1 00:00:02,710 --> 00:00:04,130 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,900 Speaker 2: You are listening to The Beckett Cook Show with your host, 3 00:00:13,140 --> 00:00:17,100 Speaker 2: Beckett Cook. For more information about Beckett and his ministry, 4 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:22,960 Speaker 2: visit his website at beckettcook.com. To help support the podcast, 5 00:00:23,380 --> 00:00:29,950 Speaker 2: visit patreon.com slash thebeckettcookshow. Please consider subscribing to the podcast 6 00:00:30,410 --> 00:00:31,890 Speaker 2: and leaving a five-star rating. 7 00:00:39,070 --> 00:00:41,530 Speaker 3: Hey guys, welcome to the show. Today my guest is Dr. 8 00:00:41,570 --> 00:00:44,230 Speaker 3: Paul Weaver, and he has a book out called Faith 9 00:00:44,490 --> 00:00:50,150 Speaker 3: Affirming Findings, 50 Archaeological Discoveries That Validate the Historicity and 10 00:00:50,210 --> 00:00:56,510 Speaker 3: Reliability of Scripture. These are amazing archaeological finds, and they 11 00:00:56,590 --> 00:00:59,389 Speaker 3: are very much faith affirming. And we're going to talk 12 00:00:59,430 --> 00:01:04,550 Speaker 3: about many of them, several of them. And there are 13 00:01:05,250 --> 00:01:10,350 Speaker 3: several of them that silent, skeptical, critical scholars who denied 14 00:01:10,430 --> 00:01:13,470 Speaker 3: a person, place, or thing mentioned in the Bible, but 15 00:01:13,510 --> 00:01:16,630 Speaker 3: were later proven wrong by the archaeological record. So we're 16 00:01:16,650 --> 00:01:23,209 Speaker 3: going to look at those because you can't deny the 17 00:01:23,830 --> 00:01:26,950 Speaker 3: veracity of the Bible and the people, places, and things. 18 00:01:27,069 --> 00:01:30,150 Speaker 3: But first, a word from our sponsor. Please welcome Dr. 19 00:01:30,209 --> 00:01:30,910 Speaker 3: Paul Weaver. 20 00:01:31,770 --> 00:01:34,030 Speaker 1: Well, thank you for the opportunity to be with you. 21 00:01:34,150 --> 00:01:35,490 Speaker 1: I'm looking forward to our conversation. 22 00:01:35,910 --> 00:01:39,170 Speaker 3: I am too. This book was amazing. I, like I 23 00:01:39,220 --> 00:01:42,940 Speaker 3: said in the intro, it really is faith affirming. I mean, 24 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:47,000 Speaker 3: these kinds of archeological findings are, they just boost your 25 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:50,559 Speaker 3: faith and they're very important. So tell me, first of all, 26 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,660 Speaker 3: why this book now, why did this even, why did 27 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:54,460 Speaker 3: you even write this book? 28 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 2: Yeah. 29 00:01:56,540 --> 00:02:00,750 Speaker 1: So my PhD is in biblical studies and, but I 30 00:02:00,810 --> 00:02:06,460 Speaker 1: did take courses on archeology along the way. I just 31 00:02:06,530 --> 00:02:09,669 Speaker 1: love the background of the Bible. I love things that 32 00:02:09,750 --> 00:02:11,850 Speaker 1: help the Bible come to life, and I think biblical 33 00:02:11,870 --> 00:02:15,450 Speaker 1: archaeology does that. Of course, the second thing that I'm 34 00:02:15,470 --> 00:02:19,310 Speaker 1: really passionate about, one, is helping people to get excited 35 00:02:19,330 --> 00:02:23,030 Speaker 1: about studying the Bible, and two, is helping people to 36 00:02:23,230 --> 00:02:26,470 Speaker 1: recognize and understand and have greater confidence in the historicity 37 00:02:26,510 --> 00:02:30,060 Speaker 1: and reliability of Scripture. Biblical archaeology does both of those things. 38 00:02:30,139 --> 00:02:33,080 Speaker 1: It helps you to see the Bible in 5K, if 39 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:36,410 Speaker 1: you will, and it also helps affirms our faith in 40 00:02:36,450 --> 00:02:39,369 Speaker 1: the historicity and reliability of scripture. So I've always been 41 00:02:39,430 --> 00:02:43,630 Speaker 1: interested in biblical archaeology. In my PhD studies, I did 42 00:02:43,690 --> 00:02:47,669 Speaker 1: more of that. Then in my dissertation, while I was 43 00:02:48,130 --> 00:02:51,169 Speaker 1: considering what I wanted to do for my, you know, 44 00:02:51,190 --> 00:02:54,730 Speaker 1: spend this one year of time studying and writing, I thought, 45 00:02:55,090 --> 00:02:58,250 Speaker 1: you know, there's a big chasm, in my opinion, between 46 00:02:58,290 --> 00:03:01,399 Speaker 1: the field of biblical studies and the field of archaeology. 47 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:03,720 Speaker 1: You have a lot of archaeologists and and you have 48 00:03:03,740 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 1: a lot of biblical scholars, but not many are both. 49 00:03:07,060 --> 00:03:10,060 Speaker 1: It's really an interdisciplinary task. And so I thought, well, 50 00:03:10,100 --> 00:03:14,400 Speaker 1: maybe I can help bridge this divide, this gap. Commentaries 51 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: on Corinth, on 1 Corinthians and 2 Corinthians, in my estimation, 52 00:03:18,340 --> 00:03:23,100 Speaker 1: didn't give enough of the archaeological background to their commentary. 53 00:03:23,139 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 1: So I wanted to provide almost a handbook, if you will. 54 00:03:26,900 --> 00:03:31,340 Speaker 1: There's 23 volumes on the archaeology of Corinth. Well, you 55 00:03:31,380 --> 00:03:34,260 Speaker 1: can't deal with all of that in a commentary, but 56 00:03:34,340 --> 00:03:38,140 Speaker 1: I wanted to provide in my dissertation the most important 57 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:42,040 Speaker 1: discoveries from Corinth that relate to the exposition of 1 Corinthians. 58 00:03:42,080 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: So that was my dissertation, and I loved the faith-affirming 59 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:50,870 Speaker 1: aspects of that as well. And then I just reached 60 00:03:50,930 --> 00:03:54,210 Speaker 1: out to Kriegel, and I posed this idea, and they 61 00:03:54,230 --> 00:03:57,450 Speaker 1: were excited about it as well. So really helping people 62 00:03:57,510 --> 00:04:00,830 Speaker 1: to see the biblical text that relates to the discovery 63 00:04:00,850 --> 00:04:05,130 Speaker 1: of describe the discovery and then give the three, four, five, 64 00:04:05,150 --> 00:04:08,910 Speaker 1: sometimes six, seven, eight things from that discovery, a site 65 00:04:09,150 --> 00:04:13,130 Speaker 1: or a artifact that affirms a real person, a real place, 66 00:04:13,210 --> 00:04:16,130 Speaker 1: real things recorded in the Bible. And so it was 67 00:04:16,150 --> 00:04:18,670 Speaker 1: a lot of fun. And then I created, you know, 68 00:04:18,670 --> 00:04:21,890 Speaker 1: 51 videos, six to 10 minute videos to go with 69 00:04:21,990 --> 00:04:26,070 Speaker 1: it and 51 PowerPoint presentations. So I hope people use 70 00:04:26,130 --> 00:04:30,570 Speaker 1: it to study it for themselves, study the scriptures to, 71 00:04:31,220 --> 00:04:34,440 Speaker 1: study these discoveries, but then also use it in their 72 00:04:34,490 --> 00:04:38,630 Speaker 1: Bible studies and preaching and teaching and personal study. Yeah. 73 00:04:38,670 --> 00:04:41,170 Speaker 3: You mentioned in the, I think in the introduction or 74 00:04:41,350 --> 00:04:43,550 Speaker 3: in the beginning of the book, you mentioned how this 75 00:04:43,570 --> 00:04:47,310 Speaker 3: would be a valuable tool for pastors or preachers. And 76 00:04:47,330 --> 00:04:50,890 Speaker 3: I think, I mean, I think that's so, so important 77 00:04:51,070 --> 00:04:54,700 Speaker 3: to be able to connect the dots and for when, when, 78 00:04:55,020 --> 00:04:56,720 Speaker 3: you know, when a pastor is preaching on a certain, um, 79 00:04:58,350 --> 00:05:02,979 Speaker 3: passage and that archaeological finding is part of that passage, 80 00:05:03,740 --> 00:05:05,599 Speaker 3: to put that up on the screen, I think would 81 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,600 Speaker 3: just really bring it home. So I think this is 82 00:05:08,740 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 3: really important for pastors and, as you said, people leading 83 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 3: Bible studies, etc. 84 00:05:13,640 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, this week, and I preached a message out of 85 00:05:16,779 --> 00:05:18,990 Speaker 1: Daniel 5 in Belshazzar, and I think we're going to 86 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:24,260 Speaker 1: talk about that. And I used these discoveries to as this, 87 00:05:24,500 --> 00:05:26,580 Speaker 1: you know, as an illustration and a side note to 88 00:05:26,640 --> 00:05:30,490 Speaker 1: say what we're reading is real person, real event, real place. Yeah. 89 00:05:31,120 --> 00:05:36,070 Speaker 3: I love that. Okay. So let's get into some of the, 90 00:05:36,089 --> 00:05:37,630 Speaker 3: by the way, I mean, when you did, we're doing 91 00:05:37,650 --> 00:05:41,049 Speaker 3: your research, were there any, was there anything that genuinely 92 00:05:41,110 --> 00:05:45,190 Speaker 3: surprised you in terms of the archeological evidence? 