7-Reason-Bible-Dead-Sea-Reasons-to-Believe-The-Bible.pdf 8-Reason-Historicity-of-the-Bible.pdf 9-Reason-Evidence of World Wide Flood2.

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1 7-Reason-Bible-Dead-Sea-Reasons-to-Believe-The-Bible.pdf 8-Reason-Historicity-of-the-Bible.pdf 9-Reason-Evidence of World Wide Flood2.pdf 10-Reason-10-The Human Fossil Record.pdf 11-Reason-Dinosaur-Soft-Tissue-Proves-Young-Earth.pdf 12-Reason-Archeology-Proves-the-Bible-is-True.pdf 13-Reason-13a.pdf 14-Reason-14-New-Testament-Historicity.pdf 15-Reason-15-.pdf 16-1-Jerusalem-.pdf 17-Reason-Israel-.pdf

2 Reason 7: The Dead Sea Scrolls and Silver Scrolls In 1947, near the Dead Sea in an area known as Qumran ancient Hebrew manuscripts were discovered that had been hidden for thousands of years. Prior to the discovery of these manuscripts, the oldest existing complete copies of the Old Testament were only dated to 1008 A.D., causing many to question the reliability scripture. At the site of Qumran, the community known as the Essenes 1 were actively involved in the copy and transmission of scripture, before their destruction by the Romans in the first and second century. The Essenes hid their treasured manuscripts in caves to prevent their destruction by the Romans. Hidden away they would be discovered two-thousand years later. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, demonstrated to a skeptical world, the books of the Bible were reliable and unchanged. Today many people have failed understand how amazing this discovery was? Before we can understand why the Dead Sea Scrolls was such a powerful piece of evidence, we need to understand the dilemma a lot of non-christians and some Christians have. Many people just do not understand what the Bible is, so its important to answer a few questions. What is the Bible? How did we get the Bible? Why is the Bible written in so many different languages? Why are there so many versions? Confusion about these questions prevents many from understanding the amazing discovery of 1 Essenes were a monastic group who according to Roman Historian Pliny the Elder, lived west of the Dead Sea and north of Ein Gedi. Josephus fixed the total population at about 4000 individuals in A.D

3 the Dead Sea scrolls. The Dead Scrolls validates the reliability of the Old Testament in its original languages. First before we can understand about the reliability of the Old Testament (Tanach), these questions need to be answered. 1. What is the Bible? The word Bible comes from Byblos in the Greek actually and means Book. The Bible is a collection of books written over a 1500-year period of time, from 1450 BC until A.D. 96; These books were inspired by God, meaning God was the source of the original Words revealed through the authors. In this collection of books (the Bible), God answers the questions of life. 1. Who is God? 2. Who are we? 3. Why the world is the way it is? 4. What is God s plan for restoration and redemption? 5. What is in the future is? 2. How did we get the Bible? The Bible is composed of individual books, written by 39 to 40 different authors over a year period. The words they wrote were revealed by God and affirmed by the historical events in their day. The inspired writers works were collected into a body of Holy scripture latter to be become known as the Bible. The original written document was known as the Autograph, this was the original Manuscript (Meaning: hand written). Copies of this manuscript were made and sent to other areas in the world. As the document started to age, copies of the copies were made to preserve the original words of the manuscript. Making new copies of old manuscripts to preserve the original words is known as manuscript transmission. This allowed later generations to have accurate copies of the original. As events happened, new writers inspired by God were sent to warn and inform the nation of Israel. They were collected into what is known as the Canon, (meaning rule, the standard of inspired books accepted as authoritative. The writings of new prophets were added to this collection over to become incorporated into the Bible. The Bible was originally revealed was in 3-languges. The Old Testament was mainly revealed in Hebrew with some portions in Aramaic 2. The New Testament was in written Koine (Common) Greek. Why is the Bible written in so many different languages? Unless someone is fluent in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek you would not be able to understand the Bible in the original language. Translators make translations from the original languages into a language which is understood by the reader. Jerome (A.D ) translated the Old Testament from Hebrew and the New Testament from Greek into the Latin language, allowing people in the Roman Empire to read the Bible in their own tongue. The Bible (Old Testament) 2 Daniel Chapter 2 to 7 were mainly written in Aramaic, along a portion of Esther and one verse in Jeremiah. Aramaic is a Semitic language spoken in Babylon in the days of Daniel and Esther around 605 to 465 B.C.

4 was translated into Greek and Aramaic before it was translated into Latin. The Greek translation is known as the Septuagint (named after the 70-translators), while the Aramaic translation is known as the Targum (Meaning translation). Why are there different versions of the Bible translations? The main goal of a translation is to put the Bible into a language the reader can understand. There are some variables in translation, for example the word for chair could be translated resting place, throne etc. A translator might have a purpose based on his or her method of translation. Some translations are translated word for word or literal. When a translation is based on the idea of the text it is known as idiomatic. A paraphrase translation is looser rendering of the text from the original language. All these different purposes lead to different versions of a language translation. For example the NIV is idiomatic or thought for thought, the Good News Translation (GNT) is a paraphrase and the New American Standard Version (NASB) is more literal. See Chart below: The Bible in the original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek is the WORD of God, the translations are a translation of the Word of God. How reliable is the Bible? Many people who question the Bible, also question the reliability of the original manuscripts used to translate the Bible, they say over the years the Bible has been changed. This question was answered with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In November 1947 a young Arab shepherd Muhammed Edh-Dhib, along with his two cousins were throwing rocks in a cave near the Dead Sea, when they heard a shattering sound like pottery breaking. When they investigated the cave they found ancient Jewish manuscripts, not knowing their value, they were sold for a few dollars. However experts soon realized these manuscripts were thousands of years old. At first the boys removed seven scrolls including the famous Isaiah scroll (1QIs a3 ) which has been dated by some to over 202 to 93 B.C, almost years old. 3 Manuscripts from the Dead Sea are given specific codes to identify them with the letter Q. For Example the Great Isaiah Scroll was found in Cave 1, and is noted with a number (1), (Q) for Qumran,(Is) for Isaiah and (a) for the first of the two scrolls of Isaiah found in Cave 1. 1QIs a

5 Additional expeditions at the site have revealed over 900 documents and fragments from between 335 B.C. to A.D What made this discovery so amazing regarding the Bible is that a portion of every book of Jewish Bible (Old Testament) was found at the site except for the book of Esther. It important to understand the Jewish scribes had a tradition of burying manuscripts when they became old and unreadable due to age. They would replace these manuscripts with newer ones; this was known as manuscript transmission. Therefore the oldest existing Hebrew Manuscripts prior to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls was the Leningrad Codex. The Leningrad Codex was dated to A.D. 1008, and was the most complete Hebrew Text in existence. The other manuscript was Aleppo Codex dated a few decades older then the Leningrad Codex, but portions were missing from this text. These two manuscripts were used as the original source material to translate the Old Testament from Hebrew to English and other languages. Now with the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls, they could compare the Hebrew and see how much of the Bible had changed since the Dead Sea scrolls were over 1100-years older than then the Leningrad and Aleppo Codex. How were the Dead Sea Scrolls Dated? Someone might ask the question, how do you know these manuscripts were 1100-years older than the earlier copies? The dating of the scrolls has been confirmed using several methods. The first method was Radiocarbon dating 4, (carbon-14), this method clearly showed they were 2000-years old. The Paleographical Method dated the texts between 125 and 100 B.C., this method compares the shapes and characters of particular test with that of the structures and shapes of external sources that already have been dated, such as coins and inscriptions 5. The third and most recent method used was the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). From two separate tests on the Isaiah Scroll in 1991 and 1998, the Isaiah Scroll was dated to 202 and 93 BC, this was done by combining the tests of two separate laboratories in Zurich and Tucson. 6 What is the conclusion? other Hebrew manuscripts he concluded, The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls had many bible critics excited, they were sure the documents would prove how the Bible (Old Testament) had changed over the years. They were disappointed in the results, the manuscripts proved otherwise. The manuscripts along with their dating proved how reliable the Bible really was. Gleason Archer is an Old Testament scholar and professor, after examining the Dead Sea Scroll manuscripts and comparing them to the 4 Carbon-14 dating compares the amount of Carbon-14 in an item, since we know the half life of Carbon- 14, we can determine the age based on the amount of Carbon-14 in the system. 5 The Popular Handbook of Archaeology and the Bible, Joseph M. Holden, Norman Geisler, Harvest House Publishers, 2013, pg Ibid, Pg. 40

6 They proved to be word for word identical with our standard Hebrew Bible in more than 95 percent of the text. The 5 percent of variation consisted chiefly of obvious slips of the pen and variations in spelling 7 Another scholar F.F. Bruce concluded, It may now be more confidently asserted than ever before that the Dead Sea discoveries have enabled us to answer this question [of the reliability of Bible manuscripts] in the affirmative with much greater assurance than was possible before The second scroll contains 12 lines in ancient paleo-hebrew and reads, The Silver Scroll In 1979 Archeologists led by Gabriel Barkay of Bar-Ilan University were excavating in tombs dated to the 7 th Century BC in southern Jerusalem. In an area known as Ketef Hinnom (Valley of Hinnom) when they unearthed two tiny objects now known as the Ketef Hinnom Silver Scrolls. These were Hebrew manuscripts recorded on silver sheets, on these scrolls were dated to before the Babylonian captivity (586 B.C.) were portions of the priestly benediction from Numbers 6:24-26 and phrases from other books of the Bible, Exodus 20:6, Deuteronomy 5:10 and 20:6. The Translation of the 18 lines of the first scroll reads: YHW.the grea..the covenant and raciousness towards those who love and those who keep the eternal?...blessing more than any re and more than Evil. For redemption is in him. For YHWH is our restorer rock. May YHWH bles..you and keep you YHWH make.shine May be blessed by YHW the warrior 9or helper) and the rebuke of vil: May bless you, YHWH, keep you. Make shine, YH-H, His face you and g-rant you p-ce 7 Gleason Archer, A Survey of Old Testament Introduction, Moody Publishing, Chicago, pg. 19, F.F. Bruce, Second Thoughts on the Dead Sea Scrolls, Eerdmans Publishing, 1956, Pgs

7 The Importance of the Silver Scrolls These scrolls were even older then the Dead Sea Scrolls by almost 400- years, since they were dated to before the Babylonian captivity in 586 B.C., These scrolls are the oldest existing copies a biblical passage in the world. They like the Dead Sea Scrolls confirm the accuracy and care of manuscript transmission by the Hebrew scribes. In addition, these Silver Scrolls answered critics who claim the Hebrew Scriptures were written in the Hellenistic age (4 th and 3 rd century BC). Also the Silver Scrolls contain the oldest existing use of the name of God, (YHWH) showing that the name was not a later development as critics of the Bible have tried to insist. Since they were used as amulets, it showed the reverence of scripture as the WORD of God by the Israelite community. They also showed the priestly benediction had not developed after the Babylonian captivity.

8 Reason 8: The Historicity of the Old Testament The Bible both Old and New Testament were written over a period of time covering more than 1500-years. From 1450 B.C, to almost 100 AD, the words of the Bible were written within the context of the historical events of the day. If the Bible is to be considered accurate and true, the events recorded in the Bible should correspond with the recorded historical events outside of the Bible. Lachish Reliefs Evidence In 1847, Austen Henry Layard uncovered the palace of Assyrian King Sennacherib in Ninevah, showing the attack on the Jewish city of Lachish (Isaiah 36:1-2). The Assyrians detailed pictures of their attack on this Jewish city, they built a siege ramp depicted in the pictures among other illustrations. Today the siege ramp can still be seen in Israel at the site of the ancient battle. Kurkh Monolith Discovered in the Turkish village of Kurkh, the stele was erected by Assyrian King Shalmaneser III(823 B.C.) To celebrate his victory at Qarqar. According to the stele King Ahab of Israel contributed 2,000 chariots, 10,000 foot soldiers to the alliance. This battle is not mentioned in the Bible but it affirms Ahab s existence Ahab and dealings outside of the Bible.

9 Winged Bull of Sargon II Sargon II king of Assyria is only mentioned one time in the Bible (Isaiah 20:1) and his name was not even mentioned outside of the Bible. Bible critics questioned his existence. This changed in 1843 with the discovery of Sargon s Palace at Khorsabad in 1843, Paul- Emile Botta unearthed a massive 10-ton, 15- foot-high sculpture known as a lamassu (winged bull with human head) of Sargon II ( BC). The text within the sculpture chronicles Sargon s capture of Samaria (Isaiah 20:6) and his title, ancestry, and achievements as kings. One inscription reads, I besieged and conquered Samaria I led away captive 27,280 people. He then imported people into Samaria, latter to be known as Samaritans a group which the Jews hated (John 4:9) The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III King Shalmaneser III ( B.C.) was king of Assyria in the time of Jehu king of Israel (2 Kings 8-10). This black obelisk was discovered by A.H. Layard in the palace of Nimrud, it illustrates his military victories. One panel depicts Jehu (or Joram) bowing before Shalmaneser III while making an alliance or paying tribute. The inscription reads.. Tribute of Yahua, (Jehu) house of Omri, I received silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden vase with pointed bottom, golden tumblers, golden buckets, tin a staff for a king, spears

10 Ziggurat of Ur In the ancient hometown of Abraham in Babylon an ancient ziggurat was found in 1924 by Sir Leonard Woolley. Abraham would have seen this structure, This structure also supports the building of the Tower of Babel. Royal Steward Inscription Charles Clermont-Ganneau found a tomb lintel inscription in Jerusalem in 1870 adjacent to the Temple Mount near the Kidron Valley. The name Shebna an eighth century BC scribe appears on it. According to the inscription, Shebna was the steward over the household of Hezekiah. He is mentioned by Isaiah (Isaiah 22:15-19) as a man who thinks highly of himself, carving out a tomb for himself in conspicuous place. This confirms the words of Isaiah written 2700 years, identifying an individual in the court of Hezekiah.

