Was Psalm 22 written in the early 1st century because of its detailed description of the crucifixion?
Where can I find manuscript evidence to refute skeptics' claim that detailed description of crucifixion in Psalm 22 is evidence that it was written during the early 1st Century? Skeptics claim that King David did not write Psalm 22 since crucifixion did not exist until long after King David's day. The psalm must have been written during the time of Jesus' earthly presence. Where can I find scholarly, apologetic, manuscript evidence to refute this claim?
Psalms 22:14 - 18
ESV - 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.
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Asked November 14 2013
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Allen Brown
Supporter
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Mike Dumais
Supporter
We have papyrus of Psalm 22 predating Christ by 100 years. Psalm 22 was written about 1000 years before Christ was born. At that time, crucifixion had not yet been invented. Actually, the Phoenicians developed it and Rome borrowed the agonizing means of execution from them. So, when Rome ruled over Israel, it became the Roman means of capital punishment imposed upon the Jews whose biblical means of execution was stoning. The Dead Sea Scrolls appear to be the library of a Jewish sect, considered most likely the Essenes. Near the caves are the ancient ruins of Qumran, a village excavated in the early 1950’s that shows connections to both the Essenes and the scrolls. The Essenes were strictly observant Jewish scribes, who appear Messianic and apocalyptic in thinking. The library appears to have been hidden away in caves around the outbreak of the First Jewish Revolt (66-70 A.D.) as the Roman army advanced against the Jews. Based on various dating methods, including carbon 14, paleographic and scribal, the Dead Sea Scrolls were written during the period from about 200 B.C. to 68 A.D. Many crucial biblical manuscripts (such as Psalm 22, Isaiah 53 and Isaiah 61) date to at least 100 B.C. As such, the Dead Sea Scrolls have revolutionized textual criticism of the Old Testament. Phenomenally, we find the biblical texts in substantial agreement with the Masoretic text, as well as various translations of the Old Testament used today. - See more at: http://www.allaboutarchaeology.org/dead-sea-scrolls.htm#sthash.whtoXwnT.dpuf Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 which begins with, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?" in order to draw attention to it and the fact that He was fulfilling the prophesy there on the cross. We know we can believe in God because he tells us the future before it happens. The Bible is the only book with the audacity to do this. This is one of 300 prophesies Jesus fulfilled.
Colin Wong
Supporter
One possible example of old manuscripts that contain Psalm 22 is the Dead Sea Scrolls. Dating methods including Carbon 14 supposedly place Psalm 22 as being at least 100 BC. Reference: Dead Sea Scrolls
Paula Clare
Supporter
The whole of the OT was translated from Hebrew into Greek around 285-247 BC by scholars working in Alexandria during the reign of Ptolemy ll Philadelphus, including therefore Psalm 22. So it's much further back than the 1st Century. It's called the Septuagint.
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