Monday Musings – Major Archaeological Finds – Part 1

Let’s think about archaeology. What do we know about archaeology? Before reading the Bible, I honestly didn’t think about the subject. I think the closest I ever came to digging up bones was at Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World. They have a dino exhibit where children can dig for fake dinosaur bones buried beneath the sand. But there have been some major archaeological finds that need to be considered.

Did you know that there are real archaeological digs currently taking place in the Middle East? That’s right – in Israel. The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs is just one group that sets up digs and excavations throughout the year. They choose specific locations and supply the information, work schedule, and program dates.

I understand some think the Bible is a book of fairy tales and a bunch of false narratives.

“How could any of it be true? How could there be a God who created the first man and woman? And this Jesus you speak of? Raised from the dead? Not possible.”

But what if archaeology proves the people mentioned in the Bible did exist thousands of years ago? What if these archaeological digs help prove that buildings and buried cities from Bible times did exist? What if these digs prove the Bible is not a fairy tale?

Have you been to Israel and seen the very spots referenced in the Bible? Have you walked in the gardens referenced in the Bible? What about looking out over the valley from the mountains referenced in the Bible? These places still exist today.

It’s not my job to convince you; it’s to share the information I find for your consideration.

Let’s look at two of the many archaeological finds made during archaeological digs in the state of Israel.

The Dead Sea Scrolls

I obtained the following information from the Israel Antiquities Authority. My Bible Dictionary records many pieces of archaeological artifacts.

The Dead Sea Scrolls have been a point of fascination for years. What are the Dead Sea Scrolls, and where did they come from?

Let’s start with a definition from the Bible Dictionary. Originally Published 1963 by Merrill C. Tenney

“Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in AD 1947 by a Bedouin and brought to the attention of the scholarly world late that year and early in 1948. The discoveries were made in caves located in the marly cliffs a mile or so west of the NW corner of the Dead Sea, at a place known by the modern Arabic name of Qumran, which is near a copious spring of fresh water known as Ain Feshkha. This location is at the eastern edge of the Wilderness of Judah. 

The scrolls were seen by several scholars in the latter part of 1947, some of whom have admitted that they passed them up as forgeries. One of the scholars who recognized the antiquity of the scrolls was the late Professor Eleazar L. Sukenik of Hebrew University, who was subsequently successful in purchasing some of them.

Other scrolls were taken to the American School of Oriental Research in Jerusalem, where the acting director, Dr. John C. Trever, was convinced of their value and arranged to photograph the portions that were brought to him. One of his photographs was sent to Professor William F. Albright, who promptly declared that this was “the most important discovery ever made in OT manuscripts.”

The Israel Antiquities Authority

The Dead Sea Scrolls were first exhibited in the Library of Congress in Washington in 1993. 

Another item of interest about the Dead Sea Scrolls