An Ancient Hebrew Inscription in New Mexico - Fact or Fraud?

www.unitedisrael.org ^ | James D. Tabor

[Thinkin' Gal]

Have you allowed for Gregorian corrections?<<<

The dates I have on my program correspond to those on the eclipse site (linked above).

The Gregorian date is already adjusted (there are only 21 days in October 1582).

[aruanan]

The question is—how did it get there? Is it a fraud, perpetrated by some pranksters for amusement purposes?

A OT Studies seminary student on a camp out.

[blam]

The Olmecs

[aristeides]

Aren't the earliest surviving Hebrew texts written in an alphabet that is essentially indistinguishable from the alphabet used by the Phoenicians? Wouldn't Phoenicians have been more likely to sail to America? (Of course, your average Phoenician might not have known about the Ten Commandments -- I suppose one or more Hebrews could have been on the crew of a Phoenician ship.)

[aristeides]

Would 16th century Spanish crypto-Jews have known anything about the Paleohebrew alphabet?

[blam]

Was America A Phoenician Colony?

[Mr. Mojo]

The assertion by landlubbers that ancient peoples wouldn't have the skills to navigate the oceans is laughable

Indeed it is. Landlubbers from all times and places have attempted to project their own fear of the sea onto others. As you mentioned, there's no shortage of pre-Columbus, pre-Viking cultures who had the inclination, technology, and adventurous spirit to navigate the great oceans.

[Dead Dog]

here come the mormons

Hey, maybe he'll find some golden tablets and magic Harry Potter specticals?

[Dead Dog]

it is rather preposterous to imagine some pranksters or forgers operating with a knowledge of paleo-Hebrew in the late 1800s

Mormons

[Theo]

Mormonism says that Hebrews came over to the continental US. I wonder if those who are suggesting the writing is authentic are Mormons. My position is that Joseph Smith goofed when he wrote that.

[VOA]

bump

[VadeRetro]

That looks like a member of the Lost Tribe of Hunan.

[albee]

As I was saying to one of my Apache friends just the other day, "Funny, you don't look Jewish"!

[Sacajaweau]

Whatever floats your boat comes to mind.

It's kinda like the wheel-all you gotta do is watch a rock roll down a hill once...It doesn't take a high degree of intelligence to come up with a wheel. It's going from a rolling rock to landing a rocket on the moon that takes a little thought.

Sac

[andy_card]

Blown from Israel to New Mexico? Oy. What a bunch of schlmozzles. I bet the Jewish Indians all retired to Florida, and became the Seminoles.

[andy_card]

Thor Heyerdahl showed the possibility of Mediterranean peoples sailing to south america.

Yes, but the Egyptians had boats. The Jews didn't.

[colorado tanker]

After the reconquest culminating in 1492 the Spanish forced the Jews to convert or leave Spain. Applying Occam's Razor (the simplest explanation is usually right), attributing the Hebrew writing in New Mexico to a Spanish convert is a much more likely explanation than an Israelite naval expedition to the Americas.

[Steve0113]

Yes, but the Egyptians had boats. The Jews didn't.

Really? What was Peter doing when he met Jesus?

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

Yes, but the Egyptians had boats. The Jews didn't.

How do you know that?  Anciently, Israel had seaports and even if they were not known as a seapower (as was neighboring Phoenicia), it is quite logical that they had their own seaborne commerce.

[Some hope remaining.]

interesting.