>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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Today I'm at the Lynn H.
Wood Archaeological Museum
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on the campus of
Southern Adventist University,
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and I'm joined by the director
of the archaeological institute,
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Dr. Michael Hasel. Dr. Hasel,
thanks for joining me today.
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>>Michael Hasel:
Great to be with you.
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>>John: As we've talked
before about archaeology,
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we've gone back in time.
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We've 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
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of Jesus, and that's often
what archaeology can do for us.
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Sometimes it doesn't
give us specific information
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about 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,
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played on everyday circumstances
and everyday lessons
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that people could relate to.
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>>John: My understanding is
that it's true that there are
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certain individuals in
the New Testament account
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that archaeology does
refer to and does shine
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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
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in terms of seeking His life.
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He was also referred
to by the Jewish historian
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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
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a few years ago in the 1990s
that excavations took place
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in 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 complex,
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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
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and place the bones in limestone
boxes that were carved. One of
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the ossuaries had the Hebrew
or Aramaic inscription "Joseph
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son 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 box
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of Caiaphas himself.
It's in the Israel Museum now.
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>>John: Okay. These things
are found, uh--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 things,
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because they give precise, uh,
years on them in relationship
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to kings. That was a very good
evidence. And then, of course,
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the name itself, which
was mirrored in Josephus,
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and we also have in the
Bible. This was a very elaborate
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bone box. It was beautifully
carved, intricately carved.
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And it came from a very,
very prominent, um, individual
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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.
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And I'm not talking
about silly pride here,
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but, but for an archaeologist
to find something like this,
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is this significant?
Is it career-defining?
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Is it a mountaintop experience?
Or is it just another one
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of those things you come
across as an archaeologist?
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>>Michael: I think it's
a mountaintop experience.
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I mean, to find a
name, not just any name,
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but a name of a very prominent
individual who's mentioned
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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 those
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mountaintop experiences.
>>John: Sure, please do.
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>>Michael: Ehud
Netzer was a professor at
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the Hebrew University for many,
many years. I worked with him
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at Masada back in the '90s.
And Ehud Netzer was an expert
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on Herod the Great. He spent
his entire career excavating
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Herod's fortresses and buildings
at Masada, at Caesaria Maritima,
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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
70s, he went back to Herodium.
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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 looks like
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a volcano type of fortress, a
huge fortress of the Roman era.
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And Josephus had reported that
Herod was buried at Herodium.
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And he had looked
everywhere else. So what he did,
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he took apart the entire,
um, side of this mountain
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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
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at Caiaphas's tomb, uh, a
huge full-size sarcophagus
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that was later
pieced back together.
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And while it didn't have
the name Herod the Great on it,
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based on the
description of Josephus, based
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on the monumental staircase,
based on the ornateness
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of this
sarcophagus, of this coffin, um,
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we can very likely say that it
is the tomb of Herod the Great.
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>>John: That's the
same Herod who ordered that
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all of the baby boys in
Bethlehem be put to death.
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>>Michael: Exactly. That
was the same Herod that died
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just shortly after
the birth of Christ.
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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 Maritima, the city
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that Herod the Great had
built, reused as a stone in one
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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
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in archaeological
record-- we have Caiaphas.
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We have Herod the
Great. We have Pontius Pilate.
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These were the major figures
surrounding the life of Christ.
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>>John: If ever you got to
the place in your experience
00:07:42.32\00:07:44.46
where you were wondering if
the Bible can ever be trusted,
00:07:44.49\00:07:47.13
here are many great reasons why
you can lean on the Word of God
00:07:47.20\00:07:50.80
and believe that what it
says is valid and relevant
00:07:50.83\00:07:55.24
and important and true,
inspired by God Himself.
00:07:55.27\00:07:59.41
We'll be back with
more in just a moment.
