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Google Glass and Studying the Bible

by Aaron Booth 

Google Glass invite

Source: Google

Is there any use for a pair of wearable electronic glasses in church or in your personal Bible study?
As the Internet manager for the United Church of God, I am always looking for ways technology could be used to study the Bible and enhance that learning experience. Earlier this year, Google introduced their optical head-mounted display device called “Glass.” It allows the wearer to take photos and videos, connect to their personal Google+ account and interact with the Internet via voice commands. This week I received an email invitation to become part of Google’s Glass Explorer program.
This got me thinking on how a wearable device like this could be used to study the Bible and what possibilities it could have in a church service or worship setting. Wearable computer devices are not new and have been available but they have not been widely accepted and functionable in daily life. That may change with devices like Google Glass and other wearable Internet connected devices.
Here are three ideas on how something like Google Glass could be used to enhance Bible learning:

1. Scripture recognition

Since Glass has a built in camera it could recognize various word patterns in the real-world and translate that information to its display screen. Imagine being able to scan words in your physical Bible and have it display various other Bible related resources to view. This could be definitions, translations, images, videos, audio and more. Maybe a popular Bible app such as YouVersion could open in the display and connect you to other Bible translations or read the verse to you. This type of application already exists in Glass to help in realtime translation of words from one language to another.

2. Visit Biblical and historical locations

Maybe you can access an interactive video that allows you to walk through Jerusalem and immerse yourself in that location and visit historical landmarks. With the use of augmented reality you can blend a real-world visit to a museum featuring Biblical artifacts with interactive information from the web. Just point your device’s camera toward the displayed QR code and the display screen shows relevant information or plays audio about what you are looking at.

3. Online Bible classroom setting

While taking an online class, a Biblical instructor in Jerusalem can give a personal tour of ancient sites via a live video feed and show the online class what they see and take questions from the class. This can already be done via a Google Hangout.
I believe there are many more day-to-day ease of technology use applications that could be developed which would assist those with mobility limitations or even sight limitations (read the online article from USA TODAY - "Beyond a gadget: Google Glass is a boon to disabled "). I would guess that in the next 5 to 10 years or even less, that wearable Internet devices will be more common and integrated into daily life somehow. Technology like this will become the everyday device for my kids when they are adults - as much as smartphones and tablets are for us today.
This makes me think of scripture in Revelation 11 that talks about how the whole world will see the bodies of the two witnesses:

And for three and a half days, all peoples, tribes, languages, and nations will stare at their bodies. No one will be allowed to bury them. (Revelation 11:9And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
See All... NLT)

With every advance of technology we can see how this future Biblical event will become a reality.
But till that time, I will keep searching (as well as our UCG.org staff) in how to best use technology to fulfill the mission of the United Church of God of preaching the gospel to the whole world.
If you are curious about Google Glass and would like to learn more - here are some online resources.
What Can You Do with Glass?
Glass - What It Does
Glass Support
Glass Quick Start Guide

One of the World's Most Popular Books

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One of the World's Most Popular Books


Billions of Bibles have been published and distributed around the world. Millions of people regard it as the inspired Word of God. It's been one of history's most influential books. But can you-and should you-believe it?



On March 16, 1985, journalist Terry Anderson was kidnapped from the streets of Beirut, Lebanon. As a political pawn he was held hostage for 2,454 days—almost seven years. During this excruciating ordeal Mr. Anderson showed remarkable courage, although frequently stretched to near his breaking point.



On the first day of his confinement his abductors hustled him at gunpoint from his car into theirs, then took him to a half-built apartment building. There they blindfolded him and chained him to a cot.



During his first 24 days in chains, bound and restrained like an animal, he struggled to find a way to maintain his sanity. Realizing the need to summon courage and strength from somewhere, he asked his captors for a Bible.



In his memoirs Mr. Anderson related the result of that request: "The next day, late in the afternoon, the English- speaking guard came in and threw a heavy object on the bed. I reached for it, felt the smooth covers of a book. The guard came around to the head of the bed. 'Good?' 'Yes, very good, thank you.'



"I cautiously pulled my blindfold up a bit, until I could see the book...A Bible, the Revised Standard Version. I caressed it gently ... I read the title page, the publishing and copyright information, the notes of the editors, slowly, carefully. Then: Genesis. 'In the beginning ...'" (Terry Anderson, Den of Lions, 1993, pp. 14-15).



How often in crises have men and women turned to the Bible for help? The value of the Word of God is acknowledged at such moments of unease, uncertainty and apprehension.



A perennial best seller



The Holy Bible is regarded by millions as the written Word of the one and only true God. Indeed, the Bible claims this distinction for itself. In the eyes of many others it is highly regarded as a collection of some of the world's greatest literature.



The nonprofit American Bible Society has, in more than 180 years of its existence, distributed more Bibles than there are people in the world—some 8.5 billion. The British and Foreign Bible Society has distributed several billion more in dozens of languages.



More than 100 million new Bibles, reflecting numerous translations, are sold or given away freely every year. Translations exist in more than 2,000 languages and dialects.



Today the Bible is especially popular wherever English is spoken. It is "the most widely known book in the English-speaking world ... No one in the English-speaking world can be considered literate without a basic knowledge of the Bible" (E.D. Hirsch Jr., Joseph Kett and James Trefil, The Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 1988, p. 1). So within the English-speaking world, even where religions other than Christianity dominate, a basic knowledge of the Bible is essential if one is to be considered an educated citizen.



"Literate people in India, whose religious traditions are not based on the Bible but whose common language is English, must know about the Bible to understand English within their own country. All educated speakers of ... English need to understand what is meant when someone describes a contest between David and Goliath or whether a person who has the 'wisdom of Solomon' is wise or foolish ..." (ibid.).



Many people attribute great influence to the Bible. In a survey by the Library of Congress and Book-of-the-Month Club, readers were asked which book had most influenced their lives. What topped their list? The Bible! In a 1938 Gallup poll the Bible was considered the most interesting of all books read that year. It was rated by a majority as more interesting reading than the 1930s novel Gone With the Wind. However, in more secular Britain this is not the case. In a similar British survey the Bible came in 35th in a field of 50 books.



The Bible is quoted by statesmen, politicians, philosophers, poets and even orbiting astronauts. People from all walks of life have found in its pages just the right words for innumerable situations. Its insights often provide the right accompaniment for moments of awe and inspiration, stress and anguish, confusion and doubt.



The Bible neglected



However, for all of the attention given to the Bible, its value is underestimated. When we probe a little deeper we find the Bible being lauded, even revered, yet a book whose contents are often little read and even less understood.



Much of the world is biblically illiterate. In his 2007 book Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know—and Doesn't, Stephen Prothero, chair of the religion department at Boston University, documents Americans' abysmally low awareness of what the Bible says. Among his findings:



• Half of adult Americans can't name even one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John).



• Most can't name the Bible's first book (Genesis).



• Two thirds couldn't name Jesus as the One who gave the Sermon on the Mount.



• Most think the Bible says Jesus was born in Jerusalem (He was actually born in Bethlehem).



• One in 10 believe Joan of Arc was Noah's wife.



Far too many neglect to take the Bible seriously. They fail to recognize the Bible for what it is—the handbook for humankind, provided by God for our journey through life. It is a source to be consulted in every life situation, with guidelines for triumph and adversity, joy and sorrow, prosperity and poverty, confidence and doubt.



The Bible itself asserts its divine authority; it claims to be the very Word of God. It declares an understanding of mankind's purpose—to attain the awesome destiny planned for us by our Creator. It offers guidance, encouragement and direction at every turn.



But can the Bible withstand scrutiny? Is it true just because it claims to be true? Can you— should you—believe it?



In the chapters that follow, we will see whether the Bible stands as the very Word of God.

Amend the Bible?

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Amend the Bible

On a recent edition of CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight"  the host engaged Saddleback Church's Rick Warren in a debate about same sex marriage and gay rights. Morgan suggested the Bible needed to be "amended" to accommodate modern social mores. Warren's reply was, "not a chance." Warren is right, it is not going to happen.



Amending the Bible is a bold call—not that others have not tried to amend its text down through the centuries. But textual criticism can usually determine where that has been done. But we don't need to go there today.



My thought after listening to the exchange was that people have already amended the Bible by ignoring its plain teaching on just about any major matter of substance in the book. The law? It's been changed, don't need to keep it. The Sabbath and holy days? Changed to Sunday and pagan festivals substituted. Adultery and marital fidelity? Let's do what feels right in our own eyes.



For many modern minds today there is no need to "amend" holy scripture—their lifestyle denies its authority and in effect says to God "We don't want you telling us what to do. You are not admitted into our conscience" (Romans 1:28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient;



See All...).



How about you? Do your actions say that you have amended God's plain teaching to suit what you want to do with your life? Revelation 22:19 says not to "take away from the words of the book of this prophecy." Doing so causes God to remove our names from the Book of Life.



