Bible Scholar
* Jonathan Kirsch did a disservice to your readers in his review of Thomas Thompson’s “The Mythic Past” (June 12) when he asserted that Thompson’s brand of biblical minimalism is the conventional wisdom of Bible scholarship. As a longtime subscriber to Biblical Archeology Review, I can guarantee you that the minimalists (who believe that nothing in the Bible is historical) are as far outside the mainstream of scholarship as the maximalists of yesteryear.
A prime example: The Tel Dan Stele, an ancient piece of inscribed stone referring to the House of David, is a key piece of archeological evidence in favor of the historicity of David and Solomon. Since this contradicts Thompson’s whole thesis, he considers it a forgery, but the vast majority of mainstream archeologists disagree.
KENNEDY GAMMAGE
Vista
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
