Historical Accuracy of the Bible?

[Bryan]

Other than the creation, I was wondering what everybody's opinion was about this historical accuracy about the bibles.

[Karen M]

Hello Bryan :)

I believe certain parts of the Bible are historically accurate but may have been somewhat exaggerated.

[Bryan]

Hi Karen :)

Originally posted by Karen M
Hello Bryan :)

I believe certain parts of the Bible are historically accurate but may have been somewhat exaggerated.

Could you expound on this please?

[Karen M]

>>>Could you expound on this please?<<<

Sure :) For example, the Biblical world flood corrilates to a flood of the Black Sea around that time and Lucifer falling in a ball of fire corrisponds to other reports by other civilizations of balls of fire, which there is now evidence of a meteor shower at that time. Also, some of the kings mentioned were probably real, and I know both Egypt and Rome existed and the Jews were the slaves of these civilizations. Just basically little tidbits like that :) I don't believe it is entirely historically accurate however, and I believe it is completly inaccurate spiritually.

[Phil]

and I believe it is completly inaccurate spiritually. Uh, why?

[Karen M]

>>>Uh, why?<<<

Well, one reason is because I do not believe in the supernatural or magic and all spiritual claims within the Bible rest on a supernatural base.

[Jakubiakski]

As an aspiring historian i have not come across anything major that contradicts the biblical account. I bleive in a young earth so i have no problem with even the creation account historically.
actually karen lucifer falling from heaven is not necisarily meant to mean a literal historical event. I am not sure where you are getting that from but its not form the "history" books of the old testament.
bryan did you ever hear of the civiliazation that historians though never existed and the bible made up? well i guess recently (well last 20 years) they found the first evidence for it outside the bible. The shut up a critics of biblical history. sorry i can;t think of the name of the civilzation.

[JerryLove]

As an aspiring historian i have not come across anything major that contradicts the biblical account. So what have you come across that conflicts with the Austrailian aborigine account? How about the evidence that conflicts with the Ulmec account?

The brilliance of "making something up" is there is no disproving evidence of a historical nature (because disproof is reversing the burden of proof). What the bible lacks is support. It makes historical claims that are unsupported and present impossable situations.

[Bryan]

What historic claims do you speak of (besides the Flood).

[JerryLove]

I presume you are asking what parts are unsupported and impossible? Pretty much all of Genesis, every part of Exodus that involves God, most of the gospels, etc.

[sheep]

i've studied the historical accuracy of the Bible a lot. what i've come to believe is that everything did happen, but when you add up years and all, sometimes things are off. my explanation: they didnt have an accurate calendar then (or any calendar that i know of). heck, we've found that the early monks were off by 4 years about Jesus' birth. so who knows how off the rest of the historical years are. the main thing is to believe it happened, and the general time period. does the exact year really make that bit of a difference? i like to have proof that things happen, because seeing it makes me happy (just a little joy in my heart, kinda like when they traced that meteor shower in november to be fragments from the comet that helped start the great flood), but i dont have to have them.

[JerryLove]

You ontradict yourself. The Bible is clear about the cause of the great flood, and it was not comets. It's also clear that the flood lasted 11 months and covers the entire world, also in conflict with reality.

[timberwolf_s]

It's also clear that the flood lasted 11 months and covers the entire world, also in conflict with reality.

and so you contradict that a virgin could give birth, contradicting the entire gospel, contradicting your assurance of eternity.

[JerryLove]

While getting pregnant without having intercourse is indeed possible, the details described are also in conflict with reality, yes.

[Phil]

Originally posted by timberwolf_s


and so you contradict that a virgin could give birth, contradicting the entire gospel, contradicting your assurance of eternity. Just in case you didn't know... he's not a Christian...
(Some people can't believe how bad theology some Christians have... who aren't really Christians, nor claim to be)

[guitarman]

100% accurate :). Why? Faith.

Aaron

[Bryan]

JerryLove, it seems to me from your posts (and correct me if I am wrong) that you believe that just becuase it hasn't been explained means that it is not true. I beg to differ. There were lots of things in the Old Testament that were thought to be untrue but later discovered were true, the existance of the Hittites is one example.

[sheep]

how do i contradict myself?

