"Biblical Names" Article Items

Finding the House of David Stele was important as the existence of an actual, Biblical King David had been called into question for centuries and was considered only a myth by secular historians. They scoffed at the idea there could have been an organized, ancient kingdom of Israel that could be powerful enough to fight against ancient civilizations. Furthermore, the Biblical Kingdom of David was associated with other ethnic groups which were also thought to be mythical – or at least severely enlarged in order to fit the narrative. This becomes important because the Old Testament is very consistent with… Read More »

The Sennacherib Prism is an ancient hexagonal clay artifact with multiple lines of cuneiform writing. It contains the writing of the Assyrian King Sennacherib concerning his exploits in and around Jerusalem in 701 BC during the reign of Biblical King Hezekiah. These inscriptions were inscribed on several three known prisms stored in various museums around the world. The Taylor Prism is in the British Museum, the Oriental Institute prism is stored in the Oriental Institute of Chicago, and the Jerusalem Prism is in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. The inscriptions are nearly identical to each other with only minor differences…. Read More »

The Pool of Siloam was a tremendous archaeological finding because of its association with Scripture. It was at that pool that Christ cured the blind man (John 9:1-11). The pool has been associated throughout history as being associated with Hezekiah’s Tunnel. The tunnel traditionally was built by King Hezekiah (739 – 686 BC), the thirteenth King of Judah. Hezekiah witnessed the destruction of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC when he was a child. The destruction of much of the Jewish nation (leaving only two tribes of Judah and Benjamin) left a lasting impression on the young child…. Read More »

I have had discussions with many people online over the years who challenge the very existence of Christ. They often question, “did Jesus really exist?”  Skeptics suggest there would be more evidence of his existence were he really the Son of God who did miracles. These skeptics believe there is no good evidence for Christ outside the Bible, and of course, the Bible cannot verify itself. Even though Christ’s existence is recognized by billions of Christians and Muslims, these skeptics doubt the evidence. Is this a realistic objection? Is this objection based in fact or is there sufficient evidence of… Read More »

The ancient kingdom of Edom and Israel have a shared history according to Scripture.  The relationship between Biblical Jacob (whose name was changed to Israel and who became the father of the twelve tribes of Israel) and Esau (the brother of Jacob who became the father of the nation of Edom) is legendary.  They were twins and seemingly even struggled prior to birth concerning which would be born first. Esau won the birth battle and was born minutes prior to Jacob.  Being first-born, Esau had the birthright as the eldest son and would get a greater portion of an inheritance… Read More »

Another amazing archaeological discovery has been made in Israel with the discovery of ancient Jerusalem Governors’ seals. These seals are tremendously important because they help to confirm the historicity of the Bible. There have been many similar discoveries made in recent years, everything from seals belonging to Isaiah, jailors of Jeremiah, the Pontius Pilate ring, and a clay impression made for Jezebel. The newest addition to this list was found in excavations in the Western Wall area of Jerusalem. It is amazing that such discoveries are still being made in such a highly trafficked area but has apparently been overlooked… Read More »

Pontius Pilate of Biblical fame is thought to have built a street in Jerusalem now referred to as Pontius Pilate’s Street. He was the Roman prefect of Judea at the time of Christ’s trial and execution. This fact alone has guaranteed Pilate’s infamy throughout all time as he ordered the execution of Christ. There are few historical artifacts related to Pilate including a ring which might have belonged to him, and the so-called Pontius Pilate Stone which bears an inscription including his name. There has been little uncovered archaeologically related to this man of such importance. The recent discovery of… Read More »

The Royal Steward Seal from the First Temple era in the 7th century BC has been uncovered in Jerusalem. Excavated from the foundations of the Western Wall demonstrate the presence of Jewish people in the land of modern-day Israel dating back 2700 years.  This discovery is extremely important as it establishes Jewish history in Palestine for thousands of years. The Royal Steward Seal Archaeological explorations throughout the land of modern-day Israel continue to affirm the Biblical narrative. Earth excavated from the foundations of the Western Wall in 2013 has yielded many artifacts dating back to the First Temple period in… Read More »

The Capernaum Synagogue Finding an ancient synagogue in the Holy Land would seem to be unimportant – trival even.  We know from Scripture as well as from ancient records that Jews would congregate in a synagogue on the Sabbath.  There were multiple reasons for meeting in a synagogue, perhaps the most important of which would be to worship God and keep the Sabbath holy – set apart as being different from other days. Synagogues are not specifically mentioned in the Old Testament but are thought to have started after return from the Jewish Babylonian exile as a place for men… Read More »

Historians know the original house of the Apostles Peter and Andrew was in Bethsaida which he likely shared with his brother Andrew. Modern archaeologists have considered many of the Biblical sites as fictional places invented long ago by ancient Jews in which to stage their miraculous events. One such site thought lost to history was Bethsaida. Many scientists have scoured the shores of the Sea of Galilee trying to find this lost city and the house of the Apostles Peter and Andrew for years.  Because of this, doubt arose whether it could ever be found. It was an important city… Read More »