fulltimestudent

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Posts by fulltimestudent

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  33

  Evidence for an Egyptian Presence In Early PalestineEgyptian Artifacts Salvaged from Robbed Tomb in Israel

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  i've posted evidence elsewhere indicating that ancient israel was at times part of the egyptian empire.

  that means that the exodus documents incorporated into the old testament, is a mythical story.

  the israelites did not leave egypt.

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  fulltimestudent

  

  A ring unearthed during the excavation is inlaid with a seal showing an Egyptian warrior holding a shield and sword.
  Credit: Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery of the Israel Antiquities Authority
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  33

  Evidence for an Egyptian Presence In Early PalestineEgyptian Artifacts Salvaged from Robbed Tomb in Israel

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  i've posted evidence elsewhere indicating that ancient israel was at times part of the egyptian empire.

  that means that the exodus documents incorporated into the old testament, is a mythical story.

  the israelites did not leave egypt.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  fulltimestudent

  From Livescience this overview:

  Link: http://www.livescience.com/50335-egyptian-artifacts-salvaged-from-robbed-tomb.html

  Egyptian Artifacts Salvaged from Robbed Tomb in Israel

  by Megan Gannon, News Editor | April 01, 2015 09:47am ET

  In an underground cave in Israel, archaeologists have unearthed 3,000-year-old Egyptian artifacts that had been spared by tomb robbers.

  Inspectors with the Israel Antiquities Authority's (IAA) Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery say they found pickaxes and other signs of looting in a cave near Kibbutz Lahav in southern Israel.

  Upon further investigation, the excavators discovered a hoard of ancient artifacts. IAA officials say they don't yet know how the cave was used or why these objects were placed there, but they found several intact ceramic pots; jewelry made of bronze, shells and faience; oil lamps; small amulets; alabaster jars; cosmetic vessels; and Egyptian scarab seals that date back to the 15th and 14th centuries B.C.

  "During this period, Canaan was ruled by Egypt," Daphna Ben-Tor, curator of Egyptian archaeology at the Israel Museum, explained in a statement from the IAA.

  "The names of kings appeared on some of the seals," Ben-Tor added. "Among other things, we can identify a sphinx lying opposite the name of the pharaoh Thutmose, who reigned from about 1504-1450 B.C. Another scarab seal bears the name of Amenhotep, who reigned from about 1386-1349 B.C. Still another scarab depicts Ptah, the principal god of the city of Memphis."

  The announcement was timed just beforePassover, the Jewish holiday celebrating the biblical story of the Israelites leaving slavery in Egypt. There's no solid archaeological evidence to back the Exodus as a historical event, and these newfound artifacts don't offer new insights on that front. But from these findings, historians could potentially "learn about the great influence of the Egyptian administration and culture on the inhabitants of the Land of Israel during the Late Bronze and Iron Age periods," Eitan Klein, an archaeologist with the IAA, told Live Science.
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  33

  Evidence for an Egyptian Presence In Early PalestineEgyptian Artifacts Salvaged from Robbed Tomb in Israel

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  i've posted evidence elsewhere indicating that ancient israel was at times part of the egyptian empire.

  that means that the exodus documents incorporated into the old testament, is a mythical story.

  the israelites did not leave egypt.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  fulltimestudent

  I've posted evidence elsewhere indicating that ancient Israel was at times part of the Egyptian empire. That means that the Exodus documents incorporated into the Old Testament, is a mythical story. The Israelites did NOT leave Egypt. Egypt was already in Israel (or, parts thereof).

  Here's some indications of an Egyptian presence:

  

  The collection of artifacts found in the cave includes faience amulets depicting Egyptian gods and scarab seals depicting Egyptian pharaohs.
  Credit: Clara Amit, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority
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  9

  Red Moon Over China

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  perhaps the recent lunar eclipse was heaven's way of demonstrating approval of the tremendous changes in china.. here's some images from the china daily:.

  the total lunar eclipse as observed in shenzhen, south china's guangdong province, april 4, 2015. the moon slipped fully into earths shadow saturday, starting a total lunar eclipse for nearly 12 minutes what guangdong astronomical science association says it was the shortest such eclipse of the century.

