Evidence of God's Design

[Guest]

I'm not sure what your problem is d3, and at this point I could care less. You still for some reason don't understand the comment on the orbits of the planets and how the Earth sustains Life while the others can't. That is the point. Circular or flipp'n rectangular.

No, you don't understand your own comment, and are too stubborn and arrogant to admit that it is a subject about which you possess absolutely no knowledge. Only a pigheaded fool argues from a position of complete ignorance. Rectangular or circular is precisely the flipp'n point, because you made it the flipp'n point. I can't help that you lack either the capacity or the will to understand statements you copied from elsewhere, but I can and will call BS. For last time:

You stated that Earth's orbit is specially suited to life because it is nearly circular (round, like a basketball), and therefore at a constant distance from the sun, resulting in a stable surface temperature, while the orbits of other planets are elliptical (a bit like a football), and therefore get closer and farther from the sun, causing temperature extremes unsuitable for life. This statement is false. All closed orbits are elliptical. A circle is a type of ellipse, in much the same way that a square is a type of rectangle. Contrary to what you stated, all but two (Mercury and Pluto) of the planetary orbits of our system are also very nearly circular. There are even two planets (Venus and Neptune) that have orbits that are closer to being circular than our own Earth. This means they receive nearly constant solar radiation year-round, and those that have atmospheres remain at a nearly constant surface temperature. Thus, there is absolutely nothing special about the shape of our planet's orbit, and to state otherwise, which you did, explicitly and directly, is categorically and unambigiously false. Your abject refusal to acknowledge that you have been caught in a contradiction, I can only conclude is out of sheer obstinacy and willful blindness to the plain and obvious truth, complete inability to understand the subject, or both. Whatever the case, you should just stop arguing about it, because I'm not at all intimidated by your personal attacks, and you look more and more an ignoramus with each post.

Instead of just manning up, as would any reasonable human being, you are trying to weasel your way of your original statement, which clearly is not your own, and which you undoubtably do not understand. You now appear to be saying that it was never about the orbital shape (which any fool can see is a lie by simply reading the direct quotation in my previous post), but rather that there is something magical about the precise distance between the Sun and Earth, and suggesting that no other planet in the universe has, has ever had, or will ever have, this special property. Unfortunately for you, this is also false. While our separation from the sun makes temperatures on Earth suitable for cellular life at the moment, this has not always been the case, nor will it remain so indefinitely, nor is there any reason to believe that it is an incredibly rare coincidence. Stars grow colder as they age, and as a result, they provide less heat and light to the bodies that orbit them. At some point in the future, our Sun will 'die', and there will no longer be life in our solar system. At some point in the past, our Sun was brighter than it is now, and it was too hot for life on Earth. It is inevitable that at some point in between, the temperature at one or more planets should transition through the range that makes cellular life sustainable. However, our time in the so-called Goldilocks Zone is temporary, and the fact that we are here to witness it is hardly a miracle, because we simply could not have existed at any other time. In fact, a few billion years ago, Mars was more suitable for life than Earth, and we still cannot rule out the possibility that Mars at one time may have sustained life (not necessarily intelligent life, so please spare us your snide remarks about little green men). Additionally, in all likelihood, there are millions of other planets in our galaxy where the right conditions at one time existed, presently exist, or will exist at some point in the future. Consequently, contrary to your statement, there is no reason to believe that there is anything special about the distance of our planet to the sun.

Respond, or don't. I'm not reading this thread anymore.

[andromeda]

Hehehehe...

[Guest]

Hehehehe...

Good one.

[Guest]

No, you don't understand your own comment, and are too stubborn and arrogant to admit that it is a subject about which you possess absolutely no knowledge. Only a pigheaded fool argues from a position of complete ignorance. Rectangular or circular is precisely the flipp'n point, because you made it the flipp'n point. I can't help that you lack either the capacity or the will to understand statements you copied from elsewhere, but I can and will call BS. For last time:

You stated that Earth's orbit is specially suited to life because it is nearly circular (round, like a basketball), and therefore at a constant distance from the sun, resulting in a stable surface temperature, while the orbits of other planets are elliptical (a bit like a football), and therefore get closer and farther from the sun, causing temperature extremes unsuitable for life. This statement is false. All closed orbits are elliptical. A circle is a type of ellipse, in much the same way that a square is a type of rectangle. Contrary to what you stated, all but two (Mercury and Pluto) of the planetary orbits of our system are also very nearly circular. There are even two planets (Venus and Neptune) that have orbits that are closer to being circular than our own Earth. This means they receive nearly constant solar radiation year-round, and those that have atmospheres remain at a nearly constant surface temperature. Thus, there is absolutely nothing special about the shape of our planet's orbit, and to state otherwise, which you did, explicitly and directly, is categorically and unambigiously false. Your abject refusal to acknowledge that you have been caught in a contradiction, I can only conclude is out of sheer obstinacy and willful blindness to the plain and obvious truth, complete inability to understand the subject, or both. Whatever the case, you should just stop arguing about it, because I'm not at all intimidated by your personal attacks, and you look more and more an ignoramus with each post.

Instead of just manning up, as would any reasonable human being, you are trying to weasel your way of your original statement, which clearly is not your own, and which you undoubtably do not understand. You now appear to be saying that it was never about the orbital shape (which any fool can see is a lie by simply reading the direct quotation in my previous post), but rather that there is something magical about the precise distance between the Sun and Earth, and suggesting that no other planet in the universe has, has ever had, or will ever have, this special property. Unfortunately for you, this is also false. While our separation from the sun makes temperatures on Earth suitable for cellular life at the moment, this has not always been the case, nor will it remain so indefinitely, nor is there any reason to believe that it is an incredibly rare coincidence. Stars grow colder as they age, and as a result, they provide less heat and light to the bodies that orbit them. At some point in the future, our Sun will 'die', and there will no longer be life in our solar system. At some point in the past, our Sun was brighter than it is now, and it was too hot for life on Earth. It is inevitable that at some point in between, the temperature at one or more planets should transition through the range that makes cellular life sustainable. However, our time in the so-called Goldilocks Zone is temporary, and the fact that we are here to witness it is hardly a miracle, because we simply could not have existed at any other time. In fact, a few billion years ago, Mars was more suitable for life than Earth, and we still cannot rule out the possibility that Mars at one time may have sustained life (not necessarily intelligent life, so please spare us your snide remarks about little green men). Additionally, in all likelihood, there are millions of other planets in our galaxy where the right conditions at one time existed, presently exist, or will exist at some point in the future. Consequently, contrary to your statement, there is no reason to believe that there is anything special about the distance of our planet to the sun.

