The King James revision was done during the height of the witch trials and King James was paranoid about witches, hence the word "witch" added to the bible. In the OT the word is actually "necromancer", one who talks to the dead. In the NT the word is the same one we get pharmacist from. It would have meant poisoner or alchemist.And yes, all laws in the bible can be found in older texts.

This is funny you bring this up. I was watching a show on the History channel a week or so ago and long ago there was a book second only to the bible written by Christian Monks from the Dominican Republic about how to know someone is a witch, it was used for the witch hunters of that Era..one of the main things it it was to catch them, if they floated or sank in the water would let them know if they were a witch or not. Either way they were dead as they had to be dead to be certain. This was written by Christian monks/friars and it seems this is where they got the idea...thank you for the missing piece! As for the original question, I believe that after years of knowledge was passed down it was only natural for some of those laws to be taken and placed into the bible, IE, an eye for an eye being the biggest example. If a women was not a Virgin on her wedding night she was stoned to death.

Hmm, the Bible - heated topic as always - but in a positive way of course.

Now, what Im going to write is only vague as it is late however I was intregued by the converstaion and felt i would contribute.

Prior to the creation of the known early copy of the Bible c. 300 AD written by monks a number of interesting events had occured throughout the world:

Egyptian society had flourished, produced a pantheon of Gods and beliefes which even defied an attempted 'monothiastic' change by Akhenaten to worship 1 God.
The Greeks and Romans who also worships a Pantheon of Gods through which they followed actions for daily life. Not to mention parts of India and the very early foundations of modern Hinduism.

Elsewhere, in India - Buddha was a living and breathing mentor c 800BC, whose teachings were based upon life experiences. We do know that - whilst many of his scrptures from Sri Lanka, China and Tibet (thie Chinese being believed to be the most reliable as earliest, but Sri Lankan the most detailed) these are clearly modified and were written atleast 100 years following his death. Plus, the experience of his monks and followers has been intoned within the teachings following experience.

The Koran and Mohammed were emerging, Judaism and the foundation stones of Christianity.

All society is governed by law - the Koran is in essence a book on law, economics and values when read as it was intended. The Bible however was amended from its original form following its discovery by the Romans in the Near East. Originally destroyed it was seen as undermining Roman authority and an attempt was made to destroy it, eventually however it was accepted providing it followed the 'amended' Roman approved version partially still in use today..

The Old and New Testaments have had many minor alterations throughout the centuries, and it was rightly pointed out that during the Witch trials and post-Reformation changes further took place in order to ensure peoples conformity or control.

In my view, the Bible offers far to much interpretation since an "Eye for an Eye" or references to Necromancers and Witches is very much based upon your understanding of these words. To be accused of being a witch for practicing non-church based medicine was enough to be called as heresy until very recent times and is still regarded by some as so.

The comment regarding the Bible continuing on from previous religions/faiths/rules I would argue that to a lesser extent this is true. Afterall many of the originators of these religions/ways of life did exist, the evidence is small perhaps but it is there. Unfortunately the interpretive strength of the Bible is undoubtedly its weakness for there are no necessary strict guidelines like in many of the other religions, and to be frank even the Koran is regular mis-interpreted or quoted to justify the means of people in modern society.

In conclusion (sorry for the rambling it wasn't intended) witchcraft in itself is something which by the virtue of interpretation is deemed to be someone who - as rightly pointed out - creates, conjures and distributes potions or remedies of one descripton or another. Withc in its looser term can refer to anyone who does not conform within the realms of what is preached. As one might say - it is a judgment not grounded in fact but superstition.

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Vix

"Now, you must go on a bit longer as a creature of this earth. Only until we have left behind those who would destroy us"

Very good Youripper. I love the history leason that you have given. All of what you have said is true. I know that many mid wives and such where considered witch craft. A lot of pratice in how to make it easier for a woman to bare a child was lost because it was not a christain way of doing it. Persay. Lot of those woman were also blamed for any defect, miscaraige, and still born births.

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Immortal we may be but still not out of reach from deaths hand

Excellent point Alexandria, yes indeed many women were indeed sought - not only for medicines but also for wierd behaviour such as dead rabbits, and due to being able to seduce men without being married etc....

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Vix

"Now, you must go on a bit longer as a creature of this earth. Only until we have left behind those who would destroy us"

It was a very sad time in deed. One in which I hope history does not repeat it's self. Some believe that there had been a lot of medical knowings that had been lost. That if this history had not happen then what we know to day in the medical field might of been more advance. In all truth many were being hung, persay, for being smart and kind. Then again there would of always been a possible that another religon would of done it also in one point of time. I do hope that the world grows to know that those of other beliefs, other then christain, are not as wicked as it was once said. That thought still caries over in to days world. Though many beliefs are old we are also only infants for we have only begane to regain what was once lost.

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Immortal we may be but still not out of reach from deaths hand

Agreed, hopefully it wont be repeated - yet somehow, I suspect in one way or another it still continues to take place.
It is almost fact that there are many skills and techniques which have been lost, or rather, are conveniently ignored since they promote earth based religion, free medicine and therefore there is no profit in it for pharmacutical companies. However, extracting it and turning, say Arnica, into a gel, cream and pill each with genetically altered properties for different uses for the same thing means they make financial gain.

All religion, unfortunately is going ot have its heathenous side and an element intent of alternative, destructive interpretation and it is something that in my view, the learned will ignore but the susceptable will be abused and corrupted.

I agree that we are infants in the stem of knowledge, since our ancestors and fore-fathers/mothers prior to written 'history' did things with medicine, astronomy and construction we couldn't have believed (and some people still refuse to believe).

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Vix

"Now, you must go on a bit longer as a creature of this earth. Only until we have left behind those who would destroy us"

Very interesting Youripper!

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From death we shall all rise.

Hate is the only cleanser to wash of blood from the enemy.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2_YqT5kf640&feature=related

Bu the way the pagans in denmark had a necklace, with a cross on the one side and the hammerof thor on the other great way to make peace with both gods and prosecuters

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From death we shall all rise.

Hate is the only cleanser to wash of blood from the enemy.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2_YqT5kf640&feature=related

Interesting fact morgoth - I didn't realise they had merged the symbols into an entwined/dual purpose pendant to try and bring strength from both rather than ignore the benefits of one for the disadvantages/weaknesses of another

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Vix

"Now, you must go on a bit longer as a creature of this earth. Only until we have left behind those who would destroy us"