The Bible Manuscripts and Archaeology

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The Bible Manuscripts and Archaeology

• Archaeological findings strongly support the
  historical accuracy of the Bible.

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Introduction

• In recent lessons we have looked at a number of
  ways that strongly support the historicity,
  reliability, and accuracy of the Bible science
  and prophecy.
• These evidences provide affirmation to what
  believers are already convicted about that the
  Bible is the inspired word of God. 2 Tim. 316-17
• These evidences serve as another witness
  attesting the truthfulness and inerrancy of the
  Bible.

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Introduction

• In this lesson we shall look other evidences
  that serve as more evidence for the
  truthfulness of the scriptures.
• Old and New Testaments manuscripts.
• A few extra biblical archaeological findings

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The Old Testament Manuscripts

• Dead Sea scrolls (DSS).
• Over 800 manuscripts 15,000 fragments found
  throughout the 11 caves.
• Dated 150 B.C. 65 A.D.
• Every O.T. book except Esther found.
• Merrill F. Unger This complete document of
  Isaiah quite understandably created a sensation
  since it was the first major Biblical manuscript
  of great antiquity ever to be recovered. Interest
  in it was especially keen since it antedates by
  more than a 1,000 years the oldest Hebrew texts
  preserved in the Masoretic tradition.

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Dead Sea Scrolls
"Probably the Dead Sea Scrolls have had the
greatest Biblical impact. they have provided Old
Testament manuscripts approximately 1,000 years
older than our previous oldest manuscript. The
Dead Sea Scrolls have demonstrated that the Old
Testament was accurately transmitted during this
interval. In addition, they provide a wealth of
information on the times leading up to, and
during, the life of Christ.--Dr. Bryant Wood,
archaeologist, Associates for Biblical Research
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Septuagint (Tetragrammaton)
According to scholars, no copies of the
Septuagint dated before the mid-2nd century CE/AD
substitutes the Tetragrammaton (Yahweh's name)
with "Kyrios" (the Greek word Lord).
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The Old Testament Manuscripts

• Septuagint Greek Old Testament
• Many of the New Testament quotations come from
  the Septuagint version of the Jewish Bible.
• It was regarded by Jews as the Christian Old
  Testament.
• These copies are slightly older than the Dead Sea
  Scrolls. 250-65 B.C.

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The Old Testament Manuscripts
An example of the preservation of the Old
Testament (Samuel Davidson describes some of the
disciplines of the Talmudists in regard to the
Scriptures)

• A synagogue roll must be written on the skins of
  clean animals,
• prepared for the particular use of the synagogue
  by a Jew.
• These must be fastened together with strings
  taken from clean animals.
• Every skin must contain a certain number of
  columns, equal throughout the entire codex.
• The length of each column must not extend over
  less than 48 or more than 60 lines and the
  breadth must consist of thirty letters.

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The Old Testament Manuscripts

• The whole copy must be first-lined and if three
  words be written without a line, it is worthless.
  
• The ink should be black, neither red, green, nor
  any other color, and be prepared according to a
  definite recipe.
• An authentic copy must be the examplar, from
  which the transcriber ought not in the least
  deviate.
• No word or letter, not even a yod, must be
  written from memory, the scribe not having looked
  at the codex before him
• Between every consonant the space of a hair or
  thread must intervene

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The Old Testament Manuscripts

• between every new parashah, or section, the
  breadth of nine consonants
• between every book, three lines.
• The fifth book of Moses must terminate exactly
  with a line but the rest need not do so.
• Besides this, the copyist must sit in full Jewish
  dress,
• wash his whole body,
• not begin to write the name of God with a pen
  newly dipped in ink,
• and should a king address him while writing that
  name he must take no notice of him.
• (numbering incorporated by Geisler and Nix)

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The Old Testament Manuscripts

• There is no possible way that the copies of the
  Old Testament manuscript could have been written
  after Jesus was born.
• This means that the prophecies as noted in the
  Old Testament

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Constantin von Tischendorf
Found nearly complete 4th century (350 A.D.) New
Testament manuscript in 1859 in Mt. Sinai. Hence
the name of Old/New Testaments Codex Sinaiticus
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The Old Testament Manuscripts

• New Testament
• The number of manuscripts (Josh McDowell and Bill
  Wilson, A Ready Defense).
• There are over 24,000 existing manuscripts (5,700
  in Greek) of the New Testament.
• Copies in existence are as recent as 50-225 years
  from the time of the resurrection

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The Old Testament Manuscripts

• Comparison between New Testament manuscripts and
  other ancient manuscripts.

