Posted on 11/05/2015 10:32:33 AM PST by jimbo123
Yesterday, November 4, marked 93 years to the day that the tomb of King Tutankhamen was opened in Egypt, revealing spectacular artifacts and a magnificent mummy of the boy king. The celebration was somewhat marred, at least here in the U.S., by a leading Republican candidate for president, former neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who confirmed a statement he'd made in 1998 - that he believes the Egyptian pyramids were grain silos, not tombs.
The collective reaction from archaeologists and historians, who have command of literally centuries' worth of research into the artifacts and literature of the ancient Egyptians, is... Wait, what now?
Carson said in his 1998 talk at Andrews University, a Seventh-Day Adventist-affiliated university, "And when you look at the way that the pyramids were made, with many chambers that are hermetically sealed, they'd have to be that way for various reasons. And various of scientists [sic] have said, 'Well, you know there were alien beings that came down and they have special knowledge and that's how, you know, it doesn't require an alien being when God is with you.'"
Just to be clear, no scientists think that aliens built the pyramids. There is a small but vocal contingent of people who believe in pseudoarchaeological explanations, but archaeologists have dismantled those harebrained theories at every possible turn. (See, for example, my piece, "What Archaeologists Really Think about Ancient Aliens, Lost Colonies, and Fingerprints of the Gods.") So while it may look good for Carson to deny alien involvement in pyramid building, he also attributes them to a white guy rather than, well, the ancient Egyptians.
(Excerpt) Read more at forbes.com ...
Here is something from the article’s link. I tried to carry over a number of links the article posted 11/6, but you will have to go to the article to click them.
“It might be nice to think that Carson has learned since his talk, nearly two decades ago, more about the ancient Egyptian civilization. But no; Carson affirmed this belief in Joseph and his amazing technicolor grain silo to CBS News last night, doubling down on a profound, willful ignorance of science.
In the end, does it really matter what Carson thinks about the Egyptian pyramids? There will always be science deniers, there will always be people swayed by pseudoarchaeology, and there will always be people who believe what they want no matter the facts. It does matter, though, because Carson is vying for the job of representing the United States. So it matters that Carson casually rejects hundreds of yearsâ worth of research because in denying science, he throws the U.S. back into the past. It matters that he brazenly denies the Egyptian people their rightful history because this marginalizes an entire culture and makes the U.S. look like an ignorant bully.
Thereâs no denying that humans are â and have always been â very clever at using and creating their environment and culture. So letâs stop pretending more complicated explanations are needed for the creation of ancient monuments. [Update: 11/6 - Since many commenters have asked for more specific explanations of the consensus on the purpose for the pyramids, I am going to post some links here.”
My thoughts for those with little knowledge about Egypt. The Exodus is generally suggested to be somewhere around 1300 BC, give or take a few centuries. The Great Pyramids of Giza were build around 1,500 years earlier, and even smaller pyramid building stopped around 1,000 years earlier. Around that time and afterwards burial sites had a lot written on their walls about their occupants. No word of any grains stored except small amounts for consumption by the departed. There was a recent documentary theorizing why King “Tut’s” tomb was found mostly intact. It is believed that a major flood dumped silt and rocks on top of the sealed tomb and hid it from view of grave robbers. At any rate here is some real information.
http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/the-egyptian-pyramids
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_pyramids
This site has a number of illustrations. If you look at the diagram of the Great Pyramid, you may ask yourself, why would anyone build a grain storage with so little storage space inside?
Middle eastern people are generally considered to be Caucasian (white), rather than Negroid or Oriental, although they may have darker skin coloring for sun protection. Ancient Egyptians may have had various mixtures as they conquered well to the south in Negroid Nubia (Sudan) and sometimes were conquered from there as well. On the other hand Solomon may have impregnated Sheba and have blood in the future Ethiopian king line.
My Prussian German ancestors probably had some tartar oriental blood from the Genghis Kahn period. My late husband was a blue eyed, red haired man of Scots decent, and was surprised when his mother told him he was 1/16th Cree Indian. One of my sons, a handsome lad, has high checkbones and slightly almond eyes. Looks a bit like a Latino rock star whose name I do not know. Probably one reason why his Puerto Rican wife fell for him. At any rate we are all mongrels, but just too stupid or ignorant to admit it. Has anyone ever heard of “heterosis?” Ever wonder why the US has such a vigorous population? [Heterosis, hybrid vigor, or outbreeding enhancement, is the improved or increased function of any biological quality in a hybrid offspring.... An offspring exhibits heterosis if its traits are enhanced as a result of mixing the genetic contributions of its parents.] And to top it all off, scientists now find we may have from 1 to 4% Neanderthal blood. So, racial purity, get over it.
I worry about someone who is not only ignorant about history, but refuses to learn it, and if what I heard is true castigates anyone who refuses to believe what he believes and broadcasts ignorantly.
