Note 64 and further to "The prophets for the new Era"
 

Note 64
As already explained, Zoroastrianism has evolved from an initial monotheistic form into a dualistic form. Originally, the God of Light and Fire Ahura Mazda was the main God. This religion was of Iranian-Afghan origin, but, like Hinduism its cradle lies on the Eurasian plains with the Aryan tribes.
The development of monotheism to dualism meant for the first time the introduction of evil, Ahriman. In any polytheistic pantheon gods have their pleasant and unpleasant sides. That is precisely why these gods had to be sacrificed to - to propitiate them. In Zoroastrianism the good and evil are linked to two separate gods and it was the task of man to support the good in his struggle with evil.
In each time a new life, similar to Hinduism, man had to improve ultimately to live after death forever with Ahura Mazda. Back to the main text "
 

Note 65
Midian is seen as the land of the descendants of Abraham and Keturah, in the northwest of the Arabian Peninsula on the east coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. There where now lie the places Eilat, Aqaba and Haql and perhaps the land towards Al-Bath and Magna. The lineage of Abraham and Keturah comes from a later literary addition to the Torah in which Abraham is the central character. Making an appeal on a fictional hereditary is not uncommon in any monarchy in any time whatsoever. Often that was done to increase the own status.
If one assumes that Moses could be a historical figure, then the encounter with a Bedouin tribe in Midian was no fiction, although Mount Sinai lies on the west side of the Gulf of Aqaba. Moreover, Midian is also referred to be situated in the current Sudan. The sources are inconclusive. Back to the main text "
 

Note 69
The ten commandments

Hebrew Scriptures: Exodus 20
3: Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
4-6: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth....
7: Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
8-11: Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant [male slave], nor thy maidservant [female slave], nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates....
12: Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
13: Thou shalt not kill.
14: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
15: Thou shalt not steal.
16: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant [male slave], nor his maidservant [female slave], nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Back to the main text "

King James version of the Bible, Deuteronomy chapter 5
I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.
7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,
10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
11 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.
13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:
14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.
15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.
16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
17 Thou shalt not kill.
18 Neither shalt thou commit adultery.
19 Neither shalt thou steal.
20 Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.
21 Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Back to the main text "

Holy Koran
17:22: Do not associate another deity with God.
47:19: Know therefore that there is no god but God.
6:103: No visions can encompass Him, but He encompasses all visions.
14:35: My Lord, make this a peaceful land, and protect me and my children from worshipping idols.
42:11: There is nothing that equals (like) Him.
62:9 O you who believe, when the Congregational Prayer is announced on Friday, you shall hasten to the commemoration of God, and drop all business.
2:224: Do not use God's name in your oaths as an excuse to prevent you from dealing justly.
73:8: Remember the name of your Lord and devote yourself to Him exclusively.
76:25 Glorify the name of your Lord morning and evening.
17:23-24: You shall be kind to your parents. If one or both of them live to their old age in your lifetime, you shall not say to them any word of contempt nor repel them, and you shall address them in kind words. You shall lower to them the wing of humility and pray: "O Lord! Bestow on them Your blessings just as they cherished me when I was a little child."
17:33: And do not take any human being's life - that God willed to be sacred - other than in [the pursuit of] justice."
17:32: You shall not commit adultery. Surely it is a shameful deed and an evil way.
5:38 & 39: The thief, male or female, you shall mark their hands as a punishment for their crime, and to serve as an example from God. God is Almighty, Most Wise.
25:72: And (know that the true servants of God are) those who do not bear witness to falsehood.
4:32: Do not covet the bounties that God has bestowed more abundantly on some of you than on others.
Back to the main text "
 

Note 71
Titus Flavius Josephus (37 – c. 100), also called Joseph ben Matityahu (Biblical Hebrew), was a 1st century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of Jerusalem and its temple in 70.
His most important works were The Jewish War (c. 75) and Antiquities of the Jews c. 94). The Jewish War recounts the Jewish revolt against Roman occupation (66–70). Antiquities of the Jews recounts the history of the world from a Jewish perspective for an ostensibly Roman audience. These works provide valuable insight into 1st century Judaism and the background of Early Christianity. See also: Joseph son of Matthias | Back to the main text "
 

Note 73
According to legend, Jesus after the flight into Egypt there came into contact with the writings of Re-Harakhty-Cheper-Aton, Pharaoh Akhenaten. Jesus would thus have studied the same writings as Moses more than a millennium earlier.
Although in the Gospel of Matthew is implied that Jesus already at a young age returned to Judea, there is also a report that cites a later date, possibly even until his adult years. Back to the main text "
 

