Written Evidence For The Exodus

[Kris]

I have no doubt there are others. And you didn't answer my question--/ if Joseph was the one in power--- why have Jacob on the scarab? Why not Joseph? Where are your primary sources-- other than Jacobovici for this assertion that is not supported by Christian as well?

 

 

 

I used Wikipedia as a primary source that indicated there was a a ruler named Meruserre Yaqub-Har identified by Kim Ryholt , Daphna BenTor and Suzanne Allen. None of them link these scarabs to Jacob in the bible--- just the naked archeologist and others with an agenda to prove the bible true do. Face it, my theory is just as plausible as yours and frankly--- more likely since JACOB wasn't in a position of power in Egypt.

[Kris]

Here is some more info to back my point up--- but in the end, you will believe what you want anyway. You want to prove the bible true. You only accept sources that support this. Your sources are all Christian. Mine are not for the most part but some are.

 

After leaving Beni Hasan, Jacobovici cuts to Avaris, where the voiceover and video suggest a large-scale archaeological dig occurring for the sole purpose of finding Joseph’s signet ring—Jacobovici’s Exhibit D. Jacobovici claims that not only was Joseph’s signet ring found in precisely the time and place that Jacobovici’s hypothesis predicted, but that “Professor Manfred Bietak found no less than nine seals worn by Joseph’s court officials.” The evidence for a connection to Joseph? According to Jacobovici, “Inscribed right on them is the Hebrew name Yakov, Joseph’s father.” Then, with pictures of strong-looking Egyptians and robed men carrying guns, Jacobovici implies that Bietak would open up about a link between these seals and the biblical Jacob if not for the pressure of the Egyptian government. Here Jacobovici takes a detour into conspiracy theory, suggesting that the Egyptian government is actively and literally covering up (with dirt and plants) evidence of the biblical exodus.

 

 

As of April 2011, Spokeo could find 332 people named “Chris Heard” living in the USA. One of them—not me—wrote a book about filmmaker James Cameron. Will a filmmaker in the future follow Jacobovici’s lead and imagine the biblical scholar Chris Heard and the film critic Chris Heard to be the same person?

 

Let’s leave aside Jacobovici’s conspiracy theories and focus on the seals or scarabs themselves. The name on the seals is variously transliterated as Yaqub-hor, Ya’aqob-har, and so on. A man named Yaqub-Hor ruled Egypt as the second king of the Fifteenth Dynasty, a line of Hyksos kings (see Michael Rice, Who’s Who in Ancient Egypt [London: Routledge, 1999], s.v. “Yaqub-Hor”), and his name has been found on seals over a wide geographic range. The itself doesn’t stand out as remarkable, and names like Ya’aqub-el, Ya’aqub-a’, Ya’aqub-’am, and so on are found in Akkadian sources from a variety of sites across a range from the 19th to the 17th centuries BC (Abraham Malamat, History of Biblical Israel: Major Problems and Minor Issues [Leiden: Brill, 2001], 12). In other words, lots of ancient parents named their children “Yaqub” or “Jacob,” with a number of variations, and a considerable number of Bronze Age individuals who spoke one Semitic dialect or another bore this name (never mind speculations about the many “Jacobs” who never inscribed their names on anything durable). Many biblical characters share their names with non-biblical figures, and this should come as no surprise to anyone who knows at least a few dozen other human beings. Out of approximately 150 students in my Religion 101 classes during the semester when The Exodus Decoded first aired, there were two Jillians, two Jacquelines, two Alexanders, two Taras, two young men surnamed Coffey, and two young women named Nichole Johnson (of noticeably different ethnicities). Three of my colleagues on the Pepperdine Religion Division faculty at the time bore the name “Ron” (one has since retired), and I also know a Ron Stevens, a Ron Hendel, and even Ronald McDonald. The mere coincidence of a name means nothing.

 

Jacobovici wants to interpret the “Jacob-har” seals in relation to the biblical Jacob’s son, Joseph, who is said in Genesis 37–50 to have had a cabinet-level position in charge of food rationing, to describe the job somewhat anachronistically. In The Exodus Decoded, Jacobovici doesn’t really explain why he thinks that Joseph’s seal would have borne the name of his father, Jacob, instead of himself. The whole point of a seal of this type is to serve as a kind of signature, making it important that the person identified on the seal be the person who is actually authorizing the document. Based on this general consideration, I would expect Joseph’s signet ring to have his own name on it, or the pharaoh’s, but not his father’s. Moreover, the biblical narrative is really quite explicit on this point: Joseph’s signet ring was previously on pharaoh’s hand (see Genesis 41:42), and by the chronology of Genesis 37–50, Joseph received this ring nine years before Jacob migrated to Egypt (Genesis 41:42 stands at the beginning of the seven years of plenty, and Jacob identifies himself to his brothers during the second year of the famine, according to Genesis 45:6). Again, the whole point of Joseph bearing this ring is that it enables him to act as pharaoh’s proxy, and it is impossible to imagine that pharaoh’s signet ring would be inscribed with the name of Jacob, Joseph’s father, seeing that pharaoh had just met Joseph himself and would not meet Jacob for nine years to come. Moreover, the biblical Joseph narrative implies that he carried out his official duties under the Egyptian name Zaphenath-paneah (Genesis 41:45), so it makes no sense that he would inscribe his father’s Semitic name—a name that would carry no authority—on his signet ring(s), if he had the authority to produce new ones. The only thing that makes sense in terms of the biblical Joseph story, and for that matter in terms of the operation of ancient governments, is that Joseph’s signet ring would have born the symbol or name of the authority figure that was granting him power—namely, the pharaoh.

 

The idea that the “Jacob-har” seals and scarabs were minted or commissioned by Joseph and inscribed with his father’s name simply has no merit and makes no sense in the context of either the Joseph novella or ancient governance. What makes perfect sense, on the other hand, is that these seals belonged to officials authorized to act in the name of the Hyksos king Yaqub-hor, who has no connection with the biblical Jacob except for sharing a relatively well-attested Bronze Age Semitic name.

