New Archaeology Supports Bible Narrative

According to critics, the Bible is supposedly full of myths and far-fetched stories. Yet, over time, evidence continues to emerge that substantiates biblical narratives. One such account is recorded in 2 Kings 19 where Jerusalem was surrounded by the massive army of Assyrian king Sennacherib. The king’s commander sent a letter to Hezekiah, the king of Judah, threatening him to surrender peacefully. But, instead of surrendering, Hezekiah prayed and laid the threatening letter before God. According to the biblical account, that night an angel of the Lord went through the camp of the Assyrians and killed 185,000 soldiers. The next day Sennacherib, and what was left of his army, departed.

What seems like a far-fetched story to some is now more believable due to new archaeological evidence. Archaeology News reports that an independent Near East archaeologist, Stephen Compton by name, using “modern mapping techniques,” believes he has located remnants of “the Assyrian military base described in these Biblical stories” (June 19, 2024). This base was located about 40 miles south of Jerusalem. He also located other ancient Assyrian fortifications closer to Jerusalem. As the article notes, “While the archaeological evidence discovered by Compton does not confirm the supernatural aspects of the Biblical narrative, it does provide compelling support for the historical presence of Assyrian military forces near Jerusalem during Sennacherib’s reign.”

It is interesting how quickly critics will dismiss historical records in the Bible if there is no current evidence to support them. However, as time passes, more and more seemingly implausible Bible stories gain support from new discoveries in history and archaeology. To learn more watch our telecast “Proofs of the Bible” and read our free booklet The Bible: Fact or Fiction?