Changes

We take a break this week from Western Civilization and instead turn to the great ancient empires in the East:  India and China.  This requires learning about several new belief systems, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism.  Then we conclude by returning to the Middle East and discussing the rise of Christianity.   

We take a break this week from Western Civilization and instead turn to the great ancient empires in the East:  India and China.  This requires learning about several new belief systems, including Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism.  Then we conclude by returning to the Middle East and discussing the rise of Christianity.   

Let's ask ourselves at the outset:  why learn about any religion other than Christianity?  Some Christians might conclude that, having found their faith, there is no reason to learn about non-Christian religions that do not provide the same high level of faith.

Let's ask ourselves at the outset:  why learn about any religion other than Christianity?  Some Christians might conclude that, having found their faith, there is no reason to learn about non-Christian religions that go in a different direction.

But there are several valid reasons to study other religions.  Christian missionaries, for example, need to understand the religions of the peoples they are attempting to convert.  World leaders and travelers should understand the different religious views of peoples they encounter, even if they are not trying to convert them.  In business it is important to know the values and beliefs of people with whom you deal.

But there are several valid reasons to study other religions.  Christian missionaries, for example, need to understand the religions of the peoples they are attempting to convert.  World leaders and travelers should understand the different religious views of peoples they encounter, even if they are not trying to convert them.  In business it is important to know the values and beliefs of people with whom you deal.

China has always been isolated by geographic protections.  The highest mountains in the world, the Himalayas, separate it from India.  The Himalaya Mountain Range is famous for having the world's tallest peaks, including Mount Everest and K2.  Vast amounts of semi-desert land known as the Gobi desert separate China from the Middle East and the area which was Mesopotamia in ancient times.   

China has always been isolated by geographic protections.  The highest mountains in the world, the Himalayas, separate it from India.  The Himalaya Mountain Range is famous for having the world's tallest peaks, including Mount Everest and K2.  Vast amounts of semi-desert land known as the Gobi desert separate China from the Middle East and the area which was Mesopotamia in ancient times.   

In the south of China, the Yangtze river flows for 3000 miles, navigable from the sea for half of its course.  In the north is the Yellow river (now called the Huang He), which runs westward from the Yellow Sea (denoted in the map) and then northward a bit before turning south.  The Yellow river obtained its original name from the murky tan color of its waters.  The Yellow River is known for its tendency to flood surrounding lands, often with disastrous results.  The silt and sand carried in the muddy water builds up on the bottom of the river until it blocks the water's flow and causes the river to divert its course, flooding into another area.  Floods like these make the course of the Yellow River change often.

In the south of China, the Yangtze river flows for 3000 miles, navigable from the sea for half of its course.  In the north is the Yellow river (now called the Huang He), which runs westward from the Yellow Sea (labeled in the map) and then northward a bit before turning south.  The Yellow river obtained its original name from the murky tan color of its waters.  The Yellow River is known for its tendency to flood surrounding lands, often with disastrous results.  The silt and sand carried in the muddy water builds up on the bottom of the river until it blocks the water's flow and causes the river to divert its course, flooding into another area.  Floods like these make the course of the Yellow River change often.

=== Ancient China ===

=== Ancient China ===

The ancient Greek, Hebrew and Latin all lacked the modern English letter "J".  The Hebrew initially spelled Jesus as "Yeshua" and "y'hoshua", using two different spellings because of the tradition against pronouncing "the sacred part of Yahweh's name, so they changed the 'Yah', to 'Yeh'."<ref>http://www.plim.org/JesusOrigin.htm</ref>

The ancient Greek, Hebrew and Latin all lacked the modern English letter "J".  The Hebrew initially spelled Jesus as "Yeshua" and "y'hoshua", using two different spellings because of the tradition against pronouncing "the sacred part of Yahweh's name, so they changed the 'Yah', to 'Yeh'."<ref>http://www.plim.org/JesusOrigin.htm</ref>

The ancient world had several founders of great religions, but only one performed miracles:  Jesus of Nazareth.  His resurrection is the single greatest event in the history of the world.  We can estimate the date of the Resurrection because we know it happened during the reign of Pontius Pilate:, between A.D. 26 and 36.  A Roman historian named Philo described Pilate as inflexible, obstinate and merciless, and Pilate was hated by the Jewish people under his rule.  The Gospels describe the savage retaliation by Pilate against Galileans as follows:  "Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices."<ref>Luke 13:1 (NAS).</ref>  Years after the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Romans (who were themselves known for cruelty) removed Pilate from power for being too cruel even by the harsh Roman standards!

The ancient world had several founders of great religions, but only one performed miracles:  Jesus of Nazareth.  His resurrection is the single greatest event in the history of the world.  We can estimate the date of the Resurrection because we know it happened during the reign of Pontius Pilate: between A.D. 26 and 36.  A Roman historian named Philo described Pilate as inflexible, obstinate and merciless, and Pilate was hated by the Jewish people under his rule.  The Gospels describe the savage retaliation by Pilate against Galileans as follows:  "Now on the same occasion there were some present who reported to Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices."<ref>Luke 13:1 (NAS).</ref>  Years after the Crucifixion of Jesus, the Romans (who were themselves known for cruelty) removed Pilate from power for being too cruel even by the harsh Roman standards!

