Friday, January 9, 2015

Another 'Mythicist' Observation (From Someone Who Doesn't Identify Himself as a Mythicist)

According to the two powers tradition there were two powers in the Deuteronomy narrative's account of the Sinai theophany - the god whose voice was heard from heaven and Eeshu, 'his fire.'  I've taken the incredibly audacious step of identifying the being whose name 'Eesu' in Greek but spelled Iesous (the pronunciation attributed to itacism = ἰωτακισμός).  I have also argued that the spelling of the 'Jesus' in the actual manuscripts of the early Church ΙΣ (the manuscripts never identify the Christian Lord as Ἰησοῦς. Indeed Irenaeus in the second century explicitly denies that Ἰησοῦς is the proper name of the Lord arguing instead for yeshu (and demonstrating that with an acronym YSU 'the Lord of heaven and earth' perhaps from Genesis chapter 2).

Here's my observation.  Eeshu creates Moses in his image (as his earthly 'twin') - that is bringing him into his presence and impressing his 'image' or 'likeness' upon his person.  Doesn't the early Christian tradition argue for the same practice?  There are so many 'twins' (Thomas) and 'brothers' (James) and 'brothers of brothers' (James and John, Peter and Andrew).  There is also a clear 'adoption rite' where individuals are baptized and made a brother of Jesus, 'the firstborn of many brothers.'  There is even the Islamic pseudepigraphal notion of Judas (or 'Simon' in the Basilidean tradition) literally taking on the appearance of Jesus.  Note also the parody in the Pseudo-Clementines where Faustus 'takes on' Simon's image and is hunted down by the authorities who want the Magus. 

The author of Deuteronomy declares that when the Israelites were terrified of the two powers (i.e. the voice in heaven and his fiery presence on earth) the Lord promises to send 'one like Moses' - a prophet - who will instruct them.  Doesn't this sound like the heretical understanding of the paraclete especially when applied to 'Paul' by the Marcionites, the Valentinians and the 'orthodoxy' (Archelaus) in the Marcionite stronghold of Osroene (locked in a battle with Mani who says he is the Paraclete, the twin of Jesus)?  Why do the heretics always resemble Jewish sectarianism against their orthodox adversaries (who 'confess' a belief in the monarchia but do not act, think or believe like any Jews known to anyone in history but nonetheless claim to be the 'true Israel'). 


Email stephan.h.huller@gmail.com with comments or questions.


 
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