ARCHAEOLOGY is of interest to Bible students. Why? Because in many instances the findings of archaeologists have helped to improve our understanding of life in Bible times and of the original languages in which the Scriptures were written.

At times archaeological finds have even silenced those who criticized the accuracy of certain events or statements made in the Bible. For example, was there a Babylonian king named Belshazzar and an Assyrian king named Sargon? Up until the 19th century, these names were known only from the Bible record. (Isa 20:1; Da 5:1) But the discoveries of Sargon’s palace at Khorsabad and the now famous Nabonidus Chronicle upheld the historicity of these rulers.

This does not mean that proof of the Bible’s authenticity depends on the discoveries of archaeology. Israeli archaeologist Yohanan Aharoni noted: “When it comes to historical or historio-geographical interpretation, the archaeologist steps out of the realm of the exact sciences, and he must rely upon value judgements and hypotheses to arrive at a comprehensive historical picture.” Thus, when evaluating their finds, archaeologists have at times disagreed with the Bible.

Should this cast doubt on the Bible’s authenticity? Not at all. A faith that depends only on the interpretation of archaeological finds is a shaky one indeed. Proof that the Bible is divinely inspired is found within the Bible itself, and not in archaeology.