That Old-Time Religion: The Story of Religious Foundations

by Jordan Maxwell, Alan Snow (Contributor), Paul Tice (Contributor)

This book shows how many Christian beliefs could be far older than what we have suspected. It gives a complete run-down of the stellar, lunar, and solar evolution of our religious systems and contains new, exhaustive research on the gods and our beliefs. The book's main theme centers on the work of Jordan Maxwell. He has become widely known as one of the world's foremost experts on early mythological systems and their influence on both ancient and modern religions. The book also includes an interview with Dr. Alan Snow, referred to by Sydney Ohmarr as the "world's greatest authority on astrology and the Dead Sea Scrolls." Paul Tice also contributes three chapters, the last one explaining how we should revert to the original teachings of religious founders, including Jesus, before they had become corrupted by "organized religion." This book is illustrated, organized, and very comprehensive. Educate yourself with clear documented proof, and prepare to have your belief system shattered!

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Conspiracy Theories, Occult, History, Mythology, Spirituality

124 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2000

About the author

Jordan Maxwell continues as a preeminent researcher and independent scholar in the field of occult / religious philosophy. His interest in these subjects began as far back as 1959. He served for three and a half years as the Religion Editor of Truth Seeker Magazine, America's oldest Freethought Journal (since 1873). His work exploring the hidden foundations of Western religions and secret societies creates enthusiastic responses from audiences around the world.

He has conducted dozens of intensive seminars, hosted his own radio talk shows, guested on more than 600 radio shows, and written, produced and appeared in numerous television shows and documentaries (including three 2-hour specials for the CBS TV network, as well as the internationally acclaimed 5-part Ancient Mystery Series - all devoted to understanding ancient religions and their pervasive influence on world affairs today.

His work on the subject of secret societies, both ancient and modern, and their symbols, has fascinated audiences around the world for decades.

Reviews

[Jim Razinha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really need to do a better job curating my quick curiosity reads list...I thought this was supposed to be "how many Christian beliefs could be far older than what we have suspected." What we get is a sparingly cogent essay by Gerald Massey with some fascinating insights that quickly turns wild sensationalist befitting Charles Berlitz's craziest "theories", some more stretches of the imagination by Paul Tice and Jordan Maxwell, a good transcript of an interview with a Dr. Alan Snow, and a wrapup chapter by Paul Tice that has little to do with the description, rather a what's what of what's wrong with the New Testament canon with respect to Gnostics.

I'm not going to recount any on my notes on Massey, Tice or Maxwell... I wrote a lot of "really?" and debunked some of their nonsense. Example of Maxwell:

Today we have expressions when someone dies. We say things like, “They Passed” or “They Passed On” or “They Passed Away.” The ancients said “They Passed Over” (from one life to another). And so it was with the coming of spring, as God’s Sun is “Resurrected” from the Death of Winter to His New Life (in spring). This is why Christians celebrate “The Resurrection” with a Sun-Rise service at … “EASTER” … and the Jews, who knew “the greatest story” first, celebrate the same with their … “PASSOVER.”

Really? (Sorry...I did have that in my note) Not that the houses were passed over? Jeez. Most of Maxwell is that silliness.

So Massey was a writer who at least had put an effort in Egyptology study. Tice has no background that shows up in a any search pages several deep, and Maxwell has a Dutch wiki page. Maxwell is quite the crank from second hand accounts. And Dr. Snow? Ordinarily, this book would get two stars at best, but the interview of Snow by Maxwell is pretty good, so I bumped it. Still, for an expert on the Dead Sea Scrolls, shouldn't I be able to find something about him?

A few selected quick shots from the only part worth reading, and possibly rereading for some jumping off research:
Alan Snow

All the messiahs that are spoken about in the Scriptures, in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and in the Old Testament, have been mortals and not all messiahs—you know, every king of Israel is a messiah. All the word means is “anointed one.” All the High Priests of Israel have been messiahs. They were all anonted.

The word “messiah” refers to men, not to gods, not to divine beings, not to angels.

Snow again

One thing that the Dead Sea Scrolls have taught us was that there was no absolute canon of scripture as we understand it today. Even the language was changed. If the Essenes found something to be obscure in any of the Prophets or the books of Moses, they rewrote it.

And

The Thanksgiving Scroll is a name that was arbitrarily given to their book of hymns. When you read through them, remember that the name “Thanksgiving Scroll” is again based on Christian thinking. It is a very nice way to describe this kind of poetry. I have read them all. They read like the Psalms of David, but they are more sectarian than our hundred and fifty Psalms. The Thanksgiving Hymns are extremely self-centered and very anti-foreigner and very anti-anybody who does not keep the law of Moses. They curse unbelievers. They curse Jews who have betrayed the law of Moses. They are pretty negative, but they are interesting. They are the kind of hymns and songs and poetry that you would expect from an extremist sectarian group that was very self-righteous.

Jordan Maxwell asked: Are there any miracle stories in the Dead Sea Scrolls? Snow:

No! No, none. Absolutely not one. I have not read any. The only miracle stories you have are the stories from the Old Testament. Those are old. Those are the stories of the Prophets, the stories of Moses, and so on. JM: Prophecies expect miracles, do they not? AS: Yes. They would expect miracles in the future. But there are no miracle stories in the Dead Sea Scrolls. You have what are called the Apocryphal Pseudepigraphic writings. You have miracle stories there about Noah and so on. but as far as miracles in the lives of the Essenes themselves, they were not living miraculous lives. They were not raising the dead.

And

So you have this huge similarity in language between the Essene community and the early Jerusalem Church that you just cannot get around. The fact that in the New Testament you never once have any mention of the Essenes. Even though they are a prominent group at that time in Judea, you never see them mentioned. Many scholars believe that they are not mentioned in the New Testament writings because the New Testament writings are the Essene writings. They were written by them.

I found that fascinating. I had a book on the Scrolls, unread yet but lost to a fire seven years ago. Time to go hunting for it. Also, two jumping off points: "A History of God" by Karen Armstrong and "The Gnostic Paul" by Elaine Pagels.

The book doesn't deliver as promised, and have of it is fringe nonsense anyway, but there are some good thought provocations.

[AL · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is more of a collection of essays by other writers, as Jordan Maxwell was not interested in writing much it seems, as his only direct contribution here is a reprinted interview. Despite this, the essays by Gerald Massey and Paul Tice are are valuable and insightful as to the true evolution of the Judeo-Christian religions that permeate most of Western culture even to this day. A bit of a confused book presentation yet there are some great summaries of our religious origins that are priceless.

[jessica culbreth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seeking of truth

This book is great for those seeking the truth of about the development of Christianity. It is also good for those who thought that what was being taught at church didn't seem to make sense. It can lead you to seek the true knowledge of the Devine
spark within us.

[Dina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and fascinating. Our whole lives are literally constructed on lies, and yet we bring more children into that same old mess.

[Project Cognition · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great work by Jordan Maxwell on exposing the myth of Jesus as told by Christianity.