TrueBeliever37
Well-Known Member
Hi IC5559,To me, a myth is not a lie, but rather is a very wonderful story. It is literature designed to teach, not a history book or science text. I do think that fiction is the very best way to teach values -- that's why i.e. Jesus chose to teach in parables.
Myth.
The Jewish calendar is a human invention, based on the lunar month, and adjusted for the solar year.
You are correct. Saying it is the year 5784 really has no meaning. It is most certainly not 5784 years since the creation of the universe, or the formation of the earth, or the existence of life. The existence of the Jewish year comes from a very famous Jewish sage called Maimonides aka the Rambam who lived in the 12th century, and mentally tried to figure how old the earth was based on the flawed idea of estimating the mythological generations in the Torah to be 40 years (I think). Although Maimonides' reckoning became Jewish tradition, he certainly wasn't the only Jewish sage to estimate the age of the earth. For example, Simon Hahasid in the Talmud estimated the Earth's age as 40,000 years. Kabbalists in Spain thought the age of the earth to be more like 900,000 to 2.5 billion years old.
So, it's like I have been saying - it's conjecture. Some say 5784 years old, some 40,000 years old, some 900,000 to 2.5 billion years old. They have no solid knowledge, only their speculation.
What about God parting the Red Sea?
What about Noah and the flood?
What about David defeating Goliath with a sling?
What about the axe head that floated in the water and was retrieved?
What about David saying in Psalms 33:6-9 that God spoke things into existence?
Do you think all the above things are just myths too?