Dead Sea Scrolls hoax

Today an article on Yahoo.com reads:

"The scrolls include the earliest known version of portions of the Hebrew Bible and have shed important light on Judaism and the beginnings of Christianity." (Full text of the article here)

Except for Isaiah and Habakkuk there is very little of Hebrew Bible in the scrolls. Most items are fragments many hardly bigger than a postage stamp.

John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth were unique teachers and there is nothing in the scrolls relating to them. Some "scholars" have made money making allegations, but they are far fetched and have been disproved.

Many scholars say the scrolls were assembled by a sect known as the Essenes. Others - including University of Chicago professor Norman Golb, Raphael Golb's father - say the writings were the work of a range of Jewish groups and communities.

The origin of the scrolls is suspect. There are too many medieval markings in the scrolls to discount. I have some of them cataloged under "Controversial Marks." If interested you can see some of them here.

Also, check here and scroll to the end of the page.

Pediphile Priests not limited to 2010

The following was written in Feb. 26 2007

except for Peter who was a bishop in Babylon but no doubt died in Rome, the rest of the first six men listed as Popes in your list may have been bishops of Rome but they made no claim to being the head of all the churches. Historical facts seem clear that there was no fusion of the authority of Spiritual and the temporal or what is known as the Temporality until Justinian in the 6th century. While Constantinople remained in the Catholic community and were participants in the first seven councils they did not a ccept the superiority of the Bishop of Rome over "all the churches."

However in some things I accept the moral superiority of Roman Catholic influence over the secular demon that now holds sway over western civilization. The Roman church held the line on abortion and properly taught that human life begins at the moment of conception. This too while evangelical protestants thought it was a political issue rather than a moral issue and had to be taught by their Roman Catholic friends and who eventually (most of them) adopted the thinking of the Roman church on this issue.

The principles confronting the Roman church on homosexuality are under assault. I hope they can not only hold the moral ground on the issue but get their priesthood cleansed from the sexual sins plaguing the system world wide.

Albert Barnes on Rev 19 written before 1850


And out of the mouth of the false prophet. The word rendered false prophet--qeudoprofhtou--does not before occur in the book of Revelation, though the use of the article would seem to imply that some well-known power or influence was referred to by this. Compare Barnes on "Re 10:3". The word occurs in other places in the New Testament, Mt 7:15; 24:11,24; Mr 13:22; Lu 6:26; Ac 13:6; 2Pe 2:1; 1Jo 4:1; and twice elsewhere in the book of Revelation, with the same reference as here, Re 19:20; 20:10. In both these latter places it is connected with the "beast." "And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet." "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are." It would seem then to refer to some power that was similar to that of the beast, and that was to share the same fate in the overthrow of the enemies of the gospel. As to the application of this, there is no opinion so probable as that it alludes to the Mohammedan power--not strictly the Turkish power, for that was to be "dried up" or to diminish; but to the Mohammedan power as such, that was still to continue for awhile in its rigour, and that was yet to exert a formidable influence against the gospel, and probably in some combination, in fact, if not in form, with Paganism and the Papacy. The reasons for this opinion are,

(a) that this was referred to in the former part of the book is one of the formidable powers that would arise, and that would materially affect the destiny of the world--and it may be presumed that it would be again referred to in the account of the final consummation- see Re 9:1-11;

(b) the name "false prophet" would better than any other describe has that power, and would naturally suggest it in future times--for to no one that ever appeared in our world could the name be so properly applied as to Mohammed;

Ordinary Islam Fosters Terrorism

Islam fosters terrorism. The religion itself is of human origin and archaic. Medieval violence and ugly hatred is imbedded in the religion. It is oppressive to women and any free thought.

The youth in Iran want to over throw the oppression and seek secular freedom. Islam in general itself is in the way of that proper attitude. The God of creation has allowed freedom to choose good or evil for your self in this life until the day of the Great Divide. Then the "blessed and only Potentate" will make the final decisions. At this point you can love him or hate him without impunity. Islam has no such doctrine of freedom of speech or thought for the enemy.

I have been writing and speaking for more than 20 years that Islamic nations will open to religious and political freedom in the season we are living in. The Wahabi militants will not let that happen without murder and mayhem and worse of all is that a majority of so called moderate Islamists condone and intellectually justify the method of murdering working class bus riders and countless children to make their religious-political point.