93 00:05:47,970 --> 00:05:52,660 Speaker 1: Nothing surprised me. I, I, In the process, I reached 94 00:05:52,720 --> 00:05:56,580 Speaker 1: out to about 25 different archaeologists and biblical scholars and 95 00:05:56,660 --> 00:05:59,240 Speaker 1: asked them to give me their top 50 discoveries. So 96 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,800 Speaker 1: that was fascinating to hear what people would choose as 97 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:07,080 Speaker 1: their top 50 most important discoveries to talk about. And 98 00:06:07,100 --> 00:06:11,420 Speaker 1: probably the top 40 were similar. But then depending on 99 00:06:11,460 --> 00:06:13,580 Speaker 1: their interests, Old Testament studies, or if they're a New 100 00:06:13,620 --> 00:06:18,470 Speaker 1: Testament scholar, or if they're into textual criticism and the manuscripts, 101 00:06:18,830 --> 00:06:22,729 Speaker 1: of course, they included their interest there. And discoveries most 102 00:06:22,790 --> 00:06:25,390 Speaker 1: interested in each one of many of them have a 103 00:06:25,430 --> 00:06:29,490 Speaker 1: lot of interesting stories as to their discovery. I think 104 00:06:29,529 --> 00:06:31,790 Speaker 1: that was fascinating for me, some of the stories that 105 00:06:31,850 --> 00:06:35,200 Speaker 1: I did not know specifically. And so I went back 106 00:06:35,260 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 1: to the original primary sources to read things that, you know, 107 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:41,840 Speaker 1: 100 years ago were written down as to how the 108 00:06:41,880 --> 00:06:44,440 Speaker 1: discoveries made. So not just about the discovery, but I 109 00:06:44,460 --> 00:06:48,370 Speaker 1: also try to include the fascinating stories that are about 110 00:06:48,490 --> 00:06:49,650 Speaker 1: how they were discovered. 111 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,580 Speaker 3: Yeah, so, okay, well, let's get into, and you say 112 00:06:55,540 --> 00:06:57,920 Speaker 3: the first, I think, five we're going to go through, 113 00:06:57,940 --> 00:07:04,970 Speaker 3: you say that these discoveries silenced skeptical or critical scholars 114 00:07:04,990 --> 00:07:07,529 Speaker 3: who denied a person, place, or thing mentioned in the Bible, 115 00:07:08,010 --> 00:07:11,770 Speaker 3: but were later proven wrong by this archaeological record. So 116 00:07:12,810 --> 00:07:15,840 Speaker 3: this is very interesting. Let's start with the House of 117 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:17,740 Speaker 3: David Steely. Is that how you say it? 118 00:07:17,740 --> 00:07:18,720 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah. 119 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 1: That's good. I like that. Steely is a good... Some 120 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,740 Speaker 1: people pronounce it Stella and others Stell. I think it's 121 00:07:25,760 --> 00:07:31,460 Speaker 1: a British pronunciation, Steely. Steely, like Steely Dan. Yeah. 122 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 2: Yeah. 123 00:07:33,180 --> 00:07:35,120 Speaker 3: So tell us what this is all about and why 124 00:07:35,490 --> 00:07:36,230 Speaker 3: it's important. 125 00:07:36,890 --> 00:07:37,110 Speaker 2: Yeah. 126 00:07:37,170 --> 00:07:40,290 Speaker 1: Let me tell you briefly about minimalists first, right? It 127 00:07:40,350 --> 00:07:44,890 Speaker 1: silenced the critics. Minimalist scholars are those that are archaeologists 128 00:07:44,930 --> 00:07:50,950 Speaker 1: and biblical scholars who... don't believe the Bible is historically reliable. 129 00:07:50,970 --> 00:07:55,560 Speaker 1: They have an anti-Bible bias, and they'll only accept what's 130 00:07:55,690 --> 00:07:58,060 Speaker 1: in the Bible, in the New and Old Testament scriptures, 131 00:07:58,100 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: that are also affirmed by extra-biblical sources. And so for 132 00:08:03,020 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: a long time, up until 1993, when this discovery was made, 133 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: the House of David Steely, there were those who were 134 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: denying that King David ever existed, because they did not 135 00:08:14,180 --> 00:08:18,570 Speaker 1: find yet an archaeological artifact or or with the name 136 00:08:19,130 --> 00:08:21,410 Speaker 1: David on it, and that could be affirmed to be 137 00:08:21,430 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 1: the King David described in the Bible. And so the 138 00:08:25,510 --> 00:08:29,340 Speaker 1: House of David steely did silence the critics. And we 139 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:33,260 Speaker 1: as maximalists who hold to the Bible as being historically reliable, 140 00:08:33,300 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 1: and we accept the maximal amount of content within it, 141 00:08:36,740 --> 00:08:40,780 Speaker 1: we would say not guilty until proven innocent like they would. 142 00:08:40,840 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: We'd say the absence of evidence is not the evidence 143 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:46,490 Speaker 1: of absence. So just because we don't have something yet 144 00:08:46,540 --> 00:08:49,110 Speaker 1: discovered doesn't mean it doesn't exist. It's not out there 145 00:08:49,210 --> 00:08:53,350 Speaker 1: or that Abraham didn't exist. The fact is the further 146 00:08:53,370 --> 00:08:56,050 Speaker 1: back we go, the less and less archeological remains we're 147 00:08:56,070 --> 00:08:59,569 Speaker 1: going to find. And there's other reasons as well, um, 148 00:08:59,850 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: because God did not want Abraham to magnify himself. Most 149 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:06,939 Speaker 1: of the discoveries we find are Kings and Pharaohs bragging 150 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 1: about their military exploits. So, um, so the absence of 151 00:09:10,360 --> 00:09:13,860 Speaker 1: evidence is not the evidence of absence. Right. 152 00:09:13,880 --> 00:09:17,630 Speaker 3: Um, Okay, so should I bring up this slide? 153 00:09:18,110 --> 00:09:18,430 Speaker 1: Yeah. 154 00:09:19,050 --> 00:09:19,250 Speaker 3: Okay. 155 00:09:19,309 --> 00:09:26,510 Speaker 1: So this is the House of David inscription. And Tel 156 00:09:26,610 --> 00:09:29,220 Speaker 1: Dan is where it's discovered. So sometimes it's also called 157 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: the Tel Dan inscription. And Dan, a tel is simply 158 00:09:33,740 --> 00:09:34,740 Speaker 1: a mound of dirt. 159 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:35,860 Speaker 3: It's a hill. 160 00:09:36,380 --> 00:09:40,940 Speaker 1: But underneath that hill is the ancient civilization. So archaeology 161 00:09:41,000 --> 00:09:44,060 Speaker 1: is a destructive science, if you will, to get down 162 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,819 Speaker 1: to the layer of That you want to study, you 163 00:09:47,240 --> 00:09:50,709 Speaker 1: have to go through other layers of civilizations oftentimes, unless 164 00:09:50,750 --> 00:09:53,290 Speaker 1: it was only inhabited for one period of time and 165 00:09:53,330 --> 00:09:56,450 Speaker 1: then abandoned. There's sometimes that happens, but not very often. 166 00:09:57,410 --> 00:10:00,140 Speaker 1: But to tell then is if that city has been 167 00:10:00,220 --> 00:10:05,780 Speaker 1: abandoned um like dan like um then it's going to 168 00:10:05,820 --> 00:10:08,140 Speaker 1: grow over it's going to become a mound of dirt 169 00:10:08,220 --> 00:10:11,280 Speaker 1: or it's going to fill in and grass and vegetation 170 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:14,950 Speaker 1: is going to be grow on top of it so 171 00:10:15,590 --> 00:10:19,530 Speaker 1: in the north is where dan is the ancient city 172 00:10:19,570 --> 00:10:23,110 Speaker 1: of Dan. And it was identified by a man by 173 00:10:23,150 --> 00:10:28,130 Speaker 1: the name of Edward Robinson in the 1800s, 1838. But 174 00:10:28,230 --> 00:10:33,920 Speaker 1: then Avraham Biram was an archaeologist that discovered this House 175 00:10:33,940 --> 00:10:37,660 Speaker 1: of David stele or House of David inscription. And it 176 00:10:37,700 --> 00:10:41,300 Speaker 1: was discovered in 1993. And on this slide, you can 177 00:10:41,380 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 1: see the larger portion was discovered in 1993. It's labeled 178 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:48,460 Speaker 1: on that slide A. But then in 1994, the next 179 00:10:48,780 --> 00:10:53,640 Speaker 1: excavation season, B and C, those two other fragments were discovered. 180 00:10:54,420 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 1: And Biedon writes, and I'm going to quote him now, 181 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: the 27 years of excavation at Tel Dan, for 27 years, 182 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,760 Speaker 1: produced very little written material until on July 21st, 1993, 183 00:11:07,740 --> 00:11:14,260 Speaker 1: an inscribed basalt stone was discovered. And this, the largest 184 00:11:14,340 --> 00:11:18,560 Speaker 1: portion again, discovered in 1993. The second and third portion, 185 00:11:18,600 --> 00:11:23,500 Speaker 1: the B and C, discovered in 1994. There's still two 186 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:26,880 Speaker 1: portions that have yet to be discovered, the top portion 187 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,980 Speaker 1: and bottom. But this is an incredible find because this 188 00:11:31,059 --> 00:11:35,620 Speaker 1: victory stele was written in Aramaic on this basalt stone slab. 189 00:11:35,820 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: And it's commissioned by a king by the name of 190 00:11:38,070 --> 00:11:42,360 Speaker 1: Hazael of Aram. and Aram would have been an enemy 191 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:45,380 Speaker 1: of Israel, and they would have been north of Israel. 