Bible Possibly Written Centuries Earlier, Text Suggests

Yahoo News/Live Science ^ | 1-15-10

[My Favorite Headache]

Scientists have discovered the earliest known Hebrew writing - an inscription dating from the 10th century B.C., during the period of King David's reign.

The breakthrough could mean that portions of the Bible were written centuries earlier than previously thought. (The Bible's Old Testament is thought to have been first written down in an ancient form of Hebrew.)

Until now, many scholars have held that the Hebrew Bible originated in the 6th century B.C., because Hebrew writing was thought to stretch back no further. But the newly deciphered Hebrew text is about four centuries older, scientists announced this month.

"It indicates that the Kingdom of Israel already existed in the 10th century BCE and that at least some of the biblical texts were written hundreds of years before the dates presented in current research," said Gershon Galil, a professor of Biblical Studies at the University of Haifa in Israel, who deciphered the ancient text.

BCE stands for "before common era," and is equivalent to B.C., or before Christ.

The writing was discovered more than a year ago on a pottery shard dug up during excavations at Khirbet Qeiyafa, near Israel's Elah valley. The excavations were carried out by archaeologist Yosef Garfinkel of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. At first, scientists could not tell if the writing was Hebrew or some other local language.

[GeronL]

don’t they mean Torah?

[Sopater]

Until now, many scholars have held that the Hebrew Bible originated in the 6th century B.C., because Hebrew writing was thought to stretch back no further.

I have always believed that the Hebrew Bible originated around 1400 BC. Call me when there is evidence to the contrary.

[SkyDancer]

Many think that the Bible is just one book ....

[stainlessbanner]

filing

[jongaltsr]

Thora “Shmora”
Depends upon your faith as to which term you use.

[Quix]

YEA! THANKS.

WONDERFUL NEWS.

[Pollster1]

Until now, many scholars have held that the Hebrew Bible originated in the 6th century B.C., because Hebrew writing was thought to stretch back no further. But the newly deciphered Hebrew text is about four centuries older, scientists announced this month.

Maybe scholars will eventually notice that tradition that the first five books were written down by Moses.

[MrB]

BCE stands for "before common era," and is equivalent to B.C., or before Christ

That "BCE" junk really irritates me. It is NOT the "equivalent" to "before Christ". It is the secularists' attempt to remove Christ from our culture.

[MrB]

One of the evidences for the authoritative divine nature of the Bible is that it isn’t one work, but a collection of works, by 40 authors, written over centuries, that is internally consistent and self prophesying from the earlier OT to the NT.

[Sopater]

That "BCE" junk really irritates me.

I refuse to use it. Period.

[Ciexyz]

Wow! Praises to God.

[Bainbridge]

It is unbelievably dumb, actually.
They have only changed the term not
the reality : time is still marked
by the fact of Jesus Christs’s life.

[Uncle Chip]

Until now, many scholars have held that the Hebrew Bible originated in the 6th century B.C., because Hebrew writing was thought to stretch back no further. But the newly deciphered Hebrew text is about four centuries older, scientists announced this month.

And just what scholars could those be??? Moses began writing the first five books of it in Hebrew as early as the 15th century BC.

[SkyDancer]

Exactly ....

[gattaca]

this is wonderful, thanks for posting this

[wolfman23601]

I’m sure part of it had, but during the 1400 BC time, the eras of Joshua, Saul, David, and Solomon had not occured yet. The bible was not all written at the same time. It is a collection of books and stories written and/or told at various times.

[Integrityrocks]

Please give the name of one bible scholar who thinks Moses wrote any Old Testamet books. Even Jews acknowledge the Genisis and Mosaic books were passed down through oral history long after Moses; death.

[MrB]

That’s one of my favorites, when a leftist tries to proclaim that our society isn’t based on Christianity.

“What year is it? Why?”

[arthurus]

I can’t help but read it as “Before Christian Era.”