Can you believe the New Testament?
The External Evidence Test, part 2
B. Archaeological Evidence
One important source that gives credibility to any ancient
writing is archaeology. If incidental details in the
writings of an author are found to be accurate through
archeological facts, it increases our confidence in the
truthfulness of this author. Archaeology has become the
Bible's best friend, often refuting accusations from critics
and confirming the accuracy of its writings.
We are now going to give some samples of how archaeology
confirms the veracity of the New Testament. It is not our
goal to give all the detailed reports of archaeology
confirming the New Testament records. This would take a
multitude of books to write. This is just a taste that
hopefully will encourage you for further study. The article
used here was written by Patrick Zukeran, an associate
speaker for Probe Ministries. Some of his article reviews
what we already have found out. He is honest and up to the
point. Enjoy his article.
Archaeology and the New Testament Pat Zukeran
There is an ongoing debate among scholars regarding the
historical accuracy of the Bible. Some feel that the Bible
is a fictitious work and should be read as a work of
literary fiction. Others feel it is an accurate historical
work divinely inspired by God. Archaeology has played a
major role in determining the trustworthiness of the Bible.
In a previous article, we discussed archaeological
confirmations of the Old Testament. In this one, we will
look at the archaeological discoveries that have confirmed
the historical accuracy of the New Testament. There is a
great deal of evidence outside of the Bible that confirms
the account of Jesus as written in the Gospels.
It is important to realize, however, that it is unrealistic
to expect archaeology to back up every event and place in
the New Testament. Our perspective is to look for what
evidence exists and see whether or not it corresponds with
the New Testament.
Historical Confirmation of Jesus
The first evidence comes from the four Gospels which,
themselves, are proven to be accurate.{1} Outside the
biblical text are several witnesses as well. Jewish
historian Josephus (37 A.D.-100 A.D.) recorded the history
of the Jewish people in Palestine from 70 A.D. to 100 A.D.
In his work Antiquities, he states:
Now there was about this time, Jesus, a wise man, if it be
lawful to call him a man, for he was a doer of wonderful
works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with
pleasure. He drew over to him both many of the Jews and many
of the gentiles. He was the Christ and when Pilate, at the
suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned
him to the cross, those that loved him at the first did not
forsake him. For he appeared alive again the third day, as
the divine prophets had foretold these and ten thousand
other wonderful things concerning him; and the tribe of
Christians, so named from him, are not extinct to this
day.{2}
Although he mentions Jesus in a sarcastic way, Josephus
confirms the facts that Jesus did do many great miracles,
drew a following, was crucified, and was proclaimed alive on
the third day.
Pliny the Younger, Emperor of Bythynia in northwestern
Turkey, writing to Emperor Trajan in 112 A.D. writes:
They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day
before it was light, when they sang an anthem to Christ as
God, and bound themselves by a solemn oath not to commit any
wicked deed, but to abstain from all fraud, theft and
adultery, never to break their word, or deny a trust when
called upon to honor it; after which it was their custom to
separate, and then meet again to partake of food, but
ordinary and innocent kind.
One of the most important Romans historians is Tacitus. In
115 A.D. he recorded Nero's persecution of the Christians,
in the process of which he wrote the following:
Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the
extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of
one of our procurators, Pontius Pilatus, and a most
mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again
broke out not only in Judea, . . . but even in Rome.{3}
There are over 39 extra-biblical sources that attest to over
one hundred facts regarding the life and teachings of Jesus.
Accuracy of the Gospels
The accuracy of the Gospels has been supported by
archaeology. The names of many of the Israelite cities,
events, and people described in them have now been located.
Here are a few examples.
The Gospels mention four neighboring and well-populated
coastal cities along the Sea of Galilee: Capernaum,
Bethsaida, Chorazin, and Tiberias. Jesus performed many
miracles in the first three cities. Despite this testimony,
these cities rejected Jesus and therefore were cursed by Him
(Matt. 11:20-24; Luke 10:12-16). These cities eventually
disappeared from history and their locations remained
missing for centuries. Their demise fulfills the prophetic
condemnation of Jesus.
