Archeology Confirms the Biblical Record

Does Archaeology Confirm the Biblical Record?

1. Exodus 12:29 states that the first-born son of Pharaoh, as well as every first-born son of Egypt, died. Historians believe that the Pharaoh with whom Moses dealt was either Amenhotep II or Merneptah. Whichever it was, inscriptions have been found that neither was succeeded by his first-born son.
2. In Exodus 5:7-19, the Bible tells us that Pharaoh, after providing straw for the Hebrew slaves, would provide straw no more. Naville (1883) and Kyle (1908), found at Pithom, the lower courses of brick filled with good, chopped straw; the middle course with less straw; and the upper course with no straw whatsoever.
3. Joshua 2:15 tells us that Rahab’s house was upon the town wall. Did the ancient inhabitants really build houses on the wall? Garstang found in Jericho the ruins of double walls, fifteen feet apart, linked together by houses built across the top!
4. I Samuel 31:10 tells us that King Saul’s armor was placed in the house of Ashtaroth. I Chronicles 10:10 tells us that King Saul’s head was placed in the temple of Dagon. Did such temples ever exist? Before 1921, the skeptic would argue that no such temple ever existed. However, between 1921 and 1930, the University Museum of Pennsylvania found in Bethshan the ruins of a temple of Ashteroth, as well as the ruins of a temple of Dagon.
5. In I Kings 14:25-26, we are told that Shishak took away gold from King Solomon. In 1939, Shishak’s mummy was found – in a gold-covered sarcophagus.
6. In II Kings 9:30, the Bible says that Jezebel painted her face. The actual saucers in which Jezebel mixed her cosmetics have been found in Samaria. Small stone boxes, with a number of holes for various colors: kohl for black, turquoise for green, ochre for red; with a central depression for mixing. They still had traces of red.
7. The Biblical books of Kings and Chronicles record details of the reign of kings Uzziah, Ahaz, Menahem, Pekah, and Hoshea. These five Hebrew kings are named in the inscriptions of Pul, an Assyrian king.
8. The northern kingdom of Israel was carried away to Assyria by Tiglath-pileser. An inscription of Tiglath-pileser was found. It read, “The people of the land of Omri I deported to Assyria.”
9. King Uzziah’s gravestone has been found by Dr. Sukenik of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
10. II Chronicles 32:5 tells us that Hezekiah made repairs to the wall of Jerusalem. These repairs can be distinctly seen today!
11. II Kings 20:20 describes a tunnel built by King Hezekiah. This tunnel, which runs 1,700 feet through solid rock, has been found!
12. King Hezekiah, according to II Kings 18:14-16, paid tribute to the Assyrian king Sennacherib. One of Sennacherib’s inscriptions has been found, which says, “The fear of my majesty overwhelmed Hezekiah. He sent tribute.”
13. Isaiah 20:1 tells of an Assyrian king by the name of Sargon. No other ancient literature mentioned this king at all, leaving skeptics to wonder whether he existed at all. However, in 1842, Botta discovered the ruins of his palace, showing him to have been one of the greatest Assyrian kings.
14. Esther’s palace, Esther 1:2, has been excavated. The king’s gate, Esther 4:2; the inner court, Esther 5:1; the outer court, Esther 6:4; and the palace garden, Esther 7:7; have all been located and clearly identified in the ruins.
15. Daniel 1:1 tells of a Babylonian king named Nebuchadnezzar. A cameo of Nebuchadnezzar’s head, carved by his own order, has been found.
16. Belshazzar, according to Daniel 5, was king of Babylon. However, no mention of Belshazzar was found in Babylonian records until 1853. Since that time, inscriptions have been found, which prove Belshazzar to have reigned with the last king of Babylon, confirming the events of the fifth chapter of Daniel.
17. The book of Jonah is one of the most disputed books of the Bible. Did a prophet named Jonah really go to Nineveh and preach? One of Nineveh’s mounds is called the “Jonah” mound.
18. The site of Christ’s crucifixion has been found.
19. An empty tomb, corresponding with the details of Joseph’s tomb, in which Christ was buried, has been found.
20. In Revelation, John writes seven letters to seven churches. All seven of these ancient congregations have been found.

These are only a few archeological discoveries that confirm the Biblical record. These have been taken from Halley’s Bible Handbook by H.H. Halley.