spin

DSSU was a division of labour. The text work was done by Michael Wise and there is little to fault there. The usually hokey Eisenman introductions to the work obscure more than they reveal. Wise's work was ground-breaking as he presented nearly fifty unpublished texts, but with the new translations including these texts I can see no real reason to use the book with its intrusive Eisenman material at every juncture.

He's happy to go on with his James pastiche and it's good that he's set it adrift from the DSS which is my interest, the scrolls.


spin

Amlodhi

Hi cweb255,

I have read through both Eisenman's "Dead Sea Scrolls Uncovered" and "James, the Brother of Jesus". I have also (in time past) read through some of Barbara Thierings . . um . . works, and I don't think that Eisenman and Thiering should be lumped together in the same category. IMO, Eisenman at least tries to connect his argument to some semblance of reality. Unfortunately, however, he ultimately fails.

I did find his speculations entertaining simply because of the interesting perspective it would provide in regard to early Christianity if it were true; but then, I wish there really were etchings of helicopters and spaceships at Abydos also. Nevertheless, entertaining though they may be, his speculations just do not appear to withstand critical examination.

C'est la vie,

Amlodhi

Chris Weimer

Have you guys then found a rational explanation for Mashkil?

spin

You mean more rational than as a term of respect? $KL indicates "understand", "be wise".


spin

Chris Weimer

spin - keep your eye open for a new thread. I won't post it hear to derail it, but just keep your eye open. I think this should spawn a good debate.

JohnHud

the latest scrolls dating article definitively shows they are first century

'Redating the Radiocarbon Dating of The Dead Sea Scrolls' by Joseph Atwill; S. Braunheim & Robert Eisenman Dead Sea Discoveries, Volume 11 Number 2 (2004) 143-157, E. J. Brill;Leiden.

Atwill's recent article on the radiocarbon dating of the Dead Sea Scrolls shows that past interpretations of the C14 data were incorrect and that the data actually suggests that the documents were written in the first century. This will totally change scholars' understanding of the Scrolls.

offa

JohnHud,
Atwill's recent article on the radiocarbon dating of the Dead Sea Scrolls shows that past interpretations of the C14 data were incorrect and that the data actually suggests that the documents were written in the first century. This will totally change scholars' understanding of the Scrolls.


Yeah, take that ... LOL!!! I guess I'll have to buy another book. BTW, Spin, I am going to go over Thiering's "skin" story. I have read it. I just love to read new views. I am a firm believer that John was written 1st and that all four gospels were completed before 50ad.

offa

Bede

Here's the article: 'Redating the Radiocarbon Dating of The Dead Sea Scrolls' by Joseph Atwill

IIRC Atwill thinks Christianity was a conspiracy invented by the Romans (or something like that). I kinda doubt this will make any impression on scholars. Perhaps Spin could give us his own inimitiable comment on this guy's article.

Bede

Rick Sumner

Atwill's argument is much older than that--I cited it here a year or so ago in a discussion on (wonder of wonders), Robert Eisenman. It seems to have had a huge impact since then. . .or none at all. Something like that, anyway.

You'll forgive me if I take the word of physicists, prima facie, as having more merit than that of Atwill. Given my own lack of expertise in the area, I'm more than satisfied to rely on those who don't lack it.

Regards,
Rick Sumner

offa

Rick, I was trying to find a date for the article. Cited by JohnHud and Bede. It must not be too recent.

One thing for sure, regardless, is that the DDS do not fit into the Maccabean era. The scrolls would have to be hidden away before the Jewish War of 70a. Why would something be stored in a library in c. 100 b. and have nothing added ... even though the area was occupied until c.70b?

Another thing, histories were systematically destroyed by the conquerors and rewritten ... kind of like we do today. Why would these writings survive from Maccabee to the Jewish War?

offa