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Plenty of evidence from Roman and other historians of the time

Reader comment on item: Why Newt Gingrich Was Right about Palestinian History
in response to reader comment: What is Evidence?

Submitted by sara (United States), Dec 20, 2011 at 20:26

http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=625&PID=0&IID=2682

...

The biographer Plutarch (mid-first-early second century CE) notes the siege of Jerusalem by the Seleucid monarch Antiochus VII Sidetes in 133-132 BCE at the time of the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. The author describes this festival at length in another work.[46] According to Plutarch, Antiochus VII provided the sacrificial animals for the Temple and allowed a seven day truce, after which the Jews submitted to him.[47] From this passage, it is clear that the inhabitants of Jerusalem are the Jews; that their Temple is located there; and their religious practices affect the outcome of the invasions of Greek rulers.

...

The selection by Hecataeus, cited in Against Apion, describes the city as follows: "The Jews have ... only one fortified city, which has a circumference of about fifty stades and some hundred and twenty thousand inhabitants; they call it Jerusalem. Nearly in the centre of the city stands a stone wall, enclosing an area about five plethra long and a hundred cubits broad, approached by a pair of gates."[53] He then proceeds to describe the Temple.

...

three relatively obscure sources of the second century BCE link the Temple to King Solomon and point out his association with King Hiram of Tyre, who assisted in its construction. These sources are brief and contain no historical background or material on the Jews.[28]

Several of the selections in Against Apion which include the anti-Exodus narrative also provide descriptions of the interior and exterior of the Temple and some of its rituals. For example, Hecataeus states that in the center of the city is an enclosure where there is "a square altar built of heaped up stones, unhewn and unwrought." The Temple itself is "a great edifice containing and altar and a lamp stand, both made of gold ... upon these is a light which is never extinguished ... there is not a single statue or votive offering, no trace of a plant in the form of a sacred grove, or the like."[29] And in his account of Titus' siege of Jerusalem, Tacitus describes the Temple as "... built like a citadel, with walls of its own ... the very colonnades made a splendid defense. Within the enclosure is an ever-flowing spring."[30]

In addition to physical descriptions, the authors mention the religious aspect of the Temple which differed radically from Greek and Roman paganism. In the text preserved by Diodorus, Hecataeus mentions the priests and their duties in the Temple and even describes a worship service and sacrifice.[31] Similarly, the first century Roman historian Livy remarks that the Jews do not state "to which deity pertains the temple at Jerusalem, nor is any image found there, since they do not think the God partakes of any figure."

In the same vein, Tacitus reports that "there were no representations of the gods within, but ... the place was empty and the secret shrine contained nothing" and "only a Jew may approach its doors, and that all save the priests were forbidden to cross its threshold."[32] Cassius Dio (c.200 CE) recalls that the Jews "never had any statue of him [the deity] even in Jerusalem itself." The latter states that their temple "was extremely large and beautiful, except in so far as it was open and roofless."[33]

Hecataeus, Livy, and Cassius Dio explain the absence of representation as part of Jewish "otherness" in a factual manner. Several Greek writers, however, interpret the fact that there were no statues of the gods in the Temple not only as unusual, but also as barbaric and indicative of Jewish misanthropy. In their view, it would be inconceivable that a sacred shrine would be empty. Therefore, several authors offered their versions of what exactly stood in the Temple. Diodorus (first century BCE) writes that when "Antiochus, called Epiphanes, on defeating the Jews had entered the innermost sanctuary of the god's temple, where it was lawful for the priest alone to enter. Finding there a marble statue of a heavily bearded man seated on an ass, with a book in his hands, he supposed it to be an image of Moses, founder of Jerusalem ... who had ordained for the Jews their misanthropic and lawless customs. ... Antiochus ... sacrificed before the image of the founder and the open-air altar of the god a great sow."[34] Diodorus asserts that what stood in Judaism's holiest place was ridiculous and revolting; namely, the presence of a statue of an ass, a lowly beast of burden, whose rider had established Jewish xenophobia, and that Antiochus sacrificed an animal known by all to be forbidden to the Jews in their holiest shrine.[35]

Apion (mid-first century CE) conveys a malicious and defamatory description of the contents of the sanctuary in Jerusalem. In order to give his anti-Jewish arguments greater authority, Apion attributes this account to the well known Greek philosopher and ethnographer Posidonius (c.135-51 BCE) and the rhetorician Apollonius Molon (first century BCE).[36] As in the case of Diodorus, the invasion of Antiochus Epiphanes serves as the point of departure for the description, as follows: "Within the sanctuary ... the Jews kept an ass's head [made of gold], worshipping that animal and deeming it of deepest reverence."[37] ...

There is plenty more where this came from.

http://www.jcpa.org/JCPA/Templates/ShowPage.asp?DBID=1&LNGID=1&TMID=111&FID=625&PID=0&IID=2682

...

