The Apostle Paul’s Bones Identified?

Pope Benedict announced yesterday, that fragments of bone from the first or second century have been found in a tomb in the Basilica of St Paul in Rome.

Speaking at St Paul’s-Outside-the-Walls, on the eve of today’s Feasts of St Peter and St Paul, the Holy Father said: “This seems to confirm the unanimous and undisputed tradition that these are the mortal remains of the Apostle Paul.”

Tradition has always held that St Paul was buried with St Peter in a catacomb on the Via Appia, before being moved to a basilica erected in his honour. For centuries it was believed that his remains were buried beneath the altar.

…Pope Benedict said a tiny hole had been drilled in the sarcophaguus, revealing “traces of a precious linen cloth, purple in colour, laminated with pure gold, and a blue coloured textile with filaments of linen. It also revealed the presence of grains of red incense and traces of protein and limestone. There were also tiny fragments of bone, which, when subjected to Carbon 14 tests by experts, turned out to belong to someone who lived in the first or second century.”

The tradition mentioned above is old, but still dates to 3 centuries after Paul’s death. Many urban legends & tall tales have arisen is less time, so there is room to question the tradition’s accuracy. At the same time, some communities have preserved bona fide memories over many generations, so the claim is not impossible. Carbon-14 puts the bones in the neighborhood (more or less) of Paul’s lifetime, but the remains could belong to anybody. There is no basis for genetic testing, so we probably won’t get any closer to knowing one way or the other.

The purple cloth (laminated with pure gold!) would be an unlikely relic for Paul’s tomb since purple was quite expensive in those times and therefore limited to the upper classes. To be fair, the sarcophagus originally had small openings for Christians to insert items or to touch the bones. Perhaps the textiles and incense would have been placed there by someone else.

There’s no way to be confident that the remains are Paul’s, but many tourists/pilgrims will undoubtedly pay money to visit.

"The Basilica of St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls," so named because it was constructed outside ancient Rome's defensive walls. Catholic statuary typically represents Paul carrying a sword ("The sword of the Spirit" - Ephesians 6:17). Photo by Luke Chandler.

A colonnade of the Basilica of St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls. The traditional tomb of Paul is located inside. (Photo by Luke Chandler)

An ancient baptistry in the Basilica of St. Paul's-Outside-the-Walls. The depth of the baptistry is to accommodate the original Christian practice of baptism by immersion. (Photo by Luke Chandler)

On a coincidental note, archaeologists have identified a 4-century catacomb fresco as the earliest known portrait of Paul. They did not have a 1st-century polaroid to work from, so (again) I doubt it is an authentic depiction of the real Paul. Still, it is an impressive find. It is one of many frescos in the catacomb, and has undergone the slow process of removing 1600 years of limestone buildup.

Read about both of these at the Catholic News Agency. The Independent Catholic News has more information and a picture of the Paul fresco.

Update: The fresco picture is actually here.  HT: Todd Bolen

4,000 year-old tomb discovered in Bethlehem

Workers renovating a house in the traditional town of Jesus’ birth accidentally discovered an untouched ancient tomb containing clay pots, plates, beads and the bones of two humans, a Palestinian antiquities official said Tuesday.

The tomb seems to be right in the middle of town.

Workers in a house near the Church of the Nativity uncovered a hole leading to the grave, which was about one meter (yard) below ground, he said. They contacted antiquities officials, who photographed the grave intact before removing its contents.

They dated the grave to the Early Bronze Age, between 1,900 B.C. and 2,200 B.C.

With all the attention Bethlehem gets as Jesus’ birthplace, it’s easy to forget the city has a long biblical history. Genesis records that Jacob buried his wife Rachel near the city (also called Ephrath). The judge Ibzan hailed from Bethlehem and was buried there. The story of Ruth & Boaz takes place there. It was also David’s stomping ground .

This tomb apparently predates all of them. It’s remarkable that it has remained untouched until now.

Read the story here. (Includes photos of the pottery.)

Virtual Visits – Baghdad Museum Online and Ancient Qumran

An Italian team has put the Baghdad National Museum online. This is the same museum that was looted in the aftermath of the 2003 invasion that overthrew Saddam Hussein. A number of its artifacts have since been found or returned. The Virtual Museum lets you explore many of its major finds on your computer screen. The site uses images, text descriptions and video. The format is both visually appealing and informative.

