Reading Between the Lines

Recently, I listened to a lecture series about the origins of religion from an archeological perspective taught by Professor John Hale. It was 36 lectures long, but even Professor Hale admits that was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Interestingly, there is evidence that even the Neanderthals ritualized the burial of their dead. They laid their dead to rest in caves. Then we get those early prehistoric cave paintings. Throughout the ages and across many cultures, caves, both natural and artificial, have been used as sacred spaces. Even churches and cathedrals can be dark and cave-like. The cave is all about the womb and Earth Mother and the mysterious forces of birth and creativity. Animism was also quite common in these early hunting and gathering cultures. Everything had spirit. Everything was sacred.

Then something happened about 10,000 years ago during the Neolithic Revolution. When human beings gradually transitioned from hunting and gathering societies to agriculture based societies, they began to focus on the sky, toward the sun, seasons and weather. Of course, that makes sense because they were much more dependent on the seasons and weather now that they were fixed to one location. They couldn’t just pick up and move. They needed conditions to be right where they were. Their lives depended on it.

I think this is were you get the idea of a moody god that needs to be appeased with worship and sacrifices. Sacrificial religious activities spread everywhere. They were very common. They were common in the ancient Mediterranean world and the Middle East. It’s no wonder that this idea was so strong with the ancient Jews. That’s what the Temple in Jerusalem was all about. Many Jews went to Jerusalem during Passover so they could have a priest sacrifice their lamb in the Temple.

With the advent of agriculture, you gradually get civilization, greater specialization, and private property, wealth and status. Some have more money, land and status, and this leads to political and military power.

I think apocalypticism and Jesus’ message is a reaction to the inherent injustice of a stratified society, and specifically to Roman occupation and elite Jewish authorities in control of the Temple who capitulated to Rome. I think Jesus imagined a more just, equitable and compassionate society, and I think he was killed because he challenged the status quo. I think it was only after he was killed that some of his followers superimposed this sacrificial scheme onto his message as a way of making sense of his death and continuing the message. Sacrifice was already a deeply entrenched idea in the culture.

Can I prove this? No, I can’t. Admittedly, I’m reading between the lines (with the help of several Biblical scholars). But there isn’t any actual proof that Jesus died for our sins either.