WRW Mattfeld

Many are not aware that the word demon used in the New Testament is derived from a Greek word rendered variously daemon or daimon. The early Christians did not "invent" demons and demonology, their understandings of these creatures and their powers are derived from Late Hellenistic Greek metaphysics and speculation. The following url explores the Greek evolution of the daimon/daemon and how it came through the ages to be transformed in its powers from a creature whose purpose was to lead mankind into good works, to a creature inciting mankind to do evil. CF. the following url if interested,

<a href="http://www.bibleorigins.net/Demons.html" target="_blank">http://www.bibleorigins.net/Demons.html</a>


The New Testament's Demons/Daemones/Daimones (The Pre-Christian Origins of)

All the best, Walter

Walter R. Mattfeld, M.A. Ed.
<a href="http://www.bibleorigins.net" target="_blank">www.bibleorigins.net</a>

Answerer

It seem to me now that bible is more crappy than ever before.

Geoff Hudson

Walter, these words are from your article:

So, Christianity did not invent the notion that the earth is ruled by Demons/Daimones, it is a Greek notion. In Plato's day Daimones ruled over the tribes of man on earth, by god's will, fostering justice and harmony, by Christian times they still rule over man and the earth, but now they are "evil beings" and the cause of man's misery. The Ancient Near East believed in demons and demon possession centuries before the arrival of the Greeks and the setting up of their Hellenistic empire. But, NONE, to my knowledge, POSITED that DEMONS RULED ALL THE EARTH and CONTROLLED ALL OF MANKIND- that is a development of Post-Platonic Greek thought.

I am beginning to think that the first creation account in Genesis was originally the creation of the spirits of "the heavens and the earth in all their vast array" (Gen. 2.1) before their equivalent physical creations. I am also thinking that this account and the importance of the spirit world to the early writers of the OT has been overwritten by editors with a Greek mindset. Do you know of such a creation mythology? Thirdly, I think that the tradition of belief in the spirit world was preserved from early times through to the time of John the Prophet by individual prophets and by groups such as the clan of Rechabites. Any comments?

Geoff