The Bible is From God

The Bible is From God Super Sunday – Lesson 3

Archeology – is from two words (archos – ancient) and (logos – discourse) = the study of human culture through recovery and analysis of documents and artifacts. • Can the things we find in the earth, buried for centuries, prove the Bible is from God? YES!

Why are they still there? • DRY – In many areas of the Middle East the rainfall is less than one half of one inch per year. • SAND AND WIND – Things and even buildings are quickly buried in sand by the windstorms

What do archeologists find? • Documents – scrolls, parchments, writings on clay, stone, monuments • Cities – whole cities have been buried in the sand, abandoned because of disease (Ephesus) or destroyed by invasion

What do archeologists find? • Artifacts – dishes, pottery, coins, tools, household items, furniture • The rest of this lesson will look at some of the discoveries that have proved the Bible to be from God.

Dead Sea Scrolls • Qumran was occupied from 250 BC to about 150 BC • Copied OT Scriptures

Dead Sea Scrolls • Isaiah scroll was most important • More than 1,000 years older then any known copy • Preserved in clay jars

Dead Sea Scrolls • Many coins found • Emperor’s picture on coins • Type of inks used help to date the time of the scrolls

Moabite Stone • A German missionary discovered this stone in 1868 • It recorded an event from 850 BC

Moabite Stone • King Mosha, king of Moab was in subjection to Israel • This stone names Omri as king of Israel • This event is recorded in 1 Kings 16:16

Belshazzar • The Bible teaches that Belshazzar was the last king of Babylon – Daniel 5:22; Daniel 7:1 • Critics said the Bible was wrong • The last records showed that Nabonidus was king of Babylon • Is the Bible in error here?

Belshazzar • In 1876, Sir Henry Rawlinson discovered more than 2,000 tablets relating to Nabonidus • Nabonidus decided to travel and appointed his son, Belshazzar to be king in his absence • They were co-regents for several years.

Here is one of the tablets now known as the Nabonidus Chronicles. • We now know that the Bible was correct. Belshazzar was king of Babylon

Sargon II • Isaiah 20:1 - In the year that Tartan came to Ashdod, when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him, and he fought against Ashdod and took it, • For centuries – there was NO RECORD of any king of Assyria named Sargon.

Sargon II • A team of archeologists were walking along in the desert. • One stubbed his toe on a stone. • As the sand was swept away they realized it was a stairway. • The stairway led to a room.

Sargon II • Another room and then another room. • Sargon’s name on the walls • There was a huge entrance arch which led to the main palace. • THIS WAS THE PALACE OF SARGON!

Sargon II • The entire palace had a wall around • Here is a long section of the original wall.

Sargon II • Around the outer wall was a large moat with bridges that could be closed if under attack

Sargon II • The entire area has now been excavated • It is a 72 room palace • Sargon’s name and exploits are all over the walls

Sargon II • On the wall was the description of how Sargon captured Samaria (the capital city of Israel in the divided kingdom) • SARGON REALLY DID EXIST • Isaiah was right all the time.

There are dozens more similar examples that could be given • But I hope that these examples have given you a renewed assurance that the Bible is from God. • It could not be the product of man – because many of these points would have been missed.

You can be assured that: • The Bible is accurate in detail • The Bible is correct in names and places • The Bible gives information that is without error • THE BIBLE IS FROM GOD

The Bible is From God