THE BIBLE AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Session 2

Welcome

REVIEW LAST WEEK

What did he say?

WHAT IS ARCHAEOLOGY?

• The word archaeology is strictly speaking “the study of ancient things”

• “the study of past human life and activities by the examination of materials and artifacts of human civilization”

WHY STUDY ARCHAEOLOGY?

• Increase my knowledge in the Word of God

• Build up or deepen my Faith• Curiosity• To solve a Biblical problem• Defend the Faith• Come up with Bible illustrations• Reconstruct the biblical background

WHAT IS THE VALUE OF ARCHAEOLOGY?

1. Archaeology confirms the Bible.

2. Archaeology clarifies the Bible.

3. Archaeology complements the

Bible.

ARCHAEOLOGY CONFIRMS THE BIBLE

King Sargon II

Isaiah 20:1

ARCHAEOLOGY CLARIFIES THE BIBLE

Nuzi Tablets

Genesis 29-31

The Story of Jacob and Laban

ARCHAEOLOGY COMPLEMENTS THE BIBLE

Abraham came from Ur of old Babylonia

where they worshipped the moon

Stele of Ur-Nammu (ca. 2200 BC), detail (cf. Frankfort) showing the crescent moon.

THE WORLD OF ABRAM (Abraham)

(Circa 2000 BC)

Ancient Ziggurat from Ur: the stairway to heaven to worship the moon goddess. Sumerian god and goddess join together around a sacred tree.

ARCHAEOLOGY IMPROVES OUR UNDERSTANDING

• Archaeology helps to place the Bible (an Oriental book) in its Near Eastern setting and thereby to improve the ability of the westerner to understand it.

• This science provides much material that serves to confirm the Scripture.

QUESTIONS?

Does anyone have any questions about last weeks lesson?

References on Archaeology

Genesis and ArchaeologyBy Howard Vos

An Introduction to Bible ArchaeologyBy Howard Vos

HISTORICAL PROBLEMS

DEALING WITH PROBLEMS IN THE BIBLE THROUGH ARCHAEOLOGY

• Dating

• Context of finds

• Verification

• Testing a hypothesis

• Reconstruction of the past

• Historical problems

GENESIS 12:16

“And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he

asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses,

and camels.”

ONE HISTORICAL PROBLEM

• Higher critics say that the earliest evidence for camels in Egypt is the Greek era (330 BC)

• There is lack of evidence referring to camels

• It’s too early for camel domestication during Abraham’s time

Genesis 12:16 refers to Abraham bringing camels into Egypt

CAMELS AND

ABRAHAM?

Is the Bible wrong?

CAMELS AND

ABRAHAM?

Are the Critics Wrong?

WHAT GUIDES US IN SOLVING A BIBLICAL PROBLEM?

WHAT IS THIS?

It’s a Camel!

Hello!

ARCHAEOLOGY AND GENESIS

• There has been 150 years of archaeology

• Focus of Genesis Archaeology is in modern day Iran and Iraq

• Includes 5-6 previously unknown languages and civilizations

• Pushes back the higher critical views of the Bible

• Reinforces its historicity

ARCHAEOLOGY AND GENESIS 1-11

Extra-biblical Creation Accounts

• Mesopotamia (Babylonian)

• Egyptian

• Canaanite/Syro-palestinian

ARCHAEOLOGY AND OTHER CREATION ACCOUNTS

• Other stories about the creation of the world (extra-Biblical)

• Greek and Roman (Latin) histories only go back so far (Classical Archaeology)

• Biblical history goes back to the beginning

• The Bible mentions cities that go back to the beginning

• Can Archaeology find those cities?

MESOPOTAMIA

WHAT IS MESOPOTAMIA?

“Between the rivers”

Fertile Crescent

MODERN MESOPOTAMIAIRAQ AND IRAN MIDDLE EAST

NINEVEH IN MESOPOTAMIA

ENGLISH ARCHAEOLOGIST

Austen Henry Layard George Adam Smith Hormuzd Rassam

Digging in Nineveh

LIBRARY OF ASHURBANIPAL(668-626 B.C.)

