The bible and ancient history.

[Exian]

I, on the other hand, was horrible at Guitar Hero when I first started. Almost nothing from playing real guitar translated. I played Rocksmith for the first time the other day and killed it though. That was pretty fun.

Oh, this wasn't the point? Never mind. Carry on...

[vorlon13]

As bad as the Bible is as a guide for doing archeology, the Book of Mormon is DRASTICALLY worse.

Even funnier, in the early days of Mormonism, the oldest Bible texts recognized in the world were less than 1000 years old. Those early Mormons, if they thought about it (and some did), fully expected that if older Bible texts were discovered, they would prove the Catholics (mostly) had been editing and rewriting Scripture, and predictions/revelations Joseph Smith had made about the 'original' version of the Bible would be revealed correct. As it turns out, when earlier texts were recognized, Joseph Smith's predictions were proven false (GASP !!!!).

As a consequence, in the early Mormon Church, the Bible was on par with the book of Mormon. Nowadays, the Bible is in a distant 4th place behind BoM, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrines and Covenants.

Joseph also edited his own version of the Bible, and revealed a REVELATION, the LDS Church would publish it. AFAIK, the LDS hierarchy still hasn't published it, but the RLDS (for the time being, Community of Christ) has printed it. I haven't encountered a copy yet, but I bet it's a howler.

[dyresand]

As bad as the Bible is as a guide for doing archeology, the Book of Mormon is DRASTICALLY worse.

Even funnier, in the early days of Mormonism, the oldest Bible texts recognized in the world were less than 1000 years old. Those early Mormons, if they thought about it (and some did), fully expected that if older Bible texts were discovered, they would prove the Catholics (mostly) had been editing and rewriting Scripture, and predictions/revelations Joseph Smith had made about the 'original' version of the Bible would be revealed correct. As it turns out, when earlier texts were recognized, Joseph Smith's predictions were proven false (GASP !!!!).

As a consequence, in the early Mormon Church, the Bible was on par with the book of Mormon. Nowadays, the Bible is in a distant 4th place behind BoM, Pearl of Great Price, and Doctrines and Covenants.

Joseph also edited his own version of the Bible, and revealed a REVELATION, the LDS Church would publish it. AFAIK, the LDS hierarchy still hasn't published it, but the RLDS (for the time being, Community of Christ) has printed it. I haven't encountered a copy yet, but I bet it's a howler.

One thing though i have the golden tablets i can only read them no one else can. <- pretty much Mormonism.

[Minimalist]

Yeah, the Romans had some great fun. But as opposed to the goat fuckers in Palestine they also had a great civilization.

They were the original Law And Order gang, to be sure.


I'd like to add on to something Boru said:

But if you visit the hill and your excavations find no sign of a that specific structure, the source is at fault. This is the case with the First Temple (Temple of Solomon).

I can't remember where I saw it...might have been Hitchens or Harris...but the observation has been made is that bible thumpers doing archaeology are like tourists who go to Paris with a map of London and then, when things don't work well insist that the map is right but the city is laid out wrong.

I actually had one of those morons tell me that the very fact that there was no evidence for the exodus was proof that the bible story was true.

As you might imagine with my temper the ensuing discussion did not go well.

Boru, ever heard of the temples at Ain Dara or Tel Tayinat?

[vorlon13]

One thing though i have the golden tablets i can only read them no one else can. <- pretty much Mormonism.

I've found a more accurate (funny usage for that word here, I realize) description of how the gold plates, the magic hat, and the Thummim and Urim worked, er,um, uh, that word doesn't seem to fit in very well either, but you get the jist;

* the gold plates did not need to be in the magic hat at the time of the, um, er, translation, damn, another word that seems ludicrous has crept into my post.

* the words would appear in luminous letters upon (one?) of the stones when Old Horny Joe would put his face over the opening

* Joe would read the words, and another individual would write them down

*the words on the stone would persist until they were written down 100% correctly, however many attempts it would make

*this is why the first edition of the Book of Mormon was described at the time as the most perfect book ever written



And then, Joseph Smith and the church hierarchies from then on, have changed the Book of Mormon nearly 4000 TIMES !!!


You can't make up shit like this . . . .



Oh, wait, Joseph Smith did !!!!!


so, is it any wonder the Book of Mormon sucks at being a guide for Middle Eastern (and US) archeology siting ??

[dyresand]

One thing though i have the golden tablets i can only read them no one else can. <- pretty much Mormonism.

I've found a more accurate (funny usage for that word here, I realize) description of how the gold plates, the magic hat, and the Thummim and Urim worked, er,um, uh, that word doesn't seem to fit in very well either, but you get the jist;

* the gold plates did not need to be in the magic hat at the time of the, um, er, translation, damn, another word that seems ludicrous has crept into my post.

* the words would appear in luminous letters upon (one?) of the stones when Old Horny Joe would put his face over the opening

* Joe would read the words, and another individual would write them down

*the words on the stone would persist until they were written down 100% correctly, however many attempts it would make

*this is why the first edition of the Book of Mormon was described at the time as the most perfect book ever written



And then, Joseph Smith and the church hierarchies from then on, have changed the Book of Mormon nearly 4000 TIMES !!!


You can't make up shit like this . . . .



Oh, wait, Joseph Smith did !!!!!


so, is it any wonder the Book of Mormon sucks at being a guide for Middle Eastern (and US) archeology siting ??

The best con man that ever lived. Created his own religion based on ideas he borrowed (stole) from an unpublished novel and the mason sect. Established a devoted flock of religious followers while remarkably continuing his snake oil ways until the day he was killed. The man is now a saint and founder of the Mormon church.
Ken Delay is a loser. He made lots of money, but got busted in his own lifetime and will always be a loser. Joseph Smith, however, created his own reality making the rules and then changing the rules to suit his mood. Joseph Smith is a saint.

[Cyberman]

I can't remember where I saw it...might have been Hitchens or Harris...but the observation has been made is that bible thumpers doing archaeology are like tourists who go to Paris with a map of London and then, when things don't work well insist that the map is right but the city is laid out wrong.

Actually, that was one of mine, in reference to creationists and kindred biblical literalists. I can now retire happy to be regarded as up there with the Horsemen.
[/smug_mode]

[Lemonvariable72]

Yeah, the Romans had some great fun. But as opposed to the goat fuckers in Palestine they also had a great civilization.

The games weren't just about fun. They also a way of showing prestige and maintaining psychological dominance.

[IATIA]

The best con man that ever lived. Created his own religion based on ideas he borrowed (stole) from an unpublished novel and the mason sect. Established a devoted flock of religious followers while remarkably continuing his snake oil ways until the day he was killed. The man is now a saint and founder of the Mormon church.

Change a few words and that could also describe Jesus.

[Godscreated]

I guess you all missed the post I had about the 25th dynasty of Egypt, the Bible actually names one of the pharaohs of the 25th dynasty, and the Museum of Egypt still has no names for any of the 25th dynasty. Why, because Egypt's pharaohs were famous for wiping out history they did not want told, many of their monuments are littered with those scares or completely destroyed. This time however it was a racial thing, the 25th dynasty pharaohs were black and the Egyptians had looked at blacks being less than they were. When the black nation south of Egypt defeated them they couldn't get over it and haven't till this day, ergo the missing names of the 25th dynasty, which lasted around 100 years. But ancient biblical history put the archaeologist on the right track and this also means that scripture is much older than you all want to believe.

GC