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  fulltimestudent

  _Morpheus2 hours agoSeriously? Heavens approval? You do know that moon was seen woldwide.... Did heaven approve of all nations? Rhetorical question of course, but all these pro china posts leave me wondering if you know the primary subject matter of this board

  
  Well, I must confess, Morpheus, that I am a rather ignorant sort of fellow, so indeed I did not know that the eclipse (if that is what you implied) was seen everywhere. Indeed, what had impressed me (and why I shared the images) was the juxtaposition of the ancient moon against the evidence of the new (modern) China, particularly the 600 metre tall Guangzhou tower, only completed a few years ago.
  You are not the first to complain when I post such things. I'm not sure why, as surely from a biblical prophecy aspect, the contemporary rise (re-rise?) of China leaves attempted prophecy such as the King of the North and the King of the South concept, gasping for air.
  So, if once we leave the imagined shelter of Christianity, whether the witness brand or some other brand, how do we imagine the world? Can we trust ourselves to the remnants of the age of colonialism, or do we strike out for new intellectual territory?
  May I offer you another way to see the ever-changing parade of world powers, that does (I'm afraid) offer a view of China (or as a more finite view, Chinese "civilisation") that makes many loyal citizens of current world hegemons rather angry). It is this:
  The major event of importance in the nineteenth century was the collapse of China's political organisation. This included China's fall from being the major economic power in the world (a position it had occupied for likely a millenium - though I admit to a difficulty in defining what was "China" during much of that time).
  The major event of importance in the twentieth century was the infighting connected with the re-organisation of China's polity. This process took place in a world where other major political events obscured the importance of what was occurring in China.This is a process that is likely incomplete
  The major event of importance in the twenty-first century will be China's re-establishment of itself as a major economic and political world (as part of multi-polar worldl I do not claim prescience, but it is difficult to see any alternative, unless human stupidity leads the current hegemon to commence a process that rains radioactive dust upon the poor survivors of a nuclear war.
  So maybe all this ought to occupy some of our attention as we consider such all important issues like, "did Jesus really start to rule the earth in 1914? (invisibly, of course).
  One thing finally, if the basic foundations of western civilisation (like Judeao-Christianity) have demonstratably failed, are there any alternatives?
  What do you think and why do you think it?
  PS. It was a mere whim of mine to use the idea of heaven, ('tian' in Chinese) in my post. "Tian" in heaven has connotations that our world 'heaven' does not have.Sorry, if I upset you.
  
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  54

  Polytheism in the Book of Daniel, a late second temple religious document

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as jehovah's witnesses we committed ourselves to a blind belief in a monotheistic judaism that was automatically transmitted to a new religious organisation, started (we were taught) by jesus.. that's the premise which this thread will discuss.

  i suggest that sufficient evidence is available to throw doubt on both those beliefs.

  so this thread will argue (over about a week-hopefully) that:.

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  fulltimestudent

  In 2012 Boyarin published a book entitled, The Jewish Gospels: The story of the Jewish Christ. (New York, The New Press).

  Last year (as I recall it) Doug Mason drew this book to our attention, and I'm grateful that he did so.

  If readers here have not yet heard of Boyarin's book, may i quote the Amazon overview:

  "In this powerful, groundbreaking work, Boyarin guides us through a rich tapestry of new discoveries and ancient scriptures to make the powerful case that our conventional understandings of Jesus and of the origins of Christianity are wrong. Boyarin’s scrupulously illustrated account argues that the coming of the Messiah was fully imagined in the ancient Jewish texts. Jesus, moreover, was embraced by many Jews as this person, and his core teachings were not at all a break from Jewish beliefs and teachings. Jesus and his followers, Boyarin shows, were simply Jewish. What came to be known as Christianity came much later, as religious and political leaders sought to impose a new religious orthodoxy that was not present at the time of Jesus’s life."

  What I want to focus on in this thread however is the first chapter, which Boyarin named, "From Son of God to Son of Man, " and in particular his analysis of Daniel 7:9,10, 13, 14.

  “I watched till thrones were put in place,
  And the Ancient of Days was seated;
  His garment was white as snow,
  And the hair of His head was like pure wool.
  His throne was a fiery flame,
  Its wheels a burning fire;
  10 A fiery stream issued
  And came forth from before Him.
  A thousand thousands ministered to Him;
  Ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him.
  The court[b] was seated,
  And the books were opened.

  ......

  “I was watching in the night visions,
  And behold, One like the Son of Man,
  Coming with the clouds of heaven!
  He came to the Ancient of Days,
  And they brought Him near before Him.
  14 Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
  That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
  His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
  Which shall not pass away,
  And His kingdom the one
  Which shall not be destroyed.
  
