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by Bill Seng

Reason 5) History

The Bible reveals truths about the past that continue to be verified. Critics almost completely ignore this most important aspect of the Bible. When referring to the stories of the Bible they almost reference them as though they are written in the same tradition as Greek and Roman myths. Those mythologies consisted of campfire-esque tales of heroes, villains, monsters, and gods. The purpose of most of these stories was not to convey something about history, but to teach a lesson. Rarely ever was it the intention of the story teller to provide an accurate and coherent story of their people’s chronology. The Bible, in this respect, is different.

If you read from Genesis all the way up to the Psalms you will observe an incredible account of the nation of Israel: where it came from, what it became, and what became of it. Before writing this, I wanted to give example after example of how the Bible is verified by historic findings. The problem I faced in attempting this was knowing where to start.

There are so many angles in which you can approach the Bible in regards to history. You could go to the archaeological sites of Sodom and Gomorrah, Jericho, Nineveh, or other places that were thought to be mythical until they were unearthed. We could talk about the culture, history, and artifacts of ancient the ancient Israelites. Accounts of historic characters like Nebuchadnezzar, Xerxes, and Nero are all accounted for in the Bible. Significant figures like King David and Solomon were once thought to be Biblical myths until evidence from foreign lands testifying toward their existence came to light. Admittedly, like all sciences history is not an indisputable practice, but arguing against the Bible through history is just not very satisfying. What I have come to discover is that you really cannot understand ancient near-eastern findings aside from a Biblical understanding.

In conclusion, as more artifacts, documents, and civilizations are uncovered the more evidence that emerges that supports the Bible. There has only ever been evidence uncovered that has supported the Bible, it has never been falsified through new findings. Check out these pages for more information on the Bible and history (this is just a small sampling of articles):

Did David, Solomon exist?

The Discovery of the Sin Cities of Sodom and Gomorrah

The Evidence for Jesus

Does Archaeology Support the Bible?

Egypt or Babel - Which Came First?

Archaeology and the Patriarchs