EXPLORING GOD’S WORD
Maritima on the coast of Israel (where the ruling Roman procurators lived at the time of the Gospels). Of course, this is the same Pontius Pilate who, as recorded in the Gospels, condemned Jesus Christ to be crucified. • An ornate stone box dating to the first century and bearing the name “Joseph, son of Caiaphas,” discovered in a priestly tomb near Jerusalem in 1990. This same individual, a high priest, played a major role in the conspiracy of the Jerusalem religious leadership to have Jesus executed by crucifixion. • The skeleton of a man crucified in the first century found in a Jerusalem tomb in 1968. Still piercing the man’s heel bone was a large iron nail that had bent and couldn’t be removed after death. The remains were proof that crucifixion was practiced as described in the Gospels almost 2,000 years earlier. Interested readers can search for “Bible and Archaeology” on our website at ucg.org/learnmore and find a great deal more, including a biblical book-by-book description of significant archaeological finds relating to the Bible. Another good source is the recently published Zondervan Handbook of Biblical Archaeology: A Book by Book Guide to Archaeological Discoveries Related to the Bible (November 2017), which details a great many Scripture-related artifacts. God’s Word stands sure
In light of so much clear evidence, it’s unfathomable that so many continue to deny the clear evidence—yet they do. This is partly explained by Romans 8:7: “The mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so” (Christian Standard Bible). People don’t want to acknowledge the truthfulness of the Bible because to do so carries with it an obligation to live by what it says! In spite of the fallible opinions, excuses and rationalizations of men, God’s Word stands sure. As Isaiah 40:8 tells us, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” Today’s cultural battle over the Bible was well summed up decades ago by noted author and professor Bernard Ramm: “A thousand times over, the death knell of the Bible has been sounded, the funeral procession formed, the inscription cut on the tombstone, and the committal read. But somehow the corpse never stays put. “No other book has been so chopped, sliced, sifted, scrutinized and vilified. What book on philosophy or religion or psychology . . . of classical or modern times has been subject to such a mass attack as the Bible? With such venom and skepticism? With such thoroughness and erudition? Upon every chapter, line and tenet? The Bible is still loved by millions and studied by millions” (Protestant Christian Evidences, 1957, pp. 232-33). We at Beyond Today encourage you to continue loving and studying the priceless Word of God. We’re glad to be with you on this journey, and glad to help guide you along the way!
LEARN MORE This article barely scratches the surface of the many proofs that the Bible is indeed the inspired and true Word of God on which we can rely. To learn much more, download or request a free copy of our study guide Is the Bible True? BTmagazine.org/booklets
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Biblical Buildings and Structures Discovered by Archaeologists
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rchaeologist Bryant Wood, research director of Associates for Biblical Research and editor of the archaeology magazine Bible and Spade, lists a number of manmade structures mentioned in the Bible that have been identified and excavated. Following are some of the most interesting: ● The pool of Gibeon where the forces of David and Ishbosheth fought during the struggle for the kingship of Israel (2 Samuel 2:12-32). ● The royal palace at Samaria where the kings of Israel lived (1 Kings 20:43; 21:1, 2; 22:39; 2 Kings 1:2; 15:25). ● The water tunnel beneath Jerusalem dug by King Hezekiah to provide water during the Assyrian siege (2 Kings 20:20; 2 Chronicles 32:30). ● The royal palace in Babylon where King Belshazzar held the feast and Daniel interpreted the handwriting on the wall (Daniel 5). ● The royal palace in Susa where Esther was queen of the Persian king Xerxes (Esther 1:2; 2:3, 5, 9, 16). ● The royal gate at Susa where Mordecai, Esther’s cousin, sat (Esther 2:19, 21; 3:2, 3; 4:2; 5:9, 13; 6:10, 12). ● The foundation of the synagogue at Capernaum where Jesus performed miracles and taught (Mark 1:21-28; John 6:25-59). ● The house of Peter at Capernaum where Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law and others (Matthew 8:14-16). ● Jacob’s well where Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman (John 4). ● The Pool of Bethesda in Jerusalem, where Jesus healed a crippled man (John 5:1-14). ● The Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem, where Jesus healed a blind man (John 9:1-4). ● The tribunal at Corinth where the apostle Paul was tried (Acts 18:12-17). ● The theater at Ephesus where the riot of silversmiths occurred (Acts 19:29). ● Herod’s palace at Caesarea where Paul was kept under guard (Acts 23:33-35). (“Have Any Man-Made Structures Mentioned in the Bible Been Unearthed by Archaeologists?” ChristianAnswer.net, 1996). In addition to these, recent excavations in Jerusalem have tentatively identified parts of the following structures: ● David’s palace, which he had built in Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:11). ● Solomon’s fortifications for the city of Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:27). ● The defensive wall constructed under Nehemiah after the Jewish exiles’ return from Babylon (Nehemiah 3; 4:1-6).(See also “Naboth’s Vineyard and a Latrine in Lachish” on page 15.)