Inaccuracies of Recorded Historical Events
Libraries all over the world are filled with
literature that has enhanced the knowledge bank of humankind.
Literature of fiction and non-fiction, maps and history, discoveries
and inventions, very old and very recent information that maps both
the past and present path of our universe. Decisions and choices
that have been made by every human on this planet have been
influenced and based on information contained in this knowledge bank
collection of literature.
Ten people are seated in a circle in a room
sharing a dialogue of a book they are reading together. They are
different ages, and differ in several other cultural ways as well.
They were born of different families, some had siblings, some did
not; some attended public school, some attended parochial schools;
some have college degrees, some do not; some are religious, some are
not; some are married, some are not; etc. The composite of each
one's experience and knowledge has been influenced by their
environment, genetics, sex, exposure to learning, ability to
understand, and the vision of their culture. Even though these ten
people are seated in the same room, they do not possess the same
perception or vision of the room, much less a common understanding of
the subject in discussion. Each will leave the session with
different information and a updated understanding of not only the
literature but of the other people in the room. None of their levels
of knowledge will remain the same.
In this scenario, there are a number of variables
which have been in play during the hour the group has been
interacting which results in different perceptions by each member.
This is only a brief example of a current group reading the same
literature. How many more variables would be involved with a larger
group of people from different cultures reading literature that may
be hundreds or thousands of years old?
How are human events recorded and
by whom?
Today, recent events are usually recorded from, or
by, eye witness accounts and are fairly accurate, with some
exceptions of course. On the other hand, very ancient events which
occur during periods before written accounts were common or even
possible, would have been shared first through oral traditions
sometimes for years or even centuries before details of the event
were ever recorded into a written form. Many of these ancient
stories have migrated through several languages with questionable
interpretations which has also taken a toll on the accuracy of the
original event. Adversarial events throughout history have been
recorded in the bias or interest of the victors and survivors and do
not include a complete and accurate truth.
Truth and accuracy of events tend to diminish with
age. Very recent events are usually described in a more credible and
accurate manner, whereas ancient events which have been filtered
through oral traditions and languages, then transcribed by unknown
authors years or centuries after the event tend to be colored with
more embellishment and fantasy than facts.
Many disciplines have developed over the centuries
both out of necessity and an innate curiosity to help mankind
decipher truth from fiction. Disciplines such as Archeology,
Anthropology, Astronomy, Geology, Philosophy, and many others, have
had a natural and continuing growth in the community of sciences to
act as filters in determining any evidence of truth.
Other orders have
been created by many less scientific groups in search of meaning
through the Black Arts, Astrology, Psychics, Religions, etc. Their
search for truth is driven by stories based on supernatural legends
and mythological events in a spiritual plane. Ancient doctrines of
questionable authorship are the primary basis for their orthodoxy
which includes a fantasy origin of the universe, an inherited
spiritual curse at birth (original sin), and an afterlife of eternal
punishment or reward. The primary tool for their continued existence
is to prey upon the superstitions of uninformed and unsuspecting
people.
Stories, myths, and
legends of personalities recorded in historical settings; i.e., Adam
and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Job, David the King, Aristotle, Plato,
Zeus, Apollo, Jesus, Paul, Mohammad, Francis and Clare of Asisi,
Santa Claus, et al, have all been subject to histocratic
embellishment and fictitious zeal to impress readers with a desire of
believability. The truth, if there be any, cannot be found on the
surface of these popular stories, but may exist only after mining
through mounds of related literature and documents. A work only few
are willing to invest in. The majority of people would rather accept
the embellished story spins from pulpits than question the
plausibility of their spoon fed Polly Anna diets, comfortable in the
myths and legends they choose to believe.
Keith
Crowe - 12/2014
