Archaeological Evidence for Scripture

Archaeological evidence substantiates many Scriptural accounts. To quote Millar Burrows of Yale. "...archaeological work has unquestionably strengthened confidence in the reliability of the scriptural record. More than one archaeologist has found his respect for the scripture increased by the experience of excavation in Palestine." Nelson Glueck, reformed Jewish scholar notes: "It is worth emphasizing that in all this work no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a single, properly understood Scriptural statement." What follows are example a just a few of the previously controversial claims that the scripture had made and have been proven since.

Iconium and Lyconium

Archaeological discoveries have proved the accuracy of scripture accounts that had long been considered inaccurate by scholars who had insufficient information. Because of Luke's detailed descriptions of historical events, some of his writings -- and thus the credibility of the entire New Testament -- had been in dispute for over a century by scripture scholars who didn't believe the details supplied by Luke were accurate. scripture scholars thought that Luke's writings were a fraud, written in the second century by someone who didn't know the history or geography of the time. For example, in Acts 14:6, Luke relates that Paul and Barnabas fled from Iconium to the cities of Lyconium. scripture scholars had believed that Iconium was located in the province of Lyconium -- thus the statement made no sense. It would be like saying someone fled from Miami to Florida. An inscription was later found that proved that when Paul and Barnabas fled from Iconium, the city was part of the province of Phrygia, proving Luke's writing was correct.

Census

Scripture critics also believed that the circumstances of Jesus' birth were concocted to fulfill the prophecy in Micah that states the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem. They doubted that there had been a census (Luke 2:1-3) which caused Joseph and Mary to travel to Bethlehem. A Roman edict was later discovered in Egypt, which stated: "The enrollment by household being at hand, it is necessary to notify all who for any cause soever are outside of their administrative districts that they return at once to their homes to carry out the customary enrollment..." Other discovered documents confirmed that this census was taken every fourteen years. Luke had stated that Quirinius was the Governor of Syria at the time of Jesus' birth, however secular records showed that Saturninus was the governor at that time. An inscription was later found in Antioch which showed that Quirinius indeed was governor of Syria at the time.

Pontius Pilate

Pontius Pilate's historical authenticity was in doubt until 1961, when an inscription was found "Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea, has presented the Tiberium to the Caesareans", thus proving his existence. An interesting archaeological discovery appears to document a Roman governor's reaction to the resurrection of the dead. Matthew 28:11-15 describes the reaction of the chief priests and elders when the guards around Jesus' tomb told them about the resurrection: "When the chief priests had met with the elders and devised a plan, they gave the soldiers a large sum of money, telling them, "You are to say, 'His disciples came during the night and stole him away while we were asleep.' If this report gets to the governor, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." The governor must have heard the report and it must have upset him, because he issued a decree instituting capital punishment for the crime of violation of sepulcher, a crime which had never previously had such a severe penalty. A white marble slab inscribed with this decree was found in Nazareth in 1878.

Jericho

In the Old Testament, Joshua followed the Lord's instructions and the walls of Jericho collapsed with a shout from the people, allowing Joshua to take the city c.1400 BC, (Joshua 6:5, 6:20). Archaeological evidence found the walls of Jericho, fallen outward, even though they were 15 ft. high and 10 ft. thick. From pottery and ceramic evidence, the city was destroyed c. 1400 BC.

King Herod

In Jerusalem, archaeologists discovered the remains of a 2,000-year-old clay wine jug inscribed with the name of King Herod, along with some of the first evidence of daily life at the Masada fortress during Herod's time. The Latin inscription says either "Herod, King of Judea" or "Herod, King of the Jews." It was the first time the full title of Herod, king of Judea from 37 B.C. until his death in 4 B.C., had been found in an inscription. The jug, which dates from about 19 B.C., was found in an ancient garbage dump near the synagogue at Masada.

Archaeologists also discovered food remains from Masada dwellers in Herod's time, including nuts, eggshells, dates and olive pits, and pieces of cloth and basketware. Masada, a citadel built by Herod atop an isolated cliff on the edge of the Judean Desert and the Dead Sea Valley, was the last outpost of the zealots during the Jewish revolt against Rome that began in A.D. 66. After Roman battering rams breached the fortress' gates, hundreds of Jews committed suicide rather than fall prisoner.

Megiddo

One of the most important archaeological mounds in Israel, Tel Megiddo contains the remains of historic Megiddo, a fortified city that sat strategically on the ancient trunk road from Egypt to Syria and Mesopotamia. Megiddo has served as an important junction and battlefield throughout history. It is mentioned in an Egyptian document over 3,500 years old, was one of the chariot cities of Kings Solomon and Ahab, and was the site where Josiah, King of Judah, fell in battle.

