Faith

Are Newly Uncovered ‘Christian Relics’ Actually Fakes?

Within the span of just one week, a Bedouin’s discovery of 70 metal books in a long-forgotten cave has gone from history-altering to rubbish. What many believed could have been the earliest Christian writings in existence are now believed by some to be fakes.

Are Newly Uncovered Christian Relics Actually Fakes?

“They could, just possibly, change our understanding of how Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and how Christianity was born,” the BBC initially reported last week about the astounding discovery.

According to at least one Oxford scholar, debunking the mysterious books’ authenticity was simple.  After viewing images of the relics, Oxford Prof. Peter Thonemann concluded:

The text was incised by someone who did not know the Greek language, since he does not distinguish between the letters lambda and alpha: both are simply represented, in each of the texts, by the shape Λ. The text literally means ‘without grief, farewell! Abgar also known as Eision’.  This text, in isolation, is meaningless.

Are Newly Uncovered Christian Relics Actually Fakes?

But not everyone has been so quick to dismiss the books’ authenticity.  The country of Jordan is fighting to reclaim the relics back after they were believed to have been smuggled out of the country.  The Jordanian government insists the “2,000-year-old manuscripts“ may represent the ”greatest discovery on the eastern banks of the River Jordan.”

Director General of Department of Antiquities (DoA) Ziad Saad announced [Sunday] efforts to reclaim the so-called Jordan codices, 70 metal books bound by lead which Jordanian authorities believe date back to the first century AD and may be the earliest Christian texts ever discovered.

The books billed by Jordanian experts as “more historic than the Dead Sea scrolls” are in the possession of Hassan Saeed, an Israeli bedouin who claims that the texts were passed down from his grandfather.  “We have every indication that these texts were excavated from Jordan illegally in recent years and smuggled across the border,” Saad said at a press conference yesterday.

With scientific evidence in hand, Saad said authorities are working at every diplomatic and legal level in order to return the books from across the river and into Jordan.  According to Saad, the texts and their Jordanian origin were brought to light by David Elkington, a British religious author who was approached by Saeed in 2009 to examine the books’ authenticity.

Saeed travelled to London with two sample books for the scribe’s viewing. When he first laid eyes on the lead codices, Elkington said he knew the texts were no ordinary find.  “When I saw it, I knew immediately I knew it in my heart that these were real and it was the perfect discovery,” Elkington told The Jordan Times over the phone from London.

Comments (128)

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  • TheWatcher
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 8:51am

    Too bad the ‘Book’ we have that is truth is un-read and the book that is unreadable is read by everyone.
    ///////////////////////////
    Buck
    http://***************
    Heirloom Seeds, “How God plants His garden.”

    Report Post » TheWatcher  
  • momsense
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 8:48am

    Betcha the dissenters are rank libs–afraid of the truth.

    Report Post »  
  • LordHowardHurts
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 8:45am

    If you think this article is interesting, then go to: http://www.scribd.com/my_document_collections/2640637 and read; Unbelievable Story: Holy Artifact and view the photos. Interesting if nothing else.
    Lord Howard Hurts freedomfiles.blogspot.com

    Report Post » LordHowardHurts  
  • BlackAce41
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 8:36am

    I think it is just some really old little black book

    Report Post » BlackAce41  
  • Dandylyon
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 8:11am

    Yep,just like gods and devils.

    Funny how the mortals dare to desiffer the immortals and then praise themselves for being right.

    Report Post »  
  • RevDarwinEllis
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 7:39am

    Ya why would the jordanians want fake copper books back so bad? Gee do they know something? Ya a scientist thinks they are fake? Big surprise!!!!!

    Report Post » RevDarwinEllis  
  • KUjayhawk
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 7:09am

    So this professor’s argument implies that he thinks all people were Greek scholars in their writings and all people used Greek exactly the same way everywhere. Maybe you need to brush up on your argument and reason skills professor… what do you think?

