This new work is presented as a treatise on the authentic cosmological worldview of the ancient Hebrew writers of the Judeo-Christian Bible, particularly as relates to the UFO phenomenon and extraterrestrial contact. Although previously explored by many writers this subject is still virgin territory for many serious students of the Bible, having been shrouded in religious mystery for centuries.

We shall endeavor to show that, historically, it is simply the imprecise translation of the biblical texts, guided more by religious bias than by sound linguistic scholarship, that is responsible for the perpetual, unenlightened recitation of many familiar Bible stories having a clearly discernible extraterrestrial context. With a modern perspective on Bible translation, a paradigm shift relative to many assumptions pertaining to human history, the sciences, world religion, and the Judeo-Christian faith in particular, could give rise to a whole new theological dynamic.

Because of the degree of uncertainty and discomfiture that has always existed in religious and academic circles with regard to biblical translation, students should carefully and critically examine, with analytical objectivity, the non-traditional interpretations of Bible scripture presented in this treatise. Thoughtful—or prayerful—consideration of this work may indeed serve to reinforce ones religious faith even while holding many traditional interpretations of scripture in tension.

Though not representative of institutional biblical scholarship, this body of work contains well over two hundred scriptural excerpts and references and is currently the most thorough biblical exegesis on the subject ever offered to lay Bible students and the general public. Readers may also be reassured that considerable care has been taken to present the subject in a simple, straightforward and easily accessible style uncluttered by unscholarly, far-flung speculation.

Researchers, commentators and sci-fi writers in the "ancient astronauts" genre have used familiar Bible stories in numerous books, television documentaries and even feature films. Today, there are also a growing number of public personalities and self-appointed new age prophets who use the Bible and UFO’s as the backdrop to promote some personal or cultic agenda. This is especially common with regard to eschatology, the study of apocalyptic Bible prophecy. While public notoriety has increased in recent years for such vocal commentators and authors, provoking lively debate within religious and secular circles alike, sound theological scholarship that addresses the Hebrew extraterrestrial worldview presented in the Bible, the subject of this present work, has been minimal.

At the time of this writing, the only acknowledged theological scholar, lecturer and clergyman who has dared to put his respectable credentials and reputation on the line is Dr. Barry Downing, author of The Bible and Flying Saucers, a bold book written in the sixties that pioneered scholarly exegesis of Bible scripture on this controversial subject. Sadly, the neglect of such an important area of study not only inhibits the advancement of Bible theology but also has serious implications for world history, the sciences and modern UFO research.

Allowing that there are a few high-profile writers, preachers and talk-show personalities within the larger Christian community who occasionally weigh in on the UFO/ET discussion, there remains a unique problem with respect to most commentary coming from religious fundamentalists, that being an unstudied lack of familiarity with the extraterrestrial theology of the Bible. In the absence of good scholarship in this domain, we have recently begun to see an alarmist religious sophistry that characterizes all UFO’s and their occupants as "demonic". As one studies the Hebrew record more closely, however, one is delighted to discover a bounty of historical evidence of extraterrestrial contact that is not as frightening as it is enlightening.

Although this evidence bears great significance for Judeo-Christian religious belief as well as modern UFO research, it has been obscured from full view by a biblical translation process that has subjected the texts to the arcane interpretations of religious clerics not exactly reputed for intellectual tolerance. Early in Christian literary history, the "sky gods" of antiquity were dethroned by the Bible’s transcribers whose minds were closed to the wonders of a vast living cosmos that space technology has brought to the modern era. A theological mythos that places Earth at the center of the universe and humankind as God’s primary concern was thus crafted by scientifically unenlightened religious men with a myopic view of the biblical literature that has left an imprint on theology to this day.

This is not intended as a broad indictment of institutional Bible scholars who are, after all, strictly accountable to the consumers of traditional biblical curricula who demand that the most widely accepted religious interpretations be applied to the translations. Historically, whenever Bible scholars have dared to more accurately translate a scripture here or there, they have often been met with such hostility and resistance to any literary tinkering with the "holy writ" that they are understandably reluctant to venture far from the safe harbor of orthodoxy. Despite four centuries of archeological discovery and improved translation of ancient texts and codices, the original c.1611 King James English Bible version is still regarded as sacrosanct by millions worldwide, defying numerous attempts at revision and refinement.

One of the greatest tragedies of this centuries-old translation bias is that the reality of the Hebrew writers’ extraordinary interrelationship with their extraterrestrial "gods"—a resplendent central theme of the biblical texts—has been all but lost. Meanwhile Christian ecumenism has devolved into a highly competitive and materialistic church culture, steeped in institutional mediocrity.

The humanistic pop-myth religion being professionally marketed to today’s fast food consumer bears little resemblance to the extraterrestrial theology communicated so simply by the writers of the Bible. Indeed, there has never been a point in history that has seen more Bible-based institutional religion, or "churchism", practiced with such disregard for this most fundamental biblical precept. In this new age of enlightenment, the very idea that the Bible, correctly translated, is a repository of amazing first-hand reports of extraterrestrial contact may seem preposterous to modern "churchists" simply because it hasn’t been taught that way in Sunday School.

Taken in its entirety, the Bible may be the most complete and trustworthy historical account of extraterrestrial contact ever recorded. The problem one encounters in attempting to decipher the available biblical literature and expose the ancient Hebrew worldview is that, with respect to many technical word translation rules and contextual accuracy, the English Bible is something of a mess. This criticism, while perhaps fair in a general way, should be properly viewed in relation to the subject matter at hand and not with regard to the extensive body of work pertaining to all biblical scholarship. After all, regardless of any flaws of translation, the Bible is still one of the most reliable literary works extant pertaining to historical extraterrestrial contact in addition to its value as the primary moral and spiritual source of wisdom for millions the world over.

There are many learned scholars out there who certainly could provide a better academic analysis that accurately reflects the Hebrew writers experience with extraterrestrials, but for the present we must work with the resources we have. By attempting to more accurately transliterate the available biblical texts we hope to develop a baseline reference methodology that will enable one to correctly differentiate between and understand the various cosmological beliefs and extraterrestrial persona represented in the texts. We are thus attempting to lay the foundation for a reasonable extraterrestrial worldview that is both scientifically and theologically sound while being easy to grasp for the average reader.

While this treatise is considerate of Christianity’s regard for a proper literary exegesis of the Hebrew and Greek Bible texts, it relies entirely on the most widely available biblical reference sources found in any Christian bookstore or library. Only the most common English Bible translations have been used (KJV, NIV, NASB, Phillips New Testament, etc.) and are quoted randomly without annotation simply out of personal preference, the intent being to provide the most easy-to-grasp and contextually accurate rendering of a given passage.

The familiar apocrypha and other "fringe" works have been purposely ignored in this treatise in order to remain focused on the "authorized" Bible texts, hopefully avoiding the accompanying controversies often associated with extraneous manuscripts. Anyone having access to a common English version of the Bible, a Concordance and a Hebrew/Chaldean and Greek Bible Dictionary will have no trouble confirming the accuracy of any alternative translations offered or their relative context.

Without apologies to Jewish and secular scholars, it is understandable that in presenting a Bible commentary that includes and values the New Testament it may appear that this work targets a largely Christian readership in some narrow way. However, this treatise may just as well stir a lively discussion and provoke further scholarly work within many scientific and theological circles. Perhaps even more important from a larger perspective, it may provide some fresh mortar for the foundation upon which each of us can build a sound extraterrestrial worldview that connects us to a common ancestral source as we consider the authentic religion of the Bible.

The closer we look at exactly what the ancient Hebrew scribes actually have to say about their extraterrestrial encounters, the more we are compelled to re-examine the identity, nature and intentions of these marvelous celestial beings and "He" whom we call "God". Ironically, it may ultimately be demonstrated one day that it was through humankind’s belief in God that science was finally able to adequately explained the UFO phenomenon, discovered the true origin and history of our species and unraveled many of the greatest mysteries of the universe.

The reader is not being asked to abandon his or her religious beliefs in order to make the paradigm shift referred to. One must simply be willing to "boldly go where no one has gone before", if you will, on a short biblical journey into humankind’s mysterious ancestral past when primitive men, perhaps wiser than we, consorted with mighty gods who rode across the heavens "on the wings of angels". As we embark upon this voyage of discovery, may we not fear the unknown but desire it as we gaze out into the vast ocean of stars, comforted in the knowledge that faith is not negated by truth, it is deepened.

Regardless of any religious or secular school of thought one may ascribe to, those seeking a rational explanation for the myriad of incontrovertible reports of UFO/ET encounters should not overlook the extraterrestrial theology present in the biblical record of the Hebrews and other writings of the ancient East. It may come as somewhat of a shock to the Western mind untrained in Semitic languages and the culture of the ancient East to discover that within the classic, all-time best seller we know as The Holy Bible is the incredible assertion that we humans are an alien-hybrid species genetically spawned by an ancient race of extraterrestrial beings right here on planet Earth, late in its multi-billion-year evolutionary history.

The Hebrew scriptures inform us in innocently simplistic terms that we uniquely endowed human beings are a genetically engineered species—the special children of alien parentage. We have been watched, protected, directed and corrected in our development throughout the ages as, quite suddenly, we became the planet’s dominant life form, subduing and exploiting the entire biosphere for ourselves. Yet, unlike all other life forms native to our Edenic blue planet, it has forever been the driving ambition of the "human alien" to depart terra-firma, as if we were somehow genetically predisposed to freely roam Earth’s heavenly canopy and beyond.

