Egypt antiquities officials scoff at Carson pyramid claims

[webfact]

Egypt antiquities officials scoff at Carson pyramid claims
By MARAM MARZEN

CAIRO (AP) — Egyptian antiquities officials on Monday scoffed at claims by Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson that Egypt's ancient pyramids were not built as pharaonic tombs but used to store grain.

"Does he even deserve a response? He doesn't," Antiquities Minister Mamdouh el-Damaty told the Associated Press on the sidelines of a news conference about recent thermal scans of the pyramids that revealed some anomalies that could lead to new discoveries about their construction.

Carson's comments have received little attention in Egypt, where people are accustomed to accepted expert views about the 4,500-year-old structures, but have drawn interest in the United States where the retired neurosurgeon has jumped to the top of the crowded Republican presidential field.

Last week, Carson stood by his belief that Egypt's great pyramids were built by the Biblical figure Joseph to store grain, an assertion dismissed by experts who say its accepted science that they were tombs for pharaohs.

Mahmoud Afifi, the head of the Ancient Egyptian Antiquities Sector at the Antiquities Ministr,y said Carson's comments are similar to other inaccurate theories about the pyramids, including that those that say they were built by Atlanteans from a mythical lost continent.

"A lot of people are trying to prove that the pyramids weren't built for burials," said Afifi. "Maybe they're comments used for publicity like that man who's not an archaeologist and says they stored grain, and I don't know what that was based on."

Video posted online Wednesday by Buzzfeed News shows Carson explaining his theory 17 years ago at a Michigan college affiliated with his Seventh-day Adventist Church.

In the video, Carson says: "My own personal theory is that Joseph built the pyramids in order to store grain." He was referring to the Old Testament story of Joseph predicting famine and advising the pharaoh to store surplus food.

Carson said that's more likely than the accepted archaeological conclusion that the massive structures were built as tombs for pharaohs. At a book signing Thursday in Florida, Carson stood by his statement.

"Some people believe in the Bible like I do and don't find that to be silly at all, and believe that God created the Earth and don't find that to be silly at all," Carson said. "The secular progressives try to ridicule it every time it comes up and they're welcome to do that."


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-11-10

[JoePai]

What do the Egyptians know - they scoff at the idea that a bomb brought down the airliner

[FangFerang]

Carson is a posing, bible thumping idiot who thinks cromagnon man played with dinosaurs. He's not the sharpest spoon in the drawer.

His slogan should be "How to be a brain surgeon and be considered an idiot at the same time!"

[Ulic]

Carson is a posing, bible thumping idiot who thinks cromagnon man played with dinosaurs. He's not the sharpest spoon in the drawer.

His slogan should be "How to be a brain surgeon and be considered an idiot at the same time!"

Not really sure a spoon is supposed to be sharp, but I get your point.

[cruisemonkey]

It's okay... Carson also thinks knives were invented to eat soup.

[user4365423653]

Doctors are not necessarily the most intelligent people around. Sure, they know about their specialty and more often than not show arrogance, but often they fail to know much about culture, philosophy, history... Quebec is ruled by a neurosurgeon as prime misnister, and trust me, he's a rather faint light who made his fortune in Saudi Arabia, not exactly the Land of Enlightenment. Carson is a good case in point.

Edited November 10, 2015 by michelsavage

[arjunadawn]

Its actually quite hilarious because the Egyptian Antiquities Department are the most monolithic narrow-minded people in most scientific fields (Only anthropologists come close). Its not really a personal commentary rather a cultural Sword of Damocles. Walking the fateful line between honoring and uncovering Egypt's remarkable past and delicately avoiding anything that remotely impugnes upon the islamic narrative of revisionist history- ie; the things that happened before the prophet were all preamble to islam; this is a paramount consideration for Egypt and Egypt holds the access to the current tells, the artificats houses, and all future access. Something that runs contrary to the proscribed narrative runs the risk of being destroyed. This is why so much is quickly locked away or secured.So, a status quo evolved that has Egyptologists an echo chamber.

In this regard their job is not envious but they cannot be considered any more credible than Carson and his jackassery as no real evidence ever existed demonstrating these were tombs; in fact, the contextual evidence of tombs in the region indicate otherwise. The Egyptians have put more artificats under wraps and guards then science ought to. because they either cannot contravene the religious narrative or the artificats are unassignable because of lacking theoretical understanding. I do not believe these were tombs and either did the Sultan who first dug a hole and entered the supposed "king's chamber" a 1,000 years ago. All of you who think they were used as tombs have no more to base this on than others who have said so. You do not know why. The pronouncements were only ever declarations of exclusion. "They must have been tombs because...what else could they have been?" A fair consideration but hardly a conclusion.

What were pyramids used for? Not sure, but its hardly true that the avowed use is any more legitimate than Carson's fantasy.

[arjunadawn]

Carson is a posing, bible thumping idiot who thinks cromagnon man played with dinosaurs. He's not the sharpest spoon in the drawer.

His slogan should be "How to be a brain surgeon and be considered an idiot at the same time!"

I get your point; funny. It reminded me of something and I went to search "paintings of humans and dinosaurs." Not to mess with you, it only reminded me. Sure enough, it is a curious thing that ancient art, from the homo sapien and pre- times you reference, do have some curious things about what you suggest. Still, your post is spot on. and this is from a guy who wanted to like Carson... but cannot.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=cave+paintings+of+humans+and+dinosaurs&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CCgQ7AlqFQoTCIGpoMbghckCFYm7FAodwkMLtw&biw=1366&bih=639

[Publicus]

 

Carson is a posing, bible thumping idiot who thinks cromagnon man played with dinosaurs. He's not the sharpest spoon in the drawer.

His slogan should be "How to be a brain surgeon and be considered an idiot at the same time!"

 

Yep and if Carson had a brain he'd be dangerous whereas in this campaign he's an entertaining munchkin so one hopes his travelling road show goes on for quite a while longer. There's bound to be yet more of the Jekyll and Hyde stuff to fascinate us to no end.

[Jingthing]

Egypt should put Cray Cray Carson on their IGNORE list.

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