During casual strolls around Cairo, Damascus, Amman, or Jerusalem I had the feeling I was at or near excavation sites at all times. Archaeology never seemed very far away in these places. The ancient greeted me every time I turned a corner. The always-present theme of the deep past magnifies the intense pressures of modern life in the Middle East as well. No matter how important it may be, archaeological work often goes unnoticed and unappreciated in most parts of the world. Here, however, an archeological dig can be seen as work toward vital confirmation of the most important truth in the universe—and even a reason to kill someone. Archaeology matters in the Middle East. There is something powerful and appealing about tangible evidence that few believes can resist. Faith is wonderful and adequate on its own, say believers. But clearly they also love the idea of evidence that can be seen and touched.
Biblical archaeology, vaguely defined as archaeology related to people and stories contained in the Bible, is a robust little international industry. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of books have been published on the subject; seminars are held, and classes taught. There are websites, magazines, newsletters, and clubs to join. Land tours and even sea cruises are available to travelers interested in learning about biblical archaeology. There is one significant fact that seems to have become lost in all this excitement and activity, however. Nothing has ever been found—not one artifact—that proves any supernatural claims found in the Bible. After many years of effort, biblical archaeology has failed to deliver on the point that matters most. The same is true for all religions. No archaeological artifact has ever been discovered that confirms any paranormal/supernatural claims made by any religion ever. But this does not stop some followers of various religions from overreaching when it comes to archaeology. For example, I read the line, “archaeology testifies to this event,” in an article about God's destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in a Jehovah's Witness booklet. This is either an error based on ignorance or an outright lie because no archaeological discovery has ever confirmed that any city anywhere has ever been destroyed by a god.
While believers may point to archaeology for confirmation of their gods' activities, the truth is that this important and productive scientific discipline has not provided evidence of anything other than human activities. In every case, archaeology has proven nothing more than the existence of ancient human believers, but never the target of their belief. Such discoveries showing supernatural claims are possible. For example, if the fossilized skeletons of Pegasus, the flying horse, or Cerberus, the three-headed hound of Hades, were discovered tomorrow near the Acropolis in Athens, it certainly would prove that at least some ancient Greek religious claims were true. The discovery of something like the Ark of the Covenant—with demonstrable magical powers intact—would be powerful evidence for the Torah's accuracy. If the Bible is correct, this sacred box that is believed to contain holy relics such as the Ten Commandments should emit supernatural powers detectable to scientific methods. After all, the Bible claims this box made rivers go dry and delivered magical military victories for the Jews. And what about all the relics held in churches across Europe? Many believers and clergy say they have the power to heal and protect with divine magic. So why haven't biblical archaeologists been able to confirm the supernatural properties of even just one? Just imagine if a splinter from the cross Jesus was crucified on or the finger bone of a saint was found to have extraordinary powers. Something like that would be very strong evidence, possibly even proof, that the Bible's supernatural claims are valid. So far, however, we have nothing but claims and anecdotes.
The fact is, despite all of the time, money, and energy devoted to biblical archaeology, there is nothing to show for it beyond natural and human artifacts. No trace of God, angels, demons, or magical artifacts. Work described by some as biblical archaeology may have contributed to our knowledge of Middle Eastern cultures, and that's great. But it goes no further than that. Unfortunately, many believers confuse the meaning of some artifacts and discoveries. Did a certain place mentioned in the Bible really exist? Sure. Did a place named Jericho once have a wall around it? OK. Did the Romans execute people by brutal means? Absolutely. The important question, however, is whether or not there is archaeological evidence to back up any of the Bible's supernatural content: the big stories about angels, demons, miracles, and God. Yes, finding an ancient boat in the Sea of Galilee (the “Jesus Boat”) was a big deal, but it didn't prove that Eve was made from a rib, that a snake talked, or that Jesus walked on water. According to believers, the primary point of the Bible is not to shed light on human activities. It is primarily supposed to make the case for the existence of the Jewish/Christian god and make his desires known. Therefore, the claim that archaeology has verified the Bible's accuracy is wrong because, so far, archaeology is silent on all of the important claims. Excavating ancient streets, temples, and oil lamps just doesn't cut it if one is trying to verify occurrences of supernatural events and the existence of a god. For example, I have been to Athens and Rome where I saw many artifacts in museums and touched the hard stone of many ancient ruins. They do exist. Never once, however, did I imagine that the existence of these things proves the existence of Greek and Roman gods. Those things only establish the reality of ancient Greek and Roman people, just as biblical archaeology to date has only been able to confirm the existence of ancient Jewish and Christian people.
