Evidence for God in Archaeology Archives

October 15, 2025October 15, 2025

Archaeological Discoveries Supporting the Bible

Our Beyond Reasonable Doubt video series faces a challenge: it can’t keep up with new archaeological findings. The fall issue of Biblical Archaeology Review announced two new archaeological discoveries supporting the Bible.

The Jordan Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities reported an inscription carved into a desert rock face in southern Jordan. The inscription features two cartouches, which are Egyptian hieroglyphic oval shapes containing the names of royalty. In this case, they display the name of Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses III, who reigned from 1186 to 1155 BCE. One column shows his birth name, while the other shows his throne name and title. Other cartouches of Ramesses III have been found in the Sinai, Israel, and Saudi Arabia, indicating the Egyptian-Arabian trade route. This is the first one discovered in Jordan.

The second find is a report from Matthew D.C. Larsen about discovering what is called the Boudrouml prison in Corinth. The existence of the Boudrouml prison has been known since the early 20th century, when Herbert F. deCou first excavated it. However, newly found inscriptions carved into the pavement by prisoners offer insights into life in Roman prisons. The spelling and grammar errors in the inscriptions reveal the prisoners’ lack of formal education. These messages also show boredom, rage, and personal devotion. One inscription reads, “Lord, do not show mercy on the one who threw us in here.” The evidence of Roman prison life aligns with what the Bible describes regarding Peter and Paul’s imprisonment.

As archaeologists continue their excavations and new technologies analyze the findings, they find more archaeological discoveries supporting the Bible. Those who try to cast doubt on the biblical record will find themselves at odds with the evidence.

References: Biblical Archaeology Review and the Beyond Reasonable Doubt video series

September 2, 2025September 1, 2025

Cana and the Wedding Feast

We read in John’s gospel that Jesus performed His first miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus turned six large stone jars of water into wine. But where exactly was Cana? We know it was in Galilee because John mentions it, but the exact location has long been disputed. An archaeologist believes he has found the site of Cana and the wedding feast.

Jesus was present at the wedding with His first disciples, who had been followers of John the Baptist just days before. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was also there, so this wedding was likely for a close friend or family member. The reason for Jesus performing this miracle might have been sympathy for the embarrassment of the wedding host, but it could also have been to help His new disciples develop faith. (See John 2:1-11.)

Natural processes can turn rainwater into grape juice over time, but Jesus had the power to accelerate this without a grapevine. There was no reason for Him to ferment the grape juice to cause intoxication. When the master of the feast tasted it, he remarked, “You have kept the good wine until now.” That suggests the wine at this feast was not intoxicating.

Since the 18th century, the location of Cana and the wedding feast has generally been identified as Kafr Kanna, an Israeli town in Galilee. This is because, following the Crusades, the Franciscans chose it as a convenient place to establish a pilgrimage site, rather than based on historical evidence. Now, archaeologist and historian Tom McCollough suggests that Cana was actually located five miles north of Kafr Kanna, at a site called Khirbet Qana. This was a Jewish village from 323 B.C. to 324 A.D.

Excavations at Khirbet Qana have uncovered a veneration cave complex used by Christian pilgrims until the 12th-century Crusader period. Artifacts and inscriptions on the cave walls indicate this was the original location. McCollough also notes that rabbinic texts and the writings of first-century Jewish historian Flavius Josephus support this site. After Jesus faced resistance in Judea and ministered in Samaria, He returned to Cana, where He healed a nobleman’s son. (See John 4:43-54.)

The significance of identifying the location of Jesus’ first miracle is not for pilgrims to visit and venerate the site. Instead, it shows that the gospels describe real historical locations and events. Jesus is a real person, and Cana was a real place. Historian Tom McCollough believes that his excavations at Khirbet Qana strengthen the historical reliability of the Bible.

Reference: foxnews.com

June 26, 2025June 25, 2025

Archaeomagnetic Dating of Biblical History

Biblical archaeologists use various dating methods to uncover the history of ancient Israel. Three of those methods are relative dating, carbon-14 dating, and a newer method of archaeomagnetic dating.

In relative dating, archaeologists compare the age of things based on whether they are near the surface of a dig (younger pottery) or deeper under multiple debris layers (older pottery). In 1 Kings 9:15, we read about King Solomon’s fortification of cities, indicating that pottery found in excavations of these cities would be of the same age as the cities themselves.

