When Will Archeologists Figure Out the Shofar


The shofar is a curved horn of a goat or other animal that has been processed to make a sound when a human blows into it. It is discussed often in the Bible. Currently, conservative politicians use it or refer to it as a symbol of political battle. You can buy one on Amazon.

So far as I can tell, the only information about the shofar comes from religious sources. The trumpet, not as old, was used to send instructions to troops during battle. Not a religious use, as I understand. It  would be helpful if lots of them were found and it was possible to figure out what they were used for.

If the shofar sound carries better than the human voice or drums, why would it not have been used in prehistoric times for practical and daily communication? If the trumpet was used to direct troops why would not the shofar, thousands of years older, have been used for communication? It seems to me the religious use would have been a later adaptation.  

That said, I admit to finding symbols used by the religious right entertaining. They start every written rant against gay marriage with a picture of a gay marriage wedding cake. The two men in tuxes are aways featured. 

Conservative Christianity is good at finding symbols that carry emotional baggage and milking them to the max. The shofar joins the two men in tuxes and well as the baby picture in anti-abortion. We who oppose this stuff cannot do much about it. We have no pictures of nothing that jack up emotions.  

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