Biblical
Truths Confirmed by Archaeological Findings
by
Stephen Craig
Bailey
Biblical
Truths Confirmed by Archaeological Findings
by
Stephen Craig
Bailey
Abstract Statement
I have chosen a subject that is very important to me. As a Bible major, I believe the Word of God is vital and essential and that it is the only clear direction in life.
Personally, I believe by faith the Bible is true from the first word in Genesis to the last word in Revelation. However, there are times when we need physical evidence to confirm our faith proving that the Bible does not just contain interesting stories, but is based rather on historical fact.
I have always been interested in archaeological findings seeing the amazing discoveries being made everyday. For instance, through these discoveries we now have confirmed evidence of the Kingdom of David, the reign of King Herod, the affirmation of biblical text shown through the Dead Sea Scrolls, and much more!
In my research, I would like to examine archaeological findings that confirm the biblical accounts. The information has changed my spiritual life and I am sure it will do the same for you.
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I am fascinated with the information I have learned through my research and college studies concerning Archaeology. In this paper I will endeavor to relate my personal interest in the subject matter, discuss a few of my favorite archaeological finds, and then conclude with King Herod’s most cherished creation – Caesarea Maritima. This has not only proven to be a marvelous creation, but an even better archaeological find! http://www.bibarch.com.
I believe there are several standards that are closely aligned with biblical archaeology. The three standards I feel are most important are under the Places and Regions element. This includes Knows and understands the physical and human characteristics of places, knows and understands that people define regions and use them to interpret the world’s changing complexity, and knows and understands that culture and experience influence people’s perception of places and experiences.
Biblical archaeology is the study of people, cultures, and the affects they have had on our history relating to biblical times.
I believe in order to be an effective biblical archaeologist, one must be sound within these areas. Archaeology is not a job of guessing, but of knowing. The facts are based upon what is discovered and with these discoveries the archaeologist can bring to life again what history tried to cover up.
A sound foundation of these standards not only displays the vital importance of archaeology, but also paves the way for the next generation to learn about an earlier generation.
For me, archaeology has been a blessing in disguise.
I knew about archaeology, but I did not realize how its discoveries would become such a profound faith builder in my Christian walk. I do not think I am overemphasizing this a bit. I can say without a doubt that archaeology has helped me to have a higher value and better appreciation for the Word of God.
Biblical archaeology not only includes all ancient facts bearing upon the Bible which had been lost and have been recovered, but all literary remains of antiquity bearing upon the Bible and, also, as of the first importance, the Bible itself. (1)
There are times when Biblical archaeology uncovers places and events not recorded in the Bible. This does not mean the Bible is incomplete, but rather it confirms what the Apostle John said in John 20:30 that not everything that occurred in biblical times was recorded.
Archaeology is an interpretive science. However, if presented honestly and if not colored with a liberal bias, biblical archaeology never contradicts the Bible. Sometimes archaeological discoveries depict events that are not specifically mentioned in the Bible. Further, the Bible records characters, places and events that have not been discovered by archaeologists. Yet, whenever the Bible and archaeology address the same things, they always concur.
The external evidence of biblical archaeology is a fitting companion to biblical internal evidence. Together they are unsurpassed faith-builders. (2) http://www.bible-infonet.org
I guess for me I became interested in archaeology after completing a course by Dr. Bill Humble, Abilene Christian University. He has enjoyed archaeology for the past 30 years and was once the student of the world-famous archaeologist William F. Albright who was quoted as saying, "We now know the Bible history and memory is incredibly accurate." http://www.christiananswers.net
The ACU course focused primarily on biblical archaeology and its importance in biblical studies and in ones faith. I literally jumped into the class with my eyes open, my faith willing to grow, and my pencil ready to copy the information – thankfully Dr. Humble wanted us to listen more than write so he provided plenty of handouts.
I firmly believed the course helped me to grow as a Christian. I saw for the first time how the Bible could be affirmed by physical evidence. I always felt I had a good belief in the Bible, but now I was shown that what I was reading was ‘true’ biblical facts and not stories. Praise the Lord!
