I finished the Master's Bib Arch some time ago but have been taking some arch courses through Coursera to keep abreast of new discoveries. TGSAT; http://www.trinitytheology.org/ great programs at Trinity...hard work but well worth it...I have learned so much...I am at the place where at least I know which questions to research and some of what I don't yet know! I have found many new sources of free MOOC (massive open online course. So far, I have only taken courses through TGSAT and Coursera. They were all great learning experiences. I am enrolled in The Bible's Prehistory, Purpose, and Political Future (through Coursera)by Dr. Jacob L. Wright of Emory University at present...Dr Wright has a unique viewpoint of King David. I have already learned some more of the Mesopotamian tablets have been deciphered since the writing of the program for the Master's...and this course will introduce us to deciphering manuscripts in the next couple of weeks. I have wondered how scolars can read inormation in a "dead language format". But God is good...there is a "Rosetta Stone" in just about every major ancient city...not THE Rosetta Stone but something along the same lines...the ancients have written the contents in 3 or more languages...allowing us the opportunity of understanding (at least literally understanding) what is written in the unknown language/s. I thought it was interesting some of the ancient textual information is in the form of copies of letters written for a variety of state reasons. The letters are in envelopes, as well. The bad news is the letters and the envelope are both made of clay and have been 'fired' during seige. In order to get out the letter one must break the envelope. Wisely archaeologists have not done that and we are at a technological stage we are begiining to be able to see inside the envelope without damaging it. This same technology is helpful for rolled scrolls which might perish if unrolled and for viewing script on the back sides of wall stones without dislodging them. It is the same technology used to "layer" xray people.

Our school president, Dr Johnson C. Philip, videotaped a series of lectures for Summer Camp 2013. The theme is on the scripture "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" II Timothy 3:16. It's such an awesome lecture I wanted to share it with all my friends. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkZ8DeMLWhQ

TGSAT

Although it has taken me nearly three years to complete, I am about to finish the masters phase of Biblical Archaeology at TGSAT; http://www.trinitytheology.org/. I have 6.7 modules left to complete and I must package up my practical work. TGSAT is designed to help educate third world country students who would otherwise have no access to such. There are a few of us who are from developed countries. We pay a small fee but no tuition. That fee is then used to sponsor a third world student who cannot pay. Those students' minds are not lost because of poverty! The quality of the course content is tough but enriching and most interesting. TGSAT is ICAATS accredited (http://icaats.com/). TGSAT offers a variety of disciplines with a Biblical basis; archaeology, eduation, as well as theology. It also provides a forum website for students and teachers to pose questions and encouage academic discussion. Anyone can view the discussion but enrollment is necessary to join the discussons. http://www.trinitytheology.org/forum/ If you cannot afford to pay a fee talk to Dr Philip,Presdent, he can help. We need to educate Christian leaders in these troubled times. If you are a retired educator, please consider helping our staff. All the staff and faculty are volunteers with at least one (but most many) advanced degrees. Many of the volunteers have day jobs so their time with TGSAT is limited. More volunteer educators and ancillary staff means more students can be accomodated. TGSAT enrollment is in the thousands while the staff is limited! If God places it on your heart to help, please contact Dr Johnson Philip through the main TGSAT website...link at my name, Thank you, Deedy

Coursera

www.coursera.org I just wanted to share this great network of colleges and universities FREE classes online. Many of the class offerings are from ivy league schools! A certificate of completion is available on successful completion of the courses; they are not credit classes in the traditional sense but those certificates will enhance any resume.

Research related to “The Hittite Problem” by Alan Montgomery confirmed something I have been contemplating through several volumes of information; that is, Egyptology is a great deal older than Biblical archaeology so it’s hard to challenge its presuppositions. It started out as a means to loot the riches of ancient civilizations and grew into an academic discipline. That discipline remains hard and fast in its own Egyptologist set chronology.


Apparently it can be academic suicide to question the status quo in archaeology. Many parents tell their children, “I want you to grow up and go to college and do all the other things I couldn’t do.” and then, by their actions (and sometimes inactions), quench the kid’s desire to do so. Academia is often a more grand extension of this faulty philosophy. We tell our students we want them to think outside of the box but when they do we humiliate them. (I use the pronoun “we” meaning academia in general not specifically to any one in particular. I hope I have never done this to my children or to my students.)


Yet no parent, teacher or archaeologist would openly admit to such an idiotic ideology. I have previously mentioned and commented on the childish language archaeologists use when reviewing another archaeologist’s work. It is perfectly all right to critique another’s work but not in a negative way. Doing so presents a paper which anyone with half a brain is going to dismiss on grounds of childish scrapping. The paper might even present some valid information but it’s going to be overlooked because of the foolish loose language.


Since the majority of my career in archaeology will be in my declining years I have no time for such nonsense. Although I may participate in a few more digs, I rather doubt most of my remaining career will be spent in more than research. Reading papers and books with out and out little boy slurs and outright unkind insults to someone’s integrity or academic preparation is more than annoying; it’s a complete turn off. Further, the students who read that trash then learn to propagate it.

