The Bible is the most widely read and translated book in the world. Millions of Christians form their beliefs and worldview from the Bible. But how can we know if this ancient book is trustworthy? Here are a few facts that help confirm its historical reliability.
In 1947, a Bedouin shepherd boy discovered a cave containing large jars filled with ancient leather scrolls. Dating from the third century BC to the first century AD, the Dead Sea Scrolls contained portions or complete copies of all but one of the books of the Old Testament (OT). They are the oldest OT manuscripts ever found.
When the Dead Sea scroll of Isaiah (circa 125 BC) was compared to the Masoretic Text (AD 980), it was found to be almost identical though written over a thousand years apart. Our present printed OT text, based on the Masoretic Text, is practically identical with
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See Gerhard Pfandl’s comprehensive article, “Is the Bible Historically Reliable?,” for more details about the certainty of God’s Word. Perspective Digest, Apr. 1, 2016, perspectivedigest.org.