Potential major discovery of Christian history?

[MadeFromDust]

"British archaeologists are seeking to authenticate what could be a landmark discovery in the documentation of early Christianity: a trove of 70 lead codices that appear to date from the 1st century CE, which may include key clues to the last days of Jesus' life."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelo...rove-the-major-discovery-of-christian-history

Very interesting, I'm glad they're taking their time to get it right, and if they prove to be legitimate it could very well be the proof that many are seeking

 

[blazerboy30]

Interesting. Thanks for posting.

 

[Rhal]

Awesome, i'll be watching what comes from this.

 

[barfo]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelo...rove-the-major-discovery-of-christian-history

Very interesting, I'm glad they're taking their time to get it right, and if they prove to be legitimate it could very well be the proof that many are seeking

I'd think lead codpieces would be very uncomfortable.

Oh.... nevermind.

I don't see how these can prove much of anything. Just because someone writes something down, even on a lead codice, it doesn't make it true. At best it will prove that the Jesus stories have been going around for 2000 years, and we knew that already.

I'm interested to see what's on them - but proof of religious beliefs won't be included.

barfo

 

[BLAZER PROPHET]

Thanks for the post. MOST interesting.

 

[MARIS61]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelo...rove-the-major-discovery-of-christian-history

Very interesting, I'm glad they're taking their time to get it right, and if they prove to be legitimate it could very well be the proof that many are seeking

Proof of what?

We already know Christianity was practiced in the 3rd century.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Yeah.. don't get how it would be proof of anything. Oh well.

 

[MadeFromDust]

Proof of what?

We already know Christianity was practiced in the 3rd century.

Well people often say the Bible isn't valid enough evidence that Jesus even existed, but with this finding it may give us some more outside evidence that he did fact walk this earth, at the very least. There's also the possibility that they show details of the final days of his life. Just keep an open mind.

 

[jlprk]

How about the converse. If it DOESN'T mention Jesus, and is from the relevant time period, will you accept that as evidence AGAINST his existence?

Because written materials have been found before from then, and they all start like this--"If it mentions Jesus, that will be proof"--but then when they don't mention him, no one says, "The authors apparently never heard of this supposedly famous messiah contemporary to their own time."

 

[MadeFromDust]

How about the converse. If it DOESN'T mention Jesus, and is from the relevant time period, will you accept that as evidence AGAINST his existence?

Because written materials have been found before from then, and they all start like this--"If it mentions Jesus, that will be proof"--but then when they don't mention him, no one says, "The authors apparently never heard of this supposedly famous messiah contemporary to their own time."

Fair enough, but from the sounds of it it's already confirmed to be Biblical. We'll have to wait and see what they find.

 

[MARIS61]

It looks maybe a couple centuries old.

 

[jlprk]

I think Jesus existed, but that is irrelevant to Biblical accounts of holiness and miracles. I love his message about love thy neighbor. But even if you find history about him outside the Bible, it won't silence doubters that he was the Son of--

Wait!!

That looks like the wallet I lost 30 years ago!!

 

[PapaG]

Regardless of any religious implications, it is a very interesting archeological find. Making a tablet like that one couldn't have been easy ~2000 years ago. I doubt somebody could just run down to the local bookshop and buy a tablet.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I don't think that, regardless of the veracity of the age of this relic, this is a big deal theologically. Archaeologists and historians might find it cool, but those who already believe don't need more proof and those who don't aren't likely to be swayed by a 2000-y/o set of etchings.

(If you think the Bible's more than just a fairy tale of the Spaghetti Monster)
The Hebrews, for example, had just been led by the providence of God out of slavery (through a wall of water)...they saw God's presence right in front of them every day as a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night...they had food dropped onto their doorstep in the middle of a desert every day (except the Sabbath) for 40 years, and saw water drawn from rocks when they got thirsty...they saw the walls of a fortress come down just by walking around them and blowing their trumpets...
And yet there were still those who doubted that God was Who He said He was, and worshipped the gods of the people of Canaan or the magicians of Moab or those of the Philistines instead of the One who was visible to them for 40 years.

In Jesus' day, he healed blind people by spitting on dirt and rubbing the mud in their eyes...He made people paralyzed from birth walk again and brought dead people back to life. Not only were these visible signs not enough proof to the skeptics that he was who he said he was, but they used the proof of their existence to attempt to bring charges against him for doing them on holy days.

John 20:24-29 (The story of "Doubting" Thomas) applies, as well.

This is kind of cool, but not much in the way of theological relevance here.

 

[ppilot]

I don't think that, regardless of the veracity of the age of this relic, this is a big deal theologically. Archaeologists and historians might find it cool, but those who already believe don't need more proof and those who don't aren't likely to be swayed by a 2000-y/o set of etchings.

(If you think the Bible's more than just a fairy tale of the Spaghetti Monster)
The Hebrews, for example, had just been led by the providence of God out of slavery (through a wall of water)...they saw God's presence right in front of them every day as a pillar of smoke by day and a pillar of fire by night...they had food dropped onto their doorstep in the middle of a desert every day (except the Sabbath) for 40 years, and saw water drawn from rocks when they got thirsty...they saw the walls of a fortress come down just by walking around them and blowing their trumpets...
And yet there were still those who doubted that God was Who He said He was, and worshipped the gods of the people of Canaan or the magicians of Moab or those of the Philistines instead of the One who was visible to them for 40 years.

In Jesus' day, he healed blind people by spitting on dirt and rubbing the mud in their eyes...He made people paralyzed from birth walk again and brought dead people back to life. Not only were these visible signs not enough proof to the skeptics that he was who he said he was, but they used the proof of their existence to attempt to bring charges against him for doing them on holy days.

John 20:24-29 (The story of "Doubting" Thomas) applies, as well.

This is kind of cool, but not much in the way of theological relevance here.

Yeah things like this won't change anybody's views. Regardless I highly recommend that people watch this Frontline special on the history of Christianity. My Theology class in college covered the multiple authors in both the new and old testaments, but not so much the history up to the creation of the Catholic church and why the different books got chosen to become canon

 

[andalusian]

Regardless of any religious implications, it is a very interesting archeological find. Making a tablet like that one couldn't have been easy ~2000 years ago. I doubt somebody could just run down to the local bookshop and buy a tablet.

"This is a bawdy tale. Herein you will find gratuitous shagging, murder, spanking, maiming, treason, and heretofore unexplored heights of vulgarity and profanity, as well as nontraditional grammar, split infinitives, and the odd wank . . . If that's the sort of thing you think you might enjoy, then you have happened upon the perfect story!"

They had the iPad 0.8 at the time. Here is a picture: