Can biblical events be accepted as fact?

Reaching the point where Biblical events are accepted as fact generally requires overwhelming evidence. There are many people who will disbelieve something purely because it was found in the Bible.

How many real people are there in the Bible?

In “Archaeology Confirms 50 Real People in the Bible” in the March/April 2014 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, Purdue University scholar Lawrence Mykytiuk lists 50 figures from the Hebrew Bible who have been confirmed archaeologically.

Is the Bible based on real people and events?

Conversely, few doubt that the characters in the latter part of the Old Testament and most of the New–Nebuchadnezzar, Jeremiah, Jesus, Peter–really existed, though some will always doubt parts of their stories. But a series of crucial discoveries suggests that some of the Bible’s more ancient tales are also based firmly on real people and events.

Is it right to doubt the Bible’s historical claims?

But the real problem is that most of these historical claims are aimed at eliminating the more important religious truth claims made in the Scriptures. If the Bible’s historical claims are not true, it would be right to doubt its religious ones.

Is it possible to write history “as it happened?

Most people (starting with Herodotus in the fifth century, B.C.E.) would say that writing history “as it happened” involves writing down facts. Facts are tricky things, though. Some historical data presented as “facts” in the Bible can’t be verified, because we have no independent verification—no ancient fact-checkers.

Is the Bible a true historical text?

Among ancient writings, the Bible is unique in that many modern readers claim that it relates true and accurate accounts of historical events. Other ancient works—for example, Homer’s Iliad —we subject to different standards. Although the Iliad is based on true events, most people readily acknowledge that many of its elements are fictitious.

Do nonbiblical texts back up biblical events?

Every now and then, however, we’re lucky enough to find some piece of nonbiblical text or artifact that backs up or substantiates biblical information. For instance, we know that biblical figures such as King Hezekiah, Nebuchadnezzar II, and King Herod (to name only three) existed because other nonbiblical sources confirm it.