Researchers can use carbon-14 dating when there is organic matter, such as seeds found in the pottery. Besides seeds, other organic matter, such as fruits and textiles, can be dated with carbon-14. While alive, all living things absorb this radioactive isotope of carbon, and once the plant or animal dies, it decays at a constant rate. By measuring the amount of carbon-14 left in the artifact, researchers can determine its age. However, much of the time, the amount of carbon-14 is too small to be measured because of a lack of organic matter or because too much of the carbon-14 has decayed. The half-life of carbon-14 is well-suited for dating between 1200 and 800 B.C., a significant period in Bible history.

Recent technology has enabled a method that uses changes in Earth’s magnetic field. Archaeomagnetic dating can determine absolute dates for materials that were deposited at high temperatures, such as those resulting from a fire, lava flow, or volcanic intrusion. When materials such as bricks or pottery are fired, their magnetic particles (domains) conform to the direction and intensity of Earth’s magnetic field. As they cool, the pattern of the field is set in stone. Since scientists understand how Earth’s magnetic field direction and intensity have changed over time, archaeologists use this baked-in orientation to determine the age of the artifact.

Using archaeomagnetism, archaeologists can verify the dates of biblical events by combining absolute and relative dating methods. An example is the date when Pharaoh Shoshenq (also known as Shishak in the KJV) attacked Jerusalem (1 Kings 14:25-26). It is becoming increasingly difficult for skeptics to dismiss the biblical account as new tools like archaeomagnetic dating enable us to verify its accuracy.

Reference: “Dating Game” by Yoav Vaknin in the Summer 2025 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review. pages 56-59.

March 10, 2025March 10, 2025

The Mystery of Easter Island Moai

The giant moai statues of Easter Island have been a great mystery since their discovery. Easter Island is part of the Pacific triangle called Polynesia, which stretches between Hawaii, New Zealand, and Easter Island. Dutch explorer Jacob Roggeveen arrived on the island on Easter Sunday in 1722 and named it Easter Island. The average moai statue on Easter Island was 13 feet tall and weighed 14 tons. The largest statue stands 32 feet tall and weighs about 80 tons. The mystery of Easter Island moai has been how the locals moved some 300 giant statues over several miles.

Some finished and unfinished statues remain in the Rano Raraku quarry on Easter Island. The Rapanui people who created the moai had no metal machinery, draft animals, or wheeled carts. Tabloids claimed the mystery of Easter Island moai could only be explained by space aliens carving and transporting them. In his book Chariots of the Gods, Erich von Daniken suggested extraterrestrial beings as the source of the statues.

Researchers have proposed various theories of how the statues were moved from the quarry to their locations. Some suggested they were dragged to the sea and floated to the final locations. Archaeologist Jo Anne Van Tilburg and the Easter Island Statue Project have studied the moai and other Easter Island structures since 1983. Van Tilburg favors the theory that they were placed on sleds and pulled by large teams of workers on a trackway of tree trunks. When the first European explorers arrived on Easter Island, it was almost barren of trees and had a population perhaps in the hundreds. However, botanical studies have shown that palm forests once covered the island, and archaeological studies show that it may have had as many as 15,000 inhabitants at its peak. That would supply an ample workforce and trees to accomplish the task.

The bottom line is that the mystery of Easter Island moai does not involve extraterrestrials. Like humans throughout history, the ancient Rapanui people saw evidence of a higher power and tried to honor what they understood through elaborate works. The moai statues are another demonstration of human attempts to reach God. When Paul spoke to the scholars in Athens (Acts 17), he talked about the fallacy of trying to reach God through human intelligence and artistic ability. So, today, we see the evidence for God in the things He has made (Romans 1:20). We don’t need to impress Him with our intelligence and creativity. He is reaching out to us with His love.

Reference: The booklet “Discovering Easter Island“ from the Archaeological Institute of America

October 17, 2024October 16, 2024

We Need to Know What a Museum Is

People seem to believe that if something is in a museum, it is automatically accurate and factual, while some use museums to promote their religious or doctrinal beliefs. Wikipedia lists 13 creationist museums in the United States and four in other countries. Some of these “museums” are really presentations of dispensational beliefs, and some are theme parks that charge significant entry fees. We need to know what a museum is.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services in the United States has the legal definition of “museum.” It is: “A public, tribal, or private nonprofit institution which is organized on a permanent basis for essentially educational, cultural heritage, or aesthetic purposes and which, using a professional staff: Owns or uses tangible objects, either animate or inanimate; Cares for these objects; and Exhibits them to the general public on a regular basis” (Museum Services Act 1976). We need to know what a museum is and most of these “creation museums” do not meet this definition.