Far better to "amend" our life to conform with the Bible. It's safer that way.







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Are the Koran and Islam similar to the Bible and Christianity?

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Are the Koran and Islam similar to the Bible and Christianity?


Are they inspired writings?



Answer:



To answer your question, lets look at how Islam came to be. Quoting from the World Book Encyclopedia :



"Islam is the name given to the religion preached by the Prophet, Mohammed [also spelled Muhammad] in the A.D. 600s. Mohammed was an Arab who was born in Mecca about A.D. 570. He believed he had been sent to warn and guide his people and to call them to worship God (Allah). Mohammed preached that there is only one God and that he, Mohammed, was Gods messenger. Mohammed began preaching in Mecca about A.D. 610. He made slow progress at first. Most of the rich and powerful citizens scorned him and his preaching. His preaching angered and frightened the Meccans, and some of them even plotted to kill him.



"In 622, Mohammed fled to the city of Medina, where a group of people received and helped him. In 630, Mohammed and his followers returned to Mecca and occupied the city. They destroyed all the idols in the heathen temple, the Kaaba, and turned the area surrounding the Kaaba into a mosque (Moslem [Muslim] house of worship). The Meccans then accepted Islam and acknowledged Mohammed as a prophet. Mecca and Medina became the sacred cities of Islam.



"The companions of Mohammed preserved his revelations by memorizing them or writing them down during his lifetime. Moslem scholars believe Mohammed approved these teachings. Later, the materials were combined to form the holy book of the Moslems. It is called the Koran. Moslems consider the Koran the words of God Himself, spoken to Mohammed by an angel. Parts of the Koran resemble the Bible, the Apocrypha, and the Talmud. The Koran also has stories from the New Testament about Jesus Christ, whom it calls the Word of God.



"The Koran teaches the absolute unity and power of God, the creator of the whole universe. It also teaches that God is just and merciful, and wishes man to repent and purify himself while on earth so that he can attain Paradise after death. Therefore God sends prophets with sacred books to teach man his duty to God and his fellow man. The Moslems believe Mohammed was the last of the prophets. Jesus and the Old Testament prophets were his predecessors."



This just scratches the surface of the information that is available about Islam, but through reading the information above, you can see both similarities to and differences from what the Bible teaches.



Muslims believe that Jesus was a prophet, but that He was only a human being and not the Son of God who has existed with God since the beginning (John 1:1-3 [1] In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

[2] The same was in the beginning with God.

[3] All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.





See All..., 14). They do not recognize Jesus Christ as the Savior of mankind, whose shed blood cleanses us before God and permits us to enter into a relationship with our Father in heaven. Islam also teaches that, since the Bible and the Koran disagree on many points, the Bible became corrupted and was superceded by the Koran.



Various religions possess bits and pieces of truth, as do both Islam and Judaism. But neither understands the role of Jesus Christ in our lives. The book of 1 John discusses the absolute necessity of Jesus Christs involvement in our worship of God.



Notice 1 John 2:21-23 [21] I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

[22] Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

[23] Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.





See All...: "I have not written to you because you do not know the truth, but because you know it, and that no lie is of the truth. Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son. Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either; he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also."



If we accept the authority of the Bible as the Word of God, then by reading this passage we come to the conclusion that Islam, because it denies the divinity of Jesus Christ, cannot be of God. There are many other beliefs of Islam that contradict the Bible that you can find in your own studies. We encourage you to read the entire book of 1 John as well as our booklet titled Is the Bible True?

Does the Bible Contain Errors?

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Does the Bible Contain Errors?


Often the answer depends on the eye of the beholder. For those determined to undermine Scripture, yes, it does contain errors and no answer will satisfy them. For others, though, careful study and patience usually resolve any problems.



As noted author Josh McDowell explains regarding the Bible: "It is a mistake for the critic to assume...that what has not yet been explained never will be explained. When a scientist comes upon an anomaly in nature, he does not give up further scientific exploration. Rather, he uses the unexplained as a motivation to find an explanation...



"Likewise, the Christian scholar approaches the Bible with the same presumption that what is thus far unexplained is not therefore unexplainable. He or she does not assume that discrepancies are contradictions. And when he encounters something for which he has no explanation, he simply continues to do research, believing that one will eventually be found...



"Like his scientific counterpart, the Bible student has been rewarded for his faith and research. Many difficulties for which scholars once had no answer have yielded to the relentless pursuit of answers through history, archaeology, linguistics, and other disciplines. For example, critics once proposed that Moses could not have written the first five books of the Bible because there was no writing in Moses' day. Now we know that writing existed a couple of thousand years or more before Moses.



"Likewise, critics once believed that the Bible was wrong in speaking of the Hittite people, since they were totally unknown to historians. Now historians know of their existence by way of a Hittite library found in Turkey. This gives us confidence to believe that biblical difficulties not yet explained do have an explanation, and we need not assume that there is a mistake in the Bible" (The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, 1999, pp. 46-47).



Contradictions in the Gospels?



As an example of resolving supposed contradictions, let's consider how the four Gospels record the words that Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, ordered to be placed above Jesus' head at His crucifixion.



Matthew:27:37And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS. reads, "This is Jesus the king of the Jews."



Mark:15:26And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS. says, "the king of the Jews."



Luke:23:38And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. reads, "This is the king of the Jews."



John:19:19And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. states, "Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews."



At first glance it might appear none of the authors copied the words on the sign properly. But, when we read each account, we find every one adds a bit more information to the rest. From John we find that Pilate composed the message. From Luke we have additional information as to why these words are different: The inscription was originally written in three languages, Greek, Latin and Hebrew (Luke:23:38And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.).



So the variation of the wordings logically would have to do with the three languages used as well as the different point of view of each biographer, stressing slightly different aspects of Christ's life and ministry. Adding up the wording of the different accounts, we see that the complete message recorded by the signs was "This is Jesus of Nazareth, the king of the Jews."



None of the Gospel accounts contradicts the others; they complement each other to provide increased understanding. A helpful tool for studying Christ's life and ministry is A.T. Robertson's A Harmony of the Gospels, which provides all four Gospel accounts side by side in chronological order.



Other seeming contradictions in the Bible are related to times and dates. One example of this is that Israel used both a civil and a sacred calendar. The civil year began in the autumn with the month of Tishri, while the sacred year began in the spring with the month of Nisan or Abib. When two writers seem to disagree regarding the timing of a particular event, the seeming discrepancy can be clarified by ascertaining which of the two calendars they are using.



In another matter of timing, John:19:14And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King! seems to disagree with Matthew:27:45Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.. John described events that occurred before the crucifixion and says that they took place at about the "sixth hour." Matthew agrees with Mark:15:33And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. and Luke:23:44And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. when he says darkness covered the land after the crucifixion from the sixth to the ninth hours. Is there a real discrepancy between these accounts?



No! The answer lies in the fact that the Jewish state was then under Roman control and John used the Roman reckoning of time, which began at midnight. The "sixth hour" in John's reckoning was 6:00 in the morning. However, the Jewish method of timekeeping started from that time of the morning, counting it as the first hour of the day. So the sixth hour of the day according to Jewish reckoning was noon.



The crucifixion occurred between the sixth and ninth hours of the day—Jewish time. Thus, the four Gospel accounts do not contradict; instead they complement each other.



Answers may not be readily apparent



What about other scriptural passages that contain apparent discrepancies? Some of these are the result of faulty translations; some Bible translations are simply more accurate than others in rendering particular verses. With other passages the difficulties may be more substantial.



In any case, one should not be alarmed at what appear to be errors in the Bible. There are answers and solutions to these passages that may not be readily apparent. As noted Bible scholar Gleason Archer writes:



"As I have dealt with one apparent discrepancy after another and have studied the alleged contradictions between the biblical record and the evidence of linguistics, archaeology, or science, my confidence in the trustworthiness of Scripture has been repeatedly verified and strengthened by the discovery that almost every problem in Scripture that has ever been discovered by man, from ancient times until now, has been dealt with in a completely satisfactory manner by the biblical text itself—or else by objective archaeological information...



"There is a good and sufficient answer in Scripture itself to refute every charge that has ever been leveled against it. But this is only to be expected from the kind of book the Bible asserts itself to be, the inscripturation of the infallible, inerrant Word of the Living God" (Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties, 1982, p. 12).



The Bible is the Word of God, and we can depend upon it as the Book that illuminates the pathway to salvation. It is reliable. The apostle Paul wrote that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy:3:16All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:). Jesus said that "the Scripture cannot be broken" (John:10:35If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken;).



This is a promise from Jesus Christ on which we can rely and in which we can place our complete confidence. So, when we read the Bible, let us be assured that we are indeed reading a book that is inspired of God and contains the full backing of the Eternal God who desires to give us the salvation the book promises us.



A little research with commentaries and other Bible helps can usually resolve Bible difficulties.