[midniterider]

Archaeology and history and ancient texts are interesting. I'd like you to direct me to Jesus in the flesh now, Steve. Surely Jesus can manifest himself to me like other ordinary 'real' people do?

[TheRedneckProfessor]

 

Why is this Yaqub scarab the only scarab that no one can link to a Pharaoh?

 

*Hint Hint*  see Genesis 41:42.

 

 

Don't fight where the evidence leads.  Dig up the evidence. . .

Can you present any evidence that links this scarab to Genesis 41:42 or is the connection yet another unfounded assertion on your part?

 

Note: if you have already provided this evidence, please direct me to it.

[Ravenstar]

Ain't gonna happen professor, this guy is delusional - he has not heard ONE word we have said.. not one.

 

I already denounced the scarab thing twice, at least. The Yakub-har scarabs are common and they ARE linked with a ruler - they were found all over, from Egypt to Canaan, and farther. I posted it, verbatim, with citations.

[Ravenstar]

Is end3 the only SANE christian left? Wow, and he's been going through a really tough time.. very stressed - got to give him credit. At least Ironhorse is polite.

 

We should really introduce this one and Thumby.. they are cut from the same cloth.

 

Florduh, do you have the mud pit ready?

[TheRedneckProfessor]

Ain't gonna happen professor, this guy is delusional - he has not heard ONE word we have said.. not one.

 

I already denounced the scarab thing twice, at least. The Yakub-har scarabs are common and they ARE linked with a ruler - they were found all over, from Egypt to Canaan, and farther. I posted it, verbatim, with citations.

I know it won't happen.  Every time I ask him to present evidence for anything he just ignores me.

 

Your contributions over the last couple of days have been absolutely stellar.  I think you should be called "TheRavenstarProfessor" and I should just go by "Redneck".

[mwc]

 

The question still remains, though, 

 

 

Why is this Yaqub scarab the only scarab that no one can link to a Pharaoh?

 

*Hint Hint*  see Genesis 41:42.

 

 

⁴² Removing his signet ring from his hand, Pharaoh put it on Joseph’s hand; he arrayed him in garments of fine linen, and put a gold chain around his neck.

 

     Are we assuming this is the same ring or a different one?  This says that this ring belongs to this unnamed pharoah and so should have his name written upon it.

 

     Then, of course:

 

⁴⁵ Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-paneah; and he gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as his wife. Thus Joseph gained authority over the land of Egypt.

 

     When he's renamed and made his son-in-law and priest (of Ra since it's On and it's clear YHWH makes no impression on Egypt which is why the whole Exodus is required) he apparently disrespects this man by not putting any of this information on his ring?  There's no way to identify him within the local culture?  "Rock of Jacob" is utterly meaningless in Egypt and to Egyptians based on this story.  The name Zaphenath-paneah has plenty of meaning and would mean a lot especially in and around On.  Even Joseph might still mean something.  But I see absolutely nothing about "Jacob" here.  Nothing at all.

 

          mwc

[Ravenstar]

Yakub-har… i would say a strict translate would be "Jacob, ruler/king of the hills/mountain" if cartouched… as Kris mentioned earlier there was a Hyksos pharaoh named "Meruserre Yaqub-Har" from probably the 15th dynasty. Hyksos, not Hebrew. Maybe Canaanite, but we are not sure if the Hyksos originated in Canaan or further north, Syria maybe, Anatolia.. we don't know.

[mymistake]

Ain't gonna happen professor, this guy is delusional - he has not heard ONE word we have said.. not one.

 

I already denounced the scarab thing twice, at least. The Yakub-har scarabs are common and they ARE linked with a ruler - they were found all over, from Egypt to Canaan, and farther. I posted it, verbatim, with citations.

 

Yeah but remember that ideas that are in conflict with the Bible are not true.  Didn't Steve explain it to you?

[Ravenstar]

*snicker*

 

Sounds like our good friend's Ken Ham, and Ray (Bananaman) Comfort and his puppy, Kirk.

 

Sad

[MerryG]

 

Ain't gonna happen professor, this guy is delusional - he has not heard ONE word we have said.. not one.

 

I already denounced the scarab thing twice, at least. The Yakub-har scarabs are common and they ARE linked with a ruler - they were found all over, from Egypt to Canaan, and farther. I posted it, verbatim, with citations.

 

Yeah but remember that ideas that are in conflict with the Bible are not true.  Didn't Steve explain it to you?

 

 

Yes, and you FAILED to use primary sources like Luke and Ron Wyatt. Surely you couldn't even imagine anyone would take you seriously.

 

Here, let me show you this video that explains everything you failed to understand the first 3,000 times I repeated myself.

[Ravenstar]

Do I have to turn in my Google Diploma now?  

[MerryG]

Do I have to turn in my Google Diploma now?  

 

I don't know about that, Ravenstar. But while you still have Google privileges, you might consider Googling the phrase, "Jeez, they ought to require a mental health test before allowing somebody to use ALL CAPS, boldface, underlining, and (especially) GIANT FONT SIZES on their forum."

[mymistake]

 

Do I have to turn in my Google Diploma now?  

 

I don't know about that, Ravenstar. But while you still have Google privileges, you might consider Googling the phrase, "Jeez, they ought to require a mental health test before allowning somebody to use ALL CAPS, boldface, underlining, and (especially) GIANT FONT SIZES on their forum."

 

 

It reminds me of that troll chrisafffff except he would also use colors.

[MerryG]

 

 

Do I have to turn in my Google Diploma now?  

 

I don't know about that, Ravenstar. But while you still have Google privileges, you might consider Googling the phrase, "Jeez, they ought to require a mental health test before allowning somebody to use ALL CAPS, boldface, underlining, and (especially) GIANT FONT SIZES on their forum."

 

 

It reminds me of that troll chrisafffff except he would also use colors.

 

 

Puh-lease don't be giving any lurking trolls any bright ideas.

 

(They're weird enough without your help.)

[Guest SteveBennett]

I have no doubt there are others. And you didn't answer my question--/ if Joseph was the one in power--- why have Jacob on the scarab? Why not Joseph? Where are your primary sources-- other than Jacobovici for this assertion that is not supported by Christian as well?

