From fairy godmother to leg-breaking godfather, deities have risen and fallen in the hearts of men and women; and the Judaeo-Christian religion has developed into a powerful and dominant force in the world. It is the contention of the author of this book, however, that the Bible, while being revered and upheld as the one true word of the gods, is not in fact such, and that its theology and doctrines were not, as some seem to believe, dropped from the edge of a cloud upon which a divine being was riding. In this work Collins considers the origin and history of the basic tenets of Judaeo-Christianity and offers ample evidence to support her thesis: The Judaeo-Christian religion, like other faiths, is based on myths, which in turn were formed and evolved through the ancients' understanding of the earthly cycles of life and death as well as their devoted and attentive study of the sky. With nearly 1,000 footnotes and about 600 bibliographic references, this book is the result of deep and thorough research. So how is it different from other books on the same subject? First, it is written by a former Christian and seminary graduate who came to her conclusions by not only looking to ancient and modern religious and secular literature but to the biblical texts themselves. Second, she has brought together findings from multiple sources and condensed this knowledge into a somewhat brief discourse. If you're looking for a succinct, comprehensive, easy-to-follow resource regarding the origins of Christianity, The Judaeo-Christian Myth may be the book for you. Chapter titles: Gods and Goddesses; Jewish Henotheism/Polytheism; Dark Sayings of Old; Making New Sayings; Saviors, Christs, and Other Gods; Recycled Myths; Source of All Deity Myths; Gnostic Christ; Gnostic New Testament; Our Legacy. "Again, thanks for the book . . . it totally kept my attention. You chose a vast topic and you have succeeded in establishing your position. Your writing is smooth and fun and you generally avoid Christian jargon." M.S., retired college professor