Archaeology & the Bible
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References
 “The Stones Cry Out” by Randall Price
 “Scientific Evidences of the Bible’s
Inspiration” by Bert Thompson
(Apologetics Press)
 “Ready with an Answer” by John
Ankerberg and John Weldon
 “Digging for Answers” by Garry K
Brantley (Apologetics Press)
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Bible Archaeology
Definition:
“A study based on the excavation,
decipherment and critical evaluation of the
records of the past as they affect the Bible”
“Truth shall spring out of the earth”
(Psalm 85:11)
“The stone will cry out”
(Habakkuk 2:11)
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Bible Archaeology
 Bible archaeology became a serious activity
in the 1840’s with the excavation of a
number of Assyrian palaces
 Explosion of interest in Bible archaeology
after the birth of modern Israel in 1948
 Numerous journals and periodicals on this
subject
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Importance of Bible Archaeology
Two opposing objectives
 Christian apologetics for those who believe
the Bible to be the inerrant word of God
 Disprove the Bible for those who do not
believe
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Importance of Bible Archaeology
Has impact on faith in the Bible
 Several historians impressed with the
rapid accumulation of data that supports
the historicity of the Bible
 Bible archaeology has confirmed several
events which were rejected as
unhistorical by critics
“Nowhere has archaeological
discoveries refuted the Bible
as history.”
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(John Elder, “Prophets, Idols and Diggers”)
Importance of Bible Archaeology
 Influences one’s philosophical approach to
the Bible
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Example of three great 20th century American
archaeologists who received liberal training but
modified their views of the Bible: W F Albright,
Nelson Glueck, George Ernest Wright
Albright trained in the German school of higher
criticism and tried to use a “rational and
empirical” approach - he later concluded that
this philosophical basis could not be supported
in the light of numerous recent archaeological
findings
Importance of Bible Archaeology
Silence the critics of the Bible
 Advent of “Higher Criticism” in
the last century has done much
damage to faith in reliability and
inerrancy of the Bible
 Several Bible events dismissed as myths,
legends, inventions of later generations, etc so as to discount the miraculous
 Books of the Bible dated late and attributed
to unknown authors and scribes - so as to
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discount possibility of prophecy
Importance of Bible Archaeology
 “Recent archaeology has destroyed
much nonsense and will destroy
more.” (Prof E N Blaiklock)
 “All radical schools in New Testament
criticism which have existed in the past or
which exist today are pre-archaeological . . .
quite antiquated today.” (William F Albright)
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 However, damage has been done for
generations and will be hard to un-do in
spite of mounting clear archaeological
evidences
Importance of Bible Archaeology
Leads to better understanding of the Bible
 Helps to understand and appreciate
more fully the Bible events Understanding the historical,
chronological, geographical and
cultural background has
“maximum significance for the
theologian” (Dr Edwin Yamauchi)
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 Example: Increases understanding of
Baalism and the significance of Elijah’s
prayer to withhold rain (1 Kings 18)
Importance of Bible Archaeology
Helps in better translations of the Bible
 Discovery of numerous other documents
of same period helps scholars to better
understand the meaning of the Hebrew,
Greek and Aramic words used
 Include better understanding
of poetic and figurative
language, and words which
appear only once in the
Hebrew Bible
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Importance of Bible Archaeology
 Liberals who have aversion
of miracles deny the Virgin
birth of Christ - interpret
“almah” in Isaiah 7:14 as
“young woman”
 But one Ugarit tablet shows word 700
years before Isaiah 7:14 was written, and
referred to a virgin in a similar context as
Isaiah 7:14
 “The traditional translation “virgin” is to
be preferred over “young woman””.
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(Edward J Young)
Importance of Bible Archaeology
A complementary witness to the Bible
 Shed more light on certain figures,
people, practice mentioned in the Bible,
e.g.
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Dead Sea Scrolls shed light on life
and thoughts of the Pharisees and
Sadducees
 Better understanding of the world,
culture, way of life of the Bible times helps the scenes be more real to our
context today
Importance of Bible Archaeology
 Shed further light to explain difficult
Bible passages
Examples:
- “Let the dead bury the dead”
- God hardening the Pharaoh’s heart
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Dead burying the dead?
 Does “Let the dead bury the dead” (Matthew
8:22 Luke 9:60) imply a lack of respect for
the dead or a dishonouring of parents?
 Need to understand Jewish burial practice
in NT times
 Reported in Harvard Theological Review 83
- 1990, and Archaeology and Biblical
Research - Spring 1992
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Dead burying the dead?
 1st burial - "gathered to the fathers" in
family cave - i.e. a traditional
and proper burial
 But in NT times, Rabbi’s taught
that decomposition had an
atoning value for sins of the dead
 Hence, Jews also practised a “secondary
burial” at least one year later
 Bones buried in bone box ("ossuary")
with remains of other family members
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Dead burying the dead?
