You know, my three favorite bible stories growing up were Samson and Delilah, David and Goliath and Noah’s Ark. Man, I have wanted my entire life to see the ark found or even part of the ark found, but I don’t know if the gopher wood would last through all those centuries….maybe it would, I don’t know. That said, we’re left without archeological proof, but we do have geological proof of a worldwide flood in the form of oceanic sediment found at very high elevations and the evidence of fast rock erosion (ex: the Grand Canyon). Now, we also have some debate over the term “worldwide” in the worldwide flood. Young earth creationists believe in a definite worldwide flood while theistic evolutionists adhere to a localized mass flood around Mt Ararat and Mespotamia. They base their claims on the alignment of scripture between Genesis and the Psalms, but that’s a separate topic.
The rising of the saints in Matthew has been a topic discussed long before I was alive and will persist after I’m gone I’m sure LOL. I do have earmarked in my favorites some commentary around this and I’ve pasted a portion of that essay based on the verses in Matthew here:
“And the bodies of the saints which slept, arose, and came out of
the graves after His resurrection, and went into the holy city, and
appeared unto many” (Matthew 27:52-53).
Another Calvary miracle was the resurrection of saints that accompanied the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our test reveals that “saints who had died” came out of the
graves that had opened three days before. The graves had been opened by the
earthquake at the death of Jesus Christ, and that the dead bodies arose and came out of
them after Christ Himself had risen, and that they went into Jerusalem and appeared
unto many. It is a statement of one of the grandest miracles, a gigantic, supernatural
exploit by God in the sense of being wholly miraculous. This statement that the bodies
arose and went into Jerusalem are self-luminous and their meaning as visible as light.
Not only are these words a part of Scripture, but though the concept of their rising at this time
of Christ’s death is so interlaced with Scripture that it could not but be there.
These saints coming out of the grave stands in line with the miraculous events of
the happenings at Calvary. It harmonizes with and explains the wonder of the opened
graves, just as that wonder was the product of the wondrous earthquake, and the
earthquake was the counterpart of the wondrous rending of the veil, that rending of the
veil answered back to the shout of victory from the Cross whose dying sufferer had just
emerged in triumph out of the almighty horrors of the symbolic darkness!
The resurrection of these saints, like the first fruit of the Jewish harvest, was an expressive
pledge of the coming general resurrection, when, from all the graveyards of the world,
wherever the mortal remains of a saint may lie, “this corruptible shall put on incorruption,
and this mortal immortality!” Our body that “is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is
sown in weakness; it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body.
There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body” (1 Corinthians 15:53; 43-44).
Matthew tells the story of wonder, “departed saints arose, and left their graves and
went into Jerusalem, and appeared to many” And he says nothing more. Did they to into the
houses of the people or only walked the streets? Did they appear only once, or from
time to time during the forty days of the Lord’s appearing after His resurrection.
Matthew doesn’t say. How they were affected by their return to this life; whether they
spoke of the realms of the dead or of the recent entrance of Christ into those realms; how
and when they finally disappeared or whither they went, on all these topics not a word,
not so much as the faintest recognition of the possibility of such questions being asked.
No merely human pen, having said so much, could have said so little.
Matthew tells us, “They appeared unto many.” Why should they appear except to
be recognized and identified? However, Moses and Elijah wee recognized by the
disciples at the transfiguration although they had never seen either one of them before.
The Holy Spirit is able to make known to one another those who before were strangers.
He is able to do it as easily and quietly as the light shines or as a new thought comes
into the mind.
The Nile turning to blood I’ve never actually questioned before given the supernatural nature of this situation. I simply can’t talk to it, but if I come across any other literature I’ll be sure and pass it on.
The murder of the infant boys by King Herod was simply not a significant enough situation to be noted by historians. Some speaks of thousands being murdered, but the actuality is that the small population in this small community would have amounted to dozens not thousands. Now, is the act in and of itself horrific? No doubt, but the illustration of this death of innocents in Matthews is about noting the fulfilling of prophecy outlined in the book of Jeremiah in the Old Testament.
"Thus says the LORD, 'A voice is heard in Ramah, Lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; She refuses to be comforted for her children, Because they are no more.' "
Jeremiah 31:15
I assume the giants you’re referring to are the Annakites (sons of Annak) or the Philistine Goliath and his brother? I can’t speak at any length in terms of archeological finds, but I do understand that large fossiled human remains have been found….I can’t say any more than that caused I’m in no way versed in the topic. The height of Goliath has been a point of debate since some OT manuscripts note his height at 6’9” vs the traditionally recognized 9’9” (I believe or maybe it’s 9’6”….either way it’s enormous). The exact measurements have been points of debate, but most bibles in print today footnote this possible discrepancy (most don’t read footnotes though). Archeologists and historians have noted that the average height of men in the OT was shorter than the average today; therefore, a 6’9” man would appear as a giant let alone a 9’6” or 9’9” man.
I have nothing to add on the subject of early Old Testament figures living to be as old as 900 years and no other proof to provide other than that of the OT. I honestly can’t provide any other nonbiblical proof on the 900 year old figures in the Old Testament folks anymore than I could provide proof for the actual existence of a 900 year old Yoda from Star Wars, but I still believe in the inerrancy of the bible and have faith in these astonishing scriptures (I know, I know….faith-based conclusions are meaningless to an agnostic or an atheist).
In terms of historical scholarship, a 30-year span of documentation after an event is an extremely close timeframe for the validation of an event. Others biograpies written about numerous other historical figures have occurred hundreds of years after their actual lifetimes and the historicity of the written accounts simply aren't in question. There are literally thousands of NT manuscripts that all corroborate the same NT claims written in very shorts spans after the actual events that help validate historicity.
Saul of Tarsus was a known Christian hunter and hated all things Christian. On the road to Damascus Saul was encountered by the resurrected Christ:
Acts 22:6-11 (New King James Version)
6 “Now it happened, as I journeyed and came near Damascus at about noon, suddenly a great light from heaven shone around me. 7 And I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’ 8 So I answered, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’
9 “And those who were with me indeed saw the light and were afraid,[a] but they did not hear the voice of Him who spoke to me. 10 So I said, ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ And the Lord said to me, ‘Arise and go into Damascus, and there you will be told all things which are appointed for you to do.’ 11 And since I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.
Saul of Tarsus became Paul the Apostle and arguably the greatest advocate for the resurrected Christ and Christianity the world has ever known. The Pauline letters to the various churches in the New Testament are monumental Christian writings and validate not only the resurrected Christ via eyewitness in Paul, but fully illustrate the transforming power of the risen God.
Josephus was a 1st century Jewish historian that documented the existence of Jesus Christ. The 4th century writings you mention are a variant Greek translation of the original 1st century writings determined by noted scholar Alice Whealey. They don’t invalidate the original 1st century writings, but provide a variant from a 4th century text. The existence of Christ Jesus is not in question.
I agree on all commentary concerning the philosophical aspect. Since they in no way invalidate the resurrected Christ and his gift of salvation I have no problem and nothing further to add.
The idea of flawed carbon dating is new science in the realm of young creationists. It’s a hotly contested position by theistic evolutionists who also belief in the resurrected Christ, but don’t agree with young creationists. Like my atheist and agnostic brothers and sisters often comment, we just haven’t found the definite scientific method with which we all agree upon…..but we will in time.
I’m glad that we can discuss these topics openly and without slinging insults….that says a lot about your character. Disagreement and insult are two very different things. We may disagree but we have no reason to hate each other or belittle each other….I respect that.