The Biblical Authors: Men of God and Science

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The Biblical Authors: Men of God and Science


Solomon, king of Israel, was a man of remarkable learning. The Bible describes him as having great interest and understanding in scientific disciplines. Solomon understood the movement of the prevailing winds about the earth and the hydrological cycle that brings rain (Ecclesiastes 1:6-7). He was a horticulturist, creating a great assortment of vineyards, gardens and orchards (Ecclesiastes 2:4-5).



He was something of a botanist and zoologist, understanding plants, animals, birds, insects and fish (1 Kings 4:33). He was a student of psychology, sociology and human relations, as demonstrated by the subject matter of the book of Proverbs.



But Solomon eventually realized that all his scientific, material knowledge did not bring him satisfaction. His life grew hollow and unsatisfying. His concentration on scientific knowledge, without proper emphasis on God's spiritual knowledge and understanding, rendered life meaningless (Ecclesiastes 1:16-18). He concluded, after much retrospection, that a man must put the knowledge of God first: "This is the end of the matter: you have heard it all. Fear God and obey his commandments; this sums up the duty of mankind" (Ecclesiastes 12:13, Revised English Bible).



Moses is another example of a man trained in the physical sciences but blessed with spiritual understanding. Moses was educated "in all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (Acts 7:22). With the guidance of God he could separate the good from the bad, and undoubtedly his early education was of great help in his life of fulfilling God's calling to lead his fellow Israelites out of Egyptian slavery and to govern a nation.



Other men of God were educated in the intellectual pursuits of their day. The prophet Daniel was a brilliant student brought up in the royal academy of the Babylonians (Daniel 1:4). The Babylonian Empire of Daniel's day dominated the world and was scientifically advanced, particularly in astronomy.



Daniel apparently saw no conflict between the scientific truths the Babylonians had discovered and the knowledge of God that he had held from his youth. Indeed, he thrived, serving rulers of the Babylonian and Medo-Persian empires as a high-ranking government official. Daniel's education did not undermine his faith in God. He knew God's Word to be true and inviolable and saw no conflict between scientific knowledge and Scripture.



We must study the Scriptures to gain eternal life (John 5:39). But, as time and inclination allow, we should study the physical sciences as well. In so doing we will gain a deeper appreciation of the world our Creator has made and increase our faith and understanding of Him.



The apostle Paul understood that man stands to learn a great deal about His Creator by observing His creation: "Ever since the creation of the world, his invisible nature—his eternal power and divine character—have been clearly perceptible through what he has made. So they have no excuse" (Goodspeed's American Translation). The Wall Street Journal put it this way: "If a little science takes one away from God, a great deal of science brings one back to him" (Oct. 10, 1994).

Has the Bible Been Preserved Accurately?

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Has the Bible Been Preserved Accurately?
Some Bible critics argue that we should disregard the Bible because it's impossible that our modern versions could match the original texts. But how does this argument stand up to scrutiny?
by Ken Graham
Has the Bible been preserved accurately? Are the Scriptures that we read today the same as the ones originally written so long ago? Has the Bible been changed, or does it constitute the same inspired words written by the prophets and the apostles?
Of course, there are language differences because the Bible was not originally written in English. The Old Testament was written primarily in Hebrew, with a few parts in Aramaic, and the New Testament was penned in Greek.
The Bible wasn't translated into English until the 14th century. But did it change over the many centuries until then?
These are important questions because if it can be shown that the Bible we have today is different from the one God originally inspired, why should we pay attention to it? If we can't trust that it has been accurately translated and preserved, there is little reason to trust that it is indeed God's Word. So it's very important that we see what the historical record shows. How can we know?
Has the Old Testament been accurately preserved?
The Hebrew Bible, what today is called the Old Testament, is far older than the New Testament—having been written between approximately 1446 and 400 B.C., some 25 to 35 centuries ago. Is the version we have today a faithful and accurate rendition of the original?
Let's take a look at how it was preserved for us.
The apostle Paul wrote that the oracles of God were committed to the Jewish people (Romans 3:2). For centuries they carefully and meticulously preserved their sacred writings. The manuscripts of the Bible that we have today were written by hand long ago, well before the invention of the printing press. The Jewish scribes who made the copies of the Old Testament Scriptures from generation to generation were scrupulously cautious about their copying procedures.
This meticulous care was perpetuated by the Masoretes, a special group of Jewish scribes who were entrusted with making copies of the Hebrew Bible from about A.D. 500 to 900. Their version of the Old Testament, widely considered the most authoritative, came to be known as the Masoretic Text.
Before and during this time, trained copyists followed various meticulous and stringent requirements for making scrolls of their holy books. The Masoretes required that all manuscripts have various word numbering systems. As an example of one test they used, when a new copy was made, they counted the number of words in it. If the copy didn't have the proper count, the manuscript was unusable and buried.
Such steps ensured that not a single word could be added to or left out of the Holy Scriptures. Through such steps the scrolls that formed the Hebrew Bible were copied meticulously, carefully and accurately, century after century.
What about the books of the Old Testament?
About A.D. 90 Jewish elders meeting in the Council at Jamnia, in Judea near the Mediterranean coast, affirmed that the canon —the set of writings acknowledged as being divinely inspired—of the Jewish Bible was complete and authoritative.
While there are some differences in organization—the Jewish Bible combines the text into 22 books while our modern Bibles divide the Old Testament into 39—the content is nonetheless the same. The differences are due to the fact that books like Joshua and Judges were written on one scroll, thus making them one book by Jewish count while they appear as separate books in our modern Bibles. Similarly, 1 and 2 Samuel and 1 and 2 Kings all made up one book in Jewish reckoning, as did 1 and 2 Chronicles, though all these were divided into multiple books in our English translations.
The Jewish Council at Jamnia rejected other questionable books, known as the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, as inspired or authoritative. So they are not part of this count or the accepted Hebrew canon. Thus these books are left out of most modern Bibles.
Through the centuries the Jewish people were very careful to preserve the Old Testament as we have it today. The majority of the manuscripts that we have today of the Old Testament are virtually identical to the copies made by the Masoretes, with very little difference between them.
What do we know from the field of textual criticism?
"Textual criticism" is the field of study in which experts compare the various manuscripts in existence to one another, seeking to come as close as possible to what the original author wrote. The original manuscripts are called "autographs," literally "self writings." Today, with the passage of so much time, no autographs—original copies—exist of any of the Old or New Testament books.
Over the centuries minor differences (called variants) often make their way into successive copies of handwritten documents, even with the greatest of care of the scribes involved. Thus, the field of study called textual criticism exists to try to identify these variations and determine what the original texts said.
After 1455 and Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the first movable metal type printing press, the Bible could be printed over and over again with predictable accuracy, so variants no longer were a concern. However, before that time manuscripts still had variants. Thus the period before 1455 is where textual criticism comes into play.
Because of the strict requirements and few locations where the Old Testament was copied, few variants or versions of the Old Testament ever came into existence. When the Dead Sea Scrolls (primarily portions of the Old Testament dating mostly from the first century B.C.) were discovered in 1947, many people were initially concerned that they would show marked differences with the Masoretic Text of the Old Testament.
Because the Dead Sea Scrolls were a thousand years older than the oldest and most reliable Masoretic Text we have today (the Leningrad Codex, dating to A.D. 1008), scholars thought they might find drastic differences over that long passage of time. But did they?
After years of study, they found that the Dead Sea Scrolls they examined have only a relatively few minor, insignificant differences from today's Masoretic Text of the Old Testament.
"These oldest-known Biblical texts have one absolutely crucial feature," explains historian Ian Wilson. "Although ... a thousand years older than the texts previously available in Hebrew, they show just how faithful the texts of our present Bibles are to those from two thousand years ago and how little they have changed over the centuries. Two Isaiah scrolls, for instance, contain the Isaiah text almost exactly as it is in our present-day Bibles ...
"Although there are, as we might expect, some minor differences, these are mostly the interchange of a word or the addition or absence of a particular phrase. For example, whereas in present-day Bibles Isaiah 1:15 ends, 'Your hands are covered in blood', one of the Dead Sea pair adds, 'and your fingers with crime'. Where Isaiah 2:3 of our present-day Bibles reads, 'Come, let us go up to the mountain of [the LORD]', to the house of the God of Jacob', the Dead Sea Scroll version omits, 'to the mountain of [the LORD]'.
"Such discrepancies are trifling, and there can be no doubt that the Biblical books someone stored away so carefully at Qumran two thousand years ago were as close to those we know in our present Hebrew and Old Testament Bibles as makes no difference" (The Bible Is History, 1999, p. 205).
Where there are differences, however, this does not mean the Dead Sea Scrolls were correct and the Masoretic Text incorrect. We should keep in mind that the Dead Sea Scrolls were not necessarily transcribed with the same meticulous preservation practices as those used by the main scribes of the time. Nonetheless, the remarkable discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls is astounding confirmation that the Old Testament has indeed been accurately preserved for us today.
What about the New Testament?
Compared to the scarcity of ancient Old Testament manuscripts, the New Testament is a different story. Today literally thousands of Greek manuscripts of the New Testament exist, each of varying antiquity and from various locations. But, like the Old Testament, no autographs of the New Testament books exist today either.
How reliable are these manuscripts, and how do they compare to other works from this general time period?
"... The New Testament documents have more manuscripts, earlier manuscripts, and more abundantly supported manuscripts than the best ten pieces of classical literature combined ... At last count, there are nearly 5,700 hand-written Greek manuscripts of the New Testament. In addition, there are more than 9,000 manuscripts in other languages (e.g., Syriac, Coptic, Latin, Arabic). Some of these nearly 15,000 manuscripts are complete Bibles, others are books or pages, and a few are just fragments ...
"The next closest work is the Iliad by Homer, with 643 manuscripts. Most other ancient works survive on fewer than a dozen manuscripts, yet few historians question the historicity of the events those works describe ...
"Not only does the New Testament enjoy abundant manuscript support, but it also has manuscripts that were written soon after the originals ... The time gap between the original and the first surviving copy is still vastly shorter than anything else from the ancient world. The Iliad has the next shortest gap at about 500 years; most other ancient works are 1,000 years or more from the original. The New Testament gap is about 25 years and maybe less.
"... The early church fathers—men of the second and third centuries such as Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria, Origen, Tertullian, and others—quoted the New Testament so much (36,289 times, to be exact) that all but eleven verses of the New Testament can be reconstructed just from their quotations ... So we not only have thousands of manuscripts but thousands of quotations from those manuscripts" (Norman Geisler and Frank Turek, I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, 2004, pp. 225-228).
Sir Frederic Kenyon, authority on ancient manuscripts, sums up the status of the New Testament this way: "It cannot be too strongly asserted that in substance the text of the Bible is certain: Especially is this the case with the New Testament. The number of manuscripts of the New Testament, of early translations from it, and of quotations from it in the oldest writers of the Church, is so large that it is practically certain that the true reading of every doubtful passage is preserved in some one or other of these ancient authorities. This can be said of no other ancient book in the world" (Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts, revised by A.W. Adams, 1958, p. 23).
Dealing with different translations
Critics may use textual differences and claims of errors to discredit the Bible. But the fact remains that God is ultimately responsible for His Word, and its accurate preservation and transmission over so many centuries is nothing short of miraculous.
However, God did choose to record and preserve His Word in the Hebrew and Greek languages. When the Hebrew and Greek are translated into English, no one English translation preserves the complete essence of God's inspired thoughts. Regrettably, in moving from any language to another, something is always lost because not all words and concepts translate precisely.
Most people have found that they benefit from using several translations rather than relying on only one. And God has seen to it that we have several excellent English translations with which to obtain understanding, each with their own different strengths. We have found that the New King James Version usually best serves our publishing efforts in putting across the gospel message as clearly as possible.
God promises to guide, through His Holy Spirit, the true believer into understanding the essence of His Word (John 16:13). He also provides an educated, trained ministry to explain His Word clearly and accurately for the edification and instruction of those He has called (Ephesians 4:11-16; 2 Timothy 4:1-4). To this end The Good News magazine serves as a tool to help you better understand the Bible. We can be sure that the Word of God has been preserved accurately for us today. We must make sure to read it, study it, treasure it and put it into practice in our lives. GN
Recommended Reading
You can discover many proofs that the Bible is the accurate, inspired Word of God. To learn more, request or download your free copy of Is the Bible True? This booklet explores some of the proofs from science, history and archaeology that the bible truly is God's Word to humanity. To better understand the differences in Bible translations, request or download our free reprint article "Which Bible Translation Should I Use?"

Learn, Live and Love the Bible

From http://www.el-paso.ucg.org/

Click here to get this free book.

Learn, Live and Love the Bible
God’s Word discusses several tools we can use to grow spiritually and build our relationship with our Creator. In this second article in a series on tools for spiritual growth, we examine the foundational tool of Bible reading and study.
by Don Hooser
The Bible is boring, I concluded. I was about 10 years old, had some reverence for the Bible and decided I should read it—from Genesis to the maps at the back. I didn't get very far.
I was proud of my progress until I almost crashed in chapter 5, a boring genealogical record. However, being a sequential person who hadn't learned when to skim or skip while reading, I struggled my way through, verse by verse. But then in chapter 10 I hit another genealogical record! At that point I gave up on the Old Testament.
At least I'll read the New Testament, I thought. Surely it would be more interesting. But the New Testament begins with a genealogical record! Though somewhat ashamed of my lack of spirituality and commitment, I gave up on reading the Bible. Based on my unfair sampling, I decided it was not very user-friendly.
Then when I was 12, one of my younger brothers died. I began to think much more seriously about the meaning of life and about life after death. Looking back on it, I see how God gradually used that painful memory to begin to turn my life around.
The real turning point
But I didn't read the Bible until I was forced to. A required one-semester university course for engineering students was "Survey of the Bible." We were assigned to read a wide variety of selections throughout the Bible. That opened my eyes. I was fascinated and amazed at much of what I read!
I learned many impressive things about the Bible, including how it ranks right at the top among mankind's greatest works of literature. Even in secular writing, the Bible is quoted, knowingly and unknowingly, far more than any other book.
Also I came to appreciate the meaning of the Judeo-Christian heritage— the profound influence the Bible has had on Western civilization. Today one can buy whole books of quotes from many of America 's founding fathers stating their strong beliefs in the Bible.
That class was the great turning point of my life. I soon began requesting publications (like those offered free in The Good News ) that gave clear and wonderful explanations of virtually every subject and section of the Bible. A whole new world had opened up to me. I was discovering how valid and valuable the Scriptures are—how reliable and relevant they prove to everyday life. My perspective on everything changed— and changed for the better.
Above all, I was not only learning about God, I was coming to know God in a real and personal way. From then on when I read the Bible, it was God talking to me!
At the same time, I was studying a lot of science and math. It became clear to me that every detail in the universe is the result of perfect planning, engineering and construction—it could not have happened by accident! I figured that if the Bible is from God, it too must be absolutely perfect—and I set out to prove whether this is so.
Indeed, God has revealed Himself in two ways—His words (the Bible) and His works (the creation we see around us) (compare Psalm 19:1-4; Romans 1:20).
The Maker's instruction manual
Of all the earth's creatures, it's obvious that human beings are unique. We have magnificent minds with amazing intellectual capacities. Human minds also have spiritual potential and a hunger for spirituality. This is not surprising once we learn that "God created man in His own image"—in the image of God Himself—to have an intimate relationship with Him! (Genesis 1:27).
All physical life-forms are governed mainly by instinct, except for human beings. We need a roadmap—a guidebook for life—or else our intellectual and spiritual interests will go in all the wrong directions.
It makes no sense that God would create His masterpiece and then leave us in the dark as to why we are here. God indeed did give us His revelation of what we need to know but could not learn on our own. It is a handbook for life that we call the Bible.
The English word "Bible" is derived from the Greek word biblion— meaning "books." The Bible is a collection of 66 books—39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New. These were composed by about 40 writers with different writing styles, living in 10 countries, over about 1,500 years!
However, miracle of miracles—in spite of the Bible's great diversity, there is astounding unity. It is consistent and coherent all the way through.
How could that be? It is because God inspired and directed every writer. Thus the real Author behind the scenes was always God (2 Timothy 3:16).
So the Bible is also one book. It is the Book—the Book of books. Many religions claim to have a sacred book. But the Holy Bible is exactly that— God's Book. It is divine revelation to man and therefore the literal and actual "Word of God." It is complete, and God warns in the Old and New Testaments not to add to it or take away from it (Deuteronomy 12:32; Revelation 22:18-19).
In fact, the Bible even gives us myriad first-person quotes from God that are introduced by such words as "Thus says the Lord . . ."
One Bible in two parts
Ironically, many Christians ignore the Old Testament as being irrelevant, while most Jews reject the New Testament. Both views are wrong. Together the two testaments constitute the written Word of God. The New Testament cannot be properly understood without a foundational knowledge of the Old, and the Old Testament must be understood in the light of the New. They complement and complete each other.
Jesus Christ and the writers of the New Testament repeatedly quoted from the Hebrew Scriptures we call the Old Testament. For many years they were the only Scriptures the early Christian Church had. These Scriptures, as amplified by Jesus' own statements, were the basis for Christian teachings and practices. Later, by the time the apostle Peter wrote his second epistle, some parts of what became the New Testament were also being accepted as "Scriptures" (2 Peter 3:16).
Many people erroneously believe that during His ministry Jesus Christ criticized the Pharisees and other Jews for teaching and living by the Old Testament. Not so. Jesus scolded them for not living by the Scriptures! It was as if they had not even read the Scriptures, because Jesus repeatedly asked, "Have you not read . . . ?" Jesus also said, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition" (Mark 7:9; see verses 5-13).
Today, Judaism is much the same. Plus, most of Christianity favors human religious traditions over the Bible, and many of those traditions are in conflict with the Bible.
What comes from God is perfect. The original Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts of the Bible were infallible (although no human translation of those texts is perfect). The Bible is true and it is truth—the ultimate truth (John 17:17).
The Bible should serve as the foundation for all areas of knowledge. Harmony with the Bible is the ultimate filter or test of truth. If an idea or theory is in conflict with the Bible, it cannot be correct. The Bible is especially necessary for understanding the absolutes of life, such as what is good and what is evil.
New Testament Church vs. today's skepticism
Notice this emphatic statement by the apostle Paul: "But this I confess to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets" (Acts 24:14). True Christianity was called "the Way"—for it is a way of life, not just a belief.
And "the Law and the Prophets" here is a reference to what we call the Old Testament. So Paul said he believed all things in the Old Testament! Many "Christians" today don't believe everything in the New Testament, much less the Old Testament!
In today's world, the tragic trend is toward disbelief in and apathy toward the Bible. "Christianity" is increasingly disconnected from the Bible. Most professing Christians don't even read the Bible, and even fewer obey its teachings. Many of the beliefs and practices that they assume come from the Bible in fact do not.
Many people avoid reading the Bible—and some even hate it—because they know or suspect that it will correct them for sins and other habits they are not willing to give up.
We are also increasingly bombarded with skepticism and attacks against Christianity and especially Bible-based beliefs. Some claim only the "uneducated" would hold such beliefs. As Jude 18 notes, there will be "mockers" as the end of this age of man draws near.
All of this can be quite confusing and intimidating.
This is where you need courage. Be much more concerned about what God thinks than what any man thinks. Don't rely on someone else to tell you what the Bible says. Read it for yourself! Swim upstream. Be among the few who choose the "narrow gate" that leads to life, not the many who choose the easy "broad gate" that leads to destruction (Matthew 7:13-14).
Keep this in mind. Noah preached the truth all the time he was building the ark, but only eight people believed and were saved from the Flood (2 Peter 2:5). Jesus Christ preached to multitudes for more than three years, but His Church began with only 120 disciples (Acts 1:15). Be among the few who listen well. Then go do the right thing!
The Bible is "good news"!
The message of Jesus and the apostles was called "the gospel." The word gospel comes from the Old English godspel, meaning "good news." But good news of what? Most Christians could not tell you exactly.
