9. Archaeological Support for the Bible

There is very strong archaeological evidence that supports the Old Testament. For example, the existence of events, places, and civilizations supports the Old Testament. The strongest evidence to support the Old Testament comes from the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Mesha Stela. More than 100 documents have been found that support the Old Testament. In this chapter, the strong evidence is presented which shows that the Old Testament is very accurate.

Noah’s Flood is Described in Other Cultures

There are hundreds of religions in the world. So, why should a person be a Christian? Well, the strongest evidence to show that the Bible occurred comes from extensive archaeology, cultures, and religions.

            Noah’s Flood is an incredible event in which God judges the entire world for disobedience. God directs Noah to build an Ark, and Noah and his family are the only people who survive. Now, amazingly other cultures describe Noah’s Flood, and these descriptions are incredibly accurate.

            The strongest support comes from the “Epic of Gilgamesh.” The English translation of the Epic was written in the nineteenth century, but the actual Epic was written in the third millennium B.C. The Epic describes how a global flood was sent because all of mankind was wicked, but only one hero survives because he was righteous. The Epic describes how the global flood kills all of mankind, but God helps the hero build a very large Ark. The Epic also describes how the Ark is built over many years, and God directs many animals into the Ark. Finally, the Epic concludes by describing how the hero lives with his family after everyone has perished from the flood.¹

            Now, the Gilgamesh epic is not the only epic that describes a global flood. On the contrary, there are thousands of flood legends around the world. For example, Persia, Syria, Asia Minor, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, Russia, China, India, Cree, and Peru describe an Ark, destruction by water, and humans saved. These cultures also demonstrate the portrayal of the Biblical concept. Now, there are even cultures in the most distant places of the world that describe the Gilgamesh epic. For example, the Aborigines in Australia and people living near the Amazon River in the deep jungles of South America have legends of a global flood.²

The Strongest Evidence for Moses and the Exodus

In the Old Testament, God uses Moses to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. The story of the Israelites coming out of slavery in Egypt is of one the most significant events in the Bible. The story starts much earlier when God tells Abraham that the Israelites will spend nearly 400 years in Egypt (Genesis 15:13). The event is mentioned in countless stories, poems, writings, and laws.³

            The Bible also provides strong evidence to support the event. For example, First Kings 6:1 says: “In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites came out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the Lord.” Also, reading this verse puts the Exodus at 1446 BC.⁴ Several other passages support this timeframe, such as Judges 11:26-27 and Acts 13:19-20.

            There is overwhelming evidence to support the Exodus. The Israelites left Egypt, and God used the ten plagues against the Egyptians. The strongest evidence comes from the Egyptians themselves. The ancient Egyptians describe the ten plagues:

Nay, but gates, columns and walls are consumed with fire … . Nay, but corn has perished everywhere. People are stripped of clothing, perfume and oil. Everyone says "there is no more". The storehouse is bare … . The king has been taken away by poor men.⁵

Here, the ancient Egyptians describe how plagues overwhelm the land and blood is throughout the country. They also say that the Nile River has become blood, and many people have suffered from plague. This text from the ancient Egyptians is incredible because this is exactly what is describe in Exodus 7-12.

Moses Leads the Israelites Out of Egypt

In Exodus, the Bible describes how Moses leads the Israelites out of Egypt. Now, Pharaoh refuses to let the Israelites leave Egypt, and the Egyptians follow the Israelites. So, God uses ten devastating plagues in order to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. When the Israelites came to the Read Sea, Moses reached out his hand, and God parted the Red Sea so that the Israelites could cross on dry land. The Egyptians tried to follow, but God closed the sea, and the Egyptians drowned.

            Now, there is amazing archaeological evidence that shows these events did occur. The Leiden Museum in Holland has a papyrus that describes the conditions which occurred after the plagues had transpired. The papyrus describes how blood is throughout the land, and the river is full of blood. The papyrus mentions that columns, gates, and walls are overwhelmed by fire. The papyrus also says that men are very few, and many people are dead.⁶

            There is also the Merneptah Stele. In approximately 1208 BC, Pharaoh Merneptah created a tall monument at a temple. The Merneptah Stele is approximately 10 feet tall, and Pharaoh Merneptah erected the monument to boast of this victory in both Canaan and Libya. The monument was discovered by Sir Flinders Petrie in 1896. The vast majority of scholars agree that the Merneptah Stele is the oldest reference that identifies Israel as a nations outside of the Bible.⁷

The Walls of Jericho Miraculous Came Crashing Down

Interesting recent findings show that something very unusual occurred in Jericho. With a fortified wall, what could have caused the destruction of Jericho? The Bible claims that the Israelites marched around Jericho seven times. On the seventh day, the Bible claims that the priests blew the trumpets, and the walls collapsed (Joshua 6:20).

