Oftentimes people are not told about the archaeological discoveries that document the truths written in the Bible. We are told that science and the Bible disagree. But as is really the case: True science and the Bible do not contradict each other. We supply many short articles which show that archaeology confirms God's Written Word, The Bible. The below articles are excerpted from various Archaeological trade journals and publications including Light on Archaeology magazine, and Associates for Biblical Research.
Below we supply articles from the Associates for Biblical Research and Light on Archaeology to point the reader to the wealth of information that has literally been unearthed by the spades of patient, dedicated people which helps to confirm the historical accuracy of the Bible - God's Word. Many sights exist in the lands mentioned in the Bible where artifacts of many kinds reveal the life and customs of the people who lived there many centuries earlier. The Bible has been ridiculed and dismissed in recent times as inaccurate and unreliable. However, students of Biblical Archaeology have found that as the science of archaeology becomes more sophisticated, much more evidence is coming to light regularly that says just the opposite! Finds have been made that show us how historically accurate God's Word really is. For those of us who have been privileged to visit Israel - God's Land, it is thrilling to look down and examine the shaft that Joab climbed up to take the city of Jebus (later Jerusalem) for King David.[2 Sam 5.7-9 : 1 Chron 11.5-7] It is exciting to wade through King Hezekiah's tunnel, from the spring of Gihon to the pool of Siloam (Silwan). [2 Kings 20.20] It is fascinating to examine the actual scrolls found at Qumram by the Dead Sea and to walk around the Citadel of Jerusalem; the remains of Herod's fortress palace where Christ was paraded, mocked and then condemned by Pilate.[ Luke 23.1-25] All of these places give us visible evidence of the accuracy of the Biblical record. The following series of articles are only a small sample of the information available, but, hopefully, the object will be achieved to direct the reader to further studies of the deeper truths revealed in the Bible. So with your Bible in hand, you are invited to examine the evidence to see whether the work of the archaeologist confirms or denies God's Word.
Jericho - The Walls DID Come Tumbling Down!
After their excavation, Nigro and Marchetti announced they found no evidence for a destruction from the time of Joshua. While it is too soon for the academic community to see details of their discoveries, their announcement suggests their excavation was conducted to disprove the Biblical account of Joshua’s capture of the city. Is it further possible that the Palestinian Authority supported this dig for the express purpose of denouncing any Jewish connection to the site? As to their evidence, Dr. Bryant Wood, Director of the Associates for Biblical Research and one of the leading experts on the archaeology of Jericho, recently responded. "It matters little what the Italian archaeologists did not find in their month-long dig. The evidence is already in. Three major expeditions to the site over the past 90 years uncovered abundant evidence to support the Biblical account," he said. As Wood went on to point out, John Garstang (l 930-1936) and Kathleen Kenyon (1952-1958) both dug at Jericho for six seasons and a German excavation directed by Ernst Sellin and Carl Watzinger dug for three. All found abundant evidence of the city’s destruction by fire in a layer related to the Biblical date of 1400 BC. In September 1997, Dr. Wood visited Jericho and examined the results of the Italian excavation first hand. Incredibly, he found the Italians had uncovered the stone outer revetment wall at the base of the tell with part of the mudbrick wall built on top of it still intact. In the balk of the Italian excavation, at the outer base of the revetment wall, Wood noticed the remains of the collapsed mudbrick city walls which had tumbled. Not only did the Italians find the same evidence uncovered in the earlier excavations, it fits the Biblical story perfectly! "The Italian excavation actually uncovered most of the critical evidence relating to the Biblical story," said Wood. "But even more exciting is the fact that all the evidence from the earlier digs has disappeared over time. We only have records, drawing and photos. But the Italians uncovered a completely new section of the wall which we did not know still existed. I had my photograph taken standing next to the wall where the mudbrick collapse had just been excavated!" Unfortunately, the Italian archaeologists, the Palestinian Authorities, the Associated Press and most of the world doesn’t realize any of this. It is a sad commentary on the state of archaeology in the Holy Land, when the purpose of an excavation at a Biblical site is to disprove the Bible and disassociate the site with any historical Jewish connection. But that’s why the Associates for Biblical Research is in business. Please pray our efforts. Pray for the removal of all obstacles blocking the publication of Dr. Wood’s technical study of the pottery of Jericho. Please pray for the continued field work ABR sponsors in Israel. Please pray for our daily efforts in presenting this truth to the world. To Sling or Not to Sling -That Was Never
The Question
At our Khirbet el-Maqatir excavation 10 miles north of Jerusalem in Israel's West Bank, slingstones have been found in almost every area of the dig. These stones don't talk, but they do tell tales -- about the people who once lived there. "After three seasons of excavation, we have found nearly three dozen slingstones," said Dr. Bryant Wood, the dig's director. "Most are roughly round and slightly over two inches in diameter, from the size of a billiard ball to a tennis ball." Not naturally rounded, they all have evidence of tooling. Their size and shape suggest an early period in Palestine's history. Larger slingstones, such as these, were generally used in this region prior to the Greek period (late 4th century BC).
"Slingers are often visualized as releasing overhead, yet the best way to utilize a sling is by an underhand motion, like a softball pitcher," said Grace Kellner, Artifacts Registrar of the Kh. el-Maqatir excavation. "Elaborate wind-ups were wasted motion. One windup, like a good softball pitcher, was sufficient. One end of the sling was secured to the fingers of the throwing hand. The other end, held between thumb and forefinger, was released thus propelling the stone. Before development of the modern compound bow, ancient slingers were as effective as archers and served as an important contingent of any military force. Greek slingers were among the lightly armed troops (peltast), whose ranks also included archers and javelin throwers. The heavy infantryman (hoplite), armed for hand-to-hand combat, was considered most honorable by the ancients. Yet, the light infantry was critical to military success. Peltasts initiated battles with their shower of arrows, javelins and slingstones. They also provided cover for the heavy infantry's retreat.
Surprisingly, a good slinger hurled a stone as far and accurately as a good archer. Roman military texts recommended archery target practice at about 200 yards. Slingers are known to hurl their projectiles even farther, as much as 440 yards (quarter of a mile). As for accuracy, one ancient writer noted that the best slingers "would wound not merely the heads of their enemies but any part of the face at which they might have aimed." Experiments demonstrate that missiles leave a sling in excess of 60 miles per hour. One Roman writer noted that opponents in leather armor were in far greater danger from sling missiles than arrows. Even if the stone did not penetrate the armor, it was capable of inflicting a fatal internal injury. Unarmored bodies were easily penetrated by sling stones. In his classic medical treatise, Celsus included instructions for extracting lead and stone sling missiles from the bodies of wounded soldiers. While typical slingstones used by the Greek and Roman armies were the size of golf balls, different cultures appreciated different sizes. If fact, at some ancient Greek and Roman battle sites, archaeologists believe they can differentiate which slingstones were standard equipment for which army.
