Missing the Target

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