needed]} This issue is discussed in Israeli-Palestinian history denial. This article deals with the actual or alleged denial of historical facts by either Israelis or Palestinians. ...

Alternatively, British researcher Ralph Ellis has made a more surprising proposal.^{[citation needed]} Since archaeological evidence for the United Monarchy is so lacking, as has already been mentioned, he has proposed that King David and King Solomon's empire encompassed both Lower Egypt and Judaea, and that their capital city was actually based in Tanis in the Nile Delta.^{[citation needed]} Thus Zion and Jebus (names of Jerusalem) were actually Zoan and Jebet (names of Tanis). Surprisingly, given the audacity of this proposal, the royal dynasty of Tanis shares a great deal in common with the United Monarchy.^{[citation needed]} Ralph Ellis is a British historical researcher who has written a number of books on revisionary theology. ... David and Goliath by Caravaggio, c. ... King Solomon Latin name (Hebrew: שְׁלֹמֹה, (Shelomo) (Shlomo pronounced with Yiddish accent)Standard Tiberian ; Arabic: سليمان, Sulayman; all essentially meaning peace) is a figure described in Middle Eastern scriptures as a wise ruler of an empire centred on the united Kingdom of Israel. ... The word Tanis has a number of meanings: Tanis, slang - A ganster way of saying your a pimp Tanis Diena - A Latvian pig festival Tanis, Egypt - An archaeological temple site and capital of Egypts 21st and 22nd Dynasty Tanis Half-Elven - A character in the Dragonlance novels & game products... Dormition Church, situated on the modern Mount Zion Zion (Hebrew: צִיּוֹן, tziyyon; Tiberian vocalization: tsiyyôn; transliterated Zion or Sion) is a term that most often designates the land of Israel and its capital Jerusalem. ... Hebrew יְרוּשָׁלַיִם (Yerushalayim) (Standard) Yerushalayim or Yerushalaim Arabic commonly القـُدْس (Al-Quds); officially in Israel أورشليم القدس (Urshalim-Al-Quds) Name Meaning Hebrew: (see below), Arabic: The Holiness Government City District Jerusalem Population 724,000 (2006) Jurisdiction 123,000 dunams (123 km²) Jerusalem (Hebrew:  , Yerushaláyim or Yerushalaim; Arabic:  , al-Quds, the Holiness)[2... Tanis (Τάνις), the Greek name of ancient Djanet (modern صان الحجر Ṣān al-Ḥaǧar), is a city in the north-eastern Nile delta of Egypt (30°58′ N 31°52′ E). ...

Lost books of the New Testament

Main article: Apocrypha

The Apocrypha are texts which are not considered part of the Biblical canon by a particular denomination, despite their resemblance to Biblical books in terms of form, content, etc. Some of these were still available in the libraries of the medieval period and survive until today, and many more were circulated before a number of Councils in the late 5th century mostly agreed on the currently recognized canon. While those were strictly speaking local councils with no universal jurisdiction, their results were broadly accepted, at least in the Western church; with regards to the New Testament which is the main concern in the conspiracy aspect, most Eastern churches eventually arrived at the same canon list. Apocrypha (from the Greek word απόκρυφα meaning those having been hidden away[1]) are texts of uncertain authenticity or writings where the authorship is questioned. ... A biblical canon is a list published by a religious authority of those books of the Bible that are considered inspired by God. ... In Christianity, an Ecumenical Council or general council is a meeting of the bishops of the whole church convened to discuss and settle matters of Church doctrine and practice. ... Europe in 450 The 5th century is the period from 401 - 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in the Christian Era. ...

Many of the apocryphical New Testament books contain Gnostic content. The church leaders in Rome were hostile to Gnosticism and considered it heresy. The Church was largely successful in suppressing Gnosticism -- most of the Gnostic texts known today had disappeared from the record until the late 19th and early 20th century. This could be labeled a Church conspiracy, and may be so labelled by neo-Gnostics.^{[citation needed]} Gnosticism is a blanket term for various religions and sects most prominent in the first few centuries A.D. General characteristics The word gnosticism comes from the Greek word for knowledge, gnosis (γνῶσις), referring to the idea that there is special, hidden mysticism (esoteric knowledge... Look up Heresy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Besides the Gnostic issue, some say^{[citation needed]} that certain books weren't included in the New Testament because of sexism. The Gospel of Mary was allegedly^{[citation needed]} written by Mary Magdalene, a woman who was among the group to whom Christ's resurrection was first revealed. Today, the Gospel of Mary is known only in fragmentary form, in a text which surfaced in 1896 (this is also the only known copy).^{[citation needed]} The Sophia of Jesus Christ mentions seven women disciples alongside the Apostles, and the Sophia of the title is, in gnostic thought, the female counterpart to Christ.^{[citation needed]} It has been suggested that Sex discrimination be merged into this article or section. ... The Gospel of Mary was found in the Akhmim Codex, a text acquired by Dr.Rheinhardt in Cairo in 1896. ... The penitent Mary Magdalen, a much reproduced composition by Titian. ... Look up Resurrection in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Sophia of Jesus Christ is one of many Gnostic tractates from the Nag Hammadi codices, discovered in Egypt in 1945. ... For the Gnostic Christians, the Sophia was a central element in their cosmological understanding of the Universe. ...

