Abraham belongs archaeologically to the Early Bronze Age of the Third MillenniumAbraham the father of many nations archaeologically belongs to the Early Bronze Age of the Third Millennium. This is not a new claim. Dr. David Noel Freedman first made it back when excavating the remains of Elba a great Syrian city with close Mesopotamian ties of the Early Bronze Age. Had, he not been such a respected and important Biblical Archaeologist. He might have end up placed into a mental institution. However, as it was the field allowed his claim to pass and the old dating of Abraham continued.
The failure of Dr. Freedman claim to take hold and grow came only from his inability to support his earlier (much earlier) dating. With a reasonable explanation as to why his new dating for Abraham should be considered seriously. Compared to the traditional chronology, that has ruled Biblical Archaeology from the earliest days. A chronology held sacred, by a majority of loud voices that has their demand that archaeology a science fit their chronology. Despite its persistent inability, to do this except in the briefest of circumstances, to the point that some big names in Biblical Archaeology are justified in claiming there is no Abraham. This chronology as discussed in the post
Pagan Influences in Christian Chronology and explained in depth by Dr. William Adler in his work
Time Immemorial, Archaic History and Its Sources in Christian Chronology from Julius Africanus to George Syncellus published in 1989, by Dumbarton Oaks. The pagan Greek and Roman origins explain why our traditional Christian Chronology does not work with archaeology. When understanding the origin of our traditional chronology we are free to look at what archaeology has uncovered for us and like a puzzle put the pieces into their proper places. With archaeology freed, this can be done. We who believe that the Bible is also a history book of the children of Abraham. Do not have to argue persistently when we turn to our guide the Bible and then to archaeology. The truth of scripture becomes evident based on science of all things!
Had Dr. David Noel Freedman only read Dr. William Adler’s work he would have been able to explain why he knew the current traditional dating of the Bible was off by such a large margin. He unfortunately died, this year in April and will never learn just how right he was and how beautifully archaeology does it, in the end.
(an original piece by
Pjbl2223@aol.com from the copyrighted
The Archaeological Chronology 2000-2008. All rights reserved)
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