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The first documented lighthouse was the Lighthouse of Alexandria, built in 200 BC on the island of Pharos by the Egyptian Emperor Ptolemy. Considered as one of the Seven Wonders of the World, it is thought to have been 150 metres (492 ft) high - about three times taller than modern lighthouses. |
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Archeology Proves Bible History Accurate
Posted on Monday, November 28, 2005 (CST) by Thoth
 The Bible is the only ancient, well-organized and authentic framework in which to fit all the facts of history. The Bible does not record all history. In fact, there are huge gaps in the history contained in the Bible. Yet, without the Bible and what it reveals from prehistory, ancient history and prophecy—which is history written in advance—you cannot truly understand any history. No worldly source can help us as the Bible does!
But what do modern men say about the Bible? Most agree it is a book for the religious, but think its history cannot be trusted.
For centuries, until the so-called Age of Enlightenment—also known as the Age of Reason—the Western world accepted without question the historical accuracy of the account of the Garden of Eden, the Flood, the Tower of Babel, the history of the patriarchs and the Exodus from Egypt.
However, in
the 17th and 18th centuries, European intellectuals began to claim that
only through human reason could true knowledge be obtained. Rather than
the Bible, scientific reasoning became the source of authority—the
ultimate judge of all truth. The Bible came under direct attack.
Then in the 19th and early
20th centuries, the theory of evolution—the fable of a creation without
a Creator—and higher Bible criticism spawned by anti-Semite German
rationalists, came on the scene and succeeded in completely removing
God and the Bible from the picture. German Bible critics argued that
the Bible was unhistorical and had no reliable basis in fact. They
stated that the Bible was merely Jewish fable and folklore fabricated
in the 5th and 6th centuries b.c.—in other words, that most of the Old
Testament books were not contemporary records, but rather had been
written centuries after the events took place. Many scholars came to
deny the existence of Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David
and Solomon.
So today, most theologians
and ministers look askance at the Bible and its history. The real
tragedy is that these men refuse to study into and teach the vital
lessons taught by these histories.
Foolish Scoffers
The great men of the Bible
prophesied accurately that highly educated men and women who scoff at
God and His revealed Word would dominate our world. Although men have
sneered at God in every generation beginning with Adam, ours was to be
the worst. The Apostle Paul wrote, “Because that, when they knew God,
they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain
in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing
themselves to be wise, they became fools …. And even as they did not
like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a
reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient” (Romans
1:21-22, 28). Although Paul is speaking specifically about the earliest
men, we have not changed for the better; we have grown worse.
Since the 17th and 18th
centuries, men have produced an amazing fund of knowledge in the
industrial and scientific areas. Yet pursuing knowledge about God has
been left out. Our generation knows less about God and what God is
doing than any prior generation. Modern leaders in education, science
and industry have created a science-centric world. They have pushed
religion into the outer fringes of our civilization. Ours is not a
religious age—though some may think it to be so. Paul saw into our day
and said that end-time religion has “a form of godliness,” but that men
deny its power (2 Timothy 3:5). Most of the world’s educated believe
that mankind has outgrown the need for God. God has been made to seem
powerless. This fact should alarm us. It is time we turn back to the
all-powerful God.
Many believe that science
will save us from our problems. Why can’t we recognize that science is
about to destroy us? Soon the need for God will come crashing back upon
us. Then all men will have to admit that only God can save us.
The Apostle Peter wrote,
“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers,
walking after their own lusts …. For this they willingly are ignorant
of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth
standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then
was, being overflowed with water, perished” (2 Peter 3:3, 5-6). Peter
states clearly that one of the hallmarks of our day is a willing
ignorance of God. The truth is, men could know much more about God but
choose not to. What does this mean? Peter warns that willing ignorance
of God, along with a great expansion in all other fields of knowledge,
is the cause of the soon-coming, final global disaster (verse 7).
