Description
Superseded by An Everlasting Quid Pro Quo
This historical essay takes readers back to the Bronze Age, some 3,500 years ago, at a time when men of power were viewed as living gods. Using sociology, anthropology and etymology, it asks pertinent questions and dissects the biblical Covenant to explore an innovative and thought provoking interpretation that exposes this story like never before.
What if the Covenant had been made with an overlord in order to pacify the Valley of Siddim, an important trade corridor between Egypt and Mesopotamia? What if this overlord’s memory had been celebrated and elevated to the rank of deity by Abraham’s descendants? And what if this “deity”, initially worshipped as a local god, would eventually become known as Yahweh?
This book is original because it alleges that the Abrahamic Covenant had an earthly, rather than divine origin. This eventuality has never seriously been investigated, despite the fact that ancient Canaanites (Israelites) are known for practicing the cult of the ancestors and for worshiping a pagan deity called Baal Berith (“Lord of Covenant”).
This book is significant because it rests on a wealth of textual, archeological, chronological and dendrochronological evidence. The hypothesis it develops is surprisingly coherent and complete. In addition to offering a synthesis of past dialectics, it solves the biblical chronologies and provides fresh answers to many puzzling questions.
This book is timely because it demythifies one of the key tenets of the monotheistic religions. By offering a scientific and historical perspective on the origin of the Abrahamic faith that is psychologically far more plausible than that offered by tradition, it could prove an effective tool to defuse fundamentalism and radicalization.
NOTE: Although the topic is religion, this book is NOT about faith. It will appeal first and foremost to scholars and critical thinkers interested in the fields of history, anthropology, and philosophy.
Steven Tiger – Author of Doctrine Impossible –
An astounding book! Most critiques of religion focus on scriptural self-contradiction and the lack of evidence supporting faith-based assertions. Bernard Lamborelle’s “The Covenant: On the Origin of the Abrahamic Faith by Means of Deification,” is unique in offering a credible interpretation of the story accepted by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, about a covenant between God and Abraham. The basic idea is that there really was a covenant made with a man named Abraham. However, the other party in the covenant was not God but a man—a regional king in that era (in fact, one of the most famous rulers in the ancient world). This naturalistic interpretation presents no insuperable problems and does not depend on belief in supernatural phenomena.
But even more amazing than this basic theme is the impressive array of evidence—historical, archaeological, and even scriptural—that the author has assembled to lend support to his thesis. In fact, by recognizing the likelihood of errors made in translating dates and ages from the sexagesimal (base-60) number system of the Babylonians to a decimal system, a simple correction formula resolves discrepancies between scriptural and non-scriptural accounts of the same individuals and events. The surprising and ironic result is that the biblical story is supported in most of its details, even as its theological interpretation is jettisoned.
“The Covenant” is a lively read, with summaries to review the main points of each section, and numerous graphics and charts to illustrate sequences of events and to compare different accounts of the same events (I found the diagrams difficult to read on my Kindle device, as the print was quite small, though the detailed captions were helpful).
Lamborelle carefully refrains from saying “This is what happened.” Instead, he says “This may be what happened.” And his perspective does seem credible. Given the immense relevance of this foundational story for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, I think it is vital that this book—its thesis and the evidence presented to support it—be rigorously but objectively reviewed by scholars in ancient history, archaeology, and religion. As a non-scholar in these topics, I can only say that reading “The Covenant” was an intellectually thrilling experience. – Author of Doctrine Impossible
Gary Gruber, PhD –
A fresh, new look at an old story!
Different religious faiths and practices in all parts of the world have evolved over centuries. Many were kept alive through oral traditions, the telling of stories and passing them along from generation to generation. Such is the Judaeo-Christian record which relies on the story of Abraham and his descendants based on a covenant or promise with Abraham that he and his descendants were chosen people who would create a great nation. Abraham’s son Isaac, and his grandson Jacob, also became central figures in ancient Jewish history. Jacob took the name Israel, and his children and future generations became known as Israelites.
It is this record that Bernard Lamborelle explores in detail. His scholarly examination is both revealing and refreshing and while there are many who have accepted previous traditions as being wholly reliable, a different perspective is a welcome addition to the literature. There are numerous examples in various cultures where religious faith adopted the secular practices of the common people.
Another example of an ancient faith is Zoroastrianism a Persian religion that may have originated as early as 4,000 years ago. Arguably the world’s first monotheistic faith, it’s one of the oldest religions still in existence. Zoroastrianism was the state religion of three Persian dynasties. The prophet Zoroaster (Zarathrustra in ancient Persian) is regarded as the founder of Zoroastrianism, which is arguably the world’s oldest monotheistic faith. Most of what is known about Zoroaster comes from the Avesta—a collection of Zoroastrian religious scriptures. So it is with Judaism, Abraham and Holy Scriptures. Almost every world religion has a founder and it is from that identified person the stories begin. This is why Lamborelle’s work is worth exploring, to discover how stories emerge that shape a particular point of view.
Ivy Windsong Collins –
Interesting, Informative, Enlightening!
This book captured my attention right away and held it throughout. I can’t say for sure that it’s true, but it certainly explains a lot if it is. The book contains great insights that helped me to view the biblical narrative in a more reasonable light; and, although I don’t believe the Bible was inspired by a god, by reading this book I came to a greater appreciation of the historical events it presents. I recommend the book for anyone interested in the history of Israel.
Frank Ferrera –
A fascinating read!
Mr. Lamborelle has done a great job of weaving several strands of evidence into an ingenious and credible hypothesis. While I would need more evidence to be be completely convinced of what I read, I found nothing in the book that I could dismiss. I feel that Mr Lamborelle has advanced an idea that is worthy of a serious look by scholars, and I would love to see these scholars use the lens that he has provided in his book to take a fresh look at the data that has been accumulated regarding the ancient Middle East.