Proof of John the Baptist? (ritual, gospel, disciples, preacher)

[jeffrey]

Archaeologists have found a cave where they believe John the Baptist anointed many of his disciples, offering extraordinary proof of a central New Testament figure and his theology.

The Associated Press reports that the cave is located on the Kibbutz Tzuba, which is 2-1/2 miles from Ein Kerem, John the Baptist's hometown that is now part of Jerusalem. The cave includes a huge cistern with 28 steps that lead to an underground pool of water. Some 250,000 pottery shards were also found and are presumed to be remnants of small water jugs used in the Christian baptismal ritual performed by the fiery New Testament preacher. Wall carvings etched into the cave tell John's life story; they were likely made by monks in the fourth or fifth century. In addition, a stone was found in the cave that researchers believe was used for ceremonial foot washing.

"John the Baptist, who was just a figure from the Gospels, now comes to life," British archaeologist Shimon Gibson, who supervised the dig outside Jerusalem, exclaimed to AP. He is the head of the private Jerusalem Archaeological Field Unit and has written a book on the subject titled "The Cave of John the Baptist." In a separate interview, Gibson told Reuters, "Nothing like this has been found elsewhere. It is the first time we have finds from the early baptismal period. It is an amazing discovery that happens to an archeologist once in a lifetime."
Complete story here.
http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/pac...ist&floc=wn-ns

[michel]

That's incredible; I remember seeing an announcement that a new (Hitherto unknown) tomb had been found near the pyramids. It contained sarcophagi which will be examined.


It just goes to show how much there is still to be discovered!

[Jayhawker Soule]

Originally Posted by michel

That's incredible; ...

No. It's old news and highly speculative. The sum total of the so-called 'evidence' suggesting John the Baptist are:

Carvings in the walls which appear to tell the story of John the Baptist's life. They depict a person whose hair and clothing identify him as a member of the Nazarite sect. Another carving shows a man's severed head. They resemble early Byzantine images of John. They may indicate that some Christians during the 4th and 5th centuries CE regarded the cave as having been linked to John the Baptist. [ReligiousTolerance.org]

Note that this 'evidence' is 4th/5th century CE.

[nutshell]

I'm not convinced. For one thing, I don't think John the Baptists was using "small water jugs," but was baptizing by immersion.

[angellous_evangellous]

Originally Posted by jeffrey

Archaeologists have found a cave where they believe John the Baptist anointed many of his disciples, offering extraordinary proof of a central New Testament figure and his theology.

The Associated Press reports that the cave is located on the Kibbutz Tzuba, which is 2-1/2 miles from Ein Kerem, John the Baptist's hometown that is now part of Jerusalem. The cave includes a huge cistern with 28 steps that lead to an underground pool of water. Some 250,000 pottery shards were also found and are presumed to be remnants of small water jugs used in the Christian baptismal ritual performed by the fiery New Testament preacher. Wall carvings etched into the cave tell John's life story; they were likely made by monks in the fourth or fifth century. In addition, a stone was found in the cave that researchers believe was used for ceremonial foot washing.

"John the Baptist, who was just a figure from the Gospels, now comes to life," British archaeologist Shimon Gibson, who supervised the dig outside Jerusalem, exclaimed to AP. He is the head of the private Jerusalem Archaeological Field Unit and has written a book on the subject titled "The Cave of John the Baptist." In a separate interview, Gibson told Reuters, "Nothing like this has been found elsewhere. It is the first time we have finds from the early baptismal period. It is an amazing discovery that happens to an archeologist once in a lifetime."
Complete story here.
http://cnn.netscape.cnn.com/news/pac...ist&floc=wn-ns

Well Jay already did a great job showing that the evidence doesn't match the conclusion that this is proof for John the Baptist. I agree...

It looks to me like Gibson is wrong here. There is evidence that the Qumran sect practiced baptism.

[jeffrey]

I don't know. I tend to believe there might be something to this. Like to hear more about this.

[jeffrey]

Originally Posted by michel

That's incredible; I remember seeing an announcement that a new (Hitherto unknown) tomb had been found near the pyramids. It contained sarcophagi which will be examined.


It just goes to show how much there is still to be discovered!

I agree. There will always be skeptics, But I'm sure there is more to be discovered!

[James the Persian]

Originally Posted by nutshell

I'm not convinced. For one thing, I don't think John the Baptists was using "small water jugs," but was baptizing by immersion.

And the 4th/5th century Church, like the modern Orthodox Church, would not have been using jugs either. Baptism by complete immersion has always been, and remains, the practice in the Christian east.

James