Episodes

  • And of My Descendants?

    And of My Descendants?
    Jan 16 2025

    In Scripture, Abraham’s seed encompasses more than just biological lineage. It also transmits God’s covenant, outlining the potential for righteousness and human corruption in a single function.

    The Hebrew term zera', "seed" or "offspring," follows the continuity of God’s promise to Abraham from one generation to the next. It also marks the recurring story of human rebellion, which is as predictable in each generation as the agrarian cycle of seasons.

    Nothing changes under the sun.

    In this sense, the biblical seed is covenantal, according to God’s promise across the generations, and biological, according to his command. The seed has all living things and the preservation of life in its purview, even as humans repeatedly threaten life in literary Scripture and literal history.

    To sow the biblical seed is to “spread” God’s covenant in fulfillment of his promise to Abraham, a grace carried in the content of Paul’s gospel, which scatters our rebellious (biological) seed as Jesus scatters in Luke, all the while gathering God’s offspring for the Kingdom.

    This is what the Magnificat in Luke 1:46-55 means:

    Scripture shatters the stubborn back of human rebellion in every generation, scattering those who remain and spreading them among the nations, fulfilling God’s promise to Abraham and his offspring, including all life in God’s zealous care.

    Put that in your flashy fundraising brochure.

    This week, I discuss Luke 8:4-8.


    Show Notes

    σπείρω / σπόρος / ז-ר-ע (zayin-resh-ʿayin) / ز-ر-ع (zāy-rāʿ-ʿayn)

    “And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time זרע (zaraʿ), and you shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land safely.” (Leviticus 26:5)זֶ֫רַע (zeraʿ) “seed,” in biblical Hebrew, also functions as “offspring” or “descendants” with a connotation of spreading or scattering. In Arabic:
    • The verb زرع (zaraʿa) means “to sow” or “to plant.”
    • The noun زرع (zarʿ) refers to “crops” or “plants.”
    أَفَرَأَيْتُم مَّا تَحْرُثُونَ
    أَأَنتُمْ تَزْرَعُونَهُ أَمْ نَحْنُ الزَّارِعُونَ
    (ʾafa-raʾaytum mā taḥruthūna, ʾaʾantum tazraʿūnahu ʾam naḥnu al-zāriʿūna)“Have you seen that which you sow?
    Is it you who makes it grow, or are we the grower?”(Surah Al-Waqi'ah, 56:63-64)

    The biblical function ז-ר-ע bifurcates in the Qur’an, clarifying the distinction between covenant and offspring. A second root, ذ-ر-أ (dhā-ra-hamza), is introduced alongside ז-ר-ע that ties directly to lineage, posterity, and the continuity of God’s covenant with Abraham:

    قَالَ وَمِن ذُرِّيَّتِي قَالَ لَا يَنَالُ عَهْدِي الظَّالِمِينَ
    (qāla wa-min dhurrIyyatī qāla lā ya-nālu ʿahdī a-ẓālimīna)“He [Abraham] said, ‘And of my descendants?’ He said, ‘My covenant does not include the wrongdoers.’”(Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:124)

    As with Biblical Hebrew, both connotate scattering, dispersing, or spreading.

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    22 mins
  • They Built Themselves High Places

    They Built Themselves High Places
    Jan 2 2025

    “He who is not with me is against me; and he who does not gather with me, scatters.” (Luke 11:23)


    Mothers, not women—mothers specifically—are exploited by the schemes of city builders. This distinction is important because women are often party to the weaponization of mothers.


    I began this week's monologue with a verse from Luke 11 because it is impossible to hear what Luke wrote about “scattering” until you hear clearly what he taught about point of reference.


    As Matthew taught us earlier in the New Testament, you cannot serve two masters: You cannot serve the Hasmoneans and the Kingdom of God. You cannot serve Herod and the Kingdom of God. You cannot serve Caesar and the Kingdom of God. You cannot serve any institution and the Kingdom of God.

    You are allowed one choice in the Bible: submit to him and gather for him and scatter as Jesus scatters, or submit to something else and gather against Jesus, which means you are the wolf, stealing sheep and scattering the Master’s flock.

