Friday, February 25, 2011

Biblical Archaeology: Noahs Ark


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Biblical Archaeology: Noahs Ark: "

Nathan JonesWatch MP3 PDFBy Nathan Jones

Has Noah's Ark been found?

This question was posed to Dr. James Fleming, one of the most knowledgeable teachers of Biblical Archaeology, on our show Christ in Prophecy. Dr. Fleming has lived and taught in Israel for the past 37 years at Jerusalem University College and at the Hebrew University. His first claim to fame is that he discovered the ancient Eastern Gate buried beneath the current one. Dr. Fleming has walked or motorcycled about every square mile of Israel, and is so familiar with Israel past and present that Israeli tour guides come to him for training. He now operates the Explorations in Antiquity Center in LaGrange, Georgia, an interactive museum where people here in the U.S. can experience the life and times of Christ.


Archaeology Panel

Dr. Fleming: Haven't found it yet.

There is a high mountain with the name Mount Ararat on the border between Eastern Turkey and Armenia. Unfortunately, it is a border area with people who haven't had good relations. You can't just easily go and excavate and explore.

The other problem we have is that there was a partial ice age in the late 1500's and the early 1600's AD giving us most of the glaciers we have here in the United States as well. There is a Turkish inn that we know of from 1500 that used to be on a mountain pass there. With the melting of some of the glaciers some wood protrudes from something which is a three story Turkish inn known from sources. You can imagine the religious imagination wanting to prove that is the ark.

The other factor is there is a natural erosion of gullies that make patterns that look sort of pointed on either end in the ground. One of those a producer named Ron Wyatt suggested was Noah's Ark. He wanted it so much to be Noah's Ark that he took a metal detector and walked every foot back and forth. Well, let's say it is pointed. Wyatt walked in straight lines and had a white rope with him and creating parallel lines. Every time there was a beep he put down a rock and he photographed that spot, claiming those were nails from the floor boards of Noah's Ark.


Wyatt's Ark

Now, stop and think about it, if he had walked curlicues with a rope and every time it bleeped he put a rock down, then curlicue is how it would look. The shape was based on the way he walked right? It is just crazy I'm sorry to say.

The Bible says Noah's Ark rested on the mountains of Ararat, not Mount Ararat (Gen. 8:4). Generally, that is uphill from Mesopotamia, the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It seems to be the correct area.

Does Noah's Ark really have to be preserved, though? We need to be cautious.

"

SYRIA: Archaeologists Discover 1200 Flint Stones Dating Back to 250,000 Years


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SYRIA: Archaeologists Discover 1200 Flint Stones Dating Back to 250,000 Years: "

1200 pieces of flint stones dating back to 250, 000 years ago were unearthed at al-Sharar Valley near Daraa, Southern Syria.


(Above) These were the many flint stones unearthed near Daraa in Southern Syria; Source: Global Arab Network


The pieces were discovered by the expedition of Damascus University in cooperation with the Directorate of Antiquities and Museums in the governorate. Head of the expedition Prof. Ahmad Diab said the findings prove that the Acholic and Mousteric civilizations existed in Horan, proved to be in light of the findings one of the most important and old-inhabited places in Syria.


He indicated that the area where the study was done enjoys lime characteristics and rain-fed agriculture, especially olives, in addition to its proximity to al-Zaidi Valley, one of the most important places of residence for the ancient men where dozens of caves and grottos are found.


He stressed the importance of cooperation between these missions and the Antiquities Directorates in the governorates to discover more on the history of the Syria, and thus exploring the civilizations prevalent thousand of years ago.


For his part, archeological researcher Yaser Abu Nokta said the Directorate works since 1999 to explore all the ancient places of residence in Horan area.


The expedition discovered a set of stone tools belonging to many pre-historic phases, especially the Paleolithic age, in addition to a number of pieces dating back to the Neolithic age, indicating that there is scarcity in the findings which date back to the Paleolithic era.


