Jump directly to the content
Ted OlsenTed Olsen

Weblog

Alphabet Coup

Plus: Election results, Alito on Roe, Senate takes action on Air Force religion, and other stories from online sources around the world.

Evidence of Israel's United Kingdom?
Just days after the Israel Antiquities Authority announced the discovery of what is apparently a third-century church in Meggido, another significant find was reported at Tel Zayit, about an hour south of Jerusalem.

The fancy word for the find is abecedary, but what that basically means is an inscription of the alphabet. The New York Times reports that it may be "the earliest known specimen of the Hebrew alphabet," "an important benchmark in the history of writing," and "the oldest reliably dated example of an abecedary."

There are artifacts of Semitic writing that predate the 10th century B.C., which is the date that Pittsburgh Theological Seminary's Ron E. Tappy (who led the dig) puts on the find. But here's what may be even more controversial than the date:

The inscription was found in the context of a substantial network of buildings at the site, which led Dr. Tappy to propose that Tel Zayit was probably an important border town established by an expanding Israelite kingdom based in Jerusalem.
A border town of such size and culture, Dr. Tappy said, suggested a centralized bureaucracy, political leadership, and literacy levels that seemed to support the biblical image of the unified kingdom of David and Solomon in the 10th century B.C.
"That puts us right in the middle of the squabble over whether anything important happened in Israel in that century," Dr. Stager said.
...

It's sure to be a hot topic at the meetings of the American Schools of Oriental Research and the Society of Biblical Literature next week, the Times notes.

If you're not going to AAR-SBL, you can follow some early debate on blogs like Codex, Dr Cathey's Blog, Jim West's Biblical Theology, and PaleoJudaica.

More articles

...

Article Preview

This article is currently available to CT subscribers only.

To continue reading:
LoginorSubscribe

Weblog

Launched in 1999, Christianity Today’s Weblog was not just one of the first religion-oriented weblogs, but one of the first published by a media organization. (Hence its rather bland title.) Mostly compiled by then-online editor Ted Olsen, Weblog rounded up religion news and opinion pieces from publications around the world. As Christianity Today’s website grew, it launched other blogs. Olsen took on management responsibilities, and the Weblog feature as such was mothballed. But CT’s efforts to round up important news and opinion from around the web continues, especially on our Gleanings feature.

Ted Olsen

Ted Olsen

Ted Olsen is Christianity Today's managing editor for news and online journalism. He wrote the magazine's Weblog—a collection of news and opinion articles from mainstream news sources around the world—from 1999 to 2006. In 2004, the magazine launched Weblog in Print, which looks for unexpected connections and trends in articles appearing in the mainstream press. The column was later renamed "Tidings" and ran until 2007.


More from Christianity Today

La complejidad hispana: Todo cambió en el 2012

¿Hacia dónde vamos?—Una palabra para los creyentes hispanos sobre forjar un futuro.
Jesus' Elevator Speech

Jesus' Elevator Speech

Or was it his inaugural address? There's a difference.

The Latest in Movie News, May 20, 2013

Box office news, Benedict Cumberbatch, Cannes, and AFI honors Mel Brooks.
Divine Rehab

Divine Rehab

Whatever your addiction, God's grace is the only hope for a way out.
Get Instant Access
Christianity Today Magazine
Subscribe now for a year (10 issues) at $24.95 for print, iPad, and instant web access.

International Orders

Comments

This article has no comments
You must be a Christianity Today subscriber to post comments
(on articles open to the public, you must at least register for a free account).
Login
or
Subscribe
or
Register

Don't Miss

Forgiving Iran

Forgiving Iran

Long before I knew the true God, he helped me release my hatred.
Guilt Gone Wild

Guilt Gone Wild

The right kind of guilt can be healthy. But false guilt depletes your soul and ministry.

Training for "One Pitch" Preachers

Training for "One Pitch" Preachers

If you're stuck in a rut, this is how to mix things up.

more | current issue

Facebook

CT eBooks & Bible Studies


Shopping