From: Rick Lanser [abr@enter.net]
Sent: Monday, August
18, 2003 7:05 PM
To: Tony Garland
Subject: RE: ABR
Electronic Newsletter, August 2003
Tony,
Glad to hear you liked the
review! You can put a copy of the review directly on your site, with a credit
that includes a link to our home page, http://www.biblearchaeology.org. (We will be waiting a
month or two before putting the entire August issue into our newsletter
archives.)
In His service,
Rick
At 10:15 PM 8/16/03 -0700,
you wrote:
Hi Rick,
We have a Christian website where we publish book
reviews
https://spiritandtruth.org/teaching/reviews.htm
We love the "Indestructible Book"
and were wondering if ABR published the book review below on their
website? If so, it would be great to add a link from our recommended
books over to your review of the book?
Or, would it be possible to publish
your review directly on our site so long as proper credit was
given?
God
bless - Tony Garland
--
Tony Garland, contact@SpiritAndTruth.org, www.SpiritAndTruth.org
- -----Original Message-----
- From: Rick Lanser [mailto:abr@enter.net]
- Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2003 5:52 PM
- To: abr@enter.net
- Subject: ABR Electronic Newsletter, August 2003
- ABR ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
- Vol. 3, Issue 8 Circulation: 3410
- August 15, 2003
- http://www.biblearchaeology.org/
- 1-800-430-0008
- abrofc@aol.com
- Dear friends of ABR,
- This monthly Electronic Newsletter is being sent to everyone interested
in the mission and work of the Associates for Biblical Research. If you
would rather not receive it, please see the removal information at the end
of this issue. If you like it a great deal, consider forwarding copies to
interested friends!
- Also, please note: Due to the way this Newsletter is sent out, any
e-mail address which returns a rejection notice will be removed from our
database. This might occur if your mailbox is full (over quota or
storage capacity), temporarily suspended (ISP billing problems?), or will
not allow receiving e-mail from the enter.net domain. AOL 8.0 USERS,
"abr@enter.net" MUST be an authorized sender in order for you to receive the
Newsletter. If you find you no longer receive the Electronic Newsletter
around the 15th of each month, please try subscribing again, and perhaps ask
your ISP what steps to take to avoid continued rejected e-mails.
- The views and comments made in materials from sources outside of the
Associates for Biblical Research are not necessarily those of ABR. Such
materials are included only insofar as they relate to the general subjects
of archaeology and creation/evolution issues, and are provided for your
information only.
- ********************************************************************************************************
- Staff Commentary
- The Hazor, Israel, Excavation: LATEST NEWS!
- Carolyn Hansen
- ABR staffer Gordon Franz has just returned from a summer on the Hazor
dig. A full briefing will be forthcoming in the September ABR Electronic
Newsletter, but we wanted to give you an advance idea of what's to come!
Here is a look at what he plans to report:
- The Hazor site is the largest in Israel, and has major potential for
impacting understanding of Biblical references, especially the dating of the
Exodus, and enriching our understanding of Bronze Age (Exodus & Joshua)
events.
- The dig's director, Amnon Ben-Tor, a highly respected Jewish
archaeologist, accepts the Old Testament as a reliable historic source. This
is a rare approach among excavators of the biblical world.
- In the summer of 2004, the excavation will be searching for the Hazor
palace archives, and continuing to unearth the Solomonic fortifications as
well as investigating the influence of King Ahab on city
construction.
- This site is on the cutting edge of work which can provide support for
events as described in the Bible. This is an exciting opportunity for Bible
believers to participate in a major excavation!
- The living facilities for dig volunteers is comfortable and secure.
Numerous Biblical sites are safely and easily accessible to tourists, in
spite of alarmist news reports.
- Gordon is available to speak to groups and answer questions about the
dig. Contact him through the ABR office e-mail: abrofc@aol.com.
- We previously announced ABR's participation in the Hazor dig for 2004.
