manu1959 said:
if the cradel of civilization is the middle east...and that is where the garden of eden was...and if all that exists came from there...why is it the the bible is assuemd to be the only correct teaching of the creation of man....what if .....
The Bible is not "assumed to be" - it IS the only correct teaching...
Obviously, a vast amount of time has passed since the Bible was first penned. So, how do we know that the Bible is reliable?
The Bible is a historical document. Interestingly enough, if you subject it to the same tests that you subject other historical documents to, youll discover that the Bible proves itself to be far superior to any other ancient writing.
First, lets look at the New Testament which, incidentally, was originally written in the Greek language between 50 and 100 A.D. Although we dont have the original autographs, there are presently some 5,000 Greek manuscripts in existence, with as many as 25,000 more copies. Just as amazing is the fact that the earliest manuscripts can be dated back as far as 120 A.D. This is tremendous when you consider that only seven of Platos manuscripts are in existence today and theres a 1,300-year gap which separates the earliest copy from the original writing! Equally amazing is another fact; and that is, that the New Testament has been virtually unaltered. This has been demonstrated by scholars who have compared the earliest written manuscripts with manuscripts written centuries later. And remember, the accounts in the New Testament were recorded directly by eyewitnesses, (or by those who were associated with them) and in fact had close contact with the events themselves.
But what about the Old Testament? Lets take a quick look at one of the most incredible finds of the century the Dead Sea Scrolls. With the discovery of these manuscripts at Qumran in 1946, texts were found that were about 1,000 years older than any previously-known Old Testament manuscript. And when compared with the later texts, these writings proved to be virtually identical.
With every turn of the archaeologists spade, we see further evidence of Scriptures trustworthiness. Such renowned and historical scholars as William Albright and Sir Frederick Kenyon have clearly testified that the findings of archaeology have served to underscore the authenticity of the Bible. Well, is the Bible reliable? I believe the evidence speaks for itself. And with that, I rest my case.
