Bible 101

Lesson 5: Archaeological Proof: Are the Stories we read about in the OT true?

At this point, we are well versed with the various versions of the OT and NT manuscripts, the original manuscripts’ authors, and know a little about the trials and tribulations faced by the people in general and the authors in particular. We are also aware of the authenticity of various manuscripts, and the way they have affected modern day versions. The next logical questions then, must deal with archaeological proof of the events named in the Bible. Are the stories we read about true?

The Challenge
Suppose that all, or most, events recorded in the OT turn out to be stories with a nice religious ring to them, a parable with a moral, yet have little, or no, basis in fact; it is a logical conclusion that the OT as well as the NT will lose most of their meaning, turning Christianity into a man-made religion, nothing more than one of the many paths to the same thing: a way to relate to a godhead. If, however, the events can be traced back to real times and places, and if archaeological findings do indeed support many of the stories we read in the Bible today, then the logical conclusion points away from the man-made invention some claim the Bible to be, leaving for many a big question mark in its wake, which those of the faith acknowledge to be proof of divine guidance, inspiration, and intervention.

The study of proving the veracity of a Biblical event is called apologetics (1). This word is derived from the Greek word “apologia,” which means “to defend.” Belief in the Bible is no longer a simple, “blind” faith, but more and more has become a belief rooted firmly in science.

Since we have already examined the times and writers of the manuscripts that comprise the OT, let us now put into a time line, as accurately as possible but by no means perfect, the events of these writings:

Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph; 2050-1800 BC

Moses and Joshua; the Exodus and the Conquest; 1450-1400 BC

Judges; Deborah, Jephthah, Gideon and Samuel; 1400-1050 BC

Saul, David, Solomon and Rehoboam; 1050-931 BC

Northern Kingdom: Destruction/captivity under Assyria; 931-722 BC

Southern Kingdom: Destruction/captivity under Babylon; 931-586 BC

Destruction of Jerusalem; exile in Babylon; 605-536 BC

Captives return, rebuild the temple and Jerusalem; 536-440 BC

Silence between the OT and NT; 440-6 BC

Abraham & The Patriarchs

Abraham (2) was an extraordinarily important figure in the history of Israel, but also as an example of faith within the Christian writings. How do we know he really lived? How do we know his story was not just made up, a skillful story of one man’s journey for God?

We have tangible evidence that Abraham’s birthplace and hometown existed. The Bible tells us that Abraham was born in the city of Ur. Ur’s ruins can now be found in Mesopotamia, southern Iraq. Excavations, most notably by Sir Leonard Wooley (3), have shown Ur to be a prosperous trade city around 2000 BC. The book of Genesis tells us that Abraham's father Terah moving his family to Haran, a city in the northwestern portion of Mesopotamia. Excavations have proven that Haran was abandoned around 1800 BC.

We have tangible evidence placing Abraham in these locations at the time stated. A discovery made in 1975 in the ancient city of Ebla (4), yielded 17,000 clay tablets. Ebla was a powerful city in what is now Syria, in the region between Mesopotamia and Palestine. On these tablets, a number of names are recorded, including Isaac, Jacob, and Abraham, as well as the names of Abraham's father, grandfather and great grandfather, Terah, Nahor and Serug. These names are also known from other sources in Northwest Mesopotamia in both Babylonian and Old Assyrian texts.