Genesis 7:10 And after seven days the waters of the flood came upon the earth.
11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the windows of the heavens were opened.
12 And rain fell upon the earth forty days and forty nights.


it doesnt say how the waters burst forth. scientists believe now that a comet hit the earth. the scientific facts line up with the time the flood covered the earth. it's evident that a comet hit the earth at the same time- why say that it didnt "help" the flood? i'm not saying that God didnt do it- i'm saying that God used a comet. it seems evident as well that God used an earthquake to help the walls of jericho fall. but i find it very awesome that the night of that meteor shower (which comes around every year) that we are able to see evidence first hand of our faith, of something that happened millions of years ago, of something that has significance in our lives. it's like God's signature across the sky!

[JerryLove]

JerryLove, it seems to me from your posts (and correct me if I am wrong) that you believe that just becuase it hasn't been explained means that it is not true. That would be an untur supposition. Because it is unevidenced, and unsupported, it is untrue.

it doesnt say how the waters burst forth. scientists believe now that a comet hit the earth. the scientific facts line up with the time the flood covered the earth. it's evident that a comet hit the earth at the same time- why say that it didnt "help" the flood? Because such an impact is inconsistant with a world-wide flood. And because there is no support that a world-wide flood ever occured, and because there is no mechanism in a comet impact that would cause 40 days of rain, and because there is no mechanism in a comet impact to force a flood to persist for 11 months and because there isn't enough water, and because there were quite a few people, animals, and civilizations around over 6000 years ago, that were still around after; not only alive, but with no mention of a long rain.

In fact, the only cultures that really cling to such a legend are in a group around the black sea, which flooded in a mighty torrent around 5500-6000 BCE when the Boshperus portal broke and the ocean came crashing in. A little early for Noah, but almost right in line with Gilgamest (from whom Noah is plagerized).

[guitarman]

So, Jerry, you would say that Noah's flood was local not global?

Aaron

[JerryLove]

I would say that there was a localized flooding event that cause the flood myths common from cultures living around the black sea around 6000 BCE. I would say that Noah's flood is an adaptation of the flood of Gilgamesh, as the Jews were a conqured nation of the Persians at the time that Noah's flood was written down.

The most supported and plausable event I have seen support for is the flooding of what became the Black Sea, by the Medeterranian, when the Boshperous portal broke (around 6000 BCE).

[guitarman]

Cool. Thanks! :)

[timberwolf_s]

my life is all the proof i need that a living god exists, and that i know him on a personal level. he speaks to me daily, and no one will ever convince me otherwise. and because he tells me the bible is totally 100% true, that's what i will always believe. he says every sentence of the entire book is spirit breathed, so that's what i take it as; not exagerated, not fabricated, but perfect. he tells me that he wiped out all of human kind in a flood that covered the entire planet, so i believe it. call me naive or dumb, i don't care. but because the creator of the universe whispers love songs in my ear everytime i need them, i will always believe what i believe, no matter what any man tells me. everytime i sin, everytime i spit in his face and laugh, when i feel like he could never speak to me again, he chases me with open arms and tears streaming down his cheeks. he rolls up his sleeves, shows me his wrists and says, "this is what i did for you. i love you." those are the times when there's nothing i can do but fall to my knees and cry, and the sorrow i feel for people like you i cannot describe. i pray every night for you, and sometimes i cry. god's there, and he wants nothing more than for you to turn to him.

[+Donny]

>>The brilliance of "making something up" is there is no disproving evidence of a historical nature (because disproof is reversing the burden of proof). What the bible lacks is support. It makes historical claims that are unsupported and present impossable situations.<<

this was attempted by the mormons, and that didnt work out very well

[TruthWarrior]

Originally posted by timberwolf_s
my life is all the proof i need that a living god exists, and that i know him on a personal level. he speaks to me daily, and no one will ever convince me otherwise. and because he tells me the bible is totally 100% true, that's what i will always believe. he says every sentence of the entire book is spirit breathed, so that's what i take it as; not exagerated, not fabricated, but perfect. he tells me that he wiped out all of human kind in a flood that covered the entire planet, so i believe it. call me naive or dumb, i don't care. but because the creator of the universe whispers love songs in my ear everytime i need them, i will always believe what i believe, no matter what any man tells me. everytime i sin, everytime i spit in his face and laugh, when i feel like he could never speak to me again, he chases me with open arms and tears streaming down his cheeks. he rolls up his sleeves, shows me his wrists and says, "this is what i did for you. i love you." those are the times when there's nothing i can do but fall to my knees and cry, and the sorrow i feel for people like you i cannot describe. i pray every night for you, and sometimes i cry. god's there, and he wants nothing more than for you to turn to him.

We buy products because they work; no doubt, the quality of God's Word, the Bible, is mirrored in its effect on those who live it.

