Biblical Archeology
(Old Testament)
What can we know about the Old Testament --from the dirt?
Most people assume that when they read a history text book, that it is pure and simple truth concerning past events. This is not the case.
In fact, there is much debate among historians and archeologists, behind the scenes, unknown to the layman.
Oftentimes these men have their own biases when interpreting the evidence.
In our day, there is much bias against anything supernatural, despite the fact that there are vast amounts of supernatural events recorded in ancient documents, from all around the world (including the Bible).
Most modern scholars do not believe in the supernatural, and therefore dismiss these accounts as false superstitions.
When dealing with Biblical archeology, this bias has enormous consequences, as the Bible is filled with many supernatural events. Most modern scholars dismiss the Bible as a credible historical document largely due to this fact.
People will oftentimes assume that if there is no archeological evidence to back up a textual claim, that the claim must not be true. But when dealing with ancient events, which took place thousands of years in the past, there is naturally going to be very little surviving evidence, due to wars, floods, fires, decay, theft etc. destroying such documents.
The Bible is the only way to be certain of our history because it is God’s Word, it is absolute truth, it is the basis for all knowledge, including archeology and the study of history.
There have been numerous cities and empires discovered in the sand that have long been known to the Biblical historian, including the Akkadian Empire, Assyrian, Babylonian, Egyptian, Hittite, Phoenician, Persian, and others. There has never been anything found in the sand that definitively contradicts the events recorded in the Bible, but rather confirms it.
Let’s start our journey a couple hundred years after the Tower of Babel,
with Abraham.
Abraham was born in Ur of the Chaldeans, (southern Iraq). The ruins of this city were discovered in 1862. Notice the enormous tower in the background.
It would appear that these ancient people, like so many other ancient people, were still trying to build a great tower of Babel to heaven, which is why we find pyramids all over the earth.
God told Abraham to move to the land of Canaan, and he did. Eventually, he had a son and named him Isaac, who in turn had a son named Jacob, who had twelves sons, one of which, was named Joseph who was sold as a slave to the Egyptians.
Joseph eventually gets promoted to Pharaoh's right hand.
But is there any evidence of his existence?
In fact, there is. There is an ancient man-made water canal named after him near the Nile River, in Egypt. It is called Bahr Yusef, which means the waterway of Joseph.
It is still there to this day.
And in the ancient city of Avaris (beneath the city of Ramses), there is much evidence of Palestinian (Israeli) shepherds along with a palace, including 12 tombs in the courtyard, one of which is a pyramid tomb with a giant statue. This is not an Egyptian, but a Palestinian, who has been highly honored with a palace and his own tomb / giant statue.
This is likely the head and shoulder portion of Joseph's statue. When archeologists entered the tomb, they found no body. Which makes sense since the Hebrews took Joseph's body back with them during the time of Moses.
The Pharaoh, at this time was Amenemhat, who had his own tomb built near the Waterway of Joseph, possibly out of love or respect for his friend who saved Egypt, during the great seven-year famine.
Higher in the strata, at Avaris, there is evidence that this large population of Palestinian shepherds eventually became slaves (indicated by their short lifespans).
After hundreds of years of slavery, Moses arrived, and demanded that the Pharaoh release his people from slavery, so that they can go back to Canaan. Pharaoh refused, and God sent 10 plagues to Egypt:
Water to blood, Frogs, Gnats, Flies, Livestock death, Boils, Hail, Locusts, Darkness, Death of 1st born.
This Egyptian artifact contains a list of slave names, 70% of which are Palestinian names.
This next document, the Ipuwer Papyrus (or Leiden 344) is an amazing find. It was written by an Egyptian named Ipuwer who laments over some "unknown" Egyptian tragedies. Amazingly, these tragedies seem to echo the plagues of Moses, and even record the plundering of Egyptian riches. As you read some of the statements from this document, try to imagine what the plagues of Moses would have looked like to an Egyptian scribe.
"Behold, Egypt has come to pour out water. He who poured out water on the ground, he has captured the strong man in misery.
Forsooth, the river is blood, and yet men drink of it. Men shrink from tasting human beings, and thirst after water."
"Forsooth, all animals, their hearts weep.
Cattle moan because of the
state of the land."
"Forsooth, men’s hearts are violent. Plague is throughout the land. Blood is everywhere. Death is not lacking."
"Upper Egypt has become dry wastes.
Forsooth…trees are destroyed…there is no food…No fruit nor herbs are found…grain has perished on every side. People are stripped of clothes, spices, and oil. Everybody says there is none. The storehouse is ruined."
"Those who had shelter are now in the dark of the storm."
"Forsooth, men are few. He who places his brother in the ground is everywhere."
"Forsooth, poor men are become owners of good things. He who could make for himself no sandals is now possessor of riches.
Behold, the possessors of robes are now in rags. He who never wove for himself is now the possessor of fine linen. Forsooth, the wealthy are in morning. The poor man is full of joy. Every town says let us suppress the powerful among us."
"Forsooth, many dead men are buried in the river. The stream is a sepulcher and the place of embalmment has become a stream."
