| This article is the first in a series of articles that | | | | event? Jesus Christ thought so. Jesus was |
| present the ideas of my print-on-demand book, | | | | explaining this idea of being "born again" to a |
| "The Fourth Day: Why the Bible is Historically | | | | Pharisee named Nicodemus in the New |
| Accurate". | | | | Testament (John 3:8): "The wind blows where it |
| When I was college student, I was introduced to | | | | wishes, and you here its sound, but you do not |
| the concept of biblical inerrancy. My pastor, Al | | | | know where it comes from or where it goes. So |
| Jackson of Lakeview Baptist Church in Auburn, | | | | it is with everyone born of the Spirit." Nicodemus |
| Alabama, drove the point home that the Word of | | | | was clearly confused by this concept of being |
| God, the Bible, was "God-breathed". He explained | | | | "born again" but Jesus was saying that even if |
| that since the Bible was "God-breathed" it was | | | | you didn't comprehend or believe this supernatural |
| created in the same manner as Adam when God | | | | phenomenon could occur, just like something as |
| breathed life into man in the book of Genesis. The | | | | intangible as the wind, there would be tangible |
| Bible was designed, just like man was at creation, | | | | evidence of it. |
| when God instructed over forty authors exactly | | | | Certainly not all scientists believe in this manner, |
| what to write. The Bible was designed in the | | | | but the great majority of them do. How many of |
| sense that the whole book's purpose is the | | | | these scientists will view the Bible with no |
| revelation of the messiah of mankind, Jesus | | | | preconceived notions? When these scientists read |
| Christ. The Bible points to Christ in very direct | | | | in the Bible that the Earth was created in seven |
| ways by giving the specific characteristics of his | | | | days they will not consider this as true because |
| human life. The prophecies of the Old Testament | | | | they have been trained that the universe is billions |
| indicated he would be born in Bethlehem, through | | | | of years old. When these scientists read that a |
| the line of Jesse, and by a virgin. The spiritual | | | | man lived to be 969 years old in the Bible they |
| aspects of Christ are alluded to in the symbols of | | | | dismiss it as myth or fairy tale because men don't |
| the atonement sacrifices where animals were put | | | | currently live to be that old. They will not consider |
| on an altar and then sprinkled with salt, a symbol | | | | the possibility that at one time in history men did |
| of eternity, to represent the once-and-for-all | | | | live that long. When these men read the account |
| sacrifice that the Son of God would make on a | | | | of Noah and a worldwide flood they have always |
| cross one day. God coordinated all this information | | | | attributed it to "local" flooding. This may have |
| to point to Christ, God's plan for man's salvation. | | | | some ring of truth to it since until that time, |
| Since the time that my pastor explained these | | | | according to the Bible, the world was one big land |
| things to me I have taken them to heart and I | | | | mass (the world was all in one place, i.e., local). |
| have studied the Bible with the attitude that the | | | | According to the Bible the continents didn't divide |
| Bible is historically correct as well as spiritually | | | | until the life of Peleg, a descendant of Noah. Again, |
| correct. Conservative Christians have adopted this | | | | the scientists certainly are not going to agree with |
| philosophy in every subject covered in the Bible | | | | this theory of the land mass shift because they |
| except for one, chronology. Chronology, the study | | | | will insist that this geological process needed |
| of the historical timeline, has been a subject | | | | millions of years to accommodate the movement |
| where it seems the Christian community has | | | | of the continental land masses. Since these |
| conceded defeat. For whatever reason, Christians | | | | archeologists disagree with Christians in so many |
| in the modern era have sought compromise with | | | | fundamental matters described in the Bible how |
| scholars, many of whom are downright | | | | will we ever reach an agreement on a historical |
| antagonistic to Christian beliefs, so that the | | | | timeline? |
| timeline of the Bible would have the stamp of | | | | The present chronological model of the Bible is |
