ttery jars are relatively porous, the wine within them was consumed not long after the bottling process, and since mortuary complexes were fully stock

ory of Ancient Egypt, 164). During the 18th Dynasty, Thutmose III seemingly celebrated a sed festival in his 30th year, as well; Redford suggests that the year of rest from Asiatic campaigning between Thutmose III’s sixth and seventh campaigns, which corresponds precisely to his Year 30, signifies a “holiday year” used to celebrate this landmark anniversary (Redford, Egypt, Canaan, and Israel, 158). 69. Der Manuelian, Amenophis II, 43. 70. Wente and Van Siclen III, “Chronology of the New Kingdom,” 227–228. The occurrence of a coregency under Thutmose III and Amenhotep II is essentially undisputed among conservative Egyptologists, as supporting evidence for it is plentiful. See Redford, “Coregency of Tuthmosis III,” 116; Der Manuelian, Amenophis II, 24; and Richard A. Parker, “Once Again the Coregency of Thutmose III and Amenhotep II,” in Studies in Honor of John A. Wilson, in Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization 35 (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1969), 228. Nevertheless, Shea firmly disputes the notion of such a coregency, though formerly he advocated one. His current position is built on a foundational presupposition, namely that Amenhotep II died in the Red Sea. The proof Shea presents for his position is that Amenhotep II reportedly launched two “first campaigns.” According to Shea’s theory, a successor (Amenhotep IIB) was secretly and deceitfully placed on the throne after Amenhotep IIA drowned in the Red Sea, but with the caveat that the later pharaoh used the same birth name and throne-name as his deceased predecessor, thus completing the reign of “Amenhotep II” as an imposter (Shea, “Amenhotep II as Pharaoh,” 44–46). This outlandish theory, however, is fraught with difficulties, creating far more problems than it solves, the foremost being that this entire leap of speculation is based on the false—yet completely handicapping—presupposition that the exodus-pharaoh died in the Red Sea. Since this presumption was demonstrated to be inaccurate, only Shea’s arguments stand to be evaluated. If the two “first campaigns” of Amenhotep II were actually one campaign, which will be proven subsequently, then Shea loses all impetus for his fantastic claim. Moreover, he provides no precedent in Egypt’s long history for the practice of two pharaohs ruling under the same name, with the latter using his predecessor’s nomen and praenomen as his own. Surely such an act would incite a court rebellion and turn the royal family against the officials who secretly placed the imposter on the throne. Shea also asserts that the two coronation celebrations for Amenhotep II—one after his father died on ca. 22 March, and the other on ca. 22 November, as recorded on the Memphis Stele—represent a contradiction, implying the reigns of different rulers. However, three inescapable problems plague this assertion: (1) if Amenhotep IIB was coronated on 22 November, the deception of the court officials would have been exposed; (2) the exodus occurred on 15 Nisan (25 April), which would render inconceivable Amenhotep IIB’s coronation as late as 22 November; and (3) the attestation of “two accession dates” actually supports a coregency. In The Biography of Amenemheb, it is stated that Thutmose III died on vii, 30 (ca. 22 March) of his 54th year, and that on the very next day Amenhotep II was “established on the throne of his father” (Der Manuelian, Amenophis II, 20). However, both the Semna Stela and BM 10056 offer iv, 1 (ca. 22 November) as his accession date, and since on BM 10056 the year-number even changes immediately after the mention of 22 November, a definitive conclusion can be made that Amenhotep II’s regnal years were numbered from ca. 22 November, not from 23 March (Redford, “Coregency of Tuthmosis III,” 121). Shea claims that if indeed Amenhotep II was inaugurated when he became coregent on 22 November of an earlier year, there would be no need for an installation ceremony on the day after Thutmose III died.



Actually, the Egyptian texts never refer to an installation ceremony on 23 March;
they note only that he was established on his father’s throne. Before Thutmose III died, Amenhotep II ruled as a coregent with his father, with full pharaonic authority; only after his father died, however, did he actually take the throne as the pharaoh with ultimate authority. Yet even if there was a ceremony immediately after his father’s death, such an event at the outset of his sole rule would serve to establish him on the throne and lessen the chance of a usurpation attempt by a potential challenger. In addition to all of these problems with Shea’s argumentation, what pharaoh of the proud and powerful 18th Dynasty would equate himself with a deceased predecessor, especially one who lost his slave-base, lost the firstborn child of every Egyptian citizen, lost the world’s most powerful army, and died shamefully in a mass drowning? Moreover, could such a grand scheme be expected never to be challenged, or to surface at some later time during Egypt’s entire storied history? Thus the notion of two Amenhotep II’s is resolutely rejected. 71. Redford, “Coregency of Tuthmosis III,” 117. 72. Vandersleyen notes that in spite of the good physical development of Amenhotep II, an examination of his mummy reveals that he was of average height and died at about 44 years of age (Claude Vandersleyen, L’Egypte et la Vallée du Nil, vol. 2 [Paris: Presses Universitaires de France, 1995], 336). Harris and Weeks, adding that his wavy hair was brown with gray at the temple, suggest that he was 45 at death (Harris and Weeks, X-Raying, 138). 73. Der Manuelian, Amenophis II, 44. 74. G. Robins, “The Value of the Estimated Ages of the Royal Mummies at Death as Historical Evidence,” Göttinger Miszellen 45 (1981), 63–68. 75. While Thutmose III’s exact age at his accession is unknown, his reign lasted into his 54th regnal year. According to Brugsch-Bey, he reigned 53 years, 11 months, and 1 day (Heinrich Brugsch-Bey, Egypt Under the Pharaohs [London: Bracken Books, 1902], 193), while Tyldesley claims that he reigned 53 years, 10 months, and 26 days (Tyldesley, Hatchepsut, 96, 215). 76. Harris and Weeks, X-Raying, 138. 77. Yohanan Aharoni and Michael Avi-Yonah, The Macmillan Bible Atlas (New York: Macmillan, 1977), 34. 78. Vandersleyen, L’Egypte, vol. 2, 341. 79. Der Manuelian, Amenophis II, 59. 80. “Previously, on seeing a man from Egypt, the kings of Canaan fled bef[ore him, but] now the sons of Abdi-Ashirta make men from Egypt prowl about [like do]gs” (The Amarna Letters, ed. and trans. William L. Moran [Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1992], 183). 81. Vandersleyen, L’Egypte, vol. 2, 333. This and all subsequent quotes by Vandersleyen are translated into English from the original French by Lydia Polyakova and Inna Kumpyak. Horemheb reigned from ca. 1335–1307 BC. 82. Yohanan Aharoni, “Some Geographical Remarks Concerning the Campaigns of Amenhotep II,” JNES 19:3 (Jul 1960), 177. 83. James B. Pritchard, Rosetta Stone Chinese

Perhaps camels were used to bring ore to the smelting area.

