What is true and what is fake? Does it matter?
Answers
Whether you are hunting for the Loch Ness Monster or a lock of hair from a saint, people are often polarised into those who are awed and those who are incredulous (non-believers in the bible stories and sceptics about particular relics).
Stories
It's hard to get the truth of events in our own lifetime, let alone long ago. However, I find programmes like the Discovery Channel fascinating.
Ten Plagues In The Bible
The Discover Channel showed a great programme on the ten plagues affecting Pharaoh's people and leading to the exodus of Moses and his followers. If I remember rightly (itself a cause of some confusion) the result was the discovery that the death of the firstborn was due to contaminated corn eaten only by the wealthy Egyptians. (Slaves living in another area had a different diet). The firstborn received couple portions. The contamination was caused by heavy rain leading to mouldy grain (which in later eras causes St Vitus's dance).
Loch Ness Monster
I went to the Loch Ness Monster museum in Scotland. I saw lots of interesting research on surveying under water and different types of marine life and identifying fake photos.
Noah's Ark
If you look into the story of Noah's ark, you learn a lot about different types of boats and how boats have been built through the ages in different parts of the world. You also learn about: survival at sea; surviving a flood; floods through the ages; evidence of floods from remains of sea life (crustaceans) inland.
Scientific Research
Whilst I remain somewhat sceptical, I can learn more from both the researchers who believe they will find positive research and the debunkers giving arguments against conclusions from discoveries.
I am all for scientific investigation of anything, which often leads to discoveries separate from or additional to the original question.
Tips
What can the traveller see where?
1 Israel. Dead Sea Scrolls in Israel. See the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. You can take tours featuring only sites associated with Jesus and baptism and John the Baptist; or tours only on The bible (called the Old Testament by Christians after they introduced the New Testament - which refers back to some passages int he Old Testament, fulfilling prophecies); or do a tour encompassing both times from BCE and AD and modern Israel kibbutzim, art deco in Tel Aviv, four quarters of Jerusalem, Ein Gedi, Masada, Solomon etc.
2 Jordan. The hilltop where Moses reputedly viewed the promised land. Reputed biblical account, reputed event, reputed exact location). What you can see in Jordan, I've seen it, is six adjacent churches of different sects alongside on the hilltop, plus the place where Moses reputedly struck the rock and water emerged (now encased in a building). Some stunning Roman cities in ruins.
3 Turkey. Several suggested locations for Noah's ark, including a hill in Turkey.
4 USA. Reproductions of Noah's ark and animals in the USA.
5 Europe. Reproduction of Noah's ark in Europe.
6 UK. Many toys showing Noah's ark, modern as well as from Victorian items in toy and childhood museums - several in the UK and other worldwide. British Museum. Books and photos of relics from the Pharaohs, Romans, medieval times. Reproductions of ancient jewellery.
Religious paintings in the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square in London, England.
7 Italy. Turin shroud. (Italy). Might be away on tour or hidden from light. Check availability. Numerous paintings of Jesus, his mother Mary, Mary Magdalen, the resurrection, the Last Supper Statues of biblical characters such as David.(Check out Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo.
8 Scotland. Loch Ness Monster.
Loch Ness monster reproduction of supposed original, outside the Museum of Nessie.
9 Greece. Roman cities and tombs associated with Alexander the Great and his family; the city where Mark Anthony was killed (after he and his fellow Romans killed Julius Caesar).
Souvenirs to admire and buy
Israel:
Jewellery and tableware showing Moses' two biblical 'spies' carrying a huge bunch of grapes back from the land of milk and honey, as evidence.
Jordan:
Postcards and books about the history of the era.
Turkey:
Food from the days of Noah and named after Noah.
USA:
Work in progress on reproduction Ark and animals.
Europe:
Reproduction Ark.
UK:
Noah's Ark toys.
Postcards of classic art from medieval times in art galleries such as The National Gallery, London.
Huge number of books on the bible, bibles with concordances (indexes and commentaries in the margin or footnotes) and the New Testament. Books on who was the real Jesus and did he exist. (I read dozens when I was a teenager and later as a student of Philosophy at University College, London.
Italy:
Italy has the highest number of UNESCO monuments in the world. Greece seems to have Roman pillars on every street corner as well as Greek Orthodox churches with relics, but Italy also has huge churches and many paintings and painted walls. I did a trip to Umbria which has whole trails about St Francis of Assisi, birth here in Assisi, death here in Assisi, slept in hovel here, preached outdoors here, mural showing him in church here - highly recommended.
Websites for further information
Italy:
https://theconversation.com/can-we-ever-find-jesuss-dna-i-met-the-scientists-who-are-trying-to-find-out-72296
https://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/Attraction_Review-g187855-d599349-Reviews-Museum_of_the_Holy_Shroud_Museo_della_Sindone-Turin_Province_of_Turin_Piedmont.html
Umbria Tourist Board
umbriatourism.it
See my previous posts in the bible and Israel and Noah's ark and relics and the Loch Ness monster.
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer
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