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Just as the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls substantiated the accuracy of Old Testament writings, such as the book of Isaiah, other archaeological discoveries like the clay shard in Khirbet Qeiyafa are adding to the compelling case for the reliability of the Old Testament.
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A host of scholars have also attacked the reliability of the New Testament accounts. Some go so far as to state that Jesus himself was a mythical person. And although a few scholars question Jesus’ existence, no great historian, Christian or non-Christian has drawn that conclusion. Yet as the evidence is discovered, the reliability of the New Testament continues to confound its skeptics
jesusonline.com
Has
the discovery of an ancient pottery shard in excavations near Jerusalem, undone
the sensational claims of a PBS documentary entitled, “The Bible’s Buried Secrets”?
In
that documentary, PBS shockingly concludes that the Hebrew Bible was written
hundreds of years after Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and David.
It
cites scholars who state that the Bible couldn’t have been written until the
6th century BC because the Hebrew language hadn’t been developed until then.
So,
what’s the big deal about that, you might ask?
According
to PBS, the late writing of the Bible means that the entire Old Testament is
based on centuries of oral tradition that changed over time.
Therefore,
according to the documentary, the Bible’s stories are simply myths. As
examples, it concludes:
• Abraham, Sarah
and their offspring didn’t exist.
• There is no
archaeological evidence of the Exodus.
• Monotheism was a
process that took hundreds of years.
But
have the PBS documentary’s conclusions about the Bible been exposed as faulty
by this new archaeological discovery?
According
to Hebrew expert, Professor, Gershon Galil of the Haifa University, the answer
appears to be yes.
On
January 7th, 2009, Professor Galil publicly announced that he had deciphered a
Hebrew inscription from a 15 cm X 16.5 cm trapezoid pottery shard carbon-dated
to the 10th century BC, the time of King David.
The
shard had been discovered earlier at an excavation in Khirbet Qeiyafa, 18 miles
from Jerusalem.
Galil
discovered that the inscription on the 3,000-year-old piece of pottery was
inked in Hebrew, the language of the Bible.
As
a result, he has since concluded that parts of the Bible were written hundreds
of years earlier than suspected by the PBS documentary.
Galil
writes,
“It can now be maintained that it was highly reasonable
that during the 10th century BCE, during the reign of King David, there were
scribes in Israel who were able to write literary texts and complex historiographies
such as the books of Judges and Samuel.”
Just
as the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls substantiated the accuracy of Old
Testament writings, such as the book of Isaiah, other archaeological
discoveries like the clay shard in Khirbet Qeiyafa are adding to the compelling
case for the reliability of the Old Testament.
Is The New
Testament Reliable?
A
host of scholars have also attacked the reliability of the New Testament
accounts. Some go so far as to state that Jesus himself was a mythical person.
And
although a few scholars question Jesus’ existence, no great historian,
Christian or non-Christian has drawn that conclusion.
As
with the Old Testament, attacks on the historical reliability of the New
Testament have been rampant.
Yet
as the evidence is discovered, the reliability of the New Testament continues
to confound its skeptics:
• Jesus’ Family
Tomb: A Discovery Channel documentary entitled, “The Jesus Family Tomb”
speculated that the bones of Jesus had been discovered in a Jerusalem family
tomb. If true, it would undermine the entire Christian message of Jesus’
resurrection. But the documentary distorted the evidence to the disdain of
scholars.
(see “Jesus Family Tomb”)
• Nazareth: Several
New Testament critics argued that the town of Nazareth didn’t exist at the time
of Jesus. This assertion was argued in a book published by American Atheist
Publishing. However, a 2009 archaeological discovery confirms that Jesus’
hometown of Nazareth did exist in the first century.
(see “Was Jesus Really From Nazareth?”)
• New Testament
Documents: German higher critics of the New Testament and other liberal
scholars have argued that its books weren’t written during the apostles’
lifetimes. If true, they couldn’t have been eyewitness accounts. However,
textual critics have a wealth of manuscripts that support its early writing.
(see, “Are the Gospels Reliable?” )
• Archaeological
Confirmation: Several skeptics pointed out that the names of key New Testament
people hadn’t been discovered in archaeological excavations. They cited the
lack of such facts as evidence that the New Testament accounts were invented.
However, in 1962 archaeologists discovered an ancient stone inscribed with the
name of “Pilate”, the governor of Judea who tried Jesus. And in 1990, the name
of the Chief Priest, Caiaphas, was discovered on an ossuary.
Criticism
of both the Old and New Testaments will certainly continue. Part of the reason
for that is because there is so much at stake; the Bible speaks about our
origin and our purpose.
However,
both sides of the historicity of the Bible should listen to what the evidence
says.
The
discovery at Khirbet Qeiyafa is just one more piece of evidence supporting the
case for biblical reliability.
Who
was the real Jesus Christ?
Is
it possible to view Jesus as simply a great moral teacher?
Oxford
scholar, C.S. Lewis originally thought Jesus was a myth.
Then
he investigated the evidence, and was astounded by Jesus’ radical claims.
Lewis
believed that Jesus claimed to be God in the flesh.
Who did this great scholar decide Jesus Christ really was?
Devotionals
These insightful online devotionals will
help make your daily Bible study more effective and meaningful. Read daily,
these devotionals will challenge and encourage you to experience God and fully
live the life He has planned for you.
Find an inspirational devotion for today
from authors like Charles Stanley, Billy Graham, Bill Bright, Oswald Chambers,
Charles Spurgeon, and many others.
See online devotional series
http://jesusonline.com/discover-evidence/bible/the-bibles-buried-secrets/
You might also like:
Ancient Words
Michael W. Smith
Songwriters: RONNIE C. FREEMAN, JR.
& TONY W. WOOD
CLICK HERE . . . to view complete playlist . .
.
https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2018/08/ancient-words-michael-w-smith-holy.html
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
The Mysteries of God
CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .
https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2020/05/the-mysteries-of-god-god-combines.html
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Treasure In Unexpected Places
CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .
https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2018/05/your-bible-is-gold-mine-we-often-find.html
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Our Book Of Destiny
CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .
https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2019/06/our-book-of-destiny-claim-all-that-god.html
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
More
Than A Storybook
CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .
https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2018/06/the-bible-more-than-storybook.html
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Take Time to Listen
CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .
https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2019/05/take-time-to-listen-gods-wisdom-is-key.html
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Bible Prophecy Explained
CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .
https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2020/02/bible-prophecy-explained-jesus-christ.html
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .
https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2020/11/god-speaks-to-us-every-day-god-speaks.html
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .
https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2019/09/discerning-voice-of-god-god-spoke.html
...................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Signs and Wonders
CLICK HERE . . . to view . . .
https://puricarechronicles.blogspot.com/2020/06/signs-and-wonders-signs-and-wonders.html
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