beausoleil

I'll believe it when I see it. Definitely a case where data needs to be presented in a journal of record, somewhere where the experimental details are carefully reported.

Kosh

Hmmm... isn't this just how King Josiah "found" the book deuteronomy?

That's quite a stretch...

Greg2003

Today's Ha'aretz has an article where an Israeli professor says that the stone tablet is so similar to what he theorized might exist in an article he wrote that he is either unbelievably brilliant in his prediction or a forger read his article and produced the needed evidence. One way or the other, the professor is definately inciteful.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/S...ID=0&listSrc=Y

Greg2003

Additionally, the article states:

Additional harsh reservations about the GSI decision regarding the authenticity of the inscription came this week from Prof. Ed Greenstein, an expert on the language of the Bible and ancient Semitic languages, also of Tel Aviv University. Greenstein points out that the way in which the expression "bedek bayit" was used in the inscription shows that the forger apparently did not understand what it meant in biblical Hebrew. "In the language of the Bible, `bedek' is the cracks in the building," explains Greenstein. "You reinforce the `bedek habayit' [the cracks in the building]. If you do `bedek bayit' you are making a crack in the building and ruining it. `Bedek habayit,' in the language of the Bible, is the problem that must be repaired. Someone who understands biblical Hebrew would not have used the later expression [in modern Hebrew, it means making repairs] that was derived from this expression."


Sounds like a forgery to me. But, of course, we should reserve judgement for more expert opinion.

Haran

Dr. P. J. Williams of the Tyndale House, Cambridge contradicts the above on the TC List. He seems to believe it is not a modernization.

Layman

At least he's not arrogant. It's kind of funny and sheds some light on how Academics work. You would think he would be delighted that his theory may have been proven correct. Instead, his reaction is, "this find may confirm that my theory is exactly right, so I'm suspicious of it."

Interesting thread. For those who are more familiar with Hebrew and Old Testament terrain, please keep us updated.

Haran

Here is the best picture that I have seen so far of the inscription:

Joash Inscription

In this photo, notice that the top two lines look kind of squished. After first few lines, the text seems to straighten out. Then, the last three lines start at a higher level and drift slightly downward, just above the break on the bottom right corner.

These observations could be consistent with the text being placed onto the tablet after it had been broken.

Does anyone else see what I am talking about, or am I just imagining things? Could it be a trick of the photograph? The tablet does seem to be "leaning backward" somewhat in the photo...