Archaeologist Unearths Bibical Controversy

Globe And Mail ^ | 1-25-2005 | Michael Valpy

[Destro]

PS: Archelogists and historians have found what they think may be the Mesopotamian archetype for the Noah legend. The flood was a local flood of the Euphrates in which the merchant saved his wares/property/animals on barges he constructed and linked.

[Destro]

The word Palestine comes from the word Philistines - a Greek speaking tribe - settlers from the so called "Sea People" invaders that plagued that area in that era.

[Just mythoughts]

"The word Palestine comes from the word Philistines - a Greek speaking tribe - settlers from the so called "Sea People" invaders that plagued that area in that era."


Sounds like an allegory to me!

[Destro]

The word Palestine comes from the word Philistines - a Greek speaking tribe - settlers from the so called "Sea People" invaders that plagued that area in that era.

PS: That does not mean Palestinians are those once called Philistines.

[recalcitrant]

also it can be impacted by immersion in water, for forty days or more...

heh heh.

[blam]

"a Greek speaking tribe - settlers from the so called "Sea People" invaders that plagued that area in that era."

Minoian refugees from the Thera explosion?

[blam]

"Archelogists and historians have found what they think may be the Mesopotamian archetype for the Noah legend. The flood was a local flood of the Euphrates in which the merchant saved his wares/property/animals on barges he constructed and linked."

Source?

I saw this on one of the documentary channels as just 'another possibility.' I don't think a 'local' flood (even a big one) would have survived to this day.

I believe Noah's Flood was probably connected in some way to the end of the Ice Age floods from the melting ice and sea level rise. Something catastrophic like the Black Sea flood.

[Destro]

I don't think a 'local' flood (even a big one) would have survived to this day.

By local I mean the whole of Mesopotamia. When the Nile flooded it flooded a lareg area.

Noah's story is almost identical to early Mesopotamian texts as are other accounts found in Genesis.

[Robert Drobot]

"I have suspected this for quite awhile."

Me too - after my first reading of the Sacred Bible's Old Testament.

[R. Scott]

I know of none like that either.

[Pres Raygun]

Thanks for your reply. The Bible itself excludes the middle argument in several ways. First prophets are held to extremely high standards. If they prophesy incorrectly once, they are to be stoned. If God expects prophets to be dead on regarding the future surely they should be dead on about the past. BTW Moses was considered the greatest prophet and is believed to have written the Pentateuch while conversing with God on Mount Sinai. Over and over again Biblical writers appeal to God acting in Israel's history. These passages are meaningless if the events they refer to never happened or didn't happen in essentially the same way they are recorded. As I pointed out earlier Jesus Himself had a very high view of the OT's accuracy, especially when He refers to the flood. Peter and Stephen both preached sermons that refer to Israel's history. There is no hint in those sermons that they don't believe in the OT history they cite. Of course they could be mistaken, but if they were their sermons were pointless.

Regarding the story of the Tower of Babel, chapter 10 summarizes a large period of time, from the flood to the descendants of Noah becoming nations. Chapter 11 then back tracks to explain the origin of languages as it also back tracks to give more details about Shem and his descendants. This level of nitpicking is only ever applied to the Bible. I don't understand the story of Babel, but I also don't understand aspects of Relativity or Quantum Mechanics, but that doesn't stop me from believing them.

Just as tying the veracity of the Bible to gaps in scientific knowledge is unwise (The God of the Gaps problem), so is questioning the veracity of Biblical history based on the latest archaeological theories. Notice that I said theories not discoveries. Biblical Archeology is one of the most politically explosive sciences today, only surpassed by atmospheric science (global warming). Secularists in Israel, both in the government and in archeology do not want to give any credibility to the OT, because they know that if they do, the Orthodox Jews will then demand the expulsion of the Palestinians from the West Bank and from the Temple Mount leading to a major war with the Muslim world. Read Dever's book. Contrary to what the MSM tells us, the archeology community is divided on this issue. There is no need to throw out the historical accuracy of the OT at this point.

[Question_Assumptions]

Thanks, too, for your reply. As I said, I'm not trying to challenge your faith so I'll leave it at that and consider what you've said. It's certainly given me something to think about.

[blam]

"Noah's story is almost identical to early Mesopotamian texts as are other accounts found in Genesis."

Yup. There are at least five different Mesopotamia flood stories. One pre-dates the Gilgamesh story by 500 years.

[Pres Raygun]

Re: Matthew 24:37-39 -A legend or a myth is not to be confused with a lie or a fabrication. Legends and myths are themselves a form of truth and serve as morality tales.

Jesus regularly taught in parables, but He identified them as such by the way He introduced them or by explaining them to His audience or to His disciples. Jesus does no such thing in the above passage. Clearly he thinks the flood really happenend. If He didn't, He would have identified the flood account as a story or tale or parable, but He doesn't do that. Instead He says, "24:37 For just like the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. 24:38 For in those ,days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered the ark. "

[SandRat]

He is now.

[TheBrotherhood]

"The Old Testament is not history - just one example of its errors - and there are many - exclude it from being a history - bbut still a useful refrence book pf myths, allegories and pseudo-history."

And I agree. A lot of nonsensical pseudo history and fairy tales.

[blam]

"Do you happen to have the suggested dating on the various flood stories?"

Yes, it's contained in this book, Noah's Flood, unfortunately, it's loaned out presently.

[Destro]

Maybe he did not need to set up the story. In any case Noah could have happened - just not in the way the version came down in the Old Testament. Clearly there was no world wide flood and no ark saved species for later repopulation.