Transcript Old Testament Reliability

Is the Old Testament Real History?
Evidence From Science, Archaeology,
History & Geography
Old Testament Geography,
History, and Documents
The Old Testament was Written at the
Crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa
Between 2000 & 430 BCE
The Bible Story is Set in the Fertile Crescent
Anatolia
Mesopotamia
Levant (Canaan, Israel)
Egypt
Mt. Hermon
Geography of Canaan
Via Maris
Samaria
Judean Hills
Upper
Galilee
Jordan River
Headwaters
Sea of
Galilee
Lower
Galilee
Jordan River
And Rift Valley
Jerusalem
Dead sea
Negev
The Bible Story Meshes with Real History
Egypt
3000
BCE
First written language
2600 Egyptian Pyramids
Canaanite
2000
~1850 Abraham (from Ur) Entered Canaan
~1600 Hebrews Entered Egypt (Jacob-Joseph)
~1400 Hebrews Exodus Egypt (Moses)
~1360 Hebrews Entered Canaan (Joshua)
Period of the Judges (Deborah, Samson)
1000
1010 David became king
959 Solomon built Temple
930 Kingdom divided
722 Israel fell to Assyria
586 Jerusalem & temple destroyed by Babylonians
Babylonian captivity of Judah
538 Persians allow first exiles to return
516 Temple rebuilt
Levant Mesopotamia
Sumerian
Hyksos
Sargon
Akkadian
Ur
Various
Old
Patriarchs
Babylonian
Kassite
Judges
Monarchy
Judah Israel
612
Babylonian
539 Persian
333 Greek
Roman
0
Assyrian
Significance of the Dead Sea Scrolls
Found in 1947, copies 1000 years older than previously
(352 BC-136 AD).
Parts of all OT books except Esther, but Esther referred to.
Two complete Isaiah scrolls virtually identical to modern copies.
Masoretic text & Septuagint transmission is remarkably
accurate.
Isaiah Scroll
Qumran
Creation
Genesis 1:1 In the Beginning
God Created the Heavens and the Earth.
Origin of the Universe: Three Possibilities
1. It always existed. (thermodynamic problems)
2. It came into existence by itself. (Violates principles
of science)
3. It was created by an agent external to it.
Gen 1:24 And God said: Let the land produce
living creatures…
“The laws of science, as we know them at present, contain many
fundamental numbers…. The remarkable fact is that the values of
these numbers seem to have been very finely adjusted to make
possible the development of life.”
(Hawking, A Brief History of Time, Ch. 8, 1998)
“Biology is the study of
complicated things that give the
appearance of having been
designed for a purpose.”
(Dawkins, The Blind Watchmaker)
God Put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden
Anatolia
Mesopotamia
Levant (Canaan, Israel)
Gen 2:10-15 The
Garden of Eden
Egypt
Noah Was Saved From the Flood
Gen 8:4 Noah’s ark
landed on the
mountains of Ararat
Anatolia
Mesopotamia
Levant (Canaan, Israel)
Egypt
The Flood Was a Real Event in History
More than 200 people groups around the world have a flood story:
There was a universal destruction of humans and animals,
An ark was used to escape, and
There were a few people who survived.
Kings before and after the flood are
named in the Sumerian King List.
The Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh tells
the story of Utnapishtim who survived
the flood by building a great boat.
Archaeology and C-14 date the
Sumerian Flood at 2900±100 BCE.*
Many modern people groups can be
traced to Noah’s descendents.
*Carol A. Hill; A Time and a Place for Noah in Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith 53, no. 1 March 2001
The Patriarchs
Abraham Moved from Ur to Haran to Canaan
Anatolia
Mesopotamia
Levant (Canaan, Israel)
Egypt
Bible and Spade; Summer 2004
Ur Ziggurat Excavated 1922-1934
Gen 11:31; Neh 9:7
Abraham Witnessed the Destruction of Sodom
(Gen 18-19; In Modern Jordan)
Anatolia
Mesopotamia
Levant (Canaan, Israel)
Egypt
Sodom is currently being excavated by Steve
Collins of TSU in Albuquerque
The Bible’s Historical Details are Accurate
Shekels
Price of Slaves
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
Joseph
30
Gen 37:28
20 Akkad
10
Ur III
0
-2500
-2000
K. A. Kitchen
Persia
Assyria
Sinai
Ex 21:32
Nuzi
Babylon
-1500
Year
Menahem
II Ki 15:20
Ugarit
-1000
-500
The Exodus and Conquest
The Hebrews Moved to Egypt and Returned
Anatolia
Mesopotamia
Levant (Canaan, Israel)
Gen 46 5-7 Jacob moved his
family from Canaan to Egypt
Egypt
Deut & Josh The Jews
returned to and settled Canaan
in what is called the Exodus
Hebrews Moved to Egypt During a Famine
~1600 BCE (Gen 39-47)
There was a large Semitic population in Egypt 1700-15501
Beni Hasan Tomb painting shows Semitics entering Egypt
A 15th century BC Tomb painting shows
Semitic slaves making mud bricks2 (Ex 5:7-9)
Tel Adaba (Ramses), tomb of Canaanite high
official found in palace compound3 (Gen 41:43)
1. Hoffmeier; Symposium on Archaeology and the Bible; Albuquerque, Jan 21-25, 2003.
2. Aling; Joseph in Egypt, Part 4; Bible and Spade; V16#1, 2003
3. Aling; Symposium on Archaeology and the Bible; Albuquerque, Jan 21-25, 2003.
Strong Evidence for the Conquest of Caanan
There is a strong Jewish tradition and Biblical account for the
Passover starting in Egypt.
