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Title: Finding Said to Boost Proof of Goliath
Source:
AP
URL Source: http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/st ... 51111%2F0951790442.htm&sc=1107
Published: Nov 11, 2005
Author: AP
Post Date: 2005-11-11 16:20:25 by mehitable
Keywords: Finding, Goliath, Boost
Views: 167
Comments: 13
JERUSALEM (AP) - Archaeologists digging at the purported biblical home of Goliath have unearthed a shard of pottery bearing an inscription of the Philistine's name, a find they claimed lends historical credence to the Bible's tale of David's battle with the giant. While the discovery is not definitive evidence of Goliath's existence, it does support the Bible's depiction of life at the time the battle was supposed to have occurred, said Dr. Aren Maeir, a professor at Bar-Ilan University and director of the excavation. ``What this means is that at the time there were people there named Goliath,'' he said. ``It shows us that David and Goliath's story reflects the cultural reality of the time.'' In the story, David slew Goliath with a slingshot. Some scholars assert the story of David slaying the giant Goliath is a myth written down hundreds of years later. Maeir said finding the scraps lends historical credence to the biblical story. The shard dates back to around 950 B.C., within 70 years of when biblical chronology asserts David squared off against Goliath, making it the oldest Philistine inscription ever found, the archaeologists said. Scientists made the discovery at Tel es-Safi, a dig site in southern Israel thought to be to be the location of the Philistine city of Gath. 11/11/05 09:50 ************************************** POSTER'S COMMENT: I frequently read that scientists find something that bolsters some story or information from the Bible but I don't recall the last time I've read them finding anything that disproved anything in the Bible.
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#1. To: mehitable (#0)
Oh good, I have renewed historical basis for calling some people Philistines.
Death has a tendency to encourage a depressing view of war. – Donald Rumsfeld
I frequently read that scientists find something that bolsters some story or information from the Bible but I don't recall Amen.
I hope this occurs to other folks, as well, lodwick, as - you're right - I don't recall them EVER showing anything in the Bible to be false, at least nothing presented as a statement of fact.
There's a recent movie out, The Squid and the Whale (terrible title but good movie) about a dysfunctional family, and the over-intellectualized father seems to refer to everyone who doesn't have a subscription to the New Yorker as a Philistine. I think America has become the homeland of the Philistines...
Okay here's something funny. Phillistine, and Palestinian are the same thing. Palestine is a Roman Bastardization of the word Phillistine, as they were contemptuous of the people they found there. Now, with that said, do we really need to have proof of Goliath? Who would likely be a gigantic Phillistine? Is it so important to unearth the corpse of a giant dead guy who likely was probably only 6' 6"? People back in the day didn't get very tall. At any rate, what does it prove that David Slew Goliath? Of what importance is there to this event that applies to our current history? That we with a rock, and a sling can defeat our enemies of today wielding machine guns, and missiles? Perhaps we should be calling the Palestinians by their true names, the Phillistines, instead of the bastardized insult placed upon them by Rome.
#2. To: mehitable (#0)
the last time I've read ever reading about them finding anything that disproved anything in the Bible. 
#3. To: lodwick (#2)
#4. To: robin (#1)
#5. To: mehitable (#0)
 | So many morons, so few bullets. |
#6. To: lodwick (#2)
Okay, then you didn't read this one from today: A skull and jawbones have been found from an ancient crocodile, pre-human obviously and he was a predator with sharp interlocking teeth. Remember before original sin green herb was as meat unto all creatures. So what's up with this prehistoric predator? Was God planning ahead for humans to foul everything up? On topic: If a scientist found an ancient test mentioning Jason or Heracles, would that prove the Homeric epics were absolute truth? Didn't think so.
but I don't recall ever reading about them finding anything that disproved anything in the Bible.
#7. To: Moldi-Box (#6)
Lol, there's nothing in the Bible about dinosaurs, which doesn't mean they didn't exist. I'd have to go back and re-read Genesis but I don't think there's anything in there that says that a whole lot of life could not have existed before humans showed up. Even dinosaurs. As far as the Homeric epics go, finding text with those names would not conclusively prove the absolute truth of the epics, but it would certainly increase the likelihood of their being true, especially if those were unusual names. It's kind of like Schliemann (spelling?) finding Troy because he actually paid attention to the old myths and stories and decided to go hunting. A lot of what we've been told over time actually does appear to have at least some grain of truth to it.
#8. To: TommyTheMadArtist (#5)
To me it proves one again that there is truth in the old texts and myths and legends - maybe not the whole truth, but some truth certainly. We should pay more attention to our past and our history (and the Bible as history rather than just religion) as we're doomed to repeat what we don't know and understand. What we think is new really isn't - we may be fighting with missiles and rockets instead of slingshots but we're still fighting over the same piece of real estate thousands of years later and for much the same reasons.
#9. To: mehitable (#8)
It's all history, recorded and churched up so that people can learn life lessons. Anyone know of a savior who lived a good life, preached the gospel he got from God, who was killed, and then three days later rose from the grave? Yep, Me too. His name??? Zoroaster. That's right, Zoroaster. I rest my case.
| So many morons, so few bullets. |
#10. To: mehitable (#7)
Right, but Genesis does say, in no uncertain terms that everything was in harmony before humans (assuming humans are Sapiens and not Neanderthal, Erectus or Magnon) so if a hundred million years prior to humans, creatures were already proving fatal to one another on account of resources, food, etc. Then that's a big problem for the Genesis story of creation. So an imperfect, bloody world prior to humans = no original sin And speaking of damnation, it's interesting that the OT Yahweh's threat for nonbelievers was to be "separated from their people" as he was a Nationalistic diety before he changed his attitude. In the NT, Jesus has to take it a step further and threaten hellfire for people who laughed at him. It's all part of making a wider appeal of an ideology. Not much truth in it. Truth doesn't need to threaten or make empty promises of heaven with gold paved streets and angelic fanfare. But if that's your cup of tea, right on to ya.
Lol, there's nothing in the Bible about dinosaurs, which doesn't mean they didn't exist. I'd have to go back and re-read Genesis but I don't think there's anything in there that says that a whole lot of life could not have existed before humans showed up.
no original sin = no damnation
no damnation = no need for a savior
#11. To: Moldi-Box (#10)
To me the most important part of the OT is that it relays the accumulated experience and history and the wisdom derived from that history, over a period of several thousand years. It's not really important to me if everything in the Bible is literally true. What's important to me is that the Bible shows us what happens when people behave in certain ways - when they commit adultery, kill other people, etc. These stories, and this history, is the basis for WHY the various laws, from the Mosiac law to the various (and numerous) Levitical laws, came into being. All too often we separate law from real life experience and practice and base it on our theories of how people behave (or should behave) when laws generally arise from a recognition of how people really DO behave, and what the best ways are of curbing undesirable behavior (and encouraging desirable ones). Don't know if I've said that very well, but there it is.
#12. To: All (#11)
Just another comment. I think much of the OT is about creating the structures for a functioning society and in creating that society, man had to develop the idea of an authority that all men would recognize, and all that various social problems needed solutions. The solutions that the Bible presents are those that culled from hundreds, if not thousands, of years of repeated experience - unlike our overly intellectual and phony modern contrivances that don't really solve any actual problems because they never really address the REAL problem - they just address our ideological view of the problem.
#13. To: TommyTheMadArtist (#9)
I pretty much agree with that.
It's all history, recorded and churched up so that people can learn life lessons.
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