by
Pastor Paul M. Sadler
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Earlier this year, my wife and I had an opportunity to visit the “Dead Sea Scrolls and the Bible” exhibit at the Milwaukee Museum. When we entered the exhibit, we were given a small hand-held recorder about the size of a cell phone. As we made our way through the exhibit, we simply punched in the number of the display and were given an explanation of the scroll, book, or artifact and its significance.
In addition to the Dead Sea Scrolls there
were numerous biblical artifacts that took you back in time to the
days of our Lord. For example, there was a display of the coinage of
the period that was embossed with an image of Caesar. This would have
been the same type of coin the Lord pointed to when He answered the
question of the Pharisees and the Herodians about paying tribute to
Caesar (Mark 12:13-17). There was also an exhibit of oil lamps, one
of which would have been the type used in the Parable of the Ten
Virgins. It was interesting to see how the five wise virgins
would have trimmed their lamps (Matt. 25:1-10).
The most fascinating part of the exhibit was the
Dead Sea Scrolls, which incorporated the development of the
English Versions of the Scriptures, as well as the Guttenberg Bible,
the first Bible ever produced on a printing press. I personally
accept by faith that we have the Word of God today. But for the
skeptic or critic who questions the Word of God, the Dead Sea
Scrolls clearly show the providential care of God.
For example, the oldest copy of the Torah
prior to the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls would have
been about the 10th Century. The Torah is the first 5 Books
of the Hebrew Bible ascribed to Moses. Archeologists date the Dead
Sea Scrolls between the 1st Century B.C. and the first half of
the 1st Century A.D. They were discovered in caves on the sheer rock
face of the northwest shore of the Dead Sea by a Bedouin shepherd in
1947. Despite the vast period of time between these two sets of
manuscripts there is an amazing continuity, especially in regard to
sense. For example:
The English translation of Deuteronomy 8:19 from the
10th Century (Hebrew Masoretic Text) states:
“I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.”
When the Scholars translated this same passage from
the Dead Sea Scrolls manuscripts it came out as follows in
English:
“I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.”
Hopefully, you will have an opportunity to visit
this exhibition which is touring the country; it is well worth your
time.
How
God Saves Men
Believing
Christ DIED, that’s HISTORY.
Believing
Christ DIED for YOU SINS and Rose again that’s SALVATION.
Read
Romans 1:16, Romans 10:9-10 and 1. Corinthians 15:1-4
(A 10 Minute Video)
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