Gregory Chao
May 8, 2011
Pathfinders Class: The Case for Christ
Class 2: Archaeological Evidence for New Testament
1) What is the role of archaeology in establishing the validity of the NT?
a) It will show that the ancient sites are consistent with the record and that the history and
geography is correct. It has the role of enhancing the credibility.
b) It does not confirm what Jesus Christ said is right. Spiritual truths cannot be proved or disproved
by archaeological discoveries.
2) When archaeologists check out the details of Luke, what do they find?
a) Luke has been proven over and over again to be a very accurate historian. He’s eloquent, his
Greek approaches classical quality, and he writes as an educated man. There have been several
instances where scholars start off claiming he is wrong and later it is proven that he is right
through archaeological discoveries. See table for examples.
Passage
Description
Dispute
Archaeological Discovery
An inscription was found from the time of Tiberius
(14-37AD) naming Lysanias as tetrarch in Abila near
Damascus. There were two Lysanias' (Bruce,
ACNT,321)
Luke 3:1
Lysanias was ruler of
Lysanias is the tetrarch
Chalcis half century
of Abilene
earlier (36 BC).
Acts 17:6
Luke uses politarchs to
Term is not used in
19 inscriptions have been found using the title. Five
denote the civil
classical literature,
of these are specific to Thessalonica. (Bruce, ACNT
authorities of
therefore Luke is wrong 325)
Thessalonica
1) Roman tax record show census' every 14 years.
Luke 2:1-3
Census with governor There was no census,
Quirinius of Syria
no Quirinius.
Acts 16
Luke describes Philippi Hort believed Luke
as "meris" or "part" of erred in this usage,
Macedonia
poor word usage
Acts 18:12
Luke uses "praetors"
as Philippian rulers
2) Found an inscription in Antioch ascribing Quirinius
was governor of Syria (7 BC) Therefore, he was
probably governor twice, once in 7 BC and the other
in 3 AD). Papyrus in Egypt reads: "Because of the
approaching census it is necessary that all those
residing for any cause away from their homes should
at once prepare to return to their own government in
order that they may complete the family registration
of the enrollment and that the tilled lands may retain
those belonging to them." (Elder, PID, 159,160)
Excavations show that "meris" is the very word used
to describe the divisions of districts. (Free, ABH, 320)
Scholars believed that Finding has shown that the title of "praetor" was
two "duumuirs" would employed by the magistrates of a Roman colony
have ruled the town.
(Free, ABH 321)
Table 1 - Disputed issues clarified through Archaeology
b) There have been a number of discoveries that prove out details of Luke’s records. Geiser reveals,
“In all, Luke names 32 countries, 54 cities, and 9 islands without an error.”
The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel
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i)
Acts 19:23-29 – Luke records that the riot in Ephesus takes place in a theater. This theater
was unearthed and proved to have room for 25000 people. (Bruce ACNT,326)
ii) Acts 21:28 – Luke records a riot broke out in Jerusalem over taking a gentile in temple. An
Inscription was found reading, "No foreigner may enter within the barrier which surrounds
the temple and enclosure. Anyone who is caught doing so will be personally responsible for
his ensuing death." (Bruce, ACNT,326)
iii) Act 18:4-7 – Luke records Paul debating in the synagogue. Fragment found at the site with
inscription “Synagogue of the Hebrews.” (Bruce, NTD 95)
iv) Act 18:12 – Luke’s use of the word proconsul is correct, as evidenced by the Delphi inscription
that states “As Lucius Junius Gallio, my friend and Proconsul of Achaia…” (Vos, CITB, 180).
This inscription also gives us a fixed time period for establishing Paul’s ministry in Corinth
since Gallio took office in July 1, 52 AD for only one year. Key for dating Acts!
v) Acts 28:7 – Luke give to Publius, the chief man in Malta, the title “first man of the island.”
Inscriptions have been unearthed that do give him the title of “first man.” (Bruce, ACNT, 325)
c) Sir William Ramsay, regarded as one of the greatest archaeologists, started out believing Luke was
fabricated. In his research, he was forced to do a complete reversal of his belief due to the
overwhelming evidence. He states “Luke’s history is unsurpassed in respect to trustworthiness”
(Ramsay, SPTRC, 81)
d) Colin Hemer, a noted Roman historian, has catalogued numerous archaeological and historical
confirmations of Luke’s accuracy summarizes by saying (Hemer, BASHH, 104-107):
 Specialized details, which would not have been widely known except to a contemporary
researcher such as Luke who traveled widely. These details include exact titles of officials,
identification of army units, and information about major routes.
 Details archaeologists know are accurate but can't verify as to the precise time period.
Some of these are unlikely to have been known except to a writer who had visited the
districts.
 Correlation of dates of known kings and governors with the chronology of the narrative.
 Facts appropriate to the date of Paul or his immediate contemporary in the church but
not to a date earlier or later.
 "Undesigned coincidences" between Acts and the Pauline Epistles.
 Internal correlations within Acts.
 Off-hand geographical references that bespeak familiarity with common knowledge.
 Differences in formulation within Acts that indicate the different categories of sources he
used.
 Peculiarities in the selection of detail, as in theology, that are explainable in the context of
what is now known of first-century church life.
 Cultural or idiomatic items now known to be peculiar to the first century atmosphere.
3) Archaeology may support the credibility of Luke, but what about the other records?
i) There have been several discoveries that have proved other records to be very accurate.
(1) Roman 16:23 – Paul identifies Erastus as city treasurer. During an excavation of Corinth in
1929, a pavement was found inscribed with “Erastus, curator of public buildings, laid this
pavement at his own expense” (Bruce, NTD, 95)
(2) John 5:1-15 – John records Jesus healed an invalid by the Pool of Bethesda. John provides
details that the pool had five porticoes (walkways). Scholars have claimed that John is
inaccurate because no such place was found. However, recently the Pool has been excavated
40 feet below ground with 5 porticoes! (Bruce ACNT, 329)
The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel
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(3) John 19:13 – John records the court where Jesus met Pilate. For centuries, there has been no
record of this site. Recently, this court was found as the court of the Tower of Antonia, the
Roman Military Headquarters in Jerusalem. It was left buried when the city was rebuilt in the
time of Hadrian (Albright, AP, 141)
(4) Pilate Inscription – In 1961, Antonio Frova discovered an inscription in Caesarea on a stone
slab which had three lines roughly translated “Tiberium, Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea.”
(Dockery FBI, 360)
(5) NT Coins – The tribute penny (Matt 22:17-21, Mark 12:13-17, Luke 20:20-26), the thirty pieces
of silver (Matt 26:14-15), and the widow’s mite (Mark 12:41-44, Luke 21:1-4) have all been
found. (Dockery FBI, 362)
(6) Other sites have been found recently like Pool of Siloam (John 9:7), Jacob’s Well (John 4:12),
and the probable location of the Stone Pavement near the Jaffa Gate where Jesus appeared
before Pilate (John 19:13) (Strobel, CFC, 99)
References
Bruce, F. F. Archaeological Confirmation of the New Testament, 1969
Bruce, F.F. The NT Document: Are they Reliable?, 1964
Free, Joseph P., Archaeology and Bible History, 1969
Elder, John. Prophets, Idos, and Diggers. 1960
Vos, Howard F., Can I Trust the Bible, 1963,
Ramsay, W, St. Paul the Traveler and Roman Citizen, 1962
Hemer, C, The Book of Acts in the Setting of Hellenistic History,1990
Dockery, D Foundations for Biblical Interpretation, 1994
Albright, W The Archaeology of Palestine, 1960
Strobel, The Case for Christ, 1998
The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel
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