As the Bible, and virtually every other record from the ancient world, boldly asserts with unfeigned certainty, we humans are the descendents of a vast citizenry of extraterrestrial beings, the "sky gods" of both primitive legend and modern religion, genetically seeded here long ago in Earth’s distant past. Were this an accepted truth, then perhaps credible UFO sightings and encounters with otherworldly beings reported throughout history until this very day, might be viewed with scientific objectivity as actual contact with our extraterrestrial cousins who, always and already, have established up-close and personal contact with human beings.

The Bible manuscripts clearly show us that the Hebrew scribes firmly believed in the personal accounts of extraterrestrial contact reported since the dawn of human civilization, inspiring their most sacred religious traditions pertaining to God(s) and other off-world beings. But it is only due to our very recent exploration of outer space that we now possess the scientific rationale that permits re-evaluation of the primitive sky god religion of our ancestors. We need only apply a reasonable literary interpretation of the Hebrew record that is both simple and logical while employing a modern cosmological perspective denied to us prior to the birth of aeronautic technology a mere century ago.

As we enter the new millennium, a certain degree of fear, anxiety and confusion exists concerning the dramatic rise in UFO sightings and reports of alien abductions. Some urgency would appear to be warranted, should such activity portend an open public contact event with an advanced extraterrestrial race, especially in religious circles. Developing a "cosmic theology" paradigm that is sensible to both religious and secular scholars would seem to be an appropriate launching point for further enlightened discussion and preparation.

It is true that wherever we find preferred traditions and entrenched dogma held in tension with new discovery and scholarly enlightenment, controversy inevitably arises. Nevertheless, as we search for a better understanding of ourselves and our universe we must be willing to allow many of our long-cherished assumptions to wander off to graze with other sacred cows of the past—long abandoned to childhood memory—and begin to replace yesterday’s church-speak with a more accurate, contemporary communication of theological concepts. Unbiased intelligent inquiry and honest scholarship must begin to sort things out so that a new, scientifically credible and biblically authentic cosmic theology can emerge.

Presented in the Bible are a range of theological concepts, religious laws and rituals, divine commandments and chastisements, poetry and song, and numerous prophecies subject to endless interpretation and debate. Predominately depicted, however, is the early Hebrew people’s interaction with otherworldly or extraterrestrial beings from an historical perspective, including first-hand accounts of direct personal contact, both physical and telepathic.

While contact with extraterrestrial beings may have been commonplace in the religious culture of the Hebrews and other peoples of the ancient world, and therefore thematic in their scripture, the church culture of the modern era embraces a more sanitized view with respect to "personal contact". Admittedly, there are widely differing beliefs relative to communication or interaction with divine and evil extraterrestrial persona within the Judeo-Christian religion (subjective personal experience with charismata is also widely encouraged) but, for the most part, "contact" is limited to prayer and spiritual feelings of a divine or evil presence.

Since it is commonly believed that the Bible is mute on the subject of inhabitants of other worlds, or "spacemen", who possess interstellar flight technology, discourse pertaining to UFOs and extraterrestrials is not normative within fundamentalist religious circles. Absent something like the cosmic theology paradigm presented here, theologians and the clergy are ill-equipped to adequately address the subject and, as we have observed throughout history, new ideas that lie outside the boundaries of doctrinal orthodoxy are too often hastily decried as the work of the devil.

If widespread UFO encounters are not to be quickly dismissed as a mass hallucination or the product of some form of mental impairment, they are usually regarded, theologically, as an encounter with divinity, angels, demons, evil spirits or Satan, or some form of spiritual manifestation, holy or evil. Such religious mystery and guesswork as this, supported by fuzzy theology, appears intellectually risky for anyone seeking a straight answer. Thus, much confusion and an awkward uneasiness attends most religious discussion pertaining to UFO/ET encounters.

It was not, however, the Bible’s authors who originated the confusion. Indeed, the Hebrew record is very consistent and quite plain in its presentation of a sound theological construct, one that is particularly relevant to our own time, which teaches that there are real, physical, very powerful and highly advanced extraterrestrial beings who have made and continue to make contact and interact in various ways with human beings. In unquieted contradiction to the traditional worldview taught in most churches today, the distant voices of our biblical ancestors tell of a vast race of beings (or "gods") who came from outer space and directly impacted their lives.

Such tales have entertained and mystified mankind from generation to generation while providing colorful religious subject matter, yet, until the modern era, a literal interpretation of such stories has eluded Bible scholars in the absence of relevant technology. Reasoning men have thus tended to dismiss ancient stories of sky gods as the mythological personification of natural forces and human moods, or else simply diffuse these marvelous beings into spirits or forces relegated to some other dimension where they are perhaps more easily managed.

From a twenty-first century perspective, however, it is no longer rational to regard the theory that describes our genetic link to an extraterrestrial civilization more advanced than our own as science fiction or religious myth. In light of our expanding knowledge of the universe, genetic science, space flight technology and close encounters with UFOs, we simply must get beyond the problem of literary correctness with respect to the traditional biblical translations.

While the translation problems are well known among scholars, for the sake of lay Bible students a simple re-translation technique is clearly called for that more accurately expresses the cosmological worldview conveyed by the Hebrew writers, using modern terminology. We shall, therefore, observe the practice of using the most literal definitions for key Hebrew or Greek words to provide a more accurate rendering. As we shall see, this approach is necessary in order to do justice to the language and embrace the most obvious meaning of the biblical texts we will examine.

The reader is also encouraged to take a step back in time and frame the texts within their proper historical, cultural and technological context in order to better appreciate the Hebrew writers’ simplicity of thought and expression. Realizing that simple answers often resist complex questions, it is hoped that both theological and secular scholars alike will not quickly dismiss the simple interpretation of a text presented merely out of sentimental preference for the more thoroughly developed traditions.

Let us begin with our use of the noun extraterrestrial, a familiar term widely used in popular culture that is understood to refer to intelligent beings from beyond Earth. It is, therefore, an acceptable contemporary term that can be easily applied to the Hebrew God, gods, angels, devils, and spirits, portrayed in the Bible as having their origin and abode above or beyond our world. But, if beyond this world, where?

The Old Testament Hebrew word "shamayim" and the New Testament Greek "Ouranos" (after the Greek sky god) are almost always rendered "heaven" in the English Bible translations, some 700 times. A term burdened with misconceived religious sentiment, heaven, literally defined, has little or nothing to do with any of the popular doctrinal themes pertaining to an after-life experience, realm or condition. Even the most cursory research of off-the-shelf reference sources reveals that heaven is not synonymous with "paradise" (a park or garden), "glory" (radiance or bright light), or John’s vision of a "Holy City" (streets of gold, pearly gates, etc.) described as "coming down out of heaven" (see Rev 21).

Accurately defining the word heaven throughout the biblical texts is a simple matter. Both the Hebrew word shamayim and the Greek ouranos are correctly translated in English as sky, outer space, cosmos or universe and should be so rendered wherever the word "heaven(s)" appears in order to avoid any unintended or ambiguous inferences. In so doing, we are brought instantly to grasp the true meaning of a given passage wherein the writer’s use of these words in his own language was intended to communicate the observation of something, or someone, extra-terrestrial.

Communicating the extraterrestrial theology of the Hebrew record has been exacerbated, until now, by the repetition of traditional Heaven and Hell terminology throughout the English Bible translations, regardless of any differences in definition and context. Yet, try as we may to clarify such important word translations, traditional after-life mythology has become so cherished and enduring from ancient times until now that strong emotional fortresses will surely continue to oppose the authentic cosmological worldview presented in the Bible.

Both popular culture and religion alike have successfully persuaded the masses that immortality, abundant pleasure and freedom from disease and all worldly care awaits the worthy soul on the "other side" of death where one is reunited with deceased loved ones in a heavenly paradise. Variations on a simplistic heaven theme have been preached from church pulpits and marketed to the consumers of pop-culture literature and film for so long that, regardless of religious persuasion, one naturally attributes such a concept to the Bible.

Heavenly fiction, limited only by one’s imagination and materialistic fantasy, is routinely sold in the marketplace of institutional religion as a kind of afterlife insurance policy with an escape hell clause. Admittance to this mystical wonderland in the "great by-and-by" may have a strict "members only" policy according to various and sundry religious edicts, but with so many fanciful beliefs and religious teachings having little or no doctrinal consensus, believers are allowed considerable latitude to choose whatever depiction of an afterlife reward that personally suits them. Who among us hasn’t seen Heaven depicted as having bejeweled gates, streets paved with gold and stately mansions attended by vestal virgins and plump, winged infants?

It is also commonly believed that the Bible teaches that all good people go straight to heaven immediately at the point of mortal death. While this belief has become a well-established tradition, it is in direct contradiction to the distinctive Hebrew doctrine of the collective Resurrection of the Dead at the end of the ages, taught in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible, as well as the Christian doctrine of Salvation reserved in eternity exclusively for faithful devotees of Yeshua Messiah (Jesus Christ).

Replacing the archaic rendering "heaven" with a more accurate Hebrew-English and Greek-English translation is essential to understanding the extraterrestrial theological paradigm, or the "cosmic" quality of Bible theology, by very definition. Inasmuch as the ponderously burdensome word heaven has become so immortalized and directly impacts our analysis of other texts, the following sample passages of scripture are offered to clarify the authentic cosmological worldview of the Hebrew writers.

(Note: The words shamayim and ouranos are shown in parenthesis to demonstrate the consistent, contextual reference to the sky and/or outer space. No other meaning is implied by the texts).

