N.T. Archeological Evidence
1.Christianity unique in that it can, must be defended, I Pet.3:15
2.Last week described exciting archeological find, James Ossuary.
3.Understandably made headlines, but made many unhappy.
a.Provides evidence for faith in NT account. Embarrasses liberals.
b.Refutes Mariology. Embarrasses Catholics.
c.Produced frantic efforts to mitigate significance.
d.Naive reporters repeated face saving efforts to diminish:
“The only archeological evidence supporting faith in the NT”
“Nothing else confirming existence of Christ ever been found.”
4.Disgusting, ignorant “Hogwash.” Will demonstrate by considering
only the tip of the iceberg of evidence from archeology (for NT).
I.James Ossuary (Bone Box)
A.Is earliest archaeologicalartifact that refers directly to Jesus;
1.“breathtaking significance” Biblical Archeology, 11/02, p.25
2.Confirms James father, Joseph, and brother Jesus.
a.Resurrected Lord appeared, I Cor.15:7;
b.Leader in Jerusalem church, Gal.1:19; 2:9; A.12:17; 15:13
c,Tradition describes death by fall from Temple and club.
3.Attests threenames, unprecedented in single inscription and
confirms familial relationship, devastating to Mariology.
4.Reliably dated 63 A.D., 1 year after James’s death, earlier than
much of NT. Eusebius (260-339 AD) quotes Hegesippua (150 AD)
who describes James death.
B.Unreasonable to doubt it refers to Jesus and Joseph of N.T.
1.Statistical analysis:
Rahmani’s catalog of ossuaries lists 233 inscriptions.
Joseph appears 19 times; Jesus 10 times and James 5.
Joseph appeared in 14%; Jesus in 9% and James in 2%.
Therefore 0.14% named James would son of Joseph.
Assuming each had 2 brothers, over two generations, 0.05%
of population: James son of Joseph w/ brother named Jesus.
Population of Jerusalem estimated at 80K, 1/2 male = 40K
in 2 generations before 70AD. Possibly 20 such people.
2.Brothers virtually never mentioned on ossuary. One other ex.
when brother was very significant. Two of 20? Very unlikely.
3.Therefore unreasonable to doubt the crucial significance.
C.Is by no means the only, nor even the earliest non-scriptural
attestation of the Biblical record of Christianity.
II.Caiaphas Ossuary
A.Key figure during the last days of Jesus, the high priest.
1.Appears in three gospels (all except Mark) and in Acts.
2.Matt.26 describes Caiaphas and other priests interrogating
Jesus and then handing him over to Pilate for trial.
3.According to Josephus, Caiaphas was actually a nickname,
and refers him as “Joseph, who was called Caiaphas.”
B.Ossuary discovery in 1990 in a Jerusalem burial cave.
1.Among a dozen ossuaries was one particularly ornate bone
box inscribed on back side with “Joseph son of Calaphas.” Inside the box were the remains a man about 60 years old.
2.Undoubtably was the high priest of the New Testament.
III. Other New Testament Figures
A.Pontius Pilate
1.Most powerful figure in Jesus day, Roman governor of Judea. 2.Ruled from about 26 to 37 G.E. from the seaport of Cacsarea.
after pressure from mobs in Jerusalem and their leaders.
4.Matt.27:24, washes his hands, declares, “I am innocent…”
5.For centuries only knowledge outside NT was from
Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian;
Philo, a first-century G.E. Jewish philosopher;
Tacitus, the Roman historian (c. 55-120 A.D.).
6.Changed in 1961, when excavators at Caesarea uncovered
limestone block inscribed in Latin that reads:
- (Tiberieum)
- (Pontius Pilate)
- (Prefect of Judaea)
7.Dedicatory inscription carved for building erected by Pilate
in Caesarea in honor of Emperor Tiberius. Unfortunately,
inscription was partly destroyed when the stone was cut for
reuse as a step in a Byzantine fortress.
8.Several coins minted by Pontius Pilate have also survived.
