Ancient text sheds light on Jewish-Christian links

[notfullofit]

Reuters Published: 07.13.08, 16:53

An ancient stone tablet discussed at a conference in Jerusalem last week may shed light on the links between Judaism and Christianity, experts say.

Israeli historian Israel Knohl said a message written on the tablet, which dates from the first century BC, showed the idea of a messiah being resurrected three days after his death was rooted in Jewish writings from before the time of Jesus' birth.

Knohl's analysis of the tablet, discovered more than a decade ago, is seen as supporting a theory believed by many religious scholars, that the idea of resurrection predated Christianity and can be found in Jewish writings.

"This sheds new light on the messianic activity of Jesus," Knohl, a professor of biblical studies at Jerusalem's Hebrew University, said of the ancient Hebrew text, much of which is missing or indecipherable.

much more (very interesting)

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3567430,00.html

[Pab Sungenis]

1. The resurrection of the Messiah, as a concept, predates this tablet.

Isaiah and Daniel talked about it, among others, centuries before this tablet was carved. This is no big deal.

[notfullofit]

3. Long known.....

'Suffering messiah'

L. Michael White, a professor of classics and Christian origins at the University of Texas in Austin, said religious scholars had long known that the idea of resurrection existed in Judaism before the Gabriel Revelation.

"But what was interesting was the notion of three days," White said.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3567430,00.html

[TechBear_Seattle]

6. Actually, that too was a common idea

You consistently see the numbers 3, 7 and 9 pop up in magic, religion and mysticism in nearly every culture. Three and seven have lunar connotations: the moon will appear to be full or new for three days, and the lunar month typically breaks in to four seven day periods. Nine is three threes, making it doubly potent.

I recall from a cultural anthropology class in college that the widespread concept of three days between death and rebirth likely derives from the "death" of the moon as it becomes new and its "rebirth" as a sliver crecent three days latter.

[Silent3]

9. Not sure of the math there

Nine is three threes, making it doubly potent.

Wouldn't that be triply potent? Or is mystical potency logarithmic?

[TechBear_Seattle]

10. 2 threes, therefore doubled

That's the way the magic square works, I guess. :shrug:

[Silent3]

11. There are two threes...

...in 3+3, 3-3, 3*3, 3/3, 3³, 33. I think we need a better standard for the mystical potency of numbers than counting the the number of numbers involved. This could be "important" (relatively speaking, of course) work for a mathematical theologian/mystic! :)

In fact, I feel sadly certain that it wouldn't take much digging to find any number (pardon the expression) of works by various people trying to be exact and deadly serious about silliness like this, e.g. the Bible Code.

[sakabatou]

2. So, the writers of the NT

may have "borrowed" from the tablet.

[TechBear_Seattle]

7. Much more likely, they just used commonly known memes

People who found new religions will generally use commonly known memes to express their views and values. Sometimes they deliberately borrow from one or more religion, but sometimes it is simply a matter of using language and concepts that the people already know.

[Goblinmonger]

4. Breaking News: Mythologies borrow from mythologies

that came before them. I'm shocked. SHOCKED I tell ya.

[notfullofit]

5. Some

people's myths are other people's truths.

[Goblinmonger]

8. Some people are dumb.

What's your point? Sure you can believe in Zeus if you want, but that doesn't make it true.

My point is that anyone who has studied mythology would know that as mythologies are created, they borrow from previous mythologies. Nothing new here.