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¤[Middle Eastern
instrumental music]¤
00:08:01.34\00:08:07.85
>>John: A lot of people are
tired of having an up-and-down
00:08:09.28\00:08:12.32
Christian experience. It doesn't
need to be you. You can have
00:08:12.35\00:08:15.62
a consistent experience in
your faith in God. And I wanna
00:08:15.66\00:08:18.76
show you how. Get this week's
free offer, a resource called
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"The War Is Over." To
get it--and it's free--call
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800-253-3000, 800-253-3000.
00:08:26.27\00:08:30.51
Or visit us online
at ItIsWritten.com.
00:08:30.54\00:08:34.14
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
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and faith in God. Get
this week's free resource,
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"The War Is Over." 800-253-3000
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or visit us online
at ItIsWritten.com.
00:08:51.83\00:08:55.13
>>John: This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
00:08:56.53\00:08:58.37
Thanks for joining me today
00:08:58.40\00:08:59.90
at the Lynn H. Wood
Archaeological Museum
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on the campus of
Southern Adventist University
00:09:03.47\00:09:05.77
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
00:09:13.68\00:09:18.79
spoken around Him a little bit,
speaking of the supporting cast,
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some of the prominent
figures in the life and times
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and story of Jesus.
But what does archaeology
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teach us about Jesus Himself?
Where do we find references
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to 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
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who is actually Jewish, writing
for the Romans. He is living
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in 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
00:10:03.57\00:10:06.84
from Rome, who's well known as
a Roman historian. And Tacitus,
00:10:06.87\00:10:10.94
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
00:10:16.44\00:10:20.08
Jesus Christ, actually Christ,
he says "Christos," and he says
00:10:20.12\00:10:24.85
"who was put to death by Pontius
Pilate." And then he continues
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to refer to the Christians, uh,
who are in Rome at that time.
00:10:29.92\00:10:34.56
>>John: For me this
is really significant
00:10:34.56\00:10:35.90
because I've noticed today
there's an increasing tendency
00:10:35.93\00:10:38.13
for people to say, "Oh,
Jesus was a good man, probably.
00:10:38.17\00:10:41.50
I have no problem with Jesus. I
don't know that I would identify
00:10:41.54\00:10:44.61
as a Christian or claim
to be a Christian, but, sure,
00:10:44.64\00:10:47.08
I can accept that Jesus
was this good guy who lived."
00:10:47.11\00:10:50.95
But here you've got essentially
contemporary historians
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speaking about Him,
talking about aspects
00:10:54.52\00:10:56.52
of His life. Uh, fascinating
that Tacitus referred to Him
00:10:56.55\00:11:00.06
as Christos and that He was
crucified by Pontius Pilate.
00:11:00.09\00:11:03.39
What this suggests strongly
is that the Bible narrative
00:11:03.43\00:11:06.53
is for real. It's true.
This Jesus as Son of God
00:11:06.56\00:11:09.63
was nailed to a cross. And I
imagine that what this should do
00:11:09.66\00:11:14.47
is confront people and
say, no, this isn't a theory.
00:11:14.50\00:11:17.01
Jesus wasn't simply a good
man, but perhaps--not perhaps
00:11:17.04\00:11:20.38
from my point of view--
definitely was everything
00:11:20.41\00:11:22.81
the Bible claimed that
He was. And archaeology,
00:11:22.84\00:11:25.78
the historical record, helps
us to see that, doesn't it?
00:11:25.81\00:11:28.45
>>Michael: It helps
us to see that. You know,
00:11:28.48\00:11:30.82
the primary sources,
though, that we really have
00:11:30.85\00:11:32.82
for Jesus' life are the
gospels, the four gospels
00:11:32.85\00:11:35.66
in the New
Testament. When you look at, uh,
00:11:35.69\00:11:38.39
the articles that we have that
are closest to Christ in terms
00:11:38.43\00:11:42.63
of time, the latest gospel was
written about A.D. 80 by John.
00:11:42.66\00:11:47.27
These were written within
the lifetime of individuals
00:11:47.30\00:11:51.87
who could have witnessed
Christ's death, who were there,
00:11:51.91\00:11:54.54
who could check the, the
record, if you will, to see,
00:11:54.58\00:11:59.55
was Jesus actually
born in Bethlehem? Uh, were,
00:11:59.58\00:12:02.58
were these prophecies that
the Old Testament talked about,
00:12:02.62\00:12:05.12
were they really
fulfilled in this one Man?
