Archeology & God’s Word
Three years ago I was given an all expense paid trip to the holy land. I was blessed to have found a guide and teacher with not only the necessary skill to lead groups, but a PHD in Biblical archaeology.
I am certain most of us reading these posts come from varying education and life experiences. I have a Master of Divinity Degree with the sole purpose of preparing me to be a pastor of a church.
I come from a tradition of respecting the primacy of God’s Word. I can confess completely that I believe it to the authentic, authoritative, absolute, and inspired Word of God. I believe the people, places and events recorded are true and real. Just as salvation is a God given gift, faith in His Word is also given. I never felt I needed to see the sites or artifacts for proof. But after experiencing them, I recognize that my faith has changed in a profound way. Experiencing the sites, visualizing distances and places, seeing the temples, understanding what life was like in that time and place had an enormous impact on me.
I have struggled to find the right words to describe the effect of this experience, it’s not that I could believe more! And then I read what follows from a book a friend recommended: “Archaeology & The Old Testament” Alfred J. Hoerth. Baker Books 2003
Alfred Hoerth writes: “When nineteenth-century historians began rejoicing over the wealth of information that Near Eastern archaeology was bringing to light, Christians began asking what this material from the lands of the Bible meant to their understanding of word….
Biblical archaeology arose in response to that question. The most important contributions of archaeology to biblical studies are the various ways it illuminates the cultural and historical setting of the Bible; adds to our knowledge of the people, places, things, and events in the Bible; and aids in translation and exegesis of biblical passages….
In summary, archaeological apologetics was an important corrective tool in earlier decades, and it will continue to be needed as long as critics persist. However, evangelicals should recognize that the greatest value of biblical archaeology is its ability to increase understanding of the cultural and material setting within which the truths of God were given. Evangelical confidence and hope should not be built on any external proof--not even archaeology.”
This essentially means I am not looking for archaeology to prove the Bible. I believe the Bible to be 100% true. I am looking for archaeology to illuminate the culture, the people and events that make the biblical narrative full and fleshed out, to bring historical practices to light.
As I show footage and pictures in Bible classes people are invited into the setting of the story. They can visualize it, hear it in a new way, and see it in a new way. It’s just as real as it has always been, but it’s new in a richness and fullness, illuminated!
(Photo of Roman Road Via Tauri near Assos, Turkey. Acts 20:13)