LAW PUNDIT Wednesday, December 07, 2005 12/07/2005 03:07:00 PM [Home]
Law, Evidence and Archaeology: Errors in Biblical Chronology
Below is an interesting law-related press release about the work of R.P. BenDedek, a theologian who has become fed up with the subjective and sloppy way in which archaeologists and historians have juggled evidence (or non-evidence) about the history of the Middle East to suit their personal predilections and to warp history. BenDedek tries to remedy the situation by applying the strict evidentiary standards of the law to archaeological inquiry, a process which we have previously named "evidentiary archaeology".
We have claimed similarly for many years now that mainstream Biblical chronology is flawed (1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, ) and that many archaeological theories of mainstream scholarship about the history of the Middle East would be thrown out of court for lack of evidence.
Indeed, we demonstrated explicitly some years ago that the dendrochronological work of Ernst Hollstein proved unequivocally that a ca. 30-year error has been made in Biblical chronology and that a study of eclipse data shows this to be an error of precisely 28 years.
Australian Theologian R.P. BenDedek has now rightly come to the same conclusion that Biblical chronology is in error. Here is the PRWEB posting and press release about BenDedek's writings:
"Australian Theologian takes Archaeologists and Historians to Court
Download this press release as an Adobe PDF document
Australian theologian, historian and newspaper columnist, R.P. BenDedek has accused a number of archaeologists and historians, of using false documentary evidence to support claims in relation to the history of the Ancient Near East.
(PRWEB) December 4, 2005 -- Australian theologian, historian and
newspaper columnist, R.P. BenDedek has accused a number of
archaeologists and Historians, of using false documentary evidence to
support claims in relation to the history of the Ancient Near East.
In a four part series of 'legal' articles entitled "The Law, Rules of
Evidence & Archaeology", BenDedek, using both Australian and American
Law, has written a judicial cross examination of witnesses, to prove
that evidence used by academics to reconstruct the history of
Assyria, Syria, Judah and Israel, would not be permitted in a court
of law, and that their conclusions would not be 'beyond reasonable
doubt'.
Claiming their evidence is legally 'false evidence', he suggests that
prejudice and bias are the reasons why academics knowingly use
factually erroneous evidence.
In one criticism, he writes: "if you logically follow some 'contrary
academic explanations' that are offered without 'evidence', the
fanciful theory ultimately turns into a 'conspiracy theory', that
defies both evidence and logic."
Whilst admitting errors exist in Israel's historical records, and
allowing Academics to draw inferences from fragmentary evidence,
BenDedek is adamant that they cannot be allowed to 'pass off opinions
as actual evidence of the facts'.
The Judge in BenDedek's criminal law cross examination exercise
received the verdict from the jury, and promptly threw the academic
evidence out of court.
Full story: The Law, Rules of Evidence & Archaeology Part 1.
[at] http://www.kingscalendar.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=viewnews&id=256"
Typical for the reaction of mainstream scholars to the idea that they should base their theories on actual facts and evidence is this comment at Explorator:
"This is just strange ... some Australian theologian has taken archaeologists and historians 'to court' in regards to claims about the Ancient Near East...."
To which we can only say, yes, it must be STRANGE indeed to persons in these professions to have someone require that the archaeology and history of the Ancient Near East be written according to the actual EVIDENCE available and not according to the personal prejudices, biases, whims and opinions of academics who control the peer-reviewed journals in these academic fields.
A study at Berkeley on the failing research skills of many academics has some interesting things to say about THAT.
UPDATE
Read also Part II of Law, Evidence and Archaeology: Errors in Biblical Chronology.
Permalink : Andis Kaulins : 12/07/2005 03:07:00 PM
Law, Evidence and Archaeology: Errors in Biblical Chronology
Below is an interesting law-related press release about the work of R.P. BenDedek, a theologian who has become fed up with the subjective and sloppy way in which archaeologists and historians have juggled evidence (or non-evidence) about the history of the Middle East to suit their personal predilections and to warp history. BenDedek tries to remedy the situation by applying the strict evidentiary standards of the law to archaeological inquiry, a process which we have previously named "evidentiary archaeology".
We have claimed similarly for many years now that mainstream Biblical chronology is flawed (1, 2, 3, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, ) and that many archaeological theories of mainstream scholarship about the history of the Middle East would be thrown out of court for lack of evidence.
Indeed, we demonstrated explicitly some years ago that the dendrochronological work of Ernst Hollstein proved unequivocally that a ca. 30-year error has been made in Biblical chronology and that a study of eclipse data shows this to be an error of precisely 28 years.
Australian Theologian R.P. BenDedek has now rightly come to the same conclusion that Biblical chronology is in error. Here is the PRWEB posting and press release about BenDedek's writings:
"Australian Theologian takes Archaeologists and Historians to Court
Download this press release as an Adobe PDF document
Australian theologian, historian and newspaper columnist, R.P. BenDedek has accused a number of archaeologists and historians, of using false documentary evidence to support claims in relation to the history of the Ancient Near East.
(PRWEB) December 4, 2005 -- Australian theologian, historian and
newspaper columnist, R.P. BenDedek has accused a number of
archaeologists and Historians, of using false documentary evidence to
support claims in relation to the history of the Ancient Near East.
In a four part series of 'legal' articles entitled "The Law, Rules of
Evidence & Archaeology", BenDedek, using both Australian and American
Law, has written a judicial cross examination of witnesses, to prove
that evidence used by academics to reconstruct the history of
Assyria, Syria, Judah and Israel, would not be permitted in a court
of law, and that their conclusions would not be 'beyond reasonable
doubt'.
Claiming their evidence is legally 'false evidence', he suggests that
prejudice and bias are the reasons why academics knowingly use
factually erroneous evidence.
In one criticism, he writes: "if you logically follow some 'contrary
academic explanations' that are offered without 'evidence', the
fanciful theory ultimately turns into a 'conspiracy theory', that
defies both evidence and logic."
Whilst admitting errors exist in Israel's historical records, and
allowing Academics to draw inferences from fragmentary evidence,
BenDedek is adamant that they cannot be allowed to 'pass off opinions
as actual evidence of the facts'.
The Judge in BenDedek's criminal law cross examination exercise
received the verdict from the jury, and promptly threw the academic
evidence out of court.
Full story: The Law, Rules of Evidence & Archaeology Part 1.
[at] http://www.kingscalendar.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=viewnews&id=256"
Typical for the reaction of mainstream scholars to the idea that they should base their theories on actual facts and evidence is this comment at Explorator:
"This is just strange ... some Australian theologian has taken archaeologists and historians 'to court' in regards to claims about the Ancient Near East...."
To which we can only say, yes, it must be STRANGE indeed to persons in these professions to have someone require that the archaeology and history of the Ancient Near East be written according to the actual EVIDENCE available and not according to the personal prejudices, biases, whims and opinions of academics who control the peer-reviewed journals in these academic fields.
A study at Berkeley on the failing research skills of many academics has some interesting things to say about THAT.
UPDATE
Read also Part II of Law, Evidence and Archaeology: Errors in Biblical Chronology.
Permalink : Andis Kaulins : 12/07/2005 03:07:00 PM
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