It was "the gospel of the kingdom of God " (Mark 1:14). So Christ preached the good news about His future return to establish the Kingdom of God on earth, and how human beings can become a part of that eternal Kingdom and family of God! It truly is a message of hope for all mankind (Romans 15:4).
We may think of the gospel as being in the New Testament, yet this message is also found throughout the Old. Indeed, all of the Bible is interrelated, so in one sense the gospel is the entire Bible. Scripture has a great deal of bad news about "this present evil age" (Galatians 1:4), but the long-range news is wonderful—a soon-coming new world under the reign of Jesus Christ!
Keys to understanding the Bible
How can you get the most out of reading and studying the Bible? Following are some important keys.
Take time— make time—out of your busy life to devote to daily Bible reading. Make it a high priority. Many great and successful men and women have been dedicated daily Bible readers. Even some U.S. presidents followed this practice while occupying that enormously important office. If they made time for daily Bible reading, if they could fit that in, why can't you?
Reflect and think deeply about what you read, and consider how you will apply the lessons in your life. You cannot make a better investment of your time.
For understanding, pray for God's help. "Ask, and it will be given to you" (Matthew 7:7). Prayer and Bible study go hand in hand (you may want to review the first article in this series, "The Privilege and Power of Prayer," in the last issue of The Good News).
Be sure to take advantage of human and technical resources. When an Ethiopian official was reading the book of Isaiah, Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?" The man responded, "How can I, unless someone guides me?" (Acts 8:26-31). It helps tremendously to have Bible teachers show you where to look for answers to life's important questions. So we invite you to ask for help from United Church of God as well. We offer many free resources that are crucial for gaining a foundation of biblical understanding (see "How to Read, Study and Understand the Bible,").
Note that the Bible can be understood on many levels. A person with no interest in God can read through the Bible and gain much understanding of history (His story!), human relationships and many other subjects. Scripture is full of great wisdom.
But to understand the Bible on a deeply spiritual level requires the reader to meet some important conditions. One key is a humble, teachable attitude— being receptive and responsive to God's instructions!
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments" (Psalm 111:10). To really comprehend God's Word requires an attitude of deep reverence for Him and submission to His authority. God blesses readers with understanding when they are willing to apply and obey what they learn.
Consider the significance of what Jesus said in Luke 4:4: "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God."
It should first be observed that the purpose of God's Word is for us to live by it.
Second, this is what strengthens and sustains us spiritually as bread does physically.
Third, we should have an enquiring mind hungering for God's Word.
Fourth, Jesus included every word of God, not just some of the words of God.
Fifth, how can we live by the words of God if we have not read them?
Sixth, "you are what you eat." Ingesting the words of God can make us increasingly godly.
Even children can gain a remarkable understanding of the Bible, partly because they tend to have humble, teachable attitudes. Especially if you have children or grandchildren at home, be sure to read the article "Teach Your Children With Family Bible Study".
Also remember that God's thoughts are infinitely higher than our human thoughts (Isaiah 55:9-11). God's Spirit is essential to an ever-deepening understanding of spiritual truth and the power to live by that truth. Future articles in this series will cover the wonderful process for obtaining the gift of the Holy Spirit. In the meantime, for more understanding of this vital subject, request our free booklet Transforming Your Life: The Process of Conversion.
The Bible? Priceless!
God's revelation of how He will bring human beings into the Kingdom of God is a "treasure"—the "pearl of great price" (Matthew 13:44-46; see also Proverbs 3:13-18). It is worth every sacrifice. God wants us to dig and seek and search with our whole hearts to enter His Kingdom.
One definition of "disciple" is "student," so God would have us all become students of Jesus Christ. Blow the dust off your Bible then. Open your Bible and open your heart to listen to what God has to tell you.
Bible reading is "profitable" for many reasons (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Berean believers were called "noble" because they "searched the scriptures daily," making sure that what was being preached to them conformed to its teachings (Acts 17:11, King James Version).
Bible study is a serious matter. The only reliable security we can have in this life is God. If we don't hear today, we can be gone tomorrow. What really matters is life after death. For that, we must become disciples and "doers of the word" (James 1:21-25). And any sacrifices we make in this life are tiny compared to the glorious everlasting life God is offering us (Romans 8:18).
The longest chapter in the Bible is Psalm 119. How fitting that it is an extensive love song praising God for His Word and His laws! The writer said, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path" (verse 105). May His Word light your path!
Be enthusiastic and passionate for God's Word. Immerse yourself in it! With increasing understanding comes increasing satisfaction and enjoyment. Try it—you'll like it! And it will transform your life!
The following verse from Revelation 1:3 applies directly to the book of Revelation, but it is true of the entire Bible: "Blessed is he who reads and those who hear [understand] the words of this prophecy, and keep [obey] those things which are written in it; for the time is near." GN

Related Resources
The Privilege and Power of Prayer The Bible reveals and discusses several tools we can use to grow spiritually and build our relationship with our Creator. In this first article in a series on these tools for spiritual growth, we examine the foundational tool of prayer—a key to communication with God.
Learn, Live and Love the BibleGod’s Word discusses several tools we can use to grow spiritually and build our relationship with our Creator. In this second article in a series on tools for spiritual growth, we examine the foundational tool of Bible reading and study.
Meditation: What's on Your Mind?The Bible teaches us about tools we can use to grow spiritually and build our relationship with God. In this third article in a series, we examine the importance of godly thoughts and meditation.
Fasting: A Spiritual Power Tool!Three earlier articles in this series covered prayer, Bible study and thinking or meditation. Along with those spiritual tools, we need to frequently combine this fourth tool—fasting.
Repentance: A Profound Turnaround!Previous articles in this series showed how we attain biblical understanding and spiritual growth through prayer, Bible study, meditation and fasting. What do we do then? This article shows how we must further use and apply that understanding!
Baptism: Beginning of a New LifePrevious articles in this series have covered the vital spiritual tools of prayer, Bible study, meditation, fasting and repentance. But to receive the greatest gifts of God, there is another step you must take—the commitment of water baptism.
The Church: Help for Greater GrowthJust exactly what is the Church? What is its purpose? Why do you need it? The Church that Jesus Christ founded and directs can be a priceless tool for aiding personal growth.
Spiritual Growth: From Immaturity to ImmortalityIn the previous seven articles of this series we have explained essential tools for spiritual transformation—prayer, Bible study, meditation, fasting, repentance, baptism and the Church. Now we consider how to use all these tools to attain our ultimate destiny of eternal life!
Is the Bible True?Can you believe the Bible? What is this book, really? Is it only a collection of ancient legends and literature, as many believe? What about scientific discoveries that "disprove" the Bible? These are crucial questions. Humanity faces challenges that threaten our very existence, yet all too often we ignore the one source that actually has the answers. Shouldn't we, then, check to see if this source really is true? This eye-opening booklet discusses these vital questions and helps you find the answers.
How to Understand the BibleThe Bible is the world's best selling book...yet, in spite of the Bible's popularity, it has also been described as the world's most misunderstood book. Have you been one of those who have found the Bible difficult to comprehend? Do you wish you knew how to better apply its timeless principles, how to use it to build a right relationshipwith its author, your Creator? This eye-opening booklet will examine seven keys that will help open up this Book of books to your understanding.
Bible Study Lessons Only one book gives us the answers to life's crucial questions: Why are we here? Where is the world headed? What does the future hold? This 12-lesson Bible Study will make the Bible come alive as it leads you through the biblical answers to these and other questions!