Mankind, assuming self-rule without God, will bring itself to the brink
of annihilation. Thankfully, God promises to intervene and stop our
self-destruction.
Here are some perfect
examples of what Paul and Peter are talking about. Bertrand Russell,
the late British philosopher and avowed agnostic, wrote this in his
History of Western Philosophy: “The early history of the Israelites
cannot be confirmed from any source outside of the Old Testament, and
it is impossible to know at what point it ceases to be purely
legendary.” Mr. Russell dismisses the Bible as unreliable legend in
just a few sentences. Even though first printed in 1945, his book is
still widely read by university students and is considered one of the
best books of its kind. Young, bright minds have been and still are
being prejudiced against the Bible, the foundation of true knowledge.
Historian R.G. Collingwood, in his book The Idea of History (printed
posthumously in 1946), tagged the Bible as “theocratic history and
myth.”
Most scholars lower the
Bible to the level of Homer—mythology in poetic form. Unfortunately,
many Bible scholars, ministers and theologians agree. Yet, there are
mountains of evidence to prove otherwise.
The Bible is a book of
accurate history. Contrary to what Mr. Russell had to say, there is
evidence outside the Bible that proves the reality of its history.
However, we hear very little about this evidence.
New Science: Archaeology
Most scholars have been
ignoring pertinent facts. The willing (and sometimes willful) ignoring
of the truth has been happening for decades. Even while Russell and
Collingwood were writing their books, other scholars were unearthing
spectacular discoveries that cast a bright light on the truth of the
biblical record. Even prior to the mid-20th century, the new science of
archaeology—the digging-up and study of the remains of man’s bygone
years—caused an earthquake within the anti-God scholarship of the
critics. The facts are amazing.
As a science, archaeology
has expanded to include the study of all cultures. However, at its
earliest stage of development, the infant science was concerned most
with ancient civilizations. For centuries, robbers, religious pilgrims,
even Napoleon had unearthed and carried away multiple thousands of
ancient artifacts from sites throughout the Near East and Egypt. It was
during Napoleon’s military expedition in Egypt in 1799 that the vitally
important Rosetta stone was dug up.
Yet, it was not until the
end of the 19th century that a systematic study and evaluation of the
Near East began. This geographic region is known as the Fertile
Crescent. Egyptologist James Henry Breasted first used the term
“Fertile Crescent” to describe the lush, well-watered, crescent-shaped
geographic region starting at the Persian Gulf moving up the
Tigris-Euphrates valley, then westward over Syria and southward along
the Mediterranean Sea through Palestine. The productive Nile valley is
often included within the boundaries of the crescent. It is in this
geographic region that the lands and peoples of the Old Testament
history are located. For nearly two centuries, the Fertile Crescent has
been the focus of intense archaeological scrutiny. Even Herbert W.
Armstrong supported critically important digs in Jerusalem by sending
Ambassador College students there as workers.
There should be strong
public interest in the archaeological findings of this region. Although
at one time archaeological findings did spark sharp interest by both
secular and religious scholars, much is now forgotten or goes unnoticed.
Archaeology has confirmed without question the historical accuracy of the Bible.
Gainsaying Not Stopped
The scholars’ main attack
on Bible history in the early 20th century was that no secular records
existed to provide evidence of the Flood, the Exodus, or the lives of
David and Solomon. Many claimed that Moses could never have written the
first five books of the Bible, since writing had not been invented at
that time. But when the curious, energetic men and women dug up the
past, these commonly held ideas were proved to be without foundation.
Modern archaeology has
challenged the world of education to admit that the Bible is factual.
Solid, documented evidence outside the Bible record confirms events and
persons that were at one time considered to be suspect or plain false.
Still, some people work
tirelessly to discredit the Bible as a God-inspired record of
critically important history. Some have stubbornly overlooked
overwhelming evidence. Others have purposely misinterpreted the facts
to hold on to pet theories. Are we surprised? Not really. Why?
