10 controversial Bible facts that archaeologists and religious scholars still argue about today

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Perhaps there is no other such book in the world in which they find so many contradictions as in the Bible. There are stormy disputes between atheists, archaeologists and religious scholars, and the main one is whether the Book of Books can be regarded as a reliable historical source.

1. Gospel in the mask of mummies

A unique find was made in one of the ancient Egyptian burials - a fragment of the oldest known Gospel was found in the pharaoh's burial mask. Scientists believe that this text dates back to the 1st century AD. The content of the text was not disclosed by archaeologists. It is only known that the burial mask was made of linen with the addition of glue and paint. Other documents were found inside the mask - personal and business letters of the deceased. It was they (and also hydrocarbon analysis) that made it possible to determine the exact age of the burial and the papyrus. It is believed that all the books written under the general title "Gospel" were written several decades after the earthly life of Jesus. Today the oldest copy of the Gospel texts dates back to the II-III centuries.

2. Bible and archeology

In 2007, a group of archaeological scientists announced that a grave was found on the territory of modern Israel, in which the remains of Jesus and his family were discovered, including, possibly, a son named Judas. This statement sparked a fierce religious debate, and archaeologists were accused of falsification. The believers were outraged, because, in their opinion, Jesus was resurrected, and therefore it is simply impossible to find his remains, and besides, according to the biblical texts, he never married and had no children. It all ended in lawsuits and fines. And scientists were forbidden to continue excavations.

3. Inscription from Ophel

For centuries, there has been a debate among Bible scholars about whether the Old Testament was written in real time, or whether it was done centuries after the events described in it. Until 2008, it was generally believed that the Hebrew Bible was written in the 6th century BC because there was no evidence of Hebrew before that time. Then, at Khirbet Qeyafa in Israel, an earthen shard was discovered dating back to the 10th century BC with an inscription in Hebrew. “This indicates that the Kingdom of Israel already existed in the 10th century BC and that at least some of the biblical texts were written hundreds of years before the dates presented in current research,” said Professor Gershon Galil, who deciphered the ancient text.

Typically, the two main camps in biblical archeology argue over whether each new find proves that the Bible is a historical document or not. However, this piece of clay was not enough to confirm that the Old Testament was written in real time.

Then, in 2013, the inscription "Ophel" was found on a fragment of an earthen jug near the Temple Mount (in the Ophel area) in Jerusalem. In this case, scientists could not even come to a consensus regarding the language in which the inscription was made (some argue that this is a Middle Eastern language, others that this is an ancient form of Hebrew), not to mention its content. But this fragment does appear to date from the 10th century BC.

If the theory is confirmed, then the Ophel inscription suggests that Jerusalem was a significant city as early as the 10th century BC. It also suggests that the letter was widespread at the time. While controversial, some scholars believe that if Jerusalem were inhabited at that time by people who spoke and wrote Hebrew, then the scribes would probably have recorded the events of the Old Testament in real time, which would have made the Bible a more historically accurate book. Since then, several more inscriptions dating back to 3 thousand years have been found.

4. God's wife

Based on some archaeological finds and references in the Hebrew Bible, archaeologists and religious scholars believe that God had a wife, Asher, and the ancient Israelites worshiped both of them. Historian Raphael Patay first proposed this theory in 1967. Then, in 2012, researcher Francesca Stavracopoulou reintroduced the idea, citing evidence in the form of ancient artifacts and texts. She claims that the statue of Asherah was worshiped in Jerusalem in the temple of Yahweh.

The Book of Kings speaks of women in temples performing rituals for Ashera. “Asherah was not completely cut out of the Bible by its male editors,” said Edward Wright, president of the Center for Jewish Studies in Arizona. "The mentions of her remained and, based on these traces, archaeological evidence, as well as references to her in texts from countries bordering Israel and Judea, we can restore her role in the religions of the Southern Levant."

Wright adds that Asherah's name has often been translated as “Sacred Tree” in English-language Bibles. This was done in order to focus worship only on Yahweh. However, the biblical references were not enough to establish that Asherah was the wife of Yahweh. Figures, amulets and other ancient texts helped. For example, in the Sinai Desert, archaeologists have discovered pottery with an eighth century inscription asking for a blessing from "Yahweh and his Asherah." Most biblical scholars admit that the ancient Israelites of the Old Testament worshiped many gods, but they still insist that it is too much to consider Ashera the wife of God.

5. Where did the trial of Jesus take place?

Although this is one of the most important scenes in the Bible, archaeologists cannot agree on exactly where Jesus' trial took place. During the expansion of the Tower of David Museum in Jerusalem in the early 21st century, archaeologists said they had discovered the sewer system and foundation walls of the ancient palace of Herod the Great. Many believe that Jesus' trial was held there before the crucifixion.

At that time, Herod was the king of Judah, appointed by Rome. The alleged remains of his palace have been found in an abandoned prison next to a modern museum. Interestingly, the New Testament Gospels provide conflicting accounts of the whereabouts of Jesus' judgment. In the Gospel of John, the judgment is said to have taken place on a stone sidewalk next to the gate. This corresponds to Herod's palace. But the Gospels also use the Latin word "praetorium" to describe where Pontius Pilate gave his verdict to Jesus. While some scholars believe that Pilate was in Herod's palace, others say that the "praetorium" was the general's tent in a Roman military camp.

