2. 1. It provides the general background of the history
of the Bible.
It helps to illuminate the people and places in
the Bible by providing background information and
shedding light on what the world was like during
the time of the Old Testament. The Bible is not a
full and complete record so the customs, clothing,
religion, and travel for some of the people in the
Bible are sometimes not known or fully
understood.
In addition, archaeology uncovers information
about their trade routes, types of travel,
occupations, housing, government and religion. All
of this extra-biblical information relating to
illumination provides a context for understanding
the Old Testament.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9. MARI TEXTS
This tablet sheds light
to the custom of
Abraham in
Mesopotamia
10. 2. It supplements the accounts found in
the Bible.
The Bible only records up to the life of
Jesus Christ and the early Church.
However, there are many other historical
events taking place at the same time
outside of what God records in His Word.
Therefore, archaeology helps to
supplement understanding of the entire
historical situation surrounding the Bible.
12. It provided the answer
to a question that had
gone unanswered for
centuries. The Bible
states that David
conquered Moab, that
Solomon held Moab,
and that Moab broke
free at the outset of the
divided kingdom. But in
the next Biblical
reference to Moab (2
Kings 3:4), King Ahab is
receiving tribute from
King Mesha of Moab.
13. • Nowhere does the Bible state how or
when Moab was reclaimed by Israel.
The Moabite Stone provides that
information, telling of King Omri’s
conquest from the Moabite perspective.
The Bible does not speak of this
accomplishment, but archaeology
reveals that King Omri was a more
important figure than would have
otherwise been known.
14. 3. It helps in the translation and
explanation of many passages in the Bible
that are hard to understand.
This is especially true for the Old
Testament, which is written in Hebrew.
Hebrew is a Semitic (Northwest Semitic)
language in which many tablets are found
and translated. This find helps in the
clarification of rare biblical words that are
sometimes used only once or twice in the
biblical text. When these same rare words
are found in a similar Semitic language
there is a better understanding of how the
word should be translated.
15. AKKADIAN Language
(Amarna tablets)
The majority of the letters
are from various Asiatic
rulers to the pharaohs
Amenophis III and IV (c.
1385-1360 BC. They
supply information
concerning the history
of the area, providing a
vivid picture of the
intrigues and inter-city
strife which followed
the weakening of
Egyptian control shortly
before the Israelites
entered the land.
16. Akkadian is a Semitic language that was spoken
in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and Syria)
between about 2800 B.C. A.D.
500.
Sample text
18. KEY
1. Hebrew-Phoenecian: about 8th century B.C.
2. Hebrew-Aramaic: 6th-4th century B.C.
3. Dead-Sea scrolls: about 1st century B.C.
4. Modern Print Letters
5. Modern cursive letters
19. 4. It helps to understand the Hebrew culture
against the life of the Ancient Near East
generally.
Archaeology has corrected many incorrect claims of biblical
critics. For example, it used to be claimed that the Biblical
references to Abraham could not possibly be historical
because camels are mentioned when Abraham sent his
servant to find a bride for Isaac. When they returned the
Bible says that Rebekah was on a camel. Some biblical
critiques said that this was not possible because camels had
not yet been domesticated. Therefore, Abraham is not a
historical character. Archaeology however eventually
uncovered inscriptions that showed, even earlier than
Abraham, that camels were clearly domesticated animals (cf.
Gen 24:10-15)
20. 5. It confirms the veracity of the
OT writers or the Bible as a whole.
• The historicity of the Book of Daniel has
been questioned because of the name
Belshazzar.
• Critics claim that the name is not found
in the chronology of the Kings of
Babylon.
• However, Nabonidus Cylinder shed light
on this matter.
22. • The Nabonidus Cylinder is a long text which
describes how Nabonidus, king of Babylon (556-539
BC), repaired three temples
• It was discovered in Babylon in the late 1800s.
• One of its importance in the confirmation of the
historicity of the book of Daniel as the the cylinder
states:
• "As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, save me
from sinning against your great godhead and grant
me as a present a life long of days, and as for
Belshazzar, the eldest son -my offspring- instill
reverence for your great godhead in his heart and
may he not commit any cultic mistake, may he be
sated with a life of plenitude."
