History, Archaeology, Geography

	Is the Bible true?  Can we trust what it says?  We have seen that the Bible is accurate scientifically.  We have observed that the fulfillment of biblical prophecies confirms its  reliability. What  about  archaeology, history and geography?   How  does the Bible hold up in light of knowledge in these areas?
	As  Wayne Jackson has pointed out, there are two  bodies  of information  in the Bible.  One includes that which can be  verified, while the other involves that which cannot be verified.  We must   depend on the accuracy of the first in order  to  evaluate the  accuracy of the second.  For example, it would be  difficult to  prove through observation the claim that those who  obey  God will  go to heaven.  If we discover, however, that the  Bible  is always accurate in matters which can be demonstrated, then it is only  logical  to  believe that it can be trusted  in  all  other areas.
	"Many  other  signs therefore Jesus also  performed  in  the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this  book;" the  Holy Spirit proposes in John 20:30-31, "but these have  been written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name." 
	It  is legitimate to examine that which is visible in  order to judge that which is invisible.
	Understanding  this, critics of the Bible have worked  diligently  in their attempt to find mistakes in its accounts.   Many of these attacks have been discussed by Jackson in various publications,  including the periodical Spiritual Sword and his  books Biblical Studies  in the Light of Archaeology^1 and  Fortify  Your Faith in an Age of Doubt.^2
	Just  how does the Bible hold up in light of  archeological, historical and geographical knowledge?
	One  of  the first accounts in the Bible involves  Adam  and Eve's sin and  their ejection from the garden.   Is  there  any evidence outside the Bible to support this story?
	"From ancient Mesopotamia," G.H. Livingston commented, "have come cylinder seals and other art objects which depict a tree and figures of perhaps divine beings."
	"The sacred tree of life," he added, "was closely associated to the reigning king of almost every ancient nation."^3
	One seal found at Nineveh shows a man and a woman seated  on either side of a fruit tree.  There is a serpent to the left  of the woman.  Another seal discovered in Iraq pictures a naked  man and woman, walking as if downcast, followed by a serpent.^4
	In Genesis 11:1-9 we find the record of an attempt to  build a tower reaching up to heaven.  The purpose of the tower, according  to the text, is to attract the people to one area  and  thus violate  God's command to populate the earth.  God  confuses  the languages of the people, thus stopping the building and  scattering the people.
	"The  building  of this temple offended the Gods,"  the  inscription from an ancient Assyrian tablet reports.  "In a  night they threw down what had been built.  They scattered them abroad, and made strange their speech."
	Critics have been quick to question the biblical account  of a  global flood as recorded in Genesis 6-8.  But between 250  and 300 flood  accounts have been found among the Babylonians,  Egyptians,  Chinese,  American Indians, Mexicans, Celts  and Greeks, just to name a few.
	According to Genesis 12:16, an Egyptian pharaoh gave  camels and other livestock to Abraham.  Exodus 9:3 records the effect of a plague on the camels of the Egyptians.  Critics, however,  once claimed  that there were no camels in Egypt at these times.   But archaeological discovers prove otherwise.  A camel's skull  found southwest of Cairo has been dated to between 2,000 and 1,400 B.C. A camel's hair robe from Egypt has been dated at about 2,500 B.C.  And pottery camel heads from about 3,000 B.C. have been uncovered in Egypt.
	In  Genesis  chapter  23 Abraham purchases a  field  from  a Hittite named Ephron.  Later, Esau marries  two  Hittite  women (Gen.  26:34).  One of David's companions is a Hittite  (1  Sam. 26:6).   The  husband of Bathsheba is Uriah, a  Hittite (2 Sam. 23:39).  In 2 Kings 7:6 we read of an alliance between Israel and the  Hittites against the Egyptians.  For years, though,  critics scoffed  at the biblical records of the Hittites.  There  simply was  no reference to this group of people outside of  the Bible.  They laughed at the Bible for mentioning a non-existent group  as a powerful ally against mighty Egypt.  And some  criticized  the land transaction of Abraham as something from a later society.    
	And then tens of thousands of clay tablets began to come  to light.  When all was said and done, the Hittites had emerged  as one  of  the greatest powers in the Middle East.   History  had missed  them.  Archaeology had missed them.  But the  Bible  had not.  Not surprisingly, the land transaction was consistent  with the time of Abraham as indicated in the Bible.
	The  Bible  mentions contacts of Abraham, Isaac  and  others with  the Philistines.  Critics claimed that there  were  between 300 and 700 years separating the time of the patriarchs with that of the Philistines.  Later discoveries indicated otherwise.
	The  Bible  first mentions writing in  Exodus  17:14,  where Moses is instructed to make a written record of an event.   Critics  stated  that  no alphabetic script existed at the time  of Moses.  Some claimed that the Old Law could not have been written until  1000 years after Moses.  But archaeological  discoveries have shown that writing did exist at the time of Moses.  In fact, some  of these discoveries have been made in the very area where Moses was when he was instructed to make the written account.
	"Only  a very ignorant person," Dr. W.F. Albright  observed, "can now suggest that writing was not known in Palestine and  the immediately surrounding regions during the entire second  millennium B.C."^5
	In Isaiah 20:1 the prophet mentions Sargon, ruler of  Assyria.  Until 1843 this was the only known reference to Sargon.  But a  French archaeologist then uncovered the 25-acre palace of  the great king.
	
