On Jul 17, 2008, at 2:16 AM, Chris Doss wrote:
>
> Any theories as to why that is? The theory I just pulled out of my
> ass 15 seconds ago is that it's because Early Christianity arose in
> Jewish society and so made a big deal about setting itself apart
> from it, so they thematized the supposed evillness of the Jews who
> didn't accept their innovations.
>
> --- On Thu, 7/17/08, andie nachgeborenen <andie_nachgeborenen at yahoo.com
> > wrote:
>> This is disgusting, of course. You'd never know that
>> from about the 7th century to 1920 it was Islam that was
>> liberal and tolerant towards Judaism,
Except that "Early Christianity," as designed by the Roman police agent Paul, arose in Greek/Roman, not Jewish, society, in antagonism to the Original Christianity led by Jesus's brother James. The Greeks, especially in Alexandria and the other urban centers of the East were already anti-semitic but the Roman populace, which adored the philosemitic Julius Caesar, was very respectful of Judaism despite official antisemitism (cf. Gaius and Nero) caused by the continuing Judaean insurrectionary Messaianic movements (one of the first of which was led by Jesus). The genius of Paul was to appeal both to Greek antisemitism (the theme of deicide, the figure of Judas) and Roman philosemitism (respect for a prestigious and widespread religious/philosophical tradition) with a "New" Testament justified by the "Betrayal" of the "Old" one by the Jews. But you are right that Pauline Christianity is inherently and violently antisemitic (cf. Hyam Maccoby, "Judas Iscariot and the Myth of Jewish Evil.")
Shane Mage
"Thunderbolt steers all things...it consents and does not consent to be called Zeus."
Herakleitos of Ephesos