Archaeological evidence for the Bible, part 1

Biblical Archaeology – Part I
© 2018, I Will Go Ministries
Dan S. Britton
BA, Physics
- Washington & Jefferson College
MA, Christian Apologetics
- Biola University
Doctoral Candidate, Theology and Apologetics
- Corban University

• United States Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver

• “…frothy eloquence neither convinces nor satisfies me. I am
from Missouri. You have got to show me.” United States
Congressman Willard Duncan Vandiver, 1899.

• The Word Archaeology
• Composed of two Greek words:
• ἁρχαἶος – archaeos – “ancient”
• λογια – ology – “study of”
• Main Areas of Study in the Search for Archaeological Insights
• Words of the Bible – What has archaeology
shown us regarding the accuracy and trustworthiness in
this area?
• Land of the Bible – Are these features
mentioned in the Bible accurate?
• World of the Bible – Are these details mentioned
in the Bible accurate?

• Definition of Significant Archaeological Discoveries
• The impact of their discovery.
• Their provenance or source.
• Types of People who will leverage popularity over what
defines a find as significant:
• Geek archaeologists

• “Indiana Jones”

• The “Oded Golans”

• The “Oded Golans”
“Ya’akov bar Yosef Akhui di Yeshua”
(James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus)

• Archaeological and historical evidence that is older than
2,000 years is scarcer than for the New Testament times.
• Key Facts about Old Testament Archaeology
• It does confirm many specific historical accounts
• King David’s reign
• The Moabites
• Jericho
• Archaeology findings are not always in complete harmony
with the Bible, but no historical account in the Old Testament
has ever been proven wrong.
• Other historical documents confirm much of the content of
the Old Testament and the New Testament.

House of David Inscription

• What is the inscription?
• A form of ancient propaganda written by King
Hazael, documenting his exploits at having conquered
the kings of Israel (Jehoram) and Judah (Azaziah).

• Attributes
• Three stone fragments discovered at the excavation of
the outer city gate of the ancient city of Dan in 1993.
• The largest fragment was 32 x 22 cm.
• Written in ancient Aramaic, dating to the mid-800s BC.
• An Aramaean King, most likely Hazael of Damascus,
conquered the city of Dan around 840 BC. He evidently
erected this inscription in a public place to let everyone
know he was now in control of the city.
• The fragments appear to have been
broken to be used as mere building
materials at a later time. This is born out
due to the fact they were discovered in
two separate, disparate locations.

• Significance
• It is the earliest known archaeological mention of a key
biblical figure, King David, outside of the Bible.
• It silences all scholars who were either skeptical
or denied the historical existence of King
David.

• Translation – 13 Partial Lines
1. [ ... ...] and cut [ ... ]
2. [ ... ] my father went up [against him when] he fought at [ ... ]
3. And my father lay down, he went to his [ancestors]. And the king of I [s-
4. rael entered previously in my father's land. [And] Hadad made me king.
5. And Hadad went in front of me, [and] I departed from [the] seven [ ...-]
6. s of my kingdom, and I slew [seve]nty kin[gs], who harnessed thou[sands
of cha-
7. Riots and thousands of horsemen (or: horses). [I killed Jeho]ram son of
[Ahab]
8. king of Israel, and [I] killed [Ahaz]iahu son of [Jehoram kin-]
9. g of the House of David. And I set [their towns into ruins and turned]
10. their land into [desolation ... ]
11. other [ ... and Jehu ru-]
12. led over Is[rael ... and I laid ]
13. siege upon [ ... ] [6]

• Biblical Confirmation
• 2 Kings 8:7-15
• And Elisha came to Damascus; and Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him,
saying, The man of God is come hither. 8And the king said unto Hazael, Take a present in
thine hand, and go, meet the man of God, and enquire of the LORD by him, saying, Shall I
recover of this disease? 9So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of
every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him, and
said, Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover of this
disease? 10And Elisha said unto him, Go, say unto him, Thou mayest certainly recover:
howbeit the LORD hath shewed me that he shall surely die. 11And he settled his countenance
steadfastly, until he was ashamed: and the man of God wept. 12And Hazael said, Why
weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the
children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay
with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. 13And Hazael
said, But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing? And Elisha answered,
The LORD hath showed me that thou shalt be king over Syria. 14So he departed from Elisha,
and came to his master; who said to him, What said Elisha to thee? And he answered, He
told me that thou shouldest surely recover. 15And it came to pass on the morrow, that he
took a thick cloth, and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face, so that he died: and
Hazael reigned in his stead.
• 2 Chronicles 22:5
• He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to
was against Hazael king of Syria at Ramothgilead: and the Syrians smote Joram.

