Archeological Digs in Jerusalem Supports the Biblical Record
Excavation sites that resemble biblical structures recorded in the Old Testament, and the lack of non-Jewish religious artifacts at those sites support that God inspired the Old Testament.
The Jerusalem Post reports that archeological digs in ancient Jerusalem, the city of David, unearth two seals with the names of individuals that appeared in the Old Testament book of Jeremiah. In July 2008, a seal impression belonging to Gedalyahu ben Pashur was uncovered completely intact and another seal impression belonging to Yehukual ben Shelemyahu was uncovered in 2005. Both seals are believe to be about 2600 years old, and both names are mentioned (Jeremiah 38 1-4) as ministers to King Zedekiah of Israel (597-586 BCE). http://www.jpost.com/Local-Israel/In-Jerusalem/Seal-of-King-Zedekiahs-minister-found-in-Jlem-dig
Although it is impossible to say with 100% certainty that the seals are from the same individuals recorded in the Bible, it is a reasonable assumption that they belong to the biblical individuals described in Jeremiah considering the seals’ burial place, age and names matched.
Another excavation site found evidence of King David’s temple. According to an article in the Biblical History Daily a major monument was uncovered by lie south of the Temple Mount in the ancient Jerusalem, a large stone structure. Using textual and archaeological evidence, Nadav Na’aman identify these monuments as the remains of King David’s palace. www.biblicalarchaeology.org
Another excavation site near the home of Goliath, about 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem, is consistent with a Jewish military outpost. NBC News reported on May 8, 2012 the excavation site, Khirbet Qeiyafa, is consistent with a Jewish military outpost. Weapons, animal bones, and various cultic paraphernalia is consistent with biblical account of the northern Kingdom of Israel’s culture. Yosef Garfinkel, an archaeologist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem confidently reports that the population on Khirbet Qeiyafa observed the biblical bans on pork and on graven images, thus observed different religious practices than the Canaanites or the Philistines. http://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/3-000-year-old-artifacts-reveal-history-behind-biblical-david-f761720
Although there are many voices that pointed to the lack of artifacts bearing King David’s image and name to discredit the Bible’s account, 150 years of excavation work has yield no tangible evidence that discredits the Bible’s account of Israel or King David. Critics of the Old Testament forget that devote Jewish leaders exalted God and not themselves. According to the Bible, David followed the commands given in the Bible:
“Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.” (Deuteronomy 10:20 NIV)
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.” (Exodus 20:3-4)
If there were decorative artifacts bearing King David’s name, the artifacts would contradict the Bible’s account of King David’s life.