Read the Book

From http://www.el-paso.ucg.org/
Click here to get this free book.

Read the Book
Advertising executive and writer Bruce Barton called it The Book Nobody Knows. No other book is more important to you and your future.
by Scott Ashley
Presidents, monarchs and judges place their hands on it when they swear into office. Witnesses in trials place one hand on it while they swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Many brides carry it at their weddings.
It sits unobtrusively in desk and dresser drawers of many hotels and motels. Most residences have at least one, and often it occupies a place of honor on the mantel, coffee table or nightstand, where it gives the impression of being read daily.
If it were listed by booksellers, it would perpetually make the best-seller lists, with millions of copies sold and given away year after year. It has been translated into more than 2,000 languages and dialects.
This book is, of course, the Bible.
But, popular though it is, how many people ever take the time to read it?
Last year a survey by the Barna Research Group, a research firm specializing in religious issues, found that only one in three Americans read the Bible regularly or could name the writers of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John). Not even half of those surveyed could name even five of the Ten Commandments. Most indicated they find the Bible irrelevant.
Although Bible sales in recent years have surged among some publishers, and dozens of varying versions and translations line the shelves of religious and secular bookstores alike, surveys like this show that relatively few take the time to actually read the Scriptures. Even fewer understand them.
What a remarkable turnaround from earlier generations!
Bible-believing leaders
Ronald Reagan, U.S. president from 1981 to 1989, said of the Scriptures: "Within the covers of the Bible are all the answers for all the problems men face. The Bible can touch hearts, order minds, and refresh souls."
Only a generation ago Dwight D. Eisenhower, president from 1953 to 1961, extolled the Scriptures with these words: "The Bible is endorsed by the ages. Our civilization is built upon its words. In no other Book is there such a collection of inspired wisdom, fealty and hope."
The legendary Winston Churchill firmly believed in the accuracy and integrity of the Bible. "We reject with scorn all these learned and labored myths that Moses was but a legendary figure," the British statesman wrote. "We believe that the most scientific view, the most up-to-date and rationalistic conception, will find its fullest satisfaction in taking the Bible story literally."
Many other great leaders have likewise believed in and tried to order their lives according to the Bible's instructions.
Queen Victoria, who ruled Great Britain at the height of its power, exclaimed, "That book [the Bible] accounts for the supremacy of England!"
Abraham Lincoln, who led the United States through the Civil War as its 16th president, perhaps summed it up best when he said: "I believe that the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man."
George Washington, Revolutionary War commander and first president of the United States, said: "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
Substance or show?
What about you? How much attention do you pay to the Bible?
Of the world's six billion inhabitants, about a third claim to be followers of the Bible. But how many follow Jesus Christ's advice to read that Book? (Matthew 12:3, 5; 19:4; 21:16, 42; 22:31; Mark 2:25; 12:10, 26; Luke 6:3).
Notice God's view of those who outwardly adhere to His words but neglect to live by them: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men" (Isaiah 29:13, New International Version, emphasis added throughout).
God is neither impressed nor pleased with empty outward appearances of religion. He is pleased, though, with those who deeply respect His Word: "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word" (Isaiah 66:2, NIV).
The choice is up to you
How does God view our choice of whether to live by His Word or not?
When He revealed His instructions to ancient Israel, formerly a slave people in Egypt, He wanted the Israelites to serve as a model nation to the other peoples around them. Through His servant Moses God told them: "See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the LORD my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' What other nation is so great as to have ... such righteous decrees and laws as this body of laws I am setting before you today?" (Deuteronomy 4:5-8, NIV).
God intends that His way of life be a shining example. When we live by them, His laws are a model of wisdom and understanding to those around us. Christ Himself made it clear that we are to live not only by physical food "but by every word of God" (Matthew 4:4; Luke 4:4; Deuteronomy 8:3).
But it is up to us whether we will take the initiative to study and live by those words. When God revealed His instruction to the Israelites, He set before them a choice: "See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil, in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you ...
"But if your heart turns away so that you do not hear, ... I announce to you today that you shall surely perish; ... I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live" (Deuteronomy 30:15-19).
In other words, God promises great blessings for those willing to study His Word and put it into practice. Failing to live by it will bring its own punishments in the sorrow and suffering that inevitably follow breaking God's laws.
More reasons to read the Book
Besides these reasons straight from our Creator, there are many other reasons we should read the Book:
It is the basis for Western civilization and Jewish and Christian culture and society.
It is a unique historical document spanning some 4,000 years of history.
It is a remarkable literary work, studied in thousands of college and university classes for its value as literature alone.
It offers straightforward, practical advice on every aspect of life.
It is a consistent best-seller year after year.
The early-American patriot Patrick Henry, famous for his stirring cry of "Give me liberty or give me death!," said that the Bible "is worth all other books which have ever been printed."
Where to begin
If by now you see the value in discovering the treasures of the Bible for yourself, you may wonder where to begin. The answer is to begin at the beginning, with the first chapter of Genesis.
Some Bibles contain only what is called the New Testament, plus perhaps Psalms and Proverbs. By omitting the Old Testament, such Bibles leave out about three quarters of the material God inspired to be written and preserved through the ages for us.
Be sure you have a Bible that contains both the Old and New Testaments. After all, the Old Testament writings were the "Holy Scriptures" to which the apostle Paul referred when he wrote to Timothy: "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The writers of the New Testament understood the Hebrew Scriptures to be inspired by God. They included about 300 quotations from the Old Testament in their writings as well as hundreds of allusions to it.
Read and learn
If you spend only 10 to 15 minutes a day reading the Bible, you can complete it in about a year. Initially you need not be so concerned with studying the Bible or solving problems as much as simply reading through it. At other times you can sit down with The Good News, some of our booklets or our Bible Study Lessons and study the Scriptures in much greater depth as you examine various topics.
As you read you'll discover many fascinating stories involving history, romance, danger, violence, intrigue and even prophecy. You'll quickly encounter men and women such as Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, Jacob, Rachel, Joseph, Moses, Miriam, David, Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Peter and Paul-along with the biographies and teachings of Jesus Christ. Their stories were written down as examples for us, preserved so we could learn from their many and varied experiences (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:6-11).
The Bible explains things as they really are-the good, the bad and the ugly. It presents a clear picture of human failings and gives the solutions.
If some passages are unclear, you may want to compare one or more Bible versions to clear things up. Used-book stores are a good place to find inexpensive Bible translations. (To understand the differences in approach among various translations, be sure to request your free copy of the booklet How to Understand the Bible.)
Try to read with an open mind and fresh approach, as though you were reading every scripture for the first time. You'll be surprised what you'll discover. Some scriptures, for example, may directly contradict what you always believed the Bible said. Be sure to rely on what the Bible says, not what someone says it says.
Questions may come to mind as you read along. Jot them down before you forget. Feel free to write us with any questions you may have. In many cases your question will be covered in detail in one of our booklets or an earlier Good News article. Or you may find the answer later as you continue to read the Scriptures.
First things first
If you apply its words, reading the Bible can be the most rewarding thing you ever do. Woodrow Wilson, U.S. president from 1913 to 1921, compared his success to the application of God's Word. "There are a good many problems before the American people today, and before me as President, but I expect to find the solution of those problems just in the proportion that I am faithful in the study of the Word of God." No doubt much of the success of the American experience can be attributed to its leaders' familiarity with God's Word.
By studying the Bible you'll gain wonderful insights into your relationships with family, friends and others. You'll far better understand why our world is in the condition it's in. You'll come to understand yourself far better than you ever did.
The Bible records a lasting compliment to citizens of Berea who, on hearing the apostle Paul's teaching, "searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). They wanted to be sure that what they were learning was really what the Scriptures said. They set a commendable example for us.
How about you? Where do you fit in? Do you search the Scriptures to discover whether the words written there are true? If you do, you can share the joy of discovery experienced by the writer of Psalm 119, who praised God and His eternal Word:
"Oh, how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day. You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies ... I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Your precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Your word. I have not departed from Your judgments, for You Yourself have taught me. How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (verses 97-103).

Can You Believe the Bible?

