Photo via assistnews.net

Expert debunks story about discovered fossils of Biblical giants'

A new forwarded email circulating widely on the Internet is catching the interest of students of the Bible, reports Michael Ireland, chief correspondent, ASSIST News Service.

It says that there has been a new and unexpected archaeological discovery in Greece that proves the existence of giants mentioned in the Bible.

Now veteran American Christian radio broadcaster, Rich Buhler, an expert on Urban Legends and who runs www.truthorfiction.com , has weighed in on this latest e-Rumor.

Buhler, who has been looking into urban legends for many years, hosts the daily "Talk From the Heart" radio show on station, KBRT AM 740 in Southern California, says the new e-Rumor "includes a series of pictures that are reportedly from some of the archaeological digs that include a snapshot of a giant skull being unearthed as well as an enormous human skeleton."

Buhler says the email references the fact that giants were mentioned in the Bible such as in the books of Genesis and Numbers.

They were called the "Nephilim." Genesis 6:4 says, "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days -- and also afterward -- when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown." (NIV).

Later in the book of Numbers when scouts returned from the Biblical promised land to report to the Israelite community what they had seen, they said, "All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them." (NIV).

Workers at archaeological grave site, photo via assistnews.net

The Bible also, of course, talks about Goliath, the giant warrior who was confronted and killed by David.

Buhler stated: "There is not agreement among Biblical scholars about what or who the Nephilim were, but the pictures in this forwarded email are not documentation of either them or David's Giant."

Buhler adds that according to National Geographic Magazine, the photos are the result of a digital imaging contest hosted by www.Worth1000.com , which bills itself as "the most creative community on the web." Worth1000 hosts various kinds of digital imaging competitions.

The pictures of the giants fossilized skeletons were from a 2002 competition along the theme of "Archaeological Anomalies 2."

The digital artist who created them goes by the name "Ironkite" and he won third place for his efforts.

New iPad POLL! VOTE NOW! Will you buy new iPad?

TAGS: USA Biblical giants archaeological discovery Rich Buhler Urban Legends Archaeological Anomalies 2

[04/02/2010]

Print Version