The Bible has the answer.
No man of himself can accept or submit to the authoritative Word of
God. Paul wrote: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it
is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be” (Romans 8:7).
Men have been successful in getting rid of God and His great authority
(though in reality, God is very much present). They don’t want Him
back! To admit that the Bible is accurate historically would mean
accepting that God does exist—and that His Word holds authority over
the lives of all men. The brightest minds know that if the Bible is
exact in its history, then its commands are in full force. You cannot
separate Bible history from Bible law! The entire Bible is true, or it
is false. It cannot be both.
Let’s be plain: You can rely on the historical accuracy of the Bible.
Behistun Rock Deciphered
Let’s look at several of
the more important archaeological finds that confirm Bible history. Not
all of these artifacts have been as publicized as some of the more
spectacular ones like the Rosetta stone or the tomb of King Tut of
ancient Egypt, yet they are momentous in regards to the evaluation of
the Bible chronicle.
The deciphering of the
Behistun inscription in the 19th century was one of the most remarkable
archaeological advancements and the most vital to understanding ancient
writings uncovered in the Fertile Crescent. The discovery opened the
door for archeology to further confirm the Bible’s historical accuracy.
The inscription, like a
billboard about the size of half a football field, is situated on a
cliff about 300 feet above the base of a mountain in the Zagros
Mountains of western Iran. The site lies along the road that connected
the ancient capitals of kingdoms of Babylonia and Media: Babylon and
Ecbatana. The inscription dates back to 516 b.c. and is an account of
Darius i’s assumption of the Persian throne (521-486 b.c.). This
account was written in cuneiform in three languages (Babylonian,
Elamite and Old Persian). In 1835, Sir Henry C. Rawlinson copied and
began to decipher the text, finishing the Persian translation in 1846.
He and other scholars were soon able to translate the Babylonian and
Elamite portions.
Many ancient cultures in
the Middle East used cuneiform, but these works were a mystery until
the trilingual Behistun inscription was deciphered—the discovery made
possible the translation of other cuneiform writings.
The Behistun breakthrough
led to others, including the translation of 22,000 tablets at the ruins
of Nineveh, Shalmaneser’s Black Obelisk, Shennacherib’s Prism, and the
epic poems of Gilgamesh and Enuma Elish. (These poems contain accounts
of the Flood, creation and the tower of Babel that closely parallel the
Bible.)
The Fabled Hittites
Bible critics had long
sneered at references in the Bible to a people called the Hittites
(Genesis 15:20; Exodus 3:8, 17; Numbers 13:29; Joshua 1:4; Judges 1:26
and elsewhere). Their opinion was that the Hittites were simply one of
the many mythical peoples made up by Bible writers. Some critics said
they may have been a small and unimportant tribe. But the critics were
off the beam!
Toward the end of the 19th
century, Hittite monuments were uncovered at Carchemish on the
Euphrates River in Syria, proving the Bible right. Later, in 1906,
excavations at Boghazkoy (ancient Hattusas, capital of the Hittite
Empire) in Turkey uncovered thousands of Hittite documents, revealing a
wealth of information about Hittite history and culture. The
centuries-old Hittite rubbish showed they were a real and formidable
power. They were once one of the dominant peoples of Asia Minor and the
Near East. They exercised considerable control south into Syria and
Palestine.
The Bible was right all
along! Today, no one questions the existence of the Hittites. Volumes
of books exist on the history, art, culture and society of the
Hittites. Yet an anti-Bible prejudice still exists. Scholarly people
usually believe that if it’s in the Bible, it’s wrong. But the Bible is
right and has always been right.
In 1974, Italian
archaeologists found approximately 17,000 cuneiform tablets and
fragments at the site of ancient Ebla in northern Syria. The
inscriptions on these artifacts date them prior to the 24th century
b.c. Noachian Flood. Similar finds were uncovered in Egypt and
Mesopotamia. The tablets show that writing was common centuries before
Moses. The critics can no longer claim that Moses and his
contemporaries were illiterate or that the Pentateuch was written by
Ezra in the 5th century b.c.
