How can we be sure that the Bible wasn't made up?

Question

How do we know that these stories in the Bibel are true? They found tablets with a story remarkably similar to the story of Noah in Africa. These tablets were dated hundreds of years before Noah's "Great Flood" supposedly took place. What about Mary Magdaline? If something like this can be explained as a possible hoax, what else could be?

Perhaps I seemed a little attacking. I wasn't trying to say that there is no God or the Bible is all fake. Please don't hate me for that. I just don't understand how we can believe in something that may be made up and yet we chastize those who don't have that same blind faith as we do. Wars have been waged due to faith...are there any true winners? Each religion believes they are the one true faith because of what their "Bible" (whichever holy scripture they follow) has told them. Who are we to say that their side is wrong?

Answer 1

That's why it's called 'faith'.

Answer 2

Personally, I believe what can be verified, ignore what has been proved false, and wonder about the stuff in between.

The story of Noah existed in ancient Mesopotamia as well. Long before the time line set up in the Bible version. It doesn't mean that it isn't true, it means that the writers of the Bible took information that was common "knowledge" of the time and incorporated it into it's history. That doesn't make it false. Just means it didn't happen exactly the way, where, and when the Bible said it did.

Moses is often credited as the author of the Noah story, however until King David's time it was an abomination to WRITE the story down. It was memorized and recited up until David's time.

Answer 3

Every society throughout all time has had a flood story.
It shows there must be an inkling of truth to the event.
The account in the Bible is the only source that explains WHY a flood took place.
All other accounts only relate the event.
It would seem the bible is more thorough.
If by reference to Mary, you mean The DaVinci Code, please.....
The author admits its fiction!
You're smarter than that.
To see how impressive the Bible is, recall the jingle about
"in 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue".
We credit him with proving the world is round.
Have a peak at Isaiah 40:22.
Isaiah wrote that 700 years B.C.
Of course, not much rhymes with "700 B.C."
Still, it increases our confidence that what the book says is accurate.

Answer 4

I cannot answer your general question. However, I once read that major segments of the Old Testament were written backwards, and that the Jews have admitted that much, but never publicly. I read it on a readers' feedback blog on the web site, http://www.savethemales.ca. However, new comments seem to have taken its place. You could ask Dr. Henry Makow, the web host.

It makes sense. A lot of the stories in the Old Testament do not make moral sense to me at all. It is filled with examples of parental favouritism. Jacob buys one son, Joseph, a Patagonia ski jacket and the rest get Walmart specials. Jacob steals his brother's blessing through deceit and trickery and is rewarded with many descendants and a big nation. Two of Abraham's wives do not get along; therefore the wicked stepmother and half-brother are exiled in the desert. This action is like abandoning someone in the middle of Greenland and leaving them with lots of snow to melt in place of a well. Why could the macho husband not control them? Why did the household members not worry about pulling their own weight rather than about who should wear the crown? King Solomon was wise because he suggested cutting a baby in half. He was probably doing metaphorically what stonecutters are still doing in their temples, only the baby just had two people with shares in the stock. Please also note the history of the Jews from the time of the building of the first Temple of Solomon to the present (the kingdom split up, most of the tribes were lost, the remaining tribes were taken into exile for several decades, the second Temple of Solomon was built, Israel put up with a series of interlopers and only had its own government for a short time, the destruction of the Second Temple of Solomon, the Diaspora, a long series of persecution of the Jews).

Furthermore, certain preachers, especially the Bible Belt ones like Jerry Falwell and Jimmy Swaggart, can sound absolutely demented when they are preaching from the Book of Isaiah. They sound hateful and viscious and chastising. Certain ones love the Old Testament and the message of the prophets. They love to preach gloom and doom. I think it is an exercise in child abuse perpetration to expect children to take some of this in without giving them proper moral guidance along with it.
The notion of life originating in the sea is more attractive than the thought of coming out of the earth in the Eastern hemisphere.

I am no Fundamentalist. I do not like George W. Bush's agenda, if he is supposed to be a religious Fundamentalist. I would love to hear the opinions of others. I think if you were to look into the relationship between Freemasonry and practices a lot like it, and organized religion, the reason behind some of the inconsistencies and unanswered questions might come into better focus. I apologize for the probable irritation to many!

Answer 5

we can never truly be sure, that is where faith comes in. However, there are three principal lines of evidence for the inerrancy of the Bible.