Only recently has archaeology recovered their possible
locations. Tell Hum is believed to be Capernaum. (A "tell"
is a mound or elevated land that has arisen by repeated and
long-term rebuilding of the same site. Layers of
civilizations can be found at different strata). The
locations of Bethsaida and Chorazin still remain
unconfirmed, but the present site at a tell 1.5 miles north
of the Galilean shoreline is believed to be Bethsaida, while
Tell Khirbet Kerezah, 2.5 miles northwest of Capernaum, is
thought to be Chorazin.
Matthew 2 states that Jesus was born during the reign of
Herod. Upon hearing that a king had been born, the
frightened Herod ordered all children under the age of two
to be killed. His slaughter of innocents is consistent with
the historical facts that describe his character. Herod was
suspicious of anyone whom he thought may take his throne.
His list of victims included one of his ten wives, who was
his favorite, three of his own sons, a high priest, an
ex-king, and two of his sister's husbands. Thus, his
brutality portrayed in Matthew is consistent with his
description in ancient history.
John's accuracy has also been attested to by recent
discoveries. In John 5:1-15 Jesus heals a man at the Pool of
Bethesda. John describes the pool as having five porticoes.
This site had long been in dispute until recently. Forty
feet underground, archaeologists discovered a pool with five
porticoes, and the description of the surrounding area
matches John's description. In 9:7 John mentions another
long disputed site, the Pool of Siloam. However, this pool
was also discovered in 1897, upholding the accuracy of John.
Evidence for Pontius Pilate, the governor who presided over
the trial of Jesus, was discovered in Caesarea Maritama. In
1961, an Italian archaeologist named Antonio Frova uncovered
a fragment of a plaque that was used as a section of steps
leading to the Caesarea Theater. The inscription, written in
Latin, contained the phrase, "Pontius Pilatus, Prefect of
Judea has dedicated to the people of Caesarea a temple in
honor of Tiberius." This temple is dedicated to the Emperor
Tiberius who reigned from 14-37 A.D. This fits well
chronologically with the New Testament which records that
Pilot ruled as procurator from 26-36 A.D. Tacitus, a Roman
historian of the first century, also confirms the New
Testament designation of Pilate. He writes, "Christus, from
whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty
during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our
procurators, Pontius Pilatus. . . ."
Confirmation Regarding the Crucifixion
All four Gospels give details of the crucifixion of
Christ. Their accurate portrayal of this Roman practice has
been confirmed by archaeology. In 1968, a gravesite in the
city of Jerusalem was uncovered containing thirty-five
bodies. Each of the men had died a brutal death which
historians believe was the result of their involvement in
the Jewish revolt against Rome in 70 A.D.
The inscription identified one individual as Yohan Ben
Ha'galgol. Studies of the bones performed by osteologists
and doctors from the Hadassah Medical School determined the
man was twenty-eight years old, stood five feet six inches,
and had some slight facial defects due to a cleft right
palate.
What intrigued archaeologists were the evidences that this
man had been crucified in a manner resembling the
crucifixion of Christ. A seven-inch nail had been driven
through both feet, which were turned outward so the nail
could be hammered inside the Achilles tendon.
Archaeologists also discovered that nails had been driven
through his lower forearms. A victim of a crucifixion would
have to raise and lower his body in order to breathe. To do
this, he needed to push up on his pierced feet and pull up
with his arms. Yohan's upper arms were smoothly worn,
indicating this movement.
John records that in order to expedite the death of a
prisoner, executioners broke the legs of the victim so that
he could not lift himself up by pushing with his feet
(19:31-33). Yohan's legs were found crushed by a blow,
breaking them below the knee. The Dead Sea Scrolls tell that
both Jews and Romans abhorred crucifixion due to its cruelty
and humiliation. The scrolls also state it was a punishment
reserved for slaves and any who challenged the ruling powers
of Rome. This explains why Pilate chose crucifixion as the
penalty for Jesus.