00:12:05.15\00:12:07.16
When you have that kind
of evidence and you look
00:12:07.19\00:12:09.22
and you compare, and you see
the, the pattern of events that,
00:12:09.26\00:12:13.23
that they consistently
bring out that Jesus lived,
00:12:13.26\00:12:17.80
that He died, that He was
resurrected, that He was seen
00:12:17.83\00:12:20.64
after His resurrection by all
of these different witnesses,
00:12:20.67\00:12:23.91
I think that's very significant.
00:12:23.94\00:12:27.38
>>John: We know
from the Bible account
00:12:27.41\00:12:28.84
how Jesus died--
nailed to a cross.
00:12:28.88\00:12:32.81
Now, thousands of people were
crucified. What does archaeology
00:12:32.85\00:12:38.02
bring to us with regards to
the crucifixion of Jesus, or
00:12:38.05\00:12:41.99
with regards to crucifixion as
a phenomenon in and of itself?
00:12:42.02\00:12:45.09
>>Michael: In Jerusalem in 1968,
a new, a new development, uh,
00:12:45.13\00:12:49.86
building development was
taking place, and a tomb,
00:12:49.90\00:12:52.57
a family tomb was discovered
with a number of these ossuaries
00:12:52.60\00:12:55.94
that we've talked about before.
And one of these ossuaries
00:12:55.97\00:12:58.91
contained the name of Jehohanan.
Well, that's a good name,
00:12:58.94\00:13:02.78
but what the ossuary contained
was even more important.
00:13:02.81\00:13:06.72
Inside this
ossuary were the remains
00:13:06.75\00:13:08.82
of a crucified individual.
And we have a replica
00:13:08.85\00:13:12.89
of what today is
in the Israel Museum.
00:13:12.92\00:13:16.96
It is a part of an ankle bone
that you see here with a nail.
00:13:16.99\00:13:21.43
This is the
head of the nail here
00:13:21.46\00:13:23.30
piercing through that ankle bone
and extending to the other side
00:13:23.33\00:13:27.24
of the ankle bone, and then the
end of the nail is curved up.
00:13:27.27\00:13:29.87
Maybe it hit a knot in the,
in the wood. Uh, we don't know
00:13:29.90\00:13:34.81
exactly what caused that,
but that might very well be.
00:13:34.84\00:13:37.88
At any rate, Jehohanan
died as a young man, crucified.
00:13:37.91\00:13:43.18
Uh, it dates back to the first
century. So the death of Christ
00:13:43.22\00:13:48.96
on the cross is not a unique
event. But we have evidence
00:13:48.99\00:13:54.36
for it in the
archaeological record.
00:13:54.40\00:13:56.36
And the only forensic evidence,
really, we have of crucifixion
00:13:56.40\00:13:59.50
in the archaeological
record comes from Jerusalem,
00:13:59.53\00:14:01.80
from this, from
this tomb complex.
00:14:01.84\00:14:05.64
>>John: Crucifixion was an
especially terrible way to die.
00:14:05.67\00:14:09.51
Who devised that method?
00:14:09.54\00:14:11.58
How did, how did that method
of crucifixion come about?
00:14:11.61\00:14:15.62
>>Michael: Well, we
have references already back
00:14:15.65\00:14:17.62
in Deuteronomy, um, which is
part of the five books of Moses,
00:14:17.65\00:14:22.06
the Torah, the
Pentateuch, referring to, um,
00:14:22.09\00:14:26.19
impaled individuals. Uh, that
was a little bit different than
00:14:26.23\00:14:29.83
crucifixion. It was impaling a
body onto a stake of some type.
