CREATION TABLET? Atra-hasis Epic: The Epic begins with the description of how the Mesopotamian gods created the earth and how less powerful deities objected to the hard work involved. Man was eventually created to ease the burden of labor from the gods and later on it describes a flood. The Atrahasis Epic was found in the Ashurbanipal library at Ninevah pre-1876. The translator, George Smith, published this find under the title "The Story of Atarpi" in 1876 but wasn't successfully illustrated until 1956 due to problems concerning the tablets order of sequence. The only parallel that can be made about the Atra-hasis Epic and the Bible is that man was created from clay. The distinctions lie in the fact that the Gods (man-like) created the humans to work in their place and that man was created by slaughtering a God, obviously non-biblical. Written

Sources: Dictionary of Biblical Archaeology by Blaiklock, David Livingstone - The Associates for Biblical Research). TOP

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EDEN? Dilmun (Paradise) Seal: This seal was discovered by by George Bibby during an excavation that started in 1953 in Bahrain, the site of the mythical Dilmun.The Seal shows a man (possibly Adam) plucking fruit from the tree in the middle, a woman (possibly Eve) plucking fruit and a tree (green added to make tree distinct from the others figures) in the center could refer to the one that was in the middle of the Garden (Genesis 3:3). The ancient paradise known as Dilmun is a "pure," "clean" and "bright place," in which neither sickness nor death contaminated the fruit-filled garden where the great earth- mother Ninhursag had caused eight divine plants to grow, But then the story goes on, Enki, usually a wise god-comes along and innocently eats them all, and Ninhursag abandons him until, through a intervention of a council gods, she relents (Bible and Spade Sum-Aut 1979). Possible biblical parallels speak of a fruit-filled garden where either sickness nor death reside and the eating of the fruit caused a negative reaction.

Written Sources: Bible and Spade Sum/Aut 1979.

Tree of Life: For the benefit of the biblical researcher, it should be pointed out the term "tree of life" does not exist anywhere in Mesopotamian literature putting to the death the idea that this term may have been borrowed from Mesopotamia prior to the Exodus Written Sources: Bible and Spade Spring '96). TOP

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ADAM AND EVE IN SHAME? The Tepe Gawra Seal: This seal was found by E.A. Speiser of the University of Pennsylvania in a 1930-1932 excavation at Tepe Gawra, north of Ninevah. The seal illustrates a man (possibly Adam), a woman (possibly Eve) leaving in shame. The Serpent is difficult to see in this ilustration. It is to the left of the two figures curved from the lower left going right. A better picture is in Halley's Bible Handbook 1965, page 69. This seal was found in a an excavation level that was dated to pre-3000 B.C.E.

Written Source: Archaeology and Bible History by Joseph Free). TOP

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NOAH'S ARK: The Armenian known as George Hagopian claimed to have seen the Ark twice (between 1902 and 1906) during an unusually dry period in the Ararat region. Hagopian and his Uncle were forced to travel from Lake Van to the Ararat foothills for better grazing for their sheep because of a 4 year drought. Allen Tap in 1987 investigated the regions weather conditions during the 1900-1904 period and the weather conditions were as the George had claimed. When the boy and his uncle approached the Ark, his uncle boosted him on top and he walked atop the ship and looked down into hole on the Ark top. Hagopian stated later that he was scared and his Uncle let him come down. In 1922, Hagopian took a photographer to Ararat but was unable to get to the Ark due to the Turkish, Greek and Armenian uprisings. George moved to the U.S. and was interviewed by Elfred Lee (Illustrator) in 1970. He was investigated and questioned during interviews and he never waivered from his accounts. Hagopians story of his sightings are viewed by some as him being "coached" during interviews and others believe his sightings are the recollections of an honest witness. TOP

Source: Noah's Ark Search.com / Corbin-Geissler.