Based on Gordon's experiences in the field this past season, a few changes
have been made for ABR participation in the 2004 season at Hazor. In
particular:
- 1. ABR's season will officially cover the period June 23-July 11,
2004. If you wish to stay longer, indicate your wishes on your
registration form, and our administrator will contact you with
details.
- 2. The deadline for registration has been extended to November 30,
2003. A $300 nonrefundable deposit is due at that time. A $50 deposit
now will hold your space until November 30. Final payment is due March 15,
2004. Total cost remains at $2750.
- More in-depth information on the dig can also be found on our website,
at http://www.biblearchaeology.org/dig_hazor.html. A brief
summary is found in the "ABR Happenings" section below.
- Remember, your costs associated with the excavation are tax
deductible.
- ********************************************************************************************************
- Feature Article
- INVESTIGATING GENESIS
- Stephen Caesar
- "Cain's Wife"
- One of the most frequent questions skeptics ask is, "Where did Cain get
his wife?" The answer appears in Genesis 5:4: "And the days of Adam after he
had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and
daughters." During his long lifetime, Adam begat a large number of offspring
of both genders, so there were plenty of women from whom Cain could have
chosen a wife.
- One might recoil at the thought that Cain married his own sister, but we
must keep in mind that there literally was no one else available with whom
to fulfill God's command to "be fruitful and multiply" (Gen. 1:28). One
might also raise the objection that such close inbreeding would cause
serious genetic defects. This is only partly true. In Bradford, England,
there is a large but extremely close-knit Pakistani community that practices
inter-cousin marriages. There is a high rate of genetic defects among their
children, often leading to early death, because of what geneticists call
"deleterious recessives" genes that carry potential dangers such as cystic
fibrosis and sickle-cell anemia (Conniff 2003: 62).
- However, inter-cousin marriages can also be beneficial. For generations,
the hugely successful Rothschild banking family practiced intermarriage
among cousins in order to preserve the family's penchant for financial
brilliance. The billionaire duPont family in America practiced the same
thing for the same reasons. Albert Einstein married his first cousin (ibid.,
60-2). In 2002, University of Washington genetic counselor Robin L. Bennett,
president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, reported in the
Journal of Genetic Counseling that children of first cousins face only a
2-3% higher risk of birth defects than the rest of the population, making
them about as risky genetically as babies born to women 41 years old.
According to the science journal Discover, the negative attitude toward
inter-cousin marriage is not based on science but is "a heritage of early
evolutionists with misguided notions about the upward march of human
societies" (ibid., 62).
- A 1960 study of first-cousin marriages in 19th-century England conducted
by C. D. Darlington, a geneticist at Oxford University, showed that married
cousins produced twice as many great-grandchildren as did outbred couples
(ibid., 63). This is directly relevant to the subject at hand: God's order
to the first humans was to "be fruitful and multiply," which meant that high
fertility was of the utmost importance, and Darlington's study shows that
inter-cousin marriage increases fertility. Why, then, the problem with the
Pakistanis in Bradford? Discover explains:
- "The consequences of inbreeding are unpredictable and depend largely on
what biologists call the founder effect: If the founding couple pass on a
large number of lethal recessives, as appears to have happened in Bradford,
these recessives will spread and double up through intermarriage. If,
however, Mayer and Gutle Rothschild [the founding couple of the inbreeding
Rothschild dynasty] handed down a comparatively healthy genome, their
descendants could safely intermarry for generations at least until small
deleterious effects inevitably began to pile up and produce inbreeding
depression, a long-term decline in the well-being of a family or a species"
(ibid.).
Again, this is highly important to the subject at hand.
Adam and Eve were created genetically perfect (Gen. 1:31), and were later made
imperfect, as was the whole of Creation, by the Fall (Gen. 3:17-19, Rom.
