Today I was sad to hear Elizabeth Taylor died. My sons are in Los Angeles today and they said they will get copies of the LA Times tomorrow to bring home to give my wife. We both love Taylor’s performance in  her movie “Giant” from 1956 with Rock Hudson. I also love the performance in that movie of Mercedes McCambridge. McCambridge played the supporting role of “Luz.”  She was nominated for another Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress but lost to Dorothy Malone in “Written on the Wind.”

This clip below includes  a great scene with “Luz.”

Unfortunately, a very sad chapter in her family’s life happened here in Little Rock.

McCambridge’s son, John Markle, a UCLA graduate, had a PhD in Economics.^[5] After being fired from his position as a futures trader at Stephens and Company for mishandling funds, a $5 million lawsuit was filed against him and McCambridge. Although some of the mishandled funds had been handled under McCambridge’s name through Markle’s power of attorney, she was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing.^[4] Markle killed his family, wife Christina and daughters Amy (age 13) and Suzanne (age 9), and then himself in a murder/suicide in 1987.^[4] He left a note taking responsibility for his crimes as well as a long, bitter letter to his mother.^[5]

^{_______________________________}

Dr Price, who directs excavations at the Qumran plateau in Israel, the site of the community that produced the dead sea scrolls some 2,000 years ago, expertly guides you through the latest archaeological finds that have changed the way we understand the world of the bible. (Part 2 of 6 in the film series The Stones Cry Out) HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED………

Did the Patriarchs of the Bible actually live?
Have the legendary cities of Sodom & Gomorrah been discovered?
Did the walls of Jericho really fall down?
Was King David a man or a myth?
Can we locate the tomb of Christ today?

The Stones Cry Out allows you to see and hear archaeologists who have made some of the most significant discoverires of our time and how the ancient evidence they unearthed confirmed the historical persons and events of the bible. Filmed on location in Israel and Jordan, this fascinating porgram will enable you to appreciate the living message of the bible

From time to time you will read articles in the Arkansas press by  such writers as  John Brummett, Max Brantley and Gene Lyons  that poke fun at those that actually believe the Bible is historically accurate when in fact the Bible is backed up by many archaeological facts. The Book of Mormon is blindly accepted even though archaeology has disproven many of the facts that are claimed by it. For instance, cattle and cows did not exist in North America when they said they did.

There are six references to cattle made in the Book of Mormon, including verbiage suggesting they were domesticated.^[48] There is no evidence that Old World cattle (members of the genus Bos) inhabited the New World prior to European contact in the 16th century AD. Further, there is currently no archeological evidence of American bison having been domesticated.^[49] It is widely accepted that the only large mammal to be domesticated in the Americas was the llama and that no species of goats, deer, or sheep were domesticated before the arrival of the Europeans to the continent.

_____________________________________

Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III

Could this Assyrian monument contain the only image of an ancient Hebrew king?

The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III was discovered by the late Henry Layard in 1845. The 7 foot black limestone monument was found in the ruins of the palace of Shalmaneser III at ancient Calah, near Nineveh.

It contains many panels displaying the Assyrian kings exploits. The Black Obelisk is one of the most important discoveries in Biblical Archaeology because one of the panels depicts the Hebrew king Jehu, or possibly one of his servants, bringing gifts to Shalmaneser and kneeling at his feet. The inscription above it reads:

“The tribute of Jehu, son of Omri, silver, gold, bowls of gold, chalices of gold, cups of gold, vases of gold, lead, a sceptre for the king, and spear-shafts, I have received.” 

Detailed Description of the Black Obelisk

Material – Black Limestone Obelisk
Neo Assyrian
Date: 858-824 BC
Height: 197.85 cm (77.8937008 inches)
Width: 45.08 cm (17.7480315 inches)
Depth:
Nimrud (ancient Calah), northern Iraq
Excavated by: Henry Layard 1845-1849
Location: British Museum, London

British Museum Excerpt

The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III

Neo-Assyrian, 858-824 BC
From Nimrud (ancient Kalhu), northern Iraq

The military achievements of an Assyrian king

The archaeologist Henry Layard discovered this black limestone obelisk in 1846 during his excavations of the site of Kalhu, the ancient Assyrian capital. It was erected as a public monument in 825 BC at a time of civil war. The relief sculptures glorify the achievements of King Shalmaneser III (reigned 858-824 BC) and his chief minister. It lists their military campaigns of thirty-one years and the tribute they exacted from their neighbours: including camels, monkeys, an elephant and a rhinoceros. Assyrian kings often collected exotic animals and plants as an expression of their power.

