Sunday, July 13, 2008

What good is archaeology?

If you were to go to any major university to study the Bible, you would probably be told that historical events in the Bible are to be treated as myths, legends, and folklore. We need to have confidence in the Bible. Archaeology, a relative newcomer among the physical sciences, has provided exciting and dramatic confirmation of the Bible's accuracy.

Archaeology enhances our knowledge of the economic, cultural, social, and political background of biblical passages. Also, archaeology contributes to the understanding of other religions which bordered Israel. Old Testament history is full of archaeological discoveries which have helped confirm the accounts of the Bible. Geisler said, "In every period of Old Testament history, we find that there is good evidence from archaeology that the scripture speak the truth. In many instances, the scriptures even reflect firsthand knowledge of the times and customs it describes. While many have doubted the accuracy of the Bible, time and continued research have consistently demonstrated that the word of God is better informed than its critics."

Whole books are not large enough to contain all the finds that have bolstered confidence in the historical reliability of the Bible. The role which archaeology is performing in New Testament research in expediting scientific study, balancing critical theory, illustrating, elucidating, supplementing, and authenticating historical and cultural backgrounds is a bright spot in the future of criticism of the biblical text. F. F. Bruce said, "For the most part the service which archaeology has rendered to New Testament studies is the filling in of the contemporary background, against which we can read the record with enhanced comprehension and appreciation. And this background is a first century background. The New Testament narrative just will not fit into a second century background."

Archaeology is of great help in better understanding the Bible (both the testaments), in dealing with critical questions regarding the Bible and in gaining an appreciation of the ancient world. This type of study is very faith-building. It assures us that the Bible is not legend and myth; it is history. Several upcoming posts will discuss various Old and New Testament archeological discoveries so that we can see how it helps to establish the validity of the scriptures.

Kyle Campbell

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home