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Archaeology and the Book of Exodus: Exit From Egypt Archaeologists have made many significant discoveries that make the book of Exodus and the Israelistes' time in Egypt come alive. by Mario Seiglie In earlier issues, The Good News examined several archaeological finds that illuminate portions of the book of Genesis. In this issue we continue our exploration of discoveries that illuminate the biblical accounts, focusing on Exodus, the second book of the Bible.Exodus in English derives from the Latin and means simply "to exit." The book of Exodus describes the departure of the Israelites from Egypt, an event distinguished by...

Obama considers Cheney 'wise' TRIBUNE-REVIEW By-Salena Zito When asked how he would work with the former presidents if he were elected, Sen. Barack Obama said that he would be more apt to seek the council of President George H W. Bush than his son, President George W. Bush. Obama said he considers the elder Bush's foreign policy "wise." Interesting. Wasn’t it Dick Cheney who served as the secretary of defense from March 1989 to January 1993 under President George H.W. Bush? And didn’t Cheney direct the United States' invasion of Panama and Operation Desert Storm in the Middle East?

Ooparts ? What are Ooparts? That stands for Out of Place Artifacts. Things that show up where they shouldn't, a piece of gold chain found in a coal seam, what appears to be a sparkplug embedded in rock that is thousands of years old and what appears to be a bullet hole in the skull of a mastodon. These things are ooparts. A Gold Thread Workmen quarrying stone near the River Tweed below Rutherford, Scotland in 1844, found a piece of gold thread embedded in the rock of the quarry eight feet below ground level. A small piece of the...

Where ancient gods and royalty walkedJOHN GODDARD/TORONTO STAR Nomadic tribesmen pass the royal burial grounds of ancient Meroe, an area dear to the Royal Ontario Museum's Krzysztof Grzymski. Key ROM archeologist uncovers `the daily life' of mighty kingdoms that ruled Nubian world May 31, 2007 04:30 AM John Goddard staff reporter MEROE, SUDAN–More royal pyramids stand in the deserts of northern Sudan than in all of Egypt. For 3,000 years, a succession of African civilizations rose and fell along the Nile River in ancient Nubia, at one point expanding north to the Mediterranean Sea. Relatively little is known about these...

Wollemi find an Aboriginal seat of the gods James Woodford April 21, 2007 A ROCK platform in the heart of the Wollemi wilderness may be the closest thing Australia has to Mount Olympus, the seat of the gods in Greek mythology. Last spring archaeologists discovered an enormous slab of sandstone, 100 metres long and 50 metres wide, in the 500,000-hectare Wollemi National Park. It was covered in ancient art. The gallery depicted an unprecedented collection of powerful ancestral beings from Aboriginal mythology. Last week the archaeologists who found the platform, Dr Matthew Kelleher and Michael Jackson, returned with a rock...

Madrid, Aug 26 (EFE).- The decline of the Maya civilization began some 1,100 year ago when millions of Indians working on the contruction of tall pyramidal temples and palaces learned that their kings weren't gods, Spanish anthropologist Andres Ciudad told EFE. The collapse of this culture with its brilliant mathematicians, astronomers and engineers, came when monarchs stopped being immortal in the eyes of their subjects, said Ciudad, who is deputy dean of the Faculty of Geography and History at Madrid's Universidad Complutense. The inhabitants of Mayan lands, which extended through much of what is now Guatemala, El Salvador, Belize, Honduras...

Greek gods and those who doubted them Gregory Elder For the Daily Facts It was a bad day in the year 406 B.C. Euripides, an elderly playwright, was wandering around the palace, skulking in his gloom. For decades he had dedicated himself to the theater and written and directed more than 90 plays, performed before thousands of people. Yet for all his pains, he had won prizes for only three of his dramas, a minuscule number compared to his rivals Sophocles and Aeschylus. More than once, he had been held up to public ridicule by the tart-tongued comedian Aristophanes. In...

Episode 9: Utica With Scipio and Cato defeated, Caesar returns home to a hero's welcome. Vorenus and Pullo's showdown with local thug Erastes gets an unexpected reprieve from Caesar. Servilia's plan to use Octavia to unearth a secret about Caesar backfires. Don't miss the all new episode "Utica", Sunday, October 30th at 9PM ET.

