SirKnight1788
ChosenKnight
Scanned in from the British Church Newspaper
www.britishchurchnewspaper.co.uk
20/7/07
A Fortnightly Protestant Newspaper (£15 per year inc p& p in UK)
'Quite extraordinary find'
Astonishment at British Museum as tablet confirms Jeremiah 39
by a correspondent
So ignorant is the secular world of the complete historical accuracy of the Bible that there were literal gasps of astonishment at the discover)' that a cuneiform tablet in the British Museum verified in fine detail Chapter 39 of the Book of Jeremiah. The Daily Telegraph said that Assyriologist Mr Michael Jursa 'let out a cry of unbridled joy' when he made the discovery on 5 July this year'.
A British Museum press release issued 10 July announced what they claimed was "an important breakthrough in Biblical Archaeology - the most important for 100 years", stating that the cuneiform tablet confirmed Jeremiah's account of 'a Babylonian official' connected with the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC.
Jursa made the discovery whilst examining a small clay tablet with a Babylonian cuneiform inscription. It was precisely dated to the 10th year of Nebuchadnezzar II (595 BC) and named a Babylonian officer, Nebo-Sarsekim, who, according to Jeremiah, was present at the siege of Jerusalem in 587 BC with Nebuchadnezzar himself.
The Museum, which has several major artefacts confirming Biblical accounts, claimed that "evidence from non-Biblical sources for individuals named in the Bible other than kings is incredibly rare".
The tablet refers to Nebo-Sarsekim, described by Jeremiah as 'chief eunuch', and shows that his name was really pronounced Nabu-sharrussu-ukin. It gives his title as 'chief eunuch,' providing further strict confirmation of the Biblical account.
The Museum has a collection of 'well over one hundred thousand inscribed tablets' which they said 'are examined by international scholars on a daily basis'. Their statement added: "Other discoveries made whilst examining tablets include an Assyrian version of the Old Testament flood story".
Dr Jursa, who is Associate Professor of the University of Vienna, said: "Reading Babylonian tablets is often laborious, but finding something like this tablet, where we see a person mentioned in the Bible making an everyday payment to the temple in Babylon and quoting the exact date, is quite extraordinary".
Irving Finkel, Assistant Keeper in the Museum's Middle East Department, commented, "Here a mundane commercial transaction takes its place as a primary witness to one of the turning points in Old Testament history. This is a tablet that deserves to be famous". Cuneiform is the oldest form of writing known to us.
Cuneiform script was created by pressing a wedged-shaped instrument into moist clay. There are very few scholars who can read it.
www.britishchurchnewspaper.co.uk
20/7/07
A Fortnightly Protestant Newspaper (£15 per year inc p& p in UK)
'Quite extraordinary find'
Astonishment at British Museum as tablet confirms Jeremiah 39
by a correspondent
So ignorant is the secular world of the complete historical accuracy of the Bible that there were literal gasps of astonishment at the discover)' that a cuneiform tablet in the British Museum verified in fine detail Chapter 39 of the Book of Jeremiah. The Daily Telegraph said that Assyriologist Mr Michael Jursa 'let out a cry of unbridled joy' when he made the discovery on 5 July this year'.
A British Museum press release issued 10 July announced what they claimed was "an important breakthrough in Biblical Archaeology - the most important for 100 years", stating that the cuneiform tablet confirmed Jeremiah's account of 'a Babylonian official' connected with the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC.
Jursa made the discovery whilst examining a small clay tablet with a Babylonian cuneiform inscription. It was precisely dated to the 10th year of Nebuchadnezzar II (595 BC) and named a Babylonian officer, Nebo-Sarsekim, who, according to Jeremiah, was present at the siege of Jerusalem in 587 BC with Nebuchadnezzar himself.
The Museum, which has several major artefacts confirming Biblical accounts, claimed that "evidence from non-Biblical sources for individuals named in the Bible other than kings is incredibly rare".
The tablet refers to Nebo-Sarsekim, described by Jeremiah as 'chief eunuch', and shows that his name was really pronounced Nabu-sharrussu-ukin. It gives his title as 'chief eunuch,' providing further strict confirmation of the Biblical account.
The Museum has a collection of 'well over one hundred thousand inscribed tablets' which they said 'are examined by international scholars on a daily basis'. Their statement added: "Other discoveries made whilst examining tablets include an Assyrian version of the Old Testament flood story".
Dr Jursa, who is Associate Professor of the University of Vienna, said: "Reading Babylonian tablets is often laborious, but finding something like this tablet, where we see a person mentioned in the Bible making an everyday payment to the temple in Babylon and quoting the exact date, is quite extraordinary".
Irving Finkel, Assistant Keeper in the Museum's Middle East Department, commented, "Here a mundane commercial transaction takes its place as a primary witness to one of the turning points in Old Testament history. This is a tablet that deserves to be famous". Cuneiform is the oldest form of writing known to us.
Cuneiform script was created by pressing a wedged-shaped instrument into moist clay. There are very few scholars who can read it.