	One  of the historical sources supporting the New  Testament account is the Jewish historian Josephus.  He mentions the  relationship between Herod Antipas and his brother's wife, as well as other events from the life of John the Baptizer.  He writes about the death of James, the brother of Jesus.
	Much  of the criticism of the New Testament account  is  directed  at Luke, author of more than one-fourth of the volume  of the  New Testament.  Luke's writings involve one of  the  Gospels plus  the  Book of Acts, the only account in  the  New  Testament which is generally labeled as "history."
	"There  is scarcely another writer in the New Testament  who is  so careless an historian as he," a German  critic  wrote  in 1907.   When the facts were considered, though, it proved  to  be the German who was careless.
	In  his  Gospel  account, Luke refers  to  Lysanias  as  the "tetrarch of  Abilene."  For years this was the only  record  of this  man.   Critics accused Luke of mistakenly referring  to  a Lysanias  who had died in 36 B.C.  But then records were  discovered which spoke of Lysanias the tetrarch who ruled  between  14 and 29 A.D.
	Critics  have questioned Luke's reference to a census  taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.  They claimed that Luke was mistakenly referring to a census under Quirinius in 6 A.D.  Since Luke  associates the census with the birth of Christ  before  the death of Herod in 4 B.C., there would be an error in the  timing.  Archaeological discoveries  now support Luke's reference  to  an earlier census.  It appears that Quirinius may have served twice.
	During  Paul's first missionary journey he was  summoned  by Sergius Paulus, proconsul of Paphos on the  island  of  Cyprus.  This  was a mistake, critics claimed, since (according  to  them) this  title  was not used at that time.  But a coin  from  Cyprus contains  an  inscription mentioning Proclus,  the  successor  of Sergius Paulus.  The inscription identifies Proclus as "Proconsul of the Cyprians."
	In  Acts chapter 13, Luke makes reference to "the chief  men of the city."  Again, inscriptions have shown that Luke uses  the correct title for the correct location at the correct time.
	In chapter 17 he calls the city authorities of  Thessalonica "politarchs."   Since this term was found nowhere else in ancient literature,  Luke's account was questioned.  Then an  inscription mentioning politarchs  was found on the Galerian Arch.   By  the way, this arch is located in Thessalonica.
	In chapter 19, Luke describes Paul's experience in  Ephesus. The writer  refers to a "townclerk" who quiets a  mob  which  is shouting out against Paul.  Archaeologists now know that this was precisely the leading civic official who would have been responsible to the Romans for any such disturbance.
	In  Acts alone Luke names 32 countries, 54 cities  and  nine Mediterranean islands.  He mentions 95 individuals, 62 of  which are  not repeated in other New Testament books.  He  demonstrates that  he is thoroughly familiar with the political, social,  geographical,  economic and religious conditions of his  day.   And these conditions are constantly changing throughout the  period.  Without  a single error, he uses the correct titles for the  correct locations at the correct times.
	After years of comparing Luke's accounts against the  facts, Sir William Ramsey concluded that he was "one of the very  greatest historians."  And what was the name of that German critic who classified Luke as "careless"?
	Archaeology confirms the Bible.  History confirms the Bible. Geography confirms the Bible.  If the Bible says  that  someone goes "up" to a location, then that location is always at a higher elevation.  Without fail, the Bible is correct in its  references to up, down, east, west, north and south.
	What is the Bible?  Is it an account which is full of  blunders and mistakes, or is it the truth which can set you free?

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."

1) Jackson, Wayne. 1982. Biblical Studies in the Light of Archaeology. Montgomery, Alabama: Apologetics Press.
2) Jackson, Wayne. 1974. Fortify Your Faith in an Age of Doubt, Stockton, CA: Pledge Publications.
3) Jackson, Wayne. 1982. Biblical Studies in the Light of Archaeology. Montgomery, Alabama: Apologetics Press. p. 8.
4) Jackson, Wayne. 1982. Biblical Studies in the Light of Archaeology. Montgomery, Alabama: Apologetics Press. p. 9.
5) Jackson, Wayne. 1982. Biblical Studies in the Light of Archaeology. Montgomery, Alabama: Apologetics Press. p. 30.