I have interviewed many believers about their religions over the years, and a number of them tried to play the archaeology card with me. I don't like friendly talks to degrade into arguments if it can be avoided, so I always resisted challenging them too harshly on this. The way I usually handle it is to simply ask: “What is the single most important archaeological discovery that confirms your religion?” Blank stares and silence almost always follow. A few might say the Dead Sea Scrolls. I explain that the Dead Sea Scrolls are ancient documents that include some text of the Bible/Torah. But an old partial copy of the Bible just doesn't prove the claims within the Bible are true or that anyone other than people were responsible for producing it. I add that I've been to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem where I saw the Dead Sea Scrolls. The exhibit was impressive and it was thrilling to see something so old, but nothing about it suggested to me that it was magical or anything other than something written by people a long time ago.
I am certain that virtually everyone on Earth would have heard about it by now if there were even one archaeological discovery that confirmed one of the Bible's supernatural claims. Surely any archaeologist who discovered something so important to so many people would be a well-known figure, at least as famous as the fictional character Indiana Jones. Even Howard Carter, discoverer of the tomb of Tutankhamun, is fairly well known. Can you name the most successful and famous biblical archaeologist?
Speaking of Tutankhamun, the young pharaoh-god, those who are prone to give biblical archaeology more credit than it deserves might ask themselves a simple question: If bricks and scrolls found in Israel prove the existence of the Judeo-Christian god, then, by that same standard, wouldn't the treasures found in Tut's tomb prove that he was a god as well?
GO DEEPER…
Fagan, Brian. In the Beginning: An Introduction to Archaeology. New York: Prentice Hall, 2008.
Fagan, Brian. People of the Earth: An Introduction to World PreHistory. New York: Prentice Hall, 2009.
Perring, Stefania, and Dominic Perring. Then and Now: The Wonders of the Ancient World Brought to Life in Vivid See-Through Reproductions. New York: MacMillan, 1991.
An old joke tells of a pilgrim's response to seeing a second head of John the Baptist. When he asked how this could be, he was told, “The other one was from when he was a boy.”
—Joe Nickell, Relics of the Christ
Having successfully weaved my way through a maze of tacky gift shops, heavily armed soldiers, and parading pilgrims in Jerusalem's Old City, I finally arrived at the entrance of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This is the specific spot where many Christia
ns claim Jesus was crucified. A confusing jumble of a church owned and operated by rival denominations has grown up around it over the centuries. It's fascinating and filled with intrigue, to say the least. Barely a couple of feet inside, I noticed odd behavior. A woman kneeling before a slab of brown stone sways rhythmically from side to side. Her eyes widen and seem to glow intensely. Then she shuts them tight as her hands slowly move across the brown stone as if it is precious and powerful. I learn that it is just that, thanks to a grinning pilgrim who explains to me that this is the Stone of Unction. Also called the Stone of Anointing, it's supposed to be the rock upon which the body of Jesus was laid after his execution and prepared for burial. Never mind that this couldn't possibly be true because this stone was placed here in the 1800s; it's still an important relic nonetheless. The woman before me is obviously convinced that it contains divine power, and she wants some of it. She continues to methodically sweep her hands across the surface. Then she rubs her palms on her arms, neck, and face. Amazingly, the woman is “bathing” in the stone, apparently trying to apply its magic to her skin. I'm transfixed by the scene. I don't believe there is anything supernatural going on, of course, but I do recognize a bizarre beauty of some kind within this woman's joy and passion. Magic or not, she seems close to being overwhelmed with emotion. Such is the power of religious relics.
