Top Ten Discoveries in Biblical Archaeology Relating to the New Testament
Simply put, there have been too many discoveries over the past 150 years of archaeological investigation that confirm the historical reliability of Scripture to settle on just the top ten of all-time. I decided to write two blog posts: a list of top ten discoveries relating to the Old Testament and this list of top ten discoveries relating to the New Testament.
My criteria for choosing the top ten discoveries are as follows:
- It must be directly related to biblical people (or people groups), places or events; or
- It must be related to the composition of the Bible itself;
One final note before we begin: I’m focusing on discoveries and inscriptions that are largely accepted by the academic world, and have avoided ones that are highly debatable (such as the James Ossuary and the Shroud of Turin). With this in mind, here are the top ten discoveries in biblical archaeology relating to the New Testament.
10) Sergius Paulus Inscriptions
In Acts 13, we read of how Saul and Barnabas set off on a missionary journey to the Island of Cyprus. Upon arriving at Paphos, they meet the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, leading him to faith in Christ. Luke describes him as “a man of intelligence” (Acts 13:7). This is true as Sergius Paulus was also a first-century author and is one of the authorities referenced by Pliny the Elder in his classic, Naturalis Historia. Numerous inscriptions have been discovered that may refer to Sergius Paulus; the Sergii Paulii’s seem to have bene a prominent family in the Roman Empire.
In 1877, an inscription was discovered at Soli, not far from Paphos that references, “the proconsul Paulus.” Another inscription from Rome, dating to the mid-40’s, names Lucius Sergius Paulus as one of the curators of the Tiber River under the Emperor Claudius. Finally, numerous inscriptions, most famous of which names a “L. Sergius Paulus” have been discovered near Pisidian Antioch. All three of these inscriptions intersect with the biblical account in very interesting ways:
- The Soli inscription confirms Paulus family on Cyprus and that one of them was a proconsul.
- The inscriptions from Pisidian Antioch indicate that the Paulus family estate was located nearby.
- The Tiber River Inscription from Rome suggests that Sergius Paulus held other roles within the Roman Empire.
| Inscription Name | Location Found | Historical Significance |
|---|---|---|
| “The proconsul Paulus” | Soli, Cyprus | Confirms Paulus family on Cyprus and proconsular status. |
| Lucius Sergius Paulus | Rome | Identifies him as a curator of the Tiber River under Claudius. |
| “L. Sergius Paulus” | Pisidian Antioch | Indicates that the Paulus family estate was located nearby. |
9) Pool of Siloam
In John 9, Jesus heals a blind many by making a mud poultice and applying it to his eyes, and then telling him to go and wash in the Pool of Siloam. The exact location of the Pool of Siloam of Jesus’ day remained a mystery until its discovery in 2004. In the summer of that year, repairs were being made to a drainage system when two ancient steps were uncovered. Archaeologists were called in and when the excavations were complete, a large pool was uncovered.
In all at least 20 steps leading down from the street level into the pool were revealed. Pottery from one end of the pool was used to date it to the First-Century AD, while at the southern end, a large wall and section of the pool dating to the Old Testament period was discovered. It was in the exact location that scholars had long believed the actual Pool of Siloam to be – only 70 meters from the Byzantine pool.