Fact or Fiction, Do You Believe In Bible?

 The Bible remains the most ambiguous to this day scholars and theologists to debate on a number of discrepancies. Actually, all its entirety of the Bible, like other religious writings, is not scientifically confirmed, can be open to clarification. As for others, well, not quite. In fact, some parts of the Bible remain a complete mystery.

Are you curious to learn what the biggest unanswered questions in the Bible are?

Where’s the location of the Garden of Eden?

The original home of Adam & Eve, from where they were booted out by God, remains one of the mysterious locations in the Bible. It is true that the whole story can be interpreted as a metaphor, but what if one interprets it literally? Where would the Garden of Eden be located, after all? We can find mythicized some hints in Genesis 2. Genesis 2:10 says that, “A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden and there it divided and became four rivers” (the specific fairy-tale wording depends on the Bible translation). And then it mentions their names: Pishon, Gihon, Hiddekel (the Tigris) and Phi rat (the Euphrates). This hint has led to speculations that the Garden of Eden was located either in Mesopotamia (present day Iraq and Kuwait) or modern day Turkey or Armenia. Nevertheless, the specific location has, yet, not been traced.

Metaphorical interpretation aside, there are indeed two different versions of the creation story. Sure, these may have been an editorial mistake when putting the Bible together, but still, which story should we trust and why?

In Genesis 1, God creates male and female at the same time. But then, in the very next chapter, Genesis 2, God created a woman from a man’s rib, really? Not only that, but even God himself is described as having two different names as Elohim (one of the Hebrew words for God) in the first account and YHWH (“He Brings into Existence Whatever Exists” (Yahweh-Asher-Yahweh) in the second.

Who were the “Sons of God?” The Bible, however, doesn’t really tell us who they were for sure. Genesis 6:2 says that, “The sons of God saw that the daughters of humans were beautiful and they married any of them they chose.” So who were these “Sons of God,” after all? There are various interpretations of who the “Sons of God” were. Some theories point to fallen angels, while others say they might be the descendants of Seth (one of Adam and Eve’s children). The Bible, however, doesn’t really tell us who they were for sure.

It’s safe to say that most of us are familiar with at least some of the names and titles used to describe Jesus in the Bible. Names such as Christ, the Messiah, or Savior are commonly used to describe the ‘son of God’. It turns out, however, that there are a lot more names and titles for Jesus in the Holy Book. These range from names such as Immanuel to titles such as Head of the Church or Prince of Peace, to name a few. Delving into the New Testament and bringing you a list of names used for Jesus.

Immanuel is one of the names Jesus was known as. Please, behave if your name is Immanuel! The meaning of the name Immanuel is actually explained in a Bible verse. “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son and they shall call His name Immanuel’, which is translated ‘God with us’”, (Matthew 1:23).

What really happened to the Ark of the Covenant? The Ark of the Covenant, which is mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, contains the Ten Commandments tablets. But, whatever happened to such an important piece of Biblical history? There is a theory that the Ark ended up in Ethiopia and it’s in Aksum today, where it’s guarded by a monk. Another theory of an old manuscript called GG 00039, held at the Gunda Gunde Monastery in Ethiopia, contains the first part of Matthew’s Gospel.  Other theories point to the Ark being hidden somewhere beneath Jerusalem. To this day, no one has found it.

Who is Lucifer? He’s Satan, right? Well, there’s more to it, actually. Isaiah 14:12-17 mentions the story of Lucifer; however, you won’t find any connection to Satan or the Devil. Just that he’s a fallen angel who was cast down to earth by God for wanting to be above him. But then Luke 10:18-20 mentions Satan falling “like lightning from heaven.” So, yes, it seems like Lucifer and Satan fell down from heaven, but are they the same? It is possible that the connection between the two was made after the Bible was written. So, who is Lucifer, after all? Some theories point to the hypothesis that Lucifer was a reference to a Babylonian ruler. Another theory says that Lucifer was simply the Latin word for “morning star,” but the truth is that no one knows for sure.

What has happened during the “Lost years” of Jesus?

Jesus of Nazareth?

Jesus is central to Christianity, the largest religion in the world. As a look at key historical facts and pivotal archaeological finds that relate to his life, most scholars agree that Jesus of Nazareth was a real historical figure who lived in the 1st century CE. That said, there is “no definitive physical or archaeological evidence” of his existence. Scholars rely instead on detailed records of his life found in the four Gospels and New Testament writings, corroborated by other sources.

However, Jewish & Roman historians alike agree on the existence of Jesus, who was born and lived as a Jew in the region of Judea and Galilee, which were part of the Roman Empire. They also agree that his teachings were deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. It is only in later history that Jesus has been viewed as not a Jew.

Jesus is believed to have been born in Bethlehem, although some accounts suggest Nazareth as his hometown. Some archaeologists, however, believe there is “strong evidence that Christ was born in a different Bethlehem, a small village in the Galilee.”

According to three of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), Jesus was baptized in the River Jordan, though there is no hard archaeological proof. There is also some debate about where, exactly, along the river Jesus was baptized, with millions in tourist dollars at stake.

