The third series of archaeological proofs is found in the southern kingdom of Judah. First, the biblical account of Shishak’s attack on Judah is archaeologically testified (1 Ki. 14:25). His invasion was incredibly successful, as Rehoboam handed over nearly all of the gold Solomon accumulated to Shishak (1 Ki. 14:26; Kaiser 308). A victory monument, erected by Shishak after his return from Palestine, records approximately 156 places which he attacked, with cities such as Gibeon and Megiddo mentioned (Harrison 211). This monument also shows that his campaign was broader in scope than just Judah, for the monument indicates that it extended across most of Palestine (Lewis 266). Second, Hezekiah’s reign contains a myriad of archaeological proof. The first item from his reign to evaluate is Hezekiah’s tunnel. The Bible acknowledges this tunnel’s existence and provides Hezekiah’s rational for constructing it (2 Ki. 20:20; 2 Chr. 32:2-4, 30). This corridor supplied water to the Siloam pool in Jerusalem from the…show more content… This event is so critical in Judah’s history that the Bible records it in three different places (2 Ki. 18:13-19:37; 2 Chr. 32:1-22; Is. 36:1-37:38). Sennacherib himself recorded this event in his annals. He mentions Hezekiah by name, his removal of 200,150 people from Judah, and his encirclement of Jerusalem (Pritchard 288). Especially impressive are the relics related to Lachish, a fortified city in Judah. Sennacherib had a relief forged to memorialize its destruction, and this depiction provides a striking account of a biblical event (Walton 188). Arguably, the archaeological evidence about the besiegement of Lachish is one of antiquity’s most well-attested events (Humble 25; Kaiser 379). These proofs, then, demonstrate the reliability of the biblical record because it is directly confirmed by numerous unbiased