Respond, or don't. I'm not reading this thread anymore.

You poor angry person, I do feel somewhat bad for you. You have a God size hole that your trying to fill with creation. It doesn't fit. The only thing that will fill that hole is God. You don't believe in God though just His creation. You keep right on worshiping creation and I'll continue to worship God. Though my God is unchanging, the same yesterday today and forever. While what you worship is constantly changing. I don't claim to know everything and have quoted some scientists that HEY there your guys why they don't make since is probably because science keeps changing. God continues to show you more and you continue to change views. You believe what you do today, but tomorrow you will change just as science changes. Me what I believed yesterday is what I'll believe tomorrow. God has NOT changed and NEVER will. As far as Goldilocks, if that works for you by all means. It's not my fault you HATE God as mush as you do, but it is very evident that you do. This is just a forum and sounds to me like your taking it as personal attack. That was my intention the whole time, piss off d3k3, who I don't even know, which is not a bad thing

Edited July 17, 2010 by hambone

[Quag]

Actually christianity has changed over time, hence the different sects or denominations. Since weve been talking atronomy, christianity considered the world the cente of, not only the solar system, but the universe. hindus had something about the world being on a turtles back. priests/could couldnt get married. Need i bring up the council of nicaea again? your scriptures you love so much were edited and changed at that council. The examples can go on ad infinum but lets just say that religion and science change over time, science with the better comprehension of how the universe works, religion either from politics or proof from science that their beliefs need to be modified.

[Guest]

Actually christianity has changed over time, hence the different sects or denominations. Since weve been talking atronomy, christianity considered the world the cente of, not only the solar system, but the universe. hindus had something about the world being on a turtles back. priests/could couldnt get married. Need i bring up the council of nicaea again? your scriptures you love so much were edited and changed at that council. The examples can go on ad infinum but lets just say that religion and science change over time, science with the better comprehension of how the universe works, religion either from politics or proof from science that their beliefs need to be modified.

Scripture actually has not changed. Denominations and interpretations I'll give you that. Look at the Dead Sea scrolls, the books that were originally written were copied virtually verbatim. Archaeological evidence is pretty awesome. Christianity can still consider the earth the center of the Universe Jerusalem the Middle of the Continents and Jerusalem the center of that then the Temple Mount the center of that. It is thought that God stood (if He could stand) I guess at the place of the Temple Mount when He created the Universe. Catholic Priests I guess still don't get married, pastors do. The Bible does not condemn marriage. When read and studied in its original context it is very fascinating. If you believe that scripture was changed (which I don't) then explain prophesy. Things written 1000's of years ago that come to pass. Don't know what makes you think that the Old or New Testament has changed, they have found books and scrolls that are from the year 150 a.d. and they are the same as today.

[Guest]

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Chronology of Early & New Testament Christianity

Christian History Timeline 40 BCE - 95 CE

Related Pages

• Christianity Timelines

• Chronology Index

Below is chronology of events and people who appear in writing of the Bible. Reliable information is scanty, so dates are necessarily approximate. Generally, the date given is the latest likely. There are four different types of color-coded dates:

•Dates of probable events in the New Testament

•Dates in the composition of New Testament books

•Other events important in Early Christianity

•Other dates in history for comparison & context

See also:

•Chronology and History of the Old Testament

•Chronology and History of Early Christianity

Words in red are linked to our glossary - so clicking on them will take you to much more information than can be included in brief chronology like this.

New Testament

40 BCE Herod the Great was appointed King of Judea by Marc Antony in Rome.

30 BCE Antony and Cleopatra committed suicide because, in the previous year, Cleoptra's forces lead by Antony were defeated by the Roman general Octavian in the Battle of Actium. Herod, like many others, quickly shifted his allegiance to Octavian.

27 BCE The Roman Empire was founded by Octavian and the last vestiges of the old Republic were swept away. Renamed Augustus Caesar, he ruled for 41 years and became a significant influence on the development of the Mediterranean world.

20 BCE Herod began to rebuild the Great Temple in Jerusalem in an attempt to restore it to its former splendor.

c. 8 BCE Jesus of Nazareth born in Roman Palestine (by some estimates).

6 Herod the Great deposed by Augustus.

14 - 37 Tiberius I, stepson of Augustus, became emperor of Rome (b. 42 BCE).

18 Roman poet Ovid died.

18 Caiaphas became high priest in Jerusalem (until 36).

c. 24 - 26 Jesus is believed to have begun his ministry.

26 - 36 Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea.

27 - 28 John the Baptist wandered and preached. Jesus would have been baptized. [Luke 3:1-2] (15th year of Tiberius).

28 John the Baptist was executed on orders from Herod Antipas.

c. 30 Jesus of Nazareth is believed to have been crucified in Jerusalem.

c. 31 Saint Stephen became the first Christian martyr when he was stoned to death for blasphemy. One of those present at his execution was the Pharisee Saul.

c. 34-35 Saul of Tarsus, formerly a rabbi and enemy of Christianity, converts to the new Christian faith and became known as Paul. [Acts 9].

c. 37-40 Paul first visited Jerusalem as a Christian.

37 - 41 Gaius Caligula, nephew of Tiberius, became emperor of Rome and declared himself a god. In the year 41 he would be assassinated and Claudius, a crippled son of Tiberius, would take command.

40 Paul went to Jerusalem to consult with Peter [Gal 1, 18-20].

c. 40 - 51 Paul traveled to Asia Minor and Cyprus, establishing churches and writing the earliest epistles which would became part of the New Testament canon.

43 Romans under Aulus Plautius invaded Britain. London was founded.

44 James, brother of John, was executed by Herod Agrippa I [Acts 12, 1-3].

47 First recorded use of the term "Christian" occurred in Antioch, Syria, home of one of the earliest Christian churches .

47 - 48 Paul and Barnabas were on Cyprus [Acts 13, 4-12].

48 - 49 Council of Jerusalem, 1st Christian Council, doctrines on circumcision and dietary law was agreed to by apostles and presbyters, written in a letter addressed to "the brothers of Gentile origin in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia" [Acts 15]

c. 49 Paul composed his epistle to the Thessalonians - the earliest known New Testament writing

49 Emperor Claudius ordered all Jewish Christians expelled from Rome.

c. 51 Paul wrote epistle to the Galatians.

