XPost: alt.christnet.theology, alt.christnet.demonology, alt.religion   
   XPost: alt.religion.christianity, alt.christnet.satanism   
   From: psperson1@ix.netcom.invalid   
      
   On Mon, 27 Aug 2018 05:19:20 +0200, Steve Hayes   
    wrote:   
      
   >On Thu, 23 Aug 2018 17:13:06 -0700, Paul S Person   
   > wrote:   
   >   
   >>>But even knowing that some ancient autgher said it would mean that the   
   >>>concept was there   
   >>   
   >>OK, then try this on: (/Satan/, op cit, p 81) Iranaeus "The Devil ...   
   >>tries to persuade us to worship him".   
   >>   
   >>Since the name doesn't matter, is this close enough to establish the   
   >>/concept/ of "Satanism" ("worship of the Devil") as existing prior to   
   >>200 AD?   
   >   
   >In which case there is even earlier evidence:   
   >   
   >Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and   
   >sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;   
   >And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt   
   >fall down and worship me.   
   >Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written,   
   >Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.   
   >Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered   
   >unto him (Matt 4:8-11).   
   >   
   >I'm not sure, however, that that indicates that people actually   
   >self-consciously worshipped the devil in that way. I understand it   
   >rather to be suggesting that addiction to political power is idolatry,   
   >and therefore worshipping the devil.   
      
   You might consider this incident:   
      
      
   Luke 11:14-15 NLT   
      
   One day Jesus cast out a demon from a man who couldn’t speak, and when   
   the demon was gone, the man began to speak. The crowds were amazed,   
   but some of them said, “No wonder he can cast out demons. He gets his   
   power from Satan, the prince of demons.”   
      
   And how would a man get this power? Satan-worship springs to mind, so   
   this /could/ be an accusation of Satan-worship.   
      
   This would then indicate a belief somewhat earlier than, say, 30 AD,   
   although probably after 581 BC, the latest date of the Bablylonian   
   Captivity (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_captivity), and   
   probably some time after that, to allow time for non-Israelite beliefs   
   to infest the exiles, as, before the exile, evil spirits came from the   
   Lord because there was nobody else to send them.   
      
   Perhaps a Talmudic Scholar could help pin the date down more clearly.   
   --   
   "I begin to envy Petronius."   
   "I have envied him long since."   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)