Premise 1: The Bible is a reliable source for Near East history

Modern archaeology has helped us realize that the Bible is historically accurate even in the smallest of details. There have been thousands of archaeological discoveries in the past century that support every book of the Bible. Here are just a few examples:

Critics used to believe … the Bible was wrong because they felt that King David was a legendary, mythical character. They pointed to the fact that there was no archaeological evidence that King David was an actual historical figure.

But then in 1994, archaeologists discovered an ancient stone slab in northern Galilee that was inscribed with the references to King David and the “House of David.”

Critics used to believe … the Bible was wrong because there was no evidence (outside of the Bible) that a group of people called the Hittites ever existed. The Hittite civilization is mentioned approximately 40 times in the Old Testament, thus skeptics were convinced that this proved the Bible is a mythical creation of ancient Hebrew writers.

But then … in 1906, a German archaeologist named Hugo Winckler was excavating in Boghaz-Koi, Turkey, and discovered the capital city of the ancient Hittite empire, the entire Hittite library and 10,000 clay tablets documenting the Hittite history. Scholars translated these writings and discovered that everything the Bible said about the Hittite empire was true.

Critics used to believe … that a king named Belshazzar never really existed, thus calling into question the historicity of the book of Daniel, which mentions this Babylonian king.

But then … in 1854, Henry Rawlinson discovered an inscription in Iraq that named Belshazzar as the oldest son and co-regent of King Nebonidus, who would often leave Belshazzar in charge of Babylon while he traveled. This discovery also helped to clarify Daniel 5:29, which states that Daniel was elevated to the “third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

Critics used to believe … the book of Acts was not historically accurate. A man named Sir William Ramsay, who is well known to be one of the greatest historical scholars and archaeologists in history, decided to try to disprove the Bible as the inspired Word of God by showing that the book of Acts was not historically accurate.

But then after 30 years of archaeological research in the Middle East, Ramsay came to the conclusion that:

Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements of fact trustworthy. This author should be placed along with the very greatest historians

Sir William Ramsay, Scottish Author and Historian, considered foremost authority of his day on history of Asia Minor

He later wrote a book on the trustworthiness of the Bible based on his discoveries and converted to Christianity. Sir Ramsay found no historical or geographical mistakes in the book of Acts. This is amazing when we realize that in the book of Acts, Luke mentions 32 countries, 54 cities, nine Mediterranean islands and 95 people and he did not get one wrong. Compare that with the Encyclopedia Britannica.

The first year the Encyclopedia Britannica was published it contained so many mistakes regarding places in the United States that it had to be recalled

Critics used to believe … the Old Testament simply could not be reliable because they felt that over a long period of time the Old Testament writings would have been changed, altered, edited or corrupted.

But then … in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. These scrolls contained, among other writings, every book in the Old Testament (except Esther). Until the Dead Sea Scrolls were found, the earliest copy of the complete Old Testament was from A.D. 900. Scholars compared this copy with the Dead Sea Scrolls (produced around 1,000 years earlier) and found that the Old Testament had been handed down accurately through the centuries.

The historical books of the Old Testament are as accurate historical documents as any that we have from antiquity and are in fact more accurate than many of the Egyptian, Mesopotamian, or Greek histories. These Biblical records can be and are used as are other ancient documents in archaeological work

Smithsonian Institute Department of Anthropology

In other words, not only does archaeology confirm that the Bible is historically accurate, but professional archaeologists actually use the Bible as a guide in their work.

The great Jewish archaeologist Nelson Glueck, who is known to be one of the top three archaeologists in history, has stated the following:

No archaeological discovery has ever contradicted a single, properly understood Biblical statement

Russ Whitten: Excerpt from Have You Ever Wondered, thedestinlog.com

Discussion Question 1: Does the fact that prominent historians, archaeologists and even the Smithsonian Institute affirm the Bible as a primary source for ancient history help you to place renewed confidence in it?

Premise 2: Many people mentioned in the Bible have been historically confirmed

There are at least 53 people in the Bible that have been archaeologically verified as having truly existed. Here is a sample list from wikipedia of some Old Testament figures:

