I spend most of my time engaging people on other blogs mainly because I am curious how other people come to their conclusions. Many times, I see people talking past each other until one party gets tired and decides to go do something else. No matter what the subject is, I think it’s best to start out with, “What do we know” first. When it comes to matters of the Bible, I started subscribing to Biblical Archaeology Magazine about 6 years ago. I discovered an article published this year entitled, “50 People in the Bible Confirmed Archaeologically ” . I often find Christians and Non-Believers alike claiming evidence or lack of for people in the Bible. Though lack of archaeological evidence does not prove someone never existed, the discovery of archaeological evidence can support “What we do know”.
Too often people make claims ( I am guilty) without truly knowing the basis of these claims. When I was a Christian, I tended to make a claim followed by, “The Bible tells me so”. In today’s world, I don’t think this is enough anymore than to refute a claim because you don’t believe in the Bible.
I am 62 years old and through three quarters of this life, I never really knew or took serious the fact there were billions of people who had a different view of the Bible , had a different Holy Book, or shared no belief at all. Growing up in a small farming village in Midwestern America, Christianity was the only thing I knew. My religious education came from my Parents, Pastor and Sunday School Teacher. That’s it !
It wasn’t until I started traveling Internationally for business that I discovered a very big non-Christian World which caused the wheels of my mind to turn. Followed by personal trips to the Middle East, Greece and Italy, I came to the conclusion there were several “exclusive” religions and they couldn’t all be right or maybe none of them.
Knowledge is a good thing if you are willing to accept it. Discounting knowledge because it goes against what you believe is a very dangerous thing.
Your thoughts ?
The Divine Spark Within 
Asolutely. Fear plays a large role in this equation.
Regarding the article, few realise, but about half-way through Kings, the bible becomes an exceptional historical source. It’s no surprise at all that there are “real people” named. Before Kings, though, its simple geopolitcial fiction.
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I found it interesting the list of 50 mostly contained pharaohs and kings. I guess it only makes sense people of their stature would be the only ones who would be remembered by the masses. Ark should be happy to see absent from the list, Moses and Abraham. 🙂
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Not to mention, Jesus. Four times he’s failed to appear in The Oxford Classical Dictionary
http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com.br/2015/06/for-fourth-time-jesus-fails-to-qualify.html
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Ouch. 😉
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BTW John. I would like to apologize for the snotty nosed rich American who claimed to be robbed at gun point in your country during the Olympics when in fact he was drunk and damaged a convenience store restroom causing a security guard to rightfully pull a gun on him, demanding that he pay the store owner for the damages.
There is no excuse for his conduct.
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LOL, no need, and I’m not sure if i call Brazil my country.
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I haven’t checked , Ken, but was Elvis on the list?
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They found some Blue Suede Shoes but could not link them to Elvis with any certainty. 🙂
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Aaah… well absence of evidence and all that so don’t you dare try to run that atheist nonsense by me. I think they may still find evidence of Elvis.
Kitchen probably wasn’t digging in the right spot.
As Elvis was THE king his name will be found on someone’s King List…. eventually
In the meantime, Keep Digging, Kenneth Kitchen and stuff Manetho!
Viva Las Vegas!
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“Too often people make claims ( I am guilty) without truly knowing the basis of these claims.”
I don’t think faith requires people (believers) to truly know the basis of those claims. In the end, when backed into a corner, that is what they tend to fall back on. Essentially, there’s not much point in having discourse with such people, per se, except for the fact that there are people (usually lurkers), who are curious, have doubts and questions, but prefer to stay behind the front lines.
However, your inclusive point was well taken. My decision to leave Christianity, and eventually deconvert from god belief, had nothing to do with archeological claims, or the lack thereof, so I generally don’t engage in discourse from that angle.
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