From the rich man’s mansion to the poor man’s humble dwelling place, invariably there can be found a collection of books. The type of literature and number of books vary from home to home but almost without exception each collection contains a Bible. It is this Book of Books which holds the highest number of sales on the market, yet has received and receives more criticism than any other book. People are willing to accept the works of other authors, rarely doubting the authenticity of the author and his works. Yet when attention is drawn to the Bible, and mention is made of the stories contained therein, quickly doubts are created. For many years the defenders of God’s word had only the assurance of their faith, that that which was written was of truth.
But of recent years the field of archaeology has come to the aid of the Bible student and, as one writer terms it, “archaeology is the Bible’s best friend.” For the archaeologist over the past 100 years has resurrected from the dust of the ground unlimited evidence, acting as bulwarks for the word of God.
A model example can be found in the very first book of the Bible. In the Book of Genesis we read how God looked down upon the then known world and saw that the wickedness of man was very great, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Because of this God said that he would destroy mankind and the living creatures from the face of the earth by a flood. Gen., Chap. 6 onward records for us as to how this was carried out, every living thing being destroyed with the exception of those in the ark. Taking up the story from the drying up of the mighty waters, we read how God placed a rainbow in the heavens as a token of His covenant with mankind that he would never destroy the earth again. History has shown to us that with the passing of years, this story containing a vital message to mankind has passed into a supposed legendary story or fairy-tale handed down from generation to generation. For many years the critics held the sway regarding this incident. But where are they today ? They cannot be found because the archaeologist has brought forth evidence of the authenticity of this incident.
Most of the credit has been given to Sir Leonard Woolley, who has devoted the major part of his life to this field of work. It is necessary for us to go back to the 1920’s to take up the story of the dramatic finding of the proof of the flood. For six years British and American teams had worked side by side examining the grounds at Tell-Al-Muquayyar. In the year 1929 the sixth season at the location was beginning to come to a close. The past three years had been full of excitement and awe, for they had lain open the graves of the kings of Ur. The stone vaults were veritable treasure chests, filled with jewellery and utensils of that era which surpassed by far in beauty the things seen in the famed Tutankhamen tomb.
Little did the diggers know that a greater discovery was close at hand. So the digging continued and with the foundations of the tombs removed, the spade revealed that for many more hundreds of feet the pottery remained unchanged as that found in the tombs. This indicated that for centuries the Sumerian civilisation had undergone no radical change.
Mr. Woolley had one ambition, and that was to find the virgin soil. It was this persistence on his part that gave the truth of the flood to the world. It was a typical day at the location when the cry of an excited workman was heard, “We are on ground level.” Experience has taught the archaeologist never to leave anything to first glance. Mr. Woolley, on close examination, found that the surface was of pure sand, that which could have been deposited by water. Many explanations were conceived but none solved the problem as to how this transformation took place. It could not have been formed from a river because the foot of the shaft where the layer of mud began was several yards above the river level. There was only one answer, to sink the shaft deeper and see if the problem would solve itself.
Work continued and the shaft was sunk to six feet, seven feet, eight feet, and then just as quickly as the level of sand commenced it finished. From then on the earth that was carried away, on closer inspection, revealed another unusual thing, the pottery was different. For the pots had been handmade where above the mud stratum, they had been turned on the pottery wheel. Also absent was any metal implements indicating that they were in the stone age, prior to the flood.
Could such evidence justify the truth of the over-criticized story. Mr. Woolley was not satisfied wholeheartedly so he sank another shaft 300 yards away, only to produce the same results. Maybe the explanation of the river was weak, so it was decided to sink a shaft in a natural hill, higher than the one they had been working on. Again the results were the same, and to strengthen Mr. Woolley’s conclusion of his finds, Mr. Lang-don, another well known archaeologist working on a site near Kish, northeast of Babylon where the Euphrates and the Tigris flow in a great bend toward each other, came upon a similar discovery. It is worthy of note that all nations from the time of Noah have possessed the story of the world’s flood. Tablets have been found written in the time of Abraham mentioning the incident of the flood, in an off-hand manner, indicating that such an event was a recognised one.
While the rainbow in the heavens reminds the world that God will never destroy the earth again, it also bears a message that those who turn their backs on God will be destroyed. This message has been emphasised in latter years with the advancement of archaeology. Stories such as Sodom and Gomorrah, Tyre and Sidon and Nineveh cities of Judgement which the critics said were too ridiculous to believe, have come alive by the spade. A much-scoffed story is that of God’s judgement on the city of Jericho. Excavations were carried out at the site of this city as far back as 1907. Since that time many more expeditions have been made, all establishing the truth of the miraculous fall of Jericho. Access to the mound of the old city was made easy because it stood at a little distance from the Jericho of the Gospels and the modern township. The mound rose 40 feet above the plain and contained seven acres of ground. It was discovered that the city was surrounded by two walls, one being about five feet thick and the other 10 feet thick, rising to 30 feet in height. Bridging these two walls were thick planks of wood on which were built houses such as Rahab’s dwelling.
Found in the eastern part of the city were foundations of a large building which was believed to be the fortress that was rebuilt by Heil, of Bethel, who defied the curse pronounced by Joshua on any man who would dare to rebuild the city. Removal of the rubble disclosed to Mr. Garstang what had actually happened to the walls of Jericho. when the people shouted together in unison. The outer wall had fallen down the slope, and the inner wall had fallen into the space between the two walls along with the buildings on top. The walls falling in this manner enabled the Israelites to use the wreckage as footholds to climb up the slope and into the city.
What caused this great destruction to fall upon this city ? Was it the power of the peoples’ voices blending together? Mr. Garstang supports the theory that an earthquake developed at the crescendo of the voices. A miracle, indeed, because God caused the natural elements to move at His command at the right moment. Mr. Garstang further says that it must have been super-human power to have dislodged the hundreds of tons of masonry. Studying the geographical stratom of this area, it is noted that through the ages it has been known for its frequent earthquakes.
On entering the city the Israelite commenced to set fire to all the buildings even as they had been commanded by God. Such research work is a delight to the archaeologist, because with such plunder everything is left in the order of everyday use. Consequently one is able to visualize very easily how life appeared in that period. Walking through the phantom streets and entering the long deserted homes, the excavate quickly recognise that when the Bible records that the whole city was burned by fire, it was carried out to the letter. In the ruins were found various kinds of foodstuff which was charred, dishes and pots that were blackened and cracked by extensive heat. Evidence was seen everywhere that no foodstuff had been removed, for the Lord also commanded that they were not to take of the victuals because the city was to be a burnt offering unto the Lord.
As with the discovery of the flood, so with the city of Jericho, the news became headlines in all the newspapers of the world. Conversations buzzed with the findings, the details became familiar to all. But the most important thing was hardly raised and, if so, quickly forgotten by the majority, that the Bible had been proved true.
Let this be a warning to us, that we must not forget these two incidents and the lesson behind them. Remembering that Christ himself referred to the time prior to His second coming “as the days of Noah,” so he exhorts everyone to repent and prepare themselves that they might escape the judgement which will come upon the earth on a greater scale than that which came upon the city of Jericho.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One