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 ...
One mistake some people make is in thinking that Christ was the first or the only person ever to be heard from after he died; he was the last, or at least the last well documented case. One other story about a person being heard from after death is the ghost story in 1 Samuel 6 about Saul, the prophet Samuel, and the “witch of Endor”. There are several other similar things in the OT.
Michael Moore of the biblical set?
First thing I thought... Hello, Isaiah?
The last time they twisted it and say a messiah came and died before Jesus, so it was someone else, and to imply via the Suffering Servant verses, the Jews knew it. Hence, to knock out Judaism and Christianity with one blow.
I don’t know how many times this story has been out.
I get it. So, if it was predicted before the event, then...it proves the event never happened because they just made it up to comport with the already existing prophecy.
You can’t win with atheists who have made their mind up already. They assume the resurrection didn’t happen so they re-interpret everything in light of their assumption.
Jesus never caused problems between Jews and Romans. Jesus drew attention to the hypocrisy of some Jewish leaders using Jewish law and tradition. He also drew attention to how certain Jewish leaders twisted and subverted Jewish law.
Your defense of money lenders as ‘facilitators’ inside the temple is laughable. It renders you clown-like.
Your reference to Qumran is irrelevant and has no bearing on your wishful conclusion.
You might have more luck pushing CE/BCE on the young until of course they are wise enough to know the sham of it.
yawnnnnnnnn...literal interpretations are so much gobbldegook
/mark for later
You mean Schneerson?
I wonder if the Church Fathers who met for the canonization of the Bible read this document. If they did, I also wonder if it would have been included in the canon itself. Having said that, I believe the efforts were guided by the Holy Spirit, so I assume He already see the Book contains enough information about the Father and the Son already.
Funny, it hasn’t caused any doubt to come into my mind. I’m still convinced that He is God!
It is amazing me that these press yahoos (well ok that just answered my amazement) cannot put 2 + 2 together.
If anything this tablet VALIDATES JESUS AS THE MESSIAH.
The tablet is being called The VISION of Gabriel — hMm Vision, I.E. PROPHESY of Gabriel.
So, an even more valid interpretation is that the tablet PROPHESIES a messiah who will die and the be resurrected 3 days later Years before Jesus lived.
“Professor Knohl contends that the tablet proves that messianic followers possessed the paradigm of their leader rising from the grave before Jesus was born.”
Since the entire Old Testament is a foreshadowing of Christ’s arrival, crucifixion, and rising from the dead, I don’t see why this “casts doubt.” In fact, it seems to further support the Biblical account in my view. It’s just another prophecy of what was to come.
There is a pretty good transcript of the tablet linked to the Biblical Archaeological Review Website under news.
Why is this news?
Accounts of deities dying/sacrificing themselves and returning after 3 days both pre and post date Jesus. Obvious examples include Mithras, Woden on Yggdrasil, etc. There are plenty of early ones. This is nothing new.
The point about faith is that it is not invalidated by argument/evudence. Faith does not requre evidence. Personally, I need to see a lot more dayta on this discovery before I take it on trust. Howvere I do believe that pleanty of similar resurrection stories predate Jesus, but they don’t affect my beliefs one iota.
Jesus cited “the sign of Jonah” as the sign of his divinity meaning that he viewed the story of Jonah as a foreshadowing of his own death and resurrection.
Actually this strengthens my faith in the resurrection.
“Accounts of deities dying/sacrificing themselves and returning after 3 days both pre and post date Jesus. Obvious examples include Mithras, Woden on Yggdrasil, etc. There are plenty of early ones. This is nothing new.”
CS Lewis spoke of these legends as actually the working of God’s spirit upon even the consciences of the pagan folks over millenia who, while ignorant of God, still groped for him. He “winked” at them and wanted even the gentiles to have hope of his coming in the fullness of time. So while their notions of God were distorted, God still took the miss directed arrows of the most devoutly moral of them for faith...”their consciences accusing them or excusing them”...as the Bible states.
God has always loved all men...and I think will be most wise and just in his judgments of us all! These legends contained the heart cry of God...”I am coming for you my lost lambs, no matter what nation or tongue you hail from!”
Is this the same stone tablet that was in the news just days ago that was suppose to give CREDIT for the reality of Jesus as Messiah and His resurrection after 3 days?
Funny.... Same stone, completely different conclusions....
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