    All clergy are hirelings, but not all are wolves. Whether an assembly is full or not, who can tell who is gathering and who is scattering? None but him, and it has nothing to do with a church’s balance sheet.

    Truly, truly, I say to you: the first three verses of Luke 8 carry the proclamation of the liberation of the mothers of Judah from the buildings of the Israelites, which are an affront to God.

    This week, I discuss Luke 8: 1-3.

    Show Notes


    Μαγδαληνή / ג-ד-ל (    gimel-dalet-lamed) / ج-د-ل (jīm-dāl-lām)


    Μαγδαληνή (Magdalene) from the Hebrew מִגְדָּל (migdal) in the New Testament functions as “Mary Magdalene,” (Μαρία ἡ Μαγδαληνή), or “Mary of Magdala.” In Arabic, مجدل (majdal) a fortress, tower, or stronghold, can also function as something braided or woven tightly or strong.

    “Then they said, ‘Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower (migdal) that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.’” (Genesis 11:4)“The Israelites secretly did things against the Lord their God that were not right. From watchtower (migdal) to fortified city they built themselves high places in all their towns.” (2 Kings 17:9)

    Χουζᾶς / ח-ז-ה (ḥet-zayin-he) / ح-ز-ي (ḥāʼ-zā-yāʼ)

    The Hebrew root ח-ז-ה (ḥet-zayin-he) can function as “to see” or “to behold,” typically in prophetic usage. In Arabic, حَزِي (ḥazi) refers to “an astrologer” or someone who interprets celestial phenomena to foresee events.

    Σουσάννα / ש-ו-ש (shin-waw-shin) / س-و-س (sīn-wāw-sīn)

    Transliterated from the Hebrew or Aramaic name שׁוֹשַׁנָּה (Shoshannah, “lily”), Σουσάννα (Sousanna), appears in the Septuagint in the text of the same name. Shoshannah can function as “lily” or “rose,” in Hebrew and Aramaic usage.

    • שׂוּשׂ (sus): To rejoice or exult.
    • שׁוֹשׂ (shos): Rejoicing or delight.

    The same root in Arabic سوس (sūs) is associated with managing, governing, or overseeing.

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    37 mins
  • To the Text

    To the Text
    Dec 31 2024

    In this episode, Fr. Paul stresses the importance of going to the biblical text, not “going back, ” highlighting how Paul’s letters and even Luke’s Gospel were written to specific individuals, challenging the tendency to read these texts as universally applicable. We want to make Scripture timeless to elevate our power, but its power lies in its direct address to its original audience.

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    13 mins
  • Do You See?

