03-15-2016, 03:33 PM
(03-15-2016, 03:27 PM)Nebuchadnezzar Wrote: http://www.csnradio.com/tema/links/SmithsonianLetter.pdf
The start of paragraph three is rather interesting.
Is the Bible a historical document?
I would say it is, you may not and that's ok, it's your choice.
I would make the argument that it can be used as a historical text, but what should be used is what can be corroborated with other texts. The problem with using the Bible alone is that it is a narrative for a specific purpose, preserving the history of a certain group of people based on their oral traditions up to that point. What becomes problematic is that there are biases with this, just like with pretty much any historical text we come across. What is important to do in order to provide a solid foundation for the history is to use all of the sources and find common ground in them. This helps provide a more accurate representation of historical events from times before meticulous record keeping and other forms of media were available.
