Tiny tablet provides proof for Old Testament

The sound of unbridled joy seldom breaks the quiet of the British Museum’s great Arched Room, which holds its collection of 130,000 Assyrian cuneiform tablets, dating back 5,000 years.

But Michael Jursa, a visiting professor from Vienna, let out such a cry last Thursday. He had made what has been called the most important find in Biblical archaeology for 100 years, a discovery that supports the view that the historical books of the Old Testament are based on fact.

Searching for Babylonian financial accounts among the tablets, Prof Jursa suddenly came across a name he half remembered – Nabu-sharrussu-ukin, described there in a hand 2,500 years old, as “the chief eunuch” of Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon.

Prof Jursa, an Assyriologist, checked the Old Testament and there in chapter 39 of the Book of Jeremiah, he found, spelled differently, the same name – Nebo-Sarsekim.

Nebo-Sarsekim, according to Jeremiah, was Nebuchadnezzar II’s “chief officer” and was with him at the siege of Jerusalem in 587 BC, when the Babylonians overran the city.
…
“This is a fantastic discovery, a world-class find,” Dr Finkel said yesterday. “If Nebo-Sarsekim existed, which other lesser figures in the Old Testament existed? A throwaway detail in the Old Testament turns out to be accurate and true. I think that it means that the whole of the narrative [of Jeremiah] takes on a new kind of power.”

It is however a bit sobering to read the passage which this artifact refers to:

Jeremiah 39, The Fall of Jerusalem

Jeremiah 39
The Fall of Jerusalem
1 This is how Jerusalem was taken: In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siege to it. 2 And on the ninth day of the fourth month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city wall was broken through. 3 Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim [a] a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. 4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls, and headed toward the Arabah. [b]
5 But the Babylonian [c] army pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. They captured him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. 6 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the nobles of Judah. 7 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.

8 The Babylonians [d] set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him, and the rest of the people. 10 But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: 12 “Take him and look after him; don’t harm him but do for him whatever he asks.” 13 So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officers of the king of Babylon 14 sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard. They turned him over to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.

15 While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the LORD came to him: 16 “Go and tell Ebed-Melech the Cushite, ‘This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. 17 But I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear. 18 I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.’ ”

1998:
$13 million market
Institute for Creation Research: 45%
Answers in Genesis: 28%
Discovery Institute: 15%
Creation Evidence Museum: 3%
Creation Moments: 2%
Creation Illustrated Ministries: 3%
Creation Research Society: no data
All others: less than 1% each

1999:
$13 million market
Institute for Creation Research: 41%
Answers in Genesis: 30%
Discovery Institute: 13%
Creation Evidence Museum: 7%
Creation Moments: 2%
Creation Illustrated Ministries: 2%
Creation Research Society: 2%
All others: less than 1% each

2000:
$16 million market
Answers in Genesis: 46%
Institute for Creation Research: 34%
Discovery Institute: 10%
Creation Evidence Museum: 4%
Creation Illustrated Ministries: 2%
Creation Moments: 1%
Creation Research Society: 1%
All others: less than 1% each

2001:
$20 million market
Answers in Genesis: 46%
Institute for Creation Research: 30%
Discovery Institute: 15%
Creation Evidence Museum: 3%
Creation Research Society: 1%
Creation Illustrated Ministries: 1%
Creation Moments: 1%
All others: less than 1% each

2002:
$19 million market
Answers in Genesis: 49%
Institute for Creation Research: 31%
Discovery Institute: 12%
Creation Evidence Museum: 3%
Creation Illustrated Ministries: 2%
Creation Research Society: 2%
Creation Moments: 1%
All others: less than 1% each

2003:
$21 million market
Answers in Genesis: 52%
Institute for Creation Research: 28%
Discovery Institute: 15%
Creation Evidence Museum: 2%
Creation Illustrated Ministries: 2%
Creation Moments: 1%
Creation Research Society: 1%
All others: less than 1% each

2004:
$22 million market
Answers in Genesis: 59%
Institute for Creation Research: 20%
Discovery Institute: 16%
Creation Research Society: 1%
Creation Moments: 1%
Creation Evidence Museum: no data
Creation Illustrated Ministries: no data

Incidentally the IDEA Center, whcih I’m affiliated with, has a published annual budget of $7,000. None of the YEC resources we recommend are even on Lippard’s list! That’s how impoverished the best and the brightest YEC organizations are!

Lippard has many other posts on the activities of creationist organizations. For example Answers in Genesis hires Andrew Snelling

Snelling is one of the very few young earth creationist geologists on the planet with a Ph.D. from a mainstream academic institution (Steve Austin of the Institute for Creation Research is another). Ronald Numbers’ book, The Creationists, describes how Henry Morris of the ICR wanted to see a young creationist successfully obtain a Ph.D. in geology from a mainstream institution, only to be faced with failures by Clifford Burdick (who was kicked out of the program at the University of Arizona) and Nicolaas Rupke (who succeeded in obtaining his Ph.D., but rejected young-earth creationism as a result of what he learned in the process).

