Chapter 2 - The Historic Jesus
09/15/2008 ©Charles Germany

In our modern age there are some who question whether or not Jesus actually existed. There are conflicting perspectives concerning the historical truth of his life and ministry. Some subscribe to the view that Jesus is merely a myth - that he never was a historical person but an amalgamation of different teachers and philosophers. Others believe that he exists as a significant historical figure, with or without any supernatural affinity. Let's take a look at historical and archeological evidence that may prove or disprove these theories.

One of western history's most famous historical figures, the European emperor, conqueror and general Napoleon Bonaparte, wrote about Jesus. He comments, after being exiled to prison on the isle of St. Helena: 

“I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I founded empires. But on what did we rest the creations of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of people would die for Him... Superficial minds see a resemblance between Christ and the founders of empires, and the gods of other religions. That resemblance does not exist. There is between Christianity and whatever other religions the distance of infinity. We can say to the authors of every other religion, ´You are neither gods nor the agents of the Deity. You are but missionaries of falsehood, molded from the same clay with the rest of mortals. You are made with all the passions and vices inseparable from them. Your temples and your priests proclaim your origin.´ Such will be the judgment, the cry of conscience, of whoever examines the gods and the temples of paganism...Jesus Christ astounds me and fills me with awe.” (Napoleon Bonaparte, French emperor 1769-1821. Ibid. 316-317)

What would cause Bonaparte - a conqueror and military strategist, a "self-made" man-of-war, to heap such praise upon a pacifist like Christ? Jesus never led an army. He never planned a political coup. He was not a military strategist. It seems one such as Napoleon would be far more likely to glorify Alexander the Great or Cyrus of Persia - magnificent generals and conquerors, than a humble teacher - a poor carpenter from Nazareth that preached about turning the other cheek, forgiveness and loving one's enemies (Luke 6:27-38 and Matthew 5:44) . Before examining the archeological and historical evidence, let's take a look at one more contemporary example of belief in what some consider a myth:

In North Korea in 1956, Pastor Kim and his congregation had been living for years while hiding in tunnels. Above their underground sanctuary, a fanatical communist government was crushing any ideology but its own with an iron fist. Finally discovered, all 28 Korean Christians were paraded before a crowd of 30,000 in the nearby village of Gok San. Seeking to expose their belief in Christ as a meaningless superstition, party officials offered them an ultimatum: deny their belief in Jesus or suffer death by public execution. In spite of this, these Christian converts would not comply.

Why? Couldn't they have denied Christ and followed him secretly? It wouldn't be so difficult to say a few meaningless words to save their lives and the lives of their children. They could always repent of their transgressions later. Why die over a few silly words - mere trivialities? Yet for these believers, that was not an option. Perhaps they took to heart Christ's revolutionary calling:

"If you confess me before others I will confess you before my Father, but if you are ashamed of me and my words before others I will be ashamed of you." (Mark 8:38)

At this point, the party officials selected four children from the group of Christians and prepared to hang them in front of their parents. Surely these Koreans would recant their beliefs now. Party officials reasoned that this act would put the fear of the State into their hearts, they would certainly say anything to save their children and that would be the end of it. Tying nooses around their necks, the officials again demanded that the Christians deny their belief in Christ, or else... It may be difficult, almost impossible to believe, but the parents of those children did not renounce Jesus. They told their children, "Don't be afraid, we will soon be together in heaven." After this, the only sound to break the silence was the "snap" of the children's necks as they were hung.

The officers then commandeered a steam roller from a road crew nearby. They lined the remaining believers up single file and drove the machine up to the feet of the first in the row. They gave the followers one last chance to recant their beliefs, but they would not. As their bodies were crushed, one by one under the pressure of the steam roller, they sang the song "More love to Thee, O Christ" until their collapsing lungs could no longer fill with air. (Jesus Freaks, pg. 124-125)

This is only one account among many untold events of those who have suffered for Christ. You may find more historical accounts relating to persecution here: www.persecution.com.

What is it about a Jewish carpenter, a man many believe was only a myth, that could compel these people to suffer so much rather than deny their faith in someone they could neither hear nor see? On whose account did these events transpire that, though reality, stagger the imagination with acts of human cruelty? Who was - who is Jesus?  Let's examine the theories.

Theory A - There Never Was a "real" Jesus - He is a myth!