8:22). Despite the Curse, Adam and Eve still must have had comparatively pure
genes, which they passed down to Cain and his siblings. One generation was not
enough time for the First Family's genes to develop deleterious recessives, as
would later be the case with the Pakistanis of Bradford. In other words, Adam
and Eve were like Mayer and Gutle Rothschild, passing on relatively pure genes
to their offspring, enabling those offspring to interbreed without much fear
of lethal recessives wreaking havoc among their children. This is probably why
the section of the Mosaic Law that deals with incest (Lev. 20:11-21) does not
forbid cousins to marry.
References:
Conniff, R. 2003. "Go
Ahead, Kiss Your Cousin." Discover 24, no. 8.
Stephen Caesar, M.A.,
is on the staff of the Associates for Biblical Research. He holds his master's
degree in anthropology and archaeology from Harvard University. He is the
author of the e-book The Bible Encounters Modern Science, available at www.1stbooks.com.
********************************************************************************************************
News Reports
More on the James Ossuary
guy...
Oded Golan (the fellow who brought the 'James Ossuary' to light)
was arrested recently:
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/204/nation/Israeli_held_in_suspected_forgery_of_artifacts+.shtml
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/23/international/middleeast/23BRIE3.html
http://www.icej.org/cgi-local/view.cgi?type=headline&artid=2003/07/23/56527978
...
and the reaction:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull%26cid=1059022251164
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/215/nation/Relic_s_owner_under_cloud_of_suspicion+.shtml
Experts,
dealer clash over James Ossuary's authenticity
Tempers flared over the
question at the showing of a documentary about the case and a new interview
dismissing an Israeli finding that led to the arrest of an antiquities dealer
on suspicion of forging sacred artifacts (The Globe and Mail, Toronto).
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030727.wossu0727/BNStory/International/
Geologists:
James Ossuary patina faked
Avner Ayalon determined that the patina
covering both the letters and surface of the Jehoash Inscription, as well as
the inscription on the James Ossuary, "could not have formed under natural
climactic conditions...that prevailed in the Judea Mountains during the last
2000 years." Furthermore, the patina contained in the inscription on the James
Ossuary is "significantly different from the oxygen isotopic composition in
the surface patina of [the ossuary] and of patina of authentic ossuaries
stored in [Jerusalem's] Rockefeller Museum." An internal GSI committee
reviewed and approved Dr. Ayalon's conclusions.
http://www.archaeology.org/magazine.php?page=online/news/patina
More
on John the Baptist's father's tomb
Last time we mentioned the
discovery of a tomb inscription linked to the father of John the Baptist ...
here's rather more detail than what was given in those earlier reports.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=324448
Creation
Expeditions team discovers giant duck-billed dinosaur
Fossilized skin
imprints from "Ezekiel" the Edmontosaurus point to recent catastrophic death
of this duck-billed giant. This find counters the myth that the Edmontosaurus
was a transitional dinosaur with feathers.
http://bhcsa.org/DinoStory.asp
********************************************************************************************************
Featured Links
Top ten important
archaeological discoveries
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13708-2003Aug1.html
A
top-ten list of archaeological discoveries of importance to Christian
studies.
Fifth International Conference on Creationism papers
online
http://www.icr.org/research/
PDF versions of the
papers recently presented by Institute for Creation Research scientists
are
available at this site. There is some very interesting material dealing with
radioisotope dating and climate models relating to the Genesis
Flood.
In the evolutionists' own words
http://www.evolution-facts.org/c23a.htm
A good
compilation of quotations showing that evolutionists themselves know the
theory of evolution is unscientific and worthless. (There are hundreds more
similar quotes scattered through the entire evolution-facts
website.)
********************************************************************************************************
ABR Happenings
Annual ABR Banquet and
Seminars
Reserve Nov. 8, 2003 for our annual banquet and seminars!
This year's topic will be
Ancient Iraq and the Bible. More information
will be forthcoming in the September newsletter. Call the office to be placed
on the invitation mailing list, 1-800-430-0008.
2004 Hazor
Excavation and Study Tour - UPDATED
INFORMATION
Join other ABR members as we help excavate Tel
Hazor, one of the most important Biblical sites in Israel. It was
conquered by Joshua (Joshua 11:1-15), conquered by Deborah and Barak (Judges
4-5) and fortified by Solomon (1 Kings 9:15). This will be the 14th season of
excavation under the direction of Amnon Ben-Tor of Hebrew University.
