Scientific analysis of the biblical Epistles of the Apostles. Scientific line-by-line explanation of the Bible. Andrey Tikhomirov
into them. The Essenes took an active part in the anti-Roman uprising in Judea in 66—73, for which, according to Josephus, the Romans subjected the captured Essenes to cruel tortures («The Jewish War», II, 8, 2—13). Leo Taxil in The Funny Bible (p. 404) states that the Essenes, or Essenes, who lived in a commune, professed tolerance. They adopted various Persian beliefs. Most modern scientists consider members of the Qumran community (Qumranites) to be Essenes. The Qumranite community was destroyed during the uprising against the Romans. Their ideology had a certain influence on the formation of early Christianity. In the II century BC – II centuries AD, there were also religious and political sects of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Judea. The Pharisees (other-Heb. Perushim – separated) were an ancient Jewish sect that united representatives of the middle strata. The Pharisees insisted on strict observance of the precepts of Judaism, preached the doctrine of the afterlife, took hostile positions against Hellenistic culture, and were distinguished by ostentatious piety. The sect laid the foundations of the Talmud and the synagogue. Ambrogio Donini in the book «At the Origins of Christianity», p. 40, writes: «But the most ancient Christian communities of Palestine, – we should not forget this, – known as Ebionites („poor“), did not differ from them (Pharisees – Tikhomirs). They observed full rest on Saturdays, the day dedicated to Yahweh, and performed the main Jewish solemn rites in an order that was already different from Jerusalem and was approaching the Christian calendar with its compromise between the lunar and solar cycles. They preferred to call themselves the „sons of Zadok,“ after the great Biblical priest, with whom the Sadducees are also associated.» Sadducees (on behalf of Zadok, the founder of the dynasty of the high priests of the Jerusalem temple. The Prophet Ezekiel came from a noble priestly family of the Sadokids, from a family that lived in Jerusalem itself, and, apparently, was on the staff of the Jerusalem temple. Perhaps Ezekiel himself performed priestly duties for some time. In any case, as can be seen from his prophecies, he was well aware of the temple orders, the topography of the temple and what was happening in its most intimate rooms, and tried to justify the monopoly right of the Sadokids to perform the main priestly duties at the temple, the right that the Sadokids appropriated to themselves after the reform of Josiah) – an ancient Jewish sect consisting of a priestly the aristocracy. The Sadducees defended the positions of the slave-owning elite, with whom their interests were connected. They recognized the Torah and denied the oral tradition – the Talmud. Jesus Christ was connected not only with the «beggars, the poor» – the Ebionites, and hence with the Essenes, but he was also a Nazarene-Nazarene. The Nazarene, man or woman, was not to drink wine and other intoxicating drinks, not to cut his hair, not to enter any house in which there was a dead body. Some Nazarenes were dedicated to God by their parents for life. Jesus was also associated with the Parthian Persians, acting under the name of «angels», who wore shiny clothes and wings on their backs – the Persian Faravahar. That is why there are many things in the activity of Jesus that contradicted the canons of the Essenes (Ebionites), the Nazarenes, the Jews, and the Parthian-Persian Zoroastrianism. In addition, the real father of Jesus was a Greek of Syrian origin, who escaped from the Roman army, a Panther. In the person of Jesus Christ, there was a kind of protest in a generalized sense, where many of the beliefs and worldviews of that time acted together against the despotism of the corrupt Jerusalem hierocracy and their Roman masters).
3 And out of covetousness they will catch you with flattering words; their judgment has long been ready, and their destruction does not slumber. (The «wrong» prophets and teachers will soon perish).
4 For if God did not spare the angels who had sinned, but, having bound them with the bonds of hellish darkness, he delivered them up to be judged for punishment; (And the angels behaved «wrongly», here is God, who «created» the world!).
5 and if he did not spare the first world, but in eight souls he preserved the family of Noah, the preacher of righteousness, when he brought the flood upon the world of the wicked; (References to the Old Testament history).
6 and if the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, having condemned to destruction, turned into ashes, showing an example to future wicked people, (References to the Old Testament history).
7 But he delivered the righteous Lot, weary of the conversion between violently depraved people (References to the Old Testament history).
8 (for this righteous man, living among them, was tormented daily in a righteous soul, seeing and hearing lawless deeds) – (References to the Old Testament history).
9 Then, of course, the Lord knows how to deliver the pious from temptation, and to keep the lawless for the day of judgment, for punishment, (Lord God, from a religious point of view, knows everything, including the future. And if he doesn’t know, then it’s not God, but manipulative priests!).
10 and especially those who follow the filthy lusts of the flesh, despise the authorities, are bold, self-willed and are not afraid to slander the higher ones (God will punish everyone, but everything in the world is done according to the will of the same god).
11 Whereas the angels, surpassing them in strength and strength, do not pronounce reproachful judgment on them before the LORD. (Condemnation of the wicked, sinners, it is claimed that the angels, who surpass the wicked in strength and strength, «do not pronounce reproachful judgment on them before the Lord»).
12 They are like dumb animals led by nature, born to catch and destroy, slandering what they do not understand, they will be destroyed in their corruption. (Analogies and comparisons).
13 They will receive the wages of iniquity, for they take pleasure in daily luxury; shamefacers and defilers, they enjoy their deceptions, feasting with you. (Condemnation of the wicked, sinners).
14 Their eyes are filled with lust and unceasing sin; they seduce unapproved souls; their heart is accustomed to covetousness: these are the sons of damnation. (Son – in Semitic languages, this word may have the meaning: «heir, descendant» (Mt 1:1), «follower» (Mt 12:27). In addition, the word «son» is found in many phraseological phrases: for example, the son of gehenna (Mt 23:15), the son of the devil (Acts 13:10), the son of the curse).
15 Forsaking the straight path, they lost their way, following in the footsteps of Balaam, the son of Vosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness (The condemnation of Balaam, from the Old Testament history).
16 but he was convicted of his iniquity: a dumb ass, speaking with a human voice, stopped the madness of the prophet. (The donkey is a totemic animal, but the priest actually spoke).
17 These are waterless springs, clouds and mists driven by a storm: the darkness of eternal darkness is prepared for them. (Analogies with natural phenomena).
18 For when they utter puffed-up nonsense, they catch in the carnal lusts and debauchery of those who have barely lagged behind those who are in error. (Condemnation of the wicked, sinners).
19 They promise them freedom, being themselves slaves of corruption; for whoever is defeated by whom is a slave to him. (Condemnation of the wicked, sinners).
20 For if, having escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome by them, then the latter is worse for them than the first. (Condemnation of the wicked, sinners).
21 It would be better for them not to know the way of righteousness, rather than, having known, to return back from the holy commandment committed to them. (Condemnation of the wicked, sinners).
22 But it happens to them according to the true proverb: the dog returns to his vomit, and: the washed pig [goes] to wallow in the mud. (Analogies with dogs and pigs).
Chapter 3
1 This is the second epistle I am writing to you, beloved; in them I excite your pure meaning with a reminder, (Mention of the 2nd epistle).
2 That you may remember the words spoken before by the holy prophets, and the commandment of the Lord and Savior, given by your apostles. (Establishing the need to remember