    Do You See?
    Dec 26 2024
    We imagine that love is the product of a kind or generous heart. We confuse love with sentiment. Maybe we want others to like us. Perhaps we can’t stomach their suffering, so we medicate them with lies, or we embrace their fantasies because they accommodate our needs. We coddle sentiment as a virtue because it feels safe, womblike, and even noble. Sentiment reinforces our private delusions. There is no better resolution for cognitive dissonance than sentimentality. Sentiment is practically Western doctrine. Make everyone feel good. How dare you not? How dare you be so unfeeling, so cold, so unloving? The problem with this line of thinking is that it is evil. Only a self-oriented person believes that a human being is capable of love.God is the only one who loves his children. If you keep insisting on yourself, which is indicative of what Chris Hedges calls hyper-masculinity, that’s all you will ever understand about relationships. You will never find him. Those who think otherwise always end up alone, sitting in someone else’s chair until the day he appears. You cannot meet God until you are not there, Habibi. You will never find him in your “community,” you harlots. “You brood of vipers.” Truly ba‘alic—the lot of you, “reclining together.” That is the prophetic and Pauline wisdom that Jesus uses in Luke 7 to trap Simon, who fancies himself something when he is nothing.“Do you see this woman, Simon?” Do you dare judge her? Worse, do you dare judge her rightly? Nothing in the Bible is worse than being right about a wrong that condemns you. Jesus does not praise her because she loves much. How could he? That is akin to Simon’s mistake. She is a human. She is incapable of love. Instead, the Lord praises the only one who loved her, the one who gave her the tears to wash his feet when he forgave her much, forgiveness she received from above in submission to him. Simon, on the other hand, judged much.“What caused you to deny the Master, Simon?” You fool. There is no Judge but him. If I were you, I would trade in my sandals for a pair of running shoes. This week, I discuss Luke 7:40-50.Show Notesδανιστής / ת-ו-ך (tav-waw-kaf) / ت-ك-ت (tāʾ-kāf-tāʾ) The Greek word δανιστής(danistēs), “moneylender,” refers to a person who lends money, often with interest, associated with violence in Scripture. In Luke 7:41 it is aligned with the function תֹּךְ (tok), which carries the usage “violence” and “oppression” in Proverbs:“The poor man and the oppressor תְּכָכִים (tekakim) have this in common: The Lord gives light to the eyes of both.” (Proverbs 29:13)In Arabic تَكَتَكَ (taktaka) means to trample underfoot or to crush, akin to war. تَكَتُك (takatuk): A repetitive sound, such as tapping or clicking, reflecting rhythmic motion or action. The war drum. In Semitic, the idea of trampling extends to subjugation, domination, or persistent oppression, aligning with its use in biblical Hebrew and in Luke 7. δάκρυ / ד-מ-ע (dalet-mem-ʿayin) / د-م-ع (dal-mīm-ʿayn)“I am weary with my sighing; Every night I make my bed swim, I dissolve my couch with my tears דִּמְעָתִי (dim‘ati).” (Psalm 6:6)ἔλαιον / ש-מ-ן (shin-mem-nun) / س-م-ن (sīn-mīm-nūn) Fat, oil, olive oil. “Then Jacob got up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had placed as a support for his head, and set it up as a memorial stone, and poured oil (שֶׁ֫מֶן, shemen) on top of it.” (Genesis 28:18)“You will have olive trees throughout your territory but you will not anoint yourself with oil (שֶׁ֫מֶן, shemen), because your olives will drop off.” (Deuteronomy 28:40)“You will sow but you will not harvest. You will tread the olive press, but will not anoint yourself with oil (שֶׁ֫מֶן, shemen); and [you will tread] grapes, but you will not drink wine.” (Micha 6:15)“For their mother has committed prostitution; she who conceived them has acted shamefully. For she said, ‘I will go after my lovers, who give me my bread and my water, my wool and my flax, my oil (שַׁמְנִי, shemeni), and my drink.’” (Hosea 2:5)The function س-م-ن (sīn-mīm-nūn) appears four times in the Qur’an, twice regarding Joseph’s dreams and the famine in Egypt, once regarding the Hospitality of Abraham, and once referring to food for the unrighteous from the “thorny plant” on the Day of Judgment: لَا يُسْمِنُ وَلَا يُغْنِي مِن جُوعٍlā yus’minu wa lā yugh’nī min jūʿ“[Which] neither fattens nor avails against hunger.”Surah Al-Ghashiyah (88:7)μύρον / מֹר — מ-ר-ר (mem-resh-resh) / م-ر-ر (mīm-rāʼ-rāʼ) The function מ-ר-ר conveys bitterness, sharpness, or acridity, both literally (in taste and smell) and metaphorically. The Arabic مُرّ (murr) and مِرَّة (mirrah) are cognates of the biblical Hebrew מֹר (mor), which ...
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    30 mins
  • I’m Your Lily

