Table of Contents
Introduction
Paul Wallis begins his discourse by reflecting on the figure of Yahweh and the expectations placed upon the kings in the Hebrew scriptures.
Yahweh desires a king who will engage in war without hesitation, merely on Yahweh’s command, to defeat those labeled as infidels.
The Story of David
Wallis recounts the story of King David, who, instead of blindly following Yahweh’s command, counts his troops to ensure he only embarks on wars he can win.
Yahweh disapproves of this cautious approach, as it implies questioning Yahweh’s commands. As a result, David is punished.
Yahweh allows a merciful yet brutal punishment: the slaughter of 70,000 of David’s own soldiers.
These soldiers are not rebels or enemies but Yahweh’s own followers, killed to demonstrate the consequences of independent thinking.
The Case of Ahaziah
Wallis continues with the story of Ahaziah, another king under Yahweh’s rule.
Ahaziah seeks medical advice from a source other than Yahweh, which deeply offends Yahweh.
In response, Yahweh pronounces a death sentence on Ahaziah. This story underscores the message that individuals, regardless of their status as citizens or kings, must not think for themselves but rather do as they are commanded.
This has shaped the concept of righteousness and sin throughout Christian history, where righteousness is seen as obedience to God’s will, and sin is defiance.
The Knowledge of Good and Evil
Wallis explains that this suppression of independent thought is tied to the knowledge of good and evil, which, according to the Hebrew scriptures, the senior Elohim in Genesis 6 did not want humans to possess.
The Yahweh character in Genesis 3, who Wallis argues has had his name superimposed over older stories, desired humans to remain at an animalistic level, lacking consciousness of their nakedness.
This figure wanted humans to be trained like animals, responding to rewards and punishments rather than making conscious choices.
The serpent, on the other hand, argued that humans should be conscious and aware, leading to the so-called “fall” in the Genesis story.
Covert Governance
Wallis then delves into the issue of covert governance, suggesting that the transition from divine to human kingship in Israel did not eliminate Yahweh’s influence.
The people believed they had replaced Yahweh with a human king, Saul, who would pursue policies for the common good.
However, despite the change in leadership, Yahweh remained in control, exerting influence from the shadows.
This theme continues through the reigns of David and Ahaziah, illustrating that even when the figure on the throne changes, the underlying system of power remains the same.
Wallis draws parallels to modern politics, where changes in government do not necessarily lead to changes in the dynamics of power, particularly when the same corporate interests to both sides of the political spectrum provide financial incentives.
The Final Redaction of the Bible
Wallis discusses the final redaction of the Bible in the 6th century BCE, which, he asserts, was driven by an ideological agenda to promote monotheism.
A diverse collection of scriptures and scrolls was gathered and reworked into a single text to teach this new monotheistic belief. Any elements that contradicted this agenda were obscured or removed.
Wallis gives an example of this obscuration, describing a Harvest Festival in the 7th century BCE at Tel Arad, where people honored the Queen of Heaven, Asherah.
This practice, he argues, was part of the Judaism of that time, which involved multiple temples, high priests, and deities, including Asherah.
The Suppression of Asherah
Wallis points out that the memory of Asherah and other deities was systematically erased by the redactors of the Bible.
They added negative glosses and comments to stories involving Asherah, such as when Solomon built a temple to her, to make her seem less favorable compared to Yahweh.
This process was part of a broader effort to centralize religious power in Jerusalem and promote the worship of Yahweh as the sole deity.
Wallis laments the loss of this broader religious memory, which included knowledge of paleo-contact—interactions with advanced beings from other worlds.
The Story of Asherah
Wallis then takes the audience to the site of Tel Al Farad in the 9th century BCE, where an engraving of a “naous” (a doorway with nothing behind it) can be found.
In this doorway, a being appears, identified as Asherah. Wallis interprets this as a portal through which Asherah, an advanced being, entered the world.
He notes the presence of symbols like the crescent moon and the stars of the Pleiades on the naous, which are found in many cultures as symbols of the origin of beings who taught humanity agriculture and civilization.
The Erasure of Memory
Wallis recounts how, in the 7th century BCE, there was a concerted effort to eradicate the worship of Asherah and other deities.
Clay figurines were smashed, standing stones were knocked down, and altars were destroyed to centralize religious power in Jerusalem.
This cleanup was later reflected in the final redaction of the scriptures, which aimed to eliminate any trace of the older religious practices and focus solely on the worship of Yahweh.
The Loss of Knowledge
Wallis expresses regret over the loss of this ancient knowledge, arguing that it has led to a diminished understanding of who humanity’s cosmic neighbors are and the political lessons that could have been learned from these ancient stories.
By the time of the New Testament, the knowledge of these beings had been obliterated, leaving early Christians uncertain about who or what they were in contact with.
Wallis suggests that if we delve into root meanings in translations, we can recover some of this lost understanding, which can empower individuals and societies today.
Conclusion
Paul Wallis concludes by emphasizing the importance of rediscovering these ancient narratives and understanding the deeper meanings behind them.
He encourages his audience to listen to stories that may have been dismissed as fictions and to dig deeper into translations to uncover the layers of understanding that can transform lives in the present.
