Hebrew Tablet Discovery - New Messiah Story?

Awesome, Amazing, Astounding! AAA all the way --This has been reported in the NY Times, Reuters, Boston, the Seattle Times-- and over Newsvine, and blogged, so this is no isolated, insignificant report. oOo

JERUSALEM — 07-05-08 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. oOo

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. oOo

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. oOo

See full NY Times - Herald Tribune report / Reuters here

Of course, it bears some relation to the many pre-Jesus writings (called Apochropha) that b/c of their mystical/wild claims and myth-legend mix of stories, are not considered a true part of the bible.

That said, I can't wait to see what comes of this find... oOo
Certainly more value to come of this than questions about the Shroud of Turin, IMHO.


oOo But I don't get how this could be shocking to Christians— "a challenge to the uniqueness of their theology." “This should shake our basic view of Christianity... "

" [the written tablet] suggests that the story of his death and resurrection was not unique but part of a recognized Jewish tradition at the time." [! Just like the writings of OT prophets, who *talked about* things before they happened? ] oOo

Thus, if true, it would go to show that a wild "story" about Jesus dying and rising again wasn't just "made up" by him or his crazy disciples! oOo oOo

The NY Times article also has this *Incredible statement* (again, if the reporting of this interview is true), that the scholar Israel Knohl says:

"...such a suffering messiah is very different from the traditional Jewish image of the messiah as a triumphal, powerful descendant of King David. [? OK mostly, but what about in Isaiah?]

“This should shake our basic view of Christianity...

[Huh? --shouldn't this shake our basic understanding of JUDAISM!?]

“Resurrection after three days becomes a motif developed before Jesus, which runs contrary to nearly all scholarship. [meaning, that most scholars have thought there were no pre-Jesus resurrection ideas in Judaism]. What happens in the New Testament was adopted by Jesus and his followers based on an earlier messiah story.” oOo oOo

oOo [ WOW!! Yes it is understood that there were ideas, speculations,
even stories circulated, oOo about possible messiah-figures
(living or legendary), before Christ.] oOo

How does this shake our basic view of christianity? Whose basic view? oOo
The uniqueness of Jesus and christianity has never been in the *ideas* , oOo
though the bible often presents a revelation and understanding of truth,
and God, that is not found anywhere else. oOo


So read this again: oOo oOo

"What happens in the New Testament" ( meaning: what happened in real life - the events that really occurred, recorded by eyewitness / participants ), oOo

"was adopted by Jesus and his followers based on an earlier messiah story.” ( = supposedly they were able to get him really killed and live again after 3 days, by physically living-out the "messiah screenplay! " )

People! The Matrix and Star Trek are Not Real! oOo Its one thing to tell a good story. Quite another impossibility to in fact:
* Make events in your life and those of the people around you * actually Happen! - in exactly the way the prevailing "tradition" says it will. oOo oOo

oOo [ Unless: you're a great Controller of people and events ... And all the disciples would have been Supreme Actors to get citizens, soldiers and the Power Brokers to pull off such a flawless execution of this complicated plot! ] oOo oOo


No one can cause their own death and live to tell about it! You would surely be Completely Dead after 2 to 3 days. oOo

- - - - - - - - - - -
And who would purposely have themselves killed in order to fabricate a story of resurrection - that could be disproven easily by bringing out your lifeless body?

Even with suicide, you can't manipulate the Outcome. By definition, suicide means you give up control of your life, and what people do with your corpse after you're dead. At that point it's out of your hands, literally.

And no one has super powers to make themselves alive again. What about the people who knew you were dead, and now they see you claiming to be living again? Sure, I'd be a fool to believe you on That One! That silly rumor would die out in about 2 weeks. . .

So it's stupid to think that Jesus had in mind his own "murder/suicide" at the hands of the Romans - to get the Jews to make him a "posthumous messiah" or some such thing - and rise up to revolt!

Besides, that's not how the messiah story Goes - as the scholars of this new discovery say was "part of a recognized Jewish tradition at the time." [!]

It would be impossible for Jesus to live out a story about his life, instead of just living his life. (Like the rest of us.) He couldn't control how he would be killed, stay dead and then live again, no matter how long it was, no matter how forcefully anyone could tell a "messiah story".
- - - - - - - - - - -

oOo He didn't just say the word, repeat an affirmation, or speak some "mumbo-jumbo and presto" suddenly he's alive again...or did he? oOo oOo


So, again, How does this shake our basic view of christianity? Whose basic view? oOo

From the NY Times report: Mr. Knohl, the scholar at Hebrew University, notes that "in the Gospels, Jesus makes numerous predictions of his suffering and New Testament scholars [sic] say such predictions must have been written in by later followers * because there was no such idea * present in his day.