 

 

 

I used Wikipedia as a primary source that indicated there was a a ruler named Meruserre Yaqub-Har identified by Kim Ryholt , Daphna BenTor and Suzanne Allen. None of them link these scarabs to Jacob in the bible--- just the naked archeologist and others with an agenda to prove the bible true do. Face it, my theory is just as plausible as yours and frankly--- more likely since JACOB wasn't in a position of power in Egypt.

 

Again, I understand that some secondary sources say that Yaqub-Hr is a Pharaoh.  But "why" is the question we need to ask ourselves.  What is the basis for these various secondary sources making this claim?

 

Is it because all of the other scarabs can be linked to Pharaohs? The answer is yes.  That's why the secondary sources you are citing think Yaqub-Hr was a Pharaoh.

 

In other words, Egyptologists find this one scarab that they simply can not link to any Pharaoh, so they just assume there must be this Pharaoh "Rock of Jacob" somewhere that they haven't been able to dig up.

 

But the point I'm making is that Manfred Bietak did dig up the headquarters of where this scarab's authority hailed from.  How do we know its the headquarters?  Because Bietak found three of these scarabs inside the most prominent building in the wealthiest part of the city.

 

And the architecture of the building was archetypical Hebrew design.

 

And the scarab is translated "rock of Jacob" (a reference to the promises God made to Jacob / Israel-- which Joseph would have wanted rather than his own name)

 

And Genesis 41:42 indicates that Joseph was a vezier that actually wore the Pharaoh's signet ring.

 

Come on.    We don't gotta be Sherlock Holmes here.

 

I'm not saying we can test the narrative of how Joseph rose to power.  I'm not offering you proof.  But it seems like any reasonable person would have to concede that all of these facts combined give some fairly powerful evidence.

 

Especially since ancient history revolves around texts and artifacts (nothing else).  Do you see the point?  If one begins by dismissing the text, then of course one will hypothesize that the there is still a Pharaoh "Yaqub-Hr" that we haven't found yet.

 

That's why we can rely on secondary sources for information, but we need to think critically about how they are arriving at their conclusions.

 

What I'm saying is, lets not throw out the text at the outset.  Lets include it (since it purports to be historical) and see if it adds information that "fits."  Lets see if it holds up when we test its claims with archaeology.

 

I think that's a fair approach.  But don't presume either way at the outset.

 

-- Steve 

[bornagainathiest]

There is an error in your location details, Steve.

 

Please amend, 'Japan' to read, 'Dodge City'.

.

.

.

 

Or you could simply address post #45, rather than dodging it.

[Guest SteveBennett]

Yakub-har… i would say a strict translate would be "Jacob, ruler/king of the hills/mountain" if cartouched… as Kris mentioned earlier there was a Hyksos pharaoh named "Meruserre Yaqub-Har" from probably the 15th dynasty. Hyksos, not Hebrew. Maybe Canaanite, but we are not sure if the Hyksos originated in Canaan or further north, Syria maybe, Anatolia.. we don't know.

 

Even if one transliterates the scarab as "Hill" or "Mountain" instead of "rock."  It doesn't matter.  The basic meaning of the word is that the thing is immovable-- like the promises God made to Jacob.

 

It's Jacob's / Israel's foundation.

 

This is what Joseph, as recorded in Genesis 37-Exodus 1, considered to be the basis of his own authority-- and it would simply make good, common sense that he would reference this on his scarab.

[TheRedneckProfessor]

 

 

Why is this Yaqub scarab the only scarab that no one can link to a Pharaoh?

 

*Hint Hint*  see Genesis 41:42.

 

 

Don't fight where the evidence leads.  Dig up the evidence. . .

Can you present any evidence that links this scarab to Genesis 41:42 or is the connection yet another unfounded assertion on your part?

 

Note: if you have already provided this evidence, please direct me to it.

 

Another call for evidence successfully dodged.  And Ravenstar predicted it.  I'd say we've got a true prophetess on our hands.

[mymistake]

 

I have no doubt there are others. And you didn't answer my question--/ if Joseph was the one in power--- why have Jacob on the scarab? Why not Joseph? Where are your primary sources-- other than Jacobovici for this assertion that is not supported by Christian as well?

 

 

 

I used Wikipedia as a primary source that indicated there was a a ruler named Meruserre Yaqub-Har identified by Kim Ryholt , Daphna BenTor and Suzanne Allen. None of them link these scarabs to Jacob in the bible--- just the naked archeologist and others with an agenda to prove the bible true do. Face it, my theory is just as plausible as yours and frankly--- more likely since JACOB wasn't in a position of power in Egypt.

 

Again, I understand that some secondary sources say that Yaqub-Hr is a Pharaoh.  But "why" is the question we need to ask ourselves.  What is the basis for these various secondary sources making this claim?

 

 

Well of course there was a Pharaoh named Jacob.  There had to be because Genesis tells us a Pharaoh put his own ring on Joseph so Joseph would wear the ring of Pharaoh Jacob.   

[Kris]

Your theory has just as much conjecture as mine--- probably even more so, yet you expect me to outright believe it.

[Ravenstar]

NO NO NO!!!!!  There are over 25 Yaqub-har scarabs, found all over the region. Not ONE…. can you read? This is not a smoking gun, it's really nothing special at all.

