[Theme music]
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[Theme music]
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>>John Bradshaw: This is It
Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me.
Today, I'm at the Lynn H. Wood
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Archaeological Museum on
the campus of Southern Adventist
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University, and I'm
joined by the director of the
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archaeological institute,
Dr. Michael Hasel. Dr. Hasel,
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thanks for joining me
today. >>Michael Hasel: Great
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to be with you. >>John: As we've
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talked before about archaeology,
we've gone back in time. We've
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talked about David, and
we've talked about Solomon,
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other great luminaries of
the Bible. We've talked about
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everyday life in the
Bible, looking through the lens
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of archaeology. But I wonder if
today we could bring it a little
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closer to where we are and
speak about Jesus. What does
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archaeology teach us, reveal
to us, about Jesus Christ?
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>>Michael: Well, it teaches us
a great deal about the time of
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Jesus, and that is often
what archaeology can do for us.
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Sometimes it doesn't give
us specific information about
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events. Sometimes it may
not give us specific information
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about people. But in the case
of Jesus, we're going to look at
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the people surrounding Jesus in
the New Testament era, the time
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of Christ, and some of the
artifacts that will illuminate
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that period and the stories that
Jesus told, which, uh, played on
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everyday circumstances
and everyday lessons that
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people could relate to.
>>John: My understanding
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is that it's true that there
are certain individuals in the
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New Testament account that
archaeology does refer to, and
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does shine quite a bit of light
on. Now, now who would they be?
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>>Michael: Well, one of them
is Caiaphas, the high priest.
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We find both in the book of John
and also in the book of Matthew.
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Caiaphas is referred to as the
high priest. He is the one that
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uh, initiates, if you will, the
plot against Jesus in terms of
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seeking his life. He was
also referred to by the Jewish
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historian working on behalf
of the Romans, Josephus, who is
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our biggest source for the
New Testament era, by the way.
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Josephus refers to Joseph, the
son of Caiaphas, uh, as being
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the high priest during this
time period. And it was a few
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years ago in the 1990's
that excavations took place in
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preparation for a new garden
and park south of Jerusalem.
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It's known as the Promenade
Park today. And there a tomb
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complex, a family tomb complex,
was found dating back to the
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first century A.D. And in that
tomb complex there were several
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ossuaries, or bone boxes, which
is the typical way that Jews
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were burying the dead at
that time. They would allow
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the body to decay. Then they
would gather up the bones and
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place the bones in limestone
boxes that were carved. One of
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the ossuaries had the Hebrew or
Aramaic inscription Joseph son
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of Caiapha, or Caiaphas.
And many scholars today believe
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that this was, in fact, the
tomb, and, in fact, the bone
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box of Caiaphas himself.
It's in the Israel Museum now.
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>>John: Okay, these things
are found--tombs, ossuaries,
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bone boxes. How does
an archaeologist go about
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establishing who this might be
or what period it might be from?
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>>Michael: In this particular
case, we have coins that were
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found in the tomb that dated
to the middle of the, middle
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of the, um, first century.
So the coins are the best source
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that we have in the New
Testament period to date
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things, because they give
precise, uh, years on them in
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relationship to kings. That was
a very good evidence. And then,
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of course, the name itself,
which was mirrored in Josephus,
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and we also have in
the Bible. This was a very
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elaborate bone box. It was
beautifully carved, intricately
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carved. And it came from
a very, very prominent, um
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individual and seems to
fit that kind of person.
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>>John: Now, when an
archaeologist makes this
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kind of discovery, how excited
does that archaeologist get?
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I mean, help me put this
in perspective. An athlete
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wants to win a gold medal or
break a world record. And I'm
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not talking about silly
pride here, but, but for an
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archaeologist to find something
like this, is this significant,
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is it career-defining, is
it a mountaintop experience,
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or is it just another
one of those things you come
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across as an archaeologist?
>>Michael: I think it's a
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mountaintop experience. I
mean, to find a name, not just
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any name, but a name of a
very prominent individual who's
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mentioned in the Bible, who's
mentioned in ancient sources,
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and then to locate that person's
tomb, is an incredible thing.
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Let me share with you
another story of one of
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those mountaintop experiences.
>>John: Sure, please do.
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>>Michael: Ehud Netzer
was a professor at the Hebrew
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University for many, many years.
