There is not the slightest bit of evidence that anything before this time is other than myth. This includes stories about Adam and Eve, Noah, the tower of Babel, Abraham, Moses and even King Solomon.
Terry,
It's clear that you have been reading the Biblical Minimalists who are certainly on the fringes.
Unfortunately, what you say is just plain wrong.
Abraham and the people connected with him are almost certainly not mythical characters?
Just to swell this thread even more:
?ABRAHAM
When we continue examining those events and people which are mentioned in the Bible, we often run into the name of Abraham, the person whom the Bible tells us used to live in Ur of the Chaldeans, a metropolis of its time, and who later moved to the Promised Land.
The historicity of Abraham can?t be completely proved, but in any case there are good reasons to believe in it. Clay tablets have been found with the name "Abraham" inscribed in them. Other sources such as these following also provide evidence:
- Names in tablets in Chaldean. First of all, tablets dating to the year 2000 B.C, found from Ur of the Chaldeans (Abraham's hometown) refer to the historicity of Abraham. These tablets mention the name "Abraham" and also other biblical names such as Jacob, Terah, Sarai, Milcah and Laban - they are mentioned among the witnesses of an agreement. These names are not of course proof of Abraham?s relatives or of Abraham himself, but at least they indicate that similar names have been in common use at that time.
- In the tablets of Mari, which are dated to year 1700 B.C., such names as Peleg, Serug, Nahor, Terah and Haran have been seen. What is noticeable is that those same names also appear in the Bible.
- Also from the clay tablets of Ebla such names as Abramu (the name of Abraham was initially Abram.), Esaum, Saulum, Daudum, Mikail and Ismael-Ishmail and Israel-Ishrail have been found. These names are not necessarily people mentioned in the Bible, but at least they are an indication that similar names have been in use at that time.
- In the book "History of Israel" (John Bright, 5.p.1976. p.91p.) John Bright describes the historicity of the patriarch accounts of the Bible and so we have good reason to believe that they really had taken place:
The proofs that have been presented to us so far, give reason to believe that the patriarch accounts are firmly based on history ... We can confidently claim, that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were real historical people... it is clear that the patriarch accounts, not describing later times perfectly describe the conditions that existed during the period in question. (12)
- Abraham as a forefather. The fact that the Jews and Arabs regard Abraham as their forefather is in itself proof that he was a historic person. These people firmly believe that Abraham is their forefather and we have no reason to doubt this.
- (Gen 11:27-28) This is the account of Terah.
Terah became the father of Abram, Nahor and Haran. And Haran became the father of Lot.
28. While his father Terah was still alive, Haran died in Ur of the Chaldeans, in the land of his birth.
- (Ex. 3:5-6) "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground."
6. Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
- (Joshua 24:2-4) Joshua said to all the people, "This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'Long ago your forefathers, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the River [a] and worshipped other gods.
3. But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the River and led him throughout Canaan and gave him many descendants. I gave him Isaac,
4. and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his sons went down to Egypt.
- (Isa 51:2) look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth. When I called him he was but one,
and I blessed him and made him many.
- (Ezek 33:24) "Son of man, the people living in those ruins in the land of Israel are saying, 'Abraham was only one man, yet he possessed the land. But we are many; surely the land has been given to us as our possession.'
- (Luke 1:72-73) to show mercy to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant,
73. the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
- (Matt 3:9) And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.
- (John 8:53) Are you greater than our father Abraham? He died, and so did the prophets. Who do you think you are?"
- (Acts 7:2) To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.
- (2 Cor 11:22) Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham's descendants? So am I.
MOAB
One of Abraham's relations was Moab, who was the descendant of Lot, Abraham?s nephew. The Bible tells us, that he had many descendants and that there was a nation by that name - the kingdom of Moab, which was often a nuisance to Israel.