Yet, many slingstones from the Greek and Roman periods were not stone. Sun-dried pottery and lead both allowed maximum weight within minimum dimensions. Lead ballistae from the Classic period were often manufactured with inscriptions on their surface. Government-issued Greek and Roman munitions were frequently inscribed with the name of the slinger's military formation or commanding general. Other inscriptions were more creative. "Take this," "Ouch," and even "For Pompey's backside," added insult to injury. All the Kh. el-Maqatir ballistae were made of stone and none were inscribed. Naturally-rounded flint nodules were further tooled to finished form. Apparently from pre-classical periods, they average slightly over two inches in diameter and nine ounces in weight. Only one was not a flint nodule. Although slingstones are exciting artifacts, some possibly had other uses. "We can not assume that every stone we call a slingstone was used for just that purpose," said Kellner. "This was especially true in the Bronze and Iron Ages (Canaanite and Israelite periods of the Old Testament). Rounded stones were regularly used as common kitchen pounders and grinders for grinding grain and vegetables, crushing nuts, and even smashing bone marrow and roots in food preparation," she added. "Still, the widespread presence of so many slingstones suggests a battle was fought here during the Bronze Age," said Wood. Interestingly, the site is located in the territory allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. This tribe was known for an elite corps of slingers (Jgs 20:15-16; 1 Chr 12:2), many of whom were left-handed slingers. That was unusual in the ancient Near East, noted Kellner. "While David was the best-known slinger in the Bible, I suppose when you wanted a job done right, you got a left-handed Benjaminite."
In Search of a Biblical City Excavation results in 1996 in Israel provided some especially exciting discoveries. At the modern coastal site of Tel Miqne, excavators found the name of the ancient site inscribed on a buried stone monument. Twenty seven hundred years ago Tel Miqne was known by the ancient Biblical name "Ekron," the Philistine city. At Masada, the desert mountain top fortress of King Herod, archaeologists cleared an ancient garbage dump. In the debris they found pieces of a discarded ancient storage jar. Written in ink on the jar's shoulder was the Latin phrase "Herod king of the Jews." This is the first ancient inscription ever discovered with both the name and title of the infamous Jewish king who killed the babies in Bethlehem. At the northern Galilee site of Tel Hazor, four ancient clay tablets were found. Two were dated to the period of Joshua. All inscribed in cuneiform script, one mentioned the site's ancient Biblical name - "Hazor." Major digs also are taking place at numerous sites of Old Testament and New Testament cities. Ancient Hebron, the home of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; the Philistine city of Ashkelon; the imposing tell of Beth Shan; Tel Dan, famous from the Biblical phrase "from Dan to Beersheba;" the northern seaport of Dor; and ancient Hazor are yielding their secrets to the excavators' picks. New Testament period sites include Beth Shan of the Decapolis, laid out on a grid at the foot of the ancient tell; Caesarea Phillipi, the Galilean city visited by Jesus in the New Testament; the ancient port on the Sea of Galilee and home of some of the Apostles - Bethsaida; and Caesarea Maritima, the site of King Herod's famous harbor and the trials of the Apostle Paul. It is often a surprise to know that many professional archaeologists often express little interest in finding evidence related directly to the Bible. Some go so far as to reject the idea of "Biblical archaeology" and even find pleasure in debunking Biblical stories. Yet, by its very nature, archaeology in Israel is "Biblical archaeology." Almost any site which is excavated will present evidence related to either the Old or New Testament. Because archaeological excavations have taken place in Israel for over a century, it might be assumed there is nothing left to find. Famous Biblical cities like Jerusalem, Jericho, Megiddo (source of the term "Armageddon"), Shechem, Hazor and Samaria have all been excavated. Yet, only a minimal area of even these sites has been examined. The unavailability of land for digging, the cost of an excavation and the region's political situation are constant roadblocks to mounting an excavation. Along with a few dozen professionals on the archaeological staff, the typical dig deploys 100-300 volunteers, each paying their own way to participate. From their mid-teens to their seventies they come, many year after year. While each returns home with rolls of film, trinkets for friends and a souvenir piece of pottery or two, everything they excavate is off limits. By law, all excavated antiquities, regardless of who owns the land, belongs to the state of Israel. Israeli Antiquities Authority officials store the artifacts, making them available for scholars to study. Permits for excavation are only given to recognized archaeologists who must file seasonal reports and turn over all finds to the Israel Antiquities Authority. The typical excavation lasts four to eight weeks and costs hundreds of thousands of dollars. But not every excavation is a monumental enterprise. The Associates for Biblical Research, a small group of Evangelical archaeologists based in Frederick, MD, directs and sponsors two excavations in Israel every year. Neither dig is conducted with major outside funding. Work is done by volunteers who spend their own precious time and hard-earned money for the thrill of digging ancient artifacts from Bible times. Unlike most excavations, digs sponsored by the Associates for Biblical Research are small and last only two weeks. Yet their short, but focused, effort does have an upside. It allows them to thoroughly analyze all excavated material after every season and publish their results. The purpose of Associates for Biblical Research excavations focuses on locating the ancient Biblical city of Ai (pronounced "eye" in Hebrew). While the majority of archaeologists working in the region believe the site of ancient Ai has already been identified at nearby et-Tell, the archaeologists from the Associates for Biblical Research disagree. Ancient Ai was the second city captured by Joshua after entering the land of Canaan. As described in the Bible, it is substantially different from the site identified by scholars. Most archaeologists suggest the Bible simply described the city incorrectly. The Associates for Biblical Research believe archaeologists have simply identified the wrong site! Over the past 13 years they have been excavating a site eight miles north of Jerusalem, in the West Bank, known as Khirbet Nisya ("forgotten ruins"). Among the important finds uncovered here is a series of industrial installations dating to the time of Jesus. A wine press, oil press, two pottery kilns and a Jewish ritual bath demonstrate the wide range of ancient activity at the site. In 1996 at Khirbet el-Maqatir, 10 miles north of Jerusalem, an ancient gate complex and city wall system were discovered. Fragmentary pottery finds indicate both were dated to the general time period of Joshua. Over a dozen slingstones discovered in the gate area suggest a battle had been fought there. Large storage jar fragments and burned limestone blocks point to destruction and fire. Excavations at Khirbet el-Maqatir in 1997 revealed an impressive 3.8 meters wide defensive wall which was preserved to a height of 1.5 meters at its outer face, and is one of the largest defensive walls ever found in Israel. Also, a well-constructed and clearly visible approach road was discovered on the north side, which can be traced from below the northwest corner of the fortress up the hillside to the northeast corner. There was evidently a gate located here. While much of the architecture in this area has been robbed out, several intriguing walls have been found. Continued work in this area may produce at least a portion of a city gate. In 1998, the American public continues to be fascinated with various aspects of Middle Eastern archaeology. More and more people will participate in excavations. Newspapers, magazines and the evening news will continue to report the most recent discoveries. New television documentaries on the subject appear every month. We continue to be enriched by the greater understanding, afforded us through archaeology, of those who have gone before. Those interested in the Associates for Biblical Research volunteer program can contact them at: ABR, 1313 Orchard Way, Frederick, MD 21703 Ancient Coins Unearthed at Khirbet el-Maqatir Lisa Kelly was in her third day digging under the hot Israeli sun as part of a volunteer archaeological group when she unearthed a 2,100-year-old coin.