Jericho (Josh 6)1, Ai (Josh 8)2, and Hazor (Josh 11)3 were
destroyed by burning ~1400.
Canaanite cities in the hill country declined in the 14th century BC
& number of small settlements grew rapidly4
Amarna letters from Canaanite cities to Egyptian
Pharaoh complain about Apiru invading hill
country ~ 1350 BC.5 (Now in the Egyptian Museum)
Merneptah Stele (1230 BC), first mention of Israel,
an enemy of Egypt,5 Found in Thebes in 1896.
1. Wood; Did the Israelites Conquer Jericho?; Biblical Archaeology Review; 16.2, 1990.
2. Wood, and Briggs; Symposium on archaeology and the Bible; Albuquerque, Jan 21-25, 2003.
3. Janeway; Hazor 2002; Bible and Spade; V16#3, 2003
4. Mazar; Symposium on Archaeology and the Bible; Albuquerque, Jan 20-24, 2004.
5. Price; The Stones Cry Out; Harvest House, 1977
6. Steven Collins; Let My People Go; Trinity Southwest, 2011.
Bible and Spade Summer 2004
The Monarchy Period
The Monarchy Period (Samuel, Kings, Chronicles)
Egypt and Mesopotamia were in decline and there was a power vacuum in the Levant.
Hittites
Assyrians
1000 BC
Israel
Egypt
External References to Kings of Israel and Judah
King
Date
Source
Context
David
~1000
Tel Dan Inscription Tel Dan, 1993, Ben Hadad of
Damascus, battle with Israel
Ahab
853
Kurkh Stele
Shalmaneser III, Battle of Qaraqar
Jehu
841
Black Obelisk
Shalmaneser III, collected tribute
Joash
796
Tell al-Rimah Stele
Adad-nirari III, collected tribute
Menahem 738
Annals
Tiglath-pileser III, collected tribute
Pekah
Hoshea
732
Nimrud Tablet
Tiglath-pileser III, conquered
Israel, put Hoshea on the throne
Ahaz
732
Nimrud Slab
Tiglath-pileser III, collected tribute
Hezekiah
701
Annals
Senacherib, collected tribute
Prism
Esarhaddon, collected tribute
Manasseh 674
Manasseh 697-42 Prism C
Walton; Charts of the Old Testament; Zondervan, 1994
Ashurbanipal, collected tribute
Biblical Kings of Israel, Judah, Babylon,
Assyria, Syria, Persia, Egypt are Historical
Before the Tel Dan Stele was
found, Bible critics believed
David was a legend2.
Found in 1993 at Tel Dan, it is
now in the Skirball Museum in
Jerusalem. Probably inscribed
by Hazael king of Aram around
850 BC (see 2 Kings 8). He
brags about defeating Joram,
king of Israel and Ahaziah of
the House of David.
1. Bible and spade; summer 2004
The Tel Dan Stele--House of David
Inscription, found in 1993,
Now in the Skirball Museum in Jerusalem
Black Obelisk, Found in Nineveh, Showing Jehu
Paying Tribute to Shalmaneser III in 840 BC
(Now in the British Museum)
Israel was Conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BC
Anatolia
Mesopotamia
Levant (Canaan, Israel)
Egypt
Nineveh Excavated since 1840s
Gen 10:11 Jonah, Ki & Chron
Sennacherib’s Siege of Lachish and Jerusalem 701 BC
2 Kings 18 & 19, 2 Chron 32, and Isaiah 36 & 37
Hezekiah paid tribute to Sennacherib
Sennacherib laid siege to Lachish after destroying other cities
He sent an army to convince Jerusalem to surrender
Jerusalem refused and Hezekiah and Isaiah prayed to God
God sent an angel who destroyed Sennacherib’s army
Sennacherab returned to Nineveh in disgrace
Sennacherab was killed by his sons in Nineveh
Sennacherib’s account on the Taylor Prism:
Hezekiah did not submit
Sennacherib destroyed 46 walled cities
He shut up Hezekiah, like a bird in a cage
Hezekiah, overwhelmed by his splendor,
paid tribute
Taylor Prism found in
The Babylonian Chronicle
Records the murder of Sennacherib by his sons
Price; The Stones Cry Out; Harvest House, 1977
Nineveh in 1830
British Museum
Mural of Sennacherib’s Siege on Lachish
(Found in Nineveh, now at the British Museum)
Isaiah Was a Prophet in Judah ~700 BCE
In Isaiah 53, He Wrote:
To whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
Men hated him and rejected him.
