It's a dismal fact that one generation generally knows little about those that came before, even the one immediately preceding it. This is why even significant people and events can be quickly forgotten, and the lessons of history must be learned over and over again. A shining example of this is that people still ask the question: 'Is the Bible true?' even though this is the best-documented book ever.
Even in modern times - or maybe especially in modern times - archaeologists and anthropologists use the Bible as their most reliable source material. For example, it wasn't until 1993 that a secular historic reference was found to validate the existence of David, Israel's most famous King. Words carved on a basalt rock were discovered that year that spoke of his reign. In 2005, an archaeologist discovered the ruins of David's palace, just where the Old Testament accounts said it would be.
Contrary to popular belief, science also validates the scriptures. The Book of Isaiah, which scholars date centuries before the birth of Christ, tells us that the earth is round. The 'flat earth' theory was mandated as truth until the end of the Middle Ages; to say otherwise was considered heresy, a violation of the very Holy Writ that tells us the truth scientists later proved.
Another account, the Book of Job, is considered symbolic rather than historical. Many regard it as poetry. God's truth is revealed all through it, however. We read that plants make their food from sunlight (now called the process of photosynthesis), that there are springs of fresh water deep under the saltwater oceans, and that light is made up of many colors and can be separated into a rainbow spectrum.
It is ironic that so many say that the Age of Science did away with any basis for reliance on biblical texts. The fact is that many so-called ground-breaking scientific discoveries have been refuted, while the biblical accounts are recognized as accurate. A reading of the scriptures can even trigger new ideas, like the 'paths of the ocean' mentioned in Psalm 8. Matthew Maury read the psalm, wondered about the meaning of the 'paths', and found the Gulf Stream, a strong current that affects both ocean and land. He was not the first to document it, but the psalm is what led him to find it for himself.
The Smithsonian Institute is not regarded as a supporter of Christianity, but this prestigious organization has issued a statement calling biblical records the most accurate that we have. In comparison with those of other ancient civilizations - Greek, Egyptian, Mesopotamian - they are more reliable. Modern archaeology both uses the scriptures and validates them.
Anthropologists who study ancient civilizations have also found the scriptures to be authentic and reliable. By deciphering the monuments and inscriptions of ancient peoples, experts have traced the existence of Israel as a people and a nation for over 3,000 years. No other people group has been so coherent or enduring. From a purely secular viewpoint, this book is remarkable in its records of ancient times and its predictions of future events. This lends credibility to its spiritual content.
Apologetics, or the proving of biblical accounts, is a fascinating study for both Christians and non-believers. Most scholarly doubts about the reliability of scripture were set to rest when the Dead Sea Scrolls, which validated later copies and translations, were discovered in a desert cave by a shepherd boy.
Even in modern times - or maybe especially in modern times - archaeologists and anthropologists use the Bible as their most reliable source material. For example, it wasn't until 1993 that a secular historic reference was found to validate the existence of David, Israel's most famous King. Words carved on a basalt rock were discovered that year that spoke of his reign. In 2005, an archaeologist discovered the ruins of David's palace, just where the Old Testament accounts said it would be.
Contrary to popular belief, science also validates the scriptures. The Book of Isaiah, which scholars date centuries before the birth of Christ, tells us that the earth is round. The 'flat earth' theory was mandated as truth until the end of the Middle Ages; to say otherwise was considered heresy, a violation of the very Holy Writ that tells us the truth scientists later proved.
Another account, the Book of Job, is considered symbolic rather than historical. Many regard it as poetry. God's truth is revealed all through it, however. We read that plants make their food from sunlight (now called the process of photosynthesis), that there are springs of fresh water deep under the saltwater oceans, and that light is made up of many colors and can be separated into a rainbow spectrum.
It is ironic that so many say that the Age of Science did away with any basis for reliance on biblical texts. The fact is that many so-called ground-breaking scientific discoveries have been refuted, while the biblical accounts are recognized as accurate. A reading of the scriptures can even trigger new ideas, like the 'paths of the ocean' mentioned in Psalm 8. Matthew Maury read the psalm, wondered about the meaning of the 'paths', and found the Gulf Stream, a strong current that affects both ocean and land. He was not the first to document it, but the psalm is what led him to find it for himself.
The Smithsonian Institute is not regarded as a supporter of Christianity, but this prestigious organization has issued a statement calling biblical records the most accurate that we have. In comparison with those of other ancient civilizations - Greek, Egyptian, Mesopotamian - they are more reliable. Modern archaeology both uses the scriptures and validates them.
Anthropologists who study ancient civilizations have also found the scriptures to be authentic and reliable. By deciphering the monuments and inscriptions of ancient peoples, experts have traced the existence of Israel as a people and a nation for over 3,000 years. No other people group has been so coherent or enduring. From a purely secular viewpoint, this book is remarkable in its records of ancient times and its predictions of future events. This lends credibility to its spiritual content.
Apologetics, or the proving of biblical accounts, is a fascinating study for both Christians and non-believers. Most scholarly doubts about the reliability of scripture were set to rest when the Dead Sea Scrolls, which validated later copies and translations, were discovered in a desert cave by a shepherd boy.
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