Does Archaeology Support the Bible?
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In every area, the evidence has been
forthcoming: God has vindicated His Word, and His Book is a genuine writing,
with prophecies and revelation that must be taken seriously.
Follow the biblical record from Genesis to Revelation! This informative and beautiful book reveals discoveries that either
confirm or illustrate the biblical narrative with over 200 full color images.
It is a biblical
principle that matters of testimony should be established by the mouths of two
or three witnesses. According to Hebrew law, no person could be found guilty of
an offense without properly attested evidence from witnesses, even though this
law was put aside at the trial of Jesus.
When it comes to
the Word of God, a similar principle is demonstrated from the modern science of
archaeology. We are told in Psalm 85:11, “Truth shall spring out of the
earth,” and in Psalm 119:89, “Forever, O Lord, Your word is
settled in heaven.” God’s Word is sure. It outlasts human generations,
and in His own time God vindicates its truth. This puts
God’s Word in a unique category: it is the “other side” of the two-way
communication pattern between God and man. Man’s speech distinguishes him
uniquely from all the animals, and God’s written Word distinguishes His special
communication to man as immeasurably superior to all other supposed
revelations.
According to that biblical principle
of “two or three witnesses,” we shall now select evidences that support the
truth and accuracy of God’s Word. In every area, the evidence has been
forthcoming: God has vindicated His Word, and His Book is a genuine writing,
with prophecies and revelation that must be taken seriously. His Book is unique
because it is His Book.
Those inspired men of old wrote down
God’s message, applicable to themselves in their own times, and also applicable
to men and women across the centuries, right down to the present century. The
Bible is the “other side” of the Christian’s study of the miracle of language.
It is God’s chosen way of revealing His thoughts—the deep things which are
unsearchable except by the revelation of the Holy Spirit.
In the following outline we suggest
certain divisions of the Word of God. Then we list three significant evidences
from archaeology to confirm that the witness is sufficient to cause the case to
be accepted for each section—God’s Word is indeed Truth.
Major Evidences Regarding Genesis 1–11
One
of the Babylonian Creation Tablets, Enuma Elish
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| Part
of the Gilgamesh Epic |
Part
of the Gilgamesh Epic
Genesis 1–11 is the “seed-plot
of the Bible,” an introduction to Abraham and great doctrines, such as God the
Creator, Friend, Revealer, Judge, Redeemer, Restorer, and Sustainer. It is
actual history, and it is a summary of beginnings.
1. Enuma Elish—This is the Babylonian Creation
Record. We also have the Ebla Creation Tablet. The Bible record is clearly superior to this as the Enuma Elish has creation
from pre-existing matter, which really isn’t creation at all. The Bible is the
true account of this historical event.
2. The Epic of Gilgamesh includes the
Babylonian Flood Story. Again, the biblical record is greatly superior. As
Nozomi Osanai wrote in her master’s thesis on a comparison between Noah’s Flood
and the Gilgamish Epic, “According to the specifics, scientific reliability,
internal consistency, the correspondence to the secular records, and the
existence of common elements among the flood traditions around the world, the
Genesis account seems to be more acceptable as an accurate historical record.”1
3. Long-living Kings at Kish (Sumer)—These kings
supposedly lived from 10,000 to 64,000 years ago. The Bible’s record is
conservative and is the true account, while the Babylonian and other traditions
have been embellished over time. It was later realized that the Babylonians had
two bases for arithmetic calculations, based on either tens or sixties. When
the records were retranslated using the system of tens rather than sixties,
they came to a total within 200 years of the biblical record.
Major Evidences Regarding Genesis 11–36
This section contains Patriarchal
records, with special reference to Abraham, the father of the Hebrews.
1. Abraham’s home city
of Ur was excavated by Sir Leonard Woolley, with surprising evidence of
near-luxury.2
2.
The customs of Patriarchal times, as described in the Bible, are
endorsed by archaeological finds at such places as Ur, Mari, Boghazkoi, and
Nineveh. These were written records from that day—not just put down in writing
many centuries later. They bear the marks of eyewitness reporting.
