Christian Apologetics Part 7 - How do we know Jesus is the Messiah?

Act 9:22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. (NIV)

Act 18:27,28 When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples there to welcome him. On arriving, he was a great help to those who by grace had believed.  For he vigorously refuted the Jews in public debate, proving from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Prophecies Fulfilled

This question, like most everything I've talked about in this series, boils down to probabilities.  What is the probability that Jesus is the Messiah?

The latest book of the Old Testament (Malachi) was completed ~400 years before Christ’s birth.  Depending on who you talk to, there are as many as 400 messianic scriptures in the Old Testament which describe the coming messiah.

We will list 61 of the major messianic prophecies here giving details about the Messiah which can be used to identify him.[1]

The following list gives the prophecy, the Old Testament reference where the prophecy was made, and the New Testament reference of where the prophecy was fulfilled.

	Prophecy	OT Reference	NT Fulfillment
1	Born of the Seed of  a Woman	Gen 3:15	Gal 4:4; Matt 1:20
2	Born of a Virgin	Is 7:14	Matt 1:18,24-25; Luke 1:26-35
3	Son of God	Ps 2:7, 1 Chr. 17:11-14	Matt 3:17, 16:16; Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35; 22:70; Acts 13:30-33; John 1:34,49
4	Seed of Abraham	Gen. 22:18	Matt 1:1; Gal 3:16
5	Son of Isaac	Gen 21:12	Luke 3:23, 34; Matt 1:2
6	Son of Jacob	Gen. 35:10-12, Numbers 24:17	Luke 3:23, 34; Matt 1:2; Luke 1:33
7	Tribe of Judah	Gen 49:10	Luke 3:23, 33; Matt 1:2; Heb. 7:14
8	Family line of Jesse	Is 1:10, 11:1	Luke 3;23, 32; Matt 1:6
9	House of David	Jer 23:5	Luke 3:23, 31; Matt 1:1, 9:27, 15:22, 20:30-31, 21:9, 15, 22:41-46; Mark 9:10, 10:47-48; Luke 18:38-39; Acts 13:22-23; Rev 22:16
10	Born at Bethlehem	Mic 5:2	Matt 2:1, 4; Luke 2:4-7; John 7:42
11	Presented with Gifts	Ps 72:10; Is. 60:6	Matt 2:1, 11
12	Herod Kills Children	Jer 31:15	Matt 2:16-18
13	Pre-Existence	Mic 5:2	Col 1:17; John 17:5,24; Rev. 1:1,2, 1:17, 2:8, 8:58, 22;13
14	Shall be called Lord	Ps 110:1, Jer. 23:6	Luke 2:11; Matt 22:43-45
15	Shall be Immanuel (God with us)	Is 7:14	Matt 1:23; Luke 7:16
16	Shall be a prophet	Deut 18:18	Matt 21:11; Luke 7:16; John 4:19, 6:14, 7:40
17	Priest	Ps 110:4	Heb 3:1, 5:5-6
18	Judge	Is 33:22	John 5:30; 2 Tim 4:1
19	King	Ps 2:6; Jer 23:5; Zech 9:9	Matt 27:37, 21:5; John 18:33-38
20	Special Anointing of the Holy Spirit	Is 11:2, 42:1,61:1-2; Ps 45:7	Matt 3:16-17, 12:17-21; Mark 1:10-11; Luke 4:15-21,43; John 1:32
21	Zeal for God	Ps 69:9	John 2:15-16
22	Preceded by Messenger	Is 40:3; Mal 3:1	Matt 3:1-2,3:3,11:10; John 1:23; Luke 1:17
23	Ministry to Begin in Galilee	Is 9:1	Matt 4:12-13,17
24	Ministry of Miracles	Is 35:5-6,32:3-4	Matt 9:32-35, 11:4-6; Mark 7:33-35; John 5:5-9, 9:6-11, 11:43-44,47
25	Teacher of Parables	Ps 78:2	Matt 13:34
26	Enter the Temple	Mal 3:1	Matt 21:12; John 1:14,2:19-21
27	Enter Jerusalem on a Donkey	Zech 9:9	Luke 19:35-37; Matt. 21:6-11
28	“Stone of Stumbling” to the Jews	Ps 118:22; Is 8:14,28:1	1 Pe 2:7; Rom 9:32-33
29	Light to the Gentiles	Is 60:3,49:6	Acts 13:47-48,26:23,28:28
30	Resurrection	Ps 16:10	Acts 2:31;Matt 28:6;Mark 16:6; Luke 24:46; Acts 13:33
31	Ascension	Ps 68:18	Acts 1:9
32	Seated at the right hand of God	Ps 110:1	Hebrews 1:3; mark 16:19; Acts 2:34-35
33	Betrayed by a Friend	Ps 41:9, 55:12-14	Mtt 10:4, 26:49-50; John 13:21
34	Sold for 30 pieces of silver	Zech 11:12	Matt 26:15, 27:3
35	Money to be thrown into God’s house	Zech 11:13	Matt 27:5
36	Price given for potter’s field	Zech 11:13	Matt 27:7
37	Forsaken by His disciples	Zech 13:7	Mark 14:27,50; Matt 26:31
38	Accused by false witnesses	Ps 35:11	Matt 26:59-60
39	Silent before accusers	Is 53:7	Matt 27:12
40	Wounded and bruised	Is 53:5; Zech 13:6	Matt 27:26
41	Smitten and spat upon	Is 50:6; Mic 5:1	Matt 26:67; Luke 22:63
42	Mocked	Ps 22:7-8	Matt 27:29, 41-43
43	Fell under the cross (knees gave way)	Ps 109:24-25	John 19:17; Luke 23:26; Matt 27:31-32
44	Hands and feet pierced	Ps 22:16; Zech 12:10	Luke 23:33; John 20:25
45	Crucified with thieves	Is 53:12	Matt 27:38; Mark 15:27-28
46	Made intercession for his persecutors	Is 53:12	Luke 23:34
47	Rejected by His own people	Is 53:3; Ps 69:8,118:22	John 7:5,48, 1:11; Matt 21:42-43;
48	Hated without a cause	Ps 69:4; Is 49:7	John 15:25
49	Friends stood afar off	Ps 38:11	Luke 23:49; Matt 27:55-56; Mark 15:40
50	People shook their heads	Ps 109:25,22;7	Matt 27:39
51	Stared upon	Ps 22:17	Luke 23:35
52	Garments parted and lots cast	Ps 22:18	John 19:23-24
53	To suffer thirst	Ps 69:21	John 19:28
54	Gall and vinegar offered to Him	Ps 69:21	Matt 27:34; John 19:28-29
55	His forsaken cry	Ps 22:1	Matt 27:46
56	Committed Himself to God	Ps 31:5	Luke 23:46
57	Bones not broken	Ps 34:20	John 19:33
58	Heartbroken	Ps 22:14	John 19:34
59	His side pierced	Zech 12:10	John 19:34
60	Darkness over the land	Amos 8:9	Matt 27:45
61	Buried in a rich man’s tomb	Is 53:9	Matt 27:57-60