The American Alliance of Museums has a list of criteria required to participate in their Accreditation Program. It states that a museum must: “Be a legally organized nonprofit institution or part of a nonprofit organization or government entity; Be essentially educational in nature; Have a formally stated and approved mission; Use and interpret objects or a site for the public presentation of regularly scheduled programs and exhibits; Have a formal and appropriate program of documentation, care, and use of collections or objects; Carry out the above functions primarily at a physical facility or site; Have been open to the public for at least two years; Be open to the public at least 1,000 hours a year; Have accessioned 80 percent of its permanent collection; Have at least one paid professional staff with museum knowledge and experience; Have a full-time director to whom authority is delegated for day-to-day operations; Have the financial resources sufficient to operate effectively; Demonstrate that it meets the Core Standards for Museums; Successfully complete the Core Documents Verification Program.”

Before taking our children or church group to a “museum,” we need to know what a museum is. First, establish the museum’s purpose: is it biblically and educationally sound, and will it help build the faith of those who attend, or will it raise questions about the credibility of faith? If you are concerned about what is available within driving distance of where you live, please contact us, and we will send you the information we have available. We also remind our readers that the Clayton Museum of Ancient History at York University in York, Nebraska, fits the United States Museum Services Acts of 1976 and is a part of this ministry.

— John N. Clayton ©2024
References: wikipedia.org, The Institute of Museum and Library Services, and The American Alliance of Museums

September 4, 2024September 3, 2024

Problems Our Ancestors Had in Securing Food

In our day of domesticated cattle, we may not appreciate the problems our ancestors had in securing food and other essentials. The Bible and the fossil record agree that the first humans were gatherers, eating only things that could be secured by hand, primarily plants. Genesis 4:2 indicates that Abel was a keeper of the flocks, probably sheep. In Genesis 9:3, God says, “Everything that lives and moves will be food for you,” but verse 2 says that all the animals will be afraid of humans. Like many biblical passages, we are left with questions, so we can look to other methods for clarification. The fossil record and archaeological evidence do that for us.

There is a great deal of evidence that humans were gatherers before hunting animals became a method of getting food. The Bible does not tell us how Abel secured the flocks of Genesis 4:2, but the domestication of wild goats and sheep clearly occurred. Genesis 15:9 is the first mention of goats in the Bible, but recent DNA evidence shows that goats were domesticated in significant numbers by 8200 B.C. Goats provided milk and meat, but they also provided other valuable materials, including hair, hides, and sinew for use as clothing. Ancient people used goat bones as tools and their dung as fuel for fires. Goats were much easier to raise than sheep or other animals. Goats can eat about anything and survive in virtually any terrain. They were the perfect animals to meet the needs of early humans.

Despite the problems our ancestors had in securing food, the message here is plain. God has met every NEED that humans have. We are talking about needs, not wants. Some things we might like to have are not needs, and needs can sometimes be secured only by work. God told Adam, “In the sweat of your face, you will eat bread” (Genesis 3:19). God has made it available, but we must work to secure what we need. We know that God will bless us when we do the work He has given us to do.

June 24, 2024June 23, 2024

Solomon and Gezer

Those who wish to reject the Bible as historically inaccurate are challenged by the growing amount of supporting evidence from the sciences, including archaeology. Some of the archeological discoveries involve Solomon and Gezer.

In 1 Kings 9:15-19, we read about the Egyptian pharaoh attacking and capturing Gezer and setting it on fire. The pharaoh then gave Gezer as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife, and the Bible says that Solomon rebuilt Gezer. In the last ten years, an excavation project at Gezer revealed that it was a well-fortified city with a massive six-chambered gate, a casemate wall, and a large administrative building.

The summer 2024 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review (Volume 50 #2) has an interesting article titled “Solomon’s Powerplay.” The article confirms the story of Solomon and Gezer as we see it in the Bible. It includes numerous pictures and a discussion of Gezer’s history.

Biblical minimalists try to discard these findings, but we deal with evidence in the “Does God Exist?” program. The rate at which discoveries are being made in all scientific disciplines makes it increasingly difficult to be a skeptic of the Bible. Taking the Bible literally means looking at who wrote the section you are reading, why they wrote it, who they wrote it to, and how the people it was written to would have understood it. When you do that, it is easy to see that the Bible is not just a bunch of human myths and fairy tales but is, in fact, the Word of God.

Our newest video series, “Beyond Reasonable Doubt,” explores the archaeological support for the integrity of the Bible. You can view it free online at this LINK. We are in the process of adding four more sessions to that series, but new archaeological discoveries will already need to be added to this wealth of material.