    Report Post »  
    • kmichaels
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:58pm

      If you read just the professor’s statement from this article then I would have to agree with you. However, if you click on the “fakes” link included in the article then click on the professor’s response link on that link, then you will note the most damaging evidence, namely that the exact greek phrase was published in two different books, starting in 1958, and then the later one in 1988?. The phrase came from a headstone dated around 109 AD. And the phrase included two local people’s names. So I have to agree that at least the bronze book that the professor looked at is fake.

      Report Post »  
  • Zasifras
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 6:54am

    My family used to run a ceramics business years ago. Looking at these I don’t think they are books at all. I think they are casts for clay or mud. For storage you’d bind the plates together with wire. When you wanted to use them, you’d undo the wire and nail them to a wooden frame. Then you’d pour in mud or clay and allow it to dry before turning them out. Fire them in an oven and you’ve got a ceramic tablet with a relief style image on it. The side they’re showing would then be the BACK side, the other side would be the side that clay/mud got poured onto.

    This would explain why they’re covered in dried muck (although that could also just be age), why they are metal, and why they have holes on all sides and are bound together for storage. It also would explain why there are very few words on them for a “book” and instead have relief type images.

    Just a thought since they don’t look like “books” at all, are bound on all sides, and have very few words, but lots of relief images. For what purpose the finished clay tablets were, I don’t know. Maybe used as altar pieces or relics.

    Report Post »  
    • harumph
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 10:21am

      Excellent observation. Worth pursuing.

      Report Post » harumph  
    • Bearfoot
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 4:51pm

      Interesting! Sounds very reasonable, thanks for the info.

      Report Post » Bearfoot  
  • 98ZJUSMC
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 6:54am

    It would certainly seem to be a very quick dismissal of these books. I should think that anyone purporting themselves to be a scholar would want to study a find like this, very thoroughly, before issuing such a determination.

    Report Post » 98ZJUSMC  
  • Bronco II
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 6:50am

    I had a feeling this would come up that they were fakes.GOD doesn’t need books to prove anything.We are his proof just some choose not to accept it but that is their ship to sail.

    Report Post » Bronco II  
    • Bearfoot
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 4:47pm

      Good comment.

      Ecclesiastes 8:17 And I saw all the work of the [true] God, how mankind are not able to find out the work that has been done under the sun; however much mankind keep working hard to seek, yet they do not find out. And even if they should say they are wise enough to know, they would be unable to find out.

      Our Creator must find us amusing, or sad, that so many look to some homemade “books” for new information when the Bible already has what we need. Very few actually study the Bible, they just want a “sign” or discovery, like Noah’s Ark, a picture of Christ, a shroud, or a cup from which Jesus drank. These “books” mean nothing.

      Report Post » Bearfoot  
  • Wyatt's Torch
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 5:49am

    I’d like to see somebody burn those books! Maybe the muslims should start making Qurans out of metal.

    Report Post » Wyatt's Torch  
  • orionreplay6607
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 5:25am

    Anything regarding Christianity must be squashed in the news these days: fraud or real. It is nearly taboo to claim to be Christian anymore.

    Report Post » orionreplay6607  
  • EastofEdenFarms
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 5:07am

    I called them frauds from the first time I saw the pics and read the story. Everything about the ‘find’ reeks. People have been faking artifacts and manuscripts for centuries. Nothing to see here. Move along.

    Report Post »  
    • steve5150
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 5:50am

      I agree with you Orion.
      If you look at the front cover it is obvious. The pictures of crocodiles and other non-religious symbols are a dead give away. The early believers were a very hard core bunch. What they wrote was not illustrated with silly illustrations. This seems more like what a forger would think looks interesting in a news article. There is a reason this guy isn,t selling them and I don,t think it is because he thinks they are lucky. Ten million dollars buys a lot of camel chow.

