Category:Arch-fi

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Arch-fi (or Fantastic Archaeology) refers to a series of theories developed outside (or against) the canons of critical archaeology.

Overview

Unsubstantiated claims of lost historical documents or overt forgery have affected the field of Biblical Studies since its inception. These Modern Apocrypha offered alternative views and new meanings to familiar events and familiar characters, while claiming for scholarly attention.

A new phenomenon occurred at the end of the 19th century, when some ancient and new legends exited the real of fiction and began to be developed in scholarly form. In 1894 Notovitich claimed to have found written evidence that Jesus lived in India. Notovitch's work prompted a revival of the theory that Jesus survived the crucifixion. In 1972 The Jesus Scroll (1972 Joyce), arch-fi initiated a new trend by claiming that Jesus had a wife or fathered a child. The work also introduced as a historical facts the idea of a conspiracy by Church authorities to hide the true nature of Christianity. Such a belief developed in more and more elaborated theories

What all arch-fi theories have in common is a total disregard for, if not an overt opposition against, the rules of the historical method. Instead of testing the evidence to see what hypotheses it fits, Arch-fi frames the archaeological data to fit the "desired conclusion."