From: Rick Lanser [abr@enter.net]
Sent: Monday, August 18, 2003 7:05 PM
To: Tony Garland
Subject: RE: ABR Electronic Newsletter, August 2003
Tony,

Glad to hear you liked the review! You can put a copy of the review directly on your site, with a credit that includes a link to our home page, http://www.biblearchaeology.org. (We will be waiting a month or two before putting the entire August issue into our newsletter archives.)

In His service,

Rick

At 10:15 PM 8/16/03 -0700, you wrote:
Hi Rick,
 
We have a Christian website where we publish book reviews
https://spiritandtruth.org/teaching/reviews.htm
 
We love the "Indestructible Book" and were wondering if ABR published the book review below on their website?  If so, it would be great to add a link from our recommended books over to your review of the book?
 
Or, would it be possible to publish your review directly on our site so long as proper credit was given?
 
God bless - Tony Garland
--
Tony Garland, contact@SpiritAndTruth.org, www.SpiritAndTruth.org
-----Original Message-----
From: Rick Lanser [mailto:abr@enter.net]
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2003 5:52 PM
To: abr@enter.net
Subject: ABR Electronic Newsletter, August 2003

ABR ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER
Vol. 3, Issue 8 Circulation: 3410
August 15, 2003
http://www.biblearchaeology.org/
1-800-430-0008
abrofc@aol.com

Dear friends of ABR,

This monthly Electronic Newsletter is being sent to everyone interested in the mission and work of the Associates for Biblical Research. If you would rather not receive it, please see the removal information at the end of this issue. If you like it a great deal, consider forwarding copies to interested friends!

Also, please note: Due to the way this Newsletter is sent out, any e-mail address which returns a rejection notice will be removed from our database. This might occur if your mailbox is full (over quota or storage capacity), temporarily suspended (ISP billing problems?), or will not allow receiving e-mail from the enter.net domain. AOL 8.0 USERS, "abr@enter.net" MUST be an authorized sender in order for you to receive the Newsletter. If you find you no longer receive the Electronic Newsletter around the 15th of each month, please try subscribing again, and perhaps ask your ISP what steps to take to avoid continued rejected e-mails.

The views and comments made in materials from sources outside of the Associates for Biblical Research are not necessarily those of ABR. Such materials are included only insofar as they relate to the general subjects of archaeology and creation/evolution issues, and are provided for your information only.

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Staff Commentary

The Hazor, Israel, Excavation: LATEST NEWS!
Carolyn Hansen

ABR staffer Gordon Franz has just returned from a summer on the Hazor dig. A full briefing will be forthcoming in the September ABR Electronic Newsletter, but we wanted to give you an advance idea of what's to come! Here is a look at what he plans to report:

The Hazor site is the largest in Israel, and has major potential for impacting understanding of Biblical references, especially the dating of the Exodus, and enriching our understanding of Bronze Age (Exodus & Joshua) events.

The dig's director, Amnon Ben-Tor, a highly respected Jewish archaeologist, accepts the Old Testament as a reliable historic source. This is a rare approach among excavators of the biblical world.

In the summer of 2004, the excavation will be searching for the Hazor palace archives, and continuing to unearth the Solomonic fortifications as well as investigating the influence of King Ahab on city construction.

This site is on the cutting edge of work which can provide support for events as described in the Bible. This is an exciting opportunity for Bible believers to participate in a major excavation!

The living facilities for dig volunteers is comfortable and secure. Numerous Biblical sites are safely and easily accessible to tourists, in spite of alarmist news reports.

Gordon is available to speak to groups and answer questions about the dig. Contact him through the ABR office e-mail: abrofc@aol.com.

We previously announced ABR's participation in the Hazor dig for 2004. Based on Gordon's experiences in the field this past season, a few changes have been made for ABR participation in the 2004 season at Hazor. In particular:

1. ABR's season will officially cover the period June 23-July 11, 2004. If you wish to stay longer, indicate your wishes on your registration form, and our administrator will contact you with details.

2. The deadline for registration has been extended to November 30, 2003. A $300 nonrefundable deposit is due at that time. A $50 deposit now will hold your space until November 30. Final payment is due March 15, 2004. Total cost remains at $2750.

More in-depth information on the dig can also be found on our website, at http://www.biblearchaeology.org/dig_hazor.html. A brief summary is found in the "ABR Happenings" section below.

Remember, your costs associated with the excavation are tax deductible.

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Feature Article

INVESTIGATING GENESIS
Stephen Caesar

"Cain's Wife"

One of the most frequent questions skeptics ask is, "Where did Cain get his wife?" The answer appears in Genesis 5:4: "And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters." During his long lifetime, Adam begat a large number of offspring of both genders, so there were plenty of women from whom Cain could have chosen a wife.