I worked with him at Masada back
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in the 90's. And Ehud Netzer
was an expert on Herod the
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Great. He spent his
entire career excavating Herod's
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fortresses and buildings at
Masada, at Caesaria Maratima,
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the port city that Herod built
from scratch. And also he worked
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at Herodium. And as he was
excavating there for years,
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he was looking for the
tomb of Herod the Great.
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Josephus describes his burial in
quite some detail. And it took
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Ehud Netzer, Professor Netzer,
38 years to find that tomb.
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He wasn't looking all the time;
he was working at other sites.
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But eventually, in
his seventies, he went
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back to Herodium. He began to
excavate; he'd already excavated
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the lower palace. He had
excavated the fortress itself,
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which is, which is
this cone-shaped, almost
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looks like a volcano type
of fortress, a huge fortress of
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the Roman era. And Josephus
had reported that Herod was
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buried at Herodium. And he
had looked everywhere else.
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So what he did, he took apart
the entire, um, side of this
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mountain on which Herodium
was built. And there he found
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a monumental staircase leading
up to a tomb. And there inside
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the tomb, destroyed completely,
was a sarcophagus, probably
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destroyed by the Zealots after
Herod's death, a sarcophagus
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that was even more elaborate
than the one found at Caiaphas's
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tomb, uh, a huge, full-size
sarcophagus that was later
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pieced back together. And while
it didn't have the name Herod
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the Great on it, based on the
description of Josephus, based
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on the monumental staircase,
based on the ornateness of this
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sarcophagus, of this coffin, um,
we can very likely say that it
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is the tomb of Herod the Great.
>>John: That's the same Herod
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who ordered that
all of the baby boys in
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Bethlehem be put to death.
>>Michael: Exactly. That was
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the same Herod that died
just shortly after the birth
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of Christ. And, you know, going
back to some of the other people
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surrounding Jesus, what do
we know? Well, we not only have
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Caiaphas, who pops up right
at the end of Christ's life,
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just before his death,
part of the plot to kill Jesus.
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And we have Pontius Pilate.
Pontius Pilate was the prefect
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of Judea, and in
1961, in Caesaria Maratima,
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the city that Herod the Great
had built, reused as a stone in
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one of the great, um, theaters
there, is an inscription that
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basically mentions the name of
the emperor, Tiberius, and then
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mentions Pontius Pilate, prefect
of Judea. Part of it is broken,
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but the letters are all
there. We're able to piece that
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together. So we have the major
characters, the major leaders
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around Jesus
mentioned. We have, or found in
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archaeological record. We
have Caiaphas. We have Herod the
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Great. We have Pontius Pilate.
These were the major figures
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surrounding the life of Christ.
>>John: If ever you got to
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the place in your experience
where you were wondering if
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the Bible can ever be trusted,
here are many great reasons why
00:09:15.45\00:09:19.32
you can lean on the Word of
God, and believe that what it
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says is valid, and relevant,
and important, and true,
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inspired by God Himself.
We'll be back with more in
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just a moment.
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[Music]
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>>John: A lot of people are
tired of having an up-and-down
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Christian experience. It doesn't
need to be you. You can have a
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consistent experience in your
faith in God. And I want to show
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you how. Get this week's
free offer, a resource called
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"The War is Over." To
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800-253-3000. 800-253-3000.
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Or visit us online
at ItisWritten.com.
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ItisWritten.com. If you'd
like to write, our address is
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P O Box 6,
Chattanooga, TN 37401.
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You can enjoy consistency
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faith in God. Get
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"The War is Over." 800-253-3000,
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or visit us online
at ItIsWritten.com.
00:10:21.95\00:10:26.52
This is It Is Written. I'm John
Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me
00:10:26.55\00:10:29.72
today at the Lynn H. Wood
Archaeological Museum on the
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campus of Southern
Adventist University
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in Collegedale, Tennessee.
My guest today is archaeologist
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and museum director Dr.
Michael Hasel. Dr. Hasel,
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so far we've spoken about Jesus
in archaeology, although we've
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spoken around Him a little bit,
speaking of the supporting cast,
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some of the prominent
figures in the life and
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times and story of
Jesus. But what does archaeology
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teach us about Jesus Himself?
Where do we find references to
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Christ in the archaeological
or the historical record?
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>>Michael: We find references
in several important sources.