Bruno Bauer, a German theologian and historian, after investigating the known sources of the New Testament available during his time, concluded that Jesus was more a figment of Greek and Roman mythology than an actual person raised in the customs of Judaism. Some maintain that Jesus is not mentioned in any notable Roman records, and therefore he did not exist. The logic of this argument, were it valid, would draw one into false conclusions. One must consider that many official Roman records have perished throughout the centuries and crumbled away. One must also bear in mind that the accounts that remain were written by historians that considered the conquests of emperors far more interesting than the events of a poor, iconoclastic Jewish teacher. Yet in spite of these limitations, there are many historical and archeological references to the existence of Christ, as we will soon examine.  Supporting the mythological theory by citing a lack of historical documentation is impossible.

Approaching this from another perspective, many Jesus mythologists propose that the person of Christ was fabricated because one of the greatest contributors of the new testament, the Apostle Paul, never spoke of him. This theory lacks plausibility when one examines passages from Paul's writings:

(1 Cor. 5:7) Jesus' death related to the Passover Celebration.
(1 Cor. 1:9) Jesus was referred to as the "Son of God".
(Galations 4:4) Jesus was born in human fashion as a Jew, having a ministry to the Jews. 
(1 Cor. 11:23-25) Jesus was betrayed on the night of the Lord's Supper.
(1 Cor. 2:8) The death of Jesus was at the hands of earthly rulers.
(Galations 4:6) Jesus prayed to God using the term "Abba".
(Romans 1:3) Jesus was a descendent of King David. 
(2 Cor. 13:4) Jesus was crucified to death.
(Galations 1:19) Jesus had a brother named James.
(1 Thess. 2:14-16) Jewish authorities were involved with Jesus' death.
(Romans 15:3) Jesus underwent abuse and humiliation.
(1 Cor. 11:23-25) Jesus began the Lord's supper with the bread and the wine.
(1 Cor. 3:22) Paul refers to Peter by the name "rock" (Cephas) - the name Jesus gave him.
(1 Thess. 4:15) Jesus taught about the end of the age.
(1 Cor. 7:10)  Jesus expressly forbade divorce, except for unfaithfulness.
(1 Cor. 15:4)  Jesus was physically buried.

From yet another point of view, many adherents to the mythological theory argue that Christianity is a modern adaptation of several pagan religions that predate it. They point to the existence of a "sun" god in mythologies of the Greeks, Romans and Mayans. While several religions did embrace the concept of gods siring children among men - these religions maintained a pluralistic view of deities. They embraced many gods and goddesses and these routinely indulged in the pleasures of debauchery and sexual intercourse with humanity.

In contrast to this idea, Christ claimed divine origin - to be of virgin birth, but never that God had "intercourse" or engaged in debauchery with his mother Mary. Jesus also advocated worship that was monotheistic during his ministry. He admonished his followers that "God is a Spirit, and his worshipers must worship him in Spirit and in truth." (John 4:24). Christ says that God is "a" spirit - in singular form he designates a single existence and instance of God. He does not say "God is one of the spirits". He does not speak of God in a plural form as would be in keeping with the pagan religions that worshiped many spirits, gods and goddesses in nature. Furthermore, Christ says:

"Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone." (Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19)

Continuing his monotheistic perspective, after 40 days of fasting and wandering around in the desert, near death, Jesus mentions when being tempted and tested by Satan:

"It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’" (Luke 4:8 and Matthew 4:10)

Christ taught that a house divided against itself can not remain standing (Matthew 12:25). If Jesus were a mythological mixture of pagan beliefs and rituals, why would his teachings contradict those beliefs so dramatically? If Christ were a mythical figure that evolved from the mixture of several pantheistic belief systems, why has he forsaken his pagan roots?

In critically examining this theory, one must make the observation that if one were to adopt the same rationale as Jesus mythologists, one must also rationalize that many other important historical figures never existed or were simply fabrications. This is due in part to the reality that, if we dismiss historical texts and archeological evidence for any ancient figure of history, we soon find that we can not amass enough present-day empirical data to specifically prove the existence of any particular ancient person. Yet for those who will sift through the sands of time - proof exists. Let's examine some of that evidence.

Theory B - Jesus Was a Legitimate Historical Figure

In contrast to the mythological view, the historical veracity of Christ is considered to be effectively established by most current historians. Regarding this consensus, historian J. Gilchrist Lawson writes:

“The legendary, or mythical, theory of Christ’s existence is not held by any one worthy of the name of a scholar. The historical evidences of Christ’s existence are so much greater than those in support of any other event in history; no candid scholar could reject them without also renouncing his belief in every event recorded in ancient history.” (J. Gilchrist Lawson. Greatest Thoughts About Jesus Christ. New York. Richard R. Smith, Inc. 1919. 160.)