One might recoil at the thought that Cain married his own sister, but we must keep in mind that there literally was no one else available with whom to fulfill God's command to "be fruitful and multiply" (Gen. 1:28). One might also raise the objection that such close inbreeding would cause serious genetic defects. This is only partly true. In Bradford, England, there is a large but extremely close-knit Pakistani community that practices inter-cousin marriages. There is a high rate of genetic defects among their children, often leading to early death, because of what geneticists call "deleterious recessives" genes that carry potential dangers such as cystic fibrosis and sickle-cell anemia (Conniff 2003: 62).

However, inter-cousin marriages can also be beneficial. For generations, the hugely successful Rothschild banking family practiced intermarriage among cousins in order to preserve the family's penchant for financial brilliance. The billionaire duPont family in America practiced the same thing for the same reasons. Albert Einstein married his first cousin (ibid., 60-2). In 2002, University of Washington genetic counselor Robin L. Bennett, president of the National Society of Genetic Counselors, reported in the Journal of Genetic Counseling that children of first cousins face only a 2-3% higher risk of birth defects than the rest of the population, making them about as risky genetically as babies born to women 41 years old. According to the science journal Discover, the negative attitude toward inter-cousin marriage is not based on science but is "a heritage of early evolutionists with misguided notions about the upward march of human societies" (ibid., 62).
A 1960 study of first-cousin marriages in 19th-century England conducted by C. D. Darlington, a geneticist at Oxford University, showed that married cousins produced twice as many great-grandchildren as did outbred couples (ibid., 63). This is directly relevant to the subject at hand: God's order to the first humans was to "be fruitful and multiply," which meant that high fertility was of the utmost importance, and Darlington's study shows that inter-cousin marriage increases fertility. Why, then, the problem with the Pakistanis in Bradford? Discover explains:
"The consequences of inbreeding are unpredictable and depend largely on what biologists call the founder effect: If the founding couple pass on a large number of lethal recessives, as appears to have happened in Bradford, these recessives will spread and double up through intermarriage. If, however, Mayer and Gutle Rothschild [the founding couple of the inbreeding Rothschild dynasty] handed down a comparatively healthy genome, their descendants could safely intermarry for generations at least until small deleterious effects inevitably began to pile up and produce inbreeding depression, a long-term decline in the well-being of a family or a species" (ibid.).

Again, this is highly important to the subject at hand. Adam and Eve were created genetically perfect (Gen. 1:31), and were later made imperfect, as was the whole of Creation, by the Fall (Gen. 3:17-19, Rom. 8:22). Despite the Curse, Adam and Eve still must have had comparatively pure genes, which they passed down to Cain and his siblings. One generation was not enough time for the First Family's genes to develop deleterious recessives, as would later be the case with the Pakistanis of Bradford. In other words, Adam and Eve were like Mayer and Gutle Rothschild, passing on relatively pure genes to their offspring, enabling those offspring to interbreed without much fear of lethal recessives wreaking havoc among their children. This is probably why the section of the Mosaic Law that deals with incest (Lev. 20:11-21) does not forbid cousins to marry.

References:
Conniff, R. 2003. "Go Ahead, Kiss Your Cousin." Discover 24, no. 8.

Stephen Caesar, M.A., is on the staff of the Associates for Biblical Research. He holds his master's degree in anthropology and archaeology from Harvard University. He is the author of the e-book The Bible Encounters Modern Science, available at www.1stbooks.com.

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News Reports

More on the James Ossuary guy...
Oded Golan (the fellow who brought the 'James Ossuary' to light) was arrested recently:
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/204/nation/Israeli_held_in_suspected_forgery_of_artifacts+.shtml
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/23/international/middleeast/23BRIE3.html
http://www.icej.org/cgi-local/view.cgi?type=headline&artid=2003/07/23/56527978

... and the reaction:
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull%26cid=1059022251164
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/215/nation/Relic_s_owner_under_cloud_of_suspicion+.shtml

Experts, dealer clash over James Ossuary's authenticity
Tempers flared over the question at the showing of a documentary about the case and a new interview dismissing an Israeli finding that led to the arrest of an antiquities dealer on suspicion of forging sacred artifacts (The Globe and Mail, Toronto).
http://www.globeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030727.wossu0727/BNStory/International/

Geologists: James Ossuary patina faked
Avner Ayalon determined that the patina covering both the letters and surface of the Jehoash Inscription, as well as the inscription on the James Ossuary, "could not have formed under natural climactic conditions...that prevailed in the Judea Mountains during the last 2000 years." Furthermore, the patina contained in the inscription on the James Ossuary is "significantly different from the oxygen isotopic composition in the surface patina of [the ossuary] and of patina of authentic ossuaries stored in [Jerusalem's] Rockefeller Museum." An internal GSI committee reviewed and approved Dr. Ayalon's conclusions.
http://www.archaeology.org/magazine.php?page=online/news/patina