6. The Hidden Pillar

In 2013, Israeli guide Benjamin Tropper announced the discovery of an important historical artifact - a rare stone with carvings on it, known as a “proto-capital”. It is assumed that this pillar was a monument at the entrance to an important archaeological site of the 8th - 9th centuries BC in Ein Hoveitsekh, located near Jerusalem. This passage may be related to the biblical king of the Jews of that era and may provide evidence that some of the stories in the Old Testament are true.

Upon inquiry to investigate the excavated site, it emerged that the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) knew about the column. Moreover, the guide was hinted in direct text (according to The Jewish Press) that he should forget about what he saw and keep quiet.

The pillar marks the entrance to a 160-meter drainage tunnel system that may have been used to provide water to a palace or large farm from biblical times. But the incomprehensible situation complicates the excavation. Jews see their significant archaeological discoveries as a way to prove their historical connection to the land. But Palestinians choose to deny ancient Jewish history in order to weaken modern Jewish control over the area. Thus, the Palestinians (the site is privately owned by a Palestinian) are likely to be reluctant to excavate further.

7. Truths and lies of the New Testament

In 2011, an extremely controversial book by the biblical scholar Bart Erman saw the light of day. Ehrman argued that about half of the New Testament was forged by people who spread their religion in the ancient world, but could not do it under their own names. “There was competition among different groups of Christians about what to believe, and each of these groups wanted to have a rationale for their views,” Erman explains. - If the author was not known to anyone at all, would he have signed the treatise with his own name? No, he would have signed it as Peter or John."

It was also a way for the ancient Christian leaders to win religious enmity with each other. In his book, Ehrman cites examples from the Gospel of Paul in the New Testament that vary in style: short sentences in some parts, and longer, florid sentences in others. Some of the passages even contradict each other. Finally, Erman argues that the apostles Peter and John were illiterate fishermen, so they could not write anything from the New Testament.

8. The Bible's Attitude to Homosexuality

In 2012, an anonymous group published The Queen James Bible, editing eight verses from the popular version of The King James Bible. According to the authors, they tried to make it impossible to interpret the Bible "from the point of view of homophobia." For example, a quote from Leviticus, chapter 18, verse 22, which previously sounded like “Do not lie with a man as with a woman: this is an abomination”, now looks like this: “Do not lie with a man as with a woman in the temple of Moloch: this is an abomination ". This rewritten passage now condemns sex with male prostitutes in temples, which is a form of pagan idolatry, rather than condemning homosexuality in general.

But some researchers emphasize that LGBT people have misinterpreted the Hebrew phrase "ritually unclean" as referring to pagan idolatry, although it is used to condemn "something morally (ethically) disgusting in the eyes of God." In any case, opinions differ, and the partially rewritten Bible is considered "too free in interpretation."

9. Book of Exodus and abortion

In the religious debate over abortion, people often argue about the meaning of Exodus 21: 22-25. In the version of the Bible of Douai-Reims, it says: “When people fight and hit a pregnant woman, and she will throw it out, but there will be no other harm, then take the penalty that the husband of that woman will impose on him, and he must pay it at intermediaries; and if there is harm, then give soul for soul, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, leg for leg."

Proponents of abortion in this case argue about "miscarriage" as follows: an unborn child does not have the same life status as an adult woman. If a child dies as a result of a miscarriage, then the man responsible for this only needs to be fined. But if a woman dies as a result of a blow, then the man must be executed.

Opponents of abortion often disagree with the use of the word "miscarriage" in this version of the Bible. However, they argue that the child's death was accidental, as opposed to abortion, which is an intentional loss of life. They also argue that even accidental death in this case is evil. In addition, the death penalty is not provided for "accidental death" in the Bible, as stated in Exodus 21: 13-14 and 20-21, Numbers 35: 10-34 and Deuteronomy 19: 1-13. In any case, everyone agrees that the Hebrew interpretation of the Exodus is different from the modern one.

ten. Jesus' Conquest of Jericho

Jericho is considered the earliest city in the world. At various times, at least 23 civilizations have considered Jericho their home. As stated in the Book of Joshua in the Bible, Joshua led the Israelites to Jericho, to the heart of the Promised Land. But when he arrived, he had to conquer Canaan with the help of his army. According to the Bible, on the seventh day, Jesus walked around the outer walls with the Ark of the Covenant, a chest that contained the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments. After that, God destroyed the walls of the city, and Jesus and his people rushed in, killing everyone except Rahab and her family. Rahab was a harlot who helped Jesus' spies. So far, the archaeological site has not supported the biblical story of the attack on Jericho. It seems that no one lived in Jericho during the time of Joshua, and no walls existed (some researchers believe there is evidence of conquest, only at other times in history). It seems more likely that the Israelites gradually moved into the sparsely populated mountains, as described in the Book of Judges. For some believers, this is very good news, because they could not understand how their loving, merciful God allowed such a terrible carnage. However, there is another interesting question. What if the ancient Israelites and the Canaanites from the Bible were once part of the same tribe, after all, this is confirmed by DNA analysis. According to the archaeologist and Bible scholar Eric Klein, modern DNA testing can show that today's Jews and Palestinians, who never tire of feuding with each other, are distant "brothers" of the tribe. Failure to corroborate the biblical story of the conquest of Jericho by Joshua may matter much more than whether the Bible is an accurate historical document.