11 Cylinder of Nabonidus In 1854 J.E. Taylor was inspecting the ziggurat of Babylon and found four clay cuneiform cylinders written by Babylonian king Nabonidus (sixth century BC). Nabonidus documented the renovations and history of the Ziggurat. At the end he requests prayers for himself and his son Belshazzar! It was the same Belshazzar in Daniel 5, who saw the handwriting on the wall. Before the discovery of the Nabonidus Cylinders, Bible critics rejected Daniel 5 as in error since no record of Belshazzar existed outside of the Bible. Now we understand Belshazzar was co-regent with his father over Babylon. For this reason Daniel could only be the Third ruler in Babylon Daniel 5:29 Ras Shamara Tablets In 1928 a farmer in Syria found a vault in his field, an area to later become known as Ras Shamara. A forgotten city was discovered dating to the time of Joshua. Along with the city a scribal school was discovered with a vast library of texts, a Canaanite script was also found similar to Hebrew. The tablets describe Canaanite religious practices described in the Bible, which included 1. The burying children alive. 2. Child sacrifice of other kinds. 3. Male and female religious prostitution, 4. The malice and jealousy among the gods. 5. Absence of morality among the gods 6. Idol worship among others. This discovery showed the writing of sophisticated religious and law code in the time of Moses. It confirmed the practices referred to in the Old Testament. It also confirmed the existence of Aramaic words found in the time of Moses, rejecting the false assumptions of critics.

12 Notes:

13 Reason 9: The Evidence of Worldwide flood 1 Talk about Noah s Ark and many people today will think you are talking about an ancient myth or mythology. This is understandable from an atheistic and secular world that reduces the Bible to fable of tribes gathered around campfires. Many Christian churches also would consider the story of Noah a fable that should be discounted when we read scripture. This leads us to the question, was Noah s ark and flood a real event? And if it wasn t can we really trust what the Bible says? This is really an attack on God s Word. Noah is referred to as a real person 8 times in the New Testament. Matthew, Luke, Hebrews and Peter refer to Noah as existing and the flood as real. Jesus commented on Noah s flood as if it was a real event, and Noah was a real person. Maybe Jesus did not consult our modern experts. If the flood and Noah did not happen, then Jesus was wrong. 36 But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, [e] but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Matthew 24:36-39 According to Jesus, the Second Coming is just as real as the the days of Noah. So if Noah and flood were not real, neither is the Second Coming. The attack on Noah s ark is an attack on the Bible both Old and New Testaments. To reject the flood account of scripture leads us to reject the Bible as a whole. This is the reason we need to defend the case for a Literal flood. Is there evidence for a worldwide flood? 5 For this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, 6 by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. 7 But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the Day of Judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 2 Peter 3:-7 The evidence for a worldwide flood is overwhelming for those willing to examine the evidence. What the Bible tells us happened is validated in the fossil and geologic records. All throughout the earth we find massive amounts of sedimentary deposits that were left by a worldwide flood Sedimentary Deposits.

14 These are deposits that are left as the result of sediment from bodies of water. Sedimentary deposits include, Coal, Oil, Limestone, shale and other types of material as result upheavals in the world. Ask yourself the question, where did oil and coal come from? How did they get beneath the earth surface, including the ocean? Where did Limestone come from? Oil is also called Fossil fuels because Oil is made up of dead animal and vegetable matter. How did dead animals and vegetation get under thousands of feet earth surface? Well the answer is simple if you have a biblical worldview; they are sedimentary deposits of a worldwide flood which covered the earth. Coal like Oil is also from dead living matter now part of the earth surface being mined now as fuel. Both Coal and Oil can be found throughout the earth, at various levels of the earth surface. 2.Limestone Limestone is another type of stone which was once living organisms including coral and other types of shell life. All throughout the world Limestone is found in abundant quantities. How did this mass of life get accumulated and deposited? Simple, the Bible tells us a worldwide flood destroyed all life on the surface of the earth, massive upheavals would have also affected the oceans causing the limestone deposits we have today. The Limestone Cliffs of Dover are power example to the extent of life before the flood. Sedimentary layers are deposited all over the earth showing the remains of the water flow as flood waters receded after the flood. 3. Whale and shell remains The Bible tells us that waters covered the earth, even to the highest mountain. Fifteen cubits is 22-feet. So does the evidence affirm what the Bible says? Gen 7:19-20 (19) And the waters prevailed so mightily on the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered. (20) The waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. Whales on mountain tops and deserts So if that is the case, do we find sea animals in places they should not be? The answer is yes. Whale bones have been found at the tops of mountains along with sea shell deposits; this would confirm the biblical account of worldwide events. Here are two examples of whale skeletons left behind as flood waters receded. The first one is on the Andes Mountain and the other is in the desert of Egypt. How did these get to the tops of the mount or desert in Egypt? 2

15 Clam shells on Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain Also in addition to whale bones sea shells have been found at the top of Mt. Everest the highest mountain on earth. Sir Edmond Hillary in 1953 climbed to the top of the mountain and recorded find sea shells and other sedimentary rock at the top. 4. Bent Rock Layers The fossil-bearing geologic record consists of tens of thousands of feet of sedimentary layers, though not all these layers are found everywhere around the globe, and their thickness varies from place to place. At most locations only a small portion is available to view, such as about 4,500 feet (1371 m) of strata in the walls of the Grand Canyon. Uniformitarian (long-age) geologists believe that these sedimentary layers were deposited and deformed over the past 500 million years. If it really did take millions of years, then individual sediment layers would have been deposited slowly and the sequences would have been laid down sporadically. In contrast, if the global cataclysmic Genesis Flood deposited all these strata in a little more than a year, then the individual layers would have been deposited in rapid succession, one on top of the other. Do we see evidence in the walls of the Grand Canyon that the sedimentary layers were all laid down in quick succession? Yes, absolutely! The previous article in this series documented the lack of evidence for slow and gradual erosion at the boundaries between the sediment layers. This article explores evidence that the entire sequence of sedimentary strata was still soft during subsequent folding, and the strata experienced only limited fracturing. These rock layers should have broken and shattered during the folding, unless the sediment was still relatively soft and pliable. Solid Rock Breaks When Bent When solid, hard rock is bent (or folded) it invariably fractures and breaks because it is brittle (Figure 1) Rock will bend only if it is still soft and pliable plastic like modeling clay or children s Playdough. If such modeling clay is allowed to dry out, it is no longer pliable but hard and brittle, so any attempt to bend it will cause it to break and shatter. When water deposits sediments in a layer, some water is left behind, trapped between the sediment grains. Clay particles may also be among the sediment grains. As other sedimentary layers are laid on top of the deposits, the pressure squeezes the sedimentary particles closer together and forces out much of the water. The earth s internal heat may also remove water from the sediment. As the sediment layer dries out, the chemicals that were in the water and between the clay particles convert into a natural cement. This cement transforms the originally soft and wet sediment layer into a hard, brittle rock layer. 3

16 This process, known technically as diagenesis, can be exceedingly rapid.2 It is known to occur within hours but generally takes days or months, depending on the prevailing conditions. It doesn t take millions of years, even under today s slow-and-gradual geologic conditions. 5. Vertical Trees through Coal Sediment How can a fossilized tree stand vertical through horizontal coal deposits? This is evidence for catastrophic sedimentary event such as a flood. The coal did not develop around a tree for millions of years, while the tree stood still. There are countless examples of these type of remains which can only be explained by a single event. This is known as "Polystrate Fossil" 4

17 Reason 10: The Bible: The Human Fossil Record Have you heard of Piltdown Man, Nebraska Man, Lucy and Neanderthal Man? Well if you have seen the Geico commercial about a Cave Man you can see how media can create perception of fact. In a desperate attempt to prove man evolved from a lower life form, secular science has been known to manufacture evidence. Many people have rejected the Bible as the result of false evidence as you will see below. Do not assume that secular science is being honest just because it claims to be science, learn the facts, ask questions. The Science of Human Fossils Carl Sagan speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in San Francisco explained how science worked. The most fundamental axioms and conclusions may be challenged and the prevailing hypothesis must survive confrontation with observation.. Appeals to authority he said are impermissible and experiments must be reproducible 1 Sagan is referring to Scientific Method as the basis of science, which comes from the Latin root word meaning knowledge. The problem with what Carl Sagan says and what actually takes place in the science of Evolution are two different things. Many secular scientists preach scientific method yet in practice their work is anything but scientific method. The public elevates scientists as paragons of objectivity who are Objective with not having a horse in the race. Therefore many of the claims and conclusions put forward in the media are not met with skepticism because the source is considered reliable and objective. As we shall see, this is not the case when it comes to the human fossil record. The problem with Human Evolution not one aspect can be verified by scientific method, this is in contrast to other scientific observations and experiments such as the Laws of thermodynamics which can be verified by millions of scientific 1 Bones of Contention, Marvin L. Lubenow, Baker Books, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1992, Pg. 18 1

18 experiments. The science of Human evolution is built on several assumed presuppositions. 1. The Studies of primates 2. The arrangement of the fossil record 3. The Molecular data Primates are assumed to the ancestors of man because of similarities in behavior and looks. Though man is different than primates the assumption is built into the theory of human evolution even though it cannot be verified by science method. The same is the case for the fossil record, one such example is Lucy also known as Australopithecus afarensis, southern ape, Lucy is assumed to be a descendent of man, without any method of testing the hypothesis through experimentation. An example of this is David Pilbeam of Harvard University as noted Marvin Lubenow in Bones of Contention. 2 David Pilbeam.had convinced his fellow paleoanthropologist that a fossil form known as Ramapithecus was a hominid(human). The assessment was almost universally accepted even though it was based on the flimsiest of fossil evidence. Later when Pilbeam found more abundant fossil evidence, it became obvious that Ramapithecus had nothing to do with human origins. In explaining where he and the paleoanthropological world had gone astray, Pilbeam s confession reads almost like Shakespearean soliloquy: Theory shapes the way we think about, even perceive, data.we are unaware of many of our assumptions.. Conflicting visions of these [evolutionary] human ancestors probably says more about our conflicting views of ourselves than about the actual fossil data. In the course of rethinking my ideas about human evolution, I have changed somewhat as a scientist. I am aware of the prevalence of implicit assumptions and try harder to dig them out of my own thinking Theories have, in the past, clearly reflected our current ideologies instead of the actual data I am more sober than I was about what the unwritten past can tell us. 2 Ibid, pg. 24 2

19 LUCY: HOMINID OR CHIMP? 3 When Lucy first arrived on the scene, newsmagazines such as Time and National Geographic noted that she had a head shaped like an ape, with a brain capacity the size of a large chimp s about one-third the size of a modern man s. In an article that appeared in New Scientist, evolutionist Jeremy Cherfas noted: Lucy, alias Australopithecus afarensis, had a skull very like a chimpanzee s, and a brain to match (1983, 93:172). Adrienne Zihlman observed: Lucy s fossil remains match up remarkably well with the bones of a pygmy chimp (1984, 104:39). It should be no surprise then, that in Stern and Susman s 1983 analysis of afarensis, they pointed out: These findings of ours, in conjunction with Christie s (1977), observation on enhanced rotation at the tibio-talar joint in AL 288-1, Tardieu s (1979) deductions about greater voluntary rotation at the knee in AL 288-1, Senut s (1981) and Feldesman s (1982a) claims that the humerus of AL is pongid in certain of its features, and Feldesman s (1982b) demonstration that the ulna of AL is most similar to that of Pan paniscus [a chimp BH/BT], all seem to lead ineluctably to the conclusion that the Hadar hominid was vitally dependent on the trees for protection and/or sustenance (60:311). All of these characteristics led inevitably to the conclusion that Lucy was simply a chimp-like creature. And yet, more than a decade earlier, Charles Oxnard, while at the University of Chicago, already had passed judgment on these creatures. His multivariate computer analyses indicated that the australopithecines were, in fact, nothing but knuckle-walking animals (1975). CONCLUSION You might well be asking yourself why this charade has been allowed to go on this long. The answer woven around power, fame, and money can be found in Johanson s own words. There is no such thing as a total lack of bias. I have it; everybody has it. The fossil hunter in the field has it... In everybody who is looking for hominids, there is a strong urge to learn more about where the human line started. If you are working back at around three million, as I was, that is very seductive, because you begin to get an idea that that is where Homo did start. You begin straining your eyes to find Homo traits in fossils of that age... Logical, maybe, but also biased. I was trying to jam evidence of dates into a pattern that would support conclusions about fossils which, on closer inspection, the fossils themselves would not sustain (Johanson and Edey, 1981, pp. 257,258, emp. added). He went on to admit: It is hard for me now to admit how tangled in that thicket I was. But the insidious thing about bias is that it does make one deaf to the cries of other evidence (p. 277). Some are asking if A. afarensis is more primitive than A. africanus, or if they are one and the same? Others point to the many chimp-like features, and question whether Lucy ever walked upright at all? But, in the March 1996 issue of National Geographic, Donald Johanson himself admitted: Lucy has recently been 3 3