No Jewish Captivity?
One of the most ridiculous
claims of the critics has been that the Babylonian captivity did not
take place. This is on a par with those who believe the Holocaust of
World War ii did not happen. The Bible gives specific details about the
captivity of Judah by the armies of Babylon early in the 6th century
b.c. (ii Kings 24-25). Scholars have said it’s all just another Jewish
myth. However, between 1935 and 1938, important discoveries were made
30 miles southwest of Jerusalem at a site thought to be ancient
Lachish. Lachish was one of the cities recorded in the Bible as being
besieged by the king of Babylon at the same time as the siege of
Jerusalem (Jeremiah 34:7).
Twenty-one pottery
fragments inscribed in the ancient Hebrew script were unearthed in the
latest pre-exilic levels of the site. Called the Lachish Ostraca, they
were written during the very time of the Babylonian siege. Some of them
are exchanges between the city’s military commander and an outlying
observation post, vividly picturing the final days of Judah’s desperate
struggle against Babylon! Since the 1930s, there has been more
unearthing of Babylonian historical texts describing the conquest of
Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. The historical fact of the Babylonian
captivity is firmly established.
We could discuss literally
hundreds of archaeological finds that corroborate Bible history. Noah’s
Flood, the Exodus, David, Solomon and the kings of Israel and Jerusalem
as described in the Bible are proven to be historical by non-biblical
sources. If you desire to know more, go to your local library and do
some self-study. You may be surprised to find how much information is
actually available to you. Unfortunately, you will not find this
information on your nightly news. Two books we can recommend are The
Bible as History by Werner Keller and On the Reliability of the Old
Testament by K.A. Kitchen.
There are numerous
biblically related artifacts in the British Museum located in London.
They are breathtaking to see. Even though you may never be able to go
to London, it is possible to log on to the museum website
(www.thebritishmuseum.ac.uk) and see pictures of the artifacts. Here is
a short list of some of the more important treasures of antiquity:
- The Black Obelisk of
Shalmaneser III (858-824 B.C.) shows Jehu, king of Israel, bowing
before the Assyrian king. This is the only known picture of an
Israelite king.
-
Tablets from the time
of Tiglath-Pileser (744-727 B.C.) state that he received tribute from
Jehoahaz of Judah. This is the full name of Ahaz (2 Kings 16:7).
-
A wonderfully detailed limestone relief from Sennacherib’s palace at Nineveh shows the siege of Lachish.
-
One of the most
important is the cylinder of Nabonidus (555-539 B.C.). He was the last
ruler of the Neo-Babylonian Empire. This stele proves that his son
Belshazzar was co-regent with him (Daniel 5; 7:1; 8:1). Scholars
previously scoffed at Belshazzar’s existence.
In his book A Survey of Old
Testament Introduction, Gleason Archer Jr. quotes author John Elder as
saying, “It is not too much to say that it was the rise of the science
of archaeology that broke the deadlock between the historians and the …
Christian. Little by little, one city after another, one civilization
after another, one culture after another whose memories were enshrined
only in the Bible, were restored to their proper places in ancient
history by the studies of archaeologists …. Contemporary records of
biblical events have been unearthed and the uniqueness of the biblical
revelation has been emphasized by contrast and comparison to newly
discovered religions of ancient peoples. Nowhere has archaeological
discovery refuted the Bible as history” (emphasis mine). That last
statement is the most important. Archaeology has proven that the Bible
is accurate history!
A Recent Find
The contribution of
archaeology to the Bible record is far from over. In August this year,
an incredible find was unearthed in the Old City of Jerusalem. The
event did not make national news. It should have!
