René Salm - Academia.edu (original) (raw)
Books by René Salm
On winter solstice, 2009, four days before Christmas and twenty months after publication of my fi... more On winter solstice, 2009, four days before Christmas and twenty months after publication of my first book, The Myth of Nazareth (http://www.nazarethmyth.info/) archeologist Yardenna of the Israel Antiquities Authority gave a press conference in Nazareth, Israel, at newly excavated ground across the street from the Church of the Annunciation. International news agencies were present, including AP, UPI, Reuters, and Agence France Presse. Enigmatic advance notices had already alerted the general public that news of major religious significance was imminent.
When Dr. Alexandre stepped up to the microphone on that blustery morning, she announced that incontrovertible evidence of a village from “the time of Jesus” had been found for the very first time. The evidence, she explained, was in front of their eyes: remains of a dwelling which—in all likelihood—Jesus himself knew as a child.
But the claim is bogus, as this chapter from my recent second book NazarethGate (http://www.mythicistpapers.com/2015/11/15/the-book-nazarethgate/) shows. The site was obviously a wine producing complex beginning in the Byzantine era, with clear remains of low walls, a sloping treading floor, collecting vat, and storage cellars.
This explosive sequel to THE MYTH OF NAZARETH (2008) documents astonishing scandals on the ground... more This explosive sequel to THE MYTH OF NAZARETH (2008) documents astonishing scandals on the ground and a desperate race to create evidence for the nonexistent hometown of Jesus. The final chapter addresses the question: With no ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ was ANY prophet at the source of Christianity? In softcover and Kindle editions from American Atheist Press (November 30, 2015).
For chapter summaries please see http://www.mythicistpapers.com/2015/11/15/the-book-nazarethgate/
For ordering information (discount) see http://www.mythicistpapers.com/ordering-information/
“By proving scientifically that Nazareth was uninhabited at the time Jesus of Nazareth and his fa... more “By proving scientifically that Nazareth was uninhabited at the time Jesus of Nazareth and his family were supposed to be living there, Salm strikes the Achilles’ heel of a very popular god.”—Frank R. Zindler (author of THE JESUS THE JEWS NEVER KNEW, American Atheist Press, 2003).
Sure to upset biblical inerrantists and conservative pundits alike, THE MYTH OF NAZARETH presents convincing archaeological evidence that the town of Nazareth was not settled until after the First Jewish War—around 70 CE. In this book researcher René Salm proves that a core element of the Jesus story was an invention of the evangelists who wrote their gospels towards the end of the first century CE—as it turns out, at the same time the village of Nazareth was coming into being. Requiring eight years of painstaking research, THE MYTH OF NAZARETH surveys the archaeological record of the Nazareth basin from the Stone Age until modern times. It guides the reader through a stunning odyssey of discovery—one which exposes not only the true history of the site but also a scandalous history of evidentiary suppression reaching back into Early Christian times.
Publisher: American Atheist Press.
Publication Date: 2008
More Info:
- Review by Robert M. Price, Ph.D, Th.D, at: http://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/reviews/salm_myth_nazereth.htm.
- Review by Neil Godfrey (Vridar) at: http://vridar.org/2009/05/31/reviewing-a-scholarly-review-of-rene-salms-the-myth-of-nazareth/
In 57 short chapters, this selection of scriptures explores the common Gnostic background of both... more In 57 short chapters, this selection of scriptures explores the common Gnostic background of both Buddhism and Christianity. Paali citations from Buddhist texts and Christian citations from the Greek Gospels are newly translated by René Salm.
Papers by René Salm
NazarethGate, 2015
This is a PDF of the published chapter 12 in my second book, NazarethGate (American Atheist Press... more This is a PDF of the published chapter 12 in my second book, NazarethGate (American Atheist Press 2015), with all visuals and page numbers as in the book. It astonishes me that this bogus 'inscription' continues to be used as ancient evidence--obviously by those who have not read this chapter and perhaps refuse to do so.