More on John the Baptist's father's tomb
Last time we mentioned the discovery of a tomb inscription linked to the father of John the Baptist ... here's rather more detail than what was given in those earlier reports.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/pages/ShArt.jhtml?itemNo=324448

Creation Expeditions team discovers giant duck-billed dinosaur
Fossilized skin imprints from "Ezekiel" the Edmontosaurus point to recent catastrophic death of this duck-billed giant. This find counters the myth that the Edmontosaurus was a transitional dinosaur with feathers.
http://bhcsa.org/DinoStory.asp


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Featured Links

Top ten important archaeological discoveries
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13708-2003Aug1.html
A top-ten list of archaeological discoveries of importance to Christian studies.

Fifth International Conference on Creationism papers online
http://www.icr.org/research/
PDF versions of the papers recently presented by Institute for Creation Research scientists
are available at this site. There is some very interesting material dealing with radioisotope dating and climate models relating to the Genesis Flood.

In the evolutionists' own words
http://www.evolution-facts.org/c23a.htm
A good compilation of quotations showing that evolutionists themselves know the theory of evolution is unscientific and worthless. (There are hundreds more similar quotes scattered through the entire evolution-facts website.)

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ABR Happenings

Annual ABR Banquet and Seminars
Reserve Nov. 8, 2003 for our annual banquet and seminars! This year's topic will be
Ancient Iraq and the Bible. More information will be forthcoming in the September newsletter. Call the office to be placed on the invitation mailing list, 1-800-430-0008.


2004 Hazor Excavation and Study Tour - UPDATED INFORMATION
Join other ABR members as we help excavate Tel Hazor, one of the most important Biblical sites in Israel. It was conquered by Joshua (Joshua 11:1-15), conquered by Deborah and Barak (Judges 4-5) and fortified by Solomon (1 Kings 9:15). This will be the 14th season of excavation under the direction of Amnon Ben-Tor of Hebrew University.

A 19-day session is planned: June 23-July 11. (If you wish to stay longer, indicate your wishes on your registration form, and our administrator will contact you with details.) Ten days will be spent excavating at Tel Hazor, with six days of travel and study at major Biblical sites in Israel. Add evening lectures, Bible study and Christian fellowship, and it makes for a truly enjoyable, memorable experience!

Cost is $2750 from New York, all expenses (double occupancy). Bring five full-paying companions and receive a "land scholarship."

Registration and a $300 non-refundable deposit are due no later than Nov. 30, 2003. Final payment is due March 15, 2004. "BACK TO ISRAEL" SPECIAL: A non-refundable $50 deposit will hold your place, with $250 due Nov. 30, 2003, with the balance due March 15, 2004.

For more information:
See our website HERE
CALL: 717/892-1044
FAX: 717/892-3049
E-MAIL: abrdig@aol.com
WRITE: Hazor Dig
           Associates for Biblical Research
           P.O. Box 356
           Landisville, PA 17538


Order Now: Khirbet Nisya Excavation Book
The report on the 24 years of excavations at Kh. Nisya, led by ABR founder Dr. David Livingston, is ready to go to the printers, and we are now taking orders.

CONTENTS OF THE REPORT:
- 60 pages of color photos in more than 300 pages with a hard binding
- More than 150 photographs and plans
- 29 pottery plates with their catalogs
- Excavated periods include findings for: Middle and Late Bronze, Iron Age I and II, Persian,  Hellenistic, Early Roman, Early and Late Byzantine, Early Islamic.
- Among the many illustrations are enigmatic cuttings in bedrock (a Canaanite temple foundation?), coins of Khirbet Nisya, and photos of interesting small finds from all seasons.
- Historical and Biblical studies are discussed: the identification and location of Biblical Bethel, the identification and location of Biblical Ai, the importance of correct dates for the Biblical Exodus and Conquest, Israel�s origins (the antidote to many scholars' claims that the Biblical narratives are myth), the use of stone vessels and mikvaot, olive oil production and use in antiquity.
- Appendices cover: staff and volunteers for all seasons, correspondence with J. Kelso and W.F. Albright, a list of objects for all seasons, locus summaries, and bibliography.

To order the book, kindly send your request either to the ABR office or to David Livingston, Editor, 251 Yummerdall Road, Lititz PA 17543. When the book is finished, we will contact you and notify you of the cost. (It will be about $50-60, depending on how many we feel we should print.) If you previously requested a copy, please notify us again to confirm your order.


ABR Staff Needs

Director of Development
ABR is in need of a Director of Development to work in the areas of outreach, membership growth and fundraising. At the present time, ABR does not have the funds to pay a salary for this position, so we are looking for volunteer help. If you are interested in serving the Lord in this area, or know of someone who might be, please contact the ABR office.

