Archaeologica.org

"Theoretically?" Yes.


Practically? Not so much.

So in other words the religion could change but the people would remain the same?

Roy.

The Crusaders changed the religion of Jerusalem by massacring the Moslems and Jews in residence. The Romans changed the religion of Jerusalem by evicting the Jews from the region and bringing in their own settlers.

For that matter, the Hasmoneans changed the religion of Galilee to Judaism by forcible conversion ( or presumably death for the reluctant) and the Moslems were known to employ that matter on occasion themselves. The Xtians in Spain also issued a "convert or die" order to Jews. The overall success of these edicts is always open to question.

As Jefferson noted:

Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, and imprisoned; yet we have not advanced one inch toward uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one-half the world fools and the other half hypocrites. To support roguery and error all over the earth.
-- Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, 1781-82

So, yes, people can change religion but when doing so under duress one always must question the depth of the conversion.

Granted all that Min, but they did not wipe out a complete people....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of ... ern_Levant

...I think this is a pretty fair assessment of Levantine history.

So, yes, people can change religion but when doing so under duress one always must question the depth of the conversion.

Exactly my point, so sod their 'religion', the same mix of people, the Leventine is very mixed racially, have lived there for generations, and whatever their 'current religion' it was probably different generations ago.
For example, Mahmoud Abbas, if he were to trace his roots, if possible, back to before Mohammed, he could well find that his ancestors were 'Christians or Jews!'

Roy.

Alright, but I don't see what that has to do with Graham Phillips and his regrettable tendency to take a fact or quasi-fact from the Middle Bronze Age and then combine it with a similar "fact" from the Hellenistic Era and then fuse them together into a book?

Absolutely nothing Min, but you're not expecting us to stay on topic are you!?

Roy.

Sorry...lost my head for a moment, there.

Roy.

Minimalist wrote:Sorry...lost my head for a moment, there.

Perhaps you should drink more. Maybe it will help keep you on the right track.

Or less...........

I recommend the occasional THC dose from looong experience. Not physically addictive as booze is. And most importantly: no hangover in the morning!

Time for another roach!