The Old World is a reference to those parts of Earth known to Europeans before the voyages of Christopher Columbus; it includes Europe, Asia and Africa.
Conflagration at Tel Gezer Destroyed the Thorns, Not the Antiquities
'Tel Gezer did burn, and the sight is definitely disturbing,' said Israel Antiquities Authority director, 'But it is important to stress that in general fire does not irreversibly damage archaeological remains made of stone'
Something is wrong here. War, disease, death, destruction, hunger, filth, poverty, torture, crime, corruption, and the Ice Capades. Something is definitely wrong. This is not good work. If this is the best God can do, I am not impressed.
Stone doesn't burn, per se, but it can be heavily damaged or even destroyed depending upon the intensity & duration of the fire. Fire has long been used to break up boulders in agricultural fields, probably for millenia. Our early ancestors learned that they could change the properties of certain types of stone by heat treating them. It seems that fire has been a friend to mankind for close to 1 million years. Woo hoo.
"Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. It is easy for the weak to be gentle. Most people can bear adversity. But if you wish to know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test." ~ Robert G. Ingersoll
"Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, and, without sneering, teach the rest to sneer." ~ Alexander Pope
