Current Biblical Archaeology

[Minimalist]

people who run cons are not following Christ thus they cannot be equated with Christianity.

Sure they are. After all....it's The Greatest StoryEver Sold. What better inducement for the unscrupulous to get involved?

[marduk]

the greatest story ever told was yurtle the turtle
its has the same moral as the bible but its much shorter and suitable for children

[Minimalist]

Surely children should be kept away from the bible.

Far too much sex and violence.

[Guest]

Only a bible-thumper with his head firmly placed up his own ass would maintain the foolishness exemplified in the goddamn bible in spite of all the evidence which has been uncovered

you keep saying that but you never list the evidence or links to back that statement up. again, we must keep in mind that too many scholars rely on interpretation and not actual fact when they publish their opinions.

BAR is doing a review of Dever's latest book and the word is that Dever supplies a lot of mis-information in presenting his tale.

[Minimalist]

Only a bible-thumper with his head firmly placed up his own ass would maintain the foolishness exemplified in the goddamn bible in spite of all the evidence which has been uncovered

you keep saying that but you never list the evidence or links to back that statement up. again, we must keep in mind that too many scholars rely on interpretation and not actual fact when they publish their opinions.

BAR is doing a review of Dever's latest book and the word is that Dever supplies a lot of mis-information in presenting his tale.

BAR is a bunch of bible-thumpers too. I've told you where the evidence is. Read the fucking books.

You'll never learn anything if you keep your nose buried in that stupid bible.

[Guest]

BAR is a bunch of bible-thumpers too

sometimes i wonder about them and herschel shanks. they use dever and kitchen as well as an assortment of archaeologist which talk about their own views nd not BAR's.

[Guest]

this has been the longest silence from minimalist yet. did that last post stump him?

[Frank Harrist]

this has been the longest silence from minimalist yet. did that last post stump him?

He's out layin' by the pool drinking wine.

[Guest]

well this is his longest absence yet, i must have thrown him for a loop when i tossed in shanks.

[Minimalist]

A fried cable modem is far more effective than your silly gods for disrupting the web.

BTW, I essentially agreed with your last comment about BAR. They have their own agenda.

[Guest]

I essentially agreed with your last comment about BAR. They have their own agenda

yes i wonder about them at times...shanks is fighting for the james ossuary, that it is not a fake. he is big on the dead sea scrolls as well.

[Guest]

i just got an answer from Dr. John McRay and i will paste it in below. i wasn't expecting a response but it is nice to get one which is kind, and explains the reason why he mentioned Vardamann

Dear

Your email reached me via my son. I am sorry for the problem about Jerry Vardaman's claims regarding the micrographic letters. At the time I wrote my book his work was unpublished and unevaluated by critics. I considered not putting it in my book but thought it would be better to include it and let the readers know about it and thus be able to pursue further investigation on their own. At that time Vardaman seemed to be a creditable scholar and his discovery of these letters seemed legitimate. Unfortunately this has not proven to be the case. It was an unwise decision to accept his work on the basis of what appeared to be legitimate scholarly reputability. I am sorry for the problem it has caused you and any other readers of my work. I too am very disappointed.

Sincerely,

John McRay

*** i removed my name for privacy reasons.

[Minimalist]

Decent of him to admit it.

He gains a point on my scale.

[Minimalist]

Today's New York Times has the Dead Sea Scrolls taking a hit.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/15/scien ... nted=print


This may require registration with the Times which is free....if somewhat annoying.

Archaeologists Challenge Link Between Dead Sea Scrolls and Ancient Sect
By JOHN NOBLE WILFORD
New archaeological evidence is raising more questions about the conventional interpretation linking the desolate ruins of an ancient settlement known as Qumran with the Dead Sea Scrolls, which were found in nearby caves in one of the sensational discoveries of the last century.

After early excavations at the site, on a promontory above the western shore of the Dead Sea, scholars concluded that members of a strict Jewish sect, the Essenes, had lived there in a monastery and presumably wrote the scrolls in the first centuries B.C. and A.D.

Many of the texts describe religious practices and doctrine in ancient Israel.

But two Israeli archaeologists who have excavated the site on and off for more than 10 years now assert that Qumran had nothing to do with the Essenes or a monastery or the scrolls. It had been a pottery factory.

The archaeologists, Yizhak Magen and Yuval Peleg of the Israel Antiquities Authority, reported in a book and a related magazine article that their extensive excavations turned up pottery kilns, whole vessels, production rejects and thousands of clay fragments. Derelict water reservoirs held thick deposits of fine potters’ clay.

[Guest]

that could be true but it doesn't affect the scrolls any nor what is written on them. the problem i see is that it could have been a FORMER pottery factory turned into a residence for the essenes.

there are many possibilities which would allow the place to be turned into living quarters or a monastary, i am not being skeptical but allowing for a non-limited interpretation of what is found.

one thing i noticed is that once evidence is found for a site like this, then that site can't ever change, be sold, or renovated. it must be only that one thing. well i am tired of the limited interpretations , which do not take into account other possibilities.