Sunday Sermons

Archaeology and the New Testament

Mark Dunagan
07/01/01 - Sunday Morning

Archaeology and the New Testament

It was once thought by critics of the Bible that Luke, writer of the most historically detailed Gospel and of Acts, had concocted his narrative from the rambling of his imagination, because he ascribed odd titles to authorities and mentioned governors that no one knew. The evidence now points in exactly the opposite direction. Roman historian A.N. Sherwin-White notes, “For Acts the confirmation of historicity is overwhelming. Any attempt to reject its basic historicity must now appear absurd. Roman historians have long taken it for granted” (Roman Society and Roman Law in the New Testament, p. 189). William F. Albright says, “All radical schools in New Testament criticism which have existed in the past, or which exist today, are pre-archaeology, and are therefore, since they were built in the air, quite antiquated today” (Retrospect and Prospect in New Testament Archaeology, p. 29). We should not be surprised that Luke is an accurate historian, for the Scriptures are the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16), and Luke noted, “it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order…so that you might know the exact truth about the things you have been taught” (Luke 1:3-4).

Names and Titles

Gallio, Proconsul of Achaia: This designation in Acts 18:12-17 was thought to be impossible, but an inscription at Delphi notes this exact title for the man and dates him to the time at which Paul was in Corinth (A.D. 51).

Lysanias, Tetrarch of Abilene (Luke 3:1): Lysanias was unknown to modern historians until an inscription was found recording a temple dedication, which mentions the name, the title, and is in the right place.

Erastus (Acts 19:22): Erastus is named as a Corinthian who becomes a co-worker of Paul. If Luke were going to make up any names, this would seem to be the best place to do it. How would anyone know? In excavating Corinth, an inscription was found near the theater, which reads, “Erastus in return for his aedileship laid the pavement at his own expense”. In addition to these, Luke gives correct titles for the following officials: Cyprus, proconsul (Acts 13:7-8); Thessalonica, politarchs (Acts 17:6); Ephesus,temple wardens (19:35); Malta, the first man of the island (28:7). Each of these has been confirmed by Roman usage. In all, Luke names 32 countries, 54 cities, and nine islands without error.

The Book of Acts and Specific Local Knowledge

The proper river port, Perga, for a ship crossing from Cyprus (13:13). 2. The proper location of Lycaonia (14:6). 3. The unusual but correct declension of the name Lystra and the correct language spoken in Lystra. Correct identification of the two gods associated with the city, Zeus and Hermes (14:12). 4. The proper port, Attalia, for returning travelers (14:25). 5. The correct route from the Cilician Gates (16:1). 6. The proper form of the name Troas (16:8). 7. The conspicuous sailor’s landmark at Samothrace (16:11). 8. The proper identification of Philippi as a Roman colony. The right location for the river Gangites near Philippi (16:13). 9. Association of Thyatira with cloth dyeing (16:14). 10. The proper locations where travelers would spend successive nights on this journey (17:1). 11. The correct explanation that sea travel is the most convenient way to reach Athens in summer with favoring east winds (17:14). 12. Depiction of philosophical debate in the agora (17:17). Use in 17:18-19 of the correct slang epithet for Paul, and the correct name for the court. Accurate description of Athenian character (17:21). Correct identification of altar to “an unknown god” (17:23). 13. The name Tyrannus, attested on the first-century inscription (19:9). 14. The permanent stationing of a Roman cohort in the Fortress Antonia (21:31). The flight of steps used by the guards (21:31,35). 15. Note of the right of appeal by a Roman citizen (25:11). 16. Correct identification of the best shipping lanes of the time (27:4). 17. Use of the commonly joined names of Cilicia and Pamphylia to describe the coast (27:4). Reference to the principal port at which to find a ship sailing to Italy (27:5). Note of the typically slow passage to Cnidus in the face of northwest wind (27:7). The location of Fair Havens and neighboring Lasea (27:8), and the correct description of Fair Havens as poorly sheltered for wintering(27:12). 18. Description of the tendency in these climes for a south wind to suddenly become a violent northeaster (27:13). The nature of a square—rigged ship to have no option but be driven before a gale (27:15). 19. Appropriate sailors’ maneuvers at the time for a storm (27:16-19). The fourteenth night judged by experienced Mediterranean navigators, to be an appropriate time for this journey in a storm (27:27). The precise term, bolisantes, for taking soundings.

The Census in Luke 2:1-5

Critics for years argued that Luke was wrong about this census, for there was no record of such a census. But we now know that regular censuses were taken in Egypt, Gaul, and Cyrene. The present tense that Luke uses points strongly toward understanding this as a repeated event. Quirinius did take a census, but that was in A.D. 6. Luke does mention this latter census in Acts 5:37. It is quite likely that Luke’s meaning is that censuses were taken throughout the empire at different times, and Augustus started this process. Note the expression, “this was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria” (Luke 2:2). According to the very papers that recorded censuses, there was in fact a census taken in about 8 or 7 B.C. A census was a massive project that probably took several years to complete. It is quite likely that the decree to begin the census in about 8 or 7 B.C., may not have actually begun in Palestine until some time later, such as 5 or 4 B.C.. It was not unusual that people be required to return to the place of their origin.