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Can You Believe the Bible?
Both God and the Bible have long been under attack. What are some of the motives of critics? And, far more important, what does the evidence dug from the dust of the Middle East reveal?
by Scott Ashley
Beyond Today Web TV
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A crucial battle is taking place in Western culture—a battle over God and the Bible. To boil that conflict down to its essence, many people don't like the idea of having someone tell them what to do, so they reject the idea of a God who has any say in how they are to live.
Some famous evolutionists have openly admitted as much. The well-known author and evolution proponent Aldous Huxley, for example, wrote: "I had motives for not wanting the world to have a meaning; consequently assumed that it had none, and was able without any difficulty to find satisfying reasons for this assumption . . .
"Those who detect no meaning in the world generally do so because, for one reason or another, it suits their [purpose] that the world should be meaningless" (Ends and Means, 1938, p. 270).
"For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation. The liberation we desired was . . . liberation from a certain system of morality. We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom . . ." (ibid., p. 273).
Julian Huxley, brother of Aldous Huxley and also a leading proponent of evolution, later wrote: "The sense of spiritual relief which comes from rejecting the idea of God as a super-human being is enormous" (Essays of a Humanist, 1964, p. 219).
Of course, those who reject the idea of God also have to reject the idea that the Bible is true and could be His inspired Word. It's no coincidence that the Bible has been essentially banned from U.S. classrooms.
What does the evidence reveal?
But what do the facts show? Can we believe the Bible? What does the evidence—the historical facts dug up from the dirt of the Middle East—reveal? For those willing to examine it objectively, the evidence is quite clear that the Bible is accurate and true.
The books of the Bible have existed for millennia—the youngest around 1,900 years and the oldest around 3,500. In recording events of the time, they mention many specific details—people, places, cities, towns, customs and events. When the Bible began to be translated into more modern languages in recent centuries, virtually no independent evidence had been found to support the biblical story.
Yes, historians knew of the empires of Greece and Rome and of their rulers as mentioned in the Bible, but little else was known. Even as late as the 19th century, when criticism of and disbelief in the Bible began to take hold, it was easy to dismiss the Bible because scant supporting evidence had been found.
But with the emergence of the science of archaeology, that soon changed. As scholars and archaeologists explored and excavated ancient sites, they began to uncover abundant evidence that supported the accuracy of the Bible.
Since then entire empires that were unknown outside the Bible have been brought to light. Inscriptions or other artifacts mentioning specific people in the Bible, ranging from kings to court officials to common people, have been uncovered.
Cities and strongholds mentioned in Scripture have risen from the dust. Many events recorded in the Bible, and even minor details such as customs mentioned in passing, have been confirmed by independent discoveries. Even specific buildings and structures mentioned in Scripture have been identified!
In late 2006 I was privileged to visit one of the world's great historical treasure-houses, the Istanbul Archaeology Museum. From the 16th century until the end of World War I, the Ottoman Empire ruled much of the Middle East from its capital in present-day Turkey. During that period many priceless archaeological pieces made their way from the far reaches of the empire to the Ottoman rulers in Istanbul. Eventually more than a million artifacts were gathered in the museum.
Several items on display confirm people, customs and events mentioned in the Bible. Although we don't have space to cover all of them, we'll discuss some of the most notable.
Did the Hittites really exist?
For centuries the only known references to Hittites were those found in the Bible. Because of this, some Bible critics assumed they were simply invented, just one of many myths in the Bible. After all, they reasoned, how could an entire culture and people have existed and not left any physical evidence behind?
The Hittites are mentioned in connection with the patriarch Abraham in Genesis 23 where he purchased a cave from Ephron the Hittite to use as a burial place for his beloved wife Sarah. (Abraham himself would later be buried there.)
Later Abraham's grandson Esau married two Hittite women (Genesis 26:34), and still later the Hittites were among the peoples God promised to drive out so the Israelites could inherit the Promised Land (Exodus 23:28; 33:2; 34:11). King Solomon later married Hittite women (1 Kings 11:1), probably as part of political alliances with Hittite rulers. The Hittites were still an influential power in the time of Elisha around 840 B.C. (see 2 Kings 7:6). But did they really exist?
As the lands of the Middle East were later explored, particularly in what is today central Turkey where the Hittite empire was centered, archaeologists found abundant evidence of the existence of the Hittites. Their findings correlated with the mentions of the Hittites in the Bible.
Their empire had existed for centuries alongside the other peoples mentioned in the Scriptures—at times waxing and at other times waning alongside other kingdoms and empires such as Syria, Egypt and Assyria before diminishing and eventually disappearing not long after their last mention in the Bible.
Ashtoreth (Astarte), goddess of fertility
A major sin mentioned again and again in the Old Testament was idolatry and the worship of foreign gods. God repeatedly condemned the worship of Baal and Ashtoreth, the primary male and female deities of the Canaanites and other surrounding peoples.
Baal and Ashtoreth were the primary god and goddess of fertility. As such, their worship typically involved ritual sex with a priest or priestess, for which an offering was given. This essentially amounted to sex for pay, which is why the Bible often equates worship of these gods and goddesses with prostitution.
The common name of the goddess in Babylonia and Mesopotamia was Ishtar, which survives today in the name of the holiday Easter. Her name among the nations around Israel was Astarte, but the biblical writers apparently deliberately distorted the name to Ashtoreth to make it sound like the Hebrew word for "shame"—as indeed the way she was worshipped, involving sex with her priests and priestesses, was degrading and shameful.
Small figurines of this and other fertility goddesses are commonly found in Israel and the surrounding countries, clear evidence of the popularity of such worship. Worship of this goddess is mentioned from soon after the death of Joshua in Judges 2:13 (ca. 1210 B.C.) until the reign of King Josiah in 2 Kings 23:13 (ca. 640 B.C.).
Assyria devastates the kingdom of Israel
As a result of the sins of idolatry and rejecting God's laws over several centuries, and their absolute refusal to repent, God warned the Israelites that since they refused to serve Him in their own land, they would serve other gods in foreign lands. He began to punish them through the Assyrian Empire, a new superpower emerging in what is today the country of Iraq.
The Bible records a whole series of Assyrian kings who made war on Israel, and archaeologists have uncovered abundant evidence testifying to the existence of these same kings. Their capital cities, palaces, archives and in some cases even their portraits and statues have been found. Much of this material is in the great museums of Europe, but evidence of these kings is also displayed in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.
Tiglath-Pileser III
We find the names of the first two Assyrian kings mentioned in the Bible inscribed on a stone stele commemorating the achievements of a high Assyrian official named Bel-harran-beli-usur. He served in the royal court of Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727 B.C.) and Shalmaneser V (727-722 B.C.). The inscription describes how he served in the court of these two Assyrian kings and founded a city he named after himself.
This same Tiglath-Pileser is referred to by a shortened form of his name, Pul, in 2 Kings 15:19-20, which states that he received tribute money from the Israelite King Menahem (ca. 743 B.C.). Exacting tribute was a common practice at the time. It amounted to extortion on a national scale since the Assyrians would invade and plunder the land, destroying its cities and enslaving its inhabitants, if the Israelites didn't pay this protection money.
Around 734 B.C., as recorded in verse 29, the Israelite King Pekah rebelled against Tiglath-Pileser, who invaded Israel and took thousands of its people captive to other faraway territories. At the same time Ahaz, king of Judah, stripped the temple of its gold and silver and emptied the national treasury to enlist the Assyrian king's help in fighting against Pekah and the king of Syria (2 Kings 16:5-9). Syria, like Israel, was devastated by the Assyrian invasion.
Shalmaneser V
Tiglath-Pileser died in 727 B.C. and was succeeded by Shalmaneser V. Picking up the story in 2 Kings 17:3, we learn that Shalmaneser marched against the Israelite King Hoshea, who paid him off with tribute. A few years later Shalmaneser returned and besieged Israel's capital, Samaria, for three years before its fall in 722 B.C., then exiled the remaining Israelites to other Assyrian-controlled territories (verses 5-6).
This marked the end of the kingdom of Israel; its exiled people would then lose their identity and become known in history as "the lost 10 tribes."
Sargon II
The next Assyrian monarch mentioned in Scripture is Shalmaneser's successor, Sargon II (722-705 B.C.), who had been Shalmaneser's field commander in the conquest of Samaria. Sargon is mentioned in Isaiah 20:1, which refers to him sending one of his generals in 712 B.C. to capture the Philistine city of Ashdod on the Mediterranean coast west of Jerusalem.
Sargon, while marching against other kingdoms around Judah, did not attack Judah itself—apparently honoring the alliance the Judean king Ahaz had forged with Tiglath-Pileser several years earlier.
Sennacherib
After Sargon died in 705 B.C., Sennacherib (705-682 B.C.) followed him on the throne. Sennacherib is mentioned prominently in Scripture, chiefly for his invasion of the kingdom of Judah in 701 B.C. during the reign of Hezekiah. The Bible records this invasion in 2 Kings 18:13–19:37, 2 Chronicles 32:1-22 and Isaiah 36–37.
Hezekiah refused to pay the oppressive tribute his father Ahaz had paid, prompting Sennacherib's campaign against Judah. Both the Bible and Sennacherib's archives record that the Assyrians captured virtually all of the Judean kingdom save its capital, Jerusalem. Hezekiah initially paid off the Assyrian king with tribute, but was only delivered by a great miracle—the divine destruction of the Assyrian army outside the walls of Jerusalem (2 Kings 19:35).