Excavations have uncovered the ruins of 25 cities dating from 4,000 to 400 B.C.E. Ruined structures, now visible, belong to the fortified "chariot city," built by King Solomon in the 10th century B.C. An ancient water system, dating from the 9th century B.C. is well preserved and a remarkable piece of engineering. It consists of a large shaft, sunk 120 feet through rock, meeting a tunnel cut more than 200 feet to a spring outside the city. The spring was hidden by a wall and camouflaged by a covering of earth.

Tyre

In 572 B.C. the city of Tyre forced the withdrawal of the most powerful army in the world following a 13 year siege. Despite the success of this impregnable fortress, the scripture boldly predicted the future destruction of Tyre. "...they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water." (Ezekiel 26:12, dated around 570 B.C. by most scholars).

Adding to the odds against this prediction was the fact that most Middle East cities had their ruins covered with soil and used as a fresh foundation. Despite these facts this prophecy was literally fulfilled in 332 B.C. by Alexander the Great. After demolishing the city he cast all of the debris (right down to the bare rock) into the sea to create a giant land bridge out to the island stronghold. This bridge still exists today and contains the ruins of Tyre right down to the very dust. A fulfillment confirmed by such sources as The Encyclopedia Americana (volume 27, page 331, 1995). Another block for Biblical faith.

Rameses the Pharoah

Discoveries of late years have thrown much light on ancient Egyptian life and history, as touched upon in the Bible. But so many unsolved problems and "debated questions" remain as to the dynasties and individual kings. Nevertheless, we are now able to accept definite conclusions as to the Pharaoh of the Exodus of whom Stephen spoke :

Acts 7:17-18, "...the People grew and multiplied in Egypt, till another king arose, which knew not Joseph."

How this could be has long been a difficulty with many, but discoveries in Egypt have removed it. If we read this passage accurately in the original we notice that the word for "another" is heteros, which means "another of a different kind"; and not allos which means "another of the same kind." The force of these may be seen in Matthew 2:12: "another way" (allos). Matthew 4:21: "other two brethren" (allos). Galatians 1:6-7: "a different (heteros) gospel, which is not another" (allos). Matthew 6:24: "hate the one and love the other" (heteros). Matthew 11:3: "do we look for another" (heteros). Hebrews 7:11: "another priest" (heteros).

The word points, therefore, to the fact that it was not another king of the same dynasty, but one of a different dynasty altogether, and this agrees with Exodus 1:8. The Septuagint there uses heteros for the Hebrew word hadash ("new"); and aneste for the Hebrew word kum ("arose"), which means to stand up and, in some connexions, occupy the place of (or instead of) another. (For thevmeaning of hadash, see Deuteronomy 32:17, and Judges 5:8).

Josephus says, "the crown being come into another family" (Ant. ii. 9. 1).

The discoveries now made in Egypt prove that this was the case. The mummy of this very Pharaoh is to be seen to-day in the Museum at Bulak, and it is clear that this Rameses was the Pharaoh of the Oppression. (While Meneptah, his son, was the Pharaoh of the Exodus). He was an Assyrian, and every feature of his face is seen to be quite different from the features of the Pharaoh who preceded him.

Now we can comprehend Isaiah 52:4 which has so puzzled the commentators, who were unable to understand why the two oppressions, in Egypt and by Assyria (centuries apart), should be mentioned together in the same sentence, as though they were almost contemporary. There was no oppression (on the lines of Egypt) in Assyria.

The discoveries in Egypt thus independently and entirely confirm the perfect accuracy of the Divine words in showing that this was so, for in Isaiah 52:4 we read, "Thus saith Adonai Jehovah, My People went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there; And the Assyrian oppressed them without cause" (Jeremiah 50:17).

Others

• A Moabite stone discovered in 1868 at Dibon, Jordan, confirming Moabite attacks on Israel as recorded in 2 Kings 1 & 3.
• The Lachish letters discovered in 1932-1938, 24 miles north of Beersheba, describing the attack of Nebuchadnezzar on Jerusalem in 586 B.C. History confirms this.
• The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in 1948. They date back to 150-170 B.C. and contain all or parts of the Old Testament books except the book of Esther. They confirm Scripture’s accuracy.
• Cyrus’ Cylinder records Cyrus’ overthrow of Babylon and his subsequent deliverance of the Jewish captives. Again, this is supported by history.
• The Rosetta Stone discovered in 1799, in Egypt, by Napoleon’s scientists, was written in three languages - hieroglyphics, demotic, and Greek. It unlocked the mystery of understanding hieroglyphics. Understanding hieroglyphics helps to confirm the authenticity of the Bible.
• The scripture speaks of Abraham living in a city by the name of Ur. It was claimed by doubters that no such city ever existed, but archaeologists have proved this conclusion wrong, for hey have discovered the ancient city of Ur, and in the locality where scripture places it.
• The city of Nineveh, where the people repented as a result of the message the prophet Jonah presented to them from the Lord, has also been discovered.