What evidence is there for the historical events of Exodus, David, or Solomon?

Nicolai said:

That is true. Let me ask you this - how do
we know what the cause of Sin is?

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whatever is not from faith is sin.
Romans 14:23

Nicolai said:

That is true. Let me ask you this - how do
we know what the cause of Sin is?

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Can you rephrase your question, I am not sure what you are asking.

Nicolai said:

Frankly the question I want to ask if "How do you deal with there NOT being any evidence for any of that" or "How do you make sense of archaeological evidence directly contradicting the Old Testament (the size of Israel/Jerasulem under David & Solomon for one).".

I cannot stop thinking about this question! Every time I watch any content and they talk about Moses, Solomon, or David all I can think of is that they never existed the way the OT says. If they did why is there zero evidence to support those claims? We have records to support the claims made by the OT after the alleged reign of David but it would seem that everything written in the OT prior to the 8thish century is just cultural & national narrative. I try to understand this on a spiritual level and not on a literal but I can't stop thinking about it.

Has anyone else struggled with this? Is there evidence I am missing? Is there a way to think about this that doesn't make much of the Pentateuch essentially historical fiction?

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I deal with it in the same way that any historian or archaeologist deals with the fact that they don't find a 1:1 ratio of burial remains for every person who has ever lived throughout the ages.

The historical and archaeological reality is that most of those people of the past, and they're stuff, are gone. From dust they came, and for the most part, to dust they've returned.

But have I struggled with these questions? Yes, I definitely have over the decades, but one has to let go of certain expectations about the Bible that can hold him/her back from valuing it as the collection of ancient prophetic texts that it is.

Nicolai said:

Frankly the question I want to ask if "How do you deal with there NOT being any evidence for any of that"

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Lack of evidence does not always make something false.

Nicolai said:

or "How do you make sense of archaeological evidence directly contradicting the Old Testament (the size of Israel/Jerasulem under David & Solomon for one).".

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When reading about a new archaeological discovery, we cannot casually
accept the media’s interpretation, especially if it discredits the Bible.

"Don’t take for granted that the experts are always right.
Always check the actual facts, and consider them
objectively alongside a thorough reading of the biblical text.

When we take this approach, we will often be surprised to
learn that many of the discoveries that supposedly
“disprove the Bible” actually do the opposite."

Case in point, some top archaeological discoveries in 2021

Nicolai said:

I cannot stop thinking about this question! Every time I watch any content and they talk about Moses, Solomon, or David all I can think of is that they never existed the way the OT says. If they did why is there zero evidence to support those claims?

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I love the science of biblical Archaeology, and I think it is false to say that there is
"No" evidence on these subjects. Many articles on these subjects here. below.

Abraham

"Israel" - not in Egypt?

Moses

Exodus

Jerusalem
Uncovering the Bible’s Buried Cities/Civilizations

King David

King Solomon
I think the science of archaeology is more and more proving
the historical accuracy of the bible, not discrediting it.

“For thy servants take pleasure in her stones,
and favor the dust thereof” (Psalm 102:14).

Nicolai said:

Frankly the question I want to ask if "How do you deal with there NOT being any evidence for any of that" or "How do you make sense of archaeological evidence directly contradicting the Old Testament (the size of Israel/Jerasulem under David & Solomon for one).".

I cannot stop thinking about this question! Every time I watch any content and they talk about Moses, Solomon, or David all I can think of is that they never existed the way the OT says. If they did why is there zero evidence to support those claims? We have records to support the claims made by the OT after the alleged reign of David but it would seem that everything written in the OT prior to the 8thish century is just cultural & national narrative. I try to understand this on a spiritual level and not on a literal but I can't stop thinking about it.

Has anyone else struggled with this? Is there evidence I am missing? Is there a way to think about this that doesn't make much of the Pentateuch essentially historical fiction?

Click to expand...

Hi--not being a professional/expert when it comes to all-things-Biblical, I just have to believe you are wrong about the lack of evidence [of which you spoke ] However, what if you lived a hundred to a thousand years ago, or even more, and you had no ability to even do the type of research that would help yield that physical proof you are seeking--yet, you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior--now, how did that happen?[!] I believe it happened because of what Jesus said in this verse:

" No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day." [John 6:44 KJV]

He proclaimed that none of us ever comes to him without the Father first drawing us to seek Him out--it has nothing directly to do with us, and everything to do with God the Father's action on our "hearts and minds", so to speak. So, you could finally recognize the Truth.
God's word even tells us this:

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." [Ephesians 2:8,9 KJV]

First comes our salvation through faith in Jesus--THEN works will necessarily follow, I'm sure--or, as sure as I can be about 'the works' part--because, working for and within the Body of Christ should be a voluntary thing, since it does not have anything to do with our salvation through faith in Jesus, and everything to do with our receiving rewards from the Lord for what we've done on behalf of the Body of Christ while we are here.