Christianity: Details about 'Science And The Bible'
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Whether Science and the Bible agree has long been a matter of dispute. It should be noted that the intent and purpose of the Bible is not to serve as a scientific reference book, but rather to serve as a record of God's interaction with human history. A small number of Christian fundamentalists adhere to a belief known as Bible scientific foreknowledge advocating that certain Bible passages show an understanding of science beyond that presumed to exist at the time the it was written. A similarly small number of Orthodox Jews adhere to similar beliefs concerning the Tanach. The majority however do not, though, while many scientists believe there are several discrepencies with science, many Christians adhere to Biblical inerrancy, believing that there is no conflict.
Mathematical IssuesQuestions of plausibility formed the subject of Anglican bishop John William Colenso's 1863 book, The Pentateuch and Book of Joshua Critically Examined. The book created a sensation; its impact at the time was comparable to that of The Origin of Species. An example of Colenso's sort of analysis is provided by chapter IV, "The size of the court of the Tabernacle compared with the number of the congregation." Leviticus 8:1–4 says that "the Assembly was gathered unto the door of the Tabernacle of the Congregation." To Colenso "it appears to be certain" that phrases such as "the Assembly" refer to "the whole body of the people — at all events, the adult males in the prime of life," which would in turn include "the 603,550 warriors" mentioned in Numbers 2:32. Colenso says there are multiple references to this whole congregation's being assembled within the court of the Tabernacle. Exodus 27:18 gives the court's dimensions as 100 × 50 cubits, which he calculates as 1800 square yards (1505 m²) he deducts 108 square yards (90 m²) for the Tabernacle itself, leaving 1692 square yards (1415 m²) for the area of the court. He concludes that, "The court, when thronged, could only have held 5000 people; whereas the able-bodied men alone exceeded 600,000." Conservative Bible commentators dispute Bishop Colenso's exegesis, and regard it as very unsound. . Medical knowledgeThe Old Testament contains a variety of health related instructions, such as isolating infected people (Leviticus 13:45-46), washing after handling a dead body (Numbers 19:11-19), and burying excrement away from a camp (Deuteronomy 23:12-13). Believers of Biblical inspiration contend that the degree of effectiveness of the Mosaic dietary restrictions and hygienic strictures indicates that the knowledge in the Old Testament is something beyond the science available at the time . At the earliest estimate, the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testment) was written around 1400 BC, a time by which many complex nearby civilizations such as Ancient Egypt, the Aegean civilization, the Hittites, and the Elamites all had existed for many hundreds, even thousands, of years. These civilizations had large cities with public sanitation systems , and many medical documents. From the Christian perspective, the response to this objection focuses on Egyptian medicine's large deficiencies and known unhealthful or unsanitary practicies (such as the use of septic materials such as dung, or inert materials such as crocodile teeth). Nevertheless, it also contains sound medical advice, and it is logically to be expected that earlier cultures had less accurate knowledge; for example, before human dissection to investigate the question, mediaeval Europe thought sperm was derived from spinal fluid. Toxic Food
Leviticus 11:1-47 contains a list specifying what constitutes kosher food and what is forbidden. In 1953, Dr. David I. Macht, conducted toxicity tests on many different kinds of animals and fish, and concluded that the toxicity of Levitically Unclean animals was higher than that of the clean animals, and that the correlation with the description in Leviticus was 100%. . Dr. Macht used a novel methodology termed phytopharmacology which involved treating lupin seedlings with food extracts and observing inhibition of root growth. This technique is not in widespread use and is not regarded as reliable by mainstream science. Perhaps one of the most famously non-kosher foods is pork, which, when improperly cooked, is known to carry a risk of trichinosis. A 1985 study by Nanji and French found that there was a significant correlation between cirrhosis and pork consumption. . Cultural anthropologists, following Mary Douglas, have argued that the clean and unclean in dietary laws were concepts of holiness and taboos; functions within social groups to symbolise and demark social boundaries. Psychology professor Paul Rozin suggests food taboos and the pork taboo in particular might simply be a codification of the natural disgust reaction humans in many cultures often show to novel meats, for example