The Coolidge examiner., 1935-11-01
Records of Bible Confirmed
Scientific Research Aided by Spades of Explorers, At
ford Positive Proof of Truth of Events
Chronicled in Sacred Writings

A. Il. COOPER. In the London tEng)
Magazine. Answers.
The essential truth Of the Bible Is
not dependent upon the accuracy OF
is history. and there are many pas
Iages In the Sacred Writings which
must be interpreted in a symbolic
rather than literal sense.
II is remarkable. however. how
Old Testament history. after being
labeled as legendary" or. al best.
exaggerated has recently been con.
urmed as a result OF independent re.
search.
For instance. little while ago.
destructive critics simply laughed at
the story OF the Flood and at such
Incidents as the crossing Of Jordan
dryshod and the collapse OF the walls
OF Jericho. But today excavations
on ancient sites In Palestine. Egypt,
Mcsopotamla. and elsewhere have
yindicated the Bible narrative com
plctely. even on the points most seri-
ously challenged
To take an example. Il used 10 be
urged that Abraham must have been
merely nomad. quite unlettered.
aud utterly incapable Of the acts and
words ana vision attributed TO him.
We now know, from discoveries at
Ur or the Chaldees. that. rs youth
IN that city. he was member OF a
community enjoying a high degree
OF civilization. The land OF Ur had
great cities. settled laws. a state re-
ligl0n. a thriving commerce, schools
and mouasicries and libraries
SpringIns as be did from an In
aueutlal family. Abraham would par
take of the culture and learning OF
Ur. In short. the circumstances Of
place and time as we now know
them. are not opposed to the Bible
narrative.
But let Us see what modern meth
DDS OF Investigation have revealed
about specific incidents Take the
Flood. upon which so much scorn has
been cast. During the wiLter OF
l02s0. the excayators OF Ur In
Babylouia came upon a stratum Of
alluyial deposit which made h clear
break In the succession OF clviliza-
tions occupying that site. They came
( 10 the conclusion that u could only
be explained by Hood Of great ex-
tent and Duration. occurring about
5000 q. G. or earlier.
So. quite apart from the account
I In Gencsis. and the one on the Baby
iionlan tablets ln the British museum.
+ II would appear that the account OF
great flood. which destroyed cities
and people over vast region. Is not
( legend but history.
The very existence of SodOm and
IGomorrah. which the Bible tells US
we're destroyed In Abraham's time.
has been doubted. yet. only last year,
an nlrman dying over the Dead sea
saw through the crystalline water
what appeared TO be extensive ruins.
Further investigation is TO be made.
But other ruins have been found,
covered with ashes. In the neighbor-
/ hood OF the Dead sea.
We learn from the Bible that Lot,
Abraham's nephew. chose the valley
OF Sodom because OF It's extreme fer
tIiity. Today there is. perhaps. no
more desolaie region.
I What happened 10 ftf In the heav-
I Hy bltuminous soil there probably
! occurred one OF those terrible ex-
ploslons and confagraIions which
I have been noted in the similar geo
/ logical formations OF the oil districts
OF North America.
In such soil vast reservoirs OF oil
and Accommodations OF gas occur
I These may suddenly be released
either by their own pressure or by
earthquake. The gas explodes and
filings up masses OF oil which return
In n fiery rain which will 90 on
I blazing even when IL falls on water
Saline mud may also be elected
\ and these things combined render q
/ fertile land utterly barren. Such a
phenomenon would account for al
the statements In the graphic Bible
narrative.
Now turn to Joshua 3:14-17 In the
Revised Version. in which Is related
how Israel crossed the Jordan dry