54 Empress Agrippina had Emperor Claudius murdered and installed her 16-year-old son Nero as the new emperor.

c. 55 Paul wrote epistles to the Corinthians.

c. 55 Peter traveled to Rome where his leadership over the church of Rome established the tradition of the papacy. He has come to be regarded as the first bishop of Rome (pope).

57 Paul's last visit to Jerusalem [Acts 21].

58 Paul was arrested and imprisoned in Caesarea [Acts 25:4].

58 Emperor Ming-Ti of China introduced Buddhism into his country.

c. 60 Paul wrote the epistle to the Romans.

61 Human sacrifices in religious celebrations were prohibited by Roman law.

62 Paul was held under house arrest in Rome, but then was allowed to resume his travels.

64 Roman emperor Nero (37 - 68) accused the Christians of having started the fire which destroyed large sections of Rome, initiating widespread persecution.

65 Famous and influential Roman philosopher Seneca committed suicide on orders from Emperor Nero.

c. 65 Q was possibly written, (German: Quelle, meaning "source") a hypothetical Greek text used in writing of Matthew and Luke.

66 Jews revolted against Roman government (through 70).

c. 67 Nero ordered the execution of both Peter and Paul.

68 Qumran (Essenes?) community was destroyed by Rome. The site of their "Dead Sea Scrolls" would be found in 1949.

69 Vespian, a Roman general, attacked to Rome in order to quell a Jewish uprising. A coup by other generals causes him to be made emperor.

70 Titus, son of Roman emperor Vespasian, captured and destroyed Jerusalem and suppressed a Jewish revolt, destroying the Temple in the process.

c. 70 Mark, earliest known gospel, was probably composed.

73 Masada, last remaining stronghold of Jewish Zealots, fell to Roman assault.

79 Mount Vesuvius erupted, burying the cities of Pompeii, Herculaneum, and Stabiae.

c. 85 - 95 Gospel of Luke and Book of Acts were probably composed.

c. 90 Old Testament books, called "The Writings," were established as part of Christian canon: Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, and Chronicles.

c. 95 Book of Revelations was probably composed.

c. 95 Clement of Rome (c. 30 - 100), one of the earliest popes, wrote a letter arguing that church leaders possess a divine authority inherited from Christ and his apostles.

c. 95- 105 Composition of the "Pastoral Epistles," falsely attributed to Paul: Hebrews, I and II Timothy, Titus, and I Peter.

c. 80 - 100 Gospel of Matthew was probably composed.

98 - 116 Trajan was emperor of Rome. Around this time the Roman empire reached maximum size.

c. 100 Christian churches were established in Greece, North Africa, Italy, and Asia Minor.

c. 100 - 125 Gospel of John was probably composed.

100 - 165 St. Justin Martyr lived and was one of the first Christian apologists to offer a defense of Christianity.

c. 100 The Romans built the first London Bridge across the Thames.

122 Roman emperor Hadrian visited Britain and began construction of a wall and fortifications between northern England and Scotland.

132 Shimeon Bar-Kokhba and Rabbi Akiba Ben-Joseph led Jews in a revolt against Roman rule. They captured Jerusalem and created an independent state of Israel.

135 Julius Severus, formerly governor of Britain, crushed a revolt in Palestine. Final Diaspora (dispersion) of the Jews occurs.

c. 140 Shepherd of Hermas was written, describing a highly developed system of bishops, deacons, and priests.

c. 144 Marcion founded an influential Christian sect which argued for the existence of two gods (one good, one evil) and for the rejection of the Old Testament.

c. 150 The four "canonical" gospels were collected together.

c. 150 The School of Alexandria was founded in Egypt, quickly becoming a major center for both Christian theology and Greek philosophy. Among its prominent teachers were the theologians Clement and Origen.

166 Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius sent gifts to Chinese Emperor Huan Ti.

c. 180 Irenaeus (125 - c. 202), Catholic theologian, wrote Against Heresies in an attempt to fight the spread of Gnosticism. He claimed that "every church must agree" with the church of Rome because of its apostolic authority.

180 First African Christians were martyred at Scillium.

190 Christian council established "official" date of Easter.

197 First recorded usage of the term "catholic" appeared in the writings of Apollonius in reference to 1 John.

200 New Testament canon was mostly fixed in currently known form.

268 Goths sacked Athens, Corinth, and Sparta.

286 Emperor Diocletian divided the empire - he ruled the east and Maximilian ruled the west.

301 Armenia became the first country to make Christianity its state religion.

303 Diocletian ordered a general persecution of all Christians.

312 Constantine, emperor of the Eastern Empire defeated and kills Maxentius, emperor of the Western Empire. Constantine converted to Christianity after being inspired by a vision of a cross in the sky and the words: In hoc signo vinces.

325 First Ecumenical Council of Nicea was convened by emperor Constantine: established the Nicene Creed as the fundamental statement of Christian faith.

336 Arius, priest at Alexandria and founder of Arianism, died. Arianism was one of the most widespread and divisive heresies in the history of Christianity.

350 Christianity first reached Ethiopia.

351 Emperor Julian attempted to reintroduce paganism in the place of Christianity.

367 Festal Epistle of St. Athanasius offered earliest known list of the New Testament canon in its current form.

372 Buddhism was introduced into Korea.

380 Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire under the reign of Theodosius I.

381 First Council of Constantinople. Convened by Theodosius I, then emperor of the East and a recent convert, to confirm the victory over Arianism, the council drew up a dogmatic statement on the Trinity and defined Holy Spirit as having the same divinity expressed for the Son by the Council of Nicaea 56 years earlier.

395 The Roman Empire was divided again between East and West, setting the stage for the eventual division of the Christian Church. Latin Christianity was based in Rome under the leadership of the popes, while Eastern Orthodoxy develops in the east in Constantinople under the leadership of patriarchs.

401 Innocent I became Pope (until 417) and claims universal jurisdiction over the Roman Church.

c. 405 St. Jerome completed the Vulgate - a Latin translation of both the Old and New Testaments. This remains the Latin Bible of the Roman Catholic Church.

410 Lead by Alaric, the Goths sacked Rome.

418 British monk Pelagius was excommunicated. Pelagius denied original sin and the need for baptism, asserting that if God asked men to do good, then they must be capable of doing good on their own. He was condemned by Augustine.

