Joshua & the conquest of Canaan: what’s history, what’s legend, what’s unknown?

I don’t know about you, but when I read the Old Testament accounts of Joshua and the Israelites invading Canaan, I don’t have any picture of the geography or where the cities were located.

The matter is complicated by the fact that many people feel a lot is at stake. Believers generally want to find support for the Bible, and some unbelievers want to undermine it. Some Jews and Palestinians want to support their rival claims for the land.

So when I read the opinions of historians and archaeologists on whether these events were historical or legendary, I have little on which to base a judgment. I don’t think it’s the most important thing in the world, but it has been interesting to try to ferret out the truth, to read all sides of the question and try to come to an honest and true conclusion.

Does archaeology show the Bible is true? Seven facts

I’m sure you will have read, and heard it said, that archaeology confirms the accuracy of the Bible. But you may also have heard from sceptics that the Bible isn’t historically accurate. So which is true?

This is a complex matter with a wide variety of conclusions among the experts. I have tried to investigate as impartially as I can, and it seems that both views are true (sometimes) …. and false (sometimes).

Here are seven statements I think can be known to be true.

Should christians accept everything in the Old Testament as truly from God?

I was intending getting onto some more positive topics, but I decided I needed to have one more look at this matter.

My previous post, Did God command killings in the Old Testament or was that a misunderstanding?, examined an incident where Jehu became king of Israel by killing the former king, Joram. In discussion on that post, a reader suggested there were ways to interpret these difficult Old Testament passages that didn’t discredit the accuracy of the revelation of God’s character as they believed I was doing.

So let’s have a look in more detail.

Did God command killings in the Old Testament or was that a misunderstanding?

Arguments rage about the Bible and how we should interpret it, especially about the Old Testament. Conservative christians are often critical of those who take a “liberal” view, which conservatives see as destructive and unfaithful, while sceptics tend to see the conservatives as not following the evidence.

Is there any way to break through on this question? Are there any clues in the Bible itself?

It turns out that there is much food for thought.

Important enough to repeat

In the five and a half years I have been blogging here, I have posted 360 times. Some of those posts are forgettable, some I think are quite important or innovative. (I like to think so anyway! 🙂 )

But a couple of recent comments suggest to me that one post is important enough to bring to your attention again.

Myths, legends, history and truth

In my last three posts (plus an earlier post) I have looked at ways that we may see that biological evolution points to God as the creator, perhaps in ways that many would find unexpected.

• If evolution is true, how can consciousness and free will be explained? No-one knows how human consciousness arises, nor how we can have free choice, except if God created us this way.
• How God changes your brain. Belief in God, religious faith and practices, all strengthen our brains and extend our lives. How did evolution produce that result?
• Are people different to animals, really? The differences between people and animals are greater than non-believers might think. Was this evolution alone, or did Go get involved somewhere?
• Does religion do you harm or good? Scientific studies show that religious belief, on average, leads to better physical and mental health and a greater contribution to society. (I posted this more than a year ago.) Why is that?

In all of these ways, I believe science shows that evolution alone is unlikely to lead to the outcomes we actually see, suggesting that God has used evolution to create something more than a smart animal.

So now I want to look at how we may best understand Genesis in the light of evolution.

Faith vs works?

Difficult issues series

Last post I considered the apparent differences between the teachings and emphasis of Jesus and Paul. I concluded that the differences are sometimes exaggerated, sometimes understated, but we should avoid trying to make them say the same things, and instead try to learn from both.

The issue of faith vs works is a good example of how the desire for neat theology and harmonisation of biblical teaching can lead us away from what the Bible is saying.

A “revelation of God’s true nature”?

I concluded my previous post on DNA and evolution with this comment:

“DNA is fundamental to all life. As christians we can see it as part of the way God has set up the universe. So we should be willing and interested to learn what it tells us about life. I think what we learn is exciting.”

I want to explore that idea a little more. (I’m wondering if this might be one of the most important topics I’ve tackled here.)

DNA – a challenge to believers and unbelievers

Difficult Issues series

I have been researching family history for several years now, and have recently had my DNA tested to identify possible genetic matches – people who are related to me, perhaps as distant as 5th cousins – to try to make some breakthroughs in a difficult search.

This has opened up an interesting new world for me, with some interesting implications for christians.