Author: Juilan the Apostate
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781915645197
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Against the Galileans (where "Galileans" meant the followers of the man from Galilee, or Christians) was written by the last pagan Emperor of Rome, Flavius Claudius Julianus, who lived from 331-363 AD, as part of his attempts to reverse the Empire's conversion to Christianity started by Emperor Constantine in 313 AD. This work was acknowledged by one of Julian's greatest critics, Cyril, the Patriarch of Alexandria, as one of the most powerful books of its sort ever written. Even though Cyril was Patriarch nearly 90 years after Julian's death, he was motivated to write a refutation titled Contra Iulianum ("Against Julian"). For more than 200 years, Julian's book remained the standard criticism of Christianity. Finally, in an attempt to suppress the work, the Emperor Justinian I (527-565) ordered all copies of the book destroyed. As a result, the only record of Julian's book remained in the parts quoted from in it in Cyril's criticism. It was only more than 1,200 years later that the English classical scholar Thomas Taylor (1758-1835) first translated Cyril's work into English-and from that, attempted a reconstruction of Julian's book based on Julian's quotes from Cyril's work. Taylor titled this manuscript "The Arguments of the Emperor Julian against the Christians, translated from the Greek fragments preserved from the Greek fragments preserved by Cyril Bishop of Alexandria, to which are added, Extracts from the other works of Julian relative to the Christians" and privately published his reconstruction in 1809 for a very limited circle of friends. Taylor's reconstruction was finally published for a larger audience by William Nevis in 1873. This new edition contains the full Taylor reconstruction, along with his original appendices. From 1913 to 1923, British-American classical philologist and Professor of Greek at Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania, Wilmer Cave Wright, retranslated all of Julian's works. Wright included a new translation of the exact quotes only from Julian, as reproduced by Cyril, and some other remaining fragments. Wright's original manuscript is also included in this new edition, making it to be the most complete reconstruction of Julian's book ever printed.
Against the Galilaeans
Author: Juilan the Apostate
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781915645197
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Against the Galileans (where "Galileans" meant the followers of the man from Galilee, or Christians) was written by the last pagan Emperor of Rome, Flavius Claudius Julianus, who lived from 331-363 AD, as part of his attempts to reverse the Empire's conversion to Christianity started by Emperor Constantine in 313 AD. This work was acknowledged by one of Julian's greatest critics, Cyril, the Patriarch of Alexandria, as one of the most powerful books of its sort ever written. Even though Cyril was Patriarch nearly 90 years after Julian's death, he was motivated to write a refutation titled Contra Iulianum ("Against Julian"). For more than 200 years, Julian's book remained the standard criticism of Christianity. Finally, in an attempt to suppress the work, the Emperor Justinian I (527-565) ordered all copies of the book destroyed. As a result, the only record of Julian's book remained in the parts quoted from in it in Cyril's criticism. It was only more than 1,200 years later that the English classical scholar Thomas Taylor (1758-1835) first translated Cyril's work into English-and from that, attempted a reconstruction of Julian's book based on Julian's quotes from Cyril's work. Taylor titled this manuscript "The Arguments of the Emperor Julian against the Christians, translated from the Greek fragments preserved from the Greek fragments preserved by Cyril Bishop of Alexandria, to which are added, Extracts from the other works of Julian relative to the Christians" and privately published his reconstruction in 1809 for a very limited circle of friends. Taylor's reconstruction was finally published for a larger audience by William Nevis in 1873. This new edition contains the full Taylor reconstruction, along with his original appendices. From 1913 to 1923, British-American classical philologist and Professor of Greek at Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania, Wilmer Cave Wright, retranslated all of Julian's works. Wright included a new translation of the exact quotes only from Julian, as reproduced by Cyril, and some other remaining fragments. Wright's original manuscript is also included in this new edition, making it to be the most complete reconstruction of Julian's book ever printed.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781915645197
