comedyoferrors

You know the whole global flood thing that most fundies are so fond of defending and giving "loads of evidence" for? You might point out to them that, according to archeology, there are quite a few civilizations that seem to have gone through the global flood without even noticing anything strange. Egyptian history is completely unbroken by this "global deluge," for one. Neither is Chinese history. And the Sumerians didn't really seem to notice this global catastrophe either.........So much for archaeological evidence.....

Minimalist

Geology also sternly rejects the notion of a globe covering flood. Still, CoE, your point is well taken.

I had one fundie explain that the Sumerian "king list" somehow proved that the flood had happened right in the middle of it. When asked what "Sumerians" existed on the other side of the so-called "flood" to write down the "king list" he fled the field....as they so often do when caught in one of their lies.

-Jay-

littlepecan -

I suggest searching for posts by Hex, a fairly regular poster who happens to be an archaeologist by profession. (There are others who post here, but Hex has specifically weighed in on precisely the sort of question you asked in your OP.)

The books by Finkelstein and Dever mentioned here I found to be very informative. Another good reference is Richard Friedman's Who Wrote The Bible? (or via: amazon.co.uk), which addresses the authorship of the Pentateuch.

You'll run into some very interesting claims regarding archaeological and geological attestation, including claims that the lack of archaeolgical evidence just means that Satan has noodled with things to make it look like the events in the Bible never happened.

regards,

NinJay

Jeremy D

Also ask for the authors. They're trying to use science. It shouldn't be that hard to find these archaeological finds written about in scientific journals.

Except they aren't there. Heh.

Anyway, more likely is you'll ask for a name and they'll say Ron Wyatt, in which case you can tell them that most Christians don't consider Ron Wyatt a credible source.

Sheshbazzar

Fundies like to live within their own little, and limited religious world, trying to reason with them by offering evidence, often results in the equivalent of them squeezing their eyes tightly shut, putting their hands over their ears and shouting Nah! Nah! Nah! except they substitute Jeezus! Jeezus! Jeezus!
For them to escape, THEY first have to come to the realisation of how small a region of thought that they have been penning themselves into, And they have to be willing to leave the "comfort zone" that they have so bought into.
You cannot force a person to see anything that they don't want to see, or to accept anything that they don't want to hear.
The opposition to the facts is internal, and change needs come from within.
Nice of you to try though.

Sheshbazzar

Best bet, is to simply refer them to these Forums, time and again, If they come, and if they remain, they will argue, and they will struggle with reconciling the facts, and with their own conscience, and with their own personal demons, and may perhaps win their freedom.
I did.

Minimalist

Last year the renowned Israeli archaeologist, Amihai Mazar announced that he had found the first evidence of a bee-keeping industry at Tel Rehov in northern Israel. This was an area which had long been under Egyptian and Phoenician control. Nonetheless, as they are prone to do, a fundie I was then debating with trotted out the old saw about how this find "proved" the bible right about being the land of milk and honey! Hence, taking the inevitable leap of logic which so often follows, the entire bible was thus "right."

When it was pointed out that Prof. Mazar had written

and what was the likelihood that his allegedly fiercely monotheistic "Hebrews" had created an altar with "naked fertility goddesses" pictured on it, the discussion abruptly ended. Once again, it seems, archaeology had failed the bible-thumpers!

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0904114558.htm