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| Ur Nammu, the king of Ur |
Thus, Abraham’s relationship with Hagar is seen in a different light by
understanding that the woman who could not personally bear a child for her
husband should provide him with one of her maidservants. In the Bible record we
are told that it was Sarah who made the approach to Abraham, and her maid Hagar
was a willing accomplice in having Abraham’s child. Thus, she gained economic
security and personal prestige. We stress it was not Abraham who made the first
approach to Hagar, but Abraham’s wife Sarah did in keeping with the customs of
the day.
The records of the five kings who
fought against four kings (Genesis 14) are
interesting, in that the names of the people concerned fit the known words and
names of the times.
3. Abraham’s
negotiations with the Hittites (Genesis 23) are
accurate and follow the known forms of such Hittite transactions. Neo-Hittites
came later, but there were distinct language relationships. The Bible was right
in calling the earlier people “sons of Hatti” or “Hittites.”
Interestingly, the
Hittite word for retainers, which means “servants
trained in a man’s own household” is hanakim (Genesis 14:14). This term is used only here in the
Bible. Execration texts of the Egyptians (found on fragments of ceramic pots,
which seem to have been used in ritual magic cursing of surrounding peoples)
gives us the meaning of this term, and it is correctly used in the Bible record
in Genesis 14.
Major Evidences Regarding Genesis 37–50
This section tells us the history of
Joseph, the son of Jacob and great-grandson of Abraham. His brothers sell him
to the Ishmaelites who sell him to an Egyptian eunuch. Joseph becomes
successful in Egypt and helps to settle all of Israel there.
1. Known Egyptian
titles such as “captain of the guard” (Genesis 39:1), “overseer” (Genesis 39:4), “chief of the butlers” and “chief
of the bakers” (Genesis 40:2), “father to the
Pharaoh” (actually “father to the gods,” which to Joseph was blasphemous
because he could not accept Pharaoh as a manifestation of Ra the sun god;
Joseph Hebraized the title, so that he did not dishonor the Lord), “Lord of
Pharaoh’s House” (the palace), and “Ruler of all Egypt” (Genesis 45:8) attest to the historicity of this
account.
2. Joseph’s
installation as vizier (chief minister) is very similar to other recorded
ceremonies. His new name was Zaphnath-Paaneah, meaning “head of the sacred
college” (Genesis 41:41–45). Other Egyptian
phrases and other local color are also plentiful throughout the record (e.g.,
embalming and burial practices [Genesis 50]).
3. The Dead Sea
Scrolls make the number of the people of Jacob 75, not 70, in Genesis 46:27, thus correcting a scribal error and
showing that Stephen’s figure was right (Acts 7:14).3
Major Evidences Regarding Exodus to Deuteronomy
The
Eshnunna Law Code dating to c.1900 BC
These are the other four books of the
Pentateuch, written by Moses, and probably at times in consultation with Aaron,
the chief priest, and Joshua, the military leader.
1.
The Law of Moses was written by a man raised in the courts of pharaoh,
and it was greatly superior to other law codes, such as those of the Babylonian
king Hammurabi, and the Eshnunna code that was found near modern Baghdad.
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| The Eshnunna Law Code |
2.
The covenant forms of the writings of Moses follow the same format as
those of the Hittites, as endorsed by Professor George Mendenhall. The law code
is a unity, dating to about 1500 BC (the time of Moses). These writings come
from one source only, and there is no one to fit this requirement at this time
except Moses. Ethical concepts of the Law were not too early for Moses, despite
earlier hypercriticism. (Ebla tablets from Syria pre-date Moses and, for
example, include penalties against rape.)
At this point it is relevant to comment on two world-famous
archaeologists with whom I had the privilege of working as an area supervisor
with the American Schools of Oriental Research at the excavation of Gezer in
Israel many years ago. Each of them (at two separate excavations) gave
wonderful lectures to 140 American college students.