Further on in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, I discover a man creating sacred relics right before my eyes. With a handful of rosary beads, he crawls up to the precise rock upon which Jesus died on the cross. He then rubs the rosaries against the surface, one at a time. With the supposed magical transference complete, the man crawls back out from the altar and bags his beads. All around me, people pray, weep, and smile. Many of them touch and kiss various adornments and even the walls inside the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Clearly there is a common desire to make contact with something, anything, Jesus or other great holy figures have touched. The believers seem to seek a physical chain of connection, a step up perhaps from the invisible and formless faith that fails to fully satisfy.
Christians are not alone in their attraction to relics. During a visit to the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria, a guide told me that the head of John the Baptist was safely inside a shrine within the compound. I couldn't see it, but he was certain that it's there. Interestingly, a few other places around the world claim to have the same head. A good portion of the Prophet Mohammed's beard and a single tooth are on display at the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, Turkey. And on a bitterly cold February day in 2011, thousands of Muslims turned out in Srinagar, Kashmir, in the hopes of catching a glimpse of a single hair from Mohammed's beard that was briefly displayed outside the shrine that houses it.1 A temple in Kandy, Sri Lanka, claims to have a tooth from the Buddha. They say it is the only remnant of his body in existence. But I visited Lingguang Temple in China, where I was told by locals that a Buddha tooth is kept as well. I chatted with some sort of a holy man while photographing the beautiful Bodnath Stupa (Buddhist temple) in Kathmandu, Nepal. The man told me that one of the Buddha's leg bones is inside the temple and it has “great power.”
After encountering and hearing about so many of them around the world, I developed an interest in religious relics and the power they can hold over some believers. I'm amazed by how wide open the field of relic veneration is. A relic can be virtually anything tangible that is connected with a person or supernatural being considered important to a particular religion. The key word is “anything.” Relics range from a nail used to crucify Jesus to the toenail clipping of a saint. And, much like the sports memorabilia market is today, the religious relics market has been flooded with fakes. But few seem to care about authenticity when it comes to these objects. The truth, it seems, is less important than the claim.
Religious relics often are seen as much more than mere souvenirs or trophies. Relic believers claim that they have special powers, such as the ability to heal the sick or bring good fortune. They can also be profitable, which explains how different locations end up with the head of the same person or how several femur bones of the same saint can be housed in various churches. The desire to possess things that have some direct association with beloved figures is alive and well today and extends beyond religion. Collectors have purchased used gum chewed by Britney Spears, Cher's bra, and Ty Cobb's dentures. While I would like to think I'm above such silliness, in truth I am not. Over the years I've been fortunate enough to interview many historic figures, great scientists, and famous athletes. I often came away from those encounters with autographed photos. I've accumulated a large collection that is probably worth a lot of money. But I can't imagine ever selling them. Even though I recognize that they are just photos with names scribbled on them, they have had some form of “magic” breathed into them by people I admire and are therefore special to me.
