Another Silly Season

Another silly season is about to end. Easter doesn't seem to last quite as long and has not been commercialize as much as Christmas. That may have something to do with the smaller surge in stories about Jesus or it may just be coincidental. In either case there is a bit of irony that this Holiday does not get the same level of hype since in terms of theology it is far more important. The birth of the Christ figure, though notable in Christian Theology, pales in comparison to the resurrection upon which the faith is founded. I have to admit that the articles that have been popping up are more interesting this time around. Among the more interesting over the past month and a half are:

Tomb Exploration Reveals First Archaeological Evidence of Christianity from the Time of Jesus
Did Jesus Exist?
Hunt for the Historical Jesus
The Archaeological Evidence For Jesus
If Jesus' Crucifixion Is the Solution, What's the Problem?
Why Did Jesus Go To Jerusalem? A Holy Week Reflection
Andrew Sullivan: Christianity in Crisis

Some of these I find interesting because they are either well written or make at least one decent point. While others fascinate me due to the level of ignorance dressed up either in scientific or intellectual terms. A chunk of them are centered around a relatively recent archeological discovery that is generally referred to as the "Patio Tomb." The work being conducted on this site could very well lead to a better understanding of the formation of Christianity. Unfortunately, a number of pieces on the discovery are highly misleading or outright false. It has yet to be determined that the ossuaries or "bone boxes" in the tomb are Christian. There are two pieces of evidence that are still being evaluated that may end up confirming this assumption. There is a symbol on the boxes that may be a fish. Many scholars are not convinced. It is possible that the symbol could be a roof. In either case a few are insisting that the fish symbol is automatically an indication of Christians. It isn't. The fish as a symbol has been used by virtually every culture around the world. Judaism is no exception. Tabor is convinced it is a reference to Jonah (which would be Jewish in origin) but doesn't seem to realize that the fish as a symbol of fertility among semitic people (Jews included) predates Judaism and therefore predates Christianity. The other proof is an inscription that has a handful of possible translations. Tabor and company have already concluded that it is a reference to Christ's resurrection. Assuming it can be interpreted to mean a resurrection at all it does not necessarily mean Christ. Resurrection is also a common theme.

There are a number of other foolish false conclusions made by Tabor but these do not directly involve the Patio Tomb. He reference another near by tomb with even more tenuous "findings." On a recent episode of Culture Shocks Barry Lynn interviewed Tabor and as a follow up Joe Nickell. It becomes pretty clear that Tabor reached conclusions ahead of any real findings. It also is very obvious that he is incapable of separating potential evidence of early Christians from evidence for the existence of Jesus Christ. The former does not prove the latter. Even if you didn't know up front it was a joke, finding evidence for the existence of Pastafarians would not prove the existence of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Once you get past the various pieces that drone on about the "historicity" of Christ you get a few pieces on the "true nature" of Christ. These don't tend to be as interesting. They are pretty standard and lack much in the way of originality or consistent critical thought. I found Sullivan's piece interesting mainly because I am fascinated by him. He is a walking contradiction of self-delusion and displaced self-righteous indignation. He tends to rattle on about the shortcoming of others without ever fully grasping his own or that he definitely contribute to many of the problems he sees. These interesting personality quirks go beyond his being a Christian conservative Republican homosexual. However, reread that last sentence and you got a good place to start thinking about why his ideas are such an odd jumble.In the end what he writes in regard to Christianity is not original or even much in the way of a variation.

Overall, these pieces and a few others did keep my interest longer than some of those I came across during the Christmas season. I hope that once the novelty wears off and the media loses interest that some more serious scholarship will be conducted regarding the Patio Tomb. Of course, religion is and will continue to get in the way. The Jewish Orthodox community has not allowed anyone to actually enter the tomb. Up to this point the "excavation" has been conducted by remote cameras.