 Practice was unscriptural - hence
disapproved by Jesus
 Also disapproved by Jesus because of
long time wait before person could
become His follower - at least a year
 Hence, Jesus said to “let the dead bury
the dead” - bones buried with old bones
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Hardening the heart
Why did God “harden” the Pharaoh’s heart?
 Egyptians believe a dead person has to
face judgment and has to deny a list of
sins read out against him
 But at the same time, his heart would be
weighed and would confess the truth,
resulting in condemnation since all sin
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 Egyptian practice ritual of
“hardening the heart”: replace
the heart of the dead with a
stone scarab
Hardening the heart
 So, during judgment, the stone heart
remains silent when the dead one denies
his sins, enabling him to pass
 Hence, when God “hardened” the heart of
Pharaoh, it was also a condemnation of
their theology which let sin go unpunished
 Because of the Pharaoh’s hardened heart,
he was unable to respond to God
when the plagues occurred, thus
leading to Egypt’s (=sin’s) defeat
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A Proper Perspective
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An Ally
 Since Bible Archaeology began 150 years
ago, usefulness is recognised - especially
so from the 1920’s to the 1970’s
 General view was that it “proves”
many historical points in the
Bible - a great ally of the Bible
 “no archaeological discovery has
ever controverted a Biblical reference”
(Nelson Glueck, 1959)
 The Bible determined the agenda and
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objectives of archaeological expeditions
The Pendulum Swings
Change of attitude in the 1970’s
 Archaeology appears to
have turned from ally to foe
 “archaeologists now generally agree that
their discoveries have produced a new
consensus about the formation of ancient
Israel that contradicts significant parts of
the biblical version.” (Stephen Strauss,
1988)
 Same evidences being re-interpreted to
exclude God
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Ally or Foe?
 Signs of pendulum swinging
again in the 1990’s due to
recent discoveries
Questions
 How should one view these swings in
attitude?
 Are Bible Archaeology findings
dependable?
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 How useful are these findings as
Christian Evidences?
A Healthy Perspective
For the unbiased inquirer
 Usefulness of Bible Archaeology must be
recognised
 At the same time, must recognise
limitations of Bible Archaeology as an
inexact science
 Adopt an open mind, and
do not jump to conclusions
before all the data are in
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A Healthy Perspective
For the Christian
 Limitations notwithstanding, Bible
Archaeology is merely one aspect of a
whole body of evidences upon which he
can establish his initial faith in the Bible
 Once faith established in the inerrancy of
the Word of God, he expands the basis of
his faith to the experiential, and grows to
new heights of faith from thereon
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 Fears no threat from Archaeology or
Science or Philosophy etc - these can
strengthen faith but not necessary for it
Proper Use
Bible Archaeology cannot be used to prove
or disprove the Bible.
 Bible is a book on theology set in a
historical background - not primarily a
history record. Theology rests in the
realm of faith.
 Hence can only serve as a useful tool to
establish accuracy of some of the
historical facts that serve as the stage
 Provides clues on what, when, who
and sometimes how of past events 26
but cannot answer why it happened
Pre-suppositions
 Interpretation of archaeological
evidences very much subject to
the historian’s paradigm
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Eg William F Albright, a prominent and
mostly conservative Bible Archaeologist,
does not believe in the inspiration of the
Bible
 Same piece of finding can lead to different
conclusions
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 Need to be armed with a good conviction
in and knowledge of the Bible to derive the
correct interpretation
Tip of the Iceberg
Current archaeological discoveries really only
the very small tip of a very huge iceberg yet to
be discovered
All
All
All
All
All
All
All
All
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that are reported and published
that are seriously examined
that are actually discovered
that exist in excavated sites
the sites that are excavated
the archaeological sites surveyed
the sites that are known or suspected
that survives in archaeological sites
that was made and existed in history
Paucity
 Painstakingly slow process 98% of major ruins in Palestine are
untouched by expeditions
 At each site, only a small percentage of the
surface area is uncovered - less than 2%!
 Many sites located in politically sensitive
areas (Palestine, Syria, Jerusalem, etc)
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Accessibility of sites
Control of information eg Syrian interference
with some implications of the Ebla tablets due
to political and religious motivation
Inexact Science
 Relatively new science and
methods of excavation still
being improved upon - some
rework required of early excavations
 Methods of recording vary - some not as
meticulous as required
 Dating can be difficult - ancient cities are
built upon the old ones
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 Findings are fragmentary and
disconnected - subject to interpretation
No Dogs Please
No room for dogmatism
 Numerous limitations increase
risks of misinterpretation
 Cannot jump to conclusions before all the
relevant data are in
 Must take care of how to use the evidences never lock into a position
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Eg An evidence may initially support and then
turn controversial when more data come in
Exercise same care when handling scientific
discoveries as Christian evidences