Saturday 7 February 2009

Archaeology And The Bible

The role played by archaeology in biblical studies and Christian apologetics are in the:
- Confirmation of the historical accuracy of Bible as new discoveries support the facts of the Bible.
- Improvement of the understanding of the Bible, as it helps to accurately understand the nuances and uses of biblical words as they were used in their day
- Illustration and explanation of Bible passages, as the events took place in a certain time, in a particular culture, social and political structure. It also supplements topics not covered in the Bible.
Archaeology also has some limitations which are:
- It does not prove the divine inspiration of the Bible but the accuracy of events.
- It can not re-create the proves under study; there’s no repetition in the events and so conclusion must allow for revision and reinterpretation based on new discoveries.
- It’s understanding depends on the interpreters presuppositions and world view.
- Enormous amount of material has been lost eg. the Library in Alexandria lost over a million volumes in a seventh century fire.
- Only few sites have been surveyed, with a fraction excarvated and only pert of what is examined is published eg. It took forty years to put to the public the photographs of the Dead sea scrolls.
We therefore have to understand that the scriptures remain the primary source of authority and so should not be judged by archaeology.
Archaeology and the Old Testament
The story of the Hittites in the Bible raised objections from critics in the 19th century as no source outside the Bible talked about them. A.H. Sayce in 1876 discovered inscriptions on rocks in Turkey and suggested it was the Hittite nation. Hugo winckler excarvated the site at Boghaz-Koy in 1906 and one of the documents found proved to be a treaty between Ramesses II and the Hittite King. Other tablets showed that Boghaz-Koy (Original name Hattusha) was the capital of the Hittite Kingdom. Bedrich Hronzny showed that the Hittite language is an early relative of the Indo-European languages of Greek, Latin, French, German, and English. Five temples were found with tablets which described the rites for purification from sin and of a new temple. All these with others from Egypt (Emar) have proven the laws of Leviticus and Deuteronomy which critics once argued that they were too complicated for the time it was written (1400BC). The discovery has confirmed biblical narrative and has given a greater understanding of the history of our language, religious, social and political practices of the ancient middle East.
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah which had a key role in the teachings of Jesus was viewed by critics as a legend. Genesis 14:3 says its location is the valley of Siddim (the salt sea) a name for the Dead sea. Dr. William Albright excavated the site at Bab edh-Drha in 1924 in search for Sodom and Gomorrah but had no conclusive evidence. More digging was done in 1965, 1967 and 1973, and a thick wall of 23 inches was found with a cemetery one kilometre outside the city. Bricks turned red from heat and buried ash of several feet thick. Evidence from all the houses excavated showed that the fire started from the roofs and fell into the house as Dr. Bryant Wood analysed. This matches the Bible account that the city was destroyed by fire that rained from heaven. Southward was found Numeria and further is Es-safi and then Feifa and Khanazir. These cities were abandoned at the same time 2450-2350BC. Many archaeologist believe if Bad ed-Drha is Sodom; Numeria is Gomorrah and Es-safi is Zoar. The cities destroyed had ash deposits. From Bible account four of the five cities were destroyed leaving Lot to flee to Zoar. This was abandoned during this period but not destroyed by fire.
Some scholars dismiss the conquest of Jericho as folklore. Four excavations have been done first in 1907-1909 by Carl Watzinger Garstang (1930), Kenyon (1952-1958) and the last by Bryant Wood. They discovered a wall of 15 feet high around the city. Domestic structures were found between the two walls consistent with Joshua’s description of Rahab’s quarters (Josh 2:15). On one side they found a pile of bricks indicating a sudden collapse. Scholars attribute this to an earthquake, or the damning of the Jordan in the biblical account. The collapsed bricks formed a ramp by which an invader can easily enter the city (Josh 6:20). Kenyon notes that the thick layer of soot indicates that the city was destroyed by fire. Joshua 6:24 describes this. The large amount of grain at the site show that the city was captured quickly and according to Joshua 6:17, the Israelites were forbidden to plunder the city, but to destroy it totally. The archaeologist disagree on the dates as Garstang holds to 1400 BC as the Bible accounts, Watzinger and Kenyon believed on 1550 BC. Dr. Bryant Wood currently on the work notes that Kenyon’s data is from a faulty assumption of pottery found at the site. From Egyptian amulets found northwest of Jericho he had names of Pharaohs dating from 1500-1386BC. Carbon-14 dating of charcoal found in the debris gives 1410 BC. Wood then concluded that the pottery stratigraphic considerations, scarab data and a carbon-14 date all point to a destruction of the city around the end of the late Bronze Age,about 1400 BCE.
Critics have questioned the existence of a king David but in 1993 Dr Avraham Biram excavated Tell Dan in northern Galilee. They found the remains of a black basalt stele containing Aramaic inscriptions with 13 lines having no complete sentence. Two of the lines had “The King of Israel” and “House of David”. In 1994 two more pieces were found referring to Jehoram, the son of Ahab, ruler over Israel, and Ahaziah ruler over the “House of David” or Judah. These give confirmation to the 2 Kings chapter 8 and 9 and so
- There was a Davidic dynasty that ruled Israel
- The Kingdoms of Judah and Israel were prominent political entities as the Bible describes.
Archaeology and the New Testament