"This silver coin jumped out at me. I could see the eagle on it," said Kelly, 24, who was part of a dig sponsored by the Associates for Biblical Research in Frederick, MD. Dr. Bryant G. Wood, who heads the Associates, said the coin featuring the bust of Syrian king Demetrius II Nicator on one side and an eagle and palm branch on the other side was minted in 127 B.C. Demetrius II ruled Syria from 145 to 139 and from 129 to 125 B.C., then was killed in a civil war. Wood said the relatively rare coin was worth some money in its day. "Judas got 30 of these for betraying Jesus," he said. "This coin was one month's pay for a skilled worker." The coin, encrusted with dirt when Kelly found it, sparkled when cleaned with a silver cleaner. The Associates for Biblical Research sponsors digs and research in Israel, Egypt and Jordan for items relating to the Bible. The group of trained archaeologists attempts to coordinate archaeology and the Bible, Wood said. "Israel is the most excavated country in the world," said Wood, who has been on 15 archaeological digs there. "But there's so much more to be found," he said. "In our digs, if it's 2,000 years old it's recent. We're looking for stuff from 1400 B.C. We're looking for an ancient city mentioned in the [Old Testament] Book of Joshua," he said. Twenty-eight people from the United States joined Wood in September, 1997 for a 19-day trip to a site 10 miles north of Jerusalem. Wood said they dug in an area which originally was a border fortress built in the 15th century before Christ, then used a few more times over the centuries. Wood said that many areas of Israel were abandoned at one time. "When a place was abandoned, things decayed," he said. "Mud or brick walls collapsed. The wind blew dirt around. And the next builders came and built on top, layering through the centuries. Our job is to find what's underneath." Kelly said she found that job fascinating. "Most of the time, the temperature was in the 90s," she said. "It was hard work, but we were all into it." Wood said his group found 10 coins on this trip. "Lisa found half of them," he said, showing a visitor the Demetrius II Nicator coin (center, below) and several small copper coins that Kelly found. "It would take 512 of these little copper coins to equal the value of this one silver coin."
He said that all coins that his group finds belong to the Israeli Department of Antiquities. "We have to get a permit to do the work and we have to turn over to the department whatever we find," he said. "But we're allowed to keep it for a little while to study and display." Wood, who has been researching the walls of Jericho, said he plans to put the coins on display at the Myerstown, PA Evangelical School of Theology's Museum of Biblical Archaeology before returning them to Israel.
Indiana Jones vs. Texas Jones - Similarly, neither is the name Vendyl (“Texas”) Jones heard in academic circles. The reason? Although Texas Jones has enormous popular appeal, there is also minimal resemblance between his exploits and authentic archaeological research. While Vendyl Jones would disagree with this assessment, even he has suggested that the movie character is a loose Hollywood adaptation of his own adventures. Thus, it was unusual, and informative, to read an entire article devoted to the work of Vendyl Jones in the Spring 1996 issue of Biblical Archaeologist.The author, Dr. Daniel C. Browning, Jr., is professor of Religion at William Carey College, a small Baptist College in Hattiesburg, MS. His article chronicles only one of Jones' numerous exploits, what Browning calls “The Strange Search for the Ashes of the Red Heifer.” Browning's thorough treatment of Jones' work provides key information and does an important service for both lay persons and scholars.
At issue is the enigmatic sacrifice of the Red Heifer (or as Browning calls it, the “Red Cow”) as described in Numbers 19. The ashes of this Red Cow, when mixed with spring water, produced a unique substance known as the “Water of Purification.” This solution was to be used in the ritual cleansing of any one, or thing, made impure through contact with a dead body. The Mishnah (the Jewish Oral Law) states that only seven to nine Red Cows were sacrificed from the time of Moses until the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in AD 70. The Mishnah adds that part of the ashes were kept in a jar (Hebrew qalal) at the entrance of the Temple Court. Vendyl Jones believes that this qalal containing the ashes of the Red Cow was the same vessel as aqalal mentioned in the enigmatic Copper Scroll. Found in Cave 3 of the Dead Sea Scroll caves, this scroll was basically a treasure map. It is a controversial document, considered a joke or fraud by some scholars and a valid historical document by others. Jones believes it is the latter and, since 1967, has been following his own unique translation of the Copper Scroll to find the treasure it describes. Included in this treasure, which Jones believes is the religious objects of the Second Temple hidden before the Romans sacked Jerusalem, is a qalal. He is convinced that it contains the ashes of the Red Cow. For Jones, the recovery of the hidden qalal would be a significant find. As Browning notes, Jones believes its recovery will result in the re-establishment of the Jewish Sanhedrin, the Levitical priesthood, the sacrificial system and the return of all observant Jews to the land of Israel. While the possibility of such an archaeological find is tantalizing, it should be understood that Jones’ translation of the Copper Scroll is dubious at best, by the reckoning of most Hebrew scholars. In addition, Jones is not a professional archaeologist and has never been issued an excavation permit by the Israel Antiquities Authority. Furthermore, the continual inability of Jones to produce what he claims have forced him to constantly change his ideas and to come up with a new plan every season. “Ever the chameleon,” Browning writes, “Jones cleverly and selectively combines textual and