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THE FLOOD STORY? The Gilgamesh Epic:This artifact was found at Ninevah by A.D. Layard at Ashurbanipals Palace. It first rose to prominance with the George Smith paper "The Chaldean Account of the Deluge" (1872) found in tablet XI. Many have claimed that this is the account of the biblical flood with the parallels in the fact that a man passed safely through flood waters, he was commanded to build a boat, put his family, animals onboard and a dove, raven and swallow was sent out (Gen. 8:3). What is not revealed is the stark differences in the text's such the Gilgamesh boat having a pilot, craftsman, the boat is cubed, the flood lasted 6-7 days, the Mesopotamian God's destroyed the world with a flood due to the noise and that the God's try to keep the flood a secret from an unknowing world. The Gilgamesh Epic article (Click here)

Written Source: The Ancient Near East by James Pritchard.TOP

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JOSEPH (?): The excavations by Manfred Beitak may have uncovered the temporary tomb of Joseph in Egypt. Beitak began his digging at the site in 1966 but the 1984-1987 excavations have unearthed some interesting information about who has been memorialized and buried at Tell El-Dab'a.

The evidence includes the retirement home of a high ranking Semitic official (possibly Joseph), an Asiatic/non-Egyptian Cemetery with garden area graves, a 4-room home and the tomb of a high ranking Asiatic official which includes a broken, yellow (Semitic indicator) statue complete with throw stick and mushroom hairstyle (other Semitic indicator's). It has not been determined that this was the temporary tomb of Joseph but whoever it was, lived at the exact time of Joseph, was Semitic and rose in the ranks of Egyptian Government. It is believed that the statue in the tomb was smashed by the Hyksos when they invaded northern Egypt and that Joseph's body was hidden until it could be safely returned to Israel. TOP

Source: Dr. Charles Aling / NWC

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GENESIS 40:9,10 The dream of the three branches (Gen. 40:9-11) as told to Joseph who in turn interpreted this back to the teller is clearly supportable on the wall painting of the Tomb of Nakht which shows the 3 branches of the agricultural grapevine industry. TOP

Source: Dr. Charles Aling / NWC

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THE TOMB OF THE EXODUS PHARAOH (KV35): Amenhotep II: The probable Pharaoh of the Exodus (1453-1415 B.C.) who boasted of his great military and athletic prowess. Amenhotep II fought two major wars (1450 and 1446 B.C.) and one minor war (1444 B.C.). The minor conflict into Palestine was probably because most of his force was in the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds) and had little or no army to speak of. It should also be stated that the Pharaoh ceased campaigning altogether after year 9 of his reign. It is also theorized that his son (Webensenu) was the one who died in the 10th Plague because he ws buried in his fathers royal tomb, he never lived to marrying age and his brother (Thutmosis IV) was the successor to his father

Source: Dr. Charles Aling. TOP

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JERICHO

John Garstang: A Jericho excavator from the 1930’s who found pottery dated to the time of Joshua (1400 B.C.) as well as evidence of the city (bronze age) destroyed. Dated scarabs found at the city from the 15th Century B.C. containing names of Pharaoh’s just prior to the conquest.

Kathleen Kenyon: A Jericho excavator from the 1950’s who excavated only 1/3 of Garstang’s area which was an impoverished location. Discovered fallen red brick on the west trench (the walls did fall) but overlooked bi-chrome ware found by Garstang. Kenyon was notorious for publishing materials that fit only her position concerning Jericho.

Bryant Wood: Examined Kenyon’s theories and challenged her conclusion's in saying that the Late Bronze age 1 (ca. 1400 B.C.) cemetaries were in use at the time the Bible says Jericho was destroyed. Egyptian scarabs were found dating the 18th - 14th centuries and a radio carbon sample was taken and was independantly tested to 1410 B.C. The sample was taken from the final destruction layer plus or minus 40 yrs. Garstang and Woods research corroborate the biblical account.

Rahab's House: On the north end of the Tell or Mound of Jericho there is evidence of the mud brick wall of Jericho still standing 8 – 9 feet tall. Part of the brick wall is still standing (northern part of the city) which is the general location of Rahab's house.