During the course, Dr. Humble shared with us some interesting facts including how the discovery of lamps helped determine the period of historical time. The shapes of the lamp and their design were clear indicators of when it was created and used. We also had the chance to examine lamps Dr. Humble had acquired throughout the years – some dating back to Abraham’s time! I was amazed at the size of the lamps that fit literally in the palm of your hand. This helped me to understand more clearly the passage about the 10 virgins and their oil lamps. In the biblical account, five virgins needed more oil and so they asked the other five virgins who refused. I always thought, "how selfish can you be?" But through archaeology I now see that there was not enough oil to spare since the lamps were so small. This also helped me to appreciate the virtuous woman spoken of in Proverbs 31 who kept her lamp trim never letting it go out. Now that is a pretty special woman!
One more interesting fact I gained through the class was how the people in biblical times relied heavily on superstitious beliefs. One example was found in the archaeological discovery of human tombs. In several situations, archaeologists discovered coins placed inside the mouth of the deceased. Upon further study, it was learned that the family of the deceased would place a coin in the mouth so that when the deceased reached the after life they would have money to pay the toll-keeper that guarded the way. The person could be ‘lost’ eternally if they had no money.
Dr. Humble presented an in-depth course that covered many areas which also included the Dead Sea Scrolls, the tomb discovery of the high priest Caiaphas, the discovery of Jericho, and much more. He definitely got me excited about archaeology!
For me it would be impossible to list every one of my favorite archaeological discoveries. However, I would like to discuss one that has personal and historical significance. And that is Masada.
Masada was a fortress built by King Herod the Great on top of a mountain of rock shaped like a ship, overlooking the Dead Sea and 40 miles south of Jerusalem. Historians describe Herod’s architectural design as one of his most impressive feats of his work.
In 1963, Masada was excavated showing in detail the amazing design, work, and creativity that went into Herod’s three-level palace. Archaeologists uncovered cisterns, a swimming pool, biblical manuscripts identical with those found at Qumran (Dead Sea Scrolls), and they discovered the oldest synagogue to date. They also found the Roman ramp used in the assault against the Zealots which to this day serves as a memorable reminder of their brave stand against the Roman authority.
Masada played a role in the Jewish revolt against the Romans in 66 A.D. A large group of Jewish Zealots numbering 960 men, women and children secured themselves on top of Masada for five years withstanding all attempts by Roman officials to take them by force. The Romans then had Jewish slaves build an earth ramp that would be used to scale the 1,300-foot fortress putting them in perfect position for an attack.
The Zealots knowing their fate would soon be sealed decided to make an historical brave stand instead of submitting themselves to Roman slavery. "As history recounts, the Zealots burned the entire area, left the food to show that their decision was not based on lack of food, and then each man bade his loved ones a long tearful farewell and then killed them with his own sword. The men selected 10 to become the executioners of all the others. Finally, the 10 chose one of their number by lots, and he killed the other nine, then fell on his own sword. According to the historian Josephus, the Romans could only wonder at the courage of their conviction and at the immovable contempt of death which so great a number of them had shown" (Dr. B.J. Humble class materials). To this day, the Israel people remember the bravery shown at Masada.
One of the most amazing things I have found through biblical archaeology was on the subject of crucifixion – not so much the horrifying method of execution itself, but rather the physical evidence that crucifixion really happened. In 1968, archaeologists uncovered the only evidence proving that death by crucifixion was a reality.
According to officials, the crucified man was a Jew, ranging in age from 24-28, who belonged to a good family and was apparently put to death for political crimes.
The body was found buried among several other family members. The young man’s feet had been severed and his heel bones were held together by a seven-inch nail. "We found a bit of the olive wood (between 1 and 2 cm) on the top of the nail. This wood had probably been forced out of the knot where the curled nail hooked into it. When it came time for the dead victim to be removed from the cross, the executioners could not pull out this nail. The only way to remove the body was to take an ax and amputate the feet. Thereafter, the feet, the nail and a plaque of wood that had been fastened between the head of the nail and the feet remained attached as we found them." (3, p. 50). Archaeologists were also able to gather information about this man’s physical description noting both good qualities and some birth defects describing in detail the victim’s right palate that caused slight deformities in the eyes and forehead. Finally, officials were able to put a name with this crucified victim – the outside tomb said only, "Yehohanan, the son of Hagakol.".
I find this discovering extremely interesting because for years I have believed by faith that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross. I had no doubt because I believed the Word of God. But now through biblical archaeology, we have physical proof that crucifixion was used as a torturous method in causing death. I think this discovery has helped strengthen my faith and my thankfulness for what Jesus Christ and others went through.
