✪ "A recent publication by Egyptologists and biblical scholars Manfred Görg, Peter van der Veen, and Christoffer Theis suggests that there may be an even earlier reference to Israel in the Egyptian record than that found on the Merneptah Stela. Manfred Görg, discovered a broken pedestal (c. 18 inches hight by 15.5 inches wide) containing three hieroglyphic name-rings in the Egyptian Museum of Berlin (i.e. Ashkelon, Canaan, and Israel). After studying it with colleagues Peter van der Veen, and Christoffer Theis, they suggest that the last name-ring, partially destroyed, should be read as “Israel.” Not all scholars agree with their reading because of slight differences in spelling, but Görg, van der Veen, and Theis offer strong arguments, including supportive parallels in the Merneptah Stele itself. This recently rediscovered inscription is dated to the 18th Egyptian dynasty (c. 1400 B.C.)--about 200 years earlier than the Merneptah Stele." Michael A. Grisanti, Recent Archaeological Discoveries That Lend Credence to the Historicity of the Scriptures, Ref-0066, vol. 24 no. 1 Spring 2014, 5-15, p. 6
✪ "The Masoretic Text of Exodus 1:5 reads ‘seventy souls,’ whereas the LXX and the New Testament quote taken from it (cf. Acts 7:14) read ‘seventy-five souls.’ A fragment of Exodus 1:5 from the Qumran Scrolls reads ‘seventy five souls,’ in agreement with the LXX." Ref-0075, p. 367. "Some have assumed that Stephen was citing either the Septuagint or the Proto-Septuagint text of Qumran in giving the number as seventy-five (Acts 7:14 and Exodus 1:5). Yet, this can also be explained by the way the family was numbered and not the text Stephen was citing. . . In Genesis 46:8-26 we have a total of sixty-six children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of Jacob. When we add Jacob to this list with Joseph and his two sons we have a total of seventy. The number given by Stephen in Acts 7:14 of seventy-five (which does not include Jacob himself) could also be correct if Stephen was counting the wives of Jacob's children, something the New Testament would do since it is much more inclusive regarding gender. Both Judah and Simeon were widowers. Therefore, to the sixty-six persons already mentioned, we add nine wives (not counting Joseph, his wife, and children because they were already in Egypt). Using this method of counting, the number seventy-five is correct." Ref-0086, p. 135. "A comparison of Genesis 46:5-27 with Acts 7:14 reveals three different statements as to the number of family members in that southward moving caravan -- 66, 70, and 75. As a result, when interpreting the Acts 7:14 passage nearly all modern scholars inform us that the Septuagint (LXX) conforms in reading “75” in Genesis 46:26-27 (and at Ex. 1:5) whereas the Hebrew text supposedly errs and contradicts Acts in recording “70” in the Genesis passage. . . . The scholars continue by adding that the 5 missing names in the Hebrew text are preserved in the LXX at Genesis 46:20 where Machir, the son of Manasseh, and Machir's son Galaad (Hebrew = Gilead) are recorded along with Ephraim's two son's Taam (Hebrew = Tahan) and Sutalaam (Hebrew = Shuthelah) and his son Edom (Hebrew = Eran). We are further informed that as the Hebrew text contradicts the Acts account regarding the number of Jacob's family that traveled down to Egypt . . . the Hebrew text is corrupt here (and at Deu. 10:22 as well as Ex. 1:5 as they also record “70”) and must be corrected by the LXX to bring the count into agreement. . . . Is it really reasonable or likely that Stephen (having been dragged in before the Sanhedrin by a mob and now in the middle of a spirit filled address before the very men who had caused the death of his Lord -- while speaking as a Hebrew to the Hebrews) would have quoted from a GREEK Old Testament manuscript of Genesis in which five names and been added in violation of the Hebrew laws governing Scripture transmission? . . . Acts 7:14 and Genesis 46:27 are not referring to the same entity. Again three totals (66, 70, and 75) are given . . . First, Genesis 46:26 states that 66 souls came “with” Jacob to Egypt . . . these 66 are said to have come “out of his loins”. Beginning at Genesis 46:9 and going through verse 25, we find 66 males listed of which two (Er and Onan, vs. 12) have already died leaving a total of 64 males. If we now add the two girls from verses 15 (Dinah, a daughter) and 17 (Serah, a granddaughter), we account for the 66 souls “from Jacob's