A second way of dating is to attempt to reconstruct the sequence of rock engravings (e.g., Anati 1968). The amount of erosion and the color of tile patina of the camel petroglyphs are close to that of the Proto-Sinaitic inscriptionS, providing yet another small bit of evidence that the two are roughly contemporaneous. That the camels are not the latest rock engravings is indicated by a bit of defacing or attempts to draw new characters over the outline of the lead camel. A third, and perhaps best, way to date a petroglyph is when it is accompanied by inscriptional evidence. In the case of the Wadi Nasib camel petroglyph, we have already noted at least two datable inscriptions that appear on the same rock face. The first is the rock stele of Ammenemes III of the 12th Dynasty. The second inscription is the Proto-Sinaitic inscription known as Gerster Inscription I. As noted, there is virtually universal agreement that these inscriptions date to the 15th century BC, about the transition from the Late Bronze Age I to Late Bronze Age IIA. The date of the inscriptional evidence at Wadi Nasib correlates precisely with the archaeological data that show that the peak of activity was during the 12th and 18th Dynasties of Egypt. There is evidence for later activity during the 19th and 20th Dynasties over at Serabit el-Khadem, although this was at a reduced scale when compared with the earlier expeditions. At Wadi Nasib proper, there is presently no evidence for activity later than ca. 1500 BC. Taking all three lines of evidence together, it seems quite reasonable to date the camel petroglyph to about the middle of the period of peak activity in this region at nearby Serabit el-Khadem. That is, around 1500 BC. The Ammenemes III stela. This very weathered Egyptian rock-inscription has three horizontal lines of heiroglyphics at the top and six vertical columns below. The surviving top portion speaks of the 20th year of Ammenemes III, a 12th Dynasty ruler (19th century BC). Dating this inscription helps determine the date of the adjacent camel petroglyphs. Implications of the Wadi Nasib Camel PetroglyphsThe possibility that these camel petroglyphs are contemporary with the mining activity at Serabit el-Khadem provides new insights into the copper and turquoise industry with regard to transport of the mined materials. Previously, it has been assumed that donkeys were the primary mode of transporting copper and turquoise from the mining centers back to Egypt. Certainly donkeys were used. However, this petroglyph suggests that camels were in use, too. Indeed, these two camels could represent a small caravan (full size representations of a camel caravan have been recently found at Petra). Camels would be ideally suited for transporting loads of copper and turquoise. Keep in mind that part of the trail crosses over sandy stretches. Camels cannot only travel across sand easier; they carry twice the load of a donkey, move faster and need less feeding and watering (Davis 1987: 166). There does not appear to be a load on the back of the camels, although this may not be surprising since the camels are shown as headed in the direction toward Serabit el-Khadem and may not have picked up their loads [of ore?] as yet. Another possibility is that these camels were employed locally and may have just dropped off loads of ore near the smelting center in Wadi Nasib and are just returning to Serabit el-Khadem, a few miles to the east, to pick up more ore. These camel petroglyphs also have implications for the history of camel domestication as well as their historicity in the Biblical text. There continue to be some scholars who follow Albright’s skepticism (1942; 1945; 1949: 207) that references to camels in the patriarchal narratives are anachronistic (e.g. Koehler-Rollefson 1993: 183). However, there is now a growing body of scholars who believe that camel domestication must have occurred earlier than previously thought (prior to the 12th century BC) and that the patriarchal narratives accurately reflect this (e.g., Ripinsky 1984; Coote and Whitelam 1987: 102; Zarins 1992: 826; Borowski 1998: 112–18).5 This is not to say that domesticated camels were abundant and widely used everywhere in the ancient Near East in the early second millennium. However, the patriarchal narratives do not necessarily require large numbers of animals. As Borowski (1998: 118) notes, the Biblical evidence indicates that the camel was used primarily as a pack and riding animal during patriarchal times. These data do not require large herds associated with later camel breeding nomads. In this regard, Gottwald (1974; 1978) is correct in not characterizing the patriarchs as pastoral nomads, camel or otherwise. Indeed, the Hebrews had a prohibition against eating camel meat (cf Lv 11:4; Dt 14:1) which probably extended to the drinking of camel milk (Davis 1986: 147). Thus, the patriarchs were not likely keeping large herds of camels for subsistence, the tradition of later camel nomads. Rather, camels were used in relatively smaller numbers, primarily as pack and riding animals. The smaller amount of evidence for domestic camels in the late second millennium BC, especially in Palestine, is in accordance with this more restricted use. The camel petroglyph from the Wadi Nasib, nevertheless, adds to the growing body of evidence for the use of domesticated camels (albeit on a modest scale) in the ancient Near East prior to the 12th century BC. Borowski, Zarin, and others, thus appear to be correct in not dismissing the reference to camels in the patriarchal narratives as merely anachronistic. Recommended Resources for Further StudyBible and SpadeWinter 2006100 Reasons to Trust OT History Archaeology and theOld TesamentFootnotes:1. The party included the author, Dr. William Shea, Dr. Richard Davidson, Prof. JoAnn Davidson, Dr. David Merling, Devin Zinke, Rahel Davidson, John Davidson, Rebecca Younker, and Michael Younker. 2. Gerster notified William Albright about the Wadi Nasib inscriptions on March 7, 1960. The inscriptions were initially published by J. Leibovitch in Le Museon 74 (1961). They were also commented on by Sir Alan Gardiner in the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology, and by Albright himself, in his small volume entitled The Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions and Their Decipherment (Harvard University Press, 1966: 28–29). 3. Immediately to the right of the Gerster text No. 1, Albright thought there was the outline of a rectangular panel with a rounded corner and a cartouche which appears to enclose the name of Sekhem-re’-khu-tawi, the 15th pharaoh of the 13th Dynasty who ruled over three years (ca. 1760 BC). However, Rainey doubts this reading (Rainey 1975: 108). 4. There was originally some confusion on the precise spatial relationship of Gerster No. 2 and the Ammenemes III stele. The original artist’s depiction, from which Gardiner worked, showed the bull’s head as directly under the Ammenemes III stele. In actuality it is about 20 cm to the right (Gardiner 1962: 45–46). 5. This discovery evokes a parallel found at Aswan, Egypt, that also depicts a man leading a camel by a rope. This petroglyph was originally described by Georg Schweinfurth in 1912 (see picture and discussion of this petroglyph in Ripinsky 1983: 27 and 1984: 139). Again, the petroglyph can possibly be dated by an accompanying inscription. The inscription is hieratic and was dated by Moeller to 2423–2263 BC (Sixth Dynasty), making it considerably older than the Wadi Nasib camel petroglyph (ibid.). Bibliography Albright, W. F.1942 Archaeology and the Religion of Israel. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins.1945 Review of J. P. Free’s Camel Article. Journal of Biblical Literature 64: 287–88.1949 The Archaeology of Palestine. Penguin Books, Harmondsworth: Middlesex.1966 The Proto-Sinaitic Inscriptions and Their Decipherment (Harvard Theological Studies, 22). Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press. Anati, E.1968 Rock-Art in Central Arabia: The Oval-headed People of Arabia. Universite’ de Lovain: Institut Orientaliste. Borowski, C.1998 Every Living Thing: Daily Use of Animals in Ancient Israel. Walnut Creek CA: AltaMira Press. Bulliet, R.1975 The Camel and the Wheel.



