Title piece here. (http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=mideast&item=080707113558.18qcga56.php)

As most artifacts pertaining to Jesus, it's authenticity is being scrutinized. Is this going to turn out like the recent tomb discoveries did, or do you guys think this is the real deal? According to the NY times:


"If such a messianic description really is there, it will contribute to a developing re-evaluation of both popular and scholarly views of Jesus"

^ Others say it isn't quite as sensational as it's being depicted. What I'm failing to see is what is so surprising about the fact that Christian theology borrows from Judaism. How controversial is this going to get?

I read an article about this yesterday. If memory serves, the text seemed to suggest that someone other than Jesus (I can't remember the name at the moment. I'll have to look it up) was the Messiah. I wonder why that part is being left out of the newer articles?

Found it: (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/06/world/middleeast/06stone.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2&hp)

"...In Mr. Knohl’s interpretation, the specific messianic figure embodied on the stone could be a man named Simon who was slain by a commander in the Herodian army, according to the first-century historian Josephus. The writers of the stone’s passages were probably Simon’s followers, Mr. Knohl contends.

The slaying of Simon, or any case of the suffering messiah, is seen as a necessary step toward national salvation, he says, pointing to lines 19 through 21 of the tablet — “In three days you will know that evil will be defeated by justice” — and other lines that speak of blood and slaughter as pathways to justice..."

God or not, the man had a radically new philosophy for his time. Even now, love thy neighbor, is often considered "radical."

I read an article about this yesterday. If memory serves, the text seemed to suggest that someone other than Jesus (I can't remember the name at the moment. I'll have to look it up) was the Messiah. I wonder why that part is being left out of the newer articles?

A self-induced gag order by Mr. Knohl, maybe? I see the History channel or Discovery doing a documentary on it in the near future. It'll be hyped up like the Ossuary show they did, as that will get a bigger buzz than print media. Unless Time Magazine swoops it up first...

I believe it's either fake, meaningless in the "proves us right" sort of way (or maybe even demeaning), or Big Religion will end up suppressing any of the juicy good information.

this proves nothing, you can learn more from Hieroglyphs in a bathroom stall.

God or not, the man had a radically new philosophy for his time. Even now, love thy neighbor, is often considered "radical."

Amen to that-- "do unto others as you would have it done unto you" is still largely ignored, particularly by many people who claim to follow one of the religions of the Book.