- The second of 54 columns of text in the complete scroll of the Old Testament prophet Isaiah found in caves overlooking the Dead Sea. Hidden away more than two thousand years ago, the parchment scroll is amazingly well preserved and its text clearly readable (see http//:dss.collections.imj.org.il).
Can we trust the Bible?
The evidence of archaeology and prophesy
An important question – an important answer
How can we be sure that we hold in our hands a book which conveys to us the mind of God?
We will look first at just one criticism of the reliability of the Bible in English. It has been said that if you look at the early history of the Bible, because the manuscripts were copied so many times, mistakes must have been made.
This applies not just in the centuries immediately before the invention of printing but also in the hundreds of years that followed the writing of the original manuscripts. When printing was invented, the translations and versions were 'static' in a sense, but before that ... ? There are two main arguments, which refute this criticism.
The Samaritan Pentateuch
When the Assyrians invaded and destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel, the Jews were taken into captivity and replaced with people from other conquered nations. They occupied the land and prevented the southern kingdom of Judah uniting again with the remnants of Israel. This mixed group became known as the 'Samaritans' because their capital was Samaria. At the time of Christ it was still said that the "Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" (John 4. 9).
When the Samaritans first settled they felt they would only prosper if they adopted the 'local gods'. They obtained copies of the first five books of the Jewish Scriptures (the Pentateuch) and for hundreds of years, having no contact with the Jews, they copied and re-copied them and adopted many Jewish religious practices.
If the copies of the Jewish Pentateuch had gradually included mistakes, then, after a long period of time there would have been some significant differences between the Samaritan and the Jewish Pentateuch. A number of these important manuscripts have since been discovered. They can be compared, and such was the care taken by the copyists under divine providence, that the critics cannot argue that the early manuscripts are unreliable.
THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS
These ancient scrolls were discovered between 1946–56 in caves at Qumran near the Dead Sea in Israel.
They include parts of most of the Old Testament books as well as some complete scrolls. The scroll of
Isaiah is probably the most famous and received the greatest publicity.
The scrolls from Qumran date from around 125 BC. The scroll of Isaiah was written a thousand years earlier
than the oldest Hebrew manuscript of Isaiah then available.
It suddenly became possible to compare copies of Isaiah which had been written a thousand years apart.
If there were copying errors, it would immediately become apparent.
Instead, the results of the comparison showed that there were no material differences in text and
more importantly, no changes over time to the message or substance of the Old Testament Scriptures.
This is why the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was so important
as well as being fascinating and faith stimulating.
- Fragments of the scrolls laid out in the 'Scrollery' at the Palestine Archaeology Museum.
- Long Scroll from the Psalms
- The general area of the Dead Sea Scrolls discovery
- Qumran cave 4, where ninety per cent of the scrolls were found
- Clay pots used to preserve the scrolls
There can be no doubt that when we open our copies of the Bible and
read in the English language what Isaiah had written, we are as close as
we can get to the thoughts and ideas of Isaiah when he first penned
them in Hebrew, words inspired by God.
It was Isaiah who wrote:
"To the law and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because there is no light in them"
The prophet Isaiah vividly described the kingdom that Jesus will establish
when he returns to the earth (Isaiah chapters 2, 11, 32, 65).
He also foretold the first coming of Jesus as the saviour (Isaiah
chapter 7.14-16 and chapter 53) which reminds us that
when man was unable to save himself, God's arm
brought salvation (Isaiah 59.15, 16, 20).
For more information on this subject, see the Light special edition on the Dead Sea Scrolls (online).
Can we Trust the Bible?
What do we really mean when we ask the question 'Can we trust the Bible'?
Here are two definitions (Concise Oxford Dictionary 12th edition):
- Confidence: the belief that one can have faith or rely on someone or something.
- Trust: a firm belief in someone or something; acceptance of the truth of a statement without evidence or investigation.
When we talk about the Bible in these terms, we are asking whether we can believe firmly and strongly in the honesty and truth of what is written there, whether we can rely on what it says and be able to depend on it without further evidence. But if we do need additional evidence to support our belief, there is so much available.
What kind of evidence do we need?
Several years ago the writer witnessed a road accident which resulted in a court case. One police officer on duty that morning said that the way the witnesses had all agreed was quite remarkable. He said that sometimes witnesses do not even agree on the colour of the vehicles involved in the accident, let alone anything else. The officer then made a statement that has stuck in my memory:
"When two or three people tell exactly the same story (and it doesn't happen often) – it must have happened that way".