Rosetta Stone

Rabbinical calculation methods were not capable of correctly

calculating that there were forty-nine years between Josiah’s eighteenth year and Ezekiel’s vision,[39] so this also must have been based on historical remembrance, not rabbinic calculation. By correctly dating these sixteenth and seventeenth Jubilees, it is evident that a calendar of Jubilee and Sabbatical years can be constructed that extends over all the time that Israel was in its land, starting in 1406 bc. In what follows, each reference that alludes to activities associated with a Sabbatical year will be consistent with this calendar. There is a simple explanation of the harmony of these data with such a calendar: the Scriptural chronological data are authentic, and these data show that the times for the Jubilee and Sabbatical years were known all the time that Israel was in its land. Further, they are all in harmony with the start of counting in Nisan of 1406 bc. That a Sabbatical year was due to begin in Tishri of 588 bc is implied by Zedekiah’s release of slaves in that year (Jer 34:8–10). Later Jewish practice was to associate a Sabbatical year with the release of slaves, in keeping with that year being called a year of release (shemitah) in Deut 15:9.[40] This was fourteen years (two Sabbatical cycles) before Ezekiel’s Jubilee. It is a well-documented Jewish tradition that the First Temple was burnt by the Babylonians in the “latter part” (motsae) of a Sabbatical year.[41] This provides additional evidence that the year beginning in the fall of 588 bc was a Sabbatical year, since Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians before that year was out, in the following summer. The reading of the Law in the eighteenth year of Josiah (2 Kgs 23:2) was an activity that was commanded for a Sabbatical year in Deut 31:10–13.[42] Josiah’s eighteenth year coincided with the Jubilee year and a Sabbatical year that started in Tishri of 623 bc. The second year of Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa 37:30 and 2 Kgs 19:29) was a Sabbatical year. After the crop of the current year had been destroyed or eaten by the besieging Assyrians, Isaiah nevertheless said that the people were to eat the volunteer growth (shahis) in the following year, after the Assyrians had left. This has no explanation unless that year was a Sabbatical year. The “second year” here is consistent with the calendar of Sabbatical years that can be constructed by measuring back from the Jubilees in 623 bc and 574 bc.[43] Another public reading of the Law took place in Jehoshaphat’s third year (2 Chr 17:7–9). Jehoshaphat’s third year of sole reign began in Tishri of 868 bc, which was 294 years, or forty-two Sabbatical cycles, before Ezekiel’s Jubilee. The measurement is to be done from the start of his sole reign, consistent with the synchronisms to his reign given in 1 Kgs 22:51 and 2 Kgs 3:1. It was also the eleventh Jubilee.[44] The realization that the times for the Jubilee and Sabbatical cycles were known all the time that Israel was in its land provides a deeper understanding of the several circumstances that have just been cited as pertaining to these times. We have a new appreciation for the faithfulness of the good kings Jehoshaphat and Josiah, who fostered the public proclamation and teaching of the Law in a Sabbatical year, knowing that only when there was a high respect for the Word of God would there be healing in the land. At the very end of the Assyrian siege, Isaiah’s prophecy reinforced the will of the king and people to let the ground lie fallow in the coming Sabbatical year (Isa 37:30), despite all the hardships and loss of crops occasioned by the Assyrians in the current year.[45] In the days of Ezekiel, we get a small glimpse into the psychological background for the prophet’s great eschatological vision when we realize that it was not only the time of fasting and penitence always associated with the Day of Atonement, but it was also the commencement of a Jubilee. For Ezekiel, as for Isaiah before him, the Jubilee would have had strong eschatological overtones. Our understanding of these events is therefore enriched when we have the correct chronology of the kingdom period and can relate the events to the calendar of Jubilee and Sabbatical years. Accepting Ezekiel’s Jubilee as the seventeenth Jubilee gives dates for the exodus, entry into Canaan, and Solomon’s reign that are compatible with Thiele’s date for the beginning of the divided monarchy. Since Thiele made no use of the Jubilee data in determining when the kingdom divided, the Jubilee calendar is a powerful and independent testimony to the correctness of Thiele’s methodology in arriving at that date. Those who have struggled with the Bible’s chronological data can also see the simplicity and supreme elegance of the interlocking system of Sabbatical and Jubilee years—a system that, as long as it was observed in even an apathetic fashion, was a more reliable way of keeping track of the years over a long period of time than was afforded by the Assyrian eponym lists, usually regarded as the backbone of ancient Near Eastern chronology. We can only regret that the people of Israel and their kings were not more careful in observing the stipulations of the Jubilee and Sabbatical years, so that we would have more allusions to their observance than those just listed. But these have been sufficient to demonstrate that Israel’s priests (one of whom was Ezekiel) knew the time of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years all the time that Israel was in its land. The chronological information in 1 Kgs 6:1 could not have originated in exilic or post-exilic times. No writer or editor from a period that late could have successfully synchronized Solomon’s fourth year with the 480th year of the exodus-era unless that editor’s source documents were early and authentic. We know that the synchronism is correct because of its agreement with the Jubilee and Sabbatical-year data. Also, the final redactors of Kings and Chronicles must have had access to authentic records that were contemporaneous with the events described, otherwise it could never have happened that, once the methods of counting used by the Hebrew court recorders were understood, all the precise chronological data found in these books could be incorporated in a rational and believable chronology. Therefore the premise of Wellhausen, followed by Burney and Hawkins, that the 480-year figure of 1 Kgs 6:1 dates from the exilic or post-exilic era, is false. Finally, Hawkins, and those before him, assumed that the author of 1 Kgs 6:1 would have no way to measure a long span of years, such as the 480th-year datum in that verse, and so the 480 years could not be taken in a literal and exact sense. But the cycles of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, which were being counted by the priests all the time that Israel was in its land, provide just such a long-term calendar, one by which the 479 years from the exodus to the fourth year of Solomon could be measured exactly. At the time when Temple construction began, the priests, if not the general populace, would have known that it was the fifth year of the seventh septennate of the ninth Jubilee cycle, and that the ninth Jubilee was only one-and-one-half years away. From this knowledge, a straightforward calculation would show that 439 years had elapsed since the entry into the land and 479 years since the exodus. This explains why the author of 1 Kgs 6:1 could write that it was the 480th year of the exodus-era. If the author of 1 Kgs 6:1 had lived in exilic or post-exilic times, that author would not have known this information unless it had been handed down from an authentic earlier source—in other words, this “author” was not really the author of the information. Therefore the information in 1 Kgs 6:1 could not have originated in exilic or post-exilic times, as held by Wellhausen, Burney, Hawkins, and a host of other s
cholars. Only a writer that had access to genuine chronological data could have calculated a time from the exodus to the start of Temple construction that was compatible with the Jubilee calendar as constructed from the Jubilees in the days of Josiah and Ezekiel.

Rosetta Stone Chinese

the agreement with the Sabbatical and Jubilee data and the evidence of the Tyrian king list

ranted, then, that the reign length data of Kings and Chronicles are historically accurate, could it be that some ancient editor was astute enough to add up the numbers and derive a 480-year figure in a fashion something like that of Wellhausen or Barnes, and then project this 480-year figure back into the time between the exodus and the start of Temple construction? In other words, those who are seeking ways to show that the Bible is not to be trusted in historical matters could say that the 480 years were deduced somehow from the regnal data, which can be accepted as historically correct. They would claim that the editor decided to stop counting either after the thirty-seventh year of Jehoiachin’s captivity (Barnes) or after the return under Cyrus (Wellhausen, Burney, and Hawkins). Then this late-date redactor, once he or she had discovered a 480-year sum in the regnal data, imposed it on the time between the exodus and the start of construction of Solomon’s Temple. One would wonder what purpose this might serve, since the pattern had to wait to modern times to be discovered. It would also imply that this editor knew nothing about the proper methods of interpreting the dates, but merely added numbers from various starting and stopping places until a nice sum was found. But let us, for now, consider this option as a possibility: namely, that the 480 years of 1 Kgs 6:1 were extracted somehow from the regnal data. This idea cannot be right because it cannot be reconciled with what has just been established. Since the regnal data of Kings and Chronicles, covering a period of over four centuries, have been demonstrated by careful scholarship to have every mark of authenticity,[28] then how could it be that when we come to 1 Kgs 6:1, the chronological data there are suddenly no longer historical, but contrived and mythical? For those who prefer redaction criticism, if we grant that the surrounding numerical figures, including the “fourth year” of Solomon, are to be taken literally, then could any judicious approach that deals with literary genre say that the 480 years in the same verse are to be taken as unhistorical? This is particularly pertinent if we accept Cassuto’s argument that the very form in which the number is written is meant to convey exactness.[29] Some numbers in the Bible clearly are not to be taken in a strictly literal sense (the “seventy times seven” of Matt 18:22, for example). The context and literary convention being followed are usually plain enough in such cases, however, to show that a non-literal interpretation is intended. For 1 Kgs 6:1, similarly, the context and literary convention being followed dictate that the 480 years must be taken as literal in intention. There is no indication that ancient readers would have understood it in any other sense. To treat it as other than literal would open the door to the radical revisionism that no interpreter with a high view of the inspiration of Scripture could accept: the forty years of Israel in the desert would not be literal, nor the forty days of the temptation of Jesus, nor his three days in the tomb, and so on without end, so that we would no longer be able to understand the plain meaning of any factual statement in Scripture. d. The Jubilee and Sabbatical cycles show that the 480 years are literal years. Redaction criticism, such as would seek to impose a non-literal 480 years in the midst of an otherwise historical account, has been shown by its practitioners to be a very subjective methodology. It can be, and has been, bent to favor propositions that fly in the face of archaeological or historical facts. Fortunately we do not need to use this unreliable method in order to investigate whether the 480 years of 1 Kgs 6:1 are authentic. A proper way of determining their validity is to examine their agreement with the Jubilee and Sabbatical cycles. Once we accept the small adjustment that Solomon died before Tishri 1 of 931 bc, instead of on or after Tishri 1 as Thiele assumed, then we not only have a correction for Thiele’s problems with the reigns of the Judean monarchs that he was never able to resolve,[30] but also, by placing the start of Temple construction in 967 bc instead of 966 bc, the Sabbatical and Jubilee years all fall into place with precision and harmony. This precision and harmony cannot be explained as the interpolations of a late-date deuteronomist and his supposed daughters (dtr1, dtr2, etc.) who were interspersing into their account the various allusions to these events in order to fool readers into thinking that the Jubilee and Sabbatical cycles were observed in Israel’s past. Although interpolations by a “deuteronomist” are the standard wisdom of rationalist scholarship, it is clear that any deceiver who was interspersing allusions in this fashion could never have gotten all the dates right. The principle of the Jubilee years, first presented in JETS in 2003,[31] was cited in Wood’s “Rise and Fall” article (pp. 477, 488) and by Steinmann in the same issue of JETS[32] as an important argument in favor of the early date for the exodus. It is also important in demonstrating the integrity of all the chronological data of Kings and Chronicles and in establishing the date for the composition of Leviticus. The argument, however, has never been addressed by advocates of a thirteenth-century exodus, even though there have been several expansions of the basic thesis and additional information in its support since the original presentation in JETS. These later articles have provided new evidence to show that Israel’s priests were keeping track of the Jubilee and Sabbatical cycles all the time that Israel was in its land, and that the start of counting must have been in 1406 bc. Since these various later articles dealing with the Sabbatical and Jubilee cycles may not be readily available to all readers, a summary will be given here of their findings. This will be a brief summary only; for more complete information the articles referenced must be consulted. The reader may also wish to compare the dates that will be given with the dates for the kings of Judah given in Young’s “Tables of Reign Lengths” article.[33] The simple thesis that Israel’s priests began counting for the Sabbatical and Jubilee cycles when they entered the land in Nisan of 1406, as they were commanded to do in Lev 25:1–10, explains the following facts: First, for the Jubilee years: The Hebrew text of Ezek 40:1, by saying that it was both Rosh HaShanah (New Year’s Day) and the tenth of the month, establishes that Ezekiel saw his vision at the beginning of a Jubilee year. Only in a Jubilee year did the year start on the tenth of the month (Lev 25:9). The date was the Day of Atonement, Tishri 10 of 574 bc.[34] Since the Jubilee year was identical to the seventh Sabbatical year,[35] the first year of this cycle must have been forty-eight years earlier, starting in 622 bc. 1406 bc, the year that Israel entered Canaan that can be derived from the chronological note of 1 Kgs 6:1, was 784 years, or sixteen Jubilee cycles earlier than this date, thus showing that 1406 would have been the first year of a Jubilee (and Sabbatical) cycle. This is in agreement with an entry into Canaan in that year, since Israel was to start counting the cycles when they entered the land of Canaan (Lev 25:1-10).[36] Entirely consistent with this, the Talmud and the Seder ‘Olam explicitly state that Ezekiel’s Jubilee was the seventeenth Jubilee.[37] The Seder ‘Olam, the older of these sources, does not cite the fact that Rosh HaShanah was on the tenth of Tishri in Ezek 40:1 as an argument establishing that it was a Jubilee year. Rabbi Yose simply states that Ezekiel saw his vision at the beginning of the seventeenth Jubilee, apparently based on historical remembrance. The Seder ‘Olam and the Talmud state that another Jubilee was observed in the eighteenth year of Josiah.[38] According to Judean Tishri-based reckoning, Josiah’s eighteenth year began in Tishri of 623 bc, which was forty-nine years, or exactly one Jubilee cycle, before Ezekiel’s Jubile