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Josephus, who we've mentioned
before, the Roman historian who
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is actually Jewish, writing
for the Romans. He is living in
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the first century, and
he mentions Jesus by name.
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He mentions him in reference
to events that took place in,
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in that part of the world
at that time. Uh, he's Jewish,
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and he has no reason, he's
not Christian, he has no reason,
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really to, so he's a kind
of an independent person who's
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looking from the outside.
We have Tacitus, the senator
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from Rome, who's well known as
a Roman historian. And Tacitus,
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in his annals, also refers to
several events. He kind of lists
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a string of events that are
quite interesting. He mentions
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Jesus Christ, actually Christ,
he says, Christos, and he says
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who was put to death by Pontius
Pilate. And then he continues to
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refer to the Christians, uh,
who are in Rome at that time.
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>>John: For me this is
really significant, because I've
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noticed today there's
an increasing tendency for
00:12:06.82\00:12:08.82
people to say, oh, Jesus was
a good man, probably. I have no
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problem with Jesus. I don't
know that I would identify as
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a Christian or claim to
be a Christian. But sure,
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I can accept that Jesus
was this good guy who lived.
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But here you've got,
essentially, contemporary
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historians speaking about
him, talking about aspects
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of his life. Uh, fascinating
that Tacitus referred to him
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as Christos, and that he
was crucified by Pontius Pilate.
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What this suggests strongly
is that the Bible narrative
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is for real. It's true.
This Jesus as Son of God
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was nailed to a cross. And I
imagine that what this should
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do is confront people and
say, no, this isn't a theory.
00:12:43.66\00:12:47.13
Jesus wasn't simply a good man,
but perhaps--not perhaps from my
00:12:47.20\00:12:50.83
point of view--definitely
was everything the Bible
00:12:50.87\00:12:53.30
claimed that he
was. And archaeology,
00:12:53.34\00:12:55.57
the historical record, helps
us to see that, doesn't it?
00:12:55.60\00:12:58.57
>>Michael: It helps us to
see that. You know, the primary
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sources, though, that we really
have for Jesus' life are the
00:13:01.68\00:13:04.11
gospels, the four gospels in the
New Testament. When you look at,
00:13:04.15\00:13:08.25
uh, the articles that we have
that are closest to Christ in
00:13:08.28\00:13:12.52
terms of time, the latest gospel
was written about AD 80 by John.
00:13:12.55\00:13:17.49
These were written within
the lifetime of individuals who
00:13:17.53\00:13:22.40
could have witnessed
Christ's death, who were there,
00:13:22.43\00:13:24.73
who could check the, the
record, if you will, to see,
00:13:24.77\00:13:29.74
was Jesus actually born
in Bethlehem? Were these
00:13:29.77\00:13:33.04
prophecies that the
Old Testament talked about,
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were they really
fulfilled in this one man?
00:13:35.28\00:13:37.28
When you have that kind of
evidence, and you look, and
00:13:37.31\00:13:39.35
you compare, and you see
the, the pattern of events that,
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that they consistently
bring out--that Jesus lived,
00:13:43.39\00:13:47.96
that He died, that He was
resurrected, that he was seen
00:13:47.99\00:13:50.79
after his resurrection by all
of these different witnesses,
00:13:50.83\00:13:54.03
I think that's very significant.
>>John: We know from the
00:13:54.10\00:13:58.43
Bible account how Jesus
died--nailed to a cross.
00:13:58.47\00:14:03.57
Now, thousands of people were
crucified. What does archaeology
00:14:03.61\00:14:08.21
bring to us with regards to the
crucifixion of Jesus, or, with
00:14:08.24\00:14:12.41
regards to crucifixion as a
phenomenon in and of itself?
00:14:12.45\00:14:15.28
>>Michael: In Jerusalem in 1968,
a new, a new development, uh,
00:14:15.32\00:14:20.09
building development was
taking place, and a tomb,
00:14:20.12\00:14:22.79
a family tomb was discovered
with a number of these ossuaries
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that we've talked about before.
And one of these ossuaries
00:14:26.19\00:14:29.10
contained the name of Jehohanan.
Well, that's a good name,
00:14:29.13\00:14:32.57
but what the ossuary contained
was even more important.
