ARCHEOLOGY proves the Bible is true

[El_Jibaro]

REDISCOVERING THE PHILISTINES: THE EVIDENCE OF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY


In modern English, the word "Philistine" refers to an uncouth or uncultured person. The term is taken from the name of the people who were Israel's biggest rivals in the period between the Exodus and the reign of David.

Until recently, many scholars doubted the existence of the Philistines. But, as with so much of the biblical text, the more the archeologists dig, the more they confirm the historical nature of the biblical narratives.

As Jeffrey Sheler writes in his new book, Is the Bible True?, recent archeological discoveries have not only proven the existence of the Philistines, they have also revealed much about how they lived.

What's even more significant for the doubters is that much of what archeologists have learned confirms what the Bible says about the Philistines.

For instance, ancient Egyptian inscriptions indicated that the "Sea Peoples"--the ancient Near Eastern name for the Philistines--most likely came from the island of Crete.

Well, the books of Deuteronomy and Jeremiah say that the Philistines were originally from the land of Caphtor. And, as Sheler points out, scholars now believe that "Caphtor" is another name for Crete.

The Bible characterizes the Philistines as the best metal workers in the ancient Near East -- so much so that they exercised a virtual monopoly in the sword- making trade.

This characterization has been substantiated by the archeological record. The record confirms both the Philistines' skills in metallurgy and the advantage that their superior weaponry gave them in their battles with the Israelites -- just as 1 Samuel describes it.

There is a remarkable consistency between what the Bible says about the Philistines and what archeologists are finding. This consistency prompted William Dever of the University of Arizona to say "that all [the archeological evidence] 'fits' the many biblical allusions so well . . . [and] shows that a post-exilic editor cannot simply have invented these passages, that they are genuinely archaic."

In other words, archeology is debunking the idea that books such as Judges and 1 Samuel were the products of some later writer's fertile imagination. The authors of these books weren't inventing some glorious past for Israel. Instead, they were working with real history -- oral and written.

The narratives from the time of the Judges aren't the only ones being verified by archeologists. In fact, so many recent finds have given credence to the biblical text that Biblical Archeology Review suggests: "Biblical archeologists have been . . . heavily criticized [for] being biased, for trying to prove the Bible."

Well, of course, that's not what motivates researchers. Good researchers simply follow the evidence wherever it leads.

Many people -- Christians and non-Christians alike -- seem to believe that science is the enemy of faith. But new discoveries in the Middle East show us that scientific knowledge, when it is simply testing facts, often buttresses faith . And that's something the forum members here need to learn about.

Because, as it turns out, the real Philistines of our day are those who simply dismiss the Bible WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE FACTS.

Those who want to dismiss the Bible do it out of MORAL CONVENIENCE...

[conciencia]

Jibaro, I got your back on this one. Hey I like the Rican flag, hmmmmmm.

[Leticia_g]

Jibaro, In all reality, science only proves some religion wrong, not all. The jewish religion is one that I feel it doesn't prove wrong, however, Catholisism is very much questionable since most of their belief is based on the New Testament. Almost as if everything started then. That is why they teach you not to believe scientific evidence.

Archeological evidence is everywhere indicating the existence of everything we read in the bible. The more is found the more concrete is the fact that we must search and study the bible.