Was the OLDEST Hebrew Text Really Just Discovered? [Mt Ebal Curse Tablet]

Dr. Scott Stripling claims to have discovered the oldest Hebrew text ever, dating to 1200 BCE. The text was found on a lead amulet, allegedly containing 40 letters of a proto-Canaanite script the researchers believe to be Hebrew. The discovery was made by wet sifting debris found on a Mt Ebal excavation site. If true the text would not only be oldest Hebrew text ever found but also the oldest reference to YHWH (or Yahweh), the Hebrew name of God.
Several outlets are claiming this proves the Bible is older than scholars once believed and will turn Biblical scholarship on its head. However, the hype probably outweighs the reality here. We look at the dangers and history of hyperbolic Biblical Studies press releases before any peer-reviewed research is available.
Is this a genuine discovery or is this just a repetition of the mistakes of the past like the 1st Century Gospel of Mark fragment or the forged Dead Sea Scrolls?
Here's a link to professor Israel Finkelstein's response: / 1852051938327635
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This channel is now known as Tablets and Temples, unpacking ancient history and religion. Formerly known as Bible Unboxed.

[@TabletsAndTemples]

Bit of a different type of video today. News from the world of Biblical archeology! Whilst I didn't' address the potential bias of the research team in the video, there are question marks over the legality by which they obtained the tablet which you can read more about here: www.haaretz.com/archaeology/MAGAZINE-how-curse-inscription-from-the-west-bank-ended-up-in-israeli-and-american-hands-1.10718635 Anyway like and subscribe, or don't. You do you!

[@1czechit1]

What is at stake, 1. proof that the Yud Hey Vav (Hey) name was used as early as 1200 BCE rather than later. 2. It would put into question the source material hypothesis (since common sense has not done so.) 3. it would show the Israelites had a written language earlier than expected. 4. It would be evidence for certain passages on the Torah and Joshua.

[@TabletsAndTemples]

IF (and it's a big if) it has been dated correctly and verified to be genuine, that only really confirms point 1 and 3. It doesn't really throw into question the source hypothesis at all. It the curse tablet doesn't really confirm anything we didn't know - that Mt Ebal was traditionally associated with ritual curses. No one really disputes that. If that tradition dates back to 1200 BCE, that also doesn't undermine the source theory because the documentary hypothesis takes into account that some parts are based on older traditions, or recall the memory of an older tradition, while some sections are newer. A good example is the songs in the Pentateuch (like the song of the sea) they are widely acknowledged to be the oldest parts of maybe the whole Hebrew Bible even by Biblical minimalists. That doesn't mean that other sections aren't younger.

[@jondeibe2294]

Proto-Sinaitic script is Semitic, but not necessarily Hebrew as other semites could have developed it with Hebraic people also using it. Paleo Hebrew, which follows after the parent (Proto Sinaitic) was used by Hebrews.

[@safedba]

@@TabletsAndTemples The documentary hypothesis is garbage scholarship, promoted by garbage people.

[@seffy333]

A couple things I’m interested to learn about is the font on the curse tablet and the dating. I don’t understand if they’re claiming it to be a practical use of ancient Hebrew or if it is a new alphabet that pre-dates ancient Hebrew. If this tablet is verified to be what they claim, it would give foundation to the archeological timeline of when the exodus occurred, and give harder evidence for the Egyptian dynasty that Moses and his people fled from. It would also,potentially, give a good starting point for putting the authorship for the Pentateuch to rest.

[@tylerx099]

I can’t wait for this other team to anyalze the plastered stones they found at the site of Mount Ebal. According to the Bible, Joshua wrote on these stones a copy of the law of Moses. I won’t be surprised if there is writing on them of verses from Deuteronomy lol

[@randyd.youtube6844]

What grips my attention about the curse amulet and the Hebrew text emulates from a particular verse in Deut. 11:18. "Fix these Words of mine on your hearts and minds. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your forehead teach them to your children." There was someone out their 3,200 years ago, familiar with the scripture and what now is in the Pentateuch know as the Book of Deut. 11:17. They read this proto-hebrew or they hear these words from the Elders of Israel, hey I am from the tribe of Dan, and I stand on the mount of curses. I love you God Almighty and I am going too prove it. I will put these words to action on my heart, I will use an amulet. I will follow through with this verse.

[@georgesparks7833]

I find it also interesting that Dr Stripling has made an announcement that in the sifting of the mount Ebal debris, he has found the stylus that wrote the curse on the tablet. So they are in possession of the 4000 year old stylus that wrote the curse on the tablet. I can't keep a pin for a week without losing it. Is this a type of fundamentalist fundraising or a new form of Tell evangelism?

[@InquisitiveBible]

> Tell evangelism Well done.

[@elishataylorjr]

Awesome content. Just came across this while studying.

[@ladym7852]

We like to focus on the disappointments instead of the gems that were already found. There are plenty of OTHER archeological finds out there still. "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder." 🤷‍♀️ We shall see.

