JoeDavid, Those witnesses may be long dead, but their children (us) live on. Read the article I just pasted from Aish -- how do you convince me that my father told me something that clearly he did NOT tell me?

We Jews have been told to celebrate Passover since the very first one in Egypt. If this was not true and was begun at some other point -- how do you convince the first ones doing it that they are part of a chain?

Ryan, it is easy for one person (Mohammed) to say "I spoke to G-d, believe me and follow me." This is true of Mormons, too. It is also true of Xians who are told to believe the visions of Paul and the writings of anonymous "gospel" authors.

But Torah tells us that my FATHER was there. And Torah tells us to "teach it dilligently to our children." Father to son. Mother to daughter.

How do you fake that?

There is DNA proof that the priests of today are related to Aaron (Moses' brother) and the priests going back into time. How do you fake that?

There is a recorded UNBROKEN chain of transmitting Torah going back to Moses. How do you fake that?

We Jews speak of national revelation -- which itself is described in Torah. G-d spoke to the entire nation of Israel (some 3 million of us) from Mount Sinai. Cecil B. DeMille would have you believe G-d only spoke to Moshe Rabinu -- but that is not true. G-d spoke to every single Jew.

Read Moshe's last speech in Torah where he reminds us that we were THERE and we heard G-d.

But couldn't someone "make it up"?

How.

How do you convince someone that something happened when you aren't speaking in 3rd parties (like the GT or Koran where someone ELSE saw J-sus do the miracles or Mohammed spoke to All-h). How do convnce someone that they or their father hear G-d if it had never been mentioned until you bring it up?

How do you go up to them and say "I found this book of laws that you've never seen or heard of before, but TRUST me??"

And if you don't like the idea of "national revelation" you're going to love the concept of an unbroken chain of transmission.

There was never a generation since Moshe without Torah. We have the names. We know who did what and when.

Moses (1272 B.C.E.)
Joshua (1245 B.C.E.)
Pinchus and the 70 elders
Eli (929 B.C.E.)
Samuel (889 B.C.E.)
David (876 B.C.E.)
Achiah (800 B.C.E.)
Elijah (726 B.C.E.)
Elishah (717 B.C.E.)
Yehoyada (695 B.C.E.)
Zechariah (680 B.C.E.)
Hoshea (575 B.C.E.)
Amos (560 B.C.E.)
Isaiah (548 B.C.E.)
Michah (560 B.C.E.)
Yoel (510 B.C.E.)
Nachum (510 B.C.E.)
Chavakuk (510 B.C.E.)
Tzafaniah (460 B.C.E.)
Jeremiah (462 B.C.E.)
Baruch (347 B.C.E.)
Ezra (348 B.C.E.)
Shimon Hatzadik (310 B.C.E.)
Antignus of Socho (305 B.C.E.)
Yosi ben Yoezer and
Yosef ben Yochanon (280 B.C.E.)
Yehoshua ben Prachya and
Nitai of Arbel (243 B.C.E.)
Yehuda ben Tabai and
Shimon ben Shetach (198 B.C.E.)
Shmaya & Avtalyon (140 B.C.E.)
Hillel & Shammai (40 B.C.E.)
Rabban Shimon (10 B.C.E.)
Rabban Gamliel Hazaken (20 C.E.)
Rav Shimon ben Gamliel (50)
Rabban Gamliel (90)
Rabban Shimon (140)
Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi (180)
Rav, Shmuel, and Rabbi Yochanon (230)
Rav Huna (270)
Rabbah (310)
Rava (340)
Rav Ashi (420)
Rafram (443)
Rav Sam a B'rei d'Rava (476)
Rav Yosi (514)
Rav Simonia Rav Ravoi Me-Rov (589)
Mar Chanan Me-Ashkaya (608)
Rav Mari
Rav Chana Gaon
Mar Rav Rava
Rav Busai (689)
Mar Rav Huna Mari
Mar Rav Chiyah Me-Mishan
Mar Ravyah
Mar Rav Natronai
Mar Rav Yehuda (739)
Mar Rav Yosef (748)
Mar Rav Shmuel
Mar Rav Natroi Kahana
Mar Rav Avrohom Kahana (761)
Mar Rav Dodai
Rav Chananya (771)
Rav Maika (773)
Mar Rav Rava
Mar Rav Shinoi (782)
Mar Rav Chaninah Gaon Kahana (785)
Mar Rav Huna Mar Halevi (788)
Mar Rav Menasheh (796)
Mar Rav Yeshaya Halevi (804)
Mar Rav Kahanah Gaon (797)
Mar Rav Yosef
Mar Rav Ibomai Gaon (814)
Mar Rav Yosef
Mar Rav Avrohom
Mar Rav Yosef (834)
Mar Rav Yitzchak (839)
Mar Rav Yosef (841)
Mar Rav Poltoi (858)
Mar Rav Achai Kahana
Mar Rav Menachem (860)
Mar Rav Matisyahu (869)
Rav Mar Abba
Mar Rav Tzemach Gaon (891)
Mar Rav Hai Gaon (897)
Mar Rav Kimoi Gaon (905)
Mar Rav Yehuda (917)
Mar Rav Mevasser Kahana Gaon (926)
Rav Kohen Tzedek (935)
Mar Rav Tzemach Gaon (937)
Rav Chaninah Gaon (943)
Mar Rav Aharon Hacohen (959)
Mar Rav Nechemiah (968)
Rav Sherirah Gaon (1006)
Meshulam Hagadol
Rav Gershom Meor Hagolah (1040)
Rav Yaakov ben Yakar (1064)
Rav Shlomo Yitzchaki - '"Rashi'" (1105)
R' Shmuel ben Meir (Rashbam) (1174)
R' Yaakov ben Meir (Rabbenu Tam) (1171)
Eliezer Me-Metz (1175)
Rokeach (1238)
R' Yitzchak of Vienna (Ohr Zaruah)
Rav Meir of Rothenberg (1293)
R' Yitzchak of Duren (Shaarei Durah)
R' Alexander Zusiein Hakohen (Agudah) (1348)
Meir Bar Baruch Halevi (1390)
R' Sholom of Neustadt
R' Yaakov Moelin (Maharil) (1427)
R' Yisroel Isserlein (Trumas Hadeshen) (1460)
R' Tavoli
Rabbi Yaakov Margolies (1501)
Rabbi Yaakov Pollak (1530)
Rabbi Sholom Shachna (1558)
Rabbi Moshe Isserles '"Rama'" (1572)
Rabbi Yehoshua Falk Katz (1614)
Rabbi Naftoli Hirsch ben Pesachya (1650)
Rabbi Moshe Rivkas - '"Be'er Hagolah'" (1671)
Rabbi Avraham Gombiner (1682)
Rabbi Moshe @#%$ (1688)
Rabbi Eliyahu Chasid (1710)
Rabbi Yissachar Ber (1740)
Rabbi Shlomo Zalman (1765)
Rabbi Eliyahu @#%$ - '"Vilna Gaon'" (1797)
Rabbi Chaim Voloziner (1821)
Rabbi Zundel of Salant (1866)
Rabbi Yisroel Salanter (1883)
Rabbi Simcha Zissel of Chelm (1888)
Rabbi Yerucham Lebovitz

We have families who can trace themselves back to Hillel, King David and Aaron (Moses' brother). DNA is proving these links to be true. . .

Now you contrast for me the validity in 3 million eye witnesses teaching it l'dor v'dor (from generation to generation) with some unknown authors who say they individually witnessed certain things -- and of these "eye witnesses" none tell the same story. . .


And everything that Sarah tells you, listen to her voice. Genesis, 21:12