| authenticity from historians. | | | | based on a mixture of Biblical truth and theoretical |
| An article in Biblical Archaelogy Review effectively | | | | historical models. I believe it is time that we |
| demonstrates the level of Biblical antagonism that | | | | consider a new approach to Biblical chronology. |
| archeological community can exhibit. Consider an | | | | The model I propose is based solely on the |
| excerpt from the opening paragraph of an article | | | | information in the Bible. If the Bible is true then |
| entitled Minimalists on Parade (Biblical Archaeology | | | | historians will confirm the result of the theologians |
| Review, Jan/Feb 2005, Vol 31, No. 1, Page 16-17): | | | | (assuming the theologians have interpreted the |
| "At a recent conference on reconstructing | | | | Bible correctly). Why should God's Word have to |
| Israelite history held in Rome, the so-called Biblical | | | | be authenticated by men? If the Bible is truly |
| minimalist position was upheld by a number of | | | | trustworthy the truth of the Bible should be laid |
| prominent scholars. This position is not monolithic, | | | | out for men to see and respond to its truth. In |
| however, and different minimalist scholars | | | | 1995 David Rohl, an Egyptologist, wrote his book |
| stressed different arguments. Among them: | | | | A Test in Time to propose a radically different |
| * The Bible cannot be used as a historical source. | | | | theory in chronology. He proposed a timeline that |
| [The position that defines a Biblical minimalist.] | | | | was based on some Biblical evidence. In fact, |
| * Neither can archaeology, which can only tell us | | | | Rohl's proposed date of Solomon's reign is |
| whether ancient Israelites ate from a bowl 20 or | | | | consistent with the timeline developed from my |
| 30 centimeters wide. A history of Israel based on | | | | literal interpretation of the Bible. What is even |
| archaeology is useless. | | | | more amazing about David Rohl is that he is |
| * There was no Exodus. | | | | described among archaeologists as a maximalist, |
| * The famous Tel Dan inscription mentioning | | | | someone who believes the Bible is historically |
| David, excavated by Israeli archaeologist | | | | accurate, yet he characterizes himself as a |
| Avraham Biran, is probably a forgery; and the | | | | spiritual "agnostic". If David Rohl is a maximalist |
| Hebrew words in the inscription that read "House | | | | then I am a "maximum" maximalist, someone |
| [Dynasty] of David" probably mean something | | | | significantly to the right of David Rohl's view since |
| else. | | | | I believe that the Bible is historically accurate and |
| * David and Solomon are only symbolic | | | | indeed the very word of God as it claims to be. |
| characters, not real characters. | | | | Therefore I believe my perspective on the |
| * The Biblical accounts of the United Kingdom of | | | | chronology of the Bible is unlike anything you have |
| Judah and Israel under David and Solomon are | | | | ever heard before. |
| simply later projections into a distant mythic past. | | | | The purpose of my book, "The Fourth Day: Why |
| * Judah did not even become a state until about a | | | | the Bible is Historically Accurate", was to prove a |
| hundred years after David-if he lived." One scholar | | | | biblical concept that I believe will synchronize the |
| mentioned in this article, Giovanni Garbini of the | | | | events recorded in the Bible with Egyptian history, |
| Universita' di Roma La Sapienza, makes a | | | | Babylonian history, Persian history and |
| particularly provocative comment in this article: | | | | Archaeology. The recognition of this concept will |
| "The name Jacob "is clearly an artificial creation of | | | | allow the reader to tie together all these areas of |
| post-exilic age [after the Babylonian Exile]. It was | | | | study in one neat package so that when viewed |
| not Jacob who became Israel, but Israel who | | | | together there is no discrepancy between the |
| became Jacob...". These minimalists, who appear to | | | | Bible and these other elements of ancient history. |
| represent the majority of the archaeological | | | | The recognition of this concept will also illustrate |
| community, don't regard the Bible as historically | | | | that the Bible is not only a trustworthy religious |
| accurate. Among their objections: they don't | | | | document but a trustworthy historical document |
