Glocal Christianity

Moses has been more important to American history than Jesus?

The Huffinton Post makes the blunt suggestion that Moses has been more important to American History than Jesus. I am wondering what my American friends think of this? Cause, well, with the popularity of dispensationalist Christianity and manifest destiny over there, I gotta say, from this side of the Pacific the suggestion holds some resonance. So, is Moses the American prophet?

The bones of Paul the Apostle?

From the New York Times: "The first scientific tests on what are believed to be the remains of the Apostle Paul, the Roman Catholic saint, 'seem to conclude' that they belong to him, Pope Benedict XVI said Sunday".

Not sure of the archaelogical value of this. Comments?

Jesus Mosaic

The Sydney Anglicans have made an interesting announcement about an archaeological find in Meggido, in central Israel, "that cements historical evidence early Christians worshiped Jesus as divine."

Its a mosaic, from a prayer hall, featuring an inscription that mentions the "God Jesus", dated from before Constantine and the Council of Nicaea.

"The inscriptions cast more doubt on claims made by prominent atheists and popular authors that Jesus' divinity was an invention by the fourth century church."

Apparently it will be featured in an upcoming production, called The Life of Jesus, which is to be hosted by John Dickson in April 2009.    

Archaeology and John's Gospel: Is skepticism chic passé?

American Thinker has some interesting observations in his post,  Archaeology and John's Gospel: Is skepticism chic passé?, where he engages with the historical evidence and contrasts that to the gnostic gospels.

Biblical Archaeology: Most important find in 100 years

Last Thursday Michael Jursa, a professor from Vienna, made a discovery which is being hailed as the most important find in Biblical archaeology for 100 years.

"Searching for Babylonian financial accounts among the tablets, Prof Jursa suddenly came across a name he half remembered - Nabu-sharrussu-ukin, described there in a hand 2,500 years old, as "the chief eunuch" of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon."

Where he remembered it from was the Book of Jeremiah, a discovery which lends weight to the historicity of the Jeremiah text.  For more click here.

1200-year-old prayer book discovered in bog

This one should interest the celtophiles.

"An ancient prayer book found in an Irish bog is being hailed as one of Ireland's most significant archeological discoveries.

The National Museum of Ireland said fragments of what appeared to be an ancient Psalter or Book of Psalms, written about AD800, were uncovered by a bulldozer in a bog in the south Midlands.

"In discovery terms, this Irish equivalent to the Dead Sea Scrolls is being hailed by the museum's experts as the greatest find ever from a European bog," the museum said in a statement."

For more read here.