Imam Abdul Hadi Palazzi, leader of Italian Muslim Assembly, quotes the Qur'an to support Judaism's special connection to the Temple Mount. According to Palazzi, "The most authoritative Islamic sources affirm the Temples,". He adds that Jerusalem is sacred to Muslims because of its prior holiness to Jews and its standing as home to the biblical prophets and kings David and Solomon, all of whom he says are sacred figures also in Islam. He claims that the Qur'an "expressly recognizes that Jerusalem plays the same role for Jews that Mecca has for Muslims".[13]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_in_Jerusalem#Location

Submitting....

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Title Commenter Date Thread
The Timeline for Progress is As Follows: [110 words]DallasFeb 9, 2012 22:26193259
1Newt's campaign [79 words]saraJan 13, 2012 17:19192563
Speaker Gingrich Understands What's at Issue - And That's the Problem For the Others [366 words]M. ToveyJan 19, 2012 12:31192563
Newt seems too volatile and unpredicatble [200 words]saraJan 20, 2012 17:03192563
Speaker Gingrich IS Volitile-Isn't That What it Will Take To Get the Government off the Dime; and its duff? [1103 words]M. ToveyJan 23, 2012 12:15192563
All good points, Mr. Tovey [271 words]saraJan 23, 2012 19:50192563
Points May Be Good For Debate - But Debates Never Solved Problems of Reality [610 words]M. ToveyJan 24, 2012 14:02192563
OK--- who then? [59 words]saraJan 24, 2012 21:32192563
Florida's Counting That Right Now-Spkr Gingrich's Electability To be Determined by Wall Street's Effectivity [673 words]M. ToveyJan 31, 2012 19:23192563
Newt unfortunately buried himself [180 words]saraFeb 1, 2012 19:57192563
Speaker Gingrich Did Not Bury Himself - He is Finding That There is No Room Left for Gentlemen in Politics [484 words]M. ToveyFeb 6, 2012 11:37192563
All politicians are the same in the end [222 words]saraFeb 6, 2012 16:32192563
American Politics Requires a Warrior Political Mentality To Regain True Government [330 words]M. ToveyFeb 13, 2012 13:24192563
3Israel has rights too [89 words]stevenJan 13, 2012 17:16192562
2History tells the tale [75 words]samJan 13, 2012 17:11192561
So tired of this whole farce [21 words]sargumJan 13, 2012 17:08192560
2Dr Pipes talk on the Palestinian Myth [43 words]Rose DeRenzoDec 17, 2011 00:37191782
11No Such thing as a Palestinian [4038 words]Michael BussioDec 16, 2011 02:25191737
Thank you! [16 words]sonnyDec 16, 2011 17:52191737
Denying History. [81 words]Amin RiazDec 16, 2011 19:34191737
2Rights of Arab's over various lands [71 words]JoeDec 17, 2011 00:35191737
1The Roman Destruction of Israel [97 words]StevenDec 17, 2011 23:27191737
Basic History [36 words]Amin RiazDec 18, 2011 09:19191737
reply ... [114 words]Amin RiazDec 19, 2011 04:52191737
2same rule for all? [73 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanDec 20, 2011 01:51191737
Great history [84 words]WilksDec 20, 2011 12:52191737
Right & Might [57 words]Amin RiazDec 20, 2011 19:14191737
Palestine was Comprised of More Than an Arabic Presence - and More Than the Current State of Israel [15 words]M. ToveyJan 4, 2012 19:29191737
1Muslim Land [121 words]saraJan 10, 2012 18:29191737
Thanks for this detailed history [13 words]samJan 10, 2012 18:33191737
8What is common between Nigeria and India? [183 words]PrashantJan 11, 2012 02:01191737
Re-transfering the name Palestinian from Jews to Muslims is... [44 words]IamJosephDec 15, 2011 23:54191733
A question of Evidence [34 words]Amin RiazDec 19, 2011 18:05191733
1Evidence. [56 words]IamJosephDec 19, 2011 21:03191733
What is Evidence? [37 words]Amin RiazDec 20, 2011 20:11191733
1Plenty of evidence from Roman and other historians of the time [968 words]saraDec 20, 2011 20:26191733
3Stop parading lies with impudence. [167 words]IamJosephDec 20, 2011 20:32191733
Where is the lie? Accusing without evidence... [164 words]Amin RiazDec 21, 2011 09:55191733
Incorrect factors negating Israel's rights & History as a 4000 year nation. [127 words]IamJosephDec 21, 2011 19:52191733
Laying out an argument [71 words]Amin RiazDec 21, 2011 20:11191733
A simple point [47 words]Amin RiazDec 21, 2011 20:30191733
3criticism = hatred [322 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanDec 21, 2011 21:24191733