    I’m Your Lily
    Dec 12 2024
    When the text says “recline” in Greek, it doesn’t mean “recline.” When the Greek text differentiates “recline” through repetition, it still doesn’t mean “recline,” even in translation. Even when Greek functions correctly, Greek alone is insufficient—it doesn’t work without lexicography. Without proper word study, there is no such thing as Scripture. If you merely hear the original Greek text in Greek without studying its Semitic inter-function, you are nothing more than a Greek. Jesus has not yet restored your ears, crippled by Hellenism.What is an alabaster flask? Oh yes, you want to discuss your ancient theology of burial—wrong again. What is an alabaster flask? Do you know where your theology originates, who it was crafted for in antiquity, and how it was used? Or would you prefer to talk about how noble it is that someone as esteemed as you deigns to meet with people you perceive as lesser?You hypocrite.You are not Jesus; he may be least, but he is less than no one in the story. They have nothing to offer him, and he has nothing to learn from them. Your theology of reclining is silly, too.If you disagree, it is because you still have not understood the command against patriarchy, family, institution, and Alexandrian Greco-imperialism in Genesis: you must leave your father and mother and cling to your wife.As a long-time listener wrote in this week:“In your last podcast, did you argue that the idea is not about continuation in a particular place? That the entire point is to disappear, ensuring that nothing continues from one generation to the next? Is it less about mother, father, husband, wife, nuclear family, sentimentality, and romantic ideals and more about living your time without worrying about progeny, trusting instead that God will provide?That looking back to our father’s generation and our ancestors is futile because clinging to what they had means we are simply trying to preserve an institution that God places no value on because continuing where you came from isn’t the command?”Yes…yes.Would you rather be a lily in God's field or a slave in Solomon's brig?He who has ears to hear, let him hear!Or, as I am wont to shout from the rooftops:“Free Palestine!”This week, I discuss Luke 7:36-39.Show Notesφάγω-ἐσθίω / א-כ-ל (aleph-kaf-lamed) / أ-ك-ل (ʾalif-kāf-lām)To “to eat” or “consume.” أَكَلَ (akala)“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat(אָכַל, akal) freely.’” (Genesis 2:16)“For God knows that in the day you eat (תֹּאכֵלוּ, tokelu) from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)κατεκλίθη / נ-פ-ל (nun-pe-lamed) / ن-ف-ل (nun-fa-lam)From the verb κατακλίνω, κατεκλίθη means to lay down or to cause to recline. It corresponds to נפל, which indicates fall, collapse, aggressive action, to fall upon in raid, to force to lie down, bring to ruin, drop to the ground, and by extension, to give birth (the related concept of dropping something to the ground). “If men have a quarrel and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but falls (נָפַל, nafal) to bed,” (Exodus 21:18)نَفَّلَ (naffala) “he fell to his share” or “assigned as a share.” الْأَنْفَالُ لِلَّهِ وَالرَّسُولِ(al-anfālu lillāhi wa-l-rasūli)“The spoils are for God and the Apostle.”Surat al-Anfal 8:1κατάκειμαι / ש-כ-ב (shin-kaf-bet) / س-ك-ب (sīn-kāf-bāʼ)From the verb κατάκειται, κατάκειμαι means to lie down or to be laid out. It aligns with שׁכב, which can indicate to lie down, lie, lie asleep, or lie sick. سَكَبَ (sakaba) to pour or spill. “How long will you lie down (תִּשְׁכָּב tishkab), lazy one? When will you arise from your sleep?” (Proverbs 6:9)“And you will be like one who lies (כְּשֹׁכֵב, ke-shokheb) down in the middle of the sea, or like one who lies (כְּשֹׁכֵב, ke-shokheb) down on the top of a mast.”وَيُسْكَبُ مَآءٌۭ حَمِيمٌۭ(wa-yuskabu māʾun ḥamīmun)“And scalding water will be poured.”Surah Al-Infitar (82:19)ἀλάβαστρονThe name “Alabastron” derives from the Egyptian city of the same name, where high-quality alabaster stone was quarried. The use of the alabaster flask is associated with the cult of Osiris and, by extension, Hathor. Sealed alabastrons were placed in tombs as offerings to the gods or for the deceased’s “ka” in the afterlife. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★
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    35 mins
  • God Has Spoken

    God Has Spoken
    Dec 5 2024

    In their extreme hubris, humans believe that Luke’s admonition, “A tree is known by its fruit,” is nothing more than a proverb about being a “better parent.” But as I explained a few episodes ago, it is a warning that humans can’t parent.

    It is a judgment, a mashal, a rule, a verse, a biblical sign that there is no such thing as a good human parent because the only tree that bears “good fruit” is the wisdom of God.

    With this in mind, what did you go out to see in the wilderness of Luke 7? Twice?

    Luke wrote the question twice.

    Twice, he asked, “Are you the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?”