Although the practice predates Christianity, relics connected to Jesus and the Gospels became popular in Europe during the fourth century. According to Joe Nickell, author of the fascinating book Relics of the Christ, remains and objects linked to martyrs and saints quickly became a very important and profitable activity. The lust for these objects drove people to open up the tombs of martyrs in order to mine them for relics. Nickell explains that relics came to be viewed as the necessary link between tombs and altars. “By 767, the cult of saints had become entrenched,” Nickell writes, “and the Council of Nicaea declared that all church altars must contain an altar stone that held a saint's relics. To this day, the Catholic Church's Code of Canon Law defines an altar as a ‘tomb containing the relics of a saint.’ The practice of placing a relic in each church altar continued until 1969.”2
The catalog of relics that earned some degree of credibility and made their way into churches is astonishing. There seems to have been no limit to the resourcefulness, or imagination, of the people who traded in them. Here is a sampling:
Pieces of the Ten Commandments stone tablets; a flask of the Virgin Mary's breast milk; a piece of stone that her breast milk dripped on; Mary's hair; the loincloth of Jesus; Jesus' baby clothes; Moses's staff; the skulls of the “three wise men”; Jesus' crib; Jesus' foreskin (at least six of them!); hay from the manger Jesus was born in; Jesus' baby teeth; Jesus' umbilical cord; feathers from the angel Gabriel's wings; the Shroud of Turin and many more cloths with the same claim; Mary's burial shroud; a chair an apparition of the Virgin Mary once sat in; a tear Jesus shed at the tomb of Lazarus (how was it collected?); the tail of the ass he rode into Jerusalem on; the basin Jesus used to wash the feet of his disciples; thorns from the “crown of thorns” Jesus was forced to wear; the spear a Roman soldier stabbed Jesus with; chains used to imprison Saint Peter; vials of Saint Peter's tears and some of his toenail clippings; the blood of numerous saints; nails used to crucify Jesus; fragments of the “true cross” Jesus was crucified on; and one of doubting Thomas's fingers.3
The collecting, selling, and displaying of religious relics became so rampant in the fifth century that even Saint Augustine became fed up with it, leading him to write about his disgust for “hypocrites in the garb of monks for hawking about of the limbs of martyrs, if indeed [they are] of martyrs.”4
“As investigation after investigation has shown, not a single, reliably authenticated relic of Jesus exists,” declares relic researcher Nickell. “The profoundness of this lack is matched by the astonishing number of relics attributed to him.”5
ONE MAN'S RELIGIOUS RELIC IS ANOTHER MAN'S MOVIE PROP
Once again, I find myself feeling sympathetic toward those who are drawn in by things that don't seem likely to be real or true. A minimal amount of skepticism and critical thinking should be able to deflate claims of relics possessing powers or even being authentic in the first place. But maybe most relic believers just don't want to know. They like believing, so they do.
It came to me while I was looking at the display case containing the leather pants of rock god Jim Morrison. I was waiting for my lunch at the Hard Rock Ca
fé on Hollywood Boulevard, of all places, when my thoughts wandered to medieval peasants, modern-day believers, and religious relics. I thought to myself, who cares? So long as one is not wasting needed money or putting health at risk by trusting in some beard hair or toe bone, then have fun. I love the Terminator films and would love to keep an authentic prop used in one of the movies in my house, say a T-800 skull or maybe even a T-600 endoskeleton. It's childish, of course, but it would be great to have a tangible piece of something bigger than life and “magical” close by—not much different from the lure of religious relics, really. The key difference, however, is that I wouldn't pay more than I could afford for a relic or be sloppy enough in my thinking to imagine that it could give me luck or cure me when ill.
GO DEEPER…
McCrone, Walter C. Judgment Day for the Shroud of Turin. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books, 1999.
Nickell, Joe. Relics of the Christ. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2007.
God cannot bless you until you put something into His hand.
—Rev. Benny Hinn
Pray over your seed and expect an abundant harvest. Know that your seed is being sown into good ground and will be used to teach the Word with simplicity and understanding throughout the world. God bless you for being obedient!
—Rev. Creflo A. Dollar, Dollar Ministries
Back in the 1980s, after Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker lost their $129 million ministry because of financial fraud and a sexual scandal, I assumed the end of the televangelist phenomenon was near.1 Then I guessed its final days were here when Rev. Oral Roberts announced that God would kill him if people didn't donate $8 million to him by the end of the month.2 And I was certain it was doomed when staunch moral crusader Jimmy Swaggart was caught meeting prostitutes in hotel rooms.3
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