physical evidence to construct his case.” Unfortunately, Browning adds, lay persons are simply not equipped to evaluate his statements. Anyone who loves God's Word would be thrilled if the things Vendyl Jones is looking for were actually found. Unfortunately, neither Jones, or anyone else, has demonstrated solid evidence for these spectacular finds. The truth of the matter is, the exploits of Vendyl Jones are doing little to advance the cause of Biblical truth. Pharaohs and Kings Confused While the scope of his work is vast and hinges on a number of technical issues, it can be summarized as follows. Rohl proposed a realignment of ancient Near Eastern chronologies, shifting dates up to 350 years. His work attempts to fill the gaps we presently have in ancient chronologies, allowing the identification of Biblical personages with ancient representations known from other sources. The material Rohl focuses on is quite technical. His case centers on dropping the 21st Egyptian Dynasty (1069-945 BC) into being contemporary with Egypt's 22nd Dynasty (945-715 BC). This allows him to connect names and events from ancient history with similar sounding Biblical events and people, even though they were separated by as many as 350 years. Admittedly, Rohl's idea is quite appealing to those frustrated by the lack of connection between Biblical and secular history. Conservatives want to tie Biblical events to ancient history, and the connections he makes sound reasonable and offer some interesting possibilities. Due to the technical nature of his work, however, few are capable of responding authoritatively. Consequently, his work has received widespread media attention and has become popular among conservatives. But all is not well in Rohl-land! One of the experts who appeared in Rohl's videos is Egyptologist Dr. Kenneth Kitchen, a conservative evangelical scholar. Kitchen says he was interviewed in his Liverpool England home by Rohl on May 17, 1995, for seven hours. Kitchen only appears in Rohl's three-video series for a total of about three minutes. Professor of Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, Kitchen was not at all happy with Rohl's finished product. Sour grapes? Probably not. Angry that he did not get more air time? I doubt it. Kitchen later said he had great reservations about giving the interview because he understood Rohl's arguments all too well. “The easy way out,” he said, “was simply to say, ‘You are 98% rubbish—go away’ which would be academically justified” (personal communication). But for all experts to respond that way would allow Rohl to go forward with no detractors. So Kitchen agreed to the interview. According to Kitchen, most of the interview was spent with Kitchen demonstrating to Rohl why his theories are wrong and do not work. In retrospect, Kitchen said he later realized that Rohl was only looking for sound bites, not new information. "It is clear, now, that he had most of his filming already in the can by May 17th, and his book virtually ready for press" (personal communication). In particular, Kitchen said he demonstrated evidence which directly contradicted Rohl's views. With Rohl's main focus on Egyptian chronology, Kitchen's specialty, he provided Rohl with primary evidence from several vital genealogies of the 21st and 22nd Egyptian dynasties. In addition, he presented continuous lines of high priests for Amun (in Thebes) and Ptah (in Memphis) going through both dynasties. Kitchen said Rohl communicated he was unaware of this material. Furthermore, Kitchen answered Rohl's two great anomalies in Egyptian chronology—the cache of royal reburial near Deir el-Bahri and the lack of Apis bull burials for the 21st Dynasty. Finally, Kitchen provided parallels in the Assyrian King List, The Assyrian Eponym List and the Babylonian King list, with crosslinks illustrated by the synchronous history and Chronicle P. Additional links to New Kingdom Egypt and Hatti, plus markers showing which kings of Assyria successively built in the national shrine at Assur, also bolstered Kitchen's case. As a coup de grace, Kitchen brought out what he called "one totally damning little text" (personal communication) from Deir el-Medina in west Thebes. It precisely dated the Nile inundation at a specific time, an occurrence which takes place only once every 1460 years. As far as Kitchen is concerned, Rohl's proposed "corrections" of ancient Near Eastern chronologies was dead in the water (Kitchen 1995: xlii-xlvi). While Rohl's books and videos appear to make a convincing case for his side, he unfortunately chose to ignore contradictory evidence from Kitchen and other scholars. Consequently, while Rohl's work sounds good, it simply does not work with the known facts of Egyptian, Assyrian, Babylonian and Palestinian chronologies. Rohl's efforts focused on eliminating the gaps in ancient Near Eastern chronologies. Yet, it must be understood that these gaps are not unaccounted periods in the history of those civilizations. They only represent our incomplete and uneven knowledge of these histories. Thus, it is all right for us to have gaps; they do not invalidate the known facts. It is not possible to simply drop or add 350 years to these chronologies, despite the supposed connections Rohl makes by doing so. While the Associates for Biblical Research staff, too, is often at odds with conventional chronologies, it is important to be honest with the known facts and deal with them. Rohl has only used selective facts which fit his views. This may sell books and videos, but is not good scholarship. Rohl's efforts are creative and not bad in themselves. Unfortunately, they do not stand up with the corpus of known evidence. The real problem is that Rohl is aware of this, but goes ahead anyway. It is good for business, but bad for a better understanding of the Bible and the ancient world. In fact, ill-founded efforts like Rohl's actually hurt other scholars who are honestly trying to make the same type of connections between the Bible and secular history.
