Digging into the Bible: Archeological Discoveries to Bolster Our Faith

Host: Dr. Jamie Mitchell

Guest: Paul Weaver

Note: This transcript is taken from a Stand in the Gap Today program aired on 5/26/26. To listen to the podcast, click HERE.

Disclaimer: While reasonable efforts have been made to provide an accurate transcription, the following is a representation of a mechanical transcription and as such, may not be a word for word transcript. Please listen to the audio version for any questions concerning the following dialogue.

Jamie Mitchell:

Well, welcome again to another chapter of Stand in the Gap Today. I’m your host, Jamie Mitchell, director of church culture at the American Pastors Network. As a teacher of God’s word for over four decades now, you have a sense when you’re watching the audience and reading their response or their interests in regards to certain points when you’re teaching or going through a sermon, such as when you’re going on and on and on about grammatical significance of certain Hebrew words, their eyes start to glaze over. When it comes to stories, illustrations, personal antidotes, they perk up, they lean in and you can see their attention jump unless you use the same story and then people roll their eyes and you can hear them silently say, “Here he goes again.” Well, one of the topic that most preachers will tell you gets a mixed reaction is the subject of archeology.

Listeners swing from fascinated and enthralled to bored and uninterested. My personal belief is their response is twofold first because the preacher has not done his homework and his lack of real understanding causing questions by the congregation. And secondly, most people find the topic very weighty and scholarly and so usually they check out. Well, here’s the issue. When you’re talking about understanding and studying the ancient text dating back some 4,000 years and that text is tied to people’s eternal destiny, you need to all the assurance and proof that the book is true and has some verifiable proof of authenticity. And today we want to examine this topic regarding biblical archeology. Why is it important and how does the average Christian grasp its value and its importance to this significantly impact their faith? And to help me as an author of a new book on this very subject, the book is entitled Faith Affirming Findings, 50 Archeological Discoveries that validate the historicity and the reliability of the scriptures.

And that author is Paul Weaver, professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Seminary. Paul, welcome to Stand in the Gap, my brother.

Paul Weaver:

Thank you, Jamie. It’s a pleasure to be with you and your listeners of the Stand in the Gap Today program.

Jamie Mitchell:

Well, Paul, I got to tell you, I love the book and I want to discuss why you wrote it, how pastors and pew sitters can use it. But significantly, I want to touch on this subject of archeology. You heard my opening and the apparent struggle that people have embracing and understanding the importance of archeology in regard to our faith. In your book, you start off with the benefits of archeology. Could you share some of those benefits and tell why it’s important for people, especially God’s people, to get a handle on this subject?

Paul Weaver:

That’s a great question. Thank you for that. Well, let me start by saying I have two passions that really drive me. One is my love for the word of God and helping others to love it. And second, a passion is related is my conviction that the Bible is the inspired or God breathed and inherent without error, word of God and wanting to help people to develop that same confidence for the trustworthiness of scripture. So this is why I’m so passionate about biblical archeology because biblical archeology helps accomplish both of these goals. Biblical archeology both deepens our excitement for God’s word and reinforces our confidence and its truthfulness. But sadly, I don’t think most Christians have ever fully understood just how extraordinarily useful biblical archeology is, not just for scholars and academics, but for every pastor, for every teacher, every Bible student, every Bible study leader and anyone who really loves the word of God, let me walk you through five major benefits I think that biblical archeology helps us with.

The first would be, I would suggest that it causes us to look what I call at the scriptures in 5K. The Bible is written in a world that’s very distant from our own geographically, culturally, historically, but archeology is the single best resource beyond the Bible itself for helping us to understand the cultural milieu or cultural situation in which the scripture was written. So it provides assistance in understanding the background and customs of the day. It illuminates adoption practices, crucifixion procedures, understand what first century fishing boats were like, pagan places of worship, high places, booking oven scripture, Roman athletic games that Paul alludes to. It takes what we can sometimes feel like a distant text and brings it into vivid breathtaking, three dimensional life. And it doesn’t just tell us what the Bible says. It actually shows us the world in which it was said. So that’s the first benefit, seeing things in 5K, if you will.