More evidence for Jericho...
- The entire area has a 3-foot ash layer and the pottery discovered dates to Joshua.
- Kenyon and Garstang both state that walls at Jericho are tipped due to earthquake activity. -The Bible states that harvest time was the period in which Jericho was attacked (Flax was present at Rahab's).
- Jars of valuable grain were found at the site that were not touched, showing that the conquest was quick and that city was not plundered (Joshua 6:24) except the precious metals for the treasury. The wall fell before the city was destroyed with fire. Excavations revealed that houses walls and floors were blackened inside the city but the wall that fell and formed the inclined was not because it fell out prior to the blaze. TOP

Source: The Associates for Biblical Research

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BETH-SHAN (SHEN/SHEAN): The excavations by Amahai Mazar at Beth Shan have uncovered Philistine pottery, a strainer jug, a fertility goddess statue, a Philistine bowl which were all Aegean in their styles (Archaeology and Biblical Research, Spring 1992, 63). In addition, a strong Egyptian presence from 1450 - 1150 B.C. was uncovered according to area supervisor Bob Mullins (Price 1997, 147). Its earliest level of occupation dates to about 3000 B.C., and the latest evidence found is from the Roman period which includes inscriptions, pottery, and an amphitheatre. Beth Shan is located between the Jordan and Jezreel Valleys (Blaiklock, 1983, 100).

After Saul's death, his body and the bodies of his sons (except Ishbosheth's, who would reign two years before David's rule) were placed on the wall at Beth Shan, his armor was placed at an Ashtoreth Temple, and his head was placed in a Temple of Dagon. A problem arose with this portion of Scripture because both Temples could not have existed at the same time. It was known that a Philistine Temple (of the god Dagon) and a Canaanite Temple (the goddess Astoreth) could not be present within the same level of occupation because the Canaanites were an earlier people and had gods of opposing peoples. The answer to this riddle is the belief that the Philistines more than likely absorbed the Canaanite gods into their beliefs and thus kept the Temple as an adjoining part of their Dagon Temple. In 1930, Alan Rowe uncovered the Philistine and Canaanite Temple in the same level of occupation at Beth Shan. This discovery once again proves that the Bible is textually and archaeologically accurate (Bible and Spade, Winter 1972, 9-11). TOP

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DAVID'S PALACE: It is believed that David's Palace consisted of a series of terraces filled with stones which faced eastward. Though no architectural remains firmly attributed to David's Palace have yet been found, approximately thirty-four ancient Capitals have been found in Israel amongst other public buildings so why would David's residence be any different? At Shiloh's area G, excavators have uncovered square hewn stones probably cut by Phoenicians that are similar to the ones found by Kathleen Kenyon at David's proposed dwelling. In Kenyon's excavation of area H, a casemate wall was found, a casemate wall is a divider with square compartments built into it. This wall is dated to the general time period (tenth century B.C.) in which David lived.

The wall protected the Palace from the north (Bible and Spade, Winter 1997, 16-17). TOP

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KING DAVID INSCRIPTION: The first excavation at Tel Dan was conducted by Avraham Biran in 1966. Since that time, Biran has uncovered a bowl inscription that read "of the butchers," a probable reference to the cooks of the butchers from the Dan Royal Family. Another inscription reads, "belonging to Amotz (Amos)," not the biblical Amos. In addition to the excavation of a seventh-century B.C. building, an inscription relating to Baal, a "God who is in Dan" inscription verifying the site as Dan, an inscription directly related to the Israeli King Zechariah, and a city-gate complex were all unearthed. The Tel Dan inscription was discovered near this city-gate complex close to a recently discovered wall on the east side. This artifact was discovered by Gila Cook, who saw it protruding up from the ground and would have missed it if the sun had not highlighted the script which reads on line 8, "the king of Israel. And (I) slew (…the kin-) and on line 9 "g of the House of David. And I put…" obviously refers to the The House of David and the Kingship. (Biblical Archaeology Review, March/April 1994, 26-39). The Tel Dan Inscription is dated to the time of Hazael, an Aramean usurper (Price 1997, 169). TOP

