And Now You Know.
FSU professor: Jesus may have walked on ice, not water
07:02 AM CDT on Thursday, April 6, 2006
Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Jesus walked on water, according to the Bible, but a Florida State University professor says he may have actually walked on a hard-to-see patch of ice.
Doron Nof, a professor of oceanography, said a rare combination of water and atmospheric conditions in the Sea of Galilee 2000 years ago may offer a scientific explanation for one of the miracles recounted in the Bible.
Nof said a patch of ice floating in the Sea of Galilee – which is actually a freshwater lake – would have been difficult to distinguish from unfrozen water surrounding it.
"I'm not trying to provide any information that has to do with theology here," Nof said in an interview Wednesday. "All we've thought is about the natural process. What theologians or anybody else does with that, it's their business, so to speak."
According to the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark and John, Jesus' disciples were out on the Galilee at night when a storm came up. Jesus walked to the terrified men, who thought he was a ghost, according to the accounts.
Darrell Bock, a professor of New Testament studies at the Dallas Theological Seminary, lightheartedly dismissed the idea that Jesus walked on ice.
"I'm just cold to the theory," said Bock, author of "Breaking the Da Vinci Code," which defends traditional Christian beliefs challenged in Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code."
"I tend to treat it as a real miracle," Bock said. "Almost all the nature miracles are challenged in one degree or another."
Other reaction to the theory has not been so restrained.
"I get hate e-mail on the average every three minutes," Nof said. One e-mail called him "the most stupid person on the planet" and closed by wishing that he "go to hell where you belong."
Nof's research appears in the April issue of the Journal of Paleolimnology, a publication on the reconstruction of lake histories. Nof's co-authors are biostatistics professor Ian McKeague of Columbia University and atmospheric science professor Nathan Paldor of Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
They came up with the theory after studying records of long-ago water temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea, based on core samples of shells and other animal remains taken from the bottom.
The records indicated that two lengthy periods 2,500 to 1,500 years ago were chilly enough for ice patches to form during cold spells on the Sea of Galilee, said Nof, a native of Israel.
The unfrozen water surrounding the ice would have come from salty springs along the lake's western shore, he said. Salty water freezes at lower temperatures than fresh water.
Ha ha ha ha! Oh, and don't you just LOVE the e-mail he received? Because Christians are, of course, SUPPOSED to wish for people to go to hell. Oh my.
On a completely different subject, I think I now have a new favorite movie. Does watching it twice (for the 3rd and 4th time, respectively) in 3 days constitute a favorite movie? If so,
Pride and Prejudice (the 2005 version) is my new favorite movie. Maybe I can squeeze in a 3rd time this week, for it will be a charm for sure. I mean, scenes like this just take my breath away.
Watch it, oh please, please watch and enjoy. And yes, you will warm up to Darcy as the movie goes on. Not at first, but later. He gets more and more handsome. When he laughs - wonderful, when he walks across the field - oh the emotion. I won't say anymore. Just watch.
07:02 AM CDT on Thursday, April 6, 2006
Associated Press
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Jesus walked on water, according to the Bible, but a Florida State University professor says he may have actually walked on a hard-to-see patch of ice.
Doron Nof, a professor of oceanography, said a rare combination of water and atmospheric conditions in the Sea of Galilee 2000 years ago may offer a scientific explanation for one of the miracles recounted in the Bible.
Nof said a patch of ice floating in the Sea of Galilee – which is actually a freshwater lake – would have been difficult to distinguish from unfrozen water surrounding it.
"I'm not trying to provide any information that has to do with theology here," Nof said in an interview Wednesday. "All we've thought is about the natural process. What theologians or anybody else does with that, it's their business, so to speak."
According to the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark and John, Jesus' disciples were out on the Galilee at night when a storm came up. Jesus walked to the terrified men, who thought he was a ghost, according to the accounts.
Darrell Bock, a professor of New Testament studies at the Dallas Theological Seminary, lightheartedly dismissed the idea that Jesus walked on ice.
"I'm just cold to the theory," said Bock, author of "Breaking the Da Vinci Code," which defends traditional Christian beliefs challenged in Dan Brown's "Da Vinci Code."
"I tend to treat it as a real miracle," Bock said. "Almost all the nature miracles are challenged in one degree or another."
Other reaction to the theory has not been so restrained.
"I get hate e-mail on the average every three minutes," Nof said. One e-mail called him "the most stupid person on the planet" and closed by wishing that he "go to hell where you belong."
Nof's research appears in the April issue of the Journal of Paleolimnology, a publication on the reconstruction of lake histories. Nof's co-authors are biostatistics professor Ian McKeague of Columbia University and atmospheric science professor Nathan Paldor of Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
They came up with the theory after studying records of long-ago water temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea, based on core samples of shells and other animal remains taken from the bottom.