192 00:11:45,960 --> 00:11:49,439 Speaker 1: And so this time, of course, well, I haven't gotten 193 00:11:49,740 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: to that yet, but this is going to describe some 194 00:11:53,040 --> 00:11:58,850 Speaker 1: events relating to the 10 northern tribes known collectively as Israel, who, 195 00:11:59,590 --> 00:12:02,170 Speaker 1: after Solomon died, we have the breaking away of the 196 00:12:02,170 --> 00:12:05,189 Speaker 1: 10 northern tribes and the two southern tribes. So this 197 00:12:05,270 --> 00:12:09,469 Speaker 1: is dealing with the 10 northern tribes and this king Aram. 198 00:12:10,429 --> 00:12:15,030 Speaker 1: Hazael of Aram, who's bragging about his military exploits. And 199 00:12:15,070 --> 00:12:20,290 Speaker 1: that's what a stele is. It's a monument. And on 200 00:12:20,330 --> 00:12:24,359 Speaker 1: it is inscribed several names. We see the name Jehoram, 201 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:30,380 Speaker 1: son of Ahab. Those are biblical names. Ahaziah, son of Jehoram. Again, kings, 202 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:34,420 Speaker 1: biblical names. And then it says, from the house of David. 203 00:12:35,580 --> 00:12:38,370 Speaker 1: From the house of David. Now, I mentioned to you 204 00:12:38,410 --> 00:12:42,530 Speaker 1: the minimalists. Philip Davies is one of those minimalists. And 205 00:12:42,850 --> 00:12:45,910 Speaker 1: he wrote infamously. He wrote the following. He is a 206 00:12:46,210 --> 00:12:50,719 Speaker 1: professor at Sheffield University. He wrote the following. I'm not 207 00:12:50,750 --> 00:12:54,699 Speaker 1: the only scholar who suspects that the figure of King 208 00:12:54,740 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 1: David is about as historical as King Arthur. 209 00:12:57,780 --> 00:12:59,500 Speaker 3: We'll be right back after this short break. 210 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:06,310 Speaker 1: Well, this discovery in 1993 and then 1994 happened. affirms 211 00:13:06,550 --> 00:13:09,570 Speaker 1: several things, right? First, the house of David Steely silenced 212 00:13:10,050 --> 00:13:13,980 Speaker 1: the critics. The Steely dated over 100 years after David reigned. 213 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,900 Speaker 1: And so it's speaking of these kings who are from 214 00:13:18,980 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: the house of David, right? And so it's mentioning this dynasty, 215 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:27,620 Speaker 1: this line of kings from David. And if there's a 216 00:13:29,179 --> 00:13:32,140 Speaker 1: line of kings from David or a dynasty from David, 217 00:13:32,179 --> 00:13:34,689 Speaker 1: then there must be a David himself. And so it 218 00:13:34,870 --> 00:13:38,470 Speaker 1: silenced the critics there. It also mentions, again, those different kings. Aram, 219 00:13:38,510 --> 00:13:42,610 Speaker 1: that's mentioned in scripture in 2 Kings 8, 28, mentions 220 00:13:42,630 --> 00:13:47,700 Speaker 1: how Ahaziah, also on that victory stele. Jehoram, son of Ahab, 221 00:13:48,059 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 1: went to war against Hazael, king of Aram. And that's 222 00:13:51,360 --> 00:13:55,059 Speaker 1: 2 Kings 8, 28 and 29. So real people, real places, 223 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:59,510 Speaker 1: real events etched in stone. not by the Israelites, but 224 00:13:59,570 --> 00:14:01,010 Speaker 1: by the enemies of Israel. 225 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,699 Speaker 3: And what did the, was he a professor at Sheffield? 226 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:08,280 Speaker 3: Like what did he, what was his reaction to this discovery? 227 00:14:10,500 --> 00:14:13,380 Speaker 1: You know, I'm not sure that he has anything in writing. 228 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:17,890 Speaker 3: He just quietly just ignored it. 229 00:14:19,150 --> 00:14:23,180 Speaker 1: And that happens, right? So now the They move the goalposts, 230 00:14:23,320 --> 00:14:26,620 Speaker 1: and now they say, well, King David, he probably did exist. 231 00:14:26,960 --> 00:14:30,380 Speaker 1: We acknowledge that. But he was just this little chieftain, 232 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:33,140 Speaker 1: like just this little tribal chief, not a king of 233 00:14:33,200 --> 00:14:38,180 Speaker 1: an empire that's described in the Bible. You know, David 234 00:14:38,830 --> 00:14:43,350 Speaker 1: conquered and expanded the empire. And since then, we've found 235 00:14:43,370 --> 00:14:48,670 Speaker 1: a place called Kerbet Kayafa that has a fortified city 236 00:14:48,770 --> 00:14:51,580 Speaker 1: from the time of David. And there's no pig bones, right? 237 00:14:51,960 --> 00:14:54,480 Speaker 1: Indicates this is not the Philistines or Canaanites. These are 238 00:14:54,500 --> 00:14:58,280 Speaker 1: people that have a ban on pork and there's no 239 00:14:58,450 --> 00:15:02,850 Speaker 1: idols either. So again, it moved the goalposts, but here 240 00:15:02,910 --> 00:15:07,250 Speaker 1: we found another discovery that seems to support David's existence 241 00:15:07,550 --> 00:15:09,890 Speaker 1: and that he ruled over a kingdom, not just a 242 00:15:09,990 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 1: chieftain of a little tribe. 243 00:15:12,150 --> 00:15:16,359 Speaker 3: Right, okay, good. Okay, well, next is this. I can't 244 00:15:16,400 --> 00:15:17,660 Speaker 3: pronounce it, so you're gonna have to do it. 245 00:15:17,660 --> 00:15:25,130 Speaker 1: Nabonidus. This is the Nabonidus cylinder, the Nabonidus cylinder. And 246 00:15:25,170 --> 00:15:28,130 Speaker 1: your listeners and viewers would not be, maybe not familiar 247 00:15:28,150 --> 00:15:31,650 Speaker 1: with Nabonidus, but you would be familiar with his son, 248 00:15:31,670 --> 00:15:36,170 Speaker 1: a man by the name of Belshazzar. And again, this 249 00:15:36,230 --> 00:15:41,850 Speaker 1: discovery is fascinating because Belshazzar, again, the minimalists, those who 250 00:15:42,390 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 1: deny the historical reliability of scripture, unless there is an 251 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:52,320 Speaker 1: extra biblical source that will affirm this, the detail in 252 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:56,260 Speaker 1: the Bible? Well, they denied, even going back to 1850, 253 00:15:56,260 --> 00:15:59,940 Speaker 1: they denied that Belshazzar ever existed. They just said he 254 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:05,380 Speaker 1: is just a figment of their imagination. Well, Daniel 5, 255 00:16:05,380 --> 00:16:08,090 Speaker 1: anybody that has read Daniel 5 and the Feast of 256 00:16:08,130 --> 00:16:11,690 Speaker 1: Belshazzar and the handwriting on the wall, obviously it mentions 257 00:16:11,730 --> 00:16:15,470 Speaker 1: Belshazzar by name a couple times, many times in that 258 00:16:15,570 --> 00:16:19,690 Speaker 1: one chapter. And that writing on the wall, mene tekel pedes, right? 259 00:16:20,610 --> 00:16:25,390 Speaker 1: Daniel interprets that three words after Belshazzar tries to seek 260 00:16:25,470 --> 00:16:28,050 Speaker 1: after his wise men to try to interpret it. They can't. 261 00:16:28,820 --> 00:16:32,740 Speaker 1: And Daniel is able to interpret these three words and says, 262 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: God has weighed you. He's found you morally deficient and 263 00:16:36,480 --> 00:16:39,460 Speaker 1: you're going to fall to the Medes and the Persians. Well, 264 00:16:40,470 --> 00:16:47,360 Speaker 1: the Nabonidus cylinder mentions Belshazzar by name and it, It 265 00:16:47,800 --> 00:16:51,690 Speaker 1: includes details relating, it's really a prayer to the king, 266 00:16:52,070 --> 00:16:56,930 Speaker 1: excuse me, to the gods, the Babylonian gods. And at 267 00:16:56,990 --> 00:17:02,010 Speaker 1: the end of the prayer, he mentions his son, Belshazzar. 268 00:17:02,030 --> 00:17:03,630 Speaker 1: And this is the prayer, I'll read it for you. 269 00:17:04,170 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: As for me, Nabonidus, king of Babylon, save me from 270 00:17:08,880 --> 00:17:13,060 Speaker 1: sinning against your great Godhead and grant me as a 271 00:17:13,140 --> 00:17:18,679 Speaker 1: present a long life. And as for Belshazzar, my eldest son, 272 00:17:18,700 --> 00:17:23,400 Speaker 1: instill reverence in him for your great Godhead. So he's 273 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:26,399 Speaker 1: praying to his God and saying, give me long years 274 00:17:26,820 --> 00:17:29,440 Speaker 1: and give my son honor for you and him long 275 00:17:29,480 --> 00:17:30,140 Speaker 1: years as well. 276 00:17:30,980 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 3: Wow. 277 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:35,340 Speaker 1: This silences this, again, notion that this is just a 278 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:37,300 Speaker 1: figment of the Jewish people's imagination. 