A
19-day session is planned: June 23-July 11. (If you wish to stay longer,
indicate your wishes on your registration form, and our administrator will
contact you with details.) Ten days will be spent excavating at Tel Hazor,
with six days of travel and study at major Biblical sites in Israel. Add
evening lectures, Bible study and Christian fellowship, and it makes for a
truly enjoyable, memorable experience!
Cost is $2750 from New York, all
expenses (double occupancy). Bring five full-paying companions and receive a
"land scholarship."
Registration and a $300 non-refundable deposit are
due no later than Nov. 30, 2003. Final payment is due March 15, 2004.
"BACK TO ISRAEL" SPECIAL: A non-refundable $50 deposit will hold your place,
with $250 due Nov. 30, 2003, with the balance due March 15, 2004.
For
more information:
See our website HERE
CALL:
717/892-1044
FAX: 717/892-3049
E-MAIL: abrdig@aol.com
WRITE: Hazor
Dig
Associates for Biblical
Research
P.O. Box
356
Landisville, PA 17538
Order Now: Khirbet Nisya Excavation
Book
The report on the 24 years of excavations at Kh. Nisya, led by ABR
founder Dr. David Livingston, is ready to go to the printers, and we are now
taking orders.
CONTENTS OF THE REPORT:
- 60 pages of color photos in
more than 300 pages with a hard binding
- More than 150 photographs and
plans
- 29 pottery plates with their catalogs
- Excavated periods
include findings for: Middle and Late Bronze, Iron Age I and II,
Persian, Hellenistic, Early Roman, Early and Late Byzantine, Early
Islamic.
- Among the many illustrations are enigmatic cuttings in bedrock
(a Canaanite temple foundation?), coins of Khirbet Nisya, and photos of
interesting small finds from all seasons.
- Historical and Biblical studies
are discussed: the identification and location of Biblical Bethel, the
identification and location of Biblical Ai, the importance of correct dates
for the Biblical Exodus and Conquest, Israel�s origins (the antidote to many
scholars' claims that the Biblical narratives are myth), the use of stone
vessels and mikvaot, olive oil production and use in antiquity.
-
Appendices cover: staff and volunteers for all seasons, correspondence with J.
Kelso and W.F. Albright, a list of objects for all seasons, locus summaries,
and bibliography.
To order the book, kindly send your request either to
the ABR office or to David Livingston, Editor, 251 Yummerdall Road, Lititz PA
17543. When the book is finished, we will contact you and notify you of the
cost. (It will be about $50-60, depending on how many we feel we should
print.) If you previously requested a copy, please notify us again to confirm
your order.
ABR Staff Needs
Director of
Development
ABR is in need of a Director of Development to work in the
areas of outreach, membership growth and fundraising. At the present time, ABR
does not have the funds to pay a salary for this position, so we are looking
for volunteer help. If you are interested in serving the Lord in this area, or
know of someone who might be, please contact the ABR office.
Office
Secretary
A volunteer who lives in the Lancaster PA area is needed to
help in the ABR office located at
899 South Chiques Rd., Manheim. Work
would include mail processing, data entry, bulk mail preparation and answering
the telephone. If you are able to help, please call Angie at
892-1044.
Librarian
ABR is in need of a
volunteer librarian to manage a small, non-circulating, research library
specializing in the ancient Near East. The library presently is located at the
ABR office in Manheim PA, to be relocated to a new facility in Akron PA in
November. Duties include cataloguing books (LC system) and maintaining a
library database. If you are interested in serving the Lord in this area,
please contact the ABR
office.