language learning

10 Mar 11 "Prada" Boss Drives Away Everyone and Everything But Blind Ambition

"Prada" Boss Drives Away Everyone and Everything But Blind AmbitionBy: Ed Bagley .... Click author's name to view profile and articles!!!Retargeting by ChangoTweet ? 2007 Ed BagleyThe Devil Wears Prada – 2 Stars (Average)Meryl Streep, one of Hollywood's best and most honored actresses, carries The Devil Wears Prada like the namesake handbag we see early in this movie, which is about a powerful New York fashion magazine editor and her wannabe gofer.Streep, a graduate of Vassar and the Yale School of Drama, has 13 nominations for an Academy Award, more than any other actor. Streep has 10 nominations for Best Actress and 3 for Best Supporting Actress.She won Oscars for Kramer vs. Kramer (Best Supporting Actress) and for Sophie's Choice (Best Actress).In The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda Priestly (Streep) is the editor of Runway fashion magazine (modeled after Vogue). She hires Andy Sachs (Anne Hathaway), a recent journalism grad, to be her new gofer. Andy supposedly wants this opportunity to grovel for an iron-willed, focused Miranda who would intimidate her favorite pet if she had one.In her new job Andy does not write a memo much less a news story. She picks up Miranda's cleaning and coffee and fulfills other outrageous requests of the spoiled editor who believes she is the cat's meow.The plot line involving Andy is specious in that no serious journalist would ever work for a Miranda Priestly in the role of a gofer. She would rather work for a weekly newspaper than the New York Times if she had to put with the crap that Andy had to put up with. This is especially true of anyone with talent who has integrity.It is possible to get ahead on talent alone without integrity but doing so over a period of time molds you into a lower life form.I know as I spent 20 years in the news business as a reporter, investigative reporter, sports editor and managing editor for a daily newspaper, and owner of a munity publishing pany.Miranda Priestly had such demands as "Find me that piece of paper I had in my hand yesterday morning." Steep played her role very well.Andy supposedly has a metamorphosis from a na?ve, plain, simple girl into a trendy, elegant gofer, and manages to do so with the help of Nigel (Stanley Tucci), the magazine's art director.In the end, she ditches the job when she realizes that life without her boyfriend, her friends and family are not worth the price of being exclusive. Her career move into the fashion world pushes people out of her life as her career demands suck time away from all her other relationships.She ends up getting a job offer as a journalist with the New York Mirror, a real newspaper that ceased publishing in 1898.I want to believe this film has a more serious message about mitments by young adults, but Andy slinks back to her live-in boyfriend, who has secured a new position as a sous-chef in another city. The film does not make it clear whether Andy goes with her boyfriend, stays in New York with her new job, or visits him in his new digs when she wants panionship.The ending of this movie is as lame as Andy's choice of a new job as a gofer.A successful person of substance does not lead the kind of life Andy leads, hence The Devil Wears Prada bees an average movie because it ignores a chance to make an even more important point about what is important in life, love and romance.Article Source: abcarticledirectoryEd Bagley is the Author of Ed Bagley's Blog, which he Publishes Daily with Fresh, Original Articles on Internet Marketing, Jobs and Careers, Movie Reviews, Sports and Recreation, and Lessons in Life intended to Delight, Inform, Educate and Motivate Readers. Visit Ed at . . .edbagleyblogMovieReviewArticles.htmledbagleyblogLessonsinLifeArticles.htmledbagleyblogInternetMarketingArticles.htmlNote: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, Ed BagleyRetargeting by ChangoDid You Like This Article? Share It With YourFriends!Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 Not yet Rated Click the XML Icon to Receive Free Articles About Movies Film via RSS!Additional Articles From - Home Arts Movies FilmWhy Calibrate your High Definition TV?- By : Robert ShefferSweet Phone - By : Tim Webb.Find out Home Theater Methods! What You have Been Missing in Your TV and Movie Encounter.- By : Joesph MellbergPreparing and Setting up a Home Theater system is Easier Than you Think!- By : Zachariah DivensGrown Ups 2010 Movie In Review- By : Elenor CherryCamera Crew Hire- By : Mark A. WilsonReview of Drive Angry Movie- By : Gursel BatmazReturn Of The Horror Legend: Scream 4- By : Gursel BatmazMovie Review: Clash Of The Titans Leaves Audiences Wanting- By : Elenor CherryRed Riding Hood The Movie- By : Gursel Batmaz Still Searching? Last Chance to find what you're looking for. Try using Bing Search!

5 Mar 11 How To Find Best Affiliate Marketing Program For Your Website

How To Find Best Affiliate Marketing Program For Your WebsiteBy: Michael Laleye .... Click author's name to view profile and articles!!!Retargeting by ChangoTweet If you own a website and interested in getting involved in affiliate marketing, you will have several options from which to choose. The best affiliate marketing program may not be the one that provides the most commission on sales, but may be the one that provides the best opportunity to make more sales. For example, some of the most popular and highest commission sites tend to be those that Hockey Jersey
offer gambling and adult entertainment. These sites may not fit into the focus of your sites or your visitors.The best affiliate marketing program will be the one that fits into your site and offers a regular opportunity to turn your visitors into sales for the company and improved profits for you. You can develop affiliate options based on the main focus of your site and that appeal to your site's visitors. If your site promoted sports, affiliating with sport related companies, may be your best affiliate programs. For example, if you blog about a specific sports team, visitors to your site are already interested in sports, if not your favorite team. By developing affiliations with sports-related sites such as ESPN or stores selling sport logo clothing or equipment, your visitors already have an interest and will be more likely to see what they have to offer, giving you the potential to earn sales commissions from your site.While travel sites and those offering vacation specials often offer valued commissions, if you promote their links as such to give your sport minded visitors the suggestion to attend their favorite team's away games, you could pick up even more affiliate income. By choosing websites with which to affiliate that follow the main focus of your site, you can tap into the natural interests of your visitors. Picking up, for instance, a $5 commission 20 times is better that a $20 commission once.By registering with one of the affiliate marketing corporations, you can also gain additional insight into which of the affiliating companies offer the better program Calgary Flames jersey
options. There are also numerous affiliate forums where you can discuss program options and company performances with others into affiliate marketing. This can help you narrow your search for the best affiliate marketing programs without going through days or even weeks of trial and error.In addition to commission structure, you will want an affiliate program that leaves some things at your control. Your website is branded to you, and should remain so, but some affiliate programs want you to make adjustments to meet their demands. This can distract your visitors, possibly confusing them about what site they are one if you make the changes to resemble the site with which you are affiliating. Regardless of the commission structure, you will want to maintain your own identity.Article Source: http://www.shop-on-sale.com Michael Laleye Is A Plug In Profit Site Member As Well As An Authority On Developing Home Based Affiliate Businesses Online. Get more Information On How To Build Your Own Home Based Affiliate Business. For Affiliate Business Ideas To Make Money Online, Visit: www.MyAffiliateStarter.comNote: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, Michael LaleyeRetargeting by ChangoDid You Like This Article? Share It With YourFriends!Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 Not yet Rated Click the XML Icon to Receive Free Articles About Affiliate Programs What Cloth Diaper Provides The Top Match For Newborns?- By : mirtagaylWhat is Affiliate Flames jersey
Marketing and Why You Should Do It?- By : James A AndersonEarning Money Quickly With Email Marketing - True or False?- By : chad buistMoney Creating Tips For Individuals Involved In An Online Affiliate Marketing Home Business- By : Johnny BarrellGlobal Success Club And How To Make Money Online- By : Don SeanMake Cash Over The Internet With Affiliate Marketing- By : Leroy WheelerWhich Affiliate Networks To Look Out For When Promoting ?- By : Elsa Braxton Still Searching? Last Chance to find what you're looking for. Try using Bing Search!