Although Hebrew and Greek language scholars do translate shamayim and ouranos as sky, outer space, cosmos or universe in other works besides the Bible, the transcribers of the biblical manuscripts remain stubbornly committed to the traditional rendering heaven. Perhaps the most adverse result of such a sentimental approach to this particular word translation is that the immediate context and a sense of reality can be lost in the reading.

In the following passages from the Old Testament, selected from among hundreds, we see how a correct translation of shamayim reveals the true origin and habitat of the Bible’s extraterrestrials. The New Testament also contains hundreds of such examples (indeed the "kingdom of heaven", or cosmic empire, is one of the key features of the gospel as taught by Jesus) but for now we shall concentrate on the Old Testament that forms the foundation for early Christian beliefs relative to this ancient Hebrew theological view. With the Hebrew shamayim accurately re-translated, the Bible’s cosmic theology becomes quite evident while the unique literary quality of the texts is also, arguably, adequately maintained.

These selected passages are, in definition and context, completely and substantively accurate. If a translator wishes to substitute the word heaven in such texts it is certainly within his or her right to do so, however there is no rule of translation that governs such a decision. It may be argued that there is some traditional value attached to the word heaven, nevertheless personal preferences do not justify overriding accepted standards of accuracy in linguistic translation. Archaic and potentially misleading terminology should either be avoided entirely or else carefully qualified as an alternative translation, with the proper annotation.

A reasonable case can and should be made for scholarly restraint in the use of the word heaven inasmuch as it is so ill defined as to be misleading and open to subjective interpretation. It is a rarely used term in conversational and written English when speaking of the sky or outer space, and could be easily replaced in our modern lexicon with more accurately translated and unambiguous words. This can be done without the slightest harm to the biblical texts, allowing for a few rare exceptions (e.g., "the heavens") in certain poetic passages that are not likely to be misleading.

Perhaps most importantly, heaven should cease to be incorrectly associated with primitive, after-life doctrinal themes that are unsupported by an unbiased analysis of the texts in which the word appears. By using simple, universally understood, modern terminology in translation, coupled with a fresh and contextually accurate exegesis of scripture, the Bible’s cosmic theology becomes readily apparent, revealing mankind’s historic connection to a vast and wondrous universe populated by the most extraordinary beings.

Having clarified the Hebrew perspective on "heaven", or outer space, we will now examine a significant translation discrepancy regarding the rendering "God" in the biblical texts. "God" has become such a common catch-all term for deity used by people of all faiths that it is often given a casual affirmation of presumed agreement as to the identity of God, irrespective of any theological differentiations. In the English translations of the Hebrew and Greek Bible texts, the overuse of "God" as a singular proper noun has led to its almost universal acceptance as the proper name for principal deity throughout the Judeo-Christian religious culture, both in literature and common speech, obfuscating some very important distinctions in the Hebrew.

The lengths to which Bible translators are apparently willing to go to preserve and perpetuate the traditional rendering God is apparent in the official definition given in Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, a primary biblical reference source for Christians. It states that the Hebrew national god Yahweh (alternately rendered Yehovih) is "…pronounced by Jews as [elohim] in order to prevent the repetition of the same sound, since elsewhere they pronounce [Yahweh] as [Adonay] – God" (Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, ref. no. 3069). Yet, it is a simple fact of Hebrew linguistics that these three words, spelled totally different, have their own distinctive pronunciation (or "sound") in addition to having altogether different meanings.

Such a strange and blatantly incorrect comment in the revered Strong’s Concordance stands as an extraordinary example of the failure of biblical scholarship to confront with literary honesty such traditions that have gained firm root in the English Bible translations over time. It should not come unexpected either to find that discrepancy and error relative to a range of theological concepts permeates all common biblical reference and commentary literature inasmuch as such material has been built upon the same foundation of flawed translation scholarship. Bible students are therefore forced to grapple with traditional biblical literature, closely comparing the Hebrew and Greek texts to the English translations, in order to fully grasp the authentic Hebrew worldview relative to extraterrestrial deity and other theological concepts.

"God", the principal deity of the Bible who reigns supreme over the Hebrew nation, hereinafter referred to as "Yahweh", was personally introduced to the Exodus Jews by Moses at Mount Sinai where he became known to the people by the name spelled with the Hebrew letters YHWH. Over time, vowels were added to this mysterious Tetragrammaton to form "YaHWeH" (alternately "YeHoViH") which, by the twelfth century AD, evolved to "JeHoVaH" or Jehovah, the most common English rendering of the name of the chief Hebrew god besides Yahweh. Time would not permit a presentation of the various controversial theories and esoterica surrounding the "Holy Name" of the Hebrew national god, but his identification in the texts is important and should not be ignored.

Despite numerous explicit commandments regarding the importance of recording and honoring this distinctive name, and its appearance in the Hebrew texts more than 6,400 times, it is rendered simply as Lord, Lord God or Sovereign Lord in most versions of the English Bible, a practice said to be upholding a "tradition of reverence" for the name of God by, oddly, avoiding its use entirely in the biblical texts and in common speech. Thus, the personal identity of the "Almighty God" of the biblical religion has been displaced and obfuscated through the arbitrary substitution of vague monotheistic terminology in the texts. Not to put too fine a point on the subject, but one might well speculate how strange the biblical texts would read if the same standard were applied to the Bible’s other principle characters and translators simply substituted "man" or "woman" for their proper given names.

The other frequently used Hebrew term of great respect for the authority of Yahweh is the word adon, or Adonay (emphatic), approximating the English title "Master" or "Lord". In addition to its usage in reference to Yahweh and also his highly revered emissaries, this title of respect was an accepted reference and formal address for a human authority figure, according to Hebrew culture of biblical times. Adonay (or Adonai) is, however, most frequently associated with Yahweh, either by direct attachment to his name or by contextual reference, in order to identify him as the extraterrestrial Lord of the Hebrew nation and accord him supremacy above all other gods.

Many otherwise literate Bible students may be unaware that the Hebrew writers of the Bible believed in and taught the existence of a vast race of extraterrestrial gods whom they called the "elohim" (pron. ello-heem). First, to correct a very common misconception, elohim is neither the proper name nor an exclusive designation for the principle Hebrew god, Yahweh. While this distinctive plural noun is well known by scholars to be correctly translated "mighty ones" and is found throughout the Hebrew texts some 2,570 times, it has been consistently translated as "God", singular proper noun, in all but a few instances where it is arbitrarily rendered gods, angels, sons of God, and (rarely) mighty ones.

It should be emphasized that elohim is a term used by the Hebrew writers regardless of whether the particular beings referred to are seen as benevolent or malevolent, and also for specific pagan gods (see Jdg 2:11-13; Jdg 10:6; I Kgs 11:33; II Kgs 1:2). It is also the very same word used in reference to all of the un-named "strange gods" or "other gods" found throughout the Bible texts, the worship of whom was strictly forbidden. Such "gods" are frequently associated with carved or molten idols (i.e. "graven images") and outlawed religious practices, including animal and human ritual sacrifice, and are also portrayed in several passages as living, active extraterrestrial beings, or "mighty ones", as in "…new gods (elohim) who came recently whom your fathers did not dread" (Deu 32:16-17) and inferred from numerous references to certain miscreants who "followed after" various gods (elohim) "to serve them". The important point being that the plurality of extraterrestrial elohim (or "gods", high and low) identified throughout the Bible reveals the authentic theological perspective of the original Hebrew writers.

Thus, in ancient Hebrew thought, besides Lord Yahweh, multiple gods referred to in the Bible (e.g. Baal-zebub, Dagon, the goddess Ashtoreth, angels Gabriel and Michael, and also the one commonly called "the devil" or "Satan") were all considered elohim, whether divine or evil. Basic research of common reference sources will reveal this little-known Bible fact. To further clarify the correctness of the diverse and plural usage of elohim, the singular form of the word is eloah (rarely used), or simply el, most often used conjunctively to form compound words and names that denote divine power or might (e.g. el shaddai, Isra-el, Beth-el, etc.).

The only permissible usage of elohim as a singular noun, despite its plural word form or the absence of a grammatically proper adverb or preposition, is when elohim is definitively identified, by name or designation, with the principle elohim authority figure, Lord Yahweh. In such cases this usage may be viewed as both a personal and "racial" identification in the same way that an extraterrestrial might introduce the former English Monarch as "Humankind’s King James", or simply "James, humankind". Thus also do the biblical texts alternately refer to the Hebrew god as Adonai Yahweh, Yahweh-Elohim, or Elohim Adonai (i.e. "Lord Yahweh", "Yahweh of the Elohim", and "Elohim Lord", respectively).

Unfortunately, until such time as biblical translation is addressed with more forthright scholarship, we are forced to deal with such definition problems through independent research of the translations using the most common reference sources available. Allowing that there are minor differences among the various English translations, as a general rule of thumb whenever "God" is found in the Old Testament we may safely read elohim, meaning "mighty ones", always plural except where directly identified with Lord Yahweh or another named deity. Likewise, the title "Lord God" or "Sovereign Lord" should be rendered Yahweh, the supreme ruler of the vast cosmic empire of the elohim, in every instance. In the following examples, a correct re-translation of the words "God", "Lord", "Lord God" and "heaven", reveals the literal meaning of the texts.

It should also be pointed out that the widely held view that ascribes omnipresence (present infinitely and everywhere) to the Hebrew god also contradicts the greater body of biblical texts. God as an ethereal "force", "spirit" or the quality of "oneness" often described as existing in and through all persons and things, or as one’s "Self", is not a Hebrew concept. Although superior consciousness, power and authority are attributed to Yahweh he is described by the writers of the Bible as a humanoid being (having humanlike physical characteristics) as are other prominent elohim. This view is made obvious in the earliest Hebrew texts that portray him as a physical "man", such as in the following passages.

