Athena and Kain: The True Meaning of Greek Myth (Paperback)

~ Robert Bowie Johnson Jr. (Author) "Greek gods and other legendary figures look like humans because they are our human ancestors elevated to divine or semi-divine status relative to their places..." (more)
Key Phrases: transfigured serpent, reborn serpent, vase depiction, Garden of the Hesperides, Book of Genesis, Yahweh Elohim (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The most original book of the decade, if not the last 50 years." -- Ron Pramschufer, BooksJustBooks, June 3, 2003.

Product Description

Based on solid evidence, Athena and Kain demonstrates a direct connection between the Greek religious system and the early events described in the Book of Genesis. Greek myth is not subjective metaphor or child-like belief in nature gods, but rather an accurate history of the human race. Greek myth tells the same story as Genesis except from the point of view that the serpent is the enlightener of mankind rather than our deceiver. The content of Athena and Kain is revolutionary, and it is based on a simple premise: if the Book of Genesis is true, then those truths in Genesis which pertain to humanity as a whole (Eden, the Flood, the Tower of Babel) must be recorded in the "myths" of the dominant ancient Greek Mediterranean culture. If we are all part of the same human race, with the same origin as described in Genesis, this has to be the case. Proceeding on this premise, and relying on the work of meticulous scholars, solid evidence, and common sense, we find that the Greek myths tell the same story as the early chapters of the Book of Genesis, except from the point of view that the serpent is the enlightener of mankind rather than its deceiver. The evidence substantiates the premise: the Judeo-Christian and Greek religious traditions parallel each other, and both record the true history of humanity, yet from opposite standpoints. Without the Book of Genesis as a guide, Greek vase-paintings and sculptures present us with an amalgam of ambiguous elements whose meaning we cannot satisfactorily discern. But with Genesis as a frame of reference, ancient Greek art begins to make sense to us. No longer trapped in a fuzzy mental realm full of perplexing gods and befuddling stories, we begin to see the remarkably clear and coherent messages painted on vases and carved in marble by our ancestors. The best part comes when we see that this new understanding is not so much profound as it is obvious. The Greek gods looked exactly like humans because most of them were, in fact, the Greeks' own deified ancestors who included Adam (Zeus), Eve (Hera), Kain (Hephaistos), Seth (Ares), Noah (Nereus), Cush (Hermes), and Nimrod (Herakles). Kain, Kaineus, and Kentaurs Why Kain instead of Cain? The Greek Scriptures (Matthew to Revelation) were originally written in uppercase Greek. The name of the man, Kain, written as ¨iKAIN,¨] appears three times (Hebrews 11:4, I John 3:12, and Jude 11). On the Fran¨¬ois vase from the 6th century BC, a certain man being pounded into the ground by Kentaurs is identified as ¨iKAINEUS.¨] Both names refer to the same man. Keeping the original spelling helps maintain a connection that is essential to understanding the basic truth of ancient Greek religion: it chronicles the reestablishment of the way of Kain after the Flood. We don¨Vt know why the King James scholars translated KAIN as Cain, or why Robert Graves translated KAINEUS as Caeneus, but both translations tend to disguise the fact that the ancient names represent the same person. The Greek word usually translated as ¨icentaur¨] is Kentauros. In a very significant Greek myth, Kentaurs, half-men/half-horses, kill some ancient Lapiths (Flint-chippers) and carry off their women (Chapter 6). Scholars capitalize Lapith because it represents a specific group of people. They think of the half-men/half-horses, however, as strange animals who represent barbarianism, and so they use the lowercase ¨icentaur.¨] The truth is that the Kentaurs represent what the Greeks considered to be a ¨istrange branch¨] of humanity--the line of Seth, the offspring of Adam¨Vs and Eve¨Vs youngest son. Thus, as the name of a particular group, it should be capitalized, and to emphasize that fact, The author keeps the original Kappa, or K; therefore, Kentaur. One more thing. To really understand this, you¨Vll need to think like the ancient Greeks. If you don¨Vt realize it now, by the time you¨Vre finished reading the introduction, you'll be happy to find out that in many ways you already think like the ancient Greeks. Unique: The Greeks established the living basis of our culture, and at last, their myths make sense. Unique: The Greek account of humanity's origin begins with a man, a woman, a serpent, and a fruit tree in an Edenic place called the Garden of the Hesperides. Unique: What's the next best thing to finding Noah's Ark? How about Noah himself sculpted in ancient Greek art and painted on vases.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Solving Light Books (July 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0970543824
• ISBN-13: 978-0970543820
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.7 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #897,113 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating theory!, January 2, 2007

By	Michael Freeman (Blanchard, OK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!, August 29, 2005

By	Iconoclast (DFW Texas) - See all my reviews

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!

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truth is Refreshing, November 29, 2007

By	Robert Carr (New York) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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.