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Atheists & Agnostics

OriginalGeek

(12,132 posts) Fri Apr 5, 2013, 02:30 PM Apr 2013

Dumb question time: What original bible texts do we really have? [View all]

My little brother is trying to tell me he is studying original texts with direct translations from Hebrew and greek...I don't think he CAN be for the new testament as I thought the closest thing we had was at least a hundred years after the alleged crucifixion. But what about the old testament?

Incidentally, his studies have led him to believe that fundamentalists are full of shit but he still believes there is a god and jesus died for us so I don't know what practical good that does anyone.

He also claims (and I think I have heard this often from RW bible thumpers) that there is more contemporary non-biblical documentation about Jesus than there is for about Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great.

So that is my question: What actual texts do we really have that isn't a translation of a translation of a translation at best?

34 replies

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Highlight:

Dumb question time: What original bible texts do we really have? [View all] OriginalGeek Apr 2013 OP

Ask him to support his claims with the evidence. cleanhippie Apr 2013 #1

Indeed, they always use Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great in that claim arcane1 Apr 2013 #2

I asked him to show me the money. OriginalGeek Apr 2013 #3

We do have a few of the Sumerian texts Warpy Apr 2013 #4

We don't have Paul's original copy of any letter he wrote, for example. Bolo Boffin Apr 2013 #5

simple answer? None. ChairmanAgnostic Apr 2013 #6

Seriously fascinating OriginalGeek Apr 2013 #7

How could there possibly more documentation for Jesus than Caesar? Ron Obvious Apr 2013 #8

this is what I got in reply: OriginalGeek Apr 2013 #9

Josephus Ron Obvious Apr 2013 #10

Time to pull up some quotes.... defacto7 Apr 2013 #25

one ancient scholar and biblical expert was famous for dissing ChairmanAgnostic Apr 2013 #30

Yep. He is parroting apologists nonsense that he has been fed. cleanhippie Apr 2013 #13

ANd he thinks he's thought of something new OriginalGeek Apr 2013 #14

Good luck. I had a close friend that went full-on fundie... cleanhippie Apr 2013 #15

"not only believe, but to try and get others to do so as well" FiveGoodMen Apr 2013 #17

LOL! Pulled that one out of their (Balaam's) asses... onager Apr 2013 #29

Your DU avatar is my youtube avatar. ZombieHorde Apr 2013 #26

Optical illusions... Ron Obvious Apr 2013 #27

When I first saw that illusion, I printed out several copies and cut out the labeled squares. ZombieHorde Apr 2013 #28

If your brother is into reading, Curmudgeoness Apr 2013 #11

I'll give it a try OriginalGeek Apr 2013 #12

The fundies have gone full-bore blasphemer on Ehrman Stuckinthebush Apr 2013 #33

Of course they would attack him. Curmudgeoness Apr 2013 #34

I've seen fragments of the Old Testament yellerpup Apr 2013 #16

The translation problem isn't really so serious. The NT was mainly written in Greek, and we dimbear Apr 2013 #18

Translators and scribes skepticscott Apr 2013 #19

A curious Christian should certainly have a hard look at the Gnostic gospels, which weren't in the dimbear Apr 2013 #20

gnostics were too cooperative, too communal, ChairmanAgnostic Apr 2013 #21

On a completely unrelated side note OriginalGeek Apr 2013 #23

There are no contemporary sources for the Jesus of the Bible. sakabatou Apr 2013 #22

As far as I know amuse bouche Apr 2013 #24

The notion that we have "original texts" is laughable Act_of_Reparation Apr 2013 #31

Note that Julius Caesar thought his ideas were worth the trouble of being written down. dimbear Apr 2013 #32