00:14:29.86\00:14:34.07
We know that the Assyrians
practiced that. We have,
00:14:34.10\00:14:37.31
we have reliefs from their
palaces--the palace at Nineveh,
00:14:37.34\00:14:40.41
for example, in Assyria, where
they boast about their conquests
00:14:40.44\00:14:44.71
of these cities in the ancient
Near East. And one of the cities
00:14:44.75\00:14:47.52
that they mention there is
the site of Lachish, which we're
00:14:47.55\00:14:50.12
currently excavating. And, and
in the British Museum you have
00:14:50.15\00:14:53.62
the series of reliefs, and
it shows a number of prisoners
00:14:53.66\00:14:58.29
or captives that were taken from
that city, or perhaps from other
00:14:58.33\00:15:01.26
surrounding cities, and
were impaled on the stakes.
00:15:01.30\00:15:03.63
So the Assyrians are doing
this early on. And then later on
00:15:03.67\00:15:06.80
we have a, a continuation
of this practice as,
00:15:06.84\00:15:10.61
as the Romans are
using crucifixion,
00:15:10.64\00:15:13.21
which is a slightly
different way of death.
00:15:13.24\00:15:14.78
You're not impaling somebody,
but you're hanging someone
00:15:14.81\00:15:16.81
on a cross. And the
method of death is different.
00:15:16.85\00:15:20.52
You're basically hanging on a
cross. Every time you breathe,
00:15:20.55\00:15:23.45
you have to push yourself up
on those nails that are nailing
00:15:23.49\00:15:27.16
your feet to the cross.
In order to breathe, in order
00:15:27.19\00:15:29.19
for your diaphragm to expand,
you're pushing yourself up.
00:15:29.22\00:15:32.09
And when you lose strength
after several days, you finally,
00:15:32.13\00:15:35.40
you finally can't take a breath
anymore, and you asphyxiate.
00:15:35.43\00:15:38.60
You, you're, you die that
way. It was a very painful,
00:15:38.63\00:15:42.50
very humiliating,
and a very long process.
00:15:42.54\00:15:45.91
>>John: And Jesus,
knowing that that was what was
00:15:45.94\00:15:47.88
before Him, chose that route
and laid down His life for us.
00:15:47.91\00:15:51.98
>>Michael: Yeah,
it was quite amazing.
00:15:52.01\00:15:54.28
>>John: Amazing and
powerful. The life of Jesus
00:15:54.32\00:15:57.99
through the lens or through
the prism of archaeology,
00:15:58.02\00:16:02.06
the life and times of Jesus,
00:16:02.09\00:16:04.13
back with more fascinating
insights in just a moment.
00:16:04.16\00:16:07.83
¤[Middle Eastern
instrumental music]¤
00:16:07.86\00:16:14.84
¤[Music]¤
00:16:16.60\00:16:18.41
>>Announcer: In Matthew
4:4, the Word of God says
00:16:18.44\00:16:20.98
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:16:21.01\00:16:23.98
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:16:24.01\00:16:27.95
"Every Word" is a one-minute
Bible-based daily devotional
00:16:27.98\00:16:31.29
presented by Pastor
John Bradshaw and designed
00:16:31.32\00:16:34.06
especially for
busy people like you.
00:16:34.09\00:16:36.49
Look for "Every
Word" on selected networks
00:16:36.52\00:16:39.13
or watch it online
every day on our website,
00:16:39.16\00:16:41.53
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00:16:41.56\00:16:43.53
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:16:43.57\00:16:45.80
Watch "Every Word."
00:16:45.83\00:16:47.10
You'll be glad you did.
00:16:47.14\00:16:48.80
Here's a sample.
00:16:48.84\00:16:50.14
¤[Music]¤
00:16:52.14\00:16:57.71
>>John: Prophecies
are often found in places
00:16:57.75\00:16:59.45
you might not expect
them. Psalm 22 deals a lot
00:16:59.48\00:17:02.72
with the death of Jesus.
And we read this in Psalm 22:14.
00:17:02.75\00:17:06.79
"I am poured out like water, and
all My bones are out of joint;
00:17:06.82\00:17:10.53
My heart is like wax;
it has melted within Me."
00:17:10.56\00:17:14.36
Now, what does
that sound like to you?
