Contradiction with Exodus 27:1
This verse provides specific requirements for building an altar, implying that altars should be made according to certain guidelines rather than just uncut stones.
Exodus 27:1: And thou shalt make an altar [of] shittim wood, five cubits long, and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare: and the height thereof [shall be] three cubits.
Contradiction with 1 Kings 6:7
This verse describes the construction of the temple with stones finished at the quarry, which suggests a preference for dressed stones, contradicting the notion of using unhewn stones.
1 Kings 6:7: And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe [nor] any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.
Contradiction with 2 Chronicles 4:1
This verse details the making of a brass altar, which includes specific measurements and craftsmanship, contrasting the simplicity of unhewn stone altars.
2 Chronicles 4:1: Moreover he made an altar of brass, twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits the height thereof.
Contradiction with Deuteronomy 27:5-6
Although it advises building an altar of uncut stones, the context suggests it was for a specific occasion compared to the general rule implied in Exodus 20:25.
Deuteronomy 27:5-6: And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones: thou shalt not lift up [any] iron [tool] upon them.
Paradox #1
Exodus 20:25 talks about building altars with uncut stones and not using tools on them. The potential contradiction or conflict could arise when compared to later biblical instructions where detailed craftsmanship and specific materials are prescribed for building the temple and altars. This might seem inconsistent because one set of instructions emphasizes simplicity and the other emphasizes elaborate construction.
Paradox #2
The potential contradiction in that verse revolves around the idea that using tools on stones could somehow defile or diminish them. From a scientific perspective, altering a stone with tools is a physical change, not a moral or spiritual one. The notion of defilement from using tools does not align with the scientific understanding of physical objects.
Paradox #3
The potential contradiction in Exodus 20:25 could be seen in the requirement not to use stone tools for building altars, which might seem inconsistent with the later, more elaborate temple constructions directed by God. This could contradict the earlier emphasis on simplicity and avoiding human alterations.