279 00:17:38,140 --> 00:17:43,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, I like that. OK, so let's move to what 280 00:17:43,100 --> 00:17:43,679 Speaker 3: is this one? 281 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:49,260 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is also named after Nabonidus. It's called the 282 00:17:49,300 --> 00:17:53,720 Speaker 1: Nabonidus Chronicle. And so if you want something to survive antiquity, 283 00:17:54,300 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: something to survive thousands of years, you don't write it 284 00:17:57,350 --> 00:18:00,510 Speaker 1: on ancient paper. You put it on etched in stone 285 00:18:00,550 --> 00:18:03,310 Speaker 1: like this. This would have been a stone tablet. Or 286 00:18:03,369 --> 00:18:08,570 Speaker 1: you put it in clay and harden it in an oven. 287 00:18:08,890 --> 00:18:12,310 Speaker 1: And so that's what the Nabonidus cylinder was, a clay cylinder. 288 00:18:12,390 --> 00:18:17,429 Speaker 1: This is a stone tablet. inscription etched in stone. And 289 00:18:17,470 --> 00:18:22,530 Speaker 1: I love discussing this discovery coupled with the Nabonidus cylinder 290 00:18:22,570 --> 00:18:26,250 Speaker 1: because both of them mention Belshazzar by name as the 291 00:18:26,430 --> 00:18:31,530 Speaker 1: son of Nabonidus. This was a rectangular tablet in the 292 00:18:31,590 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 1: Akkadian language, one of the oldest languages that we know of, 293 00:18:36,950 --> 00:18:41,400 Speaker 1: in cuneiform script, which is a wedge-shaped script. And so 294 00:18:41,460 --> 00:18:45,600 Speaker 1: much like our ancient Alphabet can be used for other languages. 295 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:49,980 Speaker 1: So cuneiform script is used for different languages, not just Akkadian. 296 00:18:51,040 --> 00:18:55,580 Speaker 1: And it records the events during Nabonidus' reign. Now, in 297 00:18:55,640 --> 00:19:00,379 Speaker 1: Daniel chapter 5, it mentions that Belshazzar is the son 298 00:19:00,640 --> 00:19:05,270 Speaker 1: of Nebuchadnezzar. Now, that's an interpretive or a translation problem. 299 00:19:05,330 --> 00:19:09,120 Speaker 1: That word actually means a male descendant. So it doesn't 300 00:19:09,140 --> 00:19:11,939 Speaker 1: mean literally the son of, and in fact, from the 301 00:19:11,980 --> 00:19:15,600 Speaker 1: Babylonian records, we realized that there are several Kings between 302 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:22,420 Speaker 1: Nebuchadnezzar and Nabonidus and then Belshazzar. And so, um, Belshazzar 303 00:19:22,460 --> 00:19:26,510 Speaker 1: was a male descendant from, um, from. 304 00:19:27,270 --> 00:19:28,629 Speaker 3: Uh, Nebuchadnezzar. 305 00:19:29,070 --> 00:19:34,090 Speaker 1: Nebuchadnezzar. I'm sorry. I'm having a brain lapse today and 306 00:19:34,109 --> 00:19:35,570 Speaker 1: the heat here in Dallas, right? 307 00:19:35,710 --> 00:19:36,050 Speaker 2: Yeah. 308 00:19:36,150 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: So, but, um, And so Nabonidus was the father of Belshazzar, 309 00:19:43,900 --> 00:19:48,810 Speaker 1: and Belshazzar would have been the descendant of Nebuchadnezzar. So 310 00:19:48,850 --> 00:19:52,470 Speaker 1: the Nabonidus Chronicle why is this important? The Nabonidus Chronicle 311 00:19:53,010 --> 00:19:57,430 Speaker 1: not only mentions that Belshazzar is the son of him, Nabonidus, 312 00:19:57,490 --> 00:20:01,920 Speaker 1: but also mentions that Nabonidus was down in Arabia for 313 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:05,560 Speaker 1: 10 years. Well, why is this significant? Because three times 314 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:09,909 Speaker 1: in the biblical text, it says that three, that, the 315 00:20:09,970 --> 00:20:14,100 Speaker 1: wise men were first offered to become third in power 316 00:20:14,140 --> 00:20:18,720 Speaker 1: if they could interpret these three words. That's in Daniel 5.7. 317 00:20:18,980 --> 00:20:23,139 Speaker 1: And then when they're not able to interpret these three words, 318 00:20:23,300 --> 00:20:29,550 Speaker 1: the handwriting on the wall, then Belshazzar reaches out to 319 00:20:29,650 --> 00:20:34,070 Speaker 1: Daniel and offers him third place in power. That's Daniel 5.16. 320 00:20:34,070 --> 00:20:39,350 Speaker 1: And then when Daniel does interpret these three words, Nabuchadnezzar, Nabonid, 321 00:20:39,470 --> 00:20:43,500 Speaker 1: excuse me, Belshazzar, actually does what he promised and made 322 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:47,820 Speaker 1: Daniel third in power. Now, it only lasted one day 323 00:20:48,020 --> 00:20:53,230 Speaker 1: because that night Darius the Mede would conquer him. But 324 00:20:53,310 --> 00:20:57,969 Speaker 1: the point is, for generations, scholars and Bible students of 325 00:20:57,990 --> 00:21:00,270 Speaker 1: the word have been scratching their head and they didn't 326 00:21:00,290 --> 00:21:02,870 Speaker 1: know the why. They knew the what. The biblical text 327 00:21:02,910 --> 00:21:04,979 Speaker 1: says the what. He was offered third in power. But 328 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:08,619 Speaker 1: now we know the why. Because Nabonidus was down in 329 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:12,290 Speaker 1: Arabia for 10 years, and he put his son in 330 00:21:12,350 --> 00:21:16,070 Speaker 1: charge of Babylon in Babylonia, in the city of Babylon. 331 00:21:17,470 --> 00:21:21,950 Speaker 1: And so Nabonidus was first in power, Belshazzar second in power, 332 00:21:22,450 --> 00:21:23,890 Speaker 1: Daniel was offered third in power. 333 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:25,900 Speaker 3: So what are we looking at here? 334 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:30,480 Speaker 1: Yes, this is a fascinating discovery as well. We've looked 335 00:21:30,520 --> 00:21:34,359 Speaker 1: at a couple artifacts, right? The Nabonidus Chronicle, the Nabonidus Cylinder, 336 00:21:34,700 --> 00:21:37,120 Speaker 1: Now we're going to look at what's a site. This 337 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:41,290 Speaker 1: is in Magdala, which is on the Sea of Galilee. 338 00:21:41,869 --> 00:21:44,710 Speaker 1: But this is probably where Mary Magdalene was from. And 339 00:21:45,510 --> 00:21:49,530 Speaker 1: this is a synagogue, an ancient synagogue. Now, when we 340 00:21:49,630 --> 00:21:52,850 Speaker 1: read the biblical text, it's clear, according to the Gospels 341 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:55,960 Speaker 1: and the Book of Acts, that, first of all, Jesus 342 00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:00,500 Speaker 1: went into synagogues. Matthew 4.23, Jesus was going throughout all Galilee. 343 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:03,409 Speaker 1: This would be Galilee, part of Galilee. went throughout all 344 00:22:03,470 --> 00:22:08,530 Speaker 1: of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, Matthew 4.23. Luke as 345 00:22:08,609 --> 00:22:12,129 Speaker 1: well mentions that Jesus went to Nazareth and went into 346 00:22:12,290 --> 00:22:14,740 Speaker 1: the synagogue, right? And that's the great passage where he 347 00:22:14,780 --> 00:22:17,119 Speaker 1: stands up and quotes from Isaiah and says, this has 348 00:22:17,540 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 1: been fulfilled basically, right? Yeah. So synagogues were clearly used 349 00:22:23,420 --> 00:22:27,300 Speaker 1: according to the gospels. And then you think of other places, 350 00:22:28,060 --> 00:22:30,919 Speaker 1: that was Jesus' mode of operation, going into the synagogues, 351 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:36,719 Speaker 1: speaking from the scriptures, Jesus warned his disciples that they 352 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:40,570 Speaker 1: had been treated in the synagogues. He warned them of 353 00:22:40,619 --> 00:22:43,510 Speaker 1: the hypocritical Pharisees who loved to sit in places of 354 00:22:43,630 --> 00:22:48,290 Speaker 1: honor in the synagogues. And Paul persecuted Christians in the 355 00:22:48,350 --> 00:22:53,230 Speaker 1: synagogue of Jerusalem. So these, then talk about Paul, right? 356 00:22:53,290 --> 00:22:55,650 Speaker 1: You could go through the book of Acts. The word 357 00:22:55,690 --> 00:23:01,750 Speaker 1: synagogue is used a total expression of 37 times in 358 00:23:01,890 --> 00:23:07,889 Speaker 1: Gospels and Acts. And so minimalists, again, denied this to 359 00:23:07,930 --> 00:23:10,430 Speaker 1: be the case. They said synagogues would not have been 360 00:23:10,550 --> 00:23:18,260 Speaker 1: used until 8070 when Jerusalem was destroyed and when, and 361 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:20,800 Speaker 1: now you would need synagogues because there's no temple. And 362 00:23:20,840 --> 00:23:22,160 Speaker 1: so they argue. 363 00:23:22,280 --> 00:23:23,940 Speaker 3: Okay. I didn't know that. 364 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: So they'd argue it's a competition with the temple, right? 365 00:23:28,690 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 1: And that's just not the case. So they were saying 366 00:23:34,740 --> 00:23:37,980 Speaker 1: you wouldn't need synagogues until after AD 70 when the 367 00:23:38,040 --> 00:23:42,090 Speaker 1: temple's destroyed. Well, in the intertestinal period between the close 368 00:23:42,109 --> 00:23:44,550 Speaker 1: of the Old Testament and opening of the New Testament, 369 00:23:44,570 --> 00:23:49,270 Speaker 1: these 400 years of silence or so, you have the 370 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:54,290 Speaker 1: synagogues coming to use and you have rabbis now becoming 371 00:23:55,030 --> 00:23:57,710 Speaker 1: teachers of the law in the synagogues. And so the 372 00:23:57,750 --> 00:24:00,310 Speaker 1: temple is a place for sacrifices, but the synagogues were 373 00:24:00,330 --> 00:24:02,570 Speaker 1: the places of the teaching of the law, right? 