From: Bill.Carlson@p0.f18.n104.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Bill Carlson)
Newsgroups: alt.messianic
Subject: Getting The Facts!
Date: 24 Jan 93 16:09:02 GMT
Organization: FidoNet node 1:104/18.0 - Midrash, Denver CO

To: gn1@unix.brighton.ac.uk

 Ne> Message-ID: <1993Jan21.135656.4771@unix.brighton.ac.uk>

 Ne> Yet Luke mentions Quirinous as well (`When Quirinius became Ruler
 Ne> of all Syria'). Quirinius became Ruler in 6 A.D., 10 years after
 Ne> the deatho Herod.

I wish I had more time to get into this one in more depth; but quoting
from Unger's: ...that Luke's census was part of an empire-wide
enrollment is suggested by Egyptian papyri which tell of a periodic
fourteen year census.  Morever, evidence suggests also that Quirinius
(RSV) was twice governor of Syria, the first time about 8B.C., when the
first census was made.  Household enrollment is also attested by the
papyri, so there is every indication from increased archaeological
knowledge that Luke is accurate....  Ryre gives the dates when Quirinus
was "acting" as governor of Syria the first time from 4 BCe to 1AD/ce,
and again the second time in 6AD/ce.  The problem is not that this
isn't resolvable, (more on this later).

 Ne>Any previous census would have caused just such a storm so it is
 Ne>clear that no other census had been taken prior to the one of 6 A.D

Not really, that is rather subjective.  The fact is, there are plenty
of things that WERE considered by the liberal, (including Christian),
scholarship as being "in error" about the New Covenant accounts.  In
fact, Pontius Pilate himself was considered fiction, until the last
decade when a box-seat with his name on it was discovered [see BAR,
I think it was in the northern around the Tel-Aviv, can't recall where
right now], and another inscription with his name on it. We just simply
have a spotty record of events in the ancient middle east.  As I'm
sure most or our reader-ship is aware, (for another example), the
only account that we have concerning the part of the Hanukah story, of
the Menorah staying lit from the one undefiled cruse of the oil sealed
with the Cohen haGadol's seal, is an account about 700 years after the
fact from the Talmud!  One would think there would be some other kind
of written evidence for such an important event! - Especially one far
more important to the Nation of Israel than a Syrian governor!  But
these are only a couple of examples of the problem, the real problem
lies in:
     There are PLENTY of books that deal with the subject of "Bible
difficulties. - (Including MORE for the Tanakh than the New Covenant!,
that is because the Tanakh is so much larger in volume than the New
Covenant of course).  But what usually happens, is that anti-missionary
types, will present the difficulties for the New Covenant, with NONE
of the things that explain those difficulties, and not mention the
difficulties for the Tanakh.  Whereas Messianic Jews aren't going to
mention the same type of difficulties for Tanahk, since we regard it
as Scripture, and aren't out to prove it wrong!  (couple of examples
off the top of my head - King Sha'ul not recognising David the second
time in the same account of the slaying of the giant; and the
different numbers given for the horses and stalls built by King
Shlomo, ect....) - Those are as easily explained as the "supposed"
inaccurate statements in the New Covenant, most of which, (due to the
finds of the last century), have been show to be accurate New Covenant.

     As to the rest; that particular 1st cent. Sanhedrin is called a
"bloody Sanhedrin" IN TALMUD; and 9/10th of the P'rushim were called
evil BY TALMUD in that generation, - with statements FAR MORE harsh
than those of the New Covenant!  So..., I wouldn't put much past them!
Out of time, bye.

... 012 Midrash: (303) 289-6864 @ 9600 baud :MJCN 210012 Denver Colo. 210    
--  
Bill Carlson - via ParaNet node 1:104/422
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