 Perhaps my first project should be a free book with some guidelines of how to write a paper reviewing another scholar’s work without being obnoxious. If it’s free maybe some of the scholars who are at fault might even read it. Bruce gently approached the subject of modifying the Egyptian chronology while Montgomery pointed out, in great detail, obvious chronological problems. Neither of these authors did any name calling or pronounced any condemnations but others have done so to them. They have good reasoning which has been suggested before and since by the greats of Biblical Archaeology.


Still the Egyptologists refuse to bend. It seems females in the discipline are even less inclined to rock the proverbial boat then males. This is disconcerting since more and more women are entering the field of archaeology. Are we (females) expected to submit to the male Biblical archaeologist when he is wrong? Are students expected to submit to their masters when they know the master is wrong?


Even though the term Biblical archaeologist suggests a God fearing person, it’s rarely the case today. In my studies, I have found more Biblical archaeologists who became such merely to destroy Judeo Christian concepts. They would more aptly be named Anti Biblical archaeologists. Their main goal is to prove the Bible is incorrect; they only need to prove one passage of the Bible is a lie to discount the entire collection of books.


Despite the myriad of discoveries which confirm Biblical passages, these people continue to attack unconfirmed passages and ignore the confirmed verses. They are not dwelling on the confirmed passages in their lectures or their papers. We need many more Judeo Christian Biblical archaeologists. Even worse, Christian colleges and universities are becoming not so Christian and more evolutionary. I fail to see how anyone can profess to be a Jew or a Christian while embracing evolution. Professing Judaism or Christianity implies one believes the Bible, the Word of God, is infallible. There is no room for compromise. So far, archaeological finds have confirmed the Biblical account when adequate investigation has been carried out. Though some excavations have cast doubt, subsequent excavation has confirmed.


 Dolores Bernice Davis (Deedy Davis) August 14, 2013

Spirituality

Spirituality is communing with our Creator. That is what most people call praying. But there's more to communion than merely talking to God. We need to hear what God is telling us in answer to our prayers. The majority of the world will celebrate the birth of Christ in two days. It’s hard to celebrate when our hearts are heavy with the sadness of the destruction and death taking place in so many parts of the world. Many of us have sons and daughters in peril at this very moment. I wonder if any of the world leaders involved in these war fronts have bothered to ask their Creator if they should do this. And, if they did so, did they wait for an answer? It is hard to understand why a loving God would desire the horrible decimation of innocent civilians. War is not only deadly to the soldiers but also to the innocent; especially infants and children. This search page will enlighten you, if nothing else: http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=Apx6QNgAbFSiJlAKnHEPv6GbvZx4?fr=fp-yie9-s&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&p=civilian%20casualties%20iraq What is worse than the death of the innocents? This search page contains links to articles answering that question. http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oGdUhDbddQQ24Ah3xXNyoA?p=aftermath%20of%20depleted%20plutonium%20ammunition%20in%20Iraq&fr2=sb-top&fr=fp-yie9-s The Creator of all humanity is one being. As any parent, The Creator only wants His children to live happily and prosper. It is humanity which is never content with what we are given; greed! This war was originally begun in response to the September 11, 2001 Twin Towers attack. It has escalated into two objectives: control and oil. The western world wants control of the Middle East to regulate the distribution of its oil. The book of Revelations points out the last Great War on this planet will be over the oil! When I was young oil was interpreted as olive oil but the earliest known copies of Revelations do not read olive oil; they say oil. According to scripture this war becomes so horrific Christ must come back to stop it. Many people believe Christ coming back means the end of the world. That is not what the Bible says. Christ ends the war and rules on earth for a thousand years. During that time to come, there will be peace and prosperity. Our Creator wishes to know each one of us from our spiritual heart. This is a good time of year to spend some time letting Him into our hearts. True communion with our Creator happens when we bare our innermost thoughts to our Creator and we hear His answers to our pleas.

Joseph (Imhotep?) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIFajJF2WhA The author (Jonathan Gray) gives several convincing, still existing, scripts and tours of buildings which align with the Biblical account of Joseph. His granaries, his tomb with an empty coffin, his hospital and inscriptions by Pharaoh Djoser, himself. One script tells of the seven years of famine and plenty but they are backwards to the Biblical account. Perhaps this was a mistake by the artists or it was misread by contemporary scholars?!? Gray suggests Im could be a precursor of I AM since Hotep means ‘the voice (or mouthpiece) of’. He extrapolates his theory by noting the carefully selected words of Moses to Pharaoh; Pharaoh would know Moses had spoken to the one God of Joseph by the selection of words in reference to Imhotep. Gray gives directly applicable scriptures to back his theory. Whether it is correct or not is hard to say but he certainly gives a very learned and convincing argument. Scholars, today, are split in their decision as to whether Imhotep was the Biblical Joseph for a variety of reasons; notwithstanding some of them have a desire to paint the Bible as one big myth. Christians, Jews and Arabs should think of these people as ‘pawns of the enemy’. There is so much evidence, including an empty coffin dedicated to Joseph pointing north towards Judea, many will see this movie and believe.