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THE BIBLE– THE GREATEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN
ANCIENT TREASURE TROVE UNEARTHED
A priceless treasure trove was found right here in this ancient burial tomb. I’m at Ketef Hinnom just outside the walls of Old Jerusalem. The ancient road from Jerusalem to Bethlehem passed nearby, and this marked the boundary between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. And up here on the hillside overlooking Jerusalem are 7 ancient burial caves that have been hewn into the limestone and meticulously designed.
The caves were intended for family burials over a number of generations. The ceilings have long since collapsed. But these burial caves had benches cut into the rock on which the dead had been laid to rest. The headrests that were cut into the stone can still be seen today and show where the bodies of the deceased were laid out side by side.
The bodies were left here until they decomposed and just the skeleton remained. The bones were then gathered up and placed in an ossuary, or bone box, and kept in the cave. Spaces were hewn under some of the benches to serve as repositories for the bones, in order to make way for newly deceased. So, in effect, the caves here were a type of cemetery.
Archaeologist Gabriel Barkay had a hunch that this rocky knoll, this cave cemetery, held some hidden secrets. And so he organised a small excavation on the site. As he examined the tombs, he realized that they dated back to the First Temple period, the time of Solomon’s temple, and so were over 2,600 years old.
All of the tombs had been looted a long time ago by grave robbers. And so, all of the grave gifts, keepsakes, and funeral mementoes were gone. There were no jewelry, oil lamps or perfume jars left.
When Barkay and his young team started work on the last cave they noticed that one of the stone burial benches had collapsed.
When they removed the rubble here, this small dark chamber was exposed. When they took a closer look, they discovered that it contained a literal treasure trove – more than 1,000 objects from antiquity.
Among the treasure were two small pure silver scrolls. They had been rolled up and worn as amulets to protect and bring good fortune to the wearer. When they were unraveled, they were both found to have the ancient priestly benediction inscribed on them from the Bible book of Numbers 6:24-26.
“The Lord bless you and keep you, the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you, the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and grant you peace.”
It was clear that they were extremely old Bible inscriptions.
When the ancient craftsmen inscribed these silver scrolls 2,600 years ago, Solomon’s temple was still standing. The prophet Jeremiah was alive. The heirs of King David were still on the throne.
And what was of particular interest, was that even though they were so old, their wording was exactly the same as we have in our Bibles today. The scrolls were priceless. And what made these scrolls of particular interest and value is the fact that they contained Bible inscriptions that were very old – in fact, they were the oldest Bible texts ever found.
They were genuine Bible treasure. But they aren’t the only treasure associated with the Bible. There’s more, much more! Join me as we dig deeper and discover even greater treasure from the Bible.
UNEXPECTED RICHES
I read a story of a rich farmer who on his deathbed said to his sons, “My treasure is buried in my fields. If you want to be rich, then, dig for it.” Well, when the old man died, the two sons, presuming that their father had hidden his money in a treasure chest somewhere on his farm, set out eagerly to find it.
Equipped with spades and picks, they dug with great enthusiasm and perseverance. They dug and searched for long hours, but seemingly without success. Carefully, they turned over the soil in every field, digging to a depth no plow had ever reached. But, there was no sign of a treasure chest buried anywhere.
When spring came the sons abandoned their search in order to sow a crop. Then came summer and harvest. And what a harvest it was! They’d never seen anything like it before. It was a bumper crop. In digging the land so thoroughly the boys had found the riches they were searching for. The wise old father’s plan had succeeded! By persevering and continual digging, the sons got the most out of their inheritance.
Now you, too, have inherited a precious heirloom, a gift that has come down to you through many generations. And it, too, is buried. Not in a field but in a book. And He who bequeathed it to you says,
“If you want to be rich in all the best and most beautiful things life has to offer, then search this book. Dig into it with all the spiritual tools at your disposal. Read it. Study it. Meditate upon it. Pray over it. Invest time in it. And within it you will find the richest of treasures.”
This book is, of course, the Bible. Your Bible. Now, admittedly, in some respects it is much like other books.
A RICH HARVEST
From its appearance no one would suspect that it might be any more valuable than the rest. But open it, begin to search, and you’ll soon see the first glint of treasure. In fact, everyone who reads it sincerely and reverently, will reap a rich harvest of spiritual blessings – inner-peace, happiness, strength, courage, wisdom, inspiration…all the things you have longed but thought impossible to attain.
