Shavuot and Biblical Criticism

Last year: Boris the Terrible Dreams About Shavuot, With Biblical Criticism

Disclaimer: If you have never read the illogical claims of Bible critics, and never will, good for you! Feel free to skip to the fun parable. Otherwise, please read and respond with your thoughts!

Shavuot is the Jewish holiday that celebrates the Giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.¹ It is also the anniversary of both the birth and death of King David.² The Davidic dynasty is a central theme in Jewish history. In spite of the many attestations in Biblical texts, many secular academics and historians question King David's very existence.

How Bible Critics See It:

A notable example: Israel Finkelstein is a professor of archaeology at Tel Aviv University. He is a Bible critic known for his controversial approach to biblical archaeology, particularly regarding the historicity of King David. Finkelstein suggests that many accounts, including those of King David, are later inventions rather than accurate historical records. This skepticism is mirrored in his many other attempts to undermine the historical accuracy of King David in the Bible.³

Jews and researchers of all backgrounds call the site the City of David — a name given to the ridge by early European explorers.⁴

Really?

This debate reflects a broader trend in secular biblical criticism.  If you try to read secular academic work related to the Bible or Biblical history, you will — very quickly — come to the following conclusion:

Despite the Bible being the longest lasting historical document, or maybe because it is the longest lasting historical document, it feels like many  academics spend a lot their time trying to figure out why it can't possibly ever be true.

What would happen if the Bible turned out to be historically true?

They might have to consider believing in G-d or something terribly obligating like that. That would make them dumb and religious, and possibly even force some Jewish/Muslim/Christian moral accountability. So Bible critics cannot risk belief in the Divine giving humanity direction. Naturally,  they only rarely and begrudgingly reference the Bible. 

In fact, many Bible critics seem determined to disprove the Bible entirely. Any accuracy in the Bible, no matter how accidental or irrelevant, is not a sophisticated thing to acknowledge. For instance, "most scholars" used to agree that Nebuchadnezzar was primarily a builder-king. Then evidence emerged showing he was also a warrior.⁵ Now, "most scholars" agree that Nebuchadnezzar was both a warrior and a builder.⁶

As a matter of fact, the Biblical text also portrays King Nebuchadnezzar as a builder. He arrogantly declares, "Is this not the great city of Babylon that I built, to be the seat of my kingdom, with my strength and might and for my honor and my glory?"⁷ However, quoting a Bible verse is not considered sophisticated proof in these academic circles, so they rarely pay attention to what the verses actually say.

Unfortunately, King Nebuchadnezzar didn't have the printing press to provide us with detailed historical records, and so we must rely on modern archaeology. Most of modern academics are Bible critics. For them, the silver lining is that this gives everyone enough room to make their own interpretations, so that they never really need to worry about the Bible having any truth to it.  

What about theories based on evidence?

I (Isha Yiras Hashem) always have the same objection to archaeological theories that claim to contradict the Bible. An academic may be convinced that the account of the Battle of Jericho in the book of Joshua is completely and totally false.  Yet any archaeological evidence is inevitably interpreted in the context of the Bible. Why are they trusting the Bible's historical context at all?

If they really believe that the Holy Bible is later Jewish propaganda, none of it should be considered a reliable historical record.  If you don't believe in the Book of Joshua, you cannot reasonably use information you learned from the Book of Joshua to discredit other information within the book of Joshua. To prove anything either way, you would need independently sourced and verifiable proof that Joshua lived at a different time, or that Canaan was actually conquered by Egypt during this period, or a time machine with video capability.

But all scholars agree that no such proof exists. Even though the Middle East has been around for a long time, which is a fact inconveniently verified by the Bible. Years of human settlement leave a lot of things to dig up. Why isn't there a lot of proof either way?

Consider also that you'll find something interesting no matter where you dig in the Middle East. Proving which interesting thing you have found, and especially placing it in historical context, is a bit more complicated.

As you all know, I love telling biblical stories, so I totally understand that it is fun to place it into a story. That's what I would do, after all. You can't really blame the archaeologists for trying to do that at every opportunity, since that's what gets them news coverage and probably funding. But this is the furthest thing from objective truth.

You know what? I really do like telling stories. Here's a story to illustrate my point: 

A Parable About The Problem Of Interpreting Historical Records

One day, the entire East Coast of the United States is hit by an asteroid or hydrogen bomb or swallowed by the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the world is destroyed by a 10000 degree fire.

The earth shifts unrecognizably, and nearly all humans on the planet die. Except for two small groups of humans, one in the North Pole and the other in the South Pole, both composed of young children and a science teacher who lives only long enough to teach them the scientific method.

These children were taught nothing but the scientific method, so it only takes them and their descendants about 1000 years to return to some of Earth, and another 1000 to rebuild civilization. They don't know this, but their new civilization is even better. They have figured out how to get rid of radiation, recycle plastic, cure cancer, and even travel to Mars on vacation.