1A LIE BY OMISSION IS A LIE. [70 words]IamJosephDec 22, 2011 18:29191733
2A Simple Point is ----- You have no proof ! [330 words]saraDec 22, 2011 18:31191733
1quite simple [99 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanDec 22, 2011 19:01191733
Which proof have you given? [357 words]Amin RiazDec 22, 2011 19:11191733
What Prejudice Does to you [97 words]Amin RiazDec 22, 2011 19:17191733
Got Cha! Answer for Dhimmi ... [605 words]Amin RiazDec 22, 2011 19:46191733
5Blame it on the Soviets [1033 words]Wallace Edward BrandDec 23, 2011 16:38191733
Objection! [47 words]Amin RiazDec 23, 2011 20:48191733
Great historical details! [94 words]saraDec 24, 2011 18:01191733
wrong target [180 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanDec 24, 2011 20:38191733
1AR Is obviously very handsome! [139 words]Amin RiazDec 25, 2011 20:03191733
2self-evaluation - rarely accurate [351 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanDec 25, 2011 22:33191733
A pot calls the kettle black [909 words]Amin RiazDec 26, 2011 20:05191733
2a bigger issue goes unaddressed [316 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanDec 26, 2011 21:20191733
1requested examples [638 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanDec 27, 2011 23:10191733
Tit for Tat [705 words]Amin RiazDec 28, 2011 17:51191733
1questions ignored [283 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanDec 28, 2011 20:06191733
Dancing [586 words]Amin RiazDec 29, 2011 19:11191733
... INCAPABLE OF UTTERING A SINGLE TRUTH - THANKS TO TAQIYAH. [152 words]IamJosephJan 2, 2012 19:54191733
Denying the Old Testament? [272 words]Amin RiazJan 4, 2012 18:19191733
4beliefs [1005 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanJan 4, 2012 21:11191733
2To All Muslims, Christians, Jews and Hindu [434 words]Abdul RahmanJan 5, 2012 03:00191733
Testing theories [193 words]Amin RiazJan 5, 2012 20:13191733
Dhimmi DOES NOT know Arabic. [235 words]Amin RiazJan 5, 2012 20:23191733
6Let's help Muslims to reprogram their heads [572 words]Abdul RahmanJan 5, 2012 22:00191733
222 ISLAMIC REGIMES ARE ILLEGALLY OCCUPYING LANDS [195 words]IamJosephJan 6, 2012 01:41191733
You do tickle me so! [37 words]Amin RiazJan 6, 2012 19:10191733
Still Denying Old Testament [151 words]Amin RiazJan 6, 2012 19:11191733
5Any spiritual remedy which must be fearfully and angrily defended is no remedy at all. [435 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanJan 6, 2012 20:33191733
1Dhimmi does not know any Arabic! [304 words]Amin RiazJan 7, 2012 21:20191733
1ISRAEL IS ARABIA'S MOST HISTORICALLY AND LEGALLY LEGITIMATE COUNTRY. [156 words]IamJosephJan 8, 2012 00:11191733
5Amin Riaz ran away from my logic [134 words]Abdul RahmanJan 8, 2012 22:25191733
Deduction. [58 words]Amin RiazJan 9, 2012 22:50191733
Result - showing hand. [119 words]Amin RiazJan 9, 2012 22:57191733
4an example please [255 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanJan 10, 2012 19:40191733
GAZA IS NOT OCCUPIED BUT DISPUTED TERRITORY. [225 words]IamJosephJan 10, 2012 20:04191733
Dhmmi Not even Aware of Basics of Arabic! [279 words]Amin RiazJan 11, 2012 19:28191733
5Deduction? [240 words]Abdul RahmanJan 11, 2012 20:27191733
Answer or go away... [77 words]Amin RiazJan 12, 2012 21:33191733
3examples not given [275 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanJan 13, 2012 19:51191733
1Dhmmi Not even Aware of Basics of Arabic! [245 words]Amin RiazJan 15, 2012 00:48191733
6acts of omission [962 words]the Grand Infidel of KaffiristanJan 15, 2012 21:24191733
Old Testament Tells Why Gingrich is More Right - If One Truly Wants to Understand [555 words]M. ToveyJan 17, 2012 13:14191733
1Geography [397 words]WahineJan 20, 2012 22:13191733
Jews/Israel/Zionists are the savior of Muslims. [429 words]IamJosephJan 21, 2012 18:31191733
Cannot be bothered [17 words]Amin RiazJan 24, 2012 17:54191733
Too Bad - Cannot Help You with That [98 words]M. ToveyJan 25, 2012 10:44191733
huh? [126 words]Amin RiazJan 25, 2012 19:17191733
The Point No One is Getting - Gingrich will Not Solve the Middle East Land Issue [642 words]M. ToveyJan 27, 2012 14:34191733

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