”Hence the importance of these missions in pursuing the discoveries of the directorate seven years ago at al-Maisari site, 4 km southeast of Daraa, one of the most important sites dating back to the Paleolithic age (8000 B.C.) and Neolithic age (500 B.C.),” Abu Nokta added.


Source: Global Arab Network 




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NORWAY: “The Thunderstone Mystery” – A Stone Age Axe unearthed in an Iron Age Tomb


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NORWAY: “The Thunderstone Mystery” – A Stone Age Axe unearthed in an Iron Age Tomb: "

“If one finds something once, it’s accidental. If it is found twice, it’s puzzling. If found thrice, there is a pattern,”


Archeologists Olle Hemdorff and Eva Thäte investigate finds of older artifacts in younger graves; Source: Science Daily; Credit: Image courtesy of The University of Stavanger


In 2005 the archaeologists investigated a grave at Avaldsnes in Karmøy in southwestern Norway, supposed to be from the late Iron Age, i.e. from 600 to 1000 AD. Avaldsnes is rich in archeological finds. They dot an area that has been a seat of power all the way back to around 300. Archaeologist Olle Hemdorff at the University of Stavanger’s Museum of Archaeology was responsible for a series of excavations at Avaldsnes in 1993-94 and 2005-06.


“It became clear to us quite early that the grave had been plundered. The material in the grave had been messed up and now contained brick and porcelain fragments from younger layers of soil,” Hemdorff says.


Plundering of graves was very common in the 19th century and actually legal. It was not until the Cultural Heritage Act in 1905 made it a criminal offence for lay persons to excavate cultural monuments.


Axes and pearls


The German archaeologist Eva Thäte is in the spring of 2010 visiting researcher at the Museum of Archaeology. She is also a guest researcher at the University of Chester in England. The cooperation with Hemdorff started in 2003 when Thäte came to Stavanger in connection with a doctoral work on the recycling of ancient tombs. The latest research project carried out by the two archaeologists is on finds of older artifacts in younger graves. In the grave at Avaldsnes the researchers found seven handsome glass pearls in the dirt.


“In the late Iron Age glass was the most common material for making pearls, and therefore glass pearls are often found in men’s and women’s graves from this period. The women wore the pearls in a cord around the neck and brought more pearls with them into the grave than men did. The discovery of the seven pearls made us assume that it was a woman’s grave we investigated,” Hemdorff says.


“But then we suddenly found a stone axe. It was in the same layer of soil as some of the pearls. The axe is from the Stone Age and more than a thousand years older than the pearls! It is a so-called greenstone axe. All the other indicators suggested that the cairn was from the Iron Age and belonged to a buried woman. So why was there an old axe from the Stone Age in the grave?,” the archaeologist asks.


Not accidental


During the last three years documented discoveries of artifacts have been made that are typical for the Stone Age — marks from flint, flint fragments, quarts, axes, etc. in younger burial mounds.


“Unfortunately this documentation did not begin until the 1970s. Up to that date neither archeologists nor grave robbers were aware of these objects. They were just seen as unimportant and without archeological value. It is only now that we are beginning to have enough data for analysis, and we have made many enough discoveries of Stone Age artifacts in younger graves to say that they make a clear pattern,” Thäte says.


She points to a good example from Sogndal in Sogn og Fjordane where a stone axe was found in an untouched stone coffin from the 5th century.


“The axe must have been placed there intentionally. Other finds in Scandinavia make this pattern even clearer. In Halland in Sweden they have found a burial site consisting of almost one hundred graves from the late Iron Age where one has registered processed flint objects in nearly every grave,” Hemdorff says.


Starting with the finds around the grave at Avaldsnes and taking the other finds into account, it is not likely that the axe ended up in the grave by accident. Why was it deposited there?


Thunderstones from the sky


The researchers say that people back in the Iron Age had a conscious relationship to objects from earlier times that connected them to their past.


“People probably considered old objects as a heritage from their ancestors. Recycling of old burial mounds for new graves is an indication of this relationship. The idea was that the mounds were memories from a distant past, and written sources indicate that recycling of mounds had a double function. Apart from providing a grave for the dead they also legitimized property and rights. People asserted their control over an area by burying their family in a gravesite belonging to their ancestors,” Thäte explains.