"And God spake all these words, saying, I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:1-3). This commandment is probably the most basically important of all, because it was the first of God's Ten Commandments given long ago on Mount Sinai. Jesus also said that total love for God was "the first and great commandment" (Matthew 22:38). This date, now known popularly simply as "9/11" has been called Patriot Day, and there should be no doubt that...

A bid by an Australian archaeologist and other sailors to recreate an ancient voyage in a traditional reed boat has struck trouble in the Arabian Sea. Nautical archaeologist Dr Tom Vosmer and seven other sailors had set off from Oman for a two-week voyage in the Magan, a 12-metre-long sailing boat made of reeds, rope and wood, but capsized within hours. "Water leaked into the Magan causing it to capsize, but a support ship from the Omani royal navy accompanying the boat intervened and rescued the sailors," a source from Oman's culture and national heritage ministry which organised the trip...

During the 7th and 6th centuries BC the ancient polytheistic religion of the Iranians was reformed and given new dimensions by the prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathusthra). Zoroaster's life dates have been traditionally given as (c. 628 - 551 BC), but many scholars argue for earlier dates. Linguistic evidence suggests that he was born in northeastern Iran, but the prophet's message was to spread throughout the Persian Empire. Adopted as the faith of the Persian kings, Zoroastrianism became the official religion of the Achaemenid empire and flourished under its successors, the Parthian and Sassanian empires. Its theology and cosmology may have...

THE rich Roman heritage of Britain's oldest recorded town has been enhanced by the discovery of a “beautifully preserved” room from a bathhouse. A single 2,000-year-old room was discovered beneath Colchester Sixth Form College during work to build a fire access road near the college's information technology block. A leading archaeologist said yesterday it was one of the finest finds of its kind. The room from the bathhouse may now be preserved as an attraction. Philip Crummy, of the Colchester Archaeological Trust, said he and colleagues had been on a “watching brief” as work at the college was carried out....

Were cavemen painting for their gods? (Filed: 23/02/2005) The meaning of Ice Age art has been endlessly debated, but evidence is increasing that some was religiously motivated, says Paul Bahn At least 70,000 years ago, our ancestors began to adorn their bodies with beads, pendants and perhaps tattoos; by 35,000 years ago, they had begun to paint and engrave animals, people and abstract motifs on cave walls, like those in Lascaux, France, and Altamira in Spain. They sculpted voluptuous figurines in ivory or stone, such as the Venus of Willendorf. Underestimating art: 35,000 years ago, our ancestors began painting representations...

Ignoring Details, lies, and distractions By Amin Emilio Aun Joven   I like the line from the movie Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace; the one where Qui Gon Jin says to the chosen one: “Live in the moment…your focus determines your reality.” What he meant by that is to block out bullshit you have to focus on what is relevant to your immediate goals. You’ve all heard the famous saying “the devil is in the details.” Well if that’s true then where oh where are the angels, gods, and heavens? Very simple, let me answer this question...

Two of the three documents/articles below were prepared within The Vatican. The first document/article focuses on the present day China's persecution of the Roman Catholic Church in China ( commonly referred to as China's "underground Catholic Church"). The second document/article quotes Cardinal Etchegaray, retired president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. He has frequently served as the Pope's diplomatic envoy. On 03 October 2003, he publicly denied the existence of a divide between the underground and Chinese government-recognized 'patriotic' Catholic Church. "There is only one Church with two faces," he said. "There is not one 'patriotic' Church and...

Saudis blame God's will as 300 pilgrims crushed to death in Haj By Robert Fisk, Middle East Correspondent 02 February 2004 Yet another tragedy befell the Islamic haj pilgrimage yesterday when up to 300 pilgrims were crushed and trampled to death while stoning the three pillars at Mina which millions of Muslims regard as the impersonation of Satan. It is almost as routine as the haj itself. Seven years ago, the death toll at Mecca was 402 - largely caused by violence between Saudi security forces and Iranians - and three years later it was an extraordinary 1,426. In 1994,...

When George Ewert , director of the Museum of Mobile, wrote a stinging movie review of the Civil War film "Gods and Generals," he likely did not expect an equally harsh critique from Mayor Mike Dow . Ewert's review, "Whitewashing the Confederacy (SPLC link)," was not kind to the Ted Turner film."'Gods and Generals' is part of a growing movement that seeks to rewrite the history of the American South, downplaying slavery and the economic system that it sustained. In museums, schools and city council chambers, white neo-Confederates are hard at work in an effort to have popular memory trump...