374 00:24:03,130 --> 00:24:03,340 Speaker 2: Right. 375 00:24:03,410 --> 00:24:07,560 Speaker 1: And so this discovery in Magdala with benches around it, 376 00:24:07,560 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 1: the mosaics, pillars, and clearly this is a synagogue from 377 00:24:12,619 --> 00:24:15,840 Speaker 1: the first century. And there's another synagogue discovered in Capernaum 378 00:24:16,220 --> 00:24:19,790 Speaker 1: or Capernaum. And so these again, silence the critics. And 379 00:24:19,810 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: there's even a, In my book, I have a picture 380 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:25,240 Speaker 1: of it and the videos as well. There's what we 381 00:24:25,280 --> 00:24:28,820 Speaker 1: call the Magdala Stone. And that's fascinating because on the 382 00:24:28,859 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: Magdala Stone, it actually has pictures of the temple, aspects 383 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,020 Speaker 1: of the temple. That is the pillars of the temple, 384 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:41,139 Speaker 1: oil representing the temple. And all of that points to 385 00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 1: the fact that they did not see synagogues as a 386 00:24:44,060 --> 00:24:48,700 Speaker 1: competition with the temple, but rather being used in concert with. 387 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:52,190 Speaker 3: So. Yeah. It was kind of a teaching place. Um, 388 00:24:52,670 --> 00:24:55,750 Speaker 3: and so who, who would sit on the benches? Was 389 00:24:55,790 --> 00:24:59,840 Speaker 3: that for like the, the, like the, you know, the, 390 00:25:00,060 --> 00:25:02,859 Speaker 3: the groundlings or was like, or where was the place 391 00:25:02,900 --> 00:25:06,300 Speaker 3: of honor in these synagogues versus like where the groundlings 392 00:25:06,340 --> 00:25:06,680 Speaker 3: would sit? 393 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,639 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's a great question. Which of these benches in 394 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:13,200 Speaker 1: this picture, where would be the place of honor? Maybe 395 00:25:13,240 --> 00:25:16,970 Speaker 1: in the front, probably in the front there. Um, But 396 00:25:17,070 --> 00:25:19,830 Speaker 1: I don't know that we know exactly which is the 397 00:25:19,910 --> 00:25:24,090 Speaker 1: place of honor. But those benches would have been sat 398 00:25:24,150 --> 00:25:30,459 Speaker 1: upon by first century devout Jewish followers of Yahweh listening 399 00:25:30,500 --> 00:25:33,659 Speaker 1: to the law being preached. And Jesus probably was in 400 00:25:33,700 --> 00:25:39,560 Speaker 1: this very synagogue in Magdala. 401 00:25:39,580 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 3: Hmm. 402 00:25:41,260 --> 00:25:43,140 Speaker 1: And of course, the one in Capernaum, we're pretty sure 403 00:25:43,180 --> 00:25:44,859 Speaker 1: as well. It's so close to what we think is 404 00:25:44,900 --> 00:25:47,290 Speaker 1: Peter's house, which has also been discovered. So there's so 405 00:25:47,310 --> 00:25:51,330 Speaker 1: many incredible discoveries. It was hard to narrow it down 406 00:25:51,369 --> 00:25:52,630 Speaker 1: to 50. Yeah. 407 00:25:53,290 --> 00:25:57,030 Speaker 3: Okay. So let's go move on to what is this? 408 00:25:58,770 --> 00:26:03,650 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is another incredible find. It's a crucifixion heel, 409 00:26:04,609 --> 00:26:08,330 Speaker 1: a heel bone of a crucified victim. Now, obviously this 410 00:26:08,410 --> 00:26:14,710 Speaker 1: is not Jesus' heel bone because he rose from the grave. 411 00:26:15,170 --> 00:26:19,260 Speaker 1: But this was a first century crucified victim. And there's 412 00:26:19,359 --> 00:26:22,159 Speaker 1: several things important in this picture. 413 00:26:23,060 --> 00:26:25,640 Speaker 3: It's been detected. It looks really painful, by the way. 414 00:26:26,290 --> 00:26:30,450 Speaker 3: There's a huge nail, like giant nail, iron nail through 415 00:26:30,510 --> 00:26:31,090 Speaker 3: the heel bone. 416 00:26:31,750 --> 00:26:37,300 Speaker 1: Yeah. So this points to the horrific and gruesome way 417 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:40,750 Speaker 1: of death that our Savior would have gone through as 418 00:26:40,810 --> 00:26:45,710 Speaker 1: this would have been violently nailed through his ankle. And 419 00:26:46,010 --> 00:26:50,790 Speaker 1: this victim was 24 to 25 years old. It's estimated 420 00:26:51,609 --> 00:26:54,100 Speaker 1: you can see the curl on the end of that nail. 421 00:26:54,180 --> 00:26:57,639 Speaker 1: That's very significant. We're thankful for that curl. Because of 422 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:01,770 Speaker 1: that curl that remained in the ankle of the rather 423 00:27:01,810 --> 00:27:05,970 Speaker 1: than being removed and used again in another crucified victim's death. 424 00:27:06,890 --> 00:27:10,810 Speaker 1: And on one side of the nail, in this picture, 425 00:27:10,850 --> 00:27:14,420 Speaker 1: if those are joining, viewing this, on one side, there 426 00:27:14,460 --> 00:27:17,320 Speaker 1: was a piece of olive wood that would have been 427 00:27:17,380 --> 00:27:18,859 Speaker 1: on the, the head of the nail would have been 428 00:27:19,100 --> 00:27:22,959 Speaker 1: nailed through the olive wood into the ankle and to 429 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:27,780 Speaker 1: keep it stationed on the ankle, not to move as 430 00:27:27,880 --> 00:27:32,150 Speaker 1: the nails being violently damaged. nailed through the ankle bone. 431 00:27:32,850 --> 00:27:36,090 Speaker 1: And then on the other side, there's a portion of the, uh, 432 00:27:36,770 --> 00:27:41,030 Speaker 1: left remained from the, the crucified beam. A small portion 433 00:27:41,070 --> 00:27:44,810 Speaker 1: of that has been detected as well. So how does 434 00:27:44,830 --> 00:27:45,929 Speaker 1: this silence the critics? 435 00:27:46,350 --> 00:27:48,609 Speaker 3: Well, well, first of all, why was it, why was 436 00:27:48,650 --> 00:27:51,710 Speaker 3: the nail curled? So it wouldn't slip out. Is that why? 437 00:27:51,730 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 1: Uh, the nail, we don't know why the nail curled itself. 438 00:27:56,380 --> 00:27:56,600 Speaker 3: Okay. 439 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,870 Speaker 1: Uh, the olive wood that was placed between the head 440 00:27:59,890 --> 00:28:02,030 Speaker 1: of the nail and the ankle bone on the right 441 00:28:02,090 --> 00:28:05,290 Speaker 1: in this picture, um, was the olive wood that kept 442 00:28:05,430 --> 00:28:07,410 Speaker 1: the nail from slipping when it would have been nailed 443 00:28:07,550 --> 00:28:11,490 Speaker 1: into the ankle bone. But the curl, we don't know. Um, 444 00:28:13,450 --> 00:28:16,770 Speaker 1: you know, maybe it had been used over multiple crucifixions 445 00:28:16,850 --> 00:28:19,429 Speaker 1: and it lost its strength, but hit a knot in 446 00:28:19,450 --> 00:28:23,389 Speaker 1: the wood. Some suggest, uh, we don't know why it curled. 447 00:28:23,690 --> 00:28:26,820 Speaker 1: Maybe it was struck by a hammer, um, as well. Um, 448 00:28:27,460 --> 00:28:30,590 Speaker 1: But typically, you know, nails were very expensive, so they 449 00:28:30,609 --> 00:28:33,950 Speaker 1: would have removed them typically and used them again. But 450 00:28:34,109 --> 00:28:37,270 Speaker 1: because of that curl, we're thankful for it because now 451 00:28:37,310 --> 00:28:41,750 Speaker 1: we have the first first century crucified victim nail embedded. 452 00:28:41,770 --> 00:28:46,310 Speaker 1: And why is this important? Because critics, skeptics said that 453 00:28:47,350 --> 00:28:51,190 Speaker 1: nails were too expensive to be used in crucifixion attempts. 454 00:28:51,350 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 1: But the biblical narrative, the gospel is clearly indicate that 455 00:28:55,040 --> 00:29:02,560 Speaker 1: Jesus was nailed to a cross, John 19, John's gospel, 456 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:09,920 Speaker 1: John 20, and verse 25, doubting Thomas says, unless I 457 00:29:09,980 --> 00:29:12,970 Speaker 1: see the nails and marks in his hands and put 458 00:29:13,010 --> 00:29:15,070 Speaker 1: my finger where the nails were, I will not believe. 459 00:29:15,230 --> 00:29:18,470 Speaker 1: And then John 20, 27, Jesus says, put your finger here, 460 00:29:18,550 --> 00:29:22,100 Speaker 1: see my hands, stop doubting and believe. So clearly, The 461 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:26,000 Speaker 1: biblical text indicates nails were used. And here we have 462 00:29:26,020 --> 00:29:30,900 Speaker 1: the first century crucified victim, probably crucified under Pontius Pilate 463 00:29:30,940 --> 00:29:34,310 Speaker 1: as well. It was a man by the name of Yehohanan. 