  I'm sure that nearly everyone here (as I did) read that an uncountable number of times in the field work. But did we read it with open eyes and minds. We shall see.
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  54

  Polytheism in the Book of Daniel, a late second temple religious document

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as jehovah's witnesses we committed ourselves to a blind belief in a monotheistic judaism that was automatically transmitted to a new religious organisation, started (we were taught) by jesus.. that's the premise which this thread will discuss.

  i suggest that sufficient evidence is available to throw doubt on both those beliefs.

  so this thread will argue (over about a week-hopefully) that:.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  fulltimestudent

  The theology of the witnesses was defined initially by the beliefs taught by Charles Russell. After his death, Joseph Rutherford obtained control of the legal organs used by Russell to disseminate his theology and later to organise his followers. Rutherford's name was attached as author to many publications disseminated during his presidency, but it is thought, by some at least, that they were ghost-written by Fred Franz. True or not true, it seems clear that by 1940, Franz was installed as the chief theologian of the Watchtower Society and Jehovah's witnesses, and that major beliefs of the witnesses were established during this period.

  To what extent Franz followed scholastic discussion in the academic world is not clear, but it can be suggested that the theological concepts taught by the witnesses are now at variance with the views of most scholars with an interest in both second temple and post second-temple Judaism and early Christianity.

  To be up-front, in the first part of this discussion, the views of Professor Daniel Boyarin (of the University of California at Berkeley will be used. His home page is at: http://nes.berkeley.edu/Web_Boyarin/BoyarinHomePage.html
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  54

  Polytheism in the Book of Daniel, a late second temple religious document

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. watchtower
  2. beliefs

  as jehovah's witnesses we committed ourselves to a blind belief in a monotheistic judaism that was automatically transmitted to a new religious organisation, started (we were taught) by jesus.. that's the premise which this thread will discuss.

  i suggest that sufficient evidence is available to throw doubt on both those beliefs.

  so this thread will argue (over about a week-hopefully) that:.

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  fulltimestudent

  As Jehovah's witnesses we committed ourselves to a blind belief in a monotheistic Judaism that was automatically transmitted to a new religious organisation, started (we were taught) by Jesus.

  That's the premise which this thread will discuss. I suggest that sufficient evidence is available to throw doubt on both those beliefs. So this thread will argue (over about a week-hopefully) that:

  1. There was evidence of a belief in polytheism in the Judaism of the late second temple period.

  2. That Christianity remained a branch of Judaism for a long period.
• 
  9

  Red Moon Over China

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  perhaps the recent lunar eclipse was heaven's way of demonstrating approval of the tremendous changes in china.. here's some images from the china daily:.

  the total lunar eclipse as observed in shenzhen, south china's guangdong province, april 4, 2015. the moon slipped fully into earths shadow saturday, starting a total lunar eclipse for nearly 12 minutes what guangdong astronomical science association says it was the shortest such eclipse of the century.

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  fulltimestudent

  As seen against a Guangzhou skyline:

  
  
• 
  9

  Red Moon Over China

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. social
  2. current

  perhaps the recent lunar eclipse was heaven's way of demonstrating approval of the tremendous changes in china.. here's some images from the china daily:.

  the total lunar eclipse as observed in shenzhen, south china's guangdong province, april 4, 2015. the moon slipped fully into earths shadow saturday, starting a total lunar eclipse for nearly 12 minutes what guangdong astronomical science association says it was the shortest such eclipse of the century.

  .

  1. 
  2. 
  3. 
• 

  fulltimestudent

  Perhaps the recent lunar eclipse was heaven's way of demonstrating approval of the tremendous changes in China.

  Here's some images from the China Daily:

  The total lunar eclipse as observed in Shenzhen, South China's Guangdong province, April 4, 2015. The moon slipped fully into Earth’s shadow Saturday, starting a total lunar eclipse for nearly 12 minutes — what Guangdong Astronomical Science Association says it was the shortest such eclipse of the century.

  

  
  
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  8

  Christian self-righteousness

  by fulltimestudent in

  1. jw
  2. friends

  doesn't matter what brand of christianity - this cartoon says it all:.

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  fulltimestudent

  Doesn't matter what brand of Christianity - this cartoon says it all: