The Big Questions About the Bibleናሙና

Does Archaeology Prove the Bible?

Well, let’s first understand how archaeology works.

Wars, natural disasters, and the ravages of time and humanity have erased much of the archaeological record. Even today, whole cities lie unexcavated under fields and other cities due to lack of money and resources. Archaeology is a very expensive business, and so, the archaeological record is always incomplete. Archaeologists have discovered a tiny fraction of what has survived, and what has survived is but a tiny fraction of what used to exist.

As a result, just because archaeologists haven’t discovered evidence of the existence of a person, place, or event doesn’t mean it didn’t exist. The reverse is also true: finding archaeological evidence, for example, of a particular individual named in the Bible, is remarkable corroboration of that individual’s existence. The reason is that the chances of it having survived are remarkably low.

The amazing thing about the Bible is the more archaeologists dig, the more their discoveries provide powerful evidence that what the Bible tells us about history is accurate. One example is the discovery of the signet rings of many of the Biblical kings of Israel and Judah.

When we want to certify a document today, we use our signature. In ancient times, people didn’t use “signatures.” Instead, if you were an important person back then, you would have had a unique personal seal. You would have had the seal on a signet ring on your finger. When you wanted to certify a document, you would put a blob of hot wax at the bottom of the document and press your signet ring to it. This would leave an imprint of your seal on the document.

Finding a person’s signet ring from ancient times is powerful evidence that the person existed.

Here’s the thing. Archaeologists have found the signet rings of many of the kings of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah, including famous figures like Queen Jezebel and not-so-well-known figures like Baruch, mentioned in Jeremiah as his secretary. This is astonishing in itself!

More than that, we’ve discovered hard archaeological evidence for the existence of people like Pontius Pilate, mentioned in the Bible, and lesser-known people like Erastus, cited by the Apostle Paul as a high-ranking official in the city of Corinth. There’s much, much more.

I wouldn’t say archaeology “proves the Bible,” but the more we dig, the more evidence we uncover that strongly affirms the events, people, and places in the Bible really did exist in history.

– Eliezer Gonzalez