Just now in the USA our media is beginning to insist on describing the hate filled muslims as "Fundamental Islamist terrorists" instead of the generic term "terrorist" as though terrorist acts are not 99% the product of muslims in Algeria, Somolia, Sudan, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Indonesia, Saudi, Russia, Palestine, etc. etc. And several now see the terrorist war as an ideological struggle of resurgent Islam with the goal to spread its ugly sharia to every "infidel" nation in the world. The Mosque is the center for hate and destruction, it is inherent in the religion. It will not go away until the religion changes.

This struggle will get worse before it gets better and in all likelihood some one involved in the "Holy Jihad" will detonate an atomic device in a Western city and murder millions to make a point for their false, ungodly, and unholy religion. OK , not every doctrine or cultural expression is bad. So down with the worse! i.e. the Koran, and Mohammed. I am not naive.

King Arthur Tour: Joseph of Armethea

The legend says that Joseph of Armethea was uncle of Jesus of Nazareth and he was also a business man and trader in metals. The latter would have brought him to Cornwall where B.C. tin mines existed and still exist. You will see the tin mine towers in Cornwall. The legend says this is why Joseph evangelized in Cornwall where he had visited on business trips earlier. (Tin is mentioned in the Bible and there are no tin mines in the Near East.)

One Anglican Hymn that all Brits used to know as a favorite "Jerusalem" indicates there is the possibility that Joseph took his nephew Jesus on one of those journeys. William Blake's poem, based on the same legend, and famously set to music by Sir Hubert Parry as 'Jerusalem':

And did those feet in ancient time

Walk upon England's mountains green?

And was the holy Lamb of God

On England's pleasant pastures seen?

And did the countenance divine

Shine forth upon our clouded hills?

And was Jerusalem builded here

Among those dark satanic mills?

Here is a video of these words being sung at The Proms at Royal Albert Hall in 2008.

There are many other oral traditions that affirm that Joseph had Jesus with him. For instance one: as a confirmation of an oath.

"In the 19th century, the people of Priddy, a tin mining village just north of Glastonbury, had a saying, "As sure as our Lord was in Priddy."

This should enhance a visit to Glastonbury and Cornwall.

King Arthur Tour

Tour of the West Country Featuring King Arthur's Historical Locations but not excluding Interesting Sites on the Way.


There are so many extraordinary things to see on this tour. You can not see them all. Stick with what is recommended. You can always come back. Start your tour on the M3.


Actually the Arthur tour really starts at Cadbury Camelot also called Cadbury Castle, located just south of South Cadbury in Somerset. Just off the A303 a mile or two past Wincanton, but:


If you have time, the tour should start with a visit to Winchester. Which is the first capitol of Saxon England. There is a giant statue of Alfred the Great (about the year 800) the first Saxon King of England in the center of town (park there) near the Norman Cathedral which has the longest nave in Europe. See it. There is an Arthur round table near the Cathedral. Ask directions there. The M3 goes to Winchester.


From Winchester I recommend that you take the short cut to the A 30 to Salisbury and visit the Norman Cathedral there which has the highest spire in Europe and its repair by Wren is worth learning about. It almost fell down.


Then leave Salisbury take the road straight north to Amesbury 5 or 6 miles and junction with the A 303 and two miles west (left) find Stone Henge. If you haven't seen it stop for a few minutes


Then about 15 miles further west on the A 303 pass Wincanton and find Cadbury Camelot located just south of South Cadbury in Somerset. Just off the A303 a mile or two past Wincanton. At the site is a path owned by National Trust to the top of the tel. Many Arthur sites are close by. The Battle of Baden was fought at Badbury Rings some miles southwest near Poole which we will visit at the end of the tour. Cadbury Camelot is a major site and time spent here will be worth while. Archaeologists have found pottery from Tintagel in the ruins of this Camelot. Arthur was born at Tintagel Castle (later on the tour). Glastonbury Tor is less than 10 miles away, as the crow flies. It can be seen from the top of Camelot. Further by car.