THE DIG AT BET SHEAN: In this area lies the 80 metre ( 263 feet ) high tel of Beth-shean, one of the oldest cities in Bible Lands. The remains of twenty layers of settlement have been found going back more than three thousand years B.C. The Israelites failed to conquer the city in Joshua's time, [Joshua 17.16 Judges 1.27] and the fortified town was still under Philistine control in the time of Saul, the first king of Israel. When Saul and his sons were slain in battle their bodies were hung on the walls of this city by the victors [ I Samuel 31.6-13]Beth-shean is included in the cities of Solomon's kingdom. [I Kings 4.12] When the Greek empire dominated the area the city was known as Scythopolis. Pliny, the Roman author who lived in the first century A.D. mentions the city in his writings. It was one of the cities in the Roman province of Decapolis which was visited by Jesus [Mark 7.31] The city was further developed by the Romans and all around the ancient Tel the archaeologists are busy uncovering this large city that was devastated by an earthquake. A recent find is a mosaic featuring the portrait of a Zebra, an animal not found in Israel. Work continues on the site and who knows what may yet be uncovered? EGYPT - AT THE TIME OF MOSES: Bricks for building were made from clay and strengthened with straw; this was a manufacturing method employed in Egypt over 1,000 years before Christ. To pander to the pride and arrogance of the king for whom it was made, they bore the sovereign seal of Pharaoh Ramesses II who became obsessed with the desire to create memorials of himself for posterity. We are reminded of the scriptural account in Exodus chapters 1 and 5, because it was the Israelitish slaves who undertook many building works for Pharaoh under difficult conditions. It is generally thought that Ramesses II was the ruler who used Israelitish labor to build the treasure cities of Pithom and Raamses [Exodus 1.11 2.] and also the one ruling at the time that Moses led his people's exodus from Egypt towards the promised land. This brick reminds us of times past when God has used His power to save His people; a feat which will be repeated preparatory to the establishment of God's kingdom on earth. [Jeremiah 30.10,11] THE "HOUSE OF DAVID": At Tel Dan in upper Galilee in Northern Israel a fragment of an inscription on basalt stone has been uncovered. It was part of the paving near the entrance of the outer gate of the ancient city of Dan. In 1992, in order to tidy up the site for presentation to visitors, a heap of debris was removed which dated from the time of the Assyrian destruction of the city by Tiglath-pileser lll - no doubt a legacy of his campaign against northern Israel. [2 Kings 15v29] Unexpectedly, a hitherto unknown gateway to the city was uncovered. The entrance led to a courtyard where stood a low stone platform large enough to take a throne. This possibly marked the place where the king would sit on ceremonial occasions. The Scriptures allude to such a custom when Ahab king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat in the gate of Samaria. [1 Kings 22v10] The inscription is a section of a victory stela (commemorative stone) about the conquests of one of the kings of Aram, recording the defeat of his foes, sometime in the 9th century BC. The inscription is written in Aramaic (a language closely related to early Hebrew) and is unique because it is the first reference found outside the Bible to 'The House of David.' The conquests recorded on the stone are related to the events written in the first book of Kings, where Asa, king of Judah, bribed king Ben- hadad to go to war with Baasha king of Israel 1 Kings 15v16-20] When Israel recaptured the city of Dan, possibly after Ahab king of Israel's defeat by Ben-Hadad as described in 1 Kings 20, this Aramean victory stela could well have been destroyed by the Jews 1. 2 Kings 15.29 2. 1 Kings 22.10 3. 1 Kings 15.16-20 and its fragments used in the construction of the area surrounding the entrance gate to the city. It had lain there for many centuries until it was uncovered in 1993 by a team of Israeli archaeologists who are now eagerly searching for the other pieces. Who knows what may yet be found to add to this confirmation of the Biblical records. This find has also prompted the re-examination of other inscriptions and it has now been suggested that the famous Moabite Stone which describes the rebellion of Mesha king of Moab, against Israel, also goes on to describe an attack on the kingdom of Judah. In a poorly preserved portion of this Moabite stone is probably another reference to `Beth David' or the House of David which was a way of describing the kings of Judah. 1 Kings 12v19; Isaiah 7v15; Jeremiah 21v12] OPHIR: 'Gold from Ophir for Beth-horon 30 Shekels' is the translation of an inscription on a potsherd that was found at Tell Qasileh (near Tel Aviv). The exact location of Ophir remains a mystery, although there have been many ideas put forward by Bible students. Flavius Josephus (38 - 100 AD), the Jewish historian, linked Ophir with India and it is possible to show that from the second millennium BC there was a busy sea trade taking place between the Persian Gulf and India. The link with India is further strengthened by the fact that all the commodities mentioned in 1 Kings 10 verses 11 and 22 were found in ancient India. Others have made a connection with Sofula in Eastern Africa, called by the Arabs Zofar or Zofaal. The same name is rendered elsewhere Sophara which does not require much alteration to make it read (S)OPH(A)IR(A). It has also been pointed out that Burma is a country which affords all the products named `Almug trees (sandalwood), precious stones, gold, silver, ivory, apes and peacocks.' [1 Kings 10v11-12] Ophir must have been a considerable journey away from Solomon's port at Ezion-geber on the Gulf of Aqaba (near today's Eilat), for the return journey seems to have taken `three years' [1 Kings 10v11-12] to complete. The quantities of gold from Ophir imported into Judah were sizeable - "and they came to Ophir and fetched from hence gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver to overlay the walls of the houses...." [ 1 Kings 9.28; 1 Chronicles 29.4] Almost 200 years later God, through his prophet Isaiah, refers to the fame of Ophir by saying, "I will make a man more precious than fine gold, even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir." [Isaiah 13v12] The oldest book in the Bible, Job, refers to the gold of Ophir twice and perhaps the significance of Job's reference to wisdom being more valuable than the gold of Ophir [Job 22v24; 28v16] should not be overlooked by the Bible student. All the references to Ophir at one time pointed to a place that did not seem to exist but the finding of this tablet by the archaeologists not only tells us it existed but confirms again the accuracy of God's Word. MOAB: The Moabite stone was discovered in 1868. It was found in the land of Moab and was carved with an inscription which its finder, a man named Klein, recognized as being important. He had insufficient funds to purchase the stone and had to go to Europe to raise them. While he was away, the Arabs broke the stone into pieces, so they could make more money out of the deal. (They did the same thing with some of the Dead Sea Scrolls.) Fortunately, a Frenchman, M. Clermont-Ganneau had the good sense to take an impression, so that they were able to piece the stone together correctly and decipher its message. The language in which the inscription is written is very similar to Biblical Hebrew, and the events it records supplement most remarkably the record from I Kings chapter 16 to 2 Kings chapter 3. Both tell how that during the reigns of Omri and Ahab, Moab was tributary to Israel, but that after the death of Ahab, Mesha King of Moab rebelled. Mesha records on this stone that after this time, he was unable to defeat Jehoram in several battles and rid the land of him. The actual words are:
Moab's fortresses and her cities were restored and made stronger. Her earlier defeats were explained as being due to the anger of her gods. The stone records the name of Israel's God, Yahweh. The inscription does contain one error. It boasts that as a result of Moab's victories 'Israel perished for ever'. Many a nation has wished for the destruction of Israel as a nation, but it is a wish that will never be fulfilled. The proof of this is a marvelous story indeed and a separate study. If we compare the events related on the stone with the Bible record, we see again the truth of the Word of God. It is all the more important when we realise that our knowledge of Moab is so small and yet one of the few incidents recorded about her can be proved in this way. TEL MARDIKH: Have you heard of the Empire of Ebla? It is not surprising if you have not - for modern history text books make no references to this kingdom, which existed from approximately 2,300 B.C. to 1,700 B.C. In fact, only students of ancient Middle East history are likely to have come across the name of Ebla, and even then, only in passing - not realizing the extent and power of this empire which stretched around the shores of the eastern Mediterranean for nearly 600 years. Now the re-writing of our history books will again be necessary to fill the gaps in our knowledge of the past; for there has been a remarkable archaeological discovery in Syria between Aleppo and Damascus, on the site of Tel Mardikh. On this site of a 4,000 year old fortification, perhaps the most remarkable 'find' of the century has been uncovered - 18,000 fired clay and rock tablets relating to the economy, administration and international dealings of this once great empire of Ebla. Popular history of the third millennium B.C. is taught with little regard for the Biblical account of the customs, manners, social behavior and level of education of the people of this period. Now for the first time it appears that there exists a record contemporary with the Biblical account of the times, and so different is the picture it reveals from that of accepted historical suppositions, that the linguist in charge of the tablets, Dr Pettinato, has claimed that this discovery calls for a fundamental revision of third millennium B.C. culture and history. The tablets were discovered in some out-buildings of a palace situated within the vast fortifications around the top of the tel. Many of the buildings, due to their solid roofs of some two feet in thickness, are intact and free of debris. Most of the walls are plastered a gray-green color, with murals in good condition. The two rooms in which the tablets were discovered had been shelved with wood but, due to time and the weight of the tablets, this shelving had collapsed with some breakages; but the tablets, many containing 3,000 lines of cuneiform writing, are in readable condition. The tablets tell of an 'empire' and names many areas under the control of Ebla, such as Sinai, Assyria, Lebanon, Cyprus, Carchemish, Lachish, Gaza, Hazor and others. Bible students will readily recognize that many of these names appear in the Old Testament record and it is interesting to note that of the three languages of the tablets, an hitherto unknown tongue, closely resembling Hebrew is prevalent and many common names recorded by the people of Ebla are easily recognizable to Bible readers.