Office Secretary
A volunteer who lives in the Lancaster PA area is needed to help in the ABR office located at
899 South Chiques Rd., Manheim. Work would include mail processing, data entry, bulk mail preparation and answering the telephone. If you are able to help, please call Angie at 892-1044.

Librarian
ABR is in need of a volunteer librarian to manage a small, non-circulating, research library specializing in the ancient Near East. The library presently is located at the ABR office in Manheim PA, to be relocated to a new facility in Akron PA in November. Duties include cataloguing books (LC system) and maintaining a library database. If you are interested in serving the Lord in this area, please contact the ABR office.

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Book Review

The Indestructible Book
W. Kenneth Connolly

The Bible is the most remarkable piece of literature this world has ever seen. It has outsold every other publication; it has been translated into more languages than any other, and has become part of the fabric of society. Humanly speaking, it took more than 1,500 years to compile the Bible. About 40 authors contributed to it. Some used poetry others wrote history and yet others biography. Some were kings, but others peasants; some were warriors and others priests; some were devoted patriots, and others members of an outlawed underground organization. Some people were so committed to the belief that the Bible is God's book that they were even willing to die for that proposition. And strangely, others have been willing to put them to death. Supporters of the Bible have been hung, drawn and quartered; they have been burned, boiled and beheaded. Even in the 20th century in some countries men and women have been imprisoned and tortured for reading this forbidden book.

How are we to classify the Bible? Each of us must make up our own mind about this extraordinary book. Why have so many people willingly sacrificed so much so that everyone can read the Bible? Why did so much need to be sacrificed for a book that has proven itself to be "indestructible"?

The Indestructible Book tells the story of the Bible from its beginnings to its translation into English, a story filled with heroes who believed nothing is more important than learning what the Bible has to teach us. One of those heroes was John Wycliffe. This Oxford scholar and priest translated the entire Bible into English, eventually becoming chaplain to the king of England. Wycliffe's controversial views ultimately offended both church officials and palace authorities. Wycliffe stood alone; defending himself against charges of heresy. He died while preaching in his church. Believers in England and on the Continent who spread his message and beliefs were executed by burning.

Another hero whose story is told in The Indestructible Book is William Tyndale. Converted to Christianity through his study of the Greek New Testament, Tyndale had English Bibles printed on the Continent and smuggled into England in sacks of flour. People caught reading this contraband were burned at the stake with the Bible hung around their necks. Tyndale himself was eventually apprehended and burned. His final prayer was this: "Open the eyes of the king of England." Three years later, that prayer was answered.

Dramatic narratives about Wycliffe, Tyndale, and many others fill The Indestructible Book. The text is complemented by 123 illustrations, nearly all of them reproduced in color. Here is a beautiful book to treasure, even while it points us to a still more valuable book the Bible, "the indestructible book"!

Baker Book House, 1996, 192 pages. ABR wishes to get this book into the hands of as many people as possible and is making it available for the special reduced price of $9.95, plus postage and PA sales tax. Call 1-800-430-0008 for your credit card order.

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Speaking Schedules

Pennsylvania
Doylestown  September 14/21/28, 2003
Doylestown Presbyterian Church, 127 East Court St., Doylestown PA. Dr. Bryant Wood will be teaching the archaeology of the Exodus-Conquest period to the Adult Education class, 9:30-10:30 am, with the following topics:
Sept. 14  Introduction; Israel in Egypt, Part I: The Days of Joseph
Sept. 21  Israel in Egypt, Part II: The Days of Moses
Sept. 28  Wilderness Wanderings and the Laws of Moses

Directions to the church can be found at www.dtownpc.org, or call (215) 348-3531.

Barto October 17-19, 2003
Creation lecturer Margaret DeLancey will be presenting a Creation seminar at Bethany E.C.Church. For further information, contact Margaret Masemore, 610-845-3362


New Jersey
Haledon  November 1, 2003
Creation lecturer Margaret DeLancey will be speaking at Grace Bible Church. For further information, contact Gordon Franz, 201-797-6359

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Please spread the word! Feel free to send a copy of this newsletter to your friends and colleagues. If you have received it from a friend and would like to subscribe, send a blank e-mail to abr@enter.net with the subject line "Newsletter" (without quotes).

Would you like to help ABR uphold the truth of Scripture and also keep up to date on the latest findings from Biblical Archaeology? Then become a member of ABR! See our website for details and a membership form, http://www.Biblearchaeology.org, or contact the ABR office by phone (1-800-430-0008) or e-mail (abrofc@aol.com).

We would love to hear your suggestions about how to improve future issues. Send comments and suggestions, as well as e-mail address changes, to abr@enter.net with the subject line "Comments" (without quotes).

Should you no longer wish to receive this newsletter, please send an e-mail to abr@enter.net with the subject line "Remove" (without quotes).