Archaeology and the Bible

[Kenny]

I am always amazed how many times archaeology confirms what was written in the Tannakh.

Once again, another stone is turned and another discovery is found:

"The palace was built for the Assyrian King Sennarcherib, expanded by his son Esarhaddon, and renovated by his grandson King Ashurbanipal, according to the Telegraph, which notes that the palace was partly destroyed during the sack of Nineveh in 612 B.C. Sennacherib’s invasion of the ancient kingdom of Judah is extensively documented in the Bible. Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal are also mentioned in scripture, although feature less prominently."

Biblical king's palace uncovered beneath shrine destroyed by ISIS

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I am always amazed how many times archaeology confirms what was written in the Tannakh.

I'm always amazed at how many times Kansas weather confirms the tornadic activity reorted by L. Frank Baum in the Wizard of Oz.

 

[sun rise]

I think it's totally reasonable that many of the stories and the legends in the Bible have some basis in fact, however distorted. Several years ago there was my favorite - how the reed sea might have been parted by a strong wind and turned into the legend of the Red sea, for example. So I find discoveries that show some tie to legend to be interesting.

 

[Valjean]

I am always amazed how many times archaeology confirms what was written in the Tannakh.

Once again, another stone is turned and another discovery is found:

"The palace was built for the Assyrian King Sennarcherib, expanded by his son Esarhaddon, and renovated by his grandson King Ashurbanipal, according to the Telegraph, which notes that the palace was partly destroyed during the sack of Nineveh in 612 B.C. Sennacherib’s invasion of the ancient kingdom of Judah is extensively documented in the Bible. Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal are also mentioned in scripture, although feature less prominently."

Biblical king's palace uncovered beneath shrine destroyed by ISIS

Why is it remarkable when major historical events and places, that would have been known to everyone at the time, get mentioned in contemporary writings?
What I do find remarkable are the major errors and the borrowed mythology that found its way in.

 

[rusra02]

I think it's totally reasonable that many of the stories and the legends in the Bible have some basis in fact, however distorted. Several years ago there was my favorite - how the reed sea might have been parted by a strong wind and turned into the legend of the Red sea, for example. So I find discoveries that show some tie to legend to be interesting.

Funny how often the alleged "stories and legends" some claim the Bible contains, are confirmed in great detail by archeological discoveries. Far from "distorted", these accounts are accurate history, IMO. It would be strange, indeed, if Pharaoh's army drowned in a sea of reeds. As Exodus 15:4,5 describes; "Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea, And his finest warriors have sunk into the Red Sea. The surging waters covered them; down into the depths they sank like a stone." Hardly a sea of reeds, IMO.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

Funny how often the alleged "stories and legends" some claim the Bible contains, are confirmed in great detail by archeological discoveries. Far from "distorted", these accounts are accurate history, IMO. It would be strange, indeed, if Pharaoh's army drowned in a sea of reeds. As Exodus 15:4,5 describes; "Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea, And his finest warriors have sunk into the Red Sea. The surging waters covered them; down into the depths they sank like a stone." Hardly a sea of reeds, IMO.

Although it does not latter one way or the other, I'm sure you believe Muhammad exist and even more so proof pagan religions existed and still do. That does not mean it is true. It just means you found historical evidence of a story that cant be proven without the actual words of who the story is about.

Outside of that, there is proof that people believed the earth was flat. That doesnt mean it is.

To both sides, proof means nothing. Thats not the purpose of religion.

 

[Ekleipsis]

You are amazed that a book that contains records of historical events / people / places / objects, ......recorded history ?

 

[sun rise]

Funny how often the alleged "stories and legends" some claim the Bible contains, are confirmed in great detail by archeological discoveries. Far from "distorted", these accounts are accurate history, IMO. It would be strange, indeed, if Pharaoh's army drowned in a sea of reeds. As Exodus 15:4,5 describes; "Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea, And his finest warriors have sunk into the Red Sea. The surging waters covered them; down into the depths they sank like a stone." Hardly a sea of reeds, IMO.

Obviously you have a preconceived notion. For any others that might not have seen this:

No, really: There is a scientific explanation for the parting of the Red Sea in Exodus

And speaking of "red" vs "reed", your statement about the "Red Sea" is disputed by some Christians: The Yam Suph: "Red Sea" or "Sea of Reeds"

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I'm always amazed how people think things like this somehow confirm the existence and truth of their particular god(s), or that it would convince anyone of such a thing who didn't already believe it.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

I'm always amazed how people think things like this somehow confirm the existence and truth of their particular god(s), or that it would convince anyone of such a thing who didn't already believe it.

I was pretty skeptical when I saw The Planet of the Apes until I saw the remains of the Statue of Liberty.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

I was pretty skeptical when I saw The Planet of the Apes until I saw the remains of the Statue of Liberty.

But now, of course, you do realize the truth of a future Earth populated by intelligent apes?

