Historical Evidence for the Bible
If the Bible is the inerrant and infallible word of God, as it
claims (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21), we would expect there to be some
evidence supporting these claims. After all, just because something
claims to be the word of God does not make it true. We will examine the
testimony of historical evidence to ask, Does the evidence support or
deny the internal claims of the Bible?
Three tests can be applied to the Bible to see if it exhibits
characteristics of a divine book that is without error. First, external
evidence should confirm the truthfulness of the Bible in areas we can
investigate. Second, internal evidence should show that, in one way or
another, the Bible is unique. While these tests can establish the
reliability of the Bible and lend support to the Bible's claims, they
cannot prove its inspiration. However, the third test, a brief overview
of Bible prophecy, will actually serve to verify the claim of divine
inspiration.
The Testimony of History
External evidence from both archaeology and non-Christian writers
confirms that the Bible--both Old and New Testaments--is a trustworthy
historical document. Archaeologist Joseph Free has said that
"Archaeology has confirmed countless passages which had been rejected by
critics as unhistorical or contrary to known facts." [1] Renowned Jewish
archaeologist Nelson Gluek confidently said that "It...may be stated
categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a
biblical reference. Scores of archeological findings have been made
which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in
the Bible." [2] Christian apologist Josh McDowell tells us that "After
personally trying to shatter the historicity and validity of the
Scriptures, I have come to the conclusion that they are historically
trustworthy." [3]
Some scholars once said that Moses couldn't have written the
first five books of the Bible (as the Bible says) because writing was
largely unknown in his day. Then, archaeology proved otherwise by the
discovery of many other written codes of the period: the code of
Hammurabi (ca. 1700 B.C.), the Lipit-Ishtar code (ca. 1860), and the Laws
of Eshnunna (ca. 1950 B.C.).
Critics used to say that the biblical description of the Hittite
Empire was wrong because the Hittite Empire (they though) didn't even
exist! Then archaeologists discovered the Hittite capital in 1906 and
discovered that the Hittite's were actually a very vast and prominent
civilization. Archaeological and linguistic evidence is increasingly
pointing to a sixth-century B.C. date for the book of Daniel, in spite of
the many critics who attempt to late-date Daniel and make it a prophecy
after the detailed events it predicts.
For the New Testament, Dr. G.R. Habermas points out that within
110 years of Christ's crucifixion, approximately eighteen non-Christian
sources mention more than "one hundred facts, beliefs, and teachings from
the life of Christ and early Christendom. These items, I might add,
mention almost every major detail of Jesus' life, including miracles, the
Resurrection, and His claims to deity." [4] Sir William Ramsey, one of the
greatest archeologists to ever live, demonstrated that Luke made no
mistakes in references to 32 countries, 54 cities, and 9 islands.
Liberal scholars used to argue that a town named Nazareth didn't
exist at the time of Jesus, until archaeology of the last few decades
confirmed its existence. The Gospel's portrayals of the temple, Pilate's
court, Jesus' crown of thorns, and the mode of His execution have all
also been confirmed. The list could go on and on.
The historical evidence clearly shows that the Bible is a
reliable historical document. Since the Bible can be trusted in areas
that we can check (its history), then this gives us a reason to trust it
in areas that we cannot check (its claims for inspiration).
The Uniqueness of the Bible
The internal evidence test reveals the Bible's amazing
consistency. The Bible was written by over 40 authors, in 3 languages,
on 3 continents, over a span of 1,500 years, and covers hundreds of
controversial subjects. Yet, the authors all spoke with agreement; there
are no contradictions. [5] From Genesis to Revelation, there is one
unfolding story--God's redemption of mankind.
Bible Prophecy
The external and internal evidence tests do not prove the Bible's
inspiration, but do reveal that the objective evidence is consistent with
and supports the Bible's claims to be a divine book (because any book
from God that claims to be inerrant should be reliable and consistent
with itself). Bible prophecy, however, can only be explained by
divine revelation and inspiration.
