Exploring the Bible

  In the shadowy world of biblical archaeology, few artifacts are as polarizing—or as tantalizing—as the Ezekiel Plates (often referred to as the Ezekiel Tiles or Tablets). Unlike the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are universally accepted as authentic ancient manuscripts, the Ezekiel Plates occupy a grey zone between miraculous discovery and modern forgery. They consist of a set of 66 stone tiles (some sources say 64), each roughly 12 inches square, inscribed with the entire text of the Book of Ezekiel. If genuine, they would be the oldest complete biblical book in existence, predating the Dead Sea Scrolls by centuries. However, the mystery of their age and origin has divided scholars, scientists, and theologians. The lore of the plates begins in the Tomb of Ezekiel in Al Kifl, Iraq (ancient Babylon). For centuries, this site was a pilgrimage destination for both Jews and Muslims. According to the prevailing narrative, the tiles were discovered inside the tomb around the turn o...

  For decades, the timeline of human history taught in schools was straightforward and logical. It went like this: Agriculture: Humans learned to farm. Settlement: Because they farmed, they stopped wandering and built villages. Society: These villages grew into cities with complex social structures. Religion: Finally, with full bellies and spare time, they built temples and organized religion. This view, known as the "Neolithic Revolution," argued that civilization was the engine, and religion was the exhaust—a byproduct of settled life. Then came Göbekli Tepe . Discovered in southeastern Turkey in the 1990s, this archaeological site dropped a bomb on that timeline. It dates back to roughly 9500 BC . To put that in perspective, it is 7,000 years older than the Pyramids of Giza and 6,000 years older than Stonehenge. It was built by people who had no metal tools, no pottery, and—most critically— no agriculture . They were hunter-gatherers. ...

  When anthropologists and historians gaze back across the sweep of human existence, one phenomenon stands out with startling consistency: the presence of the divine. From the frozen tundras of the Arctic to the steaming jungles of the Amazon, and from the sophisticated city-states of Mesopotamia to the nomadic tribes of the Great Plains, the belief in a deity or deities is not an anomaly—it is the human norm. While modern secularism views itself as the rational conclusion of human progress, historically speaking, it is the outlier. The overwhelming majority of cultures throughout history have operated under the conviction that the material world is not all there is, and that a Higher Power (or powers) is responsible for the cosmos. It is difficult to quantify an exact "number" of cultures because the definition of a distinct culture is fluid. However, if we look at the broad tapestry of civilizations, the data is compelling. The Ancient Civilizations Mesopotamia: ...