THE BIBLE AND ARCHAEOLOGY

Session 3

Welcome

REVIEW LAST WEEK

What did he say?

HISTORICAL PROBLEMS

ONE HISTORICAL PROBLEM

• Higher critics say that the earliest evidence for camels in Egypt is the Greek era (330 BC)

• There is lack of evidence referring to camels

• It’s too early for camel domestication during Abraham’s time

Genesis 12:16 refers to Abraham bringing camels into Egypt

CAMELS AND ABRAHAM?

The Critics were Wrong!

ARCHAEOLOGY AND GENESIS

• There has been 150 years of archaeology

• Focus of Genesis Archaeology is in modern day Iran and Iraq

• Includes 5-6 previously unknown languages and civilizations

• Pushes back the higher critical views of the Bible

• Reinforces its historicity

ARCHAEOLOGY AND GENESIS 1-11

Extra-biblical Creation Accounts

• Mesopotamia (Babylonian)

• Egyptian

• Canaanite/Syro-palestinian

ARCHAEOLOGY AND OTHER CREATION ACCOUNTS

• Other stories about the creation of the world (extra-Biblical)

• Greek and Roman (Latin) histories only go back so far (Classical Archaeology)

• Biblical history goes back to the beginning

• The Bible mentions cities that go back to the beginning

• Can Archaeology find those cities?

WHAT IS MESOPOTAMIA?

“Between the rivers”

Fertile Crescent

ENGLISH ARCHAEOLOGIST

Austen Henry Layard George Adam Smith Hormuzd Rassam

Digging in Nineveh

LIBRARY OF ASHURBANIPAL(668-626 B.C.)

King of Assyria

BABYLONIA CREATION TABLETS

Called the “Enuma Elish” tablets which means “When above”

WHAT IS THE ENUMA ELISH?

• 1000 lines of cuneiform text on 7 tablets• Date 600 B.C. (but probably go back to

1700 B.C.)• Poetic description of the creation of the

world• Political justification for the Lordship of the

god Marduk (Lord of all the gods)• Fragments found at various sites• Languages of Sumerian and Babylonian

DIFFERENCES ENUMA ELISH AND GENESIS 1-2

Genesis 1-2 Enuma Elish

Monotheistic Intensely polytheistic

Straightforward Confusing and contradictory

Clear division between material and immaterial

Does not distinguish spirit and matter

DIVINE AUTHORSHIP OF GENESIS

1. Moses was familiar with the many theories of origins when compiling Genesis (Acts 7:22)

2. Allusions to other sources in the Old Testament -Book of Jasher (Josh 10:13; 2 Sam 1:18)

4. Reaffirmation of the monotheistic God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

3. Rejection of the polytheistic view of origins.

MOSES EDUCATION

And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

Acts 7:22

By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;

Hebrews 11:24

QUESTIONS?

Does anyone have any questions about last weeks lesson?

THE ROSETTA STONE

ORIGINAL ROSETTA STONE

Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs

Demotic script

Ancient Greek

King Ptolemy V

196 BCDISCOVERED IN 1799 BY AN EXPEDITION DIRECTED BY ONE OF NAPOLEON’S

EXCAVATION DIRECTORS

THE DISPLAY TABLE

• Archaeological Study Bible

• Neot Kedumim News

GENESIS 5 LONG LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS

Adam lived 930 years, and then he died. Seth lived 912 years, and then he died. Enosh lived 905 years, and then he died. Kenan lived 910 years, and then he died. Mahalalel lived 895 years, and then he died. Jared lived 962 years, and then he died. Enoch lived 365 years and God took him. Methuselah lived 969 years, and then he died. Lamech lived 777 years, and then he died. Noah lived 950 years, and then he died

SUMERIAN KING LIST

• Tablets and fragments of tablets (six lists)

• Discovered in ancient tells in southern Iraq

• List of kings who reigned after Creation

• Political documents

• Made of fired or hardened clay

• Written in Old Babylonian script (Cuneiform)

WHAT IS IT? AND WHAT ARE THEY?

SUMERIAN KING LIST TABLET

SUMERIAN KING LIST PRISM

ANCIENT SUMER

CITIES LIST IN THE PRISM

LIST OF CITIES ANCIENT SUMER

LIST OF THE KINGS BEFORE THE FLOOD

ALULIM RULED AS KING 28,800 YEARSELALGAR RULED 43,200 YEARSAMMILU'ANNA RULED 36,000 YEARSENMEGALANNA RULED 28,800 YEARSDUMUZI RULED 28,800 YEARSEN-SIPA-ZI-ANNA RULED 13,800 YEARSMEDURANKI RULED 7,200 YEARSUBUR-TUTU RULED 36,000 YEARS

DIFFERENCESCOMPARISON

KING LIST TABLET GENESIS 5

Establish political/earthly

legitimacy

Establish genealogical/spiritual

legitimacy

Eight names Ten names

General numbering system

Specific numbering system

City Centered People Centered

SIMILARITIESCOMPARISON

KING LIST TABLET GENESIS 5

Mentions the Flood Describes the Flood

Detailed lists beginning at creation

Succession from Adam to Noah

Center in Mesopotamia Live in Mesopotamia

Long reigns Long lifespans

CONCLUSIONS

• The Bible focuses on people and relationships

• The text of the Old Testament is very specific

• Longevity was not considered unusual in Mesopotamia and ancient history

• The Bible is coherent in its narrative• Our focus needs to be in redemptive

history

WHAT IS THE PLACE OF ARCHAEOLOGY?

• Archaeology CANNOT prove the Bible. Spiritual truth is of such a nature that it cannot be proven or disproved by the material discoveries of archaeology. The truths of the Bible do not need proving; they are self-evident.

• The net effect of archaeology has been to support the general trustworthiness and substantial historicity of the biblical tradition where data is available

ARCHAEOLOGY AND THE TEXT OF SCRIPTURE

1. Clarifies Scripture

2. Confirms Scripture

3. Complements Scripture

SILVER SCROLL: THE AARONIC BLESSING

Numbers 6:24-26

May Yahweh bless you and keep you;May Yahweh cause his face toShine upon you and grant youPeace

ARCHAEOLOGY HELPS US VALUE THE TRUE WORD OF

LIFE

• That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

1 John 1:1-2

CHRONOLOGY ANDGENESIS 4:22

“And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass (bronze) and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.”

What is the problem in this verse? For the Creationist? or Archaeologist?

HENRI FRANKFORT

ESHNUNNA (Tell Asmar)

ESHNUNNA (Tell Asmar)

COPPER HOARD OF KNIVES ONE WITH AN IRON BLADE

LAYERS OF ARCHAEOLOGY