There are hundreds of specific prophecies in the Bible which have
been literally fulfilled, in many cases centuries after the completion of
the Bible. Any attempt to late-date these prophecies is
impossible--there is a copy of every Old Testament book but one from
before 150 BC, and hundreds of these prophecies were not fulfilled until
centuries later. For a detailed discussion of this area, see Evidence
that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.
Some prophecies fulfilled by Jesus are Micah 5:2, which revealed
where He would be born; Isaiah 53 detailed His suffering, work at the
cross, and resurrection; Psalm 22 is striking prophecy of the
crucifixion.
Norman Geisler explains Ezekiel's prediction that the city of
Tyre "would be destroyed and its ruins cast into the sea (26:2). This
provoked scoffing because, when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Tyre, he left
the ruins right where they fell--on the land. But 200 years later,
Alexander the Great attacked Tyre and the inhabitants withdrew to an
island just off the coast for safety. In order to reach them, Alexander
threw all of the debris, stones, timbers, dust, and everything else, into
the sea to build a causeway that would reach the island." [6] If events so
far in the future can be accurately predicted, certainly the
events of the past have been accurately recorded!
Has the text of the Bible Been Altered Over the
Centuries?
One last test investigates whether or not the Bible has been
corrupted down through the ages in its transmission. If it has been
significantly changed, then it would not be relevant to us since
inspiration does not extend to any manuscript copy. How can we know
whether or not the Bible we have today is the same as what was written?
This question is answered by the bibliographical test. This
test looks at the number of existing manuscript copies there are, their
agreement with each other concerning the text that they are copies of,
and the time interval between these copies and the date of the original
writing. All scholars agree that this test has conclusively established
that the biblical text which we have now is nearly identical to what was
originally recorded (for both Old and New Testaments).
Sir Frederick Kenyon, who was second to none in issuing
statements about manuscripts, said this about the New Testament: "The
interval between the dates of original composition and the earliest
existing evidence [i.e. the earliest copies we have] become so small to
be in fact negligible, and the last foundation for any doubt that the
Scriptures have come down to us substantially has having been written has
now been removed. Both the authenticity and general integrity of the New
Testament may be regarded as finally established." [7] He further said that
"No fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith rests on a disputed
reading."
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which date from 200 B.C.
to A.D. 68, included a copy of every Old Testament book except for one.
Comparison with the texts of a thousand years later shows little or no
variation and change between them.
Conclusion
The historical evidence shows that the Bible can be trusted. The
commonly held idea that the Bible is unreliable or "just a myth" is
unfounded. The internal evidence reveals the uniqueness of the Bible, a
uniqueness which would be difficult to explain if it was just a human
book. These two tests give credibility to the Bible's internal claims to
be the word of God. The testimony of predictive prophecy, however, takes
us a step further and confirms the Bible's claims to be inspired by God.
Finally, the Bible has not been changed through the ages. The evidence
shows that there is good reason to believe in the Bible.
Notes
1. Joseph Free, Archaeology and Bible History (Wheaton, Illionis:
Scripture Press, 1969), p. 1.
2. Nelson Glueck, Rivers in the Desert (New York: Farar,
Straus and Cudahy, 1959), p. 136.
3. Josh McDowell, More Than a Carpenter (Wheaton, Illionois:
Tyndale House Publishers, 1977), p. 57.
4. Gary Habermas and Antony Flew, Did Jesus Rise From the Dead?
(San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1987), p. 43.
5. I have personally looked into the issue of alleged contradictions,
and after thorough investigation, have never found one to hold. Norman
Geisler, who has studied the Bible exhaustively for over forty years and
been confronted with numerous dificulties, is of the same conclusion. A
valuable resource for further investigation on this mater is Geisler's
When Critics Ask.
6. Norman Geisler and Ronald Brooks, When Skeptics Ask (Wheaton,
Illinois: Victor Books, 1990), p. 198.
7. Sir Frederic Kenyon, The Bible and Archaeology (New York:
Harper and Row, 1940), pp. 288, 289.
For further resources on this matter, consult I'm Glad You Asked
by Ken Boa and Larry Moody or Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh
McDowell.
MP
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