The dramatic Exodus encounter with Yahweh also includes the mysterious warning to Moses "You shall not see my face, for no man can see me and live!" (Exo 33:20) which, at first glance, appears incongruent. Yet, since Moses is said to have spoken with Yahweh "face to face" and obviously survived, we can fairly assume that this warning is similar to many others issued by Yahweh for Moses to keep the people away from him "lest they break through to gaze and many of them perish" (e.g. Exo 19:12; 19:21).

Exodus does record that other Hebrew elders besides Moses were selectively permitted to ascend Mount Sinai for an audience with Yahweh. The general impression one gets from this series of meetings is that Yahweh, a) was identified as the "Creator God" and supreme authority figure among the elohim, b) instituted the new biblical religion of the Jews with strict moral laws and complex religious rites and observances, and c) possessed extraordinary extraterrestrial powers and characteristics but was seen as human-like in form and appearance, otherwise we should expect the texts to describe him differently.

Not unlike other religious beliefs pertaining to deity, angels have a history replete with speculation, myth and fantasy. For example, even though there is no such concept offered in the Bible, a great many people believe that righteous human beings become heavenly angels at death, a tradition owing to the Greek influence that nudged its way into Christianity as the "gospel" was preached throughout the Greco-Roman empire. Originating from the Greek concept of the soul (Gr. psuche, or Psyche) it was believed that the indwelling human "spirit", or mind, exits the body at mortal death to return to an astronomical star-point associated with various Greek gods. By the thirteenth century, Greek spiritism was so pervasive that even St. Thomas Aquinas was led to speculate as to how many such "angels" could fit on the head of a pin!

With the advent of modern astronomy, Copernicus and Galileo shook many of the religious beliefs of the Greek influenced Christian world relative to the universe. During the reformation, the biblical worldview rebounded for a time, thanks to such brave thinkers as Sir Isaac Newton, one committed as much to theology as science who believed in both the Hebraic doctrine of a bodily resurrection of the human dead at the "end of the ages" and anthropomorphic angels having a cosmic residence.

Then, from the art and literature of the Renaissance until today we see the emergence of a kind of childlike mythology that has gained cultural popularity where angels are depicted as super-humans with bird wings and brilliant halos gracefully frolicking in the clouds, strumming golden harps. Such fanciful notions contrast sharply with the Bible’s portrayal of angels as extraterrestrial elohim who, as we recall from Genesis, genetically created human beings in their own form and likeness. While "wings" certainly can have a symbolic relevance to space flight, the depiction of biblical angels as bird-like creatures, or in some other fantastic ghostly form, is erroneous and misleading from a biblical perspective

The English word "angel", translated from the NT Greek aggellos or the OT Hebrew malak, meaning "one sent" as in a messenger or emissary, human or extraterrestrial, most often refers to a mighty elohim emissary of Yahweh. In some Bible texts elohim actually has been rendered "angel", which, while technically a mistranslation, does represent the correct Hebrew worldview relative to angels as being among the elohim kind. An "angel", then, is simply the biblical term used to describe an extraterrestrial elohim emissary on a mission, sent to Earth from another world, realm or station somewhere in outer space.

The Hebrew scribes primarily record their own independent contact with extraterrestrial anthropomorphic "gods" and "angels" (the elohim), not disembodied spirit-entities. Whenever a rare biblical passage does use the term "spirit" to describe an "angel" it need not be viewed as a significant departure from the greater body of texts that describe them in anthropomorphic terms. To a simple people such elusive beings who wing their way through the cosmic vapors may indeed have seemed like supernatural "spirits" that were ever-present, in the skies or psychically, though seldom seen.

There is an intrinsic problem embedded in the biblical translations that confounds the authentic Hebrew worldview concerning all things "spiritual" that is worth noting. The frequent, random and arbitrarily interchangeable terms "soul" and "spirit" creates a unique interpretive challenge for Bible students. It would be a daunting task to sort out the confusion created by such misunderstood terminology since traditional spiritual belief stubbornly prevails over accuracy of translation, regardless. We should observe, however, that the Hebrew authors did not originate many of the spiritual concepts common to the Judeo-Christian religious culture of today even though the abundance of spiritual terminology in the English translations of the Bible leads the reader to assume so.

The term "soul" (Heb. nephesh and Gr. psuche) is correctly translated as a living-breathing creature of any species. In other words, a fish, a pig, a cockroach, and a human being can be said to have the same "soul" (biological life) in the most literal sense, from a true biblical perspective. Yet, as an embarrassing example of dishonesty in translation, these two distinctive words that are arbitrarily rendered "soul" throughout the Bible are only correctly translated "life" or "living creature" in certain texts where the rendering "soul" might result in theological controversy (e.g. Gen 2:7, Pro 12:10, Mat 16:25, Rev 8:9).

The word "spirit" (noun or pronoun) comes from the Hebrew ruach or the Greek pneuma. Both words are literally defined as wind and, by extension, the indwelling breath or act of breathing. Nowhere in the Bible texts do we find "soul" represented as the disembodied "spirit" of a human being or any creature. The literal definition of ruach or pneuma does not, however, disallow a broader interpretation of a text in which the word "spirit" appears since a writer may occasionally use the words nephesh and ruach figuratively, the immediate and broader context being the primary rule guiding a correct interpretive transliteration.

It is merely a translation bias that reinforces spiritual mysticism that accounts for much of the confusion and doctrinal controversy surrounding the interpretation of many Bible texts. One of the unfortunate results of over spiritualizing the biblical texts is that almost any point of view can be subjectively argued using the same, frequently mystifying, passages of scripture that refer to things "spiritual". With a more literal and non-mystical interpretation of the texts, applying the extraterrestrial paradigm, many former conflicts over difficult spiritual concepts and doctrinal issues are easily laid to rest.

Religion, the occult and popular culture is rife with subjective experience with the paranormal and sightings or contact with various angelic beings, ghosts, spirit guides, aliens, poltergeists and assorted hobgoblins. The Hebrew biblical texts, however, warns that any focused effort to contact the dead or otherworldly beings that involves witchcraft, necromancy, angel worship, sorcery, conjuring, or "channeling" various entities, and idolatry in any form, is potentially dangerous and strictly forbidden. Any references to spiritism or occult practices in the biblical texts are therefore either purely anecdotal or are presented in a negative way.

It would be a serious error in judgment to presume that all "angels" are inherently guided by the purest virtues with the best of intentions toward humankind. At least from the ancient Hebrew perspective, such is not the case. Biblical "angels" and "gods" (i.e. elohim) are broadly represented throughout the texts and seem to differ as much in character, motives and activities, high and low, as do human beings. Adversarial elohim are also mentioned throughout the Bible, including "Satan" who is said to appear as a "radiant angel" (see II Cor 11:14). As one begins to grasp the ancient Hebrew worldview relative to the vast diversity of extraterrestrial "mighty ones" and the cosmic conflict being waged among them, such warnings take on an ominous tone (see chapter entitled "Star Wars").

Historically, Jews and Christians have shared some of the non-biblical mythology and beliefs of the Egyptians, Babylonians, Greeks and other cultures with whom they have lived and so refer to various pagan "gods" (often depicted in the art and culture of the ancient East as having some unusual human, animal, reptilian or hybrid form) throughout the biblical texts. However, elohim "angels" sent by Yahweh, while sometimes unique enough in appearance to be easily recognized by the contactee (e.g. Jdg 13:6; Dan 10:5,6; Mat 28:3; Luk 24:4), are always described as human-like extraterrestrial beings, or spacemen, who can even pass unnoticed as an average-looking person (see Heb 13:2).

There are, however, a few references to extraterrestrial entities under Yahweh’s direct command and control that are described much differently, such as those called "cherubim" and "seraphim". Although commonly depicted as plump, infant-like winged beings in religious art, a "cherub" (pron. keroob) is an ancient Chaldean word of unknown derivation that is never defined as an angelic being anywhere in the Bible, yet is associated with flight. Only Ezekiel (Chapter 10) definitively identifies a "cherub" as the incredible spaceship he encountered by the Chebar River in the opening chapter of his prophecy (see chapter entitled "Miracles of Technology"). An unbiased analysis of all other texts pertaining to "cherubim" indicates that this is most likely some type of exotic aircraft, perhaps distinct in appearance from other common UFO shapes (ref. Gen 3:24; Exo 37:1-7; II Sam 22:11; I Kin 6:23-28; I Chr 28:18; Psa 18:10; Eze Ch.1&10).

The Bible makes two references to "seraphim" (Lit. fiery ones) a unique word rendered from the Hebrew seraph, meaning "on fire". Elsewhere though, it has been translated into "fiery flying serpent". Not described in any detail, these "seraphim" are associated with flight and may be an entirely different class of being (i.e. not identical to the humanlike elohim), but also could represent a type of spacecraft of radiant, or "fiery", appearance. Religious art and tradition may depict cherubim and seraphim as anthropomorphic angelic beings but the Bible does not, leaving one to speculate (see Num 21:8; Isa 6:2; Isa 14:29; Isa 30:6).

Within an apparent hierarchy of responsibility or rank, Yahweh’s emissaries often speak with such authority, as in passages which identify an "Angel of the Lord" (e.g. Gen 22:11 & 31:11; Exo 3:2 & 23:20,21; Jdg 2:1-5) that some Bible students have been led to speculate about their identification with principal deity. Angels are also said to possess highly evolved psychic and telepathic abilities (e.g. Gen 18:12-15 & 20:6; Num 11:17; Exo 28:3; Deu 2:30; I Sam 16:14; I Kin 22:19-23), and scientific technology so advanced as to dwarf the greatest human achievements of the modern era (see next chapter).