Moabite Stone a.k.a. Mesha Stele

• Who Were the Moabites?
• A people descended from Moab, eldest son of Lot ,
who lived in the mountains east of the Dead Sea
• Gen 19:37 – And the firstborn bare a son, and called
his name Moab: the same is the father of the
Moabites unto this day.
• They are mainly known through the Old Testament and
the Moabite Stone.
• Scholars have dated their culture from about
the late 14th century BC to 582 BC
• Exactly as the Bible had predicted in Isaiah 15:1 the
Moabites were conquered and disappeared
from history. According to Josephus, the Jewish
historian writing in the 1st century AD, the
Babylonians conquered them in 582 BC.

• Attributes
• The Moabite Stone is a basalt stone that measures 4 feet high,
2 feet wide and 14 inches thick.
• Discovered in 1868 by German missionary F.A. Klein in Moab,
at Dibon, now known as Dhiban, Jordan, which is 20 miles east
of the Dead Sea.
• Its importance adds information on the reign of Omri, King of
Israel. It is called the Mesha Stele because it was written by
Mesha, king of Moab.
• The stone is one of the earliest archaeological
finds (~830 BC) relating to the Bible.
• Shortly after its discovery, Arabs broke the
stone into pieces .

• Significance of the Stone
• It verifies the historical accuracy of the Old Testament.
• How Moab was oppressed by Omri King of Israel,
and his son Ahab as the result of the anger of the
Moabite god Chemosh.
• Mesha's victories over Omri's son ( (Ahab-not
named) and the men of Gad (one of the tribes of
Israel) at Ataroth, Nebo and Jehaz.
• His building projects, restoring the
fortifications of his strong places and
building a palace and reservoirs for water.

• Opening Lines of the Inscription
I (am) Mesha, son of Chemosh-[...], king of Moab, the Dibonite—my father
(had) reigned over Moab thirty years, and I reigned after my father,—(who)
made this high place for Chemosh in Qarhoh [...] because he saved me
from all the kings and caused me to triumph over all my adversaries. As for
Omri, king of Israel, he humbled Moab many years, for Chemosh was angry
at his land. And his son [Ahab] followed him and he also said, “I will humble
Moab.” In my time he spoke, but I have triumphed over him and over his
house, while Israel hath perished forever! Now Omri had occupied the land
of Medeba, and Israel had dwelt there in his time and half the time of his
son Ahab, forty Years; but Chemosh dwelt there in my time.

• Biblical Confirmations
• 1 Kings 16:21-28
• Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni
the son of Ginath, to make him king, and half followed Omri.22 But the people who
followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath. So Tibni
died and Omri reigned. 23 In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah, Omri became king
over Israel, and reigned twelve years. Six years he reigned in Tirzah. 24 And he bought
the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver; then he built on the hill, and
called the name of the city which he built, Samaria, after the name of Shemer, owner of
the hill.25 Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all who were before
him. 26 For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin by
which he had made Israel sin, provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their
idols.27 Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did, and the might
that he showed,are they not written in the book of the chronicles of
the kings of Israel? 28 So Omri rested with his fathers and was buried
in Samaria. Then Ahab his son reigned in his place.
• 2 Kings 3:4-6
• Now Mesha king of Moab was a sheepbreeder, and he regularly paid
the king of Israel one hundred thousand lambs and the wool of one
hundred thousand rams. 5 But it happened, when Ahab died, that the
king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel. 6 So King Jehoram
went out of Samaria at that time and mustered all Israel.
• Others: tribe of Gad, Yahweh, King David and
King Solomon

The Fall of the City of Jericho

• What is the Fall of Jericho?
• Jericho was a city with heavily fortified
walls. The walls of Jericho fell after the Israelites entered
their promised land and Joshua led them in conquering
the city around 1400 BC.
• Initial excavations started in 1867 by British engineer
Charles Warren, Paul Garstang (1930’s) & Kathleen
Kenyon (1950’s).
• Scripture says that the walls fell (outward) after the
Israelites marched around the city for six days. On the
seventh day, after marching around the city seven times,
with the priests making a long blast on the
trumpets and the people shouting, the walls
fell and Jericho was taken.