Then a second benefit, I think, is that biblical archeology gives us a richer understanding of the people recorded in scripture. So it’s one thing to read about Sinai, Belshazzar, chiasis, Galio. It’s another thing entirely to see and learn about the physical artifacts that help us to better understand them even in addition to the Bible. We learn more about the before mentioned persons in scripture as well as people groups like the Egyptians and the Canaanites and the Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans. And what we learned from the archeological record again and again affirms what the biblical text tells us about these individuals and people groups. So that’s a second benefit. It helps us learn about the people of the Bible. A third benefit helps us to understand about the places recorded in scripture. When you know what archeologists have found at Jericho, which we’ll talk about later, reading Joshua six will never be the same again.

When you know what has been uncovered at Corinth, the judgment seat, the market, meat market, the temple of Aphrodite.

So archeology helps us to understand the people who lived at these locations and the events that occurred there. And again, in every case, these discoveries uncovered corroborate the biblical text. A fourth benefit is a clearer understanding of the things described in scripture. So people, places, now things. The military battles mentioned like Karkar is mentioned, Karkmesh, Laquish, a city that was destroyed by Sinakra. The athletic imagery Paul uses in his letters now confirmed by the discovery of the Ismean games or the site there near Corinth. The political structures in Thessalonika, the Bema seat or the judgment seat of Galileo, the judgment seat of Pilate Archeology puts flesh and bones on events of the biblical story. And then the fifth benefit that I would like to discuss is that biblical archeology affirms, validates, corroborates the historicity and reliability of scripture. And this is the heartbeat of my book really.

If the Bible is true and it is, then we would expect the archeological record to affirm it and it does time and time again. As you have already shared, the subtitle of my book is 50 Archeological Discoveries that validate the historicity and reliability of scripture. In my book, I share the 50 I think most important discoveries from the field of biblical archeology that I believe every Christian should know about 50 times that the rocks have cried out in these artifacts and in these sites that the Bible is right and the skeptics are wrong. These artifacts affirm real people, real places, real events. They’re confirmed by coins, by cylinders, by burial sites, by monuments, scrolls, statues, and stone descriptions.

Jamie Mitchell:

Paul, I love hearing about archeology. You don’t have to convince me. Your book is fantastic and people will get it. We’ll talk about that. Listen, friends, don’t go anywhere. When we return, we wanted to talk specifically about some Old Testament findings that for sure will encourage your faith. Today we’re digging into the Bible no pun intended. Don’t go anywhere. Stay with us. Well, welcome back to Stand in the Gap. Our topic today is biblical archeology and our guest is Dr. Paul Weaver. He has just released a new book on archeology called Faith Affirming Findings. Paul, your book has 50 different discoveries tied to the text of the Bible and offers evidence of what the Bible claims little more than half of that is from the Old Testament period. So I want to pick out a few of them and want you to discuss it and drill down a little bit on this.

But first I want to talk to one that most everybody knows of and heard of and that is Jericho. What was found there and what makes the findings at Jericho significant?

Paul Weaver:

Yeah, Jericho is a fascinating discovery as far as the remains there because I find it incredibly compelling because the archeological record doesn’t just confirm that the city existed, although it does do that. It also confirms the specific details of one of the most dramatic events recorded in the entire Old Testament. And when you see how precisely the evidence lines up with the biblical account, it’s genuinely breathtaking. Let me give you a little background first. Of course, as your listeners know, Jericho is regarded as one that well may know, is regarded as one of the oldest cities in the ancient world. It sits approximately five miles west of the Jordan River and 10 miles north of the Dead Sea, right where the Bible places it. It was the first city that the nation of Israel faced when they crossed the Jordan River into Canaan under Joshua’s leadership.

And of course, it’s the city whose walls famously collapsed after the Israelites marched around it for seven days in obedience to God’s command. What’s been found at ancient Jericho is remarkable. Let me walk you through some of the specific details because they’re extraordinary. First, the Bible describes Jericho as a massive fortified city with formidable defensive walls. Well, the archeological remains confirm exactly that. This was a wealthy, prominent, heavily defended city, just as the book of Joshua describes. And then second, the Bible says the walls collapsed and collapsed they did. The mud brick walls of ancient Jericho were discovered in the archeological record and here is a critical details. They collapsed outward. These walls did not inward. They fell forward forming a ramp of debris, just as Joshua 6:20 describes. It says that the walls fell, the Israelites advanced, and I quote, “Each man straight ahead into the city.” And you can’t advance straight ahead over an inward collapsed rubble.

