In The Beginning...
Essential Historical Context for Understanding the Pentateuch
One of Antichrist Nationalism’s primary marketing strategies is to make pretentions at being the the most rigorous, disciplined, and faithful representative of Christianity. Maybe there was a point, likely sometime in the 19th century, where their doctrines really did represent our best efforts in the faithful understanding and application of scrpture.
The 20th century represented an entrenchment against difficult questions which scholars asked with increasing frequency. The poison fruit of this entrenchment, from Ken Hamm’s Answers in Genesis to the abusive, cultish, and exploitative nature of powerful and infuential institutions like Hillsong and the IBLP, this refusal to engage with society in any terms other than unquestioned acceptance, has resulted in the rapid deterioration of Christianity’s public credibility. This is a tragedy, since it throws cold water onto any embers of Christian enthusiasm and mystical experience.
Marketers - as we know - are not fond of competition.
Askers of difficult questions often get a reputation of faithlessness and impiety, which I think is entirely undeserved. I think that the actual context really enhances the material, and clarifies the nature of Christian priorities. Without it, the reader of scripture often resembles something like the protagonist of an H.P. Lovecraft story; wide-eyed, paranoid, and obsessed with realities that are completely alien to the one in which we reside.
The solipsistic lectures of the pastors which reached my ears as a young teenager consisted largely of “God told me” assertions, backed up by some verses and/or the narrative content of some bible stories. This caused me to lose interest as soon as I was exposed to literally any other idea. At a certain point, especially in those most frothing-at-the mouth, it becomes self-evident; the god these pastors of Antichrist Nationalism worship is their own internal monologue.
This is a work of devotion, and at times I may feel guided by the spirit. I also will never claim this as a sign of my authority. In these matters, I believe in “trust, but verify”. Some people describe signs, voices, and - a result of the internet’s ubiquity- “downloads”. A solid understanding of humanity’s experience with supernatural, mystical contact is the foundation of one’s ability to discern the truth behind those experiences. The ultimate reality and significance of those experiences is assumed. Those experiences are enriched by scholarship, but this is not a work of scholarship.
Nonetheless, I will be providing sources, and I highly encourage that people dive into the material in order to find their own place in the discussion.
The Composition of the Pentateuch and the Legacy of the Achaemenid Empire
The current form of the written Torah, in classical Hebrew, using Aramaic letters, Aramaic being the lingua franca of the Persian empire,1 was probably comissioned, along with the Second Temple, by the Persian emperor, Darius. His policies involved the support of local religious, civil, and/or educational institutions in ways that engaged their cultures seriously. The relations between the war-prone Ionian city-states under Persian control were managed through written treaties. In Egypt the law-code of the previously deposed pharaoh was collected, restored, and translated for easier common use; the temple college at Sais was restored as well. 2
The written form of the Torah which was the result of Darius’ cultural restoration was likely completed in the late 4th/early 5th century BC,3 possibly by compiled and redacted by the Biblical prophet, Ezra.4 The Documentary Hypothesis argues that four different authors’ narratives were edited together at different times in between around 700 BC and the Torah’s final redaction.5 The authors of the Torah are designated by the hypothesis as, J, E, P, and D.
J stands for Jahwist (or Yahwist). They refer to God as Yahweh throughout the narrative. The God in this narrative is physical and anthromorphic, and the stories tend to be focused on figures of Judah, the Southern Kingdom.
E stands for Elohist. They refer to God as El, or Elohim, until he reveals his name as YHVH to Moses . The God of this author is transcendent, and the stories tend to be focused on the figures of Israel, the Northern Kingdom.
P stands for Priestly. They refer to God in the same context as E. This author is most focused on the on the privileges, rituals, and prestige of the Aaronid priesthood.
D stands for Deuteronomist. They are primarily the author of Deuteronomy. This was likely written during the religious reforms of King Josiah, and tend to share the priorities of the author behind the Deuteronomic history (Joshua-2 Kings).6
The cultural and institutional infrasctructure of Darius outlasted the Achaemenid Empire, and was inherited by Alexander the Great, who turned Greek into the imperial lingua franca of both his Hellenist conquests and the later Roman empire. Judea’s resistance against Hellenization provided the cultural conditions in which Jesus’ ministry took place.7 The earliest Christians communicated in Greek, and recorded their scriptures in that language as well. The long philosophical and literary tradition of the language gave them an effective tool kit in communicating their experiences and positions to each other, as well as to new and potential converts. The prestigious Alexandrian adademic milieu, having been restored by the Achaemenids centuries earlier, it also being the crossroads of civilization at the time, was ideally placed to spead the new faith by its Alexandrian representatives, such as Origen and Clement.8
Fair warning; I’m getting ready to enter into the realm of theological speculation. Though I respect the discourse of academia, this is not an academic work.
The foundations for the material conditions which allowed for emergence, the definition, and the rapid spread of Christianity were laid by the Achaemenid Empire. This fact alone is remarkable, but there’s more to it. The words of Zarathustra, prophet of the Achaemenid state religion, seemed to have prognosticated this state of affairs. The language used even seems incredibly similar to that of the Gospels of Mark and Luke. That, along with the presence of the Magi, holders of Zarathustra’s oral tradition,9 speak to a possible prophetic importance to the authors of Matthew and Luke. In any case, the long arc of history has proven the prophecy to be fulfilled.
From the Vahishtoishti Gatha (for purposes of clarity, Ahura is changed to Lord; Mazda changed to wise/wisdom, their literal meanings):
“Zarathustra: The best possession known is of Zarathustra Spitama, which is that the Wise Lord will give him, through Right, the glories of blessed life for all time, and likewise to them that practice and learn the words and actions of his Good Religion.
Then let them seek the pleasure of Wisdom with thoughts, words, and actions. Unto Him praise gladly, and seek His worship, even Kava Vishtaspa, and Zarathustra’s son, the Spitamid, with Frashaoshtra, making straight the paths for the religion of the future Deliverer, which the Lord ordained.”
If it really is the case that Darius harbored the purpose of making straight the way for the eventual spread of Christ’s Gospel, then the results of his policies proved the success of his purpose. If his policies were the result of his prophet’s words, then he was successful and Zarathustra’s words proved true as well.
Despite the fact that scripture comes from many perspectives, which are often at odds with each other, even within specific traditons; Despite the fact that scripture is authored and transmitted by error-prone humans, it reflects our collective experiences with an authentic spiritual reality. Most people catch at least a single glimpse of it. For some of us, it inspires a longing which inspires us to embrace it with our entire being.
The Pentatuech represents the millenia-long labors of those whose longing remains inexhaustible. For those who long for a faith which deserves real critical consideration, this is dedicated to you.
- To The Coming Winds
John Hamer, Who Wrote the Bible? The Documentary Hypothesis, Centre Place, posted March 13th, 2019,
Ilya Gershevich, The Cambridge History of Iran Vol. 2, Cambridge University Press (1985), p. 221-224
Franz V. Greifenhagen, Egypt on the Pentateuch’s Ideological Map, Sheffield Academic Press (2003), p. 213
Hamer, Who Wrote the Bible?
Hamer, Who Wrote the Bible?
Hamer, Who Wrote the Bible?
Diarmaid MacCulloch, Christianity: The First Three-Thousand Years, Penguin Group (2009), p. 65-66
MacCulloch, Christianity, p. 147-154
Justin Sledge, Who are the Magi - Myth and History, Esoterica, posted on 12/22/2022,