Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

His website is www.deadseaquake.info I am just wondering if this quake had any development in the Matthew story-- and how so. Did it happen as written, which I think is the most unlikely scenario because there are no other reports of this quake in the other gospels or by other historians of the time...

Sorry-in my original post! Perhaps it was a Freudian slip! I think that Jefferson used varve counting to come up with the year 31 ad. I am not sure how accurate this is but I guess he counted varves from the 31bce earthquake to this one

He has been published in scientific articles--- he does seem to be the real deal. His name is Jefferson Williams.

Hello----- I was recently corresponding with a geologist who is researching the sediments in the Dead Sea. He was famous a few years ago because Discovery wrote an article the he identified an earthquake 33ad down to the day. He was pretty upset and clarified that he could only state an earthquake o...

I don't think Josephus mentions lintels being broken---definitely not at the time of Christ-- I wonder if he is mixing up when Josephus talks about the big gates opening etc, when he was describing all of the weird prodigies that occurred before the temple was destroyed? Josephus does mention the gr...

Does anybody know anything regarding the Gospel of the Hebrews-- particularly what was quoted by Jerome regarding the splitting of the lintels? I know that he seems to have wavered a bit on why the lintels were damaged-- some folks thought it had to do with the destruction of the temple in 70ad, whi...

This is going off topic to me. I was simply trying to ascertain why Zakkai would even have this edict, and why a few rabbis would dispute it. I found a bit more explanation in Tractate Rosh Hosanna as this is where the discussion regarding the 9 edicts took place. I am not even trying to address sac...

Yes-- you are correct-- I guess I meant to say that he provided direction for Jews in a post temple world, and that was much needed. My confusion is simply around the 9 edicts that he made after the destruction of the temple, and the 9th one in particular. It seems like one rabbi thought it was one ...

Hello-- I would like some clarification regarding Rabbi Ben Zakkai and the nine?edicts that he established after the destruction of the temple. These are addressed in Rosh Hosanna 13 in the Talmud. The 9th edict seems to be in dispute-- where one rabbi states that it has to do with the second tithe,...

I would like to hear some input from others regarding the following passage in the Talmud as to what the highlighted area in red refers to: MISHNAH. IF THEN THEY FIND HIM INNOCENT, THEY DISCHARGE HIM; BUT IF NOT, HE GOES FORTH TO BE STONED, AND A HERALD PRECEDES HIM [CRYING]: SO AND SO, THE SON OF S...