Genesis A New Interpretation
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Most of us are affected or conditioned by the Bible. Whether we accept all, part, or none of it as Gospel, we are surrounded by a culture that is filled with references to, and legal and ethical concepts from, the Bible. Whether you are a believer or nonbeliever, the Bible is the most significant book in Western civilization. To really understand our culture, we need to understand something about the Bible, especially the book of Genesis, one of the five books ascribed to Moses. Many spiritually minded people have given up reading the Jewish Bible or Old Testament. The idea of an angry, jealous, bloodthirsty God is a difficult idea to understand and accept. But there are approaches to its interpretation that may help us to discover the hidden wisdom deep within it. The first five books of the Bible—referred to as the Torah<, from hebrew, meaning instruction, or pentateuch, from greek, meaning five scrolls—were traditionally attributed to moses and were probably written between 1400 and 600 bce. today, based on content, differences in style, history, language, and logical inconsistencies, most biblical scholars agree these five books probably had at least three different authors, who were writing what had previously been an oral tradition. all the books were written in aramaic, the form of hebrew spoken in those times. i propose that the bible is an esoteric book, meaning that it contains hidden information in addition to the obvious, literal interpretation. in ancient times, only those of the inner circle, were allowed to know the hidden teachings. moses maimonides, the famous rabbi (1135–1205 ce), wrote, “every time that you find in our books (the old testament) a tale the reality of which seems impossible, a story which is repugnant to both reason and common sense, then be sure that the tale contains a profound allegory veiling a deeply mysterious truth; and the greater the absurdity of the letter, the deeper the wisdom of the spirit.” there are several ways to begin to unlock the information hidden within the bible. i will be using the following approaches in this discussion: one—it is important to understand the meaning of the names of people and places. we will do this by translating these names from the original aramaic (ancient hebrew) to english. personalities in the bible represent conditions of consciousness and qualities of character. two—we will explain the symbolism of numbers that are used throughout the bible, such as seven, seven times seven, twelve, and forty. they relate to various stages of the spiritual journey. three—we will discuss the different types of geography that symbolize different levels of consciousness, such as wilderness, water, and mountain. four—we will also be considering ancient religious symbols, including astrological references, which are used frequently throughout the bible. five—perhaps the most important insight is that the stories reflect inner experiences, much the same as in john bunyan’s pilgrim’s progress. the narratives of what appear to be only historical events are also descriptive of subjective experiences of individuals. i will not attempt to get all the meaning from every passage. it would take many years. but by using these elements in moderation, we will be able to get some idea of the wealth of information hidden beneath the surface. there are many interpretations of the bible, and to the extent that they help us to understand god and our relationship to him/her, they have value. with an understanding of the meaning of proper names, numbers, geographic references, symbols, and the historic background of the writings, we can come to a better understanding of the deep spiritual message that lies hidden. one of the things i hope will become apparent to you is that this way of interpreting the bible, as well as our cultural mythology, makes it accessible to all. no longer is the old testament simply a story of a group of patriarchs wandering around palestine looking for a home and rules to live by. it is also, and perhaps more importantly, the story of our growth in consciousness. it describes the journey each of us must make if we are to find heaven, salvation, the holy grail, or spiritual illumination—whatever name we use. it goes into detail about the finding of the path, the decision to take it, the travails and pitfalls along the way, and finally, the joy of attainment. from="" hebrew,="" meaning="" instruction,="" or="" pentateuch,="" from="" greek,="" meaning="" five="" scrolls—were="" traditionally="" attributed="" to="" moses="" and="" were="" probably="" written="" between="" 1400="" and="" 600="" bce.="" today,="" based="" on="" content,="" differences="" in="" style,="" history,="" language,="" and="" logical="" inconsistencies,="" most="" biblical="" scholars="" agree="" these="" five="" books="" probably="" had="" at="" least="" three="" different="" authors,="" who="" were="" writing="" what="" had="" previously="" been="" an="" oral="" tradition.="" all="" the="" books="" were="" written="" in="" aramaic,="" the="" form="" of="" hebrew="" spoken="" in="" those="" times.