Page 17 - Doctrine and History of the Preservation of the Bible Student Textbook

Hezekiah’s Tunnel in Jerusalem

Second Chronicles 36:23 and Ezra 1 report that Cyrus the Great of Persia, after conquering Babylon,
permitted Jews in the Babylonian Captivity to return to their homeland. Isaiah had even prophesied this
(Isa. 44:28). This tolerant policy of the founder of the Persian Empire is borne out by the discovery of a
nine-inch clay cylinder found at Babylon from the time of its conquest, 539 BC, which reports Cyrus’s
victory and his subsequent policy of permitting Babylonian captives to return to their homes and even
rebuild their temples.

James the brother of Jesus was martyred in AD 62. A mid first century
AD chalk ossuary discovered in 2002 bears this inscription: “James, son
of Joseph, brother of Jesus” (“Ya’akov bar Yosef akhui di Yeshua”)
The ossuary has provoked controversy as the inscription was originally
suspected of being a forgery. However, two eminent paleogrophers
confirmed it authentic in 2012. New Testament scholar Ben
Witherington states: “If, as seems probable, the ossuary found in the
vicinity of Jerusalem and dated to about AD 63 is indeed the burial box
of James, the brother of Jesus, this inscription is the most important
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extra-biblical evidence of its kind.”

In 1961, an inscription was found which confirms not only the rule of
Pilate in Judea but also his preference for the title ‘Prefect’. In Latin, the
inscription (dated to c AD 26-37) reads:

TIBERIEUM IUS PILATUS ECTUS IUDA. The original wording was:

9 https://www.premierchristianity.com/Past-Issues/2017/March-2017/9-archaeology-finds-that-confirm-the-New-
Testament
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