The archeologists think that people in pre-history were superstitious and that the axe was deposited in the grave as a part of the burial ritual.


“People believed that the lightning created thunderstones and that individuals who owned such stones would not be hit by the lightening,” Hemdorff says.


The idea of a rock falling from the sky caused by lightening is known all over the world. It is certainly found in Roman times and it is connected to objects like meteors, flint stone axes and petrified sea urchins.


“According to folklore a flint axe might protect against lightening and function as a kind of charm,” Thäte says.


In Northern Europe the old idea of the thunder god Thor, who throws his hammer when lightning strikes, is common property. It was alive all the way up to the 19th century.


“Thor’s mission was to protect gods and people against evil and chaos and it was therefore believed that Thor’s rocks protected houses and people. Two things seem to be important when choosing thunderstones: The form had to be similar to an axe or a hammer, that is a ground stone or flint, or the stone had to have “flaming” properties, which flint and quarts have,” Hendorff says.


Phallus and fertility


“Both the form of the axe and the flint stones to make fire may be associated with fertility. Thor’s hammer is clearly linked to fertility and prosperity. The hammer is a phallus fertilizing the soil, which gives it apotropaic quality, i.e. it has the ability to protect against evil and accidents,” Thäte explains.


Since people imagined that thunderstones fell to the ground in connection with lightning, it is possible that the rocks incorporated some of the qualities of lightening or had the power to create a bright light.


“Here is a clear pattern once more. We find old artifacts made of flint in the younger burial mounds. Flint had a strong symbolic power. The stones created fire and were seen as important objects. They can also symbolize the power of lightning,” Hemdorff says.


The Avaldsnes axe


But now back to the axe at Avaldsnes and the question why it was in the plundered grave.


“If you consider how widespread the idea of thunderstones was all the way up to the 19th century, and how common superstition was, it is not unlikely that the grave robbers left a protective amulet to make up for their misdeed. After all they opened a grave and committed sacrilege. Maybe they hoped that the axe provided protection against the spirit of the dead and their ghosts,” Hemdorff says.


More excavations of graves and houses with unusual artifacts and comparing them to data from different places will probably yield an even clearer pattern.


Thunderstones are definitely of great archaeological value.


Source: Science Daily




"

Photos and Video of the Jerusalem Water Channel


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Photos and Video of the Jerusalem Water Channel: "

The channel from the Western Wall area to the Pool of Siloam is not yet open to the public, but you can get a look inside with photos posted by the Israel Antiquities Authority.  Three high-resolution images are currently available at this page (or try this direct link to the zip file).

You can also watch a 3-minute video posted by the Israel Antiquities Authority, with archaeologist Eli Shukrun showing off the results of seven years of his work.



"

Carchemish Renewed Excavations Draw Near


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Carchemish Renewed Excavations Draw Near: "This isn't exactly breaking news, but I did not find any other blogs that had written about it, and it seems worthy of mention.

Back in September 2007, Turkish Daily News (now known as The Hürriyet Daily News and Economic Review) reported that operations to clear the land mines near the site of Carchemish had commenced. At the time, it was estimated the clean-up would take about one-and-a-half years. Todd mentioned it here.

As a follow-up to this story, it was reported last December in Today's Zaman that the mines had been cleared and the land was now in the process of being turned over to the city. After bidding for the mine-clearing project, work actually commenced in March 2010. Three hundred days later, it was complete. Mine-sniffing dogs were used in the initial stages, and to avoid damaging antiquities, the mines were removed to another location for detonation (usually, mines are detonated on the spot). Now that the mines have been cleared, archaeologists will begin “serious and long-term” excavations, which it is hoped will attract tourism.

The site of ancient Carchemish is cut by the modern Turkey-Syria border. The citadel and inner town are located within Turkey, but most of the outer town is located in Syria. On the Turkish side is the modern village of Karkamiş and on the Syrian side is the village of Jerablus. As part of Turkey's attempts to open up trade with its neighbors, plans are underway to open three new border crossings with Syria by 2012, one of which will be located at Karkamiş.