[@Imperiused]

Nice tackling of this one. Making all this noise before peer review, definitely suspect less than pure intentions here. Still, neat discovery if what they are claiming about the object itself is accurate.

[@TabletsAndTemples]

Yes, if true it will certainly teach us a lot about how the Hebrew language and writing developed. Unfortunately, it looks like the circumstances of this excavation are also clouded in questions of legality.

[@naorlevi9799]

The oldest Hebrew script on earth of all languages ​​and scriptures

[@KaraiteKohen]

When is it expected that a peer review article will be published in a reputable Journal? If this turns out to be accurate, it means the date of The Exodus needs to be adjusted and that the Hyskos expulsion might be synonomus with the Exodus

[@TabletsAndTemples]

1) probably years 2) if this turns out to be accurate it won't adjust much, certainly nothing to do with the hyskos

[@andrewstidham7950]

Maybe they should have left that where it was if it says that

[@mustachemac5229]

I read that link to the article you posted. Very interesting find, if it turns out to be authentic, though I'm not holding my breath. "PA officials say the Israeli and U.S. researchers did not ask for permission to take the soil or to work at the Mount Ebal site, and in any case didn’t receive such permission." So, as I understand it, the site of Mount Ebal is actually controlled by the Palestine authority?

[@TabletsAndTemples]

Yes (and I've edited out a little mistake in the video incorrectly placing Mt Ebal), but yes it does look like the researchers did not have permission. I wouldn't be surprised if we have to wait years for the analysis just as in the past.

[@mustachemac5229]

@@TabletsAndTemples I have a bit of skepticism on some of the claims. While the PA probably didn't give them permission to take samples away from the site, I question whether they knew U.S. and Israeli archaeologist were at Mt. Ebal. It's not exactly easy to hide a research team digging through an well known archaeological site. Thanks for the video. I didn't know about this discovery.

[@six1nyne]

Reformed Egyptian 👀

[@juglansregia1433]

What about the texts found in the cave of qumran?

[@TabletsAndTemples]

We've had the dead sea scrolls for a while now. However after 2003 more were allegedly discovered, but turned out to be forgeries.

[@js1423]

Among the critics of this are Apologist Michael Jones aka InspiringPhilosophy and Dr. David Falk, an Egyptologist who holds to a historical Exodus.

[@TabletsAndTemples]

Yes, the was this discovery has been handled certainly has drawn the ire of a wide variety of peo

[@js1423]

@@TabletsAndTemples Yeah, and these two are more on the maximalist side of scholarship as well.

[@australianandrew128]

Not to mention that the bones of christ were also found in Jerusalem. Take that on faith.

[@stevencunningham1520]

The picture shown of the supposed Hebrew name of Yahweh ... isn’t even Hebrew .. maybe the one in the middle is an ancient pictorial “HEY” buddy those other two are not Hebrew of any kind .. and there are 4hebrew characters in the name of God ... this has 3🤷🏿‍♂️. Shabbat shalom

[@Jason-fp7vi]

Yes... A certain publication with a Bee 🐝 for a logo is wiiiidely known for being a stalwart of journalistic integrity. Lol. We will see what comes of this but it sounds like media hype to me

[@carstenmanz302]

OK, so you're finding tiny "proto-Hebrew" characters from the 12th-13th c. century B.C. And what's so special about it? Compared to the mass of texts from Sumer, Mesopotamia, Persia or Egypt, this is pretty poor and does not prove at all WHO used these characters! This is not "typically Jewish," nor does it indicate a Jewish presence in Egypt or an exodus. It may as well be the deity of any desert tribe. Which raises the question of in what "written form" Moses actually received the 10 Commandments - at that time there was no fully developed Hebrew script?! And why on archaic clay tablets and not on papyrus? And HOW could one model and cast a "golden calf" in the middle of the scree desert or, even more elaborately, an "Ark of the Covenant" with filigree golden cherubim? And why should a Christian care what myths the Jews believe - as if we don't know very similar origin myths all over the world? Beside; The first written jewish script roles are from 200-300 B.C. (death sea), some little fragments are from 7./8. B.C.

[@juglansregia1433]

Pre Canaanite hebrew? Looks like it 🤔

[@TabletsAndTemples]

As I understand it the words that were allegedly found were not unique to Hebrew and appeared in other semetic languages as well. So we will need to wait for the peer-reviewed analysis.

[@juglansregia1433]

@@TabletsAndTemples I'm not a scholar but I've read a book by david sacks called "letter perfect" ...imo modern english seems to be a kind of hieroglyph since it's kind of weird that you can sound out alot of other languages by using the english language letters 🤯 idk how that works but I think it's amazing. But I guess there's nothing new under the sun. God bless, peace and grace

[@marksingleton7199]

The text shows the hand then the man and then ra. This is not yhw. The curse in Duetoronomy was to believe in Gods laws or yourself. So cursed I am in my thought. It would be interesting to see the whole text. The w in the early examples is a y shape or circle on a long down stroke. Why is there only 3 letters?