Real Opportunists in Ancient Israel

The scribes of ancient Israel proved to be real opportunists using their research and copyist skills to build great power alongside the Pharisees and Saducees of ancient Israel.


Before King Nubuchadrezzar's destruction of Jerusalem in 607 B.C. the focus of their work was transcribing portions of the  Old Testament as well as business and government documents.


However after a remnant was set free by  the Cyrus who   defeated the Babylonians to establish a Medo-Persian empire stretching from the Mediterranean to the borders of India the Scribes assumed an ever more powerful role not just as copyists of the Law and rest of the Old Testament or Hebrew Scripturess, but also as interpreters and enforcers of that  and other laws.


By the time of Jesus the Scribes had become a part of that elite group made up of the Chief Priest, priests, Sadducees, Pharisees and members of artistocratic families.


In small towns throughout Israel as well as in Jewish centres outside of Palestine  these men secured positions as minor government officials and judges as well as the interpreters and enforcers of  the Mosaic Law traditions.


Although they came from all walks of life:  Some were priests, but others were originally fishermen, carpenters, and labourers, they studied hard from the age of 14 to 40 in order to be certified or ordained as Scribes.


They were highly revered by most of the common people because of their supposed knowledge of the Law Covenant and what it required of the people.  This knowlege  they jealously kept to themselves on the grounds the common people did not have the intelligence to understand why God required certain things from them under the Law Covenant. This was much like the clergy class in Europe during the Dark and Medieval Ages in Europe.


However, Most of the people never thought of questioning them and relatively few of the Biblical Jews ever realized that most of the traditions that they were forced to follow were nothing more than the creations of the Scribe brotherhood.


In Jerusalem itself the Scribes  had even more power and prestige working closely with the Chief Priest and other Sanhedrin members. Many  of them, in fact, became members of that supreme body which governed so much of the daily life of the Jewish people right up to and beyond the time of Jesus Christ and the Apostles.


Through their distorted interpretation of the Law Covenant and blind allegiance to those traditions they set themselves up as enemies of Jesus Christ.

Can You Make The Trip?

Can you make the trip?  If you can and are interested in learning more about the Bible and the latest archaeological and other findings about the Bible  you should really try.


The the BAR sponsored  15th Annual Bible and Archaeological Fest being held in Chicago this coming November.


For more information contact   the Biblical Archaeology Review magazine.


You can pick up as print copy of this journal at most large book stores in Canada and the United States -- as well as other parts of the world.


 If you prefer to go online just click on the title of course and you be whisked away to the Web site -- where you will find many different  links to follow.

Were Bible Miracles Impossible?

Many persons has dismissed miracles described in the Bible as being impossible and belong with all the other myths that ancient people created.  But would they have really be impossible?


The word  "impossible" is not always absolute as we saw in the case of the Titanic. This ultra-modern vessel for its day was considered impossible to sink because of the special construction of its haul. But that  ship  vanished in the ocean depths taking 1500 persons with it. So "impossible" is truly a relative term.


Actually many scientists are reluctant today to say anything is impossible -- maybe  improbably -- but not impossible.  This is because things  we take for granted today -- because of advanced technology -- were   inconceivable at one time. Examples of this include: sending a man to the moon; sending a space vehicle to Mars; mapping the human genome; and watching events happening on the other side of the world in "real-time" as they are happening such as the Gulf Wars.


Because of this Professor John Brobeck commented: " A scientist is no longer able to say honestly something is impossible.."


From his comments he also obviously feel that  a God as portrayed in the Bible --   with far greater powers and energy than any scientist or other human--  would be able to accomplish things such as the as Creation, the Noachian Flood, and the parting of the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross,  things that many persons today consider as impossible.