Relating to the crucifixion, in 1878 a stone slab was found
in Nazareth with a decree from Emperor Claudius who reigned
from 41-54 A.D. It stated that graves must not be disturbed
nor bodies to be removed. The punishment on other decrees is
a fine but this one threatens death and comes very close to
the time of the resurrection. This was probably due to
Claudius investigating the riots of 49 A.D. He had certainly
heard of the resurrection and did not want any similar
incidents. This decree was probably made in connection with
the Apostles' preaching of Jesus' resurrection and the
Jewish argument that the body had been stolen.
Historian Thallus wrote in 52 A.D. Although none of his
texts remain, his work is cited by Julius Africanus' work,
Chronography. Quoting Thallus on the crucifixion of Christ,
Africanus states, "On the whole world, there pressed a most
fearful darkness, and the rocks were rent by an earthquake,
and many places in Judea and other districts were thrown
down."{4} Thallus calls this darkness, "as appears to me
without reason, an eclipse of the sun."{5}
All the discoveries made are consistent with the details in
the crucifixion account given by the writers of the Gospels.
These facts lend indirect support for the biblical accounts
of Jesus' crucifixion and that the tomb was empty.
Historical Accuracy of Luke
At one time, scholars did not view Luke's historical
accounts in his Gospel and Acts as accurate. There appeared
to be no evidence for several cities, persons, and locations
that he named in his works. However, archaeological advances
have revealed that Luke was a very accurate historian and
the two books he has authored remain accurate documents of
history.
One of the greatest archaeologists is the late Sir William
Ramsay. He studied under the famous liberal German
historical schools in the mid-nineteenth century. Known for
its scholarship, this school taught that the New Testament
was not a historical document. With this premise, Ramsay
investigated biblical claims as he searched through Asia
Minor. What he discovered caused him to reverse his initial
view. He wrote:
I began with a mind unfavorable to it [Acts], for the
ingenuity and apparent completeness of the Tubingen theory
had at one time quite convinced me. It did not then in my
line of life to investigate the subject minutely; but more
recently I found myself often brought into contact with the
Book of Acts as an authority for the topography,
antiquities, and society of Asia Minor. It was gradually
borne in upon me that in various details the narrative
showed marvelous truth.{6}
Luke's accuracy is demonstrated by the fact that he names
key historical figures in the correct time sequence as well
as correct titles to government officials in various areas:
Thessalonica, politarchs; Ephesus, temple wardens; Cyprus,
procouncil; and Malta, the first man of the island.
In Luke's announcement of Jesus' public ministry (Luke 3:1),
he mentions, "Lysanius tetrarch of Abilene." Scholars
questioned Luke's credibility since the only Lysanius known
for centuries was a ruler of Chalcis who ruled from 40-36
B.C. However an inscription dating to be in the time of
Tiberius, who ruled from 14-37 A.D., was found recording a
temple dedication which names Lysanius as the "tetrarch of
Abila" near Damascus. This matches well with Luke's account.
In Acts 18:12-17, Paul was brought before Gallio, the
proconsul of Achaea. Once again archaeology confirms this
account. At Delphi an inscription of a letter from Emperor
Claudius was discovered. In it he states, "Lucius Junios
Gallio, my friend, and the proconsul of Achaia . . ."{7}
Historians date the inscription to 52 A.D. which corresponds
to the time of the apostle's stay in 51.
In Acts 19:22 and Romans 16:23, Erastus, a coworker of Paul,
is named the Corinthian city treasurer. Archaeologists
excavating a Corinthian theatre in 1928 discovered an
inscription. It reads, "Erastus in return for his aedilship
laid the pavement at his own expense." The pavement was laid
in 50 A.D. The designation of treasurer describes the work
of a Corinthian aedile.
In Acts 28:7, Luke gives Plubius, the chief man on the
island of Malta, the title, "first man of the island."
Scholars questioned this strange title and deemed it
unhistorical. Inscriptions have recently been discovered on
the island that indeed gives Plubius the title of "first
man."
"In all, Luke names thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities,
and nine islands without error."{8} A. N. Sherwin-White
states, "For Acts the confirmation of historicity is
overwhelming. . . . Any attempt to reject its basic
historicity must now appear absurd. Roman historians have
long taken it for granted."{9}
The Shroud of Turin
The Gospels record that after His crucifixion Jesus was
wrapped in a long linen cloth and placed in the tomb (Matt.