The Nazareth Decree

A slab of stone was found in Nazareth in 1878 A.D., inscribed with a decree from Emperor Claudius (A.D. 41-54) that no graves should be disturbed or bodies extracted or moved. This type of decree is not uncommon, but the startling fact is that here the punishment for a violation is death. Other notices warned of a fine, but death for disturbing graves? A likely explanation is that Claudius, having heard of the teaching of the resurrection of Jesus while investigating the riots of A.D. 49, decided not to let any such report surface again.

Jesus of Nazareth

Thomas Paine, the author of Common Sense and The Age of Reason said of Jesus Christ, “There is no history written at the time Jesus Christ is said to have lived that speaks of the existence of such a person, even such a man”. In his essay Why I Am Not a Christian, Bertrand Russell wrote, “Historically it is quite doubtful whether Christ ever existed at all, and if he did we know nothing about him”. These are bold and confident statements, that also happen to be rooted in ignorance (1 Timothy 1:7; 6:20).

Tacitus: The first-century Roman Tactius is considered one of the more accurate historians of the ancient world. He writes, “Christus (Latin for Christ), suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of his procurators, Pontius Pilatus” (Annals 15.44). Suetonius: Was the chief secretary to the Emperor Hadrian (reign 117-138 A.D.). He notes that because the Jews at Rome caused continuous disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus, he expelled them from the city”(Claudius, 25). The New Testament speaks of this in Acts 18:2. Josephus: Flavius Josephus (37-97 A.D.) was a Jewish revolutionary who changed allegiance to the Romans in the Jewish revolt in time to save his life. He became a historian working under the auspices of Emperor Vespasian. He speaks of James “the brother of Jesus”, who is called Christ (Antiquities 20:9). He also mentions Jesus as, “a wise man named Jesus. His conduct was good and was known to be virtuous. And many people from among the Jews and other nations became his disciples” (18:3). Pliny the Younger: Was a Roman author and administrator. In a letter to the Emperor Trajan in about 112 A.D., he describes the activities of early Christians: “They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ , as to a god”(Letters 10:96). Talmud: Talmudic writings of most value concerning the historical Jesus are those compiled between 70 A.D. and 200 A.D.. The most significant test is Sanhedrin 43a: “On the eve of Passover Yeshua was hanged” (Babylonian Talmud). Lucian: Lucian of Samosata was a second-century Greek writer whose works contain sarcastic critiques of Christianity: “The Christians, you know, worship a man to this day—the distinguished personage who introduced their novel rites, and was crucified on that account” (Death of Pelegrine, 11-13).

Unreliable Writers?

Negative Bible critics charge that the New Testament documents are unreliable since they were written by disciples of Jesus or later Christians. Yet all of the above is overwhelming evidence that the New Testament is a reliable and accurate record composed by contemporaries and eyewitnesses of the events. There are more manuscripts, earlier manuscripts, better copied manuscripts, and manuscripts written by more people who were closer to the events than for any other piece of ancient history. If the New Testament record is unreliable, we have no hope for any reliable knowledge of ancient happenings. The objection that the writings are partisan argues that witnesses cannot be reliable if they were close to the one about whom they gave testimony. This is clearly false. Survivors of the Jewish holocaust were close to the events they have described to the world. That very fact puts them in the best position to know what really happened. In like manner, the survivors of the Normandy invasion, the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam War or the Oklahoma City bombing, are the best source of what really happened. In all other areas, the testimony of the eyewitnesses is viewed as the best evidence, why does this not apply to the life of Jesus Christ?

The Death of Christ

From a historical point of view, it is clear that Jesus really lived and that He really was crucified during the reign of Pontus Pilate. In addition to those facts, according to Julius Africanus (221 A.D.), the first century Samaritan-born historian, Thallus (52 A.D.), when discussing the darkness which fell upon the land during the crucifixion of Christ, spoke of it as an eclipse. The Roman writer, Phlegon, who spoke of Christ’s death and resurrection in his Chronicles, saying, “Jesus, while alive, was of no assistance to himself, but that he arose after death, and exhibited the marks of his punishment, and showed how his hands had been pierced by nails (Phlegon, Chronicles, cited by Origen, 4:455). According to Origen, this Roman writer even mentioned the eclipse in the time of Tiberias Caesar, in whose reign Jesus appears to have been crucified, and the great earthquakes which then took place” (445). (See Matthew 27:51; 45).

Mark Dunagan/Beaverton Church of Christ/503-644-9017