For an account of the earlier excavations conducted by Sir Leonard Woolley, see here.

Carchemish from the northwest, view of citadel and inner town wall.

Carchemish citadel from the northwest.


"

Ancient Slinging Techniques


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Ancient Slinging Techniques: "While conducting research for my dissertation (The Arsenal of the Hebrew Kings and Their Neighbors), I was able to follow up on a question that my advisor had once asked me: How were slings used in antiquity? In other words, what technique was used to generate the centrifugal force needed to propel the stone across the battlefield?

In general, the modern assumption is that the sling was twirled in a horizontal circle over the archer’s head. For example, Rivka Gonen in her 1975 book Weapons of the Ancient World states, “A stone was placed in the pocket [of the sling] and then swung round and round above the head; when sufficient centrifugal force had been generated, one of the thongs was released, discharging the stone at a high speed towards its distant target” (p. 42).

This technique was apparently used by the Egyptians in the 12th century B.C. There is a famous relief at Medinet Habu that depicts a battle between the Egyptians and the Sea Peoples during the reign of Rameses III. Within this relief, there are a handful of slingers. Positioned high in the 'crow's nest' of the Egyptian ships, these slingers are depicted in the act of twirling their slings over thier heads, as shown below. (Image taken from Nelson, 'The Epigraphic Survey of the Great Temple of Medinet Habu,' in Medinet Habu--1924-28, p. 27). This also seems to be the technique used by a slinger depicted in a relief from Tell Halaf in northwestern Mesopotamia that dates to the 10th or 9th century B.C.
Egyptian Slinger from the Medinet Habu Relief

However, the slings in the reliefs of the Assyrian kings Sennacherib (705-681 B.C.) and Ashurbanipal (669-629 B.C.) are not depicted horizontally. In general, they are depicted as hovering vertically (or almost vertically) over the head of the slinger. An example of such an Assyrian slinger on the Lachish Relief can be seen here (see Fig. 30a). Elsewhere on that relief, a Judean slinger is also depicted with his sling in this position. When slingers use the twirling method described above, the sling is never in such a position, so another method must be proposed.

It would appear that during the late Iron Age the slings of Assyrians and Judeans were used by swinging the whole arm in a wide, vertical circle. Based on the consistent angle of the slings in various Assyrian reliefs, it appears that the slinger’s arm was swinging forward at the top of the circle. The slinger’s arm is always depicted as vertical or almost vertical, and the sling (when it is not depicted as directly in line with the arm) is almost always depicted as trailing slightly behind the arm, away from the slinger’s front side. So it seems that after the slinger loaded his weapon, he would move his arm down and backwards in a sweeping motion and would swing the sling vertically over his head. (Imagine a professional baseball pitcher using a sling to pitch a ball and you have the general idea.) This motion may have occurred only once or may have been repeated several times to build up momentum. At the crucial moment, one of the thongs was released and the projectile was launched toward its target.

So the archaeological evidence indicates that there were at least two slinging techniques used in the ancient Near East: a horizontal rotation over the slinger's head, and a vertical rotation similar to an overhand pitch. If we stop to think about it, it should not surprise us that different slinging techniques developed at different times and in different places. For a tool as simple as a sling and stone, some diversity in its use was bound to occur.


"

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Archeology in Banff National Park

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Archeology in Banff National Park: "

Archeological Record of Banff National Parks Reveals People Have Lived in the Canadian Rockies for Thousands of Years


firstnationsmother whytemuseum 216x300 Archeology in Banff National ParkIn a very real sense, Banff National Park is one huge museum. Think about it: not only has it been set aside because of its natural beauty and sensitive ecology, but to preserve the history of the region.


Humans have been enjoying the natural beauty and bounty of the land encompassed by Banff National Park and the Canadian Rockies for more than 10,000 years. For millenia people have been living in and traversing the valleys, passes and high alpine areas of Banff National Park — from the First Nations peoples to its current residents today.