The possibility of just 48 of these being true of any one person is 1 chance in 10¹⁵⁷.  Borel’s "single law of chance" tells us that anything with odds of 1 in 10⁵⁰ will not happen[14].  Considering only 10¹⁰ people have ever lived on the Earth, the only conceivable way it could happen is through a miracle of God.

Other Evidence

Old Testament Rituals

All of the rituals observed by the Jews prior to the destruction of the temple in AD 70 were symbolic of the coming Messiah and His role in the salvation of His people.  This role is vividly explained in the book “The Miracle of the ScarletThread”, by Richard Booker and will not be recounted here.

The symbolism of the Tabernacle/Temple, the sacrificial system, the high priest and the Passover point clearly and directly to the role of the Messiah in salvation and His nature as the suffering servant described in Isaiah 53 and other places in Old Testament Prophecy[2].  Any Messiah (in the Christian understanding of Messiah) would have to be suitable to fill that role as per the above prophecies and adds credence to the credibility of Jesus as the Messiah.

The Year of Birth and Death

Daniel 9:24-27 describes the exact year in which the Messiah will come.

Dan 9:24-27  "Seventy 'sevens' are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy.

      "Know and understand this: From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven 'sevens,' and sixty-two 'sevens.' It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble.

      After the sixty-two 'sevens,' the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.

      He will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple  he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him."

One seven (which is translated by some Bible versions as a week) can be used to mean any block of 7 periods of time.  It could mean 7 days, 7 months, 7 years, 7 decades, and this terminology is used frequently throughout the Old Testament.  In this instance, it is commonly understood that the 'sevens' are blocks of seven years (see Leviticus 25 discussion the year of jubilee which happens every 7 cycles of 7 years - every 49 years).