• Attributes of the Find
• Within the upper wall was an area of about six acres

• Two walls encompassed the city, the first an earthen
retaining wall about 15 feet high, topped with a mud
brick wall about 20 feet high. Further up the
embankment was a second mud brick wall, making the
city almost impenetrable.

• Two walls encompassed the city, the first an earthen
retaining wall about 15 feet high, topped with a mud
brick wall about 20 feet high. Further up the
embankment was a second mud brick wall, making the
city almost impenetrable.
• Houses were built along the outer walls; the poor
lived in this area while the wealthy lived within the inner
wall.
• Grain was found stored in quantities; this is
significant because it aligns with the biblical
account. A long siege would have resulted in a
depletion of grain or the conquerors would
have taken the grain.

• Attributes of the Find (continued)
• A large portion of the site was covered with a layer of
ash, three feet thick in some places.
Ash Layer

• A large portion of the site was covered with a layer of
ash, three feet thick in some places.
• Large portions of the wall were found to have fallen
outward, not inward , as would have been expected
in a direct attack on a wall.
• The fallen walls provided a natural ramp that would have
allowed the attackers to walk up the ramp formed from
the fallen wall into the city. Both walls were found in this
condition.

• A section of the northern wall had not been damaged;
Rahab’s house was along a “city wall,” according to
scripture

• Significance of the Find
• Despite the dating controversy brought by Kathleen
Kenyon, evidence overwhelmingly supports the biblical
narrative.
• “In a word, in all material details and in date the fall of
Jericho took place as described in the Biblical narrative.
Our demonstration is limited, however, to material
observations: the walls fell, shaken apparently by
earthquake, and the city was destroyed by fire, about
1400 B.C. These are the basic facts resulting from our
investigations. The link with Joshua and the Israelites is
only circumstantial but it seems to be solid
and without a flaw.” – John Garstang, British
Archaeologist, 1930

• Significance of the Find (continued)
• “The destruction was complete. Walls and floors were
blackened or reddened by fire, and every room was filled
with fallen bricks, timbers, and household utensils; in
most rooms the fallen debris was heavily burnt, but the
collapse of the walls of the eastern rooms seems to have
taken place before they were affected by the fire.” –
Kathleen Kenyon, British Archaeologist, 1950s

• The city was strongly fortified.
• Joshua 2:5 – And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was
dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them
quickly; for ye shall overtake them.
• Joshua 2:7 – And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as
soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.
• Joshua 2:15 – Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house
was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.
• Joshua 6:5 – And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's
horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a
great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up
every man straight before him.
• Joshua 6:20 – So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it
came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and
the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat,
so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him,
and they took the city.

• The attack occurred just after harvest time in the
spring.
• Joshua 2:6 – But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with
the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.
• Joshua 3:15 – And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests
that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all
the time of harvest,)
• Joshua 5:10 – And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the
fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
• The inhabitants had no opportunity to flee with their
food.
• Joshua 6:1 – Now Jericho was straitly shut up because of the children of Israel: none
went out, and none came in.
• The siege was short.
• Joshua 6:15 - And it came to pass on the seventh day, that they rose
early about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city after the
same manner seven times: only on that day they compassed the city
seven times.

• The walls were leveled , possibly by an earthquake
• Joshua 6:20 – So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it
came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people
shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into
the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
• The city was not plundered .
• Joshua 6:17-18 – And the city shall be accursed, even it, and all that are therein, to
the LORD: only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all that are with her in the house,
because she hid the messengers that we sent. 18 And ye, in any wise keep yourselves
from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed
thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.
• The city was burned .
• Joshua 6:24 – And they burnt the city with fire, and all that was therein:
only the silver, and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron,
they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.

NEXT WEEK:
• Assyrian Lachish Reliefs
• Hezekiah’s Tunnel
• Pool of Siloam
• The Essenes
• Dead Sea Scrolls
• Galilee Boat
• Crucified Man

Contact Information:
• dan@iwillgoministries.org
• www.facebook.com/dansbritton
• https://www.iwillgoministries.org
• https://twitter.com/@dansbritton
• 512-762-0828

Archaeological evidence for the Bible, part 1

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Archaeological evidence for the Bible, part 1