ReligionForBreakfast

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Uploaded 08-02-24

The number seven appears everywhere in the Bible...and a bunch of religious traditions too. Why is the number seven sacred?

Bibliography:
Arvid Kapelrud, "The Number Seven in Ugaritic Texts," Vetus Testamentum, Vol. 18 (Oct 1968), 494-499.
Denise Flanders, "The Rhetorical Use of Numbers in the Deuteronomistic History," 2022.
Denise Flanders, "Saul has Killed His Thousands, David His Ten Thousands," dissertation, 2019.
James Pritchard (ed.), "Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament," Third Edition with Supplement, 1969
R.A. Kraft, "Philo's Treatment of the Number Seven in On Creation," in "Exploring the Scripturesque, (2009), p. 217-236.
Botterweck et. all. (ed.), "Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament," Vol. 14.
Laki, "On the Origin of the Sexagesimal Sytem," Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences, Vol. 59, No 1/3 (Jan - March 1969).
Kazuo Muroi, "The Origin of the Mystical Number Seven in Mesopotamian Culture"
Adela Harbro Collins, "Cosmology and eschatology in jewish and Christian Apocalypticism," 1966.
Bendt Alster, "Early Dynastic Proverbs and other Contributions to the Study of Literary Texts from Abu Salabikh," Archiv für Orientforschunb (1991/1992), 1 - 51.
Leonid Zhmud, "From Number Symbolism to Arithmology," Zahlen- und Buchstabensysteme im Dienste religiöser Bildung. L. Schimmelpfennig (ed.).Tübingen: Seraphim, 2019. P. 25-45.

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00:00 Why so many 7s?
00:24 Near Eastern Context
5:03 Later Development of Sacred 7
5:59 Cross-cultural phenomenon?
7:18 Origin theories
10:46 Patreon



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Masada is one of the most famous archaeological sites in Israel. It is best known from a dramatic episode described by Josephus in his account The Jewish War when the Judean rebels in the First Jewish Revolt made an epic last stand against the Tenth Roman Legion. But what really happened at Masada? And does the archaeological record support Josephus' account?

Uploaded 08-08-18

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Twitter: @andrewmarkhenry


Sources:

Josephus' account: https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/maps/primary/josephusmasada.html

Jodi Magness, Archaeology of the Holy Land.

Gwyn Davies, “Under Siege: The Roman Field Works at Masada,” Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, No. 362 (May 2011), 65-83

For more on the skeletons found at Masada, see: https://jamestabor.com/masada-mysteries-what-do-we-know-about-the-bones/


Photo Credits:

IDF Soldiers: http://bobointexas.blogspot.com/2011/06/masada-and-dead-sea.html

Masada at night, Avinoam Michaeli https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PikiWiki_Israel_10447_Masada_Sound_and_Light_show.jpg

Credit: Andrew Shiva
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aerial_view_of_Masada_(Israel)_06.jpg

Ben-Yair Ostracon: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Masada,_Ben_Yair%27s_ostracon.jpg

Siege Ramp: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:IL-masada-rampe.jpg
Siege tower: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helepolis#/media/File:Helepolis.png

Northern palace complex: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Israel-2013-Masada-Aerial_01.JPG
Palace terraces: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PikiWiki_Israel_10475_Herod_palace_at_Masada.jpg



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www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast
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Uploaded 17-12-14

Royalty-free Music by Kevin MacLeod: incompetech.com
Images from Priene, Ephesus are my own.
Dura Church images from Wikipedia users Udimu and Heretiq covered under Creative Common license Attribution CC BY.
All other images are in public domain.



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As far as science and technology goes, the 21st century is an exciting time to be alive. We are curing more and more diseases. We are developing better and better space travel. Some see these advances as evidence that religion and magic are losing their influence on society. Magic especially has been viewed as a debunked "proto-science" with little credibility in modernity. But sociological data suggests that many humans still practice and believe in magic.

Uploaded 07-06-18

Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast
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Twitter: @andrewmarkhenry
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Check out the Myth of Disenchantment here: https://amzn.to/2sTnwDx

I have collated more of my favorite books here: http://amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfast

Sources:

Jason Josephson-Storm, "The Myth of Disenchantment"

The Atlantic, "The New Age of Astrology,”: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/01/the-new-age-of-astrology/550034/

WBUR, For Millenials, Astrology is on the Rise: http://www.wbur.org/onpoint/2018/01/18/for-millennials-astrology-is-on-the-rise

Pew Research, Is God Dead?: http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/04/07/is-god-dead-no-but-belief-has-declined-slightly/

Psychic Service Industry research: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ibisworld-industry-market-research-the-us-psychic-services-industry-is-expected-to-earn-revenue-of-21-billion-in-2016-300383816.html

http://www.businessinsider.com/professionals-turn-to-psychics-in-uncertain-economy-2013-11

Images:

Alchemical writings: https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=newton+alchemy&title=Special:Search&go=Go&searchToken=83va3mytrl3rl1kz1jdm8fo1f#/media/File:Isaac_Newton_alchemical_manuscript_page_AQ17_(2).jpg


Seance image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritualism#/media/File:Helen_Duncan_fake_ectoplasm.jpg



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Check out my favorite religious studies books: https://www.amazon.com/shop/religionforbreakfast

Uploaded 25-11-19

People often seem to follow the religion of their parents. But why? And why do so many people leave their religious upbringing too? The answer may have something to do with "practicing what you preach."