 

[metis]

I think, and for good reason, that in many of the narratives that we read, what we're dealing with are writings penned decades to centuries after the even they were covering took place (or not) that placed people, God, and/or some events into the accounts, correctly or not.

 

[Valjean]

Funny how often the alleged "stories and legends" some claim the Bible contains, are confirmed in great detail by archeological discoveries. Far from "distorted", these accounts are accurate history, IMO. It would be strange, indeed, if Pharaoh's army drowned in a sea of reeds. As Exodus 15:4,5 describes; "Pharaoh's chariots and his army He has cast into the sea, And his finest warriors have sunk into the Red Sea. The surging waters covered them; down into the depths they sank like a stone." Hardly a sea of reeds, IMO.

"Down to the depths" sounds to me like a bit of creative exaggeration. Hardly surprising in a story handed down through countless generations.
The text, Yam suph, means reed sea; exactly what you'd expect a fleeing people with any knowledge of geography would come across. After all, what kind of idiot would flee to the East, unless, of course, he'd previously arranged for a Dunkirk scale fleet of waiting dhows.

But we quibble. Archaeology? Egyptian Exodus? (you brought it up!) You'd expect the exodus of >2,000,000 people, plus livestock, household goods, &c, to have been one of Egypt's major historical events, especially considering the country's estimated total Egyptian population of only 2,500,000. You'd expect written records of this cataclysm from a dozen different civilizations. Where is it?
You'd expect such a massive population of captive Jews to have left some archaeological evidence in Egypt. Where is it?
The mighty Wiki estimates that two million refugees, marching ten abreast, would have formed a line 150 miles long -- and that's not counting the livestock. Does this sound practicable?
How did two million people manage to feed themselves and their livestock, in a barren desert, for forty years?
How did two million people plus livestock manage to live in a place for forty years and leave no archaeological evidence?

But now, of course, you do realize the truth of a future Earth populated by intelligent apes?

So what do we have now populating the earth? Oh, wait, you said "intelligent."
Never mind.

 

[Jayhawker Soule]

But we quibble. Archaeology? Egyptian Exodus? (you brought it up!) You'd expect the exodus of >2,000,000 people, plus livestock, household goods, &c, to have been one of Egypt's major historical events, especially considering the country's estimated total Egyptian population of only 2,500,000. You'd expect written records of this cataclysm from a dozen different civilizations. Where is it?

This has been addresses an inordinate number of times. Despite incessant and shallow attempts to ridicule it, the Exodus Narrative remains powerful and there is good reason to believe that it has historical roots.

 

[Valjean]

Fair point, but the world flood may have had historical roots, as well, yet I don't believe anything on that scale actually occurred, either.

 

[Sapiens]

I am always amazed how many times archaeology confirms what was written in the Tannakh.

Once again, another stone is turned and another discovery is found:

"The palace was built for the Assyrian King Sennarcherib, expanded by his son Esarhaddon, and renovated by his grandson King Ashurbanipal, according to the Telegraph, which notes that the palace was partly destroyed during the sack of Nineveh in 612 B.C. Sennacherib’s invasion of the ancient kingdom of Judah is extensively documented in the Bible. Esarhaddon and Ashurbanipal are also mentioned in scripture, although feature less prominently."

Biblical king's palace uncovered beneath shrine destroyed by ISIS

Not unreasonable for historical fiction. The same is true for Homer through Tom Clancy.

 

[Kenny]

Not unreasonable for historical fiction. The same is true for Homer through Tom Clancy.

I didn't know that they wrote fiction back in the days of the Judges and Kings.

 

[Kenny]

Fair point, but the world flood may have had historical roots, as well, yet I don't believe anything on that scale actually occurred, either.

OK...

But at what point, after archaeology confirming many items that are written, do we finally say that there is historic value to what was written?

 

[Kenny]

Why is it remarkable when major historical events and places, that would have been known to everyone at the time, get mentioned in contemporary writings?
What I do find remarkable are the major errors and the borrowed mythology that found its way in.

Mainly because it was labeled as completely fiction by so many. With so varied of books and authors, one would think that mythology would show up more often.

 

[Evangelicalhumanist]

Can anybody think of any other book -- other than the Bible -- which, while fictional (or rather, not necessarily historical), contains descriptions of actual, real stuff? How about, for example E.L Doctorow's "Ragtime?" There are many historical figures and events in that book -- accurately described and not much exaggerated. Does that make "Ragtime" into some sort of gospel truth?

We can, of course, do the same with Homer and with Virgil. Why are the Iliad and the Odyssey, or the Aeneid, not "gospel religious truth?" After all, Schliemann found Troy based on nothing but reading the Iliad and believing that the author knew something about the time he was describing. Does that make Zeus real? Or does it give Achilles real immunity to weapons except at his ankle? I really don't think so.