20 dethroned (189[3]:117, emp. added). His (and Lucy s) fifteen minutes of fame are over. As Lee Berger declared: One might say we are kicking Lucy out of the family tree (as quoted in Shreeve, 1996). Fascinating, how often the hominid family tree is pruned! 2. Nebraska Man (Hesperopithecus haroldcookii) In 1922 a single tooth was found in Pliocine deposits in western Nebraska. Dr. Henry Fairfeild Osborn of Columbia University, head of the American Museum of Natural History, determined that this tooth had characteristics of chimpanzee, Pithecanthropus (Java man), and man. From this he concluded that this was a missing link. In England Sir Grafton Elliot Smith, F.R.S., Professor of Anatomy of Manchester, fully supported Osborn (Bowden 1977, 46). At the time a politician from Nebraska, W. J. Bryan, was campaigning in the courts against man being descended from the apes. Osborn stated;...the Earth spoke to Byran from his own state of Nebraska. The Hesperopithecus tooth is like the still, small voice. Its sound is by no means easy to hear... This little tooth speaks volumes of truth, in that it affords evidence of man's descent from apes. (Bowden 1977, 46) In 1922 the Illustrated London Times ran an artist's interpretation of Hesperopithecus and his wife, all from the remains of one tooth! A few years later more evidence was found and the tooth was determined to be from an extinct pig! Little publicity was given to the error. In this case you see some of the ingredients of the pre-man game. A discovery is made, a prominent scientist(s) interprets the data in the framework of current scientific thinking. The popular press bridges the gap between the scientist and the lay person, and in the process "fills in" a few details. The man on the street is presented with an image, that will be retained, that man arose from apes. In this case, how many people read the Illustrated London Times and were influenced by it? Probably many 4

21 3. Piltdown Man [1] also called Dawson's dawn man (Eoanthropus dawsoni), proposed species of extinct hominid whose fossil remains, discovered in England in , were later proved to be fraudulent. Piltdown man, whose fossils were sufficiently convincing to generate a scholarly controversy lasting more than 40 years, was one of the most successful hoaxes in the history of science. In a series of discoveries in , Charles Dawson, an English lawyer and amateur geologist, found what appeared to be the fossilized fragments of a cranium, a jawbone, and other specimens in a gravel formation at Barkham Manor, on Piltdown Common near Lewes in Sussex. Dawson brought the specimens to Arthur Smith Woodward, keeper of the British Museum's paleontology department, who announced the find at a meeting of the Geological Society of London on Dec. 18, Woodward claimed that the fossils represented a previously unknown species of extinct hominid (E. dawsoni) that could be the missing evolutionary link between apes and early humans. His claims were eagerly and uncritically endorsed by some prominent English scientists, perhaps because the Piltdown fossils suggested that the British Isles had been an important site of early human evolution. As long as the remains were accorded a high antiquity, Piltdown man seemed a feasible alternative to Homo erectus (then known from scanty remains as Pithecanthropus) as an ancestor of modern humans. In 1926, however, the Piltdown gravels were found to be much less ancient than supposed, and from 1930, more finds of Pithecanthropus, the discoveries of the more primitive Australopithecus, and further examples of Neanderthal man left Piltdown man completely isolated in the evolutionary sequence. In , as an outcome of these discoveries, an intensive scientific reexamination of the Piltdown remains showed them to be the skillfully disguised fragments of a quite modern human cranium (about 600 years old), the jaw and teeth of an orangutan, and the tooth probably of a chimpanzee, all fraudulently introduced into the shallow gravels. Chemical tests revealed that the fragments had been deliberately stained, some with chromium and others with acid iron sulfate solution (neither chromium nor sulfate occurs in the locality) and that, although the associated remains were of genuine extinct animals, they were not of British provenance. The teeth, too, had been subjected to artificial abrasion to simulate the human mode of flat wear. 5

22 The first solid evidence regarding the identity of the perpetrator emerged in 1996, two decades after a trunk marked with the initials M.A.C.H. had been discovered in storage at the British Museum in Upon analyzing bones found in the trunk, the British paleontologists Brian Gardiner and Andrew Currant found that they had been stained in the exact same way as the Piltdown fossils. The trunk apparently had belonged to Martin A.C. Hinton, who became keeper of zoology at the British Museum in Hinton, who in 1912 was working as a volunteer at the museum, may have treated and planted the Piltdown bones as a hoax in order to ensnare and embarrass A.S. Woodward, who had rebuffed Hinton's request for a weekly wage. Hinton presumably used the bones in the steamer trunk for practice before treating the bones used in the actual hoax. [1] Encyclopedia Britannica, 2004 Piltdown Man 4. Neanderthal Man was fully human. 4 The first Neanderthal skull was discovered in Gibraltar in Eight years later the original Neanderthal man was discovered in a limestone quarry in the Neander Valley near Düsseldorf in Germany ( Neanderthal literally means Neander s Valley ). The Neander Valley in turn was named after Joachim Neander, a 17th century German theologian who taught Latin in nearby Düsseldorf and preached sermons in the valley which later came to bear his name. Three years after the Neander Valley discovery, Charles Darwin published his Origin of Species in which he proposed that all life descended from a common ancestor. This includes humans who were thought to have evolved from some sort of ape-like ancestor. The Neanderthal man was subsequently reinterpreted by the scientists of the 19th century who came to see him as a sort of ape-man, an evolutionary link between man and ape. This view persisted into the 20th century. The Old Man of La Chapelle-aux-Saints, originally reconstructed by the famous 19th century French paleontologist Pierre Marcellin Boule, was the first nearly complete Neanderthal man skeleton discovered in the modern era. The Old Man had a severely curved spine. This combined with his large browridge and his low-vaulted cranium gave him a hunched over ape-man-like appearance. It was later determined that the Old Man suffered from a deforming bone disease. In the mid 1950 s American anatomists William Straus and A. J. Cave reexamined the Old Man of La Chapelle-aux-Saints. It was their conclusion that if he could be reincarnated and placed in a New York subway provided he were bathed, shaved, and dressed in modern clothing it is doubtful whether he would attract any more attention that some of its other denizens (Quarterly Review of Biology, vol. 32, pp , December). The anatomical peculiarities of the Neanderthal men are known to exist within the normal boundaries of human variation potential. In other words, the Neanderthals were just regular humans who looked a little different than you and I do today (similar to how Australian aborigines look significantly different than Native American Indians and yet they are all human). The Neanderthals were known to bury their dead (whose bodies they covered in flowers), they used tools, worked with animal hides, took care of each other and generally acted like humans act. There is no indication that they were the brutish beasts they are seen as by many today. Their brain cavity was actually much larger than the average 4 6

23 brain today. It appears that many of the Neanderthals suffered from a Vitamin D deficiency. This caused their bones to grow soft and deformed. This has contributed the popular hunched-over ape-man misconception. The Vitamin D deficiency may simply be indicative of the era in which they lived. Vitamin D comes from fish oils and dairy products and is produced in the body when the skin is exposed to the sun. The Neanderthals obviously had a very poor diet. In addition to this, they appear to have spent much of their time taking shelter in caves. It is believed by many scholars that the Neanderthals lived during an Ice Age. This would explain their poor diets and lack of exposure to the sun. So, while the ape-man perspective has been shown to be false, Neanderthal man was certainly a caveman in the true sense of the word. 7

24 Reason 11: Discovery of Dinosaur Soft Tissue How old is the earth? According to science of the day the earth is 4.5 Billion years old. One theory 1 is cosmic debris collects into protoplanetary disks of space matter, coagulating into a larger and larger mass over time. This mass of matter then gets locked into orbit around the Sun. The theory is this took place 4.5 billion years ago, forming our planet. After the earth was formed, the first cell accidently formed, life from non-life abiogenesis, this first life eventually evolved into the life of today, with all its variety and sizes. Within this theory a group of creatures known as Dinosaurs (Terrible Lizards) lived on the earth, according to the evolutionary model these dinosaurs lived 65-million years ago and are now extinct. The existence of dinosaurs, proved through the fossil record is evidence for many skeptics that Bible is in error. For many the Bible stands at odds with science, since the Bible from a literal perspective, has a much younger earth, with no time for dinosaurs. Skeptics therefore claim the Bible is in error and is a man-made book filled with mythology. Does the Bible refer to Dinosaurs? First, we need to understand the term Dinosaur (Dinosauria) is term coined in 1842 by paleontologist Sir Richard Owen. Dinosaur merely means terrible lizard from the Greek words deinos meaning terrible and sauros meaning lizard. The term is fairly new, Sir Richard Owen used the term to describe the size and majesty of the fossils. Sir Richard Owen was not the first to notice the grandeur and power of these sea and land animals, the Bible also describes them. In the book of Job, two powerful creatures are clearly described, Behemoth (Job 40:15-24) and Leviathan (Job 41)

25 Behemoth "Behold, Behemoth, which I made as I made you; he eats grass like an ox. Behold, his strength in his loins, and his power in the muscles of his belly. He makes his tail stiff like a cedar; the sinews of his thighs are knit together. His bones are tubes of bronze, his limbs like bars of iron. "He is the first of the works of God; let him who made him bring near his sword! For the mountains yield food for him where all the wild beasts play. Under the lotus plants he lies, in the shelter of the reeds and in the marsh. For his shade the lotus trees cover him; the willows of the brook surround him. Behold, if the river is turbulent he is not frightened; he is confident though Jordan rushes against his mouth. Can one take him by his eyes, or pierce his nose with a snare? (Job 40:15-24) Leviathan "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook or press down his tongue with a cord? Can you put a rope in his nose or pierce his jaw with a hook? Will he make many pleas to you? Will he speak to you soft words? Will he make a covenant with you to take him for your servant forever? Will you play with him as with a bird, or will you put him on a leash for your girls? Will traders bargain over him? Will they divide him up among the merchants? Can you fill his skin with harpoons or his head with fishing spears? Lay your hands on him; remember the battle--you will not do it again! Behold, the hope of a man is false; he is laid low even at the sight of him. No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up. Who then is he who can stand before me? Who has first given to me, that I should repay him? Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine. "I will not keep silence concerning his limbs, or his mighty strength, or his goodly frame. Who can strip off his outer garment? Who would come near him with a bridle? Who can open the doors of his face? Around his teeth is terror. His back is made of rows of shields, shut up closely as with a seal. One is so near to another that no air can come between them. They are joined one to another; they clasp each other and cannot be separated. His sneezings flash forth light, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the dawn. Out of his mouth go flaming torches; sparks of fire leap forth. Out of his nostrils comes forth smoke, as from a boiling pot and burning rushes. His breath kindles coals, and a flame comes forth from his mouth. In his neck abides strength, and terror dances before him. The folds of his flesh stick together, firmly cast on him and immovable. His heart is hard as a stone, hard as the lower millstone. When he raises himself up the mighty are afraid; at the crashing they are beside themselves. Though the sword reaches him, it does not avail, nor the spear, the dart, or the javelin. He counts iron as straw, and bronze as rotten wood. The arrow cannot make him flee; for him sling stones are turned to stubble. Clubs are counted as stubble; he laughs at the rattle of javelins. His underparts are like sharp potsherds; he spreads himself like a threshing sledge on the mire. He makes the deep boil like a pot; he makes the sea like a pot of ointment. Behind him he leaves a shining wake; one would think the deep to be white-haired. On earth there is not his like, a creature without fear. He sees everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride." (Job 41:1-34)

26 Secular science claims these giants lived 65-million years ago and became extinct as the result of a meteorite striking the earth or some other worldwide catastrophic event. The age of these giants has gone without question for many years; the age is based on the assumptions presupposed by science, to fit into the evolutionary model. So the age 65-million years is mostly assumption, but a recent discovery by Mary Schweitzer 2, a molecular paleontologist at North Carolina State University put the 65 million year date into a tailspin. The Dinosaur Shocker Mary Schweitzer a scientist came upon T-Rex bones in Hell Creek Formation near Jordan Montana. Transporting a T-Rex bone from the sight, forced it to be cut in half to make it lighter for transport. In the lab Schweitzer demineralized a slice of the bone to find soft tissue, blood vessels and whole blood cells inside the T-Rex bone. Her discovery caused fellow scientists to question her discovery, how could cells, blood vessels and proteins be preserved for 65-million years? One answer is maybe it s not 65-million years old, maybe the assumptions of science are incorrect. Schweitzer and others claim their research has been hijacked by young earth creationists, who use her discovery as evidence for a young earth. At first her findings were rejected because the idea of dinosaur cells existing in a preserved state for 65-million years was an impossibility that defied everything known about decay of carbon based life. Schweitzer and others repeated her findings over and over again, confirming her discovery was not a fluke event. Recently from the same place Schweitzer s T-Rex was found, Hell Creek Formation, a Triceratops was also found, with one of the largest triceratops horns ever discovered. One of the researchers, Mark Armitage examined the horn under a high powered microscope at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) where he worked and what did he find? Soft tissue, and what was the result of his finding? Mark Armitage was fired from his job because he believed what he found proved a young earth. Armitage is suing on the grounds of religious discrimination against CSUN

27 Carbon Dating 3 has affirmed a young earth Many of the scientists that first rejected Mary Schweitzer s finding did so on the assumption that it would be impossible for a dinosaur fossil to have soft tissue survive 65-million years. After it was proven again and again on different samples, science had no choice but to accept the fact of dinosaur soft tissue. Now these same scientists attempted to try to explain how soft-tissue could survive for 65-million years. They refused to accept the possibility that maybe dinosaur bones were much younger than 65-million years. If they were younger than 65-million years, the time should show up in Carbon 14 Testing of the specimen. First, what is Carbon 14 testing? Carbon 14 is an isotope of Carbon, meaning that it has two more neutrons in its nucleus than Carbon 12 the most stable form of Carbon. Because Carbon 14 is unstable it breaks down over time. The half-life of Carbon 14 is 5730-years, meaning 50% of the Carbon 14 in a living organism that died will decay over that period of time. So a bone with 50% of the normal amount of Carbon 14 in it would be dated to have lived about 5730-years ago, around 3700 B.C. This also means a dinosaur bone 65-million years old, should have almost no C14 (Carbon 14) in its remains. Carbon 14 is created when Cosmic rays enter the earth s atmosphere and collide with an atom, this eventually results in a C14 atom. These atoms become part of plant life, which is then ingested by animals transferring the C14 to their bones. When they die the transmission stops and C14 decay begins. When Dinosaur bones were tested for C14 4, an amazing discovery was made, they were not anywhere near 65-million years ,000 years old was the result, showing why there would be soft tissue. The problem was everybody assumed there would be no C14 present, so no attempt was made to determine a Carbon tested date. The table below are actual C14 dating results of Dinosaurs, notice the range in years is from 23,760 years ago to 39,320. Mark Armitage 5 found this out the hard way, he tested the horn of a Triceratops, a 65 million year old dinosaur, the results came back giving it an age 41,000-years old, and he then published the results, he was fired. Not only did secular scientist not use the Carbon 14 dating method on Dinosaur specimens, they did not want it done because it might prove an age younger the accepted age of dinosaurs. Other Dinosaurs were test also using the C14 method and the results were the same. What s the reason the C14 dating older dates than 10,000 years if we assume a Young Earth? In a younger earth, the amount of Carbon 14 in the atmosphere would have been less if the atmosphere prevented the creation of Carbon 14 isotopes. With less C14 in the atmosphere the plants and dinosaurs would therefore have less Carbon 14 therefore it would give an older date. The starting amount of C14 is presumed to be the same today as it was in the early days, this is a presumption that might be wrong, giving an older date then 10,000-years. None the less,

28 it s not 65-million years that is why there is Soft-Tissue. Therefore the Biblical model is closer to the truth of what science tells us then what secular science proclaims.

