British archaeologists are seeking to authenticate what could be a landmark discovery in the documentation of early Christianity: a trove of 70 lead codices that appear to date from the 1st century CE, which may include key clues to the last days of Jesus’ life. As UK Daily Mail reporter Fiona Macrae writes, some researchers are suggesting this could be the most significant find in Christian archeology since the Dead Sea scrolls in 1947.
The codices turned up five years ago in a remote cave in eastern Jordan—a region where early Christian believers may have fled after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE. The codices are made up of wirebound individual pages, each roughly the size of a credit card. They contain a number of images and textual allusions to the Messiah, as well as some possible references to the crucifixion and resurrection.
Some of the codices were sealed, prompting yet more breathless speculation that they could include the sealed book, shown only to the Messiah, mentioned in the Book of Revelation. One of the few sentences translated thus far from the texts, according to the BBC, reads, „I shall walk uprightly”–a phrase that also appears in Revelation. „While it could be simply a sentiment common in Judaism,” BBC writer Robert Pigott notes, „it could here be designed to refer to the resurrection.”
But the field of biblical archaeology is also prey to plenty of hoaxes and enterprising fraudsters, so investigators are proceeding with due empirical caution. Initial metallurgical research indicates that the codices are about 2,000 years old–based on the manner of corrosion they have undergone, which, as Macrae writes, „experts believe would be impossible to achieve artificially.”
Beyond the initial dating tests, however, little is confirmed about the codices or what they contain. And the saga of their discovery has already touched off a battle over ownership rights between Israel and Jordan. As the BBC’s Pigott recounts, the cache surfaced when a Jordanian Bedouin saw a menorah—the Jewish religious candleabra—exposed in the wake of a flash flood. But the codices somehow passed into the ownership of an Israeli Bedouin named Hassam Saeda, who claims that they have been in his family’s possession for the past 100 years. The Jordanian government has pledged to „exert all efforts at every level” to get the potentially priceless relics returned, Pigott reports.
Meanwhile, biblical scholars who have examined the codices point to significant textual evidence suggesting their early Christian origin. Philip Davies, emeritus professor of Old Testament Studies at Sheffield University, told Pigott he was „dumbstruck” at the sight of plates representing a picture map
of ancient Jerusalem. „There is a cross in the foreground, and behind it is what has to be the tomb [of Jesus], a small building with an opening, and behind that the walls of the city,” Davies explained. „There are walls depicted on other pages of these books, too, and they almost certainly refer to Jerusalem.”
David Elkington, an ancient religion scholar who heads the British research team investigating the find, has likewise pronounced this nothing less than „the major discovery of Christian history.” Elkington told the Daily Mail that „it is a breathtaking thought that we have held these objects that might have been held by the early saints of the Church.”
Still, other students of early Christian history are urging caution, citing precedents such as the debunked discovery of an ossuary said to contain Jesus’ bones. New Testament scholar Larry Hurtado observes that since these codices are miniature, they were likely intended for private, rather than liturgical, use. This would likely place their date of origin closer to the 3rd century CE. But only further research and full translation of the codices can fully confirm the nature of the find. The larger lesson here is likely that of Eccliastes 3:1—be patient, since „to everything there is a season.”
(David Elkington/Rex Features/Rex USA)
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Ar putea conduce codice dovedi „descoperirea majore ale istoriei cre?tine”?
Lehmann de Chris
Arheologii britanici caut? s? autentifica ceea ce ar putea fi o descoperire punct de reper în documenta?ia de cre?tinismului timpuriu: o comoar? de 70 de manuscrise plumb care apar la data de la CE secolul 1, care pot include indicii cheie la ultimele zile din via?a lui Iisus „. Ca Marea Britanie Daily Mail reporter Fiona Macrae scrie, unii cercetatori sugereaza acest lucru ar putea fi cele mai importante g?si în arheologie cre?tin? de la Marea Moart
? în 1947.