So, here’s a treasure worth digging for. And the more you dig the more you’ll find. Every turn of the spade will reveal fresh gems. For example, you’ll discover the secret of lasting happiness and fulfillment, and you’ll find the reason there’s good and evil in the world.
You’ll understand what happens when you die – the mysteries of life and death. You’ll know what the future has in store for you and your family. And above all, you’ll discover the best news ever, and find true inner peace.
And here’s what’s amazing: this treasure is available to everyone. No one is barred from searching for it on grounds of caste, colour, or creed. This Book will speak to anybody, regardless of their religion, nationality, career, or the size of their bank account.
Believe me when I say that this treasure is worth considering. Dig into it, you’ve got nothing to lose. Lots of people are, and they’re finding it a real winner!
A CLOSER LOOK
The Guinness Book of Records estimates that over 5 billion copies of the Bible have been printed over the years. Now, perhaps you’ve had a look at one of those 5 billion Bibles and found it different from any other book you’ve read, and given up on it. But don’t be too hasty to set it aside. Instead, let’s have a closer look at it together.
And I’ve got to admit right here at the beginning, the Bible is different. At first glance it doesn’t seem to have any continued story to it. With its short chapters and its numbered verses, it doesn’t look too inviting, either. And it certainly isn’t light reading!
And if your Bible happens to be a King James version you’ll notice that the language seems just a little antique.
And you may have other questions. Why is the Bible divided into two sections, called ‘Old Testament’ and ‘New Testament’?
Perhaps you’ve wondered about who wrote your Bible, and when, and where? Is it an original work or a copy? But there is a more important question still. Many people look upon the Bible as a sacred book. They call it God’s Book or God’s Word. Why? Is there a reason? And is it a good reason? These are all good and important questions!
ANCIENT LIBRARY
And so, to begin with, let’s take a look at the Book as a whole. Actually, it isn’t a single book, but rather a collection of books. It’s often been called a library. And it is, in a sense.
Now, in most Bibles there is a list of all these books, usually on one of the opening pages. If you will glance at this, you will see that there are thirty-nine books grouped under the section marked ‘Old Testament,’ and twenty-seven under ‘New Testament,’ making sixty-six books in all.
Now, some of the books are not really books at all, but letters – some of them so short they could be typed on a single page. And as to the differences between the Old Testament and the New Testament, the Old was written before Christ, and the New after Christ.
Approximately four hundred years elapsed between the writing of the last book of the Old Testament – Malachi – and the writing of Matthew, the first book in the New Testament.
Now, the word ‘testament’ is a Latin word that means ‘covenant’ or ‘agreement’. The Old Testament is the covenant God made with people before the time of Christ. The New Testament is the agreement God made with people after Christ came. The word ‘Old’ means ancient, having greater age, not superseded or obsolete. Both the Old and New Testaments are still important today.
The Bible was sixteen hundred years in preparation. The earliest book was written probably about 1500 BC. And the last book was written in the last decade of the first century after Christ – so, around 100 AD.
The sixty-six books, pamphlets, letters, messages – whatever you wish to call them – were the work of about forty authors, the two most prolific being Moses in the Old Testament and Paul in the New.
The first five books of the Bible were written by Moses. These books were called the law. Then came the prophets – the early prophets who recorded the dealings of God with His people, and the later prophets who blended counsel with warning and prediction. And then there were the writings, the books of poetry and wisdom, such as the Psalms and Proverbs.
The law, the prophets, and the writings – these were the Scriptures that Jesus used. We call them the Old Testament today. The New Testament, of course, hadn’t yet been written in the time of Jesus.
DIVERSE ORIGINS, GOOD NEWS
Now, after Jesus left this earth, four accounts of His life were written down by those best qualified. These books were called the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The word Gospel simply means Good News.
So, these four books tell the Good News about Jesus. Later came the letters written by Paul and other apostles to the early churches. And of course, finally, there was the Revelation, written by the apostle John.
So, as we’ve seen, about 40 people were involved in writing the Bible. And it’s interesting to notice the variety of backgrounds they came from.