Glastonbury Tor


I am not sure how long these visits will take but you should be able to make it to Glastonbury for the night. Perhaps book a B&B there and tour the town next day. There you must climb Glastonbury Tor, a mystical and magical place and visit the spring at the bottom ot the Tor where 25,000 gallons of water issues out every day. Then to town center and visit Glastonbury Abby. Arthur and Guinevere were buried there and the place is marked. Learn the legendary story about Joseph of Armethea starting the Abby after he started the church in Exeter in Cornwall. There is no other legend so it may be true and is the background of Arthur's Knights seeking the Holy Grail because Joseph (Uncle to Mary mother of Jesus) is said to have brought it there. The fact that about the year 500 they were still looking for it 400 plus years later establishes how old and how strong the word of mouth legend was. You will learn about the Dissolution under Henry VIII there. Lots to be seen in Glastonbury. Big drive tomorrow or if time drive 30 to 35 miles to Lynton the same night. Go through Minehead. Don't stop.


From Clastonbury to Lynton-Lynmouth on the Severn Estuary in N Devon. You can see Wales across the estuary. Lots of good B&B's in Lynton ranging fro $27 per person and up up. Look them up on line. Lynmouth is on the bottom of the cliff and is a harbor town. Lynton is at the top. Good hotels there. The main thing you must see is the funicular rail road connecting the two towns. Almost straight up and down and it is free or was when we were there. It is run by gravity and you will enjoy the experience of riding this phenomenal invention which has been operating every day since 1890. 120 years!


Then from Lynton find your way to Clovelly. From Lynton it is probably about 20 to 23 miles just off the A 39 south of Westward Ho and Northam. It is a must see. Many tourists will be there. Clovelly is built on the Cliff side face. It is called up and down Clovelly. There are no roads in this sizeable town with shops and restaurants etc and all shops are stocked by donkey back. No motorized vehicles. At the very bottom there is a Range Rover that will take you a circuitous route to the top for a fee. But it is a walking town and a unique English place. Cornish Pasties that will knock your eye out are sold in most villages. Nothing like them anywhere else in the world.


Continue on south from Clovelly on the A 39 about 15 miles to Tintagel the fabled home of Merlin who raised Arthur after his illegitimate birth. Look it up on line. It was near here that Uther Pendragon committed adultery with Igraine the duke of Cornwall's wife and Arthur was born of the union and raised by Merlin the sorceror. The castle is a ruin but if you don't get an eerie feeling there I will know you do not believe in ghosts. You have to do a lot of walking there and a digital camera is a must.


If you miss Bedruthen Rocks its OK but they are on the coast north of Newquay which is a good place to eat and seals are in the ocean here. But then make the rest of the journey to Penzance I am not sure how far, may be as much as 40 miles from Tintagel. Settle in at Penzance. Here you have to see Mousehole, Land's End, palm trees there. Walk the streets of St Ives too popular to miss. Then visit Michael Mount in the bay of Penzance. It is an Island accessible by walking at low tide but you may have to take a boat back. Don't miss it.


Start the day leaving Penzance and go to Looe Pool only a very few miles east. See it last when you are leaving Penzance. It is near Porthleven just east of it on the B3304. It is where excalibur went back to the Lady of the lake. The first picture in this article is of Looe Pool. You have to open and close gates on private land where there are signs but it is worth the walk. If you can't find it ask, do not miss it. All locals will know where it is. It is on the maps of UK and is a mile long lake which is separated from the ocean by a 200 yard wide causeway of sand and stone almost a mile long. Beside being an authentic Arthur location it is a geological wonder worth seeing.


This s almost the end. There is just one more stop on the Arthur tour and it is back in Dorset a long long way. You can fill in some places if you like on the way. Seeing the original church at Exeter might be one where Joseph Of Armathea is said to have begun his ministry in England, before he went to Glastonbury. (I am a believer.) And perhaps Plymouth where a replica of the Mayflower, the ship that took the first settlers to New England, is moored. Good fish restaurants in Plymouth harbor. Next stop is near Poole before Bournemouth. Follow the A 35 to the A 31 to Wimbourne Minster and junction with the B3082. and go toward Blandford Forum and Badury Rings will be half way on the right about 4 or 5 miles from Wimbourne. Badbury Rings had been inhabited as a fortress from 800 years before Christ. And it is the location of the Battle of Baden where Arthur defeated the Saxon invaders and turned them back in the early 500's which set the stage for Camelot when Arthur ruled. He ruled when and because the Romans had abandoned Britain until the overthrow of Arthur's Celts by the Saxons, aided by Mordred's foolish overthrow of Arthur. The Saxon vistories began the Anglo Saxon rule which gave England its name derived from the Angles. Badbury Rings was also where, later during Nero's reign, Vespatian and his Roman armies were stationed in Britain. It was most likely that Nero called him from there in about 68 to put down the rebellion in Jerusalem. Vespatian became Emperor before Jerusalem fell. Which event he left to his son Titus who ended the siege of Jerusalem and destroyed the Temple in 70 AD.


