Why the Fuss?

The Mt. Ebal Curse Tablet

Preface II

[Post three of thirty]

Why such a fuss over an artifact no bigger than a business card folded in half?

Note

This is the third post of my memorandum about the Curse Tablet.

If you have accessed this post from other than captivatingtwists.com and wish to start the journey from the beginning, click here.

The reason is that artifacts from this site could trigger a thought tsunami. Massive changes philosophically and spiritually could ensue. Historical, archaeological, epigraphical, and even political understandings could change.

Hence, there is much at stake.

A fuller explanation of this I discuss later.

Here, however, is a nutshell version:

Some claim that this so-called “Curse Tablet” may solve the ancient riddle of “Who wrote the Torah?” This is especially so if it is augmented by further evidence from Joshua’s Altar.

They thus view delaying excavation as a potential disaster. Opportunities to discover could be lost.

Others say that given the present evidence such ideas are fanciful.

Regardless, both sides recognize that excavation could impede peace in a war-torn region.

Authorities thus must decide:

• Are the phenomenal claims about the curse tablet supported by enough evidence?
• Might there be other important historical evidence at Joshua’s Altar?
• Why excavate now?; and
• How do we excavate without igniting regional tensions?

This memorandum explains my take on the first three of these.

The fourth, however, I do not wrestle to a conclusion. How to avoid igniting regional and international tension when excavating on Mt. Ebal, I leave unaddressed. On this, I offer only a few speculative hunches in my conclusion.

Why? It involves diplomatic intricacies to which I am not privy.

But for those in appropriate channels, our answering the first three is valuable. It clears a path. They can then focus on resolving the remaining hurdle.

The problem of the Curse Tablet and Joshua’s Altar thus represents a multi-locked door. To get through, one must negotiate each.

This memorandum seeks to unlock all save one.

Others can then focus on it.

With you, however, a separate important question has likely arisen. You might ask: “Why should I address these matters?”

I discuss this in the next post.

Now, a question for you: How might resolving “Who wrote the Torah?” impact your life or that of others?

Respond in the comment section below.

Thank you for engaging with this topic thus far!

Our next post I entitle “Why Me?”

I look forward to continuing with you there.

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Next post: “Why Me?“