 

READ IT AGAIN: The dynasty to which Yaqub-Har belongs is debated, with Yaqub-Har being seen either as a 14th dynasty king, an early Hyksos ruler of the 15th dynasty or a vassal of the Hyksos kings. Yaqub-Har is attested by a no less than 27 scarab-seals. Three are from Canaan, four from Egypt, one from Nubia and the remaining 19 are of unknown provenance.[2] The wide geographic repartition of these scarab indicate the existence of trade relations between the Nile Delta, Canaan and Nubia during the second intermediate period.[2]

 

Popular speculation[edit]

In Exodus Decoded filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici suggested that he was the Patriarch Jacob on the basis of a signet ring found in the Hyksos capital Avaris that read "Yakov/Yakub" (from Yaqub-her), similar to the Hebrew name of the Biblical patriarch Jacob (Ya'aqov). Jacobovici ignores the fact that Yaqub-Har is a well-attested to Egyptian pharaoh of the Second Intermediate Period; and Yakov and variants are common Semitic (not just Hebrew) names from the period. Furthermore, Jacobovici provides absolutely no explanation as to why Joseph would have a signet ring with the name of his father Jacob, and not his own, which is a modern-day equivalent of signing legal contracts with a signature of one's father.[10]

 

 

References[edit]

1. Jump up^ Iorwerth Eiddon Stephen Edwards, ed. (1970). Cambridge Ancient History. C. J. Gadd, N. G. L. Hammond, E. Sollberger. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 59. ISBN 0-521-08230-7.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b Darrell D. Baker: The Encyclopedia of the Pharaohs: Volume I - Predynastic to the Twentieth Dynasty 3300–1069 BC, Stacey International, ISBN 978-1-905299-37-9, 2008, p. 503-504
3. Jump up^ K.S.B. Ryholt: The Political Situation in Egypt during the Second Intermediate Period, c.1800–1550 BC, Carsten Niebuhr Institute Publications, vol. 20. Copenhagen: Museum Tusculanum Press, 1997
4. Jump up^ A. Kempinski: Syrien und Palästina (Kanaan) in der letzten Phase der Mittelbronze IIB-Zeit (1650-1570 v. Chr.), Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1983
5. ^ Jump up to:a b K. S. B. Ryholt: The Date of Kings Sheshi and Ya'qub-Har and the Rise of the Fourteenth Dynasty, in: "The Second Intermediate Period: Current Research, Future Prospects", edited by M. Marée, Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 192, Leuven, Peeters, 2010, pp. 109–126.
6. Jump up^ See Ryholt, The Political Situation [...], pp.99-100
7. Jump up^ Daphna Ben-Tor, Sequence and Chronology of Second Intermediate Period Royal-Name Scarabs, based on excavated series from Egypt and the Levant in Marée, Marcel (Hrsg.): The Second Intermediate Period (Thirteenth - Seventeenth Dynasties). Current Research, Future Projects. Leuven-Paris-Walpole 2010, (Orientalia Lovaniensia Analecta 192) pp.96-97
8. Jump up^ Ben Tor in Marée, 2010, p.97
9. Jump up^ Ben Tor in Marée, 2010, p.97
10. Jump up^ Higgaion » The Exodus Decoded: An extended review, part 4

 

Scarabs are NOT always connected with Pharaohs.. they are commonplace amulets… they number in the thousands.. maybe 100's of thousands. They are probably the most numerous of all Egyptian artifacts. I already posted the info about scarabs. 

 

Let's look at Simcha, shall we? First, let's get something straight...He is a Filmmaker.. not an archaeologist.

 

"In the end, Simcha Jacobovici’s claim that he has discovered the nails used in Jesus’ crucifixion is a figment of his vivid imagination, lacking any evidence or basis in reality whatsoever. So, in an attempt to salvage his unsustainable theory, Simcha reaches for the age-old weapon used by all pseudo-scientists: the claim of conspiracy. The final part of Simcha’s documentary focuses upon the “mysterious disappearance” of the nails and the convenient, almost magical “reappearance” supposedly 18 years later of two unprovenanced nails with bent tips mounted on a Styrofoam board just for Simcha in a Tel Aviv medical school lab. He not so subtly implies to photographer Garo Nalbandian that someone hid the nails from him. Simcha also compels forensic anthropologist at the Sacker Medical School at Tel Aviv University, Professor Israel Hershkowitz, to suggest that the so-called “crucifixion nails” were hidden by IAA archaeologists perhaps because “crucifixion is a sensitive issue from a religious point of view.” Simcha’s desperate attempt to build a conspiracy theory is the final gasp of a dying theory hoping to salvage just a sliver of acceptance from a conspiracy-loving fringe audience. The narrator’s concluding claim that, “religious sensitivities, not science, dictated policy towards these nails,” is nothing less than a conspiracy-driven lie told in an attempt to introduce doubt where hard science has already passed judgment against Simcha’s claim.

 

Simcha earlier employed the similar tactic of attempting to lose his viewers in the science of archaeology by introducing Jessie Pincus’ ground penetrating radar and his plumber friend’s camera on a string. Simcha had hoped that by focusing upon these otherwise legitimate archaeological tools, viewers would not see through the fallacy of his speculative argument. Unfortunately, the little science that Simcha presents is little more filler. Simcha’s friend does endoscopic camera work on a tomb that we already know exists, and Dr. Pincus confirmed what we already know: there is, in fact, a tomb just off the road in the Jerusalem Peace Park, which was already excavated in 1990.40 It adds nothing to his argument, and is a feeble attempt to use accepted scientific tools in the hopes of lending credibility to his “search.”

 

Conclusion

In the end, Simcha Jacobovici’s claim of the discovery of the nails of the crucifixion is nothing but religious profiteering. Simcha read that two nails were found in a tomb and saw an opportunity to speculate and make some money. He produced a documentary about the Nails of the Cross, which would air during Easter week. In order to claim he had discovered the nails of the crucifixion, he needed two things: nails, and a story linking the nails to the Caiaphas family tomb. So he concocted both out of thin air. It is a story that would make Dan Brown proud.

 

The IAA issued the following statement regarding Mr. Jacobovici’s documentary: “There is no doubt that the talented director Simcha Jacobovici created an interesting film with a real archaeological find at its centre, but the interpretation presented in it has no basis in archaeological findings or research.”41

 

Winston Churchill once described Russia as “a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.”42 Simcha Jacobovici’s claim of the discovery of the “Lost Nails of the Crucifixion” is speculation wrapped in hearsay couched in conspiracy masquerading as science ensconced in sensationalism slathered with misinformation and topped with a colorful hat.