431 Ecumenical Council of Ephesus denounced the teachings of Nestorius (d. 451), who argued that Christ had completely separate human and divine natures.

433 Attila became ruler of the Huns (until 453).

451 Attila invaded Gaul but was repulsed by joint forces of Franks, Alemanni and Romans at battle of Chalons. Attila invaded Italy the next year.

c. 1380 John Wycliffe began the first English translation of the Bible.

1520 Martin Luther created his German translation of the New Testament.

1526 William Tyndale created his English version of the Pentateuch.

1560 The Geneva Bible was created. This version was the one used by Shakespeare and also by the Pilgrims who came to the United States on the Mayflower.

1582 Douay Version of the New Testament (English translation) was completed. After the Old Testament translation was completed in 1610, this became the first English translation of the Bible authorized by and for Roman Catholics

1604 King James (1566 - 1625) of England commissioned the "King James" translation of the Bible

This is a site I guess of NON-BELIEVERS. Christians or Believers did not post this site.

[Guest]

That previous post is History. Evidence from resources outside the Bible. It's an atheist and agnostic site for goodness sake. Lot of this is pretty spot on to Biblical time lines.

[Quag]

i will try again YOUR SCRIPTURES HAVE CHANGED. THIS IS HISTORICAL FACT! please stop your blatant lying. again look up the council of nicaea. also translations etc.

STOP LYING THERE IS HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF TAMPERING ON PURPOSE WITH YOUR PRECIOUS SCRIPTURES!!

ITS A FACT STOP LYING ABOUT IT!!

and fyi stop saying you have archological proof of stuff what you have is sketchy historical record left to interpretation

Sorry all for the caps but he just refuses to accept the truth. the truth is he just wants to believe, that is all.

[Guest]

Are you out of your mind? Look up the DEAD SEA SCROLLS, for example. Have you ever been to Israel? No didn't think so. I have seen with my own eyes evidence that has been excavated. Pillars that have Pilate's name inscribed on them. You are trying to find whatever you can to disprove God. DON'T CALL ME A LIAR. I HAVE BEEN TO THE ISRAEL SEVERAL TIMES SINCE 1996, HAVE SEEN THAT COUNTRY CHANGE WITH THE ESCAVATING THEY ARE CONSTANLY DOING. WATCHED CITIES UNCOVERED AND EVIDENCE COME OUT OF THE GROUND. IF YOU HAVE NEVER BEEN TO A MUSEUM IN ISRAEL OR SEEN ANYTHING OF WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT, HOW CAN YOU CALL ME A LIAR.

[Guest]

i will try again YOUR SCRIPTURES HAVE CHANGED. THIS IS HISTORICAL FACT! please stop your blatant lying. again look up the council of nicaea. also translations etc.

STOP LYING THERE IS HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF TAMPERING ON PURPOSE WITH YOUR PRECIOUS SCRIPTURES!!

ITS A FACT STOP LYING ABOUT IT!!

and fyi stop saying you have archological proof of stuff what you have is sketchy historical record left to interpretation

Sorry all for the caps but he just refuses to accept the truth. the truth is he just wants to believe, that is all.

There is only ONE TRUTH, His name is Jesus Christ. Tell me Quag. WHATS THE TRUTH. SHOW WHERE MY "PRECIOUS SCRIPTURES" HAVE BEEN TAMPERED WITH. The Bible says you will know a tree by it's fruit. Dude your fruit and d3's fruit SUCKS.

[Guest]

If scripture has changed, Tell me Quag, when did it stop changing, What year? Are you saying the year 325? So scripture changed then. For who's benefit? Christians or Atheists? For non-believers, did they change it? what did it change from? what did it say before it changed? YOU GOT ANY OF THESE ANSWERS? OR ARE YOU JUST BLOW'N SMOKE.

[Guest]

i will try again YOUR SCRIPTURES HAVE CHANGED. THIS IS HISTORICAL FACT! please stop your blatant lying. again look up the council of nicaea. also translations etc.

STOP LYING THERE IS HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF TAMPERING ON PURPOSE WITH YOUR PRECIOUS SCRIPTURES!!

ITS A FACT STOP LYING ABOUT IT!!

and fyi stop saying you have archological proof of stuff what you have is sketchy historical record left to interpretation

Sorry all for the caps but he just refuses to accept the truth. the truth is he just wants to believe, that is all.

Top Ten Archaeological Discoveries of the Twentieth Century Relating to the Biblical World

Keith N. Schoville

Professor Emeritus of Hebrew and Semitic Studies

University of Wisconsin-Madison

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This article was published in Stone Campbell Journal, Vol. 4, No. 1, and is published here with the kind permission of Dr. William Baker, editor of the Stone Campbell Journal, and Dr. Schoville, the author. Over the years I have always looked forward to a short visit with Keith Schoville at the annual meetings of the Near East Archaeological Society and the Society of Biblical Literature.

We have added photographs to make the article of more interest to the general public. Photo credits are visible when you move your cursor over the photo.

Visit the Stone Campbell Journal web page for information about subscriptions.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ten major archeological discoveries of the past century that are significant for understanding the world of the Bible are identified. For each find, a narrative of its discovery and the crucial information it unlocks is relayed, plus its connection to key biblical events or references. These ten discoveries illustrate the point that new facts about the Bible, its world and personalities, come through diligence in archeological research.

Any list of the major archaeological discoveries of the last century of significance for understanding the world of the Bible must of necessity be arbitrary and based to a considerable degree on the selector's judgment; that is true of this list. Nevertheless, identifying these ten should arouse the interest of readers to the continuing work of archaeologists in the ancient Near East, including at least the eastern Mediterranean, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey, Iraq and Iran. We should be reminded, too, that the only new facts about the Bible and the world in which the events occurred, the personalities lived, and it was written come from archaeological research. The search for the past and the resultant discoveries are always subject to chance finds, so at any point in time it is possible for evidence to surface that brings a biblical figure or event out of the dust of the past and into the present through the recovery of a new text, inscription, or relic of antiquity.

1 THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS [1]

Cave 4 at Qumran and One of the Dead Sea Scroll Jars on Display at the Amman Archaeological Museum in Jordan.

