Million-year-old ecosystem discovered beneath land of YHWH's Chosen People

[BurtWorm]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060531/sc_nm/science_israel_cave_dc_3


Prehistoric ecosystem found in Israeli cave

Wed May 31, 8:10 AM ET

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli scientists said on Wednesday they had discovered a prehistoric ecosystem dating back millions of years.
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The discovery was made in a cave near the central Israeli city of Ramle during rock drilling at a quarry. Scientists were called in and soon found eight previously unknown species of crustaceans and invertebrates similar to scorpions.

"Until now eight species of animals were found in the cave, all of them unknown to science," said Dr Hanan Dimantman, a biologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

He said the cave's ecosystem probably dates back around five million years when the Mediterranean Sea covered parts of
Israel.

The cave was completely sealed off from the world, including from water and nutrients seeping through rock crevices above. Scientists who discovered the cave believe it has been intact for millions of years.

[benburch]

1. Previous discussion here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=228x20734

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[donco6]

3. Oh boy . . .

:popcorn:

and

:hide:

[11cents]

4. Heh. Why reduce a cool science story like this ...

...to the ordinary dross of DU? Maybe we should relocate the cave about 20 miles east, so it won't be about YHWH and Chosen People.

[in_cog_ni_to]

5. That is so cool. 5 million years old. It gives me chills.

I read this today too:

Scientists Say Arctic Once Was Tropical
By SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer


<snip>
"It probably was (a tropical paradise) but the mosquitoes were probably the size of your head," said Yale geology professor Mark Pagani, a study co-author.

And what a watery, swampy world it must have been.

"Imagine a world where there are dense sequoia trees and cypress trees like in Florida that ring the Arctic Ocean," said Pagani, a member of the multinational Arctic Coring Expedition that conducted the research.

Millions of years ago the Earth experienced an extended period of natural global warming. But around 55 million years ago there was a sudden supercharged spike of carbon dioxide that accelerated the greenhouse effect.

Scientists already knew this "thermal event" happened but are not sure what caused it. Perhaps massive releases of methane from the ocean, the continent-sized burning of trees, lots of volcanic eruptions<snip>

http://www.comcast.net/news/science/index.jsp?cat=SCIENCE&fn=/2006/05/31/403865.html

[meti57b]

6. Nice gratuitous racist slam!

You might want to keep in mind that back at the beginnings of recorded history, every tribe had their own god or gods. YHWH was the god of the Jews, and as such they were entitled to create whatever idea they wanted for their god. Other tribes and nations did the same. YHWH sort of caught on with other tribes and nations after the beginnings of Christianity.

[benburch]

7. In what way was that racist?

I don't get your objection? Isn't it the land of YHVH's chosen? I thought that was the whole point behind the book of Exodus???

[meti57b]

8. Throwing the word "chosen" back at us is a racist remark.....

because non-Jews like to claim that "chosen" means that Jews think they are better than everyone else.

The biblical origins of the use of the word "chosen" are that YHWH asked the various tribes and peoples if they would be the keepers of his commandments and follow all of his commandments. (For Jews, that is 613 commandments, not ten, although some of the 613 are impossible or don't make sense in this day and age.) As the story goes, only the Jews said they would follow YHWH and keep his commandments. The other tribes turned him down.

So in effect, the Jews chose YHWH and his commandments and in exchange, YHWH chose the Jews to keep his commandments and to be his people. This is where the expression "The Covenant" comes from. That is "The Covenant". Keep in mind that this is from an era where every tribe or nation had their own gods and undoubtedly claimed to be the chosen of that god. (The Christians came along later with their "New Covenant", which I believe has something to do with Jesus and they say their "Covenant" supersedes our "Covenant".

So as a Jewish friend of mine says, "chosen" is sort of like being chosen to wash the dishes. It doesn't mean what non-Jews think it means.

[benburch]

10. Most people mean that in the most repectful way possible.

I think you are wrong to take umbrage at its use in this context, therefore. Perhaps using it as a moment for education is fine, but to out-and-out call some well meaning person a racist is, to say the least, rude.

[BurtWorm]

11. No shit?

:eyes:

[alittlelark]

9. uh... I didn't get that at all.

:shrug:

[BurtWorm]

12. It was intended to be a slam against Biblical literalists, if at anyone

but if you want to take offense at it, be my guest.

:eyes: