The Mythic Story of the Judaic Spiritual and Religious Tradition

"At our best, we inhabit a biblical landscape, and this is where we should situate ourselves without apology. [...] That biblical landscape is our urgent invitation ... Otherwise, it's really not worth saving or manifesting or redeeming or anything, unless we really take up that invitation to walk into that biblical landscape." - Leonard Cohen, from a 1993 interview

In the beginning, when the world was formless and void, the Eternal One spoke existence into being. The voice of God, the Word, brought light into the darkness, order into chaos, and life into the vast emptiness. This was the foundation of all creation, and the Eternal One called it good.

The Covenant God, the Infinite Source, created humanity in His own image, not to be rulers over the earth but stewards and partners in the divine plan. In those early days, humanity walked with God, knowing no separation. Yet, through an act of disobedience and egoic separation the connection was veiled, and humanity was cast into exile, wandering the earth in search of the lost Eden. From this fractured beginning, a covenant was forged that humanity would one day be restored to its divine inheritance. The first glimmers of this promise came through Noah, who survived the great flood, preserving life upon the ark and carrying forward the seed of hope for a renewed world.

Abraham: Father of Nations Out of the fertile crescent, in the land of Ur, there arose a man named Abram. The Eternal One appeared to him, calling him to leave his homeland and journey to an unknown land, promising, “I will make of you a great nation. Through your descendants, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” Abram, renamed Abraham, entered into a sacred covenant with God. This covenant was sealed with the stars above, for God said, “Look to the heavens; your descendants shall be as numerous as the stars.” Abraham became the patriarch of a divine lineage, carrying the promise of restoration and blessing. His son Isaac, the child of miraculous birth, carried the covenant forward. Isaac begot Jacob, who wrestled with an angel of God and was given the name Israel, meaning “he who struggles with God.” Jacob’s twelve sons became the progenitors of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, a people chosen to bear the divine promise.

The Exodus The descendants of Israel grew numerous in Egypt, but they became enslaved under Pharaoh’s rule. The people cried out to the Eternal One, and their cries were heard. From the burning bush, God called Moses, a shepherd in exile, and commanded him to lead His people to freedom. Through wonders and plagues, God revealed His power, breaking the chains of the Israelites and parting the Red Sea so they could escape. In the wilderness, at the sacred mountain of Sinai, God descended in fire and thunder, giving Moses the Torah—the divine law written on stone tablets. The Torah was more than law; it was a cosmic blueprint, the path to restore humanity’s alignment with the divine. Through the Ten Commandments and the sacred teachings, the Israelites were called to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation,” living as a light to all the world.

The Promised Land: Establishing the Kingdom After forty years in the wilderness, the Israelites entered the Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey. Here, under the leadership of Joshua, they established themselves, but their faith wavered, and they often turned to the gods of the surrounding nations. Prophets and judges arose to call the people back to the covenant. Among them was Samuel, who anointed the first king, Saul, and later the shepherd-boy-turned-king, David. David became the archetype of the sacred king, ruling with justice and writing psalms of devotion to God. God promised David that his lineage would endure forever, establishing the spiritual foundation for the coming Messiah. David’s son, Solomon, built the First Temple in Jerusalem, a dwelling place for the divine presence (Shekinah). The Temple became the center of Jewish worship, housing the Ark of the Covenant, which held the stone tablets of the Law.

Exile and Prophecy: The Kingdom Falls The glory of the united kingdom did not last. The kingdom split into two: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Both fell into idolatry, forsaking the covenant. Prophets arose—Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others—calling the people to repentance and foretelling a time of renewal. The northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians, and the southern kingdom of Judah fell to the Babylonians. The Temple was destroyed, and the people were exiled to Babylon. Yet even in exile, the promise endured. The prophets spoke of a new covenant, one written not on stone but on the hearts of the people.

Return and Renewal After seventy years, the exiles returned to Jerusalem under the decree of the Persian king Cyrus, whom the prophet Isaiah called God’s anointed. The Second Temple was built, and the Jewish people recommitted themselves to the Law. Yet they lived under foreign rule, first the Persians, then the Greeks, and finally the Romans. The Jewish tradition evolved during this time, incorporating mystical teachings and interpretations. The Torah remained central, but the oral traditions, later codified in the Talmud, expanded the spiritual understanding of the Law.

