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MIAMI (AP) — Ben Carson is standing by his belief that Egypt's pyramids were built by the Biblical figure Joseph to store grain -- and not as tombs for pharaohs.
In a video that was posted online this week by Buzzfeed News from 17 years ago, Carson referred to the Old Testament story of Joseph predicting famine and advising the pharaoh to store extra food. And Carson said his belief that the pyramids were used to store grain is more likely than the conclusion accepted by archaeologists, who believe the massive structures were built as tombs.
At a book signing today in Florida, Carson said, "Some people believe in the Bible like I do and don't find that to be silly at all." He accused "secular progressives" of trying to "ridicule it every time it comes up."
It's not clear, though, that Carson's Seventh-day Adventist Church or any other major Jewish or Christian denomination shares his view on the pyramids. Carson hasn't claimed that the idea is supported by the tenets of his church.
A spokesman for the Seventh-Day Adventist Church says Carson's beliefs are "his own interpretation." Daniel Weber says the church believes the biblical story of Joseph and the family. But he says he's "never heard the idea that pyramids were storehouses of grain."
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APPHOTO WX109: FILE - In this April 9, 2015, file photo, tourists ride camels at the historical site of the Giza Pyramids in Giza, near Cairo, Egypt. Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson says it's still his belief the great pyramids Egypt were built by the Biblical figure Joseph to store grain, and not as tombs for pharaohs. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar, File) (9 Apr 2015)
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APPHOTO WX303: FILE - In this Oct. 29, 2015 file photo, Republican presidential candidate Ben Carson speaks in Lakewood, Colo. State and local elections across the country this week produced warnings signs for both Democrats and Republicans as the parties press toward the 2016 presidential contest, now just a year away. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File) (29 Oct 2015)
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