24 Jan 11 AP Top 25 Poll: Is the Media Overvaluing Wins Against Notre Dame?

If Notre Dame is no longer a collge football power, why do voters still put such value in beating the Irish?Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesWhen it comes to Notre Dame, there is great disconnect in the media between how theysee theFighting Irish program and what beating Notre Dame means.The Green Bay Packers jersey
prevailing view of Notre Dame if that of a former powerhouse that is living off its past glories andcan no longerrecruit the kind of talent needed to compete with the top schools in the BCS conferences.Manycollege football pundits believe first-year head coach Brian Kelly is the man to return Notre Dame to national championship contenders (didn't they also say that about Tyrone Willingham and Charlie Weis?), butnobody thinks it will happen this year. That's why the Irish started the season unranked.Still, in the past three weeks, victories over Notre Dame have catapulted Michigan, Michigan State, and Stanford up the AP Top 25 Poll.The Wolverines and Spartans wereunranked before last-minute comeback wins against the Irishmoved them to 20th and 25th, respectively, in the AP Poll. Houston Texans jersey
The Cardinal jumped from 16th to ninth after a 23-point win over Notre Damelast week.IfNotre Dame(1-3) is such a fallen program, whydo the 60 AP voters stillconsider a win overthe Irisha reliable barometer of how good these teams are?Stanford's ascension is particularly troubling. AP voters moved themup seven spots and ahead offour other 4-0 teams they were previously behind: LSU, Utah, Arizona, and Wisconsin. Is defeating Notre Dame really worth that much?Michigan needed one the greatest individual performances in college football history from QB Denard Robinson (502 total yards and three touchdowns) for its 28-24 win.Michigan State needed a touchdown pass on a fake field-goalin overtime that should not have counted (the play clock expired before the ball was snapped) for Indianapolis Colts jersey
its 34-31 win.If either those victories had come against any other unranked team with a losing record, there is no way they would put ina Top 25 poll.The Irish are a 2.5-point favorite over the Boston College Eagles on Saturday at Alumni Stadium. If the Eagles (coming off a 19-0 loss to Virginia Tech last week) should prevail, will they too find themselves catapulted into the next Top 25 poll?The way AP voters are ranking teams, you never know.

22 Jan 11 Nebraska Football: Reviewing the Cornhuskers' 56-21 Win Over Washington

Otto Greule Jr/Getty ImagesT-Magic: Fine. I give up. Yes, it's a silly nickname. Yes, he gave it to himself, or at least signs his text messages with it. But if Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez can run for 137 yards and three touchdowns, throw 7-for-11 for 150 yards and a touchdown, and read a defense and make adjustments in his first road start, he can call himself the Queen of Belgium for all I care. If there's been a more impressive road opener for a freshman quarterback, I don't know what it was.Locking Down Locker: Remember Jake Locker? The first overall pick in Arizona Cardinals jersey
the NFL Draft and darkhorse Heisman candidate? Yeah, that guy went 4-for-20 for 71 yards and two interceptions, including one on his first pass. Nebraska's secondary, particularly cornerbacks Prince Amukamura and Alfonzo Dennard, gave Locker no place to go and rattled his confidence. Head coach Bo Pelini's defense impressively took away what is likely the most talented quarterback Nebraska will face this season.Hey, Remember Us?: Poor Roy Helu and Rex Burkhead. Both running backs had great days against a BCS opponent on their home field, getting over 100 yards and scoring. And their performance has been completely overshadowed by (sigh) T-Magic and his wizardry. But keep in mind that the threat Helu and Burkhead pose is part of why Martinez is so effective. Without a danger from the tailback, defenses could focus on Martinez and significantly limit his effectiveness. Now, they have to pick their poison.The Bad ...Blue Green: Nebraska backup quarterback Cody Green is, by all accounts, a bright and charming young man with a tremendous amount of physical talent. Offensive coordinator Shawn Watson wouldn't continue to get him a series in the first half if he didn't think it was important to get him ready to play. But Green fumbled his first two snaps, setting up a Washington score. As important as it is to have a backup quarterback ready to go, it's hard to see how Green's continued insertion into games is going to continue.Cutback Conundrum: When Washington did have success, it was running right at the Nebraska defense. Much of that success took a page from what Western Kentucky and Idaho did, which was to get the NU defensive line moving laterally and have the tailback hit a gap on the back side. Admittedly, NU's defensive gameplan was focused on Locker and not the running game, Atlanta Falcons jersey
which was part of the reason for their successes on the ground. But NU will be facing sterner, power running teams (see Kansas State) and will have to show they can stop it.Unstretchy: While in the category of a "good problem," Nebraska jumping on Washington early meant they never had to rely on a passing attack to move the ball and score. While Martinez was efficient and effective with most of his throws, NU has yet to put that air attack to a real test. At some point this season, Martinez will have to win a game with his arm, not his legs.... And the Passed TestApparently those guys were ready to go on the road. NU was up 14-0 less than five minutes into the first quarter, and was never in serious danger for the rest of the game. While we have yet to learn exactly how good the win over Washington is, it's clear that Nebraska was ready for the threat posed by the Huskies and able to respond. For the first time in his NU career, Pelini's team won their challenging non-conference game. With that hurdle cleared, the ceiling for this year's season just got raised.The Big PictureWelcome to the bright spotlight of national attention, Nebraska. After lackluster performances by a number of Top 10 teams, Nebraska's annihilation of Washington at home will catapult NU into a short list of teams that can be considered legitimate national title contenders. At times in the past, Pelini's Cornhuskers have not handled success well. From here going forward, Nebraska will have to handle the pressure of being the hunted, rather than the hunters. Pelini's challenge will be to get his team ready for that new role.The Next GameSouth Dakota State at Nebraska (September 25, 6:00 p.m., PPV): The Jackrabbits come to Lincoln bringing a DIvision I-FCS national ranking in a season where FCS teams have won in BCS conference stadiums. Baltimore Ravens jersey
The Jacks will...oh, this isn't kidding anyone.The Jackrabbits are 0-2 coming to Lincoln against a hyper-confident Nebraska team. There is a possibility that NU could overlook South Dakota State in preparation for a trip to Manhattan to face Kansas State, but Nebraska's talent level is so superior that such a result is almost unimaginable. At least Cody Green should get a chance for some redemption.Like this article? Please LIKE the article here and on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter @law_talking_guy to receive updates of new articles and to read my observations during Nebraska games. Thanks for the read!