The initial discovery was by chance in 1947, and not by archaeologists! Bedouin shepherds found seven scrolls or parts of scrolls and fragments, along with store jars and broken pottery jars in a cave overlookingthe northwest end of the Dead Sea. When a dealer acting on behalf of the shepherds sold the scrolls, they came to the attention of scholars in Jerusalem and then the scholarly world.

Subsequent investigations in the area of the cave of discovery ultimately led to the recovery of documents in a total of eleven caves and the excavation of a modest ruin nearby known as Khirbet (the ruin of) Qumran. All of this was occurring as the modern State of Israel was coming into existence, with all the political upheaval involved in that development. [2] As this century ends and a new one begins, efforts for a peaceful political settlement in the region continue and give signs of reaching fruition. In the meantime, scholars continue to study the multitude of fragments recovered and to attempt to assess their significance.

Among the more than eight hundred documents represented by whole scrolls, incomplete scrolls, and a myriad of fragments which have been recovered are complete copies or portions of all the books in the Hebrew Bible (our OT), except for the Book of Esther. These texts are older by at least a thousand years than any previous biblical texts written in Hebrew that we had prior to the discovery. They provide a window into the textual history of the OT prior to the closure of the canon. [3]

Besides copies of scriptural texts, from the caves in the Qumran area came sectarian documents that open a panorama on the obscure Jewish group apparently related to the production and deposition of the manuscripts. [4] This group was likely the Essenes, previously known from references to them in the writings of Flavius Josephus, Philo Judaeus, and Pliny the Elder. All the texts discovered, taken together, open a critical window into events in Palestine in the decades prior to and following the birth of Christ (although no NT texts were found among the scrolls) up to the time of the First Jewish Revolt against the Romans. The historical period of the Dead Sea Scrolls illuminates the environment in which Christianity developed in Palestine, the transformation of Judaism into Rabbinic Judaism in the aftermath of the First Revolt of the Jews against the Romans with the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple, and the context in which the canonization of Holy Scripture was progressing.

The Dead Sea Scrolls now reside mainly in the Shrine of the Book, a part of the Israel Museum in Jerusalem where they are on display. The Copper Scroll can be seen in the Archaeological Museum in Amman, Jordan. Many of the small fragments are housed in the Rockefeller Museum in East Jerusalem. Scholars work almost exclusively with photographs and microfilm of the fragments, however, and these are available to scholars at many of the major universities around the world. It is likely that researchers will still be at work on the scrolls fifty years hence. [5]

2 THE HOUSE OF DAVID INSCRIPTION

More than a quarter of a century of excavations at Tel Dan in the north of Israel at the foot of Mount Hermon produced little in the way of written material. The excavations have been directed through the years since 1966 by Dr. Avraham Biran, distinguised Israeli archaeologist. Then on July 21, 1993, while work crews were preparing the site for visitors, a broken fragment of basalt stone was uncovered in secondary use in a wall. Surveyor Gila Cook glanced at the stone in the rays of the afternoon sun and saw what looked like alphabetic letters. On closer examination it turned out that, indeed, they had found an inscribed stone.. The discovery was of a fragment of a large monumental inscription, measuring about 32 cm. high and 22 cm. at its greatest width. Apparently the stone had been purposely broken in antiquity. It turned out that the stele fragment mentions King David's dynasty, "the House of David." As the preparatory work for tourism proceeded, two additional fragments of the stele were recovered in two separate, disparate locations in June of 1994. The partially reconstructed text reads as follows:

1. [ ... ...] and cut [ ... ]

2. [ ... ] my father went up [against him when] he fought at [ ... ]

3. And my father lay down, he went to his [ancestors]. And the king of I [s-]

4. rael entered previously in my father's land. [And] Hadad made me king.

5. And Hadad went in front of me, [and] I departed from [the] seven [ ...-]

6. s of my kingdom, and I slew [seve]nty kin[gs], who harnessed thou[sands of cha-]

7. Riots and thousands of horsemen (or: horses). [i killed Jeho]ram son of [Ahab]

8. king of Israel, and killed [Ahaz]iahu son of [Jehoram kin-]

9. g of the House of David. And I set [their towns into ruins and turned]

10. their land into [desolation ... ]

11. other [ ... and Jehu ru-]

12. led over Is[rael ... and I laid ]

13. siege upon [ ... ] [6]

The pavement and the wall where the fragments were found was laid at the end of the 9th or beginning of the 8th century BC, according to pottery fragments recovered in probes beneath the flagstone pavement. Since the fragment and the entire pavement was covered by the debris of the Assyrian destruction of Tiglath Pileser III, in 732 BC, it could not have been laid latter than that year.

The surmise is that Jehoash (798-782), grandson of Jehu, or Jehoash's son, Jeroboam II (793, co-regent 782-753), and more likely Jehoash, was the monarch who had this reminder of Aramaean domination smashed (2 Kgs 13:25). It is further assumed that Hazael (844/42-798?) was then king of Aram- Damascus, because Hazael fought against Jehoram of Israel and Ahaziah of Judah ( 2 Kgs 8:7-15, 28; 2 Chr 22:5). Hazael was followed by his son and successor, Ben-hadad III, early in the 8th century BC

The discovery provides an archaeological connection to the biblical references to the ruling dynasty established by King David approximately two centuries before the events that are mentioned in the inscription. It is the first mention of King David and the earliest mention of a biblical figure outside of the Bible. The discovery is of particular importance in the face of those scholars who were either skeptical or denied the historical existence of King David [7]

3 AMULET SCROLL [8]

In 1979 Israeli archaeologist Gabriel Barkay, working with a group of students from the Institute of Holy Land Studies (now Jerusalem University College), excavated several tombs in Jerusalem on the "Shoulder of Hinnom," on the southwestern slope of the Hinnom Valley adjacent to the Scottish Presbyterian Church of St. Andrew. In one burial cave a repository for grave goods was found, containing approximately 700 items, including burial gifts of pottery vessels, over 100 pieces of silver jewelry, arrowheads, bone and ivory artifacts, alabaster vessels, 150 beads and a rare, early coin. Among the silver items was a rolled-up amulet bearing the tetragrammaton, the name of God (the consonantal letters yod, he, waw, he), YHWH.

The tomb dates to the end of the Davidic dynasty, approximately the seventh century BC. The silver amulet thus dates to the end of the seventh or early sixth century. The prayer-like inscription containing the divine name provides the oldest extra-biblical evidence for the name of God thus far archaeologically recovered in Jerusalem. The scripture passage on the amulet is from the Aaronic or priestly blessing found in Num 6:24-25. The owner apparently wore the inscribed, rolled-up silver amulet during his/her lifetime, and people felt it appropriate that such objects should accompany the owner in death as in life.

