This will make Chris Tilling dance for joy! The good Bishop of Durham has set overworked fingers to keyboard and is setting forth his own brand of provocative wonderment for all to enjoy and receive edification therefrom. Do enjoy… And it’s nice to have you aboard, good Sir.
I can’t find the words to describe how moved I have been by Steven’s urgent plea for humanity to correct it’s destructive course. I’ll just leave you to read it.
Antonio Lombatti points to a fascinating (because funny to me) essay in the Jerusalem Post about Christians making way to the Jordan to be baptized only to be turned away at the water’s edge.
Thousands of Christian pilgrims have headed to the river were Jesus was baptized only to be disappointed as Israel isn’t allowing people into the water. However Israeli officials said Tuesday they decided to close the steep entry into the river because of safety problems in previous years. Instead, they set up tubs of river water and pumped water from the Jordan into showers on the riverbanks. Some pilgrims were upset, but others were content to be near the holy site.
That’s not baptism! That’s sprinkling… And we ALL know that the word Baptize means ‘immerse’ and has nothing at all to do with bitlets of drooled water spattering down on someone. To go all that way and then to be turned back. That’s how the rebellious generation led by Moses must have felt as they were pushed back into the desert for 40 years more of wandering.
A new book by Victor Sasson, a ‘novel’, about the Jehoash Tablet, a slow moving trial, and things antiqui-tous, has been announced by Jack Sasson on the Agade List.
A literary sleuth, Professor Victor Sassoon publishes a research study showing the text of the inscription could well be genuine. With his expertise in Ancient Near Eastern Semitic Epigraphy, coupled with his acumen in deductive reasoning, Professor Sassoon unmasks the fallacies and incompetence of scholars who have jumped on the wagon of the international news media. With his trusted friend and colleague, Dr. Watkins, he travels from London to Jerusalem to investigate further. Trial sessions he attends testify to the ignorance and arrogance of “expert” witnesses for the Prosecution. His adventures lead him to an Arabic document that sheds light on the stone and on its historical links-links that continue to speak of religious and political ideologies and intrigue.
I have to read it…
Shortly after the old blog was hijacked several of you were kind enough to hint at possible methods of post recovery. I was able to get a few of my favorite posts back but have in the last few days received a request for this one:
http://drjimwest.wordpress.com/2008/01/07/zephaniah-calls-canaan-palestine/
I can’t find it anywhere in Google cache. Anyone have a hint? And, before you ask, Way Back didn’t work either. Thanks for any assistance.
UPDATE: Well heavens to betsy that was fast! John was right on the mark- so thanks! Here’s the recovered bit
Zephaniah 2: doth opine - Woe unto the inhabitants of the sea-coast, the nation of the Cherethites! The word of the LORD is against you, O Canaan, the land of the Philistines; I will even destroy thee, that there shall be no inhabitant.
The pattern of Zephaniah’s judgement oracles here indicates that two groups are addressed- the coastal folks known as the Cherethites; and the central highland’s inhabitants which he calls the Philistines.
I can’t think of anyone who argues that the Canaanites lived elsewhere besides the central highlands- and hence the inhabitants of that area are called Philistines (Palestinians without the modern overtones). Therefore, the “Palestinian” presence in the central highlands goes back at least as far as Zephaniah’s era.
Something to ponder, isn’t it, when we frequently hear claims of the absence of Philistines (Palestinians, without the modern political overtones of the word) in the Central highlands.
Nick Norelli accuses those who observe earth day of being idolaters. In fact, to some extent, there is a bit of that going around these days. Many do indeed worship the environment and all that other sort of stuff. But I need to remind Nick that there is a profound theological reason for Christians to mind the planet on which they live.
Genesis 2:15 notes that man was placed in the garden to ‘work and guard it’ (literally)(לעבדה ולשמרה׃.) This suggests quite directly that we are charged, as stewards, to make the planet productive while at the same time protecting it from harm, overuse, abuse, and mistreatment.
Theologically speaking, it’s just as improper to ignore our stewardship responsibilities as it is to swerve in the opposite direction of green-olatry.
The most recent number of KUSATU (8.9) contains an essay (pp. 195-218,) by Andre Lemaire which skewers the analysis of Leonard Wolfe presented in an earlier issue of the same journal (6, 2006) about unprovenanced artifacts characterized by a ‘lame bet‘.
Lemaire concludes (p. 218).
‘What are we to conclude? Although containing occasionally a few sound observations, the critical examination of this paper reveals lack of epigraphic knowledge, flawed methodology and many a priori, inconsistencies and errors. This paper is totally unconvincing: there is no ‘lame bet workshop’ that would have forged so many different shapes of bet and there is no ‘lame bet‘ as all but only bets with a more or less important influence from the cursive script. What does this paper reveal? Clearly lame knowledge and lame methodology. Who knows? The explanation of such a paper might be looked for in the nowadays fashion of forgerymania. However, in my view, the existence of forged inscriptions is a serious problem, well known from the beginning of Semitic epigraphy, and it has to be dealt seriously [sic], first of all by people who have some experience in epigraphy.
With thanks to Robert Deutsch for passing it (the essay) along.
How can Christians be involved, in practical ways, in creation care? The Baptist Center for Ethics has launched ‘The Green Bible: Resources from the Baptist Center for Ethics‘ which seeks to collect information about the topic.
And further, I think the Jonesville Church of God should be investigated by the IRS for blatantly ignoring the rules governing the use of tax exempt funds for political speech.
In honor of the day, the theme on this little blog is green- at least for the day. Do something green today like recycle or plant a tree or tend a garden or something else good for the planet you share with lots of others and want to leave to your children in better condition than you found it.
