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There is debate between science and the Bible, which usually involves how accurately the . MATHEMATICS Questions of plausibility formed the subject of , and regard it as very unsound. [http://www.xmission.com/~fidelis/volume1/chapter8/heagle.html . 1 Kings 7:23 implies that the mathematical constant Pi is exactly 3, as opposed to the correct value of approximately 3.142.1 Biblical Literalists have used this to claim that the value of pi must be exactly 3.2 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 practices (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 . This was also a belief of eastern religions, in that they were made of the same material.
Toxic Food See Also: Kosher 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 Phytopharmacological Methods , which involved treating Lupin seedlings with food extracts and observing inhibition of root growth. 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. {Link without Title} {Link without Title} 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 and eat human faeces. No sanitary or medical reason has yet to be suggested for the Biblical recommendation of using human dung as cooking fuel, as suggested in Ezekiel 4:12. David Macht, the aforementioned Pharmacologist and doctor of Hebrew Literature , was a notable advocate of biblical health practices. An Experimental Pharmacological Appreciation of Leviticus XI and Deuteronomy XIV , Bulletin of the History of Medicine - David Macht [http://ohr.edu/ask/ask199.htm] In a study entitled ''An Experimental Pharmacological Appreciation of Leviticus XI and Deuteronomy XIV'', Dr. Macht wrote: Every word of the Hebrew Scriptures is well chosen and carries valuable knowledge and deep significance 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 . Recent discoveries may even indicate that biblical practices contributed to increases in parasites. 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. 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 ... This suggests that lions might eat straw and other vegetable material. Although inerrancy advocates base many arguments on Little Tyke's refusal to eat meat, the quoted scriptures specify only a preference for plant material, not complete refusal of meat. Little Tyke's diet is not reported to contain any straw (as an ox might eat). 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 explanation of the Ark Of The Covenant 's operation. Electronics textbooks have discussed the concept in relation to Capacitor s through time. Some have suggested that it could be a Microwave Cavity Resonator . Historical inquiry concerning the Ark of the Covenant has caused some to believe that it operated as an Electrical Circuit , including, in the 1900s , Electrician Nikola Tesla . The design of the ark has characteristics to generate an Electric Charge , and thus could facilitate an Electric Discharge between the Cherub s. Exodus 28 also describes priestly garments which seem similar to Static Control Smock s. The biblical accounts of individuals dying suddenly 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. 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. Astronomy Numerous scriptures, such as Job 9:8 , Zechariah 12:1 , Isaiah 42:5 , Isaiah 44:24 , Isaiah 45:12 , Isaiah 51:13 , Jeremiah 10:12 , and Jeremiah 51:15 , each of which makes a vague reference to God "spreading out the heavens", are seen by some, such as Dr. Hugh Ross , as demonstrating Biblical foresight. :"Some of the latest discoveries about the universe, specifically about the hot big bang model, speak volumes about the predictive power of a Bible-based, science-affirming perspective on the cosmos."Hugh Ross, Ph.D. "Predictive Power: Confirming Cosmic Creation". http://www.reasons.org/resources/fff/2002issue09/index.shtml#predictive_power (accessed: October 06, 2006). --Hugh Ross, Ph.D. However, on many counts, the Bible is highly inaccurate in regard towards astronomy. Many Biblical passages support that the stars will fall to the Earth, but as stars are many times larger than the Earth, the Earth would be completely destroyed by the stars. Revelation 6:13 However in the Bible, stars are portrayed as relatively small objects. Revelation 8:10 Some feel however that this passage, along with others in the Bible, are symbolic and not meant literally. REFERENCES SEE ALSO
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