While these extraterrestrial beings take care to guard themselves from unwanted human contact (e.g., Gen 19:1-11; Exo 19:20-25), they are obviously not shy about making unannounced appearances or involving themselves directly in human affairs. It is quite clear that they have, from the beginning, monitored their human experiment with intense personal interest and not merely as passive observers. From the first "seeding" of human beings on planet Earth the elohim have authoritatively manipulated their creation, even genetically enhancing the species through unnatural pregnancies that resulted in the birth of special elohim offspring (e.g. Gen 18:9-15 & 21:1-7; Jdg 13:2,3; Mal 2:15; Mat 1:18-25; Luk 1:5-15). At least one passage even suggests their sexual union with human females to procreate a hybrid progeny (see Gen 6:1-4).

In the Old Testament, elohim emissaries were frequently sent to assist Israel in times of national peril and to help defeat her enemies, but they also appeared to protect and defend esteemed individuals. What is significant in such instances is not only their zealous concern with Israel but also their willingness to employ extraordinary resources and capabilities to intervene in life-threatening situations, such as in the following selections.

Elohim emissaries were indeed so active in the affairs of Israel and the lives of numerous individuals that we may conclude that, cover-to-cover, the Bible is an extraordinary repository of first-hand reports of close encounters with powerful extraterrestrial beings. Yet, after centuries of tampering with the texts, these amazing testimonials have been trivialized as simplistic mythology by the Bible’s detractors and over spiritualized by the neo-charismatic church culture of Western Christianity.

Respect for the elohim emissaries of Yahweh is further emphasized in the New Testament with regard to one called the "Holy Spirit" or "Holy Ghost". Alternately referred to as "The Helper", "The Comforter" and the "Spirit of Truth", it is said that he alone is the only being, Yeshua included, toward whom blasphemy (i.e., a cursing insult) is directed that automatically results in eternal condemnation without mercy (see Mat 12:31,32). Though not described as having humanoid physical characteristics, as are Yahweh and other elohim emissaries, the Holy Spirit is referred to as a being rather than a "mystical force". But, since the New Testament only ascribes certain extraordinary spiritual phenomena to the manifest presence of the Holy Spirit, the actual form of this uniquely commissioned being remains a biblical mystery.

While it may appear that the highly venerated and powerful "Holy Spirit" is unique to Christian teaching, upon closer examination it could be reasonably argued that this extraordinary being may be the same mighty emissary of Yahweh, or "Angel of the Lord", who helped deliver the Exodus Jews from Egypt as in the following sample passages offered from among several.

In the Gospel of John this unnamed Holy One is said to have been sent by Yeshua "from the Father" to personally communicate the Father’s will concerning judgment of the world, to glorify and "bear witness" to Yeshua, to guide faithful believers "into all the truth" and reveal "things to come" (Jno 14:16,17; 14:28; 15:26; 16:7-15). Uniquely empowered to communicate and act on behalf of the Father and the Son, the un-named "Holy Spirit" is included in Christianity’s "Holy Trinity" doctrine (three distinct Gods, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, equal one Triune Godhead), however there are no texts that specifically designate him as principle deity. The following may help clarify the relationship between "The Father", Yahweh, "The Son", Yeshua, and the "Holy Spirit".

Such identity distinctions may well be a matter of traditional doctrine versus scholarly exegesis of the texts where conflicts and confusion often arise relative to Trinitarian theology, but that is not the subject of this present study. The aim here is to focus on the original and authentic beliefs and teachings of the Hebrew writers of the New Testament texts regarding these three unique persona who are, rightly or wrongly, commonly worshiped as "God" by most Christians.

Those wishing to examine this doctrine more closely may, however, find some historical insight of value. Although Trinitarian theology was completely unknown to Christianity prior to its fabrication by the architects of the Nicino-Constantinople Creed under the direction of the Roman Catholic Council of Bishops, led by Emperors Constantine and Theodosius in the fourth century A.D., it has always been an orthodox doctrine throughout Christian history. This difficult theological construct is clearly intended to controvert any appearance of pantheism (belief in multiple gods) found in the biblical texts, perhaps revealing an underlying motive behind the traditional translation bias we see.

What should concern every intelligent person regardless of religious persuasion is that the proscription of the Bible’s authentic worldview with respect to the extraterrestrial "mighty ones" deprives the world of an important historical insight into the origin of our species as well as the character and intentions of these beings regarding Planet Earth. Given their obvious technological superiority and our own vulnerability, it would seem to be wise for us to learn everything we can from such an impressive reference source as the Bible about just who and what we are dealing with.

The Hebrew writers clearly lived in fear and awe of Yahweh and his mighty ones, teaching strict obedience to their every command. They believed that, as their direct creation, Earth and all of humankind belong to these elohim and, thus, our fate is in their hands. The elohim did not hold open court to consider the counsel of humans and rarely altered their judgments and plans, intervening authoritatively to direct, not merely observe, the course of human history for their own purposes.

Significantly, the Hebrew writers paint a picture of a paramilitary vertical command structure descending from Yahweh downward and appear to have been quite impressed with the warlike nature of the elohim. Not only were they actively involved in Israel’s earthly conflicts and conquests, but they also engaged in battles of cosmic proportions, "star wars" if you prefer, with certain extraterrestrial adversaries who are always portrayed as inherently malevolent.

The Old Testament also contains numerous stunning accounts of Yahweh and the mighty ones ordering or personally carrying out the annihilation of multitudes of human beings. One such instance concerns the familiar report of the total mass destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, the Hiroshima and Nagasaki of the ancient world, for their gravely offensive behavior (see Gen 18:16-19:29).

Yahweh and the mighty ones were obviously greatly distressed with the state of affairs here on Earth and were, for whatever reasons, unwilling to let nature run its course with respect to the evolution of those primitive civilizations of the Old Testament era. Indeed, it is the consistent claim of the Hebrew writers of the Old Testament that Yahweh personally directed the wholesale slaughter of the barbaric outlaw nations who stood against tiny Israel, spanning centuries of wars, in order to establish Israel as a "chosen people" and to assert his singular authority over our planet.

Beside the chosen few with whom Yahweh interacted personally, we are reminded that millions of eyewitnesses reportedly observed, first hand, the awesome deeds of these mighty spacemen. Yet, throughout their history, Israel continued to practice the lifestyle and religions of the Egyptian, Babylonian, Persian, and Greco-Roman cultures, which so provoked their "jealous" god that he often rained terrible calamities upon them as punishment for their unfaithfulness. The extent to which guilt and fear is seared into their national conscience (perhaps the principal mood of the Old Testament) leaves little doubt about the reality of Israel’s experience with these extremely powerful and authoritarian beings.

Although certain Old Testament texts, especially the Psalms, praise Yahweh for his mercy and magnanimity, one is nonetheless left with the overall impression that the far-from-perfect nation of Israel obeyed Yahweh (whenever they did obey him) more out of the fear of the consequences of disobedience than from a sincere desire to please him. It would not be until the appearance of Yeshua of Nazareth that the Jews would be treated to the concept of a more merciful and compassionate god who not only rules as the all-powerful monarch of a vast cosmic empire but also dearly loves his Earth children as a kind and caring Father.

One of the more interesting examples of the interrelationship between the Old and New Testament worldview regarding the elohim is a reference in the Book of Hebrews to a highly esteemed ancient "priest king" named Melchizedek, ruling on earth during the time of Abraham. This biblical address to Christian Jews presents a technical argument, which holds that Yeshua, as the Messiah, both fulfills and surpasses the Jewish religion with its "old covenant", Law of Moses and Levitical priesthood and confirms his authority in a mysterious ancient order of royal high priests (see Heb 5:5-10; 6:13-20; Ch.7). It is also clearly stated in Hebrews 7:3 that Melchizedek was an immortal being without human heredity, implicitly of extraterrestrial elohim origin, who was so extraordinary that the Hebrew writer declines to give further details about him since, in his view, readers couldn’t handle it (Heb 5:11).

Given the Bible’s characterization of elohim in military terms with references to cosmic warfare, coupled with the NT commentary on a royal high priesthood, one may view Yahweh’s cosmic empire as a Royal House served by an Ancient Order (or caste) of great warrior priests. Absent more precise information in the texts, this simplified portrayal of the Hebrew family of extraterrestrial gods and angels should suffice to overcome many long-standing misconceptions while clarifying the Bible’s cosmic theology that provides an exciting "new testament" for modern times.

As the twentieth century dawned in America, Simon Newcomb and other brilliant minds of the day were busy proving that heavier-than-air machines could not possibly fly. Such theories were suddenly shattered on December 17, 1903, when two bicycle mechanics in South Carolina, Wilbur and Orville Wright, took off from Kill Devil Hill in their flying machine, the "Kitty Hawk".

When those first American aviators launched the pursuit of a flight technology that would speedily evolve to the point where exploration of outer space (humankind’s ancient quest) would become routine, their bold but simple achievement was heralded throughout the world as a true miracle of technology. Succeeding generations would continue to pioneer even greater technological "miracles" at such a dizzying exponential rate of achievement that a shocked religious culture became irresistibly propelled into a futuristic brave new world, ready or not.

