"Kurt Gavin" > wrote in message thlink.net...
>
> "St. Jockofgrapes" > wrote in message ...
>>
>> "Kurt Gavin" > wrote in message nk.net...
>>> Personally, I don't care much for all this "love" talk, coming from the myth book of an institution that has a history of
>>> ignorance, murder and terror.
>>>
>>> If the gods yahweh and jesus are real, then let them appear, prove their existences and powers, and let man know what they want.
>>>
>>> If they can't do that, then forget it - it's not real. <== ALREADY HAVE!
>
> No they haven't - the yarns about yahweh and jesus appearing are very phoney. The book of judas <== false book. (-:
==
Archaeology and the New Testament Written by Patrick Zukeran
There is an ongoing debate among scholars regarding the historical accuracy
of the Bible. Some feel that the Bible is a fictitious work and should be
read as a work of literary fiction. Others feel it is an accurate
historical work divinely inspired by God. Archaeology has played a major
role in determining the trustworthiness of the Bible. In a previous
article, we discussed archaeological confirmations of the Old Testament. In
this one, we will look at the archaeological discoveries that have
confirmed the historical accuracy of the New Testament. There is a great
deal of evidence outside of the Bible that confirms the account of Jesus as
written in the Gospels.
It is important to realize, however, that it is unrealistic to expect
archaeology to back up every event and place in the New Testament. Our
perspective is to look for what evidence exists and see whether or not it
corresponds with the New Testament.
Historical Confirmation of Jesus The first evidence comes from the four
Gospels which, themselves, are proven to be accurate.{1} Outside the
biblical text are several witnesses as well. Jewish historian Josephus (37
A.D.-100 A.D.) recorded the history of the Jewish people in Palestine from
70 A.D. to 100 A.D. In his work Antiquities, he states: Now there was about
this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a 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. He was the Christ 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. For he appeared alive again the third
day, as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand other
wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of Christians, so named from
him, are not extinct to this day.{2}
Although he mentions Jesus in a sarcastic way, Josephus confirms the facts
that Jesus did do many great miracles, drew a following, was crucified, and
was proclaimed alive on the third day.
Pliny the Younger, Emperor of Bythynia in northwestern Turkey, writing to
Emperor Trajan in 112 A.D. writes:
They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was
light, when they sang an anthem to Christ as God, and bound themselves by a
solemn oath not to commit any wicked deed, but to abstain from all fraud,
theft and adultery, never to break their word, or deny a trust when called
upon to honor it; after which it was their custom to separate, and then
meet again to partake of food, but ordinary and innocent kind.
One of the most important Romans historians is Tacitus. In 115 A.D. he
recorded Nero's persecution of the Christians, in the process of which he
wrote the following:
Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty
during the reign of Tiberius 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, . . . but even in Rome.{3}
There are over 39 extra-biblical sources that attest to over one hundred
facts regarding the life and teachings of Jesus.
Accuracy of the Gospels The accuracy of the Gospels has been supported by
archaeology. The names of many of the Israelite cities, events, and people
described in them have now been located. Here are a few examples.
The Gospels mention four neighboring and well-populated coastal cities
along the Sea of Galilee: Capernaum, Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Tiberias.
Jesus performed many miracles in the first three cities. Despite this
testimony, these cities rejected Jesus and therefore were cursed by Him
(Matt. 11:20-24; Luke 10:12-16). These cities eventually disappeared from
history and their locations remained missing for centuries. Their demise
fulfills the prophetic condemnation of Jesus.
Only recently has archaeology recovered their possible locations. Tell Hum
is believed to be Capernaum. (A "tell" is a mound or elevated land that has
arisen by repeated and long-term rebuilding of the same site. Layers of
civilizations can be found at different strata). The locations of Bethsaida
and Chorazin still remain unconfirmed, but the present site at a tell 1.5
miles north of the Galilean shoreline is believed to be Bethsaida, while
Tell Khirbet Kerezah, 2.5 miles northwest of Capernaum, is thought to be
Chorazin.
Matthew 2 states that Jesus was born during the reign of Herod. Upon
hearing that a king had been born, the frightened Herod ordered all
children under the age of two to be killed. His slaughter of innocents is
consistent with the historical facts that describe his character. Herod was
suspicious of anyone whom he thought may take his throne. His list of
victims included one of his ten wives, who was his favorite, three of his
own sons, a high priest, an ex-king, and two of his sister's husbands.
Thus, his brutality portrayed in Matthew is consistent with his description
in ancient history.
John's accuracy has also been attested to by recent discoveries. In John
5:1-15 Jesus heals a man at the Pool of Bethesda. John describes the pool
as having five porticoes. This site had long been in dispute until
recently. Forty feet underground, archaeologists discovered a pool with
five porticoes, and the description of the surrounding area matches John's
description. In 9:7 John mentions another long disputed site, the Pool of
Siloam. However, this pool was also discovered in 1897, upholding the
accuracy of John.