00:17:14.40\00:17:16.43
Yes, you read about this
being fulfilled in John 19.
00:17:16.46\00:17:19.47
This is a picture of
Jesus going to the cross.
00:17:19.50\00:17:22.54
Now, this says something
remarkable about the inspiration
00:17:22.57\00:17:25.07
of the Bible and about the love
of God. Jesus knew full well
00:17:25.11\00:17:31.08
what this Psalm said, and
yet He still came to the earth,
00:17:31.11\00:17:35.15
and He still went
through the plan of salvation.
00:17:35.18\00:17:37.85
This Old Testament prophecy
demonstrates to the world
00:17:37.89\00:17:41.29
that prophecy can be
trusted and that God is love.
00:17:41.32\00:17:45.76
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:17:45.79\00:17:47.76
Let's live today by every word.
00:17:47.76\00:17:49.73
¤[Music]¤
00:17:49.76\00:17:51.17
>>John: Thanks for joining
me today on It Is Written.
00:17:52.23\00:17:54.54
My guest is Dr. Michael
Hasel, an archaeologist who has
00:17:54.57\00:17:58.07
spent considerable
amount of time digging in Israel
00:17:58.11\00:18:02.44
and unearthing, well, Dr.
Hasel, some remarkable things
00:18:02.48\00:18:05.58
that shine a light on--would
you say more Old Testament
00:18:05.61\00:18:08.48
or New Testament?
00:18:08.52\00:18:09.82
>>Michael: Well, I've
dug at both period sites.
00:18:09.85\00:18:11.82
I've dug in New Testament
period sites like Masada
00:18:11.85\00:18:14.36
and also up at Dor, which
was a New Testament era city
00:18:14.39\00:18:18.06
that went all the way
back to Old Testament times.
00:18:18.09\00:18:20.23
But I, I consider
myself more of an expert
00:18:20.26\00:18:22.90
in the ancient Near East and
the time of the Old Testament.
00:18:22.93\00:18:25.80
>>John: Well, right now
we're speaking about archaeology
00:18:25.83\00:18:27.54
and the life of Jesus.
00:18:27.57\00:18:28.90
Now, I'm going to read
from Matthew 25 and verse 1:
00:18:28.94\00:18:31.64
"Then shall the
kingdom of heaven be likened
00:18:31.67\00:18:33.81
unto ten virgins,
which took their lamps,
00:18:33.84\00:18:37.18
and went forth to
meet the bridegroom"--
00:18:37.21\00:18:39.15
this is Jesus speaking here--
00:18:39.18\00:18:41.32
"and five of them were
wise, and five were foolish.
00:18:41.35\00:18:44.82
They that were
foolish took their lamps,
00:18:44.85\00:18:47.16
and took no oil with them.
00:18:47.19\00:18:49.82
But the wise took oil in
their vessels with their lamps."
00:18:49.86\00:18:55.16
Now, as a layman,
reading this story
00:18:55.20\00:18:59.60
for the first or the
101st time, I can't really have
00:18:59.63\00:19:03.87
an appreciation for
what Jesus was describing,
00:19:03.91\00:19:06.54
but through the lens of
archaeology we get to see
00:19:06.57\00:19:09.48
what Jesus was talking
about. Help us understand.
00:19:09.51\00:19:11.91
>>Michael: Well, exactly.
When I was growing up as a kid,
00:19:11.95\00:19:14.38
you know, I loved
going camping with my family.
00:19:14.42\00:19:16.82
And we would have
these Coleman lanterns,
00:19:16.85\00:19:18.92
these--with kerosene--
00:19:18.95\00:19:20.19
they would be about this big,
and I would just be, as I read
00:19:20.22\00:19:23.22
the story, thinking about, you
know, those kinds of big lamps.
00:19:23.26\00:19:26.80
The concept is somewhat similar.
You put kerosene in the lamp.
00:19:26.83\00:19:29.73
It lights up. The ancient
lamp, though, was much smaller,
00:19:29.76\00:19:33.94
and everybody who Jesus is
telling the story to would have
00:19:33.97\00:19:36.77
immediately identified with
these lamps because they were
00:19:36.81\00:19:39.27
around during His time.