            However, what historically evidence is there to support this? Well, there is strong evidence that the city of Jericho did collapse. So, scientific analysis has shown that the walls of Jericho were destroyed around 1400 BC, which is when the Bible says that the destruction happened.⁸

So, the Bible claims that the Israelites burned everything in the city (Joshua 6:24). Now, what evidence verifies the truth of this? So, the Israelites destroyed the city, and a portion of the city was excavated on the east side. The archaeologists found burned ash and debris approximately three feet thick. The scientists observed that the floors and walls were blackened by fire. The scientists described that every room was completely destroyed, and the walls of the city were completely collapsed.⁹

            Now, the problem of Jericho was thought to be a problem for the Bible because there was a disagreement between the Bible and archaeology. However, if archaeology is properly interpreted, the exact opposite will occur. Strong archaeological confirmation shows the truth of the Bible.

Prophetic Events in the Old Testament

The book of Isaiah is the strongest prophetic evidence for Jesus Christ. The book of Isaiah is amazing for two primary reasons. First, the book of Isaiah was written approximately 700 years before Jesus lived. Second, the book of Isaiah correctly described the prophetic things that Jesus would perform.

            The most amazing evidence comes from historical studies that show when the book of Isaiah was written. Scientists have found clay tablets that described the book of Isaiah, and scientists have dated the clay tablets between 729-687 BC.¹⁰ There is also strong paleographic dating studies which show the book of Isaiah was written about 700 years before Jesus lived. These historical facts show that Isaiah and other Old Testament persons did live before Jesus.

            The Dead Sea Scrolls also present amazing evidence to support the book of Isaiah. The Dead Sea Scrolls were found between 1946 and 1965. Scientists have shown that the scrolls were written from the 3rd century BC to the 1st century CE.¹¹

            The strongest prophetic events are considered the suffering servant verses in Isaiah 52-53. Throughout th Old Testament, Isaiah 52-53 predicts the strongest evidence for Jesus’s life, death, and sacrifice. Isaiah 53 is strong evidence which Christians see as prophecy that is fulfilled by Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 52-53 is evidence which described Jesus as the suffering servant who dies for peoples sins. Now, what is amazing about the Bible and Christianity is that other religions do not have fulfilled prophecy at all. Christians believe that Isaiah 52-53 describes the life and death of Jesus. Isaiah 52-53 is a prophecy in the Bible that describes the death of Jesus and how Jesus paid for humanity’s sins.

            There are many more prophecies throughout the book of Isaiah. For example, Isaiah also prophesied about a virgin that would have a son named Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). Also, Isaiah talks about the character and the mission of Immanuel (Isaiah 9:6).

Conclusions

Here the incredible evidence of the Old Testament was presented. Throughout the Old Testament, incredible events are presented, such as Noah’s Flood and Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. These events are incredible because no other cultures describe similar events. The Israelites are very unique, and no other religion is comparable to Christianity.

References

1. Sanders, N.K., “The Epic of Gilgamesh,” London: Penguin Books, p. 9, 1964.

2. Sarfati, J., “Noah’s Flood and the Gilgamesh Epic,” Creation 28 (4): p. 12-17, September 2006.

3. Hoffman, Y., “A North Israelite Typographical Myth and a Judean Historical Tradition: The Exodus in Hosea and Amos,” Vetus Testamentum 39 (2): 170, 1989.

4. Aling, Charles, “Egypt and Bible History,” Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, p. 96, 1981.

5. Erman, A., Ipuwer Papyrus, Leiden Museum, “The Ancient Egyptians, a source book of their writings,” Harper and Row, New York, p. 94–101, 1966.

6. Erman, A., Ipuwer Papyrus, Leiden Museum, quoted from: “The Ancient Egyptians, a source book of their writings,” Harper and Row, New York, p. 94–101, 1966.

7. Byers, G., “Great Discoveries in Biblical Archaeology: The Merneptah Stele,” Associates for Biblical Research, p. 15, March 2006.

8. Wood, B.G., “Did the Israelites Conquer Jericho?,” Biblical Archaeology Review, 16 (2): p. 44–58, March-April 1990.

9. Kenyon, K.M., “Excavations at Jericho,” London, British School of Archaeology in Jerusalem,3: p. 110, 1981.

10. Steimann, A. E., “From Abraham to Paul,” St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2011.

11. "The Digital Dead Sea Scrolls: Nature and Significance,” Israel Museum Jerusalem. Retrieved 4 November 2023.