Debunking
the opinions of your competitors and opponents is often presented as
scientific research. In Biblical archeology and research the
competition is fierce and the battleground is limited and big parts
of the Holy land are restricted. Archeological diggings are forbidden
in and around the socalled “Temple mound” in Jerusalem. It could
trigger the next “intifada”. Why? Because on the Templemound
stands “the Dome of the Rock”, that was build in the 7th
century by the Islamic conquerors of the Holy City. The open
structure protects “The Rock”. The place where God created the
world, Abraham almost sacrificed his son and from which Mohammed
departed for a visit to Heaven. Third holiest place of Islam! Are the
Palestinians paranoid? I don't think so. They know, that the Jews
want to build a Third Temple. Jerusalem is a hotspot, also for the
Muslims. Jerusalem will become the capital of the (soon to come) 12th
Imam.
Archeological
research and proof is very important for Christians and Jews. Not
only to strengthen their faith, but als for (geo-)political reasons.
In recent years a number of important archeological finds have been
debunked as frauds. A ossuary of Jesus or an inscription, with a
reference to “Salomon's Temple”, were carefully manufactured and
politically motivated scams, who were often already accepted as
important evidence. Sceptics state that there is no such thing as
archeological and historical Biblical evidence. They don't form the
mainstream and don't get any funding; certainly when they say, that
around the year 1200 – 1000 BC, the time of David and the building
of the Temple of Salomon, Jerusalem was a tiny village, a couple of
acres big, and that there were no signs of palaces and a big Temple
(the one the orthodox Jews want to rebuild and the trucks are loaded
with trucks, the Temple attributes are ready, Levites trained etc.).
If there ever was a Temple, it was not very big, small enough, I
think, to find a place on the Mount, next to the Dome.
But
there are other ways to descredit you opponents as Biblical fools.
And that is by studying the scripture! Many scientists, from all kind
of denominations, studied and study the Bible. Some claim, that the
Bible is inspired by God and therefore true and should be taken by
the letter. The Bible (Old and New Testament)is the only document in
that timeframe, with a lot of references to historical figures
(Nebudkadnezar, Cyrus the Great and Herod), cities(Babylon,
Bethlehem, Damascus) and countries (Rome, Egypt). The 4 gospels
describe the birth, life and death of Jesus, the Messiah and son of
God. In recent years the number of, unofficial gospels, has exploded,
due to “Death Sea scrolls”, the “Nag Hamady-library” and
other finds. Next to Mark, Matthew, Luke and John, the gospels of
Thomas, Peter, Judas, Simon and Mary Magdalene are available. How the
Bible is composed and on which criteria, is still a mystery. The
first complete New Testament dates from around 400 AD and was found
in a Balkan monastery. The Bible is a product of a society without a
printing press. Every gospel had to be copied, by hand. And because
scribes or monks are people, they make mistakes (which are being
copied etc.)
Bart
Ehrman, an American professor, estimates, that, some 6 to 7000
manuscripts, have been discovered. The oldest one dated from the
second half of the first century, to the elaborate medieval codexes.
Many errors have been found. Many are not substantial, but some are.
Mark's gospel f.i. was extended with some twelve lines, at the end of
this gospel. Except through copying the Holy Bible, differences are
due to translation. The Bible was written in Greek, translated into
Latin and finally in all current languages. Indirectly Bart Ehrman
proves the superiority of the Torah (Old Testament) over the New
Testament. The Torah (as is the Qu'ran) has not changed over the
centuries. A select and well-trained group of scribes carefully
copied Gods word and there were several tests, to see if there are
errors been made. If so, the scroll is burned. This is still common
practice among Jews. Compared to this tradition, the New Testament is
product of endless copying and translating, which might even have
contaminated the message of Jesus.
Dr.
Knolh had studied the period of the Roman occupation of Israel.
Focussing on Jesus, he concludes, that the Messiah is one of several
Jewish rebels, revered by his followers and fighting the Roman
occupation. He suggest Jesus to be a copycat, who planned his own
execution, to fit historic predesessors, who were supposed to be the
expected Messiah.
According
to the Jews, Jesus was not the Messiah. They await the real Messiah
to come, but they have to rebuild Salomon's Temple first and start
the necessary offerings. Knolh is a Jew. He turns Jesus into one of
several Jewish rebels.
In
a way, it is a battle of ghosts. Jezus was not a historic figure, but
a spiritual messenger. The Temple, necessary for the return of the
real Jewish Messiah, never existed and functioned as described in the
Old Testament. Archeologically, there is no proof of its existence,
as there is no evidence of king David and the wise king Salomon.
