Little Treasure Book – Archaeological Evidence for the Bible

Last spring, Charlie Campbell – author, Christian apologist, and founder of Always Be Ready Ministries – reached out to me about a photo of ballista stones I’d taken at Masada in 2010 during my first trip to Israel with Coral Tours. He was updating a book he’d written and asked to use my photo. It seems he’d lost some of his photos with a hard-drive crash. We’ve all been there – not fun, so I was sympathetic and actually tickled pink by the request. I had read some of his apologetics articles about various topics and was happy he’d reached out.

Fast forward, awhile ago (since Covid-19 hit, the passage of time seems a blur) I received a surprise in the mail. It was a copy of his book, the “updated and expanded” Second Edition! Titled: Archaeological Evidence for the Bible – Discoveries that Verify People, Places, and Events in the World’s Most Influential Book, my first impression: it is packed with wonderful images of the various discoveries which support the historicity of the Bible.

Campbell starts the book saying he, “hopes that the journey will deepen your understanding of the Bible, strengthen your faith in God, and equip you to talk to others about the reliability of the Bible”. As an Israeli travel advisor for the Christian community, Coral Tours’ desire is fully aligned with this sentiment. And a tour of Israel is an awesome way to get a fresh visual of both the Old & New Testaments! This side of Heaven, what better way to learn about the Bible – the inerrant word of God – than reading and hearing the scripture in the land He gave His chosen people! Ok, I digressed a little bit. But, I just get so excited when I’m talking about Israel and the Bible! And this is exactly what I think Campbell is hoping for!

Next, he takes us on a virtual tour of numerous bible land discoveries, all supported by wonderful photos! Some of these places and artifacts reinforce the fact that Jesus not only existed, but that he was believed by early Christians to be God. In 2005, at a prison in Megiddo, one of the oldest Christian churches was found – within it a Greek-style mosaic with the inscription, “the God Jesus Christ”. Although I have been to Israel, as I read the text I got goosebumps! I marvel at how God has allowed his truth to be revealed to us over 2,000 years later!! Remarkable! You can read the book for more on this amazing discovery and many more like it.

There are numerous things I love about this little book! One of the things it does well is inform the critics! Let me give you a for instance, scholars didn’t believe Romans used crucifixion as a means of punishment in the first century. Well, that ended when a heel bone fragment was found with a spike through it in an ancient Jewish cemetery dating to the Jewish Revolt. You can read about it on page 19 of the book. Campbell also summarizes details in the Bible beautifully and provides support for their reliability. On page 36 he writes about Luke’s Gospel and the Book of Acts. Luke the Evangelist speaks of “thirty-two countries, fifty-four cities, nine islands, ports, the names and titles of priests and political leaders, deities worshiped, weather patterns…” Then Campbell boldly shuts down the critics with archaeological evidence which demonstrates Luke was not pulling this stuff out of a hat! Bravo! And finally, I love that he explains the Road to Salvation in this little gem of a book. I have read several books on biblical archaeological discoveries, but this was the first one which included that very important message. Well done!

I highly recommend the book to anyone interested in early Christian history, and especially to anyone planning to visit Israel. While tour guides touch on many of the artifacts mentioned in the book, it would make a handy companion to jot down notes and impressions as you travel. During my trips to Israel, I would have loved to have had it with me on the tour bus to read in between sites as well. Also, at the back of the book is a helpful timeline of biblical history, beginning with Adam and ending with John’s writing the Book of Revelation.

From the concise explanations of biblical finds, the oh so helpful foot notes, and beautiful illustrations, Charlie Campbell did an awesome job of updating this handy guide. It provides Christians with a quick study tool to learn about discoveries that support the accuracy of the Bible!

Charlie Campbells book, Archaeological Evidence for the Bible is available for purchase on his website.

Here are a few photos I took at Masada, in addition to the one in Campbell’s book of the ballista stones that the Roman army used against the Jewish rebels in 73 AD.

Ballista stones

King Herod the Great’s Masada palace

King Herod’s bathhouse