Could this be the biggest find since the Dead Sea Scrolls? Seventy metal books found..

Daily Mail ^ | 03/30/11 | Fiona Macrae

[TigerLikesRooster]

Could this be the biggest find since the Dead Sea Scrolls? Seventy metal books found in cave in Jordan could change our view of Biblical history

By Fiona Macrae

Last updated at 11:35 AM on 30th March 2011

For scholars of faith and history, it is a treasure trove too precious for price. This ancient collection of 70 tiny books, their lead pages bound with wire, could unlock some of the secrets of the earliest days of Christianity. Academics are divided as to their authenticity but say that if verified, they could prove as pivotal as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947.

Lines of inquiry: The metal tablets could change our understanding of the Bible

On pages not much bigger than a credit card, are images, symbols and words that appear to refer to the Messiah and, possibly even, to the Crucifixion and Resurrection. Adding to the intrigue, many of the books are sealed, prompting academics to speculate they are actually the lost collection of codices mentioned in the Bible’s Book Of Revelation.

[lepton]

The book which were omitted did not meet the standards of reliability they had established.

Have you ever read some of those? Wheeee!!! In general, they clearly don't fit with the rest.

[Elsie]

Or was that just a cheap shot at Joseph Smith, et al?

---

JESUS: Hey Smith!       Remember that boast you made about doing more than even I had done to hold the 'church' together?

JOSEPH SMITH: Where am I?

JESUS: Don't you remember? A few seconds ago you were in that jail.

JOSEPH SMITH: Oh; yeah; but where am I NOW?

JESUS: Don't you remember? Does bang - bang ring a bell?

JOSEPH SMITH: Oh; yeah - that crummy gun I had was about USELESS!

JESUS: I hope you left instructions on how to hold your church together.

JOSEPH SMITH: Dang! I knew there was SOMETHING I was forgetting!

JESUS: Looks like there's a power struggle going on down there.

JOSEPH SMITH: Yeah; there was always SOMEone who wanted the power that I held - especially over the LADIES - wink wink.

JESUS: No need to worry about that now; remember what my friend Matthew wrote down?

JOSEPH SMITH: This? “At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven” (Matthew 22:30)

JESUS: That's it.

JOSEPH SMITH: I thought that was mistranslated.

JESUS: Nah - it was right.

JOSEPH SMITH: Oh well; it was fun while it lasted. My buds will still get it on with the girls.

JESUS: Uh; I'm sorry; in just a few more years; your followers will cavein to the United States government and abandon the 'Eternal Covenant' that you came up with.

JOSEPH SMITH: ME!? YOU are the one that told me to do that!

JESUS: Sorry; but you must have mistranslated what I told you. What part of Do NOT commit ADULTERY did you not understand?

JOSEPH SMITH: mumble....

JESUS: What did you say?

JOSEPH SMITH: Oh, nothing.

JESUS: Well; it was interesting talking to you; but now I must get back to perparing a place for those who believe in Me.

JOSEPH SMITH: Oh, yeah; the Celestial Kingdom.

JESUS: No...

JOSEPH SMITH: The Telestial one?

JESUS: Nope.

JOSEPH SMITH: SUREly not the TERRESTRIAL one!!

JESUS: Nope. Didn't you read that the mind of man had NOT conceived of it? Paul wrote it down in 1 Corinthians 2:9.

JOSEPH SMITH: I thought that was mistranslated.

JESUS: No; it wasn't.

JOSEPH SMITH: You SURE?

JESUS: Yes. Now I must be going: what did you say your name was again?

JOSEPH SMITH: Joseph Smith.

JESUS: Hmmmm. According to my Heavenly FAITHbook, you didn't sign in as one of my friends - sorry, I never knew you.

JOSEPH SMITH: But.... 

[thecodont]

Luke is a good journalist and historian, as well as a good doctor!

[ApplegateRanch]

JESUS: Nope. Didn’t you read that the mind of man had NOT conceived of it? Paul wrote it down in 1 Corinthians 2:9.

JOSEPH SMITH: I thought that was mistranslated.

JESUS: No; it wasn’t.

JOSEPH SMITH: You SURE?

JESUS: Yes. Now I must be going: what did you say your name was again?

JOSEPH SMITH: Joseph Smith.

JESUS: Hmmmm. According to my Heavenly FAITHbook, you didn’t sign in as one of my friends - sorry, I never knew you.

JOSEPH SMITH: But....

---

Priceless!

Be a LOT of surprised people That Day.

[editor-surveyor]

It has the arcs and the seven points.

