Archaeologists may have found town named in Bible

[Nam]

http://usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/09/17/newser-archeologist-bible/2828549

Sometimes, archaeologists discover a sweater; other times, they uncover entire towns. The latter turns out to be the case in Israel, where a town has been found — and it could be one mentioned in a well-known Bible story. LiveScience reports that it was found along the northwest side of the Sea of Galilee, and British archaeologists suggest that it is Dalmanutha, a place that factors into the Gospel of Mark's recounting of Jesus feeding a great crowd of people with just a few fish and loaves of bread: Dalmanutha is where he briefly sailed after that miracle.

The archaeologists made their discovery during a field survey, and team lead Ken Dark theorizes it is indeed Dalmanutha, and one reason he gives is that artifacts collected there indicate it was an active city at the start of the Common Era. In a June lecture Dark gave at the University of Edinburgh, he further explained his thought process, as summarized on the blog of the Centre for the Study of Christian Origins: "It is hard to imagine that a Roman-period coastal community of this size is nowhere mentioned in textual sources, and the site might be identified with one of the unlocated toponyms known from the Bible, perhaps the Dalmanutha of Mark 8:10." (In other news in the region, archaeologists recently found a treasure trove in Jerusalem.)

Bolding mine.

Explain to me how that is evidence?

-Nam

[Nick]

Look for the "Welcome To Dalmanutha" sign.  Also, if the fish fry was there, there should be trash all over the place.  You can't feed 5000 people without trash being left.

[William]

Explain to me how that is evidence?

Easy
In Harry Potter there's this city called London.
That can only mean one thing - Harry Potter is true! 
Now let's all go look for Gringotts Wizarding Bank - it was left in ruins but the vaults are full of gold and the half-blind fire breathing dragon protecting it has gone 

[mrbiscoop]

    Real cities in fictional works don't mean shit to me.

[Nam]

The bolding gives evidence of it perhaps being a "thriving city", not what city it was.

I wonder if Christians will use this as a tool to say that, "See,the Bible is true"? Of course they will.

I found this researching Ken Dark: http://unsettledchristianity.com/tag/ken-dark

-Nam

[Fiji]

It's like claiming Harry Potter is real because we know Tokyo exists, because when Rowling wrote Harry Potter, Tokyo also existed.

[nogodsforme]

Was it Disneyland?

[Nam]

Was it Disneyland?

Disney World.

-Nam

[Mrjason]

<snip>I wonder if Christians will use this as a tool to say that, "See,the Bible is true"? Of course they will.

Cool, the illiad must be true as well then http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/849
I like the greek pantheon much better than yhwh 

[Fiji]

^^
You would! With a name like that.

I'm not so sure about the Greek pantheon, though, that Posseidon can be a bit of a cunt sometimes ... not to mention that, with Zeus around, no women are ever safe!

[Mrjason]

^^
You would! With a name like that.

its a cultural thing 

I'm not so sure about the Greek pantheon, though, that Posseidon can be a bit of a cunt sometimes ... not to mention that, with Zeus around, no women are ever safe!

They're not consistantly fucktards though and at least they turn up in person to nail your wife.

The major bonus (IMO) about the greek lot is that if you get sent to hell/hades you can be given a sporting chance to escape or have someone fetch you

- Iásonas

[Nam]

Maybe even bribe your way out.

-Nam

[Brakeman]

The funny part of it is that it's "proof" because so little of the bible withstands archaeological scrutiny.  Otherwise it would be unremarkable.
Furthermore, it is more remarkable that writers that lived in the middle east could be as deludedly wrong about geography as they were.

[Fiji]

at least they turn up in person to nail your wife.

- Iásonas

Judge: Yahweh Almighty, you stand accused of rape.What do you have to say for yourself.
Yahweh: It was consentual!
Judge: She was 13 at the time! She can't give consent!
Yahweh: Erm ... oooh, I know, it wasn't me, it was my spirit that did it.
Judge: Mr. Almighty, we all give nicknames to our genitals. I get it, they often seem to have a mind of their own. But you're still the one wielding it!

Maybe even bribe your way out.

-Nam

Yeah, but if you're a twin, all you get is some lousy timesharing.

[Nam]

But it's lake-of-fireside property! Wait, that's not right...or is it?

-Nam

[neopagan]

I've never been to a fish fry that did not have carnival games.  They will find a bunch of rubber duckies, milk bottles and stuffed pandas - then you will all feel silly   

[Energized]

I wonder if Christians will use this as a tool to say that, "See,the Bible is true"? Of course they will.