At the time of his lecture, Professor Nelson Glueck stated, “I have
excavated for thirty years with a Bible in one hand and a trowel in the other,
and in matters of historical perspective I have never found the Bible to be in
error.” Being a world-class Jewish scholar, Professor Glueck would have meant
the Old Testament when he referred to the Bible, but it is also true that at
least on one occasion, to my knowledge, he defended the accuracy of the New
Testament writings as well.
The other lecture was given by Professor George Ernest Wright of Harvard
University. He spoke on the validity of the writings of Moses, especially the
covenant documents in the Pentateuch. He stated that the research of Professor
George Mendenhall had led to the conclusion—with which he agreed—that the
covenant documents of Moses were a unity and must be dated to approximately 1500
BC.
In further conversation after the lecture, Professor Wright told me that
he had lectured for 30 years to graduate students—especially at Harvard—and he
had told them that they could forget Moses in the Pentateuch. He now
acknowledged that for thirty years he had been wrong, and that Moses really had
been personally involved in the actual writing of the Pentateuch.
3. The ten plagues or
judgments against the leading gods of
Egypt (Exodus 12:12) are seen as real
judgments, with a leading god of Egypt selected for judgment with each of the
plagues.
Major Evidences Regarding Joshua to Saul
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| Canaanite
deities, Baal and Asherah |
This section includes the conquest,
the judges, and the early kingdom.
1.
Deities such as Baal, Asherah, and Dagan are properly identified in
association with the right people.
2. City-states are
also identified (e.g., Hazor as “the head of those kingdoms” [Joshua 11:10]. The excavation of Hazor
corroborated its great size).
3. Saul’s head and
armor were put into two temples at Beth-Shan. Both Philistine and Canaanite
temples were found. The Bible record was endorsed when such an endorsement
seemed unlikely (1 Samuel 31:9–10 and 1 Chronicles 10:10).
Major Evidences Regarding David to Solomon
At this time the Kingdom of Israel is
established.
1. David’s elegy at
Saul’s death is an accurate reflection of the literary style of his times.
Excavations at Ras Shamra (the ancient Ugarit in Syria) clarified various
expressions, such as “upsurgings of the deep” instead of “fields of offerings”
as in 2 Samuel 1:21.
2. Following the
discovery of the Ugaritic library, it has become clear that the Psalms of David
should be dated to his times and not to the Maccabean period, 800 years later,
as critics claimed. The renowned scholar William Foxwell Albright wrote, “To
suggest that the Psalms of David should be dated to the Maccabean period is
absurd.”4
3. Solomonic cities
such as Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer (1 Kings 9:15) have been excavated. Solomon even
used similar blueprints for some duplicated buildings.
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| The
entrance to the Solomonic City of Gezer |
Major Evidences Regarding the Assyrian Period
This was the time of “The Reign of
Terror,” not long after Solomon’s death.
1. Isaiah 20:1 was challenged by critics
because they knew of no king named Sargon in lists of Assyrian kings. Now
Sargon’s palace has been recovered at Khorsabad, including a wall inscription
and a library record endorsing the battle against the Philistine city of Ashdod
(mentioned in Isaiah 20:1).
2. Assyrian titles
such as tartan (commander-in-chief ), and several others,
are used casually yet confidently by Bible writers.
Other Assyrian titles such as rabmag, rabshakeh, and tipsarru were also used by Bible writers. As the
Assyrians disappeared from history after the Battle of Carchemish in 605 BC,
this retention of “obsolete” words is a strong pointer to the eyewitness nature
of the records. Thus it points also to the genuineness of the prophecies
because the same men who wrote the historical facts also wrote prophecies.
3. The death of
Sennacherib is recorded at Isaiah 37:38 and 2 Kings 19:37 and is confirmed in the records
of Sennacherib’s son, Esarhaddon. It was later added to by Esarhaddon’s son
Ashur-bani-pal.
Various details about Nineveh and the
account of Jonah point to the Bible’s historicity. The symbol of Nineveh was a
pregnant woman with a fish in her womb.