There are five scenes of tribute, each of which occupies four panels round the face of the obelisk and is identified by a line of cuneiform script above the panel. From top to bottom they are:

Sua of Gilzanu (in north-west Iran)
Jehu of Bit Omri (ancient northern Israel)
An unnamed ruler of Musri (probably Egypt)
Marduk-apil-usur of Suhi (middle Euphrates, Syria and Iraq)
Qalparunda of Patin (Antakya region of Turkey)

The second register from the top includes the earliest surviving picture of an Israelite: the Biblical Jehu, king of Israel, brought or sent his tribute in around 841 BC. Ahab, son of Omri, king of Israel, had lost his life in battle a few years previously, fighting against the king of Damascus at Ramoth-Gilead (I Kings xxii. 29-36). His second son (Joram) was succeeded by Jehu, a usurper, who broke the alliances with Phoenicia and Judah, and submitted to Assyria. The caption above the scene, written in Assyrian cuneiform, can be translated

The tribute of Jehu, son of Omri: I received from him silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden vase with pointed bottom, golden tumblers, golden buckets, tin, a staff for a king [and] spears.

Height: 197.85 cm
Width: 45.08 cm

Excavated by A.H. Layard
ANE 118885
Room 6, Assyrian sculpture

Related Pages:

Japanese soldiers search for bodies in the water in Sendai, Miyagi prefecture

ANCIENT EVIDENCE FOR THE TRUTH OF THE BIBLE!

The Stones Cry Out takes you on an exciting journey into the world of archaeology to witness firsthand the incredible discoveries in the lands of the Middle East that provide evidence for the historical accuracy of the bible.

For over 20 years archaeologist Dr.Randall Price, has been exploring the biblical world to share how its ancient context helps to make the biblical text come alive with new meaning.

Dr Price, who directs excavations at the Qumran plateau in Israel, the site of the community that produced the dead sea scrolls some 2,000 years ago, expertly guides you through the latest archaeological finds that have changed the way we understand the world of the bible. (Part 1 of 6 in the film series The Stones Cry Out)

Mobile Uploads

My sons Hunter and Wilson are still trying to get into Yosemite National Park today even though most of the entrances have been closed. I read this online:

March 21, 2011 – All roads leading into Yosemite National Park are temporarily closed due to snow, ice, mudslides, fallen trees and downed power lines. In the last 24 hours, a winter storm has dropped over 3.5 feet of snow throughout the park in areas including Yosemite Valley, Wawona, and Crane Flat. Approximately 9 inches has fallen in El Portal. Highways 41 (Wawona Road), 120 (Big Oak Flat Road), and 140 (El Portal Road) into Yosemite National Park are closed at this time due to snowy and icy conditions. Additionally, Caltrans has temporarily closed Highway 140 outside of the park boundary between El Portal and Mid Pines due to mud slides, rockfall, downed power lines, and fallen trees. The Badger Pass Road and the Hetch Hetchy Road are also closed at this time. There is currently a winter storm warning in effect.

Mobile Uploads

King’s Canyon California.

John Brummett, Max Brantley and Gene Lyons should be poking fun at the Book of Mormon instead of the Bible.  The Book of Mormon is blindly accepted even though archaeology has disproven many of the facts that are claimed by it. For instance, Elephants did not exist in North America when they said they did.

Elephants are mentioned twice in a single verse in the earliest Book of Mormon record, the Book of Ether.^[42] Mastodons and mammoths lived long ago in the New World, however, as with the prehistoric horse, the archaeological record indicates that they became extinct along with most of the megafauna in the New World around 10,000 BC. The source of this extinction is speculated to be the result of human predation, a significant climate change, or a combination of both factors.^[43][44] A very small population of mammoths survived on St. Paul Island, Alaska, up until 3700 BC,^[45] but is still several thousand years before the time period where “elephants” are mentioned in the Book of Mormon.

_____________________________________________

Moabite Stone

Does the Moabite Stone contain the same record of king Mesha’s war with Israel in the Bible?

The Moabite Stone also known as the Mesha Stele is an interesting story. The Bible says in 2 Kings 3:5 that Mesha the king of Moab stopped paying tribute to Israel and rebelled and fought against Israel and later he recorded this event. This record from Mesha has been discovered.

The Moabite Stone was discovered in 1868 in Moab, at Dibon, 20 miles east of the Dead Sea. It was actually discovered by a German Missionary named F.A. Klein. It is a black and blue basalt stone standing 4 feet high, 2 feet wide and 14 inches thick. It was purchased for a large sum of money by the French Consulate in Jerusalem. It is interesting that the local Arabs believed that it contained a treasure and therefore broke it in large pieces by lighting it on fire and then pouring cold water over it. The inscription is summarized with these words:

“I Mesha, king of Moab, made this monument to Chemosh, to commemorate deliverance from Israel. My father reigned over Moab 30 years, and I reigned after my father. Omri, king of Israel oppressed Moab many days, and his son (Ahab) after him. But I made war against the king of Israel and drove him out, and took his cities, Medeba, Ataroth, Nebo, and Jahaz, which he built while he waged war against me. I destroyed his cities, and devoted the spoil to Chemosh, and the women and girls to Ashtar. I built Qorhah with prisoners from Israel.”

The Moabite Stone discovery is important in the study of Biblical Archaeology. It is the actual record of Mesha, king of Moab rebelling against the king of Israel. This stone is one of the places where Israel is mentioned in ancient times outside of the Bible.

