Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Malachi151 · 07-23-2008, 04:52 AM

This program is stirring up some controversy. Basically it looks to be a fuller documentary along the same lines as The Bible Unearthed than the one they showed on the History Channel.

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/show...va-uncove.html

Quote:

t’s not often you hear “Nova” and “shocking” in the same sentence.

But participants in “The Bible’s Buried Secrets,” a two-hour special airing Nov. 18 on the PBS program, promised this morning that the show would trigger a fair share of controversy.

The special explores the ancient Israelites’ adoption of monotheism and seeks to explain who wrote the Hebrew Bible and what influenced them. Relying on archaeological work and biblical scholarship, the show poses provocative ideas -- including the notion that many Israelites believed that God had a wife –- and disputes literal readings of the text.

“It’s a shocking film in many ways, but it’s truth, revolutionary, and it’s as fresh as yesterday,” said William G. Dever, a noted biblical archaeologist who specializes in the history of Israel.

Carol L. Meyers, a religion professor at Duke University, said that “most of us start out as naïve Bible readers and take it at face value.”

In fact, Meyers argued, “there was no consciousness about the construction of history” when the Bible was written.

The stories of Exodus and Abraham and Sarah “are unlikely to represent real historical events, but rather there’s some kernel of ancient experience in there which has survived and which helps give identity to the people at the time,” she said.

Dever said he has participated in two dozen films about the Bible, “and most of them are dreadful.”

“They either pander to the public’s misunderstanding that the role of archaeology is to prove the Bible to be true, or, at best, they’re simply dishonest, outrageously so,” he said. “And I vowed not to make any more such films until 'Nova' came along. I knew their reputation, and I knew this one would be good.

“Most people simply misunderstand archaeology and the Bible. Some of them are not going to like this film, but nobody will see this film without changing their mind about the way the Bible ought to be read.”

Well, just here:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q...ts&btnG=Search

However, I can't find anything about this on the NOVA website.

Ruhan · 07-23-2008, 05:24 AM

Sounds interesting. They seem to be combining the redaction of the Tanakh with some of the semi-recent archaeological finding of statues of Ashorah in temples in Israel.

Christians at the very least would have to concede that even their own Bible refers to Israeli polytheism. Looking forward to seeing it!

Littlejohn · 07-23-2008, 05:52 AM

Quote:

The special explores the ancient Israelites’ adoption of monotheism and seeks to explain who wrote the Hebrew Bible and what influenced them. Relying on archaeological work and biblical scholarship, the show poses provocative ideas -- including the notion that many Israelites believed that God had a wife –- and disputes literal readings of the text.

There are now more than five years since I started posting on Italian forums that "Yahweh" had a "paredra" (comrade-wife), in this case Asherat-Asthart, "stolen" to the mythology phoenician- canaanean [Astarte, according to this mythology, was the paredra of Baal, a Phoenician likely attribute (Lord) for El, the supreme god of the world Phoenician and Semitic in general].

It's very likely that the God of Moses, the God of Abraham and Asherat formed a trinity of the primitive hebraism of the origins. Together these three gods formed the famous "Elhoim", figure who still today the rabbis are to pretend, with "affanno" (tired-breathing), to do believe it as a "strange" singular!

Littlejohn

.

mg01 · 07-23-2008, 05:55 AM

Quote:

Dever said he has participated in two dozen films about the Bible, “and most of them are dreadful.”

“They either pander to the public’s misunderstanding that the role of archaeology is to prove the Bible to be true, or, at best, they’re simply dishonest, outrageously so,” he said. “And I vowed not to make any more such films until 'Nova' came along. I knew their reputation, and I knew this one would be good.

“Most people simply misunderstand archaeology and the Bible. Some of them are not going to like this film, but nobody will see this film without changing their mind about the way the Bible ought to be read.”

No doubt. :notworthy:

I wonder if the "Bible Belt" PBS stations will refuse to air this just like they did the episode on the Dover Trial.

Dever: Did God Have A Wife (or via: amazon.co.uk), Who Where The Israelites and Where Did They Come From (or via: amazon.co.uk)

Dever has an earlier title, What Did The Biblical Writers Know... (or via: amazon.co.uk), where he bashes minimilists. In a publication earlier this year he stated he has softened some of the views in that book.

gstafleu · 07-23-2008, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Littlejohn

There are now more than five years since I started posting on Italian forums that "Yahweh" had a "paredra" (comrade-wife), in this case Asherat-Asthart, "stolen" to the mythology phoenician- canaanean [Astarte, according to this mythology, was the paredra of Baal, a Phoenician likely attribute (Lord) for El, the supreme god of the world Phoenician and Semitic in general].