US culture objects to horse meat and the meat of civet cats which other cultures find perfectly acceptable. Another reason suggested for the pork taboo is a general disgust to the extremely omnivorous nature of the pig, and its tendency to wallow in mud. SanitationThe Deuteronomic Code contains several sanitation instructions; in particular Deuteronomy 23:12-14 contains instructions to dispose of human excrement away from the population, in order to keep the camp holy, and to avoid God being offended by the sight or evidence of defecation as he walked through the camp at night. This is taken by supporters of scientific foresight to be advanced knowledge of diseases transmitted by excrement, such as cholera and dysentery. The natural worldEcologyThe Mosaic code has provisions concerning the conservation of natural resources (trees, and birds, ), as well as leaving fields fallow for a year, after certain periods of time. These are often regarded as sound ecological advice, though many critics of the bible contest that they are also strikingly obvious. ZoologyAlthough felines (especially the great predatory cats) are most commonly known as carnivores, cases of feline herbivory have been published in recent history such as the captive lioness Little Tyke who reportedly never ate meat. Some Christian apologists believe that this phenomenon was foreseen in the following Biblical scriptures:
OceanographyIn the book of Jonah, there is an account that appears to describe the undersea world:
Some believers of divinely inspired scientific foresight claim that prior to modern echo-sounding techniques, mankind was unaware of any mountain-like underwater structures. According to geoglogist Harold L. Levin, oceanographers interpreted the few measurements available as indicating that the ocean floors were monotonous flat plains, and thus Jonah presents the first known accurate description. However, many ancient pearl divers regularly visited the shallower parts of the ocean floor, and would have been well aware of its non-flat nature. Extrapolation from the slopes leading down to the shores, as well as those of inland lakes, and their sometimes crystal clear waters, are is another plausible non-supernatural sources for the information. Electrical engineeringSome have inquired on a scientific explianation of the Ark of the Covenant's operation. Electronic textbooks have discussed the concept in discussions of capacitors through time. Some have suggested that it could be a microwave cavity resonator. Historical inquiry concerning the Ark of the Covenant indicates that it operated as an electrical circuit have been held by some, including, in the 1900s, electrician Nikola Tesla. The design of the ark have characteristics to generate an electric charge, and thus could facilitate an electric discharge between the cherubs. Exodus 28 also describe priests garments which seem similar to static control smocks. The biblical accounts of individuals sudden deaths from touching the Ark could correspond to death by a lethal high voltage charge. In Leviticus 10, Nadab and Abihu perform unprescribed procedures with the Ark which results in a "fire from the Lord," which "devoured" Aaron's sons. Some biblical accounts could correspond with exposure to some extremely high frequency electromagnetic fields (such as ultraviolet light or x-rays). "Fiery jets" occasionally burned and destroyed close objects. Louis Ginzberg’s "Legends of the Jews" has ancient oral traditions referring to "sparks" from the cherubim.
Jewish legend also has occasional records of a "cloud" between the cherubim. The Ark was considered dangerous at these times and Moses would not approach it. Tesla, in the article "The fairy tale of electricity" (published September 9, 1915), stated in regards to the Ark:
Of the archaeological discoveries of the last century (which include the Baghdad Battery among others), there is an indication that a working knowledge of energy devices might have been present in ancient Middle Eastern cultures. According to Exodus 2:10, Moses received specialized training in the house of Pharaoh. In the field of Biblical scholarship itself, more down to earth proposals have been made. Namely that, the Jewish priesthood coated the Cherubim in Anthrax, or some other toxic material, just like many of the Egyptian priests did with their cult objects. In this reading, the reports of extremely sudden death rather than the small time taken from poisoning, are regarded as artistic license. The more recent theory concerning the Ark's operation, that the Ark of the Covenant was an extraterrestrial communications box, by Author Erich von Däniken is considered unlikely by mainstream archaeology. Von Däniken speculation edges toward a particular point of view. In the film "Chariots of the Gods", von Däniken showed an Ark replica made by Minnesota college students which produced an electrical charge, though. See also
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