For many, the Bible is only a book of essays written by an era passed. Gerald A. Larue, university lecturer, said: "The views expressed by the writers of the Bible reflect the ideas, beliefs and concepts common in their time, and are influenced by the degree of knowledge of those times" .1 The Bible claims to be a book instead inspired by God (II Timothy 3:16) In this case it should certainly be free from common misconceptions to the time when they were written to various parties. The Bible can withstand an examination conducted in the light of current knowledge?
2 In considering this question, note that the progress of knowledge forces men continued to revise their views in light of new information and discoveries. A scientific journal once remarked: "It's too much to expect that articles written at times [even] five years ago can now be regarded as representative of the thesis in its most recent scientific fields" .2 Yet the Bible was written and prepared in an arc of about 1,600 years, and was completed nearly two thousand years ago. What can be said today of its accuracy?
The Bible and science
3 During the period in which the Bible was written, there were speculations on what held the earth in its place in space. Some, for example, believed that the earth was supported by four elephants, and that these in turn rested on a large sea turtle. However, far from reflecting the fantastic views not shared scientific period in which it was written, the Bible says simply: "[God] stretches out the north over empty space, suspends the earth upon nothing." (Job 26:7) That's right: more than three thousand years ago exactly what the Bible said the earth is not based on any visible support, and this agrees with the discovery, more recently, the laws of gravity and motion. "How did Job know the truth," said a religious scholar, "is a problem with no easy solution for those who deny the inspiration of Holy Scripture" .3
4 As to the shape of the earth, an encyclopedia says: "The notion that older men had on earth was that of a rigid platform located at the center of the universe. . . . The concept of a spherical earth was not widely accepted until the Renaissance ".4 Ancient navigators were even afraid to cross the limit of the earth, believed that flat! Following the use of the compass and other advances can address more long ocean voyages. These "voyages of discovery," says another encyclopedia, "showed that the earth was round, not flat as most people had believed"
5 .5 Yet, well before those viaggi, e cioè circa 2.700 anni fa, la Bibbia diceva: “C’è Uno che dimora sul circolo della terra, i cui abitanti son come cavallette”. (Isaia 40:22) La parola ebraica chugh, tradotta “circolo”, può anche significare “sfera”, come indicano testi quali l’Analytical Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon di Davidson. Altre versioni, pertanto, traducono ‘il globo della terra’ (Versione Riveduta; Antico Testamento, Bibbia rabbinica edita da Marietti) Perciò la Bibbia non subì l’influenza dell’errato concetto di una terra piatta comune ai tempi in cui fu scritta. Fu accurata.
6 Da tempo gli uomini vedono che i fiumi si riversano nei mari e in the ocean, whose depth, however, does not increase. Before it was discovered the sphericity of the earth, some believed that this was due to the fact that an equal amount of water rushing from the ends of the earth. Later it was learned that the sun rises from the seas billions of gallons of water per second in the form of water vapor. This generates the clouds, the winds that propel then on the mainland, where the condensed vapor precipitates as rain and snow. The water then flows back into rivers and seas. This wonderful cycle, although generally unknown to the ancients and is mentioned in the Bible: "All the rivers run to the sea or the sea if it fills, the place whence flow i fiumi, là ritornano a scorrere”. — Ecclesiaste 1:7, Garofalo.