Further, many common Ebla words are the same as Hebrew, such as 'and' (WA), 'perfect' (TAMMIN), 'fall' (NAPAL) and 'good' (TOB). But perhaps most interesting of all are the quite extensive descriptions of the Creation and of the Flood, so often derided by modern historians. The tablets are being translated and published and their contents will be invaluable in enlarging our understanding of the world of 2,000 BC; for they reveal a sophisticated system of international and civil law, including treaties of trade between Ebla and her neighbors within the framework of political agreements. These have been likened to the present-day Treaty of Rome between the EC members. In addition, long lists of zoological, geographic and mathematical material have been found and there are weather forecasts in some meteorological texts. Records were made of visiting Mesopotamian scribes and mathematicians. Proverbs and literary works are also preserved, including a set of bilingual tablets for the purpose of teaching translation, besides thousands of matching words. There seems no doubt that the tablets of Tel Mardikh contain the worlds oldest vocabulary lists - a source of no little consternation to students of ancient languages; for it is widely held that Biblical Hebrew is an evolved language, used during the first millennium BC Isaiah, the Hebrew prophet however, had indicated that his language was 'the language of Canaan', [Isaiah 19v18] and the Tel Mardikh tablets now support the Biblical reference - Hebrew has now to be recognized as one of the world's oldest languages (and perhaps the language spoken by Noah, Canaan being the grandson of Noah through Ham). [ Genesis 10v6] Interesting for Bible students is the fact that the Bible records that Abram, together with his father Terah, left the city of Ur in southern Mesopotamia to go into Canaan. They traveled as far as Haran and dwelt there. [Genesis 11v31,32] Haran was some 300 miles north east from the site at Tell Mardikh and appears to be named after Haran, Abram's brother. [ Genesis 11v27 ] On his journey to Canaan, Abram in all probability, passed through Tel Mardikh, the then centre of trade and commerce, and of course, the language of Abram would be that of Ebla and of Canaan. The other two languages written in cuneiform and discovered at Tel Mardikh are Sumerian and Akkadian. It had previously been assumed that the earliest cuneiform languages, were these two languages, developed in east and south Mesopotamia and the possibility that Syrian and Canaanite communications existed in cuneiform had been ruled out (with the exception of Ugaritic texts). But the Tel Mardikh tablets now reveal Sumerian scripts pre-dating those found in eastern Mesopotamia - throwing accepted theories of language origins to the winds. The Akkadian scripts found at Tel Mardikh refer mainly to the later period of the history of Ebla. One of the deities worshipped at Mardikh was Marduk or the Merodak of the Bible. It appears to be basically the same name as Nimrod, the 'mighty hunter before the Lord' mentioned in Genesis 10v9 Nimrod, who founded the city of Babel, appears to have been deified and the cult continued long after Ebla had ceased. The main consonants of Nimrod are M R D, hence:
Tel Mardikh was then the place of worship for Mardikh. The finds of Tel Mardikh and the Empire of Ebla, so far have only revealed confirmation of the scriptural narrative. ASSYRIA: The kingdom of Israel under David and Solomon had been divided in the days of Solomon's son Rehoboam, and had become two kingdoms - the kingdom of Israel in the north, made up of ten of the original twelve tribes, with Samaria as its capital city; and the kingdom of Judah in the south, made up of the other two tribes with Jerusalem still as the capital. In the northern kingdom of Israel there were no good kings at all and during the reigns of kings like Ahab and his wicked wife Jezebel, idolatry flourished and corruption increased. Eventually the kingdom fell before the might of Assyria. The Black Obelisk was discovered by Henry Layard in 1845 and describes the campaigns of Shalmanezer III of Assyria who reigned at about 850 B.C. The scenes depicted on the obelisk show tribute being paid to the great Assyrian monarch and actually show Jehu, [2 Kings 10v31-33] bowing before the king in the presence of his officers. The tribute consists of silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden vase and cups, gold buckets, tin, a royal staff and fruit. The photograph on the following page shows the particular panels from the second row of the obelisk. There is a dark patch underneath the kneeling figure of Jehu which has been caused by the hundreds of visitors to the British Museum who have pointed to the panel and polished the stone. Hezekiah was one of the good kings of the southern kingdom of Judah. During his reign, Sennacherib invaded Israel. The Assyrians then came against Judah. Hezekiah, in consultation with his ministers decided to make sure that if the invaders came against Jerusalem, they would find difficulty in getting an adequate water supply. At the same time, it was important to ensure Jerusalem had a good water supply. HEZEKIAH'S AQUEDUCT: A tunnel was constructed from the spring at Gihon - what is now called the Virgin's Fountain - under the city walls and through the rock to the southern end of the city of Jerusalem, to the pool of Siloam. This would be a difficult feat in these days of sophisticated surveying and measuring equipment. It was even more remarkable for the times of Hezekiah, because the impending invasion meant there was very little time and gangs of workmen had to start from either end. When the tunnel was complete, the spring outside the city was blocked up and the water flowed into the city. The second book of Chronicles records:
The watercourse was a tremendous feat of engineering by any standards. At one time, critics of the Bible said openly that it was impossible, because of the great difficulty of the project: this was another example, they said, of the way in which Bible accounts had become exaggerated and then recorded as historical fact. This argument cannot be used against the Bible today because the watercourse has been discovered. An Arab boy accidentally fell into the Pool of Siloam and discovered the underwater opening of the tunnel. Just as the new London Bridge has a commemorative plaque marking its official opening, so a plaque had been placed on the wall of the tunnel. This inscription is written in the old Hebrew script of the time of Hezekiah and part of the tablet, which is now in the Istanbul Museum, reads as follows:
We cannot deny the existence of Hezekiah's watercourse because, as Keller describes, it is there -
SENNACHERIB'S ACCOUNT: Three accounts have been left by the Assyrian monarch himself of his campaign against Israel and Judah. The most famous is the six-sided prism known as the Taylor Prism. Sennacherib described in detail how he came against the cities of Israel and then Judah, and 'Hezekiah himself I shut up in Jerusalem his capital city like a bird in a cage.' Many smaller towns and villages fell. The might of all Assyria was marshaled against Hezekiah. But the Taylor Prism does not record the defeat of Hezekiah or the fall of Jerusalem as one would expect. Sennacherib returned to Nineveh his capital city. The boastful account ends not in triumph but with an anticlimax. What had happened? What made Sennacherib withdraw at the last moment?
