city. This is why Hezekiah built the famous tunnel aqueduct which was found by a boy in 1880. An attack ing army couldn’t threaten the city as long as their water supply lasted. Without springs the people would have been compelled to abandon all hope. Archeological excavations show how very fertile and productive this area of the world really was. As the Bible teaches, the mountains are filled with natural resources such as iron and copper. Ships in those times didn’t need harbors of the magnitude of today’s great ocean-going trans ports. In Exodus 23:31 we have the pro phetic word concerning Israel’s vic tory over the various tribes of Ca naan. Whenever the Bible refers to cities, empires, man-made bounda ries, people and governments, the historians, archeologists and anthro pologists have found that the Bible is accurate in what it says about political geography. Numbers 13:28- 33 shows how the land was the cross roads of the world. Tracks of ancient caravans can still be traced across the area. During the days of the Judges, the Philistines established themselves in five strong cities. From time to time they asserted their au thority over Israel. They humbled such leaders as Sampson, Eli and Saul. Not until David became king was Israel finally and permanently victorious. This accurate reflection of a knowledge of ancient peoples extends even as far back as the fas cinating table of nations in Genesis 10. The Jewish spies reported that the land was greatly fortified with many walled cities. It was customary for the settled peoples of that day to build their cities on high places. They would have a commanding view, giving a fortress advantage to observe the countryside so that they might repel all invaders. The com munities appeared even more formid able without faith. The sites of these ancient cities are reflected in the 25
13:29. At Mt. Sinai God promised the land to the Israelites. He set ex tensive limits upon it. It’s interest ing to note that the Mediterranean is called the Sea of the Philistines. The Philistines were men of the sea who devastated and marauded every poorly-defended coast. The desert spoken of in this passage is probably the wilderness of the south. This was where thè Jewish people wan dered for 40 years after they left the land of Egypt. The river is doubtless the Euphrates. This prom ise has never yet been fulfilled. In Numbers 13:29 we read the re port of the 12 spies whom Moses had sent into Canaan. The men came back with an accurate description of the land’s topography. They spoke of it as a country flowing with milk and honey. Samples were even brought back. But in verse 28 we read of the high, walled cities. Archeological excavation shows these descriptions to be true. Here again, from the facts of geography in the Holy Land, we find additional proof that the Bible is the inerrantly inspired Word of God. C hapter T en I n D euteronomy 8:7-10, we have a wonderful passage which describes for us the land of Canaan, prom ised to the children of Israel. There are very real evidences of biblical inspiration from the facts of the land’s topography. The boundaries are suggested in verse 31. We learn of the natural resources of this won derful country. The country was bet ter watered in ancient times than it is at present. Over the years too many trees were cut down. The Bible tells us clearly in Judges 1:15 about the natural springs of the area. Ge ology and archeology verify this fact. Every city in ancient times not only needed water to exist, but also sought to deny water outside its reach to potential beseigers of the
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