Giuseppe, sometimes you drive me nuts, but here, you are onto something. I'm just not so sure you are aware of what it is
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Giuseppe wrote:In short, by Justin's time, John the Baptist was not yet invented.
Close, oh, so close.
"From the fact that the "Jesus Stories" were written from Source Stories, it does not follow that the "Source Stories" were about "Jesus"."
It is "JESUS" that had not been fully fleshed out! In the adaptation of the Original Story, John and a Priest were always present. It was when the "Jesus" character was invented that the problems began. The Prophets lasted until John. The creators of the New Religion are telling you what they are doing. After John comes the rewrite - the Story gets Cut-'n-Pasted into a story of a savior/god.
John 1:
[15] (John bore witness to him, and cried, "This was he of whom I said, `He who comes after me ranks before me, for he was before me.'")
...
[27] even he who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie."
After Bilgah comes Immer.
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[28] This took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
[29]The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
A Semitic Term, "Lamb of God". (See, Pettinato,
Ebla, animal name paired with a god name. Ex.: " 'nmmr-Yah"=> "Panther-of-Yah", etc.)
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[30] This is he of whom I said, `After me comes a man who ranks before me, for he was before me.'
After Bilgah comes Immer.
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[31] I myself did not know him; but for this I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel."
To your point, Giuseppe!
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[32] And John bore witness, "I saw the Spirit descend as a dove from heaven, and it remained on him.
[33] I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, `He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
There are Roman fingerprints here! All you need you see is "Holy Spirit". The Story has been hijacked for Roman use. It was not John who was created. It was the Jesus character. In fact, the Original has been hijacked twice. Where does "Dove" come from? (Hint: Titus).
Again, see Acts, "We didn't know there was a Holy Spirit" (Note to comment on previous Thread: Whether the Baptism was under the "Name" of "John" or the "Holy Spirit" is of no effect here. The Baptism of John is replaced by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit before the Baptism of John is barely known! The deification of Titus is replaced by the poisoning of Titus and the Ascension of "Lord-God Domitian". Don't multiply Metaphysical Entities before exhausting historical candidates.)
Giuseppe, relax, take a deep breath and look at your assumptions.
You're onto something.
CW