29 Reason 12: The Bible: Archeological Evidence Proves the Bible Is the Bible the Word of God? Some might respond that the Bible is just a book written by men, a mythology with little truth. That at least is the secular view of the Bible, but the Bible claims to have a supernatural source. The Bible claims to originate with the Creator of the Universe. The Bible claims to correspond to truth, meaning the events and information contained within its pages are correlated in reality. This means if the Bible refers to historical figures and events, these events can be confirmed in history and time. So when the Bible refers to a city, did that city exist? When the Bible refers to a person, did that person exist? If that person or city did not exist, the Bible would not be true. The problem is many people are not aware of the incredible archeological finds that affirm the Bible. For knack of knowledge many people think the Bible cannot be validated with facts. The problem is people just do not know the facts. The purpose of this paper is to give the reader a portion of the Biblical Archeological discoveries that validate scripture. This is evidence for the doubter as well as ammunition for the believer to show the truth of Scripture. This is by no means exhaustive, Biblical Archeology is a continual discovery of more detailed information that affirms the Bible. This is only meant to give you a basic starting point in the evidence of Biblical Archeology. Sumerian King List The Sumerians established the first civilization in the biblical world. Several clay tablets and prisms containing the list of the kings have been found in the ruins of Mesopotamia. Surviving copies of the Sumerian king list date to 2100 BC What is amazing is that the kings are divided into two groups. Those who ruled before a great flood and those who ruled after it. Equally amazing is that the lengths of reigns and life spans of these kings drastically decreased after the flood as did life spans of people recorded in the Bible. Ancient Flood story Accounts of massive floods are found in many cultures around the world. The Gilgamesh Epic the saga of an ancient Babylonian King, (Gilgamesh) includes an expanded flood story on Tablet 11, similar to the flood story of Genesis 6-9. The best known copy of the Epic was found at Nineveh on a series of baked clay tablets.. Copies of the Epic and other flood stories have been found in the Near East. The popularity of the flood theme argues for its historicity and supports the flood of Noah s time. Tablet 11 (Right) of the Gilgamesh Epic tells of a great flood brought on earth by the wrath of gods and includes a hero who is told to build a ship, to take every kind of animal along, and to use birds to check if the water had receded

30 Ur, Hometown of Abraham Ur is mentioned as the hometown of Abraham 4 times. Ur has been occupied before 2000 BC. Since 1800 Excavations have in the city have occurred have revealed a great deal about the city. The Ziggurat of Ur has been uncovered from the city. Hittite Capital The ancient Hittite s large capital city has been recovered about 90 miles east of Ankara, Turkey. The Hittite s rule extended to Syria and Lebanon in the 2nd millennium BC. The city fell around 1200 BC. Although Hittites are mentioned often in the Old Testament, almost nothing was known about them until modern times. One hundred years ago, critics thought the Hittites were an imaginary people made up by the biblical authors. Merneptah Stele The hieroglyphic text of the stele made in Egypt describes the victories of Pharaoh Merneptah around 1230 BC over the Libyans and people of Palestine. The stele stands more than seven feet high. The Merneptah Stele contains the earliest extra biblical mention of the name Israel thus far known. The Egyptian pharaoh brags of a victory over Israel around 1230 BC. Finds show that Abraham s ancestral home had been a powerful city-state before it fell. If Ur s decline and fall came during Abraham's time, perhaps archaeology has provided another clue as to why Abraham Abraham's father relocated his family to Haran. Both cities worshiped the moon god. Gen. 11:31, 15:7, Neh 9:7, Acts 7:24 Finding the Hittite's empire forced that claim to be withdrawn and supported the biblical record. The find also helps explained the language, history and literature of people who appear in the Old Testament. From the Hittites Abraham purchased a burial site in the cave of Machpeallah. Although this battle between Egypt and Israel is not mentioned in the Old Testament, the stele does show that the Israelites were in fact living in the Promised Land at that time, and that their entrance into the land had already taken place by 1230 BC. Jericho, The earliest ruins at Jericho date to the Stone Age (Neolithic). A tower (right) found in the Jericho ruins dates back before Abraham's time. The tower is made from stones obtained when the surrounding moat was cut. It was connected to a mud brick wall. There is debate over whether Joshua s wall of Jericho has been found. Massive erosion has removed much of the remains of the period and mud bricks could easily erode away over the centuries The biblical importance of Jericho is underscored by the fact that it is referred to more than 50 times in the Old Testament. Perhaps the most significant references are those in Joshua 6, which tell of the Israelite conquest of the city, their first victory in the Promised land. Archaeology has shown where the city once stood, and that it guarded the key spot for entering into the Promised Land from the east.

31 Canaanite gods and goddesses Between excavators found hundreds of stories about Canaanite gods and goddesses written on clay tablets among the ruins of the ancient city of Ugarit in modern Syria. The Old Testament repeatedly refers to gods and goddesses, like Baal and Ashtaroth worshipped by the Canaanites living among the Israelites in the Promised land Shishak s Invasion A record of Pharaoh Shishak s raid of 140 places, including the kingdom of Judah, has been found in Egypt carved on a wall in the Karnak Temple of Amum, god of Thebes (Luzor today). The Shishak Relief (Sheshonk I) commemorates his victory over Rehoboam when Solomon s temple was robbed of its riches (925BC). The Relief shows that Egypt raided Israel, not just Judah. Pool at Gibeon This remarkable pool, dating to before 1000BC, was found largely intact in Gibeon six miles north of Jerusalem in excavations around The pool of Gibeon goes down 80 feet. The original diggers removed 3000 tons of limestone. A tunnel of the pool runs under the city to an outside spring. This internal water supply was important in case of siege. House of David Inscription (Dan Inscription) In 1993 and 1994 an archaeologist working at the Old Testament site of the city of Dan found three pieces of an inscribed stone referring to David This stone inscribed in Aramaic with the expression The house of David refers to King David s descendants. Originally part of a victory pillar o f a neighboring king of Damascus (possibly Hazael), The importance of these finds are their affirmation of the biblical record regarding pagan influences on Israel and their struggle to overcome them. The prophets of Israel strongly warned God s people to not worship these gods in Numbers 25, 1 Kings 11, Jeremiah 23, and Hosea 13 According to the Old Testament (1 Kings 14 and 2 Chronicles 12), Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt invaded Judah during the fifth year of King Rehoboam s reign. Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem because they had transgressed against the LORD, with 1200 chariots, and 60,000 horsemen; and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt (2 Chronicles 12:2-3). Other verses that refer to Thebes (the city of No) in Egypt are Jeremiah 46:25 and Ezekiel 30: Samuel 2:13 and Jeremiah 41:12 speak of a great water pool at Gibeon. The find verifies the location of the Pool at Gibeon as mentioned in the Bible and shows the great effort taken to have a secure source of water. The Tel Dan inscription is a very important find because it is the first reference to King David found outside of the Bible. The stone has been dated to 2-3 centuries after David s time. It mentions a king of Israel possibly Joram son of Ahab and a King of the House of David possibly Ahaziah of Judah.

32 House of Yahweh Ostracon This find appears to be a receipt for a donation of three shekels of silver to the House of Yahweh (Solomon s Temple). This Ostracon (writing on a piece of pottery) is 4 inches wide and 3.5 tall. It is not known where it was found. Some scholars date it between 835 and 796 BC, some 130 years after the Temple was built. Jeroboam seal Excavations at several sites in modern Israel and antiquity shops have turned up carved semi-precious stones belonging to members of the royal courts of kings in the Old Testament. Dating from about 900 BC to about 600 BC, these stones were used to press images into pieces of clay that sealed up kings important documents. This extremely important find is the oldest mention of Solomon s Temple that has been found outside of the Bible. Seals were found for Uzziah (around 760 BC), Hoshea around 730 BC), and Hezekiah (around 700 BC). One of the most famous seals, found at Megiddo, depicts a lion with words, belonging to Shema, servant of Jeroboam. Seals with the names of other kings were found also (See 1 and 2 Kings) The Moabite Stone In 1868, A German missionary found a stone slab over three feet tall near Dibon, east of the Dead Sea. Inscribed on the stone were the accomplishments of Mesha, King of Moab around 850 BC. This stone is sometimes called the Mesha Stele. Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser This 6.5 foot tall black basalt obelisk (Four sided pillar) reports in pictures and words the conquests of Assyrian King Shalmaneser III Israel s foe. The Moabite stone is one of the earliest finds that mentions biblical people. The stone says that King Omri and his son Ahab humbled Moab for many years. After Ahab s death, King Mesha said he had Triumphed over Ahab s family and that Israel had perished forever. Some scholars say that the stone also contains a reference to the House of David This find is the only picture we have so far of an Israelite king. This is the first mention of tribute paid to Assyria by Israel. King Jehu s reign is mentioned in 2 Kings King Uzziah Burial Plaque A stone plaque, found on the grounds of the Russian church on the Mt. Of Olives, reads: here, the bones of Uzziah, King of Judah were brought. Do not open. King Uzziah ruled Judah BC, at the same time that Amos, Hosea and Isaiah were prophesying. He was 16 years old when he became king and he reigned in Jerusalem for 52 years. As long as he sought the LORD God gave him success. According to 2 Chronicles 26, Uzziah sinned against the LORD and was stricken with a leprous disease toward the end of his life and upon his death was buried in a field of burial that belonged to the kings

33 Siloam Carving The inscription comes from the days of Hezekiah (701 BC) who ordered the tunnel to be made so the water from Jerusalem s Gihon Spring could be brought in to the city to a manmade reservoir, The Pool of Siloam. This tunnel provided water to Jerusalem during the anticipated siege of the King Sennacherib of Assyria. The Gezer Calendar This small palm-sized limestone tablet bears one of the first examples of Hebrew writing known ( BC) Found at Gezer, one of King Solomon's fortress cities, this tablet contains a school memorization drill-a short poem about he the agricultural seasons in biblical Palestine. The Lachish Reliefs Among the ruins of the Nineveh palace of Assyrian King Sennacherib were found 62 foot long relief's that picture the fall of the Judean fortress of Lachish in 701 BC, over 100 years before the attack on and fall of Judah. Sennacherib Prism A 15-inch tall, six-sided baked clay prism from ancient Assyria contains the story of the invasion of the kingdom of Judah by Sennacherib in 701 BC. The prism was found at Nineveh. King Sennacherib of Assyria is mentioned in 2 kings Isaiah prophesied that God would protect Jerusalem against attack by Sennacherib (Is 36-37, 2 Chron. 32). While the prism does say the Assyrians trapped Hezekiah in Jerusalem like a bird in a cage, like the biblical record, it says nothing of them conquering the city. The inscription celebrates the completion of this remarkable tunnel as mentioned in 2 Kings 20:20, 2 Chronicles 32:20. Two boys discovered this ancient Hebrew inscription carved in stone along the wall of a tunnel as they were wading through the southern end of the tunnel s waters in The text gives insight into when certain tasks were done during the agricultural year. It shows literacy in the 10 th century BC. These Nineveh palace carvings of the Lachish defeat amplify the biblical record concerning the siege of the kingdom of Judah in the days of King Hezekiah. In 2 Kings 18:13 it says Now in the 14th year of King Hezekiah did Sennacherib, king of Assyria, come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. However, before the Assyrians could capture Jerusalem they were destroyed by God s angel and Sennacherib withdrew (2 Kings 20:35, 2 Chronicles 32) The Bible says that God spared Jerusalem. The prism, together with the Lachish reliefs and excavations, adds detail to the biblical account. King Hezekiah prayed to the Lord. Isaiah brought him God s message. That night the LORD smote 185,000 Assyrians, and Sennacherib went back to Nineveh and later was killed by his sons (Isaiah 37:35-38)

34 Lachish Letters In 1935 an archaeologist unearthed several letters, written about 588 BC, on 21 pottery pieces (ostrata) from among the burned ruins of the ancient city Lachish of Judah. The lachish messages were desperate pleas by the Judean defenders of the city for military assistance. Apparently the city was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar before the letters could be sent. City of Babylon The Ruins of ancient Babylon, capital of Babylonian Kingdom, cover acres in Iraq, 56 miles south of Baghdad. The Babylonian Chronicle This clay tablet is a Babylonian chronicle recording events from BC. It was first translated in 1956 and is now in the British Museum. The cuneiform text on this clay tablet tells, among other things 3 main events:1 The Battle of Carchemish (famous battle for world supremacy where Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon defeated Pharaoh Necho of Egypt, 605 BC.),2 The Accession to the Throne of Nebuchadnezzar II, the Chaldean, 3. Capture of Jerusalem on the 16th of March, 598 BC. The letters show Judah was trying to obtain help form Egypt, relying on man rather than God. One Ostracon mentions that no fire signals from another defense city, Azekah could be seen. Jeremiah 34:2-7, prophesied the conquest of Judah, destruction of Jerusalem, and exile to Babylon. 2 Kings Babylon s ruins include one of many ziggurats (Stepped towers) from the area. Later finds include ruins of the palace of King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 4:29) The palace of Nebuchadnezzar, who destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC and sent the Jews into exile, was the site of Belshazzar s feast in Daniel 5. Jeremiah wrote that the Lord would make Babylon desolate forever (Jer 25:12, 51) Regarding the capture of Jerusalem the clay tablet reads: "In the seventh month (of Nebuchadnezzar-599 BC.) in the month Chislev (Nov/Dec) the king of Babylon assembled his army, and after he had invaded the land of Hatti (Syria/Palestine) he laid siege to the city of Judah. On the second day of the month of Adara (16th of March) he conquered the city and took the king (Jehoiachin) prisoner. He installed in his place a king (Zedekiah) of his own choice, and after he had received rich tribute, he sent (them) forth to Babylon." Babylon nations record Tablets found in Babylon, dated 595 BC and 570 BC. List rations of oil and barley delivered by the royal storehouses to the deposed Jehoiachin and his entourage The Cyrus Cylinder The 9-inch long clay cylinder found at ancient Babylon, dating to 539 BC, tells of King Cyrus of Persia s conquest of Babylon and of his decree to let captives held by Babylon return to their lands and restore their temples. This is important because it confirms what the biblical account of his treatment in 2 Kings 25:27. Jehoiachin was released by Evil- Merdoch, Nebuchadnezzar s successor in 37th year of his captivity (561 BC) Cyrus sent the Jews back to their homeland after many years of exile in Babylon as Isaiah prophesied (2 Chron. 36:23, Ezra 1, Is 44:28) This Return-home decree was one of many issued by Cyrus. Through not mentioning Judah, it confirms that this was Cyrus s policy and gives credibility to the biblical record.

