Nehemiah

Tombs of the Persian Kings
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The Tombs Of 4 Biblical Persian Kings

In modern Iran there is a remarkable ancient site that has special significance for Bible students. Carved into the face of a mountain near the ancient Persian capital of Persepolis (the Persians had 4 capitals), are the tombs of 4 ancient kings. These kings once ruled the greatest empire the world had known up until that time, the empire of the Medes and the Persians. At its height, an astounding 44% of the worlds population was ruled by Persia making it the largest empire in history by share of population. These kings styled themselves as the “King of Kings”. Four of these kings are mentioned in the Bible.  Continue reading →

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Balaam Son Of Beor in Archeology

Balaam Inscription

(Top) Painting by Pieter Lastman c.1622 {PD} Wikimedia Commons. (Bottom left) Photo by author. (Bottom right) Photo credit: Jona Lendering (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0) Livius.org

Post 24 – Balaam is referenced this week in our Bible reading (Nehemiah 13 1). In 1967 Dutch archeologists working in the north of Jordan made a dramatic discovery. While excavating an ancient structure, they Continue reading →

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Nehemiah’s Three Opposers in Archeology

IMG_20160311_120530

Bottom photo by Hassan Bushnaq (CC BY-SA 3.0) Wikimedia Commons . Sanballat letter photo, c1907 {{PD}} Wikimedia Commons . Geshem bowl photo from the Brooklyn Museum (CC BY 3.0).

Post 23 – Remarkably, archeology may corroborate the existence of all 3 enemies mentioned in Nehemiah chapter 6:1. The first 2 pieces may be seen at the Brooklyn Museum, which Robin and I enjoyed doing in October. The “Elephantine Papyri” (Top left) mentions “Sanballat the governor of Samaria”. Continue reading →