June 5, 2023June 1, 2023

Chondrite Meteorites from Space

What are the odds of you getting hit by a rock that came to the Earth from Mars? A New Jersey woman named Suzy Kop walked into an empty bedroom in her house and found a hole in her ceiling and a still-warm six-inch potato-shaped rock on the floor. Scientists studying it have concluded it is one of the rare stony chondrite meteorites, dating back to the beginning of the solar system.

The word “chondrite” comes from the Greek “chondres,” meaning sand grain. Such rocks from space contain tiny, millimeter-sized granules, iron and nickel alloys, and as much as 50% silicate minerals. There are several different kinds of meteorites. Some are called “irons” because they are almost entirely made of iron and nickel alloys. Others, called “stoney irons,” have silicate minerals in addition to iron and nickel alloys. In addition, carbonaceous chondrite meteorites contain water, sulfur, and even some organic material.

In their excavations of ancient cities, archaeologists have found knives and various other objects made of meteoric iron material. Ling before humans learned how to smelt iron to make tools and weapons, they found iron meteorites and pounded them into useful tools. (See “Metal From the Heavens” in National Geographic for June 2023, pages 102-104.) Genesis 4:22 refers to Tubal-Cain, a son of Lamech, “who forged all kinds of tools out of bronze and iron.” However, early humans used iron meteorites long before Tubal-Cain forged tools.

The question of why there are different kinds of meteorites is of greater interest. The answer is that the meteorites came from the formation of different objects in various places in the cosmos. Scientists believe iron meteorites came from the cores of asteroids or planets where extreme heat would allow only resistant metals to exist. Silicate minerals were probably ejected from planets with less heat and lower pressure. Some stoney chondrite meteorites have the same chemical composition as Mars, so they probably came from that planet.

In 2018 the Japanese Hayabusa2 spacecraft brought back samples from the asteroid Ryugu. The samples contained uracil, which is a building block of RNA. Some astronomers believe a planet exploded and that many meteorites, as well as Ryugu are what remain from that explosion.

Researchers are sampling other asteroids, but the message is that space is full of the remains of God’s creative actions. Likewise, the existence of planet Earth and the life on it tells us that this is indeed a unique place that we need to care for and preserve.

References: Nature Communications for March 21, 2023, and The Week for May 26, 2023, page 12.

January 11, 2023January 10, 2023

The Pool of Siloam Affirms Scripture

The Israel Antiquities Authority, the Israel National Parks Authority, and the City of David Foundation celebrated the new year by announcing that in 2023, the Pool of Siloam will be open to the public for the first time in 2,000 years. The Pool of Siloam is where Jesus healed the blind man in John 9:1-7 using the pool to test the man’s faith and demonstrate Christ’s power to restore his sight. Skeptics have challenged the biblical account on several levels, but the Pool of Siloam affirms scripture.

The archeological excavation of the pool and its location in the southern portion of the City of David verifies the accuracy of the Biblical account. It was built as part of Jerusalem’s water system in the 8th century B.C. This construction is related to the work of King Hezekiah, described in 2 Kings 20:20. Archeological work and further excavation of the site will continue.

The Pool of Siloam affirms scripture and is now part of the Jerusalem Walls National Park, where it will be open to the public. This is another verification of the biblical record and adds more support to those of us who believe in the accuracy of the Bible as the Word of God.

Reference: Fox News

December 5, 2022December 4, 2022

Archaeology Supports the Biblical Record

Skeptics maintain that biblical accounts of history are total fiction made up in recent times by promotors of the Judeo/Christian tradition. Recent research in the science of archaeology supports the biblical record regarding two of the examples some skeptics gave.

One is the Judges 4 account of judge Deborah and a Kenite woman who killed the Canaanite general Sisera by driving a tent peg through his head. Skeptics have claimed that no woman could have been a judge or a heroic avenger because of the lowly state of women at that time. Archeologists at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill excavating at Huqoq in northern Israel have uncovered ancient mosaics depicting Deborah and the Kenite woman, Jael, verifying the biblical account. The dating of the mosaics is late fourth or early fifth century A.D., so the claim that the account is modern cannot be true.

New studies of Mesha’s Stele have debunked skeptic claims that David is a fictitious character. The stele (an upright stone monument) was discovered in 1868 at a site east of the Dead Sea in modern Jordan. A research team from the West Semitic Research Project of the University of Southern California using a new research method called Reflective Transformation Imaging (RTI) has shown the reference in the Mesha Stele to the “House of David” is valid.

The science of archaeology supports the biblical record. We predict that as new tools become available, archaeologists will find more support for the credibility of the Bible.

Detailed discussions of these two new finds are reported in the Winter 2022 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review (Volume 48 #4).