7 Circa l’origine dell’universo, la Bibbia afferma: “In principio Dio creò i cieli e la terra”. (Genesi 1:1) Ma molti scienziati la consideravano un’affermazione antiscientifica, e sostenevano che l’universo non aveva avuto alcun principio. Comunque, facendo riferimento a informazioni più aggiornate, l’astronomo Robert Jastrow spiega: “La sostanza di questi strani sviluppi è che l’Universo ebbe, in un certo senso, un principio, cioè cominciò a un certo punto del tempo”. Qui Jastrow fa riferimento alla teoria oggi comunemente accettata, quella del “big bang ", discussed in Chapter 9. He adds: "Now we see how the astronomical evidence leads to the same point of view of origin of the world from the Bible. The details differ, but the essential elements that a description of astronomical and biblical accounts of Genesis are the same ".6
8 What was the reaction to these discoveries? "The astronomers are curiously upset," says Jastrow. "Their reaction is an interesting demonstration of how well does the scientific mind - it should be a very objective mind - when evidence uncovered by science itself leads to a conflict with Articles of our profession of faith. It turns out that the scientist behaves like all of us when our ideas are contrary to the evidence. Get irritated, we pretend the conflict does not exist or try to justify it with meaningless phrases ".7 But the fact remains that while" evidence uncovered by science "did not match what scientists had long believed about the origin universe, they confirmed what had been written in the Bible thousands of years ago. 9
the days of Noah, the Bible says, a great flood covered the highest mountains of the earth and destroyed all human life outside of the huge ark built by Noah. (Genesis 7:1-24) Many sorridono sentendo questo racconto. Eppure su alte montagne si trovano conchiglie marine. E che in un passato non troppo remoto ci fu un diluvio di immense proporzioni è confermato dal gran numero di fossili e carcasse rinvenuti in ammassi di detriti fangosi e ghiacciati. Il Saturday Evening Post osservò: “Molti di questi animali erano perfettamente conservati, intatti e non danneggiati, ancora in piedi o in ginocchio. . . . Ecco un quadro davvero sorprendente per il nostro precedente modo di pensare. Vaste mandrie di enormi bestie, ben pasciute, non specificamente destinate a una vita in condizioni di freddo rigido, che pascolavano placidamente in pascoli assolati . . . All’improvviso furono tutti uccisi senza alcun visibile segno of violence and before they could swallow the last morsel of food, and then were frozen so rapidly that every cell of their body is perfectly preserved ".8
10 This coincides with what happened during the Great Flood. The Bible describes it in these words: "All sources of the vast watery deep were broken and the floodgates of heaven were opened." The heavy rainfall flooded the land, and was no doubt accompanied by cold winds in the polar regions. (Genesis 1:6-8, 7:11, 19) There, the temperature change had to be rapid and drastic. Various forms of life were thus trapped and preserved in the frozen mud. One of these the mammoth creatures could be found by digging in Siberia and you can see in figure beside. In the mouth and stomach still had vegetation, and the meat, once thawed, were even edible.
11 more you examine closely, as the Bible is amazingly accurate. As indicated on pages 36 and 37 of this book, the Bible mentions the stages of creation in the same order confirmed today by science, something that would be difficult to explain if the Bible was just a book of human origin. This is another example of the many details mentioned in the Bible that were confirmed by increased knowledge. Not for nothing one of the most great scientists of all time, Isaac Newton, said: "No science is supported by evidence of the religion of the Bible" .9
The Bible and Health
12 Over the centuries there was much ignorance in this area health. A doctor said: "Many people still believe in many superstitions: for example, that in your pocket the fruit of a horse chestnut keeps away the rheumatism, which pick up a toad come face warts, which carry a red handkerchief around his neck flannel face pass a sore throat, "and others. But, as this doctor said, "in the Bible did not find any statement like that. Already this fact in itself, is worthy of note ".10
13 Worthy of note is a comparison of the dangerous health treatment in vogue in the past and what the Bible says. For example, the Ebers Papyrus, a text of ancient Egyptian medicine, prescribed the use of excrement to cure various ailments. Against the scars that remain after the fall of the crust, recommended a poultice of human excrement and powdered milk. And as a remedy prescribed to extract shrapnel, "Blood worms, crushed and cooked in oil, mole, killed, cooked and put in oil, donkey dung, mixed with fresh milk. Apply to open wound ".11 This treatment, as we now know, could lead to serious infections.
14 What does the Bible say about the droppings? Here's what commanded: "When you squat outside, you have to dig even with [a special tool] a hole and turn around and cover your excrement." (Deuteronomy 23:13) So, far from prescribing medical treatment based on excrement, the Bible gave instructions on how to remove them hygienically. Until this century, the energy contained in the excrement left exposed to the flies was not generally understood. This caused the spread of serious diseases transmitted by flies and death of many people. Yet the simple remedy for centuries there was written in the Bible, the Israelites and apply it more than three thousand years ago.
