Why I Can Take the Bible Seriously Without Taking It Literally
Part 2: What Archaeology Reveals About How to Read the Bible
I’m teaching a three-week class on biblical reliability right now, and a question that keeps coming up is this: “If I don’t believe everything in the Bible happened exactly as written, does that mean I don’t take it seriously?”
It is such a great question, and the honest answer? I believe there is some great archaeological evidence that actually gives us permission to take the Bible more seriously than ever before. Because when you understand what kind of texts you’re reading and the historical world they emerged from, you can engage Scripture with both intellectual honesty and deep respect.
For week 2 of this series, here’s what I’ve been sharing with the class about how archaeology helps us distinguish between historical grounding and strict literalism.
Real People in Real Places (With Real Literary Freedom)
In 1993, archaeologists discovered a broken stone monument at Tel Dan in northern Israel with six words carved in ancient Aramaic: “House of D…
