bonnie Posted January 12, 2014 Posted January 12, 2014 PROOF OF SAMSON AND HIS STRENGTH Samson visited Philistine territory, stopping at Gaza, where he fell victim to lust and sinned with a harlot (Judg. 16:1-3). Rising at midnight, and finding the city surrounded by waiting Philistines, he inflicted marked humiliation on Gaza by breaking away defensive gates and carrying them to a nearby hill on his return to Hebron. Not long after, Samson once more submitted to lust, becoming infatuated with a woman of the Philistines named Delilah, who lived in the Sorek Valley not far from his place of birth, Zorah. Given promise of massive reward by the Philistine leaders, Delilah sought to entice Samson to reveal the secret of his strength. He gave her false answers three times but finally told her the truth regarding his uncut hair. She cut it off while he slept, and the Philistines were able to put out his eyes and make him labor sightless in their prison in Gaza. When his hair had grown again, Samson had his last revenge. Taken to entertain assembled Philistines in the temple of Dagon, he called upon God for a return of his strength, and he was enabled to dislodge two central supporting columns of the temple from their bases, destroying the building and killing more of the enemy at the time of his own death than in all his prior years. In one fell swoop, Samson eliminated the entire Philistine leadership. This was a major setback in their conflict with Israel. It was a turning point. From this time on, the Israelites started to gain the upper hand. But did it really happen? Could one man pull down an entire temple? Archaeology has discovered some interesting facts. Archaeologists have uncovered two Philistine temples. One at Tel Qasile, in northern Tel Aviv, and one in Tel Miqne, ancient Ekron, 21 miles south of Tel Aviv. Both temples share a unique design; two central pillars supported the roof. The pillars were made of wood and rested on stone support bases. With the pillars being about six feet apart, a strong man could dislodge them from their stone bases and bring the entire structure down. The archaeological findings match the Biblical story perfectly and attest to the plausibility of the account. PROOF OF SAMSON AND HIS STRENGTH Samson visited Philistine territory, stopping at Gaza, where he fell victim to lust and sinned with a harlot (Judg. 16:1-3). Rising at midnight, and finding the city surrounded by waiting Philistines, he inflicted marked humiliation on Gaza by breaking away defensive gates and carrying them to a nearby hill on his return to Hebron. Not long after, Samson once more submitted to lust, becoming infatuated with a woman of the Philistines named Delilah, who lived in the Sorek Valley not far from his place of birth, Zorah. Given promise of massive reward by the Philistine leaders, Delilah sought to entice Samson to reveal the secret of his strength. He gave her false answers three times but finally told her the truth regarding his uncut hair. She cut it off while he slept, and the Philistines were able to put out his eyes and make him labor sightless in their prison in Gaza. When his hair had grown again, Samson had his last revenge. Taken to entertain assembled Philistines in the temple of Dagon, he called upon God for a return of his strength, and he was enabled to dislodge two central supporting columns of the temple from their bases, destroying the building and killing more of the enemy at the time of his own death than in all his prior years. In one fell swoop, Samson eliminated the entire Philistine leadership. This was a major setback in their conflict with Israel. It was a turning point. From this time on, the Israelites started to gain the upper hand. But did it really happen? Could one man pull down an entire temple? Archaeology has discovered some interesting facts. Archaeologists have uncovered two Philistine temples. One at Tel Qasile, in northern Tel Aviv, and one in Tel Miqne, ancient Ekron, 21 miles south of Tel Aviv. Both temples share a unique design; two central pillars supported the roof. The pillars were made of wood and rested on stone support bases. With the pillars being about six feet apart, a strong man could dislodge them from their stone bases and bring the entire structure down. The archaeological findings match the Biblical story perfectly and attest to the plausibility of the account. Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman
Members phkrause Posted January 12, 2014 Members Posted January 12, 2014 Thanks for the post. I really never expect to find that things don't ever show the Bible to be in error. The longer they do these digs the more it shows the Bible to be accurate. One of the main reasons I have "Faith" in the Bible. Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
Moderators Bravus Posted January 12, 2014 Moderators Posted January 12, 2014 Citation needed. Quote Truth is important
LifeHiscost Posted January 12, 2014 Posted January 12, 2014 "Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”"John 20:29 NKJV God loves each so much that there is nothing He will not use that will affect the highest good for our eternal welfare, even the enemies worst tools of destruction. "For we can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth."2 Corinthians 13:8 NKJV God cares!Jesus saves! Quote Lift Jesus up!!