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SHESHONQ (SHISHAK)/OSORKON I: In 1994, an interesting article appeared in Bible and Spade magazine. The author of the article, Kenneth Kitchen, believes that the Shishak invasion into Israel may hold the answer to this puzzling question. When Shishak (Sheshonq) led his campaign against Israel and Judah, after the split of the Northern and Southern kingdoms, he took the riches of Solomon's Temple with him back to Egypt (1 Kings 14: 25, 26). This incursion probably happened around 925 B.C., a year later, Shishak was dead and his son Osorkon I ruled. Less than four years after Solomon's death, Osorkon I dedicated gifts to the god/goddesses of Egypt and this was recorded on a temple pillar in Bubastis, Egypt which is located in the Eastern
Nile Delta.
mm Recorded on the Bubastis pillar is a list of riches that he has chose to dedicate to the deities and they include 2,300,000 of deben of gold and silver, 383 tons of precious metals coupled with an inscription that reads, "What his majesty gave to the Temple of Aman-re...a standing statue offering incense...its body of beaten gold and silver, amounting to: gold, 183 deben, silver,19,000 deben,…black copper" "gold, lapis...332,000 deben, total, 594,3000 deben." The question that Kitchen cannot help but ask is how could Osorkon I have acquired so much gold in such a short period of time? Kitchen believes that the gold dedicated to the Egyptian deities may have been part of Solomon's great wealth taken by his father Shishak in 925 B.C. (Bible and Spade, Autumn 1994, 108, 109). TOP

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BABYLON FROM THE TIME OF DANIEL: The excavations by Koldeway at Babylon (1899-1917) unearthed the remains of a ziggurat, canals, a temple to the God Marduk, as well as the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon and other nearby structures (palaces and fortifications), but the most impressive and well preserved section of Babylon is the Ishtar Gate and Processional Street that consisted of a center lane, walkways, and red breccia slabs along the sides. The slabs contained the inscription, "Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, Son of Nabopolassar, King of Babylon, am I. The street for the procession of my great lord Marduk I decorated magnificently with stones from the mountains. Marduk, my Lord, give eternal life" (Marzahn 1994, 9). The Ishtar Gate's walls depicted bulls, dragons and lions in blue glazed tiles (Blaiklock 1983, 337), and the Gate itself consisting of two large structures (one in front of the other with half oval openings) can be seen today at the Vorderasiatisches Museum of the Staatliche Museen zu Berlin in a reconstruction. TOP

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FIRST CENTURY CAPERNAUM SYNAGOGUE: First excavated by Fransican Fathers and German archaeologists between 1905 -1926. Jesus may have visted the location.

Source: E.M. Blaiklock.TOP

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THE TOMB OF JESUS: To benefit the tourist and the novice apologist this may be an important paper for them to read in order to get a full understanding of the history of the two locations before a Jerusalem visit. First of all the Garden tomb is too old for this to have been the tomb of Jesus. A more likely circa date would be from the time of Isaiah or Jeremiah (Alan Millard). The typical tomb of the first century had corpse tunnels for body placement this tomb does not. Upon inspection of the Garden tomb walls there's a major problem in that this tomb has single long strokes where the ceiling and wall meet and these are not atypical first century but what should be seen are shorter tooth chisel marks (Alan Millard). Finally, Jerusalem Archaeologists Gabriel Barkay and Amos Kloner say that the Garden Tomb is a part of a system of tombs but Jesus according to the Bible was buried in a new tomb (John 19:41) (Price). All the tombs in this area originate from the 1st Temple period not the 2nd. Before we leave this subject and offer a conclusion to the issue it should be said that archaeological charlatans are not limited to the first century but are active in the church, a case in point is Ron Wyatt (with all due respect I acknowledge the zeal of this self-proclaimed archaeologist who passed on a few years ago and my purpose is not to destroy his name or attack him or his family personally but to simply put forth his claims and the events surrounding this papers subject) > View full paper at www.defendingthebible.com (Bible Archaeology section of the web site).

The History of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
The probable location of Jesus' tomb

About 135 A.D. Hadrian, according to Eusebius, plotted the burial of the tomb (the sacred cave) placing it over a Temple of Venus as some sort of pagan act (E.B. Blaiklock and R.K. Harrison) (possibly a 4th century assumption by pagans). At approximately 325 A.D. Eusebius makes the claim that this is indeed the tomb of Christ, but what his specific sources for making such a dogmatic statement is uncertain, approximately one year later the mother of Constantine arrives in Jerusalem and visits the area. Just under 300 years later, the Persians attack and destroy the Church and for the rest of its lengthy history it goes through many changes.