Adad-Nirari III, who might have been
the king of Jonah’s time, introduced remarkable reforms—possibly after the
message of the prophet Jonah. Adad-Nirari’s palace was virtually alongside the
later construction of what is known as “Nebi Yunis” (“the prophet Jonah”). That
structure is the supposed site of the tomb of Jonah, and although that is
unlikely, the honoring of Jonah is very interesting.
Major Evidences Regarding the Babylonians and Nebuchadnezzar
Nebuchadnezzar sacked Jerusalem and
took Judah into captivity.
1. Daniel knew that
Nebuchadnezzar was responsible for the splendor of Babylon (Daniel 4:30). This was unknown to modern
historians until it was confirmed by the German professor Koldewey, who
excavated Babylon approximately 100 years ago.
2.
We now know from the Babylonian Chronicle that the date of
Nebuchadnezzar’s capture of Jerusalem was the night of March 15/16, 597 BC. We
also know that Belshazzar really was the king of Babylon at this time because
his father Nabonidus, who was undertaking archaeological research, was away
from Babylon for about 10 years. He appointed his son Belshazzar as co-regent
during that time.
3. Prophecies against
Babylon (e.g., Jeremiah 51, (52)) have been
literally fulfilled. Nebuchadnezzar wrote that the walls of Babylon would be a
perpetual memorial to his name, but Jeremiah said, “The broad walls of Babylon
shall be utterly broken” (Jeremiah 51:58). Jeremiah, inspired by God, has
been confirmed.
Major Evidences Regarding Cyrus and the Medes and Persians
The Medes and the Persians took over
after the Babylonians.
1. Cyrus became king
over the Medes and Persians. We read of Cyrus when his name was recorded
prophetically inIsaiah 44:28 and 45:1. He issued the
famous Cyrus Decree that allowed captive peoples to return to their own lands (2 Chronicles 36:22–23 and Ezra 1:1–4). The tomb of Cyrus has been found.
2.
God was in control of His people’s history—even using a Gentile king to
bring His purposes to pass. The Cyrus Cylinder (a clay cylinder found in 1879
inscribed in Babylonian cuneiform with an account of Cyrus’ conquest of Babylon
in 539 BC) confirms that Cyrus had a conquest of Babylon.
3. Some Jews remained
in Babylon, as shown in the book of Esther. The type of “unchanging” laws of
the Medes and Persians shown therein (Esther 1:19) is endorsed from Aramaic documents
recovered from Egypt.
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| The
Cyrus Cylinder—Isaiah referred to him prophetically |
Major Evidences Regarding Ezra and Nehemiah
Part of the restored wall of Nehemiah
This was the time of the resettlement
in the land after the exile in Babylon.
1.
Elephantine papyri, the Dead Sea Scrolls, Targums of Job, etc., show
that Aramaic was then in use, as Ezra indicates.
2. Sanballat was, as
the Bible says, the Governor of Samaria (Nehemiah 4 and 6), though it was
claimed by many writers that Sanballat was much later than Nehemiah. Several
Sanballats are now known, and recovered letters even refer to Johanan (Nehemiah 12:13). Geshem the Arab (Nehemiah 6) is also known. Despite longstanding
criticisms, Ezra and Nehemiah are accurate records of an actual historical
situation.
3.
The letters about Sanballat (above) clear up a dating point regarding
Nehemiah. Nehemiah’s time was with Artaxerxes I who ruled from 465 to 423 BC,
not Artaxerxes II. This illustrates the preciseness with which Old Testament
dating is very often established by modern research.
Major Evidences Regarding the Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls
1.
After approximately 2,000 years of being buried in caves near the Dead
Sea, these scrolls came to light again in AD 1947. The Jews were searching for
a Messiah or Messiahs—the king-like David, the great High Priest of the people
of Israel, the High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, the prophet like
Moses, and possibly the pierced Messiah.
I say “possibly the pierced Messiah” because this refers only to a very
small fragment. Also, the future and the imperfect tenses in the Hebrew
language are very often the same and can only be determined by the context.