In addition to this, his name comes up in different historical sources, the stone of Moab being one of them. This stone also mentions Omri, who was the king of Israel:
"I am Mesha, the son of Chemosh ... the king of Moab, Dibonite... The king of Israel Omri... oppressed Moab for a long time, because Chemosh got angry with his country. And his son became the king in his place and said: 'I will oppress Moab... "
- (Gen 19:36-37) so both of Lot's daughters became pregnant by their father.
37. The older daughter had a son, and she named him Moab; he is the father of the Moabites of today.
- (Deut 2:11) Like the Anakites, they too were considered Rephaites, but the Moabites called them Emites.
- (Ruth 2:2) And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, "Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor." Naomi said to her, "Go ahead, my daughter."
- (Isa 16:2) Like fluttering birds pushed from the nest, so are the women of Moab at the fords of the Arnon.
- (Jer 48:13) Then Moab will be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed when they trusted in Bethel.
ISRAEL
The name which is closely related to the Jews, is Israel, from whom this nation comes from. He, who was originally called Jacob, was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham.
Perhaps the most interesting finding connected to the name of Israel is the so called Israel-stone, which dates back to year 1200 B.C., and is a monument in honour of the pharaoh Merenptah. The significance of this monument lies in the fact that it is the earliest foreign source on the existence of Israel. It indicates, that the nation of Israel had already in the times of the judges established its location in the Middle-East.
- (Gen 32:27-28) The man asked him, "What is your name?" "Jacob," he answered.
28. Then the man said, "Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome."
EDOM
The brother of Jacob was Esau, or Edom. Esau was his elder twin brother who had his own nation. The king Sargon of Assyria has preserved a statement about him. In this statement we also see other familiar names from the Bible, such as Judah and Moab:
"I conquered Ashdod, Gath. I moved inhabitants to them from eastern countries. I collected tax from Philistia, Judah, Edom and Moab."
- (Gen 25:30) He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" That is why he was also called Edom.
- (Gen 36:1, 19) This is the account of Esau (that is, Edom).
19. These were the sons of Esau (that is, Edom), and these were their chiefs.
- (Num 20:23) At Mount Hor, near the border of Edom, the LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
- (Jer 9:26) Egypt, Judah, Edom, Ammon, Moab and all who live in the desert in distant places. For all these nations are really uncircumcised, and even the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart."
- (2 Chronicles 28:17) The Edomites had again come and attacked Judah and carried away prisoners,
HITTITES
The existence of the Hittites has also been confirmed. This nation, which was not known in the beginning of the 19th century other than from the Bible, and whose existence was doubted for a long time, has now become well-known. Findings of them have been made in their own capital Hattusas. In addition to this, notes on them have been found from Egyptian and Syrian sources.
What describes this well is that when the "Encyclopedia Britannica" dedicated only 8 lines to this nation in its edition in 1860, the 1947 edition had 10 full pages with two columns on them because the information about this nation had increased. What had in the beginning only been well-known from the Bible, had thus got confirmation from archaeological sources.
For instance the next Bible verses refer to this nation (The Bible has all together almost 50 references to them):
- (Gen 10:15) Canaan was the father of Sidon his firstborn, and of the Hittites,
- (Judges 1:26) He then went to the land of the Hittites, where he built a city and called it Luz, which is its name to this day.
- (1 Kings 10:29) They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans.
JACOB
Jacob is the same person as the before mentioned Israel.
In connection with him it is interesting to note that the monument of Pharaoh Thutmos lll, which is in the pylon of the temple of Karnak, includes references to such place names as Jacob-Er and Joseph-El. In addition to this, this monument mentiones other familiar places from the Bible such as Kadesh, Megiddo, Dothan, Damascus, Hazor, Carmel, Gath and Bethel.
- (Gen 25:26- 27) After this, his brother came out, with his hand grasping Esau's heel; so he was named Jacob. [a] Isaac was sixty years old when Rebekah gave birth to them.
