A great idea for Christmas! (Planet Earth)
In an earlier blog, I noted how I visited 28 UN World Heritage Sites during this recent voyage. That works out to almost 1 site / 4.3 days (120 days). On further reflection, now I know why I had to come home early. Sensory and knowledge overload. But not every place I visited was a UN WH Site, which makes the notable site / days ratio even lower. One of those sites was the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem.
I spent a few hours wandering through this compact museum. There was copious amounts of information dating back to Mesopotamia and a little further back. Fortunately, I was able to gloss over the Egyptian sections as I had just gotten my fill of Egyptology a week earlier. My studies of other eras also helped in absorbing other sections of the museum. It wasn't until I neared the end that I read the most profound thing in the museum.
Paraphrasing the text panel: (No photographs allowed)
***For ~150 years after his death, there were NO DEPICTIONS (Or Christian art in general) of Jesus Christ. One reason for this was due to early Christians remembering the prohibitions from Judaism. Also, fear of reprisal from Romans may have been a factor. There were also only a small number of Christians. ***
Then for some reason, this changed and depictions / Christian art started around 180 CE. This took off in the 3rd century. This culminated in today's crosses, artwork, sculptures, etc... you see all over the world. Whether if be of Jesus or Mary, or otherwise. If you've been there - think of all the depictions in the Vatican Museum, or any major museum around the world - Uffizi, Hermitage, Louvre, etc...
So my point - what does Jesus look like? NOBODY FUCKING KNOWS. So why are there so many fucking i-CONs? If we think about a lower average life span back in those days, the likelihood of anyone knowing 150 years later is even lower. Is Jesus a white guy? An orange guy? A purple guy? I already told you his skin color (Age of Light - Minority Report) - but I DO NOT KNOW what he looked like.
Scholars have a CONsensus image of what he looks like - far different than the image most people associate with him - but even that is just an educated guess. So, even if you don't accept my statement, then you also have to fend off a bunch of biblical scholars. Either way - your image of Jesus is a LIE. Any image is a LIE. White or black.
Top 10 Jesus Movies (Christianity Today Magazine) - all these movies are LIEs.
People ideaLIZE things. Boyfriends idealize girlfriends and vice versa. Husband and wife. Travelers and vacation spots. Employees and new jobs / companies. 'Cult' figures. Heaven. God. At a low level there is little harm, but all too often - things don't stay at this low level.
So for Christmas - I would advise burning any image, video, cross, or book with these lies in your possession. Throw them in the Christmas fireplace or bonfire. But don't BE CONvinced by my musings. KNOW why this is so and make it YOUR CHOICE.
Here's a helpful hint: Read Exodus 20:4. Given what I just said above, you shouldn't even need this passage from the Bible to tell you that any images / artwork are a LIE.
Merry Christmas. BE the message and make it your last!
I spent a few hours wandering through this compact museum. There was copious amounts of information dating back to Mesopotamia and a little further back. Fortunately, I was able to gloss over the Egyptian sections as I had just gotten my fill of Egyptology a week earlier. My studies of other eras also helped in absorbing other sections of the museum. It wasn't until I neared the end that I read the most profound thing in the museum.
Paraphrasing the text panel: (No photographs allowed)
***For ~150 years after his death, there were NO DEPICTIONS (Or Christian art in general) of Jesus Christ. One reason for this was due to early Christians remembering the prohibitions from Judaism. Also, fear of reprisal from Romans may have been a factor. There were also only a small number of Christians. ***
Then for some reason, this changed and depictions / Christian art started around 180 CE. This took off in the 3rd century. This culminated in today's crosses, artwork, sculptures, etc... you see all over the world. Whether if be of Jesus or Mary, or otherwise. If you've been there - think of all the depictions in the Vatican Museum, or any major museum around the world - Uffizi, Hermitage, Louvre, etc...
So my point - what does Jesus look like? NOBODY FUCKING KNOWS. So why are there so many fucking i-CONs? If we think about a lower average life span back in those days, the likelihood of anyone knowing 150 years later is even lower. Is Jesus a white guy? An orange guy? A purple guy? I already told you his skin color (Age of Light - Minority Report) - but I DO NOT KNOW what he looked like.
Scholars have a CONsensus image of what he looks like - far different than the image most people associate with him - but even that is just an educated guess. So, even if you don't accept my statement, then you also have to fend off a bunch of biblical scholars. Either way - your image of Jesus is a LIE. Any image is a LIE. White or black.
Top 10 Jesus Movies (Christianity Today Magazine) - all these movies are LIEs.
People ideaLIZE things. Boyfriends idealize girlfriends and vice versa. Husband and wife. Travelers and vacation spots. Employees and new jobs / companies. 'Cult' figures. Heaven. God. At a low level there is little harm, but all too often - things don't stay at this low level.
So for Christmas - I would advise burning any image, video, cross, or book with these lies in your possession. Throw them in the Christmas fireplace or bonfire. But don't BE CONvinced by my musings. KNOW why this is so and make it YOUR CHOICE.
Here's a helpful hint: Read Exodus 20:4. Given what I just said above, you shouldn't even need this passage from the Bible to tell you that any images / artwork are a LIE.
Merry Christmas. BE the message and make it your last!
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