Special thanks to my friend and colleague, John Balch, who co-wrote this episode. He is a PhD candidate in religious studies at Boston University.

Follow me on Twitter: @andrewmarkhenry



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Register for our online class "Messianic Impulses: A Psychedelic Model of Revolutionary Consciousness" https://religionforbreakfast.eventbrite.com/

Uploaded 30-08-24

Production Team:
Producers: Andrew Aghapour, Andrew Henry
Writers: Will Gervais
Consultant Scholar: Hugh Turpin
Editor: Lachlan Davis
Production Assistant: Casey A'Hearn

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Thumbnail art by @hotcyder
Select imagery/video supplied by Getty Images and Reuters

Scholars have identified the primary reason why theists become atheists: Credibility Enhancing Displays, or CREDs for short. CREDs are behaviors that people use to demonstrate their genuine commitment to a belief, value, or principle. These displays make the beliefs seem more credible and trustworthy to others, thereby enhancing the likelihood that observers will adopt similar beliefs or practices. Basically, if your co-religionists are not "practicing what they preach," there is a higher likelihood a theist will become an atheist.

This video was made possible through the support
of Grant 61928 from the John Templeton Foundation
managed by The Queen’s University of Belfast. The
opinions expressed in this publication are those of
the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views
of the John Templeton Foundation or The Queen’s
University of Belfast.

00:00 Is rationality a cause of atheism?
4:06 The Three Other Pathways to Atheism
4:51 Mentalizing
6:39 Motivation / Apatheism
8:29 inCREDulous Atheism



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Watch Dr. Angela Puca's video here! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIv8px318gw&ab_channel=Angela%27sSymposium

Uploaded 31-01-24

Support us on Patreon!: https://www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast

Thumbnail art by @hotcyder

Bibliography:
Birgitte Bøgh, "Beyond Nock: From Adhesion to Conversion in the Mystery Cults," History of Religions, Vol. 54, No. 3 (Feb 2015), 260-287.
John Kloppenborg, "Rethinking Nock on Conversion," in "Celebrating Arthur Darby Nock," 2021.
Giulia Gasparro, "The Hellenistic face of Isis: Cosmic and Saviour Goddess," in "Nile into Tiber" edited by Bricault et. al. 2007.
Molly Swetnam-Burland, "Egyptian objects, Roman contexts: A taste for aegyptiaca in Italy," in "Nile into Tiber" edited by Bricault et. al. 2007.
Jaime Alvar, "Romanising Oriental Gods," Brill: 2008.
Jan Bremmer, "Initiation into the Mysteries of the Ancient World," De Gruyter: 2014.

00:00 Intro
1:14 Goddess Isis in Egypt
2:30 Intro to Mystery Cults
4:24 The Mystery Cult of Isis
6:08 Isis: A Cosmic and Savior God
8:55 Isaic Rituals
12:45 Conversion and Mystery Cults
16:17 Patreon Pitch

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Patreon: www.patreon.com/religionforbreakfast
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My facebook: https://www.facebook.com/religionforb...
Blog: http://religionforbreakfast.com/

Uploaded 12-11-14

Royalty-free Music by Kevin MacLeod: incompetech.com
All images are in public domain



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Compare news coverage. Spot media bias. Avoid algorithms. Try Ground News today and get 40% off your subscription by going to https://ground.news/religionforbreakfast.

Uploaded 23-05-24

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of the most famous parables of Jesus. But people have been misinterpreting it for centuries.

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00:00 The Traditional Interpretation
2:16 Intro to Samaritan Israelites
3:20 Ethnic Hostility is Exaggerated
5:44 Evidence from the Mishnah
9:13 Samaritan Woman at the Well
11:45 Addressing the Polemicists
14:20 Race-Science and the Traditional Interpretation
16:55 Rethinking Luke 10

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You might have heard about the bunches of heresies that popped up in the early centuries of Christianity. But historians don't generally like using the term "heresy" to describe these groups. Is there a more historically neutral way to describe them?

Uploaded 01-12-15

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Music: Kevin MacLeod. www.incompetech.com
Graphic Design: EC Henry (http://echenry.com/), Chris Maghintay (http://www.chrismaghintay.com/)



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