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Reasons Newsletter - 2008 - May/June
A Burst of CreativityBy Fazale Rana The Earth is filled with music, all kinds of music, from the new “ambient” sounds to the more familiar genres, such as bluegrass. (Don’t forget I’m from West Virginia.) Music permeates all populated areas of the world, and not just today, but apparently for the entirety of human history. The growing body of archeological evidence for music as well as visual art seems consistent with a creation perspective rather than an evolutionary one. Advances in prehistoric archeology have led to widespread recognition that musical and artistic expression virtually exploded onto the scene roughly 40,000 to 50,000 years ago. Scientists often refer to this sudden surge as the “cultural big bang.” And it coincides with the appearance of modern humans, the only creatures God describes as being made “in his image.” A team of German archeologists discovered one of the world’s oldest musical instruments in a cave near Ulm in southern Germany. It’s a flute about 18 inches long, some 30,000 to 37,000 years old. The instrument’s composition is especially remarkable—instead of using bird’s hollow bones, its crafter carved the flute from solid ivory! This artisan had to shape and hollow the flute, then fit and glue its two halves together. She or he also carved finger holes at certain intervals, giving the instrument the capacity to produce melodies and harmonic tones. In other words, this flute represents a high level of musical sophistication early in the history of Homo sapiens sapiens (modern humanity). The same can be said of painting. The 30,000-year-old artwork discovered in the Chauvet Cave in France shows the same level of sophistication seen in much later paintings, including those in museums of modern art today. Such findings led anthropologist Anthony Sinclair to make this comment: “As new materials and new techniques were developed, we should see this pattern of evolution in the archaeological record. Yet for many outlets of artistic expression—cave paintings, textiles, ceramics, and musical instruments—the evidence increasingly refuses to fit. Instead of a gradual evolution of skills, the first modern humans in Europe were in fact astonishingly precocious artists.” A creation model allows us to give credit where credit is due to these pioneering artisans. For further reading on this topic, see Who Was Adam? Glossary
Reading the Outside of the BoxBy Greg Moore According to the National Geographic News web site, a major archeological discovery, referred to as “Jesus’ Brother’s Bone Box,” has moved closer to authentication than when it first appeared in Biblical Archaeology Review (2002). This find represents the oldest scientific evidence for the historical Jesus of Nazareth. It’s a limestone “ossuary,” a box in which ancient people (including first-century Jews) stored the bones of the deceased, once the corpse had decayed and dried. This particular ossuary carries an inscription in Aramaic: “James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus.” Archeologists say it dates back to 62 A.D. Not only is the language that of Jesus’ era, but the inscription’s cursive writing style was used only briefly, from about 10 to 70 A.D. What’s especially remarkable is the mention of a brother. Most ossuaries reference the deceased’s father but rarely other relatives, unless they were somehow significant. The son of a Jewish carpenter who died by Roman crucifixion certainly would not have warranted mention—apart from some amazing circumstance. The Resurrection comes to mind. Although the names James, Joseph, and Jesus were relatively common in ancient times, the statistical probability that these three names would appear together and in this specific family relationship seems extremely remote. All these factors combine to increase archeologists’ confidence that the ossuary truly belonged to the biblical (and maternal) brother of Jesus. According to Hershel Shanks, editor of Biblical Archeology Review, “The James ossuary may be the most important find in the history of New Testament archaeology… It has implications not just for scholarship, but [also] for the world’s understanding of the Bible.” For further reading see RTB Seattle Newsletter - October 2002 and also http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/04/0418_030418_jesusrelic.html Greg Moore is a graduate of Washington State University and works as the Water Conservation Manager for the city of Everett. A certified RTB apologist since 2000, Greg is a founding member of the Seattle chapter, and now serves as president. The Seattle chapter monthly newsletters may be accessed at the RTB Seattle Chapter Page.
Addressing Resurrection Alternatives (Part Two)By Kenneth Samples If you’ve ever attended RTB’s outreaches or heard scholar interviews, you know we use the “new” reasons emerging from science as a starting point to engage in dialog that moves toward the “core” reasons for faith in Jesus Christ. The Resurrection is definitely a core reason, but people may be hesitant to talk about it. No wonder, given the magnitude of its implications! Once a conversation gets to the topic, your preparation to discuss alternate explanations for the empty tomb can help keep the exchange alive. In the inaugural issue of Reasons, I outlined the six most popular “natural” scenarios for what happened to Jesus’ body after his burial, and I challenged you to consider how you might respond. Now I offer some brief comments on the first of the six—the idea that the disciples stole the body to perpetrate a hoax. It’s worth noting that the Jewish religious leaders had more to gain from this hoax explanation than anyone else. Their livelihood (and more) hung in the balance. According to Matthew, they bribed the Roman guards to report that they fell asleep at the tomb while Jesus’ disciples came in the night to steal the body (Matt. 28:11-15). One must wonder about the magnitude of the bribe, given that the soldiers could have been executed for dereliction of duty. And how did they see through their closed eyelids anyway? One must also ask what would have motivated these frightened, grieving men to steal the body—even if they were somehow (miraculously) capable of doing so. They had nothing to gain and everything to lose. Telling others about Jesus' resurrection brought them ridicule, hatred, torture, imprisonment, and death. Their own consciences would have condemned them of blasphemy. Such a ruse would never have held up under this intense pressure, given what the Gospels reveal of their individual characters. Further, if the apostles or later Christ followers fabricated the account of the Resurrection, their story most likely would not have included mention of Jesus’ initial appearance to women. In that era women were not considered credible witnesses. It’s doubtful the apostles would have presented themselves in such an unflattering light. This peculiar detail seems more consistent with honesty than with invention. The hoax hypothesis lacks credibility from every angle, including that of the hundreds of individuals other than the apostles who saw Christ alive after his execution. There must be a better explanation. Look for remarks on the five remaining natural explanations in future issues of Reasons.
FeedbackDr. David Sell is dean of Northern California Bible College, which offers several Reasons Institute courses for college credit. Dr. Sell recently launched a class on Genesis 1, using our apologetics materials. He writes, “The teaching went very well last night. One student who works for NASA even said I sounded like an actual scientist! [I] couldn’t have done without RTB and the brilliant interpretation of Genesis 1. Pass along my appreciation to the team…” FYI: The summer session of online learning begins July 7th. Enroll now for one of these great courses: Reasons Institute (college level)
Reasons Academy (high-school level)
StewardshipWhat’s in a Receipt? As a member in good standing with ECFA, Reasons To Believe endeavors to meet the highest standards of integrity and stewardship. One way we demonstrate financial accountability is to receipt each gift given to RTB. We want to provide accurate documentation for donors’ personal financial records, especially important for tax purposes. These receipts also give us an opportunity to communicate with you. They allow us to say thank you and to give a thumbnail sketch of recent activities and accomplishments your support makes possible. We want you to know God is using your generosity to move people forward in their walk with—or toward—Jesus Christ. Whenever you have questions about ways to contribute or about any aspect of RTB’s financial support or reporting, please don’t hesitate to call Hannah Palpant at 1-800-482-7836, or email donations@reasons.org. Be assured we do not take you or your support for granted. |
