Archaeological Discovery [No: 3]

Archaeological Discovery Confirms the Holy Scripture.. (yet again..)

The British Museum recently announced the discovery of a remarkably significant cuneiform inscription within its vast collection of Mesopotamian tablets. Many are hailing it as sensational proof of the accuracy of TaNaKh.. the Old Testament..!!

Searching for Babylonian financial accounts among the ancient records, Michael Jursa, a visiting professor from Vienna, came across the name of a court official of the famed Babylonian king Nebuc.hadnezar (The Daily Telegraph, July 13, 2007)

More than 2500 years old, the tablet- which sat in th museum 's collection since 1920 with its significance unrecognized (The Times, July 11) -- identifies "Nabu-sharrussu-ukin" as the chief eunuch of Nebuc.hadnezar. This equates to "Nebo-Sarsekim" {hebrew} in Jeremiah 39:3. NIV.

Most of Bible versions do not obviously contain this name. KJV lists the names as "Nergal-sharezar, Samgar-nebo, Sarsec.him, Rab-saris, Nergal-sharezer [&] Rab-mag"

NKJV's list of names is essentially the same, although it offers footnotes that Rabsaris & Rabmag are titles. Some other translators recognize that 2 individuals in this list are named 'Nergal-sharezer' --leading them to conclude that the word following each individual is a further identifier so as to distinguish between them.

Notice the NIV's list of names: "Nergal-Sharezarof Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official & all the other officials of the king of Babylon".Here Samgar has been shown as a place name, rather than as a part of compound name with 'Nebo' , as KJV. Thus in NIV 'Nebo' is taken to be the 1st part of the name,"Nebo-Sarsekim". And indeed the new discovery shows that this is the name of Nebuchadnezzar's chief officials...!!

This discovery also kept the critics' mouth shut...!! Here it is well proved that, Jeremiah was the author of the book & it was indeed in that time itself. For even such a minor figure of a foreign land with a difficult name who is never mentioned again, is found true...

A recent excavation in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) uncovered a bulla, a hardened clay impression with the imprint of a seal, bearing the name of Jehucal, son of Shelemiah, son of Shevi. This individual, a court official serving under king Zedekiah, is mentioned in Jeremiah 37:3 & 38:1-4.

Another bulla found not far from this one has on it the name Gemariah the son of Shaphan, the royal scribe (36:10) And before these, 2 remarkable bullae were found bearing the name of Jeremiah's scribe Baruc.h the son of Neriah.

All these were real people, as Jeremiah attests. The evidences shows that the book of Jeremiah relates the real history - as does the rest of Holy Bible.

"Let His Name alone shall be glorified..."
Baruc.h Ha Shem...

shalom..