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| Part of the main Scroll of Isaiah
recovered alongside the Dead Sea |
In this case the prophecy could be
saying that the expected Messiah will be “pierced” or that “he was pierced.” Isaiah 11:4 states, “And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the
wicked [emphasis added].” And in the NASB, Isaiah 53:5 says, “He
was pierced throughfor our transgressions [emphasis added].”
Both statements are relevant, for in fact the Messiah was pierced, and in a coming judgment those who
have rejected the Messiah will be pierced.
2.
The Scrolls have provided copies of most of the Old Testament, for
fragments of every Old Testament book except Esther have been found in Hebrew,
about 1,000 years earlier than previous extant Hebrew copies. (A writing from
the book of Esther is found in another scroll.)
3.
Considerable light was thrown on New Testament backgrounds and on the
Jewish nature of John’s Gospel. For example, contrasts such as “light and
darkness” are common to John and the “War Scroll,” a text that describes the
eschatological last battle; and Hebrew was still a living language, not just a
priestly language.
The Dead Sea Scroll
of Isaiah also shows an old form of the Hebrew letter “tau,” which looks like
an “X” in the margin of the scroll. It occurs 11 times, at Isaiah 32:1, 42:1, 42:5, 42:19, 44:28, 49:5–7, 55:3–4, 56:1–2, 56:3, 58:13, and Isaiah 66:5. As already stated, both the records
of the Assyrians and the Dead Sea Scrolls (with a near-complete copy of Isaiah)
were totally hidden from human eyes for about 2,000 years. Most of the content
of these two sources overlapped and thus confirmed the evidence for the
genuineness of the prophecies of Isaiah.
An important point about the finding
of these scrolls is that they relate to the uncovering of the Assyrian palaces
from the 1840s onwards. Isaiah gives a number of historical facts relating to
the Assyrians that remarkably confirm the accuracy of Isaiah.
Possibly, the
finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls is one of the most wonderful facts regarding
the relevance of biblical archaeology and the Bible.5
Major Evidences Regarding the Person of Our Lord Jesus
Events surrounding the words and
actions of Jesus have been authenticated by archaeological discoveries.
1.
Problems about the census at the time of our Lord’s birth have been
resolved by the findings of important papyrus documents. These documents were
found in Egypt inside sacred, embalmed crocodiles. The documents were the
Jewish priestly writings that were written immediately before, during, and just
after New Testament times.
The excavators Granfell and Hunt reported that their evidence showed
that this was the first census (poll tax—enrollment) that took place in the
time of Quirinius. (Another inscription has shown that Quirinius was in Syria
twice—first as a military leader at a time of civil unrest, and later as
Governor of Syria.) The census was probably delayed in Palestine because of
that civil unrest.
2. Those papyrus
findings have thrown much light on the words our Lord used. It is indeed true
that He spoke the language of His time on earth (Mark 12:37).
3. Pilate is now
better known because of a recovered inscription at Caesarea. The John Rylands
papyrus (AD 125) records part of the trial before Pilate, fragments of which
are recorded in John 18:31–33, 37–38.
Major Evidences Regarding the New Testament, the Early Church, and the
Early Years of Christianity
The documents of the New Testament
have been validated as accurate historical documents.
1.
The papyrii from those Egyptian “talking crocodiles” have demonstrated
that the New Testament documents are remarkable records of the times claimed
for them in the language of “everyday” people. Those everyday expressions from
Paul’s time have also thrown much light on Paul’s writings themselves.
2.
The findings of Sir William Ramsay and his successors in Asia Minor
reestablished the veracity of Luke the historian and other New Testament
writers.
The three Bible writings most attacked by critics were the Moses’ Pentateuch,
Ezra/Nehemiah, and Luke. Every one of these has been remarkably confirmed as
being accurate and reliable by the research of credible scholars.
3. A flood of evidence
shows the continuity between the New Testament documents (e.g., the Rylands
Papyrus with parts of John 18:31–33 on one side and John 18:37–38 on the other) and the abundant
evidence from the secular Roman writers and the early church fathers.