So, let’s have a look at the math...

70 sevens are decreed (490 years)[15]

-          To finish transgression

-          To put an end to sin

-          To atone for wickedness

-          To bring everlasting righteousness

-          To seal up vision and prophecy

-          To anoint the most holy

v25: "From the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be 7 'sevens' and 62 'sevens'.

The issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem is well documented in Ezra 7.  Ezra 7:7 gives the date of the issuing of the decree as as “The seventh year of King Antaxerxes” which historians know to be 458BC (on the Gregorian calendar, April 8th, 458 BC, to be exact).

69 'sevens' (7 sevens and 62 sevens) or weeks of years is 483 years.  

v26: "After the 62 'sevens', the Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing."

So, after the last period of sevens (after 483 years) the Messiah will be killed.  That's a pretty specific date.  We have to remember here that these time frames are based on the Jewish calendar and not our present Gregorian calendar.  In order to convert the dates we're going to have to do some math.

The Jewish calendar has 12 months of 30 days each (360 days/year).  So we have to multiply the number of years defined in the scriptures by 360 to get the number of days in those years.  483 * 360 is 173,880 days.

Approximately every 3^rd year an additional month is added so the lunar calendar will correspond to the solar year.[4]  Over those 483 years there would have been 161 extra 30 day months added.  161 * 30 is 4,830 additional days for a total of  178,710 days.

((483 * 360) + ((483/3) *30)) = 178,710 days

If we divide 178,710 by 365 days (the number of days in a Gregorian year) we get 489.6 Julian years.  0.6 Gregorian years is 219 days.  So our current number is 489 years, 219 days.

Every fourth Gregorian year constitutes a leap year in which there are 366 days in a year.

(489/4) = 122.25 additional days making our total 489 years, 341 days, or approximately 490 Gregorian years.[16]

There was no zero AD, the Gregorian calendar jumps directly from 1BC to 1AD, so to get an accurate date we must add one to compensate.

-458 + 490 years + 1  = AD 33

So, the year foretold by the prophet Daniel for the death of the Messiah is AD33. 

Jesus began his ministry when he was "about 30" and was crucified (cut off) three and a half years later (three to three and a half, most believe three and a half). 

Luke 3:1 places the beginning of Jesus’ ministry at “the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar”.  Tiberius Caesar aka Tiberius Caesar Augustus aka Tiberius Claudius Nero began his reign in AD14 at the death of Caesar Augustus.[5]

The fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, then,  would be AD29.

Luke 3:23 states that Jesus was “about 30 years old” when he began his ministry and his ministry lasted for (most likely) about 3 1/2 years.

The week of the feast of unleavened bread begins on 15^th Nisan of every year by commandment of God.[6]  Jesus ate the Passover meal with his disciples on the evening before he was crucified, the day before the sacrificial lamb was to be killed, or 13^th Nisan.[7]

We know that Jesus was crucified on the day of Passover which is the day before the first day of unleavened bread which is 14^th Nisan.[8]  After he was placed in the tomb the women who were to attend him had to wait until after the Sabbath to anoint Him.[9]  He then rose from the dead on the “the third day” which was the first day of the week (Sunday 16^th Nisan).[10]

This means that in the year of Jesus’ death the Passover (14^th Nisan) fell on a Friday.  Looking at the Hebrew calendar[11] for years after AD29 when Jesus began his ministry, we find the Passover fell on a Friday on April 3, 33AD and not again until March 30, 36AD.

This means that Daniel’s prophecy of the year of the coming Messiah was exact to the year and month if Jesus is the Messiah.

 Unless some other person was crucified on that exact day at that same time who was from the line of David and met all the other requirements of Messianic prophecy we have no alternative than to believe that Jesus is the promised Messiah.

From this evidence we can conclude that the Messiah would fulfill a very specific role.  He would establish himself by doing Miracles, he would be rejected by the people he came to save and he would suffer for them.  He would then be sacrificed for his people and raised from the dead on the third day.  His death would occur on Passover in AD33 by being “lifted up” on a tree.

The sacrifice of Jesus in Jerusalem is also significant.  This is the same location (the temple mount in Jerusalem) where Abraham took Isaac to be sacrificed.  It is the same location (the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite) where David built an alter to offer a sacrifice for the salvation of his people after he had sinned.[3]

There were three people who where crucified in Jerusalem on Passover in AD33 - Jesus and the two thieves and neither of the two thieves fulfilled even the tiniest fraction of the prophecies that Jesus fulfilled and neither claimed to be the Messiah.

