Make It Clear Ministries

A fellow traveler and I were discussing the credibility of the Bible. He did not believe the Bible was trustworthy but was willing to hear “facts rather than emotion” to explain why the Bible could be trusted.

I used the following: OBJECTIVE REASONING - SCIENCE, HISTORY, PROPHECY, and LITERATURE. SUBJECTIVE REASONING - HOW IT WORKS IN MY LIFE.

The last edition of CLEARLY FROM THE WORD stated six of the many scientific facts found in Scripture that have been proven by modern science. Here is the next reason why we can really trust our Bible.

IT IS HISTORICALLY ACCURATE

This response revolves much around archeology when it was thought archeology would disprove the Bible. However, archeology has proven to be no friend of Bible critics. There is now an overwhelming amount of evidence that supports the Bible.

Archeology has proven helpful for two very good reasons. First, it confirms that Biblical statements are true and accurate. Second, it sheds new light on Bible texts to help explain their meaning.

Listen to these well-known archeologists:

• Dr. W.F. Albright has admitted that there could be very little doubt that archeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of Old Testament tradition. [Archeology and the Religion of Israel, W.F. Albright, 1956, John Hopkins Press].

• Nelson Glueck has stated that no archeological discovery has ever contradicted or voided a Biblical reference. [A River in the Desert, Nelson Glueck, 1959, the Jewish Publication Society of America, p. 31].

• Millar Burrows writes that archeology has “unquestionably strengthened confidence in the reliability of the Scriptural record…” and that “…in many cases has refuted the views of modern critics.” [What Mean These Stones?, Millar Burrows, 1941, American Schools of Royal Research, pp. 291 - 292].

After starting with scientific statements found in Scripture, I like to use some examples of how archeology has refuted critics of the Bible. For instance:

Proofs of King Solomon’s Wealth and Grandeur. For a long time critics doubted what Scripture stated about Solomon’s greatness. He had a navy (1 Kings 9:26), a vast array of horses and chariots (1Kings 10:26). He was a builder and used metal (1 Kings 7,8). Excavations by Dr. Henry Breasted at Megiddo between 1925 - 34 proved it was one of Solomon’s “chariot cities”. Found were stables capable of holding over 400 horses, stalls in double rows, stone mangers, massive hitching posts, and barracks for his chariots battalions. All of which were used to guard the main commercial route between Egypt and Syria.

The Existence of the Hittites. While their existence was mentioned at least 40 times in Scripture (Joshua 1:4), there was no mention of them in pagan literature. Therefore the critics concluded that the Hittites never existed. But in 1906 Hugh Winkler excavated the Hittite capital of Boghazkoy and recovered thousands of Hittite texts that included the Hittite code. [“The Bible’s Critics Use a Double Standard,” Edwin M. Yamauchi, Christianity Today, 11/19/65, p. 4].

The Pool of Bethesda. This is the site where Jesus healed a lame man (John 5:2 - 15). Archeologists discovered it in the northern corner of the old city of Jerusalem. [The New Testament Documents, Are They Reliable? F.F. Bruce, Eerdmans, 1943, p. 94. Dr. Bruce also writes, “…few sites in Jerusalem, mentioned in the Gospels, can be identified so confidently.”].

Ancient Caesarea. Italian archeologists excavated ancient Caesarea in June of 1961 and found new evidence that Pontius Pilate was truly the high commissioner of Judea between A.D. 26 and A.D. 36.

The Dead Sea Scrolls. One of the greatest discoveries and probably the most well known is the Dead Sea Scrolls. They were found between 1947 and 1956 in caves in the northwestern corner of the Dead Sea. Sectarian Jews known as Essenes in the Qumran area wrote the scrolls between 200 B.C. and 50 A.D. What makes them so significant is that they are the oldest known manuscript copies of parts or fragments every book of the Old Testament except Esther. There is one complete copy of Isaiah.

These are only a few of the many historical evidences substantiating the credibility of Scripture. I suggest you obtain a copy of Archeology and Bible History by Joseph P. Free published by Scripture Press (it may be out of print, but is worth the search). Or, visit http://christiananswers.net/archaeology/home.html.