Everybody had many of these
00:19:39.31\00:19:42.68
in their home. This is
the kind of lamp that Jesus
00:19:42.71\00:19:45.08
was referring to. This is the
typical Herodian lamp, that is,
00:19:45.11\00:19:49.08
the time of Herod, where the
Herods, which goes all the way
00:19:49.12\00:19:52.55
to the destruction of
the temple in A.D. 70,
00:19:52.59\00:19:54.62
the destruction of Jerusalem.
00:19:54.66\00:19:55.72
>>John: And this
here is an original?
00:19:55.76\00:19:57.89
>>Michael: This is an
original. This is an original.
00:19:57.93\00:19:59.69
This is a simple Herodian
lamp. This is not very complex.
00:19:59.73\00:20:03.47
You can tell
it's a Herodian lamp
00:20:03.50\00:20:04.77
because of this
flange spout here.
00:20:04.80\00:20:06.90
So you put the oil inside
this opening here, and the wick
00:20:06.94\00:20:10.77
would extend out of this opening
here and produce the flame.
00:20:10.81\00:20:14.94
And, uh, this was made
out of two halves of a bowl,
00:20:14.98\00:20:19.28
and then the spout was added to
it, and people would have these
00:20:19.31\00:20:24.32
in their homes in the
evenings to provide light.
00:20:24.35\00:20:27.09
>>John: Has this one here
been used? Can we know that?
00:20:27.12\00:20:29.12
>>Michael: This one
has been used. You can see
00:20:29.16\00:20:30.79
the discoloration around here.
You can see the soot that's
00:20:30.83\00:20:33.93
still there after all of these
years. I have another lamp here
00:20:33.96\00:20:37.27
that is contemporaneous, the
same, from the same time period.
00:20:37.30\00:20:40.74
This is a much more elaborate
lamp. You can see that it,
00:20:40.77\00:20:44.91
unlike that lamp, which was
possibly formed by hand, or not,
00:20:44.94\00:20:49.04
maybe not done on a wheel.
But this one was mold made,
00:20:49.08\00:20:53.35
and a mold would have
been placed over this.
00:20:53.38\00:20:56.08
Again, two
halves, but you can see
00:20:56.12\00:20:58.82
the very intricate
design here, and you can see
00:20:58.85\00:21:01.49
the very beautiful two clusters
of grapes. This is a vineyard
00:21:01.52\00:21:05.19
with two clusters of
grapes on either side.
00:21:05.23\00:21:07.23
>>John: Now, I can understand
this being used in a home.
00:21:07.23\00:21:09.10
But here were some
people who went out,
00:21:09.13\00:21:10.73
that these young ladies
went to a place and took,
00:21:10.77\00:21:14.57
took this lamp with them.
Was that practical? I mean..
00:21:14.60\00:21:18.64
>>Michael: Uh, this is, uh,
this is a very practical thing.
00:21:18.67\00:21:22.08
You know, what is fascinating
to me, too, is, in the story,
00:21:22.11\00:21:25.18
people would have known
exactly how long these lamps
00:21:25.21\00:21:29.05
would have lasted. Because
they're all about the same size.
00:21:29.08\00:21:32.49
The content of oil would
have been about the same.
00:21:32.52\00:21:34.79
We've tested these out--not the
originals, but the replicas that
00:21:34.82\00:21:38.89
we've made, and we can say
that the oil would have lasted
00:21:38.93\00:21:41.86
between an hour and a half to
two hours. So we can get an idea
00:21:41.90\00:21:45.33
of how long the bridegroom in
the story that Jesus is telling
00:21:45.37\00:21:48.10
and this wedding
feast, how long the bridegroom
00:21:48.14\00:21:50.47
would've been delayed in that
particular account. And again,
00:21:50.51\00:21:54.48
they would've really understood
the context. They've gone
00:21:54.51\00:21:57.48
to weddings. They've seen
these lamps. They've used them.
