In the 21st century, the name of the ‘Son of God’ has been synonymous with Jesus. But, several theologians and historians show that the very name of Jesus has gone through multiple translations and alterations over the centuries. This implies that Jesus’ real name is actually not Jesus, but some ancient name that is different in different regions. In ancient Greek, the real name is Iesous. In other Hebrew texts, the name of Jesus is Joshua. And in multiple versions of the Bible- the New Testament- the name of Jesus is Hoshea. This name is in itself a variant of the name Jehoshua. The latter predates the mass exodus of the Jews centuries before he was even born, which then evolved to Jeshua, and finally- Jesus. Needless to say, this name has been in usage since modern times as his devotees call him by it.

JESUS’ REAL NAME- YESHUA, JOSHUA, OR IESOUS?

Interestingly, there is a certain section of the Christian population that believes that when people call out to Jesus- their Son, they are actually worshipping the wrong person. Jesus’ real name is Joshua or Yeshua- not Jesus- which leads to some Christians commenting on the veracity of their Gods. For example, Messianic Jews believe in worshipping Yeshua, rather than Jesus.

Some believe that Jesus’ real name wasn’t given to him by his parents, the name was a ‘command from the Heavens’. It should also be mentioned that Christ’s name was not at all unique, and there were quite a lot of people who had the name Yeshua or Joshua. During the second century AD, the name Joshua or Yeshua was quite common among the Jewish population. Therefore, in order to differentiate between them and the “real Jesus”, several Biblical texts changed the name to Jesus of Nazareth. He himself was born among humans who had the same name as he did.

THE ETYMOLOGY BEHIND THE NAME JESUS

According to multiple theologians who have worked on Biblical texts, the name of Jesus has quite a vibrant etymological and historical background associated with it. Jesus is the Grecian form of the Hebrew name that was ascribed to Joshua, the son of Nun, and the great Israelite leader. Apparently, Jesus’ parents also decided to call him Hoshea or O’Shea in this Jewish tradition. In the Bible, Joshua succeeded Moses as the Lord’s Servant. He managed to bring Israel to the promised land as he had sworn to Abraham, and was a very important figure to Hebrews all over the world. From an etymological standpoint, when the word Jesus is broken down- it means ‘Lord is Salvation’.

When it comes to matters of Theology, it is advised that religious texts not be translated on the basis of their etymological meaning- but rather the purpose behind the name.

NAMES OR DEVOTION- WHAT MATTERS MORE?

Jesus’ real name is usually used for identifying Christ as the Son and Servant of God who would show the path to God to other people. This not only speaks volumes about the omnipotence that Christ has, but it also indicates how favorable he is to his believers. Therefore, it is understood that while Jesus is a distinctly human name, the translation and use suggest that God has come to mortals in this form. Regardless, several questions have been raised about the name. Some people believe that Jesus’ real name is actually Yeshua. Other Christians believe that the name is nothing but an error- and somehow equate calling Christ by Jesus as calling God by the name of Zeus- the Greek God. It is possible that people who think they pray to Jesus do not pray to the actual Jesus but to someone else.

Now, while Zeus and Jesus sound similar when one is pronouncing them, the similarities end there. The name Jesus has absolutely no connection with the Greek God of thunder, with the latter being connected to a completely different form of life and worship.

Currently we have an a attack on free speech across the globe. This attack has come under the name of “Fake News”, and those claiming that “Fake News” is a threat are pushing to censor anyone with an opinion which is not the same as the mainstream narrative.

Many people are missing this censorship, however, working in this field we have seen the censorship of our content at Truth Theory, as well as many partners that we work with. We do not publish fake news, neither do the companies we works with, however, our reach and the reach of many news outlets are being slammed by Facebook algorithm changes, YouTube shutting down channels and Google blacklisting sites.

The one thing all the sites that are being targeted have in common, is that they speak from a narrative that challenges the establishment. We don’t agree with the opinions with all the websites that are being targeted, but this does not mean that they should not be able to share their voice. In our case, we bring uplifting media and something that can help people to find solutions to their problems. 1.7 million people have liked our page, yet only a fraction of those people ever get to see it.

What is strange is many websites that actually do consistently share fake news are growing in reach, and have far better engagement and website visits than ever before. Which asks the question, if they are able to censor our legitimate news sources, why cannot they do the same to well known fake news sites?

This short video shows how the outdated mainstream media align to all share a message that attacks people who have a different opinion.

What is happening now to independent media is the true threat to our democracy, and the only way to tackle it is to stop buying into the rubbish the old outdated media is pushing on its citizens.

