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"Archaeology" Article Items

Archaeology has affirmed much of the ancient history of Israel.  This includes

the existence of Sodom,
the historicity of the ancient Jewish kings,
the existence of ancient Jews in Israel,
the likely place of Mt. Sinai and the place of the Red Sea Crossing,
the wars of the Canaan Conquest,
the likely Pharaoh who chased Moses to the Red Sea,
and much more.

The last few decades have seen an explosion in the number of archaeological findings throughout Israel.   These findings confirm the Biblical narrative and have rewritten history.  For example, many archaeologists doubted the very existence of the Hittites, claiming it was all fictional.  Then, the Hittite civilization was uncovered through modern archaeology, supporting the Biblical narrative.

Many confirmatory archaeological findings have been made through the Sifting Project.  This project uses help from civilians to sift through a vast amount of rubble that was illegally removed and discarded from the Temple Mount.

The Gospel Authors
To know whether something represents truth, it needs to be read and studied.

Posted on May 5, 2020 by

Categories: Biblical History, Biblical Names, Historical Evidence

The identity of the gospel authors has been a topic of intense scrutiny for many years.  It would seem to be an open question as there is no eye-witness account to verify who wrote these important documents.  Liberal apologists argue they were likely not written by their namesake but instead were gradually authored over years or even decades by well-meaning early Christian scribes. The early “church fathers” provide interesting testimony as to the actual authors of these documents.  Some of them lived within a few short decades of the apostles themselves and some were personally acquainted with an apostle. They… Read More »

Jezebel’s Hometown

Posted on May 5, 2020 by

Categories: Archaeology, Biblical History, Biblical Names, Historical Evidence

The Biblical Archaeology Society wrote a nice piece concerning Jezebel’s hometown – the infamous Queen who led Israel into idolatry but later was eaten by dogs after being pushed out of a tower. She was the wife of King Ahab of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, and was famous for her confrontation with the Prophet Elijah. Many have supposed this archenemy of the Israelite people was only a story, like the Wicked Witch in the Wizard of Oz.  Recent archaeological evidence shows that she was a real character who left behind artifacts proving her historicity. Sidon Sidon was an influential… Read More »

Moabite Stone Altar
Close inspection of writing on ancient ceramic shards demonstrate very ancient writing.

Posted on April 30, 2020 by

Categories: Archaeology, Biblical History, Historical Evidence

The recently discovered Moabite stone altar attests to the historicity of an ancient Jewish conflict between Israel and the Biblical Kingdom of Moab. The Kingdom of Moab Moab was a country near ancient Israel founded by the descendants of Lot, the nephew of Abraham.  The Bible notes this country was frequently in conflict with Israel. This historical conflict started when the country impeded the crossing over into the Promised Land from the desert.  As a consequence, they were excluded from joining the Jewish nation for ten generations. The Book of Ruth in the Old Testament is story of a Moabite… Read More »

Why Christ was Crucified
The resurrection of Christ is the central feature of Christianity.

Posted on April 23, 2020 by

Categories: Biblical History, Historical Evidence, Philosophical, Resurrection

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Precisely why Christ was crucified is a question posed by curious Christians throughout the centuries. There is no real doubt the crucifixion occurred – it is one of the best-documented events in ancient history.  The Scriptures, as well as extra-Biblical history, support the historicity of Christ’s crucifixion.  Ancient Greco-Roman sources such as Josephus, Tacitus, and Lucian of Samosata confirm that Christ was crucified. The reason why Christ was crucified is not as obvious to modern Christians who have only marginal knowledge of the Old Testament.  As Bart Ehrman, an agnostic, notes, [If] Jesus had simply been a great moral teacher,… Read More »

Sign of Jonah
The giant fish which swallowed Jonah may have been a whale.

Posted on April 18, 2020 by

Categories: Biblical History, Biblical Names, Historical Evidence, Philosophical, Resurrection

The Sign of Jonah Christians are very familiar with the story of Jonah in the Old Testament.  The Reader’s Digest version is that Jonah was a Jewish prophet who was called to go to the capital city of the Assyrian empire – Nineveh.  The Assyrians were particularly troublesome of the northern ten tribes of Israel due to repeated military conflicts.  Eventually, the Assyrians would conquer the ten tribes them away into slavery and captivity.  Jonah was to preach repentance to these people with the understanding they could then repent and avoid God’s judgment. The problem was that Jonah was not… Read More »

Historicity of the Resurrection
The resurrection of Christ is the central feature of Christianity.

Posted on April 15, 2020 by

Categories: Biblical History, Historical Evidence, Philosophical, Resurrection

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The historicity of the resurrection has been debated for many years.  The “minimal facts argument was developed by Gary Habermas for his Ph.D. dissertation to evaluate the possibility that the resurrection was an actual historical event and not just a nice story invented by an ancient culture. While secular scholars might disagree as to whether Christ rose from the dead in bodily form and revealed himself to multitudes of people, they do agree on several facts concerning the event.  These critical scholars can be liberal Christians, agnostic, or even atheist in their religious views as long as they are specialists… Read More »

The Upper Room
Jerusalem

Posted on April 8, 2020 by

Categories: Archaeology, Biblical History, Biblical Names, Historical Evidence

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The Upper Room is one of the most venerated places in Jerusalem.  It is a site featured in the New Testament Gospels as the place where Jesus had his Last Supper with his disciples, and where he later appeared to them after the Resurrection.  It is also the place where the first believers gathered together to await the arrival of the Holy Spirit. The  Biblical Archaeology Society has an excellent article showing possible ancient renderings of the Upper Room in various churches throughout the ancient world.  This article has these renderings in order for the readers to make their own… Read More »

The Ancient Canaanites
Archaeology sites validate the Biblical narrative.

Posted on March 29, 2020 by

Categories: Archaeology, Biblical History, Historical Evidence

The ancient Canaanites are an ancient population that inhabited the Promised Land when the Hebrews escaped from slavery in Egypt under the leadership of Moses. Ancient texts show the Canaanites lived in the “land of Canaan” which may have included portions of modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan. Much of what we know about the Canaanites comes from the records of other population groups. Some of the most detailed information comes from the ancient Egyptian site of Armana, with additional information coming from modern excavations of Canaanite sites. Archaeology scholars believe the Canaanites represented a diverse group of people… Read More »

Timing of Messiah Appearance
The crucifixion date was derived from an Old Testament prophecy from Daniel that Christ expected the Jews to know.

Posted on February 21, 2020 by

Categories: Christ In Old Testament, Historical Evidence, Textual

There was much anticipation of the timing of Messiah appearance among the Jewish population of Jerusalem in the early part of the first century AD.  This anticipation related to the expected appearance of the Messiah who they hoped would lead a revolt against the hated Roman occupiers of their country. Ancient rabbinical deliberations expressed in the Talmud placed his expected appearance in the early first century which represents a problem to many Jewish faithful.  Some believe the Messiah may have come but because of Jewish unfaithfulness did not declare himself to the nation.  Others suggested in hushed tones that maybe… Read More »

Tabernacle Found at Shiloh

Posted on February 6, 2020 by

Categories: Archaeology, Historical Evidence

Evidence for the Tabernacle found in Shiloh in Israel.  The Tabernacle was used as the home of the Ark of the Covenant until the construction of the First Temple by Solomon. For many years, it was the center of worship in Israel and served as the capital until the time of David when Jerusalem was conquered. Archaeologist Dr. Scott Stripling believes he might have found the actual last location of the Tabernacle – a remarkable feat if it can be proven true. He has been excavating at a site in ancient Shiloh and has found remnants of the supporting structure… Read More »

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