You advanced straight ahead over an outward collapsed ramp. The walls fell exactly as the Bible described, providing a natural ramp for the Israelites to ascend into the city of Jericho. And then a third detail, there are burn layers there three feet deep were discovered there at Jericho. Our listeners might recall that God commanded Israelites to burn the city, not loot it and the ground still bears those scorch marks. And then fourth, this one stops people in their tracks. Large storage jars were discovered at Jericho, still full of recently harvest grain. Now, think about what that tells us. Cities under siege run out of food. During warfare, soldiers typically surround the city causing the citizens of the fortified city to make a dire decision. Do I stay in the city walls and starve or leave the fortified city and lose our military advantage against the enemy?

But the jars discovered at Jericho were still full. The grain had not been consumed, which means the siege was remarkably short, exactly what the Bible says. The city fell on the seventh day. And so there was no time to eat the grain and the grain was not looted, which confirms another specific command. God told Israelites not to plunder Jericho and the full burned grain jars tell us they obeyed that with the exception of Aiken, right? But you don’t find untouched food supplies at a city that was ransacked. It’s taken with the victors of war. And then the fifth and finally, those full grain jars also tell us the season that the destruction took place. Grain is harvested in the spring and Joshua 3:15 tells us that the Israelites cross the Jordan at flood stage, which also occurs in the spring. Joshua 5:10 tells us they celebrated Passover right before the battle.

Passover is a spring feast and the archeology, the agricultural evidence and the biblical calendar all align perfectly. So what we have at Jericho is not just confirmation that the city existed, we have confirmation of the collapsed walls, the direction of the collapse, the fire, the short siege, the unharvest grain, the season of the year, detail after specific detail. The archeological data support the colossal and miraculous collapse of the walls of Jericho just as the scripture describes.

Jamie Mitchell:

And then as we begin to really look at the person and the character and the work that Joshua did, it just confirms again the story of how God used him and raised him up after Moses and what a tremendous leader he was. Paul, you have a chapter on what’s called Nebuchadnezzar’s tablet and the silver bowl of Artaxerxes. Here are two non-Jewish kings that obviously play a big role in the biblical story. What was found about them and how does that bolster the confidence of the text of scripture?

Paul Weaver:

Yeah, Jamie, you’ve put your finger on something deeply significant because one of the most powerful confirmations of biblical reliability is when the records of pagan empires and pagan kings who had no interest in honoring the God of Israel when their records line up precisely with what scripture says. That’s exactly what we see with both of these discoveries. Let’s start with Nebuchadnezzar. He’s one of the most famous, or I should say infamous figures in all of scripture. He was the Babylonian king who destroyed Jerusalem, demolished the temple and carried the Jewish people into exile along with the temple vessels of Yahweh. His name appears across many biblical books, Daniel, two kings, two Chronicles, and the prophet Jeremiah. The Jerusalem Chronicle, which is also called, referred to sometimes as Nebuchadnezzar’s tablet is a small clay tablet barely three inches high. It’s now on display of the British museum in London and what it records is extraordinary.

In the Babylonian language, it confirms five specific details that scripture records. First, it identifies Nebuchadnezzar by name as a major Babylonian king. Second, it describes the Battle of Carchemish where Nebuchadnezzar defeated Pharaoh Neco of Egypt exactly as the prophet Jeremiah declared. Third, it records that Nebuchadnezzar removed Jehoichin, king of Judah from power exactly as two King states and fourth, it confirms Jehoichin was taken captive to Babylon then fifth. And finally, it records that Nebuchadnezzar replaced King Jehoichin with the king of his own choosing, who the Bible identifies as Zedekiah. So five specific historical details, five confirmations. The Babylonians wrote this for their own purposes with absolutely no intention of validating the Hebrew scripture and yet it tells the same story with the same names and the same sequence. So now let’s turn our attention to the Silver Bowl of Artaxerxes. It’s a different kind of discovery, equally exciting and faith affirming.