What evidence exists? Most scholars of biblical history agree on the the mundane aspects of Jesus' life, though not on the supernatural or religious significance of the events that transpired in different records. For example:

They agree that Jesus was a Jewish teacher and healer from Galilee who was baptized by John the Baptist. They agree that he was accused of plotting sedition against the Roman empire, and that by the command of Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Israel at that time, he was crucified as an example to curb further political dissention. Most scholars agree that the four canonical gospel accounts and the works of Paul are among the earliest documentation relating to the events of Jesus' life and message.

The four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John give the greatest amount of detail concerning the life and teachings of Jesus. Though there were many accounts of Jesus written, only four were selected and canonized by the early churches. Of these, Matthew, Luke and Mark parallel and cross-reference approximately 80% of their contents with each other. For this reason these three are referred to as the "Triple Tradition", and also known as the "Synoptic Gospels".

These three synoptic accounts of the life of Christ are believed to share a common source in translation known as the "Q document". "Q" represents the German "Quelle", meaning source, and the Q document is postulated to be the source of many of Jesus' teachings that were translated from Greek into the gospels. It is believed by many scholars that these gospels were written by their authors within decades of Jesus' lifetime and offer a fairly accurate account of the events that transpired during Jesus' ministry. 

In the work "The Historical Figure of Jesus", E.P. Sanders observes that there is a greater amount of historical documentation regarding the life and existence of Jesus than that concerning the life and accomplishments of Alexander the Great:

 "The sources for Jesus are better, however, than those that deal with Alexander... the superiority of evidence for Jesus is seen when we ask what he thought." (Sanders 1993:3)

Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and the principal author of The Declaration of Independence, wrote the "Jefferson Bible", known as "The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth" in 1803. He subscribed to the historicity of Christ - that there was an actual, real Jesus, but did not believe in his divinity. Through this and several other works, Jefferson sought to separate the divine events of Christ's life from his message. He liked the philosophy of Jesus and what he called the "Christian System", but believed the supernatural events surrounding Jesus were a mythology.

He condensed the philosophy of Christ into approximately 46 pages, seeking inspiration from the four gospel accounts of his life. It was  hailed by some as a unique and uplifting biblical translation. Critics, such as the American author Percival Everett, a professor of English at the University of Southern California, referred to the work with the following language:

"Many claim his "translation" amounts to little more than a paraphrasing of the parts of the Bible with which he agreed. In fact, a glance at [several earlier translations of the Bible] might lead one to agree with this assertion. Still, he took it upon himself to do it, whatever it was he did. He decided that the rules of the club to which he wished to belong were not the rules he wanted to play by. So instead of changing clubs, he changed the rule book by literally cutting and pasting together only the sections that he found relevant to his interpretation." (The Jefferson Bible, introduction by Percival Everett. 2004. Akashic Books.)

In this aspect, Jefferson had a good deal in common with modern factions of Christianity. In many modern denominations and divisions of those who identify as Christ's followers, organizations "cut and paste" their interpretations of scripture together into radically different ideologies and philosophies that loose the coherency of Christ's original truths. Unable to unify their contradictions, they have splintered into the many different labels of Christianity we see today. However, this lack of consistency does not support the theory that Christ was a myth. It merely reveals how poorly some of his followers have been at keeping to his original message, and how adept manipulative and unscrupulous people have been at subverting his teaching. Let's chronologically examine what some historians throughout the ages have written about Christ.

The Greek historian Thallus wrote about Jesus in 52 A.D., noting that darkness fell upon the land at the time of Christ's crucifixion. He attributed this to a solar eclipse. (Benjamin Garstad, "Theophilus of Antioch, Pseudo-Justin and Thallus' treatment of Moses" Studia Patristica XXXVI, 207 f.)

The Roman historian Tacitus , in 65 A.D., writes of the great fire that laid waste to Rome during the time of Nero:

"Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberious at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all who pleaded guilty; then upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths, Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired. Nero offered his gardens for the spectacle, and was exhibiting a show in the circus, while he mingled with the people in the dress of charioteer or stood aloft on a car. Hence, even for criminals who deserved extreme and exemplary punishment, there arose a feeling of compassion; for it was not, as it seemed, for the public good, but to glut one man's cruelty, that they were being destroyed."  (Goodyear, F.R.D. The Annals of Tacitus, vol. 2. Cambridge. Cambridge University Press. 1981.)