      Report Post » steve5150  
  • theyarenotmeopinion
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 3:30am

    you mean there is a chance of it being arranged propaganda
    i like glenn too. but you might want to do a little more research on mormons. dont take that personally. i trust you wont.
    everybody thinks their religion is the correct one.
    there was books deliberately left out of even the king james version to have it speak exactly what the church was looking for.
    there is certainly more to everything then we imagine, but i seriously doubt its anything like what people believe They know.
    humanity is the lowest creature on this planet. this has been proven continually.
    no human, or church is above corruption. all have their price for sacrifice. a monkey, a dog, practically any other creature is more worthy.
    just look at the poison of this planet where we try to eat and drink our nourishment from. drink your high levels of radiation in. its normal.
    and in the name of what?
    when a man realizes his life has no value and a death sentence has been issued. only then will we see how dangerous things will become.
    the planet has been wiped clean before. and it will have to be wiped clean again.
    how do you say?
    in christs name…
    sprinkle flowers, but only after man is gone

    Report Post »  
  • Conservophiliac
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 3:02am

    maybe they should get a hat in which a fake religious leader can throw some stones and decipher them? Then they could lose that translation and then say they can never translate that book again. That would be believable.

    Report Post » Conservophiliac  
  • raydg
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 2:37am

    “They could, just possibly, change our understanding of how Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and how Christianity was born,” the BBC initially reported last week about the astounding discovery.

    Anything to discredit that Christ rose from the dead.

    Report Post »  
    • 98ZJUSMC
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 7:26am

      It’s anything to discredit God and faith, period.

      Report Post » 98ZJUSMC  
  • ARIZONAATTITUDE
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:50am

    We really need to read what we already have written by forty men over twelve hundred years. I have done my homework and have read the Bible many times through, the Quran and Book of Mormon. There is only one truth. Someone is wrong! Jesus said that He is equal with God, that He is God and that is why He was killed, for blasphemy. Muslims will kill us if we say that anyone is equal with God. Joseph Smith said Jesus was not equal with God. Jesus said there is no marriage in heaven. That pretty much wipes out the seventy virgins and the mulitple wives. Who is lying!!! I’ll believe Jesus. I don’t need this “find” to believe. Jesus said, “If you believe not that I AM (he), you will die in your sins. John 8:24

    Report Post »  
    • ghost-of-elvis
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 2:35am

      that is why islam is an abomination, muslims are followers of a false propet, same for the mormoms claiming to be christians following a false prophet. anybody who shall preach any other gospel than that you have recieved from us he shall be accursed. that is why I love glenn for his stand against what is going on in our country and around the world but find myself hesitant to get behind him100% also the catholic church with their changing of the Bible has finally driven me to another church.. one that stands behind the word of God as written in the KJV

      Report Post » ghost-of-elvis  
    • Bearfoot
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 4:27pm

      Arizona, you said “Jesus said that He is equal with God, that He is God and that is why He was killed, for blasphemy. Muslims will kill us if we say that anyone is equal with God. Joseph Smith said Jesus was not equal with God. ”
      The following may fine tune our understanding of who Jesus actually is:

      Jesus said in John 14:28 YOU heard that I said to YOU, I am going away and I am coming [back] to YOU. If YOU loved me, YOU would rejoice that I am going my way to the Father, because the Father is greater than I am.

      1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want YOU to know that the head of every man is the Christ; in turn the head of a woman is the man; in turn the head of the Christ is God.

      John 5:19 Therefore, in answer, Jesus went on to say to them: “Most truly I say to YOU, The Son cannot do a single thing of his own initiative, but only what he beholds the Father doing. For whatever things that One does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father has affection for the Son and shows him all the things he himself does, and he will show him works greater than these, in order that YOU may marvel. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead up and makes them alive, so the Son also makes those alive whom he wants to. 22 For the Father judges no one at all, but he has committed all the judging to the Son, 23 in order that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He that does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. 24 Most truly I say to YOU, He that hears my word and believes him that sent me has everlasting life, and he does not come into judgment but has passed over from death to life.