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Against the Galileans (where "Galileans" meant the followers of the man from Galilee, or Christians) was written by the last pagan Emperor of Rome, Flavius Claudius Julianus, who lived from 331-363 AD, as part of his attempts to reverse the Empire's conversion to Christianity started by Emperor Constantine in 313 AD. This work was acknowledged by one of Julian's greatest critics, Cyril, the Patriarch of Alexandria, as one of the most powerful books of its sort ever written. Even though Cyril was Patriarch nearly 90 years after Julian's death, he was motivated to write a refutation titled Contra Iulianum ("Against Julian"). For more than 200 years, Julian's book remained the standard criticism of Christianity. Finally, in an attempt to suppress the work, the Emperor Justinian I (527-565) ordered all copies of the book destroyed. As a result, the only record of Julian's book remained in the parts quoted from in it in Cyril's criticism. It was only more than 1,200 years later that the English classical scholar Thomas Taylor (1758-1835) first translated Cyril's work into English-and from that, attempted a reconstruction of Julian's book based on Julian's quotes from Cyril's work. Taylor titled this manuscript "The Arguments of the Emperor Julian against the Christians, translated from the Greek fragments preserved from the Greek fragments preserved by Cyril Bishop of Alexandria, to which are added, Extracts from the other works of Julian relative to the Christians" and privately published his reconstruction in 1809 for a very limited circle of friends. Taylor's reconstruction was finally published for a larger audience by William Nevis in 1873. This new edition contains the full Taylor reconstruction, along with his original appendices. From 1913 to 1923, British-American classical philologist and Professor of Greek at Bryn Mawr College, Pennsylvania, Wilmer Cave Wright, retranslated all of Julian's works. Wright included a new translation of the exact quotes only from Julian, as reproduced by Cyril, and some other remaining fragments. Wright's original manuscript is also included in this new edition, making it to be the most complete reconstruction of Julian's book ever printed.
Against the Galilaeans
Author: Julian Apostate
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781493773732
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 58
Book Description
First published in 363 AD., this is possibly the most censored book in history. Christian Church Father Cyril of Alexandria called it the most dangerous book ever written and it was burned by official edict of the Christian emperor Justinian in 592 AD. Its author, Julian, was himself an emperor of Rome (361-363 AD). Upon taking the throne, reversed the laws making Christianity the Empire's official religion and produced this work refuting the major principles of that religion. Using logic and satire, Julian pointed out the Hebrew origins of the religion, its inherent contradictions and its inversion of classical Hellenic and Roman thought patterns. As a result, he was given the title "Apostate" (from the Greek apostasia, the formal renunciation of a religion) by Christian historians. The book was suppressed after Julian's death in battle the same year it was published, and the last copies were burned by order of Justinian two hundred years later. What remains of Julian's work-captured in these pages-has been reconstructed out of Churchmen's attempts to refute the last pagan emperor of Rome. It is, I think, expedient to set forth to all mankind the reasons by which I was convinced that the fabrication of the Galilaeans is a fiction of men composed by wickedness. - Flavius Claudius Julianus Augustus, Emperor of Rome 361-363 A.D. Contents Julianus Apostata: Emperor of Rome (361-363 AD) Biographical Sketch Book I Man Possesses Knowledge of God by Nature; Hellenic Myths; Jewish Myths Compared with Pagan Ideas; Christianity Denies Humans the Ability to Distinguish Right from Wrong; Plato versus Moses; Bible Does Not Say God Created Earth; Hebrew God Only for Jews; Paul's Contradictions about Jews' Chosen Status; Jesus Sent Only to the Jews, not the Gentiles; Paganism's Concept of the Creator; Why are Races Different?; Homer, Moses, and the Confounding of Men's Languages; Differences in Culture between Nations; Moses Claims Hebrew God is Wiser than all Other Gods; Nature at Variance with Christian God; The Ten Commandments Analyzed; Hebrew God says He is Jealous-But Condemns Men for Being Jealous; Hebrew Concept of Revenge Different from Non-Jews; Hebrews Contributed Nothing of Value to Culture, even Though they Claim to be Chosen by their God; The Most Wicked Pagans are not as Bad as the Hebrew God's Vengeance; The Foolish Cult of Worship of the "Corpse of the Jew"; Emptiness of Hebrew Religious Heritage-Except for Savage Barbarity; Christians Emulate "Rages and Bitterness of the Jews"; Why Desert our Gods for the Jews?; No Alexanders or Caesars among the Hebrews; No Hebrew Culture or Arts; The Downgrading Effect