St. John the Baptist's Bones discovered?

JohnMc1

I didn't see any word of this here so I figured I would mention this. Apparently St. John the Baptist's bones may have been discovered.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/15/mysterious-bones-may-belong-to-john-baptist/?intcmp=trending

This is a wonderful find and the dating does seem to point to it more than likely being his.

Galwayguy35

JohnMc1 wrote: »

I didn't see any word of this here so I figured I would mention this. Apparently St. John the Baptist's bones may have been discovered.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/15/mysterious-bones-may-belong-to-john-baptist/?intcmp=trending

This is a wonderful find and the dating does seem to point to it more than likely being his.

Theres a programme on Nat Geo about it next week I think.

JohnMc1

Galwayguy35 wrote: »

JohnMc1 wrote: »

I didn't see any word of this here so I figured I would mention this. Apparently St. John the Baptist's bones may have been discovered.

http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/06/15/mysterious-bones-may-belong-to-john-baptist/?intcmp=trending

This is a wonderful find and the dating does seem to point to it more than likely being his.

Theres a programme on Nat Geo about it next week I think.

Thanks Galwayguy. I'll keep an eye out for it.

Fanny Cradock

I'm tempted to dismiss any documentary of this sort if it's aired on stations like National Geographic. Rarely do they not look for sensationalist spin.

Galwayguy35

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

I'm tempted to dismiss any documentary of this sort if it's aired on stations like National Geographic. Rarely do they not look for sensationalist spin.

Really? I always find their programmes very interesting.

Chucken

Programme starting in a few minutes (8pm) on Nat Geo. Sky 526

snafuk35

The relic industry was big business in the Dark Ages and Medieval period.
Just because a reliquary or grave or whatever has "This contains St. John's remains. Honest. I wouldn't tell a lie!" written on it does not necessarily mean it does.

PDN

Fanny Cradock wrote: »

I'm tempted to dismiss any documentary of this sort if it's aired on stations like National Geographic. Rarely do they not look for sensationalist spin.

That always worries me when I watch a programme on National Geographic on any other subject. I find myself thinking, "I wonder if this is as ill-informed and poorly researched as their programmes on religious themes?"

vicwatson

He was hardly a saint before his bones were discovered right?

dvae

did they find his head?

also, as well as radiocarbon dating should they not be looking for signs
of decapitation.

Onesimus

dvae wrote: »

did they find his head?

also, as well as radiocarbon dating should they not be looking for signs
of decapitation.

Good call there dvae.

There were many Saint Johns back then. It could be St.John the Apostle, it could be St.John Cassian. It could be anyone. I think its a bit sensational to look and then say ''It says St.John on the stone, it has got to be St.John The Baptist''.

tommy2bad

dvae wrote: »

did they find his head?

also, as well as radiocarbon dating should they not be looking for signs
of decapitation.

Twice. I'm tempted to paraphrase Oscar Wilde but, Im sure you all did in your heads anyway
http://www.johnsanidopoulos.com/2010/02/after-beheading-of-holy-prophet.html

martinedwards

weren't all believers back then referred to as saints...... Pauls letters refer to "all the saints"

cannonisation is a later thing.....

so a box could well contain the bones of a bloke from that era called John who was a believer and therefore a saint.

as to whether they have any mystical powers?

my brand of Christianity doesn't really go for that stuff.

qrrgprgua

martinedwards wrote: »

weren't all believers back then referred to as saints...... Pauls letters refer to "all the saints"

cannonisation is a later thing.....

so a box could well contain the bones of a bloke from that era called John who was a believer and therefore a saint.

as to whether they have any mystical powers?

my brand of Christianity doesn't really go for that stuff.

Maybe they are the bones of St. John.. Maybe they are not..

It doesn't change anything. Faith in Christ does not require us to believe this anyway.

Doctor DooM

PDN wrote: »

That always worries me when I watch a programme on National Geographic on any other subject. I find myself thinking, "I wonder if this is as ill-informed and poorly researched as their programmes on religious themes?"

The answer to your question is yes, or at least it was in the case of a programme I saw which revolved around the question of whether humans could mate with monkeys. The science was brain meltingly bad in it.

So yes I don't take anything they do at face value, even if it's entertaining.