According to the New Testament, Jesus was an itinerant preacher who travelled around teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of God, repentance, and ethical living. Scholarly works, such as The Historical Jesus: The Life of a Mediterranean Jewish Peasant by New Testament scholar John Dominic Crossan, attests to this aspect of Jesus’s life.

According to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Jesus performed miracles, such as healing the sick and raising the dead. There is no hard evidence of these miracles; however, there is speculation that people’s beliefs at the time may have contributed to this interpretation of Jesus’s acts.

As described in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus and his disciples shared a final meal to celebrate Passover. While there is no compelling evidence of this particular meal outside Biblical texts, two Italian archaeologists argue that the meal would likely have looked a bit different than the one depicted in Leonardo da Vinci’s famous painting, with attendees sitting on floor cushions, enjoying a feast of “bean stew, lamb, olives, bitter herbs, a fish sauce, unleavened bread, dates and aromatized wine.”

 THE LAST SUPER

According to the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Jesus was sentenced to death by Jewish high priests and elders, and ordered to be crucified at Golgotha by Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor at the time. Archaeologists have since found physical evidence of Roman crucifixions similar to that of Jesus, lending credibility to the New Testament texts.

Contrary to popular depiction, at crucifixion Jesus was not nailed to the cross through his hands, but rather through his wrists. If his hands had been nailed to the cross, they would have torn from the weight of his body and he would have fallen.

His death on the cross could have taken up to six days. According to biblical reports, Jesus died six hours after. The crucifixion occurred at around 9 am and his death occurred at around 3 pm that afternoon. The Bible states that Jesus’ death occurred on Good Friday. Historians concluded that his death must have occurred in either 30 or 33 CE. Clues from Pontius Pilate and Tiberius indicate that 33 CE is likely the year that he died.

The name Mary is also mentioned, which led some to theorize that his wife was Mary Magdalene.

According to the Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John, Jesus was brought back to life by God three days after his death, and Mary Magdalene and his disciples witnessed his miraculous resurrection. While there is no hard non-Biblical evidence of this event, some scholars speculate that, as with Jesus’s miracles, belief in his resurrection may have taken root among people at the time due to their willingness to believe.

Not much is documented in the Bible about Jesus’ so called “Lost years.” So what was Jesus up to between the ages of 12 and 30, after all? Some theories say Jesus of Nazareth stayed in Nazareth, while others say he went to study elsewhere. Many archeological finds point to the possibility that Jesus existed. This includes houses from his period found in Nazareth and proof that Roman crucifixion practices matched the ones described in the Bible. Locations range from Alexandria in Egypt to India. It is possible that Jesus studied with the Jewish mystic group the Essenes or that he traveled as far as Britain with his uncle Joseph of Arimathea, who was a tin trader. The truth is that there is no solid evidence of any of these hypotheses. In 62 CE, Jewish historian Josephus made a reference to “James, the brother of Jesus who is called Christ,” who was executed. James also made his contribution to the New Testament. Jude was also the younger brother of both James and Jesus who became a believer after the resurrection of Jesus.

Jesus is said to have had four brothers and at least two sisters. The brothers were James, Joseph, Jude and Simon. There are theories that they may have actually been his father’s sons from another marriage or even cousins. According to the Bible, Jesus’ brother James was stoned to death.

Okay, how did humanity multiply? So Adam & Eve were cast out of the Garden of Eden and went on to have babies. But then for humans to multiply they had to intermarry, right? After all, there were no other humans around. Not only does it sound wrong, but scientifically speaking this wouldn’t have worked out. We need genetic diversity to thrive as healthy humans. So what gives? Well, one theory says that God either prevented genetic disorders that would likely happen from incestuous relationships or that, indeed, he created more than two humans.

What happened to the lost tribes of Israel? Both the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Judah were formed by 12 tribes of Hebrew people. While there is historical evidence of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (which formed the Kingdom of Judah and are considered the ancestors of modern Jews), the remaining 10 tribes are not well documented. The tribes were reportedly overtaken by Assyria and exiled from the Kingdom of Israel. But where did they go? Some theories say they traveled to Persia, the Arabian Peninsula, Ethiopia and even as far as Asia and North America. It is also possible that they merged with other non-Hebraic cultures and their traditions faded away over the years. Despite all the theories, no one knows for sure what happened to the lost tribes of Israel.

Where is Noah’s Ark? It is true that the Great Flood might have happened (though not on a global scale as the Bible mentions). But if Noah’s Ark did, too, what happened to it? Over the years, numerous theories have emerged and evidence has been found, though none was robust enough or indeed conclusive. One example includes wooden fragments discovered on Turkey’s Mount Ararat. Being made of wood, it’s very possible that if the Ark ever existed, it rotted and disappeared over the years.

What happened to Enoch & Elijah? The Bible says that Enoch, the father of the 969 year old Methuselah, one of the two witnesses, “walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.” But what does that mean? Did he die? Did he join God in heaven? According to Kings 2 2:1, Elijah, the other witness, who was a prophet, “Went up by a whirlwind into heaven” in a chariot of fire. If indeed this was a description of his death, why did he arise to heaven? He was a man, after all.