18 Jan 11 LSU Football: Why The Tiger Defense Will Dominate West Virginia Mountaineers

Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesThis Saturday will see a match up of ranked teams as No. 23 West Virginia travels to Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge to take on No. 15 LSU. The story of this game will be the high-powered offense of West Virginia against the relentless defense of LSU. The Mountaineers are averaging over 150 yards rushing and 250 yards passing per game. The LSU defense is tied for third in the nation in sacks with 11 and ninth in interceptions with five. Overall, the LSU defense has been stout, ranked fifth in the nation. West Virginiaoffense is undoubtedly good with Denver Broncos jersey
tons of speed and experience. However, they have not seen anything remotely close to LSUdefense this season and will be in for a real surprise when they see linebackers that run like corners and defensive lineman that blow up offensive lineman. The Tiger defense is built for the SEC and high caliber offenses. Defensive coordinator John Chavis is doing a good job, with the exception of the second half of the UNC game, of sending different looks and blitz packages to keep offenses scrambling. Tiger defensive linemen are living in opposing teams backfields and causing mass destruction. Chavis is also not afraid to send a corner or safety blitz on third down and other key moments. West Virginia running back Noel Devine is averaging 118 rushing yards per game, but that is against Coastal Carolina, Marshall and Maryland. No disrespect to those institutions, but they do not compare to what Devine will see on Saturday night. With the game starting at 8:00pm central time, the LSU fans will have two extra hours of partying under their belts by kickoff. The already loud and rowdyDetroit Lions
crowd will be at another level when the Mountaineers take the field. Again, no disrespect to the Big East, but West Virginia has not experienced the deafening volume of crowd noise that will be present on Saturday night in Tiger Stadium. This should be an absolute rout if the Tiger offense can finish drives like they did in the second half versus Mississippi State last Saturday. Prediction: LSU 35 WVU 13

15 Jan 11 St. Louis Rams signed DE Jay Williams to 3 year deal March 30 2005

The St. Louis Rams signed veteran defensive end Jay Williams to a 3 year contract. Williams recorded 37 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 2 deflected passes and 2 forced fumbles in 2004 with the Miami Dolphins.The 6'3", 270 lbs. product of Wake Forest University began his career with the Los Angeles Rams in 1994. Williams stayed with the Rams when they moved to St. Louis until 1999, before playing for the Carolina Panthers (2000-2001) and the Dolphins (2002-2004). He has amassed 178 tackles, 23.5 sacks, 2 INTs, 4 deflected passes, 4 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries in 137 games over 11 seasons. (0) What has been a mighty roar for some time in Detroit Lions land is a whisper in the winds everywhere: "Fire Millen," it implores, "please, for the love of God, fire Millen."With the Lions eliminated from playoff contention for New York Jets jersey
roughly the last nine weeks, stories and speculation regarding the Honolulu blue-and-silver is all about one man, the guy hired to turn around a 9-7 franchise.(And no, nothing changes after a hard-fought, seven-point loss to the New England Patriots. When your most notable games of the year are a loss to the defending NFC champions and a loss to the Super Bowl champions of two seasons ago, things are just plain ill.)The free-for-all probably officially began with Millen's fine quote dated the Monday following the Kitty Cats' defining 17-10 loss at the Arizona Cardinals. "I don't even know what you're talking about," ran the man's line as reported by Steve Pate of the Oakland Press. "Don't even ask that."While the question begging this response could have related to really any subject from his plan for the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft to offensive coordinator Mike Martz's future, it actually regarded whether "he had given any thought at all to stepping down as club president."Again, Millen's answer: "I don't even know what you're talking about. Don't even ask that."Meanwhile ESPN wag Bill Simmons threw in his pithy two cents with "Here's the week when Lions fans stop asking each other, 'Why the hell haven't they fired Millen yet?' and start asking, 'Wait, do you realize we could have taken Leinart last April ... why the hell haven't we fired Millen yet?'" Sports Illustrated online edition ran a tiny item from Philadelphia sportswriter Paul Domowitch. SI.com essentially ran the entire seemingly unsubstantiated rumor: "Matt Millen's wretched 6-year tenure as the Lions' general manager appears to be close to an end. Millen will sit down with owner William Clay Ford after the season, and that meeting is expected to result in Millen finally stepping down/getting fired."Aside from coming out of Philly, a distinctly non-Lions market, Domowitch's reportage feels a bit strange by dint of the fact that no one else has reported on this particular meeting. While an off-season meeting between Millen and Ford may actually happen, there is nothing to suggest that Millen will in fact find himself unemployed in 2007. (Except of course, status as the 31st or 32nd best team in the NFL - a fact that has yet to hurt Millen's standing with The Boss to this point.)Heck, the guys in the Motor City paid to watch this stuff (where "stuff" is a loose synonym for "Detroit Lions football") on a daily basis seemingly wouldn't believe a word suggesting Millen's going through the out door even if it made every non-Michigan headline in the country.Poor cynical Free-Press sportswriter Drew Sharp believes that Ford the Elder looks upon Millen as the son he never had. While vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. may know what's best for the football team, Daddy Ford values Millen's stubborn loyalty (And who wouldn't be loyal to a Oakland Raiders jersey
guy who distributes six-figure checks for incompetence?) more than Junior's business head.Sharp's colleague Nicholas J. Costonika goes so far as to suggest that it's simply too late to fire Millen in article that might have caused a wave of subscription cancellations had not most of Detroit tuned out Lions news long ago. Incredibly writes Costonika, "Like it or not, this is the reality: Millen has to remain with the Lions long enough to give [head coach Rod Marinelli] a fair shot to turn things around."Really? The reality as this writer sees it is simply that, keeping Marinelli firing Millen tomorrow will do nothing to erase the influence the guy will continue to have over this team for the remainder of this decade. Mike Williams, a.k.a. The Most Useless Player In The NFL, is merely the poster boy for a clump of moves made under Millen's jurisdiction that will affect the team's ability to dig itself out of holy mess it's in. among them. Williams holds a contract of $13.5 million with $9.5 million guaranteed; he's signed through 2009. Also signed through that season is Charles Rogers, who was thrown $14.5 million in signing bonus alone on a contract worth up to $55 million. Upon cutting Rogers, Millen was quoted in the Associated Press as stating "Maybe this is just one of those wrong-place, wrong-time things." Hmmm, maybe.Joey Harrington, currently giving Miami Dolphins fans hope for a mad dash at the playoffs, was signed for six years (through 2008) for $36.5 million. Harrington was iced from the roster by Marinelli after being forced to try and adapt to game plans from three different head coaches. At least Millen saved the team the $4 million roster bonus Harrington would have made in 2007. Surely, it will all have been worth it for that crucial sixth-round pick.The Lions are still throwing money out the window due to Dan Wilkinson's contract. And would you believe Steve Mariucci is still on the Detroit payroll for this year?One rumor regarding the Houston Texans', um, interesting choice of Mario Williams at No. 1 says that team officials, after meeting with Reggie Bush and his agent, simply decided they didn't want to pay the contract Bush could command as top pick. Ergo, the slightly cheaper Williams. Putting the Lions in the top spot on the draft board, even if Millen can show restraint for overhyped star talent as he did this year, guarantees nothing. Could Detroit pay a No. 1 pick enough? Marinelli has stated that Jon Kitna is the quarterback he wants for his system, but does this truly indicate that Troy Smith and/or Brady Quinn will be spared the title of Lions savior? And hasn't it been a while since the potential No. 1 pick publicly stated his refusal to play for the league's beatdogs, a la John Elway?There is exactly one compelling argument against firing Millen. Philadelphia Eagles jersey
Ford Sr. is the guy that ultimately approved Millen's hire and will be the rubber stamp for the new president and/or general manager of the Lions. Can he be trusted? After all, Isaiah Thomas should be looking for a new gig by Draft Day..."Fire Millen?" The proponents of this argument rhetorically ask, "What's the point?"RealFootball365.com: perpetually firing Millen from the Detroit Lions. (4)