Indeed much of the world has not been ready. Today, one may venture to remote regions of our planet which has seen little change for thousands of years and discover confined social groups utterly devoid of scientific knowledge and modern technology. Virtually untouched by the outside world, such peoples seem quite content with the daily rigors of a very primitive existence.

History has shown that whenever such primitives are contacted by an unknown civilization far more advanced than their own, their first reaction is one of fear and awe. They may even submit themselves to servitude and worship their superiors as gods upon witnessing their apparently supernatural technology. Although crude by modern standards, the technology of sixteenth-century Europe seemed quite awesome to the native peoples of the New World as entire populations were easily subdued by the invading "white gods" with their killing "fire sticks", that is until the primitives acquired the same equalizing magic for themselves!

Science and technology which may thus seem miraculous to one observer may be easily explained and regarded as common by another depending solely on the scientific knowledge and state of technology that exists within a respective culture at any given point along a developmental timeline. This concept becomes very important to our understanding of the Hebrew record under study as we fairly analyze the texts within their proper historical and cultural context. We must take care to view the events described in the Bible through the eyes of the simple people who recorded them, people whose science and technology was at a very primitive level.

Let’s imagine for a moment that we are time travelers journeying to the Middle East five thousand years ago. Just for fun, let’s say we’re going there in a high-tech DeLorean time-travel automobile such as seen in the movie Back to the Future. Of course we’ll need to wear protective clothing so we’ll be outfitted in a shiny silver space suit. As we are about to zoom in on a tiny primitive village, we see that the residents are busy attending to the duties of personal and social survival—herding animals, tilling fields and gardens with crude tools, carrying (dirty) water from a common well—as they do each day.

As we screech to a halt in the middle of town quite unexpectedly with a flash and sonic boom, the startled peasants scatter and hide in a maddening panic. We then step out of our shiny, gull-winged vehicle and attempt to communicate that we mean them no harm. After some time, the village chief is shoved forward by the gathering throng of trembling onlookers and, prostrating himself before us, humbly begs for mercy for his village. Perhaps he even orders a burnt offering, the "fatted calf" or some other sacrifice appropriate to the occasion.

Seeing that any real dialogue is probably impossible under the circumstances and not wishing to create further chaos, we graciously accept the offering and politely give the chief a colorfully wrapped nutrition bar in return. Then we get back into our time car, flash our headlights, honk the horn, and fly off in the blink of an eye. Not a big deal, really, from our perspective.

Centuries later, a contemplative scribe sits cloistered in a dark, quiet candle-lit room in a stone temple or monastery, papyrus and quill in hand, penning an age-old tale which might go something like this:

This modestly humorous illustration is simply an attempt to show how a primitive scribe might report an encounter with beings possessing a form of technology beyond his experience and therefore quite difficult to explain. With respect to airborne conveyances, for example, we might well expect such a one to use descriptive language symbols associated with the sky (wind, storms, clouds, stars, birds, etc.), as well as vehicular terms familiar to him, such as horses and chariots. Any brilliant external lighting or radiating beam from a spacecraft would appear as "blazing fire" or "lightning", and be described as such for lack of any conventional terminology in his own language that would be more accurately descriptive. Certainly nothing common to the Hebrew writers world would be much help in describing a spaceship.

What is most significant to this present study is the Hebrew writers consistent attempt to describe a means of extraterrestrial transportation using contemporaneous symbolic terminology. The key to interpreting such language symbols lies within the context of a particular passage wherein we simply ask ourselves whether the writer is referring literally to an earthly object or phenomenon, or not. In the case of an airborne "chariot of fire" or "flaming horses", for example, we know that real horses and chariots do not fly through the air with the greatest of ease, nor would they survive being engulfed in flames. Also, vaporous weather phenomena such as clouds and whirlwinds are probably not the common mode of vehicular travel for technologically advanced extraterrestrials.

Let us assume that these "mighty ones" (consistently described as flying through the atmosphere or "coming down" from the sky to earth, as noted throughout the Bible) travel to Earth from their residence somewhere in the cosmos. From today’s technological vantage point, we may logically reason that the probable means of transport they employ is some type of spaceship. Besides flying in "clouds" and "fiery chariots" which are frequently used language symbols, there are other possible vehicular terms that appear occasionally in certain texts. The Hebrew writers may not have understood exactly what it was they were seeing but they clearly attempted to describe, as best they could, some sort of flying transportation for the mighty ones.

As we continue the practice of correctly re-translating key words for clarification, readers must also begin to judge for themselves by the immediate context and the use of symbolic terminology, whether such passages might reasonably refer to extraterrestrial space flight technology. We begin with some examples that quite obviously describe airborne transportation (note the frequent use of the word "ride").

Many of the Bible’s most familiar stories reveal an exciting technological relevance. One interesting example is found in the Book of Exodus where the extraterrestrial paradigm holds great historical as well as religious significance. Beginning in chapter three of Exodus, Moses relates his own personal close encounter with an emissary of Yahweh who appeared to him quite unexpectedly as he was tending his father-in-law’s sheep. The familiar story of God addressing him from a "burning bush" is not, however, well translated. A more precise interpretation of the event when accurately translated from the Hebrew reveals that an emissary appeared to him in the midst of a bright blaze (of light) which engulfed a thicket.

It should be pointed out again that what is often termed the "glory" or "fire" of Yahweh in our English Bible translations may certainly be a reference to the intense brightness of a beam of light projected from a spacecraft. In the aforementioned case the entire thicket or grove where Moses stood was engulfed in a radiant light as the emissary spoke to him. This recorded encounter also mirrors many other similar reports of contact with UFOs emitting intense beams of light, with or without personal extraterrestrial contact, which lends the story a more modern and plausible authenticity perhaps missing in the traditional "burning bush" rendering.

Continuing in Exodus with the story of the Hebrew peoples’ escape from Egypt, Moses records how a spectacular pillar-shaped flying object led perhaps one million liberated Jews on a nomadic journey through the desert wilderness of the Middle East, guiding and protecting them for an astonishing forty years! The object is said to have moved slowly or hovered overhead in a stationary position so that the vast throng of wilderness wanderers could follow wherever it would lead them. In the Hebrew language the word used here is ammud, which is defined as "a stationary solid column or pillar common to architectural construction" and is obviously meant to describe the shape or form of the extraterrestrial object they observed. It is alternately referred to as both cloud-like by day and glowing like "fire" at night.

This definitive description happens to coincide with reports of one of the most frequently sighted UFOs in history, besides the saucer-shaped craft. In his Anatomy of a Phenomenon: Unidentified Objects in Space; A Scientific Appraisal, Jacques Vallee says of this class of UFO, "(they) appear as huge cylindrical forms surrounded by cloud-like formations, often vertical". Eyewitnesses have also reported various smaller objects flying to and from a cylindrical "mother ship" of this class and a great many sightings report a cloud-like halo or corona of light surrounding such craft. Also, included in many night time encounters are accounts of intense beams of light radiating from UFO vehicles which has been described by some observers as appearing like a "fire in the sky", further reinforcing the Exodus report.

Another important observation must be made as we examine this remarkable biblical story. It remains an accepted historical fact that a million or so unsophisticated desert nomads apparently considered it the most important calling of their lives to keep a written record of this compelling report of a mass sighting of an extraordinary UFO upon which future generations would build the Jewish religion. The idea that so many eyewitnesses would have permitted an inaccurate or flawed record of such a momentous extraterrestrial encounter to go unchallenged for thousands of years is unreflective at best.

Had these simple people not have fled the relative security of civilized life in Egypt to follow a pillar-shaped aircraft leading them toward an uncertain and potentially perilous future in the desert there might possibly be no biblical religion for us to scrutinize today. Scientists and scholars may debate certain details of the record but they can hardly claim analytical objectivity if the reality of the report is discounted simply because a primitive scribe makes an error in his wilderness geography or uses peculiar language symbols to describe a technology totally unfamiliar to him. The best scholarship demands that we allow for the possibility that a high degree of historical accuracy exists in the Hebrew record.

At no point is the Exodus story unremarkable. With a total lack of regard for the fantastic nature of the events described, the Hebrews detailed their encounter with the mighty ones in their floating, pillar-shaped "cloud" vehicle, even reporting that it dispensed a mysterious nutritional substance from the sky (Heb. manna, Lit. "What is it?" a hard-to-describe food of the gods) to feed a million hungry people (e.g., Exo 16:13-21; 16:31; Psa 78:23-25). If such a story is fictitious, then it is darn good science fiction coming from simple nomadic shepherds in 1490 BC!

Such extraordinary tales as these have generated ample speculation and controversy among Bible scholars and historians for centuries. While some have dismissed the Exodus stories as imaginative fiction, others involve themselves in endless arguments over whether the body of water the Jews crossed was actually the Red Sea or merely a swamp and whether or not the mysterious Mt. Sinai even exists geographically. Some brave thinkers have even opined that Moses account of his encounter with the extraterrestrial Yahweh at the top of Mt. Sinai, where he received the Ten Commandments inscribed on stone tablets, might really have been just a creatively told story of his [certainly dangerous] experience with an active volcano!

A fair consideration of the texts demands that a literal interpretation of this truly amazing extraterrestrial encounter, personally witnessed and recorded by Moses and the most highly esteemed elders of Israel, be consigned to posterity as a historically accurate and scientifically reasonable report.

Following this extraordinary encounter, Exodus relates how the people marveled and were afraid when they observed that Moses face "shone" with a radiant light (Exo 34:29-35). It is also recorded in some detail that for a protracted period of time Moses and the tribal elders continued to have such personal contact with Yahweh and the mighty ones who would descend in the pillar-shaped craft to a special, elaborately constructed "tabernacle" (Lit. a tent "meeting room") that radiated with bright light, or "glory" of Yahweh (see Exo 33:7-11; 40:34-38).