If I had to choose a person who has impacted biblical archaeology the most it would be King Herod the Great. He is lauded as the best builder of his time. Several remains of his buildings have been uncovered through archaeology. These include the Temple mount in Jerusalem, the Citadel – the Tower of David, the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron, Herodium (fortress near Bethlehem), Masada, Machaerus, Sebaste, and Caesarea Maritima.
The name Herod is a familiar one in the history of the Jews and of the early Christian church. He is spoken of in the book of Luke giving command to kill all the two-year-old males fearing the birth of the Christ child.
History shows that he was only a young man when he began his career as governor of Galilee and then later while at Rome he found favor of Roman obtaining the crown of Judea in 37 BC. Although appearing to have it all, Herod’s life was filled with personal and family problems, political enemies, and innumerable plots against his life.
Herod the Great was unquestionably a man of talent who was a born leader of men. But by far the greatest talent of Herod was his architectural taste and ability.
The personality of Herod was impressive and he was possessed of great physical strength. King Herod also possessed intellectual powers that were far beyond the ordinary. He had an indomitable will and possessed great tact. When he saw fit to employ it; in the great crises of his life he was never at a loss what to do; and no one has accused Herod the Great of cowardice. He died unmourned and not loved by his own people, to pass into history as a name soiled by violence and blood. (4)
One day I will visit Caesarea Maritima either on an excavation dig or as tourist. I am truly fascinated by its creation and its archaeological discovery.
Caesarea Maritima lies on the Mediterranean coast 30 miles north of Jaffa and was built by King Herod the Great and named Caesarea in honor of the Roman emperor Caesar Augustus. According to Josephus, "at Caesarea, as nowhere else, Herod displayed the grandeur of his character.
Herod spent 12 years on the project that was built entirely of imported white marble and was lined completely with 700 columns. The city included a theater, an amphitheater, a hippodrome for athletic events, public buildings, a system of sewers under the city, and his greatest creation included a harbor where none had existed.
Archaeology excavations by the University of Maryland since the 1950s have uncovered the city’s streets, private dwellings, a 13-mile long aqueduct, baths, stadium, theater, religious shrines, a rich assortment of statuary, ceramics, coins, bone and metal objects, and monument inscriptions in Greek and Latin.
In fact, the theater at Caesarea, which seats 4,000 people, has been completely recovered and restored and is used for modern-day concerts by the Israeli Philharmonic and other world-renowned orchestras.
During the theater excavation, a huge archaeological discovery was made. A monument was uncovered containing a Latin inscription naming Pontius Pilate, the Prefect of Judea. Until this time, the only evidence that Pontius Pilate existed was the biblical account of his discussion with Jesus Christ. There is now physical proof substantiating his rule.
The inscription found at Caesarea said "Pontius Pilate, the Prefect of Judea, has dedicated to the people of Caesarea a temple in honor of Tiberius." (6, p. 31).
Probably the most recognized accomplishment at Caesarea is the harbor in which Herod designed. The accomplishment was the first-ever artificial harbor ever built. Herod built breakwater approximately one-third mile out and 200 feet wide. According to Josephus, blocks of stone were used 50 x 18 x 10 ft and then let down and secured 120 feet into the Mediterranean – a feat today difficult to accomplish and hardly imaginable two thousand years ago.
Caesarea is also famous for entertaining biblical characters such as Philip the Evangelist who dwelt in Caesarea, the Apostle Peter who was sent to minister to the Roman centurion Cornelius, and three times the Apostle Paul passed through the city, the last time as a prisoner before departing to Rome.
Caesarea is a fascinating place to imagine – whether today or how it was more than 2,000 years ago. My dream is to one day see it for myself. http://www.biblical-museum.org
This paper is just the ‘tip of the iceberg’ when it comes to exploring the amazing facts of biblical archaeology. I feel that my eyes have been opened to the endless possibilities of discovery, especially those areas uncovered from biblical times.
I encourage all Christians and non-Christians to take the time to examine biblical archaeology discoveries – you will be surprised at what you will find!
For me this research proved to be an essential area for my studies and Christian life. I have found it to be a source of strength, assurance, and stronger faith towards knowing that the Word of God can be respected and trusted. Thank God.
Created 5-2-99
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Plans and Research Papers, 1999