bonnie Posted January 12, 2014 Author Posted January 12, 2014 Citation needed. There are several articles on this. Here is one Between the Pillars: Revisiting "Samson and the House of Dagon" www.biblearchaeology.org/post/2008/07/Between-the-Pillars... Cached Pillar bases of the Philistine temple as they appear today. The excavation site of Tell Qasile where the Philistine temple was discovered is now part of the Eretz ... The ultimate citation for some of us is the biblical account.For those that do not believe as such there are other articles you can pull up in addition to the one posted Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted January 12, 2014 Moderators Posted January 12, 2014 One can believe the Biblical account and still request a citation regardless of whether the citation comes from the Bible for from other sources. In regard to the Bible, people often do not cite it carefully. It is helpful to give citations even from the Bible. Quote Gregory
bonnie Posted January 12, 2014 Author Posted January 12, 2014 One can believe the Biblical account and still request a citation regardless of whether the citation comes from the Bible for from other sources. In regard to the Bible, people often do not cite it carefully. It is helpful to give citations even from the Bible. I did not site the biblical chapter as I assumed most do know where to find it and have read it.Either discarded it as fiction or they believe the biblical account.One can always read In the Bible: Judges 13 - 16 to ensure it is cited carefully To ChristianAnswers.Net HOMETo ChristianAnswers.Net DIRECTORYWhat's new at Christian Answers? Does archaeology shed any light on the story of Samson pulling down a Philistine temple? See this page in: Dutch (Nederlands) Supplied by Films for Christ. In the story of Samson it says he pulled down an entire temple. Have archaeologists uncovered any information that would relate to this account? A major turning point in Israel's war against the Philistines was Samson's death. He had been taken captive through the deception of Delilah. The Philistines gouged out his eyes and took him to Gaza, one of their main cities. There they put him to work grinding grain in a prison. We know from archaeological findings that this type of prison was in reality a “grinding house.” One of the most time-consuming tasks in antiquity was the grinding of grain. In the average home, this fell to the women of the household. The bureaucratic aristocracy, however, set up grinding houses to provide grain for the privileged elite. This was a place where slaves and prisoners were put to work. The tools were simple hand grinding stones. Samson spent his days seated on the ground grinding grain with a hand-held pestle that was rubbed back and forth on a mortar in his lap. One day the Philistine leaders held a religious ceremony to celebrate their victory over their enemy. They brought Samson into the temple where they were assembled, so he could entertain them. Once inside the temple, Samson asked the servant who was guiding him to show him where the pillars were, so he could lean against them. “Then Samson reached toward the two central pillars on which the temple stood. Bracing himself against them, his right hand on the one and his left hand on the other, Samson said, `Let me die with the Philistines!' Then he pushed with all his might, and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived” (Judges 16:29-30). In one fell swoop, Samson eliminated the entire Philistine leadership. This was a major setback in their conflict with Israel. It was a turning point. From this time on, the Israelites started to gain the upper hand. But did it really happen? Could one man pull down an entire temple single handed? Archaeology has provided us with some amazing answers. Copyrighted. Two stone pillar bases in the Philistine temple at Tel Qasile, Israel Supplied by Films for Christ. Two Philistine temples have been uncovered by archaeologists. One at Tel Qasile, in northern Tel Aviv, and one in Tel Miqne, ancient Ekron, 21 miles south of Tel Aviv. Both temples share a unique design—the roof was supported by two central pillars! The pillars were made of wood and rested on stone support bases. With the pillars being about six feet apart, a strong man could dislodge them from their stone bases and bring the entire roof crashing down. The archaeological findings match the Biblical story perfectly and attest to the plausibility of the account. Although Samson had his weaknesses, he was a man of God and is listed in the New Testament as one of those “who through faith conquered kingdoms, … whose weakness was turned to strength” (Hebrews 11:32-34). For Further Reading Bryant G. Wood 1974, “Samson and the House of Dagon,” Bible and Spade, pp. 50-54. (available from the Associates for Biblical Research). Samson (WebBible Encyclopedia) Philistines (WebBible Encyclopedia) Author: Bryant Wood of Associates for Biblical Research Copyright © 1995, Associates for Biblical Research, All Rights Reserved - except as noted on attached “Usage and Copyright” page that grants ChristianAnswers.Net users generous rights for putting this page to work in their homes, personal witnessing, churches and schools. Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman
Moderators Bravus Posted January 12, 2014 Moderators Posted January 12, 2014 I was just hoping for a citation of the article published by the archeologists who made this discovery. They wouldn't mention Samson of course, but might include a description or diagram of the temples. Quoting the case of Thomas at me is not that useful: I'm not challenging the veracity of the Bible but of this specific claim. Not even challenging its veracity, really - just doing the 'due diligence' that I hope *everyone* would do before accepting claims. The implicit claim that *any and every claim* should simply be accepted without seeking evidence is not, I don't think, what Jesus was saying to Thomas. Quote Truth is important
bonnie Posted January 12, 2014 Author Posted January 12, 2014 I was just hoping for a citation of the article published by the archeologists who made this discovery. They wouldn't mention Samson of course, but might include a description or diagram of the temples. Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman
Members rudywoofs (Pam) Posted January 12, 2014 Members Posted January 12, 2014 Here's the photo I found that pertains to the two pillars of the temple, along with some of the article that was in the OP. source Kinda strange, though, that no footnotes are given for the origin of the photo. Could really be anywhere in the middle east, I suppose... Quote Pam Meddle Not In the Affairs of Dragons; for You Are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup. If we all sang the same note in the choir, there'd never be any harmony. Funny, isn't it, how we accept Grace for ourselves and demand justice for others?
