Let My People Know - Conservative Bible
Dear Editor
The Daily Breeze Article, Saturday April 23, was a most disturbing one.
It portrayed the new Updated Conservative Bible. A book called ETZ HAYIM, as a Great compelling commentary. I am sorry to state the book is a true distortion of the great Bible,
Rabbis representing major movements in Judaism debated the origins of the Bible, commonly called the Torah, according to article in the Breeze. Some claimed that man had written the Bible or perhaps several authors contributed to the Five Books of Moses.
In a infamous Passover sermon, David Wolpe, a Conservative rabbi at Sinai Temple, challenged his faithful by stating, "The truth is that virtually every modern archeologist who has investigated the story of the Exodus, with very few exceptions, agrees that the way the Bible describes the Exodus is not the way it happened, if it happened at all." Wolpe remains "unrepentant" in his views and teaches it publicly. Even those who believe in the New Testament never challenged the authenticity of the old Bible.
It is with great regret that a debate of such massive spiritual destruction is being highlighted as an authentic and sincere search for truth. Nothing can be further than the truth.
To hear a sermon stating that archeologists are questioning Jewish enslavement makes me sad. One knows that Jesus' last meal was a Passover supper honoring the story of the Jews' massive exodus from Egypt. Major religions recognize the Bible's account of the exodus as authentic.
Living in a time of outrageous audacity, the challenge fits with today's chutzpah. His rhetoric sounds like a Holocaust revisionist challenging that six million Jews were never killed, claiming that they just disappeared.
Not too long ago a huge mausoleum was uncovered in Egypt. It is believed to have more than 62 chambers. The period given for the mass tombs is the same as when the Hebrews were in Egypt. The king was called Ramses al-Akbar — Ramses the greatest. He is the same king that Moses spoke to, as recorded in the biblical book of Exodus. One of the tombs is said to contain the first-born who died in the tenth plague in 1212 BC as recorded in the Bible. This is the same date theJewish people give for their Exodus.
Whether the New Testament has superseded the Old Testament or the Koran is religiously debatable but the fact of Israel's enslavement and massive exodus have never been questioned by religious leaders. That is, until now.
When world religious leaders celebrate their honored festivals they transmit the message of God's intervention in miraculous ways. Who would believe that the revelation would be debated by rabbis, spiritual leaders of the Jewish belief and practices?
The Holy Bible tells the story of the Exodus and no Bible, until recently, has ever had a different version of the exodus of the Jewish people from Egypt.
Miracles do happen and people make note of them by inscribing them in books, which are transmitted from generation to generation. Belief in miracles is the cornerstone of all religions.
This recent publication is a depravity and an insult to all religious people. From all the comments I have been hearing I know many people feel the same way I do.
As my grandfather said, "We Jews don't believe in miracles, we just count on them." Miracles are not debated, they are celebrated.