As you can see, there are many similarities
to the 10 plagues of Moses.
But let us continue to look at some more artifacts.
Egyptian hieroglyph, circa 1400 BC. The inscription lists a group of defeated nations including “Shasu land of Yahweh.” Shasu may be linked to the land of Edom known as Seir.
Amulets from Ketef Hinnom, dated to c. 7th century BC. Written in Hebrew, it reads:
“May YHWH bless you and keep you
YHWH make his face shine upon you
and grant you peace.”
The ancient city of Jericho.
The ancient City of Hazor after Joshua destroyed it.
Amarna Tablet EA299
Canaanite leader asking Pharaoh for help circa 14th century BC against the Habiru (Hebrew).
“From Yapahu mayor of Gezer to Pharaoh: my god, my Sun, the Sun from the sky: The Habiru are stronger than we, send help and save me from the Habiru lest the Habiru destroy us.”
Merneptah Stela lists nations that Egypt defeated, including Canaanite cities from c. 1290 BC. It mentions the nation of Israel as one of those cities.
“Israel is laid waste and his seed is not.”
Solomon’s stables at Megiddo from 970 BC were able to house 450 horses and 150 chariots.
Mesha Stela c. 840 BC records the Moabite king Mesha boasting that, he defeated some of Israel’s cities, and took some of the vessels of YHWH, at the time of Jehoram. It even mentions the phrase “house of David”. This event is also found in 2 Kings of the Bible.
Tel Dan Inscription c. 790s BC mentions how Hazael of Syria killed the kings of Israel and Judah and also mentioned the “House of David”.
Shalmaneser stela c. 853 BC. On the backside of this stone, it is recorded that “Ahab, the Israelite” was one of the kings that allied together and was defeated by the Assyrian king Shalmaneser.
Black Obelisk c. 825 BC. Tells us that “Jehu of the house of Omri” brought tribute to Shalmaneser III.
The Seal of Jezebel
(Wife of Ahab) c. 860 BC.
The Stela of Baal depicts Baal with a lightning bolt. He was unfortunately worshiped, periodically by the Israelites.
Horned altar at Beersheba
c. 8th century BC reconstructed.
Hezekiah, in an attempt to bring the people back to the true God, had many of these alters smashed to pieces.
Assyrian relief of the siege of Lachish. 701 BC.
Sennacherib boasts “As to Hezekiah, the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke, I laid siege to 46 of his strong cities, walled forts and to the countless small villages in their vicinity…by means of…ramps…battering rams…foot soldiers…
mines…sappers.”
Hezekiah's tunnel from under Jerusalem, mentioned in 2 Kings 20:20
A bulla is an impression of a Seal, on clay, meant to authenticate official documents (like a signature). This is the seal of King Ahaz, with an ancient Hebrew inscription:
"Belonging to Ahaz [son of] Jehotam, King of Judah."
It even contains a fingerprint which may belong to Ahaz himself, circa 710 BC.
The Taylor Prism c. 691 BC records for us the boastful words spoken by Sennacherib concerning King Hezekiah.
The Nabonidus basalt Stela from 681 BC records the assassination of Sennacherib by his sons. The Bible is the only document that actually lists the names of those sons. This event is recorded in 2 Kings 19.
The Babylonian Chronicle 5 describes the defeat of the Egyptians at the battle of Carchemish in 605 BC. This event is recorded in Jeremiah 46.
The Babylonian Chronicle 5 describes the capture of Jerusalem on March 16th 597 BC.
This event is recorded in 2 Kings 24.
A reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate from the time of Nebuchadnezzar.
Bulla of Berechiah (secretary to Jeremiah).
The remains of Hezekiah’s wall in Jerusalem, built before Sennacherib’s invasion in 701 BC.
Nabonidus Cylinder records a prayer for his son Belshazzar from c. 550 BC.
The Cyrus Cylinder describes how he let people go back to their homelands, just as 2 Chronicles 36 records.
Seal of Darius, the Persian King, from 522 BC.
The Persian king Xerxes, (Ahasuerus in Hebrew) banished Vashti and married Esther 4 years later. During these 4 years, he led a campaign against Greece, and fought the 300 Spartans at the battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC.
COME AND TAKE THEM.
A Silver Bowl of Artaxerxes from c. 440 BC. He is mentioned in Ezra Ch. 4. Nehemiah, being the cupbearer, may have handled this very bowl.
The Alexander Mosaic depicts Alexander the Great fighting against King Darius III of Persia in 333 BC.
The Septuagint is a Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, written in Alexandria Egypt c. 250 BC.
After Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 BC, his great nephew Octavian, eventually came to power and changed his name to Caesar Augustus.
It was this man that called for a census of the entire Roman world, bringing Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, where baby Jesus was born.
These are just some of the many artifacts and documents that have been found in the sand that support the Bible’s authenticity.
But remember, we do not believe the Bible because of what we dig up, rather we believe the Bible because it is the Word of God.
In fact, we dig where we dig, because the events are true.