Regular readers of this column will know my interest in history and archaeology.
For the defence of the faith, I encourage all Christians to take an interest in the evidence for the Bible that emerges from the ancient world. So the recent destruction of historic sites by the Islamic terrorist group known as ISIS has profound implications for apologetics.
The humanitarian catastrophes emerging from the Middle East have rightly dominated the news. Whether the refugees fleeing Syria or the violent persecution of Arab minorities in Iraq, there is no question that these should be uppermost in our prayers and social action. But ISIS is also at war against history, archaeology and antiquities. Claiming to be destroying idols, it is systematically erasing ancient sites and artefacts in the regions that fall under its sway.
Temple of Palmyra destroyed
On 31 August 2015, satellite imagery confirmed that Islamic terrorists had destroyed the main building of the Temple of Palmyra in Syria. This was only the latest, and most dramatic, example of their destruction of archaeological locations. Others have included the traditional site of the burial of Jonah, the Mosul museum collection and the Assyrian palace at Nimrud.
Torture and beheading
During this summer they beheaded the 82-year-old antiquities scholar Khaled al-Asaad for refusing to help them locate valuable artefacts. This cruel act reveals their hypocrisy. They had tortured Khaled al-Asaad in an attempt to locate objects that they could sell on the black market. Have you wondered how ISIS manage to equip themselves with so much weaponry? The antiquities black market is a major source of revenue for their military campaign. The claim that they are destroying idols is bogus. ISIS sell idols for money wherever possible and only destroy objects too big to plunder (such as the temple at Palmyra).
The importance of history
Why should this destruction matter? Palmyra was an important city in Roman times. It was situated at the meeting point of Greek, Roman and Persian trade routes. It was home to a substantial Jewish community and among its remains was the longest biblical Hebrew inscription from the ancient world (of Deuteronomy, the Jewish Shema). The impressive Roman temple itself was built in 32 AD and dedicated to Baal.
Some Christians might suggest that the destruction of a pagan temple is a good thing, but such an attitude is far from biblical. Paul was opposed to the pagan worship of the Athenians but could still admire and respect their impressive statuary (Acts 17). Christianity is a historical faith, built on convictions that history is real, that we can learn from history and that God has acted in history.
Even the remains of the pagan world deserve our respect and help us to understand the truth about our past. Historical discoveries will always demonstrate the reliability of God’s Word, even while correcting our misunderstandings of that Word.
Obliterating evidence
Many of the statues and temple adornments Paul had seen in Greece and Turkey have been faithfully preserved in the British Museum in London. ISIS show no appreciation of culture, nor do they wish to preserve history. Their attempt to erase the past is part of a desire to rewrite history. It reflects their desire to promote a warped Islamic view of the past and obliterate any counter evidence.
In contrast, biblical faith has always encouraged an interest in the material remains of our past. Many of the pioneer archaeologists were evangelical Christians, guided by their conviction that the Bible was a reliable work of history. Those convictions proved valid time and again. ISIS demonstrates that those who oppose the God of the Bible inevitably end up opposing the record of history itself.