 

Simcha Jacobovici did not find the nails of the cross of Jesus. The show was produced and aired during Easter week to prey on the hopes and beliefs of the faithful in anticipation of making lots of money for Simcha Jacobovici and the History Channel. I like shows that entertain while they educate, but Secrets of Christianity: Nails of the Cross did neither. His claim is a disservice to archaeology and biblical studies, and gives a bad name to the science of archaeology. It is for this reason that most legitimate archaeologists have refused to work with Simcha since his “Jesus tomb” debacle. Let us hope that cable television networks and viewers follow suit soon.

 

1 Cargill, Robert R., “No, Simcha, You Didn’t Find the ‘Nails of the Cross’ of Christ (a Week before Easter),” XKV8R: The Official Blog of Dr. Robert R. Cargill, April 12, 2011. http://robertcargill.com/2011/04/12/no-simcha-you-didnt-find-the-nails-of-the-cross-of-christ-a-week-before-easter/

 

Cargill, Robert R., “No, It’s Not A Nail from the Cross of Christ,” XKV8R: The Official Blog of Dr. Robert R. Cargill, March 2, 2010. http://robertcargill.com/2010/03/02/no-its-not-a-nail-from-the-cross-of-christ/

 

2 Read more about the documentary Exodus Decoded at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exodus_Decoded. Read also

 

3 Read more about The Lost Tomb of Jesus at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lost_Tomb_of_Jesus

 

4 Read more about Finding Atlantis at http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/episode/finding-atlantis-4982/Overview

 

5 Matt. 26:3-5, 57-68; John 11:49-53; 18:13-14, 19-24, 28-30.

 

6 Greenhut, Zvi, “The ‘Caiaphas’ Tomb in North Talpiyot, Jerusalem,” ‘Atiqot 21 (1992): 63-71. See also Greenhut, Zvi, “The Caiaphas Tomb in North Talpiyot, Jerusalem” inAncient Jerusalem Revealed. Ed. H. Geva (Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1994): 219-22.

 

7 The irony that a highly ornate ossuary possesses an inscription with very poor etched handwriting has been previously noted by Reich, Ronny, “Ossuary Inscriptions from the ‘Caiaphas’ Tomb,” ‘Atiqot 21 (1992): 72-77. See also VanderKam, James C., From Joshua to Caiaphas: High Priests after the Exile (Minneapolis: Augsburg Fortress, 2004): 435-6.

 

8 Greenhut, Zvi, “The ‘Caiaphas’ Tomb in North Talpiyot, Jerusalem,” ‘Atiqot 21 (1992): 70.

 

9 For typical items associated with first century CE. Jewish tombs, see Berlin, Andrea, Jewish Life Before the Revolt: The Archaeological Evidence,” Journal for the Study of Judaism, 36/4 (2005): 454-57. See also Avigad, Nahman, “Jewish Rock-Cut Tombs in Jerusalem and the Judean Hill-Country.” Pgs. 119-42 (Hebrew), 72 (English summary) in Eretz Israel: Vol. 8: E.L. Sukenik Memorial Volume (1889-1953), Eds. Avigad, N., M. Avi-Yonah, H.A. Hirschberg, B. Mazar, (Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Fund, 1967); Geva, Hillel, and Nahman Avigad, “Jerusalem, Tombs,” in The New Encyclopedia of Archaeological Excavations in the Holy Land. Ed. E. Stern (Jerusalem: Israel Antiquities Authority, 1993): 747-49.

 

10 Josephus, Antiquities 18.35

 

11 Puech, Émile, La croyance des Esséniens en la vie future: Immortalité, résurrection, vie éternelle? 2 vols., Études Bibliques 21-22 (Paris: LeCoffre, 1993): 1.193-95.

 

12 Chabin, Michele, “Archaeologist Thinks He Might Have Found Nails from Jesus’ Cross,”Washington Post, April 15, 2011. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/archaeologist-thinks-he-might-have-found-nails-from-jesuss-cross/2011/04/12/AFKrMDlD_story.html

 

13 Chabin, Michele, “Archaeologist Thinks He Might Have Found Nails from Jesus’ Cross,”Washington Post, April 15, 2011. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/archaeologist-thinks-he-might-have-found-nails-from-jesuss-cross/2011/04/12/AFKrMDlD_story.html

 

14 English translation of an Israel Antiquities Authority Press Release from May 2011: http://www.antiquities.org.il/article_Item_ido.asp?sec_id=25&subj_id=240&id=1823&module_id=&showall=true. Translation via Joseph Lauer and Jim Davila: http://paleojudaica.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html#79966947934255940

 

15 See Tzaferis, Vassilios, “Jewish Tombs at and near Giv’at ha-Mivtar, Jerusalem,” Israel Exploration Journal 20/1-2 (1970): 18-32. See also, Tzaferis, Vassilios, “The Archaeological Evidence for Crucifixion.” Pgs. 91-107 in Jesus: The Last Day. Ed. Hershel Shanks (Washington, DC, Biblical Archaeological Society, 2003).

 

16 See “Crucifixion Bone Fragment, 21 CE” at http://cojs.org/cojswiki/Crucifixion_Bone_Fragment,_21_CE

 

17 Zias, Joe, and Eliezer Sekeles, “The Crucified Man from Giv’at ha-Mivtar: A Reappraisal,” Israel Exploration Journal 35/1 (1985): 23. See also Haas, Nicu, “Anthropological observations on the skeletal remains from Giv’at ha-Mivtar,” Israel Exploration Journal 20/1-2 (1970): 38-59.

 

18 In the final scenes of the documentary, one will notice the residue of something that has been removed from the Styrofoam mounting board beneath Simcha’s nails. This may have been where the black-and-white centimeter archaeological photo scale had been prior to its removal.

 

19 On his website, Dr. Wilson reveals his cross-promotional purpose for appearing in the documentary: “[My] forthcoming book, The Lost Gospel decodes an ancient Syriac manuscript using the interpretive techniques employed by early Christians that takes us into the political struggles of the 1st century CE. The Lost Gospel is linked to one episode in an [sic] 7-part documentary series on History Channel USA being produced by Simcha Jacobovici, Associated Producers Ltd. The book and corresponding documentary is anticipated for release in Spring 2012.” http://www.barriewilson.com/profile.html

 

20 Henricus Sike published a bilingual Arabic and Latin translation, the Arabic original of which has been lost: Sike, Henricus, Euangelium Infantiae vel liber apocryphus de Infantia Salvatoris ex manuscripto edidit ac latina versione et notis illustrauit (Utrecht, 1967) (and in Arabic). See also Elliott, James Keith, “The Arabic Infancy Gospel.” Pgs. 100-107 in The Apocryphal New Testament: A Collection of Apocryphal Christian Literature in an English Translation based on M. R. James. Ed. J. K. Elliott (Oxford: Oxford University Press 1993).

