The Bible and Archaeology

The Bible and Archaeology An important step forward in scientific archaeological research, and a 19th-century outgrowth of the previous centurys Enlightenment  was the search for the truth of the events written about in the ancient historical accounts of the past. The main truth of the Bible, Torah, Koran, and the Buddhist sacred texts among many others is (of course) not a scientific one but a truth of faith and religion. The roots of the scientific study of archaeology are deeply planted in the establishment of the boundaries of that truth. Is the Bible Fact or Fiction? This is one of the most common questions I get asked as an archaeologist and it is one for which I have yet to find a good answer. And yet the question is at the absolute heart of archaeology, central to the growth and development of archaeology, and it is the one that gets more archaeologists into trouble than any other. And, more to the point, it brings us back to the history of archaeology. Many if not most citizens of the world are naturally curious about ancient texts. After all, they form the basis of all human culture, philosophy, and religion. As discussed in the earlier parts of this series, at the end of the Enlightenment, many archaeologists began actively searching for the cities and cultures described in the available ancient texts and histories, such as Homer and the Bible, Gilgamesh, Confucian texts, and the Vedic manuscripts. Schliemann sought Homers Troy, Botta sought Nineveh, Kathleen Kenyon sought Jericho, Li Chi sought An-Yang, Arthur Evans at Mycenae, Koldewey at Babylon, and Woolley at Ur of the Chaldees. All of these scholars and more sought archaeological events in the ancient texts. Ancient Texts and Archaeological Studies But using ancient texts as the basis for historical investigation was- and still is- fraught with peril in any culture: and not just because the truth is hard to parse out. Governments and religious leaders have vested interests in seeing that religious texts and nationalistic myths remain unchanged and unchallenged- other parties might learn to see the ancient ruins as blasphemous. Nationalistic mythologies demand that there is a special state of grace for a particular culture, that the ancient texts are received wisdom, that their specific country and people are the center of the creative world. No Planet-Wide Floods When early geological investigations proved without a doubt that there was no planet-wide flood as described in the Old Testament of the Bible, there was a great cry of outrage. Early archaeologists fought against and lost battles of this sort time and again. The results of David Randal-McIvers excavations at Great Zimbabwe, an important trading site in southeastern Africa, were suppressed by the local colonial governments who wanted to believe that the site was Phoenician in derivation and not African. The beautiful effigy mounds found throughout North America by Euroamerican settlers were wrongly attributed to either the mound builders or a lost tribe of Israel. The fact of the matter is that ancient texts are renditions of ancient culture which may be partly reflected in the archaeological record and partly will not be- not fiction nor fact, but culture. Better Questions So, lets not ask if the Bible is true or false. Instead, lets ask a series of different questions: Did the places and cultures that are mentioned in the Bible and the other ancient texts exist? Yes, in many cases, they did. Archaeologists have found evidence for many of the locations and cultures mentioned in the ancient texts.Did the events that are described in these texts happen? Some of them did; archaeological evidence in the form of physical evidence or supporting documents from other sources can be found for some of the battles, the political struggles, and the building and collapse of cities.Did the mystical things that are described in the texts occur? Its not my area of expertise, but if I were to hazard a guess, if there were miracles that occurred, they wouldnt leave archaeological evidence.Since the places and the cultures and some of the events that are described in these texts happened, shouldnt we just assume that the mysterious parts also happened? No. Not any more than since Atlanta burned, Scarlett OHara really was dumped by Rhett Butler. There are so many ancient texts and stories about how the world began and many are at variance with one another. From a global human standpoint, why should one ancient text be more accepted than any other? The mysteries of the Bible and other ancient texts are just that: mysteries. It is not, and never has been, within the archaeological purview to prove or disprove their reality. That is a question of faith, not science.