1. The Bible's own claim to be the literal word of God, given it's credibility in other areas

2. The testimony of Jesus based on his authority

3. The lack of a single proven error, despite innumerable critical examinations by both skeptics and believers.

As for the tablet that was found about the flood. I would have to read up on it because I haven't really heard much of it. However, I do believe that it is possible for it to be a prophesy. The Bible is full of them, so it would make sense if someone had prophesied about the flood as well. Just a thought though.

Answer 6

We are asked to believe in the bible stories. Very few "bible facts" have ever been proven, if any. All the stories contained in the bible are narratives of regular people (like you and me) passed down from generation to generation and then decades (or in most cases centuries) later they were written down. After this, several times throughout history, a council has decided which stories to include and which to exclude from the bible. So you see, not only are the sources questionable, the bible has been heavily edited for content as well. This is not the direct word of God. However, many of the biblical stories appear to have some truth contained in them because other ancient manuscripts (dead sea scrolls, etc.) corroborate and/or compliment them. The bible, in my opinion, is a remarkable collection of short stories, made up of a combination of fact and fiction.

Answer 7

The bible was compiled after the death of Jesus by some fisher men, and thats why you see different kinds of bible, the old and the new testament, why old and new?. definately, some things has been edited from it and that is why the old testament is not being used again, The most superior of all Books is the Quran which does not have old nor new testament, the Quran is always thesame and will be till the end of time, nothing in the bible that you would not find in the Quran,that the fact.
Finally, some things in the bible are true while some are not

Answer 8

Anything can be "explained" as a possible hoax. But have you found what you read in the Bible to be true? Do you believe in & know Jesus? Is He real to you. Ask Him to show you. There is nothing wrong with questions, just let the final word come from God & don't try & find all your answers from man. Cause nobody has it all figured out.

Answer 9

God of the bible holds His Word above His own name. It is written that all Scripture is good for to study and edify. Because it is God's inspiration to prophets of old moved by the Spirit as they wrote. Test the prophet to see if they are hearing from God. Do they cause you to doubt God (The Father), Jesus (The Son of God) or the Holy Spirit (The Comforter & Spirit of Truth). Do they deny that what Jesus did on the cross was sufficient for Salvation? A true prophet hearing from God is proved because what the prophet reveals happens & is true. The prophets of the bible are found tried and true. Joseph Smith was proven a false prophet. Mohamid was proven a false prophet. Dan Brown was proven a false prophet.

If error was found in any biblical translation, a Spirit filled Christian would know it was false by the Holy Spirit. The translations out there that I have read are worded differently but reveal the same truth.

I have been filled with the Holy Spirit & my God loves the bible. He calls it His Words. My God has directed me that the apocraphal (Some included in Catholic Cannon.) needed to be tossed after I tried to read it and noticed obvious contradictions to God's Word (false writings belittle women). The Morman book had to be tossed because the God of the bible didn't inspire it. It also writes that God saves you by grace after you do all you can do. Brigham Young also said the Christians of that day were foolish because they thought Jesus saved them because He died on the cross for their sins. The bible writes that Salvation is the free gift of God. Koran denies Jesus Diety & the work done on the cross also.

The Biblical Prophets all prophesied of Christ (Messiah) & Salvation (Yeshua)

In Revelations to the 7 churches, Jesus Said that He hated the other doctines that tried or did sneak into His Churches.

Any book (DiVinci Code) that questions whether Jesus Christ is the Son of God is an enemy of the Salvation Foundation. It is written in bible that Mary Magdaline loved Jesus much because He saved/forgave Her of much. She was filled with the Holy Spirit at Penticost and is a beautiful bride of Christ.

As far as dating ancient artifacts, remember that there were two major historical events that divided the earth much. The time of flood and the time of Babal. After Babal, people had own language and divided by language accordingly. People's life span shortened dramatically. Most did not make their 200 birthday any more. With natural disasters like these ancient artifacts can be dated incorrectly. It was lightening, water, volcanoes & earthquakes.

Answer 10

If you hypothesize that the Bible is made up, then the burden of proof is on you.

If this were a courtroom, the Bible would be the defendant and you would be the accuser -- accusing the Bible of being made up.

So, it's not incumbent on the Bible to be proven to be true. It's incumbent on you, the accuser, to prove that it isn't.

Anybody can say "What if such-and-such is made up?" Anybody can play that game with anything --

what if Darwin didn't really come up with the theory of evolution?

What if Bill Gates didn't really start Microsoft but rather stole the idea from one of his MIT classmates?

What if ... what if ... what if ...

It's natural to think that way, of course, but when it comes to showing that the Bible was just "made up," it's not a valid argument at all.

Answer 11

The King James Version of the Bible fell down from the Heavens fully formed amidst a chorus of angels into Moses' arms on Mount Sanai.