Why the Fuss?

Preface III

[Ebal’s Plea, three of thirty]

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

The reason is that it potentially impacts tsunami like upon man’s philosophical and spiritual bearings. Additionally, it could reorder our historical, archaeological, epigraphical, and even political understandings.

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” together with yet to be excavated clues from Mt. Ebal’s “Joshua’s Altar” may solve a thorny ancient riddle–that is, “Who wrote the Torah?”

Others say, “Not hardly!”

Many in the first camp believe that delaying further excavation could result in a catastrophic scenario–the forever loss of opportunities for discovery.

Regardless, most 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 sufficient evidence?;
• Might there be other evidence at Joshua’s Altar of profound importance to mankind’s understanding of history?;
• How urgently important is further excavation at Joshua’s Altar?; and
• How might further excavation at Mt. Ebal be accomplished without igniting regional tensions or upsetting the international rule based order?

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

The fourth, however, I do not here wrestle to a conclusion. How to excavate on Mt. Ebal without igniting regional and international tension, I keep mostly beyond this memorandum’s scope. Other than a few speculative hunches in my conclusion this question I largely avoid.

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

Nevertheless, answering the first three greatly clears the way for those with behind the scene, non-public capabilities. They then can concentrate on resolving the remaining hurdle.

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

This memorandum seeks to unlock all save one.

Others then can better focus on the remaining–that is, how to clear the diplomatic path for further excavations.

You, however, likely now have another question. It is: “Why should I address this matter?”

This I discuss in the next post.

Next post: “Why Me?”