101 Myths of the Bible: How Ancient Scribes Invented Biblical History

Title Page......Page 2
Copyright Page
......Page 3
Contents......Page 6
Preface......Page 10
Introduction......Page 16
Notes on Terminology......Page 28
Timetable of Biblical History......Page 30
Part One: Myths of the Beginning......Page 32
Myth 1: In the beginning everything was without form and void......Page 42
Myth 2: God initiated Creation with a spoken word......Page 44
Myth 3: Creation began with the appearance of light......Page 45
Myth 4: God separated light from darkness on the first day......Page 46
Myth 5: A firmament arose out of the primeval waters......Page 48
Myth 6: God called the firmament "heaven"......Page 49
Myth 7: God gathered the waters in one place......Page 50
Myth 8: Vegetation appeared before the sun......Page 52
Myth 9: God created the heavenly bodies......Page 53
Myth 10: Birds emerged from the primeval waters......Page 55
Myth 11: God created man and woman in his own image......Page 56
Myth 12: God created Adam and Eve on the sixth day......Page 59
Myth 13: God gave man dominion over the creatures......Page 63
Myth 14: God created earth on the third day......Page 65
Myth 15: God rested on the seventh day......Page 68
Myth 16: God rested after the Creation......Page 70
Myth 17: The heavens and the earth had children......Page 72
Myth 18: Adam and Eve were the first humans......Page 74
Myth 19: God formed Adam from the dust of the earth......Page 77
Myth 20: God planted a Tree of Life and a Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil......Page 79
Myth 21: Adam would die if he ate from the Tree of Knowledge......Page 82
Myth 22: God forbid Adam to eat certain fruit......Page 84
Myth 23: Eve came from Adam's rib......Page 85
Myth 24: Adam gained wisdom without immortality......Page 87
Myth 25: There were other beings in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve......Page 89
Myth 26: God planted a garden eastward in Eden......Page 90
Myth 27: Adam and Eve lived a simple primitive lifestyle while in the Garden of Eden......Page 93
Myth 28: The serpent was more subtle than any beast......Page 95
Myth 29: God punished Adam, Eve, and the serpent......Page 97
Myth 30: Cain killed Abel......Page 99
Myth 31: Cain built a city east of Eden......Page 102
Myth 32: God sent a flood to destroy mankind......Page 104
Myth 33: Ham was the father of Canaan......Page 107
Myth 34: Noah released birds to determine if the land had dried......Page 109
Myth 35: The flood occurred in the tenth generation of humanity......Page 112
Myth 36: All earthly life had become wicked and had to be destroyed......Page 115
Myth 37: The sons of God married the daughters of man......Page 118
Myth 38: Noah saved only two of each species......Page 120
Myth 39: The rain lasted forty days and forty nights......Page 121
Myth 40: The flood covered the entire earth and all the mountains......Page 123
Myth 41: After the flood, Noah sacrificed all the clean animals......Page 124
Myth 42: All living creatures not on the ark perished......Page 125
Myth 43: God confused the common language of humanity and scattered the people about the world......Page 126
Myth 44: The Ark landed on the mountains of Ararat......Page 128
Myth 45: The sons of Noah formed the nations of the world......Page 130
Myth 46: Nimrod conquered Babylon......Page 132
Myth 47: The Sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Phut, and Canaan......Page 134
Part Two: Myths of the Founders......Page 136
Myth 48: Abraham came from Ur of the Chaldees......Page 146
Myth 49: Abraham left Egypt to go to Canaan......Page 148
Myth 50: God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah......Page 151
Myth 51: Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt......Page 158
Myth 52: Lot fathered Ammon and Moab......Page 160
Myth 53: Abraham pretended that Sarah was his sister......Page 162
Myth 54: Jacob and Esau fought in the womb......Page 166
Myth 55: Jacob cheated Esau out of his birthright......Page 169
Myth 56: Jacob dreamed about a ladder to heaven......Page 173
Myth 57: Jacob wrestled with a stranger......Page 176
Myth 58: God changed Jacob's name to Israel......Page 179
Myth 59: Esau is Edom......Page 181
Myth 60: Jacob buried Rachel in Bethlehem......Page 182
Myth 61: The prince of Shechem raped Dinah......Page 183
Myth 62: Abraham named his son "He Laughed"......Page 187
Myth 63: Jacob's sons became the Twelve Tribes of Israel......Page 189
Myth 64: Reuben was Jacob's oldest son......Page 193
Myth 65: Jacob disqualified Simeon and Levi from leadership......Page 195
Myth 66: Jacob awarded the sceptre to Judah......Page 198
Myth 67: Benjamin was born in Canaan......Page 200
Myth 68: Dan was an Israelite tribe......Page 202
Myth 69: Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors......Page 204
Myth 70: Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery......Page 206
Myth 71: Potipher's wife tried to seduce Joseph......Page 211
Part Three: Myths of the Heroes......Page 216
Myth 72: Egypt enslaved Israel for four hundred years......Page 224
Myth 73: Jochebed placed the infant Moses in an ark......Page 230
Myth 74: Pharaoh's daughter gave Moses a Hebrew name......Page 235
Myth 75: God sent ten plagues against Egypt......Page 236
Myth 76: Pharaoh's army drowned in the Red Sea......Page 239
Myth 77: Aaron fashioned a golden calf......Page 243
Myth 78: Moses gave Israel the Ten Commandments......Page 246
Myth 79: The Ark of the Covenant contained the Ten Commandments......Page 257
Myth 80: Moses defeated King Sihon of Heshbon......Page 263
Myth 81: God denied Moses entry into Canaan because he sinned against the Lord......Page 264
Myth 82: Joshua parted the Jordan......Page 268
Myth 83: Joshua tumbled the walls of Jericho......Page 270
Myth 84: Rahab aided the Israelite spies......Page 272
Myth 85: Joshua ruined Ai......Page 274
Myth 86: The sun stood still upon Gibeon......Page 276
Myth 87: Joshua captured Jerusalem......Page 279
Myth 88: Joshua fought King Jabin of Hazor......Page 281
Myth 89: Joshua conquered Canaan......Page 283
Myth 90: Joshua led Israel after the death of Moses......Page 285
Myth 91: Shamgar was the son of Anath......Page 287
Myth 92: Deborah rallied Israel against the Canaanites......Page 289
Myth 93: Samson judged Israel for twenty years......Page 294
Myth 94: Samson pulled down a Philistine temple......Page 300
Mytht 95: Micah stole silver from his mother......Page 302
Myth 96: David killed Goliath......Page 307
Myth 97: King Saul committed suicide......Page 311
Myth 98: The House of Judah fought the House of Saul at Gibeon......Page 313
Myth 99: Solomon did not impose forced labor on Israel......Page 316
Myth 100: Daniel predicted the future......Page 318
Myth 101: Queen Esther saved the Jews of Persia......Page 321
Conclusion......Page 326
Suggested Reading......Page 332
Table of Maps......Page 336
Index......Page 340
About the Author......Page 352