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Re: orion Etymology of "Essenes"



Steven Goranson writes:

> 5) On ane I read that the Tel Dan inscription is a fake; T. Thompson wrote
>  that you have said so. And N.P. Lemche wrote the news to BAR. When should
>  the announcement come before the demonstration? And for those pesky people
>  who will call for apology for slander--what does good methodology direct us
>  to do?

     While the above comment is obviously not DSS-related, I feel compelled to
introject a comment in Fred's defense.  
     At the Jerusalem conference, Fred Cryer pointed out to me certain
physical features of the Tel Dan inscription that completely convinced me that
it is indeed a forgery, though I had previously accepted its authenticity.
>From my inspection, I developed two other lines of evidence that pointed to
the same conclusion, which Fred will be incorporating into his article.  I
would point out that Thompson and Lemche announced Fred's findings without his
prior knowledge, so I don't think it's proper for Steve to lay this at Cryer's
door.  As for the "call for apology for slander," clearly the investigation
into whether a given inscription is authentic is within the legitimate purview
of scholarship!  Let's just wait for the article and discuss it
dispassionately then - and not on Orion.  

    Russell Gmirkin