There is a misconception, or myth, that Columbus made his voyage to prove that the world was round. This is far from the truth, for the ancient Greeks already knew that the world was round, and Eratosthenes computed the circumference of the earth with an error of less than 10% around 200 years before Christ. Columbus wanted to find a shorter route to the riches of China and India, and his proposal was based on his belief that the circumference of the earth was about one-third smaller than that calculated by Eratosthenes. A panel of experts appointed by King Ferdinand turned Columbus down, because they felt his calculations were incorrect and his value was too small. Queen Isabella approved Columbus’s voyage over the experts’ objections. Ironically, there are some, including celebrities and professional athletes, espousing a bigger myth – that the earth is flat. It boggles the mind. To believe this myth you have to discount the space program, the Copernican model of the solar system, and the circular shadow of the earth on the moon during a lunar eclipse.

We’ve all heard and enjoyed the story of the three wise men from the east, Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar, and how they brought the baby Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. We didn’t read it in the Bible, however. Matthew is the only gospel that mentions the magi, and he doesn’t say how many there were, let alone name them; the notion that there were three probably comes from the three gifts that he does mention. The names seem to have come from early Church tradition. Most likely little harm comes from this myth, but we should know what is Biblical and what is not.

A Biblical myth, which in my mind has a negative effect, is the myth of Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene is mentioned by name twelve times in the gospels, more than most of the disciples, and she was present at important times including the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. In Luke 8:2-3 she is singled out by name as being one of those women who “were helping to support them out of their own means;” this indicates that she was of some economic means. Nevertheless, if you were to ask people about her, many would respond that “she was a former prostitute that repented and followed Jesus.” This is a myth, and we even know where it originated; it was in a sermon by Pope Gregory in AD 591. This myth grew throughout the middle ages, and it has had the negative effect of demeaning the role of women in spreading the Gospel.

We each have our own Biblical myths, and while some, like the three wise men myth, seem harmless, they still can distract us. Some can even harm us in our beliefs; for example many believe that the saying, “God helps those who helps themselves” is in the Bible. It’s not, and it has been used by some to justify greedy behavior. We should be aware of our myths and misconceptions and search for truths such as the fact that God loves YOU and me unconditionally.

Jim