In addition to the evidence of Sennacherib's own account, in 1938 the archaeologist Starkey found a mass grave outside the city of Lachish, which Sennacherib had conquered and which was the base for the Assyrian move to Jerusalem. In the Lachish grave were two thousand human skeletons evidently thrown in with great haste. Here was the reason for Sennacherib's sudden withdrawal. The palace at Nineveh was decorated with massive stone wall panels depicting the siege of Lachish. These are attractively arranged in the Lachish Gallery in the British Museum and can be seen as they would have appeared in their original positions. They provide a detailed background to the Bible account. For more info and a discussion on this story. go to: Bible Answers Page 6 SENNACHERIB ASSASSINATED: The Bible account of Sennacherib concludes with these words -
The same event was recorded for the library at Nineveh and the clay tablet of the record is now in the British Museum.
This is one of the many independent confirmations of details in the Biblical records. OTHER KINGSThe Assyrian period of history can provide many similar examples of confirmation. The British Museum publication, 'Illustrations of Old Testament History' by Barnett gives many examples. The soldier-prince Pul (11 Kings 15.19) or Tiglath-pileser, his general Rabshakeh (11 Kings 18.17) or Rab-shaqu, have left their names in monuments and inscriptions. A limestone relief from Nimrud portrays the surrender of Ashtoreth in Gilead with the name clearly labelled in cuneiform script. Shalmaneser, too, left a wealth of monuments and inscriptions, a number of which mention the monarchs of other nations. A study of the period gives us a very great confidence in the accuracy of the Biblical records. We can look at carvings and statues of monarchs mentioned in the Bible. Scholars have translated accounts of the campaigns and treaties and details of the private lives of the great men of the period - and these confirm the Bible narrative. Because archaeology has shown that the Bible records are accurate in some of the smallest details, we can have confidence in the reliability of the writers. We should be prepared to consider carefully the writings of the Bible as a whole. BABYLON: From almost incidental references in the writings of the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah and Daniel all of whom lived during the period 700 to 500 B.C. we learn a number of facts about the development of Babylon into a most formidable fortress city. Jeremiah for example, speaks of "the broad walls of Babylon...and her high gates". [Jeremiah 51.58] Isaiah prophesied of the overthrow of Babylon by Cyrus the Persian and makes reference to the 'two-leaved gates' of that city. [Isaiah 45.1,2] Daniel records an occasion when Nebuchadnezzar, walking upon the palace roof, boasted of his achievements - "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty?" [Daniel 4.30 R.S.V.] These may be just incidental references, but what is the picture? GREAT BABYLON, having broad walls, a broad city, with great and high gates. This is how the Bible spoke of that city nearly 2,600 years ago. Herodotus, who was born about a hundred years after the death of Daniel, visited the city and in his history describes what he saw. His description supports and amplifies that of the Bible. It seems incredible that in time Babylon should so completely disappear, except for these two fragmentary sources of evidence. Yet this civilization did disappear completely for over two thousand years - so completely that Herodotus was pronounced unreliable and the Bible legendary, because both spoke of this civilization of which there was no trace until the nineteenth century. Incredible? Not to the student of the Bible! The Bible said that this great civilization would so disappear. This was something which Herodotus did not say and could not say. There could be no stronger evidence for the Divine authorship of the Bible than the remarkable discoveries in the 'land between the rivers' made by the archaeologist in the last century. It is a fascinating and exciting story, well documented - but carrying with it for those who can see and hear, the most solemn warning for the generation of today. This can easily be seen by placing some of the prophecies concerning the desolation of Babylon side by side with the facts as they have since been discovered. To the evidence of the historical accuracy of the Bible we can add that of the fulfilment of its prophecies. THE PROPHECY: We have the words pronounced against Babylon by the prophet Isaiah, before Nebuchadnezzar had come on the scene with all his remarkable feats of engineering!