We can see by his account how hated and despised Christians were at that time. Tacitus also wrote of the burning of the Jewish temple in 70 A.D., which, interestingly enough, was predicted by Jesus decades before its occurrence as recorded in the gospels (Luke 19:44, Mark 13:2 and Matthew 24:2). 

Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian for the Emperor Vespasian and a prominent Pharisee, wrote of the events of his day in 66 A.D. He gives one of the first secular accounts of Jesus in historical texts, writing in the original translation:

"Now there was about this time Jesus, a wise man; for he was a doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many of the Gentiles. And when Pilate, at the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not forsake him; And the tribe of Christians, so named from him, are not extinct at this day. "
(The Works of Josephus, Complete and Unabridged New Updated Edition Translated by William Whiston, A.M., Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1987.)

Pliny the Younger writes in 112 A.D. of people worshipping Christ in Bithynia. He writes again of these worshipers in 115 A.D. (Gaius Plinius Caecilius Secundus. The Letters of the Younger Pliny, trans. Betty Radice. London. 1969. Penguin Books.)

The Talmud, a collection of Jewish sacred texts compiled from generations of oral traditions, was organized by the Rabbi Akiba before he died in approximately 135 A.D. In the passage labeled "Sanhedrin 43a" exists what many believe to be an allusion to Christ:

"On the eve of the Passover, Yeshu (Yeshua) was hanged (crucified on a tree). 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." (Sanhedrin 43a)

Justin Martyr in 150 A.D. and Tertullian in 200 A.D. both refer to the existence of an official document in Rome from Pontius Pilate outlining the events of Jesus' crucifixion. According to Tertullian:

"Tiberius accordingly, in whose days the Christian name made its entry into the world, having himself received intelligence from Palestine of events which had clearly shown the truth of Christ's divinity, brought the matter before the senate, with his own decision in favor of Christ. The senate, because it had not given the approval itself, rejected his proposal. Caesar held to his opinion, threatening wrath against all accusers of the Christians." (Tertullian, Apology, 5. T.D.Barnes, Tertullian: A literary and historical study. Oxford. 1971.)

Various apocryphal translations of governor Pilate’s account to Tiberius Caesar, after reciting various miracles performed by Jesus and supernatural events, indicate that Pilate reported:

“And him, Herod, and Archelaus and Philip, Annas, and Caiphas, with all the people, delivered to me, making a great uproar against me that I should try him. I, therefore, ordered him to be crucified, having first scourged Him, and having found against him no cause of evil accusations or deeds. At the time he was crucified, there was darkness over all the world, the sun being darkened at midday, and the stars appearing, but in them there appeared no luster; and the moon, as if turned into blood, failed in her light.” (Translated by Alexander Walker. Ante-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8. Buffalo, NY. Christian Literature Publishing Co. 1886.)

Whether or not one believes in the supernatural events recorded, the historical validity of Christ is made manifest by the documentation referencing his crucifixion. The longevity, passion and controversy of Christ's message as expressed through conquerors like Napoleon and modern martyrs like Pastor Kim and his congregation still amaze and mystify the casual observer. Jesus' words still captivate us over 2000 years after they were spoken. For example, Solomon Freehof, a professor at Hebrew Union College, says:

“...The significant fact is that time has not faded the vividness of his [Jesus'] image. Poetry still sings his praise. He is still the living comrade of countless lives. No Moslem ever sings, "Mohammed, lover of my soul," nor does any Jew say of Moses, the teacher, "I need thee every hour."  (Solomon B. Freehof. Professor at Hebrew Union College. 1892-1990.)

Flavius Claudius Julianus, the Roman emperor of the Constantine Dynasty circa 360 A.D., sought to destroy Christianity and replace it with Rome’s older Greek and pagan beliefs. Despite severe and horrible persecution throughout the reign of Nero and Caligula, Christianity had continued to grow, gaining more and more converts among the Romans. It was on the verge of becoming the dominant belief of the Roman empire - driving Rome's more primitive pagan religions to extinction. Because of his persecution against the early Christians, the oppressed followers of Jesus gave Julianus the affectionate title of "Julian the Apostate".  In spite of his labor to exterminate Christianity, he ironically served as a tool to verify its historicity by providing further documentation. The success of Christianity dumbfounded Julian - he could not understand why Jesus was so appealing to the Roman masses. As a passionate critic of the blossoming new belief system, he writes:

“Jesus…has now been celebrated about three hundred years having done nothing in his lifetime worthy of fame, unless anyone thinks it is a very great work to heal lame and blind people and exorcise demoniacs in the villages of Bethsaida and Bethany.”