    Twice, as if the same person were looking at himself in the mirror.

    Is Jesus looking for John the Baptist, or is it the other way around? What’s the difference between the message and the messenger?

    Do you study the Bible, or does the Bible study you?

    Who is the reed shaken by the wind?

    Is it the reed Solomon can’t use to measure John’s Palace, or the reed Isaiah’s “Bringer of Justice” refuses to break?

    Who is the “Bringer of Justice?” Can you tell?

    What did you go out to see, human?

    A prophet? You may be indifferent to the prophet, yes, but then you hate his message, too.

    You hypocrite.

    I will tell you what the fruit of the Good Parent looks like.

    It doesn’t eat bread, and it doesn’t drink wine, and you say it has a demon.

    It eats bread and drinks its fill, and you accuse it of gluttony.

    Why? Because you are a wicked human parent. You do not love God. You are like a spoiled child: impossible to please, self-serving, fickle, unresponsive, pouty, regardless of the message or the messenger.

    But the children of the Good Parent, whether they fast or feast sumptuously with sinners, are deemed righteous by the Most High; the same is shown to be righteous by his children.

    As Paul said:

    “You are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.”

    This week, I discuss Luke 7:25-35.


    Show Notes

    צ-ד-ק (sade-dalet-qof) / ص-د-ق (ṣād-dāl-qāf) / δικαιόω

    The root צ-ד-ק carries the usage “deemed just” or “deemed righteous” in Semitic languages:

    • Aramaic: צְדֵק “He was righteous.”
    • Syriac: זָדֵק “It is right.” Note the shift of צ to ז. (Klein)
    • Ugaritic: (ṣdq) “Reliable, strong.”
    • Arabic: صَدَقَ (ṣadaqa) “He spoke the truth.”
    • Ethiopic: (ṣadaqa) “He was just, was righteous.”

    In the Bible, there are numerous examples of this root as it pertains to God’s judgment:

    “And the heavens declare His righteousness (צִדְקָתוֹ, ṣidqātō), for God Himself is judge. Selah.” (Psalms 50:6)“Put Me in remembrance, let us argue our case together; state your cause, that you may be proved right (תִּצְדָּק, tiṣdāq).” (Isaiah 43:26)“In the Lord all the offspring of Israel will be [deemed] righteous (יִצְדְּקוּ, yiṣdāqū) and will glory.” (Isaiah 45:25)

    In the Qur’an and Arabic, the root ص-د-ق is associated with honesty, trustworthiness, acts of charity, the fulfillment of promises, and righteousness. Compare parallel usage in the Torah and the Qur’an:

    ְהֶאֱמִן בַּיהוָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לּוֹ צְדָקָה
    (    Wa-heʾemin ba-Yahweh wa-yaḥshebaha lahu ṣidāqah)
    “Then he believed in the Lord, and he reckoned it to him as righteousness.”
    (Genesis 15:6)وَاذْكُرْ فِي الْكِتَابِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِنَّهُ كَانَ صِدِّيقًا نَبِيًّا
    (Wa-udhkur fī al-kitābi Ibrāhīma innahu kāna ṣiddīqan nabiyyā.)
    “And mention in the Book Abraham. Indeed, he was a man of righteousness and a prophet.”    (Surah Maryam, 19:41)

    Examples of ص-د-ق in Arabic:

    • صَدِّيقٌ (ṣiddīq) – A person of high righteousness and truthfulness.
    • صَدَقَةٌ (ṣadaqah) – Voluntary charity or almsgiving.
    • صَادِقٌ (ṣādiq) – Truthful, honest, a righteous person.
    • تَصْدِيقٌ (taṣdīq) – Affirmation or confirmation of truth.
    • مُصَدِّقٌ (muṣaddiq) – One who believes in and confirms the truth.
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    27 mins
  • God is Sufficient