of Hebrew Philosophy versus the Uplifting Effect of Hellenic and Roman Writing; Hebrew Writings not Divine; Non-Christians Have Superior Science, Art and Culture; Christianity "Compounds Rashness of the Jews and the Vulgarity of the Gentiles"; Implausibility of Jesus' Divinity; One God or Many?; Further Contradictions of Moses; Bible says Israel, not Jesus, is "God's Firstborn Son"; Bible Demands Burnt Sacrifices But Christians Refuse to Obey; Christians also Disobey Biblical Dietary Laws; Hebrew Laws Change at Will; John was the First to Call Jesus God, not the Bible; Why do Christians Grovel at Tombs?; Christian God Disapproves of the Division of the Sacrifice; Circumcision is Part of the Hebrew Heritage, Not of Others; Shooting Stars and Birds: The Necromancy of Moses; Book II: Fragments "End Times Signs" Always Here; Moses and Jesus; Jesus in the Wilderness and in the City; No-one Else Saw Jesus and the Angel; Ridiculous and Impossible Advice to "Sell All You Have"; Jesus was Supposed to Take Away Sin, but Sin has Increased; Simplicity of Believing Gentiles Mocked by Matthew.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781493773732
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 58
Book Description
First published in 363 AD., this is possibly the most censored book in history. Christian Church Father Cyril of Alexandria called it the most dangerous book ever written and it was burned by official edict of the Christian emperor Justinian in 592 AD. Its author, Julian, was himself an emperor of Rome (361-363 AD). Upon taking the throne, reversed the laws making Christianity the Empire's official religion and produced this work refuting the major principles of that religion. Using logic and satire, Julian pointed out the Hebrew origins of the religion, its inherent contradictions and its inversion of classical Hellenic and Roman thought patterns. As a result, he was given the title "Apostate" (from the Greek apostasia, the formal renunciation of a religion) by Christian historians. The book was suppressed after Julian's death in battle the same year it was published, and the last copies were burned by order of Justinian two hundred years later. What remains of Julian's work-captured in these pages-has been reconstructed out of Churchmen's attempts to refute the last pagan emperor of Rome. It is, I think, expedient to set forth to all mankind the reasons by which I was convinced that the fabrication of the Galilaeans is a fiction of men composed by wickedness. - Flavius Claudius Julianus Augustus, Emperor of Rome 361-363 A.D. Contents Julianus Apostata: Emperor of Rome (361-363 AD) Biographical Sketch Book I Man Possesses Knowledge of God by Nature; Hellenic Myths; Jewish Myths Compared with Pagan Ideas; Christianity Denies Humans the Ability to Distinguish Right from Wrong; Plato versus Moses; Bible Does Not Say God Created Earth; Hebrew God Only for Jews; Paul's Contradictions about Jews' Chosen Status; Jesus Sent Only to the Jews, not the Gentiles; Paganism's Concept of the Creator; Why are Races Different?; Homer, Moses, and the Confounding of Men's Languages; Differences in Culture between Nations; Moses Claims Hebrew God is Wiser than all Other Gods; Nature at Variance with Christian God; The Ten Commandments Analyzed; Hebrew God says He is Jealous-But Condemns Men for Being Jealous; Hebrew Concept of Revenge Different from Non-Jews; Hebrews Contributed Nothing of Value to Culture, even Though they Claim to be Chosen by their God; The Most Wicked Pagans are not as Bad as the Hebrew God's Vengeance; The Foolish Cult of Worship of the "Corpse of the Jew"; Emptiness of Hebrew Religious Heritage-Except for Savage Barbarity; Christians Emulate "Rages and Bitterness of the Jews"; Why Desert our Gods for the Jews?; No Alexanders or Caesars among the Hebrews; No Hebrew Culture or Arts; The Downgrading Effect of Hebrew Philosophy versus the Uplifting Effect of Hellenic and Roman Writing; Hebrew Writings not Divine; Non-Christians Have Superior Science, Art and Culture; Christianity "Compounds Rashness of the Jews and the Vulgarity of the Gentiles"; Implausibility of Jesus' Divinity; One God or Many?; Further Contradictions of Moses; Bible says Israel, not Jesus, is "God's Firstborn Son"; Bible Demands Burnt Sacrifices But Christians Refuse to Obey; Christians also Disobey Biblical Dietary Laws; Hebrew Laws Change at Will; John was the First to Call Jesus God, not the Bible; Why do Christians Grovel at Tombs?; Christian God Disapproves of the Division of the Sacrifice; Circumcision is Part of the Hebrew Heritage, Not of Others; Shooting Stars and Birds: The Necromancy of Moses; Book II: Fragments "End Times Signs" Always Here; Moses and Jesus; Jesus in the Wilderness and in the City; No-one Else Saw Jesus and the Angel; Ridiculous and Impossible Advice to "Sell All You Have"; Jesus was Supposed to Take Away Sin, but Sin has Increased; Simplicity of Believing Gentiles Mocked by Matthew.