He also wrote:

“These impious Galileans not only feed their own poor, but ours also; welcoming them into their agapae, they attract them, as children are attracted, with cakes. Whilst the pagan priests neglect the poor, the hated Galileans devote themselves to works of charity, and by a display of false compassion have established and given effect to their pernicious errors. See their love-feasts, and their tables spread for the indigent. Such practice is common among them, and causes a contempt for our gods.” (Julian the Apostate. Against the Galileans. 1923. pp.313-317.)

Julian was annoyed by the expression of love and compassion of a group of Christians who were sincerely living out and practicing their faith in Christ. He contrasts their behavior with pagan priests that lacked the same altruism, and Julian even advocated having the state pay the pagan priests to "care" for the poor through a makeshift welfare system. Julian assumed that the Galilean's compassion was utterly false. Yet these Christians were not practicing aberrant anomalies to Christ's teachings - there was no gimmick involved with their behavior. Julian could not understand, to his downfall, that these Galileans were not trying to con and trick unsuspecting Romans into conversion with fake concern over their welfare. They were merely living out the responsibilities of their faith as designed and outlined by its founder.

Jesus taught as a core principal that, if his followers did not feed the hungry or care for the poor and sick then they would have no part with him in eternity (Matthew 25:32-46). Christ taught that his followers had a responsibility to love their neighbors and care for those who experience misfortune in the parable of the Samaritan (Luke 10:33-37). He plainly instructed his followers that the world would recognize them by one aspect alone - their compassion for others (John 13:34-35). He taught them that every complicated rule governing human behavior and relationships - all that we define as morality, social responsibility and ethics, could be simplified down to one single word - love (Matthew 7:12 and Matthew 22:37-40). He had even taught them to love their enemies, to be kind to those who persecuted them and to pray for those who took advantage of them (Luke 6:27-31). Perhaps we could learn a lot about the real Jesus from the behavior of these early Galileans.

To Julian's great disdain, Rome's pagan priests had no true concern for the poor - they were more occupied with enriching themselves than others. In bitter irony Julian the Apostate, speaking from his seething hatred of the Galileans, pays these early followers of Jesus one of the greatest and longest lasting compliments ever given to the early church. After an unsuccessful life-long struggle against Christianity, Julian pays the Galileans one more compliment. It is recorded at the time of his death, fatally wounded by a spear, that he pointed his dagger up towards the sky and cried out “Vicisti, Galilaee”, which translates as “You have won, Galilean”.

In addition to Julian, the historical Jesus has received many more compliments from his critics. The renowned skeptic, Jean Jacques Rousseau, wrote "Emile" as a fictional account of a boy's struggle to obtain the education necessary to live appropriately. In his work, he writes:

¨...There could be no comparison between Socrates and Christ; as little as between a Sage and God... Shall we suppose the evangelical history a mere fiction? Indeed it bears no marks of fiction... On the contrary, the history of Socrates, which no one seems to doubt, is not so well attested as that of Jesus Christ.¨ (Jean Jacques Rousseau. Emile, or On Education. New York. Basic Books. 1979.)

A French scholar and critic of the Bible, Ernest Renan, after great efforts to discredit Biblical and Talmudic texts, writes of Christ in his work ¨Life of Jesus¨:

¨...a man of colossal dimensions; the incomparable man to whom the universal conscience has decreed the title of Son of God, and that with justice, since he caused religion to take a step in advance incomparably greater than any other in the past, and probably any yet to come...Whatever may be the surprises of the future, Jesus will never be surpassed.¨ (Ernest Renan. Life of Jesus. London. Trubner. 1844.)

Skeptic William E. H. Lecky authored “History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe”. In it he writes:

“It was reserved for Christianity to present to the world an ideal character, which through all the changes of eighteen centuries has inspired the hearts of men with an impassioned love; has shown itself capable of acting on all ages, nations, temperaments, and conditions; has not been only the highest pattern of virtue, but also the strongest incentive to its practice; and has exercised so deep an influence that it may be truly said that the simple record of three short years of active life has done more to regenerate and to soften mankind than all the disquisitions of philosophers and all the exhortions of moralists.”  Once again Christ takes compliments, even from his critics. (William Lecky. History of the Rise and Influence of the Spirit of Rationalism in Europe. New York. Dr. Appleton and Company. 1879.)