King of Assyria

KING ASHURBANIPAL

THE KINGDOM OF ASSYRIA

Nineveh

KING ASHURBANIPAL THRONE-ROOM ENTRANCE

LIBRARY OF ASHURBANIPAL

BABYLONIA CREATION TABLETS

Called the “Enuma Elish” tablets which means “When above”

WHAT IS THE ENUMA ELISH?

• 1000 lines of cuneiform text on 7 tablets• Date 600 B.C. (but probably go back to

1700 B.C.)• Poetic description of the creation of the

world• Political justification for the Lordship of the

god Marduk (Lord of all the gods)• Fragments found at various sites• Languages of Sumerian and Babylonian

COMPARISON ENUMA ELISH AND THE BIBLE

SIMILARITIES ENUMA ELISH AND GENESIS 1-2

1.Both describe the earth as (without form and void) waste and void.

2.Both have a similar order of events.3.Both have a predilection for the

number seven.

DIFFERENCES ENUMA ELISH AND GENESIS 1-2

Genesis 1-2 Enuma Elish

Monotheistic Intensely polytheistic

Straightforward Confusing and contradictory

Clear division between material and immaterial

Does not distinguish spirit and matter

EXPLANATION OF CREATION PARALLELS

1. The Genesis Account is drawn from the Babylonian tradition.

2. The Babylonian is drawn from the Genesis narrative.

3. These traditions arose spontaneously.

4. The two accounts go back to a common source.

?CHOICES?

DIVINE AUTHORSHIP OF GENESIS

1. Moses was familiar with the many theories of origins when compiling Genesis (Acts 7:22)

2. Allusions to other sources in the Old Testament -Book of Jasher (Josh 10:13; 2 Sam 1:18)

4. Reaffirmation of the monotheistic God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

3. Rejection of the polytheistic view of origins.

MOSES EDUCATION

And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

Acts 7:22

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

Hebrews 11:24

GENESIS 5 LONG LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS

Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. Seth lived 912 years, and then he died. Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died. Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died. Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died. Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. Enoch lived 365 years and God took him. Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died. Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died. Noah lived 950 years, and then he died

SUMERIAN KING LIST TABLET

SUMERIAN KING LIST PRISM

CITIES LIST IN THE PRISM

LIST OF THE KINGS BEFORE THE FLOOD

ALULIM RULED AS KING 28,800 YEARSELALGAR RULED 43,200 YEARSAMMILU'ANNA RULED 36,000 YEARSENMEGALANNA RULED 28,800 YEARSDUMUZI RULED 28,800 YEARSEN-SIPA-ZI-ANNA RULED 13,800 YEARSMEDURANKI RULED 7,200 YEARSUBUR-TUTU RULED 36,000 YEARS

WHAT IS THE PLACE OF ARCHAEOLOGY?

• Archaeology CANNOT prove the Bible. Spiritual truth is of such a nature that it cannot be proven or disproved by the material discoveries of archaeology. The truths of the Bible do not need proving; they are self-evident.

• The net effect of archaeology has been to support the general trustworthiness and substantial historicity of the biblical tradition where data is available

ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE TEXT OF SCRIPTURE

1. Clarifies Scripture

2. Confirms Scripture

3. Complements Scripture

SILVER SCROLL: THE AARONIC BLESSING

Numbers 6:24-26

May Yahweh bless you and keep you;May Yahweh cause his face toShine upon you and grant youPeace

ARCHAEOLOGY HELPS US VALUE THE TRUE WORD OF

LIFE

• That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

1 John 1:1-2

CHRONOLOGY ANDGENESIS 4:22

“And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass (bronze) and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.”

What is the problem in this verse? For the Creationist? or Archaeologist?

HENRI FRANKFORT

ESHNUNNA (Tell Asmar)

ESHNUNNA (Tell Asmar)

COPPER HOARD OF KNIVES ONE WITH AN IRON BLADE

LAYERS OF ARCHAEOLOGY