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But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there, and knowledge will increase (Daniel 12:4, NLT).
I read this quote recently about archeology and the Bible …
To date there have been over 25,000 archeological discoveries that support a variety of Biblical accounts, both Old and New Testaments, and no valid archeological find (zero) has ever contradicted a Biblical account.
Yes, 25,000 discoveries in the last few decades, and all of them support the Bible. The names, places, and cultures described in both the Old and New Testaments are being confirmed rapidly by recently discovered archeological evidence.
When Daniel predicted an increase of knowledge in the last days, we might think that technology, AI, our overflowing email inboxes, and the ability to Google any picayune thing, thought, or item in seconds — are fulfillments of his prophecy.
But do we consider how this increase in knowledge also confirms the Bible? The vast amount of new archeological evidence supports the accuracy and message of the Word of God.
To keep pace with the new discoveries of archeology confirming the Bible, Christianity Today wrote an article at the end of 2012 entitled “Biblical Archeology’s Top 10 Discoveries for 2012.”
Then they added a new article with the same title for 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.
Yesterday, I listed my favorite discoveries for the years 2015 to 2019 and then reached my word limit for this blog. So, below are my favorites for 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2o23.
2020: Evil king’s house.
In 2 Kings 21, we read that King Manasseh did what was evil in the sight of God. The remains of his house were discovered.
2021: A foot.
Jesus was killed by crucifixion. And though generally accepted that the Romans killed their enemies by crucifixion, there was scant archeological evidence. But in Britain, of all places, a mummified foot was found with a nail driven through it.
2022: Evidence from Montana.
So-called scholars debate the specifics of the Bible. Their reasoning is, “Well, the Old Testament mentions Ishmael and such an important historical figure should have corroborating historical evidence, and since none has been found, therefore Ishmael doesn’t exist.”
This arguing from silence provides useful fodder to laugh at ivory tower false thinking when archeology finds a name from antiquity.
A small piece of papyrus was found in a frame hanging on the wall of a home in Montana. This artifact, confirmed to pre-date even the Dead Sea Scrolls, has the name “Ishmael” on it.
2023: A simple cross with a deeper meaning.
Archeologists found a simple cross with this inscription: Jesus Christ, guard me, for I am poor and needy.
From this cross, we see the name of Jesus Christ added to a phrase from Psalm 86:1. We now know Christians were using the Psalms, were relating them to their Christian faith, and were producing “merch” or merchandise of their faith.
Again, 25,000 very specific archeological discoveries. Each item is of little importance on its own, but with thousands upon thousands already discovered and thousands more to be discovered …
Conclusion: Trust the Word of God!