Concurrent with the "lost books" conspiracy theory is the claim that the Bible has been heavily edited or selectively translated in order to excise scripture which would undermine those in power; the editing is often purported to have been ordered by the Pope, some Council, and/or any one of many western, especially English Kings.^{[citation needed]} However, it is questionable that any power in the 1st millennium would have had the power necessary to get away with this, since knowledge of the Bible was widespread among ordinary believers during this early age.^{[citation needed]} Also that breakaway churches which still exist today, some having had no contact with the Imperial church from as early as ca. 400, use essentially the same Biblical texts, speaks against any probable large-scale removals.^{[citation needed]} Nevertheless, the unexpected discovery of the Mar Saba letter in the 20th century, containing an apparently missing part of the Gospel of Mark, suggests^{[citation needed]} that some such suppression occurred and was fairly successful (the letter is now considered genuine by a majority of scholars, while there is still debate on whether the portion of Mark it claims to contain is genuine).^{[citation needed]} The Pope (or Pope of Rome) (from Latin: papa, Papa, father; from Greek: papas / = priest originating from πατήρ = father )[1] is the Bishop of Rome and the spiritual leader of the Roman Catholic Church. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... Look up monarch in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A millennium (pl. ... The discovery in 1958 of a fragment of an unknown Secret Gospel of Mark provoked a storm of recrimination, denial and abuse. ... The Secret Gospel of Mark refers to a non-canonical gospel which is the subject of the Mar Saba letter, a previously unknown letter attributed to Clement of Alexandria which Morton Smith claimed to have found transcribed into the endpapers of a 17th century printed edition of Ignatius. ...

Note that the term "apocryphal" is used by Protestants to describe the "deuterocanonical books" (Tobias, Judith, Wisdom, Jesus Sirach, Baruch, 1 Maccabees, 2 Maccabees, parts of Daniel, and parts of Esther) that are accepted as canonical by Catholics and Orthodox Christians and which had been included in the Jewish Septuagint (the "LXX"). Though they had been considered more or less a part of the still open Jewish canon for varying numbers of years, the Pharisees removed these books when they closed their canon at the Council of Jamnia (ca. 100), held under the auspices of the Flavian emperors. Many Protestant denominations followed suit in the 16th and 17th centuries.

The existence of such a conspiracy is the main topic of controversial films such as Stigmata. The deuterocanonical books are the books that Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and Oriental Orthodoxy include in the Old Testament that were not part of the Jewish Tanakh. ... Eastern Christianity refers collectively to the Christian traditions and churches which developed in Greece, Russia, the Balkans, Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East, northeastern Africa and southern India over several centuries of religious antiquity. ... The Septuagint: A page from Codex vaticanus, the basis of Sir Lancelot Charles Lee Brentons English translation. ... After the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai relocated to the city of Yavne/Jamnia and founded a school of Jewish law there, becoming a major source for the later Mishna. ... Protestantism is a general grouping of denominations within Christianity. ... Stigmata is a controversial movie directed by Rupert Wainwright that premiered on September 10, 1999. ...

Jesus, Mary Magdalene and the Holy Grail

Some common hypotheses are that: Look up Hypothesis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

• Mary Magdalene was one of the apostles of Jesus, possibly even the only disciple, but this fact was suppressed by the early Church.^[2]
• Jesus had an intimate relationship with Mary Magdalene which may or may not have resulted in marriage, and/or children; their continued bloodline is then said to be Christianity's deepest secret.^[2]

The penitent Mary Magdalen, a much reproduced composition by Titian. ... The Twelve Apostles (in Koine Greek απόστολος apostolos [1], someone sent forth/sent out, an emissary) were probably Galilean Jewish men (10 names are Aramaic, 4 names are Greek) chosen from among the disciples, who were sent forth by Jesus of Nazareth to preach the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles... In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ...

See also

• Biblical criticism
• The Da Vinci Code
• Holy Blood, Holy Grail
• Documentary hypothesis

This article is being considered for deletion in accordance with Wikipedias deletion policy. ... This article is about the novel. ... Holy Blood, Holy Grail is a controversial New York Times bestselling book by authors Michael Baigent, Richard Leigh, and Henry Lincoln, which was published in 1982 by Dell (ISBN 055212138) in London. ... A relational diagram describing the various versions postulated by the biblical documentary hypothesis. ...

References

External links

• Overview of the Differences Between the Jewish and Samaritan Versions of the Pentateuch
• Facsimile of the entire Samaritan Pentateuch (in Hebrew)
• Joseph Atwill's homepage
• Joseph Atwill interview
• Gospel of Titus
• Criticism of Caesar's Messiah by Richard Carrier
• Review of Caesar's Messiah by Robert M. Price