In short: the discoverer of the seminal 'Nazareth' fragment was the notorious forger Dr. Jerry Vardaman, known for his ridiculous claim to have detected 'microletters' attesting to Jesus Christ on Roman coins. This chapter details Vardaman's central role in the 1962 excavation--even his hand in financing it. Vardaman was arrested by the Israeli police the same day (!) as his 'discovery' of the Nazareth fragment and removed from the excavation. Some years later he was again arrested in Jordan for irregularities in the field. If that isn't enough to convince diehard Christian conservatives, this chapter also details how the three fragments of the inscription do not match (thus, no 'Caesarea Inscription' ever existed) and that no synagogue existed in the area. (Such inscriptions are known only from synagogues.) You won't want to bypass reading this article/chapter if you wish to have a cogent opinion on the archaeology of Nazareth.
This is the third incarnation of an article originally published in the compilation book "Bart Eh... more This is the third incarnation of an article originally published in the compilation book "Bart Ehrman and the Quest of the Historical Jesus of Nazareth" (F. Zindler, editor, 2013 chapter 12). The article appeared again with minor changes in my recent book, "NazarethGate: Quack Archeology, Holy Hoaxes, and the Invented Town of Jesus" (American Atheist Press, December 2015, chapter 9). The piece is now made digitally available here to those interested. It responds to Dr. Bart Ehrman’s published statements regarding the archaeology of Nazareth, beginning with his book "Did Jesus Exist?" (2012, pp. 191–97). I critique Ehrman’s factually incorrect statements regarding the material record, his modus operandi of resorting to hearsay instead of evidence in the ground, his reflexive appeal to reputation and majority opinion, and a certain sloppiness that characterizes his writing, e.g. confusing “Bronze” with “Iron” Age and conflating “Jesus” with “Christ.”
This article was a public response to the much touted “house from the time of Jesus” announced by... more This article was a public response to the much touted “house from the time of Jesus” announced by Dr. Y. Alexandre on Dec. 21, 2009 at a Nazareth news conference. The article was first published in American Atheist Magazine (2010). It has been republished in Salm, NAZARETHGATE, Chapter 7. For a more detailed and up-to-date treatment of Alexandre's excavations at the site, see Salm, NAZARETHGATE, Chapter 10.
Paper presented at the 2012 SBL convention (Chicago). Published as Chapter 8 in NAZARETHGATE: QUA... more Paper presented at the 2012 SBL convention (Chicago). Published as Chapter 8 in NAZARETHGATE: QUACK ARCHEOLOGY, HOLY HOAXES, AND THE INVENTED TOWN OF JESUS (American Atheist Press, Nov. 2015—see "Books" above).
An informal article first published in American Atheist magazine (January, 2009), republished in ... more An informal article first published in American Atheist magazine (January, 2009), republished in Salm, NAZARETHGATE (Chapter 5).
Online articles by René Salm
A half century after its discovery, the provocative Acts of Mark remains unpublished and even unt... more A half century after its discovery, the provocative Acts of Mark remains unpublished and even untranslated from the Greek—a scandal for the profession. The first five chapters are now found on my website and in this paper. The gnostic Acts of Mark describe Mark as a Jesus figure with surprising overlaps to John the Baptist (cf. his name "John Mark," Acts 12:12). Mark is also a Levite and goes to Gaul (compare the heretical "Marcosians"). This paper presents introduction, professional translation, summary, and notes on dating.
Hector Avalos writes that "attending a session of an annual meeting [of the SBL] is a study in ir... more Hector Avalos writes that "attending a session of an annual meeting [of the SBL] is a study in irrelevance" (p. 308). It's probably one of the milder statements in the book. In fact, scholars have only themselves to blame. For decades now they've not only busied themselves with minutiae in which no one else is interested but have (more egregiously) confined their vision to the safe parameters of Sunday School and synagoguewhich is, after all, the historical vision of your average gradeschooler. I submit that this linkage between scholars and gradeschoolers should be kept in mind for, despite their demonstrated erudition, biblical scholars are amazingly timid when it comes to challenging the cultural delusions that presently pass for religious history. Biblical scholars examine minutiae with care but steadfastly refuse to connect the dots. It's a curious situation, a little like going to the store and paying the money but not bringing home the bacon. Well, we all know the reason: aligning themselves with popular opinion and institutional power, scholars continue to steadfastly refuse to seriously consider anything which might shake the tent of tradition. I mean, their jobs are at stake.
