The Spiritual Journey of Humanity: How Religion Evolved Before the Prophets and Led Toward the Axial Age
December 6 and 13
Presenter: Elber Camacho
with John Testerman, Moderator
For most of us, the story of faith begins with the Hebrew Bible and the voices of the prophets. But the human search for the sacred began long before any written scripture existed. This presentation explores the deep spiritual journey of our species, from early ritual and symbolic life tens of thousands of years ago to the great moral breakthroughs of the Axial Age. Rather than challenging belief, the goal is to widen the horizon in which we understand it.
By tracing how early humans expressed wonder, built community, and wrestled with meaning, we gain a richer context for the biblical tradition and a deeper appreciation for the prophetic emphasis on justice, compassion, and conscience. This is an invitation to see faith not as a sudden invention, but as the flowering of a much older human longing for the sacred, a longing that still shapes us today.
About Elber Camacho
Dr. Elber S. Camacho is a longtime member of Sabbath Seminars, a “charter member” from the 1970s. He has contributed to many presentations and projects with Sabbath Seminars over the years, exhibiting a broad knowledge and creative imagination in the field of religious studies. Below are descriptions from his professional affiliations:
Dr. Elber S. Camacho is an oncologist in Palm Springs, California and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Desert Regional Medical Center and Eisenhower Medical Center.
Dr. Elber Camacho is the Medical Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center. He has over 25 years experience as a Medical Oncologist and Hematologist. He has been recognized by his peers as being among the areas Top Doctors from survey results published each year by Palm Springs Life magazine. He was recruited to the Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1995 from Loma Linda (CA) University, where he earned his medical degree and was on the teaching staff. Dr. Camacho also was a fellow in Hematology and Immunology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Hospital in New York. He is board certified in Internal Medicine, Medical Oncology and Hematology. He specializes in general hematology and malignant hematology with emphasis on leukemia, lymphoma and multiple myeloma. Dr. Camacho also treats patients with solid tumors including cancer of the breast, lung, gastrointestinal system, head and neck, and skin. He has offices at the Comprehensive Cancer Center’s main facility at Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs, and at the cancer center’s satellite in La Quinta
Sabbath Seminars
Room 3208
Centennial Complex of Loma Linda University Sabbath Morning 10:30-12:30