Therefore there is nobody in the past or future history of the world who could possibly be the Messiah, other than Jesus.

The only conclusion then, is that Jesus is who he claimed to be - the Messiah.

In my next post, I will attempt to answer the age-old question: Why would a good God let bad things happen to good people?

Until then, have a blessed week.

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[1] This entire list taken from The New Evidence That Demands a Verdict, Josh McDowell, Thomas Nelson Publishers, pp168-192

[2] The Miracle of the Scarlet Thread, Richard Booker, Destiny Image.
[3] 2 Samuel 24

[4] NIV study bible.  Page 101 "Hebrew Calendar and Selected Events"

[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiberius

[6] Lev. 23:6

[7] Lev 23:5

[8] Matt 26:18-26.

[9] Luke 23:55-56

[10] Matt 28:1

[11] http://www.rosettacalendar.com/index.cgi

[12] The Broadman Bible Commentary.  Volume 6, pg. 442.

[13] NIV study bible.  Page 1474, Note on Matthew 24:2
[14] It is not quite as simple as this in reality.  The principle discussed here comes from a book written by Borel in which he declared:

Referring to an example of monkeys who, randomly hitting keys of a typewriter, happen by chance to produce the complete works of Shakespeare he said: "Such is the sort of event which, though its impossibility may not be rationally demonstrable, is, however, so unlikely that no sensible person will hesitate to declare it actually possible. If someone affirmed having observed such an event we would be sure that he is deceiving us or has himself been victim of fraud."

He then calculated that anything with a probability of less than 1 in 10⁵⁰ can be said to be impossible, but he was referring to these types of examples of unreasonableness.  It is certainly possible however unlikely that such a monkey randomly hitting keys on a typewriter could produce the works of Shakespeare, no rational person would believe it (although if one believes in the multiverse one would have to say that in one of those infinite number of universes exactly that has happened).

Those who denounce the Christian's usage of this to apply to creationism and other probabilities reject that it was intended for this purpose.  They will say "If you had a die with 51 sides and threw it, you would have a less than 1 in 10⁵⁰ chance that it would turn up a 2".  In such a case, it is highly possible and even probably that at some point, if you threw it enough, it will indeed turn up a 2.

The problem with this point of view is those who are arguing against using this "law" are those who choose to believe that abiogenesis and other such principles are possible and it is left up to the individual to determine what a sensible person might actually believe and what someone chooses to believe because the alternative is unpalatable to them.
[15] The number 10 in the Biblical numerology represents divine perfection.  The combination of the year of Jubilee (every 49 years) and the number of divine perfection (10) yields 490 years which is the number of years described by Daniel. http://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/10.html
[16] The gregorian calendar also has the concept of leap centuries.  Every 4th century is not a leap year.  This would only account for one day in our calculation and does not have a material affect on the calculation

Christian Apologetics Part 6 - What about the apparent contradictions throughout the Bible?

A simple search of the internet reveals numerous sites which describe hundreds of alleged contradictions in the Bible.  One can also find a lists of such alleged contradictions refuted:

• http://www.thywordistrue.com/articles-view-all.htm
• http://www.philvaz.com/apologetics/bible.htm
• http://www.thedevineevidence.com/skeptic_contradictions.html
• http://lmgtfy.com/?q=bible+contradiction+answered

A search of Amazon.comwill reveal many books on the subject.

• http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=bible%20contradictions%20answered

In fact,the vast majority of these alleged contradictions are not at all contradictions, but merely different accounts of the same event or a difference in details.

For example, look at the accounts of Mary, the mother of James, Mary Magdalene, and Salome at the tomb which some call a contradiction.

            Matthew’s Version

Mat 28:1-7 After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

    There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.  His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.  The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

     The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

Mark’s Version

Mar 16:1-7 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus' body.  Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, "Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?"

    But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

     "Don't be alarmed," he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.  But go, tell his disciples and Peter, 'He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.' "

Luke’s Version
Luk 24:1-8 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb.  They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.  While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.  In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.' "  Then they remembered his words.

John’s Version

Joh 20:1 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.