LifeHiscost Posted January 13, 2014 Posted January 13, 2014 God speaks through His Word and when we spend time listening for His voice as evidenced by the time we spend with the Word, when It is present He makes Himself known and it is evidence enough. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow MeJohn 10:28 NASB "Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him."Genesis 5:24 NASB Quote: The implicit claim that *any and every claim* should simply be accepted without seeking evidence is not, I don't think, what Jesus was saying to Thomas Can't fault that logic. God cares! Jesus saves! Quote Lift Jesus up!!
Moderators Bravus Posted January 13, 2014 Moderators Posted January 13, 2014 Apologies, bonnie, I was talking about LifeHisCost's quoting of the Thomas story (with his usual lack of context), rather than anything you said. My terseness - I was in the middle of trying to answer student emails while also working on a physics project - may also have disguised the fact that I *was* genuinely interested in what you posted. I requested more information, *not* with the intention of debunking or challenging, but because I was interested enough to want to know more! Quote Truth is important
Moderators Kevin H Posted January 13, 2014 Moderators Posted January 13, 2014 Thank you for sharing. Now, it has been pointed out that the Bible does not say that Delilah was a Philistine. Quote
LifeHiscost Posted January 13, 2014 Posted January 13, 2014 Quote: (with his usual lack of context) Please feel free to point out where one needs to have scripture in context before being able to derive Truth from them. "God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” But they would not listen. So the Lord will spell out his message for them again, one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there, so that they will stumble and fall. They will be injured, trapped, and captured. Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem."Isaiah 28:12-14 NLT God cares! Jesus saves! Quote Lift Jesus up!!
bonnie Posted January 13, 2014 Author Posted January 13, 2014 Apologies, bonnie, I was talking about LifeHisCost's quoting of the Thomas story (with his usual lack of context), rather than anything you said. My terseness - I was in the middle of trying to answer student emails while also working on a physics project - may also have disguised the fact that I *was* genuinely interested in what you posted. I requested more information, *not* with the intention of debunking or challenging, but because I was interested enough to want to know more! No problem. The reference to Christianity news was mistakenly left off when I first posted. There are several places this is spoken of. Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman
bonnie Posted January 13, 2014 Author Posted January 13, 2014 Quote: (with his usual lack of context) Please feel free to point out where one needs to have scripture in context before being able to derive Truth from them. "God has told his people, “Here is a place of rest; let the weary rest here. This is a place of quiet rest.” But they would not listen. So the Lord will spell out his message for them again, one line at a time, one line at a time, a little here, and a little there, so that they will stumble and fall. They will be injured, trapped, and captured. Therefore, listen to this message from the Lord, you scoffing rulers in Jerusalem."Isaiah 28:12-14 NLT God cares! Jesus saves! This has been brought up numerous times,yet you persist.No one is questioning the ability to "derive truth" from all area's of the bible.Most understand it is helpful to have that which pertains to the subject. Quote Everything you do is based on the choices you make. It's not your parents, your past relationships, your job, the economy, the weather, an argument, or your age that is to blame. You and only you are responsible for every decision and choice you make, period ... ... Wish more people would realize this. Quotes by Susan Gottesman
