Chancing a Curse

Preface I

{Ebal one of thirty}

Exposed and unprotected for forty years, harboring potentially among the greatest archaeological and historical artifacts, it is time to conduct a full excavation of the alleged Joshua’s Altar, the origin of the Mt. Ebal Curse Tablet.

My name is Ernie Valllery. I am a mostly retired Louisiana attorney living now in South Coast Massachusetts.

This is the first post of my memorandum about the Mt. Ebal Curse Tablet.

The nature of this matter is archaeological, epigraphical, scientific, and geopolitical.

The issue is: During the present early deliberative process regarding the Mt. Ebal Curse Tablet, should the parties involved cease expending further capital–financial, political, or otherwise–investigating this artifact?

A summary of my argument is:

There is tension between the sides on the above issue. One says that, given the minuscule to nonexistent evidence supporting the tablet’s claims, no further resources should be expended. The other side retorts that substantial evidence supports the tablet’s claims. Therefore, failing to excavate and analyze now jeopardizes mankind’s proper understanding of matters of immense importance for history, philosophy, law, politics, and more.

Our problem is how to resolve this tension.

My answer is to apply a legal rule similar to summary judgment.

Summary judgment resolves tensions between judicial economy and due process. Likewise, this matter involves tension between two important concerns. One is to ensure that resources are not wasted on a frivolous archaeological claim. The other is to safeguard precious archaeological evidence. Given this similarity between the legal situation and this, a rule like that for summary judgment should aptly apply.

In this memorandum, I apply a summary judgment-like rule to this matter.

My verdict is this: The evidence supporting the Curse Tablet’s claims justifies regional and international parties immediately expending archaeological capital, financial, political, and otherwise, investigating it.

With the above clarifications, my preface continues.

In 2019, an archaeological team found this tiny piece of lead in northern Judea / Samaria.

Today, in academic circles, that minuscule object causes great consternation. Owing to the magnitude of its challenge to world history, some scholars declare it the archaeological find of the 21st Century. Others say: “There is nothing to see here!”

This debate I do not seek to definitively resolve.

Instead, I argue for something less, yet exceedingly important.

It is that Joshua’s Altar and the Curse Tablet deserve a chance to prove what they might be.

In other words, the exigent evidence, I find ,warrants:

• Immediate international protection of the proposed Altar; and
• Public and governmental support for its thorough archaeological excavation.

This argument raises necessary questions that I should address at the beginning. Before launching into the matter’s heart, I thus present these three other prefacing posts:

• Why Write This?;
• Why the Fuss?;and
• Why Me?

Two introductory posts follow. The first seeks to arm readers for a 3500-year journey that this matter invokes. The second attempts to wet enthusiasm for that trip.

Those posts are:

• Journey Essentials; and
• A Mysterious Tease

Afterwards comes the main body.

The table of contents is thus:

• Prelude (Posts 1 through 4);
• Introduction (5 and 6)
• History (7 through 16):
• Photo Study (17 through 20);
• Opposing Voices (21 through 22);
• Objective Analysis (23 through 28);
• Conclusion (29); and
• Supplemental Material (30+).

It seems a lot! But do not be intimidated. Really, it is just a matter of hanging with the story. Do that, and this consequential topic you should find easy, much like witnessing a cascade of dominoes!

Now, a question: Can you think of other historical issues of comparable consequence to that which this memorandum explores? Let me know below in “comments”.

Thank you for engaging this topic with me thus far!

The next post addresses: “Why Write This?”

I look forward to continuing with you there.

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Next post: “Why Write This?“