35 Darius The Great The tombs of Persian kings, Darius I, Artaxerexes I and Darius II are at Naqsh-i-Rustum. Along with the Tombs, the autobiography, the text which is carved in the rock at Behistun and known to the Greek Historian Herodotus tells the story of his rise to power. Darius was involved in the rebuilding of the Jewish temple in Ezra 5-6. Darius son Xerxes was the King in the book of Ester. Darius grandson Artaxerexes I allowed Nehemiah to go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and walls. (Neh 2:8)

36 Reason 13: The Septuagint: The Greek Translation of the Old Testament A typical discussion replayed over and over again between skeptics and believers is the reliability of the Bible. The problem is that most people don t have knowledge of how the Bible came about. Therefore they assume it has gone through multiple layers of translations before we got our copy. One easy way to answer this charge is to ask the skeptic if they have ever heard of the Septuagint? The Septuagint or LXX (70) is the first translation of the Old Testament (Tanach) into Greek. The translation was commissioned by Ptolemy II Philadelphus ( BC), the ruler of the Ptolemy Kingdom, in Alexandria Egypt. Ptolemy II loved books, a bibliophile, he wanted to be able to read the Jewish Bible (Old Testament) in Greek, so he commissioned its translation. The 70 or 72 translators who translated the Old Testament became linked to their translation work known as the 70 or Septuagint. The main point to remember here is the Septuagint was the Old Testament used by the early church since it was already accepted by the Greek speaking Jewish community over 200- years before Jesus Christ was born. Encyclopedia Britannica summarizes the main points in understanding the Septuagint. 1 (Abbreviation LXX), the earliest extant Greek translation of the Old Testament from the original Hebrew, presumably made for the use of the Jewish community in Egypt when Greek was the lingua franca throughout the region. Analysis of the language has established that the Torah, or Pentateuch (the first five books of the Old Testament), was translated near the middle of the 3rd century BC and that the rest of the Old Testament was translated in the 2nd century BC. The name Septuagint (from the Latin Septuaginta, 70 ) was derived later from the legend that there were 72 translators, 6 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel, who worked in separate cells, translating the whole, and in the end all their versions were identical. In fact there are large differences in style and usage between the Septuagint's translation of the Torah and its translations of the later books in the Old Testament. A tradition that translators were sent to Alexandria by Eleazar, the chief priest at Jerusalem, at the request of Ptolemy II Philadelphus ( BC), a patron of literature, first appeared in the Letter of Aristeas, an unreliable source. The language of much of the early Christian church was Greek, and it was in the Septuagint text that many early Christians located the prophecies they claimed were fulfilled by Christ. Jews considered this a misuse of Holy Scripture, and they stopped using the Septuagint. Its subsequent history lies within the Christian church. In the 3rd century AD Origen attempted to clear up copyists' errors that had crept into the text of the Septuagint, which by then varied widely from copy to copy. Other scholars also consulted the Hebrew text in order to make the Septuagint text more accurate. But it was the Septuagint, not the original Hebrew that was the main basis for the Old Latin, Coptic, Ethiopic, Armenian, Georgian, Slavonic, and

37 part of the Arabic translations of the Old Testament. It has never ceased to be the standard version of the Old Testament in the Greek Church, and from it Jerome began his translation of the Vulgate Old Testament. In addition to all the books of the Hebrew canon, the Septuagint under Christian auspices separated the Minor Prophets and some other books and added the extra books known to Protestants and Jews as apocryphal and to Roman Catholics as deuterocanonical. The Hebrew canon has three divisions: the Torah (Law), the Neviʾim (Prophets), and the Ketuvim (Writings). The Septuagint has four: law, history, poetry, and prophets, with the books of the Apocrypha inserted where appropriate. This division has continued in the Western church in most modern Bible translations, except that in Protestant versions the Apocrypha are either omitted or grouped separately. 1 Dead Sea Scrolls In March 1947 a young Arab boy discovered in the caves of Qumran near the Dead Sea jars containing several leather manuscripts dating to the time of Christ. The belonged to the Essenes. The Essenes were a Jewish sect that settled in the Judean desert near Qumran. Other manuscripts were found over the next 10 years. 2 copies of the book of Isaiah were found along with books and fragments from the whole Old Testament except for the book of Ester. Prior to the discovery the oldest existing book of the Hebrew Old Testament dated to about 1000 AD. Carbon dating has placed them between 168 BC and 233 AD. Archaeology puts the dates at 150 BC to 100 AD. Gleason Archer observed that the two copies of Isaiah proved to be word for world identical with our standard Hebrew Bible in more than 95% of the text. The 5% of variation consisted chiefly of obvious slips of the pen and variations in spelling. The scrolls gave an overwhelming confirmation of the Masoretic text. Some of the variants show parallels to the Greek text of the Septuagint (LXX). The Dead Sea Scrolls are owned by the Nation of Israel The Septuagint or the LXX The LXX version is the first translation of the OT ever made. The translation was inaugurated by Ptolemy of Philadelphus ( BC) Ptolemy was fond of books and wanted to add the Hebrew Pentateuch to his collection in Alexandria. The LXX was the bible of the early church. The order of OT books is derived from the LXX through the Vulgate by St. Jerome. On the basis of the LXX Catholics advocate the Larger canon of the Jews in Alexandria. Protestants deny the existence of an independent canon in Alexandria in view of the smaller canon of the Jews in Palestine. The difference is 7complete books and portions of 2 others. The books are Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, I & 2 Maccabees and additions to Daniel and Esther. These portions are rejected by protestants. The oldest existing LXX manuscript is dated 350 A.D Samaritan Pentateuch With the split of the Samaritans from the Jews from the 8th century BC there arose a second Hebrew revision of the Pentateuch known as the Samaritan Pentateuch. It contains the five books of Moses and is written in Paleo-Hebrew script similar to the found on the Moabite Stone, Siloam inscription. Author Frank Cross believes the Samaritan Pentateuch branched off in the Pre- Masoretic text in the 2nd century BC. There are differences from the Masoretic text are trivial and orthographic. Some of the differences were introduced by Samaritans with the interest in preserving their status. Such as the location of the Arc. The oldest existing manuscript is dated to the 11th century AD. 1 Encyclopedia Britannica 2004 Edition, Article Septuagint 2

38 Aleppo Codex The Aleppo Codex dates from the Masoretic period ( AD) of Old Testament copying. During this period there was a deep reverence of the Scriptures, complete review of established rules and a systematic renovation of transmission techniques Aleppo was written by Shelomo ben Baya a but according to a colophon it was pointed (vowel marks were added) by Moses ben Asher (930 A.D.) It is a model codex based on the Masoretic text. It was not permitted to be copied for a long time and was reported to be destroyed. Aleppo Codex was smuggled from Syria to Israel. It has now been photographed and will be the basis of the New Hebrew Bible to be published by Hebrew University. It is a sound authority for the Ben Asher text. NEW TESTAMENT MANUSCRIPTS HISTORY The John Rylands Fragment John 18:31-33 ( AD) The earliest known copy of any portion of the New Testament is from a papyrus codex (2.5 by 3.5 inches). It dates from the first half of the second century A.D (P.52)The papyrus is written on both sides and contains portions of five verses from the gospel of John (18:31-33, 37-38). Because this fragment was found in Egypt a distance from the place of composition (Asia Minor) it demonstrates the chain of transmission. The fragment belongs to the John Rylands Library at Manchester, England Chester Beatty Papyri (250 AD) This important papyri consists of three codices and contains most of the New Testament. (P.45, P.46, P.47). The first codex (P.45) has 30 leaves (pages) of papyrus codex. 2 from Matthew, 2 from John, 6 from Mark, 7 from Luke and 13 from Acts. Originally there were 220 pages measuring 8x10 inches each. (P.46)The second codex has 86 leaves 11x6.5 inches. 104 pages of Paul s epistles. P.47 is made of 10 leaves from Revelation measuring 9.5 by 5.5 inches. Bodmer Papyri (200 AD) Dating from 200 A.D. or earlier the Bodmer collection of Papyri (P.66,P.72,P.75) contains 104 leaves. P.66 Contains the Gospel of John 1:1-6:11, 6:35-14:26, P.72 has the earliest know copy of Jude, I Peter, and 2 Peter also contains other Canonical and apocryphal books. P.72 measures 6 x 5.75 inches. P.75 is 102 pages measuring by 5.33 inches. Contains most of Luke and John dated between 175 and 225 AD. Earliest know copy of Luke. Very similar to the Codex Vaticanus. 3

39 CODEX SINATICUS (340 AD) Considered to the most important witness to the Greek text of the New Testament dated in the 4th century. Sinaiticus was found at St. Catherine s monastery at Mt. Sinai by Von Tischendorf ( ). It was acquired for the Czar of Russia. Sinaiticus contains over 1/2 of the Old Testament (LXX) and all of the new except for Mark 16:9-20 and John 7:53-8:11.. Also contains the Old Testament Apocrypha. Sinaiticus is written on pages measuring 13.5 by 14 inches. The material is good vellum made from antelope skins. Purchased by the British government for $500,000 in Codex Vaticanus ( AD) Vaticanus was written in the middle of the 4th century and was not known to textual scholars till 1475 when it was catalogued in the Vatican Library. For the next 400 years scholars were prohibited from studying it. Its includes most of the LXX version of the Old Testament and most of the New. It contains 759 leaves measuring 10 by 10.5 inches. Codex Vaticanus is owned by the Roman Catholic Church and is housed in the Vatican Library, Vatican City. 4

40 Reason 14: The Historicity of the New Testament The New Testament claims to be the written record of Jesus ministry, his teachings and the formation of his church. Are we able to validate these claims? The New Testament proclaims itself as truth, meaning its words should correspond with fact. The Gospels and Epistles have very specific names individuals, places and events. Do these New Testament records correspond with historical facts? If the New Testament is not true historically, why should we rely on its contents for spiritual truth? The New Testament, written by 10 different authors, is a record of the events in their day. One simple test is to compare Ossuary of Caiaphas the New Testament with verifiable historical records. With the rise of humanism and skepticism, the scriptures and their historicity came under sharp attack in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Critics of the New Testament claimed, its authorship was late, and its contents filled with errors. Sir William Ramsay (1850 s) regarded as one of the greatest archaeologist ever was a skeptic of the early dates attributed to the books of the bible. He dated Acts and Luke to the mid 2nd century. However, after doing a topographical study of Asia Minor and using the writings of Luke, he changed his mind, when confronted with the facts. He wrote, I found myself brought into contact with the Book of Acts as an authority for the topography, antiquities and society of Asia Minor. It was gradually borne upon me that in various details the narrative showed marvelous truth. How Archeology confirms the Bible? The ministry of Jesus and the disciples contains concrete facts, which can be verified in history and archeology. In 1986 after a severe drought the water level of the Sea of Galilee dropped, the outline of a boat was revealed in the mud just 5 miles from Capernaum. Jesus centered his ministry in Capernaum and Peter s house was located in the city. The boat was carbon dated between 40 BC and 40 AD. The boat was 26.5 feet long, 7.5 feet wide and 4 feet high and could be rowed or sailed. This corresponds with the gospel accounts of Jesus and his disciples on the Sea of Galilee. In Luke 5:1-7 we see this type of a boat in service. Therefore, we are able to verify the words with facts. This attests to the historicity of the book. 1