Of secondary interest is the fact that the evidence from the Shoulder of Hinnom tombs indicates a population in the Jerusalem area in the aftermath of the Babylonian destruction of the city. The evidence also indicates a certain level of wealth on the part of those buried in the tombs.

4 GALILEE BOAT [9]

A severe drought in 1985-86 brought the Sea of Galilee to unusually low levels, exposing large areas of the lakebed along the shoreline. Two brothers–Moshe and Yuval Lufan--from Kibbutz Ginnosar, near Tiberias along the northwest shore of the sea, discovered the remains of a 2,000 year old boat buried in the mud along the shore. Israeli archaeologist Shelley Wachsman, an expert in marine archaeology, examined the sunken boat in situ and was able to confirm that it was an ancient rather than a modern craft. His judgment was based on a construction technique used in antiquity in which the planks of the hull were edge-joined with mortise and tendon joints held together by wooden pegs. This was the first time an ancient boat had been discovered in the Sea of Galilee.

The Galilee Boat on Permanent Display

at the Nof Ginosaur Museum.

The boat measured approximately 30 feet long and 8 feet wide at its greatest width. It was excavated during February, 1986, and carefully moved some 1600 yards to a specially constructed conservation pool where it remained for several years undergoing treatment for its preservation. On the basis of pottery fragments found in the boat, it has been dated between the latter part of the first century BC to approximately the mid-century AD. Seventeen pieces of pottery were used in the analysis, including a complete lamp and cooking pot, as well as identifiable fragments of cooking pots, store jars, a jug and juglets. The pottery was identifiable as a part of the assemblage known from other Galilee excavation sites. In addition, carbon 14 dating gave corroborating dates between 120 BC and AD 40.

Evidence was found that the boat could be both sailed and/or rowed. Apparently the boat could accommodate four oarsmen plus a helmsman. It is estimated that the boat could hold some fifteen individuals, similar to the boats in which Jesus and his twelve disciples traveled across the sea (See Matt 8:18, 23-27, 9:1, 14:13- 14, 22-32, 15:39, 16:5; Mark 4;35-41, 5:18, 21, 6:32-34, 45-51, 8:9-10, 13-14; Luke 6:1, 8:22-25, 37, 40; John 6:16-21).

In recent years the boat, now preserved through the conservation efforts, has a permanent home in a specially constructed exhibit hall at Kibbutz Ginnosar. It has become a highlight for tourists visiting the Holy Land and a visual reminder of the Gentle Teacher from Galilee.

5 BARUCH BULLA [10]

Literally hundreds of Hebrew seals and seal impressions have been discovered in the last century and a half either in authorized archaeological excavations or by clandestine diggers; the results of the latter ending up in the hands of antiquities dealers, subsequently to come into the hands of collectors or of scholars. Hardened clay seal impressions are called "bullae" (sg., bulla). Bullae have survived in damp earth in a remarkable way.

In biblical Israel, papyrus was the primary form of writing material. Once an official document was written, it would be rolled up, one end folded in one-third of the breadth and the opposite end similarly folded in. The document, now shortened by folding, was tied with a string and a lump of clay was impressed on the knotted string. Then the upper surface of the clay lump was impressed with the signet ring of the owner of the document or its writer. Such documents were stored in temple or palace archives, with the unbroken seal guaranteeing the validity of the document's contents.

The reason the clay bullae survived is that a conflagration that destroyed the building and the papyrus archive fired the clay sealings, making them practically indestructible. The evidence of the knotted cord to which the clay had been attached remains on the underside of the bullae.

Sometime during the 1970's, a bulla containing the stamp and name of the scribe of Jeremiah appeared on the antiquities market and was acquired by a collector, Dr. R. Hecht. He permitted Israeli archaeologist Nahman Avigad to publish the bulla, which came from an unidentified place, now thought to be the "burnt house" excavated by Yigal Shiloh. The bulla is now in the Israel Museum. It measures 17 by 16 mm, and is stamped with an oval seal, 13 by 11 mm. A single line borders the impression, and it is divided by double horizontal lines into three registers bearing the following inscription:

lbrkyhw Belonging to Berechiah

bn nryhw son of Neriah

hspr the scribe.

The script used is the pre-exilic ancient Hebrew linear script, rather than the post-exilic script adopted by Jews from the contemporary Aramaic script. Reading the Hebrew from right to left, the first letter, Heb (l), is the preposition "to, belonging to," and the last three letters, heb. (yhw)is a shortened form of the name of God, Heb. (yhwh), the shortened form was likely pronounced "yahu." Baruch's name means "Blessed of the Lord (Yahweh)."

This bulla was without doubt from the impression of Baruch ben Neriah , the scribe who wrote to the dictation of the prophet Jeremiah (Jer 36:4). Dr. Avigad expressed his personal feelings as he worked with the Baruch Bulla as having the feeling "of personal contact with persons who figure prominently in the dramatic events in which the giant figure of Jeremiah and his faithful follower Baruch were involved at a most critical time preceding the downfall of Judah." [11]

Avigad also published a seal bearing the inscription "Belonging to Seraiah (ben) Neriah." Seriah was the "chief chamberlain" in the court of King Zedekiah (Jer 51:59). [12] He accompanied the king to Babylon, and he carried a written oracle from the prophet Jeremiah looking for the ultimate destruction of Babylon, which he was to read aloud on his arrival in the city, then to throw the document into the Euphrates (Jer 59:64). Seriah ben Neriah was the brother of Baruch ben Neriah, and both were close friends of the prophet Jeremiah.

6 OSSUARY OF CAIAPHAS [13]

A dump truck accidentally smashed through the roof of a tomb in November, 1990, during some work in the Jerusalem Peace Forest, leading to the discovery of the ossuary which contained the bones of the High Priest in the time of Jesus. The Jerusalem Peace Forest is located on the southwest side of old Jerusalem, across the Hinnom Valley from Mt. Zion. Here, on the slope of the hills is a large cemetery from the late Second Temple era (1st century BC to 1st century AD). Rock-cut burial chambers used by Jews in this period contained typically four burial niches, shelves cut into the sides of the chamber; ossuaries are also characteristic of and unique to the period.

