Creating Christ

How Roman Emperors Invented Christianity

By: James S. Valliant, C. W. Fahy

Narrated by: Chris MacDonnell

Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

This explosive work of history unearths clues that finally demonstrate the truth about one of the world's great religions: that it was born out of the conflict between the Romans and messianic Jews who fought a bitter war with each other during the first century. The Romans employed a tactic they routinely used to conquer and absorb other nations: they grafted their imperial rule onto the religion of the conquered. After 30 years of research, authors James S. Valliant and C.W. Fahy present irrefutable archaeological and textual evidence that proves Christianity was created by Roman Caesars in this book that breaks new ground in Christian scholarship and is destined to change the way the world looks at ancient religions forever.

Inherited from a long-past era of tyranny, war and deliberate religious fraud, could Christianity have been created for an entirely different purpose than we have been lead to believe? Praised by scholars like Dead Sea Scrolls translator Robert Eisenman (James the Brother of Jesus), this exhaustive synthesis of historical detective work integrates all of the ancient sources about the earliest Christians and reveals new archaeological evidence for the first time. And, despite the fable presented in current best sellers like Bill O'Reilly's Killing Jesus, the evidence presented in Creating Christ is irrefutable: Christianity was invented by Roman Emperors.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2016 James S. Valliant & C. W. Fahy (P)2016 David N. Wilson

A scholarly analysis of Judeo Christian and Roman history

Analyzing the fragmented bits of history that have been destroyed, hidden, re-written, and obfuscated over thousands of years is a daunting task for anyone, and this book discusses the convoluted aspects of this in a scholarly manner. The most profoundly honest look at religious history I have yet to find.

Very scholarly

Many times, when dealing with unpopular, or not widely-accepted ideas, authors become shrill and somewhat hysterical in their defense of their ideas against attack. This book is not like that. The authors maintain a balanced, scholarly approach throughout, and only occasionally launch criticisms against the pushback to the theory. Instead there is a refreshing adherence to the plain evidence, which is overwhelming and convincing on its own. Excellent work.

Shocking.

We know so little about the 1st century of Christianity. Hearing researched ideas about it is exciting. Great job.

Surely The Truth will set you free.

Objectivity and a careful consideration does not begin to describe this book. The astounding conclusions are so obvious, in retrospect, and so unknown in common parlance, that one can see their daily effect on world events but before reading this they are invisible. This is great literature of the highest intellectual tradition, a solid integration that makes new discovery possible whilst carefully considering ALL the facts.

Compelling arguments

I’ve always thought it weird that the xtian lore says that the Romans hated xtians but then suddenly the Catholic Church was headquartered there. Also, the fact that the gospels and epistles were written later in time than many people believe, and what was happening in Judea at those times, the Jewish Wars, is interesting. The theory propounded in this book makes sense of these things I’ve wondered about. So many rabid believers do not even read the Bible fully or early church history. The Roman use of syncretism and propaganda makes the most sense to me, particularly regarding Paul’s various travels and supposed adventures. The Josephus link is really telling as well, as is the involvement of the Flavian characters who appear in Acts.

Why the Christian churches are inherently antisemitic

Exhausting and systematic review of hard pieces of evidence that at face value contribute to the understanding of the development of Western history during the Common Era. It makes so much sense and yet it is backed by factual elements and not articles of faith or requiring the blind belief of “the profound mysteries of our Lord”. I now understand much clearly the last two millennia of widespread antisemitism in the West: it is embedded in the creation of European modern history backed by its God “representatives on earth” the Christian rulers.

Un excelente libro de historia

Estupendo esfuerzo de los autores para reunir una historia completa de la época Romana durante el invento del mito que es el cristianismo

Excelent book

I enjoyed very much this book. I had read before Ceassar’s Messiah by Joseph Atwill, and this book is also on the same side of the story as Atwil’s. It is vey convincing and has references. I do recommend if you like me, feel there has always bern something fishy about religion, particularly christian religions.

Revelatory

Answers questions I’ve had since childhood, such as why church hierarchy resembles Roman hierarchy. And why Romans look so good in the New Testament. Every literate person should read this.

Fascinating! Compelling to an extent, but not convincing.

As a lay person with a Bachelors in Ancient History and a Masters in Church History, I was fascinated by the evidence put forward in the authors’ hypothesis that the authors of the New Testament were directly associated with the Flavian emperors. I am compelled by the evidence given that the authors of the gospels, and the various epistles were highly influenced by Platonic, Stoic and societal attitudes common in the Hellenic/Roman culture of their day. I am even well aware that Christianity is at least as much influenced by Platonic thought as it is by the Jewish teachings Christ himself but the authors of this book fail to convince me of their huge leap in logic that agents of the Flavian emperors fabricated the gospels. I suspect that the truth is much more subtle.
The first Christians were Jewish and gentile God fearers who were associated with synagogues. It is well known that these early believers were closely associated with the diverse Jewish community up until the rebellion and destruction of the temple in Jerusalem by the Flavian emperors. That Jewish community included the more rebellious messianic Jewish elements. An immediate result of the conflict is that both Jewish groups and Christian believers needed to delineate themselves from the troublesome, rebellious Jewish element that would get them killed, enslaved and/or exiled. Christians needed a symbol to distinguish themselves from Jews and to demonstrate their loyalty to the empire. What better than to adopt an imperial insignia? It would not draw negative reaction from society at large. Further, it is easily understood that Christian practices and attitudes would increasingly include cultural elements from the Greco Roman world they are part of. I have no trouble believing that much of scripture, both Old and New Testament is fictional written to convey spiritual meaning. The gospels and the Book of Acts, with the possible exception of St. John, were probably written during the Flavian dynasty, 69AD to 96AD, and they certainly reflect stories and attitudes of that time more than the actual lifetime of Christ. They understandably distinguish Jewish as distinguished from Christian elements which reflect the need to separate themselves from potentially dangerous Jewish relationships they had formerly been identified with in order to live peacefully in the empire. However, for me, the authors of this book insinuate unproven connections and leapfrog to a final conclusion which, although interesting, is too much conjecture.