A List of the Best Topic Ideas for Narrative Writing

A List of the Best Topic Ideas for Narrative Writing Topic Ideas for a Narrative Essay: Choose from the Best! Often, when a tutor asks to complete a narrative essay, students think that they must talk about their personal life, hardships and emotions. However, it may not be the case. You can always make up a situation, describe an interesting event or simply tell about a person you consider your role model. If you want to create a piece of art, don’t be in a hurry and choose a proper topic. Luckily, there are multiple ideas available online and you can choose a good one. Before you choose a single topic, it is important to get familiar with a list of outstanding ideas for a narrative essay, which can boost your imagination and inspire. When you pick a topic, make sure you research it and check whether the content is completely unique. You may be tempted to copy samples online to save lots of your time but try to write the paper from scratch and include sources according to requirements. Concentrate on the topic and lead the audience through your memory. If you let your words flow, you will see how simple it is to create a memorable story! When all of these elements come together, you are doomed to make a solid impression on the audience. Why a great narrative essay topic is so important? When you should deliver a narrative paper, it is necessary to choose whether to write on a topic, proposed by your teacher or to create your own. Take this stage seriously, because topic selection influences the success of your future essay. In case you can’t choose it on your own, there are always professional writers ready to help! Not depending what topic you choose, your essay should always be interesting and easy to read. That is why you should be passionate about the matter. Remember, a narrative essay is the best assignment to show how creative you are, pushing your imagination to its limits. When working on this sort of an essay, you have a chance not to follow all the regulations of a particular style. This makes narrative essays one of the most popular assignments among students. It may be quite challenging for a writer to invent a topic without any side help. You may find yourself stuck when asked to write about your own experience or feelings. That is why many students make a big mistake and stop their search on the first idea, which comes to their mind. However, the chosen topic should light your inner fire and interest the reader. That is why we have collected the most recent ideas for narrative essays, considering your academic background and required subject. Ideas for your narrative essay on experience The goal of any narrative essay is to help you render your stories through the paper, using various literary tools and instruments. That is why you should first think of all the events from your past, whether they are good or bad ones. Make sure you provide maximum details to give the reader a chance to dive into your word and live those emotions together with you. Topic examples on experience The story of your success; An awkward situation you remember; What was the scariest thing you have ever experienced? Memorable family events; A situation that made you value your life more; Unpleasant experience from your past; Event, which made you fight your fears; A thing, which made you appreciate life even more; Event, which influenced your life values; Facts, which made you who you are. Ideas on childhood Childhood is the time of new impressions and experiences when we are still very sincere and naà ¯ve. Often that makes children become a part of ridiculous and funny situations. Every person has plenty of stories to share about childhood, so the next list of topics will help you boost your memory and think of the past events from the childhood, which can turn into a great narrative essay. A day you got a trauma, when playing in the street; Your favorite childhood game and why; What profession you wanted to master when you were a child? Share a story about the most memorable birthday of yours; Experience from childhood, which made you grow up at once; Did you ever get hurt, when playing with friends? What happened? What fairytale do you like the most? What did you like to do, when you were a child? Your favorite childhood belongings; What you miss the most about your childhood? Topics on school years School is a sort of bridge between the childhood and the adult life, where children get new skills, experience and knowledge. School years are filled with lots of challenges, which push the personality to new limits. All of these challenges are unique, and every child or teenager has plenty of stories to share. That is why, if you stop your choice on a school years topic, your essay will surely be original. The most awful event, which has ever happened in your class; When was the first time you participated in a school event? What was your favorite school subject? Why? Did you have any role models among teachers? Did teachers influence your personality? What school events made you who you are? Do you want to remain friends with a particular teacher? What did you like to study most of all at an elementary school? Who was your primary school best friend? What is your strongest school year memory? Topics on relationships We are all connected with other people: our relatives, friends, spouses. Every day we interact with other people, which cause positive or negative emotions. Your stories about people you love or hate are very personalized, which means that relationships are always a great source of inspiration! Did you break up with a close friend? Why? Who are you scared to lose most of all? When was the last time you were rejected? What was the funniest relationship misunderstanding you have ever experienced? Do you have loyal friends? What was the most awful argument in your life? Can you love one person for a lifetime? What impact did your first love have on you? The funniest times you had with your grandparents; Do you have many friends at school or college? Morality topics While every country has its own laws and regulations, there are laws, which regulate the lives of people across every continent and are called laws of morality and ethics. This topic is quite controversial and has lots of debatable issues, because every person is looking at the topic from