loins” who came with him to Egypt (Gen. 46:26). . . . The solution to the 66 and 70 predicament is quote unambiguous . . . Genesis 46:27 adds Joseph and his two sons (Manasseh & Ephraim, vs. 20), all 3 of whom were already down in Egypt. This brings are running total to 66 + 3 = 69. As the “66” are said to have been those who came with Jacob, he has not yet been included. Now we do so and obtain the 70 souls included in the term, “the house of Jacob” (v. 27). Indeed, the biblical definition for “the house of Jacob” is clearly stated as being Jacob and “all his seed” which would include Joseph and his two sons (vs. 27, cp. vs. 6). This total may also be obtained by merely adding the 33 of verse 15 [which includes Jacob himself] the 16 (vs. 18), the 14 (vs. 22), and the 7 (vs. 25). . . Here [Acts 7:15] a genuine contradiction is perceived by many; were there 70 or 75? Stephen . . . is speaking of a different entity which he calls Jacob's “kindred”. The terms “house of Jacob” and “kindred”, though similar, are not synonymous. . . . Jacob's “kindred” that Joseph “sent” for to come “to him” (Acts 7:14) are the 66 already cited plus the wives of his sons that came down to Egypt with their father. Moreover, it is back in Genesis 46:26 where we are given the clue that these wives are the key to differentiating between the “70” and “75”. There we read that 66 souls came with Jacob down to Egypt: “besides Jacob's son's wives”. These daughters-in-law were not included as having to do with the “house of Jacob” (Gen. 46:26) which numbered only those “who came out of his loins”, but they are part of Jacob's “kindred” that Joseph sent for. Now Jacob had twelve sons (Gen. 35:22). To determine how many wifes went down to Egypt, we simply take the 75 “kindred”, subtract the 77 who came from Jacob's loins . . . and obtain only nine rather than twelve. That is 9 of the 75 “kindred” that came . . did not came from his loins, and Gen. 46:26 has alerted us to the fact that they are the son's wives. Therefore, 3 of the 12 son's wives (12 - 9 = 3) were not numbered in the “kindred”. . . . we must immediately exclude Joseph's wife for she was already in Egypt . . . A second is found early at Genesis 38:12 where we learn that Judah's wife had died previously. Thus, one of the other son's must also have become a widower. We may deduce that it was almost certainly Simeon as special attention is called to the fact that Shaul, his youngest son, was by a Canaanitess (Gen. 46:10). . . . Manifestly, the LXX that is today extant has been proven spurious for Manasseh and Ephraim are for too young to be fathers when Josephs “kindred” went down to him in Egypt -- much less grandfathers! The reading in the LXX is grossly untenable. Thus, the “5 missing names” in the Hebrew text at Genesis 46:20 . . . are seen to have been interpolated by conjecture . . . in the LXX. The author of the LXX has tried to force Genesis 46:20 to conform to Acts 7:14." Ref-0186, pp. 68-71. "Concerning the number of persons who came into Egypt with Jacob there are three separate statements, each of which gives a different number. 1. In Genesis 46:26 we read, “All the souls which came with Jacob into Egypt, which came out of his loins, besides Jacob’s sons’ wives, all the souls where threescore and six” (66 persons). This excludes Jacob himself, and his wives, and the wives of his sons. It excludes also Joseph and his two sons, who were already in Egypt. It specifies only those who “came with Jacob” and who “came out of hi s loins.” 2. In the next verse (Gen. 46:27) we read, “All the souls of the house of Jacob which came into Egypt where threescore and ten” (70 persons). It is evident that this difference of four persons is made up by adding to the 66 of verse 26 Jacob, Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim. This agrees with that Moses said in Deuteronomy 10:22 “Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons.” 3. In Acts 7:14 Stephen said, “Then sent Joseph and called Jacob to him and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls” (75 persons). The apostles and other Jews of their day used the Septuagint version, from which version Stephen was evidently quoting, for that version adds two sons of Manasseh and three sons of Ephraim (see Numb. 26:28-37 and 1 Chron. 7:20) who are not included in the Hebrew text. The expression used by Stephen “and all his kindred” is broad enough to include these five additional persons." Ref-1298, p. 30.