00:14:32.60\00:14:36.84
Inside this ossuary were
the remains of a crucified
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individual. And we have a
replica of what today is in
00:14:40.08\00:14:45.18
the Israel Museum. It is a part
of an ankle bone that you see
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here, with a nail. This
is the head of the nail here,
00:14:50.02\00:14:53.46
piercing through that ankle bone
and extending to the other side
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of the ankle bone, and then the
end of the nail is curved up.
00:14:57.43\00:15:00.10
Maybe it hit a knot in the,
in the wood. Uh, we don't know
00:15:00.13\00:15:05.00
exactly what caused that,
but that might very well be.
00:15:05.03\00:15:08.07
At any rate, Jehohanan
died as a young man, crucified.
00:15:08.10\00:15:12.91
Uh, it dates back to the first
century. So the death of Christ
00:15:12.94\00:15:19.15
on the cross is not a unique
event. But we have evidence
00:15:19.18\00:15:24.59
for it in the archaeological
record. And the only forensic
00:15:24.62\00:15:27.86
evidence, really, we
have of crucifixion in the
00:15:27.89\00:15:29.96
archaeological record
comes from Jerusalem, from this,
00:15:29.99\00:15:32.66
from this tomb
complex. >>John: Crucifixion was
00:15:32.69\00:15:36.80
an especially terrible way
to die. Who devised that method?
00:15:36.83\00:15:41.70
How, how did that method
of crucifixion come about?
00:15:41.74\00:15:45.07
>>Michael: Well, we have
references already back in
00:15:45.11\00:15:47.88
Deuteronomy, um, which is
part of the five books of Moses,
00:15:47.91\00:15:52.18
the Torah, the
Pentateuch, referring to, um,
00:15:52.21\00:15:56.32
impaled individuals. Uh, that
was a little bit different than
00:15:56.35\00:16:00.06
crucifixion. It was impaling a
body onto a stake of some type.
00:16:00.09\00:16:04.29
We know that the Assyrians
practiced that. We have,
00:16:04.33\00:16:07.50
we have reliefs from their
palaces--the palace at Nineveh,
00:16:07.56\00:16:10.60
for example, in Assyria, where
they boast about their conquests
00:16:10.63\00:16:14.90
of these cities in the ancient
Near East. And one of the cities
00:16:14.94\00:16:17.71
that they mention there is
the site of Lachish, which we're
00:16:17.74\00:16:20.31
currently excavating. And, and
in the British Museum you have
00:16:20.34\00:16:23.81
the series of reliefs, and
it shows a number of prisoners
00:16:23.85\00:16:28.48
or captives that were taken from
that city, or perhaps from other
00:16:28.52\00:16:31.42
surrounding cities, and
were impaled on the stakes.
00:16:31.45\00:16:33.79
So the Assyrians are doing this
early on. And then later on we
00:16:33.82\00:16:36.96
have a, a continuation of this
practice as, as the Romans are
00:16:36.99\00:16:41.76
using crucifixion, which is a
slightly different way of death.
00:16:41.80\00:16:44.90
You're not impaling somebody,
but you're hanging someone on a
00:16:44.93\00:16:47.20
cross. And the method of death
is different. You're basically
00:16:47.24\00:16:51.44
hanging on a cross. Every time
you breathe, you have to push
00:16:51.47\00:16:54.24
yourself up on those
nails that are nailing your feet
00:16:54.28\00:16:57.61
to the cross. In order to
breathe, in order for your
00:16:57.65\00:16:59.51
diaphragm to expand,
you're pushing yourself up.
00:16:59.55\00:17:02.28
And when you lose strength
after several days, you finally,
00:17:02.32\00:17:05.62
you finally can't take a breath
anymore, and you asphyxiate.
00:17:05.65\00:17:08.82
You're, you die that
way. It was a very painful,
00:17:08.86\00:17:12.73
very humiliating,
and a very long process.
00:17:12.76\00:17:16.10
>>John: And Jesus,
knowing that that was what was
00:17:16.13\00:17:18.07
before him, chose that route
and laid down his life for us.
00:17:18.10\00:17:22.17
>>Michael: Yeah,
it was quite amazing.
00:17:22.20\00:17:24.47
>>John: Amazing and powerful.
The life of Jesus through the
00:17:24.51\00:17:28.68
lens or through the
prism of archaeology--the
00:17:28.71\00:17:32.18
life and times of Jesus. Back
with more fascinating insights
00:17:32.21\00:17:36.92
in just a moment.
