Skeptics often claim the Bible, especially the Old Testament, is just a bunch of fairytales or moral lessons, rather than accurate records of history. Another claim is that even if the stories were true at first, they have been rewritten, translated, and exaggerated so much over time that we no longer know what the author originally wrote. While its true we cannot be certain how accurately each event in the Bible is described, these claims are far too extreme and uninformed. This is because we do have evidence Old Testament stories actually took place, the people in them existed, and accurate records have been passed down.
A professor with a Hebrew and Semitic studies Ph.D. shared his findings that “at least 50” Old Testament characters have been proven to exist!”1 These people include many Pharaohs and kings. Some of the most familiar are Nebuchadnezzar II (who destroyed Solomon’s temple and exiled the Jews), king Xerxes (Esther’s husband), and even king David (the Psalmist who killed Goliath)! Historians know people like these existed because their names have been found carved into things like stone, pottery, or metal, while being in the right place, and from the right time. This means that the Bible doesn’t just tell of real people, but it has the right timeline as well!
Another big historical find is the ruins of Jericho—a city conquered by the Israelites after God destroyed its city walls. Although the evidence has resulted in a tug of war over the years, there is a strong case that Joshua did fight the battle of Jericho. One archeologist’s team argued that Jericho was destroyed long before Joshua’s army was on the scene. However, archaeologist Bryant Wood shared photos of pottery from Jericho that were only created after the destruction date given by the first team. The age of the pottery perfectly fit the time period the Bible gives for when Jericho was destroyed. This means Jericho was likely a bustling city until the Israelites came to conquer it. But why are historians so confident Jericho was destroyed at all?
In Joshua 6, we read that the army marched around Jericho until its walls collapsed, then the Israelites ran in to conquer and burn the whole city. When comparing this account to the ruins of Jericho today, they match up. Archaeologists found the collapsed brick wall in the ground all around the city. Not only that, but Jericho’s remains are covered in three feet of ash and debris as would be expected from reading Joshua 6:24.
Lastly, ancient scrolls attest to the preservation of Biblical texts over time. There are many fascinating finds like the Ketef Hinnom Scrolls, but one of the most impressive is the finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls.
One day when a shepherd was searching for his lost goat, he stumbled across a cave filled with ancient artifacts. His discovery led to a full-blown historical hunt, and eventually, to finding a scroll of the entire book of Isaiah. Archaeologists learned this scroll was about 1000 years older than the oldest manuscript of Isaiah they had at the time. This means that when they translated the newly found scroll, a burning question would be answered: have Biblical texts, like the book of Isaiah, been changed and corrupted over time (in this case, 1000 years), or can we trust the Scriptures we have today are consistent with the originals? If there were many differences between the texts, historians would admit the likelihood that many Biblical texts fell prey to corruption, and we should not trust our Bible today. However, after studying and translating the Isaiah scroll for years, historians realized it was preserved almost perfectly. The differences between the texts were mostly spelling changes or mistakes, and none of them affected any of the theology or meaning of the text!
If you’re wondering why it matters that the Bible recorded real events, timelines and people, and was accurately preserved, it is because the Bible claims to be the inspired word of God. These facts support our confidence that the Bible is God’s preserved and authoritative message to us. And if the Bible is how the Creator of the universe chose to speak to us, we should hear what he has to say!
Written. by Abbey Harley