Again the prophet writes:
There are many similar prophecies. Babylon was to become like Sodom and Gomorrah! Few Bible lovers at the beginning of the nineteenth century suspected what dramatic demonstrations of the fulfillment of this prophecy were ahead. We believe the remains of Sodom and Gomorrah are buried under the waters of the southern tip of the Dead Sea, and they found Babylon buried under seventy feet of mud, sand and rubble! The city was surrounded by three separate walls 22 feet, 25 feet and 12 feet thick, running approximately fourteen miles long on all four sides. They found the tower. It was built in a form of terraces - the lowest one was 288 feet square and the total height of the building was also estimated to have been 288 feet. Fifty eight million bricks went into the construction of it! The most splendid thoroughfare of the ancient world led in a straight line from the Ishtar gate of Babylon to the tower or temple. Nebuchadnezzar describes it:
On each of the slabs with which the street was paved is inscribed:
Several times our newspapers have reported from Baghdad on projects which aim at rebuilding Babylon as it was in the seventh century B.C. although these have never been completed. Yet before the nineteenth century A.D. no-one believed what the Bible said about Babylon. What need for further evidence of the historical accuracy of the Bible and for the fulfillment of its prophecies? They have been fully vindicated in the case of Babylon after 2,600 years. But time is always on God's side - never on man's. And time is still on God's side - for within fifty years of the discovery of its ruins, nature was already clawing Babylon back to her grave and steadily hiding it again under a shroud of sand from the deserts. Babylon was overthrown as God said it would be and the empire has vanished. There may be some who think they can restore this great Babylon, but time will tell whether their plans will succeed - the Word of God tells us - 'it shall never be inhabited.' [Isaiah 13.20] THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS: Early in 1947 a young Bedouin shepherd was searching for a lost goat among the rocky ravines of the north shore of the Dead Sea at Wadi-Qumran in Israel. He found in the course of his search a cave, which contained what has been for Bible students great treasure indeed - the Dead Sea Scrolls. The careless handling of these valuable documents as they were 'hawked' around the Arab 'black markets' makes agonizing reading [The Bible as History - Keller] but in the course of time they became available for the careful scrutiny of experts. Probably the most valuable of these documents is the 'Isaiah Scroll'. Some 23 feet long and made of leather, it is a remarkable testimony to the textual accuracy of the Bible as we know it today. Modern methods of estimating the age of the scroll and its flax, or linen cover, reveal the fact that it is a transcription of the complete text of the book of Isaiah made in about 100 B.C. The value of this 'find' lies in the fact that it pre-dates the oldest manuscripts available in Hebrew The Masoretic Text 9th - 10th Century A.D.] by some 1,000 years, and comparisons made between our modern translation of the book of the prophet Isaiah and this ancient scroll, show that the book we have in our hands today accurately reflects what was originally written. This scroll, made of seventeen sheets of leather sewn together, reminds us of the scene in the synagogue at Galilee depicted in the Gospel record through Luke:
About 1991, the Institute for Mittelnergiephysick in Zurich conducted Carbon 14 tests on eight scrolls from Qumran caves and six scrolls from nearby sites. These were Masada, Wadi Dayiyeh, Khirbet Mird, Wadi Murrabba'at and Wadi Seyal where manuscripts found are considered to be part of the Dead Sea Scroll collection. Ten of the scrolls had already been dated by a method known as 'Palaeographic' which is based upon the style of script used, when the script is known and proved from other sources. In addition was the dating of pottery which was found in the vicinity of the scrolls as well as coins. Eight of the ten scrolls were from Qumran with the other two from Masada and as a result of the tests, it was confirmed that seven of the eight Qumran scrolls matched the Palaeographic dates allocated to them. One of them was the Isaiah scroll which is now confirmed as being no later than 100 BC, with the other scrolls being a `Paraphrase of the Pentateuch', the `Testament of Levi', `Samuel', the `Temple Scroll', the `Genesis Apocryphon' and the `Thanksgiving Scroll'. The results from this renowned Institute is a further example that the continual advance of science never conflicts with, but establishes the truth of the Scriptural record. The word of God has since been preached in almost every language in the world. It is reassuring to know that the Bible we have today is accurate and reliable - a book to be trusted. [Light on the Dead Sea Scrolls is another special issue of Light which gives more detailed information on this subject.] NOTICE FROM THE TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM: The sharp distinction between Jew and Gentile in matters of worship was based upon the law given through Moses. In the temple at Jerusalem there was an area which was strictly 'out of bounds' to all but Jews, and one of the accusations made against the Apostle Paul was that he had brought Greeks into the temple. We are told that:-
The Bible record is illustrated by a white limestone notice found in Jerusalem, and dating from about 30 A.D. The inscription reads:-
This find gives point to the Apostle's teaching that
That is, in Christ the barrier that separates Jew and Gentile has been removed - "For ye are all one in Christ Jesus." Galatians 3.28] THE BIBLE AND FAITH: In spite of prevailing uncertainty and disbelief we firmly maintain that if you will recognize the Bible as God's holy word of truth - the revelation of His dealings with His people in the past and His plans for the future - and are prepared to accept it logically and wholeheartedly, the wonder of its message can become so clear and positive to you as to engender a faith and trust as real at that experienced by the apostles themselves. THE CHALLENGE OF THE SPADEARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDS DO not in themselves prove that the Bible is the word of God; nor do they prove the truth of statements about the future. If you have already realized this you might well ask - Why have we produced an issue of this magazine merely setting out a number of archaeological discoveries which have some connection with the record contained in the Bible? It is because archaeological finds have in many instances provided vital proof that statements, places, people or events which have been dismissed previously as mythical were indeed factual. Despite attempts to discredit historical and geographical statements in the Bible, no evidence whatsoever has come to light which shows the Biblical record to be erroneous. It is true that some archaeological interpretations may be disputed, but this does not cast doubts upon the accuracy of the scriptural account; it only shows the fallibility of men. In this branch of science lies a challenge to the Bible, for every time the archaeologists spade finds a potsherd, a statue, a brick, a seal or a scroll, it could prove a biblical statement to be inaccurate. But it is a challenge that has been more than met, for, far from proving the inaccuracy of the Bible, archaeology is constantly proving its truth. The finds range from the time of the captivity and slavery of Egypt, to the rule of kings like Hezekiah and Jehu; from the invasion and captivities of Assyria and Babylon, to a notice which was used to try and excite people against the Apostle Paul. These are evidences which, like fulfilled prophecy, give a sparkle to faith and a confidence that our hope for the future stands on a reliable and proven base. When Moses led the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt with its brick-making and building projects, he recognised the overruling power of God:
David in the Psalms demonstrates that he also recognized the power of God's hand to save in marked contrast to that of man:
It was this help which Hezekiah received when he put his trust in God, for it is recorded of the siege by Sennacherib:
The Apostle Paul wrote to the young man Timothy
Archaeology can help to make us realize the sureness of God's plan with the earth as revealed in his divine record. Just as a detective might piece together the evidence of a tire print, an old bus ticket or some other apparently meaningless item to solve a mystery and reveal the truth, so we hope you will assimilate the facts and evidences available to establish in you a confidence that :-
But where does all this lead us? Surely it means that the proven accuracy of the Bible enables us to have every confidence in its inspiration and therefore encourage us to study its message of hope about the establishment of God's Kingdom on the earth. Just as archaeology is important to us, so is the Bible's message for all who will take time to read it, for it leads us to a complete understanding of God's plan with the earth
We at Watchmen Bible Study Group hope that you found these articles informative. As a courtesy we supply the following information from the original author of these articles: Light on Archaeology is a special edition of the Light Magazine. To receive a FREE bi-monthly illustrated copy of the Light Magazine contact: E-mail: bibletruth@biblelight.org
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