One kind of harmony
Mark's Gospel record tells us that on one occasion Jesus was followed by a great crowd when he wanted to go away quietly with his disciples. Because he felt they were like ..."sheep without a shepherd"' he began teaching them and continued for some while.
The miracle which followed, "the feeding of the five thousand", is recorded in all four Gospels. It is fascinating to see some of the finer details of these accounts. Matthew says that the people were made "to sit down on the grass" (Matthew 14.19).
Mark's account tells us that the people sat down "on the green grass" (Mark 6. 39). John says "there was much grass in the place" (John 6.10). John also tells us that it was the time of the Passover. All these statements fit exactly together. In Israel, for much of the year the grass is sparse, dried and brown. The time of year when grass is plentiful is springtime, the time of the Passover, when in the words of the Gospel writers there would be much grass and the grass would be green.
There is another detail that links the Gospel writers' accounts. Luke says that the miracle took place near Bethsaida (Luke 9.10). John tells us that Philip was the disciple that Jesus asked about buying food (John 6.5). These two apparently unrelated facts become significant when we learn that Philip was from Bethsaida (John 1. 43, 44). This was his home so he was the obvious one to ask about buying food there.
"When two or three people tell exactly the same story – it must have happened that way."
Can we trust the Bible?
There are numerous examples of this harmony found in the Gospels and in many other places in the Bible, even in the smallest details. The books of Kings and Chronicles contain parallel accounts of much of the history of Israel. The prophet Isaiah was contemporary with some of those kings and these accounts agree with each other, sometimes in very small details.
- The cobbled road outside the village of Bethsaida, in use from about 900 BC to AD 400 and recently excavated.
Another kind of harmony
This is what we have learned about the Bible so far:
- It is a library of 66 books divided into two groups There were 40 different writers
- The books were written over a period of some 1,500 years
- They were written in widely separated countries such as Babylon (now Iraq), Greece, Israel, Egypt, Italy, and Asia Minor (now Turkey).
The different writers, separated by time and distance, are not only in textual harmony but their teaching on fundamental issues is also in complete agreement.
As an example of harmony on fundamental issues, consider the teaching of the Bible about our mortality in contrast to what many people believe today.
The book of Genesis explains that we are mortal, that is 'subject to death', and this is the result of disobedience to God. This disobedience is called 'sin' and
Paul wrote in New Testament times that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6.23). "Death" in the Bible refers to a state of complete unconsciousness and the extinction of life. David in the Psalms, Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes and later the writings of the prophets, all teach the same thing:
"Like sheep they are laid in the grave ..."
"His spirit departs, he returns to his earth; in that very day his plans perish."
"...there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going."
"... the soul who sins shall die."
The Jews spent a long period in Egypt in the earliest days of their growth as a nation (see Bible Timeline in Part 1). The Egyptians had a strong belief in an afterlife, as did the Assyrians, the Babylonians and later the Greeks and Romans. But the teaching of the Jewish scriptures is completely different because it is God's revelation to us, not human invention. Men and women die because of sin; the dead are completely unconscious, and it is only the Bible hope in the future physical resurrection of the dead that allows us to look beyond an eternal grave.
The Apostle Paul underlines this great hope:
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
''"...now Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For
since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive… Christ the first-fruits, afterwards those who are Christ's at his coming."''
- The Egyptian view of the afterlife: a papyrus (1285 BC) shows the 'weighing of the heart' ritual.
- The heart of a dead man is being weighed in the balance against the ‘feather of truth’ by the jackal-headed god ANUBIS.
- If he fails the test, the deceased is devoured by the waiting demon AMMIT, a hungry creature part crocodile, part lion and part hippopotamus.
The Evidence of Archaeology
As we have seen, one of the strongest evidences for the inspiration of the Bible is the complete harmony of its records and the consistency of its teaching.
There is also much external evidence to support the veracity of the Bible. We will now look at the evidence of archaeology and fulfilled prophecy.
Archaeology has confirmed many of the historical records in the Bible. The cuneiform writing on the Taylor prism in the British Museum gives the Assyrian account of the events described in 2 Kings 18,19; 2 Chronicles 32 and Isaiah 36,37.
