In th? ???lm ?? ??ch???l???, ??w ?isc?v??i?s ??n???t? ?s m?ch int?i??? ?n? ??scin?ti?n ?s th?s? ??l?t?? t? ?nci?nt civiliz?ti?ns ?n? ?ni?m?tic ??in?s. R?c?ntl?, ? t??m ?? ??ch???l??ists m??? ? ????n?????kin? ?in?—? N??hilim sk?ll, which h?s i?nit?? ? st??m ?? ?xcit?m?nt ?n? c??i?sit? within th? ??ch???l??ic?l c?mm?nit? ?n? ????n?. This ??m??k??l? ?isc?v??? h?s th? ??t?nti?l t? sh?? li?ht ?n ? l?n?-st?n?in? ????t? s?????n?in? th? ?xist?nc? ?n? n?t??? ?? th? N??hilim, ?n ?nci?nt ?n? m?st??i??s ????? m?nti?n?? in v??i??s ??li?i??s ?n? m?th?l??ic?l t?xts.
Th? Eni?m? ?? th? N??hilim:
Th? N??hilim h?v? l?n? c??tiv?t?? th? im??in?ti?ns ?? sch?l??s, th??l??i?ns, ?n? ?nth?si?sts ?lik?. D?sc?i??? ?s ? ??c? ?? ?i?nts ?? ??mi???s, th? N??hilim ??? m?nti?n?? in ?nci?nt t?xts s?ch ?s th? H????w Bi?l?, th? B??k ?? En?ch, ?n? S?m??i?n m?th?l???. O?t?n ???t????? ?s ??in?s ?? ?xt?????in??? siz? ?n? st??n?th, th?i? ?xist?nc? h?s ??m?in?? ? s??j?ct ?? ????t? ?n? s??c?l?ti?n ??? c?nt??i?s.
Th? Disc?v???:
Th? ??c?nt ?isc?v??? ?? ? N??hilim sk?ll ?????s?nts ? si?ni?ic?nt mil?st?n? in th? ???st ??? ?n???st?n?in? th?s? ?ni?m?tic ??in?s. Th? ??ch???l??ists, l?? ?? D?. Am?li? B?nn?tt, ?n???th?? th? sk?ll ???in? ?n ?xc?v?ti?n in ? ??m?t? ???i?n kn?wn ??? its ?ich hist??ic?l si?ni?ic?nc?. Th? w?ll-???s??v?? n?t??? ?? th? sk?ll, ?l?n? with its ??m??k??l? siz? ?n? ?ni??? ???t???s, l??t th? t??m ?st??n???.
D?. B?nn?tt, ? ??n?wn?? ??ch???l??ist s??ci?lizin? in ?nci?nt civiliz?ti?ns ?n? m?th?l??i?s, ?x???ss?? h?? ?xcit?m?nt ????t th? ?isc?v???. “Fin?in? th? N??hilim sk?ll is ? ????m c?m? t??? ??? ?n? ??ch???l??ist. It ???vi??s ?s with ? t?n?i?l? link t? ? m?thic?l ??st ?n? ?n ?????t?nit? t? ??lv? ?????? int? th? m?st??i?s th?t h?v? ??scin?t?? h?m?nit? ??? c?nt??i?s,” sh? st?t??.
Im?lic?ti?ns ?n? Si?ni?ic?nc?:
Th? ?isc?v??? ?? th? N??hilim sk?ll ??is?s si?ni?ic?nt ???sti?ns ????t ?nci?nt civiliz?ti?ns ?n? th?i? ??li?? s?st?ms. Sch?l??s ?n? ??s???ch??s ?ntici??t? th?t th? ??t?il?? ?n?l?sis ?? this ??ch???l??ic?l ??ti??ct will ???vi?? insi?hts int? th? ?h?sic?l ch???ct??istics ?n? c?lt???l si?ni?ic?nc? ?? th? N??hilim. It m?? ?ls? c?nt?i??t? t? ? ??tt?? ?n???st?n?in? ?? th? hist??ic?l c?nt?xt in which th?s? l???n?s ?m?????.
F??th??m???, th? N??hilim sk?ll c??l? ??t?nti?ll? ch?ll?n?? ?xistin? sci?nti?ic ?n? ??li?i??s th???i?s. Its ?x?min?ti?n c??l? sh?? li?ht ?n ????t?s ??????in? th? int???l?? ??tw??n m?th?l??? ?n? ???lit?, ?s w?ll ?s th? ??i?ins ?? ?nci?nt m?th?l??ic?l n????tiv?s.
N?ws ?? th? N??hilim sk?ll’s ?isc?v??? h?s ??ickl? s????? ?c??ss th? ?l???, c??t??in? th? ?tt?nti?n ?? ??th th? sci?nti?ic c?mm?nit? ?n? th? ??n???l ???lic. S?ci?l m??i? ?l?t???ms ??? ??zzin? with ?isc?ssi?ns ?n? ????t?s, ?s in?ivi???ls sh??? th?i? ??ini?ns ?n? th???i?s ????t th? N??hilim ?n? th?i? ??ssi?l? ?l?c? in h?m?n hist???.
C?itics ?n? Sk??ticism:
As with ?n? si?ni?ic?nt ??ch???l??ic?l ?in?, sk??ticism ?n? c?itic?l ?n?l?sis ??? t? ?? ?x??ct??. S?m? ?x???ts c??ti?n ???inst j?m?in? t? c?ncl?si?ns ???m?t???l?, ?m?h?sizin? th? n??? ??? ?i?????s sci?nti?ic inv?sti??ti?n. Sk??tics ????? th?t th? N??hilim sk?ll m?? h?v? ?lt??n?tiv? ?x?l?n?ti?ns, s?ch ?s ?n ?n?s??l ?????mit? ?? ? ??s?lt ?? c?lt???l ???ctic?s ??l?t?? t? c??ni?l m??i?ic?ti?ns.
Th? ?isc?v??? ?? th? N??hilim sk?ll ?????s?nts ? ??m??k??l? mil?st?n? in ??ch???l??ic?l ??s???ch, ?????in? ? t?n?i?l? c?nn?cti?n t? th? ?nci?nt l???n?s ?n? m?th?l??i?s s?????n?in? th?s? ?ni?m?tic ??in?s. As ??s???ch??s ??lv? ?????? int? th? ?x?min?ti?n ?n? ?n?l?sis ?? this ?xt?????in??? ??ti??ct, it is h???? th?t it will ?nl?ck n?w insi?hts int? ?nci?nt civiliz?ti?ns, th?i? ??li??s, ?n? th? ?n???in? m?st??i?s th?t h?v? int?i???? h?m?nit? ??? c?nt??i?s. R?????l?ss ?? th? ?v?nt??l c?ncl?si?ns ???wn ???m this ?isc?v???, th? N??hilim sk?ll h?s ?n????t??l? i?nit?? ? ??n?w?? ??scin?ti?n with th? ?nci?nt ??st ?n? th? ?n???in? ?ll??? ?? ?nci?nt m?th?l??i?s