tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292779897842782575.post7941601209741834745..comments2022-03-02T14:01:21.624-06:00Comments on The Godless Skeptic: King David's Palace Found? - Two Different ReportsTaylorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11500412975833428045noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292779897842782575.post-4336353028441964822013-07-22T12:28:19.831-05:002013-07-22T12:28:19.831-05:00"Is the Western Wall not evidence of the Seco..."Is the Western Wall not evidence of the Second Temple, at the least?"<br />-The 8th century BC to Herodian architecture visible at the Temple Mount is from the 1st&2nd temple compounds, but the area of the temples themselves, at the top of the Temple Mount, remains unexcavated. I wrote "no archaeological evidence of the temples themselves has been unearthed", not "no archaeological evidence of any part of the temple compounds has been found".pithomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13997094225496018110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292779897842782575.post-87263803072212190372013-07-21T18:10:34.910-05:002013-07-21T18:10:34.910-05:00Well put, pithom. On first reading it, I had appar...Well put, pithom. On first reading it, I had apparently thought Rosenthal said the consensus is that there is no definitive evidence of this site being David's palace, but re-reading it, you are completely right. It amazes me how many people misconstrue Finkelstein into denying a historical David, too. I couldn't agree more about mainstream media reports, either, particularly when it comes to archaeology, history, science, etc.<br /><br />One comment in your post puzzles me, though. You say, "no archaeological evidence of the temples themselves has been unearthed". Is the Western Wall not evidence of the Second Temple, at the least? I also think the multiple sources from contemporary historians can serve as historical evidence.<br /><br />As for Palestinians denying the temples, I'm not as aware of that, but I think Rosenthal's point - that there are political motivations to consider that could sway interpretations of evidence - still stands, even if only a minority are doing the denying.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment.Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11500412975833428045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3292779897842782575.post-44660325835224142672013-07-21T16:44:16.453-05:002013-07-21T16:44:16.453-05:00"Critics said the site could have belonged to..."Critics said the site could have belonged to other kingdoms of the area. The consensus among most scholars is that no definitive physical proof of the existence of King David has been found."<br />-At least the second sentence of the above quote is obviously false. The consensus of the Tel Dan Stele being proof of David's existence is very strong. I don't know if it's correct, but it exists. Clearly, Max J. Rosenthal is pulling stuff out of his butt.<br />"In general, researchers are divided over whether biblical stories can be validated by physical remains."<br /><sarcasm>Yeah, like the destruction of Gath and the Assyrian siege of Lachish can't be validated by physical remains.</sarcasm> Clearly, Max J. Rosenthal is pulling stuff out of his butt.<br /><br />BTW, I don't view the storehouse and palace-fort as anything extraordinary at all. The finds are exciting, but it's not as though they were seen as even barely outside the realm of possibility.<br />"Despite extensive archaeological evidence, for example, Palestinians deny that the biblical Jewish Temples dominated the hilltop where the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest site, stands today."<br />-Temple denial exists among the Palestinians, but it is certainly not a majority Palestinian view. Also, no archaeological evidence of the temples themselves has been unearthed, though all archaeologists I know of agree that the First&Second temples existed.<br /><br />Also, mainstream media reports are hardly the most useful sources here. Looking at prior scholarly papers and reports about the site and getting one's information from those actually working at Qeiyafa (such as Luke Chandler) is a much better use of one's time. The mainstream media cannot possibly have anything to say that the IAA, Todd Bolen, and Luke Chandler don't.pithomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13997094225496018110noreply@blogger.com