Under the leadership of Moses who was personally appointed by Yahweh, Israel received the Ten Commandments and various moral, social, and religious laws that form the foundation of the Jewish religion. In a broad, historical context within the suggested paradigm, it would be very reasonable to say that the Judeo-Christian belief system is fundamentally rooted in these early Hebrew reports of extraterrestrial contact. To fairly embrace this premise we need only allow the Hebrew writers reasonable literary license and, as a good scholarly rule of thumb, whenever more than one interpretation of a given text is considered, we should prefer the simpler one. Thus, many more reported encounters with "divine" extraterrestrials seem to leap from the pages of the Bible, as in the following examples.

As we apply our extraterrestrial paradigm to the story regarding the disappearance of the prophet Elijah, another age-old mystery appears to be solved. Learned Bible students will recall that Elijah’s departure from Earth was not only rumored among his disciples but in fact had been pre-arranged as he was instructed to go to Beth El (Lit. house of a mighty one) on a specific day prior to his being taken.

Many other biblical events also take on a new significance while revealing extraordinary details with a technological relevance, such as the previous association of the term "whirlwind" with a "fiery" vehicle that took Elijah up and away or the "cloud" that carried Lord Yeshua into outer space (see II Kgs 2:11; Act 1:9-11). With such symbolic terminology repeated throughout the Hebrew texts without any reasonable alternative explanation, a modern interpretation that allows for an encounter with extraterrestrial technology is the most plausible one if we are to accept the validity of such stories as actual historical events.

One might also safely assume that any extraterrestrial civilization capable of developing stealthy spacecraft that would transport them across the galaxy would almost certainly possess advanced computer systems and weapons technology. Reports of powerful weaponry capable of totally vaporizing physical objects should come as no surprise then, such as in the following texts which refer to both hand-held and ship-fired devices that leave little room for alternative interpretations.

In addition to the technologies already mentioned, we also note that Israel’s gods occasionally used their superior biological sciences to kill as well as heal "miraculously". Besides the deadly plagues leveled against Egypt that hastened the Jewish Exodus, there are several other disturbing accounts of toxic biological contamination of masses of human beings which are directly attributed to the extraterrestrial elohim (e.g. Deu 7:15; I Sam 5:6-12; I Chr 21:14). At times, even Yahweh’s "chosen people" were said to be the victims of such horrors, no doubt contributing as much to the Hebrew peoples fear of the gods as any of the heavenly wonders which they observed in awe.

Yahweh’s distress with the elohim’s human experiment is punctuated by many accounts of genocide attributed to him throughout the Old Testament. Numerous writers recorded that Yahweh effected cataclysmic weather phenomena, from the Great Flood to severe drought lasting for years, and employed weapons of mass destruction that included biological contamination producing devastating plagues. Moses writes that Yahweh so regretted having created humankind at one point that he considered permanently destroying all life on the planet (see Gen 6:5-7). It is interesting that all of Earth’s ancient cultures, some predating the Hebrew record, report extraterrestrial contact with events of destruction that are strikingly similar (see chapter: "Demythologizing Religion").

The final text which we shall examine in this chapter contains the most detailed, and perhaps the most remarkable, eyewitness report of a UFO encounter in the entire Bible. In his vivid account, the prophet Ezekiel not only describes the spacecraft he saw but also recounts his own on-board flight. This amazing text which so baffled Bible scholars for centuries can finally be interpreted in its proper light due to the present state of scientific knowledge and our realization that a superior extraterrestrial technology might indeed have predated the invention of the wheel.

This text from Ezekiel is not only informative in itself but is without question very compelling proof of the Hebrew writers use of primitive symbolic language to describe their encounters with advanced extraterrestrial technology. A common skeptical criticism of Ezekiel’s testimony is that he was either "dreaming" or hallucinating a "vision", however a closer examination of the Hebrew language text reveals that Ezekiel was reporting an actual object "of fine craftsmanship" that he "saw" with his own eyes. After first documenting the exact date and location of his encounter, Ezekiel records the amazing event as follows.

Ezekiel attempts to describe in some detail the shape and configuration of the shiny metal craft with its various moving parts and appendages that to him resembled some sort of incredible animated "creature". Yet, significantly, the Hebrew word he uses to describe the rotating object is not nephesh (Lit. a living creature) but chay, a Hebrew word that describes the action or motion of something. Understandably, it is difficult to visualize the exact appearance of the airborne craft from his highly animated symbolism but there are some aspects that we can easily recognize from familiar technology, such as its hovering movements, bright lights, and landing gear. For the sake of clarity this lengthy text is offered here in an abbreviated form.

In Chapter Ten, Ezekiel records another encounter with the same spacecraft where he further marvels at the appearance of the rotating "wheels" with their bright lights. Here he identifies and defines both "cherubim" and the "glory" (or, radiance) of Yahweh as referring specifically to the spacecraft described, giving us an invaluable guide to a correct interpretation of other biblical texts where these words appear.

Ezekiel also reports that he was lifted up by the "spirit" (Heb. ruach) into the spacecraft and physically transported to other geographic locations (see Eze 3:12-15; 11:1; 11:24). In this text, and others, the Hebrew ruach (Lit. wind or breath) is apparently a common techno-term used to describe the unseen force or power associated with the elohim and their spacecraft. It is worth noting that numerous observations of extraterrestrial spacecraft include reports of a so-called "tractor beam", presumably a directed anti-gravity force field utilized for levitation and transport of people or objects between two points such as the earth’s surface and an airborne craft.

As the Ezekiel text turns to a harsh chastisement of Israel for their disobedience and sternly warns them of impending doom, one final observation is offered. It would be reasonable to conclude that the story of Ezekiel’s encounter with Lord Yahweh in an incredible spacecraft, passed down from generation to generation, was taken very seriously by the Hebrew people and that, rather than producing disbelief and skepticism, his prophetic message was perhaps given greater credibility because of it. It certainly would be fair to say that such records were considered to be an important testimonial to the "mighty ones".

There are many more exciting possibilities to explore as we are challenged to reconsider other religious traditions and doctrinal views that have been unapproachable in the past but are now, in the modern era, beginning to hold forth a scientifically rational explanation. One such biblical teaching worthy of further examination is the Hebrew doctrine of the "Resurrection of the Dead". Though seldom the subject of a thorough review and exegesis from the pulpit (perhaps shunned because of its peculiarity) the subject of what happens to human consciousness, or ones "state of mind", during the death experience has always held fascination for even the most skeptical scientific minds, throughout human history.

A corporate resurrection of the human dead has always raised difficult questions as is obvious from the Apostle Paul’s allegorical commentary on the subject to the Corinthian Christians (see I Cor 15:12-24; 12:35-54). Here Paul strongly reaffirms this doctrine’s centrality to the belief in Yeshua as the resurrected Messiah and discusses mortality and beyond as an altered state of existence. Significantly, the death state is referred to here and throughout the Bible as "sleeping", implying that the collective resurrection of every human being (to be judged at the "end of the ages") is the condition of "awakening". For Christian believers, this "awakening" holds the promise of being transformed into a new, immortal and "incorruptible" form, living in the realm and presence of Lord Yeshua.

The "how" and "when" of this resurrection process has been the source of considerable speculation and sectarian doctrinal debate, being shrouded in religious mystery. From a modern perspective on science and technology, however, this theological concept may contain more information than previously thought. Computer science in the twenty-first century foresees the day when a microbiological data processing system will be created at the DNA level that may become the next generation of supercomputers. Is it not, therefore, also conceivable that an advanced extraterrestrial intelligence could have the means to upload human consciousness, or the essence of all human sentient experience, into a file storage system to be opened for review (subject to being saved, transferred or deleted) at some future point in time? And, might such a "supercomputer" be reasonably thought of as the "Mind" of an Almighty God?

As science and religion collide on such issues, it is time to start asking the difficult questions. Secular scholars in many fields of study may want to give a new, open-minded consideration of the Hebrew record and other religious texts from the ancient world that document historical contact with extraterrestrials and their technology. Given our current knowledge of the vastness of the universe it is widely acknowledged that there could be innumerable civilizations throughout the cosmos that may be far more advanced than our own. We’ve done the math. There are also thousands of irrefutable reports of extraterrestrial contact and observations of UFO’s throughout the course of human history. The empirical evidence is there.

For believers, truth must be mined from the biblical texts and centuries of debris discarded before theology can be refined. The answers to the most important questions are there but some present a challenge to traditional religious teaching. While there is hope in the promise "You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free", there is also a warning in the words of the prophet, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." Smart people ask questions, study for themselves and are not content to let others do their thinking for them. Intelligence and reason is a divine gift that should be present at every Bible study. Yet, while our brightest theology scholars do embrace scientific inquiry and are not bound in ignorance to the mystery traditions of old, many also continue to give tacit consent to archaic Bible translations inherited from the dark ages of scholarship.

The Hebrew record gives both science and religion an extraordinary insight into the nature and character of our extraterrestrial relatives, as well as some much needed intelligence regarding their technological capabilities. The hope for science may be that such "miracles of technology" will one day be shared with us in a spirit of peaceful cooperation that will benefit our world of shrinking resources and global decay. Or, will they use their fearsome weapons technology against us before we can venture farther into space to exploit and pollute other worlds as we have our own?

