Claim
In a recently discovered clip of an address given at Andrews University in Michigan in 1998, retired neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson claims that the Egyptian pyramids were constructed by the biblical Joseph to store huge quantities of grain and were not, as is commonly believed, tombs for the pharaohs.
Fact?
Carson’s claims seem to be drawn in part from Egyptologist Dr Wyatt Thom’s 1984 book Egypt Egypt Egypt. According to Thom, the pyramids were built to house grain, and mummified bodies were placed inside as scarecrows to keep birds away. If you’re wondering how that makes sense given that the pyramids are enclosed structures, Thom claims this is because you’re “hamstrung by a very modern conception of birds”.
Originally Posted by petegz28:
Claim
In a recently discovered clip of an address given at Andrews University in Michigan in 1998, retired neurosurgeon and Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson claims that the Egyptian pyramids were constructed by the biblical Joseph to store huge quantities of grain and were not, as is commonly believed, tombs for the pharaohs.
Fact?
Carson’s claims seem to be drawn in part from Egyptologist Dr Wyatt Thom’s 1984 book Egypt Egypt Egypt. According to Thom, the pyramids were built to house grain, and mummified bodies were placed inside as scarecrows to keep birds away. If you’re wondering how that makes sense given that the pyramids are enclosed structures, Thom claims this is because you’re “hamstrung by a very modern conception of birds”.
Originally Posted by Sully:
hamstrung by a very modern conception of birds?
Well he probably isn't wrong about that statement in and of itself given the general ignorance to any and almost everything by our American Idol society, [Reply]
Originally Posted by petegz28:
Well he probably isn't wrong about that statement in and of itself given the general ignorance to any and almost everything by our American Idol society,
Originally Posted by Sully:
What are you talking about?
That people are hamstrung specifically about their understanding of birds in the modern day compared to 1,000's of years ago. Whether that is actually applicable to the Carson statement is highly debatable. [Reply]
Originally Posted by petegz28:
That people are hamstrung specifically about their understanding of birds in the modern day compared to 1,000's of years ago. Whether that is actually applicable to the Carson statement is highly debatable.
That thing you quoted is not actually true.
Dr. Carson is like an idiot savant: brilliant neurosurgeon, but functionally retarded outside of his field. [Reply]
Originally Posted by petegz28:
Well he probably isn't wrong about that statement in and of itself given the general ignorance to any and almost everything by our American Idol society,
If you don't think coyotes can safely leap off a large cliff by using an umbrella as a parachute, you're hamstrung by a very modern conception of coyotes. [Reply]