When and why was the Bible written?

## Details

EXISTENTIALIST MEETUP - Melbourne, Australia.
Our monthly online Meetup presentation on the History of Religion.
The presentations are followed by questions, comments and discussion.
All viewpoints welcome.
Early Religion: An Alternative History
What do the historians and archaeologists think of the veracity of religious legends? Legends are an amalgamation of history and mythology. But how much of each?
"WHEN AND WHY WAS THE BIBLE WRITTEN?"
Could the rude shock of the unexpected withdrawal by the Assyrian Empire from the Levant in the 7th century BC, and their handing over of control to the Egyptians, have catapulted the Judeans into commencing to cobble together their sacred legends, oral and written, in order to get on the right side of their God, Yahweh?
The events leading up to the eventual conquest of the Assyrian Empire by the Medes and Babylonians in 609 BC, were the backdrop to the collecting, writing and re-writing of the early legends of the Old Testament by the Judeans.
We will be looking at the influence of these momentous events on the construction of the Bible as presented in the book: "The Bible Unearthed" by Israel Finkelstein, Professor of Archaeology at Tel Aviv University and his historian colleague, Neil Asher Silberman. YouTube Audiopedia summary of their book.
A relevant Biblical enigma is why the Judean King, Manasseh (698 BC to 642 BC) gets condemned so harshly in 2 Kings, yet in 2 Chronicles (written two to three hundred years later) he is surprisingly rehabilitated into becoming one of the Bible's few righteous Kings.
David Miller will present the topic and lead the discussion.
Relevant Emperors, Pharaohs and Kings (to google, if you wish):
Ashurbanipal, Neo-Assyrian Emperor.
Psamtik I and Necho II, Pharaohs of the 26th Dynasty of Egypt.
Manasseh and Josiah, Kings of Judah.
The Zoom link will appear for those who RSVP.
Meeting ID: 892 3776 1846 - - Passcode: 107832
Existentialist Society's Website - - - YouTube - - - Facebook
Events inBible Study
ArchaeologyHistoryTheologyReligion