  • Ahaziah/Amaziah, King of Judah. The Tel Dan Stele contains, according to many scholars, an account by a Syrian king (probably Hazael), claiming to have slain “[Ahaz]iahu, son of [… kin]g of the house of David”, who reigned c. 850 – 849 BCE.[165][166] However, an alternative view, which dates the inscription half a century later, is that the name should be reconstructed as ‘[Amaz]iahu’, who reigned c. 796–767 BCE.[167]
  • Asaiah, servant of king Josiah (2 Kings 22:12). A seal with the text Asayahu servant of the king probably belonged to him.[168]
  • Azaliah son of Meshullam, scribe in the Temple in Jerusalem: Mentioned in 2 Kings 22:3 and 2 Chronicles 34:8. A bulla reading “belonging to Azaliahu son of Meshullam.” is likely to be his, according to archaeologist Nahman Avigad.[169]
  • Azariah son of Hilkiah and grandfather of Ezra: Mentioned in 1 Chronicles 6:13,14; 9:11 and Ezra 7:1. A bulla reading Azariah son of Hilkiah is likely to be his, according to Tsvi Schneider.[170]
  • Baalis king of Ammon is mentioned in Jeremiah 40:14. In 1984 an Ammonite seal, dated to c. 600 BCE, was excavated in Tell El-`Umeiri, Jordan that reads “belonging to Milkomor, the servant of Baalisha“. Identification of ‘Baalisha’ with the biblical Baalis is likely,[171] but it is not currently known if there was only one Ammonite king of that name.[172]
  • David, or more accurately his eponymous royal house, is mentioned in the Tel Dan Stele, see above entry for Ahaziah.
  • Darius II of Persia, is mentioned by the contemporary historian Xenophon of Athens,[173] in the Elephantine Papyri,[38] and other sources. ‘Darius the Persian’, mentioned in Nehemiah 12:22, is probably Darius II, although some scholars identify him with Darius I or Darius III.[174][175]
  • Gedaliah son of Ahikam, governor of Judah. A seal impression with the name ‘Gedaliah who is over the house’ is commonly identified with Gedaliah, son of Ahikam.[176]
  • Gedaliah son of Pashhur, an opponent of Jeremiah. A bulla bearing his name was found in the City of David[177]
  • Gemariah, son of Shaphan the scribe. A bulla was found with the text “To Gemaryahu ben Shaphan”. This may have been the same person as “Gemariah son of Shaphan the scribe” mentioned in Jeremiah 36:10,12.[178]
  • Geshem (Gusham) the Arab, mentioned in Nehemia 6:1,6 is likely the same person as Gusham, king of Kedar, found in two inscriptions in Dedan and Tell el-Mashkutah (near the Suez Canal)[179]
  • Hilkiah, high priest in the Temple in Jerusalem: Mentioned throughout 2 Kings 22:8–23:24 and 2 Chronicles 34:9–35:8 as well as in 1 Chronicles 6:13; 9:11 and Ezra 7:1. Hilkiah in extra-biblical sources is attested by the clay bulla naming a Hilkiah as the father of an Azariah,[170] and by the seal reading Hanan son of Hilkiah the priest.[180]
  • Isaiah, In February 2018 archaeologist Eilat Mazar announced that she and her team had discovered a small seal impression which reads “[belonging] to Isaiah nvy” (could be reconstructed and read as “[belonging] to Isaiah the prophet”) during the Ophel excavations, just south of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.[181] The tiny bulla was found “only 10 feet away” from where an intact bulla bearing the inscription “[belonging] to King Hezekiah of Judah” was discovered in 2015 by the same team.[182] Although the name “Isaiah” in Paleo-Hebrew alphabet is unmistakable, the damage on the bottom left part of the seal causes difficulties in confirming the word “prophet” or a common Hebrew name “Navi”, casting some doubts whether this seal really belongs to the prophet Isaiah.[183]
  • Jehoram, King of Israel (c. 852 – 841 BCE) is probably mentioned in the Tel Dan inscription. According to the usual interpretation, the author of the text, probably Hazael, king of Syria,[184] claims to have slain both Ahaziah of Judah and “[Jeho]ram”.[165][166] However, some scholars, reconstructing the pieces of the stela differently, do not see “[..]ram” as the name of an Israelite king.[185]
  • Jehucal son of Shelemiah, an opponent of Jeremiah. Archaeologists excavated a bulla with his name,[186] but some scholars question the dating of the seal to the time of Jeremiah. According to Robert Deutsch the bulla is from the late 8th to early 7th century BCE, before the time of Jeremiah.[citation needed]
  • Jerahmeel, prince of Judah. A bulla bearing his name was found.[187]
  • Jeroboam (II), king of Israel. A seal belonging to ‘Shema, servant of Jeroboam’, probably refers to king Jeroboam II,[188] although some scholars think it was Jeroboam I.[172]
  • Jezebel, wife of king Ahab of Israel. A seal was found that may bear her name, but the dating and identification with the biblical Jezebel is a subject of debate among scholars.[189]
  • Josiah, king of Judah. Three seals were found that may have belonged to his son Eliashib.[190]
  • Nathan-melech, one of Josiah’s officials in 2 Kings 23:11. A clay bulla dated to the middle of the seventh or beginning of the sixth century B.C was found in March 2019 during the Givati Parking Lot dig excavation in the City of the David area of Jerusalem bearing the inscription, “(belonging) to Nathan-melech, servant of the king.”[191][192]
  • Nergal-sharezer, king of Babylon is probably identical to an official of Nebuchadnezzar II mentioned in Jeremiah 39:3, 13.[128] A record of his war with Syria was found on a tablet from the ‘Neo-Babylonian Chronicle texts’.[193]
  • Seraiah son of Neriah. He was the brother of Baruch. Nahman Avigad identified him as the owner of a seal with the name ” to Seriahu/Neriyahu”.[17
  • Shebna (or Shebaniah), royal steward of Hezekiah: only the last two letters of a name (hw) survive on the so-called Shebna lintel, but the title of his position (“over the house” of the king) and the date indicated by the script style, have inclined many scholars to identify the person it refers to with Shebna.[194]
  • Sheshonq I, Pharaoh of Egypt, is normally identified with king Shishaq in the Hebrew Bible. The account of Shishaq’s invasion in the 5th year of Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:25–28) is thought to correspond to an inscription found at Karnak of Shoshenq’s campaign into Palestine.[195] However, a minority of scholars reject this identification.[196]
  • Tou/Toi, king of Hamath. Several scholars have argued that Tou/Toi, mentioned in 2 Samuel 8:9 and 1 Chronicles 18:9, is identical with a certain ‘Taita’, king of ‘Palistin’, known from inscriptions found in northern Syria.[197][198] However, others have challenged this identification based on linguistic analysis and the uncertain dating of king Taita.[199]
  • Uzziah, king of Judah. The writings of Tiglath-Pileser III may refer to him, but this identification is disputed.[200] There is also an inscription that refers to his bones, but it dates from the 1st century CE.
  • Zedekiah, son of Hananiah (Jeremiah 36:12). A seal was found of “Zedekiah son of Hanani”, identification is likely, but uncertain.[201]

