Photo: Gabi Laron, Institute of Archaeology

Last night I had a few moments to relax so I spent time at the B.A.R. –Biblical Archaeology Review magazine, that is. Being a biblical archaeology enthusiast, I love this magazine for several reasons. Most importantly, B.A.R reports on the latest finds from the Middle East that validates the absolute historicity of the Holy Bible.

This month’s magazine reported on the find of two ¹bullae that date to the time of Jeremiah, the prophet. These bullae are inscribed with the names of two of Jeremiah’s worst adversaries. The names of both of these men, Jehucal and Shelemiah, are found in the Bible in the 38th chapter of Jeremiah –imagine that.

“What if tangible proof of these princes existed? It would corroborate Jeremiah’s account –and be colossal proof of the accuracy of the Bible…. Rarely do science and the Bible converge as dramatically as with the Jehucal and Gedaliah bullae.” B.A.R. Jan/Feb 2012.

Clearly, these two bullae do exist as proof of the Bible’s absolute accuracy; as do countless other artifacts. Amongst them, are two very significant coins which have recently been unearthed in the area of the temple mount in Jerusalem. One of the coins, a silver half-shekel, was minted by Israelite temple authorities in 66-67 AD. The half-shekel was required of the Israelites to be given as temple tax, as recorded in Scripture. The other coin, from the period of the First Revolt against the Romans, which preceded the destruction of the Second Temple, bears the phrase “For the Redemption of Zion. These coins are invaluable given the ownership issues which surround the temple mount –ownership which was clearly established in Scripture (That would be Israelite ownership –not Palestinian).

While there will always be those who scoff at the Bible, I am thankful for the archaeologists which labor tirelessly to prove its accuracy and validity. I guess it just goes to show, no matter how deeply the past gets buried, someone is bound to dig it up eventually!

Regarding the aforementioned artifacts (and more), B.A.R invites us all to “Come see these remarkable artifacts and discover the inspiring story of ancient Israel’s dramatic rise under King Solomon, its tragic collapse under King Zedekiah –and the faith-filled work of Jeremiah.

January 16 through October 16, 2012
Armstrong Auditorium
Emund, Oklahoma
(405) 285-1010
Armstrong Auditorium.org

¹A bulla (singular) is a hard clay seal impression used in the ancient world to record important information.

Click here to visit Biblical Archaeology Society online