The discovery of a three-foot-tall tablet with 87 lines of Hebrew is causing a controversy. The tablet speaks of a messiah rising from the dead after three days. That would seem to confirm the account of Jesus’ resurrection except for the fact that the tablet was written decades before his birth. It is likely to trigger quite a debate among the entire religious and non-religious communities. Given today’s other entry on the survey of intellectuals on religion, here, this should make for some interesting debates.
The tablets raise the question of whether the account of Jesus rising was the recitation of a common Jewish belief. Such importation of traditions and beliefs from other religions has long been cited by scholars like Bertrand Russell and others.
For the full story, click here.
Bertrand Russel WAS NOT A SCHOLAR, he was a moron.
While I can understand the tendency for some to think Jesus was a fabrication developed by the Roman’s to pacify the Jewish population, a closer examination, and evaluation of the evidence that already exists, along with recent discoverys other than the discovery of this tablet, points the more likelyhood that someone named Jesus, son of Joseph, which there were many, did start a movement, and did teach some somewhat radical concepts for his time, to at least the point to draw the attention of the local Sanhedrin, and Roman government enough to sentence him to death.
Critics demand “absolute irrefutable proof” for his existence, which is fairly laughable, given the lowly circumstances of this contemporarily obscure man. After all, crucified prophets in Jerusalem were a dime a dozen, hence, the notion that one specific prophet, with a relatively small following at the time, who was summarily crucifed by a roman magistrate along with petty criminals, …well, not exactly someone they were building monuments to.
Plus, given the persecution of early Christian’s subsequent to his death, its suprising we have as what we do. Aside from the original codices, including fragmants which support the translations, (like the Chester Beatty Papyrus), along with other references or items, i.e. the Basillica, the references in Josephus, and even the recent archeaological evidence, like the discovery of the Ossuary of James, just adds more credence to the likelyhood that the man, the “Historic Jesus”, actually existed.
Of course that says nothing as to his divinity, or the veracity of the claims as to his supernatural powers, and events, but it does at least point to the probability of “someone” with that name starting a movement which subsequently got him excuted by the state, having lived.
As for the surpise by some that Jewish traditions may have acknowledged him, well, he was after all, Jewish. In fact, as best we know, he was a Rabbi, married, and worked as a stone mason during his early years. (not a carpenter, like most accounts point to).
So I find this discovery exciting, and well wait to see whether its authenticity is proven before making any further observations.
1%, 2%, 1% rant
2%, 1%, 2% rant
1%, 1%, 2% rant
2%, 2%, 1% rant
“That is the biggest cop out you 1 percenters throw: the conservatives hate the poor. We don’t because most of us WERE the poor, we never were born INTO LUXURY like you limousine liberals.”
well, now, are those far more in number limousines among your Neofascist Plutocrat idols identical to those of the liberals?
Your assertion that most of the conservatives were poor is utterly preposterous. Either you have absolutely no knowledge about our political, economic, and labor history or you are deliberately lying a la the Fox News scoundrels or the crowd of ultra-rightwinger radio squawkers who are paid so handsomely for drawing and appealing to a crowed of the likes of you.
There is another possibility, assuming that you are not a genuine, self-absorbed plutocrat, which is that you are simply another slack-jawed, mouth-breathing Dupe blathering and cheering against your own interests.
jill: LIAR
what hateful things did any conservative say about the poor.
That is the biggest cop out you 1 percenters throw: the conservatives hate the poor. We don’t because most of us WERE the poor, we never were born INTO LUXURY like you limousine liberals.
rcampbell and rafflaw,
When the “Marthas” were saying hateful things about the poor, that got my dander up and I responded as well.
Jill
rcampbell,
I agree with you and Jill that the “dandar” heads do distract us from the topic at hand, but I guess that is their purpose.
Jill
Thank you. That was very nice of you. I will endeavor to not be too often diverted or distracted as your earlier post cautioned. I admit that from time to time some of these “dundar”-heads get my Italian up.
whooliebacon,
Liked your rhymes as always.
Today I indulged a guilty fun, and read aloud some Vogon!
Jill
rcampbell,
You are a good writer!
Jill
Do you have any idea how irritating the fucking popup links that your blog forces on readers are?
Jill,
Certainly would be more interested in what this MAN thinks rather than the rants and propaganda postings…maybe, thought provoking rather than button pushing.
However, JT does have a unique sense of
humor from what I have heard and read…
don’t suppose he’s having some fun with us…what with the morphing musings marathon.
Tally ho, luv, I’ll sally forth to some bangers and spotted dick, my yes, is it all a trick.
Remember the Woodtick.
I worry about the “Marthas”. These multiple writers often distract from the main topics of the posts. Diversion and distraction are powerful techniques for keeping thoughtful posters from discussing what they think. Instead people are left answering insincere, ususally ignorant posts.
I agree with Susan and Michael that rcampbell, rafflaw and mespo are actually able to give intelligent responses to some very flawd “reasoning”. I’m just asking is it worth it?
That’s great news, Martha. Now, when President Obama corrects Bush’s blunder of invading Iraq (thereby creating the previously non-existent al Qaeda in Iraq in the first place) and he brings our troops home next year, it’ll be done without any problems at all.
Biblical history is very interesting. I recommend the book: God’s Problem by Bart Ehrman. He talks about the differing views/qualities required to be considered a messiah (mentioned in the article). Contrary to Mel Gibson; Jesus was born, lived and died a Jew.
Thank you for the update. It will be interesting to see how this is understood as it continues to be examined.
Iraqis lead final purge of Al-Qaeda
Marie Colvin in Mosul
Julyy 6, 2008
American and Iraqi forces are driving Al-Qaeda in Iraq out of its last redoubt in the north of the country in the culmination of one of the most spectacular victories of the war on terror.
After being forced from its strongholds in the west and centre of Iraq in the past two years, Al-Qaeda’s dwindling band of fighters has made a defiant “last stand” in the northern city of Mosul.
A huge operation to crush the 1,200 fighters who remained from a terrorist force once estimated at more than 12,000.
Operation Lion’s Roar, in which the Iraqi army combined forces with the Americans’ 3rd Armoured Cavalry Regiment, has already resulted in the death of Abu Khalaf, the Al-Qaeda leader, and the capture of more than 1,000 suspects.
The group has been reduced to hit-and-run attacks and sporadic bombings aimed at killing large numbers of officials and civilians.
Last Friday I joined the 2nd Iraqi Division as it supported local police in a house-to-house search for one such bomb after intelligence pointed to a large explosion today.
Even in the district of Zanjali, previously a hotbed of the insurgency, it was possible to accompany an Iraqi colonel on foot through streets of breeze-block houses studded with bullet holes. Hundreds of houses were searched without resistance but no bomb was found, only 60kg of explosives.
Nouri al-Maliki, Iraq’s prime minister, who has also led a crackdown on the Shi’ite Mahdi Army in Basra and Baghdad in recent months, claimed yesterday that his government had defeated terrorism.
“They were intending to besiege Baghdad and control it,” Maliki said. “But thanks to the will of the tribes, security forces, army and all Iraqis, we defeated them.”
The number of foreign fighters coming over the border from Syria to bolster Al-Qaeda’s numbers is thought to have declined to as few as 20 a month, compared with 750 a month at its peak.
Brigadier General Abdullah Abdul, a senior Iraqi commander, said: “We’ve limited their movements with check-points. They are doing small attacks and trying big ones, but they’re mostly not succeeding.”
Major-General Mark Hertling, American commander in the north, said: “I think we’re at the irreversible point.”
When do we get to read about Muhammed not being a prophet….