Imagine, 2500 years from now that your receipt from Costco is found (finally, you can return that ill-fitting shirt) and its discovery provides valuable evidence for the reliability of the Bible. Sound ridiculous? Well that is essentially what often happens when archeology is able to corroborate historical people and incidents found in the Bible.
Just recently, an ancient "Costco" receipt was discovered in the holdings of the British Museum that identifies the name and title of an obscure figure of history mentioned in the Bible in Jeremiah 39. The guys name is Nebo-Sarsekim and he is a member of Nebuchadnezzar II's government.
The corroboration of obscure figures through archeology is highly significant since it points to the careful nature that stories in Scripture were recorded in order to be accurate. In other words, stories weren't simply told in order to advance an agenda--they express reality.
Jesus is the epicenter of my acceptance of the Old Testament. His words in Matthew 5 about the entire Old Testament being in force until heaven and earth pass away says volumes about why it matters. But stories like this add an element of undeniability to the Bible for the casual observer and I hope cause them to look more closely at what God has to say.
Wow, I hadn't seen this story! I will have to check it out.
Posted by: Mo | July 17, 2007 at 09:30 AM