Literary figures have commented on Christ throughout history. William Shakespeare wrote in his will, ¨I commend my soul into the hands of God, my Creator, hoping and assuredly believing, through the merits of Jesus Christ my Savior to be made partaker of Life Everlasting.¨ Lord Byron once said, ¨If ever man was God or God man, Jesus Christ was both.¨  Charles Dickens once wrote “I commit my soul to the mercy of God, through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I now most solemnly impress upon you the truth and beauty of the Christian religion as it came from Christ himself, and the impossibility of going far wrong if you humbly but heartily respect it.”

Other historical figures have peppered the pages of history with their comments. Napoleon called Christ the "Emperor of Love". Theodore Parker describes Jesus as "The youth with God in his heart". Diderot refers to him as "The unsurpassed". John Stuart Mill called him "The guide of humanity". He was referenced by Pontius Pilate as "The man without fault". Francis Cobb labeled him "The regenerator of humanity".

Archeological Proof

There have been many challenges issued against the bible’s historical veracity. Amazingly, the bible has met each challenge with solid archeology. Talmudic and biblical texts are full of historical information that has been challenged and verified by archeological proof from what some say may be over 25,000 archeological digs and findings. Let's look at a few quotes from modern archeologists and researchers.

Before Chilean archeologist Dr. William Albright passed away in 1971, he said “There can be no doubt that archeology has confirmed the substantial historicity of the Old Testament tradition.” (William Albright. The Archaeology and Religion of Israel. p. 176.)

Archeologist  Merrill Unger stated that "Old Testament archaeology has rediscovered whole nations, resurrected important peoples, and in a most astonishing manner filled in historical gaps, adding immeasurably to the knowledge of biblical backgrounds." (Merrill F. Unger. Archaeology and the Old Testament. Chicago. Moody Press. 1954. p. 15.) 

Jewish archeologist Nelson Glueck makes the comment "It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference… the almost incredible historical memory of the Bible, particularly when we see that it is fortified by historical fact." (Dr. Nelson Glueck. Rivers in the Desert. New York. Farrar, Strous and Cudahy. 1959. 136.) 

Yale archeologist Millar Burrows was the director of Oriental Research in Jerusalem when the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered and unearthed from 1947 to 1979. These scrolls consisted of approximately 1,000 documents discovered in eleven caves amidst ruins on the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, commonly known as the West Bank. They were of great importance because before their discovery, the oldest Hebrew texts of the Bible could only be traced back to 800-900 A.D. This left scholars wondering how much of the original biblical texts had been lost or modified over time through various translations. The Dead Sea Scrolls date back almost to the time of Christ. Therefore they allowed scholars to compare Greek and Masoretic translations of biblical texts to confirm their accuracy over time. After examining and working with these archeological findings for decades, Millar writes in his book "What Mean These Stones":

“Archaeological work has unquestionably strengthened confidence in the reliability of the Scriptural record.  More than one archaeologist has found his respect for the Bible increased by the experience of excavation in Palestine... Archaeology has in many cases refuted the views of modern critics. It has shown in a number of instances that these views rest on false assumptions and unreal, artificial schemes of historical development ... The excessive skepticism of many liberal theologians stems not from a careful evaluation of the available data, but from an enormous predisposition against the supernatural.” (Millar Burrows. What Mean These Stones?. New York: Meridian Books. 1956.  p. 2, 52, 42, 176, 291.)

The Dead Sea Scrolls also led to further archeological substantiation of the New Testament. Archeologist  F.F. Bruce writes in his book "The New Testament Documents":

"Where Luke has been suspected of inaccuracy, and accuracy has been vindicated by some inscriptional evidence, it may be legitimate to say archaeology has confirmed the New Testament record." (F.F. Bruce. New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?. Downers Grove, IL. InterVarsity Press. 1943 and 1981.)

Let's list a few of the circumstances where the Bible has been challenged on its historical accuracy and vindicated by solid archeological evidence.

Genesis 14
Julius Wellhausen and Theodore Noldeke challenged the account of Genesis 14 where four kings from Mesopotamia and Babylonia invaded Sodom and Gomorrah and the kings surrounding the Dead Sea. These critics maintained that there could never have been contact between Babylonia and Palestine in that era. Therefore, they reasoned, one must draw the conclusion that Genesis was pure fiction without any historical virtue. Yet in 1890, after extensive excavations in Egypt by Dr. Flinders Petrie, archeological evidence was discovered documenting the existence of these four kings as well as where they pitched their camps. The one Genesis calls Amraphel was Hammurabi, the king who gave his "code of laws". (Julius Wellhausen. Prolegomena to the History of Israel, Ibid. 130-134.)  

