Why the Middle East?

Saw an interesting social media post — perhaps a bit snarky — asking why in a complicated world of 7.4 billion people would the Bible appear to exclusively focus only on one general area: the Middle East? The snarky bit emphasizes the apparent myopic view of this ancient text, particularly as it focuses on numerous civilizations that have apparently vanished.

The Middle East - 6,000 years of human historySo that’s a fair question. Let’s apply Occam’s Razor for the answer. Occam’s Razor, or the Law of Parsimony, states: pluralitas non est ponenda sine necessitate, “plurality should not be posited without necessity.”

In other words, let’s keep it simple. The simplest answer is generally — perhaps often — the best.

So would it be too difficult to place the mass of relevant human history in context? That context being the age of the physical universe (13-14 billion years) compared to the germane activity of humanity (~6,000 years).

They say that the visualization of data is one of the best ways to understand someone. Fortunately, the talented people at Metrocosm have taken the most comprehensive geo dataset available on cities (ancient and modern) and made it come alive.

Note below, at 3,450 B.C. (5,466 years ago), we only have one city, Uruk. History of humanity 3450 BCAnd not a very big one at that. It, of course, is in the Middle East. Modern day Saudi Arabia, give or take a few hundred miles.

Now continuing, we advance a couple of hundred years to the Bronze Age, where we now have the first vehicles with wheels. We also have a couple more cities. They are still very small in stature.

History of Humanity 3150 BC

Now let’s jump ahead about 1,000 years to the time when the Egyptian dynasties are marking their mark. We’re now at the time of the construction of the Great Pyramid, about 2,500 B.C.

History of Humanity 2575 BCHow are we looking for urbanized cities?

Still, only a handful. And, of course, all in the Middle East.

 

So let’s jump ahead another 1,000 years or so when the first dynasty appears in China. Still not very impressive in the amount of recognized historical cities. History of humanity 1475 BCAnd still intensely focused on the Middle East area.

So lest we get boring, let’s accelerate things at bit.

History of Humanity AD 25 - time of Jesus Christ

In AD 25 (or CE, if you prefer), the time when Jesus Christ walked to the earth as a human being, things have begun to heat up on the urbanization front. But are you noticing a trend?

history of humanity AD 1925

So over the next 1,900 years, a virtual population explosion takes place. From a collective few million people, the world population dramatically bursts to top the 7.4 billion mark. I invite to watch the dramatic explosion for yourself here.

But what’s the point, the simple answer? The area of Israel (ancient and modern-day) is basically the only continental land bridge that joins three continents: Asia, Europe and Africa. Major trade routes — the heart of commerce and transportation — have always passed through there. The land  and region of Israel represents the apex of ancient — and fairly modern — civilization. It is the only land that God openly designates as one promised to a people. And that’s a promise that will be fulfilled.

It is the most high profile historical region on the planet.

Numerous biblical oracles also extend beyond ancient Israel — the phrase “all nations” and similar like “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 2:8. New International Version) are not uncommon.

So here’s a consideration. The Bible has a global focus. And when it focuses on the area of the Middle East, perhaps the authors are doing so deliberately.

 

 

A New Beginning – Seeking the Way

Which way is the wind blowing in historical interpretation?

“Do everything in love.” An unexpected directive at the conclusion of an intense ancient letter. When the apostle Paul wrote his first letter (or rather, the first letter that we know of) to the gentile congregation at Corinth, he covered the whole spectrum. He profoundly emphasized the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, to the Greeks a distant figure of Jewish background. He touched on prophetic elements. He severely corrected the congregation for tolerating a continuing situation involving intimate relations forbidden by Old Testament law. And in the midst of this intensity, he dictated an incredible piece of literature, which we know commonly as the “love chapter.”

A complex man, living in complex times. Perhaps a bit like today. Here’s a related thought. Biblical scholar Ben Witherington made an excellent point when he wrote: “A word of caution is in order. We are captives to the sources we have.” In this same volume, he also rightly noted: “There is no such thing as uninterpreted history…every historical account is written from some point of view.”

In the Bible and other sources contemporary and ancient, often as in life today, we have somebody’s recorded point of view. We have the answers. What we don’t often know is this: what were the questions?

The Bible preserves some tantalizing, just-out-of-reach thoughts.  It speaks in the Old Testament –Isaiah and Jeremiah, for instance – and in Acts in the New Testament of something called “The Way.”

What was that “Way”? Have we fallen into the pit that Witherington warns of? Have we misinterpreted critical historical accounts? Do we see current events through a warped lens of distorted antiquity?

The prophet Jeremiah gave ancient Judah an interesting command:

“This is what the Lord says:

“Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it”    (Jeremiah 6:16, New International Version)

What relevance does this have for us today? In this world’s increasingly synthesized and globalized society, I suspect many might deploy that “crossroads” metaphor rather emphatically. Here we are. Where are we going?

This blog, Seeking the Way, does not aspire to the pretentious. It will hopefully present and discuss both the secular and the sacred in a fashion that helps the author (at least) define some of the questions. And if things go in a fortunate fashion, perhaps even try to match up a few with the answers.

Will there be interpreted history? You bet. But hopefully it will be grounded in truth.

So back to Paul. What’s the framework here? Paul emphasized that if he didn’t do things in love, then as he said, “I am nothing” (I Corinthians 13:2, NIV). So as this blog begins, we’ll start there: “Do everything in love” (I Corinthians 16:14, NIV).

Fortuna favet fortibus.