, and it's kind of slow going. This is not a book you breeze through; it's a book you read if you're really interested in the ideas it presents. At this point, though, I've started keeping a sheet of all the interesting things I run across so I don't have to go searching back through the book for them.Here are the latest:
According to John Allegro, the author, in the ancient languages and usages of the period 2,000 years ago, the word "sin" was essentially the same as "debt." This offers an interestingly different take on the Christian concept that "man is born in sin." As Allegro explains it, receiving the gift of life leaves one indebted to whatever power gave him or her life. Therefore, "man is born in debt to the creative power." Very different than saying you were born bad and forever must repent of your bad deeds.
This next item may seem obvious to some people but I had never thought of it. Why does the story go that Hell is underground and is blazing hot? Well, think about it. Volcanoes come out of the ground and spew blazing hot lava. Hot springs and geysers come up out of the ground with hot water. I guess the real question is, did the ancients place Hell underground because it is hot down there, or is Hell hot because it is underground?
I think I'll be getting into the meat of this book in my next post. Stay tuned.