There are over 39 extra-biblical sources that attest to over one hundred facts regarding the life and teachings of Jesus. Josephus (37-100 AD) a Jewish historian in his work Antiquities mentions Jesus as a Miracle maker who drew many followers, was crucified and proclaimed alive on the third day. Pliny the Younger, emperor of Bythynia in northwestern Turkey also mentions Christ and the faithful followers who took an oath not to commit any wickedness as he wrote to emperor Trajan in 112 AD. Tacitus a Roman historian also recorded in 115 AD about the persecution of Christians, Christ in relation to Pontius Pilatus in the reign of Tiberius.
The accuracy of the Gospels have been supported by archaeology as the mentioned cities in the Gospels have been located. Capernaum, Bethsaida, Chorazin and Tiberias were very polulated cities along the sea of Galilee. Jesus performed many miracles in Capernaum, Bethsaida and Chorazin but they rejected him and so were cursed by him (Matt. 11:20-24; Luke 10:12-16). These cities eventually disappeared from history for centuries; fulfilling the prophetic condemnation of Jesus. Tell Hum is believed to be Capernaum, still unconfirmed it is believed that Bethsaida is at a tell 1.5 miles north of the Galilean shoreline; and Chorazin is at Tell Khirbet Kerezah 2.5 miles north of Capernaum. The brutality of King Herod as portrayed in Matthew 2 is confirmed by ancient history as he is known to have suspected any one he thought may take his throne. He was known for the slaughter of children, one of his ten wives, three of his sons, a high priest, an ex-King and two of his sister’s husbands were his victims.
From John 5:1-15 Jesus heals a man at the pool of Bethesda. John describes the pool to have five porticoes and archaeologists have discovered this forty feets underground. The pool of siloam in John 9:7 has also been discovered in 1897. This upholds the accuracy of John. Evidence of Pontius Pilate who reigned as procurator from 26-36 AD has been discovered in 1961 by Antonio Frova. The Roman historian Tacitus also confirms this designation of Pilate.
Evidence for crucifixion has been seen from the death of Yohan Ben Ha’galgol discovered in a gravesite in the city of Jerusalem in 1968. Yohan had nails on his lower forearm, pearced on the side and feet. The dead sea scrolls also tell that Jews and Romans abhorred crucifixion due to its cruelty and humiliation. A stone found in 1878 had inscription of a decree from Emperor Claudius (41-54 AD) prescribing the punishment for disturbing graves or dead bodies. This reflects the rioting of 49AD about the resurrection as the Apostles preached of the resurrection of Jesus and the Jews’ argument that the body was stolen. Thallus also wrote in 52AD about the darkness on the crucifixion of Christ as Julius Africanus quotes him in the work, chronography.
The archaeologist Sir William Ramsay after investigating biblical claims as he searched through Asia minor said the book of Acts is an authority for the topography, antiquities, and the society of Asia minor; a position which he did not hold before his research. Luke’s accuracy is seen in the naming of areas, correct titles to government officials and correct time sequence. Luke’s mention of Lysanius tetrarch of Abilene in Luke 3:1 has been under question till an inscription dating the time of Tiberius (14-37AD) in a temple names him “tetrarch of Abila” was discovered near Damascus. An inscription at Delphi was also discovered confirming Acts 18:12-17 that Gallio was proconsul of Achaia. Acts 19:22 and Romans 16:23 is also confirmed by the excavation of a Corinthian theatre in 1928 where it was found that Erastus was a treasurer from the description of his work on an inscription. Inscriptions have been found naming Plubius the “first man” confirming Acts 28:7. Luke names 32 countries, 54 cities and 9 islands without error.
Matt. 20:6-7 ; 27:59 says Peter found the burial cloth of Jesus folded next to where he once laid. A shroud of 14.25 feet long and 3.5 feet wide appeared in Lirey, France after 1357 brought by Geoffrey de Charny a knight. In 1453 his grand daughter gave it to the Duke of Savoy who brought it to Turin, Italy in 1578. This was willed to the Vatican in 1983. some people think it is an authentic shroud since experts have shown that the image on it has no pigment and that the image was a negative image like that of a photograph. In 1977 an extensive study was made on it by an international team of scientists for five days. They found that the image contained blood as well as aragonite which is found in Jerusalem’s first century tombs. They could not determine the authenticity of the fabric but from 48 samples of pollen found, 7 was identified with Palestine plants. The weave of the cloth was herringbone twill which existed in ancient times.
Despite the authentic findings some evidences showed otherwise. In 1987 a carbon 14 dating in laboratories in Oxford, Zurich and University of Arizona indicated a fourteenth century date for the shroud. Many people challenge this result and so future tests will follow. Coins were minted over the eyes of the figure. This was not the Jewish custom and it is unlikely that Joseph of Arimathea or Nicodemus could have placed a coin of the one who condemn Jesus on Jesus’ eyes. Scientists are unable to explain how the negative image was created. The shroud remains a mystery and a lesson for us not to put our faith in mysterious articles.