00:17:36.95\00:17:37.95
[Music]
00:17:37.99\00:17:48.36
Announcer: In Matthew 4:4,
00:17:48.40\00:17:49.96
the Word of God says "It is
written, Man shall not live by
00:17:50.00\00:17:53.34
bread alone, but by every word
that proceeds from the mouth of
00:17:53.37\00:17:58.07
God." Every Word is a
one-minute, Bible-based daily
00:17:58.11\00:18:01.38
devotional presented by Pastor
John Bradshaw, and designed
00:18:01.41\00:18:03.91
especially for busy people
like you. Look for Every Word on
00:18:03.95\00:18:08.22
selected networks, or watch it
online every day on our website,
00:18:08.25\00:18:11.45
ItIsWritten.com. Receive a daily
spiritual boost. Watch Every
00:18:11.49\00:18:16.66
Word. You'll be glad
you did. Here's a sample.
00:18:16.69\00:18:22.30
[Theme music]
00:18:22.33\00:18:27.80
Prophecies are
often found in places you
00:18:27.84\00:18:29.97
might not expect them.
Psalm 22 deals a lot with
00:18:30.01\00:18:32.91
the death of Jesus. And we
read this in Psalm 22:14: "I am
00:18:32.94\00:18:36.41
poured out like water, And
all My bones are out of joint;
00:18:36.44\00:18:40.65
My heart is like wax; it
has melted within Me." Now, what
00:18:40.68\00:18:44.85
does that sound like to you?
Yes, you read about this being
00:18:44.89\00:18:47.66
fulfilled in John 19. This is
a picture of Jesus going to the
00:18:47.69\00:18:51.29
cross. Now, this says something
remarkable about the inspiration
00:18:51.33\00:18:55.20
of the Bible, and about the love
of God. Jesus knew full well
00:18:55.23\00:19:01.27
what this Psalm said, and yet
he still came to the earth and
00:19:01.30\00:19:05.41
he still went through the plan
of salvation. This Old Testament
00:19:05.44\00:19:09.04
prophecy demonstrates to
the world that prophecy can be
00:19:09.08\00:19:12.91
trusted and that God
is love. I'm John Bradshaw
00:19:12.95\00:19:16.82
for It Is Written. Let's
live today by every word.
00:19:16.85\00:19:19.42
[Theme music]
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
00:19:19.59\00:19:23.76
joining me today on It
Is Written. My guest is
00:19:23.79\00:19:25.86
Dr. Michael Hasel,
an archaeologist who has
00:19:25.89\00:19:28.63
spent considerable amount
of time digging in Israel and
00:19:28.66\00:19:32.63
unearthing, well, Dr. Hasel,
some remarkable things that
00:19:32.67\00:19:35.97
shine a light on--would
you say more Old Testament or
00:19:36.00\00:19:38.67
New Testament?
>>Michael: Well, I've dug
00:19:38.71\00:19:40.31
at both period sites. I've dug
in New Testament period sites
00:19:40.34\00:19:43.48
like Masada, and also
up at Dorr, which was a
00:19:43.51\00:19:46.78
New Testament era city
that went all the way back to
00:19:46.82\00:19:49.52
Old Testament times. But I,
I consider myself more of an
00:19:49.55\00:19:52.05
expert in the ancient
Near East and the time
00:19:52.09\00:19:55.22
of the Old Testament.
>>John: Well, right now
00:19:55.26\00:19:56.56
we're speaking about archaeology
and the life of Jesus. Now,
00:19:56.59\00:19:58.96
I'm going to read from Matthew
25 and verse 1: "Then shall the
00:19:58.99\00:20:02.63
kingdom of heaven be likened
unto ten virgins, which took
00:20:02.66\00:20:06.50
their lamps, and went
forth to meet the bridegroom,"
00:20:06.53\00:20:09.27
This is Jesus speaking here.
"and five of them were wise,
00:20:09.30\00:20:13.07
and five of them were foolish.
They that were foolish took
00:20:13.11\00:20:16.28
their lamps, and took no oil
with them. But the wise took oil
00:20:16.31\00:20:21.88
in their vessles with
their lamps." Now, as a layman,
00:20:21.92\00:20:28.22
reading this story for the
first or the one-hundred and
00:20:28.26\00:20:31.89
first time, I can't really
have an appreciation for what
00:20:31.93\00:20:35.06
Jesus was describing, but
through the lens of archaeology
00:20:35.10\00:20:39.00
we get to see what
Jesus was talking about.