 

21 These legends include Jesus turning little boys who hid from him while playing into goats; Jesus lengthening and shortening wooden beams which his inept carpenter father, Joseph, had wrongly measured; Jesus commanding a snake to suck out the very poison it had recently injected into a child; and Jesus dying all of a dyer’s garments in indigo, only later to change them magically to any desired color.

 

22 I.e., Saul in Acts 9, 22, and 26.

 

23 I.e., the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8 and the Philippian Jailor in Acts 16.

 

24 I.e., Cornelius in Acts 10-11.

 

25 Mishnah Shabbat 6.10. Trans. by Neusner, Jacob, “The Mishnah: A New Translation,” MISH-N Version 1.8, Accordance Bible Software (Altamonte Springs, FL: OakTree Software, Inc., 1988).

 

26 The pertinent passage in Pliny’s Natural History 28:11 reads: “In cases of quartan fever, they take a fragment of a nail from a cross, or else a piece of a halter that has been used for crucifixion, and, after wrapping it in wool, attach it to the patient’s neck.” Bostock, John. The Natural History of Pliny. London: George Bell & Sons, 1890. Available at Tufts University’s Perseus Digital Library: http://www.perseus.
tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.02.
0137%3Abook%3D28%3Achapter%3D11

 

27 The “crucifixion nail as a talisman” theory is often used to explain why so little physical evidence of nails supposedly used in crucifixion has been discovered in Jerusalem. See Hengel, Martin, Crucifixion, (Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1989).

 

28 Exod. 20:8-11; Deut. 5:12-15

 

29 Lev. 21:1-2; Ezek. 44:25-27

 

30 M. Sanhedrin 7:1 reads: “Four modes of execution were given over to the court: stoning, burning, decapitation, and strangulation.” Trans. by Neusner, Jacob, “The Mishnah: A New Translation,” MISH-N Version 1.8, Accordance Bible Software(Altamonte Springs, FL: OakTree Software, Inc., 1988).

 

31 The Damascus Document (CD) 12:17-18 (paralleled by 4Q266 frag. 9, col. 2, line 4) reads: “Every instrument, nail, or peg in the wall of a house where a corpse lies shall be unclean, with the same impurity as a work-tool.” Trans. by Wise, Michael O., Martin G. Abegg, Jr., and Edward M. Cook, “Qumran Sectarian Manuscripts: A New English Translation,” QUMENG Version 1.9, Accordance Bible Software (Altamonte Springs, FL: OakTree Software, Inc., 2007).

 

32 A kokh (Heb: כוך) is a small niche or cavity (often called a locule) within a burial chamber. See Greenhut, Zvi, “The ‘Caiaphas’ Tomb in North Talpiyot, Jerusalem,”‘Atiqot 21 (1992): 68.

 

33 Greenhut, Zvi, “Discovery of the Caiaphas Family Tomb,” Jerusalem Perspective 4/4-5 (1991): 11.

 

34 Zias, Joe, “Human Skeletal Remains from the ‘Caiaphas’ Tomb, ‘Atiqot 21 (1992): 78-79.

 

35 For a good summary on the archaeology of the “Caiaphas” burial chamber and an assessment of Mr. Jacobovici’s latest documentary, see Franz, Gordon, “More on Simcha Jacobovici and the Nails from Caiaphas' Tomb,” Associates for Biblical Research, April 21, 2011. http://www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2011/04/21/More-on-Simcha-Jacobovici-and-the-Nails-from-Caiaphas-Tomb.aspx

 

36 Zias, Joe, “More Amazing Dis-Grace: The Jesus Nails: The Naked Truth vs. The Naked Archaeologist.” http://www.scribd.com/fullscreen/53330573. See also Zias, Joe, “Human Skeletal Remains from the ‘Caiaphas’ Tomb, ‘Atiqot 21 (1992): 78-79.

 

37 Greenhut, Zvi, “The ‘Caiaphas’ Tomb in North Talpiyot, Jerusalem,” ‘Atiqot 21 (1992): 68.

 

38 Reich, Ronny, “Ossuary Inscriptions from the Caiaphas Tomb,” Jerusalem Perspective4/4-5 (1991): 15-17; 1992a: 72-73, Figs. 5 and 6.

 

39 Zias, Joe, “Human Skeletal Remains from the ‘Caiaphas’ Tomb, ‘Atiqot 21 (1992): 78-79.

 

40 Viewers will note in the documentary that there is a road next to the scene involving the “nefesh pipe,” meaning the scenes of Simcha and his associates spreading out to “search” for the “lost tomb” were completely fabricated. Shooting B-roll footage (footage that the videographer shoots to provide context or a background over which a narrator can catch the viewer up on what is happening in the show) is not uncommon in documentary making, and I’ve had my share of directors ask me to “go up there and walk back towards us while you look around so we can get some B-roll.” But, Simcha’s directive to spread out and “search” for a tomb whose location is already known is a bit more than disingenuous.

 

41 Rabinovitch, Ari, “Film claims discovery of nails from Jesus's cross,” Reuters, April 12, 2011. http://in.mobile.reuters.com/article/topNews/idINIndia-56286220110412

 

42 Winston Churchill’s “The Russian Enigma,” radio broadcast speech was delivered Oct. 1, 1939 from London. http://www.churchill-society-london.org.uk/RusnEnig.html

 

"Simcha Jacobovici fails to inform the audience of his lack of scientific credentials as an archaeologist. He is a film maker, not a scientist. His programs are produced with a "historical and educational" flavor, while all along promoting his bias against believers in Yeshua, or Christians. He uses tabloid tactics by promoting a "one sided" source for key issues within the program, while masquerading as an education and scientific authority. He is widely criticised for his lack of scientific credentials, nontransparent bias and tabloid style."