00:21:57.51\00:22:00.35
They would've
understood all of that.
00:22:00.38\00:22:02.35
>>John: Now, they took lamps,
but the wise ones took oil
00:22:02.38\00:22:04.79
with them. And they took
that oil in something like what?
00:22:04.82\00:22:08.56
>>Michael: Well, we have
this little jar or juglet here,
00:22:08.59\00:22:12.86
small jar, and with a
nice handle. This would've been
00:22:12.89\00:22:16.43
something that they
might have used to take.
00:22:16.46\00:22:18.40
This is a little large.
There are smaller ones as well.
00:22:18.43\00:22:21.17
But this would've
provided the extra oil, perhaps,
00:22:21.20\00:22:24.11
that they would've
needed for any kind of delay.
00:22:24.14\00:22:27.71
>>John: Now, in considering
crucifixion again for a moment,
00:22:27.74\00:22:31.38
the Bible speaks in several
places about how at funerals,
00:22:31.41\00:22:36.55
at funeral gatherings,
there were many mourners.
00:22:36.58\00:22:39.22
Sometimes these were
hired mourners to come.
00:22:39.25\00:22:42.22
What has archaeology turned
up for us today that helps us
00:22:42.26\00:22:46.59
understand, perhaps, some
of idiosyncrasies about, uh,
00:22:46.63\00:22:49.33
funerals in that time?
00:22:49.36\00:22:50.83
>>Michael: We have
found archaeologically
00:22:50.87\00:22:52.30
some very interesting things
that come from that period.
00:22:52.33\00:22:56.17
Mourners were often hired,
actually, at funerals to cry.
00:22:56.20\00:23:00.48
And their tears were
often gathered in tear bottles
00:23:00.51\00:23:03.45
that were then
buried with the deceased.
00:23:03.48\00:23:05.88
And this is a tear bottle
that comes from the Middle East.
00:23:05.91\00:23:08.78
And you can just imagine these
mourners collecting their tears
00:23:08.82\00:23:13.66
and then placing this in the
tomb. Uh, at the time of Christ,
00:23:13.69\00:23:18.63
we have the ladies
coming to the tomb, uh,
00:23:18.66\00:23:22.20
after the Sabbath has finished.
They're coming to the tomb
00:23:22.23\00:23:26.20
on Sunday morning.
And, um, Mary, of course,
00:23:26.23\00:23:29.30
is the first one that comes. And
it's interesting. They're coming
00:23:29.34\00:23:33.58
to, to see, to mourn, to
process what had taken place.
00:23:33.61\00:23:37.75
And, of course,
what do they find?
00:23:37.78\00:23:39.68
>>John: An empty tomb.
>>Michael: An empty tomb.
00:23:39.71\00:23:42.08
So here we've talked
about Caiaphas, for example,
00:23:42.12\00:23:45.59
whose bone box is
there. We find Jehohanan's bone
00:23:45.62\00:23:49.39
still stuck onto a nail
that was used for crucifixion.
00:23:49.42\00:23:55.86
And yet the tomb of Jesus
is empty today. And that's
00:23:55.90\00:23:59.47
the hope that Christianity
has through the centuries.
00:23:59.50\00:24:02.67
>>John: The one thing
archaeologists will never find.
00:24:02.70\00:24:05.77
>>Michael: That's right.
>>John: Archaeology helps us
00:24:05.81\00:24:07.98
understand that the Bible is
a real book, that what we read
00:24:08.01\00:24:11.55
in there are accounts of
real people, real figures,
00:24:11.58\00:24:14.75
real events, and a real Christ.
Today, among other things,
00:24:14.78\00:24:19.45
we've looked at the reality,
the awful, the brutal reality
00:24:19.49\00:24:22.32
of crucifixion. And we see that
Jesus, the Maker of the world,
00:24:22.36\00:24:27.40
was nailed to a cross
made from wood which He Himself
00:24:27.46\00:24:31.43
as Creator had
originated in the first place.
00:24:31.47\00:24:35.07
He was suspended between the
earth and the heavens to die,
00:24:35.10\00:24:38.57
to die so that we can live.