B. Herod the Great, Mattt.2:1
1.Ruled Judea under patronage of Rome from 37 BC to 4 AD. 2.2.Mentioned often in NT, by Josephus, other ancient historians
3.Impact still seen at numerous impressive sites, part of
remarkable and audacious building program,
a.Constructed the port city of Caesarea Maritima,
b.Grand palaces at Jericho, desert fortress at Masada,
c.Greatly expanded TempleMount and rebuilt the Temple.
4.Herod and family are also attested on coins they minted.
a.On a bronze coin struck in Samaria, third year of rule,
Greek reading “of King Herod,” surround tripod of Apollo.
b.Herod’s great-grandson, Herod Agrippa II ruled 50-93 AD,
called King Agrippa, A.25:13-26:32. Hears Paul’s defense. c.Coin minted in Caesarea Philippi (Banias) during reign of
Domitian, 81-96 AD, bears name Agrippa (]
in the second line of a legend flanking the image of goddess of fortune, who carries a cornucopia and grain.
5.Another Herod, Acts 12:21, 23 Bust.
C. EmperorTiberius
1.Tribute Penny, Matt.22:21, “Render unto Caesar…”
2.This denarius, featuring Tiberius on the obverse and his
mother Livia on the reverse, is the of coin Jesus held up.
3.It is the only style of denarius of the reigning Emperor that
would have been in circulation at the time.
D.Sergius Paulus
1.Acts 13:6-12, Paul’s missionary visit to Paphos on Cyprus. Met Roman governor, Sergius Paulus, whom he converted.
2.Stone found in town near Paphos bears his name and title, “proconsul,” attesting to name and office.
3.Another memorial stone w/same name, found 10 yrs later in Rome, where he returned after serving as governor in Cyprus.
E.Erastus
1.Rom.16:23, from Corinth, describes Erastus as “city treasurer.”
2.Incription: "Erastus, in return for his aedileship (treasurer),
laid this pavement at his own expense.”
3.Josephus describes Erastus as man of great dignity.
F.Gallio
1. Acts 18:12-17 says Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, which includes
Corinth. Paul went before his judgment seat, AD 51.
2.Inscribed on several pieces of broken stone in Delphi, Greece,
fragmented text of letter from the Roman emperor Claudius,
41-54 A.D. Mentions “Gallio my friend and proconsul.”
3.Inscription confirms not only that Gallio occupied the office,
but he was a proconsul of Achaia while Paul was in Corinth.
Now on display in Delphi, used by scholars as an anchor for
the chronology of Paul’s activities.
4.Paul says all will be before God’s Judgment Seat, Rom.14:10
G.Ephesus
1.Acts 19:34, “Great is Artimas (Diana) of the Ephesians.”
2.Acts 19:29 “into the theater”
H.Cesar Agustus
1.Lk.2:2, Degreed world be enrolled.
2.Emperor at time of birth of Jesus
I.Quirinius
1.Lk.2:2, “governor of Syria.” Organized 1st census of Judea.
2.Inscription recovered at Antioch of Pricidia. Dates 11-8 BC
3.Tombstone of Roman soldier in Archaeological Museum of Venice
4.Census is mentioned by Josephus (Antiquties 20.97-98).
J.Claudius Caesar, Acts 11:28 Picture
K.Nero
a.Burned Rome, blamed Christians. Ordered out of Rome.
b.Imprisoned Paul and Peter in Mamertine Prison.
c.Tradition says both Peter and Paul imprisoned for 9 months
then led to death in 97AD. Peter was crucified upside down in
Nero’s Circus. Paul, Roman citizen, was beheaded outside walls of Rome and with Roman sword at the third milestone, on the way to the port of Ostia.
d.Clement (AD 95) testifies:
“weeping friends took his corpse and carried it for burial to
subterranean labyrinths (the Catacombs), where through
many ages of oppression, the persecuted church found refuge
for the living and sepulchers for the dead.” ROM.,I,5.
L.Vespatian, Ordered his son Titus to destroy Jerusalem.
M. Titus
a.Destroyed Jerusalem. Prophesied, Deut.28:49; Matt.24:1-2, 28. 15
b.Looted Temple depicted in Arch Of Titus in Rome.
CONCLUSION
1.Truly the tip of the iceburg. Much, much more evidence.
2.Papyri Fragments from 50 AD, additional, similar evidence.
3.We can, must give rational defense, reason for faith, I Pet.3:15.