There are hundreds of archaeological sites scattered throughout the scenic acres that comprise the park, including 416 aboriginal sites and 309 historic sites (17 sites have both components), according to Parks Canada. Most of these are in the main river valleys, but traces of prehistoric occupation have been found throughout the Park, including the high alpine areas.


What makes a site an archeological site? By definition it is a place where past human activity has left physical traces. These traces can be artifacts, such as arrowheads or other tools; traces left by food processing such as butchered animal bones; or they can be features, such as hearths or historic structures.


Examples of historic sites in Banff National Park include:


arrowheads 300x192 Archeology in Banff National Park



  • the remains of the coal mining towns of Anthracite and Bankhead, found along the Lake Minnewanka loop

  • cabins in the back country

  • historic dumps


Prehistoric sites include:



  • campsites

  • butchering sites

  • quarries where native people found raw materials for making stone tools

  • depressions left in the ground from construction of pithouses

  • places where isolated artifacts such as arrowheads or scrapers are found


Sites in the Vermilion Wetlands area have been dated to 10,800 years ago. These are among the oldest sites known in Western Canada, according to Parks Canada. The Bow River Valley, in the area near Banff town, contains sites with dates ranging from this period to the time that Europeans and Canadians began to arrive and irrevocably change the lifestyle of native peoples.


Visiting Historic and Archaeological Sites: Look But You Better Not Touch


archeology 300x200 Archeology in Banff National ParkSeriously: act like they are covered in poison ivy. As Parks Canada says, the original context of a site or artifact is vital to understanding its importance. Leave it where you found it; don’t disturb the site. Bring it to the attention of a park warden or other parks staff, and be prepared to tell them where you found it and be as accurate as possible.


Ideally, if you have a camera handy, take a photo of the item or site, showing it in relation to the general area, or mark the location on a map. Every piece of information you can provide will add to the knowledge of Banff‘s archeology and history.


Furthermore, cultural and natural resources are protected by law in the park; please do not disturb them. As well, provincial laws protect archaeological resources. Should you find something outside the park, please notify the Archaeological Survey of Alberta at the Provincial Museum of Alberta.

"

Biblical Insights From Archaeology

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Biblical Insights From Archaeology: "
 
 

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via Biblical Archeology by admin on 4/1/09

By Ferrell Jenkins

Because the Bible was written in Hebrew and Greek it is necessary that someone translate it into English and other languages so that it can be read by those with little or no knowledge of the original languages. Most of us realize this. Perhaps we do not see as readily that the customs and culture of the Bible must also be "translated" for the modern reader. History and archaeology provide the Bible student with much help in this effort.

Archaeology is a systematic study of ancient people as their life can be learned by what they left behind. In addition to the remains of palaces, temples, monuments, and great buildings, the archaeologists find immense libraries, weapons, pottery, tablets, murals, coins, jewelry, utensils, and even clothing. The "Biblical world" includes the areas of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), Persia (modern Iran), Egypt, Palestine (modern Lebanon, Israel, the West Bank), Jordan, Syria, Asia Minor (modern Turkey), Greece, Italy and a few other areas.

What Archaeology Can and Can Not Do

The Bible claims to be the inspired word of God (2 Tim. 3:16-17). We do not believe that the purpose of archaeology is to "prove" the Bible is true. It is better to speak of archaeology illustrating, illuminating, or supplementing the Biblical record. Sometimes even the word confirm may be appropriate. Generally speaking, the finds of archaeology have been friendly to the Bible, but some problem areas do exist and several widely held views have been reversed as a result of subsequent studies.

Some Values of Archaeology

(1) General Cultural Background. Archaeology, along with other historical records, provides the general cultural background of the history of the Bible. The Bible furnishes us with a character and archaeology furnishes the cultural background in which he lived. It says that these persons were not figments of overzealous imaginations, but real people. The sketchy lives of characters described in the Bible are seen to fit into the general historical period in which the Bible places them.