The Last Pagan Emperor
Author: H. C. Teitler
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019062650X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 313
Book Description
Flavius Claudius Julianus was the last pagan to sit on the Roman imperial throne (361-363). Born in Constantinople in 331 or 332, Julian was raised as a Christian, but apostatized, and during his short reign tried to revive paganism, which, after the conversion to Christianity of his uncle Constantine the Great early in the fourth century, began losing ground at an accelerating pace. Having become an orphan when he was still very young, Julian was taken care of by his cousin Constantius II, one of Constantine's sons, who permitted him to study rhetoric and philosophy and even made him co-emperor in 355. But the relations between Julian and Constantius were strained from the beginning, and it was only Constantius' sudden death in 361 which prevented an impending civil war. As sole emperor, Julian restored the worship of the traditional gods. He opened pagan temples again, reintroduced animal sacrifices, and propagated paganism through both the spoken and the written word. In his treatise Against the Galilaeans he sharply criticised the religion of the followers of Jesus whom he disparagingly called 'Galilaeans'. He put his words into action, and issued laws which were displeasing to Christians--the most notorious being his School Edict. This provoked the anger of the Christians, who reacted fiercely, and accused Julian of being a persecutor like his predecessors Nero, Decius, and Diocletian. Violent conflicts between pagans and Christians made themselves felt all over the empire. It is disputed whether or not Julian himself was behind such outbursts. Accusations against the Apostate continued to be uttered even after the emperor's early death. In this book, the feasibility of such charges is examined.
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 019062650X
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 313
Book Description
Flavius Claudius Julianus was the last pagan to sit on the Roman imperial throne (361-363). Born in Constantinople in 331 or 332, Julian was raised as a Christian, but apostatized, and during his short reign tried to revive paganism, which, after the conversion to Christianity of his uncle Constantine the Great early in the fourth century, began losing ground at an accelerating pace. Having become an orphan when he was still very young, Julian was taken care of by his cousin Constantius II, one of Constantine's sons, who permitted him to study rhetoric and philosophy and even made him co-emperor in 355. But the relations between Julian and Constantius were strained from the beginning, and it was only Constantius' sudden death in 361 which prevented an impending civil war. As sole emperor, Julian restored the worship of the traditional gods. He opened pagan temples again, reintroduced animal sacrifices, and propagated paganism through both the spoken and the written word. In his treatise Against the Galilaeans he sharply criticised the religion of the followers of Jesus whom he disparagingly called 'Galilaeans'. He put his words into action, and issued laws which were displeasing to Christians--the most notorious being his School Edict. This provoked the anger of the Christians, who reacted fiercely, and accused Julian of being a persecutor like his predecessors Nero, Decius, and Diocletian. Violent conflicts between pagans and Christians made themselves felt all over the empire. It is disputed whether or not Julian himself was behind such outbursts. Accusations against the Apostate continued to be uttered even after the emperor's early death. In this book, the feasibility of such charges is examined.
Against the Galileans
Author: Julian
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 57
Book Description
Against the Galileans (Latin: Contra Galilaeos), meaning Christians, was a Greek polemical essay written by the Roman emperor Julian, commonly known as Julian the Apostate, during his short reign (361–363). In this essay, Julian describes what he considered to be the mistakes and dangers of the Christian faith and attempts to throw an unflattering light on ongoing disputes inside the Christian Church.
Publisher: DigiCat
ISBN:
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 57
Book Description
Against the Galileans (Latin: Contra Galilaeos), meaning Christians, was a Greek polemical essay written by the Roman emperor Julian, commonly known as Julian the Apostate, during his short reign (361–363). In this essay, Julian describes what he considered to be the mistakes and dangers of the Christian faith and attempts to throw an unflattering light on ongoing disputes inside the Christian Church.
A Companion to Julian the Apostate
Author:
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004416315
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Few Roman emperors enjoy such fame as Julian the Apostate (361-363), the man who tried in vain to reverse the transformation of the Roman Empire into a Christian monarchy. This companion synthesizes international research on Julian and develops new perspectives on his rule.
