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MATHEMATICAL ISSUES Questions 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 congregati on." Leviticus 8:1–4 says that "the Assembly was gathered unto the door of the , and regard it as very unsound. [http://www.xmission.com/~fidelis/volume1/chapter8/heagle.html . MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE The 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 {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} {Link without Title} . The majority of classicists, historians, and archaeologists believe that many other peoples of the ancient world commonly had a knowledge of medicine and health issues, at least as good as that of the Hebrews, and thus the Biblically given specification does not represent divine inspiration. At the earliest estimate, the . From the Christian perspective, the response to this objection focuses on Egyptian medicine's deficiencies and known unhealthful or unsanitary practicies (such as the use of septic materials such as dung, or inert materials such as crocodile teeth). {Link without Title} Nevertheless, it also contains a large volume of 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 See Also: Kosher food Leviticus 11:1-47 contains a list specifying what constitutes 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. However, this neglects the strong Biblical prohibition against ''creeping things which creepeth upon the earth'', as Worm s and Ant s are regarded by many cultures as extremely tasty, and are scientifically very Nutritious . Australian green ants, for example, are eaten by the Aboriginals , since their abdomen tastes like lemon Sherbet , and the ants themselves are high in Vitamin C and have Antibiotic properties; squashed green ants mashed in water makes up an excellent lemon-lime flavored drink. Perhaps one of the most famously non-, 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. Sanitation The 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 . However, most academics consider this simply to be a result of the Near-universal strong human disgust of faeces. Circumcision See Also: Medical analysis of circumcision In Genesis 17:12, God commanded Abraham to circumcise baby boys on the eighth day of their lives. It has since been discovered that certain blood clotting factors are at their highest concentration on the 8th day of life, making this the earliest safe time to perform surgery unenhanced by other drugs or medical procedures. In a world where many children died shortly after birth, circumcising a child to dedicate it to God after it has survived for a week, may have had more to do with its chance of survival than medical considerations. The potential medical value of circumcision in general has long been a controversial subject. Results have suggested it offers resistance to everything from the obvious such as Phimosis (which by definition cannot occur without a foreskin), and Balanoposthitis , to Prostate Cancer and AIDS . The more controversial conclusions are as much contested as supported by evidence, and it is certainly the case that the reported defence against Prostate Cancer is less than that supposedly afforded by the more simple solution of regularly Masturbating . Its effect on sexual activity has also drawn ambiguous results, including a survey in which there was a majority reporting that the Glans Penis was less sensitive, but also a majority reporting greater sexual satisfaction. THE NATURAL WORLD Ecology The Mosaic code has provisions concerning the conservation of natural resources (trees, Deuteronomy 20:19-20 and birds, Deuteronomy 22:6-7 ), 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. Zoology Although felines (especially the great predatory cats) are most commonly known as Carnivore s, cases of feline Herbivory have been published in recent history such as the Captive lioness ''Little Tyke'' who reportedly never ate meat {Link without Title} . Some Christian apologists believe that this phenomenon was foreseen in the following Biblical scriptures: The wolf and the lamb will feed together and the lion shall eat straw like the ox ... And to every beast of the earth, ... , I have given every green herb for food ... Apart from the references to herbivory, there are also references to carnivorous behaviour by lions: The lion tore enough for his cubs, strangled enough for his lionesses, and filled his lairs with prey and his dens with torn flesh Prior to careful study of leonine behaviour in the 1970s, the traditional belief was that lions killed by Strangulation . Naturalists have since collated substantive evidence that lions do not intentionally kill in this manner, instead killing by a neck bite that breaks the neck or severs vital blood vessels. Biblical critics believe that the reason for the Bible presenting strangulation as the method was due to the appearance of this when lions kill resistant prey, whose struggles cause the bite's effect to be slightly slowed. However, supporters of complete Biblical inerrancy believe there to be some documentary evidence dating from the 1970s evidencing strangulation. Oceanography In the Book Of Jonah , there is an account that appears to describe the undersea world: The waters compassed me about, to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars [was about me for ever... 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 engineering Some have inquired on a scientific explianation of the Ark Of The Covenant 's operation. Electronic textbooks have discussed the concept in discussions of Capacitor s 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 Cherub s. Exodus 28 also describe priests garments which seem similar to Static Control Smock s. 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 " Spark s" from the cherubim. : ''Two sparks issued from the Cherubim that shaded the Ark, and these killed all the serpents and scorpions that crossed the path of the Israelites, and furthermore burned all thorns that threatened to injure the wanderers on their march through the desert. 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: : ''The records, though scanty, are of a nature to fill us with conviction that a few initiated, at least, had a deeper knowledge of amber phenomena. To mention one, Moses was undoubtedly a practical and skillful electrician far in advance of his time. The Bible describes precisely, and minutely, arrangements constituting a machine in which electricity was generated by friction of air against silk curtains, and stored in a box constructed like a condenser. It is very plausible to assume that the sons of Aaron were killed by a high-tension discharge, and that the vestal fires of the Romans were electrical.'' 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 East ern 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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