Bevlina said:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5724143/
This is an interesting link. The finding of this cave, whether it be John the Baptists cave not not throws more light on the New Testament. We have to agree it as an interesting find.
1) Yes, it was interesting, adding a tiny bit more info.
2) The hand on the wall is very prominent in some of these web photos.
I was surprised that none of the people who requested/received my evidence of that graphic of the hand have even acknowledged that I backed up my assertion.
It seems so Archeologically significant in support of what I said:
That Jesus resurrected the priesthood of the wilderness in the day of Moses, those Kohanim of the "Hand Blessing.".
These priests used their hands in some way, lost to the whole religious community, so far. Matthew 3:12 says Jesus used the "shin" shaped grasp seen in the hand of Doc Spock. It says he "baptized with fire" by such a method.
3) The cave raises the whole issue concerning baptism, in general. Apparently, the feet were/had suddenly become the focus of the "humble baptism" replacing the full body immersion by John.
Had John's demeanor and grasp but less than humble?
The jugs shards and the size 11 foot imprint on the "baptizmal rock" in the cave suggest this was a new way, don't they?
4) The point can not be side stepped.
Jesus must have reduced John's full body submergence to just washing the feet.
(This took place sometime after Jiohn was arrested.)
This is a plausible deduction because the cave had no water source, the jugs had held oil. And, the foot stool was the focus of the service if we use the cave as evidence.
So, the cave gives answers and raises question, as does any scientific approach to the Truth.
5) The figure carved on the cave wall, with the outstretched hand, seems to imply a fire baptism by utility of the "fanned" fingers of the hand, (Matt 3:12).
Was this the "laying on of hands?"
Did the apostles, and even those who long followed Jesus, use this "fan of the fingers of the hand" to continue the baptism of fire? (Luke 3:18).
6) The whole issue seems to require some honest, unbiased investigation into just what this "Hand Blessing" was, as performed by the Kohanim of the Jews in the days of Moses. You can see on the graphic I offer to all that henna was used to write God's name and to demonstrate how the order of the digits count out (7) seven lettered spaces:
Rev. 1:16 And he had in his right hand seven stars:
7) It is also interesting that the Jewish tradition held that the "one coming" would revive the days of Moses and the generation of the wilderness. These original levite priests served the tabernacle in that day. So, isn't this exactly the fulfillment the Jews look forward to in their tradition, as the apostles laid hands upon the people?
8) Hands of fire also were a messianic promise:
Toward evening Elijah called his disciple Elisha and made him pour water over his hands. Then a miracle took place: water commenced to flow from the fingers of Elijah as from a fountain, so that the ditch around the altar became full (Tanna debe Eliyahu R. xvii.)
The prophet prayed to God that He would send fire down upon the altar, and that the people might see the miracle in its proper light and not regard it as sorcery (Ber. 9b). In his prayer he spoke of his mission as the precursor of the Messiah, and petitioned God to grant his request that he might be believed in future (Midr. Shir ha-Shirim, ed. Grünhuth, 25a; Aggadat Bereshit, lxxvi.).
See how important this might be to Jewish conversion?