Poor Job

[phrog]

As a young buck with bucked teeth I recall fondly my orthodontist. Dr. Hoops was Atheist and was absolutely thrilled that I was Atheist at such a young age. He would schedule me as the last appointment of the day so we could talk religion. He was Greek and brought in a 300 year old family heirloom Bible. It was the most beautiful book I had ever seen. It looked like it came off the Guttenberg press itself. Dr Hoops pointed out the discrepancies between this ancient Greek translation and that of the King James Version. He told me of the story of poor old Job. In the Greek translation from the original Hebrew God and the Devil leaves Job penniless, crops destroyed, family dead, and poor old Job himself infested with his boils. Reminds me of the heartless bastards in the film Trading Places, but of course Hollywood gives the two their comeuppance. Not 'till later translations do the Biblical scribes decide that they needed to insert their Hollywood ending to the story soas not to make God look such the tyrant. A little side note here, Job is the only place in the Bible where Satan kills anyone, the 9 members of Job's family. Compare that to the vast numbers of men women and children that God kills. A good book, that.

[atl.medic]

I would be interested in what other lies and discrepencies would be found in this book!

[Aspirin99]

Interesting story. I wish I had a dentist like that.

It was a Greek translation of the OT? Was it translated into English? Was it the Septuagint?

[phrog]

Interesting story. I wish I had a dentist like that.

It was a Greek translation of the OT? Was it translated into English? Was it the Septuagint?
I dunno, I was 14, it was all Greek to me. Even if I could have read the language, the hand set type set was so ornate, I don't see how anyone could read it. The book was gold gilded leather and weighed easily 30 pounds. Unfortunately for Dr Hoops, last I saw him he was headed to jail for tax evasion. He was very anti-establishment and was sure he could beat the system. I had to have my final retainer made by one of his colleagues. I would have liked to have kept in touch but story is after his jail time, I think 2 years, he moved to Canada.

[SteelerMan]

Hmmm...a Greek atheist dentist who gives the finger to Uncle Sam and sneaks away to Canada after jail. Sounds like a great screenplay.

[formerfundie]

if god had allowed satan to burn Job, would he have been a Job well done?

[phrog]

if god had allowed satan to burn Job, would he have been a Job well done?
And then if god had put out the fire with a strong wind....the first blow job?

[OldChurchGuy]

As a young buck with bucked teeth I recall fondly my orthodontist. Dr. Hoops was Atheist and was absolutely thrilled that I was Atheist at such a young age. He would schedule me as the last appointment of the day so we could talk religion. He was Greek and brought in a 300 year old family heirloom Bible. It was the most beautiful book I had ever seen. It looked like it came off the Guttenberg press itself. Dr Hoops pointed out the discrepancies between this ancient Greek translation and that of the King James Version. He told me of the story of poor old Job. In the Greek translation from the original Hebrew God and the Devil leaves Job penniless, crops destroyed, family dead, and poor old Job himself infested with his boils. Reminds me of the heartless bastards in the film Trading Places, but of course Hollywood gives the two their comeuppance. Not 'till later translations do the Biblical scribes decide that they needed to insert their Hollywood ending to the story soas not to make God look such the tyrant. A little side note here, Job is the only place in the Bible where Satan kills anyone, the 9 members of Job's family. Compare that to the vast numbers of men women and children that God kills. A good book, that.

I would like to have seen that Bible myself. Can't find anything on the internet about alternative endings to Job.

Interesting point about the number of deaths attributed to the Satan compared to God.

As always,

OldChurchGuy

[Kingreaper]

And then if god had put out the fire with a strong wind....the first blow job?
Nah, not the first. But still, a heavenly blow Job.

[phrog]

Nah, not the first. But still, a heavenly blow Job.
I had a date like that once.

[minorwork]

Ignatius Donnelly, author and elected to the US Congress 1863 representing Minnesota for 8 years. Been a while since reading his stuff. He wrote two books. One on Atlantis, the Antediluvian something or other. I haven't read that. I have read about 33 years ago The Destruction of Atlantis Ragnarok: The Age of Fire and Gravel.

He proposes the Book of Job predates the book of Genesis. The Book of Job was an account of events occurring during the Earth's passage thru a comets tail. He was attempting to explain "unstratified till" a geological phenomena commonly believed occurring from glaciers. Studying in the Library of Congress he saw the Chicago Fire and the associated Great Conflagration as a pass thru Biela's Comet that broke up 6 years prior on its last pass. Exploring this event I went to Peshtigo, Wisconsin to the Fire museum.

Fantastic accounts of fire in the Peshtigo area are told by a priest that escaped by immersion in a river and coming up for air when he had to. He still burnt his eyes so bad they were swelled shut blinding him when the worst was over. Paul Bunyan times there. Big logging boom. Taverns, prostitutes, gambling. The inhabitants thought the End of the World was upon them. As well it appeared. 40 were found in a well after. Bottom drowned, middle asphyxiated, top burnt up. Two families in one house saw the flames approach got the women and kids out, covered them with blankets and threw water on the blankets till they expired. Many more. Prayin' Joe and others.

Not much communication then. Really big forest fires today have some very strange phenomena that could explain some of the weird accounts of balls of fire coming from the sky and jets of blue flame circling the church's interior when the priest went to save the chalice. Wagon of axe heads on one end and handles on the other found after with the heads melted and the handles not singed.

Yeah, Job is definitely well written. The destruction out of the blue of his civilization could have indeed spurred such writings.

OK that's enough. This bedtime story is over.