That would be so stupid, though. The bible mentions other cities that are real... is there, like, a quota on how many cities need to be real for something to be true?

We could do the math.

Actually, we can't The original equation involves using PI to 7 places but the bible says PI = 3.

Ah well.

They discovered a city! The bible is true!

E.

[Nam]

I wonder if Christians will use this as a tool to say that, "See,the Bible is true"? Of course they will.

That would be so stupid, though. The bible mentions other cities that are real... is there, like, a quota on how many cities need to be real for something to be true?

We could do the math.

Actually, we can't The original equation involves using PI to 7 places but the bible says PI = 3.

Ah well.

They discovered a city! The bible is true!

E.

I've heard the argument before by Christians. They mention that cities, buildings, rivers, even countries that existed back then still exist today therefore the Bible is true. My question was more facetious since I already knew the answer.

-Nam

[Foxy Freedom]

Ken Dark said PERHAPS. I have known him and his work for some time. I'm not saying that archaeologists are bright but dark is fairly bright for an archaeologist. (Get the pun)

It is the write ups which are giving a false impression. The second link given by nam is to Watts who is trying to push his book so he has ulterior motives. His book sounds rubbish, if the article is anything to judge by.

I discussed the poor practices in archaeology with a previous colleague of Dark and she was purple and shaking with anger by the end of it. Yes I could actually see her shaking. I am sure she would have liked to hit me. The truth hurts more than a lie. She could not deny that archaeologists ignore the association rules and are afraid to publish raw data because Joe Public can write it up better than archaeologists can.

NASA is not afraid to publish raw data online.

[Nam]

Ken Dark said PERHAPS. I have known him and his work for some time. I'm not saying that archaeologists are bright but dark is fairly bright for an archaeologist. (Get the pun)

It is the write ups which are giving a false impression. The second link given by nam is to Watts who is trying to push his book so he has ulterior motives. His book sounds rubbish, if the article is anything to judge by.

Well, then I think everyone could take all your comments to the same extent going by your sig. See how that works? And it's "Nam", not "nam". Make the effort.

-Nam

[Foxy Freedom]

I am not trying to make money from it. The whole point is that it is FREE. Thanks for the Ad Nam.

The reason I am here is that I hope I can help others. I decided I had to do something to publicise atheism when a school friend became mentally ill through religion and had to receive psychiatric treatment. It developed into schizophrenia and I sat with her on her bed while her family packed her things the day she was taken to an asylum. All she did that day was sit without talking. So I swore that I would do whatever I could from that day. I contacted someone with qualifications in the ancient languages and literatures to tell me the information I needed to know about the bible so that I could debate christians. On this site I have shared something of what I have learned and I would really like a chance to debate here online in writing with christians before I do any filmed debates. I have also practised live by watching Christopher Hitchens debate on YouTube by stopping the video and thinking what my reply would be before listening to Hitchens answer. I still have to practise because Christians often say unexpected irrational things. I hope you understand my reasons now.

[Nam]

As I said in my pm to you: irrelevant. His views are stated in advert to his ideas. Your sig does the same thing, whether for profit, or not.

-Nam

[Foxy Freedom]

That is different from ulterior motives.

It is a terrible thing if you think information should not be made known and discussed. The truth comes through discussion of ideas not from hiding them.

As I said above I am here to practise debating. If any ideas provide a starting point that is a good thing as far as I am concerned.

[Nam]

That is different from ulterior motives.

It is a terrible thing if you think information should not be made known and discussed. The truth comes through discussion of ideas not from hiding them.

Then you have no standing to state the guy should be taken with a grain of salt since he may or may not be promoting his book; again: whether for profit, or not.

-Nam

[Foxy Freedom]

He has the ulterior motive of making money.

[Nam]

He has the ulterior motive of making money.

Based on what you say:

It is a terrible thing if you think information should not be made known and discussed.

That is irrelevant.

-Nam

[Foxy Freedom]

Information is not being made known if you have to pay for it. He specifically states in the article that if you want the answer you have to buy the book. (second paragraph from the end, last line)

Can't you see the difference?

[Nam]

Information is not being made known if you have to pay for it.

Can't you see the difference?

So, those who give out "free" information do not have ulterior motives? Please, tell me: how stupid are you?

-Nam

[Foxy Freedom]

So again you think it is a terrible thing if information is made known and discussed.