An ossuary is a stone bone box, used for secondary burials. Initially the body is laid to rest in a burial niche. After decomposition, the bones were collected and placed in an ossuary, making the burial niche available for a subsequent burial. Tombs belonged to families, so subsequent burials were normal. Two of a dozen ossuaries in the tomb contained a form of the name Qafa', or Caiaphas. Several of the ossuaries were decorated with traditional carved rosettes, zig-zag patterns, and other designs. The most intricately carved ossuary was decorated with two circles each containing five rosettes, and twice carved into an undecorated side appears the name, "Yehosef bar Qafa'" (Joseph son of Caiaphas). The ossuary contained the remains of six people: two infants, a child aged two to five, a boy aged 13 to 18, an adult female and a man about 60 years old. The latter are believed to be the bones of Caiaphas, before whom Jesus was brought for questioning (Matt 26:3, 57; Luke 3:2; John 11:49, 18:13, 14, 24, 28; Acts 4:6) [14]

7 PONTIUS PILATE INSCRIPTION

Replica of Pilate Inscription on Display at Caesarea.

Pontius Pilate was the fifth governor of Roman Judea, under whose governance Jesus of Nazareth was crucified (Matt 27:2, plus 60 additional occurrences in the gospels, Acts, and 1 Timothy). He was appointed by the emperor Tiberius in AD 26 and suspended by L. Vitellius, Roman governor of Syria, in AD 37, after slaughtering a number of Samaritans at Mt. Gerizim.

Although Pilate is also mentioned in Josephus, Philo and Tacitus and coins issued during his governance exist, inscriptional evidence for Pilate was discovered in Italian excavations at Caesarea Maritima in 1961. Antonio Frova, director of the excavations, found a dedicatory stone that bore a three-line inscription: Tiberieum/[Pon]tius Pilatus/[Praef]ectus Iuda[eae], "Tiberius [the Roman emperor of the period]/Pontius Pilate/Prefect of Judea." The stone, in secondary use in the theatre at Caesarea, had been shaped to fit its new use and in the process some of the inscription had been mutilated, although it was easily reconstructed. The inscription not only confirms the historicity of Pilate, it clarifies the title that he bore as governor. It is now on display in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.

8 EKRON INSCRIPTION [15]

In 1993, archaeologists Seymour Gitin of the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research and Trude Dothan of Hebrew University of Jerusalem, were in their thirteenth and final season of excavations at Tel Miqne in Israel. They had long suspected that Tel Miqne was the site of one of the main cities of the Philistine pentapolis, specifically biblical Ekron (Josh 13:3, plus 23 other references in the OT). Then a royal dedicatory inscription carved into a slab of limestone dramatically confirmed the place name, along with the names of five of its rulers, and two of them are specifically mentioned in the Bible.

The inscription was found in a destruction layer attributed to the Babylonian conquest dating to 603 BC It was within a 186 by 124 foot structure, considered a temple complex. The complex followed the design of known Assyrian palaces, and one section contained a sanctuary with a stone pavement; the inscription had fallen in the destruction to the pavement. The five lines of the inscription reads:

1. The temple which he built, 'kysh (Achish, Ikausu) son of Padi, son of

2. Ysd son of Ada, son of Ya'ir, ruler of Ekron,

3. For Ptgyh his lady. May she bless him, and

4. protect him, and prolong his days, and bless

5. his land.

Both Ikausu and his father, Padi, are known from Assyrian records as kings of Ekron. Sennacherib's annals mention Padi, in connection with the Assyrian campaign against the region in 701 BC that included the siege of King Hezekiah's Jerusalem. Padi also payed his taxes to his Assyrian overlord in 699 BC, as recorded on a royal clay sealing, indicating a contribution of a light talent of silver, about 67.5 pounds. Ikausu is numbered among twelve regional kings who transported building materials to Nineveh for the construction of the palace of Esarhaddon (680-669 BC) and also in a list of kings who assisted Ashurbanipal in his first campaign against Egypt in 667 BC The other three kings in this Philistine dynasty, Ysd, Ada and Yair, are otherwise unattested.

The goddess Ptgyh may be an unknown Philistine deity or, more likely, by reading the damaged fourth letter of the name as "nun=n", as Pt[n]yh. [16] This would be read as "Potnia," meaning "mistress" or "lady," the formal title used for various goddesses in ancient Greek The goddess behind the title was likely Asherah, a Semitic deity, since the other known Philistine deities bear clearly Semitic names: Dagon and Ba`al-zebul. The inscription thus helps confirm that the Philistines, whose origins were in Caphtor=Crete, in biblical tradition (See Amos 9:7), had largely assimilated to Canaanite culture in the centuries between their arrival and the dedication of the temple of Ekron.

9 MOUNT EBAL ALTAR [17]

This is a controversial pick, because the interpretation of the discovery is far from settled; nevertheless, Israeli archaeologist Adam Zertal, who came across the ruins during an archaeological survey of the tribal region of Manasseh in 1980, still adheres to his interpretation. He went on to excavate the site located on Mt Ebal, the mountain from which Joshua pronounced the curses, [18] lying opposite Mt. Gerizim, the mountain of blessings, and separated by the valley in which the ruins of ancient Shechem lie near modern Nablus. He determined to excavate the site because in the survey he had found a great quantity of pottery sherds lying around the large pile of stones. The sherds dated to Iron Age I, ca. 1220-1000 BC, the period in which Israelites apparently settled in Canaan, as well as the period of the Judges. Further, though many Iron Age I sites were discovered in the survey, this was the only such site on Mt. Ebal.

Photo of Mount Ebal by Todd Bolen - BiblePlaces.Com

IDIOT!!! QUAG DISPUTE THAT.

Edited July 17, 2010 by hambone

[Guest]

Don't even comment Quag I doubt you read any of that post, or will read any of that post.

[Guest]

Other Major Archaeological Finds Relating to the New Testament

Uncovered--------------------------Location-------------------Scripture.

