The bible origins, jesus, god origins, it's spread.

A brief history of the bible, via grok.

My prompt:

Origin of god of bible. State what ANE and LXX is, check for sources that prove jesus did or didn't exist, then sources that show what he was and who ramped up the jesus story, and who enforced Christianity, then how the bible got round the world, and who added to the legend along the way, and all people involved and when they lived. Deep dive. Very detailed. Tell how christianity developed modern science and spread it but also negative aspects against early research, and also the dark ages, and all the negative aspects of christianity including number of people killed and who killed them, and how it is used to justify atrocities and used by politicians through the ages.

Response:

The God of the Bible, known as Yahweh (often rendered YHWH or Jehovah), has origins rooted in the ancient Near Eastern (ANE) religious landscape.

The ANE refers to the ancient Near East, a scholarly term for the region encompassing Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), Egypt, the Levant (including Canaan/Israel), Anatolia, and parts of Persia from roughly 3000 BCE to the Hellenistic period. In biblical studies, ANE provides the cultural, linguistic, and religious context for understanding the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, as Israelite religion emerged from and interacted with surrounding Canaanite, Mesopotamian, and other traditions.The LXX, or Septuagint (from Latin "septuaginta," meaning "seventy"), is the ancient Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), produced primarily in the 3rd–2nd centuries BCE in Alexandria, Egypt, for Greek-speaking Jews.

Tradition claims it was translated by seventy (or seventy-two) scholars under Ptolemy II, though this is likely legendary. The LXX was widely used by early Christians and is quoted extensively in the New Testament; it sometimes differs from the later Hebrew Masoretic Text.Scholarly consensus among historians (across religious and non-religious perspectives) holds that Jesus of Nazareth existed as a historical figure—a Jewish preacher from Galilee executed by crucifixion under Pontius Pilate around 30–33 CE.

This view is supported by early non-Christian sources like Josephus (Antiquities, ca. 93 CE, with partial authenticity), Tacitus (Annals, ca. 116 CE), and Pliny the Younger (ca. 112 CE), plus the New Testament documents (Paul's letters from the 50s CE onward). Virtually all mainstream scholars affirm his existence, baptism by John, and crucifixion, viewing mythicist claims (Jesus as pure myth) as fringe and lacking support.Sources affirming existence include Bart Ehrman (agnostic/atheist scholar) in Did Jesus Exist? (2012), emphasizing multiple independent attestations within decades of Jesus' life. Mythicist arguments (e.g., from Richard Carrier or Robert Price) claim parallels to dying-rising gods or lack of contemporary records, but these are widely rejected as they ignore evidence and rely on strained interpretations.The Jesus story developed from an apocalyptic Jewish preacher (Jesus) to the divine Christ of Christianity. Paul (ca. 5–67 CE) emphasized a resurrected, exalted Jesus for salvation, writing the earliest texts (50s–60s CE) with little biographical detail.

The Gospels (Mark ca. 70 CE, Matthew/Luke ca. 80–90 CE, John ca. 90–100 CE) expanded narratives, incorporating oral traditions, miracles, and theology. Early figures like Peter (d. ca. 64–68 CE) and James (Jesus' brother, d. ca. 62 CE) shaped the Jerusalem community. The story "ramped up" through theological elaboration (e.g., divinity claims in John) and missionary spread.Constantine (ca. 272–337 CE) enforced and accelerated Christianity's rise. His conversion (ca. 312 CE) and the Edict of Milan (313 CE, with Licinius) granted tolerance, ended persecutions, and favored Christianity (e.g., church building, clergy privileges). Theodosius I (r. 379–395 CE) made it the state religion (Edict of Thessalonica, 380 CE), suppressing paganism.The Bible spread worldwide via canon formation (NT largely settled by 4th century CE, e.g., Athanasius' list 367 CE), missionaries (e.g., Patrick in Ireland ca. 5th century, Augustine of Canterbury in England 597 CE), medieval monasteries copying texts, and translations (e.g., Vulgate by Jerome ca. 405 CE).

The printing press (Gutenberg Bible 1455 CE) revolutionized access, enabling mass production and Reformation-era vernacular Bibles (e.g., Luther's German 1522–1534). Colonialism, explorers, and 19th–20th-century missionaries (e.g., to Africa, Asia, Americas) globalized it further.Additions to the "legend" (e.g., infancy narratives, relics) came from apocryphal texts, church fathers (e.g., Irenaeus ca. 130–202 CE, Origen ca. 185–253 CE), and medieval piety. Key figures include Paul (theologian), Constantine (institutionalizer), and popes like Gregory I (ca. 540–604 CE) for missions.

Christianity's role in modern science was positive overall. Medieval universities (often church-founded) preserved knowledge; figures like Roger Bacon (ca. 1219–1292), Copernicus (Catholic canon), Kepler, Boyle, and Newton were devout Christians motivated by belief in an ordered, intelligible creation by a rational God. Christianity's emphasis on a lawful universe (vs. capricious gods in other traditions) and human dominion over creation (Genesis) fostered inquiry.

Negative aspects include opposition to early research: the Inquisition condemned Galileo (1633) for heliocentrism (house arrest, not torture/imprisonment as mythologized); church authorities resisted ideas conflicting with literal readings (e.g., Darwinism later). The "Dark Ages" myth (post-Roman decline) is overstated—medieval scholars advanced optics, astronomy, etc.—but the period saw slower progress than antiquity or Renaissance.Negative aspects of Christianity include violence justified by doctrine or power. Estimates vary widely and often blend religious/political motives:Crusades (1095–1291): 1–3 million deaths (including combatants/civilians in massacres like Jerusalem 1099).

Inquisition (various branches, 12th–19th centuries): Executions ~3,000–50,000 (Spanish ~3,000–5,000; total processed higher but most not executed).

Witch hunts (1400–1700): 40,000–60,000 executions (mostly secular courts, but church doctrines like Exodus 22:18 contributed).

Wars of Religion (e.g., Thirty Years' War 1618–1648): Millions dead (8 million total, religious elements prominent).

Other: Forced conversions (e.g., Charlemagne's Saxons ~100,000–200,000), colonial genocides (tens of millions indigenous deaths, missionaries involved), and justifications for slavery/atrocities (e.g., papal bulls, biblical defenses).

Politicians have used Christianity to justify power (e.g., Constantine's unification, medieval kings' divine right, colonial empires' "civilizing" missions, modern leaders invoking faith for wars/policies). Atrocities often stemmed from intertwined religious, political, and economic factors, not doctrine alone, but Christianity's institutional power enabled/enforced them.