      Report Post » Bearfoot  
  • JJCon
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:32am

    The link provided in this story goes a little further. Not only is the text a forgery, but it plagiarizes a tomb stone that has been on display in a Jordan museum for 50 years.

    Report Post »  
  • CatholiConservative
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:12am

    Friends, a word of caution I think would be wise- remember that truth doesnt change- the deceiver will try to lead souls away with what would appear to be ‘faith-altering’ evidence; he will also try to crush the soul & spirit of our faith with an air of mundainity

    Report Post »  
  • Thunderstorm 316
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:58am

    Becareful Christians I belive that their is going to be something that will try to divide us, a revelation of some kind that will try to break the foundation of our FAITH. Keep a watchful eye open, and nomatter what, keep your faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

    Report Post »  
    • JRsas2000
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:24am

      It really doesn’t matter what is found to be fake or authentic. My faith isn’t based on that book, but the books contained in the Holy Bible. Nothing can be added or taken away from it. My faith is strong because it is based on Truth.

      Report Post »  
    • Richio
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:30am

      You’re right about that,
      I think Scripture calls it a delusion, but it won’t be whether these books are genuine or not.

      Report Post »  
    • UNZIPTHESHEEPOUTFIT
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:31pm

      Google “Kinderhook Plates” These metal plates seem fake to me because according to a scholar (Elkington who was on Coast-to-Coast the other night) the cross is shown as a capital T in the artwork — which we know is false because they put a sign OVER Jesus’ head; also, he said the “temple secrets” that are going to be revealed will astound the world, and he said he is working with a Mormon scholar , and they are curiously made like the metal plates Joseph Smith claims he found after being told by an angel where to look — 4 strikes for them being another Mormon fake. Unzip the Sheep Outfit, and find the Wolf!

      Report Post »  
  • DeVain
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:34am

    Gee…you think they are fake? :rolls eyes:

    Report Post » DeVain  
    • vennoye
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:33am

      Oh no!!! You just know that they are the “real thing” especially since we know that the earliest Hebrew texts were written in Hebrew, and the earliest New Testament texts were written in Aramaic and they all had to be translated into Greek!! That is why we have some words that seem out of synch (like zealous vs jealous).

      Report Post » vennoye  
    • vennoye
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:53am

      “These rarely seen forms of the eight-pointed star tells you this is the star of the Messiah.”
      Good Grief………..Who’s Messiah???????
      Per Wikipedia:
      The Eight Pointed Star used widely in the Arabic states as beautification, sometimes a similar star to the Star of Lakshmi also consider as the Arabic star.
      The Eight Pointed Star was also used for images of the sun god. (See images of Sun God..Bing)

      Report Post » vennoye  
  • woowoo8
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:24am

    Humankind has searched for “Signs” since the recorded history of Christianity. On the face of the Rosetta stone; first carved on in 196 B.C. are the words “Found in 711 Isaiah.”
    Look in the Scriptures of the Holy Bible-Isaiah 7:11 – “Ask thee a sign of the Lord thy God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above
    Continue reading Verses 12-13-14 -
    “Therefore the Lord Himself wil give you a sign.”

    If these newly found tablets are from God; they will stand up to any test that fallen man can administer.

    Report Post » woowoo8  
    • louise
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 8:25am

      Scripture tells us that “it is an evil and wicked generation that seeks after signs and wonders.”
      Why?
      Because a sign has already been given. The sign of Jonah, which is a representation of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
      What other “sign” is man is need of?
      None.

      Report Post » louise  
    • kmichaels
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:01pm

      Louise, no, the reason that seeking after signs is wrong has nothing to do with whether a sign has already been given. It has to do with the weakness of the sort of mind that would require some powerful magic trick to show that you must be God because of you demonstration of power, when the idea God wants to get across is that you believe in him because you deem him worthy of worship because of his spiritual characteristics.

      Report Post »  
  • Lucent
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:13am

    Jordan would just hide them away for “their own experts” to study and interpt “their own findings.” first. That action would keeping international peer review of the artifacts from happenning for at least 25 years. That keeps the international focus on Jordan and they would have bragging rights, even if they’re fake or real..

