Was King Solomon the Ancient World’s First Shipping Magnate?

THE OBSERVER: Marine archaeologist unearths evidence suggesting biblical king’s riches were based on voyages he funded with Phoenician allies

King Solomon is venerated in Judaism and Christianity for his wisdom and in Islam as a prophet, but the fabled ruler is one of the Bible’s great unsolved mysteries.

Archaeologists have struggled in vain to find conclusive proof that he actually existed. With no inscriptions or remnants of the magnificent palace and temple he is supposed to have built in Jerusalem 3,000 years ago, the Israelite king has sunk into the realm of myth.

Now British marine archaeologist Dr Sean Kingsley has amassed evidence showing that Solomon was not only a flesh-and-blood monarch but also the world’s first shipping magnate, who funded voyages carried out by his Phoenician allies in “history’s first special relationship”.

Over 10 years, Kingsley has carried out a maritime audit of “the Solomon question”. By extending the search beyond the Holy Land, across the Mediterranean to Spain and Sardinia, he found that archaeological evidence supports biblical descriptions of a partnership between Solomon, who “excelled all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom”, and the Phoenician king Hiram, who “supplied Solomon with cedar timber and gold, as much as he desired”. » | Dalya Alberge | Sunday, April 25, 2021

Rare Ancient Scroll Found in Israel Cave of Horror - BBC News

Fragments of a Biblical scroll and other relics have been found in what officials call an "historic discovery" in desert caves in Israel.

The dozens of pieces of parchment were written in Greek, with just the name of God appearing in Hebrew. The scroll is believed to have belonged to Jewish rebels who fled to the hills following a failed revolt against Roman rule in the 2nd Century.

They were found during an operation to prevent caves in the area being looted.

According to the Bible...Homosexuality Is Wrong

A short clip from the West Wing about the Biblical stance on homosexuality, and the hypocrisy these same Christians ignore.

Islam Piece Ignores Historical, Biblical Truth

LEBANON DAILY NEWS: Political and moral points of view contained in LDN letters invariably have their genesis either in the Bible (God's truth), which is unequivocal and unchanging, or in a secular humanism, which is man's whimsical, every-changing "truth." Typically, conservative opinions are Biblically based and liberal views are secular. Those truly caught in "No Man's Land" claim to be lukewarm Christians who ignore or try to explain away Biblical truths and teachings.

Quite recently the LDN ignored Biblical truth in promoting Islam as a "religion of peace" having a legitimate place in the community of man. The LDN is a Denver, CO based paper, which all too often espouses the secular humanism of its liberal geographical base.

The one-sided Islamic promotional piece written in the LDN a few weeks ago ignored all historical and biblical truth. God tells us in Genesis that the progeny of Ishmael, who was cast out of his father's (Abraham) tribe as being "a wild ass of a man," (the progeny being Mohammad) would be a curse on mankind forever. Incontrovertible historical truth is that Mohammad was a mass murderer (his personal record being 900 beheadings he performed in a single day), a slave owner and trader, a rapist, a pedophile, who believed women were to be treated as mere property. The Koran and Hadith teaches his followers to be as intolerant and hateful to others as he was. Islam and America cannot ignore the Koran’s written truth that Islam is about world domination and subjugation of all other religions and people in hysterically brutal fashion. It is no more a religion than Scientology and is every bit as brutal and political as the Nazis. » | Daryl J. Gerber, Guest Columnist | Tuesday, March 21, 2017

Professor Bart Ehrman - Bible Contradictions

WIKIPEDIA: Bart D. Ehrman »

Bible Prophecy and the Coming Muslim Anti-Christ

The Christian Bible and Christian Bible Prophecy predict that in the end times the Antichrist, a beast, an dreaded evil man, more evil than any who ever walked the earth in history, will be thrust upon the world scene, and that billions of people on planet earth will die between natural cataclysms and those killed by the Antichrist--including gruesome beheadings for those who refuse to bow to his religious-government system.

Millions of American evangelicals believe that the Antichrist will rise from Europe from a 'born again' Roman Empire, as depicted in the immensely popular Left Behind book series.

But what most people don't know is that the Muslim Bible and Islamic Prophecy also predicts the coming of a person fitting nearly that identical description: The Madhi, the Muslim Messiah! How can this be?

Walid Shoebat is a scholar of both Islamic and Christian religions and he does not believe the Antichrist will rise from Europe. Rather, he teaches in this video that the Antichrist will arise from Turkey in resurgence of the Ottoman Empire.


Walid Shoebat »

Father Christmas Granted a Walk-on Part in the Bible

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: One in 10 people aged 25 to 34 in modern Britain think that Father Christmas is mentioned in the Biblical account of the birth of Jesus

For centuries Christians have been taught that wise men from the east brought gifts for the baby Jesus.

But, according to polling, one in 10 young adults in Britain now believe that Father Christmas also makes an appearance in the Biblical account of the nativity.

Significant numbers also think that Mary and Joseph might have brightened up the stable with a Christmas tree.

