Biblical Archaeology: An Introduction with Recent Discoveries That Support the Reliability of the Bible

by David Elton Graves

Each year archaeologists discover many new finds at sites throughout the lands of the Bible, but few of them make the news headlines. Revisionist scholars often seek to undermine and downplay the relevance of many of the discoveries, believing that Sodom never existed, the Exodus never happened, Jericho never fell to the Israelites, and David was never a great king. This work challenges the minimalist views by bringing together many of the new discoveries from the last 20 years highlighting the recent finds that are relevant to the claims of the Bible. Experienced archaeologist David Graves has assembled a helpful collection of discoveries that will take you on a journey to: - Confirm the historicity of the biblical events and people of the past - Explore the full range of new archaeological discoveries, from pottery, inscriptions, seals, ossuaries, through to coins, manuscripts, and other artifacts - Present a short history of archaeology, outlining its characteristics and role in Christian apologetics - Lay out the limitations of archaeology and its methodological fallacies - Explain the meticulous method of excavation - Explore the significance of manuscripts for the transmission of the Bible - Navigate the maze of arguments between the minimalists and maximalists controversy This insightful book will: - Illustrate archaeological finds with more than 140 pertinent photographs - Provide numerous detailed maps, carefully crafted charts and tables of previous discoveries - Include helpful breakout panes, dealing with "Quotes from Antiquity," and "Moments in History" - Include a glossary defining technical archaeological terms - Provide extensive footnotes and bibliography for future study This invaluable resource provides an interesting and informative understanding of the cultural and historical background of the Bible illustrated from archaeology. This is an accessible resource intended for laypeople who want to know more about archaeology and the Bible, whether in seminary courses, college classrooms, church groups or personal study.

Genres: Biblical Studies, History

458 pages, Paperback

Published February 24, 2018

Reviews

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent and very interesting survey of recent archaeological discoveries and the reliability of Scripture. The author makes it clear that archaeology cannot prove Scripture (one must have faith to believe), but it can reinforce our faith and shut the mouths of those who try to dismiss all the Biblical stories and accounts as myth.

The author ends with these words, "from the ever-increasing collection of archaeological discoveries and artifacts now available from the past, what is abundantly clear is that both the OT and the NT are historically reliable sources of information. We may not always fully understand what was written so very long ago, but from what archaeology can expose and shine a light on, we can rely on scriptural accuracy. Those who would dismiss the Bible as myth or fiction must now come to grips with this collection of archaeological data. When one picks up a Bible and begins to read its pages, one can do so with confidence that the history it contains is reliable."

Amen to that!

[Rick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very worthwhile for the non-expert. Very informative. Makes a serious attempt to be fair and balanced. Graves is a Christian and makes no apology for approaching both the bible and archaeology from that framework. However, he is not a triumphalist, and is quick to explain opposing views on many issues and to acknowledge where archaeology can only go so far in establishing the credibility of the biblical text. The book is packed with a lot of information, and deals with a number of recent finds and developments. Lots of charts, maps, and pics. I'll be using this book as a resource in future studies, I'm sure.