Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
The Bible contains puzzles and mysteries. Some facts are conveyed cryptically or with only hints; perhaps the facts were uncomfortable or were kept hidden for some other reason. The Bible was written over centuries, and edited with care. I will mention four puzzles (2 in the OT, 2 in the NT) of which I think at least two were deliberately contrived to convey hidden information.
The Old Man and the Sea is my favorite novella. It is fiction but that doesn't detract from my interest or enjoyment. Similarly I hope atheists can treat the Bible's puzzles as interesting and go beyond "It's fiction anyway. Who cares?"
I will list four puzzles very briefly, though it is Puzzle #4 which is of special interest to me. I'd be happy to discuss any of these interesting puzzles in detail, but will save that effort now in case there is no real interest here.
Puzzle #1) Genesis Chapter 46 contains an arithmetic discrepancy. The case can be made that it is a carefully constructed logic puzzle.
Puzzle #2) 2 Chronicles 35:3
Puzzle #3) The Gospels' fig-tree parable is associated with Palm Sunday, but figs were not in season in the Spring.
Puzzle #4) Paul writes that Cephas (Simon/Peter), John and James are the three Christian "pillars" in Jerusalem. The Gospels also make Simon Peter, John ben Zebedee and James (ben Zebedee) the dominant disciples. Yet Acts 12:2 shows King Herod killing James ben Zebedee early. By coincidence did another James (ben Alphaeus) replace the first James as top "pillar"? The second James has a mother named Mary and brothers named Judas and Joses
The Old Man and the Sea is my favorite novella. It is fiction but that doesn't detract from my interest or enjoyment. Similarly I hope atheists can treat the Bible's puzzles as interesting and go beyond "It's fiction anyway. Who cares?"
I will list four puzzles very briefly, though it is Puzzle #4 which is of special interest to me. I'd be happy to discuss any of these interesting puzzles in detail, but will save that effort now in case there is no real interest here.
Puzzle #1) Genesis Chapter 46 contains an arithmetic discrepancy. The case can be made that it is a carefully constructed logic puzzle.
Puzzle #2) 2 Chronicles 35:3
Puzzle #3) The Gospels' fig-tree parable is associated with Palm Sunday, but figs were not in season in the Spring.
Puzzle #4) Paul writes that Cephas (Simon/Peter), John and James are the three Christian "pillars" in Jerusalem. The Gospels also make Simon Peter, John ben Zebedee and James (ben Zebedee) the dominant disciples. Yet Acts 12:2 shows King Herod killing James ben Zebedee early. By coincidence did another James (ben Alphaeus) replace the first James as top "pillar"? The second James has a mother named Mary and brothers named Judas and Joses