Ditlef Nielsen

The Old Arabian Moon Religion and the Mosaic Tradition (1904)

This forgotten book supports the theory that the Christian Jesus is largely based on ancient myths and beliefs, most particularly on proto-gnostic and later marginalized elements found in the religion of North Arabia at the time of Moses. Translated from the German by R. Salm.

– Chp. 1, “The Conception of God.” The lunar god of love, Wadd, is man’s celestial advocate; the moon is ‘hidden’ for three sacred days each month; hidden knowledge and the ‘Son of God’; the sacred meal; healing through sacrifice; the later ‘moon-worshipping’ Harranians as gnostic followers of John the Baptist.

– Chp. 2,“Sacred Times.” The “three days” of lunar darkness; the prehistory of the semitic root n-ts-r ( < natsarene); Pre-Israelite elements of the sabbath and the flood story.

– Chps. 3 & 4. Chp. 3: “Sacred Places and Symbols.” Chp. 4: “Moses in Midian.”

– Chp. 5, “Wandering in the Wilderness.” Elements of the Arabian gnostic religion infuse the Exodus account. Nielsen shows that Mt. Sinai was actually located in northern Arabia.