Note 74
It is nonsense to state that Jesus wanted to be the king of the Jews and that he had to die because of this claim. Jesus was not a champion of the central authority, but tried to give each man on his own level hope and faith.
Maybe there were people who believed the king claim -concerning the fight against the Romans- and drew hope from that or it was seen as a threat -for example by the Jewish establishment-. The only royal to Jesus was his lineage of King David and the legendary Abraham. Back to the main text "
 

Note 75
It is not surprising that among others for this reason in the Interbellum of the 20th century a movement arose in Europe that sought to unite Christianity and Socialism, the Christian Socialism.
Christian Socialism is a socialist ideology that sees capitalism as a belief or ideology that is rooted in the deadly sin of greed and they claim that it is a form of Mammon worship is. Christian Socialists believe that the cause of inequality in the world should be associated with greed, a manifestation of capitalism. Back to the main text "
 

Note 76
A comparison of 'facts' one may encounter at several places in the literature.

Event	Horus	Yeshua or Jesus of Nazareth
Conception	By a virgin. There is some doubt about this matter.	By a virgin.
Father	Only begotten son of the God Osiris.	Only begotten son of Yehovah (in the form of the Holy Spirit).
Mother	Isis-Meri	Miriam (now often referred to as Mary).
Foster father	Seb, (a.k.a. Jo-Seph).	Joseph
Foster father's ancestry	Of royal descent.	Of royal descent.
Birth location	In a cave.	In a cave or stable.
Annunciation	By an angel to Isis, his mother.	By an angel to Miriam, his mother.
Birth heralded by	The star Sirius, the morning star.	An unidentified "star in the East."
Birth date	Ancient Egyptians paraded a manger and child representing Horus through the streets at the time of the winter solstice (about Dec-21). In reality, he had no birth date; he was not a human.	Born during the fall. However, his birth date is now celebrated on DEC-25. The date was chosen to occur on the same date as the birth of Mithra, Dionysus and the Sol Invictus (unconquerable Sun).
Birth announcement	By angels.	By angels.
Birth witnesses	Shepherds.	Shepherds.
Later witnesses to birth	Three solar deities.	An unknown number of wise men. They are said to have brought three gifts; thus the legend grew that there were three men.
Death threat during infancy	Herut tried to have Horus murdered. He was not successful.	Herod tried to have Jesus murdered. He was not successful.
Handling the threat	The God That tells Horus' mother "Come, thou goddess Isis, hide thyself with thy child."	An angel tells Jesus' father to: "Arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt."
Rite of passage ritual	Horus came of age with a special ritual, when his eye was restored.	Taken by parents to the temple for what is today called a bar mitzvah ritual.
Age at the ritual	12	12
Break in life history	No data between ages of 12-30	No data between ages of 12-30
Baptism location	In the river Eridanus	In the river Jordan
Age at baptism:	30	30
Baptized by	Anup the Baptiser	John the Baptist
Subsequent fate of the baptiser	Beheaded	Beheaded

Back to the main text "
 

Note 78
Appolonius of Tyana fed the hungry, healed the sick, was an exorcist and brought the dead back to life. He preached peace and love and lived and worked around the same time as Jesus, but in today's Turkey. He was not crucified and has reached a ripe old age before he was conducted to heaven by a host of angels. While the teaching of Jesus was brought especially among the poor, Appolonius was especially popular among the Roman intelligentsia - possibly a reason why his cult never received massive attention, although it may have played a role in the acceptance of Christianity.
And then there was in the time of Jesus a preacher called Simon Magus, the magician, a Samaritan. That he was seen as a threat by the early Christians, explains why in the Bible, the New Testament, he was ridiculed [Acts of the Apostles 8:9]. His followers believed he was the Messiah. According to Irenaeus Simon Magus claimed that he had the power of God, the male incarnation of God, while the thoughts of God were the female incarnation of God, a woman named Helena -Sophia, Hokma-. According to the Acts of the Apostles [18:8], Simon Magus tried to buy in in the early Christian movement, which of course was refused. According to the Acts of Peter [3:33] it even comes to a confrontation where both try to prove that their God is the best. Obviously Peter wins and Simon is stoned, even by his own followers. Simon remained for a long time honoured as a god in Italy and Asia Minor. The Roman Emperor Claudius would even have set up a statue for him.
Another Simon, Simon bar Kochba -son of the star-, just like Jesus was a descendant of King David. He called himself Yisroel Nasi, prince of Israel. When the Roman emperor Hadrian wanted to build a temple to Jupiter on the site of the Jewish temple around 125, he led a guerrilla-like insurgency and largely drove the Romans out of Judea. For his followers he was the long awaited Messiah in the Old Testament sense of the word. He demanded of the early Christian groups that they would renounce Jesus and would accept him as Messiah. In 138 Emperor Hadrian had short shrift, not only with Bar Kochba and his followers, but with the whole state. After Hadrian Israel was nonexistent until in 1948 the modern state of Israel was proclaimed.
Until the year 350 there were followers of John the Baptist in the Holy Land who did not recognize Jesus as Messiah, but saw John the Baptist as the Messiah [Letters of Clement 1:60]. These Mandaeans migrated in the second century to the north of present-day Iraq, where they still reside. Back to the main text "
 