I'm not sure if "stolen" is quite the right phrase, even in scare quotes. It is probably more a case of evolution. "Stolen" implies that the Israelite religion (whatever that was) already existed, and then, one sunny day, the Israelites decided to somehow incorporate Ishtar/Astarte/Whoever into their already existing religion. I think it is more likely that the Israelite religion slowly evolved, its ancestors including Phoenicia, Babylonia and (hence) Sumeria. So the pair Yahweh/Astarte (or whatever the names exactly were) would have been there from the beginning. During evolution, Yahweh's female companion was pushed back, finally into extinction.

Gerard Stafleu

dog-on · 07-23-2008, 07:11 AM

Maybe she gained weight...

badger3k · 07-23-2008, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dog-on

Maybe she gained weight...

Now, now - everyone knows that Yahweh's wife is barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen, and is not heard (as is proper for a woman, don't ya' know).

Of course, there was that fling with a certain Jewish woman, so the wife kinda had to fade in the background....

When will Yahweh have a tear-stained confession where he admits his guilt and his wife stands beside him showing her support? :huh:

:devil3::Cheeky:

Edit - on topic, looks interesting. I wonder if we will see it here in Texas.

Toto · 07-23-2008, 08:01 PM

AFA wants PBS defunded

All those good family values in the Bible

Minimalist · 07-23-2008, 09:32 PM

Ah, yes....just what the world needs. A fucking moron like Donald Wildmon calling the shots on what is real and what is not.

steve · 07-24-2008, 12:21 AM

Quote from AFA:

Among highlights of "The Bible's Buried Secrets":

• The Old Testament was written in the sixth century BC and hundreds of authors contributed.
• Abraham, Sarah and their offspring didn't exist.
• There is no archaeological evidence of the Exodus.
• Monotheism was a process that took hundreds of years.
• The Israelites were actually Canaanites.
• The Israelites believed that God had a wife.

End quote.

I've already read Finkelsteins book "The Bible Unearthed" and as far as I can recall these were all demonstrated in there. Don't people like the AFA read anything but the KJV of the bible? (although it looks like they don't even read that)

Now I have to buy my own copy of Finkelstein and a copy of the PBS show.

I have a new motto for AFA "A mind is a terrible thing and must be stopped in our lifetime."

Steve
(Now I WILL make an annual contribution to PBS every year. Not just once in a while)

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07-23-2008, 05:24 AM	#2
Ruhan Regular Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: London Posts: 176	Sounds interesting. They seem to be combining the redaction of the Tanakh with some of the semi-recent archaeological finding of statues of Ashorah in temples in Israel. Christians at the very least would have to concede that even their own Bible refers to Israeli polytheism. Looking forward to seeing it!

07-23-2008, 07:11 AM	#6
dog-on Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: The Netherlands Posts: 3,397	Maybe she gained weight...

07-23-2008, 08:01 PM	#8
Toto Contributor Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Los Angeles area Posts: 40,549	AFA wants PBS defunded All those good family values in the Bible

07-23-2008, 09:32 PM	#9
Minimalist Veteran Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,808	Ah, yes....just what the world needs. A fucking moron like Donald Wildmon calling the shots on what is real and what is not.

07-24-2008, 12:21 AM	#10
steve Regular Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southwest Oklahoma Posts: 119	Quote from AFA: Among highlights of "The Bible's Buried Secrets": • The Old Testament was written in the sixth century BC and hundreds of authors contributed. • Abraham, Sarah and their offspring didn't exist. • There is no archaeological evidence of the Exodus. • Monotheism was a process that took hundreds of years. • The Israelites were actually Canaanites. • The Israelites believed that God had a wife. End quote. I've already read Finkelsteins book "The Bible Unearthed" and as far as I can recall these were all demonstrated in there. Don't people like the AFA read anything but the KJV of the bible? (although it looks like they don't even read that) Now I have to buy my own copy of Finkelstein and a copy of the PBS show. I have a new motto for AFA "A mind is a terrible thing and must be stopped in our lifetime." Steve (Now I WILL make an annual contribution to PBS every year. Not just once in a while)

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