his or her point of view. That is why such topics always cause interest and make the audience want to go on reading your essay. The most choice you had to make; Do you try to avoid strangers? Do you often lie? Examples of a situation, when you acted like a coward; What are the most disturbing morality problems for you? When and why did you break the rules? Do you often have to face ethics challenges? Do you regularly overhear other people talk? What is the biggest morality challenge you experience right now? A situation, when you helped your close friend to overcome a difficult morality issue. Ideas to talk about interests Our interests make up who we are because they occupy lots of our time. Our personal interests are made up of interesting events and hobbies, which is always a great topic to discuss. When writing a narrative essay on interests, you can tell about your music tastes, the ways how you like to spend leisure and so on. Write your essay passionately and you will surely get a high grade. What was the most remarkable movie you have ever seen? The most touching song you have ever heard; What talent do you dream to possess? Are you good at sports? Are there celebrities you would like to have dinner with? What book character you want to be? What talents have you already discovered in yourself? Are there book characters, which you associate yourself with? If there was a chance to shoot a movie, what it would be about? Did you ever want to write a book? Traveling topics It is almost impossible to find a teenager, who isn’t fond of traveling and discovering new places. When you are traveling, every moment is filled with new emotions and impressions. Even if every person in your class has visited Paris, you still have your own experience to share. There are plenty of ideas for writing a great narrative essay! Do you have a friend from abroad? What is your favorite vacation place? When was the first time you have visited a countryside or a big city (depending on where you are from)? What is your favorite way of traveling? Things you always take with you when traveling; If you owned a million dollars, where would you go to? The most memorable trip; If you had a chance to go to a camp again, what would you change there? Tell about your bad experience, when traveling; What do you like more: family vacations or trips with friends? College life topics Being a college or university student is completely different from being in school. It has more challenges and adventures because you need to meet lots of new people, learn massive amounts of information and adjust to new rules and laws. This makes college stories a great plot for a narrative essay. College years are called the best in every person’s life, so there are definitely plenty of stories to share! What was the most difficult exam? Lecture, which impressed you the most; Describe your first day at the university/college; The best party you have attended; The most awful event, which happened to you in college; People, who influenced you the most during college years; Do you communicate with foreign students? Are there are any role models among your teachers? Your favorite college subject; Why did you choose the particular college? Imagine if Often students are asked to write on a topic, which starts with words like ‘Imagine if..’ Such assignments usually require writing about things that may be possible in the future. This kind of topics is definitely one of the most popular ones because students can make up literally anything without revealing their personality much. The only limit is your imagination! Imagine if you invented the time machine. Where would you go? Imagine if you could be an animal. Who would you be? Imagine yourself a billionaire. How would you spend money? Imagine if you were a comic-book character. What power would you choose? The most recent and fresh topics Finding a topic, which would reflect your personality and still be interesting for the reader is quite a challenging task. That is why we have carefully examined the most popular subjects and categories to make a list of topics, which may inspire you the most! How would you spend millions of dollars, won in a lottery? If you could change only one thing in your life, what would it be? Your first job; If you could only turn back the time, what would you change? The most awful thing you have seen in your life; Your first time facing fear; Everyday issues, which bother you the most; An achievement you are proud of the most; Thing in your character, which annoys you the most; Do you have any family traditions? What makes you different from other family members; What do you like most about your teachers and why? Did you ever have to face the police? What was the case? Are you good at managing time and planning beforehand? Do you devote enough time to yourself? What was the most important lesson you have ever learned? Do you feel pressure to get a perfect appearance and body? Next step Once you find the most suitable topic, which meets all of your expectations, you need to get familiar with the tutor’s recommendations and guidelines. Make sure you know what length your essay should be and whether any sources are required. We are happy to provide you with the most important tips on writing a great narrative essay: Concentrate on things, which are important for the coverage of your topic. If possible, avoid irrelevant details and unnecessary information, which will only harm your essay; Instead of making up facts or lying to sound more interesting, try to explore the topic. Your audience will value your honesty; To make your text sound as a single piece, use transition words and phrases to sound logical. Connect all of your ideas and interlink paragraphs; Always write a conclusion. Although a narrative essay may have a free structure, it should still contain a summary of your work; Always reread the text and make sure that it is interesting. If you don’t like reading it yourself, others will hardly find it worth their time and attention; There should always be limits not to bore the reader. Of course, you may be tempted to tell the audience as much as possible. However, try to concentrate on main details; Remain creative, applying various stylistic instruments; Carefully follow tutor’s guidelines. Although a narrative essay is quite a free genre, it should still follow a certain pattern.