Note 79
The complete contents of the Nag Hammadi library:

Codex I (also known as The Jung Codex): The Prayer of the Apostle Paul The Apocryphon of James (also known as the Secret Book of James) The Gospel of Truth The Treatise on the Resurrection The Tripartite Tractate	Codex II: The Apocryphon of John The Gospel of Thomas a sayings gospel The Gospel of Philip The Hypostasis of the Archons On the Origin of the World The Exegesis on the Soul The Book of Thomas the Contender
Codex III: The Apocryphon of John The Gospel of the Egyptians Eugnostos the Blessed The Sophia of Jesus Christ The Dialogue of the Saviour	Codex IV: The Apocryphon of John The Gospel of the Egyptians
Codex V: Eugnostos the Blessed The Apocalypse of Paul The First Apocalypse of James The Second Apocalypse of James The Apocalypse of Adam	Codex VI: The Acts of Peter and the Twelve Apostles The Thunder, Perfect Mind Authoritative Teaching The Concept of Our Great Power The Republic by Plato - The original is not gnostic, but the Nag Hammadi library version is heavily modified with then-current gnostic concepts. The Discourse on the Eighth and Ninth - a Hermetic treatise The Prayer of Thanksgiving (with a hand-written note) - a Hermetic prayer Asclepius 21-29 - another Hermetic treatise
Codex VII: The Paraphrase of Shem The Second Treatise of the Great Seth The Gnostic Apocalypse of Peter The Teachings of Silvanus The Three Steles of Seth	Codex VIII: Zostrianos The Letter of Peter to Philip
Codex IX: Melchizedek The Thought of Norea The Testimony of truth	Codex X: Marsanes
Codex XI: The Interpretation of Knowledge A Valentinian Exposition On the Anointing On Baptism (A & B) and On the Eucharist (A & B) Allogenes Hypsiphrone	Codex XII: The Sentences of Sextus The Gospel of Truth Fragments
Codex XIII: Trimorphic Protennoia On the Origin of the World

Back to the main text "
 

Note 81
The question of exactly when Muhammad was born cannot be answered with certainty. There are no certain chronological data for the Meccan period of his life. His activity in Medina account for about 10 years from the Hijrah in 622 until his death in 632.
Biographers of Muhammad set the age of 40 or sometimes 43 at the time that, according to Islam, the angel Gabriel appeared and appointed him as a prophet of God (Islam).
His birth can be calculated by from 632 (death year Muhammad) subtracting: 10 years (length Medinian period), and another 10 years (length Meccan period) and 40 years (age at first activities as Islamic prophet), is 572. Uncertain is the length of the Meccan period of Muhammad and the age when his first activities as Islamic prophet began. Back to the main text "
 

Note 82
Prophets of Islam::