********************************************************************************************************
Book Review
The Indestructible
Book
W. Kenneth Connolly
The Bible is the most remarkable
piece of literature this world has ever seen. It has outsold every other
publication; it has been translated into more languages than any other, and
has become part of the fabric of society. Humanly speaking, it took more than
1,500 years to compile the Bible. About 40 authors contributed to it. Some
used poetry others wrote history and yet others biography. Some were kings,
but others peasants; some were warriors and others priests; some were devoted
patriots, and others members of an outlawed underground organization. Some
people were so committed to the belief that the Bible is God's book that they
were even willing to die for that proposition. And strangely, others have been
willing to put them to death. Supporters of the Bible have been hung, drawn
and quartered; they have been burned, boiled and beheaded. Even in the 20th
century in some countries men and women have been imprisoned and tortured for
reading this forbidden book.
How are we to classify the Bible? Each of
us must make up our own mind about this extraordinary book. Why have so many
people willingly sacrificed so much so that everyone can read the Bible? Why
did so much need to be sacrificed for a book that has proven itself to be
"indestructible"?
The Indestructible Book tells the story of the
Bible from its beginnings to its translation into English, a story filled with
heroes who believed nothing is more important than learning what the Bible has
to teach us. One of those heroes was John Wycliffe. This Oxford scholar and
priest translated the entire Bible into English, eventually becoming chaplain
to the king of England. Wycliffe's controversial views ultimately offended
both church officials and palace authorities. Wycliffe stood alone; defending
himself against charges of heresy. He died while preaching in his church.
Believers in England and on the Continent who spread his message and beliefs
were executed by burning.
Another hero whose story is told in The
Indestructible Book is William Tyndale. Converted to Christianity through
his study of the Greek New Testament, Tyndale had English Bibles printed on
the Continent and smuggled into England in sacks of flour. People caught
reading this contraband were burned at the stake with the Bible hung around
their necks. Tyndale himself was eventually apprehended and burned. His final
prayer was this: "Open the eyes of the king of England." Three years later,
that prayer was answered.
Dramatic narratives about Wycliffe, Tyndale,
and many others fill The Indestructible Book. The text is complemented by
123 illustrations, nearly all of them reproduced in color. Here is a beautiful
book to treasure, even while it points us to a still more valuable book the
Bible, "the indestructible book"!
Baker Book House, 1996, 192 pages.
ABR wishes to get this book into the hands of as many people as possible and
is making it available for the special reduced price of $9.95, plus postage
and PA sales tax. Call 1-800-430-0008 for your credit card
order.
********************************************************************************************************
Speaking
Schedules
Pennsylvania
Doylestown September
14/21/28, 2003
Doylestown Presbyterian Church, 127 East Court St.,
Doylestown PA. Dr. Bryant Wood will be teaching the archaeology of the
Exodus-Conquest period to the Adult Education class, 9:30-10:30 am, with the
following topics:
- Sept. 14 Introduction; Israel in Egypt, Part I: The Days of Joseph
- Sept. 21 Israel in Egypt, Part II: The Days of Moses
- Sept. 28 Wilderness Wanderings and the Laws of Moses
Directions to the church can be found at www.dtownpc.org, or call
(215) 348-3531.
Barto October 17-19, 2003
Creation lecturer
Margaret DeLancey will be presenting a Creation seminar at Bethany E.C.Church.
For further information, contact Margaret Masemore,
610-845-3362
New Jersey
Haledon November 1,
2003
Creation lecturer Margaret DeLancey will be speaking at Grace Bible
Church. For further information, contact Gordon Franz,
201-797-6359
********************************************************************************************************
Please
spread the word! Feel free to send a copy of this newsletter to your friends
and colleagues. If you have received it from a friend and would like to
subscribe, send a blank e-mail to abr@enter.net with
the subject line "Newsletter" (without quotes).
Would you like to help
ABR uphold the truth of Scripture and also keep up to date on the latest
findings from Biblical Archaeology? Then become a member of ABR! See our
website for details and a membership form, http://www.Biblearchaeology.org, or contact the ABR
office by phone (1-800-430-0008) or e-mail (abrofc@aol.com).
We would love to hear your
suggestions about how to improve future issues. Send comments and suggestions,
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