No mater which pyramids he was referring to, they were all built a 1,000 years or more before the time of Joseph and the Exodus as recorded in the Bible. See my Comment #141 for some good links and more info.
The recent documentary on how King Tut’s tomb was buried by a silt and rocks from a flood off the surrounding hills, also mentioned how Seti eliminated him, his father, and a female relative (regent?) from his (Seti’s) kings list. Queen Hatshepsut, both a regent and co-ruler was also erased by her ward after she died.
What does this have to do with government overspending and pushing a culture of dependence on entitlement programs?
What does this have to do with national security?
What does this have to do with the erosion of civil liberties and the blatant overreach of government power?
Do you have a link to the documentary?
Seti was a god not a man, unless the name refers to some other Pharaoh’s name - they took many names which is very confusing; often referring to themselves by one of those other names as did others around them.
Hatshepsut seems to have made numerous enemies, but it seems that different Pharaohs erased mentions and monuments of other Pharaohs for just existing, and then taking the other’s stuff for themselves, claiming it their work by inscribing their name over the other guy’s.
None of that is uncommon in the many thousands of years the Ancient Egyptian civilization lasted; but it does seem to be more prevalent after the fall of the Old Kingdom when so much was destroyed during that first interregnum.
“Can I ask, what in the Sam hill does Carsonâs view of the pyramids have to do with what he would do as President? What does it have to do with any issues facing our country today??”
Agreed. We all have some goofy ideas. (or is it just me? Well, me and Carson?)
“Biblical Scholars to Ben Carson: The Bible Says Where the Egyptians Stored Their Grain, And It Wasnât The Pyramids”
Does this mean he’ll drop in Iowa now?
Did Sir Edmund Hillary, Hillary Clinton’s great uncle, comment on this?
Well, I think it is pretty main-stream Christianity that there will be a new Heaven and a New Earth, and that we will live on the new Earth with God in our midst. (As he was in the Garden).
I don’t care for Carson, but this whole pyramid scheme is getting old. I can see where if someone’s religous beliefs and/or leaders led them to that - that is how they would see things. I imagine that I would be ostracized for believing all of the crazy stories in the Bible.
“...or the idea that Joseph was instrumental...”
Of course a lot of people (”experts”) find it difficult to believe that someone like Joseph would have any power to begin with to be crazy. Much less to be put in charge of EVERYTHING!
Yup, everyone is a half-breed, half from dad, half from mom.
I saw the documentary on TV. Perhaps a NOVA piece. Here is a pharaoh list with Seti 1 and Seti 2 in the 19th Dynasty. I believe the reason suggested by the TV piece was his wish to emphasize the importance of the Rammesid line of rules. This list does include the folks that Seti tried to eliminate.
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/phar/hd_phar.htm
The Exodus is generally suggested to be somewhere around 1300 BC, give or take a few centuries. The Great Pyramids of Giza were build around 1,500 years earlier, and even smaller pyramid building stopped around 1,000 years earlier.:') The Exodus was about 1450 BC; the Middle Kingdom pharaohs built pyramids, but of mud brick. Their deteriorated remains can still be seen, not sure how easy it is to actually get there, though, sometimes sites are off-limits. Anyway, the other Israelite/Hebrew/Jewish sources and traditions note that they built pyramids during their captivity in Egypt, and those are the ones they built. The land of Goshen is, therefore, west of the Nile (not in the eastern or NE delta), and was fed by the Canal of Goshen (still there, still called that today).
Tut’s tomb wasn’t water damaged, the entrance was covered by the tailings from the excavation of a later tomb.
> Since KV 62 was sealed throughout its history, flood debris did not fill the tomb. A fault line runs through the tomb, but it has remained stable and there has been no structural damage to the chambers.
http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/sites/browse_tomb_876.html
The Great Pyramid was built for Khufu, the architect’s name was Hemienu, and the latter was buried nearby, as were hundreds of others from that time and regime.
The reference to Djoser’s pyramid being younger was made by JA West, but he was making an age comparison with the water-eroded Great Sphinx, not the pyramids (which are not water-eroded).
Haremhab wasn’t connected to the 18th dynasty.
http://www.varchive.org/tac/hararch.htm
Seti, Ramses:
http://www.varchive.org/tac/sethos.htm
http://www.varchive.org/tac/3br.htm
http://www.varchive.org/tac/twosre.htm
http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/sites/browse_tomb_831.html
http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/sites/browse_tomb_828.html
http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/sites/browse_tomb_861.html
http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/sites/browse_tomb_829.html
Many of the same people criticizing Carson actually believe that gender has nothing to do with chromosomes or endocrinology or physiology. When it comes to GMOs, especially seeds that minimize the need for herbicides and insecticides, the entire left make the Luddites look positively progressive. If you scratch a leftist you find someone screaming "vaccines cause autism."
Interesting link - thank you for that information with what seems to be an historical account of Joseph.
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