The Hittites
The next bandwagon critics and skeptics jumped on was the mention of the Hittites in biblical and Talmudic texts. Challengers advocated that there were no Hittites – they were fabricated, and that therefore, the bible once again must be a work of complete fiction. It turned out that also, once again, they had jumped to conclusions. The German archeologist Dr. Hugo Winckler discovered more than 40 cities inhabited by the Hittites in numerous archeological digs. A treaty was found on a palace wall in Egypt regarding an alliance between the Egyptians and the Hittites. Babylonian engravings have been located naming the Hittites as a great nation between Egypt and Babylonia.  (Hugo Winckler. Gesetze Hammurabis. 1904.)

Jericho
Critics have challenged the biblical account of the battle of Jericho. The bible maintains that when the walls fell, Joshua led the Israelites to victory by climbing over the walls to invade the city. Skeptics argue that the walls of the city could not have fallen outward – walls only fall inward. British archeologist John Garstang excavated the site of Jericho from 1930 to 1936 and published in his findings: “As for the main fact, there remains no doubt the walls fell outward so completely that the attackers would be able to clamber up and over the ruins into the city.” (Garstang, John and Garstang, J.B.E. "The Story of Jericho". Hodder & Stoughton. 1940.)

The Last King of Babylon
The book of Daniel declares that Belshazzar was the last king of Babylon (Daniel 5:1-31). Critic Dean Farrar declared that historical texts made no mention of this king, rather they indicated that Nabonidus was the last king of Babylon. Once again among skeptics the sloppy conclusion was drawn that, therefore, the Bible could not be historically accurate. Once again, countering their frivolous assumptions, archeologists verified the integrity of Biblical history by unearthing four clay cylinders belonging to King Nabonidus while excavating the site of Ur that had been inhabited by the Chaldeans. The cylinders stated that when the general of Persia’s army, Gobryas, entered Babylon Belshazzar died the same day. The cylinders also related the construction of the Temple of the Moon God and contained prayers to that god for the king’s son Belshazzar. It was discovered that Belshazzar had ruled the capital and Nabonidus had ruled the rest of Babylon. (P.-A. Beaulieu. The reign of Nabonidus king of Babylon 556-539 B.C. New Haven CT. Yale University Press. 1989.)    

Bricks and Straw
In Exodus chapter 5 we read that the Israelites, enslaved by the Egyptians, had to build monuments and pyramids for their Egyptian masters. In the written biblical account, they first built bricks with mortar and straw. Then they were told they must gather their own straw. Finally they were told they must create bricks without straw. When Sir Flinders Petrie began excavating the locations of Raamses and Pithom, he found that the lower layers of brick were made with stubble whereas the upper layers of brick were created without straw. (Margaret S. Drower. Flinders Petrie: A Life in Archaeology. 1995.)

The Gospel of Luke
Once a skeptic, Sir William Ramsay, who happened to be an atheist, set out to disprove the book of Acts. With a Ph.D. from Oxford, he spent his entire life delving into archeology determined to disprove the historicity of the Bible. After 25 years of excavating in Israel and Palestine, he became so impressed with the accuracy of the gospel of Luke that he declared it was exact and accurate, down to the finest details. He also uncovered hundreds of pieces of evidence corroborating the accounts written of in the book of Acts during those 25 years. Converted by his own quest to disprove the gospels and the book of Acts, through the discipline of archeology, Ramsay himself became a follower of Jesus, shocking his skeptical colleagues. (Sir William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1925.) 

Moses' Authorship of the Pentateuch
Continuously, critics have accused and experts have refuted. Many critics maintained that Moses did not write the Pentateuch – the first 5 books in Jewish and Christian sacred texts. Dr. William F. Albright, a renowned archeologist of Johns Hopkins University, replies to their assumptions:

“It is, accordingly, sheer hypercriticism to deny the substantially Mosaic character of the Pentateuchal tradition” (Finkelstein, Israel and Silberman, Neil Asher. The Bible Unearthed: Archaeology's New Vision of Ancient Israel and the Origin of its Sacred Texts. The Free Press, a division of Simon and Schuster. 2001.)

Skeptics have maintained that the great flood described in the Bible was impossible and must discredit it as a historical document. Yet evidence for a catastrophic flood is found within dozens of different cultures and archeological sites spread across the globe. Babylonian tablets document the first ten kings of the empire and then mention a great deluge bringing decimation. In addition, geologic and fossil records in layers of sediment corroborate that there was some type of enormous flood that covered vast distances across Mesopotamia, giving the biblical accounts credibility. Other minute details of Biblical history that have been challenged by skeptics and vindicated by archeological evidence include:

1. Critics cited the Bible's mention of the Horites in Genesis 14:6 and 36:20 as proof of its inaccuracy. However, the Horites were discovered to have lived as cave-dwellers in archeological digs.

