Historical Accuracy of the Bible
By Timothy Glover
The Bible is a record of God’s dealings with man over a lengthy period of time. It is neither a history book nor a science book. Yet, when it handles information in either area, it is remarkably accurate. While it does not attempt to give detail in either area, it records significant events of various periods which include historical and cultural statements. They have not attempted to revise the Bible because of inaccurate historical statements. If we can discover any error in the historical data, then it would cast a doubt upon the accuracy of any claims made in it.
Humanity would have the right to disregard it as a revelation from God. But, if even the incidental statements of history prove accurate, then its message must be taken seriously.
The field of archaeology is an unending work. Yet, the excavations that have been undertaken have verified the claims of the Bible. For example, the Mari tablets contain thousands of tablets from Abraham’s time and reveal many of the same customs of the Old Testament Hebrews. The Patriarchal accounts fit into the Middle Bronze Age between 1900 and 1500 B.C.E.
Many of the biblical sites like Gibeon, Derbe, Gezer, or Thyatira have been identified. The custom of having a handmaid have a child as in Abraham and Hagar is a custom peculiar to the patriarchal age. It is allowed by the Nuzi tablets and the Code of Hammurabi. Hundreds of examples could be sites that show the historical accuracy of the Bible. William Albright said of the Bible, “Thanks to modern research we now recognize its substantial historicity. The narratives of the Patriarchs, of Moses and the Exodus, of the conquest of Canaan, of the judges, the monarchy, exile and restoration, have all been confirmed and illustrated to an extent that I shall have thought impossible forty years ago.” (“Return to Biblical Theology”, The Christian Century, Nov. 19, 1958, p. 1329). Since then, many more proofs have been added in proof of the Bible’s accuracy.
Those who attack the Bible commonly make definitive statements of denial concerning a place or person just because they have yet to find archeological proof of their existence. A common pattern is seen in their study. A complete denial is followed by a discovery that prove their assertions false. Recent history has shown that many people and places that were once rejected as real have been proven by archaeological excavations. For example, critics have denied the existence of the Hittites. Now, we can get a degree in Hittite civilization from the University of Pennsylvania. It seems foolish to make hasty assertions based upon the lack of evidence since there is so much yet to be uncovered plus a vast work remaining to be done with what has been found.
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