The Edicule (the structure covering the area of the rock cave) which was constructed by Constantine prior to the Persian destruction was decimated by the Egyptian, Caliph al-Hakim in 1009 A.D. (E.B. Blaiklock and R.K. Harrison) to be rebuilt after the Church was fully reconstructed in 1144. After the 1555 A.D. final construction of the Edicule, it remained safe until the 1808 fire to only be rebuilt two years later. In 1927 a major earthquake hit the region destroying the Dome, some of the rock and the Edicule which had to be strapped together to prevent it from collapsing. The area was reconstructed by the British Architect William Harvey in 1935; it's believed that the Edicule may have to be taken apart brick by brick in the future to secure its stability (Biddle).

In 1963 Archaeologist Kathleen Kenyon while digging near the Church of the Holy Sepulcher proved that at the time of the Crucificion, the Church location was outside the walls of the Old City, during a dig a 49 ft. trench revealed a quarry which was in used between the 7th century B.C.. and the first century. Additional support comes from the middle 1960's where repairs were given to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (floor) as well as a nearby Lutheran Church where quarrying evidence and pottery was uncovered. In addition to these discoveries the 1976 excavation by Dr. Christos Katsambinis revealed a cone-shaped grey rock with an incline (35 ft. high) probably the famed Golgotha which had two small caves that from a distance looked like a large skull (E.B. Blaiklock and R.K. Harrison). TOP

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THE RESURRECTION? The Inscription measures 24 inches by 15 inches. The exact time or location of the discovery is unknown but in 1878 it came into the collection of an individual by the name of FroehnerFroehner’s. Froehner’s personal notes state that the inscription was sent to him in 1878 from Nazareth. In 1925 Froehner’s collection was acquired by the Paris National Library. Michael Rostovtzeff rediscovered the inscription, which he read at the Paris National Library. A friend of Rostovtzeff, M. Franz Cumont, published a Greek transcription and translation of the inscription and it was published in 1930.

A legal document (part of an imperial rescript) sent by the Emperor Claudius (41-54 A.D.) to Nazareth. The style of this inscription fits both the style and structure of other known rescripts by Claudius. The inscription is distinctly Jewish in it’s content not Roman. After Claudius added Judea to his kingdom in 41 A.D. he persecuted Christians in Jerusalem. No doubt Agrippa I (a Jewish King) wrote a letter of inquiry to his old friend Claudius about the sect of Jesus the Nazarene.

Agrippa I was a Gov’t official in the city of Tiberius in the Galilee at the same time that both John the Baptist and Jesus were ministering in Israel.The best date for this inscription is 41 A.D. the first year that the Emperor Claudius ruled. Claudius’ first year was a tumultuous one. He had to deal with a Jewish revolt in Jerusalem and Alexandria, Egypt.

The Nazareth Inscription may be the Emperor Claudius’ direct response to Agrippa’s inquiry in that he issued a decree forbidding the removal of bodies to counter the Christian doctrine the Jesus had Resurrected. Placing this inscription at Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, was no doubt intentional in order to stop the spread of the Resurrection claim at its source. Herod Agrippa’s influence on Claudius no doubt led to the inscription’s posting at Nazareth.

Do these facts prove that Jesus rose from the Dead? No! but it does prove that the Resurrection was already known within approximately ten years of the actual event. Even known by the Emperor himself.This fact alone makes it clear that the Resurrection was not a later invention by Christians to perpetuate a hoax. No doubt that those who has seen the risen Jesus were still alive at this time to further support the claim as eyewitnesses.

Source: Dr. Clyde Billington. TOP

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CAESAREA: Herod the Great built his port here from 25-13 B.C.E. The Pontius Pilate Inscription ("PONTIUS PILATE, PREFECT OF JUDEA") was discovered here in 1961. The excavator was Professor Antonio Frova.

Source: E.M. Blaiklock and Randall Price. TOP

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PERGAMUM: One of the seven Churches of the book of Revelations. A paganistic location. A Temple to Rome and Augustis Caesar was built here in 29 B.C.E.

Sources: E.M. Blaiklock, Van Valkenberg. TOP