Nazareth's Existence (Question)
Posted on: August 17, 2009 - 10:28pm
Offline
Nazareth's Existence (Question)
I saw recently this thread started by Rook way back where in a video he makes a case for Nazareth. He mentioned a 2nd century piece of evidence for it as well as archaeological evidence that shows it existed up to 200 BCE. Are there any links to these things anywhere online (perferably a reliable source)?
Bookmark/Search this post with:
Rooks video is dated May of 2007, I am sure he would admit that it is do for an update. Several studies have been published since. Some of the high lights;
No artifact earlier then 25C.E. has been found. (Makeing it impossible for Jesus, Mary and Joseph to have lived there in a biblical time frame).
The traditional family home of Mary (and ergo the immaculate conception) was buildt on top of an old grave yard. No Jew would have buildt anything on top of a grave yard, not kosher.
The local craftsmen are, then and now, stone cutters. Plus farming.
A population boom happened after 70 C.E. likely refugees from the Romans sacking of Jerusalem.
I couldn't find a link to the 2008 study I was looking for but you might find this link helful;
http://www.nazarethmyth.info/
Has a personal opinion I think storys about some rabbi called Joshua THE Nazarene ( a Jewish cult) later evolved into storys about Jesu OF Nazareth an easy enough mistake to make when one is trying to create a real person out of thin air, it helps to give him a home town.
Now all you have to do is accept that responsible adults put a teenage girl, nine months pregnant, on a donkey for a 100 mile rush to Bethlaham. I don't believe it myself.
"Very funny Scotty; now beam down our clothes."
VEGETARIAN: Ancient Hindu word for "lousy hunter"
As I understand it, Rook has been against the position that Nazareth is a myth even when there were cases advancing that idea before. From what Rook's said (at least 2 yrs ago), the evidence points to an historic place yet none of this gives support for an historical Jesus. I was mostly interested in what evidence he was talking about in the video so I can look it up myself. Do you happen to know what that was and where I could find it?
I'm against the idea that Nazareth is a myth, it's real enough, it just did not exist during the biblical time frame of the new testement.
As for Rooks references, did you try google or wikipedia?
"Very funny Scotty; now beam down our clothes."
VEGETARIAN: Ancient Hindu word for "lousy hunter"
Yeah, and that's the thing Rook disagrees with in the video.
I wanted to but it's hard when he didn't give the names of them. Does anyone know them?
You might try asking him directly on his Facebook page.
Favorite oxymorons: Gospel Truth, Rational Supernaturalist, Business Ethics, Christian Morality
"Theology is now little more than a branch of human ignorance. Indeed, it is ignorance with wings." - Sam Harris
From the sublime to the ridiculous: Science -> Philosophy -> Theology
Thanks for the link.
Btw, his name is Tom Verenna and not Rook Hawkins? o_O
It's very unlikely that Nazareth existed.
Jesus, his brother James and his cousin John were all supposedly Nazirim (plural of "nazir", a person who takes the "nazirite vow" -- no shaving the beard, cutting the hair, etc.). I forget who else among the 12 were supposedly also nazirim, but the disciples were an extremely radical bunch. Takes an understanding of Jewish history to tease it all out, but once you do, crucifixion by Rome makes a lot more sense. Guy walks into Jerusalem during Passover, bazillions of people turn out to greet him, you think Rome is going to let the guy live? No way!
Most likely "Nazareth" came from a misunderstanding of what "Nazarim" meant after Rome sacked Jerusalem and the Greeks and Romans took over Christianity.
As for building on top of a cemetery -- the best genealogy for Jesus puts him in the Tribe of Levi, and more specific, the House of Aaron. James is known from Jewish history to have been a priest, which means Joseph was as well, which means no going anywhere NEAR a dead body.
"Obviously I'm convinced of the existence of G-d. I'm equally convinced that Atheists who've led good lives will be in Olam HaBa going "How the heck did I wind up in this place?!?" while Christians who've treated people like dirt will be in some other place asking the exact same question."
Is it?
For god so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Satan that whosoever believeth in him should not only perish but have everlasting death...