I’ve shared information from archaeologist Joel Kramer before, in my post “The Oldest Yahweh Inscription” (note 3) and it’s about time I shared some more.
Joel isn’t the only Bible-believing archaeologist by any means-there are quite a few out there (see note 1), but Joel does such a great job of communicating. A word of caution: some outlets claiming to be believers are actually very liberal, or unbelievers, or from a cult which has adulterated the Scriptures. Joel is genuine: the real deal. Having said that, I’m not entirely sure where he stands on the matter of the Flood-I want to ask him that one day. Find his fabulous YouTube channel (note 2).
In Joel’s YouTube video, “Bible Evidence Unearthed at Nineveh!” (note 4) hard evidence found in ancient Mesopotamia is compared to the text of Scripture. As you will see if you watch it, the details are numerous and match magnificently.
Joel explains that the finding of the ancient city of Nineveh was driven by faith in the Bible. Isn’t that interesting: it wasn’t the other way around! The city, spoken of by Old Testament prophets and described as a “great city”, really existed, and was found by someone who believed the Word of God to be true. This is a recurring story in archaeology.
Nineveh, once the capital of the ancient Assyrian empire, was excavated by Austen Henry Layard, who was anxious to prove that the ruins, which had been discovered decades before, actually were the remains of Nineveh. He uncovered a fabulous palace complex. In one part of it was a wall relief commemorating the Assyrian siege of Lachish, a Judean city second only to Jerusalem. Numerous details of this relief, and an inscription on it honoring the king of the time, confirm in amazing detail the Biblical account of the very same siege. The cuneiform inscription, beside a depiction of the king, includes the following message:
“Sennacherib, the mighty king, king of the country of Assyria, sitting on the throne of judgment, before…the city of Lachish”.
To those of you who are uninitiated in the narrative of the Old Testament, God sometimes judged Israel (and Judah) for their idolatry and immorality, by the use of foreign armies.
HEZEKIAH
The Biblical account speaks of the siege, and of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and how he also besieged other cities and fortifications in Judah. As if Sennacherib’s confirmation of this weren’t enough to tickle our faith-buds, Sennacherib mentioned the Judean king of the time: Hezekiah. The inscription of Sennacherib’s on the “Taylor Prism” states the following:
“As for Hezekiah the Jew, he did not submit to my yoke. I laid siege to 46 of his strong cities… and conquered them.”
However, just as the Bible describes how the Assyrian army went on to attempt to conquer Jerusalem in the same way but couldn’t, the accounts found at Nineveh describe the siege of Jerusalem, but make no mention that Jerusalem was conquered. As Joel explains, if Jerusalem itself had been conquered, the relief in Sennacherib’s palace would be far more likely to commemorate that victory. Scripture records that Sennacherib laid siege to Jerusalem, but due to the intervention of God, did not succeed. 2 Kings chapter 19 records the prayer of Hezekiah which caused God to halt Sennacherib’s progress in a dramatic way. Sennacherib then returned to Nineveh and “stayed there” (verse 36).
The final mention of Nineveh in the Old Testament prophesies its destruction, and how it would be a wasteland perpetually. It is so to this day.
The significance of the accounts and the relief found at ancient Nineveh, and the discovery of the city itself, is that Scripture-Biblical Scripture-is a reliable record of history. It’s often denied, until the hard evidence is found.
NOTES
1 https://www.youtube.com/@DiggingForTruth
Also search for the many fabulous documentaries featuring Douglas Petrovich.
2 https://www.youtube.com/@ExpeditionBible
3 https://nickyfisher.com/2023/01/09/the-oldest-yahweh-inscription/
4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34XBkm4QiLo&ab_channel=ExpeditionBible
Fuel for Faith, Food for Thought 