This artifact is a beautiful silver bull approximately 11 and a half inches in diameter. It’s dated to the fifth century BC and now is also in the British museum. Along the rim of the silver bull is an inscription in Old Persian that when translated reads, and I quote, “Artaxerxes, the great … Artaxerxes the great. King of kings, king of the countries. Son of Xerxes the King was the son of Darius the King in whose house this silver bowl was made. So three Persian kings are named in chronological sequence on a single drinking vessel and all three appear in your Bible. Darius whose reign the Jerusalem temple was finally completed as Ezra records. Xerxes known in our English Bible as Ahasuerus, the king who married Esther and through whom God prevented the genocide of his people and Artaxerxes, the king whose cupbearer was Nehemiah.

That means if this bull was used as a regular drinking vessel, Nehemiah may have held this very bull in his hands. And it was this same Artaxerxes who gave Nehemiah permission and resources to return Jerusalem and rebuild its walls. The same decree that many scholars, myself included, believe is the very starting point of Daniel’s prophetic countdown of 70 weeks recorded in the book of Daniel. So here is what I want your listeners to hear and take away. Both of these artifacts come from pagan kings. These are Babylonian and Persian rulers who worshiped other gods who had no theological agenda to support the Hebrew scripture and yet their own records confirm with extraordinary precision, the names, the sequence, and the events that the Bible describes. The enemies of Israel left behind their own testimony and that testimony keeps saying the same thing scripture has always said.

These kings were real. These events happened. Once again, the Bible is historically reliable. It is true and worthy of your careful study.

Jamie Mitchell:

Wow. Paul, we got about 30 seconds left. The fact of the matter is though there are those who have attempted over the years to cast a shadow, a doubt on stories like this, the kings that existed during the Old Testament time. This puts that to silence. This helps us as believers to say, no, there was an artist, there was a Nehemiah. There were these true living historical people and that should give us great confidence, shouldn’t it?

Paul Weaver:

For sure, for sure. And time and time again, the skeptics have been proven wrong with Belshazzer. They said never existed. David, they said never existed. Now we have clear things written in stone that prove both those skeptics of those items. Skeptics wrong. Wow.

Jamie Mitchell:

Friends, consider how valuable it is to read something in one Kings or Joshua or one of the prophets and then discover the evidence that you are reading about have been verifiable historical evidence. Wow. Absolutely amazing. When we come back, we will make our way over the New Testament and what we have found related to Jesus and the early church we’re trying to bring alive archeology today. Don’t go anywhere. Well, thank you for staying with us and if you’ve just joined us, we’re talking to Dr. Paul Weaver from Dallas Seminary about his new book on biblical archeology and in my opinion, a must get study tool for all students and teachers of God’s word. Paul. We’ve considered the Old Testament. Now let’s dig into, again, no pun intended. The New Testament. I want you to talk about some of the buildings that were found and why they are important.

Give us a quick splash on the Jerusalem Temples, Peter’s house, the little known place called the Herodium. If you want to hit on all of them or pick a couple, but tell us why these buildings are so important for the veracity of the New Testament.

Paul Weaver:

Yeah, that’s a wonderful trio of discoveries to the temple, Peter’s house in Capernaum and the Herodium. And we believe that the Bible is historically accurate and if it is, if it’s reliable, then we’d expect these people, places, events to be affirmed in the archeological record and we’re not disappointed. Let’s start with the Jerusalem temple or temples, we could say, because the history runs deep. It goes all the way back to Abraham. Mount Moriah is where God tested Abraham’s faith by asking him to offer his son Isaac. Now, centuries later, King David builds an altar on that same mouth and then Solomon David’s son builds it first Drew some temple. That temple stood until 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it.

But then God then used the Person King Cyrus to allow the temple to be rebuilt. That’s what we call the second temple or Zerubbabel’s temple. And then Herod, the great, or I call him Herod the not so great, he dramatically expanded and embellished that temple into one of the most spectacular structures in the entire ancient world. So the temple’s important to the biblical text. Josephus calls Herod’s retaining wall the most prodigious work that was ever heard of by man. So that’s a first century Jewish historian that speaks of this temple. So we find a lot of great discoveries relating to that temple, including what is called the temple warning inscription. It’s a limestone, it’s a flab with a Greek inscription that warns Gentiles not to enter the inner courts of the temple under penalty of death. And it reads and I quote, “Let no Gentile enter within the partition and barrier surrounding the temple.