Evidence for Pontius Pilate, the governor who presided over the trial of
Jesus, was discovered in Caesarea Maritama. In 1961, an Italian
archaeologist named Antonio Frova uncovered a fragment of a plaque that was
used as a section of steps leading to the Caesarea Theater. The
inscription, written in Latin, contained the phrase, "Pontius Pilatus,
Prefect of Judea has dedicated to the people of Caesarea a temple in honor
of Tiberius." This temple is dedicated to the Emperor Tiberius who reigned
from 14-37 A.D. This fits well chronologically with the New Testament which
records that Pilot ruled as procurator from 26-36 A.D. Tacitus, a Roman
historian of the first century, also confirms the New Testament designation
of Pilate. He writes, "Christus, from whom the name had its origin,
suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of
one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus. . . ."
Confirmation Regarding the Crucifixion All four Gospels give details of the
crucifixion of Christ. Their accurate portrayal of this Roman practice has
been confirmed by archaeology. In 1968, a gravesite in the city of
Jerusalem was uncovered containing thirty- five bodies. Each of the men had
died a brutal death which historians believe was the result of their
involvement in the Jewish revolt against Rome in 70 A.D.
The inscription identified one individual as Yohan Ben Ha'galgol. Studies
of the bones performed by osteologists and doctors from the Hadassah
Medical School determined the man was twenty-eight years old, stood five
feet six inches, and had some slight facial defects due to a cleft right
palate.
What intrigued archaeologists were the evidences that this man had been
crucified in a manner resembling the crucifixion of Christ. A seven-inch
nail had been driven through both feet, which were turned outward so the
nail could be hammered inside the Achilles tendon.
Archaeologists also discovered that nails had been driven through his lower
forearms. A victim of a crucifixion would have to raise and lower his body
in order to breathe. To do this, he needed to push up on his pierced feet
and pull up with his arms. Yohan's upper arms were smoothly worn,
indicating this movement.
John records that in order to expedite the death of a prisoner,
executioners broke the legs of the victim so that he could not lift himself
up by pushing with his feet (19:31-33). Yohan's legs were found crushed by
a blow, breaking them below the knee. The Dead Sea Scrolls tell that both
Jews and Romans abhorred crucifixion due to its cruelty and humiliation.
The scrolls also state it was a punishment reserved for slaves and any who
challenged the ruling powers of Rome. This explains why Pilate chose
crucifixion as the penalty for Jesus.
Relating to the crucifixion, in 1878 a stone slab was found in Nazareth
with a decree from Emperor Claudius who reigned from 41-54 A.D. It stated
that graves must not be disturbed nor bodies to be removed. The punishment
on other decrees is a fine but this one threatens death and comes very
close to the time of the resurrection. This was probably due to Claudius
investigating the riots of 49 A.D. He had certainly heard of the
resurrection and did not want any similar incidents. This decree was
probably made in connection with the Apostles' preaching of Jesus'
resurrection and the Jewish argument that the body had been stolen.
Historian Thallus wrote in 52 A.D. Although none of his texts remain, his
work is cited by Julius Africanus' work, Chronography. Quoting Thallus on
the crucifixion of Christ, Africanus states, "On the whole world, there
pressed a most fearful darkness, and the rocks were rent by an earthquake,
and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown down."{4} Thallus
calls this darkness, "as appears to me without reason, an eclipse of the
sun."{5}
All the discoveries made are consistent with the details in the crucifixion
account given by the writers of the Gospels. These facts lend indirect
support for the biblical accounts of Jesus' crucifixion and that the tomb
was empty.
Historical Accuracy of Luke At one time, scholars did not view Luke's
historical accounts in his Gospel and Acts as accurate. There appeared to
be no evidence for several cities, persons, and locations that he named in
his works. However, archaeological advances have revealed that Luke was a
very accurate historian and the two books he has authored remain accurate
documents of history.
One of the greatest archaeologists is the late Sir William Ramsay. He
studied under the famous liberal German historical schools in the
mid-nineteenth century. Known for its scholarship, this school taught that
the New Testament was not a historical document. With this premise, Ramsay
investigated biblical claims as he searched through Asia Minor. What he
discovered caused him to reverse his initial view. He wrote:
I began with a mind unfavorable to it [Acts], for the ingenuity and
apparent completeness of the Tubingen theory had at one time quite
convinced me. It did not then in my line of life to investigate the subject
minutely; but more recently I found myself often brought into contact with
the Book of Acts as an authority for the topography, antiquities, and
society of Asia Minor. It was gradually borne in upon me that in various
details the narrative showed marvelous truth.{6}
Luke's accuracy is demonstrated by the fact that he names key historical
figures in the correct time sequence as well as correct titles to
government officials in various areas: Thessalonica, politarchs; Ephesus,
temple wardens; Cyprus, proconsul; and Malta, the first man of the island.
In Luke's announcement of Jesus' public ministry (Luke 3:1), he mentions,
"Lysanius tetrarch of Abilene." Scholars questioned Luke's credibility
since the only Lysanius known for centuries was a ruler of Chalcis who
ruled from 40-36 B.C. However an inscription dating to be in the time of
Tiberius, who ruled from 14-37 A.D., was found recording a temple
dedication which names Lysanius as the "tetrarch of Abila" near Damascus.