    I vote it’s hoax.

    Report Post »  
    • Lucent
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:16am

      sorry “keep” in place of “keeping”.

      Gassho

      Report Post »  
    • TADTAD
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 2:01am

      Very likely, indeed.

      Report Post » TADTAD  
    • walkwithme1966
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 3:38am

      I agree Lucent – I vote it is a hoax also – if they are not, the Catholic Church will somehow get them and hide them in the catacombs underneath the Vatican. http://maboulette.wordpress.com

      Report Post » walkwithme1966  
    • DieBambi
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 7:11am

      If it is not a hoax, there is also the possibility that it isn’t about Jesus Christ. In 1 Cor. 11:14 Paul speaks of long hair on men being unnatural and shameful. He would not have said this if Jesus actually had long flowing hair. He wanted to be like Christ in every way. The codices have impressions of a bearded man with long flowing hair, much like the shroud of turin, a fake that was based of modern artistic impressions of Christ.

      Report Post » DieBambi  
    • Karen D.
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 7:51am

      Correction, the word us covering, not hair. When are told to cover their head when they pray or prophesi. So should when only have long hair then? The two coverings on a woman’s head show that she has two atorities, God and her husband. But the man only has 1, God.

      Report Post » Karen DeSimone  
    • zorro
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 11:18am

      @DIEBAMBI

      I don’t believe science has made up their mind on the shroud as you claim. I know previous tests and reports were found to have been done incorrectly. As far as I know, we still don’t have many conclusions.

      http://www.shroud.com/

      Report Post »  
    • kmichaels
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:06pm

      1 Corinthians
      11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

      No Karen, you are wrong. It specifies long hair, not a generic covering.

      Report Post »  
    • EnoughBS
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:11pm

      Karen,

      You sound about as stupid as a duped Muslim woman.

      Report Post » EnoughBS  
  • Strictlybusiness
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:05am

    This is a Conundrum, How this all wash’s out is going to be VERY INTERESTING…. Hmmmmm, I wonder what the truth is….One thing is for certain GOD KNOWS THE TRUTH ! ! !

    Report Post » Strictlybusiness  
    • Dale
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:14am

      And barak hussein obomba couldn’t TELL the truth.

      Report Post » Dale  
    • TSUNAMI-22
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:23am

      Most people don‘t prefer the truth because it isn’t as easy to believe as a lie. The truth is painful. The truth usually requires sacrifice.

      The ultimate truth died on the cross in the ultimate sacrifice.

      Report Post »  
    • ilovethiscountry
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:30am

      @strictlybusiness
      I agree, God knows. If we don‘t it doesn’t matter. If you believe, it won’t change anything for you.

      Report Post »  
  • CatB
    Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:01am

    I wonder .. do they want to just hide the books … or destroy them? There must be a scietific way to date them … I don’t know that much about metals .. but I would think that someone could date them to a time period If authentic they belong to mankind … not just one country who may not protect them.

    Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:05am

      I note my misspellings and will now head off to bed!

      Report Post »  
    • Strictlybusiness
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:10am

      @CatB

      They belong to MANKIND??? How does that work , what does that look like??? Who should house them then??? And what should the discoverer get for this find??? Should he be a good little SOCIALIST CATB, and just give them over for the betterment of “MANKIND” ???

      Report Post » Strictlybusiness  
    • unsalvageable.org
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:30am

      I think you will continue to find people that want to discredit anything pertaining to Christianity. You will also find many different countries that will want to claim them if they are proved to be authentic.

      Report Post »  
    • godlovinmom
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:32am

      At this point in history…I don’t think I trust anything coming from the middle-east

      Report Post » godlovinmom  
    • banjarmon
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:34am

      TheJordanian government want the books because they are made of lead….They need the lead for bullets…

      Report Post » banjarmon  
    • Showtime
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:39am

      Niters.