Drafts by René Salm
A Critique of Yardenna Alexandre’s article, “The Settlement History of Nazareth”, 2021
In 2020 the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) published an extensive article in its journal 'Ati... more In 2020 the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) published an extensive article in its journal 'Atiqot authored by one of its archaeologists, Dr. Yardenna Alexandre, a name familiar to readers of my books and to those interested in the archaeological history of Nazareth, Israel. The IAA article goes far beyond a standard excavation report and functions also as an updated history of Nazareth. I point out that many of the structural features that Alexandre claims were walls of a "house" do not exist in the material remains, and that claims to have found a large quantity of Hellenistic pottery shards at the Mary of Nazareth Center site are improbable and in some cases impossible. The archaeologist has nevertheless used these dubious ceramic claims to date the alleged dwelling to "the time of Jesus."
Book Reviews by René Salm
The Alternative Chronology: Dating the Events of the Wagenseil Version of Toledot Yeshu (Annotated), 2024
This is my annotated version of a chapter authored by Gavin Mcdowell and published in Daniel Barb... more This is my annotated version of a chapter authored by Gavin Mcdowell and published in Daniel Barbu; Yaacov Deutsch. Toledot Yeshu in Context: The Jewish “Life of Jesus” in Ancient, Medieval, and Modern History, 182, Mohr Siebeck, pp. 59–80, 2020, Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism. hal-03928867. Original footnote numbers are in brackets. Underlining, highlighting, and comments in red font have been added. This is copied under fair use for commentary and scholarship. Further discussion is at https://www.mythicistpapers.com/2024/05/18/the-alternative-chronology-and-yeshu-ha-notsri/.
On winter solstice, 2009, four days before Christmas and twenty months after publication of my fi... more On winter solstice, 2009, four days before Christmas and twenty months after publication of my first book, The Myth of Nazareth (http://www.nazarethmyth.info/) archeologist Yardenna of the Israel Antiquities Authority gave a press conference in Nazareth, Israel, at newly excavated ground across the street from the Church of the Annunciation. International news agencies were present, including AP, UPI, Reuters, and Agence France Presse. Enigmatic advance notices had already alerted the general public that news of major religious significance was imminent.
When Dr. Alexandre stepped up to the microphone on that blustery morning, she announced that incontrovertible evidence of a village from “the time of Jesus” had been found for the very first time. The evidence, she explained, was in front of their eyes: remains of a dwelling which—in all likelihood—Jesus himself knew as a child.
But the claim is bogus, as this chapter from my recent second book NazarethGate (http://www.mythicistpapers.com/2015/11/15/the-book-nazarethgate/) shows. The site was obviously a wine producing complex beginning in the Byzantine era, with clear remains of low walls, a sloping treading floor, collecting vat, and storage cellars.
This explosive sequel to THE MYTH OF NAZARETH (2008) documents astonishing scandals on the ground... more This explosive sequel to THE MYTH OF NAZARETH (2008) documents astonishing scandals on the ground and a desperate race to create evidence for the nonexistent hometown of Jesus. The final chapter addresses the question: With no ‘Jesus of Nazareth,’ was ANY prophet at the source of Christianity? In softcover and Kindle editions from American Atheist Press (November 30, 2015).
For chapter summaries please see http://www.mythicistpapers.com/2015/11/15/the-book-nazarethgate/
For ordering information (discount) see http://www.mythicistpapers.com/ordering-information/
“By proving scientifically that Nazareth was uninhabited at the time Jesus of Nazareth and his fa... more “By proving scientifically that Nazareth was uninhabited at the time Jesus of Nazareth and his family were supposed to be living there, Salm strikes the Achilles’ heel of a very popular god.”—Frank R. Zindler (author of THE JESUS THE JEWS NEVER KNEW, American Atheist Press, 2003).