There was Moses, who led one of the first freedom movements of all time. David, the sheep herder who became a king. Daniel, prime minister of Babylon. Matthew, a tax collector. Luke, a doctor. Peter, the fisherman. Paul a Pharisee. And many others.
What a group to write a book! And the amazing thing about it is that every one of these writers is in surprising agreement with every other, even though some were separated by sixteen hundred years, and very few were acquainted with one another.
And the amazing thing is that the words they wrote blended together so perfectly that they have stayed together for more than two thousand years.
Consider now where your Bible was written. Little, if any of it was produced in a warm, comfortable study such as a modern author might require for his or her work. Parts were written in the Wilderness of Sinai, others in Jerusalem, and some in Babylon while the Jews were in captivity there.
A few books were composed in a prison cell in Rome, and one was written on the island of Patmos, a penal colony in the Mediterranean.
Most of your Bible was written under very difficult circumstances and conditions. So it’s quite remarkable that the work of so many diverse individuals, living in such widely scattered places, under such elementary conditions, and separated by hundreds of years of time, should, when gathered together, become the greatest, the best known, and the best loved book in all the world!
Now, the question is often asked, ‘Do any of the original writings exist today? Well, the answer is simple. No, not one! All those priceless documents were lost ages ago.
PRICELESS COPIES
But fortunately, way back when the original manuscripts or ‘autographs’ were still in existence, good men sensed their importance and copied them. In fact, as centuries rolled by, they were copied so often that today there are many of these early documents – whole or in part – in the great museums and libraries of the world.
Almost always the copying was done with such precise care that when the work is examined today the differences due to faulty workmanship are found to be so slight as to have no essential effect upon the overall meaning of the document.
Now, because of the eagerness of scholars to find the perfect text – the one most nearly like the original autograph – every Biblical manuscript discovered today is studied with patient skill.
Can you imagine then, the extraordinary excitement in 1948 when it became known that a considerable number of very ancient manuscripts had been discovered by Bedouin shepherds in a cave at Qumran, near the Dead Sea in the Middle East.
This interest increased greatly when scholars revealed that these scrolls of Isaiah and other Old Testament writers were hundreds of years older than any yet found, dating back possibly to the second century before Christ.
It was one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time!
The Dead Sea Scrolls are one thousand years older than any complete Biblical Hebrew manuscript in existence. It is the age of the scrolls that makes them so valuable. In one stroke we are brought one thousand years nearer to the original writings of the prophets.
Years of intensive study by the greatest Hebrew scholars have revealed that there are no significant differences between our Bible text today and that of the Dead Sea scrolls. When the words of the ancient scrolls were compared with our Bibles, they were found to be virtually identical – a marvelous tribute to the accuracy of the copyists.
Then came the discovery of the silver scrolls here at Ketef Hinnom 30 years later. These scrolls were 400 years older than the Dead Sea Scrolls. But again, the Bible text on the scrolls was identical to our Bibles today. Do you see what this means? It means that we can know that our Bible today is virtually the same as when it came from the hands of the writers.
But the original Hebrew was not only copied, it was also translated. One of the earliest and most important translations was into Greek. This is called the Septuagint, because of the seventy Jewish scholars who prepared it. The work was done in Alexandria, Egypt, during the second and third centuries B.C.
Now, because the Septuagint was in Greek the early Christian church – which was for the most part a Greek speaking church – adopted it as its Old Testament.
The New Testament was written in a form of Greek known as Koine, which was the common speech of the masses at the time of the Apostles. Large numbers of recently discovered letters, business records, and public inscriptions prove this to be true.
It was most likely that the apostles and Jesus Himself spoke in Aramaic, but when the time came for their words to be recorded it was done in the common language of the people of that day – in Greek.
As in the case of the Old Testament, not a single original document exists.
But many copies of the New Testament books were made by devoted Christians, soon after the originals were written and later, and of these some 4,500 are treasured in museums and libraries around the world.
Now, the oldest copy of the New Testament ever found is a papyrus portion of John’s Gospel that was found in Egypt in 1920 by Bernard Grenfell, a scholar from Oxford University. It dates from 100 AD or soon after.
From this papyrus, we know that the book of John was written in the second half of the first century or early in the second century. The other Gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke, were written earlier than John, so we are now getting right back to the time of the apostles and writers of the New Testament.