It is a bit heart breaking that there really is not a lot of money involved, considering this represents the entire USA. Furthermore, only a tiny fraction is devoted to research. AiG is mostly an evangelistic organization, not a research institution.

However, there is the bright side. I have personally found that I tend to distrust the scientific work of creationists bent on evangelism. Whether right or wrong, I worry that someone’s enthusiasm to prove creationist theory will lead to shortcuts or sloppy research. It is much more compelling when secular quarters will publish data that unwittingly support creationist conclusions. I find that research more trust worthy.

And I must break ranks with other creationists on their lack of clarity with the notion that the Bible is incontrovertable. It depends on what one means by incontrovertible. If one believes it to be the case because that’s the way reality really is, then one would look forward to seeing the Bible’s claims succeed when subjected to the most intense scrutiny. Incontrovertible does not mean God’s word cannot be questioned. Recall, the Berean’s were considered to have a noble spirit as they investigated the words of the Apostles. The Lord also commended one of the 7 churches of Asia minor for subjecting putting prophets to the test…..

I believe it is also wise to make a distinction of when one is running a science or marketing operation versus a church. Too many creationists organizations are run like churches. Contrast the ID organization, the Discovery Institute, that is organized on a secular basis. The Discovery Institute is a model organization which certain creation organizations would do well to emulate. Ironically, my faith has grown through involvment with a secular organization, not a religious one (namely the Discovery Institute and the IDEA Center). And incidentally, how often do I hear of Christians losing faith by going to seminary. I have found faith surprisingly flourishes in secular schools.

I do not believe it is wise to set up creation science organizations where serious and sincere objections can be dismissed by theological fiat, or where legitimate concerns are implicated as some conspiracy with Lucifer. I believe there is evil in the world, and that we are blind and fallible. But what is wrong with confessing that one has doubts and that one is needing healing of ones eyes? People who have sincere doubts should be welcomed and encouraged.

Be merciful to those who doubt

Jude 1:22

The modus operandi of suppressing legitimate questions actually fosters an intense distrust in the hypothesis of creation. I think the AiG museum is a bit pre-mature. It may be entertaining, but it does not help friendly skeptics like myself to be more convinced that God really made the world less than 10,000 years ago. The over marketing of an idea with pre-mature evidence does not instill trust. Faith is about trust.

In the mean time, the point of the post was to point out the financial and academic poverty of creationists. Few creationists have serious academic credentials or influence. We might say, in some sense, few creationists are “wise” as the world defines them. Few have the money and influence you would expect to achieve the grand aims of showing the world evidence of intelligent design and special creation. Perhaps that’s just the way it was meant to be:

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him.

1 Cor 1:26-31

PS
I’ll be away for the weekend. Apologies in advance if stuff gets caught in the spam buffer. The other admins can be called on to release comment.

Note to admins: Click “Manage” from the admin page to release comments.

1. accept that the words of Genesis  came from God, and should be interpreted to mean the Cosmos is young (several thousand years old)

2. accept that the words of Genesis  came from God, but should be interpreted to allow the Cosmos to be old

3. reject the Genesis account as coming from God 

I am of the opinion study of the physical evidence versus debating theology will help resolve the problem.  The scientific method (which incidentally was inspired by verses like Romans 1:20 and other scriptures) is premised on the belief that nature is structured such that the scientific method will be able to lead us to important truths. 

I am of the opinion God delights to make bold statements about human history which can be corroborated by physical evidence.  He even said ”If Christ is not raised, your faith is in vain”.  If certain historical truths are not true, the Christian faith is in vain.  I believe God has invited sincere seekers to examine the phyiscal evidence, and follow the evidence where it leads. 

That said, I’d like to begin the discussion with something Janice of Uncommon Descent asked here:

At UD some people remarked on the fact that the Bible doesn’t give specifics about things such as when angels were created and someone mentioned that “the verb used in Gen 1:2 allows for (but does not specify) the so-called gap theory”.     

In Genesis the Bible states that God created the sun, moon and stars on the 4th day. Isaiah 40:22 and 42:5 say that God stretched out the heavens but the Bible doesn’t say when He did it.

My understanding of physics is limited to matriculation level followed by one undergraduate unit in physics for the life sciences, and that was 30 years ago. So forgive me if the following is completely silly.

It seems to me that there are two options:

1. God put the stars more or less where they are now.
2. God put the stars in the heavens (in some sort of close proximity to earth) and then stretched the heavens out so that the stars were carried to more or less where they are now.

In the former case light would have to travel from where the stars are now all the way to the earth and (ignoring Setterfield’s solution for now) you have the problem of “appearance of age”.

In the latter case, assuming (fairly reasonably I think) that the stars were producing light before the heavens were stretched out, wouldn’t it be that their light could have already reached the earth? What effect would stretching out of the heavens (and its contained stars) have on the amount of light reaching earth from those stars? I presume it would red shift the light. Might it also explain why the night sky is dark? What is going on out there in the infra-red and longer spectra? That radio image of the universe is interesting but I have no idea what it means.