41 Another example, the coins used during the first century, attests to the historicity of the books. Jesus reference to the widow offering (Mark 12:42-44) two copper coins, can be verified by the coins existence as well as the confirmation of Roman and Jewish non-christian writers in the period. The ability to compare physical evidence with claims allows us to validate the writers. The validation of the New Testament records does not prove inspiration. What it does prove is the historical accuracy of the writer. These facts validate their being there and knowing the environment around them. We are not able to verify every fact, because some historical records are lost, and not all archeological finds have been uncovered. However, each verified fact and event gives added credibility to the author as being truthful. This evidence counters those who challenge the New Testament as being a fabrication of 2 nd and 3 rd century writers, The Higher Criticism. The details of some of the facts are so specific and regional, that unless the writer had intimate knowledge of the details, names, places and words used, they would be proven false. In A.D. 70, when the Temple was destroyed and the Jews dispersed everything changed in Jerusalem, along with the ability to create the scenes without specific knowledge. Luke in Acts 18:12, calls Gallio Proconsul, this was questioned by critical scholars but Luke was proven correct. When the Delphi inscription was found it verified the specific historical claim in Acts. The inscription read: As Lucius Junius Gallio, my friend, and the Proconsul of Achaia 1 Gallio held the post of Proconsul for one year from A.D. July 1, 52 and that one year overlapped with Paul ministry in Corinth. This specific information verified the title of Gallio and the year of Paul s ministry in Corinth. This is one example, but this is repeated over and over, as history and archeology continue to verify the New Testament. Examples such as this have caused many skeptics and critics of the New Testament too completely change their viewpoints. Anglican critic, who started the Death of God movement, John A. T. Robinson, wrote the book, Redating the New Testament after he realized the incredible archeological evidence contradicting his earlier position. He re-dated Matthew to A.D. 40 to 60, Mark at A.D. 45 to 60, and Luke at before A.D., 57 to 60 and John from before A.D. 40 to The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, Josh McDowell, 1999, Thomas Nelson, Pg. 65 2

42 We can extrapolate the discovery of evidence over a time line of New Testament records. The more points on the line that are confirmed the greater the weight of evidence. Extrapolating New Testament Evidence What types of evidence validates the historicity of the New Testament? In examining, the historical evidence for the New Testament the types of evidence can be categorized into three types, Historical, Archeological and Documentary. Each piece of evidence fills in this time line of evidence, confirming the historicity of the New Testament As we compile the various pieces of evidence both from writers who lived (Documentary Evidence) during the time of Jesus and physical evidence (Archeological Evidence) that verifies events (Historical Evidence) in the bible we can conclude the New Testament is historically truthful. The history of the New Testament is not on trial, but its claims. The claims the New Testament makes about Jesus are incredible, Is Jesus the Son of God, Did he raise people from the dead? So if we conclude the writers are correct about the History then we are forced to answer, are they correct about the person of Jesus? Documentary Evidence There are two types of Documentary evidence we can examine; Christian and Non-Christian. The Christian documentary evidence is overwhelming and in its scope and volume compared to other manuscripts. Christian Documentary Evidence: A. Greek New Testament Manuscripts number 5366 and date from within 50 years of the autograph for the earliest fragments. The chart below compares the number of Greek New Testament manuscripts with other famous historical books. The New Testament greatly outnumber any other historical book. 3

43 Author Book Date Written Earliest Copies Time Gap No. of Copies Homer Iliad 800 BC C. 400 BC 400 years 643 Herodotus History BC C. 900 AD 1350 years 8 Thucydides History BC 900 AD 1300 years 8 Plato 400 BC 900 AD 1300 years 8 Demosthenes 300 BC 900 AD 1300 years 7 Caesar Gallic Wars BC 900 AD 1000 years 10 B. Translations of New Testament writings into other languages The New Testament was translated into other languages as Christianity spread out from the Roman Empire. 1. Syriac Versions Syriac Peshitta, translated AD , there are more than 350 manuscripts dating from the 5 th century. Palestinain Syriac AD AD Philoxenian (AD 508) Harkleian Syriac (AD 616) 2. Latin Versions African Old Latin (Codex Babbiensis 400 AD) Codex Corviensis (AD ) Codex Vercellensis (AD 360) Codex Palatinus (AD ) Latin Vulgate (Meaning common or popular) translated by Jerome at the request of Damascus bishop of Rome (AD ) 3. Coptic (Egyptian Versions) Sahidic. Beginning of the third century Bohairic 4 th Century Middle-Egyptian Fourth or fifth century. 4. Other Translation Armenian: (400 AD) Gothic: Fourth century Georgian: Fifth century Ethiopic: Sixth century Nubian: Sixth century C. Early Church Lectionaries The second largest group of NT Greek manuscripts are the Lectionaries 2 which number 2396 dating from the 6 th to the 9 th century. They contain all portions of New Testament many times over, with the exception of Revelation and Acts. D. Early Church Father Quotations 2 Lectionaries were the weekly church reading of the Gospels and Epistles. This system was copied from the Synagogue system of the systematic reading of the Torah and Prophets. The Lectionary manuscripts are documents from which someone would read. 4 Livy History of Rome AD 4 th Century (Partial), Mostly 10 th Century 400 years 1 partial 1000 years 19 copies Tacitus Annals 100 AD 1100 AD 1000 years 20 Pliny Natural AD 850 AD 750 years 7 Secundus History New 5366 Testament AD 114 Fragments 200 (Books) 250 (Most NT) 325 (Complete NT) 50 years 100 years 150 years 225 years

44 The quotations from the NT manuscripts are so numerous and so widespread by the early church fathers that if there did not exist any NT manuscripts, we could be reproduce a New Testament from their writings alone. This validates the transmission, and authority of the NT manuscripts. Writer Gospels Acts Pauline Epistles General Epistles Revelation Totals Justin ( Martyr (133 AD) allusions) Irenaeus (180 AD) Clement ( AD) Origen ( AD) Tertullian ( AD) Hippolytus ( AD) Eusebius (324 AD) Grand Total The Specificity of History , , , ,289 The historicity of the New Testament is validated through specific historical citations, which would be difficult if not impossible if the writer did not live in the time he wrote. For example, Chapters 13 to 28 in Acts, authored by Luke lists over 43 specific places, locations and names. The list below is a sampling of the 43 items, listed from Bakers Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics A natural crossing between correctly named ports (13:4-5). Mount Casius, south of Seleucia, stands within sight of Cyprus. The name of the proconsul in 13:7 cannot be confirmed, but the family of Sergii Pauli is attested. 2. The proper river port, Perga, for a ship crossing from Cyprus (13:13) 3. The proper location of Lycaonia (14:6) 4. The unusual but correct declension of the Lystra and the correct language spoken in Lystra. Correct identification of the two gods associated with the city, Zeus and Hermes (14:12). 5. The proper port, Attalia, for returning travelers (14:25) 6. The correct route from the Cilician Gates (16:1) 7. The proper form of the name Troas (16:8) 8. The proper identification of Philippi as a Roman colony. The right location for the river Gangites near Philippi (16:13) 9. Association of Thyatira with cloth dyeing (16:14). Correct designations of the titles for the colony magistrates (16:20, 35, 36, 38). 10. The proper locations where travelers would spend successive nights on this journey (17;1) 11. The presence of a synagogue in Thessalonica (17:1) and the proper title of politarch for the magistrates (17:6). 12. The correct explanation that sea travel is the most convenient way to reach Athens in summer with favoring east winds (17:14). 13. The abundance of images in Athens (17:16), and reference to the synagogue there (17:17). 14. Depiction of philosophical debate in the agora (17:17). Use in 17:18-19 of the correct Athenian slang epithet for Paul, spermologos, and the correct name of the cort (areios pagos). Accurate depiction of Athenian character (17:21). Correct identification of altar to An unknown god (17:23). Logical reaction of philosophers who deny bodily resurrection (17:32). Areopoites, the correct title for a member of the court (17:34). 15. Correct identification of the Corinthian synagogue (18:4). Correct designation of Gallio as proconsul (18:12). The bema (Judgment seat) can still be seen in Corinth s forum (18:16). 16. The cult of Artemis of the Ephesians (19:24,27). The cult is well attested, and the Ephesian theater was the city meeting-place (19:29) 17. Correct title grammateus for the chief executive magistrate and the proper title of honor, Neokoros (19:35). Correct name to identify the goddess (19:37). Correct designation for those holding court (19:38). Use of plural 3 Unshakable Foundations, Geisler, 2001, Pg , Bethany House 5

45 anthupatoi in 19:38 is probably a remarkably exact referene to the fact that two men jointly exercised the funtions of proconsul at this time. 18. Use of precise ethnic designation Beroiaios and the ethnic term Asianos (20:4). 19. The permanent stationing of a Roman cohort in the Fortress Antonia to suppress disturbances at festival times (21:31). The flight of steps used by guards (21:31,35) 20. The correct identifications of Ananias as high priest (23:2) and Felix as governor (23:24). 21. Explanation of the provincial penal procedure (24:1-9) 22. Agreement with Josephus of the name Porcius Festus (24:27) 23. Note of the right legal appeal by a Roman citizen (25:11). The legal formula of de quibus cognoscere volebam (25:18). The characteristic form of reference to the emperor (25:26). 24. Precise name and place given for the island of Cauda (27:16). Appropriate sailors maneuvers at the time of a storm (27:16-19). The fourteenth night judged by experienced Mediterranean navigators to be an appropriate time for this journey in a storm (27:27). The proper term for this section f the Adriatic Sea at this time (27:27). The precise term, bolisantes, for taking soundings (27:28). The positon of probable approach of a ship running aground before an easterly wind (27:39). 25. The proper title protos (te nesou) fo ra man in Publius s position of leadership on the islands (28:7) Non-Christian Documents From early non-christian historians and writers, we can confirm specific information about Jesus and the early church. Norman Geisler writes the following; 4 1. Jesus was from Nazareth; 2. He lived a wise and virtuous life; 3. He was crucified in Palestine under Pontius Pilate during the reign of Tiberius Caesar at Passover time, being considered the Jewish king; 4. He was believed by his disciples to have been raised from the dead three days later; 5. His enemies acknowledged that he performed unusual feats they called sorcery ; 6. His small band of disciples multiplied rapidly, spreading even as far as Rome; 7. His disciples denied polytheism, lived moral lives, and worshiped Christ as Divine. This picture confirms the view of Christ presented in the New Testament Gospels. These writers include Josephus a Jewish Historian, ( AD), Thallus a Samaritan (52 AD), Tacitus (52 AD), Pliny the Younger (112 AD) the governor of Bithynia in Asia Minor and others. 4 Unshakable Foundations, Geisler, 2001, Pg. 269, Bethany House 6

46 Reason 15: Archeological and Non-Christian Witness of New Testament Graphic Importance Quote The Pilate Inscription In 1961 an Italian archaeologist, discovered an inscription at Casesrea Maritima. The inscription in Latin contained 4 lines translated as follows: Tiberium Pontius Pilate Prefect of Judea The stone was probably used in a The inscription clarifies the title of Pontius Pilate as prefect at least during a time in his rulership. Tacitus and Josephus later referred to him as procurator. The NT calls him governor, a term incorporating both titles. This inscription is the only archaeological evidence of both foundation of a Tiberium (temple for Pilate s name and this title. the worship of Tiberius) The James Ossuary Researchers may have uncovered the first archaeological evidence that refers to Jesus as an actual person and identifies James, the first leader of the Christian church, as his brother. The 2,000-year-old ossuary a box that held bones bears the inscription "James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus." Until now, all references to the three men have been found only in manuscripts. Andre Lemaire, a paleographer at the Sorbonne University in Paris dates the box, which was empty, to 63 A.D.." Scientists at the Geological Institute of Israel examined the box, which is made of Jerusalem limestone, and judged it to be about 2,000 years old. The inscription is written in Aramaic, in a form that further narrows the possible time frame. "The script is very important for the date because the Aramaic script changed over time in ways we could measure," said P. Kyle McCarter, a paleographer at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. "It's the most important criterion for dating this object, and the script is consistent with a date in the middle of the first century A.D. This gives us one more piece of evidence outside of the Bible that these are real people, and that they're important people, and provides a small confirmation for the claims made about James as the brother of Jesus" What is highly unusual is the mention of a brother." So far, with all the inscriptions we have, only one other has mentioned a brother," said Lemaire. "This is a very important point for the problem of identification. There would need to be a special reason to mention the brother. It suggests the brother was also prominent, an important person." Jesus and Joseph were fairly common names of that era; James, slightly less so. Statistical analysis suggests that the possibility of these three names occurring in the given relationships (son of Joseph, brother of Jesus) is very small. 1

47 Caiaphas Ossuary From the Caiaphas family tomb in Jerusalem, this ossuary bears the inscription "Yehosef bar Qafa: (Joseph, son of Caiaphas), and it is dated to the Second Temple Period. Caiaphas is the name of the High Priest who presided over the trial of Jesus (Matthew 26:3,57) Yohanan -Crucified Victim In 1968 an ancient burial site was uncovered containing about 35 bodies. One named Yohanan Ben Ha galgol had a 7 inch nail driven thru both feet. Evidence also exists that similar spikes were used in his arms. Yohanan s legs were crushed by a blow consistent with the common use of Roman crucifragium (John 19:31-32) The Ossuaries system ceased after 70 AD. The box contained the bones of 4 children and an adult women and the bones of a man aged about 60. The ornate decorations mean that he was a significant person. Archeologists feel this may be the High priest during the time of Christ. Josephus refers to him as Joseph who was called Caiaphas of the high priest Each of these details confirms the New Testament description of Crucifixion. Matthias Tomb A first century stone coffin is marked with the sign of the cross on its lid and a single name on its front: "Matthias". Scholars believe this may be the final resting place of one of Jesus' twelve Apostles. (Acts 1:23) Confirms the early establishment of Christianity in Palestine. And verification of new testament figures. Prof. Sukenik, the father of Prof. Yigael Yadin who was the legendary scholar famed for his extensive work on the Dead Sea Scrolls, believed that he had unearthed one of the earliest records of Christian faith found. Simon Barsabas Tomb An ossuary, found near the tomb of "Simon Barsabas" (Acts 1:21 & 15:22) is inscribed with the dedication: "[To] Jesus, the Lord." Scholars believe this is the earliest record of Christian faith ever found. The burial cave, where the stone coffin was discovered, was sealed not later than the year 42 A.D., more than a decade before any part of the New Testament was written. What Sukenik discovered were the remains of a family burial cave (catacomb) dating to the early part of the first century. It included several stone ossuaries (coffins) marked with the sign of the cross and with numerous inscriptions, included several dedications to "Jesus." Confirms the early establishment of Christianity in Palestine. And verification of new testament figures. 2

