Know Thyself 43: The Bible in 50 Minutes

IMPORTANT CORRECTION!! Near the end of the episode I commit a gaffe and state that there is no "Satan" in the Old Testament, which is obviously false. As per our interview with Dr. Price, there IS a Satan in the Old Testament, most fully developed in the book of Job. What I meant to say is that there is no DEVIL in the Old Testament! I conflated the two terms (as did later interpreters of the bible), and said "Satan" when I meant "Devil," hence the error. Satan in the Old Testament is the accuser -- something akin to a prosecuting attorney working in the court of God. Satan in the New Testament is presented as the Devil, an Angra-Maniyuesque enemy to God, chief among the demonic forces who actively oppose the work of God. Although it is seen by later Christians as the same being, his role and powers are very differently presented in older Hebrew and Christian texts. I will correct this with some bad editing when I get the chance. Other than that, I think my errors are no more than usual. Where did the belief in witches and demonic powers come from. What were the bases for these beliefs, the rationalizations of the persecutors, and the world view in which these unreal events played out? To find the answer, we run through the entire history of the universe as it was and is believed by billions, not millions, of people throughout time. The Bible is far and away the best-selling book of all time, and it has cast more light and shadow over civilization in the West than any other source. But what does it say? What story does it tell. And where, pray tell, do all these devils and demons come from? Music: In Spiritus by Danny Rayel, By the Rivers of Babylon by Sublime Art: Oz by Ian Armstrong

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