<p>An Episcopalian friend of mine, reacting to the elevation of an openly homosexual priest to the office of bishop, said to me: "If you're a heterosexual clergyman and you're having sex outside marriage, you can be expelled. But if you're a homosexual clergyman having sex outside marriage, they rejoice."</p> <p>Most denominations that call themselves Christian take the Bible as their text for spiritual and relational instruction. Some in the Episcopal Church take a liberal view of the Bible, just as some do of the U.S. Constitution -- it must be constantly updated to suit cultural trends. This view lends itself to constant misinterpretation and confusion. Eventually, it leads to religious or political heresy.</p>

Earl Salisbury, a 44-year-old Civil War re-enactor from Goldsboro, picked up one of the first copies of "Gods and Generals" released on DVD Tuesday and found himself on the cover. "Right, smack, dab in the center," Salisbury said. "I almost fell over dead. I'm the tall, skinny guy with stripes on his arm."He said he had obtained the schedule for the filming of "Gods and Generals." He and a fellow re-enactor, his 21-year-old son, William, started going to the film shoots calling for Confederate soldiers. From summer to December 2001, they camped or stayed in hotels in Staunton, Va.; Hagerstown,...

I have long contended that our socialist system of government is in fact nothing but a renovation of the ancient system of aristocracy. Whenever you have different rules and punishment for people based upon their status, in this case the status of being a government employee, you have injustice (although the ones receiving the preferential treatment would of course argue against you). A good example of this has occurred recently in Oklahoma City where John Carl Marquez was arrested for suspicion of beating his wife and faces a year in prison and a fine. During the arrest, the man also...

THE RECENT theatrical release of "Gods and Generals" marks a rare triumph for the modern film industry. The successful transition from book to silver screen is noteworthy not just for its cinematic virtues--which are plentiful--but for its fair presentation of the Confederate perspective in the War Between the States. It's about time. Since Harriet Beecher Stowe's powerful but inflammatory work in "Uncle Tom's Cabin" in 1851, it has long been de rigueur in some circles to demonize Southerners as cruel, whip-flicking overseers, intent on preserving the institution of slavery. The film industry has all too often gleefully contributed to stereotypes...

I squirmed for almost four hours watching "Gods and Generals," the latest film about the Civil War.I was unnerved as two of the South's most recognizable figures, Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson, were portrayed as though they were flawless.Their words were poetic. Their love of God evident with every breath.But I'm having a hard time determining if my squirminess resulted from the blind spots of the director - who skimmed over the issue of slavery as though it were nothing more than background noise - or if it was because I wasn't mature enough to allow myself...

The sweeping Civil War epic begins in early 1861 and continues through 1863, just prior to the Battle of Gettysburg. Focusing on the leadership of the Norths Col. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain (Jeff Daniels), one of the Unions finest military leaders, and two extraordinary Confederate generals, Robert E. Lee (Robert Duvall) and Thomas Stonewall Jackson (Stephen Lang), the story examines in detail the strategies, sacrifices, and religious nature of these three men.At 3 hours and 49 minutes, with a built-in 12-minute intermission, it is, alas, not a perfect film. Nearly every conversation in the first half has the characters speaking in...

Below is a note from Howard Phillips on this great movie...I plan to see it this weekend. My friends tell me this movie is EXCELLENT The Liberal media HATES this movie because it shows soldiers praying and reading the Bible....so we need to SUPPORT IT! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- As some of you know, I was involved with the premiere of "Gods and Generals" here in Richmond thru the Museum of the Confederacy. I am sending along this comment, with a hope that you will take in the film. The liberal press has already bashed it, and unless there is good attendance this...

Let me acknowledge, upfront, that as a member of the cast of the new Civil War epic movie "Gods & Generals," I cannot, even with my bit part, objectively review this production which meant so much to me. I do believe, however, that I have the moral journalistic right to marvel at the absolutely incredible contrast in various reviews. In the Baltimore Sun, movie critic Michael Sragow compared watching this movie to what he termed: "Being forced to stare for an entire afternoon at a statue of Stonewall Jackson in some Deep South town square. Before long, you hope a...

‘Gods and Generals' Succeeds ‘Chariots of Fire’ as the Christ-Honoring Film for This Generation Review by Doug Phillips Jackson: "My esposita! Come, before I leave, we must sit, read together ... a verse." Jackson finds his Bible on a shelf. Jackson: "Yes, yes, here. Corinthians. Second Corinthians, chapter 5. I have been thinking about this verse." Anna puts her hand on his, and they read it together. "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." They kneel together, his...

