City Case
This week's talk introduces the third of four 3D printed cases, the City Case. We have also updated the BRB and TT, details follow.
The City Case is in some ways the most important case. It holds the 3D objects behind each Paleo alphabet letter. These shapes provide proof of the definition of the letter. These are used later, when the definitions of words are being worked out.
The arrangement of the top of the case is called the Q-Map. It is used in various places as the standard map. The most interesting is the thrones given in the Book of Revelation.
TT and BRB Updates
The TT and BRB have also been updated. This update changes the word 'anoint' in various forms into 'messiah.'
Our understanding of the various issues involved has changed considerably over the past 10+ years since we started using 'anoint.' Time again for a change.
In the Old Testament the term 'anoint' means the process of putting oil on someone. In certain Christian circles this becomes symbolic for the oil of the Holy Spirit. It was this Christian understanding of the term that we were following. Normally seen in Greek based bibles as the term 'christ.' This is why we used 'anoint' throughout.
These days we believe the term used in New Testament times was meant technically, in Judean circles, as some sort of special person. Someone who was also expected to appear. Even to this day, in some Jewish circles, special rabbis can be called by their followers 'messiah.' In rare instances these same, now political, figures can take on the even higher role of 'god' to their followers.
When pressed, nobody in the New Testament admits to being this fictional character 'messiah' because it comes from tradition, not the earlier inspired Testimony. In effect 'messiah' in the New Testament is jargon. It has no translatable meaning.
We are starting to think about what was driving Ananias, the primary New Testament editor. Apparently he was trying to turn what would become Christianity into a Judean sect. The Rabbi from Nazareth was made into a messiah for that sect, just as is done to this day with some modern rabbis.
The editing process added entirely new narrative about this rabbi turned messiah. The term 'messiah' was also liberally sprinkled into the inspired parts of the New Testament, to feather together the inspired and uninspired parts.
Text Changes
In the Old Testament, the term 'messiah' is still translated as 'anoint,' the process of putting oil on someone. In the New Testament 'messiah' is used instead. This breaks our normal 1-to-1 rule on translation, but we think this is the NT editors intent.
The glue words surrounding 'messiah' are also hard. By grammar rules we can put the word 'a' in front of 'messiah' when needed. This seems strange, so we are not currently using that convention in many places. You will occasionally see 'this' in front of 'messiah' when the context seems to require it.
In the TT we have removed 'messiah' when attached to the personal name 'Joshua.' Once you know someone by name, there is no reason for a title, much less a Judean title.
When 'messiah' appears stand-alone in a passage which we expect to be inspired, we assume Ananias did a word substitution and we switch it back to Joshua.
The goal of these changes is so you can read the BRB and see more clearly into the thinking of the editor. You can more easily see the attempts to make the entire movement into a Judean sect. This effort is especially marked by this strange term 'messiah.'
More Later,
Phil