27:59). John records that when Peter investigated the empty
tomb, he found the burial cloth folded neatly next to where
Christ once laid (20:6-7).
A linen shroud called the Shroud of Turin, on display at the
Vatican, has been claimed to be that burial cloth. It is
14.25 feet long and 3.5 feet wide. On it is an image with
pierced wrists and ankles believed to be that of Christ.
The shroud first appeared for public display sometime after
1357 in Lirey, France. A knight named Geoffrey de Charny
brought the shroud to France. In 1453 de Charny's
granddaughter gave the shroud to the Duke of Savoy who then
in 1578 brought it to Turin, Italy. In 1983, it was willed
to the Vatican.
In 1898, Secondo Pia photographed the shroud and believed
the image was a negative image like that of a photograph.
This added to the mystery of the shroud since photography
had not been invented during medieval times. In 1973 a group
of experts confirmed the fact that no pigment of paint was
found even under magnification. For many, this was proof of
the shroud's authenticity.
The most extensive study was undertaken in 1977. An
international team of Swiss, American, and Italian scientist
studied the shroud for five days at the Savoy Royal Palace
at Turin. They used six tons of equipment and 2.5 million
dollars for their research. It has been one of the most
intensely studied artifacts of all time.
The study could not determine the authenticity of the
fabric. Experiments that followed proved the image contained
blood as well as aragonite, a particular calcium carbonate
that is found in Jerusalem's first century tombs. Swiss
criminologist Max Frei found forty-eight samples of pollen,
of which seven could have come from plants in Palestine. The
weave of the cloth was herringbone twill, a style that
existed in ancient times.
Although these findings supported the authenticity of the
shroud, other findings testified otherwise. In 1987, the
shroud was carbon 14 tested to verify its date. Laboratories
in Oxford, Zurich, and the University of Arizona tested the
cloth. The result indicated a fourteenth century date for
the shroud. This conclusion continues to be challenged and
future tests are sure to follow. Another problem is that
coins minted by Pontius Pilate were placed over the eyes of
the figure. This was not a Jewish custom, nor does it seem
likely that Joseph of Arimathea or Nicodemus would have
placed on Jesus' eyes a coin with the image of the leader
who condemned him.
Despite the fourteenth century date, scientists are still
unable to explain how the negative image was created. The
shroud remains a mystery as well as a lesson for us as
believers that we should not put our faith in mysterious
articles.
Notes
See "Authority of the Bible" at
www.probe.docs/auth-bib.html . Josephus, Book 18,
Chapter 3:3 Tacitus, Annals, 15.44 Julius Africanus,
Chronography, 18:1. Ibid. William Ramsay, St. Paul the
Traveler and the Roman Citizen (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker
Books, 1982), 8. John McRay, Archaeology and the New
Testament (Grand Rapids, MI.: Baker Books, 1991), 227.
Norman Geisler, Baker Encyclopedia of Apologetics (Grand
Rapids, MI.: Baker Books, 1999), 47.
A. N. Sherwin-White, Roman Society and Roman Law in the New
Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1963), 189. © 2000 Probe
Ministries International
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About the Author Patrick Zukeran is an associate speaker for
Probe Ministries. He has a BA in Religion from Point Loma
Nazarene University and a Master of Theology from Dallas
Theological Seminary. He is an author, radio talk show host,
and a national and international speaker on apologetics,
cults, world religions, Bible, theology, and current issues.
His radio talk show "Evidence and Answers" airs weekly on
KWORD 100.7FM in Dallas, Texas. Before joining Probe, Pat
served for twelve years as an Associate Pastor. He can be
reached via e-mail at pzukeran@probe.org .
What is Probe? Probe Ministries is a non-profit ministry
whose mission is to assist the church in renewing the minds
of believers with a Christian worldview and to equip the
church to engage the world for Christ. Probe fulfills this
mission through our Mind Games conferences for youth and
adults, our 3 1/2 minute daily radio program, our extensive
Web site at www.probe.org , and the ProbeCenter at the
University of Texas at Austin.
Further information about Probe's materials and ministry may
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Question: Does archaeology confirm or deny the
accuracy of the New Testament?
Your answer:
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