| believe that David, Solomon or Jacob existed and | | | | because of its chronological precision. First, assume |
| don't believe the Exodus ever occurred. These | | | | that from the beginning of creation to the end of |
| positions are as idealogically opposed to the | | | | the millennial reign of Jesus Christ is a period of |
| conservative Christian view of the Bible as one | | | | 7000 years; a time period analogous to the 7 day |
| can image. So why should we (Christians) seek | | | | period of creation of the world mentioned in the |
| the counsel of this group in the understanding of | | | | book of Genesis. Next, recognize that the |
| such a precious concept as the historical timeline | | | | sacrifice of the Passover lamb in the Old |
| of the Bible? Yet this is what has happened. | | | | Testament is symbolic of the fact that Jesus |
| Here's another problem with relying on the | | | | Christ was crucified exactly 4000 years after the |
| scientific community to authenticate the Bible: | | | | creation of the world. According to the Mosaic |
| they have "rational" blinders on. Scientists that | | | | Law each family that observed Passover was to |
| have no faith in Christ are limited in their ability to | | | | purchase a lamb 4 days prior to the day of |
| investigate because they assume that certain | | | | Passover and that lamb was to live in that |
| phenomena are impossible even before the | | | | household until the late afternoon of the day |
| investigation has begun. Since they consider | | | | when the Israelite priest had to sacrifice the lamb |
| themselves to be "rational" scientists the | | | | and it was to be accomplished by nightfall. I |
| assumption that an "irrational" event has occurred | | | | believe these 4 days were God's way of |
| is implausible. The scientific method basically allows | | | | illustrating that the lamb of God, Jesus Christ, |
| anyone to make an assumption (any assumption), | | | | would be sacrificed on a cross 4000 years after |
| conduct research of known facts or run an | | | | the creation of the world. Therefore, symbolically |
| experiment and use the research and/or the | | | | and in actuality, Jesus Christ was sacrificed on the |
| experiment to validate the assumption. These | | | | fourth day. |
| "rational" scientists when confronted with an | | | | When you recognize this concept to be true, |
| "irrational" assumption simply leap over the | | | | several significant conclusions regarding history |
| research and experimental process and declare | | | | become evident. The Israelite Monarchies of David |
| that the assumption in invalid because they have | | | | and Solomon occurred about 180 years later than |
| assumed the "irrational" assumption is just not | | | | held by historians. The period of the Persian |
| possible. So why do these "rational" scientists | | | | Empire from Cyrus the Great's announcement of |
| behave this way? Well, consider the following | | | | the rebuilding of Jerusalem until Alexander the |
| possibility. Let's say that an "irrational" event is | | | | Great's invasion lasted only 21 years (not the |
| assumed and information is collected or an | | | | approximately 200 year period currently held by |
| experiment is performed to confirm its validity. | | | | historians). Egypt did not have a king (a Pharaoh) |
| Let's say that the irrational event has been | | | | for 300 years between the 20th and 21st |
| validated. What would be the response of the | | | | dynasties. I support these conclusions using the |
| "rational" scientist? More than likely, complete | | | | Bible, Astronomy, Archaeology, the writings of |
| denial. Such an outcome would create complete | | | | ancient historians and the monuments of ancient |
| chaos in his philosophy since his "rational" method | | | | kings. |
| of investigation, the scientific method, would have | | | | In the next installment of this series of articles I |
| been used to prove that an "irrational" event was | | | | will address one of the most provocative |
| possible. So what is an "irrational" event? It is just | | | | discoveries of this approach to history; the |
| another way of saying a supernatural event, one | | | | discovery that the Persian Empire described in the |
| that is beyond our understanding. Can the | | | | book of Daniel only lasted for 21 years and not |
| scientific process be used to validate an "irrational" | | | | the 200 years claimed by historians. |