Sunday Walk 52 – Biblical Archeology

I recently went on a tour of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago led by Ted Wright, Executive Director of Epic Archeology. After exploring his site here are a few of the many topics I found of interest.

  • Among the top 10 things to know about Biblical archeology are that “every major New Testament village and town has been discovered”, the Book of Acts records accurate geographic references, and there is an “historical synchronism” between the Assyrian record and the Old Testament regarding Sennacherib’s sacking of Lachish and the siege of Jerusalem. The prism containing the annals of Sennacherib is on display in the Oriental Institute.
  • The uraeus representing the Egyptian goddess Wadjet was a cobra often seen on the heads of statues of the pharaohs. When the Israelites yearned to return to Egypt, God sent them poisonous snakes to remind them what would be waiting if they went back (Numbers 21). As a cure for the bites Moses hung a copper snake on a pole which was how John 3 represented Jesus on the cross.
  • The references to Pharaoh hardening his heart is evidence that Exodus was written by an eye-witness who knew the Egyptian Book of the Dead where a weighty, hardened heart meant a miserable afterlife.

In the video below Ted Wright reviews one of the documentary films in Timothy Mahoney’s Patterns of Evidence series. Some of the questions asked in these documentaries are whether the Exodus and Conquest happened in the 15th century BC, where was the Red Sea crossing and whether Moses would have been able to write the Torah.

Ted Wright, Patterns of Evidence

There is also the question of whether Hebrew is the language of “the world’s oldest alphabet”, a position held by Douglas Petrovich. The discovery of the origin of the alphabet involved the discovery of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim at the beginning of the Sojourn in Egypt at Avaris. As Petrovich presented the data, they would have been the most likely inventors. This alphabet made it possible for Moses to write the Bible and for the Israelites to read it.

Weekly Bible Reading:  1 Samuel (Audio), 2 Samuel (Audio), 1 Kings (Audio), 2 Kings (Audio)
Commentary: David Pawson, 1 and 2 Samuel, Part 2 of 2, 1 and 2 Kings, Part 1 of 2, Unlocking the Bible

Author: Frank Hubeny

I enjoy walking, poetry and short prose as well as taking pictures with my phone.

13 thoughts on “Sunday Walk 52 – Biblical Archeology”

  1. I have to confess Frank, I’m a little on the envious side, touring the Oriental Institute would definitely be up there in the top 10 things I would like to do. I find it amazing the discoveries that have been made and how time and time again, the Bible’s historical accuracy is vindicated. The “Patterns of Evidence” documentary is also very interesting. Thank you for sharing this! Blessings!

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      2. The contrast between the primacy of Justice, achieved by and through lateral common law courtrooms, over the Xtian Protestant emphasis which prioritizes baptism, eucharist, penance, and justification by faith alone – all these core doctrines of the church, Judaism totally invalidates.

        Together with the Catholic narishkeit: salvation, earned through good works — avodah zarah. The whole protestant doctrine of salvation through faith in JeZeus, Judaism abhors. The avodah zarah, expressed through the rabid messiah insanity, on par with the golden calf. These core Catholic and Protestant doctrines, they serve as evidence that church European barbarians – they never accepted the revelation of the Torah @ Sinai & Horev.

        Their doctrines of salvation: belief in messiah JeZeus, and their Trinity God Head mystery – both doctrines violate the first and second commandments of the revelation of the Torah @ Sinai. Penance, bases itself upon the Pauline doctrine of Original Sin. This doctrine of avodah zarah, it shares no common ground with t’shuvah; the commandment not to follow or embrace the cultures and customs of peoples who never accepted the Sinai\Horev revelation לשמה.

        The negative Torah commandment, which forbids copying the ways of Egyptian and Canaanite avodah zarah, it serves as the primary precedent wherein Moshe the prophet logically interpreted the k’vanna of the Second Commandment. Torah Oral logic has priority over law. Mussar defines the k’vanna of all prophetic prophesy within the T’NaCH common law codification. The Talmud common law codification stands upon the יסוד of the T’NaCH common law codification. Herein defines the k’vanna of the T’NaCH\Talmud/Siddur\ sealed masoret of faith.

        All generations of the chosen Cohen nation, who rule the oath sworn lands, we all equally inherit this sealed masoret whereby HaShem judges whether we obey and do all the mitzvot לשמה. Judgment Day upon the Brit – Rosh HaShanah – the current living generations, our Cohen nation status … this Chag measures the heart, soul, and strength of the chosen Cohen nation; every year klall Yisroel stands upon the scales of Justice.

        Question: Do we establish the Torah as the Written Constitution of the Republic of States? Question: Do we establish the Federal Sanhedrin lateral common law Court system? Question: Do we empower the Federal Sanhedrin lateral common law Courts to define the prophetic mussar k’vanna – through משנה תורה\Legislative Review|Aggaditah/ of all Knesset laws … passed by this Jewish Parliament … established by the founder(s) of the Jewish State? Specifically named Israel, by David Ben-Gurion.

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