This matches well with Luke's account.
In Acts 18:12-17, Paul was brought before Gallio, the proconsul of Achaea.
Once again archaeology confirms this account. At Delphi an inscription of a
letter from Emperor Claudius was discovered. In it he states, "Lucius
Junios Gallio, my friend, and the proconsul of Achaia . . ."{7} Historians
date the inscription to 52 A.D. which corresponds to the time of the
apostle's stay in 51.
In Acts 19:22 and Romans 16:23, Erastus, a coworker of Paul, is named the
Corinthian city treasurer. Archaeologists excavating a Corinthian theatre
in 1928 discovered an inscription. It reads, "Erastus in return for his
aedilship laid the pavement at his own expense." The pavement was laid in
50 A.D. The designation of treasurer describes the work of a Corinthian
aedile.
In Acts 28:7, Luke gives Publius, the chief man on the island of Malta, the
title, "first man of the island." Scholars questioned this strange title
and deemed it unhistorical. Inscriptions have recently been discovered on
the island that indeed gives Publius the title of "first man."
"In all, Luke names thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities, and nine
islands without error."{8} A. N. Sherwin-White states, "For Acts the
confirmation of historicity is overwhelming. . . . Any attempt to reject
its basic historicity must now appear absurd. Roman historians have long
taken it for granted."{9}
The Shroud of Turin The Gospels record that after His crucifixion Jesus was
wrapped in a long linen cloth and placed in the tomb (Matt. 27:59). John
records that when Peter investigated the empty tomb, he found the burial
cloth folded neatly next to where Christ once laid (20:6-7).
A linen shroud called the Shroud of Turin, on display at the Vatican, has
been claimed to be that burial cloth. It is 14.25 feet long and 3.5 feet
wide. On it is an image with pierced wrists and ankles believed to be that
of Christ.
The shroud first appeared for public display sometime after 1357 in Lirey,
France. A knight named Geoffrey de Charny brought the shroud to France. In
1453 de Charny's granddaughter gave the shroud to the Duke of Savoy who
then in 1578 brought it to Turin, Italy. In 1983, it was willed to the
Vatican.
In 1898, Secondo Pia photographed the shroud and believed the image was a
negative image like that of a photograph. This added to the mystery of the
shroud since photography had not been invented during medieval times. In
1973 a group of experts confirmed the fact that no pigment of paint was
found even under magnification. For many, this was proof of the shroud's
authenticity.
The most extensive study was undertaken in 1977. An international team of
Swiss, American, and Italian scientist studied the shroud for five days at
the Savoy Royal Palace at Turin. They used six tons of equipment and 2.5
million dollars for their research. It has been one of the most intensely
studied artifacts of all time.
The study could not determine the authenticity of the fabric. Experiments
that followed proved the image contained blood as well as aragonite, a
particular calcium carbonate that is found in Jerusalem's first century
tombs. Swiss criminologist Max Frei found forty-eight samples of pollen, of
which seven could have come from plants in Palestine. The weave of the
cloth was herringbone twill, a style that existed in ancient times.
Although these findings supported the authenticity of the shroud, other
findings testified otherwise. In 1987, the shroud was carbon 14 tested to
verify its date. Laboratories in Oxford, Zurich, and the University of
Arizona tested the cloth. The result indicated a fourteenth century date
for the shroud. This conclusion continues to be challenged and future tests
are sure to follow. Another problem is that coins minted by Pontius Pilate
were placed over the eyes of the figure. This was not a Jewish custom, nor
does it seem likely that Joseph of Arimathea or Nicodemus would have placed
on Jesus' eyes a coin with the image of the leader who condemned him.
Despite the fourteenth century date, scientists are still unable to explain
how the negative image was created. The shroud remains a mystery as well as
a lesson for us as believers that we should not put our faith in mysterious
articles.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Notes
1. See "Authority of the Bible".
2. Josephus, Book 18, Chapter 3:3
3. Tacitus, Annals, 15.44
4. Julius Africanus, Chronography, 18:1.
5. Ibid.
6. William Ramsay, St. Paul the Traveler and the Roman Citizen (Grand
Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1982), 8.
7. John McRay, Archaeology and the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI.: Baker
Books, 1991), 227.
8. Norman Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Apologetics (Grand Rapids, MI.:
Baker Books, 1999), 47.
9. A. N. Sherwin-White, Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament
(Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1963), 189.
©2000 Probe Ministries.
==
>describes how jesus had to ORDER judas to pretend to betray him to the priests, so he could be victimized and APPEAR to fulfill
>some sort of prophecy.
>
> Not very godlike behavior.
>
> In any case, unless they lived once, but are dead now, let these "gods" appear to all of mankind and prove their existences and
> powers, and let man know what they want.
>
>
> If they can't do that, then forget it - it's not real.
>
>
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