Missing link between Christianity and Judaism?

Under this title the newspaper Dagen reports on Israel Knohls (prof of Biblical Stdies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem) presentations concerning Gazon Gavriel, a recently discovered Hebrew text on stone from shortly before the birth of Christ. Dagens source is an article in New York Times. The text, found near the Dead Sea, is an apocalyptic text ascribed to the angel Gabriel. According to Knohl, the text confirms his theory that the thinking of a suffering and slain Messiah, raised again from the death, was already found in Judaism before Christ became active as a teacher. The text reads at a point: “In three days you shall live (an idiom for come to life again), I, Gabriel, command you.”, adressing a "Prince of Princes". The new thing in Knohls interpretation is the word live (hayeh), which is spelled in an unusual way, but in a way occurring just in this period of time. The original publishers could not read this particular word.

Knohl thinks the text in this case may be about a certain Simon, killed by Herods army, an interpreteation apparently challenged by others. But that is not the important point. The important point for him is, that the concept of a slain an resurrected messiah was not unknown at Christs time. According to him and others, this should shake our basic view of Christianity, and, as Daniel Boyarin from Berkeley says in the articles, see a threat to the uniqueness of Christianity, others may have another view.

I find the stone very interesting a look forward to more discussions about it. By the way, one may wish to read Knohls own article in Haaretz which came already in April (apparently missed by both Dagen and NY Times) which is far more elaborate than the other two articles. If Knohl is right and the concept of a slain messiah was already more or less common in (parts of) Judaism I see no problem for Christians. No threat. Contrary, many theologians recognize the concept of a suffering messiah in Old Testament texts, the most wellknown being Isaiah 53 (Yes I know there are other interpretations as well). Many texts are interpreted as prophetic texts pointing to Christ. Of course, one can explain the texts in different ways, they may well have more than one interpretation at the same time. But if Christians are right saying that the suffering and death of Christ as well as his resurrection are foresaid in the Old Testament, it is not at all suprising to discover that the concept of the slain messiah was alive within certain parts of Judaism. It would rather be expected.
I cannot see that the discovery would pose a problem for Christianity as a swedish blogger states (http://omreligion.blogspot.com/2008/07/jesus-en-i-mngden.html). It rather clarifies a connection between Judaism and Christianity that many of us already knew is there.