Dr. Hermann Detering
“The Gnostic Meaning of the Exodus and the Beginning of the Joshua/Jesus Cult” (2018)
 
Commentary by René Salm

This extensive series of posts explores literary, religious, and historical links between Buddhism and Christian origins.
It argues that Christianity emerged from a gnostic substratum,
and that the figure Jesus of Nazareth and the New Testament gospels
are second century CE developments.

Table of Contents

Pt. 1. Some background — Structure of Dr. Detering’s article
★ Pt. 2. The later (Jesus Mythicist) chronology
Pt. 3. Water, water everywhere — Materialism vs. gnosticism
Pt. 4. Sacred water and hidden meaning below the surface — The serpent — Passing through the upside-down vortex — The moon — The moon, water, and the Baptist — Connecting the dots
Pt. 5. The Therapeutae—Pt. 1: Summary of the evidence — What do we know about the Therapeutae? (23 characteristics) — Analysis
Pt. 6. The Therapeutae—Pt. 2: Extensive parallels between the Therapeutae and Buddhism
Pt. 7. The Therapeutae—Pt. 3: Passover and Pentecost — Six and Seven — Fifty days — The all-night vigil
Pt. 8. The Therapeutae—Pt. 4: Buddhism with a difference? — A little-known Jewish sect — Mandeism — Persia and India — Were the Therapeutae Christians?
★ Pt. 9. Simon Magus—Pt. 1
Pt. 10. The Peratae—Pt. 1: Indian influences — The serpent, Enki, and Kundalini — Buddhism, emptiness, and transience
Pt. 11. The Peratae—Pt. 2: ‘Cross over’ in the Gospel of Mark — The serpent (again) — Baptism as life itself — The water holds back
Pt. 12. Simon Magus—Pt. 2: Simon Magus as a ‘Christ’ figure — Too many characters
Pt. 13. Simon Magus—Pt. 3: The doctrines — The ‘Standing One’
Pt. 14. Simon Magus—Pt. 4: The ‘Standing One’ (cont.) — Overlaps everywhere — What more do we know of “The Standing One”?
Pt. 15. Simon Magus—Conclusion: Crossing the Jordan River — John the Baptist → Jesus — Simon Magus → Simon Peter
Pt. 16. The Naassenes
Pt. 17. The Testimony of Truth — Water, a nuanced symbol — This could not be more Buddhist — Gnosis under assault
Pt. 18. The Odes of Solomon—Pt. 1: Dating — ‘Water’ once again — Ode 39, the Flood, and Buddhism
Pt. 19. The Odes of Solomon—Pt. 2: Buddhism, and the Odist’s gnostic credentials — On the border between gnosticism and catholicism — Music and the Odes
Pt. 20. The Odes of Solomon—Conclusion: The theology of immanence — The Mystery Religions — Paul and John — Dr. Detering’s recent article on the Odes
Pt. 21. The Mandeans—Pt. 1: Introduction — The Mandeans retained the spiritual meaning — Ever-present Gnosticism
Pt. 22. The Mandeans—Pt. 2: ‘The Sea of the Ending’ (cont.)
Pt. 23. Indian themes: Resumé — “Crossing over” in the Upanishads — “Crossing over” in Buddhism
Pt. 24. Buddhism and the Odes of Solomon — Buddhism and the gospels
★ Pt. 25. The Therapeutae—Pt. 5 — A new Chronology and Yeshu ha-Notsri — The name “Therapeutae”
Pt. 26. The Therapeutae—Pt. 6: The Therapeutae, Buddhism, and Gnosis
★ Pt. 27. The Therapeutae—Pt. 7 — A turning point — The Levites, baptism, and Jewish influences — Buddhism and metaphorical water — The Levites and Christian beginnings
Pt. 28. Jesus, Joshua ben Nun, Dositheus, and the “True Prophet” — IXΘYΣ—The meaning of the fish symbol in early Christianity
Pt. 29. The Egyptian background—Pt. 1 — Out of Egypt — Ancient Jewish revisionism — Samaritans: Heirs of the northern traditions
Pt. 30. The Egyptian background—Pt. 2: Nun and the Egyptian pantheon. A seminal scholar — The god Nun
Pt. 31. The Didache—Pt. 1 — “Joshua, the Anointed One” — Bethlehem — The Messiah in the Didache — The Levites, the Didache, and Christianity
Pt. 32. The Didache–Pt. 2 – Jesus/Joshua is not divine and he is not “Lord”
Pt. 33. The Didache–Pt. 3 — Before the canonical gospels — A second Joshua
★ Pt. 34. The Didache–Pt. 4 — The spiritual Jesus — The Church takes control — Yeshu — Dating — Conclusion
Pt. 35. The ever-present Jesus — Both man and God
Pt. 36. The Transfiguration — “Let us go to the other side” (Mk 4:35) — Buddhism in Christianity
Pt. 37. Justin Martyr: Exegesis of Jewish scripture by the Church Fathers — Justin Martyr and the New Chronology
★ Pt. 38. Conclusions — Dr. Detering’s overall conclusion — My conclusion to the commentary series (R. Salm) — An overlooked prophet — Qumran — The priority of gnostic Christianity