Does archaeology confirm or contradict the New Testament?

Answer 1

Archeology will probably never verify anything in The Bible, but it has proven a lot of it very likely. Despite the numerous blogs and books that proclaim Archeology proves the Bible false, it does not. The belief that it does is based on the absence of evidence, which proves nothing except that the evidence was not left behind, or has not been found yet. The desert can quickly cover up anything. The critical belief that if it has not been found in a hundred years of searching shows little knowledge in how archeology works. For over a hundred years archeologists knew that there was a city on the coast of the Sinai. They knew where to look and what to look for, but just recently found it, completely hidden by over 3,000 years of blowing sand. There is an abundance of evidence that prooves there was a conquest of Canaan, but the invaders were called Hebrews and not Israelites. The problem with evidence is that it has been common for centuries to place the conquest of Canaan in the 13th century bc. Bible chronology places it in around 1450 bc, the same period in which the Sinai inscriptions were written, telling of the Hebrews crossing the red Sea and many of them dieing from eating poison quail. The Merenepthah stele places the Israelites in Canaan before 1200 bc, and treats them as equal to the other strong kingdoms mentioned.

Answer 2

There is little in the New Testament that is conducive to confirmation by archaeologists. Events can not be confirmed by the present state of archaeological knowledge, but many locations mentioned in the New Testament can be identified. Some of what can be deduced follows.

There continues to be some dispute as to whether the village of Nazareth existed at the beginning of the first century, with some saying that there is no evidence of it prior to 70 CE. Absence of evidence is not often accepted as evidence of absence, so this case remains neither proven nor disproved.

In Mark's gospel, Jesus crossed the Sea of Galilee to the land of the Gerasenes. However, the town of Gerasa was several kilometres from the shore and across a river. This location was changed in Matthew to 'Gadarenes', which archaeologists confirm as more probable.

Archaeologists have found the five-sided pool near the sheep market, mentioned in John's Gospel, and identified it as an Asclepium, a temple to the Greek god of healing, Asclepius. They even found a votive offering to Asclepius. At least the existence of the pool has been verified, if not the events said to have taken place there.

Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, was miraculously able to find the very place of the crucifixion and even the cross on which Jesus was crucified, as well as the nearby place where he was buried. Archaeologists have not been able to confirm the veracity of Helena's discoveries, but many believe them not to be factual.

A typical first-century fishing boat has been found close to the shore of Lake Galilee. It was of quite robust and seaworthy construction, casting some doubt on the story of the disciples being afraid of their fishing boat sinking during a storm on the small lake.
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