 

http://www.yahwehyeshua.com/p/beware-of-naked-archeologist-simcha.html

 

Credibility[edit]

Jacobovici's assertions have been criticized by archaeologists and religious scholars. The criticism addresses each of Jacobovici's claims, as well as his methods in general, including:

• Jacobovici uses circular logic for his assertions. In the absence of any other evidence, Jacobovici attempts to find a real-world explanation for a Biblical phenomenon. Then, from the fact that a phenomenon could be caused by a certain event, Jacobovici surmises that a Biblical phenomenon was caused by exactly that type of an event.^[9]
• Biblical scholars further criticize Jacobovici's method of first assuming that the Biblical description was an embellished description of a real world event, followed up with claims that his explanation is "exactly as the Bible describes," whereas in reality his explanation diverges from the Biblical description.^[10]
• Chris Heard, Associate Professor of Religion at Pepperdine University on his Web site called "Higgaion" claims that while a single supposition is not an invalid tactic, Jacobovici uses a chain of suppositions to support each subsequent claim, often using commercial breaks to move from "it could be possible that" to "now that we've established that," a misleading rhetorical trick.^[11]
• Chris Heard also claims through carbon dating evidence that the Santorini eruption happened some time between 1650 BC and 1550 BC, narrowed to between 1627-1600 BC, with a 95% probability of accuracy.^[12]
• Jacobovici puts the Exodus in 1500 BC. However, it is believed that the pharaoh Ahmose ruled decades earlier, in 1550–1525 BC. Jacobovici does not address the issue, and simply moves Ahmose's rule 50 years to the future in order to fit his theory, without presenting any evidence or support for his claims.
• As in Hebrew the word 'Ah' means brother, and 'Mose' means Moses, Jacobovici claims that the word Ahmose can be understood as 'brother of Moses'. This however is incorrect, as actual hieroglyphics in the pharaoh's name read Yahmes. 'Ahmose' is a mangled obsolete misreading of the name, still used traditionally. Yahmes has nothing to do with Hebrew Ah Mose, and means 'born of Iah' or 'Iah is born'.^[13] Iah is a lunar deity and is also written as Yah, Jah, Joh or Jah(w).^[14] The syllable 'Ah' in the name'Ahmose' (Jˁḥ ms(j.w)) is a theophoric syllable and refers to the deity Iah (Jˁḥ). Theophoric syllables were very common in ancient Egypt. The name 'Ramesses' (R`-ms-sw) is a combination of the theophoric syllable 'Ra' (R`) and the combining form '-moses' (-ms-s(w)). Consequentially 'Ramesses' means 'Ra is born' or 'Ra fashioned him'.^[15]Furthermore, Moses is an English version of the Greek variant of the traditionally Hebrew Mosheh. Egyptian would have differentiated between 's' and 'sh' in Mose / Mosheh.^[11]
• Chris Heard further claims that the mechanism of the Lake Nyos eruption and subsequent events is cardinally different from what would have happened in a river such as the Nile. Build-up of gas, or high concentrations of iron in the deep waters, would only be possible in a deep lake with still water; not in a shallow river with flowing water.^[16]
• There's no archeological evidence, or any supporting evidence presented by Jacobovici, to support the claim that Egyptian first-born slept in beds, while all others slept on roofs. Jacobovici's explanation for the 10th plague as being caused by carbon dioxide, this does not account for the Biblical description of deaths of firstborn cattle.^[10]
• Chris Heard on his "Higgaion" website claims that while Jacobovici talks of a palpable ash cloud in Egypt, 800 kilometers from the volcanic eruption, later on in the documentary a geologist backs up the claim that ash reached Egypt by showing that only a microscopic amount is found in the soil, which would not only not create a palpable cloud, it would be altogether invisible to the naked eye.^[17]
• Jacobovici's claim of a shelf collapse, leading to a decrease in water levels, immediately followed by a second natural disaster, a tsunami, leading to a restoration of water levels, has absolutely no geological evidence, whereas such a calamity would have led to widespread devastation across the entire region, not just localized to one lake, and it would have left a huge geological footprint. It would have likely also been recorded by eyewitnesses. There's no record of anything of this magnitude happening anywhere. Also, while Jacobovici claims that his explanation is 'exactly as the Bible describes', the Bible actually describes a wall of water on each side of the Hebrews, which is the exact opposite of Jacobovici's explanation.^[18]
• Jacobovici presents the Beni Hasan tomb painting as proof of Jewish migration into Egypt. However, Jacobovici ignores the fact that the tomb painting is actually signed by the author, identifying the caravan as a merchants (not migrants); coming from the land of Shut, which is not in the area of modern Israel; and dated to the reign of pharaohSenusret II, circa 1890 BC and not Jacobovici's claim of 1700 BC.^[1]
• Prof. Heard claims that presenting a ring signed Jacob-har and linking it to the Biblical Joseph, Jacobovici ignores the fact that Yaqub-Har is a well-attested to Egyptian pharaoh of the Second Intermediate Period; and Yakov and variants are common Semitic (not just Hebrew) names from the period. Furthermore, Jacobovici provides absolutely no explanation as to why Joseph would have a signet ring with the name of his father Jacob, and not his own, which is a modern-day equivalent of signing legal contracts with a signature of one's father.^[19]
• Chris Heard states that inscriptions at Serabit el-Khadem, which refer to El, are not necessarily proof that Hebrews worked in the mines. El is a common Semitic (not just a Hebrew) word that means god (for example, see Baal); and the word El in the Bible is often used to refer to gods other than the Hebrew God. Altogether, the word El appears in the entire Tanakh 226 times, often referring to other gods; whereas the word YHVH appears 6,800 times and it refers exclusively to the god of Israel. Furthermore, the actual inscription shown in the documentary does not contain the word El at all; two other El inscriptions from the mine are known, but they are not shown in the program.^[20]
• Altogether the connection of the Serabit el-Khadem mines to the Exodus is suspect, since the Bible tells of Moses liberating Hebrew builders from the Nile delta, not miners from 400 kilometers to the South.
• The composition of the Admonitions of Ipuwer, a papyrus that according to Jacobovici describes a plague of hail and fire, is in fact dated to ca. 1850 BC - 1600 BC, at least 100 years before Jacobovici's Exodus date of 1500 BC. The papyrus also refers not to current events but, most likely, to the First Intermediate Period of ca. 2134 to 2040 BC, five to six centuries before Jacobovici's Exodus.^[1]
• The El-Arish granite shrine dates to nearly a thousand years after 1500 BC, and the symbols Jacobovici refers to as the 'parting of the red sea', two knives and three waves, mean nothing of the sort. The claim is akin to saying that the name Ramesses, based on hieroglyphics used to write it, means sun-fox-skins-folded-cloth-sedge-quail-chick. Altogether, the text in the stele is mythological, and none of the things Jacobovici refers to from the stele are actually found in any known translations of the text.^[1][18]
• Chris Heard claims that while speaking of the 3 Greek stelae, Jacobovici only shows stelae 2 and 3 from Grave Circle A, and does not show stele 1, which clearly shows a hunting scene with chariots, and not Moses and the pharaoh. Instead of stele 1, Jacobovici shows a different stele from a different find, with a hole in the middle. The actual stele is shown only briefly, and is then replaced by a CGI version, with the hole filled in. Figures on the actual stele, which have tails curved up and are instantly recognized as lions, are replaced with CGI versions with tails turned down, now identified as horses.^[21][22]
• The swirls motif on the stele, which Jacobovici identifies as water, is very common in Mycenaean art of the period, and often appears in context that clearly excludes its identification with water.^[22]
• The Higgaion site claims that Jacobovici greatly distorts the Biblical description of the Ark of the Covenant, and the Tabernacle, in order to present the Greek pendant as a representation of the Ark. The pendant does not resemble the biblical description.^[23]