464 00:29:34,830 --> 00:29:45,000 Speaker 1: It was discovered in 1968 in Nazareth. chamber, and the 465 00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:48,100 Speaker 1: bone box was labeled Yehohanan, so his name was on it. 466 00:29:48,240 --> 00:29:51,479 Speaker 1: So in the first century, a small window of time, 467 00:29:52,220 --> 00:29:57,280 Speaker 1: ossuaries were used, which were simply limestone bone boxes, were 468 00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:01,110 Speaker 1: used in a second burial process. So the first burial 469 00:30:01,150 --> 00:30:05,050 Speaker 1: process was the individual who died would be placed on 470 00:30:05,090 --> 00:30:07,590 Speaker 1: a flat surface. And of course that happened to Jesus. 471 00:30:07,650 --> 00:30:10,270 Speaker 1: He was placed on a flat surface. That's the first burial. 472 00:30:10,930 --> 00:30:14,400 Speaker 1: But then a year later, the loved ones of the 473 00:30:14,460 --> 00:30:18,520 Speaker 1: person that has died would, after all the skin and 474 00:30:18,600 --> 00:30:21,140 Speaker 1: flesh has rotted off the bones, all that's left are 475 00:30:21,180 --> 00:30:23,320 Speaker 1: the bones. A year later, they would come and collect 476 00:30:23,340 --> 00:30:26,560 Speaker 1: those bones and put them in an ossuary, a bone box. 477 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:30,370 Speaker 1: And this process, this second burial process, was only used 478 00:30:30,460 --> 00:30:35,370 Speaker 1: from the middle of Herod the Great's, I almost want 479 00:30:35,390 --> 00:30:39,910 Speaker 1: to say ministry, but reign until AD 70, and Jerusalem 480 00:30:39,930 --> 00:30:43,190 Speaker 1: was destroyed. So if you find a bone box, an ashware, 481 00:30:43,210 --> 00:30:45,930 Speaker 1: you know it's 1st century BC, 1st century AD, right? 482 00:30:45,970 --> 00:30:50,600 Speaker 1: So that narrows it down. And this was etched, Yehohanan's 483 00:30:50,620 --> 00:30:53,420 Speaker 1: name was etched on it. And there are other contributing 484 00:30:53,460 --> 00:30:57,610 Speaker 1: factors that indicate this was 1st century AD. AD and 485 00:30:57,790 --> 00:31:01,870 Speaker 1: probably died under Pontius Pilate as well. And so obviously 486 00:31:01,910 --> 00:31:06,970 Speaker 1: Jesus was not buried, a second burial process, but Yehohanan's 487 00:31:07,750 --> 00:31:11,890 Speaker 1: bones point to nails used. And then also a second 488 00:31:11,910 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 1: thing that skeptics said, skeptics, critics said that crucified victims 489 00:31:17,100 --> 00:31:21,959 Speaker 1: would never be given an honorable burial, an appropriate burial. 490 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:24,740 Speaker 1: They would be left to be eaten by dogs or 491 00:31:26,150 --> 00:31:33,180 Speaker 1: left to rot and thrown into nameless site along with 492 00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 1: other enemies, robbers and thieves. But this particular crucified victim 493 00:31:41,080 --> 00:31:44,040 Speaker 1: was given two burials, right? The first process of being 494 00:31:44,080 --> 00:31:46,060 Speaker 1: laid on a flat surface and then a year later. 495 00:31:46,320 --> 00:31:49,290 Speaker 1: And so this silenced the critics in both of those areas. 496 00:31:50,470 --> 00:31:50,670 Speaker 2: Wow. 497 00:31:50,750 --> 00:31:55,040 Speaker 3: And so would Jesus have been... crucified this way? Would 498 00:31:55,060 --> 00:31:57,620 Speaker 3: it have gone, the nail gone through his ankle bone 499 00:31:57,660 --> 00:31:59,170 Speaker 3: instead of his foot? 500 00:31:59,990 --> 00:32:02,610 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I think so. I think that also is 501 00:32:02,750 --> 00:32:05,510 Speaker 1: something that we didn't know about before the discovery of 502 00:32:05,570 --> 00:32:11,230 Speaker 1: this crucified victim, Yehohanan's ankle bone. And so as you 503 00:32:11,290 --> 00:32:15,130 Speaker 1: indicate in pictures, some pictures you'll see crucified victims with 504 00:32:15,190 --> 00:32:18,350 Speaker 1: rope around their hands, right? That's what they thought before 505 00:32:18,390 --> 00:32:23,140 Speaker 1: they found that this ankle bone had nailed through it. 506 00:32:23,230 --> 00:32:26,190 Speaker 1: So And then you also often see feet with a 507 00:32:26,670 --> 00:32:30,190 Speaker 1: nail driven right through the top of the two feet together. 508 00:32:30,510 --> 00:32:33,580 Speaker 1: But this indicates it was probably from the sides. The 509 00:32:33,700 --> 00:32:35,500 Speaker 1: ankles would have been on the sides of the beam 510 00:32:36,160 --> 00:32:40,620 Speaker 1: and violently driven with that olive wood in between it 511 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:42,340 Speaker 1: into the ankle and then into the beam. 512 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:49,160 Speaker 3: That doesn't seem very pleasant to be a part of that. 513 00:32:49,610 --> 00:32:53,190 Speaker 1: And then... then the need to get breath every time 514 00:32:53,530 --> 00:33:00,670 Speaker 1: pushing up on those nails would have been incredibly painful. Yeah. 515 00:33:01,290 --> 00:33:02,210 Speaker 3: Okay, so what is this? 516 00:33:04,030 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is another artifact, inscription in stone. And we 517 00:33:09,890 --> 00:33:13,920 Speaker 1: call it the polytarch inscription. And polytarch means the one 518 00:33:14,020 --> 00:33:16,420 Speaker 1: who serves as a polytarch, or one who serves as. 519 00:33:17,200 --> 00:33:19,860 Speaker 1: In this position, it's an office or a position in 520 00:33:19,900 --> 00:33:25,030 Speaker 1: the city, a city official. And this is significant because Luke, 521 00:33:25,930 --> 00:33:29,050 Speaker 1: who makes it clear in his gospel, Luke 1.1, that 522 00:33:29,070 --> 00:33:34,650 Speaker 1: he's giving a careful, documented history of the words and 523 00:33:34,670 --> 00:33:36,710 Speaker 1: works of Jesus. And then the book of Acts, his 524 00:33:36,780 --> 00:33:40,680 Speaker 1: second volume, he is written to Theophilus as well to 525 00:33:40,720 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: continue that story, the historical narrative now of the Apostles. 526 00:33:45,930 --> 00:33:49,310 Speaker 1: and the growth of the church. Well, Acts 17, Luke 527 00:33:49,730 --> 00:33:54,910 Speaker 1: records for us this engagement here regarding Paul. And it says, 528 00:33:54,990 --> 00:33:57,670 Speaker 1: when they did not find them, speaking of Paul, they 529 00:33:57,730 --> 00:34:01,980 Speaker 1: began dragging Jason and some brethren before the city authorities. 530 00:34:02,240 --> 00:34:05,940 Speaker 1: Polytarch is the word there. Shouting, these men who have 531 00:34:06,020 --> 00:34:08,580 Speaker 1: upset the world have come here also. They stirred up 532 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:13,980 Speaker 1: the crowd and the city authorities, Polytarch, who heard these things. Now, 533 00:34:14,620 --> 00:34:18,540 Speaker 1: significance is this word polytarch is only used here, and 534 00:34:18,580 --> 00:34:21,720 Speaker 1: it's only used by Luke in the book of Acts. 535 00:34:21,780 --> 00:34:27,450 Speaker 1: And so, again, skeptics, critics of the Bible who treat 536 00:34:27,469 --> 00:34:32,490 Speaker 1: the Bible as guilty of errors and exaggerations and sometimes 537 00:34:32,590 --> 00:34:39,190 Speaker 1: even falsehoods had indicated that Luke was, or whoever wrote it, 538 00:34:39,250 --> 00:34:42,360 Speaker 1: was just error that polytarch was not a word that 539 00:34:42,400 --> 00:34:45,819 Speaker 1: was used at that time of that location. And so 540 00:34:45,880 --> 00:34:49,680 Speaker 1: here's a discovery that was discovered in Thessalonica, ancient city 541 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:53,529 Speaker 1: of Thessalonica, which is in modern day Greece. And it 542 00:34:54,010 --> 00:34:58,210 Speaker 1: was on an arch called the Vardar Arch. And it's 543 00:34:58,270 --> 00:35:01,090 Speaker 1: about two and a half feet tall, six feet long. 544 00:35:01,130 --> 00:35:04,540 Speaker 1: The arch no longer exists there because over time it 545 00:35:04,700 --> 00:35:13,210 Speaker 1: was removed. But the the inscription itself, the polytarch inscription, 546 00:35:13,290 --> 00:35:17,840 Speaker 1: was preserved. And so at one time, these minimalist scholars 547 00:35:17,900 --> 00:35:22,080 Speaker 1: questioned Luke's veracity, claiming there was no such thing as 548 00:35:22,120 --> 00:35:27,260 Speaker 1: a polytarch. Now, Clyde Fant and Mitchell Reddish, two scholars 549 00:35:27,320 --> 00:35:32,109 Speaker 1: in their book, write the following. Of the more than 550 00:35:32,110 --> 00:35:36,750 Speaker 1: 60 known inscriptions, now we have more than 60 inscriptions 551 00:35:36,770 --> 00:35:42,549 Speaker 1: that mention polytarchs, three-fourths of them are from Macedonia. That's 552 00:35:42,630 --> 00:35:46,469 Speaker 1: where Paul was in Acts 17, with approximately half of 553 00:35:46,510 --> 00:35:49,839 Speaker 1: those being in Thessalonica, which is where Paul was when 554 00:35:50,410 --> 00:35:56,560 Speaker 1: Luke records the events of Paul in Acts 17. So 555 00:35:57,040 --> 00:36:00,260 Speaker 1: John McRae, a New Testament scholar who's now with the Lord, 556 00:36:00,300 --> 00:36:03,300 Speaker 1: and he did a lot in the area of archaeology 557 00:36:03,340 --> 00:36:07,200 Speaker 1: as well, he said the following, it is incontrovertible that 558 00:36:07,280 --> 00:36:11,690 Speaker 1: polytarchs existed in Macedonia long before the time of the 559 00:36:11,730 --> 00:36:15,370 Speaker 1: Apostle Paul. And so this discovery of the polytarch inscription, 560 00:36:15,410 --> 00:36:19,360 Speaker 1: amongst many others later discovered, silenced the critics. Once again, 561 00:36:19,380 --> 00:36:23,260 Speaker 1: the Bible is historically accurate. Luke accomplished what he intended 