15 In the last century there were doctors who went straight from the morgue where the bodies dissected in the maternity ward where to visit, not even wash their hands. The infections were transmitted from the dead to the living as well, causing more deaths. Even when he was a need to wash their hands, many physicians do not adopt these measures of hygiene. Without knowing it, they rejected the biblical wisdom, because the law given by Jehovah to the Israelites decreed that anyone who touched a dead body became unclean and had to wash himself and his clothing. - Numbers 19:11-22.
16 As a sign of a covenant made with Abraham, Jehovah God said, "Every male of you be circumcised eight days." Following this demand was repeated to the nation of Israel. (Genesis 17:12, Leviticus 12:2, 3) was not given any explanation as to why he was chosen on the eighth day, but now I understand. Medical research has discovered that only at the Vitamin K important for blood clotting, reaches adequate levels. It appears that another element necessary for clotting, prothrombin, the eighth day to reach a higher level than at any other time of the child's life. In light of these facts, Dr.. SI McMillen notes: "The best day to do the circumcision on the eighth day" .12 A mere coincidence? Of course not. It was a knowledge revealed by a God who possessed it.
17 Another discovery of modern science is the extent to which the mental attitude and emotions affect health. Encyclopedia explains: "From 1940 it was increasingly clear that the physiological function of organs and organ systems are intimately connected with the mental state of the individual, and that an organ which is affected in this way may even cause changes in tissue "13 However, this close relationship between mental attitude and physical health was indicated long ago in the Bible. For example, the Bible says: "The heart is the quiet life carnal body, but jealousy is rotting to the bone. " - Proverbs 14:30, 17:22.
18 The Bible is therefore recommended to avoid the feelings and attitudes harmful. "Let us walk decently," urges, "not in strife and jealousy." It also gives this advice: "Let all malicious bitterness and anger and wrath and screaming and abusive speech be taken away from you with all malice. But be kind to one another, tenderly compassionate. " (Romans 13:13, Ephesians 4:31, 32) In particular Bible recommends love. "In addition to all these things," he says, "clothe yourselves with love." The largest supporter of love, Jesus said to his disciples: "I give you a new commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another there." In his Sermon on the Mount even said: "Continue to love your enemies." (Colossians 3:12-15, John 13:34, Matthew 5:44) Many may disregard these suggestions, considering them a sign of weakness, but they pay the price. Science has proven that the lack of love is a major factor in many mental illnesses and on the other kind.
19 The British Lancet medical journal said: "The most important finding in the study of mental illness refers to the ability of love to preserve and restoring mental health ".14 Similarly, a noted specialist in terms of stress, Dr.. Hans Selye, said: "There will be a hated person or head of maddening to suffer from ulcers, high blood pressure or heart problems, but he who hates or one who is left exasperated. 'Love your neighbor' is one of the wisest medical advice that has ever been given "15
20 The biblical wisdom has indeed preceded by very few modern discoveries. To this Dr. James T. Fisher once wrote: "If you took all the authoritative articles written by leading psychologists and psychiatrists on the subject of mental hygiene, metteste them together, them and them limaste sfrondaste of all verbiage, they pulled out all the juice and leave aside the rest, and you did express these simple elements of pure science by the most gifted contemporary poets, you would get an epitome of imperfect and incomplete Sermon on the Mount "16
The Bible history
