Biblical Archaeology: Evidence Supporting the Bible
Brief History of Biblical Archaeology
Archaeology is a scientific study of the antiquity of ancient people groups and their culture. Ancient ruins and artifacts are excavated out of the earth. Archaeologists dig up ancient cities from the past. However, it is true science and not the fantasy adventure of an Indiana Jones movie or novel. Relevant fields of study that share archaeology would be language, geography, history, art, geology, biology, and chemistry. When these ancient remains are related to the Bible, the Holy Lands, and the early Judeo-Christian religion we call this type of archaeology—Biblical Archaeology. Biblical archaeology reenforces the accuracy of the Bible on such topics as geography, people groups, history, culture, religion, and art. Archaeology is a science that can reveal true evidence right from the pages of scripture the validity and accuracy of the Holy Bible.
Before the 19th century most of what was known about the culture, history, and geography of the holy lands was known only through the scriptures. The science of archaeology got started with the famous excavation at the Nile valley in Egypt. Have you ever heard about the “Rosetta Stone?” This stone or stele was discovered in 1798. The discovery of the Rosetta Stone gave birth to the science of archaeology. The Philologist Jean Francois Champollion (1790 – 1832) was able to translate the Egyptian hieroglyphics and other numerous Egyptian texts. His work with hieroglyphics opened the new science of Egyptology.1 Since Egypt is part of the Holy Lands this got many Bible scholars interested in the new science of archaeology and Egyptology. Could these new sciences dig up any evidence of events, artifacts, or culture from the Bible?
Tools of the Archaeologist
The basic tool for the archaeologist is the pick which he may have in several sizes. Other tools would include trowels, brushes, baskets, plumb bobs, and tape measures. Next comes the heavy lifting with bulldozers, front loader earth movers, and back hoes. Archaeologists also use conventional photography, photogrammetry, aerial, and infrared photography. Excavated sites are known as tells which are mounds of dirt that have accumulated during the dig. These accumulated layers or what archaeologists call strata indicate various time periods of settlements which will be investigated by the archaeologist.
Dating Time Periods
Dating time periods of various strata is done many times through pottery type. You can find pottery in all layers of strata. William Foxwell Albright working the Tell Beit Mirsim in southern Palestine in the years 1926 – 1932 excavated a well-stratified mound that supplied various pottery types to chronologize scientifically the evolution of ceramic pottery in all the various strata.4 Other methods of dating can include Pollen analysis, tree rings, and carbon-14 radiocarbon dating.
Examples of Dating Pottery5
Early Bronze Age (3100 B.C.)
Middle Bronze Age (1850 B.C.)
Late Bronze Age (1550) B.C.
Iron Age I (1200 B.C.)
Iron Age II (930 B.C.)
Persian Period (586 B.C.)
Hellenistic Period (330 B.C.)
Roman Period (62 B.C.)
Byzantine Period (A.D. 640)
Defending the Bible with Archaeology
Here is an example of where biblical archaeology defended the truth of scripture. In the Old Testament the Bible makes several references about the Hittites of Canaan. I have counted almost 30 different references of the Hittites which include several verses noted in my Nave’s Compact Topical Bible. Maybe there are more. Several liberal scholars from the mid-1800s who did not take the word of God seriously claimed that the Hittites were a fictional group of people written about in the Bible. These anti-biblical scholars claimed that no secular historical record of these people existed. So, they claimed the Bible was not accurate. Archaeology proved these arrogant unbelievers were wrong because the Bible is the Word of God. Archaeology unearthed the history, religion, art, literature, law and much more about the Hittites. Early excavations unearthed over 10,000 cuneiform clay tablets which laid out the entire culture of the Hittites.6
Next, critics at one time reasoned that the five books of Moses could not have been written, because writing wasn’t invented yet. The science of archaeology proved these inept critics wrong. Both Pre-Abrahamic and Pre-flood libraries have been excavated from the ruins of Ur, Kish, and Fara.7 When the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, they unveiled the accuracy of the Hebrew Bible or what we Christians call the Old Testament. Some of these scrolls date back to as early as 250 B.C. You can see the entire book of Isaiah from the excavated Dead Sea Scrolls on display at the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem.
Here are some examples of artifacts that point to the accuracy and the truth of the New Testament. It is called the Galilean boat which was a work boat possibly that fishermen would use on the Lake of Galilee. It was carbon-14 dated to the first century B.C. to A.D. The boat could hold up to 15 men. There were many of these boats back in that day on the Lake of Galilee. We read in the Gospels that Jesus was in a boat like this with his disciples.8 The Pilate Stone is a building stone dedicated to Tiberius Caesar from Pontius Pilate. There is also the ossuary of Caiaphas the high priest who oversaw the trial of Jesus.
There are even some examples of controversial artifacts. Some believe they are authentic, and some do not. I will write about many of these artifacts in future blog posts. The ossuary of James the brother of Jesus9some are skeptical, but I believe it is authentic along with Hershel Shanks who also believes in it. Hershel Shanks was the original publisher of Biblical Archaeology Review. Hershel was a Jew, and he was not a Christian, but did believe the James’ Ossuary was authentic. I own seven books in my library about the Shroud of Turin. I believe this shroud covered Jesus and made the image on the cloth at the time of the resurrection.
I mentioned the Dead Sea Scrolls, but in cave #3 on March 20, 1952, two rolls of rolled up copper sheets were found on a ledge in that cave; they are known to be called the Copper Scroll. This scroll is not a copy, but an original autograph. On the scroll is an itemized list of treasure. So far, the treasure has never been found. I have been reading the book, The Copper Scroll and the Search for the Temple Treasure by Hershel Shanks.10
Do an Archaeological Dig
Would anyone reading this blog be interested in an archaeological dig? At least once a year Biblical Archaeology Review posts some digs in their magazine. You can get more detailed information by going to their website. I see digs on that site for Israel, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus, and other locations. Here is the URL: www.biblicalarchaeology.org/digs.
Biblical Archaeology: End Notes
1. Thomas Nelson Publishers; The New Open Bible Study Edition; The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville (1982) “The Greatest Archaeological Discoveries and Their Effects on the Bible.” pp 1563 – 1564.
2. Ibid. p 1566.
3. history.com/topics/ancient-history/Hammurabi
4. Alford Hoerth & John McRay. Biblical Archaeology, Baker Books; Grand Rapids, MI 49530 (1972) p 15.
5. drivethruhistory.com/pottery-in-archaeology/
6. Ibid. Biblical Archaeology; pp 212 – 215.
7. H. H. Hally. Halley’s Bible Handbook; Zondervan Publishing House; Grand Rapids, MI (1965) Twenty-Fourth Edition. pp 44 – 55.
8. Ibid. Biblical Archaeology; p 163.
9. Ibid. p 198.
10. Hershel Shanks. The Copper Scroll and the Search for the Temple Treasure, Biblical Archaeology Society; Washington, DC 20016 (2007) pp XIII, 8 – 10.