562 00:36:23,300 --> 00:36:26,480 Speaker 1: to do to provide a careful documentation of the history 563 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:29,919 Speaker 1: for Theophilus, the Gospel of Luke, and the Book of Acts. 564 00:36:30,580 --> 00:36:32,899 Speaker 1: And so we're thankful for this discovery and many others 565 00:36:32,940 --> 00:36:33,270 Speaker 1: like it. 566 00:36:34,300 --> 00:36:41,990 Speaker 3: Wow, okay. All right, let's do this one. Caiaphas, the ossuary, 567 00:36:42,390 --> 00:36:45,090 Speaker 3: what is this about? I mean, we talked about ossuaries, 568 00:36:45,130 --> 00:36:47,049 Speaker 3: but tell us about this. 569 00:36:47,810 --> 00:36:51,969 Speaker 1: Yeah, so Yehohanan's ossuary was much more simple, right? It 570 00:36:51,989 --> 00:36:55,190 Speaker 1: was just a bone box, limestone bone box, not very 571 00:36:55,270 --> 00:36:58,970 Speaker 1: ornate at all. But this one, this discovery known as 572 00:36:59,010 --> 00:37:04,200 Speaker 1: the Caiaphas Ossuary was much more ornate. It has intricate design, 573 00:37:05,360 --> 00:37:09,170 Speaker 1: rosetta flowers there, six of them in the middle of 574 00:37:09,230 --> 00:37:13,180 Speaker 1: a big circle. But how was it discovered? This is 575 00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:17,840 Speaker 1: another fascinating discovery and the stories of these discoveries. Again, 576 00:37:18,140 --> 00:37:22,000 Speaker 1: some of them, the Pool of Siloam was discovered because 577 00:37:22,020 --> 00:37:24,560 Speaker 1: the septic system was broken and they had to go 578 00:37:24,580 --> 00:37:27,279 Speaker 1: and fix it, and they discovered the Pool of Siloam. Well, 579 00:37:27,600 --> 00:37:33,180 Speaker 1: this is another discovery by accident. I tell people this way, 580 00:37:33,640 --> 00:37:37,730 Speaker 1: that it's expensive to build in Jerusalem. not only because 581 00:37:37,790 --> 00:37:42,029 Speaker 1: of the resources it requires to build, and not only 582 00:37:42,070 --> 00:37:45,410 Speaker 1: because of the labor, although those are expensive, but because 583 00:37:46,350 --> 00:37:49,770 Speaker 1: when you excavate to build something, you are likely to 584 00:37:49,810 --> 00:37:53,080 Speaker 1: find something 1,000 years old, 2,000 years old, 3,000 years old, 585 00:37:53,120 --> 00:37:55,500 Speaker 1: and you'll have to stop everything and call the Israel 586 00:37:55,600 --> 00:37:58,700 Speaker 1: antiquities authorities and have them come and check it out. Well, 587 00:37:59,140 --> 00:38:03,759 Speaker 1: this discovery was found in the Peace Forest, which is 588 00:38:03,880 --> 00:38:08,430 Speaker 1: southwest of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. And they were 589 00:38:09,310 --> 00:38:13,650 Speaker 1: using heavy moving equipment, bulldozer, and the bulldozer fell into 590 00:38:13,830 --> 00:38:16,950 Speaker 1: a tomb. And we know it's a first century tomb. 591 00:38:17,290 --> 00:38:17,360 Speaker 3: Why? 592 00:38:17,890 --> 00:38:23,069 Speaker 1: Because there were ossuaries or ossuaries, both pronunciations. And these 593 00:38:23,180 --> 00:38:26,640 Speaker 1: ossuaries were strewn all over, broken and thrown all over. 594 00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:32,540 Speaker 1: So they had discovered a first century tomb full of ossuaries. 595 00:38:33,489 --> 00:38:36,910 Speaker 1: And I have the recounting of how that came about 596 00:38:36,930 --> 00:38:40,930 Speaker 1: in my book. But the tomb looks kind of like 597 00:38:41,570 --> 00:38:46,290 Speaker 1: a hand with no pinky. These are different kokim, different 598 00:38:46,330 --> 00:38:51,070 Speaker 1: locations where these ossuaries would be placed. So this second 599 00:38:51,090 --> 00:38:56,420 Speaker 1: burial process. And there is one, the thumb of this hand, 600 00:38:56,480 --> 00:39:00,580 Speaker 1: if you would, if you'd imagine the tomb being like 601 00:39:00,620 --> 00:39:04,860 Speaker 1: a hand, the thumb, thankfully, the grave robbers who had 602 00:39:04,940 --> 00:39:09,319 Speaker 1: found fingers or had found all the, um, the, the 603 00:39:09,380 --> 00:39:12,879 Speaker 1: ossuaries in the fingers, they had broken them and robbed them. 604 00:39:13,300 --> 00:39:16,780 Speaker 1: The thumb was not discovered. And so sitting in place, 605 00:39:16,800 --> 00:39:21,830 Speaker 1: I'm thankful God's sovereignty and, and, uh, uh, wisdom, he 606 00:39:22,090 --> 00:39:24,870 Speaker 1: chose to preserve it for us. He did not get 607 00:39:24,930 --> 00:39:29,350 Speaker 1: discovered by these grave robbers and it remained intact. And 608 00:39:29,390 --> 00:39:34,440 Speaker 1: so it's a beautiful ossuary. It is very ornate, as 609 00:39:34,500 --> 00:39:39,540 Speaker 1: I mentioned, as approximately 29 inches long, 14 and a 610 00:39:39,560 --> 00:39:42,580 Speaker 1: half inches high, has the design. This would have been 611 00:39:42,620 --> 00:39:46,480 Speaker 1: a wealthy individual in it. The two large circle patterns 612 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:50,660 Speaker 1: include six smaller circles. And these are rosetta flowers, which 613 00:39:50,680 --> 00:39:53,859 Speaker 1: were common in the first century. On the side is etched, 614 00:39:53,900 --> 00:39:58,779 Speaker 1: you can see one of the two etchings. And in it, 615 00:39:59,460 --> 00:40:05,630 Speaker 1: it's etched in Aramaic, the name Yehoshaph Bar-Kiapha, or Joseph, 616 00:40:06,190 --> 00:40:09,550 Speaker 1: son of Kiapha. So then two different places, two different 617 00:40:09,590 --> 00:40:12,469 Speaker 1: forms of the same name. And so the remains of 618 00:40:12,930 --> 00:40:16,489 Speaker 1: a 60-year-old man are found in it. Coins dated to 619 00:40:16,570 --> 00:40:20,150 Speaker 1: AD 42, 43 are discovered in it, helping to date 620 00:40:20,650 --> 00:40:24,529 Speaker 1: this as well. Pottery from the first century as well. Now, 621 00:40:24,850 --> 00:40:28,080 Speaker 1: the question is, we know Caiaphas, but we don't know Joseph. 622 00:40:28,160 --> 00:40:30,700 Speaker 1: What's it got to do with this name Joseph of 623 00:40:30,780 --> 00:40:37,860 Speaker 1: Caiapha inscription on the side of the ossuary? By the way, 624 00:40:37,900 --> 00:40:41,910 Speaker 1: it looks like just scratchings, right? Because it's a nail. 625 00:40:42,280 --> 00:40:45,219 Speaker 1: They would crawl into, place the ushery there, and they'd 626 00:40:45,239 --> 00:40:48,990 Speaker 1: just etch it on the side. So everything else would 627 00:40:49,210 --> 00:40:53,029 Speaker 1: have been pre-bought, pre-made. And that's why this is very 628 00:40:53,070 --> 00:40:56,670 Speaker 1: different than the rest of this ornate discovery. But what 629 00:40:56,690 --> 00:41:01,160 Speaker 1: about Joseph? Well, Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian of the 630 00:41:01,180 --> 00:41:05,760 Speaker 1: first century, helps us by explaining that this is Joseph 631 00:41:05,920 --> 00:41:09,500 Speaker 1: who was called Caiaphas of the high priesthood. And so Josephus, 632 00:41:09,900 --> 00:41:13,239 Speaker 1: Joseph was a common name in the first century. And 633 00:41:13,320 --> 00:41:16,339 Speaker 1: so on it, they, and so Caiaphas would have been 634 00:41:16,360 --> 00:41:20,500 Speaker 1: the nickname, the family name, nickname for this Joseph. So 635 00:41:20,580 --> 00:41:25,089 Speaker 1: separating Joseph from all other Josephs, this is Joseph Caiaphas. 636 00:41:25,489 --> 00:41:30,550 Speaker 1: And so this discovery helps us in Josephus Flavius, again, 637 00:41:30,610 --> 00:41:35,710 Speaker 1: another Joseph, right? Another form of Joseph, Josephus tells us 638 00:41:35,770 --> 00:41:41,920 Speaker 1: that Caiaphas' real name was Joseph His nickname was Caiaphas. 639 00:41:42,300 --> 00:41:45,560 Speaker 1: And so, again, the ornate details of this point to 640 00:41:45,600 --> 00:41:48,840 Speaker 1: a very wealthy person. This was not a common ossuary. 641 00:41:48,860 --> 00:41:53,380 Speaker 1: And then the name there on the side, there's agreement 642 00:41:53,440 --> 00:42:00,550 Speaker 1: that this is indeed the Caiaphas who was the enemy 643 00:42:00,670 --> 00:42:04,410 Speaker 1: of Jesus, the villain of the story that brought Jesus 644 00:42:04,670 --> 00:42:08,710 Speaker 1: before us. The Sanhedrin then led Jesus off to Pontius Pilate. 645 00:42:09,310 --> 00:42:12,060 Speaker 3: Let's look at this. Is this the one you're talking about? 646 00:42:12,660 --> 00:42:12,920 Speaker 2: Yes. 647 00:42:13,300 --> 00:42:13,540 Speaker 3: Okay. 648 00:42:14,840 --> 00:42:19,180 Speaker 1: Yeah. So this inscription, the Pilate inscription was discovered in 649 00:42:19,180 --> 00:42:25,970 Speaker 1: 1961 in the place known as Caesarea Maritima. Now Caesarea 650 00:42:25,989 --> 00:42:30,130 Speaker 1: Maritima is a very important city. Um, it was actually 651 00:42:30,190 --> 00:42:33,630 Speaker 1: built by Herod, the not so great, I call him. Um, 652 00:42:34,670 --> 00:42:37,670 Speaker 1: In fact, if you go to Israel, you'll see Herod's 653 00:42:37,710 --> 00:42:41,650 Speaker 1: handiwork everywhere, right? He was, it really fits the description 654 00:42:41,850 --> 00:42:46,120 Speaker 1: of this megalomaniac, right? Who's paranoid. And he's built all 655 00:42:46,140 --> 00:42:48,700 Speaker 1: of these different, the Herodium, he names it after himself. 