Sennacherib, defeated and humiliated, returned to his capital where he was later assassinated by his own sons.
Hezekiah's tunnel inscription
While it is fairly common to find inscriptions or other evidence of specific individuals and places mentioned in the Bible, it's much rarer to find archaeological verification of specific events recorded in Scripture. Events by their nature are transitory and seldom recorded in ways that can survive the ravages of time. Yet proof of an event from the reign of Hezekiah is on display in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.
In 2 Kings 20:20 we read the following about King Hezekiah: "Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah—all his might, and how he made a pool and a tunnel and brought water into the city—are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"
Today visitors to Jerusalem can walk through this very tunnel by which Hezekiah's engineers managed to divert the normal flow of the Gihon Spring, which normally flowed outside the city, by carving a tunnel under the city so the water would flow to a pool inside the city walls.
The 1,750-foot tunnel, constructed in or about the year 701 B.C., is one of the great engineering marvels of the ancient world. Discovered by the famed American archaeologist Edward Robinson in 1838, the tunnel yielded up a secret to its method of construction in 1880 when an Arab boy found an ancient Hebrew inscription carved on the tunnel wall describing how two teams of men, working from opposite ends, tunneled toward each other to meet in the middle. The inscription was later removed to Istanbul by order of the Ottoman rulers of the city.
Nebuchadnezzar II, king of Babylon
After the miraculous destruction of Sennacherib's army during Hezekiah's reign, Assyria never again invaded Judah. Assyria, from that point forward, was on the wane as a new empire rose to become the superpower in the Middle East—Babylon.
The greatest ruler of the Babylonian Empire is a figure well known to Bible readers, King Nebuchadnezzar, who ruled from 605 to 562 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar is mentioned 88 times in the Bible, in the books of 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel.
Nebuchadnezzar marched on the kingdom of Judah multiple times. The first was in 605 B.C. when he drove an Egyptian army out of Syria back to Egypt as part of his overthrow of the Assyrian Empire. The next was when Judah's King Jehoiakim refused to pay tribute to Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar stripped the Jerusalem temple of many of its valuables and took them back to Babylon.
After subsequent rebellions, Nebuchadnezzar resolved to put a permanent end to the problem. After a siege of about two years, Jerusalem fell in 586 B.C. and the city, including its walls and temple, were utterly destroyed. Nearly all the remaining Jews in the land were then taken away captive to Babylon where they would stay until the fall of Babylon decades later.
Many Babylonian records have been found detailing Nebuchadnezzar's reign. Many of the Bible's mentions of him are found in the book of Daniel, as Daniel interacted with Nebuchadnezzar as a high-ranking official in the king's government.
Daniel 4:30 records how at one point Nebuchadnezzar boasted, "Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for a royal dwelling by my mighty power and for the honor of my majesty?" And Babylon truly was magnificent, one of the major cities of the ancient world for many centuries.
One of its most notable features was the Ishtar Gate, named for the goddess Ishtar discussed earlier, and the processional way leading up to it. The actual gate itself has been reconstructed in Berlin, where the German archaeologists who excavated it rebuilt it using the original brightly colored glazed bricks.
However, parts of the processional way leading up to the gate can be seen today in the Istanbul Museum. It's truly an amazing experience to see parts of the elaborate decorations of ancient Babylon that Nebuchadnezzar and the prophet Daniel had no doubt walked past many times.
Bel/Marduk, chief god of Babylon
The primary god of Babylon, Marduk, also called Bel, was represented by a dragon prominently displayed in the processional way. The prophet Jeremiah, in foretelling the downfall of Babylon, twice mentions this particular Babylonian god:
"The word that the Lord spoke against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet. "Declare among the nations . . . " Babylon is taken, Bel is shamed. Merodach [Marduk] is broken in pieces; her [ Babylon's] idols are humiliated, her images are broken in pieces"'" (Jeremiah 50:1-2).
"I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring out of his mouth what he has swallowed; and the nations shall not stream to him anymore. Yes, the wall of Babylon shall fall" (Jeremiah 51:44).
Indeed Babylon did fall in 539 B.C., 47 years after Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed Jerusalem. The Babylonian Empire was succeeded by the Medo-Persian Empire, which in turn was followed by the Greco-Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great and his successors, and then by the Roman Empire—all as foretold in the book of Daniel.
"To the unknown god"
From New Testament times we find two items in particular that relate to the apostle Paul and events from his life. Acts 17:22-23 tells us that when Paul visited Athens, he "stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you . . .'"
This particular area of Athens was surrounded by temples and shrines to the various gods and goddesses the Greeks and Romans worshipped. Major temples to Zeus and Athena stood there, as well as altars and shrines to various lesser deities. To be sure that they had all their bases covered, the Athenians also had an altar inscribed, "to the Unknown God" for any they may have inadvertently left out.
Several such inscriptions and shrines have been found among ruins of the ancient Roman Empire. Three are on display in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum, all dedicated "to the nameless god"—i.e., a god whose name they did not know. These came from other cities in the Roman Empire, so it wasn't just Athens that had an altar and inscription like this.
Warning sign from the temple
Acts 21 records an event from Paul's life that set in motion the chain of events that would lead to his arrest, his appearances before two Roman governors, his fateful journey to Rome and his confinement there.
Paul and several companions were in Jerusalem at the temple when a tumult broke out that almost cost Paul his life. Verses 27-32 vividly capture the events:
"The Jews from Asia [the Roman province in what is now western Turkey], seeing him [Paul] in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.' (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)
"And all the city was disturbed; and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple; and immediately the doors were shut. Now as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. He immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down to them. And when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul."
Paul barely escaped with his life, and likely would've been killed had the Roman military commander nearby not intervened and rescued him.
So what was this uproar about? As we read here, they wanted to kill Paul because they thought he had defiled the temple by bringing gentiles into a part of the temple complex where only Israelites were allowed to go. This was something the Jews had originated, going far beyond anything God had instructed.
We see stark evidence of this attitude in a carved warning sign from the temple, one of many that were erected at regular intervals along a five-foot-high barrier wall in the temple area in the time of Jesus and the apostles. Two of these have been found, a partial one on display in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and a complete one discovered in Jerusalem under Ottoman rule and shipped to Istanbul.
Originally these were white with the inscribed letters painted in red to make them stand out. The sign warns: "No gentile is allowed beyond this barrier in the plaza of the temple zone. Whoever enters will have himself to blame for his ensuing death."
Gentiles were allowed in the outer courtyard of the temple, but the area beyond that was restricted to Israelites only. If you were a gentile, to go beyond that was considered defiling the temple, an offense punishable by death. In Paul's case, His Jewish religious opponents thought he had brought a gentile beyond that barrier, thus defiling the temple, and were about to kill him when the Roman military force intervened and rescued him.
Later, when Paul was under house arrest in Rome awaiting trial, he was likely reflecting back on this event when he wrote to the church in Ephesus that Jesus Christ "has broken down the middle wall of separation" between Jews and gentiles, "reconcil[ing] them both to God in one body," the Church, through His sacrificial death (Ephesians 2:14-16).
The term "middle wall of separation," most commentators agree, refers to the barrier in the temple complex beyond which gentiles could not go, the same one in which these warning signs were imbedded.
More evidence available for viewing
A battle is indeed being waged in Western culture over God and the Bible. This article covers some of the evidence from one museum in Turkey. You could visit several others around the world displaying similar finds that verify many other parts of the Bible—the British Museum in London, the Louvre in Paris, the Pergamon Museum in Berlin, the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, among others.
Oddly enough, those who argue against the Bible typically say that those of us who believe in it base our beliefs in ignorance and superstition. But in reality, once one seriously examines the evidence, the truth is the opposite. It's those who don't believe the Bible who show that their beliefs are based in superstition and ignorance.
Often they've simply never seriously looked at the evidence and in many cases seem unaware that such things as those described in this article even exist. But you need not be ignorant. You certainly can believe the Bible. Its accuracy has been proven time and time again, and continues to be proven year after year as archaeologists and scholars continue their work digging up history in the lands of the Bible. GN
Recommended Reading

The Good News published a 24-part series of articles titled "The Bible and Archaeology" that goes through the Bible book by book, showing how archaeological finds confirm and illuminate the biblical record. While not in print, this series can be downloaded at www.gnmagazine.org/archaeology/ . Be sure to also download or request our free booklet Is the Bible True?, which examines other scientific evidence showing that the Bible truly is the inspired Word of God