Sure to upset biblical inerrantists and conservative pundits alike, THE MYTH OF NAZARETH presents convincing archaeological evidence that the town of Nazareth was not settled until after the First Jewish War—around 70 CE. In this book researcher René Salm proves that a core element of the Jesus story was an invention of the evangelists who wrote their gospels towards the end of the first century CE—as it turns out, at the same time the village of Nazareth was coming into being. Requiring eight years of painstaking research, THE MYTH OF NAZARETH surveys the archaeological record of the Nazareth basin from the Stone Age until modern times. It guides the reader through a stunning odyssey of discovery—one which exposes not only the true history of the site but also a scandalous history of evidentiary suppression reaching back into Early Christian times.
Publisher: American Atheist Press.
Publication Date: 2008
More Info:
- Review by Robert M. Price, Ph.D, Th.D, at: http://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/reviews/salm_myth_nazereth.htm.
- Review by Neil Godfrey (Vridar) at: http://vridar.org/2009/05/31/reviewing-a-scholarly-review-of-rene-salms-the-myth-of-nazareth/
In 57 short chapters, this selection of scriptures explores the common Gnostic background of both... more In 57 short chapters, this selection of scriptures explores the common Gnostic background of both Buddhism and Christianity. Paali citations from Buddhist texts and Christian citations from the Greek Gospels are newly translated by René Salm.
NazarethGate, 2015
This is a PDF of the published chapter 12 in my second book, NazarethGate (American Atheist Press... more This is a PDF of the published chapter 12 in my second book, NazarethGate (American Atheist Press 2015), with all visuals and page numbers as in the book. It astonishes me that this bogus 'inscription' continues to be used as ancient evidence--obviously by those who have not read this chapter and perhaps refuse to do so.
In short: the discoverer of the seminal 'Nazareth' fragment was the notorious forger Dr. Jerry Vardaman, known for his ridiculous claim to have detected 'microletters' attesting to Jesus Christ on Roman coins. This chapter details Vardaman's central role in the 1962 excavation--even his hand in financing it. Vardaman was arrested by the Israeli police the same day (!) as his 'discovery' of the Nazareth fragment and removed from the excavation. Some years later he was again arrested in Jordan for irregularities in the field. If that isn't enough to convince diehard Christian conservatives, this chapter also details how the three fragments of the inscription do not match (thus, no 'Caesarea Inscription' ever existed) and that no synagogue existed in the area. (Such inscriptions are known only from synagogues.) You won't want to bypass reading this article/chapter if you wish to have a cogent opinion on the archaeology of Nazareth.
This is the third incarnation of an article originally published in the compilation book "Bart Eh... more This is the third incarnation of an article originally published in the compilation book "Bart Ehrman and the Quest of the Historical Jesus of Nazareth" (F. Zindler, editor, 2013 chapter 12). The article appeared again with minor changes in my recent book, "NazarethGate: Quack Archeology, Holy Hoaxes, and the Invented Town of Jesus" (American Atheist Press, December 2015, chapter 9). The piece is now made digitally available here to those interested. It responds to Dr. Bart Ehrman’s published statements regarding the archaeology of Nazareth, beginning with his book "Did Jesus Exist?" (2012, pp. 191–97). I critique Ehrman’s factually incorrect statements regarding the material record, his modus operandi of resorting to hearsay instead of evidence in the ground, his reflexive appeal to reputation and majority opinion, and a certain sloppiness that characterizes his writing, e.g. confusing “Bronze” with “Iron” Age and conflating “Jesus” with “Christ.”
This article was a public response to the much touted “house from the time of Jesus” announced by... more This article was a public response to the much touted “house from the time of Jesus” announced by Dr. Y. Alexandre on Dec. 21, 2009 at a Nazareth news conference. The article was first published in American Atheist Magazine (2010). It has been republished in Salm, NAZARETHGATE, Chapter 7. For a more detailed and up-to-date treatment of Alexandre's excavations at the site, see Salm, NAZARETHGATE, Chapter 10.