[JerryLove]

this was attempted by the mormons, and that didnt work out very well There are 6,000,000,000 people in the world. The most liberal count of Christians is 2,000,000,000. Realistically, there is no one here (besides perhaps me) who would accept them all as Christian. Since you believe Christianity is true, that means all other beliefs are false, and since they are false, they must be unsupported claims.

Therefore, by your reconing, at least 2/3rds of the Earth's human population belives unsupported claims. I guess the tactic works well.

[TruthWarrior]

Originally posted by timberwolf_s
my life is all the proof i need that a living god exists, and that i know him on a personal level. he speaks to me daily, and no one will ever convince me otherwise. and because he tells me the bible is totally 100% true, that's what i will always believe. he says every sentence of the entire book is spirit breathed, so that's what i take it as; not exagerated, not fabricated, but perfect. he tells me that he wiped out all of human kind in a flood that covered the entire planet, so i believe it. call me naive or dumb, i don't care. but because the creator of the universe whispers love songs in my ear everytime i need them, i will always believe what i believe, no matter what any man tells me. everytime i sin, everytime i spit in his face and laugh, when i feel like he could never speak to me again, he chases me with open arms and tears streaming down his cheeks. he rolls up his sleeves, shows me his wrists and says, "this is what i did for you. i love you." those are the times when there's nothing i can do but fall to my knees and cry, and the sorrow i feel for people like you i cannot describe. i pray every night for you, and sometimes i cry. god's there, and he wants nothing more than for you to turn to him.

i agree.

We buy medicines because they heal our bodies. If the quality of medicine is seen in its effects on the consumer cannot the quality of a belief be reflected in the fruits it produces? Indeed, the quality of God's Word, the Bible, is mirrored in its effect on those who live it. Such people are at the forefront of social, political, and economic reforms and propserity. Women are given a better status, men work and support their families, and torn towns become properous places.

[TruthWarrior]

Originally posted by timberwolf_s
my life is all the proof i need that a living god exists, and that i know him on a personal level. he speaks to me daily, and no one will ever convince me otherwise. and because he tells me the bible is totally 100% true, that's what i will always believe. he says every sentence of the entire book is spirit breathed, so that's what i take it as; not exagerated, not fabricated, but perfect. he tells me that he wiped out all of human kind in a flood that covered the entire planet, so i believe it. call me naive or dumb, i don't care. but because the creator of the universe whispers love songs in my ear everytime i need them, i will always believe what i believe, no matter what any man tells me. everytime i sin, everytime i spit in his face and laugh, when i feel like he could never speak to me again, he chases me with open arms and tears streaming down his cheeks. he rolls up his sleeves, shows me his wrists and says, "this is what i did for you. i love you." those are the times when there's nothing i can do but fall to my knees and cry, and the sorrow i feel for people like you i cannot describe. i pray every night for you, and sometimes i cry. god's there, and he wants nothing more than for you to turn to him.

i agree.

We buy medicines because they heal our bodies. If the quality of medicine is seen in its effects on the consumer cannot the quality of a belief be reflected in the fruits it produces? Indeed, the quality of God's Word, the Bible, is mirrored in its effect on those who live it. Such people are at the forefront of social, political, and economic reforms and propserity. Women are given a better status, men work and support their families, and torn towns become properous places.

If such a Book, has such good results in its adherents it must be the work of God. And if the Work of God, then it must be pure and thus accurate.

[TruthWarrior]

how do i do that?.....stupid browser!

[Unregistered]

Originally posted by timberwolf_s
my life is all the proof i need that a living god exists, and that i know him on a personal level. he speaks to me daily, and no one will ever convince me otherwise. and because he tells me the bible is totally 100% true, that's what i will always believe. he says every sentence of the entire book is spirit breathed, so that's what i take it as; not exagerated, not fabricated, but perfect. he tells me that he wiped out all of human kind in a flood that covered the entire planet, so i believe it. call me naive or dumb, i don't care. but because the creator of the universe whispers love songs in my ear everytime i need them, i will always believe what i believe, no matter what any man tells me.

I'm totally with you wolfie! He is mine ane I am His. And in response to my personal relationship with Him, every part of me KNOWS that he exists and His word IS TRUE.

The Bible is like a big e-mail from God to His people, non-chritians who cannot understand the Bible, cannot because they are reading other peple's mail. However, if they took the time to read it touroughly and propely, they would see it makes perfect sense and NONE of it can be proved wrong scientifically, historically or spiritually. How do I know this? Because God is my God and I have faith in Him. He Holds be up when I feel down, He sheilds me with his love.