Origin of Sin

By David Konstan

Book Description

David Konstan embarks on a fascinating scholarly journey through ancient texts to uncover how our understanding of sin has evolved over millennia. Drawing from classical Greek and Roman literature, Hebrew scriptures, and early Christian writings, he reveals that the concept of sin as we know it today differs dramatically from its original biblical meaning.

Through careful examination of key terms like the Hebrew "hata'" and Greek "hamartia," Konstan demonstrates that ancient Greek and Roman cultures viewed wrongdoing quite differently than the Hebrew tradition. In the Hebrew Bible, sin wasn't simply breaking divine rules, but specifically referred to violating the sacred covenant by pursuing foreign gods. This understanding applied uniquely to the Israelites as covenant partners, creating a framework where forgiveness came through genuine repentance and confession before God.

The New Testament transformed this concept further, particularly in the Gospels, where sin became less about falling away from God and more about failing to embrace Jesus. The path to redemption shifted from confession and repentance toward conversion itself.

Konstan traces how later Jewish and Christian interpreters gradually reshaped these original meanings, eventually creating our modern understanding of sin as violation of divine law. For readers interested in the historical development of religious concepts, this work offers valuable insights into how fundamental spiritual ideas have been interpreted and reinterpreted across cultures and centuries.