LEXINGTON, Va. - A statue of Stonewall Jackson faces the parade grounds of Virginia Military Institute and must be saluted regularly by newly enrolled cadets.On Thursday night, about 130 cadets and 450 guests participated in the unveiling of an epic salute to the Confederate general and VMI professor at the Virginia premiere of "Gods and Generals." The movie, shot in part at VMI, stars actor Stephen Lang as Jackson."From the first day you come here, they tell you about VMI's involvement in the Civil War. It's nice to get a chance to see it (on the big screen) and see...

Director says 'Gods' has Southern slant, but 'full humanity' The North may have won the Civil War, but in Hollywood, the South reigns triumphant. That was certainly true in 1915, when D.W. Griffith's The Birth of a Nation portrayed the conflict as a war of Northern aggression where order was restored only by the arrival of the Ku Klux Klan. It was true in 1939, when Gone With the Wind looked back on the antebellum South as an unrivalled period of grace and beauty never to be seen again. It was true when Clint Eastwood played The Outlaw Josey Wales...

Brigham Young Sermon: Joseph Smith's Consent Needed to Enter Heaven(Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p.282-91)Quick LinkJOSEPH SMITH'S CONSENT NEEDED IN ORDER TO BE WITH GOD AND CHRIST IN HEAVEN Brigham Young, October 9, 1859 Intelligence, Etc. Remarks by President BRIGHAM YOUNG, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, October 9, 1859. Reported by G. D. Watt Journal of Discourses, Vol. 7, p.282-91I shall address you this morning upon a subject that is more interesting to me than any other pertaining to the life of man. It is a subject of deep study and research, and has been from age...

LYNNWOOD -- The unassuming instructor with the soft voice holds a phone to each ear, juggling cell and land lines. The desktop in his office pings with endless incoming e-mails. One may laud him as intellectual dissident, another rip him as religious heretic. He apologizes for the interruptions. "The phone hasn't stopped ringing," says Thomas Murphy, the cultural anthropologist whose challenge of Mormon doctrine has landed him in hot water with his church and thrown his name into headlines across the country.Not that it has cramped his style. "I think it's fair to conclude that the Book of Mormon is...

Iron age settlement poses sinister mystery Martin Wainwright Friday July 26, 2002 The Guardian The most baffling settlement ever unearthed from iron age Britain was revealed by English Heritage archaeologists yesterday, inside a prehistoric fort on former marshes by the Humber estuary. Eerily spick and span, the rows of rectangular wooden buildings have yielded an almost complete lack of artefacts, remains or even litter, apart from one macabre find - fragments of crushed human skulls. Guarded by stone and wooden pallisade defences, the complex also had a ceremonial gateway, vast by the standards of 600-400BC when it was built by...

Did Asteroids and Comets Turn the Tides of Civilization? By Mike Baillie The heart of humanity seems at times to have lost its cadence, the rhythmic beat of history collapsing into impotent chaos. Wars raged. Pestilence spread. Famine reigned. Death came early and hard. Dynasties died, and civilization flickered. Such a time came in the sixth century A.D. The Dark Ages settled heavily over Europe. Rome had been beaten back from its empire. Art and science stagnated. Even the sun turned its back. "We marvel to see no shadows of our bodies at noon, to feel the mighty vigor of...

Every night, scores of women take off their clothes and till the fields stark naked in parts of Uttar Pradesh. With no trace of the annual monsoon that has dried up fields and is beginning to fail crops, this is their way of appeasing the rain gods. The bizarre ritual has been reported from Chakrapur area of Etawah, a sprawling district not far from the Taj Mahal monument. Officials admit the delayed monsoon is beginning to cause problems, but they are not aware of the naked farming. One local official did admit: "There is a common belief in the villages...

New Finds Worldwide Support Flood Myths Brian Handwerk for National Geographic News May 28, 2002 Ancient stories of massive floods pass from generation to generation and in many places in the world are integral to a people's spoken history. The tales differ by locale, but commonly feature either torrential rains or a hugely destructive wall of water bursting into a valley, destroying everything in its path. In many cases, the flooding is an act of retribution by displeased gods. Scientists, historians, and archaeologists view many of these enduring tales as myth, legend, or allegoric tales meant to illustrate moral principles....