Of the various fields of sciences, archaeology is one that atheists don’t typically go to when trying to disprove the Bible. Why? Because the overwhelming amount of archaeological evidence we have corroborates Biblical accounts in ways that are hard to deny. From the walls of Jericho to the empty tomb, physical finds from the ancient world are some of the strongest pieces of evidence for the inerrancy of the Bible.
In this week’s Creation Today Show, “New Testament Archaeology,” my guest and friend, Chris Ashcraft, walks us through several of these physical finds. He shows us the site where scholars believe Jesus healed the paralytic that was lowered through the roof, as well as several ossuaries, including one that showed the reality of crucifixion in those days. Watching the Bible truly come to life through these incredible finds is quite the experience, and one you don’t want to miss!
In one particularly interesting section from our discussion of ossuaries, Mr. Ashcraft tells the fascinating account of forgery claims that rocked the scholarly and archeological world! Bet you didn’t think this show was going to contain a tale of such controversy! I surely didn’t! But I digress. Mr. Ashcraft explains how one famous ossuary displayed in the Royal Ontario Museum – the “James ossuary,” which possessed an inscription referencing Jesus – was attacked by the Israeli Antiquities Authority (IAA) in 2003. This was huge! If the inscription was a forgery, it could imply a cover-up or scheme by early followers of Jesus to support a narrative that simply wasn’t true.
However, after four years of trial, more than 75 witnesses, and 5,000 pages of testimony, the prosecution was advised to drop the case after many experts recanted their findings under cross examination. The win was monumental, and created a major embarrassment for the IAA. Once again, truth wins!
There is so much more in this show than what we covered here, so be sure to come prepared with pens and notebooks when watching this show, because you won’t want to miss a thing! Enjoy the show!