Herod's temple---------------------jerusalem----------------------lk 1:9

Herod's winter palace--------------Jericho-------------------------Mt 2:4

The Herodium-----------------------Near Bethlehem------------------Mt 2"19

Masada-----------------------------Southwest of Dead Sea-----------Cf Lk 21:20

Early synagogue--------------------Capernaum-----------------------Mk 1:21

Pool of Siloam---------------------Jerusalem-----------------------Jn 9:7

Pool of Bethesda-------------------Jerusalem-----------------------Jn 5:2

Pilate inscription-----------------Caesarea------------------------Lk 3:1

Inscription: Gentile

entrance of temple-----------------Jerusalem-----------------------Ac 21:27-29

Skeletal remains of

crucified man----------------------Jerusalem-----------------------Lk 23:33

Peter's house----------------------Capernaum-----------------------Mt 8:14

Jacob's well-----------------------Nablus--------------------------Jn 4:5-6

I have seen them all and have photo's, you want some more. Have also seen

everyone of the previous posts and have photo's.

Jesus himself said "If men would not praise Him, The rocks themselves would

cry out" Wonder if He meant ARCHAEOLOGY?

[Guest]

I'VE BEEN ACCUSED OF BEING A TROLL. SOMEONE TELL ME WHAT THE HE** THAT MEANS.

I HAVE ALSO BEEN CALLED AN IDIOT AND A FEW OTHER WORDS. NO I THINK I WILL STAND FOR

THE LORD AND HIS WORD. I CAN EASILY LIVE FOR HIM, FOR GOODNESS SAKE HE DIED FOR ME.

THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH KNOWING THAT GOD IS. ALTHOUGH THE WORLD WILL HATE YOU FOR

IT, BUT ONLY IF YOUR GOD IS JESUS CHRIST, OR THE GOD OF ABRAHAM. just about every

other god is o.k. JUST DON'T MENTION JESUS! Why I wonder? There is only one truth.

[Quag]

Izzy, if you still bother to read this, you were right, i was naive.

hambone, your right i didnt read all your post the parts i read were compeltely irrelevant and had nothign to do with anything whatsoever. your scriptures havent stop changing and i doubt they ever will. what does non miraculous stuff that happens in the bible have to do with proving it is all 100% true?? ever heard of the iliad and the trojan war? an AMATEUR archeologist named Schliemann used the iliad to find troy. Hmm according to your logic if the iliad was precise enough for someone to discover troy then it must be 100% true. sorry dude your god is fails only Zeus, Poseidon, Appolo etc are the real gods. seriously. One more comment i missed before. The dead sea scrolls are not exact copies of your scriptures, they compliment them and include tons of stuff that wasnt in them. once again STOP LYING!

Ok this is not for Hambone, this is for anyone else who decides to read this thread. If you open this thread up near the end realize this Hambone has a very very limited comprehension of both science and history. If you choose to believe in whatever form of god you want feel free do do so but DO NOT use anything hambone has said as reasoning. Everthing he has written has either been blatant lies, half truths or completely irrelevant to the actual topic. If so inclined go back and read through the entire thread to see the proofs of Hambones errrors.

[Guest]

Will you just respect that Hambone believes in god and he is explaining why he does so? You don't need to call him a liar. It's not like he's trying to force people to believe the way he does.

[Quag]

I can respect that he believes in god, i cannot respect him put up lies, halftruths and other nonesense for his proof. he gave his reasons a few pages back the rest is just plain garbage. he is the one to claim he has the one truth then backs it up with lies and misinformation. if it is the one truth he shouldnt need to do so, the fact that he feels compelled to could point to insecurities on his part or a desire to trick others into his belief. maybe there is another reaso,n im not sure. Again if you want read the entire thread, hambone is so far off base on science and history it isnt funny

[Guest]

Thank you blablah99, For some reason Quag thinks I am attacking him and admits he has not read the threads. Thinks this is personal and it really bothers him. Sorry Quag, NOT. I can only imagine what is said behind my back in PM's, I really don't care what any of you think, especially if you don't believe in God. I am not the one believing lies, I think you are. This is my and 1/3 of the populations reasons to see Creation. These are not my beliefs only. I will say this, according to the Bible you don't believe in, When Satan was cast out of Heaven he took a 1/3 of the Heavenly angels with him. Maybe God wants to replace what was lost. Though He wants to replace them with people who choose to Believe in Him and worship Him out of FREE WILL, so that it won't happen again. Quag you have a serious problem dude, if you don't want to read or agree with what is in this thread DON'T READ IT, JACKA**.

Edited July 17, 2010 by hambone

[Guest]

Andromeda, your right. Have gotten some not so hot pm's though.

Edited July 17, 2010 by hambone

[andromeda]

OFF TOPIC: If anyone feels like they're being disrespected, feel free to push the REPORT button at the particular post that contains the offensive word/phrase.

[Guest]

I can respect that he believes in god, i cannot respect him put up lies, halftruths and other nonesense for his proof. he gave his reasons a few pages back the rest is just plain garbage. he is the one to claim he has the one truth then backs it up with lies and misinformation. if it is the one truth he shouldnt need to do so, the fact that he feels compelled to could point to insecurities on his part or a desire to trick others into his belief. maybe there is another reaso,n im not sure. Again if you want read the entire thread, hambone is so far off base on science and history it isnt funny

Nevermind:

Edited July 17, 2010 by hambone

[Guest]

I would like to see if anyone who debates God's existence and divine Creation bring some proof, what they see as evidence, why they don't believe. You are all atheists or agnostics, and have pounded on all those who do believe (and have stated that yourselves in the beginning of this thread) to a point they don't want to comment. I on the other hand am not afraid or thin skinned enough to be bothered by anything you say, or to make me stop showing what I believe to be evidence. Which is what most of you would like. Just take your Jesus and go away. Oh I'm a troll I guess, and laid in wait and hiding for over a year for this topic I had no idea I would put up. Anyone who does not know me, check my post history. where it has been the most. New Word Riddles.

[Guest]

A personal message I sent to Quag, a simple question really: it's not private, though I don't think he will be back to this thread. So I'll print in below. I think it's a good question.

There is a scripture in the Bible that says Jesus said about the Temple of Solomon "You see all these stones here before you, I tell you the truth, not one stone will be left upon another until all be torn down". Okay, no big deal right? That temple was destroyed in 70 a.d. when Titus of Rome sacked Jerusalem. World History. That however is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible. Though we know it happened. If men wrote and or changed the Word or precious scriptures as you say, why then did it not read something like this, somewhere in the Bible "And just like Jesus predicted or said, in 70 a.d. Titus of Rome destroyed the Temple, burned it to the ground (and because of the amount of Gold they used in the building of it) and when they did the gold melted into cracks and crevices. Men broke even debris apart looking for gold. Not one stone left upon another." The reason it's not in there, It had not happened yet. That simple.