The Journey
It’s been three decades since the younger version of myself began the path that led to this moment. As I reflect on my younger years, I recall being intensely frustrated by most of my life experiences, a common experience among young people in any generation. My approach to the subject matter differed significantly from today; it began as an emotionally driven endeavor, which led to many frustrations.
One such frustration came from experiencing multiple debates between “Creationism and Evolution.” [I felt] the statements and arguments were endless loops of each side’s point of view, with some facts to support their positions. Ultimately, I realized it was just about “what team to join” rather than seeking a meaningful understanding between one another. My frustration directed my perception of the arguments as a series of verbal exchanges between ignorance and arrogance. There was an underlying sense that both sides knew something was missing or were avoiding weaker positioning, making the focus about winning for their team.
I wanted better answers, ideally some idea of an “Absolute Truth” or something closer to it — as I said, “I was young,” but I did realize this wasn’t going to happen from these debates and decided to find answers on my own.
As with many things in life, the way it was being presented: If one was true, the other must be false. To be clear, I rejected the idea of a choice, but instead wondered: “If science is about finding the truth of things (and assuming it’s correct) and God’s word (the scriptures) has to be true, then both should be the same.” So, the question was: Why aren’t they the same?
Then my thoughts went to… Perhaps both are true, and maybe it’s man’s interpretation of the scripture that is flawed.
The first step
When I started, I had many questions: What am I trying to understand? Where should I begin? Why does any of it matter?
I realized the obvious starting point came down to two “seemingly” simple questions:
1- In what language was the Bible originally written?
2- How was biblical translation done?
One of the first things I became aware of is that such questions are not simple to answer, especially when digging deeper.
The rabbit hole(s)
When I first began, I obsessively researched and compiled a mountain of information. As part of this endeavor, I learned about religious history, scripture, language(s), and even mythology. The broader my research went, the more I noticed some common elements. The most commonly noticed aspects are the similar Motifs (recurrent thematic elements), Character types (Archetypes), and Events, in addition to the fact that other people throughout history have noticed many of the same things.
Specifically, the further I got into biblical scripture, the archetypal connections became apparent with other objects and things. I began to get the sense that everything was connected, like puzzle pieces of a larger, more complex reality. This realization, along with the overwhelming scope of the task brought me to the conclusion this was going to be a lifetime project. I also realized I needed to “live [survive] in the present” — this meant working, making an income, so I could eat, have shelter, etc.
After many years of personal life experiences and exposure to a vast array of topics and fields, particularly as technology has advanced, my understanding has evolved from what initially seemed like a two-dimensional puzzle coming together to something much more complex and dimensional.
One relevant factor is the effect of layering over time, including the interactions of people, as well as the fact that it has a pattern(s) to it.
As time went on, I was exposed to more “rabbit hole” topics in the sciences, one of which was about the human mind and its ability to recognize patterns. The more I expanded into other topics of knowledge, the more I began to realize that everything is about perspective and personal interest. More accurately, I began to understand that everything is connected, yet separated by perspective and personal interest.
Creating a Perspective
Regarding the vast amount of information I was getting exposed to. I began to understand “the idea of perspective” and how complexity is perceived. The fact is, there are many ways to view anything, and numerous factors that influence what a person thinks they are seeing. In its simplest form, we refer to this as a person’s point of view, which is also influenced to a varying degree by personal biases.
Finding Balance
If everything is a perception of truth and all things have meaning, then finding balance is the only way to navigate through people’s perspectives, like a raft on water.
To achieve this, a person needs to be open-minded [which is also an idea of “Being humble before God”], and includes compromise [which is the sacrificing of something].
Note: The problem of compromise is the “how this is done.” It can lead to “Concept of a Greater Good” [which is to pick a person(s) to be the loser or a “Win-Lose Scenario” versus finding a “Win-Win” version].
One of the better ways is to find common ground and build from there. The challenge here is that both sides must be willing and have honest intentions.
Becoming Observationally Aware
The idea of being objective is defined as: not influenced by feelings or opinions in considering and representing facts.
Note: My idea of being objective is looking at the “big picture” [or a bird’s eye view].
The idea of being observationally aware is not just with one’s own surroundings or time, but also the vastness of time.
Reflection
Understanding history is key to improving our future, but how we use what we can learn will be a true test of our wisdom.
After decades of examining various religious groups, scriptures and mythologies, ancient histories and cultures (traditions and practices), I noticed common motifs and narratives [As well as the many others who have referenced it]. There are many conclusions and ideas about why and how this is, which include the conflicting opinions [which is also a Pattern).
So I decided to go back to the initial questions:
1- In what language was the Bible originally written?
2- How was biblical translation done?