Does Archaeology Prove the Bible?
Even when
excavators are digging to uncover a past time period dealt with in the Bible,
it is by no means sure that direct biblical history will be unearthed. Such
findings are hoped for, not only by Bible students, but by disinterested
archaeologists as well, because they know that they must take Bible records
seriously. A link with Bible history is an excellent dating point, always
desirable but not possible or achieved. These findings are excellent confirmations of God’s Word, as opposed to
“proving the Bible.”
Archaeologists are scholars, usually
academics with interest in the Bible as an occasional source book. A
substantial number of scholarly archaeologists are committed Christians, but
they are a minority. Many people believe that all archaeologists set out to
verify biblical history, but that is not the case. Many excavators have
virtually no interest in the Bible, but there are notable exceptions.
Superiority despite Attacks by Critics
We have already
said that we do not use the statement: “Archaeology proves the Bible.” In fact,
such a claim would be putting archaeology above the Bible. What happens when seemingly assured results of
archaeology are shown to be wrong after all? Very often archaeology does
endorse particular Bible events. And some would say that in this way it “proves
the Bible.” But such a statement should be taken with reservation because
archaeology is the support, not the main foundation.
SEEMINGLY ASSURED RESULTS “DISPROVING” THE BIBLE
HAVE A HABIT OF BACKFIRING.
Thousands of facts in the Bible are
not capable of verification because the evidence has long since been lost.
However, it is remarkable that where confirmation is possible and has come to
light, the Bible survives careful investigation in ways that are unique in all
literature. Its superiority to attack, its capacity to withstand criticism, and
its amazing facility to be proved right are all staggering by any standards of
scholarship. Seemingly assured results “disproving” the Bible have a habit of
backfiring.
Over and over again
the Bible has been vindicated from Genesis to Revelation. The superiority of Genesis 1–11 has been established, and the
patriarchal backgrounds have been endorsed. The writings of Moses do date to his time, and the record of the
conquest of Canaan under Joshua has many indications of eyewitness recording.
David’s Psalms were clearly products
of his time, and records about Solomon should no longer be written off as
“legendary.” Solomon was a literary giant, a commercial magnate, and a powerful
ruler—under God. God alone gave Israel their “golden age.”
The Assyrian period has given
dramatic confirmation to biblical records, with excavations of palace after
palace over the last 150 years. Such excavations constantly add to our
understanding of the background to Old Testament kings, prophets, peoples, and
incidents.
The exile in Babylon is endorsed at
various points, and the Cyrus Decree makes it clear that captured people could
return to their own lands and worship according to their own beliefs. Ezra and
Nehemiah are accurate reflections of that post-exilic period.
Likewise, the New Testament documents
have been consistently demonstrated as factual, eyewitness records. Kings,
rulers, and officials are named unerringly; titles are used casually but with
remarkable accuracy; geographic boundaries are highlighted; and customs are
correctly touched on.
It is indeed true
that “truth shall spring out of the earth” (Psalm 85:11).
Archaeology as It Relates to the Biblical Record
Our understanding of essential
biblical doctrine has never changed because of archaeological findings. It
should be acknowledged, however, that at times it has been necessary to look
again to see just what the Bible is actually saying. There have been times when
new light has been thrown on words used in Scripture in both Old and New
Testaments.
We have seen that the titles of
officials of Israel’s neighbors are now better understood and that many words
are better understood because of the records in clay, on papyrus, and on stone.
The Old Testament is an ancient book,
not a modern record, and its style is that of the East and not the West. At
times it must be interpreted, based on its context, in the symbolic and
figurative style of the Jews of ancient times, and not according to the
“scientific precision” of our modern materialistic age.
Sometimes the Bible uses “the
language of phenomena”—as when it refers to the sun rising. Scientifically
speaking, the earth is what “rises.” However, though the Bible is not a science
textbook, it is yet wonderfully true that where the Bible touches on science it
is astonishingly accurate.
The more this new science of
archaeology touches the records of the Bible, the more we are convinced that it
is a unique record. At many points it is greatly superior to other writings
left by neighboring people.