2. Critics maintained that it was impossible for all languages to originate from a common dialect. Genesis 11:1 declares that "The whole earth was of one language and one speech." Then God confounded man's language in Genesis 11:9. A century ago critics maintained that that must unravel the Bible's accuracy. Yet today, most philologists and linguists surmise that all human language derived from and may be traced to a common root language. Despite their differences, languages share a universal grammar. Ancient forerunners to modern western languages spoken today were PIE, or the proto-Indo-European dialect and proto-Germanic dialects. Linguists find as they move backwards through time that new languages continuously fork and split from a common ancestral dialect.

3. Critics said the Biblical record of the "laver" made of brass mirrors and used for ritual cleansing was not an original entry into the Priestly Code. This particular challenge from skeptics dated the writing of the law circa 500 B.C. However, archaeology has since found evidence that bronze mirrors existed in the Empire Period of Egypt's history, approximately 1500-1200 B.C. That would have been well within the time of Moses.

4. Critics said that the cities and nations the Bible referred to were fictitious - they never existed. Skeptics maintained that this must prove the inaccuracy of the Bible's account of history. Yet over the last two centuries Biblical cities such as Babylon, Bethel, Bethshan, Gezer, Jericho, Nineveh, Samaria, Shiloh, Ur and many others have since been excavated. These excavations have produced material which confirms the many minute historical details listed in Biblical texts.

Skeptics have placed the New Testament under exceptional scrutiny over the centuries. It too has had its share of vindication through the accumulation of solid archeological evidence.  

1. Critics maintained that Paul's epistle to the Romans was inaccurate because it mentioned a fictional person, Erastus, as treasurer of the Greek city of Corinth. It was while in Corinth that Paul wrote his letter to the Romans. In it Paul mentions the city treasurer was Erastus in Romans 16:23. Yet once again a biblical text was historically vindicated. In 1929 excavations in Corinth found this inscription on a pavement: "Erastus, curator of public buildings, laid this pavement at his own expense." The pavement dates from the 1st century A.D.

2. Critics maintained that the account of the birth of Christ was fictitious since there never was a census, that Quirinius was not Governor of Syria at that time and that everyone did not have to return to his home town. Archaeology has proven these critics wrong:

1.  Beginning with Augustus' reign, the Romans had a regular enrollment of taxpayers and held censuses every 14 years.

2.  Seven years before the birth of Christ, Quirinius became governor of Syria.

3.  A papyrus document unearthed in Egypt gives directions on how to conduct a census. Families would return to their place of ancestral origin to complete their registration.

3. Critics have scrutinized the usage of Luke's terminology in his gospel account:

1.  Luke referred to civil authorities in Thessalonica, the second largest city in Greece, as "politarchs." Critics argued that these titles never existed. However, 19 inscribed artifacts have been unearthed which utilize that exact title. 

2.  Critics theorized that the office of "proconsul" never existed, yet Luke referenced Gallio as possessing that particular title. At the archeological site of Delphi, an inscription was unearthed reading: "As Lucius Junius Gallio, my friend and the proconsul of Achaia." Again, the critics were wrong.

3.  Critics argued that two "duumuirs" would have ruled a town, whereas Luke called the rulers in Philippi "praetors".  Once again, critics maintained that this undermined the Bible. However, archaeology shows that the title of "praetor" was employed by the magistrates of a Roman colony - therefore Luke was right.

4. Critics maintained that Acts was unreliable because Luke wrote in Acts 14:6 that Lystra and Derbe were in Lycaonia and Iconium was not. Yet again, archeological proof vindicated the Bible. In 1910, Sir William Ramsay unearthed a monument that showed Iconium was a Phrygran city. Subsequent discoveries continue to confirm that.

The constant dialogue of challenge and response between Jesus myth theorists and the majority of historians continues. Myth theorists argue that Christ never existed - the majority of historians argue that his existence was indisputable. The accumulated historical and archeological evidence is massive and overwhelming for both the old and new testament accounts. The account of human history as it is presented within the Bible is built upon the solid empirical evidence that we have just examined. To ignore all of this evidence would require more blind faith and conjecture from the skeptic than the most improvable and improbable of religions could ever demand.

Chapter 2 - Who is the REAL Jesus?  |  Chapter 3 - Scientific Jesus  |  Bibliography

09/15/2008 ©Charles Germany