Excavations of the City of David (Zion) in Jerusalem have revealed much about life at the time of the fall of the city to the Babylonians. The excavations at Lachish have provided a better understanding into both the Assyrian and Babylonian conquests of Israel and Judah. This information provides much help in a study of the Old Testament historical books and the prophets.

(2) Resurrection of Forgotten People. Forgotten people have been brought to life by the archaeological spade. The Hittites, even though mentioned more than 40 times in the Old Testament (Josh. 1:4, et al.), were unknown outside the Bible at the beginning of the twentieth century. Some critics had denied the existence of such a people. By 1906 the Hittite capital at Boghazkoy (near Ankara, the capital of modern Turkey) was being excavated by Hugo Winckler. I have visited the site as well as the Anatolian Civilizations Museum in Ankara where the Hittite treasures are housed. Courses in Hittite civilization are now offered in major universities.

The names of numerous individuals who are mentioned in the Scriptures have been found on inscriptions, seals, and bullae from the period in which they lived. Ahab, Jehu, Mesha, Jehoiachin, Gemariah, Baruch, and Sargon are just a few of those named in the Bible who are also now known from historical records outside the Bible.

(3) Chronology. The Israelites never developed a consecutive chronology. Who has not wished for more information as he tried to make sense of the books of Kings and Chronicles? Fortunately, the nations about Israel (Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon) did use consecutive dating. By the Israelite contact with these peoples we are able to develop dates for Old Testament events and persons. The Babylonian Chronicle, read by D. J. Wiseman of the British Museum in 1955, provides the date of the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar and the taking away of Jehoiachin (2 Kings 24:10 17). In our calendar the date would be March 16, 597 B.C. Other tablets, now in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, list rations provided daily to king Jehoiachin and his servants while they were in Babylon (2 Kings 25:27 30).

(4) Identify Biblical Sites. Several Biblical sites have been identified as a result of inscriptions that have been discovered. Gezer was identified when an inscription with the Hebrew words "the boundary of Gezer" was found at the site (1 Kings 9:15 17). Other examples of this include Gibeon, Ekron, Derbe, Lystra, and Thyatira.

(5) Help in Translating the Bible. Many ancient documents and inscriptions have been discovered which provide a better insight into the meaning of words used in the Hebrew and Greek originals which make up our Bible. Actual Biblical manuscripts have also been found.

(6) Demonstrates Accuracy of Bible. Archaeology has done a great deal to correct the impression that the Bible and Biblical history was of doubtful trustworthiness. Many of the illustrations used above show that the Bible is to be trusted in what it says.

The Case of Sargon

The case of Sargon provides a good illustration of the value of archaeology in Bible study. He is one of the forgotten persons who has been brought to life by the archaeological pick, and he provides a great illustration of the historical trustworthiness of the Bible. Because the story has unfolded over a period of a century and a half it shows the need for patience on the part of students. In a day of instant communication and the quick fix, this is not easy for most of us.

Sargon II was king of Assyria from 721 to 705 B.C., but records which survived into the 19th century made no mention of him. In the only reference to Sargon in the Bible the prophet Isaiah says, "In the year that the commander came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him and he fought against Ashdod and captured it" (Isa. 20:1). In the earlier English versions, including the King James and the American Standard, the Hebrew term for commander was transliterated as a personal name, Tartan. Since the time of those versions scholars have learned more about the Assyrian language. The New King James continues to use the term Tartan but adds a note, "Or the Commander in Chief." The NASB simply uses the term commander. The RSV and the NRSV use the phrase commander in chief. The NIV uses the phrase supreme commander. Grogan, in The Expositor's Bible Commentary, says the term tharetan (tartan) "really means 'second' and is indirect testimony to the great value the Assyrians attached to military prowess. Their supreme commander was second in status only to the king himself."