Members rudywoofs (Pam) Posted January 13, 2014 Members Posted January 13, 2014 Apparently the archeological dig where the pillars were found is a "long-term" project headed by Bar-IIan University archeologist, Professor Aren Maeir. The pillars were found in 2010. It's very interesting... Here's the announcement of the archeological find from the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs press announcement : 28 Jul 2010 Bar-Ilan University archaeologists have uncovered two major finds in the biblical city "Gath of the Philistines" (the home of Goliath). Prof. Aren Maeir, of Bar-Ilan's Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archaeology, announced this morning that he and his international team have discovered a Philistine Temple, including a number of ritual items, dating back to the Iron Age (10th century BCE). "Interestingly, the architectural design of this Temple, with its two central pillars, is reminiscent of the architectural image that is described in the well-known Biblical story of Samson and the Philistines, when Samson knocks down the temple by standing between the pillars and pushing them down. Perhaps this indicates that the story of Samson reflects a type of temple that was in use in Philistia at the time," said Prof. Maeir, who has directed the excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath for 13 years. Tell es-Safi/Gath is located in the southern coastal plain of Israel, not far from Kiryat Gat, about half-way between Jerusalem and Ashkelon. Prof. Maeir also indicated that his team had found impressive evidence of an earthquake in the 8th century BCE reminiscent of the earthquake mentioned in the Book of Amos I:1. The team uncovered walls moved from their place and collapsed like a deck of cards as a result of the powerful earthquake - assessed at a magnitude of 8 on the Richter scale - reported Maeir. This summer's excavations at Tell es-Safi/Gath have also uncovered further evidence of the destruction of the city by Hazael, King of Aram Damascus, around 830 BCE, as mentioned in Second Kings 12:18, as well as evidence of the first Philistine settlement in Canaan (around 1200 BCE) and different levels of the Canaanite city of Gath. The Tell es-Safi/Gath Archaeological Project is a long-term investigation aimed at studying the archaeology and history of one of the most important sites in Israel. Tell es-Safi/Gath is one of the largest tells (ancient ruin mounds) in Israel and was settled almost continuously from the 5th millennium BCE until modern times. Quote Pam Meddle Not In the Affairs of Dragons; for You Are Crunchy and Taste Good with Ketchup. If we all sang the same note in the choir, there'd never be any harmony. Funny, isn't it, how we accept Grace for ourselves and demand justice for others?
Moderators Gregory Matthews Posted January 13, 2014 Moderators Posted January 13, 2014 LifeHIs Cost said: Quote: Please feel free to point out where one needs to have scripture in context before being able to derive Truth from them. Deuteronomy 23:13 Quote Gregory
M. T. Cross Posted January 13, 2014 Posted January 13, 2014 Deuteronomy 23:13 I went and looked that up....... I will be sending you a bill for a new monitor after I spit my coffee all over it laughing. I nearly died from the choking as well. Quote
Moderators Bravus Posted January 13, 2014 Moderators Posted January 13, 2014 Thanks, Pam, that's awesome info! Quote Truth is important
Members phkrause Posted January 13, 2014 Members Posted January 13, 2014 LifeHIs Cost said: Quote: Please feel free to point out where one needs to have scripture in context before being able to derive Truth from them. Deuteronomy 23:13 Quote phkrause When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man rules, the people groan. Proverbs 29;2
CoAspen Posted January 14, 2014 Posted January 14, 2014 Wow...what will be found in the Bible next! Quote
LifeHiscost Posted January 14, 2014 Posted January 14, 2014 Quote: Most understand it is helpful to have that which pertains to the subject. Good point, Bonnie. To summarize we might say if I don't find anything of value in what is presented that seems to pertain to the topic that meets my needs or expectations, I know everyone else's needs so well, I can be assured it has nothing helpful for anyone else either. God saves! Jesus cares! Quote Lift Jesus up!!
LifeHiscost Posted January 14, 2014 Posted January 14, 2014 LifeHIs Cost said: Quote: Please feel free to point out where one needs to have scripture in context before being able to derive Truth from them. Deuteronomy 23:13 "“Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer."1 Samuel 8:8 NLT God cares! Jesus saves! Quote Lift Jesus up!!
Woody Posted January 14, 2014 Posted January 14, 2014 LifeHIs Cost said: Quote: Please feel free to point out where one needs to have scripture in context before being able to derive Truth from them. Deuteronomy 23:13 Quote May we be one so that the world may be won. Christian from the cradle to the grave I believe in Hematology.
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