Toto

National Geographic on Solomon and David

Complemented by a PBS special on Solomon's mines

stephan huller

The alliance between Israelis and 'Christian Zionists' has so transformed the Jewish religion it isn't even recognizable from almost two thousand year old faith before the Second World War. The use of archaeology from propagandist purposes is particularly troubling too. It is all really disappointing. Personally I prefer the galut.

Cege

Should be interesting if not necessarily accurate or historical in presentation. I'll watch with interest.

From the website above:

Program Description

Countless treasure-seekers have set off in search of King Solomon's mines, trekking through burning deserts and scaling the forbidding mountains of Africa and the Levant, inspired by the Bible's account of splendid temples and palaces adorned in glittering gold and copper. Yet to date, the evidence that has claimed to support the existence of Solomon and other early kings in the Bible has been highly controversial. In fact, so little physical evidence of the kings who ruled Israel and Edom has been found that many contend that they are no more real than King Arthur. In the summer of 2010, NOVA and National Geographic embarked on two cutting-edge field investigations that illuminate the legend of Solomon and reveal the source of the great wealth that powered the first mighty biblical kingdoms. These groundbreaking expeditions expose important new clues buried in the pockmarked desert of Jordan, including ancient remnants of an industrial-scale copper mine and a 3,000-year-old message with the words "slave," "king," and "judge."

I'll have to research OT writings to be sure, but I thought the "glittering gold" came from loot recovered from other countries after war victories.

Where does the info about copper adorned palaces and temples come from?

Godwithus

By Golly I knew it!! Ive been saying this all along that Israeli Archeology is pissing Liberals/Atheists off! In digging up their history to counter the lies of their enemies, they are wittingly or unwittingly proving the Biblical stories.


Sooner or later they are going to find something more important than David's palace or the Amulet Scrolls...and and it is going to piss a lot of people off. Mark my words.

Joan of Bark

Yep, I'm looking forward to evidence that YHWH was a total asshole.

spamandham

You've been wrong all along then. I really don't know any atheists who get pissed off by archeological findings.

Frankencaster

I was thinking the same. I'm an atheist and find archeology quite fascinating. Archaeology in the Middle East has been going on for a couple of centuries and not dependent on the whims of a Fundie Christian cult in the USA.

Frankencaster

What was it about the Jewish religion that you found different when in Israel? Seemed to me it is the same religious baloney my mother grew up with in Germany in the 1930's. None of my community ever mentioned anything novel so that it isn't 'recognizable'. In fact, i found the religion rather moth-eaten and threadbare as a kid. Quite archaic and stodgy.

Can you give some specifics. I'm thinking that if you don't find Judaism recognizable then perhaps you are mistaken and were studying the wrong religion. Are you sure it wasn't Shinto or Hinduisn? Was there a lot of goat sacrificing or mostly monkey and elephant gods?

Toto

On PBS tonight

judge