Confidence in the Bible, conclusion

I find that our last few studies of prophecy have been fascinating; some people find archaeology even more riveting. Did you know that there has not been an archaeological dig that has ever contradicted a Biblical story or event?
We can't conclude our study without mentioning archaeological proofs for the Bible.

Dr. Nelson Glueck's pioneering work in the field of biblical archaeology resulted in the finding of over 1500 ancient sites. He was considered the greatest modern authority of Israeli archaeology. He once said:

 "No archaeological discovery has ever controverted a Biblical reference. Scores of .... findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or in exact detail historical statements in the Bible. And, by the same token, proper evaluation of Biblical descriptions has often led to amazing discoveries."

Sounds like when archaeologists want to know where to dig, they use the Bible as their map!
We'll look at several discoveries that give us "ammo" when we are talking with folks who want to poke holes in our faith and call the Bible a collection of myths.....
First, there is an area that has been excavated in Syria which is the site of the ancient town of Ebla. back in 1974, over 17,000 tablets were unearthed that told a distinct tale of the city. The people there were merchants and traders, and they exchanged textiles and metals with people as far north as present-day Turkey, and as far east as present-day Iran. An export they were noted for was a cloth of scarlet and gold -- it seemed to differ very little from the brocades still made in Syria today.  The palace whose library contained most of these tablets burned around 2300 BC, and the fire actually baked and preserved the tablets!
Critics have argued for years that Moses invented all the Genesis accounts and that the people of Old Testament times were far too primitive to record documents with precise details. However, the Ebla tablets predate the Old Testament, and they confirm names and locations that are mentioned in it!
The folks who have described Abraham's victory over the Mesopotamian kings as fictitious and scoffed at the five cities "of the Plain" as mythical, are proven wrong by the tablets; the tablets mention all five of the cities by name.
(If anyone would like to dig deeper in these areas, there are lots of resources: Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell, Ebla Tablets by Clifford Wilson, and many articles regarding the "Cyrus Cylinder," which we will touch on soon.)

If we look at evidence from archaeology over the years, there has been little help to the skeptics, and much help to Bible believers!
For instance, the fall of Samaria that is detailed in II Kings is listed on the palace walls of the ancient palace of Sargon II in present-day Iraq. The campaign of the Assyrians, led by Sennacherib against Judah (also in II Kings) is recorded on the Taylor Prism, found in Ninevah many years ago.
Nahum and Zephaniah prophesied the fall of Ninevah in II Kings, and the city's fall is recorded on the Tablet of Nabopolasar, now in the British Museum.  Jerusalem's fall to Nebuchadnezzar is recorded in the Babylonian Chronicles, and the captivity of Jehoiachin (king of Judah) in Babylon is recorded in the Ration Records found about 1899.
Finally, the Cyrus Cylinder that was discovered in the ruins of Babylon (in present-day Iraq) in 1879, has been translated to show the fall of Babylon that we read about in Daniel 5, and the freeing of captives that we read about in the book of Ezra.

We also have discoveries that provide evidence for New Testament events . . . as an example, in 1963, a tablet was found during a restoration of the amphitheater in Caesarea. The table had the name "Pontius Pilate" inscribed upon it. Why is that important? Because until that discovery, the name Pilate was only found in the New Testament and a few other secular historical sources -- so this was proof of the man, and provides evidence for the mock trial of Christ that we read in the Gospels.

All of these non-biblical sources and archaeological discoveries support details about history noted in our Bible, and they help us to see with even more certainty that the Bible writers were concerned with accuracy, not just writing down their personal views.
The Bible is more than a history book, though. It's the record of God's desire to reach into our sinful hearts, change them, and bring us into an abundant and joyful relationship with Him. He will transform us, and also transform our lives. We'll look into those concepts next week!