      Report Post » Showtime  
    • greyrider
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:46am

      If you received your information from more than one source you would have some of these questions asked. Not the outlandish conspiracy theories, but the “I would think that someone could date them to a time period If authentic.”
      And as far as the whole “If authentic they belong to mankind … not just one country who may not protect them.” Whether they are clever forgeries or not, these codices belong to a single man who has stated repeatedly that they are not for sale.

      Report Post »  
    • thepatriotdave
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:26am

      unsalvageable.org
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:30am
      I think you will continue to find people that want to discredit anything pertaining to Christianity.
      ————————————————–
      Wise comments.

      The best thing we can do right now is simply sit back and wait to see how this unfolds. For us believers nothing really changes does it? But for the dis-believers, this could be like finding the Holy Grail is actually a 10th grade Science Text Book.

      But of course there is a large part of me that wants these small tablets to be genuine.

      Start a conversation at the Tea Forum
      http://www.AmericasTeaPartyNews.com

      Report Post » thepatriotdave  
    • TXPilot
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:35am

      Since these relics are obviously potential game changers in the realm of Christianity and could reinforce the beliefs of the faithful and even attract more followers, of course they must be discredited. And I have no doubt, once the story dies down a bit, they will simply vanish forever….very sad…

      Report Post » TXPilot  
    • brliantedj
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 1:39am

      They can belong to mankind as long as some museum comes up with the cash. You see I still believe in “finders keepers”. My God I love Capitalism, It’s like a free market system that we see disapearing.

      If they’re fake “buyer baware” still CAPITALISM!

      Report Post »  
    • foobear
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 2:42am

      To be fair, a lot of the Greek in the Bible has errors, too.

      Nietzsche once said, “God speaks bad Greek”.

      Report Post » foobear  
    • dr_funk
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 3:18am

      Misspellings on ancient tablets doesn’t make them fakes…

      Now, if they were stamped in sheet metal and said “made in china”, then they could probably call them fakes…

      Report Post »  
    • Enuff Zenuff
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 5:37am

      .
      I thought I read in an earlier story on TheBlaze that the metal had been tested in UK and Swiss labs – and was found to be of the same ratios of metals known to have been typical of Roman times, plus certain metals could be identified as having originated in the Mediterranean region. If mis-spellings disqualified the authenticity of anything, we’d have to revoke the legitimacy of our last several presidents, and most bloggers (including me).

      A year ago I might not have been so concerned with Jordan wanting to retreive them, but with all the turmoil in the middle East these days, Jordan could easily become radicalized and then there’s no telling what a new Islamist government would do. It will take years, if not decades, to properly study these books. Best they be kept safe in a Christian nation lest they be destroyed the way the Taliban blew up the two Buddhas of Bamiyan.

      The UK is being over-run by Muslims. Germans will be a minority in their own country wtihin a few decades. Israel may not be long for this earth. The US is turning increasingly anti-Christian under the goading of the mainstream media. Who’s left that can provide a safe sanctuary that also has the resources and scholars to study these books properly? – The Vatican?

      Report Post » Enuff Zenuff  
    • searching for the Truth
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 7:06am

      I’m with God loving mom on this one!

      Report Post »  
    • Islesfordian
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 7:50am

      They look fake.

      Report Post » Islesfordian  
    • dealer@678
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 8:20am

      Real or fake? Doesnt matter to me. I’ll die knowing that HE is real

      Report Post »  
    • 9111315
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 9:27am

      Currently they belong to Hassan Saeed. Mankind has no claim on them. If Saeed gave them to Mankind, that would be cool. Just remember, if Mankind takes the books away from Saeed, Mankind would have to be put in jail for robbery.

      Report Post »  
    • Tomr
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 10:08am

      I think we should fire off a couple hundred Tomahawks and follow up with an invation just in case.