Whosoever is caught shall be responsible for his subsequent death.” And this description illuminates the very tension Paul describes in Ephesians two when he talks about the dividing wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile that Christ broke down. So that’s interesting. Then there’s a discovery there, the place of trumpeting where a inscription was discovered in the debris of the destruction of the temple where it indicates where the trumpeter would declare the trumpet to begin and end special holidays, feasts and Sabbath. And so these are incredible discoveries. There are many more that relates even arrowheads that were discovered that were dated to the time of Nebuchadnezzar’s destruction of Jerusalem. And so these relate to the temple. The temple’s so strategic, so important to the biblical text and it’s affirmed over and over again and the discovery is found there. And you can of course go and see that today and see the debris from the near the wailing wall.

Now let’s talk about Peter’s house. Many of your listeners will find this discovery fascinating as well because it connects us directly the day-to-day life and ministry of Jesus. Capernaum located on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee was the center of Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee. Matthew calls it Jesus’s own city and Mark calls it Jesus’s home and the gospels record many details, miracles that took place there. Well, archeologists have discovered a home that was beneath a fifth century octagon shaped church. They found these remains that it seemed to be a location that was venerated in the first century building, but at some point in the middle of first century, this building changed. The walls, the ceiling and the floors of the largest room were plastered from wall from floor to ceiling. Niches for oil lamps were included and oven was removed. All of this points to the fact that this building was no longer being used as a home but a public meeting place.

And then on the plastered walls, archeologists have discovered ancient graffiti. Some statements that said, Lord Jesus Christ, others read just Jesus and even Peter or Amen and Christ have mercy. These are ancient graffiti, if you will. And then two programs also traveling through there in 570 AD and 385 AD in their writings identified this as the home of Peter. First century Baysalt Foundation’s been discovered, this graffiti that I mentioned naming Peter and Jesus. All of this points to the fact that we believe we have found the home that Peter lived in and that Jesus and his followers would have called their own their headquarters for their Galilean ministry. Should I talk about the Herodium as well?

Jamie Mitchell:

Sure. That’s the one I want to hear about.

Paul Weaver:

The Herodium, as you rightly referred to, it’s little known place by most, but once people hear this story, they never forget. It’s a massive manmade mountain artificially constructed hill approximately nine miles south of Jerusalem and just three miles south east of Bethlehem. So it’s visible for miles in every direction. Herod the Great built it and in characteristic fashion, he named it after himself. At the top of this manufactured mountain, Herod constructed a spectacular palace. It was 200 feet in diameter, had a Roman bathhouse, had everything that a person would want in that day. He reserved nothing for himself or he did not hold anything back from himself. And the base of this building, this palace and this manufactured manmade hill was a luxury resort for Herod and his powerful friends. And the fortress at the top was the palace Herod could retreat to if rebellion took place because Herod was a deeply paranoid man willing to do almost anything to protect his power.

He killed his own wife. He killed three of his own sons and of course we know he killed so many babies at the birth of Jesus. And so it actually, he wanted this to be his burial site as well, the Herodium. Josephus records the first century historian also recorded that Herod requested this to be his burial site and for many years it wasn’t discovered. We didn’t know where it was because Josephus tells us it was the burial site, but the specific location in that hill, manmade hill. But thankfully Ehud Netzer did discover it in 2007 and so that’s magnificent to find. Why does the Herodian matter for the biblical record? Three reasons. First, it confirms that a real historical figure named Herod, the great existed. Second, the scale and elegance of it points to exactly what we know about Herod, the great from the Bible.

He was a megalomaniac. He was built monuments to cement his legacy. And then third is the point that I find most compelling. The Herodium and everything Josephus records about Herod’s character perfectly corroborates the biblical count of the massacre of the innocence in Matthew two. This was a man who killed his own family to protect his throne. His own sons he thought were going to try to take his power from him. As I say in the book, killing innocent babies to eliminate a perceived threat to his power is entirely consistent with his character, or we should say lack thereof, lack of character. So three discoveries, Jerusalem Temple, Peter’s house, the Herodium, each confirmed from a different angle that the world of the New Testament describes was a real world with real people, real places, and a real savior who walked among them. The ground keeps declaring the truthfulness of the biblical record.

