In Depth:  archaeology

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

On tours of the Holy Land over the years, I have found visitors captivated by archaeological ruins but often repelled by churches. Particularly if still in use, they can have all the trappings of religion but lack authenticity. Many evangelical Christians lack enthusiasm for such religious buildings.

This is a shame, as some of the oldest churches in existence have great apologetic value for the historicity and credibility of the Christian faith. Here are my top five, in no particular order, from the Holy Land.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Tony Robinson, the Time Team presenter, wrote a book called Archaeology is Rubbish. He wasn’t disowning the discipline that had given him a career after Blackadder. He was making the observation that most of the artefacts pulled out of the earth are the debris and detritus left behind by those who have gone before us.

That’s why drains and dumps are treasure troves for archaeologists. A recently announced broken piece of rubble from just such a drain in Jerusalem may be the find of 2025 for Bible archaeology!

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Archaeological excavation has been fairly muted in the Middle East during the present crisis there. However, a number of discoveries have been made in Egypt over the last year that have been in the news. One in particular may have significant bearing on how we read the Bible.

Any visitor to Egypt will have been awestruck by the stunning ruins of tombs, temples and pyramids. Among those memorable sights will probably be the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut in Luxor. Built as three terraces into the sides of a cliff it remains remarkably intact having been used and reused for different purposes over 3,000 years.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

From 1947, the recovery of fragments of Biblical texts in the region of the Dead Sea became one of the most celebrated archaeological discoveries of modern times.

Accidentally found by Arab shepherd boys, the first scraps proved to be part of a trove of over 1,000 manuscripts hidden by Jews from the Romans during the first century. A recent paper has announced new light being revealed from these ancient texts.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Recent archaeological discoveries in Jerusalem are helping to pinpoint the location of the crucifixion of Jesus.

The place of the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus is subject to some controversy. The fact is we don’t really know. There are clues in the Gospels – He was executed outside the city walls at a place called “the Skull” (Matt.27:33) and He was buried in an unused borrowed tomb (Matt. 27:57-60) described as a garden (John 19:41). The site of the crucifixion and burial are also described as being close to each other.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

One of the most interesting Israeli archaeologists you could meet is Gabriel Barkay. His archaeological career spans the history of modern Israel. As a Jew born in the Hungarian ghetto, he was within a week of being sent to a Nazi death camp.

Instead, he survived the war and emigrated to the fledgling state of Israel at the age of six. Growing up in Jerusalem with an enthusiasm for archaeology, Barkay’s knowledge of the history of the city is second to none. He became a specialist in ancient burial practices and discovered many of the Biblical period tombs around Jerusalem. Barkay carried out an archaeological survey of the famous ‘Garden Tomb’ (dating it to the eighth or seventh century BC).

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Fake news is nothing new. The internet teems with hoaxes but, long before Microsoft and mobile phones, human beings have been sharing misinformation and counterfeit claims.

Charles Dawson was celebrated as the man to discover the earliest missing link between man and ape.

defending our faith

Chris Sinkinson

Archaeological excavations at Corinth have revealed a wealth of remains that help us understand the New Testament and also demonstrate that the books were written during the middle of the first century AD. We have just returned from filming there for a new series on the Bible – it really brings the Bible to life.

Corinth was an important travel hub for the Roman Empire, sitting on a narrow neck of the Greek mainland. Nowadays a canal joins the Ionian Sea to the Aegean Sea and saves boats a long journey around the coastline. In Paul’s day, boats were dragged overland along a portage road, remains of which can still be seen.