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Extra Biblical Findings

• The following are archaeological findings
  independent from the Old and New Testament
  manuscripts
• They are independent because they are not the
  actual writings of the scriptures.
• They include information, however, found in the
  scriptures.

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SumeriansThe Weld-Blundell Prism

• The script is known as cuneiform, after the Latin
  word (cuneus) for a wedge.
• The Sumerian people developed this writing
  system, the oldest yet known, in about 3000BC.
• The writing records the names of the rulers of
  central and southern Iraq.
• Also has the recording of a great flood

This Prism is believed to have been written in
1800 B.C. in the city of Larsa by an unknown
scribe
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Extra Biblical Findings

• Sumerians (The Weld-Blundell Prism)
• Skeptics previously stated that the Old Testament
  books of Moses could not have been written in
  1500 B.C. because written languages did not exist
  during that time.
• The Sumerian people developed this writing
  system, the oldest yet known, in about 3000BC.

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Silver Amulets

• Numbers 624-26 "May the Lord bless you and keep
  you may the Lord cause his face to shine upon
  you and be gracious to you may the Lord lift up
  his countenance upon you and grant you peace."
• (Scholars) concluded that the amulets probably
  dated back to the pre-Exile, First Temple period.
  Their findings don't prove that the Pentateuch
  dates back that far, but they do suggest that at
  least some portions of the Book of Numbers were
  in existence at that time.

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Extra Biblical Findings

• Silver Amulets
• Amulets with a priestly benediction of Numbers
  624-25
• Scholars believe that the engraving is believed
  to have been written before the Babylonian
  captivity.

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The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III (842-815
B.C.)
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Extra Biblical Findings

• The Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III
• Jehu was king from about 841-814 B.C.
• The inscription on this particular section of the
  panel reads Tribute of Jehu, son of Omri,
  silver, gold, a golden bowl, a golden beaker,
  golden goblets, pitchers of gold, lead, staves
  for the bed of the king, javelins, I received
  from him.
• The pillar was found in Nimrod (Babylon) and
  records Jehus tribute to Shalmaneser III.

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James, son of Joseph, brother of Jesus
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Extra Biblical Findings

• The Ossuary of James, brother of Jesus
• The inscription on the box states James, son of
  Joseph, brother of Jesus
• While not conclusive that this box actually the
  James brother of Jesus the probability is
  regarded highly among historians.

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Taylor Prism (Sennacherib Hexagonal Prism)

• This six-sided hexagonal prism commonly known as
  the Taylor Prism, was discovered among the ruins
  of Nineveh, the ancient capital of the Assyrian
  Empire.
• It contains the victories of Sennacherib
• Besieged Jerusalem in 701 BC during the reign of
  king Hezekiah, it never mentions any defeats.
• On the prism Sennacherib boasts that he shut up
  "Hezekiah the Judahite" within Jerusalem his own
  royal city "like a caged bird."
• This prism is among the three accounts discovered
  so far which have been left by the Assyrian king
  Sennacherib of his campaign against Israel and
  Judah.

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Cyrus Cylinder 538 B.C.Ezra 11
"...I am Cyrus. King of the world. When I entered
Babylon...I did not allow anyone to terrorize the
land...I kept in view the needs of the people and
all its sanctuaries to promote their
well-being...I put an end to their misfortune.
The Great God has delivered all the lands into my
hand the lands that I have made to dwell in a
peaceful habitation..."
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Conclusion

• This sampling of evidences from archaeology is a
  continuance from so many other evidences in favor
  of the authenticity, reliability, and accuracy of
  the Bible.
• May our faith be ever strengthened in the God
  above who has given to us His word of salvation.