“And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool. But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.” – 2 Kings 3:4-5

Size and Description

Language: Moabite (a West Semitic Language)
Medium: basalt (black-bluish) stone stele
Size: 1.15 meters high 60-68 centimeters wide
Length: 39 lines of writing
Honoree: Mesha, king of Moab (late 9th century BCE)
Approximate Date: 830 BCE
Place of Discovery: Dhiban [in modern Jordan]
Date of Discovery: 1868
Current Location: Louvre Museum (Paris, France)
Inventory number: AO 5066

• 
• 3 / 17
• 

A survivor warms himself by a fire at an emergency shelter in Otsuch where 12,000 out of a population of 15,000 are missing

The Bible maintains several characteristics that prove it is from God. One of those is the fact that the Bible is accurate in every one of its details. The field of archaeology brings to light this amazing accuracy. (Part 5 of 5 film series on archaeology)

My daughter Murphey, 16, took her first plane ride yesterday. She went from Little Rock to Dallas and had to change planes to Houston. She really enjoyed it.

My son Wilson, 14, had to fly from Little Rock to Chicago Midway Airport and then fly to Los Angeles with his brother Hunter, 22. I kidded Wilson before the flight and told him how very short the runway is at Chicago Midway Airport and I told him that the plane has to go almost straight down and land on a runway shorter than our street at home and you will really think when you get close to the ground that you are going tip the tops of some of the houses before you land. I asked him later how it was and he said he was very scared they would not make it.

From time to time you will read articles in the Arkansas press by  such writers as  John Brummett, Max Brantley and Gene Lyons  that poke fun at those that actually believe the Bible is historically accurate when in fact the Bible is backed up by many archaeological facts. The Book of Mormon is blindly accepted even though archaeology has disproven many of the facts that are claimed by it. For instance, take the issue of horses.

Horses are mentioned eleven times in the Book of Mormon in the context of its New World setting.^[33] There is no evidence that horses existed on the American continent during the 2500-3000 year history of the Book of Mormon (2500 BC – 400 AD) The only evidence of horses on the American continent dates to pre-historic times,^[34](between 12,500 and 10,000 BC.^[35]). It is widely accepted that horses were extinct in the Western Hemisphere over 10,000 years ago and did not reappear there until the Spaniards brought them from Europe.^[36] Horses were re-introduced to the Americas (Caribbean) by Christopher Columbus in 1493^[37] and to the American continent by Cortés in 1519.^[38]

___________________________________________

Shishak Smiting His Captives

Did Shishak invade Israel as a punishment from God over their civil war?

Shishak was the first king of Egypt mentioned by name in the Bible. Egypt knew him as Pharaoh Shoshenq I,  founder of the 22nd Dynasty of Egypt and he reigned from 944-924 B.C. After Solomon died the Kingdom of Israel divided in half and 5 years later during the reign of Rehoboam, king of Judah, Pharaoh Shishak invaded Jerusalem. Shishak did not utterly destroy Jerusalem because he was paid an enormous ransom.

The Bible mentions that Shishak marched his troops into the land of Judah and plundered a host of cities including Jerusalem,  this has been confirmed by archaeologists. Shishak’s own record of his campaign is inscribed on the south wall of the Great Temple of Amon at Karnak in Egypt. In his campaign he presents 156 cities of Judea to his god Amon. 

“Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.” 2 Chronicles 12:9 

Jeroboam fled to the court of Shishak before he was king, during the reign of Solomon. (1 Kings 11:40).

The Bible reveals details in 1 Kings 14 and 2 Chronicles 12 about the campaign by Pharoah Shoshenq (referred to as Shishak in the Bible) against King Rehoboam of Judea. During his campaign, Shishak marched though Judea, then he went north through the Valley of Jezreel. He then moved north to Beth Shean and finally across the Jordan River eastward. A list of the cities he sacked during his campaign is preserved in the Karnak Temple in Thebes including the Israelite and Judean cities of Jerusalem, Gibeon, Megiddo, Beth Shean, Aijalon, and more. 

“In the fifth year of Kign Rehoboam, King Shishak of Egypt marched against Jerusalem–for they had trespassed against the Lord–with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horsemen and innumerable troops who came with him from Egypt: Lybians, Sukkites, and Kushites. He too the fortified towns of Judah and advanced on Jerusalem.”  – 2 Chronicles 12:2-4

Shishak smiting his prisoners discovery is important in the study of Biblical Archaeology.

The movie Raiders of the Lost Ark created the fictional idea that Shishak had stolen the Ark of the Covenant when he conquered Jerusalem and brought it back to Tanis, Egypt in 980 B.C.

1 Kings 11:40 – Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

2 Chronicles 12:9 – So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

2 Chronicles 12:7 – And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; [therefore] I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

2 Chronicles 12:2 – And it came to pass, [that] in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,

1 Kings 14:25 – And it came to pass in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, [that] Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem:

2 Chronicles 12:5 – Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and [to] the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

Note: The Great Dakhla Stela mentions Shishak as “Pharaoh Shoshenq”.

.