Chapter-a-Day Job 27

Dead Sea Scrolls. The evidence is right before you. You can all see it for yourselves, so why do you keep talking nonsense? Job 27:12 (MSG)

While in Israel, I spent some time in Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found. The scrolls were a huge archaeological find in the mid-20th century. They are the oldest manuscripts we have of the Old Testament scriptures. They revealed to a skeptical, modern world that the scriptures have been hand-copied and handed down through the centuries with astonishing accuracy. They also provided other archaeological insights.

It has been argued over the past century that the book of Isaiah, for example, was actually two different books written by two different authors. You see, the latter chapters of the book contain many prophesies regarding Jesus that many scholars would like to ignore. So, the scholars declared that those chapters were written by another author and tacked on in recent centuries. This allowed them to diminish their importance or dismiss them all together.

Ancient scrolls transcribed each book of the Bible on one long sheet of parchment and then sewed the separate books together to make the whole scroll. When the Dead Sea scrolls were discovered, the book of Isaiah was complete and there was no stitching between the earlier and later chapters. The archaeological evidence revealed Isaiah was written by one person. It is one complete book.

I asked my friend and guide how the skeptical scholars, who continue to maintain that Isaiah was two books by two authors, explain this. "They don't," he replied, "they just ignore the evidence." Like Job's accusation of his friends, the evidence is right there before them and they keep talking nonsense.

Human beings have a tremendous capacity for ignoring truth.

Creative Commons photo courtesy of Flickr and LouisePalanker

2 thoughts on “Chapter-a-Day Job 27”

  1. I’ll not deny my integrity even if it costs me my life.
    I can relate to Job on this one. if it costs me a sale…if it costs me a relationship….if it costs me my job…..I will NOT deny my integrity.

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