But there was, he said, and "Gabriel's Revelation" shows it. oOo

"[Jesus' ] mission is that he has to be put to death by the Romans to suffer so his blood will be the sign for redemption to come," Knohl said. "This is the sign of the son of Joseph. oOo This is the conscious view of Jesus himself. oOo oOo

This gives the Last Supper an absolutely different meaning. To shed blood is not for the sins of people but to bring redemption to Israel." [!] oOo oOo

oOo The uniqueness of Jesus and christianity has never been in the *ideas*. The real difference with Jesus is that what he said about himself,
and what he would do,
He Actually DID! oOo oOo

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What are Your Fave Goodies and Eats for Holidays?

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I Got the Christmas Tree

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What's Good?

Well, here's something. . .

I was eating a hot-cross bun the other day (OK I guess I had several) and I noticed that this little piece of "bread/rock", covered over the top with drizzled icing, also contained hidden surprises. oOo Held within its basically tasteless dough there were bits of various fruits and nuts (what some ancients called "sweetmeats".)

oOo Ah Hah! That moment came to me, oOo as I chewed on a bit of citron and then, again, a bit of candied cherry -- there was more going on here in this simple Easter food than meets the tongue! oOo This was part of an ancient food tradition that incorporated symbolism into recipes, for fun, for learning and profound remembering. After all, what we take into ourselves often has a tendency to "stay with us" (especially lots of food!) oOo oOo
Deep spiritual roots and truths have been preserved through food traditions, and early Christianity sought various ways to reinforce the faith through everyday, common means.

So these sweet treasures found hidden oOo within crusty rolls, marked with the sign of the Cross, oOo made and eaten to celebrate Christ risen from the dead:

oOo served to Remind me of the stone tomb, hard and sealed, which nonetheless contained the Body of the Best of men--who in Reality was to burst forth from the grave Alive again, fresh, full of promise and yielding abundant New Life. oOo oOo

Flowers, plants, trees, eggs, candy and yes fruit-- so many organic things give great references to the new life we can enjoy in Jesus' triumph over death.

Fruits are a wonderful reminder of how life grows, can be beautiful to see, and bring "sweetness" and nourishment into our lives. And can a good tree bear bad fruit? We are known by our fruits, the fruit of lives pleasing to God. oOo

"An apple a day." (with shades of the garden of Eden?) "Life is a bowl full of cherries." "When life gives you lemons --" oOo

"Lemon tree, very pretty, and the fragrance Oh so sweet; but the fruit of the poor lemon is impossible to eat". . . as the old sappy song goes. But even sadness, grief, death, bitterness can be overcome because now Death is Dead and Jesus Lives! oOo And even lemon is transformed into tasty bits of buried treasure in the hot-cross buns.

Bon appetit! To your health! oOo oOo

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Hypocrisy, Part 2 - Throwing Stones

oOo Is hypocrisy the #1 sin of our day?
oOo Or is it something else? oOo oOo

Sure, it's bad to be a hypocrite. Who doesn't know this? Tell me something new, like, what's wrong with what the person is doing / living / believing that it's so wrong to to be hypocritical about?

oOo oOo Hmmm, let's see. There's a long list we could make. . .

WAR. MURDER. ABORTION. LYING. CHEATING. STEALING. RAPE. HATE. PREJUDICE. SLANDER. BIGOTRY. LUST. PERVERSION. GLUTTONY. PRIDE. ANGER. ADULTERY.

Or maybe we make an alphabetical sin-list, so as not to give us a loophole to try to slip out of the noose: a - b - c - d - envy - fornication - greed - hypocrisy. . .

oOo The political activists among us would have us look away from the evil that the hypocrisy covers-up, to shift attention away from the the wrong behind the two-facing. That's the feeble attempt in Colorado with the same-sex/ Rev. Haggard expose'!


So, which is the Greater Sin? None of these. There is no priority ranking of distinction - they all accumulate in our life and actions because sin is built-into the human nature. And that old "natural-born killer" of us all must be eliminated through super-natural action or we will all die. oOo

The real issue is about Throwing Stones, or getting your own life in order. Read in John 8:
"Did no one condemn you? [ does this mean what you were doing was therefore OK? No...]
And Jesus said,"neither do I. Go your way; from now on SIN NO MORE."

Just own up and stop it! Stop it! All of it! Hypocrisy, blame, deceit, adultery, homosexual relations, lust, greed, taking the Lord's name in vain, falsehood, cursing and slander, cheating. . . etc. etc [have I missed any?] Ad Nauseum infinitum. oOo

And "if you can't" stop what you're doing/ acting/ or "who you are" -- then seek the mercy and grace of God through Christ, who alone can free you.

"Everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. If therefore the Son [ who also is the Truth!] shall make you free, you shall be free indeed." Jesus said this about himself, John 8:34-36

Either this man Jesus was the biggest hypocrite ever, and thus we all pale by comparison, [ and it would be OK to be a hypocrite if He could get away with it!] oOo
and therefore He was the biggest lying poached-egghead of humanity. . .

OR Jesus was really telling the truth and he is who he says he is: the only hope we each have of gaining and keeping real life and wholeness. oOo oOo

Go, and sin no more.