Mysterious Hebrew stone depicts archangel Gabriel, called a 'Dead Sea Scroll in stone'

http://www.Foxnews.com ^ | April 30, 2013 | Associated Press

[Beowulf9]

JERUSALEM – An ancient limestone tablet covered with a mysterious Hebrew text that features the archangel Gabriel is at the center of a new exhibit in Jerusalem, even as scholars continue to argue about what it means.

The so-called Gabriel Stone, a meter (three-foot)-tall tablet said to have been found 13 years ago on the banks of the Dead Sea, features 87 lines of an unknown prophetic text dated as early as the first century BC, at the time of the Second Jewish Temple.

[Beowulf9]

[Perdogg]

ping

[American in Israel]

But, what does the text say? I really believe that ancient Hebrews would not make an image of a heavenly being. Kinda non kosher.

If it is an unknown text, how do they know its prophecy,? Perhaps its just a wanted poster with long instructions on how to collect.

[fso301]

Given the amount of forgery going on in the antiquities trade, I’d hold the excitement until after a number of experts have had an opportunity to examine it.

[katana]

The title is misleading. You are right about pictorial depiction of a being, divine or otherwise, being considered among faithful ancient Jews as too close to idolatry for comfort.

It is ink on stone text most of which is gone or just barely legible. But it begins "I am Gabriel" and some part of it says "after three days you will live". There's no mention of challenges to it's age (as early as first century BC) but the article implies nothing like this, legible ink on a 3 meter (ten foot) tall ancient smooth stone tablet, has ever been found before.

[Beowulf9]

“Given the amount of forgery going on in the antiquities trade, I’d hold the excitement until after a number of experts have had an opportunity to examine it.”

It’s the only artifact of writing on a stone, I’m wondering about it too. I see it’s been around a while, though.

[count-your-change]

Another artifact from “Antiquities Made to Order”

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks Perdogg! To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[what's up]

The Book of Hebrews ch. 1 shows that there may have been a lot of angel worship around at that time. The intention of ch. 1 is to show that Jesus is superior to angels.

Gabriel appeared to Mary (Luke 2). Perhaps this sparked a surge in angel worship?

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

A previously unknown prophecy about a future Cushite who wants to destroy Israel?

[Dustbunny]

Wish there was some way to enhance the writing so it can be translated.

[SatinDoll]

Some info about carving letters into stone: inscriptions meant to be carved into stone were always painted with a brush by calligraphers onto smooth stone first, then chiseled out by stone masons.

Father Catich wrote a book about Roman capital letters and how serifs that originated from brushwork by calligraphers painting the letters on stone, later chiseled-out by stone masons. The masons were always careful to follow the painted edges. This book he wrote, called The Origin of the Serif, was published over half a century ago.

During the Roman Republic, official notices were painted on walls by calligraphers, just like show cards were lettered for businesses in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in this country. In fact, Father Catich, in his youth, lettered show cards for a living before taking Holy Orders.

This stele found near the Dead Sea could be a piece that simply was never completed by stone masons after the ink was applied by a calligrapher.

[katana]

That sounds like a very plausible theory.

[katana]

Although considering the small size of the text the carving would have looked something like cuneiform on clay and been a master work.

[Utah Binger]

Reformed Egyptian ping

[Elsie]

The so-called Gabriel Stone, a meter (three-foot)-tall tablet said to have been found 13 years ago on the banks of the Dead Sea, features 87 lines of an unknown prophetic text dated as early as the first century BC, at the time of the Second Jewish Temple.

Anyone know Mark Hofmann's whereabouts around that time??

[Elsie]

Given the amount of forgery going on in the antiquities trade, I’d hold the excitement until after a number of experts have had an opportunity to examine it.

Quick!!

Someone alert Salt LAKE city!!!

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In conclusion let us summarize this grand key, these “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet”, for our salvation depends on them.

1. The prophet is the only man who speaks for the Lord in everything.
2. The living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works.
3. The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet.
4. The prophet will never lead the church astray.
5. The prophet is not required to have any particular earthly training or credentials to speak on any subject or act on any matter at any time.
6. The prophet does not have to say “Thus Saith the Lord,” to give us scripture.
7. The prophet tells us what we need to know, not always what we want to know.
8. The prophet is not limited by men’s reasoning.
9. The prophet can receive revelation on any matter, temporal or spiritual.
10. The prophet may advise on civic matters.
11. The two groups who have the greatest difficulty in following the prophet are the proud who are learned and the proud who are rich.
12. The prophet will not necessarily be popular with the world or the worldly.
13. The prophet and his counselors make up the First Presidency—the highest quorum in the Church.
14. The prophet and the presidency—the living prophet and the First Presidency—follow them and be blessed—reject them and suffer.

I testify that these fourteen fundamentals in following the living prophet are true. If we want to know how well we stand with the Lord then let us ask ourselves how well we stand with His mortal captain—how close do our lives harmonize with the Lord’s anointed—the living Prophet—President of the Church, and with the Quorum of the First Presidency.

Ezra Taft Benson

(Address given Tuesday, February 26, 1980 at Brigham Young University)     http://www.lds.org/liahona/1981/06/fourteen-fundamentals-in-following-the-prophet?lang=eng

[Elsie]

A previously unknown prophecy about a future Cushite who wants to destroy Israel?

And/or Personage...

[Elsie]

This stele found near the Dead Sea could be a piece that simply was never completed by stone masons after the ink was applied by a calligrapher.

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The "Caractors" are the only tangible evidence in existence related to Smith's story.

No gold plates, no brass plates, no peep stones, no Urim and Thummim...

only these "Caractors," not a single one of which is in the purported languages.

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Smith's translation of the Caractors. According to Martin Harris (Joseph Smith - History, 1:64), "I went to the city of New York, and presented the characters which had been translated, with the translation thereof, to Professor Charles Anthon, a gentleman celebrated for his literary attainments. Professor Anthon stated that the translation was correct, more so than any he had before seen translated from the Egyptian. I then showed him those which were not yet translated,* and he said they were Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic; and he said they were true characters."

Speak right up now in all truthfulness. Isn't it revealing how Smith started out making a stab at creating believable "caractors" but quckly gave up and produced nothing but squiggles, ending up wih a series of nothing more than crude little scribbles? Yet Professor Anthon supposedly translated them!

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*Harris must have had two or three pieces of paper with him—one with characters and a translation of them (on the same paper or a separate one) and one with untranslated characters—quite likely the "Caractors." Some Mormon "scholars" have gone out on a limb, sawed it off, and knocked themselves out trying to translate from these true Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic characters a segment that would correspond with a verse from 1 Nephi.

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Modern-day experts in Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac, and Arabic. In 1829, any knowledge of these languages possessed by U.S. scholars would have been rudimentary at best. Expertise in them has vastly improved since then. So go ahead, do it. Get any modern expert in these languages to identify which of these "Caractors" are Egyptian, Chaldaic, Assyriac and Arabic. Better still, accept the claim of Mormon apologists that Anthon did indeed so testify and that his appraisal of the Caractors was correct. (Op. cit, pp. 73-75)

Save your money! Samples of Assyriac/Aramaic and Arabic writing:

 

What say you? Which of Smith's "Caractors" resemble the Assyriac and Arabic ones? No need to pay experts for their analysis. A child could accurately check this out. These writing systems have remained constant for well over 3000 years.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks SatinDoll.