="" i="" propose="" that="" the="" bible="" is="" an="" esoteric="" book,="" meaning="" that="" it="" contains="" hidden="" information="" in="" addition="" to="" the="" obvious,="" literal="" interpretation.="" in="" ancient="" times,="" only="" those="" of="" the="" inner="" circle,="" were="" allowed="" to="" know="" the="" hidden="" teachings.="" moses="" maimonides,="" the="" famous="" rabbi="" (1135–1205="" ce),="" wrote,="" “every="" time="" that="" you="" find="" in="" our="" books="" (the="" old="" testament)="" a="" tale="" the="" reality="" of="" which="" seems="" impossible,="" a="" story="" which="" is="" repugnant="" to="" both="" reason="" and="" common="" sense,="" then="" be="" sure="" that="" the="" tale="" contains="" a="" profound="" allegory="" veiling="" a="" deeply="" mysterious="" truth;="" and="" the="" greater="" the="" absurdity="" of="" the="" letter,="" the="" deeper="" the="" wisdom="" of="" the="" spirit.”="" there="" are="" several="" ways="" to="" begin="" to="" unlock="" the="" information="" hidden="" within="" the="" bible.="" i="" will="" be="" using="" the="" following="" approaches="" in="" this="" discussion:="" one—it="" is="" important="" to="" understand="" the="" meaning="" of="" the="" names="" of="" people="" and="" places.="" we="" will="" do="" this="" by="" translating="" these="" names="" from="" the="" original="" aramaic="" (ancient="" hebrew)="" to="" english.="" personalities="" in="" the="" bible="" represent="" conditions="" of="" consciousness="" and="" qualities="" of="" character.="" two—we="" will="" explain="" the="" symbolism="" of="" numbers="" that="" are="" used="" throughout="" the="" bible,="" such="" as="" seven,="" seven="" times="" seven,="" twelve,="" and="" forty.="" they="" relate="" to="" various="" stages="" of="" the="" spiritual="" journey.="" three—we="" will="" discuss="" the="" different="" types="" of="" geography="" that="" symbolize="" different="" levels="" of="" consciousness,="" such="" as="" wilderness,="" water,="" and="" mountain.="" four—we="" will="" also="" be="" considering="" ancient="" religious="" symbols,="" including="" astrological="" references,="" which="" are="" used="" frequently="" throughout="" the="" bible.="" five—perhaps="" the="" most="" important="" insight="" is="" that="" the="" stories="" reflect="" inner="" experiences,="" much="" the="" same="" as="" in="" john="" bunyan’s="" pilgrim’s="" progress.="" the="" narratives="" of="" what="" appear="" to="" be="" only="" historical="" events="" are="" also="" descriptive="" of="" subjective="" experiences="" of="" individuals.="" i="" will="" not="" attempt="" to="" get="" all="" the="" meaning="" from="" every="" passage.="" it="" would="" take="" many="" years.="" but="" by="" using="" these="" elements="" in="" moderation,="" we="" will="" be="" able="" to="" get="" some="" idea="" of="" the="" wealth="" of="" information="" hidden="" beneath="" the="" surface.="" there="" are="" many="" interpretations="" of="" the="" bible,="" and="" to="" the="" extent="" that="" they="" help="" us="" to="" understand="" god="" and="" our="" relationship="" to="" him/her,="" they="" have="" value.="" with="" an="" understanding="" of="" the="" meaning="" of="" proper="" names,="" numbers,="" geographic="" references,="" symbols,="" and="" the="" historic="" background="" of="" the="" writings,="" we="" can="" come="" to="" a="" better="" understanding="" of="" the="" deep="" spiritual="" message="" that="" lies="" hidden.="" one="" of="" the="" things="" i="" hope="" will="" become="" apparent="" to="" you="" is="" that="" this="" way="" of="" interpreting="" the="" bible,="" as="" well="" as="" our="" cultural="" mythology,="" makes="" it="" accessible="" to="" all.="" no="" longer="" is="" the="" old="" testament="" simply="" a="" story="" of="" a="" group="" of="" patriarchs="" wandering="" around="" palestine="" looking="" for="" a="" home="" and="" rules="" to="" live="" by.="" it="" is="" also,="" and="" perhaps="" more="" importantly,="" the="" story="" of="" our="" growth="" in="" consciousness.="" it="" describes="" the="" journey="" each="" of="" us="" must="" make="" if="" we="" are="" to="" find="" heaven,="" salvation,="" the="" holy="" grail,="" or="" spiritual="" illumination—whatever="" name="" we="" use.="" it="" goes="" into="" detail="" about="" the="" finding="" of="" the="" path,="" the="" decision="" to="" take="" it,="" the="" travails="" and="" pitfalls="" along="" the="" way,="" and="" finally,="" the="" joy="" of="">
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About the Book
Genesis: A New Interpretation is an introduction to the Bible as a guide to the inner spiritual life. It shows the great depth of wisdom available in these writings when we begin to understand their inner meaning.
About the Author
Rev. Bette Jo Benner has long been a student, teacher and lecturer of spiritual philosophy. She appeared in the TV series Brad Meltzer’s Decoded. Editor and publisher of The Spiritual Venturer, a periodical of spiritual ideas and information, she is a minister in the Church of Illumination. She lives in Lake Elsinore, California.