Archaeology and Faith

On January 4, the Washington Post reported another archaeological discovery in Jerusalem that connects to a story found in the Bible. According to author Ruth Eglash, this most recent finding may be the discovery of the site of Jesus's trial in the Holy City. 

I read a few articles about this discovery and its potential connection to the story of Jesus. Mostly, the news was met with a "ho-hum" response. I find that to be interesting. Often, archaeological discoveries are greeted with incredible intensity and fanfare. For example, there was quite a stir about the recent announcement of the discovery of the time capsule under the Massachusetts' State House--left by Paul Revere and Samuel Adams. There was great excitement when curators actually opened the capsule to reveal the contents from some 220 years ago.

Biblical archaeologists however often are greeted with skepticism when they make announcements. Some of the skepticism is warranted because there have been a few suspect "discoveries" across the years. You may be familiar with the research published by Nina Burleigh in her book, Unholy Business: A True Tale of Faith, Greed and Forgery in the Holy Land (Collins, 2008). The primary impetus for her book was the controversy surrounding the discovery of the "James Ossuary." An ossuary is a box that was used to store the bones of the departed in burial tombs in the ancient world. This particular one gained notoriety because its inscription mentioned Jesus.

In any event, many people now believe this box to be a fraud. A trial ensued and it was a pretty sordid tale. Burleigh was intrigued by all of this and traveled to Jerusalem to study the industry connected to the approximately 30,000 archaeological sites in the Holy Land. Her book records her findings where she is part journalist, part archaeologist and part detective. The sub-title of her book offers a glimpse into her take on her findings. She is certainly a reputable writer of note and is quite accomplished.

So, there have certainly been many suspicious "announcements" of significant finds in the field of archaeology in the Holy Land through the years. Both thorough-going secularists and people of faith are often interested in the archaeology of the Middle East. The skeptical, non-religious crowd enjoys any story of potential fraud or intrigue surrounding any finding. On the other hand, many among the faithful hope the next discovery "proves" the Biblical account of ancient history. More often than not, both of these perspectives are left wanting and the respective adherents are disappointed on some level. 

What I mean is this--there has not ever been an archaeological finding that completely and absolutely proves the Biblical account of Israel and Jesus to be demonstrable untrue. Conversely, there hasn't been some great discovery that absolutely proves every detail of the Bible to be demonstrably true. With that said, there have been some amazing archaeological discoveries that corroborate the Biblical account. That is without question. In fact, the list of those is tool long for this little ol' blog.

For example, the discovery of the Pool of Siloam in Jerusalem, Peter's house in Capernaum and the first-century synagogue in Capernaum all corroborate the accounts provided in the Gospels. The discovery of the Tel Dan Stela that bears the most ancient inscription to mention King David put to rest the previously repeated mantra that David was not mentioned outside the Bible. There have been hundreds of inscriptions (Pontius Pilate in Caesarea), coins, potsherds, buildings and ancient cities that have offered corroborating testimonies to material we find in both the Old and New Testament.

But --- here's the thing. We still have to be people of faith. Archaeological discoveries are incredible and encouraging. They certainly offer affirmations for us. But, God will always require faith from us. We have to be willing to believe He is God. Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6). We will always take steps of faith toward Him. We will not have "proof" of everything. Regardless of how much archaeologists unearth in the Holy Land, the Christian life is a life of faith.

I praise God there is so much corroborating evidence that has already been discovered. I am grateful for the scholarship and integrity of legitimate archaeologists who have opened doors to the ancient world for us. The light of these discoveries has shed light on our path, for sure. But the path remains a path of faith!