00:20:39.03\00:20:40.97
Help us understand.
>>Michael: Well, exactly.
00:20:41.00\00:20:42.94
When I was growing up as a
kid, you know, I loved going
00:20:42.97\00:20:45.37
camping with my
family. And we would have
00:20:45.41\00:20:47.48
these Coleman
lanterns, these, with kerosene.
00:20:47.51\00:20:50.08
They would be about this big,
and I would just be, as I read
00:20:50.11\00:20:53.28
the story, thinking about, you
know, those kinds of big lamps.
00:20:53.31\00:20:56.85
The concept is somewhat similar.
You put kerosene in the lamp.
00:20:56.89\00:20:59.82
It lights up. The ancient
lamp, though, was much smaller,
00:20:59.85\00:21:04.09
and everybody who Jesus is
telling the story to would have
00:21:04.13\00:21:06.93
immediately identified
with these lamps, because they
00:21:06.96\00:21:09.20
were around during His time.
Everybody had many of these in
00:21:09.23\00:21:12.80
their home. This is
the kind of lamp that Jesus
00:21:12.83\00:21:15.20
was referring to. This is the
typical Herodian lamp that is
00:21:15.24\00:21:19.21
the time of Herod, where the
Herods, which goes all the way
00:21:19.24\00:21:22.58
to the destruction
of the Temple in AD 70,
00:21:22.61\00:21:24.75
the destruction of
Jerusalem. >>John: And this here
00:21:24.78\00:21:26.68
is an original?
>>Michael: This is
00:21:26.72\00:21:28.38
an original. This is an
original. This is a simple
00:21:28.42\00:21:30.75
Herodian lamp. This is
not very complex. You can tell
00:21:30.79\00:21:34.06
it's Herodian lamp because
of this flange spout here.
00:21:34.09\00:21:37.19
So you put the oil inside
this opening here, and the wick
00:21:37.23\00:21:41.03
would extend out of this opening
here and produce the flame.
00:21:41.06\00:21:44.53
And, uh, this was made
out of two halves of a bowl,
00:21:44.57\00:21:49.10
and then the spout was added to
it, and people would have these
00:21:49.14\00:21:54.58
in their homes in the
evenings to provide light.
00:21:54.61\00:21:57.35
>>John: Has this one here
been used? Can we know that?
00:21:57.38\00:21:59.38
>>Michael: This one
has been used. You can see
00:21:59.41\00:22:00.95
the discoloration around here.
You can see the soot that's
00:22:00.98\00:22:04.09
still there after all of these
years. I have another lamp here
00:22:04.12\00:22:07.62
that is contemporaneous,
from the same time period.
00:22:07.66\00:22:11.09
This is a much more elaborate
lamp. You can see that it,
00:22:11.13\00:22:15.23
unlike that lamp, which was
possibly formed by hand, or not,
00:22:15.26\00:22:19.37
maybe not done on a wheel.
But this one was mold made,
00:22:19.40\00:22:23.67
and a mold would have
been placed over this.
00:22:23.71\00:22:26.31
Again, two halves, but
you can see the very intricate
00:22:26.34\00:22:29.68
design here, and you can
see the very beautiful two
00:22:29.71\00:22:33.42
clusters of grapes. This is
a vineyard with two clusters
00:22:33.45\00:22:36.12
of grapes on either side.
>>John: Now, I can understand
00:22:36.15\00:22:38.39
this being used in a
home. But here were some people
00:22:38.42\00:22:40.36
who went out, that these young
ladies went to a place and took,
00:22:40.39\00:22:44.86
took this lamp with them.
Was that practical? I mean..
00:22:44.89\00:22:48.23
>>Michael: Uh, this is, uh,
this is a very practical thing.
00:22:48.26\00:22:52.23
You know, what is fascinating
to me too is, in the story,
00:22:52.27\00:22:55.44
people would have known
exactly how long these lamps
00:22:55.47\00:22:59.31
would have lasted. Because
they're all about the same size.
00:22:59.34\00:23:02.81
The content of oil would
have been about the same.