Arabic name, Biblical name	Short description
Ādam, Adam	Adam, the first human being, ranks as the first prophet of Islam. Adam and his wife, Eve, fell from the Garden of Eden after they ate from the forbidden tree. On earth, Adam received his first revelations and lived many generations.
Īdrīs, Enoch	Īdrīs is believed to have been an early prophet sent to mankind. The traditions that have built around Īdrīs' figure have given him the scope of a prophet, philosopher, writer, mystic and scientist.
Hūd, Eber	Muslims believe that only Hud, for whom the eleventh chapter of the Koran takes its name, and a few other people survived a great storm, similar to the Deluge five generations earlier. God inflicted the storm to punish the people of Ad who had forgotten God.
Sālih, Saleh	According to the Koran, God ordered Saleh to leave behind his people, the tribe of Thamud, after they disbelieved and disobeyed God's order to care for a special camel and instead killed it. When Saleh and the believers fled from Thamud, God punished the people with a loud noise from the skies that killed his people instantly. Note that Saleh does not equate to the Shelah mentioned in the Hebrew Bible.
Ibrāhīm, Abraham	Muslims regard Ibrahim as one of the most significant prophets, because they credit him with rebuilding the Kaaba in Mecca. His family included such great figures as his sons, Ishmael and Isaac, as well as his prophetic grandson Jacob. Holy women from his household included Sarah and Hagar. Because of his significance as a patriarch, Abraham is often titled Father of the Prophets.
Lūt, Lot	Muslims know Lūt best for attempting to preach against homosexuality in Sodom and Gomorrah, in addition to encouraging his people to believe in the Oneness of God, although his community mocked and ignored him. Islam denies the acts which the Hebrew Bible attributes to Lot, like drinking and becoming drunk, and having intercourse with and impregnating his two daughters.
Ismā‘īl, Ishmael	As a child, Ishmael - with his mother, Hagar - searched for water in the region around Mecca, leading God to reveal the Zamzam Well, which still flows.
Ishāq, Isaac	According to Islamic tradition, Ishaq, the second-born son of Ibrahim, became a prophet in Canaan. He and his brother Ishmael carried on the legacy of Ibrahim as prophets of Islam.
Ya‘qūb, Jacob	The Koran portrays Jacob as "of the company of the Elect and the Good". He continued the legacy of both his father, Isaac, and his grandfather, Abraham. Like his ancestors, he deliberately worshipped God exclusively.
Yūsuf, Joseph	Joseph, son of Jacob and great-grandson of Abraham became a prominent adviser to the pharaoh of Egypt after he interpreted the King's dream which predicted the economic future of Egypt. According to Islam, Joseph received the gift of half of the beauty granted to mankind.
Ayyūb, Job	According to Islamic tradition, Job received the reward of a Fountain of Youth, which removed all illnesses, except death, for his service to God in his hometown. It is mentioned that Job lost his wealth, family, and health for many years as test of patience carried out by God.
Shu‘ayb, Jethro	According to Islam, God appointed Shu'ayb, a direct descendant of Abraham, to guide the people of Midian and Aykah, who lived near Mount Sinai. When the people of the region failed to listen to his warnings, God destroyed the disbelievers' villages.
Mūsá, Moses	Moses, whom the Koran refers to more than to any other prophet, had the distinction of revealing the Tawrat (Torah) to the Israelites. The Koran says Moses realized his connection with God after receiving commands from him during a stop at Mount Sinai. He later went on to free the enslaved Hebrews after the Egyptian pharaoh denied God's power. Moses subsequently led the Hebrews for forty years through the desert after they refused to obey God's command and enter the Holy Land. On another trip to Mount Sinai during this long journey, Moses received the Torah and the Ten Commandments.
Hārūn, Aaron	Aaron served as an assistant to his brother Moses. In Islam, he, like Moses, received the task of saving the Israelites from the Egyptian pharaoh. He would often speak for Moses when Moses’ speech-impediment prevented him from doing so himself.
Dhul-kifl, Ezekiel	The status of Dhul-Kifl as a prophet remains debatable within Islam, although all parties to the debate can agree in seeing him as a righteous man who strived in the way of God. Some studies identify Dhul-Kifl with Ezekiel, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible's Book of Ezekiel.
Dāwud, David	In Islam, God revealed the Psalms to David. Dawud also has significance as the slayer of Goliath and defeater of the Philistines. Note that Islamic tradition and the Bible differ in their accounts of the story of King David and Uriah.
Sulaimān, Solomon	Solomon learned a significant amount of knowledge from his father David before God made him a prophet. According to Islamic tradition, Sulaiman received power to manipulate nature (including the jinn) and the power to communicate with and control animals. Known for his honesty and fairness, he also headed a kingdom that extended into southern Arabia.
Ilyās, Elijah	Ilyaseen or Ilyas took over control of the Kingdom of Samaria after the kingdom of Solomon collapsed. Islamic tradition says he attempted to convince the people of Israel of the existence of only one God, but the people remained persistent in their disbelief.
Alyasa‘, Elisha	Elisha took over the task of leading the Israelites after the death of Elijah. He attempted to show the king and queen of Israel the power of God, but they dismissed him as a magician.
Yūnus, Jonah	Islamic tradition states that God commanded Jonah to help the people of Nineveh towards righteousness. However, Nineveh's people refused to listen to his message, so Jonah decided to abandon trying to help them and left. After being swallowed by a whale, Jonah repented in the stomach of the whale until it spewed the prophet out on dry land.
Zakariyyā, Zechariah	Zachariah became the guardian of Mary the mother of Jesus. According to the Koran, he prayed to God asking for a son, since his sterile wife Elizabeth could not provide one. God granted his wishes, lifting his wife's sterility and allowing her to give birth to John the Baptist.
Yahyá, John the Baptist	Of John, Islam states that, throughout his lifetime, he captivated audiences with his powerful sermons which preached Abrahamic monotheism.
‘Īsá, Jesus	God sent one of the highest-ranked prophets in Islam, Jesus, to the Children of Israel. The Koran makes it clear that Jesus was not divine nor did he have a share in God's divinity and rather spoke only of the worship of God. Jesus is called the Masih in Muslim belief.
Muhammad	Muhammad, the last prophet, is important for sealing prophecy in Muslim belief and reinforcing the same faith that started with Adam. Muslims don't view Muhammad as the beginner of a new religion, but the Koran states that Muhammad simply preached the same religion as Adam, Abraham, Noah, Moses, Jesus and all the other prophets.

Back to the main text "