48 The Nazareth Decree A slab of stone found in Nazareth in 1878, inscribed with a decree form Emperor Claudius (AD 41-54) that no graves should be disturbed or bodies extracted or moved. With the offender being sentenced to Capital punishment on the charge of violation of a sepulcher. A likely explanation is that Claudius having heard of the Christian doctrine of resurrection and Jesus' empty tomb while investigation the riots of AD 49, decided not to let any such report surface again. This would make sense in light of the Jewish argument that the body had been stolen (Mat. 28:11-15) This is early testimony to the strong and persistent belief that Jesus rose from the dead. The Erastus Inscription On a slab of limestone which was a part of the pavement near the theater in Corinth, a Latin inscription was found which translates, Erastus, in return for the aedileship, laid the pavement at his own expense In Romans 16:23 Paul writing from Corinth mentioned an Erastus and identified him as a city official. Leper remains of the First century In Jerusalem at Hinnom Valley, the 2000 year old remains of a person with Hansen s disease (Leprosy) has been found. According to Shimon Gibson, an Israeli Archaeologist, This is the first example of Hansen s disease in the Middle East. Prior to this the earliest examples of Hansen was dated to the 5 th century. This finding confirms the records of the Gospels about the existence of Hansen s disease (Lebrosy) and the attitude toward those who had it. Non-Christian Witness Quote Thallus Wrote about 52 AD. None of his writings exist but fragmented citations are preserved. Julius Africanus, who wrote in AD 221 quotes Thallus in a discussion about the darkness that followed the crucifixion of Christ: On the whole world there pressed a most fearful darkness, and the places in Judea and other districts were thrown down. This darkness This darkness Thallus, in the third book of his History, calls, as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the sun. 3

49 Suetonius AD Was chief secretary to Emperor Hadrian ( AD) He confirms the report in Acts 18:2 that Claudius commanded all Jews (among them Priscilla and Aquila) to leave Rome in 49 AD. Tacitus 109 AD The 1st century Roman historian is considered one of the most accurate of the ancient world. He give an account of the great fire of Rome for which some blamed the Emperor Nero: Josephus Josephus (37 A.D.-100 A.D.) Was a Pharisee of the priestly line and a Jewish Historian. He was an eyewitness to the Roman capture of Jerusalem. He wrote two major works The Jewish Wars (77-78 AD) and Antiquities of the Jews (94 AD). Josephus writes about New Testament Individuals. James, Brother of Jesus John the Baptist Jesus (Questioned) He writes, As the Jews were making constant disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from Rome. (Suetonius, Life of Claudius, 25.4) On the great fire of Rome he writes, Punishment was inflicted on the Christians, a body of people addicted to a novel and mischievous superstition. (Suetonius, Life of Nero, 16) Who He writes To dispel the rumor, Nero substituted as culprits, and treated with the most extreme punishments, some people, popularly known as Christians, whose disgraceful activities were notorious. The originator of that name, Christus, had been executed when Tiberius was emperor, by order of the procurator Pontius Pilatus. But the deadly cult, though checked for a time, was now breaking out again not only in Judea, the birthplace of this evil, but even throughout Rome, where all the nasty and disgusting ideas from all over the world pour in and find a ready following. (Tacitus, A, 15.44) James brother of Jesus He Writes, He assembled the Sanhedrin of the judges and brought before them the brother of Jesus who was called Christ, whose name was James" Josephus, AJ, ) John the Baptist He writes, Now, some of the Jews thought that the destruction of Herod s army came from God, and very justly, as a punishment of the what he did against John, who was called the Baptist; fro Herod slew him who was a good man and commanded the Jews to exercise virtue...and so come to baptism (AJ ) 4

50 Pliny the Younger Pliny the Younger was a Roman author and administrator. In a letter to the Emperor Trajan in about 112 AD, Pliny describes the early Christian worship practices: This reference provides hard evidence that Jesus Christ was worshipped as God from an early date by Christians who continued to follow the practice of breaking bread together, as reported in Acts 2:42,46 Emperor Trajan AD In reply to Pliny s letter, Emperor Trajan gave the following guidelines for punishing Christians: They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as a to a god, and bound themselves by solemn oath, not to do any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and them then reassemble to partake of food but food of an ordinary and innocent kind (Pliny the Younger, L 10:96). No search should be made for these people, when they are denounced and found guilty they must be punished, with the restriction, however, that when the party denies himself to be a Christian, and shall give proof that he is not (that is by adoring our gods) he shall be pardoned on the ground of repentance even though he may have formerly incurred suspicion. (Pliny the Younger, L, 10:97) Talmud Talmudic writings of most value concerning the historical Jesus are those compiled between AD. The Tannaitic Period. The most significant text is Sanhedrin 43a. New Testament details confirmed by this passage include the fact and the time of the crucifixion, as well as the intent of the Jewish religious leaders to kill Jesus. On the eve of Passover Yeshu was hanged. For forty days before the execution took place, a herald went forth and cried, He is going forth to be stoned because he has practiced sorcery and enticed Israel to apostasy. Any one who can say anything in his favor let him come forward and plead on his behalf. But since nothing was brought forward in his favor he was hanged on the eve of the Passover! (Babylonian Talmud) 5

51 Lucian 165 AD Lucian of Samosata was a second century Greek writer whose works contain sarcastic critiques of Christianity He writes, Mara Bar-Serapion A Syrian, Mara Bar-Serapion wrote to his son Serapion sometime between the late first and early third centuries the letter contains an apparent reference to Jesus: The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account...you see, these misguided creatures start with the general conviction that they are immortal for all time, which explains the contempt of death and voluntary self-devotion which are so common among them; and then it was impressed on them by their original lawgiver that they are all brothers from the moment that they are converted, and deny the gods of Greece, and worship the crucified sage, and live after his laws. All this they take quite on faith, with the result that they despise all worldly goods alike, regarding them merely as common property (Lucian of Samosata, DP,11-13) What advantage did the Athenians gain from putting Socrates to death? Famine and plague came upon them as a judgment for their crime. What advantage did the men of Samos gain from burning Pythagoras? In a moment their land was covered with sand. What advantage did the Jews gain from executing their wise King? It was just after that their Kingdom was abolished. God justly avenged these three wise men: the Athenians died of hunger; the Samians were overwhelmed by the sea; the Jews, ruined and driven from their land, live in complete dispersion. But Socrates did not die for good; he lived on in the teaching of Plato. Pythagoras did not die for good; he lived on in the statue of Hera. Nor did the wise King die for good; He lived on in the teaching which He had given (British Museum) 6

52 Reason 16: Jerusalem the focus of world attention There are over 10,000 cities on the earth today, and if you count back from the beginning of civilization there are probably 100,000 s of thousand cities that have existed. One city stands out in the world when we consider all these cities; it s the city of Jerusalem. The population of the earth is over 6 billion, and over ½ of that population has a religious link to this city. Muslims claim it s a Muslim city where their prophet Mohammad ascended into heaven in a night journey from Mt. Moriah over 1300-years ago. Beside Mecca and Medina, Jerusalem is considered sacred for 1.5 Billion Muslims, 20% of the earth Figure 1 The Dome of the Rock, the location of the first and second population. Christians also Temple consider Jerusalem sacred, it s the place where Jesus was killed on the cross, it s the city Jesus claimed to be King and Messiah. Today there are over 2 Billion Christians, Catholics, Protestants and Orthodox who claim a link to Jerusalem. In addition to Muslims and Christians, Jews consider Jerusalem to be their possession, the capital to their nation. Though Jews only number about 5 to 6 million in the Middle East, Jerusalem is the focus of the world as these major world religions each claim Jerusalem s important link to their faiths. Background of Jerusalem The Bible first refers to the city of Jerusalem in Genesis 14, when Abraham meets the king of Salem (Jerusalem), Melchizedek, who is also priest of Most High God. Abraham had earlier defeated the kings of the east and rescued his nephew Lot; Abraham offered Melchizedek a tithe of the spoil (10%), Melchizedek blessed Abraham in the name of the Most High God. This event took place 4000-years ago, after Abraham was called into the land from Haran in Syria, where Terah his father had settled when he migrated from Ur in ancient Babylon (Genesis 11:37). Later Abraham was tested; God had given Abraham a son, Isaac, in his old age. Sarah his 90-year old wife bore him a son when Abraham was 100. After a time God told Abraham to go to the land of Moriah (Jerusalem) and offer his son up as a sacrifice (Genesis 22:22) in a test of his faith. God prevented the sacrifice and promised that through Abraham all the nations of the earth would be blessed through Abraham. Figure 2 The sacrifice of Isaac Genesis 22:16-18 (16) and said, "By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 1

53 (17) I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, (18) and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice." One thousand years later, Abraham descendent King David purchased the Moriah site to build a Temple for God. His son Solomon would complete the Temple in 960 B.C., the Babylonians would destroy the Temple in 586 B.C. along with the city of Jerusalem. Jerusalem at that time was destroyed city and could have easily vanished from history like thousands of other cities in the world. The city of Jerusalem is mentioned by name 810 times in over 763 verses. Promises for Jerusalem Over 2500 years, after Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon, God sent Zechariah the prophet, along with others back to the destroyed city. Sixty years before Zechariah s arrival Jerusalem the city, its walls and buildings along with the Temple built by Solomon was destroyed by the armies of Babylon. When he arrived it was collection of ruins, but God through Zechariah promised big things for this abandoned city. Zechariah 8:3-8 (3) Thus says the LORD: I have returned to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, and Jerusalem shall be called the faithful city, and the mountain of the LORD of hosts, the holy mountain. (4) Thus says the LORD of hosts: Old men and old women shall again sit in the streets of Jerusalem, each with staff in hand because of great age. (5) And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in its streets. (6) Thus says the LORD of hosts: If it is marvelous in the sight of the remnant of this people in those days, should it also be marvelous in my sight, declares the LORD of hosts? (7) Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save my people from the east country and from the west country, (8) and I will bring them to dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God, in faithfulness and in righteousness." Figure 3 Israel and Jerusalem surrounded by Muslim nations. God promised he would dwell in the city and the Jews would return to the city again. Zechariah also wrote Jerusalem would be the focus world attention in the last days. Jerusalem the focus of the world Zechariah arrived in Jerusalem in 520 B.C., along with other Jews from Persia, the situation seemed bleak. Jews did not want to return to a city with no walls, surrounded with enemies and surrounded with enemies on every side, they had grown accustomed to the peace and security of the Persian Empire. Zechariah returned to proclaim the future of the city, the peace and prosperity when God would dwell in the city. Zechariah also promised a day of when the nations of the world would gather against it. 2

54 Zechariah 12:1-3,9-10 Jerusalem and the one pierced (1) The oracle of the word of the LORD concerning Israel: Thus declares the LORD, who stretched out the heavens and founded the earth and formed the spirit of man within him: (2) "Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. (3) On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it. (9) And on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem. (10) "And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn. Zechariah wrote 2500-years ago that this abandoned destroyed city would be the focus of world attention. He described events taking place 2500 years in the future. Today Jerusalem is the focus of the world; over ½ the earth s population has a spiritual link to the city. 1.5 Billion Muslims, 2 Billion Christians and 20 million Jews. Zechariah wrote over 550-years before the death of Jesus Christ and the beginning of Christianity, he wrote over 1000-years before Islam s founder Mohammad was even born. He wrote when the Jews were a small helpless people under the control of the Persian Kingdom. How could he have known the significant role of the city Jerusalem two thousand years in the future? Why is Jerusalem the focus of the world? Zechariah could not have known what would take place in the future, unless he received the information outside of the natural order. 1. Christianity became the dominant religion in the world linking Jerusalem with over 2 billion of the earth s 7 billion people. Figure 4 The Pope and Muslim leaders at site of the Third Temple world. 2. Islam began in 610 AD and spread after the death of Mohammad from Mecca to Europe by 732 AD. Islam claimed to be the final and true religion, succeeding both Christianity and Judaism. Mohammad claimed to ascend from Mt. Moriah into heaven, where God confirmed to him the faith of Islam. Muslim s when they conquered Jerusalem from the Romans (Byzantines) built the Dome of the Rock on the location of Solomon s Temple, the most holy place to the Jews. Jerusalem is viewed as a Muslim city, by the Muslim 3. In 1948, after World War II, the nation of Israel was established by a vote of the nations. After a series of wars, the Jews took East Jerusalem from the Arab Muslims, including the Dome of the Rock. This was the first time a Jewish nation had control of the site in over 2000-years. A growing movement of Jews in Israel has the goal to rebuild the Temple, making it the Third Temple on the site since King David s Solomon built the first Temple 3000-years ago. Figure 5 Jewish plans for the Third Temple with Dome of the Rock burning in the background (Artist rendering) 3

55 4. Muslim s and the world (United Nations) consider East Jerusalem a Muslim possession despite the fact that the nation of Israel controls it. The Jews who are in the land consider Jerusalem a Jewish city and the eternal capital of Israel. 5. The only claim the Jews and Israel have to the city of Jerusalem is the Bible, God gave the city to the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) as the capital city of the nation. The world rejects the authority of scripture; therefore the world rejects the claims of the Jewish people. This put the Bible and the Jews at odds with the world. 4