00:23:02.84\00:23:05.11
We've tested these out--not the
originals, but the replicas that
00:23:05.15\00:23:09.05
we've made, and we can say
that the oil would have lasted
00:23:09.08\00:23:12.12
between an hour and a half to
two hours. So we can get an idea
00:23:12.15\00:23:15.56
of how long the bridegroom in
the story that Jesus is telling,
00:23:15.59\00:23:18.33
and this wedding feast, how long
the bridegroom would have been
00:23:18.36\00:23:21.10
delayed in that particular
account. And again, they
00:23:21.13\00:23:24.80
would have really understood
the context. They've gone to
00:23:24.83\00:23:27.84
weddings. They've seen
these lamps. They've used them.
00:23:27.87\00:23:30.61
They would have
understood all of that.
00:23:30.64\00:23:32.17
>>John: Now, they took lamps,
but the wise ones took oil with
00:23:32.21\00:23:35.04
them. And they took that
oil in something like what?
00:23:35.08\00:23:38.15
>>Michael: Well, we have
this little jar or juglet here.
00:23:38.18\00:23:43.12
Small jar, and with a
nice handle. This would have
00:23:43.15\00:23:46.42
been something that
they might have used
00:23:46.45\00:23:48.22
to take--this is a
little large. There are smaller
00:23:48.26\00:23:50.59
ones as well. But this would
have provided the extra oil,
00:23:50.63\00:23:53.93
perhaps, that they would have
needed for any kind of delay.
00:23:53.96\00:23:57.63
>>John: Now, in considering
crucifixion again for a moment:
00:23:57.67\00:24:01.70
The Bible speaks in several
places about how at funerals,
00:24:01.74\00:24:06.78
at funeral gatherings,
there were many mourners.
00:24:06.81\00:24:09.38
Sometimes these were
hired mourners to come.
00:24:09.41\00:24:12.55
What has archaeology turned
up for us today that helps us
00:24:12.58\00:24:16.92
understand, perhaps, some
of idiosyncrasies about, uh,
00:24:16.95\00:24:19.69
funerals in that time?
>>Michael: We have found
00:24:19.72\00:24:21.72
archaeologically some very
interesting things that come
00:24:21.76\00:24:24.73
from that period. Mourners
were often hired, actually,
00:24:24.76\00:24:28.80
at funerals to cry. And
their tears were often gathered
00:24:28.83\00:24:32.30
in tear bottles that were
then buried with the deceased.
00:24:32.33\00:24:36.14
And this is a tear bottle
that comes from the Middle East.
00:24:36.17\00:24:38.91
And you can just imagine these
mourners collecting their tears
00:24:38.94\00:24:43.91
and then placing this in the
tomb. Uh, at the time of Christ,
00:24:43.95\00:24:48.88
we have the ladies coming
to the tomb, uh, after the
00:24:48.92\00:24:53.32
Sabbath has
finished. They're coming to the
00:24:53.36\00:24:55.49
tomb on Sunday morning. And
Mary, of course, is the first
00:24:55.52\00:25:00.06
one that comes. And it's
interesting. They're coming to,
00:25:00.10\00:25:03.90
to see, to mourn, to
process what had taken place.
00:25:03.93\00:25:08.07
And, of course,
what do they find?
00:25:08.10\00:25:10.01
>>John: An empty tomb.
>>Michael: An empty tomb.
00:25:10.04\00:25:12.41
So here we've talked
about Caiaphas, for example,
00:25:12.44\00:25:15.91
whose bone box is
there. We find Jehohanan's bone
00:25:15.94\00:25:19.61
still stuck onto a nail
that was used for crucifixion.
00:25:19.65\00:25:26.22
And yet the tomb of Jesus
is empty today. And that's the
00:25:26.25\00:25:29.82
hope that Christianity
has through the centuries.
00:25:29.86\00:25:32.63
>>John: The one thing
archaeologists will never find.
00:25:32.66\00:25:36.03
>>Michael: That's right.
>>John: Archaeology helps
00:25:36.06\00:25:37.90
us understand that the Bible is
a real book, that what we read
00:25:37.93\00:25:41.80
in there are accounts of
real people, real figures,
00:25:41.84\00:25:45.01
real events, and a real Christ.
Today, among other things,
00:25:45.04\00:25:49.54
we've looked at the reality--the
awful, the brutal reality
00:25:49.58\00:25:52.41
of crucifixion. And we see that
Jesus, the maker of the world,
00:25:52.45\00:25:57.69
was nailed to a cross made
from wood which He Himself,
00:25:57.72\00:26:01.79
as Creator, had
originated in the first place.
