Posted on 07/09/2008 1:56:21 PM PDT by americanophile
The death and resurrection of Christ has been called into question by a radical new interpretation of a tablet found on the eastern bank of the Dead Sea. The three-foot stone tablet appears to refer to a Messiah who rises from the grave three days after his death - even though it was written decades before the birth of Jesus. The ink is badly faded on much of the tablet, known as Gabriel’s Vision of Revelation, which was written rather than engraved in the 1st century BC. This has led some experts to claim that the inscription has been overinterpreted. A previous paper published by the scholars Ada Yardeni and Binyamin Elitzur concluded that the most controversial lines were indecipherable. Israel Knohl, a biblical studies professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, argued yesterday that line 80 of the text revealed Gabriel telling an historic Jewish rebel named Simon, who was killed by the Romans four years before the birth of Christ: “In three days you shall live, I, Gabriel, command you.” Professor Knohl contends that the tablet proves that messianic followers possessed the paradigm of their leader rising from the grave before Jesus was born. He said that the text “could be the missing link between Judaism and Christianity in so far as it roots the Christian belief in the resurrection of the Messiah in Jewish tradition”. Professor Knohl defended his theory at a conference at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem marking 60 years since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. He said that New Testament writers could have adapted a widely held messianic story in Judaism to Jesus and his followers. “Resurrection after
(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...
Well, that’s it for me. Two thousand years of scholarship and tradition, negated by a stone tablet. So long, fellow Catholics — I’m off to join the pagans. They get laid a lot.
9_9
B.S. alert!
Duh... It's called prophecy!
The idea of sacrificing a son came long before as well. Yawn...
Bwahahahahahahahahah!!!!!
Why should a new tablet that says the same thing as ancient texts and prophecies say, have any different effect on the status of Christianity? Only the ignorant would say that a new statement of old ideas has any new meaning.
Congressman Billybob
First in the series, "American Government: The Owner's Manual"
Does no such thing!
Well folks, nothing at all to worry about, I was praying to Jesus just this morning and I can assure you all that He is alive and well and will be returning just as He promised, most likely sooner than anyone expects!
That’s what I was thinking -
Jesus’ birth, crucifixion, and rising from the dead were prophecied in great detail centuries before they occurred.
Why should it be a surprise that some tablets dated decades before His birth said the same?
Wait! Don’t tell me! It’s dated “July 27, 44 BC”, right?
Yeah, but have you seen them...
And I recommend a gas mask for the smell...
Don’t see how this “casts doubt” in any way. His coming was predicted, even expected, that some may have become enthralled into believing that they, themselves, and their followers were capable of emulating Him the expected one; don’t see how this is a problem.
That some were wrong about who He would be does not detract from who He became.
This story is retarded, as the stone predicting the coming of the messiah in no way undermines the messiah. I would say the opposite. But, I must take issue with your comment. Are you saying that your views on religion (does this expand to other areas, too?) will be impacted by writings that you already agree with, but you will refuse to read or be impacted by writings that you already disagree with?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.