I've been fortunate enough to stand atop Masada, Qumran, Ein Gedi, and in the Dead Sea twice in my life (belch to the Dead Sea). I've have had the pleasure to be a part of some of the archaeological digs in Israel as a geophysicist. The amazing thing to me about the ramp at Masada is that it was never completed which is one of the evidences used for the suicide theory.
"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it is lawful to call him a man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. He was [the] Christ. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men among us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; for he appeared to them alive again the third day as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day."
The 1000 year old thing always twists people up a little. When you look at this idea and you believe evolution to be true then it is impossible to believe but the key factor is in believing in evolution. Now I know that I have placed myself with many of the spiritual wackos that are out there but, I have not seen one shred of actual evidence that evolution is a true science. From a scientific standpoint then it is not true. Science is based off of fact and evidence, you said it yourself. There has not been one fossil found that shows the evolutionary process of a species.
We do find however that there is a harmony of biblical history and scientific fact. At one time the earth was completely covered with water. The reason I mention the Christian flood theory is because it is a key factor in understanding the length of human life.
Humor me a little. Man was created by God in a perfect environment for health, wealth and longevity. (Even science will tell you that the human body was designed or created for a much longer lifespan.) Mankind was banished from the garden and lived in a less than perfect environment. Some 2000 years later when Noah was born mankind had become so corrupt that Noah was the only one left that was righteous man. So God wiped out the the world saving Noah and his family. After the flood human life became shorter and shorter until we come to Moses who lived 120 years and almost 90% reduction in human life.
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OK..here we go for round 12 !!!
I dispute that the ramp at Massada was never completed. Wooden support structures were found right up to the top and carbon dated to coincide with the rest of the ramp. The ramp did not need to actually get to the Citadel...only close enought to use missiles to batter down the walls, at which point the Romans could get in and butcher the inhabitants (if they had not suicided first ??)...the Romans were a bit touchy about people who disagreed with them !!!!
Whatever Josephus wrote, you cannot be certain that it was not the embellishment of the facts to suit the arguement....BTW, neither can I prove that it was not...so we have a Mexican stand-off.
There have been squillions of fossils found that clearly demonstrate the gradual change both within a genera and within a species...the remarkable work Darwin did on the Galapagos with the seed eating finches is one example...the slow change from Homo Erectus, through Ramapithecus, Homo Habilis to Modern Man is another, fully supported by the fossil record....to name but 2...I could go on for 20 pages, but I wont
At one time the Earth had much more free water...agreed, but this was in the Pleistocene period before Glaciation and before Gondwanaland (the only land mass at the time ) began to break up into Continents (Tectonic Plate Drift). There is no evidence for recent time (300, 000 years) that there was a period of NO land. The nett content of water has not changed since the World began...neither can it, because of the Laws of Conservation of Mass and Energy...if there is more water, its got to come from somewhere !!! What has changed and will constantly continue to change is the ratio of water to ice/snow (phase shift)
The human body, regretfully can only exist because it is fuelled by Oxygen which is a vicious Oxidising Agent. Therefore the fuel we ingest carries the seed of our own destruction. As an Oxydative machine, it is thought that the human body has an ultimate life span of about 130 years...(Gene Tasselation).
That is why the dinosaurs were so big, in the Jurasic and Cretaceous, the Oxygen content of the atmosphere was over 40 %...more fuel, more growth, more size....but there is no evidence that they lived for extended years...just did it all quicker due to high fuel content.
I cant humour you Shaun because you say "Humor me a little. Man was created by God in a perfect environment for health, wealth and longevity."...and this fundamental proposition of yours is totally rejected by me....so all "logic" that follows from this fatally flawed statement can never make any sense to me. I cannot even think how to begin a rational debate which incorporates the arguement " So God wiped out the world saving Noah and his family."...because I absolutely, utterly and totally reject the premise.
S' all interesting...but as always, neither view will prevail...you will never convince me...and I know I will never convince you...or those of your following.
Next episode, we might explore the whole question of time/age/age-time...thanks to Brian Greene...or maybe not...I am getting a bit bored with trying to convert you Heathens to the real religion of the Universe !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
