Messiah Complex?

No, this is not another story about Obama-mania!

Why is this Knohl guy obsessed with disproving the resurrection (a messiah complex?), and just how sophomoric can he be in his efforts to do so? That is the question! (Or questions if you want to be picky.)

From WND: Stone Found With Resurrection Story in Century BEFORE Jesus...

The tablet, called "Gabriel's Revelation," is broken and faded, making much of its content debatable. The words tell of a vision, supposedly given by the angel Gabriel, of the apocalypse.

Lines 19 through 21 of the tablet contain words, which translated read: "In three days you will know that evil will be defeated by justice."

Line 80 of the tablet begins with the words "L'shloshet yamin," meaning "in three days," but then fades. Some scholars see the next word as illegible, but Israel Knohl, a professor of Bible studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, says the word is Hebrew for "live," followed by even more difficult-to-read words that he claims complete a command meaning, "In three days you shall live, I, Gabriel, command you."

Knohl told the Tribune that he interprets the tablet to tell of a messianic figure named Simon, whose death was recorded by the Jewish historian Josephus. The tablet, Knohl contends, was likely written by Simon's followers and demonstrates that messianic followers even before Jesus looked to their leaders rising again, thus nullifying the frequent claim that Jesus' resurrection was a uniquely developed story.

Israel Knohl

If Knohl's interpretation of "Gabriel's Revelation" is correct, it would lend evidence to his previous theories, published in his 2002 book, "The Messiah before Jesus." Knohl is one of several scholars who suggest Jesus may not have been unique in his claim to face suffering, death and resurrection, but that sources, like this tablet, suggest a common messianic story that New Testament writers may have merely been copying.

"This should shake our basic view of Christianity," Knohl told the Tribune.

Well, I hate to tell Professor Knohl that the existence of such a story--even given his amazing super powers to read letters that aren't there--disproves nothing of whether Jesus actually did rise from the dead or not. The existence of the story could well be and perfectly fits with a development in the prophetic tradition precisely pointing to the coming of a Messiah like Jesus. The existence of the tradition proves NOTHING of what Knohl wishes to prove, i.e. that the expected Messiah was meant to be a political liberator and nothing more. Liberation means different things to different people, Knohl. The messiah is more complex than Knohl imagines.

While Knohl continues to stew in his bizarre lucubrations, I'll continue to take the word of the many people who saw Jesus resurrected, who benefited nothing by proclaiming it, and even risked death (indeed accepted persecution and death) as a result. And your rock, if anything, strengthens the view that a PREPARATIO EVANGELICUM was at work in the world among Jews and Greeks and others so that the world, or those with eyes to see and ears to hear, could recognize the truth when it came to them...

Pax