14 Jan 11 Seattle Seahawks "David Greene's progress worth watching"

The Seattle Seahawks have forever talked about getting Seneca Wallace on the field in a capacity other than quarterback, but circumstances have always conspired against the possibility.Wallace has elite athleticism, but you can count on one hand the number of times the Seahawks have tried to use it. A fourth-round pick in 2003, Wallace never got on the field in his first two seasons as he focused on learning how to play quarterback in the Seahawks' complicated West Coast scheme. Then the Hawks traded backup quarterback Trent Dilfer after the 2004 season, Reebok Dallas Cowboys #82 Jason Witten Realtree camo Jersey
giving the No. 2 spot to Wallace heading into 2005. Since then, the team has been hesitant to use Wallace elsewhere because it didn't want to leave itself short at quarterback if he were to get injured. Head coach Mike Holmgren did put Wallace in a few times during the 2005 playoffs, and he even made a great catch against Carolina; but with no other backup options, Holmgren has been hesitant to use Wallace much more than that.The need to keep Wallace at quarterback was proven last season when Matt Hasselbeck missed four games with a sprained knee, and, because the Seahawks again did not sign a veteran this offseason, it appears Wallace's athleticism will wallow on the bench once more. That is, unless David Greene makes strides in his third year. A third-round pick out of Georgia in 2005, Greene looked completely lost in the offense as a rookie. He didn't look a whole lot better in the 2006 exhibition season, so the Seahawks are counting on him to show them something this year. If he can demonstrate some mastery of the offense in August, it could Reebok Dallas Cowboys #9 Tony Romo Realtree camo Jersey
give Seattle some comfort in knowing it has three guys who can play the position.With Hasselbeck limited as he recovers from shoulder surgery, Greene took a lot of snaps in the minicamp earlier this month. And the young QB probably will continue to get ample reps in the next minicamp, which begins June 4, and perhaps at the start of training camp as well.With Wallace a free agent after the 2007 season, the Seahawks really need to find out what they have in Greene so they have choices next offseason. Wallace will not be offered a starting gig by anyone, but some team might pursue him to be its No. 2. And the Seahawks need to have a backup plan for their backup plan. The team will have Greene for at least one more season because he will be merely a restricted free agent next offseason.Before the recent NFL draft, team president Tim Ruskell said the Seahawks are confident Greene can take the next step in the steep learning progression of the West Coast offense."He made some progress last year. This year he'll have to continue that and do more," Ruskell said. "It's a very hard system to develop in, and so it takes a little bit of time ... so you want to want to be patient with these guys. You do not want to have a quick trigger and pull the plug too early. We're not down on David. We like David. Reebok Denver Broncos #15 Tim Tebow Realtree camo Jersey
We're excited about David."This summer, Seahawks fans will see whether Greene does enough to keep them excited -- and perhaps to put the athletic, playmaking potential of Wallace on the field at a spot other than quarterback.

13 Jan 11 Remembering the Three J's: Dallas' Young and Exciting Trio of the 1990s

Building through the draft has proven to be an effective way to build an NBA championship-winning team.The Dallas Mavericks took that approach in the 1990s as they used top-five picks in three consecutive years on talented youngsters Jim Jackson, Jamal Mashburn, and Jason Kidd.DubbedReebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
the "Three J's," the trio appeared to be the perfect pieces to rebuild around. Jackson and Mashburn were dangerous wing scorers, while Kidd was the ultimate pass-first point guard who could make everyone around him better. Kidd's rookie year, 1994-95, was the first season the trio played together and each player made valuable contributions.Kidd led the league in triple-doubles and ended up sharing Rookie of the Year honors with Grant Hill.Jackson and Mashburn formed one of the league's highest scoring duos as they both averaged over 24 points per game. They both had 50-point games that season as well.But more importantly, the Mavs finished with a 36-46 record, which was a 23-win improvement from the previous season.The next season everything would fall apart.Mashburn appeared in only 18 games, Jackson saw his scoring average drop to 19.6 ppg, and the Mavericks floundered to a lousy 26-56 record.Kidd and Jackson then began to fight with one another. According to rumors, the two feuded over RB singer Toni Braxton after Braxton went to pick up Kidd for a date at an Atlanta hotel and left with Jackson instead.The Three Js' tenure in Dallas would then come to an end during the 1996-97 season as all three members were traded out of town.Kidd was dealt to the Phoenix Suns on the day after Christmas in a package that included future Mavs star Michael Finley.Then in February, Mashburn was sent to the Miami Heat and Jackson wound up heading to the New Jersey Nets in a huge nine-player trade.The Three J's experiment had failed miserably, but all three members went on to have successful careers.Kidd emerged as one of the greatest point guards in NBA history. The nine-time All-Star was named to six All-NBA teams, nine All-Defensive teams, and became the second all-time Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
assist leader.Mashburn continued to be hampered with injuries, but became an All-Star with the New Orleans Hornets in 2003.And Jackson turned into the ultimate journeyman playing for 10 other teams. However, he proved to be a solid reserve for many years. The Three J's never led the Mavericks to a championship or a playoff berth, but they sure were fun to watch when they were healthy and not bickering with one another.

12 Jan 11 Two Philadelphia 76ers A.I. All-Stars? Andre Iguodala's Case for Consideration

Chris Chambers/Getty ImagesThe Philadelphia 76ers will already be sending one player with the initials A.I. to the NBA All-Star Game in Dallas next month. Surely, it is not the one fans would have imagined at the beginning of the season, as Allen Iverson improbably returned in December. No, this isReebok Baltimore Ravens #52 Ray Lewis Realtree camo Jersey
concerning Andre Iguodala, a frustrating yet extremely talented player, and his case for All-Star recognition.All last season, Sixers fans heard then-head coach Tony DiLeo proclaim it would be Iguodala's last year taking vacation time during All-Star Weekend. Even before this season, Iguodala could have been expected to elevate his game to the next level. Now in his sixth season, Iguodala has provided many with jaw-dropping athleticism yet failure to conjure up a dominant game. With a contract worth over $80 million, you damn well should be an All-Star caliber player.Well, based on performances thus far, Iguodala is an All-Star this year. No, Andre will not impress you with the smoothness of his jumper or his post-game interviews. However, he will provide one of the most well-rounded games in the NBA.An extremely durable player, Iguodala has only missed six games in his career and started every one that he has played in, including 44 this season. In 2009-2010 he is averaging 17.6 PPG, above his career average of 15.8. Simple-minded fans would glance at this respectable but not amazing stat and pass on Iguodala's credentials. Don't do this. After spending a lot of time early in the season handling the ball, he has racked up 5.7 APG while creating countless opportunities for his teammates. Reebok Chicago Bears #54 Brian Urlacher Realtree camo Jersey
For most, basketball stops there on the offensive end. This unfortunately hurts the argument for Iggy even more, as he may be best on the defensive side of things.On a given night, (imbecile) head coach Eddie Jordan may require Andre to guard up to four different positions, and he does it well. Even as a two or a three, Iguodala manages to pull down 6.9 RPG, adding 1.9 SPG. If you have Andre Iguodala on your fantasy basketball team, you are probably pleasantly surprised.But does that make him an All-Star?We know LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, and Iverson will start for the Eastern Conference squad. That leaves seven open spots for some good players worthy of a great honor. Chris Bosh has to be the first man off the bench. Based on his incredible statistical production, Gerald Wallace should earn his first berth. Joe Johnson and Josh Smith should be awarded a spot in the Big D due to their contributions to the surprising Atlanta Hawks. Rajon Rondo finally seems to be bursting into the "Big Three" bubble, outlasting teammates Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.Two spots remain. Pierce and Allen could be considered as well as Derrick Rose, David Lee, Antawn Jamison, and Steven Jackson. It would be easier if Allen Iverson wasn't in the picture, but hey, I'm not complaining. Boston has their two stars, the Wizards are too much of a mess to consider Jamison, and the Bobcats will definitely not have two, after never having any representatives.When he was drafted No. 9 overall in the 2004 Draft, the Sixers Reebok Chicago Bears #6 Jay Cutler Realtree camo Jersey
organization and fans alike did not know what they were getting with Andre Iguodala. Surely we knew about the athletic, unproven player. Still six years later, I feel the same way. Iguodala has displayed immense talent but has remained unrecognized vastly among media and his peers.An All-Star berth would be a wise choice for A.I. No. 2.

10 Jan 11 Lebron will prove he's better than Kobe when he beats the Lakers in June

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesThe Cleveland Cavaliers acquired two-time All-Star Antawn Jamison in a three-team trade Wednesday night.Cleveland, which has won 11 consecutive games and owns the best record in the league at 43-11, only squandered Zydrunas Ilgauskas and their first-round pick to obtain Jamison. Reebok Minnesota Vikings #84 Randy Moss Realtree camo Jersey
Jamison, 33, the fourth overall selection in the 1998 NBA Draft out of the University of North Carolina, is a skilled and rugged power forward who was averaging an impressive 20.5 points for the Washington Wizards prior to last night transaction.At this juncture, barring an injury to superstar LeBron James, the Cavaliers seem destined to easily waltz through the Eastern Conference and into the NBA Finals in June.James, 25, a three-time All-NBA First Team selection and the 2009 MVP, is indisputably the best player in the world today.Ever since he made his professional debut with Cleveland in 2003, James hasn been surrounded with enough talent to capture a title.However, with legendary center Shaquille ONeal, 2009 All-Star point guard Mo Williams, and Jamison, James now has the type of teammates that can help him win the Larry OBrien Championship Trophy.Presently, the only squads that are even remotely capable of competing with Cleveland are the Boston Celtics (33-18), the Orlando Magic (37-18), the San Antonio Spurs (31-21), and the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers (42-13).The Celtics, Magic, and Spurs are all very solid teams.Nevertheless, in actuality, not one of those three teams can genuinely topple the Cavs.It is virtually inevitable that NBA Commissioner David Stern will Reebok Pittsburg Steelers #83 Heath Miller Realtree camo Jersey
realize his ultimate fantasy this summer and he will be blessed with a showdown pitting James and the Cavs versus the Lakers and Kobe Bryant for the crown.The Lakers are extremely formidable and they currently have an even better cast of players on their roster than they did last year.Still, in approximately four months, expect a sports team based in the city of Cleveland to become champions for the first time since the Lyndon B. Johnson administration.

