I Walked On Water!
You probably have, too. The frozen variety. It's a bad week for Jesus fans. First, they lost the Jews as a scapegoat, thanks to The Judas Diaries (like The Princess Diaries, only it's men in long dresses running around yelling about god, sans sparkly fingernail polish).
Next, there's this bit at National Geographic News from a writer named Amitabh Avasthi (refraining from immature jokes, you can thank me later) that suggests a freak cold spell could be behind the Jesus walking on water tale:
According to biblical accounts, the disciples of Jesus crossed a freshwater lake known as the Sea of Galilee, in northern Israel, before Jesus went up a mountain to pray.On their way back at night, a violent storm trapped the disciples' boat in the middle of the sea. It was then that Jesus walked out to the boat and calmed the storm, according to the Bible.
"A rare set of weather events may have combined to create a slab of ice about 4 to 6 inches [10 to 15 centimeters] thick on the lake, [making it] able to support a person's weight," said Doron Nof, an oceanographer at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida.
His findings appear in this month's issue of the Journal of Paleolimnology.
Nof bases his theory on a unique freezing mechanism he calls "springs ice."
This forms when warm, salty springs flow into a freshwater lake, preventing the lake from freezing entirely in cold weather.
Springs linked to this kind of freezing are found in Tabgha, Israel, a region where many archaeological features associated with Jesus have been found.
Now, if Jesus did a triple lutz or something, then I'd really be impressed.
Maybe, just maybe, the Bible is supposed to be allegory?
Todd Fletcher at April 10, 2006 10:48 AM
Maybe, just maybe, someone should inform the creationists about this? ;-)
Rainer at April 10, 2006 1:41 PM
I've got nothing to add to the Jesus debate (personally think he was a mortal guy who was probably pretty enlightened for his time and would be horrified to see the crap people are doing in his name today) but I have to say how much I love that picture. The lighting, the composition...it really captures a mood.
deja pseu at April 10, 2006 7:20 PM
What makes a Miracle a Miracle is that it is un-explained at the time is happens, and it happens when it needs to.
Love,
Andy
Andy Whiteman at April 10, 2006 7:49 PM
That's known to the rational as a happy coincidence.
Amy Alkon at April 10, 2006 8:56 PM
"it is un-explained at the time it happens, and it happens when it needs to."
Sounds like a bowel movement to me!
Lena at April 11, 2006 3:35 AM
Trying to explain Bible stories is like trying to explain the Wizard of Oz.
Norman at April 11, 2006 4:17 AM
The Wizard Of Oz had much better shoes than the Bible.
Amy Alkon at April 11, 2006 4:33 AM
Oh people are always coming up with pet theories to explain all kind of things in history and even pretend history. I think that I have heard a half of dozen reasons V. van Gogh cut off his ear. How many times has someone claimed to discovered who Jack the Ripper was. Why Napoleon put his hand in his coat... the b.s. just goes on and on.
-mike- at April 11, 2006 7:01 AM
"I think that I have heard a half of dozen reasons V. van Gogh cut off his ear."
He was nuts. What more do you need to know?
Lena at April 11, 2006 8:30 AM
See, another confirmation that Jesus' teachings were accurate. He said that all of the things that he could do, we could do - he walked on water (that had been frozen) and so can we. Every winter here in the upper midwest.
Harris Pilton at April 14, 2006 1:59 PM
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