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minichibi
Guest
Has anyone read The Bible Unearthed, by Israel Finkelstein? What do you think of his opinions?
What do you think of Israel Finkelstein's book, The Bible Unearthed?
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MarcoPolo
Guest
I’ve never heard of him. How about articulating some of the comments he made in the book and we can respond to them here.
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annem
Guest
Finkelstein is minimalist, someone who detests the very idea of God and who strives mightily to debunk each and every statement in the Bible.
Alas for the minimalists, pretty much every other week some archaeologist uncovers yet another proof that the Bible is true. It has really been a very discouraging few decades for them, hasn’t it?
Not that mere proof has stopped Finkelstein and his ilk from continuing to do as much harm as they can, bless their unhappy little hearts. And to think that there are people who insist there is no God when we have people like Finkelstein. After all if there is no God, why is he exhausting himself trying to prove to other people God doesn’t exist? WHy not spend his time in wine, women, and song? Personally, I consider Finkelstein and his cohorts proof positive of the existence of God.
David and Solomon were fictional characters, insisted the minimalists! And they kept that up, right up until the ninth-century BC stone tablet was found at Tel Dan and there was the radio carbon dating at Megiddo that confirmed the existence of David.
Now all Finkelstein can mutter on about is how, well, maybe there really was a David, but he was only a pathetic, little king, nothing as grand as the Bible suggests.
Yes, that is how badly Finkelstein and the minimalists have been refuted. Between that and the blinding, horrifying, massive proof of evil in our midst - the murder of one hundred and fifty million people by the atheist communists, all within living human memory - you would think that the atheists would be sensible and retire to their lairs to drink themselves to death. Never seems to happen, however.
Here are good books to refute everything that poor Finkelstein has written:
The Archaeology of Ancient Israel by Amnon Ben-Tor for the Old Testament
Ancient Israel in Sinai by James Hoffmeier for Genesis
God bless and send you miracles, Annem
J
Julia_Mae
Guest
This is quite a useful review from Denver Seminary, I think.
denverseminary.edu/article/the-bible-unearthed/
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patrick457
Guest
I do think that while Finkelstein has some interesting stuff to say (I would grant him that), his rather minimalist position is something I disagree with. Not to sound like an ad hominem against him, but I think his infamous debate with William G. Dever (which kind of degenerated into a sort of petty name-calling) kind of lowered my respect for Finkelstein a bit.
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Hokomai
Guest
Not a good review. Does not understand science:
The fact that you do not do a comprehensive literature review does not mean you are ideologically driven and controlled. It means you produced a different sort of work.
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annem
Guest
Dear Patrick457, you are always so polite and so right. I wish I were more like you because then I would be a much better Catholic!
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Here are two books by highly esteemed scholars.
The Archaeology of Ancient Israel by Amnon Ben-Tor for the Old Testament
Ancient Israel in Sinai by James Hoffmeier for Genesis
What is it about Finkelstein 's arguments that interests you?>
May God grant you miracles, Annem
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patrick457
Guest
Thanks. Although to be honest I don’t have a very good opinion of myself.
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annem
Guest
Humility is the first step to sanctity.
So, sigh, I am still on the first step.
God bless you and grant you miracles, Annem
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farpinho
Guest
I have to second that!
Not to mention the patience and knowledge you always selflessly share with us. You’ve always been a big help to all of us.
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patrick457
Guest
Thanks again.I have to second that!
Patience…I don’t know about that. That’s something I am hoping to be given. 
But to be honest, nowadays I often think that I’m exhausting myself. Not to mention that IRL I have a lot of things to do. It’s wearing me out, this whole thing.
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annem
Guest
No kidding. Patrick457 why don’t you write a book? There are so few Catholic biblical scholars I could weep just thinking about it. Yet we have the truth. Please consider it,
And may God grant you both miracles, Annem
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farpinho
Guest
That would be a good idea, don’t you think?
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patrick457
Guest
You really think a penniless twenty-year old student like me will be able to write a book on a subject I’m not even studying?
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Battleaxe
Guest
There`s the other pack of minimalists: ie the Jesus Seminar.
Strange: there
s **Fink**elstein and theres Funk (RIP).
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nordskoven
Guest
The early Hebrews had a unique configuration to their dwellings, and if Finkelstein is trying to blow past this stubborn little fact and characterize them as part of an indistinct milieu, words like “pop” and “mod” come to mind. Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaton gave juicy concessions to Hebrews, his fellow monotheists.
Reminds me of Saint John Bosco’s vision of the twin pillars of oceanic refuge, one topped by a likeness of the Virgin Mary (whom I always presume is pregnant, the living tabernacle of Jesus Christ) and the other topped by a massive monstrance holding the Eucharist. The barque of Peter along with other little boats are being assailed by shot, and shell, and books! More gnostic gnow-it-alls. Gnostic books have been bestsellers for decades. The DuhVinci Code is a recent offering. Ugh. The Catholic flotilla endures all, even the slaying of Peter, who is quickly replaced, and everybody ties up in safety at these twin pillars. So be it.
Reminds me of Saint John Bosco’s vision of the twin pillars of oceanic refuge, one topped by a likeness of the Virgin Mary (whom I always presume is pregnant, the living tabernacle of Jesus Christ) and the other topped by a massive monstrance holding the Eucharist. The barque of Peter along with other little boats are being assailed by shot, and shell, and books! More gnostic gnow-it-alls. Gnostic books have been bestsellers for decades. The DuhVinci Code is a recent offering. Ugh. The Catholic flotilla endures all, even the slaying of Peter, who is quickly replaced, and everybody ties up in safety at these twin pillars. So be it.
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Hokomai
Guest
Actually Patrick I think there would be quite a good market for a book saying what a 20-year-old genuinely thinks about God and how you relate this to everyday life. I don’t mean a devotional book, but a sort of recording of the conversations you must have with God, the doubts you have (so I will buy it) and the things that seem to you to be overwhelmingly true. All you need do is write a sample chapter, picking whatever topic is easiest for you, and send it off to a publisher who specialises in religious books. They will write back offering you a lucrative contract.You really think a penniless twenty-year old student like me will be able to write a book on a subject I’m not even studying?
The way to write is to think: how would I say this to a friend, willing to listen, who I just met on the street. And write it down. Don’t forget to think up a title that would appeal to 20-year-olds. Feel free to plagiarize all my CAF postings, but please correct the spelling.
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beehumble
Guest
All you need is MS Word (students get it very cheap), or the free Open Office downloads. Templates for all standard sizes of books such as 6x9, 5x8 etc are available for free from Createspace.com , lulu,and others. And there is plenty of help available on how to use the templates. There is free cover producing stuff out there too, free photos for covers, free photo editing software too. You can make it a Kindle or epub, or even a paperback via self-publishing of createspace , lulu etc. So yes it can be done, and on the cheap! Modern publishing opens writing a book to everybody.You really think a penniless twenty-year old student like me will be able to write a book on a subject I’m not even studying?
God bless you.
M
minichibi
Guest
yes, and YES
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annem
Guest
Dear Patrick457,
Let me add my yes and YES to the chorus. Patrick, God has guided you and helped you to amass all this knowledge for a reason, surely!
Go and look at the books that fill our library and bookstores. When I go to the library I see whole walls of books on witchcraft, magic, and atheism. The only books on Christianity are the ones attacking Christianity written by members of the Jesus Seminar. We truly need good Catholic authors–
God bless, Annem
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