This museum is the home of many of the world’s oldest artifacts. Bible students can explore artifacts from throughout biblical history, with many dating back to Genesis. Since Baghdad is not yet accessible to the average tourist, you can visit the museum from your chair.

HT: Todd Bolen at the BiblePlaces Blog

For those interested in the Dead Sea Scrolls, a virtual reconstruction of Qumran is available online. There are computer-generated images and videos of the reconstructed site and its Dead Sea environment, plus a bibliography of reference materials for the serious student.

HT: Ferrell Jenkins at Ferrell’s Travel Blog

The New Elah Fortress Website – with “The Ostracon Game”

The website for the Elah Fortress (aka Khirbet Qeiyafa) just got a makeover. Besides the new look, it includes:

• Photos of the partially-reconstructed western gate.
• A nice summary of the geography and history of the site, especially as it pertains to Israel and Philistia during the early 10th-century B.C. (David’s reign in the Bible).
• A list of suggested identifications for the site, including evidence for the project leaders’ conclusion that it is the biblical city of Sha’araim.
• A high-res version of the 4-minute promotional video for the excavation.
• Photo galleries of the site and excavation, including the large ostracon (inscribed pottery shard) discovered last summer.
• The Ostracon Game – “If you’ve been tracking the Sha’arayim Ostracon, we have a surprise for you! Watch this page as we reveal letters from the Ostracon and invite you to participate in interpreting the text, together with epigrapher Dr. Hagai Misgav… (target date – July 15, 2009).”

The ostracon is believed to be the earliest Hebrew inscription discovered to date. Whatever its content, it is significant.

I’ve posted previously on the Elah Fortress and the historical significance of the ostracon. You can review them here.

On a side note, I plan to join the second half of this summer’s excavation in mid-July. It will be good to meet Prof. Yossi Garfinkel, Barnea Selavan, David Willner, and the rest of the staff. I also look forward to getting my hands dirty at the ancient Elah Fortress.

June 6th: D-Day in Normandy, France

On this date in 1944, troops from the United States, Great Britain, Canada and Free French forces invaded the Normandy coast of German-occupied France. 11 months later, what was left of Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies.

Getting ashore with enough troops, equipment and supplies to effectively continue the fight was a challenge that is still unparalleled in its scope. As in every war, mistakes were made that increased the loss of life. Both soldiers and civilians perished in the invasion. Yet the landings were successful, paving the way for Nazi Germany’s destruction and the rebuilding of war-ravaged Europe.

65 years later, there are few alive who remember the events of this day. Let us always remember and respect the sacrifice so many have made, and continue to make, for others’ freedom.

I had the privilege of visiting the beach areas in 2004. Here are some of my photos from that trip.

The top of the cliffs of Pointe du Hoc, still showing the effect of the aerial and naval bombardments. U.S. Rangers, under fire, scaled the beach cliffs, took this ground by frontal assault and held it against several counter-attacks over the next 2 days. They suffered heavy casualties. Out of 225 Rangers, 90 came out still able to fight.

 

 

The remains of a German bunker in a massive crater on Pointe du Hoc, near "Omaha" Beach. The rubble remains undisturbed since that time.

 

"Pegasus" Bridge, site of the first D-Day assault. British glider troops landed nearby and captured the bridge intact before the beach assaults. The bridge in this photo is a replacement, but the original sits nearby. The building on the other side was there in 1944, and was the first café to be liberated in occupied France.

"Utah" Beach, which was assaulted by U.S. troops from the 4th Infantry Division.

San Diego Bible Study Update

Seems San Diego County has resolved the situation.

Barraged by hundreds of complaints, San Diego County officials backed down yesterday from their enforcement. “No one respects the right to free religious expression more than I do, and no one would find the infringement of such rights more abhorrent,” county Chief Administrative Officer Walt Ekard said in a statement. Chandra Wallar, the county’s general manager of land use and environment, said the county has re-examined the situation and decided that the Joneses don’t need a permit after all.

All of this may have started with a parking complaint from a neighbor, according to this article.

Is San Diego County Shutting Down Home Bible Studies?