That's an encouraging thought.
00:24:38.61\00:24:43.24
Jesus died for the whole world.
00:24:43.28\00:24:45.81
That best-known
verse of the Bible says,
00:24:45.85\00:24:48.32
"God so loved the world, that
He gave His only begotten Son,
00:24:48.35\00:24:52.32
that whosoever believes in Him
00:24:52.35\00:24:54.32
should not perish, but
have everlasting life."
00:24:54.36\00:24:56.26
And you're in that "whosoever."
You can write your name there.
00:24:56.76\00:25:01.16
And if today you believe
in Jesus, the real Jesus,
00:25:01.20\00:25:04.10
the Jesus spoken of by the Bible
and supported by archaeology,
00:25:04.13\00:25:08.80
if you can
believe in that Jesus,
00:25:08.84\00:25:12.14
then you can look forward to
everlasting life coming soon.
00:25:12.17\00:25:16.41
Let that be your hope today.
00:25:16.44\00:25:18.15
>>John: A lot of people are
tired of having an up-and-down
00:25:18.88\00:25:21.62
Christian experience. It doesn't
need to be you. You can have
00:25:21.65\00:25:24.92
a consistent
experience in your faith in God.
00:25:24.95\00:25:27.36
And I wanna show you how.
00:25:27.39\00:25:29.09
Get this week's free
offer, a resource called
00:25:29.12\00:25:31.59
"The War Is Over." To
get it--and it's free--call
00:25:31.63\00:25:35.40
800-253-3000, 800-253-3000.
00:25:35.43\00:25:40.00
Or visit us online
at ItIsWritten.com.
00:25:40.04\00:25:43.34
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00:25:43.37\00:25:45.67
If you'd like to
write, our address is
00:25:45.71\00:25:47.34
P.O. Box 6,
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00:25:47.38\00:25:51.88
You can enjoy
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00:25:51.91\00:25:54.32
and faith in God. Get
this week's free resource,
00:25:54.35\00:25:57.25
"The War Is Over." 800-253-3000
00:25:57.29\00:26:01.32
or visit us online
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00:26:01.36\00:26:04.53
Thanks for remembering
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00:26:04.56\00:26:07.03
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00:26:07.03\00:26:10.43
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00:26:10.47\00:26:14.60
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00:26:19.57\00:26:21.98
Thank you for your continued
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00:26:22.01\00:26:25.21
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00:26:25.25\00:26:29.95
and our web address
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00:26:29.98\00:26:34.52
>>John: Dr. Michael
Hasel, thank you very much.
00:26:36.32\00:26:38.36
I appreciate
you taking the time.
00:26:38.39\00:26:39.76
>>Michael: It's a
privilege to have been here.
00:26:39.79\00:26:41.06
>>John: This has been
terrific. Let's pray together;
00:26:41.10\00:26:42.56
let's do that right now.
00:26:42.60\00:26:44.20
Our Father in heaven, we
are thankful today for a Jesus
00:26:44.23\00:26:47.57
in whom we can believe. We thank
You for a Bible that is built
00:26:47.60\00:26:52.21
on solid evidence. Now, without
the archeological evidence,
00:26:52.24\00:26:56.64
we would believe anyway
because our experience with You
00:26:56.68\00:26:59.31
testifies that Your
Word is true. We thank You
00:26:59.35\00:27:02.98
that along with the witness of
Your Spirit, You have provided
00:27:03.02\00:27:06.22
ample evidence,
many reasons to believe,
00:27:06.25\00:27:09.72
yes, this is Your book, that the
things contained in it are true,
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and that the hope offered is
real. Give us grace to rejoice
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in that hope, in the hope that
Jesus died for every one of us,
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and that one day soon we will be
enjoying the reality of eternity
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with You at Your home.
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We pray with thanks,
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and we pray in
Jesus' name, amen.
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Thank you so much
for joining me today.
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I look forward to
seeing you again next time.
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Until then, remember:
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"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
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but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
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¤[Theme music]¤
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