When examined closely, it becomes apparent that none of these verses conflict.  They just each contain different details of the same event.  This is in no way a contradiction.  For a complete explanation of how these verses are in harmony see my Easter blog post which recounts the final 24 hours of Jesus life and his resurrection as recounted in each of the Gospels with harmonies explained.

On the other hand, there are some errors which can be attributed to copyist errors.  For example, look at 2 Chronicles 22:2 vs 2 Kings 8:26.

 2 Chronicles 22:2 Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athaliah the daughter of Omri. 

2 Kings 8:26 Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel. 

In the Hebrew, letters are also numbers.  The Hebrew alphabet begins with Aleph, Bet, Gimmel, Dalet, Hey, these letters also represent the numbers 1,2,3,4, and 5.  The following table shows the Hebrew alephbet with their names, sounds, and numerical values (remember that Hebrew is read from right to left rather than left to right).[1]  

t Teit (T) 9	x Cheit (Ch) 8	z Zayin (Z) 7	u Vav (V/O/U) 6	e Hey (H) 5	d Dalet (D) 4	g Gimmel (G) 3	b Bet (B/V) 2	a Aleph (silent) 1
y Tzadei (Tz) 90	p Pei/Fe (P/F) 80	o Ayin (Silent) 70	s Samekh (S) 60	n Nun (N) 50	M Mem (M) 40	l Lamed (L) 30	k Kaf (K/Kh) 20	i Yod (Y) 10
					x Tav (T/S) 400	w Shin (Sh/S) 300	r Reish (R) 200	q Qof (Q) 100

 Thus “two and twenty” would be written kb (mem bet), and “Forty and two” would be written mb (kaf bet), which could easily been mis-copied.  It is clear that the Hebrews version is correct since if he were 42 he would be two years older than his father.[2]

…some copies of the Septuagint, and the Syriac and Arabic versions, read twenty two, as in Kings; particularly the Syriac version, used in the church of Antioch from the most early times.[3]

It is clear that this is not a contradiction, but a copyist error in some versions.  Importantly, this error does not change the details or the doctrine in any way.

In other situations we have different manuscripts which have some text which others do not.  For instance, John 7:53 – 8:11 are not in the earliest manuscripts, and some Bibles, therefore, do not contain them.  Others will give the text and explain that they were not in every manuscript.

We see that the Dead Sea Scrolls version of Isaiah 53 contains the word “light” (interpreted in the NIV as “the light of life”) which the Masoretic text from which we get our Old Testament does not.

Isa 53:11  After the suffering of his soul,

      he will see the light of life and be satisfied;

      by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,

      and he will bear their iniquities.

It is interesting to note, however, that the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament) does contain the word.

Again, the difference in the text in no way change the meaning of the verses, nor do they add or detract any information which is not already known from other verses.

Now that we have established that the Bible has been transmitted accurately and there is no evidence contradicting its veracity, we will turn our attention to the next question in our list.  How do we know Jesus is the Messiah?  That is the topic of next week's post.

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[1] All Hebrew words also have a numerical value based on the numbers of the letters (also see “number of his name", Rev. 13:17-18).  The Hebrew word for life is xi.  The number of life is 18 and thus many Jews give money in multiples of 18 as gifts to someone celebrating a birth, bar mitzvah, or wedding.

[2] See 2 Kings 8:17-24.  His father began to reign when he was thirty two years old and reigned for 8 years.  Ahaziah succeeded him as king when he died.

[3] John Gill’s Exposition of the entire Bible, notes on 2 Chronicles 22:2.

Christian Apologetics Part 5 - How can we know the Old Testament is accurate and true?

Matthew 5:16-18 "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
 
Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished."

In Part 4 of this series, we answered the question, How can we know that the New Testament is accurate and true?

In this post, we will examine the same question posed about the Old Testament.  We will apply some of the same tests and add some additional support.

The Bibliographical Test

Using the same logic as with the New Testament, the first place to start in showing the accuracy of the Old Testament text is the bibliographical test.

Method of Maintaining the Text

From the fifth century B.C a succession of Jewish scholars was charged with preserving the Biblical text:

• Between the 5^th and 3^rd centuries B.C., the Sopherim (scribes) were custodians of the text.
• Between the 2^nd and 1^st centuries B.C., it was the Zugoth (“pairs” of scholars)
• Between the 1^st century B.C. and A.D. 200, the Tannaim (“repeaters” or “teacher”) were responsible.  The Talmud was compiled between A.D. 100 and A.D. 500.
• Between A.D. 100 and A.D. 500 the Talmudists had the responsibility.
• Between A.D. 500 and A.D. 950 it was maintained by the Masorets.[1]

The science of copying the texts was exact.  If any mistake was made on a page the entire page was discarded and the scribe started with a fresh page.