When Stanley Kubrick released his film ‘2000: A Space Odyssey’, the new millennium did look a lot different than what we experienced in reality. Back in the 1960s and 1970s, people had a completely different idea as to how the 2000s would be. Some thought that the world would be hyper-scientific- like William Gibson, in his Neuromancer, and Neal Stephenson, in his Snow Crash, while others thought that space travel would be a daily routine for individuals. Hence we see movies like Blade Runner, Ender’s Game, Ready Player One, and Divergent. The imaginative powers of the people during the middle of the 20th century envisioned what the year 2000 would look like- something that might not be a possibility until the next century- i.e., the year 2100.

PEOPLE IN THE 1960S HAD A BLEAK VIEW OF WHAT THE YEAR 2000 WOULD LOOK LIKE

Needless to say, there weren’t just authors, scientists, and philosophers who believed that the world would be transhumanist in nature- it trickled down to kids as well, who considered the new millennium to be paradise- or hell, depending on their outlook. When kids from Marlborough College, Roedean, and Chippenham schools were asked about what the year 2000 would look like, they had some really interesting, albeit wild possibilities. One kid said, “Well in the year 2000, I think I’ll probably be in a spaceship to the moon dictating robots to robots, or else I may be in charge of a robot court judging some robots. I may also be at a funeral of a computer or, if something’s gone wrong with the nuclear bombs, I may come back from hunting in the cave.” The first line should remind one of Kubrick’s movie, where the astronauts dictate information to HAL 9000.

Another kid expressed her apprehension at what the year 2000 would look like. She mentioned, “I don’t like the idea of sort of getting out and finding you’ve got a cabbage pill to eat for breakfast or something.” What seemed to be really wild was the imagination of the next kid, who likened the new millennium to abject dystopia. The child said, “Oh I think all these atomic bombs will be dropping around the place. One will get near the center because it will sort of make a huge great big crater and then our world will become one vast atomic explosion and it will become like a supernova of stars.”

Another kid also had a few theories about the year 2000- which were quite bleak- “Some madmen will get the atomic bomb and blow the world into oblivion”, while a worried child lamented, “There’s nothing you can do to stop it. More people get bombs, the more, well, somebody’s going to use it one day.” The general feeling seemed to be one of utter melancholy and terror of the unknown future. A kid did put it quite succinctly- “I don’t think there is going to be atomic warfare but I think there is going to be all this automation. People are going to be out of work and a great population and I think something has to be done about it. If I wasn’t a biologist that’s what I would like to do- to do something about the population problem and sort of temper it somehow- I don’t know how.”

Fortunately, the kids’ fears about what the year 2000 would look like haven’t been realized yet. Sure, there are a few problems, but we still haven’t been hit by nuclear warfare, and the automation seems to be under control- as of yet.

There are quite a few popular lies that some schools still peddle to their children. These lies have already been debunked but many people still believe in them. Let’s read some of the lies that some schools routinely tell students.

5 POPULAR LIES IN HISTORY THAT SCHOOLS STILL TELL US

1. COLUMBUS DID NOT DISCOVER AMERICA

There have been a lot of theories that would disprove the notion that it was Christopher Columbus who was responsible for discovering America. One such theory belongs to the Vikings. The early expeditions of the Vikings to North America have been documented quite well, and have also been accepted as a historical fact by most scholars. Around 1000 AD, Leif Erikson, the Viking explorer, and son of Erik the Red, sailed to a place that he referred to as Vinland- which is currently the province of Newfoundland in Canada. The Viking explorers didn’t stay for long before they returned to Greenland.

In 1960, Norwegian explorer Helge Ingstad and his wife, Anne Stine Ingstad, went on to unearth an ancient Norse settlement. In the ensuing seven years, the couple and an international team of archaeologists managed to expose the foundations of around eight separate buildings. In 1969, Congress went on to designate 9th October as Leif Erikson Day. As it stands, there are also stories about a Muslim-Chinese eunuch mariner who visited the Americas 71 years before Columbus did. The mariner was Zheng He- and he was a real historical figure- as mentioned by Gavin Menzies in his book- 1421- The Year China Discovered America

2. MARCONI DID NOT INVENT THE RADIO BUT TESLA 

While the last century has catapulted Guglielmo Marconi as the founder of the radio, it was just a massive stroke of fortune that Marconi got the credit and not Nikola Tesla. When Tesla created his coils, the inventor went on to discover that he could easily transmit and receive majorly powerful radio signals which could then be tuned to resonate at the same frequency. When this coil was tuned to a signal of a particular frequency, it would magnify the incoming electrical energy through a largely resonant action. In 1895, Tesla was absolutely ready to transmit a signal that would go about 50 miles to West Point, New York- but a fire in his lab destroyed all of his work.