Over a third of the public think that the Bible records December 25 as the date of the Jesus’s birth.

And a quarter appear to have confused the lyrics of “Away in a Manger” with the gospels by believing that the Bible states that Jesus did not cry when he was born. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Saturday, December 21, 2013

David Cameron on Jesus, Pancakes and Sunday Mornings

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron has described his faith as "not a bad handbook" for life but admitted he is unwilling to follow the example of Jesus to give all his possessions to the poor.

For a man who lives in No. 10 Downing Street, has two multi-million pound homes and an upbringing steeped in privilege, it was the one question which stopped him in his tracks.

"What would your response to Jesus be on his instruction to us to sell all our possessions and give the proceeds to the poor," David Cameron was asked during a question-and-answer session in Darwen near Blackburn.

Mr Cameron, who once likened his faith to the patchy reception of Magic FM in the Chilterns, found himself straying into territory which his predecessors have avoided at all costs: God.

The Prime Minister disclosed that he thinks the bible is "not a bad handbook" for life but admitted it would be "a little bit more difficult" to follow the scriptures to the letter and surrender his belongings.

He said: "I'm a Christian and I'm an active member of the Church of England, and like all Christians I think I sometimes struggle with some of the sayings and some of the instructions. » | Steven Swinford and Peter Dominiczak | Thursday, August 08, 2013

Egyptian Cleric Abu Islam Ahmad Abdallah Explains Why He Ripped Up the Bible The Internet - October 1, 2012

MK Ben Ari Rips Up New Testament
YNET NEWS: Right-wing lawmaker tears up 'abominable' book sent to him by Christian organization, throws it in trash bin

MK Michael Ben Ari (National Union), a member of the Israeli parliament tore up a copy of the New Testament and threw it in the trash, an act that was apparently caught on camera.

Ben Ari and several other Knesset members received by mail on Monday a copy of the New Testament, sent by the Bible Society in Israel, an organization that distributes religious books.

In the letter sent with the book, director of the Christian organization Victor Kalisher wrote that the new edition “sheds light on the Holy Scriptures and helps understand them."

“We hope the book will help you and illuminate your way,” Kalisher furter wrote.

However, while most MK's chose to ignore the book or return it to its sender, the rightist lawmaker chose to term the book a "provocation," tore it up into shreds and then threw it out.

“This abominable book (the New Testament) galvanized the murder of millions of Jews during the Inquisition and during auto da fe instances,” Ben Ari said adding that “Sending the book to MK's is a provocation. There is no doubt that this book and all it represents belongs in the garbage can of history.” » | Tzvika Brot | Wednesday, July 18, 2012

The Gospel of Barnabas
Some Muslims use the "Gospel of Barnabas' to prove that Muhammad is foretold in Christian texts.

A "Gospel according to Barnabas" is mentioned in two early Christian lists of apocryphal works: the Latin Decretum Gelasianum (6th century), as well as a 7th-century Greek List of the Sixty Books.

Secret £14million Bible in Which 'Jesus Predicts Coming of Prophet Muhammad' Unearthed in Turkey
MAIL ONLINE:  Vatican 'wants to see' 1,500-year-old ancient script  Has been hidden by Turkish state for 12 years  Handwritten in gold-lettered Aramaic

A secret Bible in which Jesus is believed to predict the coming of the Prophet Muhammad to Earth has sparked serious interest from the Vatican.

Pope Benedict XVI is claimed to want to see the 1,500-year-old book, which many say is the Gospel of Barnabas, that has been hidden by the Turkish state for the last 12 years.

The £14million handwritten gold lettered tome, penned in Jesus' native Aramaic language, is said to contain his early teachings and a prediction of the Prophet's coming.

The leather-bound text, written on animal hide, was discovered by Turkish police during an anti-smuggling operation in 2000.

It was closely guarded until 2010, when it was finally handed over to the Ankara Ethnography Museum, and will soon be put back on public display following a minor restoration. » | Daily Mail Reporter | Friday, February 24, 2012

TODAY’S ZAMAN: 1,500-year-old handwritten Bible kept in Ankara, ministry confirms » | FATMA DİŞLİ ZIBAK, İSTANBUL | Thursday, February 23, 2012

TODAY’s ZAMAN: 1500-year-old gospel kept in Ankara excites Vatican, report claims: The Vatican has requested that Turkey allow it to examine a 1500-year-old copy of an apocryphal gospel that was discovered by Turkish police during an anti-smuggling operation in 2000 and handed over to the Ankara Ethnography Museum, the Turkish Bugün daily reported on Thursday. » | TODAYSZAMAN.COM | Thursday, February 23, 2012

A Bible Is a Thing of Beauty: Gove to Send One St James Text to Every School in Move Blasted as 'Unacceptable Waste of Money'
MAIL ONLINE: The Prime Minister will send every school in Britain a copy of the King James Bible – complete with a foreword by the Education Secretary Michael Gove.

Mr Gove said the Bible was the most ‘important book written in the English language’ and had major cultural and historical significance.