This figure shows the Hebrew letter Aleph.  It is the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet (or alephbet as it is sometimes called).  The rules for drawing this letter are as follows:

Figure 3

The Letter Aleph has 3 distinct parts and 10 laws concerning its form. There is an upper Yud, a lower Yud, and a body that is similar to a Vov. There should be a clear connection from the body of the Aleph to the Yuds but none of the faces of the Yuds are allowed to touch its body. The face of the upper Yud should be slightly angled upward. The very bottom end of the Vov part should be slightly turned upwards. The size of the Aleph should be 3X3 kulmusim. The word Kulmus(im) means the width of the tip of the quill.[2]

These types of stringent guidelines were placed on every single letter that was placed on a page during copying.  Aside from the letter themselves, how they were spaced on the page and other details were also mandated.

[8] An authentic copy must be the exemplar, from which the transcriber ought not in the least deviate. [9] No word or letter, not even a yod[3], must be written from memory, the scribe not having looked at the codex before him….[10] Between every consonant the space of a hair or thread must intervene; [11] between every new …section, the breadth of nine consonants; [12] between every book, three lines.[4]

Old copies were destroyed lest it become defaced or damaged in the lapse of time.  A damaged or imperfect copy was at once condemned as unfit for use.[5]

The work was not some person wanting a new copy and doing it in his living room in his spare time.  It was painstaking and sacred work and every effort was made to eliminate mistakes.

Quantity of Manuscripts

 The earliest Old Testament manuscripts date from around the third century B.C. and the total number is somewhere around 15,000.[6]  The earliest complete manuscript is the Codex Babylonicus Petropalitanus in Leningrad and dates to A.D. 1008.  This is the version on which all modern Biblical texts are based.[7]

The more manuscripts you have the more you can compare various copies to eliminate any copy which does not match the others providing additional failsafes.

Internal Evidence Test

Literary Devices

In Psalm 119, the first letters of the first eight verses begin with the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet, Aleph.  The second eight verses begin with the second letter in the Hebrew alphabet, Beth.  This continues on throughout the entire psalm until all letters of the alphabet are used.  There are 22 letters and 176 verses.

Much of the psalms were written in poetic style and had a certain meter and rhythm.  They also made plentiful use of alliteration and other literary devices.  These literary devices were also used in other books to a lesser degree.

These literary devices helped to ensure proper copying since a mistake would break the device.

The Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in a cave in an area known as Qumran on the shores of the Dead Sea.  Some 40,000 fragments were found which, when pieced together, constructed more than 500 books.  Among those was a complete copy of the book of Isaiah.  This discovery was of extreme importance in that it was written around 125 B.C. just over 1000 years earlier than any other copy in existence.

Of the 166 words in Isaiah 53, there are only seventeen letters in question.  Ten of these letters are simply a matter of spelling, which does not affect the sense.  Four more letters are minor stylistic changes, such as conjunctions.  The remaining three letters comprise the word “light,” which is added in verse 11, and does not affect the meaning greatly.  Furthermore, this word is supported by the LXX (Septuagent) and IQ Is (one of the Isaiah scrolls found in the Dead Sea caves).  Thus in one chapter of 166 words, there is only one word (three letters) in question after a thousand years of transmission – and this word does not significantly change the meaning of the passage.[8]

This proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that it is possible to keep accurate copies of books over many generations of copying with no appreciable deviation in the text.

Also in the Qumran caves was found 223 other fragments from various other books of the Old Testament.

Duplicate Passages

Many passages in the Old Testament are exact copies of other passages (i.e. Psalm 14 and 53).  Many of these books were written thousands of years apart and the agreement between them is also a testament to their accuracy in transmission.[9]

External Evidence Test

Archeological Evidence
As was stated in the last post, archeological evidence cannot prove that a text is true, but it can certainly prove a text is not true.  If archeological evidence contradicts the text (as it does with the Book of Mormon) then that calls the entire text into question.  If no archeological evidence contradicts the text which was written over thousands of years by many different authors who didn't know each other, then that lends credence to the text.


The following archaeological finds all support the Biblical historical account.