The Jewish Religion deteriorated and degenerated. It became more and more about status, authority, dogma…. As always, it was the inner mystical heart, remembered, kept and practiced by the few who kept the true tradition alive.

The Rise of Mystical Sects As Roman oppression intensified, various Jewish sects emerged:

• The Pharisees: Guardians of the oral tradition and interpreters of the Law.
• The Sadducees: Priestly elites focused on Temple worship.
• The Zealots: Revolutionaries seeking liberation from Roman rule.
• The Essenes: A mystical and ascetic sect living in the desert, preserving secret teachings and awaiting a Messiah. A mix of Judaic Law & Tradition, Zoastorian, Pythagorean , & Egyptian mysticism with influences from Atlantis, and higher planes… A mystical form of Judaism influenced by other traditions. They emphasized purity, apocalyptic visions, and the coming of a teacher of righteousness.

The Fulfillment of the Promise: The Time of Jesus Into this world of longing and expectation came Yeshua of Nazareth, born in the line of David into the Essene community. He proclaimed the kingdom of heaven, teaching that the Law could be fulfilled through love and inner transformation. He healed the sick, welcomed the outcasts, and spoke in parables to the masses, revealing the mysteries of the divine. Yeshua’s life was an enactment of the ancient alchemical drama: death, descent, resurrection, and ascension. His crucifixion symbolized the ultimate sacrifice, and his resurrection became the promise of eternal life. For many, he was the fulfillment of the covenant, the Messiah foretold by the prophets. Yet, the world at-large was not ready for Spiritual Sovereignty. He was arrested, put on trial, and crucified for being a threat to the religious and political powers that be. However, this was all part of the Grand Design, and these events were the enactment of a primordial ritual - ensuring that his life and story and teachings would become a part of the mythic fabric of humanity. He demonstrated the Truth of Life Eternal, the victory of The Kingdom, the Immortality of Love, and established on Earth and in Humanity the Way to Christhood for every human being. After his Crucifixion his public ministry ended. Yet the Christ-Magdalene teaching continued and the Grail lineage went underground, to be found in another age….

Perhaps his life and teachings have not yet completed their purpose… Perhaps the time will come that a Second Coming of the Christ Consciousness will flower….

The Judeo-Christian narrative

The Judeo-Christian narrative, as depicted in the Bible and expanded in Jewish and Christian traditions, centers on the story of humanity's fall from grace through Adam and Eve, followed by a multi-generational journey toward redemption and restoration with God.

This arc is framed as a divine covenant unfolding through key patriarchs—Noah (survivor of the flood and restarter of humanity), Abraham (father of nations and recipient of God's promise), Moses (lawgiver and liberator), David (king and archetype of the messiah), and Solomon (builder of the temple)—culminating in Jesus (Yeshua in Hebrew) as the prophesied Messiah who, in Christian theology, incarnates as the "Son of God" to bridge the gap caused by the fall.

This lineage represents not just a family tree but a mythic and theological progression: from creation and sin (Genesis), to covenant and exile (Torah and Prophets), to fulfillment and new covenant (New Testament), with themes of obedience, exile, and return symbolizing humanity's spiritual path back to God.

In essence, it's the story of the people of Israel as God's chosen nation, but expanded in Christianity to include all humanity as spiritual heirs.

The Lineage of the People of Israel: the Story of a Nation

The core lineage from Adam through the patriarchs traces the origins and identity of the Israelites (Hebrews/Jews), who are defined biblically as descendants of Jacob (renamed Israel in Genesis 32:28), whose 12 sons form the tribes of Israel.

This makes the story national in scope: God's covenants with Abraham (Genesis 12-17, promising land and descendants "as numerous as the stars"), Isaac, Jacob, and later the nation at Sinai via Moses (Exodus), frame Israel as a "kingdom of priests" tasked with embodying divine law amid a fallen world. The messianic line narrows through Judah (one of Jacob's sons), leading to David and Solomon's kingdom, which splits but preserves Judah's royal line as the vessel for prophecies of a redeemer (e.g., Isaiah 11, Micah 5). In Judaism, this remains the story of the Jewish people's enduring covenant and exile-return cycles.