21 After the publication of Darwin's theory of evolution, the historicity of the Bible began to be questioned by many. The archaeologist Leonard Woolley said: "Towards the end of the nineteenth century there arose a school of critics extremists, ready to deny the historical basis of virtually everything that had relation with the first books of the Old Testament" .17 Certain Critics went so far as to say that writing was not entered into common usage until the time of Solomon or even later, and then the first stories of the Bible was unreliable, since they were not written down until centuries after the events in them described. In 1892, an exponent of this theory, said: "The time covered by the narrative premosaiche is proof enough of their legendary character. At that time the writing was not known at all ".18
22 In recent times, however, have been accumulating substantial archaeological evidence confirming the fact that writing was common long before the time of Moses. "We reiterate once again," he explained archaeologist William Foxwell Albright, "the Hebrew alphabetic writing was used in Canaan and surrounding districts since the patriarchal, and that the speed with which the shape of letters change is a clear proof of the common .19 And another well-known historian and archaeologist, said: "Today it seems absurd that we are able to ask the question whether Moses could write or not" .20
23 The historicity of the Bible has been repeatedly confirmed by the discovery of new information. The Assyrian king Sargon, for example, for a long time was known only through the Bible story of Isaiah 20:1. Indeed, in the early part of last century critics considered this reference Bible to him without any historical basis. As a result, archaeological excavations unearthed the ruins of the magnificent palace of Sargon at Khorsabad, including many inscriptions relating to his reign. Consequently now Assyrian kings Sargon is one of the most famous. Israeli historian Moshe Pearlman wrote, "Suddenly, even skeptics had doubted the authenticity of the historical parts of the Old Testament began to revise their views" .21
24 One of the inscriptions of Sargon mentions an episode in which a spoke only time the Bible. The inscription reads: "Assediai and took Samaria, displacing 27,290 people who lived there '.22 The story that makes the Bible in II Kings 17:6 says: "In the ninth year of Oshea, the king of Assyria captured Samaria and then led Israel into exile." With regard to the remarkable similarity of these two stories, Pearlman notes: "Here, in the annals of the conqueror and the vanquished, two reports that are almost mirror images of each other" .23
25 Does this mean we should expect a perfect correspondence between the biblical story and the secular? No. Pearlman adds, "This type of 'war bulletins' are identical on both sides was unusual in the ancient Near East (and sometimes even in modern times). Occur only when nations Israel was at war and one of its neighbors, and only when Israel was defeated. When Israel won, in the chronicles of the enemy did not appear any trace of defeat "24 (Emphasis ours). Not surprisingly, then, that the chronicles of the Assyrian military campaign in Israel by Sennacherib, the son of Sargon, showing a significant gap. What?
26 pads found in the palace of Sennacherib depicting scenes of his expedition in Israel, about which the inscriptions have been found. One, on a clay prism, said: "As for Hezekiah, the Jew, which is not submitted, 46 of his strong walled cities. . . assediai. . . . He himself, like a bird caged imprigionai in its capital, Jerusalem. . . . Impoverished his own land. Moreover, at first imposed a levy and an annual fee in the form of gifts to my sovereignty ".25 The version of Sennacherib then coincides with the Bible when it comes to victories Assyrian. But, as expected, he makes no mention of his failure to conquer Jerusalem and the fact that he was forced to return home following the death in one night than 185,000 of his soldiers. - II Kings 18:13 to 19:36, Isaiah 36:1-37:37.