James Orr commented in 1906, "Ancient writers knew nothing of him [Sargon]. He was a mystery: some did not hesitate to deny that he ever existed" (The Problem of the Old Testament, 399). Sargon's palace was found by Paul Emile Botta at Khorsabad in 1843. In various inscriptions and annalistic reports Sargon II claims to have taken Samaria (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, 284 87). A nonagonal prism, chronicling the expedition of Sargon II against Babylon, Medians, Syria, and Palestine mentions the conquest of Samaria, "the land of the house of Omri," in 721 B.C. (British Museum artifact 22505 from Khorsabad, 8th century B.C.).

In one annal Sargon says: "I besieged and conquered Samaria, led away as booty 27,290 inhabitants of it. I formed from among them a contingent of 50 chariots and made remaining (inhabitants) assume their (social) positions. I installed over them an officer of mine and imposed upon them the tribute of the former king" (ANET, 284 85). In another annal he claims to have rebuilt the town "better than (it was) before and settled therein people from countries which I myself had conquered" (ANET, 284). Samaria actually fell to Shalmaneser in 722 B.C. (Assyrian records and the Bible agree). Sargon began his reign in 721 B.C. and claims some of the credit.

My only opportunity to visit Iraq (area of ancient Mesopotamia) was in 1970. I recall a room in the newly opened Iraq Museum in Baghdad devoted to items from the palace of Sargon at Khorsabad. The British Museum has numerous artifacts depicting Sargon or containing inscriptions about his work (BM118822; BM118828; BM135206; BM118808, et al.). Recently the Louvre has opened a remodeled exhibit of reliefs from the palace of Sargon II.

Fragments of a basalt victory stele of Sargon II were found at Ashdod in 1963. This artifact is now on display in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Ashdod is mentioned in Isaiah 20:1 as the town captured by Sargon!

In 1989 archaeologists unearthed fabulous treasures at Nimrud (Biblical Calah) including more than 125 pounds of gold jewelry. According to a report in Time, "Much of that gold [found in April] turned out to be priceless jewelry draped around the skeleton of a young princess named Yabahya, tentatively identified as the daughter of one of Assyria's most renowned and feared kings, Sargon II." In July, a few yards from the original find, the excavators found more than 440 pieces of gold jewelry believed to "represent the private collection of an Assyrian queen, perhaps the wife of Ashurnasirpal himself." See "The Golden Treasures of Nimrud," Time, 30 Oct., 1989: 80 81.

Isaiah had it right all along. One needs to hesitate a long time (maybe a couple of centuries!) before questioning the accuracy of the Bible.

Conclusion

If the Bible student uses maps, Bible dictionaries, commentaries, and other up to date helps which reflect the current knowledge in archaeology he will be greatly repaid for his effort. This information can serve him well when he talks with those who doubt the historical character of the Bible.


This article was published in Biblical Insights, Jan., 2001. It may be reproduced freely in its entirety. © Ferrell Jenkins 2002. Bookmark our new domain: BiblicalStudies.Info.

 

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A Prayer And A Wish

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A Prayer And A Wish: "
 
 

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via Eliseo Soriano by Bro. Eli on 6/30/10

What does prayer mean to you? You may have many wonderful definitions of prayer but mine, which I will share to you, may be different. A prayer is a way by which we make our wishes known to God.

Philippians 4:6 (Revised Standard Version)

Have no anxiety about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

A prayer is an act of humbling oneself before God! The reason we pray is that we are asking God to do something we cannot do.  In prayers we admit before His majesty that we are inferior and helpless! In prayers we thank and praise Him, realizing that what He is doing, He alone can.

Even the Lord Jesus Christ humbled himself before God in prayers!

Hebrews 5:7 (Revised Standard Version)

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard for his godly fear.

The impossibility of a human doing things greater than his entire being necessitates the need to pray! In prayers we exalt God; we show our trust in His power and in what He can do. In prayers we thank Him, realizing that He alone can provide even the meanest cravings of our souls.

Psalms 145:16 (Revised Standard Version)

Thou openest thy hand, thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

On the 30th of June 2010, a prayer and a wish is expediently necessary!

I Timothy 2:1-2

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;

For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.