[americanophile]

"Adding to the intrigue, many of the books are sealed, prompting academics to speculate they are actually the lost collection of codices mentioned in the Bible’s Book Of Revelation.

Well, that certainly got my attention.

[Revolting cat!]

Looks to me like the dawn of Heavy Metal!

[wildbill]

Perhaps someone discovered the “real” secret of alchemy, the reverse of the popular notion. It turns gold into lead.

I know it works that way because a guy actually tried to sell me some gold bars one time and they turned out to be lead inside. I figured they were ‘in process’.

[gleeaikin]

Here is another article about this topic. Some pictures may be different.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110330/ts_yblog_thelookout/could-lead-codices-prove-the-major-discovery-of-christian-history

[TheOldLady]

I think he means moe-HAM-mud.

[Elsie]

It turns gold into lead.

Ah...

The future of MORMONism...

[Elsie]

"But the field of biblical archaeology is also prey to plenty of hoaxes and enterprising fraudsters, so investigators are proceeding with due empirical caution."

Maybe they should contact the Living Prophet®.

Ya sure can't fool HIM!

[NYer]

Philip Davies, emeritus professor of biblical studies at Sheffield University, said there was powerful evidence that the books have a Christian origin in plates cast into a picture map of the holy city of Jerusalem.

‘As soon as I saw that, I was dumbstruck,’ he said. ‘That struck me as so obviously a Christian image. There is a cross in the foreground, and behind it is what has to be the tomb [of Jesus], a small building with an opening, and behind that the walls of the city.

‘There are walls depicted on other pages of these books too and they almost certainly refer to Jerusalem. It is a Christian crucifixion taking place outside the city walls.’

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

 

[1010RD]

...Or the Tree of Life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life#Christianity

[verga]

When did the Dead Sea Scrolls become pivotal? They caused a lot more excitement when they were found than they did when they were decades later translated.

They helped to verify that a number of OT books removed for the KJV were actually written in Hebrew, which was one of the complaints that the 'Council" of Jamnia had about some of them.

[verga]

You are referring to the Council of Nicaea Source. This was in 325AD, with memberships from area Bishops .... 1,800 members in total. One thousand, eight hundred fingers were in that pie. With the politics in play - I believe a lot of good scripture was thrown out for political purposes, such is the nature of man.

Constaninople/Nicea dealt witht he Arian Heresy. The Council of Rome in 382, the Council of Hippo in 393 and the Council of Carthage in 397 established the Canon of the Bible.

[Hodar]

And a LOT can happen/change in 397 years. One of the best and most secure methods of ensuring continuity of the integrity of the scriptures, is to disseminate them across numerous people, across multiple languages and multiple countries.

Consider, we have modified our Constitution considerably in the past 200 years; has the Bible been similarily modified to meet changes in culture, opinions and political maneuverings? Such is the nature of man, to twist and maniuplate the truth to suit their needs at the moment.

Still, politics and corruption will take their toll. Satan certainly has plenty of opportuntity to inject chaos, confusion and debate.

Today, how mamy ‘versions’ of the bible are there? How many ‘versions’ have there been throughout the past 1600 years? To me, getting access to records that have passed through time for almost 2,000 years - is an opportunity to measure how far the Bible has drifted from the origional.

Isn’t it interesting that no one is comparing the Dead Sea Scrolls against our modern Bible? Neither affirming, or condemning our modern intrepetations - no comments.

Who would benefit from withholding information like this, and why?

[Buggman]

Where exactly does stoning come into Lev. 19:19?

[UCANSEE2]

Seems reasonable that the Menorah would be included in these books.

[verga]

And a LOT can happen/change in 397 years. One of the best and most secure methods of ensuring continuity of the integrity of the scriptures, is to disseminate them across numerous people, across multiple languages and multiple countries. Consider, we have modified our Constitution considerably in the past 200 years; has the Bible been similarily modified to meet changes in culture, opinions and political maneuverings? Such is the nature of man, to twist and maniuplate the truth to suit their needs at the moment. Still, politics and corruption will take their toll. Satan certainly has plenty of opportuntity to inject chaos, confusion and debate. Today, how mamy ‘versions’ of the bible are there? How many ‘versions’ have there been throughout the past 1600 years? To me, getting access to records that have passed through time for almost 2,000 years - is an opportunity to measure how far the Bible has drifted from the origional. Isn’t it interesting that no one is comparing the Dead Sea Scrolls against our modern Bible? Neither affirming, or condemning our modern intrepetations - no comments. Who would benefit from withholding information like this, and why?

What evidence would convince you? That is a serious question, because for those that have faith none is required, for those that do not none will suffice.