Evangelicals skeptical about 'Joseph coins'
Arizona Coin Collector
http://www.sbcbaptistpress.org/BPnews.asp?ID=31388
Evangelicals skeptical about 'Joseph coins'
Posted on Oct 5, 2009 | by Staff
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--Two evangelical archeologists have
expressed caution in evaluating reports that ancient
Egyptian coins bearing the name and image of the biblical
Joseph have been discovered among unsorted artifacts at
the Museum of Egypt.
"The scholarly community will need to see the full report
and images of the artifacts to make a judgment in regard
to the interpretation of these objects as coins," Steven
Ortiz, associate professor of archaeology and biblical
backgrounds at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
in Fort Worth, Texas, said.
"It is more likely that these are amulets or jewelry. The
initial reports are probably based on an initial zeal to
support the koranic verses that mention coins associated
with Joseph rather than a comprehensive study of the
finds," Ortiz told Baptist Press.
Al Ahram newspaper in Cairo first carried a report about
the artifacts, and a subsequent report appeared in The
Jerusalem Post Sept. 25, based on a translation of the
original article completed by the Middle East Media
Research Institute (MEMRI). The research has not
appeared in a scholarly journal.
The Post said the significance of the find is that
archeologists have located "scientific evidence
countering the claim held by some historians that coins
were not used for trade in ancient Egypt, and that this
was done through barter instead."
MEMRI's translation said the artifacts initially were
believed to be charms, but a thorough examination
revealed that the objects bore the year in which they
were minted as well as their value.
"Some of the coins are from the time when Joseph lived
in Egypt, and bear his name and portrait," the report
said. "... This [find] prompted researchers to seek and
find Koranic verses that speak of coins used in
ancient Egypt."
Robert Griffin, an ancient Egyptian history scholar at
the University of Memphis, noted that he couldn't make
an assessment without seeing the artifacts or
scholarly reports, so he wasn't ready to accept the
discovery as it is being promoted.
"My initial response is one of skepticism in that the
'interpretation' of the coins is quite subjective,"
Griffin told BP.
The Al Ahram article said the coins are from many
different periods, "including coins that bore special
markings identifying them as being from the era of
Joseph. Among these, there was one coin that had an
inscription on it, and an image of a cow symbolizing
Pharaoh's dream about the seven fat cows and seven
lean cows ...."
"It's a bit of a stretch, to say the least," Griffin
said, "especially when you consider that one of the
most prominent goddesses in Egyptian mythology is
Hathor, who is represented as a cow or a woman with
cow's horns as part of her crown."
Hathor was popular in the late Middle Kingdom and
Second Intermediate Period, circa 1800-1600 B.C.,
which corresponds with the general time period of
Joseph, Griffin said.
Also, Al Ahram said Joseph's name appears twice on
that particular coin, written in hieroglyphics,
"once the original name, Joseph, and once his
Egyptian name, Saba Sabani, which was given to him
by Pharaoh when he became treasurer."
"I would be interested to see the actual writing of
what the researcher claims are the names of
Joseph," Griffin said. "The English transliteration
he gives for the 'Egyptian name' of Joseph is close
in form but not exactly as it would be
transliterated from the Hebrew text."
Based on what he knows at this point, Griffin said
he would hesitate to say the artifacts are
definitive proof of the existence of Joseph in
Egypt.
--30--
Compiled by Baptist Press staff writer Erin Roach,
with reporting by Art Toalston, editor of Baptist
Press.
..
oly
wrote:
Joseph lived 1,000+ years before the first known "coins" were minted.
I have met a lot of Christian scholars over the years, and even the
stupidest of them wouldn't make this mistake.
oly
Peter
>
> - Show quoted text -
Perhaps they clearly say 1700 BC? Surely that would settle it!