He was pierced and killed for our sins.
By his punishment and by his wounds, we are healed.
He gave his life as a sacrifice and took
the sins of many people on himself.
The most reasonable explanation is that
this is a prophecy about Christ.
Isaiah Scroll in Jerusalem
Jerusalem was Destroyed by Babylon in 586 BC
Anatolia
Mesopotamia
Levant (Canaan, Israel)
Egypt
Babylon Excavated 1899-1917
Gen 10:8-10; Dan 1
The Babylonian Chronicle Confirms Biblical
Account for Battle of Carchemish 605 &
Fall of Jerusalem 597
2 Ki 23, 2 Chr 35, & Jer 46
Pharoah Neco went up to Carchemish to help
the Assyrian king.
Neco and the Assyrians were defeated by
Nebuchadnezzar.
2 Ki 24, 2 Chron 36, Jer 24
Jerusalem fell to Nebuchadnezzar.
King Jehoiachin and Jews exiled to Babylon.
Zedekiah appointed king.
Babylonian Chronicle
translated in 1956
(Now in the British
Museum)
Confirms Egypt and Assyria were allies,
contrary to prior belief.
Daniel Was a Jewish Prophet Taken to Babylon
~ 600 BCE
Persia & Media will arise to conquer Babylon (Dan 2, 5, 7 & 8)
Fulfilled by Cyrus in 539 BC
Greece will arise to conquer Persia (Dan 2, 7 & 8)
Fulfilled by Alexander in 333 BC
Rome (implied) will arise and conquer (Dan 2, 7 & 9)
Fulfilled in 63 BC
The Messiah will enter Jerusalem and be killed (Dan 9)
Fulfilled in 33 AD
Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed (Dan 9)
Fulfilled by the Romans in 70 AD
God’s eternal kingdom will be established (Dan 2 & 7)
Fulfillment was initiated in 33 AD
The Cyrus Cylinder Confirms Cyrus’ Policy
of Restoring Exiles to Homelands
2 Chron 36 and Ezra 1
Cyrus (Persia) returned the Jews to Judah to rebuild their temple.
(This was also prophesied by Isaiah and Jeremiah.)
Cyrus CDylinder, Discovered at Babylon in 1880s
Scribes’ Names Recorded in Bullae
A scribe would typically seal scrolls with clay seals leaving an
inscription of his name. Many of these were burned when the
temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, firing the clay and
leaving a permanent record.
Gemaryahu
son of
Shaphan1
Scribe of
Jehoiakim
Jer 36:1012, 25-26
608-598
BC
Baruch son of
Neriah1
Scribe of
Jeremiah
Jer 32, 36,
43, 45
627-586
BC
Jer 37:3
597-586
BC
Yehucal son
Messenger
of Shelemiah2 of Zedekiah
1. Price; The Stones Cry Out; Harvest House, 1977
2. Eliat Mazar; Jewish Culture; 10/14/05
Conclusions
Old Testament Historicity Conclusions
Both the Hebrew and Greek texts have been accurately transmitted
with minor differences. (Confirmed by Dead Sea Scrolls)
History and geography in the OT fits into world history and
geography.
Places, names, slave prices, contract formats during the patriarchal
period are in close agreement with archaeology.
Strong archaeological evidence for Semitic people in Egypt and the
conquest of Canaan support the OT exodus and conquest accounts.
Evidence for the monarchy period is extensive and solid.
Fulfilled prophecy is strong evidence for the OT account of God
interacting with the Hebrews.
Strong Evidence Supports the Old
Testament’s Historicity
Old Testament
Document History
Greatly Simplified
Greek Writings
250 BC-10 AD
Apocrypha (hidden)
(Deuterocanonical)
Original Hebrew Writings ~2000 to 430 BC
Job (century 20-19)
Pentateuch (15)
Joshua (14)
Ruth (14-11?)
Judges (12-11)
Samuel (10-8?)
Psalms (14-6)
Proverbs, Song, Eccl (10)
Obadiah, Joel (9)
Jonah, Amos, Micah, Hosea (8)
Isaiah , Nahum, Zephaniah (7)
Jeremiah, Lament, Habak (7-6)
Kings, Ezek, Daniel, Hagg, Zech (6)
Esther, Ezra, Neh, Chron, Malachi (5)
Septuagint
250-150 BC
Masoretic (preserved) Standardization
~150 BC-100 AD
Council of Jamnia 90 AD
Rejected Apocrypha
Early Church uses Septuagint +
Apocrypha 100-400 AD
Jerome-Latin Vulgate
Rejects Apocrypha 420 AD
Eastern Church adopts
Septuagint & part of Apocrypha
Synod of Jerusalem 1672 AD
Roman Church adopts
Vulgate + Apocrypha
Council of Trent 1546
Protestants accept
Masoretic Text, reject
Apocrypha ~1517 AD