27 Take for example the murder of Sennacherib and what it reveals a recent discovery. The Bible says that Sennacherib was killed by two of suoi figli, Adrammelec e Sarezer. (II Re 19:36, 37) Eppure sia il racconto attribuito al re babilonese Nabonedo che quello di Beroso, sacerdote babilonese del III secolo a.E.V., menzionano soltanto un figlio come responsabile del parricidio. Chi ha ragione? Commentando la scoperta, avvenuta in tempi più recenti, di un prisma frammentario di Esar-Addon, il figlio di Sennacherib che gli successe sul trono, lo storico Philip Biberfeld scrisse: “Solo il racconto biblico si è rivelato esatto. È stato confermato nei minimi particolari dall’iscrizione di Esar-Addon, e, per quanto riguarda questo avvenimento della storia assiro-babilonese, si è rivelato più accurato delle stesse fonti babilonesi. Questo è an extremely important with regard to the assessment of contemporary sources also contrary to the biblical tradition ".26
28 Once all the known ancient sources also differ from the Bible's account of Belshazzar. The Bible says that Belshazzar was the king of Babylon when it fell. (Daniel 5:1-31) But the ancient writings did not mention even the name of Belshazzar as king Nabonidus and indicated at that time. So critics claimed that Belshazzar never existed. More recently, however, were found in ancient inscriptions that identify the son of Nabonidus and Belshazzar as co-regent with his father in Babylon. This is evidently the reason why the Bible says that Baldassarre Daniel proposed to becoming "the third in the kingdom," as Balthasar himself was the second. (Daniel 5:16, 29) Thus, the prof. RP Dougherty, of Yale University, drawing a comparison between the book of Daniel and other ancient writings, said: "You can interpret that the narrative of Scripture is superior because it uses the name Baldassare, Baldassarre because it attributes to the real power and because it recognizes that a dual government existed in the kingdom ".27
29 Another finding that confirms the historicity of a biblical figure is described by Michael J. Howard, who worked with an expedition in Caesarea, Israel, in 1979. "For 1,900 years, "writes Howard," Pilate existed only in the pages of the Gospels and the vague memories of Roman historians and Jews. Of his life no one knew practically nothing. There were even those who said that had never existed. But in 1961, while an Italian archaeological expedition was digging in the ruins of the ancient Roman theater in Caesarea, a worker turned over a stone that was used for one of the staircases. On the back was the following inscription mutilated in Latin: 'Caesariensibus Tiberi [is] um Praefectus Iudaeae Pontius Pilatus'. (To the inhabitants of Caesarea [Tiberiéum] Pontius Pilate Prefect of Judea). It was the coup de grace for those who doubted the existence of Pilate. . . . Per la prima volta c’era una testimonianza epigrafica contemporanea della vita dell’uomo che aveva ordinato la crocifissione di Cristo”.28 — Giovanni 19:13-16; Atti 4:27.
30 Scoperte moderne comprovano anche particolari secondari delle antiche narrazioni bibliche. Per esempio, contraddicendo la Bibbia, nel 1964 Werner Keller scrisse che nell’antichità i cammelli non erano addomesticati, e che pertanto la “scena in cui incontriamo per la prima volta Rebecca nella sua città natia di Nacor, il cammello deve aver subìto uno scambio di connotati. I ‘cammelli’ del futuro suocero Abramo che si abbeverano alla fonte (Genesi, 24, 10 segg.) in realtà erano. . . donkeys ".29 However, in 1978 and the general Israeli archaeologist Moshe Dayan called attention to evidence indicating that in those early days the camels were used as a means of transport", thus confirming the accuracy of the biblical narrative. "On the eighteenth century BC bas-relief found at Byblos, in Phoenicia, is shown kneeling in a camel," said Dayan. "And camel appear on cylinder seals recently discovered in Mesopotamia and date back to the patriarchal period" .30
31 Tests historical accuracy of the Bible have grown up to be irrefutable. It is true that we have found written evidence of the disaster egiziano al Mar Rosso e di altre simili sconfitte, ma questo non sorprende, visto che quei governanti non usavano far mettere per iscritto le sconfitte subite. Nondimeno, sulle pareti del tempio di Karnak, in Egitto, è descritta la riuscita invasione di Giuda da parte del faraone Sisac durante il regno di Roboamo, figlio di Salomone. La Bibbia ne parla in I Re 14:25, 26. Inoltre, è stata rinvenuta la cosiddetta Pietra Moabita, in cui il re moabita Mesa dà la propria versione della sua rivolta contro Israele. Il racconto si può leggere anche nella Bibbia in II Re 3:4-27.