    God is Sufficient
    Nov 28 2024
    A single, passing word is easily overlooked in translation. You could pontificate about it in abstraction, but can you observe its importance, its technicality? Of course, you can’t—not in English. No way. Not in a thousand years.What does the word “luxury” have to do with the book of Genesis? Can you tell me how or where it connects to Genesis? What does “luxury” have to do with a dog’s vomit? Can you figure it out? Perhaps you could look up “dog’s vomit” and try to put it all back together from that hint. But by simply hearing Luke in English, you wouldn’t stand a chance. You have no hope of finding these connections. No hope, for example, of hearing what the writer is telling you about the Four Rivers in Genesis. About the difference between a tree and a human being.Could you, in English, hear by hearing the word “luxury” what Luke is proposing? No—you would simply pontificate about the problem of “ living in luxury” because you’re not interested in lexicography. You’re interested in context, in narrative, in interpretation. The best you could do is theologize about Paradise (or your 401K savings; they are functionally the same), which puts you in league with those condemned in 2 Peter 2.Your only way out of this dilemma is to hear Luke in the original Greek—but even that’s not enough. You will never hear what Luke is saying if you deal solely with the Greek manuscript.You have to hear Luke in triliteral Semitic.Can you discern from the word “luxury” in Luke 7 that you were never supposed to congregate in the first place? That there is a problem with “congregating?” That you’re supposed to spread out, to disperse? That you shouldn’t be here, safe and sound “inside?” You should be spreading out all over the earth—not gathering here in your synagogue, in your “ecclesia,” and settling down.According to Luke, the proof of your ignorance is found in your dress and your place of habitation. The place of luxury of which God speaks does not require soft clothing, let alone fancy suburban houses.This week, I discuss Luke 7:20-25.Show Notesق-ن-ى (qāf-nūn-yāʾ) / ק-נ-ה (qof-nun-he)קָנֶה (qāneh) in biblical Hebrew refers to a “reed,” “stalk,” or “cane. " It is often associated with plants that grow near water, such as the reeds along the Nile or Jordan River.As “calamus” or “sweet cane”“Take also for yourself the finest of spices: of flowing myrrh five hundred shekels, and of fragrant cinnamon half as much, two hundred and fifty, and of fragrant cane (קָנֶה־בֹשֶׂם, qāneh-bōśem) two hundred and fifty,” (Exodus 30:23)“Nard and saffron, calamus (קָנֶה, qāneh) and cinnamon, with all the trees of frankincense, myrrh and aloes, along with all the finest spices.” (Song of Solomon 4:14).“The waters from the sea will dry up, and the river will be parched and dry. The canals will emit a stench, the streams of Egypt will thin out and dry up; the reeds and rushes (קָנֶה וָסוּף, qāneh wāsūf) will rot away.” (Isaiah 19:5-6).“The scorched land will become a pool and the thirsty ground springs of water; in the haunt of jackals, its resting place, grass becomes reeds and rushes (קָנֶה וָסוּף, qāneh wāsūf).” (Isaiah 35:7).“You have bought Me not sweet cane (קָנֶה, qāneh) with money, nor have you filled Me with the fat of your sacrifices; rather you have burdened Me with your sins, you have wearied Me with your iniquities.” (Isaiah 43:24).As “reed” or “measuring rod”“Behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of bronze, with a line of flax and a measuring rod (קָנֶה הַמִּדָּה, qāneh ham-middāh) in his hand; and he was standing in the gateway.” (Ezekiel 40:3).“And behold, there was a wall on the outside of the temple all around, and in the man’s hand was a measuring rod (קָנֶה הַמִּדָּה, qāneh ham-middāh) of six cubits, each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one rod; and the height, one rod.” (Ezekiel 40:5).“He measured on the east side with the measuring rod (קָנֶה הַמִּדָּה, qāneh ham-middāh) five hundred rods by the measuring rod.” (Ezekiel 42:16).The Arabic term قَنًى (qanā), which refers to a reed or stalk, is from the same root as the Hebrew קָנֶה (qaneh), and is associated with “acquiring,” “creating,” or “possessing. However, in the context of plants, it refers to reeds or stalks as slender, hollow structures.قَنًى (qanā): A reed or stalk, similar to the Hebrew קָנֶה (qāneh).قِنِيَة (qinīyah): Related to possession or acquiring, aligning with ק-נ-ה, which can also mean “to acquire” or “possess.”قَنِيَ (qaniya): The verb form meaning “to acquire” or “to obtain.”وَأَنَّهُ هُوَ أَغْنَى وَأَقْنَى (wa-annahu huwa aghnā wa-aqnā)...
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    37 mins
  • A Greek Tragedy Takes Flesh—and Still Dwells Among Us