Is this story actually true?

A local pastor and his wife claim they were interrogated by a San Diego County official, who then threatened them with escalating fines if they continued to hold bible studies in their home, 10News reported… The county employee notified the couple that the small bible study, with an average of 15 people attending, was in violation of county regulations.

Pondering some secular implications:

“If the county thinks they can shut down groups of 10 or 15 Christians meeting in a home, what about people who meet regularly at home for poker night? What about people who meet for Tupperware parties? What about people who are meeting to watch baseball games on a regular basis and support the Chargers?”

I am curious to hear the county’s side.

The news report, including video, is here.

Found: Hebrew Inscriptions From 1st Temple Period

 

 

A couple of new finds date to the period of the First Israelite Temple (aka – Solomon’s Temple) in Jerusalem. 

A bone seal engraved with the Hebrew name Shaul (Saul), along with a representation of a flower or piece of fruit, was discovered in excavations directed by Professors Ronny Reich and Eli Shukron. It was found with pottery that dates to ca. 700 B.C., around the time of Hezekiah.

Bone seal (ca. 700 B.C.) inscribed with the Hebrew name "Shaul" on the bottom.

This dates to a few hundred years after the time of King Saul (who did not live in Jerusalem), but it shows the name was in use during Iron-Age Israel. The seal also aids understanding in the development of personal seals in that culture. Several bullae (clay seal impressions) from a century before were also found nearby, but they only contained graphic representations (flora or fauna) in place of any letters. This new seal discovery seems to indicate that people in Judah did not use seals inscribed with actual names until some point during the 8th century B.C.

The Israeli Antiquties Authority release is here. (Temporary link.)

HT: Todd Bolen

- – - – - – -

The construction of a school around the Mount of Olives has yielded an inscribed pottery jar handle dated to around 900 B.C. This would be during the early years of the Divided Kingdom. The Hebrew inscription is the name Menachem, which was also the name of an Israelite king who lived a couple of centuries later toward the end of the Northern Kingdom.

An article with the photo is here.

HT: Marshal Ray in Bowling Green, KY

Update: Todd Bolen reports on some alternate readings of the inscription. Both involve the name Nahum.

Wikipedia Hoax Fools World Newspapers

Some educators have lamented the impact of ‘Internet Culture’ among many students. Why learn something when you can simply look it up later? An Irish student named Shane Fitzgerald decided to illustrate the vulnerability of this approach to learning.

“When I die there will be a final waltz playing in my head,” Oscar-winning French composer Maurice Jarre once said, according to several newspapers reporting his death in March. However, the quotation was invented by an Irish student who posted it on the Wikipedia website in a hoax designed to show the dangers of relying too heavily on the Internet for information.

Fitzgerald thought a few small newspapers might run his fabricated quote, but he was mistaken.

Quality newspapers in England, India, America and as far away as Australia had my words in their reports of Jarre’s death,” Fitzgerald wrote in an article in Thursday’s Irish Times newspaper.

Retractions were printed, but the point was made. What is the moral of this story?

“The moral of this story is not that journalists should avoid Wikipedia, but that they shouldn’t use information they find there if it can’t be traced back to a reliable primary source,” said the Guardian’s readers’ editor Siobhain Butterworth.

I admit to using Wikipedia. It’s a fast, easy way to find information on almost anything. Some of my visits are for the express purpose of checking the link ‘bibliography’ below an article. To be fair, the site plays a useful role in the assembling & dissemination of information. The caveat: Anybody can edit the articles, so one may not always know the qualifications or expertise (or ideological slant) behind a piece of information.

It is not fair to lay all blame on Wikipedia. Human beings who perform sloppy, insufficient research are certainly part of the problem, and sloppy research existed long before the Internet. The Web has simply strengthened the temptation to take shortcuts.

Biblical Studies and Archaeology both depend on careful research and study for proper interpretation. Scholars, teachers and students who take the quick & easy path will inevitably find the Dark Side. There is no honor in misinforming oneself or others.

Read the short article about Fitzgerald’s hoax here.

BAR does FB

For all of you who share a love for both Archaeology and Facebook, Biblical Archaeology Review has a new FB page. It contains links to articles and features you may enjoy.

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