(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #233 - Classic subversion: Israel Finkelstein, Neil Asher Silberman "The Bible Unearthed" (fr, pt)

Once is not custom we will not speak of anarchist labor movement, but the Bible. The book 
The Bible Unearthed is a study of early biblical texts compared to historical facts 
highlighted by modern archeology. ---- Indeed, recent archaeological discoveries (100 to 
150 years) in the territorial unit in the Middle East and in Egypt were faced with the 
Biblical text. And then everything goes! ---- For example, Joshua could not be sold by his 
brothers to a caravan of Bedouin traders bound for Egypt, for the domestication of the 
camel was made a thousand years later. If so! This assumption is serious because the bones 
of small animals found in these caravanserais were dated with carbon-14. Moses did not 
stay with his friend 500000-es Hebrew (current population of Toulouse intramural), 40 
years in the wilderness of Sinai, without a trace of urban settlement.

As for the "great kings" David and Solomon, they were only exercising their power wrens on 
a territory composed of some atrophied barren mountains surrounding the town of Jerusalem.

So what has happened to the story that at one time could also be likened to a great family 
saga in our sitcom produced today has become the "gold standard" of any monotheistic 
religion? The Bible Unearthed does not deny the existence of the protagonists in this 
saga. Archaeology identifies clearly. However, this story is actually a kind of copy and 
paste legends and stories about past 2700 years before our generation, which is built for 
geopolitical purposes related to that time.

So at that time emerges in a few decades on the back of violent destruction of other 
neighboring kingdoms, the half-Jewish kingdom of Judah, whose capital is Jerusalem. This 
new and emerging power then sudden need to have a coherent historical doctrine to gather 
and unite the people. State and clerical elite, during the reign of Josiah, erected at 
this time the story of the Bible as a founding national and religious dogma of monotheism, 
giving a coherent chronology. Stroke of genius (if I may say so) that we still paying 
through the pretext of major conflicts are by no means resolved.

However, the historical reality that shows The Bible Unearthed brings us two important 
ideas: first of all monotheistic religions are absolutely not based on the word of God but 
that of a clerical-state ruling elite that has built on a dominating power in the 
geopolitical ambitions. On the other hand, Zionism that justifies its current territorial 
ambitions on false historical claims of royal powers which existed only in a small time 
and so little extent. Neither god nor master!

Jean Marc Izrine (AL Toulouse)

Israel Finkelstein, Neil Asher Silberman, The Bible Unearthed , Folio History, 560 pages, 
EUR 9.90