Sodom and Gomorrah
              Jebel Usdum aka Mount Sodom

Jericho
             The walls fell out and not in

Saul, David and Solomon

            Saul’s fortress at Gibeah

            Pool of Siloam

            Dome of the Rock (Solomon’s Temple)

           

In every period of Old Testament history, we find that there is good evidence from archaeology that the Scriptures speak the truth.  In many instances, the Scriptures even reflect firsthand knowledge of the times and customs it describes.  While many have doubted the accuracy of the Bible, time and continued research have consistently demonstrated that the Word of God is better informed than its critics.

In fact, while thousands of finds from the ancient world support in broad outline and often in detail the Biblical picture, not one incontrovertible find has ever contradicted the Bible.[10]

As per Archeologist Nelson Glueck: “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.  Scores of archaeological findings have been made which confirm in clear outline or exact detail historical statements in the Bible.”[11]

The bottom line is:  The Bible is a human document.  It was written by humans (as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit) in a human way that would be meaningful to humans.  Much of it was written at a time when such documents would last only a finite amount of time and as such we have a few issues of differences of manuscripts which have no significant effect on the content nor doctrines of the scriptures.

We also have the occasional copyist error which again has no material effect on the content nor doctrines of the scriptures.

Based on this information the Christian should understand the nature and history of the Old Testament  and be assured that the doctrines set out by the Holy Bible in its current form is accurate and true to such a degree that, in the New Testament, Jesus and His Apostles quoted from it extensively and explicitly proclaim its authenticity and truth.[12]

If we have provided ample evidence in the previous post to show that the New Testament can be trusted, then we can also use the New Testament in support of the Old Testament.

Some would claim this is circular logic and that may be so depending on how it is used, but the New Testament and Old Testament books are separate works separated by 500 years (more for the older Old Testament books) and there are many who believe that the New Testament is true but the Old Testament is outdated and is no longer valid.

In fact, Christ quotes or references Old Testament scripture at least 21 times as recorded by Matthew alone: Matt 4:4,7,10 (temptation); Matt 9:13; Matt 10:35-36; Matt 11:10; Matt 12:3-5; Matt 12:38-41; Matt 13:13,14-15; Matt 15:7-9; Matt 19:17; Matt 21:13,16; Matt 21:42; Matt 22:31-32; Matt 22:44; Matt 14:29; Matt 26:31; Matt 26:54; and Matt 27:46.

In Matthew 5:18, Christ Himself says, "I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." (NIV)

 In addition, 2 Timothy 3:16,17 says that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

So, for those who believe in the truth of the New Testament, the New Testament precludes the notion that the Old Testament is no longer valid.

How can we know the Old Testament is true?

As with the New Testament, belief in the truth of the Bible comes through faith to those who are called by God and accept His free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Our objective is not to prove that the text is true, that is a feat which may be impossible absent divine intervention and is left to the work of the Holy Spirit in a person's life.  Our objective is to show that the text is not false.

If the text is shown to be accurately transmitted down through the ages, and if the text which is falsifiable cannot be falsified, then there is no obstacle to belief that the scriptures are true.

One of the key principles we have discussed in the Internal Evidence Test is, "Does the text contradict itself?"  If it does, then it cannot be trusted.

Rather than answer that problem twice (once for the New Testament and one for the Old Testament) I will devote an entire posting to that subject and that is coming up next week.

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[1] The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, McDowell, Thomas Nelson Publishers.  Pp73-74.

[2] http://www.geocities.com/Athens/9587/alephbet.html

[3] The smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet.

[4] [4] The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, McDowell, Thomas Nelson Publishers.  P74

[5] Our Bible and the Ancient Manuscripts, Frederic Kenyon, as quoted in The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, McDowell, Nelson Publishers, P 75.

[6] The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, McDowell, Nelson Publishers, Pp71-73.

[7] In the Beginning: A Short History of the Hebrew Language, Joel M. Hoffman, NYU Press, Page 121.

[8] The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, McDowell, Nelson Publishers, Pp79.

[9] For other duplicates see Isaiah 36-39 compared to 2 Kings 18-20; Isaiah 2:24 compared to Micah 4:1-3; Jeremiah 52 compared to 2 Kings 25; as well as large portions of Chronicles reproduced in 1&2 Samuel and 1&2 Kings.

[10] The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, McDowell, Nelson Publishers, p98

[11] The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict, McDowell, Nelson Publishers, p89.

[12] 2 Ti 3:14-17