Here are some other disciples, authors and icons who have been historically verified archaeologically

PersonDescriptionHow Verified
IsaiahProphet, Author of IsaiahOphel Bulla
JeremiahProphet, Author of Jeremiah, LamentationsIshtar Gate Inscription
DanielProphet, Author of DanielCylinder of Nabonidus
DavidKing of Israel, Psalms Mesha Stele, Moabite Stone
King SaulFirst King of IsraelCity of Beth Shan
JacobPatriarch of 12 Tribes of IsraelThe Merneptah Stele
JamesBrother of JesusOssuary Inscription
Herod The GreatRuler of Judea at Jesus BirthThe Herodium now a National Park
Pontius PilateGovernor of Judea presided over trial of JesusThe Pilate Stone Inscription
John The BaptistCousin of Jesus, PreacherAlabaster Relic Box
PhilipApostle, Disciple of JesusSt. Philip’s Tomb
CaiphasHigh Priest of IsraelCaiphas Ossuary

Some of histories most powerful Pharoahs, Kings, and Emperors are mentioned prominently in the Bible. Pharoah’s Ramses, and Necho of Egypt. Cyrus, and Darius kings of Persia. Sargon, Sennacherib, and Shalmaneser V Kings of Assyria. Roman kings and emperors such as; Herod The Great, Tiberius Caesar, Claudius Caesar, and even Nero play significant roles in Bible history. The Bible has been a primary and reliable geo-political resource for Near East Ancient History. (To see other people mentioned in the Bible click here.)

I referred your inquiries to our staff archeologist, Dr. George Stuart. He said that archaeologists do indeed find the Bible a valuable reference tool, and use it many times for geographical relationships, old names and relative chronologies. On the enclosed list, you will find many articles concerning discoveries verifying events discussed in the Bible

Letter to National Geographic Society

Discussion Question 2: Most people have heard of Moses, David, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. But did you realize how many famous politically powerful figures of history were in the Bible?

Premise 3: Many places and events mentioned in the Bible have been historically confirmed

Because the Scriptures continually refer to historical events, they are verifiable; their accuracy can be checked by external evidence. 

The Old and New Testaments make abundant references to nations, kings, battles, cities, mountains, rivers, buildings, treaties, customs, economics, politics, dates, and the like. Because the historical narratives of the Bible are so specific, many of its details are open to archaeological investigation.

The advancement of archaeology has indeed confirmed geographic locations of events, cities, and structures mentioned in the Bible. Every year more and more discoveries confirm the geographical, political, and cultural details mentioned in the Bible.

Places and events in the Old Testament such as; the fall of the walls of Jericho, or the siege at Lachish, King Solomon’s Wall, and many others have been confirmed achaeologically. For more places and events click here

Places and events in the New Testament such as the city of Decapolis, the Apostle Peter’s house, Pool of Bethsaida, the Areopagus, and many others have been confirmed archaeologically. For more places and events click here.

Archaeology is constantly confirming the historical accuracy of the Bible. It has verified many ancient sites, civilizations, and biblical characters whose existence was questioned by the academic world and often dismissed as myths. Biblical archaeology has silenced many critics as new discoveries support the facts of the Bible.

On the whole, however, archaeological work has unquestionably strengthened confidence in the reliability of the Scriptural record. More than one archaeologist has found his respect for the Bible increased by the experience of excavation in Palestine.

Millar Burrows, Leading Authority on the Dead Sea scrolls, Professor emeritus Yale Divinity School

Discussion Question 3: Does knowing that supposed experts who for decades have denied the existence of certain people, events and places mentioned in the Bible have been proven wrong through archaeological discovery help relieve your own doubts?

ThinkCubed Truth Veracity Grid:

Have I considered the issue carefully, honestly, and with an open mind?
Does what I think conform to the basic rules of logic and avoid contradictions?
Is what I believe influenced by my own bias, presuppositions, or desires?