Sometimes archaeology of the Middle East turns up interesting connections with the Biblical narrative. A stone found at Caesarea Maritima (modern Caesarea in Israel) has the only inscription remembering Pontius Pilate contemporary with his life. While broken, it identifies Pontius Pilate as Prefect of Judea just as does the New Testament.
Sometimes archaeology can challenge connections. Recently Israeli archaeologists, using carbon 14 dating techniques, have demonstrated that the earliest that camels were employed as pack animals in the Levant was the beginning of the first millennium B.C.E. That is about the time of King David in Israel, long after the time of the patriarchs whose stories are told in the book of Genesis. Even if bactrian camels were domesticated earlier in places like Afghanistan, large numbers of dromedary camels simply are not found in Palestine until long after.
So how is it that the biblical accounts of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob all include camels as signs of wealth when the archaeological record does not show them present for centuries, if not a millennia?
The standard answer is that these stories were written in their final form after the Davidic monarchy. Camels, by that time, drove the economic engine in caravans that crossed the desert on the Incense Road and their presence was correlated with wealth. So it was natural in telling the story for people in that day to include them.
But does this answer suffice for the person of faith? Is the Bible simply wrong, or does it have a greater story to tell? Each person has to answer for themselves. Some gleefully point to biblical errors to say it is all wrong. Others find the reality of the story in the way it describes relationships with God and with others.
What do you say?
Grace and Peace.