Workers repairing a
sewage-pipe break uncovered the Pool of Siloam in Old Jerusalem. This
pool was a major gathering site for the Jews. The Pool of Siloam is
central to the account of the miracle of Christ healing a man blind
from birth (John 9:1-7). Christ put clay on the man’s eyes and then
told him to wash at the Pool of Siloam. Obeying Christ by washing in
the pool completed the miracle (verse 11). This created an incredible
stir among the Jewish elite of Christ’s day (verses 14-41). Why? Jesus
Christ had made the clay with His own spit on the Sabbath day. The Jews
considered this act a breaking of the Sabbath command. Jealous and
insecure, the Pharisees declared that Christ was not of God for healing
the blind man on the Sabbath (verse 16). A study of the whole chapter
makes plain that the entire incident was used by God to show the
Pharisees how blind they were to God and what God was doing on this
Earth. Of course, they failed to learn that lesson.
Why is all this important
today? Here is what the Los Angeles Times reported about this
incredible archaeological find: “‘Scholars have said that there wasn’t
a Pool of Siloam and that John was using a religious conceit’ to
illustrate a point, said New Testament scholar James H. Charlesworth of
the Princeton Theological Seminary. ‘Now, we have found the Pool of
Siloam … exactly where John said it was.’ A Gospel that was thought to
be ‘pure theology is now shown to be grounded in history,’ he said”
(August 9). Do we get it? The scholars are wrong—again. The Bible is
accurate—always!
Unfortunately, this
archaeological event received very little attention. What if it had?
Think about what this find tells us. It not only establishes the
historical accuracy of John’s Gospel, it reinforces the historicity of
Jesus Christ. The find also establishes that it is God’s desire to heal
mankind of seemingly impossible health crises. God is very real and
very powerful. Our modern scholars have their part in making many men,
women and children as spiritually blind as the Pharisees of Christ’s
day.
It’s time for all people to
seriously question Bible critics. It is time for all Bible critics to
stop pointing their finger at God—to quit casting doubt on the Bible
record and start learning the true knowledge that will solve all
humanity’s problems.
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Re: Archeology Proves Bible History Accurate
by artberry on Tuesday, November 29, 2005 (CST)
(User Info | Send a Message) http://www.artberry.net | Noah's flood historical? The problem with the biblical account about the flood is it is quite specific about the details. Unfortunately these details don’t fit with what we know and can observe. E.g. the size and materials the ark was supposed to be made of, mean it would be physically impossible for two of every animals to fit into it. There is also the aspect that some creatures on earth don’t actually have 2 sexes and are in effect hermaphrodite (so you wouldn’t necessarily need two). Thirdly, why are there marsupials in Australia and nowhere else? There is no biblical mention of Australia and how the marsupials were collected and deposited which would account for the fact that marsupials are different from mammals and are only found or indigenous to a specific part of the world. Neither is there sufficient time in the biblical account of the flood story for Noah to get to Australia and back in a boat that had no engine.
Ok one could I suppose argue “anything is possible with God”. However, if God didn’t actually need Noah to save the animals, what was it? Some kind of make-work scheme for unemployed shepherds?
Of course there is some evidence apart from the Bible that there was a flood or floods in that part of the World since these things are recorded in Sumerian writings. However there is no physical evidence either in present day natural history or archeologically that would indicate the biblical account of the flood which is supposed to be a flood of the whole earth, is absolutely honest and true. It’s not simply impossible it’s a total fabrication.
Of course if the Bible is not honest, true and perfect no amount of “patching it up” after the fact, can make it so. I mean if the god of the Bible needs a lawyer and isn’t perfect, and the account is show to be a lie, then it is not “the Word of God”. Period! And just because the account fits some circumstantial historical evidence here and there doesn’t prove anything. To base a religion on it, is IMO no better than scheduling your daily routine according to a broken clock, which after all is perfectly accurate twice in every 24 hours, but that doesn’t make it of any real use.
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