Last week it was announced that a stone tablet had been discovered in Israel that predicted a suffering Messiah who rises from the dead- written before the time of Jesus. The NY Times (of course) wondered if the faith of Christians would be shaken by the discovery. Shaken? How about confirmed! Scholars who have read N.T. Wright's The Resurrection of the Son of God will not be bothered by this. - and neither should anyone else.
Since this is a brand new discovery, it will take a while for scholarship to settle down to consensus conclusions. And after all the stories the past few years about the Gospel of Judas, the "Jesus Tomb," the James Ossuary, the DaVinci Code, etc., does anyone need any more proof that most religion reporters are totally ignorant on the subject they report on? The first stories are always hyped and sensationalized, and almost never turn out to be accurate.
Michael Spencer has some wise counsel: "Take this tablet, study it, and call me in the morning a year or so from now." (See link below)
For more background and commentary check out the following bloggers:
Ben Witherington
Charismatica
C. Michael Patton
Michael Spencer
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