656 00:42:48,739 --> 00:42:51,739 Speaker 1: That's where he's buried. This big city on a hill 657 00:42:51,760 --> 00:42:55,760 Speaker 1: that he built. Caesarea Maritima is one of these cities 658 00:42:55,800 --> 00:42:59,469 Speaker 1: that he built from nothing. There's basically very little there 659 00:42:59,510 --> 00:43:01,629 Speaker 1: before he built it. But this is going to be 660 00:43:01,650 --> 00:43:06,569 Speaker 1: the place that future Herod leaders uh future kings and 661 00:43:06,680 --> 00:43:09,130 Speaker 1: prefects are going to live and this is where Pontius 662 00:43:09,190 --> 00:43:12,509 Speaker 1: Pilate lives on the Caesarea Maritima and you can see 663 00:43:12,590 --> 00:43:15,770 Speaker 1: why he would live there because it's on the Mediterranean 664 00:43:15,870 --> 00:43:19,890 Speaker 1: Sea and it's beautiful and and Herod the Great had 665 00:43:19,950 --> 00:43:24,440 Speaker 1: built this palace that extended into the Mediterranean Sea so 666 00:43:24,540 --> 00:43:28,040 Speaker 1: at this location is where Pontius Pilate would have lived 667 00:43:28,300 --> 00:43:32,719 Speaker 1: and he was in Jerusalem to uh to keep the 668 00:43:32,760 --> 00:43:37,549 Speaker 1: peace during the Passover because the Passover pilgrimage feast. And 669 00:43:37,590 --> 00:43:42,670 Speaker 1: that's why he's there and he can judge Jesus. But 670 00:43:42,710 --> 00:43:45,649 Speaker 1: he's not there to worship on the Passover. He's there 671 00:43:45,690 --> 00:43:46,450 Speaker 1: to keep the peace. 672 00:43:47,190 --> 00:43:47,810 Speaker 3: Right. 673 00:43:48,230 --> 00:43:53,000 Speaker 1: That's when the pilgrimage feast that basically every devout Jewish 674 00:43:53,080 --> 00:43:55,870 Speaker 1: male was expected to be there. And so you've got 675 00:43:55,930 --> 00:43:58,469 Speaker 1: Jerusalem 10 times the size it normally is. This is 676 00:43:58,550 --> 00:44:01,640 Speaker 1: a perfect time for a rebellion as they're worshiping Yahweh 677 00:44:01,680 --> 00:44:06,880 Speaker 1: and reminded that Yahweh says one day these Gentile enemies 678 00:44:06,920 --> 00:44:11,700 Speaker 1: will no longer be over you. Well, Pontius Pilate would 679 00:44:11,739 --> 00:44:15,739 Speaker 1: have been in Jerusalem for that occasion. So back to 680 00:44:15,780 --> 00:44:22,930 Speaker 1: Pontius Pilate, this is the first inscription discovery of the 681 00:44:22,969 --> 00:44:27,660 Speaker 1: name Pontius Pilate. and it was discovered in 1961, and 682 00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:31,279 Speaker 1: it was repurposed. So it was initially probably part of 683 00:44:31,380 --> 00:44:37,399 Speaker 1: a temple that was used to honor and worship Tiberius. 684 00:44:37,719 --> 00:44:42,739 Speaker 1: And the inscription itself, reconstructed, we don't have the whole thing, 685 00:44:43,540 --> 00:44:45,980 Speaker 1: as you can see in that picture, it only says 686 00:44:46,040 --> 00:44:51,259 Speaker 1: Tiberium and Pontius Pilate and Prefect of Judea. But reconstruction 687 00:44:51,300 --> 00:44:54,550 Speaker 1: of it, we think, is probably the Tiberium, identifying the location, 688 00:44:54,590 --> 00:44:58,670 Speaker 1: the Tiberium that Pontius Pilate, Prefect of Judea, has built 689 00:44:59,070 --> 00:45:03,469 Speaker 1: for the people of Caesar in honor of Tiberius. So 690 00:45:03,489 --> 00:45:05,529 Speaker 1: this would have been a stone, kind of like a 691 00:45:05,590 --> 00:45:08,680 Speaker 1: cornerstone that would have been built to identify this Tiberium 692 00:45:08,739 --> 00:45:13,280 Speaker 1: as a place of honor or deification, worship of Tiberius, 693 00:45:13,320 --> 00:45:17,719 Speaker 1: but it mentions Pilate who would have built that Tiberium. Well, 694 00:45:17,739 --> 00:45:20,600 Speaker 1: this stone, when the Tiberium was you know, probably at 695 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:26,670 Speaker 1: some point was no longer being used. This stone was repurposed. 696 00:45:27,270 --> 00:45:29,930 Speaker 1: Maybe you like to repurpose things. My, my wife certainly 697 00:45:29,950 --> 00:45:35,290 Speaker 1: does or has me repurpose things. So this, this stone, 698 00:45:35,370 --> 00:45:37,840 Speaker 1: which was a part of the Tiberium was repurposed and 699 00:45:38,060 --> 00:45:41,279 Speaker 1: used and discovered where it was discovered was in the 700 00:45:41,780 --> 00:45:46,850 Speaker 1: theater there in Caesarea Maritima. And so this, Important location, 701 00:45:46,989 --> 00:45:54,279 Speaker 1: Paul sailed in and out of Caesarea Maritima, the Praetorium, 702 00:45:54,320 --> 00:45:58,940 Speaker 1: the place where Herod the Great built and future prefects 703 00:45:59,020 --> 00:46:03,230 Speaker 1: like Pontius Pilate would have lived. And even Paul would 704 00:46:03,250 --> 00:46:06,210 Speaker 1: have been in jail there at one point. And all 705 00:46:06,230 --> 00:46:09,230 Speaker 1: of this is very significant. But this particular discovery, the 706 00:46:09,270 --> 00:46:13,569 Speaker 1: Pilate Stone, one more detail about the person that's so 707 00:46:13,610 --> 00:46:17,130 Speaker 1: important that he's mentioned here. So many times in scripture, right? 708 00:46:17,170 --> 00:46:20,170 Speaker 1: Pontius Pilate, 51 times in the gospel, three times in 709 00:46:20,210 --> 00:46:23,690 Speaker 1: the book of Acts, once in 1 Timothy. We have 710 00:46:23,710 --> 00:46:28,010 Speaker 1: an apostle's creed that mentions Pontius Pilate. He suffered under 711 00:46:28,070 --> 00:46:31,580 Speaker 1: Pontius Pilate. Here we have an inscription that mentions Pontius 712 00:46:31,620 --> 00:46:35,180 Speaker 1: Pilate by name. And so we have one more detail 713 00:46:35,219 --> 00:46:38,300 Speaker 1: that's etched in stone that affirms the biblical record. 714 00:46:39,660 --> 00:46:45,870 Speaker 3: Wow. This information, I think, is so vital for not 715 00:46:45,910 --> 00:46:49,069 Speaker 3: only Christians, but for, for unbelievers who think that the 716 00:46:49,110 --> 00:46:51,549 Speaker 3: Bible is some ancient myth. And I mean, I used 717 00:46:51,570 --> 00:46:56,810 Speaker 3: to think that, and, um, actually I'm reading John Lennox's book, uh, 718 00:46:56,870 --> 00:46:59,610 Speaker 3: his bio autobiography. He's coming on the show in a 719 00:46:59,890 --> 00:47:03,469 Speaker 3: couple of weeks, but, um, he talks about this and 720 00:47:03,510 --> 00:47:06,680 Speaker 3: how the kind of art, he was very into this 721 00:47:06,739 --> 00:47:09,500 Speaker 3: as a kid. He was into the archeological stuff, like 722 00:47:09,780 --> 00:47:12,660 Speaker 3: all of the evidence of, of Christ and of the 723 00:47:12,700 --> 00:47:17,520 Speaker 3: Bible and the, um, underpinning the veracity of the Bible. 724 00:47:18,239 --> 00:47:23,060 Speaker 3: But this, I mean, I think if non-believers took the 725 00:47:23,100 --> 00:47:25,480 Speaker 3: time to not only read the Bible, but to read 726 00:47:25,660 --> 00:47:29,600 Speaker 3: books like yours, like it would just be kind of undeniable, right? 727 00:47:31,260 --> 00:47:34,150 Speaker 3: To believe that the Bible is true. 728 00:47:34,790 --> 00:47:35,050 Speaker 2: Yeah. 729 00:47:35,710 --> 00:47:37,950 Speaker 1: Yeah. If the Bible is true and it is, I 730 00:47:38,350 --> 00:47:40,390 Speaker 1: say this often, if the Bible is true and it is, 731 00:47:40,410 --> 00:47:43,589 Speaker 1: then we'd expect the archeological record to affirm it. And 732 00:47:43,630 --> 00:47:44,930 Speaker 1: it does time and time again. 733 00:47:46,040 --> 00:47:47,600 Speaker 3: Yeah. 734 00:47:47,640 --> 00:47:51,420 Speaker 1: So if we can believe that people, places, events, and things, 735 00:47:51,480 --> 00:47:53,740 Speaker 1: which are historically accurate, and I think they are, then 736 00:47:54,800 --> 00:47:58,090 Speaker 1: we can trust, I think gives good argument to trust 737 00:47:58,110 --> 00:48:00,850 Speaker 1: the theological concepts in it, right? That salvation is by 738 00:48:00,890 --> 00:48:03,370 Speaker 1: grace through faith, that Jesus Christ died in our place, 739 00:48:03,410 --> 00:48:08,230 Speaker 1: that Jesus is God and his substitutionary atonement forgives sin 740 00:48:08,270 --> 00:48:11,210 Speaker 1: if we accept him as our savior. So we do 741 00:48:11,250 --> 00:48:13,340 Speaker 1: need to go that next step, right? It's not enough 742 00:48:13,380 --> 00:48:16,040 Speaker 1: just to believe the Bible is historically reliable. We need 743 00:48:16,140 --> 00:48:20,489 Speaker 1: to trust in what it says about Jesus as our savior. Yes. 744 00:48:20,730 --> 00:48:21,430 Speaker 1: Amen to that. 745 00:48:21,550 --> 00:48:24,330 Speaker 3: Well, let's leave it there. And guys, the book is 746 00:48:24,630 --> 00:48:29,950 Speaker 3: Faith Affirming Findings, 50 Archaeological Discoveries That Validate the Historicity 747 00:48:30,010 --> 00:48:33,660 Speaker 3: and Reliability of Scripture. Dr. Paul Weaver, thank you so 748 00:48:33,700 --> 00:48:35,560 Speaker 3: much for coming on the show and talking about this. 749 00:48:36,260 --> 00:48:37,460 Speaker 1: My pleasure. It's been a joy. 750 00:48:37,840 --> 00:48:41,040 Speaker 3: Wait, don't touch that dial. Please like and subscribe. And 751 00:48:41,060 --> 00:48:45,020 Speaker 3: also please consider becoming a patron on Patreon.com. For as 752 00:48:45,060 --> 00:48:47,060 Speaker 3: little as $ 5 a month, you can really help us 753 00:48:47,140 --> 00:48:50,990 Speaker 3: out on the show. The link is below, and we so, 754 00:48:51,090 --> 00:48:56,109 Speaker 3: so appreciate it. Thank you. Thank you for. 755 00:48:56,030 --> 00:48:59,129 Speaker 2: Listening to this episode of The Beckett Cook Show. Your 756 00:48:59,150 --> 00:49:03,670 Speaker 2: support makes this content possible. All episodes of The Beckett 757 00:49:03,690 --> 00:49:08,050 Speaker 2: Cook Show are also available on YouTube. For more information 758 00:49:08,090 --> 00:49:12,390 Speaker 2: about Beckett and his ministry, visit his website at beckettcook.com.