number of student groups. Team-Teaching is adaptable not only for Vacation Bible School but also for Sunday school, evening hour, midweek programs and even in camp ing programs. The size and function of the teach ing team for a department will vary according to the age and number of the pupils, the depth of the subject being taught, the available space and the amount of talent available. Many different teaching patterns can be developed. There are distinct advantages and disadvantages to this type of teach ing. Some of the advantages are : 1. It is appealing to the new or potential teacher as they can learn from the experienced teacher and can serve in another capacity as they begin. 2. It is easier to train new teach ers in this system. 3. It provides closer relationship between pupils and teachers. 4. It assists the gifted child to learn more rapidly which will re duce boredom and discipline diffi culties which are sometimes pres ent in our traditional programs of instruction. 5. Teachers can specialize. 6. The teacher-pupil ratio can be increased. 7. Slower pupils can be treated on a more individual level and have more opportunity to learn. 8. It allows greater variation in building structures. 9. The attention span of the pupil can be stretched. 10. A greater variety of approach es can be used. Some of the disadvantages are: 1. Additional preparation time is needed with this program. (Rota tion of teaching duties can over come this.) 2. Finding adequate discussion leaders may be a problem. 3. The program is quite student- centered and interest and ability groupings of the pupils may de crease the motivating factor of competition. All in all, however, most of the so- called disadvantages can be elimi nated. Team-teaching is relatively new and is still considered somewhat ex perimental. Consider its use for your church. Investigate this procedure in depth and attempt to adapt it for your educational program. It may assist you in creating a meaningful learning atmosphere. If you are interested in a bibliog raphy on team-teaching, please send a stamped self-addressed envelope to : Team-Teaching, c/o King’s Business.
Sc ience and the Bible by Bolton Davidheiser, Ph.D.
THE WALLS OF JERICHO
S c ie n t is t s t r y t o e x p l a i n every thing. No miracle can be accepted as such. In the past the favorite ex planation for the fall of the walls of Jericho was the sonic vibration theory. According to this theory, as the priests blew the trumpets of rams’ horns and the people shouted (Joshua, Chapter 6), the sonic vi brations caused the walls of Jericho to fall down. It is now said that this theory has been proved to be false. It is said that if the walls had fallen because of sonic vibrations, they would have fallen in a different man ner and would now be lying on the ground in a different pattern. More over, it is also said that an earth quake would not have resulted in the rocks of the wall falling in the way which they did fall. Quite conveniently, this disproof of the sonic vibration theory was not noticed until a new theory was ready to replace it. According to the new theory, Joshua sent men to under mine the walls. The marching of the Israelites around the city of Jericho each day was done in order to dis tract the people inside the city so that they would not notice the men digging under the walls. After six days of this secret digging the job was completeed, and the walls were ready to fall. It is not clear why the Israelites walked around the city seven times on the seventh day when once a day for six days gave the workmen sufficient time to complete their digging. In the end, the proponents of the new theory have to rely upon the dis carded old theory to get the walls to start falling into the excavations. It is said that the walls fell because the priests blew their rams’ horns extra loudly and the people shouted and stamped their feet, causing the vi brations to topple the walls. We know that Rahab’s house was built upon the wall, so there probably were other houses on the wall also. The people of Jericho watched the marching Israelites from the wall, the city being closed. With all this activity going on upon the wall, it would have been impossible for the
diggers to undermine it and leave it in such a delicate state of balance that it would be toppled by the vibra tions of horns, shouting, and the stamping of feet at a distance. It would be a remarkable feat for engi neers to plan such delicate digging under a massive wall with no one else around, but with people run ning around on the top of it, it is absurd. The basis for the new theory of the falling of the walls is a recent discovery about the land upon which the city of Jericho was built. About five feet below the surface is a layer of sandstone. This served as the foundation for the walls and build ings. But this layer of sandstone is only five feet thick. Below it is 50 feet of sand and then another layer of sandstone. The upper layer of sandstone is not strong enough to support a large modern building ade quately. Until engineers investigated the sinking of a modem building, it was not suspected that the rocky foundation of the city was only five feet thick. However, the modem theorists believe that these facts about the land upon which the city was built “must have been known to Joshua and his remarkable intelli gence service.” Then “with his knowledge of soil mechanics and enemy mentality” he was able to cal culate how to do the job. Incredibly, according to the report, Joshua even knew about the second layer of sand stone 60 feet below the surface of the ground. The report of the new theory of the fall of the wall ends with these words, “We thought it was a fable. Now we know how it happened and why.” It is remarkable that some one would call the Biblical account a fable and then accept a “tall story” like this. But the man who proposed the new theory is not unique. He represents many. Writing to Timothy, Paul told of a time when men will not endure sound doctrine, “and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (II Timothy 4:3, 4).
JUNE, 1968
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