B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #228

B.A.S.I.C. NEWSLETTER #228
I Cor.. 16:9 ‘For a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.
November 15, 2012

 

The Bible and Archaeology

We do not need archaeological finds to prove to us that the Bible is true in what it says. It is interesting though that whenever something is dug up by archaeological digs, the Bible is seen to be true in what it says. This will always be the case.

The following are taken from many examples in a chart by Rose Publishing.

  • “The Flood – In the Sumerian King List found in ruins of Mesopotamia it is said,”After the flood had swept over the earth and when kingship was lowered again from heaven…” This is not the only place outside the Bible’s Gen. 7-8 where the flood is mentioned. For instance in the Gilgamesh Epic (the saga of an ancient Babylonian king, Gilgamesh) a flood story is found on Tablet 11.
  • The Hittites – Although the Hittites are mentioned often in the Old Testament, almost nothing was known about them until modern times. The ancient Hittite’s large capital city has been recovered about 90 miles east of Ankara, Turkey. Their rule extended to Syria and Lebanon.
  • Jericho – Jericho is mentioned more than 50 times in the Old Testament. In Joshua 6 it is mentioned as conquered by the Israelites on their entry to the promised land. The earliest ruins of Jericho date back a long ways. Archaeology has shown where the city once stood and that it guarded the key spot for entering the Promised Land.
  • Pool of Gibeon – 2 Sam. 2:13 and Jer. 41:12 speak of a great water pool at Gibeon. In 1956 excavations found it largely intact six miles north of Jerusalem dating back to 1000 BC.
  • King David’s Jerusalem – According to 2 Sam. and 1 Chron. King David conquered Jerusalem and made it the capital of Israel. Virtually nothing apart from the Bible was know about the city of that time until excavations were done between 1976-1985.
  • The House of David – In 1993-1994 excavations were done at the Old Testament site of the city of Dan where three pieces of an inscribed stone were found referring to David. This inscription was the first reference to King David found outside of the Bible.
  • Scripture Passage found in silver amulets – In 1979 while excavating 6th century tombs in Jerusalem two small silver amulets(under two inches long). They date to Jehoakin’s reign in Judah (2 Chron. 36) and going back to 600 BC are the oldest examples of a Scripture passage yet found.
  • The Dead Sea Scrolls – A lot of people have heard of these, the first of which was excavated in 1947. These are hundreds of Scrolls and scraps that date between 300 BC and 70 AD. They show how accurate were the copies made of the Old Testament. And only minor differences were found when compared to the oldest Masoretic text, which is what our translations of the Old Testament are based on”.

Next look at Dan. 5:1 where it is recorded that King Belshazzar made a great feast. One commentator has written the following: ” A few decades ago the historicity of Belshazzar was in doubt. Secular history seemed to give no confirmation of his actual existence. But in light of cuneiform records more recently discovered, it has been admitted by all that he was a real person who was viceroy to his father Nabonidus.” When Daniel refers to Nebuchadnezzar as his father it is an honorary title, as when we say father Abraham. It is also possible that Nebuchadnezzar was Belshazzar’s grandfather on his mother’s side.

Darius the Mede has been identified as Gubaru, whom Cryus appointed as Governor of Babylonia. One man may easily have more than one name or title. Think also of Ahasuerus (486-465 BC), the husband of Esther. His Greek name was Xerxes by which secular history knows him.

As time passes and the shovels unearth more that is hidden by the sands of time we will see even more of the Bible supported. Today

Samson – In the “Jerusalem Post” of Aug. 17,2012 there was a piece of pottery reported on that had an image of what appeared to be Samson. “According to TAU researchers, the find was uncovered at the Beit Shemesh archaeological site, near the area where the biblical figure of Samson lived and was buried. TAU said Wednesday that the image engraved on the seal and the location of the find indicate that it may very well depict the story of Samson, who is described in the bible as having bested a lion in unarmed combat. Prof. Shlomo Bunimovitz of the TAU Department of Archeology and Ancient Near Eastern Civilizations said that while the seal does not show when the story of Samson was written …, it does help ‘anchor the story in an archaeological setting,’ in the area of Beit Shemesh.” And so it goes…
NO ONE EVER GRADUATES FROM BIBLE STUDY UNTIL HE MEETS THE AUTHOR FACE TO FACE.   E.T. Harris

Pastor Ude will be working with our brothers in Nigeria, Togo and Ghana and we pray God’s blessings on their studies and deliberations.

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We begin reports on the Joint Asia English Pastoral Conference in Guntur, India in October 2012.
A REPORT ON THE CLCI SEMINARY – 2012
Seminary – How grateful we are to God that He has  entrusted us with the CLCI seminary ministry of preparing students for lifetime service of the Lord.  We are happy to report that in the midst of these past fourteen years until 2012, 107 fully trained pastors came out of the CLCI seminary and all of them have been rendering their valuable services in various CLCI congregations.  In the year 2011-2012, the total numbers of seminary working days are 202. The Seminary students are enjoying their new educational year 2011-2012.  This year Rev. Dave, Rev Matt and Prof. John Ude visited the Seminary and touched the hearts of the students with their wonderful lessons and power point presentation.
Please remember the CLCI Seminary in your daily prayers.  Please pray that more young people will be challenged to take up the call to the ministry.
2012 Graduation: – The CLCI Theological Seminary celebrated its 14th commencement of June 15, 2012 at Nidubrolu.  We’re very pleased to inform you that God has led 12 students all the three years to complete the seminary course successfully.  These 12 men are being honored this year with diplimas.  Usually every year, our beloved CLC missionaries present these diplomas to the graduates but this year we missed the honorable CLC missionaries in the occasion because of the CLC annual convention meetings at ILC.  The Chairman Rev. V.S. Benjamin and some of our CLCI pastors prayed for all the graduates by laying their rights hands on heads of the Graduates.  The Chairman awarded “Diploma in theology” certificates to the 12 graduates.  Pastor Nireekshana offered the prayer of commissioning for the graduates at the conclusion of the ceremony.  The 2012 graduation ceremony was closed by the benediction from Rev.V.S.Benjamin.
Bible Correspondence Course: – Over the many years through the blessings of our Lord our CLCI Bible Correspondence course has been moving very well. Till now totally 446 students have taken this course since 1993.
This year 10 correspondence course students have graduated and blessed by receiving their certificates of completions, through the hands of the CLCI chairman Rev. V.S.Benjamin.  We are happy to report to you that many Hindu and Muslim friends are also taking this course from us.  These people are silently accepting Christ as their Savior.  We are praying that through them, someday their entire families could come to Christ.
Respectfully submitted by Principal Joythi Benjamin.
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OH, LORD, MY GOD
You are the peace of all things calm.
You are the place to hide from harm.
You are the light that shines in dark.
You are the heart’s eternal spark.
You are the door that’s open wide.
You are the guest who waits inside.
You are the stranger at the door.
You are the calling of the poor.
You are my Lord and with me still.
You are my love, keep me from ill.
You are the light, the truth, the way.
You are my Lord this very day.
Deuteronomy 10 : 21
He is your praise, and He is your God.”
Revelation 7 : 11 – 12
And all the angels stood about the throne,
and about the elders and the four living creatures,
and fell before the throne on their faces,
and worshipped God,
Saying Amen: Blessing and glory, and wisdom,
and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might,
be unto our God forever and ever.
Amen
Waltraud
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Pastor David Koenig