The Bible is Historically Reliable

“Much of the Bible, in particular the historical books of the old testament, are as accurate historical documents as any that we have from antiquity and are in fact more accurate than many of the Egyptian, Mesopotamian, or Greek histories. These Biblical records can be and are used as are other ancient documents in archeological work. For the most part, historical events described took place and the peoples cited really existed. This is not to say that names of all peoples and places mentioned can be identified today, or that every event as reported in the historical books happened exactly as stated.”  --The Smithsonian Department of Anthropology

"[A]rchaeologists do indeed find the Bible a valuable reference tool, and use it many times for geographical relationships, old names and relative chronologies. On the enclosed list, you will find many articles concerning discoveries verifying events discussed in the Bible. -- Dr. George Stuart, National Geographic Society

It amuses and saddens me when secular critics discard the Bible as an historical reference.  The Bible was never compiled to be a history text, but several of its books are deliberate chronicles of history and are at least as credible as other historical documents such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, or the Code of Hammurabi.  In many cases, Old Testament Jewish documents have survived in far larger quantities than other documents that are sometimes given more credence.

There are events in the Bible that are not supported by independent documents.  These events are often disregarded and labeled as myth.  Other, secular documents, on the other hand, are often considered credible without independent supporting evidence.  It's intellectually dishonest for some historians to ignore the Bible as a relevant historical document.

I feel a bit guilty about it, but I get a certain sense of satisfaction when archeology verifies a Biblical event.  King David was considered to be a mythical figure by secular historians until an archeological dig in 1993 discovered a clear reference to the House of David while proclaiming a battle victory over the King of Israel.

The Bible was given to us so that we could understand our relationship with God and His will for our lives.  The history in the text is only spiritually significant in that it helps us understand these things in a way He intends.  The Bible is not a history text.  That said, the history contained in the Bible is reliable and should be granted the same credibility and respect given to other ancient documents.