Biblical Archaeology
Biblical Archaeology
What about Biblical archaeology? What do the latest finds reveal about the integrity of the Bible?
I must say, I really enjoyed reading the Bible as a history book. Now that I was secure in its translation integrity, I dug in and absorbed its presentation of the ancient world. The Bible appeared much different than the other "holy books" I was perusing, which seemed to focus on philosophy and notions of transcendentalism. The writers of the Bible seemed to have a solid grasp on the people, places and events of history.
But what about the scholars that discredit the historical veracity of the Bible based on a lack of archaeological evidence for various civilizations, cities, and leaders mentioned in the Old Testament. In my Biblical archaeology studies, these "academics" seemed to pop up from time to time - and I have to say, they sounded pretty credible. I decided to retreat a bit from the Bible, and went back to my archaeology books…
One of the most revealing things about studying "Biblical archaeology" is realizing that the scientific discipline really didn't exist until about 150 years ago. Archeology wasn't even a "soft" science prior to the 19th century -- it was merely treasure hunting conducted by self-seeking opportunists. Therefore, many excavations were botched and many discoveries were lost. With the rise in academic interest and the proliferation of technological tools, a systematic approach to archaeology has taken off in the last century, revealing a great deal about the ancient world.
So, what has Biblical archaeology revealed about the Old Testament?