In the year 5024, a respected archaeologist named Dr. Jubel will dig up a highway in what we know as the state of Montana, but what he knows only as destroyed land. The Jubel theory will become dominant among academics, that this must be the "New York" referenced in tombstones, because New York was known for having a lot of traffic.

To support this theory, he brings evidence from multiple ancient writings. For example, this road must have been built to support a lot of traffic, so this must be New York. He becomes an expert in the political environment of the time, which seems strange. A mayor might have been a bit like a low ranking noble, but his name appears more frequently than the current "president" in all historical evidence, so he likely had more power than the president.

There was no such thing as the United States of America, which he regards as a convenient fairytale.

Any sophisticated academic does not believe that the United States of lore ever existed. The new earth is ruled by a peaceful dictatorship. There is no way a country could peacefully transfer power between elected leaders for 500 years, without even the ability to travel to Mars for summer vacation.

Since the collapse of technological civilization 3,000 years ago, there have only been dictatorships. Except for this short 500 year blip in history, whose veracity is heavily debated by academics, no civilization has been able to sustain democracy. At best, the United States of America are extremely controversial. Therefore, any political scientist, historian, and archaeologist worth their salary understands that it is more likely that democratic society never existed — except for in theory.

The story of the United States of America is a fairy tale, taught only to Mormon children, Mormonism being the one religion to have survived, which teaches a beautiful moral lesson about the value of the individual.

Here's a textbook from the year 5124: 

The archaeology of the United States is the study of the archaeology of the present-day Dystopia, stretching from prehistory through three millennia of documented history. What myths and lore describes as the “United States of America” was merely an unusually large geographical bridge between the countries of mostly S. (Spanish) America and F. (French) Canada.

Despite the historical importance of the area, serious archaeological research only began 3,000 years after the Devastation occurred, when the equator started cooling enough to make archaeology possible.

Although she never travelled to the area, or even left the front door of her home to take out the garbage, the first major work on the antiquities of the United States is considered to be Amsy Qibun's True Facts Of The Americas, published in 4034. Darrow Jubel performed the first modern excavation at Montana in 5010, followed by Harwin Trump, a renowned specialist in the East Coast State of York, where the name Trump has reportedly been found on many buildings.

Ritual objects made of plastic and metals are frequently discovered in this area. Interestingly, there is evidence of many notable attempts to shatter and destroy 'Trump', more on the West Coast than on the East, and Harwin Trump argues convincingly that the evidence shows that this was a method of worshipping the ancient idol of Trump.

While academics may seek to dismiss biblical accounts, much evidence points to the reality of the biblical world. This Shavuot, as we celebrate the giving of the Torah, let's have confidence in its veracity and pray using the words of David the Psalmist.

I hope you agree that Psalm 34 is appropriate here:

Tehillim (Psalms) - Chapter 34

Translation edited from chabad.org

Of David, when he pretended insanity before Abimelech, whereupon he drove him out and he left. I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise is always in my mouth. My soul boasts of the Lord; may the humble hear and rejoice. Declare the greatness of the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord and He answered me, and He delivered me from all my terrors. They looked to Him and they became radiant, and their faces will not be ashamed.

This poor man called and the Lord heard, and He saved him from all his troubles.

An angel of the Lord is stationed around those who fear Him, and He saved them. Comprehend and see that the Lord is good; praiseworthy is the man who takes shelter in Him. Fear the Lord, His holy ones; for there is no want to those who fear Him. Young lions suffer want and are hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good.

Come, children, hearken to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Who is the man who desires life, who loves days to see goodness?

Guard your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceitfully.

Shun evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it.

The eyes of the Lord are to the righteous, and His ears are to their cry. The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off their remembrance from the earth. The righteous cry out and the Lord hearkens, and He saves them from all their troubles. The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and He saves those of crushed spirit. Many evils befall the righteous, but the Lord saves him from them all. He guards all his bones; not one of them was broken. Evil will kill the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be ashamed. The Lord redeems the soul of His servants, and all who take refuge in Him shall not be ashamed.

(https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/16255/showrashi/true/jewish/Chapter-34.htm)

1. https://ohr.edu/holidays/shavuot/

2. https://ohr.edu/holidays/shavuot/ask_the_rabbi/5430

3. For a good overview, see here: https://armstronginstitute.org/652-new-yorkers-did-david-exist-expos-eacute-falls-woefully-short

4. https://forward.com/opinion/137273/in-the-eye-of-jerusalem-s-archaeological-storm/

Full paragraph:

Jews and researchers of all backgrounds call the site the City of David — a name given to the ridge by early European explorers. Scholars agree that together with the Temple Mount and the southwestern part of the Old City, this ridge is the location of biblical Jerusalem.

5. The Bible says that King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was an evil king who ruled the entire known world at the time. He was responsible for the destruction of the first Jewish Temple in Jerusalem, as well as exiling Jews from their land for the first time since they conquered the land of Canaan in the book of Joshua. So he was a great anti semitic hero.

6. Bible Archaeology Report

7. Daniel 4:27