I'm asking all members of the Church of God International to pray and to make a wish, and even to offer thanksgiving to God and make intercessions for the new leaders of the government in the Republic of the Philippines.

June 30th 2010 will mark the end of the reign of a government most offensive and unfair to the Members of the Church of God International; for this, we thank the Lord. This day will also mark the beginning of a new government, who promised to investigate all the scandals that characterized the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, reputed to be the most corrupt of all Philippine presidents, according to a survey conducted by Pulse Asia!

(Source: http://forums.pinoybusiness.org/index.php?topic=1952.0)

The government of Arroyo made the Philippines to be the most corrupt country in Asia!

(Source: http://thepinoy.net/?p=641)

To sigh during Arroyos time is inevitable!

Proverbs 29:2 (The American Standard Version)

When the righteous are increased, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man beareth rule, the people sigh.

Now a sigh of relief!

During Arroyo's government, I was illegally suspended by the MTRCB, under the Office of the President Arroyo and upon the influence of the Iglesia ni Manalo, (in violation of my basic human and religious rights), to appear in any television for a quarter of a year by Arroyo's cohort, Ma. Consoliza Laguardia, who was appointed to be the chairperson of the MTRCB through the backing of the Iglesia ni Cristo ni Manalo (INCM). In fact, there was a series of suspensions to favor the slightest initiation of the INCM.

The illegal suspension is clearly evidenced by the recent decision of the Supreme Court, which dispositive portion read as follows -

(Source: G.R. No. 164785, Supreme Court, Republic of the Philippines, Manila)

The MTRCB, to be sure, may prohibit the broadcast of such television programs or cancel permits for exhibition, but it may not suspend television personalities, for such would be beyond its jurisdiction.  The MTRCB cannot extend its exercise of regulation beyond what the law provides.

Now, at last, it is over! We pray to God, with a wish, that the new government may, by His divine guidance, execute justice to everyone and be fair in dealing with religious groups regardless of their faith and belief!

Of course there are fallacies in most of the existing religions all over the world!

I John 4:1

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

There are also extremes even in the Philippines. Judge it for yourself.

The Catholic Church claims that 80% of the Filipinos are Roman Catholics. Muslims have a share of 5-10%. If the Philippine population is 90 million, 80% of it is 72 million. Conservatively giving the Muslims a share of 5% that will give a figure of 4.5 million. Adding 72 million plus 4.5 million, equals 76.5 million. Therefore, 90 million minus 76.5 million will give a result of 14.5 million to be distributed among other religious groups. The INCM claims to have 10 million followers, plus Quiboloy claims to have 6 million members, plus the El Shaddai group claims to have 10 million members, plus the group of Almeda claims to have 7 million members, plus the Jehovah's Witnesses claims to have about 166,000, plus the Seventh Day Adventist claims to have about 571,653 members, plus the Mormons claims to have about 389,000 members.

The fact and the truth is:

There are only more or less 90 million Filipinos. More or less, 70 million belongs to the Catholic Church. And 5 million, more or less are Muslims. Only 15 million are left to all existing religious groups. If the INCM have 10 million or roughly a block vote of 3 million, why did not Roxas win in the Vice Presidential race being endorsed by the INCM? President Noynoy won not by the support of the INCM but mostly by the Catholic Church. If the votes of the INCM are sufficient to make President Noynoy win, it should be equally sufficient to make Roxas the next Vice President. Do you realize this, my dear countrymen?

Another extreme is the claim of Quiboloy having 6 million members! Do we now have a population of about 150 million Filipinos? Judge it yourself.

After all lies have been said and done by these people, one thing is sure: life will go on among the Filipinos, 70% of which are living below the poverty line! Iron-faced preachers and religious leaders will continue deceiving people and even politicians with their promises of block and winning votes!

Our prayer is for the new President and the entire government to be more compassionate to the poor and to the religious minorities in Philippine society. As the late President Ramon Magsaysay said, 'He who has less in life should have more in law.'

May the good Lord bless the new government and the people of the Philippines!

Bro. Eli



 
 

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