But the move is highly controversial with non-religious groups condemning it as an unacceptable waste of public money.

Critics also mocked the project on Twitter with former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott describing it as Mr Gove’s ‘vanity project’.

The Department for Education confirmed that the Bibles will be sent out to over 20,000 schools to mark the 400th anniversary of it[s] translation.

Supporters said the book will help school pupils of all faiths to take pride in the history and culture of Britain.

Government ministers have always been careful to avoid controversies surrounding religion with Tony Blair’s former communications chief Alastair Campbell famously once declaring: ‘We don’t do God’.

But Mr Gove said: ‘It‘s a thing of beauty, and it‘s also an incredibly important historical artefact. It has helped shape and define the English language and is one of the keystones of our shared culture. And it is a work that has had international significance’. Continue reading and comment » | Kirsty Walker | Saturday, November 26, 2011

Pope Sainthood Ceremony Disrupted by Protester
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: The Pope named three new saints for the Catholic Church during Sunday Mass in St. Peter's Square that was disrupted by a man who climbed out onto the upper colonnade and burned a bible.


Vatican gendarmes, a bishop and the pope's own bodyguard talked the man back from the edge of the colonnade after he shouted, "Pope, where is Christ?" in English and threw the burned bible to the crowd below.

Benedict and the thousands in the square appeared unfazed by the incident and carried on with the Mass. » | Sunday, October 23, 2011

Computer Program to Reveal Who Wrote the Bible
MAIL ONLINE: Can determine when passage has been written by more than one person and when new author takes over / Scientists and scholars have written algorithm that analyses writing styles

Precisely who wrote the Bible has been debated for centuries – but now scientists have devised a computer program that sheds much more light on the sources of the various religious texts within it.

Israeli computer scientists and Bible scholars have written an algorithm that analyses the writing styles found within various sections.

While it can’t pinpoint an individual author, the program has been able to determine when a passage has been written by more than one person and can detect the point at which a new author has taken over.

For instance, many believe that the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, was written by one person – Moses.

However, many experts insist there were multiple sources. » | Ted Thornhill | Friday, October 14, 2011

Museum stellt uralte Bibelschriften online

Does the Bible Matter in the 21st Century?
May 20, 2011 – Religion’s role in the Western World

American radio preacher predicts doomsday
If Harold Camping is right, then you should probably stop reading this and go say goodbye to your family.

The 89-year-old California-based preacher host of the "Open Forum" television and radio show has predicted that the Christian Rapture - the return of Jesus Christ and an accompanying worldwide disaster - is set to take place on Saturday, May 21.

"We have no plan B, it is going to happen," Camping said. "The Bible is a very factual book."

Camping has, according to some of his colleagues, spent millions of dollars promoting the end of the world, but he predicted a previous Rapture in 1994. Clearly, that didn't happen.

Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds reports from Los Angeles.


Related article and video »

THE DAILY TEGRAPH: So how are you spending your final hours?: The end of the world is predicted for today, so you'd better read this as fast as you can. » | Matthew Norman | Friday, May 20, 2011

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The end is here ... or is it?: If you are reading this and it is past 7am, then the world has not ended and we have all had a lucky escape – predictions of an apocalyptic "Judgment Day" have come to nought. » | Nick Allen, Los Angeles | Friday, May 20, 2011

Doomsayers Predict Apocalypse Now

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: A US evangelical Christian has predicted that the apocalypse will take place on Saturday, prompting derision from atheist groups.

Harold Camping, 89, previously made a failed prediction that Jesus Christ would return to Earth in 1994.

But, the head of the Christian radio network Family Stations Inc has said that he is sure an earthquake will hit on May 21, sweeping true believers to heaven and leaving others behind to be engulfed in the world's destruction over a few months.

"We know without any shadow of a doubt it is going to happen," he said.

His Family Radio [Worldwide] has 66 US stations and broadcasts in more than 30 languages through international affiliates.

His supporters have posted about 2,200 billboards around the United States about the coming apocalypse, and dozens of followers have driven across the country to spread the news. » | Friday, May 20, 2011



Family Radio Worldwide »

Une prison américaine interdit tout autre ouvrage que la Bible
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: Seuls avec la Bible. Un shérif de Caroline du Sud est accusé d’interdire aux détenus d’une prison toute autre lecture que le texte saint, qui leur est "proposé" gratuitement.

Le ministère américain de la Justice a lancé des poursuites judiciaires à l’encontre d’un shérif de Caroline du Sud accusé d’interdire aux détenus d’une prison toute autre lecture que la Bible.

Selon la plainte du ministère, déposée cette semaine devant un tribunal de Charleston (sud-est), le bureau du shérif Sheriff H. Wayne DeWitt refuse systématiquement les demandes de prisonniers souhaitant recevoir des journaux, des revues ou même des cours par correspondance.

"Le seul livre, magazine, journal ou publication religieuse" que le Centre de détention du comté de Berkeley autorise "est la Bible", affirme la plainte. » | AFP | Vendredi 15 Avril 2011