Publisher: BRILL
ISBN: 9004416315
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Few Roman emperors enjoy such fame as Julian the Apostate (361-363), the man who tried in vain to reverse the transformation of the Roman Empire into a Christian monarchy. This companion synthesizes international research on Julian and develops new perspectives on his rule.
The Christians as the Romans Saw Them
Author: Robert Louis Wilken
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300098396
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 244
Book Description
This book offers an engrossing portrayal of the early years of the Christian movement from the perspective of the Romans.
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 9780300098396
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 244
Book Description
This book offers an engrossing portrayal of the early years of the Christian movement from the perspective of the Romans.
Julian's Gods
Author: Rowland B. E. Smith
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134677464
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 317
Book Description
Julian's brief reign (360-363 AD) had a profound impact on his contemporaries, as he worked fervently for a pagan restoration in the Roman Empire, which was rapidly becoming Christian. Julian's Gods focuses on the cultural mentality of `the last pagan Emperor' by examining a wide variety of his own writings. The surviving speeches and treatises, satires and letters offer a rare insight into the personal attitudes and motivations of a remarkable Emperor. They show Julian as a highly educated man, an avid student of Greek philosophy, and a talented author in his own right. This elegant and closely-argued study will deepen understanding not only of Julian, but of the context of fourth century Neoplatonism.
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134677464
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 317
Book Description
Julian's brief reign (360-363 AD) had a profound impact on his contemporaries, as he worked fervently for a pagan restoration in the Roman Empire, which was rapidly becoming Christian. Julian's Gods focuses on the cultural mentality of `the last pagan Emperor' by examining a wide variety of his own writings. The surviving speeches and treatises, satires and letters offer a rare insight into the personal attitudes and motivations of a remarkable Emperor. They show Julian as a highly educated man, an avid student of Greek philosophy, and a talented author in his own right. This elegant and closely-argued study will deepen understanding not only of Julian, but of the context of fourth century Neoplatonism.
Christianity and Roman Society
Author: Gillian Clark
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521633864
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 156
Book Description
Early Christianity in the context of Roman society raises important questions for historians, sociologists of religion and theologians alike. This work explores the differing perspectives arising from a changing social and academic culture. Key issues concerning early Christianity are addressed, such as how early Christian accounts of pagans, Jews and heretics can be challenged and the degree to which Christian groups offered support to their members and to those in need. The work examines how non-Christians reacted to the spectacle of martyrdom and to Christian reverence for relics. Questions are also raised about why some Christians encouraged others to abandon wealth, status and gender-roles for extreme ascetic lifestyles and about whether Christian preachers trained in classical culture offered moral education to all or only to the social elite. The interdisciplinary and thematic approach offers the student of early Christianity a comprehensive treatment of its role and influence in Roman society.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521633864
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 156
Book Description
Early Christianity in the context of Roman society raises important questions for historians, sociologists of religion and theologians alike. This work explores the differing perspectives arising from a changing social and academic culture. Key issues concerning early Christianity are addressed, such as how early Christian accounts of pagans, Jews and heretics can be challenged and the degree to which Christian groups offered support to their members and to those in need. The work examines how non-Christians reacted to the spectacle of martyrdom and to Christian reverence for relics. Questions are also raised about why some Christians encouraged others to abandon wealth, status and gender-roles for extreme ascetic lifestyles and about whether Christian preachers trained in classical culture offered moral education to all or only to the social elite. The interdisciplinary and thematic approach offers the student of early Christianity a comprehensive treatment of its role and influence in Roman society.