Codice aparut urm? cu cinci ani într-o pe?ter? de la distan?? în estul Iordania-o regiune în care primii credincio?i cre? tini poate au fugit dup
? distrugerea Templului din Ierusalim în 70 CE. Codice sunt alc?tuite de pagini wirebound individuale, fiecare aproximativ de m?rimea unui card de credit. Ele con?in un num?r de imagini ?i aluzii textuale la Mesia, precum ?i unele referiri la posibile r?stignirea ?i învierea. Unele dintre codice au fost sigilate, dar a determinat mai multe specula?ii suflare c? acestea ar putea include cartea sigilate, demonstrat numai la Mesia, men?ionate în Cartea Apocalipsei. Una dintre cele câteva fraze traduse astfel departe de texte, potrivit BBC, spune, „Voi umbl? în neprih?nire” – o expresie care, de asemenea, apare în Apocalipsa. „În timp ce ar putea fi pur ?i simplu un sentiment comun în iudaism,” BBC scriitor Robert Pigott note, „ar putea fi aici, concepute pentru a se referi la înviere.”
Dar domeniul arheologiei biblice este, de asemenea prad? o multime de farse ?i fraudelor întreprinz?tor, astfel anchetatorii se desf??oar? cu pruden?? din cauza empirice. cercetare ini?ial? metalurgice indic? faptul c? codice sunt de aproximativ 2.000 de ani – „. experti cred ca ar fi imposibil s? se realizeze în mod artificial”, bazat pe modul de coroziune ce au fost supuse, care, dup? cum scrie Macrae,
Dincolo de teste ini?iale dating, cu toate acestea, pu?ine se confirm? despre codice sau ce con?in ele. ?i saga de descoperirea lor a atins deja pe o batalie asupra drepturilor de proprietate între Israel ?i Iordania. Ca Pigott BBC relateaz?, cache-ul ap?rut atunci când un beduin iordanian a v?zut o menorah-candleabra religioase evreie?ti, expuse în urma unei inunda?ii flash. Dar codice cumva a trecut în proprietatea unui israelian de beduini numit Hassam Saeda, care sus?ine c? au fost în posesia familiei sale pentru ultimii 100 de ani. Guvernul iordanian a promis s
? „exercite toate eforturile la fiecare nivel” pentru a ob?ine relicve poten?ial nepretuit întors, rapoarte Pigott.
Între timp, bibli?ti care au examinat codice punctul de la probe textuale semnificative sugerand originea lor cre?tine timpurii. Philip Davies, profesor emerit de Studii Vechiului Testament la Universitatea din Sheffield, a declarat Pigott el a fost „uluit” la vederea de pl?ci reprezentâ nd o hart
? imagine a vechiului Ierusalim.
„Exist? o cruce în prim-plan, ?i în spatele ei este ceea ce trebuie s? fie mormântul [lui Isus], o mic? cl?dire cu o deschidere, ?i c? în spatele zidurilor ora?ului,” a explicat Davies. „Exist? ziduri reprezentate pe alte pagini din aceste c?r?i, de asemenea, ?i acestea se refer? aproape sigur la Ierusalim.”
David Elkington, un savant religiei antice care conduce echipa de cercetare britanic de investigare a g?si, a pronun?at, de asemenea, acest nimic mai pu?in decât „descoperirea majore ale istoriei cre?tine.” Elkington Daily Mail a spus c? „este un gând taie respira?ia pe care le-am ?inut aceste obiecte care ar fi fost de?inute de sfin?ii timpurie a Bisericii.”
Totusi, alti elevi din cadrul istoriei cre?tine sunt îndemnând precau?ie, citând precedente cum ar fi descoperirea demascat de un osuar a spus s? con?in? oasele lui Isus „. Noul Testament savant Larry Hurtado observ? c?, deoarece aceste pravile sunt miniatur?, acestea au fost probabil destinate privat, mai degrab? decât utilizarea liturgic?,. Aceasta ar plasa probabil data lor de origine, mai aproape de secolul al treilea CE. Dar numai continuarea cercet?rii ?i traducerea integral? a codice poate confirma pe deplin natura g?si. Lec?ie mare aici este probabil ca de Eccliastes 03:01-fi pacient, deoarece „a tot ceea ce este un sezon.”
(Elkington David / Caracteristici Rex / SUA Rex)
Surse: http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_thelookout/20110330/ts_yblog_thelookout/could-lead-codices-prove-the-major-discovery-of-christian-history ; http://translate.google.ro/?hl=ro&tab=wT#