"Biblical History" Article Items

Jerusalem Chronicle

The Jerusalem Chronicles is an ancient Babylonian text concerned the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem.

The Jerusalem Chronicle is one of a series of a history written concerning the fir eleven years of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II. The chronicle concerns the period between 605 and 594 BC including his military campaigns against various other countries including Judah, Egypt, and Assyria.  The table is currently housed in the British Museum in London, and measures 3.25 inches by 2.4 inches long.  Even though it was acquired in the antiquities market and its original place of origin is unknown, it has been verified as being genuine. The Historicity of the Biblical Account The document is important as… Read More »

The Hittites

The Hittite nation was an ancient superpower rivaling Egypt and Babylon, but faded into obscurity until found by modern archaeologists.

The Hittites were an ancient civilization that arose and fell several times during Old Testament times.  They were a powerful group with a formidable army that was powerful enough to invade Babylon. In fact, they eventually grew so strong and expanded their empire so widely that they became an ancient superpower on the same level as Egypt and Assyria. Battle of Kadesh The two kingdoms would eventually clash in the region where they meet each other – modern-day Syria.  The Battle of Kadesh is dated to 1274 BC and represents the earliest battle in recorded history for which detailed battle… Read More »

The Shishak Invasion

Portal in Egypt showing the invasion into Israel

The Shishak invasion of Israel by the Egyptian armies of Shishak is described in Scripture and illustrated on a wall located in Egypt. The reign of King Rehoboam was tumultuous.  He was the son of Solomon and a grandson of David.  The Kingdom of David was still united when Rehoboam took over after the death of Solomon, his father. Solomon, the King of Israel, had broken the Mosaic mandates of the Torah by taking wives who were not Jewish.  The clear reason for this mandate was to prevent non-Jewish customs and beliefs from infiltrating into the Jewish community and turning… Read More »

The Ivory House

King David's Palace has been found in Old Jerusalem, along with a multitude of confirmatory artifacts including ancient bullae and pottery. These latter items confirm the historicity of Scripture confirming the David dynasty in the tenth century BC.

The Ivory House is mentioned in the Bible as a minor reference concerning the ancient Kings of the Northern Kingdom.  Its construction was influenced by Phoenician culture brought into Israel by Queen Jezebel. King Ahab was one of the more wicked kings of the Northern Kingdom of Israel reigning during the 9th century, BC.  Ahab along with his wife Jezebel greatly expanded worship of Baal and brought Phoenician customs into Israel.  These included such things as child sacrifice, fertility rights, idol worship, and sacrifices to a false god. The Bible gives them both a very negative portrayal and they both… Read More »

Order of Creation

The early Earth was bombarded by a series of asteroids which periodically liquefied the rocks on Earth.

Posted on June 8, 2020 by

Categories: Biblical History, Cosmology, Science

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“Higher critics” of the last two-hundred years have missed some of the most important historical features of the Genesis account of creation in the first chapter of Scripture.  A casual reading of the order of creation might lead the reader to believe the account suggests the creation of the stars before the Sun, or plant life existed prior to sunlight. Does this mean the ancient writer of Genesis who lived in an agricultural society could believe plants existed before the Sun, or is there a more likely explanation?  Is the story of Creation purely a mythological story or perhaps written… Read More »

The “Lost” Gospels

Bible Image

Posted on May 17, 2020 by

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

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Television documentaries about Bible history often are aired during the major Christian holidays, especially during Easter.  These documentaries invariably include a spacial concerning the “lost” gospels.  These books are also known as apocryphal gospels from the Greek meaning “hidden book.” These “hidden” gospels purport to have been written by eyewitnesses to Christ’s ministry such as Peter, Judas, or Thomas – but they tell a story that is very different than the gospels included in Scripture.  These differences are not minor, but so substantial that they are “shocking” making them a frequent topic of discussion on popular outlets such as the History… Read More »

Hebrew Writing Prior to Babylonian Invasion

Recent archaeological discoveries show the ancient Hebrews had high rates of literacy and writing ability.

Posted on May 14, 2020 by

Categories: Archaeology, Biblical History, Historical Evidence

Skeptics have proposed the Old Testament story was written after the Babylonian Invasion.  They support this belief with the conventional wisdom that writing was not common until after the Invasion. The age of the Old Testament has been controversial between those who believe in the literal truth of the Old Testament versus secular scholars who believe it to be a relatively new invention. A recent study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences suggests the Hebrew Bible is older than most believed.  The study was performed at the Tel Aviv University in Israel and analyzed multi-spectral images of… Read More »

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 »