Against the Galilaeans
Author: Julian the Julian the Apostate
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781521719251
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 51
Book Description
Against the Galilaeans, meaning Christians, was a Greek polemical essay written by the Roman Emperor Flavius Claudius Julianus, commonly known as Julian the Apostate, during his short reign (361-363). Despite having been originally written in Greek, it is better known under its Latin name, probably due to its extensive reference in the polemical response Contra Julianum by Cyril of Alexandria.As emperor, Julian had tried to stop the growing influence of Christianity in the Roman Empire, and had encouraged support for the original pagan imperial cults and ethnic religions of the Empire. In this essay Julian's described what he considered to be the mistakes and dangers of the Christian faith, and he attempted to throw an unflattering light on ongoing disputes inside the Christian Church. Julian portrayed Christians as apostates from Judaism, which the Emperor considered to be a very old and established religion that should be fully accepted. After Julian's death in battle in 363, the essay was anathematized, and even the text was lost. We only know of Julian's arguments second-hand, through texts written by Christian authors who sought to refute Julian.Julian first criticizes the practice of the Galileans of denying the existence of the gods, and their practice, taken from the Greeks, of being lazy and superstitious. Julian claims that men inherently know of the existence of God without being taught of it and that all men have an inherent belief that the gods reside in the heavens and observe what occurs in the world. Further, all men, from looking at the stable nature of the heavenly bodies, have come to believe that the gods are eternal and unchanging.Julian goes on to discuss the creation myths of the Greeks and the Jews, citing the account of the Book of Genesis. He ridicules the idea of literally interpreting the Jewish account, claiming that it is not only logically impossible, he asks how the serpent was able to speak a human language but that is also blasphemous and insulting to God. A true God, he says, would not have withheld the knowledge of good and evil from men or have been jealous of men eating from the tree of life and living forever. Indeed, this behavior shows God to be evil and the serpent, giving man the enormously valuable gift of differentiating good and evil, to be good. Therefore, it must have a deeper meaning.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781521719251
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 51
Book Description
Against the Galilaeans, meaning Christians, was a Greek polemical essay written by the Roman Emperor Flavius Claudius Julianus, commonly known as Julian the Apostate, during his short reign (361-363). Despite having been originally written in Greek, it is better known under its Latin name, probably due to its extensive reference in the polemical response Contra Julianum by Cyril of Alexandria.As emperor, Julian had tried to stop the growing influence of Christianity in the Roman Empire, and had encouraged support for the original pagan imperial cults and ethnic religions of the Empire. In this essay Julian's described what he considered to be the mistakes and dangers of the Christian faith, and he attempted to throw an unflattering light on ongoing disputes inside the Christian Church. Julian portrayed Christians as apostates from Judaism, which the Emperor considered to be a very old and established religion that should be fully accepted. After Julian's death in battle in 363, the essay was anathematized, and even the text was lost. We only know of Julian's arguments second-hand, through texts written by Christian authors who sought to refute Julian.Julian first criticizes the practice of the Galileans of denying the existence of the gods, and their practice, taken from the Greeks, of being lazy and superstitious. Julian claims that men inherently know of the existence of God without being taught of it and that all men have an inherent belief that the gods reside in the heavens and observe what occurs in the world. Further, all men, from looking at the stable nature of the heavenly bodies, have come to believe that the gods are eternal and unchanging.Julian goes on to discuss the creation myths of the Greeks and the Jews, citing the account of the Book of Genesis. He ridicules the idea of literally interpreting the Jewish account, claiming that it is not only logically impossible, he asks how the serpent was able to speak a human language but that is also blasphemous and insulting to God. A true God, he says, would not have withheld the knowledge of good and evil from men or have been jealous of men eating from the tree of life and living forever. Indeed, this behavior shows God to be evil and the serpent, giving man the enormously valuable gift of differentiating good and evil, to be good. Therefore, it must have a deeper meaning.
Byzantium and the Early Islamic Conquests
Author: Walter E. Kaegi
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521484558
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 332
Book Description
This is a study of how and why the Byzantine Empire lost many of its most valuable provinces to Islamic (Arab) conquerors in the seventh century, provinces which included Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia, and Armenia. It investigates conditions on the eve of those conquests, mistakes in Byzantine policy toward the Arabs, the course of the military campaigns, and the problem of local official and civilian collaboration with the Muslims. It also seeks to explain how, after terrible losses, the Byzantine government achieved some intellectual rationalisation of its disasters and began the complex process of transforming and adapting its fiscal and military institutions and political controls in order to prevent further disintegration.
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 9780521484558
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 332
Book Description
This is a study of how and why the Byzantine Empire lost many of its most valuable provinces to Islamic (Arab) conquerors in the seventh century, provinces which included Syria, Palestine, Mesopotamia, and Armenia. It investigates conditions on the eve of those conquests, mistakes in Byzantine policy toward the Arabs, the course of the military campaigns, and the problem of local official and civilian collaboration with the Muslims. It also seeks to explain how, after terrible losses, the Byzantine government achieved some intellectual rationalisation of its disasters and began the complex process of transforming and adapting its fiscal and military institutions and political controls in order to prevent further disintegration.