By ETHAN BRONNER for the NYT
JERUSALEM — A three-foot-tall tablet with 87 lines of Hebrew that scholars believe dates from the decades just before the birth of Jesus is causing a quiet stir in biblical and archaeological circles, especially because it may speak of a messiah who will rise from the dead after three days.
If such a messianic description really is there, it will contribute to a developing re-evaluation of both popular and scholarly views of Jesus, since it suggests that the story of his death and resurrection was not unique but part of a recognized Jewish tradition at the time.
The tablet, probably found near the Dead Sea in Jordan according to some scholars who have studied it, is a rare example of a stone with ink writings from that era — in essence, a Dead Sea Scroll on stone.
Bob
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8 responses so far ↓
Jeff M // July 6, 2008 at 10:36 AM |
The idea of a dying and resurrecting “god man” dates from thousands of years before “Jesus”. Osiris, Dionysus, Mithras, etc. Note that even within the Christian community there is still debate over whether Jesus was resurrected or not. Not all the canonized gospels (never mind those that weren’t canonized) mention the resurrection, and in at least one case it appears the resurrection text was later added on.
tildeb // July 6, 2008 at 11:09 AM |
I think that the important part here isn’t about whether or not ‘resurection’ per se was known before Jesus’ time, but the intent of what the resurection was to signify: blood for the sins of all or blood to redeem Israel. The ramifications on one of the core principles of Christianity of this latter interpretation is huge.
tildeb // July 6, 2008 at 11:11 AM |
That should read: ‘ramification’ (singular rather than plural). Sorry.
Midnight // July 6, 2008 at 3:17 PM |
There must be something “unwritten”, “uncarved” or even “unpreached” in religion that will help me deal with the future. Is there any other purpose to it, anyway?
(To God all is possible…and the future would not be the future if it did not contain the “unbelievable” or made the “impossible” into “possible”. Hence, if the future (a) is the continuous transformation of the “impossible” into the “possible” (b) contains infinate possibilities, then there must be more God in front of you than behind you!)
Museum Ethics // July 6, 2008 at 3:39 PM |
It is highly probable this stone tablet text is simply another sensationalist scam, as is clearly indicated by the facts
(1) that no specific information is available on its provenance and
(2) that no details are provided on carbon dating of the ink.
As such, this “news” falls right in line with the faked Lost-Tomb-of-Jesus “documentary” designed to make a profit off of people’s fascination with the “real” Jesus, and with the larger scandal of the biased and misleading way the Dead Sea scrolls are being presented in museum exhibits around the world, with an antisemitic expression appearing on a government-run North Carolina museum’s website. See, e.g.,
http://spinozaslens.com/libet/articles/dworkin_ethicsofexhibition.htm
and
http://blog.news-record.com/staff/frontpew/archives/2008/06/dead_sea_scroll.shtml.
Bob // July 6, 2008 at 4:25 PM |
Spelling is infinitely important; I may have to resurrect a fine for misspelled words.
tildeb // July 6, 2008 at 5:03 PM |
You shall make a popper!
sob1989 // July 11, 2008 at 5:58 AM |
Midnight asks, “There must be something “unwritten”, “uncarved” or even “unpreached” in religion that will help me deal with the future. Is there any other purpose to it, anyway? ”
Probably not; if religion has any value it is to provide a coping strategy and not the truth. It is the Valium of the people.