32 In molti musei si possono osservare bassorilievi, iscrizioni e statue che confermano il racconto biblico. Re di Giuda e di Israele, come Ezechia, Manasse, Omri, Acab, Peca, Menaem e Oshea sono menzionati in iscrizioni cuneiformi di re assiri. Sull’Obelisco nero di Salmaneser III si può addirittura vedere il re Ieu o un suo inviato mentre paga il tributo. Le decorazioni del palazzo reale di Susan (Susa), in Persia, così come dovettero apparire ai personaggi biblici Mardocheo ed Ester, sono state restaurate e sono oggi visibili. Chi visita i musei può anche vedere le statue degli antichi Cesari di Roma, Augusto, Tiberio e Claudio, menzionati nei racconti biblici. (Luca 2:1; 3:1; Atti 11:28; 18:2) È stato anche rinvenuto un denaro d’argento con l’effigie di Tiberio Cesare, una moneta come quella che Gesù chiese per trattare l’argomento taxes. - Matthew 22:19-21.
33 Who knows the biblical story and visit Israel can not fail to be impressed by the great accuracy with which the Bible describes the country and its characteristics. Dr. Ze'ev Shremer, head of a geological expedition in the Sinai Peninsula, said: "We have our own maps and geodetic our plants, of course, but where the Bible and the maps differ, we opt for the book" .31 It can also experience firsthand the historical accuracy of a biblical passage: Those who are interested can now go to Jerusalem dug a tunnel 533 meters of solid rock more than 2,700 years ago. Was excavated to ensure the city's water supply by piping water from the hidden spring of Gihon outside the city walls, to the Pool of Siloam inside the city. The Bible says that Hezekiah had to dig this tunnel to supply water to the city in anticipation of the impending siege of Sennacherib. - II Kings 20:20, II Chronicles 32:30.
34 These are just some examples that illustrate the inappropriateness of underestimating the accuracy of the Bible. There are many others. So the question the reliability of the Bible are usually based not on what it says or on valid evidence, but on misinformation or ignorance. The former director of the British Museum, Frederic Kenyon, wrote: "Archaeology has not yet said its last word, but the results already achieved confirm what faith would suggest, that the Bible can not but gain from an increase in knowledge "32 and another well-known archaeologist, Nelson Glueck, said:" We can say categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference. There are dozens and dozens of archaeological finds which confirm in clear outline or in detail historical statements in the Bible "33
Honesty and harmony
35 Another thing that confirms that the Bible is the work God is the honesty of its writers. It is contrary to human nature imperfect to admit, especially in writing, their own mistakes and shortcomings. The majority of the ancient writers gave us only their successes and their virtues. Instead Moses wrote of 'having acted improperly' and to have lost this privilege to lead Israel into the Promised Land. (Deuteronomy 32:50-52, Numbers 20:1-13) Jonah mentioned his stubbornness. (Jonah 1:1-3, 4:1) Paul recognized their past mistakes. (Acts 22:19, 20, Titus 3:3) And Matthew, an apostle of Christ, the apostles told that sometimes lacked faith and sought pre-eminence, and even that abandoned Jesus at the time of his arrest. - Matthew 17:18-20, 18:1-6, 20:20-28, 26:56.
36 If the biblical writers had intended to fake something, would not have started out unflattering information about them? Is unlikely to reveal their shortcomings and then misrepresent other things, is not it? The honesty of the biblical writers, therefore, supports their claim that they were guided by God in writing. - II Timothy 3:16.
37 Even internal harmony on an issue central to certify that the Bible is the work of a divine Author. It is easy to say that the 66 books of the Bible were written over a period of sixteen centuries from forty of different writers. But reflect on the extraordinary nature of this fact. Suppose that a book has started writing at the time of the Roman Empire, that his writing has continued through the period of the monarchies to republics of the current, and that there were soldiers among the writers, kings, priests, fishermen, and even a cowboy and a doctor. We expect that any part of this book svolgesse the exact same theme? Yet the Bible was written in such a period of time, under various political regimes, and men belonging to all these categories. And it is a harmonious whole. His basic message has the same force from beginning to end. This further confirms the statement is not biblical that these "men spoke from God as they were moved by the Holy Spirit"? - II Peter 1:20, 21.
38 can have personal trust in the Bible? He seriously considered the content, not simply to take for granted what some say it would, no doubt you will find good reason to believe it. But there are even more forceful evidence that the Bible is truly inspired by God, and will be dealt with in the next chapter.
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