      Report Post »  
    • dawg of gawd
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 11:09am

      Fake? Gee, there’s a surprise. Hey, did you hear? Ted Haggart has been cured of the gay. And Pat Robertson says he’s no longer using donations to the 700 Club to pay for diamond mining in Africa.

      There IS a god, after all!

      Hosannah! Hosannah!

      humptydumpty boopdaloo . . . habbasabba . . . dabadabadooo

      Report Post » dawg of gawd  
    • LittleBigMouth
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 12:48pm

      As I understand it…if I understand it correctly. It’s not possible to carbon date lead.but, you can carbon date other substances that have accumulated in pitted surfaces of the lead. They have done this. They found that at least one of the books fit the time period. Not to quoat Biden but…This is a big deal!

      Report Post » LittleBigMouth  
    • John Adams
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 2:23pm

      It’s impossible to date metal as accurately as carbon based materials. Basically all they can do is make very educated guesses based on analysis of trace materials, the site it was found, how the metal was formed, etc. If they were lucky enough to gain access to the cave in which they were found it may be possible to radiocarbon date materials within the site to further narrow the search field.

      Report Post »  
    • biggseye
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 3:55pm

      actually there is, Lead, like all metals has a specific half life, if they can determine the length of time the lead has been in it current state, they should be able to determine the age by the amount of lead isotopes in the sheets. At least that is what my friend the metal expert says.

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    • Secret Squirrel
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 6:07pm

      ………
      1. They have symbols identical to known fakes.
      2. They were discovered in a region known for producing fakes.
      3. The author didn’t know the language.

      Pardon me if I don’t get too excited.

      Report Post » Secret Squirrel  
    • RN MOM
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 6:36pm

      These books were carbon dated and found to be dated before 100 ad- the source of the carbon dating was a leather cord with the books.

      Report Post » RN MOM  
    • Warrior_22
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 11:17pm

      Astounding how tunnel visioned this supposed “linguist/ancient language expert” is. According to the article, his debunking is the result his opinion about the poor use of one character?!?! lol wow. Any linguist worth his salt, or anyone with common sense (recently removed from Webster’s hah) knows that language especially written language is a slippery creature. Not knowing the author, the intent, the area or the date makes it practically impossible to critique a particular text. This fool thinks that everyone in the world at the time has a formal and standardized method in writing Koin Greek? Laughable, what a fool. The New Testament (Bible) was written in Koin Greek sure, an ancient and unused but fairly understood language – BUT – maybe the dude who chizzled out these plates didn’t have a college level creative writing degree!! Homer Simpson would be proud. I’ve studied Koin Greek myself, and there are enough variances in transliteration and transcription within a 50 year period to allow way more wiggle in evaluating this text as authentic. Idiot. Oxford Prof Peter Thonmanne is a moron HQ, he needs to shut his mouth when he doesn‘t know what he’s talking about.
      Not to say he’s wrong of course LOL, but because of his wrong reasoning he cannot be right. FAIL.
      I ain‘t be knowin if they fake but if they is it ain’t cause a that bad letter.
      See, I just proved things can be written “a little off” and still be authentic.
      Oxford, churning the best crap in the world – Mythbusters shined a terd, apparently so can Oxford.

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    • Peace
      Posted on April 4, 2011 at 11:36pm

      Who’s money has been backing all the anti-Christian policies.

      Report Post »  
    • davuf
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 8:19am

      Why does the writer of the text have to be Greek? If it was written in ancient Israel then Greek could have been the author’s second language and he might have been unfamiliar with it. Still, given the time period this also has a strong possibility of being an early Christian heresy which would do nothing to add to the faith but could do a great deal to confuse it or give ammunition to people who disbelieve. I could see a Muslim writing a version of the bible which confirms Muhammad’s interpretation of the bible.

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    • shnakebite
      Posted on April 6, 2011 at 3:24pm

      if they try to date it they will come up with the date that fits their plan NOT an accual date of when they were writen.\
      You date the fossils by the rock layer they are found in
      You date the rock layer by the fossils found in that rock layer

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