The Assyrian record says:
"I besieged Hezekiah of Judah who had not submitted to my yoke and I captured forty six of his strong cities and fortresses, innumerable small cities which were round about them, with the battering rams and the assault engines and the attack of foot soldiers… himself (Hezekiah) like a caged bird I shut up within Jerusalem his royal city."
Many details in this record confirm the Bible account. However, the Assyrian record does not say how Sennacherib the Assyrian king was defeated after Hezekiah had prayed for God's help. The Assyrian account simply says that Sennacherib returned to his own royal city of Nineveh. Isaiah had recorded,
"By the way that he came, by the same shall he return; and he shall not come into this city, says the LORD."
The period of the Assyrian and Babylonian empires is a rich source of tablets and monuments relating to nearly all their kings who are also mentioned in the Bible. The British Museum's own publications provide a wealth of fascinating material for the Bible student.
Hezekiah's Tunnel
The Bible gives an account of the way that Hezekiah (see Timeline part 1) had a water-course constructed through the rock to bring water into Jerusalem.
This was to ensure that there was a good water supply for the city when the Assyrians invaded.
At the same time access to the springs outside the city was blocked up:
"This same Hezekiah also stopped the water outlet of Upper Gihon, and brought the water by tunnel to the west side of the City of David.".
- 2 Chronicles 32.30 - also 2 Kings 20.20
- Old map of the tunnel underneath Jerusalem
- Picture by Lifeway/Broadman & Holman.
- Inside Hezekiah's tunnel today.
- Discovered by Edward Robinson in 1848, the tunnel is 1,750ft (533 metres) long.
- Picture by Bibleplaces.com
At one time critics of the Bible maintained that the science of
engineering was not developed sufficiently at the time of Hezekiah
to enable this water-course to be constructed. Today the tunnel has
been discovered – it came from outside the old city of Jerusalem
into the Pool of Siloam. Near the entrance was an inscription written
in the Hebrew characters of Hezekiah's time which records the construction of the tunnel.
Archaeological discoveries on their own do not prove that the Bible is
divinely inspired, but their confirmation of so many of the Biblical records gives us confidence.
A wealth of evidence
The great Museums of the world are full of exhibits which bear
directly or indirectly on the Bible account – the British Museum in
London, the Louvre in Paris, the Israel Museum and many others. All
support the authenticity of the Bible record. No other ancient document
has such a wealth of archaeological support.
Archaeology is not an exact science, and different 'schools' of archaeologists
can reach very different conclusions based on the same
evidence. Earlier generations of archaeologists were happy to work
with the Bible in one hand and the spade in the other, such was their
respect for the Bible narrative.
But in the 20th century a group of archaeologists known as 'minimalists'
rejected the Bible's account – in particular they dismissed the existence
of the united monarchy under Kings David and Solomon.
They were wrong. In 1993 during excavations at Tel Dan in northern
Israel, an Aramaic inscription on a stone slab was found which claimed
victory over "the king of Israel" and "the king of the house of David".
It dates from about a century after David's time, and is the first
"concrete proof" of a historical King David outside the Bible account.
The evidence keeps coming. Recent excavations (2013) at Khirbet
Qeiyafa, a site near the valley where David met Goliath, have uncovered
monumental buildings dating from David's time, the 10th century BC.
The archaeologists comment:
"It is clear now that David's kingdom extended beyond Jerusalem, that
fortified cities existed in strategic locations and that there was an
extensive civil administration capable of building cities..."
If you would like to explore this subject further, please download the Light special edition on Archaeology.
The Evidence of Prophecy
This is the line of evidence that God Himself has given us to strengthen our faith in His Word. The Bible not only teaches us that God knows how His purpose is to be worked out but also that He declares
"the end from the beginning"
He reveals what He intends to do through His servants the prophets (Amos 3.7). We can look at the history of Israel for specific prophecies that have been fulfilled
"You are my witnesses," says the LORD"
An example from Israel's history will illustrate the point.
The first king over the nation of Israel was Saul. He was followed by David and Solomon (see Timeline part 1). After the death of Solomon the kingdom was divided into a northern kingdom of Israel (eventually destroyed by Assyria) and a southern kingdom of Judah which lasted 100 years longer than the kingdom of Israel. The prophet Jeremiah lived in the closing days of the kingdom of Judah when Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, was invading the land. He made a very specific prediction in these words:
"I will banish…sounds of joy and gladness…This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon for seventy years."