 

In his review of the documentary, Dr. Ronald Hendel, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Jewish Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.^[24] writes:

"The made-for-TV documentary, The Exodus Decoded, begins with some excellent special effects and a short excerpt from the Steven Spielberg-George Lucas thriller, Raiders of the Lost Ark. This introduction sets the stage for a fast-paced show with high production values and dramatic footage. Unfortunately, unlike the Indiana Jones movie, this film presents itself as non-fiction. Watching it is reminiscent of an expensive infomercial, in which the actor-salesman makes increasingly exaggerated claims for his product—it makes you lose weight, adds muscle, and makes you rich to boot. In this case, the actor-director is selling a highly dubious bundle of theories about the historical and scientific veracity of the Biblical Exodus."^[3]

 

References[edit]

1. ^ Jump up to:^a b c d Debunking "The Exodus Decoded"
2. Jump up^ Higgaion » Exodus Decoded
3. ^ Jump up to:^a b Biblical Archaeology Society
4. Jump up^ Biblical Archaeology Society
5. Jump up^ פענוח יציאת מצרים (Hebrew)
6. ^ Jump up to:^a b A Storm in Egypt during the Reign of Ahmose
7. Jump up^ A Structuralist Exercise: The Problem of Moses' Name Michael P. Carroll American Ethnologist, Vol. 12, No. 4 (Nov., 1985), pp. 775
8. Jump up^ Shaw, Ian, The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt, Oxford University Press, 2003, page 209
9. Jump up^ Higgaion » The Exodus Decoded: An extended review, part 12
10. ^ Jump up to:^a b "The Exodus Decoded: An extended review, part 10". Higgaion.
11. ^ Jump up to:^a b Higgaion » The Exodus Decoded: An extended review, part 2
12. Jump up^ Higgaion » The Exodus Decoded: An extended review, part 6
13. Jump up^ The ancient Egyptian lunar deity Jah - family god of the Ahmosides
14. Jump up^ Dietz-Otto Edzard: Reallexikon der Assyriologie und vorderasiatischen Archäologie., p. 364
15. Jump up^ Moses' Egyptian name accessed 18 December 2012
16. Jump up^ Higgaion » The Exodus Decoded: An extended review, part 8
17. Jump up^ Higgaion » The Exodus Decoded: An extended review, epilogue
18. ^ Jump up to:^a b Higgaion » The Exodus Decoded: An extended review, part 11
19. Jump up^ Higgaion » The Exodus Decoded: An extended review, part 4
20. Jump up^ Higgaion » The Exodus Decoded: An extended review, part 5
21. Jump up^ Exodus Decoded Debunked (a little)
22. ^ Jump up to:^a b Higgaion » The Exodus Decoded: An extended review, part 13
23. Jump up^ Higgaion » The Exodus Decoded: An extended review, part 15
24. Jump up^ Jewish Studies Program at the University of California, Berkeley - Faculty

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Exodus_Decoded

 

^^^^ THIS is how one presents credible evidence. Citations, from multiple sources, preferably peer-reviewed or at the very least from professional people in the field.

 

LET IT GO STEVE!  You are so wrong on this it's frankly, embarrassing. I won't even go into Wyatt (*snort*), as others already have.

[Ravenstar]

In a nutshell.. Simcha is a liar.

[Ravenstar]

Paging Steve Bennett!

 

Come on now, you can't possibly be afraid of a semi-educated, 5'4", 120lb ex-christian girl now, can you? I don't believe it. Why Steve? I'm hurt. You have bruised my delicate feminine sensibilities with your neglect.  

 

 

I'm very confused, because you never seem to address any of the copious, cited and time-consuming material I have so generously presented, for your benefit! - other than to cherry-pick the odd sentence and ignore the rest, yet you continue to argue semantics with others.

 

Why? Do I offend? I did shower this morning.

 

 

Where is the POWER OF CHRIST (GLORY!) that you are supposed to have? (since you and he are so close) Surely your almighty God can debunk my meagre research with his amazing filmmakers, apologists and nurse-anesthetists incredible archaeological finds of the century from the medium of youtube!

 

 

I really want to know why I am being left out! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ya, I'm a bad girl