Unearthing the Bible

May 4, 2020
Kennedy, an archaeologist and adjunct professor at Biola University, debuts with a thorough and convincing survey of discoveries that help confirm the historical reliability of the Bible. Kennedy uses artifacts (including many photographs of the objects) to validate key events, facts, and characters from the Bible. Among the items Kennedy discusses are cuneiform texts, such as the Sumerian King List, which mentions a cataclysmic flood; the Stele of Hammurabi, which was found in 1901 and delineates Hammurabi’s code and corroborates many cultural standards also found in Genesis (such as inheritance laws and the pricing of slaves); and the Nuzi Tablets, discovered near the Tigris River in 1925, which codify the selling of a birthright in the story of Jacob and Esau, as well as list the names of Abram, Laban, and Jacob. The famous Cyrus Seal and Dead Sea Scrolls are also included to make a cogent (if not particularly new) case for the Bible as a legitimate source of historical figures and events. Archaeology buffs will appreciate this rigorous take on the historical moments that inspired stories throughout scripture.