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Post by sandwiches on Mar 29, 2011 8:10:22 GMT
most important discovery in the history of archaeology? www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-12888421Jordan battles to regain 'priceless' Christian relics
They could be the earliest Christian writing in existence, surviving almost 2,000 years in a Jordanian cave. They could, just possibly, change our understanding of how Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and how Christianity was born.The director of the Jordan's Department of Antiquities, Ziad al-Saad, says the books might have been made by followers of Jesus in the few decades immediately following his crucifixion.
"They will really match, and perhaps be more significant than, the Dead Sea Scrolls," says Mr Saad.
"Maybe it will lead to further interpretation and authenticity checks of the material, but the initial information is very encouraging, and it seems that we are looking at a very important and significant discovery, maybe the most important discovery in the history of archaeology." |
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Post by sandwiches on Mar 29, 2011 10:49:38 GMT
Mind you, probably not as important as this: Francesca Stavrakopoulou has found the Garden of Eden: www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0101vp3Marshalling compelling evidence from archaeology, Islam and the Bible text itself, she identifies and visits the exact site of Eden. |
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Post by unkleE on Mar 29, 2011 11:10:35 GMT
I hope the first one doesn't turn out to be a fraud or an overstatement. If genuine, these books could strengthen or weaken the case of the historicity of the NT quite a bit, I would imagine.
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Post by sandwiches on Mar 29, 2011 11:45:42 GMT
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2011 12:04:31 GMT
At this point we can only speculate, but what if it turns out as one of the synoptic gospels - imagine the look on some peoples' faces! ;D
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Mike D
Master of the Arts
Posts: 204
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Post by Mike D on Mar 29, 2011 13:03:44 GMT
I'm a little surprised (though maybe that's a sign of my own naivete) how quickly speculation starts building up - as I understand it:
- the books have not been positively dated (though modern dates have been more or less eliminated);
- it's not know yet whether they are in fact Christian, though place and some of the designs are strongly suggestive of this;
- oh yes, and they're in code...
Yet already they are being touted by some as more important than the Dead Sea Scrolls and about to revolutionise our understanding of Jesus' death and burial.
The media bandwagon rolls on and on... (though they do look pretty interesting!)
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Post by sandwiches on Mar 29, 2011 18:17:27 GMT
Anyone remember the Hitler diaries? en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hitler_DiariesTrevor-Roper, an independent director of Times Newspapers, flew to Switzerland to see the diaries. Stern showed him not only the diary volumes, but a large archive of additional Hitler material, said to have been salvaged from the Börnersdorf crash along with the diaries. Trevor-Roper was convinced of the diaries' authenticity, writing in the next day's The Times that:
I am now satisfied that the documents are authentic; that the history of their wanderings since 1945 is true; and that the standard accounts of Hitler's writing habits, of his personality and, even, perhaps, of some public events, may in consequence have to be revised.
In the satirical BBC Radio 4 comedy set in Hell, Old Harry’s Game by Andy Hamilton, it is ‘revealed’ that Hugh Trevor-Roper’s eternal torment is to have the Diaries read to him with Hitler as narrator, who utters them in a sarcastic tone.
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joel
Bachelor of the Arts
Posts: 70
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Post by joel on Mar 29, 2011 20:34:19 GMT
And the Talpiot Tomb and the Gospel of Judas and the Secret Gospel of Mark and the James Ossuary (though I think the jury is still out on whether that's a fake)...
We'll just have to wait and see though.
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Post by chuff on Mar 31, 2011 3:38:47 GMT
I came across Larry Hurtado's blog, and he had some thoughts over the "major find". He seems to be skeptical of some of the grandiose claims - mostly stemming from his distrust of the way it's being handled. He has several posts, none too in depth. The one thing he pointed out was the fact that these were miniature codices might suggest that these are older than 1st century codices since there was apparently an upswing in production of miniature codices in the 3rd century.
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Post by sandwiches on Apr 1, 2011 14:36:32 GMT
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Post by captainzman on Apr 1, 2011 16:01:48 GMT
April Fools? ;D
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Post by sandwiches on Apr 3, 2011 21:35:39 GMT
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Post by James Hannam on Apr 3, 2011 23:18:01 GMT
Is this the first ever portrait of Jesus? A great historical question to which the answer is No. |
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