Modern Scientific Discoveries Emphasise Accuracy Of Bible

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 13, Issue 82, 4 May 1949, Page 6

Modern Scientific Discoveries Emphasise Accuracy Of Bible

Opening a series of Bible Prophecy lectures in Taneatua last Sunday night, Evangelist G. Ratcliffe, of Auckland, spoke on the subject of “Amazing Discoveries in the Middle East.” The lecture was illustrated with some fifty slides depicting a large variety of most interesting finds from long lost Bible cities. “Bible criticis,” he said, “have had their big day, for every modern discovery adds weight to the historical accuracy of the book, which claims to come from God. Many scholarly works of Bible critics have written the last few years been rendered obsolete, while the spade has triumphed the Bible. In all that has been unearthed within the last few years there is not one discovery that necessitates one single change in the Bible.” The familiar Bible story of the Children of Israel under their slave masters of Egypt making bricks with straw, and then without straw, had been wonderfully corroborated in the unearthing of the cities of Pithon and Rameses in Egypt, the very cities built by Israelite slave labour, he said. In the lower courses of the houses were found good bricks with straw, while the middle courses contained bricks with stubble, and finally, the upper courses contained bricks made from slime clay without straw at all. “The story of Moses’ rescue from the Nile by Pharoah’s daughter has also taken on a new significative,” said the Evangelist, “for archaeologists have unearthed the palace of" Queen Hatshepsut—none other than Pharoah’s daughter who became the foster mother of Moses. Her life story is recorded on the walls of her palace.” Portraits of the Queen were projected on to the sci : een, also several shots of the magnicent palace in its commanding surroundings. Photographs of Ur of the Chaldeas (the home town of Abraham), houses built in the time of Abraham, 4000 years ago—highly polished ornaments of agate and gold—the handiwork of the craftsmen of Ur unsurpassed by the skill of 20th century artizans—together with many other film slides, were irrefutable proof that Abraham the ‘father of the faithful’ came forth from a highly civilised and advanced people. As the speaker projected the tragic ruins of Babylon (perhaps the grandest and richest city that has ever pressed the earth) he read the prophecies concerning it. “There is Babylon,” he said, “a heap of rubble and ruin fulfilling in every detail the prophecy predicted 2,500 years ago. It seems as if God has tucked all this material evidence safely away for centuries to be produced in these last days of doubt and unbelief, that men might be without excuse.”

Throwing on the screen the final picture, a beautiful sunset on the beach-head of old Tyre, the speaker reminded the congregation that Bible prophecy pointed out unmistakeably that today we are living in the sunset hour of earth’s history.