Sunday, February 12, 2012

Two Seconds

I didn't want to interrupt my "LMLK Credit" series of blog articles, but last week the Bible & Interpretation website published my formal review of a 2011 Tel Aviv (TA) journal article by David Ussishkin. After publishing my Lipschits rebuttal in 2010, their editors had rejected my subsequent articles about the Flood, Homosexuality, Light, & Seal Forgeries, so my persistence paid off. They not only accepted this one, but included their customary promotion of it for a couple of weeks on their Home page:



They chose the tagline under the Redondo #62 H2D photo from this list of suggestions I submitted:

  • Early or Late LMLK Seal Design?


  • Ussishkin Is Positive This Is Negative


  • King Hezekiah's Economic Recovery Plan?


  • Ussishkin & Lipschits: Divided They Stand


  • Shining a Light on an Archaeological Dispute


  • Who's Wrong: Ussishkin or Lipschits or Both?


  • Divided Opinions Over a Chronological Division


  • More Academic Arguments Over Ancient Artifacts


  • Before or After Sennacherib's Judean Campaign?


  • Did King Hezekiah Have an Economic Recovery Plan?


  • Evidence for King Hezekiah's Economic Recovery Plan?


  • Does Positively Scattered Archaeological Evidence Exist?


  • Has This Seal Impression Caused Ancient and Modern Battles?


  • Positive Archaeological Evidence Without a Destruction Layer?


  • Can Positive Archaeological Evidence Exist With No Destruction Layer?


After drafting the core text, I thought it would be helpful to add section titles. The first one that stuck in my brain came from Malachi as I stated test criteria for falsifying the main thesis, & was pleasantly surprised to find apropos KJV nuggets for all the others:

"And this man shall be the peace, when the Assyrian shall come into our land; and when he shall tread in our palaces, then shall we raise against him seven shepherds, and eight principal men."--Micah 5:5

"And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, 'How long halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.' And the people answered him not a word."--1Kings 18:21

"And they said, 'Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth.'"--Genesis 11:4

"But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage?"--Galatians 4:9

"'Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith,' saith the LORD of hosts, 'if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.'"--Malachi 3:10

"Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear, but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not."--Isaiah 65:12

I had fun writing this 2nd TA rebuttal, & as Ussishkin & others maintain their position, I don't expect this tug-of-war struggle to end soon. On the bright side, as more people participate in the discussion, the questions become clear, & maybe future excavations will provide the answers that we need. Just because I was not able to persuade anyone new with my arguments, I'm certainly not going to give up in despair.

Also this week, I heard Heritage Singers perform yet a 2nd song with LMLK content ("In the Presence of Jehovah" by Geron & Becky Davis) at their Vallejo Drive SDA Church concert:

In and out of situations
that tug-of-war at me.
All day long I struggle
for the answers that I need.
Then I come into His presence
and all my questions become clear.
And for that sacred moment
no doubt can interfere.

In the presence of Jehovah
God Almighty, Prince of Peace
Troubles vanish, hearts are mended
in the presence
of the King.

Through His love the Lord provided
a place for us to rest
a place to find the answers
in the hour of distress.
Now there's never any reason
for you to give up in despair.
Just slip away and breathe His name
He will surely meet you there.




G.M. Grena

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