We have not said, “Archaeology proves
the Bible,” and we do not suggest it. To do so would be quite wrong, even
though such a statement is often made by those introducing a lecturer on
biblical archaeology. The Bible itself is the absolute; archaeology is not. If
archaeology could prove the Bible, archaeology would be greater than the Bible,
but it is not. The Bible comes with the authority of almighty God. It is His
Word, and He is greater than all else.
Nevertheless, archaeology has done a
great deal to restore confidence in the Bible as the revealed Word of God. It
has thrown a great deal of light on previously obscure passages and has helped
us to understand customs, culture, and background in many ways that seemed most
unlikely to our fathers in a previous generation. Archaeology is highly
relevant for understanding the Bible today.
The Value of Archaeology for the Bible Student
Archaeology has done a great deal to
cause many scholars to take the Bible much more seriously. It has touched the
history and culture of Israel and her neighbors at many points and has often
surprised researchers by the implicit accuracy of its statements.
If it can be shown (as it can) that
the Bible writers lived and gave their message against the backgrounds claimed
for them, it becomes clear that their amazing prophetic messages are also
genuine, written long before the events they prophesied. Consider five
important ways in which archaeology has been of great value for Bible students.
1.
Archaeology confirms Bible history, and it often shows that Bible people
and incidents are correctly referred to.
One example is that of Sargon, a king
named in Isaiah 20:1. Critics at one
time said that there was no such king. But then his palace was found at
Khorsabad, and there was a description of the very battle referred to by
Isaiah. Another illustration is the death of the Assyrian King Sennacherib. His
death is recorded in Isaiah 37 and
also in the annals of Sennacherib’s son Esarhaddon, whom Isaiah says succeeded
Sennacherib.
2.
Archaeology gives local color, indicating that the background is
authentic.
Laws and customs, gods, and religious
practices are shown to be associated with times and places mentioned in the
Bible. Rachel’s stealing her father’s clay gods illustrates the correct
understanding of customs: she and Leah asked, “Is there yet any portion or
inheritance for us in our father’s house?” (Genesis 31:14). She knew the teraphim (clay gods)
were associated with title deeds, which was a custom of that time.
3.
Archaeology provides additional facts.
Archaeological facts help the Bible student understand times and
circumstances better than would otherwise be possible. Bible writers tell us
the names of such Assyrian kings as Sennacherib and Esarhaddon, and we now know
a great deal more about these rulers from records recovered in their palaces
and libraries.
4.
Archaeology has proved of tremendous value in Bible translations.
The meanings of words and phrases are
often illuminated when found in other contexts. 2 Kings 18:17, for example, correctly uses three
Assyrian army titles. Those terms are tartan (commander-in-chief), rabshakeh (chief of the princes), and rabsaris (chief eunuch). The meanings of these
words were unknown at the time of the production of the King James Version of
the Bible in 1611.
Only when Assyrian palaces were excavated was a great deal of light
thrown onto their meanings. The fact that these titles are correctly used in
the Old Testament is another strong argument for eyewitness recording. People
do not know the titles of their enemy without some form of contact.
5.
Archaeology has demonstrated the accuracy of many Bible prophecies.
The prophecies against Nineveh, Babylon, and Tyre in Isaiah are typical
examples, as are the early records of creation in the Bible. It is also highly
important that Isaiah and others so accurately pointed to the coming Messiah.
At many points their history has been vindicated, and so have their prophecies
about Jesus.
This spiritual
application is surely one of the most important aspects of biblical
archaeology, reminding us that “holy men of God spoke as they
were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
Archaeology has done much to
demonstrate that “the Bible was right after all.” Its early records of
creation, Eden, the Flood, long-living men, and the dispersal of the nations
are not mere legends after all. Other tablets recording the same events have
been recovered, but they are often distorted and corrupted.
The Bible record is immensely
superior, and quite credible. Those early Bible records can no longer be
written off as myth or legend.
“For ever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven” (Psalm 119:89).