27. The boys grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents.
- (Isa 27:6) In days to come Jacob will take root, Israel will bud and blossom and fill all the world with fruit.
- (John 4:5-6, 9-12) So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph.
6. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour.
9. The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)
10. Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
11."Sir," the woman said, "you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?
12. Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his flocks and herds?"
BENJAMIN
Benjamin was a "patriarch" and one of the twelve sons of Jacob, from whom one of the tribes of Israel descended from. A few references to Benjamites can be found in the clay tablets of Mari. One of these statements goes as follows:
"Inform this to my master on behalf of your servant Bannum: Yesterday I left from Mari and I spent the night in Zuruban. All Benjamites sent signs of fire. From Samamum to Ilum-Muluk, from Ilum-Muluk to Mishlam all Benjamin villages in the area of Terqua answered with signs of fire; I don't yet know, what these signs mean." (13)
- (Gen 35:17-18) And as she was having great difficulty in childbirth, the midwife said to her, "Don't be afraid, for you have another son."
18. As she breathed her lastfor she was dyingshe named her son Ben-Oni. But his father named him Benjamin.
- (Judges 19:16) That evening an old man from the hill country of Ephraim, who was living in Gibeah (the men of the place were Benjamites), came in from his work in the fields.
- (Romans 11:1) I ask then: Did God reject his people? By no means! I am an Israelite myself, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.
ASHER
One of the sons of Jacob was Asher, from whom descended his own tribe. This tribe, which has his name, can be found in the pages of the Old Testament:
- (Gen 30:13) Then Leah said, "How happy I am! The women will call me happy." So she named him Asher.
- (Num 1:41) The number from the tribe of Asher was 41,500.
- (Luke 2:36) There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage,
LEVI
Levi was also a son of Jacob, from which also descended a tribe bearing his name. His descendants had a responsible task according to the Bible; they took care of the temple service and other priestly tasks. The New Testament also mentions the descendants of Levi living in those days:
- (Ex. 6:16) These were the names of the sons of Levi according to their records: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. Levi lived 137 years.
- (John 1:19) Now this was Johns testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was.
- (Acts 4:36) Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means Son of Encouragement),
RACHEL, LEAH AND PEREZ
Rachel and Leah, who appear in the next verses of the Bible, were the wives of Jacob. He went to get them from the eastern countries. Perez was the son of Leah's son Judah, from Tamar:
- (Gen 31:14) Then Rachel and Leah replied, "Do we still have any share in the inheritance of our father's estate?
- (Gen 38:29) But when he drew back his hand, his brother came out, and she said, "So this is how you have broken out!" And he was named Perez.
- (Ruth 4:11-12) Then the elders and all those at the gate said, "We are witnesses. May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.
12. Through the offspring the LORD gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah."
RACHELS TOMB
When Rachel, the favourite wife of Jacob died, we are told that she was buried by the road to Ephrath. However, what is interesting is that we can find a reference to the same tomb from the book of Samuel; it was obviously still commonly known at that time:
- (Gen 35:19) So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).
- (Gen 48:7) As I was returning from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan while we were still on the way, a little distance from Ephrath. So I buried her there beside the road to Ephrath" (that is, Bethlehem).
- (1 Sam 10:1-2) Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul's head and kissed him, saying, "Has not the LORD anointed you leader over his inheritance?
2. When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel's tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, 'The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, "What shall I do about my son?" '
JOSEPHS BONES
When we look at the references to Joseph, he was named "the prince among his brothers" (Gen 49:26), and he also served as the closest man to the pharaoh. However, he asked that his bones would be taken back to where he had lived before after his death:
- (Gen 50:25-26) And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, "God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place."
26. So Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten. And after they embalmed him, he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.
- (Joshua 24:32) And Joseph's bones, which the Israelites had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shechem in the tract of land that Jacob bought for a hundred pieces of silver from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem. This became the inheritance of Joseph's descendants.?
Blacknad.