During this period, there was a young Italian experimenter called Guglielmo Marconi in England, who had been working hard to create a device for the wireless telegraph. The young Italian had already taken out the first patent for a wireless telegraph in 1896. Through a set up of long-distance demonstrations- which ironically used a Tesla oscillator- the Italian was able to transmit the signals across the Channel. Soon, the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company began thriving heavily in the stock markets, with celebrities like Edison and Andrew Carnegie investing in it.

3. EDISON DIDN’T INVENT THE LIGHTBULB

While the phonograph was one of the most groundbreaking discoveries by Thomas Alva Edison, it was usually considered to be a novelty. In fact, Edison had already moved to his next concept- the incandescent light bulb. As it stands, electric bulbs had already been in play since the early part of the 19th century- but they were not resilient- quite short-lived due to the filaments. One of the earliest forms of electric light- which was the carbon arc light- also relied on battery-heated carbon rods in order to produce light. But they would have to be lit by hands- and the process was quite dangerous.

On the other hand, what Edison created was practical, cheap, and long-lasting. He demonstrated a bulb that could last for 14.5 hours in 1879. Speaking to a New York Times reporter, the inventor stated that his light was a perfect one. But- it was actually not completely perfect as it was a Black inventor by the name of Lewis Latimer, who went on to refine Edison’s creation, making filaments more durable and working to efficiently manufacture them.

4. GANDHI WASN’T THE “SAINT” HISTORY MADE HIM OUT TO BE

It should come as a shock to people who have grown up reading about the great stature of Mahatma Gandhi, to realize that his life had dark, twisted secrets as well- ones that history has often neglected to accentuate. It was Ashwin Desai, a professor of sociology at the University of Johannesburg, and Goolam Vahed- a history professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, who spent years compiling a book on the story of Gandhi in South Africa. In 2015, they went on to publish a book called The South African Gandhi- Stretcher-Bearer of Empire- which went on to cast a light on the whitewashed past of Gandhi, as well as his highly derogatory comments against the indigenous tribes of Africa. It also has been revealed that he would “use his wife as a punching bag” as quoted in Gandhi: The True Man Behind Modern India: “I simply cannot bear to look at Ba’s face. The expression is often like that on the face of a meek cow and gives one the feeling as a cow occasionally does, that in her own dumb manner she is saying something.”

5. THE EVOLUTION THEORY DID NOT COME FROM DARWIN ALONE

When asked about the Theory of Evolution, most of us would turn towards Charles Darwin, and hardly anyone would pay heed to Alfred Russel Wallace, another British naturalist, who was a co-discoverer of the theory. It was Wallace who developed some of the most important ideas about natural selection during an eight-year expedition to what was considered to be the Dutch East Indies- modern-day Indonesia- where he then observed the wildlife and collected multiple specimens. By 1855, Wallace had come to the conclusion that all living things evolve. But he didn’t really understand how or why until three years later. He was on the island of Halmahera, quite delirious with fever when he realized that animals evolved when they adapted to their environment.

These are the 5 popular lies that any school would teach you as a part of one’s curriculum. It turns to us to debunk the lies and preach the truth.

Nikola Tesla had many behaviors that most would consider obsessive. He would walk around a block three times before entering a building and clean his plates with 18 napkins. When he stayed in hotel rooms the number of the room would always be divisible by 3, he actually done everything in sets of 3 and he would calculate his environment to make sure everything around him worked in line with this mystical number.

Perhaps some of his behavior was the result of obsessive-compulsive disorder and superstition, but as seen by his achievements there was a lot more method to some of his madness, and the truth to this is explored in this video.

“If you knew the magnificence of the three, six and nine, you would have a key to the universe.” – Nikola Tesla

What brought you here? Why in this very moment when you could be anywhere doing anything, is it that you have found yourself on this blog? Chances are that you saw the image and it made sense to you! Do you see 11:11? Does it boggle your mind and at times create weird and wonderful confusion? Are you struggling to make sense of its meaning? Don’t worry, I totally understand and I hope this article can be of some comfort and you can see that you’re not alone and that it is not anything to worry about.

This article is not going to be just about 11:11 that is only a small part of the mysterious world of synchronicity. I am going to try and bring some kind of meaning to something that is hard to understand at a logical view point and something that I have to admit I do not fully understand.

The truth is we can try and bring logic to it and explain it in a scientific way, but it is my belief that synchronicity does not work on that kind of level. I know it is something significant, I know that following it brings great things, but it is not something that can be fully understood.

WHAT ARE SYNCHRONICITIES?