There are many extraordinary places and things that you will miss on this tour, like Bodman Moor, Polperro and the town of Looe really beautiful places and great beaches. But you can always go back. One of the best ways to go back is to ask my son George where and how he rents self catering cottages and get one and drive out from there to the areas near by.


All the best and let me know what you think.


Fred

The right Name? Is it wrong to say it "wrong"?

Q:

Fred,

I joined a social network that was originally called Jewish/Christian coalition. It has shifted to more of the Messianic movement and is now called http://4yahweh.ning.com. Anyway, they had a blog post recently stating that the word Jesus is a modern creation and is not in the original text. I wanted to refute that argument, but as I checked my Greek NT and lexicon, I could not find the word Jesus. Wondered if you could give me any thoughts on this. Sure would appreciate any help you can give me.

Leona

A:

The name Jesus from Hebrew יְשׁוּעָ

Trying to get a proper pronunciation for a name does not take into consideration that each language has peculiarities of sounds and that language changes over time. For instance there is no Y or J in Greek and Spanish J is pronounced H etc. Thus Yeshua in Hebrew, which means Salvation, is pronounved Iasous in Greek and the spelling changes when as a noun it is declined like ιησου. In Spanish it is Jesu pronounced Hesu, in Navaho it is Yeasu, In Latin Iesus since there is no J in Latin either; or French Jésus with an accent. Were the Jewish masoretes wrong when they accented Yeshua in Isaiah? Or Russian Иисус If you transliterated it into English it would almost be Aasus, but we have no exact equivalent for И. Croatians have Isus. etc. Or How about Aramaic which you could not read if I printed it. Even many languages which spell the name "Jesus" will not pronounce it the same due to the peculiarities of that language like German for instance. What is the use of getting the "real" pronunciation anyway. What rubbish! Is it a magic thing that makes everyone addressing our Lord unacceptable because they lisp or do not speak Hebrew?

There is no J in Hebrew. The yod is often translated into English as J like Josiah, Jeremiah, Jonah, Jacob, and Javan, Yavan in Hebrew (Or more properly Ion) in Hebrew is translated as Javan (Greece but more likely Ionia) in English.

But the worst part of their arrogance is that Yeshua is not the exact Hebrew original pronunciation. The last consonent in the word is an ayin which is a gutteral like "ghh" but not as rough. This was the original sound but is not used in modern Hebrew. So Yeshua is not the real original pronunciation that would have been used by Isaiah others! Isaiah wrote Yeshuatiy which means my saviour or My Jesus in Isaiah 49:6; and he did have Messiah Jesus in mind. Read it.

Is it wrong to say Messiah instead of the more Hebrew Meshiach or Yeshua Meshiach instead of Jesus Christ? What rubbish!

I also see the group you cite gives a false pronunciation for YHWH. The pronunciation of which is lost and reverent observant Jews will not attempt to pronounce the NAME. They substitue the Hebrew word for my Lord "adonai" Like in the most popular prayer called the Schma which is "Hear O Israel YHWH our God is one YHWH." They pray in Hebrew: "Schma Yisrael, Adonai elohenu adonai 'echod." The proper pronunciation of YHWH is lost but Yahweh is an arbitrary pronunciation with arbitrary vowels the group has presumptiously chosen and most likely not correct! Who do they think they are? If over 2000 years of Jewish Hebrew speaking scholars would not attempt to reconstruct the word with vowels lest they get it wrong -- Who are these upstarts to make such conclusions and attempt to bind them on others. They are heretics pure and simple.

A new brand of Judaisers who are clueless.

All the best,

Fred