Here is a very specific time period. Not only was the land desolated by the Babylonian armies, but also thousands of captives were taken to Babylon. One of these was a young man of noble birth – Daniel. He was to become prominent in the Babylonian court and eventually was made ruler of one of the three major provinces of the empire. In spite of the honours he gained, he was a Jew and his heart was always yearning for the restoration of Jerusalem.
Babylon eventually fell to the Medes and became part of the MedoPersian Empire. Daniel was now a very old man and there is an amazing passage in the book that bears his name:
"In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom – in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the LORD given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer..."
Daniel had read the book of Jeremiah and understood his prophecy of the 70 years captivity. He knew he was now living at the end of this time – so he prayed to God.
The rich archaeological evidence from this period enables the dates to be identified fairly accurately. Seventy years after the fall of Jerusalem, Cyrus the Persian, the king who followed Darius the Mede, made a decree that the Jews should be allowed to return and rebuild their city. Other conquered nations were given similar privileges, again as Jeremiah had foretold.
In this example we have a specific time period. It was foretold beforehand and the end is also recorded. This is just one of many examples of prophecies detailed in advance. The history of Israel had many ups and downs including invasions, sieges and captivities. The last of these was followed by a long period of almost 2,000 years desolation following the Roman occupation. This long period ended with the restoration of the nation to the land of Israel in the 20th century and has been described as an "impossible history". Yet almost every stage was the subject of prophecy, demonstrating the truth of the prophet Isaiah’s words:
"... you are my witnesses, says the LORD, that I am God."
"I am Cyrus the King ..." – part of an inscription at Pasargadae where Cyrus had his Palace. The famous Cyrus Cylinder (British Museum) confirms his policy towards the Jewish exiles.
- Photograph from Wikipedia
- Attribution By Truth Seeker (fawiki) - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
For more detailed examples of fulfilled prophecy, send for the Light special edition on Bible Prophecy.
This evidence supports our trust. We can be confident. The only explanation for the wealth of fulfilled prophecy relating to nations, cities, individuals and events, is that the Bible is a revelation from God Himself.
The writers were inspired. Its claim to be the Word of God is well founded.
The evidence of:
- the Bible' textual harmony
- the unity of its message
- its miraculous preservation
- the testimony of archaeology
- the witness of fulfilled prophecy
all testify that the Bible was written because the writers were moved by the Holy Spirit – they were inspired by God. This is the only explanation of its uniqueness.
Can we trust the Bible?
In the fullest sense of the question, the answer must be 'Yes'. If then the Bible is the Word of God, we have a responsibility to read it, to listen to its message and to act upon it!
A vital message for us today
Wherever we are in the world and whatever language we speak, we can read the words of Moses and the laws that were given to the nation of Israel many centuries ago. We can listen to the sublime message of the Old Testament prophets as they looked forward to the coming of the saviour, Jesus.
We can understand the message of Jesus himself as he exposed the shallowness and hypocrisy of the leaders of his day and as he spoke about the purpose of his death and resurrection. He taught his hearers about the coming of the kingdom of God – and all this we have in our own language.
We can follow the exciting story of the development of Christianity in the first century, the establishment of the first churches and we can hold in our hands, in a form that can be easily understood, the letters that were written to those early Christian communities. Their needs were so like our own. The inspired teaching in these letters is just as relevant today.
So ... allow it to influence your life.
Don't just treat it as something of academic interest. Read the Bible for yourself so you can understand more of its message for today. If the Bible has come from God, if this holy book is God's Word to us then read it. Read it so that you can know what God has revealed about Himself and about His purpose. If the Bible contains prophecies about individuals and nations, about cities and events which have all been fulfilled in the smallest details, we can be confident that other prophecies will be fulfilled. These include prophecies about future events, about God's plan for the world, about the return of Jesus and the events that will herald his 'Second Coming'. We can be certain that when the Bible foretells a time in which all of the world's problems will be solved, then that time will come.
"For he (God) has fixed a day in which he will judge the whole world with justice by means of a man he has chosen. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising that man from death!"
- Picture by Ryan Stevenson/Dreamstime.com
Based on the "Light on The Bible" special issue in 4 parts:
- Introduction, the claim of the Bible
- How the Bible was written? The English translations
- Can we trust the Bible, the evidence of archaeology and prophesy
- Reading the Bible for yourself
Next article (part 4) is Reading the Bible for Yourself
Author Many people were involved in writing and checking this article
Country UK
Source Light on a New World special edition: "Light on The Bible"
| 
