Those who doubt the historicity of the Bible are either ignorant of the
archeological record or choose to ignore it. There are multiple extrabiblical corroborations of biblical
statements. These confirm the
accuracy of the Bible’s historical assertions. The religious interpretation of the information, of course,
cannot be “proven.”
Those of faith come to realize that there are other ways of
“knowing.” (I know how “mystical”
this sounds, but if the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is true, this is so.)
One of the first extrabiblical eveidences is the Mesha Stele (also known
as the Moabite Stone). The stele
was shown to F.A. Klein, a Prussian missionary in Dhiban (the ancient Dibon,
Moab) in 1868 by Bedouins.
When the Prussian government tried to purchase it, so did France, and a
bidding war erupted. The locals
decided to break the stone into pieces.
There are several modern explanations for breaking the stone. 1. The locals wanted to prevent its
removal and they thought a broken stone would be useless. 2. The locals thought there was a treasure inside since so many
people wanted it. And the most
likely explanation, 3. Someone understood the Law of Supply and Demand. The individual pieces might
collectively be of more value than one piece.
A stele is a commemoration or memorial carved or sculpted into an
upright pillar, stone, tablet, or slab, often of basalt or marble. The Mesha Stele was erected 847 BC/BCE
in what is now Jordan by Mesha, the king of Moab. The stele describes how Omri, King of Israel ( ruled ca 886-874 BC/BCE), and his son
Ahab (ruled 873-851 BC/BCE) defeated Moab because the Moabite deity, Chemosh,
was angry at his people. On the
stele, Mesha is celebrating his defeat of Ahaziah, on of Ahab’s two sons.
"As for Omri, king of Israel, he humbled Moab many years [lit.
days], for Chemosh was angry with his land. And his son followed him and he
also said 'I will humble Moab.' In my time he spoke [thus], but I have
triumphed over him and over his house, while Israel hath perished forever"
(cf. 2 Kings 1:1; 3:4–5)
Moabite is considered by many to have been a dialect of Hebrew and the
name of the king, Mesha, may be equivalent to Moshe (“Moses”).
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