Synchronicities are a sequence of more than one event that coincide with each other and have significant meaning related to each other. These events would appear on the surface to be just chance, but are in no way a coincidence.

An example would be- You want to pursue your dream job and you are trying to make an excuse not to do so and for every excuse you make a solution seems to fall in your lap.

Or you attend an event you would usually avoid because every time you switch on the TV, radio or speak with someone it’s all you hear about. Then as a result of attending that event you meet someone significant, like a partner, a business associate or a future friend.

One extreme example from my own life was when I was thinking about giving up on my passion of writing and sharing information about spirituality and growth due to the financial strain it was causing. I had gone online looked up some jobs and was ready to quit, that night I went to bed and said- “If you are going to give me a sign, now is the right time” the next day I received a cheque from a family member that fixed that problem.

Synchronicities differ from coincidence, a coincidence could be you sneezing and at the same time a firework going off. It may be a little weird that it happens, but in most cases there would be no significant meaning.

TYPES OF SYNCHRONICITIES

Predictive- This is where you see, think or do something that links to an outcome. The classic example is thinking of someone and them calling you.

Guiding- This is where all signs guide you to a specific outcome. This could be you thinking of giving up on your music career because of a lack of work and just as you are about to do so, you get a phone call from someone trying to book you for work.

Reflective- This is where you are forced to reflect due to a synchronistic event. An example would be if you decided to cancel your gym membership and then as you go to do it an email hits your inbox about the benefits of exercise, making you reflect on if you have made the right decision or not.

Testing- This is where synchronicity tests you ego. An example would be if you had a food addiction and absolutely loved fried chicken, when thinking about this addiction a fried chicken advert comes on the TV. Testing your ability to fight the temptation. Be strong, don’t do it!!!

SYNCHRONICITIES ARE ALWAYS HAPPENING

One thing I have noticed is that there have always been synchronicities in my life, maybe not quite in the quantity that they are happening now, but they have always been there. Your job is to follow the synchronistic events. The magical thing is- the more you follow them the more they happen.

Don’t go searching for something that is not there, but learn to recognise when something is in front of you. If the perfect relationship seems to fall from the sky at the perfect moment and you decide not to pursue it, you are seeing the synchronicities, but not following them.

When you start to live out these synchronistic events you will start getting the little cosmic nudges, like 11:11 or in my case 33, I see this number everywhere and it was only on a doing a little research I realised the spiritual significance of it.

SYNCHRONICITIES IN YOUR LIFE

Think back to every significant event in your life, I am sure it is full of synchronicities and it is usually the bigger the life event the more synchronicities coincide with it.

The synchronistic events that led towards me being able to work at Truth Theory

Synchronicity number 1: A while back I had a list of around 30 blogs I wanted to write for, out of that list I sent my article- 6 Ideas For An Educational Revolution to Truth Theory.

Synchronicity number 2: The owner of Truth Theory was working on an educational website so he was drawn to the article.

Synchronicity number 3: Out of anywhere in the world he could have lived, he lived just 5 minutes from my house.

Synchronicity number 4: We decided to meet up and it turned out we were pretty much on the same wavelength and that he needed someone to write for Truth Theory and I had been trying to get in front of a bigger audience.

If anyone one of these events didn’t happen, I would not be here writing this article. But they all did and now I am here.

 

WHAT IS THE POINT OF SYNCHRONICITY?

Synchronicity serves many purposes- it can serve as a reminder that you are on the right path, it can be for guidance, sometimes it is to test you, sometimes it will lead you to form significant relationships and other times it is just for you to stop and be present!

Much love to you and if you want to talk about this article hit me up at lukemiller@truththeory.com with the name of the article as the subject line, I would love to talk to you, just try to keep it as short as possible so I can respond!

If you want to get my free eBook which blends psychology and spirituality to help you create more happiness in your life.

Wang Enlin a farmer living in the Yushutun village, China has spent over 16 years studying law to sue the chemical company that allegedly polluted his land.

According to reports from Chinese news site The People, a 2001 government document claimed the contaminated farmland ‘can not be used for a long time’ due to the companies error.

The company in question- Qihua Group have assets of over 2 billion Yen (Around $200 million) and are thought to have dumped hazardous waste into the village from 2001 – 2016, making it impossible for the community to farm their land.

They are also reported to have created 71-acres of wasteland contaminated with calcium carbide and a 478-acre pond full of liquid waste.

Mr Wang decided to pursue the legal knowledge required to take Qihua on after writing a letter in 2001, to the Land Resources Bureau of Qiqihar complaining about the pollution of his village.

He said that he was asked to produce evidence of the contamination when dealing with local officials:

Mr Wang said: ‘I knew I was in the right, but I did not know what law the other party had broken or whether or not there was evidence.’ This was when he started his 16 year study.

