Is there archaeological evidence that verifies biblical cities?
Cities In The Bible
The next time someone tries to tell you the Bible is full of make-believe places, you can tell them they might want to do a little more research on the subject. Taking a look at a few of these following places mentioned in the Bible, you can see there is plenty of archaeological evidence proving these ancient cities to be as real as the current city you find yourself in at this time.
Ashkelon
(Judges 14:19) Then the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon him (Samson). He went down to Ashkelon, struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of everything and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle.
The city whose men once had to face the wrath of Samson, has been ruled by many over the centuries, including the Egyptians, Philistines, Greeks, and Romans. This coastal city that is located in southern Israel has a population of well over a 100,000 people. The Bible is full of cities like Ashkelon that can be visited by us today. The most well-known city that would fall into this category is Jerusalem.
Capernaum
( Mathew 8:5) When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.
This city that Jesus once lived in is mentioned in all four Gospels. The ruins of the ancient fishing village were discovered in 1838 by Edward Robinson. Numerous other excavations since then have proven the city to have been established in the 2nd century BC.
Ephesus
(Acts 18:19) They arrived at Ephesus, where Paul left Priscilla and Aquila.
The city of Ephesus was visited more than once by Paul. Ephesus was also one of the seven Churches in the Book of Revelation. The archaeological discoveries involving this city go all the way back to 1863 and a man named John Turtle Wood. The Ephesus Archaeological Museum located in Turkey contains many finds from the Ephesus excavation site.
Gath
(1 Samuel 17:4) A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span.
Gath, the home city of the giant who lost his head to David, is one of the more recent finds that has excited the archaeological world. An archaeological dig that has been going on for more than 20 years in Israel has recently uncovered what is being called Goliath’s Gate, along with massive fortification walls to the ancient city of Gath. The giant-sized gate is said to be the entrance to the 9th century BC Philistine city. The team of archaeologists found the gate while digging trenches to look for the fortification walls.
Nineveh
(Jonah 3:3) Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh.
Nineveh was at one time the largest city in the world. The wickedness of this Old Testament city, along with Jonah’s refusal to obey God and go preach to them, led Jonah to be swallowed by a fish. The excavations of this ancient city began all the way back in the mid 1700’s and have been carried out by a number of archaeologists over the years.
You Can See The Evidence For Yourself
These are just a few of the biblical cities that could be written about that archaeology has been able to verify their history, and to prove them to be real places spoken about in God’s Word. For many people seeing is believing. A lot of people are blessed to have the opportunity to visit these places, while others can at least see the photos. So whether a person believes the Bible speaks of real places or not, they really can see for themselves!