Perhaps even more awe inspiring than the technologies employed by the elohim is their apparently highly evolved psychic and telekinetic powers. A fair analysis should, therefore, allow that there might be things "spiritual" attributed to the elohim that exceeds our most rational attempts at scientific explanation. It is the supernatural or trans-rational nature of many of the miraculous works demonstrated by the elohim and certain gifted individuals (Lord Yeshua being prominent among the Bible’s miracle workers) recounted with such exuberance and reverence that gives one pause with regard to applying a purely technological construct to the biblical worldview.

Ultimately, both the religious and scientific communities share something very important in common, a fragile habitation. From the Bible’s prophetic texts pertaining to the "last days" of planet Earth and the recent dramatic increase in UFO activity, everyone, whether faithfully optimistic or cautiously skeptical, should consider the possibility that some sort of extraterrestrial intervention in our affairs may be imminent. Yet, should the mighty elohim simply decide to watch a little longer from a safe distance as we continue on our present course, we will surely reap the consequences of our own technological sin against the earth and her inhabitants which, more than anything else, reveals just how primitive we truly are.

As we turn to the New Testament for further insight into the Hebrew extraterrestrial worldview, we continue the practice of transliteration of the corresponding Greek-to-English texts in the same manner as before, with a few exceptions. The New Testament’s references to the Hebrew god as "Father" is understood to be an implicit reference to Yahweh and needs no further comment as to his identity. It is apparent that "Father" was deliberately chosen by Jesus (Heb. Yeshua, and throughout this chapter) to introduce his relationship to Yahweh as well as an intimate, familial concept of his kingdom, a central theme of New Testament teaching.

The Greek translations present a unique challenge over the Semitic language texts. For example, with respect to the common practice of rendering the Greek theos as "God", a presumed reference to the Hebrew Lord Yahweh, determining the plural form (i.e. Heb. elohim, "gods" or "mighty ones") or rendering it as an adjective or adverb ("divine", "godlike", "godly", etc.) is complicated. One must ascertain from the context of a particular passage of scripture which usage is most accurate and if a problem arises concerning a specific word translation, maintaining a Hebrew rather than Greek perspective will facilitate the best interpretation of a text. One must keep in mind that the New Testament was written by Jews who were well acquainted with and communicated the Hebrew extraterrestrial worldview, as discussed in preceding chapters, frequently quoting OT Hebrew scriptures.

An analysis of the New Testament worldview with respect to extraterrestrials should properly begin with its principle character, Yeshua of Nazareth. Through his assertion of intimacy with the Father and the mighty ones of his "heavenly kingdom", or cosmic empire, Yeshua encountered immediate hostility from the Jewish religious leaders of his day. They interpreted this as a blasphemous declaration that he himself was one of the elohim (e.g. Jno 5:18; 10:30-39; 14:6-11). While numerous statements attributed to Yeshua and his disciples make it clear that he claimed a divine birthright and authority as the prophesied Hebrew messiah, the New Testament does not emphatically assert that Yeshua is principle deity, the Father, or Almighty God, a dogmatic position nevertheless embraced throughout history by many Christians.

It is clearly evident in New Testament scripture that Yeshua acknowledged the Father as superior to himself (e.g. Jno 5:22,24; 5:30; 5:43,44; 12:49,50; 14:28; Mat 24:35,36; Mar 13:32; Act 1:7), always prayed to or personally addressed the Father with praise and gratitude (e.g. Jno Ch.17; Mat 6:5-15; 11:25,26; Luk 10:21, 22:42; Jno 11:41), and repeatedly said that the Father resided in outer space (or "heaven") while he was on earth. Yeshua also specifically instructed his disciples to likewise pray only to the Father with the right to invoke his own name as a form of personal introduction. In the Hebrew culture of the day, this was a great honor that bestowed a venerated master’s own status and authority upon a beloved disciple or household member.

It is not the goal of this work to delve into Christology however clarification of the authentic views of the Hebrew writers of the New Testament pertaining to deity, including the identity, authority and deification of Lord Yeshua, is relevant to this study. That the New Testament writers clearly understood and believed in Hebrew theology, as previously examined, could not be represented any clearer than in the following unambiguous statement by the Apostle Paul.

Significant to the Hebrew record of humankind’s extraterrestrial genesis and the genetic enhancement of "special" human babies birthed throughout the ages, is the New Testament’s claim that the baby Yeshua was uniquely procreated as "God’s only begotten (or sired) son". In other words, the New Testament writers assert that Yeshua of Nazareth was the only elohim-human (technically a genetic hybrid) offspring of Father Yahweh.

In apparent total disregard for any resulting controversy or skepticism that it might create, the New Testament boldly states that the Father God’s extraterrestrial emissaries chose a young Jewish virgin girl named Miriam (or "Mary") who was already betrothed according to Jewish custom, to birth and nurture this unique child. Given current knowledge of non-sexual in vitro fertilization and gestation this story would appear to suggest that a select ovum was artificially fertilized and then re-implanted into the young woman’s womb, a clinical procedure common to modern obstetrics yet well beyond the knowledge of even the most learned physicians of that time. Two texts specifically record that an elohim emissary of high rank personally oversaw or administered Miriam’s conception of the baby Yeshua (see Mat 1:18-25; Luk 1:26-38).

Advanced genetic science being completely unknown to the writers of the story who were striving for credibility, it would seem to be inexpedient for anyone to fabricate or embellish such an incredible tale at the expense of the stories highly esteemed central characters. To say that the report of a "virgin conception" might create a monumental scandal for the respective families of the betrothed and the community in which they lived is to grossly understate the repercussions that such an event would have within the Jewish culture of their day.

Further complicating the problem of Miriam’s "divine" pregnancy would be the anticipated reaction of a humiliated fiancé. Yet, instead of suffering the kind of hostility which, in their day, could have brought about a public stoning for young Miriam, her betrothed Yosef (or Joseph) overcame what one might reasonably assume would have been extreme suspicion, embarrassment, and anger, and wed his pregnant virgin bride anyway. His decision, we are told, was based wholly upon his own personal encounter with, and instructions from, another elohim emissary who appeared to him soon after Miriam’s conception. Yosef and Miriam then raised Yeshua along with other natural-born children, although they clearly always considered him unique.

Standing alone, the story of Yeshua’s conception and birth is, in itself, so offensive to Hebrew sensibilities within the culture of the day as to seem to beg for its omission from the texts. It certainly could easily have been regarded as an embarrassing family secret and rationally excluded as being detrimental to the public’s perception of Yeshua, or at the very least considered unnecessary to mention. Instead, the New Testament writers unabashedly dignify this remarkable story repeatedly as an important testimonial to Yeshua’s extraterrestrial genetic origins and divine destiny.

The story of Yeshua’s birth is surrounded by other extraordinary events as well. For example, it is reported that a "bright star" was tracked across the sky by numerous observers, including learned men of science serving great kings of the Eastern realms. This star-like object was followed to a point where it is said to have hovered above Yeshua’s birthplace at Bethlehem before disappearing completely (see Mat 2:9,10). It is an easily verifiable fact that studies of constellations and conjunctions of that time show that no natural astronomical star ever behaved in such a manner. One needs only an elementary knowledge of celestial astronomy to know that any true star which can be viewed from earth does not have the ability to move across the sky and then position itself at a very specific locus directly above a tiny village on earth!

We are therefore led to conclude that the so-called "bright star" which many witnesses observed hovering above Bethlehem was more than likely a radiant spaceship transporting a contingent of extraterrestrial elohim who reportedly had direct contact with many of the locals (see Luk 2:8-15). We are further informed that these elohim emissaries had protective charge over the infant Yeshua and even alerted his parents to hasten their escape from an impending slaughter of Bethlehem’s infant male children, a heinous act perpetrated by the reigning King Herod in an attempt to slay the prophesied newborn "King of the Jews" (see Mat 2:13-23).

As we closely examine this story and the testimony of his followers, the implication seems to be that the baby Yeshua was created as a genetic hybrid (possibly cloned) from Father Yahweh’s own DNA, or "seed". Thus, according to the Christian New Testament, Yeshua of Nazareth was the world’s most historically prominent extraterrestrial-human, genetically created to become the Messiah in fulfillment of ancient Hebrew prophecy. Regardless of opinions to the contrary, he is certainly acknowledged the world over as an extraordinary human being gifted with extraordinary powers and having a most extraordinary destiny.

Briefly, the New Testament gospels written by Yeshua’s disciples portray him as a unique individual of divine parentage. They tell us that Yeshua demonstrated remarkable powers wherever he went, often seemingly defying physical laws, having a miraculous impact upon the lives of numerous severely handicapped, diseased and impoverished people throughout Palestine. Such miracles were the "works" to which he referred that should have convinced even the coldest skeptic that he was indeed a "mighty one" sent from Yahweh. Yet, it was that very evidence which proved to be an offense to the religious authorities of his day.

Having spent his brief life on earth healing the sick, feeding the hungry, ministering to the oppressed poor, and instructing the commoners of Palestine in the principles of love and compassion for one another (principles of his extraterrestrial kingdom) Yeshua was finally forced to surrender himself to the Roman authorities. Having been accused by Israel’s rabbinical rulers of heresy, he was promptly tried in a mockery of justice and sentenced to a torturous and humiliating execution by crucifixion. Despite having many opportunities to flee capture, the New Testament writers insist that Yeshua willingly submitted himself to this terrible death in order to fulfill a mission of self-sacrifice, demonstrate his own resurrection from mortal death, and "purchase" eternal salvation for faithful believers, whether Jew or Gentile, thus creating a "new and better covenant" between Father Yahweh and all of humankind.

It should be mentioned that wh