Jamie Mitchell:

Paul, I wish I had your book when I have been in Israel. It would be such a help because the guides are very helpful, but when you go around and you look at these different artifacts in different locations, having some background information like your book provides is so helpful. We may run out of time on this one and that’s fine. We got about a minute or so. I never heard of the pilot stone. What is that and why is that important? And if we run out of time, we’ll finish it up in the last segment, but what is the pilot stone?

Paul Weaver:

Yeah. The pilot stone is very interesting because of course Pilate is mentioned 55 times in the New Testament. He’s so central, so important. And so what is this? The pilot is the Roman governor, of course, who interrogated Jesus, but the pilot stones was discovered. It was discovered in the theater there. It was a repurposed stone, but it initially would have been used to by pilot. He created the Tiberium to worship and to honor Tiberius to get himself in the good graces of Tiberius and The stone mentions the Tiberium, the building he built and his name Pontius Pilate who built it and he’s the prefect of Judea. All of this fits perfectly with what we know about the biblical record and of course then this pilot stone was repurposed when the Tiberium became out of use and it was used to reconstruct or to rebuild a portion of the steps in the theater.

And so this is fascinating. Find from one more important character in this event of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.

Jamie Mitchell:

Wow. Paul, you in some way you’re almost like a detective putting these things together and piece by piece building the case for the verifiable historical truth of the Bible. Not only are these discoveries of artifacts are important, but I love the backstory and connecting the dots. Now when we finish up, I want Paul to tell you more about this book that he’s written, but also how to enhance your teaching and your study of God’s word. We got a lot of people listen to Stand in the Gap who are pastors, who are leaders in churches. They’re teaching God’s word. This is a tool that you can and should use. So when we come back and we finish up, I want Paul to talk about how to use this book and how to enhance our teaching using archeology. Well, thanks for being part of our program today.

Our prayer is that you will continue to gain confidence in God’s word and be enhanced in your personal study of the Bible. Paul Weaver has been our guests. Paul, I want you to talk about your new book. How can our listeners get it? Who should get it? But also just take a moment again. What motivated you to write a book on biblical archeology for this time in our history as evangelical Christians?

Paul Weaver:

Well, I have been teaching at the college and seminary level for over 20 years now. And in all those years, one thing became very clear to me the field of biblical archeology is very intimidating to most Christians. And that’s not just the people in the pew, but also the pastors and Bible teachers and trained Bible scholars who simply haven’t had direct exposure to the discipline. And that’s a problem because the questions are out there. The skepticism is real. People are being challenged on the reliability of scripture every single day and far too many believers don’t have the tools to respond. At the same time, there are very few evangelicals trained in biblical archeology and even fewer who can communicate those findings in a way that’s accessible to the average person or Bible study leader or everyday Christian. So I wrote Faith Affirming Findings to bridge that gap to take 50 of the most compelling faith affirming archeological discoveries and put them in the hands of every person who loves and teaches God’s word.

So who should get this book? Well, I would say every pastor, every Bible study leader, every Sunday school teacher, every Christian school educator, and honestly, every serious student of the Bible. If you preach or teach or lead a small group, you need a book like this on your shelf and you need to return to it regularly. Before you step into a pulpit or classroom, check it out. See if one of these 50 discoveries illuminates the passage you’re teaching because when you show people your people week after week that the Bible is historically reliable, the people were real, that the places were real, that the events were real. You’re building a foundation that the storms of skepticism can’t overtake. And as for where to get the book, Faith Affirming Findings is available at amazon.com, kregal.com Kregels the publisher and wherever books are sold.

Jamie Mitchell:

Hey, Paul, you’ve utilized all kinds of technology to enhance your book, especially those who teach it. For the pastor or teacher listening, how can they use archeology in their ministry to elevate their teaching?