The records indicated that two lengthy periods 2,500 to 1,500 years ago were chilly enough for ice patches to form during cold spells on the Sea of Galilee, said Nof, a native of Israel.
The unfrozen water surrounding the ice would have come from salty springs along the lake's western shore, he said. Salty water freezes at lower temperatures than fresh water.
Ha ha ha ha! Oh, and don't you just LOVE the e-mail he received? Because Christians are, of course, SUPPOSED to wish for people to go to hell. Oh my.
On a completely different subject, I think I now have a new favorite movie. Does watching it twice (for the 3rd and 4th time, respectively) in 3 days constitute a favorite movie? If so,
Pride and Prejudice (the 2005 version) is my new favorite movie. Maybe I can squeeze in a 3rd time this week, for it will be a charm for sure. I mean, scenes like this just take my breath away.
Watch it, oh please, please watch and enjoy. And yes, you will warm up to Darcy as the movie goes on. Not at first, but later. He gets more and more handsome. When he laughs - wonderful, when he walks across the field - oh the emotion. I won't say anymore. Just watch.
posted by Amstaff Mom | 7:19 AM
14 Comments:
Yipee I can now comment
1. I laughed at the ice theory
2. I laughed at the email telling the poor guy to go to hell, and then i felt bad for him and a little preterbed at the idiot who sent that email
3. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, ok so you didn't quite get into the 5 hour version, I still have a special place in my heart for that one, but this one is good too, and while Collin Firth as Mr. Darcy is the gold standard, this guy is pretty good looking too and well I just love Mr. Darcy and all his brooding yumminess
ahahahaha - I'm laughing that I just typed "brooding yumminess"
"brooding yumminess". HE HE!
I think I'm going to get the BBC version and watch it again, but maybe b/c I saw the 2005 one first, that became MY P&P. Thank you for watching both with me.
We can swoon over him together.
I haven't seen it... but you have convinced me to rent it and watch it with Sydney.
I probably won't swoon though.
http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0414387/Ss/0414387/iid_945741.jpg?path=gallery&path_key=0414387
visual definition of "brooding yumminess"
ICE... ARE YOU KIDDING ME!
So glad that you spoke so highly of Pride and Prejudice... I got this movie on Net Flicks last week and have been putting off watching it until I am in the right mood... can't wait!
ps. I knew Katie was going to post about the 5 hr version! haha!
Yes, Ben McMinn, rent it for your darling wife and you too may benefit! he - he. Girls like romantic movies with happy endings.
Aim - WAIT NO LONGER. Run home and put it in your DVD player at once!
Small recommendation for both of you, turn the subtitles on. You get so much more with them on. I've spent 6 wks of my life over there and there was alot I didn't get the first time at the theater by not having subtitles.
K-T, what? no mention of the "yellowed" version of P & P? Maybe that's why Colin isn't my favorite Darcy. Because he was jaundiced last time I saw him!!!
ahahaha I forgot about the color and that it got worse as the movie went on and he did look jaundice
Thanks, I will definately watch this movie. I didn't know there was a more recetn version...
Oh what a spectacular flick. Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy, Mr. Darcy. You make my heart swoon. I didn't think anyone could hold a candle to Colin Firth but I'm starting to warm up to the new guy. Sigh.
cat
Well, if Jesus wasn't walking on water then he has great balance! Can you imagine floating ice in a lake? How big would that ice chunk need to be to hold him? Wouldn't it have been slippery? And how did it just so happen to be near the boat that the disciples were on? Maybe he put his legs in the icy water and propelled himself towards the disciples. He just snuck up on them and at the last minute he hopped up and was like, "Yo, what's up Pete!" Ha ha.
I always like open Biblical discussion.
Pride and Prejudice bewitched me body and soul.
i read about the ice story a few minutes ago on Amanda Sue's site - mine was the same reaction as yours. CHRISTIANS are emailing him WHAT? no wonder he's trying to disprove the theory.
also, we bought P&P when it came out. i've been staring at it since, wanting to watch it, and feeling my insides tear because i am TRYING to be responsible. which means WAITING to watch it until i have time. WHICH I DESPISE.
I agree. The new P&P is incredible. *sigh*
As for the walk on water vs. walk on ice guy, talk about a lame, attention getting bid. If you think he might've walked on ice, then it means you don't accept the Bible as a true or accurate depiction of Christ's life on earth. And if that's the case, why worry about a little thing like walking on water? If you think he was only a nice guy who existed, just say so and be done with it. Why try to disprove the unfalsifiable hypothesis? Silly. Does no one teach people to think any more? It's a waste of print and time!
Oh! I'm so, so happy that everyone agrees with me about the news story AND P & P.
I'm watching it AGAIN tonight. With my s-i-l. Who else is watching it??? Aim? Ben McMinn? Bianca S.? Jes? We can watch it separately, but all together. Oh what fun!
Because, as Eddo said...
"Pride and Prejudice bewitched me body and soul".
I think I'll watch it right now!
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