00:26:01.82\00:26:05.43
He was suspended between the
Earth and the Heavens to die:
00:26:05.46\00:26:08.90
to die so that we can live.
That's an encouraging thought.
00:26:08.93\00:26:13.57
Jesus died for the whole
world. That best-known verse
00:26:13.60\00:26:17.21
of the Bible
says: "God so loved the
00:26:17.24\00:26:19.84
world, that he gave his only
begotten Son, that whosoever
00:26:19.87\00:26:24.01
believes in him
should not perish. but have
00:26:24.05\00:26:25.48
everlasting life." (John 3:16)
00:26:25.51\00:26:27.05
And you're in that "whosoever."
You can write your name there.
00:26:27.08\00:26:31.29
And if today you believe
in Jesus, the real Jesus,
00:26:31.32\00:26:34.39
the Jesus spoken of by the Bible
and supported by archaeology,
00:26:34.42\00:26:39.09
if you can believe in
that Jesus, then you can look
00:26:39.13\00:26:42.93
forward to
everlasting life coming soon.
00:26:42.96\00:26:46.67
Let that be your hope today.
00:26:46.70\00:26:48.90
A lot of people are
tired of having an up-and-down
00:26:48.94\00:26:51.74
Christian experience. It doesn't
need to be you. You can have
00:26:51.77\00:26:54.94
a consistent experience in
your faith in God. And I want to
00:26:54.98\00:26:58.18
show you how. Get this week's
free offer, a resource called:
00:26:58.21\00:27:01.92
"The War is Over." To
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00:27:01.95\00:27:05.75
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00:27:05.79\00:27:10.36
Or visit us online
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00:27:10.39\00:27:13.50
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00:27:13.53\00:27:15.26
If you'd like to
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00:27:15.30\00:27:17.67
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00:27:17.70\00:27:21.54
You can enjoy
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00:27:21.57\00:27:24.17
and faith in God. Get
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00:27:24.21\00:27:27.58
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00:27:27.61\00:27:31.25
or visit us online
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00:27:31.28\00:27:34.45
Thanks for remembering
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00:27:34.48\00:27:37.05
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00:27:37.09\00:27:40.72
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00:27:44.93\00:27:47.20
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00:27:49.83\00:27:52.23
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00:27:52.27\00:27:55.47
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00:27:55.50\00:27:59.71
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00:27:59.74\00:28:06.48
>>John: Dr. Michael Hasel, thank
you very much. I appreciate
00:28:06.51\00:28:09.02
you taking the time.
>>Michael: It's a privilege
00:28:09.05\00:28:10.42
to have been here.
>>John: This has been
00:28:10.45\00:28:11.75
terrific. Let's pray together;
let's do that right now.
00:28:11.79\00:28:13.79
Our father in heaven, we are
thankful today for a Jesus in
00:28:14.59\00:28:17.93
whom we can believe. We thank
you for a Bible that is built on
00:28:17.96\00:28:23.06
solid evidence. Now without
the archeological evidence,
00:28:23.10\00:28:26.87
we would believe anyway
because our experience with you
00:28:26.90\00:28:29.64
testifies that your word is
true. We thank you that along
00:28:29.67\00:28:33.58
with the witness of your
spirit, you have provided ample
00:28:33.61\00:28:36.81
evidence, many
reasons to believe.
00:28:36.85\00:28:39.58
Yes, this is your book, that the
things contained in it are true,
00:28:39.61\00:28:44.09
and that the hope offered is
real. Give us grace to rejoice
00:28:44.12\00:28:48.49
in that hope, in the hope that
Jesus died for everyone of us.
00:28:48.52\00:28:54.93
And that one day soon we will be
enjoying the reality of eternity
00:28:54.93\00:28:58.63
with you at your
home. We pray with thanks,
00:28:58.67\00:29:03.67
and we pray in
Jesus' name, amen.
00:29:03.71\00:29:07.64
Thank you so much for joining me
today. I look forward to seeing
00:29:07.68\00:29:09.88
you again next time.
Until then, remember:
00:29:09.91\00:29:12.95
"It is written, man shall
not live by bread alone but by
00:29:12.98\00:29:16.95
every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God."
00:29:16.99\00:29:20.16
[Music]
00:29:20.19\00:29:36.14