What book are you reading now?

I have been reading a lot recently. I recently finished Sapiens, by Yuvul Noah Harari, who thinks that Science will sooner or later, virtual gods of us will make and beyond whether or not that doesn't smell a tad of Hubris, it is certainly worth questioning whether or not we have the wisdom to go there.  Now I am reading Utopia for Realists - I definitely recommend that. A basic income would solve so much, interestingly Nixon very nearly made it so. It is easy to forget beyond the scandals and other of his less admirable traits, how humanitarian he could be.

Before that, I read a fascinating account of an archaeological dig - of a Bronze Age settlement found not far from The Dead Sea. Apparently it was incinerated by something so searing that some of the pottery remains found there was fused to create trinitite - a green glass found after a nuclear bomb was detonated off Trinity Island. Steven Collins is the archaeologist who commissioned this book. 

It is suspected the culprit was not a nuke though, but rather a blast from an exploding meteorite. In that case, didn't we just dodge a bullet when one blew over Siberia recently.

The story of Lot's wife turning to a pillar of salt, retold so tersely, always did have the feel of an eye witness having recounted a massive tragedy. I was disappointed though that the writer, after all the science be brought to this discovery, then insists that Sodom and Gomorrah really did displease an alien god. 

Did the people of Pompeii deserve what happened to them? Then again, if we ever do, do it to ourselves, who would need a vengeful Yahweh then. 

Either way, it is a fascinating read and there is no doubt that Collins is onto something with his dog at Tall el Hammam and at other ruined settlements discovered nearby. 

BTW I'm not going all Ancient Aliens......

I read the Bhagavad Gita years before I'd found out about Mohenjo-Daro, the Vedic texts are a good read.

Mind you Oppenheimer was obsessed with the Vedas......

nexus9 said:

I was disappointed though that the writer, after all the science be brought to this discovery, then insists that Sodom and Gomorrah really did displease an alien god. 

He will never be this guy, never how hard he tries to imitate his spiel.

Steven Collins is an utter gung-ho evangelist and in his videos he seems to like the sound of his own voice.  There is a good cartoon satire of the Sodom story up on You Tube too. How is it virtuous to try to offer your own virgin daughters to an inflamed mob to be raped in place of your guests? See a pretty skewed honour culture to me. 

Steven Collins is an utter gung-ho evangelist and in his videos he seems to like the sound of his own voice.  There is a good cartoon satire of the Sodom story up on You Tube too. How is it virtuous to try to offer your own virgin daughters to an inflamed mob to be raped in place of your guests? See a pretty skewed honour culture to me. 

Oh, so he's more of a *** than Giorgios! Giorgios is just an ex-bodybuliding promoter with no credentials having the world of fun, harmless.

You and I would have had great fun at Sunday School. I lasted all of a few weeks. Had clashes over The Akedah, and yes, the story of Lot.

One week we were told that angels didn't have a physical body, but then that Lot offered up his daughters to stop them being defiled. When I pointed out that you can't defile a ghost, it didn't go down well.........

The Akedah is just as much of a silly story. If god is omnipotent why would he have needed to test Abraham's faith, or was he just having a joke! Pointed that out too!