    A Greek Tragedy Takes Flesh—and Still Dwells Among Us
    Nov 21 2024

    The Odyssey narrates Odysseus’s ten-year journey as the king of Ithaca, during which he attempts to return home after the fall of Troy. Virgil’s Aeneid chronicles the journey of Aeneas, a Trojan hero and son of the goddess Venus. Aeneas escapes the fallen city of Troy and embarks on a quest to start a settler-colonial project in Italy.

    Virgil wrote a work of total fiction, and then as if by witchcraft, Augustus traced his (and Rome’s) historical origins back to Aeneas.

    In Jewish Antiquities, Josephus Flavius followed the line of Augustus, adulterating the Bible to appease the ego of his settler-colonial abuser, adopting the same Greco-Roman “literary-historicizing” framework. This may not have resonated with the Jews of the time, but man, would-be Christian imperial colonizers loved his historicizing of epic literature to “build” their apotheosis.

    What good is Star Wars if lightsabers are not real, if you are not the heir of Luke Skywalker, and the Republic is not rightfully yours to “possess?”

    So, thanks to Josephus Flavius, the (sellout, Uncle Tom) closet Hasmonean, and his oversized case of Bible-wrecking Stockholm Syndrome, by now, we’ve had to deal with two millennia of Hellenized theologians who really believe that Jesus picked up where Venus and Augustus left off.

    If you want to understand the socio-political consequences of this approach, consider watching independent news media on YouTube.

    If you want to be set free from the tyranny of Augustus and Josephus, hear the Gospel of Luke.

    This week, I discuss Luke 7:17-19.

    Show Notes

    ἔρχομαι (erchomai) ب-و-ء (bā-wāw-hamza)/ ב-ו-א (bet-waw-alef)

    The Hebrew verb בוא (bo) and the Arabic verb بَاءَ (bā’a) “he returned” are cognates that trace back to a common Semitic root related to movement toward a point—be it coming or returning. This root corresponds to ἐρχόμενος (erchomoenos) in Luke 7:19, the one who is expected.

    “‘Behold, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come (יָבוֹא, yāḇôʾ) to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, he is coming,’ says the Lord of hosts.” (Malachi 3:1)“The Lord God has sworn by his holiness, ‘Behold, the days are coming (בָּאִ֣ים, bā’îm) upon you when they will take you away with meat hooks, and the last of you with fish hooks.’” (Amos 4:2)

    Related functions in Arabic:

    • بَاءَ (bā’a) To return, to incur, to be burdened with, to bring upon oneself.
    بَاءُوا بِغَضَبٍ مِنَ اللَّهِ
    (bā’ū bi-ghaḍabin mina allāh)
    “They have incurred wrath from God.”
    (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:61)
    • بَوَّأَ (bawwa’a) To settle someone, to provide lodging, to assign a place.
    • مُتَبَوَّأ (mutabawa’a) A dwelling place. Arabic Lexicon, Hawramani, https://arabiclexicon.hawramani.com/?p=1617&book=50#9b0b27
    وَلَقَدْ بَوَّأْنَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ مُبَوَّأَ صِدْقٍ
    (wa laqad bawwa’nā banī isrā’īla mubawwa’a ṣidqin)
    “And we settled the Children of Israel in a good dwelling-place.”
    (Surah Yunus 10:93)
    • تَبَاوَأَ (tabāwa’a) Used in literature to describe competition and contention between characters. The verb carries a negative connotation that implies equality. To be equal with each other. Equality in sin or punishment: state of being equally guilty.
      • القتيلان فِي الْقصاص تعادلا (al-qatīlāni fī al-qiṣāsi ta‘ādalā)
        “Two dead, in retribution, were tied.”
        “بَوَاءٌ” Arabic Lexicon, Hawramani, https://arabiclexicon.hawramani.com/?p=63888#dbd19f
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