A detailed analysis of the Gospel and historical sources places the date of the Crucifixion at Friday, April 3, A.D. 33, although some historians think it occurred in A.D. 29.<ref>http://www.themoorings.org/apologetics/69weeks/weeks4.html</ref>

A detailed analysis of the Gospel and historical sources places the date of the Crucifixion at Friday, April 3, A.D. 33, although some historians think it occurred in A.D. 29.<ref>http://www.themoorings.org/apologetics/69weeks/weeks4.html</ref>

An error occurred in the dating of our calendar from Christ's birth in the sixth century A.D., when the Roman monk Dionysis the Little changed the calendar to recognize the birth of Christ.  He calculated that Jesus was born the year that King Herod died, and modern historians agree.  However, the monk thought that Herod died 753 years after the founding of Rome, instead of the correct 749 years after the founding of Rome.  (King Herod is the ruler who ordered all babies in Bethlehem younger than 2 to be killed in his unsuccessful attempt to murder Jesus, whose family fled to Egypt to escape this.)  Thus the monk estimated that Jesus was born four years later than He probably was.  What was intended to be A.D. 1 was actually 4 B.C.  Notice that there is no year "0", as the concept of "0" was unknown to the Greeks and not even discovered until the seventh century by mathematicians in India.  The year that followed 1 B.C. is A.D. 1.

An error occurred in the dating of our calendar from Christ's birth in the sixth century A.D., when the Roman monk Dionysis the Little changed the calendar to recognize the birth of Christ.  He calculated that Jesus was born the year that King Herod died, and modern historians agree.  However, the monk thought that Herod died 753 years after the founding of Rome, instead of the correct 749 years after the founding of Rome.  (King Herod is the ruler who ordered all babies in Bethlehem younger than 2 to be killed in his unsuccessful attempt to murder Jesus, whose family fled to Egypt to escape this.)  Thus the monk estimated that Jesus was born four years later than He probably was.  What was intended to be A.D. 1 was actually 4 B.C.  Notice that there is no year "0", as the concept of "0" was unknown to the Greeks and not even discovered until the seventh century by mathematicians in India.  The year that followed 1 B.C. is A.D. 1.

The teachings of Jesus were recorded in the Gospels (the word is from Middle English "god" and "spel" for "news", or "Good News") by three of His Apostles (Matthew, John and also Mark, a scribe for Peter) and by a physician (Luke). The oldest known versions of the Gospels are in Greek, the common ''lingua franca'' (common or commercial language among diverse peoples) of the Roman Orient.  No original Gospels have been found in Aramaic; the only discovered Aramaic Gospels are translations from Greek versions.  Some say that the Gospel according to Matthew was written particularly for Jews, that the Gospel according to Mark was written particularly for Romans, that the Gospel according to Luke was written particularly for Greeks, and that the Gospel according to John was written for everyone.  Matthew and John were part of Jesus's original Apostles, and Mark was probably a boy being homeschooled by his mother as she followed Jesus.  With Mark's better education from being homeschooled, he was later able to serve as the scribe for Peter.  Jesus had emphasized that scribes were part of those He sent forth to proselytize the world.  "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes ...."<ref>Matt 23:34 (NAS).</ref>

The teachings of Jesus were recorded in the Gospels (the word is from Middle English "god" and "spel" for "news", or "Good News") by three of His Apostles (Matthew, John and also Mark, a scribe for Peter) and by a physician (Luke). The oldest known versions of the Gospels are in Greek, the common ''lingua franca'' (common or commercial language among diverse peoples) of the Roman Orient.  No original Gospels have been found in Aramaic; the only discovered Aramaic Gospels are translations from Greek versions.  Some say that the Gospel according to Matthew was written particularly for Jews, that the Gospel according to Mark was written particularly for Romans, that the Gospel according to Luke was written particularly for Greeks, and that the Gospel according to John was written for everyone.  Matthew and John were part of Jesus's original Apostles, and Mark was probably a boy being homeschooled by his mother as she followed Jesus.  With Mark's better education from being homeschooled, he was later able to serve as the scribe for Peter.  Scribes were sent forth by Jesus to proselytize the world.  "I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes ...."<ref>Matt 23:34 (NAS).</ref>

Luke was a Greek physician (see Col 4:14) who accompanied Paul and also wrote the Acts of the Apostles describing the arrival of the Holy Spirit.  Unlike the firsthand Gospels of Matthew and John, the Gospel of Luke records eyewitness accounts of others, much as a doctor asks a patient for his medical history and then writes it down in the medical file.  Due to Luke's professionalism, his Gospel is comprehensive about Jesus's life and resurrection, and conveys the great sense of joy that Christians felt.  In the Battle of the Bulge in World War II (the surprise Nazi counterattack in Dec. 1944), which was one of the worst military defeats in American history, a minister's son who had memorized Luke's description of the Nativity recited it for his fellow soldiers on Christmas Eve while together in the trenches.  Many of the American soldiers died in battle soon afterward.

Luke was a Greek physician (see Col 4:14) who accompanied Paul and also wrote the Acts of the Apostles describing the arrival of the Holy Spirit.  Unlike the firsthand Gospels of Matthew and John, the Gospel of Luke records eyewitness accounts of others, much as a doctor asks a patient for his medical history and then writes it down in the medical file.  Due to Luke's professionalism, his Gospel is comprehensive about Jesus's life and resurrection, and conveys the great sense of joy that Christians felt.  In the Battle of the Bulge in World War II (the surprise Nazi counterattack in Dec. 1944), which was one of the worst military defeats in American history, a minister's son who had memorized Luke's description of the Nativity recited it for his fellow soldiers on Christmas Eve while together in the trenches.  Many of the American soldiers died in battle soon afterward.