Mr Wang also decided to use what he had learned to school the locals and help them gather evidence as their farms had also been affected by Qihua Group.

In 2007, a law firm which specialised in similar cases started to offer Mr Wang and his community free legal advice, and said they would help the villagers file a petition to the court. However due to legal complications, the proceedings only started in 2015.

Due to the case Wang and his community had built they won the first instance. The Court ruled that the Qihua Group pay the families involved a combined amount of 820,000 yuan (Close to $75,000). The case is currently being appealed by Qihua Group.

Mr Wang told the reporter: ‘We will certainly win. Even if we lose, we will continue to battle.’

What does the world know about Leonardo da Vinci? He painted the Monalisa, he wrote backwards, and he designed flying machines way before anyone else thought of them. But is that all this absolute genius created? Obviously not! We are mere plebs in the grand scheme of things and are properly uninitiated to the genius that da Vinci truly was. But there’s nothing to fret as the British Library has digitized over 570 pages of Codex Arundel– da Vinci’s personal notes. And let me just say this- you don’t have to be a Renaissance scholar to enjoy it. 

The Guardian reports that the diaries of da Vinci reflect the universality of his mind. And although he was a certified technophile, he didn’t really do it for the money. Or fame. He simply wanted to discover cool, fancy stuff. 

For centuries Leonardo da Vinci’s genius was kept hidden from the world- mostly as a scientist. His Mona Lisa had acquired fame, but that wasn’t all there was to him. After his death in France, his protege Francesco Melzi brought a lot of his manuscripts back to Italy. Unfortunately, Melzi’s heirs failed to see the brilliance in the manuscripts and disposed of them. Even today, there are a few thousand pages of his books still out there, containing designs for submarines, airplanes, cars, etc. 

LEONARDO DA VINCI AND THE BRITISH LIBRARY

Digitized notebooks came into existence in 2007, when the British Library and Microsoft joined forces. Their project was called ‘Turning the Pages 2.0’ wherein one simply turned the page using animation. As far as Leonardo da Vinci goes, you can definitely choose to scan the 500 odd pages of Codex Arundel. Or, if you think so much information might scramble your brains, check their site. The British Library has a miniseries on his life, and works. 

The entire digitization of the notebooks is quite ironic, considering da Vinci never wanted it to be seen. But it is high time that people recognize the genius of Leonardo da Vinci. He deserves all the credit that any library or government has to offer. Also, if one is interested, Guardian has a piece on his quirks– from wearing pink tights to shopping lists. Do give it a read. 

Dan Harrison and his girlfriend Laura are originally from the UK and they decided that they had enough of “life in the Matrix” and moved to Portugal where they bought a small “abandoned” farm. With zero knowledge of building or farming, they started turning this place into an off-grid homestead. They have been documenting their adventure on their YouTube channel. Their story is really inspirational, many people might think that such a move would require many skills. They aren’t builders or farmers, but they show that with a little bit of hard work and courage, it is possible to get off the grid. There are pros and cons as well to life in Portugal, summer can get very hot there. Also, such an option works well for someone who can generate income online however there are other ways to make money and live off grid, costs of living on your own farm can be greatly reduced.

 

Most of us have many memories of car trips. Be it the games with our siblings or fighting over who gets the window seat, car memories are always fun. And one such fun car was the Volkswagen Beetle. But since the company stopped production of the car long back, one enthusiast built his very own Volkswagen Beetle mini bikes!

The Beetle was well-known for its bubble-like structure and an icon of the yesteryears. The Beetle stopped selling in the US back in 1980 but the worldwide production continued till 2003. Brent Walter, a fan of the Beetle decided to repurpose the remaining cars into nostalgia-soaked adorable little Volkswagen Beetle mini bikes.

Walter is the mastermind behind the “Volkspod” mini bikes. He welded the fenders from the 4 corners of Beetles and reused the taillights from the cars as well. These mini bikes have a bicycle-type handlebar for the rider but they are not your average bicycles. With their 3HP engines, these Volkswagen Beetle mini bikes can manage to reach 25m/h.

And the VW Beetle details don’t stop with the exteriors. While the mini bikes retain the bulbous shape of the Beetle, they also have the crest on the front, the step from the car, and even the engine is the same.

If you are planning for a long road trip with the Volkswagen Beetle mini bikes, let me remind you these are just scooters. So, instead, you can go for a short ride round of the neighborhood and see your neighbors’ faces light up with nostalgia. Want to buy one immediately? But what if I tell you, you can even build your own! Just follow Brent on Instagram and learn all the details.