Audio recording available at http://openbiblelearningcentre.com/content/british-museum-proves-bible-history An overview of why the British Museum is so important in understanding and validating the Biblical historic account. The presenter illustrates from just a few key exhibits, how the British museum brings to life the places and people which many Bible critics had for many years before these archaeological finds considered implausible. However, what these finds highlight is that time and time again proved the Bible correct and the critics wrong.

1. The British Museum
proves Bible history
L a i n d o n B i b l e P r e s e n t a t i o n , 1 2 t h M a r c h 2 0 1 7

2. The British Museum – some facts
• The British Museum Act of 1753 authorised its construction
• Montagu House, Bloomsbury was purchased and renovated for the purpose
• It was opened to the general public on 15th January 1759
• Its collections, books and hardware, built up through the 18th & 19th centuries
• A substantial rebuilding programme began in 1823, largely completing in
1842, resulting in the façade seen today (various minor changes thereafter)
• The iconic Great Court, designed by Lord Foster, was finished in 2000
• Every year there are over 5 million visitors to the Grade I listed building
So what!?
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3. Well, it provides proof!?
Of the
historical
accuracy
of the
Bible
Making it
possible to
date key
Bible
periods
With
physical
artefacts
from Bible
times
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Pretty BIG assertions…

4. But isn’t faith blind?
•No, it isn’t… it has a basis!
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“Now faith is the
substance of things
hoped for, the evidence
of things not seen.”
(Hebrews 11 v 1)

5. The rest of our presentation
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6. 1.TheRoyalGameof
Ur(Room56)

7. Background to the game
• The Royal Game of Ur is also known as the Game of Twenty
Squares (two sets of seven markers & three tetrahedral dice)
• It dates from the first dynasty of Ur, around 2600 BC
• It was found in Royal Tombs of Ur (Iraq) by Sir Leonard
Woolley in 1920s
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8. Why it is significant!
• The game itself is not the important matter, rather the
testimony it (and other artefacts) gives to Ur’s existence
• Until the 20th century only the Bible acknowledged Ur’s
existence, then archaeology proved the Bible true
• Subsequent excavations have uncovered much more besides
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Genesis 11 v 28, 31
28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
[…] 31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his
daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the
Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

9. Why it is significant!
• The game itself is not the important matter, rather the
testimony it (and other artefacts) gives to Ur’s existence
• Until the 20th century only the Bible acknowledged Ur’s
existence, then archaeology proved the Bible true
• Subsequent excavations have uncovered much more besides
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Genesis 11 v 28, 31
28 And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.
[…] 31 And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his
daughter in law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the
Chaldees, to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran, and dwelt there.

10. 2.Shalmaneser
(black)obelisk(Room6)

11. Background to the obelisk
• The obelisk of Shalmaneser III is a black limestone Assyrian
sculpture discovered in 1845
• It was found in Nimrud, northern Iraq, and dates 858-824 BC
• It is the most complete Assyrian obelisk yet discovered and
stands 1.98 metres tall and 45 centimetres wide
• It features twenty relief scenes, five on each side of obelisk
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12. Why it is significant!
• It contains what is currently believed to be the earliest
depiction of a Bible figure, who is named ‘Jehu of the House
of Omri’ (a family name used by Assyrians to refer to Israel)
• In its 190 lines of text, the obelisk makes mention by name
of other Bible characters, including two kings of Syria
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2 Kings 9 v 13-14
13 Then they hasted, and took every man his garment, and put it under him on
the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, Jehu is king. 14 So Jehu the
son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram…

13. 3.Taylorprism
(Sennacherib’s)(Room55)

14. Background to the prism
• The Taylor prism, which stands 38 cm high, was discovered
in Nineveh by its name-sake in 1830
• It is inscribed with 6 paragraphs of cuneiform written
Akkadian
• It annals a key period in the life of King Sennacherib of
Assyria (dating to c690 BC)
• In particular it describes his siege of Jerusalem, during the
reign of King Hezekiah of Judah (named)
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15. Why it is significant!
• The invasion of Judah by Sennacherib is chronicled in the
Bible histories (Kings, Chronicles) and prophets (Isaiah)
• The Sennacherib prism records no victory for the invading
King, but also no explanation (having implied certain success)
• Even more remarkably, the prism’s language (Hezekiah “shut…
up like a caged bird”) perfectly accords with scripture*
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2 Kings 19 v 35
35 And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the Lord went out, and smote in the camp
of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the
morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.
* Psalm 124 v 7

16. 4.Nebuchadnezzar
brick(Room55)

17. Background to the brick
• The square brick (32.5 x 32 cm) was discovered in Abu
Habba, Southern Iraq, in the 1820s
• It has a stamped inscription, set across seven lines, in
cuneiform text
• The inscription reads ‘Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon,
who cares for (zanin), Esagila and Ezida’
• The fired clay brick dates from c.604 BC-562 BC
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18. Why it is significant!
• Nebuchadnezzar is a key Bible character, being the ruler of
Babylon, who invaded Judah and carried away captives
• The Bible describes him as a great & powerful ruler and the
bricks, each individually inscribed with his name, support this
•Further discoveries also endorse the Biblical record, e.g.
names of officials, details of the empire and local customs
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Daniel 2 v 37-38
37 Thou, O king, art a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and
strength, and glory. 38 And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the
fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou
art this head of gold.

19. 5.TheCyruscylinder(Room52)

20. Background to the cylinder
• The Cyrus cylinder, or charter, is clay formed and was
discovered in 1879, in the ruins of ancient Babylon
• It was excavated in several fragments, having been broken
in antiquity (two main fragments to barrel-shaped cylinder)
• Despite its small size (22.5 x 10 cm) it contains 45 lines of
text and a great level of detail about Cyrus the Persian
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21. Why it is significant!
• The cylinder provides corroborative evidence of the Persian
policy of repatriating captive peoples (including the
restoration of their temples and worship)
• This exactly aligns with the Biblical record in the histories
• Cyrus a key Bible character, mentioned more than 20 times
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2 Chronicles 36 v 22-23
22 Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might
be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout
all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, 23 Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth
hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in
Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up.

22. 6.BlockfromRoman
gateway(Room78)
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23. Background to the block
• This 2m wide block was found in an ancient arch in 1835
(dating back to the 2nd century AD)
• This arch spanned the Egnatian Way on the west side of
Thessalonica
• The block was recovered after the arch was destroyed in
1867
• It describes a list of civic officials that governed the city
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24. Why it is significant!
• The block mentions the six politarchs (‘rulers of the
citizens’) that governed the city
• This is exactly the same word used by Luke in his
account, but it’s absent from any other Greek literature
•This ably demonstrates that Luke was an eyewitness
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Acts 17 v 1, 6
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica,
where was a synagogue of the Jews: […] 6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason
and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world
upside down are come hither also;

25. Just a few examples…
…from a single museum

26. But, what we’ve unearthed
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There is a complete alignment between the Biblical narrative and
the record of human history, as evidenced through archaeology…

27. Don’t take our word for it!
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Go and see for yourself!