So, because this papyrus has such an early date, and is exactly the same as in our Bibles today, it gives us good reason to be confident that the New Testament we read today accurately reflects what was in the original manuscripts.
Now, this papyrus is just a fragment of one of the books of the Bible. Hundreds of other smaller, but vitally important fragments of the New Testament have also been preserved – many of these discovered in recent years.
When each one is found it is critically studied by Bible scholars, whose prime objective is to prepare a Greek text that will bear the closest possible resemblance to the true, but lost original.
But what about complete Bibles? What’s the oldest complete Bible that we have today? Well, the Codex Vaticanus is probably the oldest complete copy of the Bible in existence today.
It gets its name from the fact that in 1481 it was already in the library of the Vatican in Rome, and is still a part of it. Little is known of its history before that date, but scholars have declared that it belongs to the first half of the fourth century AD.
Now, what does all this have to do with you and your Bible? Just this: you can be absolutely certain about the essential accuracy of the original text. In the words of the late Sir Frederic Kenyon, one-time director of the British Museum and an authority on Biblical manuscripts:
“The Christian can take the whole Bible in his hand and say without fear or hesitation that he holds in it the true Word of God, handed down without essential loss from generation to generation throughout the centuries.” [Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts, Harpers, 1941, p. 23]
REAL AND LASTING TREASURE
I read recently the story of a man who, when he was young and getting ready to graduate from college, had been admiring a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom, and knowing that his father could well afford it, he told him that was all he wanted.
As Graduation Day approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car for him. Finally, on the day he was to graduate his father called him into his private study, told him how proud he was to have such a fine son, and how much he loved him. He then handed him a beautifully wrapped gift box.
Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box and found a lovely leather-bound Bible, with his name embossed on it in gold. Well, he was disappointed to say the least!
He became somewhat angry, raised his voice to his father and said, “With all of your money you give me a Bible, rather than the sports car I wanted?” He then stormed out of the house, leaving his father and the Bible behind.
Many years passed and the young man was very successful in the business he went into. He had a beautiful home and a wonderful family, but realized when he thought about his father that he was very old now. He then decided that perhaps he should go to see him because he had not seen him since that graduation day.
However, before he could make arrangements to go, he received a phone call from a funeral home director, telling him that his father had passed away and had willed all of his possessions to him. He was told that he needed to come home immediately and take care of things.
When the son arrived at his father’s house, sadness and regret filled his heart. He began to search through his father’s important documents and saw the Bible his father had given him for graduation. The Bible looked brand new, just as it was years ago when he was given it.
With tears in his eyes, he opened the Bible and began to turn through the pages. His father had carefully underlined a verse, which was Matthew 7:11 which reads,
“And if ye being evil know how to give good gifts to your children how much more shall your Heavenly Father which is in Heaven give to those who ask Him.”
As the son read those words a car key dropped from the back of the Bible. It had a tag on it with the car dealer’s name – the same dealer who had the sports car that he wanted so badly for his college graduation. On the tag was the date of his graduation and the words written in large print, “PAID IN FULL.”
SPECIAL OFFER AND CLOSING PRAYER
Many times, during our lifetime we miss God’s treasure and blessings because they are not packaged as we expected them to be, or because we’re not willing to dig for it. If you want real treasure, if you want to be rich in all the best and most beautiful things life has to offer, then search this book. This is where you’ll find real and lasting treasure.
If you would like to find this treasure and experience inner peace and lasting happiness in your life, then I’d like to recommend the free gift we have for all our Incredible Journey viewers today.
It’s the booklet, Finding Treasure: A beginner’s guide to reading the Bible. This booklet is our gift to you and is absolutely free. I guarantee there are no costs or obligations whatsoever. So, make sure you take this opportunity to get your free gift today.
CONTACT DETAILS
If you’ve enjoyed our visit to Israel and our journey through the Bible, then be sure to join us again next week when we will share another of life’s journeys together. Until then, let’s pray to God of the Bible, and ask him to guide our lives and to bless us and our families.
Our Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for the Bible and the treasures of life that it contains. It’s so easy to discard or neglect your Word and the wisdom, good news, and salvation it contains. Lord, we want to invest time in the Bible and in our relationship with you. May we put this into practice in our lives. Please bless us and our families. And we ask these things in Jesus’ name, Amen.
