Summary
Christianity is built upon our understanding of Jesus role and teaching. This book seeks to prise away the many barnacles that have encrusted Christian beliefs so that the purity and simplicity of Jesus message can be appreciated.
Many aspects of Christian belief have been invented – some for marketing purposes others for political ambitions. The virgin birth, the nativity story and the detailed genealogies of Jesus are clearly fabricated. Evidence points to a special sign concerning Jesus birth which convinced many He was a messiah – but it was not a star or comet which miraculously got suspended in geosynchronous earth orbit !
Jesus original followers, called Nazarenes by contemporaries, founded the first Church, in Jerusalem. Under the leadership of James, Jesus brother, this church blossomed eastwards across what today are Syria, Iraq and India; and westwards across North Africa and up the Atlantic coast along north-west Iberia, southern France and the British Isles.
Jesus teaching was embellished by Paul, who was repeatedly challenged by the leaders of Jesus’ church for inventing new doctrines. AD325 saw Pauline (Mark II) Christianity merged with Roman worship of Sol Invictus (Akkadian: Shamash) – changing the Sabbath to the day of the Sun, moving Christ’s birthday from mid-September to the annual festival of Sol Invictus and, under the new Trinity concept, even deifying Constantine as messiah and god elect. As Pontifex Maximus, Constantine became senior to the Bishop of Rome.