Paul Weaver:

Yeah, that question again goes right to the heart of why I created not just this book, but really the entire package of resources that go with it, the faith affirming finding resources. So in addition to the hundred plus color pictures in the book, every single one of the 51 chapters in this book has its own companion video that’s accessible right there in the chapter through a QR code. And if you don’t use QR codes, a web link and these videos take you to the actual sites and artifacts we’re discussing. These are six to 10 minute videos. They bring the discoveries to life in a way that a book on its own, even with the beautiful 100 plus color pictures can’t fully accomplish. And so then in addition for every chapter there’s also a companion PowerPoint, 51 of them fully prepared and ready to use. All you have to do is email me proof of purchase and I will send all 51 directly to you at no chart.

So my contact information is in the introduction of the book. So now here’s how I want pastors, teachers, and Bible study leaders to practically use it. Before you prepare your sermon, your Bible lesson, or as you’re doing that, open up the book ask one simple question, is there an archeological discovery that validates or illuminates this passage? Because here is what happens when you bring archeology into your teaching, you’re not just adding an interesting illustration, although you’re doing that, you are doing something far more powerful, you’re demonstrating to your congregation week after week that the Bible is historically reliable, that the people in these stories were real, that the places were real, that the events actually happened. So think about what that does for the person in your congregation who’s wrestling with doubt or thinking about what it does for the college student or think about what it does for the college student whose professor is telling them that the Bible is mythology.

Think about what it does for the new believer who’s just beginning to build their own foundation of faith. When you show them the pilot stone, a limestone inscription with the name of the man who crucified Jesus carved into it during his own lifetime, suddenly the passion narrative is no longer just a story, it’s history, confirmed history. So I’d love every pastor in America to have this book. If I could, I’d give it to every single one or Bible study leaders. I would love for every Christian school teacher, every Sunday school instructor to have it because we are living in a skeptical world and our people deserve more than just trust it. They deserve the full weight of the evidence and the evidence in this book, 50 discoveries worth of is overwhelming on the side of scripture. Use it, preach it, teach it, and watch what it does for the faith of the people you serve.

Jamie Mitchell:

You know, Paul, a number of years ago I took a mission team to Macedonia and we decided to take a little side trip down to Thessalonica and we were walking around Thessalonica and I didn’t really realize how significant things like archeological finds or actually seeing locations would impact people. Well, the group of people that I was with, I had been just preaching through first and second Thessalonians and as we walked around and they saw different things, they looked at me and said, “This is what you were talking about. This is where the riot of Jason happened. This is where Paul was for a short period of time.” For the common everyday Christian Paul, maybe they’ve never gone to Bible College or Seminary. They don’t teach God’s word on a regular basis, but they could use this book and really enhance their own personal Bible study, but most importantly, strengthen their faith and ultimately that’s your desire in the purpose of this book

Paul Weaver:

Yeah, I love this statement you’ve made because honestly this listener, the average Christian is who I had in my heart as well, just as much as the pastor or seminary professor when writing it because the everyday Christian, the person sitting in the pew on Sunday morning, living their faith in the real world, sometimes wrestling with doubt, sometimes struggling to answer the hard questions the neighbors or coworkers or college kids are throwing at them. This book is absolutely for them as well. Here’s the most straightforward way to use it. Read one chapter at a time. Each chapter is accessible, engaging and designed to be understood without any academic background whatsoever. You don’t need a seminary degree to appreciate the pilot stone or the chaifus oshure, which is a bone box where the chaifess is amazing.This nefarious individual, this villain of the biblical text we found his oshuary, the stone that contains his bones, right?

Or the house of David Steely, the house of David Steely, which affirms the character of David that one skeptic said that David is as real as myth, right?

And so you just need a love for God’s word and desire to go deeper and this book will help you. Each chapter comes with a six, 10 minute video, a QR code that goes right there and if you are not someone who uses QR codes, no problem at all. There’s a web link there as well. So bring these videos into your personal study, read the biblical passages, read the chapters, watch the video. I promise your Bible will never look the same again. Maybe you can’t make the trip to Thessalonica as you did and others with you, but this would be the next best step, but it also comes with an index of museums where they can watch and where they can find these discoveries and look at them. So use it in your conversations with the skeptical parent or core worker.

Jamie Mitchell:

Paul, thank you. Thank you for taking the time for sharing these important discoveries and help us continue to have confidence in God’s word. Folks, get his book, Faith Affirming Findings. And thanks for allowing us to share another day and to encourage you until tomorrow when we return with more information and insights to help strengthen your life, live and lead with courage. God bless you.