num_pages: 605
description: There has never been a more important time for a study of the social, economic and political origins of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the three important world religions that share a common root. This book adopts a Marxist, that is a materialist, view of human development so it takes as its starting point the idea that gods, angels, miracles and other supernatural phenomena do not exist in the real world and therefore cannot be taken as explanations for the origin and rise of these faiths. It looks instead at the material conditions at appropriate periods in antiquity and the social and economic forces that were at work, to outline the real foundations of these three doctrines. In doing so, it challenges the historicity of key figures like Moses, Jesus and Mohammed.This is a unique book which draws on the research, knowledge and expertise of hundreds of historians, archaeologists and scholars to create a new synthesis that is both coherent and completely based on a materialist world outlook. It is a book written by an unbeliever for other unbelievers, as a contribution to a discussion among atheists and secularists as to the real origins of the so-called Abramic faiths. It will be a revelatory read, even to those already firmly of an atheist or secularist persuasion, underpinning their non-religious views and it will provide a valuable resource for all those who might be coming to question the hold that organised religion has had on human society.
language: English
title: Behind the Myths - the Foundations of Judaism, Christianity and Islam