✪ "Although not common knowledge, the mathematics imposed upon the chronology of Scripture context demand that Jacob took his wives, Leah and Rachel, almost immediately upon coming to his uncle Laban's . . . Otherwise, Judah would have been born too late for all the details of his life given in Genesis 38 to have occurred." Ref-0186, p. 64. "Whereas Ussher had placed Jacob's arrival at Haran around B.C. 1760 and his marriages to Leah and Rachel during that same year . . . , Bishop Lloyd altered Jacob's wedding date, having him wait seven years before acquiring his brides (B.C. 1753). . . . Jacob did not say “Give me my wife, for my years are fulfilled.” He said “for my days are fulfilled” (Gen. 29:21). This implies a certain number of days from the time the contract was made until he could actually take Rachel to wife. . . . The 7 years (vs. 18) of service were the total dowry and not the customary waiting period. The “few days” of Gen. 29:20 could have been the month of verse 14 and he contract could have been made at the beginning of these 30 days. Verse 15 implies that Jacob had already been working or “serving” Laban in order to earn his keep. . . . Jacob actually received both wives within a week of each other . . . As it may be proved that Leah became his wife at the beginning of the total 14 years dowry period . . . then Rachel had to have also become his wife at this time. . . . It is not feasible that Jacob obtained Leah (and Rachel a week later) at the end of the first 7 year period because that would not allow enough time for all the children to be born." Ref-0186, pp. 65-66. Might not the plain meaning of the text here be an indication that something is amiss with the chronology?
✪ See lesson - TWO WOMEN HEALED. On the way to raise a dead Jewish girl, Jesus heals a Gentile woman with an issue of blood (unclean).
✪ "Thus it is obvious that James died in the year A.D. 63, for that is the date on the ossuary lid. Which brings us to the very date that Josephus, the great first century historian, said of James, one of the first early church leaders, who was martyred for his faith in A.D. 63. It also agrees with Dr. Luke, author of the book of Acts that describes the scene in Acts 12:2." Ref-0181, January 2003, p. 2. "Under cross-examination by defense attorneys, many experts for the hoax claim recanted their findings. The government’s principal witness, Yuval Goren, who testified that a covering has been applied to conceal evidence of forgery, was forced to admit upon cross-examination that he could see original ancient patina in the critical word “Jesus.” With that admission, the prosecution’s case fell apart. Not a single expert on Semitic inscriptions of the period has testified that the ossuary was a forgery. . . . In October 2008, after more than three years in court, Judge Farkash advised the prosecution to drop the case, which would result in a major embarrassment for the IAA [Israeli Antiquities Authority] and the Israeli police." Chris Ashcraft, James Ossuary Withstands Accusations, Ref-0028, 32(1) 2010, p. 43. "Josephus further describes the stoning execution of this same James under the instigation of the high priest Ananias in A.D. 62, adding the note that even the non-Christian Jews objected to this atrocity committed on a godly, well-respected man." William C. Varner, Josephus: Jewish War Correspondent Ref-0066, Vol. 26 No. 1 Winter 2013, 26-28, p. 28.
✪ "The account given us by an eminent primitive writer, Clemens Alexandrinus, ought not to be overlooked; that, as James was led to the place of martyrdom, his accuser was brought to repent of his conduct by the apostle's extraordinary courage and undauntedness, and fell down at his feet to request his pardon," Ref-1306, loc. 270. "The account given us by an eminent primitive writer, Clemens Alexandrinus, ought not to be overlooked; that, as James was led to the place of martyrdom, his accuser was brought to repent of his conduct by the apostle's extraordinary courage and undauntedness, and fell down at his feet to request his pardon, professing himself a christian, and resolving that James should not receive the crown of martyrdom alone. Hence they were both beheaded at the same time. Thus did the first apostolic martyr cheerfully and resolutely receive that cup, which he had told our Saviour he was ready to drink." Ref-1306, loc. 270-272. "He was elected to the oversight of the churches of Jerusalem; and was the author of the epistle ascribed to James in the sacred canon. At the age of ninety-four, he was beat and stoned by the Jews; and finally had his brains dashed out with a fuller's club." Ref-1306, loc. 281.
✪ "The cabal who formed the resolution of putting in practice this horrid scheme, consisted of the following persons:—Henry Garnet, an Englishman who, about the year 1586, had been sent to England as superior of the English Jesuits; Catesby, an English gentleman; Tesmond, a Jesuit; Thomas Wright; two gentlemen of the name of Winter; Thomas Percy, a near relation of the earl of Northumberland; Guido Fawkes, a bold and enterprising soldier of fortune; Sir Edward Digby; John Grant, Esq.; Francis Tresham, Esq.; Robert Keyes and Thomas Bates, gentlemen." Ref-1306, loc. 6209-6210.
✪ "The jasper and the sardine stone are the first and last of these twelve stones [representing the tribes of Israel]. The jasper represented Reuben, the first of the tribes, since Reuben was the firstborn of Jacob. The sardine stone represented Benjamin, the youngest of the twelve sone of Jacob. In other words, the two stones represented the first and the last and therefore may be regarded as including all the other stones in between, that is, the whol of the covenanted people." Ref-0032, p. 104.
✪ Ionia: Greece.