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Mark

Member Since 08 Feb 2011
Offline Last Active Aug 28 2019 01:28 PM
*****

Topics I've Started

The transfiguration

13 August 2013 - 03:08 PM

Where?

In the fourth century Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, following the apocryphal Gospel to the Hebrews, claimed identification of the Mount of Transfiguration with Mount Tabor. This was accepted without question for many centuries. Yet it is known that there was a village at the summit of Tabor which Josephus fortified against the Romans during the Jewish War. This makes the identification very unlikely. Today the great favourite is Hermon, near Caesarea Philippi, though some, with an eye to the toilsome climb of over 9000 feet, are content with one of its lower shoulders.

It is a matter of no little surprise that Biblical, rather than geographical, considerations have not been taken more into account. Moses ended his great work seeing the Land of Promise from Mount Nebo, 4000 feet above the Dead Sea, and was buried there (Dt.34:1-5). A careful review of the details in 2 Kgs.2 (verses 5,8,11) reveals that Elijah was on the identical mountain when he ended his public ministry. Then, do not these facts provide strong presumptive evidence that it was to this mountain that Jesus now took his disciples? The distance from Caesarea Philippi is not a valid objection, for it is easy to get from any part of the Promised Land to any other point in it within six days.


Could someone shed any light on the bolded section? I can't see where this is coming from at all!