56 Reason 17: Restoration of Israel The restoration of Israel as a nation Islam plays a central role in the End-times as they oppose the nation of Israel and the fulfillment of scripture, which clearly shows a restored Israel, the descendents of Jacob, back in the land of Israel. Ezekiel clearly proclaims a restored Israel in the last-days; however, Ezekiel is not alone in this prophecy. Both Old and New Testament prophets declare a restored Israel in the last days. Israel as a nation needs to be restored for several reasons: God had made covenant promises to Abraham regarding the land of Israel and his descendents through Isaac and Jacob. God redemptive plan includes a restored Israel, which accepts Messiah in the last days. God uses Israel to judge the nations Scripture requires a Third Jewish Temple to be in place at the Second Coming, we can only have a Jewish Temple if there are Jewish people and priests in the land of Israel. God word places the nations gathering against the land of Israel and the Jews in the last Days. Scripture Quote about Israel s restoration 1 For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will still choose Israel, and settle them in their own land. The strangers will be joined with them, and they will cling to the house of Jacob. 2 Then people will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them for servants and maids in the land of the LORD; they will take them captive whose captives they were, and rule over their oppressors.isaiah 14: Thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I will lift My hand in an oath to the nations, And set up My standard for the peoples; They shall bring your sons in their arms, And your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders; 23 Kings shall be your foster fathers, And their queens your nursing mothers; They shall bow down to you with their faces to the earth, And lick up the dust of your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD, For they shall not be ashamed who wait for Me. 24 hall the prey be taken from the mighty, Or the captives of the righteous be delivered? 25 But thus says the LORD: Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, And the prey of the terrible be delivered; For I will contend with him who contends with you, And I will save your children Isaiah 49: I will strengthen the house of Judah, And I will save the house of Joseph. I will bring them back, Because I have mercy on them. They shall be as though I had not cast them aside; For I am the LORD their God, And I will hear them. Those of Ephraim shall be like a mighty man, And their heart shall rejoice as if with wine. Yes, their children shall see it and be glad; Their heart shall rejoice in the LORD. 8 I will whistle for them and gather them, For I will redeem them; And they shall increase as they once increased. 9 I will sow them among the peoples, And they shall remember Me in far countries; They shall live, together with their children, And they shall return. 10 I will also bring them back from the land of Egypt, And gather them from Assyria. I will bring them into the land of Gilead and Lebanon, Until no more room is found for them. 11 He shall pass through the sea with affliction, And strike the waves of the sea: All the depths of the River shall dry up. Then the pride of Assyria shall be brought down, And the scepter of Egypt shall depart. 12 So I will strengthen them in the LORD, And they shall walk up and down in His name, Says the LORD. Zechariah 10: Thus says the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east And from the land of the west; 8 I will bring them back, And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem. They shall be My people And I will be their God, In truth and righteousness. Zechariah 8:7-8 6 Up, up! Flee from the land of the north, says the LORD; for I have spread you abroad like the four winds of heaven, says the LORD. 7 Up, Zion! Escape, you who dwell with the daughter of Babylon. 8 For thus says the LORD of hosts: He sent Me after glory, to the nations which plunder you; for he who touches you touches the apple of His eye. 9 For surely I will shake 1

57 My hand against them, and they shall become spoil for their servants. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me.Zechariah 2:6-9 0 Yet the number of the children of Israel Shall be as the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered. And it shall come to pass In the place where it was said to them, You are not My people, There it shall be said to them, You are sons of the living God. 11 Then the children of Judah and the children of Israel Shall be gathered together, And appoint for themselves one head; And they shall come up out of the land, For great will be the day of Jezreel Hosea 1: The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Thus speaks the LORD God of Israel, saying: Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you. 3 For behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah, says the LORD. And I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it. 11 For I am with you, says the LORD, to save you; Though I make a full end of all nations where I have scattered you, Yet I will not make a complete end of you. But I will correct you in justice, And will not let you go altogether unpunished. 18 Thus says the LORD: Behold, I will bring back the captivity of Jacob s tents, And have mercy on his dwelling places; The city shall be built upon its own mound, And the palace shall remain according to its own plan. Jeremiah 30:1-3, 11,18 8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country, And gather them from the ends of the earth, Among them the blind and the lame, The woman with child And the one who labors with child, together; A great throng shall return there. 9 They shall come with weeping, And with supplications I will lead them. I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters, In a straight way in which they shall not stumble; For I am a Father to Israel, And Ephraim is My firstborn. 10 Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, And declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He who scattered Israel will gather him, And keep him as a shepherd does his flock. Jeremiah 31:8-10 For the children of Israel shall abide many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred pillar, without ephod or teraphim. 5 Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days.hosea 3:4 2 "and you return to the Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, 3 "that the Lord your God will bring you back from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 "If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He will bring you. 5 "Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it. He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers. Deuteronomy 30:2-5 1 For behold, in those days and at that time, When I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem,2 I will also gather all nations, And bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; And I will enter into judgment with them there On account of My people, My heritage Israel, Whom they have scattered among the nations; They have also divided up My land. Joel 3: It shall come to pass in that day That the Lord shall set His hand again the second time To recover the remnant of His people who are left, From Assyria and Egypt, From Pathros and Cush, From Elam and Shinar, From Hamath and the islands of the sea. 12 He will set up a banner for the nations, And will assemble the outcasts of Israel, And gather together the dispersed of Judah From the four corners of the earth. Isaiah 11:11-12 Israel surrounded by nations of Islam Today, many groups who condemn Israel s claim to the land reject the Bible as a reference to validate that claim. This is understandable, because they do not believe the Bible. Scripture rejects their view, by the creation of the state of Israel, and the gathering of the Jewish people on the lands of their ancestors. In addition to these quotes, Ezekiel declares the nation of Israel would come back into existence in the last days, and its existence would be preceding the Messiah s rule on earth. We need to keep in mind, when Ezekiel wrote these words, there was no Islam, and therefore we see the footprints of Islam, not the image of Islam in these prophecies. Ezekiel wrote during the Babylonian captivity about 592 B.C., he himself was a captive in Babylon. On a short-term basis, some have applied these prophecies to the Babylonian captivity; however, they have a greater fulfillment following the Roman exile, which lasted 1900-years verses the 70-years of Babylon. Ezekiel description actually is fulfilled in the current era, as opposed to the Babylonian and Persian era. Israel s enemies surround them 2

58 Ezekiel 36 1 "And you, son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel, and say, 'O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord! 2 'Thus says the Lord God: "Because the enemy has said of you, 'Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession,' " ' 3 "therefore prophesy, and say, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Because they made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, so that you became the possession of the rest of the nations, and you are taken up by the lips of talkers and slandered by the people"- 4 'therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, the valleys, the desolate wastes, and the cities that have been forsaken, which became plunder and mockery to the rest of the nations all around- 5 'therefore thus says the Lord God: "Surely I have spoken in My burning jealousy against the rest of the nations and against all Edom, who gave My land to themselves as a possession, with whole-hearted joy and spiteful minds, in order to plunder its open country." ' Ezekiel 36:1-5 Ezekiel paints the picture of Israel, verses the nations, specifically the nations, which surround Israel. Verse 2, quoting the nations refers to the ancient heights, which is pictured by fight over the ancient lands and mountains of Israel, which were not so ancient in his day. The land is physical Israel 6 "Therefore prophesy concerning the land of Israel, and say to the mountains, the hills, the rivers, and the valleys, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and My fury, because you have borne the shame of the nations." 7 'Therefore thus says the Lord God: "I have raised My hand in an oath that surely the nations that are around you shall bear their own shame. Ezekiel 36:6-7 God, through Ezekiel wants the reader to understand, he is not talking in metaphor, this prophecy regards the actual Land of Israel including the mountains, hills and rivers. Now God specifically contrasts Israel to the Nations...around you. They will bear their own shame. The nations surrounding Israel are the Muslim nations, which threaten to destroy and wipe the nation out of existence. God s promise to Israel 8 "But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come. 9 "For indeed I am for you, and I will turn to you, and you shall be tilled and sown. 10 "I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the ruins rebuilt. 11 "I will multiply upon you man and beast; and they shall increase and bear young; I will make you inhabited as in former times, and do better for you than at your beginnings. Then you shall know that I am the Lord. 12 "Yes, I will cause men to walk on you, My people Israel; they shall take possession of you, and you shall be their inheritance; no more shall you bereave them of children." Ezekiel 36:8-12 Ezekiel contrasts Israel to the nations, which surround them as enemies. The Lord proclaims the return of My people in the physical land of Israel. Not only will the people return, they will prosper and surpass their former condition. To further illustrate this, in verse 12, we are told that Israel shall know I am Lord and they shall No more be bereaved of children. Ezekiel is looking toward Israel s redemption in the days of Messiah. God is referring to literal Israel, not a metaphor as non-literalists try to infer. The promises to Israel, when applied to the current nation, can only be applied to the current nation. In verse 12, no more, means time when the nation will no longer threatened by its enemies. Here Ezekiel is looking forward to a time, when Israel will blessed in the days of Messiah, when the nation will be victorious over its enemies, when they come to know the Messiah. Why was Israel cast out of the land? 17 "Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own ways and deeds; to Me their way was like the uncleanness of a woman in her customary impurity. 18 "Therefore I poured out My fury on them for the blood they had shed on the land, and for their idols with which they had defiled it. 19 "So I scattered them among the nations, and they were dispersed throughout the countries; I judged them according to their ways and their deeds. 20 "When they came to the nations, wherever they went, they profaned My holy name-when they said of them, 'These are the people of the Lord, and yet they have gone out of His land.' Ezekiel 36:

59 Israel s occupation of the land is contingent on their obedience, according to the Book of Deuteronomy, if Israel transgressed, they would be scattered amongst the nations. Only two times has Israel been scattered as a nation, once in B.C., during the Babylonian captivity. The second time was during the Roman exile in A.D. 70. Israel was scattered the first time for idol worship and disobedience, see Ezekiel 8, Jeremiah 7: The second time in A.D. 70, was for the rejection of Messiah, when Messiah the Prince (Daniel 9:25-26) was cut off and killed (Isaiah 53). Daniel links the Messiah s (death) cut off with the Temple and Jerusalem s destruction. 4 Why is Israel gathered? 21 "But I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went. 22 "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord God: "I do not do this for your sake, O house of Israel, but for My holy name's sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went. 23 "And I will sanctify My great name, which has been profaned among the nations, which you have profaned in their midst; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord," says the Lord God, "when I am hallowed in you before their eyes. Ezekiel 36:21-23 Israel was gathered so the Lord would receive the glory, not Israel. In fact, among the Gentile nations Israel caused God s name to be profaned. God purpose for restoring Israel is so the nations (Gentiles) might know the Lord is restoring Israel. God wants the world to know Him; therefore, God through Israel will identify Himself to a lost world. God in the Old and New Testaments has identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Israel is the offspring of this family line. Israel is to receive the Spirit of God The evidence, which clearly places this prophecy in the last days and prior to the return of Christ, is the following section. Here in verses 24 to 38, God makes a promise to Israel, yes physical and literal Israel, he says I will Take you from among the nations (The world) and bring you into your own land (Palestine/Israel)(vs.24). This restoration of physical Israel, then is followed by the promise of the nation receiving a new heart and new spirit, which is linked to the Messianic era. 24 For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. 25 Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. 28 Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. 29 I will deliver you from all your uncleannesses. I will call for the grain and multiply it, and bring no famine upon you. Ezekiel 36:24-29 The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31), which the Church has been grafted (Romans 11:22-26), was promised to Israel, is the focus of Ezekiel vs. 27. Israel s rejection of the Messiah, caused Jerusalem and the Temple to be destroyed (Daniel 9:26), followed by the nation being scattered amongst the gentiles (nations), fulfilling the words of Moses. They have yet to receive the promises made here, when the Lord puts His Spirit in the people of Israel, so this future prophecy is yet to be fulfilled, 63 "And it shall be, that just as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and bring you to nothing; and you shall be plucked from off the land which you go to possess. 64 "Then the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known-wood and stone. Deuteronomy 28:63-64 So we can see how Islam plays a role here in the end times, God has made the promises of redemption to His people, Israel. Their redemption is also linked to the restoration of the nation back in the physical land of Israel. So Islam, as an opponent to restoration, is actually at war with God s plan. We must remember this battle is ultimately spiritual, not physical, we see the physical realities of the spiritual conflict. On the day!

60 On the day, May 14 th 1948, the State of Israel was declared 33 Thus says the Lord God: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. 34 The desolate land shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. 35 So they will say, This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited. 36 Then the nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the Lord, have rebuilt the ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the Lord, have spoken it, and I will do it. God clearly links the Time of Israel s restoration back in the land of Israel as the time of the nations redemption, so in other words God qualifies the time, by linking it with the physical restoration in the land of Israel. Its important to understand, the Muslim world looks on the day Israel was founded, May 14 th 1948, as The Great Catastrophe, it is a day of mourning in the Muslim world. Following the promises of the 36 th Chapter, where the restoration of Israel is linked with redemption, Ezekiel is then taken to a valley of dry bones in chapter 37. Here Israel as a nation is literally, resurrected in the site of the nations. God refers to this restored nation as a great army. Israel resurrected Ezekiel s vision is taking place in the In the Spirit, the Lord take Ezekiel in the spirit, into a valley of dry bones. Ezekiel 37 1 The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. 2 Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. 3 And He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" So I answered, "O Lord God, You know." 4 Again He said to me, "Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry Gustave Dore s illustration of Ezekiel bones, hear the word of the Lord! 37, the Valley of Dry Bones. 5 'Thus says the Lord God to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. 6 "I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord." '" 7 So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 Indeed, as I looked, the sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them. 9 Also He said to me, "Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, 'Thus says the Lord God: "Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live." '" 10 So I prophesied as He commanded me, and breath came into them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army. Ezekiel 37:1-10 The apostle Paul in Romans links the spiritual restoration of Israel with the resurrection itself. The spiritual restoration, follows the physical, at the spiritual restoration of Israel, the resurrection occurs (Romans 11:12). 5