Customer Reviews

Athena and Kain: The True Meaning of Greek Myth

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I don't profess to know enough about Greek history or archaeology to say that the author is right on target; HOWEVER, his theory does fit the facts of Greek mythology and Biblical revelation.

The author's premise is that Greek mythology is really the story of Creation, the Fall of Man, and the Great Deluge, except told from the side of Evil. There are a lot of photos of various aspects of Greek art to back up his theory, and he does a good job of explaining it in terms a novice can grasp. This work has piqued my interest and I'm going to have to do a lot of further reading.

One thing the author didn't point out, but which I've theorized for years, is that the portions of Greek myth typically referred to as "The Clash of the Titans," was a perversion of the true story of Lucifer/Satan being cast out of heaven. I'd like to see Mr. Johnson chase that rabbit in the future.

I had already believed to a certain extent that ancient cultures mythology was based on even more ancient actual living persons.. and that later cultures borrowed from earlier cultures, but this book does a great job showing that all the myths are based on the ancients described in the Bible but from the perspective of the line of Kain versus the line of Seth.

A must read!

This book explains Greek mythology from a new perspective - the book of Genesis. It makes clear why the Greek gods behaved the way they did. I will now always consider ancient religions and the works of the artists and poets relating to those religions in a new light as a result of this work.
I believe the most important point made is that when a people, like the Greeks, have no real creator God such as the God of Genesis, they have nothing left to exalt but themselves, nature, and their progenitors. I believe the author makes this case convincingly. This is a real insight, and it explains much, even to this day.

Rather than being a popular, innovative work for the general reader, this book is misleading. Mr. Johnson is quite creative, but his ideas lack any firm basis in classical studies or biblical studies. Instead of revealing secrets of Greek myth, he is instead creating new myths from whole cloth. Apart from having no apparent credentials or practical experience in classics and no peer-reviewed publications in the field, Mr. Johnson formulates what are effectively conspiracy theories that lack logical integrity; I am a non-professional, but even my avid amateur pursuit of ancient mythology and archaelogoy reveal the serious flaws in his books. I apologize to anyone who has been deceived by his work. In their place, I would respectfully recommend works like Mary Beard's excellent work for general readers "The Parthenon" or the somewhat denser "The Nature of Greek Myths" by G.S. Kirk.

The preface to ATHENA and KAIN states that the content of the book is revolutionary, and it really is. I looked up revolutionary, and in the context used it means, "a total or radical change, as a revolution of thought." There is no other book on Greek art or myth like ATHENA and KAIN. Mr. Johnson points out that Greek sculptures appeared on public temples and other public buildings, and that mythological scenes appeared on the ancient Greeks' everyday pottery and storage jars. The average Greeks understood the meaning of their myths. Because of ATHENA and KAIN, it is now possible for us to understand them, too.

Adeptly written by a Greek art interpreter and Parthenon iconographer Robert Bowie Johnson Jr., Athena And Kain: The True Meaning Of Greek Myth is an informative and inherently fascinating exploration of Greek mythology and art. Interpreting the victory of Zeus and the gods over the giants as a triumph over the Yahweh-believing sons of Noah, and with it the demise of Greek humanity's faith in God, Athena And Kain offers a controversal, iconoclastic, yet compelling and deftly presented interpretation. Athena And Kain is especially commended to students of Antiquarian Studies in general, and Greek Mythology in particular.

As a researcher of Pagan designs myself, I found RBJ's findings very insightful, and revealing. Immitation is the highest form of flattery, and the enemy of men's beings has designed many diversions for "sheeple" to follow blindly after. Mimmickry, syncretisms, and revisionism are the hallmarks of "ha-shatan's" (the adversary's) methods, and many traps are awaiting the unsuspecting mind. The Greco-Roman culture is but an extension of the previous Babylonian, Persian, and Egyptian Pagan formats, all with the goal of "occulting" or hiding what they are really portraying. We are the servants of the one whom we obey, and the deceived do not know they are deceived. My book Fossilized Customs, The Pagan Sources of Popular Customs, puts many of the same designs on display for the seeker of Truth, and I intend to promote Mr. Johnson's work in my future editions of FC, and on my website ( www.fossilizedcustoms.com ).
There are many people who could be helped greatly by reading this study on Athena (A-thanatos), the deathless one, and the framework in which we find her. The saddest thing is, the people of Nashville, Tennessee have to bear living with a constant reminder of the gross idolatry and ignorance of the ancient Greeks, who once pondered the words of Sha'ul (Paul). Nashville has a temple dedicated to the Pagan elohim, Athena, with her colossus image inside, next to the serpent. The Parthenon building is a gross abomination to the Elohim of Israel, the Maker of Heaven and Earth, Father YHWH.

ATHENA and KAIN is a superb read, a thoroughly enlightening experience. This book and Mr. Johnson's previous one, ATHENA and EDEN: THE HIDDEN MEANING OF THE PARTHENON'S EAST FACADE (which I have also read), are changing the way we think about the ancient Greek world. For the first time, Greek myth has meant something to me. I always knew that it connected somehow to the broader history of the human race, but I couldn't see how. Now I do.
How quickly these books catch on in schools and among the public is anybody's guess. But I wonder: when we get to the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, and the media begin to speak about the Parthenon and other cultural treasures, will they understand what they see, or will they simply "ooh" and "aah" at some old Greek stuff somebody told them was important?