Paper presented at the 2012 SBL convention (Chicago). Published as Chapter 8 in NAZARETHGATE: QUA... more Paper presented at the 2012 SBL convention (Chicago). Published as Chapter 8 in NAZARETHGATE: QUACK ARCHEOLOGY, HOLY HOAXES, AND THE INVENTED TOWN OF JESUS (American Atheist Press, Nov. 2015—see "Books" above).
An informal article first published in American Atheist magazine (January, 2009), republished in ... more An informal article first published in American Atheist magazine (January, 2009), republished in Salm, NAZARETHGATE (Chapter 5).
A half century after its discovery, the provocative Acts of Mark remains unpublished and even unt... more A half century after its discovery, the provocative Acts of Mark remains unpublished and even untranslated from the Greek—a scandal for the profession. The first five chapters are now found on my website and in this paper. The gnostic Acts of Mark describe Mark as a Jesus figure with surprising overlaps to John the Baptist (cf. his name "John Mark," Acts 12:12). Mark is also a Levite and goes to Gaul (compare the heretical "Marcosians"). This paper presents introduction, professional translation, summary, and notes on dating.
Hector Avalos writes that "attending a session of an annual meeting [of the SBL] is a study in ir... more Hector Avalos writes that "attending a session of an annual meeting [of the SBL] is a study in irrelevance" (p. 308). It's probably one of the milder statements in the book. In fact, scholars have only themselves to blame. For decades now they've not only busied themselves with minutiae in which no one else is interested but have (more egregiously) confined their vision to the safe parameters of Sunday School and synagoguewhich is, after all, the historical vision of your average gradeschooler. I submit that this linkage between scholars and gradeschoolers should be kept in mind for, despite their demonstrated erudition, biblical scholars are amazingly timid when it comes to challenging the cultural delusions that presently pass for religious history. Biblical scholars examine minutiae with care but steadfastly refuse to connect the dots. It's a curious situation, a little like going to the store and paying the money but not bringing home the bacon. Well, we all know the reason: aligning themselves with popular opinion and institutional power, scholars continue to steadfastly refuse to seriously consider anything which might shake the tent of tradition. I mean, their jobs are at stake.
A Critique of Yardenna Alexandre’s article, “The Settlement History of Nazareth”, 2021
In 2020 the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) published an extensive article in its journal 'Ati... more In 2020 the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) published an extensive article in its journal 'Atiqot authored by one of its archaeologists, Dr. Yardenna Alexandre, a name familiar to readers of my books and to those interested in the archaeological history of Nazareth, Israel. The IAA article goes far beyond a standard excavation report and functions also as an updated history of Nazareth. I point out that many of the structural features that Alexandre claims were walls of a "house" do not exist in the material remains, and that claims to have found a large quantity of Hellenistic pottery shards at the Mary of Nazareth Center site are improbable and in some cases impossible. The archaeologist has nevertheless used these dubious ceramic claims to date the alleged dwelling to "the time of Jesus."
The Alternative Chronology: Dating the Events of the Wagenseil Version of Toledot Yeshu (Annotated), 2024
This is my annotated version of a chapter authored by Gavin Mcdowell and published in Daniel Barb... more This is my annotated version of a chapter authored by Gavin Mcdowell and published in Daniel Barbu; Yaacov Deutsch. Toledot Yeshu in Context: The Jewish “Life of Jesus” in Ancient, Medieval, and Modern History, 182, Mohr Siebeck, pp. 59–80, 2020, Texts and Studies in Ancient Judaism. hal-03928867. Original footnote numbers are in brackets. Underlining, highlighting, and comments in red font have been added. This is copied under fair use for commentary and scholarship. Further discussion is at https://www.mythicistpapers.com/2024/05/18/the-alternative-chronology-and-yeshu-ha-notsri/.