Re: Thiering Conjecture

From: Ben Crick (ben.crick@argonet.co.uk)
Date: Wed Jun 18 1997 - 13:24:24 EDT


On Wed 18 Jun 97 (14:05:44 +0900), owner-rev21@mma.so-net.or.jp wrote:
> Doesn't someone in this list take serious the Thiering Conjecture?

> Barbara Thiering put the conjecture in "Jesus the Man" that 'pesher
> technique' suggested in Dead Sea Scrolls would reveal hidden meanigs of
> NT, concluding that Jesus survived crucifixion, married twice, had a
> family with 3 children, taught in Rome
> and Minor Asia, and live more than 76 years old.

> Her conjecture clarifies, to my seeing, many riddles of
> NT translation into English.

> I wonder many scholars take her conjecture as an occult.

 Hi Masami! So glad you are learning the Hellenistic tongue. So glad you
 are aware of the occult (Gnostic, neo-Gnostic) anti-Christian element
 in all this. Barbara Thiering, like her predecessor John Allegro, has been
 universally panned by the theological departments of the academic world.

 "Jesus was a divorced father of three, claims scholar" was the headline
 in the British press. Barbara Thiering who taught Divinity at Sydney Uni
 (Australia) claimed to get her ideas from the Dead Sea Scrolls. Prof Geza
 Vermes, expert on the Scrolls, says they were all written before Christ;
 therefore are no evidence. Thiering evidently had before her the Hosea
 scroll from Qumran. Hosea's prostitute wife Gomer bore him one son (Jezreel)
 and then had two children by adultery (/Loruhamah/, unloved; and /Lo'ammi/,
 not my people). Hosea divorced her for further adultery. God said this
 illustrates his own pain over unfaithful Israel whom He "divorces"; but He
 will take her and her children back in the latter days.

 Prof Sir Henry Chadwick, Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge, said "It's bosh!".
 Not very academic, but certainly exceedingly unequivocal.

 Dr Peter Cotterell, Principal of London Bible College, said "I see no
 evidence for skepticism of what the Gospels say. I think people who question
 the Scriptures are simply venting their personal prejudices".

 Rev Dr EK Victor Pearce, Canon Emeritus of Lichfield Cathedral, said "Only
 in these days of widespread ignorance of the Scriptures, could such fantastic
 accusations get a hearing. Satan's tactics at this time seem to attack the
 beautifully good character of the Lord Jesus Christ. Two films in the last
 decade have done this, the last being Thorsen's /The Last Temptation of
 Jesus/ which has been banned in Britain for its blasphemy [under British
 law]. 'All kinds of things will be said against the Son of Man', said
 Jesus."

 "The time will come when people will not endure sound teaching, but will
 look for teachers who will tell them just what they want to hear. They won't
 listen to what the Bible says but will follow their own misguided ideas"
 (2 Timothy 4:3-4, Living Bible).
 
 BTW, if you are interested in the Scrolls, see Theodor H Gaster, /The
 Scriptures of the Dead Sea Sect/, London, 1957 (in libraries); and M Wise,
 M Abegg Jr and E Cook, /The Dead Sea Scrolls: a new translation with
 commentary/, HarperCollins, San Francisco & London, 1996.

 The "many riddles of NT translation into English" will lose their mystique
 when you have completed some more of your studies in NT Greek.

 In Christ,

-- 
 Ben Crick, BA Bristol, 1963 (hons in Theology)
 <ben.crick@argonet.co.uk>
 232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
 


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