In Christianity, Jesus fulfills it as the "new Adam" (Romans 5:12-21) and "light to the Gentiles" (Isaiah 49:6), extending the "nation" spiritually to the Church as the "new Israel" (Galatians 6:16), inclusive of all believers. The narrative isn't "finished"—it's eschatological, pointing to a future where God's kingdom is fully realized, and humanity (as Adam's descendants) participates through moral living, repentance, and faith, making us part of the ongoing redemptive history.

Tracing the Lineage: From Adam to Jesus

The Bible provides two main genealogies for Jesus: Matthew 1 (from Abraham to Jesus, emphasizing his royal Davidic heritage through Joseph, his legal father) and Luke 3 (from Adam to Jesus, often interpreted as through Mary for biological descent, highlighting his universal humanity).

These lists aren't exhaustive (they skip generations for symbolic or mnemonic reasons, like Matthew's 14-generation groupings symbolizing completeness) but trace the messianic promise through key figures. Below, I've compiled a simplified table from Luke's fuller account (Adam to Jesus), cross-referenced with Matthew where they align post-Abraham. Ages and events are approximate based on biblical chronology (e.g., Adam at creation around 4000 BCE per traditional views). Note: This is patrilineal (father-to-son), with women like Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba highlighted in Matthew for their roles in redemption themes.

Beyond Jesus: The Ongoing Story

Post-Jesus, the New Testament shifts from biological lineage to spiritual adoption: believers become "children of Abraham" by faith (Galatians 3:7), and the Church as Christ's body continues the mission of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).

In Christian eschatology, this extends to the end times, where Jesus returns to judge and restore (Revelation 21-22), making all who follow him part of Adam's redeemed descendants—echoing the "journey back" from darkness to divine unity.

Jewish tradition focuses on ongoing covenant observance and awaiting the Messiah, viewing history as progressive toward tikkun olam (world repair).

We're part of it: the mythos invites personal participation in themes of fall, covenant, and hope.

R. C. Zaehner, a professor of Eastern religions, argues for Zoroastrianism's direct influence on Jewish eschatological myths, especially the resurrection of the dead with rewards and punishments.[29]

The mythologist Joseph Campbell believed the Judeo-Christian-Islamic idea of linear history originated with the Iranian religion of Zoroastrianism. In the mythologies of India and the Far East, "the world was not to be reformed, but only known, revered, and its laws obeyed".[30] In contrast, in Zoroastrianism, the current world is "corrupt [...] and to be reformed by human action".[30] According to Campbell, this "progressive view of cosmic history"[31] "can be heard echoed and re-echoed, in Greek, Latin, Hebrew and Aramaean, Arabic, and every tongue of the West".[32]

Other traditional cultures limited mythical events to the beginning of time, and saw important historical events as repetitions of those mythical events.[33] According to Mircea Eliade, the Hebrew prophets "valorized" history, seeing historical events as episodes in a continual divine revelation.[34] This doesn't mean that all historical events have significance in Judaism;[35] however, in Jewish mythology, significant events happen throughout history, and they are not merely repetitions of each other; each significant event is a new act of God:

"The fall of Samaria actually did occur in history [...] It was therefore something irreversible and unrepeatable. The fall of Jerusalem does not repeat the fall of Samaria: the ruin of Jerusalem presents a new historic theophany.

By portraying time as a linear progression of events, rather than an eternal repetition, Jewish mythology suggested the possibility for progress.[37] Inherited by Christianity, this view of history has deeply influenced Western philosophy and culture. Even supposedly secular or political Western movements have worked within the world-view of progress and linear history inherited from Judaism.[38] Because of this legacy, the religious historian Mircea Eliade argues that "Judaeo-Christianity makes an innovation of the first importance" in mythology.[39]

Eliade believes that the Hebrews had a sense of linear time before their contact with Zoroastrianism,[40] but agrees with Zaehner that Judaism elaborated its mythology of linear time with eschatological elements that originated in Zoroastrianism. According to Eliade, these elements include ethical dualism, the myth of a savior, and "an optimistic eschatology, proclaiming the final triumph of Good".[40]