> So, although one could not technically speak of the ethic you
> mention as a Hebrew original per se, I think it is safe to say that
> with reference to this ethic and its influence upon Western
> civilization, Jesus is the sun, Judaism is the moon and all the
> other ancient cultures are but faint stars.
Thanks Paul. That was my *feeling*. Moreover, the fact that the Bible
and particularly the NT made such a huge impact on western civilian,
it would seem to me that even if it wasn't competely invented there,
at least it was the only location where it was bound together in a
unified concept. It's actually somewhat interesting that Acts 1 - 10
roughly reads with a sense of discovery. Nobody seemed to understand
where it was going, least of all the apostles, until Acts 10:34. ....
and we write our journal publications like we knew what we were doing
the whole time. (Well, that *could* be attributed to the Luke's
intention in the writing, but anyway.....)
However, I really have not read enough to be even remotely sure: no
ten volumes of Josephus, no NT apacrapha, no Gnostic texts, no gospel
of Thomas, etc.
by Grace alone do we proceed.
Wayne