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It may be stated categorically that no archeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference (Rabbi Dr. Nelson Glueck).
Christianity is a historical religion, not mythical, not looking for the “inner light,” and not primarily “you can sense God in nature.”
Our faith is based upon hard facts.
As Paul taught in his discussion of the resurrection, his preaching would be in vain if there was not a literal resurrection of Jesus. And, with Christianity being historical – the Bible should be accurate in its history.
There are thousands of places, dates, people, cities, villages, lakes, rivers, rulers, and differing nations referenced in the entire Bible. One of the criticisms that I have heard constantly through 52 years of studying the Bible is, “The Bible is a bunch of myths. It’s filled with stories to inspire, but it should not be taken literally.”
Archeology screams against such nonsense!
If the Bible is so mythical, then why has almost every archeological discovery throughout the Middle East (not only in Israel) in the last 100 years supported the Bible’s details of history?
Biblical archeology is a new field of study, having begun in the middle of the 19th century. Yet by the middle of the 20th century, so many discoveries proved the Bible’s accuracy that archeologists now say …
The Bible is confirmed by every turn of the spade.
Scholars at one time said that there was no evidence for the Hittites, but then archeology found evidence not only for the Hittites having a vast empire but the same for the Babylonians and the Persians.
Biblical cities have been found.
Skeptics said there was no evidence of Sodom and Gomorrah. Now the cities have been found along with burial grounds for 1.5 million people (indicating a vast population) and even a layer of ash!
Yes, in Sodom and Gomorrah, an ash layer exists – ranging in depth from 4 to 20 inches!
Concerning the New Testament, scholars once said that the Gospels mentioned “synagogues,” but there was no evidence of synagogues in Judea. They also decried the existence of Magdala (home of Mary Magdalene).
But in the past few years …
Guess what? Yep, two synagogues have been found in a recently discovered village named Magdala!!!
Other discoveries have recently found the childhood home of Jesus in Nazareth, the exact place where Jesus stood to be judged before Herod, and the house of Caiaphas where Jesus was tried, and Peter denied Jesus three times.
If you visit Jerusalem today, you can walk down into a basement dungeon where Jesus was held the night before his crucifixion.
I get excited writing about this stuff.
So, you can imagine my jump-up-and-shout enthusiasm when I read the recent headline – Pool of Siloam to Open in Jerusalem After 2,000 years.
The Gospel of John records that Jesus healed a blind man by spitting on the earth, making mud, and then rubbing the blind man’s eyes with the mud. Jesus then told the man, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (John 9:7).
Yet, there was no evidence of the pool of Siloam until workers fixing a broken water pipe in Jerusalem in 2004 found steps leading downwards. Excavating the site, archeologists found more steps and evidence of a pool that covered an acre and a half.
Slam dunk for the Bible.
Jesus once said, “I tell you, if they [disciples] keep quiet, the stones will cry out” (Luke 19:40).
We have no need to be silent today about our faith in scripture because the stones cry out as evidence to the central fact of the entire Bible …
That Jesus is coming back soon!
You can trust God’s Word.