9 Jan 11 Atlanta Coach Mike Woodson Case of Mistaken Identity, Mavs Beat Hawks

Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesYoure the head coach of the Atlanta Hawks and were up by as much as 15 points with only eight minutes left in the game when your opponent begins clawing their way back into the game.Your opponent is also one of the best teams in the NBA, the Dallas Mavericks, with one of the best players Seattle Seahawks jersey
in the league, Dirk Nowitzki.In a back-and-forth type of contest where your team has come back from a 14-point deficit, and is starting to unravel and appear to be on their way to letting a sure win fall through the cracks, doesn't a timeout seem like the most appropriate thing to do if you are the head coach? Not if you are Mike Woodson.No, instead, you do your best impression of the great Zen master Phil Jackson and let your team figure out how to dig themselves out of the hole.Only one problemyou are not one of the league all-time best coaches, and your team is not one of the league all-time greatest franchises in the Los Angeles Lakers.Instead of calling a timeout and helping his players figure out how to break through the Mavericks zone defense, Woodson just stood there on the sideline with his arms folded across his chest.Not only did he just stand there looking like a leaf on a log, he was so unaware of what was going around him that he gave Jason Kidd an opportunity to make him look like a complete fool.With under two minutes left in the game, the Hawks, still with a two-point lead, watched as their head coach made his attempt at making SportsCenter not Top Ten list.Kidd was pushing the ball up the court when he noticed that Woodson was a little too far out on the court than he should be. Kidd, being the St. Louis Rams jersey
veteran that he is, ran right towards Woodson, and the two shared a small nudge.The impact was enough to knock Woodson off balance, and enough for the officials to issue a technical foul on Woodson for interference. That sent Nowitzki to the foul line, where he made the free-throw attempt, and, seconds later, Kidd nailed a three to give the Mavericks back the lead.From here, the game did go into overtime, so Woodson mishap did not cost his team yet, but it clearly gave the Mavericks back the momentum.Also, it was like Woodson and the Hawks were suddenly frozen in a dazed and confused state of mind, while Dallas outscored the Hawks 12-4 in the overtime and left Atlanta with the win.Kidd was a Hawks-killer in more ways than one. He finished with his first triple double this season19 points, 16 rebounds, and 17 assiststo lead his team to victory.The Mavericks were able to get back into the game when they switched to a zone on defense in the fourth quarter, and outscored the Hawks 34-23 in the period. Atlanta could not penetrate through the Mavericks zone, and Tennessee Titans jersey
was forced to keep settling for outside shots. They didn fall.Maybe if Woodson had decided to call even a quick 20-second timeout the Hawks could have at least tried to figure out how to get through the zone defense. Instead, he let his team keep throwing up bricks while on their way to letting a big win slip away.Thanks Mike. I only wonder what you will do next for an encore.

8 Jan 11 The Golden State Warriors Shouldn't Panic...Yet

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty ImagesI don't need to recap this season. We all know that watching the Warriors has often been like watching amateur erotic theatreoccasionally brilliant, occasionally frustrating, but nearly always painful as they find a way to mess things up. (This is not meant to disparage hard-working amateur erotic theatre performers or their fans.)Having said that, we all know what the brightest G-spots in the sea of flesh and premature ejaculations has been: the rapid development of Stephen Curry and the consistent scoring of Monta Ellis.(Okay, I'll stop Washington Redskins jersey
the erotic theatre references now.)After watching the last game against the Raptors, I was further convinced that Warriors management have to give Monta and Steph a full year to develop. Already, despite the Monta-Curry compatibility issue, they're the most dynamic backcourt in the league.Sure, they're a little lacking on defense, but if the Dubs re-sign Raja Bell, they can bring him off the bench if Monta or Steph are getting blown away on a particular night. We don't need them to be absolute lockdown guys.Having said that, I do believe there are some things management and the team needs to do for us to finally return to the playoffs.1) Andris Biedrins Needs To Develop a Post GameA lot of people have already given up on Biedrins and are calling for him to be shipped out this offseason for a post player. And I'm acquainted with his flaws, namely that he can't shoot to save his life, he has very little post game, and isn't that great a stopper in the paint.However, guys with his mobility, rebounding, and blocking ability, and more importantly bigs with his price tag, don't come around every day.That's why I believe that they need to develop Biedrins rather than give up on him.In a decent system, he would have developed some post moves by now. Since he's only human and isn't going to magically develop them out of thin air, they need to get someone in to help him learn.I hear there's a bloke called Hakeem Olajuwon out there who might be keen to help for the right price. Why haven't they called him in yet?Developing a post game at both ends will take Biedrins closer to being the dominant center he has the potential to become, which means we won't need to trade for a big man.2) Get Rid of Maggette by Any Means NecessaryLook, I'm sure Corey Maggette is a nice bloke. And he is a good scorer and one of the best in the league at drawing fouls. But he can't play anything resembling defense, he can't shoot threes, and he's making $10 million a year.This offseason, the Dubs need to work the phones of every team that needs a scorer and is willing to take on his contract. If we have to take scraps for him, so be it. Hell, I'd seriously consider taking DeShawn Stevenson for him (hint, hint, Mark Cuban).Even if it means we have to trade our first-round pick, it might be a necessary evil to save Reebok Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald Realtree camo Jersey
some money.If all else fails, I might be able to negotiate a trade with the Wollongong Hawks of the Australian NBL.3) Give Steph and Monta Tickets to Vegas This OffseasonOkay, I imagine you're thinking something along the lines of "What?!" Hear me out.A few years ago, my favourite rugby team brought in a new star who had to combine with our stud second-year player who had been injured for most of his rookie year. For the first half of the season, we struggled along outside the playoff race, and they never managed to form the combination good teams need in their positions.When the team had a two-week break around midseason, the coach called them into his office, gave them 10 days off practice and two tickets to Bali, and had them stay in one hotel room.Once they got back from their trip, we didn't lose another game that season and went on to win our first title since 1969.Personal chemistry is a quality that's extremely underrated in pro sports these days. But does anyone doubt that part of the reason the Cavaliers are the favourites for this year's title, despite being primarily made up of LeBron, one guy whose best days are behind him and a bunch of scrubs, is because they all seem to be best mates? Or, for the same reason, that the Thunder are the team everyone fears in the future?Monta and Steph don't seem to have any personal chemistry at all. Maybe their problems co-existing could be simply down to this? A trip to Vegas can make any two men best friends if you experience the highs and lows together. (Or so I've heard.)4) Nellie Boy Has To GoI've been a strident critic of Don Nelson in the past, but anyone can tell his heart isn't in coaching anymore just by watching him on the bench.Why does he stick around? Because he's only seven games away from the NBA win record for a coach.Whatever I may say about him, he's won 1,326 more games as an NBA coach than I have. Therefore, I reckon he deserves to at least get his record and retire to Hawaii in peace.In the meantime, management should start making a succession planline up Avery Johnson, Byron Scott, whoever. Hell, get Larry Brown inif anyone can teach these guys defense, he can. Which leads me to...5) Improve Team DefenseThe main flaw this season has been our defense. Well, duh, you say. Our guys can't defend.However, our problem isn't just that Monta and Steph can't lockdown their men. It's that we don't have anything resembling team D.Once again, I cite the Cavs. Antawn Jamison can't defend physical big men, and Mo Williams can't defend anything. Why doesn't this hurt them? Because they have a fantastic help defensive scheme.The Warriors don't have anything resembling the conceptwe rely almost totally on man-to-man D. And even if you had Batman defending against Kobe, Brandon Roy, Joe Johnson, etc., he's not going to be able to consistently lock them down if he gives up several inches in height.We need to develop a team defense. This ties into point four: Don Nelson won't (or can't) teach it. So we need a Reebok Baltimore Ravens #5 Joe Flacco Realtree camo Jersey
coach who can.If you look at it, these are all little things. I don't believe we need to panic and blow up the roster by any meansin fact, I firmly believe that we have a terrific young nucleus who can lead us into the playoffs sooner rather than later. Even if our management are incompetent, these moves don't require rocket scientists at the helm. They mostly require a little common sense, a cool head, and some initiative.Unfortunately, it seems all the initiative in the Bay Area belongs to the fans right now.